Posted by Administrator on 02-28-2007 at 10:02 am
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Valentino Rossi ended his pre-season preparations in fine style today after taking top honours in the traditional 40-minute ‘Qualifying’ Practice session at Jerez, smashing last year’s pole time and becoming the fastest man ever round the Spanish circuit in the process. There was double satisfaction for Yamaha as Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards, who took this same accolade in treacherously wet conditions at Catalunya last year, finished the session third.
After a one-two in this morning’s free practice, Rossi and Edwards were feeling confident for this afternoon’s timed shoot-out and with several qualifying tyres each to try during the session, had plenty of chances to see what their 800cc Yamahas could do under pressure. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) took an early lead before Dani Pedrosa (Honda) took control with just over half the session gone. Rossi soon joined him at the top and an exciting battle ensued between the Italian and the Spaniard as they swapped the lead several times over the last twenty minutes, with Edwards remaining in close contention throughout. In the closing stages of the session Rossi produced a perfect lap to set an outstanding time of 1’38.394, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than Capirossi’s pole time from 2006. Pedrosa was unable to find an answer despite crossing the line seconds before the chequered flag and mounting a last-gasp effort to usurp Rossi from the top spot.
Today’s result marks the end of a long but satisfying pre-season testing campaign for the Yamaha Factory Team, who leave Jerez in good shape and high spirits ahead of the first race of the season in Qatar on 10th March.
Valentino Rossi (1st, 1’38.394, 17 Laps)
“After this morning, when my Yamaha worked very well, I knew that I had a chance to try to win this competition. However I knew it was going to be a hard fight as well and I definitely expected Pedrosa to be as strong as he was. It was a fun battle with him, the first real one of the year! Anyway with every qualifying tyre I tried it felt better and better and I was able to go faster; in the end my time was fantastic and my Yamaha really flew! The most important thing about this is that it shows what great work we’ve done over the winter, everyone has tried so hard and this is a nice way to say thank you to them all. This new bike is working really well with the new tyres, both with race and qualifying tyres, so this is very important too and I would like to say thank you to Michelin. It was fun to see just how far I can push this new bike and it has answered me brilliantly, I felt very confident in my Yamaha today and I was able to ride it on the limit. Colin was also very fast so this once again shows how well our bike is working. Of course this isn’t even the first race and now we have to wait until Qatar, but we’re definitely in good shape and I am excited about the season ahead!”
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Colin Edwards (3rd, 1’39.300, 16 Laps)
“That was good fun today! This morning everything really came together for both Valentino and I and we knew that we were going to be able to push hard this afternoon. The Michelin qualifiers worked great and, after some of the problems we had last year, that’s a massive relief for us. I had a few more issues than Valentino in the timed session, nothing serious but our setting wasn’t quite the same as his and I wasn’t able to match his pace, but we know what we need to work on and anyway we were still in the top three and pretty fast. Honestly both Valentino and I are just so happy with everything, it all seems to work and it seems all the effort over the winter has paid off this time! It’s good to have finally finished testing and to be leaving here on such a high note; it gives everyone that extra kick for the first race. I can’t wait to finally get to Qatar now and start racing!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“This is only an appetiser before the real racing begins, but anyway it’s always nice to win this competition for the third time in four years and it gives everyone real confidence for the first race. The fact that Valentino was on top and Colin third is really great and it’s especially important that it’s happened here at Jerez, where we struggled quite a bit last year. This is very satisfying for everyone and it shows we’ve worked very well in the right direction throughout winter testing. Of course the race is a different story, so now we will focus on Qatar and hope it goes well for us there too.”
Lap Times
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1′38.394
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1′38.527
3. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1′39.300
4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1′39.556
5. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1′39.832
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1′39.873
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1′39.887
8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1′40.043
9. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1′40.083
10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1′40.100
11. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1′40.202
12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1′40.242
13. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1′40.307
14. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1′40.396
15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1′40.551
16. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1′40.681
17. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1′41.038
18. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1′41.805
19. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1′42.215
20. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1′43.008
21. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1′43.026
22. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1′43.073
23. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1′43.202
Jerez Lap Record (990cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 – 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (800cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2007 – 1’38.394
Posted by Administrator on 02-26-2007 at 03:02 am
Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy wipes his faces during a pre-season test session at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 25, 2007. REUTERS/Anton Meres
MADRID (Reuters) - Five times former world champion Valentino Rossi threw down the gauntlet to his rivals in this year’s title race when he set the fastest ever lap at the Jerez circuit in official pre-season testing on Sunday.
The Italian, who lost his crown when he finished as runner-up to Nicky Hayden in last year’s championship, smashed the existing circuit best lap with a time of 1 minute 38.394 seconds on his Yamaha.
The new mark was set despite the fact that this season the bikes in the MotoGP class have been reduced in capacity from 990cc to 800cc. The previous best lap was 1:39.064 set by Loris Capirossi on a Ducati in 2006.
Rossi’s main title rival Dani Pedrosa of Spain was second quickest, 0.133 down on the Yamaha rider, while the Italian’s team mate Colin Edwards clocked the third fastest time.
Champion Hayden, who is still regaining confidence after shoulder surgery, was fourth in the rankings, 1.112 seconds behind Rossi.
“It’s magnificent, but of course it doesn’t count towards world championship points,” Rossi said. “It is the first battle won.
“The new Yamaha is already faster than last year’s model and it seems to be effective at every circuit. It is a good starting point for 2007.”
Pedrosa told Spanish state television: “I’m delighted, I didn’t expect to go this fast. I’m very impressed.”
The last official test turned into a shoot out between Rossi and Pedrosa, with the two riders seeking a psychological edge ahead of the season-opening grand prix in Qatar on March 10.
Marco Melandri, who was fastest in testing on Friday and Saturday, dropped down the rankings on the final day. He clocked the 14th fastest time on his Honda. [source: scotsman.com]
Posted by Administrator on 02-25-2007 at 02:02 pm
Sunday 24th February - Jerez, Spain - MotoGP Official Test
Valentino Rossi will leave Jerez tonight with a brand new BMW M car and, more importantly, a crucial psychological advantage over his title rivals after winning the 40 minute ‘qualifying session’ at Jerez this afternoon. The five time MotoGP World Champion took the 2007 BMW M Award at the MotoGP Official Test with scorching 1’38.394 lap, clocked with just five minutes to go in the session. It is the second time that Rossi has won the award, and an excellent end to a preseason where the 800cc Yamaha M1 has shone brightly.
The Italian had to work for it though, and a vintage display was required to edge out early pacesetter Dani Pedrosa. Repsol Honda’s Spanish star had laid down the gauntlet early on by breaking first the 1’40 then the 1’39 barrier as he pushed for the top spot. After seeing Rossi clock his eventual winning time Pedrosa completed a perfect lap at the death, beating his best times at all four timed sections of the circuit. His final fastest lap was 1’38.527, under two tenths of a second slower than his World Championship rival.
Last year’s BMW M Award winner, Colin Edwards was unable to repeat his 2006 triumph but continued to show the potential of the factory Yamaha as he joined team-mate Rossi in the top three. The Texan Tornado continued his testing almost immediately after the presentation of the award, as always fully dedicated to the improvement of his bike.
World Champion Nicky Hayden was unable to push enough for the car, but did put in a series of fast laps whilst avoiding unnecessary risks. Retaining his hard-fought crown this year is the Kentucky Kid’s number one priority, and he has been taking things steady this week at Jerez. Hayden rounded off an all-Michelin top four, encouraging news for the tyre manufacturer after Bridgestone’s strong performances recently.
Randy de Puniet, Casey Stoner, Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen made up a quartet of Bridgestone riders in the top ten, and further showing the even nature of the 800cc bikes as they added to the list of different manufacturers in the leading group.
The BMW Z4 M Coupé was presented to Rossi by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and Axel Zimmermann, Sponsoring General Manager of BMW.
Later on, most riders returned to the track to conclude their 2007 preseason. With most undertaking race simulations and final fine tuning, the Kawasaki duo of Randy de Puniet topped the timesheets to finish testing on a high note. They were closely followed by Toni Elias, Alex Hofmann, Pedrosa and Rossi.
MotoGP Official Test Jerez
Day 3 Overall Official Times
1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) - 1′38.394
2. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) - 1′38.527
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Racing) - 1′39.300
4. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) - 1′39.55
5. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki Racing Team) - 1′39.832
6. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team) - 1′39.873
7. Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) - 1′39.887
8. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) - 1′40.043
9. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Team Roberts) - 1′40.083
10. Carlos Checa (Honda LCR) - 1′40.100
11. Toni Elias (Honda Gresini) - 1′40.202
12. Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda) - 1′40.242
13. Makoto Tamada (Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3) - 1′40.307
14. Marco Melandri (Honda Gresini) - 1′40.396
15. Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki Racing Team) - 1′40.551
16. Alex Hofmann (Pramac d’Antin) - 1′40.681
17. Alex Barros (Pramac d’Antin) - 1′41.038
18. Kousuke Akiyoshi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) - 1′41.805
19. Sylvain Guintoli (Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3) - 1′42.215
20. Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati Marlboro Team - Test) - 1′43.008
21. Andrew Pitt (Ilmor GP) - 1′43.026
22. Shinichi Ito (Ducati Bridgestone Team - Test) - 1′43.073
23. Jeremy McWilliams (Ilmor GP) - 1′43.202
Posted by Administrator on 02-25-2007 at 02:02 pm
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Following yesterday’s heavy rain, thick fog delayed the start of the second day of testing in Jerez this morning before giving way to sunshine and a dry track, providing the Yamaha Factory Team with the chance to get some important work under their belts. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both focused on general set-up work today and were pleased to see good improvements to the performance of their 800cc Yamahas since their last test here in November. Rossi and Edwards were consistently fast throughout the day, with Rossi topping the time sheets until the last stages of the session before being overtaken by Marco Melandri (Honda), who set the day’s best lap in a time of 1’40.383. Rossi finished just behind him in a time of 1’40.408, under the existing 990cc lap record, which he himself set in 2005. Edwards, having been in the top three for most of the day, also slipped down the order at the end as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres ahead of tomorrow’s 40 minute timed ‘qualifying’ shoot-out, which begins at 1405 CET.
Valentino Rossi (2nd, 1’40.408, 65 Laps)
“Today was a very good day for us and we’ve done some great work. After today we’re happy because we can understand that we did a great job when we were here in November. We started with the same setting and the bike was fast straight away, then afterwards we tried a new setting from January and February, with the suspension and other things, and it felt even better. I had a great feeling with the front and also with the rear, and I had a lot of confidence with my bike. The balance was good under acceleration and I was able to go fast and in a good rhythm. Tomorrow we’ve got some more things to try and also some more tyres from Michelin, so we hope to make even more improvements. We’ll also get the chance to try a qualifying tyre and to see how we go against our rivals in the ‘qualifying’ session, which will be interesting. So anyway, we’ve got another day and some more work to do, but the situation is already good and I am feeling happy.”
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Colin Edwards (9th, 1’41.204, 69 Laps)
“Today we started where we left off yesterday, trying to work out how to adapt the good setting from Qatar to this track. We figured a few things out in the morning and kept on making progress and actually what we’ve found is quite a long way from the Qatar setting and also from the old setting we used here, but anyway it works great! It felt good all day and I was doing consistently quick times, before we put in our ‘first-choice’ tyre from Qatar near the end and then it felt really fantastic. It really is a great tyre, so hopefully Michelin will have lots of those for me this season! I was right up there on the time sheets until the end when a few people put qualifiers in, but that wasn’t on our agenda today and we’ll have a go at that tomorrow. Of course there’s the competition tomorrow and it’s definitely the day to make a statement, so we’ll see how it goes!
Davide Brivio – Team Director
“Today we did a great job with Valentino, we found a very good balance and a good setting and he was able to be fast from his first lap and always at the top, until the very end. It was also a good day for Colin and he was also fast throughout. Tomorrow is our last day of testing before the championship starts so it’s very important, then we also have the competition in the afternoon. We’re in good shape with both riders so it should be an interesting day.”
Lap Times:
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’40.383
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’40.408
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’40.581
4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’40.748
5. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’40.952
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’41.071
7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’41.096
8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.151
9. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’41.204
10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’41.234
11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’41.259
12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’41.269
13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’41.363
14. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’41.590
15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.777
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’41.783
17. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’41.845
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’42.364
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1’43.209
20. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1’43.610
21. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1’44.143
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1’44.458
23. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1’44.589
Jerez Lap Record (990cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 – 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (990cc): Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 – 1’39.064
