Riders and teams ready for three day test
08 November 2009, By MotoGP.com
The traditional post-season test at Valencia starts on Monday and will see a number of riders taking their first steps with new teams.
A total of 17 MotoGP riders are expected to roll out of their pit-boxes for testing at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit as of 1pm on Monday, with two full days of testing to follow on Tuesday and Wednesday - as the teams start their fine tuning for the 2010 season.
The traditional post-season test will see all the premier class big guns in attendance, including Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner.
The sessions will also provide a number of upcoming riders from the 250cc class with their first official run-outs with their new MotoGP teams, including new World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama (Paddock GP team, as yet name not finalised), 2008 250cc title winner Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) and Héctor Barberá (Aspar Ducati).
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team missed the equivalent test last year but they will be out in force on Monday as they officially welcome newcomer Ben Spies on board alongside his fellow Texan Colin Edwards – after the pair enjoyed a successful day on Sunday in the MotoGP race with wildcard Spies helping Edwards clinch fifth place in the ’09 standings.
Marco Melandri will be back on the San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V after two years away, whilst Aleix Espargaró will continue his MotoGP development with Pramac Racing after his successful series of guest appearances for the satellite Ducati outfit towards the end of this season.
Several Moto2 machines will also share the track with the MotoGP prototypes, as preparations continue for the introduction of the new category to the World Championship next year.
Moto2 test rides will be undertaken by Ratthapark Wilairot, Héctor Faubel and Scott Redding (all Stop and Go – FTR), Shogo Moriwaki (Gresini Moto2 Team – Moriwaki), Axel Pons (Pons Racing Pepe World – Pons Kalex), Joan Olivé (Promoracing – Promo-Harris) and Kenny Noyes (also Promoracing – Promo-Harris).
