MotoGP Catalunya Test 2006

Ben please delete if you have started this already thanks

After the conclusion of two days’ of lower category testing, the Circuit de Catalunya finally saw the arrival of the premier class of MotoGP today. The Official Test got underway this morning, with the session scheduled to finish at 6pm local time.

It was reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi who made his mark in the morning’s testing. The Italian was a notable absentee from morning proceedings, finally taking to the track at around 12.40pm. He was nearly immediately at the head of the leaderboard, clocking a lap of 1’44.571 on his sixth lap. Before that, teammate Colin Edwards and Suzuki’s John Hopkins had been exchanging fastest laps for much of the morning. Shinya Nakano and Marco Melandri have also shown impressive speed at the Circuit de Catalunya.

In contrast to yesterday’s sunny skies, there is a large amount of cloud over Montmeló, although this has served to elevate temperatures for the riders on the track. Thus far there have been no crashes on this first day of Official Testing for the premier class.

MotoGP Official Test

MotoGP- Times as of 1pm (local time)

1. Valentino Rossi - Camel Yamaha 1'44.571
2. John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki 1'44.999
3. Shinya Nakano - Kawasaki Racing 1'45.096
4. Colin Edwards - Camel Yamaha 1'45.154
5. Marco Melandri - Fortuna Honda 1'45.206
6. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda 1'45.522
7. Carlos Checa - Yamaha Tech 3 1'45.663
8. Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing 1'46.293
9. Kenny Roberts jr. - Team Roberts 1'46.352
10. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro 1'46.537

I'm curious to know which bike Hayden was using to set that time. If he was aboard the 2006 version then things will be looking up for him and HRC. Glad to see Hopper running quick to start it out.

I read in a motorcycle paper here in the UK that the Repsol Honda Team may scrap the 2006 bike and use the 2005 one because the 06 one is no where near as good as the 05 one according to Nicky Hayden but we will see

It'll be interesting to see how the final fastest times compare with last years record.

http://www.yamaha-racing.com/motogp/circui...34&racecateg1=1

Oh almost forgot,

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%GO HOPPER!

Valentino Rossi was the standout rider on a day which saw the start of the MotoGP Official Test for the premier class of MotoGP. Following on from the 125cc and 250cc categories’ sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya, the teams took to the track for the first of three days of testing.

After John Hopkins and Colin Edwards started promisingly at the start of the day, it was World Champion Rossi who lead the table at 1pm local time. The Camel Yamaha rider had taken to the track just after 12.30, and within six laps he was already heading the leaderboard, putting in a fastest lap of 1’44.571 on the M1. He later improved further on the time, riding in at 1’43.608 on his 23rd lap, before deciding to finish his day after a crash at around 3.30pm.

Teammate Colin Edwards finished the day in second after another strong test showing, whilst Carlos Checa continued to impress on the Yamaha. The Spaniard is certainly repaying the faith placed in him by the Tech3 team, finishing the day third with a time of 1’44.070, ahead of Hopkins and Nicky Hayden.

MotoGP Official Test

Unofficial Times: Day 1

1.Valentino Rossi – Camel Yamaha 1’43´608 2.Colin Edwards – Camel Yamaha 1´44.063 3.Carlos Checa – Tech3 Yamaha 1’44.070 4.John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1´44.197 5.Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda 1´44.209 6.Shinya Nakano – Kawasaki Racing 1’44.399 7.Sete Gibernau – Ducati Marlboro 1’44.556 8.Marco Melandri – Fortuna Honda 1’44.672 9.Toni Elias – Fortuna Honda 1’44.702 10.Makoto Tamada – Konica Minolta Honda 1’44.721

Day one of the first Official MotoGP IRTA test of 2006, at Barcelona, has ended with world champion Valentino Rossi leading an all Yamaha top three - despite ending his day early after a heavy fall, which brought out the red flags.

Following on from the 125cc and 250cc categories' sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya, which have been running since Monday, the MotoGP teams took to the track this morning - with Rizla Suzuki's John Hopkins and Colin Edwards starting promisingly, before team-mate Rossi took to the top at 1pm local time.

The Camel Yamaha rider had only begun testing just after 12.30, and within six laps he was already heading the timesheets. The Italian later clocked an even faster time of 1min 43.608secs - a few tenths off his fastest lap in the 2005 GP - to confirm his dominance.

However, the flamboyant Italian did suffer a heavy fall during the eight-hour long session - which brought out the red flags - and The Doctor decided to call an end to his testing for the day after the incident, which occurred just after 3.30pm. Nonetheless, his time stood strong for the remainder of the afternoon, and he headed up a Yamaha one-two-three, with team-mate Edwards and Tech 3 rider Carlos Checa trailing him.

It was something of a special occasion for Checa, who after moving from Ducati to Honda last year lost his MotoGP ride in early January. However a last-minute package was put together by the Tech 3 team and Dunlop to allow the Spaniard to continue this season, and their faith in one of the most experienced riders in the sport got at least some small reward today.

Behind the Yamaha trio came the newly-liveried Rizla Suzuki of Hopkins, with Repsol rider Nicky Hayden top Honda rider in fifth, and Shinya Nakano in sixth place on the Kawasaki. Ducati's new rider Sete Gibernau was seventh fastest at his home track, with former team-mate and last year's championship runner-up Marco Melandri just behind him. Toni Elias was ninth fastest after his move from Yamaha to Honda over winter, with Makoto Tamada finishing tenth.

The weekend's fastest laps are likely to occur on Sunday, when the third annual BMW M Award takes place. A forty-minute televised session in which riders compete to earn the fastest lap starts at just after 2pm local time, with a brand new BMW Z4 M Roadster going up for grabs for the winner. The previous winners of the competition are Rossi and Gibernau.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest 250cc rider on Wednesday, and subsequently repeated his leaderboard-topping form in Thursday's eight-hour session. Having set a fastest lap of 1min 46.563secs he was only three-tenths off Dani Pedrosa's pole-winning time from last season at this track.

Despite suffering a crash half an hour before the end of the session, Alex de Angelis came in second quickest with a time of 1min 47.232secs, whilst 250cc's surprise package was Czech rider Jakub Smrz, who continued his intriguing success at the Circuit de Catalunya finishing third fastest.

The big news from 125cc was the crash suffered by Thomas Lüthi. Switzerland's reigning World Champion fractured his left collarbone in the incident, and doctors have recommended that he misses the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez next week in order to recover without surgery. The Swiss rider is still expected to compete in the first race of the season, the Gran Premio betandwin.com de España on March 26th.

His main rival from last year, Finland's Mika Kallio, topped the leaderboard with a fastest lap of 1min 50.849secs, three tenths of a second off Hector Barbera's 2004 lap record. Lukas Pesek and Alvaro Bautista came in second and third, whilst the top five was completed by Sergio Gadea and Angel Rodriguez.

Cloud is predicted for tomorrow, Saturday, with a forecasted drop in temperature and light rain for Sunday's final MotoGP Official Test day at the Circuit de Catalunya. The second and final official test will then take place one week later, at Jerez.

I always feel bad for the poor fellas that get injured before the season even starts.

Quite a shame.


Looks like Nicky is the quickest Honda at this point.
Rossi isn't human...his consistency is unbelievable.

Rossi is god

Don't forget he only showed up just before lunch and only got a few laps in only to take the fastest time and hold it all day.

Nicky Hayden wore a groove in the Barcelona track today testing the latest version of the RCV. He was Honda's fastest man, unfortunately he was only 5th fastest and 0.6 slower than--you guessed it--Mr. Valentino Rossi. The next Honda was Marco Melandri in eighth. Nicky did an astounding 103 laps today compared to Vale's 54. I expect Nicky to stick with the new bike tomorrow and for the timed session on Sunday. The rest of the Honda riders are on 2005 bikes plus a bit of evolution. Dani Pedrosa (Nicky's teammate on the factory team) has another dose of evolution on his bike.

Rossi stayed in bed this morning at his hotel, presumably not threatened by anything in MotoGP that would force him to do the 'early to rise' act. While he slept, John Hopkins and Colin Edwards traded off the fastest man position. Then Rossi came to the track, did a handful of laps, and set fast time.

Yamahas backed the champ up with Colin Edwards in second and Carlos Checa (Dunlops and all) third. John Hopkins put the new Suzuki--75-degree V, pneumatic valves and all--into fourth.

The question for tomorrow: will the Honda's improve on their fifth and eighth positions?

I think honda will step up to 2nd or 3rd on Saturday...Which honda is the question.

It's gonna rain in Montmeló ...

A chance for Sete and Kenny to shine???

The Camel bike the no 46 on it will win the BMW on Sunday

So far Sete's got more BMWs than Rossi (probably the only thing where he beats Rossi!)

i bet sete would swap um for 25 points and a much needed win

Dunno, that BMW M6 is one sweet machine.

http://www.seriouswheels.com/2006/2006-BMW...re-1280x960.htm

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wes @ Mar 3 2006, 05:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The Camel bike the no 46 on it will win the BMW on Sunday
i concour!

It is a BMW M Z4 that is up for grabs tomorrow

u r all muppets if u think a bmw is worth more than 25 points practice means diddly , eigits the lot of u

I'm so pissed at HRC right now....

Damnit your boy Marco cost me 40 mill, and he can't perform because of your "New" RCV.
They should call it the "Retro RCV" because the silly fkers are going back in the development side of things.