Michael Bartholemy
“Overall I'm happy with the progress we've made during these three days in Sepang. Both riders have had the chance to get back up to speed after the long winter break, and John was quick to get to grips with the 2008 Ninja ZX-RR. Despite the tricky track conditions that caught out more than a few of the leading riders, John was consistently fast throughout the test and has provided Kawasaki's engineers with both the necessary data and a clear direction for their development efforts over the coming weeks. John has also set the target for Anthony, who knows he has some work to do when we get to Phillip Island next week. He didn't seem to settle as quickly as John, but his lap times improved throughout the second and third day at the test, so I'm sure he'll be able to close the gap significantly at his home circuit. We've covered a lot of ground for the first test of the season, and the contribution of our two test riders shouldn't be underestimated. Olivier Jacque and Tamaki Serizawa have completed individual test schedules equal in intensity to that of our two race pilots, and this will pay dividends for Kawasaki in terms of development. Now we must look to carry this momentum on to Phillip Island, where we'll be looking for both riders to finish higher up the timesheet."

Kawasaki Racing