'Fantastic job' - Miller, Martin debut new Alpinestars MotoGP helmet

The Malaysian outing also saw Alpinestars, famed for its safety equipment such as airbag leathers and boots, make its ‘official’ debut as a helmet manufacturer in the premier-class.

Red Bull KTM’s Jack Miller and Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin have signed to race with the new ‘Supertech R10’ helmet this season, following previous development work by Andrea Dovizioso.

Sepang was the first time that Miller and Martin had tried the new helmet on a MotoGP bike. The pair completed a combined 284 laps over the three days, riding in dry, wet and mixed conditions.

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“They have done a fantastic job designing that helmet,” said Miller. “When you have someone like Dovi helping with the process - he’s a meticulous guy. If he liked it and agreed to wear it then I know they have been working hard,

“I’m really happy with where we are at and being back in Astars is cool. A completely new start this year.”

The Australian added: “I’m really happy with the first time wearing it on track, the visibility is amazing and thankfully here in Malaysia, we’ve been able to test it in all kinds of conditions, with the humidity and also some rain.

“I was very, very happy with how it performed in those conditions.”

Martin, who was fastest on day two of the test, said: “I really like how the helmet’s working, how it fits my head is so important, and I’m really comfortable in it.

“This is very important, we’re going so, so fast; almost 340kph and it’s working perfectly, really stable."

Although the road racing helmet is new, and Alpinestars are going straight in at the top by competing in MotoGP this year, the company is already established as a leading helmet supplier in US and world championship motocross.

It is not yet clear when the new ‘Supertech R10’ will be available for the public to buy but late 2023 or early 2024 is rumoured.

Miller and Martin are among seven MotoGP riders to have changed helmet suppliers for this season.