Soup :: Hayden Fastest At Sepang MotoGP Test

Various and sundry press officer accounts from the MotoGP test at Sepang, which ended today.

Repsol Honda factory rider Nicky Hayden put in another marathon stint of 77 laps making a total of 228 for the three-day test. The American, MotoGP World Champion in 2006, spent the day working hard on finding a perfect balance for the machine testing suspension and tyre combination. The team did a lot of work on the front forks but the rear link changes were restricted to spring rates.

Gresini Honda riders Shinya Nakano and Alex De Angelis, had a relatively quiet final day of testing. Nakano decided to sit out a few hours of the day when the track temperature rose to an incredible 52 degrees making serious tyre development work for Bridgestone extremely difficult.

Nakano returned to the track late afternoon but did not better his time and he did not try a race simulation test as hoped. The team will run a full race distance when the MotoGP teams return to Sepang early next month to continue pre-season testing.

De Angelis worked diligently but in short bursts due to pain from a wrist tendon injury he sustained in a ?Tank slapping' incident yesterday. De Angelis has impressed with his calm measured approach to his MotoGP debut season. The young Sanmarines worked with the Nissin brake technicians successfully finding a good balance of stopping power and brake management. The Gresini team also worked on tyres in a bid to reduce a front end chatter problem and were partially successful before high temperatures changed the track surface grip.

LCR Honda teamster Randy de Puniet, who had been fastest man on the opening two-days of the test, worked like a slave all day. In the morning the Frenchman worked on tyres before moving on to evaluate various chassis and Ohlins suspension settings on the LCR Honda RC212V. As the curtain came down on the first test of 2008 De Puniet was "Very happy with both my performance and the way the team have worked over the three-days."

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 00.326s - 77 laps. "Today's gone a lot better than the last couple and we're feeling positive, I feel like I'm a lot closer than I was a year ago here. This morning we checked the pneumatic valve engine, then we just focused on the standard engine and this year's chassis, working on the general set-up. I used qualifiers for my fastest lap and they worked well. After that we did a batch of front tyres because one of my weak points here is that sometimes I struggle when this track gets hot. So I did a batch of tyres at the hottest part of the day to improve on that.

"We hadn't really tested any tyres for Michelin here until today and we wanted to do a long run. That run was decent, probably the best thing I've done all week. I did the best lap I've ever done round here on race tyres on lap 18, a 2m 01.6s. At the end of three long days that wasn't too bad. I used a 16.5 on that run but I've also been trying some 16 rears here.

"Now we go to Phillip Island which is quite a different track with some long corners, some high-speed stuff and a lot of changes of direction. The big thing there is tyres so it'll be really important to do some more tyre work with Michelin there. We will also do some more work with the pneumatic-valve engine. I've got faith in Honda, so hopefully they can make us proud. I think it's going to be a good season, there's a lot of guys going fast, a lot of guys motivated. It's an exciting time, everyone's at zero."

Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 2m 01.447s - 51 laps. "The long run I made today was very interesting we made some small setting changes to the RCV and I also changed my style a little, hanging off the bike more than normal and this helped ease the chatter problems I have experienced here. Before the long run I tested a few Michelin tyres even a qualifier that was very good, particularly the 16 inch rear. If you look at the lap times set at the last GP here at Sepang we are not slow, my times are fast. So I leave here quite happy with the results of the test."

Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 2m 01.873s - 56 laps. "I worked on the range of tyres that Michelin brought here for me to try then on the overall balance of the bike with suspension settings and a different off-set on the front forks. Then, when I was happy with the set up in the early afternoon I worked on front tyres. I crashed today at the same place as yesterday, the same time and the same speed. The front turned in on me very quickly - very strange as I was of the gas. Maybe it was a combination of the high track temperature and a too soft front tyre. I ran my race simulation test yesterday afternoon and it was very good. I am very happy I have been fast on every day and was ?? fastest overall. "

Shinya Nakano, Gresini Honda: 2m 02.032s - 38 laps."Today we did some testing with brake and tyre combinations just to confirm we are working in the right direction. We started working with the Nissin brakes at the Jerez test over three-days and now at Sepang. I am happy with the performance finally I have found a good feeling because I can brake as I need to and they perform consistently. I tried a qualifying tyre but my best lap times were set with race tyres. We are working towards the first race at Qatar and we have a lot of work to do but we are getting good support from Honda and Bridgestone so I am very happy."

Alex De Angelis, Gresini Honda: 2m 02.196s - 37 laps."This morning my wrist was much better after the Doctor had given me a pain killing injection and everything was OK. The afternoon was not so good and I had a lot of pain so I stopped testing. We worked on the engine braking system and I ran with less engine brake, I was sliding just a little too much yesterday. We changed the ride height and this also helped reduce the chatter a lot but not completely. I also worked with the Nissin technicians and was impressed with the performance possibilities. I am very happy with the work we did here but not happy with the condition of my wrist. Now we go to Phillip Island and that's my favourite track. Much different to Sepang so I will learn more about the bike next week."

The MotoGP teams now move on to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia for a three-day test on January 30 - 31 and February 1.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, who crashed at the Sepang test yesterday, January 23, went into the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus de Barcelona hospital straight from an overnight flight from Malaysia. Upon arrival and after the relevant diagnostic tests it was confirmed, by the team of doctors directed by Dr. Xavier Mir, Head of the Hand Surgery and Microsurgery Unit, that Pedrosa has; "a fractured second metacarpal on his right hand with three diaphysary fragments, which are the bones found in the middle section of the metacarpian."

The operation, which began at 14:00, consisted of, according to the statement made by Dr. Mir himself; "First reducing the fracture and then fixing the fracture with a seven holed titanium plate".

Dr. Xavier Mir later said that the operation proceeded without any untoward happening and was completed according to plan, he also indicated that if there are no post-operation complications, "the recovery of the hand`s functions will start within the next 72 hours".

Finally the surgeon emphasised the fact that; "Just when the rider will rejoin training and his usual sporting activities is unknown since in this type of case it is surprising how quickly top level professional sportsmen recover their abilities compared to the minimum period of the 6 weeks that are needed by most patients with the same kind of injury".

Pedrosa should be allowed to leave the hospital tomorrow Thursday, 24th January at 12.30, and so that is when the press are invited to the press conference which the rider Dani Pedrosa himself will attend, he will be accompanied by Dr. Xavier Mir, Jefe de la Unidad de Cirugía y Microcirugía de la Mano de USP Institut Universitari Dexeus.

Michelin kicked off its 2008 MotoGP testing programme at Sepang this week with a mightily impressive performance to end the three-day session with four of the fastest five riders on its tyres. 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) topped the tests with a lightning-quick lap on qualifiers - 1.551 seconds inside the 2007 Malaysian GP pole position time - and backed that up with his best-ever Sepang lap on race tyres. Dazzling MotoGP rookie Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) was third fastest, Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) fourth and Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) fifth.

Michelin's other two MotoGP rookies also put in very promising performances, Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) was eighth and James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) ninth. 2007 MotoGP runner-up Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) set the early pace on day one but fell in the afternoon, breaking his right hand. The injury was screwed and plated in Barcelona yesterday.

"The general feeling about this test is quite good," said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin's director of motorcycle racing. "I'm happy with the consistency of our latest tyres, which is something we wanted to work on after last year's Sepang race. The front and rear profiles we are using with the 2008 bikes haven't changed so much from last year's, what we have been focusing on is constructions and compounds. We already had some very good results with our latest tyres at Jerez last November, so we have continued working in that direction. The feedback we are getting from the riders is good.

"It was very important to have some long runs and most of our riders have done some good long runs during these tests. We also wanted to improve tyre warm-up and the range of operating temperature, which we already confirmed at our last tests at Jerez, though that is something we will need to further confirm in cooler conditions at Jerez next month and maybe at night during the Qatar tests.

"We have also made good progress with our 16-inch rear at these tests. Randy set the fastest lap on day one using a 16, and Nicky, Jorge and Andrea have also tested the 16 and given us some positive feedback, though we still want to improve the tyre some more. We will continue working hard at the upcoming tests and get a good understanding of the evolution of our tyres as we move towards the first race of the year.

"Of course, there has been some bad news for us at these tests - Dani got hurt on the first day and won't be able to ride at the next two tests. But we are confident in our other riders and we look forward to seeing Dani back on the bike when he is ready."

Hayden was delighted with his pace on the final day. The American proved his monumental commitment and peak physical condition by riding more laps than anyone during the three days. The American rode 228 laps (1264km) despite gruelling 30-plus degree heat throughout the session.

"I used qualifiers for my fastest lap and they worked well," he said. "After that we did a batch of front tyres because one of my weak points here is that sometimes I struggle when this track gets hot. So I did a batch of tyres at the hottest part of the day to improve on that.

"We hadn't really tested any tyres for Michelin here until today and we wanted to do a long run. That run was decent, probably the best thing I've done all week. I did the best lap I've ever done round here on race tyres on lap 18, a 2m 01.6s. At the end of three long days that wasn't too bad. I used a 16.5 on that run but I've also been trying some 16 rears here. The first time I tried the 16 last year I liked it. I'm the one who really pushed Michelin to keep going and stay with it and I'm pretty happy they did. Now we go to Phillip Island which is quite a different track with some long corners, some high-speed stuff and a lot of changes of direction. The big thing there is tyres so it'll be really important to do some more work with Michelin there."

Lorenzo's pace was amazing, considering he only graduated to MotoGP machinery last November. "Michelin have put a lot of effort into improving their tyres for 2008," said the double 250 World Champion. "We tried a lot of new tyres during these three days and I am proud of what we've done here."

De Puniet was fastest on the first two days and believes he can still extract more performance from Michelin's qualifying tyres. "Michelin has been working hard during the winter and I have to say that my feeling with the tyres gets better and better," he said. "This has been a positive test for me, so I am very happy! I was fastest on days one and two, and yesterday I did a good race simulation, but I still need to improve my pace on the qualifiers."

Edwards was also impressed with Michelin's latest product. "Michelin brought some tyres in today that let me do my quickest laps - the new race tyre seemed phenomenal. They have been working really hard and it's paying off. It makes it kinda exciting to go to Phillip Island now."

Dovizioso found two 16-inch rears that perfectly suit his neat riding style. "We tried many tyres with Michelin here," said the former 250 rider. "Some of them were very good, especially two of the 16-inch race tyres I tried, I really like the profiles. I did my best lap on qualifiers but I still need to improve my qualifying pace, which isn't easy because there is so much grip that it's difficult to use these tyres to the maximum. My best lap on qualifiers was six tenths better than my race tyres and it needs to be more than that, so we will work on set-up to get more out of the soft tyres."

Double World Superbike champion Toseland continued to adapt to MotoGP, upping his pace on each of the three days. "After we got some good tyres I rewarded some of Michelin's faith with some decent lap times," said the Briton. "I hope they now have a bit more confidence in me to give good feedback; which is what they want. They are making a really big effort and, judging by the time sheets, it's going in the right direction."

MotoGP testing continues at Phillip Island, Australia, (January 30/31/February 1), Sepang (February 5/6/7), Jerez, Spain, (February 16/17/18) and finally at Losail, Qatar (February 28/29). The 2008 World Championship kicks off at Losail on March 7/8/9 - the Qatar GP will be the first-ever night-time GP with the entire circuit lit by floodlights.

The third and final day of MotoGP tests ended early at Sepang for Casey Stoner, who completed his 27th and final lap of the Malaysian circuit with his GP8 at precisely 12:26pm. With his test programme complete and some extremely fast laps under his belt - clocking a best time on race tyres of 2'00.964 and a 2'00.660 on qualifiers - the World Champion and his team decided to draw a line under the first session of 2008 and also give Stoner's recovering shoulder a well-earned rest. Marco Melandri started the day with a good pace, improving almost immediately by around half a second on yesterday, before trying a variety of new ideas, none of which came up with the desired result. The Italian youngster is, however, developing a good feeling with the team and remains confident that the solutions to his current difficulties will be resolved with continued hard work.

The Ducati Marlboro Team now head to Phillip Island, Australia, for another three days of testing from January 30 to February 1 inclusive.

Final Lap Times From The Test

1. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda) 2:00.326
2. Casey STONER (Ducati) 2:00.660
3. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 2:00.766
4. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 2:01.179
5. John HOPKINS (Kawasaki) 2:01.198
6. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 2:01.425
7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 2:01.447
8. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 2:01.745
9. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki) 2:01.748
10. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 2:01.778
11. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 2:01.873
12. Shinya NAKANO (Honda) 2:02.032
13. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 2:02.198
14. Marco MELANDRI (Ducati) 2:02.725
15. Anthony WEST (Kawasaki) 2:02.978
16. Toni ELIAS(Ducati) 2:02.995
17. Olivier JACQUE (Kawasaki) 2:03.030
18. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Ducati) 2:03.628
19. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati) 2:03.703
20. Tamaki SERIZAWA (Kawasaki) 2:04.354

"We couldn't have started the year better! My shoulder feels better every day and now I know I can get back to full training. This morning we tried some qualifying tyres on only our second run out. We set a good lap time although I think if we'd have tried them a little later, when the track was warmer, we could have broken the two-minute mark. In fact, at the end of the morning we set a 2'00.964 on race tyres, which is over a second inside the lap record we set in September. It shows that we are working well and that both the bike and tyres are improving. I'm leaving Sepang feeling really happy - partly because my shoulder hasn't given me too many problems and partly because I feel even more competitive than last season. Now we have to focus on this season and on getting the best possible start, so I can't wait to continue testing at Phillip Island. I also want to send my best wishes to Dani! I'm sure this injury won't affect him too much. Back in 2006 I missed most of the winter tests and I still started the season competitive so I'm sure he will too because he was looking really strong out here."

Marco Melandri (Ducati Marlboro Team), best time: 2'02.725 (58 laps)

"This morning we started out on the right foot and my lap times weren't bad. Then we decided to experiment with a few new avenues to try and improve my feeling but we got a bit lost! It's a shame but at least I'm getting to understand the bike and the way the team works more and more each day. I feel really comfortable with my chief engineer and I'm sure that we'll find the solutions to the problems we're having right now. I didn't use a qualifier because if you're not ready for them there's no point. I did try a new race tyre though and in my opinion it's a good step forward. I can't say I'm happy but we'll keep working to find the best way forward for me."

Sepang Circuit
Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2007) 2'02.108
Pole Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2006) 2'00.605

Valentino Rossi rounded off the third day of testing in Malaysia with another day's solid progress in Sepang today, the Fiat Yamaha Team rider finishing the test sixth overall out of 22 riders testing. Rossi had time to complete a full race simulation of 21 laps and recorded a general improvement compared to last year's race, despite slowing down for a lap in the middle in order to give himself a breather as temperatures topped 34 degrees.

Rossi's best time after 48 laps, a lap of 2'01.425, was posted on a Bridgestone qualifier but the Italian admits there is more work to do in order to maximise bike set-up when using the softer qualifying tyres. Overall it was an extremely positive test for Rossi and his crew, who managed to complete everything on the schedule thanks to good weather throughout. Rossi's young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo had an equally promising three days and finished the test in third, with a best time of 2'00.766.

The Team will return to Sepang again in ten days time for the second pre-season test of 2008, with another three day's work planned for 5th, 6th and 7th February.

"The overall balance of the three day test has been very positive and we've worked in many different areas. We've tested the pneumatic-valve engine and I have a good feeling from it, plus we've improved our top speed compared to the race here. I'm happy about the engine so far, although we want to make as much mileage as possible with it in order to check its reliability and performance. We've continued to work with the new electronics in braking and acceleration and the new system is helping us to have more control and make less mistakes. Of course we've also done a lot of work with Bridgestone on tyres, and we have found some positive things here. We need to improve our performance with the qualifying tyre; we need more time to better understand how to set-up our bike with the soft tyres and so we will continue to work on this next time. We've given a lot of information to Bridgestone this week and we look forward to more work together next time. Finally I was able to complete a good race simulation and overall my pace was better than in the race last year, even though I had to slow down for a bit in the middle because it was so hot! Anyway I really wanted to finish so I kept going and in the end I was very happy with my performance. It's been a good test for us and now we're looking forward to next time."

New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo finished what was just his fourth test on a MotoGP bike in fine form today, rounding off testing in Malaysia in third place overall. The Spanish rookie posted his best lap from 63 on a Michelin qualifying tyre but also put in a string of consistently fast laps on race tyres, despite a fall cutting short his long run.

The youngster set out for his race simulation in sweltering conditions this morning and was posting some consistently fast times when he crashed on lap 17. He was unhurt however and was able to continue with Michelin tyre testing for the rest of the day, rounding off with an impressive time of 2'00.766 on a qualifying tyre, just 0.440 seconds off fastest man of the day Nicky Hayden and only 0.161 seconds off the existing Sepang pole record. Lorenzo's team-mate Valentino Rossi meanwhile was sixth today with a best lap of 2'01.425.

The Fiat Yamaha Team will now head to their respective homes for a week before returning to Sepang for another three-day test on 5th, 6th and 7th February.

Jorge Lorenzo
Position: 3rd Time: 2'00.766 Laps: 63

"Today was another positive day for me and it's been an encouraging three days overall: I'm pleased with what we've achieved. I had a little problem this morning because I felt like I had a bit less grip than usual, so we had to work on this. Then I started my race simulation and unfortunately I crashed about three-quarters of the way through; I was a bit out of the line and when I accelerated I lost control of the bike. Before that my pace was not so bad and we had time to gather a lot of information before it happened, so it wasn't the end of the world. I wasn't hurt and so after that we started again with Michelin tyre testing and at the end I tried a qualifying tyre which was very good; I improved my time quite a lot. I'm really happy with the team's work and now we're waiting for the next test so we can continue improving."

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has completed its first 2008 pre-season test at Sepang in Malaysia, confident that all the items tested and evaluated will give it a clear indication of the direction to take in forthcoming tests.

Chris Vermeulen and new-signing Loris Capirossi completed three exhausting and comprehensive days of testing in high temperatures at the 5.5km Malaysian track, and both riders were impressed with the performance of the new-spec engine they tried for the first time in the Suzuki GSV-R.

Following on today from in-depth evaluations of tyres, brake components and many other electronic and mechanical strategies over the previous two days, the Rizla Suzuki riders completed race-distance runs on their respective machines to gather as much data as possible for the Factory Technicians present at trackside. Vermeulen completed 70 laps today - over 380kms of race-pace riding in temperatures approaching 35°C - with Capirossi just behind on 62 laps. The Australian was ninth quickest overall with a fastest time of 2'01.748 that was recorded on Bridgestone race-tyres during the hottest part of the day, as he simulated what is likely to be race conditions for the Malaysian Grand Prix later this year. Capirossi was immediately after his new team-mate on the timesheets, with a fastest time of 2'01.778 to give him 10th position. However, when lap times are adjusted to exclude the use of qualifying tyres, the Rizla Suzuki duo placed fourth and fifth respectively.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP now moves south to Phillip Island in Australia for the second test of a busy pre-season schedule in readiness for the first race of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship season at Losail in Qatar on Sunday 10th March.

"After all the intensive testing of the first two days it was good to get a long run and simulate a race distance on the new GSV-R today. The conditions were really hard as it was the hottest part of the day, but what was pleasing was that I did the best lap-time I've ever recorded at Sepang during that, so it shows that the reliability and durability of the bike is similar to what we had last year - but a bit quicker! Bridgestone has given us a step up in rear tyre performance, now we need to work together to find the best front solution. We now head off to Australia to continue with the testing programme, we still have a long way to go before the first race, but this has certainly been a good start."

"This is only the fourth time I have been on the bike at a test, but I already feel like I have been here for a long time and I am one of the family! The bike is getting better all the time and we are learning not only what is working well, but also what isn't! The bike is really good, I like the feedback it gives me, it's amazing under hard braking - my confidence is really starting to grow! We have to go to Australia now and I know that that has been a difficult track in the past for Suzuki, but I am sure with all the testing developments and the new parts that the factory are giving us we can make the bike more competitive there than is has ever been. We did a long run today and it was good for me to see how the bike behaved over full race distance and what I can expect when we start racing for real in March."

"This has been a very positive test and a good start to the season. Chris and Loris were on the pace from day one and have got through an enormous amount of work. Suzuki has really done a great job with the bike, especially the new engine, and it's great to be so close to the best pace when we still have some clear areas to improve upon. The crew also did a fantastic job, after almost seven weeks away; they were on it right from the start and worked tirelessly over the three days and nights!

"We still have a lot of work to do but everyone is super-motivated and we are all focussed on doing the very best we can. We have a good base package and two great riders. Our only goal is to as competitive as we can come race-time!"

KAWASAKI CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL SEPANG TEST
Kawasaki's competition manager, Michael Bartholemy, declared himself satisfied with the progress made by the team's four riders, as the season opening three day test at Sepang was brought to a successful conclusion this afternoon.

After two days evaluating new chassis and engine components, John Hopkins and Anthony West were able to focus this morning on fine-tuning the base set-up of their Ninja ZX-RR machines, before embarking on a race simulation as the heat, and the track temperatures, headed skywards during the afternoon.

While the two race pilots racked up the laps, test rider Tamaki Serizawa brought the paddock to a standstill when he debuted a screamer version of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR.

The distinctive high-pitched scream of the development bike was enough to bring a crowd of people out of their pit boxes and onto the pit wall as Serizawa flashed across the start finish line to continue the bike's first shakedown test.

Olivier Jacque gave the screamer motor its second outing during the afternoon session, with positive results. Both test riders will continue the evaluation of the bike during the second Sepang test in early February.

Hopkins and West now head for the second test of the season, which will take place at the Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia, starting on 30th January and concluding on 1st February.

John Hopkins
5th - 42 Laps - Best Time 2'01.198
"I'm happy with how things have gone, and I leave this test pretty motivated for the next. Overall I'm really pleased with the bike; we have a couple of small things to address, but we've now got a clear understanding of what our goal is and where we need to be, and I think we're ready to make the next step. I was pretty pleased with the first race simulation on the bike; the traction control works really well, so I didn't have to adapt my riding style so much to compensate for the drop off in grip as the tyres started to go off towards the end. This is a big positive. Now I'm looking forward to getting to Phillip Island. I followed Randy in the race there, and the Kawasaki looked to be working well, now we need to take it to the next level. It's another new track for me on the Kawasaki, and I hope the test in Australia will turn out to be as positive as these last three days in Malaysia have been."

Anthony West
15th - 39 Laps - Best Time 2'02.978
"We tried a few more front tyres again today, working towards identifying the ones that give me the most confidence in the front, and that we can continue with during the next few tests. We also tried some different engine brake and traction control settings, before running a race simulation this afternoon. The idea of the endurance run was too give me a better feel for the bike when the tyre performance has started to drop off. The only problem today was that the track temperature was already quite high when we began, and that meant that the grip had already started to fall off. It was a bit weird, because I actually went faster towards the end, which we obviously weren't expecting. One positive point is that the revised chassis components appear to have eliminated the chatter that plagued us during the race here last season although, because of the grip issues, we will need to confirm this at Phillip Island next week. It's been a hard three days to be honest, because the heat and humidity really takes it out of you. Things should be a lot better at Phillip Island next week, although it was 40 degrees there when I was visiting my grandfather over Christmas. Hopefully it's cooled down a bit now."
*****************

The opening chapter in the 2008 MotoGP campaign for the Yamaha Tech3 team was brought to a close with the third and final day of testing at a sweltering Sepang circuit in Malaysia this afternoon. After clocking the second best effort yesterday there was further good news for Colin Edwards and the French crew as the American rested fourth in the Day 3 standings with a circulation just eight tenths of a second off the top slot. New team-mate James Toseland was eighth and upbeat after just his third run with the YZR-M1.

Colin Edwards racked up 34 laps in pursuit of his quickest time of the three day session, which he managed on his 12th attempt and snipped two tenths of a second away from Wednesday's impressive feat. The 33 year old was buoyed after the technical crew solved a small matter of chatter with the front end of the motorcycle and he maintained a steady presence in the 2:01 bracket with Michelin race tyres; underneath the fastest lap setting of the 2007 Grand Prix at Sepang. Herve Poncharal had reason to feel content with the results and progress of his rider line-up as well as the overall usefulness of the test.
Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards - Position: 4th: 2:01.179, 34 laps
"We got a little bit of a late start today; man I was sore! I am getting old! After six weeks off the bike your hands and butt gets soft and it takes time to build up the calluses. After three days of riding I just have blisters at the moment. We made some improvements again today with the M1. My crew chief and suspension technician had an idea for the front end because we were having some chatter. It was something I had never tried before, but they fixed the problem. It was such a simple thing but they did really well, so a big thanks! We did not do anything new today but played around with tyres. Michelin came up with the goods. I did my best times on the new race tyre and it was phenomenal. Onto Phillip Island now and more of the same I hope."

After speeding up through both previous days of action James Toseland hit his stride throughout a stuffy afternoon run. The 27 year old concentrated on familiarising himself with new electronic and traction control systems but still managed a batch of laps in the '01 and low ?02s. Toseland is Britain's sole representative in the '08 MotoGP championship and comes into the Tech3 set-up hot from winning eight from twenty-six races and grabbing thirteen podiums on the way to a second World Superbike title.

James Toseland - Position: 8th: 2:01.745, 45 laps
"In November I managed a 2:03.5 lap; just one. So to do a 2:02 on a race tyre and then an '01 with a qualifier let me finish eighth overall today, which I quite pleased with. We have had quite bad chatter that we have struggled to get rid of, although I am told that this place is one of the worst circuits for this and maybe in Australia I might not have it. I am really happy with how the team is working. I finally got the traction control and the engine system, and this gave an improvement but it is really something that you need to get used to and be confident with to improve your times. It is something I can build-on for the next test. I know Phillip Island very well and it is a much cooler place so I am looking forward to starting again next week."

Herve Poncharal, Team Principal, Tech3 Yamaha:
"I am very pleased with how things have gone for the first 2008 test. It was important that both riders were quicker every day and the new bike and the tyres from Michelin have let us make a big step. Colin has impressed me with how he was instantly in the good lap-times; I think he has been the fastest on race tyres which is a positive sign. We have been testing a lot of things and for sure the new Yamaha is an improvement over last year. I would also like to thank Michelin for their application and the products that they have brought. Colin feels that there is a huge difference and James is continuing to learn, improve and surprise us; I think you have to go step-by-step in MotoGP otherwise we know how things can end up. We leave Sepang after many laps and with a lot of data for Michelin and Yamaha. We are eager to get to Phillip Island now because we will find some new conditions. Overall it is great to show we are competitive and thanks to the team for their good work."

With their 2008 schedule now active, a busy sequence of work for the Tech3 team lays ahead. Logistical staff were busy Thursday afternoon loading the motorcycles and equipment into crates in preparation for the trip to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia next week and the second stint of testing for both riders. Further outings at the two IRTA dates in February (Jerez and Qatar) are then pencilled in. A little over six weeks remain before the first Grand Prix of eighteen takes place at the Losail circuit in Qatar; the first ever world championship night event.