In the next few months we will see the continuing results of off-season testing for both MotoGp and WSBK/WSS. One round of each has already taken place with the usual interesting results.
MotoGp tested for the 2 days after the Valencia GP season finale, with new riders having their first opportunity to try out new bikes/tyres/components.
Monday 27th October and Tuesday 28th October were dry and wet respectively, so Tuesday’s times don’t really count. Here are the Monday times.
1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 32.464 sec
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (B) 1min 32.672 sec
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 32.921 sec
4. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.142 sec
5. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.325 sec
6. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 33.375 sec
7. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 33.550 sec
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team (B) 1min 33.676 sec *
9. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 33.760 sec
10. Marco Melandri ITA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 33.782 sec *
11. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (B) 1min 33.832 sec
12. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 33.960 sec *
13. Toni Elias SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 34.129 sec *
14. Sete Gibernau SPA Onde 2000 Ducati (B) 1min 34.451 sec *
15. Mika Kallio FIN Alice Team (B) 1min 34.793 sec *
16. Olivier Jacque FRA Kawasaki Test Rider (B) 1min 34.925 secs
17. Niccolo Canepa ITA Alice Team (B) 1min 34.995 sec *
18. Yuki Takahashi JPN Team Scot (B) 1min 35.203 sec *
WSBK testing this Wednesday 5th November times.
1. Shane Byrne GBR Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1098 RS08 1min 43.6 sec
2. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 1min 43.9 sec
3. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV4 1min 44.1 sec
4. Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 1min 44.5 sec
5. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha YZF-R1 1min 44.5 sec
6. Alex Polita ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1098 RS08 1min 44.6 sec
7. Leon Haslam GBR Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR 1min 44.6 sec
8. Roberto Rolfo ITA Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR 1min 45.0 sec
9. Regis Laconi FRA DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR 1min 45.4 sec
10. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR 1min 46.3 sec
Now, the purpose of this post is not to publish testing times, you can find them as easily as I can. The purpose is to warn my readers to take these times with more than just a grain of salt. As you will notice, as the off-season unfolds, the times being posted bear very little relation to the results that begin to appear once the season proper begins. This is because the teams try all sorts of combinations, some within the spirit of the regulations and some of them without the spirit of the regulations. They do this because, unless they push the envelope completely as far as it will go and beyond, they can’t find out if what they are trying to achieve will actually work.
So, testing times are exactly that.
