The final day of MotoGP testing at was the shortest of the three, with the track only open from 10am until midday. However, track conditions were probably at their peak, with none of the wind that had been present at the Spanish circuit over the past few days to speak of and warm sunshine. It was a crucial opportunity for the rookies in the class to enjoy more track time before the MotoGP testing ban, which will prevent them from riding again until 2010.
Héctor Barberá did not take to the track until 11am but the new Aspar rider made gull use of the two hours available, racking up an impressive total of 57 laps, divided into four runs. True to his word that he would improve on each day of the test, the Valencian shaved almost half a second off his best time from yesterday. That lap came on his third run although he also broke the 1’34 mark several times on his final outing. It was a satisfactory end to the three-day test for Héctor, who is now counting down the days to get back on board the Ducati Desmosedici.
Héctor Barberá 1.33.787 (57 laps):
“I am really happy because over the last three days we have improved every time we have been out onto the track and in the end we’ve set a respectable lap time. I felt very comfortable on the Ducati and I did a lot of laps – I couldn’t get enough of it! The physical demands are much higher so I will have to adapt to it slowly because my shoulders and forearms were very tired today. That could also be due to the fact that with the GP and the test we’ve been non-stop for six days now. The first lap I did on Monday was chaos – I couldn’t find a single reference point because everything was so different but with a little patience and a lot of hard work I have established a good feeling with the bike. I think I will have to build my strength up, although not too much because I can’t afford to put any bulk on. It is a case of building up muscle endurance. Today was the most fun I had on the bike from the start. As soon as I went out I was on the pace of my quickest lap from yesterday and I improved from there. We tried the harder tyres for the first time and I went even faster. We also tried a softer rear shock and a few other settings that allowed me to understand the bike better. I realised above all that when you’re picking the bike up you have to really use your body and start doing it in the middle of the corner because if you don’t the bike doesn’t respond as well when you open the throttle.”
