The 2025 MotoGP World Championship is about to begin: final pre-season tests in Jerez

Last ride before the championship begins for the Moto3 Team and riders: three daily sessions over three intense days of testing in Jerez, shared with Moto2.

Tuesday, February 18th

Three sessions per day over two intense days of testing at Jerez, shared with Moto2.
During the first session (FP1), the team focused on building upon the work started in Portimão, aiming to improve the riders' feeling and find an optimal setup. Nicola Carraro completed 22 laps, while Riccardo Rossi managed 18 laps, making the most of the track time to fine-tune their connection with the bike.
In FP2, significant improvements were seen during the time attacks. Nicola shaved about 1.1 seconds off his fastest lap, placing himself in the Top 10. Riccardo reduced his lap time by 0.8 seconds compared to the previous session, finishing 14th despite his leg not yet being at 100%. This showed promising signs of progress.
The final session of the day (FP3) brought further advancements. Riccardo improved his lap time by another tenth, finishing in 12th position and finding a promising setup for the second day of testing. Nicola remained consistently in the Top 10, completing an impressive 25 laps and confirming a strong pace throughout the day.

Wednesday, February 19th

The first session of the second day concluded with Riccardo Rossi completing 16 laps and improving his best time from the previous day by over seven-tenths of a second. Nicola Carraro also made significant progress, completing 21 laps and shaving four-tenths off his time from Tuesday's tests.
The team's fastest time attack of the day came during the second session, with Nicola clocking in at 1'44.768, improving by seven-tenths compared to the previous session. In the third and final session, while there wasn’t further improvement on his fastest lap, Nicola remained competitive and consistent.
Riccardo, on the other hand, had shorter sessions, completing a total of 11 laps between the second and third sessions. He opted not to push his knee too much, focusing on recovery to prepare for the third day of testing, where he aims for further progress.

Thursday, February 20th

On the third day of testing, the focus was on finalizing the last details to be fully prepared for the first round of the world championship in Thailand.
Nicola continued working both alone and in the slipstream, gaining confidence in various situations and improving the bike in multiple aspects.
Riccardo Rossi faced a bit more difficulty, completing only a few laps on the third day to avoid putting further strain on his leg. However, he still managed to gather valuable data and positive insights ahead of the start of the MotoGP season, also appreciating his feeling with the bike.

Comments

Positivity from Mirko Cecchini: “The tests were positive; we made a step forward compared to Portimão, especially with Nicola. We worked a lot on improving the braking, and it seems he feels more comfortable. He had a good pace both alone and in the slipstream, feeling at ease with the bike. Riccardo completed only a few laps due to his leg, which is still causing him some fatigue, but despite this, he is also happy with the bike, and we will start the season with a positive mindset.”

Nicola Carraro is ready and excited to leave for Thailand: “I really like the bike! Over these three days, I managed to find a great feeling, especially with the braking. I'm heading to Thailand with confidence, it's a track I really like, even though it's very different from Jerez.”

Riccardo Rossi remains pleased with the work done despite the challenges: “These tests were a bit difficult, although we expected that to some extent. I’m very happy with the team; they have helped me a lot, supporting me in every situation. Right now, I struggle to maintain consistency because my leg starts hurting after a few laps, but I’m confident, I feel good on the bike. Thailand is also a track I like; it’s definitely less physically demanding than Jerez, so we’ll see how it goes.”