If qualifying times mean anything, Honda looks like the horse to bet on:
Day 1 Results:
Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:01.574
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.977
3 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.024
4 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.295
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.332
6 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.422
7 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.483
8 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:02.507
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.514
10 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:03.152
11 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:03.224
12 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.365
13 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.508
14 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:03.695
15 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:03.767
16 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:04.009
17 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:04.238
18 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:04.470
19 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:04.717
20 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:05.235
Day 2 Results:
Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:00.770
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:01.434
3 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.508
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:01.512
5 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.522
6 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.534
7 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.563
8 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:01.687
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.722
10 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:02.093
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.379
12 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:02.426
13 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.597
14 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:02.619
15 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:03.032
16 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:03.047
17 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.466
18 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:03.910
19 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:04.026
20 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:04.142
Day 3 Results:
Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:00.757
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:00.811
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.845
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:00.945
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.002
6 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.241
7 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.353
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.534
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.651
10 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.842
11 Hector Barbera Mapfre Aspar Team 2:02.030
12 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:02.057
13 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:02.159
14 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.645
15 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.717
16 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:02.916
17 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:02.965
18 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:03.452
19 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:03.621
20 Noburu Aoki Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:04.700
However, the Ducati boys improved over 2 seconds over the three days whereas the best Hondas only improved ~1 second. I think there's plenty of learning and improvement left for Rossi and Hayden.
And Spies is a monster on a bike. I bet he has a wicked year!
