Ranking the five manufacturers ahead of the 2023 MotoGP opener at Portimao

Pre-season testing is now over, and while many intriguing things were learned from tests in Valencia, Sepang and Portimao, the time has come for MotoGP racing to begin.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha MotoGP Portimao 2023
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha MotoGP Portimao 2023

Surprises were aplenty during testing, as was confirmation that some of last season’s big hitters will again be in contention throughout the 2ꦜ023 MotoGP campaign.

But when looking at which manufacturers have set their riders up for success, two stan🌳d out i🐠n particular…

5 - Honda

After ending the 2♉022 season needing significant upgrades to be a consistent challenger, the Japanese manufacturer has struggled to close the gap despite making such ch✤anges.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez and Joan Mir both struggled in Portima🐼o, while the three-day Sepang test was slightly bett💫er albeit the gaps remained large compared to Ducati and Aprilia.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Rins has adapted well to the RC213V, althoug🌟h replicating his end-of-season form with Suzuki also appears to be a stretch at this stage.

Alex Rins, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March
Alex Rins, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March

Marquez has never been one for topping the timingsheets in testing, however, the eight-time world champion has also been ab♚le to claw his way up the grid o𝐆n a race weekend.

But with MotoGP now closer than ever,ꦯ fighting for anything higher than a top six finish at the moment looks to be unrealistic. 

4 -  KTM 

Like Honda, KTM have struggled to show consistent pace during pre-season testing, as 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Brad Binder and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jack Miller get set for their first season as teammates.

Binder found a breakthrough on the final day of testing as he close꧂d to within half a second of the fastest time.

However, race pace in the Sprint format especially remained a concern for the South African, while Miller’s adaptation to t𒊎he RC16 continues to be a slow burner.

Jack Miller , Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March
Jack Miller , Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March

One of the highlights for KTM, particularly in Sepang, was the pace of 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pol Espargaro who seemed to gel with the RC16 on his return ཧto the Austrian manufacturer.

Espargaro endured a tougher outing in Portimao, although enough performance over winter testing has been there to suggest he can cause proble𓆉ms throughout this season.

3 - Yamaha

After a dismal test at Sepang, which was followed up by another uninspiring day-one in Portugal, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha made a big step.

Just in the nick of time, Quartara♔ro and Yamaha ended the two-day test looking like contenders once again, however, proving it was not a one-off will be key.

Quartararꦏo has won the last two races at Portimao which makes him an immediate contender, despite two other manufacturers showcasing more speed throughout testing. 

Given hisᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ record and Yamaha seemingly making a breakthrough in terms of performance over one lap, we’ve decided to put them ahead of KTM.

2 - Aprilia

A clear second is Aprilia after the Noale-based manufacturer made further steps forwardꦅ  throughout testi🦩ng.

The new 2023 bike for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Maverick Vinales and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro has been a positive improvement compared to the already competitive RS-GP22, while 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Raul Fernandez and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Miguel Oliveira have adapted very well to last season’s package.

Vinales has been the most consistent Aprilia 𓆏rider and looks ready to challenge for podiums, while Espargaro’s pace has been in the ballpark of where he wants and needs to be.

Maverick Vinales, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March
Maverick Vinales, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March

Fernandez and Oliveira were str𝓡ong contenders for the top six in testing, and although race weekends tend to throw up different results, t♉he two RNF riders appear set for a very good start to the year. 

1 - Ducati

Undisputed in terms of being the fastest manufacture𒉰r, Ducati have had as good a pre-season as you could wish to have.

A💫ll eight of their riders have shown potential, while all six test🐭 days have seen a Ducati rider finish fastest.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Francesco Bagnaia, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Luca Marini have been the pick of the bunch, however, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Enea Bastianini can’t be taken lightly after showing speed in Sep🎃ang.

Enea Bastianini, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March
Enea Bastianini, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March

Another revelation for Ducati has been 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Marquez, with the Gresini rider in the 🍸best shape to start a season since joining the premier class in 2020 with Honda.

Read More