Rossi: This is what I've been waiting for.

Valentino Rossi admits the switch to Bridgestone tyres has brought no miracle transformation in performance, but he has gained much more consistency - and says the change was just what he'd been waiting for.


The Fiat Yamaha star, who has spent his entire premier-class career on Michelins, finished his second day on the Japanese rubber just 0.141secs behind Dani Pedrosa, as all the top five set their best lap time with a qualifying tyre.

"Today we made longer runs than yesterday and our times were still consistent, which means we are working in the right direction. We still are still missing something in terms of performance, but for sure we are making improvements in terms of constancy," confirmed the former five times MotoGPworld champion.

"Bridgestonehas brought quite soft tyres here to Jerez, because they expected lower temperatures, so I am sure that with some harder material we could do even better. The pace is not bad at all and it is similar to the one I had in the race here at the beginning of the past season.

"I could probably have done even better today with the material I had, but I kept some “margin” to improve tomorrow. Tomorrow we will test some more qualifying tyres and we will also make a long run. Today we tested 2007 tyres, but tomorrow I will have some brand new tyres in order to find more grip.

"Of course we need to work on the bike, too; the bike's power delivery puts a lot of pressure on the tyres, so we need to make it "sweeter"," he continued. "Generally speaking this is what I was waiting for: new motivation and a lot of fun, and in fact I am having a lot of fun with the new tyres.

"I am looking forward to starting the next season because it will be exciting and interesting, but before that I want to finish this test in the best way and then start again in January in order to arrive at Qatar in the best possible shape," Rossi concluded.

Jerez MotoGP test times

The test saw Valentino Rossi's debut on Bridgestone tyres and marked the first public appearance for the new Ducati Desmosedici GP8.

World champion Casey Stoner, fastest on day one, injured his shoulder on Wednesday and didn't ride on the final day - when Dani Pedrosa was fastest on the 2007 Honda RC212V.

Suzuki was the only factory not present in Spain, having instead chosen to develop its GSV-R at Phillip Island in Australia.

The winter test ban starts on December 1 and lasts until January 20.


1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 38.562 secs
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 38.848 secs
3. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 39.464 secs
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot (M) 1min 39.747 secs
5. Shinya Nakano JPN Honda Gresini (B) 1min 40.121 secs
6. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 40.184 secs
7. Alex de Angelis RSM Honda Gresini (B) 1min 40.185 secs
8. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 40.213 secs
9. Randy de Puniet FRA Honda LCR (M) 1min 40.398 secs
10. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 40.984 secs
11. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 41.538 secs
12. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 41.619 secs
13. Tady Okada JPN Honda Test Rider (M) 1min 41.715 secs
14. Nicola Canepa ITA Ducati Test Rider (B) 1min 41.793 secs
15. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 42.343 secs
16. Vittoriano Guareschi ITA Ducati Test Rider (B) 1min 42.850 secs
17. Shinichi Ito JPN Ducati/Bridgestone Test Rider (B) 1min 43.001 secs

Lewis stuns on Top Gear debut.

Britain's new F1 favourite showed all his ability behind the wheel of TV show's 'reasonably priced car'.

Anticipation was high ahead of Lewis Hamilton's appearance on BBC television's Top Gear programme at the weekend, and Britain's latest Formula Onesensation did not disappoint.

Despite being confined to the popular show's Suzuki Liana 'reasonably priced car' - the pensioned-off model being resurrected so that Hamilton could challenge lap times posted by other F1drivers on a level playing field - the 22-year old did not disappoint.

Wilson lands McLaren test.

Stefan Wilson has been handed the chance to test one of Formula One's most potent weapons after just one year in single-seater racing.

While elder brother Justin would no doubt love another chance to impress the Woking outfit, there will be no prouder onlooker as Stefan Wilson tests with McLarenas part of his 2007 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award selection.

Although not among the title-winners in the six-man shortlist, car racing debutant Wilson impressed sufficiently in a two-day 'selection shoot-out' at Snettertonlast month to earn the judges' nomination to follow in the footsteps of his brother's former F1rivals Jenson Button and David Coulthard. Justin will know what his sibling went through during the selection process, having been a one-time nomination himself.

Having finished second to Tim Bridgeman in the Formula Palmer Audi championship, Wilson tackled on-track assessments in Porsche Carrera Cup, Mercedes DTM and World Series by Renaultmachinery, as well as facing up to questions from the selection panel, before being chosen ahead of British Formula Ford champion Callum McLeod, Formula Renault champion Duncan Tappy, FFord Festival and FPA Shoot-out winner Nick Tandyand racewinners Henry Arundel and Dean Smith. As usual, however, the 18-year old had to wait several weeks before being announced as the winner at Sunday night's Autosport Awards