Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s new Aussie pairing, Garry McCoy and Steve Martin, today experienced their first outing on the FP1 during the first day of a three day test at Valencia in Spain.

This Pirelli organised test sees nine World Superbike tyre development teams testing at the Spanish circuit, with Garry and Steve immediately on the pace in dry and sunny conditions, although slowed by the cool track temperature.

Garry McCoy said, “We started the day well, making a few minor changes to get me comfortable on the bike, which I now am. The FP1’s handling has always been well regarding, but it is actually even better than I expected it to be.

"There are of course still areas for development but I feel confident that with more time on the bike it will all fall in to place. We’ve found a good basic set up so we can now start on more specific chassis settings that suit me.

"My day was unfortunately cut short when I high sided going in to turn eleven just before lunch. I got a warning that something wasn’t quite right at turn six as the rear slid a little bit mid corner, but I kept going. I feel ok but have been advised to rest until tomorrow morning, when I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

Steve Martin commented, “I mainly used today to get comfortable on the bike and find a basic set up, which we did so I’m happy with my first day. Every bike that I’ve ever ridden is totally different and my first impression of the FP1 is that it is a good bike that only really needs tweaking to suit my riding style. I like to brake hard so we’ve done some work on the front end so that I can feel comfortable enough to put a consistent lap together.

"The team is great to work with and it’s a good and new experience for me to have different guys to talk to for different areas of the bike such as engine, chassis and suspension. Over the next few days I’m just looking to spend as much time on track as possible for more familiarisation and also to get fully back into racing mode after the last six weeks away from riding a bike.”

Chief Engineer, Steve Thompson said, “So far so good! Both Steve and Garry have made good progress and got used to the bike quickly. Garry’s testing was unfortunately cut short due to a mechanical problem which caused him to crash, slightly injuring his upper back so he was advised to rest for the remainder of the day. There’s no doubt he’ll be back on course tomorrow.

"The tyre chatter problems we’ve experienced this last season seem to be reduced at the moment, due to the different riding styles of our two new riders, who both like to run with a less engine braking. Overall we’ve had a very productive day and look in good shape for the remainder of the test.”

The team is scheduled to tyre test for Pirelli tomorrow to evaluate new compounds and constructions, with further engine development work, in conjunction with the tyres, planned for the final day on Thursday.