Dovizioso

REPSOL HONDA TEAM RETURN TO ACTION AT SEPANG

The Repsol Honda Team began the first official test of 2010 today as the MotoGP winter break came to an end at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. With an unchanged rider line-up of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa and Italian Andrea Dovizioso, the factory Honda squad once again rolled up the garage shutters and got back out on track in preparation for the coming season.
Although HRC’s engineers and test riders have continued development of the new 2010 RC212V during the winter testing ban, today was the first time that Pedrosa and Dovizioso had turned a wheel on the 800cc V4 Honda since 11 November last year. The 2010 machine features the new chassis and swingarm which debuted at the post-race test in Valencia, combined with an engine designed to comply with the new rules limiting engine numbers this year, and the latest evolution electronics. Both riders spent the time today reacclimatising to riding MotoGP machinery after a two-month layoff, and performed shakedown tests of the latest enhancements and machine updates completed by HRC over the winter period.
Dovizioso completed 51 laps today and declared himself satisfied with the shakedown performance of his RC212V and encouraged by the potential shown by his machine. On a day when outright lap times were not the priority, the 23-year-old finished in 6th place with a best time of 2m 02.630s.
The Repsol Honda riders will return to the track tomorrow to wrap up this two-day test, before returning to Sepang at the end of February for further pre-season testing.
Andrea Dovizioso - Best lap 2m 02.630s 52 laps
“This is a very important test and it’s good to be back on the bike after such a long winter break. This was a positive first day and I’m happy with the updated machine that Honda has brought here. We have a lot of work to do before we’re ready and many things that need to be tested, so today’s lap times are not indicative of our potential. The work that Honda has done on the electronics has made a big improvement, and also the feeling from the chassis is better. We’re concentrating on improving a pace that we can maintain throughout the race, and that’s what we’ll continue with tomorrow. There’s plenty still to test but this first session has been important to confirm we’re heading in the right direction.”

OFFICIAL TIMES:
V. Rossi  Fiat Yamaha  2:01.411
C. Stoner  Marlboro Ducati  2:01.902
C. Edwards  Yamaha Tech3  2:01.932
L. Capirossi  Rizla Suzuki  2:02.102
J. Lorenzo  Fiat Yamaha  2:02.165
A. Dovizioso  Repsol Honda Team  2:02.630
N. Hayden  Marlboro Ducati  2:02.792
D. Pedrosa  Repsol Honda Team 2:02.866
M. Kallio  Pramac Ducati  2:02.987
H. Barbera  Aspar MotoGP 2:03.030
A. Espargaro  Pramac Ducati  2:03.133
B. Spies  Yamaha Tech3  2:03.142
R. De Puniet  LRC Honda  2:03.456
A. Bautista  Rizla Suzuki  2.03.558
M. Simoncelli  San Carlo Honda  2:03.563
M. Melandri  San Carlo Honda  2:03.609
H. Aoyama  Interwetten Honda  2:03.651