Qatar: Last day of testing for Yuki Takahashi

The third and last test day in Qatar for the 125 and 250 classes has been used by Yuki Takahashi and the JiR Team Scot squad to verify all the results from the previous days’ work. The main target of the day was to find the correct balance of the bike from both chassis settings and engine set-up. Then the rider and the technicians concentrated in the second part of the day to tyre testing. They had a number of choices of Dunlop tyres to explore and try and test in time for this weekend’s race. The Japanese rider also did some short runs, which proved useful to compare the different tyre options possible. Obviously the target is to find a tyre choice that could be the right one for the 20-lap race on Sunday. Testing restarts this Friday but this time this will be the first session of the first ‘act’ of the 2008 World Championship.

Yutaka Hirano – Crew chief, JiR Team Scot 250GP
 “Today’s weather conditions forced us to work in the direction of the setting of the carburettor on the RS250RW. This afternoon the heat was very strong and what we could do during the test was governed by this fact. Our main target of this three-day test was to find a final setting, which is precise for the race on Sunday. We know we are very close to the correct solution and also even if the lap-time of Yuki isn’t one of the best, we’re confident that the direction in which we are working is the correct one. We will use to the maximum the session on Friday to further improve the final setting and to put Yuki in the position to be competitive for the first race of the 250cc World Championship.”

Yuki Takahashi – Rider, JiR Team Scot 250GP
HONDA RS250RW
Best time: 11th  - 2’02”076
“Unfortunately the heat at the end of the afternoon postponed a major part of what we had planned today, so I didn’t have the chance to make a race simulation which is my task for the end of the day. Instead we dedicated this time to find the right solution of tyres, particularly at the front. We now definitely know we have the right setting for the front suspension, but there is still a little bit we can do with the carburettor settings on the bike. I’m not worried that during the whole day I didn’t find a fast lap time on one single lap, instead I was concentrating on thinking about the race. The team is working very hard and I’m very satisfied with these tests.”

Test Doha 250GP – Day 3
1) Thomas Luthi  Aprilia 2’00”229
2) Mika Kallio   KTM 2’00”595
3) Julian Simon  KTM 2’00”974
4) Hiroshi Aoyama KTM 2’01”099
5) Marco Simoncelli Gilera 2’01”245

11) Yuki Takahashi Honda 2’02”076