The Repsol Honda Team is accelerating its pace in Qatar

It was another productive evening in Qatar. Both drivers improved their overall speed and tried a number of options on the RC213V machines as times among the top drivers continued to narrow.

After both sides of the Repsol Honda team garage got off to a good start yesterday, they were eager to maintain their form and keep improving. After a little over three hours of testing, Stefan Bradl and Pol Espargaro topped the timesheets in first and second place when they put the 2021 RC213V through its paces.

After a positive first day of adapting to the RC213V, Pol Espargaro was once again keen to get out on the track and continue driving the 5.4km Losail International Circuit. With a day of driving and an evening of data off the track, Espargaro was able to improve his best time from the previous day almost immediately as his knowledge of the Honda continues to grow. Today, Pol and his crew began working towards longer runs as his basic attitude was refined.

Espargaro finished the day in 12th place with a 1’54.673, 1.2 seconds faster than his best time of yesterday. With just 0.750 seconds shared by the 13 fastest drivers, there was no choice between the top positions.

Stefan Bradl proved that his pace was no lightning bolt on the first day. He quickly achieved a few tenths of his best time and soon fell into the 1’54. When the test entered the final phase, Bradl had mastered the time sheets and looked very comfortable on board the RC213V. Bradl kept pace with falling times and opted for a 1’54.210 to finish the day in fifth.

Testing will continue on Wednesday March 10th as the final three days of testing begin before the season.