PREVIEW ? CHINESE GRAND PRIX - SHANGHAI 14/05/2006

[KUCIAR666]

PREVIEW ? CHINESE GRAND PRIX - SHANGHAI 14/05/2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------

CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM FOLLOWS EXPRESS ROUTE TO THE ORIENT

The whirlwind start to the 2006 MotoGP World Championship continues
next weekend as the paddock?s globetrotting journey heads eastwards
across Asia to the Shanghai International Circuit in China. After
visiting Spain, Qatar and Turkey in the opening three rounds of the
series, the Camel Yamaha Team take their points quest back to the skies
for another ?flyaway? race, before returning to start a European road
trip that covers seven races in nine weeks - starting at the Le Mans
circuit in France only seven days after the Chinese event.

Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards arrive in the country known locally
as ?The Big Land? with a mixed bag of results under their arms after an
unpredictable start to the campaign. Rossi followed up a first-corner
fall at Jerez with victory in Doha before battling to fourth place in
Istanbul after a weekend dogged by technical difficulties and bad
weather. It has been a similar story for his Texan team-mate, who has
shown excellent pace in practice but has yet to find a set-up package
that will enable him to compete for race victories and podiums.

The Shanghai circuit was designed by architects Hermann Tilke and Peter
Wahl and its layout was inspired by the shape of the Chinese character
'shang', which stands for 'high' or 'above'. Other symbols represented
in the architecture of the circuit facilities originate from Chinese
history, such as the team buildings, which are arranged like pavilions
on a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. One of the
circuit?s most impressive features is the extraordinary main
grandstand, which holds capacity for 29,000 spectators and provides a
spectacular view of almost 80 percent of the circuit.

VALENTINO ROSSI: TIGHT AND TECHNICAL
After taking a surprise wet-weather victory at this circuit last
season, Valentino Rossi is hoping for an identical result in different
conditions this time around. The torrential rain that fell during the
inaugural event at Shanghai one year ago set the scene for one of the
most impressive performances of Rossi?s career but, given the choice,
the World Champion is hoping for a much more straightforward way to
demonstrate his superiority next Sunday.

?Out of all the victories in my career, China last year was the one I
least expected because of the problems we had with the bike during the
weekend and with the rain on race day,? explains Rossi, who became the
all-time record points scorer in Grand Prix history thanks to his
fourth place finish in Turkey last week ? a result that outs him fifth
in the championship. ?It was the first time I had won in the wet on the
Yamaha, so it was a special victory, but this year I would definitely
prefer a dry race. The 2006 version M1 didn?t work as well as we had
hoped in the wet practice sessions in Turkey and we need as much dry
track time as possible to get the bike setting as I like it.?

Like Turkey the Shanghai circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, but it
is much more similar to the German architect?s other effort at Sepang
in Malaysia, with tight bends and long straights that, according to
Rossi, make the rider?s skill in setting the bike up even more
important. ?My first impressions of the circuit last year were very
good but then it wasn?t as much fun as I expected,? explains the
Italian. ?It is actually quite tight and technical and is very much a
Formula 1 track, so all the riders have a lot of hard work to do
finding the right setting for the bikes. It is not ideal for MotoGP ?
it is a very demanding circuit and it will test the riders and the
bikes to the maximum.?

COLIN EDWARDS: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Colin Edwards says he is unsure about what to expect in China after
experiencing such mixed fortunes at each of the opening three rounds
this season. Like his team-mate, the American is hoping for favourable
circumstances from the opening practice in order to gather crucial
set-up data for the 2006 version YZR-M1 machine.

?Because we had so little dry time at Shanghai last year I think there
is a big question mark for everybody about what is going to happen,?
says Edwards, who currently lies ninth in the championship on 19
points. ?It will be important to find a good setting for the bike as
quickly as possible so that we can get some endurance testing in before
the race and make sure we don?t have the problems we?ve struggled with
in previous weekends. This is a very important Grand Prix for us and we
simply have to end it with a decent result before the championship
heads back to Europe.

?The test at Istanbul on Monday was quite beneficial because it gave us
an idea of the lap times we could have done in the race if we weren?t
interrupted by the rain on Saturday, which was encouraging, although it
didn?t win us any points back! We got a lot of laps in, which is what
we need right now, so the engineers have some good data to work on over
the next week before the race and I?m confident they can come up with
something for us in China.?

VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION
Age: 27
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
GP victories: 80 (54 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 160 (100 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 40
World Championships ? 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4
x MotoGP)

COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION
Age: 32
Lives: Conroe, Texas
Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 51 x MotoGP
World Championships - 2 World Superbike

DAVIDE BRIVIO: POSITIVE THINKING
Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is looking towards the Grand
Prix in China as a major opportunity to turn around the team?s
early-season fortunes. Having enjoyed a particularly fruitful weekend
in Shanghai at this stage last season, the Italian is hoping the event
can prove to be a turning point for the team at the start of a critical
phase of the championship.

?Last year?s race in China was very important for us because we won,
and won well, in the wet and this helped us to find the solutions to
some problems we had with the dry setting, so we are hoping it can be
the same this time,? says Brivio. ?It has been a difficult start to the
season but despite the bad luck of Valentino?s crash in the first round
at Jerez he is still very close to the top. We?re looking forward to
seeing what both he and Colin are capable of when the problems are
solved and hopefully that can start in China.

?Now we have eight races in eleven weekends, which is a lot and puts
pressure on everybody. For example our drivers will be going straight
from China to pick up the trucks and driving them to France without a
break, but I think it is worse for the riders because they have no time
to rest. In any case the next three months are the core of the season
and a period where the situation regarding the championship becomes
much clearer. The conditions are the same for everybody so we have to
make sure we work to the best of our abilities and come through with a
good share of the points.?

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: COLIN EDWARDS? SUSPENSION TECHNICIAN ROBERT
GRONLUND
Despite being drawn by the same hand as the Istanbul Circuit in Turkey,
Shanghai has different characteristics that draw closer comparisons to
the other Herman Tilke circuit of Sepang. Combining fast straights and
hard braking zones with a series of slow and difficult corners, bike
set-up is again a question of finding a compromised balance, whilst the
big unknown this weekend will be the conditions ? with last year?s
mixed bag of weather and the typically hot and humid climate making
grip levels a complete mystery until Friday morning practice.

?In some ways Shanghai is similar to Turkey but in other ways it is
very different,? explains Robert Gronlund, Colin Edwards? Ohlins
suspension technician. ?For instance, it doesn?t flow as much as that
track but it does have a mixture of fast corners and very hard braking
zones, so in terms of the set-up the key is again to have a good
compromise ? especially with the suspension. The bike needs to turn
well into the slow corners because, like with the final section in
Turkey, you can lose a lot of time there.

?The thing about Shanghai is that we have only been once and it was
sometimes wet and sometimes dry, so we have a very limited amount of
data. Really we?re not worried about that though because we feel we
made an important step during the test in Turkey. We have reduced the
vibration problems we had at Jerez and Qatar and found a solution to
the difficulties we had at Istanbul ? just generally making the bike
easier to ride. A lot will depend on the grip levels at Shanghai and it
certainly won?t be easy, but we are looking forward to it.?

CIRCUIT INFORMATION

Pole Position left
Length: 5451 m
Width: 12 m
Right corners: 7
Left corners: 7
Constructed in: 2004


Shanghai Lap Record: Alex Barros (Honda) 2005 ? 2?13.716*
Shanghai Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005 ? 1?59.710

Shanghai 2005 Results*:
1. VALENTINO ROSSI (Yamaha) 50?02.463
2. Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki) +1.700
3. Marco Melandri (Honda) +16.574

8. COLIN EDWARDS (Yamaha) +31.033

* Wet Race

 

[KUCIAR666]

EUROSPORT TV SCHEDULE :


12.05.06
07:15 MotoGPGrand Prix China 125cc Practice
08:00 MotoGPGrand Prix China Moto GP Practice
09:15 MotoGPGrand Prix China 250cc Practice
13.05.06
07:15 MotoGPGrand Prix China Qualifying 125cc
08:00 MotoGPGrand Prix China Qualifying MotoGP
09:15 MotoGPGrand Prix China Qualifying 250cc
14.05.06
07:00 MotoGPGrand Prix China 250cc Race(live)
08:30 MotoGPGrand Prix China Moto GP Race(Live)
10:45 MotoGPGrand Prix China 125cc Race
12:00 MotoGPGrand Prix China 250cc Race
13:00 MotoGPGrand Prix China Moto GP Race

 

[KUCIAR666]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
11 MAY 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NAKANO AND DE PUNIET SET TO SPRING SHANGHAI SURPRISE?

This weekend's Grand Prix of China in Shanghai marks the start of a frantically busy period for the Kawasaki Racing Team, as they prepare for a run of eight races in just eleven weeks.

The 5.45 km Shanghai circuit is the most modern motorsport facility in the world and, at some 1200 metres in length, features the longest straight on the MotoGP calendar. The riders hit speeds in excess of 320 km/h on the straight, before getting hard on the brakes for the 60 km/h, first gear hairpin at Turn 13.

This is a critical point in the lap, where late braking can easily secure an improvement in position, but can just as easily lead to an off-track excursion into the run-off area at the end of the straight. It's a unique challenge that is unrivalled at any other circuit.

Shanghai holds mixed memories for the Kawasaki Racing Team. Shinya Nakano was left frustrated after being forced to retire from last year's inaugural Chinese Grand Prix just two laps into the race, due to an electrical problem on his Ninja ZX-RR.

But while Nakano's retirement was disappointing, Olivier Jacque certainly gave the Kawasaki Racing Team something to remember. The 31-year-old Frenchman brought his Ninja ZX-RR home in second place in the rain lashed race, to give Kawasaki their best ever finish in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.

Jacque will not race for Kawasaki this weekend, but both Nakano and Randy de Puniet arrive in Shanghai hopeful of emulating the Frenchman's performance in Sunday's 22-lap Grand Prix of China.

Nakano has his sights set firmly on a top six finish this weekend, and is confident that the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR will give him a significant advantage through the high-speed turns where fast changes of direction are necessary.

De Puniet has already proved his speed in the wet this season, and is confident of a strong result should rain again affect the race, but the Frenchman is determined to improve upon his position in the last race in Istanbul regardless of the prevailing conditions on Sunday.

Shinya Nakano: #56
"This is something of a special circuit because of the long straight and the long, fast right-hand turn that leads onto it. The strange thing about the straight is that it feels really slow when you ride it, because it's so long and there are very few reference points. It's also hard to identify a braking marker at the end of the straight for the tight, first gear hairpin. This makes things difficult, because the entry to this corner is one of the best overtaking points on the track, but if you brake even fractionally too late then you can't turn in and you're forced to run on. It certainly makes things interesting. I enjoyed the circuit in the dry last year, but I still need to get a few more laps under my belt to find the best racing line. Last year I retired from this race with an electrical problem, but I think the high-speed corners with fast changes of direction will suit the Kawasaki, so this year I am definitely aiming for a top six finish."

Randy de Puniet: #17
"Shanghai is not one of my favourite circuits, as I think it is more suited to car racing than motorcycle racing. Having said that, there are a few interesting sections on the track, like the long first corner. Last year I raced here on the 250cc machine, and the circuit will look very different from the seat of a MotoGP bike I'm sure. But it normally doesn't take me long to learn a circuit, so I hope we can get up to speed quite quickly during practice. It will be interesting to see what the weather is like on Sunday, because I know we can secure a good result if it is a wet race. If it stays dry then I will be pushing as hard as I can to improve upon my result in the last race in Istanbul. I am looking forward to the weekend ahead."

Press Release issued by: Kawasaki Racing Team Press Office

 

[KUCIAR666]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
12 MAY 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOP TEN FOR DE PUNIET IN RAIN SOAKED SHANGHAI

Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet got another opportunity to display his wet weather prowess in Shanghai this afternoon, finishing the day tenth fastest as near constant rain meant that both of today's hour-long free practice sessions were run in damp conditions.

Making his first appearance at the Shanghai International circuit as a MotoGP rider, the 25-year-old Kawasaki ace quickly got to grips with learning the circuit in difficult conditions, to finish this morning's free practice seventh fastest.

Changes to the engine and chassis settings on de Puniet's Ninja ZX-RR for the afternoon free practice session didn't result in the improvements expected, but the Kawasaki pilot was quick to improve upon his lap times after switching back to a set-up he was more comfortable with.

De Puniet's Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano, ended this afternoon's free practice session 14th fastest, after losing confidence in the front end of his Ninja ZX-RR once a dry line had started to appear around the 5.281 km Shanghai International circuit.

Although disappointed not to have placed higher on the timesheet, the 28-year-old Japanese star remains confident that changes to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR overnight will allow a significant improvement in his lap times tomorrow, regardless of whether conditions are wet or dry.

Randy de Puniet: 10th - 2'11.425
"This afternoon we tried some changes to the chassis and engine set-up to see if we could improve upon the feeling in the wet conditions, but I think we went a little bit in the wrong direction. We switched back to a set-up closer to that of this morning and my feeling was good, so at the end I was able to improve with each lap and I'm happy with what we've achieved. Today wasn't qualifying, and it is important that we use free practice to explore all the options with the set-up of the bike, which we did. Okay, so we came back to similar settings, but we now have a very clear direction for tomorrow if practice and qualifying is again wet. I also had some chattering at the three first gear corners, which makes the bike a little difficult to control, but I'm confident that we can find a solution for this also tomorrow."

Shinya Nakano: 14th - 2'12.496
"When the conditions were completely wet then I was okay, but as soon as a drying line started to appear I wasn't so confident and I didn't have a good feeling as to how hard I could push. The grip here is impressive in the wet, I had my knee down through every turn and the rear was gripping rather than spinning, but I just seemed to lack confidence in the front, especially under braking, which meant I wasn't able to carry the speed through the faster corners. And the high-speed corners are critical to a good lap time here, so this is something we need to address tomorrow. The weather forecast is predicting a dry race on Sunday, so hopefully we will also have dry conditions for tomorrow's practice and qualifying sessions."

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
"We still need to make some refinements to the wet set-up of the new bike. Already we are looking to improve the power delivery in wet conditions, making it more linear so that the bike is easier to control when grip levels are low. On the chassis side we have focused on finding a good balance, to reduce weight transfer when the rider comes off the throttle and onto the brakes, as excessive pitching makes the bike unstable on corner entry. But I'm confident that we can find a solution to both these problems with some more time spent refining our wet weather settings."

FREE PRACTICE - COMBINED TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team 2'12.060?; 2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.355; 3. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.614; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.794; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.854; 6. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +1.018; 7. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +1.422; 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda +1.623; 9. Makoto Tamada (JPN) JIR Konica Minolta Honda +1.920; 10. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.032; 14. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +3.103

Hopkins on podium pace in the Shanghai showers

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins secured the third fastest time during today?s free practice for the Polini Grand Prix of China in Shanghai.
The Anglo-American star improved on his times throughout the day and was on top of the time-sheets until the final seconds of the afternoon session. Hopkins? time was only bettered by World Champion Valentino Rossi and fellow Bridgestone rider Loris Capirossi.
As heavy rain fell continuously during the day Hopkins and his crew worked hard to get the best bike settings and tyre choice for his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. The fact that he set his fastest time on the final lap of the day emphasises the continuing improvement of the GSV-R?s performance during the two sessions.
Chris Vermeulen is racing at the Shanghai circuit for the first time ever and had the added pressure of having to learn a new circuit in the rain. But the rookie Australian showed why he is fast becoming a rider to be recognised, as he produced the eleventh fastest time and was on for an ever higher finish until a small mistake on his last lap cost valuable tenths of a second.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will have one more practice session tomorrow morning before an hour-long qualifying session in the afternoon. The race - which is round four of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship - will get underway at 15.00hrs local time (07.00hrs GMT).

John Hopkins:

?It?s been a really good day. This morning we tried a particular spec of wet tyre and it just wasn?t the option to go for, so we put on a different set this afternoon and the Bridgestone?s were really good. I stayed out for nearly all the afternoon session ? I only came in the once and that was just for a couple of minutes. It was a very positive session, we have a good set-up, some good new tyres and my confidence is also very high at the moment. I think that all in all it was an excellent day and I can?t wait for tomorrow ? rain or shine.?


Chris Vermeulen:

?Today was my first ever time at Shanghai and I must say that I really enjoyed the track - even with the rain. I wasn?t ideal weather for learning the circuit but I feel quite comfortable and I did a lot of laps today. The bike is working very well and we will be making a few more changes tomorrow to suspension and the engine management side and see how things progress from there.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?It seems like we are chasing the bad weather around the world at the moment. If we had wanted this sort of weather we could have stayed at home in the UK!

?It?s been a strong performance today from both the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R and the riders. Chris obviously had a bit more to do as he needed to learn the circuit - he managed to get a good rhythm early on and was able to stay with the other riders all day. This afternoon?s session will undoubtedly have given John a boost in terms of his wet weather confidence. After running second for a third of the dry race in Turkey and then to come here and be in the top three in these difficult conditions clearly shows his all-round talent.
?John?s GPS data showed a top-speed of 333km/h in torrential rain! It?s days like these that the guys really earn their money, and it?s good to see the bike?s top-speed improving so much since 2005.

?I think everybody would prefer it if the weather cleared up and the sun came out, but for now we are very happy with the bike, the riders and the tyres in these conditions.?

Polini Grand Prix of China Free Practice Classification:


Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2?09.393: 2. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) +0.355: 3. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTGP) +0.614: 11. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +2.045

 

[KUCIAR666]

PRACTICE ? CHINESE GRAND PRIX - SHANGHAI
12/05/2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------

ROSSI FLOATS BACK TO THE TOP AT WET SHANGHAI

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi returned to the top of the
MotoGP time sheets today as hard work during practice and testing following
the last round at Istanbul began to bear fruit on the opening day of
the Grand Prix of China. In soaking conditions caused by a steady
downpour of fine rain throughout the day, Rossi repeated the form that saw him
take a wet victory at the Shanghai circuit last season with the fastest
times in both today?s free practice sessions.

After setting the pace by just 0.002 seconds from Casey Stoner (Honda)
in the morning, the Italian moved up a gear in the afternoon to improve
his time by almost three seconds, holding off the challenge of Loris
Capirossi (Ducati) by 0.355 seconds with an exemplary display of
wet-weather riding. Meanwhile, his Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards also
reported improved feeling with his YZR-M1 machine following positive
progress during the Turkish test session, although the American was
struggled to turn that into outright pace this afternoon.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st; 2?09.393, 36 laps)
?In Turkey we were able to understand some of the problems we were
having with the bike and we found some good solutions. The modifications we
made using that data here this morning were really good and now I can
ride the bike at 100%. Even though it was wet the grip levels were very
good, I was able to get a lot of lean angle in the corners and it was
really good fun to ride as I want to. I?m really happy because I was
fastest in both free practices today and this is a good sign for the
weekend. The bike is working well in the wet but I think the solutions we
have found for the setting will also work in the dry. Hopefully we will
get the chance to find out tomorrow because the worst scenario would be
to have another day of wet practice and then a dry race on Sunday.?

COLIN EDWARDS (13th; 2?11.838, 24 laps)
?I?m reasonably happy with today. We did some good work on the setting
of the bike but when we got it to where I wanted to push for a good
time we had a minor setback with the tyre and I had to go for a different
compound, which didn?t quite work out. The main thing is that I?m
comfortable with the bike and I?m confident I can go much quicker tomorrow
whether it?s wet or dry. We basically started out with the dry setting
we found in Turkey and made small adaptations for the wet conditions
here. We found a really good suspension solution at the end so now we just
need to put the whole package together with the right tyres tomorrow
and run with it.?

DAVIDE BRIVIO ? CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
?That was a very good session, especially after the problems we had in
Istanbul. The engineers made some good steps with the setting and,
thanks to their good work at the test in Turkey, Valentino was able to be
fast again today. Watching him ride to the best of his ability is always
very enjoyable and the situation here is clearly very different to what
we found when it rained in Turkey. As far as Colin is concerned his lap
time today does not reflect his true potential here. He has found a
good setting and, although he couldn?t finish the session off as he would
have liked, there is a lot more to come from him. We have started off
well at other races this year and not ended up with the right result so
we have to make sure this good work continues right through until
Sunday afternoon.?

Combined Free Practice Times:

1.VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 2?09.393
2.Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2?09.748
3.John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP, 2?10.007
4.Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2?10.187
5.Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 2?10.247
6.Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 2?10.411
7.Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 2?10.815
8.Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda LCR, 2?11.016
9.Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, 2?11.313
10.Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team, 2?11.425

13. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 2?11.838

Free practice / RAIN HITS FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING AT CHINESE GRAND PRIX

The rain, which was present throughout the day, dominated the first day of qualifying at the 2006 Grand Prix of China. Just as forecasts had predicted the riders had to adapt to wet conditions as they got their first taste of the Shanghai International circuit. FORTUNA HONDA riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias ended the day in sixth and fifteenth positions respectively. After his spectacular race in Turkey, which saw him claim a first victory of the season, the Italian rider managed 21 laps as he attempted to get to grips with the Chinese track designed by Herman Tilke. Team-mate Toni Elias, who completed the same number of laps, spent the day trying to make improvements to the set-up of his bike. Forecasts are predicting more rain tomorrow.


MARCO MELANDRI (2?10?411, 6th, 21 laps):

?Despite the conditions that we had to lap in, I feel very satisfied with my work. We had a good set-up to work from and that helped. Ten minutes before the end of the session we made a small change to the rear suspension which did not give us the results we had hoped for. But I am satisfied and think we have taken a step forward in these conditions. I think forecasts are saying it will be overcast for Sunday?s race, if that is the case we?ll have to work with Michelin and use the experience we gained last season. I am happy, we have a good base to work from.?

TONI ELIAS (2?12?807, 15th, 21 laps):

?It was quite a hard day - we worked hard to improve my feeling with the bike. We can still improve the rear end of the bike in these conditions. I am not happy, but know there is still another day of qualifying, and what?s more I rode a good race here in the wet last year.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

QUALIFYING PRACTICE ? CHINESE GRAND PRIX - SHANGHAI 13/05/2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------

EDWARDS SEALS FRONT ROW START AT SHANGHAI

Camel Yamaha Team rider Colin Edwards will start from the front row of
the MotoGP grid in tomorrow?s Grand Prix of China after setting the
third fastest time in a dramatic single qualifying session today. After
battling through torrentially wet conditions yesterday, the riders
enjoyed a cloudy but dry free practice this morning as they sought to
find a suitable dry set-up for their machines. The afternoon started in
similar conditions but a brief rain shower midway through the session
confined the riders to a tense spell in their pit garages before a
thrilling late shootout for grid positions.

Whilst Edwards battled for the top spot with eventual pole setter Dani
Pedrosa (Honda) and second-fastest John Hopkins (Suzuki), his Camel
Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi was unable to repeat the kind of form
that saw him dominate proceedings in the wet conditions yesterday. The
Italian was one of several riders to struggle with a lack of dry
practice time as he looked to iron out set-up problems and find his
pace. He now faces another battle through the pack after setting the
13th fastest time, meaning he will start from the fifth row of the
grid.

COLIN EDWARDS (3rd; 1?59.383, 15 laps)
?This has been a really strange weekend because we started off by
finding a setting for the wet and then converted it to the dry ?
usually it is the other way around! I felt so comfortable with the bike
yesterday and I was disappointed when I saw that I was down in
thirteenth, but I knew the reason for that and I was really confident
about today. I can?t really explain why we were off the pace in Turkey
but have been right on it here in China, because we have hardly touched
anything with the bike, just played around with the suspension. We?ve
got some chatter in certain areas of the track but it?s worse when the
grip is good, especially when we put a qualifying tyre on. On race
rubber you can hardly notice it so I think we have a good setting to go
the distance tomorrow and I am happy with my tyre choice. I?ve had some
decent starts to races so far this season but haven?t been able to
maintain the pace, so hopefully I can turn that around tomorrow. It
feels good to be back on the front row.?

VALENTINO ROSSI (13th; 2?00.720, 18 laps)
?For sure we have a lot of problems and it?s disappointing to be back
in this position again after such a good day yesterday. When the grip
becomes normal again, like today, we have a lot of chatter and it?s
very hard to ride the bike. Really this situation is quite bad, as the
chatter has returned again today and it is similar to how it was in
Jerez. Now we have to start from the fifth row and so it?s going to be
a very hard race. We have talked a lot tonight in the garage and now
we will try some things in the morning during warm-up and hope that we
can make some final improvements. Now I need to ride a defensive race,
try not to make any mistakes and try to take as many points as
possible.?

DAVIDE BRIVIO ? CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
?A very good result for Colin ? it?s been a while since he was on the
front row so it is good to see him back there. He seems much more
comfortable on the bike and it?s good to see that he is able to ride it
so effectively. Unfortunately Valentino wasn?t able to follow up his
good performance from yesterday with a similar result today, so we will
have to take a look at the data with the engineers and try to come up
with some ideas for the warm-up tomorrow.?

FIRST ROW:
1.Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 1?59.009
2.John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1?59.373
3.COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1?59.383

SECOND ROW
4.Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1?59.570
5.Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1?59.574
6.Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1?59.639

THIRD ROW
7.Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda LCR, 1?59.890
8.Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 2?00.014
9.Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team, 2?00.044

FOURTH ROW
10.Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2?00.078
11.Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, 2?00.176
12.Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 2?00.304

FIFTH ROW
13.VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 2?00.720
14.Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha, 2?01.052
15.Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 2?01.275

GRAND PRIX OF CHINA

Qualifying practice / FORTUNA HONDA RIDERS READY FOR CHINA TEST

FORTUNA HONDA riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias have finalised their preparations for the GP of China on the second day of qualifying in changeable weather conditions. The riders carried out some work in dry conditions, but were then forced to change their plans because of the rain that fell in the afternoon at the Shanghai circuit. Even so, both Melandri and Elias, who finished eighth and twelfth respectively, will hope to get a good start in tomorrow?s race and put in a good performance. Forecasts are indicating better conditions for Sunday?s race at the Shanghai International circuit.


MARCO MELANDRI (2?00?014, 8th, 19 laps):

?I have not been very happy on the bike a chassis problem has prevented me from feeling comfortable. We spent a lot of time trying to find a solution for that. Then, when the rain started falling we spent a bit of time waiting to see if it would dry out, but 15 minutes from the end of the session we went out on soft tyres. We must work on the suspension as I think that is where the main problem is, we?re not far from a solution.?

TONI ELIAS (2?01?275, 16th, 16 laps ):

?It was a diffcult day. In the morning we were able to work in the dry, but I didn?t have a good feeling with the rear of the bike. What?s more, it proved hard to find a good set-up that allowed me to feel comfortable although we can work on it in the warm-up tomorrow. It will be a difficult race tomorrow and we must make a good start if we want to be with the lead group.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Hopkins and Rizla Suzuki MotoGP fight for the podium in Shanghai

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins scored his best ever MotoGP finish with a superb fourth place during today?s Polini Grand Prix of China in Shanghai.
The Anglo-American star got off to a great start from the front row of the grid and ran in second place for over a third of the race. He was passed by eventual winner Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden ? both on Honda?s ? on lap 10 but continued with his strong pace and chased down Colin Edwards. Hopkins tried everything to get past Edwards but just couldn?t find the extra speed from his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to do so. After settling for his hard fought position two laps from the end, he wheelied his bike across the line in fourth place in front of his cheering crew.
Chris Vermeulen had a less happy day. Starting in 12th place he fought hard with several riders early on but a mistake on lap four caused the rookie Australian to crash out. He was unhurt in the incident, but was unable to remount and carry on racing.
The race was watched by over 32,000 excited and warm fans, as temperatures reached 31?C. Spaniard Pedrosa won his first-ever MotoGP race and second placed Hayden now leads the championship by 13 points. The next Round of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship is at Le Mans in France on Sunday 21st May.


John Hopkins:


?I?m ecstatic right now! I feel really good about the whole race. I got off the line well and worked hard all through the race. I knew I had to be in the draft of another bike and not to use my tyres up too early. I got behind Colin Edwards and let him pull me along. We were passed by Nicky and Dani, and they were running an unbelievable pace, it was something we couldn?t keep with. From then on I stuck on Colin?s wheel and thought I?d have a bit more towards the end. I started to push harder in the last few laps, but it was going beyond the limit and at the end of the day I really wanted to finish in my best ever position ? so that?s what I did!

?I have got to give a big thanks to my whole crew, they worked fantastically all weekend and without them I wouldn?t be anywhere ? they?re a lot of the reason why I am here at Suzuki. The Bridgestone tyres worked awesome today, I reckon I had a bit more edge-grip than Colin and they were still working well at the end of the race.
?I am really happy and I just also want to say it?s my Mum?s birthday, so Happy Birthday to her and Happy American Mother?s Day to her as well ? I hope she was pleased with the finish!?


Chris Vermeulen:


?Obviously not the result we wanted, I didn?t finish and I didn?t get any points ? that?s the worst thing. It was difficult all weekend with the weather and learning a new track. The bike felt really good in the race though and everybody seemed really even. I was behind Randy de Puniet, he was holding me up a bit and I made a mistake and nearly ran into the back of him and pushed a bit too hard and lost the front ? but hey that?s racing! I hope I can learn from that mistake and don?t do it again. Full congratulations to John and the whole team ? it was a great result for Rizla Suzuki.?


Paul Denning ? Team Manager:


?A fantastic performance from John and the whole Rizla Suzuki team. We thought before the race that a top 10 position would be a good result in today?s conditions, but to see the bike run towards the front for the whole of the race was beyond our expectations. I believe that today John came of age as a MotoGP rider and demonstrated his true potential.
?Chris was very unlucky with his crash, he was pushing hard to move forward and a simple mistake cost him his race. I know he will bounce back from this and show the kind of form he can at Le Mans next weekend.
?The GSV-R never missed a beat all weekend and the result shows how far we have come in the last few races. Suzuki has worked very hard to get the bike more consistent and I think that the positions we have been in over the last three days have shown that it is able to run well in all conditions. We are still searching for that extra mid-range power and I am sure that when we get the full potential out of the bike we will be able to push for podiums.
?I must thank Bridgestone, they responded fantastically after the last race and the tyres we have had here have been superb ? both wet and dry.
?Finally big thanks and well done once again to the crew, they consistently give 100% effort and are the biggest asset of the team. Today?s result is a great reward for all their hard work and gives everybody motivation to keep pushing.?


Polini Grand Prix of China Race Classification:


1. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 44?07.734: 2. Nicky Hayden (Honda) +1.505: 3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +14.634: <

RACE REPORT ? CHINESE GRAND PRIX - SHANGHAI 14/05/2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------

EDWARDS MAKES PODIUM RETURN IN GRUELLING SHANGHAI AFFAIR

Camel Yamaha Team rider Colin Edwards charged from the front row of the
grid to the podium today with a determined performance in the Grand
Prix of China. Whilst his team-mate Valentino Rossi was denied the
chance to challenge for a top three spot after pulling in with a tyre
problem on the sixteenth lap, Edwards reaped the rewards of a
blistering start to the race, when he snatched the hole-shot and led
the field over the opening stages.

In sunny and warm conditions Edwards set a scorching pace that only a
handful of riders were able to follow, but finally succumbed to
pressure from Dani Pedrosa (Honda) on lap ten, the young Spaniard
forcing his way past and taking his team-mate Nicky Hayden along for
company. Rossi, meanwhile, had been making positive progress through
the field, working his way up from thirteenth on the grid to fifth
place in the race before bad luck struck once again.

The Italian began to feel that there was something wrong with his bike
and initially thought it was being caused by the rear tyre. After a
swift change he attempted to rejoin the race, only to return to the
pits next time around after realising the problem was coming from the
front tyre. Edwards consolidated third place for his first podium
appearance of the season as Pedrosa held off the challenge of Hayden to
clinch his maiden MotoGP win.

COLIN EDWARDS (3rd; + 14.634)
?I got a really good start and just decided to go as fast as I could
over the opening laps. I was close to losing control on a couple of
occasions but I decided that I?d rather crash out of the lead today
than miss my chance of finishing on the podium, which meant I just
couldn?t back off. I had some chatter and I could only push the bike so
hard; if I went any faster than 2?00.7 then the chatter forced me to
slow down, so I didn?t have much choice but to hang in there! The
freight train came past with Dani and Nicky but I couldn?t hang on to
the back, they were both just too fast. We?ve had some problems this
weekend and I didn?t expect to be on the podium but I can?t thank my
team, Yamaha and Michelin enough for the way they worked to put me in a
competitive position. I think I scored my first podium in round four
last season too, so hopefully this can be a sign to kick on from here.?

VALENTINO ROSSI (DNF)
?I didn?t get a bad start to the race and I passed a lot of riders but
I had a battle with Marco Melandri that cost me some time. Some of his
moves were quite strong, which I could understand if we were fighting
for the win on the last lap but not for eighth place at that stage of
the race. Anyway, the bike felt good but just as I got my pace to
2?00.1 it suddenly started to feel wrong and I thought I had a problem
with the rear tyre. I came in to change it but as I went back out I
realised it was actually the front tyre, so that was the end of the
race for me. I?m really disappointed because I felt in the race that I
had the pace to at least pass Hopkins and Edwards, so as far as I am
concerned we have lost 16 points and a podium, which would have been a
good result after the problems we?ve had this weekend. We?ve lost some
ground in the championship so I am feeling very disappointed right now
but there is a long way to go yet.?

DAVIDE BRIVIO ? CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
?First of all my congratulations to Colin and all his crew ? they have
kept going after a difficult start to the season and today they got
their reward. Third place is good and I hope it can be the start of
much better things from him for the rest of the season. Valentino had a
bad day, and even if we had changed the front tyre the first time he
came in, it would have taken too long and the race would have already
been lost. He has been very unlucky this year ? firstly with the
incident in the first corner at Jerez and now this time with the tyre.
It?s always upsetting when your results are decided by things that are
out of your control but there is nothing he can do about it, only look
forward to making up for lost ground over an important run of races in
the next few weeks.?


Results
1.Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 44?07.734
2.Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, +1.505
3.COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, +14.634
4.John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, +19.265
5.Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda LCR, +23.061
6.Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, +23.879
7.Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, +24.101
8.Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team, +24.467
9.Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, +28.358
10.Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, +33.815

DNF: VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, Lap 18


Championship Standings
1.Nicky Hayden (USA) 72
2.Loris Capirossi (ITA) 59
3.Dani Pedrosa (SPA) 57
4.Marco Melandri (ITA) 54
5.Casey Stoner (AUS) 52
6.VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 40
7.Toni Elias (SPA) 37
8.COLIN EDWARDS (USA) 35
9.Shinya Nakano (JPN) 28
10.Sete Gibernau (SPA) 25

 

[KUCIAR666]

GRAND PRIX OF CHINA

The race / DIFFICULT WEEKEND FOR THE FORTUNA HONDA RIDERS

After the rain-affected qualifying sessions, the Grand Prix of China took place under clear skies in excellent conditions which allowed the riders the chance to enjoy themselves on their bikes. FORTUNA HONDA team-mates Marco Melandri and Toni Elias finished seventh and eleventh respectively in this the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship. The set-up problems which affected both riders and the changeable weather conditions meant it proved a difficult weekend for the FORTUNA HONDA boys. Marco, who started in eighth, opted to ride a conservative race and pick up points which could prove valuable at the end of the season. For his part, Toni - who never felt at ease on his bike - finished eleventh having started back in 15th. Both riders will now be looking ahead to the next race in Le Mans where they will be hoping for an improved showing.


MARCO MELANDRI (Race: 7th - 44?31.835, 4th in championship - 54 points ):

"It was a weekend to forget to be honest. We had problems from the first day, although we worked very hard to find a solution. The rain made things more difficult as well. I gave it everything today but could not push as I wanted to, so I concentrated on making sure I scored some points which could prove very important."

TONI ELIAS (Race: 11th - 44?43.050, 11th, 7th in championship - 37 points):

"I am not happy. We could not find the right set-up to enable me to enjoy myself on the bike and wasted a lot of time trying to find solutions. In the end we did not get the result we wanted. We had problems both in the wet and the dry and I just hope in Le Mans things go well from thefirst day and I can focus on riding well. I am still very confident and if we keep working hard things will work out for us."

Standigs MotoGP
1 Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 72
2 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Marlboro Ducati 59
3 Daniel Pedrosa (ESP) Repsol Honda 57
4 Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda 55
5 Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda LCR 52
6 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha 42
7 Antonio Elias (ESP) Fortuna Honda 37
8 Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha 35
9 Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing 28
10 Sete Gibernau (ESP) Marlboro Ducati 25
11 Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda 23
12 John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix 20
- Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR Honda 20
14 Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki Grand Prix 14
15 Carlos Checa (ESP) Yamaha Tech 3 8
- Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing 8
17 James Ellison (ENG) Yamaha Tech 3 3
18 Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati D'Antin 2
19 Jose Luis Cardoso (ESP) Ducati D'Antin 0

Team Points
1 Repsol Honda 84
2 Fortuna Honda 77
3 Marlboro Ducati 69
4 Camel Yamaha 59
5 Honda LCR 41
6 Kawasaki Racing 26
7 Suzuki Grand Prix 20
8 Team KR Honda 17
9 Konica Minolta Honda 14
10 Yamaha Tech 3 11
11 Ducati D'Antin 2

Team Points
1 Honda 65
2 Ducati 51
3 Yamaha 43
4 Kawasaki 22
5 KR211V 17
6 Suzuki 16