Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. World Champion Valentino Rossi got things rolling today in the first of three days of MotoGP testing at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, the Fiat Yamaha rider going under the lap record to lead the way in the first pre-season test of 2010. Rossi’s best was a 2:01.411 in the morning session – on his 15th of 54 laps – and it put him half a second ahead of Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner, the Aussie slotting into the second fastest spot. “Today was very important because this year we have just six days of testing in which to set the bike, so we can not waste any time,” Rossi said in a release from his team. “This first day was very positive, we tried the new bike for 2010, with a different chassis and a new engine, which can do more kilometers, and it is quite fast. Yamaha has worked very well over the winter. Now we need to spend time on setting some electronics and other things. This is only the start, but it seems we’re already in good shape.” With Stoner ending up second with his 2:01.902, the first of the three Americans was next and it was Colin Edwards. The Texan lapped at 2:01.932 on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and was the final rider to crack into the 2:01s. Somewhat surprisingly, Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi was next, the veteran beating out Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo for the fourth fastest time. Italian Andrea Dovizioso put the first of the Hondas sixth fastest, the Repsol Honda rider ending up with a 2:02.630 – .162 of a second faster than Marlboro Ducati’s Nicky Hayden. “This is a very important test and it’s good to be back on the bike after such a long winter break,” Dovizioso said in a team release. “This was a positive first day and I’m happy with the updated machine that Honda has brought here. We have a lot of work to do before we’re ready and many things that need to be tested, so today’s lap times are not indicative of our potential. The work that Honda has done on the electronics has made a big improvement, and also the feeling from the chassis is better. We’re concentrating on improving a pace that we can…

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