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.

Up to eight riders run in 1'32", close times for this first test of the WSBK 2008 season in Phillip Island. Yukio Kagayama set the fastest time of all three days as Aussie Troy Bayliss fell at the bottom of MG broking his collarbone. Two times World SBK Champion will be fit for the start of the season in Qatar.

© 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.

© Honda Pro Images. The Honda HRC 11 of Ryuichi Kiyonari and James Toseland took the plaudits in Friday's qualifying sessions for the ‘Coca Cola Zero' Suzuka 8 Hours.

© 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.

© FGsport. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda) has already won an SBK this season and he forced his name to the top of another results sheet at Vallelunga, after scoring the fastest time in the official tests.

© Yamaha Racing. Yamaha Motor Europe has agreed to release Anthony West, at his request, from riding the R6 in the remaining races of the 2007 Supersport World Championship.

© 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.

© Kawasaki Racing Team. On the morning of Monday 4th of June, Team Manager of Kawasaki Racing Europe Jan de Groot passed away because of a serious illness which had hospitalized him for more than a week.

© Ducati Corse. The Silverstone race weekend kicked off in dry conditions but by the time the first qualifying session had started lunchtime rains had left a wet track for all 21 riders to contend with.

© HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. It is only apt that the former airfield circuit of Silverstone will have its weekend on-track action publicised by an aerobatic display at nearby Sywell Aerodrome on the Thursday proceeding race weekend proper.

© 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.

© Suzuki Racing. Noriyuki Haga brought a perfect homecoming present to Italy for his Monza-based team after scoring the Superpole win, a new lap record and - most importantly of all - the first ever double win this year.

© Yamaha Racing. From third last away in the Superpole competition Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) sent the sun-kissed Monza crowd wild after demolishing not just the previous track record but by also taking SBK racing into new Monza territory with a 1'44.

© HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. It took series leader James Toseland less than a day to beat the previous circuit best at the classically designed Monza circuit, setting a 1'45"953 lap on race tyres.