British rider Cal Crutchlow wasted no time in getting back up to speed to clock the third fastest time on the opening day and he was one of the outstanding performers for the duration of the test.

Making only his second appearance on Yamaha’s 1000cc machine, Crutchlow worked through a range of set-up options to improve his speed and confidence with the all-new YZR-M1. He walked away unhurt from a small front-end crash at Turn 13 on the final morning and he eventually finished with a quickest time of 2.01.108.

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team continues its pre-season testing campaign back at the Sepang International Circuit for another three-day test, which commences on February 28.

Cal Crutchlow – 2.01.108:
“I am really pleased with the way things have gone at this test and it has been a really good confidence boost to start 2012. Sepang is a track I just don’t get on with or enjoy riding at but I was third on the first day and fifth on the second day. I’m sure I could have been fifth on the final day too but a couple of things didn’t go my way. I had a crash early on at Turn 13 when I basically ran wide and got on the dirty part of the track. It was my fault and that cost me a fair bit of track time and when I was confident I could go a lot quicker at the end it started raining. The pleasing aspect is my times have been consistent and that bodes well for the future. I’m not as fast as Stoner, Spies, Pedrosa or Lorenzo but for consistency I’m the best of the rest. The new 1000cc YZR-M1 has kept the strong points of the 800 with good corner entry and turning. But we do need to look at improving the bike on corner exit. Being in the top five on the first two days and not far away on the final day is a great start but I’m not going to get carried away. This is only the first test and while testing is really important, it is what happens in Qatar on April 8 that is really important.”

Source: Team Tech3

The new Claiming Rule Teams (CRTs) will compete alongside the regular factory teams in 2012, but are subject to different rules and in bright sunshine in Valencia, it was the Aspar Team that were the first to take advantage with Randy De Puniet setting the pace.

Former Pramac Racing rider, De Puniet got through 38 laps on board the ART bike and clocked an unofficial best time of 1m 35.3s, with fellow Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró clocking a best of 1m 36.7s (47 laps) and team mate Mattia Pasini recording 1m 37.8s (30 laps).

The Moto3 riders timings were led by Luis Salom, who recorded an unofficial best time from 32 laps of 1m 43.2s, ahead of Alberto Moncayo, with Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Sandro Cortese equal third and Danny Kent in sixth.

The third member of the Red Bull KTM Ajo team, Arthur Sissis, the Red Bull Rookies Cup runner up, returned a time of 1m 45.9s in his 45 laps.

MotoGP & Moto3 Valencia test – unnofficial lap times

MotoGP (CRT)
1.- Randy De Puniet, ART 1.35.3 (38 laps)
2.- Aleix Espargaró, ART 1’36.7 (47 laps)
3.- Mattia Pasini, ART 1’37.8 (30 laps)

Moto3
1.- Luis Salom, 1’43.2 (32 laps)
2.- Alberto Moncayo, 1’43.3 (52 laps)
3.- Héctor Faubel, 1’43.7 (62 laps)
3.- Sandro Cortese, 1’43.7 (48 laps)
5.- Nikklas Ajo, 1’43.9 (50 laps)
6.- Danny Kent, 1’44.6 (45 laps)
7.- Zulfahmi Khairuddin, 1’45.4 (44 laps)
8.- Arthur Sissis, 1’45.9 (45 laps)
9.- Brad Binder, 1’47.2 (25 laps)

Source: Red Bull

Scott recorded the third fastest lap time on the opening day, which was also the first time the 18-year-old Briton had tested the Kalex Moto2 machine. With track conditions deteriorating on the second and third day of the test, Redding switched his focus to refining a wet set-up on the bike and addressing some minor clutch issues.

Scott will be attending the Motorcycle Live show at the Birmingham NEC on Saturday 19th and Monday 21st November, before heading to Jerez with Marc VDS teammate Kallio to complete three final days of testing before the test ban comes into force on 1st December.

Scott Redding #45: 1’36.2
“I’m really happy with the Kalex bike. We changed very little during this test, basically I rode the bike as it was supplied, yet it felt good and the lap times on the first day came fairly easy. The bike is physically bigger, so I can get tucked in easier, and it turns in really well, which is a problem we’ve had in previous seasons. It’s already competitive, but I know we can improve things further once we really get to work on the set-up. Although the weather here has been a bit hit and miss, overall the three days have been extremely positive for us. Now it’s off to the NEC for Motorcycle Live, before heading back out to Spain for the final test of 2011 at Jerez.

Marc van der Straten: President, Marc VDS Racing Team
“The team as a whole has worked extremely well during the 2011 season but, unfortunately, this wasn’t reflected in the results. Scott and Mika are both capable of winning races in Moto2, but it seems there was something missing from the equation this season. While Scott and Mika will both stay with the team next year, we have made some significant changes in the Marc VDS pit box for 2012. The biggest of these being a switch to Kalex machinery, which we believe is better suited to both our riders. Equally important is the level of support we receive from Kalex, as this is critical in such a closely contested championship as Moto2. After an extremely successful first test with the Kalex Moto2 bikes here in Valencia, I am confident that we have made the right decisions with both our rider line up and our choice of machinery. Already I am looking forward to a much stronger championship challenge in 2012.”

Source: Marc VDS Racing

Taking advantage of gloriously sunny conditions during the two-day test, the 26-year-old completed 142 laps and was able to give Yamaha engineering staff a wealth of information and data.

The British rider set a best lap time of 1.33.652 on the opening day as he quickly got to grips with the new bike and the 2012 spec Bridgestone tyres. Crutchlow made a significant step today and as he got more comfortable with the new generation YZR-M1, he was able to lap 1.1s faster to finish fourth on the final timesheets with a best lap of 1.32.550.

Crutchlow and Dovizioso will continue their preparations for the 2012 World Championship campaign at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on January 31.

Cal Crutchlow 1.32.550 – 142 laps:
“This was a very important test to get used to the new 1000cc YZR-M1 and thankfully the weather was in our favour and we could get in a lot of laps to understand the early potential of the bike. The 1000 seems to suit my style a little better and I have to say that Yamaha has done a very good job and we are already working from a strong base. The bike feels quite similar to the 800 YZR-M1 but Yamaha has managed to keep the strong points of this year’s bike. You can immediately feel the extra horsepower, which is impressive, but I’m happy because I could keep a very consistent pace. I’m looking forward to the winter break now. I learned a lot in my first season in MotoGP that will help me be much stronger in 2012. I’d like to thank all my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew for their efforts this year. They’ve given me their maximum support and I am grateful for that.”

Source: Team Tech3

The test was conducted mostly with the new-era 1000cc machines including five Claiming Rule Team (CRT) bikes from BQR Inmotec, BQR FTR, TeamLaglisse and the Grellini Team. Every rider’s tyre allocation comprised only the 2012 tyres, marking the first full usage of the 2012 tyres that Bridgestone have been developing for one year.

The new family of tyres has been developed with the objectives of achieving easier riding characteristics by improving warm-up performance and with a wider temperature operating range, and rider feedback is positive.

This is an important test not only from a tyre perspective but because it is the first time that next year’s rider changes take effect and the 1000cc bikes have been on track at the same time.

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear (asymmetric): Medium, Hard

Tohru Ubukata – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“This test was the first opportunity for us to give all the riders our finalised 2012 specification tyres so it was very important for us. Every rider used our 2012 spec tyres for both days of testing on the new era of 1000cc machines, including five of the new CRT bikes.

“The tyres we supplied are those that will be used for next season, but this test was the first official one for the 1000c bikes so this is the first stage in learning these new machines so we are not resting on our laurels. We will keep learning their characteristics with each test and continue our tyre development into and through next season.

“We started developing this new family of tyres from the post-Valencia test at this time last year and used every test opportunity during this season to continue with our development programme, and I am confident what we have will be a marked step forward in addressing the specific concerns from this year.

“Specifically, our objectives from these new tyres are to make their grip characteristics easier to manage, to improve warm-up performance and to increase their temperature operating range. From the data we have collected from the last two days, I am satisfied that we have met these objectives and rider feedback has been positive so I am confident for tyre performance next year. I’m also happy with the positive feedback even from CRT teams about our new tyre and its warm-up performance.

“I’d like to thank all the teams and riders for their support these last two days and for the significant role they have all played in developing these tyres this year, for the time they dedicated on track and for their feedback and comments.”

Source: Bridgestone Motorsport

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Hard, Extra Hard. Rear (asymmetric): Soft, Medium
Wet compounds available: Front: Soft. Rear: Soft

Tohru Ubukata – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department

The Czech GP was the first race for the new tyre regulations – how well did they work and how much difference did they make?
“From an allocation point of view, the new regulations worked just fine. They mean that we need to bring more tyres to each Grand Prix, simply because we are offering riders a greater choice, but the system of allocating them is largely unchanged. Once we have prepared the various compound options, it is the FIM’s Technical Director who actually determines which riders get which tyres, as by doing it this way round we can ensure complete impartiality.

“Instead of each rider receiving six front slick tyres on the Thursday of each Grand Prix, he now receives five but can choose an additional four after the second free practice, making a total of nine. Rear slick tyre allocation has also changed because riders now receive eight rear tyres on Thursday and can choose two more after FP2, allowing them more of the compound they prefer. These changes mean a little more work from our side, but this weekend the process worked without problem.

“The conditions this weekend in Brno were relatively warm though so there was no problem with warm-up performance, so consequently only Jorge, Alvaro and John used the third soft spec of front tyre on Friday morning. For this reason the regulation changes didn’t make such an impact this weekend, but crucially what riders now know is that we have a third soft spec of front slick tyre for emergency use in very cold conditions, such as those seen most recently in Germany and Assen. The rear tyre changes worked well too because clearly the softer rear tyre was preferred this weekend and the rule change meant that every rider chose six of this softer option, giving them sufficient pieces to use in every session and still have a new one remaining for the race. Overall, team and rider feedback of the changes is very positive, and I think it will only get more so when we do have another very cold session in which the third front slick option is necessary and really beneficial in terms of safety and warm-up performance.”

What did Bridgestone test during the one-day test following the GP?
“We made best use of the opportunity of another official test day and continued with our development of next year’s tyres, designed for the new 1000cc engine regulations. We offered one new front slick and two new rears to every rider, using a new construction and new compounds. The target for next year’s tyres is to offer improved warm-up performance and make their characteristics easier to ride. At this stage we are still doing fundamental study work to pinpoint the best development direction for our new family of tyres, and today we were able to collect a lot of very valuable data and information so for us it was an important test. I’d like to thank the riders and teams for taking the time in their own busy testing schedules to test our tyres, especially as it was an important 1000cc test too.”

Source: Bridgestone Motorsport

With eight hours of track time available and conditions for most of the day bright and warm, Crutchlow dedicated his efforts on improving the set-up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team YZR-M1 machine. The prime focus was improving Crutchlow’s front-end confidence after the 25-year-old has recently experienced a difficult period in his rookie campaign.

Without the time constraints of a Grand Prix weekend, Crutchlow also concentrated on further adapting his riding style to suit the 800cc YZR-M1 machine. He was able to focus on improving his braking technique, and the British rider was satisfied with his progress after completing 74 laps before heavy rain started to fall with 30 minutes of the session remaining. His best time of 1.57.591 was over 0.2s faster than his qualifying time.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is now preparing for another trip across the Atlantic Ocean for the Indianapolis round on August 28, which comes hot on the heels of last month’s Laguna Seca race in California.

Cal Crutchlow – Position 8th – Time 1.57.591 – Laps 74
“This morning we didn’t change the bike and I just went out and did some laps and I was doing low 58s on old tyres, so that makes me feel even more disappointed with the crash in the race yesterday because that pace would have put me on for a good result. The front-end could still be better but we’ve definitely been working in the right direction and we’re trying to figure out how we can make more improvements. But this process isn’t just about working on making the bike better. I know I’ve got to improve myself and adapt my style more and I’ve worked on that a lot today. At the moment some laps I’m braking much better and how I should be and others I go back to my normal style, but that is all part of the learning process and why this test has been so valuable. I still need to release the brake earlier to help me carry more corner speed, so I’ll be working on improving more in that area in the future. My crew have worked really hard today after a long weekend, so credit to them for that. It was a good day and I can take some confidence to Indianapolis now.”

Source: Yamaha Racing

With seven hours of track time available and conditions ideal with no sign of forecast rain emerging, Crutchlow and Edwards dedicated the majority of the day on improving the set-up they used during Sunday’s 28-lap race.

Changing handlebar position and modifying the wheelbase of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine helped Crutchlow produce the performance of the test, the British rider shaving almost two seconds off his best time set when he finished in eighth position in the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old took full advantage of the revised set-up to log a best time of 1.36.850, which secured him a fantastic fourth place on the final timesheets. Only Marco Simoncelli, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner were able to lap faster than Crutchlow, who completed 71-laps.

Crutchlow and Edwards were also able to give Bridgestone vital feedback and information on two new specification rear tyres designed for the new 1000cc MotoGP class in 2012. Both declared themselves impressed with the improved feedback and edge grip and both set their fastest times of the test on the 2012 tyres.

Cal Crutchlow 4th 1.36.850 – 71 laps
“Today was really positive and I can’t really ask for much more than finishing fourth quickest with only three of the fastest riders in the world in front of me. I was able to lap nearly two seconds faster than I did in the race but I was quietly confident that the changes we planned to make for today would mean I could go a lot faster. Losing so much track time because of the weather at the weekend meant I couldn’t risk taking a gamble on making too many changes for the race. I honestly didn’t expect to break into the 36s but I felt comfortable and even with 25-laps on the same set of tyres I was doing low to mid-37s. I know everyone goes faster in a test but my time today was faster than Dani Pedrosa’s best lap in the race and he won, so my pace bodes well for the future. We moved the handlebars and lengthened the wheelbase and I just felt much more comfortable. The bike was a lot easier to ride and much less aggressive and I was fast throughout the whole day. If I’d had this set-up for the race I’m sure I could have had a battle with Colin, and he was sixth, so that’s really encouraging. I can’t wait for Le Mans now. It is the home race for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and today’s result has given me a lot of confidence that I can be competitive again on another track I have to learn from scratch.”

Source: Team Tech3

Cal Crutchlow 1.57.730 – 79 laps:
“The test certainly didn’t end how I wanted and it is a real shame because we had made some changes to the balance of the bike that really helped my confidence with the front-end tonight. But I made a silly little mistake at Turn 10. I lost the rear and closed the throttle but then lost the front and I couldn’t get my left hand out from underneath the handlebar. I’ve basically taken the tip off my left little finger and it is really sore now. I don’t need surgery but it is obviously going to be uncomfortable this weekend for the race now. It is a shame because I was only 0.5s away from the top ten last night. I adapted to riding under the floodlights really quickly once I realised the shadows weren’t somebody trying to overtake me! I was confident of taking another step tonight and I’m sure I could have done without the crash. It cost me nearly three hours of track time, which I can’t really afford to lose at this stage, but I’m still looking forward to my MotoGP debut. It will be an honour to line-up against this field on Sunday night and as always I’ll be giving it my best.”

Source: Team Tech3

There were no fast times to be had in the difficult conditions but quickest again, as he was in the dry on Saturday, was Australian Arthur Sissis. The 15 year old was ahead of South African 15 year old Brad Binder and 13 year old Spaniard Aaron Espana, the fastest of the newcomers.

This is his 3rd Rookies Cup season but Sissis certainly doesn’t think of himself as a road race veteran. “I’ve learnt a lot these three days, especially about riding in the wet. I’ve only ridden a few wet races and now I think I know a lot more but I am still finding out more every time I go out. It is hard to know just how fast I can go into the corners in the wet, plus it is changing all the time so it’s not easy.”

Espana has done most of his racing near his home in Vidreres, Girona, Spain so had a great deal to get used to. “It was a good test, I haven’t had much experience in the rain and I had never been to Estoril before so I learnt a lot. I love the bike, it is fast and easy to ride and I had a lot of fun on the track. Only the chicane I found very difficult. I knew that the level of the Rookies Cup is very high and I didn’t expect to be running near the front so after being 8th fastest in the dry I am happy with the way things went. I am really looking forward to Jerez and even though I have never ridden there I will be trying for a top 10 result.”

Another of the quick newcomers was Willi Albert, the 13 year old German who was 8th fastest for the damp day. “I have learnt so much in these three days, it has been a lot of fun. Before coming here I had just ridden Metrakit bikes, mostly an 80cc with just 20hp, then I did a few tests and a race on a PreGP 125 but this is a real GP 125, very different. I love it so much, what a great bike. Now we have experience in all the conditions from wet to dry so I can’t wait for the racing to start.”

For some, like 14 year old Englishman James Flitcroft who was 10th fastest, his 2nd Rookies year seems like a fresh start. “I’m 8 or 9kg heavier than I was this time last year and what a difference that makes. I am loving riding the bike now. I am also taller and I’ve been working on my physical training a lot in the off season so I am stronger and can do a lot more with the bike. I am happier with my riding and the bike but we can still improve the set-up. Especially accelerating out of the corners it is moving around more than it should. Of course it is damp and there are slippery patches but I still think we can improve the bike.”

Having as much fun as anyone was Joe Roberts, the 13 year old American newcomer who was 22nd fastest as he learnt to cope with the wet. “I really had no idea what to expect coming here. Ever since the Selection Event I have been wondering what it would be like and I am certainly not disappointed. The bike is great, a lot faster and better handling than the Honda I have at home, I love riding it. I’ve only done one race in the rain so I found it pretty difficult here in the wet and every lap and every corner seemed to be different as it got wetter and dryer through the day. I was always wondering coming into the corner how much grip there would be. Now that I know what to expect I am looking forward to Jerez even more. I have done a lot of laps on my X-Box and I know the bike now so I am looking forward to the race and I want to do good.”

The first 2 races of the 2011 Rookies Cup season are on the Saturday and Sunday of the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on April 2nd and 3rd.

Combined classification, day 3
1. Arthur Sissis (AUS) 2 minutes 00.251 seconds
2. Brad Binder (RSA) 2 minutes 00.368 seconds
3. Aaron Espana (ESP) 2 minutes 00.393 seconds
4. Florian Alt (GER) 2 minutes 00.500 seconds
5. Alan Techer (FRA) 2 minutes 00.598 seconds
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) 2 minutes 00.617 seconds
7. Andrea Migno (ITA) 2 minutes 00.679 seconds
8. Willi Albert (GER) 2 minutes 00.741 seconds
9. Javier Orellana (GBR) 2 minutes 00.814 seconds
10. James Flitcroft (GBR) 2 minutes 01.010 seconds
11. Philipp Oettl (GER) 2 minutes 01.058 seconds
12. Max Enderlein (GER) 2 minutes 01.376 seconds
13. Tomas Vavrous (CZE) 2 minutes 01.475 seconds
14. Lukas Trautmann (AUT) 2 minutes 01.501 seconds
15. Hafiq Azmi (MAS) 2 minutes 01.538 seconds
16. Stefano Valtulini (ITA) 2 minutes 02.000 seconds
17. Xavier Pinsach (ESP) 2 minutes 02.502 seconds
18. Ivo Lopes (POR) 2 minutes 02.597 seconds
19. Deni Cudic (GER) 2 minutes 02.942 seconds
20. Kyle Ryde (GBR) 2 minutes 03.883 seconds
21. Joakim Niemi (FIN) 2 minutes 05.199 seconds
22. Joe Roberts (USA) 2 minutes 06.922 seconds
23. Josep Garcia (ESP) 2 minutes 07.123 seconds
24. Scott Deroue (NED) 2 minutes 07.203 seconds
25. Kevin Argino (ITA) no time

Source: Red Bull Rookies Cup