Hopkins exited the pit box aboard his normal lime green liveried Ninja ZX-RR, while Melandri opted for the stealth approach for his debut aboard Kawasaki's 800cc, inline four-cylinder MotoGP racer. The Italian's two machines were decked out in bare carbon fibre bodywork, with only two small screen stickers providing any indication about whose hands were on the controls.
With Bridgestone now the sole tyre supplier to MotoGP, Hopkins focussed on adapting his bike set-up to get the most from the new front tyre supplied by the Japanese tyre manufacturer. Happy with the changes, the Kawasaki pilot then moved on to comparison testing different engine specifications using both of his Ninja ZX-RR machines.
Hopkins declared himself happy with the progress made during today's test, at the end of which he was ninth fastest overall.
Melandri's focus today was on familiarising himself with both a new bike and a new crew. The 26-year-old former world champion was quick to adapt to the characteristics of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR, as he worked with the team's engineers to refine both the ergonomics and the set-up of his two machines.
The Italian's adaptability was highlighted at the end of the day, as he finished the test tenth fastest on the timesheet and just two-hundredths of a second behind his new teammate. Unsurprisingly, Melandri declared himself satisfied with his first experience of Kawasaki's MotoGP machine.
Both Kawasaki riders will complete one final day of testing at Valencia tomorrow, before almost a month away from the track. Testing will resume for the Kawasaki Racing Team in Phillip Island at the end of November, concluding just prior to the winter testing ban.
| #21 - 74 Laps - 1'33.760 |
"The front tyre we were allocated this morning feels identical to the one that Valentino and Casey have been using all year, but we've not been able to run on our bike before. Today we've had the chance to make some changes to the overall set-up of the bike, and it looks like we've made some real progress. I've now got a much better feeling from the front than I've had for some time, and that's given me back the confidence to push harder in the corners. We've also run back-to-back tests using both bikes on two different engine specifications, and that's allowed us to make a direct comparison and identify a clear direction for development. It's also been interesting to start work with my new crew chief, Naoya Kaneko, as he has a very structured approach to the rider debrief and I think this will make a difference when we're pushed for time during race weekends. Overall, it's been a pretty productive day and I'm really happy with the improvements we've made to the bike; it's completely different now and I felt more comfortable on it today than I have all season. If we get more dry weather tomorrow then I hope we can continue to make improvements to the bike."
|