Moto GP

[Rev004]

Well it's good to see that some people appreciate this little bit of fun that I enjoy doing. Busakid08 I have never said at any time that I write this info out, it comes from different webistes including the one that you have mentioned that I go to just to find out what the goss is. The one thing I like is that some of the info that I have posted on here has generated some good discussion points and from time to time a war of opinions but I like seeing everyones point of view on the subject. Now I'm not sure who you are calling a POM because I am certainly not one, not that I have anything against them and if you don't care what a POM thinks why comment at all..

Anyway back to business here is some more info as we get ready for the next lot of testing to kick of under lights at Qatar..


MotoGP returns to Qatar floodlights for second test of 2009
Friday, 27 February 2009

The 2009 MotoGP field head to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend to commence their second test since the winter break, with three evening sessions awaiting them under the floodlights at the desert track from 1st-3rd March.


World Champion Valentino Rossi will be hoping to further familiarise himself with his 2009 Yamaha M1 machine and the new-generation Bridgestone tyres at a circuit where he found the going tough last year, during MotoGPâ€s first ever night time Grand Prix.

Rossi qualified seventh and finished fifth in last yearâ€s season-opening Losail race, just one of two non-podium finishes for the Italian in 2008, and is therefore keen to increase his competitiveness around the Middle Eastern circuit. The MotoGP title-holder started 2009 in good form at Malaysia despite stitches in his left hand and foot following a domestic accident.

The man who got closest to Rossi in 2008 and the fastest rider at the aforementioned first test of 2009 at Sepang, Casey Stoner, will be testing the condition of his left wrist which was operated on last November and which caused him discomfort in Malaysia, preventing him from undertaking long runs on the Desmosedici GP9. Stoner is a top performer at Qatar having won the last two MotoGP races there.

Another rider looking to increase test his stamina levels at Losail is Dani Pedrosa, the former 250cc and 125cc World Champion, who left Sepang on the second of the three days of the test, due to pain in his left knee which he hurt in Australia late last season and had surgery on in December.

Pedrosaâ€s compatriot Jorge Lorenzo aims to up his game too having made improvements on the last day of the Malaysia test. Last season in Qatar Lorenzo sensationally took pole at his very first MotoGP event and rode a brilliant race to finish second, so he will be looking forward to making further improvements to his Fiat Yamaha M1 package there as of Sunday.

Andrea Dovizioso was also impressive in Qatar last year, finishing fourth on his MotoGP debut, and he anticipates the second test of 2009 as a chance to further evolve his new factory Honda RC212V package.

Having impressed in his first two tests with Ducati Marlboro at the end of 2008 in Valencia and Jerez, Stonerâ€s new team-mate Nicky Hayden was off the pace in Malaysia and will hope for an improved rhythm this time out.

Colin Edwards, meanwhile, was highly satisfied with the test results at Sepang as he finished the last day in fourth place, just 0.370s off pace-setter Stonerâ€s best, as the Tech 3 Yamaha squad got their first experience of the new M1 prototype. Edwards was more than 2.5 seconds quicker than his colleague James Toseland who had a heavy crash on the first day in Malaysia and now looks to rebuild his confidence.

The opening test of the year was considered a positive outing for Rizla Suzuki colleagues Loris Capirossi (fastest on the first day) and Chris Vermeulen, who now strive to confirm the apparent increased competitiveness of the GSV-R800 at a second track.

Although veteran rider Sete Gibernau misses the test due to a recurrence of a shoulder injury his fellow satellite Ducati riders Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa will be present, alongside San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Toni Elias (the fastest Honda rider at Sepang) and Alex de Angelis, LCR Hondaâ€s Randy de Puniet and Scot Racing Team rookie Yuki Takahashi.

In addition, Marco Melandri gets back on Kawasaki machinery for the first time since his Valencia and Phillip Island practice runs at the end of 2008, as he returns to MotoGP testing. Although Kawasaki announced the withdrawal of their factory team from the World Championship early in January, they will nonetheless provide material for Melandri to run in MotoGP this season and the Italian star will therefore test the 2009 bike which Olivier Jacque recently debuted in a private test at Eastern Creek.

The 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship will commence in Qatar with the first GP of the year on 10th-12th April.


Elias fit and ready for Qatar test
Friday, 27 February 2009

Preparing for his fifth season in the premier class, Toni Elias has been working as hard as ever on his physical fitness ahead of the Official MotoGP Night Test in Qatar.


Making his final preparations for the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship Toni Elias this week invited motogp.com to join him for some cycling and motocross training sessions close to his home town of Manresa, on the outskirts of Barcelona.

In his fifth year in the MotoGP class, Elias this year returns to the Honda Gresini team he rode for in 2006 and 2007 having spent last season on Ducati satellite machinery. He has been given a factory RC212V for 2009 and started the preseason as the fastest Honda rider at the Malaysia test having worked hard on his fitness over the winter – following an operation in December.

He has kept the pace up since then with various forms of training and explained his regime saying, “I try to vary my fitness work as much as possible and do something different every day so that it doesnâ€t get boring. I go to the gym and go cycling and running and do motocross.”

“This year the Championship will be as intense as ever and we wonâ€t have much time to come home and train,” continued the Catalan. “The most important training sessions are the races themselves so between the GPs it is just keep fit, whereas now we are really working hard to increase fitness levels. Iâ€m actually still coming back from my operation, so I havenâ€t reached 100% yet.”

Summarising the winter scene for the MotoGP riders as a whole he added, “During the break all the riders take maximum advantage to get over old injuries and have any surgery required like Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and myself have done this time. Itâ€s tough to be back at 100% for the first test, but I think everyone will be totally ready for the first race of the year.”

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team rider also made reference to the recent cost reduction moves in MotoGP which have seen testing and practice sessions reduced, saying of the three preseason tests at Sepang, Losail and Jerez, “As there are less tests we have to plan things differently, almost treating them like Grands Prix weekends. You have to be completely organised in order to get things done properly in the three days. With these three tests we have to be ready for the first race. If it helps to make things less expensive then it is a good thing.”

Elias, who has one GP win to his name at Estoril in 2006, previewed the 2009 season, revealing, “I donâ€t want to get ahead of myself but I realise I have a big chance this year. I have set myself certain goals to aim for and I only have myself to answer to.”


Bulgaria to stage MotoGP races from 2012
Friday, 27 February 2009

The FIM MotoGP World Championship will arrive in Bulgaria as of 2012, following a preliminary agreement reached between the Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation and Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP.


The new five year deal, which will take MotoGP to Bulgaria from 2012 to 2016, was signed in Sofia by Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and the President of the Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation Bogdan Nikolov, in the presence of the Chairman of the Bulgarian Grand Prix Organizing Committee Rumen Petkov and the President of the Bulgarian State Agency for Youth and Sports Vessela Letcheva. Following the press conference, an additional meeting was held between Carmelo Ezpeleta and the Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev to further discuss the project.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented, “This is the first step in bringing MotoGP to Bulgaria, which is an exciting project for us. The Bulgarian government demonstrated great interest in bringing a Grand Prix here and it will be an important development for us, having never staged a race here before. We are highly confident in Bulgariaâ€s ability to host and organise Grands Prix efficiently and safely.”

The meeting in Sofia also saw the announcement that Bulgarian free-to-air national broadcasters BNT will have exclusive live television rights to the FIM MotoGP World Championship from 2009, which will see all MotoGP races broadcast live in Bulgaria.




And this one if for the POMS out there that might be heading home for some reason if you want to keep track of events within the MotoGp paddicks.

MotoGP to enjoy most extensive coverage ever in UK
Thursday, 26 February 2009

MotoGP fans in the UK will be able to enjoy the most complete coverage ever of the sport, thanks to agreements for 2009 between the championshipâ€s commercial rights-holders Dorna Sports and both the BBC and British Eurosport.


More than 23 million UK viewers watched live coverage of MotoGP during 2008, and thanks to the combined efforts of the two networks to increase their broadcast hours in 2009, that figure is set to rise.

The BBC coverage is the public broadcasterâ€s biggest ever offering of the worldâ€s premier motorcycling championship, with all the scheduled 18 rounds of the MotoGP World Championship to be shown live on BBC television. Additionally, all the rounds from the ultra-competitive 250cc and 125cc World Championships will be shown live via the BBCâ€s Red Button, as well as full coverage of all three of Saturdayâ€s qualifying sessions (MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc).

There is also a return for the popular MotoGP Extra programme, on the Red Button, immediately following the majority of European rounds, which brings the immediate reaction from the experts and the riders themselves.

For those unable to catch the races live, the BBC will continue to offer the action via its popular iPlayer platform for seven days following each event. (Additionally the live coverage will be looped on the Red Button on the evening of the race in question.)

Philip Bernie, BBC, Head of TV Sport Editorial, said: “We are delighted to be offering more than ever of the worldâ€s leading motorcycle series. Our coverage of MotoGP, the 250s and 125s means that BBC viewers will be able to get the most comprehensive view of this spectacular sport. Combined with our new F1 contract, this means the BBC is now showcasing fully the best motor sport on both two wheels and four wheels.”

In order to complement the BBCâ€s coverage, British Eurosport will also broadcast MotoGP extensively this year. The UK arm of Europeâ€s popular digital sports network will air all practice and qualifying sessions live from the Friday and Saturday of each Grand Prix weekend, followed by live coverage of the 125cc and 250cc races on Sundays. The MotoGP races will also be available on the channel on a same-day-delayed basis.

Furthermore, the British Eurosport transmissions will be available as video on demand for seven days via the Eurosport Player at the Eurosport.yahoo.co.uk website.

With Briton James Toseland battling Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner for glory in the MotoGP class, and his compatriots fighting for the title in the 125cc class, including the youngest ever Grand Prix winner Scott Redding, 2009 is set to be a bumper year for MotoGP in the UK.

[Gassick]

Well I'm off to work full of the latest goss. I don't give a rats where the info comes from Rev004 but keep posting it because I'll keep reading it!

[Rev004]

Thanks Gassick, what time do you go to work and you even make time to have a quick sticky at the forum before you go now that's dedication.

Anyway here is the results and info from the 1st round of testing from Qatar.

Hayden top as rain restricts night test at Losail
Sunday, 01 March 2009

The first evening of the 2009 MotoGP Official Night Test at Qatar saw relatively little action on track as rain hampered the work of the MotoGP field in the Middle East.


The MotoGP riders will be hoping for better conditions on the second two days of the MotoGP Official Night Test at Losail International Circuit on Monday and Tuesday, following a difficult first evening at the desert track.

Highly unexpected rain on Sunday morning and during the evening session, combined with relatively cool track temperatures and sand on the asphalt meant the going was difficult under the state-of-the-art Qatar floodlights, with most riders finding their work schedules restricted by the conditions.

The test commenced at 6pm local time, with Rizla Suzukiâ€s Chris Vermeulen setting down a 2â€01.843s marker early on. That time was not bettered until the last hour of the session, after a heavy downpour at 7pm interrupted the proceedings for an hour and the slippery surface slowed the riders down.

Late on the riders were able to push that bit harder and Ducati Marlboro newcomer Nicky Hayden finished top of the timesheet with 2â€00.717 effort registered in the final hour of the outing.

There was good news for Marco Melandri too, making his first 2009 test appearance he was the first rider out on track at the start of the evening, with the newly formed Hayate Racing Team, and he ended up second quickest overall, marginally slower than his Ducati replacement Hayden with a best time of 2â€00.867.

The top five was completed by Pramac Racingâ€s Mika Kallio, San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis and Kallioâ€s colleague Niccolo Canepa, who all beat Vermeulenâ€s early best effort late on, as several of the MotoGP big guns stayed in their pit-boxes.

Fiat Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo completed just one lap each, whilst Dani Pedrosa did not undertake a meaningful lap. Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossiâ€s names, meanwhile, were absent from the timesheet.

Pedrosa elected not to take any risks with his left knee still not completely healed after an operation in December. Likewise, Stoner is yet to re-test the condition of his left wrist which hindered him last season and which was also troubling him at Sepang in the first test of the year after his corrective surgery in November.


MotoGP Official Night Test at Losail, Qatar
Session 1 - 01/03/09

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Prev. Gap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Nicky Hayden USA 2:00.717 - - 31
2 Marco Melandri ITA 2:00.867 +0.150 +0.150 35
3 Mika Kallio FIN 2:01.020 +0.153 +0.303 29
4 Alex De Angelis RSM 2:01.074 +0.054 +0.357 15
5 Niccolo Canepa ITA 2:01.328 +0.254 +0.611 26
6 Chris Vermeulen AUS 2:01.843 +0.515 +1.126 6
7 Yuki Takahashi JPN 2:03.221 +1.378 +2.504 18
8 Andrea Dovizioso ITA 2:03.233 +0.012 +2.516 15
9 James Toseland GBR 2:03.417 +0.184 +2.700 7
10 Randy De Puniet FRA 2:03.580 +0.163 +2.863 18
11 Colin Edwards USA 2:03.652 +0.072 +2.935 8
12 Toni Elias SPA 2:08.637 +4.985 +7.920 3
13 Jorge Lorenzo SPA 2:24.832 +16.195 +24.115 1
14 Valentino Rossi ITA 1:12:31.872 +1:10:07.040 +1:10:31.155 1
15 Dani Pedrosa SPA -.--- - - 0
16 Casey Stoner AUS -.--- - - 0
17 Loris Capirossi ITA -.--- - - 0


Fiat Yamaha write off first night in Qatar
Sunday, 01 March 2009

A rare rain shower over the Losail International Circuit spelt an end to the first session of night testing in Qatar for Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, who completed just one lap each.


Testing commenced under the floodlights at 6pm local time in Qatar on Sunday, but the rain began as soon as Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo ventured out on track, with neither of them able to get a fast lap in.

The cool night time temperatures meant the asphalt was unable to dry sufficiently from then on and, although some riders ventured back out later in the evening, the Fiat Yamaha pair decided not to risk a patchy track surface and their activities were suspended until Monday.

Valentino Rossi
“Five minutes of rain really gave us a lot of problems today. First we waited and then finally we decided to abandon it. I hope tomorrow itâ€s back to normal because this was our worst race last year and we need the time to see where we are and continue to improve with our new package.”
Jorge Lorenzo
“I went out and on the third lap it started to rain – I couldnâ€t believe it! It seems strange to have rain in the desert and itâ€s been a nightmare for the team because we have lost a whole day. I hope itâ€s better tomorrow because I really want to try the new electronic system and also I need to keep working to improve with the Bridgestone tyres.”


Melandri makes 2009 test debut with Hayate Racing
Sunday, 01 March 2009

The very first rider out on track at the MotoGP Official Night Test at Qatar on Sunday evening was Marco Melandri, testing with the newly formed Hayate Racing Team.


Wasting no time whatsoever as the Qatar test commenced it was Marco Melandri who undertook Sunday eveningâ€s first lap of the floodlit Losail International Circuit.

After a period of uncertainty and having missed the first test of the year at Sepang in February it was perhaps no surprise that Melandri would be the first out of his pit-box, notching up eight early laps before a surprise rain interruption.

Keen to get his 2009 preparations underway Melandri headed out onto the track on the Kawasaki ZX-RR under the watchful eye of Ichiro Yoda, the veteran Japanese engineer who will direct the newly formed Hayate Racing Team, for whom the Italian 26 year-old will be the sole rider.

Giving his very first thoughts on his initial 2009 outing Melandri commented on his return to the pit-box, “It was difficult getting used to being on a MotoGP bike again at first after a few months away, but the key thing is I am already feeling good on the Kawasaki.”

Assisting Melandri this season under the management of Yoda, the Hayate Racing Team Manager will be Andrea Dosoli, whilst Jasja Bos will undertake the role of Team Co-Ordinator.

Dosoli told motogp.com, “This is an important test for us in order to assess our potential. The chassis is completely new and so is the engine. The rain is not helping us early on, because we need to see exactly where we are as a team in normal conditions. It is improtant for us to have Marco on the bike as he is a talented rider who has great experience.”

[Rev004]

Rain surprises riders as first Qatar session is interrupted
Sunday, 01 March 2009

An unexpected and heavy downpour of rain has interrupted the opening evening of MotoGP testing at the Losail International Circuit.


Good riding conditions at the floodlight desert circuit of Losail on the outskirts of the Qatari capital of Doha were interrupted by a rare rainstorm on Sunday at 7pm local time, putting a hold on proceedings during the first evening of practice at the MotoGP Official Night Test.

At 6pm there were ambient temperatures of 20ºC and track temperatures of 24ºC, as the second preseason test of 2009 commenced, but an hour later heavy rain drove the riders off track and back into the shelter of their pit-boxes.

Almost half the MotoGP field had not left their garages before the rain arrived, with the likes of World Champion Valentino Rossi, Australian former title holder Casey Stoner and Spanish star Dani Pedrosa not featuring in the early running.

The first rider out on track before the precipiation halted the test was Italian former 250cc World Champion Marco Melandri, finally making his first 2009 preseason appearance on the Kawasaki ZX-RR machine with the newly formed Hayate Racing Team.

By 8pm local time some riders were beginning to re-emerge on track following the rain interruption.


Hayden quickest as Stoner sits it out
Sunday, 01 March 2009

The first day of a three-day test for the Ducati Marlboro Team got underway after a minor setback in Losail, where the desert landscape was hit by rain!


With a scheduled start of 6pm local time, the session was interrupted almost immediately by a red flag after a light downpour, which lasted barely ten minutes. Several riders, Nicky Hayden included, got a handful of laps in before returning to join the rest of the riders watching the weather from pit-lane.

At around 9pm a group of rider representatives, including Stoner and Rossi, convened with the circuit officials to discuss the state of the track not only because of the rain but also because of the sand that had blown onto the surface beforehand. With the section between turns 11 and 12 still damp, the riders continued to wait and at around 10:30pm track action resumed, although Rossi, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Capirossi and Stoner decided to wait for better conditions tomorrow.

Nicky Hayden completed a total of 31 laps, including the fastest of the day. As usual the American was prepared to make the best of the conditions, testing some electronic updates and a new fork.

"I havenâ€t seen rain in Qatar in all my life and I never thought I would! But today weâ€d barely got the bike on track and it started to come down," said the former World Champion. "We had to spend a long time in the garage because even though a part of the track had dried out there was a section that stayed damp for a while. The track conditions were tricky and there wasnâ€t much feedback, which meant we couldnâ€t do the work we had planned. Weâ€ve got a few different things to try so hopefully the weather is better tomorrow so we can get some work done."

[Rev004]

Another day of testing is finished and with one day of testing to go it appears that nothing has changed from last year with Rossi leading the way in the 1st session closely followed by Stoner and then they swapped places in the 2nd session with Stoner over 1/2 second quicker than is counterparts.

The one thing that I have noticed is Vermeulen is constantly showing in the top 5 on the time sheets which he also showed at Sepang, lets hope that we see a good showing from him this year.


Honda take varied approach to first night in Qatar
Monday, 02 March 2009

Mixed strategies for Honda six as rain hits Losail International Circuit.


All six of Hondaâ€s MotoGP riders were present at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday night, although their approaches and reactions to the rain-hit test opener wildly contrasted.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa had the most conservative strategy for the Sunday run, deciding against putting in any laps. The Spaniard had departed early from the last test in Sepang, and took the same cautious approach as he continues to focus on building up fitness and starting the season injury-free.

Making nearly the same decision was San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Toni Elias, who put in an out lap, two full turns of the track and subsequently an in lap before aborting the session.

“We decided not to test because the track was dirty, so we decided to spare the tyres for tomorrow,” said Elias, back behind the bars of the factory-spec RC212V.

Fastest of the Honda riders was Alex de Angelis, Elias†teammate with the satellite version of the bike. He cited rapid tyre deterioration as the reason for his return to the garage after fifteen laps, the fastest of which gave him a time of 2â€01.074.

Rookie Yuki Takahashi was the next Honda on the timesheet, with the most laps of the sextet to his name, whilst the only man to draw a fully positive conclusion from the day was LCR Hondaâ€s Randy de Puniet, who found a better riding position to that which troubled him in Sepang.

The night was best summed up by Andrea Dovizioso, who felt more of a need to get further testing laps under his belt despite the adverse conditions.

"It was a strange day: finding rain conditions in the desert is very unusual. It was a pity. We only did a few laps even if the track conditions were not good, but I wanted to gather some data and be ready for tomorrow,” said the Italian of his fifteen-lap stint.

“This is a demanding track, with long turns and it is important to test here, especially in preparation of the championship and the first race.”


Rossi leads the way early on second evening at night test
Monday, 02 March 2009

The World Champion Valentino Rossi only featured briefly on Sunday night in Qatar but Monday eveningâ€s early proceedings saw him set the pace in the desert.


MotoGP title holder Valentino Rossi was the fastest rider during the first three hours of the second evening of practice for the premier class field at the MotoGP Official Night Test in Qatar.

After Sundayâ€s rain affected session Monday saw better conditions at the floodlit desert track but there were still relatively cool temperatures and some sand on the asphalt for the riders to contend with.

By 9pm local time it was Rossi who topped the timesheet with a 1â€57.747 effort, as he tested a new electronics system on his evolving 2009 M1 prototype. The Italian registered his best time on the last of 39 laps undertaken by the midway point in the evening, having lapped just once on Sunday.

Casey Stoner may have sat out yesterdayâ€s rain affected workout completely, but he was soon on the pace on the second evening, leading the way until Rossiâ€s hot lap of the Losail track. The Australian will be anxious to undertake a long run at some stage to fully test the condition of his troublesome left wrist, having only managed short runs thus far, as was the case for him in Malaysia.

The third quickest participant as of 9pm local time was veteran satellite Yamaha man Colin Edwards, whilst Rizla Suzukiâ€s Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi completed the top five, as the Sepang pace-setters demonstrated their strengths again. Vermeulen crashed on turn six at around 8.30pm but was not hurt.

A full report will follow at the end of this eveningâ€s session which concludes at midnight Qatari time (10pm CET).

MotoGP Official Night Test – Qatar - Day Two, best times as of 9pm local time
1. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'57.747 (39 laps)
2. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'57.978 (18)
3. Colin Edwards, Tech3 Yamaha - 1'58.014 (29)
4. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'58.430 (18)
5. Loris Capirossi, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'58.908 (21)
6. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'59.194 (26)
7. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda - 1'59.225 (26)
8. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda - 1'59.233 (18)
9. Niccolo Canepa, Pramac Racing - 1'59.266 (27)
10. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1'59.270 (30)
11. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'59.301 (38)
12. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'59.396 (35)
13. Marco Melandri, Hayate Racing Team - 1'59.493 (29)
14. Mika Kallio, Pramac Racing - 1'59.783 (33)
15. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'59.785 (25)
16. Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Team - 2'00.152 (32)
17. James Toseland, Tech3 Yamaha - 2'00.234 (35)



Stoner ahead of the pack on second evening under the floodlights
Monday, 02 March 2009

The second session at the MotoGP Official Night Test concluded with former World Champion Casey Stoner at the head of the timesheet.


Ducati Marlboroâ€s 2007 MotoGP title winner Casey Stoner was the man on the pace on night two in Qatar, finishing Mondayâ€s session more than half a second faster than any of his rivals.

Stonerâ€s best effort of 1â€57.139 was registered just before 9.15pm and put him 0.608s in front of Valentino Rossi, who briefly topped the timesheet at the midway stage of the session and eventually ended up second. Rossi undertook 51 laps in total as he tested a new electronics system, whilst Stoner only undertook five or six lap bursts - and a total of 37 laps - as he debuted a new swingarm and tested the condition of his troublesome left wrist.

Third on the timesheet was Tech 3 Yamahaâ€s Colin Edwards with similar time to Rossiâ€s best, as he continued his good preseason performances, in contrast to his team-mate James Toseland who was last on the timesheet – three seconds off Stonerâ€s pace.

A late fast lap from Andrea Dovizioso with less than five minutes to go before the midnight conclusion of the test put him fourth overall, just ahead of Rizla Suzuki colleagues Chris Vermeulen (who crashed without consequence earlier in the evening) and Loris Capirossi, completing the top six.

Away from the timesheet the big news of the evening was a heavy crash at around 10.00pm for Dani Pedrosa at turn ten. The Spaniard, who did not ride at all on Sunday, has apparently aggravated an existing left knee injury and has hurt his left hand which he also damaged last year in Germany. He will travel back to his native Barcelona on Tuesday for further medical checks.

Following the Pedrosa crash there was a second red flag of the session when Ducati satellite rookie Mika Kallio suffered an accident on turn nine at approximately 10.20pm local time and a puddle of oil had to be cleaned up.

The Qatar test concludes tomorrow night with a third and final evening session from 6pm-midnght local time (4pm-10pm CET).

MotoGP Official Night Test at Qatar - Day Two, best times
1. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'57.139 (37)
2. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'57.747 (51)
3. Colin Edwards, Tech3 Yamaha - 1'57.817 (41)
4. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda - 1'57.879 (60)
5. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'58.018 (24)
6. Loris Capirossi, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'58.264 (42)
7. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'58.400 (63)
8. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'58.441 (53)
9. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'58.577 (54)
10. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda - 1'58.619 (28)
11. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1'58.936 (55)
12. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'59.036 (56)
13. Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Team - 1'59.153 (65)
14. Marco Melandri, Hayate Racing Team - 1'59.195 (63)
15. Niccolo Canepa, Pramac Racing - 1'59.266 (36)
16. Mika Kallio, Pramac Racing - 1'59.764 (48)
17. James Toseland, Tech3 Yamaha - 2'00.234 (51)


Pedrosa injured in Losail test crash
Monday, 02 March 2009

Dani Pedrosaâ€s Qatar test came to an abrupt end on Monday evening under the floodlights at Losail, as he suffered further leg and arm injuries when he crashed at 10.00pm local time.


An already difficult preseason for Spanish Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa took a turn for the worse on Monday at the MotoGP Official Night Test, as he crashed heavily on turn ten of the Losail International Circuit, sustaining blows to his already injured left knee and the left hand which he hurt at Sachsenring last season.

Pedrosa was stretchered away from the scene of the crash and transferred to the circuit hospital where initial scans showed no immediate signs of broken bones but revealed a possible crack to a bone in his left hand. He has also reopened an injury in his left knee which he hurt at Phillip Island late last season and had surgery on in December.

The rider will need to wait 24 hours for another scan to confirm 100% whether or not he has sustained any fractures. Those checks will take place in Barcelona, as Pedrosa will fly home from Qatar on Tuesday.

The former 125cc and 250cc World Champion did not complete the first preseason test of 2009 at Malaysia due to his knee trouble and todayâ€s crash will further hamper his preparations for the season.


Bridgestoneâ€s intermediate elimination no big problem for 2009
Monday, 02 March 2009

Chief Coordinator Thomas Scholz happy with choice to run only dry or wet options as single tyre supplier.


Single tyre supplier Bridgestone have narrowed down their tyre selection for the 2009 season, streamlining their rubber and focusing their developmental projects. Qualifying tyres have already fallen by the wayside, and an end has also come to intermediate tyres as the limited amount of rubber falls into two different ends of the spectrum.

As of the beginning of preseason, only dry and wet specification tyres are provided to the riders by the Japanese fabricant. Intermediate specification material had previously been a niche product, but in an ironic twist could have proved useful under the unique conditions experienced on Sunday night in Qatar. Bridgestoneâ€s Thomas Scholz emphasised at the Losail International Circuit that the decision to do away with intermediates remained justified.

“Due to the new regulations that we have this season we stopped making intermediate tyres. From the past we could really see that we donâ€t use it too much; maybe in some practice but never used them during the race,” said the factoryâ€s Chief Coordinator.

“So it was a lot of involvement, money and research to produce intermediate tyres. But the effect is so low that I think that everybody agrees why at the moment we stopped with this kind of tyre.”

Work in Qatar under drier conditions will focus on researching which compounds to run over the course of the season. Scholz also explained that these would be a progression of the tyres used in 2008, a season in which they won their second World Championship with a host of dry and wet weather victories.

“We hope that we can use the same tyres that we are trying now for the test at the races. We have brought compounds a little bit more developed compared to last year, but last year was also the beginning of 2008 and obviously during the year we continued developing compounds.

“This means that we bring compounds still on the same softer side, but itâ€s a new compound family that we developed during last year. We hope to have a little bit better basic grip level from the beginning of the race. Obviously we need to wait and see during this test if the durability of the tyres is sufficient for the race as well, but at the moment our plans are to bring the same spec and compounds for the race as well.”


Melandri warns of need for time after Qatar return
Monday, 02 March 2009

New Hayate Racing bike requires adaptation for MotoGP star.


Always a bluntly realistic rider, Marco Melandri has warned that he will need time to get fully acquainted with the Hayate Racing bike that has salvaged his participation in the 2009 season. The second fastest man on track on Sunday night in Qatar, in a session that saw reduced activity as a result of rainfall, Melandri put in the most laps of any rider -35- as he searched for comfort on the Ninja ZX-RR.

Breaching the 2â€01 barrier with his quickest lap as one of only two riders to do so, the former MotoGP World Championship runner-up played down any overly positive conclusions from the Sunday action.

“I need so much more time. I did only a few laps and the times were pretty slow because of the dirty track,” he explained after the session.

“The bike is also completely different to the â€08 that I used in November; I need a few more hours to understand it but the first impression was quite good.”

Melandri was at least familiar with the Qatar track after a recent scouting operation, when he competed at the circuit as part of the Speedcar Series. In between the announcement of his reincorporation into MotoGP and his Sunday test appearance, the Italian also had time to participate in the latest round of the series at Dubai this past weekend –where he finished tenth and eighth.


Qatar impresses sole night debutant Canepa
Monday, 02 March 2009

Pramac Racing rider makes brief first appearance at Losail track


Sunday night in Qatar was one of firsts for the MotoGP World Championship. Unprecedented in the series†history, MotoGP action on track at the Losail International Circuit was cut short by the appearance of rain (in 2007 a daytime test for the 125cc and 250cc riders was cancelled due to a sandstorm). The adverse conditions brought the end to another first –Niccolo Canepaâ€s opening night ride under the Musco floodlights.

The Pramac Racing rookie was not able to put in the expected amount of laps due to the meteorological conditions, but was able to get acquainted with the new feeling –literally as different as day and night to what he is accustomed.

”This was the first time for me on this track under this impressive floodlights system. It was beautiful, but a pity that the rain has limited our work,” said Canepa after his maiden run, in which he clocked the fifth fastest time of the night with a 2â€01.328 lap.

”I am anyway satisfied thanks to the good lap time registered. I need to ride for as many laps as possible and I hope that in the next two days we will find optimal weather condition. It has been a good start for me, surely better compared to the last test in Malaysia.”

Canepaâ€s teammate Mika Kallio was third fastest in the curtailed first of three nights in Qatar

[Rev004]

Here is some more info to ponder over....

Rossi: ‘The bike is a lot better than this time last yearâ€
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Reviewing the second night in Qatar after finishing second on the timesheet, Valentino Rossi is already enthusiastic about his level of competitiveness as the 2009 season approaches.


After the rain upset the first night of testing on Sunday, Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo were finally able to make a proper start on their testing programme in Qatar on Monday.

Running under floodlights in preparation for the season-opener in a monthâ€s time, the talented pair were able to put in a good nightâ€s work despite a late-evening break when the track was red-flagged after two riders crashed.

With cool temperatures and a dirty track surface after high winds earlier, lap times were well off record pace but Rossi was able to put in some consistent times and finished the night second behind Casey Stoner. Lorenzo is still looking to find his confidence in the new Bridgestone tyres but he improved gradually throughout the evening to finish in seventh position.

Valentino Rossi
“Today was good because first of all we were able to test! I am quite happy because I was fast from the start and the bike is a lot better than this time last year. The setting is completely different after a year with Bridgestone and we seem to be in good shape. The lap times are quite slow compared to the race because it is cold and also the track conditions arenâ€t perfect, but hopefully in a monthâ€s time it will be quite a bit warmer. We worked well today, testing some things for the engine and some electronics, and everything is helping us to improve our setting and to be faster. Now I hope that we have good weather between now and tomorrow night and no more wind so that the track is cleaner tomorrow and we can improve the times a bit more.”
Jorge Lorenzo
“Todayâ€s practice was quite hard, harder than I expected in fact! It was windy and the surface of the track was quite dusty and quite cold, so this has made our job of building confidence with the new Bridgestone tyres harder. To start with I was finding it quite hard to go fast in these conditions, and especially to brake later. I am still braking too early at the moment, which makes it difficult to be fast. We tried some new electronic systems tonight in order to reduce the wheelie effect, and this seems to be positive. Later on this evening we tried a new setting and I was able to improve my pace in the cold conditions. Hopefully we can continue to improve from the start tomorrow.”



Progress for Dovizioso but a fall halts Qatar test for Pedrosa
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

The Repsol Honda pairing of Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso experienced mixed fortunes on the second evening of testing at the Losail International circuit in Qatar today.


Dovizioso made encouraging progress on his factory RC212V and set the fourth fastest lap of the day while he and his team focused on electronic settings. Though a strong wind blowing sand across the track meant that the MotoGP riders†lap times were not as fast as in the race here in 2008, Dovizioso completed 60 laps and set the fourth fastest time of the day, a 1m 57.879s lap, which was 0.740s off Casey Stonerâ€s best. Dovizioso will return to Losail tomorrow for the final session of this three-day test.

Andrea Dovizioso: Best lap time 1m 57.879s
“This was an interesting day and Iâ€m happy with how it went. We tried many settings with the electronic systems on the machine to enhance the power delivery. The results were pretty positive and now weâ€ll have a meeting to decide how to move things forward tomorrow. The track conditions were not so bad - not as good as the race here last year, but considering how windy it was today, it was OK. The lap times were not as fast as the race lap times, but it was a good test today and weâ€re moving forward.”
After sitting out yesterdayâ€s mostly wet session, Pedrosa completed 28 laps and had begun to up his pace on the floodlit track. Unfortunately, at 10.00pm, the 23-year-old Spaniard had a fall entering Turn 10, which brought an early halt to his Qatar test.

Pedrosa hit his left wrist and left knee in the fall and was taken to the circuit medical centre where initial x-rays showed no signs of a break. However, the impact re-opened the existing wound in his left knee, which required three stitches. Pedrosa will now fly to home and undergo further precautionary scans. He will be hopeful of being fit for the final pre-season test at Jerez, Spain which begins on 28 March.

Dani Pedrosa: Best lap time 1m 58.619s
“The early part of the session went quite well and I was happy with the progress we were making. The conditions werenâ€t ideal with the sand blowing on the track, but this was an unexpected crash. I was entering Turn 10 and I had a high-side and then the bike came down on top of me. Itâ€s a shame because we also lost testing time yesterday, but now I will go home for some more scans and hopefully they wonâ€t show anything more serious.

[Rev004]

It appears that Stoner has got the pace once in again with that Ducati as he was vertually a whole second quicker than his rivals and as I mentioned yesterday it's also good to see Chris Vermeulen up there in the mix rounding out the top 4 just knudging Nicky Hayden back to 5th in the last session last night.
Now we will have to wait for some more action when they do there final lot of testing at the end of the month at Jerez and then the one day that we are waiting for the 2nd weekend in April when the 1st round of MotoGP kicks off back at Qatar.

So in saying all that here's some more light reading from both sessions as well as some more info for you all.... enjoy.


Last evening at Qatar sees Stoner set the pace in early running
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

As the last night of testing at the Losail International Circuit got underway on Tuesday it was Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner leading the way on the timesheets.


At the midway point of Tuesday nightâ€s concluding test session in Qatar the 2007 World Champion and winner of the last two MotoGP races at the Losail track, Casey Stoner, was again way out in front of his rivals on the timesheet.

A dry, calm day preceded the MotoGP workout at the desert circuit in contrast to the rain on Sunday and wind on Monday. The first rider out on track at 6.05pm local time was Hayate Racing Teamâ€s Marco Melandri, shortly followed by Monster Yamaha Tech 3â€s Colin Edwards and Pramac Racingâ€s Niccolo Canepa, the proceedings commencing with an ambient temperature of approximately 20°C.

Just four laps into his eveningâ€s work the 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner set down a 1â€56.301 marker, shortly before 7pm, a hot lap which had not been bettered as of the midway point in the session at 9pm. Having completed less laps than any other rider Stoner is running quickly, but still in short bursts as he attempts to rebuild his stamina following winter surgery on his left wrist.

Below Stoner on the timesheet in second place was his successor as World Champion Valentino Rossi, though the Italian trailed the Australian by a considerable 0.671s margin as the only other rider to have lapped under the 1â€57 mark.

The early evening top five was completed by an improved Nicky Hayden, the new Ducati rider going more than a second faster than his Monday best already, followed by Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha).

The only incident of note was when Canepa suffered a crash on turn 13 but the MotoGP rookie has not been injured. Several riders are expected to undertake race simulations before the test concludes at midnight local time (10pm CET).

Qatar Night Test, day three – best times as of 9pm local time
1. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'56.301 (20)
2. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'56.972 (36)
3. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'57.225 (36)
4. Loris Capirossi, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'57.253 (26)
5. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'57.414 (41)
6. Colin Edwards, Monster Yamaha Tech3 - 1'57.515 (46)
7. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'57.741 (39)
8. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda - 1'57.816 (32)
9. Mika Kallio, Pramac Racing - 1'57.938 (36)
10. Niccolo Canepa, Pramac Racing - 1'57.946 (32)
11. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1'58.243 (32)
12. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'58.302 (34)
13. Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Team - 1'58.455 (34)
14. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'58.565 (32)
15. James Toseland, Monster Yamaha Tech3 - 1'59.177 (30)
16. Marco Melandri, Hayate Racing Team - 1'59.575 (34)


Stoner ends Losail visit ahead of competitors again
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

As the MotoGP Official Night Test came to a conclusion at midnight in Qatar on Tuesday it was Casey Stoner who sat proudly at the head of the timesheet.


Winner of the last two MotoGP races at the Losail International Circuit, including last yearâ€s historical first ever floodlit Grand Prix, Casey Stoner showed his strength around the 5.38km desert track again on Tuesday night.

The night time practice visit to Qatar, the second preseason test for the 2009 MotoGP field, ended with Stoner setting the pace just as he did in the opening test of the year in Malaysia in February.

Stonerâ€s best effort of 1â€55.744 was recorded shortly after 9pm on the 22nd of his 31 turns under the floodlights, the Australian completing far fewer laps than any of his rivals. The test saw him successfully debut a new carbon fibre swingarm on the Desmosedici GP9, though he was unable to undertake a race simulation and kept to short bursts on track as he rebuilds the strength in his left wrist, which was operated on over the winter.

Stoner crashed without consequence on turn two around ten minutes after setting his best time, but was back out on track within an hour.

Last yearâ€s Qatar poleman Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) got closest to Stoner on the timesheet, though he was nearly a full second (0.989s) behind the Ducati rider, with his best time registered late in the evening. Lorenzoâ€s colleague Valentino Rossi completed the top three with a 1â€56.972 effort as the only other rider to go round under the 1â€57 mark, the Italian satisfied with a new electronics system on the Yamaha M1.

The top five was rounded off by Rizla Suzukiâ€s Chris Vermeulen, his best time arriving on the last of his 70 laps, and Stonerâ€s new team-mate for 2009 Nicky Hayden.

Also featuring in the top ten were Vermeulenâ€s Suzuki colleague Loris Capirossi, fastest Honda representative Randy de Puniet, factory Honda newcomer Andrea Dovizioso, the experienced Colin Edwards and San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis.

There were also crashes for Capirossi on turn six, Niccolo Canepa at turn 13 and Yuki Takahasi at turn three, but all three riders were reportedly unhurt.

The next outing for the MotoGP riders is the Official MotoGP Test at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain which takes place on 28th & 29th March. They will then return to Qatar for the first Grand Prix of the year on 10th-12th April.

Qatar Night Test, Day 3
1. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'55.744 (31)
2. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'56.733 (82)
3. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team - 1'56.972 (75)
4. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'57.224 (70)
5. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 1'57.225 (53)
6. Loris Capirossi, Suzuki MotoGP - 1'57.253 (42)
7. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1'57.401 (77)
8. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda - 1'57.449 (74)
9. Colin Edwards, Monster Yamaha Tech3 - 1'57.515 (46)
10. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'57.591 (61)
11. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1'57.804 (66)
12. Mika Kallio, Pramac Racing - 1'57.938 (54)
13. Niccolo Canepa, Pramac Racing - 1'57.946 (50)
14. Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Team - 1'58.412 (61)
15. James Toseland, Monster Yamaha Tech3 - 1'58.786 (51)
16. Marco Melandri, Hayate Racing Team - 1'58.851 (73)


Suppo reviews new Ducati swingarm findings
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

New suspension part gets first run-out at Losail night test.


The big changes to the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 already brought in during the early stages of preseason, the relatively minor details are being refined in the final tests before the season curtain-raiser in Qatar. For this weekâ€s night test in Losail the latest item on the agenda is a new swingarm, used by the factory riders under the night sky.

Timesheet topper Casey Stoner was able to run the rear suspension fork on Monday night, in a brief ride on his last stint out of the garage. Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo commented on the findings, indicating no big worries with the partâ€s introduction.

”Casey was able to do several laps with the swingarm and he is happy with it. Heâ€s helping us with what we are looking for, so heâ€s happy about that,” said the Italian after the second night of testing.

“Itâ€s the first time that we are testing it. For sure itâ€s not perfect,” he warned. “We have to work on the set up of the bike to adapt it to the swing-arm but the first feeling is good, positive.”

Stoner was unable to test the part on Sunday night due to rain at the Qatari circuit, reducing his test to two days. The three-night event concludes at daybreak on Tuesday.


Pedrosa fractures not expected by Clinica Mobile
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Doctor Claudio Macchiagodenaâ€s initial examination on Spaniard reveals only bruising and swelling.


One of the first to attend to Dani Pedrosa after his crash in Qatar, Clinica Mobileâ€s Doctor Claudio Macchiagodena has eased fears over the Spaniardâ€s condition. The experienced paddock medic performed the initial examination on Pedrosaâ€s left hand and knee, and his early findings were limited to bruising and swelling.

“Pedrosaâ€s crash has left him with trauma in the left knee and arm, of which the knee damage seems to be the most serious because of the previous injury (suffered at Phillip Island last year and subsequently treated with surgery). There is no evidence of any fracture and it will simply require re-bandaging,” said Macchiagodena on Monday night.

“There was a suspicion that perhaps a bone had been fractured in his hand, but the first examination has ruled this out. We will have to wait for 24 hours for the swelling to go down and be able to definitively eliminate the possibility of muscle or bone damage.”

Further examination on the Repsol Honda riderâ€s injuries will take place in Barcelona, Spain.


Pedrosa to undergo surgery on arm and knee
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Back in Barcelona following his Qatar test crash, Dani Pedrosa will need an operation on his left arm on Wednesday to fit a screw in a fractured radius bone, with his injured left knee also in need of surgery.


Having had a full medical assessment at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus clinic in his native Barcelona on Tuesday, as a result of his Monday night Qatar test crash, Repsol Hondaâ€s Dani Pedrosa has been diagnosed with a fractured left radius (one of the bones in the forearm) and a severely cut and bruised left knee.

Pedrosa flew back to Spain on Tuesday and went straight to his trusted surgeon Doctor Mirâ€s clinic, where he was also operated on in December having originally injured his left knee last season in Australia. The knee has been further damaged and will require skin graft surgery.

His left arm, meanwhile, requires a supportive screw insertion in order to heal the fractured radius bone more rapidly than if left unsupported.

Pedrosa did not stay at the clinic overnight and will therefore return on Wednesday to go under the surgeonâ€s knife again. It is unclear as yet how this will affect his preseason preparations with just over a month to go before the first race of the year.


Takahashi learning lines from predecessor Dovizioso
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Scot Racing rider picks up 800cc track tips in Qatar.


Preparing for their debut on the biggest stage, the MotoGP debutants are busy learning their lines for opening night in Qatar. That is the case for newcomer Yuki Takahashi, who chose an appropriate rider to whom to play understudy on the second night at Losail.

The Scot Racing rider´s former 250cc teammate and predecessor in the satellite squad, Andrea Dovizioso made an impressive debut to finish fourth at last years Grand Prix in Qatar. The Italian found time on Monday night to show the ropes to Takahashi, leaving the Japanese newcomer grateful for his help.

“I tried to do as many laps as possible to understand the bike; It was important to follow some more experienced riders to study the best line and I have to thank Andrea Dovizioso for this,” said Takahashi after a 65-lap marathon session on track.

"I'm still adapting to the RC212V, a completely new bike for me. It's normal that I need to do kilometres and get the feeling with the bike. At the beginning of the test session there was a lot of sand on track, then the conditions improved.

Takahashiâ€s fastest lap on Monday night was a time of 1â€59.153, leaving him thirteenth quickest.


MotoGP satellite squad becomes Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Tech 3 team agree two-year title sponsorship deal with energy drink manufacturer Monster.


Yamahaâ€s Tech 3 satellite team have reached a two-year title sponsorship agreement with energy drink brand Monster, which will see the squad rebranded as Monster Yamaha Tech 3 from the 2009 season onwards.

The team, headed by Herve Poncharal and running riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland, have been one of the more successful satellite efforts in recent seasons, and now have the strong backing of Americaâ€s number one by-volume sales energy drink factory behind them as they attempt another strong campaign in the MotoGP premier class. Their bikes will be decked out with the Monster Energy M-Claw logo, most recently placed on Yamaha factory rider Valentino Rossiâ€s helmet in a personal sponsorship deal.

“Itâ€s great to be linked with a growing brand such as Monster Energy, which has such a strong image and a big profile,” says Poncharal of the agreement. “Monster are very keen to support MotoGP and Iâ€m sure that our partnership will prove to be very successful. Our aims are to go even better than in 2008, and thanks to this agreement we are highly motivated to do so.”

The attraction of sponsoring the team was explained by Monster Energy President Mark Hall, with the personalities involved in the project giving strong pulling power to the project.

“Both Colin and James have built huge followings throughout their careers and they are extremely popular riders, so Monster Energy is pleased to become part of their continued efforts through our partnership with the Tech 3 Yamaha team for the upcoming ‘09 MotoGP season,” comments Hall.

“Tech 3 has a highly successful track record as one of MotoGPâ€s premier teams and will provide a solid platform for Monster Energy as we continue to develop our brand image globally.”

[Rev004]

Well Fellers here's some more info coming out of Qatar..

Rossi unworried by Stoner surge
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

MotoGP World Champion concentrating on own work after Qatari test.


A storming lap from expected title rival Casey Stoner and his own aborted race simulation could have left Valentino Rossi concerned in Qatar, but the reigning MotoGP World Champion was in good spirits after finishing third on night three of testing in the Arab emirate.

Rossi racked up a quickest time of 1â€56.972 from 75 laps, over a second down on Stonerâ€s fastest lap and two-tenths of a second slower than teammate Jorge Lorenzo. The Italian saw his attempts at working on his race pace ended by the troublesome conditions experienced over the three days, switching his focus to other aspects of the Yamaha M1.

“Our position is not so bad; weâ€re third, close to Lorenzo. Stoner is very fast but I am not too worried because we have a good idea about our path for the race and I think that in one month, when it is hopefully a few degrees warmer, we will be okay,” Rossi insisted on Tuesday night after making a breakthrough with electronics and acceleration.

“In the early part of the evening we were fast enough but later on, when it became much colder and the grip went down, we suffered quite a bit. I started a long run but in fact I was getting slower and slower, so we didnâ€t finish and instead we concentrated on trying some different things with the setting.”

”This is not a great track for me or for the bike and the target for the race is to be better than last year! Next we go to Jerez for the final test and I am expecting to be strong there.”

Last yearâ€s Qatari round proved problematic for Rossi, who qualified seventh and crossed the line in fifth place - one of only two occasions in which he was absent from the podium in 2008.


Lorenzo over the moon with night test progress
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Fiat Yamaha man delighted with Tuesday night performance at Losail.


Cutting over 1.5 seconds off his Monday lap time on the final night of MotoGP testing in Qatar, Jorge Lorenzo felt the benefit of a setting switch as he adapted his Yamaha M1 to Bridgestone tyres. An adjustment to his riding saw a step forward for last yearâ€s poleman at the Losail Circuit, who was elated with the breakthrough.

“I am so happy tonight because this session has been much, much better for us,” said Lorenzo after a late fast lap and an extended race simulation. The Fiat Yamaha man performed 82 laps of the track on Tuesday night despite tricky conditions, the most of any rider.

”The long run was especially good but in fact the whole evening has been an improvement, so I am very pleased about the job we have done. Weâ€ve tried some different settings, which have helped, but mainly I have adapted and found a way to be comfortable, which means I can ride faster. I have a much better feeling with the Bridgestone tyres and I was able to be very consistent throughout the long run and keep a good rhythm.

”Everyone has worked really hard to make this step and I am happy to finish this test on a good note. Now I am looking forward to the race!”

The setting adjustments also enabled the former 250cc World Champion to be able to enter corners at a faster pace, previously a problem for the factory Yamaha riders.

Lorenzo was second on the Tuesday night timesheet with a quickest time of 1â€56.733, just under a second slower than Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner.


Need for engine speed primary concern for Suzuki
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Lack of top speed only major problem for rapidly improving GSV-R.


A major redevelopment of the Suzuki GSV-R has shown major improvements for the factoryâ€s riders in 2009 testing, with times in Qatar confirming the step forward taken in the run-up to the upcoming season.

Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi were both amongst the fastest six riders of the test, separated by 0.029 on a speedy final night under the lights. The duo were pleased to continue with the progression made at last monthâ€s visit to Sepang –typically a strong track for Suzuki- but urged further improvement in engine speed in time for the first race of the year.

“We were able to do a long run, try some different settings and definitely made a step at this track,” said Vermeulen upon the testâ€s conclusion. “Engine speed is still one thing to work on though; weâ€re still a little slow on the straights, which makes it difficult to race.”

Capirossi concurred with his teammateâ€s findings, heaping further praise on the work carried out in Japan over the past few months.

“Iâ€m really satisfied because the bike is overall much better compared to last yearâ€s,” said the Italian. “It has been really important to confirm that the bike is competitive here. The engine is what we need to work on; weâ€re struggling on the top speed and this is the most problematic thing for us.”

Vermeulen picked up a minor hand injury in a Monday night crash, whilst Capirossi took a tumble on Tuesday without consequences.


Melandri: “Big changes needed to find true potential”
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Qatar test gives former MotoGP World Championship runner-up base set-up for new bike.


With a new bike and the least testing time of all the MotoGP riders, it was almost inevitable that Marco Melandri would be part of the trailing pack at the Qatar night sessions as he got acquainted with the Hayate Racing machine. The Italian propped up the timesheet at the conclusion of the three-night test, three seconds down on former teammate Casey Stoner, although it would be deceiving to read too much into the time discrepancy.

Stoner was a second in front of any other rider, whilst the difference between Melandri and fourth-placed Chris Vermeulen was just over 1.5 seconds. His 1â€58.851 time is a point on which to build at his next expected test in Jerez and race return at the Losail circuit.

“It was an ok three days. We are pretty far away with the rear grip and traction, so we really have to improve and make some big changes to understand our true potential,” reviewed Melandri on his first test of 2009.

“Right now weâ€re not 100%, so we have to work a lot to find out how close we really are to the other competitors.”

Melandriâ€s participation in the Qatar test was only confirmed shortly before itâ€s commencement, with the Hayate structure hastily put in place for the event.


Speedy Stoner makes swingarm confirmation
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

The quickest lap time of Qatar night test, improved performance from his tender wrist and confirmation of swingarm improvements leave Australian positive.


He might only be doing it on short runs, but Casey Stoner is proving that his recovering wrist is no obstacle to putting in blisteringly fast laps. As he did at Sepang last month, the Ducati Marlboro man ended the Qatar test as the quickest rider courtesy of a blistering last session lap; in contrast, Stoner was pleased with the response of his scaphoid.

“Iâ€m obviously very happy with the lap time and the rhythm we put together today, although I would have liked to have been able to get a few more laps in and test some more stuff,” said the former MotoGP World Champion, nearly a second ahead of any other rider on track after clocking a 1â€55.744 lap.

Stoner fell at turn two of the Losail International Circuit shortly after recording his mercurial time, but was able to continue with his workload onboard a second Desmosedici GP9 before bowing to poor track conditions and cutting the test short. His Tuesday night track time had been enough to pick up some important information and work further with the new carbon fibre swingarm brought to the test.

“We still managed to try a few things with the electronics – some of them good and some not so good and we confirmed the good feeling I had yesterday with the new swingarm, although we still need more time to work on it and thatâ€s what weâ€ll be doing at Jerez,” confirmed the Australian, who can expect to be in even better condition for that next test in the south of Spain.

[Gassick]

The games have well and truly begun!!!!!!!! Off to work people, have a good day

[Rev004]

Yes you would be right in saying that the mind games have started, Rossi saying he's not worried, Stoner not doing full sessions and Ducati saying he's still building his strength up.

So who's everyone got there money on for the championship this year ?????

Anyway another spanner in the work for Pedrosa has he's going under the knife again after his fall at Qatar so it looks like he's going to miss testing at Jerez.

Well some more info so read on..

Pedrosa set to miss Jerez test after post-crash surgery
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Spaniard undergoes successful surgery but almost certainly ruled out of final preseason test.


Dani Pedrosa is currently laid up in a Barcelona hospital following surgery on his left arm and knee, required due to a testing crash in Qatar that has become even more threatening to his 2009 World Championship chances.

Operated on at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus in the Spanish city, Pedrosa was concurrently subjected to two operations on his left knee and fractured left distal radius –the procedure for the former taking three hours and involving a rotation skin graft from his thigh to replace lost skin and fat.

Surgery on the knee was performed by Dr Bartolomà Ferreira, who indicated after the procedure that minimal movement would be possible within three weeks after the formation of scar tissue, and that the soonest the Spaniard would be able to bend the appendage would be in one monthâ€s time. This would see Pedrosa ruled out of the final test of the MotoGP preseason at Jerez.

The former MotoGP World Championship runner-upâ€s arthroscopic arm operation was carried out by his regular surgeon Dr. Xavier Mir, who inserted a titanium screw in the joint that will allow full function within ten days.

Pedrosa will be released from hospital before the start of next week, but is unlikely to be at 100% fitness for the start of the 2009 season. The Repsol Honda rider has undertaken just three complete days of testing so far this year, previously leaving the Sepang run-out a day early after complaining of a lack of recuperation in his knee (previously operated on in December).

2009 will be the second season in succession that Pedrosa has been hit by preseason problems. In 2008 he required the insertion of a titanium plate in his hand to fix damage suffered in a crash in Sepang. He reappeared for last yearâ€s Official Test in Jerez, but sat out the BMW M Award shootout so as not to risk reinjuring himself in the rainy conditions. His absence from testing left development of the Honda RC212V to former teammate Nicky Hayden –a task that now falls on current partner Andrea Dovizioso.


More experience gained by Pramac pair at night test
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Pramac Racingâ€s duo of MotoGP rookies Mika Kallio and Niccolò Canepa took the positives from the test visit to the Losail International Circuit.


Despite both crashing in Qatar and having finished outside the top ten on the final timesheet at the floodlit desert circuit on Tuesday night, Pramac Racingâ€s new rider line-up of Mika Kallio and Niccolò Canepa were in a positive frame of mind as they headed back to Europe.

Kallio took a tumble on Monday night, suffering a heavy crash, but the tough Finn was not overly concerned by the accident and got on with completing his work schedule on Tuesday evening in his typically understated style. The test was Kallioâ€s first experience of riding 800cc machinery under the Losail International Circuitâ€s state-of-the-art floodlights.

The 26 year-old ended up twelfth on the final timesheet, completing 54 laps in the concluding session, before commenting, “Tuesday went a bit better compared to Monday even if the feeling with the front part of the bike wasnâ€t the best. I couldnâ€t find the confidence to push that bit more. But Iâ€m sure that when we come back for the first race of the season weâ€ll do much better. The track conditions should be much warmer and that should help us.”

For Kallioâ€s new team-mate Canepa, meanwhile, it was his very first opportunity to ride in Qatar and having lapped just off his colleagueâ€s pace the Italian was unshaken by his own final session crash and content with the overall progress made.

The former test rider explained, “Like on Monday we chose not to go back on track in the last couple of hours because it was getting too cold. Some of the riders improved their best lap times in the last few minutes to overtook us in the classification. But that doesnâ€t matter too much. I am satisfied by the work done even if today I made a small mistake and I slipped. Luckily nothing serious happened. We will now go back home confident and with high morale, much happier than at the end of the Sepang test.”


Edwards highly satisfied, Toseland regaining confidence
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 completed a successful Qatar test on Tuesday, Colin Edwards looking comfortable throughout the three night visit and James Toseland improving on the final evening.


Colin Edwards continued his impressive winter testing form during the MotoGP Official Night Test at the Losail International Circuit, the American consistently appearing in the top three for the majority of the test as he continued an impressive switch to Bridgestone tyres.

A best time of 1â€57.515 left the experienced Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider ninth on the final timesheets, though he was just 0.291s off fourth placed Chris Vermeulenâ€s pace.

With an eye on the first GP of the 2009 season in Qatar on 12th April, Edwards also completed a full 22-lap race simulation on the final evening of the test. maintaining a consistent pace throughout. His best time of the race simulation of 1â€57.932 was set on his last lap.

“I am really happy with this test,” he said afterwards. “Iâ€ve got to say the Yamaha and Bridgestone combination is very impressive. Iâ€ve just been concentrating on trying to find a good setting for the race, even though we expect the temperature to be a little warmer when we return, but Iâ€m really confident.”

“I couldnâ€t believe my race simulation. The grip from the Bridgestone tyres is really incredible and Iâ€m seriously impressed. The grip just gets better the more distance you run on it and I did my best lap in the race simulation on the last lap. Thatâ€s just not something Iâ€m used to at all. I feel stronger and more motivated than ever.”

James Toseland, meanwhile, made slow progress throughout the test, to post a best lap of 1â€58.786 on the last night. That was 1.5s faster than his previous best time, but he still ended up way down the timesheet in 15th place overall.

Nonetheless, building up his confidence after a spectacular crash in Malaysia last month, he left Qatar in good spirits, stating, “It wasnâ€t an easy test but on the last night I felt like we were finding a good direction and I was certainly feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike. The crash in Sepang hit my confidence and it took me a while to find my rhythm, but I feel I can go much faster now. I just need time on the bike.”


Bridgestone accelerate tyre development at Losail
Thursday, 05 March 2009

This weekâ€s MotoGP Official Night Test in Qatar saw tyre suppliers Bridgestone working hard to prepare for the start of this season and to further development for 2010 too.


The penultimate preseason test of 2009, at the Losail International Circuit this week, gave Bridgestone a chance to finalise their preparations for the start of this yearâ€s World Championship on the 10th-12th April weekend on the same track, with the Japanese company also using the data gathered to up the pace in their 2010 tyre development programme.

Indeed, due to some unexpected weather, the Qatar test provided an opportunity for the selected soft and medium compound Bridgestone slicks to fully demonstrate their capacity across a wide range of conditions. Despite its desert location, an unusual and heavy downpour on the opening day left areas of the circuit damp and greasy, whilst high winds and a residual layer of sand tested the operating range of the tyres in a diverse set of circumstances.

The first ever World Championship winner on Bridgestone rubber, Casey Stoner, was the fastest rider at the test, whilst last yearâ€s MotoGP title winner Valentino Rossi, who also achieved success with Bridgestone in 2008, was third fastest overall.

Rossiâ€s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who ran Michelins in his debut premier class campaign last year, was second quickest on the final timesheet and is beginning to look more comfortable on the new generation Bridgestone tyres with every contact.

Tohru Ubukata, Bridgestoneâ€s Manager of Motorcycle Race Tyre Development, summarised the test, stating, “The feedback from the riders over the three nights was positive in what were challenging conditions. The track was quite dusty and sandy this time, and as a result of the increased abrasion we suffered slight graining with the soft compound tyre at the start of the test, but the medium compound worked well even in these tough conditions.”

He continued, “I am happy about this result as it shows that just two specifications can cover such a range of difficult conditions.”

Making reference to the recent MotoGP rule changes, which have reduced practice and testing during the 2009 season to help teams reduce their costs, Ubukata added, “The recent FIM regulation changes have affected our development plan, so looking now at development for 2010 is very important. We now have to finish 80 per cent of our development for next season during this winter testing period because in-season testing has been significantly reduced.”

“As a result, as well as bringing the soft and medium compound tyres from this yearâ€s line-up, we brought some new compounds in development for 2010, where the target is to give the tyres an even wider still operating range. We have had successful tests both here and at Sepang last month, so we are now in a position to make more precise compound selections for each coming Grand Prix this season.”


Paddock pass auction to boost Riders for Health funds
Friday, 06 March 2009

Fans of MotoGP are being given the chance to get exclusive access to the MotoGP paddock at each round of the 2009 season, via online auctions organised by Riders for Health.


MotoGPâ€s official charity Riders for Health are putting two pairs of weekend ‘premium paddock passes†for each race on the 2009 calendar up for auction on their website www.riders.org.

The money raised from the sale of the passes will support the lifesaving work of Riders for Health delivering vital medical supplies in impoverished parts of Africa.

For a chance to get hold of a pair of passes, just visit the online auction section on the Riders for Health website.

The first Grand Prix of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship of course takes place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar from 10th-12th April, and the first auction closes at 9pm GMT +1 on 5th April 2009.

In 2008 the auction of paddock passes on the Riders†website helped to raise significant funds for the organisationâ€s lifesaving work in Africa.

[Rev004]

It appears that Pedrosa won't be fit for the next lot of testing at Jerez and is hoping to be fit for the 1st round at Qatar in April so here's some more info to go through if you want something to read...

Pedrosa targets Qatar return after hospital discharge
Saturday, 07 March 2009

Repsol Honda rider leaves USP Institut Universitari Dexeus on Saturday following surgery on knee and arm.


Dani Pedrosa has left the Barcelona hospital where he underwent two operations last week, seventy-two hours after checking into the facility. The Spaniard had gone under the knife to treat damage picked up in a crash at the recent Qatar night test, and is now targeting a return to action at the season-opening MotoGP round held at the very same circuit.

“We are planning to work hard and so be ready for the first race in Qatar, but when the day arrives we will have to see whether I am really in perfect shape to get on the bike,” Pedrosa told the media at a Saturday morning press conference, having ruled out any possible participation in this monthâ€s Official Test in Jerez.

“The objective is to try and be fit for the first race. You do not choose to be in a situation like this, but we have no other choice than to face up to things and to carry on. I have fallen many times and I have always fought back and I will do it again. We will get back to riding fast on the bike, but it is true that I am having some problems this pre-season, but there is nothing we can do about that, we just have to keep going.”

Of the two concurrent procedures carried out by Doctors Xavier Mir and Bartoleme Ferreira, it is that performed on Pedrosaâ€s knee that will require the most recovery time. Three weeks of complete rest, followed by light bending of the joint after that time, mean that it will be a race against time for the former MotoGP World Championship runner-up to get anywhere near to full fitness by the time the floodlights are turned on in Qatar on April 12th, although microsurgeon Mir –whose arm surgery on Pedrosa will only leave the rider waiting a week before rehabilitation- stated his confidence in a speedy recovery.

“We are optimistic, although we cannot commit ourselves to being ready for the first race. We will take all the relevant steps to speed his recovery, and even though we cannot say whether he will be ready for the first race we do not rule anything out,” said Dr. Mir.

“The knee injury is more complicated but it is looking very good, so we are optimistic. We know that in many cases the recovery times for professional sportsmen are usually shorter, and keeping this in mind Daniâ€s prognosis is very good.”

Pedrosa is now walking with the aid of crutches, as he prepares for what will be a tough recovery process.


Lorenzo and Elias hope for speedy Pedrosa return
Monday, 09 March 2009

Fellow MotoGP Spaniards wish rival well on road to recovery.


Two riders who have had their share of missed races through injury, Jorge Lorenzo and Toni Elias have both expressed their desire to see wounded rival Dani Pedrosa make a speedy recovery in time for the 2009 seasonâ€s opening race in Qatar.

The two were present at the opening of the Castelloli facility in Spain this past weekend, whilst Pedrosa was receiving the all-clear to leave the Barcelona hospital in which he underwent surgery on his left arm and knee following a crash in testing.

“I hope that Pedrosa is in Qatar, because he is one of the riders that brings life to the World Championship, and without him there would be something missing from the grid,” said Lorenzo of his persistent foe.

“He is a very strong rider, and I think that he is going to try to be there.”

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Elias had two particularly injury-filled years in 2007 & 2008, including a spell on the sidelines after a sever leg break in Assen. He gave a message of best wishes to his countryman at the presentation.

“I donâ€t know how serious his injuries are, but I do know from experience that injuries are never a good thing. They arrive at unexpected times and make things hard, but youâ€ve got to push on through. I want to wish him the best; weâ€ll be waiting for him on track.”

Pedrosa will miss the final test of the 2009 preseason at Jerez due to his recovery from the injuries and surgery.


World Championship faces open new Spanish circuit
Monday, 09 March 2009

Jorge Lorenzo and Toni Elias amongst guests at Parcmotor de Castelloli.


The new Parcmotor de Castelloli circuit in Barcelona, Spain, united a number of homegrown talents this past Saturday for the grand opening of the road track. MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Toni Elias were joined by former World Champions Alex Criville, Sito Pons and Emilio Alzamora, plus 125cc stars Pol Espargaro, Joan Olive and Marc Marquez, in giving their support for the track.

Almost all of the paddock faces took part in a group lap of honour to mark the opening of the track, part of an ambitious facility that has previously held the Trial des Nations team event and will include several road races and a riding school. Marquez was chosen to cut the ribbon to officially declare the track open.

The near 4,200 metre circuit also incorporates other shorter layouts for two-wheel competition, and received a glowing review from the riders, summed up by Olive.

“It is a beautiful track, surrounded by nature. The corners are incredible, based on other tracks. I hope that one day the World Championship will come here, because it is very well made.”

[Rev004]

Rossi interviews Ferrari F1 chief for official magazine
Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Having definitively ruled out a move to Formula 1 in recent years MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was still delighted to spend some time with the Ferrari F1 team over the 2008-09 off season.


Six time MotoGP title winner Valentino Rossi has been enjoying himself with various activities over the off-season having recaptured his MotoGP crown in 2008.

A keen fan of four-wheeled competition the Italian participated in the World Rally Championship again over the winter, finishing a respectable 12th in WRC Wales event December – shortly after enjoying another test drive with Ferrari at the end of November.

The private test at Mugello in the Ferrari F2008 car, as driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen last year, was a gift to Rossi in acknowledgement of his MotoGP triumph in 2008 – and the experience was one which The Doctor enjoyed immensely.

Although fully committed to Yamaha Factory Racing, Rossi has a contract to ride in MotoGP with Fiat Yamaha for the 2009 and 2010 World Championships and at 30 years-old has plenty of goals ahead of him on two wheels, the legendary rider has a great rapport with Ferrari and is friendly with Ferrari F1 Team Principal Stefano Domenicali.

Taking on the new role as interviewer, as opposed to interviewee, in a recent article for the Official Ferrari Magazine, Rossi first gave his own opinions on the differences between driving a rally car, an F1 car and handling his 800cc MotoGP Yamaha M1 prototype, before turning the microphone on Domenicali.

Rossi stated, “Thereâ€s no comparison. You donâ€t get tired in a rally. You have to stay in the car for several hours, you have to get up early in the morning, but you absolutely never get tired. In Formula 1 the problem is your neck. If youâ€re not used to it, it hurts. But riding a motorbike is extremely tiring: you have to drive with your body, thereâ€s never a momentâ€s peace.”

Domenicali who impressively has eight F1 World Constructors†Titles and Six Drivers†Titles on his CV, was then urged by Rossi to give his gives on MotoGP and asked if he watches the races.

Domenicali said, “Iâ€ve always watched motorcycle racing, ever since I was small and I still watch it now. I like the spirit of motorcycle racing; itâ€s a bit outrageous, and a little of that spirit wouldnâ€t do any harm in Formula 1.”

“Thereâ€s no doubt we have more fun. In the motorbike paddock it is very different,” asserted Rossi. At which Domenicali responded: “Thereâ€s no doubt one of our immediate priorities is to pay more attention to those who come to the racetrack and experience the event onsite. Formula One canâ€t just be TV.”

“Perhaps thatâ€s why (Seven-time former F1 World Champion and Ferrari driver) Michael Schumacher has begun to race motorcycles,” Rossi suggested with a typical smile.

Domenicali did not miss his chance to put the MotoGP icon on the spot, as he asked, “So, as someone who knows them both, would Schumacher go faster in MotoGP or you in Formula 1?” As confident as ever in his own remarkable talents, Rossi announced, “Me, of course!”



Denning: “2009 GSV-R an improvement on last yearâ€s”
Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Suzuki boss hails new prototype as more consistent and easier to ride.


Suzuki came out swinging at the opening test of 2009 in Malaysia and, although riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen werenâ€t quite as close to the top of the timesheet at last weekâ€s visit to Qatar, Team Manager Paul Denning feels that a definite improvement to the GSV-R has been made.

“The bike is more consistent and easier to ride, so itâ€s an improvement on last year,” stated Denning upon the conclusion of the night riding in Losail. “We have a base, and that is the most important thing to have.

“Sure, we werenâ€t as competitive as in Malaysia, but this test still wasnâ€t too bad. Weâ€re closer to the front than before, so itâ€s a case of not being happy but satisfied.”

The Qatar test saw both riders in the top six but also in the gravel, courtesy of minor crashes on a tricky surface. Denning brushed off their troubles when explaining what Suzukiâ€s workload focus was for the three available days, joking that “here we are just testing how strong the riders are from crashing. Seriously though, on a technical level the test served as a confirmation, checking things that we had tried at Sepang.”

Suzuki will be working on improving engine acceleration at the upcoming final preseason test in Jerez, with Capirossi and Vermeulen keen for more pace on the straights.


Toseland takes in Yamaha success at Daytona
Wednesday, 11 March 2009

James Toseland was in Florida last weekend, enjoying a Yamaha triumph in the annual Daytona 200 race.


Having endured a tough preseason so far and having worked constantly on his physical fitness over the winter, James Toseland took a well deserved break last weekend as he visited the United States to watch the Daytona 200 race.

Toseland spent time meeting with Yamaha USA management and with staff from his personal leather suppliers BKS, who will be remodeling his livery this season to incorporate the new colours and logos of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team.

The English MotoGP star enjoyed Friday nightâ€s racing, witnessing a one-two success story for Yamaha, as Ben Bostrom crossed the line first and his team-mate Josh Herrin followed him home in second place at the end of the 200 mile contest.

Satellite Yamaha rider Toseland will be back in the States later this year for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca on the 3rd-5th July weekend and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix on the 28th-30th August weekend.


Brivio: “Weâ€re not ready for Qatar… yet”
Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Fiat Yamaha Team Manager indicates that Jerez test is all that is required.


The 2009 Yamaha M1, revamped with a new engine and electronics, appears from the timing sheets to be almost in race shape as rider Valentino Rossi looks to defend his MotoGP World Championship crown.

The bike got its latest runout in Qatar last week, at which Rossiâ€s Team Manager Davide Brivio indicated that the final test of the preseason will be all that is needed to complete the preparation of the machine.

“Weâ€re not ready yet for the first race in Qatar, but we still have another test to go in Jerez. We basically have one full day there, and the second one will be a half day,” said Brivio after the Losail test, itself effectively reduced to two nights after rain hit the track.

“It is also important to check the bike and the electronics at the next test. Sure, Qatar isnâ€t one of our best circuits, but we should be ready.”

Rossi has not won the opening race of a MotoGP season since 2005, when he took victory at the Jerez circuit from pole position.

[Rev004]

Well the season draws nearer with one more round of testing at Jerez for the riders and teams to sort everything out and get ready for that day that we are looking forward to April the 12th when the 1st round kicks off for all us fans. Once again we will be sitting in front of the TV at all hours or the circuit for some but hey are we in for one hell of a year and it's any mans guess who will be standing on top of that Podium at the end of the year. In the mean time here's some more gossip from the GP circle.

Pedrosa progressing on comeback trail
Friday, 13 March 2009

Medical examination reveals steady recovery for Spaniard.


Dani Pedrosaâ€s recovery following two surgical procedures has been the talk of the MotoGP world over the past week, and the Spaniardâ€s progression appears to be moving along well.

A medical examination on Wednesday suggested that the healing process was progressing smoothly, with the skin graft attached to his knee completely attached and adapted. Doctor. Xavier Mir also confirmed that a cast in place on Pedrosaâ€s previously fractured wrist could be removed. The former MotoGP World Championship runner-up will return to the Institut Universitari Dexeus next week to have stitches removed from the appendage.

As a result of the recommendation for complete rest, Pedrosa will be unable to attend this Saturdayâ€s Repsol Honda team presentation in Madrid. He is scheduled to give a video press conference and pose with his new Honda RC212V whilst teammate Andrea Dovizioso takes charge of the physical side of the event.

Pedrosa will miss the final test of the 2009 preseason in Jerez as a result of last weekâ€s surgery.


AGV announce Rossi ‘Celebr-8†replica helmet
Friday, 13 March 2009

GP-Tech imitation model will go on sale in the spring.


Helmet manufacturer AGV have announced a spring release for a replica helmet christened the ‘Celebr-8â€, a version of the lid used by Valentino Rossi to commemorate his eighth MotoGP World Championship win at Motegi last year.

The helmet will be a limited edition of the GP-Tech design, itself produced with Rossiâ€s input and regarded as AGVâ€s most advanced product.

All the details used by Rossi will be present on the replica; the number eight, symbols of the sun and moon and his famous 46 logo, in addition to the chequered flag that symbolized the finale of Rossiâ€s title journey.


Melandri: One year contract with Hayate Racing
Thursday, 12 March 2009

Italian rider motivated to show potential in 2009, having cancelled Kawasaki contract.


Marco Melandri will contest the 2009 season as a Hayate Racing rider in a single-rider, single-year deal, the Italian has confirmed to motogp.com. His previous two-year contract with Kawasaki has been torn up and a new agreement hastily arranged in time for the start of the coming season, one in which he will ride a Ninja ZX-RR with no further factory development.

“The contract with Kawasaki has been cancelled. I had to make a big financial sacrifice, but the most important thing that I wanted was to find trust,” he said on Thursday morning, just over a week on from his first testing appearance of 2009 in Qatar.

“I have nothing to lose. One month ago I had one foot outside the World Championship, and now I have a team that is working solely for me. My motivation is this, and to show Kawasaki that they made a mistake in choosing to pull out their factory support.”

His future confirmed, next on Melandriâ€s agenda is finding solutions to some of the problems experienced in Qatar. Although he was some way off the fastest riders at the test, the Hayate Racing man has pinpointed what he thinks are the big factors slowing him down. He put 80% of the time differential down to a rear grip issue that has been a persistent thorn in the side of those riding the Ninja ZX-RR, a difficulty that he admits may not be resolved within the month.

“We werenâ€t fast in Qatar; thatâ€s a fact. The bike did make a good impression on me though. I donâ€t know how much it will be possible to improve it before the start of the season, but the team have assured me that they will be making a big effort until the end of March,” the former World Championship runner-up continued.

Melandri has experienced two difficult seasons with Honda and Ducati, respectively, in 2007-2008. Vocal about any disappointments and brutally honest, much interest will focus on how he reacts to a bike with which he does not expect to be pushing for the podium, but for the moment he is not looking too far ahead.

“Iâ€ve heard about not getting any factory support, but I believe in the work that has been done up to now. If the bike improves then I think that I can keep up. Obviously if Iâ€m coming in last every Sunday then it will be hard to deal with, but I donâ€t want to think so far into the future.”


2009 Hungarian Grand Prix officially cancelled
Thursday, 12 March 2009

FIM accepts Balatonring request to remove race from 2009 calendar.


Following consultation with the FIM, the scheduled 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix has been removed from the MotoGP World Championship calendar. The request to postpone the inaugural race at the Balatonring circuit until 2010, owing to the delay in construction of the track, was accepted by the FIM.

There are no plans to replace the race with another Grand Prix event, reducing the calendar for the year to seventeen rounds.

2009 MotoGP Calendar
April 12th Qatar Losail
April 26th Japan Motegi
May 3rd Spain Jerez
May 17th France Le Mans
May 31st Italy Mugello
June 14th Catalunya Catalunya
June 27th Netherlands Assen
July 5th United States Laguna Seca
July 19th Germany Sachsenring
July 26th Great Britain Donington Park
August 16th Czech Republic Brno
August 30th Indianapolis Indianapolis
September 6th San Marino & Riviera di Rimini Misano
October 4th Portugal Estoril
October 18th Australia Phillip Island
October 25th Malaysia Sepang
November 8th Valencia Ricardo Tormo - Valencia


Repsol Honda make official presentation in Madrid
Saturday, 14 March 2009
The Repsol Honda Team project for the 2009 season was presented at the same time as the Indoor Trial round in Madrid, an event that where Andrea Dovizioso & Toni Bou were present, they were accompanied by Dani Pedrosa via videoconference


This afternoon the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid was converted into an authentic spectacle of light and music so that Repsol Honda Team`s latest addition, Andrea Dovizioso, could be presented to Spanish fans. Dani Pedrosa, still recovering from the injuries he picked up in the latest practice sessions in Qatar, did not want to miss out on the presentation either, and even though he was not able to be there in person he was there as a virtual guest via satellite. This allowed him to greet all the fans in the stadium from Barcelona and even to respond to the questions made by some Repsol workers.

At the end of the presentation Dovizioso unveiled the Repsol Honda RC212V 2009, A bike that he will ride and battle to be up with best on in this season`s World MotoGP Championship, and which thanks to the latest regulations, promises to be very competitive.

With the 2009 season about to start and with all eyes on the first race on 12th April, at night in Qatar, the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship became a party for all the fans in the stadium. The recently crowned three times World Indoor Trial Champion, Toni Bou, made a spectacular entrance into the hall alongside Andrea Dovizioso. The two jumped onto the stage riding trial bikes, a fantastic sight that was a great warm-up for the official presentation of the riders that will defend the Repsol colours in the 2009 World MotoGP Championship.

Music from Melocos and a spectacular light show were the atmospheric setting that gave a chance to all the fans packed into the Palacio de Deportes to get to know the new member of the Repsol Honda Team, and his brand new official RC212V. His teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was not able to go to Madrid, did not miss out on the opportunity to accompany Dovizioso either and he greeted the public by taking advantage of the latest satellite technology. And he in turn received the support and affection of the public in the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid thanks to a video-conference.

The party carried on with the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship, something that gave Bou a chance to offer his fifth world title to the public – this is his third indoor title – after he wrapped the championship by winning the penultimate round in Italy. The next time the Repsol Honda Team is together will be at the Official MotoGP Test that will take place in Jerez in two weeks, but only Andrea Dovizioso will be there. For Dani Pedrosa things are different, his objective is to be fit enough for the first race of the year: on 12th April at the Circuit of Losail, Qatar.

Dani Pedrosa
“I feel fine – that is making progress at a normal pace – and taking things with a lot of patience, because I still have two weeks left before I can begin to bend my knee. That is why I have not been able to be with the fans that have gone to see the presentation in Madrid, I have to let my body recover, which after all is what you have to bear in mind in a case like this. But being able to greet the fans that have gone to the presentation thanks to the video-conference from Barcelona, I am glad that I was able to be present, even though it was through a monitor. I would like to be fit enough to do more practice, but I will have to find another way to prepare. The objective is stil the same, try to be fit for the first race in Qatar in a month`s time.”

Andrea Dovizioso
“Becoming an official rider in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream come true for me. It is a great experience and an incredible challenge, something I have already had a chance to see in the pre-season practice sessions. Being in the official team means that you carry more responsibility, I now have to help develop the motorbike, and that in the world of MotoGP is quite complex. All I did before was to ride and go as fast as possible, refining the setup, but now I also have to think about how the bike behaves so that its overall performance can be improved. The bike is going quite a bit better as we have more power coming from the engine, and a new chassis has really helped us with the sensations that the front end transmits to us, it now leans over better. I am very pleased to be in Madrid for the presentation of the Repsol team, and from now on I will do all I can in the fight for the world title.”

[Gassick]

Thanks Rev004! I was wondering what was going on!!!!!

[Dave]

Rev004,

I will be in the crowd for the Qatar GP, itâ€s a tuff life but I will post some pics of the race at a later date.

Dave