Maverick Vinales took his Yamaha to third position on this first day, with a time of 2'00.128 to 0.447 from the first Casey Stoner. Valentino Rossi, handicapped by a stubborn migraine, rode anyway, setting the eighth time in 2'00.695, 1.014 behind the Australian.
Valentino Rossi:
“The first feeling was not so bad, because in this session we finally had the two real bikes that we will use during the championship and they are better than the first prototype that we tested in November, in many points of view.
“Unfortunately, it was a difficult day today. This morning I woke up with a very bad headache and until midday I was not in good shape. After that we were able to do a few laps and the sensations were good.
“In the afternoon we had to finish the work, but it started to rain, so we have to wait and hope that in the next two days we will have good track conditions. We're going to try new things tomorrow. Today we worked on the engine and electronics and found some good things. »
Maverick Vinales:
“We worked a lot to prepare before the season and honestly, I'm quite surprised. The first day is always difficult, but I feel good on the bike, as well as physically, so I'm happy and I want to continue working on the bike a little more.
“We tried a lot of things today to get a good set and now we are focused on comparing a lot of things. We are doing hard work these days before trying to achieve a fast lap time, but it will be really useful for the next tests. »
