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Stoner tops day 2 at Sepang Test
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
The Official MotoGP™ Test in Malaysia saw the reigning World Champion heading the times by the end of the day, with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo his closest rivals.
After missing a day of testing on Tuesday due to a strained muscle, Casey Stoner gradually worked his way back into his leadership pace and topped the second day’s times at the Official MotoGP™ Test at Sepang. The Austrailian’s19th lap on Wednesday aboard his 1000cc RC213V stood firm as the fastest of the day at 2’00.895, with Spies following 0.157 seconds behind and Lorenzo a further 0.016s off the Repsol Honda rider.
With the geometry and chassis set up adjusted to their ridings styles the previous day, the Yamaha Factory pair spent Wednesday smoothing out the YZR-M1’s electronics and power delivery which had Spies topping the timesheet at the midday point.
A second to the last of 35 laps put Dani Pedrosa fourth for the day, his time of 2’01.508 set as the Spaniard focused on the chassis of the new Repsol Honda.
Cal Crutchlow again completed the top five, doing well to reacquaint himself with riding a motorcycle having spent the off-season largely away from two wheels. The British rider’s best time of 2’01.565 at the controls of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine was just over two tenths quicker than Pramac Racing’s Hector Barbara, who worked on solving a chatter issue and testing new parts for his GP12 Ducati.
Valentino Rossi was the final rider within one second of Stoner, as he and the Ducati Team spent the majority of the day testing new parts for the GP12. Still recovering team-mate Nicky Hayden reported the new Desmosedici is producing a better feeling in the front, although lack of strength from his recently injured shoulder gave him some trouble and the American passed the reins of his Ducati to test rider Franco Battaini for part of the day.
Another rider recovering from injury, Andrea Dovizioso (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), produced a time while getting to know his Yamaha that ranked him 9th for the day, two tenths behind Alvaro Bautista aboard his San Carlo Honda Gresini bike. MotoGP rookie Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) followed in 11th with Karel Abraham taking the 12th spot as the Czech rider tested a new chassis on his Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati today.
Colin Edwards improved his time on the Suter-BMW by over a second from his time set in the morning, as he and the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team worked on setting up a different electronics package from yesterday.
Avintia Racing was not able to complete the day of testing due to issues with the engines in their BQR-FTR machine. Rider Ivan Silva completed just 16 laps with test riders Robertino Pietri and Jordi Torres making a handful of rounds each.
MotoGP Sepang Test, Malaysia
Session 2 as of 18:00 - 01/02/12
Analysis
PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:00.895 - - 29
2 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.052 +0.157 +0.157 37
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.068 +0.016 +0.173 40
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.508 +0.440 +0.613 35
5 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.565 +0.057 +0.670 42
6 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:01.788 +0.223 +0.893 50
7 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:01.886 +0.098 +0.991 44
8 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.933 +0.047 +1.038 46
9 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.160 +0.227 +1.265 42
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:02.354 +0.194 +1.459 41
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:02.414 +0.060 +1.519 41
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.598 +0.184 +1.703 66
13 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.941 +0.343 +2.046 40
14 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 2:04.311 +1.370 +3.416 38
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:05.603 +1.292 +4.708 37
16 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:10.297 +4.694 +9.402 16
17 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:11.893 +1.596 +10.998 2
18 Robertino Pietri Avintia Racing 2:12.546 +0.653 +11.651 5
Session 1 as of 18:00 - 31/01/12
Analysis
PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.657 - - 30
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.003 +0.346 +0.346 48
3 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.221 +0.218 +0.564 32
4 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.234 +0.013 +0.577 28
5 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:02.392 +0.158 +0.735 43
6 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.751 +0.359 +1.094 20
7 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:02.773 +0.022 +1.116 41
8 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.829 +0.056 +1.172 32
9 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.869 +0.040 +1.212 45
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:03.151 +0.282 +1.494 33
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:03.668 +0.517 +2.011 44
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.781 +0.113 +2.124 45
13 Franco Bataini Ducati Team 2:04.986 +1.205 +3.329 35
14 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:07.163 +2.177 +5.506 4
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:08.240 +1.077 +6.583 21
16 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:10.671 +2.431 +9.014 42
17 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:11.267 +0.596 +9.610 12
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
The Official MotoGP™ Test in Malaysia saw the reigning World Champion heading the times by the end of the day, with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo his closest rivals.
After missing a day of testing on Tuesday due to a strained muscle, Casey Stoner gradually worked his way back into his leadership pace and topped the second day’s times at the Official MotoGP™ Test at Sepang. The Austrailian’s19th lap on Wednesday aboard his 1000cc RC213V stood firm as the fastest of the day at 2’00.895, with Spies following 0.157 seconds behind and Lorenzo a further 0.016s off the Repsol Honda rider.
With the geometry and chassis set up adjusted to their ridings styles the previous day, the Yamaha Factory pair spent Wednesday smoothing out the YZR-M1’s electronics and power delivery which had Spies topping the timesheet at the midday point.
A second to the last of 35 laps put Dani Pedrosa fourth for the day, his time of 2’01.508 set as the Spaniard focused on the chassis of the new Repsol Honda.
Cal Crutchlow again completed the top five, doing well to reacquaint himself with riding a motorcycle having spent the off-season largely away from two wheels. The British rider’s best time of 2’01.565 at the controls of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine was just over two tenths quicker than Pramac Racing’s Hector Barbara, who worked on solving a chatter issue and testing new parts for his GP12 Ducati.
Valentino Rossi was the final rider within one second of Stoner, as he and the Ducati Team spent the majority of the day testing new parts for the GP12. Still recovering team-mate Nicky Hayden reported the new Desmosedici is producing a better feeling in the front, although lack of strength from his recently injured shoulder gave him some trouble and the American passed the reins of his Ducati to test rider Franco Battaini for part of the day.
Another rider recovering from injury, Andrea Dovizioso (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), produced a time while getting to know his Yamaha that ranked him 9th for the day, two tenths behind Alvaro Bautista aboard his San Carlo Honda Gresini bike. MotoGP rookie Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) followed in 11th with Karel Abraham taking the 12th spot as the Czech rider tested a new chassis on his Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati today.
Colin Edwards improved his time on the Suter-BMW by over a second from his time set in the morning, as he and the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team worked on setting up a different electronics package from yesterday.
Avintia Racing was not able to complete the day of testing due to issues with the engines in their BQR-FTR machine. Rider Ivan Silva completed just 16 laps with test riders Robertino Pietri and Jordi Torres making a handful of rounds each.
MotoGP Sepang Test, Malaysia
Session 2 as of 18:00 - 01/02/12
Analysis PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:00.895 - - 29
2 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.052 +0.157 +0.157 37
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.068 +0.016 +0.173 40
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.508 +0.440 +0.613 35
5 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.565 +0.057 +0.670 42
6 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:01.788 +0.223 +0.893 50
7 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:01.886 +0.098 +0.991 44
8 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.933 +0.047 +1.038 46
9 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.160 +0.227 +1.265 42
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:02.354 +0.194 +1.459 41
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:02.414 +0.060 +1.519 41
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.598 +0.184 +1.703 66
13 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.941 +0.343 +2.046 40
14 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 2:04.311 +1.370 +3.416 38
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:05.603 +1.292 +4.708 37
16 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:10.297 +4.694 +9.402 16
17 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:11.893 +1.596 +10.998 2
18 Robertino Pietri Avintia Racing 2:12.546 +0.653 +11.651 5
Session 1 as of 18:00 - 31/01/12
Analysis PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.657 - - 30
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.003 +0.346 +0.346 48
3 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.221 +0.218 +0.564 32
4 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.234 +0.013 +0.577 28
5 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:02.392 +0.158 +0.735 43
6 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.751 +0.359 +1.094 20
7 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:02.773 +0.022 +1.116 41
8 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.829 +0.056 +1.172 32
9 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.869 +0.040 +1.212 45
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:03.151 +0.282 +1.494 33
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:03.668 +0.517 +2.011 44
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.781 +0.113 +2.124 45
13 Franco Bataini Ducati Team 2:04.986 +1.205 +3.329 35
14 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:07.163 +2.177 +5.506 4
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:08.240 +1.077 +6.583 21
16 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:10.671 +2.431 +9.014 42
17 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:11.267 +0.596 +9.610 12
Edwards makes big strides in Malaysia
Friday, 3 February 2012
After three days of intense testing at the Sepang International Circuit, the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team concluded their first steps of a great adventure for the newly formed MotoGP™ team, with veteran rider Colin Edwards at the controls of the Suter-BMW prototype.
The American made huge strides at the three day test in Malaysia, steadily improving from a best lap of 2’08.240 in the first session to a 2’04.722 by the third day, making the test a success for the team.
Edwards completed a total of 94 laps during which he and the team focused their efforts on setting up the electronics package and smoothing out the power deliver of the bike. Now the team will work with the data collected to be ready for the second Official Test later this month in Malaysia, where the objective will be to make the bike perform consistently and to narrow the gap from the factory machines.
Colin Edwards:
"After the first day, we obviously realized we had some major issues with some chatter that we have been working hard to fix. The electronics package has been in development since Jerez, it has come a long way and I’m really happy with it. The Bosch guys have worked hard and whenever I asked them for something, they made it happen."
"It was a little difficult coming here after what happened with Marco last year. On my first lap around I slowed up in turn eleven and kind of paid my respects to Marco real quietly. Then I got on with the job of making the bike better."
"I honestly thought 2’02, 2’03s were possible within three days, but I did not expect we were going to encounter chatter. At the end of the test we did 2’04 but there is easily a 2’03 or mid 2’02 if we don’t have chatter and that’s really what I have to work on during the next test. We just have to come back and solve the problem. We have several ideas and at the test got a lot of work done; we probably tested more components in the last few days than in all of my days with Yamaha."
"The 2012 prototype has a completely different chassis and swingarm, and the engine—thanks to BMW—the engine is excellent. Our electronics guys did great as far as smoothing out the power. It’s one thing to have a really fast bike but it’s another thing to ride it for twenty laps around here. We still have to play with the electronics to fix the chatter problems that have intensified with the new Bridgestones."
"It feels good to know that you can develop something and work towards the future instead of just being one of the guys being told: "You can have this" instead of what you ask for. Now we are actually building something and making things happen. We are developing something together and it feels good to develop a bike my way. I’m really happy."
Malaysia Test draws to a close with Stoner quickest
Thursday, 2 February 2012
The third and final day of the Official MotoGP™ Test concluded on Thursday, leaving factories, teams and riders with plenty of feedback with which to work on at the next Official Test at the same circuit the end of February.
The first on-track MotoGP™ action of the year concluded on Thursday at the Sepang International Circuit, with the new 1000cc machines noticeably quicker than the 800s of last year as the top four paced under the circuit’s best lap set by Valentino Rossi in 2009. Casey Stoner was half a second clear of the rest of the field on his Repsol Honda RC213V, with Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa his closest challengers the first part of the day, however an afternoon rain storm halted any attempts to catch up with the World Champion and times from the morning remained the same.
Stoner was the pace man laying down a time of 1’59.607 on just his second lap of the day, over a second quicker than his best lap from yesterday. He and team-mate Dani Pedrosa focused on testing shock settings and the new Bridgestone tires, with the Spaniard setting the 3rd fastest lap of the day with 2'00.256, an improvement of 1.252 from Wednesday.
Factory Yamaha riders Lorenzo and Ben Spies successfully found base set ups for their YZR-M1s, focusing on chassis balance and electronics to manage the increased horsepower of the 1000cc bikes. Lorenzo’s best effort was 0.591s behind the top time of Stoner, with Spies landing fourth and 0.888s from first before ending the day early following a minor crash on one of the Yamaha test bikes.
The Test concluded on a high note for the Ducati Team with Valentino Rossi moving up two spots in the ranks to fifth fastest, bettering his time by over a second from yesterday and happy with the changes to the front end of the GP12 thus far, as confirmed by Ducati Corse General Manager Fillipo Preziosi, who stated: "This test was mainly focused on understanding if this bike is better in the front and I can say that it is."
Nicky Hayden was only able to complete a couple of laps in the afternoon due to weakness in his injured shoulder hindering his ability to hold onto the 1000cc bike with any corner exit headshake. The American confirmed that he will ride at the Jerez Test along with the CRT prototypes before the second Official Test at Sepang later this month.
The Pramac Racing Team wrapped up a successful Test with rider Héctor Barberá, who bettered his time from yesterday by eight tenths, breaking into the 2 minute mark with a best lap of 2’00.929.
Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) made a handful of laps in the afternoon after his morning crash, and new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso wrapped up his second successful test aboard the 2012 Yamaha M1.The pair were 1.5 and 1.6 seconds of the lead time, respectively.
Álvaro Bautista was satisfied with the three day test, and today quickened his pace on the Honda of the Gresini Team by sixth tenths, while newcomer Stefan Bradl put in another solid day’s work on the LCR team’s Honda, the Moto2 Champion concluding his third day of test in Malaysia with the 11th fastest time (2'01.894) while testing out the new Bridgestone tires as well as making one more back to back chassis test after a full day comparing chassis’ yesterday.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) put in the 12th quickest time while testing tires on his GP12, while CRT progress continued with Colin Edwards (NGM Mobile Forward Racing ) working out chatter issues on the BMW/Suter machine, and Iván Silva (Avintia Racing) Recovered from the broken engine from yesterday on the FTR/Kawasaki.
Session 3 as of 18:00 - 02/02/12
Analysis
PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 1:59.607 - - 21
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.198 +0.591 +0.591 35
3 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:00.256 +0.058 +0.649 26
4 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.495 +0.239 +0.888 16
5 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:00.824 +0.329 +1.217 42
6 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:00.929 +0.105 +1.322 40
7 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.108 +0.179 +1.501 26
8 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.257 +0.149 +1.650 40
9 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.384 +0.127 +1.777 34
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:01.729 +0.345 +2.122 19
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:01.894 +0.165 +2.287 38
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.218 +0.324 +2.611 38
13 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.334 +0.116 +2.727 27
14 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 2:03.033 +0.699 +3.426 35
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:04.722 +1.689 +5.115 36
16 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:08.225 +3.503 +8.618 41
17 Robertino Pietri Avintia Racing 2:09.640 +1.415 +10.033 16
18 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:10.184 +0.544 +10.577 29
Stoner laps under 2 minutes on final Test day
Thursday, 2 February 2012
On only his second lap of the day, Casey Stoner recorded a blistering fast lap of 1'59.607 which remained unbeaten for the rest of the day.
The Australian rider spent this final day of testing to work on various aspects on his RC213V machine including shock settings and the new Bridgestone tyres.Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa set the 3rd fastest lap of the day with a 2'00.256. Pedrosa concentrated on braking and also the electronics management system.
This has been a productive first test for the Repsol Honda Team. HRC engineers will now return to Japan with feedback from both riders and the team will return to Sepang for the second test on February 28th.
Casey Stoner:
"It's been a good test in general, we only managed two out of the three days unfortunately but the weather has been really good to us and we've been able to do what we planned. The day I missed hasn't affected us too much and we've managed to complete our testing programme, to be honest I think track conditions on the first day weren't that great anyway as the lap times were not so fast."
"I'm still not feeling great with my back but the bike is ok, so we've made progress in reducing the chatter a little more and trying a few different things, some small settings on the shock that we haven't tried before amongst other points. So far it's been pretty positive, we'll just have to wait and see what we have for the next test and hopefully improve a little more. Now I'm looking forward to getting home to Switzerland to see Adriana and await the arrival of our baby!"
Dani Pedrosa:
"Three days testing here in Malaysia is very tiring. This morning when I woke up I was pretty sore and stiff, but once I got running I was a little bit better. Anyway, it’s been worth it to do a general test of the engine, chassis and tyres and overall it is the biggest test we have done on this bike and we have good data to analyse and can start to build up points we need for the second test."
"As I said yesterday, the biggest point to improve is on braking, and we are also working on the electronics to improve the management of the power and the grip level. The chatter is still there, I know it's something very difficult to fix, but I’m sure Honda is working hard on it. In general, it’s been a positive test for us and we will come back here in three weeks with new ideas. This bike is physically more demanding, you feel the power in the acceleration, the speed under hard braking and also the extra weight, but it’s alright. I will keep wor king hard physically to prepare for the second test."
Repsol Honda press release.
Friday, 3 February 2012
After three days of intense testing at the Sepang International Circuit, the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team concluded their first steps of a great adventure for the newly formed MotoGP™ team, with veteran rider Colin Edwards at the controls of the Suter-BMW prototype.
The American made huge strides at the three day test in Malaysia, steadily improving from a best lap of 2’08.240 in the first session to a 2’04.722 by the third day, making the test a success for the team.
Edwards completed a total of 94 laps during which he and the team focused their efforts on setting up the electronics package and smoothing out the power deliver of the bike. Now the team will work with the data collected to be ready for the second Official Test later this month in Malaysia, where the objective will be to make the bike perform consistently and to narrow the gap from the factory machines.
Colin Edwards:
"After the first day, we obviously realized we had some major issues with some chatter that we have been working hard to fix. The electronics package has been in development since Jerez, it has come a long way and I’m really happy with it. The Bosch guys have worked hard and whenever I asked them for something, they made it happen."
"It was a little difficult coming here after what happened with Marco last year. On my first lap around I slowed up in turn eleven and kind of paid my respects to Marco real quietly. Then I got on with the job of making the bike better."
"I honestly thought 2’02, 2’03s were possible within three days, but I did not expect we were going to encounter chatter. At the end of the test we did 2’04 but there is easily a 2’03 or mid 2’02 if we don’t have chatter and that’s really what I have to work on during the next test. We just have to come back and solve the problem. We have several ideas and at the test got a lot of work done; we probably tested more components in the last few days than in all of my days with Yamaha."
"The 2012 prototype has a completely different chassis and swingarm, and the engine—thanks to BMW—the engine is excellent. Our electronics guys did great as far as smoothing out the power. It’s one thing to have a really fast bike but it’s another thing to ride it for twenty laps around here. We still have to play with the electronics to fix the chatter problems that have intensified with the new Bridgestones."
"It feels good to know that you can develop something and work towards the future instead of just being one of the guys being told: "You can have this" instead of what you ask for. Now we are actually building something and making things happen. We are developing something together and it feels good to develop a bike my way. I’m really happy."
Malaysia Test draws to a close with Stoner quickest
Thursday, 2 February 2012
The third and final day of the Official MotoGP™ Test concluded on Thursday, leaving factories, teams and riders with plenty of feedback with which to work on at the next Official Test at the same circuit the end of February.
The first on-track MotoGP™ action of the year concluded on Thursday at the Sepang International Circuit, with the new 1000cc machines noticeably quicker than the 800s of last year as the top four paced under the circuit’s best lap set by Valentino Rossi in 2009. Casey Stoner was half a second clear of the rest of the field on his Repsol Honda RC213V, with Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa his closest challengers the first part of the day, however an afternoon rain storm halted any attempts to catch up with the World Champion and times from the morning remained the same.
Stoner was the pace man laying down a time of 1’59.607 on just his second lap of the day, over a second quicker than his best lap from yesterday. He and team-mate Dani Pedrosa focused on testing shock settings and the new Bridgestone tires, with the Spaniard setting the 3rd fastest lap of the day with 2'00.256, an improvement of 1.252 from Wednesday.
Factory Yamaha riders Lorenzo and Ben Spies successfully found base set ups for their YZR-M1s, focusing on chassis balance and electronics to manage the increased horsepower of the 1000cc bikes. Lorenzo’s best effort was 0.591s behind the top time of Stoner, with Spies landing fourth and 0.888s from first before ending the day early following a minor crash on one of the Yamaha test bikes.
The Test concluded on a high note for the Ducati Team with Valentino Rossi moving up two spots in the ranks to fifth fastest, bettering his time by over a second from yesterday and happy with the changes to the front end of the GP12 thus far, as confirmed by Ducati Corse General Manager Fillipo Preziosi, who stated: "This test was mainly focused on understanding if this bike is better in the front and I can say that it is."
Nicky Hayden was only able to complete a couple of laps in the afternoon due to weakness in his injured shoulder hindering his ability to hold onto the 1000cc bike with any corner exit headshake. The American confirmed that he will ride at the Jerez Test along with the CRT prototypes before the second Official Test at Sepang later this month.
The Pramac Racing Team wrapped up a successful Test with rider Héctor Barberá, who bettered his time from yesterday by eight tenths, breaking into the 2 minute mark with a best lap of 2’00.929.
Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) made a handful of laps in the afternoon after his morning crash, and new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso wrapped up his second successful test aboard the 2012 Yamaha M1.The pair were 1.5 and 1.6 seconds of the lead time, respectively.
Álvaro Bautista was satisfied with the three day test, and today quickened his pace on the Honda of the Gresini Team by sixth tenths, while newcomer Stefan Bradl put in another solid day’s work on the LCR team’s Honda, the Moto2 Champion concluding his third day of test in Malaysia with the 11th fastest time (2'01.894) while testing out the new Bridgestone tires as well as making one more back to back chassis test after a full day comparing chassis’ yesterday.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) put in the 12th quickest time while testing tires on his GP12, while CRT progress continued with Colin Edwards (NGM Mobile Forward Racing ) working out chatter issues on the BMW/Suter machine, and Iván Silva (Avintia Racing) Recovered from the broken engine from yesterday on the FTR/Kawasaki.
Session 3 as of 18:00 - 02/02/12
Analysis PosRiderTeamFastest lapPrev. GapLead. GapLaps
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 1:59.607 - - 21
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.198 +0.591 +0.591 35
3 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:00.256 +0.058 +0.649 26
4 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.495 +0.239 +0.888 16
5 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 2:00.824 +0.329 +1.217 42
6 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 2:00.929 +0.105 +1.322 40
7 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.108 +0.179 +1.501 26
8 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.257 +0.149 +1.650 40
9 Alvaro Bautista San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.384 +0.127 +1.777 34
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2:01.729 +0.345 +2.122 19
11 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2:01.894 +0.165 +2.287 38
12 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.218 +0.324 +2.611 38
13 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha Factory 2:02.334 +0.116 +2.727 27
14 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 2:03.033 +0.699 +3.426 35
15 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:04.722 +1.689 +5.115 36
16 Ivan Silva Avintia Racing 2:08.225 +3.503 +8.618 41
17 Robertino Pietri Avintia Racing 2:09.640 +1.415 +10.033 16
18 Jordi Torres Avintia Racing 2:10.184 +0.544 +10.577 29
Stoner laps under 2 minutes on final Test day
Thursday, 2 February 2012
On only his second lap of the day, Casey Stoner recorded a blistering fast lap of 1'59.607 which remained unbeaten for the rest of the day.
The Australian rider spent this final day of testing to work on various aspects on his RC213V machine including shock settings and the new Bridgestone tyres.Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa set the 3rd fastest lap of the day with a 2'00.256. Pedrosa concentrated on braking and also the electronics management system.
This has been a productive first test for the Repsol Honda Team. HRC engineers will now return to Japan with feedback from both riders and the team will return to Sepang for the second test on February 28th.
Casey Stoner:
"It's been a good test in general, we only managed two out of the three days unfortunately but the weather has been really good to us and we've been able to do what we planned. The day I missed hasn't affected us too much and we've managed to complete our testing programme, to be honest I think track conditions on the first day weren't that great anyway as the lap times were not so fast."
"I'm still not feeling great with my back but the bike is ok, so we've made progress in reducing the chatter a little more and trying a few different things, some small settings on the shock that we haven't tried before amongst other points. So far it's been pretty positive, we'll just have to wait and see what we have for the next test and hopefully improve a little more. Now I'm looking forward to getting home to Switzerland to see Adriana and await the arrival of our baby!"
Dani Pedrosa:
"Three days testing here in Malaysia is very tiring. This morning when I woke up I was pretty sore and stiff, but once I got running I was a little bit better. Anyway, it’s been worth it to do a general test of the engine, chassis and tyres and overall it is the biggest test we have done on this bike and we have good data to analyse and can start to build up points we need for the second test."
"As I said yesterday, the biggest point to improve is on braking, and we are also working on the electronics to improve the management of the power and the grip level. The chatter is still there, I know it's something very difficult to fix, but I’m sure Honda is working hard on it. In general, it’s been a positive test for us and we will come back here in three weeks with new ideas. This bike is physically more demanding, you feel the power in the acceleration, the speed under hard braking and also the extra weight, but it’s alright. I will keep wor king hard physically to prepare for the second test."
Repsol Honda press release.
lol nice AV OC ha
here's some pics from the 1000cc test at Sepang
here's some pics from the 1000cc test at Sepang
Rossi undergoes successful operation
Monday, 6 February 2012
Ducati Team rider Valentino Rossi underwent surgery on Monday morning to remove a rod from his right leg
Valentino Rossi underwent a small operation this morning at Cattolica’s Cervesi hospital to remove the rod that was inserted in his right tibia following his practice crash at the 2010 Mugello GP. The injury is now completely healed.
The operation went well, and the Ducati Team rider will be ready for the second test in Malaysia, scheduled for February 28 to March 1.
Press release courtesy of Ducati Corse
Stoner: "We need to find the same performance with less fuel"
Monday, 6 February 2012
After winning the MotoGP™ World Championship title first season as a Repsol Honda Team rider, Casey Stoner is ready to defend his crown onboard the 1000cc RC213V in a season full of new endeavors, both professional and personal.
On track in the 2012 season, Casey Stoner will have to adapt to the new MotoGP regulations and his new tool of the trade, the RC213V. Away from the circuits, the Australian is just weeks away from becoming a father for the first time.
First of all, how are you doing? After the long winter wait to get back on the bike, you weren’t able to ride on the opening day of the three in Sepang…
"After the winter break and a long time off the bike, we were preparing in order to be ready for day one of testing. Unfortunately I had a problem with my back and we missed that opening day. We had our schedule planned out for the three days, but we were able to pack it all into two in the end. I was a little bit disappointed, but then I felt really good when I was able to get back riding and experience the feeling of being on track again. Everything went pretty well and I hope that we can improve."
Does the riding style required change much with the switch from 800cc bikes to 1000cc bikes?
"No, we haven’t changed much in terms of riding style; with the 800cc we already had an abundance of power, so we had to learn to manage that in many ways. I think that the 1000cc has a lot more acceleration —which makes things more fun— but I don’t have to change my style too much for that. The feeling is very similar to with the 800cc bikes and it seems as if everyone is adapting well."
Have you made any changes in your winter training with the new bike in mind?
"No, because I think that the physical demands will be very similar. It will be a little more difficult, but we were already training with the aim of being as fit as possible for any bike. It wasn’t specific training for the 800cc before. In my opinion, I can’t improve my fitness much more before the start of the season."
Do you notice the 4kg difference between the bike used at Sepang and that used at Valencia?
"Yes, and it is rather frustrating. We already had the bike developed and then they decided to change the regulations, so we had to add 4kg to the weight of our bike. This is a disadvantage for us, because the bike was already developed with a specific weight in mind, and now we have to add more. This affects the bike. It isn’t something that you notice much in your general riding, but unfortunately you do feel it quite a bit mid-corner. We have to try to adapt a little more and overcome this, but it is disappointing that the decision was made so late on."
With these more powerful, heavier bikes, you still have the same fuel capacity permitted. Do you follow the collaboration between Honda engineers and Repsol to provide Dani and yourself with the best fuel possible?
"Of course, when you have more power there is a critical aspect involved: Obtaining the same performance with less fuel consumption. We have the same fuel tank capacity as with the 800cc bikes, only with a lot more power available, so it is going to be rather difficult to ensure that we can finish each race. That is why it’s crucial that Honda and Repsol work together to find the best solution."
You now have a blog and the fans are really pleased to read your thoughts. What do you think about this? Are you aware of how many people support you and will access this new platform for your opinion?
"It is something that will let the fans learn more about what goes on behind the scenes and what I think about various subjects. It isn’t something that I would have done before, but thanks to Repsol I am going to give it a go this year and see how it works out. I think that it will be something interesting for the fans to read."
There is an old saying among riders that you lose a tenth of a second per lap when you become a father. Do you agree with that?
"They also say that you slow down when you get married, but in my first year of marriage I won the title and when I found out that we were having a baby I won it a second time. I don’t think that it is the case."
If one of your children were to say to you in the future "Dad, I want to be a rider!" how would you respond?
"(Laughing) We would definitely teach them from a young age, but the decision to be a rider or not will be completely down to them."
Hayden to undergo shoulder surgery
Monday, 6 February 2012
Nicky Hayden will undergo surgery on Tuesday to speed up the recovery of his left shoulder after weakness at the Test in Sepang made riding difficult.
Following the first winter test at Sepang, where his participation was limited due to his left shoulder lacking the strength to ride well, Nicky Hayden traveled directly to Fremont, California, for a thorough examination at Doctor Arthur Ting’s clinic.
Tests at the clinic revealed damage to cartilage in the American’s shoulder, as well as to muscles in his back. Tomorrow the Ducati Team rider will undergo an operation to evaluate his condition more closely and to treat the injury.
"Of course another operation before the season is never a good thing", reported Hayden. "But I’m actually happy that I tried to ride at Malaysia, because it helped me discover that the problem with the shoulder was bigger than we thought. After seeing the scans, it was clear why I couldn’t ride well."
"Setbacks are a part of life and a part of MotoGP, so we’ll deal with it and do everything possible to get back on the bike in good condition as soon as possible. Ducati and the team are putting maximum effort into this championship, and that helps me to keep my spirits high and to be confident heading into the season."
Pedrosa: "The 1000cc brakes later and corners faster"
Monday, 6 February 2012
After claiming the third fastest time at the Official MotoGP™ Test at Sepang, Repsol's Dani Pedrosa looks ahead to the start of the season on April 6th in Qatar
The opening preseason test of 2012 took place this week in Malaysia at the scorching Sepang circuit. Dani Pedrosa ended the three day test with the third fastest time overall. With the introduction of 1000cc bikes to the MotoGP World Championship this season, the Repsol rider was carrying out an extensive program in order to develop his Repsol Honda RC213V –the successor to the 2011 title winning machine.
How did the first 1000cc test in Sepang go?
"The test went well. We were able to try out a lot of things considering that it was the first time back for us. Obviously the bike is more powerful and takes more out of you physically, so to be tired at the end of the third day is fairly normal."
Do you note the difference between the 800cc and the 1000cc bikes?
"Definitely. The 1000cc is a tougher ride. I have had to strengthen my shoulders after the injuries that I suffered last season. I have tried to get a good foundation physically in order to withstand more of a load. I have been able to see the demands of the bike in this test and have my references regarding what I need to improve upon."
The weight of the bike has gone up from 153kg to 157kg. Do these 4kg change things?
"Yes, you can feel the weight increase –above all under braking and when you are changing direction. This is the least positive aspect of the change in cylinder capacity, but we will be working to adapt to it."
What differences have you found between this year's 1000cc and the bikes (990cc) of your debut year in MotoGP back in 2006?
"The main difference is that this season's bikes allow you to brake later and corner more quickly. However, if we compare times then they are fairly similar."
Your teammate, Casey Stoner, is starting his personal blog in www.repsol.com. You've been writing one for four years now. What does the initiative mean to you?
"It's a chance to keep my fans up to date with everything that is happening around me. It is difficult for them to get firsthand information –especially between races- so this blog is where I get to explain things to them."
Last year's Moto2 class was very tight. Do you think that Marc Márquez will be a title challenger again in 2012?
"I think that Marc has shown that he is a great rider and that he has a lot of talent, so I am sure that he will be fighting for the title. From what he showed last year he is going to be the favourite for the title, although there are other riders who will be looking for the win."
The Moto3 category begins this year and we will see riders like Miguel Oliveira and Álex Rins —CEV champion in 2011— making their debuts. What are your opinions about these new talents?
"Moto3 is a completely unknown class and we will not understand how the bikes will perform until the season is underway. Likewise with who will be the favorites or who will step up after the initial stage of the season. Both riders need to learn the tracks, although Oliveira knows a few of them already. The experience that you pick up when you start out in the World Championship is very important –even more so in a class like Moto3 which is more open."
Monday, 6 February 2012
Ducati Team rider Valentino Rossi underwent surgery on Monday morning to remove a rod from his right leg
Valentino Rossi underwent a small operation this morning at Cattolica’s Cervesi hospital to remove the rod that was inserted in his right tibia following his practice crash at the 2010 Mugello GP. The injury is now completely healed.
The operation went well, and the Ducati Team rider will be ready for the second test in Malaysia, scheduled for February 28 to March 1.
Press release courtesy of Ducati Corse
Stoner: "We need to find the same performance with less fuel"
Monday, 6 February 2012
After winning the MotoGP™ World Championship title first season as a Repsol Honda Team rider, Casey Stoner is ready to defend his crown onboard the 1000cc RC213V in a season full of new endeavors, both professional and personal.
On track in the 2012 season, Casey Stoner will have to adapt to the new MotoGP regulations and his new tool of the trade, the RC213V. Away from the circuits, the Australian is just weeks away from becoming a father for the first time.
First of all, how are you doing? After the long winter wait to get back on the bike, you weren’t able to ride on the opening day of the three in Sepang…
"After the winter break and a long time off the bike, we were preparing in order to be ready for day one of testing. Unfortunately I had a problem with my back and we missed that opening day. We had our schedule planned out for the three days, but we were able to pack it all into two in the end. I was a little bit disappointed, but then I felt really good when I was able to get back riding and experience the feeling of being on track again. Everything went pretty well and I hope that we can improve."
Does the riding style required change much with the switch from 800cc bikes to 1000cc bikes?
"No, we haven’t changed much in terms of riding style; with the 800cc we already had an abundance of power, so we had to learn to manage that in many ways. I think that the 1000cc has a lot more acceleration —which makes things more fun— but I don’t have to change my style too much for that. The feeling is very similar to with the 800cc bikes and it seems as if everyone is adapting well."
Have you made any changes in your winter training with the new bike in mind?
"No, because I think that the physical demands will be very similar. It will be a little more difficult, but we were already training with the aim of being as fit as possible for any bike. It wasn’t specific training for the 800cc before. In my opinion, I can’t improve my fitness much more before the start of the season."
Do you notice the 4kg difference between the bike used at Sepang and that used at Valencia?
"Yes, and it is rather frustrating. We already had the bike developed and then they decided to change the regulations, so we had to add 4kg to the weight of our bike. This is a disadvantage for us, because the bike was already developed with a specific weight in mind, and now we have to add more. This affects the bike. It isn’t something that you notice much in your general riding, but unfortunately you do feel it quite a bit mid-corner. We have to try to adapt a little more and overcome this, but it is disappointing that the decision was made so late on."
With these more powerful, heavier bikes, you still have the same fuel capacity permitted. Do you follow the collaboration between Honda engineers and Repsol to provide Dani and yourself with the best fuel possible?
"Of course, when you have more power there is a critical aspect involved: Obtaining the same performance with less fuel consumption. We have the same fuel tank capacity as with the 800cc bikes, only with a lot more power available, so it is going to be rather difficult to ensure that we can finish each race. That is why it’s crucial that Honda and Repsol work together to find the best solution."
You now have a blog and the fans are really pleased to read your thoughts. What do you think about this? Are you aware of how many people support you and will access this new platform for your opinion?
"It is something that will let the fans learn more about what goes on behind the scenes and what I think about various subjects. It isn’t something that I would have done before, but thanks to Repsol I am going to give it a go this year and see how it works out. I think that it will be something interesting for the fans to read."
There is an old saying among riders that you lose a tenth of a second per lap when you become a father. Do you agree with that?
"They also say that you slow down when you get married, but in my first year of marriage I won the title and when I found out that we were having a baby I won it a second time. I don’t think that it is the case."
If one of your children were to say to you in the future "Dad, I want to be a rider!" how would you respond?
"(Laughing) We would definitely teach them from a young age, but the decision to be a rider or not will be completely down to them."
Hayden to undergo shoulder surgery
Monday, 6 February 2012
Nicky Hayden will undergo surgery on Tuesday to speed up the recovery of his left shoulder after weakness at the Test in Sepang made riding difficult.
Following the first winter test at Sepang, where his participation was limited due to his left shoulder lacking the strength to ride well, Nicky Hayden traveled directly to Fremont, California, for a thorough examination at Doctor Arthur Ting’s clinic.
Tests at the clinic revealed damage to cartilage in the American’s shoulder, as well as to muscles in his back. Tomorrow the Ducati Team rider will undergo an operation to evaluate his condition more closely and to treat the injury.
"Of course another operation before the season is never a good thing", reported Hayden. "But I’m actually happy that I tried to ride at Malaysia, because it helped me discover that the problem with the shoulder was bigger than we thought. After seeing the scans, it was clear why I couldn’t ride well."
"Setbacks are a part of life and a part of MotoGP, so we’ll deal with it and do everything possible to get back on the bike in good condition as soon as possible. Ducati and the team are putting maximum effort into this championship, and that helps me to keep my spirits high and to be confident heading into the season."
Pedrosa: "The 1000cc brakes later and corners faster"
Monday, 6 February 2012
After claiming the third fastest time at the Official MotoGP™ Test at Sepang, Repsol's Dani Pedrosa looks ahead to the start of the season on April 6th in Qatar
The opening preseason test of 2012 took place this week in Malaysia at the scorching Sepang circuit. Dani Pedrosa ended the three day test with the third fastest time overall. With the introduction of 1000cc bikes to the MotoGP World Championship this season, the Repsol rider was carrying out an extensive program in order to develop his Repsol Honda RC213V –the successor to the 2011 title winning machine.
How did the first 1000cc test in Sepang go?
"The test went well. We were able to try out a lot of things considering that it was the first time back for us. Obviously the bike is more powerful and takes more out of you physically, so to be tired at the end of the third day is fairly normal."
Do you note the difference between the 800cc and the 1000cc bikes?
"Definitely. The 1000cc is a tougher ride. I have had to strengthen my shoulders after the injuries that I suffered last season. I have tried to get a good foundation physically in order to withstand more of a load. I have been able to see the demands of the bike in this test and have my references regarding what I need to improve upon."
The weight of the bike has gone up from 153kg to 157kg. Do these 4kg change things?
"Yes, you can feel the weight increase –above all under braking and when you are changing direction. This is the least positive aspect of the change in cylinder capacity, but we will be working to adapt to it."
What differences have you found between this year's 1000cc and the bikes (990cc) of your debut year in MotoGP back in 2006?
"The main difference is that this season's bikes allow you to brake later and corner more quickly. However, if we compare times then they are fairly similar."
Your teammate, Casey Stoner, is starting his personal blog in www.repsol.com. You've been writing one for four years now. What does the initiative mean to you?
"It's a chance to keep my fans up to date with everything that is happening around me. It is difficult for them to get firsthand information –especially between races- so this blog is where I get to explain things to them."
Last year's Moto2 class was very tight. Do you think that Marc Márquez will be a title challenger again in 2012?
"I think that Marc has shown that he is a great rider and that he has a lot of talent, so I am sure that he will be fighting for the title. From what he showed last year he is going to be the favourite for the title, although there are other riders who will be looking for the win."
The Moto3 category begins this year and we will see riders like Miguel Oliveira and Álex Rins —CEV champion in 2011— making their debuts. What are your opinions about these new talents?
"Moto3 is a completely unknown class and we will not understand how the bikes will perform until the season is underway. Likewise with who will be the favorites or who will step up after the initial stage of the season. Both riders need to learn the tracks, although Oliveira knows a few of them already. The experience that you pick up when you start out in the World Championship is very important –even more so in a class like Moto3 which is more open."
excellent pics wino
cheers bud, so you gonna watch
I mean Stoner go for 2 in a row this year ?
I cant wait for the season to start 
Redding under lap record at Valencia
Valencia Test Moto2 - Day 2 Highlights
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Action resumed at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, where low temperatures greeted the riders for the second of three days of fine-tuning and analysis of the Moto2™ machines.
In a repeat of yesterday morning, none of the participating teams attempted a run on the cold pavement before 11:00am due to the cold track temperatures, and again the Marc VDS Racing Team reported their star Scott Redding as posting the fastest lap time, a 1’35.6, nine tenths quicker than his reported time yesterday and half a second faster than the best recorded lap set by Toni Elias in 2010.
In a change from yesterday however, the top five were on a varied mix of bikes, with Andrea Iannone reporting the second fastest time, two tenths behind Redding aboard his Speed Up modified FTR. The Italian was able to put in around fifteen more laps than yesterday and making a two second improvement in the process.
Claudio Corti was again third with an improvement of 1.3s on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, followed by the Suter of Thomas Luthi and Simone Corsi on the FTR Ioda bike reporting the same time (1'36.3) to complete the top five unofficial times. 2010 Champion Toni Elias improved his pace seven tenths, landing him in twelfth position,
Team Gresini’s Gino Rea made up for lost time after an engine problem yesterday allowed the British rider to only complete ten laps, putting in 50 today and ranking 17th, and Yuki Takahashi also recovered lost time after troubles that saw the Japanese rider complete only 3 laps on Wednesday, putting in 57 laps to place 19th.
There were a handful of minor crashes, including both JiR team’s Johann Zarco and Brazilian rider Eric Granado, the latter of whom will debut in the Moto2 World Championship from the Silverstone race after he reaches the required age of 16, and all three members of the Pons Racing Team, Tito Rabat, Pol Espargaró and Axel Pons, none of whom provided any lap times for today, though Espargaró and Rabat reported the second and fifth fastest times yesterday.
Unofficial Moto2 lap times Thursday (recorded by teams):
1. SCOTT REDDING, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’35.6 (59 laps)
2. ANDREA IANNONE, SPEED MASTER, SPEED UP, 1’35.8 (40 laps)
3. CLAUDIO CORTI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.1 (48 laps)
4. THOMAS LUTHI, INTERWETTEN PADDOCK, SUTER, 1’36.3 (30 laps)
5. SIMONE CORSI, IODARACING PROJECT, FTR, 1’36.3 (30 laps)
6. BRADLEY SMITH, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’36.5 (52 laps)
7. MIKA KALLIO, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.6 (54 laps)
8. ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’36.8 (42 laps)
9. MAX NEUKIRCHNER, KIEFER RACING, KALEX, 1’37.2 (67 laps)
10. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, GP TEAM SWITZERLAND, KALEX, 1’37.5 (55 laps)
11. ALEX DE ANGELIS, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.5 (51 laps)
12. TONI ELIAS, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.6 (59 laps)
13. MIKE DI MEGLIO, SPEED UP, SPEED UP, 1’37.6 (50 laps)
14. NICOLAS TEROL, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.7 (60 laps)
15. JOHANN ZARCO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’37.7 (34 laps)
16. XAVIER SIMEON, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’37.7 (62 laps)
17. GINO REA, GRESINI RACING Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’37.8 (50 laps)
18. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’37.8 (66 laps)
19. YUKI TAKAHASHI, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.9 (57 laps)
20. ALEXANDER LUNDH, MZ RACING TEAM, MZ-RE HONDA, 1’38.4 (45 laps)
21. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’38.4 (67 laps)
22. RATTHAPARK WILAIROT, THAI HONDA GRESINI Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’38.6 (61 laps)
23. DAMIAN CUDLIN, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’39.4 (44 laps)
24. ROBERTO ROLFO, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’39.7 (61 laps)
25. ELENA ROSELL, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’40.1 (52 laps)
26. ERIC GRANADO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’40.3 (20 laps)
27. MARCO COLANDREA, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’42.3 (19 laps)
28. JULIAN SIMON, AVINTIA RACING Moto2, FTR, No times provided
29. POL ESPARGARO, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
30. AXEL PONS, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
31. ESTEVE RABAT, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
Redding under lap record at Valencia
Valencia Test Moto2 - Day 2 Highlights
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Action resumed at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, where low temperatures greeted the riders for the second of three days of fine-tuning and analysis of the Moto2™ machines.
In a repeat of yesterday morning, none of the participating teams attempted a run on the cold pavement before 11:00am due to the cold track temperatures, and again the Marc VDS Racing Team reported their star Scott Redding as posting the fastest lap time, a 1’35.6, nine tenths quicker than his reported time yesterday and half a second faster than the best recorded lap set by Toni Elias in 2010.
In a change from yesterday however, the top five were on a varied mix of bikes, with Andrea Iannone reporting the second fastest time, two tenths behind Redding aboard his Speed Up modified FTR. The Italian was able to put in around fifteen more laps than yesterday and making a two second improvement in the process.
Claudio Corti was again third with an improvement of 1.3s on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, followed by the Suter of Thomas Luthi and Simone Corsi on the FTR Ioda bike reporting the same time (1'36.3) to complete the top five unofficial times. 2010 Champion Toni Elias improved his pace seven tenths, landing him in twelfth position,
Team Gresini’s Gino Rea made up for lost time after an engine problem yesterday allowed the British rider to only complete ten laps, putting in 50 today and ranking 17th, and Yuki Takahashi also recovered lost time after troubles that saw the Japanese rider complete only 3 laps on Wednesday, putting in 57 laps to place 19th.
There were a handful of minor crashes, including both JiR team’s Johann Zarco and Brazilian rider Eric Granado, the latter of whom will debut in the Moto2 World Championship from the Silverstone race after he reaches the required age of 16, and all three members of the Pons Racing Team, Tito Rabat, Pol Espargaró and Axel Pons, none of whom provided any lap times for today, though Espargaró and Rabat reported the second and fifth fastest times yesterday.
Unofficial Moto2 lap times Thursday (recorded by teams):
1. SCOTT REDDING, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’35.6 (59 laps)
2. ANDREA IANNONE, SPEED MASTER, SPEED UP, 1’35.8 (40 laps)
3. CLAUDIO CORTI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.1 (48 laps)
4. THOMAS LUTHI, INTERWETTEN PADDOCK, SUTER, 1’36.3 (30 laps)
5. SIMONE CORSI, IODARACING PROJECT, FTR, 1’36.3 (30 laps)
6. BRADLEY SMITH, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’36.5 (52 laps)
7. MIKA KALLIO, MARC VDS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’36.6 (54 laps)
8. ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’36.8 (42 laps)
9. MAX NEUKIRCHNER, KIEFER RACING, KALEX, 1’37.2 (67 laps)
10. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, GP TEAM SWITZERLAND, KALEX, 1’37.5 (55 laps)
11. ALEX DE ANGELIS, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.5 (51 laps)
12. TONI ELIAS, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.6 (59 laps)
13. MIKE DI MEGLIO, SPEED UP, SPEED UP, 1’37.6 (50 laps)
14. NICOLAS TEROL, ASPAR TEAM Moto2, SUTER, 1’37.7 (60 laps)
15. JOHANN ZARCO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’37.7 (34 laps)
16. XAVIER SIMEON, TECH 3 RACING, TECH 3, 1’37.7 (62 laps)
17. GINO REA, GRESINI RACING Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’37.8 (50 laps)
18. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM, KALEX, 1’37.8 (66 laps)
19. YUKI TAKAHASHI, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING, SUTER, 1’37.9 (57 laps)
20. ALEXANDER LUNDH, MZ RACING TEAM, MZ-RE HONDA, 1’38.4 (45 laps)
21. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’38.4 (67 laps)
22. RATTHAPARK WILAIROT, THAI HONDA GRESINI Moto2, MORIWAKI, 1’38.6 (61 laps)
23. DAMIAN CUDLIN, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’39.4 (44 laps)
24. ROBERTO ROLFO, TECHNOMAG-CIP, SUTER, 1’39.7 (61 laps)
25. ELENA ROSELL, QMMF RACING TEAM, MORIWAKI, 1’40.1 (52 laps)
26. ERIC GRANADO, JIR Moto2, MOTOBI, 1’40.3 (20 laps)
27. MARCO COLANDREA, SAG TEAM, FTR, 1’42.3 (19 laps)
28. JULIAN SIMON, AVINTIA RACING Moto2, FTR, No times provided
29. POL ESPARGARO, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
30. AXEL PONS, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
31. ESTEVE RABAT, PONS RACING, KALEX, No times provided
Pikes Peak final 2011
I just found this pic and I'm told it's not shopped, Troy bayliss is the pilot any guesses who's on the back ?
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