MotoGP testing at Estoril

Following the second round of the MotoGP championship at Estoril on April 17, 2005, nine of the riders returned to the Portuguese track the following day to perform further testing.

Former 250cc world champion Olvier Jacque took part in the tests and is likely to compete in the next two races as a stand in for Kawasaki’s Alex Hofmann. Hofmann will be out for five weeks after a crash during a promotional event for the Estoril GP left him with a fractured schaphoid and further hairline fracture in his wrist.

Jacque assisted regular Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano with development of engine management components.

Also testing were the Gauloises Yamaha team of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, and the Fortuna Yamaha team of Ruben Xaus and Toni Elias. Xaus crashed during the test, but was able to walk away unscathed.

Carlos Checa was riding for Ducati, while Lors Capirossi sat out the test to recover from an ankle injury.

And the Suzuki MotoGP team were putting in laps on new Bridgestone race tyres or the GSV-R race bikes. Both Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins praised the performance of the new tyres.