Rossi tops MotoGP testing at dry Jerez

The second day of the final pre-season MotoGP test was again played out in difficult weather conditions today with riders having to splash through a water-filled morning before being able to enjoy some dry track time later in the afternoon.

Valentino Rossi was finally given the conditions that allowed him to show his pleasure at being back on the YZR-M1. In the afternoon’s dry spell and on a European circuit he knows well, the nine time Champion rose quickly to the top of the timesheets, staying there until the close of the day and reminding everyone that the special relationship between ‘the Doctor’ and the M1 has not lost its magic.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo, yesterday’s fastest rider in the wet, was just 0.015 seconds behind Rossi as today’s session ended, the reigning World Champion continuing to stay on the pace at the sharp end of the time scores.

Tech3 Satellite rider Cal Crutchlow was next in the standings, making a Yamaha 1,2,3.

1.   Valentino Rossi (ITA)    Yamaha Factory Racing    1’39.525
2.    Jorge Lorenzo (SPA)    Yamaha Factory Racing    1’39.540
3.    Cal Crutchlow (GBR)    Monster Yamaha Tech3    1’39.574
4.    Dani Pedrosa (SPA)    Repsol Honda Team    1’39.630
5.    Andrea Dovizioso (ITA)    Ducati Team    1’40.322
6.    Alvaro Bautista (SPA)    Go&Fun Honda Gresini    1’40.686
7.    Marc Marquez (SPA)    Repsol Honda Team    1’40.714
8.    Stefan Bradl (GER)    LCR Honda MotoGP    1’40.783
9.    Andrea Iannone (ITA)    Pramac Racing Team    1’41.088
10.    Nicky Hayden (USA)    Ducati Team    1’41.325
11.    Hector Barbera (SPA)    Avintia Blusens    1’41.376
12.    Bradley Smith (GBR)    Monster Yamaha Tech3    1’41.398
13.    Aleix Espargaro (SPA)    Power Electronics Aspar    1’41.444
14.    Danilo Petrucci (ITA)    Came Iodaracing Project    1’41.529
15.    Michele Pirro (ITA)    Ducati Test Team    1’41.603
16.    Randy De Puniet (FRA)    Power Electronics Aspar    1’41.686
17.    Claudio Corti (ITA)    NGM Mobile Forward Racing    1’41.701
18.    Ben Spies (USA)    Pramac Racing Team    1’41.702
19.    Karel Abraham (CZE)    Cardion AB Motoracing    1’41.916
20.    Yonny Hernandez (COL)    Paul Bird Motorsport    1’42.050
21.    Bryan Staring (AUS)    Go&Fun Honda Gresini    1’42.107    
22.    Colin Edwards (USA)    NGM Mobile Forward Racing    1’42.154
23.    Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN)    Avintia Blusens    1’43.959
24.    Michael Laverty (GBR)    Paul Bird Motorsport    1’44.185
25.    Lukas Pesek (CZE)    Came IodaRacing Project    1’44.874