GixerGaz
30-01-2007, 13:50
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7146&stc=1&d=1170161394http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7147&stc=1&d=1170161395
Returning MotoGP veteran Alex Barros turned heads by outpacing factory riders from Honda, Ducati and Suzuki during the opening day of testing at Phillip Island.
Despite crippling droughts throughout much of Australia, rain showers at 4pm curtailed testing and left the Brazilian, who has now won races in 500cc, MotoGP and WSBK, at the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1min 30.60secs on his Pramac d'Antin Ducati. That lap is within 0.3secs of the all-time race record, set by Marco Melandri on a 990cc Honda in 2005.
Melandri, now riding a Bridgestone-shod RC212V, was one of Barros' nearest rivals on Tuesday; the Gresini Honda rider and fellow Italian Loris Capirossi both circulating just 0.1secs slower to mark a dramatic improvement in Melandri's recent form - the #33 was just tenth fastest at last week's Sepang test, in which Capirossi finished a fighting third.
Next up was reigning world champion Nicky Hayden, who set the fourth fastest time - albeit some 0.58secs from Barros - with factory Repsol team-mate Dani Pedrosa just 0.11secs slower for fifth. Both felt the RC212V performed a bit better than at Sepang, partly due to the flowing nature of the circuit, indicating that - against expectation - horsepower is still a problem for the new Honda.
Sixth was top Aussie Casey Stoner, who concluded his first day on a Ducati at Phillip Island with a best lap 0.7secs slower than team-mate Capirossi. Barros' team-mate Alex Hofmann made a solid, if unspectacular, start with seventh - just ahead of Honda LCR's Carlos Checa.
Rizla Suzuki, the talk of pre-season testing, had warned that Phillip Island would present their toughest challenge so far and that prediction proved accurate during day one with John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen just equal eighth and equal 11th fastest. The extent to which Paul Denning's team can reduce the current 1.2 second deficit over the next two days could well indicate the extent of the GSV-R's season long potential.
Rounding out the 13 rider field was Shinya Nakano, whose Konica Minolta Honda team manger had hoped would deliver some morale boosting lap times - but was instead left 1.63secs from the top at the conclusion of day one.
Testing continues on Wednesday and concludes on Thursday. Yamaha and Kawasaki have chosen not to test at Phillip Island.
Phillip Island MotoGP test times - Tuesday.
1. Alex Barros BRA Pramac d'Antin MotoG (B) 1min 30.60 secs
=2. Marco Melandri ITA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 30.70 secs
=2. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 30.70 secs
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 31.18 secs
5. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 31.29 secs
6. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 31.40 secs
7. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (B) 1min 31.50 secs
=.8 Carlos Checa SPA Honda LCR (M) 1min 31.80 secs
=8. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 31.80 secs
10. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts (M) 1min 31.90 secs
=11. Toni Elias SPA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 32.00 secs
=11. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 32.00 secs
13. Shinya Nakano JPN Konica Minolta Honda (M) 1min 32.23 secs
..............looks like its back to earth with a bump for Suzuki!
Returning MotoGP veteran Alex Barros turned heads by outpacing factory riders from Honda, Ducati and Suzuki during the opening day of testing at Phillip Island.
Despite crippling droughts throughout much of Australia, rain showers at 4pm curtailed testing and left the Brazilian, who has now won races in 500cc, MotoGP and WSBK, at the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1min 30.60secs on his Pramac d'Antin Ducati. That lap is within 0.3secs of the all-time race record, set by Marco Melandri on a 990cc Honda in 2005.
Melandri, now riding a Bridgestone-shod RC212V, was one of Barros' nearest rivals on Tuesday; the Gresini Honda rider and fellow Italian Loris Capirossi both circulating just 0.1secs slower to mark a dramatic improvement in Melandri's recent form - the #33 was just tenth fastest at last week's Sepang test, in which Capirossi finished a fighting third.
Next up was reigning world champion Nicky Hayden, who set the fourth fastest time - albeit some 0.58secs from Barros - with factory Repsol team-mate Dani Pedrosa just 0.11secs slower for fifth. Both felt the RC212V performed a bit better than at Sepang, partly due to the flowing nature of the circuit, indicating that - against expectation - horsepower is still a problem for the new Honda.
Sixth was top Aussie Casey Stoner, who concluded his first day on a Ducati at Phillip Island with a best lap 0.7secs slower than team-mate Capirossi. Barros' team-mate Alex Hofmann made a solid, if unspectacular, start with seventh - just ahead of Honda LCR's Carlos Checa.
Rizla Suzuki, the talk of pre-season testing, had warned that Phillip Island would present their toughest challenge so far and that prediction proved accurate during day one with John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen just equal eighth and equal 11th fastest. The extent to which Paul Denning's team can reduce the current 1.2 second deficit over the next two days could well indicate the extent of the GSV-R's season long potential.
Rounding out the 13 rider field was Shinya Nakano, whose Konica Minolta Honda team manger had hoped would deliver some morale boosting lap times - but was instead left 1.63secs from the top at the conclusion of day one.
Testing continues on Wednesday and concludes on Thursday. Yamaha and Kawasaki have chosen not to test at Phillip Island.
Phillip Island MotoGP test times - Tuesday.
1. Alex Barros BRA Pramac d'Antin MotoG (B) 1min 30.60 secs
=2. Marco Melandri ITA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 30.70 secs
=2. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 30.70 secs
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 31.18 secs
5. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 31.29 secs
6. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 31.40 secs
7. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (B) 1min 31.50 secs
=.8 Carlos Checa SPA Honda LCR (M) 1min 31.80 secs
=8. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 31.80 secs
10. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts (M) 1min 31.90 secs
=11. Toni Elias SPA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 32.00 secs
=11. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 32.00 secs
13. Shinya Nakano JPN Konica Minolta Honda (M) 1min 32.23 secs
..............looks like its back to earth with a bump for Suzuki!