Posted by Administrator on 04-29-2008 at 07:04 am
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With just three months remaining before the city of Beijing plays host to the XXIX edition of the Olympic Games, China opens its doors to an equally talented array of athletes and a similarly historic championship this weekend as the MotoGP World Championship lands in Shanghai for the fourth round of an already intriguing season. The Fiat Yamaha Team heads for the Orient in fine spirits after a sensational start to the season, which has wielded five podiums and leadership of both the teams’ and riders’ standings.
Pivotal to that success is the early season form of rookie revelation Jorge Lorenzo, who has made the most successful ever start to a modern-day MotoGP career after three races. An unbroken pole to podium record so far have taken the youngster to the top of the standings on 61 points - a tally he aims to add to in China on his 21st birthday.
A debut premier-class success in Portugal two weeks ago made Lorenzo the fifth youngest rider to achieve the feat – outshining legendary names such as Mike Hailwood and his own team-mate Valentino Rossi – and the youngest to finish on the podium at three successive races. Having conquered Estoril on his first visit with the YZR-M1, a circuit at which he had never previously won in any class, Lorenzo can fully expect to be competitive at Shanghai, where he dominated with pole position, victory and a new lap record in the 250cc class last year, especially after undergoing successful surgery to cure a troublesome ‘arm-pump’ condition.
In 2005 Valentino Rossi himself made history by taking victory in the first ever MotoGP race to be held in China, which was affected by heavy rain. The Italian was forced to retire in 2006 but he bounced back with second place last year and his focus for this weekend is to go one step higher on the podium. Rossi is confident that his blossoming relationship with Br idgestone tyres is ready to bear fruit and see him join Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa on the winners’ list for the season.
Combining fast straights and hard braking zones with a series of slow and difficult corners, Shanghai is not dissimilar to Estoril in terms of bike set-up, with the engineers required to find a compromised balance between nimbleness and straight-line speed. As at any Herman Tiilke-designed circuit, horsepower is a crucial factor and Shanghai is no exception, boasting the longest straight on the calendar at an incredible 1202 metres.
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Valentino Rossi - “We should fight for victory”
“After Estoril we had a test and the primary focus was tyre testing with Bridgestone, working on material for Shanghai. We found some good things and I hope that we’ll be starting in good shape. We’ve had three races together now and I think the last two podiums, especially in Estoril which isn’t such a good track for Bridgestone, have shown that we’re making good progress in our relationship and I hope that Shanghai is going to be the place where it finally all comes together. We’re not in such a bad place in the championship and there is a very long way to go, but our rivals are very strong so we can’t afford to make mistakes and we need to try to take as many points as possible from now on. Last year in China we weren’t quite able to win but this year our bike is working very well and, together with our tyre package, I think we should be fighting for the victory. The race in 2007 was very exciting I think, a long battle with Stoner; this year I hope for a similar battle with my rivals but with a different outcome!”
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Jorge Lorenzo - “Realizing a dream”
Each day I am feeling better after my operation; I feel great and I think the recovery is going very well, without problems. I am going to China in perfect shape. The victory in Portugal was like a big present that I had never expected, but in a way it wasn’t a perfect victory because I couldn’t enjoy it so much! The pain in my arms changed the celebration but I believe the most important thing is to make sure I am fit for the future. I am calm because I am realizing a dream and for me the target for the season has already been reached. Now we must continue to work like this and I have to concentrate on the next race. I have had mixed fortunes in China - I had many problems in 2006 and I couldn’t finish but last year I won and it made the championship easier because it took me to 95 points after only four races. Shanghai is a modern track with a long straight, fast corners and big braking areas. It is the second circuit where I’ve never ridden in MotoGP so I don’t know what my performance will be like here but I was very comfortable at this track in 250cc, so I hope it will be the same on May 4th.”
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Davide Brivio - “We can go and attack”
“Normally in China we have always been competitive but last year we couldn’t win, we finished second. This year we’ll try again but the competition will be much stronger because it is not only Stoner who is capable of fighting for victory, there are other competitive riders too. We were very pleased with the results in Jerez and Estoril because we knew they were tracks that weren’t the most favourable for us so it was a case of going there to defend. Now we hope that China is the first of the tracks where we can go and attack. It has been a really interesting season so far with three different winners in the opening three races. Lorenzo is the rookie and it’s very surprising what he’s doing but all three are young and it shows that the new generation is very strong. I think the three race winners so far are our toughest competitors for the World Championship so now we hope it is Valentino’s turn.”
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Daniele Romagnoli - “We’re expecting another good result”
“Of course we are all surprised by Jorge’s results so far – I don’t think anybody expected him to win so early in the season or to start from pole in each of the first three races! It is down to a combination of things: firstly, the talent of the rider, secondly the incredible support he has received from Yamaha and thirdly the performance of Michelin’s tyres, which have improved so much this year. Also, I think the team are doing a great job trying to adapt the M1 to Jorge and altogether it is fair to say we are more than satisfied with his progress! This race is a similar story to Estoril in that Jorge has never ridden our bike here before but everybody saw what he did in Portugal and this is a similar layout; there is a very high-speed straight and some tight sections where the handling of the Yamaha excels, so we’re expecting another good result. I don’t know exactly how Jorge will be able to ride after his operation – the doctors say he is 100% but we will have to wait and see. I have confidence in them though and this was definitely the right time to operate. In theory he should be even faster than before!”
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 88 (61 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 195 (134 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 49
World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 20
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 22 (1 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 97 (3 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 28 (2 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 x 250cc
Shanghai: Record Lap
D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2006, 1′59.318
Shanghai: Best Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2007, 1′58.424
Grand Prix Results: Shanghai 2007
1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 44′12.891
2. V.Rossi (Yamaha) +3.036
3. J.Hopkins (Suzuki) +6.663
Jorge Lorenzo Result: Shanghai 2007
1. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia 44′17.095 (250cc)
Posted by Administrator on 04-15-2008 at 07:04 am
With the new Yamaha/Bridgestone partnership still in its infancy, Valentino Rossi’s main focus during Monday’s Estoril test was unsurprisingly on continued tyre development.
Rossi, who has taken two podiums from his first three Bridgestone starts and holds third in the current world championship standings, will be looking to break a seven-race losing streak - since Estoril 2007 - next time out in Shanghai, a circuit where Rossi finished second to Casey Stoner’s Bridgestone-shod Ducati last year.
The Fiat Yamaha star left Estoril with the second fastest overall lap time, set with a qualifying tyre, after circulating 0.252secs behind Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa.
Rossi also tested new front and rear race tyres, whilst improving set-up and ‘feeling’ during his 90 laps. Using race tyres, the Italian was able to beat his best lap - set on his way to third place - in Sunday’s grand prix.
“Today was all about tyres, set-up and our ongoing task of improving the Yamaha-Bridgestone package,” confirmed team manager Davide Brivio. “We tried new front and rear race tyres and also some new qualifying tyres, and we found some good solutions to take with us to China. We were able to improve rear grip and durability especially and these are two key areas for us.
“Valentino worked very hard today and completed 90 laps, and he deserves to be happy with a job well done. Of course we are always working on the general setting and we hope that we’re going to be arriving in China now with an even better bike than we had this weekend. Thank you to everyone for another long weekend of hard work and now there’s some time to relax before we make the trip to China.”
Rossi’s team-mate and Estoril race winner Jorge Lorenzo - currently tied with Pedrosa at the top of the world championship standings - did not test on Monday, the 20-year-old opting to undergo surgery on his right forearm to help arm-pump problems.
Posted by Administrator on 04-14-2008 at 12:04 pm
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Jorge Lorenzo topped off an incredible opening month in MotoGP with his maiden premier class victory today, his first ever career win at Estoril. After three pole positions and two podiums, the Fiat Yamaha Team rookie went one step further to win the Portuguese Grand Prix in fine style, taking joint first in the championship standings in the process. It was also the second double podium of the season for the team, with Valentino Rossi finishing third.
The first lap was a close battle between Lorenzo, Rossi and Dani Pedrosa with Lorenzo just prevailing over the line. Rossi however then passed him into turn one and pushed on ahead, leaving his team-mate to defend second position from Pedrosa, who was right on his tail. It began to spot with rain but Lorenzo kept his head and kept in touch with Rossi, despite pressure from Pedrosa behind him. On lap 11 Pedrosa made it past Lorenzo and stayed in front of him for two laps, but the Mallorcan was clearly cruising and, after setting the fastest lap of the race so far on lap 12, the Michelin-shod rider passed Pedrosa into turn one and set off after Rossi. He made his move later that lap in typically flamboyant fashion with a bold pass at the chicane and from then on it was a one-man-show as he extended his lead and eventually crossed the line 1.817 seconds in front of Pedrosa, who had passed Rossi on lap 15.
At just 20 years of age, Lorenzo’s victory today makes him the youngest rider in premier-class history to take three successive podiums and he now shares the championship lead with Dani Pedrosa on 61 points. Rossi consolidates third with 47 points whilst Fiat Yamaha top the Team’s table and Yamaha the Constructor’s.
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Jorge Lorenzo 1st - 45′53.089
“I feel like I’m in heaven! First of all I have to say thank you to Yamaha and to Fiat because without their confidence in me I wouldn’t be here now. I can’t believe it and it’s really impossible for me to describe my feelings, I’m so happy for everyone! My team did a fantastic job and my Yamaha and my Michelin tyres worked very, very well today. The start of the race was quite crazy because there were some drops of rain and it looked like it might get worse. Anyway I just carried on and really I can’t remember the details of exactly what happened…I remember making my pass on Valentino; I know it was quite a risk so I’m sorry to him but at that point I felt that I could make it and get away from him, so I took the chance and it worked. I’m so proud of everyone, to be here after just three races and at the top of the championship as well is something that I could never have even dreamed of. We can’t afford to relax now however because Pedrosa and Rossi are here as well and they are two very fast and clever riders. I had some pain again in my arms today so tonight we will make a decision about whether or not I will have the operation before China, but for now I’m just going to enjoy this moment!”
Danielle Romagnoli - Team Manager
“This is a dream come true for all of us; Jorge rode an unbelievable race. Watching him fight with the others it was impossible to believe that it is only his third race and now here he is, already a winner! Thanks to the team because they did a fantastic job to set the bike up and Yamaha and Michelin together gave us a fantastic package to work with. We had planned a test tomorrow but this will depend on the decision about Jorge’s operation. There are three weeks until the next race so there is plenty of time for him to recover if he chooses to go ahead with it. Now we’re looking forward to another exciting weekend with Jorge in China!”
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Valentino Rossi extended his Estoril podium record with third place today, meaning he has now finished on the podium at all of his nine career visits to the Portuguese track.
Valentino Rossi 3rd +12.723
“At the end of the day this isn’t a bad result for us because we expected this to be quite a difficult track for us. My M1 worked well today; I got a good start and was able to stay at the front to begin with and have some fun. My Bridgestone tyres were working well but I was thinking about trying to conserve them as much as possible because I knew 28 laps was going to be hard. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay with Lorenzo and Pedrosa in the later stages and I started to slide a little bit, but anyway to have two podiums in a row with Bridgestone is very important because we’re still in the learning stages of our relationship. I think we’ve made another step forward this weekend and we have an important test tomorrow – I hope in China we will be able to fight for the win!”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
“Valentino defended very well today despite difficult conditions for us and we took a good podium and some important points. We expected it to be hard and I want to thank the team and our engineers for working hard all week and keeping the level of our Yamaha-Bridgestone package at the maximum. We’re looking forward to another 15 races and we hope that in China we’ll be in attacking form and able to get our first win with Bridgestone! We will work on tyres and settings for China tomorrow and then everyone will have a good rest before the next challenge.”
Masahiko Nakajima - Team Director
“Very impressive! This weekend Jorge has been very consistent and to get a third pole position and then go on to win is fantastic. He showed a strong drive in the race and proved that he can keep his concentration at the maximum for the entire race. I want to congratulate him for a great achievement and thank him on behalf of everyone at Yamaha.
”Unfortunately for Valentino we are still struggling a bit in some areas but anyway the combination between our chassis and the Bridgestone tyres is improving race by race. Step-by-step we are making progress and for sure here in Estoril everything went even better than in Jerez. This is a very unusual track; it requires a very delicate chassis balance because it has the slowest average speed in the world championship but also some very high-speed areas. In conclusion, I am happy with Valentino’s podium in these difficult conditions and I am confident that next time we will improve even more together with Bridgestone. |
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Fighting fourth for Edwards, Toseland seventh
Colin Edwards claimed his best result of 2008 with a determined ride to fourth place in Estoril today, while a hard fought seventh moved James Toseland into the top five of the MotoGP world championship standings. Lying sixth and tantalisingly close to the leading bunch for the opening nine laps, Edwards comfortably held onto the fourth place that he seized on lap 17 after a mistake by fellow American Nicky Hayden. He briefly threatened to close on Valentino Rossi in third as he posted his fastest lap on lap 19 of 28 with a 1.38.083, but settled for his best result since the German GP last July. The race started in tricky and unpredictable conditions as light rain showers fell at several sections on the circuit, leaving riders unsure of exactly how hard to push in the early stages.
The light rain certainly had an impact on Toseland’s normal aggressive start. He slipped down to 11th on lap one, but fought back to overtake Loris Capirossi, Chris Vermeulen and Casey Stoner. The British rider only lost his chance of a third consecutive top six finish when Stoner passed him with eight laps remaining. Toseland and Edwards though ensured that Yamaha claimed four of the top seven places, and today’s result strengthened Tech 3 Yamaha’s fourth position in the all-important Team world championship standings.
Colin Edwards 4th +17.223
“When you are sitting on the grid with big rain spots on the visor, it is the worst feeling because you just don’t know what to expect. I actually got a good start but then somebody was out of the seat in turn one in front of me and then somebody else did the same at the second corner. I thought, ‘it must be real slick because of the rain.’ And it was a bit like being on ice. I just got my head down but it seemed they were just driving away from me. I was on it and the electronics were kicking in and working but I wasn’t really going anywhere. Basically I couldn’t build any heat in the tyre early on. Running that different tyre from Michelin for acceleration grip instead of maximum corner speed, for those conditions it didn’t really work.
Had it been dry from the start we’d have been good to fight for the podium. But with a bit of moisture I couldn’t get any heat in the side of the tyre and no edge grip in the middle of the corner. Once I got heat into it I was motoring, which proved had it been dry, I’d gone for a good direction with Michelin. I wanted to be on the podium but I’ll settle for fourth. It’ something to build on and now we have got the new engine we can look forward with a lot of confidence. It was my best result for a long time so thanks to Tech 3 Yamaha and Michelin for that.”
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James Toseland 7th +32.361
“It is another solid finish and I’ve moved into fifth in the championship, so I’ve got to be pleased with that. But it was a tough weekend. Losing that hour of dry set-up time on Friday was pretty crucial, but I still got a second row and top seven on a track I don’t know. Honestly though I wasn’t aggressive enough at the start. When we were coming to the grid I saw Rossi pointing to the sky but it was only spitting, and I thought they’d take it a bit easy at the start. I’d got spots of rain on my visor and those conditions are not nice and not knowing the track and a bit of inexperience with the tyres I just didn’t realise how hard you can push.
But I didn’t get a great start and that lack of experience cost me because I wasn’t sure where to brake for the first corner. I braked too early and got baulked. I got into a consistent pace and was running 38s but losing that hour on the first day meant the set-up wasn’t spot on. It wasn’t bad but it could have been better. The rear shock was too soft under acceleration and pumping. So when I opened the throttle that pumping just ran me a bit wide on the exit. The package I have got now with the new engine is better than that, and that’s what makes it frustrating. I’m not as happy with this as my other results because the bike is capable of more. It was another good day for the Tech 3 team and Michelin so I’ll be looking to get closer to the front in China.”
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“What an incredible day for Yamaha, and I am glad Colin and James contributed to that. I have to say a big thanks to both of them because it was a very difficult race in extremely demanding conditions with the light rain making it hard to gauge how hard to push. Both of them rode a very strong race and fourth and seventh is a great result for the team. It is easily our best of the season so far and gives us a great platform to build on for the rest of the season. We are clearly moving forward together as a team and the future is looking very promising.
Now we have everything clear with James and Yamaha we can look forward to getting better and better, particularly now we have the new engine from Yamaha to help us achieve the results we want. I’d also like to offer my warmest congratulations to Jorge Lorenzo on his first win for Yamaha and Michelin. I’m sure it won’t be his last.”
Posted by Administrator on 04-13-2008 at 10:04 am
Full race results from the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, round three of the 2008 MotoGP season.
1. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 45min 53.089 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 45min 54.906 secs
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 46min 5.812 secs
4. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 46min 10.312 secs
5. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 46min 16.841 secs
6. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 46min 19.777 secs
7. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 46min 25.720 secs
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 29.471 secs
9. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 31.357 secs
10. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 32.565 secs
11. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 54.395 secs
12. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 46min 56.956 secs
13. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 47min 2.614 secs
14. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 47min 2.723 secs
15. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 47min 4.631 secs
16. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 47min 16.718 secs
DNF:
Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 26min 23.675 secs
Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 24min 43.870 secs
Posted by Administrator on 04-12-2008 at 02:04 pm
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo made it an incredible three poles from three MotoGP starts with another masterful qualifying display in Portugal this afternoon. Estoril was one of only two circuits on the calendar at which the outstanding rookie had never before claimed a pole position, but he put that behind him in impressive style today to smash the previous record by nearly half a second.
After changeable weather conditions yesterday, today was a much more settled affair and the sunny conditions allowed the riders to vastly improve on yesterday’s lap times this morning, with Lorenzo finishing second fastest. Towards the end of this afternoon’s session the chase for qualifying times got underway and the Spaniard’s first Michelin qualifying tyre saw him take provisional pole. He then went on to improve on both of his next qualifying runs, despite dropping time in the middle section on his second tyre when briefly caught behind a slower rider. On his final soft tyre he produced an inch-perfect lap of 1’35.715 to seal a hat-trick of MotoGP pole positions and the 29th of his Grand Prix career in total.
Lorenzo’s team-mate Valentino Rossi also had a good afternoon and will line up on the outside of the front row tomorrow, with Dani Pedrosa in between the Fiat Yamaha pair, whilst Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland, on his first visit to the track, take fifth and sixth spots to make it four Yamaha riders in the top six.
Jorge Lorenzo 1st 1.35.715 - 26 laps
“Each pole position has felt like a dream and I can’t believe I am here again! I am very proud to have a record like this and in fact I’m especially happy to have qualified in front here because this track has always been quite difficult for me and I’ve never been on pole at it before. Our race pace is quite good and now the aim for tomorrow will be to make the most of my starting position, stay at the front and hopefully fight for the win. It’s going to be a hard race and there are many strong riders, but I am looking forward to it. Our aim is to try to win but if that’s not possible then the podium will be okay; it’s still only my third race and I am still learning all the time! Anyway, I feel good on my bike and tyres, the team have done a great job and now we just have to cross our fingers for good weather tomorrow!”
Danielle Romagnoli - Team Manager
“Once again it’s been another very exciting qualifying session to watch this afternoon and Jorge has done another fantastic job. We made some small changes from yesterday to improve our base set-up and today we’ve had a fast and consistent race pace. Then this afternoon Michelin gave Jorge the chance to fly and he took full advantage! It’s great to be on pole as it gives us the best chance at the start and we will do our very best to maximise this chance to produce a good result tomorrow.”
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Valentino Rossi made a welcome return to the front row of the grid for the first time this year in Portugal this afternoon, qualifying third aboard his Fiat Yamaha M1. It was the first time the 29-year-old has qualified on the front row since making the switch to Bridgestone tyres and it puts him in a good position from which to attempt a repeat of his victory here five months ago.
The weather was considerably kinder today and the Estoril circuit was not only dry all day but considerably less windswept than yesterday. Times tumbled in this morning’s free practice and Rossi continued to improve his race setting, finishing the morning’s work in fourth position. This afternoon he continued in the same fashion, topping the time sheets for the first half of the session. In the later battle for qualifying tyres Rossi set his best time of 1’36.199 with ten minutes still on the clock and, with his young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo on pole it looked like being a Fiat Yamaha one-two before the party was spoiled by Dani Pedrosa pipping Rossi to second in the closing minutes.
Valentino Rossi 3rd 1.36.199 - 27 laps
“I’m really happy! It’s very important to be on the first row here and now we can think about trying to win tomorrow. We’ve made some big steps forward with Bridgestone and considering that every time we use the qualifying tyre it’s still a bit like a test, it’s a great achievement to be here. Today my bike and tyres worked very well and I felt confident and strong. We have a good setting and I can ride how I want to, which is great fun as well! Now I really hope that we can have a good race tomorrow. The weather is a worry and we will have to wait until last thing to make our final tyre choice, but we have some good ideas.
Lorenzo and Pedrosa are looking very strong but I think we are not so far and we have a chance to be there tomorrow. There is a great atmosphere in our box and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow’s challenge.”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
“We’ve had four very good practice sessions over the last two days and now to start on the front row is a big achievement from everyone. We have a good race pace as well and so it seems that everything is coming together for us. Valentino has a good feeling from his bike and tyres and we’re really looking forward to the race now. It’s going to be difficult as usual but we will hope to stay at the front and fight for the victory.” |
Edwards and Toseland on second row in Estoril
Tech 3 Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland will start next to each other on the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s 28-lap Portuguese MotoGP race in Estoril. American Edwards missed out on preserving his 100 per cent front row starting record in 2008 by just 0.090s as he finished a qualifying session dominated by Yamaha and Michelin with the fifth best time. Toseland, who will stay with the Tech 3 team for 2009 after agreeing an extension to his current contract in Portugal, was just one place further back with a best time of 1.36.790 securing him sixth. Despite his lack of circuit knowledge at the challenging Estoril track, Toseland still beat a host of more experienced rivals to help Yamaha claim four of the top six places on the grid.
Both Edwards and Toseland go into tomorrow’s race with heightened expectations as they prepare to debut Yamaha’s pneumatic valve YZR-M1 motor. The engine is a significant improvement on the long Estoril start/finish straight, while also helping with mid-range acceleration compared to the spring valve engine they used in Qatar and Jerez.
Colin Edwards 5th 1.36.289 - 24 laps
“My first qualifier was decent and my second and third felt better. But on my last tyre I made a couple of little mistakes and that costs you a lot of time. I was pushing extra hard knowing I’d lost time and just ended up making another mistake trying to claw it back. But I was less than a tenth off the front row and while it would have been good to keep that record going I’m still happy, especially for Yamaha. To have four of us in the top six is how it should be when you don’t have chatter, you have a chassis with feel and confidence from the front. And now we’ve got the new engine too I can’t wait for the race. I’ve gone for a bit of a different tactic with Michelin this weekend for the new motor and thanks to them because it is working. I’ve gone for outright traction more than momentum to carry lots of corner speed. I’m not so worried about being the fastest guy mid-corner now because it was no good when somebody in front of me was acting like a roadblock.
Now I’ve concentrated on corner entry, getting the bike turned and getting the power to the ground on the exit to use that extra performance from the motor. I’m still doing better lap times with that tyre so it is obviously working.”
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James Toseland 6th 1.36.790 – 21 laps
“I’m a second off pole and still sixth which just shows how fast the boys at the front are going because normally a second covers all of us. I’m really pleased to get on the second row and it is a massive boost for me knowing I can come to a track I’ve never even seen before and be competitive near the front. Considering the first session was damp, and I crashed at the start of the second session, with the track time I have had a second row start is a great effort from the team. I had a small problem with my first qualifier on the left side but the other two worked really well and thanks to Michelin for that. I just made a few small mistakes because to go two seconds quicker on the qualifying tyres on a track I don’t know is a big ask. Everything happens so much faster and I was braking too late and approaching the entry too fast.
Against these guys you can’t afford to make a mistake. I’m looking forward to the race with the new engine. It is a big improvement and if I had the old engine here,coming off the last corner would have been difficult. It wouldn’t have mattered how hard I worked on the rest of the lap, I’d have been passed on the straight. But coming out now in third gear I can feel how much power the new engine has got. Today also showed what a great job Yamaha has done with four of us in the top six.”
