Updated Post: Cardoso Quickest On First Day Of World Superbike Testing In Qatar

Updated Post: Cardoso Quickest On First Day Of World Superbike Testing In Qatar

© 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

FPR Boys Back On Track At Losail

New Foggy PETRONAS Racing pair Steve Martin and Garry McCoy made use of the first day of the official Superbike World Championship winter test at Qatar to become re-acquainted with the PETRONAS FP1.

Completing 55 and 41 laps respectively, Steve set a fastest time of 2:05.984 while Garry was within three hundredth of a second of his team-mate with a time of 2:06.015. Jose Luis Cardosa was the surprise front runner with a lap time of 2:02.628.

The FPR men, riding the FP1 for the first time since their initial outing at Valencia in November, took advantage of warm and sunny conditions to learn the fast and flowing Losail circuit, 25km from the Qatar capital, Doha.

Steve said: “I am happy with today because, after three months, it is like riding a completely different bike again. But I think we are starting to make steps forward. We know what the problems are and we are fixing them, so every time I get on we make an improvement. I think this is the sort of track where, when the bike is right, you can find a lot of time. I think I know the circuit pretty well now as I did quite a few laps today. And I think the circuit is going to make for an interesting race – it’s just a pity it’s so slippery off line as people aren’t going to want to go off line to pass. We have been making changes to the general run of the mill stuff, not only to suit the circuit but also to find the setting I like. I was going consistently two seconds a lap quicker in the afternoon, so the times indicate that we are going in the right direction.”

Garry said: “The bike needed a little bit of work for this track and I didn’t really get a chance to get a feeling or set-up when I was last on it at Valencia in November. So we have pretty much come here as though this is day one for me. We have made a lot of changes and found out what’s good and what’s bad, mainly working with the suspension at the front and rear, clutch settings and mapping. I did have a good feeling for the circuit but because we have been trying so many things it’s hard to go into the corners with confidence. So I haven’t been able to just ride round. But the race is next week! We have still a bit of a way to go but I definitely feel we are going in the right direction.”

Day one times, WSBK test, Qatar: 1 Cardosa (DFX) 2:02.618; 2 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 2:03.044; 3 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki) 2:03.309; 4 Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 2:03.759; 5 Nieto (Ducati Carrachi) 2:03.870; 6 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 2:03.870; 7 Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 2:03.927; 8 Gimbert (Yamaha France) 2:03.999; 9 Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 2:04.011; 10 Silva Alberosa (La Glisse) 2:04.077; 21 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 2:06.015; 22 McCoy (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 2:06.015


More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Pre Season Test – Losail Circuit, Qatar 19 – 20 February 2004


Day One: The magnificent facility that is the Losail International Circuit in Qatar hosted its first sessions of World Superbike Championship testing action today, in the warm and dry conditions that typify this promontory of land jutting into the Arabian Gulf.


Big Turn Out: a large field of World Superbike and World Supersport competitors enjoyed Qatar’s first SBK experience, each making their final preparations for raceday itself, which takes place on Saturday 26th February. Twenty-nine Superbikes and eighteen Supersport machines were in attendance on day one.


Quick Quixote: Fastest on day one proved to be Jose Luis Cardoso (DFX Yamaha), overcoming the tricky early conditions, in which lack of use had left the track covered in a film of dust and reduced in ultimate grip. As the track improved the times tumbled, with whole seconds taken from most rider’s best times between the morning and afternoon sessions.


Six Of The Best: Of great importance in the run up to the start of the season is the fact that all the volume motorcycle manufacturers in World Superbike this year – Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha – have bikes well capable of winning at the first 2005 attempt. In large part this is due to the close technical regulations and Pirelli spec tyres, designed to allow universal participation at a high level. Arguably the 900cc three-cylinder Petronas machine is the most technologically interesting of all the entries in World Superbike, and this year two such machines will be omnipresent again, bringing the total of manufacturers in the series to six.


Yamaha Top, Suzuki Chasing: Yamaha has not only the most numerous entries in the championship, but at this first attempt, the fastest rider on show as well – Iberian wizard Jose Luis Cardoso, the reigning Spanish Formula Extreme champion. A veteran of the R1 from his winning 2004 season, Cardoso set a best lap time of 2:02.618, holding off the attentions of Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) and his team mate and SBK season rookie, Yukio Kagayama, by over 0.4 and 0.7 seconds respectively. Kagayama has been a leading light in the British series for the past two years, and is the highest-placed rider to have had previous experience of racing at the unique Losail circuit. Despite this, he fell from his Suzuki in the early morning, without injury.


Ducati Demons: The Xerox Ducati 999F05 machines of reigning champion James Toseland and vice-champion Regis Laconi took Englishman Toseland to fourth and Frenchman Laconi ninth on the time sheets. Toseland, out to defend his crown against possibly the most competitive field in the championship’s history, had a small moment in the early morning, crashed in the afternoon, but praised both the track layout and way that its grip improved as the testing traffic increased, cleaning the surface with each lap that passed.


New Nieto: Fonsi Nieto (Ducati SC Caracchi) showed his intentions from the start, ending his day with a best time of 2:03.759, good enough for fifth fastest overall. The Spanish superstar has been a welcome addition to the Superbike field this off-season, and with previous experience of the Losail circuit, he should be on the pace from the very first race of 2005.


Honda Effort Led By Rookie: The early showings of 2004 World Supersport Champion Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) were a positive first step for one of Ten Kate’s Aussie fliers, especially as race eve approaches. Despite falling he was sixth fastest overall, from 29 riders on track, Muggeridge fared better than his team-mate Chris Vermeulen. The latter, a four-time race winner in 2004, was struck down by a flu infection, setting 18th fastest time in only 17 laps. Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) was getting used to his new bike once more, finishing 16th fastest and suffering a fall, while Ben Bostrom’s return to the Superbike fray on the Renegade Honda saw him only 28th overall, currently six seconds from the best pace.


K-Band Rider: Kawasaki rider Chris Walker showed that even some imperfect chassis settings on his ZX-10 were not enough to hold him back, setting seventh best time and completing the roll of honour for the major manufacturers in the top positions. His time of 2:03.947 was a boost fore the entire PSG-1 team, which has not had the chance to measure itself against its main rivals on many occasions this winter. The top ten was completed by Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France IOPNE), Laconi, and wild card rider Ivan Silva Alberola (La Glisse Yamaha).


Other Top Riders: The Yamaha Motor Italia squad, featuring Andrew Pitt and Noriyuki Haga, slotted in a surprisingly lowly 11th and 12th respectively. Mauro Sanchini (Walker’s PSG-1 Kawasaki team-mate) went 13th fastest on the lurid yellow PSG-1 Kawasaki. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France-IPONE), whom many expected to be one of the outright quickest riders in the opening sessions, given his previous experience of the Qatar circuit, was only 14th fastest, albeit only 1.5 seconds down on Cardoso. The top 14 riders all finished within two seconds of Cardoso.


Petronas Pairing: The Foggy Petronas FP-1 three cylinder machine scored two podiums in 2004, but on first showing the 2005 season will be a very tough one for the Aussie pairing of Garry McCoy and Steve Martin. The latter scored the best Petronas time of day, 2:05.984, for 21st fastest, with McCoy one place behind.


One Day: With one complete day of testing remaining to run, the current first day times may mean little come tomorrow evening. As Sunday 20th is the last chance each team will have before qualifying begins for real on Thursday 24th February, Sunday will be the final guide to just how the inaugural Qatar World Superbike race will turn out.


In the World Supersport championship, Ten Kate Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier took the top spot, with a 2:04.716 lap, almost 1.2 seconds better than second place rider Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda). Just outside the 2:05 minute laps, Kevin Curtain was the third quickest rider on display, the leading light in the factory Yamaha Motor Germany team. His team-mate Broc Parkes was 0.4 seconds down, with Ducati rider Gianluca Nannelli (SC Caracchi Ducati) fifth. Two former World Champions, both from France, slotted in sixth and seventh fastest, with Stephane Chambon (Gi Motorsport Honda) heading up Fabien Foret (Team Megabike Honda).


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

TOSELAND AND LACONI (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) IN DESERT ACTION IN QATAR WORLD SUPERBIKE TEST

Losail (Qatar), Saturday 19 February: James Toseland and Régis Laconi (Ducati Xerox Team) warmed up for the 2005 World Superbike Championship by setting fourth and ninth quickest times respectively on the first day of the final pre-season test session in Qatar. The two-day test, organized by WSBK promoters FGSport at the Losail circuit in the Arabian peninsula state, is the last opportunity for this year’s contenders to prepare for next Saturday’s opening round at the brand-new track built in the desert on the outskirts of the capital Doha.

Almost five hours of testing in warm conditions (air 24°C/track 44°C) on a slippery and sandy track surface left the two Ducati Xerox Team riders in a positive mood for the Losail race as they faced up against all of their main opponents for the first time this year. Toseland was one of three riders, together with Corser (Suzuki) and Cardoso (Yamaha), who constantly lapped quicker than the rest today. Despite losing almost one hour with a technical problem on one 999F05 and a low-speed crash when he lost the front of his other machine, the world champion was feeling good about today’s performance.

“I’m a bit disappointed to be in fourth but I’m sure I would have done Cardoso’s lap time if I hadn’t lost a lot of time in the second session”, declared Toseland. “The balance of the bike feels good and the rear tyre is fine, but we still need to work on the front because it’s chewing the tyre up after 10 laps. Since last year the changes have made a massive improvement, especially the front forks and the weight transfer so I’m feeling a lot more confident now. Tomorrow I’m sure will be better than today once the track gets a bit more grip and I believe we’ll be down to 2 minutes flat”, he concluded.

Laconi preferred to have a cautious approach while he learnt the track and tried to perfect his set-up for the race. “We haven’t done so many laps in the dry this year and this track is very slippery and very difficult to learn immediately so I just took it steadily”, said Régis. “I’m not entirely happy with the feeling but we are working step by step to make the right settings. In the morning we sorted out the rear tyre but then in the afternoon we had a bit of difficulty with the durability of the front and we still have to get the right feeling. The track is nice, but you don’t have much line and if you go off, you can lose it. I am not surprised to see a lot of riders go fast today but the hardest thing is to go fast lap after lap and I hope to be in a position to do that in the race next week”.

OFFICIAL TIMES: 1. Cardoso (Yamaha) 2:02.618; 2. Corser (Suzuki) 2:03.044; 3. Kagayama (Suzuki) 2:03.309; 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 2:03.347; 5. Nieto (Ducati SC) 2:03.759; 6. Muggeridge (Honda) 2:03.870; 7. Walker (Kawasaki) 2:03.927; 8. Gimbert (Yamaha) 2:03.999; 9. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 2:04.011; 10. Silva (Yamaha) 2:04.077; etc.


More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi:

FIRST DIRECT CHALLENGE IN QATAR TESTS

On the 5380 meters of Losail circuit, close to the capital Doha in Qatar’s desert, the World Superbike and Supersport teams have had the first direct confrontation of the 2005 racing season.

A two-day test on this track, almost new for everybody, apart from a few riders moved in this season from GPs championship to Superbike arena which have the possibility to contest Qatar GP next fall. Big job for all the teams for setting the suspension and to select the tyre looking at the first round of the championship next week end. The sable flying from the desert onto the track, as well the surface has continuously cleaned, is a tyre-killer and the tyres go on just a few laps when the suspensions don’t work pefectly.

In Supersport Gianluca Nannelli, after the troubles with the front during the morning session, scored in the afternoon session a very good fifth fastest. The team and the rider made a big setting job and now the rear of the 749r Ducati is perfect. Go on some uncertainty in the front and the team will focus to solve tomorrow, in the final test day.

“We must believe this test the first ever on the 749R”. – said Gianluca Nannelli at the end of the test today. “We had never been able to test on dry conditions and it was important to verify all the work still made by the team. The bike scored the fastest top speed of all the group, thank the work made by Franco Farnè. The set up is quite good too, I’m the fastest in the first intermediate, then in the second I have not feeling with the front and I lose time from my rivals. I’m however quite satisfied for the result we got today, if we’ll be able to solve the front problem I’m confident we’ll earn a better position.”

In Superbike more as positive the debut of Fonsi Nieto, who on the 999RS made only some lap in wet condition during the Valencia test. The Spanish rider grabbed the fifth fastest, just a second behind the leader and ending before several factory bikes, carrying out a big work and running 61 laps to look the best feeling with a bike so different the machines he’s used before. Among other things Fonsi doesn’r ride street bikes, so the four stroke engine is totally new for him.

A bit behind Lorenzo Lanzi on the second 999RS. Despite the very good top speed (Lanzi was the fastest in the morning and the second fastest overall) the Italian rider has not been able to find a satisfying set up, which will try to find in the final day tomorrow.

Despite that Stefano Caracchi, SC Caracchi team owner della squadra, looks satisfied: “Lorenzo found more difficulties as he was expecting on this track very difficult for the tyres”. – commented the test day Caracchi. “But he’s a rider with great potential and I’m confident that, thank his crew work, he’ll be able to solve the today’s trouble and reach the position he deserves. Fonsi has been fantastic! We must remember that he made just a couple of day test under the rain in Valencia on the999RS and he rode just a second slower as the leader. We have a great trust in him, Fonsi is a great rider and just he’ll find the necessary feeling with the bike he’ll be one of the heroes of the racing season.”

Superbike – Saturday Test

1st Cardoso (Yamaha) 2:02.618; 2nd Corser (Suzuki) 2:03.044; 3rd Kagayama (Suzuki) 2:03.309; 4th Toseland (Ducati) 2:03.347; 5th Fonsi Nieto (Ducati SC Caracchi) 2:03.759; 6th Muggeridge (Honda) 2:03.870; 7th Walker (Kawasaki) 2:03.927; 8th Gimbert (Yamaha) 2:03.999; 9th Laconi (Ducati) 2:04.011; 10th Silva 2:04.077;…19th Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati SC Caracchi GA) 2:05.004

Supersport – Saturday Test

1st Charpentier (Honda) 2:04.716; 2nd Fabrizio (Honda) 2:05.982; 3rd Curtain (Yamaha) 2:06.397; 4th Parkes (Honda) 2:06.758; 5th Gianluca Nannelli (Ducati SC Caracchi) 2:06.960; 6th Chambon (Honda) 2:07.348; 7th Foret (Honda) 2:07.531; 8th Fujiwara (Honda) 2:07.812; 9th Cogan (Suzuki) 2:08.147; 10th Fores (Suzuki) 2:08.717

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