カタール合同テスト・カワサキ「ハヤテ・レーシング」チーム
Kawasaki 2009 Ninja ZX-RR Hayate Racing (画像提供:motogp.com)
カワサキ「ハヤテ・レーシング」
マルコ・メランドリの1台体制でようやく始動したカワサキ。
新チーム名「ハヤテ・レーシング」としてカタール合同テストに参加
した。同テスト前に、新チームとして新シーズンに１台体制で参戦する
ことを発表。ハヤテ・レーシング・チームとして、開幕戦の舞台に登場。
3日間で最多の171ラップを周回。
昨季までカワサキ・レーシング・チームを指揮した依田一郎が、再び
チームディレクターとしてチームを統率。
テレメトリーだったアンドレア・ドソリがチームマネージャーに就任した。
Kawasaki 2009 Ninja ZX-RR Hayate Racing (画像提供:motogp.com)
最終日のセッション終了間際の最終ラップにはベストタイムを記録。
4番手のバーミューレンから1.6秒落ちだった。
「Okayの3日間だった。リアのグリップとトラクションに関しては、
とても遠い。正真正銘のポテンシャルを見つけるために、本当に改善
しなければいけないしビックチェンジをしなければいけない」と、
メランドリはプロトタイプマシン感想を述べた。
「現状では100％ではないから我々のライバルたちと比較して僕たち
が実際にどのポジションに位置するのか確認するために、たくさん
働かなければいけない。」ともコメント。
金沢市のSEO対策とホームページ制作会社 IN-A-TRANZ ウェブデザイン事務所のホームページです。
https://in-a-tranz.net/
Kawasaki 2009 Ninja ZX-RR Hayate Racing (画像提供:motogp.com)
【Qatar test】
Former world champion Casey Stoner continued his incredible record at the Losail International Circuit tonight as he ended the night test in Qatar nearly one second clear of his rivals.
Stoner, who has won the last two MotoGP races at the Middle East venue was in stunning form again tonight, the Aussie logging a best time of 1.55.744 in his 31-lap stint.
Not even a crash just after 10pm at the second corner could stop Stoner’s charge as he was the only rider to break under the 1.56 barrier.
Despite track conditions being far from perfect with the Losail Circuit again hit by cold temperatures, Stoner was only 0.6s slower than his best race lap set in 2008 when he created history by winning the first MotoGP race to be run at night under floodlights.
Using a new carbon fibre swingarm for the first time to help cure a stability problem with the factory Ducati GP9 under acceleration, Stoner ended the test 0.989s clear of closest rival Jorge Lorenzo.
Lorenzo did 82 laps tonight but he was the only rider to lap within a second of the impressive 2007 world champion.
Fiat Yamaha rival and reigning world champion Valentino Rossi was a massive 1.228s slower than Stoner in third place as he struggled to find a setting on his YZR-M1 to suit the cool track temperatures.
While Stoner was in a class of his own, there was also some heartening news for new team-mate Nicky Hayden.
The American made a big breakthrough in his quest to adapt to the GP9 as he clocked the fifth best time with a lap of 1.57.225.
It was still 1.481s off Stoner’s blistering pace, but the 2006 world champion was only 0.001s off Chris Vermeulen’s best time in fourth place.
Suzuki’s factory GSV-R had another good showing tonight with Loris Capirossi managing to claim sixth place.
It was an expensive night for the Italian though after he crashed twice in quick succession, writing one V4 bike off and nearly destroying another.
He first crashed at Turn Six at 8.20pm when he lost the front at 100mph. And he crashed again as track temperature plummeted to below 15 degrees at 11pm.
There were gloomy faces all round at Honda too as the best RC212V was down in seventh places. Frenchman Randy de Puniet was the quickest on the LCR Honda with a best time of 1.57.401 in his 77 laps.
James Toseland was plagued by a vague feeling from the front end of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 as he finished 15th quickest.
The British rider clocked a best time of 1.58.786 but he was still 3.042s away from Stoner, though he did go some way to restoring some of his battered confidence after a 125mph high-side during last month’s Sepang test in Malaysia.
Marco Melandri was behind Toseland in 16th as he posted a best time of 1.58.851 on the Hayate machine, which is just a re-branded factory Kawasaki ZX-RR.
The Italian will now sit down with Hayate management this week to decide whether he wants to continue racing in 2009, or whether he doesn’t have enough confidence that the bike will be competitive enough when the season starts in Qatar on April 12.
【Kawasaki returns to MotoGP】
Kawasaki will have a presence in the 2009 MotoGP Championship with a one-rider team featuring Marco Melandri.
The Japanese manufacturer announced its withdrawal from MotoGP racing on Jan. 9 due to the global financial crisis. Series promoter Dorna Sports was seeking to keep the team and the Kawasaki ZX-RR in the MotoGP paddock.
Kawasaki was under contract to enter its prototype motorcycle in the series until 2011 and Dorna chief Carmelo Ezpeleta at one point asked the manufacturer to race 2009 or face legal action.
After lengthy discussions between Kawasaki, Dorna and other third parties, Kawasaki agreed to supply a motorcycle for Melandri for the new Hayate Racing Team. Melandri was quick to return to action as the first rider on the track March 1 for the official MotoGP night test for the opening round race at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.
Marco Melandri will ride a Kawasaki ZX-RR in the 2009 MotoGP Championship for the Hayate Racing Team..
Marco Melandri will ride a Kawasaki ZX-RR in the 2009 MotoGP Championship for the Hayate Racing Team..
Melandri led all riders in the tests with 35 laps in a rain-shortened session and recorded the second-fastest time.
“I need so much more time. I did only a few laps and the times were pretty slow because of the dirty track,” Melandri told MotoGP.com following the test. “The bike is also completely different to the ’08 that I used in November; I need a few more hours to understand it but the first impression was quite good.”
Named for the Japanese word for ‘hurricane’, the Hayate Racing Team will be managed by Andrea Dosoli, a former electronic fuel injection technician for the Kawasaki Racing Team. Jasja Bos has been named team coordinator.
Kawasaki’s announcement made no mention of rider John Hopkins who, like Melandri, was under contract with the factory team. Former Kawasaki Racing Team chief Michael Bartholemy also does not appear to be involved with the new team.
- / - / posted by Josh
