DOVIZIOSO FASTEST FOR REPSOL HONDA IN CATALUNYA MOTOGP TEST Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso topped the timesheets today as the MotoGP teams returned to the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona for a day’s testing. After coming within millimeters of securing his first podium for Repsol Honda in yesterday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya here, the Italian and his crew made full use of the track time to test the latest developments of the factory RC212V. Dovizioso, who lies fourth in the World Championship standings, lapped consistently fast, with a best time of 1m 42.230s – comfortably quicker than the fastest lap from yesterday’s race (Casey Stoner: 1m 42 858s) and also inside the existing lap record of 1m 42.358s set by Dovizioso’s Repsol Honda team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, in the 2008 race here. Pedrosa did not take part in today’s test. His pain-defying efforts at the weekend left him exhausted following yesterday’s 25-lap race and it was decided that he should take some well-deserved rest at home ahead of the next race at Assen in just under two weeks’ time. The Repsol Honda Team will now return to its Belgium base before preparing for the forthcoming back-to-back races: first the Dutch TT and then the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, California. Official lap times 1. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:42.230 2. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha 1:42.434 3. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha 1:42.446 4. Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 1:42.637 5. Casey Stoner Marlboro Ducati 1:42.763 6. Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki 1:43.188 7. Randy De Puniet Playboy LCR Honda 1:43.247 8. Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki 1:43.299 9. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda 1:43.360 10. Niccolo Canepa Pramac Racing Team 1:43.391 11. Marcp Melandri Hayate Racing Team 1:43.506 12. Toni Elias San Carlo Honda 1:43.708 13. Sete Gibernau Guinea Ecuatorial 1:43.819 14. Nicky Hayden Marlboro Ducati 1:44.157 15. Gabor Talmacsi Scott Racing Team 1:45.056 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 1st 1m 42.230s “I’m really happy with the test today and with the pace we were able to achieve. The modified chassis we tested gave very positive feedback straight away so I used it for most of the day. One of the main improvements in feeling was in the entry to the corner which is a very important plus point because that’s one of the main areas where we’ve been looking to make progress. We also performed some tests on other aspects of the set-up and all-in-all the results were promising. In the race yesterday we were very close to the podium, and also quite close to the leaders after a dry race run in very demanding conditions, so we’re heading in the right direction. I know Honda is working really hard to give us a machine to win races, and today has given us a lot of positive signals, so thanks to them – and to my team who have also been working very hard this weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back out on track in Assen.” KAZUHIKO YAMANO – REPSOL HONDA TEAM MANAGER “Today was a useful day’s testing for Repsol Honda and we’re satisfied with the progress we made. Andrea was able to set the fastest lap of the day and go quicker than the race pace yesterday so this is a promising sign for the whole team. As well as the good lap time, we’ve also collected a lot of information that we can use to develop the machine, because we’re not finished yet. Testing opportunities are limited this year, so it’s important we make maximum use of this one.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI AND LORENZO MAKE THE MOST OF RARE POST-RACE TEST The Fiat Yamaha Team were hard at work in the first post-race test of the season today, fresh from a spectacular display in yesterday’s Catalan Grand Prix which saw Valentino Rossi triumph over his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo by just 0.095 seconds. The pair barely had time to come down from their high but with testing strictly limited this season today’s test in Spain was of key importance for the next stage of the season, which brings four races inside five weeks. Yesterday’s incredible performance proved that Yamaha’s factory team is already in blistering form but today provided the chance to work on development, including electronics and power delivery, in a low-pressure environment as well as to gather further information for MotoGP tyre supplier Bridgestone. Rossi and Lorenzo finished the day first and second fastest behind Andrea Dovizioso and were both faster than the best lap of yesterday’s race in times of 1’42.434 and 1’42.446 respectively. The next chance the team will have to test is after the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno in mid-August. Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 1’42.434 Laps: 58 “It was hard to test after yesterday but it was a good day and we found out some important things. We worked on electronics to try to find a better power delivery and we also checked a different version of the engine for the second half of the season. Finally we also tried a new tyre with Bridgestone. We got good feedback and hopefully today should mean I can feel even better on my M1 than I did at the weekend, which was already pretty good! At the end we also tried to set some fast ‘qualifying’ laps and I made a good time, so we’re happy. Now I am going home to Italy to have some rest!” Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: 1’42.446 Laps: 80 “Today was good because we tested some important things and I was also able to improve my riding style, but I am very tired now because it was very hot and I did 80 laps on top of a very hard weekend! We tried some new electronic systems and suspension settings and we’ve found some improvement, so I am glad that we have made this test today and hopefully it will help us in the next races.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “Of course it wasn’t easy to go back to work after such an intense day yesterday and to ask Valentino to get back on the bike, but we tested all afternoon and it was well worth the effort. We did some good work and collected important information that will help us through the next busy stage of the championship.” Jorge Lorenzo Team Manager “After the close and exciting race of yesterday, Jorge and the team have a huge motivation to try to improve our package. This year with less practice time and basically without any tests after races it’s more risky to try very different settings from the base during the race weekend, but today we have tested various chassis settings with the aim to improving a little in the hard braking areas, and we have also worked also on the electronics setting to try to find an improvement in acceleration. Now the team deserve a little break and we are confident of another good result at the next race in Assen.” Test Times 1. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 1’42.230 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’42.434 3. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’42.446 4. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing 1’42.637 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’42.763 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1’43.188 7. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1’43.247 8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1’43.299 9. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’43.360 10. Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Pramac Racing 1’43.391 11. Marco Melandri (ITA) Hayate Racing Team 1’43.506 12. Toni Elias (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’43.708 13. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’44.157 14. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 1’44.819 15. Gabor Talmacsi (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP 1’45.056 Montmelo’: Record Lap D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1’42.358 Montmelo’: Best Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’41.186 More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: POSITIVE TEST FOR STONER DESPITE ILLNESS, HAYDEN FAILS TO REPEAT THE RESULTS OF THE RACE WEEKEND After the well deserved podium earned yesterday at the Catalunya GP, allowing him to maintain his joint lead in the classification, Casey Stoner today returned to the same track, despite his weariness, to participate in a post-race test session. The Australian rider was still feeling weak and under the weather, so much so as to have to terminate the testing two hours early, having completed just 38 laps, but he was nonetheless satisfied with the work that was completed with the GP9. Nicky Hayden barely got off his bike today but was still unable to get the maximum from the latest updates for his machine. Nevertheless, his team were able to collect a great amount of data and this will be analysed in order to give Nicky the best possible chance at Assen so that he can develop on the progress made over the Catalunya race weekend. CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th – 1:42.763 (38 laps) “This morning, when I woke up, I had some cramp in my legs and a backache so I did some physiotherapy con Freddy (Dente, the team’s physiotherapist) and then got on the bike. I was not in perfect shape and I couldn’t make more than a couple of runs at a time. Despite this, we managed to test what we needed to test, the set-up of the bike, the carbon fork and a new rear shock. I’m fairly happy because the test has confirmed what we thought and I think we are improving bit by bit. We are still lacking some rear grip but we we’ve found a few ways to improve the bike and I am optimistic. Now I’m looking forward to resting and to getting back to 100% fitness in time for Assen.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 14th – 1:44.1 (98 laps) “It wasn’t the day I had hoped for, seeing the progress we had made over the weekend. In Saturday morning’s practice, when it was a little cooler and the conditions were similar to those of today, I lapped in 1m43.6 while here today I haven’t gone under 1m44 and right from the start I didn’t have the same feeling as I had over the weekend. I don’t know why, also because we worked so hard, but I hope that the data collected is of use to the engineers so we can prepare well for Assen.” More, from a press release issued by Playboy LCR Honda: PRODUCTIVE TESTING DAY AT MONTMELÓ FOR DE PUNIET AND LCR SQUAD Barcelona, 15 June: Following on from the action of yesterday’s Catalunya GP, which saw Rossi winning the sixth round of the season, the premier class riders and teams spent one more day at Montmeló circuit for one day of testing. The testing session took place from 10 am until 6 pm with hot temperature (cloudy sky in the morning) and Dovizioso topped the timesheets with a best lap time of 1’42.230. LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet riding the RC212V no. 14, went around the Catalan track 76 times clocking his fastest lap time of 1’43.247 on race tyres (7th position) proceeding the improvement of his machine overall package. The Frenchman and the LCR crew focused their work mainly on race tyre testing to improve rear grip ahead next Assen GP on the 27 of June. De Puniet 7th 1’43.247 De Puniet: “I am really happy with the test today and the overall package we are using. It has been a tough day because of the hot temperature but at the end we adjusted many things. We work mainly on suspension and chassis set up and together with Öhlins technicians we tested two new front forks spec. with god results. It seems we found the right way to solve the traction control issue working on the engine mapping regulations. I lapped consistently fast for the entire day even on used tyres and this makes me confident for the next race”.