Moto GP
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Moto GP
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12-04-2009, 08:00pm
I must admit I skipped a lot of that Rev but I got what I wanted out of it.
Thanks for posting. I'll punt on Stoner, Capirossi and Vermuelen. Yamaha may have tech issues in an attempt to play catch up.
"If time catches up with you. You're going too slow!"
Regards BUSGO 
13-04-2009, 07:47am
Well Busgo it would be great to see that finish but I just don't think the Suzuki has got the goods, Suzuki please prove me wrong PLEASE.
Anyway here's the details of the warmup this morning so please read on.. I won't post the results as I know the GP is on 10 at around 0700. Nieto advises Rossi stalling strategy to stop Stoner Sunday, 12 April 2009 Do your predictions for Qatar match those of the MotoGP Legend? The start of the MotoGP season in Qatar also sees the launch of a new edition of the MotoGP Fantasy League, where you can find out once and for all just how much you know about premier class racing. There is still time to make your picks for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, and this weekend you can also match your hunch against that of MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto, who spoke to motogp.com on Sunday afternoon. “Stoner is very strong, but Rossi is very close and Lorenzo could get there,†analysed the Spaniard from inside the Losail International Circuit paddock, before indicating that a ‘Laguna Seca-esque†strategy from Rossi would be needed to tame Stoner and prevent an Australian victory. â€Rossi needs to use a tactic to stop Stoner from escaping, because if he goes away from the start it will be hard to stop him. For the podium I think they will both be there, and also Lorenzo if he pushes very hard.†Hour of truth approaches for MotoGP riders Sunday, 12 April 2009 Opening MotoGP round in Losail just hours away. The waiting is almost over for MotoGP fans and riders alike, as with the arrival of nightfall the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar will officially open the 2009 season. Anything can happen in the World Championship, and an added air of unpredictability has been provided by the appearance of grey clouds above the Losail International Circuit and a blustery wind blowing at ground level. Casey Stoner will start from pole for the MotoGP race, which headlines the nighttime action at 11pm local time. He lines up alongside rivals Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo on the front row of the grid, as he aims to ‘do it with the lights on†for a second consecutive season. His teammate Nicky Hayden will try to ride in the warmup despite some heavy back contusions picked up in a big Saturday crash. The 125cc and 250cc classes take to the track at 8pm and 9.15pm, respectively, for their opening battles of the season, and in neither category will the reigning World Champion go home with the victory. 250cc titlist Marco Simoncelli sits out the quarter litre category race, whilst 125cc champ Mike di Meglio joins 250cc poleman Ãlvaro Bautista, Hiroshi Aoyama and HÃctor Barberá on the front line. 125cc has a first timer on the top spot, with Julián Simón qualifying quickest. MotoGP warmup concludes Stoner clean sweep Sunday, 12 April 2009 Ducati Marlboro rider fastest in 20-minute Sunday session. The MotoGP warmup concluded the preparations for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Sunday evening, and it barely needs mentioning that Casey Stoner was the top man in the session. The Australian completed a clean sweep of the four preparatory sessions with a 1â€56.697 lap unmatched by any of his 800cc rivals, onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP9. The main favourite to deny a Stoner victory, Valentino Rossi was less than a tenth of a second slower than the Australian during the 20-minute run, and will start the race by his rivalâ€s side on the front row. Third quickest was Repsol Hondaâ€s Andrea Dovizioso, who makes his debut for the team in Qatar, whilst Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards showed the suitability of the Yamaha M1 to the Losail International Circuit by placing in the top five. A sore Nicky Hayden came back from a heavy qualifying hit to test the extent of his discomfort in the warmup, but came close to another incident when being passed by San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis. Also riding injured, Haydenâ€s former Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa twice ran off track during the session. COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR MotoGP Warm Up Classification Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap 1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'56.697 329.167  2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'56.759 327.272 0.062 3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'57.379 331.899 0.682 4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.399 325.595 0.702 5 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.449 321.907 0.752 6 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'57.658 325.301 0.961 7 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'57.700 319.054 1.003 8 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'57.874 322.099 1.177 9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'58.097 322.484 1.400 10 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'58.344 320.094 1.647 11 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.361 319.810 1.664 12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.556 325.105 1.859 13 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'58.878 321.620 2.181 14 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'58.902 331.899 2.205 15 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'59.129 326.481 2.432 16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.398 324.421 2.701 17 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'59.679 318.772 2.982 18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'59.912 317.180 3.215  So let the Fun Begin....
13-04-2009, 10:40am
bloody race got cancelled so watch it tommorrow at 3:45am
13-04-2009, 11:09am
MotoGP Qatar race to be run on Monday
Sunday, 12 April 2009 A rare rainstorm at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday evening saw the first MotoGP race of the year put back to Monday at 9pm local time. After the season-opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar was interrupted by rain on Sunday evening the MotoGP race had to be postponed and will now be run on Monday evening at 9pm local time, with an additional warm-up session beforehand at 6.30pm. After shortened 250cc and 125cc races earlier in the evening the heavy rainstorm in the Arabian desert at 11pm on Sunday evening made it unsafe for the MotoGP riders to go out onto the 5.380km floodlit circuit. 
13-04-2009, 01:09pm
bigfoot Wrote:bloody race got cancelled so watch it tommorrow at 3:45am Is that "free to air" at 3.45am? 
13-04-2009, 08:48pm
twistgrip Wrote:bigfoot Wrote:bloody race got cancelled so watch it tommorrow at 3:45am Yes I was watching the AFL (Channel 10) and they said their coverage starts at 3.45a.m. tomorrow morning. 
14-04-2009, 06:23am
All I will say is from start to finish the best bike won. I have feeling that is the way the season will pan out as well!!!!!!
Woman,where's my wallet?
And whats for tea?
14-04-2009, 08:34am
GO CASEY GO!!!!! loved every second of it and i agree with Daryll Beattie about the accident between Pedrosa and De Angelis and i think it was a racing incident as De Angelis was on a wheelstand and driving hard out of the corner!
14-04-2009, 10:10am
bigfoot Wrote:GO CASEY GO!!!!! loved every second of it and i agree with Daryll Beattie about the accident between Pedrosa and De Angelis and i think it was a racing incident as De Angelis was on a wheelstand and driving hard out of the corner! Was it on free to air Big Fella
14-04-2009, 11:27am
sure was and it was such a good race!!
14-04-2009, 11:28am
Colin Edwards is the one to watch out for this year i reckon him and Lorenzo, the suzukis are quick as well just don't put a straight in front of them and all is good!
14-04-2009, 09:37pm
Gassick Wrote:All I will say is from start to finish the best bike won. I have feeling that is the way the season will pan out as well!!!!!! Fingers crossed! 
Licence Back!
This is for the guys and gals that didn't get to see the race and for anyone interested in what some of the riders had to say after the race.
So here is the race report and final places not that we need to ask how they finished for the top 3 pretty much how some people predicted. Superb win for Stoner in Qatar Monday night race Monday, 13 April 2009 The re-scheduled first MotoGP race of 2009 saw Casey Stoner take victory at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. As the action in the premier class of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship finally got underway, at the spectacular Losail International Circuit on Monday night, it was Casey Stoner who took the headlines, completing a hat-trick of season-opening wins in Qatar. Following the exceptional postponement of the opening MotoGP contest of the year due to rain in the Arabian desert, Monday evening witnessed the first race in the new single tyre supplier era, but it was a familiar story with Stoner crossing the line first, ahead of World Champion Valentino Rossi. A ruthless Stoner took the holeshot from pole and had built up a two second gap at the end of the first lap. The 2007 World Championâ€s victory never looked in serious doubt as he controlled the race from the front, having been the fastest rider in every session over the weekend. Stonerâ€s winning margin was more than seven seconds at the end of a brilliant performance, casting aside any doubts about his fitness after winter surgery on his left wrist. Completing the podium behind the front two was Rossiâ€s Fiat Yamaha colleague Jorge Lorenzo repeating his rostrum result from his MotoGP debut in the opening race of 2008, in his first race on Bridgestone tyres. Monster Yamaha Tech 3â€s Colin Edwards started his seventh season in MotoGP riding solidly from sixth on the grid to finish fourth on his own Bridgestone debut, making it three Yamahas in the top four. Also on new tyres and with a new factory bike Repsol Hondaâ€s 2009 signing Andrea Dovizioso was fifth, fading slightly in the second half of the race having run in third place for several laps. There was a good performance from Alex de Angelis, crossing the line sixth having qualified ninth at the start of his second year with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. Rizla Suzukiâ€s Chris Vermeulen also made a decent start to the year with his improved GSV-R machine in seventh. An excellent MotoGP debut from satellite Ducati rider Mika Kallio, meanwhile, saw him end up as the best placed rookie in eighth for the new look Pramac Racing outfit. On factory machinery and returning to the Honda Gresini team this year, Toni ElÃas may be disappointed not to have done better than ninth, whilst Frenchman Randy de Puniet brought the satellite LCR Honda RC212V home three seconds behind the Spaniard to complete the top ten. Dani Pedrosa, riding with knee and wrist injuries, battled through the pain barrier to pick up some important points in eleventh spot. On his Ducati debut, Pedrosaâ€s former team-mate Nicky Hayden also did well to complete the race in twelfth, given the back and chest injuries he suffered in a huge highside crash in qualifying on Saturday. The brave 2006 World Champion even set his best time on the last lap. Sete Gibernau finished 13th on his MotoGP comeback with the satellite Ducati Grupo Francisco Hernando team, unable to push into the top ten due to his ongoing shoulder injury. Marco Melandri made his first appearance for the Hayate Racing Team and ran off track early on but battled back well to finish in the points in 14th. Commencing his 20th Grand Prix season Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi crashed out on lap eight and was unable to rejoin the race. After a weekend off the MotoGP riders next reconvene at the Polini Grand Prix of Japan for round two, which takes place at the Motegi circuit from 24th-26th April. 1 25 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 42'53.984 165.539 2 20 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 43'01.755 165.041 7.771 3 16 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 43'10.228 164.501 16.244 4 13 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 43'18.394 163.984 24.410 5 11 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 43'21.247 163.804 27.263 6 10 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 43'23.867 163.639 29.883 7 9 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 43'27.611 163.404 33.627 8 8 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing DUCATI 43'28.739 163.334 34.755 9 7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 43'33.465 163.038 39.481 10 6 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 43'36.268 162.864 42.284 11 5 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 43'42.510 162.476 48.526 12 4 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 43'42.867 162.454 48.883 13 3 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando DUCATI 43'46.199 162.248 52.215 14 2 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team KAWASAKI 43'50.363 161.991 56.379 15 1 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP HONDA 43'54.270 161.751 1'00.286 16 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 44'08.962 160.853 1'14.978 17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing DUCATI 44'09.012 160.850 1'15.028 Not Classified 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 13'49.501 163.442 15 laps Edwards: “Good start to season after poor start to race†Monday, 13 April 2009 In Colin Edwards†first race on Bridgestone tyres he dropped from sixth on the grid to ninth on lap one, before some brilliant overtaking eventually saw him finish fourth. As the 2009 MotoGP season got underway in the re-scheduled Monday night race at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, Colin Edwards survived a poor first lap to battle his way through the crowd and finish fourth. The veteran American rider followed podium finishers Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo across the line, to make it four Yamahas in the top four. It was an improvement on Edwards†seventh placed 2008 Qatar result and was well-earned by the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider as he overtook several opponents to earn 13 points, when even a top ten result could have been in question after a nightmare first lap. He explained, “That was a good start to the season after I made a rubbish start to the race. I thought I'd got a good start but the next thing I know is everybody flying by me. I was way down and it cost me the chance to fight for the podium really. Iâ€m not saying I could have run with Jorge (Lorenzo) because he was riding really well, but it would have been nice to give myself a shot.†Acknowledging the preparations that made the race possible, as the asphalt was cleaned by workers during the day on Monday, Edwards continued, “The track conditions were good considering the rain we had on Sunday night and I just concentrated on being smooth and not abusing the tyre too much.†“It paid off because when I caught (Andrea) Dovizioso I could see he was having some issues. By the time I passed him for fourth, Jorge was long gone and it was going to take a massive mistake from him for me to get close but I kept pushing. Iâ€d like to think I could have kept the pace with Jorge if Iâ€d got a good start, but itâ€s easy to say that afterwards.†Summarising his first race on Japanese rubber the 35 year-old went on to say, “The grip from Bridgestone was really good and Iâ€m glad we all stayed and raced. I just want to say thanks to all my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. It has been a long and difficult weekend but we have all pulled together, stayed strong and focused and come out with a good result, so Iâ€m looking forward to another good race in Japan next time out.†De Angelis: “We deserve this result for our hard work†Monday, 13 April 2009 San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis did not see his collision with Dani Pedrosa as a big deal and felt his sixth place in Qatar was well-earned. Last year at the Losail International Circuit Alex de Angelis crashed out on his MotoGP debut, but the San Marino rider did far better this time around as he battled throughout the race to earn a solid sixth place to start the season. The Honda Gresini rider commenced his second premier class season ninth on the grid in Mondayâ€s re-scheduled MotoGP race and produced a typically combative display to pick off a series of opponents, at one stage apparently inadvertently making contact with Dani Pedrosa on his charge through the pack. Pedrosa was enraged by the incident and although De Angelis was asked to give an explanation to officials after the race he was not sanctioned. Looking back over proceedings De Angelis commented, “Iâ€m so happy with this result because I think we deserve it after working so hard this weekend. I didnâ€t get a great start but I knew my pace was okay so I just tried to stay calm, pass as many people as possible and make up positions. We knew the podium was out of reach for us here but I always felt we were capable of a top result and sixth place falls into that category.†He added, “I was called up to Race Direction to put forward my version of the collision with Dani but there was no complaint against me so it wasnâ€t a big deal. This is just the start and even though we know this circuit suits my style of riding and my package, our aim is to be consistent and keep scoring results like this one.†The sixth place result was one of De Angelis†best in his short 800cc class career to date, having only finished higher than that twice last year with his two fourth places at Mugello and Sachsenring. His team boss Fausto Gresini stated, “Alex did a great job. He made life difficult for himself at the start but he rode brilliantly and fully deserved the result. It was a shame about the collision with Pedrosa – Iâ€m not sure exactly how it happened but I think it was clear that Alex didnâ€t do it intentionally.†Rossi pleased with improved Qatar showing Monday, 13 April 2009 Having finished fifth at the Losail International Circuit last year Valentino Rossi was pleased to have started the 2009 season - and his MotoGP title defence - with an improved second place in Qatar. World Champion Valentino Rossi was unable to prevent Casey Stoner running away with a third consecutive season-opening victory at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, but the brilliant Italian typically took the positives from his second place finish in the Arabian desert in Mondayâ€s re-scheduled MotoGP race. Rossi was amongst those who had stated after Sunday nightâ€s rainfall that it was important to stay on at the floodlit Losail track to put on a show for the fans on Monday evening, and whilst he was unable to catch Stoner at the front of the race he did his level best at trying to hunt down the Ducati Marlboro poleman. Starting from second on the grid Fiat Yamahaâ€s Rossi was unable to go with Stoner from the first lap and had to get past his own team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and his old friend Loris Capirossi - who eventually crashed - before he could attempt to pull back the Australian. A three second gap between the leading pair was cut down to two by Rossi midway through the race but he could not make further progress against Stoner, who has a superb record at Qatar and dominated every session over the weekend – the 2007 World Champion eventually winning by nearly eight seconds. Afterwards Rossi commented, “Today the conditions of the track were quite different to before and this evening in warm-up we encountered a couple of small problems related to tyres, so our strategy had to change slightly tonight. Itâ€s a pity because I think last night we could have put up more of a fight, but anyway this is a good result to start the season, much better than last year.†Analysing the race in more detail he continued, “I knew I needed a good start in order to go with Stoner but unfortunately I didnâ€t get one and I lost some time fighting with Lorenzo and Capirossi and by then Stoner had already gone! The middle part of the race was great fun and I made six or seven good laps to come much closer, but I knew I wouldnâ€t be able to continue in that rhythm, it was too risky for the tyres and I decided it was more important to take the 20 points.†Summarising the first GP of the season in general and looking ahead to visiting Japan for round two – where he clinched the title last season – Rossi concluded, “Casey was very strong but he is always fast here and I believe that our potential is very good; I think that we can be back fighting again in Motegi. I am so glad we could race today after yesterday and I am satisfied to be leaving here having made a good start to the season. There is a long way to go!†Stoner crafted race victory around fuel consumption Monday, 13 April 2009 Australian modified style in early stages of Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. Casey Stoner almost made the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar look easy, but the Australian revealed after his third consecutive victory at the Losail International Circuit that a lot of concentration and adaptation was needed over the course of the 22-lap race. A fuel consumption issue had Stoner modifying his style as he streaked out in front, and he explained afterwards that his turning up the heat later on was not a direct response to some fast times from rival Valentino Rossi. “We had a very small problem with fuel consumption, and the team had told me that if it was possible I should run in a way that would help it out. I tried faster corner speeds and riding with higher gears, but from about lap ten it wasnâ€t enough,†said the Ducati Marlboro man. “I had to change my style again, but there were no problems after that. Stoner regarded his 2008 win as a false dawn in his season, as the victory disguised some problems with the Desmosedici GP8 that took time in being resolved. This year, however, he sees himself as being in a much stronger position. “Everything went perfect in preseason, and Iâ€d like to start this year better than the last one, where we really struggled from this race up until basically the middle of the season. It would be nice to think that we can put up a little more of a fight right up until the end of the year,†said the 23 year-old. Disappointment for Toseland at Losail Tuesday, 14 April 2009 James Toselandâ€s problematic visit to Qatar concluded with him frustrated and outside the points at round one. Having qualified in 13th at the Commericalbank Grand Prix of Qatar, unable to repeat the front row start he achieved on his MotoGP debut at Losail last year, it was always going to take a big effort for James Toseland to get a good result at the desert circuit in Monday eveningâ€s re-scheduled race. Toseland looked capable of a top ten challenge as he shadowed Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio in the early stages, but the 28 year-old Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riderâ€s night took a turn for the worse when he ran off into the gravel trap at the final corner on lap seven after a tangle with Toni Elias. Although he got back on track and did his best to fight for a point-scoring finish, memories of his Donington 2008 nightmare may have rushed through his head as he ultimately came home in 16th spot. Although this was just the first race of 2009 Toseland has already had a tough time this year, with big crashes in testing in Malaysia and Jerez hampering his preseason preparations and a fall-out with team-mate Colin Edwards - who was fourth at Qatar on Monday - over a winter crew chief swap. Reflecting on the first GP of the season, Toseland said, “It has been a difficult weekend to say the least and I know we have got a long way to catch up. This race was almost like a test for me, and like in testing, I didn't have a lot of luck out there. I felt like I could fight for the top ten but Toni Elias came up the inside of me at the final corner as I was closing on Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio. He touched me and I went off into the gravel and that left me out of the points unfortunately.†The tough Briton will need all his resilience to bounce back at round two at Motegi and tried to remain positive as he remarked, “I just need time on the bike and a bit of luck to go my way. My guys have put in a lot of effort this weekend and I'm confident I can get a good result in Japan for the team.†Lorenzo concerned by gap to Stoner Tuesday, 14 April 2009 Fiat Yamaha rider sees ‘two riders a step above the rest†after Qatar podium. Satisfied but not elated by a podium finish in Qatar, Jorge Lorenzo was analytical in his response to events on Monday evening. Fiat Yamahaâ€s Spanish star was back on the rostrum at the scene of his first MotoGP top three finish, but felt that the gap between himself and racewinner Casey Stoner was more than the nine point difference suggested. “It is a very good result, and the position is fine,†said Lorenzo. “However, the gap between myself and Stoner was too much. We have to work and work, because these problems need to be solved so that we get to Motegi with more of a chance. “At the moment there are two riders who are a step above the rest,†he added, referring to Stoner and Fiat Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi. â€I really enjoyed some parts of the race when I made some good overtakes and felt confident enough to take some risks. The grip of the track was better tonight but my rear tyre was moving from the start, so this is something we need to address and improve.†Capirossi sorry for crew after round one crash Tuesday, 14 April 2009 After crashing out at Qatar Loris Capirossi felt sorry for his team as Suzukiâ€s hard work over the winter was undone in the Arabian desert. His team-mate Chris Vermeulen lifted spirits somewhat with a seventh place finish. Rizla Suzukiâ€s veteran Italian rider Loris Capirossi had a night to forget at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Monday, as his twentieth season in the World Championship started with a DNF due to a high-speed crash. Commencing the re-scheduled premier class battle from fifth on the grid in fine style Capirossi was up into second place by the first corner and held his ground over the first couple of laps. As the race progressed his front tyre grip apparently dropped dramatically just seven laps in and he was lucky to walk away uninjured from the spectacular accident - as he lost the front-end of the GSV-R Suzuki which has improved so much over the winter. A repentant Capirossi reflected, “I feel really sorry for the whole team, because all winter we have worked so hard and have gone quite well, so this was hard to take. It was really strange today because our practice has been good, but in this eveningâ€s warm-up I had a big problem with chatter, this hadnâ€t happened all weekend and then during the race it was the same.†“The front tyre didnâ€t work like normal either, I had done 25 to 30 laps on the same tyre with no problems and the feeling had always been good, but today after just five laps it felt like it was destroyed! This race is over now and we have to concentrate on the next one and find out why the things that happened today occurred.†Capirossiâ€s boss, Rizla Suzuki Team Manager Paul Denning, was left searching for answers about the behaviour of the bike and the tyres, even though Chris Vermeulen had finished in seventh place, stating, “Without doubt it was the right thing for MotoGP to stay on and race here at Qatar tonight, but unfortunately our bike worked quite differently than it had done all weekend for both riders.†“We suffered from a serious lack of front grip and some bad vibration which restricted both the guys. Clearly some of our competitors were far less affected by the different conditions and our team - and factory - will be working very hard to understand the difference in performance between tonight and the rest of the weekend.†Dovizioso puzzled by unprecedented problem Tuesday, 14 April 2009 Repsol Honda debutant admits to not having right setup for Bridgestone rubber in Losail. Andrea Dovizioso took a creditable fifth in his first race as a Repsol Honda rider in Qatar, a ride that convinced the Italian that more work is needed to create harmony between the RC212V and Bridgestone tyres. The Italian had to battle for fifth after a storming start in Losail, and was confused about why he had to make some big changes along the way. “I didnâ€t start very well, but I recovered some positions. After three laps I had my first big problem, with the front,†said ‘Dovi†after the dust had settled. “I couldnâ€t enter the corners fast like I did in practice, and I really donâ€t know why that was. I have never had that problem; not this weekend or ever. I had to use rear slide, so after five or six laps my tyre was used up. “The surface wasnâ€t that much different to what we had been on over the course of the weekend. It is just that we didnâ€t have a good setup for the Bridgestones, and we need to work on that for Japan." Dovizioso was the highest placing Honda behind one Ducati and three Yamaha machines. Hayden reviews tough Ducati debut Tuesday, 14 April 2009 After his horror crash in qualifying on Saturday at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Nicky Hayden did well to come home twelfth on his Ducati race debut. Nicky Hayden produced an impressive display in his first race for Ducati Marlboro coming from 16th on the grid at the Losail International Circuit in Mondayâ€s re-scheduled MotoGP contest to finish in the points in 12th place, despite his back and chest injuries. Controlling the awesome Desmosedici GP9 throughout the race cannot have been easy for Hayden after his big crash in qualifying on Saturday, given the badly bruised back and stitches in his chest which the American had to deal with. Nonetheless he was still fighting right to the death, recording his best lap time right at the end of the race and almost catching his former team-mate Dani Pedrosa for 11th place on the finishing line. “Itâ€s been a tough weekend, weâ€ve had a lot of issues and obviously a 130mph high-side doesnâ€t help things, but nothing really went smooth,†Hayden said afterwards. “At the beginning of the race I was quite slow, I didnâ€t get a great start but actually as the fuel load changed and I got a better feeling I got faster and faster and the last five or six laps were my fastest of the whole weekend.†The ever optimistic Kentuckian went on to add, “It would have been nice to beat Dani at the end there but I think the team have showed that even though a lot of stuff has gone against us this weekend weâ€re not going to give up. Hopefully the bad stuff is behind us now and Casey (Stoner) has shown the potential of the bike. Crazy as it sounds Iâ€m leaving here in a really positive mood and looking forward to Motegi.†So until the next round in a couple of weeks ANZAC weekend we will have to wait and see if the others can find some pace but as Rossi has mentioned it's still a long way to the end of the season but hey what a start for the Aussie.. GO CASEY Oh can't forget about Pedrosa having a bitch can I... Pedrosa slams ‘disrespectful†De Angelis after Qatar collision Monday, 13 April 2009 Contact between Honda pair draws harsh words from Spanish star. Dani Pedrosa had one of the more eventful races of his premier class career in Qatar, and certainly earned his eventual five point haul from the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship season. Riding injured, the Spaniard very nearly saw his race ended in a collision with Alex de Angelis, and had some harsh words for the San Marino rider after coming home eleventh. “He came straight into me, I was in front and he came into me to close me down. (He showed…) no respect, but life will return the favour to him,†seethed the Repsol Honda rider, who had been battling with De Angelis and Chris Vermeulen at the time of the incident. Vermeulen had passed him, but De Angelis†attempted opportunism led to his touching the Repsol Honda rider and facing a meeting with the stewards following the race. For Pedrosa –far from fully fit after leg and arm surgery- the collision severely affected his ability to take further positions and could have added another niggle to his list of injuries. “After eight or nine laps at the front I started to have some vibration, and I donâ€t know why that was. Finally I started to lose a lot of grip, and when De Angelis touched me I began to have pain in my shoulder. Itâ€s probably nothing, but I will get it checked out anyway.†Pedrosa eventually held onto eleventh place from former teammate Nicky Hayden in a drag to the line. Rev004, Have a few good photos from the race, will post them this weekend. Watching Stoner bet Rossie was the best. Dave |
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