Melandri gets first taste of WSBK at Valencia
In excellent weather conditions and 17° temperatures, Melandri lapped both on the ex-Crutchlow machine and with the 2011 version, which amongst other things will have a different weight distribution.
"I immediately found a good feeling with the bike, which is very powerful but also easy to handle, it gives me the impression of being an easy bike to ‘interpret', even though it's still too early to give a definitive opinion. I'm here just to get an early contact with it".
The team's other new rider, Irishman Eugene Laverty, is also taking part in the one-day Yamaha test.
Melandri covered a total of 74 laps, setting a best time of 1'33.9 on soft tyres and 1'34.28 on race rubber, while Laverty's best was 1'34.9. The lap record at Valencia belongs to Noriyuki Haga (Ducati, 2009) in 1'34.618.
