With the first round of testing at Losail completed over the weekend, we now have the chance to reflect on the action which saw the stars of MotoGP™ back on track for the first time since the conclusion of the 2020 World Championship.

It was certainly a memorable weekend for many, such as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) who managed to impress on his RS-GP, taking P1 and P3 times after two days of testing, while the likes of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia Racing) won’t forget the weekend any time soon, with the triumvirate of rookies debuting in the premier class.

All three will ride on the Desmosedici in 2021 and they looked to have gotten to grips with the V4 engine rather quickly, as they each went over the 340 km/h mark on both days of the Official Test. The famed power of the Ducati machine didn’t go anywhere over the winter break, with each of their six riders on track breaking the 340 km/h mark, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) quickest of the lot over the two days, hitting an impressive 351.7 km/h. In fact, the Top 5 spots of the speed timesheets are all occupied by Ducatis, with Martin joining his teammate at the top with a 349.5 km/h, while factory duo Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia are next in line with a 348.3 km/h and 347.2 km/h respectively.


It is certainly an eye-catching start to 2021 for the Bologna Bullets, and even more so for the Avintia Racing pair as they were riding on the GP-20s with a 2019 engine, meaning they outgunned some of the more recent machines from the other manufacturers, making it all the more impressive.

It makes for a fine start to 2021 for Ducati, and we wait in eager anticipation to see if they continue this kind of form as they aim to end their 14-year wait for Championship honours.