2022 developments take to the track at Misano MotoGP test

Day one of the Misano test saw all of the MotoGP manufacturers evaluating at least some prototype parts for the 2022 season.

Misano is the last chance for factories (except Concession team Aprilia) to get track time with their MotoGP riders before the final test of the year at Jerez in late-November, widely seen as the deadline to debut a complete 2022 package.

But some factories, Honda and Yamaha, already had a new bike on track in Italy.

Aside from some 2022 testing, the MotoGP riders also worked on set-up for the second Misano race weekend, in late October, with many - but not all - pushing for a time attack in the final hour.

Sunday's race winner Francesco Bagnaia finished the day fastest for Ducati ahead of the Honda of Pol Espargaro and Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro. Joan Mir was the top Suzuki in fifth, title leader Fabio Quartararo the top Yamaha in sixth and Brad Binder the lead KTM in tenth.

Honda

Ahead of the Misano MotoGP weekend, Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig said that 'in many ways' the test is 'even more important for us than the race'.

In other words, this week's two-day outing will see Honda present factory riders Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro with the latest version of the 2022 prototype, a bike they hope will restore HRC to the front of MotoGP.

After struggling to solve rear-grip issues since the start of last year, the end of the Covid technical freeze means Honda finally has 'all-options' available.

With countless chassis changes over the past season and a half having little tangible impact on the core problem, it looks increasingly clear that a revised engine will be a significant part of the solution.

The all-black prototype on track at Misano featured a 'square' air intake – also seen on a previous prototype at the Jerez test in May and similar to that of rival machines from Yamaha, Ducati and Aprilia - rather than the current rectangular shape.

The modified intake is almost certainly twinned with a new engine design, while some 'drooping' front winglets plus new seat, tail unit and exhaust were other visible modifications.

Only test rider Stefan Bradl and then Marc Marquez used the prototype on Tuesday.

“Today we tried a new bike, we don’t know if it’s the 2022 bike, but it's a new bike, I mean it's a new concept," said Marquez, who was surrounded by engineers waiting to hear his feedback in the pit box (pictured). "It was interesting. It was the first time on track, so there was a lot of work to do and a lot of time in the box. Not many laps.

"But somebody needs to start to try the [new] things and I was the rider. Tomorrow also Pol will help in that direction and work also on that bike. Basically I'm happy for today because we tried a new bike, but was just a big step in both directions, in some areas a really good direction and in some areas missing a lot.

"But it's true that we still need to understand the bike balance, we need to understand the set-up, many things. Because there are many new parts, it's not only small things, it's big things. We've only done a few laps and had to take care to stay on the bike because there's only one."

Marquez moved up to 15th place, 0.9s from Bagnaia, on his final lap of the day.

On the other side of the garage, team-mate Espargaro was making big changes to the current machine on his way to finishing as top Honda.

"We've been playing with many things that we had in mind but hadn’t had time to try. These kind of things can make you lose the way, because you are changing weight and where you put your body, so you need to wait for a test," he said.

"I'm satisfied, the bike was working well, we improved in some areas and were one of the few to improve on our qualifying time. Pecco was slower for example. But the most important is that the race pace was massively better than Sunday. It's too late now but we still have another race here so it’s important."

Yamaha

The only other factory to report a complete 2022 prototype at Misano was Yamaha, which made the machine available to both world championship leader Quartararo and new team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

However, the fact Quartararo referred to it only as a '2022 chassis' suggests the main engine developments are still to come.

"We tried the new chassis for 2022, it was nice, I didn’t make a lot of laps but the feedback was quite good and I think it's quite positive," Quartararo said. "I don’t want to speak too soon because I don’t make so many laps."

The Frenchman, who finished the day in sixth place and 0.456s from the top, did however set his best time with the new bike, and on old tyres:

"I made my fastest lap time with 15 laps on the tyre - to make a 1m '31 with old medium [compound] is really nice and I did it with the new chassis. So I think it's really positive," he said.

Asked if he would talk with new Petronas Yamaha signing Andrea Dovizioso about bike development, given the Italian's recent knowledge of both the Ducati and Aprilia, Quartararo smiled:

"I hope he can transmit all the information about the Ducati to Yamaha because these two bikes are totally different, I hope we can keep the same Yamaha chassis but the engine of Ducati!"

Morbidelli meanwhile was 18th quickest and 1.1s from pace setter Francesco Bagnaia.

"Today I had a chance to first of all jump on the '21 bike and try some balance settings, just to have a decent base, to then try the 2022 prototype," Morbidelli said.

"When I reached an acceptable feeling with the '21, I jumped on the '22 bike. I felt some differences. Of course it's difficult to explain them now, because I don't have very many kilometres on the 2021 bike, nor on the 2022 bike, or any bike!

"But it was just good to jump on a 2022 spec, or what seems to be the direction of the 2022 bike, and appreciate some things."

Morbidelli began this season on the2019 bike at Petronas, before stepping onto the factory-spec 2021 with Monster Yamaha this weekend, and now the 2022.

"The '21 that I've been riding more this weekend and today, that's the bike I have the better feeling with," he said.

"The '19 bike is a bit worse in many areas. The '21 is a good base, and the '22 should improve on some areas, like as we all know, top speed. So we are trying to get that as well."

Morbidelli's former Petronas Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi was eleventh fastest as he worked on set-up ahead of MotoGP's Misano return in October, his final home race before retirement.

"It was a good day because at the end I was quite fast and I was able to ride better compared to the weekend. In braking and entry to the corner I was faster. The lap time is not too bad. So it was a positive day," said the Italian.

"We don’t have a lot of things to try. But we tried to work on our stuff, tried to improve the balance of the bike and the feeling is better.

"I will test also tomorrow. Like today, we continue to try to improve the setting, the balance. We have to try some other small stuff, we have to try one tyre for Michelin and make some kilometres."

New team-mate Andrea Dovizioso continued his adaptation to the ex-Morbidelli A-spec bike with 19th out of the 24 riders, finding 0.4s over his qualifying time in the grand prix.

"My feeling improved a lot with the bike, I'm able to be more aggressive, to feel the bike more, especially it's really nice when still you are not the fastest, and you are pushing, and you feel there is margin. So this is really good," he explained.

"I have a really good feeling with the front, in the middle of the corner, the entry, I'm really happy about that. We improved the braking, also because I have to adapt to the new casing which Michelin brought from last year.

"One thing is to work to adapt my riding style to the Yamaha, but the tyres are always so important, and the way you balance the bike in the braking makes the difference.

"I have to work on the way that I brake, because normally I use the rear brake in my way, but looks like I have to change something to use the potential of the rear tyre."

Suzuki

Suzuki's future focus, on day one at least, came in the form of the latest 2022 engine, the first version of which was seen back at Qatar in March.

Mir described it as "keeping always the character of the Suzuki, but I think it's a good direction. Looks like a little bit more power, it's not a revolution but it can be an evolution I think."

"It's working a little bit better, more powerful," agreed team-mate Alex Rins.

Having tried the 2022 engine, Mir confirmed a new 2022 Suzuki chassis will be available tomorrow.

Ducati, Aprilia, KTM

The only obvious future developments for Ducati and Aprilia seemed to be aerodynamics, while KTM's 2022 work was being carried out by test rider Dani Pedrosa, the factory's race riders concentrating on improving their present machines after a tough race weekend.

Wednesday's final day of testing gets underway at 9am local time.