Recap: Sepang 2011 MotoGP tests

With the first MotoGP test of 2012 taking place next week at Sepang in Malaysia, here is a recap of what happened one year ago.

Although single lap times from testing can often be deceptive, with hindsight the 2011 Sepang results proved an accurate forecast for the season ahead.

New Honda signing Casey Stoner led four of the six days, including a clean sweep of the second test where he also smashed the two-minute barrier. Fellow factory Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Marco Simoncelli went top for one day each at the first test.

World champion Jorge Lorenzo led the Yamaha challenge - the Spaniard or factory team-mate Ben Spies often able to beat some, but not all, of the four factory RC212Vs. Meanwhile, Ducati struggled throughout.

The top three positions on each day of 2011 testing are show below, plus the position of Ducati's Valentino Rossi. Rossi was an average of 1.5sec from pole during the 2011 season, which was roughly the time gap he had faced at Sepang.

The seven-time MotoGP champion will be looking to slash that gap with the new GP12, which he and team-mate Nicky Hayden will ride for the first time next week...

2011 Sepang I Test (Feb 1-3)

Day 1:
1. Stoner (Honda) 2m 1.574s; 2. Lorenzo (Yamaha); 3 Pedrosa (Honda).
12. Rossi (Ducati) +1.791s.Day 2:
1. Pedrosa (Honda) 2m 0.770s; 2. Stoner (Honda); 3. Spies (Yamaha).
13. Rossi (Ducati) +1.827s.Day 3:
1. Simoncelli (Honda) 2m 0.757s; 2. Stoner (Honda); 3. Lorenzo (Yamaha).
10. Rossi (Ducati) +1.085s.

2011 Sepang II Test (Feb 22-24)

Day 1:
1. Stoner (Honda) 2m 0.987s; 2. Pedrosa (Honda); 3. Lorenzo (Yamaha).
9. Rossi (Ducati) +1.012s.Day 2:
1. Stoner (Honda) 2m 0.171s; 2. Pedrosa (Honda); 3. Dovizioso (Honda).
Rossi absent due to illness.Day 3:
1. Stoner (Honda) 1m 59.665s; 2. Pedrosa (Honda); 3. Simoncelli (Honda).
11. Rossi (Ducati) +1.804s.