Catalunya GP test: Day 2

Max Biaggi continued Honda’s domination of the pre-season IRTA MotoGP test in Catalunya by again taking the fastest lap ahead of four other Hondas.

The top five riders are all on Honda machines and all took a turn at the top of the leader-board throughout the day. Biaggi left it late in the day to set his fastest lap but once he did, no one could shift him.

“The pieces of the puzzle are fitting into place,” said Biaggi. “The final picture is of an RC211V which works at every circuit. We went out onto the track with new parts in the chassis and suspension geometry. I think it is important that we have clear ideas about the job we have to do, but we still have a lot of work ahead.”

The first non-Honda rider was Colin Edwards on a Yamaha while his team-mate, and current world champion, Valentino Rossi could only manage a ninth place finish behind the Suzuki of John Hopkins.

Rossi admitted that his first day at the test was dogged with a lot of problems with the setup of the 2005 M1, and it looks as though they have only worsened on the second day.

Shane Byrne on the Proton KTM machine and James Ellison on the Blata WCM came 22nd and 23rd with only Ellison’s team-mate Franco Battaini and Kawasaki test rider Kazuki Shimizu going slower.

Official times:

Max Biaggi 1:42.260

Alex Barros 1:42.506

Sete Gibernau 1:42.796

Marco Melandri 1:42.926

Nicky Hayden 1:42.953

Colin Edwards 1:43.129

Makoto Tamada 1:43.207

John Hopkins 1:43.250

Valentino Rossi 1:43.291

Kenny Roberts 1:43.563

Shinya Nakano 1:43.688

Loris Capirossi 1:43.731

Troy Bayliss 1:43.810

Carlos Checa 1:43.882

Toni Elias 1:44.343

Shinichi Itoh 1:44.621

Alex Hofmann 1:44.668

Ruben Xaus 1:44.928

Roberto Rolfo 1:46.036

Vittoriano Guareschi 1:46.129

Nobuatsu Aoki 1:46.227

Shane Byrne 1:46.368

James Ellison 1:47.818

Franco Battaini 1:48.13

Kazuki Shimizu 1:51.822