Barros tops the timesheets at second MotoGP test of 2007

MotoGP Testing Day 1/3 - Phillip Island, Australia - Tuesday 30th January

Only ten days after the lifting of the six-week testing ban, the majority of the MotoGP teams are already well underway with their 2007 preseason preparations. After last week’s near full house of premier class outfits testing at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, the 800cc machines were put through their paces once again at Australia’s Phillip Island Circuit.

On the first of three days of intensive testing ‘down under’, absentees from the proceedings were the Yamaha factory and Tech 3 teams, including Rossi, Edwards, Tamada and Guintoli, and Kawasaki’s French duo of de Puniet and Jacque. Also electing to skip the Antipodean date were the Ilmor team, who tested this weekend in Almeria with rider Andrew Pitt.

One only had to look at the timesheets from day one to note the competitiveness of the new 800cc bikes, with the fastest three riders almost inseparable. Echoing his speedy performance last week at Sepang, Alex Barros topped the standings on the Pramac d’Antin Desmosedici GP7. The Brazilian put in a time of 1’30.60 at the Australian track, traditionally a strong circuit for Ducati.

Only a tenth of a second slower, the Italian duo of Gresini Honda’s Marco Melandri and Ducati Marlboro’s Loris Capirossi were hot on Barros’ tail, completing an all-Bridgestone top three. Pramac d’Antin and Gresini Honda switch tyre manufacturers this season, whilst the official Ducati team have a long-standing partnership with Bridgestone.

Reigning premier class World Champion Nicky Hayden continued to put miles on the clock of the Honda RC212V, focusing his day’s work mainly on bike settings. As always, the ‘Kentucky Kid’ put in the hard graft despite some discomfort after his shoulder operation, with his 81 laps the highest number undertaken by any rider on day one. He was just ahead of team-mate Dani Pedrosa on the timesheets, with Ducati factory and satellite riders Casey Stoner and Alex Hofmann completing a top seven all within a second of Barros’ fastest lap.

For the first time in pre-season Rizla Suzuki dropped down the standings, but this at a circuit they have had problems with in the past. The team had been leading the way during last week’s Malaysian visit, but ninth-placed John Hopkins was their fastest rider on day one in Australia, just behind Carlos Checa and ahead of Kenny Roberts Jr.

All riders were able to go about their business relatively untroubled by the weather in the morning session, although the sky clouded over in the early afternoon and the arrival of rain at 4pm drew the day’s events to a slightly early conclusion. The teams will be back on track tomorrow for the second of three days at Phillip Island.

1. Alex Barros - Pramac d’Antin Ducati-1'30.60s
2. Marco Melandri - Gresini Honda 1'30.70s
3. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro Team 1'30.70
4. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda Team 1'31.18
5. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 1'31.29
6. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro Team 1'31.40
7. Alex Hofmann - D’Antin Ducati 1'31.50
8. Carlos Checa - LCR Honda 1'31.80
9. John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki 1'31.80
10. Kenny Roberts Jr - Team Roberts Honda 1'31.90
11. Toni Elias - Gresini Honda 1'32.00
12. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 1'32.00
13. Shinya Nakano - Konica Minolta Honda 1'32.23

From MotoGP