Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow was in charge as the opening day of MotoGP shakedown testing kicked off at Sepang on Sunday.
With just one rookie joining the fray of factory testers in Malaysia as the 2023 season fires up, the British rider was the man to beat as he set down the 2’01.146 benchmark amid the rain-struck session. Crutchlow had three YZR-M1’s to play with - two in 2023 trim and one 2022-spec machine for comparison - with the new ‘more aggressive’ engine the focus of attention as he clocked up 330km/h, three clicks faster than at last years test.
Augusto Fernandez confidently took to the track with his new GasGas Tech3 outfit as he got to grips with life in the premier class from second in the overall times. The Spaniard’s 2’01.331 was just 0.185s from Crutchlow’s best at the close of day one with 34 laps under his belt, while Stefan Bradl completed the top three for HRC showcasing redesigned aero, a new exhaust and the 2023 engine.
Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori suffered technical issues as the day concluded but had six bikes at his disposal as the shakedown got up to speed. Michele Pirro back-to-backed two GP23’s as Ducati analysed a new fairing and KTM fielded two testers by welcoming Jonas Folger to the Austrian manufacturer alongside Dani Pedrosa.
