MotoGP: 2009 Jerez Test Results

The Ducati Marlboro rider set his top time of 1:38.646 during the BMW M Award showdown on Sunday to win a special edition BMW 135i.

I really don't know where that fast lap came from, especially at this track where Ive never even been on the podium before, says Stoner. Its been something of a bogey track for myself and the Ducati. The last two races here were difficult, but we definitely found something yesterday afternoon and that made us feeling more confident about Jerez.

Stoner topped the time sheets in all three pre-season tests, in Sepang, Malaysia, Doha, Qatar and now in Jerez, and appears to be close to full health following off-season wrist surgery.

Stoners top time was 0.719 seconds faster than Fiat Yamahas Valentino Rossi who recorded the second-best time. Rossi was also second-fastest in the Sepang test and third in Qatar, but he says finishing runner-up to Stoner at the final test isnt a concern.

Really I was aiming for second place because I dont think our sponsor Fiat wanted me to win the prize of a different car, says Rossi. Joking apart though, I am happy enough about this test because yesterday and this morning we worked very well, made some good progress and most importantly we were fast.

Rossis teammate, Jorge Lorenzo was fourth fastest and he says he is still struggling with adapting to new spec tire provider Bridgestones qualifying rubber. Lorenzo had an impressive start last year in his rookie MotoGP season taking the pole position in the first three rounds. Lorenzo says it will be harder to repeat the feat in 2009 due to the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tires, as well as changes to qualifying tire rules.

I think that the qualifying this year is going to be quite hard without the special tires, which always suited my riding style quite well. I was quite a specialist with the qualifying tires and now I dont have that advantage, so I have to learn to adapt, says Lorenzo. My riding style is better with the harder Bridgestone tire and so it will be quite difficult for me to be as good in the qualifying sessions this year I think.

While the Ducati and Yamaha teams are expected to continue their recent history of success, the Rizla Suzuki duo of Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen may have shown the greatest improvements during the off-season. Riding the new Suzuki GSV-R, Capirossi set the third fastest time while Vermeulen was fifth on the time sheet. The two riders have been in the top six in all three pre-season tests and look poised to improve upon their 2008 results which saw Vermeulen finish eighth and Capirossi tenth overall.

American riders Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden struggled in the test session, with neither able to break the 1:40 mark. Edwards had the tenth-best time for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 while Ducati Marlboros Hayden was eleventh.

Casey has shown the package is good and to be honest Id hoped to be closer to him by this stage but its time to go racing now so well go out to Qatar, work hard and see what happens, says Hayden.

Meanwhile, Edwards teammate James Toseland suffered a concussion after a serious crash during the BMW showdown. Toseland underwent precautionary scans at a hospital in Cadiz, Spain, but was cleared to return to the paddock later in the day.

The 2009 MotoGP season kicks off April 12 under the lights in Qatar.