Diogo Moreira's Sepang MotoGP Test: A Balanced Performance
Diogo Moreira, the reigning Moto2 world champion, completed a six-day test at Sepang, finishing 20th on the timesheets. His best lap time of 1:58.476s was 2.074s behind the leader, Alex Marquez, on the Gresini Ducati. This was also slightly slower than his predecessor on the LCR Honda, Somkiat Chantra, who posted a 1:58.129s lap as a rookie last year.
Despite the slower time, Moreira made significant progress, trimming two and a half seconds from his pace on the first day. He finished just behind fellow rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu on the Pramac Yamaha, showcasing a balanced performance.
Moreira attributed his success to staying calm and patient, receiving valuable advice from his team. He expressed his satisfaction with the team's support and the progress made, stating, 'We made the base setup for us, did a lot of laps, and gained a deeper understanding of the bike. I think we are on the right track.'
The 21-year-old rider also acknowledged the limited opportunities to communicate with more experienced Honda riders but remained confident in the RC213V's potential. He noted the impressive performance of riders like Mir, Marini, and Aleix Espargaro during the Shakedown.
Teammate Johann Zarco finished 16th overall, 0.875s ahead of Moreira, after overcoming initial setup challenges with the latest Honda model.
Moreira's test concludes with two more days at Buriram, followed by his MotoGP race debut. Meanwhile, Somkiat Chantra has moved to WorldSBK with Honda's factory team but will miss the Phillip Island season opener due to a training injury.
With his balanced performance and positive attitude, Moreira is poised for a successful MotoGP career, as evidenced by his team's support and the progress made during the test.
