From a press release issued by Dorna Communications: The second and final evening of MotoGP’s first ever night test at Losail International circuit ended with Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo at the head of the timesheet, courtesy of a time of 1’54.552 on the last of his 73 laps in the seven hour session. Earlier, Tech3 Yamaha’s James Toseland had been the fastest rider for a sustained period, but reigning 250cc World Champion Lorenzo shaved 0.040s off the Englishman’s best effort with minutes remaining in the floodlit practice, to gain a confidence boosting advantage over his rivals – barely a week before the season commences at the same venue. Having been second fastest on Thursday on race tyres at the desert circuit Lorenzo continued his good work with his late hot lap, nearly half a second faster than the Losail pole position record, having already completed an excellent race simulation with a series of laps in the 1’56 margin almost matching Casey Stoner’s 2007 race winning pace. Although Lorenzo insists his debut MotoGP season is essentially a learning exercise, his performance in the last test session of the winter means he will go into the season opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar next weekend confident of a strong result in his first ever premier class race. Likewise Briton Toseland has made good progress during his preparations for his long awaited MotoGP bow. Having successfully tested suspension parts, worked with various tyres and of course having adapted to night-time riding in the groundbreaking Losail test, he too should be bursting with anticipation ahead of round one, after missing out on Friday night’s top spot by less than a tenth of a second. Also on the pace in third position – and just 0.381s behind Lorenzo – was Frenchman Randy de Puniet, who has been a strong performer over the winter testing period and appears to be enjoying the Honda-Michelin package at his disposal with his new team Honda LCR. Toseland’s Texan team-mate Colin Edwards was fourth quickest, while Ducati Marlboro’s World Champion Casey Stoner completed the top five – the Australian 22 year-old escaping unhurt after an accident on turn two at around 10.30pm local time. After an impressive pre-season the reigning champ is undoubtedly the title favourite and completed just 31 laps before declaring his work was done and being ready and raring to race. Also featuring in the top ten were Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot), Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda), Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki), Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi who ended the test 1.7s slower than his Fiat Yamaha colleague Lorenzo. The session was briefly red-flagged at around 9.30pm local time due to debris on track following a crash by Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi at turn seven, but the veteran Italian was unhurt and once the action resumed he was soon back out riding again eventually lapping eleventh fastest. In addition to those tumbles by former team-mates Stoner and Capirossi, there were crashes late in the session for the MotoGP title holder’s new Ducati colleague Marco Melandri, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano and Alice Team’s Sylvain Guintoli as track temperature dropped to a chilly 13°C. Guintoli’s bike was badly damaged and his right arm appeared to be injured, but he was soon given the all clear by doctors onsite. Indeed, it was that late temperature drop rather than any lack of visibility apparently causing those accidents, so the teams and tyre suppliers Bridgestone and Michelin will aim to ensure they account for similar circumstances in next week’s Grand Prix return to Qatar which of course marks the start of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. Qatar MotoGP Official Test Day Two best times: 1. J. LORENZO, FIAT YAMAHA – 1’54.552 / 73 2. J. TOSELAND, TECH3 YAMAHA – 1’54.592 / 52 3. R. DE PUNIET, LCR HONDA MotoGP – 1’54.973 / 91 4. C. EDWARDS, TECH3 YAMAHA – 1’55.464 / 50 5. C. STONER, DUCATI MARLBORO – 1’55.485 / 31 6. A. DOVIZIOSO, JiR TEAM SCOT – 1’55.550 / 68 7. N. HAYDEN, REPSOL HONDA TEAM – 1’55.674 / 94 8. C. VERMEULEN, RIZLA SUZUKI – 1’56.119 / 73 9. A. DE ANGELIS, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI – 1’56.249 / 60 10. V. ROSSI, FIAT YAMAHA – 1’56.256 / 83 11. L. CAPIROSSI, RIZLA SUZUKI – 1’56.450 / 64 12. J. HOPKINS, KAWASAKI RACING – 1’56.612 / 55 13. D. PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA TEAM – 1’56.704 / 75 14. S. NAKANO, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI – 1’56.792 / 71 15. M. MELANDRI, DUCATI MARLBORO – 1’56.902 / 63 16. T. ELIAS, ALICE TEAM – 1’56.986 / 69 17. S. GUINTOLI, ALICE TEAM – 1’57.055 / 55 18. A. WEST, KAWASAKI RACING – 1’57.459 / 67 Race Record: C. STONER – 1.56.528 (2007) Qualifying Record: V. ROSSI – 1.55.002 (2007) MotoGP Official Test Day 1: C. STONER – 1.55.330 More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SATISFIED WITH FINAL NIGHT IN QATAR Ducati Marlboro Team pair Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri declared themselves happy with the work done after two nights of testing in Qatar, where they have spent time finalising their preparations for the historic night race that will get the 2008 season underway in just over a week’s time. Both riders have been impressed with the lighting system that illuminates the circuit and can’t wait to get back on track for the first race of the championship. Stoner’s race pace was hot once again this evening and a small crash on the way into turn two did nothing to dent his satisfaction with the job done. Melandri is also confident after making progress with the setting of his GP8. Stoner and Melandri will be back in Doha for first free practice at the Grand Prix of Qatar on Friday 7th March at 1900h local time. CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “We only had a few things left to test and I’m happy because we’ve used different configurations on the two bikes and they both worked well. Next week during practice we’ll decide which setting to use in the race. I’m also really happy with the race tyres – the qualifiers could be a bit better but I’m not too worried because they’re not the most important tyres of the weekend. I had a crash this evening going into turn 2, but luckily I wasn’t seriously hurt. Having said that I think that in the Safety Commission we need to talk about the size of the gravel pieces because here, like at Jerez, they’re too big – they’re more like rocks than stones and they can hurt you even in a small crash. Now we’ve got a couple of days to relax after months of testing and then we finally go racing. We’re in good shape and I can’t wait to get started.” MARCO MELANDRI, Ducati Marlboro Team “We’ve continued working on the set-up of the bike and we’ve improved compared to yesterday. We’ve tried a few different race tyres but we also tried to get as many laps as we could on the same tyre in order to set the bike up without that extra variable. I’m happy that the green light is almost ready for the first race because I’m convinced that we have more potential than we’re showing right now.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi both made encouraging improvements during the final tough session of testing at Losail in Qatar tonight. The riders were again testing under the floodlights of Qatar’s 5.38km Losail International Circuit as they prepared themselves for next week’s Grand Prix also under the lights in Qatar. Vermeulen was quick to capitalise on the progress he made in yesterday’s test and his best time of 1’56.119 from his 73 laps was good enough to give him eighth place on the timesheets. He continued to search for the optimum set-up of his Suzuki GSV-R and is convinced that his crew has succeeded in making a big step in the right direction. Capirossi (P11, 1’56.450, 64 laps) was called upon to carry out some crucial engine and chassis tests as he too searched for the best solutions to maximise the potential of his 2008 machine. His cause was not helped by a heavy crash during the evening, but the experienced Italian walked away unhurt and was soon back out on his spare GSV-R. The cold night-air of the barren Qatari landscape again played its part tonight as the track temperatures dropped to 13ºC, making the correct choice of tyres vitally important to get the best grip. Jorge Lorenzo on his factory Yamaha set the fastest time whilst using a qualifying tyre. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has just one week before it is back on track for the opening round of the MotoGP calendar, a race that will make history by being the first-ever Grand Prix staged at night. Chris Vermeulen: “It was good night of testing here in Qatar. I think we have taken the most steps in a test so far this year with the 2008 GSV-R, so in that respect I am really happy. We took our lap time forward by over a second consistently so that puts us in a better position for the race next week. I would like to thank the crew for all their hard work during what have been quite awkward hours. I now just can’t wait for the race!” Loris Capirossi “I think I lost a bit too much time today because I tested too many things. I tried three different engines and maybe was a bit confused with all the different options, but it was really important to do it. The good thing is that we now really understand where we need to be, but we will still have to work hard to get there. I also lost time because I had a big crash, but luckily I wasn’t hurt and could carry on. Really this has been quite a good test because we have learnt many things.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Yesterday was very difficult and we didn’t achieve anything close to what we’d hoped for – or what the riders and GSV-R should be capable of. We made big steps today towards unlocking the full potential of the 2008 bike, with Chris in particular being able to find a rhythm and run in the low 56’s on race tyres, which is much closer to the front running pace. “Loris had an evening of fundamental testing work which is not the ideal way to prepare at the final test of the off-season, but the work he has completed tonight has been extremely important to determine some key factors with regards to the next steps. A fairly sizeable crash didn’t help, but his enthusiasm shone through again and he wasn’t put off the job-in-hand at all. “Everybody in the team is now looking forward to getting the first race of 2008 under our belts next weekend and – whilst we still have a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be – we have taken some significant steps towards a decent result this evening.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: LORENZO SHINES IN THE QATAR NIGHT Fiat Yamaha Team rookie Jorge Lorenzo proved he is more than ready for his MotoGP debut with an impressive display at the final pre-season test in Qatar tonight. The 20-year-old topped the time sheets on the second night of floodlit testing at the desert circuit, lapping half a second under the existing pole record on Michelin qualifying tyres. Lorenzo, who was victorious in the 250cc race here last year, was also fast throughout the day on race tyres as he worked on refining the setting of his M1 in preparation for his competitive entry into the premier-class. His race simulation towards the end of the night’s work heralded impressive results before he tried out some qualifying tyres, setting his lap of 1’54.552 on his 73rd and final lap. His team-mate Valentino Rossi had a few issues to address meanwhile and finished the night in tenth place. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 1st Time: 1’54.552 Laps: 73 “I am very happy because we have done two days of testing with a very good rhythm throughout. Our performance has been consistent, which is very important after the trouble we had at the last test and this makes me confident for the first race. The race simulation today was really positive, although I think we still need to do some work on the rear of the bike which might allow us to be a bit faster. Despite all these positive signs we must keep our feet on the ground, because I have never raced with the other riders and the first race will be a new experience for me! Next week many things will be different so we must remain focused and hopefully maintain a good rhythm. I am happy because I think people understand now that I am ready for this, and this is very important for me and for my confidence. I do not have experience in MotoGP so I cannot say how this championship will turn out, but let’s say that without experience the winter tests were good and with some experience the championship might be even better!” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “It was definitely a positive test for us. We were able to improve the basic set-up of Jorge’s bike and we were also able to finish the tyre testing program we had planned for this test. I am pleased to say that we have confirmed the improvements of the Michelin tyres and we have also collected a lot of important data for the first race here in Qatar. Now we have a couple of days to analyze and work on this information in order to come back here to Qatar in the best shape possible for the first race. We made a race simulation today and we were very satisfied with Jorge’s performance and consistency. Now we are confident that we are approaching the first race in good shape and having made the most of our winter tests. We are looking forward to coming back here and seeing Jorge make his debut racing for Yamaha.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI UPBEAT DESPITE DIFFICULT NIGHT IN QATAR The second night of the first ever MotoGP night test in Qatar saw Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi running into some unexpected problems, finishing the test tenth overall. Rossi and his crew spent the day working on Bridgestone tyre testing and set-up, but were unable to find time to complete a planned race simulation. Despite a less than positive last day of preparation, Rossi remains confident that he will be in good shape for the first race, which will take place under the floodlights in ten day’s time. His best lap 1’56.256 was set on his 69th of 83 laps. Team-mate Jorge Lorenzo topped the time sheets tonight, after an impressive lap of 1’54.552 on qualifying tyres. Valentino Rossi Position: 10th Time: 1’56.256 Laps: 83 “I cannot say I am happy with this test and speaking honestly I expected to be faster here. Unfortunately we wasted some time working on the set-up of the bike to try to adapt it to some tyres that we then decided to abandon. Once we’d made this decision we worked with different tyres and things improved a bit, but the test was nearly over and we didn’t have enough time to complete all the work we wanted to do. Because of this I did not do a race simulation, but I was able to make two good runs. Unfortunately however it wasn’t enough time to improve as much as we could have and I am still lacking a couple of tenths. Generally speaking however all of the winter tests, barring this one, have been positive for us; I was fast in Sepang and fast in Jerez. It’s a pity that I wasn’t able to be fast here as well, but we have some good ideas for the next week and this does not dent my confidence.” Davide Brivio Team manager “We expected to be faster here in Qatar, but we have collected a lot of useful information. We will have to exploit the next four hours of practice in the best way next week, in order to be able to fight at the front. Our engineers have some ideas to apply to the bike, so we will try to make things better. We must improve, this is obvious, but we know we still have one full weekend to work on our bike. Generally speaking, our winter testing was satisfactory and so, despite this last test, we maintain our confidence for the start of the season.” Test Times 1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’54.552 2. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 1’54.592 3. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1’54.973 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 1’55.464 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 1’55.485 6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 1’55.550 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 1’55.674 8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 1’56.119 9. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’56.249 10. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’56.256 11. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1’56.450 12. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 1’56.612 13. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 1’56.704 14. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’56.792 15. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 1’56.902 16. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 1’56.986 17. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 1’57.055 18. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 1’57.459 Losail: Lap Record C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 1’56.528 Losail: Best Lap V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2007, 1’55.002 More, from a press release issued by JiR Team Scot: Andrea Dovizioso fast once more in second Qatar night test The second evening of night testing at the Doha circuit saw the temperature range for the test sit below the 15 centigrade level by the time testing got underway for the final evening of the Doha test at the 3.344-mile Losail circuit. During the test, Andrea Dovizioso and his JiR Team Scot squad worked on finalising the race setting for the Honda RC212V machine with Andrea using Michelin qualifying tyres towards the end of the session. Gianni Berti Technical Coordinator, JiR Team Scot “Today was an intense day for the team we were working hard and fine-tuning the race set-up on the bike. The whole technical package has been handled perfectly! All the people in the team have put the maximum effort forward and both Michelin and Showa have also helped very much and shown their motivation. The lowest temperature of the day was only seen in last part of the test day and we saw it much earlier that compared to yesterday. Eventually Andrea used qualifying tyres at the end of the session.” Andrea Dovizioso Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA RC212V 70 laps completed Best time: 6th – 1’55″550 “I was fast for the whole day fast and consistent! Our whole technical package has been finalised for the race and I was looking for the best lap time possible on the qualifying tyres even though we only used them in the last part of our test when we had low temperatures when the damp conditions were increasing. The racetrack temperature was lower compared to yesterday, but we didn’t change our schedule. I’m satisfied with our Technical Partners they’re doing a great job! We’re leaving Qatar and looking forward to the race expecting to be up at the front!” Pietro Caprara Crew chief, JiR Team Scot “Finally at the end of the test the team has achieved some important information and we’re looking forward and are optimistic for the race on 9th March. We started one hour after the official start of the test as it was hot and we were not interested in taking part in a test when the temperature was such where we would not expect to see it in the race. Our pace for the race is consistent which is very positive. The final tuning of the package that we have found with our Technical Partners has allowed us to improve and skirt over some little troubles that we have had with the front end of bike today. We’re ready for the race, we know we are competitive and we will try to be there with the best.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Media Service: THE REPSOL HONDA TEAM PUTS AN END TO THE 2008 PRE-SEASON Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden have continued work on the setup of the Repsol Honda RC212V 2008 Today the 2008 pre-season came to an end for the Moto GP riders on the Losail Circuit in Qatar. The next time they don their suits and get on their bikes will be on occasion of the first offical training sessions of the Qatar Gran Prix, first test for points in the 2008 World Motorcycling Championship. This will happen next Friday 7th March, at 19:00 local time -. The second and definitive training session was not especially positive for the Repsol Honda Team riders, who were relegated to intermediate positions with both race tyres and qualification tyres. The lack of adherence in the front and rear was the main cause for the lagging position of the Repsol Honda Team riders. The 2006 World Champion and the 2007 World Runner-up tried throughout the event, with their respective technical teams, to find solutions in order to improve performance. Now what is left is to hope that during this pause, the HRC engineers will make use of the information collected these two days in order to get to the first test of the World Championship 2008 in shape to fight for the leading positions. Nicky Hayden completed today 94 laps on the Qatar track; his fastest lap No. 93. Teammate Dani Pedrosa has completed 75 laps, riding his fastest lap in No. 38, always using race tyres. Quotes MotoGP Dani Pedrosa >> “It’s been quite a difficult two days here. So far we haven’t found the solution to the problems we are having. We’ve tried many different things but at the moment we aren’t getting the results we were expecting. The main problem is grip. The tyres are fine, you can see that because the guys with the 2007 Hondas and Michelins are fast, so it’s something else. Maybe riding at night has some influence on this, because there’s a lot of humidity, but that’s the same for everybody. My right hand is little bit better, I had some time to rest it after Jerez, so here I’ve been able to ride more laps than I could manage at Jerez”. Nicky Hayden >> “I’ve enjoyed riding at night but conditions are not easy here at night there’s the wind and the track temperature changes a lot. We tried race tyres tonight and at the end we tried a couple of qualifiers, we went qu icker but we’re not where we need to be. We left Jerez feeling really confident but we’ve been brought back to reality. Nonetheless I’m happy to go racing after so much testing, that’s exciting. Now we’ve got some work to do, we need to try to come up with something to make an improvement. I think we can get the bike to hold the line better and finish the corner better. Now Honda have got a couple of days to think about stuff and I’ve got some time to go over some lines, so hopefully come Friday night we’ll be closer to where we need to be”. More, from a press release issued by Monster Kawasaki: COLD, HARD NIGHT IN THE DESERT FOR MOTOGP The last, pre-season test before the start of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship took place tonight at Qatar’s Losail circuit. After yesterday’s stunning, and bewildering, introduction to riding their 800cc premier class machines at night, the riders took to the track to continue working on set ups and tyre choices ahead of next week’s 22 lap race. Kawasaki’s John Hopkins, claiming 80 per cent fitness after his crash last month at Phillip Island, bravely remounted his Ninja ZX-RR to complete 55 laps over the seven hour, nocturnal testing session. Having yesterday evaluated Bridgestone tyres in readiness for the first round, the Anglo-American today focused on his bike set up. He made considerable progress, taking a second off his best time on a race tyre and continuing to refine the set up of the bike, ready for the race. Happy with the session’s results, and before tackling the circuit again next week, he will now rest, hoping to overcome the lingering pain in his upper thigh which prevented him from doing as many laps tonight as he would have liked. Team mate, Anthony West, ended the test disappointed at his lap times but was not alone in feeling frustrated. Conditions at the track were dry but cold; comparable to the lowest European temperatures the teams are used to dealing with during a season. This made a significant difference to tyre performance and none of the Bridgestone-shod racers saw significant improvements on qualifiers. However, he continued to test the new chassis he first tried last night and remains very happy with the improvements he felt on the bike as a result. Therefore, the 27-year-old remained optimistic for his upcoming first MotoGP race at Losail. The team will be back at Qatar next Friday for the first free practice session of the race weekend. The inaugural round of the 2008 championship will take place, historically, on the night of Sunday 9th March, starting at 23:00 hours, local time. John Hopkins 12th – 55 Laps 1’56.612 “We mainly worked on the overall bike set-up today, and we had some chassis settings to run through, as well as finalising which chassis we are going to use for the race. The results have been positive as we slashed a second off yesterday’s lap time on a race tyre. We also reduced the allocation of tyres we had available to us at the beginning of the test and we know which selection we’re going to use for the race. I’m feeling confident and competitive on race tyres, although we didn’t try any qualifiers today. The conditions are very cold out on track but it’s the same for everybody, I think this may be the biggest factor during the race. The injury I have is a bit sore from doing a lot of laps yesterday but I’m now going to Dubai with Ashleigh for a three-day mini vacation to rest before starting my race preparation.” Anthony West 18th – 67 Laps 1’57.459 “Today we have been working mainly on improving the set-up of the chassis we tried yesterday and, although I’m disappointed with our lap times, we have definitely made some improvements. The conditions out on track are cold and there is very little grip, which has been the main difficulty for us. We did a race simulation, trying a selection of tyres with an aim of finding something suitable for next weekend and, in the final hour of testing, found one I’m much happier with. We have some work to do before the first practice next week but I’m confident that, with the data we have from the last two days, we can improve our lap times and be much more competitive.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “It’s not been easy for us as with John’s injury we still can’t progress as quickly as we’d like. I was expecting a better overall performance during this test, but I know we can improve before next Friday when we start practicing again for the first race of the championship. The track temperature was not helpful, as this has caused us some trouble with the tyres, but we have worked with Bridgestone for many years and I am confident we will come up with a solution for next week. Quite a few riders crashed today, and the conditions are not ideal for MotoGP, however it’s the same for all the teams and I’m sure we can make some improvements before the first race.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: De Puniet and LCR Honda RC212V third fastest at Qatar in final pre-season MotoGP test Randy De Puniet and his LCR Honda emerged from the final MotoGP pre-season winter as the fastest of the six RC212V Honda riders present in Losail, Qatar. Frenchman De Puniet has been consistently fast at all the winter tests either topping the time sheets or very close to the fastest man. The Losail result will confirm De Puniet’s growing confidence in the RCV and his new team and he has developed a strong understanding with tyre supplier Michelin and both have a clear understanding of what tyres suit his style best aboard the Honda. Today was dedicated entirely to tyre testing and the team has found a good base set up to work from that gives De Puniet great confidence in the front end. Two new rear tyres were brought out for him to try today and the Frenchman found the second tyre he tried to be the best yet and will begin practice for the Qatar GP in confident mood next Friday. JiR Scot Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso was again in scintillating form setting a string of fast consistent lap times. The young Italian working with team partners Michelin and Showa spent the day fine tuning his RC212V after eradicating a small front end chatter problem and managed to set fourth fastest time of the day. Dovizioso pronounced himself to be; ‘Looking forward to the race and expecting to be up at the front.’ The Repsol Honda factory team riders had a day of mixed fortunes. Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden set seventh fastest time on his RC212V. The American found the windy conditions and rapidly decreasing track temperatures not so easy to handle tonight while testing a range of tyres for Michelin. But he will be happier when the race action begins in earnest next week. Hayden’s Team mate, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, struggled for grip tonight and the team tried a range of different adjustment changes to his RCV but without delivering the expected results. Riding with a swollen right hand, legacy of his early season crash at the Sepang test, Pedrosa still suffers pain from the injury while braking hard into the corners. The Spaniards condition improves daily but he will not be at 100% fitness when the race begins next Sunday. Both San Carlo Honda Gresini riders, Alex De Angelis and Shinya Nakano crashed late in the evening on the rapidly cooling track that gave little tyre grip to work with. De Angelis was pushing just a little too hard on a qualifying tyre and he lost the front end but emerged from his crash unscathed. Nakano was running a race simulation when he was caught out by the conditions. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 1m 54.973s on lap 69 of 91.”These two days have been very productive for me and the whole Team. Basically we did not make any important change in the base set-up and we focused on race tyres to get the right pace for the race. Today the feeling with the bike was even better than yesterday and I like to ride in these conditions. We worked specifically on rear and front tyres making many consistent and fast lap times on race tyres. I think we got the right package to make a positive first race next week and I want to thank the LCR squad, HRC and Michelin for their efforts during the winter test period”. Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 1m 55.550s on lap 65 of 68. “I was fast for the whole day fast and consistent! Our whole technical package has been finalised for the race and I was looking for the best lap time possible on the qualifying tyres even though we only used them in the last part of our test when we had low temperatures when the damp conditions were increasing. The racetrack temperature was lower compared to yesterday, but we didn’t change our schedule. I’m satisfied with our Technical Partners they’re doing a great job! We’re leaving Qatar and looking forward to the race expecting to be up at the front!” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 55.674s 0n lap 93 of 94. “I’ve enjoyed riding at night but conditions are not easy here at night there’s the wind and the track temperature changes a lot. We tried race tyres tonight and at the end we tried a couple of qualifiers, we went quicker but we’re not where we need to be. We left Jerez feeling really confident but we’ve been brought back to reality. Nonetheless I’m happy to go racing after so much testing, that’s exciting. Now we’ve got some work to do, we need to try to come up with something to make an improvement. I think we can get the bike to hold the line better and finish the corner better. Now Honda have got a couple of days to think about stuff and I’ve got some time to go over some lines, so hopefully come Friday night we’ll be closer to where we need to be.” Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 1m 56.249s on lap 45 of 60. “I’m happy with the race pace we found in the opening part of this final test session. The problem is that from 10 o’clock onwards it starts to get really cold and humid. The track conditions change a lot and I crashed. Luckily I wasn’t badly hurt I’ve got some pain in my right forearm but generally I’m okay. I’m optimistic for the race although we’ll have to pay attention over the first few laps because it takes a while for the tyres to get up to the right temperature.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 56.704s on lap 38 of 75. “It’s been quite a difficult two days here. So far we haven’t found the solution to the problems we are having. We’ve tried many different things but at the moment we aren’t getting the results we were expecting. The main problem is grip. The tyres are fine, you can see that because the guys with the 2007 Hondas and Michelins are fast, so it’s something else. Maybe riding at night has some influence on this, because there’s a lot of humidity, but that’s the same for everybody. My right hand is little bit better, I had some time to rest it after Jerez, so here I’ve been able to ride more laps than I could manage at Jerez.” Shinya Nakano, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 1m 56.792s on lap 50 of 71. “I’ve worked a lot on refining my setting for the race. We had a good base setting until the conditions changed and when I tried to push a little harder to improve the lap time I crashed on the humid track. That interrupted the race simulation we were carrying out and actually made for an early end to the session. I didn’t pick up any serious injuries and a few days’ rest will be enough to prepare for the race.” More, from a press release issued by Michelin: MICHELIN MEN RELISH CHALLENGE OF THE DARK The 2008 MotoGP World Championship kicks off in historic style at Losail on March 9, with riders competing for the first time at night under floodlights. This exciting new challenge is relished by Michelin’s seven MotoGP riders, all of them keen to enjoy a new experience and get back to racing after a busy winter of testing. Michelin’s 2008 riders have shown strong form while evaluating and developing the company’s latest MotoGP tires during the winter and they are now ready to put their winter’s work to the race test. Established MotoGP stars Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin), Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) and 2006 champ Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) have dazzled with their speed during the last six weeks, while world number two Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) has been battling to regain fitness after breaking his right hand at the first test of 2008. Pedrosa finished third at the 2007 Qatar GP, but the talented Spaniard won’t be at full fitness for this year’s event. Michelin’s three MotoGP rookies — Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin), Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) — have also shown stunning speed and are ready to shake up the MotoGP establishment. Since the end of the 2007 season Michelin has worked hard on all aspects of tire performance, most notably on tire warm-up, operating range, side grip and traction. Its riders go into 2008 equipped with two different profile 16-inch front tires and a choice of 16.5-inch and 16-inch rear tires. The entire Qatar MotoGP program will take place under the cover of darkness, with Friday and Saturday free practice taking place at 7 pm, Friday afternoon practice and Saturday qualifying at 10:50 pm and Sunday’s race at 11 pm. The post-race podium should therefore happen at around midnight! MICHELIN & THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OF QATAR Michelin knows how to win races at Qatar. The French tire company has won three of the four MotoGP events staged at the Losail International circuit, though this year’s nighttime race should offer a very different challenge to riders, team crew and tire technicians. “I think everyone is looking forward to this race because it’s going to be something very special,” says Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “It’s a totally new challenge for all of us, so it’s going to be a very interesting weekend. “From a tire point of view the night race changes everything. During the day Losail can be very hot, with very high track temperatures. But at night it is going to be pretty cool. In theory this should make the track less demanding on tires, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier for us. We have to deal with a completely different set of circumstances and, as usual, our job will be to come up with the best balance of tires to suit the conditions. The track will be much cooler, which will make tire warm-up very important. Not only that, the track temperature will get progressively cooler as the race goes on, which is the opposite of the situation we have to deal with at daytime GPs. Then there is the possibility of night winds blowing sand onto the circuit, which can have a big effect on tire, wear, since the track surface becomes like sandpaper. This is a particular problem because the wind could change conditions suddenly and unexpectedly. And it’s also possible that the track will become damp with dew, which could be another problem. So, it’s going to be a very busy weekend for us.” Losail’s sinuous layout isn’t the toughest on tires — it’s a medium-wear circuit for both front and rear tires. The first day of the event can be especially difficult because it takes a while for the bikes to clean the surface to a point where it offers good and consistent grip. Arguably the track’s most important section is the long left-hander (turns 10 and 11) where riders can make a lot of time if they’ve got good traction. Losail Track Facts COUNTRY: QATAR GRAND PRIX: CommercialBank GRAND PRIX OF QATAR CIRCUIT: Losail Circuit OPENED: 2004 LOCATION: Doha RACE DISTANCE: 118.360km / 73.38 mi LAPS: 22 LENGTH: 5380m / 3.34 mi WIDTH: 12m. LONGEST STRAIGHT: 1068m / .66 mi LEFT TURNS: 6 RIGHT TURNS: 10 Recent winners of the Qatar GP 2007 Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 43:02.788 2006 Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:22.229 2005 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:33.759 2004 Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V-Michelin), 44:01.741 (first race at track) Fastest Lap: 2007 Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici) 1:56.528 Pole position 2007: Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin), 1:55.002 2008 Michelin MotoGP riders Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin)