MotoGP News - Old Bridgestone Hands Show The Way In Tests
12/11/2007
Bridgestone’s established riders set the pace in the post-race test session at Valencia, with newcomers also impressing on their new machines and tyres.
World Champion Casey Stoner (Ducati) was significantly the fastest of 17 riders who tested, with a lap of 1’32.095. This was slower than his front-row starting time for the race, but achieved with a new front suspension setting that he said was a big improvement. “I could have won with this,” he said. He had finished a close second, after winning ten previous rounds in his victorious season.
The next Bridgestone rider was Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki regular, who also tried the 2008 version of the machine that brought him a first MotoGP win at Le Mans this year. His time of 1’32.979 put him fifth fastest overall.
Then came the first of the new riders – Vermeulen’s former team-mate John Hopkins, in his first time on the Kawasaki. Hopkins already had Bridgestone experience, and was just a tenth slower, and a similar distance ahead of another Bridgestone changeling, Loris Capirossi, who moved from Ducati to take Hopkins’s Suzuki seat.
The next place went to another experienced Bridgestone rider who has switched machines – ex-Honda rider Toni Elias, now on a Ducati. He was followed by two newcomers to the Japanese tyres, Shinya Nakano on his familiar Honda, and ex-Yamaha rider Sylvain Guintoli, making his first acquaintance with his Ducati.
Marco Melandri was disappointed to place only 13th, after staying with Bridgestone but also moving from Honda to the factory Ducati team. “The throttle works very differently from what I am used to,” said the former 250 World Champion, who was confident of gaining pace to close on new team-mate Stoner as the testing season continues.