Pramac Honda in action at Sepang

The second session of private tests in 2004 again took place on the Sepang circuit, in the great Malaysian heat. In terms of the line-up of riders and teams, it was a sort of first Grand Prix of the year. Certainly it was a perfect opportunity for those who had taken part in the January tests in Sepang to confirm the data acquired just short of three weeks ago. Three days of intense work are planned for the Malaysian track and this will be followed, as from 17 February, by another three days of tests at Phillip Island in Australia.

This morning Makoto Tamada got to grips with the RC211V he will be using in the season that is about to begin, though he did go for an innocuous slide that caused him no harm. Getting off to a fast start, Makoto posted his best time right in the early stages of the tests. This second session of pre-championship tests will again be crucial for finding the basic settings with which to start the season. Makoto is indeed concentrating on many details that will enable him to set up the suspension, chassis and engine handling settings.

Makoto Tamada (# 6 – Camel Honda – Bridgestone Tyres) - “I went for my slide on corner 14, the 180° bend that leads into the back straight. The steering closed and I went sliding. My mistake. No harm – except to the bike, unfortunately. I got off to a fast start in the very first laps and I’ve got a great feeling for this increasingly advanced RC211V. Compared with the January tests, I just noted that the power delivery really is immediate, so you need to handle this extraordinary power a bit more delicately. I didn’t do that many laps but we’ll make up for lost time over the next few days.”

Luca Montiron (Team Manager Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda) - “Makoto Tamada is highly motivated and he’s really determined to make a good start this season. He was immediately fast in the opening laps and “christened” the RC211V that had just come in from Japan with a slide. Tamada’s second bike has been made available to Schinichi Itoh so he can carry on developing the new Bridgestone materials. This meant Makoto had to wait a while after his slide before he could get back onto the track, so he ended the day of tests having clocked up only 16 laps. We’ve still got a number of days ahead for testing so we’ll be able to complete the work we’re planning to do.”

Times on first day of tests:
Makoto Tamada: 2’04.072 – 16 Laps
Max Biaggi: 2’02.693 – 52 Laps