Rossi back on top for final day at Sepang MotoGP Testing Day 3/3 Sepang, Wednesday 24th January Valentino Rossi concluded the first test of 2007 by clocking the fastest lap of the three-day visit to Sepang in Malaysia. The five-time MotoGP World Champion clocked a blistering 2’00.936 lap on the 800cc Yamaha M1, in an ominous sign for the rest of the grid. The Doctor was closely followed by Suzuki’s Anglo-American rider John Hopkins, quickest over the first two days and who this morning put in a race simulation on the GSV-R800 to conclude his scheduled program. Most riders opted to test the durability of their bikes and tyres over the kind of distance they will face over the coming season, with the added benefit of gaining yet more experience on their new 800cc prototypes. Loris Capirossi, the Ducati rider involved in an epic battle with Rossi in the Malaysian race last year, improved on his times from yesterday by over 1.5 seconds. The Desmosedici GP7 is being put through its paces not only at Sepang (courtesy of the factory team and the d’Antin satellite outfit) but also at Jerez in Spain by official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi. Honda were out of the top six yesterday, but their riders picked up speed today as RC212V development continues. Dani Pedrosa was the fastest rider for the Japanese factory, putting four different factories in the top four spots on the timesheets. Australian star Chris Vermeulen, like team-mate Hopkins, has taken advantage of Suzuki’s breakthroughs with their new machine, and was fifth quickest ahead of Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet, another rider impressing in Malaysia. 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, along with Colin Edwards, Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri rounded off the top ten, ahead of Carlos Checa. The 34 year old Spaniard had taken part in an unusual bike exchange with Kenny Roberts Jr. today to gather data from and share opinions on the Honda engine used by both riders. Weather at the Asian circuit was typically hot, with temperatures hitting well over 30 degrees celsius and humidity at 50%. If nothing else, such conditions will help those riders dropping weight for the smaller 800cc bikes to shed a few extra pounds before January 30th, when several MotoGP teams head to Australia for the Phillip Island Test. Sepang Test MotoGP: Day Three Unofficial Times 1. Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Racing 2’00.936 2. John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki 2’01.026 3. Loris Capirossi – Ducati MotoGP 2’01.274 4. Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda 2’01.664 5. Chris Vermeulen – Rizla Suzuki 2’01.691 6. Randy De Puniet – Kawasaki Racing 2’01.878 7. Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda 2’01.884 8. Colin Edwards – Yamaha Racing 2’02.266 9. Casey Stoner – Ducati MotoGP 2’02.407 10. Marco Melandri – Honda Gresini 2’02.489 11. Carlos Checa – Honda LCR 2’02.583 12. Alex Barros – Pramac d’Antin 2’02.630 13. Toni Elias – Honda Gresini 2’02.927 14. Alex Hofmann – Pramac d’Antin 2’03.040 15. Shinya Nakano – Konica Minolta Honda 2’03.077 16. Makoto Tamada – Yamaha Tech 3 2’03.308 17. Kenny Roberts JR – Team Roberts 2’03.330 18. Olivier Jacque – Kawasaki Racing 2’03.592 19. Shinichi Ito – Bridgestone MotoGP 2’03.973 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: DE PUNIET SHOWS HIS SPEED ON FINAL DAY IN SEPANG Randy de Puniet’s confidence in Kawasaki’s 800cc Ninja ZX-RR received a massive boost during the third and final day of testing at Sepang, when the Kawasaki pilot managed to dip below his personal best time at the 5.543km Malaysian circuit. The 25-year-old Frenchman and his crew opted to test a qualifying tyre for the first time on the new bike during this morning’s session, before switching back to standard rubber for a race distance simulation in the afternoon. On the qualifying tyre de Puniet managed to shave almost half-a-second off his previous best lap time, which was set aboard the 990cc version of Kawasaki’s MotoGP racer at this test just twelve months ago. De Puniet’s final task today was to run a race simulation, to test the endurance of the rear tyre over race distance, and to understand better the reaction of the new Ninja ZX-RR to deteriorating rear grip. Overall, the Kawasaki pilot was satisfied with the results, but identified inconsistency in his lap times towards the very end of the run as an area on which to focus during the next test here in just two weeks time. Also happy with his progress over the three days of this opening test was de Puniet’s Kawasaki teammate, Olivier Jacque. Working together with his new crew, the former World Champion was quick to identify a number of key areas for improvement, all of which will be addressed by engineers in Japan before the Kawasaki Racing Team return for three more days of testing at Sepang, starting on 5th February. For Kawasaki’s Racing Director, Ichiro Yoda, today’s result was a case of mission accomplished. The Japanese engineer arrived in Sepang determined to show that Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR was a match for the competition, and de Puniet’s fastest lap today did that in no uncertain terms. Randy de Puniet: 46 Laps – Best Lap 2’01.87 “This has been a good first test for us in many ways. I am impressed with the bike, especially with just how much Kawasaki’s engineers have managed to improve it in just six weeks. We’ve been able to do a lot of laps here without any problems at all. This has allowed us to work our way through an intensive test programme, which is important at this point in the season. Overall I am pleased with the amount of progress we’ve made. I managed to set my fastest lap ever here at Sepang this morning, and then the first part of the race simulation this afternoon went well. At the end my lap times started to drop off slightly, but this is an area we will look at more closely during our next test. We have nine more days of testing before the first race, during which we must continue to work hard, but the potential is definitely there and I think we’ve proved that over the past three days.” Olivier Jacque: 41 Laps – Best Lap 2’03.57 “The test started with a nice surprise, in the fact that Kawasaki have worked wonders in six short weeks with the bike. It’s much better than it was during our first, short test in November. We’ve enjoyed three full days of testing in good conditions and with no problems here in Sepang, and that has allowed us to make some good progress with the bike. We’ve found a fairly good base set-up, but we’ve also identified some small changes that will improve things further for the next test. Randy showed that the bike is fast today, and I hope that the work I’ve completed over the three days with my new crew will allow us both to go even faster next time out. Of course, we need to keep working and to keep our motivation, because if we do this I think we might surprise a few people come the first race of the season.” Ichiro Yoda: Kawasaki Racing Director “Time was short between our first shakedown test in November and the start of pre-season testing here in Sepang, but Kawasaki’s engineers have done a good job with the bike and I think that was evident during these three days. Both riders have done a good job here. Olivier has been away from MotoGP for a while, but quickly adapted to both the pace and working with a new crew. Randy has adapted well to the new bike, and this could be seen in the way he improved upon his best lap time here at Sepang. We leave here happy with our progress during this first test, but also with some clear targets for when we return here in two weeks. Randy had some issues with rear grip towards the end of his race simulation this afternoon, and this is one area on which we will focus during the next three days of testing.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Rossi Fastest on Final Day in Sepang The Yamaha Factory Racing Team rounded off their first test of 2007 in fine style today, with Valentino Rossi topping the unofficial time sheets after three days of testing. Both Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards made more positive progress with Yamaha’s new prototype 800cc machine and the team closed the test feeling confident about their level of performance at this stage of the season. Although they finished the day a little earlier than usual, both riders completed their full agenda of work, once again trying several new tyres for Michelin, with Rossi also concentrating on improving the balance of the bike when braking. Rossi’s best time of 2’00.936 was set on a qualifying tyre and is close to his pole position time from last year’s Grand Prix, when he was riding the old 990cc machine. Close behind him was Suzuki’s John Hopkins with a time of 2’01.026, whilst Edwards, who did not use a qualifying tyre today, was eighth fastest with a lap of 2’02.266. Whilst most teams will now head directly to Phillip Island for another test, Yamaha Factory Racing have instead elected to return to Sepang in ten days time, with another three-day test on 5th, 6th and 7th February. Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 2’00.936 Laps: 30 “Today was another good day for us. We concentrated a lot on braking and definitely made some improvements, although I think we can still make it even better and this is something we will work on when we come back here. We had an important technical meeting today and came to some interesting conclusions, which will help Yamaha’s engineers to continue to improve our new bike. We’ve got through our entire programme for this test, including testing many new tyres for Michelin. Today I also had the chance to try a qualifying tyre and I was able to go below 2.01; I think that Michelin have done a very good job over the winter. We tried the 16″ tyre again and I am still sure that it’s good for us, although we still need more time to work on it with Michelin. Overall it’s been a very positive test for us. Most of the other teams will go to Phillip Island now, but we will return here in ten days with more new things to test. We still need to work on the engine, although for this early stage it’s very good. So far we have concentrated on power delivery, rather than on the power itself, but this only the first test of the year so there is plenty more time!” Colin Edwards Position: 8th Time: 2’02.266 Laps: 22 “I’m heading home feeling really happy after three excellent day’s work. We didn’t do so much today, 22 laps, but it was enough to back up what we’ve learnt this week and finish feeling sure about everything. We changed direction with tyres a bit today and went towards the package Valentino’s been using and that definitely improved things even more; my fastest lap was on a race tyre similar to the one he’s been using quite a bit. We didn’t try a qualifier, but I really felt that I got into the ‘zone’ on the race tyre and that was when my best time came. We tried a new front and a new rear as well and they were both great, the tyre situation in general is really good. We played around a bit with the setting too and tested a few things Valentino’s been using, but actually I preferred my setting so we came back to that. So that’s it for the first test and it’s been really encouraging. A quick rest now and then we’ll be back for more!” Davide Brivio Team Director “We’ve finished this first test of 2007 with both riders and the team feeling good. Valentino and Colin shared a lot of information between one another and this is very important in this development period. The times are already very satisfying and this means that we’re working in the right direction, even if there’s still a lot of work to do! The final conclusion of this test is very positive but we need to keep working hard; we have clear ideas about what we need to do. We’re coming back here again soon and we will have new items to test, especially tyres, and we will be able to continue to fine-tune the set-up of the new 800. 10th March is getting closer and closer so we have to just keep on working!” Unofficial Lap Times 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2’00.936 2. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2’01.026 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2’01.274 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2’01.664 5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 2’01.691 6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2’01.878 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2’01.884 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2’02.266 9. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 2’02.407 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2’02.489 11. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 2’02.583 12. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 2’02.630 13. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2’02.927 14. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 2’03.040 15. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 2’03.077 16. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2’03.308 17. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 2’03.330 18. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2’03.592 19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 2’03.973 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha – Did not ride Sepang Lap Record (990cc) Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 – 2’02.127 Sepang Best Lap (990cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 – 2’00.605 More, from a press release issued by Team Honda Gresini: MARCO MELANDRI AND TONI ELIAS LEAVE SEPANG CONFIDENT AND MOTIVATED The hot temperatures ( 34° degrees C the air temperature and the 53° degrees C the tarmac ) made the third and last day of testing more difficult for the Honda Team riders busy at Sepang in preparation of the 2007 Championship. Tomorrow riders and team will fly to Australia for the second testing session scheduled at Phillip Island starting from the 30th of January. Today Marco Melandri focused on tyre testing. He tested many front and rear tyres and was very satisfied. His team mate, the Spaniard Toni Elias, focused on the setting of the bike, working on chassis and suspensions, before continuing some tyre testing in the afternoon. MARCO MELANDRI (69 laps, 2.02.489): “I’m satisfied, we worked with method following an intense programme and I can say that we have met our target. Today I tested different kind of tyres and I’m satisfied. In particular I like a lot the front tyre but also the rear tyre is working quite well. It was important to work along side the Bridgestone technicians to understand the line to follow so that we can go on improving. I wanted to do a race simulation but unfortunately I had to stop after 12 laps because I was suffering too much on my right foot because of the heat. Now I need to work on the boot in order to solve this problem. I go to Phillip Island very confident. There is a lot of work to do but I’m happy for the situation at this stage of development”. TONI ELIAS (65 laps, 2.02. 927): “I leave Sepang very confident. This morning we worked a lot on chassis and suspensions and studied the geometry of the bike. In the afternoon we could continue some tyre testing. It was important to understand the line of work also with Bridgestone technicians and I think these first three days of testing have been very helpful. I’m not happy with my lap time but I’m not worried, at this moment it’s more important to work for the race pace”. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: MotoGP test Sepang, Malaysia. Final day of three-day test. January 24, 2007. Pedrosa tops Honda times on final day of successful Sepang MotoGP test. The three-day MotoGP test at Sepang, Malaysia ended today with Repsol Honda factory rider Dani Pedrosa the fastest of the Honda RC212V riders at the test. In temperatures exceeding 30 degrees with high humidity the young Spaniard set a lap time almost 1.5 seconds faster than his best over the previous two days of the test. Pedrosa set his best time of 2m 01.884s on Michelin qualifying tyres following solid runs in the mid 2m 02s bracket. Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda team-mate, reigning MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden concentrated on overall machine performance testing many chassis, suspension and tyre combinations. At the end of the day American tried the new 16-inch Michelin race tyres as he strove to get the best out of his RCV. Hayden did not push himself to the limit during the test as he is still experiencing stiffness from the shoulder operation he underwent in early December. The Gresini Honda team leave Sepang for then three-day test at Phillip Island, Australia in buoyant mood. Team riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias met the objectives that the team had set for their first RC212V test of the year. Italian Melandri worked diligently on tyre testing for new supplier Bridgestone and was particularly impressed with the performance of a range of front tyres he was given to test. Spaniard Elias continued chassis setting work while testing changes to the geometry of his RCV before moving on to tyre testing. At the end of the day both riders had lowered their previous best lap times by over a second. Konica Minolta Honda rider Shinya Nakano had hoped to end the Sepang test with lap times inside 2m 03s but the popular Japanese struggled with a front-end problem again today and missed his target by less than a tenth of a second. The front wheel chatter was minimal in the cooler temperatures of the morning session but performance deteriorated as the temperatures rose after lunch. On the positive side Nakano was pleased the team completed their Sepang test programme and he is now much closer to understanding the characteristics of the Honda. Carlos Checa made a big step forward on the final day and announced himself satisfied with the results of the three-day test where he set his best time on race tyres with fifth fastest tie on race rubber. Checa also took part in an unusual bike exchange with Kenny Roberts Jnr today. The 34 year old Spaniard rode the KR212V Honda powered Team Roberts framed machine while Roberts Jnr took to the track aboard Checa’s LCR RC212V Honda. The two teams making the switch in a bid to gather data from and share opinions on the Honda engine used by both riders. There was a very positive vibe in the Team Roberts camp today after Kenny Jnr swapped machines with Carlos Checa and was really pleased with the feedback from Checa’s LCR, as well as getting pointers to where the KR212V could be improved – particularly on the exit of the super-fast Turn 3 where it was unstable and hard to ride. Following the swap Kenny Jnr was able to improve his time and felt that if they had put in the more high performance race Michelin tyres they could have dipped into the high 2m 02s. The Honda teams now move on to the superb Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia for the second MotoGP test of the year on January 30, 31 and February 1. Honda rider quotes and lap times. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda 2m 01.884s 64 laps. “We definitely learnt a lot about the bike at this test and got some valuable information for my crew chief Pete Benson and the boys to work with. And myself, I felt like I rode the 800 better than I did here in November. It would have been nice to have been closer to the front and I know we didn’t set the world on fire, but we’ve definitely got some positive stuff to take away. We found some Showa forks I liked and some good settings, plus we tried the new 16 inch Michelin front which felt good. On the straight I feel like I’m a little bit out in the wind and that’s where I’m losing time – towards the end of the straight. I don’t know if it’s partly engine performance and partly aerodynamics. It’s definitely good that we’re going to Phillip Island because we can check the things we tested here at a completely different track next week. I would have liked to have done a long run here but I didn’t really have the strength in my shoulder. The most I did was ten laps in a row because the doc didn’t want me getting carried away here because shoulders sometimes take a while to heal. I’m looking forward to Phillip Island where there’s not so much hard braking.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda 2m 01.884s 75 laps. “Today we were able to take some steps with the bike and the feeling is a little better so that’s positive. We also confirmed some of the areas where we have to improve which is also good to know. We’ve also tested some tyres for Michelin including the new 16-inch tyres – yesterday the front tyre and today the rear. It’s still early and difficult to have a definite answer about these tyres, but the feeling was good so maybe it’s the future. I was fastest at the last test in Jerez but this is a different track, the temperature is higher and there are many differences riding here so we will analyse the data and work how to improve further at Phillip Island. This is normal for testing.” Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda 2m 02.489s 69 laps “I’m satisfied, we worked with method following an intense programme and I can say that we have met our target. Today I tested different kind of tyres and I’m satisfied. In particular I like a lot the front tyre but also the rear tyre is working quite well. It was important to work along side the Bridgestone technicians to understand the line to follow so that we can go on improving. I wanted to do a race simulation but unfortunately I had to stop after 12 laps because I was suffering too much on my right foot because of the heat. Now I need to work on the boot in order to solve this problem. I go to Phillip Island very confident. There is a lot of work to do but I’m happy for the situation at this stage of development”. Toni Elias, Gresini Honda 2m 02. 927s 65 laps. “I leave Sepang very confident. This morning we worked a lot on chassis and suspensions and studied the geometry of the bike. In the afternoon we could continue some tyre testing. It was important to understand the line of work also with Bridgestone technicians and I think these first three days of testing have been very helpful. I’m not happy with my lap time but I’m not worried, at this moment it’s more important to work for the race pace”. Carlos Checa, LCR Honda 2m 02.583. “Today was much better! I feel very satisfied about the set up work we developed over the last three days. I spent most of the day riding on race tyres and my best lap time was the 5th fastest overall. Then, in the last part of the session, I came out on qualifying tyres but I need more time to adapt. I also swapped my bike with Kenny Roberts Jnr to gather data and to share our opinions on the engine. This bike has a strong potential but we must continue our development during the next test sessions. As the RC212V is the smallest bike of this class I have to adapt also my body to improve the aerodynamics. Thus last winter I had a steady training loosing 3 kilogrammes and I will probably receive a new seat and a new faring much higher for next Australian tests.” Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda 2m 03.077s – 60 laps. “Again I am a little disappointed because I wanted to mark better lap times today. This morning went well like yesterday but in the afternoon I found the same problem as yesterday, front end hopping during the braking. Although maybe I was not really ready to do it, but I did a race simulation run of 21 laps. Also I did some start tests so basically I have covered all the menu I wanted to do here. Phillip Island, where I move to from here for the next test, has fast corners and corner entry performance is important. I want to solve this front-end problem there. Last year at Phillip Island, I was leading the race before it started to rain and I still have a good image of the track. So I want to get as close as possible to this good image. I now have more understanding about the RC212V so I want to improve a step further. Today it was very hot but as I did training at a Malaysian island, so I did not get tired and could keep focused throughout the test.” Kenny Roberts, KR212V 2m 03.330s. “For sure today we learned a tremendous amount today. I’ve got to thank Honda because they promised me at the last race at Valencia last year that they’d let me ride one of their bikes here – because it was gonna be our first test. We did it at about one o’clock today and so thanks to Carlos Checa and his guys. The problem was that in some of the fast stuff I’d been really fighting our bike and blistering my hands, but I’d just kinda thought it was either me or the line. But Carlos’s bike was much more stable coming out of turn three and that kinda kicked stuff off for us to work in that direction. I was fighting it non-stop and my corner speed through there wasn’t very good. So for the last hour we made some big improvements and for here darn-near fixed it completely. At first, we didn’t really know how to fix it, we thought it was coming from the link and the shock. But to cut a long story short, it seems like we’ve made a big improvement. Laptime-wise, we weren’t able to do much tyre testing for Michelin, but we did a low 2m 03 on race tyres but I’m sure I could have been somewhere in the 2m 02s if we’d worked at it. So we’re at a good stage right now.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: CAPIROSSI AND STONER ON THE PACE IN FINAL DAY OF TESTING IN MALAYSIA The third and final day of testing in Malaysia came to a close today in stifling heat, with Loris Capirossi successfully completing set-up work on his Desmosedici GP7, both on an engine and suspension level and with the tyres. Loris in fact completed an eleven-lap race simulation at an excellent pace, similar to his record time set last year. The Italian ace recorded his quickest time on race tyres, 2m02.146s, on the final lap of his long run, a performance that gave great satisfaction to himself, the Ducati team and to Bridgestone. Like most of his colleagues, Loris then bolted on a qualifying tyre to set the third quickest time of the day. Casey Stoner opted not to fit the softer tyres but despite still suffering slightly from arm cramp and taking more time than his Italian team-mate to find the right set-up, he recorded a good time on race tyres to positively conclude the three-day session at Sepang. The young Australian is now looking forward to the next tests at his home circuit where he expects to make further progress. The Ducati Marlboro Team will continue pre-season testing next week in Australia at the Phillip Island circuit from January 30th to February 1st. Loris Capirossi (61 laps – Qualifying tyre: 2m01.274s, Race tyre: 2m02.146s) “I am really pleased with the work we’ve done over the last three days. We have made a big improvement and are now competitive. The fact that I set my best time on race tyres at the end of a long-run of 11 laps means that both the bike and the tyres also go well on this circuit. For the first time we used qualifying tyres with the 800 and I am quite satisfied with my time. We can see that the GP7 needs different qualifying tyres than the 1000 because you are leaning over longer in the corners and this puts more stress on the soft tyre. Now the Bridgestone guys have got a lot of data to work with and I am sure they will do a good job. We are going to Australia in a confident mood and I can’t wait to lap on one of my favourite tracks”. Casey Stoner (53 laps – Race tyre: 2m02.407s) “It was a tough day today. We struggled a bit to find the right set-up but got there in the end! We changed the settings a lot and half-way through the day I was a bit confused because we couldn’t find the right solution, but the team was great and in the end we solved the problems and found the right direction. Thanks again to the guys from the Clinica Mobile: with their treatment I was able to lap without too much discomfort in my arms. I just felt a bit of pain during my last exit but without them I couldn’t have got through the day! Now we’re off back home and I can’t wait to test the GP7 at Phillip Island!”. Livio Suppo (MotoGP Project Director) “We are very pleased with the way these tests went. Everyone did a great job and we are competitive. Special thanks go to Shell, with whom we are working very closely to perfect the fuels and lubricants and improve the efficiency of the engine, which is fundamental in reducing fuel consumption. Today we were able to maintain an excellent pace with the bike always in race trim. It’s a great result for the start of the 800cc’s development curve and it’s all come about thanks to the work of our engineers and Shell’s experience in racing. Bridgestone are also doing an excellent job and we can only be happy with this start to the season”. Sepang lap record : Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 2m02.127s Sepang pole record : Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2m00.605s Temperature: air 34� / track 53� C Wednesday JAN 24 – Unofficial times: Rossi 2m00.936s Hopkins 2m01.026s Capirossi 2m01.274s Pedrosa 2m01.664s Vermeulen 2m01.691s De Puniet 2m01.878s Hayden 2m01.884s Edwards 2m02.266s Stoner 2m02.407s Melandri 2m02.489s Checa 2m02.583s Barros 2m02.630s Elias 2m02.927s Hofmann 2m03.040s Nakano 2m03.077s Tamada 2m03.308s Roberts Jr 2m03.330s Jacque 2m03.592s Ito 2m03.790s More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP right on the pace in Malaysia Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins completed 2007’s first test at Sepang in Malaysia today with a simulated race distance, bettering his 990cc race time from 2006 by an incredible seven seconds. The Anglo-American star conducted the long distance test during the hottest part of the day, with track surface temperatures rising to over 60°C. His overall time for the twenty flying laps was 41 minutes and one second, in comparison to his 2006 time of 41’08. The new Suzuki GSV-R800 performed with consistency over the race simulation and, allied to the latest generation of Bridgestone race tyres, the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP package is looking increasingly competitive for the forthcoming season. Hopkins and team-mate Chris Vermeulen also tested some of the latest Bridgestone qualifying tyres for the first time on an 800cc Suzuki and were able to give very consistent data to the engineers. Hopkins recorded a quickest time of 2’01.026 with Vermeulen clocking a fastest time of 2’01.691 on their qualifiers to give them second and fifth place respectively on the timesheets. Vermeulen also completed a race simulation and was very pleased with the results, even though he was hampered by the weather half way through as rain started to lightly fall. He completed 43 laps today and recorded his best ever lap around Sepang. Hopkins completed 38 laps and the data that he and Vermeulen collected will prove valuable to themselves, the team and Suzuki’s hard-working engineers as they move forward onto the next test. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP now travels to Phillip Island in Australia for the second test of 2007, starting on Tuesday 30th January. The first race of the MotoGP season is in Qatar on Saturday 10th March. John Hopkins: “I’m really happy with the way the week has gone. We’ve got a new bike here so at first we needed to get it set-up, which we did on the first day to the way I liked it and from then it’s only been simple little changes. We have tested a lot of tyres for Bridgestone and everything has been going really well. Today I tried some qualifiers as I’d never used them on the 800 before and it was good to see how they worked. Then I did a race distance and I’m really excited about how that went! We did it at the hottest part of the day and we managed to run a very competitive time. Everything at the moment feels good and overall I’m thoroughly happy with it. This is a big year for me and I’ve got a couple of new personal sponsors with Monster Energy drinks and Amp’d Mobile coming on board, so I really want to do well for them as well as for Suzuki, Rizla and all the people who have supported us!” Chris Vermeulen: “It has been a good test on the whole. We got three good days of dry weather which is unusual here in Malaysia and we’ve got through lots of work. We tested front, rear and qualifying tyres from Bridgestone, as well as a lot of Suzuki test items. John and I both had the 2007 bike which was good to use and found some good things with it. I went quicker and quicker and I did my fastest ever lap around the circuit during this test. This afternoon we did a race distance which was quicker than I did in the race last year even with some rain falling over on the back of the circuit. I felt really comfortable out there and I am now looking to getting to Phillip Island and carrying on from here!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “The test couldn’t have gone any better, apart from maybe Mr Rossi going 0.09 slower on his qualifier so that John would have been fastest on all three days! The new 2007 GSV-R has further improved from the prototype that we used last year. Both riders got through a mountain of work and the reliability and consistency of the new bike has been superb. Obviously it’s nice to be on the top of the timesheets, but it is more pleasing to see how competitive we were on the long runs during the final day. We have also provided the Bridgestone guys with lots of good data to assist them with their development programme. It’s great to start the year with a base package that works well and is giving the riders good confidence, but we know that the competition is already at a good level and will no doubt improve rapidly over the forthcoming tests. We still have areas of the bike that could improve and the factory will be focusing on them quite aggressively over the next few weeks. We won’t get too carried away over these results from Sepang because this is a good track for Bridgestone and, historically, a relatively good one for the GSV-R. We are looking forward to getting to Australia and hoping that we can be close to the other bikes around there as we struggled a bit last year. If we can come away from Phillip Island with a positive test result then everyone at Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be very much looking forward to the first Grand Prix of the season!” Sepang MotoGP Overall Test Times: 1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2’00.936: 2. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 2’01.026: 3. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2’01.274: 4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2’01.664: 5. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 2’01.691: