Rossi and Hopkins on Top at end of First Round of Sepang Testing
Valentino Rossi and John Hopkins finished on top in the final day of testing in Malaysia on the new 800cc MotoGP machines.
The 5 time world champion Rossi threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the field by producing a smokin' 2'00.93 lap time on his Yamaha M1, while John Hopkins followed closely behind on his Suzuki GSV-R800 with very respectable 2'01.03. Hopkins was fastest the first two days, was clearly on a mission.
With all the riders on their new machines, many decided to test the legs of their new mounts, trying to simulate race-length runs while they familiarize themselves with the new bikes.
Top 10 lap times in Sepang, Malaysia:
1. Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Racing 2'00.936
2. John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki 2'01.026
3. Loris Capirossi – Ducati MotoGP 2'01.274
4. Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda 2'01.664
5. Chris Vermeulen – Rizla Suzuki 2'01.691
6. Randy de Puniet – Kawasaki Racing 2'01.878
7. Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda 2'01.884
8. Colin Edwards – Yamaha Racing 2'02.266
9. Casey Stoner – Ducati MotoGP 2'02.407
10. Marco Melandri – Honda Gresini 2'02.489
From the looks of these lap times, this MotoGP season will not be decided until the last race or two, and should be exciting for all.
Wednesday 24th January