The first day of the 3 day test concluded with former Kawasaki rider Randy De Puniet who now rides for LCR Honda on top of 10 other riders. De Puniet clocked at a time of 2′03.033, 0.324s ahead of Vermeulen, on a hot and humid day with rain falling in the afternoon onboard the 2007 machine.

Sepang November 2007 winter test lap times

1. Randy de Puniet 2′03.033 (Honda LCR)

2. Chris Vermeulen 2′03.357 (Rizla Suzuki)

3. Colin Edwards 2′03.406 (Yamaha Tech3)

4. Andrea Dovizioso 2′03.607 (JiR Team Scot)

5. Loris Capirossi 2′03.748 (Rizla Suzuki)

6. Anthony West 2′04.068 (Kawasaki)

7. Nicky Hayden 2′04.164 (Repsol Honda)

8. John Hopkins 2′04.316 (Kawasaki)

9. Jorge Lorenzo 2′04.433 (Fiat Yamaha)

10. James Toseland 2′05.438 (Yamaha Tech 3)

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Team Yamaha Tech 3 announced yesterday that it has officially signed two World Champions to their team, Superbike World Champion James Toseland and former Superbike Champion and no stranger to MotoGP Colin Edwards. The french team has signed up with Michelin to run their rubber on the latest version of the M1.

The entire Tech 3 team is very happy to welcome these two great riders with their first outing at the next winter test this week at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia (15-16-17th November). The team will then head to Jerez in Spain from the 27th to 29th of November for the next stop of the hectic winter schedule before the December test ban comes into effect.

Colin Edwards quotes:

“I’m honestly really excited about coming to Tech 3. I think the overall package that Yamaha has put together for next year – four good bikes and four World Champions and four different crews giving Yamaha a whole lot of information means we will be on the pace from the start and it’s pretty exciting. I’ve known Herve well and I know that Tech 3 is a very good outfit and I’m also really looking forward to sharing a garage with James. I’m positive that it’s going to be a great team.”

James Toseland quotes:

“I am over the moon about coming to MotoGP. It seems to have been a long time coming to get this opportunity but it has come at the right time and is the opportunity of a lifetime. It is a massive transition in my life to make and I am really looking forward to it. I don’t know who was happier as my mum was in tears when we got the news! I am really thankful to Yamaha and I appreciate the chance they have given me and I want to thank everyone for the opportunity they have given me. I have met Herve on a couple of occasions and he is a genuine nice guy and I truly feel the Tech 3 Team will be a good place to start my MotoGP career so it’s nice to be welcomed into the team. It will also be good to be working with Colin again as we have had a 10 year separation. He has said some really nice things in the press as to how he will help me. We get on really well together so I think we should make a good team. I’ve been employed to do a serious job so I am not coming in with the mental attitude that there won’t be any pressure on me; there will be and I want to do the best job possible and be near the front.”

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The MotoGP 2008 season opener in Qatar will be run under floodlights we were told subject to approval from the Riders’ Safety Commission. Confirmation of a successful test at the Losail International Circuit this evening gave the project its final go-ahead. The 2008 Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar will become the first motorsports World Championship Grand Prix to take place at night, an historic moment for MotoGP and Qatar. Five MotoGP riders were present at the night test, which took place at 7:30pm at the circuit on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital city Doha. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki), Marco Melandri (Ducati), James Toseland (Yamaha), Anthony West (Kawasaki) and Alex de Angelis (Honda) all were able to take several laps of the circuit and were unanimously in favor of next season’s race taking place in the dark.

“It’s going to be so exciting to race under floodlights,” said MotoGP veteran Loris Capirossi. “The difference from when we first tested here at night is amazing. Back then I wasn’t too sure what was possible, but the lighting is perfect out there! There’s hardly any difference between day and night riding in these conditions, and of course it’s going to be more exciting to race at night. There’s no problems with shadows or reflections, I’m very happy with this.” The riders did not have their actual 2008 prototypes there for the testing, they used road versions of their MotoGP bikes, which are currently traveling to the Malaysia circuit Sepang for a pre-season test session later this week, and Capirossi added that this wasn’t a problem, “We reached nearly 300km/h here on these bikes, so I don’t think there will be too much difference to come here on a MotoGP machine. We could see the warning flags and braking markers and even when they tested the rare possibility of a power cut, there was no problem because of the back-up systems. I can’t wait for the whole circuit to be illuminated.”

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation President Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah added, “When we first built the circuit we had the idea of running a night race along with His Highness the Prime Minister, and finally it is great to see this project is going to go ahead. I’d like to thank the riders for making this effort, MotoGP is our number one priority and we are excited about next year’s race.” The lighting at the circuit is being provided by US based Musco Lighting, and their President Joe Crookham remarked, “Our team have worked very hard to get this test going in just 65 days. Tonight we had the first part of the circuit fully lit, and we aim to complete the rest of the project by early February. It is the biggest project we have ever undertaken, but we are confident that everything will be as successful as this first test.” The Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar will take place on March 9th, 2008.

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After the full day testing at Valencia is over, Casey Stoner is still the fastest on the track, right where a recently crowned World Champion should be. The young Ausie rider knocked off a little over .22 seconds from Yesterdays best lap time, which as the post below points out, he was the fastest then too. Interestingly, Stoner and Hayden’s times from yesterday and today are still almost .5 seconds apart, both holding the #1 and #2 lap times at Valencia. Hayden had technical issues that did not allow him much track time during the half-day testing, the former World Champion increased his time and speed today, but still not enough to topple Stoner and the mighty Ducati. Speaking of Technical issues, Anthony West’s Kawasaki suffered the only major incident so far during the 2008 season, after 38 laps a fire broke out on his ride ending his day.

1. (AUS) Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro - 1′32.095 (55laps)

2. (USA) Nickey Hayden - Repsol Honda - 1′32.434 (92laps)

3. (FRA) Randy de Puniet - Honda LCR - 1′32.625 (83laps)

4. (SPA) Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda - 1′32.718 (88laps)

5. (AUS) Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki - 1′32.979 (88laps)

6. (USA) John Hopkns - Kawasaki - 1′33.058 (59laps)

7. (ITA) Lorris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki - 1′33.163 (64laps)

8. (SPA) Toni Elias - Pramac d ‘Antin - 1′33.294 (74laps)

9. (JPN) Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini - 1′33.465 (92laps)

10. (FRA) Sylvain Guintoli - Pramac d ‘Antin - 1′33.571 (80laps)

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After a short outing today, to be followed by a full day tomorrow, testing is underway as the prototypes for next year hit the circuit to get as much information as possible for each individual team. The Top 10 Fastest today were:

1. Casey Stoner - 1′32.348

2. Nicky Hayden - 1′33.176

3. Chris Vermeulen - 1′33.186

4. Loris Capirossi - 1′33.266

5. Dani Pedrosa - 1′33.387

6. Tony Elias - 1′33.508

7. Randy de Puniet - 1′33.563

8. Shinea Nakano - 1′33.901

9. John Hopkins - 1′34.277

10. Jorge Lorenzo - 1′34.330

Casey Stoner seems on fire, the World Champion shaving .4 seconds off Pedrosa’s fastest lap at Valencia this past weekend. That’s .8 seconds ahead of 2nd place Hayden,

Good news for Hayden as he is in the 2nd spot and suffered technical issues and was only on the track a few laps today. Repsol Honda unveiled there new RC212V for 2008 testing today. It is an evolution of the 2007 model, new V4 with pneumatic valve springs, all new chassis that is supposed to enhance handling even further. Pedrosa appeared happy with the new prototype as well, posting 5th best today, both Repsol riders looking forward to the full days testing tomorrow.

Rizla Suzuki posted 3rd and 4th best, Veteran to Suzuki Chris Vermeulen getting 3rd and new teammate Lorris Capirossi getting 4th.

Fiat Yamaha injured Rider Valentino Rossi was absent testing today, as was Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards, they will be testing in Sepang later this month.

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