FROM THE SNOWS OF CAMPIGLIO TO THE TORRID HEAT OF SEPANG, THE DESMOSEDICI GP7 IS BACK ON TRACK After the end of the obligatory winter testing ban and the traditional presentation of the Ducati Marlboro Team on the snows of Madonna di Campiglio, Loris Capirossi and his new team-mate Casey Stoner took to the track today for the first time in 2007, the first year of the new 800cc MotoGP technical regulations, at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The three-day test, which sees the participation of all the top MotoGP teams, is one of the most interesting appointments of the start of the season because it is the first time riders and teams have taken to the track in almost two months and because it allows them to test in similar conditions, albeit with much higher temperatures and humidity, to what they will encounter in the races. The repeated showers over the last few days and the expected rain for today led the Ducati Marlboro Team riders to test non-stop from ten in the morning to around 4.30 pm in the afternoon. In the end the rain failed to materialize but Capirossi and Stoner concluded their first day of testing more than one hour before the scheduled track closure as they had already completed the required preparatory work in setting up the Desmosedici for the next two testing days. Loris Capirossi (41 laps – 2m03.537s): “It was not bad for the first day of testing after a break of over six weeks” commented Loris Capirossi after his first contact with the track. “We’ve still got a few problems in the general set-up of the bike but it’s normal at this stage of the year. We are here for this reason and for sure we’ve got a lot of margin for improvement. Today we tested a few things that worked and we put aside some other solutions as we have organised the work for the next couple of days. We have opted to test a few more things tomorrow and I think we can improve a lot. I’m also very confident about the performance of the tyres because even though we haven’t yet begun to test with the new ones, the ones we have used today already perform really well”. Casey Stoner (55 laps – 2m03.940s): “I am very pleased with the way things have gone today” declared Casey Stoner, who tested the Italian machine for the third time. “We have made a lot of progress since the Jerez test even though we still have to improve some of the characteristics of the engine. I am really pleased with the tyres: the front is already perfect, the rear is good and for sure we can improve. However my best time was set with a rear that had already done an entire race distance and that’s a good sign! The team is working really well and I already feel part of the family!”. Sepang lap record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 2’02.127 Sepang pole record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2’00.605 Temperatures: air 36° / track 50° C DAY 1 – unofficial times: Hopkins (Suzuki), 2’02.277 Vermeulen (Suzuki), 2’03.049 Rossi (Yamaha), 2’03.184 Edwards (Yamaha), 2’03.337 Hayden (Honda), 2’03.413 Capirossi (Ducati), 2’03.537 De Puniet (Kawasaki), 2’03.542 Pedrosa (Honda), 2’03.620 Tamada (Yamaha), 2’03.785 Stoner (Ducati), 2’03.944 Hoffman (Ducati), 2’04.003 Barros (Ducati), 2’04.011 Roberts (KRV), 2’04.088 Checa (Honda), 2’04.101 Nakano (Kawasaki), 2’04.138 Melandri (Honda), 2’04.270 Ito (Ducati), 2’04.641 Elias (Honda), 2’04.710 More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Honda: GOOD START FOR MARCO AND TONI AT SEPANG After the customary testing ban of just over one and a half months, the Motogp bikes return to the track for the resumption of the 800cc development in preparation of the 2007 Championship that will start in Qatar on March the 10th. All Motogp teams, except for the Illmor team, gathered in Sepang, Malaysia for the first test session of the 2007 season. Thanks to the good weather conditions (sunny sky and hot temperatures) the riders of the Honda Gresini Team good use all the training day to adapt to the new bike and to Bridgestone tyres. MARCO MELANDRI (66 laps, 2.04.02): “Today we worked on suspensions and chassis in order to prepare a base set up so that tomorrow we can focus on tyre testing together with Bridgestone technicians. I think that it’s important to focus on tyres here while I will work more on the set up of the bike starting from next test session in Phillip Island, Australia. After the two surgeries I underwent in November and December and the physiotherapy to the muscles of my leg, I feel better now, I’m almost 70% fit. On this track I was suffering a lot, while today it was much better”. TONI ELIAS (70 laps, 2.04.7): “I’m quite satisfied of this first day of testing. After two months of break, it was important to go back to the track. Today I completed 70 laps, which is a lot. We only made some small modification in order to find a base set up. Tomorrow we will continue working on the suspension and chassis and start testing tyres for Bridgestone. I’m confident” . More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Sepang welcomes first MotoGP action of 2007 MotoGP Testing – Sepang, Monday 22nd January After the customary testing ban of just over one and a half months, MotoGP returned to the track today for the resumption of 800cc development. It was at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia where fans had their first chance to see who leads the way on the new generation of MotoGP bike, with the majority of premier class teams testing from today until Wednesday. The 800cc bikes seem to have thrown the already unpredictable world of MotoGP favourites wide open, with no team holding a clear advantage in the initial tests. Of those that have been going strong, perhaps the most impressive frontrunner has been Suzuki. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen rode the GSV-R800 for the first time the day after the race at Valencia, and have taken to the bike like ducks to water by placing the bike at the top of the unofficial timesheets. The duo seemed to have lost none of their edge over the winter break, as they led the way on day one in Sepang. Hopkins was the fastest rider of the day, and the only one to break the 2’03 barrier at the hot and humid Malaysian circuit. His time of 2’02.277 put him ahead of team-mate Vermeulen by just over seven tenths of a second, as the British-based team continue to look sharp on the 800cc machines. The factory Yamaha team followed close behind, with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards side by side on the timesheets. Ever the entertainer, Rossi put fashion over comfort as he emerged for the start of the day in a fetching pair of furry boots amidst the intense heat. The Yamaha riders were just faster than World Champion Nicky Hayden, who made his first appearance since undergoing shoulder surgery before the winter break. Ducati are renowned for blitzing the competition in early tests, although today the gameplan seemed to be more calculated for the Italian factory. Loris Capirossi was sixth fastest, whilst newest team addition Casey Stoner rounded off the top ten. The Desmosedici GP7 is also being put through its paces this week in Jerez, as stand-in test rider Jose Luis Cardoso continues development work with the bike. Last week Ducati became the first team to present their new livery, with a chrome finish shown off to the media at their annual event in Madonna di Campiglio. Kawasaki were undertaking their first test since taking business in-house at the end of 2006, and Randy de Puniet was hot on the heels of Capirossi on the Ninja ZX-RR. Preparing for his second season in the premier class, the Frenchman went round faster than former 250cc rival Dani Pedrosa, Rookie of the Year and leader at the final test of 2006 at Jerez. Makoto Tamada, joined for the first time on track by new team-mate Sylvain Guintoli, was ninth quickest at a track where he went well at the tail end of last year. The KR212V, Team KR’s newest prototype, makes its debut at the Asian track this week, the last bike to have an 800cc test. All teams were quick to emphasise that these initial days of testing mainly serve the purpose of putting more miles on their prototypes and, in some cases, new tyres. Only the Ilmor Team will sit out the Asian visit completely, choosing instead to put the finishing touches to the V4 in Europe and wait for injured rider Jeremy McWilliams to make a complete recovery after his accident in the final test of 2006. The newest team on the MotoGP grid will also miss the next test on the calendar, at Phillip Island in Australia. With the premier class in action straight after the lifting of the testing ban, MotoGP’s supporting cylinder classes also resume their preparation for the coming season this week. A number of teams from both 250 and 125cc will ride at the Jerez Circuit in Spain from Monday to Wednesday, with the debut appearances of Honda LCR’s Eugene Laverty and Thailand’s first ever World Championship rider Ratthapark Wilairot to watch out for. Action and interviews, along with the latest news from Sepang, can be found at motogp.com. Sepang Test Day One Unofficial Times 1. John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki 2’02.277 2. Chris Vermeulen – Rizla Suzuki 2’03.049 3. Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Racing 2’03.184 4. Colin Edwards – Yamaha Racing 2’03.337 5. Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda 2’03.413 6. Loris Capirossi – Ducati Marlboro 2’03.538 7. Randy De Puniet – Kawasaki Racing 2’03.542 8. Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda 2’03.620 9. Makoto Tamada – Yamaha Tech3 2’03.785 10. Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro 2’03.944 11. Alex Hofmann – Pramac d’Antin 2’04.003 12. Alex Barros – Pramac d’Antin 2’04.011 13. Kenny Roberts Jr. – Team Roberts 2’04.088 14. Carlos Checa – Honda LCR 2’04.101 15. Shinya Nakano – Konica Minolta Honda 2’04.138 16. Marco Melandri – Gresini Honda 2’04.270 17. Shinichi Ito – Bridgestone MotoGP 2’04.641 18. Toni Elías – Gresini Honda 2’04.710 19. Olivier Jacque – Kawasaki Racing 2’04.718 20. Sylvain Guintoli – Yamaha Tech3 2’07.403 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: KAWASAKI AIM TO BUILD ON SUCCESSFUL FIRST DAY AT SEPANG Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque completed more than 700 trouble free kilometres during the opening day of testing at Sepang, with the younger Frenchman underlining the potential of Kawasaki’s new 800cc Ninja ZX-RR by finishing the day seventh fastest overall. De Puniet and Jacque rode Kawasaki’s new MotoGP racer briefly during shakedown tests at Sepang back in November, but neither could believe just how much progress Kawasaki’s development engineers have made with the Ninja ZX-RR in such a short space of time. Minor mechanical problems cut short that first test, but there were no such reliability issues today, as the two Kawasaki pilots completed a total of 132 laps of the 5.543km Sepang circuit without incident. Having quickly found a base set-up they were satisfied with on the new bike, both de Puniet and Jacque declared themselves happy with the progress made today. Both riders were able to show on track that, despite such a short development time, the power of Kawasaki’s 800cc inline four-cylinder engine was already a match for that of their factory rivals. Equally important was the consistency of the engine’s power delivery, with no reduction in performance even at the end of today’s test. But, while Kawasaki’s two pilots were happy to make such a positive start to the new season, both know that they face a heavy test and development schedule in the lead up to the first race in Qatar. Tomorrow both Kawasaki riders will concentrate their efforts on finding a good balance with the Ninja ZX-RR chassis, before switching their attention to tyre testing in support of Bridgestone’s development programme. The characteristics of the 800cc engine place very different demands on the rear tyre compared to the older 990cc motor, and this is an area in which Kawasaki can help accelerate Bridgestone’s tyre development with the supply of test data and rider feedback. Randy de Puniet: #14 – 72 Laps – Best Lap 2’03.542 “It is hard to believe that this is the same bike that we tested back in November. Two months ago we could see that the bike had some potential, but my feeling then was that realising this potential was going to take some time. But, this morning, I couldn’t believe the transformation Kawasaki’s engineers have made in such a short time. Already the bike feels competitive, but I think there is more performance to be found once we get down to refining the set-up further. I completed more than 70 laps without any problems today, and my lap time was pretty good, but we will be looking to improve further over the next two days. Today was a good start to our test programme, but there is still some work to be done over the next few weeks if we are to be ready for the first race of the season.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – 60 Laps – Best Lap 2’04.718 “I’m happy with what we’ve achieved today. From the first lap this morning it was obvious that Kawasaki’s engineers have made some big improvements to the bike since our first test here last year. Our priority today was to identify a good base set-up on the bike, and I think we’ve achieved that, so tomorrow we can move on to the next thing on our test schedule. It’s been easy to find a good way of working with Fiorenzo Fanali and my new crew, and I think the working relationship will get even easier as we progress through a heavy test programme ahead of the first race. Overall, today was a good way to start the new season.” Michael Bartholemy: Kawasaki Competition Manager “This is the start to the season that we needed. Sure, it would have been nice to finish the first day at the top of the timesheet, but today’s performance was certainly enough to silence those doubters who thought we wouldn’t even make it to the first test. The fact that we’re here and ready to start the season is down to a lot of hard work on the part of everyone involved with the Kawasaki Racing Team, and the fact that we had a trouble free day and finished with a respectable lap time is down to an equal measure of hard work on the part of everyone in Kawasaki’s race department back in Japan. Now we need to build on this successful start and refine our new Ninja ZX-RR ahead of the first race of the season in Qatar. It’s a tall order, but I think we’ve shown today that the potential is there; both with the bike and with everyone working on Kawasaki’s MotoGP project.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: MotoGP test Sepang, Malaysia. Opening day of three-day test. January 22, 2006. World Champion Hayden fastest Honda rider at opening MotoGP test of 2007 Te first MotoGP test of the year got underway at Sepang, Malaysia today. All riders signed to contest the series are in attendance, with the sole exception of the Ilmor MotoGP squad. The Honda riders equipped with the RC212V four-cylinder 800cc machines they will campaign in the 18-round MotoGP World Championship began their preparations for the 2007 season at Malaysian circuit today. The six riders, from four different teams, together with Kenny Roberts Jnr riding the Honda powered KR212V, took to the 5.548km track chasing a base set up to work from during the three-day test. World Champion Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda was the fastest RC212V rider on day one of three. The American was riding for the first time since the last Sepang test in mid-November. Today Hayden did some engine comparison work and a limited tyre testing but the Champions main focus was easing himself back into testing after the shoulder operation he underwent in early December. Nicky finished the day a little frustrated not to improve on his good early pace in the morning, but remained upbeat about the work ahead. Hayden’s team mate, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, a former triple world champion in the smaller classes with two 250cc and one 125cc crown to his credit, spent the opening day of the test reacquainting himself with the RC212V he last rode at Jerez on November 30 last year. Dani hasn’t ridden the 800cc machine at Sepang before having missed the November test at the circuit due to correctional surgery to his arms. He made minor chassis adjustments and tried a few Michelins, but the main testing menu for Pedrosa will begin tomorrow. The Gresini Honda riders had a quiet day at Sepang both riders choosing to establish the best possible base line to work from. The Gresini Honda team will race with Bridgestone tyres in 2007 and the riders and riders have had to adjust to both the characteristics of the new 800cc machine and the feel of the Bridgestone’s. Marco Melandri worked hard on chassis and front suspension settings in addition to fine tuning the feed back he was getting from the clutch while Toni Elias worked to perfect the settings that he and his technicians ended the November 2006 RC212V test at the same venue. Team Roberts gave their all-new KR212V its first outing. The new machine, a RC212V engine housed in a Team Roberts chassis that the team built from scratch in just 90 days. Team personnel feel that the new machine is closer to ‘Ready to race’ than at the same point in 2006 with the KR211V. Team rider Kenny Roberts Junior put the machine through its paces and despite the late start to 2007 testing the former 500cc world champion set a very respectable shake down lap time of 2:04.088 as he, “Got back into the swing of riding.”. LCR Honda rider Carlos Checa took his RC212V to the track for the first test of the year and spent his day trying to get more comfortable on the four-cylinder 800cc machine. Despite a late morning crash at turn one the unscathed Checa went on to work on tyres in a bid to gain confidence in the front end of his Honda. Among the Honda riders Japanese star Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda) has the most to learn in a short time. Nakano is making his Honda debut in 2007, riding on Michelin rubber for the first time, and for a completely new team. On the opening day of the test Nakano concentrated on the front end of his RC212V chasing a base set up before moving on to tyre testing tomorrow. Honda rider quotes and lap times. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.413s – 73 laps “I’m happy to be on a bike again and excited to be back with my boys and the team – I really enjoyed riding out there today. This morning felt pretty good but this afternoon we didn’t quite go forwards as much as I’d have liked to. We’ve got some work to do to be ready for the season. I went at about the same pace as I did here in November – I did that lap quite early in the day, and then didn’t go faster which was slightly frustrating. The shoulder feels ok – the pain has gone away, though it still feels a little weak. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t go crazy with the number of laps because the doctor told me to take it pretty easy. Sometimes shoulders can take a while to heal but it wasn’t hurting me on the lap times – I was just getting tired a little quicker than usual. It actually felt better today than I thought it would so we’re looking good for the rest of the test.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.620s – 77 laps. “I felt that it had been a long time not riding so I took it slowly today, especially in the morning. We were just going back to basics and getting used to the work and the feelings from the bike. We also did some tyre testing for Michelin. As I was not at the test here in November I was getting a feeling for the new RC212V at this circuit too. The feeling of the track has changed a little with this bike, and you notice the braking points have moved. The bike also feels quite different to the last test in Jerez because the gears ratios are quite long here so the force under acceleration is slightly changed. You really feel that the 800 has less power than the 990 at this track, and also the bike feels better in some ways too. It was good to get back in the saddle today and I’m looking forward to making some good progress over the rest of the test.” Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 2m 04.10s – 54 laps. “This is my second test on the RC212V after the Sepang test in November and I still am trying to understand and adapt to the machine. Trying to get used to its engine braking, clutch and so on. The character of a Honda machine is different from that of Ducati and Yamaha so I am trying to understand a lot of things. When I first tested the RC212V, it felt very tight for me and I was riding like a camel, I mean too tight to ride. During the braking all my weight went to the front and I was awkward but now I got used to its riding position and feel more comfortable. Today I was using standard tyres and I need to have more grip on the front. This is the area where I need more confidence. Anyway I am so happy to be back on Honda and Michelin. Lucio, Ramon and other staff are working so hard and I am very motivated.” Lucio Cecchinello, LCR team owner manager. “We still have a lot of things to do but today was very positive. The RC212V has a lot of potential and we are trying to pull out its full possibility. Although Carlos and the team must understand about the machine more, I am very optimistic about the progress. Tomorrow, we hope to mark better lap times. To improve cornering speed is the factor to get better lap times.” Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda: 2m 04.138s – 58laps “This morning I was doing a kind of run-in and I started to test seriously from the afternoon changing front suspension setting and so on. I have found the basic set up so we will start tyre testing tomorrow. Tomorrow it looks like we are getting new tyres. The engine feeling of the RC212V is very good and I can get superb rear traction. The balance between suspension and the engine is good and the exit out of a corner is very comfortable. I still have to improve the corner entry set-up. Today was very hot but I have trained at an island in Malaysia before coming here in order to get used to the heat. Today’s lap time was 2minues 4 seconds, so I want to mark low 2 minutes 3 second tomorrow.” GianLuca Montiron, Konica Minolta Honda team manager. “This is our second outing on the RC212V and we have found the basic set-up today. Machine character and tyre are different to Shinya so we must move forward step by step. Still today’s testing was very positive and I am looking forward to tomorrow.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, Team Roberts: 2m 04.088s. “I think that technically we got a lot done for our first day. We tried a total of three swing-arms and two linkages today so we got some of the bigger items out of the way. We still need to try a new fabricated chassis tomorrow, or at least by the end of the remaining two days. Basically, the times this morning were ok and I was getting down to quite a few low 2m 04s laps. I’m just stuck right there at the moment. We’ve just got to get the bike going round the corners a little bit faster. With these bikes it’s all corner speed – you never really square anything off like on the V5 used to do and if you’re spinning it you’ve got to figure out how to not spin it. With a handful more power you could get away with more mistakes than you can at the moment – consistency wise. It’s been a pretty standard first day. I probably would have liked to have gotten into the 2m 03s laps, so we’ve got to see if we can get the bike going round the corners a little bit better tomorrow, which we will. The first day here is always just getting back into the swing of things. We’ve got a lot on our plate trying to build a bike and come out ready to go on the first day.” Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda: 2m 04.02s 66 laps. “We did quite a good job today I think. It’s been nice come back and ride my bike after almost two months away. The first day has been a little difficult, especially because it’s hot. The bike feels pretty good but still we have a few problems. Mainly I don’t completely like how the clutch is working so we have been looking at that today, and still we have some more to do. Also the front fork feeling is not wonderful at the moment but I think that feeling might be originating from the clutch which is not allowing me to get a good balance under braking, so the bike is moving a lot. I think it will be better from the next test. We did not test too many Bridgestone tyres today but still if everything is ok on the chassis side we will test a lot more tyres tomorrow.” Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 2m 04.710s 70 laps. “After two months off this was the first day of testing so I was just getting familiar with riding the bike again. We don’t know this new bike that well yet so we will try over this test to get a better understanding of how the bike works – what are the good points and the not-so-good points. And they’ll we’ll work on the not-so-good points. Also we are working with Bridgestone to find the best tyres for the bike. Today I used the same tyres as the ones I used in the November tests. Tomorrow I will start the full tyre testing programme with many more variations. Today was useful to get a feel riding again and work on base settings but we will continue with the real testing schedule for the next two days.” Sepang Test Day One. Unofficial Times 1. John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki 2m 02.277s. 2. Chris Vermeulen – Rizla Suzuki 2m 03.049s. 3. Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Racing 2m 03.184s. 4. Colin Edwards – Yamaha Racing 2m 03.337s. 5. Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda 2m 03.413s. 6. Loris Capirossi – Ducati Marlboro 2m 03.538s. 7. Randy De Puniet – Kawasaki Racing 2m 03.542s. 8. Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda 2m 03.620s. 9. Makoto Tamada – Yamaha Tech3 2m 03.785s. 10. Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro 2m 03.944s. 11. Alex Hofmann – Pramac d’Antin 2m 04.003s. 12. Alex Barros – Pramac d’Antin 2m 04.011s. 13. Kenny Roberts Jr. – Team Roberts 2m 04.088s. 14. Carlos Checa – Honda LCR 2m 04.101s. 15. Shinya Nakano – Konica Minolta Honda 2m 04.138s. 16. Marco Melandri – Gresini Honda 2m 04.270s. 17. Shinichi Ito – Bridgestone MotoGP 2m 04.641 18. Toni Elías – Gresini Honda 2m 04.710s. 19. Olivier Jacque – Kawasaki Racing 2m 04.718s. 20. Sylvain Guintoli – Yamaha Tech3 2m 07.403s. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing: New Season Gets Underway for Yamaha Factory Racing Team in Sepang Yamaha Factory Racing Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards got the new year off to a promising start at the first MotoGP test of the season in Sepang, Malaysia today, setting the third and fourth fastest times respectively. With all teams now running new 800cc prototype machines, in accordance with the new MotoGP engine capacity limits, the 20-strong field of riders enjoyed good weather throughout the day and Yamaha’s two factory riders made the most of a full day of testing. Both riders had completed two tests on the new bike before Christmas and followed on from where they left off today, concentrating on double-checking the information they gathered during those tests and developing the set-up of the new bike, whilst also finding time to test some new Michelin tyres. The fastest lap of the day, a time of 2’02.277, was set by Suzuki rider John Hopkins, with his team-mate Chris Vermeulen second with a best lap of 2’03.049. Rossi and Edwards were close behind, the Italian setting a best time of 2’03.184 from 67 laps and his American team-mate fourth with a lap of 2’03.337 after 61 laps. Valentino Rossi Position: 3rd Time: 2’03.184 Laps: 67 “I am feeling very confident at the start of this test and the new season. I’ve made the most of my holidays, had a good rest and I think I am starting in the best shape possible. Everyone is very motivated and excited now! The bike I am riding here is basically the same as the one I rode in Jerez at the last test and everything feels very good with it still. You have to ride these bikes slightly differently to the old 990cc bikes, you need to be slightly softer, but we understand more about them every day. Some things still need to be improved but the chassis is good and we don’t have any of the problems we had at the start of last season. We need to be fast from the start this year and at the moment it seems that’s the case. The power delivery of the bike is good, better than I hoped for at this early stage of the season, and I am feeling quite confident overall about the situation we’re in. Today we mainly worked on setting and tyres and we’ve definitely made a good start to the new year, now we will try to continue like this for the next two days.” Colin Edwards Position: 4th Time: 2’03.337 Laps: 61 “It’s been good to have a bit of a break and some time at home with the family, but I’m excited about the new season and it’s good to be back on the bike! The rain held off so we got started on time this morning. The bike feels pretty similar to what we were riding before Christmas, of course there are some subtle tweaks here and there and some new stuff, but nothing too drastic and it still feels really good. This morning we worked on tyres with Michelin before testing a couple of new things with the bike this afternoon, but mostly we were just backing up everything we worked out at the last two tests, double and triple-checking every setting to ensure that we’re working in the right direction. It’s obvious that everyone’s already at a high level and the times are fast, so it’s going to be hard work for us all from now on!” Davide Brivio Team Director “It’s good to get back to work after the winter break and it has been a positive first day for us here in Sepang. The bikes were assembled at Yamaha in Japan last week and they have started the year in their black ‘winter-test livery’, with yellow stickers for Valentino and red for Colin. Today we’ve worked on basic set-up and we haven’t had any problems so far. All the information we gathered at the tests before Christmas has been taken into account and once we felt confident with this latest version of the 2007 bike, we were also able to spend some time testing new tyres for Michelin. We’ve definitely started our job well today and worked in a productive manner. Despite a poor weather forecast, the rain has held off and we’ve been able to use all the track time available to us. Hopefully this will continue and we can keep on working hard through the next two days and make the most of this important first test.” 1. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2’02.277 2. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 2’03.049 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2’03.184 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2’03.337 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2’03.413 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2’03.538 7. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2’03.542 8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2’03.620 9. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2’03.785 10. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 2’03.944 11. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 2’04.003 12. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 2’04.011 13. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 2’04.088 14. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 2’04.101 15. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 2’04.138 16. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2’04.270 17. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 2’04.641 18. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2’04.710 19. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2’04.718 20. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2’07.403 Sepang Lap Record Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 – 2’02.127 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 – 2’00.605 More, from a press release issued by Konica Minolta Honda: KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team pre-season activity started today The riders participating to the 2007 MotoGP World Championship returned on track today at Sepang with the new 800cc prototypes for the first test of the year. Temperatures of 30°C in the air, 40°C on the ground and a 70% humidity rate permitted to make the best use of the first test day in Malaysia. In the morning, Shinya Nakano was focused on the modifications of the new Honda RC212V setting, the KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team recently assembled in Japan, to find the right adjustment and the correct position on it. The Japanese rider continued working in the afternoon on different technical solutions aimed to find the right base setting with no pressure to set the fastest lap but concentrated to give precise information to his technicians to proceed, step by step, towards the complete adjustment to the new 800cc. The KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team rider covered 58 laps setting his fastest lap in 2’04.138″ placing him on fifteenth position. The two Suzuki riders, John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen, finished in first and second place with the respective times of 2’02.277″ and 2’03.049″. Gianluca Montiron Team Manager, KONICA MINOLTA Honda “Today the rider could start the first approach to the new Honda RC212V he rode on the Sepang track for the first time. Shinya and the technicians could make a series of technical considerations leading to a correct adjustment of the bike to the particular demands of this circuit. In comparison with the performances recorded in 2006 with the 990cc, a decrease of approximately 10 km of the present bike top speed emerges from the checks we made today. Our new rider decided to face step by step this initial phase; today’s target was to deeply understand the bike before pushing to clock the fastest time. Inside the pit box the atmosphere is calm, it means that the communication between Shinya and the staff members has already reached a good level.” Shinya Nakano Rider, KONICA MINOLTA Honda(58 laps 2’04.138″) “I’m satisfied of this first day of test on the new Honda RC212V. This morning I was fully dedicated to understand the Team I’ll collaborate with and the bike I’ll have at my disposal during the 2007 season. In the afternoon I was mostly concentrated on riding gradually proceeding towards the best base setting. Some new tyres test is scheduled for tomorrow; my efforts will be more dedicated to the achievement of a good level of feeling with this new technical package and going forward on the first phase of this new adventure.” Yutaka Hirano Chief Mechanic, KONICA MINOLTA Honda “We started the first 2007 test searching for a complete adjustment of the new rider to the new bike. We worked on the gear box and rear suspension setting, making also some checks on the new software for the engine control unit. Tomorrow, we’ll continue working to improve the new Honda RC212V setting and start testing new Michelin tyres. Our job has just started but the feeling with Shinya is already good.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP leads the way on day one John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen powered their brand new Rizla Suzuki GSV-Rs to the first and second fastest times respectively during the first day of testing at Sepang in Malaysia. Hopkins recorded a best time of 2’02.27 from his 66 laps, whilst team-mate Vermeulen was just behind with a quickest time of 2’03.04 from his 46 laps. Nobuatsu Aoki is also present at the three-day test and he was the first Rizla Suzuki racer on track and completed 36 shakedown laps on the new bike. The Rizla Suzuki GSV-R800 was seen in its final detail at Sepang today, with new engine and chassis specifications plus new bodywork styling. Hopkins, Vermeulen and the rest of the team were very happy with how the new version performed over the first day, and look forward to getting more out the bike throughout the rest of the test. The team conducted thorough Bridgestone front tyre tests and will follow that up with even more comprehensive evaluations over the next couple of days This is the first test that all the MotoGP teams with the exception of Ilmor – have been together with their new 800cc machines, and it will give a good indication of how the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R is developing in comparison to the other manufacturers.