MotoGP Sepang Test: Bastianini Breaks Lap Record for Ducati on Day Two
Day two of MotoGP pre-season testing at Sepang did not disappoint, with Ducati’s Ennia Bastianini breaking the Sepang International Circuit lap record and sparking controversy attracted people’s attention. Bastianini made his mark in the category, setting an impressive time of 1 minute 57.134 seconds and still rising.
In the morning, Pramac Racing’s George Martin became the first driver to break the existing record with a time of 1:57.273. Bastianini responded quickly, however, finishing the final hour in just under 1:56 and accelerating to the top of the standings.
Bastianini’s performance is particularly noteworthy given the heightened competition this season, with multiple teams and drivers competing at a high level. It dominated the challenging conditions at Sepang, showing Ducati’s prowess in the early stages of testing.
Factory KTM’s Brad Binder finished third, adding another layer of variety to the first place finish. Aprilia’s Alex Espargaro and reigning world champion Francesco Bagna rounded out the top five, showing that the battle for the title is far from over.
Rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio, now on the VR46 Ducati team, unexpectedly finished sixth. Meanwhile, Gresini’s Alex Marquez and GasGas Tech 3 newcomer Pedro Acosta finished seventh and eighth, showing the potential and competitiveness of the new riders.
Although Acosta suffered a minor fall in the morning, the 19-year-old remained resilient and showed an ability to adapt to first grade. The focus on Acosta continues to build on his MotoGP experience.
Marc Marquez had an easy day adapting to the Gresini Ducati and finished 14th, almost a second behind the leader. However, Max achieved much more than that, completing 72 laps, the most of any driver on the second day.
Franco Morbidelli and Raul Fernandez were also absent through injury on day two in Sepang. The test continues to be an exciting proving ground for teams and drivers ahead of the official season, and the third and final day in Sepang promises to bring even more excitement.
