MotoGP-Mugello

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Abraham took one point in an exciting race in Mugello

Karel Abraham took one point for the overall MotoGP championship standings in this weekend?s race in Mugello, Italy. The Czech rider was twentieth on the grid and was overtaken by a few riders earlier in the race. He eventually managed to get in front of three riders and he even overtook, after a long and exciting chase, Yonny Hernandez on an identical ART bike. Abraham eventually finished fifteenth after Marc M?rquez had crashed and fell.

Karel Abraham:
?Every point counts and the final result is not bad. Of course, the only reason why I have one point is that three riders in front of me crashed and fell. There is no point in analysing what could have been, but I would have preferred to collect points in full competition. I caused most of my problems after a bad start because many riders managed to get in front of me. It was very hard to make it up by trying to overtake them during the race. It cost a lot of effort. By that time, several riders I could have raced with had gained some advantage. I was nearly out of strength during the last seven laps, thinking I was seventeenth. Nevertheless I did what I could and still had time to overtake Hernandez. It was good enough for fifteenth place thanks to M?rquez?s fall.?

Marco Grana, Chief Mechanic, Cardion AB Motoracing
?I can?t say it is a good result, but it is not bad either. We have one point, which means our goal has been achieved. However, we could have had more, considering the circumstances, but since Karel is ill, it is a decent result. We need to do better in the qualifying sessions of the upcoming events. With a better position on the grid, the chance for top twelve is much bigger. The bike worked well and I am confident we will be prepared for the Barcelona race. Our goal is to finish in top 15 in the qualifying session and make the best out of it in the race itself.?

 

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Pedrosa extends rostrum run to preserve title lead

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) finished second in today?s Italian GP, overcoming rear grip issues to secure his fourth successive rostrum finish and maintain his lead in the World Championship over race winner Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).

Pedrosa started from pole position and led off the line, but was pushed into second by Lorenzo with an aggressive move at the first corner. Lorenzo later apologised to his fellow Spaniard and title rival.

The Honda rider stayed close to hound his countryman mercilessly until after the halfway point of the 23-lap race around the fast and spectacular Mugello circuit in the Tuscan foothills outside Florence. Then as tyre grip faded he was forced to slacken his pace, to be sure of a safe podium finish.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) ended a typically sensational weekend in the gravel, after he had bounced back from a 200-plus mph crash on the first day of practice. Nothing daunted the reigning Moto2 World Champion and MotoGP-class rookie who qualified on the second row, started strongly and slotted in behind Pedrosa. He matched his team-mate?s every move as the pair chased Lorenzo.

After Pedrosa was forced to ease his pace Marquez moved through to second, intent on preserving his perfect rostrum record in his rookie season. He had pulled clear when two laps later he slipped off at the Savelli left-hander, sliding to a safe but frustrated stop. It was the 20-year-old sensation?s first non-finish of the year.

Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) was third, ahead of the next-best Honda rider, Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V). The German had a strong race, pulling through from seventh on the first lap to battle with the factory Ducati pair Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden. By lap five he was past both of them.

Dovizioso stayed close and challenging, and on the final lap they changed places four times. Over the line the former Moto2 World Champion secured fourth by a quarter of a second. It was his best finish of the year.

Grand Prix rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) finished 18th, thwarted in his attempt to put his Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike in the points for the first time. A crash yesterday had robbed his weekend of momentum, but another finish marked continuing progress as he gets to grips with the top class in motorcycle racing.

Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) found the fates tipped against him. On only the third corner he was sent flying after a collision with crowd favourite Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Both riders crashed out before completing a single lap, lucky to escape injury.

Bad weather had been forecast for the weekend, but both Saturday and Sunday were clear and only partly cloudy, giving a capacity crowd of 76,326 some relief to outweigh the disappointment of seeing their hero Rossi out on the first lap. For the riders, the highest track temperatures of the weekend posed new problems of tyre wear and adhesion.

The next MotoGP round is the Catalan Grand Prix at the Montmelo circuit outside Barcelona in two weeks time.



Honda MotoGP rider quotes

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd

?I didn?t feel fully comfortable in the race today, but I?m happy because I was able to gain a large number of points. In general, this was a difficult weekend. The back tyre was giving me a lot of problems with grip but taking 20 points from this race and maintaining the lead the World Championship is something positive.?


Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 4th

?Repeating the fourth place of last year is a very special feeling for me and the team. Actually I am happy about the job we have done throughout the whole weekend but the race was a bit tough. Honestly I did not take a brilliant start, losing some positions. After that I had to overtake the Ducati guys. It was not easy to relegate them and I knew that Dovi would try to pass me in the last lap. He is a strong rider and I really enjoyed the battle with him. I must thank the whole team and our partners and fans for their excellent job and support because I know this a special race for Lucio and his collaborators.?

Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 18th

?It has been a difficult but constructive weekend because I have picked up some very useful experience for the future. I felt good on the bike but in some sections of the track I couldn?t push it as hard as I would have liked. Still, I am looking on this as a positive experience that will definitely help us next time out.?


Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: DNF

?Today we had with our first DNF of the season, but after three difficult days of setbacks and hard work, I finally felt good during the race. I don?t fully understand why I crashed, as I lost both the front and the back at the same time and was unable to save it. It?s clear that we made a mistake, but we can't go looking for excuses. We've looked at the telemetry and it shows that I was going at the same speed and on the same line as before but, anyway, you learn from these mistakes. We can?t forget that this is my first year in the class and I am here to learn how things are in MotoGP. In spite of everything we were still fighting for second place, which is a reason to be happy. I want to apologise to Honda and to the team, as they always support me and work so hard. Now we are turning our focus to Montmelo, and I can?t wait to race there.?


Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini: DNF

?There is not much I can say really. Unfortunately in turn three I made contact with Valentino and we both crashed out of a race that was very important for both of us. Valentino and I have watched the incident back together in race direction and it was just a racing incident that leaves us both with a bitter taste in the mouth but neither of us is to blame. I was on the inside and it is very difficult to see a rider on the outside from there. He was taking a slightly different line and that?s why we came together. It's a shame because I felt good on the bike and that is a positive result. These things happen but we have to forget about it and try to think about the next race.?

 

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Hayden, Dovizioso fifth and sixth at Ducati Team?s home GP, Pirro seventh

As many enthusiastic supporters looked on from the Ducati Grandstand, both Ducati Team riders posted their best dry results of the year today at Mugello, with Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden riding their Desmosedici GP13 machines to fifth and sixth places, respectively, in the TIM Italian Grand Prix.

The teammates started from rows one and three respectively, and after avoiding a first-lap crash involving two other riders, they found themselves battling one another, along with Stefan Bradl, in a fight for fifth place that lasted much of the race. The German got the better of that struggle, but after Marc Marquez fell near the end, Dovizioso and Hayden took the fifth and sixth spots.

The Ducati Team racers were followed by Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro. Participating as a wildcard entry, the Italian advanced steadily through the pack from his 10th-place starting spot. His eventual seventh-place finishing position was his best result of the year so far, and the second-best of his premier-class career.

Thursday and Friday will find the Ducati riders back on track at the Mugello circuit for a private test, in preparation for the Catalan Grand Prix in two weeks? time.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 5th
?In terms of gap to the front and finish position, this is the best result that we could realistically expect. It was a really tough race, like always at Mugello. I gritted my teeth to try and stay with Bradl until the end, and I had a nice battle with Nicky. Unfortunately, I lost the fight with Bradl on the last lap, but it was fun?we passed each other four times! In the practice sessions, we?re able to do good times, but I think that fifth place at Mugello is the best we can do with our current package, so we still have a lot of work to do.?

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 6th
?I had struggled with grip this weekend, but the team did a really good job of making the bike better in the race, and with some other people?s misfortune, I was able to fight for the top five. In the end, to end up sixth isn?t fantastic, but I had a good battle with Bradl and Dovi. They?re both good guys to race with, so it was fun, but then in the last two laps I developed a lot of chatter and had to back off.?

Michele Pirro ? Ducati Test Team, 7th
?First of all, I must try to eliminate some mistakes, particularly one that has hurt me in all three of the races I?ve done so far: poor starts. I?m losing positions, and it?s my fault. Unfortunately, I lost my rear seat pad on the second lap, so I had to adapt to the new riding position. It was quite difficult because I had to work hard with my arms and legs to keep my weight forward. I also lost time with Iannone because we passed each other three times, which affected my race. I?m sorry because I?m sure I could have stayed closer to Andrea and Nicky and learned from them.?

Bernhard Gobmeier ? Ducati Corse General Manager
?Our goal today was to be top five, which we achieved. Of course there were some crashes, but it shows that we can fight with the second group. Right now it?s clear that it will be very difficult to fight for the podium, as the bikes and riders ahead of us are extremely competitive. Both of our riders had a similar pace for the whole race, and although we know that we must improve our technical package, we?re pleased by Michele Pirro?s race on the laboratory bike, as he did good lap times in the latter stages of the race. In any case, we?re happy to have started from the front row for the second-straight race weekend, which shows that our bike can be quite fast for one quick lap.?