MotoGP Jerez Test: Hand injury hampers Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi was forced to scrap a planned full race simulation on Bridgestone tyres today in Jerez as he completed only 40 laps on the final day of track action in 2007.

The 28-year-old struggled with the broken right hand he suffered in a massive qualifying crash at the final race in Valencia earlier this month and he stopped riding well before the track closed.

His best time on the final day was only a 1.41.538, which was a full second off his best race tyre time set on the opening day of his Bridgestone career. Valentino Rossi’s best of 1.40.514 on the opening day remained his best time on race rubber at the test, with his overall best time coming on Bridgestone’s soft qualifying tyre.

Speaking exclusively to MCN tonight, the Fiat Yamaha rider said: “I wanted to try today but no way. I tried but especially in braking I had finished my power.

“ I was not able to stay with the arms straight and I was quite slow. We had in the schedule to do a race simulation but we cancelled it because for sure I couldn’t have gone at the maximum and when you do this the data it is for nothing.

“It’s quite normal because I have pain in the hand and with one month without training my shoulders were very painful and I didn’t have the strength for a full three-day test. But the test was positive and the first touch with Bridgestone was positive.

“We have some good ideas to increase our potential. The Bridgestone guys work very well and the impression is good. We think we have a great potential but we have to demonstrate this. It’s just at the beginning.

“I already gave some very good explanation about the direction for development, so the Bridgestone guys are happy and this is the most important thing.”

Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden claimed the top two times, though Colin Edwards clocked the fastest lap on race rubber with a best of 1.40.184.

“That was a fraction faster than Ducati’s Casey Stoner, who was still second fastest on race tyres even though he missed the final day with a left shoulder injury suffered in a big crash yesterday.

See next week’s MCN (December 5, 2007) for a seven-day test report from Jerez.