Moto GP

[Rev004]

Well the 2nd round of MotoGp is here with the 1st round of free practise kicking off this arvo so who is everyone putting there money on this weekend.

I'm still putting my money on Stoner but I don't think he is going to have it all his own way this weekend so l'm just going to sit back and see how things unfold over the weekend..

Until then here's some more gos from the MotoGp Arena...

Hayden expecting full fitness for Japanese trek
Tuesday, 21 April 2009

American to have stitches in chest removed on Thursday.


Left sore by a huge qualifying highside in Qatar, Nicky Hayden expects to be able to ride a more comfortable race when the World Championship arrives in Motegi. The Ducati rider will be competing in his first Japanese round since leaving Honda, and is keen to make a better impression on the final results than he did at round one of the 2009 season.

Some big bruising to his back has all-but-completely gone down, and ‘The Kentucky Kid†expects to have the only lasting momento of his tumble taken away before the opening practice session for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan.

“Physically Iâ€m okay – no doubt the race (in Qatar) was tough because I was pretty beaten up but Iâ€ve recovered well and I donâ€t expect to have any problems in Japan. Iâ€ll probably go to the Clinica on Thursday to have the stitches removed and that will be the end of the matter,” said the gritty American, who also acknowledged that even before his crash things were far from perfect.

“My first GP with Ducati didnâ€t exactly go as Iâ€d hoped but we took some positives out of it – I lapped quicker in the second half of the race than I had done all weekend and above all I felt comfortable on the bike. Hopefully this will help us work out what it is exactly that I need to improve my feeling with the bike because being so far off the pace in practice wasnâ€t cool!

“Iâ€m really keen to do well in this race and even though Iâ€ve always had a kind of love-hate relationship with Motegi – with some good results and some bad ones – it is always a special Grand Prix.”

Hayden –who celebrated 100 Grand Prix appearances at the Qatar race- earned his very first podium at the 2003 edition of the Japanese round.


Japan ‘make or brake†race for Elías
Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Spaniard seeks braking improvement for Honda home GP


Toni Elías is back representing Honda at their home race, following a year on Italian Ducati machinery. The Spaniard has a factory-spec RC212V at his disposal for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan, making him one of the chief focal points for his manufacturer this weekend. Unfortunately for the San Carlo Gresini Honda man, one of his strong points has been tempered during preseason, and he is keen to solve the problem before Sundayâ€s race.

”Motegi is a circuit with lots of heavy braking and I have always been good on the brakes, which I think is why my record is so good there, but this is an area weâ€re struggling with at the moment. So it is fundamental we fix that particular problem because braking is a weapon we really need here,” emphasises the 2007 podium finisher at the track, who is keen to gain another good result for two distinct reasons.

“I have always loved Motegi and to race there for HRC gives you an extra motivation to do a good job. We have to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground in terms of our expectations because the situation weâ€re in at the moment demands it, but hopefully we can get a little bit of help and with it being a track I like so much we can improve on the performance from Qatar – this is the principal objective.”

Elías finished sixteenth –not high enough to collect World Championship points- in the 2008 Japanese race.


Rizla Suzuki pledge support for Australian bushfire auction
Wednesday, 22 April 2009

MotoGP team donate items to aid victims of 2008 disaster, including signed leathers from Chris Vermeulen.


As their stars prepare for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan, Rizla Suzuki have nonetheless had time to indulge in some philanthropic activity to support a worthy cause. The MotoGP team have put a selection of exclusive memorabilia up for grabs as part of the Suzuki Victorian Bushfire Charity Auction, set up to help victims of last yearâ€s natural disaster in Southern Australia.

Three ‘Rizla Suzuki MotoGP experiences†are being offered, in which the winners will spend time with riders Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi. Suzuki's Australian star Vermeulen has also donated a pair of signed leathers that he used in preseason testing to the auction, whilst Suzuki Germany have donated a fairing panel from a GSX-R1000 MotoGP replica signed by both stars.

Bidding opens at 20.00hrs local time (10.00hrsGMT) on Thursday 23rd April, with five-minute intervals scheduled between each listing to make it easy for enthusiasts who want to bid on more than one item.The first item will close 10 days later, at 20.00hrs Australian time (10.00hrsGMT) on Sunday 3rd May, with the final item and auction scheduled to end at 22.15hrs Australian time (10.15hrsGMT).

"It was such an awful event that the least I can do is to put my support behind Suzuki Australia's auction to raise money for the Bushfire Appeal,” says Vermeulen of the auction.

“There were many terrible stories that we heard about the fires and if we can help in any way then we will. I think this is a great idea by the people at Suzuki Australia and they have put a lot of work into making this happen. I have donated some items to the auction and Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has also put its weight behind the auction by supplying some amazing items for anyone to bid on. I hope it raises a lot of money to help those affected by the fires - I will certainly be keeping an eye on how much everything goes for!"


Canepa goes in cold to Motegi weekend
Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Pramac Racing rider suffers minor setback in quest to learn Japanese circuit.


Niccoló Canepa is the only entrant in the premier class race at Motegi with no prior experience of the track, and has already suffered from incompatibility of sorts in the lead-up to the Polini Grand Prix of Japan.

Luckily for the Italian, the irreconcilable difference is not between his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 satellite machine and the far eastern circuit, but rather in his planned preparation for the event.

”The Japanese weekend hasnâ€t started too well; I brought my Playstation to learn the Motegi circuit on the MotoGP game, but unluckily my system is different compared to here and I am not able to play. Therefore I will have to learn all the secrets of the track on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning's free sessions,” reveals the Pramac Racing rookie, who rides at an untested track for the first time in 2009.

”Itâ€s a pity. Anyway, from what I have seen on television it doesn't seem like a technical circuit and this can help a new rider like me. To start from zero is never easy but I will try to do much better compared to my debut in Qatar, where I didn't perform too well."

Canepa made his MotoGP debut at the opening round of the season last Monday, but was left dissatisfied after finishing seventeenth in the postponed night race.


Repsol Honda pair call in at HRC
Thursday, 23 April 2009

Using their trip to Japan to maximum advantage Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso have visited HRC, ahead of this weekendâ€s Motegi action.


Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso were both in attendance at HRC meetings on Wednesday as they visited factory engineers in Japan to discuss further improvements to their Honda RC212V machine.

On Wednesday afternoon both riders met HRC staff at the Honda R&D offices in Asaka-Saitama, an hourâ€s drive from the Japanese capital, before they headed to Motegi for this weekendâ€s Polini Grand Prix of Japan.

At the start of Hondaâ€s 50th season in the World Championship, Pedrosa and Dovizioso were given a warm welcome by R&D employees who gathered en masse during their lunchtime break to see the riders mount their RC212V machines and pose for photographs.

Later focusing on the serious business of improving the bike in meetings with dedicated engineers at the Honda facility and looking ahead to round two of the season, Pedrosa commented afterwards, “The important thing for me this weekend in Japan is to ride as much as I can, because I couldnâ€t test too much in preseason due to my injuries.”

“I need to get on the bike and improve my feeling with it. The information we have given in our meetings is clear, so now we just need to make the improvements.”

Dovizioso, meanwhile, added, “It is so important for us to keep developing the bike as much as possible, because we have some problems we need to resolve. To have the opportunity to speak directly to the engineers is crucial, so I am very happy to have had these meetings.


Rossi and Lorenzo pay Tokyo a visit
Thursday, 23 April 2009

Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have both been busy in Tokyo this week.


World Champion Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo both visited Tokyo this week ahead of the Polini Grand Prix of Japan, meeting enthusiastic Japanese crowds in the countryâ€s colossal capital city.

On Tuesday Lorenzo was accompanied by his crew chief Ramon Forcada, Team Manager Daniele Romagnoli and additional Fiat Yamaha team members as he visited the Fiat Cafà in Tokyo city centre, where he hosted a press conference with Japanese media and participated in a photo session.

The gathering was also attended by Fiat management representatives, senior Yamaha management figures and the Italian Ambassador to Japan.

Speaking to motogp.com at the event, Lorenzo stated, “It has been good to come here and visit the Fiat CafÃ, to speak to the Japanese press and see so many Japanese people who are fans of our sport. Itâ€s important to help promote MotoGP around the world and this is a great place to do it.”

The exciting young Spanish rider was joined by his illustrious teammate Rossi on Wednesday evening at the Westin Hotel, also in Tokyo, as Yamaha launched a new Yamaha R1 street bike and hosted a dinner for 200 guests.

Returning to the country where he clinched the MotoGP title in 2008, Rossi commented, “There are great memories for me here in Japan because last year I got the championship back here and it was a huge victory after a fantastic race.

“Always when I come here to Japan it is hectic because I have a lot to do with Yamaha and that is very important. I will be busy right up to first practice on Friday and then we will start working on the bike.”


Racing numbers for Polini Grand Prix of Japan
Thursday, 23 April 2009

Facts, figures and trivia for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan, the second race of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship season.


18 years 328 days – The longest Grand Prix career between the first podium finish and the last which was achieved by Angel Nieto. The next time that Loris Capirossi finishes on the podium he will take this record from Nieto.

17 – Casey Stonerâ€s victory in Qatar was his 17th in the premier-class. One more victory will take him equal in premier-class wins to fellow Australian and 1987 world champion Wayne Gardner.

10 years – The qualifying day for the Japanese Grand Prix will be the tenth anniversary to the day of the very first GP to be held at the Motegi circuit.

150 – Roberto Locatelliâ€s 9th place finish in Qatar was his 150th point scoring ride in Grand Prix racing. He is only the 8th rider to reach the milestone of 150 point scoring rides, the others who have achieved this are: Loris Capirossi, Alex Barros, Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Giacomo Agostini, Carlos Checa and Angel Nieto.

100 – Joan Olive, who made his GP debut in Japan in 2001, is scheduled to make his 100th GP start in the 125cc class at Motegi.

100 – Having missed the opening race of the year in Qatar, Marco Simoncelli will make his 100th GP start two weeks later than planned at the Japanese GP.

23 years – Prior to the Qatar race it was 23 years since the last time two French riders appeared together on a 250cc GP podium; at the Yugoslavian GP in 1986 at Rijeka when Jean-Francois Baldà was 2nd and Dominique Sarron 3rd.

20 years 182 days – Jules Cluzel is the youngest ever French rider to finish on the podium in a 250cc Grand Prix taking the record from Sylvain Guintoli who had celebrated his 21st birthday just four days before finishing third in the 250cc race at the Dutch TT in 2003.

8 minutes 37.245 seconds – The four lap 125cc race in Qatar is the shortest ever Grand Prix in terms of elapsed time. However at 21.52 km it does not take the record for shortest distance, which is still held by the five lap 125cc French GP last year at just 20.925 km in length.


Big guns gather to preview Motegi action
Thursday, 23 April 2009

World Champion Valentino Rossi, Qatar race winner Casey Stoner and Repsol Hondaâ€s Dani Pedrosa were amongst the group of riders in Thursdayâ€s pre-event press conference in Japan.


Looking forward to the second round of the season in the pre-event press conference at Motegi on Thursday the 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner spoke of the trackâ€s unknown quantities as he previewed the weekendâ€s action.

The Polini Grand Prix of Japan pre-event press briefing was attended by Stoner, Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and MotoGP newcomer Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing) at 5pm local time as the riders faced local and international media.

Unlike Qatar -the venue for round one- and Jerez -the scene of the third race of the year- there has been no winter testing at Motegi, meaning the riders will have to quickly reacquaint themselves with the Twin Ring circuit on their 2009 Bridgestone tyres, as Stoner pointed out.

“We havenâ€t tested our new tyres here so we have to see how things will work out,” commented the Ducati Marlboro man. “I think Bridgestone will have done their homework. We have been pretty happy with the way our bike is working this year but now we have to make sure it is suited to the characteristics of this circuit on these new tyres. This is like the real start to the season where any small mistakes will show out.”

Having wrapped up the 2008 title at Motegi last year, Rossi stated, “Coming here brings back a lot of great memories for me and my team after our last visit just a few months ago. It was so good last time, not just for the championship but also it was a great race after I had struggled in practice and then went very, very fast on the Sunday. We will work from Friday to understand the track, because the temperatures could be different to our last visit and it could rain this weekend too.”

Pedrosa, meanwhile, won at Motegi as a 250cc rider in 2004 and was on the podium last year behind Rossi and Stoner, although he is still battling back from preseason knee and arm injuries. He remarked; “This is a track where I normally go quite well and I will try to go as fast as I can”

He continued; “We know we will have to work hard on the setting because the weather conditions could be quite mixed. Of course I would like to be on the podium again but we just have to wait and see.”


Hayden expects to be unaffected by Qatar crash
Thursday, 23 April 2009

American keeps stitches in chest, but claims near-100% fitness.


Nicky Hayden had been expecting to start Fridayâ€s practice session for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan fully recovered from his Qatar highside. The American revealed on Thursday, however, that he would have to wait just a little bit longer to put the incident behind him.

“I got checked out again at home; no disrespect to the hospital in Qatar, but itâ€s always good to get your own doctor and people you trust to look you over,” said Hayden. “I went today to get the two stitches in my chest taken out, but the doctors said that it wasnâ€t ready yet so weâ€ll keep those in. They donâ€t bother me at all, apart from itching sometimes.”

Whilst the qualifying hit undoubtedly affected his performance at Losail, the Ducati Marlboro rider believes that he is starting in near-perfect condition this weekend, aided by the location of his back bruising.

“Iâ€m not at 100% for some things, but the motorcycle position is no problem for me. My sleep wasnâ€t affected, and being in my own bed certainly helped. It just shows how much things like back braces, helmets and boots have progressed that I can take a crash like that and be OK.”