Jerez MotoGP Test Results | Pecco Bagnaia sets fierce pace on Ducati GP22 

Pecco Bagnaia sets the pace on the final day of MotoGP track action in 2021, going half-a-second quicker than rivals on the Ducati GP22

Pecco Bagnaia - Ducati GP22

Pecco Bagnaia has good reason to be confident heading into the off-season after completing his breakthrough 2021 MotoGP campaign with the fastest time on the second and final day of MotoGP testing in Jerez.

Though he’d miss out on the 2021 MotoGP title to Fabio Quartararo, Bagnaia was arguably the faster of the two during the final stages of the season, notching up five pole positions and four wins from the latter six races of the year.

With Quartararo’s form fading amid complaints the Yamaha M1 is being out-paced in the development race, Bagnaia arguably heads into the off-season as the favourite for the 2022 MotoGP title, a status he emphasised in Jerez with a dominant fastest time.

Riding the new Ducati GP22, Bagnaia posted a 1m 36.872secs, just 0.3secs off the overall lap record despite much cooler track temperatures and a full 0.5secs clear of the chasing pack.

Quartararo stepped up the pace to set the second fastest time even if his plea towards Yamaha to extract more top end pace from the M1 appeared to have been vindicated by Bagnaia’s fine form.

Alex Rins was third quickest on the Suzuki, while Pol Espargaro gave Honda reason to be encouraged with the significantly different RC213V proving quick out of the box in fourth.

Maverick Vinales made it five different manufacturers inside the top five on the Aprilia, ahead of 2020 MotoGP champion Joan Mir, Thursday pace setter Takaaki Nakagami on the LCR Honda and Enea Bastianini on the Gresini Ducati in eighth.

Jack Miller and Alex Marquez rounded out the top ten, with Brad Binder the best of the KTM contingent in 11th.

Elsewhere, Fabio di Giannantonio was quickest of the five rookies debuting at this test in 19th, just ahead of Raul Fernandez. Moto3 convert Darryn Binder suffered his first crash with a high-side on the RNF Yamaha, leaving him bottom of the timed riders again but two seconds quicker than he managed on Thursday and 0.6secs off the next slowest, Marco Bezzecchi.

2021 MotoGP Post-Season Test Results | Jerez | Friday [Nov 19]

2021 MotoGP Post-Season Test Results | Jerez | Friday [Nov 19]
PosRiderNat.MotoGP TeamMotoGP BikeTiming
1Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP211m 36.872
2Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Energy Yamaha Yamaha YZF-M11m 37.324
3Alex RinsESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1m 37.423
4Pol EspargaroESPRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V1m 37.496
5Maverick VinalesESPAprilia Racing Team GresiniAprila RS-GP1m 37.622
6Joan MirESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1m 37.634
7Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda Honda RC213V1m 37.672
8Enea BastianiniITAGresini RacingDucati GP211m 37.698
9Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP211m 37.717
10Alex MarquezESPLCR Honda Honda RC213V1m 37.760
11Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM Factory RacingKTM RC161m 37.942
12Luca MariniITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211m 38.025
13Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11m 38.029
14Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM Factory RacingKTM RC161m 38.085
15Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Energy Yamaha Yamaha YZF-M11m 38.100
16Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia Racing Team GresiniAprilia RS-GP1m 38.149
17Johann ZarcoFRAPramac RacingDucati GP211m 38.160
18Jorge MartinESPPramac RacingDucati GP211m 38.435
19Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini RacingDucati GP21§1m 38.528
20Raul FernandezESPTech3 KTM Factory RacingKTM RC161m 38.691
21Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Racing Team GresiniAprilia RS-GP1m 38.724
22Remy GardnerAUSTech3 KTM Factory RacingKTM RC161m 38.728
23Sylvain GuintoliFRATeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1m 39.040
24Dani PedrosaESPRed Bull KTM Factory RacingKTM RC161m 39.185
25Marco BezzecchiITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211m 39.312
26Darryn BinderRSAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11m 39.941
NCMika KallioFINRed Bull KTM Factory RacingKTM RC16-
NCTakuya TsudaJPNTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR-
NCStefan BradlGERRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V-