Le Mans-MotoGP

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Yamaha Factory Racing Riders Prepare for Round Four in France

Jorge Lorenzo heads to Le Mans this weekend for the French round of the 2011 MotoGP Championship in confident mood. Having celebrated his 24th birthday last week the reigning World Champion will be looking to extend his unbroken run of podium finishes so far this year. An impressive race win at Jerez in treacherous racing conditions and two superb second place podium finishes at Qatar and Estoril mean Lorenzo is the current Championship leader with a four point lead over fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. Le Mans has so far delivered great results, Lorenzo winning there the last two years consecutively and not forgetting a victory in 2007 in the 250GP class.

Fellow Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies arrives in France determined to break his run of bad luck with two DNF?s from the last two rounds. Spies? last visit to Le Mans in 2010 was also hit by misfortune, a big high side in the final free practice session seeing the American tackle qualifying and the subsequent race in some pain with a swollen ankle, ultimately resulting in a crash on the seventh lap and a DNF.

Both riders will be hunting a set up that delivers optimum balance and control under hard and repeated braking. Success at Le Mans requires dispatching several tight chicanes at the beginning of the circuit then attacking the short straights and tight hairpins that make up the remainder. Although arguably most famous for the Le Mans 24HR race, the iconic circuit draws huge crowds for the French MotoGP race.

Jorge Lorenzo


"I am coming back to Le Mans, a track I really enjoy and where I won last season. The people in Le Mans love motorbikes, they love the smell of fuel. We are on the top, but we should be focused on getting as many points as possible. Our main goal is the podium, our fourth podium, and to be in front in Montmel?. This track has a lot of chicanes and is funny for me. The weather is always changing, we have to be careful with the forecast, it can change everything."

Ben Spies

?I?ve had a really relaxing few days off after Estoril back home in Como, Italy. I had a good chance to get out on my bicycle and really work off some of the frustration from the race. Having felt so good at the start I really believed we could have delivered some strong results in Portugal. Anyway, we all move on together and as a team we?re coming to France determined to make up for it and really kick off our 2011 season again.?

Wilco Zeelenberg
?We had a fantastic test in Estoril, everybody was surprised with the good weather so we had the opportunity to try many things. We?re looking forward to Le Mans; Jorge has always been good there. Hopefully we?ve found our way back from the test to an improved setting so Jorge can go back to his old riding style of fast corner entry which he was missing a little for the first three races. We?ve given that back to him so were confident he can perform well in France and for the rest of the season. Le Mans is a Yamaha track, it works well for us so it?s also a great place for Ben to come back and aim for the podium.?

Massimo Meregalli

?We left Estoril with some good points from the test and some valuable information. We are going to Le Mans with good confidence to continue our strong performance. Jorge intends to keep his performance high; he has already proved he is strong at Le Mans. Ben has had a challenging start to the year however we had a really good test at Estoril and we are confident he will kick start his championship attack on Sunday in France.?


Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 36 (16 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 149 (54 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 43 (16 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 3 (MotoGP 2010, 250cc, 2006/7)

Ben Spies
Age: 26
Lives: Longview Texas / Lake Como Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories:
First GP victory:
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 24
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Le Mans 2010

1. J.Lorenzo Yamaha 44'29.114
2. V.Rossi Yamaha +5.672
3. A.Dovizioso Honda +7.872

-. Ben Spies Yamaha Tech 3 nc


Le Mans Record Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1'34.215

Le Mans Best Lap
D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'32.647

 

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Bautista in determined mood for Le Mans

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista has been undergoing a comprehensive training programme to improve his fitness in readiness for this weekend?s French Grand Prix.

Bautista made an astonishing comeback at the Portuguese race just six weeks after breaking his femur and is now eager to make up for missing the first two races of 2011. He is determined to perform well at Le Mans after the disappointment of missing last year?s race, following a crash that aggravated an existing injury and forced him to withdraw from the event.

Le Mans is one of the most famous race-tracks in the world and the MotoGP field will race on the Bugatti Circuit, a layout which only shares a short section of the 24-hour track. The 4,185m circuit is a real stop-and-go design which will certainly test Bautista?s physical ability to change direction. The track also has an incredibly fast first corner ? taken flat-out in top gear before braking hard for a chicane. Le Mans is approximately 200km/s south-west of Paris and the usual lively crowd that fills the camp-sites around the circuit will add a unique atmosphere to the fourth round of the season.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP takes to the track on Friday 13th May for two free practice sessions, followed by another free session on Saturday morning and an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday?s 28-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

?lvaro Bautista:

?I have been working hard since the Portuguese Grand Prix and test to improve my fitness and get ready for Le Mans and the rest of the season. It was great to be back on the bike at Estoril, but it showed me that I still have some work to do to be up to race fitness. I plan to go to Le Mans in a better condition than I went to Estoril and in a much better condition than when I arrived in France last year! My target is to get to the finish line this year ? because I didn?t manage that in 2010 ? and then build on things for the remainder of the season. There are still plenty of races left so we have plenty of time to show what we can do. The few laps that I did in the test were good because they showed that the new chassis is an improvement, so we will use that in France and hopefully it will help us to be more competitive.?

 

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DE PUNIET READY FOR HIS HOME GRAND PRIX AT LE MANS. CAPIROSSI CONFIDENT AFTER TEST IN PORTUGAL

The fourth round of the MotoGP world championship will take place this weekend in Le Mans, at the Bugatti circuit. Its an important track that was built in 1965 around the original course for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The narrow circuit is characterized by unusual curves, which force the rider to brake and accelerate hard. The Pramac Racing Team will try to continue the encouraging progress it experienced in Portugal, despite the fact that Paolo Campinotis team has always had a difficult relationship with this track, having only achieved a single podium, in 2004 when the Pramac logo adorned Max Biaggis fairing. Since that season, there have been mixed results at Le Mans, with some retirements and some finishes far from the top.

Green Team rider Randy De Puniet will be the landlord, and the Frenchman would love to do well in front of his home crowd, at a track where he has earned four podiums. It will all depend on his knee which, following the removal of a screw a few days after the Jerez race, certainly didnt help him during the next round at Estoril. Loris Capirossi would also like to consolidate the progress made in Portugal, although Le Mans definitely isnt one of his favorite tracks. In addition, it seems that the French race could be the first European GP not to be affected by rain.

Fabio Sterlacchini Pramac Racing Technical Director

We worked a lot on the bike at the Estoril test, especially Loris, since Randy unfortunately was affected by his painful knee. The problem at the last race was the front end, so we tried various solutions, and perhaps one of those could help us go forward with our development once and for all. The circuit seems custom-made for our bike: it doesnt have long straights to speak of, so a lot depends on the riders. Were pleased with the most recent results, and we need to stay on that path. Randys injury is really a shame, as he was taking big steps. I hope hell be ready for Sunday anyway.

Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team Rider

I must say that I was very worried about my knee after the race in Estoril. When I got off the bike, I immediately feared the worst. I thought that the ligaments might have been injured during the race, but fortunately the doctor visits Ive made have excluded that possibility. It needs rest, but weve had very few days off. The problem had to do with the blood circulation around the scar after the screw was removed. Im calm and happy to race in front of my fans, on home ground. I wasnt able to test the bike like everyone else did at Estoril, but I hope to have the same approach with the bike that we had in Qatar and at Jerez.

Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team Rider

The test after the Estoril race showed that were making progress with the bike. The problem with the front seems to have been solved, along with some other small issues. Sure, the bike isnt perfect, but the work we carried out makes us optimistic about the future. We want to show our capability, and we hope well be able to do that. As I said after the last race, were only getting started. We have plenty of time to put together a great bike. Everything depends on us, and were confident.

 

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Hunting the Perfect Set-Up in Le Mans

The first track sessions of the French round of the 2011 MotoGP Championship were played out under glorious sunshine in Le Mans today. Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the morning and afternoon free practice sessions working through a number of chassis set-up changes and tyre options in preparation for Sunday?s Grand Prix. Lorenzo wrapped up the day in fifth having taken just over half a second off his morning time with improved set-up. The reigning World Champion will focus on improving his bike?s ability to turn in tomorrow morning?s final free practice ahead of the afternoon qualifying session.

Lorenzo?s team mate Ben Spies was happy to be back on the bike and re-building his confidence after his DNF at Estoril two weeks ago. Echoing his team mate?s performance Spies also made good improvements over the day, taking nearly eight tenths of a second off his time by end of session and finishing in tenth. The Texan claimed the highest speed on the Le Mans circuit for the sessions, clocking 288.9km/hr with his Yamaha YZR-M1.

Jorge Lorenzo Position : 5th Time: 1'34.659 Laps: 45



?As I?ve said before, this year it?s going to be a difficult year. Some of the other riders are much faster than before. We?re working hard and we are trying a lot of things to improve the bike. We will keep on, we made some improvements over today and I hope tomorrow we will make a step and be a bit faster.?


Ben Spies Position : 10th Time: 1'34.976 Laps: 48



?I was pretty happy with today, building some confidence back up after the last race in Estoril. The sessions went pretty well for us we just didn?t put in one fast lap. We?ve been quite consistent with race distance on the tyres and I?m reasonably happy with the bike so if we can make it better for tomorrow I think we?ll be up with the front guys.?

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager


?The second session went a bit better but we?re not completely happy and satisfied as we are still missing some ?turnability?. We improved a bit from the morning, Jorge was more consistent and a bit faster but for sure he wants more and we do need it. Hopefully tomorrow we can make another step without losing our strong points because at the moment braking on corner entry is quite good.?


Massimo Meregalli Team Director


?We still have some work to do but the balance of Ben?s bike is not too far off. We are also working to find which tyre is best for tomorrow?s qualifying; we are positive about what we can achieve in the next sessions. Jorge made clear improvements over the day although they are still looking to find some more agility.?


Combined Free Practice Times

1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 1'33.782
2. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'34.186
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.431
4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 1'34.652
5. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'34.659
6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.705
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'34.939
8. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'34.959
9. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati Team 1'34.966
10. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'34.976
11. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Pramac Racing Team 1'34.998
12. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.158
13. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Pramac Racing Team 1'35.383
14. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 1'35.902
15. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'35.992
16. Toni Elias (SPA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'36.304
17. Karel Abraham (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing 1'36.327


Le Mans Record Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1'34.215

Le Mans Best Lap
D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'32.647

 

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DE PUNIET ELEVENTH IN FREE PRACTICE AT HOME GP. CAPIROSSI THIRTEENTH

Just a few hundredths of a second separates both Randy De Puniet"landlord" of the fourth round in Le Mansand Loris Capirossi from the leading group on the first day of practice session at the Le Mans Motogp round, ending the day with satisfaction for the Pramac Racing Team. In the morning session, De Puniet stopped the clock with a time 1'35.687. In the afternoon, the Frenchman lowered his best time to 1'34.998, closing the day eleventh. Capirossi had the thirteenth-fastest lap time at 1'35.383. The Italian rider improved his best time as well, lowering it by a second compared to that of the first practice session. The last free practice session is tomorrow, with qualifying in the afternoon.

Marco Rigamonti - Randy De Puniet Track Engineer

"Since this morning, weve tried different solutions to solve the problems that Randy found. We worked especially in the front of the bike, as Randy had difficulty finishing the corners. To solve the problem, the Franchman tried a pretty extreme solution. Well try to take a step forward tomorrow. We tested also the tires, we know how to make the race, although
tomorrow we will have final answer. We are near to the leading group, I think that tomorrow we can improve our results".

Randy De Puniet - Pilota Pramac Racing Team - 11? miglior tempo 1'34.998

"I've improved my performance, my best lap time is lowered and the feeling with the bike is good. The front of the bike didn't get the same problems since Estoril, although it's not perferct. We took half step forward, tomorrow I hope to confirm my progress. I'm calm, run here, in my home, give me a lot of energies".

Loris Capirossi - Pilota Pramac Racing Team 13? miglior tempo 1'35.383

"I'm satisfied. We took a great step forward changing the bike. Each time we came out of the garage we managed to improved our lap times. We know where to work, the bike is balanced, but give up when braking as it doesn't turn as it should. Let's see if we can improve a bit more in the last free practie and solve the problem. I am a bit worried about tomorrow climatic conditions: ride with such a low temperature certainly doensn't help to keep the tires on the asphalt".

 

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More to come from Bautista after first full day at Le Mans

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista today completed his first full day of practice on a MotoGP machine at the Le Mans circuit in France, but still feels he has more work to do.

Bautista (P15, 1?35.992, 42 laps) is still recovering from the broken femur he suffered eight weeks ago, and is yet to reach full fitness, but the plucky Spaniard didn?t let that bother him today as he set about coming to terms with the stop-start nature of the Le Mans track ? a configuration that certainly tested him and the Suzuki GSV-R to the limit. Bautista progressed steadily throughout the day and recorded his best lap-time of the penultimate circulation of the afternoon session. He worked with his team to get the GSV-R set-up to give him the confidence he requires and is convinced he will be stronger as the weekend progresses. Today marked the first time that Bautista has completed a session on a MotoGP bike after a crash in last year?s first session ruled him out of the rest of the weekend?s proceedings.

Today?s practices were both held in dry and sunny conditions, but a brisk wind kept temperatures at a pleasant 24?C this afternoon. Honda?s Casey Stoner led the way in both of today?s practice sessions to top the leader-board on day one.

Rizla Suzuki and Bautista have one more practice session tomorrow morning, before an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday?s 28-lap race is the fourth round of the 2011 season and the lights will go out to signal the start of the race at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

?lvaro Bautista:

?It has been a difficult day because for me this has really been the first time I?ve ridden a MotoGP bike here - after crashing and not being able to continue last year. In both sessions I had a bit of a problem entering the corners because I didn?t feel like I had enough grip. The bike felt like it was floating and this didn?t give me the confidence to turn quickly. We will have to work on this to improve things, but I have complete faith in my team that they will get it sorted out. We still need a bit more time to get the bike set right so I can start to push to the limit, but the bike didn?t give me that today and in my condition it?s quite difficult to push that far. My mind and my body still don?t want to risk anything, so we still need to go step-by-step, but I?m sure we?ll be quicker tomorrow. My leg is much better than Portugal, it?s still not perfect, but I was able to do the whole of today?s practices without getting too tired.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

??lvaro is more focussed on performance here in Le Mans, than he is on recovering from his broken leg, but we have to be realistic and remember that he is still in the recuperation process. In addition, the Le Mans circuit holds some horrible memories from last year, so for all these reasons it will take a while to build his confidence and let him attack the circuit. Without question there?s work to do with the bike and the benefits of the new chassis are not being felt yet - we need to get the settings right so he can go closer to the limits. We?ve done plenty of laps today - and got some useful data - and now we have a base to be able to improve significantly tomorrow.?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Combined Free Practice Classification:

1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 1?33.782: 2. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +0.404: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.649: 4. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.870: 5. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.877: 15. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +2.210:

 

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HAYDEN FOURTH AND ROSSI NINTH IN FREE PRACTICE IN FRANCE

On a day marked by beautiful weather, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi earned the fourth- and ninth-best times, respectively, during the first two free-practice sessions at the French Grand Prix.

During the afternoon session, the American found a good feeling with his GP11, and he hopes to continue at the same level over the course of the weekend. The Italian, on the other hand, was affected by setup issues, and by the time he and his crew made a change that seemed promising, he only had time for a couple of laps before the checkered flag flew. Tomorrow he?ll continue experimenting with setup in an effort to reduce the gap to the front.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 4th, 1:34.652
?Today was certainly better than the last few Fridays, by quite a long way. It?s still early, and it?s just one day, but the bike felt quite good here straight away. The Portugal test was very useful for me and the team. We thought we made a little step there, and it seems like we confirmed that here. Overall, the bike definitely seems a little bit better, but we?ve still got a long way to go to be that fast consistently. Also, the gap to the very front is still out there quite a ways. Le Mans is difficult because it?s not a real grippy track, but we know our bike is really good on hard braking, and as I expected, that?s helping us here. Anyway, hopefully this will give us a little bit of momentum, and we?ll keep rolling tomorrow.?

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 9th, 1:34.966
?For sure I hoped today would go better than that. We had a few problems trying to find the right setting, so we?re too far back today. We?re struggling somewhat on corner exits. The bike moves a lot under acceleration, and we?re trying to understand if it?s a question of setup, or one of electronics, because at the moment, I?m having a hard time riding. In the end, we found an interesting change for the rear, but there were just a few minutes left in the session. I only had time for a couple of laps, during which I more or less matched my best time. Maybe with a little more time, I could have dropped another tenth and made up some positions, but tomorrow we definitely have to do much better when we try that setup with more time.?

 

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Gutsy fourth row for Bautista at Le Mans

?lvaro Bautista produced yet another brave performance during today?s qualifying at Le Mans to put his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R on the fourth row for tomorrow?s race.

Bautista (P12, 1?34.513, 29 laps) improved consistently throughout the day, and during this afternoon?s qualifying was regularly in the top-10, he produced solid race-pace laps that show he has a chance of being competitive on Sunday. His final time was less than a second from a front-row start and with the injury he is still carrying, and the lack of track-time that he has had on a MotoGP machine around the French circuit, emphasise what a superb performance the Spaniard has produced today.

Dry and sunny conditions again covered the 4,185m Le Mans track and for the second day in succession Honda?s Casey Stoner led the way in both of the sessions and took pole position for tomorrow?s race, but with rain a possibility for Sunday the race could be wide open.

The main event gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 15th May, when Bautista will be looking to continue with the improvement in fitness and hard work - that he has so far shown this weekend - to bring his Rizla Suzuki home in a good points scoring position.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I am happy with the work we have done today. This morning we tried a new setting in the bike because yesterday we needed more rear grip when we entered the corners and today we tried to make the bike shorter to help with this. It was the right thing to do because suddenly it felt much better, but the change was made on the old frame, so this afternoon we put the same setting in the new chassis and the improvement was even better. My rhythm was between mid 1?34 and 1?35 all the time and this was easy to do. At the end of qualifying I tried to follow some other guys, but I made some mistakes on my best lap ? so I think I can certainly improve on that. We have done a good job today and I am happy with the whole team because they are helping me so much to get the confidence in the bike. If we continue in this way I think we will be at the top of our performance very soon!?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

??lvaro had done incredibly well to return from injury in Estoril and today in Le Mans he has begun to compete properly and ride with his usual levels of aggression. It?s easy to underestimate the psychological ? as well as physical - effects of accidents and injuries, and to come back as quickly as he has ? and to such a reasonable level ? is very encouraging for the rest of the season. I have to say well done to Tom ? ?lvaro?s Crew Chief ? for sticking to his guns and making the right changes to the bike, which have allowed ?lvaro to be a lot more competitive today.?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Qualifying Classification:

1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 1?33.453: 2. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +0.059: 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.468: 4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.530: 5. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.553: 12. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.360:

 

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DE PUNIET FALLS BUT REMOUNTS AND JUST MISSES THE TOP TEN. CAPIROSSI FIFTEENTH

The starting grid for the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship at Le Mans took place this afternoon. Theres some disappointment inside the Pramac Racing Team garage, with Randy De Puniet suffering a fall during the first part of the qualifying session. Despite a hard knock to his left shoulder, the Frenchman immediately remounted his Ducati, managing to complete the session in eleventh place, just a few thousandths behind factory Ducati riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi. As for his teammate Loris Capirossi, the Italian was disappointed with what has thus far been a forgettable weekend. Hell start from the fifth and penultimate row, ahead of Karel Abraham and Toni Elias.

Marco Rigamonti - Randy De Puniets Track Engineer

We threw away this mornings session because we started with the tire used during yesterdays free-practice sessions. In the afternoon, the crash certainly didnt help us, but Randy really did a great job by managing to do more than ten laps in a row with his qualifying tyre. He put the crash out of his head right away and his feeling with the bike wasnt affected. At the end of the session, he hit a little traffic and therefore wasnt able to take advantage of the final minutes. The numbers speak clearly, however: were a tenth off Haydens Ducati, which means weve done our best. We know what the problem is; in some conditions, the bike doesnt turn like it should. Now well analyze the data together with Ducati to see if we can solve the problem.

Randy De Puniet - Pramac Racing Team 11th, 134.351


Im okay despite my crash at the beginning of qualifying. Looking at the pictures, I think I was lucky to make it back to the garage; I could have been serioiusly hurt, and instead I only have a little pain in my left shoulder. I dont remember a lot about the crash, just that my head hit my shoulder. In the end, the time wasnt so bad, especially because its the best I could do. Were just behind the factory Ducati team, which means I gave everything I had. For tomorrows race, I hope to get back into the top ten; that would be a good result for me and my fans.

Loris Capirossi - Pramac Racing Team 15th, 1'34.866

Im still having a very hard time. Today I wasnt able to find traction on corner exits, and this problem cost me a few too many tenths. Tomorrow we have to change something. I tried today, and in the end were all very close, within just a few tenths. Unfortunately, I cant manage to get the most out of my laps. I have to give it my best effort and hope that everything goes well.

 

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Honda sweeps top four places in Le Mans qualifying

Honda?s RC212V MotoGP machine dominated today?s qualifying session at Le Mans for tomorrow?s French Grand Prix, taking the top four slots on the grid. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) was relentless and successful in pursuit of pole position, fighting off strong challenges from fellow Honda riders Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V).

Le Mans demands excellent braking stability, accurate turning and strong acceleration from a MotoGP bike, features that the 2011 RC212V would seem to have in abundance, especially considering the fact that the same four riders also headed the first three practice sessions here.

Stoner dominated all four sessions, just as he did at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix, which he went on to win. This is the Australian?s first pole at Le Mans and his third from the first four races of 2011, following on from similar performances at Losail and Jerez. His speed today puts him in confident mood for the race, even though he has never scored a victory here. Stoner ? currently third in the points chase ? will race using 2011 ?hlins front forks for the first time.

Simoncelli closed to within 0.059s of Stoner during his final run, having made steady improvements to his RCV throughout practice. The spectacular Italian ? on the front row for a second consecutive race ? is still looking for more confidence in corner entries, but believes he can fight for a podium or maybe even a win. Most of all though, he wants to put behind him the disappointment of crashing out at Jerez and Estoril.

Dovizioso is delighted to be third fastest, which puts him on the front row of the grid for the first time this year. The Repsol rider worked hard during the first three sessions, ending up a close third behind Stoner and Simoncelli, and repeated that performance this afternoon, ending up just 0.468s off pole.

Pedrosa was unlucky to miss out on a front-row start, completing the session just 0.062s behind team-mate Dovizioso. The Spaniard ? who is currently just four points adrift of series leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) ? lacked some rear grip and was unable to make full use of a softer rear tyre at the end of the session. This is the first time that Pedrosa will have started off the front row so far this season.

Former 250 World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) wasn?t able to build on a useful first day?s work here and he slipped down the order as a result. The Japanese rider and his crew have a few ideas to try in morning warm-up, which they hope will increase their pace in the race.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) had a tough time in qualifying, ending this afternoon?s session in 17th, albeit only 2.280s down on pole position. His hopes weren?t helped by a heavy fall during the final stages, when he lost control while braking for the Garage Vert hairpin. The reigning Moto2 World Champion was unhurt, but the tumble robbed him of the chance to improve his lap times on his final run.

MotoGP rider quotes

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: pole position ? 1m, 33.153s
?We?re very happy with this pole. We focused a lot on race set-up this afternoon, going from one bike to the other, making small adjustments to improve the bike a little. The conditions aren?t perfect at the moment. It?s quite windy, so it?s hard to see if you?ve improved or not, but my Honda was working really well and I never found myself pushing to the limit too much which is always good. This is our third pole of the season but we?ve only converted one of them into a victory so we hope to have a little more luck here in Le Mans and fight for the win.?

Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 2nd ? 1m, 33.212s
?I got really close to my first-ever pole today ? 0.059s is hardly anything! Strangely it is the same gap that I missed out on the podium by last year at Estoril. In any case I am happy and we are not in bad shape for the race. We have improved from session to session so I am confident. We have improved under braking today, but I still don?t feel 100% secure. My objective tomorrow is to get to the end of the race and bring some important points home. I won?t be pushing over the limit to get a result at all costs. I want to manage the race well.?

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 3rd ? 1m, 33.621s
?I?m very happy to start from the first row. Even though this was our target, I didn?t expect it. I was behind Simoncelli for two laps and this helped me because I followed his lines. This afternoon we did some small changes to the set-up and my feeling with the front improved. We arrived at this race very confident; I think we can fight for the podium. Tomorrow the race will be tough, Casey is very fast and he may try to run away. I have a good pace and I think I will fight with Simoncelli. I want to thank my team for all their hard work and hope we can get a good result tomorrow.?

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 4th ? 1m, 33.683s
?We improved quite a lot compared to yesterday, but we still feel a lack of traction in the rear and good grip to have the tyre working as we would like. At the beginning of this afternoon?s session we managed to find a good rhythm with the soft tyre, but these are not qualifying tyres anymore and in my last run of the session, with only five laps to push, I could not make the most of the tyre. In the warm-up tomorrow we have to improve the bike a little and for the race it?s important to get a good start. Here the first chicane is delicate and we need to avoid any trouble. The first laps will be crucial because the tyres are cold and it?s important to stay in front. Besides Casey, other rivals are closer here, such as Simoncelli and Dovi. Lorenzo has also improved, so we must be prepared to fight because the race will be demanding and long, but as in Estoril, we will try.?

Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 13th ? 1m, 34.612s
?I am not too happy with the result today. I haven?t improved much on my best lap from yesterday afternoon and for that reason I have dropped a few positions. Hopefully tomorrow in the race I can recover those positions and first of all find some set-up solutions in the morning that will help us have a good race.?

Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP: 17th ? 1m, 35.433s
?I believe we have made a step forward on bike set-up because my feeling was better than yesterday. I lapped on used tyres for the most of the session this afternoon, posting decent lap times and then I moved to a new rear tyre. Unfortunately on my last run I lost the front at turn nine, losing the chance to improve my lap time and my spot on the grid. Honestly, I believe we could have jumped few places and not being in the back of the grid this weekend, but the good thing is that the base set-up we have got now is pretty good.?
Pole position : 1m33.153s (161.733Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda
Circuit record lap : 1m34.215s (159.910Km/h) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha, 2008)
Circuit Best Lap : 1m32.647s (162.617 Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2008)
Qualifying position
1 Casey Stoner 1m33.153s AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Marco Simoncelli +0.059s ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
3 Andrea Dovizioso +0.468s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Dani Pedrosa +0.530s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Jorge Lorenzo +0.553s SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
6 Cal Crutchlow +0.651s GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
7 Colin Edwards +0.910s USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
8 Ben Spies +1.053s USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
9 Valentino Rossi +1.053s ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Nicky Hayden +1.124s USA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Randy De Puniet +1.198s FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
12 Alvaro Bautista +1.360s SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
13 Hiroshi Aoyama +1.459s JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
14 Hector Barbera +1.497s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
15 Loris Capirossi +1.713s ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
16 Karel Abraham +1.857s CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
17 Toni Elias +2.280s SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 65 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Dani Pedrosa 61 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Casey Stoner 41 pts AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Valentino Rossi 31 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
5 Nicky Hayden 30 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
6 Andrea Dovizioso 30 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Hiroshi Aoyama 28 pts JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
8 Cal Crutchlow 21 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
9 Colin Edwards 18 pts USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Hector Barbera 14 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
11 Karel Abraham 13 pts CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
12 Toni Elias 12 pts SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
13 Ben Spies 12 pts USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
14 Marco Simoncelli 11 pts ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
15 Loris Capirossi 9 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
16 Randy De Puniet 6 pts FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
17 John Hopkins 6 pts USA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
18 Alvaro Bautista 3 pts SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP

 

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NINTH AND TENTH PLACES IN LE MANS QUALIFYING FOR ROSSI AND HAYDEN

The qualifying session for the French Grand Prix saw Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden finish with the ninth- and tenth-best times, respectively. The Italian had a decent session, working well with his crew and steadily improving his bike?s setup, as well as his pace with hard tyres. The final minutes, when it was time to mount the softer tyres, were less effective, however, because he wasn?t able to mantain the second row despite improving his performance.

Nicky Hayden, who had posted the fourth-best time on Friday and was fifth-best this morning, went long in a corner during what had until then been a very fast lap, and he wasn?t subsequently able to improve.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 9th, 1:34.206
?Naturally, we?re not happy with our position: it?s not good, because I had hoped to start from the second row. I?m pleased with the way we worked, though, as well as with how I rode, because I was finally able to ride well. We solved some problems, and we understood that other aspects of the setup weren?t going in the right direction, so we changed them. I think this was our best qualifying session since I?ve been at Ducati, because with just a few minutes left, I was inside sixth place. Unfortunately, when the moment to use the softer tyre comes, we don?t take a big enough step, so tomorrow I?ll have to start from the third row, behind some riders who had a slower pace. We have a couple more ideas to try in the warm-up though, and if they work, we can do better in the race.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 10th, 1:34.227
"This morning wasn?t bad, but I hoped for more in qualifying, for sure. The bike was working quite well at the pace I?ve been running, but when I tried to cut those last couple of tenths, it was moving around a lot. It?s unfortunate after being fourth yesterday and fifth this morning. I was hoping to be up a few spots, but I don?t really have a lot of excuses. I had a couple of good, clear laps, but I just didn?t put down the lap time I needed to. I'm starting tenth, and as bad as that sounds, it?s my best grid spot of the year. Anyway, tomorrow is what counts.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Crutchlow and Edwards show class in Le Mans

Cal CrutchlowThe Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is confident of a strong showing in its crucial home race tomorrow after Cal Crutchlow and Colin Edwards produced breathtaking qualifying performances at the Le Mans circuit this afternoon.

Crutchlow's fantastic rookie season in the MotoGP World Championship continued in brilliant fashion, the British rider surging to a career best sixth position on the grid in just his second day of riding at the legendary Bugatti track in France.

The 25-year-old spent most of the session assessing the performance of Bridgestone's hard compound rear tyre before Crutchlow commenced a stunning time attack in the final 15 minutes. A lap of 1.34.374 pushed him into fifth position but Crutchlow then shaved another 0.5s off to secure a memorable maiden top six place on the grid for tomorrow's 28-lap French Grand Prix.

Crutchlow's best time of 1.33.804 was only 0.098s behind reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo riding the factory Yamaha YZR-M1 machine, as less than 1.5s split the top 14 riders in an enthralling session. Crutchlow was less than 0.2s away from a front row start, raising hopes that he can fight for a third consecutive top ten finish in tomorrow's race.

With temperatures slightly cooler than yesterday as scattered cloud hung over the Le Mans circuit, American Colin Edwards equaled his best qualifying performance of the campaign and he'll start the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team's all-important home race from seventh on the grid.

Edwards worked tirelessly to improve the set-up he first tried during the Estoril test earlier this month, which significantly helped with the rear grip of his YZR-M1 machine. Edwards, who has scored two of his 11 MotoGP podiums in Le Mans, clocked a best time of 1.34.063 to finish seventh on the timesheets. Edwards was only 0.259s behind Crutchlow.

Cal Crutchlow 6th 1.33.804 ? 28 laps

?I knew I had the raw speed to come into MotoGP and be fast, but to get a top six on the grid in just my fourth race is a brilliant achievement. Thanks again to my guys in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team because we've worked really well again and I wanted to do well with this being the Team's home race in France. At one point in the session I was only 15th and I was starting to get a bit worried because we spent a lot of time on the hard tyre. I couldn't get it to work and I did a faster lap on a softer tyre that had done 30-laps. To be honest, the bike has been quite difficult to ride this weekend. We've had to change the wheelbase setting from the Estoril test but it still feels a little bit unstable. To qualify sixth on a circuit I've never seen before though is great, but my expectation will still be to finish in the top ten. And that's going to be difficult when you look at how close the times are. As always I'll be going all out tomorrow to get a good result.?

Colin Edwards 7th 1.34.063 ? 30 laps

?I liked looking at the timesheets in Le Mans a lot better when the Yamaha used to be on the top. I honestly can't do anything on else with the package I've got. I know I'm riding really good and the set-up we found in Estoril that improved rear grip has been working fantastic here too. I could probably find a tenth or two but I definitely don't have another second hidden away. I know where I'm losing the time but there is nothing I can do about it. I can't change the bike to make it accelerate it any harder but that other bike is a really good package. The goal tomorrow will just to be aggressive in the first few laps and ride the wheels off it until I see the flag. That's really all I can do but this is the Team's home race and a huge event for Monster, so I'll be pushing my hardest for another top six.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Challenging Qualification at Le Mans for Yamaha

Today?s qualifying session at Le Mans for tomorrow?s Grand Prix of France was a tough session for Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies. Despite the threat of rain this morning the sun did finally break out, allowing the riders to make the best possible use of the softer tyres on track.

Lorenzo made another step forward in set-up, going nearly a second faster than yesterday?s free practice. The Mallorcan spent the session hunting for further grip and less wheelie from his Yamaha YZR-M1 as he battled for third position. A front row start was looking possible before dropping to fifth at the end of the heat and a second row start for the race.

Spies was also making improvements from yesterday, the American finding an extra 0.7 of a second in qualifying today. A flying lap at the end of the session was unfortunately interrupted by another rider obstructing him, leaving him in eighth place on the third row of the grid for the race.
Jorge Lorenzo
Position 5th - Time 1.33.706 - Laps 30

?We start on the second row for tomorrow; we will try to keep our pace of 34.0 or 34.1 seconds. If we can do this then maybe we can fight for the podium. If other riders make some mistakes and are not fast enough and we are a little bit faster then it?s possible to fight for more. It?s our goal and this is what we are going to try for the race. I am optimistic though, I think we are not very far from Pedrosa or Dovizioso and if I can improve my riding and be a bit faster on the race and they struggle a little bit we can be with them.?
Ben Spies
Position 8th - Time 1.34.206 - Laps 30

?it was an ok session for us; we got held up a bit on our quick lap but in all actuality I?ve been building up more confidence through the weekend and feeling better with the bike. We?re going to make a change for tomorrow and hopefully we can find something. We have pretty good pace for the race and I?m quite confident we can get some decent points.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?We are still running a bit behind. We improved our lap time in qualification but fifth position at the moment is the worst we have been in over a year. We need to find more grip on the track and less wheelie for Jorge. We will discuss now what to do and try for tomorrow, there are always possibilities.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?We are still working to make Ben more comfortable on the bike; hopefully we can find something more for him tonight for his race set-up so he can ride to his full potential. We know he will continue to give 100% tomorrow and fight as hard as he can. On Jorge?s side he has already shown us that he can deliver in race conditions. We will continue to put all of our efforts in for the best possible Yamaha result.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON THE PODIUM WITH ROSSI, HAYDEN SEVENTH

The French Grand Prix saw Valentino Rossi score his first podium finish aboard a Ducati, following a race that was marked by excitement and surprises. Nicky Hayden started from the fourth row, but advanced to seventh place by the finish.

The Italian celebrated his third-place finish after a weekend of hard work and constant improvement, during which he and his crew progressively improved the bike?s setup until finding a good compromise for the race. Sixth at the end of the first lap, Rossi stayed just a few tenths from Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, who fought over fourth place until an incident between Pedrosa and Simoncelli with ten laps remaining. At that point, the trio began battling over second place, and in the end, Valentino finished third, behind Dovizioso and winner Casey Stoner.

Nicky Hayden fought over sixth place with Ben Spies, and although he had to concede the position to his compatriot in the end, he was pleased with the progress made over the course of the weekend.

In two days, on May 17, Valentino Rossi will be in action at Silverstone Circuit aboard a Ducati 1198, as the English track inaugurates a new paddock wing.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 3rd
?We?re very pleased with this podium because we?re on the right path, and especially because I had fun today. I rode the Desmosedici well, I was fast in the technical parts of the track, I felt good from start to finish and I had good lap times. This morning we made a last change to the setting together with Jeremy and the guys from Ducati, and it helped cut another couple of tenths. I knew I could beat Lorenzo, so that was my goal. I also passed Dovi at one point, but I got a little confused and made a move on the penultimate lap instead of the last one. I lost my concentration momentarily, but in short, he got me again. Anyway, it?s fine like this; I?m happy for myself, for my team, for Filippo (Preziosi), and for all the boys at Ducati. This result boosts our morale. We still have to keep working and improving though, because there?s more to be done. I also have to improve and keep adapting my style to the Ducati, because I?m still not riding it as I should, but in the meanwhile, we?ll enjoy today?s nice race and podium.?

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 7th
?We didn?t do ourselves any favors by starting 10th, but actually, we made a little step forward with the bike today. I got a decent start but was just really tight and lost some time. As the race got going, I was able to move up a bit and slowly bring back Spies and Colin. Colin crashed, but once I got in front of Ben, I wasn?t really able to get down in the 34s and get away like I needed to. Seventh isn?t a great result for us, but I would say that overall, it?s probably been our best weekend yet. When the track was cold, I was able to go quite fast?always in the top five in those conditions. I hoped for better in the race, but I?m looking forward to the next stretch; we?re about to really get into the season.?

Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager)
?We?re satisfied with this weekend because we?ve already benefited from the first changes that we?ve made according to Vale?s requests. We had a nice race, maintained a good pace and took part in a nice battle. The team worked very well on the setup, which we changed every session and took a step forward each time?including one in the morning warm-up. We still have work to do, because this is only the start; there?s still a gap to make up, but anyway, we?re going in a promising direction. Nicky also confirmed that his feeling with the motorcycle has improved, and he made good progress on the bike over the course of the weekend.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Stoner and Dovizioso score Honda one-two at Le Mans

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) scored his second MotoGP victory on a Honda in today?s French Grand Prix to move into second place in the World Championship point standings. Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) scored a fine second-place finish to secure a brilliant one-two for Repsol Honda.

But what could have been a perfect day for the team was spoiled by a mid-race incident, which saw the luckless Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) crash and break a collarbone after tangling with Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V). Simoncelli was subsequently punished with a ride-through penalty that demoted him from second place to fifth.

Stoner dominated this weekend just as he ruled the season-opening Qatar GP in March, topping free practice, qualifying and the race. And yet the race wasn?t without its moments for the Australian who overheated his clutch on the grid and therefore didn?t make his usual fast getaway. Nevertheless Stoner didn?t lose his cool and had muscled his way back into second by the end of the first lap, right behind Pedrosa. The following lap he moved into the lead and the two Honda riders quickly pulled clear of the pack, once again demonstrating the remarkable performance of the 2011 RC212V.

Stoner, however, couldn?t make the break. Whenever he upped his pace, his team-mate responded with impressive speed, establishing a new lap record on lap nine. Just before half-distance Stoner did finally open a small gap, leaving Pedrosa to deal with the advancing Simoncelli.

Simoncelli passed Pedrosa at Garage Vert on lap 18, ran wide, putting the pair side by side as they sped towards the Chemin aux Boeuf left/right chicane. The Italian was later on the brakes and rode round the outside into the left-hander, leaving his Spanish rival with nowhere to go, which caused the pair to collide. Simoncelli stayed on, Pedrosa fell, fracturing his right collarbone, another unlucky blow for the former 250 and 125 World Champion.

The controversial collision left Simoncelli clear in second place, but Race Direction decided to impose a ride-through penalty, which he took with four laps remaining. The punishment dropped the former 250 World Champion to seventh, but during the final few laps he fought back to fifth, ten seconds behind reigning MotoGP World Champion and current points leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) who finished off the podium for the first time this year.

With Simoncelli knocked down the order, the duel for second was fought out between Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi (Ducati), all the way to the finish. Earlier in the race Dovizioso had survived a scare when Lorenzo ran into him at turn two, but he came back strongly to get the better of Lorenzo. Later in the race Rossi got past his fellow Italian, but Dovizioso had a plan for the final lap and used some superb late-braking moves to keep Rossi behind him. The result gave a delighted Dovizioso his first podium appearance of the year.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) spent much of the race alone, lapping at a consistent pace that put him eighth at the end of the 28 laps.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) had a very different race, battling back and forth with Hector Barbera (Ducati), Karel Abrahams (Ducati), Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati). On lap 15 Elias was leading the group when he had a big moment, which lost him crucial positions. He took the chequered flag in 11th place, in the wheel tracks of Barbera and Abrahams.

There were five crashes: Pedrosa, Capirossi, Colin Edwards (Yamaha), Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) and Randy de Puniet (Ducati).

The MotoGP circus now enjoys two weekends off before commencing a busy period with four races over five weekends, commencing with the Catalan Grand Prix outside Barcelona on June 5.

MotoGP rider quotes

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: race winner
?The whole weekend has gone so well for us, arriving here from the Portugal test with the bike almost the same and we have improved small things here and there and only needed to adjust the set-up for this circuit. We went into the race confident. At the beginning of the race Dani was very fast and he was difficult to pass as he as being cautious. When I overtook him I thought I might be able to take some advantage, but he was able to match my times and follow me for some laps, so I continued to push more than I prefer and eventually I put a gap between us. From this point the race came to me and I was able to focus on my consistency and win. A big thanks to the team and everyone for all their hard work, but my thoughts are with Dani at this moment. I hope he can recover soon as he is a very strong contender for this championship.?

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 2nd
?I?m really happy with the second position today, it?s so important for the championship and it arrives after a start of the season where we didn?t get the results we expected. We did a very good job with the team since the beginning of the weekend and I knew I could fight for the podium, but I didn?t expect second place. I had a great battle with Valentino and to beat him always has a special taste, and it?s good fun to get the podium after a hard fight. I was losing a lot in two areas, but I was strong in braking, so I made a good strategy and once I overtook him, I pushed 100 percent not to have him too close especially in turns 10 and 11, where he was faster. Concerning the race, I had a good start, Lorenzo?s strong overtaking slowed me down a little, but then I pushed to recover the gap. We had good pace, but we need to be faster. We have to keep on working to reduce the gap to stay with the front riders. Dani today was very unlucky and I hope he can recover soon.?

Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 5th
?I am unhappy because a result that was within my reach was denied and, above all, because of the fact that Pedrosa is hurt. In my opinion the incident went like this: Pedrosa was having a bit of difficulty ? I had pulled alongside him and passed him. When he passed me back I was not intentionally trying to resist, and my telemetry shows that I got on the brakes at the same point as on previous laps. I think that he had hit the brakes well before the corner, and I found myself on the outside of him and in front on the entry to the corner. I didn?t want to back off, so I left him with a metre between myself and the kerb in order to go in. I saw that it was tight, so I tried to adjust my position. That was when he touched my back wheel and went down. I repeat that I am unhappy about it, and I want to avoid any controversy regarding penalisation, but I believe that my ride-through was a result of all the talk over the past few days. Now I have to focus on Barcelona.?

Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 8th
?I am fairly satisfied, because I was feeling good on the bike. Despite this, the lap times were slightly slower than we were expecting. I have taken more points in the standings, and I am confident about Barcelona.?

Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP: 11th
?We have been afraid about the warm-up of the tyres because the track temperature was colder compared to practice, but at the end it was not so bad. Our rear traction problem is not solved yet but now I can see progressive improvements and I want to thank the team for their good work. When I was leading the small group in the back I thought that I could catch Aoyama, but suddenly I suffered a ?bike shaking? and I banged my feet on the fairing. My leather security airbag activated and I could not ride properly for a couple of laps until it went down. After that I pushed to catch the group again but could not finish in the top ten. Anyway it has been a positive week end and I hope to see further improvements at my home GP at Catalunya.?

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: DNF
?I was having a good race. The goal was to ensure another podium and I had it in my grasp. But it counts for nothing. Simoncelli overtook me, I passed him back and I had the better line, he just came into me releasing the brakes and I could do nothing. I leave here with a broken collarbone and he with a ride-through penalty, good for him! Yet again I come out worse off. We only just recovered from the nightmare of the last operation and now I?m hurt again. It is very unfair, I don?t deserve it.?

Pole position : 1m33.153s (161.733Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda
Fastest lap : Lap 9 - 1m33.617s (160.932Km/h) Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 2010
Circuit record lap : 1m33.617s (160.932Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2010)
Circuit Best Lap : 1m32.647s (162.617 Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2008)
Event results - Round 4 - Race 1
1 Casey Stoner 44m03.955s AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Andrea Dovizioso +14.214s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Valentino Rossi +14.564s ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
4 Jorge Lorenzo +21.075s SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
5 Marco Simoncelli +31.245s ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
6 Ben Spies +31.609s USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
7 Nicky Hayden +35.566s USA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Hiroshi Aoyama +51.502s JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
9 Hector Barbera +1m03.731s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
10 Karel Abraham +1m03.885s CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
11 Toni Elias +1m04.068s SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
12 Alvaro Bautista +1m04.192s SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
13 Colin Edwards +2 Laps USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
14 Loris Capirossi DNF - 7 Laps ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
15 Dani Pedrosa DNF - 11 Laps SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
16 Cal Crutchlow DNF - 22 Laps GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
17 Randy De Puniet DNF - 27 Laps FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 78 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Casey Stoner 66 pts AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Dani Pedrosa 61 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Andrea Dovizioso 50 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Valentino Rossi 47 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
6 Nicky Hayden 39 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Hiroshi Aoyama 36 pts JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
8 Marco Simoncelli 22 pts ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
9 Hector Barbera 21 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
10 Colin Edwards 21 pts USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
11 Cal Crutchlow 21 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
12 Ben Spies 20 pts USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
13 Karel Abraham 18 pts CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
14 Toni Elias 17 pts SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
15 Loris Capirossi 9 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
16 Alvaro Bautista 7 pts SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
17 Randy De Puniet 6 pts FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
18 John Hopkins 6 pts USA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP

 

[KUCIAR666]

Lorenzo Extends Championship Lead in Le Mans

The Grand Prix of France at Le Mans was today witness to yet another incident packed race played out in front of the packed grandstands. World Champion Jorge Lorenzo suffered a low side in the morning warm up, sustaining a minor injury to his finger but was otherwise unhurt

Lorenzo held his grid position off the line as the race got underway, battling up to fourth with 14 laps to go and taking Dovizioso on the second corner for the position. Having managed to close the gap to the second and third riders, a mistake caused him to run wide and lose ground, eventually crossing the line still in fourth. With previous closest championship rival Dani Pedrosa crashing out of the race, the results mean Lorenzo has now extended his lead in the Championship to 78, 12 points clear of second place.

Ben Spies leaves France happy to have put the misfortunes of the previous two rounds behind him. The Texan also kept grid position off the line but made two small mistakes in the first laps, losing time to those in front. Consistent race pace saw him close down on Colin Edwards in fifth until an unfortunate crash by the fellow Texan caused Spies to run wide to avoid collision. He recovered and managed to fight off Nicky Hayden to eventually take sixth. The result doubles his point score to 20, placing him in 12th position, only 2 points from Marco Simoncelli in eighth.

Jorge Lorenzo
Position 4th - Time +21.075
?I think the race has been good in general for us and the results and points are good for the Championship. Obviously I would like to fight with Casey and the other best riders for victory but at this moment it?s really hard. What I can do is try to finish with the best result possible, take the maximum from our bike as it is now and wait for future improvements.?

Ben Spies
Position 6th - Time +31.609
?It was a pretty exciting race. I made two mistakes on the first two laps and lost touch with Colin and Valentino. I tried to ride as hard as I could and was reeling in Colin until unfortunately he crashed; his bike slid across the track so I had to avoid it which allowed Nicky to get up to the back of me. We diced around a bit then I was able to get around him and go on my way. We got a sixth place result which is good for the points.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?It?s been a very tough race here in France but the final result is not so bad. I?m not talking about the fourth position but the fact we are now leading the Championship by 12 points. I think it?s very important to look ahead, we?ve got a lot to discuss after this weekend and will be looking for big improvements moving forward.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?A really strange weekend for the Team here at Le Mans; the race had a lot of incidents. For us it was a really important result, we got a lot of points and Jorge is still leading the Championship. Ben got a positive result and took some valuable points as well. Now we have to work to be ready for the Catalunya Grand Prix in three weeks time."

Edwards and Crutchlow battle for top six in Le Mans

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team ended its home race at the historic Le Mans circuit pondering what might have been after Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow both crashed out of contention for a top six finish in a pulsating French MotoGP race today.

Edwards battled to a determined 13th place finish after he'd tumbled out of seventh position at the first chicane on lap 14. The Texan had produced a stunning early charge to keep himself in contention with a group featuring Valentino Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, but lost the front-end of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 at the first left-hander.

Edwards lost his left footpeg in the slow speed fall but remounted and returned to the pits. Thanks to the quick work of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew, he was quickly back on track and able to score three World Championship points that keep him inside the top ten of the overall rankings after four rounds.

Crutchlow's bid to claim a career best premier class finish was ended on the sixth of 28-laps while he was lying in ninth position and building up his speed to launch an attack on 2009 World Superbike champion and former Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Ben Spies.

Crutchlow was only 0.2s behind Spies when he lost the front-end at Turn 6. Determined to get back in the race, Crutchlow's hopes of fighting his way back into the points were ended by a minor throttle issue that prevented him from continuing.

Colin Edwards
Position 13th - 21 points
?I got one of the best starts I've had in a long time and I just flew off the line but it was the usual jostle for position at the first corner. I got a bit of clear track in front of me and I could see Valentino was coming back to me a little bit and Dovizioso and Lorenzo were also just in front of him. I rode at my absolute maximum to try and stay with them because I really wanted to get a top six for Tech 3 and for Monster. I was losing four of five bike lengths though coming onto the back straight and then I'd also lose a bit more time at the next chicane because I wasn't that fast through there. I could see the gap was staying at 1.5s and there was nothing I could do. I wasn't making mistakes but neither were they, so I could see them but just not get close enough. When I crashed it didn't feel like I was doing anything too stupid. I was on the same line and I didn't get in there too hot. Normally you get a bit of warning when the front is going to tuck, but I had nothing. I was already looking through at the next corner and then I was down. I broke the footpeg off but came back to the pits and went out again and salvaged a couple of points, which might prove valuable at the end of the year.?

Cal Crutchlow
DNF - 21 poitns
?I'm pretty disappointed because looking at how the race panned out I could have been in sixth place because when I crashed I was having a good battle with Ben. I'd caught him quite easily and was looking forward to a good race when I made a stupid little mistake in Turn 6. I touched the kerb and I lost the front. I literally fell off the side of the bike and that was it. It is disappointing because I had the pace to get another top eight, but these things can happen when you're pushing so hard in a competitive class like MotoGP. I managed to get back on the bike but there was a problem with the throttle, so it was impossible for me to carry on. I showed my raw speed all weekend so I'm not going to be too hard on myself, though I was desperate to get a good result for Tech 3 and Monster.?
Herve Poncharal
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager

"The whole weekend has been really good and as usual and it was just a shame that we couldn't get the results that Colin and Cal's speed deserved. But both of them are always giving their absolute maximum and that is all I can ask. In the race Cal didn't get such a good start, but he recovered and was right behind Ben. From that moment we thought he could have had a strong race but unfortunately a little mistake cost him a lot. When you see Ben finishing sixth, then you can't help wonder whether Cal could have scored his best result in MotoGP. Colin was very fast and very aggressive. He was looking strong for a top six finish, but then also he crashed. It is strange because our two guys don't usually crash and yet both of them have crashed on the same day in our home race. That's a pity but we will stay positive. They were both fast during the race and we move to Barcelona in confident mood. We wanted to do better for the French fans who came to support Tech 3 and for our sponsors Monster, who have done another amazing job in supporting the Le Mans event."

 

[KUCIAR666]

DE PUNIET AND CAPIREX OUT AT LE MANS GRAND PRIX. CONCENTRATION NOW GOES TO BARCELONA ROUND

The unbelievable happened in Le Mans in Sunday's fourth grand prix of the season. Really a lot of anger and bad luck at the Pramac Racing garage. It all started during the warm up, when Casey Stoner, Honda Hrc, has become the protagonist of a argument with De Puniet on track, guilty of having cut the road. The Australian has responded with a punch on the Frenchman shoulder, but fortunately everything was clear out when the two riders meet after warm up. Randy apologized with Casey for putting on his way, and the same has done the Australian with the Frenchman about his reaction.
In the race, things did not go well at all. De Puniet race lasted only a few turns: the front of his bike let him down and he felt not even concluding the first lap. A pity as Randy wanted to do well in front of his own crowed. Loris Capirossi, however, was the victim of an error of Bautista, who hit the green and white rider with only seven laps left in the race. These things happen, but from the next appointment, in Barcelona, the Pramac Racing Team will try to straighten the season up as it didnt start in the best ways.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Technical Director Pramac Racing

"Today, unfortunately, there is nothing to say. Randy crashed by himself, he lost the front of the bike and he fell after a lap. Really a shame, we could have a good race. Loris, instead, tried to stay in the group, but all of a sudden Bautista lowered his speed and Loris couldnt manage to avoid touching him and found himself on the ground. Now Loris has the arm bandaged, but we hope that isn't nothing serious".

Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team DNF


"So much, so much bad luck today. I was waiting for the end of the race to attack the group, I had the chance to recover some positions. Then Bautista has slowed suddenly as he was fighting as well with another rider and I couldnt avoid to touch him and this made me fall. There is always something wrong, unfortunately. Now there is little to say, this race has to be soon forgot. Next round at Barcelona, hoping that luck will assist us."

Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team DNF


"I do not know what to say, I do not understand how I managed to fall like this. It's been very strange, the front has suddenly lost the grip and I slipped. I'm disappointed, I am angry: I wanted to do well in this race. Tomorrow I'll only have in mind the next GP in Barcelona, but now I cannot forget what happened today. I'm sorry about what happened this morning with Casey. I was adjusting the brake, thinking that I had no one behind. Then, suddenly, I saw Casey coming behind me at full speed, I tried to leave the road to him, but unfortunately I went where he was pointing. I'm sorry and even if his reaction was not the best, for me it's all put in the past and I have nothing wrong against him.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Race long battle sees Bautista narrowly miss top-nine finish

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista produced another strong performance as he fought fairing-to-fairing right to the chequered flag at Le Mans today.

Bautista got off the line well at the start of the race, but was boxed in on the first couple of corners and found himself relegated to last place by the end of the first lap. Bautista composed himself and set about catching and passing the riders in front of him and on lap five he got involved in a five man battle that would carry on until the end of the race. Bautista picked each rider off over the middle section of the race to move up to ninth place, but a mistake later on saw him lose two places. The battling Spaniard was then hit from behind by Loris Capirossi, as Bautista also came together with Hector Barbera ? an incident that saw Capirossi crash out. This caused Bautista to lose time to the pack and although he fought back to the group, he didn?t have enough laps for another attack and had to settle for 12th place, just 0.463 seconds from ninth position.

Over 88,000 enthusiastic French fans watched the race at trackside, as the storm clouds that threatened stayed away and allowed for a dry race. Honda?s Casey Stoner completed a dominant weekend?s work by winning the race by over 14 seconds from team-mate Andrea Dovizioso. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo still leads the riders? standing after four rounds.

Rizla Suzuki will now travel to Spain for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship that sees the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona stage race five in this season?s calendar on Sunday 5th June.

?lvaro Bautista:

?This is my first race this year because in Estoril I raced alone, but today I was able to fight with other riders! We managed to finish the race and get more kilometres under our belts, but I did not have the same feeling today as we had yesterday. I felt like I had no good rear grip in the exit of the corner and the bike was spinning a lot and I struggled to stay with the group going for places in the top-10. I made a mistake when I tried to pass Abraham later on as I touched the gear lever and went into neutral and lost some time, and I also had a bit of an incident with Loris and Hector. I tried to catch the group at the end, but it was very difficult to get past them. This is another race completed and I felt more competitive than in Estoril. This race was good for getting the racing feeling back and being able to overtake other riders and fight with them. I did many overtakes under braking and enjoyed the race very much ? but not the result! I think if my rhythm had been better I could have finished in the top-10.

?I want to thank all my team, because it has been a difficult weekend with some strange weather conditions, we tried to do the best we could and make a good bike for these conditions.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?This weekend has been a successful second step for ?lvaro?s recovery, and the fact that he?s ridden the bike in Estoril and here in Le Mans is a great result in itself ? compared to what most people involved in MotoGP thought would happen. The general consensus was to come back at Catalunya, and that was as good as we could expect. Now we have two race-weekends under our belt, his first battle with other riders since Valencia last year and a good platform to really start our season. In Barcelona ? the Rizla Suzuki goes well there, the rider will be back to full strength and we?re all looking forward to it!?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Race Classification:

1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 44?03.955: 2 Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +14.214: 3. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) +14.564: 4. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +21.075: 5. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +31.245: 12. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1?04.192:

World Championship Classification:

1. Lorenzo 78: 2. Stoner 66: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 61: 4. Dovizioso 50: 5. Rossi 47: 16. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 7: