MotoGP test: Edwards gets in front of Rossi on day 2

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2007-01-23 MotoGP test: Edwards gets in front of Rossi on day 2
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Colin Edwards was fastest Yamaha rider on day 2 at Sepang, and second fastest overall

A second day of testing in Malaysia today saw the Yamaha Factory Racing Team continue to come on in leaps and bounds with the development of their new prototype 800cc motorcycle. With rain threatening for tomorrow’s third and final day of testing, both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards elected to take advantage of clear skies and complete their long-run today, the first for either rider on the new bike. Initial feedback was good and Rossi especially was very pleased with the performance of his Yamaha under race conditions. Edwards, who was trying a different set-up and tyre package to his team-mate in order to gather as much information as possible for Yamaha’s engineers and Michelin, was less comfortable during his long-run, but importantly was able to identify some of the key areas in which the team still need to focus their attention over the coming tests.

Both riders improved on their times from yesterday, with Edwards dipping under the old 990cc lap record pace with a fastest lap of 2’01.930, set during the morning on race tyres. He was just behind Suzuki’s John Hopkins, who topped the unofficial time sheets for the second day running in a time of 2’01.806. Rossi posted the fifth fastest time of the day after completing 57 laps, with a time of 2’02.619. The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will complete their final day of this first test tomorrow.

COLIN EDWARDS: 2nd, Time: 2’01.930 Laps: 60
I’m not sure if it’s to do with the fact that I’m getting old, or just that I’ve been off the bike for six weeks, but this week it seems that I’m much stronger in the morning than in the afternoon! The morning felt really good today, Michelin had me working in one direction and Valentino in another and I was quite excited about how everything was feeling and about the times I was able to do. I did my best time on a race tyre and it was coming pretty easily. Michelin have worked seriously hard over the winter and the new front tyres they’re bringing us are just getting better and better, so congratulations to them. This afternoon was much harder and it was pretty hot out there too. The package I used for the long-run wasn’t so good, it definitely wasn’t the right direction for the rear tyre and it was hard work for me. Anyway Valentino's package worked well and that’s why we’re here after all – to work out what does work and what doesn’t! It’s given us some clear answers and now we can use tomorrow to double check what we’ve learned this week and finish on a good note.

VALENTINO ROSSI: 5th, Time: 2’02.619, Laps: 57
Today I made my first long-run with the new bike, because I was worried about the weather for tomorrow. It was important to be able to see the level of the bike over a long distance, so we didn’t want to risk waiting for the last day. I am very happy about how it went; the performance of the bike and tyres was very good. We still need to improve the braking a bit, but I am sure it will get better as we continue to work on the set-up. The temperature at noon was very high and the sun felt like a sword beating down on my helmet, but it was still great fun and I really enjoyed myself! Of course with the 990cc bike the top speed was a bit faster, but overall with the new bike the pace on a long-run isn’t so different, because it puts less stress on the tyres so their performance remains higher for longer. The physical effort is similar for both bikes, and I feel very motivated after the long-run today. We tested the 16 inch front tyre today; we still need to work more on this, but the initial feeling is very good and the handling is a bit better with it. The bike is more stable in the corner and therefore I have more confidence. I think in the end it could be a good solution, but we need more time to be sure. Tomorrow we have other tyres to test and we will just continue to work on the general set-up of the bike

Sepang MotoGP Test: Day 2. Unofficial Times

1. John Hopkins- Rizla Suzuki 2m 01.806s.
2. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Racing 2m 01.930s.
3. Chris Vermeulen- Rizla Suzuki 2m 02.275s.
4. Alex Barros - Pramac d'Antin 2m 02.538s.
5. Valentino Rossi - Yamaha Racing 2m 02.619s.
6. Loris Capirossi - Ducati MotoGP 2m 02.793s.
7. Randy De Puniet - Kawasaki Racing 2m 02.806s.
8. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda 2m 02.948s.
9. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 2m 03.098s.
10. Casey Stoner - Ducati MotoGP 2m 03.190s.
11. Marco Melandri - Honda Gresini 2m 03.253s.
12. Shinya Nakano - Konica Minolta Honda 2m 03.633s.
13. Carlos Checa - Honda LCR 2m 03.681s.
14. Shinichi Ito - Bridgestone Test 2m 03.700s.
15. Kenny Roberts Jr. - Team Roberts 2m 03.800s.
16. Alex Hofmann - Pramac d'Antin 2m 03.895s.
17. Toni Elias - Honda Gresini 2m 04.124s.
18. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2m 04.171s.
19. Makoto Tamada - Yamaha Tech3 2m 04.350s.
20. Sylvain Guintoli - Yamaha Tech3 2m 04.892s.

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