PI testing ..latest news Feb 17

[Smitty]

Spaniard blasts Phillip Island record
February 17, 2005 - 9:04PM


Spaniard Honda rider Sete Gibernau unleashed a late burst of speed to lower the Phillip Island lap record by almost one second and claim the fastest time on the opening day of the MotoGP test.

After a day-long battle with Yamaha rival Valentino Rossi in near-perfect conditions at the Victorian circuit, Gibernau finished with a margin of two tenths of a second over Rossi.

On the final lap of a marathon 101-lap session, Gibernau set a time of 1m30.29s to easily undercut Ducati rider Loris Capirossis' existing record of 1m31.1s.

Rossi set the second fastest time of 1m30.55s, just a fraction ahead of third-placed American Honda rider Nicky Hayden at 1m30.57s.

Rossi said the latest 2005 model Yamaha M1 was a big improvement on the bike which won last year's MotoGP championship.

"It is more stable at the rear although we have lost some agility at the front, which we are working to improve," Rossi said.

Gibernau was delighted with his performance.

"This confirms the work we did in Malaysia last week and I was fast all day, right from the third lap," Gibernau said.

Honda's new recruit, Australian rider Troy Bayliss, remained frustrated with his lack of speed with a time of 1m31.8s which left him in 13th position.

"The bike is good enough - I've just to get the right feeling with it and I hope I can do that at Phillip Island, but there is something missing at the moment," Bayliss said.

"If I knew what it was I'd fix it."

Fifteen riders from Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki are participating in the test.

Four of the top five times were set by Honda riders with Brazilian Alex Barros fourth fastest, just ahead of Max Biaggi, followed by the Ducati pairing of Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi

Japanese Honda rider Makato Tamada, Carlos Checa (Ducati) and Italian Marco Melandri (Honda) crashed on the first day of the three-day test.

Checa and Melandri were unhurt, however Tamada will miss day two while he recovers from bruising to his back and left foot suffered in his 180kph crash.

"I was trying some new tyres and high-sided going into the Hayshed corner, it was very fast," Tamada said.

"I will rest for one day."


source:The Age

[irishmale]

Come on the Gp's

[mrmina]

..... just ahead of Max Biaggi.....

any excuses this time

[Smitty]

Gibernau may have been fastest
but Valentino was trying.......
amazing bike control with NO wheels touching