From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information.

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Honda MotoGP test Sepang, Malaysia February 11, 2004

Biaggi fastest on opening day of Sepang MotoGP test

Back at the Sepang International Circuit not even a month after their last MotoGP test session at the track, Honda riders began the first of three days testing at what is a packed venue this week. Alexandre Barros was present to take his first ride of the 2004 Repsol Honda, but had to share the track with most of his other MotoGP rivals as he got back into the swing of things since undergoing a shoulder operation in the winter. Besides the factory and satellite teams from Ducati, Yamaha, Aprilia, Suzuki and Kawasaki, six official Honda MotoGP riders took to the track, with Max Biaggi finishing the fastest of all those out there.

As with most of the other Honda riders, Biaggi was riding with a brand new engine and was visibly satisfied with the results, which repeated the efforts he showed here just a couple of weeks ago. Behind him Colin Edwards looked much more comfortable on his RC211V than at the previous test, breaking the two minutes three seconds barrier for the first time. Edwards’ Telefonica MoviStar Honda team-mate Sete Gibernau rode consistently once more.

HRC factory team riders Nicky Hayden and Alex Barros were both happy with their first day on board their upgraded 2004 version of the World Championship winning machine, featuring increased engine power, revised swinging arm and suspension. Hayden working particularly hard grinding out 74 laps on the machine he will start the new season with. Finally, Makoto Tamada, riding in Camel Honda colours for the first time, had a slight crash during the morning which impeded his work for the rest of the day, however the Japanese rider was content with how he felt before the off, and will hope to improve tomorrow.

Max Biaggi – 2:02.693 53 laps

“I’m happy with the day, because we’ve really done some good work, as well as being able to get some good settings with the 16.5-inch front tyre. We had some good settings from before of course, but still have some more work to do on this new engine. The new engine’s much better, it’s new in that it has got no mileage on it, but we still don’t know if it’s enough to be number one yet, we’ll have to see how it develops.”

Colin Edwards – 2:02.939 58 laps

“I’m definitely happier today. The bike feels better with this engine in it, which is new to me. It feels stronger and that’s good for me. Michelin have brought some good stuff here, perhaps they didn’t have what we needed for the front at the last test. Now I’m testing the front for them, and it feels good and I’m getting more comfortable with it. Before the mid-3s were hard for me, now I can do it half-asleep. It was a productive last test for this reason though, the bike and the team is awesome, it’s all a perfect unit.”

Sete Gibernau – 2:03.121 33 laps

“Things went well today again, and I’m happy that we’ve got this new bike going and the engine feels good. I’m doing lots of work for Michelin here, and the good thing is that my consistency is still there. That’s the important thing, I’ve still got rhythm and I’m keeping the race pace. Physically I feel good, and we’ll continue to look at settings for the 16.5 inch front tomorrow.”

Nicky Hayden – 2:03.915 74 laps
“A pretty productive day really. We got through what we wanted to test today – a lotta’ laps in this heat. Engine-wise we’re basically the same as we were last month but chassis-wise we’ve definitely had a couple of things to try.

“The rear end is takin’ some time to get used to – a lil’ bit different feel. We’re sort of startin’ from zero – we need to find some base settings and work out which way to go. It took a lil’ time to get sorted and we’ve definitely made some progress in the right direction. Obviously I’d like the lap time to be better – more of the same tomorrow but faster. Just gotta’ keep grindin’ away.”

Alex Barros – 2:05.980 52 laps
“I was so excited about today I really didn’t sleep much last night. The target is to be 100% ready for the first race in April. At the moment I am still recovering from the shoulder operation and am not fully fit. It was good today because I keep telling myself not to go mad. There are many top Honda people here today and they tell me to take it easy. Don’t panic!

“I haven’t ridden a machine for three months; I really need to make a good ‘warm-up’. All the feelings I have on the bike with reference points are completely different to last year. Even though I rode the RCV in 2002 I can make no real comparison. The whole package seems to have increased. The power – the grip – the turning. Everything is a little bit better.

“I have a great feeling about this season – I have ridden for Honda for eight years – this is my ninth and this is the first time in the number one team. I am working with many people I have known for a long time but we have to build this new team to make a really strong package. It won’t happen overnight but I am very confident we make a good foundation.”

Makoto Tamada – 2:04.072 16 laps

“When I crashed the front tyre pushed a little bit too much, I was going a little quicker than I’d thought really. The new engine feels much better, it has more horsepower and I’m much happier with it. I couldn’t test too much after the crash, but if I’d continued to test I’m sure I could find some more settings to ride this new machine the way I want, to ride it easier and without losing it.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Second session of “winter” tests in hot Malaysia.

The second session of private tests in 2004 again took place on the Sepang circuit, in the great Malaysian heat. In terms of the line-up of riders and teams, it was a sort of first Grand Prix of the year. Certainly it was a perfect opportunity for those who had taken part in the January tests in Sepang to confirm the data acquired just short of three weeks ago. Three days of intense work are planned for the Malaysian track and this will be followed, as from 17 February, by another three days of tests at Phillip Island in Australia.

This morning Makoto Tamada got to grips with the RC211V he will be using in the season that is about to begin, though he did go for an innocuous slide that caused him no harm. Getting off to a fast start, Makoto posted his best time right in the early stages of the tests. This second session of pre-championship tests will again be crucial for finding the basic settings with which to start the season. Makoto is indeed concentrating on many details that will enable him to set up the suspension, chassis and engine handling settings.

Makoto Tamada (# 6 – Camel Honda – Bridgestone Tyres)

“I went for my slide on corner 14, the 180° bend that leads into the back straight. The steering closed and I went sliding. My mistake. No harm – except to the bike, unfortunately. I got off to a fast start in the very first laps and I’ve got a great feeling for this increasingly advanced RC211V. Compared with the January tests, I just noted that the power delivery really is immediate, so you need to handle this extraordinary power a bit more delicately. I didn’t do that many laps but we’ll make up for lost time over the next few days.”

Luca Montiron (Team Manager Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda)

“Makoto Tamada is highly motivated and he’s really determined to make a good start this season. He was immediately fast in the opening laps and “christened” the RC211V that had just come in from Japan with a slide. Tamada’s second bike has been made available to Schinichi Itoh so he can carry on developing the new Bridgestone materials. This meant Makoto had to wait a while after his slide before he could get back onto the track, so he ended the day of tests having clocked up only 16 laps. We’ve still got a number of days ahead for testing so we’ll be able to complete the work we’re planning to do.”


Times on first day of tests:
Makoto Tamada: 2:04.072 – 16 Laps
Max Biaggi: 2:02.693 – 52 Laps