Nicky Hayden and Repsol Honda Back on Track for MotoGP Test at Philip Island

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Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa were back on track today as the second MotoGP test of 2007 resumed at Phillip Island. The fine weather allowed the Repsol Honda pair to complete many valuable miles as they continue the development of the new-for-2007 RC2112V. Both riders significantly improved their laptimes from yesterday as they worked on chassis, engine and Michelin tyre testing.

World Champion Nicky Hayden ran a series of tests on geometry settings and tyre options as he and his crew adjusted the machine to suit the 4.448km (2.764 miles) Australian circuit. Completing an impressive 91 laps, the 25-year-old American was able to take 0.57s off his best from yesterday, setting a laptime of 1m 30.61s on race tyres, with further set-up improvements expected tomorrow.

Dani Pedrosa also upped his pace today as he again worked on chassis, suspension and engine settings. In the afternoon the 21-year-old from Barcelona, Spain focused on adjusting the power characteristics of the 800cc V4 powerplant to allow him to get the most from the new engine. Pedrosa also spent time with the Michelin technicians as they continued the tyre testing schedule, setting a best lap of 1m 30.45s today.

The three-day test concludes here tomorrow, after which the Repsol Honda Team will prepare for the next test at the Losail circuit in Qatar, beginning on February 13.

Nicky Hayden Best laptime: 1m 30.61s - 91 laps

“We went quite a bit faster today which is good, and we got through a lot of options and settings. We’re working on the balance of the bike which we haven’t got quite right yet, especially in the fast corners. We improved our pace, though there’s the same basic issue where the bike isn’t quite turning as I’d like it to and it pushes the front a little. Still, we got a lot of data today so the guys will put their heads together tonight and figure out some more improvements for tomorrow. “

Dani Pedrosa Best laptime: 1m 30.45s - 82 laps

“The weather was good to us today and we got through a lot of testing, including chassis and suspension adjustments, plus some engine settings work. As well as that we did some more tyre testing with Michelin which was positive. We made some good progress especially towards the end of the day and the laptime is not so bad. Now we have to analyse the data we collected today and work on going quicker still on the last day tomorrow. “

Unofficial laptimes:
1
Alex Barros
D’Antin Ducati
1m 30.01s
54 laps

2
Loris Capirossi
Ducati Marlboro Team
1m 30.34s
59

3
Casey Stoner
Ducati Marlboro Team
1m 30.39s
54

4
Dani Pedrosa
Repsol Honda Team
1m 30.45s
82

5
Alex Hofmann
D’Antin Ducati
1m 30.60s
74

6
Nicky Hayden
Repsol Honda Team
1m 30.61s
91

7
Marco Melandri
Gresini Honda
1m 30.74s
86

8
Carlos Checa
LCR Honda
1m 30.84s
100

9
Chris Vermeulen
Rizla Suzuki
1m 31.18s
75

10
Shinya Nakano
Konica Minolta Honda
1m 31.35s
89

11
Toni Elias
Gresini Honda
1m 31.51s
90

12
Kenny Roberts Jr
Team Roberts Honda
1m 31.55s
94

13
John Hopkins
Rizla Suzuki
1m 31.63s
65


 
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