The two days of testing in Qatar finished with Troy in an upbeat mood and ready for the first race in twelve days time. Once again the main work during the two days revolved around getting the new 2007 R1 Yamaha Italia bike ready for the first race, so Troy and the team weren’t trying to chase any lap times.
We had a handful of things (including chassis and some engine parts) to try out from the tests at Phillip Island in January and I think we achieved what we set out to do pretty well to do, so we’re all pretty happy. Everything worked well and we’ve improved the bike. Also, the tests went well because we had no dramas or close ones, so that was pretty good. Yesterday the track was a bit dusty and slippery in the morning but it improved in the afternoon due to us all going round and around. If there had been more teams here, then I think the condition would’ve been even better and the grip would’ve improved. This afternoon it got a bit hot for a while and then the level of grip went down but, as we weren’t chasing lap times or trying any race distances, it didn’t matter really. I am happy enough with my lap times and although a little bit more time on the new bike would be good, I think we’ll be ready for the first race! I’m looking forward to it already!
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