Capirossi wins BMW - gives to Mechanics.

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi topped this afternoon's official preseason test session at Catalunya in sensational style, with a lap time 0.8secs quicker than pole position for the 2002 Catalunya Grand Prix.

Capirossi - whose spectacular best lap was watched on live TV by millions of bike-race fans around the world - was ecstatic with his performance.

"I'm so happy, I really wanted that, so I rode 110 per cent!" beamed the Italian who had earlier suffered a minor fall, when an oil pipe split and leaked oil onto the rear tyre. "My fastest lap was hot - I went into a few corners a bit too fast but the bike still turned, no problem."

The generous Italian immediately donated his BMW sports car - the prize for today's fastest rider in the one-hour 'Qualifying' session - to his mechanics, who will sell the vehicle and split the proceeds amongst themselves.

"My mechanics have worked so hard for this, so they deserve it," he said. "But we have a long season ahead of us, and a lot more work to do."

Capirossi's astonishing pace - 1.96 seconds inside the track record - underlined the remarkable progress made by Ducati since the start of their MotoGP project.

The bike has yet to turn a wheel in anger but has already shown that it should be a real force once the 2003 season starts in Japan on April 6.

At the end of the days running, Capirossi's time set in the one hour session was just under 0.2secs faster than nearest rival Tohru Ukawa, with Yamaha's Alex Barros third [see results for more details].