Honda Racing
The curtain came down on the three- day MotoGP Official Test at Losail in Qatar with the the Gresini Honda riders, feeling that the Qatar test had been very useful in preparation of the first Grand Prix race that will take place on this track in a few weeks.
Marco Melandri and Toni Elias completed the third test of the 2007 season, having accumulated a large volume of important data for the forthcoming season. Marco Melandri made an important step forward in the development of the Honda-Bridgestone package. While Elias was struggling a bit to find the right tyres for his characteristics and he looks forward to next test session in Jerez, the last of the winter season, in order to make further improvements. The third day of testing was characterized by comfortable weather conditions. Melandri completed 62 laps, 1’56"980 his best time. 71 laps for his team mate Toni Elias, 1’57.246 his best time.
Now the Motogp riders will have one week to dedicate to their usual schedule of training and some days of relax, before resuming back on track for three days starting from Friday the 23rd of February for the Official Motogp Irta test session at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, with Tv coverage.
Marco Melandri (62 laps, 1.56"980): “The team is doing a great job. I like the bike, I have a good feeling when I’m riding. I feel very comfortable with chassis and suspensions. Now we have to work on the engine to make a further step forward. We continued tyres testing with Bridgestone and we found some interesting solutions that can be good in preparation for the race. In the afternoon I tried also a qualifying tyre to gather some data and prepare for the season. I couldn’t use the qualifying tyre at his best, while my race pace was quite good. I trust a lot our partners so I’m confident”.
Toni Elias (71 laps, 1.57.246): ): “We are struggling a bit because in this moment we cannot find a good compromise in the package Honda - Bridgestone, we still haven’t found the tyre that it’s good for my riding style and my characteristics. I’m confident because we are working hard with the Bridgestone technicians. We will get probably some new stuff to test in Jerez for the next Irta test session, this would be very important for us “.
