After four tests sessions over two days, Michel Fabrizio posted the quickest time of all at the official pre-season tests at Phillip Island, a 1’31.650, set on the final morning on his Ducati Xerox machine.

Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was second quickest, on a 1’31.662, while Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) was one of the riders to improve in the final session, taking his Ducati to third best time, only 0.030 seconds from Fabrizio.

Fastest rider on day one, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was fourth overall, while the first of the four-cylinder riders, Jonathan Rea, was fifth in the combined rankings, having set his personal best time this afternoon on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda.

The top ten on combined times was rounded out by Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).

Ruben Xaus was top BMW rider, 11th, and the fastest Yamaha man was James Toseland, 12th.

Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) proved quickest of the local riders on show, one place ahead of Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) who set 14th best time.

Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) was 15th in a field of 24, and top Kawasaki rider was local man Chris Vermeulen, who took his machine to 16th place.

The top 20 riders were within just over two seconds of each other.

Michel Fabrizio:


“I’m satisfied with the lap times because we were consistently fast. I found good race pace with one of the tyre compounds in particular and this bodes well for the weekend, but the result will very much depend on the weather. There are several fast guys here, so it will undoubtedly be a tough race weekend, as well as a hard-fought championship. It’s a difficult challenge but I’m ready to face it.”

Shane Byrne:

“We had a bit of a problem in the afternoon session but it was good to make a fast time this morning. It was a little bit disappointing to get pipped this afternoon. But it is only a test so it is not the end of the world. It’s very positive for the team to have both riders high in the rankings going into next weekend. We can’t be too upset to finish second today by only a small margin.”



Times:

1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'31.650;
2. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'31.662;
3. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'31.680;
4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.959;
5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.175;
6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'32.247;
7. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.279;
8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1'32.474;
9. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'32.621;
10. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.691;
11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.714;
12. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'32.781;
13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.819;
14. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.830
15. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.869;
16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'32.870