MotoGP as teams begin tests for 2002.

Preparations for the 2002 MotoGP World Championships got under way today as on opposite sides of the world the official Honda and Yamaha teams began tests on the new four-stroke machines which will ride in next season's revised competition.

In Spain and Australia some of the new 990cc prototype machines which will be welcomed into the elite class of motorcycling in 2002 were put through their paces by the riders who will be racing them next season.

At the Jerez circuit in southern Spain, this year's 500cc World Champion, Valentino Rossi, made his second appearance on board the Honda RC211V he first tested in Japan back in July. Rossi has stated that he wanted another opportunity to test the four-stroke head-to-head with the NSR500, so he could make a decision on which bike he would like to ride next season, and this is his chance to ride them on a level playing field.

His chief mechanic, Jeremy Burgess, stated after today's first outing, "They have corrected practically all of the problems he had in Suzuka and which had made him quite pessimistic. Valentino is very meticulous, probably because he began in 125cc and there every little detail is decisive in order to be competitive." Rossi set a time of 1 minute 43.1 seconds today, under the record he set in the race at Jerez in May. His team-mate Tohru Ukawa was alongside him testing the new bike and set a best time 0.4 seconds slower than the Italian.

World 250cc Champion Daijiro Katoh was also present in Jerez, on board the NSR500 two-stroke bike he will use in MotoGP next year. His step up a class means he will need to spend some time getting accustomed to the power of the 500cc bike, but he has already made good progress, clocking a 1'44.0 during the first day of tests.

While the Honda bikes began work in Spain, the Yamaha machines had already been packed up for the day, as they had finished the first test day of four at the Phillip Island circuit. Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa were both out riding the Yamaha M1 machine with which they will compete in MotoGP in 2002.

The quick corners of the Australian track will push the new Yamaha four-stroke to its limits as the riders of the Japanese manufacturer's official team began their gruelling schedule of preparations for next season. After this week the Italian and the Spaniard will move on to Malaysia, where at the end of next week they will undertake more tests at the Sepang circuit.