Moto GP -Aragon

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MotoGP Returns to Spain for the Grand Prix of Aragon

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies head back to Spain this week for round 14 of the 2012 season, the Grand Prix of Aragon on the 30th September. Championship leader Lorenzo prepares for his penultimate home race of the year bolstered by the recent Aragon test which saw both he and his team mate make big improvements to their set up for the Motorland circuit. A win has so far eluded him in Aragon, scoring a third place podium finish in 2011 and just missing the podium by less than a tenth of a second in 2010. A convincing victory at the last round in Misano puts Lorenzo 38 points clear of closest rival Dani Pedrosa as the Championship heads into the final five races of the season.

Team mate Spies arrives in Aragon looking to build on his fifth place finish in Misano following a trouble free weekend for the incident dogged Texan. With two fifth place finishes at the Motorland circuit from 2010 and 2011 already achieved, Spies will be looking to capitalize on the recent testing to fight for the strongest result possible.

The Motorland circuit is situated near the town of Alcaniz in Northern Spain, a few hours drive from Barcelona. Designed by Hermann Tillke, the circuit is fast and challenging with spectacular elevation changes and flowing corners. The Yamaha Factory Racing team will again run the 'lucky' Race-Blu livery that brought victory for Lorenzo in Misano.

Jorge Lorenzo
Aragon has not been the strongest track for us in the last two years, but I think we have found something in recent testing which will help us to be more competitive here. We will try to make a good show for all the Spanish fans who come to see us and we will try to win.



Ben Spies
We had a really good test here a few weeks ago so Im hoping the conditions are similar. Weve got a really good base set up for the track so we should be able to get onto the pace quickly on Friday morning. It was great to have a weekend in Misano with no issues, Im hoping it will be like this for the rest of the year so we can concentrate on just giving 100% on the track.

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
Aragon has not been our best track previously however we should be more competitive this year. Weve got a good set up and a fast pace from the test recently so were confident Jorge can be up there from the start. With just five races to go its important we try to keep and grow as much of our Championship lead as possible, we need to be on the podium and win if possible!


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
We are going to Aragon with confidence having completed a very successful test here just a few weeks ago. We worked hard with both Jorge and Ben to improve the YZR-M1 set up for the track and to deliver better tyre life for the race. Jorge has a good lead in the Championship but we cannot afford to make any mistakes with five races still to go.

Jorge Lorenzo

Age: 25
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 44 (23 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 174 (77 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 47 (19 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: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2011
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 50
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Alca?iz 2011

1. C. Stoner Honda Time: 42'17.427
2. D. Pedrosa Honda Time: +8.162
3. J. Lorenzo Yamaha Time: +14.209
4. B. Spies Yamaha Time: +27.739

Alca?iz Record Lap

C.Stoner (Honda) 2011, 1'49.046

Alca?iz Best Lap

C.Stoner (Honda) 2011, 1'48.451

2012 MotoGP Spain
Motorland Aragon 24/09/2012

 

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The NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team on their way to Aragon

The 14th round of the season brings the World Championship back to Spain. Arag?n will host the Grand Prix for the third time since its opening in 2010. The Gran Premio Iveco de Arag?n will be the perfect scenario for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team to confirm positive feelings left by the Misano GP.

Colin Edwards is feeling more confident after the considerable setup improvements achieved during the Misano GP. Arag?n presents itself as the ideal opportunity for American rider and his Suter ? BMW to fight with the top CRTs.

In Moto2 Alex De Angelis and Yuki Takahashi continue their progress with their FTR bike. The rider from Sam Marino left his home GP scoring valuable points, proving that he has a good feeling with the bike and with a bit of luck he will surely have the chance to fight for the top positions.

For the Japanese rider, after an unfortunate crash early on during the Misano race, is now looking forward to this weekends race to prove his good feeling with the FTR bike and scoring the first points of the season and maybe even fighting for the top ten at this Arag?n Grand Prix.

 

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HECTOR WANTS REDEMPTION: HE RESTARTS FROM ARAGON

The Pramac Racing Team heads to Aragon this weekend for its penultimate European stop, just before the MotoGP paddock embarks on flyaway trips to Japan, Australia and Malaysia.

The MotorLand Aragon circuit, added to the series just in 2010, is full of turns and straights that could allow the Ducati to unleash its power.
The track lies near the tow of Alcaniz, in northern Spain, only a few hours drive from Barcelona.

For H?ctor, this will be the third race on the home soil during the 2012 and he is impatient to get back on the track in front of his Spanish fans and to bounce back from a difficult period.

H?ctor Barber? ? Pramac Racing Team Rider ? 11th in the overall standing

?I don?t want to mull over the last weeks: it has been a difficult period. I need to think about the present and focus on this race at the MotorLand Aragon. It will be an important stop, rich of positive incentives.
The only thing I want now is to get back on the track, working with my crew and achieving the best from these final four rounds.
To restart from here, my home soil, with the support of my fans, gives me a special energy and I?m getting ready to take advantage from it.
We must do a good job and try to immediately find the right setup for the bike. I like the track, which is very complex and technical and I want to get a nice result.?

 

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DUCATI MOTOGP TEAM READY FOR HOME RACE AT MUGELLO

The Ducati Team is preparing to return to the track at the Spanish Aragon circuit for the fourteenth round on the championship calendar. The season is entering its final phase, which will conclude at Valencia, with three consecutive extra-European races to run in between the two Spanish races.

At these final five races, Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will look for confirmation on the recent progress made with the development of the Desmosedici, as they?ll put the new chassis to the test on a series of very diverse tracks within a relatively short period of time. The American, who finished on the podium at Aragon in 2010, will be able to more thoroughly analyse the new components, having had the opportunity to allow the injury to his right hand to recuperate more than had been possible for the post-race test at Misano.

VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati Team
?We come to Aragon with a positive outlook after the Misano result, even if we also know that every race has its own story. It will be our first chance to check if the progress we?ve made will also be confirmed at this track, which is very different from Misano. It?s fast and challenging, and managing the tyres at lean angle is very important. Concerning that, during the test after the last race, we tried a swingarm that I liked as it provides a bit more grip with the bike leaned over and stresses the tyres less. Anyway, we?ll see. It will be a chance to understand if we?ve really improved.?

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team
?For me, Aragon is a fun circuit. I like tracks that have a bit of elevation change, and Aragon definitely has some ups and downs. There are also some blind parts that make it technical but also enjoyable, as well as some good places to pass. I?m looking forward to seeing how much better my hand will be than it was at Misano, and also to having the new chassis. I definitely had a little bit better feeling with it at the test, so it will be nice to go there and start with it. I?m sure we?ll need to make a couple of adjustments to the setup, but I?ll be interested to see how we can get on there.?

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
?We come to Aragon after a positive race with Valentino at Misano, and after a test that gave us some promising signs. It will be interesting to check if what we?ve found works as well on a completely different track. Anyway, back home we?ll keep working just as hard on development. In addition to Vale, we?ll be able to count on Nicky?s feedback at Aragon, as he?ll certainly be in better shape than he was at Misano, although probably still not 100%.?

MOTORLAND ARAGON CIRCUIT RECORDS

Circuit Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda ? 2010) 1:49.521 ? 166.915 Km/h (103.716 mph)
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Honda ? 2011) 1:48.451 ? 168.562 Km/h (104.740)
Circuit Length: 5.078 km (3.155 mi)
2012 MotoGP Race: 23 laps (116.794 km / 72.572 mi)
2012 MotoGP Schedule: 2:00 p.m. Local time

2011 PODIUM: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Jorge Lorenzo
2011 POLE: Casey Stoner (Honda) 1:48.451 ? 168.562 Km/h (104.740 mph)

DUCATI TEAM?S BEST RESULTS AT ARAGON
2011: 7th (Hayden)
2010: 1st (Stoner)

DUCATI TEAM ? RIDER INFO

VALENTINO ROSSI
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
Race Number: 46
Age: 33 (born in Pesaro 16 February 1979)
Residence: Tavullia (Pesaro, Italy)
GPs: 271 (211 x MotoGP, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
First GP: Malaysian GP, 1996 (125cc)
Number of Wins: 105 (79 x MotoGP, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP Win: Czech Republic GP, 1996 (125cc)
Poles: 59 (49 x MotoGP, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Pole: Czech Republic GP, 1996 (125cc)
World Titles: 9 (6 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

Rossi?s MotoGP track record at Aragon
2011: Grid, 13th; Race, 10th
2010: Grid, 7th; Race, 6th

NICKY HAYDEN
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
Race Number: 69
Age: 31 (born 30 July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residence: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Number of GPs: 162 (162 x MotoGP)
First GP: Japanese GP, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of Wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
First GP Win: USA GP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
First Pole: USA GP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden?s MotoGP track record at Aragon
2011: Grid, 7th; Race, 7th
2010: Grid: 4th; Race: 3rd

 

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Honda riders back on the MotoGP championship trail in Aragon

The MotoGP World Championship arrives at its last European stop prior to the Australasian flyaways with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) hoping to get back on track after an unlucky San Marino Grand Prix.

Having won the prior two races, in Indianapolis and Brno, Pedrosa was looking to make it three in a row when he was taken out on the first lap by another rider. It was the first time during Pedrosa?s most consistent season that he failed to finish. And it was only the second time he had been off the podium. Despite his bad luck, Pedrosa remains second in the championship as he arrives in Aragon.
Pedrosa finished second to team-mate Casey Stoner last year in Aragon and also in 2010. That would have made him the favourite this year, if not for his injuries suffered during qualifying for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Stoner remains in Australia continuing to recover from the ankle injuries suffered in the crash just after the summer break. Writing on his personal blog, the two-time MotoGP World Champion said he was hopeful of returning for the Japanese Grand Prix, the first of the flyaway triple-header, though he and his doctors have not set a definite date.
Pedrosa?s Repsol Honda teammate for the weekend is Jonathan Rea, the Irishman whose contract with the Honda World Superbike team was recently extended. Rea made his MotoGP debut in Brno, which was sandwiched between two World Superbike races. By the time Rea finishes the World Superbike season in Magny-Cours the weekend after Aragon, he will have raced five weekends in a row.
Rea celebrated his contract extension by finishing second in the second race in Portimao, his fifth podium of the year. He will carry that momentum to Aragon where he?s looking forward to continuing his education aboard the Repsol Honda RC213V.
Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V) finished an emotional and career best third, - his first MotoGP podium - at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, a race held a short drive from the Gresini race shop in the town of San Clemente. The race was the first for the team at the circuit since it was renamed for the former San Carlo Honda Gresini rider.
Bautista had one of his best finishes of the 2011 season at the race in Aragon in what was one of his toughest stretches of the year. Though he is racing in front of his fellow Spaniards, Bautista is not a fan of the technical circuit, where he finds it difficult to arrive at a good setting.
Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) continues his rookie season in Aragon two weeks after being denied his first podium by a slowly deflating tyre in Misano. Bradl was thick in the podium mix in the San Marino Grand Prix before being forced to slow. The German was in a heated battle for third with veteran riders on the 18th of 27 laps when the bad luck hit. And Bradl was at the tail end of the podium contenders up to three laps from the finish of his 100th grand prix start.
San Carlo Honda Gresini CRT rider Michele Pirro has had two solid finishes on the Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT machine including tenth in the team?s home race in Misano. Pirro went through a character-building stretch of difficulty in July and August that ended with his points-paying finish in the Czech Grand Prix after the team responded to the earlier challenges. Then came the result in Misano, where he joined in the celebration of team-mate Bautista?s podium finish. With constant improvements to his FTR-framed Honda, the only one in the CRT field, Pirro is confident he can put his name among the top CRT riders on a track that he likes and where he made his debut in Moto2.
A collection of boldface names is responsible for the ultra-modern Motorland Aragon motorsports complex. Formula One track architect Herman Tilke teamed with former Formula One driver Pedro de la Rosa in designing the layout of the race course. British architect Sir Norman Foster designed the sprawling complex and infrastructure, which goes far beyond the race track. The complex was designed as both a leisure and cultural facility, as well as a technical center with state-of-the-art research and educational facilities for the motorcycle and automotive industries.
Laid out on rolling hillsides, the anti-clockwise circuit is 5.078Km long with 17 bends, 10 lefts and seven rights. The track is tricky and technical, with elevation changes, blind corners, and plenty of lean angle, which means tyre management is a key for the MotoGP riders. As is a robust motor to get down the 968m straightaway that leads to the final sequence, a double-apex left-hand 180.



HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

?Arag?n is a very good race and the circuit is impressive. We went there with the team for a two day test at the beginning of this month and we did a good job. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the Spanish crowd again; it would be great to see the circuit full of people like we had in the previous years. The bike is working well and I'm feeling good; we go there with the same determination as always and motivated to continue riding well and have another good race.?

Repsol Honda rider Jonathan Rea says:

?I am now in week four of my five back-to-back races including both SBK and MotoGP, but I am still really excited about this coming race. Having tested in Aragon on the RC213V a couple of weeks ago, I am feeling more confident coming to this race than I was in Misano. Hopefully I will be able to pick up where I left off after the test as I was really starting to bond with the bike. Aragon has a really long straight which suits the power of the Honda and I am really looking forward to working with the Repsol Honda guys again and building on the experience I have gained to date.?

LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl says:

?We already had three days of testing there and I am quite confident ahead of this weekend because we have found a good set-upp and we can hopefully use this advantage. Honestly, it?s not one of my favorite circuits, but at the end it?s not that bad. In Misano we had another good weekend battling for the podium, so I am happy to know I can race up in the pack. There are only five races to go and I am aiming to score as many points as possible to end this season in the top five. That would be a great result for me and the team.?

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:

?The team did a great job at Misano in the only dry session we had available to find a good setting for the bike and even improve it from what we had at Brno. I struggled a little bit to get into my rhythm at the start and lost a few positions, but once I felt I could push the bike I was able to recover all the way back up to third. I even tried to attack Valentino (Rossi) for second but my confidence in the front end still wasn't quite 100% so I decided not to risk a crash and to hang on for a podium. At the end I was happy with the result but also with the way the bike was working. It was a special weekend for the whole team and thanks to them I was able to deliver a fantastic result. It was my first podium in MotoGP and we were able to celebrate it all together. Now after the race at Misano I can go into my next home round feeling confident and highly motivated. We didn't have such a good time in the test here after the Barcelona race, but with the steps we have made with the bike since then I hope things are different this weekend. Aragon hasn't been bad to me over the past couple of years, so I hope that on Sunday I can be involved in the fight for the podium again, although it won't be easy. We'll work hard in practice to find the best possible setting to adapt to the track. Aragon isn't one of my favourites. It has some fast corners, some hard braking and some difficult direction changes as well as a very long straight. It's not easy to find a setting that works around the whole track.?


San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Michele Pirro says:

?Misano was a fantastic and exciting weekend with all the events organised for Marco and the result has given me a lot of confidence. We started from scratch at Misano with the goal of making a strong finish to the championship and I am confident we can continue in the same way from here. We have closed the gap to the top CRTs and I am confident that in the next rounds we can be fighting to be ahead of them. I like Aragon a lot and I actually made my debut with Team Gresini here in Moto2 a couple of years ago.?

 

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Rain affects free practice at Aragon GP

The first two free practice sessions at the Aragon Grand Prix were affected by bad weather. The first, which was postponed by one hour in order to clean up an oil spill that had occurred during the Moto3 session, was rendered useless by mixed conditions, which were neither entirely wet nor entirely dry. The second, which was completely wet, could prove to be important if the forecasts calling for rain in tomorrow?s qualifying session are correct.

Taking advantage of the situation was Nicky Hayden, who was fourth overall at the end of this first day, while Valentino Rossi, eighth, was slowed by a gearbox problem that kept him in the garage with his bike toward the end of the afternoon session.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 4th (2:00.996)
?More rain, but you can?t change the weather. This morning we did a couple of laps just to get a feel for things, but we waited once it dried out. It was wet in the afternoon, but I didn?t enjoy riding in the rain as much as I usually do. The track itself was pretty grippy, as we were about ten seconds off my dry time here, which isn?t bad on a track this long, but I was missing some rear grip on corner entry and at the first touch of the throttle. We?ve got to improve that. I only rode with the new chassis today, but with the rain, I?m not really able to give an impression. They?re calling for more rain tomorrow, so we might have to manage the rain tyres. When it dries, this track can chew them up quickly, so we might need to make sure we save enough for qualifying. We?ll see what tomorrow brings.?

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 8th (2:02.412)
?We had a problem with the gearbox on the bike we were using, and I lost a bit of time in the garage. We had to prepare the second one in a hurry, and then I rode with that. It?s a shame because with these conditions, the tyres only get up to temperature after a few laps, so when I was able to go back out, I didn?t have time to push hard. Our potential is certainly better than this. We can be more competitive, and we?ll try tomorrow in qualifying which, according to the forecasts, could be wet like today. We?ll try to get a good starting position and then we?ll see for Sunday, because it looks as if the race might be dry.?

 

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Spies Fastest in Wet Aragon Practice

The Grand Prix of Aragon got off to a slow start today with mixed weather and half wet, half dry track conditions resulting in few riders venturing out in the morning session. Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies waited until the afternoon?s fully wet second practice to venture out, a key protagonist in an early flurry of fastest riders he then became the man to beat. The Texan was clearly comfortable on a good wet set up, completing the day 0.066 seconds ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

Team mate Jorge Lorenzo also sat out the morning session but was one of the riders challenging Spies for the top spot in the second practice, the two trading fastest times in the last quarter of the session. A last minute hot lap by title rival Pedrosa saw him drop to third, 0.527 seconds behind Spies in first.

In recognition of Iveco's award of 'Truck of the Year 2013' for the new Stralis Hi-Way, the YZR-M1s of both Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will carry the Iveco and 'Truck of the Year' logos for the remaining five races of the season.
Ben Spies Position 1st - Time 2.00.219 - Laps 16

?It was a good wet session so we?re happy with it, the bike feels good and we?re quick. We got a good setting with the bike sorted and we got some new information with the electronics so we?ll see what happens tomorrow with the weather. As long as everything keeps going smoothly then that?s all we need!?

Jorge Lorenzo Position 3rd - Time 2.00.746 - Laps 13
?In the morning we could have practiced but we preferred to stay in the box and save the engine life a little. This afternoon with full wet conditions we could go out and see what the feeling is with the bike in the rain in case we have a wet race on Sunday. The track is very slippery, we did a lot of laps trying to find the pace but we didn?t try to do one hot lap. Ben and Dani were very fast but the important thing is we made a good comfortable pace.?


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?It was a very wet second practice! The pace was good and third position is very acceptable. We are looking for things to improve for the next wet session but we were one of the fastest guys out there and we were consistent so we?re pleased with the result.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?Today wasn?t completely useless, this afternoon we were able to get good information and put a good wet set up together. The pace is really good in the wet and we have a good set up in the dry from our test recently so we are ready for both conditions.?

Confident start for Dovizioso and Crutchlow at rain-hit Aragon

Heavy rain and tricky track conditions meant the start of the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon was a challenging experience for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow today.

Dovizioso and Crutchlow were fifth and seventh fastest on the timesheets after wet weather conditions once again played a pivotal role in proceedings.

The pair didn't even leave the sanctuary of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 garage in this morning's first sessio n. Oil dropped on the track in the earlier Moto3 practice meant the session was delayed by one hour while track staff took part in a huge clean-up operation.

And when the session did finally commence, track conditions were neither full wet or dry to allow Dovizioso and Crutchlow to carry out any meaningful set-up work with their YZR-M1 machinery.

This afternoon's session started with heavy rain falling on the technically challenging and undulating Motorland Aragon track, which gave Dovizioso and Crutchlow the opportunity to work on wet weather settings.

Both were able to log competitive times throughout the session that kept them firmly in contention for the top three, with Dovizioso eventually finishing in fifth position. The Italian rider posted a best time of 2.01.3 79s

Crutchlow briefly led the session in the early stages as he expertly calculated how hard he could push in treacherous conditions right from the off. The British rider ended with a quickest pace of 2.01.665 and while he would have hoped to be closer to the pace of the top three, the 26-year-old is confident that if the adverse weather conditions continue tomorrow that he will be strong challenger for a position on the front row of the grid.
Andrea Dovizioso Position 5th - Time 2.01.379 - Laps 17

?I am happy with the set-up of the bike because there are no obvious problems to fix, although I'd like to improve the rear traction. I felt good when I tried to take some risks and push at the end of the session. The bike reacted h ow I wanted, so I am confident I have some margin to improve. I am close to the top and it is a good start to the weekend, even if we did lose another session this morning. The only thing I hope for the rest of the weekend is some dry track time before the race. I don't want to arrive in the race with no dry time to work on the set-up because then you are not fully prepared, so I hope whatever the conditions are tomorrow will be the same on Sunday.?
Cal Crutchlow Position 7th - Time 2.01.665 - Laps 15

?I am pleased with my pace in the full wet conditions as I was right near the top and confident I could have finished inside the top three. I had a small problem with the steering damper right at the end and without that I am sure I would have been much higher than seventh. We have to take another step tomorrow if the conditions are the same but I am confident I can be very competitive in the wet. The set-up of the bike is good and with some improvements if we have more rain tomorrow, I'll be looking to be back on the front row again. I hope the rest of the weekend though is dry and the fans can see a good race.?

2012 MotoGP Spain
Motorland Aragon 28/09/2012
1 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 2'00.219
2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 2'00.285
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 2'00.746
4 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 2'00.996
5 Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha ITA 2'01.379
6 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 2'01.626
7 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 2'01.665
8 Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 2'02.412
9 Karel Abraham Ducati CZE 2'02.632
10 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 2'23.263
11 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 2'04.046
12 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 2'04.353
13 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 2'04.423
14 James Ellison ART GBR 2'04.542
15 Mattia Pasini ART ITA 2'04.722

 

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WET FIRST DAY AT MOTORLAND ARAGON

The opening day at the MotorLand Aragon took place on a wet circuit and all the MotoGP riders took the track to test their set-up in these tricky weather conditions.

In particular, the Pramac Racing Team rider, H?ctor Barber?, used the first free practice sessions to re-acquaint himself both with the bike and the wet track, following a long summer break due to his injury and the difficult weekend in Misano, two weeks ago.

H?ctor worked with the Pramac Racing Team today, not looking for the best race set up, but only trying to improve his confidence with the Ducati machine.

Tomorrow?s final practice and qualifying sessions are expected to be run in wet conditions, but dry conditions have been forecast for Sunday?s race.

H?ctor Barber? ? Pramac Racing Team Rider ? 18th place in 2?06.182

?Getting back to the track with these poor conditions is the most difficult thing to do. In Misano, two weeks ago, I had a painful weekend after more than a six-week absence through injury so today I tried only to regain the confidence with my bike.
I?m sure that tomorrow we will have a much more productive day and I will able to make a big step forward.?

Marco Rigamonti ? Track Engineer Pramac Racing Team

?Today H?ctor struggled a little to find the right confidence with the bike, it was not easy with these tricky asphalt conditions.
We decided to make progressive steps, without looking for the best lap time. But I know that tomorrow we can achieve a good place on the grid.?

 

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Rea eleventh as tricky weather conditions continue to plague MotoGP in Arag?n

Weather : Wet

Temperature : Air: 16?C, Ground: 11?C

Humidity : 90%

The Repsol Honda Team went back on track today for the first day of free practice for the Arag?n Grand Prix, with Dani Pedrosa setting the second fastest time in the combined classification and Jonathan Rea placed in eleventh position.

In the morning, the first free practice saw a repetition of the conditions in Misano with bad weather marking the start of the fourteenth round at Motorland Arag?n. After a 1 hour delay to the session, caused by oil on track from the previous Moto3 session, Dani did not complete any flying laps and Jonathan failed to go out at all, deciding nothing could be learnt from the 50/50 track conditions.

Dani, the quickest bike on track with a top speed of 330.5, was just 0.066 off the fastest time in FP2 this afternoon with cold temperatures and full wet conditions, while the British rider finished 11th, 3.8 seconds behind Ben Spies.



DANI PEDROSA - 2nd 2'00.285

"At least we had a full wet session this afternoon to work with the bike and I felt quite good. I was catching the pace step by step, even though the grip was not very high in the rear, and we still have to adjust the setting a little more to improve in some corners. It looks like the weather forecast is also bad for tomorrow, so it will be important to take advantage of the morning practice to be well prepared for qualifying".

JONATHAN REA - 11th 2'04.046

"It's been pretty frustrating because I feel like we've lost another day, it's the same story as Misano! It was the first fully wet session we've had and the big difference for me was with the tyres and when they lose traction you can play with the rear grip slightly. I was riding a little too cautious today and I feel I need to push the tyres more and be more comfortable with the bike moving around. I wasn't too happy with myself as in the last few laps this afternoon I was on personal best sectors and I made a few mistakes as the front tyre didn't feel very stable on the carcass. I guess we need to be thankful we were able to test here a few weeks ago and we completed over a hundred laps so for the dry we should be ok, but in the wet my feeling is still not 100%. Let's see what the conditions bring tomorrow".



Practice Results
1 - Ben Spies - 2?00.219 - USA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing Team

2 - Dani Pedrosa - 2?00.285 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

3 - Jorge Lorenzo - 2?00.746 - SPA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing Team

4 - Nicky Hayden - 2?00.996 - USA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

5 - Andrea Dovizioso - 2?01.379 - ITA - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

6 - Stefan Bradl - 2?01.626 - GER - HONDA - LCR Honda MotoGP

7 - Cal Crutchlow - 2?01.665 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

8 - Valentino Rossi - 2?02.412 - ITA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

9 - Karel Abraham - 2?02.632 - CZE - DUCATI - Cardion AB Motoracing

10 - Alvaro Bautista - 2?03.263 - SPA - HONDA - San Carlo Honda Gresini

11 - Jonathan Rea - 2?04.046 - GBR - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

12 - Randy De Puniet - 2?04.353 - FRA - ART - Aspar Team MotoGP

13 - Aleix Espargaro - 2?04.423 - ESP - ART - Aspar Team MotoGP

14 - James Ellison - 2?04.542 - GBR - ART - Paul Bird Racing

15 - Mattia Pasini - 2?04.722 - ITA - ART - Speed Master

16 - Yonny Hernandez - 2?04.858 - COL - BQR-FTR - BQR

17 - Michele Pirro - 2?06.030 - ITA - HONDA - San Carlo Honda Gresini

18 - Hector Barbera - 2?06.182 - SPA - DUCATI - Pramac Racing

19 - Danilo Petrucci - 2?06.368 - ITA - IODA - Ioda Racing Project

20 - David Salom - 2?06.593 - SPA - BQR-FTR - BQR

21 - Colin Edwards - 2?06.677 - USA - SUTER - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

 

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Rain strikes the free practices at Aragon

Colin Edwards completes a total of seventeen laps at the Motorland circuit in both morning and afternoon free practices today at the Gran Premio Iveco de Arag?n.
The unstable morning weather conditions and the pouring rain in the afternoon did not allow much working continuity for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing.
Nonetheless, the lap times of the American are among the ones from the majority of the CRTs. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to be ready for the race on Sunday.

Colin Edwards ? 5-

?This morning we went out and did a few laps, did a shake down and got a couple laps in and found out that we had a connection problem, we will have to do some work on the bike tonight to see if we can fix it. This afternoon it was all about finding the setting of the electronics. We have to figure out how to make the new electronics package work similarly to the one we had in Sachsenring, which shouldn?t be too much of a problem, but trying to fix that in one day is a challenge. We are working in the right direction, I feel comfortable on the track, tires work great, and the bike balance is almost there. We just need to get the electronics sorted and we should be good.?


Sergio Verbena ? Crew Chief
?The bad weather seems to be a constant factor this season, almost like a curse. With this morning?s the delay of the first free practice session and the dangerous conditions. Today with a completely wet track we managed to make some improvements but we still have some work ahead of us. Tomorrow we expect rain so we will continue working in the same direction we have today.?

 

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Friday on wet Aragon track: Top ten for Karel Abraham

9th best lap time achieved Czech MotoGP rider Karel Abraham in Friday?s practice session for Grand Prix of Aragon. Abraham made his fastest lap in the end of afternoon session making 2:02,814, which is 2,413 second behind fastest Ben Spies.

Karel Abraham
?First session was affected by Danny Webb?s crash in Moto3. There was lot of oil on the track and it should be pretty risky to ride on it. Afternoon was completely different. I did seventeen laps almost without entering garage. Bike set up isn?t bad, we have only one problem with the rear, we are not able to warm the tyre enough. We are looking forward to tomorrow hoping that weather will be better.?

Marco Grana, Cardion AB Motoracing chief mechanic
?Today was quite positive for us. We didn?t ride in the morning session because of two reasons: at first, it was some oil on the track and after that, there were very tricky ?not wet, no dry? conditions. Afternoon session was completely wet and we were able to do good lap times in the end of the session. It?s positive to be in Top ten, even we got some problems with rear suspension, which limits us in acceleration. We hope to have better weather tomorrow which allow us to improve ?dry? set up of the bike.?

 

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Lorenzo Delivers with Pole in Aragon

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo emerged the victor in an intense qualifying battle today, securing the pole position for tomorrow?s Grand Prix of Aragon at the Motorland circuit. The Championship leader started the first dry session of the weekend quite slowly, gradually picking up the pace to join the battle between his team mate Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow and Dani Pedrosa for the top spot. It was with his last fresh tyre just three laps from the end of the session that Lorenzo delivered, putting down a 1?49.404 lap to secure pole 0.088 seconds ahead of Pedrosa. The pole is his fifth of the season.

Texan Spies threatened to make it an all Yamaha front row this afternoon, consistently battling with the top three and briefly taking the top spot on the timesheets. His fastest lap came just one lap before the end of the session, delivering a 1?49.748 lap and missing the front row by just 0.172 seconds.

Jorge Lorenzo Position 1st - Time: 1'49.404 - Laps 22
?I feel happy, I really thought Cal would take pole position because his lap time was really quick but finally we managed to improve our lap time with the last qualifying tyre. It?s important to be on the front row in pole position but tomorrow is what counts, we have to do a lot of laps and it?s going to be a long race. Let?s see how the weather is, we all hope it?s not going to rain, it?s much better if it?s dry.?

Ben Spies Position 4th - Time: 1'49.784 - Laps 24
?In the end we weren?t too far off the fastest guys. The session was quite tricky in the beginning, very slippery in parts and quite different to when we tested here. In the end we did an ok job, we didn?t make a perfect qualifying session but honestly speaking after seeing some of the crashes I was probably being a bit cautious. It was the first dry session of the weekend so it?s quite hard to go full speed that quickly. The bike is working well so a good warm up tomorrow morning and we?ll be ready for the race.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?A very important pole position, circumstances were very difficult because it was slippery and cold so in the beginning we weren?t so fast. We knew what times we had achieved in the test but it was important not to lose concentration and make a mistake today.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?We wrapped up today with pole which is always a great result. I think the test we had here was very helpful, this makes our work a lot easier this weekend. The only thing that could have been sweeter today would have been to have Ben on the front row too. Ben has a good set up so let?s hope tomorrow will be dry.?

Crutchlow clinches front row at Motorland Aragon

Cal Crutchlow delivered a fantastic qualifying performance in cool and cloudy conditions at the Motorland Argon circuit this afternoon, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider heading the timesheets for over half the session before securing a place on the front row of the grid for the sixth time in 2012.

The session started on a dry track, which gave Crutchlow and teammate Andrea Dovizioso their first opportunity to assess grip levels on Bridgestone's slick tyres after a rain-hit weekend.

With dark clouds threatening in the skies above, Crutchlow wasted no time in establishing a fast rhythm and he took control of the session shortly before the halfway mark with a lap of 1.50.322.

Crutchlow brilliantly built up his speed and he was the first rider to lap in the 1.49 bracket when a lap of 1.49.718 moved him over 0.6s clear of the pack with 15 minutes left on the clock. He held top spot until just over three minutes remained when his pace was bettered by Spanish duo Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

The British rider lowered his lap time to a 1.49.576 to finish just 0.172s off pole position. Today's result secured Crutchlow a place on the front row for the third race in succession ahead of tomorrow's 23-lap encounter. And today's qualifying session was the third in succession that Crutchlow, Lorenzo and Pedrosa have occupied the top three places.

The first dry session of the weekend gave Dovizioso the opportunity to focus on the dry race set-up of his YZR-M1 machine. The Italian was a consistent challenger for the top three for much of the session and with just five minutes remaining he looked well set to notch his third front row start of the campaign when he sat in third position on the leaderboard.

Dovizioso was able to set a best time of 1.50.241 that secured him a place on the second row in sixth position and he's confident he will be a leading contender for the rostrum in tomorrow's race.

Cal Crutchlow Position 3rd - Time 1'49.576 - Laps 23
?I think we did a very good job today to finish on the front row when this session was the first time we have been able to work on the settings in the dry. My main aim for the session was to get the bike set-up for the race and immediately out of the box I was fast and all through the session I was able to steadily improve my pace. I'm confident going into tomorrow's race because the bike feels good, despite the fact that we missed a lot of dry track time, so credit to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew because they did a fantastic job again. I thought we'd be struggling more because Jorge, Dani and Ben all tested here for two days recently, so to be so close to them shows we've done a great job. That is the third front row start on the bounce now but after Misano I have got to finish the race tomorrow. Hopefully it will be in the top three because it would be great to get another podium.?

Andrea Dovizioso Position 6th - Time: 1'50.241 - Laps 25

?It has been a particular session this afternoon with quite tricky conditions as qualifying was the first dry session of the weekend and with the low temperatures we had to use the soft front tyre, which is normally unusual for this track and for my riding style. I can't push as hard as I would like while braking on corner entry, so we will probably use the hard option in the race tomorrow without having it tried before. I'm still really happy with my feeling with the bike. I could have been faster during the last run but I did just two of the five planned flying laps because I found some slower riders on track. I'm confident that I will be able to fight for the podium tomorrow, but it will be important to make a good start to stay with the leading group during the opening laps.?

2012 MotoGP Spain
Motorland Aragon 29/09/2012
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'49.404
2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'49.492
3 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'49.576
4 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 1'49.748
5 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'50.034
6 Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha ITA 1'50.241
7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'50.410
8 Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 1'50.949
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'51.013
10 Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 1'51.072
11 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'51.082
12 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'51.155
13 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'51.459
14 Karel Abraham Ducati CZE 1'51.521
15 Michele Pirro FTR ITA 1'52.606

 

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IN A DRY QUALIFYING SESSION HECTOR ACHIEVED THE TOP TEN AT THE MOTORLAND ARAGON

Positive qualifying session for H?ctor Barber? and the Pramac Racing Team at the Motorland Aragon.

After three free practice sessions characterized by wet conditions, the rain gives all the MotoGP riders a break, just in time for the qualifying session to decide the starting grid for tomorrow?s 23 laps race.

During the sixty-minute qualifying, H?ctor was able to achieve a good 10th place, putting in a big effort and improving his confidence with the bike lap after lap.

Tomorrow the Pramac Racing Team will use the twenty-minute warm up to refine the best bike set up, helping H?ctor to improve also his confidence.

H?ctor Barber? ? Pramac Racing Team Rider ? 10th place in 1?51.072

?I would like to explain my feelings after this tough period, but it?s too difficult. Probably only a rider may be able to understand me. Getting back to the track after six-week absence it seems like getting back aboard on the bike after the winter break!
Despite that I?m confident about tomorrow?s race because I?m feeling better lap after lap and I was able to improve also my best lap time, as consequence.?

Marco Rigamonti ? Track Engineer Pramac Racing Team ?

?H?ctor struggled to find the right confidence with the bike, but after several runs (to test especially himself) he was able to display his riding ability and I?m sure that tomorrow we can achieve a positive result?.

 

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Positive qualifying for Edwards at Aragon

The weather forecast predicted heavy rain during today?s MotoGP qualifying but the session ended up taking place in dry conditions, turning of all the plans of NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team, that in the other sessions had found a good wet setting of the bike.
Colin Edwards?s 17th position shows the progress made with the electronics setting, allowing the American rider to find a good race pace with today?s lap times.

Colin Edwards ? 17th (1?52.853)
?In all reality we have a good rain setting and its good that we have been able to get in a few laps in the dry before the race. We have made some changes in the electronics and they feel pretty good. Tomorrow we will be working on the chassis to try and work on making the bike turn in a way that feels more natural, to make it smoother.?

Sergio Verbena ? Crew Chief
?Like at Misano, the first dry session of the weekend was the qualifying session but thanks to the data obtained in wet conditions we were able to have a good bike setting and provide Colin a competitive bike. He seemed to like the electronics right away, he claims this is the best he has had so far this Season. We have a few CRTs behind us and we are close to others. Tomorrow morning we will test little modifications that might be just what we need in order to close the gap.?

 

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Disappointment after 7th place from morning session: Abaja in fifth row on the Grid at Aragon

Fourteenth place on tomorrow?s Aragon MotoGP grid ? that?s the result of Saturday?s qualifying session for Czech MotoGP rider Karel Abraham. After outstanding 7th place in morning session and Friday?s ninth Karel is unsatisfied. With 1:51,521 Abraham lose 2,117 to the fastest Jorge Lorenzo.


Karel Abraham
?Morning wet session had been really good, but in the afternoon we rode on dry track for the first time and we had some problems with set up. We discussed some changes during my pit stop, but we couldn?t do them immediately. Even I tried to go faster and I was able to improve my lap time, we wasn?t able to move up in classification. Lot of rider, who had been behind me, did their best times in last lap and overtook me. I can?t be satisfied by this result after successful morning session. We are really curious about weather forecast.?

Marco Grana, Cardion AB Motoracing chief mechanic
?Today morning ? on the wet ? it was very good, we made good lap time, Karel was happy with bike. Unfortunately we wasn?t so competitive on dry track in the qualifying session. We didn?t have any special problem with bike, Karel was pushing hard, but we couldn?t improve our times. Karel complained on the grip of rear tyre, so we try some changes in set up for tomorrow. But it will be very hard to get to the front from 5th row and especially the first lap will be very difficult. It will be better for us, if it rains tomorrow.

 

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Aragan Latest MotoGP News: Round 14 - Qualifying - Motorland Aragon -

Pedrosa bounces back to second at Aragon MotoGP qualifying

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) will start tomorrow?s Aragon Grand Prix from second on the grid after a brilliant comeback from a tumble during this afternoon?s qualifying session. MotoGP rookies Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) and Jonathan Rea (Repsol Honda RC213V) also performed superbly, going fifth and seventh fastest.

Conditions at Aragon have been very similar to what they were Misano a fortnight ago: a wet track for the first three practice sessions, then a dry track for qualifying. Set-up time has therefore been extremely limited, with Pedrosa, Bradl and Rea all falling back on the data they gathered here during a test session at Aragon earlier in the month.

Pedrosa ? who celebrates his 27th birthday today ? was second fastest after the first three practice sessions and went into this afternoon?s hour-long outing aiming to score his second consecutive pole position. But his hopes were dented when he took a heavy tumble after just five minutes, losing the front as he braked for turn 14. It was an unexpected crash because Pedrosa was not pushing hard. Only minutes later another rider crashed at exactly the same spot, suggesting that cold track temperatures and a slippery ?green? track surface were the culprits.

With both his bike and his leathers damaged, Pedrosa returned to the pits to change leathers and climb aboard his second machine. At first he focused on getting his confidence back and securing a reasonably fast lap time to put him well up on the grid. Once he had done that then he began to push to the limit in search of pole. With three minutes to go he did go fastest, but with just seconds to go Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) sneaked ahead to take pole with a slender 0.088s advantage.

Bradl was once again up with the leaders throughout, finally taking fifth spot, which means he will start the race in the middle of the second row between Yamaha Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso. Like most riders Bradl rode with soft front and rear slicks this afternoon, due to the low temperatures, even though he usually prefers the extra support of Bridgestone?s harder compound front tyre.

Rea also had good reason to be happy with his day?s work, especially considering the changeable conditions. The Ten Kate Honda World Superbike rider made his MotoGP debut at the rain-hit Misano GP ? substituting for injured World Champion Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC213V) ? which means he has had very little dry track time on a MotoGP machine. Luckily he had joined Pedrosa and Bradl for testing here in preparation for Misano.

Rea is in his fourth weekend of five consecutive race weekends, alternating between his Honda CBR1000RR superbike and Stoner?s RC213V MotoGP machine. Last weekend he rode his CBR to second place in the second race at the Portimao World Superbike round.

Stoner?s much-anticipated return is scheduled to take place at the next MotoGP round in Japan on October 14, six weeks after he underwent surgery on his right ankle, injured during a nasty qualifying crash at the Indianapolis GP.

Bautista was the only RC213V rider not to take part in the Aragon tests, and that lack of dry track time today cost the Spaniard who ended up 12th fastest. Like many riders he struggled to find grip on the slippery surface and he wasn?t prepared to push over the limit and risk a crash.

Michele Pirro (San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR-Honda) was happy enough with his progress to 15th position, which puts him third quickest in the CRT machine rankings.

MotoGP rider quotes:



Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd ? 1m 48.492s

?It's a very good result for us after all the issues we had! I'm really happy to be on the front row and so close to the pole position. After the crash I had at the beginning of the session ? I guess due to cold tyres because I was not pushing at all ? we only had one bike left with 50 minutes remaining. I lost some time there and when I went out with the second bike I realised that I had to remain calm because it was the only bike I had for the rest of qualifying and also the only front tyre. At the beginning, I was cautious trying to set a decent lap time and towards the end I just forgot about everything and pushed harder for the front row. We have a good position for the start, I just hope everything goes smoothly and we can have a great race tomorrow in front of the home Spanish crowd.?
Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 5th ? 1m 50.034s

?I am pretty satisfied about my qualifying because we lapped with a good pace from the beginning of the session. Unfortunately in one middle-session run I suffered a bit because of the front tyre: we were using the soft rubber the whole session but normally I prefer the hard one but in these cold conditions we thought the soft tyres were the best choice. At the end I was trying to put things together but it was not easy because the rear tyre dropped very fast so I was expecting to get one more position on the grid but P5 is good anyway.?

Jonathan Rea, Repsol Honda: 7th ? 1m 50.410s

?It was the first dry session of the weekend. I'm not sure what I've done to deserve this weather! Towards the end of the session we started to get going and find our rhythm, the lap time was okay and I see a few areas where I can improve, but we are closing the gap; now just a second from the pole time which I'm pleased with. In general I'm really happy with the bike and with the set-up so hopefully tomorrow I can be closer to the front guys than I was in Misano. It looks like my last ride so I want to go out tomorrow and make every single lap count.?

Alvaro Bautista, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 12th ? 1m 51.155s

?This afternoon was our only dry session so far and I didn't have a good feeling with the bike. I wasn't confident with the front and the rear was sliding around too much. We couldn't find a solution for qualifying and it was my worst qualifying of the season so far. Hopefully tomorrow with dry track and higher temperatures we can find the confidence to put in a good performance.?

Michel Pirro, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 15th ? 1m 52.606s

?Finally we had a dry session this afternoon and even though the conditions weren't perfect I was able to get back the feeling for the bike that I had lost in the wet. Our pace is good and if we can close the gap a little more to the top two CRTs we can have a good race tomorrow. We need a little more traction from the rear because at the moment I am struggling to put the power to the ground but I think we can make improvements and be more competitive tomorrow.?

Pole position : 1m49.404s (167.094Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
Circuit record lap : 1m49.046s (167.643Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda
Circuit Best Lap : 1m48.451s (168.562Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda, 2011
Qualifying position
1 Jorge Lorenzo 1m49.404s SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Dani Pedrosa 0.088 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Cal Crutchlow 0.172 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
4 Ben Spies 0.344 USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
5 Stefan Bradl 0.630 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
6 Andrea Dovizioso 0.837 ITA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
7 Jonathan Rea 1.006 GBR HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Valentino Rossi 1.545 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
9 Nicky Hayden 1.609 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Hector Barbera 1.668 SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
11 Aleix Espargaro 1.678 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Alvaro Bautista 1.751 SPA HONDA Honda Gresini
13 Randy De Puniet 2.055 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
14 Karel Abraham 2.117 CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing
15 Michele Pirro 3.202 ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
16 Mattia Pasini 3.234 ITA ART Speed Master
17 Colin Edwards 3.449 USA SUTER NGM Forward Racing
18 Danilo Petrucci 3.736 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
19 Yonny Hernandez 3.829 COL BQR Avintia Racing MotoGP
20 James Ellison 4.315 GBR ART Paul Bird Motorsport
21 David Salom 5.886 ESP BQR Avintia Racing MotoGP
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 270 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Dani Pedrosa 232 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Casey Stoner 186 pts AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Andrea Dovizioso 163 pts ITA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Cal Crutchlow 122 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Valentino Rossi 120 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Alvaro Bautista 118 pts SPA HONDA Honda Gresini
8 Stefan Bradl 115 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Nicky Hayden 93 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Ben Spies 77 pts USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
11 Hector Barbera 60 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
12 Randy De Puniet 48 pts FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Aleix Espargaro 45 pts ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
14 Yonny Hernandez 25 pts COL BQR Avintia Racing MotoGP
15 Karel Abraham 25 pts CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing
16 Michele Pirro 24 pts ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
17 Colin Edwards 22 pts USA SUTER NGM Forward Racing
18 James Ellison 18 pts GBR ART Paul Bird Motorsport
19 Mattia Pasini 13 pts ITA ART Speed Master
20 Ivan Silva 11 pts ESP BQR Avintia Racing MotoGP
21 Danilo Petrucci 11 pts ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
22 Toni Elias 10 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
23 Jonathan Rea 8 pts GBR HONDA Repsol Honda Team
24 Steve Rapp 1 pts USA APRILIA Attack Performance
25 David Salom 1 pts ESP BQR Avintia Racing MotoGP
26 Franco Battaini 0 pts ITA DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing
27 Chris Vermeulen 0 pts AUS SUTER NGM Forward Racing
28 Aaron Yates 0 pts USA BCL GPTech

 

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12TH PLACE FOR HECTOR BARBERA AT THE GRAN PREMIO DE ARAGON

Pramac Racing Team rider, H?ctor Barber?, rode hard to take 12th position, during the Gran Premio de Aragon under sunny and clear skies at least.

Starting from the 10th spot on the grid, H?ctor slipped a place at the start, exiting turn two in eleventh position.
After another two laps, the 25-years old established himself in a group that included Abraham, Espargar? and De Puniet, fighting for 9th place.

Despite pushing hard to remain in the battle for the top nine, the Spaniard wasn?t able to maintain his early pace, holding in 12th place alone until the chequered flag due to a lack of confidence with his Ducati.

The next appointment is scheduled in two weeks, when the MotoGP riders will visit the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan.

H?ctor Barber? ? Pramac Racing Team Rider ? 12th place

?The bright spot of today was that I finished the race, even if obviously, it wasn?t where I wanted to be.
I had no feeling with the bike and I need to re-acquaint myself, following the long summer break due to the injury and the difficult weekend in Misano.
Now we have to look forward, working hard to finish the 2012 World Championship in the best way?.

Marco Rigamonti ? Track Engineer Pramac Racing Team ?

?It?s a shame because we expected a better result. H?ctor told us that he still had a lack of feeling with the bike and he would like to have a one-day test, but at this point of the season, it is not possible. We should use all the free practice sessions in each round until the end of the season, trying to catch the best result?s possible.?

 

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Lorenzo Settles for Second in Aragon

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo took his seventh second place finish of the 2012 season today at the Grand Prix of Aragon. Starting from pole the Mallorcan took the holeshot into turn one and began to try and build a gap to Dani Pedrosa chasing in second. As the race progressed tyre grip dropped, allowing the gap to close until Pedrosa was able to pass on the sixth lap. Lorenzo initially attempted to keep pace with the race leader but after a near high side in turn one he made the decision to slow his pace and secure second at the line. The resulting point score sees him head to the tripleheader overseas races with a 33 point lead in the standings.

Ben Spies made a promising start to the Aragon race, climbing a position off the line to drop into the first corner in third behind Pedrosa and hotly pursued by Stefan Bradl and Yamaha Tech3 riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow. As the two front runners pulled away, Bradl made a move past Spies and then immediately crashed out of the race. The Texan worked hard to fend of the two satellite riders, eventually conceding his third place to Dovizioso on lap 14 and fourth place to Crutchlow on lap 17 to take his third fifth place finish of the year. Spies heads to Motegi in two weeks time still in tenth place in the Championship, now with 88 points.

Jorge Lorenzo Position 2nd - Time +6.472
?I was thinking to try for the win at the beginning of the race and if that was not possible then second place was the best possible result for the Championship. Dani had a better pace in the end, I was stronger at the start then little by little I was a bit slower, the tyres were slipping a lot and I couldn?t follow him. I nearly crashed in one corner and decided then to stay in second place and wait for the end of the race.?

Ben Spies Position 5th - Time +13.786
?I struggled a bit with the front tyre today at the beginning and then in the middle of the race. I tried to keep Dovi and Cal at bay as long as I could. Once they passed me I tried to hold onto the back of them in case they made a mistake. The bike was working well we just didn?t have it working as exactly as we needed to stay with them. We did our best they were just too quick in the end.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?A difficult race, a bit of damage control I think. Jorge tried to escape in the beginning but Dani was able to follow. There was no need to win, the Championship situation allows us to have some second places and still win the title. Jorge kept everything under control and finished second.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?The way to the championship title is proceeding well. We?re leaving Europe for the last three overseas races with a good margin in the standings, that is important and gives us confidence. Second position today was key for this. Unfortunately Ben?s race didn?t go as we expected but we know he is there so we?re sure that before the end of the season he will be on the podium.?

Dovizioso pips Crutchlow to podium after exciting Aragon duel

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team celebrated a brilliant return to the MotoGP podium in the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon today after Andrea Dovizioso came out on top of an exciting race long battle with teammate Cal Crutchlow.

Dovizioso secured his sixth podium of the 2012 World Championship campaign after he showed ice cool nerves to fend off the relentless challenge from hard charging Crutchlow to claim a richly deserved third place. Italian Dovizioso and Crutchlow were barely more than two tenths apart for the duration of the 23-lap race, which took place in sunny but cool conditions at the magnificent Motorland Aragon track.

After Stefan Bradl's early crash, Dovizioso and Crutchlow were pitched into an entertaining battle for third place with Factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies. Crutchlow led the chase of the Texan until he ran slightly off line exiting the final corner on lap 11 and Dovizioso pounced to grab fourth on the long run to the first corner.

Dovizioso seized third from Spies on lap 15 at the second corner and it was at the same point of the track that Crutchlow also made his move on the American on lap 18. The 26-year-old had brilliantly upped his pace by that stage and he launched a sustained attack on Dovizioso that went right down to the wire. The British rider briefly snatched third with a gutsy move at Turn 15 on the penultimate lap but Dovizioso responded instantly to seize the last podium position back.

Seeking to score his second podium in the last three races, Crutchlow tried the same manoeuvre again on the final lap, but Dovizioso was able to launch an instant counter attack and he held on to score his first rostrum since the Indianapolis round.

Dovizioso's outstanding ride moved him to within seven-points of Casey Stoner in third place in the World Championship standings, while Crutchlow's 13-points for fourth proved invaluable in his bid to secure fifth in the rankings. He is now seven-points clear of Valentino Rossi and Alvaro Bautista with only four races remaining heading off on the flyaway tour to Japan, Malaysia and Australia.

Andrea Dovizioso Position 3rd - Time +11.047
?It was a very good race and I am very happy to be back on the podium. It has been a difficult weekend with the weather but the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team did a fantastic job and the bike was very strong in the race. It was a very strategic race for me because right from the start I was quite slow in a few corners so I had to work very hard to stay in front of Ben and Cal. I knew Cal would be pushing very hard at the end of the race because a few times we have battled together like this and I have beaten him, so I knew he would not be giving up without a fight. He tried in the same place on the last two laps but at that point he couldn't stop the bike and I had a better exit speed to immediately take the third position back. And I know I am very strong on the brakes, so going to the last corner I was confident I could keep him behind me. It is great to be back on the podium, so I want to say a big thanks to my crew for doing such a wonderful job again.?

Carl Crutchlow Position 4th - Time +11.184
?Obviously it would have been great to be back on the podium after the disappointment of Misano but credit to Andrea because he did a great job as always and I'm taking nothing away from him. I did my best in those last two laps to take third but I knew he had a little better exit speed than me coming out of Turn 15 and that's how it turned out. It was impossible for me to try again at the last corner but I am happy with fourth because this result once again shows the huge step I have ma de from last season. Today I was close to the podium and last year struggling to be in the top 10. It was a good result for the Championship too because I pulled a small gap on Valentino and Alvaro. I can go into the last four races with a lot of confidence and hopefully enjoy some more good battles with Andrea. I tried my best to beat him today and didn't quite manage it, so hopefully next time we are in a fight like that it will be me that comes out on top.?

Herv? Poncharal - Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager
?I don't think anybody can say that Andrea and Cal didn't put on a fantastic show for the crowd today. I have to congratulate both of them because they have been very fast and really close to each other but at all times they treated each other with the utmost respect. They were very professional because they were very aggressive but without ever stepping over the limit. It was clearly the best battle of the whole race and it could have gone either way. Cal could not have done anything else to get back on the podium but on this occasion he couldn't quite get the better of Andrea. We know Andrea is fantastic on the brakes and he has a lot of experience, and he needed to dig really deep to keep Cal behind him and get another brilliant podium. They are both so evenly matched and so is the performance of the YZR-M1 that it is always going to be a close battle and hopefully we will see more of that in the last four races. I'm sure the fans won't be complaining and once again I think the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team put on a brilliant display.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Edwards mocked by the shift lever

Colin Edwards and the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team leave Aragon with a bittersweet aftertaste after fighting in the points zone during the Aragon Grand Prix of Aragon at the Motorland circuit.
The choice of hard tires for the race seemed to be right one for Colin, who was able to reach the fifteenth position but an unfortunate break of the shift lever at the very end of the race changed the fate of an already complicated weekend.

Colin Edwards ? 18th

?Right before we went out we decided to go with the hard tire, which we hadn?t used all weekend, we used it during the test. We didn?t know what was going to happen and as it turns out, using the hard tire in the front was the right choice. Got a good start, got out there and I can?t ask for more, I went faster than during qualifying. I rode hard and then right at the end I got Pirro and tried to put my head down but I couldn?t catch the guys in front of me. The shift lever broke and I decided to finish the last lap to see if we could get some points. Thanks to my team, we worked a lot this weekend, we just got bad luck.?


Sergio Verbena ? Crew Chief
?This morning we found something interesting during the warm up. The bike improved and we have got in better lap times, a couple of tenths faster that during the qualifying session. Unfortunately a technical problem during the race kept Colin from getting into the points, all the work done during the weekend was fruitless.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Pedrosa & Honda rule Aragon Grand Prix

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) scored a brilliant and emphatic victory at Motorland Aragon today after overpowering title rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) in the early stages. Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V) followed up his Misano podium with a solid ride to sixth, just ahead of MotoGP novice Jonathan Rea (Repsol Honda RC213V).

Pedrosa triumphed at the end of what has been a complicated weekend, with rain affecting all three practice sessions, before the circuit dried out for qualifying yesterday. The former 125 and 250 World Champion then took a heavy tumble during the early stages of qualifying and was beaten to pole by Lorenzo.

From the start of today?s race the two Spaniards were in a class of their own, quickly leaving the rest of the pack behind as they disputed the lead. Lorenzo led the first few laps, while Pedrosa watched, waited and worked out his plan. On lap seven he moved ahead at turn 12 and although Lorenzo tried to go with him, a big moment two laps later convinced him it would be better to settle for second place.

Pedrosa?s fourth win of the year followed his DNF at the preceding San Marino Grand Prix and reduces Lorenzo?s championship lead to 33 points with four races remaining.

Unlike Pedrosa and Lorenzo, Bautista did not take part in an Aragon test session earlier this month, and with so little dry track time over the past two days he was unable to perfect his set-up for today?s race. Starting from the fourth row of the grid he made up places during the early laps before settling into a rather lonely sixth place. He might have done better, but the lack of set-up told because he didn?t feel comfortable pushing any harder.

Rea did well, considering his lack of knowledge of MotoGP machinery. The Ten Kate Honda World Superbike rider ? who is substituting for the injured Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC213V) ? qualified an impressive seventh and rode another intelligent race, just like he did in his MotoGP debut at Misano. During the closing stages he managed to slightly close the gap on Bautista, but in the end had to be satisfied with seventh.

This was Rea?s last ride on Stoner?s RCV because the reigning World Champion is due to return to action at the Japanese GP in two weeks. Stoner has been recuperating from an operation to fix his right ankle, injured during a qualifying crash at last month?s Indianapolis GP.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) was once again in the fight for a podium finish when he slid off on lap five. The German had just taken third place from Ben Spies (Yamaha) when he fell.

Michele Pirro (San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR-Honda) achieved his eighth points-scoring result of the year, coming home in 15th position after a difficult race. A few minor technical issues prevented Pirro from repeating his top-ten performance at Misano.
The 2012 MotoGP World Championship now heads east for the Japanese, Malaysian and Australian GPs on consecutive weekends. The 18th and final event takes place at Valencia on November 11.



MotoGP rider quotes


Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: race winner

?It's been a tough weekend in general, with discussions about the last race with race direction and the crash in qualifying yesterday which created a lot of hard work for the mechanics. In the race I remained calm and was able to focus, Jorge began very fast in the early laps, but I was able to stay with him and then after a few laps I saw I could increase the pace and I passed him and tried to find my own rhythm. I was concentrating so hard that I almost forgot that it was a race, then I realised there were only four laps to go! I had a few issues with the clutch into the corners, shifting down, as I did yesterday, but overall the bike was working well so thanks to all my team for their hard work last night and to my fans and family for their support. This victory is for them all!?



Alvaro Bautista, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 6th

?Considering how practice went sixth place is a positive result. Obviously I'm not particularly happy with it because I think we can do much better and be fighting for results like Misano, but that was always going to be difficult today. I tried my best to chase the second group, but it wasn't possible and I was having to take too many risks so in the end I decided to play it safe and bring the bike home for as many points as possible. It is difficult to race like that and we need to find a solution to our front-end issues if I am going to be able to push the bike week in week out. We have salvaged a difficult situation today but we need to keep working and, knowing this team as I do, I'm sure that's what they'll do.?



Jonathan Rea, Repsol Honda: 7th

?I'm happy I achieved my goal of reducing the gap to the guys at the front, in the end we managed it by ten seconds, but it was another difficult race as I found myself on my own again. At the beginning I let Alvaro have too big a gap and when I tried to make a push, it wasn't enough and we were only taking tenths out of him, but I'm quite satisfied and I've learned a lot. In this race it was quite confusing for me as I was playing with the traction control buttons, the torque settings and the engine braking just to try and figure out what was happening, then there came a point where I told myself just to ride this thing and see what happens. It's been amazing to get this chance and I'm not totally sure what's happening for Motegi, but my best wishes go to Casey and I hope he comes back and shows the world the rider he is and ends his final season on a high. I want to thank all of HRC and the Repsol Honda Team for this opportunity and for treating me like one of their own, not like a replacement rider. It's been an amazing experience. This is my tenth year in the Honda family and hopefully I can come back here someday.?



Michel Pirro, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 15th

?We picked up a point which is a nice boost, but I am a bit disappointed to be honest because I was hoping for more. We had some problems with the bike after a few laps, so for me it was a case of making it to the end and salvaging what I could. It's a shame because after Misano we were hoping for a better result here but it hasn't been possible after a tough weekend all round. We'll try again at Motegi.?



Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: DNF
?It?s difficult to find the right words because we are all very disappointed, but this is racing. My feeling out there was very good today: good overall package, good start and good first laps. I felt very comfortable while braking and then I noticed I could go as fast as guys like Spies and Crutchlow so I wanted to push immediately because I knew that the rear tyre performance would drop off towards the end of the race. I overtook Spies and I lost the front in turn three: maybe I was a bit too aggressive and I am sorry for my team and my fans. Anyway we are in good shape and really looking forward to the next race.?

Pole position : 1m49.404s (167.094Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
Fastest lap : Lap 3 - 1m49.109s (167.546Km/h) Dani Pedrosa, Honda
Circuit record lap : 1m49.046s (167.643Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda, 2011
Circuit Best Lap : 1m48.451s (168.562Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda, 2011