RIDEFAST DECEMBER 2021

As we have said before, testing times mean
very little, as the below headline reiterates.
Testing times mean very little
People love poring over testing times as
though they are deciphering the hidden secret
of eternal life, and much of this is down
to boredom. The season is over, the desert
of the off-season is upon us and we search
desperately for any MotoGP fix we can find.
Truthfully, most MotoGP riders really couldn’t
be bothered finishing anywhere in the
post-season Jerez tests. They’ve had a long
season, and they want to go home. They will
do the test, give the input required, and if they
do not top the timesheets, then who cares?
The beach house in Ibiza awaits them.
For example, Nakagami finished the test in
second, but this grand achievement does not
cement his spot as a 2022 title contender.
It just means he did a fast lap time at a test
where no one is bothered. The same can be
said about Maverick Vinales, famously the
most successful winter test champion ever.
It’s the summer championships – the ones
that actually count – that seem to bother him.
Vinales finished the test in eighth on the Aprilia,
a fair bit down on where he usually finishes
testing.
That bit could be potentially worrying but
probably isn’t.
A historic 3 Ducati’s on the podium
Mir 3rd Overall
Cheers Rossi!