MotoGP rookie Tito Rabat got his 2016 campaign off to a solid start with a productive first day of testing at Sepang

Rabat was the first rider out on track this morning, going on to complete 52 laps as he continued his familiarisation with the Honda RC213V.

It was the former Moto2 World Champion’s first outing at the Sepang circuit aboard a MotoGP bike and his first experience with the control ECU and unified software that is now mandatory in the premier class. Rabat opted to remain on the harder of the Michelin tyre options for the whole of the opening day, which he finished in 18th position with a time of 2’03.463.

“Today was all about getting back the feeling with the bike after such a long time away from the track and with the new electronics package that we will use this season. At first the sensation was a little different to last year, but with more laps the feeling improved,” said Rabat.

“The bike felt good, but we were focussed more on my riding rather than set up, as the lines here are very different on a MotoGP bike and the carbon brakes take some getting used to. Overall it was a good first day but, tomorrow, we need to up the workload and start improving the bike, refining the set up to suit more my riding style.”