Valentino Rossi has amazed the world by pushing his new 800cc Yamaha MotoGP bike to a faster time than his own 2006 990cc machine.
The former world champion rode both his 800 and 990 bikes in the same test on Wednesday at Valencia and incredibly went 0.4 seconds faster on the smaller machine. He also managed to beat the closest 800, John Hopkins’ Suzuki, by 0.44 seconds.
Toni Elias and Marco Melandri were the only two riders to sit between Rossi’s two times but both were on their 2006 machines.
Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen both came home before the first Honda, piloted by Dani Pedrosa.
Newly crowned champ Nicky Hayden was a further three places down behind Casey Stoner and Alex Barros.
Unofficial times:
Valentino Rossi, Camel Yamaha 800, 1:32.70
Toni Elias, Gresini Honda 990, 1:32.73
Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda 990, 1:32.90
Valentino Rossi, Camel Yamaha 990, 1:33.10
John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki 800, 1:33.14
Loris Capirossi, Marlboro Ducati 800, 1:33.17
Chris Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki 800, 1:33.18
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda 800, 1:33.21
Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro 800, 1:33.43
Alex Barros, D’Antin Ducati 990, 1:33.64
Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda 800, 1:33.66
Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor SRT 800, 1:35.80
Andrew Pitt, Ilmor SRT 800, 1:36.60
. . . . but, yes it would have been funny to win it on an 800. Funnier still to see the faces of the HRC staff realising that their one chance to steal a march on the opposition [going down from 990 to 800] had backfired . . .