Honda: Phillip Island MotoGP Test – Day 2

Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa were back on track today as the second MotoGP test of 2007 resumed at Phillip Island. The fine weather allowed the Repsol Honda pair to complete many valuable miles as they continue the development of the new-for-2007 RC2112V. Both riders significantly improved their lap times from yesterday as they worked on chassis, engine and Michelin tire testing.

World Champion Nicky Hayden ran a series of tests on geometry settings and tire options as he and his crew adjusted the machine to suit the 4.448km (2.764 miles) Australian circuit. Completing an impressive 91 laps, the 25-year-old American was able to take 0.57s off his best from yesterday, setting a lap time of 1m 30.61s on race tires, with further set-up improvements expected tomorrow.

Dani Pedrosa also upped his pace today as he again worked on chassis, suspension and engine settings. In the afternoon the 21-year-old from Barcelona, Spain focused on adjusting the power characteristics of the 800cc V4 powerplant to allow him to get the most from the new engine. Pedrosa also spent time with the Michelin technicians as they continued the tire testing schedule, setting a best lap of 1m 30.45s today.

The three-day test concludes here tomorrow, after which the Repsol Honda Team will prepare for the next test at the Losail circuit in Qatar, beginning on February 13.

Nicky Hayden Best lap time: 1m 30.61s – 91 laps
“We went quite a bit faster today which is good, and we got through a lot of options and settings. We’re working on the balance of the bike which we haven’t got quite right yet, especially in the fast corners. We improved our pace, though there’s the same basic issue where the bike isn’t quite turning as I’d like it to and it pushes the front a little. Still, we got a lot of data today so the guys will put their heads together tonight and figure out some more improvements for tomorrow."

Dani Pedrosa Best lap time: 1m 30.45s – 82 laps
“The weather was good to us today and we got through a lot of testing, including chassis and suspension adjustments, plus some engine settings work. As well as that we did some more tire testing with Michelin which was positive. We made some good progress especially towards the end of the day and the lap time is not so bad. Now we have to analyze the data we collected today and work on going quicker still on the last day tomorrow."

Unofficial lap times:
1 Alex Barros D’Antin Ducati 1m 30.01s 54 laps
2 Loris Capirossi Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 30.34s 59
3 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 30.39s 54
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1m 30.45s 82
5 Alex Hofmann D’Antin Ducati 1m 30.60s 74
6 Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team 1m 30.61s 91
7 Marco Melandri Gresini Honda 1m 30.74s 86
8 Carlos Checa LCR Honda 1m 30.84s 100
9 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki 1m 31.18s 75
10 Shinya Nakano Konica Minolta Honda 1m 31.35s 89
11 Toni Elias Gresini Honda 1m 31.51s 90
12 Kenny Roberts Jr Team Roberts Honda 1m 31.55s 94
13 John Hopkins Rizla Suzuki 1m 31.63s 65 Repsol Honda PR