Stoner, Pedrosa and Dovizioso leave Sepang happy

Article from http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/Repsol+Honda+review+final+day+Sepang+Test


The Repsol Honda team wrapped up the final day of the opening 2011 Test at Sepang in Malaysia on Thursday with positive sensations all round, following a productive three days for riders Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso.
Ending the final day second fastest on the timesheet with a best lap of 2’00.811 – 0.054s off Marco Simoncelli’s top marker – Stoner was extremely pleased with the outcome of the first on-track action of the year, and was unaffected by a minor fall early on Thursday.
"Today was definitely the best day, despite the crash. In general we made some nice steps forwards, alternating between the different chassis, trying to get a good feeling for them,” said the Australian, who worked on two different 2011 frame options. “We managed to make the bike work a lot better with used tyres and a different traction control system that catches the tyres a little quicker when they start to spin - which assisted with our corner speed.”
“I'm really pleased with what I've found in this test, in fact it's a little better than what I expected,” he added. “I'm happy with the overall package, just to be able to focus with such a good base set-up has been really important for us.”
Dovizioso’s concentration for the third and final day was on the geometry of his RC212V, in a bid to improve front-end feeling. The Italian’s best lap, a 2’00.945, placed him fourth on the timesheet as he worked through a range of aspects.
“This morning we tried a different bike set-up and we improved in the middle of the corner. We worked on some electronics, in particular on the traction control and we found some good solutions. We also tested a different set-up of the clutch, but unfortunately the feedback was not as we expected,” evaluated the Italian. “This morning the track conditions were very good, so I used the soft tyre and I could lap in 2’00”. It was the first time that I set 2’00” on this track so I’m very happy.”
“I’m satisfied about the work done by HRC, myself and the team during these three days of testing. We start from a very good package. All Hondas are very competitive with many strong riders. We are aware that what we have done is not enough and that we need to continue working.”
Pedrosa was also very happy with how the Test went, especially given that his physical condition held up as he tried out his collarbone. The Spaniard was sixth fastest on Thursday with a lap of 2’01.241, whilst his effort from Wednesday remained the second fastest of the Test overall.
“The best news we could have is that recovery of the arm has been effective and cramps have disappeared and the lack of power which had me so worried,” he said. “This afternoon we did a long run of 12 laps and we have done well. As for the work on the bike, I am also satisfied. We tried many things, step by step, and we leave Malaysia with clear ideas regarding suspensions and some more things to confirm about chassis and engine when we come back here.”
“I have concentrated more on the 2010 machine and in the second Test we will have more time to test this year's bike. Öhlins will also bring some new parts that can still improve the package. For me the most important step we have given is in terms of stability on braking, which was one of the things we wanted.”