MotoGP-Misano

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Yamaha Head Back Across the Atlantic to Misano

With no rest after a gruelling race weekend in Indianapolis Yamaha Factory Racing head straight back across the Atlantic. The team will begin preparations for the Grand Prix of San Marino at the Misano Adriatico circuit this weekend on Italy?s eastern seaboard. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has an impressive history in San Marino with an unbroken podium run at Misano, scoring three consecutive second place finishes in the MotoGP class. The Mallorcan rider sits 44 points behind Championship leader Casey Stoner with six rounds remaining.

Ben Spies returns from the USA to Misano with high expectations; the Texan displayed his impressive overtaking skills at last year?s San Marino Grand Prix, recovering from tenth to take a respectable sixth at the line. Spies can also claim a World Superbike race win in 2009 on the twisty, challenging circuit.
Jorge Lorenzo

?I hope to leave the last race behind us. We go straight to Misano now, a track I like and where I have won and got some podiums. My team and I will try to come back to the top and continue fighting for the Championship!?
Ben Spies

?It?s pretty tiring heading back to back across the Atlantic but I have always enjoyed racing at Misano. I had really good fortune there in my World Superbike year and enjoyed some great battles last year in my first MotoGP race on the track. We?re taking the confidence of the podium finish with us from Indianapolis so I?m looking forward to setting up on Friday and tackling the track on a factory bike for the first time.?

Wilco Zeelenberg
?I hope we are able to create something where we can fight at the front, it hasn?t been the case in the last couple of weekends. We know when the bike is right Jorge can fight with the best. We won?t give up and Misano will be our next chance to take something back from Casey.?


Massimo Meregalli
?The team headquarters are just a couple of hundred kilometres away so Misano is one of our ?home? races and we are all looking forward to it. Ben?s fight back to the podium in Indianapolis proved that we have a competitive package and we know that Jorge is strong at this circuit and still fighting for the Championship. We will look to find a good set up quickly and I have confidence we can challenge for good results.?

Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 37 (17 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 158 (63 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 44 (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: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2011
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 33
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Misano 2010
1. D.Pedrosa honda 44'22.059
2. J.Lorenzo Yamaha +1.900
3. V.Rossi Yamaha +3.183
6. Ben Spies Yamaha Tech 3 +28.385

Misano Record Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 1'34.746

Misano Best Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'33.378



Edwards and Crutchlow head to Misano full of confidence

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow head back across the Atlantic for this weekend's Misano MotoGP round in high spirits and full of confidence after both collected hard earned points scoring finishes last time out at Indianapolis.

Edwards raced to a superb seventh place finish in front of his home crowd on Sunday to move into eighth place in the World Championship standings and further strengthen the 37-year-old's bid to finish top non-factory rider this year.

Edwards has a good record at the 2.626 miles circuit with three top 10 finishes in four attempts and he is optimistic that he can continue his consistent streak of form in Sunday's 28-lap race.

Edwards will be seeking his eighth consecutive top 10 finish of the campaign at the San Marino venue, which is hosting a MotoGP race for the fifth time having returned to the calendar in 2007.

Crutchlow's debut at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway proved to be a morale-boosting exercise, the British rider succeeding in his quest to end a disappointing string of results with a gutsy ride to 11th.

The 25-year-old is now looking to build on the confidence gained on a circuit where he has winning pedigree. Crutchlow was victorious in the 2009 World Supersport round at Misano and he was just one second away from claiming a stunning podium in the second World Superbike race last year.

This weekend's race on the Adriatic coast is the start of the final third of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship, with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team looking forwar d to forthcoming flyaway trips to Japan, Australia and Malaysia before the season closes in Valencia in early November.
Colin Edwards

"Misano was the first track I ever went to with the Yamaha World Superbike Team way back in 1995, so the circuit has always been a very special place to me with a lot of fond memories. I've spent a lot of time in that area around Riccione and the beach when I lived there with my family back in 2004, so Misano is always one of the races I'm most excited about going to. The fans are really passionate and they love MotoGP, so there is always a special buzz around the place. Last weekend in Indianapolis was a tough race, so to take seventh was still a positive result. You always want more but I know the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is getting the maximum out of the package we have. It was obvious in Indianapolis th at we lack a bit of engine performance, but I still beat a lot of guys on factory equipment, so that proves what a good job we are doing. The goal this weekend will be the same as always and that's to qualify on the second row and finish in the top six. We nearly managed both in Indy, so I'm determined to make sure it will be mission accomplished in Misano."
Cal Crutchlow

?After the positive result in Indianapolis I'm really looking forward to Misano now. The first objective in Indianapolis was to finish the race and learn more about the bike, and we accomplished that. That's given my confidence a lift and it wasn't only good for my morale but it was also good for the morale of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, who have supported me fantastically. Of course we want to be finishing higher, but I was happy with my pace in Indianapolis. I was lapping at the same pace that Dani Pedrosa did on his way to winning the race in 2010, but that shows just how fast the guys are going this year. It is a challenge but one that I am up for and the target this weekend will be to try and get back into the top 10. At least I don't have to worry about learning the track at Misano and that is a massive bonus before you even start. I just want to get another good result this weekend for all the hard work my crew have been putting in to make it work out for me. I'm sure we can build on last weekend's result and have another strong ride in Misano.?

2011 MotoGP San Marino
Misano, San Marino 31/08/2011


Circuit Length:
4226

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'33.378
(Casey Stoner, 8/31/2008)

Last Years Winner:
Daniel Pedrosa

 

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Misano awaits Bautista and Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki has made a quick transatlantic dash to Misano in Italy following last weekend?s Grand Prix in America, for the 12th round on this season?s MotoGP calendar.

?lvaro Bautista will be looking to continue with the form he showed in Indianapolis - where he raced to sixth position - at a circuit that should suit both his riding style and the performance of the Suzuki GSV-R. Bautista's result in America was achieved after the strong potential shown by rider and machine in previous races, and the Spaniard now believes the team can go from strength-to-strength and produce even better results as the season continues.

Located near Rimini on the Adriatic Riviera, the Misano World Circuit is a track that features many slower corners taken in first and second gears and where overtaking is very tough. It has a long sweeping curve with two very high-speed right-handers that certainly make for exciting action and is not a circuit where ultimate top-speed is essential, although a consistent and smooth riding style certainly plays a part in mastering the layout.

Bautista will take to the track on Friday 2nd September for the first of two free practice sessions on that day, with a further practice on Saturday morning. Qualifying on Saturday afternoon will see the Suzuki star aiming for the best possible grid position for Sunday?s 28-lap race, which is scheduled to get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

?lvaro Bautista:

?I think we have a good reference at Misano from last year and we had a good race there in 2010. I want to improve on that and think that we can. It is a track that has every type of corner, it involves lots of hard braking and plenty of changes of direction ? it is a real fun track to ride. I want to start with a similar rhythm to that which we had in the race last year and try to be as close as I can to the top as early as possible. I believe we have the package now to do that and we will keep working hard until we achieve our goals.?

 

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Stoner and Pedrosa look forward to Misano

Repsol Honda team-mates Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa head into this weekend?s San Marino Grand Prix fresh off the success of a one-two finish in last Sunday?s Indianapolis GP. Stoner was the clear cut winner, while Pedrosa was a strong second heading to the circuit near Misano Adriatico, where the Spaniard took a dominant win last year on the Repsol Honda RC212V.

Stoner?s seventh victory in 12 races gave him a 42 point lead in the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. The win in Indianapolis was his seventh of the season, third in a row, and fourth from the pole position. It was also his first podium of any kind at ?The Brickyard?; he?s now been on the MotoGP podium of all 18 MotoGP circuits. The only other rider who can make that claim is Pedrosa.

Other than being knocked down in the second race of the year in Jerez, Stoner has been on the podium in every race and arrives in Misano riding a career best streak of ten podiums in a row. Stoner has been fast in Misano in the past. In his 2007 world championship-winning season, he won from the pole and was on pole the next year. Last year he started third and finished fifth.

Pedrosa won last year?s race handily. Jetting from the pole position, Pedrosa increased his advantage without opposition and sped to his career best fourth MotoGP win in one season. In Indianapolis, Pedrosa was the race leader until being passed by Stoner on the seventh of 28 laps, after which he secured his runner-up position. By finishing second he moved into fourth in the championship standings, which is impressive considering he?s missed five of the 12 races. Four were missed through an injury that was no fault of his own and the fifth was a fall in the Czech Republic from which he quickly recovered.

Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) is one spot above Pedrosa in the championship. The Italian who considers Misano his home race struggled with tyre grip-both front and rear-in Indianapolis, though he showed his versatility by changing his riding style. That allowed him to increase his pace towards the end of the grand prix; his final lap was his fastest as he rode to a fifth place finish. His best performances at Misano include fourth place finishes the past two years.

The San Carlo Honda Gresini team headquarters are in Faenza, less than an hour from the track. And the home of Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), who was born in Cattolica, is even closer, just six kilometres from the circuit.

Simoncelli will want to put the race at Indianapolis behind him. The ascendant second year MotoGP rider is one of the few who likes the road course of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it didn?t treat him well this year. ?Super Sic? was a fighting fourth for the first five laps before traction deficiencies sent him down the order. He would finish an uncharacteristic 12th, his only race finish outside the top ten this season. (He also has four non-finishes).

The best finish for Simoncelli at his home race came in 2008, when he finished sixth in his 250cc World Championship season.

Team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) will be racing in the MotoGP class at Misano for the second time this weekend. Aoyama was at less than full strength last year, having missed five races through injury and returning only for the previous race in Indianapolis.

Though success has eluded him in the MotoGP class-he was 12th in 2010-he did finish second in the 2007 250cc race.

Other than Pedrosa, the Honda rider with the most success at Misano over the past three years has been Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V). Elias won last year?s Moto2 race in Misano, one of seven wins that propelled him to the inaugural Moto2 World Championship. And in 2008 he finished third.

Indianapolis was a struggle for Elias, as it was for many riders, with the rear tyre spinning the whole race.

Misano Adriatico first hosted a grand prix in 1980 and will be hosting its 15th GP this season. The track was removed from the calendar following the 1993 season, returning in 2007 with a race won by Stoner. The circuit layout was completely updated and the direction reversed: It now ran clockwise instead of anti-clockwise. That changed the nature of the track, which isn?t a rider favourite for its tight, slow-speed corners that require both hard braking and hard acceleration. The 4.226Km circuit has 16 corners, six left and 10 right, with a longest straightaway of 565m. The MotoGP machines spend much of their time in transition or on the brakes and very little in the sort of fast, sweeping corners the riders favour.

What makes the Misano Adriatico circuit a popular destination is that its just up the road from the beaches lining the Adriatic Sea, where team members lament never getting to spend enough time.

Honda has won four premier-class GP victories at the seaside venue; Dani Pedrosa in 2010, Mick Doohan in 1991, Pier-Francesco Chili in 1989 and Freddie Spencer in 1984.

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner says:
?I'm looking forward to going to San Marino and seeing how competitive we can be. In 2007 and 2008 we were fast there, then I missed 2009 and last year we struggled a little, so we've had a mixed bag of results. It's a nice track, I like the two corners off the end of the back straight, they're a lot of fun and very fast. I know Dani and Jorge (Lorenzo) will be very fast there, but I'm coming off the back of three wins and in a strong position in the championship, so we'll see what we can do and I'm confident we can get a good result.?

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

?After the good race we had at Indy, we arrive at Misano in a very positive mood. The circuit is so different compared to Indy, but last year we had a very good race there and we will try to repeat this. We must be a little stronger on Saturday and prepare for the race the best we can. Misano is a track where you need good acceleration and hard braking, so this will be our priority to start working on with the bike setting. After the success in America, it's good to head directly to Misano. I hope we can continue working well with the team and take another step forward.?

Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says:

?We arrive in Misano after a disappointing result in Indianapolis but we are determined to turn the page and return on the podium. The conditions in Indianapolis were very demanding, but we managed to record our fastest time on the very last lap. This shows that we are fast and therefore we arrive in Misano stronger and with an extra motivation. We are third in the championship and this is the important point. We will continue fighting and we will give our best every race weekend, because we believe that second position in the World Championship is not impossible. Last year in Misano I finished fourth behind Valentino (Rossi). This year we want to take the next step and get the podium spot. I?m sure that with the experience gained this year, we can be strong at Misano. I don't live far from Misano and after the podium finish in Mugello I would love to have another good result in front of the Italian crowd.?

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says:

?Indianapolis has been hard and difficult. During the warm-up I had deceived myself, but it was a fluke because the feeling was more due to the lower temperature of the asphalt. Then in the race with track temperatures over 50 degrees it was a true disaster. I enjoyed it for only five laps, but it was really too little. It was a shame and I already made a plan to have fun at Misano for the whole race that I hope will be like the first five laps at Indianapolis. This is my goal and I want to do it for myself, but especially for my fans. Misano has never given me great joy, but in life there is always a first time. Surely the circuit is not among my favorites, but the motivations are many and I will give my best of myself. My house is a few kilometres away and the atmosphere will be essential to give me the right charge.?

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Hiroshi Aoyama says:

?The result of Indianapolis has not satisfied me completely. I was happy because the team had found the right feeling for the race and I was in good physical condition, but I have some regrets because with a good start I could have done better. Misano is a circuit with completely different characteristics. It is much more technical and the track is much tighter than Indianapolis. With the positive feelings of last Sunday I am convinced that in Italy I will be able to do very well. I would love to give a good result to the team, which is based just a few kilometres from the circuit.?

 

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Lorenzo Sets the Pace in Misano Practice

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo wound up today as the pacesetter in the first day of practice for the Grand Prix of San Marino. The reigning World Champion struggled to find top form in the morning practice but worked hard with his crew to make key set up changes over the lunchtime period. The afternoon session saw the improvements fire him almost immediately to the top of the time sheets where he remained unchallenged for the entire session, leading at times by over second.

Lorenzo?s team mate Ben Spies was one of the men to beat in the morning session, clocking some impressive lap times. He was the fastest rider until the last seconds of the session; ultimately finishing up in second, just 0.286 from first. The afternoon practice was spent trying a number of different set ups for rider position, the Texan ending in fifth 0.54 seconds from Lorenzo in first.
Jorge Lorenzo Position : 1st Time: 1'33.929 Laps: 43


?I feel much more comfortable on the bike this afternoon with the changes we made. The setting we made is very similar to the Mugello one and there I won the race. To be honest I didn?t expect so much change because we improved more than one second. We are now quite close to a victory I think. Casey and Dani are still so fast but at least we are there with them.?

Ben Spies Position : 5th Time: 1'34.466 Laps: 42


?Not bad today, it wasn?t a great second session but we had to try a lot of things. We?ve been working a little bit on rider position since before Indy and we came up with a good direction for me. We tried to go more in that way this afternoon but it was too much so we lost a bit of the second session on it. Other than that we tried all the tyres we wanted to and went pretty fast with quite a lot of laps on them. Overall a positive day, we tried some stuff that worked and some stuff that didn?t. We need to work harder for tomorrow and improve some grip levels but the overall feel and speed I?m happy with.?
Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

?We analysed the morning session well, the guys worked hard and we changed the bike a lot for the second session. We had better traction and Jorge could stop the bike a lot better than this morning. We improved over a second but we still have some issues. Now we are up there and ready to improve a little more tomorrow. It was a tough afternoon but the guys did really well to deliver the package.?

Massimo Meregalli Team Director

?We started with the right foot forward this weekend. This afternoon we tried different things with set up and tyres for Ben, now we have to fix a couple of issues but overall we are quite satisfied. Jorge made a great second session, very fast and consistent which is important. We will keep working and tomorrow we will finalise our set ups for the race.?


Combined Free Practice Times

1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'33.929
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.005
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.205
4. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'34.444
5. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'34.466
6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.989
7. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'35.023
8. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 1'35.111
9. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 1'35.282
10. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.301
11. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati Team 1'35.331
12. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Pramac Racing Team 1'35.418
13. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 1'35.419
14. Karel Abraham (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing 1'35.423
15. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'35.622
16. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Pramac Racing Team 1'35.826
17. Toni Elias (SPA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'36.196

 

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Edwards and Crutchlow seek improved pace in Misano

Monster Tech3 TeamColin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow started preparations for the Misano MotoGP round with solid performances today, and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders are confident they can significantly improve their pace for qualifying and the 28-lap race.

American Edwards set the 10th best time on the opening day of practice at a sun-kissed Misano circuit that witnessed temperatures soaring to a physically demanding 30 degrees this afternoon.

Working on improving high-speed stability with his YZR-M1 machine, Edwards was able to knock almost 0.3s off his best time in the opening session to finish with a 1.35.301.

The 37-year-old also dedicated a large portion of his 44 laps on track to evaluate the performance of Bridgestone's soft and hard compound rear tyre options to finish just over 0.3s away from the top six.

Crutchlow started well this morning and put his World Supersport and World Superbike knowledge of the 2.626 miles Misano track to good use to finish just over 0.2s away from the top 10.

Although he was able to lap over 0.3s quicker in this afternoon's 45-minute session, the British rider wasn't rewarded for that impressive improvement and he slipped down the order to 15th. Crutchlow is confident he can improve his pace tomorrow to challenge for a top 10 place on the grid, as he aims to focus on gaining more grip and confidence with Bridgestone's hard rear tyre.

Colin Edwards 10th 1.35.301 ? 44 laps:

?Today was a solid day without being too spectacular. We rolled off the truck from Indy not terribly fast and it is always nice to come out of the blocks with a bit more speed than I did. My biggest problem today has been high-speed stability and you can lose a lot of time in the three really fast right-handers here. The front-end was also tucking quite a bit this afternoon and at times the sensation was like I was riding on a flat tyre. We made some changes which we felt were going to make the bike better but we just ran out of time, so we'll sit down tonight and look at some data and come up with a plan for tomorrow. I feel confident and reasonably comfortable and with a couple of changes to the bike for tomorrow I'm sure we can come out all guns blazing. We also need to find something to help me with the hard rear tyre. I'm lacking a bit of entry grip, so we'll work on that too. Initially it feels fantastic but the lap times were no better. We got some ideas to get more side and entry grip with the hard tyre, so I'm sure we'll be much faster tomorrow.?

Cal Crutchlow 15th 1.35.622 ? 42 laps:

?Today wasn't an easy start to the weekend but I don't think 15th place is a true reflection of our potential. I had a few issues with getting the hard rear tyre to work, so we'll need to have a look at a big improvement in that area for tomorrow. I ran the same soft tyre I'd used this morning in the second session and even with 36 laps on it, I went just as quick with that as what we did with a brand new hard tyre. Lorenzo is more than 1.5s quicker on the hard tyre and I can't get it to work, so we need to have a look at the setting and perhaps make the bike more similar to what we ran in Indianapolis. We'll have a look at the data tonight and see what we can work out for tomorrow. I'm trying my hardest and I don't think I'm that far away because 0.5s would put me eighth.?

 

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Strong start for Bautista at Misano

?lvaro Bautista got Rizla Suzuki?s San Marino Grand Prix weekend off to a strong start today in Misano as he recorded the seventh fastest time.

Bautista (1?35.023, 40 laps) continued where he left off at Indianapolis last weekend and produced another positive two sessions, this time at the Misano World Circuit in Italy. Suzuki?s Spanish racer tried a new swinging arm this afternoon on his GSV-R and immediately noticed an improvement in the cornering ability of his machine. Bautista and the crew will work further on the set-up tomorrow to obtain the best setting for Sunday?s race.

Today?s practices were held in warm and sunny conditions with air temperatures hitting 30?C. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo produced the fastest time of the day with current leader Casey Stoner second.

Bautista has another practice session tomorrow morning, followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday?s 28-lap race is round 13 of this season?s championship and it will also see the Spaniard and the Suzuki GSV-R sport a fantastic one-off limited edition ?Rizla Micron? livery that will be launched at Misano on Sunday morning.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I think we did a good job today! This morning we started at the same sort of pace that we had in qualifying last year, so that gave us a good base to begin with for the weekend. The feeling with the bike was quite good, but I did not feel very well because I had been a bit ill yesterday ? I think it was an upset stomach from something I had to eat. Thanks to the guys at Clinica Mobile because in the afternoon session I was feeling much better. We wanted to test a new swinging arm in the second session and I started on the bike with the standard setting, but after three laps my engine said ?stop!? and I couldn?t continue with that bike, so I jumped on the other machine- with the new swinging arm. The feeling was good and we were able to turn a little bit better in the corners and this is good because this is what we wanted to improve. I think we have made a step forward and now I am sure we can improve the lap-time and the rhythm. We are not so far from the first place and I am quite happy about that. Thanks to all the crew for their hard work today after the long trip straight back from Indianapolis.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?I think we can be happy with the performances today of both ?lvaro and the Suzuki GSV-R. We made some further detailed changes compared to the Indianapolis weekend and so far everything we have done has taken the bike forward a little bit each time. Unfortunately we lost our first engine of the year ? there was definitely no hiding from that! But it was very much a Friday engine that had already covered a lot of miles so it wasn?t completely unexpected. We?ll just keep pushing and try to improve tomorrow, and then something special in qualifying.?

GP Aperol di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini Free Practice Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1?3.929: 2 Casey Stoner (Honda) +0.076: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 0.276: 4. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +0.515: 5. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0.537: 7. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.094:

 

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TWELFTH PLACE FOR RANDY DE PUNIET, SIXTEENTH FOR CAPIROSSI AT MISANO

A pair of free-practice sessions were completed today at Misano, site of the MotoGP world championships thirteenth round. Randy De Puniet finished with the twelfth-best time (1:35.418), just a few hundredths behind the factory Ducati of Valentino Rossi. The Frenchman is confident heading into tomorrows qualifying session, having dropped his time by more than a second following todays first session. Loris Capirossi, who is still dealing with pain in his shoulder, finished in sixteenth place (1:35.826).

Marco Rigamonti - Randy De Puniet Track Engineer

We changed many things between the first and second free-practice sessions. The updates for the afternoon were much more effective. Its hard to say if the tires also helped us, since we only used the hard this morning. We can say that we were helped by many components this afternoon. Tomorrow we must finalize additional details. In the meantime, thanks to Ducati for providing us with another frame, which enabled us to prepare two different bikes and save a lot of time.

Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Rider 12th best time in 1:35.418

"This afternoon went much better; this morning I had a problem with corner entryit was impossible to ride the bike. In the afternoon we made some changes and I was much faster, thanks mainly to the tyres. I finished the first day in twelfth place, but more importantly, Im very close to the top positions. Tomorrow well try to improve. Ill have to push a bit harder in the corners and take a few more chances."

Loris Capirossi - Pramac Racing Rider 16th best time in 1:35.826

"Despite the progress made compared to the first free-practice session, its still not enough. I found it very difficult to make right-hand corners, as my shoulder still bothers me and is very painful. Maybe rain would help us in our current conditions, but Im still convinced that we can do well. Were all close, so just finding a few tenths would move us up several positions."

 

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DUCATI TEAM SEARCHES FOR SETUP AT MISANO

The first day of practice sessions at the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini featured sun, very high temperatures and high humidity levels, making quite conditions very challenging for all the riders.

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden worked to find a setup that will work with the fairly slippery asphalt and, toward the end of the second session, the Italian managed to have a decent run with the soft tyre. Tomorrow, both riders will work to improve their setups for the qualifying session.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 11th (1:35.331)
?Fortunately, I managed to do two or three good laps at the end of the session, and to make up a few positions. We struggled because we wanted to ride with the hard tyre in order to work for the race, but unfortunately, following a promising start, I found it more difficult as the pace steadily improved. We lacked rear grip, especially with the bike leaned over, so we mounted the softer tyre at the end of the session. Today I did a ?35.3, but tomorrow we?ll try to cut at least half a second, working to also improve the feeling with the front under braking. We?ll start with the base setting from Brno and Laguna, and we?ll try some difference changes on the second bike.?

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 13th (1:35.419)
?This obviously isn?t how we hoped to come out of the gate here. I like this track okay, but it seems like every time I come here, it?s very hard to get up to speed. Basically, I?m pushing the front on corner entry and can?t get it stopped. My ideal time is ?35.0, but I can?t be consistent and put laps together. The track isn?t bad, but it?s hot and slippery and a little bit bumpy, and those things really don?t favor me on this bike. We?re definitely up against it but we?ll try a different solution for tomorrow.?

 

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Repsol Honda on fire in hot Misano

The Repsol Honda Team began the Grand Prix of San Marino in good shape, only five days after racing in Indianapolis with a very different layout but similar weather conditions. Casey Stoner, the current MotoGP World Championship leader, and Dani Pedrosa, the winner here last year, immediately got down to business in Misano and finished the first day of free practices in second and third positions respectively, while Andrea Dovizioso recorded the sixth fastest time on his return to his home GP.

Both Stoner and Pedrosa lapped under the circuit record (1'34.340 set by Pedrosa in 2010), Stoner achieved this in FP1 with a 1'34.005 lap, and Pedrosa in FP2 with a time of 1'34.205. Dovizioso will work with his team and analyse the data from both sessions to understand where he is losing valuable time.

All three Repsol Honda riders compared the performance of the soft and hard compound Bridgestone tyres. As was the case in Indianapolis, this will be a key point for completing the 28 lap race.


CASEY STONER ? 2nd 1'34.005

"We made a pretty good step this morning, everything felt pretty good and the bike was working well. We tried a few things this afternoon, but had a slight problem with some air in the brake line which cost us some time. Then we did race distance on the soft tyre and got some good data from that, we're doing some reasonably competitive times but not good enough yet, we'll go away tonight and work in preparation for tomorrow. We still need to get the bike feeling a little more comfortable in the middle of the corner and on the exit, with traction as well as turning. If we can improve these areas then I'm confident we can also improve the lap time quite a lot".


DANI PEDROSA ? 3rd 1'34.205

"We had a good start in the morning, I felt quite comfortable from the beginning, but in the afternoon we didn't improve as much as I would have liked. When Bautista's engine blew in front of me I thought the track would become dirty, so I did some slow laps to check and I lost some time and rhythm. We have to keep working with the suspension to get better traction and stability under hard braking, so we will focus on this tomorrow. I tried both tyre compounds, the hard one only this afternoon, and we still don't know which one will be better for the race".



ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ? 6th 1'34.989

?Today we worked on the general set up of the bike and in the afternoon we made some changes to the rear setting but we didn?t achieve the results we wanted. We need to continue working on the set up to reduce the pitching in the front and the rear. This is a slow track but with many hard braking areas and strong acceleration so we will analyse the data to understand the most critical areas where I am losing time. It was very hot today but the track conditions were ok. We rode with both soft and hard tyres and I felt good on the bike, so now the first thing to do is to study the data and evaluate the best direction to follow in preparation of the qualifying and race. I?m confident that we can recover the gap from the front riders?.



Practice Results

1 - Jorge Lorenzo - 1'33.929 - SPA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing Team

2 - Casey Stoner - 1'34.005 - AUS - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

3 - Dani Pedrosa - 1'34.205 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

4 - Marco Simoncelli - 1'34.444 - ITA - HONDA - San Carlo Honda Gresini

5 - Ben Spies - 1'34.466 - USA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing Team

6 - Andrea Dovizioso - 1'34.989 - ITA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

7 - Alvaro Bautista - 1'35.023 - SPA - SUZUKI - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

8 - Hector Barbera - 1'35.111 - SPA - DUCATI - Paginas Amarillas Aspar

9 - Hiroshi Aoyama - 1'35.282 - JPN - HONDA - San Carlo Honda Gresini

10 - Colin Edwards - 1'35.301 - USA - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

11 - Valentino Rossi - 1'35.331 - ITA - DUCATI - Ducati Marlboro Team

12 - Randy De Puniet - 1'35.418 - FRA - DUCATI - Pramac Racing

13 - Nicky Hayden - 1'35.419 - USA - DUCATI - Ducati Marlboro Team

14 - Karel Abraham - 1'35.423 - CZE - DUCATI - Cardion AB Motoracing

15 - Cal Crutchlow - 1'35.622 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

16 - Loris Capirossi - 1'35.826 - ITA - DUCATI - Pramac Racing

17 - Toni Elias - 1'36.196 - SPA - HONDA - LCR Honda MotoGP

 

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FIFTH ROW FOR DE PUNIET, SIXTH ROW FOR CAPIROSSI

The starting grid for the Misano Grand Prix was finalized during this afternoons qualifying session. Randy De Puniet turned in the fourteenth-best time (1:34.870). The Frenchman lost the front and fell just a few laps into the qualifying session, losing the opportunity to post an good lap. Loris Capirossi finished the session in sixteenth place (1:35.502), and hell start from the sixth row.

Marco Rigamonti - Randy De Puniet Track Engineer

Its a shame, Randy was going well on the bike we started qualifying with, but risked a bit too much in a corner and went off the track. Then with the second bike, he had a hard time finding his confidence because the setup was a little different. We hoped to be able to start from the third row, but we werent able to drop the last two or three tenths. Were confident for tomorrow, although it will be hard because there will be many riders to battle with.

Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Rider 14th best time in 1:34.870

"Im dissatisfied and angry for how things went. I fell on the eighth lap, when I was going quite well, maybe on my way to a very good time. I wasnt able to find the same feeling on the second bike, especially with the front. We made additional changes, but there wasnt enough time left for me to improve my time. I very well could have started from the third row, but unfortunately the early fall hurt my qualifying session a lot.

Loris Capirossi - Pilota Pramac Racing Team 16th best time in 1:35.502

Today went the usual way: the final piece was missing. Were all very close, and then when the time comes to cut away a tenth or so, Im never able to do it, for different reasons. When I try to lower my time, I try to be more aggressive, but this bike doesnt work with force. Instead, it becomes difficult to ride. Its hard; Ive been riding a certain way for 22 years, and changing now isnt easy. We have a pretty good race pace, so tomorrow well try to make some changes and see what happens.

 

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Bautista records best qualifying of the year

?lvaro Bautista will start tomorrow?s San Marino Grand Prix from the third row of the grid after qualifying in eighth place this afternoon at Misano.

Rizla Suzuki?s Spanish racer equalled his best qualifying position in MotoGP so far, at the Misano World Circuit in Italy He went one better than his ninth at Indianapolis last week as he continues to show that the recent potential shown by the Suzuki GSV-R is starting to come to fruition. Bautista?s best time of 1?34.360 from his 29 laps could have been even better, but he got caught in traffic at the end of the session when he was on his final run and was left a bit frustrated that he was unable to climb further up the grid.

Beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine was the order of the day as air temperatures rose to 29?C. Current championship leader Casey Stoner took pole position, his eighth of the season, with reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo second and Dani Pedrosa in third making up the front row.

Tomorrow?s 28-lap race will not only see Bautista aiming to get in amongst the front runners early on and make a serious attempt at a high-placed finish, but it will also be the first time that the one-off Rizla ?Micron? paint-scheme that will adorn the Suzuki GSV-R will be seen and raced. The new livery will be launched tomorrow morning before Bautista takes to the track at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) for the 13th round of the season.

?lvaro Bautista:

?This morning we made some changes to the gearbox, but after the practice we switched back to the settings from yesterday. In the qualifying I started with the harder tyre in the hot conditions to see if it worked well. It was not too bad and I was riding at 35.0 on most laps, but the exit from the corner with hard gas caused me to slide and go wide. We changed to the softer rear we had been using in the morning and I had a good feeling with that compound, and could ride mid 34s all the time. At the end I couldn?t make a best lap because there was a bit of traffic and some slower riders that I couldn?t get past, so I lost the chance to make a good lap-time. I think we have a good set-up for tomorrow and the grid position is even better than last week, so if I get a good start I think I can push right up there. I want to stay with the front guys for the maximum amount of time as possible and make a race and get a result like Indy ? or even better!?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?It?s strange that Misano has seen our best qualifying result of the year so far, but in-fact we are a bit disappointed by the result. ?lvaro made a steady rhythm at 35.0 with the hard rear tyre and then we compared it to the soft rear tyre from this morning, and he immediately made his qualifying time of 34.3, which at the time was good for fourth. Having put on fresh tyres we were all hoping ? ?lvaro included ? that a 33 something was possible, but a combination of traffic and a couple of errors took the chance away. We still need to improve the qualifying performance, but it is getting better and as always the points are in the Grand Prix tomorrow. We?re looking forward to the race!?

GP Aperol di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini Qualifying Practice Classification

1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 1?33.138: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.120: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.180: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0809: 5. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +0.852: 8 ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.222:

 

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Lorenzo Storms to Misano Front Row Start

Jorge Lorenzo delivered a scorching pace at the Misano circuit today to take second place on the grid in qualifying for tomorrow?s Grand Prix of San Marino. The reigning World Champion had continued to benefit from the hard work of his crew in the final morning free practice, holding second for most of the session to finally finish third just 0.323 from first. Lorenzo dominated the afternoon?s qualifying session, starting as the fastest rider from the outset before dropping to second with a gap of 0.578 to pole with 11 minutes to go. An extra burst of speed saw him drop the gap to a mere 0.120 seconds behind Casey Stoner on pole.

Ben Spies had a more challenging qualifying than his team mate today, spending the final free practice and subsequent qualifying working to improve rear grip levels on his YZR-M1. A last minute effort saw him deliver a fourth place grid start just off the front row, 0.809 from pole. The team will now work overnight to find an improvement for warm up to provide the best possible set up for the race.
Jorge Lorenzo Position : 2nd Time: 1'33.258 Laps: 30


"Today has been a good day for us. We wanted pole position but the first row is a good start for tomorrow. We have tried some things today and in QP we could almost always be in front. The bike is very good after all the great work of my crew and we have a fast pace. I think we can be competitive tomorrow and try to finish in front of Casey so that's our aim. The weather conditions are being very tough this weekend, it might even rain tomorrow. The race will be very difficult in all aspects."

Ben Spies Position : 4th Time: 1'33.947 Laps: 30


?It was honestly a lot tougher than expected this afternoon. I wasn?t really happy with it We?re trying a lot of stuff with the bike and I don?t feel all that bad riding wise, we just don?t have the right setting yet and we?re not comfortable at a few spots on the track. Some are really good, some are really bad. We had to ride way over the limit to be where we were today. I?m glad we got it done and got on the second row but I?m not happy about how many risks I had to take to get there. The bike?s there, we can see it, Jorge?s going fast and I feel good, we just have to get my setting comfortable. We?ve got all night to work on it and see what we can do for tomorrow. ?

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

?Second place is good, Jorge has a very good pace and he?s happy with the bike so we are ready to race. Our tyre choice has been sorted so we don?t have to gamble anything. Jorge is riding very consistently as the Jorge we know, he is very smooth and looking good so we are looking forward to the race to see what we can achieve.?

Massimo Meregalli Team Director

?First row is a good starting point for tomorrow, Jorge has a really good pace which is important. We are working to find a better set up for Ben and are still looking for some more grip for the rear. We are going to prepare something to try for tomorrow morning?s warm up. The weather for tomorrow is also a big question mark!?


Qualifying Times

FRONT ROW
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 1'33.138
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'33.258
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'33.318
SECOND ROW
4. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'33.947
5. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'33.990
6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.026
THIRD ROW
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'34.054
8. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'34.360
9. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 1'34.592
FOURTH ROW
10. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 1'34.637
11. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati Team 1'34.676
12. Karel Abraham (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing 1'34.727
FIFTH ROW
13. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'34.791
14. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Pramac Racing Team 1'34.870
15. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 1'34.955
SIXTH ROW
16. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Pramac Racing Team 1'35.502
17. Toni Elias (SPA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'36.167

 

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Edwards storms to superb seventh in Misano qualifying

Colin EdwardsColin Edwards delivered another fantastic qualifying performance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in Misano to boost his hopes of recording a top six finish in tomorrow's 28-lap GP Aperol di San Marino E Riviera di Rimini.

The 37-year-old missed a second successive second row start by just 0.028s and Edwards will start round 13 of this year's World Championship from seventh position having once again finished top non-factory rider.

Edwards was in stunning form earlier today when he ended practice in a confidence-inspiring fifth position, the Texan benefitting from geometry modifications to the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine to lap almost a second faster than he managed yesterday.

With a quarter of this afternoon's qualifying session remaining, Edwards jumped into the top five with a lap of 1.34.356. He was able to shave a further 0.3s off that lap but it wasn't quite quick enough to secure him a third top six start on the grid this season.

Edwards is now optimistic that he can battle for the top six in tomorrow's race as he looks to cement his position as the leading non-factory rider in the overall rankings.

British rider Cal Crutchlow had an eventful qualifying session, which took place in slightly cooler conditions than yesterday. Temperatures still peaked at 29 degrees and like team-mate Edwards, Crutchlow was able to knock almost a second off his Friday pace to finish this morning's third practice session in ninth position thanks to wheelbase alterations to his YZR-M1 machine.

Crutchlow was lapping inside the top 10 and looking to improve his pace of 1.34.791 when he suffered two late crashes. He tumbled out at Turn 3 on his first soft Bridgestone rear tyre and having returned to the pits to jump on his spare Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team machine, he crashed again in the closing moments of the session while looking to better his 13th position.

Both times he escaped injury and the spills haven't dented Crutchlow's confidence and the 25-year-old remains positive that he can compete for a top 10 result on the 2.626 miles circuit tomorrow.

Colin Edwards 7th 1.34.054 ? 29 laps:

?I'm really happy with today and it was a shame all our hard work didn't quite get us on the second row. We knew what the problems were yesterday and we changed the geometry on the front-end to create some stability through the high-speed sections. Once again I got to say a big thanks to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew because they rolled out an awesome bike for me. They did their job and I had to do mine and thankfully I did. There's not much between fourth and seventh and to be just over a tenth behind Ben (Spies) on the factory Yamaha proves what a good job we've done. I'm now looking forward to the race tomorrow. I'm going to run the soft rear tyre and I'm pretty sure it will be perfect, but I just can't make the hard rear option work. It feels pretty rigid and I just tense up when I'm on it. I've got to be looking at the top six though it is not going to be easy at all when you look at the calibre of those guys in front of me and the bikes they are riding. I just need to make sure I get a good start and try and stay out of trouble in the first couple of corners because there's been a few incidents there.?

Cal Crutchlow 13th 1.34.791 ? 23 laps:

?The position on the timesheets looks like it was a bad session and it could definitely have ended a lot better without the two crashes. But this morning I was a second faster than yesterday and felt really comfortable on the bike after we made some overnight changes that improved the front. I think I was eighth on the timesheets when I had the first crash, so I know I could have been in the top 10 on the grid. The first crash was at Turn 3. I'd just gone out on my first soft rear and there wasn't enough heat in it, so it high-sided me and then turned into a low-side. It wasn't a big problem and we put a new soft rear tyre in the spare bike. But the only front I had left was 25-laps old. I was on for a really good lap and the front pushed because it had close to race distance on it and I crashed again. That's pretty annoying but they were both my mistakes and I hold my hands up for that. I'm still positive that I could have been much higher up on the grid and I am confident I can be inside the top 10 tomorrow. I need to apologise to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew for giving them a bit of work, but it makes me more determined to give them a decent result tomorrow.?

 

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MISANO GP: DE PUNIET FOURTEENTH, CHAIN PROBLEM FOR CAPIREX

It was truly an unfortunate weekend for Loris Capirossi, who wasnt able to finish the final Italian Grand Prix of his career. The MotoGP veteran had to return to the garage almost immediately due to sprocket damage that was caused by the chain stretching. Once he was back on track, he realized that the gap to the others was extremely difficult to make up, and he dropped out of the race 20 laps from the finish. Randy De Puniet didnt have the same feeling with the bike that he had at Indianapolis, and he finished the race in fourteenth place.

Marco Rigamonti - Randy De Puniet track engineer

"We used the same bike that we did in qualifying yesterday, but in both the warm-up and the race, Randy didnt find the right feeling, especially with the front tyre. At least we made it to the finish. We dont have many opportunities to try various solutions at the moment, so we have to be happy with what we have."

Randy De Puniet - 14th in race

"Im disappointed. After Indianapolis, I thought things would go better, but this weekend was really negative in terms of my feeling with the bike. Even the heat didnt help me, but what really didnt work was the front end. I wanted to finish better, like in Indianapolis, where I was able to get into the top ten. I must forget this race in a hurry and think of Aragon, with the desire to do well."

Loris Capirossi - DNF

"Today was another unfortunate day. We managed to do something good during the warm-up, but the race was really a disaster. I had a problem with the clutch on the start, and then another one with the chain as a result. I came back to the garage to try to fix the situation, but it was useless because the gap to the others had become huge in the meantime."

 

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Bautista battles hard to eighth at Misano

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista had a hard-fought and somewhat lonely race at Misano in Italy today to record eighth place in the San Marino Grand Prix.

Bautista started from eighth on the grid, but was unable to produce one of his good starts and lost a couple of places during the first lap, as light spots of rain caused him to be extra careful in the early stages. Bautista got involved with a group of riders early on and by the time he had found his rhythm he had lost touch with the leading pack. Bautista gave chase to Colin Edwards, who had over a two-second advantage on the Spaniard, but the Suzuki racer hunted him down and passed him on lap-17. Bautista tried to catch the group further in front and although he made a valiant effort to close the gap, he had to settle for eighth after completing the last third of the race with no other riders for company.

Bautista and the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R looked spectacular at Misano today as the team showcased a one-off chrome livery to celebrate the launch of the Rizla ?Micron? paper in Italy.

Over 53,000 fans at trackside witnessed current World Champion Jorge Lorenzo take a comprehensive victory and close the gap at the top of the championship on Casey Stoner, who finished third.

Rizla Suzuki now has a week off before heading to Spain for the 14th round of this season?s calendar and the Aragon Grand Prix, to be held on Sunday 19th September.

?lvaro Bautista:

?Maybe this was not the result we expected after qualifying, but I didn?t have a lot of confidence on the first lap because it was raining a little bit and I didn?t feel like I could push too much ? so I lost some positions and distance from the group. When I got into my rhythm the group was far away and I couldn?t follow them. Eighth position is not a bad result but we expected more this weekend. We have done a good job during the last few races, but still we have to improve in qualifying to be nearer the front of the grid and make good starts and first laps. Thanks to all the team for this weekend and thanks to Rizla for their support with the new livery. The bike today was looking amazing and I think we all expected more than eighth, but we are confident that we can do better in the next races.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?A couple of months ago we would have been happy with eighth place, but our performance level has increased and today we are a little disappointed with the result. If the conditions had been the same as yesterday afternoon, when the track was 10 degrees warmer I think, there was a chance we could have competed for fourth place, but as it was we were so far behind after a couple of laps that to achieve the real potential was impossible. We have managed to get a decent, solid finish, so it?s not all bad!

?We were very happy to help Rizla launch its new ?Micron? product in Italy this weekend and we will now move on to another home race for ?lvaro at Aragon in two weeks time with a positive attitude.?

GP Aperol di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini Race Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 44?11.877: 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +7.299: 3. Casey Stoner (Honda) +11.967: 4. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +17.353: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +17.390: 8. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +30.678:

World Championship Classification:

1. Stoner 259: 2. Lorenzo 224: 3. Dovizioso 185: 4. Pedrosa 150: 5. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 135: 12. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 57:

 

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Lorenzo Claims Misano for Yamaha with Perfect Victory

Yamaha Factory Racing?s Jorge Lorenzo put on a perfect performance today for the Grand Prix of San Marino, leading from the start to claim an incredible race victory at the line. The reigning World Champion was quick off the line from second position, quickly securing the front spot from Championship leader Casey Stoner into the first corner. As the Australian put the pressure on, Lorenzo responded, delivering an untouchable pace to gradually increase his lead. His flawless performance also delivered the new track record for the circuit on his 12th lap with a 1?33.906. Race winner Lorenzo was joined on the podium by legendary Yamaha rider, three time World Champion Wayne Rainey to accept the trophies. Rainey had made an emotional return to Misano this weekend for the first time in eighteen years as part of Yamaha?s 50th Anniversary of Grand Prix racing. Ben Spies worked hard today, battling the hot and humid conditions with a less than perfect set up. Having started form fourth the Texan initially dropped to seventh before slowly reeling in and passing local hero Valentino Rossi. Having despatched the Italian the hunt began for fifth and sixth place riders Simoncelli and Dovizioso. Spies was able to close the gap to less than 0.2 of a second but the battling Italians made it impossible to make a clean pass, finishing in sixth position.

Lorenzo?s stunning performance keeps the Championship alive, reducing the gap to Stoner in first to 35 points with five races remaining on the calendar. Spies picks up 10 points and holds fifth as they head to Aragon in Spain for round 14 in two weeks time.

Jorge Lorenzo
Position 1st - Time 1.33.929 - Laps 43
"Today has been an incredible day for us. I have delivered a good race; it was a very tough and long one. Most importantly we have won again and also reduced a little bit our gap to Casey. I want to dedicate this victory to Wayne who returned to Misano this weekend and I want to say thanks to all my team for their hard work. Now we have two weeks before Aragon, I hope to continue in this shape in my country. Tomorrow we will try the 1000cc Yamaha again; I am looking forward to riding my future bike. This has been one of the best days of my career!"


Ben Spies
Position 4th - Time 1.33.947 - Laps 30
?We started out with an ok set up but we didn?t really go forward all weekend, struggling a lot with edge grip. I wasn?t having a great feeling with the front either so we tried something new in warm up this morning which was honestly a disaster. We changed the front end of the bike dramatically before the race which proved to be good but took a few laps to get confidence in as it was such a big change. Once I got around Rossi I got more comfortable and was able to get to the back of Dovi and Simoncelli but was still struggling with edge grip and couldn?t get close enough to strike. I tried as hard as I could but just didn?t translate into top five this time. I need to say thanks to the team for all their hard work trying to solve the issues this weekend.?
Wilco Zeelenberg
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?It?s a very great feeling to win again. I think Jorge rode a fantastic race, the bike looked really good and consistent over the whole race. He was pushing it to the limit but he knew he would have to do that to still have a chance at the Championship. Now we can start thinking about the last races being 35 points behind instead of more. It was good that Dani came in between to give us some extra bonus points. We need to keep on winning now!?
Massimo Meregalli
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?A brilliant victory today, Jorge ran an unbeatable pace; this is the best possible finish to the weekend. Unfortunately we couldn?t find a really good set up for Ben here at Misano. He got good points finishing sixth which are important for the Championship. We?ll go away now and look at the data to make sure we come back fighting in Aragon in two weeks time. I have to thank the whole team who have worked extremely hard in really hot conditions here to do the best they can for both riders.?
Crutchlow makes welcome return to top 10 in Misano

Cal Crutchlow raced to a thoroughly deserved top 10 finish in today's GP Aperol di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini in hot and humid conditions at the Misano circuit.

And Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Colin Edwards claimed his eighth successive top 10 finish, despite encountering an uncomfortable arm pump issue in the second half of the 28-lap race.

Today's race proved to be a major test of physical endurance with hot and humid conditions dominating the 13th round of the World Championship. Super-fit Crutchlow needed to call on all his reserves of energy to claim his first top ten finish since he was a brilliant seventh in the Catalunya round.

He wa s inside the top 10 on only the third lap, Crutchlow expertly navigating pockets of light rain that had started to fall on sections of the track while the riders formed on the grid.

The British rider put immense pressure on Alvaro Bautista for the opening 16-laps before he took ninth from Edwards on lap 21. Hector Barbera dropped him back to ninth on lap 25 but Crutchlow refused to settle for 10th position and he launched a sustained attack on the Spaniard in the closing stages. Crutchlow gave his maximum effort but couldn't find a way by Barbera, who clinched ninth by just over 0.2s.

Today's race turned out to be a difficult experience for Edwards, who battled with factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies for the first eight laps. The 37-year-old experienced a severe arm pump issue from lap 21 onwards. The demanding humidity and hard braking zones at the 2.626 miles circuit only made the issue worse for Edwards, who bra vely rode on despite the considerable discomfort.

His courage and determination was rewarded with 13th position, a result which retains Edwards' position as the leading non-factory rider in the standings heading to the Motorland Aragon in Spain.

Cal Crutchlow
Position 10th - Time 1.35.301 - Laps 44
"I am really pleased with the race and it is my first top 10 for a long time, so that is a good boost for my confidence. Finishing 10th was three places better than my qualifying position, so it was a positive outcome. It could have been a slightly better result but I just got pipped by Barbera right at the end. I did everything I could to get by him but I had a little issue with the rear tyre. Corner entry was really difficult at the end, so I didn't feel like I could really push and have a go to overtake him with any confidence. His bike had a li ttle more speed than me, so I just couldn't get close enough to have a go. My race pace was good enough for fifth in last year's race but this year it was good enough for 10th. It just shows how far the pace has moved on and how tough it is in MotoGP. It was an unbelievably hard race for the body too. The humidity was incredible and I'm glad I do so many training miles on my bicycle because it was a real case of survival of the fittest out there. It was good that we gained a lot more experience and got another decent finish and now I can look forward to building on this result at the Motorland Aragon.?

Colin Edwards
Colin Edwards
Position 11th - Time 1.22.676 - Laps 26
?I've got no excuses, today's result was nothing to do with anything else but me. I've no idea but for whatever reason, I just always ride so tense at this track. I kept telling myself that I needed to relax and calm down and then on the grid there's a few rain drops in the air, so that immediately means you can't help but be tense because you've no idea how hard it is coming down on other parts of the track. The front-end geometry change we made to the bike for Saturday morning made the bike feel a bit heavier and harder to change direction. I pushed as hard as I could for the first ten laps and was pretty close to Ben (Spies) and then it hit me like a pile of bricks. I got such bad arm pump I couldn't feel the front brake or the handlebars and by the end I was just moving my arms in the direction I thought they needed to go. I've never had arm pump that bad and to be honest I didn't realise you could get it that bad. It got to a point where almost pulled in. But I gritted my teeth and thought I could probably get a couple of points, which we did. But it was a complete nightmare and all I can do is put today behind and try and bounce at the Motorland Aragon in a couple of weeks."

Herv? Poncharal - Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager
"Although qualifying was difficult for Cal he had a good start and pushed really hard all through the race and I'm very pleased with his performance. He managed to catch Colin and pass him but he lost a little bit of time and that gave Barbera and Aoyama the possibility to catch him back. Then there was a really good fight between those three and I think at the end, although Barbera finished in front of him, it was a good experience for Cal. I am sure he has learnt a lot in the race and the top 10 is what we were looking for this year, so we are happy. Colin started the race really well and for the first third of the race he was really strong and pushing close to Ben. At that point we were hoping for a strong result but then I saw his time dropping and we did not really understand why. We thought maybe it was the ty re or something like that as the lap time was getting very slow. But when he came back to the garage we found out that he had an arm pump problem on both arms and they went almost numb and he could not feel anything. At some point he wanted to come into the pits, but he carried on to finish the race and get some points and I want to thank him for that and never giving up.?

2011 MotoGP San Marino
Misano, San Marino 04/09/2011 28 Laps
race I
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 44'11.877
2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'07.299
3 Casey Stoner Honda AUS 0'11.967
4 Marco Simoncelli Honda ITA 0'17.353
5 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 0'17.390
6 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 0'18.092
7 Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 0'23.703
8 Alvaro Bautista Suzuki ESP 0'30.678
9 Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 0'37.502
10 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'37.720
11 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 0'39.548
12 Karel Abraham Ducati CZE 0'40.506
13 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0'53.349
14 Randy De Puniet Ducati FRA 1'02.366
15 Toni Elias Honda ESP 1'20.156
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 13 of 18
1. Casey Stoner Honda AUS 259
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 224
3. Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 185
4. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 150
5. Ben Spies Yamaha USA 135
6. Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 133
7. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 105
8. Marco Simoncelli Honda ITA 93
9. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 87
10. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 82
11. Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 69
12. Alvaro Bautista Suzuki ESP 57
13. Karel Abraham Ducati CZE 50
14. Toni Elias Honda ESP 47
15. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 45
16. Randy De Puniet Ducati FRA 29

 

[KUCIAR666]

Honda's Pedrosa and Stoner on podium with winner Lorenzo

Team-mates Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) and Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) finished second and third in today?s San Marino Grand Prix, a race won by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).

Local hero Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) came out best from a breathtaking last-lap duel for fourth place with Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) to make it four Honda RCVs in the top five.

Stoner took pole position in yesterday afternoon?s qualifying session, but was by no means confident of scoring a fourth consecutive victory to further strengthen his lead in the World Championship. Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa were covered by just 0.18s in qualifying, so all three men predicted that today?s race would be a close-run thing.

Pre-race tension was heightened by a smattering of rainfall before the start and during the first laps, but the rain never got anywhere heavy enough to force riders into the pits to swap to their ?wet? bikes.

Lorenzo made his intentions clear by snatching the lead into the first corner and despite the best efforts of Stoner and Pedrosa the Spaniard stayed there for the entire 28 laps. Wary of being in front with spots of rain falling here and there, Stoner was happy to stay behind his title rival during the early laps, while Pedrosa shadowed the pair in third.

That?s the way it stayed until lap 12 when Lorenzo upped his pace to set the fastest lap of the race and double his lead to more than a second. Within another half dozen laps he was more than three seconds ahead as Stoner began to struggle, apparently running out of strength, a result of jetlag and subsequent sleep deprivation following last weekend?s Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Stoner?s target had now changed, from winning the race to defending second place, but he was struggling to get his bike stopped and was therefore running wide in the turns, which threw him back into the clutches of his team-mate. There are no team orders at Repsol Honda, so Pedrosa sped past Stoner into the high-speed Curvone right-hander with six laps to go. Pedrosa could do nothing about the leader, however, though his second consecutive runner-up spot did move him slightly closer on points to third-placed Dovizioso.

Dovizioso ran fourth in the early stages, then came under successful attack from long-time rival Simoncelli, but he rallied his forces in the final ten laps as he came under pressure from Ben Spies (Yamaha). With three laps to go Dovizioso rode past Simoncelli, with Spies looking to get in on the act. On the last lap Simoncelli once more overtook his fellow Italian and the trio were pretty much side by side as they rode into the slow-speed Quercia left-hander for the last time.

Dovizioso and Spies squeezed past Simoncelli but both ran wide, allowing Simoncelli (who hails from Cattolica, just a few kilometres from the track) to sneak back ahead. Simoncelli beat Dovizioso over the line by 0.037s, with Spies a further seven tenths down.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) had a busy race, battling for a top-ten finish with several different rivals. He eventually crossed the line in 11th place, less than two second behind Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha). Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) scored the last championship point in 15th.

The MotoGP and Moto2 paddock reconvenes in a fortnight?s time for the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain, the last European round of the championship before November?s season-finale at Valencia, also in Spain.

MotoGP rider quotes

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V): 2nd
?I?m a little disappointed with the race because the bike didn?t feel as good as it was in practice. We wanted to make a change to the suspension to improve it a little, but we had the opposite effect. Sometimes it happens. From the first lap I realised I couldn?t keep up with Jorge and Casey, at the beginning the bike was closing the front and then it was sliding the rear. The second part of the race was good, Jorge had a perfect race today, but I was able improve my times lap by lap and catch Casey. I overtook him and maintained my rhythm to the finish with another second place in two weekends, which is not so bad. We?ve been lucky today as it was cooler than yesterday and finally the rain didn?t come. It?s been two very demanding races in a row and this one in particular was perhaps the toughest of the season so far, as the circuit is challenging with so many hard braking areas and it was hot again. Also, after Indy it has been difficult to recover from the jetlag and fatigue. Let?s hope we can get some rest and be stronger for Aragon.?

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: 3rd
?At the beginning of the race I was cautious as there were a few spots of rain. Once this cleared up I was pretty comfortable behind Jorge, I didn?t feel the need to push and then the tiredness suddenly hit me. It was hard to find the braking points and change direction on the bike, there was nothing wrong with the tyres, nothing wrong with the bike, the team did a great job and gave me a fantastic package. I?m just worn out. After the past few races I?ve had to put in a lot more effort in Laguna and Brno, riding a lot harder than I normally would. This together with the neck injury from Assen, which I?ve been struggling to recover from due to lack of training from the hectic race calendar, has finally caught up with me. For the second half of the race I was just too tired, simple as that. I?m very grateful to have finished on the podium. All credit to Jorge, he had a fantastic race, hopefully by Aragon I?ll be fully fit and recovered.?

Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 4th
?A podium finish is always more satisfying than fourth place, of course, but this result feels just as nice because it was such a close and hard fight at the end. Unfortunately I made a mistake and chose the wrong engine map at the start which made me lose touch with the front three, otherwise maybe I could have run with them. I had to make up ground and when I got to fourth place I defended it tooth and nail to win a wonderful battle with Dovizioso and Spies on the last lap. I had held fourth for 23 laps and I couldn?t let myself lose it at the end. It was nice, I had fun and I think I provided some excitement for my fans. They deserve it because they have backed me through some tough times.?

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 5th
?It was a tough race, I had to push hard and ride aggressively and we had to cut the power a lot due to fuel consumption issues. We suffered from this during the whole race weekend, but after warm-up I received the bad news that we had to cut even more power. This hasn?t been such a big issue this year and in fact it has never been the case that I am unable to match Simoncelli in acceleration. This stems from the riding style and the set-up of the electronics, especially the engine braking. I knew that with this cut in power it would have been impossible to fight for the podium, so this affected my motivation. We had a good battle with Marco and Spies. On this occasion, for the first time this season, Marco beat me so congratulations to Marco. It was a good battle but our target was to gain some points on Lorenzo and we didn?t manage to. We are still third in the championship which is the most important thing. We are confident and will continue working.?

Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 11th
?That was a really tough race ? with the heat it felt like we were in Malaysia. I am not delighted with the result, but I am happy that we set some good consistent laps during the race that can give us confidence for the future. Unfortunately on lap 11 I made a mistake that cost me some time but overall we have had another positive weekend and that will help us in the final few races.?

Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP: 15th
?We tried a few adjustments in morning warm-up but we could not get any improvement so we went back to the settings we already knew for the race. I could lap in the low 1m 36s range but after some laps the other guys started to lap in the 1m 35s range and it was impossible to for me to match their pace. In the middle of the race I felt the same issues I felt practice ? missing front-end confidence. This weekend we did not take any steps forward and this is frustrating for me and the team, but we will try to solve this situation in Aragon.?
Pole position : 1m33.138s (163.344Km/h) Casey Stoner, Honda
Fastest lap : Lap 12 - 1m33.906s (162.008Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
Circuit record lap : 1m33.906s (162.008Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha, 2011)
Circuit Best Lap : 1m33.138s (163.344Km/h) Casey Stoner (Honda, 2011)
Event results - Round 13 - Race 1
1 Jorge Lorenzo 44m11.877s SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Dani Pedrosa +7.299s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Casey Stoner +11.967s AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Marco Simoncelli +17.353s ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
5 Andrea Dovizioso +17.390s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
6 Ben Spies +18.092s USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
7 Valentino Rossi +23.703s ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Alvaro Bautista +30.678s SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
9 Hector Barbera +37.502s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
10 Cal Crutchlow +37.720s GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
11 Hiroshi Aoyama +39.548s JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
12 Karel Abraham +40.506s CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
13 Colin Edwards +53.349s USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
14 Randy De Puniet +1m02.366s FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
15 Toni Elias +1m20.156s SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
16 Loris Capirossi DNF - 20 Laps ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
17 Nicky Hayden DNF - 26 Laps USA DUCATI Ducati Team
Championship standings
1 Casey Stoner 259 pts AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 224 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Andrea Dovizioso 185 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Dani Pedrosa 150 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Ben Spies 135 pts USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
6 Valentino Rossi 133 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Nicky Hayden 105 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Marco Simoncelli 93 pts ITA HONDA Honda Gresini
9 Colin Edwards 87 pts USA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Hiroshi Aoyama 82 pts JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
11 Hector Barbera 69 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
12 Alvaro Bautista 57 pts SPA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
13 Karel Abraham 50 pts CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Ducati
14 Toni Elias 47 pts SPA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
15 Cal Crutchlow 45 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
16 Randy De Puniet 29 pts FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
17 Loris Capirossi 29 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team
18 John Hopkins 6 pts USA SUZUKI Suzuki MotoGP
19 Kousuke Akiyoshi 3 pts JPN HONDA Honda Gresini
20 Sylvain Guintoli 0 pts FRA DUCATI Pramac Racing Team

 

[KUCIAR666]

NICE RACE FOR ROSSI AT MISANO, HAYDEN UNFORTUNATE

Misano?s Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini was positive for Valentino Rossi from a number of perspectives. After making a change in the morning warm-up, the Italian had a great start in the race and maintained a fast rhythm for a good part of the 28 laps, enjoying some nice battles with Spies, Dovizioso, and Simoncelli in front of his home crowd.

His rhythm dropped a little toward the end, but the work carried out by his team and the base settings used for the race are promising for the next round at Aragon in two weeks.

Following a strong warm-up and a good start, Nicky Hayden fell while exiting Turn 15 on the third lap, and he wasn?t able to return to the track.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 7th
?I?m pretty happy because we didn?t expect to do this well. I didn?t think I?d be able to stay with the second group, which is our goal at the moment, and instead we managed it for half the race. We still weren?t able to attack like we?d like to, but anyway, we were right there. I started really well from the fourth row, and I was a little crazy through the first three corners because I had to push even though there were some raindrops. It was nice after that. I stayed with ?Sic? and ?Dovi? for a little while and also battled with Spies, and we maintained a good pace. This morning we made a good change on the front, and if we?d done that yesterday I probably could have started closer to the front. It ended up being one of my best races of the year, although of course we have to remember that we?re only talking about seventh place. Still, it was a nice race in front of a good crowd. We?re fairly satisfied as we wait to take the necessary steps forward.?

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) DNF
?It was obviously a disappointing race. The team did a good job, as they made a couple of changes overnight, and this morning I was able to go a couple tenths faster than in qualifying, with a good rhythm. I thought we had a better chance for the race. It was raining a little bit at first, which is normally good for our bike. I got a decent start, felt good, and was going to take a few chances to try to get up as far as I could. Then I lost the front on the exit of Turn 15 and?bam!?I was down. We looked at the data, and I?m not really sure why I crashed. We were tip-toeing because of the rain, so maybe the left side of the tyre wasn?t quite up to temperature, although it was still rider error. This track has been the worst one on the calendar for me. I certainly could use some good luck, and maybe we?ll get it at Aragon.?

Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager)
?I think today presents some positive aspects that have to be considered. We made a change to Valentino?s bike that allowed him to maintain a better rhythm in the race than he had managed in practice, and he was able to fight: he had a really good start and then rode fast for as long as he could. Of course I?m sorry for Nicky?s crash, because he really had a nice warm-up this morning, and he also got a good launch off the start and passed a lot of riders. We?re working really hard, and next week we?ll be back on the track at Mugello for three days of testing.

 

[Gerrard]

That was a good race in my book. @tu*