Nicky Hayden topped the official timesheets on Wednesday at Jerez as several World Superbike and MotoGP teams got acquainted with their 2016 packages.
The former MotoGP world champion showed strong pace on his first day of testing the CBR1000RR at Jerez, as he ended the day just 0.08s faster than Ducati's Chaz Davies.
Hayden's time of 1m 41.512s was some way off Jonathan Rea's best time, set on Tuesday – his second day of testing in succession – of 1m 40.139s but neither Hayden nor Davies were pushing for a fast lap, instead focusing on testing parts and adjusting set-up.
The Crescent Yamahas of Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli were also present, although neither rider officially posted a time. Rumors suggest Lowes was considerably faster than Hayden on Wednesday but his day was curtailed by a fast fall at turn three. It is believed the Englishman dislocated his left shoulder in the spill, an injury that may sideline him for the rest of the test.
None of the MotoGP machines fitted transponders but the Repsol Honda duo of Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa took to the track, along with Aprilia team-mates Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl. The Noale factory's new test rider Mike de Meglio was also on track.
Although the Factory team-mates, as well as Pramac and Avintia riders will make an appearance at some stage on Thursday and Friday, Ducati test rider Michele Pirro and team Aspar teamsters Yonny Hernandez and Eugene Laverty were the only men on Bologna MotoGP machinery on Wednesday.
From the comments made by Marquez, Pedrosa and Laverty, Wednesday was very much a day set aside for bedding the machines and the new electronics settings in before starting on real set-up work on Thursday.
Of the World Supersport competitors, only PJ Jacobsen ran today. The young American set a promising time of 1m 43.9s, just under a second off Kenan Sofuoglu's fastest time from Tuesday, his second of testing