Philip Island test times ... Ducati on top

[Pierre]

Ducati fast. Suzuki with grip problems (again). Hayden will need a new (larger) bike - ouch. Yamaha MIA this round. Shaping up as a very interesting year.

 

Day 1

 

1.Alex Barros (Bra/Ducati D'antin) 1'30,60

2.Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda Gresini) 1'30,70

3.Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1'30,78

4.Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 1'31,18

5.Dani Pedrosa (Spa/Honda) 1'31,29

6.Casey Stoner (Aus/Ducati) 1'31,40

7.Alex Hoffman (Ger/Ducati D'Antin) 1'31,50

8.Carlos Checa (Spa/Honda LCR) 1'31,80

9.John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 1'31,80

10.Kenny Roberts Jr (USA/KR Honda) 1'31,90

11.Toni Elias (SPA/Honda Gresini) 1'32,00

12.Chris Vermeulen (Aus/Suzuki) 1'32,00

13.Shinya Nakano (Jap/Honda Konica Minolta) 1'32,23

 

 

Day 2:

 

1.Alex Barros (Bra/Ducati D'antin) 1'30,01

2.Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati)1'30,34

3.Casey Stoner (Aus/Ducati) 1'30,39

4.Dani Pedrosa (Spa/Honda)1'30,45

5.Alex Hoffman (Ger/Ducati D'Antin) 1'30,60

6.Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda)1'30,61

7.Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda Gresini) 1'30,74

8.Carlos Checa (Spa/Honda LCR) 1'30,84

9.Chris Vermeulen (Aus/Suzuki) 1'31,19

10.Shinya Nakano (Jap/Honda Konica Minolta) 1'31,35

11.Kenny Roberts Jr (USA/KR Honda) 1'31,55

12.John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 1'31,65

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

How sweet it is!! I am glad to see Alex Hoffman performing so well too. Barros and Capirossi - what a lot of experience there! Casey and Alex are teamed well!

[antonio carroccio]

Yeah!!! I saw it today on "Gazzetta dello Sport".

Looks like the satellite team of Ducati is gonna be the outsider next MotoGP

[Guzzirider]

I always love it when Ducati kick Honda's arse. All the millions of yen and resources that HRC put in, they should be miles ahead.

 

Can't wait for the real racing to begin.

 

Guy

[Paul Minnaert]

anyone knows what the times were with the bigger bikes last year?

[Pierre]

anyone knows what the times were with the bigger bikes last year?

Phillip Island official lap records (990cc):

 

Pole position: Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda 1min 29.020secs (2006)

Fastest race lap: Marco Melandri ITA Movistar Honda 1min 30.332secs (2005)

 

2006 Australian Grand Prix interrupted by rain.

[jihem]

anyone knows what the times were with the bigger bikes last year?

 

 

Paul, there are some really interesting calculations and infos and mind blowing theories on http://www.kropotkinthinks.com/ but basically these were some of the times:

 

>Hayden:

Race FP2: 1:30.471

Test day 2(yesterday): 1:30.610

 

Capirossi:

Race FP2: 1:30.310

Test day 2: 1:30.340

 

Hopkins:

Race FP2: 1:31.719

Test day 2: 1:31.650

 

Vermeulen:

Race FP2: 1:31.846

Test day 2: 1:31.190

 

It looks like the deck has really been shuffled, and that's exciting: the HRC (who wanted the cc of the bikes to be dropped) hasn't got the edge they thought they would have, but then again they are the only ones to radically change their bike (from V5 to V4).

 

I read a quite "funny" quote of Capirex, saying (it was in Sepang) set-up work was hard and make even harder cos the testers (Guareschi and some othe guys) were much slower than them so datas weren't complete enough

 

now, i'm not a really fast rider but i know some very good ones, and I did a few track days with racers, and I was passed in places i thought you can't pass, and at speeds I thought were'nt safe in that spot. But they did it and it looked like business as usual where I was just battling to stay up I just can' imagine how much faster you can go when you're Ducati factory test rider, but it seems like, yes, there's a world of difference (in this case, Capirex said it was 1,5 sec slower on a lop. He was pissed )

[jihem]

last day of testing at PI:

 

>1. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 29.52 secs

2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 29.72 secs

3. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (Brid) 1min 30.15 secs

4. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (Brid) 1min 30.21 secs

5. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.21 secs

6. Alex Barros BRA Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.43 secs

7. Carlos Checa SPA Honda LCR (M) 1min 30.46 secs

8. Toni Elias SPA Gresini Honda (Brid)) 1min 30.50 secs

9. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (Brid))1min 30.72 secs

10. Marco Melandri ITA Gresini Honda (Brid) 1min 30.80 secs

11. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.80 secs

12. Shinya Nakano JPN Konica Minolta Honda (M) 1min 30.97 secs

13. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts (M) 1min 31.10 secs

[g.forrest]

i say go casey, i'm expecting some excellence from this ''newly wed young fellow'' he can do it. i hope it's his year.

[DeBenGuzzi]

last day of testing at PI:

 

>1. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 29.52 secs

2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 29.72 secs

3. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (Brid) 1min 30.15 secs

4. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (Brid) 1min 30.21 secs

5. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.21 secs

6. Alex Barros BRA Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.43 secs

7. Carlos Checa SPA Honda LCR (M) 1min 30.46 secs

8. Toni Elias SPA Gresini Honda (Brid)) 1min 30.50 secs

9. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (Brid))1min 30.72 secs

10. Marco Melandri ITA Gresini Honda (Brid) 1min 30.80 secs

11. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (Brid) 1min 30.80 secs

12. Shinya Nakano JPN Konica Minolta Honda (M) 1min 30.97 secs

13. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts (M) 1min 31.10 secs

whats amazing is the whole field is seperated by less than 2 seconds. 1:58 to be exact and I know that can be a big difference in a pro race but come on it takes me longer to sneeze, so you sneeze-you come in last place!

[rossoandy]

whats amazing is the whole field is seperated by less than 2 seconds. 1:58 to be exact and I know that can be a big difference in a pro race but come on it takes me longer to sneeze, so you sneeze-you come in last place!

Nah you fall off cause you can't see where you going cause all the **** inside yer visor he he