MotoGP Revving Up For Pre-Season Testing

As January draws to a close, so too will the MotoGP testing ban which will almost immediately signal the start of pre-season running in Malaysia and a critical period for teams and riders on the buildup to the new campaign.

There has been no MotoGP track action since the first Official Pre-Season Test for 2014 which immediately followed the final race of 2013 at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit. Since then, the community has had some time to rest while developments continued behind the scenes across the months of December and January in which the official testing ban is in place.

The Sepang International Circuit will host the opening test session of the year for three days at the start of February, before the second gathering at the same venue will close the month and mark the final time before the Qatar Grand Prix that all premier class competitors share a race track. There will, however, be two more test outings before the first racing of the new season kicks off.

At the start of March, the official riders of factory outfits Repsol Honda Team, Yamaha Factory Racing and Ducati Team will take to Australia’s Phillip Island circuit for a three-day Tyre Safety Test in order to dial out difficulties suffered last year. That same week, the final pre-season action will come at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit – the same venue as the opening race – but minus Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow who will have been present at Phillip Island. This Qatar gathering will present a final opportunity for those running new Open machinery to continue their development.

The intermediate and lightweight classes will not be stood still either, as Moto2 and Moto3 share Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit from 10-13 February, plus two visits to the Circuito de Jerez on 18-20 February and 11-13 March, respectively. In the mix, Caterham will make more steps towards its much-awaited debut in Moto2 (with Johann Zarco alongside American Josh Herrin) as Moto3 sees the new Honda racer continuing its journey alongside the likes of the new Husqvarna marque.

2014 pre-season testing dates:

MotoGP

4-6 Feb: Sepang, Malaysia

26-28 Feb: Sepang, Malaysia

3-5 Mar: Phillip Island, Australia (Tyre Safety Test)

7-9 Mar: Losail, Qatar

* Featuring factory team official riders only

Moto2/Moto3

11-13 Feb: Valencia, Spain

18-20 Feb: Jerez, Spain

11-13 Mar: Jerez, Spain
 
Story courtesy of MotoGP.com