Latest News

The news has been leaked, announced and reported for the last couple of weeks, but finally today Aprilia announced its partnership with Alitalia, to act as title sponsor for the Noale factory's World Superbike squad. At the bike launch - held rather spectacularly at Rome's Fiumicino airport - Aprilia's new head of Product Development and Strategy, Maurizio Roman, unveiled the Aprilia's new livery, flaunting the Italian tricolor red, green and white as used by the Italian flag carrier. The actual financial details of the deal were not discussed, though as both Alitalia and the Piaggio Group are owned in part by Italian tycoon Roberto Colaninno, it is hard to regard the deal as outside sponsorship of the industry.

The presentation also confirmed the departure of Giampiero Sacchi, Aprilia's director of racing for the past ten or so years. Sacchi's resignation came as part of a reorganization of Aprilia's management, which the Aprilia Racing and Product Development manager Leo Mercanti described to GPOne.com as a "rejuvenation". Aprilia's race engineer Gigi Dall'Igna will take on the main workload of running Aprilia's racing efforts and especially the Superbike team. As Dall'Igna has been a key part of the Noale factory's racing program over the past few years, he was the obvious choice to take on the extra responsibilities left behind by Sacchi's departure.

For a full gallery of images of Aprilia's rather beautiful RSV4R in full Alitalia regalia, head over to the Spanish site DailyMotos.com, who have reasonable-scale images of the bike.

One of  the big questions MotoGP fans have this year is just how well Ben Spies will do in his first full season of MotoGP. The Texan has already impressed Europeans and outperformed the expectations of Americans by winning the World Superbike title at his first attempt, but so far, World Superbike champions have had a rather patchy record of success in MotoGP. Consequently, fans are fishing about for any data they can find from experts and former riders, to help them make their own minds up.

Knowing this, the excellent US-based video website OnTheThrottle.com cornered former 500 GP champion and racing legend Kevin Schwantz at the testing session for the AMA Pro Racing test at Fontana, and asked him for his opinion of Spies' chances in MotoGP. Schwantz was pretty clear in his reply: "I think Ben will win a race in his first season for sure." Watch the full video for why he comes to that conclusion, and to hear what Schwantz has to say about the DMG series, his own plans for 2010 and the Red Bull Rookies.

The news that MotoGP is set to change capacity and formula again for the third time in 10 years has caused as much concern as it has joy. Almost everyone concerned has welcomed the return to 1000cc, not least the riders, and many people also expressed the commonly-held opinion that the switch to 800cc was the worst thing to happen to the class. But many observers also pointed out that the change of formula, though aimed at cutting costs in the long term, meant yet more expenditure in the short term as the factories would be forced to develop a brand new engine once again.

That criticism is shared by the MSMA, the association representing the manufacturers in MotoGP. According to MCN's extremely well-informed MotoGP reporter Matthew Birt, the MSMA is pushing for the 800s to get a reprieve in 2012. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta told Birt that 2012 regulations will allow two separate formulas to run side by side, as in the first year of the MotoGP four strokes in 2002. Having invested so heavily in their 800cc machines, the factories could continue to run the smaller capacity bikes against the 1000cc bikes, with the liter bikes restricted to a maximum bore of 81mm and four cylinders, as announced in Geneva at the end of last year.

Meetings of the Grand Prix Commission - MotoGP's rule-making body - were due to take place at Sepang this week to iron out the technical details of the new 1000cc MotoGP regulations for 2012. But according to MCN, those meetings also discussed allowing the 800s to remain, and a set of technical regulations aimed at achieving some kind of parity between the bore-limited 1000s and the unlimited 800s. Fuel allowances and weight limits were the main levellers, according to MCN.

With much of the paddock currently en route back to Europe, Japan, the US or Australia, more news on this development will be slow to come. But once the parties involved have returned home and are back in the office, updates are likely to come thick and fast.

Honda is caught between a rock and a hard place. Like all of the other manufacturers, Honda has been hit hard by the recession, and is looking to cut costs wherever it can. However, the factory is also desperate for another World Championship, having had only one since Valentino Rossi left the factory in 2004 after winning nine out of the previous ten. The factory has to find a way to win another MotoGP title without breaking the bank.

The way they have selected to marry those two very different objectives is simple yet efficient. As of this season, all of the teams, whether satellite or factory, will be given the same bike. The only difference between the two machines will be the electronics, which control the performance of the bike to a significant degree.

The move marks a huge change in direction for Honda. In previous years, HRC supplied two different specifications of machine: A factory spec RC212V provided to the factory Repsol Honda team and a few selected satellite riders; And a satellite spec for the other satellite teams. The different spec of these machines could be significantly different, with different chassis, engines, fairings and exhaust systems. Even the factory spec machines were not identical, the Repsol bikes always at least a few iterations ahead of the bikes supplied to satellite rider.

By simply supplying the same bikes but with different electronics packages, HRC can cut costs and increase efficiency in both manufacturing and maintenance, while still controlling the performance of the satellite machines through the electronics package. Each rider has an HRC electronics specialist assigned to him anyway, and so this does not change the existing way of working in the first place.

The new system was explained by HRC's team director Kazuhiko Yamano at a press conference given at Sepang. "It's true, the bikes are all the same. The factory teams will keep the factory bikes, which use different electronics. If all goes well, the satellite teams will also receive these later in the season. How soon and who will get them first is hard to say, and will depend on the situation."

Trouble continues to brew in the Aprilia camp. The Italian company's decision to pull out of Moto2 at the end of November last year looks set to have even more serious repercussions, as the authoritative Italian site GPOne.com is reporting rumors that Aprilia's racing boss Giampiero Sacchi could leave his role as head of the factory's racing program altogether. Sacchi's departure would be a body blow to the Noale factory, as Sacchi has been with Aprilia since the 80s and has worked with all of the great stars that the company has produced, from Max Biaggi to Tetsuya Harada, Valentino Rossi to Jorge Lorenzo.

The root of the problem, according to GPOne.com, is the long-standing rivalry between Sacchi and Aprilia's General Director Leo Mercanti. The high-profile CEO of the Piaggio Group Roberto Colaninno is reportedly tired of the bickering between Sacchi and Mercanti, and has been taking steps to sort the situation out.

But Aprilia's racing plans may also motivate Sacchi's rumored departure. Sacchi has been inside the Grand Prix paddock for a very long time, and with the 250s gone, Aprilia out of Moto2 and reducing their investment in 125s and no - public - plans to enter MotoGP, Sacchi would be forced to move to World Superbikes. The veteran racing boss may not have much desire to do so, despite being reunited with his former protege Max Biaggi.

Sacchi was due to be present at the official launch of the Aprilia World Superbike team on February 9th. If he is not present, then the writing will be on the wall.

Looking back at the two days of MotoGP testing at Sepang throws up only a few surprises. The Aliens continue to dominate, as ever, and Colin Edwards is still firmly in place as #5. Behind, the top 5, the picture is a little more interesting. Loris Capirossi's strong outing on Thursday shows that the Suzuki can be fast, but the GSV-R has a long history of being outstanding in testing, yet falling short during the season. Whether it's business-as-usual for Suzuki or a breakthrough will have to wait until the first few rounds have been run.

Ben Spies continues his methodical improvement, but with the Texan complaining of jet lag and telling reporters that he is still very much just learning, he should soon be edging Colin Edwards out of 5th spot and closing on the top 4. Spies is holding station with Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian improving but still looking for more pace.

Key to Dovizioso's effort is the pace of the Honda. HRC have made some major changes to the bike, altering the chassis to improve mass centralization and allow the bike to turn in better, as well as changing the suspension linkage to suit the Ohlins better, and of course add durability to the engine to ensure they last for six whole races. The future of both Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso hinges on HRC getting more performance from this evolution of the RC212V, but there is no doubt that the Japanese giant is committed to achieving these goals.

Spies heads the rookies, but what is more interesting is the story of what is going on behind him. Aleix Espargaro - not really a rookie, having already ridden four races in 2009 - is not far off Spies as the 2nd quickest rookie, while Hector Barbera is the strongest of the genuine newcomers. Hiroshi Aoyama leads last year's 250 title candidates, but the gap between Aoyama, Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista is minimal.

The Yamaha remains the best bike on the grid, all 4 riders in the top 7. But Ducati has shown a marked improvement, with Nicky Hayden heading up four Ducatis from 9th to 13th place. The Hondas are at the bottom of the grid, the four satellite bikes stuck between 12th and 16th with only Marco Melandri ahead of the Ducati of Barbera, while Alvaro Bautista's 17th fastest time puts him at the bottom of the grid.

Overall times from the two day test:

The rain that held off yesterday finally came to Sepang on Friday, disrupting testing during the morning and at the end of the day. The rain in the morning combined with the limit on engines to persuade most of the riders to sit in the garage, or restrict their laps to a minimum. The track started to dry out at lunchtime, and from then, all 17 MotoGP riders, along with a couple of Yamaha test pilots, got to work on their testing program. By the time the rain came around 5pm, it was Valentino Rossi who had set the fastest lap, finishing ahead of Casey Stoner and Rossi's Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Dani Pedrosa completed the top four, the Aliens still clearly a breed apart in the MotoGP paddock.

While both Rossi and Stoner finished in the same positions as yesterday, both Jorge Lorenzo and especially Dani Pedrosa made a huge leap forward. Lorenzo jumped from 5th spot to 3rd, though he did not close the gap to his Fiat Yamaha teammate. Dani Pedrosa, on the other hand, closed the gap by over half a second, while working on the all-new Honda RC212V. Given that the bike has new Ohlins suspension, new electronics, a new chassis and a number of swingarms, there would appear to be plenty of room for improvement once the Repsol Honda team find the right setup for the bike.

After a difficult start on Thursday, Ben Spies was back in the swing of things and in the kind of form he had previously shown at Valencia. The Texan Tech 3 rider finished in 5th spot and under half a second back from Dani Pedrosa. Pedrosa's Repsol Honda teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, came tantalizingly close to matching Spies, but fell just a few thousandths short, while the other Tech 3 Texan Colin Edwards came in a couple tenths behind Dovizioso and a hundredth ahead of Ducati's Nicky Hayden.

While Spies was the fastest of the rookies, Pramac Ducati's Aleix Espargaro was next quickest, four tenths back in 9th. Mapfre Aspar's Hector Barbera was the next rookie, finishing in 12th ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama (14th), Marco Simoncelli (15th) and Alvaro Baustista (16th).

The riders now head back home for a couple of weeks, before returning to Sepang at the end of the month, for the second of the two-day tests here at Sepang.

Times on Friday, courtesy of GPOne.com:

One of the most heavily-attended press conferences at Sepang was the Yamaha affair, at which Yamaha's MotoGP group leader Masahiko Nakajima, Racing MD Lin Jarvis, team bosses Davide Brivio and Wilco Zeelenberg and the two stars of the show, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo faced questions from the assembled press. The subjects covered a lot of ground, from Wilco Zeelenberg's first day on the job, to Yamaha Indonesia's stepping up with sponsorship, to whether post-race burnouts are things of the past. But more pressing subjects were also covered, such as the end to data sharing between Valentino Rossi's and Jorge Lorenzo's sides of the garage, whether Yamaha thinks they can retain both their riders, and the two riders' impressions of the new YZR M1.

All these and more are covered in the transcript of the press conference, which follows below, thanks to our friends over at Superbikeplanet.com: 

Q. To MN: Are you satisfied with the development of the M1?

Masahiko Nakajima: Difficult to say! It's too early to say how the development is but so far, on the first day of the winter test, we have quite good results and we are quite satisfied.

Q. To LJ: This morning you announced new sponsors for the FYT. There is a still a critical situation in the global economy; how is Yamaha's situation and does this situation affect the Tech 3 Racing team?

Lin Jarvis: Yamaha's situation globally at the moment is difficult because, like every global company, they are facing difficulties due to the economic situation. We are struggling, I would say, in the business in Europe and America, but the business in Asia is quite positive for us at the moment so it's not by accident that one of our new sponsors is actually Yamaha Motor Indonesia, and we are carrying their marketing slogan on our bikes this year. The slogan 'Semakin de Depan means 'Always One Step Ahead' so this is showing that this region, the Asian region, is one of the growth areas for motorcycles. So we are positive for our future and we will be putting a lot of effort into the Asian zone, and it is not by accident that we're here today launching the team in Asia. We also have an extension of our Fiat group sponsorship because we're joined by Iveco, so another member of the Fiat group is joining us this year. I think we will be in a good condition to fight for the championship and we will do our best again.

Q. To DB: How is the level of confidence in the team?

Davide Brivio: Today was the first test and of course it's early to say, but we've made a good start. Valentino was in good shape, he did many laps and he was also quite fast since the start and with a good pace. We started to test the 2010 bike and we found some positive things, so it was a good day, so for the moment we're happy. As I say we've just started our job, but we've started well.

Q. To WZ: Can you tell us about your first day in the Fiat Yamaha Team and in your side especially?

Wilco Zeelenberg: Everything went quite smoothly, Jorge is quite happy with the bike except that he trained a lot over the winter with motocross and trials bikes so he had to adapt a little bit to the smaller race bike and that took a bit of time, but at the end of the day he was there. We have some time to improve tomorrow but he felt better and better.

Q. To MN: Do you think that Yamaha has reached the goal that Valentino asked for at the end of last year, to improve the power of the engine within the new engine rules?

Masahiko Nakajima: At this stage it's difficult to say but this year's key subject is durability because we have to maintain almost twice the durability from last year. Last year our engine mileage limitation was 1200 km and so this year we have to maintain more than 2000 km, so our key issue is durability. But we have also developed performance so at this stage I can say that we have improved to 'medium range' from last year. We will still continue to develop in order to satisfy our rider.

Q. To LJ: Do you think that there will be the possibility to maintain both riders in your team, or will Yamaha have to choose the rider for the future.

Lin Jarvis: If you ask me at the end of the year it will probably be easier to answer! Yamaha has the two strongest riders in the world in our team and it would be perfect if we were able to continue like this in the future. I think that the rider negotiations will go on mostly in the first half of the year and the summer time, maybe in the start of the second half things will become clearer. It's not only Yamaha riders' contracts that expire, also Stoner's and Pedrosa's, so this will give a clearer idea of the position.

Q. To LJ: In your opinion is it possible that they can stay together?

Lin Jarvis: In my opinion it is possible. So...we will see!

Q. To LJ: Because of the economic situation, do you think that, in mid-season, Yamaha will have the economic power to retain both riders?

Lin Jarvis: It depends on the cost! Economics is of course a factor for everybody at the moment; all constructors and all teams are facing increasing pressure on their budgets, it's very difficult to project at the moment but let's see how the situation and the business evolves.

Q. I think that the information that's going to be shared between Valentino and Jorge is going to be tightened up a little bit this year...is that true?

Masahiko Nakajima: Yes...so each team will have their own data, and they won't see the other team's data. Only the Yamaha engineers will be able to look at all the data and take it back to both riders.

Q. To WZ: Coming from the Supersport championship, how was your approach to MotoGP today? Did you find anything that surprised you?

Wilco Zeelenberg: There was a lot of noise! We arrived here on Monday and we had to build up the bikes and, when you're in production racing you use production parts and when you come to MotoGP you use factory parts and I have to say that makes a huge difference. I've seen the bike before but it's a racing machine and it's a completely different story to in production racing like superbike or supersport.

Q. To LJ: What is your real expectation about this season and about the four riders?

Lin Jarvis: I think we are very fortunate at the moment that we have the four riders and you could say that, on paper, we have three of the five top riders in the world from last season and then Ben Spies is probably the hottest rookie coming into the package. So it's an enviable situation to have four such talented riders in Yamaha. I think both teams are going to have internal competition. The competition between Valentino and Jorge is well documented, and it's very clear that they're one and two. But also having two Texans in a team is going to be quite hot; one of them is riding at the best of his career in MotoGP, Colin is not the youngest rider out there but he has a lot of fire within and I'm sure he'll be pushing Ben to see who's top dog, then you have Ben coming into MotoGP with nothing to lose and his career ahead of him. It's going to be interesting and I think that with our riders it's not only their riding performance but also their characters; we have four real characters and that's our contribution to the MotoGP world. I think it's going to be exciting.

Q. To DB: Are you going to change anything in your internal working procedures in respect to last year? Do you expect any change within the team?

Davide Brivio: No, we don't expect any changes. The team is very stable, for many years and their working procedure is well organised. Of course there are changes due to working regulations, we only have six engines to manage and this is one of the things that will affect the weekend job. We experienced in 2009 for the first time the tyre limitation, but for the rest there is an ongoing evolution in the way we work. For example now compared to four or five years ago we spend much more time thinking about electronics and discussing in technical meetings about electronics. So there are evolutions in the way we work but the organisation is quite stable and this is one of our strong points. Starting from the rider, the engineers, the mechanics, everybody. We will keep going and hope for the same result.

Q. (To the two team managers) What was your impression from your riders today about their spirit and will to be back on the bike?

Davide Brivio: As far as Valentino is concerned it was a good day, as I said before and we found him fast from the beginning. Already on the second run he started to be very fast and once again, even despite many years together he surprises us with his motivation. He seems in very good shape so in spite of all the years he seems motivated and in good shape as always. (WZ) I agree with Davide. It seems both riders have a bit of a problem to start in the morning! But this morning was quite okay, Valentino started off a bit better because he was directly fast, while Jorge took a bit of time to get into his rhythm, but as I explained before he did a lot of MX and trial riding in the winter and it took a bit of time but they were both really eager to start this morning on their new bikes.

Q. So testing in F1 could be a good preparation for MotoGP riders, if Valentino is already so fast at the start of testing?!

Davide Brivio: Yes! Maybe testing in F1 means he arrives here with the mind already set on track...it's a completely different thing but you still need to talk about setting, tyres and speed so maybe it's true that he arrived here prepared, from a sporting point of view. But it's a completely different job.

Q. To LJ: Please explain why Furusawa-san isn't here, at the first test of the year?

Lin Jarvis: You will see Furusawa-san many, many times this year, he remains the top of engineering within Yamaha, very involved in this, so the fact that he is not here doesn't really mean anything except that he has a very big and important job to do because he's responsible not just for racing, but for all other engineering within the business.

Q. Does the new engine rule mean we won't see any more burnouts after the victory?

Lin Jarvis: I don't expect any...all of our riders are very focused on their results throughout the season, with only six engines you can't afford to make mistakes like that.

Q. To JL: After today, do you think you need more time, or is there something else? What is the situation?

Jorge Lorenzo: I think I need more kilometres because it's been many months without being on the bike, so now we have to improve a little bit and to be patient.

Q. To JL: This year Yamaha accepted your request to be more involved in the development of the bike?

Jorge Lorenzo: Yes this is one new thing that I will have this year. Yamaha will allow me to start saying indications to the engineers and this is a great motivation for me, it is good for Yamaha for the future and good for me.

Q. To JL: And this bike is more useful for you, for your style and your feeling?

Jorge Lorenzo: One of my best gifts is that I am able to easily adapt my riding style to the bike, so for me it's not a problem; the Yamaha is a winning bike and Valentino is a the first rider to develop the bike, I think he is doing a good job and I will try to be as fast as I can be with this bike.

Q. To VR: Tell us something about the new bike and this test.

Valentino Rossi: Yes...I think that now these tests are more important than in the past because now we have just six days to set the bike like we want and get to the maximum. So we will try to work in the best way. I'm very happy about the start, firstly because I did a lot of good lap times and secondly because the first touch with the new bike, exactly the bike we will use in the championship, give me a good feeling. Yamaha make a hard job, especially in two ways. One way is the chassis, we try to improve the stability of the bike compared to the 2009 edition and already in Valencia I feel some more good improvement and also here in Sepang we have confirmed that the new frame is good. But, more than this, because the frame is usually a good point within Yamaha, I was more than a little bit worried about the new engine. Because in Japan they try to make an engine with a good power but a lot more kilometres and the feeling with the engine is a bit different but it is good; we're already fast, I do quite a lot of laps today and the power remain the same. It looks like in Japan they did a lot of good work. Now we need to work more, on the electronic system to be ready for the first race, but the first part is good.

Q. To both: Last year we had a lot of complaints from both of you about data sharing. Now Mr Nakajima has confirmed to us that this year there won't be any. I'd like to know who asked for this from Yamaha first?

Valentino Rossi: Speaking with Yamaha I think Jorge, especially last year and already in 2008, demonstrate great speed and a good attitude to fix and set the bike. Now he is already two years in the team so everyone agrees that it's possible for everyone to make their own way. Also Jorge wants to work more on the development, so I think it's right that everyone does his job alone. But at the end it doesn't change a lot because all the comments between me and Jorge are quite similar, so it's not a big change.

Jorge Lorenzo: I don't have anything to comment about this.

Q. To VR: Now Yamaha has the top three riders and a special rookie. Do you think it will be more difficult to ride in such conditions next season?

Valentino Rossi: I think that after I arrived in Yamaha in 2004 Yamaha understands very well that the rider is so important to make good result. Now the competition in Yamaha is very strong. Jorge and I but also Ben Spies who is very fast and is the world champion of Superbike, and also Colin in great shape. So now it's different to in the past. A lot of times in the past the journalists push a lot on me when another Yamaha arrive in front, but now it's more normal because three of the top five are on Yamaha, I think it's good especially for Yamaha.

Q. To Both: Everyone talks about the 'top four' but there's a few new riders coming in this year. Can you see any of them stepping up to challenge for wins?

Valentino Rossi: Yes. I think that the first four have a bit more speed at the moment, but it's just the beginning. So, we have a lot of new riders with a lot of expectation. Especially Spies, but also Simoncelli. Then there are some others, like Dovizioso, who had some problems in 2009 but want to demonstrate how fast they are, so every weekend there will be others trying to fight with the top four.

Jorge Lorenzo: Yes I think this year will be more level, even more than last year, because with the new rookies like Barbera, Spies, Simoncelli and Aoyama, most are world champions and for sure these riders will make some good races.

Q. To VR: Marco Simoncelli been a good friend of yours, will you be giving him any tips about how to adapt to a MotoGP bike?

Valentino Rossi: No no! when Marco signed for MotoGP, the tips are finished! I think it's normal! I have a good relationship with him, we stay quite a lot together at home, we train in the same gym and together with Motocross bike. I have a good relationship with him and I've seen him growing up to be a world champion, but now he's a rival, like the others.

Q. To both: A few minutes ago Lin said in his opinion for the future it would be possible to have both of you in the same team.

Valentino Rossi: I agree, it's possible. In 2009 it was a great fight especially with Jorge, but the relationship outside the track remained good, so what happens in the future...now it's very early to say, but it's not impossible for us both to remain in Yamaha for 2011.

Jorge Lorenzo: Impossible is nothing, no?

Q. To VR: I've read that you're building a new house...are you planning a family?

Valentino Rossi: No, no (laughing). The question was about the future and what I know now about the future is that I build a new house, not what will happen in the track! Before I lived with my mother so...

Q. To VR: Can you make any comment about the test of Ferrari? After you finished your lap time seemed so fast but Massa was much faster. Can you explain what happened?

Valentino Rossi: Yes, the test in Barcelona was very good, first because I enjoy a lot. It's difficult to compare with Massa because he is very fast, but to arrive at this time in Barcelona with that car, that amount of fuel, those tyres...it's a good lap time. I enjoyed a lot and thank Ferrari for the chance, but I missed the bike and I'm so happy to be back at my real job, starting for 2010. It looks like it will be a tough season. Jorge looks very strong but also Stoner and Pedrosa, it will be a hard, hard fight. Harder than in the past years.

Q. To VR: If you have to leave Yamaha at the end of the year, will we be more likely to see you with the red Ducati or the red Ferrari?

Valentino Rossi: I have decided to not speak anymore about 2011 because everything I say is good in one way and bad in another. I simply don't know what will happen.

Q. To VR: You won six races last year, this year do you think you might not be able to win that many races but still be champion? What will be most important this year?

Valentino Rossi: First of all I think, I hope, for MotoGP that in 2010 it's possible to see more races like Barcelona last year or Laguna in 2009, because in the past it was the most positive thing about MotoGP. But in the last few years, unfortunately, I don't think we have seen enough battles. So everybody hopes that it will come back like four or five years ago, with closer races and more fighting on the last lap. It's impossible to understand about the number of victories because we have minimum four riders able to win more than one race. So, it will be important to arrive always at the end, get points and win when possible.

Q. To VR: You will be 31 soon...

Valentino Rossi: Very soon! But I think if my body stays the same and the motivation stays the same then it will be possible to make two or three more years like this in MotoGP. But anyway it depends on my result because, I am Valentino Rossi, I won a lot of races, a lot of championships and when I understand that I can't do this anymore, I know it's time to stay at home, work in the garden...!

Q. To VR: Ten is an important number, for the championships...

Valentino Rossi: Yes, ten is a good number but we have nine so...it's another championship and every one has it's own story. It's important to work now and be ready in Qatar. Agostini's record...more than a target, it's a dream!

Q. To Both: These races for you are more sport or more art and show?

Valentino Rossi: Sport

Jorge Lorenzo: Motorcycles! A different kind of sport.

Q. To VR: And are burnouts a thing of the past now?

Valentino Rossi: No...difficult now! Valencia!

Masahiko Nakajima (MN) - MotoGP Group Leader and Fiat Yamaha Team Director

Lin Jarvis (LJ) - Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing

Davide Brivio (DB) - Team Manager, Valentino Rossi

Wilco Zeelenberg (WZ) - Team Manager, Jorge Lorenzo

Valentino Rossi (VR)

Jorge Lorenzo (JL)

Launching a MotoGP race bike is a tricky prospect. The aim is for it to be as glamorous as possible, but without being too expensive for journalists to cover. Ducati solve this problem by launching at a giant event done together with Ferrari in the Italian Alps, but Yamaha have decided to make use of the opportunity presented by the first official MotoGP test of the year, out in Sepang. The location was especially appropriate this year, as Yamaha Indonesia has stepped up into a sponsor role, capitalizing on the growing interest in the sport in that part of Asia. According to Google Trends, Indonesia provides the largest number of users searching for the term "motogp", outnumbering Italy by nearly 4 to 1.

A launch in Asia does pose a number of problems, however. Few of MotoGP's fans in its traditional base of Europe make the trip to attend either the test or the launch, but the ever resourceful souls at Yamaha Racing and Fiat On The Web provided a host of photos and videos for fans to follow the event from the comfort of their own computers. The videos include interviews with Lin Jarvis, head of Yamaha Racing, and riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The biggest news at the launch was that data would no longer be shared between the two sides of the garage. This move comes after various accusations back and forth between Lorenzo and Rossi that the other side had been using their settings.

The bike was unveiled at 10am local time, and the riders were back hard at work just minutes later.

The official unveiling:

Interview with Valentino Rossi:

Interview with Jorge Lorenzo:

Interview with Lin Jarvis:

Photos:

Always One Step Ahead. The Indonesian market is crucial to Yamaha, and so Yamaha Indonesia stepped up to sponsor the team.

The rain that threatened to ruin the first day of testing for 2010 luckily decided to stay away, but the session was still disrupted by the weather. Instead of water, it was the oppressive 40°C tropical heat that sapped the strength of the riders, limiting the amount of testing the riders could do. The rain finally came just before 5pm to cool the track from the scorching 50° Centigrade it was at most of the day, though only adding to the humidity.

Valentino Rossi ended the day with the fastest time, a comfortable half a second ahead of Casey Stoner on the Ducati. Stoner had suffered chatter for part of the day, and the hot asphalt made it difficult to judge the difference adjustments to the bike were making. The riders in 3rd and 4th place were a big surprise, Colin Edwards' 3rd spot slightly less so than Loris Capirossi's 4th fastest time. It's clear the Yamaha is good, but even the satellite bikes are so good that on their day, they can match the speed of the factory bikes, Edwards finishing ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and nearly a quarter of a second faster.

Loris Capirossi also edged ahead of Lorenzo, but only by a few hundredths of a second. The Italian veteran was testing a new chassis on the Suzuki GSV-R, which has more flexibility built in offering more edge grip. The chassis had proved successful in the cooler climes of the Estoril test in November, and seems to be working in the tropical Malaysian heat.

Andrea Dovizioso was the fastest of the Hondas 6th spot, a couple of tenths ahead of his team mate Dani Pedrosa. Nicky Hayden was sandwiched between the two Repsol bikes, continuing his slow improvement on the Marlboro Ducati.

The fastest of the rookies was Hector Barbera, continuing his impressive form on the Aspar Ducati. The Spanish rookie's day got off to a rocky start, as the Aspar team arrived at the track to find that thieves had ransacked their garage, taking all of the computers from the pit box, including the server containing all of the data the team has from previous tests. By the end of the day, Barbera was over his difficult start and in 10th position, ahead of Aleix Espargaro and the Texan Ben Spies. Spies had tried to temper expectations of the tests before they started, telling the official MotoGP.com website that he was in no rush to set fast times. Given Spies methodical way of working at Valencia, the improvements are likely to be slow and subtle.

Honda once again brings up the tail of the timesheet, with only Suzuki rookie Alvaro Bautista separating the four satellite RC212Vs of Randy de Puniet, Marcos Simoncelli and Melandri, and Hiroshi Aoyama. The gap between the bottom five is negligible, less than two tenths of a second.

Testing continues tomorrow.

Times, courtesy of GPOne.com: