Rossi and Ducati Ready to Evaluate Following Test
The Italian and his team took plenty of data away from the Official MotoGP Test in order to continue the development of the Desmosedici GP12
Just as was the case yesterday, the second and final day of Valencia’s post-race MotoGP test was blessed with ideal weather conditions.
Valentino Rossi was among the first riders to get on his bike after the track was opened, and he worked tirelessly with his team and Filippo Preziosi to carry out the tests requested by the engineers, who will continue working on the 2012 project tomorrow in Bologna.
Once again, official test rider Franco Battaini substituted for Nicky Hayden, who has an injured scaphoid in his right wrist, though the American stayed at the track and followed the test from the Ducati Team garage. Hayden will likely undergo a small operation in the coming days to speed up his recovery.
MotoGP concludes its 2011 season of racing and testing, and will return to action with the first winter test, planned in Sepang, Malaysia, from January 31st to February 2nd.
Valentino Rossi:
“These were two important days of testing because we needed to collect a lot of data for the next few months of work, which will be crucial. The positives of this bike are certainly the engine, which I like, and the fact that it handles a bit better than the previous one. It’s definitely more fun, in part because you can get sideways more. The frame isn’t bad, but it needs work. We have to improve the braking, because I need to brake harder and later, and we need to improve traction under acceleration. Filippo has many ideas, and now we have a little time to apply them before next year’s tests.”
Filippo Preziosi, Technical Director:
“We were lucky to have sun and generally much better conditions than what we had over the race weekend, and this allowed us to take full advantage of both test days. Unfortunately, Nicky wasn’t able to ride, but at least he’ll have plenty of time to recover before the first test at Sepang next year. We asked Valentino, Franco (Battaini) and the other Ducati riders to carry out a series of comparisons between different solutions, as there are still chassis parameters that we have to define for the project we’re working on. It has been really hard work, but we’ve collected a lot of information that we’ll now use for the design that we’ll be doing in the coming weeks.”
Crutchlow and Dovizioso leave Valencia pleased
The duo both had their first ride of the 2012 M1 at the Official MotoGP Test, with the Italian getting to know his new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team at the same time.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow concluded a successful first test on board Yamaha's new YZR-M1 1000cc MotoGP machine at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia today (Wednesday).
Taking advantage of gloriously sunny conditions during the two-day test, the 26 year-old completed 142 laps and was able to give Yamaha engineering staff a wealth of information and data.
The British rider set a best lap time of 1'33.652 on the opening day (Tuesday) as he quickly got to grips with the new bike and the 2012 spec Bridgestone tyres. Crutchlow made a significant step on day two and as he got more comfortable with the new generation YZR-M1, he was able to lap 1.1s faster to finish fourth on the final timesheet with a best lap of 1'32.550.
This week's test also gave Andrea Dovizioso his first opportunity to acquaint himself with the Tech 3 Team and the YZR-M1 1000cc machine. Dovizioso's vast experience was a huge benefit to Yamaha technicians who were able to obtain valuable feedback from the Italian. Dovizioso completed 118 laps and set a best time of 1'33.256 to shave 0.6s off his best pace set on the opening day.
Crutchlow and Dovizioso will continue their preparations for the 2012 World Championship campaign at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on January 31st.
Cal Crutchlow:
“This was a very important test to get used to the new 1000cc YZR-M1 and thankfully the weather was in our favour and we could get in a lot of laps to understand the early potential of the bike. The 1000 seems to suit my style a little better and I have to say that Yamaha has done a very good job and we are already working from a strong base. The bike feels quite similar to the 800 YZR-M1 but Yamaha has managed to keep the strong points of this year's bike. You can immediately feel the extra horsepower, which is impressive, but I'm happy because I could keep a very consistent pace. I'm looking forward to the winter break now. I learned a lot in my first season in MotoGP that will help me be much stronger in 2012. I'd like to thank all my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew for their efforts this year. They've given me their maximum support and I am grateful for that.”
Andrea Dovizioso:
“Firstly I want to thank the Tech 3 staff for making me feeling immediately welcome and at home this week. I've been really excited to start this new adventure together and it was a positive and productive test. This test was my first chance to ride the 1000cc bike and the power of the engine is very impressive. The riding style is very close to 800cc and the bike has a lot of good points for my style. There are some areas I have identified we can improve for the next test in Sepang and I gave a lot of important feedback that should help Yamaha improve the bike during the winter break. Now I will take a break to recharge the batteries and return in Sepang looking forward to getting back on the bike and carrying on the positive work we did here in Valencia.”
Spies completes important M1 work
Yamaha Factory Racing has now completed the second of the two days of the official Valencia MotoGP test.
Rider Ben Spies spent the sessions working through two differing engine specifications and a number of frame and geometry settings on the 2012 1000cc YZR-M1. The data will now go back to Japan with the Yamaha engineers who will work on the next stage of development ahead of the first 2012 test in Malaysia at the end of January. Despite missing the valuable input of team mate Jorge Lorenzo, all the required testing was completed within the two days.
At the conclusion of the test Spies was third in the timesheet with a best lap time of 1’32.338 after completing 57 laps.
Ben Spies:
“It’s been a long two days. We had a lot of work to do with Jorge not being here but we’ve got through everything. I think we got the guys working in the right direction, we’re still quite a way from Qatar and what we’ll be racing with but we’ve got a good idea of what we need to work on. There’s a lot of potential in what we have so they’ll go back to Japan now to work on it for a couple of months and we’ll see what we have as a package next year. The team and engineers have worked really hard for the last couple of days so a big thank you to them.”
Massimo Meregalli, Team Director:
“It’s been a really good test. We got a lot of data, everything we were missing in the previous tests from cancellations and injuries etc. The work that we’ve done is good, the schedule is completed and we are quite satisfied. There is of course still some work to do but I think it’s been positive. Now they’ll check the data in Japan and we’ll see the next step in January. Ben did a really good job; I’ve never seen him so focused in a test. It’s the best way to start the new season.”
Repsol Honda end 2011 on top in Valencia Test
The second and final day of testing at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia saw Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner once again finish first and second on the timing sheets.
Under perfect conditions with no wind and an air temperature of 20 degrees, Pedrosa completed 45 laps and recorded the day's fastest time with a 1'31.807 on lap 12. Team mate Stoner did 33 laps on his RC213V and logged the second fastest time of the day on his 15th lap with a time of 1'31.968.
This final testing day of 2011 saw both riders fine tuning elements of their 2012, 1000cc machine. As well as testing the new 2012 Bridgestone tyres, both riders worked on general set up of the machines, Pedrosa also worked on engine mapping and rear shock set up, and Stoner focused on reducing chattering in the front. Feedback from both riders will be taken back to HRC in Japan, to further develop the RC213V in preparation for the next test, taking place at the end of January 2012.
Dani Pedrosa:
“We had another good day of testing today. Basically we've been working on the engine mapping, to better manage the power of the bike, and with the rear shock. The changes we've done on the bike from Brno to here have been positive and we finish the year with a good feeling. It will be interesting to go to Sepang and continue working under very different conditions, with harder tyre compounds and a much higher track temperature. In general, I'm leaving Valencia in a good mood, more for the improvements we've made than for the lap times, which are not so important for me in winter testing.”
Casey Stoner:
“Everything has gone pretty well to be honest, on the first day we just needed to compare the bike to the one we tested earlier in the year. There have been a few small improvements especially in terms of the bike working with the new 2012 tyres. The front tyre gives us quite a lot of chatter so this is something we are trying to improve and the new bike helped with that slightly but we'd still like to improve that point a little more. Something we've had since last season with the 800's is a lack of feeling and some chatter coming from the rear on the way into the corner which is something we still need to improve with the RC213V but we believe we know the direction to go in to improve this situation. Overall it's been a positive test and it's the end of a long season! I'm looking forward to going home now and having some rest, enjoying time with family and friends and preparing for the arrival of our child in February, then we'll be back in Sepang revitalised and ready for 2012.”
Bautista makes Honda debut on RC212V
The Spaniard signed with San Carlo Honda Gresini for 2012 on Wednesday, and was immediately out on track with his new team at the Valencia Test.
Shortly after agreeing a deal for 2012 with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, Álvaro Bautista took to the Valencia circuit on board the Honda RC212V for the first time today (Wednesday).
It was the first session of a winter testing programme that will continue at Sepang from January 31st to February 2nd, when the Spaniard will switch to the 1000cc Honda RC213V – the Japanese factory's new prototype for the new season.
Bautista did 55 laps today with a best time of 1’33.814 as he gained confidence with the Honda and tested two new Bridgestone 2012 tyre options. Not too much should be read into this test but the early signs are positive. The team now takes a much-needed break to recover the necessary spirit and energy to tackle its next challenge.
Barberá rounds off positive first Test with Pramac
The Spaniard and his team worked together for the first time at the Official MotoGP Test at Valencia.
The Pramac Racing team and Héctor Barberá, who on Monday announced their partnership for the 2012 season, completed their first Test together at Valencia on Wednesday having taken full advantage of the two days.
Héctor Barberá:
“These two days have been full of work and we weren’t looking for the fastest lap time, more for the innovations that Ducati has brought to the bike. My sincerest compliments to them because they have done a great job. The bike is very powerful although there are still a few things to work on. We encountered a few problems but the bike is very competitive. The engine is fun, very different from the 800cc we were using this season, and I think this could be something which will favour my riding style. It’s a pity we couldn’t get out for the last two hours today due to an engine problem I felt out on track. The engineers are analysing what happened. We also had the opportunity to compare the new tyres which have some positive aspects, and I think there’s still a little bit of work to do. The shoulder I injured at the end of the season is still causing me a little bit of pain, but it doesn’t affect my results on the track. I think this break will help me to recover fully and be at 100% for next season!”
Valencia Test draws to a close with Pedrosa quickest
The second and final day of the Official MotoGP Test concluded on Wednesday, leaving factories, teams and riders with plenty of feedback with which to work on until the pre-season testing programme begins in early 2012.
The Official two-day MotoGP Test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia concluded on Wednesday, with Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner fastest on their factory Hondas. The Test also saw Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso wrapping up their first rides of the 2012 Yamaha M1, Valentino Rossi trying out an experimental Desmosedici GP12, Álvaro Bautista testing the 800cc RC212V and a range of CRT bikes on track.
Repsol Honda riders Pedrosa and Stoner were the pace men, the Spaniard recording the best lap of 1’31.807 in the morning with his Australian team-mate 0.161s behind with his best effort. The two were the only riders under 1’32” as they worked on a chatter issue encountered on Tuesday, and HRC Test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi supplemented their feedback on a third machine.
Ben Spies managed to get within half-a-second of the top time, as the American shouldered the Yamaha Factory Racing workload. Spies rode 75 laps on Wednesday to add to the 73 he did on Tuesday, focusing on a new engine specification and electronics.
Dovizioso completed his first Test on a Yamaha, riding the 2012 M1 on Wednesday alongside new team-mate Crutchlow. The Italian concentrated on getting himself comfortable on a new machine as Crutchlow and his crew set about correcting a wheelie issue, and the Brit was the last rider to get within a second of Pedrosa.
The Ducati Team made progress with Rossi and Test rider Franco Battaini, the latter riding Nicky Hayden’s bike after the American injured a wrist in Sunday’s race. Rossi continued to work on adapting to the new Desmosedici chassis, an experimental frame which will be further adapted according to the feedback gained here for the next test at Sepang.
As well as on-track testing there were off-track negotiations taking place too, and Bautista put pen to paper on a deal with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team for 2012 on Wednesday. Eager to start work immediately he headed out on the RC212V which Hiroshi Aoyama ended the 2011 season with, and by the end of the day had completed 55 laps.
Another rider on this year’s Honda was Stefan Bradl, and the German Moto2 Champion put in another solid day’s work on the LCR team’s machine, with a decision on his future still to be made.
Héctor Barberá concluded his first Test with his new Pramac Racing team satisfied with the improvements made to the Desmosedici, likewise Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) was out on the GP12.
The CRT progress continued too with Carmelo Morales leading the way on the Team Laglisse’s BMW/Suter machine. Iván Silva and the Inmotec project were also on track, as was Moto2 rider Yonny Hernández with BQR’s FTR/Kawasaki. The session was briefly red flagged just before 2pm local time when Gapam’s Federico Sandi crashed, but action resumed shortly after with the Italian escaping any harm.
All CRT machines, along with the 1000cc prototypes on track, tested Bridgestone’s 2012 compounds too, with positive feedback.
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