Monster Yamaha Tech 3s Andrea Dovizioso was on the pace this morning in the third official in-season MotoGP test at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic, ahead of Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo.
Yamaha Factory Racings Jorge Lorenzo was first out on track with his current 2012 YZR-M1, before switching to his black-liveried 2013 prototype shortly before the lunch break. His fastest time, which placed him third, was set on his current machine. His teammate Ben Spies finished the morning in sixth. Andrea Dovizioso put the hammer down in the final minutes to go top with his time, with the Italian focussing front suspension and engine settings. His teammate Cal Crutchlow was just marginally off Lorenzo.
Repsol Honda Teams Dani Pedrosa, fresh off his win from yesterday, was lapping in just over one tenth slower than Dovizioso. Yet all eyes were focused on Jonathan Rea, the Ten Kate Honda WSBK rider, who is set to substitute for the injured Casey Stoner at the forthcoming races. Rea completed a total of 27 laps, with his time just over five seconds off Dovizioso at the top.
MotoGP Safety Officer and ex-MotoGP rider Loris Capirossi, who had announced he would be testing numerous bikes, was initially out on track with the RC213V of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, before regular rider lvaro Bautista took over at the helm. He set out to work on his Showa suspension, the only prototype Honda to be fitted with them, along with three Showa technicians, to analyse data, and resolve some of the handling issues he has been having. He set the fifth quickest time, with LCR Honda MotoGPs Stefan Bradl behind Spies in seventh.
There was significant movement with the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team, as Colin Edwards tested the ART machine of the Speed Master team, posting a time seven seconds off the top. The Avintia Blusens garage saw Moto2 riders Mike Di Meglio and Julin Simn have their first runs on a MotoGP bike, going out on Ivn Silvas and Yonny Hernandezs bike respectively for the first part of the session. Simn was eighth quickest, just in front of Di Meglio. The Spaniard crashed just before the lunch break in turn 2, yet walked away unscathed.
Capirossi, in addition to his trip on the Honda, also completed laps on Edwards Suter-BMW, as well as San Carlos FTR-Honda alongside Michele Pirro.
