MotoGP: Ducati dominate Red Bull Ring test as KTM impress

Ducati have lived up to expectations of MotoGP’s new circuit in Austria suiting the Desmosedici by dominating the opening day of testing at the Red Bull Ring. Locking the top four spots, it was Andrea Dovizioso that finished on top of the time sheets.

However, the major talking point of the day was the pace of KTM’s new RC16 machine, making it’s on-track debut alongside its rivals for the first time. Running test riders Mika Kallio and Thomas Luthi, they finished the day only two seconds off the pace.

Moreover, MCN’s sources in the paddock are reporting that the orange machine is incredibly powerful already, showing impressive top speed on the track’s 750m main straight.

Andrea Iannone was second behind his teamamte and Scott Redding a strong third, just nudging out Ducati test rider Casey Stoner out in the closing stages of the day.

Nearly all the MotoGP field are in attendance at the familiarisation test , with only the Repsol Honda team of Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez and the Tech 3 duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró missing.

However, also missing form the timing sheets are Aprilia, running at the test but electing not to use transponders to show their times. The MotoGP riders are joined by Moto2 Brit Sam Lowes for his second test on the RS-GP.

1. Andrea Dovizioso    1:23.764
2. Andrea Iannone       1:24.347
3. Scott Redding          1:24.461
4. Casey Stoner            1:24.502
5. Maverick Viñales     1:24.595
6. Hector Barbera         1:24.649
7. Eugene Laverty        1:24.751
8. Danilo Petrucci         1:24.992
9. Valentino Rossi         1:25.054
10. Aleix Espargaró        1:25.099
11. Yonny Hernandez     1:25.171
12. Jorge Lorenzo           1:25.175
13. Jack Miller                1:25.345
14. Cal Crutchlow          1:25.438
15. Loris Baz                  1:25.994
16. Mika Kallio              1:26.056
17. Tito Rabat                 1:26.195
18. Tom Luthi                  1:26.405