Carl Fogarty is hoping for an upbeat start to the New Year when his FPR team resumes track action with a four-day test in Australia in January. Both Steve Martin and Craig Jones are hoping to be fully fit for the test at Phillip Island starting on January 17. And Carl is expecting the team to build on the promising results of the previous test in Qatar. He said: “I was pleased with the test in Qatar. Neither rider was 100 per cent fit, with Craig ill and Steve recovering from his operation. Craig went better than I thought he would and was able to learn more about the bike. Steve was two seconds a lap faster than last year at a circuit which he feels is probably the worst for us on the whole calendar – it’s a shame that it’s the first race of the year for that reason. “So it’s clear we are making big steps forward, but it all depends on how much the others improve. We are making big steps forward but if the others improve even a little bit then we will not be bridging the gap quickly enough. “The season as a whole should be a lot better than last year but, as we search for more power, we have to be sure about the reliability and that is a priority for Jack and the engine development team. We will get a good indication of how we will do at Phillip Island, which tends to suit our bike. It’s another good chance for Craig to spend a lot of time on the bike and another circuit for him to learn. So I am looking forward to starting off the year on a positive note.”