Second day in Sepang, Malaysia sees Stoner on top
Maverick - Feb 6, 2009

 

Having lamented a lack of fitness on his day back from scaphoid surgery, Stoner balanced conserving energy with the need to further push the limits of his Desmosedici GP9 with aplomb, taking just 22 laps to drop the fastest time from day one. The Australian performed a further seven laps after his scorching 2’01.483, nearly a tenth of a second quicker than Dani Pedrosa’s 2008 pole position time.

 

Unofficial lap times Friday 06/02/2009

 

·         Casey STONER – Ducati Marboro Team

·         Loris CAPIROSSI –  Rizla Suzuki MotoGP  

·         Valentino ROSSI – Tech 3 Yamaha

·         Dani PEDROSA – Repsol Honda Team

·         Chris VERMEULEN – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP    

·         Toni ELIAS – San Carlo Honda Gresini   

·         Colin EDWARDS – Tech 3 Yamaha

·         Andrea DOVIZIOSO – Repsol Honda Team

·         Nicky HAYDEN – Ducati Marboro Team

·         Jorge LORENZO – Fiat Yamaha Team

·         Sete GIBERNAU – Grupo Francisco Hernando (Ducati)

·         Alex DE ANGELIS – San Carlo Honda Gresini    

·         Mika KALLIO – Pramac Racing (Ducati)

·         Niccolo CANEPA – Premac Racing (Ducati)

·         Yuki TAKAHASHI – Scot Racing Team MotoGP (Honda)

·         Randy DE PUNIET – LCR Honda MotoGP

·         James TOSELAND – Tech 3 Yamaha

 

Hot on Stoner’s heels, Loris Capirossi continued to show that there has been no rest in the Suzuki camp over the long winter break –and that the redesigned GSV-R looks a strong prospect for the coming season. He was just 0.072 down on Stoner’s time as the second quickest rider on Friday.

 

 

More comfortable than expected in the seat of the Yamaha M1, despite stitches and swelling affecting his hand and foot, MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi upped his lap total and reduced his fastest time by seven tenths of a second. Pedrosa made sure that a representative from each of the four MotoGP manufacturers at the test had a presence in the top four, the Repsol Honda man the final rider to breach the 2’02 mark.

 

Typically high temperatures and a dry track made conditions helpful for the riders, who were free to pace their time on the asphalt unabated by the weather. All 17 of the regular riders had begun their testing work for the day by 1pm, with the most laps -65 over the course of the day- coming from Scot Racing rookie Yuki Takahashi.

 

Going round within a second of Stoner’s time were the remainder of Friday’s top eight, consisting of Chris Vermeulen on the second Suzuki, Honda rider Toni Elias, Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards and Repsol Honda new boy Andrea Dovizioso.

 

Testing in Sepang concludes on Saturday February 7, 2009.

 

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