We’re not usually excited about testing in racing, but the 2017 season gives us cause to sit up and take note. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: there aren’t any technical changes to speak of, other than the fact that winglets have been banned.
However, you have to remember that there are a couple of riders that will switch to new machinery – chief among these being Jorge Lorenzo getting his first taste of the Ducati Desmosedici GP17, and his replacement at Yamaha, Maverick Vinales, getting his first minutes aboard the YZR-M1. Further down the field, the two all-new KTMs of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro will be in the public eye, as will Pol’s brother Aleix aboard his new ride at Aprilia along with his teammate Sam Lowes who is also new to the RS-GP. Andrea Iannone will fill Maverick’s seat at Suzuki.
The winter test schedule begins with the post-race test at Valencia from November 15-16. The winter testing ban comes into effect after that, and the next official test at Sepang, Malaysia, over three days from January 30-February 1. The final official test will be at Qatar from March 10-12.
With this year’s championship almost in the bag, we’re looking forward to next year – remember, the current top three riders in the standings will all be on different motorcycles next year. We can’t wait.
