Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi set the fastest pace of the pre-season testing on Thursday in Malaysia.
The Italian set a lap time of 2min 1.068 seconds, half a second slower than his best time of 2min 0.518sec set last year when he clinched his seventh MotoGP championship title last year at the Sepang International Circuit.
Rossi was in the fast lane from the moment he launched onto his favourite circuit on his 2010 MotoGP YZR-RI race bike which was unveiled early February. He completed 47 laps. Times of India
Casey Stoner, with the Ducati Marlboro team testing new swingarms on the Desmosedici GP10. The main focus remains finding the right feeling with the new engine for the Australian rider, and Stoner was 0.151s off Rossi’s pace.
Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso took well over half a second off his time from the previous test to post a 2’01.631 as the third fastest rider, whilst the new GSV-R engine in the Rizla Suzuki bike enable Loris Capirossi to make a significant improvement as well. The veteran completed 52 laps – as did Dovizioso – and was fourth quickest at a further 0.056s behind his fellow Italian’s time, as he continues work on the new cowling, Akrapovic exhaust, chassis, suspension and Marchesini wheels from the last test.
Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo Ben Spies and Colin Edwards were fifth and sixth respectively on the timesheet, the former working on riding position and posting a best lap of 2’01.843 on day one.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) fell at around 1.35pm local time at turn nine having completed 26 laps, but returned two hours later and made a total of 47 for the day on board his factory RC212V with a best time of 2’02.036, whilst the rider to record the joint-highest number of turns on Thursday was Mika Kallio of Pramac Racing. MotoGP
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