Moto GP

[Rev004]

Dovizioso win “harder after Rossi crash”
Sunday, 26 July 2009

Italian racewinner relied on series leader for early lines.

Dovizioso delighted with Donington win


A maiden win for Andrea Dovizioso in the premier class could not have come at a better time for the Italian. Following three races without claiming World Championship points, a month in which speculation about his future has been debated and some tough times chasing a first podium as a Repsol Honda rider, the sophomore star gave an assured display when some of the more experienced names in MotoGP fell foul of the Donington Park conditions.

The first new MotoGP racewinner since last yearâ€s Portuguese round (won by persistent 250cc rival Jorge Lorenzo) Dovizioso now has a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. However, whilst he may have looked confident when leading the British Grand Prix, things were still tough for ‘Dovi†on Sunday afternoon.

“This race was very difficult. With these conditions the temperature of the tyres was too low, and the light rainfall for the whole race meant that it was probably the worst scenario for riding on this tyre. We couldnâ€t change the bikes either, so it was really difficult to manage,” said the Honda factory rider after an ecstatic celebration on the podium. He had led the race since lap nineteen, when reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi went in too hot on the Fogarty Esses, but the lack of a close rival actually made the final eleven laps harder for the eventual winner.

“Before Valentino crashed it was easy, because I just followed him; after that I needed to understand the track better,” he explained. “Wearing a light visor also meant that I couldnâ€t see clearly which lines were the driest.At the end Randy (De Puniet) and Colin (Edwards) were riding at 100% and catching me, which was difficult to manage. I think maybe for the last two laps I was pushing so hard that they couldnâ€t risk reaching me.”

And has the win changed Doviziosoâ€s goals for the year? Not exactly. Speaking pragmatically, he declared that “Today wasnâ€t a normal situation, so we still have to understand how we can use all the potential of the package. We still need to find some solutions.”


Stoner and Hayden stand by British GP tyre gamble
Sunday, 26 July 2009

Ducati Marlboro riders pay the price for running wet weather tyres.


What could have been the tactical masterstroke of the season ended up being a gamble that didnâ€t pay off for Ducati Marlboro at Donington. The decision to run wet tyres for the British Grand Prix appeared to make some degree of sense -Casey Stoner had topped the wet morning warmup session and Nicky Hayden had been in good form- although in practice the track was not sufficiently sodden for the move.

"Everybody knows Iâ€ve been struggling for the last few races in the dry so I was praying for the rain to come today,” said Stoner after the race, in which he placed fourteenth and suffered the indignity of being lapped at the track where he had twice won MotoGP rounds. “Every single lap we were out there it threatened to pour down and we were very close to having the perfect situation. Unfortunately, even though it got heavier, it didnâ€t come soon enough and our tyres were destroyed so it ended up being the wrong decision.

“For us, in our current situation, I still think it was a risk worth taking because it could have worked out fantastically but obviously weâ€re disappointed it didnâ€t,” he added, sticking by the choice.

Fifteenth-placed Hayden had less to lose than his teammate, with no title challenge on which to focus. He was slightly less convinced as to whether to run the wet tyre risk, but in the end made the final call –despite having been informed that every other rider on the grid would be on slicks.

“We agreed on it together with the team but it was my shout, I thought ‘letâ€s try and be a hero here!†The tyre was pretty much destroyed after seven or eight laps but there was no point coming in to pit and it came apart five laps from the end. To be honest itâ€s amazing how it held together for that long! I donâ€t want to say it was a mistake; it was just a gamble that didnâ€t pay off and weâ€ll learn from it,” lamented the American.

The brave decision had come after the initial sighting lap, during which both riders had expressed concerns over a lack of grip

Mixed fortunes for Fiat Yamaha duo
Sunday, 26 July 2009

Title chasers Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo had an eventful day at Donington on Sunday, Rossi emerging with the title advantage.


A mixed day for the factory Yamaha team at the British Grand Prix saw Valentino Rossi ride his luck - to pick up his M1 from a midrace crash to come home fifth - and extend his World Championship lead, whilst his title rival and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo spectacularly crashed out of the race lead.

Describing the slippery conditions and how he was able to remount and fight his way through the field to secure fifth place on the last lap as he overtook home rider James Toseland, having earlier led the race for several laps, Rossi said, “Once Jorge had crashed I was riding to win, as is always my style. In hindsight maybe I should have let Andrea Dovizioso pass me for a while but it was difficult to judge in such strange conditions.”

Rossi continued, “Riding in the rain with slick tyres is always a risk and it was quite slippery, the turns on the left were all wet which made the left side of the tyre cold and thatâ€s why I crashed. After that we made a great recovery, I chose to remain with slick tyres despite the rain and the result was eleven points, which are like gold dust for us because we have extended the lead despite what happened here and weâ€re going on holiday with a good advantage over our rivals.”

For Lorenzo, meanwhile, his second DNF of the year was a bitter pill to swallow as he touched the white line in the last corner and went down on lap nine. He stated, “I got a good start and the first few laps went well, I was feeling quite comfortable in the lead. Unfortunately on the final corner of the ninth lap I made a small mistake, got my line wrong and touched the white line and there was nothing I could do; it was very slippery. I was okay and wanted to carry on but my bike was too badly damaged.”

“Of course Iâ€m sad and disappointed but this is racing and these feelings donâ€t help, you just have to learn from a mistake like this and look forwards. Valentino was lucky that he could continue after his crash, but it wasnâ€t our day. I am going to enjoy the break now despite this and take the chance to do plenty of training so we can come back at full strength in Brno.”

Edwards cites feeling out process as key to Donington second place
Sunday, 26 July 2009

New front tyre meant cautious start for eventual British Grand Prix runner-up.

Edwards talks British GP second place


Colin Edwards has seen all kinds of conditions in his long history of racing, but ranks the 2009 British Grand Prix as one of the hardest situations that he has had to manage.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider finished runner-up in the tricky Donington Park swansong, overtaking Randy de Puniet on the final corner of the race. All after a slow start from sixth on the grid.

“I wouldnâ€t wish that kind of race on anybody. Have I raced in tougher conditions? Maybe… only when there has been oil on the track or something like that,” said Edwards after his first podium of the 2009 season.

“We put a front tyre on that we hadnâ€t run all weekend and I was just feeling out the conditions. Then everyone just left! I was thinking ‘why are you all in such a hurry?â€â€ laughed the Texas Tornado. “Everything seemed to be ok and I was feeling stable, so I just started to push more and saw that I was passing guys pretty quickly. I though that either I was going way too fast for the conditions or they were all freaking out. I think I judged the conditions alright.”

The wet-dry asphalt on the always treacherous track caught out many of the best names in the business, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo both falling down when attempting to eke out an advantage. In hindsight, Edwards strategy of consistency was probably the best one going.

"Itâ€s a fine balance, because you couldnâ€t push to the limit out there. You have to keep at a good pace and just keep ticking it over, or youâ€ll end up in the gravel –which is no big deal, but you donâ€t want to do all that work for nothing,” concluded the American –fifth in the overall standings.

Toselandâ€s diminished sixth makes Donington amends
Sunday, 26 July 2009

Briton signs off at home track with top six finish in tricky conditions.


Last yearâ€s most disappointed man in Donington Park, James Toseland could leave the British circuit somewhat happier on Sunday evening. He wasnâ€t able to take the home victory for which both he and the home fans were hoping, but a joint best result of the year was still a positive takeway for the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider.

Toseland was in contention for fifth right up to the chequered flag, but was outdone by factory rider Valentino Rossi on the Fogarty Esses. Reflecting on the race, the 28 year-old said that “With some of the other guys stopping to switch bikes, I made up a few places and was fifth for the final few laps and thinking I was going to get my best ever MotoGP result. That would have been amazing to do that in front of my home crowd, who were absolutely magnificent with their support today.

”At the end Valentino (Rossi) came through so strong on the last lap. He passed me at The Esses but I managed to dive back under him, but he was phenomenal on the brakes at the Melbourne Loop. I wasn't going to try and do anything that might take us both out but it's another sixth place and it definitely makes amends for the big disappointment of last year.”