KONICA MINOLTA Honda Pleased With Results From Phillip Island Test

KONICA MINOLTA Honda Pleased With Results From Phillip Island Test

Feb 02, 2007

KONICA MINOLTA Honda concluded their three-day test at Phillip Island today. Shinya Nakano spent the day testing rear Michelin tyres as he got to grips with his new Honda RC212V machine. The 29-year-old Japanese rider completed a total of 78 laps finishing the complete test programme scheduled for the Australian test. Shinya’s best time of the day around the 2.76 mile (4.45km) Australian circuit was 1’ 30.975”, an improvement of around four-tenths of a second to his best time of yesterday. With the programme completed, Nakano and the Team have defined the basic set-up of the new 800cc bike and with the improved lap times the Team is very satisfied that the scheduled work is giving its first positive results. The Team will test again at Qatar on 13th, 14th and 15th of February. That track will later play host to the first round of the season on Saturday 10th March.

Gianluca Montiron – Team Manager KONICA MINOLTA Honda

“The pace Nakano had today is satisfying. We are proceeding gradually to find the potential of our technical package in the new Honda RC212V. We have to improve the pace and to have better performance in race set-up and from that point we will aim to find the absolute performance of the Honda RC212V in time for the first race of the season. The relationship between rider and Team is getting better and better and that makes us hope for the best for the future. ”

Shinya Nakano – Rider, KONICA MINOLTA Honda

“My physical condition is much better than Monday but I’m still not feeling 100%. At least today we finished the job of testing the Michelin tyres. Today we were looking at finding the different solutions of rear tyre and this allowed us to obtain a good balance with the bike and an overall good set-up, which we will use in two weeks in Qatar. I am happy about the results gained in these three days as I have better understood the working style of my Team and I am working well with them. Tomorrow I fly to Japan and I’m going to use the next six days to try and recover physically so I’m 100% fit for the next important test. ”

Giulio Bernardelle – Technical Director, KONICA MINOLTA Honda

“We are satisfied about these three days of testing at Phillip Island because we have gathered a large quantity of information which is vital to the direction to be taken in development of the new Honda RC212V between now and the start of the season. There is a very good working relationship between Shinya and the Team, which is already helping us and the Michelin technicians understand what’s happening with the tyres. With bike set-up, we have to improve the handling of the Honda RC212V in order to get a better exit speed from the corners. When braking and entering the corner, things have improved compared to where we were in Sepang, so we have made some good progress. Here in Phillip Island we found a group of front tyres, which will be our reference point for the coming weeks when we test once more. Nakano was pleasantly surprised by the rear tyre, in particular by its performance and the consistency of grip over a long string of laps. ”