Pre-season ends with Hayden fastest.

Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden has finished the final day of 2005 MotoGP pre-season testing at the head of the field, the third-year Repsol Honda rider setting a new Jerez lap record of 1min 39.983secs to hold off Movistar Honda rider Marco Melandri and Team Suzuki's John Hopkins.

However, as always with MotoGP - and pre-season testing in particular - things weren't quite that simple and the 'qualifying tyre' effect resulted in those further down the field claiming to have been more competitive than their final position would suggest.

"I'm pleased because, other than Valentino, all the seven riders above me in the timings put on a qualifying tyre," declared eighth fastest Colin Edwards, indicating that 4th fastest Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Rossi was the top rider at Jerez with a race set-up.

Nevertheless, it was Hayden - who had been runner-up to Hopkins and Shinya Nakano respectively on the first two days of Jerez testing - whose name occupied P1 on the day three, and overall, Jerez timesheets.

Hayden's father Earl, who accompanies his middle son whenever he can, celebrated his birthday today (Sunday) and Nicky was heard to ask what he wanted for his birthday. "Do me a '39", was Earl's reply and on cue Nicky circulated nearly two-seconds inside his qualification time of last year.

The American, who has often struggled in qualifying, later confirmed he'd used a qualifying tyre to set that time, but also pointed out that - with the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix just two weeks away - his one lap pace was an important area to work on.

"This has been a great test for us. The team has worked really hard and I've tried my best to do everything they've asked of me. I got my best lap today on a qualifier but it's important to do that at this stage, in less than two weeks I'll have to do that for real!" said Nicky, who finished the day 0.308secs in front of Melandri.

"I still need to be faster on race set-up and we've identified a problem with the third of the four sections of the circuit here, we need to put a bit of work in that area to try and improve for the race in two weeks," he continued.

"It's great to see the guys in the garage smiling, this is the last day of 26 days of winter testing and they've done a great job. My own personal performance at Jerez has improved and that's down to the work Honda has put in and the work Michelin has done over the winter.

"I definitely feel the best I've felt on the machine and I'm ready to race now. At this level, if you can find that extra little bit from somewhere, it can make all the difference and I really think we've gone a long way to finding that this weekend," concluded the former AMA Superbike champion.

Completing a 'young gun' top three were Melandri and Hopkins, who have also shown they have what it takes to run at the front. The trio will now aim to take that form into the season proper, despite a late crash for Hopkins, which ended his day early.

Next up was reigning world champion Rossi, followed by the lone Ducati Marlboro of Loris Capirossi, Camel Honda's Alex Barros, Movistar Honda's Sete Gibernau and the second factory Yamaha of Edwards.

The MotoGP paddock will now re-form at the Jerez circuit in just over one week's time, with practice for the Spanish Grand Prix beginning on Friday April 8th.

Jerez MotoGP test times - Sunday:

1.Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda 1min 39.983 secs
2.Marco MelandriITA Team Movistar Honda 1min 40.291 secs
3.John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki MotoGP1min 40.418 secs
4.Valentino RossiITA Gauloises Yamaha 1min 40.539 secs
5.Loris CapirossiITA Ducati Marlboro 1min 40.559 secs
6.Alex Barros BRA Camel Honda 1min 40.569 secs
7.Sete Gibernau SPA Team Movistar Honda 1min 40.662 secs
8.Colin Edwards USA Gauloises Yamaha 1min 41.284 secs
9.Shinya NakanoJPN Fuchs Kawasaki1min 41.328 secs
10.Makoto TamadaJPN Konica Minolta Honda 1min 41.38 secs
11.Max Biaggi ITA Repsol Honda 1min 41.431 secs
12.Alex HofmannGER Fuchs Kawasaki1min 41.453 secs
13.Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda 1min 41.529 secs
14.Kenny RobertsUSA Team Suzuki MotoGP1min 41.913 secs
15.Nobuatsu AokiJPN Team Suzuki 1min 42.121 secs
16.Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha 1min 42.387 secs
17.Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha 1min 43.961 secs
18.James EllisonGBR Blata WCM1min 44.041 secs
19.Shane ByrneGBR Team KR-KTM1min 44.272 secs
20. Roberto Rolfo ITA D'Antin Ducati 1min 44.395 secs
21.Vittoriano Guareschi ITA Ducati Marlboro 1min 44.447 secs
22.Franco BattainiITA Blata WCM1min 45.379 secs

Jerez MotoGP test times - Overall best:

1.Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda 1min 39.983 secs
2.Marco MelandriITA Team Movistar Honda 1min 40.291 secs
3.John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki MotoGP1min 40.418 secs
4.Valentino RossiITA Gauloises Yamaha 1min 40.539 secs
5.Loris CapirossiITA Ducati Marlboro 1min 40.559 secs
6.Alex Barros BRA Camel Honda 1min 40.569 secs
7.Sete Gibernau SPA Team Movistar Honda 1min 40.662 secs
8.Colin Edwards USA Gauloises Yamaha 1min 41.284 secs
9.Shinya NakanoJPN Fuchs Kawasaki1min 41.328 secs
10.Makoto TamadaJPN Konica Minolta Honda 1min 41.38 secs
11.Max Biaggi ITA Repsol Honda 1min 41.431 secs
12.Alex HofmannGER Fuchs Kawasaki1min 41.453 secs
13.Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda 1min 41.529 secs
14.Kenny RobertsUSA Team Suzuki MotoGP1min 41.913 secs
15.Nobuatsu AokiJPN Team Suzuki 1min 42.121 secs
16.Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha 1min 42.27 secs
17.Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha 1min 43.467 secs
18.Vittoriano Guareschi ITA Ducati Marlboro 1min 43.643 secs
19.James EllisonGBR Blata WCM1min 44.041 secs
20.Shane ByrneGBR Team KR-KTM1min 44.272 secs
21. Roberto Rolfo ITA D'Antin Ducati 1min 44.395 secs
22.Franco BattainiITA Blata WCM1min 45.379 secs

Comparative lap times:

Spanish Grand Prix - 02/5/2004:Pole position: Valentino Rossi ITA Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1min 40.818secs Fastest lap: Sete Gibernau SPA Camel Honda 1min 53.508secs (wet)