The third and final day of the second pre-season MotoGP testing at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) saw MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi breaking the circuit’s fastest lap record of 2 minutes 0.518sec which was set by him last year in round 16 of the 2009 MotoGP race with 2minutes 0.271seconds on his 12 lap today.

 

Rossi spent the day trying electronic packages, a new tyre for Bridgestone and just double-checking all the work done so far. He also had time to do a few laps on the Japanese test team's bike, providing them with important feedback for the future development of the M1.

 

"I'm really happy to have beaten my pole record, it's a good feeling to be this fast in testing. I did this with an old tyre but we also got the chance to try a very good new tyre from Bridgestone today, which I hope we will use from the first race. Our bike is in great shape; we need to do a bit more work on the electronics but in general everything is better, especially the rear grip and the engine,” said Rossi.

“Yamaha have been very clever to develop this new bike whilst keeping the best parts of the old one, I'm very happy about it. It was good to get the chance to try the Japanese test bike, hopefully the feedback I gave them will help us in the future.”

 

But it was not all good news for MotoGP rookie rider Marco Simoncelli as he suffered a nasty crash on his third lap of the day, just an hour after the green light from the pitlane turned on to signal the start of the session at 10am.

 

A quick check was done on site but Simoncelli was immediately taken to the nearest hospital for a more thorough check as a precaution but was later released with minor injuries.

 

“I have a mark on my head because I broke my helmet in the fall, but I'm okay,” a visibly drowsy, but smiling, Simoncelli said in an interview with Crash.net on his arrival back in the Sepang paddock at 3pm, four hours after the accident.

“I also hurt my arm a little... About my memory, I can remember everything before the accident, but nothing about the accident itself.”

Simoncelli lost the rear of his San Carlo Honda Gresini at the apex of turn seven, a medium-speed right-hander. The Italian was launched high into the air before landing hard on his head and rolling through the gravel, his RCV was sent into a series of fast cartwheels, but fortunately avoided the rider. He had been slowest of all after day one of testing.

 

In an unrelated incident his San Carlo Honda Gresini team-mate Marco Melandri also fell this morning, but was fortunately unhurt.

2009 MotoGP World Championship runner-up Jorge Lorenzo has been forced to miss the test after fracturing his right hand in a motocross accident. The Spaniard hopes to return for the third and final pre-season test, at Qatar on March 18-1

 

Get early bird promotion when you purchase 2010 Malaysian MotoGP tickets now at www.sepangcircuit.com.