MotoGP-Sepang

KUCIAR666 · 6/10/10

First championship shot for Lorenzo as MotoGP heads to Sepang

MotoGP moves south this week for the second leg of its eastern flyaway tour at Sepang in Malaysia. After the exciting battle between Rossi and Lorenzo on Sunday in Japan, this race presents the first championship 'match-point' for Jorge Lorenzo, who can seal his maiden premier-class title this Sunday.

Lorenzo lost out narrowly to his team-mate at Motegi and finished off the podium for only the second time this season, but his focus lies entirely with the championship and he knows he needs just a handful of points on Sunday to become 2010 MotoGP World Champion. His only title rival, Dani Pedrosa, is almost certain to miss the race while he recovers from surgery on his collar-bone and if so Lorenzo will need just six points on Sunday to fulfil his dream. The 23-year-old is a fan of the fast and flowing track, where he clinched his second 250cc title in 2007. Last year at Sepang a sighting lap problem forced him to start from the back but he charged through the field to finish fourth, overtaking 12 riders on his way.

Motegi saw a resurgent Rossi back on the podium after the close-fought battle with his team-mate and he is hoping that Sepang will be just as kind to his shoulder, which caused him much less trouble than expected in Japan. He was delighted to find that he and his crew had also made some effective steps forward with their setting and the current World Champion is hopeful of being able to finish the season in fighting form. Rossi has a love affair with the Sepang track which has seen him take five wins and the Italian names it as one of his very favourite tracks, along with Phillip Island. He has twice won the title for Yamaha there, in 2007 and again last year, when he clinched his ninth crown with a determined charge to third after slipping back as far as tenth at one stage.

The tropical venue of Sepang was built as a state-of-the-art motor racing venue in 1999 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of special events over this weekend's MotoGP. It is one of the widest tracks on the calendar, some 16 metres across in places, and with its fast and frequent changes of direction and some tight hairpins it provides a stern work out for the bike, while the temperatures and high humidity turn it into a test of endurance for the riders.

Jorge Lorenzo - "First chance at my dream"
"All I am thinking about is Sunday and if I can win the title...it's been one of the dreams of my life and it would be great to get it here in Sepang. I like Malaysia a lot and I've done so many kilometres there testing on my M1, plus I have great memories from winning the 250 championship there in 2007. The track is long and modern but the weather can be a problem because it can be too hot and also rain can cause problems. Last year was a bit crazy with the rain and then I had to start from last on the grid! I would definitely prefer it to be dry this year. The team and I will focus in the same way we have all season, working hard from Friday and with the goal of podium or victory. We hope for the best result we can get."

Valentino Rossi - "One of my favourite tracks"
"Japan was very exciting for us and it felt good to be fighting at the front through all the sessions and the race; it's been a long time since we were that strong. I don't know until I start riding how Sepang will feel on my shoulder but it is one of my two or three favourite tracks in the world and I am always excited to go there. We were strong there in winter testing, obviously a lot has changed since then but we made some good improvements to our bike in Japan so I hope we can be in the same kind of form this weekend."

Wilco Zeelenberg - "Hoping to achieve our target"
"This is our first chance to achieve our target and take the title and we are excited to arrive at this point after everyone's hard work. It seems like Dani won't be riding and if that is the case then we only have to take a few points on Sunday to win the championship. We will keep calm and focused and hopefully everything will come together."

Davide Brivio - "Let's see what we can do!"
"Motegi was very good for us and now we're excited to get to Sepang and see what we can do there. Valentino's shoulder wasn't such a big problem in Japan but we have to wait and see how it will be in Malaysia, which is a very different track. Anyway we made some good progress with our setting and you can see that it worked because we were really competitive all weekend, which was a good feeling!"

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 31
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 237 (177 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 23
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 33 (13 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 142 (48 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 40 (14 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Sepang: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108

Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518

Grand Prix Results: Sepang 2009
1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 47'24.834
2. D Pedrosa (Honda) +14.666
3. V.Rossi (Yamaha) +19.385
4. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +28.850

KUCIAR666 · 7/10/10

THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IS FLYING TO SEPANG TO REDEEM THE BAD MOTEGI RACE

After the bad result achieved in the difficult Japanese Grand Prix weekend, where the Pramac Racing Team riders have respectively finished the race in the last and second last position, has already reached the possibility of redemption on the Malaysian circuit of Sepang. The Malaysian track, born outside Kuala Lumpur, where on Sunday will take place on the fifteenth race of the season, has become a fixed stage in the MotoGP Championship, it will be played Sunday the twelfth consecutive Grand Prix on this circuit. The Pramac Racing Team had good results in the past on this circuit having conquer here two podiums at the start of his motorcycle history in 2003 with Max Biaggi and Barros in 2004. These results have unfortunately not been followed in recent years. The tenth position won by Mika Kallio last year is the best result for the team in recent years. The Team is waiting from the Finn rider a fast surrender after the bad weekend in Motegi. Mika has scored here three podiums in the past on this track over the years in which he took part of the 125 cc Championship. Aleix, had on this track a quite good fifth place in the 2008 while he was riding a 250 cc, while last year he had finished his race in the eleventh position. Even from the young Spaniard is expected a significant improvement on the Malaysian track.

Paolo Campinoti - Team Principal Pramac Racing Team

"I cannot hide my disappointment for the bad Motegi's result, we had high expectations for that race but unfortunately it has been completely dashed. Since Friday we have found some stability problems and feeling with the bike for both riders that did not allow us to be fast as our opponent. The gap of almost a second in every lap that didn't allow us to fight for a better result. But we must immediately close the bad Japanese's weekend track and focus on the next Malaysian Grand Prix. In the past we have had some success on this track where we had conquest twice the lowest rung of the podium with Biaggi and Tamada. The hope is that both riders can be able to redeem in the best way Motegi's race and become involved in a great race. The goal is to win a double top ten. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team

"What can I say, the result of Motegi is not exciting. Unfortunately I had some problems with my forearm that is still not in perfect condition after Aragon's fall. I hope I can be in good condition in Sepang where I had the possibility to ride my bike during last year race and during the winter tests we had here. I will have to further improve my feeling, but I have a bit of information on which I will work hard to fight for the top ten positions. "

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team

"We have to soon forget the disastrous Japanese Grand Prix and focus on the next Malaysian Grand Prix where I will try to redeem the bad weekend that just ended. I have a good score on the Malaysian circuit of Sepang, in fact I have won here three second places in the previous seasons and I managed to be very fast. Last year I have finished the race in tenth position after a good race where I had managed to climb back up to the ninth position. "

KUCIAR666 · 7/10/10

Rizla Suzuki aiming to join in the Malaysian Grand Prix celebrations

Rizla Suzuki has travelled to Sepang in Malaysia for the second leg of the Pacific Ocean triple tour with both riders in a confident mood.

?lvaro Bautista heads to Sepang following a strong performance last weekend in Japan. His seventh position there came after three successive eighth place finishes in the previous races and he is determined to keep that improvement going, on a track that he knows well and likes a lot. Sepang is one of the only circuits on the MotoGP calendar that Bautista will visit for a race weekend with previous knowledge of riding at on a MotoGP bike ? following tests there earlier in the year ? he hopes that information, allied with the improving Suzuki GSV-R, will serve him well at a circuit where he has tasted victory in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.

Loris Capirossi is in a determined mood after last week?s events, as he returns to a circuit that he has also won at. Capirossi looked like making an attack for a top five position at Motegi, but an electrical problem robbed him of that opportunity. He is looking forward to the race at a circuit he classes as one of his favourites of the season. Capirossi is the only rider in the field to have raced at every Malaysian Grand Prix and also the only rider to win the event in each class, taking victory in the 125cc category in 1991, winning the 250cc race in 1999 and topping the podium in MotoGP in 2005.

The Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix is celebrating its 20th year this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit ? a venue that has staged the event since 1999. The first Malaysian GP was at Shah Alam in 1991, before it moved to the Johor circuit in 1998. The current home is one of the most modern on the MotoGP calendar, the 5,548m circuit has 15 corners which are interlinked by two long straights and overlooked by some of the most amazing spectator grandstands to be found anywhere in a sporting arena.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday - for the first of two free practice sessions - the second being held on the following morning. Qualifying for the 20-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway at 16.00hrs local time (08.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 10th October.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I am really looking forward to this weekend because this is one of my favourite tracks and one of the only ones that I will ride at this year with some reference points for a MotoGP bike. That will help me from the start and make sure that I can work on setting the bike up immediately. I like this track a lot and I have good memories about the place, I still hold the 125cc lap record, so I know how to go around here quickly ? I now need to do that on a MotoGP bike. I am sure we can get a good result here in Sepang and be up in that top six where we should be.?

Loris Capirossi:

?We showed last week that we have the pace to run closer to the front and it was a very good weekend for us ? except for the very end. I am sure we can repeat, or even better that performance here this weekend. I love the Sepang circuit and really enjoy racing there, so hopefully we can get on with everything right from the start and be able to show what we can do.?

KUCIAR666 · 7/10/10

Dovizioso aims to keep momentum rolling in Malaysia

The 2010 MotoGP World Championship continues its quick-fire Far East tour at Sepang on Friday, when practice for Sunday?s Malaysian Grand Prix gets underway, just five days after last weekend?s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. Straight after Sepang the paddock dashes to Phillip Island for the following Sunday?s Australian GP and then back to Europe for the season finale at Estoril, Portugal, and Valencia, Spain. It?s a high-energy end to a busy year, with five races in six weeks.

Sadly, the 2010 MotoGP world title is now beyond the means of the Repsol Honda squad. Until Motegi, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) had a slim possibility of overhauling championship leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), having outscored his fellow Spaniard at the previous three races. But a crash during first practice in Japan left Pedrosa nursing a broken left collarbone which was pinned and plated the next day at the USP Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona. Pedrosa expects to return to racing at the Australian GP, though there is a slim possibility that the gritty 25-year-old may ride at Sepang.

If he is absent, the Repsol Honda torch will be carried by Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) who arrives in Malaysia still buzzing from a brilliant weekend at Honda?s home Grand Prix. Dovizioso started the Motegi race from pole position ? his first in the premier class ? and went on to score a close second-place finish, less than four seconds behind winner Casey Stoner (Ducati). During the Japanese GP weekend he made important advances in electronics settings for his RC212V, which he hopes will help him at other racetracks.

The Italian will be doing everything in his powers to keep his Motegi momentum rolling at Sepang, a circuit with which he gels brilliantly. Dovizioso has scored podiums in all three classes at the superbly challenging venue and it was at Sepang that he scored his first MotoGP podium in 2008. He also secured the 125 World Championship at Sepang in 2004, so the omens are good.

Dovizioso?s Motegi podium also made a little bit of history for the Repsol Honda partnership ? its 250th podium in the elite class, making it one of most successful relationships in the sport?s history. Repsol and Honda first got together in 1995 when Mick Doohan won the second of his five consecutive premier-class crowns on a Repsol Honda NSR500.

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) goes into the final four races of 2010 with a battle on his hands. The Frenchman?s avowed goal for this season was to be MotoGP?s top non-factory rider, a target he was well on the way to achieving until he suffered a broken left tibia and fibula during July?s German GP. After a miraculously short four-week rehabilitation, de Puniet returned to action at the Czech GP, but he has understandably struggled to continue his dazzling early season form. He is still top privateer, holding eighth place overall, but he has three men ? Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), Colin Edwards (Yamaha) and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) ? within nine points of him. A good result at Sepang is therefore essential to maintain his position.

Simoncelli had another great ride at Motegi, the MotoGP rookie duelling with veteran Colin Edwards (Yamaha) for a top-five result and finally getting sixth place, equalling his best finish in the premier class. The hard-riding Italian has dazzled with his aggressive riding style in his debut year in the big class and he has good reason to look forward to a return to Sepang ? it was in Malaysia that Simoncelli sealed the 250 World Championship in 2008.

Team-mate Melandri?s big hope for this weekend is to work his way back into the top ten. Another former 250 World Champion but now in his tenth year of MotoGP competition, Melandri has struggled to find the form which took him to five MotoGP victories in 2005 and 2006.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) is delighted to be back at Sepang, a track at which he has won two Grand Prix victories, at the 2007 and 2009 Malaysian 250 GPs. Aoyama?s stunning win from pole position at Sepang last year was a crucial moment in his successful bid to win the final 250 World Championship. Still not fully recovered from the broken vertebra he sustained at June?s British GP, the Japanese may find Malaysia?s hot and humid conditions tougher than usual on this occasion. His goal is straightforward ? to repeat his top-ten result from Motegi.

Sepang ? situated 40km outside the capital Kuala Lumpur and right next to KL international airport ? is arguably the most demanding race of the year for riders, bikes and tyres. High temperatures and sweltering humidity are the norm at this tropical venue, which is MotoGP?s second longest track (after Silverstone) and one of its fastest venues, with a challenging variety of medium-speed and high-speed corners. Sepang hosted its first GP in 1999, taking over from Malaysia?s original GP venue Shah Alam, which joined the calendar in 1991. Honda has won eight premier-class Malaysia GPs, at both tracks and with both two-stroke and four-stroke machinery.

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:
?I am still very stiff in my neck and across the back of my shoulders, so the target is to get back to racing in Australia. There is a very small possibility of going to Malaysia, but the realistic target is Australia. I had another check-up today [Wednesday] and it shows clearly that the plate on my collarbone is very well fixed and the progress has been good after the operation. My condition has improved over the last two days and I?m doing passive rehabilitation with my physiotherapist at the moment. I am still not able to move the arm by myself but with massage it?s getting better. It?s a real pity that this happened when we had such a lot of momentum with our results, but we simply have to deal with it.?

Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says:
?I really look forward to the Malaysian GP. We arrive strong thanks to an important podium finish at Motegi last Sunday and especially a very good race weekend where we were fast and consistent in all the sessions. We have improved the electronics and the set-up, and we arrive at Sepang stronger than Motegi. Last race weekend was the result of a hard and good job, it was not by chance; in Malaysia we can do even better. I really like the Malaysian racetrack, it?s one of my favourites and I have had good results here, including my first MotoGP podium in 2008. I like Sepang because it?s a complete circuit with a good combination of fast and slow sections, and also the circuit is wide so you can use different lines.?

LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says:
?The tropical weather always makes Malaysia a tough weekend for everyone, not only the riders, but also for the whole team, so we will have to work hard to stay focused on the job, especially in this busy period of three races on consecutive Sundays. My leg injury still isn?t perfect ? the reason I ran off the track during the Motegi race was that I couldn?t downshift properly ? but we still proved that I can get good results despite that. I am looking forward to racing at Sepang ? it?s a really great track which I like a lot. In 2007 I finished fourth there, so we will be doing our best to have another good result.?

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says:
?I was happy with my performance at Motegi and I might have been able to manage fifth place but Edwards was faster than me at the end of the race. Anyway, I was still pleased because we showed that we have improved again and I hope to continue in the same way from here. Now we go to a track that I have never particularly liked but where I have managed to have some good races. I will go into it with full confidence in my ability and the hope that things can be very different and much more positive than our time here in the winter tests.?

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri says:
?Motegi went from bad to worse when I tried to follow Spies and made a mistake that cost me places even though I had a comfortable advantage over the guys behind. The problems we have are the same as the ones we?ve been struggling with since the start of the season with the electronics. I am hoping for something from Honda that can sort it out over the final four races. We are in slightly better shape traveling to Malaysia than we were for the preseason tests here because we have improved the suspension set-up but as I said before our big problem right now is with the electronics.?

Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says:
?Malaysia is my favourite track and I?ve had a lot of success there. Last year I rode from pole position to victory and I hope that this year I can do better than my tenth place at Motegi. I am looking forward to Sepang as now that I know my bike better I want to improve my results.?

KUCIAR666 · 8/10/10

ROSSI AND LORENZO FIRST AND THIRD ON DAY ONE IN MALAYSIA

The MotoGP paddock was back in action today at Sepang and the usual scalding Malaysian temperatures greeted the riders as they made their first foray onto the track. The Fiat Yamaha Team made a strong start to the 15th round of the season, with Valentino Rossi finishing on top of the time sheets and Jorge Lorenzo not far off him in third.

The biggest problem facing the riders today was the lack of grip on track, with the circuit very slippery after a period of inactivity. It was therefore difficult for them to make their Bridgestone tyres work at full potential but despite this the Yamaha riders were quickly on the pace, rarely out of the top three for the whole session. It was Rossi who put down the best lap of the day but Lorenzo, who has his first championship title shot this Sunday, was less than two tenths off his team-mate. Both the Italian and the Spaniard are looking forward to making further improvements tomorrow as more rubber is laid down and the grip levels get better.

Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 2'02.724 Laps: 21

"It's been another good start for us here and we found a good setting straight away. I am feeling very comfortable on the bike and so far my shoulder is okay here. The track is quite dirty but that will get better and I love riding at this track, it's one of my favourites and I am always happy to be on the bike here. We are confident that we will be able to make some more improvements tomorrow and be in good shape to try for the front row tomorrow afternoon."

Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: 2'02.898 Laps: 22

"Today conditions were quite difficult, with the high temperatures and a dirty track. I'm happy though because I felt good on the bike, I rode fast and I was close to the first position. We rode with the old engine again today but maybe we will try the new one tomorrow. We need to work on the fourth sector, which is where we're losing time at the moment, so tomorrow we will concentrate on that and try to improve further."

Davide Brivio Team Manager

"It's nice to start the weekend at the front again and this was a good session, with Valentino fast from the beginning. It seems he has a good pace here but of course it's only the first session and we have more work to do. The track isn't in great condition; it's quite slippery at the moment but this will improve throughout the weekend. Tomorrow we will work on our Bridgestone tyre choice and fine-tune the setting ahead of qualifying."

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

"The track hasn't been used for a while and our first impression is that there's not much grip and it's quite slippery. We tried two different settings to try to work around this but in fact they were both quite similar. We expect it to be better tomorrow but of course we can't just rely on the track improving, we need to work on our setting as well. Anyway we were still fast today, the speed is okay and we're close to the front so we're already competitive, we just need to improve our package a bit more tomorrow."

Combined Free Practice Times

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'02.724
2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2'02.833
3. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'02.898
4. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'03.160
5. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'03.338
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'03.393
7. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.438
8. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2'03.471
9. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'03.477
10. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'03.539
11. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'03.680
12. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'03.717
13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2'03.760
14. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2'03.769
15. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'03.947
16. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2'04.023

Sepang: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108

Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518

KUCIAR666 · 8/10/10

GOOD START IN THE FIRST FREE SESSION OF THE TWENTIETH MALAYSIAN GP FOR ESPARGARO' THANK'S TO THE EIGHTH BEST LAP TIME. KALLIO SIXTEENTH.

Good start for Aleix Espargar? on Sepang's track in the twentieth Malaysian Grand Prix. The white and green rider had the eighth fastest time, stopping the clock at seven tenths of a second from the fastest time clocked by Valentino Rossi. It should be also noted the very small gap from the fifth position which is just one-tenth away from Aleix's best lap time. This gives a huge confidence for the tomorrow second free practice session and for the following qualifying session, in which the Spaniard will try to get a good starting grid position. Mika Kallio, although the last lap time registered today, had accused a gap of just over one second from the fastest rider. The Finn has clocked his best time during his last lap also to a useful setting on which the technicians will be able to work tomorrow to further reduce the gap in the second tomorrow free practice session and try to win a top ten starting grid position.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Technical Director

"Of course the position obtained by Mika today is not what we point to, but over the last few races in which he accused a considerable gap, in this case he has a clearly reduced the gap from the other riders. We had started the free practice session with the last winter test set up, we have than slightly modify the bike to make it more easy to ride in the rear part where Mika hadn't got the full confidence. Tomorrow we will put together the best solution obtained today to try to improve his position. Good test for Aleix that with the eighth fastest lap time has give us good feelings for the rest of this hot race weekend. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team - 8th best time in 2'03 .471

"It was since a few races that I didn't start a Grand Prix in a so positive way. Today, things went in the right way since the beginning and the gap of seven tenths from Valentino Rossi on a such of a long track give us good hopes for the rest of the weekend. The bike responds well and I am hopeful that tomorrow, thanks also to the additional changes that we'll make on the bike with my engineers, we'll be able to gain a good position on the starting grid."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 16th best time in 2'04 .023

"Being last is certainly not a good way to start the race weekend, but unlike other circuits, the gap from the fastest riders is not excessive. We started the free practice with the best winter test setting; we then worked on the bike to make it as balanced as possible. I improved my best lap time lap after lap until the end of the session, which has not happened in the last few races. Some balance changes on the bike had not produced the results we were hoping for, but tomorrow during the second free practice we'll further develop other solutions in order to further reduce the gap from the front riders."

KUCIAR666 · 9/10/10

Bautista in top five after first day in Malaysia

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista recorded the fifth fastest time during the first practice session at a sweltering Sepang today.

Bautista (P5, 2?03.338, 20 laps) made the most of having previous experience on a MotoGP machine at Sepang ? one of the few tracks that he will visit this year with that knowledge ? to put himself firmly amongst the early contenders for this weekend?s race. He is still looking to improve the settings of his Suzuki GSV-R tomorrow, but today?s performance was certainly his best first day of the season so far and puts him in a confident mood for the rest of the weekend.

Loris Capirossi (P12, 2?03.717, 20 laps)was not pleased with his position on day one, at a circuit he favours as the best of the year. He was unable to get the right feeling from either of his two machines today, despite making many changes to find the best set-up for the 5,548m circuit. Capirossi will analyse today?s data to see where the changes need to be made to make improvements to his lap-time tomorrow in readiness for Sunday?s race.

Today?s first practice was held in very warm conditions with air temperatures getting up to 34?C and track temperatures hitting a high of 54?C. Reigning World Champion and five times Sepang winner Valentino Rossi set the day?s fastest time.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session tomorrow morning, followed by qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday?s 20-lap race will get underway at 16.00hrs local time (08.00hrs GMT).

?lvaro Bautista:

?I am happy today because we have made a good first practice, it was important that we were able to start with a good setting because we already had a good reference point from the winter tests. It was helpful to have that base setting, but today the conditions were much different from the test and I felt like I had less grip from the rear tyre. I started with the harder rear, but it did seem difficult to get the feel I wanted. I tried both my bikes with different settings and I preferred the second one because it was easier to ride. I put a soft tyre in at the end and did a few laps with that and set a good time. We are still a bit away from the lap-time at the winter test, so we have to improve on many things to get the bike where we want it. We have hard work ahead of us tomorrow and I want to say a big thank-you to all my team, because they have started the weekend very well and we must continue like that.?

Loris Capirossi:

?I don?t know why I have gone like that today, because normally we go well on this track. I have something not working well because I?m not getting a good feeling in the bike and I don?t really know what the problem is. We will have to work hard tomorrow to get it right and then we will see what we can do. We have to look at the data and see what the connection is between that and how the bike is working and make things better for tomorrow.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

??lvaro has been consistently improving over the last four Grands Prix and this is his best Friday result by some margin. He knows that qualifying and the first three laps of the race are pivotal to his potential to improve his results and he has come out of the box pushing very hard straight away today.

?Loris is very disappointed to be 12th on day one at a track that he considers to be his favourite of the year; possibly he lost his way a little bit in trying two completely different bike set-ups. Clearly on some parts of the circuit he is very quick ? fastest in sector one shows that ? and his potential best lap is not far away from the best. He is angry ? which is always a good sign ? and we are looking for a lot more from him as the weekend continues.?

Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Free Practice Classification:

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2?02.724: 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.109: 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.174: 4. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.436: 5. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.614: 12. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.993:

KUCIAR666 · 9/10/10

STUNNING POLE FOR LORENZO, ROSSI SIXTH IN MALAYSIA

Jorge Lorenzo set himself up in perfect style for his tilt at the title tomorrow by taking a stunning pole position, his sixth of the season, at Sepang this afternoon. His team-mate Valentino Rossi was hopeful of a front row as well but was unable to improve his time in the closing stages and will start from sixth position tomorrow.

With temperatures in the high 30s it was a sweltering session for the riders but Lorenzo was on imperious form throughout, using the new specification M1 engine today for the first time since qualifying in Motegi. The 23-year-old spent several stints at the top and with ten minutes to go it looked like no one was going to catch him, before he was knocked off pole by Nicky Hayden with four minutes remaining. Lorenzo set out to redress the damage but with three quarters of his final flying lap gone he was still down on the American and it looked like it might stay that way. A superb final split from the Spaniard however saw him snatch pole position back and he will start tomorrow's race, from which he needs just seven points to secure the title, from the perfect position at the front of the grid.

Rossi meanwhile, who was fastest yesterday, was consistently in the top three during the early stages of the session but towards the end he was unable to find the extra few tenths that his rivals had found and slipped back to sixth. He was hopeful of improving with the softer Bridgestone tyre at the end but it did not give him the advantage he was expecting and he lacked enough grip to push as hard as he wanted. He was unable to improve on his final run and will start tomorrow's race, which gets underway two hours later than usual at 1600 local time, from the outside of the second row.

Jorge Lorenzo Position: 1st Time: 2'01.537 Laps: 25

"I really wanted to fight for the pole position today, because I know the race tomorrow is going to be tough and it will be difficult to battle for the victory. We were strong throughout the session and in the end we did a great lap; I am so happy to be back on pole. Now the moment is arriving, it's such an important day for my career and I'm excited for tomorrow. We are starting in the best shape and we just have to see what happens. For now we will try to stay calm and focused!"

Valentino Rossi Position: 6th Time: 2'02.030 Laps: 24

"With the hard tyre we're not so bad, even if we're lacking some grip and the bike is moving a bit, so it's not so easy to control. However with the softer tyre we suffered a lot more because the movement became bigger and I couldn't use the extra grip. This means I am only on the second row. Tomorrow's race will be very hard, maybe the hardest of the season because the temperature is unbelievable and starting from the second row will make it even harder, but we will do our best and hope to make a good start."

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

"Jorge did well! He was very consistent and it's great to be back on pole for the first time since Laguna. Since then he hasn't necessarily been riding as freely as in the early part of the season but today he looked at his very best. The bike is really good and the new engine is working well, so we will use it tomorrow. It's difficult to judge how the race will be, for sure he is nervous, as anyone would be, but it didn't seem to affect him today so I am sure he will be okay tomorrow. Let's see what happens!"

Davide Brivio Team Manager

"We expected a better result than this today and our potential was greater, so we're a bit disappointed. We need to improve our tyre grip with the race setting; we tried some different combinations during the session and now we need to make some choices so we will use the warm-up for this. Unfortunately at the end of the session the soft tyre didn't give us as big an advantage as we were hoping for so we couldn't do better than the second row, but we will try to improve for the race."

Qualifying Times

FRONT ROW

1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.537
2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'01.637
3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2'01.829

SECOND ROW

4. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'01.993
5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2'02.023
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'02.030

THIRD ROW

7. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2'02.097
8. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.394
9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2'02.522

FOURTH ROW

10. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'02.624
11. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2'02.690
12. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2'02.723

FIFTH ROW

13. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2'02.775
14. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2'02.778
15. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2'02.928

SIXTH ROW

16. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2'04.167

Sepang: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108

Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2'00.518

KUCIAR666 · 9/10/10

HAYDEN JUST 0.1 SECONDS OFF POLE AT SEPANG, STONER ON SECOND ROW

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Nicky Hayden will line up on the front row of the grid for the Malaysian Grand Prix tomorrow following an outstanding performance in qualifying practice at Sepang this afternoon. The American took more than two seconds off his best lap time from yesterday to propel himself up the order, sitting on provisional pole until the final lap, when he was dislodged by Jorge Lorenzo.

Casey Stoner has been consistently on the pace all weekend in race trim but struggled to improve his pace on a softer tyre at the end of this afternoon's qualifying session. As such his best lap was only enough for a second row start in fifth place but the Australian is confident of making up positions tomorrow as he aims to build on back-to-back wins in the last two rounds.

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 2nd ? 2'01.637
?This is a bit of a surprise, I didn't expect to be on the front row today. We only missed pole by one tenth but don't anybody feel sorry for us, we're pretty happy! The lap itself was obviously a good one, I don't think I could have got any more out of myself or the bike, but overall we've done a good job today. We were struggling yesterday but we went back to a setting that worked for us in the test and even though I didn't get the lap time this morning I told the guys not to make too many changes to the bike because I felt comfortable and knew I could improve purely through riding. Once again my thanks go to the team because everybody knows it's tough on the riders in this heat but it's tough for them too and they're doing a great job.?

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th ? 2'02.023
?I'm a little disappointed with the way qualifying went today. We made a little progress with the race setting on the harder tyre. We didn't get a lot of laps in but we are happy with the work we did on the bike and feel reasonably confident. When I went to use the softer compound to set a qualifying lap on we lost feeling completely. There was no traction on the rear yet it was still pushing the front at the same time. We couldn't do the lap time we wanted or even deserved but we know our pace is faster than a couple of the guys in front of us on the grid so we'll see if we can get past them in the race.?

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2009), 2?02.108 ? 163.566 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2009), 2?00.518 ? 165.724 Km/h

KUCIAR666 · 10/10/10

Phenomenal effort by Capirossi after huge crash

Publish Date: Saturday, October 09, 2010

Rizla Suzuki?s Loris Capirossi made a sensational return to track action in this afternoon?s qualifying session, after a huge crash this morning completely wiped out his final practice session.

Capirossi (P9, 2?02.522, 18 laps) crashed on his first lap during this morning?s session and was taken from the trackside by stretcher, he was immediately transferred to the medical centre where an x-ray, and further investigations by the Clinica Mobile, found no fractures to his injured right foot. He was diagnosed with severe bruising to the heel and ankle area and was passed fit to ride for the afternoon. Capirossi started the qualifying session in a determined mood to make up for lost time, making changes to his Suzuki GSV-R to help him compensate for his injured foot, before attacking the 5,548m Sepang circuit to get the best qualifying position for tomorrow?s race. His gallant efforts at the end of the session were rewarded, as on his final lap he recorded his best time of the day and forced himself on to the third row. Capirossi will have further treatment to his foot this evening to ensure he is as fit as possible for tomorrow?s race.

?lvaro Bautista (P8, 2?02.394, 24 laps) continued with his strong run of form to record his best qualifying position of the year. He will start from the middle of the third row, but could have easily been higher up the grid if he had not made a mistake on his final flying lap. Bautista is happy with his set-up for race day and is convinced that he can go faster tomorrow.

Today?s qualifying was again held in very hot conditions with track temperatures reaching 52?C. World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo took his sixth pole position of the year, as he attempts to secure the title at Sepang tomorrow.

Sunday?s event is round 15 of the season and the 20-lap race will get underway at 16.00hrs local time (08.00hrs GMT), with both Rizla Suzuki racers and the rest of the field hoping that the late afternoon Malaysian rain stays away and allows for a dry and exciting race.

Loris Capirossi:

?I am a little bit upset about this morning, I felt quite confident about coming here because we did a good winter test and I thought we could do well this weekend, so what happened this morning was very disappointing. This afternoon I tried to ride the best I could, but my condition is not so good so I am pleased to get on to the third row. We will have to see what happens tomorrow, because we are still struggling a bit with electronics ? although we did find a solution near the end of the session. I am positive about the race and hope to have a better day tomorrow than I did today. I am happy that I was still able to get on the bike and ride after such a big crash and I will still be trying to do my best tomorrow for the whole team.?

?lvaro Bautista:

?It?s strange because this has been my best qualifying position of the season but I feel like it is not enough. We still need to be positive about it though because we are in a better position than we have been before and we have to try to make the most of that. I did a long run on the softer compound tyres today and was able to cover a race distance, maybe grip went in the final lap, but in this category the first laps are very important so we still have to decide if we are going to use the softer option and get the maximum early on. I used a new rear tyre at the end of the session and improved my lap-time and in the last lap I made a mistake in T2, but my T1 and T3 was better than my fastest lap so maybe I could have improved my time and been further up the grid. The time between first and me is not too big and if I can get a good start tomorrow I think I can stay with the group in front and follow them ? the first laps here will be very important so I must make the most of them.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?The Malaysian Grand Prix weekend has been absolutely horrible for Loris so far. This morning?s crash was very violent and very painful and it was amazing that he managed to get back out there this afternoon. His crash did mean that the technical improvements that we were seeking were impossible to find with the bike sat in the pit-box. He can?t bear any weight on his right foot, so for him to qualify on the third row is simply an heroic achievement. Race distance is going to be very tough, but we thank Loris for his efforts today and hope that his condition is much improved tomorrow morning.

??lvaro?s session was really strange because he didn?t find the rhythm or the track position to realise his true potential and when he was in the right position he made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes. Despite that his qualifying place of eighth is the best of the season and he believes strongly that he can improve during the race ? we believe completely in his potential and we?re looking forward to the Grand Prix.?

Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Qualifying Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2?01.537: 2. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.100: 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.292: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0.456: 5. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.486: 8. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.857: 9. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.985:

KUCIAR666 · 10/10/10

QUALIFYING SESSION COMPLETED ON SEPANG'S TRACK: FOURTH ROW FOR ESPARGARO '. SIXTH ROW FOR A PAINFULL KALLIO.

After the eighth fastest time clocked yesterday by Aleix Espargar?, he was expected to conquer today a good starting grid position during Sepang's track qualifying session. Unfortunately, the Spaniard was unable to conquer a better position than the twelfth, he will then start tomorrow's race, of the twentieth Malaysian Grand Prix, from the fourth row. Aleix has reduced by more than half a second his fastest lap time clocked yesterday during the first free practice, but this was not enough for him to gain a better starting grid position. The final gap from Lorenzo's pole position is just over one second. It should be noted, however, the very small gap between the fifth position and Aleix's position that is only seven tenths. Difficult qualifying session for Mika Kallio who has failed to improve his best lap time clocked during this morning free practice, it seems to be a difficult race for him that will start the race from last position of the grid. Tomorrow morning the green-white duo will be able to try out other technical solutions that should allow them to have a better performance and reduce the gap from the other riders during the race that will start at 4 pm local time.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Technical Director

"We worked on both bikes to identify new technical solutions that could be able to allow both riders to be fast in all track sectors. Unfortunately, something went wrong during the end of the qualifying session in which we usually improve a lot our lap time. Mika has had some physical problems and stability problems on his bike that didn't allowed him to reduce the fastest time clocked yesterday during the first free practice. Tomorrow we will try a new technical package that should allow Mika to slightly reduce its gap in order to be more competitive during tomorrow race. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team - 12th best time in 2'02 .723

"I'm quite pleased for qualifying session outcome, after yesterday's best eighth lap time, I was hoping to conquer a top ten starting grid position. The twelfth position is still a good placement to be able to fight with the other riders for a good race position. I improved my lap time thanks to a better grip on the rear of my bike. I am very confident for tomorrow's race where I'll try to get a good result to forget the negative race I had last week in Japan."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 16th best time in 2'04 .167

"Too bad for the bad qualifying session, I was not able to ride my bike in the best way because I had some physical problems that I'm trying to remedy during the last two races. Unfortunately from a couple of races my left shoulder pain, that it was injured in Le Mans after a fall, is coming up again. I feel much pain, but I hope that tomorrow the situation will considerably improve. I'll start the race in the last position, but I will give the best I can to be protagonist of a good race. "

KUCIAR666 · 10/10/10

Spies and Edwards star in Sepang sauna

Ben Spies and Colin Edwards produced a superhuman effort in extreme heat and humidity at the Sepang circuit this afternoon, the American pair qualifying fourth and seventh respectively for the 20th Malaysian MotoGP race.

Spies scorched to his seventh consecutive top six qualifying result, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider finishing just 0.164s away from securing a stunning front row start as he once again qualified top non-factory rider on the grid.

The 26-year-old made big progress in improving the set-up of his YZR-M1 machine in searing heat today, Spies drastically improving front and rear grip that was lacking during yesterday's opening practice session.

His pre-race optimism was boosted by a long run he completed in slightly cooler conditions during second practice this morning. Spies completed 19-laps, one short of full race distance, reeling off a series of consistent times as he gathered a wealth of machine and tyre performance information. His intense training regime also paid dividends today, Spies coping effortlessly with the toughest conditions experienced on the calendar.

Spies was the first rider to dip under the 2.02 barrier with 15 minutes remaining, an impressive lap of 2.01.993 on the technically challenging and physically demanding 5.548km track moving him to the top of the rankings.

He was unable to improve his lap time in the closing stages and a small mistake in the hard baking zone for the final corner denied him a front row with Spies on the brink of hauling himself back into the top three.

Edwards missed the second row of the grid by just 0.067s, the 36-year-old taking big strides in finding more front and rear traction with his YZR-M1. Slippery track conditions that meant grip was at a premium yesterday were vastly improved this afternoon and Edwards needed just six laps to break into the 2.02 bracket. He was able to lap at a consistent pace throughout in race trim and eventually posted a 2.02.097 to finish seventh.

Ben Spies 4th 2.01.993 ? 26 laps

?I'm happy to be so close to the front row and it gives me a lot of encouragement for the race. From fourth on the grid it means another good start will put me in contention for a strong race. I did a race simulation this morning so at least I know how the bike is working in race set-up and I'm happy with it. I intentionally did the longer run in lower heat conditions just to see how I felt. It was still pretty brutal but I felt pretty good and it set me up for a good qualifying. This afternoon was the first time I really used the soft tyre. Everything went pretty good and I put together one decent lap time and then I had good lap going when I made a mistake at the final corner. I caught Colin and he was actually trying give me a tow down the back straight to help me out, but I was a little further back than he thought and by the time I got to him we were hitting the brakes and I missed my brake marker and ran wide. That lap would have put me on the front row for sure but I'm confident that if we raced right now I'd be in the top five and that's what I'm looking for."

Colin Edwards 7th 2.02.097 ? 23 laps

?It was really hot out there this afternoon. Each time I was in the pits I was pouring water all over me and it's going to be a tough race tomorrow in that heat. I would love to say I could have gone faster but I gave it my maximum and there wasn't a lot left in the tank. But the bike feels really good and my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 did a great job because we found a lot more grip today. The grip was so good in Japan last weekend that you kind of come here and expect a similar feeling, but we had to change everything on the bike to get some grip. We've definitely made the bike a lot better and I'm confident for the race. As for Ben, I was coming into the pits and I looked back coming out of turn four and I could see he was behind me. I thought I'd pick my pace up a little bit so I could perhaps tow him down the back straight and he might be able to get on the front row or even pole. But as I got closer to the final corner I guess he just missed his braking marker. Both of us ended up decent on the grid though and I'm looking forward to the race."

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

Fantastic fighting fifth for Bautista in Sepang

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista produced the ride of his season so far to take fifth place during a red-hot race in Malaysia today.

Bautista started from eighth on the grid but was forced back to 11th after contact in the second corner, improving to 10th on lap one, a position he held until the middle of the fourth lap when he picked off the next rider as he began his progression through the field. As the race wore on he got involved in a four bike battle with Marco Simoncelli, Hiroshi Aoyama and Nicky Hayden, before Bautista made the move of the day and passed Simoncelli and Aoyama at the same time to move into fifth on the 17th lap. Bautista tried to close the gap on fourth placed Ben Spies, but there were not enough laps left and he brought his Rizla Suzuki home for a season equalling best finish.

Loris Capirossi suffered yet more heartbreak as he was forced to retire with an electrical fault. The Italian was in 11th place on lap five, when his bike slowed dramatically before stopping, leaving Capirossi with little else to do except park his bike beside the track and make his way disconsolately back to the pits.

Today?s race marked the 20th running of the Malaysian Grand Prix and the a crowd of over 62,000 fans ? the biggest ever race-day attendance at Sepang ? were treated to a fantastic spectacle as riders throughout the field traded places in their own separate battles. Valentino Rossi eventually ran out the winner with Jorge Lorenzo coming home in third position to give him enough points to be crowned the 2010 MotoGP World Champion.

Rizla Suzuki and the rest of the MotoGP paddock now head over the equator to the only Grand Prix held in the southern hemisphere, as they all prepare to do battle again next weekend, this time at Phillip Island in Australia.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I am very happy with today?s result because I battled hard with other riders and made the result for myself. The start was not too bad, but on the second corner I had to pick up the bike because some other riders went inside me and I lost some positions. Lap-by-lap I started to overtake other riders and at half distance we caught up to Simoncelli and when I saw that Spies went past him and went away I knew I had to get past Marco and stay with him. I got in a great battle with Simoncelli and I lost some time, and a position, but I had to recover and get past him and Aoyama. When I got into fifth, Spies was quite a way in front and it was difficult to catch him, but I did try and he could have made a mistake at any time that would have helped me get closer. We finished only 15 seconds behind first place and this shows we are improving, so this is very good. I want to say thank-you to all my team, Suzuki, Rizla and all the sponsors, because we are putting in a big effort and going forward together. The bike is now better than at the beginning of the year and I have improved so we are looking forward to the last races.?

Loris Capirossi:

?I really don?t know what to say today, I am just so disappointed. We don?t deserve the things that keep happening, but we?ll keep going and hope that our luck improves very soon.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?It was a fantastic ride by ?lvaro today. The race had everything in it and could have been even better for him but for a bit of bumping in turn two and the fact that he lost a number of places after making a good start. We haven?t seen many better passes than his move on Simoncelli and Aoyama in turn nine that gave him fifth place! After that he put his head down and tried to catch Ben for fourth ? which without question he had the pace to achieve ? but there just weren?t enough laps left. Huge congratulations to him and his crew for an excellent performance over the whole weekend.

?As for Loris?s weekend it?s difficult to say anything that could compensate for how he must be feeling. He was a hero to qualify the bike yesterday afternoon after such a huge crash in the morning and deserved a whole lot better out of the Grand Prix. I don?t know if someone has a Loris voodoo doll somewhere that is causing us this incredible run of bad luck, but if so please put it away! He always gives 100% and deserves a good result within the final three Grands Prix to put a silver lining on what has been a very difficult season.?

Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Race Classification:

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 41?03.448: 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.224: 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +6.035: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +13.676: 5. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +15.402: DNF. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):

World Championship Classification:

1. Lorenzo 313: 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 228: 3. Rossi 181: 4. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 180: 5. Dovizioso 179: 13. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 69: 16. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 41:

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

Andrea Dovizioso a close second again

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) scored a hard-fought second-place result in today?s Malaysian Grand Prix, crossing the finish line just two tenths of a second behind winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). It was the 24-year-old Italian?s second consecutive runner-up result, following his identical finish in last Sunday?s Japanese Grand Prix.

Third place went to Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who claimed the MotoGP World Championship for the first time. Today was a great day for Spain, with fellow Spaniard Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) securing the first Moto2 World Championship. Back home in Barcelona, where he is recuperating from the broken left collarbone sustained during Japanese GP practice, Lorenzo?s MotoGP rival Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) was one of the first to offer his congratulations to Spain?s second premier-class World Champion.

In typically tropical heat, Dovizioso was in the hunt for today?s win from the beginning, leading through turn one after starting from the front row of the grid. As the lone Repsol Honda rider, Dovizioso put on a great show. After Lorenzo went past on lap one, the Honda man stayed right with the Spaniard, finally taking the lead at the halfway mark of the 20 laps. But by then Rossi had caught the leading duo and snatched first place from Dovizioso the following lap. Once again, Dovi didn?t give up. He repassed his compatriot at turn one on lap 16, only for Rossi to come by once more. Starting the final lap Dovizioso had closed the gap to just three tenths but he couldn?t quite get close enough to mount a final attack. The result ? his sixth podium of the year ? puts him within two points off third place in the World Championship with three rounds remaining.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) has a great race, coming home in seventh place after working his way through the pack from 14th position on lap one. It rookie Aoyama?s best premier-class result and by far his best race since he returned from a broken vertebra suffered during June?s British GP. The result didn?t come easily either ? at one stage of the race the Japanese ace was in the group going for fourth place and in the closing stages he fought a breathtakingly close-quarters battle for sixth place with Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and fellow MotoGP rookie Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V). The action was intense, with Aoyama and Simoncelli touching at turn two on lap 17, an incident that allowed Hayden to pass both of them and secure sixth. Simoncelli rode a strong race after qualifying down in 11th, but the heat got to him and he was struggling with physical and vision problems in the late stages.

At the finish Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) was just four tenths of a second behind his team-mate. Melandri had looked capable of a good result here but once again he ran into front issues, which caused him to run wide and drop several places at one-third distance. After that he recovered well, revelling in the heat while Simoncelli suffered.

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) completed the top ten. The Frenchman had been hoping for something better after overnight suspension tweaks, but during the race he struggled from a lack of front-end feel, preventing him from attacking in his usual style.

Following today?s racing, the MotoGP paddock dashes south east for next Sunday?s Australian Grand Prix, the last of three flyaway races on consecutive weekends. After Australia the action returns to Europe for the Portuguese and Valencia GPs.

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V): 2nd
?I?m very happy with this second place today and it was a great race. We have been fighting for the victory at the last two races at two very different tracks, and also in different conditions, so this is really positive. I tried to stay close to Valentino on the last lap but in the final braking area I wasn?t close enough to take him in the middle of the corner, even though he was too late on the brakes and went wide. Anyway, this result for Honda, Repsol and my team is really important. Last year we were 40 seconds behind the winner in the race here, so to be just 0.2s behind means we?ve moved forward a lot. Also, in the middle of the season, we weren?t on the podium for a long time, so to be back in the top three is very important for us. We have to be happy because this was almost a win, and the riders in front of me are changing at each race, which means we have better consistency. We are happy and I?d like to say thank you to Honda and my crew. From the middle of the season until now we improved a lot because of the hard work of a great team.?

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V): 7th
?The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit and also technically, not much more was possible in these conditions. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider. Then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have led this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs. But Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and touched me a couple of times. This seventh place is the best result so far in this season and my team worked very hard to achieve this. I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.?

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): 8th
?Obviously the result is a bit of a shame but I am happy because I came through from the back to have a really good first two thirds of the race. Unfortunately after that I physically couldn?t do any more. I was struggling to breathe, my vision was blurred and I really found it hard to make it to the end. If we could have kept our pace to the end we could have finished fourth or fifth so like I said it is a shame but I am happy because this is a track I don?t particularly love. Winter testing here was a disaster, yet here we were today putting in a good performance, even chasing Dovizioso and Lorenzo over the first few laps. Now I?m looking forward to the next race because this was a positive weekend for us.?

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): 9th
?What can I say? The result was a shame because compared to other races I got a good start here and my pace was decent. Unfortunately after just two laps I lost feeling for the front and every time I let go of the brakes I felt there was a risk I was going to crash. I went wide at a couple of places because I couldn?t match the pace of the guys in front of me. I got back on track and caught de Puniet but it was tough to pass him. Once I managed it I kept my pace up whilst a few guys in front of me got tired. Physically I felt good, so it was a shame because this could have been a good race for us.?

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V): 10th
?I am a bit disappointed because I thought I was capable of much more on this track but after seven laps I had front-end issue again. Following our problems in qualifying yesterday we decided to race with the harder compound front which affected the grip at maximum lean angle, so during the race I could not entry the corners as I like. Honestly I could have got a better result but I did not want to take any risks and preferred to finish tenth, scoring some important points for the standings. I feel confident that the guys will find a solution to give me a better bike at Phillip Island.?

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V): DNS
?I think it?s very good for Spain to have another world champion in the top class after Alex Crivill?'s first title back in 1999. That was a long time ago? too long. So I?d like to say congratulations to Lorenzo today. He rode very well this year right from the beginning of the season and made very few mistakes ? so he deserves the title. Of course, I would like to have been there today to try and keep the championship alive for a bit longer ? even if we only had a very small chance of catching him. But it wasn?t to be. My recovery and physiotherapy after the operation is continuing to go well, and I hope to feel good enough for Australia and to get back to the level we achieved recently for the last races of the season.?

Pole position : 2m01.537s (164.335Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
Fastest lap : 2m02.117s (163.554Km/h) Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
Circuit record lap : 2m02.108s (163.566Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2007)
Circuit Best Lap : 2m00.518ss (165.724Km/h) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha, 2009)
Event results - Round 15 - Race 1
1 Valentino Rossi 41m03.448s ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Andrea Dovizioso +0.224s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Jorge Lorenzo +6.035s SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
4 Ben Spies +13.676s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
5 Alvaro Bautista +15.402s SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
6 Nicky Hayden +18.826s USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
7 Hiroshi Aoyama +20.218s JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
8 Marco Simoncelli +23.574s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
9 Marco Melandri +23.964s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
10 Randy De Puniet +31.850s FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
11 Hector Barbera +38.579s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
12 Mika Kallio +38.849s FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
16 Aleix Espargaro NC - 14 Laps SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
17 Loris Capirossi NC - 16 Laps ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
18 Colin Edwards NC - 6 Laps USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
19 Casey Stoner DNF Lap 1 AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
Championship standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo 313 pts SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Dani Pedrosa 228 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Valentino Rossi 181 pts ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
4 Casey Stoner 180 pts AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
5 Andrea Dovizioso 179 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
6 Ben Spies 152 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
7 Nicky Hayden 139 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
8 Randy De Puniet 94 pts FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Marco Simoncelli 92 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
10 Marco Melandri 86 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
11 Colin Edwards 81 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
12 Hector Barbera 74 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
13 Alvaro Bautista 69 pts SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
14 Aleix Espargaro 52 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
15 Hiroshi Aoyama 44 pts JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
16 Loris Capirossi 42 pts ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
17 Mika Kallio 37 pts FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
18 Alex De Angelis 11 pts ITA HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
19 Roger Lee Hayden 5 pts USA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
20 Kousuke Akiyoshi 4 pts JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
21 Wataru Yoshikawa 1 pts JPN YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

INTERWETTEN HONDA MotoGP TEAM ? Aoyama finishes Sepang race in Top 7

The Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang ended today with the best result so far this season for Hiroshi Aoyama and the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team. Aoyama finished the race on 7th place and underlined that there is more to come from him as the race could have finish one or two positions higher for him, if there would not have been the aggressive actions of his long time congruent Marco Simoncelli, whit who he already was fighting for the world championship last year. Aoyama was able to fight in the middle group, which was fighting for 4th position and could ride an exciting race with a lot of position changes. The whole team worked hard for this achievement and is now looking forward to Phillip Island, where the last of the three consecutive overseas races will take place next weekend.

Hiroshi Aoyama, 7 - 41'23.666:
?The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit and also technical it was not much more possible under these conditions. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider. Then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have leaded this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs. But Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and touched me a couple of times and I had to make him place not to risk anything. The seventh place is the best result so far in this season and my team worked very hard to achieve this. I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.?

Tom Jojic, Crew Chief
?Hiro could have been better without the action of Simoncelli, but we are satisfied with the result. In lap seven Hiro?s lap time matched the lap time of Lorenzo. This shows that he can go with the group and we look forward to Phillip Island now.?

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

UNLUCKY RACE FOR THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IN MALAYSIA. TWELFTH KALLIO, WITHDRAWN FOR ESPARGARO'.

Difficult race today for the Pramac Racing Team riders on Sepang's track for the twentieth Malaysian Grand Prix. Mika Kallio finished the race in twelfth position, while Aleix Espargar? had a withdrawn on the seventh lap after a fall. Both riders had made a good start, especially Mika had won three positions after the first curve, unfortunately the shoulder pain that has worsened in recent days, has not allowed the Finn to fight all the way to maintain his position. Aleix failed to get a good rhythm since the first lap because his tyres where still too cold. After three laps, however, the grip was greatly improved allowing the rider to reduce his lap time by almost a second. After passing Barber? and Kallio in the seventh round, while facing a curve, Aleix's bike has lost its grip on the front tyre slipping away. The broken handle after Aleix's fall didn't allowed him to take part again to the race. Pity, because the Catalan rider had a better lap pace then the riders ahead of him. Now is time to immediately return to work hard for the next race which will be held next Sunday in Australia on the Phillip Island circuit.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Technical Director

"The physical conditions and the hot weather have certainly not helped Mika's race. This morning during the warm up, we had further reduced the gap we had accused yesterday by the best riders, but this was not enough for our riders to fight for better positions. Too bad for Aleix's race. He was considerably reducing his lap pace when he lost the front of his bike. From the television we have seen that he should not have had problems, we will investigate to understand what happened. From Tuesday we'll return to work hard for the next Australian Grand Prix."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 15th in the race - 17th in the World Championship

"What a difficult race. I won three positions thanks to a good start, but I still finished the first round in the last position. On the third lap I was struggling with my teammate, who did have a better lap pace than mine. Together we repaired the gap from Barber?. On the fifteenth lap I passed Hector, but the shoulder pain and excessive heat did not allow me to maintain my position unchanged. With three laps to go I was overtaken by Barber?. I finished the race in twelfth place that is not a good position, but with my physical condition I could not hope to a better position. "

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing Team - DFN - 14th in the World Championship

"I'm very disappointed and sad about how things went, despite a quite good start, I managed not to lose positions. But in the early rounds my tires were not in temperature and I could not get a good lap pace. From the third round I have seen that the grip was still significantly increased. My pace was good enough to try to overtake some positions, during the sixth lap, I first overtake Barber? and then my team-mate Mika Kallio. Just after passing him, in a corner change of direction, the bike slipped away. Fortunately, it didn't turn off, but unfortunately the handlebar was broken. Too bad because with so many drops and withdrawals in the today's race, I could gain a position among the top ten. The important thing is now to return to work in the best way to be ready for the next Australian Grand Prix that will take place next Sunday. "

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

Fantastic fourth for Spies in sweltering Sepang

Ben Spies strengthened his bid for a top six MotoGP world championship finish today, the Texan riding to a fantastic fourth place in scorching hot conditions at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Spies rode a tentative first four laps while he gained confidence in the left-side of his hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre, the 26-year-old's pace still quick enough to keep him fighting in the top six.

Once confident he could push to his true potential, Spies was able to reel off a series of fast laps to hunt down and pass fellow American Nicky Hayden on lap eight. Spies continued to increase his pace and his times were only bettered by Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso at the front of the field. Having quickly left Hayden trailing behind him, Spies then produced a stunning series of laps to close down a two-second deficit on Marco Simoncelli.

He caught and passed the Italian on lap 14 and was again able to quickly establish a gap that Simoncelli had no chance of closing as he streaked away to finish top non-factory rider. His tenth top six finish of an outstanding rookie season puts Spies 13-points clear of Hayden in the race for sixth overall in the 2010 rankings with three races remaining.

It was an eventful 20-lap race for Colin Edwards, the 36-year-old looking to carry on the momentum gained from his season best fifth place in Japan a week ago.

A minor braking issue hampered Edwards in the early laps and once he'd adapted his riding style to compensate, he then battled a front-end grip issue. He was embroiled in an exciting four-rider tussle when he crashed at turn four on lap ten. His Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team worked frantically to repair his YZR-M1 machine, Edwards returning to the track to try and score 13th place. Unfortunately his efforts were unrewarded as he missed the cut-off for scoring points by just one lap.

Ben Spies 4th ? 152 points

?I got a reasonable start but I suffered with the left side of the rear tyre not coming up to temperature as quick as I'd hoped. But once it did it worked great and I was able to fight my way through to another really strong result. I was behind Nicky for a while and got stuck there but once I got by him I was reeling off 2.02s to get into fourth and I was happy with my race pace. I knew I couldn't get third and that was a little frustrating because looking at the times of the top three, if I could have got away with them I really feel I could have been there. I know Lorenzo wasn't pushing like his life depended on it with what he had at stake but I could have been closer to the front. It was still a good race for me and I made some good passes and I'm looking forward to Phillip Island now. Finally, I'd like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. Jorge has been fantastic all season and he definitely deserved to win the title. He hasn't made a mistake and I'm really looking forward to working with him in 2011."

Colin Edwards DNF ? 81 points

?That wasn't an easy race at all. Right off the line I felt good and made a couple of passes but I understood from the start that I had small problem with the front brake. At one point I nearly ran into the back of Ben and that made it really difficult in all the hard braking points and there are plenty of those at this track. Once I adapted to that I was having some issues with the front tyre. I'd had a couple of moments over the weekend but after about four laps I was struggling to hold a line. I was still pushing hard because I was in a good fight when I crashed at turn four. I don't know whether it was the brake or the tyre or a combination of both that put me down but it was one of those where I was waiting for it go. I wasn't going to give up, run wide and let a load of people fly by but just lost the front. I went back out to try and score some points but unfortunately I was one lap short of being classified. I wasn't going to get in the way of Valentino, Andrea and Jorge, so I got out of the way and that lap cost me a finish. Finally I'd like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. They've been an awesome combination. He's been the fastest rider all year and he'll be the man to beat next season that's for sure.?

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager

?On behalf of everyone in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, I'd like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha for their fantastic achievement this season. Jorge has demonstrated all year that he has been the fastest rider and his consistency has been very impressive. It was also a good day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and once again Ben was outstanding. He wasn't as fast as he would have liked to be in the early laps but once he found his rhythm he was easily the fastest rider behind the top three. Once again he made some really exciting overtakes and I think a big crowd here today enjoyed watching Ben. It is a big shame for Colin because he deserved more for all his efforts this weekend. Unfortunately he crashed while pushing hard to improve his position. We fixed his bike so he could try and get some points and I want to thank Colin for going back out and trying his best for the team. It was unfortunate that he just failed to complete the required number of laps but we can look forward to both Ben and Colin having a successful race in Australia next weekend.?

KUCIAR666 · 11/10/10

JORGE LORENZO CROWNED 2010 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION AS VALENTINO ROSSI WINS RACE

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo clinched the 2010 MotoGP World Championship on a day that saw Valentino Rossi return to winning ways in Malaysia. Third place for Lorenzo - his thirteenth podium from fifteen races so far this year - was enough to make him only the second Spanish rider ever to win the premier-class crown. Rossi meanwhile put on one of the displays of his career after dropping to 11th at the start, taking his 46th win for Yamaha on the number 46 M1.

Lorenzo got a brilliant start from pole and set off in front with Andrea Dovizioso in tow, whilst Rossi, starting sixth, slipped right back through the field in the charge to turn one. A few corners were enough to let the Italian know that all was not lost today however and he quickly began to pick off his competitors, scything through the field to make it up to third by just the fourth lap.

By now Dovizioso was putting pressure on Lorenzo and on lap nine the Spaniard gave way to the Italian, knowing that finishing safely was more important than the winner's laurels today. Next time around Rossi passed his team-mate and set off after his compatriot, despatching Dovizioso in turn at exactly the same point on the next lap. Dovizioso mounted one more challenge four laps from the end but Rossi, still the reigning World Champion for a few more minutes, was determined to stand on top of the podium and eventually crossed the line 0.244 seconds ahead. The win moves Rossi up to third in the championship, one point ahead of Casey Stoner.

It was Lorenzo's day however and third place for the 23-year-old was enough to seal him an emotional first premier-class title to add to his two 250cc crowns. It was a special moment for the Mallorcan, who has won seven races this year and finished off the podium only twice in a remarkable display of consistency that shows him to be a deserving champion.
Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 41'03.448

"This is a wonderful moment for me, I am so happy to win like this and take my 46th win with Yamaha on ?my' M1. It was one of my worst starts and for a moment I was really worried, but within a few corners I understood that I could go for it, because my bike felt great today thanks to a small change we made in warm-up, Jeremy's idea really worked! I rode so well and it was a fantastic race, one of the best of my career I think. I wanted this 46th win so much because as everyone knows it's a special number for me! Thanks to my team because everyone worked so hard this weekend and I think this is a great repayment for everyone. To win like this, from 11th at the first corner, is a great feeling. Finally I want to say congratulations to Yamaha and to Jorge; he has been fast all season, at all tracks and in all conditions and he deserves to be the World Champion."

Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: +6.035

"This is a dream come true for me today, I can't really believe it yet; I need five minutes on my own just to relax, enjoy the quiet and take in what I have done! This is something I have always wanted and something I've dreamed of my whole life, so it is the most incredible moment for me. It is difficult to find the words to thank everyone, I am just so happy, but I have to say thank you to Yamaha, my team and everyone who has made this happen. I started very well today, I didn't lose any positions but then Andrea and Valentino came past me and I wasn't riding as well as I could have, so I didn't want to push too much. Anyway I knew that winning the race wasn't the most important thing this time. I had to just put myself on autopilot and get the points I needed. Now we can relax and enjoy the last three races of the championship, but first of all we are looking forward to celebrating tonight!"

Davide Brivio Team Manager

"What a race! It was a fantastic race and great weekend because we had a difficult day yesterday and could only qualify sixth, but the team did a great job to change the bike and Valentino felt very comfortable in the race. He rode very well, making the fastest lap in the race and coming from 11th position and 2.5 seconds down on the leaders on the first lap. This milestone 46th win was a great way to celebrate Valentino's amazing time with Yamaha. It's a wonderful day for Yamaha all round because Jorge is the World Champion so we say congratulations to him, he's been very strong this year. All of our team are very happy today! Now we're looking forward to Australia, another great track for Valentino, and we hope his victories are not over with yet with Yamaha."

Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager

"This is a wonderful day for our team and I can't believe what an amazing first year I have had with Jorge in MotoGP! Jorge has proven over and over that he is a winner and our tactics this season - to always go for the podium - have paid off and here we are, World Champions! As usual Jorge was clever today and he knew that he had to be careful, as he has been many times this season, and it was the right move. He has won seven races and been on the podium many more so it really has been a wonderful season. Thank you to everyone for working so hard and well done to Jorge."

MotoGP-Sepang

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