As the final day of official winter testing for the Moto3 class draws to close in Qatar, it is Ongetta-Rivacold Team rider Niccolo Antonelli who has turned out fastest overall.
The first session of the final day was quiet at the Losail International Circuit and only eight riders made it out onto track; the majority of the front runners did not participate.
Italian rider Antonelli was fourth fastest on day one, dropped to ninth on day two and has finished top overall after setting his fastest time of 2:05.661 during session three on the final day. Not only was Antonelli the fastest, he has broken the unofficial Moto3 lap record after being one of the only five riders who managed to break the 2:06 minutes barrier. Antonelli is competing in his second season with the team on the Honda.
Twitter: Here’s a shot of these three days! Just few days and we start!
@cbccorse @VRRidersAcademy https://t.co/PwWrKqntsI (@_Nicco23)
RW Racing GP BV Team rider Livio Loi dropped to second after leading during day two. The Belgium Honda rider managed to improve his time on day three by 0.163 seconds leaving him second overall at the end of testing with a time of 2:05.661. He had a small crash but, fortunately, walked away uninjured.
Twitter: Every thing tested, also the suit – thanks @Revit! – and the ‘slidability’ of the bike 😉 https://t.co/7EVAU9bWud (@rwracinggp)
He finished above French rider Fabio Quartararo who has looked strong throughout testing. He was third fastest on day one, second on day two and has finished third overall after setting his fastest time of 2:05.923 during session three on the final day. Quartararo is new to the Leopard Racing Team after coming from the EG 0,0 Marc VDS team this year after they expanded to Moto2 and promoting their riders.
It was Jorge Navarro in fourth after being fastest on day one. The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider from Spain finished just 0.34 seconds slower than Antonelli. It was Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Brad Binder next in fifth position with a time of 2:05.805. The South African finished the fastest KTM out of the Moto3 class 0.361 seconds slower than the leader.
Twitter: Test muy positivo en Catar!Acabamos la pretemporada con buenas sensaciones! // Test done with great feeling! @EG_00 https://t.co/pDsAJ1s6N5 (@Jorge_Navarro9)
The fastest Rookie Nicolo Bulega was also the fastest of the Sky Racing Team VR46 riders and the last to break the 2:06 minutes barrier. Bulega finished with a time of 2:05.816. He finished third on day two but slipped to sixth during the last session of the test. His teammates Romano Fenati finished in eighth and Andrea Migno finished in twenty-first overall.
Twitter:
Day1-2-3 #QatarTest Moto3
@nbulega 6th 2’05.816 +0.372
@RomanoFenati 8th 2’06.256 +0.812
@M16NO 21h 2’06.917 +1.473 https://t.co/ve0ymircOh (@VRRidersAcademy)
Jorge Martin finished the fastest Mahindra in seventeenth place after his fastest time of 2:06.636 during the last session; the Aspar Team Moto3 rider was just 1.192 seconds slower than the leader. The fastest Peugeot was Alexis Masbou in twenty-ninth with the Peugeot Saxoprint RTG Team rider, 2.137 seconds slower than the leader. He finished just above the only British rider in the Moto3 class Danny McPhee who was 1.155 seconds slower.
The only female in the Moto3 class Maria Herrera finished eighteenth overall. The Spanish MH6 Laglisse rider was eleventh after day two with a time of 2:06.728 but was unable to improve on her time on the last day of testing, just 1.234 seconds slower than the leader.
Twelve riders finished within one second of the leader Antonelli by the end of the three-day test at Qatar in true Moto2 style. It was RBA Racing Team rider Juanfran Guevara who improved the most of the three days improving by fifteen places to finish tenth overall.
Twitter: Finished the last preseason test, waiting for races
Último test acabado, ahora carreras
https://t.co/9u66Hn7YCQ https://t.co/NpKhPa6EHm (@JuanfranGuevara)
The final official testing is evidence that once again that the Moto3 class is going to be a close championship. Usually, there are approximately ten bikes fighting for the lead changing positions throughout the race, with the majority of places changing during the straights due to slip-streaming. Looking forward to the season opener on March 20th it is not safe to say who is looking likely to win with such close results throughout testing.
