Jerez 08 Test Results

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Feb 18 2008, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'> wrong but fitting

Betcha Pinky enjoyed that pic.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Feb 18 2008, 10:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPy3WzenbXM
looks pretty wet to me. regarding tyres all i said was i think they were on wets and that i wouldnt ride on slicks there, would you ?

That was yesterday, with Stoner miles ahead with a 1.49.263. And I hate wet racing and would perfeer not to be out there at all, ok maybe on a motoGP bike

Anyway, these times were from today including stoners 1.39 that were probably on q-tires, at least it was a single lap stint.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jazkat @ Feb 18 2008, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>yeah i think hes lost a bit of weight and also think the aerodynamics are paying off, one thing i will say tho the yam needs get upto speed quicker out of the corners.

Just curious:
Have you seen anything that suggest they are slow so far?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Feb 18 2008, 10:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Just curious:
Have you seen anything that suggest they are slow so far?


lol sorry yes i know there are going quick already and i didnt mean at all they were slow, im just thinking yam could hold back on the TC a little bit more and get more out of the corner speed, it sounds like its being used quite a bit, mostly noticable on toselands machine?.

they have improved the system, i dont see rossi's machine poppin wheelies so much out of the corner.

bridgestone still have the best wet tyres.
michelin still have the best qualifying tyres.
michelin race tyres seem to have improved but we need to see their durability in race conditions.
yamaha power seems to have improved but we need to see how it goes with the race fuel restrictions.

bridgestone looks like a good move for rossi; maybe he does know what he is doing . he may end up helping stoner against hrc by developing the qualifiers.

stoner pretty fast on race tyres on what was not his best track last year.

ROSSI

“At the end of today it was quite cold which made things difficult, and generally the conditions have made our job harder for the whole three days. Despite this I think we’ve done some good work; I have a good rhythm and I am having a lot of fun riding the bike. I’m quite excited now about the start of the season! We have things to work on, especially our speed in the exit of the corner, which was worse today because we had less grip on the damp track. Overall though it’s been good, and I think we’ve learnt a lot both about the bike and the Bridgestones, plus I have been quite fast both with the qualifier and the race tyres. I didn’t use the qualifier I like best here, so I am confident that when we use it in Qatar we can be faster. Now there’s just one test left, which will be in the dark and therefore something quite strange! We will focus on our final days of preparation and be ready for the first race.”

TOSELAND
It was a bit of a freak accident and nothing I could have done about it. It all happened very fast but luckily I only twisted my ankle when I got caught up with the bike. It was on my first lap out of the pits and I just got caught out. Whether it was the track conditions or not, I was just tipping in and the rear end came round. I wanted to get back out there and it was nice to get to those times again. I didn’t want to leave on a bad note. It was nice that even with a few problems like my ankle that I can still end up in the top six. I’d been in the top five in the wet and dry and to finish off in 14th I’d have been a bit deflated. But even with my ankle it was good to still be doing some competitive times. What’s nice is I feel progress at every test I have done. I have been consistently quick here and in the dry and the wet which was encouraging, especially in the wet. If I carry on working in this direction hopefully we can raise a few eyebrows. Everybody has been pretty encouraged and I think this is a great team and my guys are why I have been able to progress so quickly. It is down to their experience. I’ll rest my ankle for a couple of days now and be ready for Qatar, which I’m looking forward to as it is another track I know well.”

If you want (all) Team Managers tell me

STONER

"The conditions haven't been perfect here this weekend but this afternoon the sun came back out and we were finally able to get some good laps in and work on finding some more grip on the rear. We had another chassis setting prepared on my second bike but the crash meant that we weren't able to switch the tyres over and make a direct comparison so that was a shame. The wind was making it quite difficult in some corners and it didn't help with the crash but it was just a small front end slide and I was fine. We were able to continue the test and I tried out a completely new qualifying tyre. We actually tried it at the wrong time of the day because the wind was up and I could have gone much faster a little later on but the point of the test wasn't to set the fastest time but to see if the new qualifier was better than the previous one, which it was so that was positive. Generally speaking it has been a very positive test although we have been careful not to make the setting too specific to this circuit because it is very unique and you often find that the same setting doesn't work as well anywhere else. Now I'm really looking forward to going to Qatar, seeing how the bike goes there and making the final preparations for the start of the season."

MELANDRI
I can't deny that I was hoping to do better here but the continual changes in weather and track conditions haven't helped. At the moment we're struggling to find a good balance for the rear of the bike so I don't have the confidence to make the most out of the power. This circuit in particular is also probably not the most favourable for us but we still have to improve. Hopefully we can do that in Qatar, where a night test will provide something of the unknown for everybody."

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jazkat @ Feb 19 2008, 12:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>lol sorry yes i know there are going quick already and i didnt mean at all they were slow, im just thinking yam could hold back on the TC a little bit more and get more out of the corner speed, it sounds like its being used quite a bit, mostly noticable on toselands machine?.

they have improved the system, i dont see rossi's machine poppin wheelies so much out of the corner.

Well, what i did notice on all bikes on sunday was that you could hear the TC working hard when leaned over, but as they got close to straight up they started spinning and it was more of a riders choise. Wheely on that cold and wet surface would have been a miracle
Their real problem last year was not so much the top end power as the mid range. Espesially in the start of the year both Honda and Ducati and even Suzuki blew away as soon as the bike were somewhere near stright up. That was pure power and no TC problem.
Thats why as was interested if anyone seen the same this year becuase that would really suck if all they got is top endd no mid range, but it would surprise me as the top speed is just as much a result of the mid range as the top end power as they bring with them the exit speed all they way over the straights.

Anyone noticed Stoner and Rossi's comments from today?
Stoner: To windy early in the day when I used my q tires, much better later on, thats why I dont top the time sheets.
Rossi: To cold in the afternoon, much better earlier in the day, thats why I dont top the time sheets, besides I saved my favorite q tire for quatar

This is what I mean that they ALL make excuses, even the "I don't want to make any excuses" man, they ALL do the same thing and it's inherntly in the nature of a racer. First rule: Keep the confidence up, second rule: beat your team mate. Then start intimidating the rest.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Feb 18 2008, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>bridgestone looks like a good move for rossi; maybe he does know what he is doing .

Yes, yes it does seem that he does know a few things about tires and racing and the like.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (adrien mototribu @ Feb 18 2008, 11:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>ROSSI

“I didn’t use the qualifier I like best here, so I am confident that when we use it in Qatar we can be faster. Now there’s just one test left, which will be in the dark and therefore something quite strange! We will focus on our final days of preparation and be ready for the first race.”

Hummm...the return of psychological warfare? Man can´t wait for Qatar!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Feb 19 2008, 01:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Anyone noticed Stoner and Rossi's comments from today?
Stoner: To windy early in the day when I used my q tires, much better later on, thats why I dont top the time sheets.
Rossi: To cold in the afternoon, much better earlier in the day, thats why I dont top the time sheets, besides I saved my favorite q tire for quatar

This is what I mean that they ALL make excuses, even the "I don't want to make any excuses" man, they ALL do the same thing and it's inherntly in the nature of a racer. First rule: Keep the confidence up, second rule: beat your team mate. Then start intimidating the rest.
Absolutely correct.

Also stoner seems to be worried about rossi, and rossi seems to be worried about stoner; that's what we like to see.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (citadina @ Feb 19 2008, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hummm...the return of psychological warfare? Man can´t wait for Qatar!!!

Is qualifying at night in Qatar? ...... its going to be interesting with Quali. tyre choice if so?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Feb 19 2008, 10:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>bridgestone looks like a good move for rossi; maybe he does know what he is doing . he may end up helping stoner against hrc by developing the qualifiers.

I was thinking the opposite!! .... Michelin got the fastest race time and Rossi seemed down a bit on what I would have expected. Also I wonder where Pedrosa would have placed had the hand been better? Would that have been another fast Michelin race tyre??

Meh ... time will tell.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BarryMachine @ Feb 19 2008, 03:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I was thinking the opposite!! .... Michelin got the fastest race time and Rossi seemed down a bit on what I would have expected. Also I wonder where Pedrosa would have placed had the hand been better? Would that have been another fast Michelin race tyre??

Meh ... time will tell.
If you look at the combined times on race tyres (mostly saturday times when it was properly dry, rather than windy and a bit greasy like monday) then the story is slightly different. Michelin still have almost all the top riders, but is that just down to the tyres? The one thing that is hard to tell with testing is how soft the "race" tyres are. They are doing 4 or so laps on them, so they aren't straight out qualifiers, but could they do a full race on them?...

Times from the Motogp.com analysis of FP1
RdP 1'40.223
VR 1'40.641
CS 1'40'651
AD 1'40.767
JT 1'40.768
NH 1'40.828
JL 1'40.909
CE 1'40.945
MM 1'41.059
AdA 1'41.072
DP 1'41.352 (Monday)
SN 1'41.435
LC 1'41.584 (Monday)
TE 1'42.588

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BarryMachine @ Feb 19 2008, 03:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Is qualifying at night in Qatar? ...... its going to be interesting with Quali. tyre choice if so?

I suppose qualifying also is going to be at night, otherwise it would make little sense. The real difference with night racing is not so much the light, imo, but the temperature on the ground. It is going to be definitely cool, and according to past data a cool asphalt should be an advantage for Bridgestone.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Feb 19 2008, 05:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I suppose qualifying also is going to be at night, otherwise it would make little sense. The real difference with night racing is not so much the light, imo, but the temperature on the ground. It is going to be definitely cool, and according to past data a cool asphalt should be an advantage for Bridgestone.

True regarding the light and if skiing at night is any measurment the conditions are going to be better than in daylight.
Regarding the temperature it's harder to say. It's very hot in the day so the heat will stay for quite a while. The temperature will depend on how late in the evening they start.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Feb 19 2008, 07:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>True regarding the light and if skiing at night is any measurment the conditions are going to be better than in daylight.
Regarding the temperature it's harder to say. It's very hot in the day so the heat will stay for quite a while. The temperature will depend on how late in the evening they start.

Assuming they'll race well after sunset, my guess is that at 9 PM in March there, it will be cooler than at 2 PM in a summer afternoon in Europe. Sunset should be around 6-7 PM. Tarmac temperature should have the time to drop significantly.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Feb 19 2008, 07:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Assuming they'll race well after sunset, my guess is that at 9 PM in March there, it will be cooler than at 2 PM in a summer afternoon in Europe. Sunset should be around 6-7 PM. Tarmac temperature should have the time to drop significantly.

Sure, it will be cooler than a sunny summer day, but then you got everything from there to this Sundays 10 C.
I've heard both 8 and 9 that give us a window of 1 - 3 hours after sundown, and that was my point. If they start racing only an hour after Sundown it will still be prety warm in the ground. On the other hand, if they wait 3-4 hours after sunset it will be a different situation.
We'll find out soon enough.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Feb 19 2008, 07:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Sure, it will be cooler than a sunny summer day, but then you got everything from there to this Sundays 10 C.
I've heard both 8 and 9 that give us a window of 1 - 3 hours after sundown, and that was my point. If they start racing only an hour after Sundown it will still be prety warm in the ground. On the other hand, if they wait 3-4 hours after sunset it will be a different situation.
We'll find out soon enough.
and with the race lasting 40 min, the temp will drop significantly during the race too! i wonder how much that will affect durability/grip?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Feb 19 2008, 11:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>and with the race lasting 40 min, the temp will drop significantly during the race too! i wonder how much that will affect durability/grip?

Just found out the race start as late as 2300. That's more than an hour or two after sunset. It will be cooler, allthough I don't know how cold. The 40 minutes will not have much influence that late and besides the tires work hard the whole time and the whole wheel will stay nice and warm ao I doubt there is much risk for any change in grip due to falling temperature during the race. If any it might help the tire from overheat at the final stages.