2010 MotoGP Sepang Test Day 1 & 2

DAY 1

Reigning champion Valentino Rossi topped the timesheets on the first day of testing for the 2010 Sepang MotoGP. Rain held back track actions close to the end of the session, but in general the day was typical Malaysia sweltering weather, so the riders had plenty amount of time to acclimatize to their new rides.

As expected, Rossi set the fastest time of 2’01.411 ahead of 17 riders that took part in the test. Though his fastest lap was slower by a second compared to his pole time at Sepang last year.

Casey Stoner, Rossi’s fierce rival in previous seasons, slotted into second place nearly half a second slower than Rossi. It’s reported that Stoner tested a redesigned engine while his teammate Hayden was trying out new forks and new fairings on the machine.

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi launch Yamaha new livery on YZR-M1 prototype. The bike was lightning quick at Sepang with Rossi at the wheel.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was nowhere near Rossi as he didn’t quite adapt to the new machine. He later concluded that the new machine is strikingly different from the previous one. Knowing his talent last year, I think it’s only a matter of time before he catches up with Rossi. Disappointingly, he ended fifth fastest, seconds off Rossi’s pace.

Stoner, meanwhile, is pleased with his bike balance and engine performance despite, though he felt that Malaysia’s intense hot weather made it difficult to evaluate any improvements of the GP10.

Marco Simoncelli was quite satisfied with his bike but felt that he needed more track time to understand it. He commented that in the 250cc bikes that he was accustomed to, any changes in setup were very easy to feel, as opposed to the larger 800cc MotoGP bike which he has just graduated to. He was notably struggling with front traction during the test. He still finds the limit difficult to understand in this MotoGP machine.

Rossi highlighted the importance of a six-day test to properly setup the bike. He was content with the first day, as the different chassis and engine is very competitive. The M1 is right on it at the first day with no issues at all. Media and team were impressed. Rossi, humble as he is, credited this success to his team.

Nicky Hayden is seen testing Ducati new fairings. It’s evident in the pictures showing that his Ducati having no livery. The new fairing design is more edgy as can be seen compared to Stoner’s Ducati. Hayden, at the end of the session is disappointed that his bike struggles a lot for edge chatter. He hopes to move fast as there is not much testing to be done before the season kickoff.

MotoGP Sepang Test Day 1 Results:

1. Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) 2’01.411
2. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) 2’01.902
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3) 2’01.932
4. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) 2’02.102
5. Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) 2’02.165
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) 2’02.630
7. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro) 2’02.792
8. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 2’02.866
9. Mika Kallio (Pramac) 2’02.987
10. Hector Barbera (Aspar Team) 2’03.030
11. Aleix Espargaro (Pramac) 2’03.133
12. Ben Spies (Yamaha Tech 3) 2’03.142
13. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) 2’03.456
14. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) 2’03.558
15. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda) 2’03.563
16. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda) 2’03.609
17. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten-Honda) 2’03.651

DAY 2

Valentino Rossi predictably remained on top of the time sheets in the new factory Yamaha YZR-M1 prototype yet again.

The wet track saw most riders prefer sitting out of the morning session. Though the rain had already subsided before the session started, but the track only dried completely at 1.00 pm. There was little activity on the track. Even Rossi and Stoner stayed in the garage for most of the day, only choosing to go out when the track completely dried.

Rossi bettered his time to 2’00.925 to take the fastest overall from Day1 and Day2. He later mentioned that he was happy to be the fastest overall. It was important for him to kick start with a strong bike. The new M1 was right on it the first day and continued to improve on Day 2. It’s a good sign as new parts coming in at the next test will definitely improve the YZR-M1 further. Nevertheless, Rossi was cautious as Yamaha had always fared well at Sepang, he observed that Qatar which is the opening race of MotoGP 2010 will be the true yardstick against the competition.

Casey Stoner was generally pleased with set-up of the bike after trying some new things with the swingarm, but his half-second lap time deficit against Rossi is not going to please him. The new engine is not fast out of the box, Ducati has been using previous engine for three years already so the new engine may need further refinements and improvements. It’s too early to fully judge the capability of the new engine. Like all other new parts, it may require time to understand. Anyhow, this will certainly be a concern to the engine guys at the Ducati. On a more positive side, two weeks later they will be here again at Sepang for the final test before the season kick off. I will be here reporting back to see whether the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 has the answer to the YZR-M1.

The Yamaha team recently announced that Rossi and Jorge will not share information between them this season anymore. While Rossi is a man capable of looking after himself, will the young Jorge Lorenzo be able to mount a challenge on his own? The practice times thus far suggest that Stoner might chip between them a lot next season. My speculation might be unfounded, but this might be one thing to look for this season if you are a MotoGP fan.

Colin Edwards ended 7th fastest, approximately 1.5 seconds slower than Rossi, though he was happy with the performance of the new engine being very enthusiastic about it. We understand that racing is not about fastest lap, it’s about consistencies of your pace over long runs. So Colin knows the game too well and he has every reason to be happy about this. We have no access at his lap times in average but Colin says it’s a great test and if the momentum carries on, the new machine might be in serious business.

Nicky Hayden finding wet setups in the morning session. He was not happy with the weather as it disrupts his program on Day 2.

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini’s new RC212V best time was 11th with Melandri at the end of the day. Second fastest in the wet is a positive sign for the team. He noted that the team however struggled a bit with the suspension.

Alvaro Bautisto fresh from GP250 series, it’s going to be rough rookie season from him as he ended the day 16th from 17th.

From the initial tests Rossi is showing signs of dominance again, though it’s still too early to speculate at this stage. We will be at Sepang again and will bring more coverage and insights for the second test.

MotoGP Sepang Test Day 2 Results:

1. Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) 2’00.925
2. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) 2’01.320
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) 2’01.680
4. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 2’01.822
5. Ben Spies (Yamaha Tech 3) 2’02.266
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) 2’02.266
7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3) 2’02.479
8. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro) 2’02.493
9. Aleix Espargaro (Pramac) 2’02.647
10. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) 2’02.763
11. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda) 2’02.810
12. Hector Barbera (Aspar Team) 2’03.032
13. Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda) 2’03.043
14. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten-Honda) 2’03.195
15. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda) 2’03.245
16. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) 2’03.275
17. Mika Kallio (Pramac) 2’03.359

More Pictures:

Muaz Zakaria