Jerez ready to host final MotoGP preseason showdown The 2005 MotoGP World Championship teams and riders have their final chance to complete their preseason preparations in a three-day Official Test at Jerez this weekend, following on from the Catalunya session just four days ago, when Sete Gibernau claimed the fastest time and consequently drove home in a brand-new BMW 1 Series as the prize for the BMW Award – MotoGP test. There is no such bounty on offer this weekend but virtually the entire paddock has travelled south through Spain in a gradual convoy that has now set up camp at the Andalucian circuit, venue for the opening round of the season in exactly two weeks’ time. Whilst the 125cc teams tested on Monday and Tuesday, their 250cc counterparts today completed a two-day session in mixed weather conditions with Sebastián Porto setting a blistering pace. Porto ended today’s final 250cc session on top of the time sheets after taking advantage of a brief spell of warm sunshine to smash his own pole position record by almost a second with a stunning lap of 1:42.817. The majority of riders had not emerged on track until 1pm due to damp track conditions caused by overnight rain and were unable to push their machines to the limit because of limited grip, but Aprilia rider Porto was in the right place at the right time with a virtually perfect lap which also dipped under the unofficial circuit record of 1:42.9, set by current World Champion Dani Pedrosa during private tests in January. “It’s a really fast time, no 250cc machine has ever been quicker here,” reflected Porto, who finished as runner-up to Pedrosa last season. “I’m feeling good, we’re getting better every day, but there is still margin for improvement. We’ll have to work on that in the practice sessions for the Grand Prix but we’ve got a couple of weeks off now to relax and look forward to the season.” Pedrosa was second fastest today despite suffering from the same carburetion problems that dogged his Honda in Catalunya last week, whilst Randy de Puniet, Alex de Angelis and Andrea Dovizioso completed the top five. Marco Simoncelli had been the quickest rider over the two days of 125cc sessions, lapping inside his pole position time from 2004 with a lap of 1:47.274. Simoncelli, who went on to take his debut Grand Prix victory in the race here last year, was followed on by Thomas Luthi, Mattia Pasini, Mika Kallio and Fabrizio Lai. The MotoGP riders will take to the track tomorrow, with Gibernau aiming to continue his good preseason form at a circuit where he claimed victory in wet conditions last season. However, his compatriot Carlos Checa will not be taking part in the test after being diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder after MRI scans in Barcelona this week, following a crash at the Catalunya circuit last Saturday.