MotoGP – Sepang Test Day 1 – Stoner closes in the lead, Lorenzo 3rd and Rossi 9th

The first day of testing in Sepang (the second session of February) ended with Casey Stoner leading the timesheets. The Repsol Honda Team rider finished with a time of 2:00.987, 373 thousandths better than Dani Pedrosa's teammate (still undecided whether to use the 2010 or 2011 chassis) and 481 thousandths better than reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Majorcan moved up the time table at the end of the session, bringing his Yamaha M1 ahead of that of Colin Edwards' Team Tech3 and ahead of Andrea Dovizioso's Honda, a Dovizioso who was satisfied with the new clutch system brought by Honda.

Spies, on the other hand, is sixth ahead of the excellent Hiroshi Aoyama who seems to have rediscovered the determination and pace that allowed him to be 250cc world champion. The Japanese from Team Gresini precedes team-mate Marco Simoncelli (author of the best time in the tests at the beginning of February) and Valentino Rossi.

The Ducati rider from Pesaro, who was fifth at mid-session, then finishes ninth, just over a second behind Stoner. Given how the first test went, we can be quite satisfied even if obviously there are still some things to put in place. However, it is the first Ducati on the list of times and we must not forget the shoulder which is not yet 100%. Rossi, who completed 53 laps, precedes Alvaro Bautista's Suzuki, the only one on track in 2011 and which closes the Top Ten.

In eleventh position we find Hector Barbera with the Ducati of Team Aspar; the Spaniard precedes his teammate Nicky Hayden and Toni Elias, the 2010 Moto2 champion who returned to MotoGP this year with Team LCR. Fifteenth is Cal Crutchlow, victim of a slip without physical consequences. The Yamaha Tech3 Team rider precedes our Loris Capirossi on the Pramac Team Ducati, a Capirossi who has yet to measure up to the GP11.

Sepang Test Day 1 – The final times

01. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 2:00.987 (53 laps)
02. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 2:01.360 (46 laps)
03. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.468 (50 laps)
04. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.654 (42 laps)
05. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 2:01.747 (54 laps)
06. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.808 (47 laps)
07. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.939 (73 laps)
08. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.996 (49 laps)
09. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Team 2:01.999 (53 laps)
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.224 (48 laps)
11. Hector Barbera ESP Aspar Team 2:02.645 (54 laps)
12. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team 2:02.680 (60 laps)
13. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 2:02.779 (63 laps)
14. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 2:02.920 (44 laps)
15. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.936 (36 laps)
16. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 2:03.082 (58 laps)
17. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.167 (46 laps)
18. Bike #T1 JPN Yamaha Test Rider 2:03.676 (46 laps)
19. Nobuatsu Aoki JPN Suzuki Test Rider 2:04.639 (57 laps)
20. Bike #T2 JPN Yamaha test Rider 2:04.958 (29 laps)