Valuable day's work for Rossi sets him up for Chinese challenge

After his hard fought third in yesterday’s Portuguese Grand Prix, Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi was back out on track today for a one-day test at Estoril. The team are anxious to take every chance to continue the crucial development process between the Yamaha M1 and the Bridgestone tyres and today’s test was focused on just this. Rossi tested a wide range of new rubber compounds with an eye to the next race in China, at which Bridgestone has a strong record, and the 29-year was very pleased with the day’s results. He tested new front and rear tyres as well as some qualifying tyres, and improved set-up and feeling in all areas. After 90 laps his best time of the day, 1’36.707, put him second behind Dani Pedrosa and he also bettered his fastest lap from yesterday on race tyres. Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino’s team-mate and the impressive winner of yesterday’s Grand Prix, did not test today as he flew to Barcelona to have an operation on his right arm after suffering pain due to Compartmental Syndrome in the last three races. The procedure is a common one amongst MotoGP riders and Lorenzo and his team of specialists decided to go ahead with it today as he will now have nearly three weeks of recovery time before the next race. Together with his surgeon, Dr Xavier Mir, Lorenzo will hold a press conference at 1500 hours tomorrow and further information will be available immediately afterwards. Davide Brivio - Team Manager “Today was all about tyres, set-up and our ongoing task of improving the Yamaha-Bridgestone package. We tried new front and rear race tyres and also some new qualifying tyres, and we found some good solutions to take with us to China. We were able to improve rear grip and durability especially and these are two key areas for us. Valentino worked very hard today and completed 90 laps, and he deserves to be happy with a job well done. Of course we are always working on the general setting and we hope that we’re going to be arriving in China now with an even better bike than we had this weekend. Thank you to everyone for another long weekend of hard work and now there’s some time to relax before we make the trip to China.” Test Times 1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 1'36.455 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'36.707 3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 1'36.791 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 1'36.928 5. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 1'37.145 6. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'37.146 7. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 1'37.330 8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 1'37.617 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'37.725 10. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 1'37.767 11. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'37.781 12. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'37.782 13. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 1'38.023 14. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 1'38.695 15. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 1'39.065 16. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 1'39.223 17. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 1'39.725 Estoril: Lap Record J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1'37.404 Estoril: Best Lap J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1'35.715