[Stoner27]

The first day of 2007 MotoGP track action has ended with John Hopkins leading a Rizla Suzuki one-two at the top of the testing timesheets at Sepang in Malaysia.

This week's outing is the second of three winter tests scheduled at the Malaysian circuit before the start of the new season, in Qatar on March 10, but marks the first time that all five major MotoGP manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki - have had their new 800cc machines on track together. Indeed, of the expected 2007 grid, only the new Ilmor SRT team is absent.

Hopkins had sensationally set the pace during the first Sepang test, held last November, and picked up where he'd left off on his first day back after the six week winter test ban - continuing a highly-promising winter display for Paul Denning's team.

Hopper led the field with a best lap of 2mins 2.277secs, enough to keep him over 0.7secs clear of team-mate Chris Vermeulen, but still some way off his own 800cc best at the first Sepang test. Nevertheless, lap times are expected to tumble over the three days.

On a day of otherwise close lap times, best of the rest was former five-times world champion Valentino Rossi, who lapped just 0.135secs behind Vermeulen, while the Italian's team-mate Colin Edwards completed a promising start for Yamaha by ending the day a fraction from The Doctor.

New world champion Nicky Hayden made his comeback from shoulder surgery with the fifth fastest time to lead the Honda challenge, while Ducati's first representation was from Loris Capirossi in sixth, with Randy de Puniet a surprising seventh for Kawasaki - and within 0.5secs of second fastest Vermeulen!

The top ten was completed by rookie of the year Dani Pedrosa, Tech 3 Yamaha's Makoto Tamada - who continued his bright start for the Dunlop shod satellite team – and new factory Ducati rider Casey Stoner.

Another promising performance came from Alex Hofmann, who just outpaced experienced Pramac d'Antin team-mate Alex Barros for twelfth on his 800cc Ducati debut, while Kenny Roberts claimed 13th - 1.8secs from Hopkins - during his first day on the new 800cc KRV.

Not having such a promising start was Carlos Checa, who fell on his way to 14th, with Shinya Nakano just 15th for Konica Minolta Honda - although ahead of 2006 race winners Marco Melandri and Toni Elias, who were just 16th and 18th but claimed to be satisfied with their tyre and base set-up work.

Kawasaki's Olivier Jacque and MotoGP rookie Sylvain Guintoli, of Tech 3 Yamaha, completed the 20 riders present.

Testing continues on Tuesday and concludes on Wednesday.

crash.net