MotoGP – Red tide in Malaysia –

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Red tide in Malaysia

MotoGP - Red tide in Malaysia -

For the second time this winter, the Sepang track hosted MotoGP teams. And the Ducatis, absent from the debates the first time, made up for it by dominating all their competitors. Report.

Two months that the MotoGP riders had not wrung the handle ! For this warming up, the Sepang circuit offered pleasant weather conditions, given the current temperatures in our latitudes … During the previous tests which had been carried out on the same Asian track, Valentino Rossi had shown himself the faster but his best time (2 ‘02.61) had not worried the record held by Capirossi during the qualifying of the Grand Prix 2005. It is true that in November, the half-dry half-wet track (read) inspired less confidence.

This time, despite the still ubiquitous air humidity and a heavy downpour late Tuesday afternoon, the weather was good and allowed the pilots to push their mounts to the maximum, as the results prove. obtained…

The quickest to panic qualifying were the star hosts at the end of the season: Rossi, Melandri and Hayden. But very quickly, two other competitors set their pace: Capirossi and his new teammate Gibernau. If the Ducati GP5s and their Bridgestone compounds had largely shone during the Malaysian GP (read), their descendants have done them honor…

Admittedly, the best times in the winter tests don’t necessarily mean much. However, we must classify these pilots! Moto-Net therefore decided to innovate by sorting the MotoGP aces according to their progress made between the time of the first day and the best time of the following two days..

And the driver who has improved the most during these three days is … Chris Vermeulen! The new Suzuki recruit, having started slowly – cautiously? -, has constantly improved his times to end up running regularly in 2 ’02, 4 seconds faster than on his first day! "It’s so good to be back on the track with all the other riders, they taught me a lot about how to ride a MotoGP", testifies the foal of Barry Sheene.

"I know I can go a little faster, but I also know that races are neither won nor lost in the first tests of the season", added the young Australian. Last year in Superbike, his compatriot Troy Corser had shown him that rigorous and intense testing in the pre-season allowed him to gain a decisive – even definitive – advantage from the start of the season.

But after all Chris, barely discovers the world of prototypes over 230 hp, their carbon brakes and Bridgestone gums. He’s not chasing the title this year, so let’s give him time !

Close to four seconds of improvement, Jose Luis Cardoso did not appear in the 2006 favorites either, but obtained a fine second place in the "Moto-Net ranking". The Spaniard makes his comeback in the premier class after his three seasons in 500 cc (1999-2001) and a few participations in MotoGP 2002.

Already knowing the Antin Team for whom he rode in 250 and then in 500, Jose Luis focused on "learning about motorcycles, tires, electronics, etc..". He will benefit for 2006 – just like his team-mate Alex Hofmann – from the promising Ducati GP6. So we can hope for some good performances from the Iberian, especially on his land … if the Dunlops allow it..

James Ellison also made a lot of progress during these tests on his M1 also equipped with Dunlop, dropping his time by more than 2 seconds in the space of 24 hours. The Briton, ill for more than a week, did not display an Olympic form but he was still able to appreciate the excess power offered by the Yamaha compared to his old WCM.

According to James, the main problem to be solved is traction: "with the qualifying tires it’s very good, but we have some problems with the race ones which make the rear move". To accelerate the improvement of Dunlops, the solution would be to hire a second M1 within the French team Tech 3 … And this post could well be assigned to the experienced Carlos Checa !

If it makes sense to find drivers discovering their new mount at the top of the table, the presence of Nakano in fourth position is more astonishing. But the Japanese "rediscovered" his ZX-RR so he spent a lot of time making a lot of little tweaks or changes, "which is normal when putting a brand new motorcycle on the track", he explains.

After testing several parts and settings, Shinya embarked on his last afternoon in a simulated race in which his "lap times were consistent and very close to those achieved by Capirossi last year in the race". The Japanese therefore confirms the potential of his Ninja, which could have achieved a good 2005 Malaysian GP if Gibernau had not confused speed and haste (read)…

A Sete Gibernau that we find in great shape this week, since he signs the two best times of the sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Catalan continues his instruction brilliantly, allowing himself to get ahead not only the Honda and Rossi but also his own colleague Loris Capirossi, despite being a doctor of Ducati !

It was by testing the GP5 that Sete was able to confirm Loris’ statements: "the GP5 is a good bike, but the GP6 has a greater development potential and from now on we will only use this one". A clear decision that Sete did not seem to be able to take regarding the RCV, the development of which still seems delicate today..

After Vermeulen, Randy de Puniet offers himself the best progression for a rookie: nearly two seconds eaten in three days and times comparable to those of Shinya! The French thus shows itself up to the efforts made by all the Kawa engineers and scores big points with the Greens..

Harald Heckel, the Kawasaki team manager, is full of praise for Randy who has it "impressed by his consistency". The German approaches this new season more confident than ever:"with the new ZX-RR and our two pilots, we will be able to see a definite progress in our classification in the championship". That’s all we want them !

Toni Elias is also continuing his training on team Fortuna’s RCV. Even though the Spanish still fails to use "the best"his qualifying tires, his lap times with race tires fully satisfy him, as well as his"feeling"general.

For his part, Loris Capirossi "defended" in a way his pole position and his victory at the Malaysian GP 2005. Absent from the test last November, the Italian did not miss the boat: faster than Sete on Monday, he is less than a tenth of the Spanish at the end of the tests, but especially once again in front of all its competitors.

"I like the GP6 more and more", confesses Capirex who does not want to leave his beauty! He is already thinking of testing next week at Phillip Island, a track on which he had only covered a few kilometers last year before falling heavily…

Alex Hofmann will also have the honor of driving the GP6. But his, unlike those of Loris and Sete, will be wearing Dunlop … And the German did not hesitate to push his tires beyond their limits (two falls without consequences Wednesday afternoon), this who had been "very useful for understanding the nose gear and helping Dunlop grasp the difficulties for future developments", he defends himself.

"The Ducati is a very impressive motorcycle, it has enormous power and I really like it", concludes Alex who will however have to be careful not to get injured at the start of the season! Last year at Estoril, a simple marketing demonstration deprived him of two GPs … which had allowed our national OJ to resume service (read) !

The further down we go in the rankings, the more experienced the riders and their knowledge of their bike. So Marco Melandri only gained a big second between his first time and that of Wednesday.

Firmly determined to focus on a single RCV, the Italian hedgehog struggled to resolve it. "During the lunch break, my mechanics did an incredible job and in the afternoon (Wednesday, Editor’s note) my feelings with the motorbike have improved", explains the Honda rider who was ultimately unable to perform a race simulation.

Casey Stoner was also penalized by a mount that was difficult to tame: on the last day he even used his mule, "but the feeling was not the same. I could go faster but it was too risky, so I preferred to calm things down. I don’t want to take stupid risks during winter testing".

While Casey improved his best time by one second, his "favorite nemesis" Dani Pedrosa slashed it by 95 hundredths. But the Spanish were a tone above the Australian, setting the fourth fastest time in tests.

One of the highlights of the three-time world champion’s tests was his very first qualifying rubber test: "I was a little afraid of falling at the start and by the time I realized how much grip the tire had, I was already halfway through"… Amazed, the Dani !

For his part, John Hopkins on Suzuki suffered electrical problems on his last day which prevented him from improving his time on Tuesday. "I am very frustrated with what happened … I really don’t like sitting in the box watching others go faster and faster", regrets the Anglo-American…

John now has "the impression of having a little catching up to do", but he is reassured that soon his GSV-R will work correctly again.

We are now approaching the end of the standings with drivers who only improved their times by about half a second. Like Colin Edwards, who experienced jerk problems on his new M1 Camel.

Despite these minor inconveniences, his racing simulation satisfied him: "I was much faster than last year, it is proof that we are improving !"It remains to be seen whether this" a lot "will be enough to fill the 22 seconds which separated him from the winner, who has since improved himself !

His team-mate, a certain Valentino Rossi, started the tests very well, finishing at the top of the list on day one. But the 2006 M1 then posed some concerns, especially in terms of stability..

In general, the Doctor considers himself despite everything "satisfied with these first tests and the evolution of the new bike"Although close to the 2005 model, Vale says it is better in many areas:"I already have a good feeling", warns the seven-time world champion … Agostini and his eight titles do not seem very far away !

Nicky Hayden didn’t spare himself, especially on the last day he finished washing up. "We tested a lot of things and I probably did too many laps", estimates the American with his 95 laps on the clock against … 41 for Rossi !

The Kentucky Kid has little time to rest, however, as he will participate with all his colleagues from Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati in testing at Phillip Island from January 31 to February 2. The opportunity to test the changes made to its RCV. "If what we enjoyed here works there, then that will be a good sign! They are two very different layouts, as Phillip Island has a lot more fast corners.", he foresees.

Finally Kenny Roberts, riding the Roberts Honda, followed the same evolution as his compatriot … Without naturally aligning the same times. Tenth at the end of the first day, the American had made a very strong impression.

"I can’t believe how good the Honda engine is", raves Roberts Junior:"we hear a lot about the power and responsiveness of this engine, but you have to try it to believe it"(which we largely confirm, read!). But after this first session, the times did not drop much more. Despite this, Roberts Senior does not lose hope and sees his son doing some podiums this year.

But before champagne, there is still a lot of work to be done … for everyone! As of Monday, Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati will be at Phillip Island while Yamaha and Suzuki will wait a short week to reach Qatar. Stay connected !

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