Ducati test rider Michele Pirro leads opening practice for the 2023 San Marino MotoGP at Misano, as fellow wild-card Dani Pedrosa debuts a carbon fibre chassis at KTM.
Pedrosa, quickest in FP1 during his previous wild-card at Jerez, took over at the top from Pirro at the halfway stage and remained in command until the final five minutes.
MotoGP.com pit lane reporter Simon Crafar soon spotted that Pedrosa was using a carbon fibre chassis, not seen in a MotoGP race weekend since Ducati from 2009-2011. KTM's Pit Beirer later confirmed to Crafar: “We took the risk to look at some new technology and it worked so well [in testing] that Dani and the team wanted to race with it. It’s a testing project this weekend. It’s something special. You always learn more in a race weekend than a test.”Late improvements by rivals saw Pedrosa pushed down to sixth, with Pirro leading an all-Ducati top four ahead of Jorge Martin , Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini .
RNF Aprilia’s was a surprise fifth, ahead of Pedrosa, with Maverick Vinales , Johann Zarco , Aleix Espargaro and Alex Marquez completing the top ten. A visibly sore reigning champion and title leader Francesco Bagnaia rode to 20th for Lenovo Ducati, with Bezzecchi also nursing a hand injury in the aftermath of last Sunday’s opening lap accidents in Barcelona.
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