The second day of the MotoGP Official Test in Qatar was characterized by comfortable weather conditions but higher winds than yesterday, especially in the afternoon that prevented the riders to further improve their lap times compared to the morning session.
Marco Melandri and Toni Elias continued their working programme in preparation of the first race of the 2007 World Championship that will take place here in Qatar on Saturday, the 10th of March. In particular, the Gresini Honda riders tested several tyres in order to understand the line to follow for the race on a track that, for its characteristics, is particularly demanding for the tyres.
Marco Melandri (76 laps, 1.57"59): “The team is doing a great job. I like the bike, I have a good feeling when I’m riding. Today we tested several tyres with Bridgestone and we found some interesting solutions that can be good in preparation of the race. I did my fastest time with race tyres because, in this moment, it’s important for us to be ready for the first round of the season. We still have to work hard, but I’m confident”.
Toni Elias (61 laps, 1.58"99): “We are struggling a bit because 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 “.
MotoGP Official Test: Qatar
Day Two Official Times
1. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Factory - 1’56.296
2. Valentino Rossi - Yamaha Factory - 1’56.537
3. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda - 1’56.712
4. Carlos Checa - LCR Honda - 1’56. 874
5. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro - 1’57.040
6. John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki - 1’57.065
7. Shinya Nakano - Konica Minolta Honda - 1’57.274
8. Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing - 1’57.288
9. Kenny Roberts Jr - Team Roberts - 1’57.504
10. Marco Melandri - Gresini Honda - 1’57.591
11. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda - 1’57.629
12. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro - 1’57.698
13. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki - 1’57.770
14. Alex Hofmann - Pramac d’Antin Ducati - 1’57.999
15. Alex Barros - Pramac d’Antin Ducati - 1’58.513
16. Makoto Tamada - Yamaha Tech 3 - 1’58.610
17. Toni Elias - Gresini Honda - 1’58.990
18. Sylvain Guintoli - Yamaha Tech 3 - 1’59.138
19. Shinichi Ito - Ducati TTT - 1’59.617
20. Andrew Pitt - Ilmor GP - 2’02.453
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