Former Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano will make his debut for Konica Minolta Honda during testing at Jerez tomorrow (Tuesday), when he will also ride an 800cc MotoGP machine for the first time.

Nakano is due to test a Michelin shod RC212V for two days at Jerez, marking his first MotoGP laps since the season ending Valencia Grand Prix, but will also attend the third and final day should poor weather delay progress.

"I'm at the beginning of an important challenge where everything is new: bike, tyres and team," said Nakano, who took a best finish of second this season. "It is a challenge I accepted because of a firm belief in the technical package I was offered.

"At this test, I'll need to find the right position on the bike to get the natural feeling needed for good results. Jerez is one of my favourite circuits; I qualified third for the 2006 grand prix and finished seventh. It is a technical and demanding track and it is necessary to have a well balanced bike. I hope the weather conditions will allow us to work well."

"I think that the Jerez circuit is the perfect place for us to start our new adventure with Nakano and the 800cc Honda equipped with Michelin tyres," added team technical director Giulio Bernardelle. "The track is demanding from a technical point of view, so we'll be able to obtain an idea of our potential from the first test. Our performance can also be compared with the leading teams and riders present, but the most important thing will be to try to complete our programme without too much pressure, trying to make the best use of the time we have. Many tests are planned so we will be able to understand, step by step, how to use our great potential to the utmost."

After two tough seasons with Makoto Tamada, team general director Gianluca Montiron is looking forward to making a fresh start.

"We are happy to start working with Shinya Nakano at Jerez and anxious to begin this new challenge with such a high level professional," he said. "Thanks to Konica Minolta, we have a package of high value at our disposal: bike, tyres, rider; we have all we need to aim for high performances. Nakano has a winning mentality and he has shown his potential several times in the past. Now we will start working with the utmost commitment in order to get ready for the beginning of the 2007 championship. I hope our new rider will soon get the necessary feeling with the new Honda RC212V, Michelin tyres and our team, which is completely dedicated to him."

After Jerez, Nakano and Konica Minolta Honda will next be on track at Sepang from January 22-24, 2007.