After completing just 10 laps yesterday due to illness,
Loris Capirossi returned to Sepang this morning and, although far from fully fit, completed 42 further laps to end the test as the fastest Ducati rider.
Capirossi's concentrated on race set-up, setting a bets time of 2min 1.452secs to leave him seventh fastest, behind five Hondas and
Valentino Rossi's Yamaha. However, his 2mins 0.54secs 'stunner', set with a qualifying tyre at the first Sepang test, remained unbeaten.
"It was a pity I was unable to get the most out of these days here at Sepang, but I wasn't really feeling well at all," declared Capirossi. "However I'm pretty pleased with what we managed to do, I like the bike a lot and I can immediately set a good pace. Hopefully I'll be in top form at Phillip Island."
Today was another hard day at work for team-mate Carlos Checa, who completed an excellent long-run using a latest-generation rear tyre on what was his fourth day of action. Checa did a 22-lap race simulation, maintaining a constant pace at around the low 2min 2secs mark.
"I had a good final day," commented Carlos, who completed a total of 77 laps today, with a best time of 2mins 1.844s, "and in particular a good long-run with a new rear tyre, which let me do an entire race distance at an excellent pace. I can't wait to arrive in Australia to get back to work again."
"We only concentrated on race set-up and we are really pleased with the way the testing session went," declared Corrado Cecchinelli, Ducati Marlboro technical director. "The tests carried out with the two new GP5 machines and with the new compounds went the way we hoped, and above all we have already managed to do a race distance with the new tyres."
Meanwhile, test rider Shinichi Itoh completed his acclimatisation work with the new Ducati
Bridgestone Tyre Test Team as he continued with tyre development and focussed mainly on new race tyre compounds. The Japanese test-rider completed 43 laps today, setting a quickest time of 2mins 02.907secs, around 0.4secs slower than his Saturday best.
