Pedrosa tops day one of 1000cc MotoGP Valencia Test; Repsol men a second clear…
1 Dani Pedrosa 1’32.186 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Casey Stoner 1’32.322 AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Ben Spies 1’33.226 USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing Team
4 Randy De Puniet 1’33.544 FRA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
5 Cal Crutchlow 1’33.652 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Valentino Rossi 1’33.857 ITA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
7 Andrea Dovizioso 1’33.859 ITA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
8 Hector Barbera 1’34.174 SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
9 Stefan Bradl 1’34.330 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
10 Karel Abraham 1’34.393 CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing
11 Franco Battaini 1’35.371 ITA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
12 Kousuke Akiyoshi 1’35.728 JPN HONDA Repsol Honda Team
13 Ivan Silva 1’37.159 SPA N/A BQR Inmotec
14 Carmelo Morales 1’38.989 SPA BMW Team Laglisse
15 Gianluca Nannelli 1’39.173 ITA GAPAM Grillini Team
16 Federico Sandi 1’39.827 ITA GAPAM Grillini Team
The Official MotoGP Test got underway at Valencia on Tuesday as a number of riders got their first action on the new 1000cc capacity machines which will contest the 2012 World Championship.
Some had already had their first experiences on board the developing prototypes and were therefore immediately into their rhythm. Repsol Honda pair Dani Pedrosa and Casey were two such riders, having both previously ridden the evolving RC213V. The duo were at the forefront on the timesheet, Pedrosa clocking a 1’32.186 from 40 laps and Stoner a 1’32.322 from 42, as the pair gave further feedback to the Japanese factory on what they had last ridden at Misano.
Ben Spies was back on the Yamaha M1 factory bike and was just over a second off Pedrosa’s pace, as the American took on sole testing duties on Yamaha’s 2012 machine with Jorge Lorenzo unable to ride as he continues to recover from a finger injury. Spies, who finished Sunday’s race in second place, put in 73 laps throughout the day as part of a heavy workload, producing a best time of 1’33.226.
Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso both had their first contact with the new M1 and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s 2012 line-up made the most of day one, riding 75 and 49 laps respectively. The Italian makes the switch from Honda and spent some laps adjusting to the 800cc M1 before going out on the more powerful bike once comfortable.
Valentino Rossi bore the majority of the Ducati schedule as he put in just over 70 laps. The Italian’s team-mate Nicky Hayden was unable to ride due to a wrist injury he picked up in Sunday’s race, and Rossi pushed on with the development of the GP12, riding an experimental perimetral chassis along with Test rider Franco Battaini. Héctor Barberá (Pramac Racing) and Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) both tried the GP12 for the first time.
There were 800cc bikes out on track as well on Tuesday, as Randy de Puniet and Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl both went out. De Puniet was on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R as he worked with the team to aid them with an alternative perspective on the machine’s potential, amassing 55 laps in the afternoon and posting a best time of 1’33.544. Bradl went out on the LCR Honda RC212V in his first MotoGP ride, enjoying just over 60 laps on his debut on a premier class bike.
Interest was also raised by the on-track presence of three CRT machines. Iván Silva rode Inmotec’s prototype with Carmelo Morales on a Suter housing a BMW engine under the Laglisse team banner, whilst Gianluca Nannelli and Federico Sandi shared testing duties of Italian factory Gapam’s machine.
– Repsol Honda Report
Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa were back in action at Valencia circuit today on the new RC213V. Dani Pedrosa set the fastest lap time with 1’32.186 on his final lap of 40 and Casey Stoner who did 42 laps, finished closely behind him with a 1’32.322, recorded on lap 34.
The 1000cc prototype included some new parts after feedback from both factory riders when they tested the bike in Brno in August. HRC test rider Kosuke Akiyoshi also joined the Repsol Honda riders in a perfect day for testing, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees and no wind.
And while in Cheste the track test take place with the 1000cc, the engineers of the Repsol Technology Centre and Honda HRC keep developing an intense job from many months ago to develop the fuel and lubricant of the 2012 Honda RC213V de 2012. This development, both of the 1000cc engine and of the fuel and lubricant, will be done jointly by Honda HRC and Repsol. In that way the maximum performance from both elements will be obtained.
The new Repsol fuel aims to take from the new 1000cc engine the maximum power, top speed and usability with the proper power output for each situation that can be found in a circuit: straights, corners, acceleration… While working on that objective, consumption is also taken into account. It is a very important parameter because the tank has a limited capacity of 21 litres, as per the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) rules.
Dani Pedrosa / 1:32.186, 40 laps, 160 km.
“It’s been a good day for testing after so much rain! The track conditions were good which allowed us to work well on the bike and get the first feeling with the new RCV. We made a step forward from August, when I first tried the bike in Brno which is a good thing: we modified the front end a little and I felt the corner entry is better, also under braking. I’m quite satisfied, not because of the lap times but more for the feeling I had. It was a bike test but also a rider test, I feel it’s like a schooling for me also and I enjoyed it. Not only the bike is new, also the tyres are different for these bikes, the engine is new, you have more power and more torque. We’ve been riding 800cc quite a long time and I feel that I need to adapt my riding style a little and it’s interesting. It’s more fun, in general”.
Casey Stoner / 1:32.322, 42 laps, 168 km.
“Everything has gone pretty well for us we’re struggling a little bit with the new tyres, we’re finding they are giving us a little bit of chatter on the bike. We compared the bike that we tested in Jerez and Brno to the newer version we have here and we found quite a lot of mprovements in some small ways with chattering but we still need to work on this some more. In general it was good to be out there on the 1000 and feel the horsepower, it’s a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to feeling it on a lot of different tracks!”.
– Suzuki Report
Rizla Suzuki gave an impromptu test to French MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet and he wasted no time impressing the team onboard the GSV-R
Suzuki gave de Puniet the opportunity to test the 800cc prototype bike at Valencia today to get another rider’s feedback on the machine and the Frenchman responded by recording the fourth quickest time of the day. De Puniet only took a few laps to make himself comfortable aboard the Suzuki GSV-R and continued to improve on his lap-times as the day progressed. His best time of 1’33.544 was recorded on his 35th lap as he ended the day completing 55 circulations of the 4,005m Valencia circuit.
Today’s test was held in sunny, dry and warm conditions, in complete contrast to the weather that the MotoGP paddock had to face during the Grand Prix weekend. Today’s best lap was recorded by Dani Pedrosa on a new Honda 1000cc machine.
The Valencian test signals the end of the 2011 MotoGP season – the first Grand Prix of 2012 is scheduled for Losail in Qatar on Sunday 15th April.
Randy de Puniet: “I am very happy with the job I have done today and would like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me this opportunity. One hour before I rode the bike I didn’t know I was going to be on it, so I had to modify old leathers to remove the wrong brands! I had a good day and am very happy with the lap-time and position. The staff are very professional and it has been nice to have this day and to work with them. I was very impressed with the bike and I felt comfortable immediately and enjoyed it a lot. I would like to ride it next year, I’m not the boss, but I hope I did a good job for everybody! I think the bike has good potential and also the feeling with everybody in the team was good and this is the most important thing for me – to feel at home.
“I would like to say thank-you to my manager for pushing so hard to get me this opportunity, to Pramac for allowing me to take it and to Sahara san, Paul, Tom and the GSV-R for such a good day!”
Paul Denning – Team Manager: “We took this opportunity today to test with Randy because the bike has changed quite a lot over the year, and with John’s bad luck in Brno and Malaysia we didn’t get the chance to get the further feedback from a rider other than Álvaro. With that in mind it was an opportunity to properly test the 2012 Bridgestone tyres and receive detailed comments on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R from another perspective. Frankly speaking we didn’t expect the result, but we are really pleased to see that Randy enjoyed the bike so much, was able to get a good feeling immediately and was very fast and consistent, as well as giving excellent technical feedback. I would like to say thank-you to him – I was very impressed with what he did today.”
– Yamaha Report
Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies completed the first of two days of testing this afternoon of the 1000cc YZR-M1 at Valencia. The first day of testing focused on two different engine specifications, tomorrow’s test will focus on two differing frame and geometry settings. Spies ended the day third fastest with a best time of 1’33.226 after completing 73 laps.
Ben Spies / Position : 3rd Time: 1’33.226 Laps: 73
“We weren’t too worried about lap times today, we made a lot of small changes to the bike including geometry changes, electronics etc to make the bike as comfortable as possible. Tomorrow we’ll try a different chassis spec so we can choose which one to go forward in. We confirmed which direction to go with in power delivery today which is good. This is testing so we never got close to the limit with the bike; it’s about riding at 90% consistently to test the motorcycle. When we get the full package next year in Sepang we’ll go closer to the limit. I can’t complain about the engine power though, we don’t need any more. It’s a shame my team mate Jorge is not here today, I know that whatever you give him he can go fast on it! I’m looking forward to getting his feedback as well when we test together in Sepang.”
– Ducati Report
The clouds finally cleared in Valencia today, allowing the MotoGP riders to take full advantage of the seven-hour-long first of two days of testing.
Valentino Rossi started the important work of collecting information in preparation for the 2012 winter test season, trying out a long list of setups with the team, under the supervision of Technical Director Filippo Preziosi.
Nicky Hayden made a late decision not to take part in the test, due to injuries incurred when he was taken out in the first turn during Sunday’s Grand Prix. X-rays to his right hand shortly after the fall proved negative, but an MRI today revealed non-displaced fractures to his scaphoid and radial styloid.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 6th, 1:33.857
“This bike is nicer to ride than the 800, even if we’re only just starting our work. You can say that it’s improved in some respects, while in others, it’s very similar to the other bike, but that’s exactly what we expected. We know we’re doing preparatory work for the bike that we’ll use in the 2012 winter tests, which are very important. The engine seems to be pretty good already. It’s fast, although I never really found myself with the others to do a direct comparison. On the other hand, I’m a little slower in mid-corner, and we also have to try to improve rear grip because for now, we’re not able to get the power to the ground and take full advantage of it. But it’s not bad for a first taste, and the really important thing is that we can work more freely, changing the bike’s balance, the weight distribution, the measurements, and whatever we need as we prepare for the important next three months of work.”
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team)
“This morning I put my leathers on to go out, but I was still pretty uncomfortable. I went to the mobile clinic for a painkiller, and when I got there, the doctor said it would be better to get a proper scan. They set me up for an MRI at a local clinic, and the fractures were pretty clear. After talking to the doctor and my physiotherapist, we decided not to ride, even though we do have some stuff we’d like to test for Ducati. The scaphoid is a unique bone, and if you mess with it, it can take a long time to heal because it gets limited blood supply. I just have to be smart and watch the test. We’ll get some more opinions and decide whether to get surgery.”
– LCR Honda Report
One day after the last round of 2011 season, the preparation for 2012 season got underway today at Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia with premier class riders out on track for the first official test aboard the 1000cc machines.
Following the HRC request, LCR Honda MotoGP Team has welcomed new Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl in their garage for a day of testing aboard the RC212V. The 22-year German racer enjoys his outing aboard the Honda machinery posting the 9th fastest lap time of the day and will be back on track tomorrow for the last testing day at the Spanish surface.
At the end of the test session, LCR Honda will resume their negotiations with Honda and their own sponsors to settle their racing plan for 2012 season.
