Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies completed a successful test today at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. The riders spent some time testing updates to the 2011 YZR-M1, including engine and electronics upgrades and different chassis and fairing parts. Having completed this they were then both given the opportunity to take their first ride on the prototype 2012 1000cc race bike. Spies and Lorenzo were very quickly up to an impressive pace on the new bike, Spies wrapping up with a fastest lap time of 1’56.306 on the 1000cc bike as the third fastest rider of the day. Team mate Lorenzo clearly enjoyed his time aboard the new machine, clocking an impressive lap time of 1’56.253 to finish as the second fastest rider of the day. Reigning World Champion Lorenzo completed an impressive 58 laps on the 800cc YZR-M1 before switching to add another 28 laps on the 2012 1000cc bike. Team mate Spies completed all testing in the morning session, giving his trapped nerve issue from the weekend a chance to rest. He completed 15 laps on the 800cc YZR-M1 and 14 laps on the 2012 1000cc prototype.
Jorge Lorenzo
Position 2nd – Time 1.56.253 – Laps 86
“Today has been an exciting and busy day because it has been the first day riding the 1000cc bike, but also because we have made a small step with the engine upgrades for the 800cc bike. We rode many laps non-stop from nine this morning to five this afternoon! I realized the 1000cc bike was incredible when I saw the power on the straight. I like this bike a lot and I wanted to have more laps but I have to still think about this season! I have been just one hour with our future bike! I can say that the next MotoGP season will be amazing, much more power, you go out of the corners sliding; I can’t wait!”
Ben Spies
Position 3rd – Time 1.56.306 – Laps 39
“The 800cc upgrades we tested this morning were positive, hopefully there’s more in that direction in the future as well. With the 1000cc bike it was a pretty successful first day. We didn’t change much on it, pretty much just rolled out and did some laps to get as much data as possible. We made some small changes to see how differently it affected the bike compared to the 800.There’s more improvements to be made for sure but for the first day to go faster than the 800 was a surprise. My arm is feeling better and better, I’m getting a check up when I fly home to the US on Wednesday but should be fit and ready for Indianapolis.”
Edwards and Crutchlow complete productive test at Brno
Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow completed a productive one-day test session at the Brno circuit today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders working through a range of set-up options in preparation for the final seven races of the 2011 World Championship.
After he finished in a hard fought eighth position in Sunday’s Czech Republic MotoGP race, Texan Edwards had a busy day evaluating updates for Yamaha and Bridgestone.
Bridgestone tapped into all of Edwards’ vast experience, the 37-year-old putting in development laps on a new front tyre and two new rear tyre compounds that Bridgestone plan to make available in 2012 for the new 1000cc MotoGP class. Edwards also worked his way through a range of different electronics settings to supply Yamaha technicians with a wealth of precise feedback for the future.
Despite being in testing mode, Edwards set a best time of 1.58.412 in his 44-lap stint, which was quicker than his best lap time in yesterday’s 22-lap race.
With eight hours of track time available and conditions for most of the day bright and warm, Crutchlow dedicated his efforts on improving the set-up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team YZR-M1 machine. The prime focus was improving Crutchlow’s front-end confidence after the 25-year-old has recently experienced a difficult period in his rookie campaign.
Without the time constraints of a Grand Prix weekend, Crutchlow also concentrated on further adapting his riding style to suit the 800cc YZR-M1 machine. He was able to focus on improving his braking technique, and the British rider was satisfied with his progress after completing 74 laps before heavy rain started to fall with 30 minutes of the session remaining. His best time of 1.57.591 was over 0.2s faster than his qualifying time.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is now preparing for another trip across the Atlantic Ocean for the Indianapolis round on August 28, which comes hot on the heels of last month’s Laguna Seca race in California.
Colin Edwards
Position 12th – Time 1.58.492 – Laps 44
“Today was just about getting some information for Bridgestone and Yamaha. The new tyres I tested seemed to be a good step in the right direction, so they’ve got a lot of information and feedback to analyse and digest now. I’m happy with the direction Bridgestone is going with the rear tyre. I tried two today, and both give you a lot more security. There’s not so much risk involved in the first couple of laps, so credit to Bridgestone because they have listened to our comments this season and taken action to improve the tyres and I’m really pleased. I also ran some new electronics for Yamaha and there were a couple of interesting options. I’m looking forward to going home now and relaxing ahead of another important race in Indianapolis. To have two home races in such a short space of time is awesome, so I’m looking forward to putting on a good show for the American fans.”
Cal Crutchlow
Position 8th – Time 1.57.591 – Laps 74
“This morning we didn’t change the bike and I just went out and did some laps and I was doing low 58s on old tyres, so that makes me feel even more disappointed with the crash in the race yesterday because that pace would have put me on for a good result. The front-end could still be better but we’ve definitely been working in the right direction and we’re trying to figure out how we can make more improvements. But this process isn’t just about working on making the bike better. I know I’ve got to improve myself and adapt my style more and I’ve worked on that a lot today. At the moment some laps I’m braking much better and how I should be and others I go back to my normal style, but that is all part of the learning process and why this test has been so valuable. I still need to release the brake earlier to help me carry more corner speed, so I’ll be working on improving more in that area in the future. My crew have worked really hard today after a long weekend, so credit to them for that. It was a good day and I can take some confidence to Indianapolis now.”
