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The final MotoGP tests of 2008 took place at the end of last week with eight teams enjoying a two-day test at Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain and two teams testing at Australia’s Philip Island Circuit over three days. Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi ended the Jerez test as the fastest rider, setting a time of 1’ 39.429s on the second day, edging out the Dani Pedrosa’s first day fastest time of 1’ 39.525s. The test took place over 26-27 November and fourteen riders took to the track over the course of the two days. On the final day, Pedrosa was second fastest to Rossi, whilst the third to sixth fastest riders, Jorge Lorenzo, Toni Elias, Alex De Angelis and Nicky Hayden, were separated by just 0.06s, illustrating the very close level of competition, even for those riders who have changed teams from the 2008 season.

Bridgestone brought the softest compounds proposed for the 2009 season, with two compounds available for each rider. It was the second opportunity for riders to evaluate the 2009 specification tyres, following the post race test in Valencia at the end of October. In particular, Bridgestone was assessing the tyre working range, with Spain providing weather at the cooler end of the spectrum and Australia conditions at the hotter end. Overnight rain meant that no running took place in Jerez on Thursday morning, although significant amounts of running took place during the rest of the test. At Philip Island, the Suzuki and Kawasaki teams tested, with harder tyres than those used in Jerez. Rain was also experienced here, limiting running, but it was far warmer than in Jerez. MotoGP now enters the test ban period with the next official MotoGP test scheduled for Sepang, Malaysia, 5-7 February.

Q+A with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
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This coming Monday Sete Gibernau will undergo surgery to remove a plate attached to his collarbone first set in place in 2006. His doctor’s think that removing the plate before he begins racing is for the best. He plans to begin training the day after the plate comes out.

`I´ve had confirmation of just how difficult riding a MotoGP bike is, with all the things that before came naturally to me having to be worked hard at. It´s very demanding, and once again I´ll say that I have a lot of respect for all the riders and it´s going to be a difficult year. But I knew this from the beginning, and it´s motivation,´ says the former World Championship runner-up.

Gibernau set for collarbone plate removal

John Hopkins is going in for surgery this coming Wednesday to have metal plates removed from his hand and his left ankle and foot. He’ll then spend four weeks on the mend then get back into a vigirous fitness routine to prepare for the 2009 season.

“Now I’m off straight back to America, where I’ll have surgery on Wednesday to remove all the metal from my various injuries,” confirmed the #21. “As well as taking the plates out of my left foot and ankle, Doctor Ting will also remove the plate I’ve had in my left hand for the past three years. I’ll be about two kilograms lighter! My plan is to take it easy after the surgery, to make sure I’m fully recovered, and then train my butt off ready for the new season.”

Hopkins heads for surgery

Colin Edwards does not mix words. When he speaks, you know it’s the truth. In a recent interview he spoke highly of his new crew chief, Guy Coulon, and went on to talk about his plan of attack for the coming 2009 season. While he won’t be riding the 2009 Yamaha M1 until testing resumes in February, he’s positive that the changes being made are in the right direction and feels good about his team and prospects.

`I made it clear at the last race that I don´t want to reinvent the wheel, going off in some wild direction. We know what Valentino (Rossi) has done this season, we know what settings he has, so we should just keep in close contact with Nakajima and run around that.´

Edwards hails new crew chief as `borderline genius´

Only Suzuki and Kawasaki were in Philip Island. The rest of the teams were testing in Jerez. This is the final test of 2008 with the winter ban starting December 1st. Testing resumes February 5th, 2009 in Sepang.

1. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki 1min 30.9 sec
2. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki 1min 31.1 sec
3. Marco Melandri ITA Kawasaki Racing Team 1min 31.8sec
4. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team 1min 32.1sec
5. Olivier Jacque FRA Kawasaki Test Rider 1min 32.3sec

Michelin was once the only tire to have in MotoGP if teams wanted a chance at winning. Now they won’t be competing in the series at all. It’s a fall from the top that took two years and many great blunders along the way to the bottom.

What most seem to concur is that in MotoGP Michelin was unable to adapt to the rule changes made in 2007 which limited the number of tires available to a rider and forced riders to pick the tires they would use each weekend on Thursday. Previously, Michelin was famous for compiling data on the Friday and Saturday of race weekends and then flying in special tires–or as rumor has it, building them at the track–on Sunday morning. The ‘07 rules completely changed the methodology Michelin would use in Grand Prix. Bridgestone adapted to the new longer-range focused rules almost seamlessly but Michelin’s response was at time as listless as an old plow-horse.

Even with time to adapt and the tire regulations being slightly loosened up for 2008, Michelin still suffered several embarrassing race weekend attempts at what amounted to company suicide. First came Germany, where they would not allow teams to use the softer rain tire, then came the Laguna Seca debacle, where Michelin ignored the both common sense and the advice of top riders and shipped in tires for much hotter conditions than those forecasted for the weekend. This lapse in judgment can be pointed to as the tipping point when Bib, the former king of tires in MotoGP, began to seriously lose air.

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear