JiR Team Scot and new MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso continued to make more improvements today as the team and rider completed their first test of the 2008 campaign. The 2007 250cc class runner-up did a total of 83 laps on the 2007 Honda RC212V making himself more familiar with the bike after a racing career spent on two-stroke machinery. The Italian star made the most of the sunny weather and 21-degree track conditions to spend some time testing some Michelin tyres at the 2.764 miles Spanish circuit as well as evaluating some suspension settings. Andrea and the team will now head to Sepang for next week’s Malaysian test session.
Gianluca Montiron – Director, JiR Team Scot “It was nice for the weather to be perfect today so that Andrea could get more time on the bike. I think the team should be satisfied about the approach of Andrea over this test as he has proceeded step-by-step to understand this bike, which is completely new to him. He was very intelligent in the way he went about his work, learning more about the bike and each time he was back out on track he seemed more comfortable with the machine. After this test things are a little clearer as to how we need to work to move forward to enable the team and Andrea to be able to improve the setting of a MotoGP bike to suit his style. It’s very different to a 250, but we as a team will learn together to find the best plan for our winter test schedule. Our next test is next week in Malaysia and we will use our 2008 bike at the test in Sepang next January. All through these tests our target isn’t to break lap records but to help Andrea understand the new machine. By the time we are in Jerez for the final test of this season we will have a clear vision and set-up for the bike and Andrea.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP“Today we made some good progress and it has helped me understand many things. Today I was finding some of the limits of the bike for me, and areas where we need to improve in Malaysia. For me the engine braking and slipper clutch is something we need to look at and also my confidence in the front-end of the RC212V is not 100% so we also need to understand more about that. We tried many different things today, including some different suspension settings and front and rear race tyres from Michelin so we could understand more about riding here at Valencia. This test was only for me to get a ‘feel’ for this bike, and I think it’s been a success. I’m looking forward to Malaysia though, as I don’t like the circuit layout at Valencia so much and I think Malaysia will suit me better!”
Pietro Caprara – Chief mechanic, JiR Team Scot“Today we made some improvements and Andrea did also, as we try to understand better the characteristics of this machine. As this is only the second day, things are not so easy, but we did make some progress and tested some new Michelin tyres and compared them to what were used in the race. This will help with development and we are happy to do this. Times are not so important and Andrea did not use a qualifying tyre today, unlike some of the others. It has given Andrea and us a good first impression of the bike and has helped us come up with a plan and give us some points to work on in Malaysia. I would like to say thank you to HRC as we have worked well together and shared information even though we are only a satellite team. Our relations with HRC and Michelin are very good. So we are all looking forward to our next test in Malaysia.”
MotoGP Valencia day two test times:1) Casey Stoner - Ducati 1’ 32.095”
2) Nicky Hayden - Honda 1’ 32.434”
3) Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki 1’ 32.625”
4) Dani Pedrosa - Honda 1’ 32.718”
5) Chris Vermeluen - Suzuki 1’ 32.979”
14) Andrea Dovizioso - Honda 1’ 33.991”
