On the second day of the final pre-season MotoGP test in Qatar before the 2021 season, Ducati’s Johann Zarco reached a top speed of 357.6 km / h
Johann Zarco set the fastest unofficial top speed ever in MotoGP on the second day of pre-season tests, which were completed before the season opener at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. In short, he was the fastest rider of all time on a two-wheeler at 357.6 km / h on the 1,068 meter straight and believed that he had more to offer on his Ducati Desmosedici GP21.
The Pramac driver said that with a little more wind support it would be possible to approach 360 km / h. The Frenchman broke Andrea Dovizioso’s record at 356.7 km / h on the Tuscan circuit of Mugello. MotoGP motorcycles have become more sophisticated over the years with increasingly sticky tires, higher lean angles and G-forces, and technologies that push the boundaries of what a motorized two-wheeler can do.
Ducatis have traditionally been obsessed with higher top speeds, but a racetrack is all about balance and how fast you go around corners.Many factors like tires and chassis play a big role in the overall result on Sunday, race day.
In 2019, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso set the highest top speed record ever on a MotoGP motorcycle in Mugello, and three years ago Andrea Iannone reached a speed of 354.9 km / h as the curtains were always closed. So the top speed meant Ducati would lead the field at the end of the tests before the 2021 season? Definitely not! It is Yamaha that is at the top with an absolute lap pace.
Johann Zarco led a group of five Ducatis to the top speed blades with Fabio Quartararo’s leading Yamaha in eighth place – about 10.5 km / h slower than Zarco, whose Ducati has 20 hp more. When the speeds of different manufacturers are averaged, the four Ducati riders achieved an average of 351.8 km / h compared to 342.9 km / h for the four Yamahas.
This will make for a fascinating encounter on race day as the Yamaha YZR-M1 machines will try to break away from the Ducatis with the superior downforce and chassis, while the extra horsepower will help the Italian motorcycles on the Losail straights overtake before getting closer to the slipstream.