FIM MotoGP World Championship Test

Phillip Island GP Circuit, Victoria, Australia

February 19, 2016

Best Day Three Lap Times (all on Michelin tires):

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:29.158, 64 total laps, crash

2. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Suzuki), 1:29.299, 39 total laps, crash

3. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:29.348, 58 total laps, crash

4. Hector Barbera, Spain (Ducati), 1:29.361, 65 total laps

5. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:29.435, 56 total laps

6. Loris Baz, France (Ducati), 1:29.583, 54 total laps

7. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:29.606, 42 total laps

8. Pol Espargaro, Spain (Yamaha), 1:29.718, 44 total laps, crash

9. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Yamaha), 1:29.760, 41 total laps, crash

10. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.860, 65 total laps

11. Scott Redding, UK (Ducati), 1:29.922, 61 total laps

12. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.932, 53 total laps

13. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.995, 57 total laps, crash

14. Jack Miller, Australia (Honda), 1:30.023, 37 total laps, crash

15. Tito Rabat, Spain (Honda), 1:30.119, 56 total laps, crashed twice

16. Bradley Smith, UK (Yamaha), 1:30.188, 45 total laps, crash

17. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Suzuki), 1:30.198, 38 total laps, crashed twice

18. Yonny Hernandez, Colombia (Ducati), 1:30.492, 54 total laps

19. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Ducati), 1:31.055, 45 total laps, crash

20. Takuya Tsuda, Japan (Suzuki), 1:33.532, 46 total laps*

* test rider

Best Overall Lap Times (all on Michelin tires):

1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Suzuki), 1:29.131

2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:29.158

3. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:29.348

4. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Yamaha), 1:29.357

5. Hector Barbera, Spain (Ducati), 1:29.361

6. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:29.404

7. Loris Baz, France (Ducati), 1:29.583

8. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:29.606

9. Pol Espargaro, Spain (Yamaha), 1:29.718

10. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.857

11. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.860

12. Scott Redding, UK (Ducati), 1:29.922

13. Bradley Smith, UK (Yamaha), 1:29.992

14. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:29.995

15. Jack Miller, Australia (Honda), 1:30.023

16. Tito Rabat, Spain (Honda), 1:30.119

17. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Suzuki), 1:30.198

18. Yonny Hernandez, Colombia (Ducati), 1:30.492

19. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Ducati), 1:30.617

20. Takuya Tsuda, Japan (Suzuki), 1:32.599*

* test rider

More, form a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:

Miller and Rabat conclude successful Phillip Island test

Phillip Island, Australia – 19 February 2016: The rain again disrupted proceedings on the final day of testing at Phillip Island, but the interruption was a short one and both Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders declared themselves satisfied with progress today.

Jack Miller and Tito Rabat were quickly on the pace this morning, but both crashed shortly before lunch. Miller was the first to go down, sliding off the bike at Siberia without injury. Five minutes later Rabat also went down after losing the front at the ultra-fast Doohan Corner. The former Moto2 World Champion underwent a precautionary examination in the circuit medical centre, but was uninjured and returned to the pit box to continue testing.

The onset of rain just before lunchtime brought a temporary halt to proceedings. However, the track dried rapidly once the clouds had dispersed and the riders were able to return to the track for the final two hours of testing, during which Rabat took a low speed tumble at Honda Corner, again without injury.

Both Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders set their fastest time of the test on their final flying laps during this afternoon’s session, to finish within a second of the fastest time, set by Marc Márquez.

Miller and Rabat will now have just over a week to reflect on these three days at Phillip Island, before heading to Qatar and the third and final preseason test of 2016, which gets underway on Wednesday 2nd March.

Jack Miller: 15th – 1’30.023

“It’s been a good test and we’ve managed to get a lot of things out of the way here, so we’re not faced with a massive job in Qatar in two weeks. I think just to feel how it was on the bike here was well worth it and it’s going to be even better in Qatar with an extra two weeks to heal and more physiotherapy, so it’s all good. It’s a shame about the weather, but we still managed to get a heap of laps in and I was stoked to be back on the bike. The lap this afternoon felt comfortable and I didn’t feel like I was taking any risks. The fall this morning was my error; I had a bit of a moment and pushed the pads back in the calipers, but it was only a small one. I’m really happy with the first test of 2016 and I’m looking forward to Qatar.”

Tito Rabat: 16th – 1’30.119

“I’ve learnt a lot here at Phillip Island, both in the wet and the dry, so I’m happy about that. I had two crashes today; one big one at turn one and one small one at turn four, but even these had a positive aspect. The fact that I crashed, but was able to get back on the bike and improve again was good for my confidence. Now I understand a little better the Honda RC213V and the Michelin tyres, but there is still a lot of work to be done. For me it is important we make improvements step-by-step, rather than being pushed into trying to run before we can walk and risking the consequences of a big crash. I leave Phillip Island happy and I can’t wait to get back on the bike in Qatar.”

Cristian Gabarrini: Chief Engineer – Jack Miller

“We made a lot more progress than we expected here at Phillip Island. We were unsure of Jack’s physical condition following his injury, but in the end he had good endurance, completing more than 50 laps yesterday and almost 40 more today. This was a good test, with Jack setting his fastest time right at the end today, on a tyre that had already done ten laps. Having missed the Sepang test this was Jack’s first time on the latest Michelin tyres and we think we’ve found something here that can help him get the best from them, so we’re really satisfied with the test.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Team riders conclude IRTA tests at Phillip Island

The final day of the second round of IRTA pre-season testing at Phillip Island allowed all the MotoGP riders to put in a good number of laps on the Australian track, despite an interruption of a couple of hours mid-session due to rain showers.

The two Ducati Team riders were able to lap without a break, continuing their set-up work with the new Desmosedici GP 2016.

Even though Dovizioso (1’29.860) was tenth in today’s classification and Iannone (1’29.860) twelfth, both factory Ducati riders were satisfied with the feeling with their new bikes and they managed to gather a lot of important information for the Ducati Team’s engineers and technicians.

Iannone classified tenth in the overall three-day standings, with a time of 1’29.857 set yesterday, while Dovizioso was eleventh with the best time he recorded today.

Following Tuesday’s team launch in Bologna, when the 2016 Desmosedici GP’s new livery will be presented in live streaming, the Italian team will be back on track again from March 2-4 at Losail (Qatar) for the final three-day test session before the start of the new season, scheduled for the weekend of March 20 at the same circuit.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – today 1’29.860 (10th)

“I am very happy again today because, even though we were unable to make use of all the time available, we did manage to carry out some important tests. It was actually easy for us to be quite fast, even though we’re still missing a couple of tenths of a second to get up to the top at the end of the day. However I am happy with my race pace because I have a good feeling with my bike, and going away from Phillip Island with this feeling was my aim, especially in view of the fact that this is a track where I have always struggled a bit. The aim now is to make a further step forward in Qatar in order to be ready for the race and be protagonists like last year.”

Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – today 1’29.932 (12th)

“In the end these tests at Phillip Island have been positive because we were able to test at length and understand the differences between the new Desmosedici GP and the GP15. This is a very important aspect because we were also able to find the direction to take in order to fine-tune all the details. Even though I am not entirely satisfied with my final position, I am pleased with the work that we have done and the steps forward we managed to make. We still have to improve however and we expect more, so the next tests in Qatar will be really important.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP PUTS POSITIVE END TO PHILLIP ISLAND TEST

Today the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team wrapped up the second Official MotoGP Test of the 2016 season at the Phillip Island circuit. Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi have spent the last three days battling the elements whilst working through a number of new materials and finished fourth and sixth respectively in the combined timesheets.

Phillip Island (Australia), 19th February 2016

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team‘s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo set the fifth and ninth fastest time during the third day of testing in Australia. This last opportunity was one of the more challenging outings for the riders as they focused on making a decision as to which YZR-M1 model they would like to continue to develop – the one more similar to the 2015 model or the alternative edition.

Rossi was the last rider to head out on track, but he was quick to catch up with the other riders by pushing during long stints and moving up to fourth place before the weather once again put a halt to testing. He was able to pick up the pace further later in the afternoon when the rain subsided and set a total of 56 laps. His best lap of 1‘29.435s secured him fifth in today‘s ranking order, just 0.277s off today‘s quickest time. His fastest time of the weekend, a 1‘29.404s, puts him in sixth position in the combined standings, just 0.273s from first.

Teammate Lorenzo was also eager to work down his testing checklist and was one of the first riders to leave pit lane to make the most of the dry conditions in the morning. Determined to give his engineer as much data as possible to base the next steps on, he completed a total 41 laps and set a fastest time of 1‘29.760s. Despite a small crash later in the afternoon, which left him unhurt but saw him end the day early, he took ninth place, 0.602s from the front. His best lap overall of 1‘29.357s has him placed fourth in the combined time sheets, 0.226s from the lead.

The team will now head back to Europe whilst the engineers return to Japan to process the data and further prepare the 2016 YZR-M1 for the start of the season.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team will regroup in Qatar for the final pre-season test on March 2nd, a little more than two weeks ahead of the opening round, also in Losail.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Overall we can be quite satisfied with the work we have done, if you take into account the little amount of testing time that was available over these last three days. The only glitch was Jorge‘s crash, most likely due to the cold conditions. Though we had some mixed weather and again weren‘t able to put in many laps, we completed most of the work that we had planned for this test. We came here with the imperative to decide on which bike we would start the season with. When the track dried in the afternoon we were able to make a comparison between the two models and chose accordingly. We are confident we will be ready for more testing in Qatar in a two weeks‘ time.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Unfortunately also today the conditions were not fantastic. In the end we only had one good day and that was yesterday, but it‘s better than nothing. Today we continued our job for a bit, especially we compared the two different bikes and I think we will use the bike that‘s more similar to last year‘s model. It was a positive test, especially yesterday, but also today. I feel good with the bike and with the tyres and my pace was not so bad, so I‘m quite satisfied.

JORGE LORENZO

We didn‘t have a lot of time to test in the morning and I did the lap time I set this morning on a rear tyre that already had done 24 laps. I‘ve been riding with old tyres all day because we only had one more new tyre. When we finally got a dry track and time to try that last new rear tyre to set a decent lap time, Laverty crashed and I had to cancel that lap. I then decided to try a race simulation, but I crashed on the first lap because the track was very cold. There were a lot of crashes during this time of the day. I was very dedicated and braked a little bit too hard for the grip of the front tyre and I crashed, so I ended the test and I‘m going home. Sepang, for us, has been an unbelievable test. Here things changed completely because the lay-out of the track is the opposite. Let‘s see what happens in Qatar.

More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:

Barbera and Baz leave Australia fourth and sixth fastest 

19/02/16 Avintia Racing MotoGP – MotoGP Official Test Phillip Island

The Avintia Racing team leaves Australia with a really good taste and with both riders on the top of the sheets. Hector Barbera was the fourth fastest rider at Phillip Island with a best lap only two tenths slower than the best pace set by Marc Marquez. As in the first test in Malaysia, the Avintia Racing rider still in great shape and, although his bike has not the latest technical evolutions, he feels really comfortable with the new electronic package. But not only Barbera’s performance surprised at Phillip Island with the Spanish team’s Desmosedicis, also his teammate Loris Baz has been fighting for the top places during the whole day and although he was sixth at the end of the day, he made two long runs in the final hour really fast and consistent. Once he has found the best position on the bike, Loris and his team focused in the set up and the improvement came every time he was back on track.

Both riders had really good feeling with the Michelin tyres, and they were one of the few that didn’t crash during the testing days at Phillip Island.

The 2016 winter test will resume in two weeks time in Qatar, but before, Barbera and Baz will head Andorra for the team’s official launch.

HECTOR BARBERA #8 / @HectorBarbera 1’29.361 P4

One more test and we finished really happy. Before lunch time the test was interrupted by the rain and I thougth it was finished, but we could finally get back on track and I’m very happy as I was able to do many laps in 29 and I also managed to improve my lap times in the final minutes with a 1’29.3 lap, and that’s almost one second faster than last year race. It’s also encouraging to be in the top five during the day, and gives me great motivation. The team did a really good job and I want to say big thank you, because they always give their 110%. We are in a good momentum and we have to carry it on and take profit of all the information gained during this test. We are looking forward for the next test, as it will be really important before the first race at Qatar. The winter test has been great so far, but I still realistic. I don’t want to put pressure on me, mi war will be to be every race between the fifth and tenth place, and everything more than this will be a gift for us.

LORIS BAZ #76 / @lorisbaz 1’29.583 P6

To be honest I can only be happy after these days at Phillip Island. Yesterday we focussed in my riding position and today we started to work in the bike set up. Step by step I build my confidence and in the morning I did two really fast laps behind Maverick, and I was able to see many interesting things. The in the afternoon I was riding alone and I was very strong, so I’m really happy. We have been third during a big part of the day, and together with Hector, the first and second Ducati. At the end of the session several riders improved their lap times, but we did a good job. I did two long runs at the end and I almost equal my best lap time of 29.5, and this time riding alone. So, although we didn’t improved, to be so fast by my own and with less track temperature was very positive. My confidence with the bike is growing everyday and I’m close to know the limits. To finish the test so close to the first and with such a good pace is something incredible. But we have to keep working because it seems this years everything will be very tight.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda Team conclude a productive test at Phillip Island

MotoGP’s three-day Australian pre-season test ended today at Phillip Island, with Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa in first and seventh places, respectively. It was a very productive test for the Repsol Honda Team, which made further progress on the new unified software and collected much valuable information on tyres and bike settings. This data will be valuable as the HRC engineers return to Japan and continue their work.

With the day opening under a heavy sky that threatened rain, Marc immediately began to lap strongly, setting very consistent lap times that put him second quickest. Unfortunately, rain started to fall around noon, resulting in a long wait in the garage until a little after 3 p.m. When action resumed, Dani also set several fast laps in the 1’29 range before finishing his day with an hour to go in the session, while Marc took over at the top of the timesheets with a 1’29.158 lap that remained the fastest time of the day. In his last exit, Marc crashed in turn 9, with no consequences.

Marquez today completed a total of 64 laps, with his best time occurring on lap 48. Pedrosa set his quickest time of 1’29.606 on lap 37 of 42. It was another brisk day, with maximum air and track temperatures of 20 and 28° C, respectively.

The final three-day pre-season test will take place in Qatar 2-4 March.

Marc Marquez

1’29.158 64 LAPS

“Overall, these three days have been very good. I’m especially happy with today, because we have taken a big step forward. In the afternoon I managed to maintain a consistently fast pace, and this was the first time this preseason that I’ve started to feel good with the bike and the new tyres. It’s a pity that at the end of the session when we wanted to try something else, it was too late. I was pushing hard at the same time, I lost the front and crashed. The important thing is that I was unhurt and the work we’ve done has been positive. Yesterday we focused on adjusting the electronics and finding a good base, and today I think we did a good job looking for balance in the setup of the bike.”

Dani Pedrosa

1’29.606 42 LAPS

“Today it’s been a bit difficult. In the morning it was hard to improve on the setup we found yesterday morning and lower our times. We rode on used tyres all day to see how the bike behaved after a lot of laps. In the afternoon, after the rain fell, we improved a bit in some places, but I think we still have some work to do. The positive thing is that since the test in Malaysia we have improved with the electronics, and we hope to take an important step forward in the setup of the bike at the Qatar test, especially with the new compound for the front tyre that will be brought there for us.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez leads crash filled final day in Australia, Viñales fastest overall

Action concludes as the Phillip Island Test comes to a close, Marquez topping Friday times but Viñales holding the top spot.

The final morning of testing at Phillip Island got off to the best start of the three-day test with clear conditions allowing riders to immediately get out on track. Although clouds loomed in the distance, the top seven riders were able to get below the 1’30 barrier within just a handful of laps. Loris Baz saw one of the biggest improvements, the Avintia Racing rider’s early time already half a second faster than his best from Thursday.

As riders pushed harder and harder to improve their times a number of falls occurred. Tito Rabat was the first, the MotoGP™ rookie falling at the incredibly fast Turn 1 before being taken to the medical centre for checks on his left wrist. No injuries were reported for Rabat, but in the meantime his Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS teammate, Jack Miller, suffered a fall at Turn 6 with Thursday leader, Maverick Viñales unfortunately following soon after. Both were unharmed, but Viñales’ Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR sustained heavy damage. There was also a fall at Turn 2 from Pol Espargaro, the Spaniard was unharmed and was the fourth fall in the first two hours of the day.

Difficulties continued for the Suzuki team as Aleix Espargaro also fell at Turn 6 and although he was unharmed, rain soon set in on the circuit and limited his track time again. The weather caused a delay of over two hours to proceedings with Scott Redding the first rider to head out as the track began to dry, the Brit returning to the pits immediately. With just a few hours of the final day of testing in Australia remaining, the circuit was suitable for action once more.

Yet more falls followed as Tito Rabat had his second crash of the day, this time at Turn 4. Again he was uninjured. Aleix Espargaro also had a second crash at Turn 4, with Bradley Smith sliding off at the tight corner and reporting some discomfort in his shoulder after. Turn 4 continued to claim victims throughout the afternoon with LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow coming off.

Late in the day there was a brief red flag as Danilo Petrucci crashed at Turn 8, the Italian heading to the medical centre with right wrist pain. The Italian was later diagnosed with multiple fractures in his right hand. Fellow Ducati rider Eugene Laverty crashed with 45 minutes remaining, the Aspar MotoGP Team man avoiding any serious injuries having only just returned to full fitness after his Sepang crash.

With just over half an hour remaining, Jorge Lorenzo suffered a fall at Turn 10, suffering no major injuries and walking back to the pits. Marc Marquez also suffered a fall without consequence in the final minutes of the test.

Leading the timesheets on Friday was Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez who was 0.141s clear of overall leader Maverick Viñales. A late charge put Cal Crutchlow third in the dying minutes of the test. One of the most impressive results of the day came from Hector Barbera in fourth with a 1’29.361s, he and his teammate Baz, in sixth, were split by Valentino Rossi. In seventh, Dani Pedrosa made steady improvements throughout the day to end ahead of Pol Espargaro and Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso rounded out the top ten on Friday and was 0.702s back on Marquez’s best time.

Thanks to his stunning 1’29.131 on Thursday, Maverick Viñales leaves the test as the overall fastest rider ahead of Marc Marquez. With less than 18 minutes to go on the final day, LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow set the third fastest time of the test.

Despite a difficult third day, Lorenzo leaves Australia as the fourth fastest rider just 0.004s ahead of Hector Barbera who proved that the GP14.2 is still competitive despite being several generations behind the factory bikes. Rossi’ s 1’29.404 from Thursday sees him end the test in sixth, continuing the strong form the factory Yamaha team have shown in recent tests.

The second fastest Ducati at the end of the Phillip Island test was Loris Baz on the Avintia Ducati, a new seat unit allowing him to get comfortable on the bike and end the test seventh overall. Dani Pedrosa ends the three days with a best time of 1’29.606, 0.023s back on Baz .

Rounding out the top ten on combined times, Pol Espargaro and Andrea Iannone both completed significant distance on their machines over the three days. Iannone was closely followed by Ducati Team teammate Andrea Dovizioso with Octo Pramac Yakhnich’s Scott Redding just behind.

Fellow Brit Bradley Smith leaves Phillip Island in 13th ahead of Wednesday’s leader Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller, the Australian rounding out the top fifteen on his return from injury. Tito Rabat ends the test in 16th but within a second of the fastest time while Aleix Espargaro finished a disappointing 17th ahead of Aspar MotoGP Team duo Yonny Hernandez and Eugene Laverty. Takuya Tsuda rounded out the top 20.

MotoGP™ riders and teams will be back on track on the second of March for their final pre-season test in Qatar.

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Confidence high for Tech3 pair after constructive 3 days in Australia

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith concluded the test in Phillip Island positively having made some encouraging steps forward after another committed performance on the final day despite the intermittent rain. The inconsistent weather limited the track time, yet the Tech3 duo powered through and continued to collect valuable data for the upcoming 2016 MotoGP season, with the next outing being the last pre-season test at Qatar on Wednesday 2nd March.

Pol Espargaro carried on pushing today as he aimed to increase his knowledge about the new standard ECU in order to further refine his base setup. In fact, the young Spaniard’s best time, which left him only 0.587 from the top in the combined standings, saw him improve by nearly half a second compared to yesterday, while the fastest time of the test couldn’t be beaten throughout the day. On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team garage Bradley Smith produced a spirited display and confidently completed 45 laps, despite falling midway through the day, although he was not injured. Smith finished in 16th, yet his time from yesterday places him in 13th overall, but only six tenths of a second from third, leaving him fully optimistic for the next test.

Pol Espargaro

Position : 9th Time : 1’29.718 Laps : 130

“Altogether, I’m pleased with how the test went. Of course, we hoped for better weather here in Australia, but considering that the forecast for today was even worse than it actually was, we have to be happy with what we achieved. We were able to try a lot of things and to be honest I’m very satisfied with the rhythm that we managed to run. Also, my fastest lap time was decent so after the difficult test that we had in Sepang, we are now back to where we want and need to be. For sure, it goes without saying that we still need to collect a lot of information so that we can fine tune the electronics in a better way as it is still quite new to us, but I believe we are already working in a good direction. Also our tyre knowledge is very limited at the moment and especially today when the track temperature was colder, you could see that everybody was struggling a bit more. Yet, we will have to face these conditions in the season, so there are still many things to learn. The only inconvenience of today was my crash. When I left the pit box, I didn’t feel confident with the tyres so I came back in and we decided to use another set. As a result, I was still checking the behaviour of the bike when Jorge passed me. I believe he put four seconds between us, but then closed the gas in the first corner, so by corner two I was already with him and had to take a wider line to give him enough space and as soon as I touched the brake on the dirty part of the track, I lost the bike. It’s a pity, but I’m fine and the team did a great job to repair the bike so that we could still take good advantage of the day and now I can leave Australia feeling much more confident than I was a few days ago.”

Bradley Smith

Position : 13th Time : 1’29.992 Laps : 147

“We did a good job here in the past three days, although there are obvious signs that we have to do a bit more. I was a bit unlucky today because I did the famous turn 4 crash. This corner was beneficial for me in 2014 in the race when I got my podium but not today unfortunately! The good news is that I don’t have too much pain or any serious injuries and when I remounted, I was able to ride quite comfortably. Aside from this, it was a positive day, although it was a shame about the cold weather and the rain in the middle of the day, which affected our front tyre choice. Yet, we still got through our testing programme so I feel confident enough to say that we have a really solid base setting as we go into the final three days of testing at Qatar. There, we need to reconfirm a few things that we tried here. The Phillip Island track is quite specific and the grip is also high, but Losail is very different and the grip levels are much lower. Therefore, it will be necessary to check everything that we discovered here in Australia. I am happy to say that the electronics are really positive at the moment and the team and I are doing a solid job in understanding that. There are still some areas that we need to work on, specifically with the acceleration, but that’s the same for everyone I think. I am satisfied with what we accomplished here, but we need to push harder next time because 16th is not enough for us and for our sponsors. Having said that, I don’t think the results matter too much at the moment, it’s when the season starts that it counts, so I look forward to carrying on the positive work in Qatar as we inch closer to the first race of the year.”

More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:

ASPAR Team turn focus to next test at Losail

Yonny Hernández and Eugene Laverty complete Phillip Island test with work still to do in final preseason appointment

Once again the famous Phillip Island rain continued to fall today, as it has done throughout an ill-fated MotoGP preseason test that was designed to take advantage of the Australian summer. Dry track time today was limited to the start and the end of the day, with lap times similar to those set yesterday, with yesterday’s pacesetter Maverick Viñales swapping places with Marc Márquez at the top of the order. With just a tenth between them, the two Spaniards were a slight step ahead of the rest of the field today although there was little to choose between the majority of riders, which should make for an exciting start to the season on 20th March in Qatar. Before that first race the Losail circuit will play host to the third and final test of preseason early next month.

The adverse weather conditions were the last thing the ASPAR Team needed at Phillip Island, with both Yonny Hernández and Eugene Laverty unable to complete the extensive plan of work they had scheduled. The Colombian was able to make a small step forward during the limited track time available today although he is keen to try further solutions to the problems that have held him back recently at the Qatar test. On the other side of the garage his team-mate Eugene has been able to gather more data and improve his physical condition following his hand injury at Sepang, and he is hopeful of being back to 100% in time for that crucial final test of preseason.

18th Yonny Hernández 1.30.492 (54 laps): “The weather has not been on our side over these last three days and overall it has been a frustrating test for us because we have suffered some setbacks that have prevented us from being where we would like to be. Yesterday we established a good feeling, today it wasn’t as easy at the start to get on the pace but we made a step forward that helps us understand the bike more. In Qatar we have another chance to keep working and hopefully we can have everything ready for the start of the season.”

19th Eugene Laverty 1.31.055 (45 laps): “Like yesterday I continued to build my confidence in the bike today and now we are working through some chassis settings to see how we can make it more suited to my style. I feel that we understand the way for the future but right now we need more performance. I don’t like being this far down the order, that’s for sure, but at least today my body feels better. After yesterday I felt pretty beaten up but today I feel physically much better so hopefully by Qatar I can be fully fit and ready for it.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW AND LCR END AUSSIE TEST ON A HIGH

The second of three pre-season MotoGP tests came to a close at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia today, with the LCR Honda Team and their British star Cal Crutchlow both declaring it a successful endeavour. The 30 year-old ended the session third fastest, barely two-tenths of a second behind the quickest lap of the week.

The final morning saw the best weather of the week so far as riders were able to get out on track straight away, and the Isle of Man resident wasted no time in putting in a sequence of solid laps at a fast race pace. However the rain showers which had blighted the test so far returned towards the middle of the day to halt proceedings for a couple of hours.

Stung into action, the Brit went on to set a scorching lap of 1’29.348, barely two-tenths of a second behind the best of the week, and putting himself and the team in a positive mood before the final test in Qatar in two weeks’ time.

Following that test, the season proper begins at the same Middle Eastern venue on the weekend of March 17th-20th, where the LCR Honda Team will embark on its 11th consecutive year in the premier MotoGP World Championship, as HRC’s second point of reference in Honda’s motorsport racing programme for 2016.

#35 Cal Crutchlow, 3rd (today and overall – 1’29.348)

“Today was a lot better, despite the fact that we had a small crash in turn four – as did a lot of people. I’ve felt really happy to be riding the LCR Honda this week, the bike was good and we were pleasantly surprised with the package together with the Michelin tyres and the new electronics. We didn’t have the new engine here unfortunately but it means we have something to look forward to in Qatar.”

“We definitely worked very well as a team this week, which is one of the main things when you come away for three days. The important thing is that we leave here with a lot of information, both electronically and chassis-wise, so we’ll take it all to Qatar and look forward to that test.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

VIÑALES FASTEST IN PHILLIP ISLAND TEST

Three days of MotoGP™ testing at Phillip Island in Australia have seen Team SUZUKI ECSTAR rider Maverick Viñales consistently within the fastest riders, ending in top position in the combined classification due his lap of 1:29.131 scored yesterday.

The top time is a result of consistent improvements Vinãles has made during the tests, highlighted by second place on Wednesday and today. The young Spaniard not only topped the classification, but also completed an important job in the development of his 2016 GSX-RR, taking full benefits of the improvements unveiled in Malaysia and Australia by Suzuki’s R&D department in Japan; the new engine specifications, the seamless gearbox, chassis and electronics configurations.

The final day of testing was the third in a struggle for Aleix Espargaro, who in Australia suffered by not feeling physically fit and also the feeling with his machine. Although he gave crucial help to the team to better understand the grey areas of the improvements, he wasn’t able to be perform in terms of lap times, but the job he’s done will be useful in preparation for the next test at Qatar.

Phillip Island was also important for the Suzuki Factory and Team SUZUKI ECSTAR engineers to collect crucial information from Test Team rider Takuya Tsuda. His work never focused on the timesheets but rather on the machine development; his GSX-RR equipped with the new incarnation of the seamless gearbox, which will now be evaluated by the technicians to decide its final set-up and deployment on Factory Riders’ machines in the future.

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR will now head back home for a short time before heading to to Qatar, where on March 2-4th is the final IRTA test before the beginning of the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship.

Ken Kawauchi – Technical Leader

“Today is a mix day of good and bad as on one side we had three crashes, one by Maverick and two by Aleix, but on the other side, we are happy to see the improvement overall. I believe that we still have to say that we are quite satisfied as Maverick keeps a very consistent and good pace. It was a little bit of a pity that he could not go out at the end of the session with his preferred bike for the time attack, but overall he found a good setting and performed very strongly throughout the sessions. Aleix unfortunately struggled a little during all three days to find a good pace, but we are still optimistic with him as we’ve got sufficient data and we know that he will be able to make it once he understands what the problems are. We’ll bring back all the data we gained here to Japan now, investigate them; and bring more new items to try at the upcoming test in Qatar. We still need to brush-up lots more before getting ready for the opening round in Qatar.”

Maverick Viñales:

“First of all I must say I’m ok after the crash this morning: I went out with a new tyre but probably the temperature was still too cold and I lost the front, but I didn’t suffer any injuries. Today has been another positive day, although I couldn’t improve my lap time, but we are aware of the reason why this happened. We focused on testing different configurations of the new chassis and this took us some time; maybe if I continued with the previous one I could have done a better time but it is important for us to us to work with a long term vision and exploit the tests for what they are. The development of the machine for the season is still a long way off and we still have much potential that we need to investigate. For sure I’m happy in how this test went overall, we made solid progress both in the single lap performance and for the consistency, even though the variable weather didn’t allow us to really test a race simulation. For Qatar it will be important to further investigate the electronics; it is still a field where we miss experience as it’s completely new, but we have already done much work for this and collected a good amount of data, which will be useful for us. Of course ending a test at the top is a good feeling that makes you comfortable for the future, but we must keep our feet on the ground and stay focused on the development plan we have set.”

Aleix Espargaro:

“I am fine, despite the crashes and despite the fact that we couldn’t improve as I wanted to, but my feelings about the improvements are positive. We tried many different things on the bike, in geometry and electronics, but unfortunately my feeling didn’t change so much. This track is very different from the other circuits, it’s really fast and I struggled a lot to feel confident, for example it’s much worse than in Malaysia two weeks ago. Despite this I tried to push as hard as I could, this is also why I crashed twice, but honestly the result is that I want to clear my mind from this test and think ahead to Qatar. I know it’s strange to say because of the timesheets but I honestly really feel that the bike has improved, it is much better than last year for the engine, the seamless, everything actually is performing better. Suzuki did a great job during the winter and what they are delivering to us is a real step forward; I just need to put everything together and find back my competitiveness.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

 Petrux crashes breaking his hand: he will miss Qatar test. Good feeling for Scott in #AusTesth

The MotoGp tests at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia, finishes with the bad news related to the accident of Danilo Petrucci whio crashed suffering the fracture of second, third and fourth metacarpal of his right hand. After first aid and diagnosis, Petrux was moved to Melbourne where he will undergo further check uo tomorrow morning. It is difficult at the moment to talk about recovery times. In any case he will miss next and last pre-season test in Doha, Qatar.

Scott Redding come back from three days in Australia with positive indications regarding the growth of the feeling with his new Ducati Desmosedici GP. Even on a day marked by the constant bad weather that forced the riders to stop for more than 2 hours in the middle phase of the test, Scott was able to complete 49 laps, ending up with a time of 1:30.101 that put him is 14th position but less than a second from the pole position of the day and just one-tenth of a second behind the Top 10.

Danilo Petrucci was feeling to have found the right set up just before the strange crash occurred at Turn 8 in the out lap. Shortly before, in fact, the rider from Terni had managed to lap under the wall of 1:30 passing under the checkered flag in 1:29.995 (11th place) in his lap 53rd (56 completed).

9th Scott Redding

1:30.101 – 49 laps

These three days have been positive although it was difficult to find consistency due to the particular weather conditions. Today it would be difficult to set a good laptime because I had only a few hard tires to fit and every time I tried the soft I did not feel confident on the front. However, we have improved traction and this was an important goal. The feelings are good and I’m looking forward to being in Qatar. I want to wish Danilo a fast recovery. I hope he comes back soon and will be already on track for the first race in Qatar.

Francesco Guidotti

Team Manager

It was not an easy test. The weather conditions did not help us working on set up and Danilo’s accident is too big a price to pay. It’s never the right time to fall and hurt but surely this is a particularly sensitive time. It is frustrating, we know. But we must look to the future with strength and determination. We have to focus on the Danilo’s recovery, the whole team is with him. We are confident that he will recover soon: the hope is that he will be on track for the GP in Qatar but now is too early to have a clear scenary.