TOP TEAMS IN PRE CHRISTMAS ACTION AT DOHA The Pirelli Development Teams test schedule continues at the Losail Circuit, Doha, between 19 and 21 December, with one team from each of the major competing manufacturers in place to evaluate the latest Pirelli tyres. Doha is the second such winter test of the off-season, and will play a major part in tyre development for the 2007 championship – which kicks off at the same Losail circuit on 28 February. BIAGGI READY TO RUN ONCE AGAIN Max Biaggi (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) topped the times in the previous test at Valencia, and will be out to continue his good form in what is his rookie SBK season build-up campaign. He takes on the challenge of Losail with his team-mate Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki). WORLD CHAMPION BAYLISS IN THE MIX Having won his second World Superbike title in 2006, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) will be partnered by his regular riding partner Lorenzo Lanzi at Doha, a circuit each knows well from previous races and tests. Lanzi was joint fastest at Valencia, and hopes to keep that level of form up, after a tough 2006 season in the full factory Ducati squad. CORSER AND HAGA LOOKING TO EVALUTE TYRES AND THE NEW R1 Having signed for the official Yamaha Motor Italia team recently, 1996 and 2005 champion Troy Corser is ready to take the next stage on his 2007 specification Yamaha R1 machine. His team-mate, long time Yamaha servant Noriyuki Haga, has great experience of the previous incarnation of R1, but he too will be involved in development work from the first day of the test to the last. HONDA DUO READY TO ROCK James Toseland (Ten Kate Honda) is another former champion on display at Doha, alongside Roberto Rolfo, a highly talented rider in his second year of World Superbike competition. The Honda is not a new bike for 2007, but the pace of development work seldom goes below flat-out for any top team in the Superbike series. LACONI AND NIETO FRONT UP KAWASAKI CHALLENGE Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) will be looking to the Doha tests as a chance to match tyre development to the needs of their ZX-10R machines, as they both search for their first SBK race wins on the big green Kawasaki. SUPERSPORT TEAMS HEAD FOR THE DESERT A strong contingent of Supersport teams, representing most of the top manufacturers, will be in Doha, to give feedback to Pirelli in order to shape the development path of the latest generation Supersport tyres. PHILLIP ISLAND TESTS NEXT UP FOR SBK’s TOP COMPETITORS After the rigorous Doha test has been completed, the teams will have precious little time to rest over the festive season, as the next test Pirelli test sessions take place at Phillip Island in Australia between 13th and 15th January.