SUCCESSFUL TEST FOR NAKANO AHEAD OF HOME GRAND PRIX With Alex Hofmann having completed his test programme ahead of schedule yesterday, it was left to Shinya Nakano alone to continue development work on Kawasaki’s latest Ninja ZX-RR engine during today’s final day of testing at the Brno circuit. The revised engine, which Nakano tested for the first time yesterday, produces more peak power, but also retains the ‘driveability’ of the previous incarnation of Kawasaki’s 990cc, inline four-cylinder MotoGP motor. Nakano, together with his regular crew and development engineers from Kawasaki in Japan, concentrated today on evaluating changes to the engine management system, and assessing revisions to the front-end geometry on his Ninja ZX-RR. The 27-year-old Japanese rider also tested a new specification exhaust during the afternoon session, collecting valuable data for Kawasaki’s ongoing development programme. After a busy race weekend, followed by two days of intensive testing, Nakano will spend a few days at home in Japan recuperating, before starting preparations for his home Grand Prix at Motegi, scheduled for Sunday 18th September. Shinya Nakano: #56 – 1’59.74 (48 Laps) “It’s been two hard days of testing, both for me and my crew, but we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve done a lot of laps on the new engine and, while there is still some development work to be done to realise its full potential, my overall impression has been very positive. It has more top-end power, and the power doesn’t drop off so sharply on over-rev. Brno is not such an ‘engine circuit’ so it will be interesting to see what advantages the new motor offers at Motegi, where I hope to try it again during practice. Overall, although we haven’t seen much of an improvement in lap times, it’s still been a very productive two days of testing for us.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager “This has been a very positive test for Kawasaki. The feedback and data we have collected during these two days will allow us to continue our engine development programme ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. We now have a clear direction for our engineers, and I am confident that we can make further improvements to the engine before the next race. Motegi is an important race for Shinya, and also for Kawasaki, so we are focussing all our efforts on providing our riders with the best possible package for this event. The same is also true of Bridgestone, who have collected a lot of data on Motegi through their involvement in the Japanese championship. I’m sure that the tyres they supply to us for this race will offer some advantages over those of our competitors.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM READY FOR FLYAWAYS AFTER SUCCESSFUL BRNO TEST Following his ninth victory from eleven races in Sunday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix, Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards completed a two-day test at the Brno circuit today, preparing for the forthcoming run of five ‘flyaway’ races in September and October. Both riders worked hard over the two days on a variety of small but important set-up changes, as well as spending time testing different Michelin tyres, finishing the test with some encouraging lap times under their belts. Rossi and Edwards were joined on the track by most of the rest of the MotoGP field, as the teams all took the chance to spend some time out on track without the pressure of a race looming over them. According to the unofficial lap times, the fastest man over the two days was Ducati rider Loris Capirossi, third in Sunday’s race, with a time of 1’57.568. Nicky Hayden and Sete Gibernau (both Honda) followed, with Edwards (1’58.584) and Rossi (1’58.654) setting the fourth and fifth best times. The Team now has a two-week break before the Japanese Grand Prix in just in Motegi, the first of five races outside Europe in six weeks, before the MotoGP paddock returns to Spain for the season-ending finale at Valencia in November. Rossi can clinch the World Championship title by finishing in the top two in Motegi, whilst Edwards will be looking for more valuable points to keep him in the battle for second place. COLIN EDWARDS 1’58.584 “That was a really busy test! We just tried a bunch of stuff with the bike, playing around with settings, trying to get my weight right and get to the root of the problem that we had at the weekend. Every time we’ve had a bad race it’s been the same issue no traction and today we really tried a lot of things to get it fixed. We made some good steps forward and by the end of the test I was able to do low ’59s on a tyre that had done 24 laps. The mechanics worked incredibly hard over this test to keep up with me and my demands, so big thanks to them. We spent so much time working with the bike on race tyres that we actually tested less new tyres than usual with Michelin, probably only about six, but we got some good stuff from that too so all in all it’s looking much better for Motegi.” VALENTINO ROSSI 1’58.654 “Testing the day after a race is always a bit difficult, and when you have won the race it is even harder to feel motivated! However we know that we have to keep improving, because the championship is not over yet and anything could happen! For this reason it’s been a valuable test for us. The bike is good and we didn’t want to take any big risks with trying new parts, but we have tried a new setting for the front forks and done some work on the engine mapping. We have also done a lot of work with Michelin and they brought some good new tyres here for us to test, so this is encouraging for the remaining races. I did some good times both yesterday and today and I’m happy with the work we’ve done. Now I am glad to have two weeks to relax before we go to Motegi.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “This was the last test before the end of the season, so the work we’ve done here will be very important for the remaining six races. We didn’t test any big things, just some small details which are important for us. Our bike is good right now so we didn’t want to make any great changes by introducing new parts at this point in the championship. We tested some new settings in the front forks, as well as working on mapping and electronics, looking to improve the power delivery and make it smoother. We also tried some tyres for Michelin. The test also gave Colin the chance to work again on his race setting and try to find a good way forward after the small problems he had at the weekend. It’s been very positive for both of them and they did some good times on both days, so now we are looking forward to Motegi!” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES (OVER TWO DAYS) Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’57.568 Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team 1’57.602 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 1’58.441 COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 1’58.584 VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 1’58.654 Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’58.730 Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda 1’58.977 Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda 1’59.393 Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda 1’59.392 Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1’59.399 More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: BRNO, SECOND DAY OF TESTING FOR THE MOVISTAR HONDA TEAM The MotoGp teams worked hard today for the second and last day of testing at Brno. Sete Gibernau continued to gather important data lapping with the bike he raced with on Sunday. In the afternoon he made few laps with the new bike. Marco Melandri continued the schedule of work started yesterday. He made comparative testing and tyre testing. Marco also made a race simulation in order to improve the performance of the bike in the second part of the race. In total he made 99 laps. SETE GIBERNAU (37 laps, 1.58″441): “Unfortunately we had not enough time to test the new bike and it’s too early to say something about the new bike. In fact, I only made four laps. For sure, Honda is doing a great effort to develop a new bike.” MARCO MELANDRI (99 laps, 1.58″977): “This test session has been very important for me. We have worked to improve the performance of the bike in the second half of the race. Today I made a race simulation and I had a very good feeling. In fact we succeeded to be more consistent. I’m happy and I look confidently to the next race.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1:57.568 2. Nicky Hayden (Usa/Honda) 1:57.717 3. Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 1:58.441 4. Colin Edwards (Usa/Yamaha) 1:58.584 5. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1:58.654 6. Carlos Checa (Sp/Ducati) 1:58.730 7. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1.58.977 8. Alex Barros (BR/Honda) 1:59.221 9. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1:59.392 10. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1:59.399 11. Nobuatsu Aoki (Jap/Suzuki) 159.658 12. Shinya Nakano (jap/Kawasaki) 1:59.766 13. Roberto Rolfo (Ita/Team D’antin) 2.00.801 14. akioshi (jap/suzuki) 2.00.919 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Positive day for HRC at Brno – Biaggi and Hayden shine at the Czech circuit Honda Racing Corporation completed a successful two-day MotoGP test session at Brno, Czech Republic in positive mood. Repsol Honda team riders Nicky Hayden and Max Biaggi particularly pleased with the performance of their RC211V 5-cylinder 990cc grand prix machines. Both riders achieving the goals set for them by team engineers in preparation for the next round of the series at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan, on September 18. Former America Superbike Champion Hayden, 23-years old from Kentucky set a blistering pace around the 5.403km Czech circuit. Hayden tested a range of Michelin tyres and various machine settings eventually posting a brilliant lap time of 1m 57.717s, on race tyres. A time that easily bettered his best lap time of 1m 59.100s in Sunday’s MotoGP race at the circuit on his way to a fifth place finish. “We’ve improved the machine, found some good tyres and I think I’ve improved my riding as well over these past two days.” Said a delighted Hayden at the end of the day. Hayden’s Repsol Honda team-mate Max Biaggi tested his race machine and the evolutionary RC211V HRC are preparing for the run in to the 17-round MotoGP World Championship. HRC developed the new RC211V to help the riders steer the machine into the corners faster. Biaggi set his fastest time of the day aboard the new machine and pronounced himself satisfied with his new GP mount. In what was basically his first 20-lap shake down test on the machine Biaggi set a surprisingly fast lap time just 0.130s off his best lap in Sundays race. The Italian said. “The new machine has lots of potential and I can feel it is a little bit better than my 2005 machine in lots of areas. We found a lot of positive points for HRC to develop – especially the feel of the machine under braking and turning into corners.” The Movistar Honda team riders were also content with their work over the two-days at Brno. Vice World Champion Sete Gibernau spend his time running test aimed at finding solutions to the fuel management system problem that sidelined him in the Czech GP. Spaniard Gibernau was 4/10ths of a second faster today than on Sunday. The Movistar team engineers providing HRC with sufficient data to address the problem in time for the Japanese GP. Gibernau briefly tested the new RC211V but decided his cause would be best served by working on the 2005 machine in preparation for Motegi. He said. “It’s a little early for me to comment on the performance of the new machine but it is clear that Honda are making a big effort.” Italian Marco Melandri, on the second Movistar Honda, was running in close order with the race leaders in the opening laps of Sunday’s race but could not hold them over the closing stages eventually finishing in sixth place. Melandri spent the day working with his mechanics and Michelin in a bid to improve consistency over the entire race distance. Melandri shaved a few tenths of a second off his best time ever at Brno. Konica Minolta Honda Rider Makoto Tamada slashed a one whole second off his best ever lap time at the circuit and goes into his ‘Home GP’ at Motegi in a ore confident frame of mind. Tamada won at Motegi last year and hopes the hard work he and his team have done over the last two days will give him a fighting chance of a repeat victory. Honda rider quotes and best lap times: Nicky Hayden: Best lap: 1m 57.717s – 81 laps. “It’s been a really worthwhile test and we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve got the machine much better turning into corners and the Michelin race tyres I tried today were superb. To lap in 1m 57s on race tyres is a massive step forward and much better than I could have ever expected. We’ve improved the machine, found some good tyres and I think I’ve improved my riding as well over these past two days. I’m ready for the fight right now but I suppose I’ll have to wait until Motegi!” Max Biaggi: Best lap: 1m 59.399s – 47 laps. “It was good to get out on the new machine today. I managed about 20 laps and recorded my fastest lap of the day on the new machine. The new machine has lots of potential and I can feel it is a little bit better than my 2005 machine in lots of areas. We found a lot of positive points for HRC to develop – especially the feel of the machine under braking and turning into corners. I’m looking forward to racing the machine as soon as it’s available.” Makoto Tanaka, Repsol Honda Team Manager: “Nicky has had a really good day, especially with the performance he showed on the race tyres. His times would have been good enough to win Sunday’s race here comfortably. Nicky also improved the setting of the machine, which will help him in the remaining six races. Max tried the new machine and found many positive areas and gave us some idea of the areas of the machine which need attention. During the next few days we will decide a further test programme for the new machine and make a plan for its race debut.” Sete Gibernau: Best lap: 1m 58.441s – 37 laps. “It’s a shame we haven’t had more time to test the new bike – in the end I only managed four laps with it. That’s why it seems a little early for me to comment on its performance but it is clear that Honda are making a big effort.” Marco Melandri: Best lap: 1m 58.977s – 99 laps. “The two days of tests have gone really well for us. We concentrated fully on improving the performance of the bike in race conditions, particularly in the second half, and I’m satisfied with the result. We’ve tried a few different set-up solutions and I felt comfortable.” Makoto Tamada: Best lap: 1m 59.392s. “My lap times have been really constant over both of the days of the test. We have tested many tyres provided by Michelin and I have confidence with them has surely improved also thanks to the good condition of the track today. I leave for home tomorrow and I am really looking forward to Motegi where I hope to have my best race of the season in front of my fans.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1.Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1:57.568 2.Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 1:57.717 3.Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 1:58.441 4.Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 1:58.584 5.Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1:58.654 6.Carlos Checa (Sp/Ducati) 1:58.730 7.MarcoMelandri (Ita/Honda) 1.58.977 8.Alex Barros (BR/Honda) 1:59.221 9.Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1:59.392 10.Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1:59.399 11.Nobuatsu Aoki (Jap/Suzuki) 159.658 12.Shinya Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 1:59.766