Andrea Dovizioso - Photo Credit: MotoGP.com
Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso were both optimistic for the 2012 season after getting their first taste of the Yamaha that they will compete on in the new season at Valencia. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders finished the two-day test in fourth and fifth respectively.
For Crutchlow, the test marked the end of his debut season in the premier class of motorcycle racing, a year which ended with the rookie of the year award, and believes the new Yamaha will give him an opportunity to kick on in 2012.
“This was a very important test to get used to the new 1000cc YZR-M1 and thankfully the weather was in our favour and we could get in a lot of laps to understand the early potential of the bike. The 1000 seems to suit my style a little better and I have to say that Yamaha has done a very good job and we are already working from a strong base. The bike feels quite similar to the 800 YZR-M1 but Yamaha has managed to keep the strong points of this year’s bike. You can immediately feel the extra horsepower, which is impressive, but I’m happy because I could keep a very consistent pace. I’m looking forward to the winter break now. I learned a lot in my first season in MotoGP that will help me be much stronger in 2012. I’d like to thank all my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew for their efforts this year. They’ve given me their maximum support and I am grateful for that.”
Dovizioso was running with Yamaha machinery for the first time since switching from the Repsol Honda squad and felt positive at the end of the test. The Italian, who finished third in the 2011 championship, believes the new YZR-M1 will suit his riding style.
“Firstly I want to thank the Tech 3 staff for making me feeling immediately welcome and at home this week. I’ve been really excited to start this new adventure together and it was a positive and productive test. This test was my first chance to ride the 1000cc bike and the power of the engine is very impressive. The riding style is very close to 800cc and the bike has a lot of good points for my style. There are some areas I have identified we can improve for the next test in Sepang and I gave a lot of important feedback that should help Yamaha improve the bike during the winter break. Now I will take a break to recharge the batteries and return in Sepang looking forward to getting back on the bike and carrying on the positive work we did here in Valencia.”
