SBK CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP® PIRELLI TEST LOSAIL 19, 20, 21 DECEMBER FIRST DAY Losail, Tuesday 19th December 2006 WEATHER CONDITIONS DETERMINE ALL ON DAY ONE AT DOHA Windy conditions and a track surface coated in windblown sand greeted the top World Superbike and Supersport competitors on day one of a three-day Losail test. After residue was left behind by some recent rainy weather, grip on the otherwise dry track was particularly low off line, and only 2006 spec Pirelli tyres were used on day one, although track conditions gradually improved with use. BAYLISS FASTEST DESPITE HIGH WINDS Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) set the fastest time of the first day, running his big vee-twin to a 2’00.7, while his team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi set his first day best time of 2.01.3. The next quickest rider behind Bayliss was new Yamaha rider Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) with a 2’01.1. HAGA AND TOSELAND SHARE SAME TIME Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) were joined on the 2’01.4 mark at Doha on day one, with Toseland’s new team-mate for 2007, Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) setting a best time of 2.03.1. Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) continued his pre-season build up with a best time of 2.01.6, a more than respectable time in the conditions. Nieto’s team-mate Regis Laconi, recorded a 2’02.2. BIAGGI READY TO RUN ONCE AGAIN Max Biaggi (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) eased his way into this teat with a best time of 2’02.8, only 0.2 seconds up on his fellow Alstare Suzuki rider, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki). Two more days of testing remain for all participants, with hopes that the weather conditions improve, to allow the times to drop. SUPERSPORT QUINTET PLAY ON IN QATAR Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) held the upper hand in the early stages of the testing battle, with Parkes on a 2’05.13 and Curtain a 2’05.5. The irrepressible Gianluca Nannelli (SC Caracchi Ducati) was third fastest, on a 2’06 flat. Running the new version of the Kawasaki ZX-6RR, Fabien Foret (GIL Motorsports Kawasaki) set a 2’07.3, with Pere Riba (Gil Motorsports Kawasaki) on a 2’07.9. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Tuesday Dec 19 2006 Test DUCATI XEROX TEAM GET DOWN TO DESERT TESTING IN QATAR Bologna (Italy), Tuesday 19th December 2006: The 2006 season might have been a successful one for the Ducati Xerox Team but the squad is already hard at work for next year in this week’s Pirelli Development Teams test session at the Losail circuit in Qatar. In the session, which is being attended by one selected development team from each of the five manufacturers involved in World Superbike, the Ducati Xerox Team will evaluate the latest generation of Pirelli tyres and also work on the best possible set-up for the Ducati 999 machine, which next year will embark on its fifth season in World Superbike. Day 1 of the three-day test saw this year’s champion Troy Bayliss set a good pace on race tyres on a track made slippery by recent rain. His time of 2m00.7s was four-tenths of a second quicker than fellow Australian Troy Corser (Yamaha). “The day was OK but we didn’t start early because the track was in a bad condition after the rain and it was also very windy. We left it late to come here for the test this year because it’s actually quite cold in the morning and the conditions are not perfect” declared Troy. “My lap time was OK, like a good race time and we worked a lot on settings and tyres. In particular we played with the gearing because last year we struggled a lot in acceleration from the last corner so we’re trying to improve that”. Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi continued his encouraging winter testing form with the third quickest time in 2m01.3s. “I am pleased with my performance today. This morning the track was dirty, I wasn’t totally confident and didn’t press too hard but I began to improve in the afternoon. When I go past the point where I had my bad crash last year, I clearly have a few extra things on my mind – joked Lorenzo – but I’m satisfied anyway and I hope to improve even more tomorrow when the track conditions should be perfect”. TIMES (provided by Pirelli): 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 2m00.7s; 2. Corser (Yamaha) 2m01.1s; 3. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 2m01.3s; 4. Haga (Yamaha) & Toseland (Honda) 2m01. 4s; 6. Nieto (Kawasaki) 2m01.6s; 7. Laconi (Kawasaki) 2m02.2s; 8. Biaggi (Suzuki) 2m02.8s; 9. Kagayama (Suzuki) 2m03.0s; 10. Rolfo (Honda) 2m03.1s.