Bayliss heads WSB test

Troy Bayliss topped the time sheets on the opening day of the top team Pirelli test at the Losail circuit in Qatar today. Despite previous heavy rain and winds blowing sand on to the track, grip improved as the day progressed with the 2006 WSB champion posting a best lap of 2.00.7 onboard his 999 Ducati, 0.4 seconds off his best race time of 2006.

Troy Corser wasted no time getting to grips with the 2007 Yamaha R1 to set an impressive 2.01.1 lap to go second fastest and state his intentions for next year’s championship. Corser had two of the new R1s at his disposal and spent the day experimenting with new swingarms as he continues to adapt to the Yamaha after two years on the Suzuki. Third place went to a rejuvenated Lorenzo Lanzi who backed up his recent his Ducati team-mate with a 2.01.3 lap.

James Toseland made a solid start to his testing regime to finish joint fourth fastest with Yamaha’s Noriyuki Haga. Their best lap of 2.01.4 was just 0.1 behind Lanzi. Kawasaki’s Fonsi Nieto used a new air box and backed up the promise he showed during 2006 with a 2.01.6 lap.

It wasn’t such strong day from Max Biaggi who finished the opening day in eighth spot, over two seconds behind Bayliss with a 2.02.8 onboard his Alstare Suzuki. Biaggi beat his Japanese team-mate Yukio Kagayama by 0.2 seconds but has got a lot of work to do to if he wants to top the time sheets like he did at the previous test at Valencia in November.

TIMES

1 Troy Bayliss (Ducati) – 2.00.7

2 Troy Corser (Yamaha) – 2.01.1

3 Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) – 2.01.3

=4 James Toseland (Honda) – 2.01.4

     Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) – 2.01.4

6 Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki) – 2.01.6

7 Regis Laconi (Kawasaki) – 2.02.2

8 Max Biaggi (Suzuki) – 2.02.8

9 Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 2.03.00

10 Roberto Rolfo (Honda) 2.03.1

WSS times

Broc Parkes (Yamaha) – 2’05.13

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) – 2’05.5.

Gianluca Nannelli (Ducati) – 2’06.00

Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) – 2’07.3

Pere Riba (Kawasaki) – 2’07.9