PIRELLI DEVELOPMENT WINTER TEST DOHA, QATAR 28/30 NOVEMBER 2007 29th November 2007, Doha (Qatar) Second day of Pirelli Winter Development Test has just finished with a good improvement of laptimes thanks to the new rubber brought to the circuit that will host the first 2008 Round. Best laptime has been set also today by Troy Corser who improved of 1 second yesterday’s fastest lap. New entry in the Championship Carlos Checa joined today his future contenders and tasted the SBK with his first 25 laps. Spanish talent could already set a definitely good laptime although he had no previous experience with Diablo Superbike tyres, proving the great level of adaptability offered by Pirelli tyres to the different bikes and riding styles. DAY 2 Superbike Rider Bike Team Best lap 1 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1’58.6 2 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1’59.2 3 Bayliss-Checa Ducati 1098R F08 Ducati Xerox 1’59.5 5 Nieto Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 1’59.6 6 Fabrizio Ducati 1098R F08 Ducati Xerox 2’00.1 7 Sofuoglu Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 2’00.3 8 Kagayama Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 2’00.9 Supersport Rider Bike Team Best lap 1 Parkes-Foret Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor WSS 2’03.0 3 Pitt Honda CBR600RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 2’03.3 5 Mc Coy Triumph 675 Triumph – SC 2’05.0 6 Paul Young Triumph 675 Triumph – SC 2’07.0 More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: ALSTARE MEN MAKE PROGRESS IN QATAR Team Alstare Suzuki riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama have completed their second day of testing in Qatar today. Conditions at the Losail circuit were better than yesterday because the wind was not as strong and there wasn’t so much dust and sand drifting across the track. Nieto started the day with his set up from yesterday morning and then continued to work all day understanding the bike and any changes made to it. Kagayama spent the entire day testing and developing new systems on the bike and worked hard with his crew to identify which ideas worked and which did not. Because of this, he, like Nieto, didn’t bother to chase lap times, preferring instead to work on developing the bike for next season. Fonsi Nieto – 1:59.60: “I am very happy today because I improved my lap time by one and a half seconds even though I was really using today to continue my learning process of the bike. For me there is a lot to learn about this bike and I really want to get comfortable on it and get a good feeling for it before pushing hard. Lap times are not important to me at this stage because it’s more important that the bike and I get on well. All the team is helping me in this matter and they’re all doing a great job helping me to progress as quickly as I am. I’m still at the stage of adapting the bike to my riding style, but each time I get on the bike I learn a bit more, so it’s all progress. So far we haven’t had any chance to test any tyres, but tomorrow we’ll do that and, if the weather is good, I’m sure I’ll go even quicker.” Yukio Kagayama – 2:00.90: “It is just as well that I’m not looking for a lap time, otherwise I’d be a bit disappointed. Today my job was to work hard and try many different things and give the team as much feedback and information as possible. We did a lot of work on the engine, electronics and suspension and some of the ideas gave us possibilities for the future and some did not. My team threw many different things and ideas at me today and I had to let them know what worked and what should be forgotten. This is part of my job and I have to do it well so we can make progress. Of course, sometimes working in this manner can be a bit frustrating, but I have to look at the bigger picture and just get on with it. My experience of this bike is much more than Fonsi – or Max Neukirchner – and at this stage it is up to me to do it – and do it well!” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS AND FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) BOTH IMPROVE ON THE NEW 1098 F08 Losail (Qatar), Thursday 29 November: Both Ducati Xerox Team riders made substantial progress on the second day of testing at the Losail circuit in Qatar as they notched up more mileage on their new Ducati 1098 F08 machines. Bayliss remained third quickest in the standings behind the two Yamahas, but he was flanked by new arrival Carlos Checa (Honda), who joined the test today. Troy’s new team-mate Michel Fabrizio also improved, the young Italian knocking one-and-a-half seconds off yesterday’s time to end up sixth quickest. Troy Bayliss, 1m59.5s (65 laps) “We tested a few tyres today, some front and some back, but spent most of the day playing with the settings on the bike and working to get more feeling at the back” declared Troy. “It’s still not feeling right and we’re missing a little bit of corner speed, but everything is going OK and we’ve got some good ideas for tomorrow. With the 1098 it still feels like I’m riding a Ducati and I feel at home with the motor, but it certainly works differently and doesn’t rev as much as the 999. It’s early stages yet and we can’t expect to be on top of everything immediately.” Michel Fabrizio, 2m00.1s (60 laps) “Today went better than yesterday and I am pleased to have improved my time, because what I wanted was to find the right direction in the set-up” said Michel. “I knocked a second and a half off yesterday’s time, but more importantly I was a second quicker than my best time set this year on the Honda. I began to lap on race tyres forty minutes from the end of the session, going out for a few laps at a time, but tomorrow I’ll test the tyres better and hopefully I can drop my time by a few tenths more. The thing that has impressed me the most about these tests with the 1098 ….is the Ducati Xerox Team. These guys really know how to work well and they give you everything!” DAY 2 TIMES (provided by Pirelli): 1. Corser (Yamaha) 1m58.6s; 2. Haga (Yamaha) 1m59.2s; 3. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) & Checa (Honda) 1m59.5s; 5. Nieto (Suzuki) 1m59.6s; 6. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 2m00.1s; 7. Sofuoglu (Honda) 2m00.3s; 8. Kagayama (Suzuki) 2m00.9s. Qatar Thursday Times: 1 Corser 1:58.6, 2 Haga 1:59.2, 3 Bayliss and Checa 1:59.5, 5 Fonsi Nieto (E-Alstare Suzuki) 1:59.6, 6 Fabrizio 2:00.1, 7 Sofuoglu 2:00.3, 8 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki) 2:00.90. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY GOES UNDER 1:59! Conditions at the Losail circuit in Qatar were better today and Troy continued his superb form by going into the 1:58s – the only rider to do so on day two of these tests. Despite a crash, which left him with a bruised arm and back, he continued to post good lap times throughout the day. Troy – 1st, 1:58.6 Yeah, I had a bit of a get-off today and banged my arm and back a bit, so I guess I may be a bit sore tonight. It happened when I just lost the front and down I went. The corner was a fast one, but the crash was real slow-speed stuff and for a while I thought I’d better hold on to the bike with one hand. But when I hit the gravel trap and saw the size of the stones, I decided to let go of the bike and take my chances. The gravel trap looks like gravel from a distance, but when you get up close (too close in my case!) it’s not gravel, they’re rocks! The crash was on the sort of new bike and I think I just got caught out. There’s not a whole heap of difference between the 2007 and 2008 bikes, but the chassis feels a bit different (stiffer, I suppose) and it’s something I have to understand and then get on with. We tried some new tyres today and they worked better than what we’ve run here before and certainly the grip was better – especially in the morning. The tyres seem to work best in the morning and then towards the end of the day, but it’s almost impossible to go fast at the end of the day because the sun is so low, that it’s in your eyes and you can’t see where you are going properly. It’s like looking at a glazed surface and you have to trust your instincts and just pitch the bike in! We’ve still got stuff to try tomorrow, so we’ll keep plugging away and get as much done as possible. We’re all pretty happy with how these two days have gone but, if I’m feeling in a good mood and the conditions are right, I think I can do a 1:57!