De Puniet encouraged after Qatar test

The Frenchman set the sixth fastest time on his ZX-RR, but felt that he had still not found the perfect tyre choice - either for a single lap or over a race distance - which means that improvements could be expected for the opening race of the season.

"It's been a long and exhausting day; I have done almost 100 laps," said de Puniet after the test. "In the afternoon we did a complete race simulation first, followed by a half-race distance, and the lap times were not so bad.

"We still need to improve our performance from the middle of the race until the end. We found a very good rear tyre but it seems that the front choice was not the best one for a whole race, as it dropped after ten laps.

"I kept my rhythm steady but for sure without the movement I could have ridden three or four tenths faster. I was tired then but I wanted to try another qualifier. Unlike this morning, I couldn't get the most out of it though. Apart from that, it was good to see the potential of the bike over race distance.

"There is still some room for improvement in both tyres and bike performance, but we are heading in the right direction."

Ichiro Yoda, Kawasaki Racing Director, said that the team were confident they knew where they needed to make improvements.

"My assessment of this three-day test is positive," he said. "We found a good base set up but still we have to make some modifications, mainly in chassis balance, but we are happy with our performance.

"It is really important that we haven't suffered any relevant problems, either electronic or mechanical. Finding a good package was important too and Bridgestone has done a very good job providing different tyres, which allowed us to improve day by day.

"We have a clear idea about which is going to be our rear tyre choice for the race but still some doubts with the qualifying tyre. Our rider's lap time on a qualifying tyre today was below our expectations. Anyway, it is nothing to worry about because we still have more to try at Jerez."