Now it’s time to pack the boxes and send everything to Japan and the circuit of Motegi, venue of the twelfth round of the season on the 18^th September.

With their attention already turning to the upcoming event Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri continued to perfect the set-up of the bikes they used during the race in the Czech Republic. The Spaniard also had the opportunity to test the evolution version of the RC211V that Honda hopes to roll out for a home debut, with development rider Tohru Ukawa completing parallel tests in Japan.

RIDER QUOTES

SETE GIBERNAU (1’58”441, 37 laps): “It’s a shame we haven’t had more time to test the new bike – in the end I only managed four laps with it. That’s why it seems a little early for me to comment on its performance but it is clear that Honda are making a big effort.”

MARCO MELANDRI (1’58”977, 99 laps): “The two days of tests have gone really well for us. We concentrated fully on improving the performance of the bike in race conditions, particularly in the second half, and I’m satisfied with the result. We’ve tried a few different set-up solutions and I felt comfortable”.

 LAP TIMES

1. Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1’57“568
2. Nicky Hayden (Usa/Honda) 1’57“717
3. Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 1’58“441
4. Colin Edwards (Usa/Yamaha) 1’58“584
5. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1’58“654
6. Carlos Checa (Sp/Ducati) 1’58“730
7. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1’58“977
8. Alex Barros (BR/Honda) 1’59“221
9. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1’59“392
10. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1’59“399