The first day of official testing at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, taking place from today until 30 January, concluded a couple of hours ago.

The track conditions, which were damp due to the rain that fell overnight until the early afternoon, significantly reduced the useful track time for the MotoGP riders.

Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo were in any case able to get the best out of the afternoon to carry out back-to-back tests between the 2018 and 2017 versions of the Desmosedici GP.

Towards the end of the session both factory Ducati riders fitted a soft rear tyre on their GP18 machines to set their quickest times.

Andrea Dovizioso ended the day in second place with a best lap of 1’59.770 while Jorge Lorenzo was right behind in third with a time of 1’59.802.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’59.770 (35 laps)

“I’m very satisfied with the first day of testing and the feeling with the Desmosedici GP18: the new bike gives me some good sensations, especially when I come off the brakes and turn it into the corner. It’s still too early to give a definitive opinion, but I’m happy with how we have begun this test. Let’s hope that the weather in the next couple of days allows us to carry out the work schedule and the back-to-back tests we have planned.”


Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’59.802 (38 laps)

“The feeling with the new bike was good right from the start and the first test of 2018 began positively. The GP18 is much closer to my riding style and it turns better on the gas in mid-corner. We set a really great time on what is the first day of testing on a particular circuit like Sepang, and to see four Ducatis in the top 5 is another positive sign for sure. I have the feeling we are on the right path, even though of course we still have to improve several aspects.”