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MotoGP Valenciana

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Fly to Spain for 2016 Season Finale


The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team returns to Spain this week for the 2016 MotoGP World Championship finale, the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana, with the third place in the Rider's Championship and the Team's and Constructor's Titles still up for grabs.

Valentino Rossi enters Spain intent on fighting for a podium spot. Having secured second place in the championship at the previous round at the Sepang International Circuit a fortnight ago, he focusses on the fight for the Manufacturer's and Team's Title to close the season in the best way possible. The nine-time World Champion previously has taken two premier class wins at Valencia, in 2003 and 2004, and he has claimed multiple podiums with second places in 2002, 2009 and 2014 and third places in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

Lorenzo arrives in his home country determined to keep the pressure on to take third place in the championship rankings at his final race for Yamaha. The Mallorcan joined the team in 2008 and has shown his strength at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on more than one occasion. Highlights of his successes with the YZR-M1 at the Valencian circuit are premier class victories in 2010, 2013 and 2015 (securing the 2015 World Championship title) and a podium with a third position in 2009.

The 4.0 km long Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana - Ricardo Tormo was completed in 1999 and has a twisty character with nine left and five right corners and an 876 m longest straight. It is a true stadium track that gives fans a perfect view of all parts of the track from every stand that can seat up to 150,000 spectators in total. Valencia always attracts a record crowd to witness the final racing spectacle ever since it became the traditional MotoGP season closer in 2002 and the Yamaha riders aim to give the fans a thrilling show again this weekend as they sign off this spectacular year.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

"After the overseas races we finally return to European soil for the fourth and last round in Spain. Now that Valentino has secured second place in the championship he can enjoy this last round to the fullest with some great racing, while Jorge continues the battle for third place in the standings. The atmosphere is always special in Valencia, which makes for an exciting race. Though we are looking forward to the final head-to-head of the year we are approaching the weekend with mixed emotions, it is a shame we won't have Jorge in the team anymore after his final appearance for Yamaha this weekend. Yet, this is all the more reason to end the season on a high. We are confident that together we can make this year's final Grand Prix a great one and we're looking forward to start work on Friday."
Valentino Rossi
Championship: 2nd, 236 points


"For me Valencia is always a special race because it is always very challenging. Usually on this track I suffer a bit and it's not good for me. For this reason I want to be as strong as possible during this weekend, working well with my team and get the best possible result. We are still fighting for the constructor's and the team's championship, so I will do my best to collect important points. After the race I will finally try the new YZR-M1. I am very impatient to get to know next year's bike!"
Jorge Lorenzo
Championship: 3rd, 208 points


"The season is almost over and finally we arrive to Valencia, where I have some good memories, especially last year when we were able to achieve our goal and become World Champion again. Valencia is going to be a very special race for me because after nine years with the Yamaha family I have to say goodbye and it won't be easy. I had a lot of good feelings with Yamaha and together we won a lot of races and titles… I would like to finish this season in the best way possible and that's with a victory, so I will do my best to try to win in Cheste and I will try to secure third position in the championship as well."
Tech3 duo confident of sealing strong results in Grand Finale

Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith keenly await the 18th round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship at Valencia where they aim to achieve two flying finishes in what will be their last appearances in Monster Yamaha Tech3 colours. The season-ending battle will commence at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which has produced many memorable and spectacular duels over the years. The fight in the championship standings is still ongoing, and therefore both riders fully intend to clinch top tier results aboard their Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bikes to conclude the year positively.

Pol Espargaro will seek to close his three-year partnership with Yamaha by powering to an impressive finish in front of his loyal fans. The Spaniard plans to continue attacking to complete the Grand Prix as close as possible to the factory MotoGP riders in Sunday's 30 lap sprint after coming off the back of three impressive displays at the overseas Grand Prix's.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith targets speeding to a solid result in the race in order to close his sixth year with the team in a notable way. The joint longest serving Tech3 rider produced three heroic point scoring performances in the flyaway races, where he returned to the grid after sustaining a knee injury, and he will aim to undertake another determined effort to close his fourth season in the premier class strongly.

Pol Espargaro
Championship: 8th, 124 points


"Valencia is always important because it is where we end the season and it is also another home race. However, this year is going to be a bit more special, and I am going to compete at this event with the grandstands full of fans! It will be my last track appearance with Yamaha and the Monster Tech3 team after three really incredible years, with some great and some not so good moments, but I have learnt a lot in this period with a big group of professionals that have been like a family to me. I'm really looking forward to enjoying this weekend where I will try to complete this adventure with a highly satisfying result. I like the track and I am happy about how I have performed there in the past, such as in 2015, which was a difficult year but I was still able to end up in the top 5. Obviously, it's going to be difficult to repeat this, because the factory bikes such as Ducati and Suzuki, are much more competitive, and we are struggling a bit in a few areas. We will see how I feel with the Michelin tyres and if the weather does not interfere, then I want to have the best possible conclusion, but whatever happens, I will give my best as always."
Bradley Smith
Championship: 18th, 55 points


"After a long time together, this week will be my final outing with Tech3. This season is my sixth year in this team and it goes without saying that it will be hard to say 'Au Revoir' to the crew on Sunday afternoon. The guys who I have worked with have always done a great job, which gives me full motivation for Valencia where I really hope to end on a high. The back-to-back events went well and I scored some valuable points despite my recovering knee, therefore in Spain, I will fight to be as close as I can to the leading satellite position. 2016 has not gone exactly to plan and it's a pity to be finishing the year much further back from where I wanted to be in the rankings. However, we never gave up and after achieving sixth in the Grand Prix 12 months ago, I am confident of a positive conclusion. I won the 125cc race in 2010 at Valencia, the year before I joined Tech3, and the venue has been good to me so I am very confident about scoring a solid result for my team."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
SUZUKI ECSTAR SET FOR VALENCIA MotoGP? FINALE


After eight months, 17 races, four continents visited and thousands of miles travelled, the 2016 MotoGP? World Championship comes to a close this weekend at Valencia in Spain.

The Ricardo Tormo circuit will be the scene of the final battle of the season, with three World Champions already crowned, but with still some positions for the riders and teams to fight for.

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR arrives in Valencia after very positive races in the far east, aware of being very close to the top in terms of performance of the GSX-RR and with the desire of a final positive showdown. According to the maths, Maverick Vi?ales can still aim for third place in the ?Riders World Championship,? being fourth with 191 points, 17 behind Jorge Lorenzo (208). Eleven points separate Aleix Espargar? from a top-10 position, while the team defends third place in the ?Teams World Championship? where they head the Ducati Team by five points (276 vs 271).

The Gran Prix de la Comunitat Valenciana is expected to be an emotional one for Vi?ales, Espargar? and the whole team, because it will be the final one in Suzuki colours for both riders; and the positive performance and feeling found during the second-half of the season gave further hopes for a remarkable performance at the 18th race of 2016.

The Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana is a facility completed in 1999 and has been hosting the GP ever since. The track is pretty tight, but the complex can hold around 150,000 fans in the stadium-style grandstands. Being the final GP of the season it will see many people coming support their heroes. The MotoGP? events are held on a 4km track comprising five right-hand corners, eight left-handers and a 650m straight, for a total distance of 120.2 km (74.7 miles) covered in 30 laps.

Maverick Vi?ales:

?Last year?s race was not one of the best, but since then we made solid progress and we can say we are in a totally different situation. Already, in the test we did this year, our performance resulted in improvement, but most important factor is the steps forward we have made in the second half of the season. Now we feel we can be competitive in any conditions, and this is a great injection of enthusiasm for everyone. We feel we can compete with the top riders and teams, and we have already proved we can be on the podium consistently - which is a good way to end a season. This race will be important because we still have some hopes for the third place in the championship. When we started the season, our objective was to end in the top-six, but then during the season our competitiveness increased a lot; maybe even more than we expected and this had increased our ambition. We as a team are all racers, this means we always strive for the best result possible. We are already satisfied with the season, but we will try to exploit this last chance to get something even more and close these two years together in the best possible way.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?The last races have not been the best in terms of final result, but looking at the performance and the competitiveness, we can be happy and proud. In the last months, I managed to find a lot better feeling with the bike, we improved the settings a lot and my riding style took advantage of this, resulting in being able to fight for top positions. This is a first step towards the place where I think we deserve to be, although unfortunately it arrived late in the season. The hard work we?ve done should deserve a positive result, both for me, the team and the Suzuki factory. Valencia is a circuit we know, although conditions will be different from the test we did, but I think we can find an effective configuration for the machine and be competitive.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Good start for Octo Pramac Yakhnich
Petrux 9th, Scott 12th

The last weekend of the 2016 MotoGP season begins with a good feeling for Octo Pramac Yakhnich. In Friday?s free practice at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Danilo Petrucci ends up in Top 10 and Scott finishes 12th while giving the feeling of being on the right path to fight for the direct qualification to Q2 tomorrow.

Danilo Petrucci and his team worked very hard on set-up and tire choice in sight of Sunday's race. After the 13th lap-time set in FP1, in FP2 time attack Petrux has already been shown to have a good feeling with his bike finishing with the chrono of 1'31.295, only one-tenth of a second behind the hypothetical second row.
Scott started well FP1 recording the 9th time then he met a bit more difficulties in the afternoon as the temperature has risen. For the English rider the 12th lap-time (1'31.733)

12th - Scott Redding
1'31.733


Not bad. I am not happy nor disappointed. I've got to figure out how to find the feeling especially in the left corners because in those right things are much better. I also tried to change my riding style but in braking areas I always had a few problems. We will work today and tomorrow to figure out how to make progress and try a range of solutions with the tires.

9th - Danilo Petrucci
1'31.295


We are very close to the group in front but two tenths in Valencia are so many compared to other circuits. I'm quite happy with my lap time but I prefer to think about setting the bike for the race. We will have to manage the tire consumption because we saw that they quickly drop. But the feeling is ok. We need to fix some details but all in all I'm satisfied.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR ON PACE AT VALENCIA MotoGP?



Maverick Vi?ales: 3rd.
Aleix Espargar?: 6th.

Maverick Vi?ales and Aleix Espargar? put in a strong showing in the opening day of Free Practice at the Gran Prix de la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain putting their Team SUZUKI ECSTAR GSX-RRs into third and sixth positions.

In the ?cold? opening morning FP1, with track temperatures of just 12 Degrees, Vi?ales was sixth with a time of 1'31.926, with Espargar? a fraction behind in seventh (1'31.942). But as track temperatures rose to 27 Degrees in this afternoon?s FP2, both riders? times improved; Vi?ales setting a 1'30.775 and Espargar? 1'31.186.

Both Spaniards spent the sessions, at the final MotoGP? race of the season, testing a variety of settings, including different electronics configurations, and are looking forward to finishing 2016 on a positive note.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?We?re happy with this first day because both Maverick and Aleix could find good feelings and improve their lap-times, resulting in being consistently within the top-10. Maverick, especially, found a positive efficiency, finalising the settings little-by-little and scoring the third best time. He is also one of the only three riders who could lap faster than 1?31, which is a positive result. Also, Aleix had a positive day: He struggled a little with the feeling with the rear this morning, but for the FP2, he and his crew managed to improve the bike and make him feel more comfortable, which resulted in sixth. So far, we?ve had a positive debut, our machines seem to be performing on this track, although it?s not one of the easiest for us, but we will try tomorrow to further-improve and have a positive qualifying.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?Today I felt really good with the bike and third place is a good result for the first day. We are already lapping with a strong pace also this is a good feeling. We are proving that our performance is getting to the top, we consistently improve and we are consistently within the top riders. We still have some fine-tuning that can be applied. The Valencia circuit is very different from the Malaysian one where we were for the last race: Here the layout is a lot tighter and with tight corners, where the machine needs to be quick in turning and acceleration. We still need to find a better efficiency on this, as our machine prefers fast and smooth corners, but we have room for improvement, and we are also already within the fastest.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?I?m happy with this top-six position, it?s a good feeling and makes me confident. This morning we had some issues with the rear-grip, but finally we made some improvements to the set-up for the afternoon and I felt much more confident. We can still improve something on the front, the softer compound of the tyre can be better exploited, so we also have room for improvement. It?s a good feeling to be close to the top; also, I am confident that we can improve further tomorrow.?

GRAN PREMIO MOTUL DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA FP2:

1 Jorge LORENZO - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'30.463
2 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 1'30.710 + 0.247
3 Maverick VI?ALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'30.775 + 0.312
4 Pol ESPARGARO - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'31.000 + 0.537
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 1'31.066 + 0.603
6 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'31.186 + 0.723
7 Andrea IANNONE - Ducati Team - 1'31.189 + 0.726
8 Valentino ROSSI - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'31.257 + 0.794
9 Danilo PETRUCCI - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'31.295 + 0.832
10 Dani PEDROSA - Repsol Honda Team - 1'31.358 + 0.895
11 Cal CRUTCHLOW - LCR Honda - 1'31.462 + 0.999
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP in Fighting Spirit at Spanish Season Closer



Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi came out fighting in today's two free practice sessions at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo. The pair set a blistering pace from the outset and secured first and eighth place respectively in the combined session times.

This weekend holds great significance for Lorenzo, as it marks his last appearance for Yamaha. The Mallorcan is set on finishing his nine-year run on the YZR-M1 on a high and made his intentions clear when he took over at the top of the leaderboard just 15 minutes into FP1 and held the position for a large part of the session. With a few further tweaks made to his bike's setting, he upped the pace at the end of FP1 and dropped a 1'31.045s to reclaim first place in the final minutes.

The local hero carried his speed straight into the afternoon session, leading from the start. When his rivals upped the pace at the end of FP2, Lorenzo didn't hesitate to respond. The last ten minutes then became a flurry of activity but the Spaniard had the last laugh when he delivered an impressive 1'30.463s, the first lap under the 1'31 mark of the weekend, to finish first in the combined times. He was 0.247s faster than his closest rival.

Rossi had a less than desirable start to the Valencia Grand Prix. Unable to complete his out lap due to technical issues he returned to the pit box. Putting the small detour through the paddock behind him, the Doctor was back on his way on his second bike a quick ten minutes later to start his quest for the perfect setting. He consistently improved his pace when switching back to his first bike and wrapped up the session in second place, 0.387s behind his teammate, with a 1'31.432s lap.

Rossi got straight down to business in the second practice, holding third on the timesheets for most of the session whilst working on improving the feeling with the bike with the harder tyres. In the final stages of FP2 he was sitting in fifth place when the lap times tumbled. The Italian was able to better his morning time when he put in the softer option and finished in eighth place in the combined times with a 1'31.257s, 0.794s behind his teammate.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"Today has been mixed for us. On the one hand we can be very satisfied that we are leading the way with Jorge since FP1. He is determined to make this weekend unforgettable and he's already working in the right direction with his bike's set-up and he looked very confident during the runs. Valentino had an issue with his bike this morning, so we lost some valuable time there, which partly affected their schedule. Vale started well in the morning and took second place, but in the afternoon he suffered from a lack of grip at the beginning of FP2 with the harder rear tyre and was unable to ride the way he wanted. When he put in the softer option his feeling improved. For sure they are going to work and better the areas where he suffered and we are confident we can make another step for tomorrow's FP3."
Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 1'30.463 / 38 laps


"I feel very good and I think the tarmac has a lot of grip. Michelin brought very good tyres for the front and the rear. We tried the new front and it's different; it has more movability in the corner and the rear has a lot of grip and it warms up quickly. I felt good with it. Finally we put in the soft rear tyre to see if it is possible and better to use for qualifying and we saw that it's clearly better than the hard one and I set a good lap time, so I'm satisfied. For the moment we have started the last weekend with Yamaha in the best way possible: first and first. Marquez is very strong too and Vi?ales is very fast as well, it will be very close on Sunday if it's a dry race, but we are not sure because the weather is uncertain."
Valentino Rossi
8th / 1'31.257 / 41 laps


"We had a small problem in the bike but it's OK. We just stopped to not create any bigger problems, but it's good. This morning at the end of practice it wasn't so bad, I finished in second place. In the afternoon I had a problem, because we tried the harder tyres that are supposed to be the tyres for the race, but I didn't have grip and I wasn't fast enough. At the end I put in the soft and improved my lap time, but anyway the balance of the bike is not OK, I'm not happy with the setting so we have to work and try to make it better."
Espargaro opens Valencia account with strong run to 4th

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro ignited his charge to complete the last round showdown in a top tier position by finishing the first day of action as the leading independent rider aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Spaniard kicked off his campaign by concluding the opening shakedown with an impressive run to 5th as he began the initial setup work in preparation for the round 18 battle. His performance left him confident for the afternoon and here, the 25-year-old consistently improved his pace around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo before he powered to a personal best on his 19th lap. This time saw him finish only 0.537 back from the top of the timesheets, which marks a solid start on home soil and tomorrow, he determinedly aims to continue the positive form.

Bradley Smith thoroughly got to work with his Valencia GP programme as he commenced his preparation for the last round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship. The 25-year-old, who will end his six-year partnership with Tech3 this weekend, jumped into gear when FP1 started as he evaluated various tyre options to suit his MotoGP bike to the meandering Valencia circuit. The British star powered on in the afternoon, as he undertook 20 laps whilst he focused on gathering information for the race setup and his best time from the session left him nine-tenths of a second from the top ten. After making valuable progress today, Smith intends to carry on the positive work tomorrow and then clinch a strong qualifying position for his last appearance aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 on Sunday.

Pol Espargar?
4th / 1'31.000 / 43 laps


"Today was a very promising start to the weekend and I'm happy as well as satisfied. It's been a long time since I have enjoyed riding my Yamaha this much, so it's a shame that we had to wait until the last race to do so. With regards to the tyres, Michelin went back to the old carcass that they used at the beginning of the season and these tyres have a lot of rear grip. At this track, we can use it with a different compound and the truth is that we have improved our grip level a lot and the whole bike is working really well. Moreover, this circuit suits my riding style and Yamaha has always been strong here. Therefore it has been a very good first day with many positives and now we will try to continue our progression tomorrow in order to produce a great showing in qualifying for what will be my last race with Tech3."
Bradley Smith
19th / 1'32.280 / 39 laps


"In general, today has been busy, but positive and we know which direction we are heading towards. Both the circuit and the setup is a lot different from what we experienced 12 months ago here so we changed several things on the bike over the course of the day in order to get the right balance. I was actually quite content with my pace on the hard rear tyre because I was running in 12th and close to the other Yamaha riders. I believe that if we had used the soft compound at the end of the session, then I may have been able to get into the top ten. Moreover, this afternoon, I decided that it was important to work on the race setup of the bike and check all of the options. Corner entry is the main focus for the minute, as well as rear grip, yet I believe that this will come with the softer tyre option. We tested a lot of tyres today, including the new profile front, which seems to be positive. At the moment, we have two bikes which have slightly different settings, but I feel quite comfortable on both and we'll keep working to improve further, and after a non-stop day today, I am confident and looking forward to tomorrow."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana


Petrux 12th and Scott 14th
in qualifying for #ValenciaGP
Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding will start respectively from the fourth and fifth row in the last event of the 2016 MotoGp season, which will be staged tomorrow at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.

It has been a difficult start to the day for Petrux, with the 16th lap-time in FP3 and a crash in FP4. But the rider from Terni did well to keep focused and managed to play a great Q1 (with a time that would have earned him ninth place on the grid) gaining access to the Q2. With one soft tire available in the qualifying for pole position, Petrux was not able to make that step that would allow him to get a better position.

Scott lapped fast in FP3 but failed to qualify for the Q2 by just one tenth of a second. Then in Q1 he has not found the ideal conditions to win the qualification. The British rider had to settle for 14th position.

14th - Scott Redding
1'31.406


It was difficult. I struggled to find grip with the new soft rear tire. I felt much spinning and this was a problem throughout the weekend. I honestly felt I had a good feeling in FP3 but I was not able to stay in the top 10. Let's see tomorrow: a race of 30 laps is difficult for everyone, but our race pace is not bad.

12th Danilo Petrucci
1'31.203


It was a good qualifying. I'm glad I managed to get into Q2 although I expected to do better. Unfortunately I had used all the front tires in Q1 and I had to get on track with a tire that had already 10 laps. I tried to push but I felt the front closing twice. We are not far from the Top 10 and this is my goal for tomorrow.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
VI?ALES & TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR ON VALENCIA 2ND ROW


Maverick Vi?ales: 4th.
Aleix Espargar?: 9th.

Maverick Vi?ales will start tomorrow?s final Grand Prix of the season from the head of the second row following an exciting final qualifying for the Gran Prix de la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain today, as team-mate Aleix Espargar? was unlucky to slip-off in the closing stages.

Both Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders continued their strong form of the weekend and were always in the top positions, both qualifying directly to Q2 from the morning?s FP3, where they finished second and seventh respectively aboard their GSX-RRs.

In the all-important 15-minute Q2, that saw the lap-record smashed, both riders continued their strong performances, with Vi?ales posting a best lap of 1'30.276 on his eighth and final lap. However, Espargar? was unfortunate to slide off as he was about to begin his sixth flying-lap and ran out of time to set a better position than the third row.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?We can be happy today for the work we?ve done with both riders, especially Maverick who found a good pace in FP4 and also a good position in the grid. Maybe for the grid we could have aimed for something more, we had the potential to be on the first row. Unfortunately, Aleix had a crash when he was attempting an important improvement, but his position is not so bad and also his consistency on the distance. We believe tomorrow could be a good race. Both riders, Maverick and Aleix, are eager to close in a positive way this two-year adventure, and so are we.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?The qualifying didn?t go as I was expecting, we had the potential for the first row but unfortunately we didn't take out all our best. We decided to try a new strategy, with three runs instead of the usual two, but it takes me some time to warm-up the tyre in the proper way so in the last attempt, with only one lap to go, I couldn?t improve as I wanted. Anyway, the day has been positive, this morning I could be fast and then in FP4 we tested a very good pace. I?ll have the chance of being in the front in the beginning if I?ll make a good start tomorrow, and then I?ll probably be able to exploit the positive pace I have.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?I?m not satisfied with the position in qualifying, but overall the day was positive and my pace makes me feel comfortable. In qualifying I had a crash and so I couldn?t exploit the time attack at its best. I was using a soft rear tyre, which has a lot of grip that pushes the front in acceleration and I?m not very comfortable in this, so finally in a very fast change of direction, with full gas, I lost the front. Luckily I didn?t get hurt, but this prevented me the possibility of a better position on the grid. However, tomorrow?s race will be very long, and therefore very tactical; it will be very important to preserve the tyres, probably being a little conservative at the beginning, and keeping some performance for being more aggressive in the last part of the race.?


GRAN PREMIO MOTUL DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA Q2:


1 Jorge LORENZO - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'29.401
2 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 1'29.741 + 0.340
3 Valentino ROSSI - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'30.128 + 0.727
4 Maverick VI?ALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'30.276 + 0.875
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 1'30.338 + 0.937
6 Pol ESPARGARO - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'30.392 + 0.991
7 Andrea IANNONE - Ducati Team - 1'30.420 + 1.019
8 Dani PEDROSA - Repsol Honda Team - 1'30.574 + 1.173
9 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'30.885 + 1.484
10 Bradley SMITH - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'30.949 + 1.548
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Dominant Double Front Row for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP in Valencia



The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team kept the momentum going during the Q2 session. Jorge Lorenzo was in a league of his own today, bettering the previous pole position record at Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo - set by himself last year - by 0.610s. Valentino Rossi was also in contention for a front row start and had the Spanish fans wait until the final minutes of the qualifying, to see him secure third place for tomorrow's Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Lorenzo was on good form in front of the Spanish crowd during the Free Practice sessions and gave another blistering performance later in the afternoon. He was one of the first riders to leave pit lane and didn't waste any time to drop a time of 1'29.849s, a new pole position record, on his first attempt to put his name at the top of the provisional leader board.

Having set the benchmark high he immediately returned to the pit box with ten minutes remaining. He quickly went out on track again and duplicated his stellar effort and set a 1'29.613s before making a second stop. He quickly dashed off again with over three minutes left to defend his number one spot. Flashing red through all the sectors, the Mallorcan signed off his impressive qualifying efforts with a 1'29.401s, leaving a 0.340s gap to his closest rival.

Teammate Rossi also brought his a-game to this afternoon's sunny qualifying session, to the delight of the local fans, with an impressive last-minute time attack. Avoiding traffic, he headed out as one of the last riders, giving him enough clear space on track. He gradually built up his pace, shooting up from eighth to fourth on his second lap, before setting a 1'30.539s for third place.

With a provisional front row in his grasp he returned to the pits and there were four minutes remaining when he rejoined the session. Having been pushed back to seventh, the Doctor had to dig deep to reclaim third place on his next try. He further bettered his time to 1'30.128s, 0.727s from pole, on lap eight and secured third place to wrap up the last qualifying session of the year securing the seventh double front row of the 2016 season for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"What a pole position! Jorge has been really fast from the beginning of the first day, but what he showed during qualifying has been impressive, setting a 1'29.401s! Vale also managed all the difficulties he met during the previous sessions very well with a good 1'30.128s, which gave him an important front row start. Although we did a superb job today, we still have doubts for tomorrow's race, mainly about the rear tyre life. It will be fundamental to find an appropriate set-up that will allow them to manage the degradation of it during the 30 laps. We expect a long and tough race amongst four or five riders, but we are confident that we can fight for a top result and secure the Team's Title."
Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 1'29.401 / 9 laps


"My motivation was full on, because I wanted to get the best challenge for pole position, but tomorrow is going to be the most important because that decides the victory, which for sure will be very hard to get it. At least I can say that in the last race with Yamaha I got pole position and I think that today I was inspired. This 1'29.8s I already expected and I did it, but not only that, I improved the lap time without a new tyre. I did everything I could and risked in braking. It was a great day and an inspiring moment and I'm very proud and very happy."
Valentino Rossi
3rd / 1'30.128 / 9 laps


"At this track Jorge and Marc are very strong and I'm very happy about this front row because usually I struggle always at Valencia and during the practices, from yesterday to today, we had a lot of problems. We weren't fast enough but we improved and I think I did a quite good lap, but they are still a bit faster. Depending very much on the pace, I hope to be strong enough to be able to fight for the podium."
Espargaro to begin grand finale from second row of the grid

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro will bolt forward from the rear of the second row tomorrow in what will be his last race aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1, after producing an impressive showing today in Valencia. The Spaniard kicked off his day by notably speeding to 6th in the morning practice where he finished only 0.487 from the top as he continued his momentum from yesterday. Later, in Q2, he got straight to work and after completing 8 laps, his personal best left him in 6th and just 0.264 from the front row. The qualifying marks a strong performance by the 2013 Moto2 World Champion and tomorrow he will set his sights on sealing the top independent rider honours in the season finale to close his account with the Tech3 team in a highly positive way.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith will contest his final Grand Prix for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team from the head of the fourth row of the grid after a hard fought display today at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. His solid work yesterday paid off as he completed the ultra-competitive FP3 session in 10th and just 0.257 from his teammate after he posted his time on the 19th lap out of 21. This allowed him to pass straight through to Q2 and here he set off at speed in pursuit of clinching a strong grid placement for the Valencia GP. Smith's efforts saw him qualify in 10th as he finished just over half a second back from the second row and tomorrow afternoon, he intends to close what has been a challenging year on a high note.

Pol Espargaro
6th / 1'30.392 / 8 laps


"I am delighted with my qualifying performance today, and we knew that we could do a good job, which we did, but it was really tight in Q2. Every rider was fast here in Valencia today, yet we started the weekend with a decent pace and I was able to carry this on and then build upon it which allowed me to qualify well. With regards to the circuit, it is quite challenging, and very technical, especially when the electronics are concerned, such as anti wheelie and rear traction control. However, I feel positive here and the Yamaha is working well. It's always a bit special, as a satellite rider, to begin the GP from the second row, but we'll enjoy the rest of today knowing that we were competitive and I will try to have fun in my last track appearance with Yamaha. I've always been fast in Valencia, so I am pleased about today's result and even though my expectations are not huge for the race, I am excited to see what we can do tomorrow."
Bradley Smith
10th / 1'30.949 / 9 laps


"First of all, it was a great achievement to go straight through to Q2 today, as it has been a few GP's since I've been able to do this. This afternoon, we worked quite hard on the race setup in FP4 and we also learnt a few more things during the qualifying. I am still not 100% happy with how the bike handles, but we confirmed our race tyres which is positive and now we just need to make some small modifications for the 30 lap sprint. It will be a long, tough fight and of course, it is vital for the bike to handle well under braking because here it's important to have that balance, especially in the hard braking areas, of which there is at least one in each sector. I'm on the outside of the grid tomorrow, and that is possibly a bit better than beginning from 9th because sometimes you can get pinched on the inside at the first turn. Nevertheless, I will try to get a good start and then enjoy my final event with the Tech3 team."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Danilo Petrucci 12th and Scott Redding 14th in the last 2016 MotoGp event at Valencia
The 2016 MotoGP season finishes with a rather complex Sunday for Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding, respectively 12th and 14th, under the chequered flag at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Petrux, which had always ended his races in the TOP 10, has not started well and finished the first lap in 16th position. He managed not to lose his concentration and started a good comeback that brought him up to the 11th position on lap 10. The rider from Terni tried to chase Bautista but the effort to recover the first few laps did not allow him to be competitive in the final stage.

Scott started well gaining the twelfth position. On lap 10, however, a mistake forced him to lose three positions. The British rider tried to push but he could not find the right feeling to find a faster pace.

14th - Scott Redding

We had so many difficulties. This morning I felt the front closing twice and I nearly crashed in the warm up. It was not a problem with the bike, but it was a lack of feeling between me and the bike. Early in the race, I felt pretty good but as the rear tire started to lose grip on left corners, it was really tough. I must say that I am satisfied with my season. I have shown I can make important results. Now I want to improve.

12th - Danilo Petrucci

I did a few mistakes in the first lap which forced me to push harder to recover positions. In the last seven laps I could not stay with Bautista and Barbera to fight for the Top 10 and then I preferred not to risk and bring home some points. It is not a race I will remember, but now I just want to think about the new bike. I will have to commit and work hard to stay ahead in the next season.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 5TH & 8TH AT VALENCIA



Maverick Vi?ales: 5th.
Aleix Espargar?: 8th.

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR?s Maverick Vi?ales and Aleix Espargar? raced to fifth and eighth positions in the final round of MotoGP? 2016, the Gran Prix de la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain this afternoon.

The last Grand Prix of the season ended consistently with both riders capable of fighting in the top positions, especially Vi?ales well into podium positions for several laps.

Fourth place on the grid and one of the best starts of the season saw Vi?ales recover positions and turn in third at the first corner and the positive set-up finalised during the weekend allowed him to hold third place for many laps. With the tyre drop, however, he had to give-up two positions and from then on wasn?t able to fight again to recover, although he held onto fifth place until the end.

Espargar? had a consistent race, from ninth place, although he had to give up a couple of positions at the beginning, but kept in touch with competitors to recover to ninth in a few laps, engaging a fierce battle for eighth and then chase seventh. His strategy to preserve the tyres for the last part of the race allowed him to keep his pace and close the race in eighth.

This was the last race in Suzuki colours for Espargar? and Vi?ales, who have been the protagonists of Suzuki?s comeback to MotoGP?. These two years have seen the machines, the riders and the crews grow very fast, catching-up the competitors in such a short time and now being able to fight with the best manufacturers. All the people in the Team at the circuit, as well as the engineers and management in Hamamatsu, Japan want to say a big thank you to both for these two years together.

Satoru Terada ? Project Leader:

?With this race we finished a two-year period that took us back to the MotoGP?. First of all, I want to say thank you to our riders, to the team and to the engineers in Japan. They all contributed to develop the bike that now we see so competitive. Last year we had some struggles in making the machine well-performing, and this made the riders? job even harder, but they trusted in our project and helped us to improve. In winter, at the beginning of 2016, we finally succeeded in delivering major improvements; a better-performing engine and the seamless gearbox, together with continuous improvement in chassis, set-up and electronics. This allowed us to get the first victory after less than two years, plus three podiums. This is an incredible result we are very proud of. Now Maverick and Aleix are leaving, and tomorrow we will welcome two new riders, starting a renewed challenge. Our commitment is to deliver them a more-performing machine, to continue and even improve the positive path we have started in the last part of the season, and so hopefully we will achieve even better results that can make proud all Suzuki fans, and us as well.?

Ken Kawauchi ? Technical Manager:

?The final result in the race was not the best we could achieve, but both riders got a positive result and this makes the weekend a positive one. I still remember when we were here racing in 2014, our very first race after many years, and we were struggling so much; where we are now is an incredible result. We have made huge steps of improvement in these two years, and we must be very proud of our job. Of course, a big part of the cause is the two riders; Maverick and Aleix did an extremely good job with us, allowing us to improve the machine so much and also bringing us amazing emotions, with top qualifying, podiums and also a victory. I must say thank you to them, and also I want to mention the two crews that worked with them as well as all engineers. We can be proud of what we?ve achieved in these fantastic two years. Tomorrow we will start a new adventure with two new riders, it?s going to be an interesting challenge, but I feel confident with the package we have; they will find a performing machine, which can be still improved but which is also a very competitive base to start work on.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?It?s been a hard race. Honestly I was expecting a little more, I thought the podium was achievable, but at the end of the race it was so hard to keep the pace. I tried my best at the beginning, but then I had to cease position and hold to the end. At the end my feelings are for these two years with Suzuki, we did a very good job, if I think all the struggles we had last year and now we?ve been fighting for podiums consistently in the last part of the season. It?s a good sensation, and also I?m leaving here some people with which we created a very good connection. I?m proud of the job we?ve done together.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?I had a bad start and then I had to recover some positions, but I struggled in doing it. It was really difficult to overtake, but also I didn?t want to take too many risks at the beginning of the race. Then the pace was good, but couldn?t do better than eighth; it?s not what I hoped but it?s ok. I really enjoyed the race, although my feeling with the front was not perfect. I?m proud of having been a part of the history that we?ve written with this team for Suzuki, the whole team was amazing with me and we really created a family. Also, the bike now is a really good bike, so I?m proud I gave my contribution. I feel I?m not leaving with a complete work, I missed the podium, but all in the team know that I?ve put my 110% every time I wore this blue leather. This weekend has been a really emotional one for me, I?m leaving some good friends and a project that has grown very positively.?

GRAN PREMIO MOTUL DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA RACE:

1 Jorge LORENZO - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 45'54.228
2 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 45'55.413 + 1.185
3 Andrea IANNONE - Ducati Team - 46'00.831 + 6.603
4 Valentino ROSSI - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 46'01.896 + 7.668
5 Maverick VI?ALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 46'04.838 + 10.610
6 Pol ESPARGARO - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 46'12.606 + 18.378
7 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 46'12.645 + 18.417
8 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 46'12.906 + 18.678
9 Bradley SMITH - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 46'20.221 + 25.993
10 Alvaro BAUTISTA - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - 46'29.293 + 35.065
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Signs Off with 2016 Team Title at Stirring Spanish Showdown



The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team closed the 2016 MotoGP World Championship today at a sunny yet slightly cloudy Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in supreme form. Jorge Lorenzo stormed out of the gates to clinch a stunning and untouchable victory in his last appearance for Yamaha. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put up a strong fight and brought his YZR-M1 over the line in fourth place to give Yamaha its seventh FIM MotoGP Team Title.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team closed the 2016 MotoGP World Championship today at a sunny yet slightly cloudy Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in supreme form. Jorge Lorenzo stormed out of the gates to clinch a stunning and untouchable victory in his last appearance for Yamaha. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put up a strong fight and brought his YZR-M1 over the line in fourth place to give Yamaha its seventh FIM MotoGP Team Title.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo returned to winning form at the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana, securing a masterful first place. Teammate Valentino Rossi gave the Spanish crowds an action-packed 30-lap sprint at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo as he fought hard to hold off the competition, taking fourth over the line.

After a perfect qualifying session in Valencia yesterday, Lorenzo arrived at the circuit this morning feeling confident about his pace and it showed in the opening laps. The Mallorcan stormed into the first corner to take the holeshot before creating an over 0.6s gap to the riders in his pursuit. He was the only rider to drop a 1'36s opening lap before getting into a consistent rhythm of 1'31s.

As his teammate got into a heated battle with Andrea Iannone and Marc Marquez for second place, it was a flawless but lonely ride for Lorenzo. The home-hero maintained an advantage of more than four seconds over his closest rival for most of the race, but decided to slow down his pace in the final stages to end his Yamaha career with a textbook win and a 1.185s margin. Lorenzo's run-away victory secured him third place in the Rider Championship standings, highlighting his protagonist status.

Rossi also had a good start from the first row on the grid and slotted in behind Maverick Vi?ales after riding side-by-side through the first corners. He took a few laps to heat up his tyres before turning up the pressure on the Spaniard on lap four. Not wanting to let the front riders escape, Rossi slipped past him in turn 14, all the while being followed by Marquez.

The nine-time World Champion next set his sights on Iannone and it didn't take him long to tag onto the back of his compatriot. What followed was a sensational battle for second place that lasted over 24 laps. Rossi's first attack on lap six was successful, but he had to let Iannone past over the line. The Italians then further delighted the race fans at the eighteenth and final Grand Prix of the season with brilliant scraps, swapping places on many occasions.

With Marquez getting into the mix with twelve laps to go, proceedings intensified even more. In turn 2 Marquez overtook Rossi. The Doctor bided his time in the last eleven laps, ready to pounce when the opportunity arose. Over the last seven and a half minutes, as Marquez started to get away, he tried to take over third place from Iannone, but their fight lost him valuable time. With two laps to go Rossi had a final try at securing a place on the podium. Though he was unable to make it stick, he ended up taking valuable points with a hard-fought fourth position, finishing 7.668s from his teammate.

With today's results added to the riders' scores, Rossi ended in second place in the Rider Championship standings with 249 points. Lorenzo claimed third in the overall rankings with 233 points. Their achievements combined give the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team the 2016 FIM MotoGP Team's Title with 482 points and a 28-point advantage over the team in second place.

Tomorrow the team will enjoy a well-deserved day off before they kick off the two-day first official pre-season IRTA test of the 2017 season on Tuesday November 15th in Valencia.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"This is the spectacular way to end the 2016 season. Wrapping up such a competitive season with a perfect victory and a fantastic battle that resulted in a hard-fought fourth place is of course a great outcome and it underlines that Movistar Yamaha MotoGP winning the Team's Title is well-deserved. Jorge gave a flawless performance all week and he ended his Yamaha career in the best way possible. Valentino struggled earlier this weekend, but found a good solution for the race. His battle with Iannone was a pleasure to watch for everybody. It was unfortunate that he just missed out on the podium, but he was forced to give up third position due to tyre degradation on the front. However, the points he scored today helped us claim the Team Title, which was our goal for this weekend, so we are pleased. The 2016 season and our work with Jorge have come to an end so this is a very memorable win and Team Title victory, which we will commemorate tonight and tomorrow with a big celebration before we start the first test of the 2017 season at the same track this Tuesday."
Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 45'54.228 / 30 laps, Championship: 3rd / 233 points


"It has been an incredible weekend with a perfect first few laps, the pole position, the fastest lap, and the victory. I arrived here in MotoGP at 20 years old, taking my first pole position on my first race. After almost ten years I leave with a pole position and a victory, I think I couldn't have given Yamaha a better present than this for their support and their hard work during these years. We always had a competitive and winning bike. Now we will enjoy and celebrate these memories. Tonight at the party I will enjoy the last moments with my team. During the race you spend 45 minutes completely focused on what you are doing to dominate this bike, so when you cross the line you aren't very emotional yet and you don't think too much, because you need to recover. After two or three minutes I started remembering the best moments in my career and also the hard moments and in parc ferm? it was very emotional with my team. For sure I will throw one of my biggest and craziest parties today because it's a good day. We have to enjoy all of these experiences and especially this last moment with Yamaha."
Valentino Rossi
4th / +7.668 / 30 laps, Championship: 2nd / 249 points


"I was pushing from the beginning to the end and the first half of the race wasn't so bad because I was in second position, but I wasn't fast enough to make a gap and after that I suffered on the second part. Marquez was very strong, so he arrived in second place and after that I had a fight with Iannone. Unfortunately he beat me because he was faster, so just fourth place for me today, but it was a good race. The 2016 season brought a lot of positive things; second place in the championship, a lot of podiums and front row starts. Next year I want to try to win more races, more than two, but we are always competitive. Unfortunately I made some mistakes and I was a bit unlucky with the engine in Mugello so I was a bit too far behind in the championship, but anyway it was a good season."
Resilient Espargaro closes Yamaha account with hard fought run to 6th - Smith signs off with a positive 9th place finish

Pol Espargaro produced a superb display in his final MotoGP race aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 to seize the leading satellite honours in the fiercely competitive season closer. The Spaniard bolted forward from the second row of the grid and undertook a solid first lap whilst dicing the factory riders. From here, he set into a formidable rhythm, which allowed him to progress to 7th with just under a quarter of the race having been completed. Espargaro powered onwards and continued his consistent pace to expertly keep the pursuing factory Suzuki of his brother, Aleix Espargaro, at bay. The distance dialed down, and then on the penultimate lap, the 25-year-old hunted down the 2016 GP winner Andrea Dovizioso. Espargaro dug deep and eventually soared across the finish line ahead of the Ducati rider by only 0.039 of a second, in what was a nail-biting but impressive end to his Tech3 campaign.

Bradley Smith ended his six-year partnership with Tech3 by concluding the 30-lap sprint in 9th after a determined performance at Valencia today. The Briton, who started from the head of the fourth row of the grid, quickly got on the pace as he weaved his way around the first lap, which he completed in 11th. He pushed onwards whilst battling against the tight and meandering track, and his strong lap times saw him open a comfortable gap to the following rider. At just over the mid point of the GP, the 2015 leading satellite rider was back inside the top ten and running in 9th and from here, he maintained his consistency before meeting the chequered flag in this position. The result marks a positive end to what has been a challenging season for the 25-year-old, that has included a serious knee injury which he sustained in August. Yet, his strong will and determination saw him make his comeback after just seven weeks, and he scored some thoroughly impressive finishes whilst still recovering which helped the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team seize the top independent position in the team standings for the fifth consecutive season.

The whole team would like to express their thanks to both Pol and Bradley for their commitment, passion and hard work over the years, plus also give their best wishes to the riders for their future adventures.



Pol Espargaro
6th / +18.378 / 30 laps, Championship: 8th / 134 points


"It was my last race in black and green for Yamaha and the result today marks a positive end to my time with Tech3. This finish will keep my morale, as well as the team's, up over the winter break and it's a good way to end our journey together. We concluded the season as it began, which is in the top independent rider position, even if it has been a challenging year at times because unfortunately, we didn't quite secure the best satellite placement in standings in the end. However, we always did our best and I have to thank the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team for giving their all in the years that we have worked together. Plus, I must say thanks to them for teaching me how to ride a MotoGP bike. We've shared some happy moments and some not so great ones. Our first year was excellent, but then we had a tough second one, yet in 2016 we have tried to handle the situations as best as we could. With regards to today's race, I think the opening laps were crucial and sadly, we lost a lot of time there. After though, my rhythm was quite similar to the pace of the factory guys in front of me. For the entire GP, I had my brother behind me, but I was never sure if he was struggling to stay with me, or if he wanted to overtake. Fortunately, I kept him behind which allowed us to catch Dovi, who then acted as a barrier between me and Aleix and I made the most of this. Once again, I have to say thanks to everyone in the team for their work in the past three years and I will take a lot of memories of Tech3 away with me."
Bradley Smith
9th / +25.993 / 30 laps, Championship: 17th / 62 points


"It was a tricky race, but I gave my all, and to finish in 9th is quite a positive way to end the season after what we've been through. We never really found the solution to my issues throughout the weekend, even though, of course, we tried everything that we could. However, for the GP, we definitely had the best setup. When it started, I pushed hard to try to stay with the Espargaro brothers and Cal. It looked like Pol had a bit more pace, especially in the second quarter of the Grand Prix and unfortunately I wasn't able to remain with him. Although it may have been a bit of an ambitious aim, I was hoping to fight with Pol in our final race with the team. Anyway, at the midpoint, Crutchlow fell and after that, it was a case of finding as much rhythm as possible on my own because there was around a ten-second gap back to P10, plus Pol and Aleix were out of reach. Nevertheless, my main objective was to try to recover as much as possible before Valencia, so that we could get close to where we expect to be, which I feel we achieved with a solid top ten. I'd like to give a big thanks to the entire Tech3 team for all of their work in the past four years in MotoGP and two additional years before that in Moto2. I wish the guys the very best with the new riders for the 2017 season and I'll come and say bonjour again in the future."
 
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