Casey Stoner: Honda and Ducati difference is extreme

By Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner reckons it is impossible to make a direct comparison between the Ducati he rode last season and the factory Honda RC212V he will campaign in 2011 because the differences are so extreme.

Stoner switched to Repsol Honda on a two-year deal for next season having opted to end his four-year tenure at Ducati where he became the only rider to enjoy major success on the Desmosedici machine.

The Australian rider has won more races than any other rider so far in the 800cc era with 23 and his performances completely overshadowed Loris Capirossi, Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden.

Stoner has already been installed as many people’s pre-season favourite for 2011 now he’s moved to the vastly-improved Honda RC212V, which dominated a three-day test session at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia earlier this month.

But the 24-year-old says it is difficult to compare the Ducati against the Honda when asked his thoughts on recent comments made by Valentino Rossi.

After Rossi’s much-hyped Ducati debut in Valencia back in early November, he said the GP11 felt like a pure prototype developed solely for racing in MotoGP.

But the Italian reckons the Japanese factories have a different approach and their bikes are essentially production bikes made into racers.

When asked about his move the opposite way from the Ducati to a Japanese bike, Stoner said: “I had a stronger feeling when I left Honda in 2006 to move to Ducati.

"Then it was ‘what have I done?’ I really didn’t know the decision I made when I first rode the Ducati was the right one. I couldn’t believe the feeling of the bike. You feel the vibration and the gear change is aggressive but the bike works.

"It was a very strange feeling but after four years you become very comfortable with the bike and it becomes normal.

"So when I got back on the Honda everything felt so smooth to me and it felt completely different. It is difficult to even compare the two because the difference is so extreme.”

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Marco Simoncelli surprised to be fastest in Sepang

By Matthew Birt

Marco Simoncelli seemed as surprised as anyone to leave Kuala Lumpur with the fastest time at the end of this week's MotoGP test at the Sepang circuit.

Riding a full factory Honda RC212V machine, the Italian produced the first big shock of 2011 when a lap of 2.00.757 on the final morning secured him a morale-boosting place at the top of the timesheets.

He narrowly beat fellow factory Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner as the new RC212V made a blistering start to 2011.

Four Hondas finished in the top five with only a flu-ridden Toni Elias blotting the Japanese factory's copybook as he finished last and way off the pace.

Simoncelli said his performance has come as something of a surprise but added his confidence had been boosted when he first rode the factory RC212V in Valencia back in early October.

The former 250GP world champion said: "I tested the new bike in Valencia for the first time and my feeling was good there. So through the winter I expected to be very fast, but maybe not the fastest. My best time on the first test last year was a 2.03.2. So I am 2.5s faster and no crashes. In the race last year I did a 2.02.8. From last year in the winter test the difference is generally me, the bike and the team and especially the experience we have got now. The bike for me is the package that has improved in every area and it is helping me the most. But the factory support from Honda is also very important."

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BMW continue down under testing

After last week's test in Eastern Creek, BMW Motorrad factory riders Troy Corser and Leon Haslam travelled to Phillip Island to continue preparation for the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship with two more test days. Weather conditions again were very hot, especially on the first day, with air temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius and track temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius. On the second day it was cooler but still dry. The team completed a total of 1.090 testing kilometers.

Corser had a fall on the first of the two test days. He was not seriously injured but as he suffered some painful bruises, he and the team decided that he would not ride on the second day. With Leon the team went through an extensive testing programme and his results showed that everything is heading in the right direction.

"We were still focusing on electronics and worked on a setup for this race track," declared Haslam. "This was important as in three weeks time we are going to have our first races of the season here. We have already found a good base to work on. I am happy; we made some good progress. My lap times were quite good for these hot conditions. Of course we still have some work to do before the season starts but I am happy with the progress we made so far. The bike improved a lot in the last month. I am now travelling to Brisbane with my wife and my trainer. We are going to spend two weeks training there before flying back to Phillip Island for the official test and the season opener. I am already looking forward to race again at last. We now don't have long to wait until we will find out where everybody stands."

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Supersonic launches new rider and livery

The Supersonic Racing Team, which will field Maxime Berger in the 2011 Superbike World Championship, had its official launch recently at the Bodadilla Club, Dalmine in Italy.

The evening was attended by a large number of members of the public, including famous personalities from the world of sports and entertainment. The attention at the evening was focused on Danilo Soncini, founder and owner of the team and the new rider for 2011, Maxime Berger. Soncini started with a brief history of his team, and explained after the reasons that led to choice Maxime Berger: "He is an experienced and young rider, young just like the team."

Berger thanked Danilo Soncini for fulfilling his dream to race in the Superbike World Championship. "It will be soon my first World Superbike race," said Maxime, "it is our goal to always get some points in the top ten, but I have to learn many things to exploit the full potential of my Ducati."

Then, Berger and Soncini removed the covers from the machine and showed the new livery in red, black and white colours, with the grey fuel tank.

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Checa tops latest session at rainy Portimao

Carlos Checa has topped the third World Superbike test session of the week at Portimao, though only eight competitors would make it out onto the wet track.

With the Superbikes first on track today [Thursday], not a single rider would venture onto the circuit until Eugene Laverty made a tentative first outing once an hour on the timing screens had passed.

The Irishman would prove the busiest rider of the session by completing 20 laps, though it would be Checa who would come out fastest with a 1min 56.162secs – almost 13secs slower than was achieved in the dry yesterday. Laverty was second quickest, a further two seconds down.

A flurry of activity in the final half hour brought a total of eight riders onto the circuit, with Noriyuki Haga proving third fastest, ahead of BMW Italia duo Ayrton Badovini and James Toseland.

Michel Fabrizio, Marco Melandri and Maxime Berger were the only other participants, as Aprilia, Kawasaki, Effenbert Ducati and Castrol Honda all deciding to stay dry in the pit garage.

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Xaus keeps Castrol Honda in charge

Ruben Xaus kept Castrol Honda at the top of the World Superbike timesheets during the fifth of six test sessions at Portimao, though poor weather conditions continued to hamper proceedings.

Following rain earlier in the morning, chilly temperatures prevented the circuit from drying effectively, with a short period towards the end of the session proving the only realistic opportunity to set a representative lap time.

Only Xaus and Michel Fabrizio took the chance, Xaus slashing seconds off a previous best set by Sylvain Guintoli to come out with a 1min 47.065secs. Fabrizio was a second further back on his Suzuki, but then six seconds ahead of Marco Melandri – who ventured out for just two laps right at the end of the session – in third.

Guintoli was fourth fastest, ahead of Ducati counterpart Carlos Checa, while Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz put in some useful laps for Kawasaki in sixth and seventh.

All but Eugene Laverty and Max Biaggi made it out onto the circuit, though most for only for a brief time, with Jonathan Rea, Noriyuki Haga and Ayrton Badovini completing the top ten.

With just a single day of dry mileage under their belts, the riders now have just one more session to come this afternoon.

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Vacancy at PT Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Indonesia

PT Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Indonesia, is currently recruiting dynamic, qualified and high self motivated personnel to be part of our great team, with the following available positions

Sub-Leader Produksi - Jawa Barat - Bekasi
Job Requirements:
Having good communication skills in both English and Indonesia
Excellent Communication, negotiation and presentation skills, both Ind
Microsoft Office computer skills
Female, age amx 23 years old at 31 Januari 2011
Graduate min Diploma D2,
Accountability, on the level, get full dedication
Readily overtime, discipline and labor
Can collaboration in team and under pressure
Brave to face daring for forward

If you are confident that you can meet our requirement, please forward your application with complete curriculum vitae contact number and most recent photograph to: recruitment@mitsubishi-eai.co.id . or

PT Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Indonesia
Bekasi International Industrial Estate
Blok C11 No. 1 Cikarang. Bekasi

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