Italian Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi set the final fastest lap to top the timesheets at the end of the first day of testing at Sepang, and while he was at it he also broke Stoner’s exsisting lap record with a best lap time of 2.
01.
869, two tenths faster that the previous record.
Suzuki present with a new engine, chassis and carbon fibre fairing had a good day also with Chris Vermeulen coming in fourth, though a second slower than teammate Capirossi.
Casey Stoner was second fastest even if he stopped and hour and half before the end of the day with some pain and strength problems in his left wrist following his scaphoid bone graft surgery in November.
Valentino Rossi was third, three tenths slower than Stoner.
Rossi suffered a fall earlier in the day, and completed only 31 laps due to pain from stitches in his foot and hand incurred before leaving for Sepang.
Toni Elias was the fastest Honda rider on the satellite San Carlo Gresini, ahead of HRC rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Dani Pedrosa was eighth fastest 1.
5 seconds behind Capirossi, just behind the leading Tech 3 Yamaha of Colin Edwards on the new M1.
Sete Gibernau with the Onde 2000 Ducati was fastest of the other Ducatis, 1.
75 seconds behind Casey Stoner and faster that Marlboro Ducati Nicky Hayden, who finished 11th.
James Toseland clocked 14th after missing most of the day after a massive 125mph highside, in front of him Alex de Angelis and Mika Kallio, while Randy de Puniet was 15th, Yuki Takahashi 17th and Niccolo Canepa with his Pramac Ducati last behind Yamaha test rider Yoshikawa.
Testing continues on Friday and Saturday.
Final test times:1.
Capirossi (Suzuki) 2.
01.
8692.
Stoner (Ducati) 2.
02.
0383.
Rossi (Yamaha) 2.
02.
3244.
Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2.
02.
8035.
Elias (Honda) 2.
02.
8866.
Dovizioso (Honda) 2.
03.
0887.
Edwards (Yamaha) 2.
03.
2548.
Pedrosa (Honda) 2.
03.
3129.
Gibernau (Ducati) 2.
03.
75010.
Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2.
03.
89411.
Hayden (Ducati) 2.
04.
00212.
De Angelis (Honda) 2.
04.
39613.
Kallio (Ducati) 2.
04.
40514.
Toseland (Yamaha) 2.
04.
50215.
De Puniet (Honda) 2.
04.
88216.
Fujiwara (Yamaha) 2.
05.
02417.
Takahashi (Honda) 2.
05.
09818.
Yoshikawa (Yamaha) 2.
05.
14019.
Canepa (Ducati) 2.
05.
270Video footage from Sepang:
