Marini heads Valencia 2023 MotoGP pre-season test, Ducati's Bastianini crashes

Just two days after the 2022 season ended, the paddock reassembled at Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the first pre-season test of the 2023 campaign.

The eight-hour session began at 9:30am local time, with Ducati test rider Michele Pirro the first out on track aboard new world champion Francesco Bagnaia’s bike.

The first full-time rider on track on Tuesday was Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, who had various items to try including a new engine, chassis and aerodynamic fairing.

At the end of the opening hour, it was Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales who led the way with a 1m30.715s, leading Honda’s Marc Marquez by 0.498s.

Marquez had three RC213Vs at his disposal; a 2022-spec machine and two 2023 prototypes, though he elected against any soft tyre time attack runs.

Pramac’s Jorge Martin led the way at the end of hour two with a 1m30.576s, before Vinales returned to the top of the order with a 1m30.325s come the end of hour three.

With two hours of running remaining, VR46 Ducati rider Luca Marini led the way with a 1m30.267s, improving that in the final 90 minutes to a 1m30.032s.

That time went unchallenged through to the chequered flag, with Vinales 0.225s adrift in second and Marco Bezzecchi – who stopped on track at Turn 1 with a technical issue earlier in the day – rounding out the top three on the sister VR46 Ducati.

Miguel Oliveira, RNF MotoGP Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Miguel Oliveira was the highest placed rider who has switched manufacturer for 2023, with the ex-KTM runner fourth on the RNF Aprilia – 0.335s off the pace.

He headed Aleix Espargaro on the second of the Aprilias, with Fabio Di Giannantonio jumping up to sixth late on aboard his Gresini Ducati ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder, Pramac’s Martin and Quartararo.

Bastianini rounded out the top 10 on his first outing as a factory Ducati team rider, but suffered a small crash at Turn 6 in the final two hours of running.

The factory Ducati team had various new items to try, including an updated engine, with reigning world champion Bagnaia 12th behind Pramac’s Johann Zarco.

A frustrated Marc Marquez was only 13th after his busy day trying the new Honda prototype, with Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati trailing him.

Pol Espargaro was 16th as he re-familiarises himself with the KTM in Tech3 colours, with Jack Miller 17th and 0.755s off the pace at the end of his first day as a factory KTM rider.

Joan Mir was second-best Honda in 18th on the colourless Repsol Honda, with former Suzuki team-mate Alex Rins in 20th behind LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami.

New Moto2 world champion and 2023 MotoGP rookie Augusto Fernandez was 22nd, 2.7s off the pace on his Tech3 GasGas.

MotoGP Valencia testing times