Cold, wet weather dominated the second day of testing at Valencia today, with most riders deciding that there was little to learn in the tricky conditions. Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa was one of those who decided not to test, but his new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was keen to evaluate Bridgestone rain tyres for the first time.
The track was neither dry nor fully wet for much of the day, so Dovizioso waited until 15.30 to begin testing, once heavier rain had made rain tyre testing worthwhile. The Italian rode his RC212V for an hour and a half, gathering plenty of useful information.
The Repsol Honda Team’s next outing will be a two-day session at Jerez in southern Spain on November 26/27. MotoGP’s seven-week winter testing moratorium begins on December 1.
Andrea Dovizioso, fastest lap 1m 48.296s (18 laps)
“I’m very happy with my second day of testing. Track conditions were not good today, the track was slippery, neither dry nor fully wet, so we had to wait for heavier rain before testing with rain tyres. We had only one set of tyres available. At the beginning grip wasn’t good, then the team made some changes to the set-up, making consistent improvements. We did four or five runs, improving each time and in the end I did my fastest time on my last lap. We gathered a lot of important data that will be very useful, even in the dry. The new Bridgestone tyres require a completely different setting compared to what’s required with Michelin tyres. I am also very happy with the team’s method of working. I am learning the new bike and new tyres and I’m very excited about this new challenge.”
LAP TIMES
1. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 1.48.287
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) 1.48.296
3. Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) 1.48.786
4. Niccolò Canepa (Ducati) 1.49.917
5. Mika Kallio (Ducati) 1.50.275
6. Toni Elias (Honda San Carlo) 1.54.057
7. Capirossi (Suzuki) 1.57.322
Source:
http://www.superbike-news.co.uk