
If we were to base the upcoming 2011 season on the results of this three day test at Sepang 2, we could close up the championship right now, with either Casey Stoner or Dani Pedrosa walking away with the title and Honda grabbing the manufacturers title.
However we don’t have a crystal ball and predictions aren’t are strong forte and racing isn’t an exact science, we’ll just tell you that Casey Stoner took just two laps this morning to blow to smithereens the two minute barrier at Sepang. The Aussie was on a roll, not only did he dip under this mark with a stunning lap of 1.59.665, but actually sawed off a massive 0.636s from his yesterday’s best time!
Even team mate Dani Pedrosa went under the two minute mark, finishing the day just 0.138s behind his Honda Repsol in-house rival, with Marco Simoncelli and Andrea Dovizioso wrapping up in third and fourth, as if we actually needed further proof that Honda has definitely got it right in this final year of racing with the 800cc class.
After the Honda hegemony came Yamaha’s Ben Spies with his fifth spot and a 1.013 second gap from Stoner. Colin Edwards took sixth, followed by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo in seventh, more than 1.338 from the top of the time chart and three tenths from his new team mate.
Alvaro Bautista seemingly feeling better after his yesterday’s bout of sickness was eighth, despite a crash was followed by Hiroshi Aoyama, riding one of the other two really private RC212V’s.
If the Yamaha’s seemed to be losing a lifetime to the Honda machines, the Ducati’s were on an eternity trip. The fastest Ducatista was Hector Barbera who closed out the top ten.
Valentino Rossi who missed yesterday’s testing due to the flu, finished in 11th trying to do his best to make up for lost day by putting in 59 laps in the massive heat of Sepang, posting the identical lap time with team mate Nicky Hayden, who probably ended up 2 to 4 pounds lighter after his 71 laps. Other struggling Ducati riders were Loris Capirossi in 13th, Randy de Puniet 15th and rookie Karel Abraham in 18th.
The final pre-season testing before the opening round will be at the Losail track (if the country doesn’t experience the same social unrest that Bahrain is undergoing) March 13th and 14th.
MotoGP Sepang 2 Day 3 Results:
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda 1′59.665
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1′59.803
3 Marco Simoncelli Gresini Honda 2′00.163
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 2′00.541
5 Ben Spies Factory Yamaha 2′00.678
6 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha 2′00.966
7 Jorge Lorenzo Factory Yamaha 2′01.003
8 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki 2′01.194
9 Hiro Aoyama Gresini Honda 2′01.328
10 Hector Barbera Aspar Ducati 2′01.346
11 Valentino Rossi Marlboro Ducati 2′01.469
12 Nicky Hayden Marlboro Ducati 2′01.469
13 Loris Capirossi Pramac Ducati 2′01.493
14 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha 2′02.034
15 Randy De Puniet Pramac Ducati 2′02.155
16 Toni Elias LCR Honda 2′02.410
17 Karel Abraham AB Cardion Ducati 2′02.506
v46r
24 Feb 2011 - 13:29 - #1Amazing laptime!
Electoric device and machine setting are more significant than power(engine).
800 cc’s machine is balanceful,but 990cc’s machine is needed more traction and human skill.
I remember mick and criville and tady in Repsol Honda.