Espargarò fastest in wet Jerez MotoGP test; Bulega second

Pol Espargarò was the fastest rider on the first day of pre-season testing at Jerez, setting a best time of 1'54.458 for KTM despite rain disrupting the programme. Nicolò Bulega finished 0.798 seconds behind on the Ducati, having completed 27 laps in the morning before scaling back in the afternoon. The newly crowned Superbike champion's session was described as a wet-weather affair that forced teams to revise their plans.

Lorenzo Savadori was third on the Aprilia, more than two seconds adrift, while Michele Pirro was fourth on the Ducati V4 Superbike, using the day to continue development work and complete a few laps on the 850. Iker Lecuona stayed in the pits, effectively banking a day of testing.

The session was the final shakedown before the official December test at Valencia, with action set to resume on Thursday.