The Ducati Marlboro Team began their final MotoGP test session of the year today, ahead of the testing ban that gets underway on 1st December 2008 and runs until 20th January 2009. Recent Ducati signing Nicky Hayden lapped alongside factory test rider Vittoriano Guareschi, with team-mate Casey Stoner watching from pit wall. The Australian, who has stayed in Europe for the first phase of his recovery from an operation on his left wrist on the 30th October, was keen to link up with the team at the test, albeit as a spectator. An x-ray on the joint carried out in Modena yesterday was positive and Stoner will be able to start light training in around two weeks’ time. Despite bright sunshine in the south of Spain, low track temperatures prevented the riders from taking to the track until lunchtime today. Hayden was still able to rack up 69 laps, improving his feeling with the bike on each outing and ending the day as the 10th fastest rider on track.
Nicky Hayden - 1:42.098 (69 Runden): “It has been nice to get back on the bike and get on with the job in decent conditions. The new surface is perfect, the bumps have disappeared and the grip improved with every lap. They’ve done a great job here at Jerez. I’m quite happy with my feeling with the bike. The lap times came down with virtually every outing and that’s positive, even though I’m still clearly a good way off the pace. We’ve got a lot of work ahead but the team is really close and we know that bike has the potential, so all we can do is keep working. Both tyre specs that we tried today worked well, although the softer one was obviously the preferable option in these temperatures. They’ve got no problem in terms of durability and I’m slowly starting to get used to the feeling the Bridgestones give back. Hopefully the good weather continues tomorrow.”
Casey Stoner: “Yesterday the doctors told me that everything is going okay with my wrist, now I must wait and see. With the new cast they did yesterday I will be able to start some training on a pushbike so that is positive. In a few days I’ll be heading back to Australia and it will be nice to be home for a while. It was a very strange feeling to be watching today instead of riding. This is probably the longest period I’ve gone without riding a bike at all since I was three years old! I’ll definitely have a lot of motivation to get back on track in February. It is good to watch the bikes on track together with my engineers and then speak about it with Filippo (Preziosi) and Nicky, to share our feelings and see what we can do to improve our machine for next season.”
Niccolò Canepa – 1:42.074 (50 Runden): “I am very satisfied by the lap times registered today because we haven’t done any modification on the chassis of the bike. We started with a good base set up and I preferred to don’t touch the bike to first understand its reactions in each part of the circuit. The bike has surely improved compared to last year. Tomorrow, if the weather conditions will allow us, we will try to make some modification on the set up of the bike to improve even more my feeling with it.”
Mika Kallio – 1:42.837 (64 Runden): “This is the second time on a MotoGP bike and I can consider my self quite happy on how things went. Lap times aren’t great, but at the moment this isn’t the priority. First of all I have to know the bike better. We have done a good amount of laps and I hope to do even more tomorrow because is really important for us. I have a good relationship with the Team and I am very happy to begin this adventure.”
Rundenzeiten Jerez-Tests Tag 1:
1. [2] Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda - 1:39.525
2. [46] Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha - 1:40.135
3. [48] Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha - 1:41.163
4. [5] Colin Edwards USA Tech3 Yamaha - 1:41.390
5. [3] Alex de Angelis RSM Honda Gresini - 1:41.468
…
9. [88] Niccolò Canepa ITA Alice DUCATI - 1:42.074
10. [69] Nicky Hayden USA DUCATI Marlboro - 1:42.098
11. [36] Mika Kallio FIN Alice DUCATI - 1:42.837
12. [59] Sete Gibernau SPA DUCATI Onde2000 - 1:42.943
13. [22] Vittoriano Guareschi ITA DUCATI Test Team - 1:43.642
Rundenrekord: Dani Pedrosa Honda (2008) - 1:40.116
Pole Rekord: Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (2008) - 1:38.189
