Test Sepang MotoGP

The complete Repsol Honda Team starts the 2004 preseason in Malaysia
Multitudinous test attended by almost all MotoGP teams and riders. Alex Barros makes his debut on the Repsol Honda machine in Sepang.
The first testing day of the three days scheduled at the Malayan Sepang circuit has been quite similar to a timed session of a Grand Prix. With the presence of almost all teams and riders who will be taking part in the 2004 World Championship and some of the test riders of the different makes, this first day passed normally and saw the new Repsol Honda Team rider, the Brazilian Alex Barros getting for the first time on the machine he will be riding in 2004. Barros, still recovering from an injury in his right shoulder, had not been on a racing bike since last November at the Comunitat Valenciana Grand Prix. Barros met again the bike he rode at the end of the 2002 season, after racing the 2003 season with Yamaha.His team-mate Nicky Hayden, last year’s ‘Rookie of the Year’, was back into action after the test he carried out on the same circuit only one month ago. Both Repsol Honda riders have been using the new Honda RC211V with 2004 settings, a bike including important changes with regard to rocker switch, suspensions and engine, more powerful in this new evolution.Driver´s commentsNicky Hayden: ‘A pretty productive day really. We got through what we wanted to test today – a lotta’ laps in this heat. Engine-wise we’re basically the same as we were last month but chassis-wise we’ve definitely had a couple of things to try. The rear end is takin’ some time to get used to – a lil’ bit different feel. We’re sort of startin’ from zero – we need to find some base settings and work out which way to go. It took a lil’ time to get sorted and we’ve definitely made some progress in the right direction. Obviously I’d like the lap time to be better – more of the same tomorrow but faster. Just gotta’ keep grindin’ away.’.Alex Barros: ‘I was so excited about today I really didn’t sleep much last night. The target is to be 100% ready for the first race in April. At the moment I am still recovering from the shoulder operation and am not fully fit. It was good today because I keep telling myself not to go mad. There are many top Honda people here today and they tell me to take it easy. Don’t panic! I haven’t ridden a machine for three months; I really need to make a good ‘warm-up’.All the feelings I have on the bike with reference points are completely different to last year. Even though I rode the RCV in 2002 I can make no real comparison. The whole package seems to have increased. The power – the grip – the turning. Everything is a little bit better. I have a great feeling about this season – I have ridden for Honda for eight years – this is my ninth and this is the first time in the number one team. I am working with many people I have known for a long time but we have to build this new team to make a really strong package. It won’t happen overnight but I am very confident we make a good foundation.