The Official MotoGP Test commenced its second and final day at the Spanish track, with plenty of action and a high-profile signing confirmed for 2012.
Day two of the Official MotoGP Test at Valencia got underway on Wednesday and by 2pm local time there had been a flurry of activity both on and off the track.
Confirmation came during the morning that Álvaro Bautista had signed a contract with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team for 2012, and the Spaniard and his new crew wasted little time getting to work as he rode 32 laps on the RC212V, getting accustomed to the 2011 Honda.
Elsewhere, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner led the way in terms of lap times, the duo both getting down into the 1’31” band. Stoner is testing a new Bridgestone tyre and seeking a solution to the chatter issue he has encountered on the RC213V.
Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies is working on engine geometry and electronics on the 2012 M1 and was within a second of Pedrosa’s top time from the first half of the day, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso both riding the new bike too – the Italian compared the 800cc and more powerful evolution on Tuesday but is today (Wednesday) concentrating solely on the 2012 version.
In the absence of the injured Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi continues to work on the experimental GP12 chassis as he and Test rider Franco Battaini gather further data. Battaini is focusing on electronics.
The CRT bikes of Inmotec (Iván Silva), Team Laglisse (Carmelo Morales) and Gapam (Federico Sandi) are also again on track, with Moto2 rider Yonny Hernández also lapping on an FTR/Kawasaki machine.
You can follow regularly updated live times by clicking here. A full end of day report will also appear on motogp.com shortly after the track closes at 5pm local time.
source: motogp
