MOTOGP TEST AT SEPANG DAY 1: MARCO SIGNS THE FASTEST TIME
Sepang (Malaysia), Tuesday 14th of February 2006 - The Fortuna
Honda riders are back at work for the third round of test
in preparation on the 2006 season. There is no doubt that
this three-day test session will be very important to confirm
the work done so far. The teams have in fact all the reference
data on this track as they tested here with the new bike at
the end of January.
The first day of testing was characterized by hot temperatures
in the morning and a light rain in the afternoon that forced
the riders to stop in the garage. They could go back on track
for only a short time before 06.00 p.m..
A crash without consequences in the morning didn't stop Fortuna
Honda rider Marco Melandri to continue working in the afternoon,
signing today's fastest time (2'01"65). In total, the
Italian rider completed 74 laps.
His team mate Toni Elias continued to do experience with
the RC211V. The young Spanish rider still needs to do as many
kilometres as possible in order to feel more comfortable on
the bike.
MARCO MELANDRI (74 laps , 2'01"65):
"We still have a lot of work to do on the new bike. The
positive point is that I'm quite fast on the single lap whereas
we don't have enough traction to have the rhythm I'd like
to have for the race."
TONI ELIAS (65 laps, 2'03"51): "I'm
not happy. At the moment the feeling with the bike is not
the one I'd like to have. I need more time on the bike, I
need to run a lot of kilometres and to feel more comfortable.
Tomorrow I will start working with Michelin technicians for
some tyre testing. I'm confident that this will help me a
lot to find a better feeling and to improve my rhythm."
Temperature: 29°-34° the air temperature, 33°-45°
the asphalt temperature
UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES
1.M.Melandri (Honda) 2 01 65
2. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2 01 89
3. C. Edwards (Yamaha) 2 02 00
4. J. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2 02 15
5. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2 02 20
6. L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2 02 64
7. R.De Puniet (Kawasaki) 2 02 75
8. N. Hayden (Honda) 2 02 86
9. C. Checa (Yamaha) 2 03 40
10. C. Stoner (Honda) 2 03 40
11. T. Elias (Honda) 2.03.51
12. S. Gibernau (Ducati) 2 03 51
13. K. Roberts (KR Honda) 2 03 58
14. M.Tamada (Honda) 2 03 66
15. S. Nakano (Kawasaki) 2 04 02
16. C. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2 04 10
17. Hofmann Ducati 2 05 40
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