The contrast is striking. While Jorge Lorenzo was brooding on this first day of testing at Sepang, his two current Ducati teammates who are Stoner et Dovizioso saw red. A thermal shock that Gigi Dall'Igna's men hope will not be repeated during the two Malaysian days that will follow.
It’s a Stoner ecstatic who finished half a day of work on the Sepang track. Author of a very good time of less than two minutes per lap, he confirmed the pace already set since last week on this same circuit, welcoming the fact that the weather had finally allowed him to put in the kilometers. Even if, after the lunch break, the elements were once again harsh on the Malaysian tarmac, the retired Australian had no regrets:
« This day was positive because we had the opportunity to ride for a long time on dry tracks. We were able to put together some good series of laps which confirmed the good things seen during last week's tests. ».
« We were able to do a lot of evaluations and get good feelings which gave the right direction for the bike. However, there is still much work to be done. Let's hope that tomorrow there is no rain so we can resume work where we left off and push the bike a little further, especially with regard to the chassis. ».
An enthusiasm shared by Andrea Dovizioso, he too and the only other driver under the two-minute lap mark: “ I'm happy that we showed good entry pace using the same bike as in Valencia, without much change. You still have to adapt the bike to the absence of fins by playing with the settings and electronics. But we now have an interesting level of competitiveness. And this kind of confirmation is always important ».
« Starting off on the right foot pushes us in the right direction to develop the bike and if you add that to the fact that I achieved my best time with medium tires, we can be satisfied ».
So many positive comments which highlight the admitted distress of Jorge Lorenzo, far from his teammates. However, the Majorcan put his heart into the work with 45 laps completed against 29 Stoner and 32 to Dovi. So far, without success.
