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2008-01-24 Sepang test concludes with Nicky Hayden on top
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 Nicky Hayden returned to top of the timesheets today, reverting to old engine in new chassis, obviously being quite happy to be on competitive machinery again. Casey Stoner continued recovery as he set fantastic times both on race and qualifying tyres, showing again that he will be man to beat in 2008. Jorge Lorenzo managed to set 3rd time of the day, suffering crash in the process, but contiuning test without any injuries. Colin Edwards continued with promissing performance again today by setting 4th time, in front of new Kawasaki rider, John Hopkins. Today was last day of the test, with next test scheduled for 30th of January at Phillip Island. Read rider impressions after the final day of Sepang test.
Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2:00.326s – 77 laps:
Today’s gone a lot better than the last couple and we’re feeling positive, I feel like I’m a lot closer than I was a year ago here. This morning we checked the pneumatic valve engine, then we just focused on the standard engine and this year’s chassis, working on the general set-up. I used qualifiers for my fastest lap and they worked well. After that we did a batch of front tyres because one of my weak points here is that sometimes I struggle when this track gets hot. So I did a batch of tyres at the hottest part of the day to improve on that.
We hadn’t really tested any tyres for Michelin here until today and we wanted to do a long run. That run was decent, probably the best thing I’ve done all week. I did the best lap I’ve ever done round here on race tyres on lap 18, a 2m 01.6s. At the end of three long days that wasn’t too bad. I used a 16.5 on that run but I’ve also been trying some 16 rears here.
Now we go to Phillip Island which is quite a different track with some long corners, some high-speed stuff and a lot of changes of direction. The big thing there is tyres so it’ll be really important to do some more tyre work with Michelin there. We will also do some more work with the pneumatic-valve engine. I’ve got faith in Honda, so hopefully they can make us proud. I think it’s going to be a good season, there’s a lot of guys going fast, a lot of guys motivated. It’s an exciting time, everyone’s at zero.
Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team), best time on race tyres: 2'00.964; best time on qualifiers: 2'00.660 (27 laps)
We couldn't have started the year better! My shoulder feels better every day and now I know I can get back to full training. This morning we tried some qualifying tyres on only our second run out. We set a good lap time although I think if we'd have tried them a little later, when the track was warmer, we could have broken the two-minute mark. In fact, at the end of the morning we set a 2'00.964 on race tyres, which is over a second inside the lap record we set in September. It shows that we are working well and that both the bike and tyres are improving. I'm leaving Sepang feeling really happy - partly because my shoulder hasn't given me too many problems and partly because I feel even more competitive than last season. Now we have to focus on this season and on getting the best possible start, so I can't wait to continue testing at Phillip Island. I also want to send my best wishes to Dani! I'm sure this injury won't affect him too much. Back in 2006 I missed most of the winter tests and I still started the season competitive so I'm sure he will too because he was looking really strong out here.
Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd, 2:00.766, 63 Laps
Today was another positive day for me and it’s been an encouraging three days overall: I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved. I had a little problem this morning because I felt like I had a bit less grip than usual, so we had to work on this. Then I started my race simulation and unfortunately I crashed about three-quarters of the way through; I was a bit out of the line and when I accelerated I lost control of the bike. Before that my pace was not so bad and we had time to gather a lot of information before it happened, so it wasn’t the end of the world. I wasn’t hurt and so after that we started again with Michelin tyre testing and at the end I tried a qualifying tyre which was very good; I improved my time quite a lot. I’m really happy with the team’s work and now we’re waiting for the next test so we can continue improving.
Colin Edwards, 4th, 2:01.179, 34 laps
We got a little bit of a late start today; man I was sore! I am getting old! After six weeks off the bike your hands and butt gets soft and it takes time to build up the calluses. After three days of riding I just have blisters at the moment. We made some improvements again today with the M1. My crew chief and suspension technician had an idea for the front end because we were having some chatter. It was something I had never tried before, but they fixed the problem. It was such a simple thing but they did really well, so a big thanks! We did not do anything new today but played around with tyres. Michelin came up with the goods. I did my best times on the new race tyre and it was phenomenal. Onto Phillip Island now and more of the same I hope.
John Hopkins, 5th, 2:01.198, 42 laps
I'm happy with how things have gone, and I leave this test pretty motivated for the next. Overall I'm really pleased with the bike; we have a couple of small things to address, but we've now got a clear understanding of what our goal is and where we need to be, and I think we're ready to make the next step. I was pretty pleased with the first race simulation on the bike; the traction control works really well, so I didn't have to adapt my riding style so much to compensate for the drop off in grip as the tyres started to go off towards the end. This is a big positive. Now I'm looking forward to getting to Phillip Island. I followed Randy in the race there, and the Kawasaki looked to be working well, now we need to take it to the next level. It's another new track for me on the Kawasaki, and I hope the test in Australia will turn out to be as positive as these last three days in Malaysia have been.
Valentino Rossi, 6th, 2:01.425, 48 Laps
The overall balance of the three day test has been very positive and we’ve worked in many different areas. We’ve tested the pneumatic-valve engine and I have a good feeling from it, plus we’ve improved our top speed compared to the race here. I’m happy about the engine so far, although we want to make as much mileage as possible with it in order to check its reliability and performance. We’ve continued to work with the new electronics in braking and acceleration and the new system is helping us to have more control and make less mistakes. Of course we’ve also done a lot of work with Bridgestone on tyres, and we have found some positive things here. We need to improve our performance with the qualifying tyre; we need more time to better understand how to set-up our bike with the soft tyres and so we will continue to work on this next time. We’ve given a lot of information to Bridgestone this week and we look forward to more work together next time. Finally I was able to complete a good race simulation and overall my pace was better than in the race last year, even though I had to slow down for a bit in the middle because it was so hot! Anyway I really wanted to finish so I kept going and in the end I was very happy with my performance. It’s been a good test for us and now we’re looking forward to next time.
Andrea Dovizioso, 7th, JiR Scot Honda: 2:01.447s - 51 laps
The long run I made today was very interesting we made some small setting changes to the RCV and I also changed my style a little, hanging off the bike more than normal and this helped ease the chatter problems I have experienced here. Before the long run I tested a few Michelin tyres even a qualifier that was very good, particularly the 16 inch rear. If you look at the lap times set at the last GP here at Sepang we are not slow, my times are fast. So I leave here quite happy with the results of the test.
James Toseland, 8th, 2:01.745, 45 laps
In November I managed a 2:03.5 lap; just one. So to do a 2:02 on a race tyre and then an ’01 with a qualifier let me finish eighth overall today, which I quite pleased with. We have had quite bad chatter that we have struggled to get rid of, although I am told that this place is one of the worst circuits for this and maybe in Australia I might not have it. I am really happy with how the team is working. I finally got the traction control and the engine system, and this gave an improvement but it is really something that you need to get used to and be confident with to improve your times. It is something I can build-on for the next test. I know Phillip Island very well and it is a much cooler place so I am looking forward to starting again next week.
Chris Vermeulen, 70 laps, 9th, 2:01.748
After all the intensive testing of the first two days it was good to get a long run and simulate a race distance on the new GSV-R today. The conditions were really hard as it was the hottest part of the day, but what was pleasing was that I did the best lap-time I’ve ever recorded at Sepang during that, so it shows that the reliability and durability of the bike is similar to what we had last year – but a bit quicker! Bridgestone has given us a step up in rear tyre performance, now we need to work together to find the best front solution. We now head off to Australia to continue with the testing programme, we still have a long way to go before the first race, but this has certainly been a good start.
Loris Capirossi, 62 laps, 10th, 2:01.778
This is only the fourth time I have been on the bike at a test, but I already feel like I have been here for a long time and I am one of the family! The bike is getting better all the time and we are learning not only what is working well, but also what isn’t! The bike is really good, I like the feedback it gives me, it’s amazing under hard braking - my confidence is really starting to grow! We have to go to Australia now and I know that that has been a difficult track in the past for Suzuki, but I am sure with all the testing developments and the new parts that the factory are giving us we can make the bike more competitive there than is has ever been. We did a long run today and it was good for me to see how the bike behaved over full race distance and what I can expect when we start racing for real in March.
Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda,11th, 2:01.873s - 56 laps:
I worked on the range of tyres that Michelin brought here for me to try then on the overall balance of the bike with suspension settings and a different off-set on the front forks. Then, when I was happy with the set up in the early afternoon I worked on front tyres. I crashed today at the same place as yesterday, the same time and the same speed. The front turned in on me very quickly - very strange as I was of the gas. Maybe it was a combination of the high track temperature and a too soft front tyre. I ran my race simulation test yesterday afternoon and it was very good. I am very happy I have been fast on every day and was 11th fastest overall.
Shinya Nakano, Gresini Honda, 12th, 2:02.032s - 38 laps:
Today we did some testing with brake and tyre combinations just to confirm we are working in the right direction. We started working with the Nissin brakes at the Jerez test over three-days and now at Sepang. I am happy with the performance finally I have found a good feeling because I can brake as I need to and they perform consistently. I tried a qualifying tyre but my best lap times were set with race tyres. We are working towards the first race at Qatar and we have a lot of work to do but we are getting good support from Honda and Bridgestone so I am very happy.
Alex De Angelis, Gresini Honda, 13th, 2:02.196s - 37 laps:
This morning my wrist was much better after the Doctor had given me a pain killing injection and everything was OK. The afternoon was not so good and I had a lot of pain so I stopped testing. We worked on the engine braking system and I ran with less engine brake, I was sliding just a little too much yesterday. We changed the ride height and this also helped reduce the chatter a lot but not completely. I also worked with the Nissin technicians and was impressed with the performance possibilities. I am very happy with the work we did here but not happy with the condition of my wrist. Now we go to Phillip Island and that’s my favourite track. Much different to Sepang so I will learn more about the bike next week.
Marco Melandri (Ducati Marlboro Team), 15th, best time: 2:02.725 (58 laps)
This morning we started out on the right foot and my lap times weren't bad. Then we decided to experiment with a few new avenues to try and improve my feeling but we got a bit lost! It's a shame but at least I'm getting to understand the bike and the way the team works more and more each day. I feel really comfortable with my chief engineer and I'm sure that we'll find the solutions to the problems we're having right now. I didn't use a qualifier because if you're not ready for them there's no point. I did try a new race tyre though and in my opinion it's a good step forward. I can't say I'm happy but we'll keep working to find the best way forward for me.
Anthony West, 15th, 2:02.978, 39 laps
We tried a few more front tyres again today, working towards identifying the ones that give me the most confidence in the front, and that we can continue with during the next few tests. We also tried some different engine brake and traction control settings, before running a race simulation this afternoon. The idea of the endurance run was too give me a better feel for the bike when the tyre performance has started to drop off. The only problem today was that the track temperature was already quite high when we began, and that meant that the grip had already started to fall off. It was a bit weird, because I actually went faster towards the end, which we obviously weren't expecting. One positive point is that the revised chassis components appear to have eliminated the chatter that plagued us during the race here last season although, because of the grip issues, we will need to confirm this at Phillip Island next week. It's been a hard three days to be honest, because the heat and humidity really takes it out of you. Things should be a lot better at Phillip Island next week, although it was 40 degrees there when I was visiting my grandfather over Christmas. Hopefully it's cooled down a bit now.
Toni Elias, 16th, 2:02.995,67 laps
Also today we made it to improve. We are happy; we have to take a step at the time. We know we have much work to do, but we are confident. The bike is so powerful, I really like it and we only need to find the right set-up for my riding style. Other Teams had more opportunities to test before, while for us is basically the first time. But now we will go to for three more days of work and it is really important for us. The Phillip Island circuit is one of the most beautiful and difficult circuits, it will be interesting to see how it will go.
Sylvain Guintoli, 18th, 2:03.628, 39 laps:
Three days with this heat aren’t so easy to manage, but we gave all we could and the all Alice Team staff has worked really well. We are happy also because today we have done a race simulation and the bike has answered well. I have ridden for 21 consecutive laps and I improve my last year’s performance. I also feel good, with this heat it’s never easy to work.
Sepang test - day 3 - result times:
1.Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc 2:00.326
2.Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:00.660
3.Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.766
4.Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech3 2:01.179
5.John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing 2:01.198
6.Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.425
7.Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot 2:01.447
8.James Toseland - Yamaha Tech3 2:01.745
9.Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.748
10.Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.778
11.Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.873
12.Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini 2:02.032
13.Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.198
14.Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:02.725
15.Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:02.978
16.Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:02.995
17.Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.030
18.Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team 2:03.628
19.Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test 2:03.703
20.Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing 2:04.354
21.Nobuatsu Aoki - Rizla Suzuki -
22.Kousuke Akiyoshi - Rizla Suzuki -
Sepang Lap Record
Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108
Sepang Best Lap
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
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