Pirelli’s era in Moto2™ and Moto3™ begins with all time lap records
In the first 2024 official test, on Pirelli tyres, Lopez in Moto2™ and Holgado in Moto3™ were the fastest riders, setting the all time lap record for the Valencia circuit in their respective classes.
Today the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia hosted the first official 2024 test for the Moto2™ and Moto3™ riders which also marked the beginning of the Pirelli era in these championships.
Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp - BOSCOSCURO) was the fastest rider of the day in Moto2™ with a time of 1'33.061, setting a new all time lap record for this circuit and class.
Likewise, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was the fastest in Moto3™ in 1'37.300, actually improving the lap record for this class by a second.
Lopez set the new all-time lap record in the first session on his 24th out of 26 laps completed, improving the record set by Aldeguer this year in FP3 by two tenths. Holgado did the same in the second session on the 13th out of 17 laps, shattering Binder's previous record (1'38.286) from 2020.
All riders used DIABLO™ Superbike slick tyres in soft and medium compounds for both the front and rear. In Moto2™ in size 125/70 R17 front and 200/65 R17 rear, in Moto3™ 100/70 R17 front and 120/70 R17 rear.
These are standard tyres and not prototypes, meaning they can be purchased by any motorcyclist because they are regularly on sale.
Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director
“We are very satisfied with the results obtained in this first official 2024 test with the Moto2™ and Moto3™ riders and teams. For us the goal was to confirm the good impressions seen at the beginning of September on the Montmelò circuit. On that occasion, as it was a private test, no official times were provided, whereas today it was possible to make a direct comparison with the times of the weekend just gone, in similar weather conditions and temperatures.
Achieving the all-time lap records ever for this track in the respective championships, in the case of Moto3 even improving it by a second, is certainly clear and easily quantifiable proof of the excellent performance that our tyres are able to guarantee.
Some riders ran more laps than the race distance using the same set of tyres, even if not consecutive, with limited drop and good wear. All the compounds performed well, clearly the softer ones are generally those that allowed the riders to achieve their best times.
We know that the tests, although representative, are never like a race weekend and that each track makes history in its own right but we can say that the conditions for doing a good job next season are all there."