Sepang: Day two rain

Rain has forced an early end to the second day of MotoGP testing at the sepang circuit in Malaysia, with Shinya Nakano setting the fastest time on the Kawasaki.

Loris Capirossi was second quickest, followed by Valentino Rossi, who celebrates his 27th birthday tomorrow, Thursday, February 16. Both Rossi and Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards spent the morning session working to eliminate vibration, and the pair did venture out to complete a few laps in wet conditions for the first time with the 2006 spec M1.

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“We worked very well with Michelin and with one or two new tyres that they brought we made some good imrpovements to the vibration,” said Rossi. “We made a few laps in the rain to see how the new bike was in the wet; we had some new things to try with the electronic mapping in these conditions, but we needed more time. After a few laps the track started to dry and then with the conditions half wet and half dry, we had to stop.”

Marco Melandri’s test went downhill ont he second day. The Fortuna rider suffered a big crash on the final corner of the circuit, but escaped without injury.

Britain’s James Ellison was 18th quickest on the Tech 3 Yamaha with a time of 2:05.08. The circuit lap record is 2:02.993, held by Nicky Hayden from 2005.

Unofficial lap times. Sepang day two:

1. Nakano (Kawasaki) 2:01.80.

2. Capirossi (Ducati) 2:01.87.

3. Rossi (Yamaha) 2:01.89.

4. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2:01.90.

5. Pedrosa (Honda) 2:01.93.

6. Checa (Yamaha) 2:02.06.

7. Edwards (Yamaha) 2:02.20.

8. de Puniet (Kawasaki) 2:02.37.

9. Elias (Honda) 2:02.62.

10. Melandri (Honda) 2:02.65.

11. Tamada (Honda) 2:02.66.

12. Gibernau (Ducati) 2:02.87.

13. Hayden (Honda) 2:02.93.

14. Roberts (KR Honda) 2:02.95.

15. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2:03.18.

16. Hofmann (Ducati) 2:04.23.

17. Cardoso (Ducati) 2:04.65.

18. Ellison (Yamaha) 2:05.08.