MotoGP

Gauloises Yamaha Le Mans test notes

GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM FINISH THEIR WORK IN FRANCE AFTER PROMISING TEST Following their double podium in the French Grand Prix yesterday, Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rounded off their successful weekend with a ...

Published: May 17, 2005, 5:57 PM

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GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM FINISH THEIR WORK IN FRANCE AFTER PROMISING TEST

Following their double podium in the French Grand Prix yesterday, Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rounded off their successful weekend with a one-day test at the Le Mans circuit today. Despite threatening-looking dark clouds hanging overhead for most of the day, the rain stayed away and the team was able to do some valuable work on a dry track. Current series-leader and yesterday's winner Rossi and his team-mate Edwards, who took his debut MotoGP podium for Yamaha on Sunday, continued to develop their 2005-spec YZR-M1s, testing some new engine parts from Japan and working on engine mapping and settings as well as testing tyres for Michelin.

Almost the entire MotoGP line-up stayed on to test today, as well as some 250cc teams. The fastest lap of the day was in a time of 1'33.70, set by Honda rider Marco Melandri, who finished fourth yesterday. Carlos Checa (Ducati) was second fastest with a lap of 1'33.78 and Rossi was third with a best lap of 1'33.97 after 54 laps. Yesterday's runner-up Sete Gibernau (Honda) was fourth with a time of 1'34.07 and Edwards, who completed 52 laps, was fifth with a best time of 1'34.10.

The team will now enjoy a well-deserved two week break, before reconvening in Mugello in just over two week's time for the Italian Grand Prix, round five of the MotoGP World Championship.

VALENTINO ROSSI -- 1'33.97, 54 laps
"I think today's test was okay and quite useful. We tried some new parts for the engine to give us some more power and although the difference is not big, I think it is good. We worked a lot on engine mapping in order to try to have better acceleration and we made some improvements in this area, which is very important. Of course we continued to work on the general set-up and also tested some new tyres with Michelin, from which we found some good options to use in Mugello. Overall we've got some positive things to take to Mugello, so it has been a good finish to the weekend."

COLIN EDWARDS -- 5th, 1'34.10, 52 laps
"Today we've made more steps forward in the right direction. We've been playing with the suspension and continuing to experiment with the mapping to try to find ways to make the bike easier to ride and more forgiving. It's definitely getting better. We tested some tyres and found a new front that we're happy with. We spent a lot of time on the settings, going over what we learned during the weekend so that we can hopefully just fire away when we go to Mugello. I'm 100% positive that we've found a good setting to enable us to get there and be quick from the start."

DAVIDE BRIVIO -- GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
"Of course it's hard to work for one more day after a busy weekend, but we had a great result yesterday and we want to keep winning! Our race department work continually to find ways to improve the bike and as soon as they have something new they bring it to the track for us to test. We received some small engine parts from Japan and Valentino tried them today. He liked them so we will try to prepare them in time for Mugello. We also worked on the electronics and mapping with both riders -- an important part of MotoGP. We tried some tyres, Michelin are constantly making developments this year so there are always new things to test! It's a positive end to the weekend but we've got a long way to go until the end of the season so we will keep working hard!"

<pre> UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Marco Melandri ITA Movistar Honda MotoGP 1'33.70 2. Carlos Checa SPA Ducati Marlboro Team 1'33.78 3. VALENTINO ROSSI ITA Gauloises Yamaha Team 1'33.97 4. Sete Gibernau SPA Movistar Honda MotoGP 1'34.07 5. COLIN EDWARDS USA Gauloises Yamaha Team 1'34.10 6. Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha Team 1'34.35 7. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1'34.54 8. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team 1'34.58 9. Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda 1'34.68 10. Shinya Nakano JPN Kawasaki Racing Team 1'34.78 11. Olivier Jacque FRA Kawasaki Racing Team 1'34.88 12. John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki MotoGP 1'35.01 13. Kenny Roberts USA Team Suzuki MotoGP 1'35.32 14. Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha Team 1'35.39

-gyt-

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