Posted by Administrator on 03-28-2006 at 05:03 pm
Yamaha have brought Valentino Rossi’s 2005 bike out of retirement to help the MotoGP champion overcome problems with his new machine.The 27-year-old Italian fell at the first corner and finished 14th in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, the first time in six years that he has not won the season-opener.
Rossi stayed on at the Jerez circuit on Monday for an afternoon of testing, completing 72 laps including some on last year’s YZR-M1.
“We decided to have Valentino ride the 2005 M1 for a few laps so we could compare its performance at this track with that of the new bike,” said team boss Davide Brivio.
“It was interesting to see the difference. A few things about the ‘05 bike are better at the moment, but overall it seems the ‘06 bike is still a more improved package.
“The data from this comparison should help us a lot as we continue to develop the new bike.”
Rossi’s 2006 bike suffered excessive vibration at speed in practice and qualifying in Jerez after looking quick in Barcelona tests. The next race is in Qatar on April 8.
Source: Reuters.co.uk
Posted by Administrator on 03-27-2006 at 02:03 am
The Camel Yamaha Team remained in Jerez today for an intense afternoon of testing in an effort to find some answers to the problems they faced over the course of the season’s opening weekend. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards completed 72 and 76 laps respectively and made some positive steps towards understanding the cause of the vibration that kept their lap times down during the weekend’s practice sessions and forced them to start from the fourth row of the grid for yesterday’s race.
Rossi, who was brought down by another rider at the first corner of the race after a lightening start, also completed one run today on the 2005-specification YZR-M1, in order to compare its performance with the 2006 bike and gather more data to help the engineers find a final solution ahead of the next race.
The Camel Yamaha Team now have a week’s rest before they travel to Qatar early next week for the second MotoGP race of the season.
DAVIDE BRIVIO – CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“After such a disappointing opening weekend to the season, it was important for us to have the chance to test today. It was a very useful and interesting day for us and we were able to collect a lot of important information which we believe will help us. It was good to be able to go back to some of the settings that we tried over the weekend and to evaluate them in a more relaxed atmosphere, without the time pressure of a race weekend.
“In addition we decided to have Valentino ride the 2005 M1 for a few laps so we could compare its performance at this track with that of the new bike. It was interesting to see the difference – a few things about the ’05 bike are better at the moment, but overall it seems the ’06 bike is still a more improved package and Valentino’s fastest times today were on the 2006-spec M1. Anyway the data from this comparison should help us a lot as we continue to develop the new bike. Valentino was able to make some good improvements to the performance of the ’06 bike so this is encouraging for Qatar. Colin’s test wasn’t quite as positive but after today we now have a better idea of what to do in order to bring him back to the level he was at in Barcelona. It’s been an important day for us and now the Yamaha engineers will work hard to evaluate the data gathered so that we can come to Qatar and fight at the front with both riders where they belong.”
Times:
1. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’39.910
2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’40.504
3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team,1’40.798
4. Casey Stoner (AUS) Team LCR, 1’40.821
5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’40.845
6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Yamaha Tech 3, 1’40.932
7. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’40.966
8. John Hopkins (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’41.096
9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’41.178
10. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 1’41.193
11. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, 1’41.234
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 1’41.400
13. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’41.442
14. Chris Vermuelen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’41.554
15. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR, 1’41.861
16. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha Tech 3, 1’42.924
17. T. Okada (JPN) 1’43.265
Posted by Administrator on 03-26-2006 at 01:03 pm
Full MotoGP race results from the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, round one of the 2006 world championship.
1. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 45min 57.733 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 46min 2.108 secs
3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team 46min 7.729 secs
4. Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Honda 46min 7.868 secs
5. Marco Melandri ITA Fortuna Honda 46min 17.28 secs
6. Casey Stoner AUS Honda LCR 46min 18.970 secs
7. Shinya Nakano JPN Kawasaki Racing Team 46min 19.105 secs
8. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts 46min 30.147 secs
9. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 46min 30.392 secs
10. Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda 46min 33.716 secs
11. Colin Edwards USA Camel Yamaha Team 46min 35.663 secs
12. Chris Vermulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 46min 37.247 secs
13. Carlos Checa SPA Tech 3 Yamaha 46min 40.562 secs
14. Valentino Rossi ITA Camel Yamaha Team 47min 3.499 secs
15. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d’Antin MotoGP 47min 21.033 secs
16. James Ellison GBR Tech 3 Yamaha 46min 8.428 secs
DNF:
Jose Luis Cardoso SPA Pramac d’Antin MotoGP 22min 52.296 secs
Randy de Puniet FRA Kawasaki Racing Team 10min 41.370 secs
Sete Gibernau SPA Ducati Marlboro Team 3min 37.223 secs
Posted by Administrator on 03-25-2006 at 05:03 pm
| 1 - 2006 MotoGP Jerez |
| Jerez |
| 25 March 2006 |
| 20°C |
| Dry |
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Valentino Rossi |
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Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards face an uphill battle in the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship tomorrow after vibration problems returned in this afternoon’s qualifying practice at Jerez. After making progress with his YZR-M1 machine in yesterday’s free practice, Rossi’s cause was not helped by an incident early in today’s session, when he became the first of five riders to end up in the gravel after oil was spilled on the track by another competitor.
The red flags were duly raised and when the pit-lane reopened both Rossi and Edwards worked against the clock to solve their difficulties ahead of tomorrow’s 27-lap race. However, bad luck struck for Edwards when he suffered a puncture to his rear tyre and the American was only able to qualify tenth fastest, one place behind his Italian team-mate.
Pole position went to Loris Capirossi (Ducati) in an outright circuit record time of 1’39.064 and the Italian will be joined on the front row by his team-mate Sete Gibernau and Japanese rider Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki).
Valentino Rossi (9th - 1’40.160, 28 laps)
“I thought we had solved a lot of the problems yesterday but today they came back. The bike is still vibrating and with the qualifying tyre the problem became worse because the extra grip on the rear pushed the front even harder. Basically we are losing time in every part of the corner. Also the crash at the start of the session didn’t help but we can’t use that as an excuse. I have won the first race of the season every year since 2001 but it is going to be difficult tomorrow. I have always found that it helps to start the season with a win so I will still be going for it!”
Colin Edwards (10th - 1’40.181, 23 laps)
“I suppose you could say we are up the creek but the important day is tomorrow so we still have a paddle! Just when we thought we had the problem sorted out it has come creeping back. We’ve had three days of tests here and now two days this weekend but we just can’t get on top of it. The vibration in the corners comes in at a certain speed so the effect is like having a speed limiter on the bike. To make things worse I had a puncture in my first qualifying tyre so we lost time at the end of the session too. Things don’t look to be going too well for us at the moment but we’ll try to pull a rabbit out of the hat tomorrow.”
Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director
“We still have some work to do to solve the problems completely. It has been a strange weekend because yesterday we lost a whole session because of the weather and then today we had another setback when Valentino crashed on the oil left by Alex Hofmann’s bike. It didn’t help because we had some solutions we wanted to try on that bike. It seems things are conspiring to make life difficult for us but we won’t give up. It is clearly not a good situation with regard to the starting grid but the pace of the front riders is not too far from our own. If we can make some slight improvements in the morning then I think we will be in the right shape for a good race.”
Posted by Administrator on 03-21-2006 at 08:03 am
he Camel Yamaha Team returns to southern Spain next weekend to begin the defence of its MotoGP World Championship titles. With Valentino Rossi taking the riders’ crown for the fifth successive season, adding to both the team and manufacturers’ titles in the year of Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary, the factory outfit faces a tough challenge to live up to its 2005 success but the team is approaching the new campaign with optimism and fresh motivation.
This will be the 20th consecutive Grand Prix at Jerez since the circuit was first used in 1987 - Assen and Donington are the only other current venues boasting a longer association with the series – and this year’s opening round sees Rossi hunting for his seventh win there in all classes. Victory next Sunday would be his fifth in the premier-class and make him the most successful MotoGP rider ever at Jerez; with one more win than the legendary Mick Doohan.
Colin Edwards has enjoyed limited success at the Andalucian track since racing there for the first time in 2003. His best result is a seventh-place finish two years ago but an encouraging pre-season with the 2006 version YZR-M1 has given the ‘Texas Tornado’ realistic hopes of producing his best form this time around.
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| Valentino Rossi |
Valentino Rossi: New arrivals and new rivals
Valentino Rossi defends his MotoGP title from a host of new riders this year after an influx of young talent from the 250cc and World Superbike categories. Dani Pedrosa (Honda), Casey Stoner (Honda), Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) and Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) have all demonstrated rapid progress during the pre-season tests and Rossi is looking forward to the fresh challenges they will present.
“This year my main rivals have changed and the average age is much younger, so I will have to work out their strengths and weaknesses,” said Rossi. “I have watched the career of Dani Pedrosa very closely since he was in 125cc and I have always been impressed by him and I expect him to be strong from the first race. Besides him, there are many different riders, manufacturers and teams that have been fast at different times throughout the pre-season so I hope that we can have some really good battles for the fans!”
If Rossi needs further motivation to open his fifth consecutive title defence with a victory, he has the added target of protecting an impressive record of opening-round successes in recent years. The Italian has been victorious in round one of each of the last five seasons, all of which have ended with championship success, but he says that work must be done to improve the performance of his 2006-specification YZR-M1 at Jerez after recent tests at the same circuit.
“We need to find more grip when the tyre is on the side,” he explains. “At the test our speed in the corner was down considerably in some places so, where we usually have an advantage with the Yamaha, we were behind. Anyway, now the Yamaha engineers understand what has happened and they have a lot of data and information to fix it for the race. I have confidence in them, in Jeremy Burgess and in Michelin and I know that when we can use our bike at 100%, as we showed in Barcelona, it is the best bike on the grid. I love racing in Spain and I have many fans there, so I always look forward to the race in Jerez!”
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| Colin Edwards |
Colin Edwards: Driving towards success
Colin Edwards is entering his second season with Yamaha, the first for him in MotoGP without a switch of team and bike during the winter. Lengthy pre-season tests, as well as valuable data gathered last year, have given the American a crucial platform for the new campaign – as evidenced by his form at the Official Test in Barcelona two weeks ago when he set the fastest time in the ‘Qualifying’ practice and drove away with the prize of a new car.
“It’s been a pretty intense few months testing and I am really happy that we’ve finally made it to the first race - this is where the fun starts!” smiled Edwards. “The great result at the Barcelona Test was a massive confidence boost to me and a validation of all the hard work that everyone’s put in, but we have to use it as a trampoline to bigger and better things. As everyone knows, we had a bit of a setback at the Jerez test but I’ve said from the first time I rode the new M1 that it’s a great bike and pretty much better in every way to the old one, so I have confidence that we will be okay come the race.
“Jerez is a great race, it’s a fantastic place to kick off the season and the atmosphere is always something special. As for the season in general, I have said that I am ready to win races and I stand by that. Of course, I’ve got to beat my team-mate and that’s the hardest part! This is the first time in MotoGP that I’ve begun the season on the same bike and with the same team so I’m way ahead of where I have been every other year. I’m really looking forward to the new season!”
Davide Brivio: Motivated and excited
Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio has enjoyed a busy winter, with new title-sponsor Camel coming on board as well as an intense pre-season testing schedule in Malaysia and Qatar. The Italian has been pleased with the form shown by his riders despite recent problems at Jerez and says he is expecting another exciting and successful season.
“Our winter programme went quite well, apart from the most recent session at Jerez when we faced a few problems,” admits Brivio. “We weren’t able to use the bike to its full potential but, thankfully, that was only a test and we were able to collect a lot of data that will be useful to us as we try to iron out those problems for the race. We have some ideas so hopefully they will turn into solutions on Friday morning. In any case we are very aware that this is just the first race of seventeen and it will be another long season.
“As far as the team is concerned I would say they are even more motivated than last season. Obviously Valentino wants to win the title again and Colin is also very happy with the way the bike has performed in the winter. It is his second year in the team and we all want to take advantage of that. I would say that altogether the team is motivated, excited and very much looking forward to the start of the new season next weekend.”
Technically speaking: Daniele Romagnoli on Jerez
With few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle, the key to Jerez is about the rider’s skill in picking the most effective racing line. The 4.423km track features five left and eight right hand corners with regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall package and, above all, precise chassis set-up.
“The most important and difficult aspect of set-up at Jerez is the chassis,” explains Daniele Romagnoli, Chief Mechanic to Colin Edwards. “It is a particular circuit because the bike spends a lot of time at maximum lean and there are very few points that require maximum throttle, so the engine and the gearbox settings are not as important here as they are at other tracks. There are many high-speed corners with fast entry so the chassis has to be good, as do the suspension and the tyres. The riders need good grip at maximum lean so we work on the weight balance, spring rates and finding a good tyre.”
Valentino Rossi: Information
Age: 27
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
GP victories: 81 (42 x MotoGP, 13 x 500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 157 (65 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 40
World Championships – 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
Colin Edwards: Information
Age: 32
Lives: Conroe, Texas
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 49 x MotoGP
World Championships - 2 World Superbike
