After the second session of pre-season MotoGP testing at Sepang International Circuit ended Friday, Valentino Rossi was on top again as he was for every test this year.
This time the Italian posted an incredible 2:00.271 at the Malaysian track, almost three-tenths of a second faster than his qualifying time for pole position in the 2009 Sepang GP.
“I'm really happy to have beaten my pole record,” the Fiat Yamaha rider said. “It's a good feeling to be this fast in testing. I did this with an old tire but we also got the chance to try a very good new tire from Bridgestone today, which I hope we will use from the first race. Our bike is in great shape; we need to do a bit more work on the electronics but in general everything is better, especially the rear grip and the engine. Yamaha have been very clever in developing this new bike whilst keeping the best parts of the old one.”
But the quickness on the motorcycle track doesn’t stop there. Along with Rossi, three other riders tested under the 2:01 mark: Ducati Marlboro riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden, and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards.
And in the top five were the only Americans racing in MotoGP this year, Hayden, Edwards and the MotoGP rookie Ben Spies.
Stoner finished with a 2:00.512 time, and Hayden a 2:00.703; both reported the new engines and swingarms on the Desmosedici GP10 prototypes helped improve their times, Hayden’s lap over 1.5 seconds faster than his fastest on the first day of testing during session two.
Edwards finished the second pre-season session with the best of 2:00.988, almost a second faster than his Thursday times when the American reported electronical problems. Coming in fifth fastest was Edwards teammate, the 2009 World Superbike Champion Spies, who piloted his YZR-M1 to a 2:01.014.
“It has been a positive test for me again because I have been able to improve my lap time by quite a bit,” the Texan said. “I'm 0.8s quicker than yesterday so that is a good step in the right direction.”
Considering the tight competition between Rossi and his teammate Jorge Lorenzo during 2009, it’s worth noting that there may have been another Yamaha in the top five. Lorenzo missed the second session of practice due to injuries from a Motocross accident near Barcelona; the Spaniard may also miss the third and final session of the reduced schedule of pre-season testing at Qatar March 18-19.
Day 2 of second pre-season testing at Sepang:
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team, 2:00.271 (39 laps)
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2:00.512 (33 laps)
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2:00.703 (42 laps)
4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.988 (35 laps)
5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:01.014 (44 laps)
6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.320 (50 laps)
7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team, 2:01.439 (46 laps)
8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 2:01.478 (57 laps)
9. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten Honda MotoGP, 2:01.692 (50 laps)
10. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.732 (25 laps)
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP, 2:01.980 (58 laps)
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini, 2:02.078 (60 laps)
13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Paginas Amarillas Ducati, 2:02.080 (52 laps)
14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing, 2:02.082 (66 laps)
15. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Racing, 2:02.367 (49 laps)
16. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini, 2:03.689 (2 laps)
