Valentino Rossi - MotoGP 2009

FIM Releases Anti-Doping Test Results From Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix

Administrator — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:23:34 +0000

Anti-doping controls

FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix

Anti-doping controls were carried out at the round of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix held in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, on September 14 last.

Neither prohibited substances nor markers of the use of prohibited methods were found in the tested samples.

The riders controlled were: Nicolas Terol (SPA, 125cc), Bradley Smith (GBR, 125cc), Scott Redding (GBR, 125cc), Valentino Rossi (ITA, MotoGP), Casey Stoner (AUS, MotoGP), Sylvain Guintoli (FRA, MotoGP).

Yamaha and Fiat to continue together for two more years

Administrator — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:03:18 +0000

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Fiat Automobiles Spa have concluded an agreement to continue their partnership for a further two years.

The agreement will see Fiat continue as the title sponsor of Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP Team, which will continue to be known as the Fiat Yamaha Team, for 2009 and 2010.

Fiat joined Yamaha at the start of 2007 and their partnership has been a successful one with 14 grand prix wins to date, culminating in the capture of the 2008 Rider, Team and Manufacturer titles. 2009 will see the same team with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo contesting the championship for the Fiat Yamaha Team.

“I heartily welcome the extension of the agreement with Fiat as title sponsor of our MotoGP Factory Team for another two years” said Masao Furusawa, Executive Officer Engineering Operations of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. “We will be working to continue the great partnership that resulted in the Fiat Yamaha Team winning the triple crown in 2008”.

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, commented, “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Fiat for a further two years. It remains a very interesting mix for an Italian car manufacturer to be partner of a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer in the world’s premier motorcycle racing series.

“After a tough first season in 2007 we were really happy to win the triple crown titles this year for Yamaha and for Fiat.

“Fiat’s decision to continue for a further two years is a sign of confidence in our activities and a strong confirmation of the value of being involved in the MotoGP championship. Our target for the future is clear: we want to continue with our winning ways and provide even more excitement for the fans of the Fiat Yamaha Team”.

Rossi rounds out world championship season with 16th podium

Administrator — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:30:09 +0000

Valentino Rossi

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.

	Jorge Lorenzo

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.

Colin Edwards

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.”

	Jamea Toseland

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.”

Fiat Yamaha riders head to Valencia with more records in sight

Administrator — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:34:49 +0000

Circuit Ricardo Tormo

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.

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!”

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.”

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!”

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)

Rossi survives Sepang furnace to take ninth win of the season

Administrator — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:19:08 +0000

Rossi podium

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.

	Jorge Lorenzo

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.

Colin Edwards

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.”

	James Toseland

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.”