Bezzecchi: Riding position priority, 'speed is unbelievable'

Marco Bezzecchi opened his 2022 MotoGP track action, alongside his four rookie rivals and factory test riders, during the opening day of the Sepang Shakedown test.

Having only previously ridden his VR46 Ducati at the tight and twisty Jerez circuit, the vast Malaysian track offered the first chance to experience the Desmosedici at full speed.

"The bike is very fast," Bezzecchi said. "I was at bit more impressed at Jerez because it was the first touch with the bike and that track is very narrow, more tight. But here the speed is unbelievable. I think I made 335 or something (333.3km/h). It was very good!"

The Italian set the sixth fastest lap time, 1.1s behind Tech KTM's Raul Fernandez, but half-a-second ahead of fellow Ducati rookie Fabio di Giannantonio

"It's only the first test, it's a bit too early to compare with everyone. I'm just doing my plan of work with my team and I don’t look so much to the others for the moment. Of course during the season it's normal to watch the others, but for the moment, no.

"I felt good with the bike. I enjoyed the Ducati today. We didn't make so many laps because we have a lot of days and we want to save energy for the other days and especially the official test with all the riders.

"But overall we tried something that we didn't have time to try in Jerez and all the sensations were positive."

Pressed on what that 'something' had been, the Moto2 race winner explained:

"I finished work on the riding position that on the Ducati is very, very important. I heard from Luca [Marini] all this winter that he complained a lot last year about this, so I wanted to be really sure about this. And also with Ducati, after Jerez, they had something that they wanted me to try, for the position."

Meanwhile, over at Gresini, fellow GP21 rider di Giannantonio was fighting off jetlag.

"So cool to start again, to jump back on the bike," he said. "The winter felt so long, so today has been a special day.

"Last night I had to fight with jetlag so I really didn’t really sleep, and my energy was lower during the day.

"But overall I'm super happy because we started to work on the bike, my riding style, my learning process for MotoGP.

"It's just the first day, we haven't done many fast, fast laps but it was not the main focus for the first Shakedown test. So only positive vibes and now onto day 2."

The Shakedown test will run for three days followed by the Official test on February 5-6.