Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi dominated the MotoGP test of 2010 in Malaysia by emerging as the fastest of the premier class riders across both days.
It was another great day at the Sepang International Circuit, with the flamboyant Italian setting the standard with a best lap of 2min 00.271 seconds.
The Yamaha rider who was quickest on Thursday and also at the first test at the track three weeks ago was 0.247sec seconds faster Friday than the time he set to qualify on pole position for the 2009 Malaysian GP.
Rossi clinched his seventh MotoGP championship title last year at Sepang. Times of India
The Fiat Yamaha rider was followed on the timesheet by Ducati Marlboro pair Casey Stoner (2’00.512) and Nicky Hayden (2’00.703), both of whom felt the benefit of the new engine in the Desmosedici GP10 prototype on which new swingarms were tested. Hayden’s time was an improvement of just over 1.5s on his Thursday best lap.
Making it three Yamahas inside the top five times were Monster Yamaha Tech3 pairing Colin Edwards and Ben Spies. The former overcame electronic problems from Thursday to post a best lap of 2’00.988 on Friday – the fourth and final rider of the test to come in under the 2’01” barrier – whilst rookie Spies’ time of 2’01.014 shows that he is already finding a superb level with his M1 as he prepares for his first full season in MotoGP in 2010.
Spies completed a race simulation on the second day and was pleased with his consistently fast times.
The Rizla Suzuki team tested their new GSV-R engine for the first time at this test and veteran Loris Capirossi made progressive improvements across the two days to post a 2’01.320 on Friday, making him the sixth quickest of the two days. He tested a range of other aspects on the bike first tried three weeks earlier and rode just over 100 laps this time out. MotoGP
After some tough days with the new 2010 Honda, reigning 250cc world champion Hiroshi Aoyama claimed a confidence boosting ninth for the new Interwetten outfit - 1.168s from Rossi and the top satellite RCV.
Fellow rookie Alvaro Bautista also made a clear stride forward with 10th for Rizla Suzuki.
Having claimed to have made something of a breakthrough at the end of Thursday, LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet backed his words up by finding over half a second on Friday to move from 15th to 11th.
San Carlo Honda Gresini team-mates Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli were the only riders to fall on Friday.
Melandri’s was a minor spill, but Simoncelli was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after a huge highside at turn seven. The Italian was later released but played no further part in the test.
Melandri left Sepang with the 12th fastest lap-time ahead of Hector Barbera (Aspar Ducati), Mika Kallio (Pramac Ducati), Aleix Espargaro (Pramac Ducati) and the sidelined Simoncelli.
Lorenzo missed the whole test due to a hand injury in a motocross accident. The 2009 title runner-up plans to return for the Qatar test.
The first race of the new season will also be held at Qatar on April 11. Yahoo! Eurosport
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