Sykes fastest on new 17-inch wheels and tyres

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) set the fastest time of the one-day Infront Motor Sports official tests on the new generation of 17-inch wheels and Pirelli tyres which were seen for the first time today. His lap of 1 minute 57.254 seconds compares favourably with the existing race lap record, set on race tyres not qualifying rubber, of 1 minute 58.251 seconds.

Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was barely slower than Sykes despite not improving on his morning test session best lap, with Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) third quickest and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) fourth.

Setting outright fast lap times was not the aim of these tests, which were designed as an introduction to the new 17-inch aluminium wheels which will be mandatory in 2013, and an early comparison between the existing Pirelli tyres and the new range which will feature on the 17-inch rims.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) finished testing fifth and sixth, but Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) was an improved seventh. Top Honda rider was Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) eighth, just ahead of Althea Racing Ducati pairing Davide Giugliano and Carlos Checa.