MotoGP pre-season testing ends as Stoner sets pace

MotoGP’s pre-season testing has concluded at Jerez with a late dash by Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner confirming the Australian’s place at the top of the 21-rider lap-time table. Jerez was the first time all twenty-one riders campaigning the upcoming MotoGP season shared the same circuit, and the reigning champion’s 1:38.780 ensured he was the fastest man at each of the IRTA pre-season tests. Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, the 2010 champion, achieved a best time of 1:38.953, showing potential and promising some exciting duels throughout the upcoming season. Shinji Aoki, manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department, said that the company will “leave Spain having achieved all our technical objectives.”

Shinji Aoki continued: “At the Sepang tests we met our target of delivering improved warm-up performance, enhanced rider feel and a wide operating temperature range in hot conditions, and at Jerez we wanted to achieve the same performance criteria in cooler conditions. In this regard, the outcome was very positive with riders giving excellent feedback on how the 2012 specification tyres performed in the cooler temperatures and so we approach the season full of optimism.
 
Following data analysis from the second Sepang test, Bridgestone developed a new specification front tyre for Jerez and evaluation of this new front tyre took place alongside continued testing of the 2012 specification front tyre. The data and rider feedback acquired from the experimental front tyre will now be analysed at Bridgestone’s Technical Centre in Japan in support of its ongoing development programme.

Shinji Aoki commented: “As part of our fundamental tyre development programme, we also brought an experimental front tyre for all riders to test at Jerez and we gathered valuable data on this new development. On behalf of Bridgestone I would like to thank all the teams and riders for their efforts in helping us achieve our goals and I look forward to what I am sure will be an exciting season for MotoGP.”

As the sun sets on pre-season testing for another year, Bridgestone now shifts its focus to the first race of 2012 which will take place under lights at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit from 5-8 April.

Related news:

• 1.1 seconds covers entire field at second Sepang MotoGP test
• Bridgestone meets Dorna safety advisor at first MotoGP testing
• Bridgestone starts 2012 MotoGP testing