Edwards on record pace

Colin Edwards gave himself a massive pre-season confidence boost in Sepang today when he ended the three-day test session with the fastest time on race and qualifying tyres.

The Texas Tornado was fastest overall at the test with a best of 2.00.248 that he set on a soft Michelin qualifying tyre on the final day.

That impressive time made him the fastest rider ever around the Malaysia circuit, as he beat factory Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi’s best time on a qualifying tyre by 0.5s.

Edwards was also fastest on race tyres after he clocked the only sub 2.02 lap in race trim early this morning. His best time of 2.01.961 was again good enough to relegate former world champion Rossi to second.

Edwards, preparing for his third season with Yamaha, also attempted a race simulation this afternoon but he stopped after 16 laps – five short of Malaysian GP distance – after suffering exhaustion in the searing Malaysia heat.

In the early laps though of his distance run he reeled off a succession of 2.02 laps, and he said: “I’m really confident and happy with the new bike.

“We are a second faster on race tyres than I was here two weeks ago and we have made some big improvements, particularly with stability under braking.

“I tried the long run but I’d done too many laps in the morning working on other stuff. I was dead and getting cross-eyed after about 13 laps.”

TIMES

1. Colin Edwards- Yamaha Racing 2.00.24
2. Valentino Rossi-Yamaha Racing 2.00.79
3. Randy de Puniet-Kawasaki Racing 2.02.07
4. Olivier Jacque-Kawasaki Racing 2.02.60
5. Makoto Tamada-Yamaha Tech 3 2.03.38
6. Sylvain Guintoli – Yamaha Tech 3 2.04.63
7. Andrew Pitt – Ilmor GP 2.07.37