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MotoGP News (2006)
MotoGP Testing - Suzukis Steal Sepang Thunder
17/11/2006
Suzuki riders John Hopkins (above) and Chris Vermeulen dominated three days of testing at Sepang, the second full-scale outing of the new-generation 800cc MotoGP machines that will replace the 990cc bikes next season.
The Bridgestone riders had been on top throughout the three-day tests, up against (among others) new World Champion Nicky Hayden (Honda) and factory Yamaha rider Colin Edwards, as well as new Bridgestone recruit Toni Elias.
Ducati did not attend, and Kawasaki tested only briefly on one of the three days.
Hopkins’s final day yielded a stunning best lap time of 2m01.64s around the 5.548-km Malaysian circuit. This was inside the lap record, set on Bridgestone race tyres by 990cc Ducati rider Loris Capirossi.
Hopkins’s lap time was eight-tenths-of-a-second faster than his best practice time for this year’s Malaysian GP at Sepang, run with the more powerful 990cc machines. It would have qualified him fourth fastest for the race, on the second row of the grid.
Vermeulen ended up four-tenths slower than his team-mate, with Edwards's Yamaha placed a close third, ahead of Hayden.
The new machines have less power with the same weight, but faster lap times have come from higher cornering speeds. This rather unexpected turn of events gives tyre engineers a good direction for development work for next year.
“Even on the 990cc specification tyres the bike feels more agile,” said Hopkins. “I know Bridgestone will have some even better ideas to follow.”
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