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26-09-2009, 03:15pm
Hi guys and gals don't worry it's not another round of MotoGp so you haven't missed anything.
Was just doing some reading the other day so thought you might like some reading as it's still another week before the next round.
Until next week.
Hayden summarises experiences with Ducati
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
A year since he signed his contract to become a Ducati rider Nicky Hayden has provided a detailed look back over his time with the Italian factory to date.
Down in 14th place in the standings after 13 races with Ducati, the last of which ended with a blameless first lap crash at Misano, it is fair to say that things have not yet gone to plan for Nicky Hayden with the Italian factory team, but the honest and hardworking American is philosophical about his 2009 season so far.
His results have shown an upward trend since earlier in the year when he changed Crew Chiefs and Juan Martinez was brought back to Ducati to work with him and Hayden already has a 2010 contract with the Bologna-based team and a home podium at Indianapolis to show for his efforts this year.
The Kentuckian rider shared his thoughts on Ducatiâ€s Desmoblog (http://blog.ducati.com) ahead of the final phase of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship:
“Well it has been almost exactly one year to the day that I signed my first Ducati contract, and wow, what an experience! I always wondered what it would be like to be a Ducati rider and now I know very well. Itâ€s everything I ever hoped it would be and more. This truly is a special brand with many special people. It has not always been the smoothest transition if I am truthful with everybody and the results havenâ€t been great, but this has allowed me to see both sides of the people and I can say that they have been right on point with their treatment of me, on the good days and the bad days.â€
“People always talk about how itâ€s important to never give up, work hard , stay together and results will come, but Iâ€m not sure they always believe this is the case. If anybody doubts this theory take a look at my season - we started off bad and I was not competitive, but with the right attitude and all the hard work from every single person involved with me and that team, we have proved itâ€s true. There was one stretch in the season where my results looked like 15th, 12th, 12th, 10th, 8th, 5th. That progression is not just a question of luck. Itâ€s a matter of everybody pulling together and working towards the goal, and this is what we believe.â€
“Even though most people would say the highlight of my season would have to be Indy, where I stood on the podium of my home GP after a real dog fight of a race, I would say my proudest moment came when the team boss, Livio Suppo, called to tell me Ducati wanted to bring me back for a second year. No contract negotiation between managers and no games, just that Ducati would pick up the option on my second year, and give me another shot. I really do feel itâ€s where I belong and I couldnâ€t be happier. So in closing I would just like thank all the Ducati fans out there for supporting me and the team. I know our potential is high and we wont be completely satisfied until we are up where we belong and I promise we will give everything to make yâ€all proud!â€
Ferguson gives latest on Dunlop Moto2 preparations
Friday, 18 September 2009
motogp.com caught up with Dunlopâ€s Jeremy Ferguson this week to get the latest on how the British tyre manufacturers are proceeding with their Moto2 project.
Selected earlier this year to be the single tyre suppliers for the new Moto2 class from its commencement in 2010, Dunlop have been busy preparing their product for the new 600cc 4-stroke machines.
Dunlop Motorsport Manager Jeremy Ferguson explained to motogp.com how the current 250cc and 125cc suppliers are proceeding with the project and what the key factors are in developing a cost-effective, yet consistently performing Moto2 product.
What were the initial steps in the project from a technical perspective?
It started as soon as BQR and Laglisse in the Spanish Championship and Moriwaki in Japan had Moto2 bikes. BQR were already a partner team of ours in the Spanish Championship as well as in MotoGP. In the initial stages there were no defined regulations about rim diameters or widths so we initiated the racing using what we used for Formula Extreme in Spain.
How do you ensure that costs are kept reasonable?
We aim to keep costs down in several ways. First of all in terms of the actual quantities of tyres to be allowed at each race, which I think will be decided on in Estoril, and I think the quantities will be less than in MotoGP for example.
We have also decided to have a fixed rim width so that there is no possibility for teams to try different rim widths. There will be a 3.75″ (inch) front and 6″ rear in terms of widths and 17″ diameter front and rear, so there is no possibility of teams saying ‘we need to try a 3.6″ front or a 3.82″†or any other funny number. So that is also part of the cost saving principal.
We will have two specs of slick tyre and only one spec of wet tyre per event. Performance has to be reasonable and there are certain circuits where, for safety reasons as well as performance, you need a certain specification to cope with the nature of the track, Phillip Island being the obvious one.
When will final products will first be available to teams?
The intention is to have a finalised product for people to test and use in November. We are now finalising compound specification, as we have identified the physical dimensions and the construction, so we are sorting out the appropriate compounds for the different racetracks.
How relevant is your 125cc/250cc data and the data you gathered in MotoGP until 2007?
The circuits are the same, so we have all the Grand Prix circuit data, from the MotoGP class and from 250cc. The bikes are not the same as the 250cc bikes, we can see that from the ones that already exist, but that is ok because we can work on it. It is now just a case of making sure that you have the right combination of compounds for the individual and difficult circuits.
What do Dunlop expect from and hope for Moto2?
It is a whole new world for everybody. What we want to achieve, to be perfectly honest, is what Bridgestone have achieved in MotoGP. That means close competition and tyres that are of a really good standard, because you can see that from results, like when people set new lap records on the last lap or penultimate lap of a race, then the tyre has done its job.
Obviously, we will treat everybody the exactly the same so we will use the same system of marking and distribution that there is in MotoGP, with all the tyres barcoded and distributed by Mike Webb and his people before the race weekend starts.
Season so far: Casey Stoner
Monday, 21 September 2009
Ducati Marlboroâ€s Australian former World Champion is preparing to return to action after a break in racing due to his physical problems.
Casey Stonerâ€s superb start to the 2009 MotoGP World Championship at the spectacular floodlit Losail International Circuit gave no indication of the disrupted season which awaited him in the months to follow.
The young Australian hit the ground running, with pole position secured in the first qualifying session of the season and a hat-trick of consecutive Qatar wins completed in the first ever Monday night MotoGP race, after torrential rain prevented the scheduled Sunday night contest.
At round two in Japan, meanwhile, Stoner was unable to repeat his Qatari success story and after making a poor start to the race from second on the grid he could only fight back sufficiently enough to achieve fourth place, thus conceding his early championship lead to Jorge Lorenzo.
At the Gran Premio bwin.com de España the factory Ducati man crossed the finishing line in third place for his first ever Jerez podium, but at the following round in France he battled hard in the rain at Le Mans only to end up fifth in a complicated contest. Those results left Stoner tied on points with Valentino Rossi in second place in the standings, behind Lorenzo.
Up next was a trip to Mugello, the home of Ducati and previously a circuit where no-one had been able to beat Italian hero Rossi since 2001. In another wet-dry battle the riders again had to change machines mid-race and this time it was Stoner who got it right, to hand Ducati their first ever premier class victory at the beautiful Tuscan venue.
Round six at Catalunya was a key weekend in the story of Stonerâ€s season and unfortunately for the wrong reason. An incredibly hard-fought race saw Rossi beat Lorenzo on the very last corner, with an exhausted Stoner coming home in third place and just holding Andrea Dovizioso off for the final podium slot.
The rostrum positions tied Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner up in a three-way draw for top spot in the championship, but the latter was affected by a virus all weekend and pushed his body so hard during the race that he required medical attention before stepping onto the podium.
The alarm bells were ringing at Assen a fortnight later when Stoner finished third again behind Rossi and Lorenzo, once more suffering from severe exhaustion, as he slipped to third in the standings. The 23 year-old went straight from the podium to his motorhome where Dr Claudio Macchiagodena from the Clinica Mobile attempted to rehydrate him and help him recover in time for the Atlantic crossing to Californiaâ€s demanding Laguna Seca track.
In the first American visit of the year, Stoner was again affected by his illness in the last third of the race and was unable to compete to his usual elite standard. Behind race-winner Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha pair Rossi and Lorenzo, Stoner faded in the final stages and finished in fourth place.
With the rest of the paddock heading back to Europe in the direction of Sachsenring Stoner stayed in California for a series of medical tests, but doctors were unable to find a remedy for what was diagnosed as slight gastritis and mild anemia.
Producing another valiant effort in Germany, as he attempted to force his way back into the title fight, Stoner held the race lead for ten laps but this time it appeared to be tyre deterioration rather than his physical condition which prevented an eventual victory. He was fourth again behind the same trio of riders as at Laguna.
Things could not really have gone much worse than they did the following weekend, however. As MotoGP visited Donington Park for the final time, some typical British summer weather and another wet-dry track meant that tyre choice was crucial but Ducati got it wrong as Stoner and his team-mate Nicky Hayden both went with ‘wets†whilst the rest of the grid started on dry tyres. The track never got wet enough to warrant the selection and Stoner completed the race in 14th position.
Following the British Grand Prix, Ducati announced that it had been decided to give Stoner a complete rest, after consultation with doctors in Australia, and that he would miss the three races at Brno, Indianapolis and Misano in order to give his body a complete rest.
He has subsequently dropped to fourth in the general standings, seven points behind Pedrosa, but with four rounds remaining he will return to action at the Grande Premio bwin.com de Portugal determined to rediscover full competitiveness – and he is sure to get a warm reception from his fellow riders and the rest of the MotoGP paddock.
MotoGP Legends to ride at Phillip Island
Monday, 21 September 2009
Three of the biggest names in the history of Australian motorcycle racing will ride again when the ‘Legends of MotoGP†display takes to the track at the 2009 IVECO Australian Grand Prix.
For the first time since the inception of the ‘Legends of MotoGP†display, Troy Bayliss will join MotoGP Legends Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan on the grid at Phillip Island. The trio will ride demonstration laps of the 4.4km circuit in front of a bumper crowd on Saturday, 17th October and Sunday, 18th October.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Drew Ward, said the inclusion of Bayliss completes the perfect line-up of Aussie superstars.
“It was Gardner, Doohan and more recently Bayliss†success that has helped to cement Australiaâ€s reputation as one of the worldâ€s greatest motorcycling nations,†Ward commented. “We are thrilled to announce them as a part of the on-track line-up at the 2009 IVECO Australian Grand Prix.â€
Season so far: Dani Pedrosa
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Repsol Hondaâ€s Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa goes into the final phase of the season in third place in the standings after an inconsistent season to date.
Dani Pedrosaâ€s preparations for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship were severely disrupted when he crashed heavily in the official night test held in Qatar in March, resulting in injuries to his left knee and wrist, both of which required surgery just a month before round one.
Returning to the Losail International Circuit at less than full fitness for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on the second weekend in April Pedrosa was on a damage limitation mission and he might have done better than 11th in the race if it wasnâ€t for a ‘coming together†with Alex de Angelis, having qualified down in 14th.
The Catalan rider was back on form in Japan at round two – even if still not at 100% physically – where he brought his RC212V home in third place despite starting in 11th place on the grid.
Adding to his good record on home soil, Pedrosa built on his Japanese rostrum appearance a week later at Jerez, where he held the race lead for 17 laps despite ongoing problems with his left knee and eventually finished second. Maintaining his good form in a complicated wet-dry race at Le Mans next time out, Pedrosa held off his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso in the closing stages for third place - and a third successive podium.
However, Pedrosa then hit a slump in results when he crashed out at Mugello having hurt his right hip in practice, rode through the pain in his home race at Barcelona to finish sixth and then crashed out again early in the race at Assen. By this stage he had slipped to fifth in the general standings.
Pedrosa often responds spectacularly to adversity and that is exactly what he did following his Dutch debacle as he stormed to his first victory in more than a year at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
In Germany two weeks later he was on the podium for the fifth time in 2009, though he was unable to maintain the pace with Fiat Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo who also remained well ahead of him in the standings. Pedrosa hunted down the ailing Stoner for third in that race, a goal that he was also pursuing in the championship itself as illness took its toll on the Ducati rider.
Although Pedrosa gained points on Stoner in the Australianâ€s last race to date this year at the British Grand Prix, where Ducati got their tyre choice all wrong, the Repsol Honda man could only finish ninth on the slippery Donington asphalt, five positions in front of Stoner. The race also saw a first ever MotoGP victory for Pedrosaâ€s colleague Dovizioso and a first podium of the year for Colin Edwards, as both riders closed up behind him in the standings.
Pedrosaâ€s inconsistency has continued in the last three rounds, with two good podiums at Brno and Misano sandwiching a disappointing tenth place at Indianapolis, where he crashed on lap four when leading a race which he started on pole – forcing him to remount and scrap for as many points as possible.
Stonerâ€s recent absence has allowed Pedrosa to move up to third overall, though just seven points separate the pair as the Aussie returns to action at Estoril to fight with the Spaniard and the rest of the grid for the remaining four rounds.
The last Grand Prix at Misano also saw Pedrosaâ€s contract with Repsol Honda renewed for 2010 – meaning he will ride alongside Dovizioso on a factory RC212V again next year.
Season so far: Jorge Lorenzo
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo has already this season become the biggest challenger to his World Champion team-mate Valentino Rossi.
Jorge Lorenzo has been a joy to watch so far this year, starting every race on the front row, driving his legendary team-mate Valentino Rossi right to the limit and pushing on ahead of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in the standings in just his second premier class campaign.
The Spaniard started the season with a solid third place finish in the Monday night race at the Losail International Circuit behind Stoner and Rossi, having got away from third on the grid.
It was not long, however, before he registered his first victory of the year as he stormed to glory at the Polini Grand Prix of Japan. Again starting from third, Lorenzo notched the second premier class win of his career by a two second margin over his illustrious colleague Rossi to place himself at the head of the standings.
Arriving at Jerez Lorenzo said that performing in front of the Spanish fans in Andalusia was enough to warrant riding right on the edge and risking it all for glory, but when he crashed out with five laps to go - as he attempted to chase down Stoner for third place - it was difficult for the young Majorcan to take. Especially as he celebrated his 22nd birthday the next day still pondering the costly crash.
The ultra-confident Yamaha star hit straight back in France two weeks later though, as he judged the wet-dry race - and the bike swap it entailed – to perfection, and masterfully crossed the finishing line in first place, whilst Rossi was back in 16th. Lorenzo was therefore back on top of the standings again.
Stoner took over from Lorenzo at the top with his brilliant win for Ducati at Mugello in the following race, with Lorenzo finishing in second place – in front of a slightly disgruntled Rossi at a circuit where the Italian had not been beaten since 2001.
What was to come next will be remembered as one of the best races in recent years. Lorenzo starting on pole and with Rossi just behind him in second place on the starting grid the Yamaha pair contested a fierce battle throughout the race, with the MotoGP title holder requiring all of his skill and experience to outdo Lorenzo on the final corner for one of his greatest victories.
It was not so close at Assen as Lorenzo made a poor start to the race after qualifying third and could not make up the gap to racewinner Rossi. Still, another second place behind arguably the best rider is history is hardly a bad result.
Returning to the scene of a spectacular first lap crash in 2008, Lorenzo did much better in the 2009 running of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, crossing the line third behind Pedrosa and Rossi in just his second ever race at the tricky Laguna Seca track. He had picked up a shoulder injury with another accident in QP but despite the pain his lap times were not overly affected.
Another close battle with Rossi at Sachsenring, which again went down to the last lap and ended with Lorenzo in second place once more, meant that The Doctor had built up a 14 point lead over his young rival by the time MotoGP arrived at Donington Park for the last time.
In slippery conditions at the British track Lorenzo was caught out by the rain as he crashed out when leading the race and although Rossi could only manage fifth place - having crashed himself and remounted – there was worse to come at Brno. Lorenzo crashed and suffered another DNF in the Czech Republic as Rossi took his fifth win of the season to open up a 50 point championship advantage.
Game over? Not quite yet… Lorenzo hit back immediately with another great performance at Indianapolis where Rossi suffered his own first DNF of 2009 and the gap was back down to 25 points with five rounds to go.
With Rossi outperformed at Mugello earlier this season for the first time in seven years it was perhaps inevitable that he would prevail on home soil at Misano, but Lorenzo still kept the pressure on with his fifth second place finish of the current campaign. Indeed, other than his three DNFs at Jerez, Donington and Brno, which all came as he battled for the race lead or for at least a podium slot, Lorenzo has finished on the rostrum at every other Grand Prix thus far in 2009.
It was announced before his Indianapolis triumph that Lorenzo will continue with Fiat Yamaha as Rossiâ€s colleague next year, despite reported offers from rival teams, and he still has four races left in 2009 to try and break down his team-mateâ€s current 30 championship lead.
Season so far: Valentino Rossi
Thursday, 24 September 2009
The World Champion Valentino Rossi has a 30 point lead in the standings with four races to go, as he closes in on a seventh premier class title.
The start of Valentino Rossiâ€s 2009 season and his MotoGP title defence saw him record two second places behind two of his strongest rivals, Casey Stoner in Qatar and Jorge Lorenzo in Japan.
The results were a sign of his continued consistency with the competitive Yamaha M1 from the end of 2008 and through the winter, but Rossi does not like coming second. He therefore celebrated with glee in front a passionate Spanish crowd when he took his first victory of the year at one of the most colourful events on the MotoGP calendar, the Gran Premio bwin.com de España.
If his Jerez performance was vintage Rossi, then Le Mans was not what we have come to expect from The Doctor - as he crashed in a complicated wet-dry race when he swapped onto slicks a little two early and then changed bikes twice more before eventually coming home 16th.
Losing a seven-year winning streak at Mugello behind Stoner and Lorenzo did not sit too comfortably with Rossi either and he turned up the heat on his closest competitors at the next round.
His last corner Barcelona win over his ever-improving team-mate Lorenzo at the end of an intriguing battle between the pair was a significant moment and with Stoner showing the first signs of his mystery illness that weekend the Australian could only manage a brave, distant third.
The trio left Catalunya in a three way tie for the championship lead, but Rossi stepped things up again with an excellent performance from pole at the Cathedral of Motorcycling, leaving Lorenzo chasing his shadows around the famous Assen circuit, as he notched the 100th GP victory of his remarkable career.
Lorenzo was keeping the pressure on at the top, nonetheless, and both Fiat Yamaha riders were on the podium yet again at Laguna Seca, Rossi second this time and Lorenzo third, behind a re-emergent Dani Pedrosa. The trip to Germany for round nine saw another Rossi-Lorenzo duel, with the Italian beating his young Spanish team-mate by just 0.099s this time.
A set of surprise results saw maiden MotoGP race-winner Andrea Dovizioso, Randy de Puniet and Colin Edwards on the rostrum in the final World Championship visit to Donington Park, but Rossi still somehow extended his standings advantage. He picked up his M1 after a crash on the wet-dry track and finished in fifth place having started on pole, whilst Lorenzo crashed out, Pedrosa was ninth and Stoner was 14th – in the Aussie riderâ€s last GP appearance to date this season.
That left Rossi with a 25 point championship lead over Lorenzo heading to the Czech Republic. The trip to Brno was a perfect weekend for Rossi at the venue where he scored his first GP win on a 125cc bike in 1996, as he took another victory from pole whilst Lorenzo suffered his second DNF in a row.
Two weeks later at Indianapolis Rossiâ€s attempts to repeat his historic debut Brickyard triumph from 2008 turned into a disaster as he crashed out and Lorenzo reversed the roles with an accomplished win. The points gap was back down to 25 with five rounds remaining.
Another Rossi-Lorenzo one-two at Misano, the fourth such result in 2009, therefore meant that the local boy went into the four-week September break with a 30 point title advantage ahead of the season-concluding races at Estoril, Phillip Island, Sepang and Valencia.
It would take a brave man to bet much against a seventh premier class title for Rossi, but the World Champion knows that Lorenzo – who will remain with him at Fiat Yamaha in 2010 – will continue to be a constant thorn in his side.
World Championship MotoGP
Pos. Rider Nation Team Points
1 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 237
2 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 207
3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team 157
4 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 150
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team 133
6 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 123
7 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 97
8 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 88
9 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 88
10 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team 87
11 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 84
12 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini 80
13 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 78
14 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team 73
15 Mika KALLIO FIN Ducati Marlboro Team 51
16 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing 35
17 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando 12
18 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 12
19 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 9
20 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing 8
Was just doing some reading the other day so thought you might like some reading as it's still another week before the next round.
Until next week.
Hayden summarises experiences with Ducati
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
A year since he signed his contract to become a Ducati rider Nicky Hayden has provided a detailed look back over his time with the Italian factory to date.
Down in 14th place in the standings after 13 races with Ducati, the last of which ended with a blameless first lap crash at Misano, it is fair to say that things have not yet gone to plan for Nicky Hayden with the Italian factory team, but the honest and hardworking American is philosophical about his 2009 season so far.
His results have shown an upward trend since earlier in the year when he changed Crew Chiefs and Juan Martinez was brought back to Ducati to work with him and Hayden already has a 2010 contract with the Bologna-based team and a home podium at Indianapolis to show for his efforts this year.
The Kentuckian rider shared his thoughts on Ducatiâ€s Desmoblog (http://blog.ducati.com) ahead of the final phase of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship:
“Well it has been almost exactly one year to the day that I signed my first Ducati contract, and wow, what an experience! I always wondered what it would be like to be a Ducati rider and now I know very well. Itâ€s everything I ever hoped it would be and more. This truly is a special brand with many special people. It has not always been the smoothest transition if I am truthful with everybody and the results havenâ€t been great, but this has allowed me to see both sides of the people and I can say that they have been right on point with their treatment of me, on the good days and the bad days.â€
“People always talk about how itâ€s important to never give up, work hard , stay together and results will come, but Iâ€m not sure they always believe this is the case. If anybody doubts this theory take a look at my season - we started off bad and I was not competitive, but with the right attitude and all the hard work from every single person involved with me and that team, we have proved itâ€s true. There was one stretch in the season where my results looked like 15th, 12th, 12th, 10th, 8th, 5th. That progression is not just a question of luck. Itâ€s a matter of everybody pulling together and working towards the goal, and this is what we believe.â€
“Even though most people would say the highlight of my season would have to be Indy, where I stood on the podium of my home GP after a real dog fight of a race, I would say my proudest moment came when the team boss, Livio Suppo, called to tell me Ducati wanted to bring me back for a second year. No contract negotiation between managers and no games, just that Ducati would pick up the option on my second year, and give me another shot. I really do feel itâ€s where I belong and I couldnâ€t be happier. So in closing I would just like thank all the Ducati fans out there for supporting me and the team. I know our potential is high and we wont be completely satisfied until we are up where we belong and I promise we will give everything to make yâ€all proud!â€
Ferguson gives latest on Dunlop Moto2 preparations
Friday, 18 September 2009
motogp.com caught up with Dunlopâ€s Jeremy Ferguson this week to get the latest on how the British tyre manufacturers are proceeding with their Moto2 project.
Selected earlier this year to be the single tyre suppliers for the new Moto2 class from its commencement in 2010, Dunlop have been busy preparing their product for the new 600cc 4-stroke machines.
Dunlop Motorsport Manager Jeremy Ferguson explained to motogp.com how the current 250cc and 125cc suppliers are proceeding with the project and what the key factors are in developing a cost-effective, yet consistently performing Moto2 product.
What were the initial steps in the project from a technical perspective?
It started as soon as BQR and Laglisse in the Spanish Championship and Moriwaki in Japan had Moto2 bikes. BQR were already a partner team of ours in the Spanish Championship as well as in MotoGP. In the initial stages there were no defined regulations about rim diameters or widths so we initiated the racing using what we used for Formula Extreme in Spain.
How do you ensure that costs are kept reasonable?
We aim to keep costs down in several ways. First of all in terms of the actual quantities of tyres to be allowed at each race, which I think will be decided on in Estoril, and I think the quantities will be less than in MotoGP for example.
We have also decided to have a fixed rim width so that there is no possibility for teams to try different rim widths. There will be a 3.75″ (inch) front and 6″ rear in terms of widths and 17″ diameter front and rear, so there is no possibility of teams saying ‘we need to try a 3.6″ front or a 3.82″†or any other funny number. So that is also part of the cost saving principal.
We will have two specs of slick tyre and only one spec of wet tyre per event. Performance has to be reasonable and there are certain circuits where, for safety reasons as well as performance, you need a certain specification to cope with the nature of the track, Phillip Island being the obvious one.
When will final products will first be available to teams?
The intention is to have a finalised product for people to test and use in November. We are now finalising compound specification, as we have identified the physical dimensions and the construction, so we are sorting out the appropriate compounds for the different racetracks.
How relevant is your 125cc/250cc data and the data you gathered in MotoGP until 2007?
The circuits are the same, so we have all the Grand Prix circuit data, from the MotoGP class and from 250cc. The bikes are not the same as the 250cc bikes, we can see that from the ones that already exist, but that is ok because we can work on it. It is now just a case of making sure that you have the right combination of compounds for the individual and difficult circuits.
What do Dunlop expect from and hope for Moto2?
It is a whole new world for everybody. What we want to achieve, to be perfectly honest, is what Bridgestone have achieved in MotoGP. That means close competition and tyres that are of a really good standard, because you can see that from results, like when people set new lap records on the last lap or penultimate lap of a race, then the tyre has done its job.
Obviously, we will treat everybody the exactly the same so we will use the same system of marking and distribution that there is in MotoGP, with all the tyres barcoded and distributed by Mike Webb and his people before the race weekend starts.
Season so far: Casey Stoner
Monday, 21 September 2009
Ducati Marlboroâ€s Australian former World Champion is preparing to return to action after a break in racing due to his physical problems.
Casey Stonerâ€s superb start to the 2009 MotoGP World Championship at the spectacular floodlit Losail International Circuit gave no indication of the disrupted season which awaited him in the months to follow.
The young Australian hit the ground running, with pole position secured in the first qualifying session of the season and a hat-trick of consecutive Qatar wins completed in the first ever Monday night MotoGP race, after torrential rain prevented the scheduled Sunday night contest.
At round two in Japan, meanwhile, Stoner was unable to repeat his Qatari success story and after making a poor start to the race from second on the grid he could only fight back sufficiently enough to achieve fourth place, thus conceding his early championship lead to Jorge Lorenzo.
At the Gran Premio bwin.com de España the factory Ducati man crossed the finishing line in third place for his first ever Jerez podium, but at the following round in France he battled hard in the rain at Le Mans only to end up fifth in a complicated contest. Those results left Stoner tied on points with Valentino Rossi in second place in the standings, behind Lorenzo.
Up next was a trip to Mugello, the home of Ducati and previously a circuit where no-one had been able to beat Italian hero Rossi since 2001. In another wet-dry battle the riders again had to change machines mid-race and this time it was Stoner who got it right, to hand Ducati their first ever premier class victory at the beautiful Tuscan venue.
Round six at Catalunya was a key weekend in the story of Stonerâ€s season and unfortunately for the wrong reason. An incredibly hard-fought race saw Rossi beat Lorenzo on the very last corner, with an exhausted Stoner coming home in third place and just holding Andrea Dovizioso off for the final podium slot.
The rostrum positions tied Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner up in a three-way draw for top spot in the championship, but the latter was affected by a virus all weekend and pushed his body so hard during the race that he required medical attention before stepping onto the podium.
The alarm bells were ringing at Assen a fortnight later when Stoner finished third again behind Rossi and Lorenzo, once more suffering from severe exhaustion, as he slipped to third in the standings. The 23 year-old went straight from the podium to his motorhome where Dr Claudio Macchiagodena from the Clinica Mobile attempted to rehydrate him and help him recover in time for the Atlantic crossing to Californiaâ€s demanding Laguna Seca track.
In the first American visit of the year, Stoner was again affected by his illness in the last third of the race and was unable to compete to his usual elite standard. Behind race-winner Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha pair Rossi and Lorenzo, Stoner faded in the final stages and finished in fourth place.
With the rest of the paddock heading back to Europe in the direction of Sachsenring Stoner stayed in California for a series of medical tests, but doctors were unable to find a remedy for what was diagnosed as slight gastritis and mild anemia.
Producing another valiant effort in Germany, as he attempted to force his way back into the title fight, Stoner held the race lead for ten laps but this time it appeared to be tyre deterioration rather than his physical condition which prevented an eventual victory. He was fourth again behind the same trio of riders as at Laguna.
Things could not really have gone much worse than they did the following weekend, however. As MotoGP visited Donington Park for the final time, some typical British summer weather and another wet-dry track meant that tyre choice was crucial but Ducati got it wrong as Stoner and his team-mate Nicky Hayden both went with ‘wets†whilst the rest of the grid started on dry tyres. The track never got wet enough to warrant the selection and Stoner completed the race in 14th position.
Following the British Grand Prix, Ducati announced that it had been decided to give Stoner a complete rest, after consultation with doctors in Australia, and that he would miss the three races at Brno, Indianapolis and Misano in order to give his body a complete rest.
He has subsequently dropped to fourth in the general standings, seven points behind Pedrosa, but with four rounds remaining he will return to action at the Grande Premio bwin.com de Portugal determined to rediscover full competitiveness – and he is sure to get a warm reception from his fellow riders and the rest of the MotoGP paddock.
MotoGP Legends to ride at Phillip Island
Monday, 21 September 2009
Three of the biggest names in the history of Australian motorcycle racing will ride again when the ‘Legends of MotoGP†display takes to the track at the 2009 IVECO Australian Grand Prix.
For the first time since the inception of the ‘Legends of MotoGP†display, Troy Bayliss will join MotoGP Legends Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan on the grid at Phillip Island. The trio will ride demonstration laps of the 4.4km circuit in front of a bumper crowd on Saturday, 17th October and Sunday, 18th October.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Drew Ward, said the inclusion of Bayliss completes the perfect line-up of Aussie superstars.
“It was Gardner, Doohan and more recently Bayliss†success that has helped to cement Australiaâ€s reputation as one of the worldâ€s greatest motorcycling nations,†Ward commented. “We are thrilled to announce them as a part of the on-track line-up at the 2009 IVECO Australian Grand Prix.â€
Season so far: Dani Pedrosa
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Repsol Hondaâ€s Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa goes into the final phase of the season in third place in the standings after an inconsistent season to date.
Dani Pedrosaâ€s preparations for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship were severely disrupted when he crashed heavily in the official night test held in Qatar in March, resulting in injuries to his left knee and wrist, both of which required surgery just a month before round one.
Returning to the Losail International Circuit at less than full fitness for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on the second weekend in April Pedrosa was on a damage limitation mission and he might have done better than 11th in the race if it wasnâ€t for a ‘coming together†with Alex de Angelis, having qualified down in 14th.
The Catalan rider was back on form in Japan at round two – even if still not at 100% physically – where he brought his RC212V home in third place despite starting in 11th place on the grid.
Adding to his good record on home soil, Pedrosa built on his Japanese rostrum appearance a week later at Jerez, where he held the race lead for 17 laps despite ongoing problems with his left knee and eventually finished second. Maintaining his good form in a complicated wet-dry race at Le Mans next time out, Pedrosa held off his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso in the closing stages for third place - and a third successive podium.
However, Pedrosa then hit a slump in results when he crashed out at Mugello having hurt his right hip in practice, rode through the pain in his home race at Barcelona to finish sixth and then crashed out again early in the race at Assen. By this stage he had slipped to fifth in the general standings.
Pedrosa often responds spectacularly to adversity and that is exactly what he did following his Dutch debacle as he stormed to his first victory in more than a year at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
In Germany two weeks later he was on the podium for the fifth time in 2009, though he was unable to maintain the pace with Fiat Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo who also remained well ahead of him in the standings. Pedrosa hunted down the ailing Stoner for third in that race, a goal that he was also pursuing in the championship itself as illness took its toll on the Ducati rider.
Although Pedrosa gained points on Stoner in the Australianâ€s last race to date this year at the British Grand Prix, where Ducati got their tyre choice all wrong, the Repsol Honda man could only finish ninth on the slippery Donington asphalt, five positions in front of Stoner. The race also saw a first ever MotoGP victory for Pedrosaâ€s colleague Dovizioso and a first podium of the year for Colin Edwards, as both riders closed up behind him in the standings.
Pedrosaâ€s inconsistency has continued in the last three rounds, with two good podiums at Brno and Misano sandwiching a disappointing tenth place at Indianapolis, where he crashed on lap four when leading a race which he started on pole – forcing him to remount and scrap for as many points as possible.
Stonerâ€s recent absence has allowed Pedrosa to move up to third overall, though just seven points separate the pair as the Aussie returns to action at Estoril to fight with the Spaniard and the rest of the grid for the remaining four rounds.
The last Grand Prix at Misano also saw Pedrosaâ€s contract with Repsol Honda renewed for 2010 – meaning he will ride alongside Dovizioso on a factory RC212V again next year.
Season so far: Jorge Lorenzo
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo has already this season become the biggest challenger to his World Champion team-mate Valentino Rossi.
Jorge Lorenzo has been a joy to watch so far this year, starting every race on the front row, driving his legendary team-mate Valentino Rossi right to the limit and pushing on ahead of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in the standings in just his second premier class campaign.
The Spaniard started the season with a solid third place finish in the Monday night race at the Losail International Circuit behind Stoner and Rossi, having got away from third on the grid.
It was not long, however, before he registered his first victory of the year as he stormed to glory at the Polini Grand Prix of Japan. Again starting from third, Lorenzo notched the second premier class win of his career by a two second margin over his illustrious colleague Rossi to place himself at the head of the standings.
Arriving at Jerez Lorenzo said that performing in front of the Spanish fans in Andalusia was enough to warrant riding right on the edge and risking it all for glory, but when he crashed out with five laps to go - as he attempted to chase down Stoner for third place - it was difficult for the young Majorcan to take. Especially as he celebrated his 22nd birthday the next day still pondering the costly crash.
The ultra-confident Yamaha star hit straight back in France two weeks later though, as he judged the wet-dry race - and the bike swap it entailed – to perfection, and masterfully crossed the finishing line in first place, whilst Rossi was back in 16th. Lorenzo was therefore back on top of the standings again.
Stoner took over from Lorenzo at the top with his brilliant win for Ducati at Mugello in the following race, with Lorenzo finishing in second place – in front of a slightly disgruntled Rossi at a circuit where the Italian had not been beaten since 2001.
What was to come next will be remembered as one of the best races in recent years. Lorenzo starting on pole and with Rossi just behind him in second place on the starting grid the Yamaha pair contested a fierce battle throughout the race, with the MotoGP title holder requiring all of his skill and experience to outdo Lorenzo on the final corner for one of his greatest victories.
It was not so close at Assen as Lorenzo made a poor start to the race after qualifying third and could not make up the gap to racewinner Rossi. Still, another second place behind arguably the best rider is history is hardly a bad result.
Returning to the scene of a spectacular first lap crash in 2008, Lorenzo did much better in the 2009 running of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, crossing the line third behind Pedrosa and Rossi in just his second ever race at the tricky Laguna Seca track. He had picked up a shoulder injury with another accident in QP but despite the pain his lap times were not overly affected.
Another close battle with Rossi at Sachsenring, which again went down to the last lap and ended with Lorenzo in second place once more, meant that The Doctor had built up a 14 point lead over his young rival by the time MotoGP arrived at Donington Park for the last time.
In slippery conditions at the British track Lorenzo was caught out by the rain as he crashed out when leading the race and although Rossi could only manage fifth place - having crashed himself and remounted – there was worse to come at Brno. Lorenzo crashed and suffered another DNF in the Czech Republic as Rossi took his fifth win of the season to open up a 50 point championship advantage.
Game over? Not quite yet… Lorenzo hit back immediately with another great performance at Indianapolis where Rossi suffered his own first DNF of 2009 and the gap was back down to 25 points with five rounds to go.
With Rossi outperformed at Mugello earlier this season for the first time in seven years it was perhaps inevitable that he would prevail on home soil at Misano, but Lorenzo still kept the pressure on with his fifth second place finish of the current campaign. Indeed, other than his three DNFs at Jerez, Donington and Brno, which all came as he battled for the race lead or for at least a podium slot, Lorenzo has finished on the rostrum at every other Grand Prix thus far in 2009.
It was announced before his Indianapolis triumph that Lorenzo will continue with Fiat Yamaha as Rossiâ€s colleague next year, despite reported offers from rival teams, and he still has four races left in 2009 to try and break down his team-mateâ€s current 30 championship lead.
Season so far: Valentino Rossi
Thursday, 24 September 2009
The World Champion Valentino Rossi has a 30 point lead in the standings with four races to go, as he closes in on a seventh premier class title.
The start of Valentino Rossiâ€s 2009 season and his MotoGP title defence saw him record two second places behind two of his strongest rivals, Casey Stoner in Qatar and Jorge Lorenzo in Japan.
The results were a sign of his continued consistency with the competitive Yamaha M1 from the end of 2008 and through the winter, but Rossi does not like coming second. He therefore celebrated with glee in front a passionate Spanish crowd when he took his first victory of the year at one of the most colourful events on the MotoGP calendar, the Gran Premio bwin.com de España.
If his Jerez performance was vintage Rossi, then Le Mans was not what we have come to expect from The Doctor - as he crashed in a complicated wet-dry race when he swapped onto slicks a little two early and then changed bikes twice more before eventually coming home 16th.
Losing a seven-year winning streak at Mugello behind Stoner and Lorenzo did not sit too comfortably with Rossi either and he turned up the heat on his closest competitors at the next round.
His last corner Barcelona win over his ever-improving team-mate Lorenzo at the end of an intriguing battle between the pair was a significant moment and with Stoner showing the first signs of his mystery illness that weekend the Australian could only manage a brave, distant third.
The trio left Catalunya in a three way tie for the championship lead, but Rossi stepped things up again with an excellent performance from pole at the Cathedral of Motorcycling, leaving Lorenzo chasing his shadows around the famous Assen circuit, as he notched the 100th GP victory of his remarkable career.
Lorenzo was keeping the pressure on at the top, nonetheless, and both Fiat Yamaha riders were on the podium yet again at Laguna Seca, Rossi second this time and Lorenzo third, behind a re-emergent Dani Pedrosa. The trip to Germany for round nine saw another Rossi-Lorenzo duel, with the Italian beating his young Spanish team-mate by just 0.099s this time.
A set of surprise results saw maiden MotoGP race-winner Andrea Dovizioso, Randy de Puniet and Colin Edwards on the rostrum in the final World Championship visit to Donington Park, but Rossi still somehow extended his standings advantage. He picked up his M1 after a crash on the wet-dry track and finished in fifth place having started on pole, whilst Lorenzo crashed out, Pedrosa was ninth and Stoner was 14th – in the Aussie riderâ€s last GP appearance to date this season.
That left Rossi with a 25 point championship lead over Lorenzo heading to the Czech Republic. The trip to Brno was a perfect weekend for Rossi at the venue where he scored his first GP win on a 125cc bike in 1996, as he took another victory from pole whilst Lorenzo suffered his second DNF in a row.
Two weeks later at Indianapolis Rossiâ€s attempts to repeat his historic debut Brickyard triumph from 2008 turned into a disaster as he crashed out and Lorenzo reversed the roles with an accomplished win. The points gap was back down to 25 with five rounds remaining.
Another Rossi-Lorenzo one-two at Misano, the fourth such result in 2009, therefore meant that the local boy went into the four-week September break with a 30 point title advantage ahead of the season-concluding races at Estoril, Phillip Island, Sepang and Valencia.
It would take a brave man to bet much against a seventh premier class title for Rossi, but the World Champion knows that Lorenzo – who will remain with him at Fiat Yamaha in 2010 – will continue to be a constant thorn in his side.
World Championship MotoGP
Pos. Rider Nation Team Points
1 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 237
2 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 207
3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team 157
4 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 150
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team 133
6 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 123
7 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 97
8 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 88
9 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 88
10 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team 87
11 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 84
12 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini 80
13 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 78
14 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team 73
15 Mika KALLIO FIN Ducati Marlboro Team 51
16 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing 35
17 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando 12
18 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 12
19 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 9
20 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing 8