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Monday, February 26, 2007
Final Test Gets Underway for Yamaha at Rain-Hit Jerez
News - Jerez, Spain 23/02/2007
Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards started their final pre-season preparations today as the Official MotoGP Test began in Jerez. The Andalusian circuit, which will play host to the second round of the MotoGP World Championship in March, will provide the teams with the last chance to fine-tune their 800cc MotoGP motorcycles before the season gets started in Qatar. After three consecutive races in warmer climes, it was a wet return to European shores this morning when the MotoGP paddock was subjected to a heavy rainstorm and as a result Rossi and Edwards were not able get out on track until the early afternoon. However even after that the low temperatures meant that track failed to dry properly and it remained quite damp in places, causing the Yamaha pair to take it gently throughout the afternoon as they concentrated on trying to find the right set-up ahead of a hopefully drier day tomorrow.
The timesheets were topped today by Honda rider Marco Melandri, who set a time of 1’42.563, a full two seconds off Rossi’s old 990cc lap record, which still stands from 2005. Edwards came in at 11th position with best lap of 1’43.845 with Rossi behind him in 13th after a lap of 1’44.494.
Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards started their final pre-season preparations today as the Official MotoGP Test began in Jerez. The Andalusian circuit, which will play host to the second round of the MotoGP World Championship in March, will provide the teams with the last chance to fine-tune their 800cc MotoGP motorcycles before the season gets started in Qatar. After three consecutive races in warmer climes, it was a wet return to European shores this morning when the MotoGP paddock was subjected to a heavy rainstorm and as a result Rossi and Edwards were not able get out on track until the early afternoon. However even after that the low temperatures meant that track failed to dry properly and it remained quite damp in places, causing the Yamaha pair to take it gently throughout the afternoon as they concentrated on trying to find the right set-up ahead of a hopefully drier day tomorrow.
The timesheets were topped today by Honda rider Marco Melandri, who set a time of 1’42.563, a full two seconds off Rossi’s old 990cc lap record, which still stands from 2005. Edwards came in at 11th position with best lap of 1’43.845 with Rossi behind him in 13th after a lap of 1’44.494.
Colin Edwards, Position: 11thTime: 1’43.845 Laps: 38
“Actually that was a really useful day for us, despite the weather! Obviously the times don’t really show it, but I’m not worried about those because the conditions really limited what we could do with regards to going fast. It wasn’t nice out there with the patchy conditions and it was really quite dangerous; it was obvious that whoever took the most risks was going to be fastest today! Anyway, we came here with our ‘smooth-track’ setting which worked so well in Qatar and tried it here, which is much bumpier. The good thing about today is that we think we now understand why it doesn’t work so well on bumpy tracks and so tomorrow we’re going to work on changing that and getting it to work everywhere. That’s the aim for tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be successful in that task, which will put us in much better stead as far as adjusting the bike to different tracks goes. We were obviously nowhere near our times from December today but we know the bike is better than it was then so I am sure that once the track dries out properly and it gets a bit warmer, we’ll get a lot faster.”
Valentin Rossi Position: 13th Time: 1’44.494 Laps:36
“The most important thing about this test for us is that it gives us the chance to see how our new bike has changed from the test here in December to now. We’ve had three tests in between and the bike has changed quite a bit, plus we’ve had some new parts for the engine and the bike is a bit faster. Today wasn’t great because the conditions were bad, it didn’t really dry out all day so it wasn’t possible to go so fast. Anyway though, I am impressed at some of the times of my rivals in these conditions! I was quite fast at the start when it was quite wet, but really it wasn’t enough to do a real wet-weather test. So after today we still can’t see how much we’ve improved from the last test, but hopefully tomorrow will be better. We’ve found some interesting things though and I think it will be better tomorrow. Of course the objective of this weekend is to be ready for the race when we return here and I hope we will also be able to go faster than we did here in December. The biggest changes since we were here last have been made to the suspension, especially in the front, but today we couldn’t really see the potential of these changes. If it becomes warmer we will also try to find some good tyres for this track, so let’s hope for sunshine!”
Davide Brivio, Team Director
“Today was a bit disappointing because we obviously have a lot of work to get through here and the weather really delayed us, but anyway both riders found out some interesting things about their bikes in these conditions and gathered some good information. We hope that the weather will be better tomorrow so we will be able to see how much our bike has improved since the last test here. It’s a bit cold at this time of year, but hopefully the sun will come out and we will be able to really get started!”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’42.563
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’42.634
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’42.706
4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’43.206
5. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’43.214
6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’43.315
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’43.476
8. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’43.673
9. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’43.687
10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’43.817
11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’43.845
12. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’44.052
13. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’44.494
14. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1’44.659
15. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’45.081
16. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha1’45.208
17. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1’45.603
18. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1’45.826
19. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’45.901
20. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’45.937
21. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1’47.191
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1’47.696
23. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1’49.365
“Actually that was a really useful day for us, despite the weather! Obviously the times don’t really show it, but I’m not worried about those because the conditions really limited what we could do with regards to going fast. It wasn’t nice out there with the patchy conditions and it was really quite dangerous; it was obvious that whoever took the most risks was going to be fastest today! Anyway, we came here with our ‘smooth-track’ setting which worked so well in Qatar and tried it here, which is much bumpier. The good thing about today is that we think we now understand why it doesn’t work so well on bumpy tracks and so tomorrow we’re going to work on changing that and getting it to work everywhere. That’s the aim for tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be successful in that task, which will put us in much better stead as far as adjusting the bike to different tracks goes. We were obviously nowhere near our times from December today but we know the bike is better than it was then so I am sure that once the track dries out properly and it gets a bit warmer, we’ll get a lot faster.”
Valentin Rossi Position: 13th Time: 1’44.494 Laps:36
“The most important thing about this test for us is that it gives us the chance to see how our new bike has changed from the test here in December to now. We’ve had three tests in between and the bike has changed quite a bit, plus we’ve had some new parts for the engine and the bike is a bit faster. Today wasn’t great because the conditions were bad, it didn’t really dry out all day so it wasn’t possible to go so fast. Anyway though, I am impressed at some of the times of my rivals in these conditions! I was quite fast at the start when it was quite wet, but really it wasn’t enough to do a real wet-weather test. So after today we still can’t see how much we’ve improved from the last test, but hopefully tomorrow will be better. We’ve found some interesting things though and I think it will be better tomorrow. Of course the objective of this weekend is to be ready for the race when we return here and I hope we will also be able to go faster than we did here in December. The biggest changes since we were here last have been made to the suspension, especially in the front, but today we couldn’t really see the potential of these changes. If it becomes warmer we will also try to find some good tyres for this track, so let’s hope for sunshine!”
Davide Brivio, Team Director
“Today was a bit disappointing because we obviously have a lot of work to get through here and the weather really delayed us, but anyway both riders found out some interesting things about their bikes in these conditions and gathered some good information. We hope that the weather will be better tomorrow so we will be able to see how much our bike has improved since the last test here. It’s a bit cold at this time of year, but hopefully the sun will come out and we will be able to really get started!”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’42.563
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’42.634
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’42.706
4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’43.206
5. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’43.214
6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’43.315
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’43.476
8. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’43.673
9. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’43.687
10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’43.817
11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’43.845
12. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’44.052
13. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’44.494
14. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1’44.659
15. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’45.081
16. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha1’45.208
17. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1’45.603
18. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1’45.826
19. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’45.901
20. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’45.937
21. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1’47.191
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1’47.696
23. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1’49.365
Jerez Lap Record (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 - 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 1’39.064
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Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 - 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 1’39.064
Promising day for Rossi and Edwards after foggy start in Jerez
News - Jerez, Spain 24/02/2007
Following yesterday’s heavy rain, thick fog delayed the start of the second day of testing in Jerez this morning before giving way to sunshine and a dry track, providing the Yamaha Factory Team with the chance to get some important work under their belts. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both focused on general set-up work today and were pleased to see good improvements to the performance of their 800cc Yamahas since their last test here in November. Rossi and Edwards were consistently fast throughout the day, with Rossi topping the time sheets until the last stages of the session before being overtaken by Marco Melandri (Honda), who set the day’s best lap in a time of 1’40.383. Rossi finished just behind him in a time of 1’40.408, under the existing 990cc lap record, which he himself set in 2005. Edwards, having been in the top three for most of the day, also slipped down the order at the end as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres ahead of tomorrow’s 40 minute timed ‘qualifying’ shoot-out, which begins at 1405 CET.
Valentino Rossi (2nd, 1’40.408, 65 Laps)
“Today was a very good day for us and we’ve done some great work. After today we’re happy because we can understand that we did a great job when we were here in November. We started with the same setting and the bike was fast straight away, then afterwards we tried a new setting from January and February, with the suspension and other things, and it felt even better. I had a great feeling with the front and also with the rear, and I had a lot of confidence with my bike. The balance was good under acceleration and I was able to go fast and in a good rhythm. Tomorrow we’ve got some more things to try and also some more tyres from Michelin, so we hope to make even more improvements. We’ll also get the chance to try a qualifying tyre and to see how we go against our rivals in the ‘qualifying’ session, which will be interesting. So anyway, we’ve got another day and some more work to do, but the situation is already good and I am feeling happy.”
Colin Edwards (9th, 1’41.204, 69 Laps)
“Today we started where we left off yesterday, trying to work out how to adapt the good setting from Qatar to this track. We figured a few things out in the morning and kept on making progress and actually what we’ve found is quite a long way from the Qatar setting and also from the old setting we used here, but anyway it works great! It felt good all day and I was doing consistently quick times, before we put in our ‘first-choice’ tyre from Qatar near the end and then it felt really fantastic. It really is a great tyre, so hopefully Michelin will have lots of those for me this season! I was right up there on the time sheets until the end when a few people put qualifiers in, but that wasn’t on our agenda today and we’ll have a go at that tomorrow. Of course there’s the competition tomorrow and it’s definitely the day to make a statement, so we’ll see how it goes!
Following yesterday’s heavy rain, thick fog delayed the start of the second day of testing in Jerez this morning before giving way to sunshine and a dry track, providing the Yamaha Factory Team with the chance to get some important work under their belts. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both focused on general set-up work today and were pleased to see good improvements to the performance of their 800cc Yamahas since their last test here in November. Rossi and Edwards were consistently fast throughout the day, with Rossi topping the time sheets until the last stages of the session before being overtaken by Marco Melandri (Honda), who set the day’s best lap in a time of 1’40.383. Rossi finished just behind him in a time of 1’40.408, under the existing 990cc lap record, which he himself set in 2005. Edwards, having been in the top three for most of the day, also slipped down the order at the end as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres ahead of tomorrow’s 40 minute timed ‘qualifying’ shoot-out, which begins at 1405 CET.
Valentino Rossi (2nd, 1’40.408, 65 Laps)
“Today was a very good day for us and we’ve done some great work. After today we’re happy because we can understand that we did a great job when we were here in November. We started with the same setting and the bike was fast straight away, then afterwards we tried a new setting from January and February, with the suspension and other things, and it felt even better. I had a great feeling with the front and also with the rear, and I had a lot of confidence with my bike. The balance was good under acceleration and I was able to go fast and in a good rhythm. Tomorrow we’ve got some more things to try and also some more tyres from Michelin, so we hope to make even more improvements. We’ll also get the chance to try a qualifying tyre and to see how we go against our rivals in the ‘qualifying’ session, which will be interesting. So anyway, we’ve got another day and some more work to do, but the situation is already good and I am feeling happy.”
Colin Edwards (9th, 1’41.204, 69 Laps)
“Today we started where we left off yesterday, trying to work out how to adapt the good setting from Qatar to this track. We figured a few things out in the morning and kept on making progress and actually what we’ve found is quite a long way from the Qatar setting and also from the old setting we used here, but anyway it works great! It felt good all day and I was doing consistently quick times, before we put in our ‘first-choice’ tyre from Qatar near the end and then it felt really fantastic. It really is a great tyre, so hopefully Michelin will have lots of those for me this season! I was right up there on the time sheets until the end when a few people put qualifiers in, but that wasn’t on our agenda today and we’ll have a go at that tomorrow. Of course there’s the competition tomorrow and it’s definitely the day to make a statement, so we’ll see how it goes!
Davide Brivio – Team Director
“Today we did a great job with Valentino, we found a very good balance and a good setting and he was able to be fast from his first lap and always at the top, until the very end. It was also a good day for Colin and he was also fast throughout. Tomorrow is our last day of testing before the championship starts so it’s very important, then we also have the competition in the afternoon. We’re in good shape with both riders so it should be an interesting day.”
Lap Times:
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’40.383
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’40.408
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’40.581
4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’40.748
5. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’40.952
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’41.071
7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’41.096
8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.151
9. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’41.204 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’41.234
11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’41.259
12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’41.269
13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’41.363
14. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’41.590
15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.777
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’41.783
17. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’41.845
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’42.364
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1’43.209
20. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1’43.610
21. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1’44.143
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1’44.458
23. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1’44.589
“Today we did a great job with Valentino, we found a very good balance and a good setting and he was able to be fast from his first lap and always at the top, until the very end. It was also a good day for Colin and he was also fast throughout. Tomorrow is our last day of testing before the championship starts so it’s very important, then we also have the competition in the afternoon. We’re in good shape with both riders so it should be an interesting day.”
Lap Times:
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’40.383
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’40.408
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’40.581
4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’40.748
5. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’40.952
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’41.071
7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’41.096
8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.151
9. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’41.204 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’41.234
11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’41.259
12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’41.269
13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’41.363
14. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’41.590
15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1’41.777
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’41.783
17. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’41.845
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’42.364
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1’43.209
20. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1’43.610
21. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1’44.143
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1’44.458
23. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1’44.589
Jerez Lap Record (990cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 – 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (990cc): Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 – 1’39.064
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Jerez Best Lap (990cc): Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 – 1’39.064
Rossi ready to race after masterful performance in Jerez
News - Jerez, Spain 25/02/2007
Valentino Rossi ended his pre-season preparations in fine style today after taking top honours in the traditional 40-minute ‘Qualifying’ Practice session at Jerez, smashing last year’s pole time and becoming the fastest man ever round the Spanish circuit in the process. There was double satisfaction for Yamaha as Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards, who took this same accolade in treacherously wet conditions at Catalunya last year, finished the session third.
After a one-two in this morning’s free practice, Rossi and Edwards were feeling confident for this afternoon’s timed shoot-out and with several qualifying tyres each to try during the session, had plenty of chances to see what their 800cc Yamahas could do under pressure. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) took an early lead before Dani Pedrosa (Honda) took control with just over half the session gone. Rossi soon joined him at the top and an exciting battle ensued between the Italian and the Spaniard as they swapped the lead several times over the last twenty minutes, with Edwards remaining in close contention throughout. In the closing stages of the session Rossi produced a perfect lap to set an outstanding time of 1’38.394, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than Capirossi’s pole time from 2006. Pedrosa was unable to find an answer despite crossing the line seconds before the chequered flag and mounting a last-gasp effort to usurp Rossi from the top spot.
Today’s result marks the end of a long but satisfying pre-season testing campaign for the Yamaha Factory Team, who leave Jerez in good shape and high spirits ahead of the first race of the season in Qatar on 10th March.
Valentino Rossi ended his pre-season preparations in fine style today after taking top honours in the traditional 40-minute ‘Qualifying’ Practice session at Jerez, smashing last year’s pole time and becoming the fastest man ever round the Spanish circuit in the process. There was double satisfaction for Yamaha as Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards, who took this same accolade in treacherously wet conditions at Catalunya last year, finished the session third.
After a one-two in this morning’s free practice, Rossi and Edwards were feeling confident for this afternoon’s timed shoot-out and with several qualifying tyres each to try during the session, had plenty of chances to see what their 800cc Yamahas could do under pressure. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) took an early lead before Dani Pedrosa (Honda) took control with just over half the session gone. Rossi soon joined him at the top and an exciting battle ensued between the Italian and the Spaniard as they swapped the lead several times over the last twenty minutes, with Edwards remaining in close contention throughout. In the closing stages of the session Rossi produced a perfect lap to set an outstanding time of 1’38.394, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than Capirossi’s pole time from 2006. Pedrosa was unable to find an answer despite crossing the line seconds before the chequered flag and mounting a last-gasp effort to usurp Rossi from the top spot.
Today’s result marks the end of a long but satisfying pre-season testing campaign for the Yamaha Factory Team, who leave Jerez in good shape and high spirits ahead of the first race of the season in Qatar on 10th March.
Valentino Rossi (1st, 1’38.394, 17 Laps)
“After this morning, when my Yamaha worked very well, I knew that I had a chance to try to win this competition. However I knew it was going to be a hard fight as well and I definitely expected Pedrosa to be as strong as he was. It was a fun battle with him, the first real one of the year! Anyway with every qualifying tyre I tried it felt better and better and I was able to go faster; in the end my time was fantastic and my Yamaha really flew! The most important thing about this is that it shows what great work we’ve done over the winter, everyone has tried so hard and this is a nice way to say thank you to them all. This new bike is working really well with the new tyres, both with race and qualifying tyres, so this is very important too and I would like to say thank you to Michelin. It was fun to see just how far I can push this new bike and it has answered me brilliantly, I felt very confident in my Yamaha today and I was able to ride it on the limit. Colin was also very fast so this once again shows how well our bike is working. Of course this isn’t even the first race and now we have to wait until Qatar, but we’re definitely in good shape and I am excited about the season ahead!”
Colin Edwards (3rd, 1’39.300, 16 Laps)
“That was good fun today! This morning everything really came together for both Valentino and I and we knew that we were going to be able to push hard this afternoon. The Michelin qualifiers worked great and, after some of the problems we had last year, that’s a massive relief for us. I had a few more issues than Valentino in the timed session, nothing serious but our setting wasn’t quite the same as his and I wasn’t able to match his pace, but we know what we need to work on and anyway we were still in the top three and pretty fast. Honestly both Valentino and I are just so happy with everything, it all seems to work and it seems all the effort over the winter has paid off this time! It’s good to have finally finished testing and to be leaving here on such a high note; it gives everyone that extra kick for the first race. I can’t wait to finally get to Qatar now and start racing!”
“After this morning, when my Yamaha worked very well, I knew that I had a chance to try to win this competition. However I knew it was going to be a hard fight as well and I definitely expected Pedrosa to be as strong as he was. It was a fun battle with him, the first real one of the year! Anyway with every qualifying tyre I tried it felt better and better and I was able to go faster; in the end my time was fantastic and my Yamaha really flew! The most important thing about this is that it shows what great work we’ve done over the winter, everyone has tried so hard and this is a nice way to say thank you to them all. This new bike is working really well with the new tyres, both with race and qualifying tyres, so this is very important too and I would like to say thank you to Michelin. It was fun to see just how far I can push this new bike and it has answered me brilliantly, I felt very confident in my Yamaha today and I was able to ride it on the limit. Colin was also very fast so this once again shows how well our bike is working. Of course this isn’t even the first race and now we have to wait until Qatar, but we’re definitely in good shape and I am excited about the season ahead!”
Colin Edwards (3rd, 1’39.300, 16 Laps)
“That was good fun today! This morning everything really came together for both Valentino and I and we knew that we were going to be able to push hard this afternoon. The Michelin qualifiers worked great and, after some of the problems we had last year, that’s a massive relief for us. I had a few more issues than Valentino in the timed session, nothing serious but our setting wasn’t quite the same as his and I wasn’t able to match his pace, but we know what we need to work on and anyway we were still in the top three and pretty fast. Honestly both Valentino and I are just so happy with everything, it all seems to work and it seems all the effort over the winter has paid off this time! It’s good to have finally finished testing and to be leaving here on such a high note; it gives everyone that extra kick for the first race. I can’t wait to finally get to Qatar now and start racing!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“This is only an appetiser before the real racing begins, but anyway it’s always nice to win this competition for the third time in four years and it gives everyone real confidence for the first race. The fact that Valentino was on top and Colin third is really great and it’s especially important that it’s happened here at Jerez, where we struggled quite a bit last year. This is very satisfying for everyone and it shows we’ve worked very well in the right direction throughout winter testing. Of course the race is a different story, so now we will focus on Qatar and hope it goes well for us there too.”
Lap Times
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1'38.394
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1'38.527
3. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1'39.300
4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1'39.556
5. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1'39.832
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1'39.873
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1'39.887
8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1'40.043
9. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1'40.083
10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1'40.100
11. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1'40.202
12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1'40.242
13. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1'40.307
14. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1'40.396
15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1'40.551
16. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1'40.681
17. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1'41.038
18. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 1'41.805
19. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1'42.215
20. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati 1'43.008
21. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 1'43.026
22. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Ducati 1'43.073
23. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 1'43.202
Jerez Lap Record (990cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 – 1’40.596
Jerez Best Lap (800cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2007 – 1’38.394
Friday, February 23, 2007
Yamaha Factory Racing Team To Run In Special Blue Livery In Jerez
News - Jerez, Spain 22/02/2007
Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP Team will take part in the Official MotoGP Test in Jerez this weekend sporting a special blue Yamaha livery.
The livery reflects the familiar blue colours used in other Yamaha racing disciplines and also makes a direct connection with the blue colours and the famous Yamaha speedblock stripe used on the high-performance Yamaha R1 and R6 machines throughout the world.
The one-off livery will be used by Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards over the three days of the test, including during the traditional televised timed ‘qualifying’ session on Sunday.
Davide Brivio, Team Director
“We’ve chosen this important pre-season event to run in full Yamaha livery and it’s a nice chance to thank everyone in the company who has worked so hard over the winter. This could be the only opportunity to see Yamaha MotoGP bikes in this special blue livery as the design and colour will change again for the first MotoGP race in Qatar. I hope our fans and the all Yamaha network will appreciate and enjoy this special event!”
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Yamaha head back to Europe after successful Qatar test
News - Losail, Qatar 15/02/2007
The final day of MotoGP testing in Qatar today saw the times tumble yet again, as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres and three of them, Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi included, dipped under the 1’55 mark. As usual on the final day of a test, both Rossi and team-mate Colin Edwards tried their 800cc Yamaha’s on a long-run, enabling them to gather crucial information about tyre performance and fuelconsumption ahead of the first race here in three week’s time. Edwards’ was in fact forced to do two extended sessions after his initial long-run, started towards the end of the morning, was red-flagged when Suzuki rider John Hopkins crashed, breaking a bone in his foot.
After topping the time sheets for the last two days, the Yamaha pair slipped down the order a little today, Rossi coming in third behind Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 1’55.471) and Hopkins (1’55.825) with a time of 1’55.954, set in the morning session using a Michelin qualifying tyre. After running into a few small problems with the qualifying tyre, Edwards was unable to better his time from yesterday and finished the day fifth with a best lap of 1’56.371.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will now head to European shores for the first time since December for the Official MotoGP Test on 23rd, 24th and 25th February, at Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain. This will
be the final pre-season test before the Grand Prix paddock reconvenes in Qatar for the first race of the season on 10th March.
Valentino Rossi (3rd, 1’55.954, 62 Laps)
“It’s been a good test overall, despite running into a few problems. Like I said yesterday, it’s better to find the problems now so we have the chance to fix them! As I expected, the other riders have improved a lot over these three days and Colin and I weren’t able to stay at the top today. Still, we’re quite fast and our bike is quite good, so we’re happy. The long run was okay, the situation with the rear tyre wasn’t perfect but we knew it wasn’t going to be and nothing happened that we didn’t expect. Anyway, we’re not worried about it and we know how to go from here. I was still able to do 1’56.5s okay, so I think if the race was tomorrow then we would be in a position to fight for the victory, as would Colin. We still have one more test in Jerez so we’ve got the chance to do some more good work and try to make our bike perfect for the first race. We’re still working on the suspension and stability, we’ve talked a lot with our engineers and we’ve got some good ideas to try next week. We’ve been sharing a lot of information in our garage between Colin and I; he’s tried my settings and I’ve tried his which has been very helpful. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how the bike
will go in Jerez next week.”
Colin Edwards (5th, 1’56.371, 61 Laps)
“We were a little bit unlucky today; we wanted to finish up early so we started our long-run in the morning and it was all going well when the red flags came out after about 14 laps. I was doing pretty good times in
that and was happy with how things were going, so it was pity I had to stop. Anyway, our engineers needed me to have another go this afternoon as we really needed to get some information about the fuel consumption. Unfortunately we couldn’t have the same tyre again and we had to use something a bit older, so the second long run wasn’t so great, but we got all the information we needed. We tried a qualifier this morning and actually we had a tiny bit of movement with that which was asurprise after how fantastic it was in Sepang. I couldn’t quite better my time from yesterday, when I was on race tyres. Valentino had a go later and I think he fixed the issue, so we’re not panicking about that. It’s been a really good test and I think we’ve got a lot of options with this bike. Now it’s on to something different again in Jerez so we’ll see how things go there, hopefully we can continue the good work.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“It’s been a very interesting and important test for us and both riders have shown that they’re in a position to fight at the top. We’ve got a few areas which we need to work on, but overall we’re happy. It’s nice to see both riders being consistently fast and having fun riding the bike and it’s great to see such good teamwork, with both crews working closely together and sharing all their information. This really helps us in the task of developing the bike. Now we go to Jerez for the final test and it’s going to be another very important three days for us all; our rivals are strong and we need to be in the best possible shape when we come back here for the first race.
Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’55.471
2. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1’55.825
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’55.954
4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’56.315
5. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’56.371
6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’56.753
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’56.807
8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’56.834
9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’56.950
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’56.980
11. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’56.980
12. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’57.232
13. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’57.246
14. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’57.269
15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’57.365
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’57.408
17. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’57.497
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’58.379
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1’58.974
20. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2’00.455
21. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2’02.081
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 2’02.612
Read More......
The final day of MotoGP testing in Qatar today saw the times tumble yet again, as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres and three of them, Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi included, dipped under the 1’55 mark. As usual on the final day of a test, both Rossi and team-mate Colin Edwards tried their 800cc Yamaha’s on a long-run, enabling them to gather crucial information about tyre performance and fuelconsumption ahead of the first race here in three week’s time. Edwards’ was in fact forced to do two extended sessions after his initial long-run, started towards the end of the morning, was red-flagged when Suzuki rider John Hopkins crashed, breaking a bone in his foot.
After topping the time sheets for the last two days, the Yamaha pair slipped down the order a little today, Rossi coming in third behind Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 1’55.471) and Hopkins (1’55.825) with a time of 1’55.954, set in the morning session using a Michelin qualifying tyre. After running into a few small problems with the qualifying tyre, Edwards was unable to better his time from yesterday and finished the day fifth with a best lap of 1’56.371.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will now head to European shores for the first time since December for the Official MotoGP Test on 23rd, 24th and 25th February, at Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain. This will
be the final pre-season test before the Grand Prix paddock reconvenes in Qatar for the first race of the season on 10th March.
Valentino Rossi (3rd, 1’55.954, 62 Laps)
“It’s been a good test overall, despite running into a few problems. Like I said yesterday, it’s better to find the problems now so we have the chance to fix them! As I expected, the other riders have improved a lot over these three days and Colin and I weren’t able to stay at the top today. Still, we’re quite fast and our bike is quite good, so we’re happy. The long run was okay, the situation with the rear tyre wasn’t perfect but we knew it wasn’t going to be and nothing happened that we didn’t expect. Anyway, we’re not worried about it and we know how to go from here. I was still able to do 1’56.5s okay, so I think if the race was tomorrow then we would be in a position to fight for the victory, as would Colin. We still have one more test in Jerez so we’ve got the chance to do some more good work and try to make our bike perfect for the first race. We’re still working on the suspension and stability, we’ve talked a lot with our engineers and we’ve got some good ideas to try next week. We’ve been sharing a lot of information in our garage between Colin and I; he’s tried my settings and I’ve tried his which has been very helpful. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how the bike
will go in Jerez next week.”
Colin Edwards (5th, 1’56.371, 61 Laps)
“We were a little bit unlucky today; we wanted to finish up early so we started our long-run in the morning and it was all going well when the red flags came out after about 14 laps. I was doing pretty good times in
that and was happy with how things were going, so it was pity I had to stop. Anyway, our engineers needed me to have another go this afternoon as we really needed to get some information about the fuel consumption. Unfortunately we couldn’t have the same tyre again and we had to use something a bit older, so the second long run wasn’t so great, but we got all the information we needed. We tried a qualifier this morning and actually we had a tiny bit of movement with that which was asurprise after how fantastic it was in Sepang. I couldn’t quite better my time from yesterday, when I was on race tyres. Valentino had a go later and I think he fixed the issue, so we’re not panicking about that. It’s been a really good test and I think we’ve got a lot of options with this bike. Now it’s on to something different again in Jerez so we’ll see how things go there, hopefully we can continue the good work.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“It’s been a very interesting and important test for us and both riders have shown that they’re in a position to fight at the top. We’ve got a few areas which we need to work on, but overall we’re happy. It’s nice to see both riders being consistently fast and having fun riding the bike and it’s great to see such good teamwork, with both crews working closely together and sharing all their information. This really helps us in the task of developing the bike. Now we go to Jerez for the final test and it’s going to be another very important three days for us all; our rivals are strong and we need to be in the best possible shape when we come back here for the first race.
Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’55.471
2. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1’55.825
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’55.954
4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’56.315
5. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’56.371
6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’56.753
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’56.807
8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’56.834
9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’56.950
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’56.980
11. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’56.980
12. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’57.232
13. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’57.246
14. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’57.269
15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’57.365
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’57.408
17. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’57.497
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’58.379
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1’58.974
20. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2’00.455
21. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2’02.081
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 2’02.612
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Edwards and Rossi continue to shine In Qatar
News - Losail, Qatar 14/02/2007
Colin Edwards maintained his exemplary pre-season form by topping the unofficial time-sheets once again at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar today, with team-mate Valentino Rossi hot on his heels. The Yamaha pairing continue to forge ahead with the development of their 800cc Yamahas and their hard work is reaping rewards, with both riders feeling confident about the impending season.
Edwards best lap of the day, an outstanding time of 1’56.296 set in the morning session, was over a second under the current 990cc lap record. Meanwhile Rossi bettered his time from yesterday with a lap of 1.56.537, despite running into a few set-up problems which he will look to iron-out tomorrow. Both riders will now aim to complete a long-run on the last day before they fly back to Europe for the final ‘dress-rehearsal’ in Jerez ahead of the first race.
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 1'56.296 Laps: 56
“Today was impressive! We got our second-choice front tyre from Michelin and it was instantly better than the third-choice one we had yesterday, it gave me a lot more confidence in the front-end. We made some big changes to the setting last night and we’re now in a different realm, close to what Valentino was running yesterday. It’s basically just something that works well on a flat track with no bumps and it felt really good. We made a small change to the rear shock and then we were just testing tyres for the rest of the day. We tested a series of right-side rubbers and then a series of left-side rubbers, searching for the best combination for the race. The times are great but they’re coming quite easily, I really haven’t pushed out of my comfort zone at all yet. This afternoon was slower because of the wind but at the end of the day, with the last rear tyre, I got my head down for a couple of laps and we still did a 56.4! We’ll do a long run tomorrow and see how it all works out then; hopefully we can stay on top and make it a clean sheet for the test!”
“Today was impressive! We got our second-choice front tyre from Michelin and it was instantly better than the third-choice one we had yesterday, it gave me a lot more confidence in the front-end. We made some big changes to the setting last night and we’re now in a different realm, close to what Valentino was running yesterday. It’s basically just something that works well on a flat track with no bumps and it felt really good. We made a small change to the rear shock and then we were just testing tyres for the rest of the day. We tested a series of right-side rubbers and then a series of left-side rubbers, searching for the best combination for the race. The times are great but they’re coming quite easily, I really haven’t pushed out of my comfort zone at all yet. This afternoon was slower because of the wind but at the end of the day, with the last rear tyre, I got my head down for a couple of laps and we still did a 56.4! We’ll do a long run tomorrow and see how it all works out then; hopefully we can stay on top and make it a clean sheet for the test!”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 1'56.537 Laps: 62
“So, another fast day for Yamaha and I am happy that we’re one and two again. Actually, today we ran into a few problems which we need to work on, but anyway this is expected when you’re getting faster and faster and it’s much better that we find the problems now than in the race! Again we need to work to improve the stability of the bike under braking and this is a very delicate thing because we don’t want to sacrifice the agility of our bike. We need to find the right balance. We tried some more tyres for Michelin and today we didn’t find anything so great in this area, but we made some decisions about what to try for our long run tomorrow. We’re fast and we know we’re at a good level, but we can’t afford to relax because our rivals are getting closer and I think it’s going to be a very great battle this season. Tomorrow we’ll try to fix the problems we found today, we have some ideas and I am sure we can have a good last day.”
“So, another fast day for Yamaha and I am happy that we’re one and two again. Actually, today we ran into a few problems which we need to work on, but anyway this is expected when you’re getting faster and faster and it’s much better that we find the problems now than in the race! Again we need to work to improve the stability of the bike under braking and this is a very delicate thing because we don’t want to sacrifice the agility of our bike. We need to find the right balance. We tried some more tyres for Michelin and today we didn’t find anything so great in this area, but we made some decisions about what to try for our long run tomorrow. We’re fast and we know we’re at a good level, but we can’t afford to relax because our rivals are getting closer and I think it’s going to be a very great battle this season. Tomorrow we’ll try to fix the problems we found today, we have some ideas and I am sure we can have a good last day.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1'56.296
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1'56.537
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1'56.712
4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1'56.874
5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1'57.040
6. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1'57.065
7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1'57.274
8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1'57.288
9. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1'57.504
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1'57.591
11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1'57.629
12. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1'57.698
13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1'57.770
14. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 1'57.999
15. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1'58.513
16. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1'58.610
17. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1'58.990
18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1'59.138
19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1'59.617
20. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'02.453
Qatar Lap Record (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 1’57.305
Qatar Best Lap (990cc)
Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006 - 1’55.683
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Yamaha Factory Racing out in front in Qatar
News - Losail, Qatar 13/02/2007
Yamaha Factory Racing commenced the latest stage of their pre-season testing schedule today, joining the rest of their MotoGP counterparts on track at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. This third test of the season is arguably the most important so far, as Losail will play host to the first race of the season in just over three week’s time. After two successive tests in Malaysia, the change of venue offers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards the chance to gauge the performance of their 800cc Yamahas in different conditions, as well as to measure themselves alongside a full line-up of their rivals.
Yamaha Factory Racing commenced the latest stage of their pre-season testing schedule today, joining the rest of their MotoGP counterparts on track at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. This third test of the season is arguably the most important so far, as Losail will play host to the first race of the season in just over three week’s time. After two successive tests in Malaysia, the change of venue offers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards the chance to gauge the performance of their 800cc Yamahas in different conditions, as well as to measure themselves alongside a full line-up of their rivals.
Once again the new 800cc bikes were proven to be just as fast as their 990 predecessors, with five riders lapping under the current lap record, set by Rossi on route to victory here last year. Edwards and Rossi were out in front of the field, with the American posting the fastest lap of the day in a time of 1’56 774. Rossi was just over a tenth of a second behind him with a best time of 1’56.891, followed by Casey Stoner (Ducati) with a time of 1’56.960.
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 1’56.774 Laps: 67
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 1’56.774 Laps: 67
“We’re coming here off the back of a fantastic test in Sepang and we’ve started on pretty good form again today. Things aren’t totally perfect; the first-choice front tyre that we found in Malaysia and which I was super-happy with isn’t available here at the moment and I felt I was lacking a bit of feeling in the morning, but we changed a few things on the setting and at the end of the day everything made sense. Despite the good time we’ve definitely got room for improvement, which we hope will come with a couple of different tyres tomorrow and some new things we want to try on the setting. Anyway, the really encouraging thing is that we’ve come to a new track and the bike has worked well straight out of the box; let’s hope that’s the case everywhere this year! We did a lot of work on the braking in Sepang and we don’t have any problems with that here, so it looks like we fixed those problems. It’s been a very productive first day in every aspect.”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 1’56.891 Laps: 59
“This is a very important test because the first race is here in just a few weeks, so we’re working really hard in order to have the bike ready for that! Today was quite good and I am happy with the work we’ve done as a team; we were fast straight away and it’s good to see that our bike works well at a different track. We continued to develop some things with the setting and we also worked on tyres with Michelin. This is a hard track for them so it’s important we are ready with the tyres for the first race. The bike felt very good from the start and you can ride it well; we don’t have any chatter, or any particular problems at all, so we’re in a better position than last year. I am also happy because Colin is fast; in fact, he’s a little bit faster than me! This is a good sign though, because it shows how good our bike is. Of course we still have areas to improve and so we will continue to work hard for the next two days.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“It was a good start to the test for us, because both riders are fast and the bike seems to work well here. For sure everybody else will also improve in the coming days, so we can’t afford to be complacent, but we will continue to work as hard as we can and hopefully we can keep going like this.”
“This is a very important test because the first race is here in just a few weeks, so we’re working really hard in order to have the bike ready for that! Today was quite good and I am happy with the work we’ve done as a team; we were fast straight away and it’s good to see that our bike works well at a different track. We continued to develop some things with the setting and we also worked on tyres with Michelin. This is a hard track for them so it’s important we are ready with the tyres for the first race. The bike felt very good from the start and you can ride it well; we don’t have any chatter, or any particular problems at all, so we’re in a better position than last year. I am also happy because Colin is fast; in fact, he’s a little bit faster than me! This is a good sign though, because it shows how good our bike is. Of course we still have areas to improve and so we will continue to work hard for the next two days.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“It was a good start to the test for us, because both riders are fast and the bike seems to work well here. For sure everybody else will also improve in the coming days, so we can’t afford to be complacent, but we will continue to work as hard as we can and hopefully we can keep going like this.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1'56.774
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1'56.891
3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1'56.960
4. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1'57.064
5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1'57.070
6. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1'57.350
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1'57.360
8. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1'57.370
9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1'57.690
10. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1'57.700
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1'57.730
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1'57.760
13. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 1'57.800
14. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1'57.850
15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1'57.900
16. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1'58.408
17. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1'58.740
18. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1'59.400
19. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1'59.700
20. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1'59.966
21. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'01.667
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) 2'10.341
Qatar Lap Record (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 1’57.305
Qatar Best Lap (990cc)
Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006 - 1’55.683
Read More......
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1'56.774
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1'56.891
3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1'56.960
4. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1'57.064
5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1'57.070
6. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1'57.350
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1'57.360
8. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1'57.370
9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1'57.690
10. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1'57.700
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1'57.730
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1'57.760
13. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 1'57.800
14. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1'57.850
15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1'57.900
16. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1'58.408
17. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 1'58.740
18. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1'59.400
19. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1'59.700
20. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1'59.966
21. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'01.667
22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) 2'10.341
Qatar Lap Record (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 1’57.305
Qatar Best Lap (990cc)
Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006 - 1’55.683
Monday, February 12, 2007
Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange
PRICE: Click Here for Pricing
MANUFACTURER: Symantec Corporation
PRODUCT URL: http://www.symantec.com
Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange provides high-performance, integrated mail protection against viruses, spam and security risks while enforcing company policies on Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 servers. By purchasing a license key, a Symantec Premium AntiSpam subscription can be integrated to provide best-of-breed spam detection without additional administration, installation, or hardware. Read More......
Checklist: Top 10 best practices for securing e-mail clients
This tip originally appeared on SearchExchange.com.
The SANS Institute publishes a Top 20 list of security vulnerabilities. Ranking as the ninth largest vulnerability for Microsoft is its mail client.
To protect Microsoft Outlook, SearchExchange.com resident spam and security expert, Richard Luckett, offers this Top 10 list of things you should do to make your e-mail clients more secure.
This advice is not only for Exchange administrators, but for end users as well. Pass this checklist along to them so they know how to protect themselves.
Top 10 best practices for securing e-mail clients
Home: Introduction
#1: Patch your clients
#2: Configure antivirus software to scan your e-mail clients
#3: Use anti-malware software
#4: Quarantine attachments
#5: Don't be a sucker
#6: Disable unsigned macros
#7: Use Outlook's Junk E-mail filter or install spam-filtering software
#8: Just be plain
#9: Learn to read (e-mail headers, that is)
#10: Digitally sign and encrypt e-mails
Read More......
Thursday, February 8, 2007
MSD2D Webinar: What You Need to Know About Exchange 2007 High Availability
What You Need to Know About Exchange 2007 High Availability
Microsoft has put a great deal of thought and effort into designing new high availability features for Exchange 2007 - but what can they do for you? This webinar will present the major new HA features in Exchange 2007 and describe where they do, and don't, help solve difficult availability requirements. It'll explore the migration path from Exchange 2003 HA to Exchange 2007 HA and look at areas where investing effort now will pay off when you move up.
The Webcast is hosted by:
Paul Robichaux, Principal Engineer - 3SHARP
Paul Robichaux is an MCSE, and an Exchange MVP. Paul is the author of several books, including Secure Messaging with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 (Microsoft Press), and creator of the http://partners.msd2d.com/t?ctl=49742:63B5FC57036D01BAE04C9E58B3A13AAF0CD83620A56156C8
The Webcast is co-hosted by:
David Aschmann, Product Manager - CA XOsoft
David Aschmann brings 10 years of technical industry experience to CA XOsoft.
Prior to CA XOsoft, David spent three and a half years with Microsoft Corporation's Premier Product Support Services organization. In that role, he provided both technical and architectural support to Microsoft's largest customers, with expertise focused on Active Directory, Security, Networking and UNIX/Windows Integration technologies. David's other industry experience includes several years
supporting SMB level customers in a consulting role, architecting and supporting Novell and Microsoft based solutions. He dedicated 2+ years on project teams performing migrations to NT4 for the airline industry.
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http://partners.msd2d.com/t?ctl=49740:63B5FC57036D01BAE04C9E58B3A13AAF0CD83620A56156C8 Web site.Edwards smashes pole record in Sepang
Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi proved they are more than ready for the challenge ahead with their new 800cc Yamahas by clocking some outstanding times today, on the third and final day of testing in Sepang. Both took the chance to try new Michelin qualifying tyres and Edwards stunned his crew by dipping well under the current pole position record, set by Rossi at last year’s race on the old 990cc Yamaha, with a lap of 2’00.248. Rossi also came close to his own pole record with a time of 2’00.793. Both riders spent the day continuing to work on set-up and tyre-testing before completing long runs, enabling them to see the benefits of their latest developments under race-like conditions.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will now pack up and head west for the next stage of testing in Qatar on February 13th-15th. It will be the first time this season that the entire MotoGP class will be on track together and Rossi and Edwards are looking forward to seeing how their 800cc bikes fare at a new track alongside a full field of their competitors.
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 2'00.248 Laps: 46
“We started off this morning by testing a couple more front tyres and a different bike setting, just generally playing around with a few things. At the end of the morning we tried another new rear tyre which was pretty good too, and then we had two qualifiers to try. I came in from the first one thinking that I’d probably done a low 2'01; I’d made a couple of small mistakes and thought I could have been faster, so I couldn’t believe it when it was around the 2’00.6 mark. The next qualifier was pretty unbelievable and the bike just felt perfect, so I’m really pleased with that time. The long run was pretty interesting…I’d already done about 30 laps in the morning session and I was feeling pretty tired, I went off a bit too hard at the start and was giving it all I had, it was feeling great but then after about 14 laps I was seeing double! I slowed it down for a bit but there wasn’t much point pushing it so I came in a bit early. Anyway things were still improved from the last time here so we were happy. Overall it’s been a really great test; the bike is unbelievable, better than ever even with less power!”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 2'00.793 Laps: 43
“It was another really positive day for us, and I am so happy because the bike is feeling great. During these three days we have worked a lot on the suspension set-up, in order to fix the problems we had in braking, and I think we’ve done a very good job on that. We’ve been pretty fast all week, quicker than during the January test, and the long run today was faster too which is important. I am also pleased that Colin is going so well, he made a fantastic time today, he’s very fast! We also worked again today on the engine mapping, as I said yesterday; fuel consumption is going to be crucial for everyone this year and we can’t afford to make mistakes! I am sure that we can still improve in every area and now we have the chance to carry on like this in Qatar next week, where we will also have the first race in one month. Next week will be a very important test!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“We leave Sepang in the certainty that we’ve made a very good test and we have improved the situation with both riders. Colin has made a great improvement since January’s test and I think that no one has ever ridden so fast here in Sepang as he did today! This shows that the 800cc bikes are already faster than the 990s! We are working very well and the general development of the new bike is going very well. Now we go to Qatar for the next test and we know that will be a very important test for two reasons: first, we will be testing in a different circuit, so we will have the chance to confirm what we’ve learnt here at another track and second, we will meet all the other teams there and will be able to see our level alongside them.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'00.248
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'00.793
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.071
4. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.607
5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'03.380
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'04.636
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'07.373
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
“We started off this morning by testing a couple more front tyres and a different bike setting, just generally playing around with a few things. At the end of the morning we tried another new rear tyre which was pretty good too, and then we had two qualifiers to try. I came in from the first one thinking that I’d probably done a low 2'01; I’d made a couple of small mistakes and thought I could have been faster, so I couldn’t believe it when it was around the 2’00.6 mark. The next qualifier was pretty unbelievable and the bike just felt perfect, so I’m really pleased with that time. The long run was pretty interesting…I’d already done about 30 laps in the morning session and I was feeling pretty tired, I went off a bit too hard at the start and was giving it all I had, it was feeling great but then after about 14 laps I was seeing double! I slowed it down for a bit but there wasn’t much point pushing it so I came in a bit early. Anyway things were still improved from the last time here so we were happy. Overall it’s been a really great test; the bike is unbelievable, better than ever even with less power!”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 2'00.793 Laps: 43
“It was another really positive day for us, and I am so happy because the bike is feeling great. During these three days we have worked a lot on the suspension set-up, in order to fix the problems we had in braking, and I think we’ve done a very good job on that. We’ve been pretty fast all week, quicker than during the January test, and the long run today was faster too which is important. I am also pleased that Colin is going so well, he made a fantastic time today, he’s very fast! We also worked again today on the engine mapping, as I said yesterday; fuel consumption is going to be crucial for everyone this year and we can’t afford to make mistakes! I am sure that we can still improve in every area and now we have the chance to carry on like this in Qatar next week, where we will also have the first race in one month. Next week will be a very important test!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“We leave Sepang in the certainty that we’ve made a very good test and we have improved the situation with both riders. Colin has made a great improvement since January’s test and I think that no one has ever ridden so fast here in Sepang as he did today! This shows that the 800cc bikes are already faster than the 990s! We are working very well and the general development of the new bike is going very well. Now we go to Qatar for the next test and we know that will be a very important test for two reasons: first, we will be testing in a different circuit, so we will have the chance to confirm what we’ve learnt here at another track and second, we will meet all the other teams there and will be able to see our level alongside them.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'00.248
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'00.793
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.071
4. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.607
5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'03.380
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'04.636
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'07.373
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Managing mailboxes in Exchange Server 2007 (Part 1)
Overview
In this article, we are going to approach a simple but important subject: the mailbox user management for Exchange Server 2007.
It may seem a simple issue to discuss, but we will see some advanced points related to user management tasks in order to assist beginners and advanced administrators. This article will be split into two parts; in this first part we will review mailbox management and user level functionalities.
Creating a mailbox using the Exchange Management Console
This procedure is the starting point of this article. Exchange Server 2007 allows administrators to create objects such as Mailboxes, Contacts, Mail Users, and Distribution Groups. In the following steps we will see how to create a mailbox object:
- Open Exchange Management Console
- Expand Recipient Configuration
- Click on Mailbox
- In the Mailbox pane, click on New Mailbox... (Figure 01)
Figure 01: Creating a new user in the Exchange Management Console
- Introduction. We have to choose what kind of object we are creating, in Exchange Server 2007 we have four different mailbox types:
- User mailbox: This is a traditional mailbox.
- Resource mailbox: This is a mailbox specifically assigned to Meeting Rooms. Its associated user account will be disabled in Active Directory.
- Equipment mailbox: This is a mailbox specific to resources, (i.e. TV, Projector and so on). As with a Resource mailbox, this kind of mailbox will disable a user in Active Directory.
- Linked Mailbox: This kind of mailbox will be used in environments with multiple forests. This specific feature will be explained in a later article on MSExchange.org.
In the Introduction window, select the appropriate mailbox type and then click Next to continue. (Figure 02).
Figure 02: Choosing what kind of mailbox will be created
- User Type. In the User Type window, we can choose either to create a new user or to assign an existing user to the new mailbox. If we choose to assign it to an existing user, we will have to check if the account does not already have a mailbox associated with it. Click Next to continue (Figure 03).
Figure 03: Creating a new user for a new mailbox
- User Information. In the User Information window, we should fill out the personal information of the user and select the Organization Unit where it will be created. After that click on Next (Figure 04).
Figure 04: Filling out the personal user data and OU localization
- Mailbox Settings. On the Mailbox Settings page, we can define the mailbox information such as Alias, Mailbox Server, and Mailbox Store where the new mailbox will be located. The policies for Mailbox and ActiveSync can also be defined in this step. We can choose which fields we are going to fill out and then click Next to continue. (Figure 05).
Figure 05: Choosing Server, Storage Group, Mailbox database and policies during the mailbox creation process
- New Mailbox. In the New Mailbox window, we will get a summary of all the information that we selected in the previous steps. These parameters will be used by the PowerShell engine for the creation of this mailbox object. To create the mailbox, click on New (Figure 06).
Figure 06: The parameters that will be used in the creation of the new mailbox
- Completion. In the Completion window, we will see the cmdlet New-mailbox and the parameters that we used in the creation process of this new mailbox.
Figure 07: The final screen of the New Mailbox Wizard, showing us the cmdlet used in the creation of the mailbox
Creating a mailbox through Exchange Management Shell
Another way to create users is by using the Exchange Management Shell. To do this, we can use a cmdlet called New-Mailbox. There are many parameters associated with this commandlet, and the required parameters for the cmdlet are the following:
- Alias
- Name
- Database
- OrganizationalUnit
- UserPrincipalName
To create a user using Exchange Management Shell, we can run the following cmdlet:
New-Mailbox –alias
If we do not type all the required parameters, we will get a prompt asking for the parameters that are missing. In Figure 08, we can see that we have received the password prompt to fill out the password. After the password was entered, the user was created.
Figure 08: Creating a mailbox through the cmdlet New-Mailbox in the Exchange Management Console
Using *.csv files to create mailboxes
Another interesting feature is the one that lets an administrator create several users from a *.csv file. In the following section, we will review a step by step procedure to create mailboxes:
- First of all, we will have to create a *.csv file called recipients.csv on the root drive (C:\) and we will type the column names for the file in the first line. Those columns will be the Alias, the Name and UPN. in the following lines we will complete the user information (Figure 09).
Figure 09: Creating a csv file to be used in the creation of users through Exchange Management Shell
- Once the user information is complete, we will have to create a variable in the Exchange Management Shell that will keep the initial password for all of the accounts on the recipients.csv file. To do so, we will type the following:
$Password = Read-Host “Type the default password for the new accounts:” -AsSecureString
Figure 10: Creating a variable to keep the initial password on the new accounts
- In the following step, we will run two cmdlets using a pipe to create the new users using the *.csv file. This is the syntax of our cmdlet:
Import-Csv recipients.csv | foreach { New-Mailbox –alias $_.Alias –name $_.Name$Password –ResetPasswordOnNextLogon:$true –UserPrincipalName $_.UPN –Database “mailbox database” –OrganizationalUnit Users –Password
The options are explained here:
- $_.
: This is the name of each column of the recipients.csv file. - Foreach: For each line of the file; Note: the first line is the header.
- $Password: variable that we just typed in the previous step.
- -ResetPasswordOnNextLogon:$true: If we set this parameter to true, all the users will have to change their password on the first logon.
Figure 11: Creating users through a *.csv file
- To check if the users were created, we will go to the Exchange Management Console (Figure 12).
Figure 12: The new users created through the csv file
Managing Mailbox Features
We can manage functionalities at the user level, enabling or disabling the following features:
- OWA
- Exchange ActiveSync
- Unified Messaging
- MAPI access.
This task can be completed in two different ways, both will be detailed in the following sections:
Using the Exchange Management Console
- Open Exchange Management Console
- Expand Recipient Configuration
- Click on Mailbox
- Click on the user and in Toolbox Actions, click on Properties
- Click on Mailbox Features tab
- Now we can see all the mailbox features of the user and we can disable or enable each functionality
Figure 13: Managing Mailbox Features at user level
Listing all the users and their features…
In some cases, we have to verify the functionalities that users have, and there is no way to do this user by user. In Exchange Server 2007, this task is very easy, and can be done with a cmdlet called get-casmailbox (figure 14).
Using this cmdlet, we can export the results to a *.csv file and analyze it in Microsoft Excel and generate reports or analyze it any way we want.
Figure 14: All the users with their functionalities through Exchange Management Shell
Using Exchange Management Shell to change user features
To manage features using the Exchange Management Shell, we can use the cmdlet called set-casmailbox, as follows:
Set-casmailbox
Where:
To show you the real impact of the use of the Exchange Management Shell, here is an example.
Scenario: We have a company with fifty (50) branch offices and we have to disable MAPI access for all users in Toronto.
How can we do this with the least administrative work?
First of all, we must insure that all the Active Directory information is consistent. In our scenario, all of the users have the attributes City and StateorProvince filled out correctly. One example of this is shown in the Figure 15 through cmdlets get-user | select name, recipientType, City, StateorProvince
Figure 15: Verifying the attributes City, StateorProvince of all the users
If all of the Active Directory information is consistent, we can use the pipe resource on the Windows PowerShell where an output from one command is used as input for another cmdlet.
We will need some specific user attributes that we cannot get through get-mailbox because this cmdlet only returns mailbox information. We will have to use the get-user cmdlet to filter the city attribute from users and combine these results with the set-casmailbox cmdlet.
To resolve this, we can use this subset of cmdlets, as is shown in figure 16.
Get-User | Where-Object { $_.City –eq “Toronto”} | Set-CasMailbox –OWAEnabled:$false
Figure 16: Disabling OWA access of all of the users located in Toronto city and Ontario State, and after that a list of the new user features
Now, let’s check if everything worked as expected. None of the users who had the OWA feature set as disabled will be able to access their mailboxes through Outlook Web Access. We can test it, trying to see if the user Anderson.Patricio can access his mailbox with Outlook Web Access. We can see that everything worked as shown in the next figure (Figure 17).
Figure 17: After authentication, the user receives the message that OWA is disabled
Conclusion
We have reviewed the steps required to create users (in the traditional way) by using the Exchange Management Console. Then, we reviewed similar tasks using the flexibility of the Exchange Management Shell to help us to create one or more users through commandlets. At the end of this article, we discussed how to manage some mailbox features at user level.
More Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange
Article by : Anderson Patricio's
Read More......
News - Sepang, Rossi and Edwards set the standard at Sepang
Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards continued their relentless march towards the first race of the season with another promising day’s work in Sepang today. Having concentrated on trying new parts for Yamaha yesterday, it was Michelin’s turn today and the Yamaha Factory Racing riders spent most of the day testing new tyres, with the Malaysian temperatures providing the ideal proving ground for the latest generation of Michelin rubber.
The Yamaha pair consolidated yesterday’s good work with another day of fast times, both dipping under the 990cc lap record pace on race tyres. Tomorrow both riders will complete a long-run, before the team packs up and heads west to Qatar for the next round of pre-season testing.
Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 2'02.099 Laps: 53
“Today we tested some new tyres for Michelin, both front and rear. We haven’t found any special improvements to the front since the last test, but for the rear we tried something interesting to improve the edge grip. I’m very happy because I think we’re working in the right direction and we have definitely made improvements in this area. We have also continued to work on the stability in braking, changing the set-up in order to improve this even more. Finally today we worked on the engine mapping, as this year fuel consumption is going to be a very important factor. I am gaining more understanding of this new bike every day and I have a really good feeling with it. Tomorrow we will make a long run in order to compare with our data from the last test, and it will be interesting to see how all the improvements we’ve made this week make a difference to the performance of the bike over a race-distance.”
Colin Edwards Position: 2nd Time: 2'02.118 Laps: 44
“It was pretty warm today and I had to go out in the hottest part of the day to test tyres, so that was quite hard work! Anyway we got through a whole lot more stuff today and things are getting better and better. We tested a couple more new things for Yamaha and then did a lot of tyre work with Michelin. Looking back at the last test, just a couple of weeks ago, everything has evolved so much since then it’s amazing! We’ve moved forward an incredible amount over just five days of testing so far this year, so that bodes well. Last time here I was doing low 2’03s comfortably, but this time I’m doing low 2’02s lap after lap and they’re coming so easily, without me really having to push too hard at all. We’ve got a long run to do tomorrow and a few more loose ends to tie up, but we’re in good shape!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
Today both riders focused on tyres and we had some new material from Michelin. It was a very interesting day all round. Generally speaking, in these two days we have made small but important improvements compared to the previous test here. Tomorrow both riders will make a long-run and we will see if these improvements will be crucial towards race-performance.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.099
2. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.118
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.554
4. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'02.745
5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.761
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'05.002
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'07.923
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Read More......
The Yamaha pair consolidated yesterday’s good work with another day of fast times, both dipping under the 990cc lap record pace on race tyres. Tomorrow both riders will complete a long-run, before the team packs up and heads west to Qatar for the next round of pre-season testing.
Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 2'02.099 Laps: 53
“Today we tested some new tyres for Michelin, both front and rear. We haven’t found any special improvements to the front since the last test, but for the rear we tried something interesting to improve the edge grip. I’m very happy because I think we’re working in the right direction and we have definitely made improvements in this area. We have also continued to work on the stability in braking, changing the set-up in order to improve this even more. Finally today we worked on the engine mapping, as this year fuel consumption is going to be a very important factor. I am gaining more understanding of this new bike every day and I have a really good feeling with it. Tomorrow we will make a long run in order to compare with our data from the last test, and it will be interesting to see how all the improvements we’ve made this week make a difference to the performance of the bike over a race-distance.”
Colin Edwards Position: 2nd Time: 2'02.118 Laps: 44
“It was pretty warm today and I had to go out in the hottest part of the day to test tyres, so that was quite hard work! Anyway we got through a whole lot more stuff today and things are getting better and better. We tested a couple more new things for Yamaha and then did a lot of tyre work with Michelin. Looking back at the last test, just a couple of weeks ago, everything has evolved so much since then it’s amazing! We’ve moved forward an incredible amount over just five days of testing so far this year, so that bodes well. Last time here I was doing low 2’03s comfortably, but this time I’m doing low 2’02s lap after lap and they’re coming so easily, without me really having to push too hard at all. We’ve got a long run to do tomorrow and a few more loose ends to tie up, but we’re in good shape!”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
Today both riders focused on tyres and we had some new material from Michelin. It was a very interesting day all round. Generally speaking, in these two days we have made small but important improvements compared to the previous test here. Tomorrow both riders will make a long-run and we will see if these improvements will be crucial towards race-performance.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.099
2. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.118
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.554
4. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'02.745
5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.761
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'05.002
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'07.923
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Outlook 2007 Sample: Ribbon Extensibility Add-In
A new Outlook 2007 sample Add-in: Ribbon Extensibility Add-In.
Brief DescriptionThe Outlook 2007 Ribbon Extensibility Add-In, available in both Visual C# and Visual Basic .NET versions, is a learning tool that will help you understand how to customize the Ribbon for Outlook Inspector windows.
OverviewThe Outlook 2007 Ribbon Extensibility Add-In is a learning tool that will help you understand how to customize the Ribbon for Outlook Inspector windows. It provides coverage of the following important new areas:
How legacy command bar customizations appear in an Outlook Inspector window
How to implement the Office.IRibbonExtensibility interface in an Outlook add-in
Providing Ribbon markup for Ribbon customization depending on the RibbonID string passed in the GetCustomUI callback
Using the IRibbonControl.Context object to find an instance of an Inspector object
Changing the state of Ribbon controls depending on the PropertyChange event for an Outlook item.
For more information, see the article Customizing the Ribbon in Outlook 2007.
PowerShell 1.0 for Windows Vista
As you probably know, Exchange Server 2007 is the first Microsoft product to take full advantage of Windows PowerShell. Exchange 2007 includes the Exchange Management Shell, an extended version of PowerShell and every action available through the GUI is also available through the Exchange Management Shell.
With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft released also the installation packages for the new operating system:
Windows PowerShell 1.0 Installation Package for Windows Vista (KB928439)
Windows PowerShell 1.0 Installation Package for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB928439)
Brief DescriptionMicrosoft Windows PowerShell is a new command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration and automation. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell allows IT professionals to manage computers via commands or scripts, improving productivity through system automation.
OverviewWindows PowerShell includes:
One hundred and twenty-nine command-line tools (called “cmdlets”) for performing common system administration tasks, such as managing services, processes, event logs, certificates, the registry, and using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).
Command-line tools are easy to learn and easy to use with standard naming conventions and common parameters, and simple tools for sorting, filtering, and formatting data and objects.
Support for existing scripting languages and existing command-line tools, and multiple versions of Windows, including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server code name “Longhorn”.
Feature that allows users to navigate data stores, like the registry and certificate stores, as if they were a file system.
Standard utilities for managing Windows data in different stores and formats, including Active Directory (ADSI), Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), Component Object Model (COM) objects, Active X Data Objects (ADO), HTML and XML.
Sophisticated expression parsing and .NET object manipulation at the command line, including pipelining of objects, make IT professionals more efficient and productive.
Extensible interface that allows independent software vendors and enterprise developers to build custom cmdlets to meet their unique application and system administration requirements.
Article by: Rui J.M. Silva
Read More......
News - Sepang, Malaysia 05/02/2007 Rossi and Edwards get back to work in Sepang
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s second test of 2007 got underway in Sepang, Malaysia today, with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards back out onboard their prototype 800cc machines for another three-day test. With most teams having chosen to test in Australia last week, Yamaha decided to return to Sepang and take advantage of the relatively quieter atmosphere this week, sharing the track with just five other riders from Tech 3 Yamaha, Kawasaki and Ilmor.
With temperatures slightly lower than at the previous test, Edwards and Rossi, who set the first and second fastest times of the day respectively, spent the day working on the set-up of the new bike and testing some new parts for Yamaha and Ohlins. Both riders were very happy with the day’s work and reported significant improvement to the stability of the bike under braking, laying the groundwork for what they hope will be two more encouraging and fruitful days of testing as the March 10th deadline of the first race looms ever closer.
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 2’02.175 Laps: 47
“Well I’m definitely feeling better than I did last time…I think everyone was a little bit rusty after the break but it’s ‘situation normal’ again now and I’m feeling much stronger on the bike. I’m pretty happy with today’s work; I’m already fast and the bike keeps on feeling better and better. Over the first 42 laps we did today we only used two different rears so it’s clear that the tyres are working well too. We concentrated on Yamaha stuff today and we made a huge step forward with the rear shock. We knew things still weren’t perfect in that area, but we’ve made a big change today and the stability of the bike under braking has improved 100% as a result. Tomorrow we’re going to focus more on tyres with Michelin and hopefully things will keep on improving.”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 2’02.221 Laps: 40
“Today we worked a lot on bike set-up and we’ve tried a few different directions, focusing mainly on the new rear shock we have from Ohlins and on the braking. What we’ve seen and understood today is very positive and this makes me very confident about the next few days of testing. We decided to come back to Sepang, where there would be fewer teams testing, in order to be more relaxed and less focused on lap times. This is the way we are planning to work throughout the test. Anyway, my lap times are already fast so of course we’ll keep trying to improve in the next two days. Tomorrow we will concentrate more on working with Michelin and testing new tyres. At the moment we’re waiting for some new engine parts from Japan; we’re looking for more horsepower, but this is the bike we have and I am very happy about how things are going at the moment.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“Today has been a good first day, in a nice relaxed atmosphere without too many other people around. Today we focused almost exclusively on set-up work and we had some new material to try, which has given our riders a better feeling with the bike. We’ve clearly improved the general set-up for both riders and also made some great steps on the braking, which was one of our key areas to work on during this test. We got some very useful information today, which we can continue to develop over the next two days, and I am happy with the results of our first day.”
With temperatures slightly lower than at the previous test, Edwards and Rossi, who set the first and second fastest times of the day respectively, spent the day working on the set-up of the new bike and testing some new parts for Yamaha and Ohlins. Both riders were very happy with the day’s work and reported significant improvement to the stability of the bike under braking, laying the groundwork for what they hope will be two more encouraging and fruitful days of testing as the March 10th deadline of the first race looms ever closer.
Colin Edwards Position: 1st Time: 2’02.175 Laps: 47
“Well I’m definitely feeling better than I did last time…I think everyone was a little bit rusty after the break but it’s ‘situation normal’ again now and I’m feeling much stronger on the bike. I’m pretty happy with today’s work; I’m already fast and the bike keeps on feeling better and better. Over the first 42 laps we did today we only used two different rears so it’s clear that the tyres are working well too. We concentrated on Yamaha stuff today and we made a huge step forward with the rear shock. We knew things still weren’t perfect in that area, but we’ve made a big change today and the stability of the bike under braking has improved 100% as a result. Tomorrow we’re going to focus more on tyres with Michelin and hopefully things will keep on improving.”
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: 2’02.221 Laps: 40
“Today we worked a lot on bike set-up and we’ve tried a few different directions, focusing mainly on the new rear shock we have from Ohlins and on the braking. What we’ve seen and understood today is very positive and this makes me very confident about the next few days of testing. We decided to come back to Sepang, where there would be fewer teams testing, in order to be more relaxed and less focused on lap times. This is the way we are planning to work throughout the test. Anyway, my lap times are already fast so of course we’ll keep trying to improve in the next two days. Tomorrow we will concentrate more on working with Michelin and testing new tyres. At the moment we’re waiting for some new engine parts from Japan; we’re looking for more horsepower, but this is the bike we have and I am very happy about how things are going at the moment.”
Davide Brivio - Team Director
“Today has been a good first day, in a nice relaxed atmosphere without too many other people around. Today we focused almost exclusively on set-up work and we had some new material to try, which has given our riders a better feeling with the bike. We’ve clearly improved the general set-up for both riders and also made some great steps on the braking, which was one of our key areas to work on during this test. We got some very useful information today, which we can continue to develop over the next two days, and I am happy with the results of our first day.”
Unofficial Lap Times
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.175
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.221
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.966
4. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'03.219
5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.959
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'06.558
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'08.640
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Read More......
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.175
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.221
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.966
4. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 2'03.219
5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.959
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 2'06.558
7. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2'08.640
Sepang Lap Record (990cc)
Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006 - 2'02.127
Sepang Best Lap (990cc)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Thursday, February 1, 2007
News - Rossi and Yamaha together for 2007 and 2008
Yamaha Motor Company Ltd and Valentino Rossi will continue to race together until the end of the 2008 season.
The next two seasons will see Rossi ride as part of Yamaha’s Official Factory Team, with which he has already won two MotoGP World Championship titles since joining the Factory in 2004. The Italian, who turns 28 this month, has won 25 Grand Prix during his three seasons with Yamaha and currently stands third in the all-time Grand Prix winners list.
Rossi, who is spearheading the rider development of Yamaha’s new 800cc motorcycle in the run-up to the new MotoGP season, will be back in action next week for Yamaha’s second test of the year in Sepang, Malaysia.
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, commented “We are thrilled to confirm that our partnership with Valentino will continue for a fifth year in 2008, and it’s especially good to have completed all contract negotiations before the start of the rapidly approaching 2007 racing season. This now leaves Valentino free to concentrate solely on the job in hand – winning back the World Championship! The past three years with Valentino have been a huge success for the Yamaha brand worldwide, Valentino is a great champion and there is no doubt in our minds that he remains the best possible person to continue to lead Yamaha’s MotoGP effort for the foreseeable future.”
“I’m very happy I renewed the contract with Yamaha until the end of 2008 so now I can just concentrate on racing this season” said Rossi. “I think that last year, when we fought back from what seemed an impossible situation to come so close to taking the title, showed what a fantastic team we are and this is why I want to stay with Yamaha. The past three years with Yamaha have been very positive and this is why I am pleased to stay. The atmosphere in our garage is always relaxed and happy and I think that this is something very special and difficult to find. I have great faith in Yamaha and I am very excited about my future and the future of the 800cc bike with them. We are ready to challenge with the new 800cc and now this agreement gives us the chance to launch this challenge for the next two years”.
The next two seasons will see Rossi ride as part of Yamaha’s Official Factory Team, with which he has already won two MotoGP World Championship titles since joining the Factory in 2004. The Italian, who turns 28 this month, has won 25 Grand Prix during his three seasons with Yamaha and currently stands third in the all-time Grand Prix winners list.
Rossi, who is spearheading the rider development of Yamaha’s new 800cc motorcycle in the run-up to the new MotoGP season, will be back in action next week for Yamaha’s second test of the year in Sepang, Malaysia.
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, commented “We are thrilled to confirm that our partnership with Valentino will continue for a fifth year in 2008, and it’s especially good to have completed all contract negotiations before the start of the rapidly approaching 2007 racing season. This now leaves Valentino free to concentrate solely on the job in hand – winning back the World Championship! The past three years with Valentino have been a huge success for the Yamaha brand worldwide, Valentino is a great champion and there is no doubt in our minds that he remains the best possible person to continue to lead Yamaha’s MotoGP effort for the foreseeable future.”
“I’m very happy I renewed the contract with Yamaha until the end of 2008 so now I can just concentrate on racing this season” said Rossi. “I think that last year, when we fought back from what seemed an impossible situation to come so close to taking the title, showed what a fantastic team we are and this is why I want to stay with Yamaha. The past three years with Yamaha have been very positive and this is why I am pleased to stay. The atmosphere in our garage is always relaxed and happy and I think that this is something very special and difficult to find. I have great faith in Yamaha and I am very excited about my future and the future of the 800cc bike with them. We are ready to challenge with the new 800cc and now this agreement gives us the chance to launch this challenge for the next two years”.
Davide Brivio, Team Director of Yamaha Factory Racing, commented: “During the last three seasons we have won on our debut with Valentino in 2004, dominated in 2005 and lost in 2006: to extend the contract for a further year at the end of a difficult season like the last one is the greatest demonstration of the trust Valentino has placed in this Team. This is the great motivation for everyone; Valentino, the engineers, the mechanics, all the staff and, of course, all those who, like me, have lived and continue to live through the victories and the defeats so intensely. We will continue to enjoy ourselves on track and to provide enjoyment for the huge numbers of passionate fans of two-wheeled sport; together we will look forward to the next two seasons with great energy.”
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