“I was smiling,” said Ryde. “Because I knew I’d done a good lap on Tuesday but really the most important thing was that we’ve got the bike set up. We made more progress here in three days than we did in the whole of last year. It’s hard to explain why, I guess its’s just that I’ve got the confidence now to try different things,” explained the British 125 Champion.

Alt was similarly happy with things after also setting his best time on Tuesday. “The wind was a small problem today,” admitted Alt on Thursday. “It didn’t trouble me too much. The grip was better today than earlier in the week but then the tyres started to fade, we had done too many kilometres on them. For the final session we had new tyres front and rear so we were all determined to set a good time but it was just a bit too much wind.”

The most notable of those that did set their best time on the windier final day was Hanika. “I’ve really enjoyed the testing here. The KTM is better than bikes I have ridden before and I was very pleased that I could get on with it so quickly, I felt comfortable and we got good settings, it all went very well. There are a lot of fast riders here though and I know it is going to be a very tough season.”

Malaysian 15 year old Hafiq Azmi was 4th fastest. “I wasn’t happy because I had a crash but otherwise things went well, we have a good bike set up and I like the track, the chicane particularly is a lot of fun.”

Local hero Ivo Lopes shrugged off a grazed eye, sustained when a stone bounced into his helmet to set the 6th fastest time behind American 14 year old Joe Roberts and looks forward to the first round in Jerez full of confidence. “I am having a great time on the bike and I really think I can finish in the top 3 there at least, I’m really aiming to win.”

For the newcomers the three days was very much about learning to ride the KTM as well as the circuit. It didn’t seem to present much of a problem to Bradley Ray, the 14 year old Briton who was fast from early on and 9th at the end. “I’m really enjoying it, I love the bike and the track. I find the KTM quick to turn and it handles well but I don’t think it will be too difficult to swap back to the Honda I have at home for Brands this weekend. Estoril is a lot of fun, I love the fast right hand kink behind the pits.”

Some of the more experienced men were not finding it quite so easy including Philipp Oettl. The 15 year old German was 4th in last year’s Cup and came to Estoril fresh from victory in the opening round of the Spanish Moto3 Championship. Swapping from 4-stroke to 2-stroke proved tricky and he ended up 14th fastest. “It isn’t easy and I can’t say exactly what the problem is. I’ve done so much riding in the last 6 days (his father says over 1000km) that I can’t really sort out where the problem is. That is what I have to work on, understanding the differences and how to adapt.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri, the reigning Rookies Cup champion was 11th, also having swapped from Moto3 to RC125. The 15 year old Italian was not stressed about it. “It isn’t easy to swap, the 125 seems harder to ride, more critical, if you make a mistake on the throttle or anything you are in trouble and you lose time. The 4-stroke seems more forgiving. I am not so worried, I know I have to work that out and I think we have a good setting for the bike. This year is not going to be easy for sure.”

The only girl in the Cup, Yui Watanabe, the 15 year old Japanese, found no trouble with the bike and was very happy to be so quickly focussed on what she needed to do. “I can so quickly see where I need to improve, I am not getting into the corners on the right line and especially in the slow corners that is causing me a lot of problems. So far my strong point is getting on the throttle so I know what I have to work on.”

The first two races of the season are over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Jerez, April 28th and 29th with the Portuguese GP in Estoril following immediately on May 5th and 6th.

Combined classification, days 2 and 3 (day 1 not timed)
1. Kyle Ryde (GBR) 1 minute 51.877 seconds
2. Florian Alt (GER) 1 minute 51.949 seconds
3. Karel Hanika (CZE) 1 minute 52.026 seconds
4. Hafiq Azmi (MAS) 1 minute 52.300 seconds
5. Joe Roberts (USA) 1 minute 52.373 seconds
6. Ivo Lopes (POR) 1 minute 52.422 seconds
7. Diego Perez (ESP) 1 minute 52.460 seconds
8. Wili Albert (GER) 1 minute 52.486 seconds
9. Bradley Ray (GBR) 1 minute 52.660 seconds
10. Aaron Espana (ESP) 1 minute 52.699 seconds
11. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) 1 minute 52.848 seconds
12. Marcos Ramirez (ESP) 1 minute 52.932 seconds
13. Scott Deroue (NED) 1 minute 53.372 seconds
14. Jordan Weaving (RSA) 1 minute 53.460 seconds
15. Livio Loi (BEL) 1 minute 53.461 seconds
16. Nicolo Castellini (ITA) 1 minute 53.527 seconds
17. Philipp Oettl (GER) 1 minute 53.583 seconds
18. Lukas Trautmann (AUT) 1 minute 53.594 seconds
19. Yui Watanabe (JAP) 1 minute 53.705 seconds
20. Simon Danilo (FRA) 1 minute 53.867 seconds
21. Stefano Manzi (ITA) 1 minute 54.076 seconds
22. Tarran Mackenzie (GBR) 1 minute 54.223 seconds
23. Filippo Scalbi (ITA) 1 minute 54.756 seconds
24. Jorge Martin(ESP) 1 minute 54.960 seconds

Jerez was the first time all twenty-one riders campaigning the upcoming MotoGP season shared the same circuit , but it made little difference to the reigning champion as his time of 1:38.780 ensured he was the fastest man at each of the IRTA pre-season tests. Stoner’s late burst of speed saw him depose Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo into second place, though the 2010 champion’s best time of 1:38.953 showed the potency of the 2012 M1 and the promise of some exciting duels throughout the upcoming season.

The factory Honda and Yamaha teams locked out the top four positions in the standings with Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa third quickest ahead of Ben Spies, while Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow continued his excellent pre-season form to finish the final day fifth ahead of Ducati’s Valentino Rossi.

Following data analysis from the second Sepang test, Bridgestone developed a new specification front tyre for Jerez and evaluation of this new front tyre took place alongside continued testing of the 2012 specification front tyre. The data and rider feedback acquired from the experimental front tyre will now be analysed at Bridgestone’s Technical Centre in Japan in support of its ongoing development programme.

As the sun sets on pre-season testing for another year, Bridgestone now shifts its focus to the first race of 2012 which will take place under lights at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit from April 5-8.

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft & Medium
Weather: Fri: Dry, Sat: Wet/Dry, Sun: Dry. Ambient 17-23°C; Track 17-40°C (Bridgestone measurement)

Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“I am very pleased to have completed our pre-season development programme and we leave Spain having achieved all our technical objectives. At the Sepang tests we met our target of delivering improved warm-up performance, enhanced rider feel and a wide operating temperature range in hot conditions, and at Jerez we wanted to achieve the same performance criteria in cooler conditions. In this regard, the outcome was very positive with riders giving excellent feedback on how the 2012 specification tyres performed in the cooler temperatures and so we approach the season full of optimism.

“As part of our fundamental tyre development programme, we also brought an experimental front tyre for all riders to test at Jerez and we gathered valuable data on this new development. On behalf of Bridgestone I would like to thank all the teams and riders for their efforts in helping us achieve our goals and I look forward to what I am sure will be an exciting season for MotoGP.”

Source: Bridgestone Motorsport

British rider Crutchlow once again excelled with and he set the fifth quickest time after completing an in credible 83-laps.

After yesterday’s schedule was disrupted by rain and strong winds, Crutchlow was able to assess updated Yamaha electronics and two new Bridgestone front tyres in much more favourable conditions today, and he was able to clock a fastest time of 1.39.613.

The former World Supersport Champion was again the leading non-factory rider and encouragingly his fast and consistent pace was less than 0.1s behind Ben Spies in the Yamaha Factory Racing Team.

The next time for Crutchlow and Dovizoso on track will be on April 5 when they commence practice for the opening round of the new 1000cc era under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

Crutchlow and Dovizioso head to Doha full of confidence and boosted by the outstanding performance of Yamaha’s new YZR-M1 machine in pre-season testing. The competitive level of the 1000cc bike was confirmed again this weekend, with four Yamaha machine’s inside the top seven places.

Cal Crutchlow 5th 1.39.585 – 83 laps:
“I’m really happy to finish this test in the top five with a very fast pace because we worked through a lot. Today I only used three sets of tyres in 83 laps, yet I was fast and consistent all day, so it shows we are getting good endurance from the soft and the hard options. The different electronic set-up also helped in acceleration, so it was a very positive and productive day after the rain washed out yesterday. The good thing is we know the bike works very well on a completely different track. The tests in Sepang were crucial but we needed to come to a completely different circuit like Jerez to understand if the bike has a goo d base level for a tighter and shorter track. Yamaha has done a great job because the YZR-M1 works very well. Finishing behind Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Spies is obviously good for my confidence and now I’m looking forward to going to Qatar and racing. I feel ready and much better prepared than last year.”

Source: Team Tech3

Rain and gusting winds dominated the majority of the second day of the final pre-season test, but the adverse conditions didn’t stop Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Crutchlow and Dovizioso from putting in vital laps on the wet weather settings of their YZR-M1 machines.

Crutchlow, who was fifth fastest in breezy but dry conditions yesterday, was impressively fast and competitive too in the rain and his best lap of 1.51.127 had put him in fifth position.

Crutchlow’s performance was particularly impressive considering he had never previously ridden the YZR-M1 1000cc machine in wet conditions. He slipped down the rankings to 14th after several riders posted quick times on slick tyres in the final 30 minutes when the track had almost completely dried.

Cal Crutchlow 5th 1.51.127 – 15 laps:
“I’ve never ridden the 1000 in the rain so it was important to get a few laps under my belt today. I only did 16-laps though because it is pointless taking too many risks with the first race so close. The surface wasn’t actually completely wet when I was out because this track dries so quickly but the first impression of the bike in the wet is really positive. With the extra power it is challenging to ride but I don’t think more difficult than the 800. Our chassis is quite similar to the 800, so it felt similar but the 1000 bike is definitely a handful. It is a handful to ride in the dry, so it is the same in the wet but I enjoyed it. The big positive today is I only used one set of rain tyres and I think some of the others used three. I think if I had put in a new tyre I could have been fastest in the rain. Hopefully the weather is much better tomorrow because I’ve got a few things to try. I was fast yesterday without trying the new Bridgestone front tyres, so I think there is some time to be gained with those.”

Source: Team Tech3

Crutchlow continued his outstanding winter testing form to set the fifth fastest time on Yamaha’s impressive new YZR-M1 1000cc machine. Evaluating different set-up options to improve stability on acceleration, the British rider’s best time of 1.40.130 ensured he was the quickest non-factory team rider and he was less than 0.2s behind factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies.

Having made only one previous visit to the Jerez track in his career, Crutchlow completed a marathon stint of 74-laps to build-up his experience of the circuit. He also managed to gather vital information on Bridgestone’s hard compound rear tyre option, improving his feeling and confidence throughout to continue the momentum gained in two morale-boosting test sessions at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Cal Crutchlow 5th 1.40.130 – 74 laps:
“Today was a positive start to the test and important for me to carry on the momentum we gained in Sepang. I did a lot of laps but I have to do that because this is only my second time at this track and I need to gain some experience so I am in the best shape possible when we return for the race next month. We have made really good progress with the set-up of the bike today and it is good that we have come to a completely different style track compared to Sepang and the bike is working well. We are always looking to improve and the bike is still a bit of a handful to manage exiting the corner, but a real positiv e is that I did my best time today on the hard rear tyre. Last year on the 800 I could never really use the hard tyre, so I’m pleased about that because today I only did five laps on the soft tyre. Another big plus is my consistency. We talked about improving that over the winter and I’ve definitely improved in doing more constant times, so it has been a really productive start to the test.”

Source: Team Tech3

Photo: Ben Davies / www.smartfotos.co.uk

Kent and Cortese of the Red Bull KTM Ajo team are riding the new KTM Moto3 machine and remained in the top five on all three days of testing. On Monday Kent was third fastest and Cortese was fourth, on Tuesday Cortese was second fastest and Kent was placed third and on Wednesday Kent moved up to second and Cortese was fourth. Also performing well on all three days riding the KTM Moto3 bike was Malaysian rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin of the AirAsia-SIC-Ajo team who was fifth fastest on Day One and Day Three as teams continued to experiment with settings and equipment ahead of the start of the main season.

Sandro Cortese of Germany said on Tuesday that he was concentrating on getting a good feeling for the new KTM bike. “I am quite happy and we are improving day by day. The KTM is working well and we have no big problems but the bike is still new and there are still things to sort out. I feel we can still improve a lot with the electronics and the engine but we will be ready to fight in Doha.” His factory teammate Danny Kent of Britain agreed. “We are changing a few things and still trying different parts but that’s what tests are for.”

Pit Beirer, KTM’s Head of Motorsports was in Jerez for the tests and said the results had been promising and the riders and the KTM Moto3 bike had performed well. “These were good tests for us,” he said. “We can say that over the three days we didn’t have even one technical issue so we are quietly confident that we will be able to fight for a good position in the first GP. The competition is tough but we expected that but all the riders are fit and in good shape.”

There will be a total of nine riders on KTM-powered bikes on the grid for the opening Moto3 GP. It also heralds KTM’s return to the main MotoGP competition since the phasing out of the 250 and 125 cc classes. The Austrian manufacture however never really left the MotoGP paddock having retained a presence with the Red Bull Rookies Cup competition that grooms young riders on KTM machines for a future career in top racing.

Day Three Test Results
1. Maverick VIÑALES (E), Avintia Racing Moto3, 1:46.838 min
2. Danny KENT (GB), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 1:47.262
3. Romano FENATI (I), Team Italia FMI, 1:47.408
4. Sandro CORTESE (D), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 1:47.437
5. Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN (MA), AirAsia-SIC-Ajo, 1:47.491

Source: KTM

Both riders escaped injury but Rea’s machine was destroyed and it brought his test to an early conclusion. Over three days at the Spanish circuit the English rider has worked tirelessly on his suspension package and general set-up without making a significant step forward although the team will now base their work around his feedback as they look to provide him with a more competitive machine in Qatar.

Gino Rea (25th – 1’ 43” 636) “It goes without saying that we are behind at the moment and the gap to the top guys is too big. Unfortunately we have struggled to find the right set-up or even the right path towards it so we have work to do. We have done a lot with the Showa suspension but we still need to do a lot more. The collision with Marquez compromised the end of the test because the bike needed completely rebuilding.”

Fausto Gresini “We can’t really be happy with this test. The crash involving Marquez brought it to an early conclusion but it’s difficult to say if we’d have improved. Gino Rea can definitely hope to be competing closer to the front on the Moriwaki so we have to work from the rider’s feedback now and try to be ready for the start of the championship in Qatar. We will work together with Showa and try to recover lost ground.”

Source: Gresini Racing

Photo: Ben Davies / www.smartfotos.co.uk

Redding struggled with illness initially, but as his condition improved so did his lap times. The 19-year-old British rider eventually finished the test seventh fastest, but felt he would have gone quicker if he hadn’t experienced problems with the official race engine, which was fitted in his Kalex Moto2 machine ahead of day two.

Both Marc VDS riders now head to the opening race of the season in Qatar quietly confident, after a preseason test schedule in which they’ve featured regularly at the top end of the timesheet.

The Grand Prix of Qatar, the first of 17 Moto2 races on the 2012 calendar, takes place over the weekend of 7th and 8th April.

Scott Redding #45: 7th – 1’42.638
“It’s been a difficult three days if I’m honest. I was feeling ill ahead of the test and, although I started feeling better on the first day, my head wasn’t completely in it. The second day was better, but we had a recurring problem with the bike jumping out of gear when I was backshifting for the corners and it wasn’t really until the afternoon that I felt properly comfortable on the bike. Unfortunately, this coincided with the arrival of the wind, which had me and Marc Marquez off late on in the session. Today we had the same problem with the engine but, thankfully, it will be changed for the first race. Overall our test schedule has been really positive, but now I just can’t wait to start racing.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager
“Scott struggled a little with illness and an engine problem during these three days at Jerez, but he proved during the previous tests this year that he has the pace to run at the front, so he will head to Qatar with his confidence intact. After such a long break I think we’re all looking forward to the first race, where I hope we’ll make a strong start to the season.”

Source: MarcVDS Racing

Photo: Ben Davies / www.smartfotos.co.uk

A high-speed crash on the final afternoon at Turn 12 didn’t dent Smith’s confidence that he will be a consistent top six contender this season. He was consistently lapping inside the top 10 during the test and the 21-year-old’s fastest time of 1.42.978 secured him 14th place on the overall timesheets. Highlighting just how closely contested the Moto2 class is shaping up to be again in 2012, Smith’s pace was less than 0.5s from the top six.

Today’s test completed a fruitful winter testing schedule for Smith and Simeon, and both now will travel to the first race in Qatar early next month full of confidence for the start of the third ultra-competitive Moto2 World Championship.

Bradley Smith 14th – 1.42.978:
“It has been a very positive test, despite the crash at the end at Turn 12. It was a very fast crash and I’m just thankful I’ve got away with just a few bumps and bruises and I will be 100% fit and ready to go in Qatar. I was pushing hard on new tyres and just lost the front, but we have learned a lot about the Mistral 610 this week, which makes me optimistic for the season. We have some work to do when you look at the lap times of the guys at the front, but I’m convinced we have a competitive package. I can lap comfortably and consistently inside the 1.43 bracket but when I push for 42 it is not easy. But I am still really happy with the performance of the Mist ral 610. We have improved the overall balance of the bike, particularly with stability on the brakes and corner entry. The Tech 3 Racing Team have been working unbelievably hard throughout the winter and at every test we have improved the bike. I’m a lot more confident on this new bike we have tried here, so I am looking forward to going to Qatar and starting the season with a strong result.”

Source: Team Tech3

Things weren’t going quite as good for fellow Brit Danny Webb who finished the test down in 22nd position with a gap of almost three seconds on Vinales.

The first race of the season goes underway in Qatar in the first week of April, the races taking place on April 8th.

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Lead. Gap
1 Maverick VIÑALES Avintia Racing Moto3 1:46.838 -
2 Danny KENT Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:47.262 +0.424
3 Romano FENATI Team Italia FMI 1:47.408 +0.570
4 Sandro CORTESE Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:47.437 +0.599
5 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN AirAsia-SIC-Ajo 1:47.491 +0.653
6 Niccolo ANTONELLI San Carlo Gresini Moto3 1:47.759 +0.921
7 Alberto MONCAYO Bankia Aspar Team 1:48.045 +1.207
8 Miguel OLIVEIRA Estrella Galicia 0´0 1:48.245 +1.407
9 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0´0 1:48.350 +1.512
10 Louis ROSSI Racing Team Germany 1:48.369 +1.531
11 Hector FAUBEL Bankia Aspar Team 1:48.483 +1.645
12 Luis SALOM RW Racing GP 1:48.488 +1.650
13 Alexis MASBOU Caretta Technology 1:48.556 +1.718
14 Arthur SISSIS Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:48.675 +1.837
15 Jakub KORNFEIL Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta 1:48.937 +2.099
16 Efren VAZQUEZ JHK Laglisse 1:49.139 +2.301
17 Alan TECHER Technomag-CIP-TSR 1:49.155 +2.317
18 Brad BINDER RW Racing GP 1:49.317 +2.479
19 Adrian MARTIN JHK Laglisse 1:49.397 +2.559
20 Jack MILLER Caretta Technology 1:49.546 +2.708
21 Alessandro TONUCCI Team Italia FMI 1:49.553 +2.715
22 Danny WEBB Mahindra Racing 1:49.739 +2.901
23 Marcel SCHROTTER Mahindra Racing 1:49.751 +2.913
24 Toni FINSTERBUSCH Cresto Guide MZ Racing 1:50.119 +3.281
25 Kenta FUJII Technomag-CIP-TSR 1:50.268 +3.430
26 Ivan MORENO Andalucia JHK Laglisse 1:50.285 +3.447
27 Isaac VIÑALES Ongetta-Centro Seta 1:50.425 +3.587
28 Jasper IWEMA Moto FGR 1:50.878 +4.040
29 Jonas FOLGER IodaRacing Project 1:51.401 +4.563
30 Simone GROTZKYJ Ambrogio Next Racing 1:52.320 +5.482
31 Luigi MORCIANO Ioda Team Italia 1:52.344 +5.506