Cardion AB Review Losail MotoGP Test

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Karel Abraham finishes last pre-season test on thirteenth position with loss of 2,468 seconds to the fastest Aleix Espargaro. The Czech rider is still struggling of shoulder injury, but he managed to move up in field of Open class compared to previous testing session in Malaysia. Abraham loses approximately one second to Nicky Hayden, the fastest rider on the same Honda RCV1000R bike. 

Karel Abraham

"We had to catch up all what we could not try in Malaysia, so they were really busy three days. For me personally it was much more relaxed test than in Sepang. At first because in Qatar there´s more comfortable weather. And at second, because shoulder seems better and it didn´t limited me at least on Friday and Saturday. Compared to the previous test we observe a big step; we got at the level of Aoyama and Redding riding on the same bike as me. Just Nicky Hayden got away from us. Unfortunately last day of the test I started to feel again the shoulder. That’s pity, because we started to improve our times and I managed to ride under 1:58,5. On the other hand it is good that we ended a little moment earlier because the temperature fall and the wind started to blow and many riders crashed out in the end of session."

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

"I think that result of this test is quite success for us. Positive thing is that Karel’s problems with shoulder diminish day by day so he could work fully during all three days for the first time of this season. We don’t have any significant problem with the bike, Karel is getting use to it and he is finding differences comparing to the ART. The important thing is that we got closer to the other riders riding on Hondas. We have just minimal loss to Redding and Aoyama, Nicky got further but I believe that if Karel will be hundred percent healthy, it is not unreal to ride times as him. We finish the tests in optimistic mood and I think we can look forward to the first race in the season. If the health condition of Karel gets better even more, we can fight for a good result."

Cardion AB Press Release

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Nine intense days of pre-season testing concluded today at the Losail International circuit in Qatar and ready or not the MotoGP riders and teams will be back to kick off the 2014 season here in two weeks' time. The final night of three here in Doha presented the best track conditions of the whole test and the top two riders (the Espargaró brothers) lapped inside the circuit record (1.55.153 – Casey Stoner). Despite the good conditions the eagerness of some riders to end the session with a fast time led to a host of crashes, with Pol Espargaró suffering a broken collarbone.

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team followed a similar program to the previous two days here, getting work underway at 6pm and continuing without rest until 11. Nicky Hayden completed 44 laps during that time whilst his teammate Hiroshi Aoyama managed 56. For the third consecutive evening the American finished in ninth position, clocking his best time over the three days on lap 37, a 1.56.273 representing an improvement of six tenths on yesterday. One position below him on the timesheets, Hiroshi Aoyama also set his best lap late this evening.

9th Nicky Hayden 1.56.273 (44 laps): 

“Today we found some more improvements and I was able to set more laps in the 1'56s. We have worked more with the tyres and made some setting changes thinking ahead to the race and also qualifying. We tried changing bikes in pitlane and I also did some practice starts. In the end I set my fastest time of the test, which is positive even though the gap to the top is still very big, especially when you consider that the top riders are not here. We have worked hard and found some good things but we still need to take a big step forward in terms of the power. It's not right that we should be losing half a second on the straights. We know what HRC is capable of so I am confident that we will soon have some more improvements. As far as we're concerned we will continue working to get all of the potential out of this motorcycle." 

10th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.57.006 (56 laps): 

This brings to an end nine days of testing between Qatar and Malaysia. Little by little we have improved during this period and I have also tried to adapt to the team and to my new bike. This weekend's test has been very important because in two weeks we have the first race of the season here. Tonight we have tried to improve the setting for the race and we have also been able to improve the feeling in corner exit, which has been a problem here for the last couple of days. We have a lot of information and a plan now in place for the race. In general am happy with the way we are moving, we just need to get the bike turning a little bit better so that I feel more confidence in the corners. Stability is good but we must continue to improve."

Drive M7 Aspar Press Release

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NGM Forward Racing Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Aleix Espargaro closed the final pre-season test at Losail Circuit on top, recording his best time of 1’54.874, less than 2 tenths from Jorge Lorenzo’s pole position from last year (1’54.714).

The Spaniard of the NGM Forward Racing Team continued the work started in Sepang, focusing on the set up of his bike in preparation of the race that will take place on this circuit in two weeks time. Aleix was able to ride fast and also looked strong in the race simulation (22 laps) which he carried out on this final day.

It was a positive day also for Colin Edwards who improved his lap times, chipping a few tenths off his previous day’s best time. In total he completed 31 laps and finished 7th in the combined classification of the three days with his best time of  1’55.978.

The NGM Forward Racing Team looks confident to the opening round of the 2014 season that will take place at Losail circuit on the 23rd of March.

Colin Edwards

“I’m quiet satisfied with these three days of testing. I could improve my lap times and also my feeling with the bike. Today we worked on the electronics with a positive feedback. There is still room for improvement but we have done a step forward. I’m comfortable with the bike and I look forward to the start of the season.”

Aleix Espargaro

“I’m really happy with the work done today. I was fast on the single lap but I was also able to ride with a strong pace. I’m very satisfied because in the race simulation I could ride with the same lap times Lorenzo did last year in the race, so I’m confident and I look forward to the first race.”

NGM Mobile Forward Racing Press Release

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LCR Honda Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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the three day of pre-season test held at the floodlit 5.380 km Losail circuit in Qatar came to a close at 23:00 local time tonight with Aleix Espargaro recording the best lap time of the whole session (1’54.874). 

The 17 MotoGP riders continued their busy schedules to try and ensure their prototypes are prepared in time for the first race at the circuit in just over two weeks. LCR Honda MotoGP racer Stefan Bradl had to deal with two crashes but the race simulation confirmed his good pace on used tyres. He ended the last pre season test with the 4th fastest lap time (1’55.187) still looking for some added grip to drop a further few tenths on new rubber.

Stefan Bradl: 

“Today was very tough for me and the Team. Unfortunately I crashed twice (once during the race simulation) but overall we are not far from the top so I can leave Qatar with a good base for the first race. On used tyres we are strong and consistent but the issue with the new rear tyre is still there. We could not solve the problem completely but this seems to be a common problem for Honda riders. When we arrived here our target was not the fastest lap but the adjustment of the bike and I think we did a good job so far”.

LCR Honda Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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The official MotoGP Winter Tests came to an end today at the Losail circuit: both riders of Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, spent the final day of testing trying an important race simulation.

Despite a small crash as he lost the front at Turn 4 halfway through the session, Bautista was able to complete his long run of 22 consecutive laps: unfortunately, Alvaro couldn’t keep the pace he desired, due to the persistence of some grip issues that the team will try to overcome during the race weekend. Alvaro finished the day with the fifth best time, 1’55”232.

Scott Redding today had the opportunity to complete his first race simulation aboard a MotoGP bike, a very useful experience ahead his top class debut: the Briton completed 20 consecutive laps, keeping a good pace in the first part of the long run, while in the latter part his times have risen slightly. Today Scott finished the test with a best time of 1’57”009.

Alvaro Bautista (1'55"232 - 50 LAPS)

“In today’s race simulation we have collected some very important data to work on during the first Grand Prix weekend, although we still encountered some problems, like in the first two days of testing here at Losail. We are still struggling because of the lack of grip at the rear, and moreover halfway through the full race distance, the tyre performance starts to drop. Our pace is better compared to last year’s Grand Prix, and this is positive, but in two weeks we absolutely want to improve. Before the long run I crashed as I lost the front, but fortunately it was nothing serious, so that later I managed to complete the simulation”.

Scott Redding (1'57"009 - 50 LAPS)

“I’m pleased that I got my first ever MotoGP race simulation under my belt today, and I’m also satisfied with my performance. I was able to maintain a steady pace and my lap times - compared with that of Nicky Hayden, who is still our reference – they were not bad at all. We are therefore confident ahead of the first race, although we noticed a drop of the tyre performance in the second half of the long run, so we need work to improve this. In this last day I didn’t make any change to the bike, because we focused on the race simulation: it was important for us to complete a first long run, and we did it well”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith concluded their pre-season testing today at the final session in Qatar. Both riders optimised the track time to finish the test, feeling optimistic ahead of the opening MotoGP race on the 23rd March.

Reigning Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro finished his pre-season impressively having completed the session in 2nd place. The young Spanish rider confidently set about completing quick laps, running a race simulation and continuing his learning process by trying different setup modifications of his Yamaha YZR-M1. However, the premier class rookie made a very small error whilst changing gears going into turn 6 at the end of the session, and ran on at the corner, before falling in the gravel. Even though it was a small crash, he broke his left collarbone and will now fly back home tomorrow for examination and possible surgery. Despite this, the Spaniard’s hard work over the testing period with his new Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, was evident as his final time was less than two tenths of a second off Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo’s pole position qualifying time set last year. Espargaro completed this week’s test session with a best time of 1:54.907, after completing 45 laps.

Young British rider Bradley Smith completed a successful pre-season today at the Losail circuit having worked relentlessly in preparation for the first race. Smith explored different options on his Monster Yamaha Tech3, Yamaha YZR-M1 across the testing period, and leaves the track feeling confident and with his intentions firmly set for 2014. He continued today with finalising some small changes to the geometry of his MotoGP bike as well as running race simulations. Despite having a small fall at the beginning of his long run in the latter stages of the session, the young British rider was uninjured and completed 55 laps in total. Smith finished in 3rd place, with a best time of 1:55.027.

Pol Espargaro – 1:54.907 – 2nd:

“We can be happy with the job we did today as we made some very good steps forward.  At the early stages of the session we found a better setting which allowed me to improve my time with the new tyres, and I could lower me lap time quite a lot. Also, the rhythm I had during the race simulation was much better than yesterday. Of course, the crash at the end of the session was a bit unlucky. I made a mistake whilst changing down the gears going into the corner, which meant I had to go straight ahead and then crashed in the gravel.  I am still very confident and positive about the test and I will be back here in two weeks ready to race“.

Bradley Smith – 1:55.027 – 3rd:

“Overall, I am really pleased with how the winter went for us. Today at Qatar, we decided to do a race simulation at 10:00pm which we thought was the best time to compare to the race weekend.  We made some alterations midway through and I was able to go out again with the same tyres in the final fifteen minutes. I am feeling happy with what was achieved here and this means that we are definitely hitting the ground running. The next step is just some slight fine tuning. The desert is always a bit unpredictable but we are prepared. We have done a lot of very good laps, and I am really excited for round one”.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Pramac Racing Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing - has worked intensely having to work both on development on the still fresh GP14 and on tire life. Andrea faced many race simulations day by day his pace improved. His best lap time was in 1'55''518. During the evenings tests "The Manic Joe" completed 173 laps for a total of 930 Km proving to be fit and ready to face the new season. 

Even Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing - took on the three days with a series of "long -runs" on his GP13 Open . Day by day the Colombian rider's team worked on the bikes geometry and the new Dorna / Mangneti Marelli electronics to get more tire life. From the first day of pre-season testing Yonny's team has managed to improve constantly making hope well for the 2014 world championship. His best lap time was 1'56''056 and he completed a total of 146 laps over the three days!

Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing

"Today was another good day , we managed to improve our lap time even if in this test it was not our goal. We focused on understanding how to be consistent in the race. We were able to figure out some little important things to improve our pace. The guys have more material so they can work at home already before the first round. I'm satisfied we have done a lot of work that has brought us the results. I thank all the guys who have worked hard for these three days. I also thank Ducati for being here for me and iI thank all of those who work from home. " 

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing

"I am happy to have finished the winter tests in a positive way, I was able to improve little by little every day. I'm happy with the team, that has worked well with me. I now have a good feeling with the bike, we were able to do a good job for the tire life. I can't wait to get to the real thing and do the race! I thank all the team and the chief mechanic for the job well done. "

Pramac Racing Press Release

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Losail MotoGP Test Day 3 Final Result

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1 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:54.874
2 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:54.907
3 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:55.027
4 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 01:55.187
5 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:55.232
6 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 01:55.518
7 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:55.978
8 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 01:56.056
9 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 01:56.273
10 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 01:57.006
11 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:57.009
12 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 01:57.142
13 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 01:57.342
14 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 01:57.669
15 PETRUCCI, Danilo IodaRacing Project 01:58.086
16 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 01:58.555
17 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorsport 01:58.971

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LCR Honda Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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the second evening of MotoGP floodlit test at Losail circuit ended with LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl in 2nd position on the timesheets with a 1’55.508 best lap time. After yesterday’s first outing on the desert track, Bradl looked to adapt his RC213V to optimal Qatar configuration circulating the track 51 times but he is still struggling to make the most of his machine on new tyres. The German and the rest of the field will reunite tomorrow night for the last testing session.

Stefan Bradl: 

“I am happy with how today went (P2 is a positive result) but there’s still a weak point to adjust. In fact, despite our efforts, we could not get the perfect solution for the rear grip problems of yesterday. I am still struggling on maximum leaning and I miss some drive out of the corners. It’s a bit frustrating for me but seems a common problem amongst the riders here. The team is already at work for tomorrow so I am confident to be able to make further improvements”.

LCR Honda Press Release

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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The Losail International Circuit in Doha was lit up again tonight as a host of MotoGP teams continued to put the finishing touches to their preseason preparations. With just two weeks remaining before the start of the new season at the same venue, the track was a hive of activity as the riders found improved grips and conditions compared to last night. Alvaro Bautista was the fastest man of the night, although after only two riders managed to break into the 1'55s last night, five riders made that benchmark tonight. 

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team continued working intensely to close the gap to the top before the start of the season, with both Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama taking considerable chunks off their best lap times from last night. The American found six tenths as he also completed a race simulation in the low 1'57s, whilst the Japanese worked on the weight distribution of his bike and improved his lap time by nine tenths.    

9th Nicky Hayden 1.56.923 (63 laps): 

“Today we worked on improving our consistency. We had done a few long runs but not full race distance so we did a simulation and the bike and tyres worked well. Obviously we'd like to be quicker but our pace was decent and consistent from the first lap to the last. Hopefully we can improve our speed tomorrow. We have worked with the hard rear tyre and set some pretty good lap times with it. We are still in ninth place so we clearly have plenty of room to improve and we'll be working hard on that tomorrow." 

11th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.57.281 (55 laps): 

“Yesterday we struggled for feel in corner exit so today the main objective was to get the bike turning better and after trying a bunch of different settings we found some improvements at the end of the evening. We still need to improve more in this area but all the data we gathered tonight will be useful as we continue to learn more about this bike and how best to set it up for this track, which is important especially considering that the first race of the season is here in two weeks. We'll keep working along the same lines tomorrow."

Drive M7 Aspar Press Release

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Pramac Racing Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing

"Today went well, we improved our lap by lap constance and also improved our best lap time, even if it wasn't our goal today. I'm satisfied with the work we are doing, but we still need to understand some things. Tomorrow we will continue to look for solutions that can help us improve. I thank Ducati and all the people that work with me."

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing

"I'm satisfied with the work done today, i was able to improve a little my best lap time compared to yesterday. I want to work step by step to find the right set-up. Today I crashed but I'm fine. our program for tomorrow is to continue working on tire life and work on the front geometry hope to improve some more.

Pramac Racing Team Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini riders, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, made ​​excellent progress on day two of the official MotoGP testing ad the Losail circuit in Qatar. Bautista was the fastest man on track today with a best time of 1’55”194, which lowers by 0.7 of a second the qualifying lap time obtained by the Spaniard in last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.

Alvaro continued to work on the set-up of his Honda RC213V in order to improve the feeling with the front end, completing a total of 55 laps. Tomorrow the Spaniard will be engaged in a long run to evaluate his own pace over the race distance. Also Scott Redding and his technical staff focused their work on the front of the bike, reaching good results: the British youngster completed 47 laps today, with a best time of 1’57”154, just two tenths of a second off the best ‘Open’ Honda RCV1000R, rode by the experienced Nicky Hayden.

Alvaro Bautista (1'55"194 - 55 LAPS)

“I'm very happy about the fastest time: my sensations on the bike are better than yesterday and my feeling with the front is improved, although some problems still remain. This track, after all, has always been a bit tricky for us. We’re still not one hundred percent, but tomorrow we can take advantage of one last day of testing to try to make another step forward. There are two options: trying a significant change, that means to take a different direction, or keeping the good base reached today and try to refine it. With the regard to the race pace, today I managed to go through a lot of laps under the 1’57” mark, but these results are not significant because today I was trying everytime different adjustments on the bike. Tomorrow we will try a proper long run, in order to understand where we are ahead of the first Grand Prix”.

Scott Redding (1'57"154 - 47 LAPS)

“Today the feeling with the bike was better than yesterday: we worked a lot on the front, which now gives me more confidence when turning, together with an improved braking stability. This is helping me a lot to be more consistent. We have only one day left before my MotoGP debut, and even though we are pretty prepared ahead of the first race, tomorrow we will try a race simulation to see how the tyres works, and also how the bike behave when the fuel drops down: during all the winter tests we closed the gap to Hayden, so tomorrow we will see if we can keep the same consistency as him over the race distance”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro continued their relentless work today at the Losail Circuit, Qatar, on the second day of the last pre-season test. Both riders completed a vast quantity of laps in their preparation for the season’s opening MotoGP race on the 23rd of March.

The weather conditions were once again perfect. The track’s grip levels were not ideal at the beginning of the day and were initially worse than yesterday, but as the day progressed, the traction improved. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team and Bradley Smith continued to experiment with slight changes to the geometry of his Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike. The young British rider’s tireless work over the previous tests at Sepang has brought him a setup which he is content and confident with.  The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider was pleased with the bikes performance on used tyres and therefore with the race set up and will now aim to work on the qualifying setup .Today, Smith completed 62 laps and finished the session in 4th place, with a best time of 1:55.627.

Reigning Moto2 World Champion, Pol Espargaro completed another focused day of testing at the Losail circuit as his confidence continues to grow. The young Spaniard undertook a race simulation today to prepare him for the start of his inaugural and forthcoming, MotoGP season. This simulation was the first one he had completed, which included the warm up lap, start and full distance in order to analyse fuel consumption and to also assess his physical condition.  He amassed a monumental 66 laps in total, today at the Losail Circuit, more than any other MotoGP rider. Espargaro completed the session in 5th place, with a best time of 1:55.876.

Bradley Smith – 1:55.627 – 4th:

“Today we worked mainly on the rear end of the bike, and just tried to improve on the overall best lap which we definitely found a direction with. I am quite excited for tomorrow as we have several ideas which we will run through, and I still believe there is more that we can improve with race pace, even though it is already really good.  If we can start to do some mid and low 55’s, that would be great and is really where we expect to be. We found that we wanted to continue and improve on the new tyres as well as the old ones and I am happy with how the bike performs on either tyre at this stage, so that is really positive for the race.  We’ll then work a bit on the qualifying setup and then finally a race simulation“.

Pol Espargaro -  1:55.876 – 5th:

“I’m pleased that I got my first ever MotoGP race simulation under my belt today, even if I was a little bit tired at the end of the run, but I am satisfied with performance of the bike. Of course we still have a margin to improve. It was tricky to ride with the used tyre, and we are still working towards this. When the grip fades slightly, it becomes a bit harder especially with the traction control, so I must learn how to deal with it, but I suppose it’s all about experience. Moreover it is always different to do a race distance without any pressure and no riders in front or behind me. That makes it really hard to keep the concentration, but we did it so and it gives us a good reference point also regarding the fuel consumption. We have to keep an eye on this, and that makes me happy for today. For tomorrow there are still things to test. For example, I want to try and push for a fast lap, which we haven’t done yet. We tried this at the beginning of the session, but due to the conditions we could not improve as much as we wanted but it wasn’t the main aim of today.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Losail MotoGP Test Day 2 Final Result

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1 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:55.194
2 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 01:55.508
3 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:55.586
4 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:55.627
5 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:55.876
6 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 01:56.026
7 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:56.289
8 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 01:56.480
9 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 01:56.923
10 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:57.154
11 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 01:57.281
12 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 01:57.728
13 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorsport 01:57.730
14 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 01:57.738
15 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 01:57.860
16 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 01:58.175
17 PETRUCCI, Danilo IodaRacing Project 01:59.305

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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The final test of the MotoGP preseason began tonight with all riders other than the five present at Phillip Island during the week out on track together in Qatar. Even though the Losail session was scheduled to run from 2pm until 10pm the decision was taken to push things back and the track opened at 4pm, closing at 11pm, given the evening schedule for the Grand Prix. Most teams waited until sunset to begin an evening's work that saw Aleix Espargaró clocking the fastest time ahead of Bradley Smith

At around 6pm the DRIVE M7 Aspar Team's two riders took to the track to kickstart their evening's work, which continued until 11pm and consisted of 48 laps for Nicky Hayden and 55 for Hiroshi Aoyama. Once again their main focus was on chassis set-up, as well as suspension and swingarm adjustments, which all moved forward as planned. Hayden finished the evening with the ninth fastest time, with Aoyama in eleventh.   

9th Nicky Hayden 1.57.574 (48 laps): 

“It was a pretty positive session, we were able to make small improvements every time we went out on track. The engine we had in came to the end of its life and we had to switch it, so we spent some time with the second bike and had to change a few components across. The feeling with the second bike wasn't as good as we would have hoped but even so I am happy that we have taken some important steps forward. We have to keep working to improve the engine braking and gain some more confidence in corner entry.”

11th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.58.151 (55 laps): 

“Today we started out with a similar set-up to Malaysia. For the first few hours the track was pretty dirty but as the evening wore on the conditions improved. We worked hard on the suspension and geometry settings and I am happy because we have gained confidence and stability under braking. Thanks to this I was able to improve my pace. Tomorrow the goal is to get the bike turning better, especially from the middle of the corner to the end.”

Drive M7 Aspar Press Release

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LCR Honda Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Losail International circuit hosts the final MotoGP pre-season test with 17 premier class Teams and riders (Factory riders from Honda, Yamaha and Ducati ended their pre-season test in Phillip Island some days ago) involved in their prototypes last adjustments before the opening race at the same venue on the 23 of March. The three-night test in Qatar is the last chance for LCR racer Stefan Bradl to fine tune his RC213V ahead the first round and the German has been putting his new bike through the pace since 4.00 pm local time continuing the set-up process till 11pm. At the end od day one Bradl produced a best lap time of 1’56.081 qualifying 5th overall.

Stefan Bradl

“At the beginning the track surface was very dusty and we also preferred to wait till 6pm for cooler temperatures. On one side we are quite happy about our consistency but we actually miss edge grip to lap faster. This will be our main focus in tomorrow’s second outing: the tyre dropped down too quickly (probably I went out on new rubber a bit late and the humidity changed the conditions) and I need more grip to set a proper fast lap time on a new tyre”.

LCR Honda Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini riders Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding completed today the first of three days of night-time testing at Losail circuit, which will host the opening round of the campaign later this month.

After the excellent results achieved at Sepang, under the floodlights Alvaro Bautista continued his working program on the Honda RC213V, looking for important confirmations in completely different conditions from those encountered in Malaysia. The Spaniard completed an impressive 52 laps over the session, setting the fourth fastest time of the day in 1’56”081. His team-mate Scott Redding, at his very first experience aboard a MotoGP bike on this track, resumed his work on the bike starting from the good base reached during last February, spending this first day mostly on front end set-up adjustments: the 21-year-old rookie ended the day in tenth with a personal best of 1’57”922.

The second day of the Test is scheduled to run from 4pm-11pm local time tomorrow.

Alvaro Bautista (1'56"081 - 52 LAPS)

“After the good test at Sepang we were very confident ahead of this test in Qatar, even though I knew that this track would have been difficult for us, because in the last two years we have always found some problems. Unfortunately, some problems were still here today, especially with regard to the front end. I’m struggling to stop the bike under braking and on corner entry my feeling is not so good . Regarding the rear end, we confirmed that the new Showa shock absorber works better than the previous one, but tomorrow we will also have to work in this area in order to find more grip. All in all, we remain confident: the track today was already in good condition, better than many other times, therefore lap times are already dropping quickly. Tomorrow we want to improve the bike to try to make the most of it”.

Scott Redding (1'57"922 - 38 LAPS)

“Today it was really nice to ride my bike on a new track; also the conditions were pretty good compared to Malaysia, where there is a lot of humidity and really high temperatures. Now I feel good with my bike and I was happy with today’s testing session. We need to improve a little bit the feeling with the front end, because when I went faster I started to ‘push’ the front a lot, but we will work on this area tomorrow. Engine power is still not really good, but the situation is not so bad compared with the other ‘Open’ Honda machines. Brakes worked well from the first exit, so I’m happy with them. Tomorrow we will focus on improving the feeling with the front, and we will try to close the gap to the first Honda RCV1000R”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro continued their impressive pre-season today at the Losail Circuit, Qatar. This week’s test, in which only the Satellite and Open Class MotoGP riders are attending, marks the final testing session before the start of the MotoGP season on the 23rd of March.

Young British rider Bradley Smith’s tireless efforts, established himself as the 2nd quickest MotoGP rider today in Qatar. He completed 53 laps of the circuit, and sent a reminder to the top MotoGP riders of his intentions this season. Although the track was initially dirty and lacked traction, it later cleared and the grip improved. This allowed the young British rider to complete today’s session with a fastest lap of 1:55.639 which was 0.253 of a second off the leading time. 

Reigning Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro again furthered his impressive transition from the intermediate class to the top category. Completing 62 laps, the young Spanish rider worked relentlessly, together with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, in getting as much track time as possible before the opening round later this month. Having only ridden the Yamaha YZR-M1 at Sepang this year, the change of location to Qatar and the cooler conditions allowed him to expand his knowledge of the MotoGP bike and ride more comfortably. Espargaro set a best time of 1:56.072, and finished the session in 3rd place, only 0.686 of a second off the quickest lap time.

Bradley Smith- 1:55.639 – 2nd:

“Today was a good day. I am happy that the base setup worked immediately here, which means we did a good job in Sepang and so, we didn’t have to make many changes. The track condition was better than I expected and after an hour the track was in much better shape, which is positive as it means we can have a good test here. It was a bit frustrating to be fastest for nearly the whole day, and then getting passed so close to the end, but there are still two days to go. Tomorrow we will try bike 1 and bike 2 and make a few more changes. I am really happy with the setup as it is, but I want to make sure it is the right way, and that’s why we need to play with the geometry of the bike a little more. I will definitely do the race simulation on the last day, and possibly another one tomorrow too.”

Pol Espargaro – 1:56.072 – 3rd:

 “I am very happy with how today went, as it was my first time here on a MotoGP bike. I am pleased to be riding somewhere other than Sepang, as it allows me to explore the bike more. There is still a lot to learn, and the main aim during the next 2 days is to make me ride a bit smoother as this is how the Yamaha goes fast. I am still fighting a bit too much with the bike, but I need to become one with it, which is what I am going to work on. Overall, the bike worked well today and the team helped me a lot with adapting to this circuit so quickly.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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NGM Forward Racing Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Thanks to the good track and weather conditions, Aleix Espargaro and Colin Edwards could continue to work on the set up of their Forward Yamaha FTR in preparation of the opening round of the Championship that will take place at Losail circuit on the 23rd of March.

The set up found in Sepang worked very well also at Losail for Aleix Espargaro who completed 43 laps and recorded his best time of 1’55.386, ahead of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro.

Colin Edwards was also able to improve his lap times during the day, finishing in 7th position, recording his best time of 1’56.961 on lap 31 of 34.

Colin Edwards – 5

 “I’m quite satisfied of the work done today.  We continued working, where we left in Sepang. My feeling with the bike improved, especially in the corners, and also my lap times and my position.  I have more confidence with the front, this means that we are working in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do.”

Aleix Espargaro – 41

“It was a very productive day. I was not so fast at the beginning, but when I put the hard front tyre I could find the same feeling as in Sepang and I could start to push. The feeling with both hard and soft tyre is good so I’m confident for the start of the season and the first races.”

NGM Forward Racing Press Release

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Losail MotoGP Test Day 1 Final Result

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1 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:55.386

2 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:55.639

3 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 01:56.072

4 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:56.081

5 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 01:56.081

6 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 01:56.780

7 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 01:56.961

8 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 01:57.318

9 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 01:57.574

10 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 01:57.922

11 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 01:58.151

12 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 01:58.503

13 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 01:58.833

14 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorport 01:59.121

15 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 01:59.294

16 PETRUCCI, Danilo IodaRacing Project 01:59.358

17 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 02:00.055

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