The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider ended Thursday at the Sepang Test with the fastest time of the entire three days. Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo were second and third fastest respectively, with Valentino Rossi tenth.
The first on-track MotoGP action of the year completed at Sepang on Thursday, and in an exciting opening chapter of the pre-season period it was Marco Simoncelli who topped the third and final day’s timesheet in Malaysia. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider posted a 2’00.757 on his second of 42 laps, an effort that registered the best time of the entire Test and which was just 0.239s off Valentino Rossi’s 2009 circuit best lap.
The Ducati rider has also been one of the main focuses of concentration throughout these three days, and he ended Thursday tenth in the timings with a lap of 2’01.842 – 1.085s off his fellow compatriot’s scorching marker.
Casey Stoner has been in fine form throughout this Test and the new Repsol Honda employ was one of four riders to join Simoncelli under the 2’01” mark on the final day. The Australian’s effort of 2’00.811 was noted on his 38th of 42 laps, thus ongoing his pattern of setting his best time late in the day and showing no lingering effects of a fall at Turn 5 earlier on.
World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was just 0.088s off Simoncelli as he placed his factory M1 as the highest Yamaha of the day. The Spaniard, who performed a tyre test in the afternoon, was exactly 0.1s faster than Andrea Dovizioso, whose Repsol Honda machine was the third RC212V inside the top four by the close of play..
