On Track Off Road No.184

By David Emmett
The 2019 bike features a different
air intake, which flows directly
through the headstock, instead
of being routed round the frame.
That allows for a bigger airbox,
which in turn means more power.
New exhausts also appeared on
the bike, to help manage the extra
horses on tap.
Ignore the headline times, and it
shows just how strong the 2019
Honda RC213V is. In terms of race
pace, both Márquez and Crutchlow
were impressive. Márquez did
not do many laps, but he made all
of them count, circulating consistently
in the high 1’59s and low
2’00s. Crutchlow posted plenty
of laps in that range too, a sign
that both men were focusing on
development, rather than engaging
in the manhood-measuring
contest which testing can quickly
descend into. “Marc didn’t push
himself,” Crutchlow noted. “I think
he pushed the bike to a good
limit and he was competitive. He
could’ve gone faster. He’s testing,
as am I.”
But even when trying to be as
prudent as possible and focus on
bike development and avoiding
risks, Márquez couldn’t completely
suppress his competitive instincts.
On the first day of the test,
a quick lap on his final run put
him at the top of the timesheets.
That, too, was a matter of honour,
as well as proving to himself that
he hadn’t lost any speed over the
winter.
That fast time is just another
piece of the jigsaw falling into
place. The Honda riders were
happy at the Valencia and Jerez
tests in November, and content
with the progress made at
Sepang. In previous years, Honda
riders left Sepang worried how
far behind schedule they felt they
were. This year, no such concerns
were expressed. Given that Marc
Márquez has won five of the last
six championships that should really
worry his rivals.