From a press release issued by Team Yamaha Belgarda:

Date: 19th December 2002, Day 1
Circuit: Ricardo Tormo, 4.005 kms

RAIN UPSETS PLANS
An absolute downpour ruined yet another day of winter tests for Team Yamaha Belgarda Supersport. The non-stop rain was a set-back for Dutch rider Jurgen Van den Goorbergh’s debut on the Yamaha YZF-R6, but Jamie Whitham put on his oversuit in the afternoon and stoically completed eight laps.

ANOTHER DELAY
Once again Team Yamaha Belgarda Supersport were out of luck. In November, Casoli’s serious crash ruined the two-day tests and restricted the programme’s development. This time it was atrocious weather that hindered proceedings and even though Van den Goorbergh is used to wet weather, he was understandably not keen on venturing out on an unfamiliar bike for the first time. “The rain was far too strong,” he said “and on the track there was a lot of standing water–maybe two centimetres of it! In these conditions, it is pointless going out. I have never ridden a Supersport bike and this Yamaha ride is my first opportunity on one. I normally ride in MotoGP and I am curious to find out what a Supersport bike like the YZF-R6 is like. I hope we get better weather, so I can find out.”

WHITHAM IMPATIENT
Whitham missed the first test in November and was impatient to get his leg over the new bike. At four o’clock he decided that, despite the conditions, he would try and make some laps. Afterwards he said, “The first feeling was a positive one. With the old R6, the power came in a rush and it wasn’t an easy bike to control ­ especially in the wet. The new bike is easier ­ probably due to the fuel injection system. I’m happy with my first contact with the bike and now I’d like one good, dry day to really see what it can do.”

STILL AT THE BEGINNING
In practical terms, the development of the new Yamaha YZF-R6 is still at the first stage and a lot of work has to be done before the start of the 2003 season.

“At this moment we have a new bike for each rider, and everbody also has a 2002 R6 in order to make a comparison.” explained Sporting Director Massimo Meregalli. “Pirelli has many different tyres for us to try, and we must also try out different WP suspension options. We didn’t use Pirelli or WP last season, so both are new for us and require learning. We have worked on the engines on the test-bench at our workshop, but we’d like to see how they perform on the track. If it carries on raining tomorrow, we’ll not even complete 70% of the work we’d planned. I hope this test is not going to be a disaster.”