HRC completes successful three-day test of RC211V.

The final day of the three-day HRC RC211V test session at Jerez ended on a high note as the team completed the test programme to the satisfaction of both engineers and the riders.

The test, the first for the grand prix team with the RC211V 5-cylinder 990cc Honda, gave the engineering staff sufficient positive feed back to take the project forward on schedule.

On the final day, team riders Valentino Rossi and Tohru Ukawa agreed the development programme was heading in the right direction, both men very happy with the progress the machine has made over the three days spent at Jerez.

"Today we tried a lot of things focusing our work on suspension settings, tyres and power delivery," Rossi revealed, "But we didn't find the best solution to some things. We changed the linkage on the rear suspension and this helped with the problem of the bike hopping under strong engine braking.

"Anyway, I'm very satisfied with the test because the bike has huge potential. Now we have to work hard and analyse the data and test results. I'm sure for the next test we will be ready with solutions. Machine development has been positive and I'm looking forward to the next test."

"This was a good start to testing the RC211V," Ukawa agreed, "In the test, I bettered my best lap time on a 500 round Jerez, a good result. Now I'm changing my riding style slightly to suit the RCV in order to find a good position on the bike. When I moved from the 250 to the 500 I had to change but this is a big step from the NSR500 to the RCV.

"Over the three-day test, I covered about 200 laps and we tested everything we came here to test. Today I concentrated on suspension and tyres and I'm satisfied with what we achieved. Now I want to test the RCV as often as possible. The machine has great potential, its better every time I ride it."

Ukawa got the better of his more illustrious stable-mate, clocking a 1min 43.0secs best to pip the Italian by a tenth. Both trailed the older NSR500 of Daijiro Katoh, however, as the reigning GP250 champion dipped into the 1min 42s.

"This was the first test for the RC211V at a GP circuit, apart from the Suzuka test in August, and also the first for the current GP riders, as the weather at Suzuka was not good enough to allow them to test," commented HRC team manager Noriaki Nakata.

"So this test was so important for us and thanks to the fantastic weather over the three days it turned out to be a very satisfying and meaningful one. Our goal for the test was not to find the best set up for this track but to find a basic, fundamental set up for the RC211V. We have achieved our goal.

"Both riders, Valentino and Tohru, took part with huge enthusiasm and, in their own individual ways, they have given us much invaluable information and suggestions about what we need to do to improve the machine for the future. But, for now, we have a very good overall impression of the machine."

"We had a lot of things to test in a very broad area as this was the very first overseas test for the RC211V and also for Valentino and Tohru," added Koji Nakajima, HRC director, "We have made all the planned progress.

"As the RCV is a totally new machine what is important now is not the lap time, but to uncover any problems machine may have and in this test we identified them all. We will correct these in future overseas tests and bring the RC211V to the IRTA test next year in completed format. We have found the right direction to take and at this test in order to be ready at the opening round of the championship next April."

Leading performances (29 November):

Daijiro Katoh NSR500 1min 42.4secs 52 lapsTohru Ukawa RC211V 1min 43.00secs 58 lapsValentino Rossi RC211V 1min 43.1secs 49 lapsJurgen van der Goorbergh NSR500 1min 44.1secs 37 laps

Emilio Alzamora NSR250 1min 46.9secs 54 lapsRoberto Rolfo NSR250 1min 46.2secs 61 laps