Kallio impressed by progress of Suter MotoGP prototype

Mika Kallio’s duties as Test rider for the developing Suter MotoGP machine continued on Monday at Brno, where the Finnish rider put in a solid 81 laps as the Swiss manufacturer and its collaborators in the project – the Marc VDS Racing Team – made further progress on the 2012 bike.

Six weeks on from the previous Test at Mugello the Suter and Marc VDS engineers had made noticeable progress, and by the close of the day Kallio had posted a best lap of 2’00.144 on the BMW engine powered machine – 3.976s off Casey Stoner’s top time on the Honda 1000cc machine.

Reviewing the progress made, Kallio told motogp.com: “Here, things went much better than before. We tested three times in Mugello and we had a few problems there – the lap time was not at the level we wanted it to be, and we were too slow. However, when we arrived here everything was immediately better, it looks like the bike fits this track better, and lap-by-lap I’m getting used to this level of power again and the lap time has been improving. Step by step we have made quite a lot of changes for the electronics and the clutch system, and for the engine braking too, and it looks like we made quite a big step today. I think the team and I can be happy, our level is quite good at the moment.”

Kallio is confident the encouraging advances in the machine can continue, and he added: “I think we still need to improve on the same areas that we improved here. The biggest problem in this Test was that when I entered the corners I didn’t have such a good feeling in the rear, there is a little bit too much sliding, and it’s difficult to turn in because I miss the feeling in the rear a little bit. It looks like that’s where we’re losing the time. Of course we need to work a lot with the electronics and many other small things, but I think if we can improve the rear in entry, then it should be better.”

source: MotoGP Official Website

Rossi and Hayden test at Brno with an eye on the future

The two riders’ efforts were focused in different directions: Working with an eye toward the future, Rossi dedicated the day to trying various setups and weight distributions, tests that were intended to direct the next development steps for next year’s bike.

After one outing with the GP11 and one with the GP11.1, Hayden dedicated himself solely to the latter, working on adapting to the newer version and searching for a base setup.

Nicky Hayden, 78 laps, 1:57.533

“Everything went pretty well today. We didn’t break any track records or anything, but luckily the rain held off. I did one run this morning with the GP11 just to start from zero and then went straight in on the GP11.1. Like at Laguna, I was immediately just as fast, but steadily through the day, I was quicker and quicker. Once again, the team worked like dogs, between working on my race bikes and preparing for the test. I enjoyed riding the bike, and it’s always nice to see progress and have a good feeling, I plan to ride it at Indy. My sister’s getting married this weekend, so we’ve got a pretty special two weeks coming up between that and my home GP.”

Valentino Rossi, 74 laps, 1:58.266 

“It was a very busy day, not only because we did almost 75 laps, but also because we tried many changes in every outing. It’s not easy riding like that, as it requires a lot of concentration. We had some electronic updates that we still have to perfect, but we’ll return to those soon. Apart from that, we were thinking more toward the future, mainly trying different geometries, weight distributions, and settings that were a little strange, everything to remove any doubts and to understand some things about the GP11.1. I’d say it was a successful test, even if we sacrificed some performance since we had other objectives. We also tried some new tyres from Bridgestone, and the first impression was good.”

Ducati Team press release

Elias in good form at Test in Czech Republic

The Spaniard, who finished in 11th position in Sunday’s 22-lap race, proceeded with the adjustment work on front end issues has has been experiencing and, despite a big crash from which he luckily escaped unhurt, Elias feels more confident ahead next GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the 28th of August.

Toni Elias: 

“Apart from the bad crash, I am quite satisfied about this test session and about my lap time. We have mainly tried to fix our front end issues: some changes did not work, but with small adjustments on the front geometry I could improve my feeling on the bike to get more corner speed. After lunch I was going for another long run and I probably pushed too hard, crashing heavily in the gravel. The bike hit my right leg and I thought my foot was injured, but the x-ray has ruled that out. After that, I was a bit dazed and I preferred to remain in the garage for the rest of the session. Anyway, I think we took another step forward before the next race in Indianapolis.”

LCR Honda press release.

Edwards and Crutchlow conclude Brno with productive Test day

After he finished in a hard fought eighth position in Sunday's Czech Republic MotoGP race, Texan Edwards had a busy day evaluating updates for Yamaha and Bridgestone.

Bridgestone tapped into all of Edwards' vast experience, the 37 year old putting in development laps on a new front tire and two new rear tire compounds that Bridgestone plan to make available in 2012 for the new 1000cc MotoGP class. Edwards also worked his way through a range of different electronics settings to supply Yamaha technicians with a wealth of precise feedback for the future. Despite being in testing mode, Edwards set a best time of 1’58.412 in his 44 lap stint, which was quicker than his best lap time in yesterday's 22 lap race.

With eight hours of track time available and conditions for most of the day bright and warm, Crutchlow dedicated his efforts on improving the set up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team YZR-M1 machine. The prime focus was improving Crutchlow's front-end confidence after the 25 year old has recently experienced a difficult period in his rookie campaign.

Without the time constraints of a Grand Prix weekend, Crutchlow also concentrated on further adapting his riding style to suit the 800cc YZR-M1 machine. He was able to focus on improving his braking technique, and the British rider was satisfied with his progress after completing 74 laps before heavy rain started to fall with 30 minutes of the session remaining. His best time of 1’57.591 was over 0.2s faster than his qualifying time.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is now preparing for another trip across the Atlantic Ocean for the Indianapolis round on August 28.

Colin Edwards:

“Today was just about getting some information for Bridgestone and Yamaha. The new tires I tested seemed to be a good step in the right direction, so they've got a lot of information and feedback to analyze and digest now. I'm happy with the direction Bridgestone is going with the rear tire. I tried two today, and both give you a lot more security. There's not so much risk involved in the first couple of laps, so credit to Bridgestone because they have listened to our comments this season and taken action to improve the tires and I'm really pleased. I also ran some new electronics for Yamaha and there were a couple of interesting options. I'm looking forward to going home now and relaxing ahead of another important race in Indianapolis. To have two home races in such a short space of time is awesome, so I'm looking forward to putting on a good show for the American fans.”

Cal Crutchlow:

“This morning we didn't change the bike and I just went out and did some laps and I was doing low 58s on old tires, so that makes me feel even more disappointed with the crash in the race yesterday because that pace would have put me on for a good result. The front-end could still be better but we've definitely been working in the right direction and we're trying to figure out how we can make more improvements. But this process isn't just about working on making the bike better. I know I've got to improve myself and adapt my style more and I've worked on that a lot today. At the moment some laps I'm braking much better and how I should be and others I go back to my normal style, but that is all part of the learning process and why this test has been so valuable. I still need to release the brake earlier to help me carry more corner speed, so I'll be working on improving more in that area in the future. My crew have worked really hard today after a long weekend, so credit to them for that. It was a good day and I can take some confidence to Indianapolis now.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team press release

Valentino Rossi surprised by new Yamaha 1000 pace

Valentino Rossi says the big surprise of yesterday’s Brno test was the performance of Yamaha’s new 1000cc MotoGP bike.

The YZR-M1 800cc replacement was fast immediately out of the crate with reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo finishing just 0.085s behind Casey Stoner, who was making his second appearance on Honda’s 2012 1000cc bike.

Lorenzo completed 28-laps on the new bike to clock a best time of 1.56.253, which was nearly 0.5s faster than his qualifying pace on the 800cc Yamaha at the Czech Republic MotoGP round.

Ben Spies was also impressively fast on Yamaha’s 2012 contender, the Texan completing 24-laps to finish with a best time of 1.56.306. That was only 0.138s behind Stoner’s best pace of 1.56.168 on the Honda RC213V.

Rossi, who evaluated a range of geometry and weight distribution changes to his current GP11.1 machine with Ducati not testing its 1000cc GP12 in Brno, said he was impressed by the early speed of the Yamaha.

The 32-year-old told MCN: "For me the surprise is the Yamaha because it is very fast with Lorenzo and Spies from the first exit. When the bike has arrived it is ready and they are not so far from the Honda. It looks like they are closer than with the 800 in this track. I already know that Honda and Yamaha are competitive and now we have to arrive."

Rossi could be back on Ducati’s GP12 during a one-day test session immediately after his home race in Misano early next month, but he says he’s not concerned by the early pace shown by the new Honda and Yamaha.

He added: "Our engine is quite fast but the problem we have is more on the rest. It will be hard for sure because already the Honda and Yamaha is very fast, but we will try."

source: MCN

Stoner edges Lorenzo in head-to-head 1000cc test

Casey Stoner and Honda just got the better of Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha during the first head-to-head test of 1000cc MotoGP machines, at Brno on Monday. 

Stoner, who had previously tested the RC213V for two days at Jerez in mid-May, confirmed his initial positive impression by leading for most of the day - until Lorenzo, making his 1000cc debut, moved ahead in the final two hours. 

Stoner - who extended his MotoGP title lead to 32 over Lorenzo with victory on Sunday - then responded on the 54th of his 57 laps, edging just 0.085sec under Lorenzo's best before rain arrived in the final 30 minutes. 

"Today was another good shakedown but we still have some work to do, we found a few positive things and confirmed certain directions to take and move forward," said Stoner, pictured dragging his elbow on the RC213V. 

"We had a few small problems with chatter but it's something that shouldn't be too difficult to sort out through engine braking and engine management systems, which are areas we can definitely improve in, along with the chassis. 

"The engine for me is fantastic, to ride the 1000 with more grunt and more power it's a lot of fun, it has incredible acceleration, most of the time too much! 

"We tested a couple of the new tyres and had some issues, the traction didn't feel that great and they seemed to create a lot more chatter so we went back to the standard tyres and the chatter seemingly disappeared. 

"From the data we have from the first test and this test, we can go away and come back with the next step and take it from there." 

Unlike Stoner, reigning MotoGP champion Lorenzo didn't race during the previous 990cc MotoGP era (2002-2006), but proved he will have little trouble adapting his style to the larger engine capacity. 

Team-mate Ben Spies, looking forward to the 1000cc era after a glittering career on 1-litre Superbikes, also underlined both the potential of the new Yamaha and his own capabilities by lapping just 0.138sec from Stoner. 

Unlike Repsol Honda riders Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, who rode only 1000cc machines, Lorenzo and Spies also tested their present 800cc bikes. For that reason, the Yamaha riders only completed around half as many 1000cc laps as Stoner. 

Lorenzo was fastest of the 800cc bikes present, finishing fourth overall on the timesheets with a best lap of 1min 56.727sec from 58 laps. 

That was just under half-a-second from his 1000cc pace, but 0.9sec quicker than his best race lap on Sunday, when a front-tyre gamble left him in fourth position. Spies - struggling with a pinched nerve in his neck this weekend - concluded testing at lunchtime. He remained the second best 800cc rider, 0.457sec behind Lorenzo. 

The overall impression from the Brno test was the 2012 Honda and Yamaha are not only evenly matched, but are also going to be much quicker than even the best of the 800cc bikes - despite having bore/stroke restrictions. 

That's not a good sign for Suzuki, whose best hope of remaining in MotoGP seems to be continuing to use this year's 800cc bikes. Suzuki will hope that the equal fuel limit for both 800 and 1000cc entries means the 1-litre bikes have to reign in their pace to last the distance. 

Sixth fastest on Monday was the 1000cc Honda of Dani Pedrosa, who crashed out of the lead early in Sunday's race. Pedrosa, a race winner in the 990cc era, was making his RC213V debut after missing the Jerez test due to injury. 

The Spaniard rode for 37 laps, the best of which was just over one-second from Stoner. 

The factory Ducati team - which has completed five days of private 1000cc testing with its MotoGP riders - stuck exclusively with this year's machines, thus avoiding a direct comparison with the 2012 entries from the two main Japanese factories. 

Nicky Hayden was the quickest of the Desmosedicis, the American - seventh on Sunday - finding a significant 0.731sec improvement over his best race lap during his first proper outing on the GP11.1 (after a short debut in practice at Laguna Seca). 

That put the 2006 world champion 0.8sec behind Lorenzo's 800cc test time and 0.15sec ahead of MotoGP rookie Cal Crutchlow, who bounced back from another race crash to set a highly promising test pace for Monster Yamaha Tech 3. 

Honda LCR's struggling Toni Elias also split the factory Ducatis - with a lap 1.1sec from Lorenzo on the 800 before a big crash ended his test. Next up was Valentino Rossi, who finished 0.733sec behind Hayden after his 74 laps. 

Countryman Loris Capirossi was just a tenth slower for Pramac Ducati, with Colin Edwards in turn a tenth further back for Tech 3 Yamaha. 

Also on track on Monday was the Marc VDS Suter, a BMW-powered (1000cc) CRT entry being developed for next year. 

Former MotoGP and present Marc VDS Moto2 racer Mika Kallio was once again at the controls, the Finn lapping 3.976sec slower than Lorenzo's 1000cc time - a significant improvement compared with the 6.3sec deficit (to the best 800cc bike) at June's Mugello test. 

The Suter was a fraction slower than the best WSBK race lap from July's event, but did comfortably beat the best race laps by the BMW S1000RR riders. 

Notable absentees were Sunday's podium finishers Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and Marco Simoncelli (Gresini Honda). Both are yet to sign for 2012, preventing a 1000cc debut - and they didn't even appear on their 800cc bikes. 

Round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship will be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 28. 

source: Crash.net

video: Spies Interview MotoGP Test Post Brno Race

File name: 2011-BrnoPostGPTest-intv-spies-en-ST_clean.mov.flv
File size:11.58 MB

video: Pedrosa Interview MotoGP Test Post Brno Race

File name: 2011-BrnoPostGPTest-intv-pedrosa-en-HR_clean.mov.flv
File size:13.54 MB

Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa test 2012 RC213V prototype

It was a positive day of testing with both riders giving valuable feedback, which will allow the HRC engineers to continue the development of the new machine. As scheduled, the test began at 09h00 under dry conditions and finished at 18h00 with one hour lunch break. Fortunately, the rain that was expected did not arrive until the final 30 minutes of the day, when the Repsol Honda Team had already finished their programme.

Czech Republic GP winner Casey Stoner, who already tested the RC213V in the Jerez test, was the fastest rider on track with a lap time of 1’56.168. Completing a total of 57 laps, he and his team took some important steps forward in the development of the 2012 machine.

Dani Pedrosa made his debut on the new machine as he missed the first test session held at Jerez on May 17th and 18th due to injury. Dani made the most of the dry track to study the new bike and give important feedback to the HRC engineers. In total he completed 37 laps with a top time of 1'57.264, the fourth fastest of the day.

HRC engineers will now take time to evaluate this data from both riders and decide how to proceed with the development of the new machine.

Casey Stoner: 1st - Time: 1'56.168

"Today was another good shakedown, but we still have some work to do. We found a few positive things and confirmed certain directions to take and move forward. We had a few small problems with chatter, but it's something that shouldn't be too difficult to sort out through engine braking and engine management systems, which are areas we can definitely improve in, along with the chassis. The engine for me is fantastic, to ride the 1000 with more grunt and more power it's a lot of fun, it has incredible acceleration, most of the time too much! We tested a couple of the new tyres and had some issues, the traction didn't feel that great and they seemed to create a lot more chatter so we went back to the standard tyres and the chatter seemingly disappeared. From the data we have from the first test and this test, we can go away and come back with the next step and take it from there."

Dani Pedrosa: 4th - Time: 1'57.264

"First of all, I'm very happy to have tested the 1000cc because rain was expected, but it didn't arrive until the end of the day. My first impression in the morning was that the feelings were quite similar to those I had when I first came into MotoGP, you can feel the difference in torque and power. Perhaps I was still riding it with an 800cc style and I need a little more understanding again and try to ride it differently, but the bike seems to work quite well. We will make many modifications, so the final version will be very different to today's bike, but this is normal and the first impression is quite good. Compared to the 990cc I rode in 2006 it's very similar on the power side, but a little lighter in weight and behaviour. I tried one run with the prototype Casey tested in Jerez, and also the other one with some modifications and it was a bit better. With a new bike, electronics, engine, chassis, everything is not the best, but from my experience in the past with new bikes, the starting point is not so bad. We have to be very careful with the chassis because perhaps the tyres next year are a little different in construction which will affect the chassis."

Repsol Honda press release.

MotoGP stars complete Brno Test

Yamaha debuted their developing 2012 prototype on track at Brno on Monday and Honda continued the evolution of their 1000cc machine, as the premier class remained for an extra day at the Czech Republic track for an official MotoGP Test.

With the weather allowing a full day of riding Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies had their first shakedown of the 2012 prototype, with Lorenzo second on the timesheet with a best time of 1’56.253 from 28 laps on the evolving bike. His team-mate Ben Spies also enjoyed riding the new machine, setting a best effort of 1’56.306 from 24 laps which placed him third fastest, and the American ended his day early at the midway break. Both riders also rode their 800cc M1 machines, in which they tested new engine parts, a new fairing and chassis components.

In the Repsol Honda garage Dani Pedrosa was another rider who had a first taste of what the 1000cc capacity machines will offer next year, as the Spaniard rode the 2012 bike for the first time. He ran two 2012 machines with differing set-ups, registering a best time of 1’57.264 from 37 laps as part of a methodical workload. His team-mate and current Championship leader Casey Stoner also rode Honda’s 2012 spec bike – his second outing after riding at Jerez back in May – and was quickest around the Brno circuit with a time of 1’56.168 as he enjoyed the benefits of an updated chassis.

Valentino Rossi worked through a heavy schedule with his Ducati Team on the Desmosedici GP11.1, the bike he is riding this season, putting in 74 laps and posting a best effort of 1’58.266. The Italian tried a range of set-ups, focusing primarily on riding positions and bike height. Team-mate Nicky Hayden rode an initial early-morning run on the GP11 before focusing on the GP11.1 for the rest of the day, and the American was pleased with his progress as he lapped at 1’57.533.

The Marc VDS team were also present as they continued testing the Suter 2012 prototype. Mika Kallio got his lap time down to a 2’00.144 in a highly productive day, as he made big steps in the development of the bike – his fourth Test on it.

Elsewhere, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow were both present, the American testing Bridgestone tyres and a Yamaha electronics package and the Brit a revised setting similar to the one he rode earlier in the season on their respective 2011 M1 bikes. Toni Elías (LCR Honda) and Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing) were also both at the Test, as each rider looked to improve on what they had found during the GP weekend.

source: MotoGP Official Website

Yamaha Factory Racing complete positive Test at Brno

The riders spent some time testing updates to the 2011 YZR-M1, including engine and electronics upgrades and different chassis and fairing parts. Having completed this they were then both given the opportunity to take their first ride on the prototype 2012 1000cc race bike.

Spies and Lorenzo were very quickly up to an impressive pace on the new bike, Spies wrapping up with a fastest lap time of 1’56.306 on the 1000cc bike as the third fastest rider of the day. Team mate Lorenzo clearly enjoyed his time aboard the new machine, clocking an impressive lap time of 1’56.253 to finish as the second fastest rider of the day.

Reigning World Champion Lorenzo completed an impressive 58 laps on the 800cc YZR-M1 before switching to add another 28 laps on the 2012 1000cc bike. Team mate Spies completed all testing in the morning session, giving his trapped nerve issue from the weekend a chance to rest. He completed 15 laps on the 800cc YZR-M1 and 14 laps on the 2012 1000cc prototype.

Jorge Lorenzo: 2nd Time: 1'56.253 Laps: 86 

"Today has been an exciting and busy day because it has been the first day riding the 1000cc bike, but also because we have made a small step with the engine upgrades for the 800cc bike. We rode many laps non-stop from nine this morning to five this afternoon! I realized the 1000cc bike was incredible when I saw the power on the straight. I like this bike a lot and I wanted to have more laps but I have to still think about this season! I have been just one hour with our future bike! I can say that the next MotoGP season will be amazing, much more power, you go out of the corners sliding; I can’t wait!"

Ben Spies: 3rd Time: 1'56.306 Laps: 39

“The 800cc upgrades we tested this morning were positive, hopefully there’s more in that direction in the future as well. With the 1000cc bike it was a pretty successful first day. We didn’t change much on it, pretty much just rolled out and did some laps to get as much data as possible. We made some small changes to see how differently it affected the bike compared to the 800.There’s more improvements to be made for sure but for the first day to go faster than the 800 was a surprise. My arm is feeling better and better, I’m getting a check up when I fly home to the US on Wednesday but should be fit and ready for Indianapolis.”

Yamaha Factory Racing press release

Yamaha debut 2012 machine as Brno Test gets underway

The official MotoGP Test at Brno on Monday saw the on-track debut of Yamaha’s 2012 machine, which both factory riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies had ridden by the time the midday interval arrived.

Spies was the first out on the prototype shortly after 10.30am local time as conditions began to warm up, and the American had completed 24 laps on the bike by 1pm local time. Spies’ best lap was a 1’56.306, just 0.046s off Casey Stoner who was top of the timesheet at the end of the first session in his second Test of the Honda 1000cc bike. Spies also completed 15 laps on his current M1 machine, and was just under nine-tenths of a second quicker on the 2012 version. He finished his day’s work when the one-hour break came.

His team-mate and reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo also had his first taste of the new bike, running 12 laps on it after first working on the present-season M1 for the majority of the morning. Lorenzo put in a best lap of 1’56.892 on the 2012 bike, 0.165s slower than his fastest effort on the M1.

Whilst Stoner led the way in terms of lap times, his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa rode the 1000cc machine for the first time. The Spaniard was 1.004s down on his team-mate as he got to grips with the more powerful machine, running two bikes with different set-ups.

Elsewhere Valentino Rossi worked tirelessly on the Desmosedici GP11.1 throughout the morning, putting in 36 laps as he compared different riding positions. On the other side of the Ducati Team garage team-mate Nicky Hayden rode a short stint on the GP11 before spending the rest of the session on the GP11.1 on which he was faster, putting in a best effort of 1’57.616.

Mika Kallio and the Marc VDS Team are also present at the Test, working with Suter on the Swiss manufacturer’s 2012 machine. The Finn’s best time was a 2’00.626 from 46 laps, as he made steady progress throughout the session.

source: MotoGP Official Website

Brno MotoGP test times - Monday 11am

Following Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix an official MotoGP test session is being held at the Brno circuit on Monday.

The test marks the first time that the 2012 factory 1000cc bikes from Honda and Yamaha have gone head-to-head on track. Ducati is only testing its 800cc bike.

The Marc VDS Suter is a BMW-powered (1000cc) CRT entry being developed for next year. The Suter's best lap time, in the hands of Mika Kallio, was 6.342sec from the fastest 800cc bike in June's Mugello test.

Testing concludes at 6pm...

1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda (1000cc) 1m 56.260s (16 laps)

2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 57.068s (27)

3. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 57.184s (15)

4. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (1000cc) 1m 57.795s (12)

5. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro 1m 58.237s (23)

6. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro 1m 58.266s (19)

7. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing (1000cc) 1m 58.476s (4)

8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 58.542s (15)

9. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda 1m 58.575s (27)

10. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing 1m 58.927s (25)

11. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2m 0.139s (4)

12. Mika Kallio FIN Marc VDS Suter (1000cc) 2m 1.709s (22)

source: crash.net