MotoGP test Sepang

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Hernandez back on the track at Sepang. Rain stops Petrucci's ambitions

Hernandez back on the track at Sepang. Rain stops Petrucci's ambitions
Yonny Hernandez is back on track at Sepang. This is the most important news coming from Malaysia for Pramac Racing after the first testing day which was stopped prematurely by the rain.
The colombian rider was forced to miss Sepang 1 due to a shoulder injury and his recovery seems to be in line with the schedule of the team. The physical condition is not 100% yet but this has not prevented Yonny to find a good rhythm (29 laps in total) in the light of a feeling with the Desmosedici GP 14.2 which has to be built after the two-month winter break and the injury in mid-January.

If the other riders had the possibility to continue the work begun in the first three days in Sepang, Hernandez rode for the first time his Gp 14.2 after the short time available in Valencia. The best time of 2'02''606 (19th position) is therefore not indicative.

Danilo Petrucci has worked hard during the morning, continuing the developement of his feeling with the Desmosedici GP 14.1 that had given good directions in Sepang test 1. The italian rider managed to complete 35 laps setting early (7? lap) with hard tyres his better time of 2'02'225. A few seconds before getting back on the track in the afternoon to keep on the set up and try to lower the time he was stopped by the violent rain that forced him to remain inside the pit box.

Yonny Hernandez ? Pramac Racing Team #68 ? 2'02''606 (19?)
"I't not easy for me. I feel pain. But this is normal. I have to think at the future and try to manage the training. I have to find a better feeling with the grip and the bike again. I need to complete a lot of laps and work hard. Today it has been a short training due to the rain but it was good for me. The week is still long here in Sepang"

Danilo Petrucci ? Pramac Racing Team #9 ? 2'02''225 (16th)
"I managed to run fast in the first few laps then i started to struggle a lot in the heat as i was not able to find grip with the front end especially under braking. We tried to find some new solutions on the set up and before the break, with the maximum temperature, I lapped close to my best time. The feeling was good, with my chief Daniele Romagnoli we had found a good setting and I was very confident. That's why i'm very disappointed: due to the rain i was not be able to get back on the track. Tomorrow we will try to be a little more aggressive with the program because i'm not happy with the time i set. To be honest i'm not so far from the guys above me but the 16? place in the timesheet does not satisfy me.

 

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Espargaro shines on first day of Sepang 2

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro began the Sepang 2 test with immediate speed to storm to third place on the opening day of action in Malaysia. The young Spaniard continued working on the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 as he gears up for the fast approaching 18 round season and made further progress in establishing a strong setup. The 23-year-old Catalan clocked a best time of 2?00.876 which he set on his 17th lap out of 45 to successfully see him finish inside the top three on the first day. Although rain fell in the afternoon, costing the riders the chance to improve their times, it did allow them to test rain setups and Espargaro ran six laps on wet tyres as he now looks to tomorrow to continue his bright start in Malaysia.

On the other hand, Bradley Smith opened his Sepang 2 account with a firm and confidence boosting ride to 8th position in the standings. The young British rider suffered a leg injury during the winter break and after easing back into riding at the first test, this week he returns to Sepang recovered and ready for action. The 23 year old set to work immediately as the session began as he sought to further refine and adjust the 2015 Yamaha YZR-M1 with the season opener in Qatar only a month away. The end result was a best time of 2?01.241, less than a tenth of a second back from 5th which he set on his 22nd lap before going on to complete 51 in total including several laps in the wet. His performance today leaves him fully confident of making further improvements tomorrow.

Position : 3rd Time : 2'00.876 Laps : 45
Espargaro - Sepang - 2015"I am really happy with the progress that we have made today and to finish in third is a great start to this test. We are continuing to work in the right direction and as soon as we started this morning, I knew that we could be quick. At midday it was already 54 degrees on the ground which was clearly warmer than the first test where it reached a max of 50 and so we weren?t able to ride as many laps. However, the general feeling for today was that it was productive and we focused on trying different electronic settings. The information that we collected will be very useful and furthermore, it was very good to run some laps in the rain as well. This meant that we could work on the wet setup and I am really pleased with this especially, as there is a definite improvement. The 2015 Yamaha feels great and I know that if I can ride a bit smoother and adjust my riding style slightly, we can be strong. There are a few more things which we have to study in order to improve, but we cannot rush everything and we must take it all step by step."

Position : 8th Time : 2'01.241 Laps : 51
Smith - Sepang - 2015"It?s great to be back here at Sepang again after not such a long wait so that we can carry on getting prepared for Qatar. The track conditions were different today compared to the last time when we were riding here and the circuit was a bit unpredictable with the grip levels. In some corners there was a lot less than in others but I?m happy because I didn?t really lose a lot of time compared to the other riders in these conditions. I?m closer to the front than the last test and I am also pleased because my ankle is much better than it was, although it is still not perfect. We were able to ride in the rain as well which is positive. I didn?t risk too much but I already feel much more comfortable when compared to last year in the wet and the lap time was much quicker. I think we still need to work but we are starting to see what we need to do to carry a good lap time and also to get grip in the wet with the Yamaha."

 

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Bradl and Baz still on track at Sepang

The first day at Sepang is over for the Forward Racing team and its riders involved in the second official test of the season.

Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz completed respectively 42 and 37 laps each, before torrential downpour interrupted the session in the early afternoon.

The German recorded a best lap of 2.02.410 and ended in 18th position in the time sheet, with Baz claiming 24th position with a personal best of 2.03.316.

The development work in view of the upcoming Qatar GP will continue tomorrow at the Malaysian circuit.

Stefan Bradl
"I can?t say that I am really satisfied with the work done today. The track conditions were very different from last test and I struggled particularly at the start of the day. In the afternoon the feeling was better, I was able to push even on worn tires, but then it started to rain and I could not improve my lap time. I am optimistic for tomorrow, I would like to make the most of the day and improve my performance".
Loris Baz
"It was a complicated day. I went on track hoping I would find the same conditions as the first test, but the reality was different and I was not able to push as I wanted. I tried some new solutions and I?m fine with them. In the afternoon, the rain started to fall heavily and I was able to complete few laps on the wet track in order to get to know better this bike in these conditions. It was another day of work, we continue to move forward step by step in view of the Qatar GP. I am confident that I will improve tomorrow?.

 

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SUZUKI MOTOGP CONTINUES IMPROVEMENT AT SEPANG

The SUZUKI MotoGP team continued to improve with the newly-refined GSX-RR in the opening day of testing at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia today with riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vi?ales setting fourth and ninth-placed positions on the timesheets.

Espargaro completed a total of 39 laps in mixed weather and track conditions, setting a time of 2:01.055 on his 17th attempt with hot weather conditions, while Vi?ales posted a 2:01.317 on his 22nd of 50 laps of the 5.543 km circuit.

With air temperatures of 32? and track temperatures reaching 53?, today?s conditions were more slippery compared to the opening test at the beginning of the month and got worse by the end of the afternoon with some scattered rain showers.

However, the team and riders worked through several new modifications on the GSX-RR that included a redesigned fairing, developed at Suzuki?s wind tunnel in Japan, and improved overall power output without affecting affordability.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?It has been a good day for us because we made further improvements. The riders feel confident on the bike and we were able to upgrade and improve the engine power. At the previous tests we decided to cut the power in order to gain reliability, now we are reintroducing some more power but with a step-by-step approach.

?Last week in the wind tunnel in Japan we developed a new fairing that has been tested today. It didn?t give the results we were expecting so we will further-refine its shape.

?It is only the first day of testing but being so close to the top always gives a good feeling. It has also been interesting to test in wet conditions and both riders reported positive feelings. Aleix already has experience in riding a MotoGP machine in the rain so he could give us good feedback, while Maverick had the chance to have a first touch with the bike response. They both felt confident with their machines also in these conditions.?

Aleix Espargaro:

?It has been a positive day of testing because we made some improvements.
The track was more slippery and dirty today so I had to get back the confidence, but I have very good feelings. We are working on the performance improvement but working little-by-little, so I was a little surprised by the speed and power that the bike had today.

?I also had the chance to test the bike in wet conditions and I feel very comfortable: it is small and easy to handle so I feel confident. Tomorrow morning we will try some set-up modifications and in the afternoon we will work on the pace; since it is maybe more important than the single lap.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?I continue having good feelings about the bike and my objective is to ride as much as possible as I have to learn how it behaves and also the lines to be kept on track. I?m in the middle of my learning process so we haven?t been making major modifications on the machine; it?s more a matter to adapt my riding style. I also had the chance to try how it behaves in wet conditions and I had good feelings.?

Sepang 2 Test Results (Day 1): 1 Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2:00.414, 2 Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2:00.543, 3 Pol Espargaro (Yamaha) 2:00.876, 4 Aleix Espargaro (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:01.055, 5 Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:01.162, 6 Marc Marquez (Honda) 2:01.190, 7 Carl Crutchlow (Honda) 2:01.222, 8 Bradley Smith (Yamaha), 9 Maverick Vi?ales (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:01.317, 10 Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 2:01.355.

 

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Testing resumes in Malaysia under intense weather

The second Sepang test has begun in Malaysia with the return of the customary thunderstorm at 16h00. All riders took to the track early this morning to get to work on their individual test schedules before taking a break at lunchtime as track temperatures reached 59?C.
Dani Pedrosa spent this first day working on mapping settings and suspension and finished his day with a run in the wet. He finished the day second fastest with his time of 2?00.543 on lap 20 of 52, just 0.129s off fastest man, Rossi. Marc Marquez unfortunately suffered a problem with brake discs that affected him for the whole session. He completed a total of 43 laps with his best time of 2?01.190 on lap 24.

Dani Pedrosa
2ND 2?00.543 (52 LAPS)
"Today we focused on testing different setups for the bike and I think it went well. We have not tried any new parts, instead confirming our findings with what we had at the last test, even though the track was not perfect. It rained at the end, so we could also ride a little in those conditions. Tomorrow we will continue testing some changes to the setup, to see if we can come up with some improvements that allow us to ride more comfortably."

Marc Marquez
6TH 2?01.190 (43 LAPS)
"Today was a slightly strange day and not very productive, because I had some difficulties with the front brakes from the first run-out. We focused on improving that aspect of the bike and could only do runs of one or two laps. That took up the time we had allotted for trying other things and prevented us from progressing. Now we will try to find the source of the problem and tomorrow we hope to continue with the testing plan."

 

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Rossi Continues Form as Storm Disrupts First Day of Second Sepang Test

After two weeks of analyzing data, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP?s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have returned to the Sepang International Circuit for the start of the second official three-day pre-season test. Despite the difficult track and weather conditions the teammates were able to finish today?s session in first and fifth respectively.

Rossi was up for the challenge of repeating his strong ride of two weeks ago. He needed little time to get back into the swing of things and was quick to take over the top spot from his teammate at the start of the eight-hour long session. As the temperature started rising the pace of the field picked up, but the Doctor was quick to respond and cruised back to the top the leader board with an impressive 2?00.414s lap, which kept him sitting on top for the rest of the session.

Teammate Lorenzo had a more challenging start to the second Sepang test. Though he briefly topped the leaderboard with a 2?02.099s lap, he struggled to find the good setup for the slippery asphalt. The Spaniard was pleased with his YZR-M1?s gearbox update and made the most of the available testing time by putting in a total of 51 laps. During his multiple stints he worked on improving the setting and set a best time of 2?01.162s, putting him in fifth place just +0.748s behind Rossi.

Both riders took a break in the afternoon until the worst of the heat passed before returning to the track, but the dry track conditions weren?t to last. Rain flags signaling an approaching thunderstorm were raised and soon the fickle Malaysian weather struck the Sepang circuit.

Not wanting to let the last precious hour of testing time go to waste, Rossi and Lorenzo decided to brave the pouring rain to test their wet setup until, with 30 minutes remaining, the red lights came on, ending the session.

The change in weather meant Rossi and Lorenzo were unable to improve their times and they finished in first and fifth place respectively.


Valentino Rossi
1st / 2'00.414 / 54 Laps
?Everybody in our team was curious about the updated gearbox and the first impression is quite positive, so I?m happy. It doesn?t make a huge difference, but it?s a small help in a difficult point where we need to improve. The bike is a bit better in braking and corner entry and I think we need to work to understand the maximal potential, but the first test was good. I am happy to finish in the first position because I was in P1 from this morning, so it?s a good first day. It?s important for us to make some kilometers on the wet. I don?t really like the feeling with the bike on the wet and last year I struggled a bit. We already improved a bit today, but we need to do some more testing and make some more kilometers.?
Valentino Rossi

Jorge Lorenzo
5th / 2'01.162 / 51 Laps
?Today was a pretty tough day for me. I feel the jet lag and last night I was only able to sleep for just four hours. At the beginning of the session we tried the set-up we used at the first Sepang test but nothing worked. We changed so many things on the bike but the result was the same. I'm a bit disappointed because of the results today but at least the new gearbox works well. We need to adjust it a bit but overall it is quite good, especially on braking where we can get more stability. The track conditions were pretty bad compared to the first test. The asphalt had less grip so we struggled a lot with the conditions. Hopefully we can improve our pace tomorrow and check the new things we need to test again before going to Qatar.?


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director -

?For me it has been a positive first day. As with the first Sepang test we don?t have a lot of material, but it is really important that we continue to work to find the right direction. The updated transmission gave both Jorge and Vale a good feeling, and it will continue to develop further. Today?s rain allowed us to obtain a full set of wet data to go with our dry findings so it has had its use. We made the decision to stop early after the rain, and will continue tomorrow.?

 

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Lorenzo Satisfied after Second Day of Test at Sepang

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP?s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were back on track today for the second of three days of riding for the second IRTA official Sepang Test, finishing in second and fifth place respectively.

With yesterday?s storm having cleared off, today?s dry and bright weather conditions were perfect for more action at the Sepang International Circuit.

Re-energized after a good night?s sleep, Lorenzo adapted well to the morning?s cooler but still slippery track conditions and was quick to position himself at the front of the leaderboard. He rode consistent lap times in the 2?00, before turning the level up a notch further. Clearly feeling comfortable with the bike, the Spaniard dived under the two-minute mark with a hot lap of 1?59,902s, putting him in second place just 0,058s off the front.

Teammate Rossi was quick to find his pace in the morning. He took over the top spot from his teammate just one hour into the session with a 2?00.393s lap, making it a provisional ?Yamaha 1-2?. He spent the remaining hours further testing various items, but decided to stop early to save some new tyres for tomorrow. His best time today of 2?00.308s puts him in sixth place, just 0.464s off the front.


Jorge Lorenzo
2nd / 1'59.902 / 71 laps
?Today was much better. I was able to sleep for more than eight hours so I had much more energy than on the first day. For sure this influenced my performance. The bike was also better. I had a better understanding of how to ride it on slippery track conditions, so I was also able to improve my riding. My pace, apart from the last two hours, was almost all day in the 2?00 lap times. That?s similar to the previous test but with worse conditions, so I?m happy.?

Valentino Rossi
6th / 2'00.308 / 61 laps
?We did a lot of testing today. We tried some forks and especially concentrated on rear grip in acceleration to exit from the corner in the best way. We also continued to work on the gearbox and that still gives a good feeling. We will be ready for tomorrow, because that will be the important day. Tomorrow everybody will be at their maximum for the time attack and they can try to do a long run, so I think tomorrow will be very interesting to understand the pace of all the guys. It will be a good target to be a bit faster than the last test and I think we have to improve the lap times and our pace during the simulation.?


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director -

?Today the focus has been on the settings for both Jorge and Valentino. We worked on electronics and mechanics to give them the most comfortable position to be able to deliver consistent lap times. Jorge did a really good day; he had speed and also a good, consistent pace. This morning Vale unfortunately had some problems with a stomach bug but we are confident that he will be on form tomorrow. We have covered most of our testing requirements; tomorrow we have just a few items to check and of course a time attack and a race simulation. Fingers cross for no thunderstorms tomorrow.?


Smith increases the pace on day two in Malaysia
Bradley Smith continued his testing assault at the Sepang International circuit on day two by producing another encouraging performance to close the session in seventh position. The young British rider completed 50 laps around the famous Malaysian circuit and clocked his best time of 2?00.329 on the 49th lap at the end of the day. His performance highlighted a significant cut of nine tenths of a second from yesterday and saw him notably only 0.231 back from third position. Headway was made today after some constructive work by the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team with the English rider who will seek to maintain the positive momentum tomorrow as he grows more confident with the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 on every run.

Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro continued the vigorous testing of his Yamaha 2015 YZR-M1 today as he undertook 44 laps in the searing heat at the Sepang circuit. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion posted a best time of 2?00.689 on his eighth lap at the dawn of the test session, before eventually finishing in tenth position. Nevertheless, the Spaniard made steps forward and his time was quicker than yesterday?s best by almost two tenths of a second as he upholds his positive pre season form. Tomorrow, he will be back on track where he will proceed with his testing programme and seek to close the gap to the leader in lap times.


Bradley Smith
7th / 2'00.329 / 50 laps
"Today was a really positive day for me and the team. We began by doing a race simulation in the morning which was our main objective, in order to collect data and feedback. In addition, it was also so that I could understand the new 2015 Yamaha better and see how it handles during a race simulation with full fuel load or used tyres. The race run was very positive and I was able to stay consistently strong during the 20 laps, which indicates the team have done a good job and I have also with my training during the winter months. This afternoon I was able to improve the lap time and it was the closest that I have been to the front so far as I was just behind Valentino and 0.3 from Jorge, which is pleasing. Tomorrow we just need to continue with the testing programme and improving the bike. We are already doing a great job and are 95% there."

Pol Espargaro
10th / 2'00.689 / 44 laps
"Today was a tricky day for us, but I still remain positive and am ready to bounce back tomorrow. We actually began the day well and I put in a fast time quite close to the beginning of the session on the eighth lap. However, then we lost some time as we were trying some new settings and we couldn?t find the grip level that I needed to go faster in order to cut the gap to the leaders. Then at the beginning of the afternoon, I had a crash which really didn?t help matters at all and we lost valuable time because of it. Despite it being a challenging day, I am upbeat and we will keep the positive feeling from yesterday plus, use the data we collected today to close tomorrow on a high."


Work continues at Sepang for the Forward Racing team
Another day of work is over at Sepang for the Forward Racing team and its riders Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz.

Bradl and Baz continued the development work of their Forward Yamaha in view of the upcoming 2015 season and the race debut in Qatar. The German completed 58 laps and he managed to improve his lap time by more than a second compared to yesterday. Bradl ended the session in 16th place in the time sheet with a personal best of 2.01.131.

The day was more complicated for his team-mate who crashed, fortunately without consequences, in the morning session. The Frenchman has improved significantly compared to yesterday as he stopped the clock on 2.02.426, 24th in the overall standings.


Stefan Bradl
16th / 2.01.131 / 58 laps
"Like yesterday, I suffered some lack of grip particularly on the rear and on corner entry. The conditions are very different from the first test and this makes things more demanding for us. We tried several new solutions to better balance the bike and I'm sure tomorrow we will concentrate more on the lap time."

Loris Baz
24th / 2.02.426 / 37 laps
"This morning I was on track aiming to improve my performance. Unfortunately the track conditions are very different from the first test and this does not help me. At the end of the morning session I crashed, fortunately without consequences, but this has had an impact on today testing. In the afternoon I went back on the track, I was running on worn tires almost all the time to concentrate on the setup. Tomorrow will be the last day of work here in Sepang and we are confident we can do well."

Test Results - Day Two
1. Marc Marquez (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 1:59.844
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 1:59.902
3. Andrea Iannone (ITA), Ducati Team, 2:00.098
4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati Team, 2:00.250
5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 2:00.275
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2:00.308
7. Bradley Smith (GBR), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.329
8. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), CWM LCR Honda, 2:00.333
9. Aleix Espargaro (SPA), Team Suzuki MotoGP, 2:00.409
10. Pol Espargaro (SPA), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.689

16. Stefan Bradl (GER), Forward Racing Team, 2:01.131
24. Loris Baz (FRA), Forward Racing Team, 2:02.426

 

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SUZUKI MOTOGP CLOSES-IN ON SEPANG TOP TIMES

SUZUKI MotoGP continued its development of the GSX-RR at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia today and moved ever-closer to the leading times.

Aleix Espargaro completed 57 laps with a best time of 2:00.409 for ninth on combined times and 0.565 seconds from leader Marc Marquez (Honda). Team mate Maverick Vi?ales recorded 61 laps with a best time of 2:00.731 which gave him 12th position overall, 0.887 seconds from the top.

Although Vi?ales suffered a small crash, no damage was suffered by rider or machine. Both riders continue to gain more confidence and set-ups of their machines and will continue tomorrow with some longer race simulations runs.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?Today we have had another positive day because we could bring on our testing plan and we continued positively our learning process. The riders rode many laps today and this gave us the chance of discovering some issues on which we must work in order to be consistent in long runs like a race. Aleix in particular started a long run allowing us to collect important data, while Maverick continued to try some different set-up configurations and he?s learning fast how to feel the bike and give feedback to engineers. It?s a good thing to see that our times are good, closer and closer to the top. Tomorrow we will try further improvements but for the moment everything is going smoothly.?

Aleix Espargaro:

?I?m happy about the day, especially about the first part of the day. I found a good feeling from the very beginning and we immediately made good lap times. It is important to see that after five days here (including Sepang 1) we are getting closer and closer to the top.

?In the second part of the day we struggled a little with hotter conditions and we encountered some issue with the grip on the back so we need to work more on this. With my riding style I open the throttle early and when the tarmac gets hot we lose grip, so we need to fix it. The first part of the championship will not be in extremely hot weather conditions so we have time to find out a solution.

?We tried a race simulation, we had planned 17 laps in a row, but I had to give up a little earlier because my knee still hurts and I?m not at my 100%. However, the long run gave us important data. We still have two days to test, so we have time to work on the issues we are finding out.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?It was another positive day. I did many laps and I?m becoming more-and-more familiar with the bike and the setting opportunities. I had a little crash but it wasn?t bad, I?m ok and so is the bike, I simply slid off.

?My main objective is still to find out the most effective riding style, even if we are introducing new technical modifications in every run to let me understand how the machine reacts to them. I also tried a small race simulation, just to start approaching the long runs, but tomorrow we will do more testing on this side.?

Sepang Day 1-2 Combined Times: 1 Marc Marquez (Honda) 1:59.844, 2 Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1:59.902, 3 Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 2:00.098, 4 Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 2:00. 250, 5 Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2:00.275, 6 Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2:00.275. 9 Aleix Espargaro (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:00.409. 12 Maverick Vi?ales (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:00.731.

 

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Petrucci is fast and ends 11th. Hernandez completes 46 laps

Petrucci is fast and ends 11th. Hernandez completes 46 laps
Pramac Racing ended the second testing day at Sepang well with 11th place for Danilo Petrucci and positive indications from Yonny Hernandez.

Danilo Petrucci immediately showed a good feeling with the bike and managed to stay in the Top 10 until the last lap of the session. The Italian rider notched up a time of 2'00''713 which earned him 11th position, less than one second away from Marc Marquez's quickest time of the day (1'59''844). In the afternoon, as the temperature increased creating more difficult track conditions, Petrucci carried out set up work on his Desmosedici GP14 and managed to complete 56 laps.

Positive feedback also came from Yonny Hernandez whose physical condition is improving, and he managed to cut his Monday time by more than 1.5 seconds.
Hernandez ended with a laptime of 2'01''012, less then 4 tenths away from the Top 10. He has not completely recovered from injury yet but the pain did not prevent him from working hard and completing 46 laps.
Petrucci is fast and ends 11th. Hernandez completes 46 laps
Danilo Petrucci - Pramac Racing Team #9 - 2'00''713 (11?)
"A good day for me. I'm a little disappointed for missing out on the Top 10 at the chequered flag but Smith was lapping stronger and he deserved it. Maybe I could have done a little better trying to set my fastest lap but the telemetry showed that I made a mistake in the last corner. The position in the standings is less important than the laptime today. I could have ended 9th just by being two tenths faster: 14 riders are within a second of each other. I thank the team that has put me in the position to do a good job. Tomorrow we will go early on the track in qualifying conditions. My goal is the top 10 but I'd be happy to come back home with the same feelings I have now".

Yonny Hernandez - Pramac Racing Team #68 - 2'01''012 (15?)
?It has been a hard day for me. When I try to push to set my fastest lap I always feel a lot of pain. But I'm quite happy compared to yesterday. I know I have to work even harder than today. I need to lap a lot to fix the problem but at the same time I want to stay much higher in the timesheets. Today I managed to complete 46 laps, almost double than yesterday. And the pain is quite the same. That makes me think positive in view of the last testing day (with Bridgestone tyres) here at Sepang".

 

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APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI: SECOND DAY OF TESTING AT SEPANG

Sepang (Malaysia), 24 February 2015 - On the Sepang track, scorching from the almost 40?C temperatures, the MotoGP took on the second day of collective testing, the penultimate stop before getting down to business with the first round in Qatar scheduled for 29 March.

In the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini garage work continued non-stop on developing the RS-GP, the new project the Italian team will use - a year ahead of the originally announced schedule and simultaneous with efforts in WSBK, successfully launched at Phillip Island - to take on their rookie season in the top category of Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing. A lot of work was done again today on testing new material.

The two riders took on different strategies. While Alvaro Bautista, who knows the MotoGP class inside and out, continued looking for a basic setup, both in terms of chassis and electronics, Marco Melandri tackled the day by continuing his comparison of the two bikes with different characteristics, one decidedly closer to the SBK Marco rode until last year, and the other an evolution of the RS-GP in the version used during the autumn tests in Spain. For Marco the goal is to find the right feeling with the new tyres, an inevitable process before being able to push hard.

At the end of the day, with 40 laps put in, Alvaro Bautista, who tested various evolutionary steps of the RS-GP, collected some important data by exploring some solutions, especially where the chassis is concerned, which are very different than the "base" which had been established up to now. The sensations Alvaro gathered will now be analysed by Aprilia mechanics and translated based on the day tomorrow, the last day on the track with Bridgestone tyres.



ALVARO BAUTISTA

?Days like today are important when you're developing a new project. With a few changes to the electronics yesterday we were able to take a small step forward from our last tests, whereas today we focused on the chassis, especially working on improving performance going into turns. We tested a lot of new details and although the time sheets don't bear it out, the tests gave us some hints to analyse for the future. Tomorrow the plan is to go back to the base setup that I prefer and put in a long run where we'll be able to see how the bike performs as the tyres wear.?

In the number 33 garage the session unwound going over what had been done yesterday, continuing the comparison between the decidedly different two bikes. This was a choice made for two reasons: to give Marco time to gain familiarity with the technical characteristics of the new materials without putting any pressure on him, and to combine the positive aspects of the information collected on both solutions in order to define the evolution of the RS-GP project.

MARCO MELANDRI

?Today we continued the work we started yesterday, starting with the SBK derived bike and then moving on to the RS-GP. Unfortunately the time sheets are still not rewarding us. I still don't have that feeling that will let me push and ride the way I'd like to. We aren't struggling in any particular area; it's just the overall feeling that needs to improve before we'll be able to get our times down. Tomorrow we'll continue the tests. I'm certainly not expecting a revolution, but any improvement will be crucial.?

 

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Marquez back in the groove and fastest with Pedrosa 5th

Day two of the second Sepang test has concluded with Repsol Honda?s Marc Marquez back at the top of the time sheets with teammate Dani Pedrosa finishing the day in 5th.
After a difficult first day, where he was unable to work properly due to an issue with the brakes, Marc was keen to get to work on his test programme. It wasn?t long before the reigning World Champion was out in front, becoming the first rider in this second test to lap under 2?00 just before midday. He spent the day working on electronics amongst other items and recorded his fastest lap of 1?59.844 on lap 22 of 63. He had a small crash in the afternoon at turn four, but thankfully remained uninjured. Dani continued to work on suspension settings and set his fastest lap of 2?00.275 on lap 36 of 57.

The three-day test will conclude tomorrow and will be followed by the first test by Factory riders on Michelin tyres in preparation for 2016.

Marc Marquez
1ST 1?59.844 (63 LAPS)
"I'm happy because today was a positive day. After what happened yesterday, we tried to make up for lost time and tried out quite a few things. Tomorrow we have to continue testing things out, in order to continue developing and eliminating anything that is not going to be useful. Today we focused on electronics and tomorrow we will work more on the chassis. I'm happy with how things went today and with the pace that we have achieved. We'll see if tomorrow the rain holds off all day, because we need good weather."

Dani Pedrosa
5TH 2?00.275 (57 LAPS)
?Today we focused on the bike's suspension. We have been testing many different configurations looking to find a good setup. I'm happy with the hard work we have done today. Although it was very hot, we put in a lot of laps and at the end of the day we found a small step, which is positive. We still have many things to improve, but we have progressed and are already in good shape. I am getting more confidence with the bike and have a better feeling with the tyres. In addition, we have identified the good and bad points so I think that at future tests and races we can continue to develop consistently, which is good."

Results Session
Weather: Overcast / Dry | Humidity: 63% | Track Temp: 52?C | Air Temp: 33?C

Pos - Rider - Num - Nation - Team - Time/Gap
1 - MARQUEZ Marc - 93 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 1?59.844
2 - LORENZO Jorge - 99 - SPA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1?59.902
3 - IANNONE Andrea - 29 - ITA - Ducati Team - 2?00.098
4 - DOVIZIOSO Andrea - 4 - ITA - Ducati Team - 2?00.250
5 - PEDROSA Dani - 26 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 2?00.275
6 - ROSSI Valentino - 46 - ITA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 2?00.308
7 - SMITH Bradley - 38 - GBR - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 2?00.329
8 - CRUTCHLOW Cal - 35 - GBR - CWM LCR Honda - 2?00.333
9 - ESPARGARO Aleix - 41 - SPA - Team Suzuki MotoGP - 2?00.409
10 - ESPARGARO Pol - 44 - SPA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 2?00.689
11 - PETRUCCI Danilo - 9 - ITA - Pramac Racing - 2?00.713
12 - VINALES Maverick - 25 - SPA - Team Suzuki MotoGP - 2?00.731
13 - REDDING Scott - 45 - GBR - Marc VDS Racing Team - 2?00.762
14 - BARBERA Hector - 8 - SPA - Avintia Racing - 2?00.847
15 - HERNANDEZ Yonny - 68 - COL - Pramac Racing - 2?01.012
16 - BRADL Stefan - 6 - GER - NGM Forward Racing - 2?01.131
17 - HAYDEN Nicky - 69 - USA - Drive M7 Aspar - 2?01.633
18 - PIRRO Michele - 51 - ITA - Ducati Team - 2?01.897
19 - LAVERTY Eugene - 50 - IRE - Drive M7 Aspar - 2?01.944
20 - ABRAHAM Karel - 17 - CZE - Cardion AB Motoracing - 2?01.945
21 - MILLER Jack - 43 - AUS - CWM LCR Honda - 2?01.968
22 - DI MEGLIO Mike - 63 - FRA - Avintia Racing - 2?02.006
23 - BAUTISTA Alvaro - 19 - SPA - Factory Aprilia Gresini - 2?02.221
24 - BAZ Loris - 76 - FRA - NGM Forward Racing - 2?02.426
25 - DE ANGELIS Alex - 15 - RSM - NGM Forward Racing - 2?02.499
26 - NAKASUGA Katsuyuki - T1 - JPN - Yamaha Test Team - 2?02.755
27 - MELANDRI Marco - 33 - ITA - Factory Aprilia Gresini - 2?04.313

Supplied by Repsol Honda Team

 

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POSITIVE THREE-DAY TEST FOR SUZUKI AT SEPANG

SUZUKI MotoGP concluded the third and final day of official testing at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia today satisfied with progress and developments made to the GSX-RR.

Team riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vi?ales tested a variety of parts and set-up options that provided the team with important data to take forward to the next test at Losail in Qatar next month.

Today?s session, held in air temperatures of 32? and 60? track, saw Espargaro complete 50 laps with a best time of 2:00.275, giving him ninth position on the day. Vi?ales completed 43 laps with a fastest-lap of 2:00.604 for 14th on the timesheets.

Satoru Terada - Team Director/ Project Leader:

?We arrived at this test in Sepang only a short time after Sepang 1, so we haven?t had the chance to make very big improvements, but our engineers worked very hard and we managed to introduce several new specifications. Even if small, we did make positive steps forward, both in the engine and especially in electronics. We?ve also worked on the chassis and found good compromises on the set-up, so I?m very happy with how these days went.

?The riders had two small crashes but without major injuries and no particular damage to the bikes, so we had time to collect information. We will now go to Qatar with more improvements to be tested step-by-step.?

Aleix Espargaro:

?We are satisfied with today?s results, we ran a lot in hot conditions because yesterday we had some issues with those conditions with more than 50 laps. Today we ran a lot with 60? closing laps in 2.01. I?m very, very happy with the improvements on the pace. I?m missing the fast lap because with the two soft tyres I made a couple of mistakes.

?The bike is very improved, we worked a lot on electronic set-up and to find a better configuration of the traction control, which gave good results and let us cut one second off our time. We also worked on traction out of corners and it was important to verify the bike?s behaviour in hot conditions because they are similar to race conditions. We still have a lot of work to do but I?m confident and aware that I?m in a Factory team with a lot of people working hard to do the best job.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?I leave Sepang with a very good feeling and satisfaction and we did a very good job without any major issues. I managed to improve my times a lot, both in the fast laps and the overall pace. I?m learning more and more about the bike, we made some changes in terms of set-up and electronics and I?m learning how to exploit them.

?Today I tried to get a good single lap time, but didn?t want to push too hard like I did yesterday when I crashed, so we focused more on consistency and we worked on the pace; we also got very important feedback from the bike which we can work on. I?m still a rookie, so I still need to understand so many things about the bike, but I?m performing well and my performance is improving day by day.?

Sepang Day 3 Test Times: 1 Marc Marquez (Honda) 1:59.115, 2 Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1:59.437, 3 Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 1:59.658, 4 Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 1:59.722, 5 Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1:59.833, 6 Bradley Smith (Yamaha) 1:59.883. 9 Aleix Espargaro (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:00.275. 14 Maverick Vi?ales (SUZUKI MotoGP) 2:00.604.

 

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Smith concludes Sepang 2 in top form

Bradley Smith completed the final day of testing at the Sepang International circuit with a confident and notable run to 6th in the combined standings, as he made his MotoGP rivals clear of his intentions for the 2015 season. The British rider had been meticulously testing the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 across the three days in Malaysia as he made the necessary changes to the setup in preparation for the all important season opener in Qatar at the end of March. After making the setup adjustments, Smith launched into a hot run today and clocked a best time of 1?59.883 on his 9th lap, expertly dipping below the exclusive 2-minute bracket. This time was a cut of almost a second and a half from his opening performance on Monday and even more impressively, he was only two tenths back from third position in what was a superb and high flying close to the test, after completing 41 laps on the final day.

Meanwhile Pol Espargaro rounded off the Sepang 2 test by finishing in 11th position in the standings after a determined effort on the final day, despite a crash in the morning which disrupted his plans. However, the young Spaniard posted a best time of 2?00.490 on his 13th lap, as he undertook a total of 37 in the searing heat of Malaysia. This result was an improvement of four tenths of second from day one and the young Spaniard powered onwards to post 126 laps across the three days. The 2013 Moto2 world champion now looks optimistically towards the next test in Qatar on the 14th-16th of March for the final test outing before the 18 race MotoGP season gets into full swing.


Bradley Smith Bradley Smith
Position : 6th Time : 1'59.883 Laps : 41
Smith - Sepang - 2015"It was a good final day for me, especially to finish in the top 6. The team and I had more or less completed all of our test plans yesterday, but there were a few small things we needed to try today with the electronics and the clutch. So we tested three different ideas, with two of them being definitely an improvement. It?s these little changes that can make a different in the race. I am pleased to say that I did a 1?59 lap time, which was my objective for this test and it?s positive that I could achieve this. The bike now has a very good base setup, so next we will go to Qatar which is a completely different track and see if we can use the base setup we made here, at Losail. All in all, it was a good test. We?re close to being the top satellite bike but Cal is a bit faster, however our pace has been competitive and I am happy with the job the team and I have done here."
Pol Espargaro
Position : 11th Time : 2'00.490 Laps : 37
Espargaro - Sepang - 2015"Today was a bit of a tricky day for me. The feeling I had when I first went out on track was good and I was sure of having a positive day. I had just put on a new tyre to go for a fast lap time, but I was disrupted by a slow rider on track. I had to pass him with a quite risky move and unfortunately I ended up crashing. This was at the worst possible time because it was when the track was perfect in terms of temperature. Because bike 1 needed repairing, I went out on the second bike, but any chance of improving didn?t come easily for me and I had to stop shortly after because the track was so hot that the conditions were difficult to ride on. Once things had cooled down, we had some technical issues that slowed us again and after everything, there was only half an hour right at the end of the day where I could ride again. Having said that, after falling in the morning, I did not want to push too hard and end up worse, so we limited ourselves to ensuring that everything was working properly again without pushing. It?s a big shame that we weren?t able to finish our test schedule as we had planned. Anyway, next up is Qatar and we are equipped with lots of information and ideas for improvements after 5 days in Sepang, plus I am eager to roll on to another circuit, although there is still one more day of testing here, where we will test the 2016 Michelin tyres."

 

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MotoGP season started in furious pace, Abraham is one second faster than he was in fall

Second round of three-day testing in Sepang showed that this year's MotoGP would be extremely competitive. Karel Abraham's maximum of winter tests 2015 would be enough for the best tenth during the qualifying for MotoGP race in fall. Nevertheless the Czech rider is standing now with time 2:01,539 at the end of the second tenth.
Karel?s ambition is to get closer to sixteen bikes with factory option and top ?open? riders at final pre-season test in Qatar.
Karel Abraham
"Despite the fact that air temperature was about 40 degrees, track about 60 or it was raining, we can be satisfied. Honestly, I?m looking forward to next session in Qatar, where we will be able to test in mild and stable weather. Anyway, we made a lot of work here and we found good basic setting to work on. New engine from Honda is great and we noticed a significant improvement. At this moment only the electronics seems to be a limiting factor of the bike. However, we have to deal with it. Now it is clear that this year the competition in MotoGP will be the strongest I remember. Gaps between riders are minimized, and we cut lap times a lot compared to last Sepang race."
Marco Grana
, Cardion AB chief mechanic
?We have to measure our result from two points of view. We can be very satisfied with time we achieved. Even we had only started to set new bike, we were able to cut one second from our qualifying time from last year?s Sepang race. Collaboration with mechanics from Showa and Nissin is excellent and I believe that we found good basic setup for the season. On the other hand we must look on the lap time within contemporary results. Our lap time would be enough in autumn, but now we are 21st. We are not satisfied with this but we must to take whole picture. The fact is, that Karel is actually second fastest rider on Honda in open class and he is losing to Nicky Hayden only seven tenths. And we know we can be faster. Karel hasn't made a perfect lap yet, even in the fastest one he made some mistakes. We are learning to work with the new material ? Showa suspension and Nissin brakes. So we can be optimists. I believe that it is realistic to get on better position in Qatar."

 

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Second testing session at Sepang Circuit ended with positive indications for Pramac Racing

Second testing session at Sepang Circuit ended with positive indications for Pramac Racing
The third day of the second winter test at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia, ended up with further progress made by Yonny Hernandez and Danilo Petrucci. Both Pramac Racing Team riders managed to improve their quickest times set in the first two days, finishing respectively in 12th and 13th place, less than one and two-tenths away from the Top 10.

After a few laps dedicated to getting confident with the bike, Danilo Petrucci went back on track for his time attack. The Italian lowered his fastest lap recorded yesterday by two-tenths, ending up with a time of 2'00.556 which earned him 12th position, 88 milliseconds away from 10th place. In the afternoon, the rider from Terni worked on the bike set-up increasing his feeling - that has improved a lot in the two tests in Malaysia - and finishing the session with 57 laps completed.

Yonny Hernandez also ended his third day of testing with a smile on his face. In the morning the Colombian rider found a good pace, gritting his teeth due to shoulder pain that forced him to undergo continuous therapy during the day. The fastest time set in the late afternoon on the 45th of 46 laps completed, showed that his physical condition has improved over the three days at Sepang Circuit. Yonny finished his first test session of 2015 on the Desmosedici GP14.2 with a laptime of 2'00.603 (13th place at 135 milliseconds from the Top 10) that allowed him to look forward with confidence to the next round of tests in Qatar scheduled for 13-16 March.
Second testing session at Sepang Circuit ended with positive indications for Pramac Racing
Danilo Petrucci - Pramac Racing Team #9 - 2'00''556 (12?)
"I am very happy with the work done today and in this second session of tests. I thank the team because we continue to improve, making almost all the right choices. At the end of the day with hard tyres I almost lowered the laptime set with the soft one. And I can say I regret not having had the soft tyre in the afternoon. But this is just a small detail: I'm glad becouse I found a good feeling with the bike lapping constantly around 2'00.8 with the hard tyres. Lap after lap I began to understand, even looking at the data of the two Ducati riders from which I'm learning a lot. My goal for Qatar is to find a costant pace because the time for testing is almost over. I thank again my team and also the Ducati technicians: they are helping me a lot?.

Yonny Hernandez - Pramac Racing Team #68 - 2'00''603 (13?)
"I am very happy because I was able to improve day by day even if the shoulder pain is still strong especially when I try to push to set the fast time. I need to work and do a lot of therapy on the shoulder to get to 100% in Qatar. But I'm pleased with the improvements here in Sepang. The fastest lap in the afternoon? Yes, I managed to do well but I'm still missing strength in my arm pushing hard to ride the bike the it must be ridden. I still ended the test without any incident and that's a good indication. This was the first real opportunity to ride the GP14.2 and my impressions are very good. With the soft tyre the bike proves to be much faster than last year's bike and with the hard tyres I really feel more confident?.

 

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THREE DAYS OF TESTS AT SEPANG, NEW MATERIALS AND NEW SETUPS TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE APRILIA MOTOGP BIKE

Sepang (Malaysia), 25 February 2015 - Three intense days for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini on the Sepang track. At the second testing session on the Malaysian circuit the team turned up with a lot of material and new solutions to try out on the track in view of the upcoming MotoGP season. They worked almost entirely on intermediate steps between the first version of the RS-GP, tested in the autumn sessions at Valencia and Jerez, and the more advanced version that was placed on the track in the first Sepang tests in early February.

The stated goal was to choose the definitive materials and solutions for the bikes which will d?but at the Qatar GP on 29 March.

For the engine the refinement process of the V4 with pneumatic valve timing continued. This is a unit which made a brief appearance at the Valencia tests and then gradually became more reliable and complete in terms of electronic management. There is still much work to be done, but the information gathered at Sepang will be fundamental for the choices the mechanics and riders will make.

Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri put in a total of 257 laps (135 for Alvaro and 122 for Marco). During the three days Marco also tested a bike which was quite close to the SBK that he rode last season with the goal of finding the right feeling on the new tyres.

But on this third and final day, Marco Melandri also focused exclusively on the intermediate version of the RS-GP, while Alvaro even took on some long runs, seeking to improve his feeling with the Aprilia even more. This did not keep him from continuing to change the bike and from putting a good time on the sheets (2?01.310) as demonstration of the quality and the quantity of the work done.

Now the engineers at Noale will have time to examine the information gathered and take the final decisions.

ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)

?I'm quite pleased with the tests because we confirmed how well balanced our bike is, also highlighting the exact direction we need to take in development, both in terms of chassis and electronics. We didn't have any particular problems with reliability and that is comforting. Another positive note is that our race pace during simulations is encouraging, even more than our flying lap times. This morning a small problem kept Alvaro from further improving his best lap. He could have shaved a little more off but overall the result of these tests is definitely encouraging. We were able to complete all of the scheduled tests and in the coming days we'll have a look at things and decide which direction to take for Qatar.?

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)

?These were three intense days where we were able to complete a lot of tests in various areas of the bike, from the setup to the frame and even the electronics and engine. All in all even our riders' time sheets improved compared to the previous Sepang 1 tests and that's a sign that little by little we are moving forward and improving. We also gathered some more precious information that will allow us to keep working on development at home whilst waiting to get back on the track for the last test in Qatar before the opening round. Alvaro's time is satisfactory and so is Marco's, although still far off the mark. At the end of this final day he started to get a more positive feeling. We are working to give him what he needs and to put him at ease.?

ALVARO BAUTISTA

?This last day was a positive one. After testing various solutions over the last few days today we focused on the base setting that I liked the best. This morning we improved our best lap straight away, taking another important step forward. Another fundamental test was the new 340 millimetre brake discs, a modifications that I got used to right away but that also required some further settings on the bike. This afternoon, at the hottest time of the day, we took our long run and I must say that I immediately felt good riding with a full tank. I'm starting to have fun and that is essential. I had to stop because of a small problem with a wheel and then we got back on the track and even with a used tyre we had a good pace. After the long run we also compared some new material that we didn't have before, specifically looking for better traction. These are all positive tests looking toward the Qatar test sessions, because a lot of ideas came out in terms of development. At the end of the day I'm satisfied. I want to thank all the guys at Aprilia because they did a great job these last three days. We all want to improve more in the next tests!?

MARCO MELANDRI

?In these three days we did a lot of hard work in terms of comparison tests to find that feeling that I have been missing up to now. We took laps to analyse various solutions, even with a bike similar to the one that I rode last year, precisely to gather as much information as possible. We were able to find some good things, but it wasn't enough to let me ride as I'd like to and our times show just how much work is still left to do. Now we'll analyse the results of these tests and decide the best way focus our future efforts.?

 

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Repsol Honda conclude test with Marquez top and Pedrosa 7th

The second official test in Malaysia has concluded with World Champion Marc Marquez fastest after three days, and teammate Dani Pedrosa in 7th.

The riders wasted no time in taking to the Sepang track this morning at 10am and the customary time attack ensued whilst track conditions and ambient temperatures are more bearable. With several riders posting times under 2?00, Marc laid down the fastest lap with his time of 1?59.115 on lap 13 of 73 (the most laps by any rider today) and this time remained unbeaten for the remainder of this final day. He evaluated two chassis options and worked on engine mapping before completing a very positive race simulation this afternoon with only three laps above 2?00.

Teammate Dani Pedrosa spent this final day concentrating on electronics settings and completed 51 laps. He was one of only two riders (himself and Hernandez) to improve their time from this morning in the late afternoon. His fastest time of 1?59.912 on lap 49 placed him 7th overall.
It?s been a very productive test for the Repsol Honda riders, who have collected important data for the HRC engineers to take back to Japan. Tomorrow the Factory riders will remain in Sepang for their first outing on Michelin tyres in preparation for the 2016 season, before returning to Europe for some recovery time ahead of the final test in Qatar, scheduled from the 14-16 March.

Marc Marquez
1ST 1'59.115 (73 LAPS)
"I'm happy because this morning we set a good lap, which is something important, but mostly I am pleased that we have completed all the work we had left pending from the first day. We're finished today with our homework done and I even had time to do a race simulation this afternoon, with a track temperature of 49?C. We have accomplished all the objectives we had set for this test, and now at the Qatar test our work will be more focused on the Grand Prix and fine tuning the setup of the bike. I do not think there are many more new things to try."

Dani Pedrosa
7TH 1'59.912 (51 LAPS)
"Overall this second test went well. Today we were trying many different combinations for the electronics setup and we have managed to take a few positive steps forward. Obviously we still need to improve some things, but the good thing is that we are clearer about the setup we have to use and the areas in which we need to make further progress at the next test. It's been a pretty intense few days and now we have to try to adapt our findings in the best way we can, in order to continue progressing at the next test and the races."

Results Session

Pos. - Rider - Num - Nation - Team - Time/Gap
1 - MARQUEZ Marc - 93 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 1?59.115
2 - LORENZO Jorge - 99 - SPA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1?59.437
3 - CRUTCHLOW Cal - 35 - GBR - CWM LCR Honda - 1?59.658
4 - IANNONE Andrea - 29 - ITA - Ducati Team - 1?59.722
5 - ROSSI Valentino - 46 - ITA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1?59.833
6 - SMITH Bradley - 38 - GBR - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1?59.883
7 - PEDROSA Dani - 26 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 1?59.912
8 - BARBERA Hector - 8 - SPA - Avintia Racing - 2?00.244
9 - ESPARGARO Aleix - 41 - SPA - Team Suzuki MotoGP - 2?00.275
10 - DOVIZIOSO Andrea - 4 - ITA - Ducati Team - 2?00.468
11 - ESPARGARO Pol - 44 - SPA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 2?00.490
12 - PETRUCCI Danilo - 9 - ITA - Pramac Racing - 2?00.556
13 - HERNANDEZ Yonny - 68 - COL - Pramac Racing - 2?00.603
14 - VINALES Maverick - 25 - SPA - Team Suzuki MotoGP - 2?00.604
15 - BRADL Stefan - 6 - GER - NGM Forward Racing - 2?00.685
16 - REDDING Scott - 45 - GBR - Marc VDS Racing Team - 2?00.695
17 - HAYDEN Nicky - 69 - USA - Drive M7 Aspar - 2?00.813
18 - PIRRO Michele - 51 - ITA - Ducati Team - 2?00.875
19 - BAUTISTA Alvaro - 19 - SPA - Factory Aprilia Gresini - 2?01.310
20 - DI MEGLIO Mike - 63 - FRA - Avintia Racing - 2?01.487
21 - ABRAHAM Karel - 17 - CZE - Cardion AB Motoracing - 2?01.536
22 - MILLER Jack - 43 - AUS - CWM LCR Honda - 2?01.593
23 - LAVERTY Eugene - 50 - IRE - Drive M7 Aspar - 2?01.815
24 - BAZ Loris - 76 - FRA - NGM Forward Racing - 2?02.587
25 - DE ANGELIS Alex - 15 - RSM - NGM Forward Racing - 2?03.300
26 - NAKASUGA Katsuyuki - T1 - JPN - Yamaha Test Team - 2?03.448
27 - MELANDRI Marco - 33 - ITA - Factory Aprilia Gresini - 2?03.569

 

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Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Completes Second Sepang Test

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team has wrapped up the second official test of the 2015 season today at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi have spent the three days of riding working through a number of testing elements, an update to the gearbox and some intensive work on their YZR-M1 set ups.

Today?s last day of testing was the toughest for the riders as they focused on a time attack in the morning before starting a full race distance simulation in the afternoon in the hotter temperatures.

Lorenzo scored his fastest lap of the day in the morning with a 1?59.437 to slot into second on the timing sheets, 0.322s from first, a position he held until the end of the day. The time is his fastest of both this and the previous Sepang test. Finally the heat proved too extreme for him to be comfortable and it was decided to wrap up for the day having not completed the race simulation.

Rossi?s fastest time from the cooler morning session was a 1?59.833, putting him in fifth place, 0.718s from the top, where he stayed to the end of the day?s riding. Like his teammate Lorenzo, Rossi also suffered in the afternoon session and was unable to find a set up that worked well enough to complete the race simulation.

The team will now return to Europe whilst the engineers return to Japan to process the data and take another step forward in the direction of the 2015 YZR-M1. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP will regroup in Qatar for the final pre-season test and opening race of the season at the end of March.


Jorge Lorenzo
2nd / 1'59.437 / 73 laps
?Well today I got the best lap time in Sepang ever for me, two tenths faster than the first test. The track was in worse condition than before so the bike has improved quite a bit. Also we made a lot of laps in the 2?00 time. At 3:30pm we tried a race simulation in the highest temperature I?ve ever ridden here in Sepang; it was really difficult to keep a good lap time and pace, the bike felt not so good with so much temperature. I decided to stop as I wasn't feeling confident in braking. Everyone did a simulation at this time of day so I think they all had problems also. In general I think it's been a very positive test and our engineers have collected enough information and data to make further improvements for the next test in Qatar and especially for the first race of the season, at the end of March. I look forward to getting on board my M1 in two weeks while in the meantime I will keep on working and training hard, as usual, for the best possible start of the season.?

Valentino Rossi
5th / 1'59.833 / 59 laps
?At the end it has been a positive test. I?m not very happy about my position and my lap time as I wasn't able to make a good lap, I always had traffic and didn't have the right moment to push. I think I could have been faster and in the top three. We continued to work with the gearbox and settings and we worked with the used tyres, where we still have to improve with the new bike. Now it will be very interesting to understand our level in another track as the balance between manufacturers can change there. I?m very curious about Qatar and how competitive we are for the first race.?


Kouji Tsuya - 2015 Yamaha YZR-M1 Project Leader

?We have finished this second test at Sepang in a successfully way. Here in Malaysia we have tested especially an updated gearbox both with Valentino and Jorge and we?ve got good results and very good feedback from both riders, similar that we expected. We have worked well during these three days of testing and we have successfully completed our test plan without any issues. Obviously there are things yet to improve but I think it was a great beginning. I would like to thank both riders for the great efforts they put on track testing new components. We could get good feedback and data, enabling us to make further improvements in the near future so now we just have to keep on working very hard by full power and be ready at the next test in Qatar. We want to win the opening race also at Losail, to cheers from all Yamaha fans all over the world!?


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

?During the morning everything went well and lap times were good. When we started the race simulation in the afternoon the circuit conditions were much hotter and the bike behaved completely differently. As a result we were unable to find a pace we were happy with. The engineers will now take the data away from these three days and work to find a solution for the hotter temperatures for our next time on track. Overall we are satisfied with the majority of our testing, the riders have worked extremely hard as have all the team members. We are confident we will be fighting fit and ready in Qatar.?