Posted by Administrator on 09-25-2006 at 04:09 pm
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Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now trails MotoGP World Championship series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by just twelve points with two rounds remaining thanks to his fourth consecutive podium, his eighth from the last ten races, in Japan today. Rossi took second place in a race dominated and won by Loris Capirossi (Ducati), with Marco Melandri (Honda) completing the podium in a carbon copy of the front row order. The 20-point reward for Rossi moved him another nine closer to Hayden, who finished fifth behind Sete Gibernau (Ducati).
Colin Edwards had shown promise of mounting a podium challenge himself this weekend but unfortunately his excellent practice pace on race rubber did not translate into the top result he was hoping for. Despite making a good start from tenth on the grid the American was forced wide by another rider into turn one and lost several positions, dropping back to twelfth. However a determined ride from that point onwards saw him battle back to eighth place – a position he also now holds in the championship after moving above John Hopkins (Suzuki).
Valentino Rossi (2nd; +5.088)
“I’m really happy with this second position today. It wasn’t a great battle like in Sepang, but my rhythm was really good and my bike worked very well. We had a few problems in warm-up this morning and, like always, my mechanics, the Yamaha engineers and Michelin did a great job to make some last-minute changes to our race set-up. At the start my M1 was a little bit hard to ride but slowly I found my rhythm and then bit by bit I started to come closer to Marco. Once I passed him I started pushing to try to reach Loris and made the fastest lap, but once he realised I was coming closer he opened the throttle again and he was just too fast for me to catch. My bike worked brilliantly since Friday morning and I want to thank everyone for all their hard work, it seems that when everything is working for us then it’s hard for the others! 20 points is a great result for me at this track, which isn’t one of my favourites, and now we’re only 12 points behind in the championship. We have two races left and if we can continue in this way then it’s possible!”
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Colin Edwards (8th; +22.492) “I got off the line pretty well but then (Dani) Pedrosa pushed me out a bit on the exit of turn one and I had to chop it. I lost speed and then about three people went by me so I was playing catch-up from then on. I had to spend some time getting past (Makoto) Tamada and (Randy) De Puniet but then I got my head down and just kept going in the same rhythm. I was doing good lap times, consistent with what we were doing all weekend, but it wasn’t enough to make up for our grid position and the problems in turn one. About 15 laps in I hit a bit of a wall, couldn’t hold the load on the rear tyre and started losing corner speed, so life was more difficult from then on. Of course I’m really disappointed; we had a plan but it was messed up by our starting position and turn one. On the bright side we were able to run the same good pace we ran all weekend for most of the race, but it seems a few others, my team-mate included, found a bit extra today and what we had just wasn’t enough!”
Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director
“Today was a very important race for us because we have been able to reduce the gap by another nine points, which keeps us on target. Our goal today was to finish on the podium and we did that so we are happy, even though Loris had a pace that Valentino wasn’t quite able to follow. Unfortunately Colin couldn’t quite live up to the high hopes he had raised before the race so we will investigate the reasons for that. We still have two races left and we want to help get him back to the front of the pack. The last three weeks have required a lot of energy, effort and concentration from the whole team and I am delighted the way every one of them has responded. Now we need them to keep it going for two more races and hopefully we will continue to get our rewards.”
Tech 3 Yamaha Team satisfied with Motegi result after difficult weekend
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It wasn’t the result that the Tech 3 Yamaha Team desired as Carlos Checa celebrated his 200th Grand Prix start but the team will come away from the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi Twin Ring satisfied with the outcome after an extremely difficult weekend of practice and qualifying.
Carlos and his team mate, James Ellison battled as hard as they could for the entire race mixing it with the factory Suzuki team as Carlos eventually came home in 14th position and James secured one championship point to finish 15th in a race won by Loris Capirossi (Ducati)
Carlos Checa (14th, Fastest lap 1’48.992)
“I cannot be really happy but I’m quite satisfied because we did our best. We must have some satisfaction because we did our best but certainly we are not happy because the result is quite far from where we want. After the many tyres we tested over the two days it was a bit of a compromise on tyre choice but it didn’t end up too bad in the end. The pace has increased a lot this year and this makes it more difficult to demonstrate the evolution we are doing. I think to keep in the 1’49’s all race is not so bad .I did these times last year and finished fourth but I think Dunlop need a little more time to improve the tyres. I was with the Suzuki team the entire race and we passed each other quite a few times then my tyre went off a little and I couldn’t go with them. For me it was quite a cool race to be battling with others. I know inside myself I did my best and basically the main limitation is technical. It is good training for me and it is better to be here than at home as I’m still enjoying what I am doing very much. We knew that this year would be difficult and we would have different races where we would be struggling like here and then have other races like Phillip Island where we would have good results but then the wet tyre didn’t work so well. Our target is to keep improving – even myself - I think we had a great opportunity even with all the problems because we fought against the limitations and the problems we had so we will keep going and we will keep learning. ”
James Ellison (15th Fastest lap1’49.616)
“Truthfully, it’s not such a bad end to the weekend after the struggle we had early on and to finish with a point is quite satisfying although I’m always hoping for a better result. It is the best race I have had yet, dicing with people and the one I have enjoyed the most. For the first time in a few races I really had fun out there today as I was actually able to race with a few guys and Carlos wasn’t really that far in front of me, but in a way it was frustrating as I know I can go a lot faster. I was thinking if I didn’t have these problems how much higher could I finish than where we are now? Honestly, I couldn’t have tried any harder to get that one point. It is good because the team are very happy with the effort we both put in and it is nice to finish this bunch of races like this after the difficulties we have had. I still I want to do a lot more but this is where we are at the minute.”
Herve Poncharal – Tech 3 Yamaha Team Director
“It was definitely a difficult weekend but at least we had a bit more of a positive ending as we have been struggling on Friday and Saturday big time. We were very disappointed especially coming from Australia with such a good feeling with the bike and tyre package. Fortunately today both of our riders showed great fighting spirit and determination in battling from the first to the last lap with both of them in the top 15 getting points. That was something we didn’t expect even after the positive warmup this morning. Sure we are down on performance but it was also good to see the top Dunlop management here from the chairman to the general manager and everyone involved in the project for them to see what was happening here, to see where we are an dto understand what we have to do in the future if we want to be competitive against our rivals. Hopefully, this difficult weekend will have some positive outcome. We have another two races to keep on working and try to improve our best race result which was a seventh in the USA. There is a possibility that we can do that. Finally, I want to congratulate Yamaha and Valentino for their brilliant race here and where they are now in the championship shrinking the points to the leader.”
Posted by Administrator on 09-23-2006 at 05:09 am
More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha:
Japanese Grand Prix
Motegi, Japan
Saturday 23rd September 2006
Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi delighted his legion of local fans with a sensational final lap in qualifying practice for the Grand Prix of Japan this afternoon. Rossi continued his excellent progress with another day of hard work on the race setting of his YZR-M1 before heading out to challenge Loris Capirossi (Ducati) for pole. Unfortunately Rossi’s first attempt on qualifying tyres was baulked when a rider crashed in front him, forcing the Italian to make a last-minute pit-stop. It made for a tense finale as Rossi returned to the track and beat the chequered flag by just ten seconds, giving him one last chance to challenge Capirossi’s dominance. The World Champion responded in typical style with a lap of 1’45.991 - inside last year’s pole record but not quite enough to topple pole man Capirossi, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from second place.
Colin Edwards worked in tandem with Rossi throughout the day to improve the solid base setting the pair had found in yesterday’s opening free practice sessions. The Texan was again one of the leading riders on race rubber, lapping consistently in the low 1’48 mark and even dipping under the lap record of 1’47.968. However, the Texan struggled to improve on that pace significantly after fitting a qualifying tyre and he slid down the time sheets in the closing stages, ending the session in tenth place and setting himself a tough challenge tomorrow from the fourth row of the grid.
VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd – 1’45.991; 26 laps)
“For sure I am very happy to be on the front row again for the fourth race in a row. My M1 has worked well from the start here so we’ve been able to work on the setting with various different things and then mix everything together to find the very best race set-up. Now it seems we’re in good shape. The bike worked very well also with the qualifying tyre and I had very good grip. Unfortunately I lost one qualifying tyre when Hopkins crashed in front of me, but luckily my team did a great job with the pit-stop – it was even faster than a Formula 1 team! Fortunately I made a good lap with the final tyre and now we’re starting from second. I am happy; tomorrow will be a difficult race but I am quite confident.”
COLIN EDWARDS (10th – 1’46.726; 26 laps)
“I’ve been happier with my qualifying position but I’ve got a good race pace so it’s not all doom! To be honest, even though on paper it doesn’t look too great, I’m really happy with the bike right now. It’s working really well, it’s just we couldn’t quite get it together with the qualifying tyre and when we put it in today it just overloaded the suspension a bit and made everything a bit too soft, so that’s something we need to think about for the next time. Race-wise our setting is pretty good and I think I’ve got one of the best rhythms out there. Obviously it’s annoying to be starting from the fourth row but I think I can come through the pack pretty quickly and then just get my head down! I need to get a good start, fight my way past a few people and then just keep pushing. I’m actually pretty excited about tomorrow and I’m looking for a good result.”
DAVIDE BRIVIO – CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“It’s been another very good day for Valentino, it seems things are working well and it’s nice to be consistently on the front row. It’s good to be starting tomorrow’s race, which is so important for us with regards to the championship, from this position. It looks like he’s in good shape for the race and hopefully he can make the most of the start to get away in front. Unfortunately Colin wasn’t able to qualifying in such a high position but he actually has a very strong race pace so the situation is not too bad. If he can get a good start then I think he will be able to come through the field quite quickly and once he’s up front he should be able to stay there. Now we hope that the weather stays dry and that we can have a fun and exciting race!"
FIRST ROW
Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’45.724
VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’45.991
Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 1’46.250
SECOND ROW
Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’46.291
Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’46.316
Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 1’46.326
THIRD ROW
Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’46.489
Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’46.512
Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda LCR, 1’46.576
10. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’46.726
Posted by Administrator on 09-23-2006 at 05:09 am
Camel Yamaha Team racers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards began their preparations for the Grand Prix of Japan in ideal fashion today, lapping at the top end of the time sheets throughout both free practice sessions and ending the day with the first and fourth fastest laps overall. Both riders were able to work on their race setting, adapting the machine configuration from the fast and flowing demands of Phillip Island to the stop-start nature of Motegi, before fitting a softer compound rear tyre in a trial run ahead of tomorrow’s crucial qualifying practice.
Rossi was on the pace in both instances, running second fastest in the morning free practice and stepping up the tempo with a string of fast and consistent laps in the afternoon. His best time on a race tyre of 1’48.044 was just a fraction outside lap record pace and is a positive reflection of his potential in Sunday’s race. Edwards, meanwhile, was delighted to follow up his positive progress in Australia with another impressive practice showing. The Texan topped the timing screens for lengthy spells in the afternoon as he also lapped in the low 1’48s before settling for the fourth fastest time overall as other riders also experimented with a qualifying tyre.
Valentino Rossi (1st – 1’46.981; 44 laps)
“I am very happy with today; we’ve made a really good start. The track has a good grip and also Michelin have made great progress since this race last year, especially with the front tyre. They have a new front tyre here which gives me much better grip when braking and so I was able to ride the bike at the maximum straight away today, which meant that I had great fun! My pace is okay, although there are many riders with a similar rhythm so I think it’s going to be a hard battle on Sunday! My best time today was done with the qualifying tyre and once again my bike worked perfectly in this situation, so this is good news for tomorrow. Colin was fast too today, as he was last weekend, which shows what good work we’ve done on our M1 over the last few races. This race is very important for the championship so it’s nice to start off on the right foot with this good result. Now we wait to see if we can continue in this way tomorrow.”
Colin Edwards (4th – 1’47.581; 41 laps) “We found something in Phillip Island which seems to have made all the difference; we pulled the bike out this morning and it felt good straight away. We’ve basically just softened up the setting and it’s since felt like a completely different bike. Obviously Motegi is a very different track to Phillip Island but what we used today was pretty much the same bike with virtually the same setting – just a few modifications that we thought would help us here. The crew have done a great job and we’ve still got another day to work on improving the setting ahead of the race. We used a qualifying tyre today, which we don’t usually do on a Friday, and I was really pleased with the lap time. Now we have to keep going, make sure we don’t take a single step backwards and head into Sunday’s race with confidence of a top result.”
Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director
“For a start we are very happy to see Colin on top, more or less throughout the whole session today, so we have to keep going with him – improving his feeling with the bike and continuing to give him a good package to work with. Valentino has also made a good start and it is always an advantage when both riders feel comfortable from the first moment because they can push hard and give you lots of valuable data to work from. It means that we have a good setting now on both bikes so even if it rains tomorrow, as they say it might, we can be confident for Sunday. As far as using the qualifying tyre in free practice is concerned, we had actually already started to do this before Malaysia, to provide some information for the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. However, I don’t think there is any doubt that it is in the back of teams’ minds now to set a good lap time, just in case there is a similar situation with the weather to the one we had at Sepang.”
Posted by Administrator on 09-19-2006 at 04:09 am
From a press release issued by Camel Yamaha:
TITLE CHASE HEADS NORTH AS CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM TRAVEL TO JAPAN
The final leg of an exhausting Grand Prix triple-header takes place in Japan this weekend as the chase for the MotoGP World Championship heads north from Australia with Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now the closest he has been to the series lead since the third round of the season in Turkey. Third place for the Italian at Phillip Island on Sunday moved him to within 21 points of Nicky Hayden (Honda), with this weekend’s event at the Motegi circuit in the Tochigi prefecture providing another opportunity to cut that gap even further before the series returns to Europe for two final races in Portugal and Spain.
As well as lifting him up to second place in the championship, Rossi’s 89th top-three career finish in the premier class also moved him ahead of Giacomo Agostini in the all-time podiums list, with just Mick Doohan above him on 95. The 27-year-old’s goal is to add to that tally with his 59th victory at a circuit where he has already celebrated on the top step in 2001.
The statistics don’t make such good reading for Rossi’s Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards, whose impressive run of point-scoring finishes ended on 34 in Australia – just three short of another of Doohan’s records. Edwards has a best finish of sixth at Motegi but he is doubly determined to improve on that in front of Yamaha’s army of Japanese fans, who last saw him retiring from the Suzuka 8 Hour race with a mechanical problem in July.
VALENTINO ROSSI: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Valentino Rossi admits that Motegi is not high on his list of favourite destinations although that opinion could easily be changed by another top result on Sunday. The Italian has bounced back from a series of early-season setbacks to hit top form in recent weeks and with three rounds remaining he still has a realistic chance of wrestling the title from Hayden’s grasp.
“Honestly it’s not a track I like very much and I haven’t had such a good time there in the past, but we’re going to have to do our best at Motegi,” says Rossi, who didn’t finish last year’s race after a collision with Marco Melandri. “Three races in a row like this is very hard, especially with this one as the third! We need to make the most of the practice time there because it is not a great track for us. Last year especially it was not a good weekend; we had a lot of problems during the practices and then the race result was very bad!
“A gap of 21 points is still a lot but it’s not impossible so we can still try. Motegi is going to be a very important race for us, firstly because we know it’s going to be difficult and secondly because we have to try to get more points from Hayden in order to stay in the fight. My M1 has been pretty good recently and I think we’re going there in good shape, so hopefully we can make the most of the weekend and go back to Europe with an even better shot at the title.”
COLIN EDWARDS: POSITIVE THINKING
After enjoying the support of family and friends in Australia, Colin Edwards will again benefit from huge backing this weekend thanks to his army of Japanese fans. Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career and he hopes to revive the glory days by building on a good weekend of set-up work with the YZR-M1 machine in Australia.
“I actually don’t mind Motegi too much as a track, although I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourites,” says Edwards. “It’s a pretty interesting track and I really like the four corners after the tunnel exit. We were sixth last year, which was okay, but we did have a few problems through the weekend to deal with which hopefully won’t resurface this year. I’ve always enjoyed racing in Japan and I have loads of fans there, plus there’s always a great atmosphere so it’s generally a fun weekend.
“Phillip island was obviously really disappointing, especially since we made such massive strides forward over the weekend and I was finally feeling like I was back where I should be in the way I could ride the bike. Basically I just have to forget what happened and think about the positives from the weekend and with any luck what worked there will work next week and we’ll be able to get on it from the start on Friday morning. It’s good in this way that we’ve got another race straight away – no time to sit around dwelling on the past!
DAVIDE BRIVIO: DESPERATE FOR POINTS
Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is expecting a tough weekend for his riders at a circuit that has traditionally not favoured Yamaha machinery. However, the Italian insists that the team’s focus will not waver as they target another victory points haul in the quest to lift the MotoGP World Championship crown for the third successive season.
“Now we go to Motegi, which was very difficult for us last year and is never an easy track,” admits Brivio. “We had a lot of set-up problems and then unfortunately Valentino crashed in the race and we came away with zero points! This year of course we are desperate for points so we need a very different weekend.
“Over the last few races the situation with our bike has been pretty good, so with any luck this will be the case even in Motegi. We know it will be difficult of course, but we go there in good shape and ready to fight. Colin was in great shape at Phillip Island but sadly the rain stopped him from getting the result he deserved. We hope he won’t have any pain remaining from his fall and that he can keep working in the good way he was in Australia, as we all want to see him back on top again.”
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: MOTEGI ACCORDING TO ANDREA ZUGNA
Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race.
“Motegi is a stop and go track so it’s very important to be very strong and stable on the brakes,” explains Andrea Zugna, Colin Edwards’ Data Technician. “You need a good front fork setting and then the engine braking setting is also very important. You also need to be strong on the acceleration in order to be able to get away quickly, otherwise you’re going to be passed at the next braking point. It is quite stressful on the front tyre because of the long braking sections, so you need the right front setting to cope with this.
“It wasn’t a very easy weekend for Colin last year; we didn’t really find a way for him to have enough confidence in the front tyre for the race, so this is something we really need to work on from Friday morning this year. The Yamaha’s strongest point is agility so it doesn’t necessarily play to our strengths, but the M1 worked okay in Malaysia so we can start from this setting and hopefully make improvements from there.”
VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION
Age: 27
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 170 (111 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 43
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: 62 x MotoGP
World Championships - 2 World Superbike
Motegi Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’47.968
Motegi Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’46.363
2005 Japanese Grand Prix Results:
1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43’30.499
2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +1.479
3. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, +16.277
6. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +34.915
DNF: VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha
Posted by Administrator on 09-18-2006 at 06:09 am
The final leg of an exhausting Grand Prix triple-header takes place in Japan this weekend as the chase for the MotoGP World Championship heads north from Australia with Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now the closest he has been to the series lead since the third round of the season in Turkey. Third place for the Italian at Phillip Island on Sunday moved him to within 21 points of Nicky Hayden (Honda), with this weekend’s event at the Motegi circuit in the Tochigi prefecture providing another opportunity to cut that gap even further before the series returns to Europe for two final races in Portugal and Spain.
As well as lifting him up to second place in the championship, Rossi’s 89th top-three career finish in the premier class also moved him ahead of Giacomo Agostini in the all-time podiums list, with just Mick Doohan above him on 95. The 27-year-old’s goal is to add to that tally with his 59th victory at a circuit where he has already celebrated on the top step in 2001.
The statistics don’t make such good reading for Rossi’s Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards, whose impressive run of point-scoring finishes ended on 34 in Australia – just three short of another of Doohan’s records. Edwards has a best finish of sixth at Motegi but he is doubly determined to improve on that in front of Yamaha’s army of Japanese fans, who last saw him retiring from the Suzuka 8 Hour race with a mechanical problem in July.
Valentino Rossi: Nothing is impossible
Valentino Rossi admits that Motegi is not high on his list of favourite destinations although that opinion could easily be changed by another top result on Sunday. The Italian has bounced back from a series of early-season setbacks to hit top form in recent weeks and with three rounds remaining he still has a realistic chance of wrestling the title from Hayden’s grasp.
“Honestly it’s not a track I like very much and I haven’t had such a good time there in the past, but we’re going to have to do our best at Motegi,” says Rossi, who didn’t finish last year’s race after a collision with Marco Melandri. “Three races in a row like this is very hard, especially with this one as the third! We need to make the most of the practice time there because it is not a great track for us. Last year especially it was not a good weekend; we had a lot of problems during the practices and then the race result was very bad!"
“A gap of 21 points is still a lot but it’s not impossible so we can still try. Motegi is going to be a very important race for us, firstly because we know it’s going to be difficult and secondly because we have to try to get more points from Hayden in order to stay in the fight. My M1 has been pretty good recently and I think we’re going there in good shape, so hopefully we can make the most of the weekend and go back to Europe with an even better shot at the title.”
Colin Edwards: Positive thinking
After enjoying the support of family and friends in Australia, Colin Edwards will again benefit from huge backing this weekend thanks to his army of Japanese fans. Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career and he hopes to revive the glory days by building on a good weekend of set-up work with the YZR-M1 machine in Australia."
“I actually don’t mind Motegi too much as a track, although I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourites,” says Edwards. “It’s a pretty interesting track and I really like the four corners after the tunnel exit. We were sixth last year, which was okay, but we did have a few problems through the weekend to deal with which hopefully won’t resurface this year. I’ve always enjoyed racing in Japan and I have loads of fans there, plus there’s always a great atmosphere so it’s generally a fun weekend."
“Phillip island was obviously really disappointing, especially since we made such massive strides forward over the weekend and I was finally feeling like I was back where I should be in the way I could ride the bike. Basically I just have to forget what happened and think about the positives from the weekend and with any luck what worked there will work next week and we’ll be able to get on it from the start on Friday morning. It’s good in this way that we’ve got another race straight away – no time to sit around dwelling on the past!"
Davide Brivio: Desperate for points
Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is expecting a tough weekend for his riders at a circuit that has traditionally not favoured Yamaha machinery. However, the Italian insists that the team’s focus will not waver as they target another victory points haul in the quest to lift the MotoGP World Championship crown for the third successive season.
“Now we go to Motegi, which was very difficult for us last year and is never an easy track,” admits Brivio. “We had a lot of set-up problems and then unfortunately Valentino crashed in the race and we came away with zero points! This year of course we are desperate for points so we need a very different weekend."
“Over the last few races the situation with our bike has been pretty good, so with any luck this will be the case even in Motegi. We know it will be difficult of course, but we go there in good shape and ready to fight. Colin was in great shape at Phillip Island but sadly the rain stopped him from getting the result he deserved. We hope he won’t have any pain remaining from his fall and that he can keep working in the good way he was in Australia, as we all want to see him back on top again.”
Technically speaking: Motegi according to Andrea Zugna
Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race.
“Motegi is a stop and go track so it’s very important to be very strong and stable on the brakes,” explains Andrea Zugna, Colin Edwards’ Data Technician. “You need a good front fork setting and then the engine braking setting is also very important. You also need to be strong on the acceleration in order to be able to get away quickly, otherwise you’re going to be passed at the next braking point. It is quite stressful on the front tyre because of the long braking sections, so you need the right front setting to cope with this."
“It wasn’t a very easy weekend for Colin last year; we didn’t really find a way for him to have enough confidence in the front tyre for the race, so this is something we really need to work on from Friday morning this year. The Yamaha’s strongest point is agility so it doesn’t necessarily play to our strengths, but the M1 worked okay in Malaysia so we can start from this setting and hopefully make improvements from there.”
Valentino Rossi: Information
Age: 27
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 170 (111 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 43
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: 62 x MotoGP
World Championships - 2 World Superbike
Motegi Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’47.968
Motegi Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’46.363
2005 Japanese Grand Prix Results:
1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43’30.499
2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +1.479
3. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, +16.277
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha, +34.915
DNF: Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha
