Pol Espargaro commenced his MotoGP career with Tech3 Yamaha at Valencia.

Rivals Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding made their first steps as fulltime MotoGP riders at Valencia on Monday during the first official pre-season tests toward 2014.

Moto2 champion Espargaro had his first try of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike which he will ride next year, setting a decent 1m33.187 best time on his 32nd lap of 45.

Espargaro was 10th on the timesheet, less than two seconds down on pace-setting former world champion Jorge Lorenzo.

“It’s so different, the feeling,” Espargaro said. “Now we are in MotoGP with a different box, everything has changed but I’m so happy. I have enjoyed the day a lot and these will be the best days of my life, to try a MotoGP machine.

“It’s amazing. The power and the brakes are incredible, the tyre too. I enjoyed it a lot but we have to be a lot faster because we were two seconds behind Jorge and Valentino [Rossi].

“Immediately I could feel this is a very professional and high-level team with fantastic support from Yamaha. The YZR-M1 is incredible and today I just tried to learn as much as possible.

“The power of the engine is something you notice immediately and today I just did as many laps as I could with the aim to get a feel for the bike.”

Redding was equally impressed in his second MotoGP outing after sampling a Ducati in 2012, 11th fastest with a 1m34.195 despite his wrist injury still healing from his heavy Phillip Island fall.

“It was an important day for me and I am delighted to have made my debut on the RCV1000R for GO&FUN Honda Gresini,” Redding said. “Comparing the Moto2 to the RCV1000R is easy, they are completely different!

“It’s another story altogether, so because of that I was trying to pick up confidence slowly but surely. It was also good to begin work with the team, who have been very professional. I’d say overall it was a positive experience.

“It’s a shame my physical condition isn’t perfect yet, but working methodically and without pushing too much I can do it. Tomorrow I will try to improve my ‘relationship’ with this powerful new bike, as well as getting used to working closely with the new group.”