CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM TEST Sepang, Malaysia Tuesday, January 24th 2006 Ambient temperature: 29.2 degrees Track temperature: 43 degrees Humidity: 64.4% RAIN CUTS SHORT SECOND DAY OF TESTING IN SEPANG Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both made progress on the development of the 2006-spec YZR-M1 in Malaysia today, despite the day being cut short by rain. The morning saw high temperatures and building humidity at the Sepang track before it gave way to a rainstorm in the mid-afternoon. Both riders decided not to carry on testing and now hope for good weather tomorrow in order to make the most of the final day. Ducati riders Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi both set fast times under the 2’02 marker today, but Edwards was close behind with a best lap of 2’02.00 after 58 laps. Rossi, who set a lap of 2’02.14 yesterday, was ninth fastest today with a best time of 2’02.62 after 41 laps COLIN EDWARDS (2’02.00, 58 Laps) “Today went really well and I’m excited about the progress we’re making already. Usually with a new bike you have to compromise in some areas to improve others, but it seems that with this bike they’ve improved it all over. Yamaha has done a really great job on it over the winter. The traction especially is much better. The crash yesterday has actually helped us to make progress and now we’ve found a setting that I really like. We’ve still got a tiny bit of chatter, but only in about three corners so we’re not so worried and I am confident we can find a way to fix it.” VALENTINO ROSSI (2’02.62, 41 Laps) “Today was not perfect because the rain interrupted everything this afternoon and we didn’t do as much work as we wanted to. Up to then we had concentrated mostly on fixing the chatter that we experienced yesterday and in the end we were successful. We realised that the problem was in the rear shock and now it’s okay. I ran a lot on old tyres today and then it started to rain so we weren’t able to try any of the new race tyres Michelin had brought. Tomorrow we will probably do a long run and hopefully we will also get the chance to try some of these new tyres.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Unfortunately it rained this afternoon so we couldn’t finish the day’s work. Despite this both riders made some progress and Colin’s times especially were quite fast. Tomorrow we hope that we have good weather and that we can complete everything that we need to do.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2’01.50 2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2’01.80 3. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha 2’02.00 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2’02.02 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2’02.26 6= Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2’02.40 6= John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2’02.40 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2’02.57 9. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha 2’02.62 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2’02.70 11. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2’03.26 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2’03.43 13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 2’03.80 14. Kenny Roberts (USA) Honda 2’04.10 15. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2’04.15 16. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 2’04.49 17. Jose Luis Cardosa (SPA) Ducati 2’06.06 Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 2’02.993 Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 2’01.731 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Honda riders get down to serious work on second day of Sepang MotoGP test. The Honda RC211V riders present on the second day of the three day MotoGP test at Sepang, Malaysia got down to serious testing after the initial shake down session of yesterday. The best part of the day was run in good weather but heavy showers in the late afternoon curtailed the action. Repsol Honda factory team riders Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa were the fastest RCV riders of the day at Sepang. American Hayden chasing a more stability under heavy braking tried several changes to the geometry of his RCV in combination with suspension settings and tyres, working closely with his new data-logging technician Ramon Aurin. He improved on his best lap time of yesterday and ended the day in a positive frame of mind and is looking forward to tomorrow when he feels he will continue to improve machine performance. Pedrosa, a MotoGP debutante in 2006, continued where he left of yesterday – just trying to understand how best to evaluate the vast range of machine settings he has available for the RCV. The reigning 250cc World Champion made steady progress all day and lowered his lap time of yesterday. Pedrosa was one of only two riders to take to the track in wet conditions to hone his wet weather riding skills. Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda) spent the day chasing optimum chassis and suspension settings for his back up RC211V but failed to find the same balance he has with his best bike. Melandri never establish a good feeling with the machine, or a good rhythm, despite trying several Michelin tyre combinations. Consequently the Italian world number two cold not match his best time set on the opening day of the test. Melandri’s teammate, Toni Elias, continued his rigid test programme concentrating on chassis and suspension settings. The young Spaniard and his team technicians improved both areas of their RC211V and Elias lowered his lap time of yesterday by one second. LCR Honda rider Casey Stoner was another to lower his previous best lap time for the 5.542 km circuit. The Australian rider made positive progress with his chassis and suspension settings that gave him more rear end grip and a positive feeling from the front end of his RCV. Kenny Roberts Junior spent his day establishing a base line setting for the Roberts KR211V MotoGP machine a team Roberts built chassis housing a Honda five-cylinder 990cc RCV engine. Today the former 500cc World Champion ran through a series of chassis and suspension changes with the Michelin tyres he will race with this season. With so many things to try Roberts was in the pit box as much as he was out on track, completing just 25-laps before the rain ended his days work. However, despite his stop – go day Roberts managed to shave half a second off his best time of yesterday. Honda riders lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, USA, Repsol Honda: 2m 02.02s – 65 laps. “It’s been a pretty positive day. My outright speed wasn’t really much better than yesterday but I was a lot more consistent today and my feeling on the bike was better. We’ve been trying some different options on the chassis geometry to try and make the bike more stable under braking. And them some got into a bit of Michelin tyres but rain cut me short there. I had a few more to try. On the most part the weather has been really good. And it’s been awesome working with my new data-logging guy Ramon [Aurin] and that’s been a big help for me. We’ve got a lot of guys in here working hard and everyone’s behind me so we’ll just keep chipping away. Trying different geometries to get it more stable under braking. Dani Pedrosa, E, Repsol Honda: 2m 02.26s – 47 dry laps, 11 wet laps. “We are not making big changes to the bike. Today we retested all the things that we have improved yesterday so that I get a good idea about how the bike works. This is so that I don’t get confused and can always go out with a clear idea of what will happen when I push the bike. I feel tired, but less tired than yesterday so I am happy with this. Tomorrow if we have time we may try a race distance. In the wet the RC211V feels very different the 250 in the wet. The tyres are bigger and have more edge grip, but the exit of corner is more slippery. I need some more laps and I hope to have another rain day before the season starts to get some more experience.” “The bike is a little different to the bike I tested in November but it’s a similar feeling. When you know exactly the bike you can go out and within two or three laps understand the feeling. At the moment I still don’t understand the difference between settings. For the moment we are concentrating more on the suspension and the mechanics of the machine because I do not have enough experience to work on the electronics. For sure Honda is ready, but I am not yet.” Marco Melandri, I, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.65s – 51 laps. “Yesterday I tried both my machines, mainly concentrating on my number one bike. Today I worked with the number two bike but it felt so much different to my bike of yesterday. I just didn’t find a good rhythm in the fast corners. The balance of the two bikes seems so different. I tested some tyres for Michelin today starting with the set I tried last night and they were not so bad yesterday but today with the number two bike the front end was sliding. We have to analyse the data we gathered today before deciding what to do. I will test both bikes tomorrow back to back to try and understand why my feeling with the two bikes is so different.” Toni Elias, E, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.65s – 43 laps. “We continued in the same way as yesterday. Basically we are following the same programme as Marco (Melandri)) did when he first tried the RCV last season. We found many good points on the chassis and suspension so we concentrated on that. But it’s a long process. For example I have four rear suspension links to try and then decide which one is best for the chassis and suspension I feel comfortable with. Tomorrow we will continue to work to the programme the team have decided on and I am happy with that. There is no point trying for a fast time until I have the bike the way I want it.” Casey Stoner, AUS, LCR Honda: 2m 02.57s – 51 laps. “We had a positive day, a great improvement and I was about one second faster than yesterday. We have solved a few problems today. The rear end grip is much better than the last test here and the front ends steers into the corners better. In fact front and rear are better than the last test. We had a slight problem getting off the tight corners so we leaned off the power and that helped improve my feeling. I could have been a little faster if I had the best tyres on when we got the bike running really good.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, USA, Team Roberts: 2m 03.22s – 25 laps. “We are working on a process of elimination and tried a lot of changes today. Just being here working with the bike and analysing what we have right now and where we need to go. We are trying to establish a base line for tomorrow. We worked on the suspension with various tyres so we didn’t put in too many consistent laps and didn’t have too much track time. Basically we just dialled the bike in ready for tomorrow when I hope to get close to a 2m 02s lap time.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI AND BRIDGESTONE MAKE PROGRESS ON DAY 2 IN SEPANG Development work continues on the Desmosedici GP6 in Sepang: Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi immediately on the pace. Sepang (Malaysia), Tuesday 24 January 2006 – The second day of testing in Sepang saw all teams and riders continue development work on the machines that will line up for the opening round of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship at Jerez on March 26th. Shortly after 4 o’clock local time, hot sunny conditions gave way to a tropical rainstorm that cut short scheduled testing at the Malaysian track. Despite the early end to the session, the Ducati Marlboro Team continued to make progress with the 2006 version of the Ducati Desmosedici. Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi both had a positive second day of three scheduled at Sepang and ended the session at the top of the timesheets. The Spanish rider continued to work on getting the best feeling with his Ducati and set a good pace throughout the day. Sete Gibernau (49 laps, best time of 2m01.66s) “Today we began to make the most of the work that we’re doing on suspension and engine set-up. The times that I set, but above all the pace that I did during the day, are good but I mustn’t get too excited! There are still lots of things that we can improve and we’re doing everything to get them done as quickly as possible. The team is doing a great job: Juan’s experience and mine are fitting in nicely with Ducati’s and we are getting a good base set-up with which we can work. It’s a pity that the rain interrupted the work we began with the tyres”. Loris carried out back-to-back tests between the GP5 and the GP6 and was able to give clear indications about the development of the new project. Loris Capirossi (45 laps, best time of 2m01.83s) “Despite the rain, today was positive. I started to lap with the GP6 and after a while we did another back-to-back test with the GP5 to check on a few things we had seen at Jerez. We had the confirmation that the GP6 is already at the level of last year’s bike but it has greater potential, so tomorrow we’ll concentrate only on the new bike. Hopefully tomorrow it won’t rain because we’ve got some new tyres to test”. Temperature: air 31° / track 45° C Unofficial times: 1. Sete Gibernau (Ducati) 2m01.66s; 2. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2m01.83s; 3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2m02.00s; 4. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2m02.02s; 5. Daniel Pedrosa (Honda) 2m02.26s; 6. Randy De Puniet (Kawasaki) 2m02.56s; 7. Casey Stoner (Honda) 2m02.57s; 8. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2m02.62s; 9. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) 2m02.65s; 10. Marco Melandrii (Honda) 2m02.70s. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO AND DE PUNIET FASTER IN SEPANG Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet, both improved their lap times during the second day of testing at Sepang today, before the onset of rain brought the test to a premature end. Despite the weather, both Nakano and de Puniet managed to complete their planned test schedule, which included tyre testing with Bridgestone and the evaluation of revised engine and chassis components on their Ninja ZX-RR machines. Nakano tested four different rear tyres on his Ninja ZX-RR during the morning session, with one new tyre in particular offering an advantage around the twists and turns of the 5.548 km Sepang circuit, and allowing the Kawasaki rider to improve on his lap time from yesterday by over a second. Nakano also evaluated revised engine and clutch components, before testing a redesigned, more aerodynamic fairing on his 2006 Ninja ZX-RR. De Puniet also tested a number of rear Bridgestone tyres today, as he worked to identify a suitable tyre for his race simulation tomorrow. The 24-year-old Frenchman walked away uninjured from a crash whilst testing a new fairing, before going on to improve on his previous best lap time by more than a second. The Kawasaki Racing team will return to Sepang tomorrow for the third, and penultimate, day of testing. Shinya Nakano: #56 – 2’02.65 (50 Laps) “Today we focused mainly on an important tyre test with Bridgestone. They had a number of rear tyres for us to test, and one in particular definitely offered an advantage in terms of traction. The tyre uses a different drive compound, and it was on this rear tyre that I set my fastest time, over one second quicker than my best time from yesterday. We also tested some new components on the bike, including a modified chassis designed to improve stability. We will continue testing with this chassis tomorrow, as we work to improve overall set-up of the new bike. It’s been a busy, but productive, day.” Randy de Puniet: #17 – 2’02.55 (50 Laps) “Our main aim today was to test some new tyres from Bridgestone, and to identify the best tyre for my race simulation tomorrow afternoon. We also tested some modified components on the bike, including a redesigned, more compact fairing. It was during this part of the test that I had my first crash in MotoGP. I’m not sure what caused it, the rear just came round on me as I got off the throttle and down I went. It was a fairly big crash, but I walked away uninjured, and we were able to complete the rest of our test schedule before the rain appeared at four o’clock. I improved my lap time by more than one second, so I’m happy with the way things have gone today.” Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager “Both riders were kept busy with tyre testing today, as it is important that we supply Bridgestone with the test data they need to continue their development for the season ahead. On the chassis front we tested a new fairing on bikes. Designed to be more compact and aerodynamic, Shinya’s comments on the new fairing indicate that it offers the same level of protection as the old. This is an area we will look at again in future tests. Finally, we also managed to evaluate some revised engine components and completed our test schedule despite the onset of rain in the late afternoon.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: MALAYSIA, SECOND DAY OF TESTING Second day of testing for the Fortuna Honda riders gathered at Sepang together with the teams and riders from the leading MotoGP squads. The second day was characterized by sunny sky and hot temperatures in the morning and rain in the afternoon that spoiled the second part of the work scheduled for the late afternoon. Aboard their red and yellow liveried RC211Vs Marco Melandri and Toni Elias spent the day working on the setting of the bike, evaluating each part of the new machine. Italian Melandri worked with the second bike while his team mate, the Spaniard Toni Elias, was testing different set up solutions and completing as many kilometres as possible in order to know the bike and to adjust to it. MARCO MELANDRI ( 54 laps, 2’02″70): “We keep on working on the set up of the new bike. Today I went on track with the second bike and I found more difficult to find the right feeling. Fortunately in the end we understood the reasons of the different feeling and tomorrow we will do a comparative test using both bikes. It was a pity that it started to rain at 04.00 p.m. The rain spoiled my race simulation that was scheduled for today. I don’t know if there will be enough time tomorrow to do a long run.” TONI ELIAS (42 laps, 2’03″26): “Today we made a step forward in the set up of the bike. We are working in the right direction, testing different solutions in order to create a good base. For me is very important in this moment to complete as many kilometres as possible as I need to adjust to the new bike. Unfortunately the afternoon rain spoiled the two last hours of work that were very important to confirm the work done today. Tomorrow we will continue working in this direction. I’m happy both with the bike and my team. The atmosphere is relaxed and stimulating so that I can work in the best conditions.” 1) Sete Gibernau (Sp/Ducati) 2’01.66 2) Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 2′ 01.83 3) Colin Edwards (Usa/Yamaha) 2’02.00 4) Nicky Hayden (Usa/ Honda) 2’02.02 5) Daniel Pedrosa (Sp/Honda) 2’02.26 6) Randy De Puniet (Fr/Kawasaki) 2’02.56 7) Casey Stoner (Aus/Honda) 2’02.57 8) Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 2’02.62 9) Shinja Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 2’02.65 10) Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 2’02.70 11) John Hopkins (Usa/Suzuki) 2’02″71 12) Toni Elias (Sp/Honda) 2’03″26 13) Vermeullen (Aus/Suzuki) 2’03″80 14) Kenny Roberts (Usa/Honda) 2’04″10 15) Alex Hofman (Ger/Ducati) 2’04″49 16) James Elison (Eng/Yamaha) 2’04″50 17) José Luis Cardoso (Sp/Ducati) 2’06″06