The Yamaha Factory Racing Team today completed the first test of the 2012 season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the three track days working to develop the base set up of the 1000cc YZR-M1 ahead of the second Sepang test in one month’s time. The riders and engineers focused on the balance of the M1 chassis along with improving the electronics package to gain the optimum performance from the increased horsepower. New Bridgestone tyres were also assessed ahead of the upcoming race season. The times from today’s final session saw Lorenzo slot in as the second fastest rider, 0.59 seconds behind Casey Stoner. Team mate Spies wrapped up in fourth position, 0.88 seconds from first.
The riders will now return to the USA and Spain respectively whilst the engineers return to Japan with the valuable data to make the next steps forward in development. The team will return in four weeks time to test the work done.
Jorge Lorenzo
Position 2nd – Time 2.00.198 – Laps 35
“I’m really, really satisfied, I have improved on my best record here in Sepang. We tried a lot of things; some have been a lot better, especially one major improvement. We also know where we have to improve in the future. The electronics are not perfect yet, we still need to make it smoother but the bike has so much potential we are very optimistic. The Yamaha engineers have worked really hard so they have done a good job. I made my best time today at midday which is the hardest time with the conditions so it was pretty good. Let’s see what we can do when we come back.”
Ben Spies
Position 4th – Time 2.00.495 – Laps 16
“It’s been a good test, we’ve got a lot of things accomplished, we’re definitely moving in the right direction with my bike. I tried the Yamaha test rider’s bike today which had a slightly different set up to make a fair comparison with mine. I made a small mistake, losing the front but that’s testing; it can happen when you’re working out the good and bad! All in all it’s been great and I’m really happy and looking forward to coming back and seeing what’s new.”
Positive start to 2012 for Crutchlow and Dovizioso
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team made a positive start to preparations for the 2012 MotoGP World Championship after a three-day test session at the Sepang International Circuit, which reached a successful conclusion today.
British rider Cal Crutchlow wasted no time in getting back up to speed to clock the third fastest time on the opening day and he was one of the outstanding performers for the duration of the test.
Making only his second appearance on Yamaha’s 1000cc machine, Crutchlow worked through a range of set-up options to improve his speed and confidence with the all-new YZR-M1. He walked away unhurt from a small front-end crash at Turn 13 on the final morning and he eventually finished with a quickest time of 2.01.108.
Andrea Dovizioso demonstrated his determination to quickly get to grips with the YZR-M1, with the Italian rider giving his absolute maximum effort just three weeks after he broke his right collarbone in a motocross training accident. The intense heat and humidity always makes riding at the Sepang International Circuit a tough physical examination, but Dovizioso also had to contend with the pain and discomfort from his recovering right collarbone to complete 102 crucial development laps on board the YZR-M1. He set a best time of 2.01.257 to finish just behind Crutchlow on the leaderboard.
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team continues its pre- season testing campaign back at the Sepang International Circuit for another three-day test, which commences on February 28.
Cal Crutchlow
Position 7th – Time 2.01.108
“I am really pleased with the way things have gone at this test and it has been a really good confidence boost to start 2012. Sepang is a track I just don’t get on with or enjoy riding at but I was third on the first day and fifth on the second day. I’m sure I could have been fifth on the final day too but a couple of things didn’t go my way. I had a crash early on at Turn 13 when I basically ran wide and got on the dirty part of the track. It was my fault and that cost me a fair bit of track time and when I was confident I could go a lot quicker at the end it started raining. The pleasing aspect is my times have been consistent and that bodes well for the future. I’m not as fast as Stone r, Spies, Pedrosa or Lorenzo but for consistency I’m the best of the rest. The new 1000cc YZR-M1 has kept the strong points of the 800 with good corner entry and turning. But we do need to look at improving the bike on corner exit. Being in the top five on the first two days and not far away on the final day is a great start but I’m not going to get carried away. This is only the first test and while testing is really important, it is what happens in Qatar on April 8 that is really important.”
Andrea Dovizioso
Position 8th – Time 2.01.257
“I am really happy just to have been able to come to this test and ride because beforehand a lot of people said it would be impossible. The collarbone was very badly broken but this test is very important and I want to thank everybody that helped me in my recuperation in Italy that made it possib le for me to ride. You can do a lot of good work here even if it is very bad for my body, but I am happy because I could ride on each day and my feeling with the Yamaha is coming much better than the first time I tried the bike in Valencia. I understood much more about this bike here and what I realise is that I have to change my style more. There is a big difference in the characteristic of the Yamaha and the Honda I rode for the last four years, so I have to learn to use the good points of the M1 more. But it was not so easy riding in my physical condition. Braking for the right-hand corners was hard but changing direction was an issue because I don’t have 100% strength. I am looking forward to the next test now where I will be a lot closer to being 100% fit.”
Test Times
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 1’59.607
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’00.198
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2’00.256
4. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’00.495
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati Team 2’00.824
6. Hector Barbera (SPA) Pramac Racing Team 2’00.929
7. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha Tech3 2’01.108
8. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Yamaha Tech3 2’01.257
9. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Honda Gresini 2’01.384
10. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 2’01.729
11. Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda 2’01.894
12. Karel Abraham (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing 2’02.218
13. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’02.334
14. Franco Battaini (ITA) Ducati Team 2’03.033
15. Colin Edwards (USA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2’04.722
16. Ivan Silva (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’08.225
17. Robertino Pietri (VEN) Avintia Racing 2’09.640
18. Jordi Torres (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’10.184
Sepang Record Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2’02.108
Sepang Best Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2’00.518
