The start of the 2023 MotoGP season is barrelling towards us, and with it the final test of the pre-season. Last time out in Sepang saw plenty of interesting times and stats, and gave a fascinating insight into how each manufacturer has approached the challenges of the new championship. Plenty of things are changing in MotoGP this year, and as such the bikes lining up on the grid have been forced to adapt and change to meet the new requirements.
What did we learn from last time the riders hit the track, and what can we expect from this week’s testing? It’s time to take a look at the manufacturers in 2023 and see what they’re looking ahead to in the Portimao test and the first race of the year at the end of this month.
Ducati – Moving from Strength to Strength
Ducati had arguably the least to accomplish in this pre-season. Their bike was undeniably the best of 2022, with both the factory and satellite riders having strong success throughout the year and Pecco Bagnaia taking down the title in November. Really, their main goal would have been to avoid taking a step backwards and focus on making small improvements without compromising a strong overall package.
That appears to have been accomplished, as all eight riders were quick in both short and long stints in Sepang. The loss of their front ride height device doesn’t appear to have been much of a setback and there’s plenty of confidence within the garage. The bike looks to have corrected some of its minor issues from last year, but the top speed remains Ducati’s biggest strength and one that remains visible on the timing screens.
So what’s the goal for Portimao? Likely to just keep tinkering and remain calm, in all honesty. The last thing the Italians will want to do is repeat the start of last season when Bagnaia did a backflip on his demands for the engine right before the season started and hamstrung the factory riders’ early charges, so it will be critical to keep the bike as a solid base throughout the upcoming test and simply focus on having the best possible package to start 2023 with. Calm heads will win out here.
Aprilia – Doubling Down on Data and Results
Aprilia enters its first season since entering the category with two teams and four riders to play with riding a strong wave of results. Sure, the back end of the 2022 campaign fell apart somewhat, but it was still the Noale factory’s most competitive championship to date, and they’ll be quietly confident about their chances coming into this season. Not only have they doubled the number of riders under their employ, but all four riders look keen and competitive after the first two tests.
For the factory squad, the goal will be to undo the mistakes of the Asian flyaways and focus on the consistency they were able to achieve in the first half of the season. The changing of the rules and format for this season could theoretically play into some of their bike’s strengths, but they will still need to improve top speed to match the fearsome qualifying form of Ducati. If they can make that happen without compromising what is arguably the best all-rounder bike on the grid, then it’s game on.
Over in the satellite RNF squad, Miguel Oliveira will be leading the charge from a technical aspect as they gear up for their first season on board the year-old RSGPs, while Raul Fernandez grows in confidence after his howler of a year with KTM. Theoretically, either rider could come out swinging at the start of the season should they find their feet, and Razlan Razali will be itching to return to good form after his team suffered through two disappointing seasons in 2021 and 22. There’s a lot of potential here.
Yamaha – Promises of Speed?
When Yamaha convinced Fabio Quartararo – their only high-performing rider of the past two seasons – to sign on with them for another two seasons, it was with a promise that his begging for more horsepower and top speed would finally be acted upon. When we got to testing for the 2023 season it was clear his prayers had been answered, with Quartararo racking up higher top speeds than he was ever able to reach in 2022.
The thing is, designing a MotoGP bike comes with a certain degree of push and pull. Ducati have been the kings of top speed for a long time, and while other teams have been working to catch up they’ve had time to turn their bike into a more well-rounded package. Yamaha may have found their speed advantage, but it appears to have come with some costs, and Quartararo was not impressed with the package he had at the latest test in Sepang.
The good news is that Fabio is a strong enough rider that he should be capable of performing almost regardless of what Yamaha put in front of him this season. The bad news is that it doesn’t appear that they’ve solved all of their problems, and will need to frantically test a variety of tech options in the coming days at Portimao. With only two full-time riders to complete this workload, it could be a mountain too tall for the Japanese manufacturer.
KTM – More Consistency, Please
The KTM of 2022 had flashes of brilliance. Brad Binder was able to take several podium finishes and finish in a shocking 6th position in the final championship standings, while Oliveira asserted himself as the new Rain King with wins in both Mandalika and Buriram. The issue is, on the weekends where the bike had an off day, none of their riders were particularly strong or comfortable, and coupled with consistently poor qualifying form it led to another poor season overall for the Austrian designers.
There’s two advantages gained in 2023 for KTM. The first is the return of prodigal son Pol Espargaro, who worked on developing the bike between 2017 and 2020. Alongside the high-profile acquisition of Jack Miller in their factory squad, which should bring additional strength thanks to his experience and knowledge gained from working with Ducati for many seasons, there’s plenty of confidence in their rider lineup for this season.
The second is a key partnership with Red Bull’s F1 team, which they are hoping will help catch them up with the rest of the grid on an aerodynamics front. KTM have openly admitted that they were somewhat left behind in the aero revolution of recent seasons, so having professionals from the F1 paddock helping them create a more competitive design should bring them right back into the mix with the other manufacturers. We saw some pretty wild new aero designs in the Sepang test – expect KTM to once again lead the charge in that department when things kick off in Portimao.
Honda – Shifting the Balance
Honda’s biggest weakness for several years now has been the nature of their bike. Designed to be used by Marc Marquez above all other riders, the bike is a weapon that can at times be almost unrideable thanks to its aggression and inconsistency. Without Marc as a leading light for design, the manufacturer has slumped to its lowest point of form since the MotoGP class came in to replace the old 500cc bikes.
The problem appears to stem from the way the bike is balanced between its front and back. Modern MotoGP is heavily focused on applying pressure from the front of the machine between ride height devices, aero packages and more, and the rear is kept in check thanks to good balance and design. Since Marc is a big fan of using and abusing his rear brakes to get results, the bike is completely foreign to the designs the rest of the grid are using, leading to comments from the Sepang test that the Honda is the only bike that can be seen skipping and sliding in corner entry.
There’s no chance that the bike will be so radically different in Portimao that they can expect this to change, so for now the goal will likely be to maximise the potential of what they have and attempt to slowly shift design priority back towards the nose of the motorbike. If they can find this balance without burying the few advantages they have, then that’s mission accomplished. If not, they face another season as one of the worst performing bikes on the grid.
One more thing to note – Honda will be well aware of the importance of signing Alex Rins and Joan Mir from the now-defunct Suzuki squad, and will want to provide both men with a competitive bike to encourage them to stay. This is one of the most competitive lineups Honda has had in some years, arguably the best since Dani Pedrosa was in the mix, and they will need to show their current riders that their bike’s performance is worth sticking around for.
Whatever happens, it will be exciting to see new parts and new team colours out on track once again. Portimao’s test is the final chance to get things right before the season kicks off in earnest later this month. The hype train is in full swing – let’s get racing.
Solomon Talks Bikes 