Fiat Yamaha dominate in Jerez

Fiat Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi dominated the opening day of the Jerez test in Spain today.

Spaniard Lorenzo showed he is finally getting accustomed to the Bridgestone tyres after he produced an impressive display to top the timesheets on home soil.

After heavy early morning rain delayed the start of the final winter test session, Lorenzo finished with a best time of 1.39.791 on his 97th lap of a marathon 99-lap stint. 

That left the double world 250GP champion just 0.070s clear of team-mate and reigning world champion Rossi. The 30-year-old opted to wait until the track had completely dried before he ventured out and he completed 65 laps with a best time of 1.39.861.

Lorenzo was delighted with his pace as three Yamahas’ claimed top five places. The 21-year-old said: “I am very satisfied because I have improved through every hour of the day. In the beginning it was quite difficult because there was rain this morning and the track was wet.

“But after lunch I was able to improve and was fastest for most of the afternoon and able to put in a great performance. I rode many laps – the same amount as my new number – and I was able to confirm the good feeling that I had on the last day in Qatar when I was second.

“We still need to keep working. This is just the beginning, but I think we’re going in the right way.”

Tomorrow’s final day of pre-season testing will see the traditional 45-minute dash for the keys to a brand new BMW car.

“But Lorenzo played down his hopes of collecting the keys. He added: “I want to make one more step tomorrow, but I am not thinking about winning the car.”