Edwards hopeful of Rossi engine for Shanghai

Colin Edwards is hoping that he will get his hands on Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1 motor for the Shanghai GP in China.

Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi used the upgraded in-line four-cylinder engine for the first time in the recent Istanbul Park clash in Turkey.

Yamaha engineers hurried out a new motor for Rossi after he was embarrassingly outgunned on top speed and horsepower by Aussie Casey Stoner in the season’s opening race in Qatar.

The new spec boosted top speed by 2-3ks and now Edwards is hoping he will get the chance to run the engine in Shanghai. And the American will need all the help he can get with the China circuit featuring a massive 0.7 miles straight.

Double World Superbike champion Edwards, who was taken out on the first lap by Olivier Jacque in Turkey, said: “I’d like another 10bhp. Hopefully by China I’ll get something.

“I know Yamaha is working on it and obviously after Qatar everybody is putting their heads down back trying to figure out how we get more power. We can’t go the whole year with the kind of stuff happening like it did in Qatar where you get to the straights and people just blow by.”