The 2023 MotoGP World Championship got underway this Friday at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste with the first pre-season tests, led by Luca Marini (Ducati). A first contact of the 22 riders with their new machines and colors: up to 10 team changes have taken place this winter among the 22 riders, two fewer than so far, due to Suzuki leaving the championship.
At 10 in the morning, the 2023 preseason began with almost the entire grid rolling on their bikes. All? No, the champion was missing, Pecco Bagnaia, who allowed himself to watch the premiere from the garages and give his Ducati to tester Michele Pirro. Pecco got on later, with the session already started.
His new teammate, Enea Bastianini, who ascends to the official Ducati from the Gresini Racing satellite, made his debut. The Beast should be one of the contenders for the 2023 title.
One of the expected debuts was that of Joan Mir, 2020 champion, at Repsol Honda, as Marc Márquez's teammate. The 93 sported on his RC 213 V some showy wings on the tail of his motorcycle, which should bring more speed and stability to the Honda. One of the changes for 2023.
Pol Espargaró ended his two years at Repsol Honda with a crash in Cheste, without much luck or acclimatization to the winged bike. The man from Valles, who only got 2 podiums in the 38 races (12th and 16th overall), tries his luck again with KTM, the bike he came from, although with the red colors of Gas Gas.
Pol will be accompanied by the newly promoted MotoGP champion Augusto Fernández, Moto2 champion, who made his debut on the red bike.
He will also ride a KTM -orange from the official Red Bull KTM Factory- Jack Miller, after five years at Ducati.
One of the notable changes of the 2023 World Championship will be that of the Malaysian RNF team, which goes from being a satellite of Yamaha to a satellite of Aprilia. In this way, the brand of the diapason is left with only the two official motorcycles of Quartararo and Morbidelli, and the Italian house doubles its number, from two to four.
The two new Aprilias, in the RNF satellite, are piloted by the Spaniard Raúl Fernández and the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira.
For his part, Àlex Márquez switched from Honda to Ducati. The one from Cervera leaves the bike with which he has ridden almost his entire career, with which he started in the World Championship in 2012 (Suter Honda) and with which he made his debut and has competed in MotoGP for three years. He seeks his fortune with the Ducati of the Gresini team, the motorcycle that Bastianini leaves behind.
Regarding the 2022 World Championship, Remy Gardner (will go to Superbike), Darryn Binder (down to Moto2 with Husqvarna) and Cal Crutchlow are out. Andrea Dovizioso also said goodbye in Misano.
Repsol Honda
-Marc Márquez
-Joan Mir
Monster Yamaha
-Fabio Quartararo
-Franco Morbidelli
Ducati
-Pecco Bagnaia
-Enea Bastianini
Gresini Ducati
- Alex Marquez
-Fabio di Giannantonio
Pramac Ducati
-Jorge Martin
-Johann Zarco
LCR Honda
-Alex Rins
-Takaaki Nakagami
Mooney VR46 Ducati
-Marco Bezzecchi
-Luca Marini
Aprilia
-Aleix Espargaró
-Maverick Vinales
RNF Aprilia
-Raul Fernandez
-Miguel Oliveira
Red Bull KTM
-Brad Binder
-Jack Miller
Tech3 Gas Gas
-Augusto Fernandez
-Pol Espargaro
