Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
23 FEBRUARY 2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADVERSE WEATHER ON OPENING DAY AT JEREZ

It was relaxed return to the track today for the Kawasaki Racing Team and their MotoGP rivals, as a storm yesterday followed by intermittent rain this morning saw most riders opting to await the arrival of better weather and dryer track conditions in their respective pit boxes.

The rain finally stopped mid-morning, after which both Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque took the opportunity to test the wet weather balance of their 800cc Ninja ZX-RR machines for the first time, completing a total of fifteen laps between them.

With the skies clear by midday, and an increasing breeze helping to dry out the track surface, de Puniet and Olivier were left with only three hours of track time when they finally got down to testing proper.

Despite the improvement in the weather, track conditions remained unpredictable, so both Kawasaki pilots concentrated on further refining the set-up of their Ninja ZX-RR machines, at a track that differs completely in character to Sepang and Qatar, the only other circuits at which the Kawasaki Racing Team have tested this season.

Although not looking for a fast lap on the opening day, de Puniet managed to complete 33 laps in total, to finish sixth fastest overall with a time of 1'43.315s.

Jacque, now completely recovered from the crash that sidelined him from the recent Qatar test, completed 31 laps during the late afternoon, eventually ending the session 13th fastest with a time of 1'44.659s.

Randy de Puniet: 6th - 40 Laps - Best Lap 1'43.315
"It was a hard session today because of the weather. In the wet my feeling with the bike was quite good. In the afternoon, we had to wait a long time before the track dried out a little and we could try in almost dry conditions. There were some wet patches in a couple of turns, so it made no sense to push too hard. I concentrated on getting used to the circuit and found a base set up to work on for tomorrow. The most important days will be tomorrow and Sunday."

Olivier Jacque: 13th - 39 laps - Best Lap 1'44.659
"Yesterday I was a little bit worried but today I can say that I am almost 100% fit, but certainly recovered from the crash. Due to the bad weather we only had two hours in the afternoon to work and it was important not to rush. It was a long time since I rode here last and coming from two fast circuits, this one is surprisingly small! Anyway, I got used to it quickly and enjoyed riding the bike a lot. For the first day, everything worked all right."

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
"Today, we tested our new machine in wet conditions and the first impressions were quite good. We confirmed that the balance of the machine works well in wet conditions without doing any major changes. We need to be faster but, for being the first time, speed wasn't so bad. In the afternoon session, we were able to try in the dry and we saw many points where we need to improve to get consistent lap times. Our base set up, though, is working here as well, we just need to make some small adjustments."

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
24 FEBRUARY 2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANOTHER POSITIVE DAY AT JEREZ FOR KAWASAKI

It was another delayed start for the Kawasaki Racing Team this morning as persistent fog at the 4.423 km Jerez circuit meant that, like yesterday, Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque were forced to await an improvement in the weather before commencing their planned test schedule.

Once the sun had finally burnt through the mist, de Puniet was straight out on track to continue work on refining the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR, as well as testing a number of different race tyre options from Bridgestone.

The 26-year-old Frenchman was quick to settle into a good rhythm around the tight and technical Jerez circuit, staying close to the top of the timesheet for most of the day. The Kawasaki pilot then completed a race distance run to confirm his race tyre selection, posting consistent lap times throughout.

Late in the afternoon de Puniet switched to a qualifier on the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR, and despite being held up towards the end of his flying lap, it was on this tyre that the Kawasaki pilot set his fastest time of the day, to claim eighth position on the final timesheet.

For Olivier Jacque and his crew, today's test provided yet another opportunity to further the development of Kawasaki's new 800cc MotoGP racer. Working with just one bike, after his number one machine suffered a mechanical problem early on in the session, the 33-year-old former World Champion worked his way through an intensive test and evaluation programme with Kawasaki's development engineers.

Tomorrow the Kawasaki pilot will put aside his development responsibilities to concentrate fully on the annual televised qualifying shoot-out, which will be the highlight of this last pre-season test. Jacque goes into tomorrow's final day of testing in confident mood, and is looking forward to taking part in his first MotoGP timed session since his last race appearance for Kawasaki in 2005.

Randy de Puniet: 8th - 83 Laps - Best Lap 1'41.151
"It was a long but interesting day. We found a good base set up on the bike, and we've also identified some options on race tyres for this circuit. I was happy with my lap times today; the speed was good, but so was the consistency, and this is important. The race simulation was my best so far in the run up to the new season, but I still think there is room for further improvement tomorrow. I tried a qualifier late in the session, on which I set my fastest lap, but I was slowed by another rider, so I know I can go faster here. Anyway, the performance of the bike on race tyres is more important, and I'm happy with what we've achieved today. Tomorrow we will focus on set-up for the qualifying session; sure I'd like to win the car, but I guess I won't be the only one out there with the same idea!"

Olivier Jacque: 15th - 62 laps - Best Lap 1'41.777
"The characteristics of the Jerez circuit are very different to those of Sepang and Qatar where we've tested previously, and this means that we're experiencing some problems we've not had up to now. My feeling is that, at this track and on the gearing we ran today, the power delivery is a little bit too aggressive. This makes it difficult to find traction out of the turns, and it's also making the bike more prone to lifting the front wheel under acceleration. However, we know what changes we need to make for tomorrow; it just wasn't possible to make them today because we had some problems with my number one bike and we didn't want to lose out on track time while we made the necessary changes to my spare machine. Tomorrow I need to switch from development to race mode for the qualifying session. I need to stop being so analytical on track and, instead, concentrate on finding a good rhythm on the bike in the morning, before switching to a qualifying tyre for the timed session. Today was hard, but we learnt a lot and I hope this will work to our advantage tomorrow."

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
"Once the track had dried completely this afternoon both riders were able to work their way through our planned test programme, and the lap times improved with every track session. More track time today meant that we were able to evaluate several different race tyre options, and Randy's times and consistency during his race simulation show that we've made some progress in this area. Tomorrow we will focus on further refining the set-up, ahead of the first timed session of the new season. There is still some work to do, but we know we are working in the right direction and I'm confident that we will see further improvements before this final test concludes tomorrow afternoon."

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
25 FEBRUARY 2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOP FIVE FOR DE PUNIET AT THE FIRST MOTOGP OFFICIAL CHALLENGE

Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet brought to an end the final pre-season test in fine style this afternoon, as he took a hard-fought fifth place during the annual 40-minute televised qualifying shootout at Jerez.

The 26-year-old Frenchman has been consistently in the top ten on the timesheet throughout the three-day IRTA test on race tyres, but despite finishing the timed qualifying session as the top Bridgestone rider today, de Puniet was convinced he could have gone faster had he not hit a false neutral on his final flying lap.

The Kawasaki pilot had planned to run with a fourth qualifying tyre late in the session, but a light rain shower with just five minutes left to run meant that he was unable to improve upon his previous best time.

After concentrating on refining the balance and set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR during the first two days of the final pre-season test, Olivier Jacque finally got to try a qualifying tyre on his 800cc Kawasaki during this afternoon's timed practice.

Surprised by the difference in available grip compared to the race tyres, Jacque was unable to use the first qualifier to maximum advantage, but with his second super sticky rear tyre fitted the Frenchman managed to reduce his lap time by a second.

With a better understanding of the performance of the Bridgestone qualifying tyres, Jacque headed out on a third qualifier, but was forced to abandon his lap after seeing spots of rain on his visor and screen.

First and second place on the timesheet for de Puniet and Jacque during this afternoon's final free practice session confirmed the potential of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR, although both riders know that there is still some work to be done ahead of the opening race of the season, which will take place in Qatar on 10 March.

Randy de Puniet: 5th - 16 Qualifying Laps - Best Lap 1'39.832
"I am a little bit upset, not with the position I got at the official practice, but with my lap time. I improved with every qualifying tyre I tried, but in my last lap I hit a false neutral in the gearbox and that lost me some time. It also started to rain, but I just closed my eyes and pushed hard until the end. I'm sure that without the mistake I would have been into the low 1'39s bracket. Overall I am satisfied with the job we did during the session and these three days of testing. We made some changes to suspension settings and my feeling was much better this morning. Today the engine was smoother and this is important for race distance. I can't wait to arrive in Qatar for the first round."

Olivier Jacque: 15th - 12 Qualifying laps - Best Lap 1'40.551
"This afternoon's timed session was the first time I've tested the qualifying tyres from Bridgestone. I was surprised at just how much more grip they offer compared to the race tyres, which meant I didn't get the best from the rear qualifier first time out. On the second tyre my lap time was a second quicker and I'm confident I'd have been able to improve again with the third soft tyre, but then I noticed rain on my visor, so I abandoned the last flying lap and returned to the pits. Now I realise I could have carried on, but I wasn't sure how heavy the rain was at different parts of the circuit and there was no reason to risk everything for a fast time so close to the start of the season. Anyway, overall I'm pretty satisfied because I'm not so far off the top five. The bike definitely felt better today and the extra grip of the qualifiers helped to overcome some of the set-up issues we've had. The balance is still not perfect, but most important is that we've seen an improvement day by day."

Ichiro Yoda: Racing Director
"Our assessment of these tests is very positive, as we proved our potential. Randy and Olivier showed it in the first sessions and during the official timed practice this afternoon, even though they still don't get on well with the qualifying tyres, and confirmed it in the afternoon. Compared with the last tests in Qatar we have done a step forward with the tyres, as we are sure now about the choice for the race. However, we need to improve the engine performance in order to gain some top speed and to get a friendlier power delivery. I'm satisfied with our riders' job so far, but I have already let them know our expectations for Qatar."

Looks like we have a Nakkers v Hoffman year ahead of us again... 5th and 15th... Yikes..


Lets just hope Randy finishes some races because he has alot more pressure on him in '07 being the quickest of the team, he is going to be the one expect to get some results. And if he can it will certainly boost his profile.