Quartararo: All four Hondas really fast, pace amazing in MotoGP test

Reigning MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo tips Honda to have made the biggest step over the winter; 'If you check all the Honda riders, the pace is amazing'.
Pol Espargaro, Indonesia MotoGP test, 12 February 2022
Pol Espargaro, Indonesia MotoGP test, 12 February 2022
© Gold and Goose

The dirty and deteriorating track surface in Mandalika for the final MotoGP pre-season test m🔯eans it's harder than ever to predict who will be strongest at this weekend's Qatar season opener.

But based on what he saw in testing, Fabio Quartararo agree♔d that the manufacturer that looks to have taken the biggest step since last season is Honda.

The h🌟eavily-revised RC213V topped the timesheets in Mandalika courtesy of Pol Espargaro, but crucially also looked very quick in terms of average pace.

LCR's Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez loo🐠ked fastest of those that completed final day race simulations, although not allꦿ riders used the same tyre choice and time of day was also a factor.

Nonetheless, "ꦐIf you check all the Honda riders, the pace is amazไing," Quartararo said.

"You look at Pol, h🐻e's for me the fastest, or pretty close. Marc is super fast, Alex is super fast a❀lso, Taka made a really great race simulation.

"So the four Hondas are really fast. And you can see th𓆏e bike is working in a🅺 different way. Then about the riders, from the outside it looks pretty good."

Smiling that "power" was one thing on the side of the Honda riders 🗹compared to hi꧙s Yamaha, Quartararo added:

"I didn't ride that bike, but f꧑or sure the trail braking of that bike looks really good, I saw Marc braking super strongꦛ on the edge. And for me, the characteristic of the engine is different.

"When we slide, our bike is not stopping and not turning, and theꦅir bike, when it's sliding, they can still really turn. That's not something we are m🌄issing, that's just the characteristic of their bike."

At the end of the Indonesian test,꧂ which saw Ducati once again dominate the top speeds, Pol Espargaro hinted that Honda are planning to delive🍬r a little more power in time for Qatar.

Top speed is something Quartararo badly needs for his꧒ Yam꧙aha, but he's not expecting a late miracle.

"To be honest, no. Because for three months, we haven't received something special.🃏 In t♌wo weeks, I will not expect something amazing," he said.

Nonetheless, Quartararo also set a very strong pace in Mandalika and was a close match for the Hondas during ꦫhis race simulation.

"With used tyres, I coulꦓ🗹d really be fast. With 28 laps on the front, 20 on the rear, I was doing 32.4, 32.5. So I was feeling really strong, and from my side, I'm 100% [ready]," he warned.

Free practice in Qatar, where Quartarar🀅o took the first of his five victꩵories last season, starts on Friday.

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