Posted by Administrator on 10-27-2008 at 02:10 am
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Valentino Rossi brought the curtain down on a spectacular season with a third place in Valencia today, his 16th podium from 18 races in a year which saw him win his eighth world title. The 29-year-old Italian has taken nine wins, five seconds and two thirds this year, surpassing the all-time premier class win record and the record for the most points in a season in the process. His outstanding performances this season also helped the Fiat Yamaha Team to secure the Teams’ title and Yamaha the Manufacturers’ title.
Rossi had struggled to find a good set-up for his M1 during yesterday’s qualifying and he started from 10th on the grid. However some last-minute changes paid dividends and he was able to get a good start, climbing to seventh in the first lap and then making a characteristic charge through the field to move into third on lap six. Unfortunately from then on he was unable to make a dent in the gap to second-placed Dani Pedrosa and he had to settle for the final podium position, 12 seconds off winner Casey Stoner.
His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo secured the Rookie of the Year title with eighth place today, rounding off an eventful but impressive season for the 21-year-old. Both riders will be in action tomorrow as work for the 2009 season gets underway immediately with a two-day test at Valencia.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: +12.194
“I don’t think that was so bad today! Unfortunately we had some problems yesterday and that meant we had to start from the fourth row, which left us with a very difficult task. As always though we found a way and my team gave me a good bike, which meant I was able to get a great start and then have some fun passing people. Once I got to third there was no way to catch Dani and so it wasn’t such an exciting race from then on. This has been an amazing season for us and to finish with another podium, the 16th, is great and we cannot complain. I am so happy with what we have done this year, as I said it’s definitely one of my greatest championships and I want to thank everyone once again – Yamaha, my team, the engineers, Bridgestone and everyone who helped us to get this result. Tomorrow we will try the new bike which means we can’t have as big a party as we would like, but it is important to try to find a base for it so I am looking forward to it.”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
“I think it would have been difficult to have done more than this today, because we were starting from the fourth row and the setting still wasn’t perfect. Anyway it was a great end to the season and we scored another podium, making 16 in total, nine of the them wins. We have the triple crown and this all makes it a fantastic season. Thank you very much to Valentino first of all and then all the engineers in Japan, who have worked so hard, and to all the team members for this huge effort. Luckily we had a big party in Japan because tomorrow we start to think about 2009 and start to test, and it’s going to be important to make the most of it and to give good information to the engineers about the new bike. But we will still have some celebrations tonight so let’s all enjoy ourselves! Thanks again to everybody, it’s been a wonderful season.”
Lorenzo secures Rookie Of The Year at season finale
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo took a deserved Rookie of the Year title by finishing eighth at Valencia today, his fourth position in the championship the highest finish for a premier-class newcomer since the advent of four-stroke MotoGP. The Spaniard’s first season in MotoGP has seen him win a race and take a further five podiums and four pole positions, helping Yamaha to secure the Team and Manufacturers’ titles to add to his team-mate Valentino Rossi’s World Championship.
After struggling for grip yesterday Lorenzo started from seventh on the grid and things got worse as the race got underway. He was unable to find a rhythm and slipped to11th until mid-race distance. From then on he began to improve and he was able to make up three places, finishing strongly to set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.
The team gets straight back to work tomorrow with the very first test of the 2009 season, during which Lorenzo will have his first chance to try the new prototype 2009 YZR-M1.
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Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 8th Time: +35.661
“I feel a bit disappointed with this result today because I really wanted to finish the season with a podium, but in the end we couldn’t manage it here. We had some problems though so I have to be happy that I was able to finish the race strongly, passing people and doing my best lap of the race on the last lap, especially when you consider that yesterday in qualifying I was the slowest on race tyres! The best thing about today is that I am the leading rookie, so I get a trophy all the same and this makes me very proud of my first season in MotoGP with Yamaha. I want to thank all of my team, engineers and everyone who has helped us. I also have to say a special thank you to Michelin for their work this season because this is our last race with them. I am very proud that I was able to win my first MotoGP race with them. Tomorrow we begin straight away to work on the 2009 bike and I am very excited to try it.”
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
“We expected to finish in a better position for this last race, but unfortunately the problem we had in qualifying persisted, although we were able to improve it somewhat from yesterday. Jorge was able to keep a good pace during the second half of the race and he was able to finish strongly and make his best lap on the very last lap. This has been a fantastic year for us because we were able to make four pole positions, win a race and take five more podiums, helping Yamaha to win the triple crown, and Jorge is the year’s leading rookie. I want to thank Yamaha very much for the huge effort they made in order to give us such a competitive machine, and I also want to thank Michelin for their support – we wish them all the best for the future. Finally thanks to everyone in our team for doing a fantastic job all year and we look forward to coming back even stronger next year.”
Fantastic finale for Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia
claimed a superb fourth place in the Team World Championship standings in today’s Valencia MotoGP race. The 15-point haul collected by Edwards and Toseland in today’s 30-lap battle saw the Tech 3 squad seize fourth position by a single point from Suzuki’s official factory team, ending the 18-round campaign as the highest placed independent team.
American Edwards played a starring role in the success, his superb start from the second row of the grid giving him the perfect platform to mount a bid for his first top six finish since he took third in Assen back in June. Edwards quickly claimed third from Nicky Hayden on the first lap to settle in behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. But with minimal dry set-up time after another weather-hit weekend, Edwards quickly encountered some rear grip issues to find himself back in sixth on lap six. He quickly adapted to the decreasing grip and crucially began to pull away from Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, maintaining a constant pace to the end.
Toseland also played a critical role in today’s fantastic finale as he closed his rookie campaign with a hard fought 11th position. The British rider shadowed fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo for the opening fifteen laps in a close dice for 11th place, twice passing the Spaniard momentarily. Toseland also ran into grip issues in the closing stages, but he rode a brilliant final three laps to fend off Sylvain Guintoli, John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen.
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Colin Edwards - Position: 6th Time: +32.209
“It has been a while since I finished in the top six and for this result to help the team finish fourth in the Team World Championship makes it extra rewarding. I’m pleased for Herve Poncharal and the team because they deserve it. We had a couple of races where we gave a lot of points away, but for an independent team we have done a fantastic job together and it was a year to remember. I got a great start and rode around the outside of Nicky at the first corner to slot in behind Casey and Dani. I actually felt pretty comfortable at that point. Nicky passed me though down the front straight and I started to spin the rear tyre a bit just as the other guys started to get into the groove. The next thing I know, everybody was disappearing up the road and there was nothing I could do. With so little dry track time we gambled with the setting and I ran a softer tyre and at the end I was having a few problems. My bike felt great but I just didn’t have a lot of grip and this isn’t the best track for Yamaha. We don’t have the initial raw grunt that you need on a tight and twisty track like this with a lot of low speed acceleration points. I’d like to thank all my guys for their hard work throughout the season and to Yamaha for their continued support. Finally I’d like to say a big thanks to Michelin. I had the greatest moments of my career with them and I’ve enjoyed our time together. I’m looking forward to a bit of a break now before coming back in Jerez next month to begin working as hard as ever for 2009.”
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James Toseland - Position: 11th Time: +52.107
“It was a hard race to finish a pretty hard season and while it wasn’t how I wanted to finish on a personal note, it was great that I contributed to the team getting fourth by a point. I’m glad I managed to hang on at the end there because I was coming under a lot of pressure. In the first half of the race I was probably a bit quicker than Jorge but I just couldn’t make a pass on him stick. I got him a couple of times but I made mistakes and let him back through. One time I put my hand in the air to apologise for a close move going into the first corner, and as I put my hand back for the second corner I missed my braking marker. So I’m annoyed with myself about that. I was in a real fight at the end and I was just struggling for a bit of grip. We tried quite a big change on the set-up and it worked well for the first half of the race, but towards the end I had to ride a bit defensive and make sure I didn’t lose too many places. The team deserve to be fourth in the championship this year and I was determined to help them achieve it. Tech 3 and Yamaha have given me unbelievable support in my rookie year and I was pleased to battle right to the last lap to get that result for them. I have learned a lot in 2008, and I’m looking forward to working hard in the winter and making a big impression next season.”
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“It was a fantastic way for us to end the season and I really want to thank Colin and James for their effort. It was a tough weekend with the weather conditions but it was very important to end on a positive note and we were reasonably confident when both of them qualified on the second row. Colin made a great start and he did a good race, keeping a really good rhythm. In the first half of the race, James looked even a little bit quicker than Jorge but he couldn’t quite pass him. He pushed really hard throughout even though he didn’t have 100 per cent confidence, but it was a strong result and by hanging on at the end under a lot of pressure he helped us get fourth in the Team Championship and we beat two full factory teams. That was our target before this weekend and we achieved it. I’d like to congratulate Yamaha again for an incredible season. They gave us a great bike in 2008 and I’d also like to say a big thanks to Michelin for their support. Thanks to them and Yamaha we had one pole position and two podium finishes. We will miss Michelin but we now must look forward to a new era. Everyone at Tech 3 is now looking forward to a quick break and we will be back raring to start our 2009 preparations in Jerez at the end of November.”
Posted by Administrator on 10-22-2008 at 04:10 am
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A record-breaking season for Fiat Yamaha reaches its finale this weekend as the Grand Prix of Valencia brings the curtain down on the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. The traditional season-ending Spanish fiesta sees Valentino Rossi arrive with the title already in his pocket and the all-time points record for a season within his sights, whilst Jorge Lorenzo will become the highest-placed rookie in four-stroke MotoGP history by scoring just four points.
In a season that has seen Rossi become MotoGP World Champion for the sixth time, breaking the record number of wins in the class and scoring his 150th Grand Prix podium on the way, he now needs just eleven points to break the record for the highest tally in a season. He currently stands on 357 points, meaning fifth place or above would take him above the benchmark he set in 2005, which was equalled by Casey Stoner last year.
Lorenzo currently lies fourth in the championship and whilst third is now a mathematically impossibility, Andrea Dovizioso would have to win the race and hope the Spaniard finishes no higher than twelfth to dislodge him. Dovizioso is also the only rider with any chance of denying Lorenzo the title of Rookie of the Year. It is a familiar scenario for the old rivals, who entered the final round of the 2006 season at Valencia battling for the 250cc title, which Lorenzo won with fourth place as the Italian finished seventh.
The 21-year-old from Mallorca has never won at the Ricardo Tormo circuit although he will be looking to set that record straight this weekend in front of the 130,000 race-day fans that will pack into the unique stadium-style surroundings of the track. The layout is characterised by a never-ending burst of tight corners, connected by short straights. The long penultimate looping left-hander and the fast entry to turn one contrast violently with the otherwise geometric flip-flop chicanes and slow speed corners of the infield.
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Valentino Rossi - “An account to settle”
“I have had two bad years at Valencia and I have some memories I would like to forget with a good result there this year – I have an account to settle! In 2006 I crashed and lost the championship and then last year I broke my hand and lost second place in the championship! It’s not the best track for us but I won there with Yamaha in my first year with them and I would like to do the same again this weekend. It’s been a fantastic season and the win on Sunday in Malaysia was great, but I am not finished yet and I want to reward my team, Yamaha and Bridgestone for a fantastic season with the best possible result on Sunday. Then we can all celebrate with a big party!”
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Jorge Lorenzo - “Aiming to finish on a high”
“Sunday was really disappointing but I am not hurt and now we are looking forward to Valencia. It’s the third ‘home’ race for me and since at the last one, in Barcelona, I couldn’t race, I especially want to get a good result for all my fans. It will be a special race because it’s the 10th anniversary of the Valencia circuit. Of course it is a little sad that I am no longer fighting for third in the Championship, but I can still be Rookie of the Year and this is what I am aiming for. It is really important for me and for all my team. I don’t have the best record at Valencia, I’ve never won the race there, although I was second in 2005, but I do have great memories from winning the 250cc world championship there in 2006. It will be our last race with Michelin, who I won my first premier class race with, and more than anything I want to get a good result for them, for my tyre technician Pierre, for Jean-Phillipe Weber and of course for my team.”
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Davide Brivio - “We want to win and party”
“Valencia is the last race of the season so we go there with a twin objective – to win the race and to party! It is nice to go to another race without any pressure and I think all the Spanish fans will enjoy watching Valentino in the incredible form he has shown recently. Of course it has been a tough few weeks on the road for the team, with a lot of travelling involved but honestly when you are winning you don’t feel the stress! Even so, it will be nice to be back in Europe and we will be focusing on ending the season on a high. Whatever the result, we’ll be partying on Sunday night!”
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Daniele Romagnoli - “Motivation is high”
“We still have one race to go and it’s another Spanish one so it’s really important for Jorge. Despite the bad result in Sepang we have high motivation and we really want to finish the season well. We will all do our very best to be back on the podium there and to finish the season in the way that Jorge and the whole team deserves. Despite not getting the best results we’ve been in good shape for the last three race weekends and qualified on the front row for five races in a row now, so we know we can do it. This will be the last race with Michelin and so this is another reason to push. We want to give them a good final result to thank them for the hard work they have done all season.”
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 97 (71 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 209 (149 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 51 (41 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 8 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
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: 110 (16 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 30 (4 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 x 250cc
Comunidad Valencia: Record Lap
D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2007, 1′32.748
Comunidad Valencia: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1′31.002
Grand Prix Results: Comunidad Valencia 2007
1. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 46′43.533
2. C.Stoner (Honda) +5.447
3. J.Hopkins (Suzuki) +20.404
. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha DNF
Jorge Lorenzo Result: Comunidad Valencia 2007
7. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia +14.751 (250cc)
Posted by Administrator on 10-19-2008 at 07:10 am
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2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi rode an inch-perfect race in energy-sapping conditions at Sepang today to take his ninth win of the season and his 150th career podium. He is only the second rider in the history of the sport to pass this milestone, the other being Giacomo Agostini, whose all-time win record Rossi has already broken this season. Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo meanwhile had a disappointing day, with his challenge ending in the gravel trap on lap 12.
With temperatures in excess of 40 degrees as the riders lined up on the grid, today’s race was clearly going to be a test of endurance, both for riders and tyres. Rossi, starting from second, crossed the line for the first time in third but was able to pass Andrea Dovizioso on the next lap, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process, and set off on the heels of Dani Pedrosa. The pair gradually began to open out clear air from the chasing pack but the gap between them remained at just a few tenths of a second for next eight laps. Rossi eventually made his move at mid-race distance, was able to pass Pedrosa on the brakes into the hairpin at turn nine and was then unchallenged to the chequered flag, crossing the line 4.008 seconds ahead of the Spaniard with Dovizioso in third.
The paddock now heads straight to Valencia in Spain for the 18th and final round of the season, with Rossi looking to avenge two bad years at the track and Lorenzo determined to secure the title of Leading Rookie with a positive performance to make up for today’s disappointment.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 43′06.007
“I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani I tried to pass many times but he was very fast and very consistent and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap I understood better where it was possible and eventually I could make my move and go away from him. Everything worked very well today in such conditions, my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres and I want to thank everyone for making me so fast all weekend. I love winning here because it’s such a great track but today was really a test, especially the last five laps when I really had to make an effort to keep my concentration in such incredible heat. Anyway, it was important to win here because when we came here in the winter I did a very fast race simulation and I promised my new Bridgestone tyre technician, Peter, that we would win the race! I took a gamble in February so I had to win today! Finally I want to congratulate my friend Marco Simoncelli for winning the 250cc World Championship today. I know how hard he has worked to get here and he really deserves it – I am very happy for him.”
Davide Brivio - Team manager
“Nine wins sounds good! Now that we’ve won the world championship it’s great to race for fun and to think only of winning and today was just like that. Valentino rode a perfect race; he started well, followed Dani for some time then passed him and escaped and he did a good job to keep his concentration and rhythm in such hot conditions. This has been another great day in a fantastic season for us and now we’re looking forward to one more in Valencia.”
Disappointing day for Lorenzo as he slides out of Malaysian GP
Jorge Lorenzo’s high hopes for a podium in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang today ended in the gravel trap on lap 12, when the Fiat Yamaha rookie slid out of sixth position. His team-mate and 2008 world champion Valentino Rossi meanwhile led from the middle of the race to take his ninth win of the season.
After being fast all weekend and qualifying on the front row for the fifth race in succession, Lorenzo was determined to make a return to the podium after just missing out at the last two rounds. He got a poor start however, which left him in seventh, and he lacked the grip he’d had all weekend which meant he was unable to replicate the fast race pace he had shown in the practice sessions. By mid-race distance the Michelin-shod rider had begun to improve his rhythm somewhat and he was able to pass Shinya Nakano to move into sixth, but at turn one on lap 12 he lost the front and slid out.
Lorenzo remains fourth in the championship and still leads the Rookie of the Year standings with one round remaining. The final race of the season takes place in Valencia, Spain in just one week’s time.
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Jorge Lorenzo - Position: DNF
“I didn’t feel good today and I was riding much worse than yesterday. I was having some problems in braking and acceleration and this is really a pity because I thought I had the chance to be on the podium today. I had many problems with my tyres in the first few laps and in fact I had a lot of warnings about the crash, but in the end I just couldn’t avoid it. I got a bad start and it seems this part of the race is getting more difficult every time. If I had a better start I could have tried to go with Valentino and Pedrosa but today was terrible. We have to change something here because at the moment it’s quite difficult. Apart from these problems I know I didn’t have the same feeling in myself as I had yesterday, so it really wasn’t a good day! It’s a little sad now that we can only be fourth in the championship, but I can still be rookie of the year so I will focus on this because it’s important for all of my team. Congratulations to Valentino for another triumph and now let’s look onwards to Valencia.”
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
“We’re quite disappointed with this result because we thought we had a good chance to be on the podium today. Unfortunately Jorge lacked grip compared to yesterday, especially in the front, and he wasn’t able to ride in the same rhythm. He didn’t get a good start and then lost a lot of places at turn one, so this also didn’t help. He had finally begun to improve his pace and start to catch up when he crashed at turn one, so this was a great pity. Luckily he’s not hurt however and now we’re just focusing on Valencia and finishing the season on a high.”
Edwards claims top ten, Toseland crashes in scorching Sepang
Colin Edwards rode his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 machine to his best ever Malaysian MotoGP result today, the American finishing a scorching hot 21-lap encounter in eighth position.
With air temperatures nudging an energy sapping 40 degrees, Edwards lost four places in a frantic jostle for positions at the first corner, but quickly found the pace that saw him top the timesheets on the opening day of free practice.
The 33-year-old immediately dropped his lap times into the 2.02 bracket and seized eighth place from Loris Capirossi with a clinical move at the second corner on lap four. That move left Edwards glued to the back wheel of fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo as an exciting six-rider dice from third to eighth unfolded in front of 38,500 fans. Edwards was promoted to seventh when Lorenzo was unlucky to tumble out on lap 11 at the first corner, but he slipped back down to eighth on lap 15 when Capirossi pounced. With track temperatures hitting 42 degrees, Edwards began to encounter small grip issues and was unable to mount a counter attack. He kept a consistent pace in the extreme heat for the final few laps, but despite a determined ride, he couldn’t close back in on the group in front.
James Toseland was unable to capitalise on significant steps he made with the set-up of his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 in this morning’s warm-up session. He improved front-end braking stability, but the 28-year-old slipped down to 16th after a hectic opening two laps while he tried to get the better of Anthony West and Randy de Puniet. Pushing hard to move back into the points, Toseland crashed out when he lost the front-end at turn six on lap three. He emerged unscathed from the spill, and will be looking to end his rookie season in style in next weekend’s final round in Valencia.
There is still plenty to fight for the Tech 3 Yamaha team in Spain next Sunday, with Edwards still pursuing a top six World Championship finish, and Toseland a top ten overall placing. Tech 3 Yamaha is also still firmly in the hunt for fourth place in the Team World Championship.
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Colin Edwards - Position: 8th Time: +0′18.802
“I thought I’d got a good start and I must have done because I nearly tangled with Jorge off the line and he was on the front row. It was pretty close but luckily we didn’t touch. But at the first corner people started coming around me and there was a bit of bumping and barging and I lost a couple more places. Nakano and Capirossi came by but in the first eight laps I felt pretty good and I got into the high 2.02s. I was right on the back of the bunch but I felt like I was losing a bit on acceleration. As much as I’d close up on the brakes, I’d lose coming onto the back straight and the front straight. It was so hot and the track temperature was so high that the balance of the bike changed around the halfway point. Once the rear grip goes down a bit, it stops transferring weight on the front. When Jorge crashed I almost went down in the exact same circumstances going into the first corner because the rear tyre wasn’t holding as well as it did at the start of the race and it wasn’t driving the front tyre into the track. And when that happens it is hard to turn the bike. That was my issue and after that it was difficult. I kept my head down and tried to push because I could still see the group in front. But I couldn’t get any pace going coming out of the corners and I made a couple of little mistakes. I’m really disappointed even though it is my best result ever at this race. But eighth is well below where I want to be. I leave here knowing I did the best I could do and I hope I can give the team and Yamaha a strong finish in Valencia next week before we starting looking to 2009.”
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James Toseland - Position: DNF
“Things never clicked from the start of the weekend, although this morning we found a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. But getting it nearly right on Sunday morning means you don’t have time to get a proper feeling with the setting and we made a big change with the front. We raised the front and got it to steer better because that was the main issue we had. It was causing me a problem on the brakes and entry and that was messing me up for the rest of the corner. I could brake better and it made the bike more balanced for the entry and exit. Qualifying 12th though makes it tough, especially here and I got boxed in a bit at the first corner. I braked after everybody else and made a couple of places up but ran wide and then it was a real dogfight. I was having a close battle with de Puniet and West but then when I picked up my pace I went down. I had to run a harder front tyre to make the race distance and I think it just needed another lap to get the temperature in it. I just pushed it too hard and lost the front at turn six. I paid for pushing too hard trying to make up the time I’d lost. I was confident after this morning when I was eighth and we’d make progress with the bike, so it is a bit disappointing. But I’ll be going all out to make amends in Valencia and finish on a high.”
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“Honestly it is a bit of a disappointing outcome because we started the weekend very well. Colin was very competitive on race tyres from Friday and he performed very well in qualifying to get on the second row. We were pretty confident that he could make a good challenge in a dry race and possibly fight for the top five. Colin didn’t get a great start but he always looked in contention behind the group. He rode hard but he just couldn’t get close enough to mount an attack. With James we also thought we might have got both of them in the top ten, because James was confident after the warm-up this morning that the changes he made with his crew were a big step in the right direction. Unfortunately it didn’t happen for him. James didn’t get the start he wanted and he was pushing hard and crashed. But if you don’t try then you only follow everybody, so while it was a disappointing for him, at least he was fighting. It has been a difficult race but will try and finish the season in Valencia on a high note. Fourth in the Team World Championship is still a possibility and everyone at Tech 3 will be giving their maximum effort as always next weekend.”
Posted by Administrator on 10-18-2008 at 04:10 pm
| Rossi gets it right in tricky qualifying to take tenth front-row |
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Valentino Rossi secured his tenth front row start of the season in Sepang today in a tricky qualifying session which saw the track conditions changing constantly after a heavy downpour. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo made it two Yamahas on the front row, leaving the pair in prime position for a double-podium assault tomorrow.
Following a strong opening day yesterday, Rossi continued in the same vein in the dry this morning and was fourth fastest. Torrential rain throughout the 125cc qualifying session left the track soaking as the MotoGP qualifying got underway, but as the sun came out the track began to dry rapidly, meaning conditions were changing for the riders on every lap. The teams were faced with delicate tyre decisions as they tried to keep abreast of the rapidly drying track but Rossi, his crew and his Bridgestone tyre technician got it right each time and the Italian remained close to the top throughout the session. As the hour closed out it looked like a Fiat Yamaha one-two, with Rossi on pole, but a final effort from Dani Pedrosa was even faster and he edged the world champion off the top spot for tomorrow’s 21-lap race.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 1′01.957 Laps: 21
“The conditions were incredible today and this practice was as much about strategy as it was about qualifying tyres and set-up, because you had to judge the right moment to go out with the right tyre. We worked very well in our garage and managed to make the right decisions every time, so I was at the top or near to it for most of the session and able to constantly make big improvements. When I saw that I’d done a 2’01.9 I thought that I might have the pole, but Dani was even faster so congratulations to him today. Anyway it’s good to be back on the front row because we have been off it for two races, and now we’re in a good place to start our challenge tomorrow. I am really looking forward to the race because I love this track and my M1 is really flying here. However I hope the weather is ok because for sure it will be more fun in the dry!”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
“We came out very well from a tricky situation today. It was a delicate job to correctly follow the conditions, which were changing so quickly, but we managed it very well and this front row is just reward for some good work from the team. This was an important front row because there are a lot of riders here looking very competitive, but also the information from this session might be useful tomorrow if we have the same conditions. Let’s hope not, but anyway we will be prepared.”
Five in a row for Lorenzo as he claims another front-row
Jorge Lorenzo and his Fiat Yamaha crew got their strategy right to secure an important front row start during a complicated qualifying session in Sepang today, the rookie’s eighth of the season and fifth in a row. Lorenzo will start from third with team-mate Valentino Rossi beside him in second and Dani Pedrosa on pole.
A dry morning session gave the leading rookie time to make further improvements to his race-setting and he finished in third, but by late morning the weather had turned and an hour of heavy rain left the track soaking for the start of the MotoGP practice. Once the sun came out the track began to dry rapidly and conditions were changing by the minute, but the Spaniard and his crew did a good job of choosing the right Michelin tyre for the right moment and he was competitive throughout. A fast final lap left him in second behind Rossi but Dani Pedrosa had the edge and pushed the pair down to second and third, nonetheless leaving Lorenzo in a good position to launch his podium challenge in tomorrow’s 21-lap race. |
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Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rd Time: 2′02.171 Laps: 19
“It was a strange session today but as the track began to get more and more dry I thought that it would be possible to try for the pole position. I made some good laps but I think in the end, and after so many laps in the wet, I wasn’t quite at the maximum in the dry and I didn’t do the fastest possible lap I could have. Anyway this front row is very important because I am determined to be back on the podium tomorrow and now we are in good shape to fight for that. I hope that the weather is better tomorrow and that we can have a dry race, our bike is working so well here and I am looking forward to the battle.”
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
“This was a very different kind of qualifying session because the track changed so much, but it was great fun and very exciting! The team worked very well and we chose the best tyre for the right conditions each time, so this helped us to be competitive throughout. This morning’s session was also very encouraging because we improved a lot from yesterday and our race pace is now very good. We’re starting from the front row and we’re in good shape so we are expecting an exciting race tomorrow.”
Colin Edwards fifth, James Toseland 12th after exciting qualifying
Colin Edwards and James Toseland both led an eventful and exciting Malaysian MotoGP qualifying session in Sepang today before the Tech 3 Yamaha pairing had to settle for fifth and 12th on the grid respectively.
Edwards and Toseland topped the timesheets in the final ten minutes of a session that started on a wet track after torrential late morning rain had battered the 5.548km circuit. In typically hot and humid conditions at Sepang, the track dried rapidly and shortly before the halfway stage, Edwards and Toseland were able to switch to slick race tyres and qualifiers.
Having encountered some issues in the drying conditions on his full wet tyres, American Edwards quickly rediscovered his form on Michelin’s impressive slick rubber in tricky conditions, with parts of the circuit still littered with damp patches. Edwards, who was quickest in yesterday’s dry conditions, started his charge in the final third of the session, jumping into the top three with 18 minutes remaining. With lap times dropping dramatically as conditions improved, only six minutes remained when the 33-year moved to the top of the timesheets.
His best lap of 2.02.245 on his last flying lap moved him back into second behind world champion Valentino Rossi, but with a sixth front row start of the season beckoning, he was bumped down three places in a frantic final few seconds. Today’s performance though secured Edwards his best grid position since the German MotoGP race in mid-July as he missed the front row by just 0.07s.
Edwards though has been able to consistently post some of the most competitive lap times in the dry this weekend, raising hopes of a podium challenge in tomorrow’s 21-lap race.
The mixed conditions also made it an action-packed session for 28-year-old Toseland. Initially running full wet and then intermediate tyres to build up his confidence, once he’d fitted his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 with slick rubber he jumped into the top three with 17 minutes remaining. He then moved into first place with just nine minutes left on the clock before a time of 2.02.282 on his final qualifying tyre put him on the second row. As lap times continued to plummet, Toseland unfortunately slipped down to 12th, though he’s confident of a strong performance in his Malaysia MotoGP debut tomorrow.
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Colin Edwards - Position: 5th Time: 2′02.245 Laps: 17
“That was a pretty eventful session to say the least. I was last, first, tenth and ended up fifth and that’s how it can be on a drying track. You have tyres that are right for one moment, and then a minute later that’s not the right tyre and six or more guys go faster. At the start when it was already drying up pretty quickly, I just couldn’t get the tyres to work at all in those mixed conditions. I went out on one of the hardest tyres I had and it just wasn’t lasting, so I decided to sit in the pits for a bit hoping it would get to a point where it would be dry enough for slicks. It was drying really quickly, but I was worried it was going to rain again and I was going to be in big trouble because I think I was last at one point. I think I was the first guy to go on slicks in the front and rear and I got to some decent times for the conditions, just using a soft race tyre to get some confidence for the qualifiers. I wanted to put the slicks on as soon as I could just to try and put in a decent time and improve my position in case it rained again. I only used two qualifiers and my first one was just to understand how much grip there was. The grip was pretty good although there were still a couple of little damp patches you had to watch for. It only slowed us down by a second from last year’s pole but you just had to stay on line. You couldn’t really venture off line too far. On my last qualifier I did a good job but I made a small mistake and that might have cost me the front row. But with the way the session started and the problems I was having with the rain tyres on a drying track, I’ll definitely take a place on the second row. I feel good for tomorrow’s race. I’ve been going well all weekend in the dry and we played with the rear shock today, making the spring a bit softer and the bike feels even better. I’ve just got to convert it into a result now.”
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James Toseland - Position: 12th Time: 2′03.282 Laps: 20
“Today was all about timing and judging when to jump on the bike with slick tyres on to make the most of the drying track. But unfortunately I just missed out. The track was just drying at the point when I’d run out of time to put in another qualifier, but I’m sure I could have got in the 2.02s and that’s a second row, so it is a bit frustrating. Early on when it was full wet I was trying not to take any risks because I could see it was going to dry quickly. There were still a few puddles in some places and going through them on slicks pretty much means an instant loss of traction for a split second. At times I was top three, then out of the top ten, and then leading, so that shows how up and down it was when the track was dry. I also didn’t get the most out of my last qualifier because I thought I might have the chance to come in for the fourth one. So I pushed hard on the warm-up lap and to be honest I went too quick and it was sliding around a lot. And as it happens I wouldn’t have had time to use the fourth one anyway. We have still got some work to do for the race tomorrow as well. This morning in the dry we moved in the right direction and I was about a second off. If I can improve the setting to run in high 2.02s, then there is no reason why I can’t be fighting for the top six.”
Posted by Administrator on 10-14-2008 at 06:10 am
A glorious MotoGP season for the Fiat Yamaha Team reaches its penultimate chapter this weekend, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo targeting the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur. From the fresh air of Phillip Island the series heads to sticky and steamy Sepang with both riders keen to maintain Yamaha’s record of having at least one rider on the podium in every single race so far this season.
Second place in Australia for Rossi, who was already crowned World Champion at the previous round in Japan, resulted in his 149th visit to a Grand Prix rostrum and leaves him just ten short of the all-time record held by Giacomo Agostini, whom he also robbed of the all-time win record earlier this season. The 29-year-old, who is the most successful rider at Sepang with four victories, is also just 35 points short of the highest ever tally in a MotoGP season, which he shares with Casey Stoner, with 50 still up for grabs.
After back-to-back fourth place finishes in the last two races, Lorenzo has also pinpointed a top-three return as his main goal for this weekend. The Spanish rookie, who won the 250cc race at Sepang two years ago and clinched his second world title in the class with third place last year, has played a crucial part in Yamaha’s success this season, with the factory lifting the Teams’ and Constructors’ titles. He currently lies fourth in the championship and with a 37-point advantage over Andrea Dovizioso he looks set to stay there – an unprecedented position for a debutante in the four-stroke MotoGP era.
Sepang is one of the widest tracks on the MotoGP calendar, measuring 16 metres across in some areas, and always features high track temperatures in the tropical climate. With four major hairpins, and some fast and frequent changes of direction in its 5.542km layout, Sepang provides a stern workout for the entire bike set-up and its largely consistent, if demanding, climate makes it the ideal winter testing venue.
Valentino Rossi - “Looking to have fun”
“I am looking forward to going to Malaysia because we have done quite a bit of testing there with Bridgestone so we have a lot of data – not something we have had for most of this season. I was quite strong there in the winter and I hope it’s the same again this time, especially since we know a lot more about the tyres now. We have two races left and I would really like to try to win them both, plus I also want to keep up Yamaha’s excellent podium record this season. I love Malaysia and I have had some great races there in the past, plus it generally suits our bike very well so with any luck we can look forward to a fun weekend. That said, we know that Casey will be very strong again as well as others so it will no doubt be a good battle!”
Jorge Lorenzo - “I’d like to get back on the podium”
“I’m looking forward to arriving in Malaysia and going to a quite a fast circuit, which I like and where most importantly we’ve tested already this year and things didn’t go badly. We’ve scored decent results over the last four races so I’m optimistic going into the final two rounds of my rookie MotoGP season. We’ve got a couple of fourth places recently so now I’d like to get back on the podium. I hope and believe that Michelin will come up with some tyres that give slightly better performance than in Japan and Australia, where we were just a little bit short of being with the best. Sepang is well known for the heat and the changeable conditions; one minute it can be boiling hot and then the next it’s throwing down with rain. I’ll be training hard this week to stay in good shape and finish off a positive trip around the Pacific.”
Davide Brivio - “One eye on the statistics”
“We have reached our most important targets for the season so the focus for us is on having fun but we also have one eye on the statistics. It would be nice to keep this podium run going for Yamaha until the end of the season and if Valentino can make the points record it will mean we’ve had a strong finish to the year, which is clearly all we want. We know Sepang very well from the preseason testing but, as with every season, by the time you come back for the race you have a whole season of development under your belt and the bike is very different. The data is useful but really we start from scratch with the setting. The circuit has two long straights, which test the bikes’ top speeds, but overall it’s a good track and Valentino likes it very much. Hopefully we can have another fun weekend, like at Phillip Island.”
Daniele Romagnoli - “Jorge has already surpassed expectations”
“Malaysia is a track we already tested at three times in the winter – once at the end of 2007 and twice at the start of 2008. We have a base set-up, lots of information and Jorge knows how to ride the bike here. If you look at the results so far this season Michelin have done well at tracks where we have tested previously so I’m sure they will be competitive again. We fought for pole position in the last round at Phillip Island and quite honestly we were a little disappointed not to be on the podium. It would be great to make up for that this weekend but whatever happens Jorge has already surpassed our expectations for him this season so there is absolutely no pressure on him – we just want him to enjoy himself and to do his best.”
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 96 (70 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 208 (147 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 51 (41 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 8 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
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: 109 (15 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 30 (4 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 x 250cc
Sepang: Record Lap
Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2′02.108
Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2′00.605
Grand Prix Results: Sepang 2007
1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 43′4.405
2. M.Melandri (Honda) +1.701
3. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +2.326
5. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +4.773
Jorge Lorenzo Result: Sepang 2007
3. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia +2.957 (250cc)
