Viñales fastest in MotoGP pre-season 1st test

Spanish rider Maverick Viñales (Yamaha) was the fastest on the first day of the 2019 MotoGP pre-season training runs held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo here.

Viñales, who took pole position for the Valencia MotoGP on Saturday, came in first place, ahead of his countryman Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), the 2018 World Champion, and Italian Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing), who finished in second and third place respectively on Tuesday, reports Efe news.

"The first 2019 pre-season test has been completed and it was Maverick Viñales (Yamaha Factory Racing) who topped the times, setting the quickest time of 1:31.416," according to the MotoGP official website, adding: "rain brings proceedings to an early end."

The upcoming season's tests saw changes in some teams, while other racers started their career as official racers, including Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo who changed to Repsol Honda Team, joining his fellow Spanish Marquez.

Meanwhile, Spain's Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar), Portugal's Miguel Oliveira (Tech3 KTM), Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) and France's Fabio Quartararo (SIC Yamaha) all made their MotoGP debuts at Ricardo Tormo.

Furthermore, Danilo Petrucci of Italy started his career as one of Ducati's official racers, having been a test rider for Ducati's Superbike project during the last four campaigns.

France's Johann Zarco also started the 2019 season as a Red Bull KTM racer, joining Spaniard Pol Espargaro, while Italian Andrea Iannone rode for Aprilia.

Tuesday's training runs also saw the return of racer Tito Rabat of Spain, whose 2018 season ended when he suffered a triple leg fracture at the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom on August 25.-IANS