MotoGP Valencia Test: Marini tops 2022’s final action

Luca Marini was the man to beat at Valencia’s Tuesday MotoGP test as he set the afternoon pace on the Mooney VR46 Ducati.

A 1’30.032 sealed the deal for the Italian ahead of Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales and fellow Academy rider Marco Bezzecchi. The pair a quarter of a second adrift as the eight-hour test drew to a close.

With Aprilia having locked out the standings for the morning action, the afternoon saw Marini take control as he continued to fine-tune his Desmosedici. The Mooney rider the sole Ducati man not receiving a change of machinery for next year. Teammate Bezzecchi joined him on the GP22 in fourth with his 54th effort before Marini bettered his own target on lap 70.

A smokey five minutes found Brad Binder investigating an issue with his RC-16 as the penultimate hour got underway, new garage partner Jack Miller heading out to tail the South African as they worked in unison from the outset of their new season.

Miguel Oliveira split the factory Aprilia pairing of Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro as he swept his RNF RS-GP to third with 90 minutes left on the clock. The trio all running 1’30.3 pace as Fabio Di Giannantonio placed the Gresini ahead of Marc Marquez’ Repsol Honda in ninth and tenth.

Bezzecchi joined Marini for a VR46 one-two with his 62nd lap of the day. Alex Marquez trailing his elder brother by 0.036s in 11th with KTM’s Miller and Binder close behind. The number 33 rose to sixth overall with just over an hour left of proceedings, and just under half a second adrift of the outright best, while a frustrated Marc Marquez packed up early issuing a warning shot to HRC with the statement: “With this bike we cannot win the world championship”.

A late crash found Enea Bastianini in the gravel at turn