In an interview last December HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto said about Marc Marquez, "I hope he will be able to win several races, even in his first year." This is our expectation. After today's first day of testing at Sepang, the Spanish rookie is living up to all the hype and it looks like Nakamoto-san will not have to wait very long to see his new star on the top step of the podium.
Marquez was immediately fast, he even led the top of the timesheets at lunchtime and then finished third with a best lap of 2'01.201 set on lap 60 of 62, and was just 0.044s from team mate Pedrosa.
Despite causing a sensation, the Repsol Honda rookie is keeping his feet squarely on the ground and said that he's still getting used to the carbon fiber brakes and lapping consistently with used tires, "I'm very happy with how the first day went, because you always have a few nerves after a couple of months out. I thought that I would take a little longer to get back 'on it', but right from the opening laps I felt very comfortable on the bike. We picked up confidence from the start, although obviously we can still improve. I don't think the result today should be used as a reference point, because we are all trying out new things. I focused on simply finding a good setup and getting comfortable on the bike. I tried to put in a good time so that the day's testing had a purpose"
As everyone expected Dani Pedrosa started the test the same as he finished off the 2012 season, fast and sure of himself, however he just managed to consign reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo to second and by a mere 0.008s. The Repsol Honda rider tested the same bike from Valencia - with the extra 3kgs added to it - and also worked on engine longevity.
"It's the first day back testing after the winter break. We've spent three months off the bike and the feeling from the first day testing is positive. The track was in good condition and we were able to put in a lot of laps at a good pace, thanks to it not being especially hot. I haven't ridden since the November test in Valencia, so today has been a first step to getting back on the pace. We didn't play about with the setup today, but we will move onto that in the remaining two days of testing," said Pedrosa.
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