Misano MotoGP test: Bagnaia fastest as Marquez returns

Misano MotoGP winner Francesco Bagnaia may have topped day one of the test with a 1’31.292 but there was more than just looking at the timesheets, because Marc Marquez made his long-awaited return to action and Yamaha rolled out a 2023 engine.

Undoubtedly, the biggest news of the day was the return of Marc Marquez. After completing 39 laps ahead of the lunch break, the eight-time World Champion and his team decided to sit out the rest of the afternoon in order to be ready for tomorrow – a great sign that his comeback was a success. The other great sign is that it didn’t take long for the number 93 to start testing new parts for HRC, as the Japanese giants continue to focus on getting their 2023 package right.

Marquez, who finished 1.1s off the quickest time, was riding a black Repsol Honda with a new air intake, aero and downwash ducts on the side fairing, similar to those Ducati has been using for the past couple of seasons. The ducts are believed to create some ground effect when the bike is on its side, giving more stability and more grip. It now looks like Honda are playing with this idea.

In addition, Honda has another set of new side fairings just like the Aprilias that have the large, bulged-out side fairing that seems aimed at creating some ground effect similar to the way a floor does in F1.

One very notable thing was HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl testing a Kalex-built aluminium swingarm. It’s a huge change for Honda as they have used their own in-house carbon swingarm for several years now. Furthermore, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was running a brand-new, never seen air intake on one of his bikes. It’s a little wider and not quite as tall as the standard air intake, and differs from the one Marc