Sepang MotoGP Test: 'Different issues' leaves Marini limited; 'very stressful'

Luca Marini hopes for a more ‘normal’ day-two at the official Sepang MotoGP test after losing close to five hours of track time.
Luca Marini , Sepang MotoGP test, 5 February 2022
Luca Marini , Sepang MotoGP test, 5 February 2022
© Gold and Goose Photography

Problems with both his Ducati GP22 bikes left Luca Marini frustrated on day-one of the official Sepa💃ng MotoGP test. 

The seꦬcond-year MotoGP rider misse𝔍d nearly five hours of total track action after suffering early issues to both bikes.

While Marini eventually managed to get out on track and complete 52 laps, the Mooney VR46 Ducati rider did so with just one of his b📖ikes available.

Marini sa🅷id: "Was ജa tough day. We had different issues with both bikes and at the beginning of the day it was impossible to ride. So I stayed four or five hours in my chair to try and understand the problems and to try and fix it as soon as possible. 

"But ♑it takes some hours sometimes. It was a very stressful day especially for the mental side; I train a lot. I tried to keep my focus for hours and to remain calm, to analyse everything with my engineers.&n🅷bsp;

"Fortunately at the end with one bike we fixed the problems and I could do two hours just to unde♏rstand the track because it’s the🉐 first time with the MotoGP here. 

"I needed to ride a little b♒it and even though we rushed I managed to do some lap꧃s to better understand the track. I think that the real test will start tomorrow and it will be important to have both bikes ready with no issues. 

🃏"For sure the first day of testing with the new bike these things can happen but we didn’t expect to have so many problems. But anyway, I think tomorrow we can do♒ a good job."

The loss of track time also resulted in Marini spending m🌺ost of his riding getting familiar with the Sepang circuit on MotoGP machinery, as opposed to testing Ducati’s new engine, electronics, fairing and exhaust. 

When asked about the differences between his previous bike a🐷nd the new GP22, Marini added "No, it's too early now. I did very few laps, very few quality laps. 

"It was just trying to fix everything and also whe༺n I was able to ride in a normal way on the bike, we needed to prepare the electronics well. Also with the set-up we did some adjustment, all the small things that you do when you start on a new track. 

"So today it was impossible to understand the ꦏdifferences between the bikes. I hope that tomorrow can be a normal day and that I will be able to understand."

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