Moto GP

[Rev004]

Well what a start to the season was it me or was Rossi Body language saying it all at the press conference after the race. I thought Stoner ran a good race and couldn't help but laugh as someome did to Rossi what he is so good at doing to everyone else get in front and when they thinking they are catching he pulls out those vital couple of tenths just to keep you at arms lenght.

Great to see Vermeulen finish in the top 10 that Suzuki really needs some top end speed maybe they need to take some notes from the Busa and get that thing moving .

Anyway here is some more gos from the paddicks...and can't wait for a for next weekend this round will be very interesting to see how it all pulls together and will certainly give us a very good indication of what we will be in for this year.



De Puniet frustrated with tenth place
Wednesday, 15 April 2009

At the start of his second season with the LCR Honda team Randy de Puniet was disappointed to finish in tenth place in Qatar having qualified seventh.


The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatarâ€s delayed conclusion on Monday brought frustration for Randy de Puniet who came home in tenth place, complaining of front end problems on his satellite Honda RC212V.

Returning to riding with Bridgestone tyres this season he perhaps needs to further acquaint himself with the new single tyre supplier era material but there were nonetheless some positives for the 28 year-old to take from round one in the desert.

De Punietâ€s seventh place in qualifying was a good start and the race result was just the second time he has gone the full course at Qatar, after his ninth place in 2008, having crashed out on the first lap of the MotoGP race in 2006 and on lap eight in 2007.

Indeed one of De Punietâ€s main objectives this season is simply to keep his bike upright and get regular point-scoring results for the LCR Honda team, following his costly and crash-filled 2008 campaign, so his manager Lucio Cecchinello will probably be relatively satisfied with the top ten finish in Mondayâ€s re-scheduled race.

But for the rider himself the Losail International Circuit visit left him obviously disheartened having finished behind the likes of fellow Honda satellite rider Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Ducati rookie Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing), both of whom started lower down the grid than the feisty Frenchman.

Looking back over the 22-lap contest De Puniet stated, “I am a bit disappointed because I expected a better result after my performances in the practice sessions. I made a good start and after that I thought that the race would be easy. But I started to suffer grip problems on my front tyre. It was a bit dangerous and did my best to manage the race like that.”

He continued, “It was strange because I didnâ€t have that sensation at all during the whole of the rest of weekend and it was like riding on a soft tyre. My target was the top ten but I could have got a better result in different conditions. Anyway we will analyse the data to be more competitive in Japan.”


Kallio impresses team on premier class debut
Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Rookie Mika Kallioâ€s eighth place at round one of the 2009 season in his first MotoGP appearance was well received by the Pramac Racing team.


A solid debut performance for Pramac Racingâ€s Mika Kallio which earned him eighth place in the re-scheduled Monday night race at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar gives him a sound platform to build on in his rookie MotoGP campaign.

The signs were good for the satellite Ducati man at the Official MotoGP Test in Jerez as he made his final preparations, two weeks before his first race, by finishing the BMW M Award showdown in sixth place as a demonstration of his abilities - and having qualified tenth in Qatar it was game on for the calm and collected Finn.

In the race itself Kallio lost two positions early on, meaning that he had to battle his way back up to eighth from twelfth during the course of the race and he even appeared to be catching Rizla Suzukiâ€s Chris Vermeulen for seventh in the latter stages.

Pramac Racingâ€s Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini praised the 26 year-old afterwards, commenting, “We are really happy with Mika, because as well as finishing in eighth place, the riders that were in front of him didnâ€t have a much faster rhythm. Unfortunately he didn't start that well so over the first few laps he lost some time, otherwise he might have finished in an even better position. But we are pleased because the pace he maintained throughout the race was excellent for his debut.”

Meanwhile, Kallio himself stated, “Before coming here I thought if I could finish in the top ten I would be satisfied, so eighth position is therefore a really good result. I didnâ€t start the race brilliantly, but I managed to maintain a good pace once we got going. I tried to catch the group in front of me, but after a few laps I just thought Iâ€d keep my rhythm and the strategy paid off.”

Kallio went on to add, “In the last few laps I could see that I was getting closer and closer to Vermeulen and I think if Iâ€d had a couple of more laps I could have passed him. Anyway in general we had a positive weekend and we will try to continue in this direction in Japan.”


Gibernau happy to go the distance on MotoGP return
Wednesday, 15 April 2009

In his first race for more than two and a half years Sete Gibernau battled against the pain in Qatar to bring his Ducati satellite machine home in 13th place despite his shoulder injury.


Having been unsure whether he would even be able to complete the full 22 laps of Mondayâ€s re-scheduled MotoGP race, at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, Sete Gibernau was delighted afterwards to have achieved a point-scoring result on his return to premier class competition.

The 36 year-old former World Championship runner-up suffered a setback earlier this year when he aggravated an old injury in his left shoulder in a private training session as he prepared for his MotoGP comeback, meaning that he missed the Qatar night test at the beginning of March and he was riding in some pain at round one.

Having qualified in 15th place on the grid the rider from Barcelona got away solidly at the start and maintained a decent pace to eventually bring his new satellite Ducati bike across the finishing line in 13th position. It was Gibernauâ€s first race since the Portuguese GP of 2006, at which he crashed out and injured his shoulder, causing him to announce his retirement from the sport.

Riding for the newly formed Grupo Francisco Hernando team in his 2009 return, Gibernau said of his Qatar experience, “It was a hard race for us. We didnâ€t know if we could go the whole distance so I want to thank the team, as they did a great job and they really helped me a lot. Iâ€m satisfied because beforehand I didnâ€t think I would be able to finish the race and we even got some points so I couldnâ€t ask for more!”

He continued, “I canâ€t say I was really comfortable on the bike as I was really struggling with the pain but Iâ€m really happy to have got a result that was much better than expected. Now, before the next race in Japan, I want to be at home and train a little bit, perhaps on one of my bikes, so that my physical condition improves further.”

On racing with the Desmosedici GP9 for the first time and his pre-race nerves Gibernau also stated, “There is no point assessing the performance of the Ducati yet because I just wasnâ€t in the right shape to push at 100%. Obviously I was a bit tense before the start of the race but once we got started I took things calmly because I just wanted to make sure I finished.”


Elías upbeat despite dissatisfaction with position
Wednesday, 15 April 2009

On his return to the San Carlo Honda Gresini team Toni Elías finished ninth at Losail on Monday, but the Spanish rider is looking for better results.


Outperformed by his new team-mate Alex de Angelis at the Losail International Circuit on Monday, Toni Elías is looking for better than ninth placed finishes this season on a factory RC212V but after struggling with the set-up of his Honda machine all weekend in Qatar the Spaniard was not too downbeat about the result.

De Angelis†good run to sixth place in the desert will have caught Elías†eye as he crossed the line just inside the top ten and at the next round in Japan he will be determined to beat the man whom he has joined in the pitbox this year, as he returns to the San Carlo Honda Gresini team.

Elías new team-mate has a satellite Honda, but team manager Fausto Gresini has negotiated factory support for the 26 year-old in 2009, which means he may get help from HRC before next weekâ€s Polini Grand Prix of Japan – although of course the pressure is on the rider himself to deliver results.

“Taking into account where we started from and the problems we had this weekend, this is a decent result for us and Iâ€m satisfied,” said Elías as he took the positives from Mondayâ€s re-arranged race, which he started 12th on the grid. “In terms of points it probably would have been better for us if the race was cancelled here because we knew it would be tough for us but the truth is that if you had offered me ninth place on Friday, I probably would have taken it!”

“Iâ€m always better in races than in practice and that was also the case in Qatar as I made up three places from the start,” he added. “It is still not the kind of result we want, but given the situation we took some important points.”

Attempting to explain what had restricted him at the Arabian track Elías stated, “Weâ€ve got some big problems with the chassis and the suspension in general, which means we are making the tryes do a lot of work. That is the main problem at the moment. With the team and hopefully a bit of help from Honda weâ€ll see if we can prepare ourselves a bit better for Japan.”


Takahashi completes first step of learning process
Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Scot Racing Teamâ€s Yuki Takahashi picked up his first MotoGP point on his debut in Qatar.


The 2009 season will be a matter of learning as quickly as possible for Yuki Takahashi in MotoGP, the Scot Racing Team rider who has moved up into the premier class from the 250cc category this year.

The 24 year-old found the going tough at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, qualifying down in 17th position as he continues to acquire the art of 800cc riding. He nonetheless rode a steady race on Monday night, concentrating on avoiding errors, gaining experience from the competitors around him and ultimately picking his first – albeit solitary – MotoGP point in the process.

On his run to 15th place at the Losail International Circuit, in his first MotoGP appearance, the Japanese rider commented, “The best came at the end, when I had a chance to follow Marco Melandri for a long while. I studied him, and I got a lot of information about how to deal with the front tyre and about braking points. Obviously this was just my first race in the class. Not only that, but Iâ€d never done a long run before.”

Reviewing his maiden Grand Prix amongst the big boys overall, the former 250cc race-winner added, “I'm satisfied. My target was learning the bike and how to compete against the best riders in the world. How to deal in the heat of the first laps, and strategies, and tactics. At the beginning of the race I lost a little time, but I didnâ€t want to make any silly mistakes. And at the end I was able to keep the same pace of the riders who were in the first groups. Now I can prepare for my home race, in just over a week, in Japan.”


Canepa remains confident after difficult debut
Thursday, 16 April 2009

Pramac Racingâ€s talented young MotoGP rookie Niccolò Canepa is already enthusiastically looking forward to Japan after his tough debut in Qatar.


With no previous Grand Prix racing experience Monday nightâ€s delayed MotoGP opener was a baptism of fire for Niccolò Canepa at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, as he never got on the pace and crossed the line out of the points in 17th place.

Simply picking up experience and completing his first ever race justified the visit to the Losail International Circuit for the satellite Ducati rider who started last on the grid. A tricky test visit at the beginning of March had already given Canepa a taste of things to come, but he refuses to be too dispirited by his round one Qatar experience.

Assessing the situation calmly but pragmatically he told motogp.com this week, “Things did not go too well for us. But in the test here we were missing something to put us up in the top ten and given the race pace that was again confirmed by the times on Monday. We came here relaxed and confident, but things just didnâ€t work out how we wanted.”

He continued, “We canâ€t blame things on the bike, because that is only half of the problem and we need to work hard to get the right feeling with the machine. Once we find the right base setting for ourselves we wonâ€t need to make any drastic changes for the rest of the season, thatâ€s something I have seen from the other riders. We studied all our data at the end of the race to see what had gone well and what hadnâ€t so now we can focus on not repeating mistakes, but obviously I need to concentrate on simply riding, not worrying too much about the set-up of the bike.”

The 20 year-old Italian who comes into MotoGP on the back of his experience as a Ducati test rider, had not participated in a competitive race for around a year before last weekend, so simply racing again got the adrenaline flowing.

“Iâ€ve really missed racing so it was exciting to be in there,” said Canepa, who has previously competed in Supersport 1000 and Supersport 600 races. “I enjoyed it a lot, especially the last ten laps, because I followed James Toseland and I learned loads. I wanted to try to overtake him at the end but it wasnâ€t possible. The important thing was to not just ride around alone, because that wouldnâ€t have taught me much.”

Looking ahead to Japan and round two Canepa added, “Firstly I need to learn the track when we get there. I know it will be tough because I already knew the Losail track before the GP, but at Motegi I have to get acquainted as quickly as I can and then just go for it.”


Vermeulen assesses Losail performance
Thursday, 16 April 2009

At a track where Suzuki do not have a great record Chris Vermeulen equaled his best ever Qatar result of seventh at round one, but the Australian was hoping to be in the top five.


Some significant close season improvements on the GSV-R and some decent preseason test results saw Rizla Suzuki head to the championship-opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar in good spirits, but things did not go according to plan.

A DNF following a high speed crash for Loris Capirossi and seventh place for Chris Vermeulen meant the race itself was something of an anti-climax for the team and they will be hoping for a much better showing next time out in Japan.

Although the result equaled Vermeulenâ€s best ever finish at Qatar from three previous visits (and was a vast improvement on his nightmare 17th place start to last season), a lack of rear grip late in the race was a major concern afterwards, given that it is a problem the Suzuki riders were also hampered by at several races in 2008.

The Australian rider made a decent start from eighth on the grid (his best ever qualifying result at the Losail International Circuit) and stayed with the pace early on. He held his ground in battles with various opponents in the middle of the race but late on was in danger of being caught by Ducati satellite rider Mika Kallio on his MotoGP debut, as the tyre problem took its toll.

Nonetheless Vermeulen managed to avoid any late mistakes and was happy to have scored some decent points for the team.

Assessing the first GP of the year the 26 year-old from Brisbane noted, “The track conditions on Monday night were a bit different to what it had been all weekend and it was very different to the test which was how I had the bike set-up, and to be honest I really struggled for front-end feeling.”

“Towards the end of the race the rear tyre performance dropped off as well so thatâ€s something weâ€ve really got to work on. Itâ€s hard though with the lack of testing in race conditions and also on race weekends with the sessions being shorter and there being less of them, it makes it very difficult to put race distance on the tyres and to iron out any other problems.”

Vermeulen is already in much better shape than this time last year having had a poor start to the 2008 season, with eighth place in Portugal being his best result in the first four races.

He now hopes to pick up the pace at round two in Japan on the 24th-26th April weekend, stating, “Qatar was not the result we wanted because we were hoping to be in the top-five. We have got quite a bit of work to do to catch up to the podium so we need to put our thinking caps on and go to Motegi and have a better performance!”


Stoner gives detailed tour of Qatar track
Thursday, 16 April 2009

No-one knows how to go fast at the Losail International Circuit better than hat-trick Qatar winner Casey Stoner and he took motogp.com on an in-depth tour of the desert circuit.


Last weekend at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Casey Stoner completed a brilliant season-opening hat-trick win at the Losail International Circuit, but as the accompanying video shows he still had time to take motogp.com live commentator Gavin Emmett on a detailed 20-minute tour of the spectacular floodlit Arabian desert track.