The winter break officially ended today as seventeen MotoGP riders returned to action at the Sepang Circuit for the first test session of 2010. The track was open exclusively to test riders yesterday but from 9am this morning to 5pm this evening the main players in this year’s MotoGP World Championship were in action. The premier-class contenders rode their 2010 machines in intense heat (ambient 38º C, track 52ºC) before a rain shower shortly before the end of the session (16.30 p.m.) brought it to an early conclusion.

Aspar Team rider Héctor Barberá set the tenth fastest time of an opening day (2′03.030) dominated by Valentino Rossi. The Spaniard’s carefully planned day started at 9.30am, with the first of a series of six to eight lap runs designed at establishing a preliminary feel for the Ducati GP10. The intense heat and the extended break from action over the winter meant Héctor needed to take an hour-long break from 1pm before returning to the track. On the 57th of 59 laps he clocked his best time of the day, leaving him as the top rookie overnight.

Héctor Barberá 2.03.030 (59 laps):
“At the start I was riding it like a 250. I had adapted to the bike in the last test but it was difficult to get a feel for it again over the first ten laps. Then we started to make changes to the set-up and I progressively got better in my riding. I thought it would be easier to ride at Sepang because it is a long and wide circuit but it turned out to be the opposite because everything happens so fast. We have improved step by step and I felt very comfortable by the end so I think we’re on the right lines. I’m really happy because for the first day we’ve done a fabulous job. Just when I was riding my best it start to rain but we still have all day tomorrow. We didn’t want to try too much today so we limited ourselves to six to eight lap runs yet even so I feel really fatigued because of the heat. It’s also a long time since I have ridden but I’m not worried about that because I feel I’m in good shape and my winter training programme is going to plan.”