Moto GP

[Rev004]

Round 1 - Qatar 2009
Part 2

Hayden to start 100th GP on Ducati debut
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Ducati newcomer to celebrate 100th race in the premier class this weekend.


Former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden has more than one reason to look forward to Sundayâ€s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, his debut race for the Ducati Marlboro team. The American is making the 100th Grand Prix appearance of his career this weekend, joining an elite club of riders to reach the milestone.

Of the seven members of the premier class ‘100 club†(for those who have participated in a century of races in the MotoGP during the four-stroke era) only Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards and Loris Capirossi are still active competitors in the 800cc category.

In the following video motogp.com celebrates Haydenâ€s 100th Grand Prix with a look back over his MotoGP career, from his debut in 2003 to his most recent podium and taking in his three race victories and twenty-five podiums along the way


Ducati Desmosedici GP9 explained by Stoner Crew Chief
Saturday, 11 April 2009

800cc bike detailed in video feature by Ducatiâ€s Cristian Gabarini.


The Ducati Desmosedici GP9 has been a standout machine over the course of the preseason, with a number of successful developments improving upon the model used in 2008. Casey Stoner is the man to get the most out of the bike thus far, although he isnâ€t the only one with a ‘hands-on†approach to working with the rough-and-ready 800cc monster.

In the following video, Stonerâ€s Crew Chief Cristian Gabarini talks through the ins and outs of the number 27 Desmosedici, explaining how the bike has been modified for Stonerâ€s unique style and adapted according to the demands and availability of the latest technology. A carbon fibre frame and swing arm, credited by Stoner as being a tremendous help in stabilising the bike, are detailed by the Italian.


Showdown at sundown awaits riders on Saturday
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Final free practice and qualifying runs set for Saturday.


The second night of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar takes place on Saturday evening at the Losail International Circuit, as things hot up in the Persian Gulf. The final free practice sessions for all three classes will open proceedings, in preparation for the first qualifying session of the 2009 season.

History will be made in the premier class when all eighteen 800cc riders take to the track for qualifying shod with Bridgestone tyres. The 45-minute session will be the first to take place since the introduction of a single-tyre rule.

The man to beat in MotoGP appears to be Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner, the winner of the past two Grands Prix held in Qatar. Stoner set the early pace on Friday with a 1â€57.053 lap of the track, although with the track becoming cleaner with every session times are sure to drop as grid positions are decided.

The 125cc class opens up the night action at 6.05pm local time, followed by MotoGP at 7.05pm and 250cc at 8.05pm. Following the same order, qualifying runs from 10.05pm to 12.05am.


Stoner mutes Rossi response in second MotoGP practice session
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Australian continues in control of premier class field in second evening ride in Qatar.


The second MotoGP free practice session for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar saw Casey Stoner once again sitting pretty at the head of the field, as the Australian shrugged off a response to his Friday dominance made by Valentino Rossi.

Stoner took times under the 1â€57 mark for the first time this weekend, and it was only in the final stages of the session that Rossi was able to join him with a solitary lap. Stonerâ€s 1â€56.310 time was just under a tenth of a second faster than that of the 2008 MotoGP World Champion, who later tried to further better his time in the final minute of the run.

Late surges from Loris Capirossi and 2008 poleman Jorge Lorenzo pushed them up into the top five and within half a second of Stonerâ€s time, with fifth-placed Marco Melandri separated from the group by nearly half a second. Melandri had been involved in a late night meeting with his mechanics on Friday to try and better his top ten placing from the first session, and took over 1.5 seconds off his previous best.

Repsol Hondaâ€s Andrea Dovizioso and second Rizla Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen placed ahead of Colin Edwards, Fridayâ€s third quickest rider, whilst the top ten was completed by Randy de Puniet and James Toseland.

Stoner, Capirossi and Scot Racingâ€s Yuki Takahashi ran off track during the session, but the most spectacular incident involved Ducati Marlboro rider Nicky Hayden. The American had a problem with his Desmosedici GP9 that caused vapor to pour out of the bike and delayed his workload ahead of Saturday qualifying.


COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'56.310 330.679
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'56.406 330.679 0.096
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.598 328.767 0.288
4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'56.649 329.268 0.339
5 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'57.135 326.777 0.825
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'57.290 328.667 0.980
7 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'57.576 323.741 1.266
8 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.714 326.579 1.404
9 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'57.971 323.159 1.661
10 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'58.125 323.159 1.815
11 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.152 327.669 1.842
12 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'58.349 330.983 2.039
13 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'58.361 331.491 2.051
14 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.618 329.268 2.308
15 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.226 328.567 2.916
16 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'59.340 324.032 3.030
17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'59.564 323.063 3.254
18 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 2'00.256 324.714 3.946


Stoner on pole and gunning for Qatar hat-trick victory
Saturday, 11 April 2009

After a dominant performance in the first MotoGP qualifying session of the year Casey Stoner will get away from pole at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.


The 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner will attempt to make it three consecutive season-opening victories in Qatar on Sunday having qualified in pole position at the floodlit Losail International Circuit on Saturday.

The superb Australian who blitzed his opponents in the opening races of the year in 2007 and 2008 was in hot form again in the first qualifying session of the new single tyre supplier era, setting a 1â€55.286s best time near the end of the session, to keep him nearly half a second ahead of the chasing pack.

The ‘best of the rest†was World Champion Valentino Rossi who registered his best time on his penultimate lap, a 0.473s margin behind Stoner. The Italian therefore starts his title defence second on the grid, a big improvement on his seventh place in qualifying at Qatar last year.

Rossiâ€s team-mate, 2008 poleman Jorge Lorenzo completes the front row, courtesy of his 1â€55.783s time which was just 0.024s behind his Fiat Yamaha colleagueâ€s best.

Like Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso was taking part in his first qualifying practice on Bridgestone tyres and the Italian youngster ended up in fourth spot. The new Repsol Honda rider will get away from the head of the second row on his factory debut as he attempts to match or improve on his impressive fourth place at Losail last year.

Loris Capirossi, meanwhile, who starts his 20th World Championship season this weekend, will be on his compatriot Doviziosoâ€s shoulder having put himself fifth on the grid on the new and improved Suzuki GSV-R.

Another experienced rider, Monster Yamaha Tech 3â€s Colin Edwards, completes the second row having lapped within a second of Stoner.

Randy de Puniet of the satellite LCR Honda team caused something of a surprise in seventh place, with a best effort of 1â€56.358, just over a second off pole position pace.

Also slotting in on the third row, behind Frenchman De Puniet, are Australian Suzuki man Chris Vermeulen and San Marino rider Alex de Angelis of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. Pramac Racingâ€s Mika Kallio completes the top ten as the best rookie qualifier.

Dani Pedrosa qualified in 14th position on his Repsol Honda RC212V, handicapped by his left wrist and knee injuries, but still giving himself a chance of scoring points on Sunday.

Comeback star Sete Gibernau is also riding injured, with an ongoing shoulder injury sustained in training in the winter, and he will start his first race in more than two years in 15th position.

A huge high-speed highside crash for Nicky Hayden on turn two at the end of the session saw him unable to move up from 16th on the grid on his Ducati debut and he was stretchered away for medical attention.


COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Qualifying Practice Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'55.286 337.183
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'55.759 334.158 0.473
3 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'55.783 336.973 0.497
4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'55.977 333.642 0.691
5 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.149 332.512 0.863
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'56.194 330.882 0.908
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'56.358 327.868 1.072
8 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.493 325.791 1.207
9 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'56.790 332.103 1.504
10 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'56.852 338.028 1.566
11 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'56.962 330.983 1.676
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'57.225 333.848 1.939
13 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.510 328.567 2.224
14 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'57.729 338.557 2.443
15 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'57.899 330.882 2.613
16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'58.215 332.614 2.929
17 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'58.784 327.968 3.498
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'58.999 328.467 3.713


Rossi hopes to up the pace on Sunday at Losail
Saturday, 11 April 2009

World Champion Valentino Rossi found the first qualifying session of the new single tyre supplier era interesting and hopes to be able to catch poleman Casey Stoner on Sunday in Qatar.


Reacting to qualifying second at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday MotoGP title holder Valentino Rossi was in a positive frame of mind ahead of the first race of the year, though he admits he and his team have plenty of work to do on Sunday.

The Italian will be trying to prevent poleman Casey Stoner from registering a hat-trick of Qatar wins as the 2009 season gets underway and says there are some points on the track where he couldnâ€t match the Australian on Saturday.

Rossi has had a good race pace all weekend and is confident of being able to mount a strong challenge if he can refine the setting of his Yamaha M1 in Sundayâ€s warm-up session which takes place at 7pm local time.

Analysing the results of first qualifying session in the single tyre supplier era Rossi stated, “It was very interesting especially with the 45 minutes of practice, you have to run, run, run because the time is short! It is not exactly like before with qualifying tyres but it is very close, the lap times are fast and it is difficult to use the soft tyres to the maximum. Anyway I am happy with the performance because a month ago here in the test we were quite slow.”

He added, “However, there are still two or three parts of the track where we are not strong enough to beat (Casey) Stoner, so we will have to try tonight or tomorrow to improve the setting and we will see. It is important to start in second place for the race and it will be a long battle.”


Stoner reviews first pole position of new season
Saturday, 11 April 2009

A highly competent performer at the Losail International Circuit, Casey Stoner reflected on his strong Qatar qualifying display late on Saturday.


Looking back over another successful evening in the Arabian desert on Saturday Casey Stoner pragmatically reviewed his sensational qualifying performance at the 2009 Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

The 2007 World Champion stated, “We knew the lap was there all along. We got into the low 1â€56 area with the hardest compound tyre and then we went a lot faster with our softer tyres in the early evening session, so we knew we could go quite a bit faster. We just needed to wait for the qualifying session. Everything went reasonably well, I didnâ€t feel I got the most out of the softer tyres, but it was enough to be on pole so we are happy with the way things are going.”

The winner of the last two races in Qatar, Stoner was typically straightforward as he admitted he is not quite ready for the first race of the year despite his rapid Saturday pace. The Ducati Marlboro rider revealed, “We have still got a bit more work to do before the race tomorrow. We donâ€t feel like we have got the set-up really where we want it yet but Iâ€m sure everyone else is in the same position. With much less time as we have on track now it is much harder to get everything right before the race but we have to make do with what weâ€ve got.”

Asked about his expected race pace for Sunday he replied, “It is difficult to say because if the weather stays nice and clear, not too windy, if the dust does not come back on the track then the pace should increase.”


Dovizioso takes second row despite mistake
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Pedrosa moves up to fourteenth in qualifying session.


Andrea Dovizioso will look to open his tenure as a Repsol Honda rider with a podium on Sunday, and put himself in a prime position at the head of the second row of the grid. The Italian said afterwards that he had made an error in the session, although he did not pay too dearly for any mistake.

Teammate Dani Pedrosa refused to throw in the towel during the session, and made improvements to his Friday time despite being in considerable discomfort. He will begin the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar from fourteenth.

Andrea Dovizioso -4th
“Iâ€m very happy with this fourth position. We worked hard during qualifying, testing the two bikes with two different set-ups. Both solutions gave good feedback, I was confident, and the machine performance improved. Iâ€m happy with the rhythm we found for the race with the hard tyres, and also the lap times we achieved with the soft tyre. Iâ€m satisfied also because I had room for even more improvement during my last lap with soft tyre - in fact I made a mistake and I spoiled the improvement Iâ€d made in T1. I think racing suits my style and mentality better than practice so Iâ€m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Dani Pedrosa -14th
“Well weâ€ve made it into the race and that was the aim of coming to Qatar so Iâ€m please with that. I didnâ€t expect to improve my lap time by this much from yesterday so this is good progress. The leg feels a little better and I pushed harder today than yesterday, though this situation is not something that is fixed after one day. My lap time is not really so bad considering my condition and the time Iâ€ve spent away from the track, but for sure I wanted to be faster than this and a bit further forward on the grid. Still, the race is here weâ€ll get ready to give it the maximum effort tomorrow. Maybe I can improve my lap times by a further second or so.”


Monster Yamaha Tech3 look forward to a battle in Qatar
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Sixth and thirteenth in qualifying for Edwards and Toseland.


Colin Edwards and James Toseland may have had their differences over the preseason, but both found themselves in similar situations in MotoGP qualifying on Saturday night. Although Edwards qualified in a respectable sixth place, the American was left wanting more, a situation shared by thirteenth-placing Toseland. Both, however, are ready to fight in Losail.

Colin Edwards -6th
“I'm reasonably happy with the second row but I thought I had a shot at being in the top three. But even though I'm a veteran I'm still learning. I came here with a bike set-up different than what I've been running in the winter to cure some movement issues with the front when I push harder. The new setting is better but I've still got some of those issues and it is a little confusing. Valentino (Rossi) is going fast and he doesn't have any issues, and Jorge (Lorenzo) is the same. So I've got to figure something out. I've made progress and I feel like I can go faster, but I'm having to anticipate the movement and that is not helping the lap time. I've got to figure out whether I need to go softer or harder with the front forks. I just wish I were an engineer because right now I'm not sure which direction I need to take. The new qualifying format was still exciting. I kept three softer tyres back and did two laps on each, and each time I got faster, but not quite fast enough for the front row. I'm looking forward to the race now and I feel ready. The guys in front of me are within touching distance though Casey (Stoner) is on another planet. Hats off to him, but I'm ready for the battle.”
James Toseland -13th
“I started on a used front tyre that had done thirteen laps and I was straight into the low 58s and I thought great. I put a new hard front tyre in with my first soft rear tyre and the front never seemed to get to temperature. And when I put in my second soft rear the front wasn't so stable mid-corner. Now you can't just throw another tyre in with the new rules, so I'm really frustrated because the rear tyre was working pretty good. To do a 57 with the problems I had I'm actually pleased with that because I picked the bike up on my knee twice and I still did a reasonable lap time. I'm a bit disappointed because the bike was feeling good and I'm sure I could have got around the top six, but there was nothing I could do with the small issue with the front. I've got to take it on the chin and build on the progress I've made prior to the end of that session. If everything had gone to plan then I'd have qualified in the top ten and been looking at fighting for the top six. I'm going to need a good start and get my head down but I'm riding well and looking forward to it.”


Lorenzo unhappy about pace on race tyres
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Jorge Lorenzo could not repeat his remarkable 2008 Qatar pole position, but despite qualifying on the front row again at Losail he is concerned about his pace on the harder Bridgestone tyres.


Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo qualified just 0.024s behind his illustrious second placed colleague Valentino Rossi on the Qatar grid on Saturday, but as he commences his second season in MotoGP the Spaniard is playing down his chances in Sundayâ€s race.

Lorenzo shone under the Losail floodlights on his premier class debut last year as he rode to second place from pole position at the start of 2008, but he tried to play down his chances of a repeat performance after qualifying for the 2009 season-opener.

Third on the grid, the young Majorcan rider stated, “Iâ€m not happy, not because of the third place with the soft tyres, but because with the harder ones I expected a better pace. But anyway thatâ€s how things are and tomorrow we will have to struggle to stay with the front group. Thatâ€s racing, maybe at one track you donâ€t have a good pace but at the next circuit things could be easier.”

He continued, “During the test here I was faster with the hard tyre but for some reason we have the opposite situation this time and I am much faster with the soft tyre. Now we need to work hard to try to solve the problem tonight. On Sunday I wonâ€t be thinking about winning, just about doing the best I can.”


Second row start for Capirossi at season opener
Sunday, 12 April 2009

Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi qualified in the middle of the second row for Sundayâ€s Qatar MotoGP race.


With improved Suzuki machinery at their disposal following a significant winter update to the GSV-R Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are hoping to cash in on their respective fifth and eighth qualifying places in Qatar.

Loris Capirossi – 5th
“It has been not too bad overall because we have improved a lot and went one second quicker than we did at the last test here. The bike is working well and we have found a good setting. We worked a lot on engine braking and mapping today and the whole team worked really hard to make everything happen. We tried to use all the time to its best extent and we are able to confirm that the bike is much better here than last year. I want to thank the whole factory for all the hard work they have put into the bike for this year. I think our qualifying is not too bad, but the race will be very hard and we will need to fight a lot to get a good result!”
Chris Vermeulen – 8th
“It has been a much better day for us today. We really got the tyres sorted out today and we know what we are going to be running tomorrow. We will certainly be using the harder ones - both front and rear. We found that the softer rear had a bit more potential for pure lap-time speed, so we saved a couple of those for the qualifying session. We were able to do three or four laps on each tyre and that suited me. It felt like the bike was working well and the last tyre was going really well, but I just missed doing a final lap by a couple of seconds. The lap that I did my best time on was not a perfect lap and I was hoping to get one more lap in and iron out those mistakes. Starting from the third row is a lot better than it was last year and I'll try and get a good start and stay with the front group and see what happens at the end of 22-laps!”


Hayden doubtful for Ducati race debut
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Following his high-speed crash in qualifying at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Nicky Hayden may not be able to make his Ducati race debut this weekend.


In stark contrast to his pole-setting new team-mate Casey Stoner in Qatar, Nicky Hayden is suffering a nightmare weekend at the Losail International Circuit and may not be able to race on Sunday after a heavy crash in qualifying.

Trying to improve on his 16th place on the grid at the end of Saturday nightâ€s 45-minute qualifying practice at the floodlit desert circuit the 2006 World Champion suffered a spectacular highside that has left him battered, bruised and doubtful for his Ducati Marlboro debut.

The American is suffering severe pain in his back and after undergoing some initial x-rays at the circuit medical centre, he was taken to the local Ahmad public hospital in Doha for further checks. Hayden required three stitches in a cut on his chest and a decision on his participation in the race will be made on Sunday.

Hayden was briefly quoted as saying cheerfully, “I donâ€t feel like going for a jog right now, I can tell you that much! It was a big crash and Iâ€m in a lot of pain so weâ€re going to get some more x-rays done and see what the score is.”

A concerned Stoner added, “The whole team are keeping our fingers crossed for Nicky. Hopefully he can ride but the most important thing is that heâ€s okay.”


Well if your still reading and haven't fallen a sleep this is My tips for the Weekend - Stoner , Rossi and Lorenzo