Valentino Rossi completed a mainly positive first day of testing in Malaysia today as the first of four pre-season tests began for the Fiat Yamaha Team. Rossi's second test on Bridgestone tyres was interrupted when he crashed entering turn two on his twentieth lap of the day, but the Italian was unhurt and completed 44 laps and some important development work

© Fiat Yamaha Team. After being officially welcomed into the Yamaha fold at the Team's presentation in Turin last week, Jorge Lorenzo was out on track in Fiat Yamaha Team colours for the first time today in Sepang. The three-day Malaysian test is the first of four pre-season tests before the Spanish rookie makes his MotoGP debut in March.

 

© Repsol Media Service. Bad luck for Dani Pedrosa who has to return to Spain after a big crash in Sepang. Setting the second best time of the day behind Randy De Puniet, the Spaniard slid off at Turn 11, injuring his right hand. Team-mate Nicky Hayden completed a total of 85 laps, riding more laps than anyone else on track.

© Fiat Yamaha Team. Reigning 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, who will ride for the Fiat Yamaha Team in 2008, got his first taste of the YZR-M1 today as he tested with Yamaha for the first time in Valencia this afternoon.

© Roger Hayden.com Roger Lee Hayden, brother of current MotoGP world champion Nicky, will ride a factory Ninja ZX-RR at the Red Bull US Grand Prix later this month, as a wildcard rider.

© Repsol Media Service. The early promise of the weekend remained unfulfilled for the Repsol Honda Team at Donington Park on Sunday as the British Grand Prix was affected by rain.

© Fiat Yamaha Team. Valentino Rossi rounded off the first day of the Grand Prix of Catalunya in positive fashion today, setting the second fastest time of the day on his penultimate lap as temperatures climbed into the thirties at Montmelo.

© Fiat Yamaha Team. Black clouds gathered ominously over the Le Mans MotoGP grid and a few spots of rain just before 2pm meant the race was declared wet.

© FonsiNieto.com. After the withdrawal of his teammate, Olivier Jacque, due to an injury sustained in Shanghai two weeks ago, Randy de Puniet will be joined this weekend by Kawasaki World Superbike rider, Fonsi Nieto, for the forthcoming Alice Grand Prix of France race at Le Mans.

© Kawasaki Racing Team. Olivier Jacque will not race in his home Grand Prix at Le Mans, after complications with the arm injury sustained in a free practice crash ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix forced the Kawasaki pilot to withdraw from the event.

© Repsol Media Service. Dani Pedrosa took his RC212V to fourth place in Sunday's Grand Prix of China, a result which maintains his third position in the World Championship.

© Ducati Corse. Series leader Casey Stoner won his third Grand Prix victory of the year at Shanghai today, extending his World Championship lead to 15 points after four of 18 races.

© Fiat Yamaha Team. A weekend of close racing beckons at the Grand Prix of China as the first day of practice finished with the top fourteen MotoGP riders separated by less than a second in Shanghai today.

© Fiat Yamaha Team. Valentino Rossi will start from second position for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez after an exciting and extremely close qualifying battle today, while his team-mate Colin Edwards will be just behind him in fourth having lost out on third position in the dying moments of the session.

© Repsol Media Service. Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa came within 0.

© Repsol Media Service. Huge crowds are expected at the Spanish circuit for the first European race of the season and the factory Honda riders will arrive with confidence following last month's successful test at the Andalusian track.

© FIAT Yamaha Team. "It's great to have my first pole of the season at the very first race and it's extra special for me because it's pole number 46 of my career!" says Valentino Rossi.

© Repsol Media Service. Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden will start tomorrow's season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar from the second and third rows after today's qualifying session at the Losail circuit.