Grand Prix of Qatar - Preview

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THE WAITING IS OVER AS MOTOGP KICKS OFF IN QATAR

The long winter break draws to a close this weekend as the 2010 MotoGP season gets going under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are fresh from the recent pre-season test and both last year's World Champion and the runner-up are aiming to kick off their 2010 campaigns with a successful opening weekend.

Last year saw Rossi take his fourth title for Yamaha and the ninth of his career and, with 103 race wins already under his belt, the Italian hero has nothing left to do to cement his place in the history of the sport. Despite 14 seasons in the World Championship the 31-year-old still has the same hunger and desire for victory as he did when he first started out and he claims that this year will be no different. He has been in intimidating form during pre-season testing, finishing fastest on five out of six days, and he looks to have already found an excellent base setting for the 2010 YZR-M1. Rossi has won only twice before in Qatar, last year he finished second after starting from the same spot. He will be looking to go one better this time and take his first victory in a night race.

Lorenzo gave his more experienced team-mate an exciting run for his money last season but the 22-year-old eventually settled for the runner-up spot, an impressive feat nonetheless in just his second year in the premier-class. This year the Mallorcan's pre-season has been interrupted by a hand injury sustained in a fall with his motocross bike and he missed the second Sepang test, but he was back on board for the recent Qatar outing. Although still not at 100%, he is well on the way back to full fitness after an intensive physiotherapy routine at home in Barcelona. Qatar will always bring back memories of his thrilling 2008 MotoGP debut, when he burst onto the scene with a fantastic pole position and a second-place finish, while last year saw him make a solid start to the season by finishing third behind his team-mate.

For the third time the opening race of the year will be run under the floodlights at the desert circuit, although hopefully without the torrential rain which saw last year's race delayed by 24 hours. The infrastructure features 3,600 light fixtures using 250, 1500 and 2500-watt bulbs and the system needs 13 megawatt generators to produce the required 5.4 million watts of power - creating enough light to cover an area equivalent to 70 football pitches. The bulbs are fixed on 1000 poles with mounting heights from 3 to 36 metres, all linked together by almost 500 kilometres of wire and supported by 300,000 kilos of concrete.

Valentino Rossi "A GOOD PRE-SEASON"

"Finally we're at the start of the season and we are all very excited. The pre-season has gone well for me, our new M1 is good, Yamaha and Bridgestone have done a great job and we have been fast. We have only had six days on track so we still have work to do and things to learn about the new bike, but we are starting in good shape. I expect this season to be a big battle with many riders very strong, and I hope that we will show some good racing to the fans! Qatar hasn't been one of the best tracks for our bike in the last few years but at the test we went well so I hope this will continue again for the race."


Jorge Lorenzo "NOT PERFECT YET"

"I am not perfect yet, I still need more time to recover 100% from my injury, but at least I can ride in Qatar. I am very happy because we are so close now to the start of the season; it's been a long winter! Unfortunately, I had some troubles in training and hurt my hand, but these things happen. Qatar is a very special track for me; it was the place where I got my first podium in MotoGP in 2008! I know this time it will be more difficult, but I will try to be close to the action. I hope this year it doesn't rain like last year!"




Davido Brivio "LET'S GO RACING!"

"Our development in testing has gone very well and this is encouraging for us all. We were fast in Sepang but also in Qatar, more than a second faster than last year in fact, so we are going into the first race feeling confident that we can put up a fight. It hasn't been the best race for us previously but everyone is very focused and we will be looking to make a strong start to the campaign. The waiting is nearly over and we're ready - let's go racing!"




Wilco Zeelenberg "A LONG SEASON"

"Jorge's thumb is still not perfect but he was stronger than we expected at the last test and he has had some more time to recover since then so the situation is not too bad. It was a great shame for him that this happened and he missed one test but he has had good treatment and he is in the best shape possible, considering the injury. He felt good on the bike at the test and now we will just try to make some more small steps during practice this weekend. It's a long season and this is just the first race."





Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 30
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 103 (77 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 227 (167 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 58 (47 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 22
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 26 (5 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 128 (34 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 35 (9 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Losail: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'55.153

Losail: Best Lap
J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1'53.927

Grand Prix Results: Losail 2009

1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 42'53.984

2. V.Rossi (Yamaha) +7.771

3. J.Lorenzo (Yamaha) +16.244

 

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MARC VDS RACING TEAM HEAD FOR GRAND PRIX DEBUT

The Marc VDS Racing Team head for the Losail circuit in the Middle East this week, ahead of their world championship debut on two wheels at the season opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

Confidence is high on Scott Redding's side of the pit box, following the 17-year-old Briton's performance during the recent IRTA test at Jerez. Redding was fourth fastest overall at the test and is looking to carry this momentum into the first race of the season, where he's determined to secure a strong result for the Marc VDS Racing Team on their Moto2 debut.

Redding, who wrote his name in the record books as the youngest rider ever to win a Grand Prix when he took victory at Donington Park in 2008, has been given a top ten finish as his target by the team but is confident that, should everything go according to plan, top five is a realistic goal in Qatar.

Hector Faubel faces a baptism of fire this weekend, as he makes his debut for the Marc VDS Racing Team. The 26-year-old Spaniard heads for Qatar without the benefit of pre-season testing behind him but is looking forward to reacquainting himself with one of his favourite tracks, having won the 125cc Grand Prix of Qatar in 2007. Faubel is under no illusions as to how tough this weekend will be, but is looking forward to racing in the new Moto2 class after joining the team just one week before the season gets underway.

The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar is unique in that it is the only race on the GP calendar to be held at night. The 5.380km / 3.434 mile Losail track is illuminated by 3,600 light fixtures burning a massive 5.4 million watts of power, creating enough light to cover an area equivalent to 70 football pitches.
Scott Redding: #45
"The final test in Jerez was a big boost in confidence for us, as I was able to run top five on the timesheet on all three days. The team has to take a lot of the credit for this; the way of working is ultra-professional and it's a real pleasure to be a part of. All this means we head for Qatar knowing we are capable of securing a good result for the team and repaying the faith that Marc van der Straten has shown in us. The team have given me a target of top ten this weekend and I'd be relatively happy with that, but I really do believe that a top five finish is on the cards if everything goes as smoothly as it did in Jerez. It will be interesting to see how Hector adapts to the bike, but I'm sure it won't be long before he's pushing me hard on the track. To say I've been looking forward to this weekend would be something of an understatement; I can't wait, so bring it on!"
Hector Faubel: #55
"The last months have been hard, trying to find a ride for this season but, finally, we found a great place with the Marc VDS Racing Team. For that I would like to thank Marc van der Straten and Michael Bartholemy for their trust in me. I want to make a great job for the team, but I know it's going to be hard at the start. I haven't tested the bike at all yet, so I will need some time during the first two races to get up to speed. Hopefully I will be on the pace by the time we return to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. I've been training hard in the winter, and Qatar is one of my favourite circuits; I have good memories of winning the 125cc race there in 2007. Now I cannot wait to arrive in Qatar, meet all the team members and start to work with the Suter MMX bike."
Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager
"The new Moto2 championship promises to be ultra-competitive if the testing times are anything to go by, so we need a strong start to the season from Scott. He impressed during testing and heads for the first race determined to do well, but we'd be happy with a top ten finish in our Grand Prix debut. Of course, he is aiming higher, but that's what marks him out as a true racer! For Hector this will be a hard weekend. He has never ridden the bike before, so he has a lot to learn in a very short space of time. However, he is an experienced Grand Prix campaigner and I'm sure he will adapt quickly. The whole team has worked hard during pre-season testing, now we need to work even harder to secure the results we know our riders are capable of."
Event Schedule

Friday 9th April
Free Practice 1
125cc 20.00-21.00
Moto2 21.15-22.15
MotoGP 22.30-23.30

Saturday 10th April
Free Practice 2 Qualifying
125cc 18.00-18.40 22.00-22.40
MotoGP 18.55-19.55 22.55-23.55
Moto2 20.10-21.10 00.10-00.55

Sunday 11th April
Warm Up Race
125cc 18.00-18.20 20.00 (18 Laps)
Moto2 18.30-18.50 21.15 (20 Laps)
MotoGP 19.00-19.20 23.00 (22 Laps)

 

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DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM READY TO ROLL AS 2010 SEASON GETS UNDERWAY

The 62nd edition of the MotoGP World Championship fires up on the 11th April and for the third consecutive season the curtain raiser will take place at night, under floodlights, in Qatar. The Ducati Marlboro Team head to Losail confident in the work they have done during winter testing but well aware that the competition is tough and the level even higher than ever.

Both Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden have shown their appreciation for the technical modifications brought to the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 by Filippo Preziosi, in particular the new ?big bang? engine. Both riders are looking to repeat their excellent preseason form when they take to the Losail circuit for the first time on Friday evening, as the 2010 season finally roars into life.

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team
?We have always enjoyed great results in Qatar although the track isn?t one of my favourites as a rider. It was good that they changed the race from daytime to night because they?ve made it different to anything else ? it?s interesting for the fans and it is good fun for us. Ducati have come up with a much more manageable engine for this season, it is easier for everybody to understand and from my point of view I am finding it easier to ride fast on used tyres. We have made progress with the set-up ever since the first test at Sepang and we?re happy with what we have going into the first race. I will give my maximum as always but it is only the first race of a very long season that will only start to take shape from the third or fourth round.?

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team
?Finally the first race is here! We seem to have started later than everybody else and I don?t know if I could have waited any longer! Testing went fairly well ? we met some of our objectives and still have a lot of work to do in other areas but overall I?m satisfied. We established a good base setting in Qatar and hopefully we can use that for the first race. It has been a couple of years since I made a good start to the season but I feel in good shape, the team are fully behind me and I can?t wait to get started.?

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
?The past few months have flown by for me, especially because the 2009 season was barely over when we began working at full speed on the new engine and all the other new parts that have been added to the new bike. Our riders are both in good form ? Casey has finally been able to enjoy a quiet winter without injuries to overcome and he has been fast throughout testing. Nicky has had some good tests, especially the last two sessions, and he is perfectly integrated into our working group. Now is the time for us to put it all onto the track for the first race but I?m confident in the work we have done so far.?

THE TRACK
Losail, a fast and flowing but flat track with a long 1.1km start-finish straight, is located on the outskirts of the Qatari capital of Doha and is hosting the opening round of the MotoGP season for the third year in a row. The first race there was in 2004 and it took place in October, as it did the following season, when the torrid late summer temperatures made life extremely difficult for the riders, tyres and machinery. In 2006 the date was switched to the cooler springtime, throwing up a different challenge in the shape of high winds that bring sand onto the track surface and significantly alter grip levels. The asphalt itself provides better grip now but the sand is still an issue. The next major change to the conditions came three years ago, when the race was switched to a night start, making for a cooler track and reduced visibility for the riders. However, the work done in illuminating the circuit was exceptional, with a floodlight system powered by 5.4 million watts covering an area equivalent to 70 soccer pitches ? reaching a safe level of visibility for the riders and offering a stunning viewing spectacle to the fans. The last year a torrential rain forced the postponement of the race by 24 hour.


QATAR GP FACTS

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1?55.153, 168.193 Km/h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha - 2008), 1?53.927, 170.003 Km/h
Circuit Length: 5.380 km
MotoGP Race 2010: 22 laps (118,360 km)
MotoGP Schedule 2010: 23:00 Local Time

PODIUM 2009: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Jorge Lorenzo
POLE 2009: Casey Stoner ( Ducati - 2009) 1?55.286 - 167.999 Km/h

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM?S BEST RESULTS AT LOSAIL
2009: 1st (Stoner)
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 1st (Stoner)
2006: 3rd (Capirossi)
2005: 6th (Checa)
2004: DNF

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ? RIDER INFO

CASEY STONER
Age: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia)
Residency: Switzerland
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 127 (66xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 21 (17xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)

MotoGP track record at Losail:
2009: Grid:1st; Race: 1st
2008: Grid: 4th; Race: 1st
2007: Grid: 2nd; Race: 1st
2006: Grid: 1st ; Race 6th

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 116 (116xMotoGP)
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP)
First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP)
First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

MotoGP track record at Losail:
2009 Grid: 16th; Race: 12th
2008 Grid: 6th; Race: 10th
2007: Grid: 9th; Race: 8th
2006: Grid: 4th; Race: 2nd
2005: Grid: 8th; Race: 3rd
2004: Grid: 4th; Race: 5th

 

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first press realese ..........


Stoner leads first 2010 session

2007 MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner dominated Friday night?s free practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix, the first event of the 2010 season.

Winner of the last three MotoGP events at Qatar, and fastest in the pre-season test just over two weeks ago, it was hardly a surprise to see the Ducati star on top of the timesheets with the new 'big bang' Desmosedici - but the extent of his advantage raised eyebrows.

Just 0.049sec quicker than Rossi at the test, Stoner moved a massive 0.906sec clear of the reigning seven time MotoGP champion by the halfway mark of the hour - an advantage he held until Rossi pulled it back to 0.650sec with 15 minutes remaining.

Rossi then found a further tenth, but that wasn?t enough to stop injured Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo bumping the #46 back to third place in the closing minutes.

Lorenzo, runner-up to Rossi last season, then held onto second place despite falling from his factory M1, having set a best lap time 0.526sec from Stoner.

The Spaniard, who fractured his hand in a winter training accident, walked away unharmed from the fall and finished the session 0.002sec in front of Rossi - an outcome few would have predicted.

Andrea Dovizioso defended his newly gained status as the top Honda rider with a late fourth place, albeit 1.198sec behind Stoner, with Stoner?s team-mate Nicky Hayden also making late progress to sit fifth on the second factory Desmosedici.

Reigning World Superbike champion Ben Spies was holding third in the middle stages for Monster Yamaha Tech 3, before dropping back to sixth by the close of the hour. The impressive American was both the top rookie and top satellite rider.

Suzuki?s new signing Alvaro Bautista produced arguably the surprise of the session with seventh on his MotoGP debut, while LCR Honda?s Randy de Puniet was an early frontrunner before settling into eighth.

Pramac Ducati?s Mika Kallio and Aspar Ducati?s Hector Barbera completed the top ten, with rookie Barbera sure to be pleased with his debut performance.

By contrast, Dovizioso?s factory Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who finished the final pre-season test a troubled 13th and 1.5sec off the pace, was eleventh and 1.6sec off the pace after FP1.

The Spaniard has been battling handling problems since HRC?s winter switch from Showa to Ohlins suspension, but was at least within half a second of Dovizioso.

Loris Capirossi, who crashed out of last year?s rain-delayed night race, once again tumbled in a shower of sparks after losing the front of his Rizla Suzuki with a third of the session remaining.

The Italian, starting his record 300th grand prix this weekend, was eleventh at the time of his fall and finished the hour in 13th.

Between Pedrosa and Capirossi was the top 2009 satellite rider Colin Edwards, who had been just behind his team-mate Spies with ten minutes to go before losing a fistful of places.

San Carlo Honda Gresini?s star rookie Marco Simoncelli may well have feared worse than a Friday 14th, after a torrid pre-season. The Italian at least beat Pramac?s Aleix Espargaro, his vastly more experienced Gresini team-mate Marco Melandri and Interwetten Honda rookie Hiroshi Aoyama.

Reigning 250cc world champion Aoyama was 2.582sec slower than Stoner, but within one second of the top ten.

Friday practice

1. Stoner

2. Lorenzo

3. Rossi

4. Dovizioso

5. Hayden

6. Spies

7. Bautista

8. de Puniet

9. Kallio

10. Barbera

11. Pedrosa

12. Edwards

13. Capirossi

14. Simoncelli

15. Espargaro

16. Melandri

17. Aoyama

 

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Lorenzo and Rossi second and third on opening night

Five months on from the final race of last season the Fiat Yamaha pair of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were back in action in Qatar tonight for the opening free practice of 2010, finishing the session second and third behind Casey Stoner. Last season's in-house rivalry looks set to continue with the Spaniard having the edge over the Italian tonight by just 0.002 seconds, the former emerging unscathed after touching a white line and sliding off his M1 near the end of the session.

Lorenzo, last season's runner-up, was on great form for most of the hour despite not being back to full fitness after his recent hand injury. The 22-year-old was looking comfortable and confident on his bike and was able to ride without any additional hand protection inside his glove. After sitting third in the times for most of the session a late improvement saw him better his team-mate's time by just two thousandths of a second, before making a mistake at turn 14 the next time around and going down into the gravel trap. He was luckily unhurt and is confident that he can make further improvements tomorrow.

Reigning World Champion Rossi meanwhile was a little disappointed with his opening performance and admitted he was expecting to be faster after his strong showing here in testing. The 31-year-old found he was lacking grip on the dusty track and he and his team will be looking to improve their setting tomorrow in order to get the most out of the Bridgestone tyres and close the gap to Stoner.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2nd Time: 1'56.026 Laps: 20
"I'm quite happy about tonight and about my hand; I tried riding for the first time without the extra hand protection and I was okay. I felt good on the bike and my thumb didn't really hurt, it was a lot better than at the test. We still have a few things on the bike that we need to work on but we have made a good start. It was a pity to crash, I was pushing hard at the time and I just made a small mistake, touching the white line; these things happen and luckily I didn't hurt myself. Tomorrow we'll continue our work and try to improve more."

Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: 1'56.028 Laps: 23
"Honestly I expected to be faster today - the lap time is not bad but it could be better. The conditions are much better than during the test, it's warmer and a lot less humid so I'm happy about that, but we don't have enough grip and I was sliding quite a lot so we need to try to find a way to improve this. Stoner is always very fast here and I hope we can close the gap to him by making some small changes to our suspension. If we can stop the bike sliding then we will be a lot faster."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"Apart from the crash we're very satisfied with this first official session of the year. Jorge was on a quick lap when he touched the white line and went down, this is just one of those things that happens to every rider now and again and luckily he wasn't hurt. It was encouraging to see Jorge's level after missing some testing and we can see that he is already competitive. The bike is good and the speed is there; there are just a few small details to work on but we've made a good start."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"Tonight we checked the different Bridgestone tyres and also made some small adjustments to the balance of the bike, but we still need to improve our setting. At the moment we're not getting the full potential of our tyres and this is slowing us down. We are not too far off but we can be better so we'll work hard tomorrow to make a step forward."


Spies and Edwards kick off 2010 MotoGP challenge in Qatar

Ben Spies kicked off his first full MotoGP campaign in Qatar tonight with a promising ride to sixth position on his debut for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.

Making only his second appearance under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights after a brilliant fourth place in last month's night test, the Texan started strongly and was immediately able to post competitive lap times.

Quickly into a fast and consistent rhythm in the early stages of the eagerly anticipated first session of the season, Spies was challenging in the top three behind Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi.

Spies, who won both World Superbike races in Qatar last year, spent the majority of the session evaluating the harder compound Bridgestone rear tyre in readiness for Sunday night's 22-lap race.

It was a tactic that paid off handsomely for the 25-year-old, who posted his best lap of 1.56.818 on his 21st lap, just one lap shy of full race distance.

Fellow Texan Colin Edwards started his third season in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad by clocking the 12th fastest time in hot conditions as air temperatures hit 26 degrees. A best lap of 1.57.167 was less than 0.5s off the fourth best time set by Andrea Dovizioso.

Edwards was able to run in the top six for part of the session as he worked tirelessly with his crew to improve front-end feel on his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. Edwards, who finished fourth in the Qatar MotoGP race a year ago, is confident weight distribution changes planned for tomorro w's practice and qualifying will bolster his hopes of a successful start to the season.

Ben Spies - Position: 6th Time: 1'56.818 Laps: 22
I didn't want anything crazy to go on with it being the first race. I wanted to be in the top ten for the first session of the year because the last time I rode the bike I fell, so I just wanted to clear my head and get off to a good start. To be in the top ten in the first session and right in sixth, I'm happy with that. We never really threw a lap time in and the session was pretty smooth. We went out on the hard tyres and it was good. We did our quickest lap on the 21st lap, which is close to a full race. Every time we went out the times were getting faster. Besides the top three guys, I think we've got pretty good speed, which is really important. We need to get some time on the softer tyre so when qualifying comes we can use it to its full potential. I still think we've got a second at least with fresh hard tyres on the bike, so I'm pretty happy about that.?

Colin Edwards - Position: 12th Time: 1'57.167 Laps: 22
?I left the test last month in a bit of a grey area and wondering about a couple of things because the bike has a different geometry this year and it's changed the feel a bit. I've been trying to adapt to it but I need to make some changes and bring the set-up closer to what I had last year. Right now I'm not feeling all that comfortable. I feel like I'm chasing the bike on the front and it doesn't turn until I open the throttle. With this bike you can't ride it without momentum. That's one of its strong points and right now I can't take advantage of that. We'll take some weight off the front for tomorrow night and in my opinion that will help. I think 12th is a bit of a false position because I'm sure with some changes I'v e got another second in me. Right now there's too many corners where I can't carry the momentum I want. But I'm confident we can improve a lot.?

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GOOD START FOR KALLIO IN THE FIRST FREE PRACTICE OF THE QATAR GRAND PRIX: NINTH. ESPARGARO' FIFTEENTH

It has been a positive start of the 2010 MotoGP season for Pramac Racing rider Mika Kallio that thanks to a good final lap conquered the ninth position just four tenths of a second from the fourth fastest lap of the day. The Finn rider has followed, in agreement with his Technical Director, Fabiano Sterlacchini, an idea that has brought very good results today. On the other side of the box things didn't go as hoped and Aleix Espargar? concluded in fifteenth position. The Catalan rider seems anyway confident for tomorrow when there will be qualifying session valid for the first MotoGP 2010 starting grid.

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing rider - 9th fastest lap time in 1'57.059

"I think today it was a good day for us. As always there's some point of the track where we can do better. We managed to ride for some laps with both bikes and succeeded with both with very good results. Tomorrow we will have to decide what direction to take to be in the best condition for the qualifying session. The most important thing for tomorrow is to continue the good work done today and in this way I'm sure we can get a good result for the first starting grid of the season."

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing rider -15th fastest lap time in 1'57.605

"The final position conquered is surely not the best, this is clear, but I am still happy for the work we have done. Also last year, in the four races I have done in MotoGP, in the first session I wasn't so much better but on the second day things changed in a positive way. I am confident that tomorrow will go this way and I can aim at the top ten positions on the grid. We are not so far away."

 

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Impressive first session for Bautista in Qatar

Rizla Suzukis new signing Alvaro Bautista produced a promising first practice session at Qatar this evening to record the seventh fastest time at the 5,380m circuit.

Bautista (156.998, 18 laps) is making his race debut for Rizla Suzuki this weekend and showed early potential as he steadily made progress up the leader-board whilst making important improvements to his Suzuki GSV-R. Bautista is in a confident mood and will be looking for a strong position in tomorrows qualifying session.

Loris Capirossi (P13, 157.363, 18 laps) had a very fast crash just past the half-way point of this evenings hour-long session. He crashed at over 150km/s and although his bike suffered quite substantial damage, Capirossi was able to walk away completely unscathed. He made his way back to the pit-box, dusted himself down and went back out on-track to record his fastest time of the night on his very last lap. Although the Italian who is scheduled to make his 300th Grand Prix start this weekend was disappointed with the accident and time lost - he is still very positive about the weekend ahead and convinced he will be competitive come race-day.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session tomorrow evening, ahead of an hour of qualifying to decide grid positions for Sundays 22-lap race. The first Grand Prix of the 2010 MotoGP season will get underway at 23.00hrs local time (20.00GMT) under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit, when both Rizla Suzuki racers will be making their own personal landmarks Bautista with his first MotoGP race and Capirossi with his 300th GP start.

Alvaro Bautista:

I am happy with what we have done this evening. The track condition was not as good as the test, but Im still close to the best time Ive ever done here. Im only one-tenth off my best time and pleased with that. I had some problems getting the grip I wanted and it didnt feel as good as the test, so I tried the other chassis to see if it was better. It was and I feel it is certainly a step in the right direction, so we will continue to work with the new frame for the rest of the weekend. I hope that tomorrow I can improve my time and I think that it will be possible. We have all done a good job today and because this is my first race there is not much pressure on me so I am happy with that and I can just get on and do my best.

Loris Capirossi:

It has not been so good tonight, because when I went out for my third run I tried some different things and I crashed. I then went out on the other bike and took it carefully to get the feeling back and towards the end of the session I was doing better and my time started to improve. Our potential is much better than what we did today, but I am not angry because I know we can improve a lot more tomorrow that should be quite easy to do because today was not good enough!

Paul Denning Team Manager:

It has been an interesting first hour of the 2010 season for the team if nothing else! Alvaro started with the same setting as he finished the test and, after then comparing the new specification chassis, he chose that as it gave him more feeling from the bike and tyres. He certainly seems to have a steely competitiveness about him and although it is early days, tonights performance in his first official practice session as a MotoGP rider gives us all encouragement for the forthcoming season.

I have just been sitting and chatting with Loris and he is all smiles despite everything and at least he got away with a very fast crash with absolutely no injuries whatsoever and, as ever, no negative psychological effects. It did however stop us from getting any meaningful results from the session, but Loris is very confident and we have every confidence in him that he will take significant steps forward and be back in the fight tomorrow.

Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Free Practice Classification:

1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 155.500: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.526: 3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.528: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +1.198: 5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +1.293: 7. ALVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.498: 13.LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.863:

 

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STONER SETS EARLY PACE IN QATAR, GOOD START FOR HAYDEN

The 2010 MotoGP World Championship finally stepped into the spotlight tonight as the first free practice session for the Grand Prix of Qatar took place under the night sky of Losail.

Casey Stoner set the pace lapping some 0.526 seconds ahead of his closest rival in a positive opening to the weekend. The Australian set his best effort on his ninth lap of seventeen, having switched bikes midway through the session due to a small technical glitch when the water hose split on his number 1 bike. However, he set a similar pace on his second machine, raising hopes of further improvement when the data is overlapped tomorrow.

Nicky Hayden made an encouraging start to his second season with Ducati, lapping fifth fastest. The American made swift improvements during the session to move up the time sheets.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1st (1?55.500)
"Today felt really good ? we had a similar rhythm to the test and I didn?t feel to be pushing too hard. I had a really good feeling from the start and actually when we changed the setting I went faster but didn?t feel as good, so we need to work on that. This is obviously a good circuit for me but we?re taking things steadily. The target for this weekend is to take away some solid points and make a good start to the season. It is early days and we?re not getting carried away. We set some good lap times today but everybody else will improve so we have to work hard tomorrow and make sure we stay on the pace right through until Sunday night."

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th (1?56.793)
?We took a little while getting going today. We had just a little bit of confusion around the tyre choice at the start - I just couldn?t get a feeling for the bike for the first twenty minutes when we were on the softer tyre but when we switched to a hard tyre things picked up straight away and I was able to improve the lap times. I went about as fast as I did at the test consistently so that?s encouraging. This is a good start to the season even if we have plenty of room for improvement.?

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1?55.153, 168.193 Km/h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha - 2008), 1?53.927, 170.003 Km/h

 

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Rossi and Lorenzo on front row for Qatar season opener

The first MotoGP qualifying session of 2010 saw Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in strong form, taking the second and third spots on the grid behind Casey Stoner to set up an exact rematch of last year's Qatar race.

World Champion Rossi had struggled a little yesterday but was much happier on his bike today after some set-up changes this morning, finding better rear grip and an improved race pace as a result. Mid-way through the session he moved into the lead for a short while before Stoner bettered his time and edged him back into second. With the hour gone the Italian was up on the clock on his final flying lap but he dropped a few tenths when passing two riders on the fourth sector and had to settle for second, 0.355 off Stoner's time.

After his confidence-inspiring opening day yesterday, Lorenzo took a small step back this evening and found he had less feeling in the rear than previously. He was nonetheless able to put up a spirited fight for grid positions and was happy to qualify third, considering his recently broken hand and lack of testing. The 23-year-old admits that he still has some pain when braking but is more concerned in tweaking his set-up tonight to put him in the best possible shape for tomorrow night's race, which starts at 2300 local time (2200 CET).

Valentino Rossi - Position: 2ndTime: 1'55.362Laps: 25
"I'm really happy about the work we've done today on our set up and now we have a good race pace with the hard Bridgestone tyres. With the soft one the rear is still sliding a little bit too much, but I think for the race we are okay. My final flying lap was very fast but then I had to pass a couple of riders in the final sector and I lost some time, but anyway we have a good grid position so I am happy. A strong start is going to be very important and we will have to push hard on the first lap to try to stay close to Stoner, who is always very strong here. Honestly I think it will be tough to beat him but we will try our best!"


Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rdTime: 1'55.520Laps: 24
"Considering my situation I am really happy about my grid position and I think we can be proud of our work. Unfortunately today though we have lost some feeling on the rear and it was difficult to go as fast as yesterday. My hand isn't perfect and I still have some pain in braking but I am less worried about that than about the bike. We will use the warm-up to try to make some improvements and then I will just do my best in the race and try for the podium."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"We've done an okay job in this practice! We made some adjustments to the bike and it's a lot better than yesterday so Valentino's pace is much stronger now. The starting position is good and tomorrow we'll just try from the start to stay with Stoner and see how the race develops. It will be interesting!"

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"We're happy to be on the front row after Jorge's injury, it's a great achievement by him to be so close to Rossi and Stoner at this stage. We're not 100% happy with the bike set-up and we can still improve it for the race, even though it's going to be a tough challenge to match the leaders. Anyway we will make the most of the remaining time and try to be there."


Edwards and Spies eye top six in 2010 opener

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo Colin Edwards and Ben Spies are confident they can mount a dual challenge for the top six in the opening MotoGP race of 2010 at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar tomorrow night.

Edwards will kick off his eighth MotoGP campaign from the third row of the grid after a closely fought opening qualifying session of the season in Doha this evening.

In warm but windy conditions under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights, Edwards declared himself delighted with set-up tweaks on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine that drastically improved turning performance.

The changes boos ted Edwards' confidence that he can emulate his fourth position in the 2009 Qatar MotoGP race having lapped at a consistent pace on Bridgestone's hard rear race tyre.

Edwards also impressed on soft tyres and surged into the top three in the final 20 minutes. But in a typically frantic final few minutes, Edwards dropped down to eighth despite setting his best time on his last lap. The 36-year-old though was only 0.174s from Randy de Puniet in fourth place.

Fellow American Spies will make his eagerly anticipated Monster Yamaha Tech 3 debut from 11th on the grid after the reigning World Superbike champion finished with a best time of 1.56.271. That was less than 0.5s away from fourth and the Texan is confident he can fight for a top six having set his best time of the session on hard compound tyres.

Tomorrow's race is scheduled to run over 22-laps and is the first in the 18-round world championship that concludes in Valencia on November 7.

Colin Edward - Position: 8thTime: 1'56.005Laps: 22
"I made the bike a hundred times better than yesterday. I was really worried after last night that I was going to struggle but I pretty much went back to last year's set-up and I'm happy with it. The bike just turned a lot better tonight and I had a lot more feeling from the front tyre on the brakes. Yesterday I was so lost it felt like I was riding somebody else's bike. I'm confident for the race because I did some good laps on the hard tyre. I'm a bit more consistent than those in front of me on race tyres, so I don't think I'm out of the hunt for fourth place tomorrow at all. At the end of the day I was really close to being fourth on the grid. I had a couple of little issues on the soft tyre but Bridgestone have still done a great job and I'm looking forward to the race because of the consistency I've got on the hard race tyres. As always I'll be giving it my all for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team."


Ben Spies - Position: 11thTime: 1'56.271Laps: 22
"It wasn't a good session really and I never got to use the advantage of the soft tyre. I didn't get it done and I never really put in a clean lap. But I am happy with the lap time we put in on race tyres. The positive is I did my fastest time on race tyres that had a lot of laps on them. The top four guys are obviously a little bit quicker on hard tyres. But the majority of the people that were quicker than me were on soft tyres, so we've just got to try to get a good start. I think the race pace I've got is still good, but I'm going to have a hard time passing people down this long straight. I'm right behind Colin on the grid and hopefully jump in behind him and go."

Circuit Length: 5380
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1'57.305 (Valentino Rossi, 01/01/2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'53.927 (Jorge Lorenzo, 09/03/2008)
Last Years Winner: Casey Stoner
2010 MotoGP Qatar - Doha/Losail 10/04/2010
Qualifying 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'55.007
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'55.362
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'55.520
4 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 1'55.831
5 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 1'55.899
6 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 1'55.963
7 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'55.990
8 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'56.005
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'56.163
10 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 1'56.227
11 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 1'56.271
12 Mika Kallio Ducati FIN 1'56.283
13 Alvaro Bautista Suzuki ESP 1'56.450
14 Aleix Espargaro Ducati ESP 1'56.652
15 Marco Simoncelli Honda ITA 1'56.957

 

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Superb qualifying sees Capirossi fifth for his 300th start

Rizla Suzuki?s Loris Capirossi will start his 300th Grand Prix from the middle of the second row following an impressive qualifying session in Qatar this evening.

Capirossi (P5, 1?55.899, 23 laps) recorded his best time on his final lap of the 5,380m Losail International Circuit, to push himself right into contention for tomorrow?s 22-lap race. Following last night?s heavy crash, Capirossi and his crew made several changes to the Suzuki GSV-R which resulted in significant improvements in handling and overall lap-time. The Italian is in a confident mood for the opening round of the season and will be looking for a strong race to celebrate the milestone that he will set on race-day.

Alvaro Bautista (P13, 1?56.450, 23 laps) will start his first MotoGP race from the front of the fifth row after a fast crash at the end of the qualifying session ruined his chances to move up the grid. He suffered a very similar crash to that of team-mate Capirossi last night, and like the Italian, was able to walk away uninjured from the accident. Bautista?s race pace during the free practice and qualifying session was very consistent and competitive, and if he can get a good start he will certainly be running further up the field than his grid position.

Tomorrow?s 22-lap race will see Casey Stoner on his Ducati start from pole position as he goes in search of his fourth successive victory at Qatar. The race will get underway at 23.00hrs local time (20.00hrs GMT) with both Rizla Suzuki racers looking to start the season in promising form.

Loris Capirossi:

?Overall I am quite happy with tonight?s qualifying, because after my crash yesterday we struggled a bit in the earlier practice, but at the end of the session we tried something different and in the qualifying it seemed to work well. Once we made the change I immediately went quicker and we modified the bike a bit more for qualifying and from that we found a very good setting. I went well in qualifying and I did 1?56 laps many times and this is good. In the end I followed Valentino and got a bit of help with my lap, but that doesn?t matter because I am happy with the result. I am pleased for the team because they made a huge effort after I destroyed a bike last night and the guys didn?t get to sleep until about five o?clock this morning! This is a small present to them, but we really hope we can have something better tomorrow to enjoy.?

Alvaro Bautista:

?This is my first official crash in a race weekend, but I am still quite happy because I rode well and got a good setting for the bike during the free practice and I feel very good on the bike. I improved my time on the race tyres and this is very important, but I also think I can still go a little bit faster. I have a good race rhythm and even though I am too far back on the grid for what I wanted, I will try to get a good start and run with a good group and see what happens. I am really excited for tomorrow?s race and I think I can enjoy myself and we?ll see what we can do.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Loris did an incredible job in qualifying and is riding at the absolute limits ? and beyond ? as he comes to his 300th Grand Prix start tomorrow. The improvement from yesterday didn?t only come from Loris, but the guys also improved the bike quite a lot and the lap-time rhythm on the harder tyres has improved significantly. If Loris can get away with the fastest riders and find his rhythm early on we could be in for a very exciting Grand Prix tomorrow night.

?Alvaro?s crash in the final seconds of qualifying was his first real one he?s had and it?s something that had to happen somewhere, and qualifying is where the absolute limits are found. I don?t think it will dent his confidence for tomorrow and if he can make a good start I think he will make a significant improvement on his grid position.

?Finally on behalf of Loris and everyone at Rizla Suzuki we?d like to extend our thanks to Carmelo Ezpeleta and Dorna for the very nice presentation to Loris in celebration of his 300th Grand Prix start tomorrow.?

Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Qualifying Practice Classification:

1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 1?55.007: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.355: 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.513: 4. Randy de Puniet (Honda) +0.824: 5. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.892: 13. ALVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.443:

 

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UNLUCKY TWELFTH PLACE FOR KALLIO IN THE FIRST 2010 QUALIFICATION. ESPARGARO' FOURTEENTH

Day with highs and lows in Qatar for the Pramac Racing Team. In the first practice session Mika Kallio had managed to get the sixth fastest time only three tenths from the third. In the session valid for the starting grid for the Grand Prix of Qatar, on the other hand, the situation has changed and Mika had to settle for twelfth place. The Finn was unlucky because during the third fast lap of the qualifying session he slipped because of the rear tire temperature wasn't ready at the best. His teammate, Aleix Espargar?, has managed to improve progressively finishing in fourteenth place. Aleix is only five tenths from fourth place and this gives it a good chance to retrieve in tomorrow's race that will start at 23 local.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Technical Director

"We were a bit unlucky because of the slide at the beginning of the session: Mika was pushing straight away and perhaps the tires were not yet at highest performance. However Mika added his aggressiveness to retrieve and he put him self in the middle of the group very close to the fastest. For tomorrow we have some technical solution to try during the warm up and I am confident that if everything goes in the right direction there might be a big surprise."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing rider - 12th best time in 1'56.283

"We improved as lap time, but we are not happy with how things have gone today. I have slipped at the fourth lap without any error: probably the rear tyre wasn't yet ready and I had to be more cautious. Also by telemetry seems that everything was going well. Coming in the box we had to change the set up of the second bike and only on the last lap of the session I managed to make a satisfactory lap time. It's a shame really, because after the result of today's free practice we could have aimed to better positions. We'll try to improve in tomorrow's race."

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing rider - 14th best time in 1'56.652

"We are happy because today we found a set-up of the bike highly satisfactory. A pity that in the first day of work we find too many difficulties, we must improve our performance during the season under this aspect. However, we are really close to the other riders and I am sure that tomorrow we can have some fun during the race. Expect a great show."

 

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STONER TAKES FIRST POLE OF 2010, HAYDEN ON THIRD ROW

The Desmosedici GP10 machine of Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner will start the 2010 MotoGP World Championship from the front of the grid tomorrow night following a sensational qualifying performance from the Australian at the Grand Prix of Qatar.

The brilliance of Stoner?s performance was not necessarily in his decisive lap - a 1?55.007 ? but in the fact that he set a virtually identical time of 1?55.024 on race rubber with 16 laps already on the tyre. A minor gear shifter problem on a second softer tyre in the closing stages meant that he was unable to raise the bar as his rivals launched their usual late challenge for supremacy but it proved unnecessary as the gap behind him only closed to 0.355 seconds.

After lapping fifth fastest yesterday Stoner?s team-mate Nicky Hayden was disappointed to qualify ninth, although the American showed good pace in each sector of the track and remains optimistic of a strong challenge when the first race of the season gets underway at 11pm local time (GMT+3) tomorrow.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1st (1?55.007)
"It is only the start of a very long season but it is the perfect start and I?m really pleased. This bike needs a little bit more time to set up because of the characteristics of the new engine so we?ll see how we go at other tracks but it definitely likes this circuit and the team have done a great job. Unfortunately my gear shifter got stuck coming out of turn two on what I?m sure would have been a faster. To have set a virtually identical time on the hard tyre is obviously encouraging for the race but the only objective here is to start the season on the right foot and take some solid points to Japan.?

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 9th (1?56.163)
?We made some changes to the front that have definitely helped me out in the fast corners today but we struggled to put everything together for a whole lap. I did a couple of 1?56.1s but as hard as we tried we couldn?t quite drop into the 55s, even though looking at my ideal lap the potential is definitely there. Tomorrow we need to unlock that potential although starting from ninth place, out on the dirt, is not a good place to be ? one of the worst, actually. We set our best time on a soft tyre so at least that means we?re making progress in that area, which was a target. We still need to improve more tomorrow though.?

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1?55.153, 168.193 Km/h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha - 2008), 1?53.927, 170.003 Km/h

 

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GP QUALIFYING
DE PUNIET IS THE FASTEST HONDA RIDER AT QATAR GP QUALIFYING

Losail, 10 April: the qualifying session at the opening round of 2010 season concluded at 23:55 local time with Stoner the quickest MotoGP rider under the floodlights of Losail International circuit. The 17 premier class riders, who will line up on the grid tomorrow at 23:00 local time for the first 22-lap round of the season, have experienced lower grip conditions in the 60-minute night session with air temperature of 26? degrees.

After making further useful progress through the second free session (3rd position, 1?56.350), LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet produced a thrilling qualifying practice to record the fourth fastest time at the 5.380km track. The Frenchman aboard the RC212V circulated the ?desert? circuit 46 times during the two sessions clocking his quickest lap time of 1?55.831 which is only 0.824s behind today?s pole position. The fastest Honda rider will start from the second row behind Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo.

De Puniet ? 4th ? 1?55.831

De Puniet: ?Two months ago we had some issues with the new bike at Sepang test but we remained concentrated on our job and I was confident that my crew could give me a better bike. We have improved slowly and my feeling has increased a lot. Since the beginning of this week end we have worked in the right way making some long run on race tyres with an excellent pace. In the qualifying session we have tested our race map and at the end I have lapped on soft tyres gaining the second row. Honestly I was not expecting such a brilliant result but I am very happy and want to thank my crew. Tomorrow?s start is really important if I want to close the gap to the front riders?.

 

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DIFFICULT START TO 2010 QUALIFYING FOR TEAM SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI IN QATAR

The first qualifying session of 2010 was anything but easy for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini riders Marco Simoncelli and Marco Melandri. A crash complicated matters for Super Sic just when he was building on the improved feeling he was achieving with his bike and he battled hard to recover pace and confidence towards the end of the session. There was little for Melandri to be happy about, however, with the Italian unable to get any feel for his RC212V despite trying a variety of solutions and ending the session feeling hugely disappointed. However, with the help of his engineers and the support of the whole team, sponsors and fans, Fausto Gresini is convinced he can be smiling again soon.

Marco Simoncelli ( 15th - 1? 59? 957) ?Unfortunately the session didn?t start well with the crash, which meant I needed a few laps to regain my confidence and set back the whole programme. It is a shame because we really needed to get through a full session. I just went into the corner too hard - trying to avoid Aoyama I braked too late and lost the front when I tipped it in. I?m disappointed because I had a good feeling in free practice. Now we have the warm up to try and sort a few things out, then it?s a case of giving my best in the race. ?

Marco Melandri (17th - 1? 57? 325) ?I am really disappointed. I just can?t get a feeling for the chassis or the engine and everything we try seems to be in vain. We put the soft tyre in and went slower and at this moment in time I am completely out of ideas as to what we can do. Maybe we need a magic wand that we can wave at the bike and everything slots into place. We?ll see what the race is like but I don?t expect it to be a good one for us!?

Fausto Gresini ?Obviously today I?m disappointed with the result because we are here to do well. Unfortunately at the moment things are not progressing in the right way and that was added to today by a crash for Simoncelli, which came just as he was improving. It is a difficult time for him and even more so for Melandri who cannot get the potential out of his bike at the moment. We can?t do anything but try our best to work out how we can help him. We have faith in the riders, the engineers and Honda and we are sure that the results will soon come that our effort and enthusiasm deserve.?

 

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Hondas dominate row two for season opener

The first qualifying session of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship got underway under the floodlights on a warm, but calm evening at the Losail International Circuit.

Casey Stoner (Ducati) took the first pole position of the new season, followed closely by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Stoner, the 2007 World Champion, moved to the top of the leaderboard with a series of fast laps near the midpoint of the one hour session, which ended in the desert just minutes before midnight. A number of riders took aim in the second half hour by fitting the softer of the two Bridgestone rear tyres, but none could bump the Australian from his perch.

Stoner finished the hour with a time of 1:55.007m, .355s faster than Rossi and over half a second up on Lorenzo.

The Honda rider who came closest to joining the front row was Randy de Puniet. Riding the LCR Honda, the Frenchman was on the front row almost to the very end before he was bumped to the second row pole by Lorenzo. Team owner Lucio Cecchinello was ecstatic to be the first satellite machine amid a host of works bikes and pleased to start the season in such impressive fashion.

Veteran Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi will start his 300th grand prix in the middle of row two, just in front of Repsol Honda?s Andrea Dovizioso. Dovi was in fourth when he clocked the fastest first segment time of any rider late in the session, with the promise of a pole position. But he wasn?t able to maintain his momentum and instead will start from the end of row two.

Dani Pedrosa showed promising early speed on the Repsol Honda. The Spaniard held the top during the first 15 minutes, before losing it to Stoner. Pedrosa continued to test various parts and both Bridgestone tires wile dropping his time. His final tour of the 5.38ks track netted him a best lap of 1:55.990, just .027s behind Dovizioso.

Hiroshi Aoyama, the last ever 250cc World Champion, made his MotoGP debut by qualifying as the top rookie on the Interwetten Honda MotoGP machine. The Japanese rider was more than happy to qualify just off the third row and was looking forward to mixing it up with the world?s best in Sunday?s curtain-raiser.

The San Carlo Honda Gresini riders had a tough evening in the desert. Former 250cc World Champion Marco Simoncelli was relegated to one machine after crashing early in the hour. He finished 15th. Teammate Marco Melandri was two spots behind in 17th.

Gresini Racing Moto2?s Toni Elias needed medical help from the Clinica Mobile before taking the first ever Moto2 pole position. The Spaniard broke bones in his left hand and right foot during a testing crash at Jerez 10 days ago and is far from full fitness. Still, he was the best of a close field of Moto2 riders, all of whom were riding with control Honda engines and on control Dunlop tyres. Julian Simon, Mapfre Aspar Team, starts from second place on the grid with Helmut Bradl third for Viessmann Kiefer Racing.

The top 13 were covered by one second, with the first five riders all on different chassis.


MotoGP Rider Quotes:

Randy de Puniet, LCR Honda: 4th ? 1 m, 55.831 s.
?Two months ago we had some issues with the new bike at Sepang test but we remained concentrated on our job and I was confident that my crew could give me a better bike. We have improved slowly and my feeling has increased a lot. Since the beginning of this week end we have worked in the right way making some long run on race tyres with an excellent pace. In the qualifying session we have tested our race map and at the end I have lapped on soft tyres gaining the second row. Honestly I was not expecting such a brilliant result but I am very happy and want to thank my crew. Tomorrow?s start is really important if I want to close the gap to the front riders.?

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 6th ? 1m, 55.963s.
?Tomorrow we will start from the second row on the grid, and this is positive because on this track it?s not easy to recover positions - it?s very important to start well. We had a good qualifying session after having some issues during the first free practice today and our pace is not too bad. I could have gone a little quicker in qualifying, but overall I?m reasonably satisfied. There are two or three riders with similar pace so tomorrow our target is to fight for the podium. Casey and Valentino have an incredible pace, but I?m confident I can compete for third position - provided I make a good start. Now we will analyze the data from today and think about some machine adjustments that we will test in the warm-up. Specifically, I was losing a lot of time in T3 and I also need to improve my starts so that?s where we?ll be focusing. All in all I?m optimistic about tomorrow and I?m looking forward to this race.?

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 7th ? 1m, 55.990s.
?We improved the set-up again today - a little bit in the morning and then a bigger step in the afternoon - and the lap time is coming down which means our position is better than where we have been recently. In the warm-up we will try to optimise the set-up a little more to help us with the race distance and then it?s down to the race where I?ll be looking for a good start of course. In qualifying I felt more comfortable on the hard option Bridgestone tyre which is why I was pushing hard at the start of the session. I wasn?t able to improve with the soft tyre so it looks like we?ll be going with the hard tyre for the race. It was actually a shame this evening because on my last lap I made a mistake and lost some time, and if I hadn?t done that I could have been 4th on the grid. Stoner and Rossi look very strong for the race, but there should be a big group fighting for the final place on the podium and I hope to be in amongst it.?

Hiroshi Aoyama, Interwetten Honda MotoGP: 10th, 1 m, 56.227s.
?In free practice I was not satisfied, but I had a better feeling than yesterday, because of the changes we made with the set up. The way we are on is defiantly good and that I could qualify for 10th place today is more than I expected after the last two practice sessions. I don't know what the race will be like, because I never rode a MotoGP race before, but I am happy I finished my first MotoGP Qualifying as the best rookie and in the top 10.?

Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 15th, 1m, 56.957s.
?Unfortunately the session didn?t start well with the crash, which meant I needed a few laps to regain my confidence and set back the whole programme. It is a shame because we really needed to get through a full session. I just went into the corner too hard - trying to avoid Aoyama I braked too late and lost the front when I tipped it in. I?m disappointed because I had a good feeling in free practice. Now we have the warm up to try and sort a few things out, then it?s a case of giving my best in the race. ?

Marco Melandri, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 17th, 1m, 57.325s.
?I am really disappointed. I just can?t get a feeling for the chassis or the engine and everything we try seems to be in vain. We put the soft tyre in and went slower and at this moment in time I am completely out of ideas as to what we can do. Maybe we need a magic wand that we can wave at the bike and everything slots into place. We?ll see what the race is like but I don?t expect it to be a good one for us!?
Circuit Best Lap : 1m53.927s (170.003Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha, 2008)
Qualifying position
1 Casey Stoner 1m55.007s AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
2 Valentino Rossi +0.355s ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
3 Jorge Lorenzo +0.513s SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
4 Randy De Puniet +0.824s FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
5 Loris Capirossi +0.892s ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
6 Andrea Dovizioso +0.956s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Dani Pedrosa +0.983s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Colin Edwards +0.998s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
9 Nicky Hayden +1.156s USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
10 Hiroshi Aoyama +1.220s JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
11 Ben Spies +1.264s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
12 Mika Kallio +1.276s FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
13 Alvaro Bautista +1.443s SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
14 Aleix Espargaro +1.645s SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
15 Marco Simoncelli +1.950s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
16 Hector Barbera +2.123s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
17 Marco Melandri +2.318s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini

 

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P?GINAS AMARILLAS H?CTOR BARBER? TAKES FIRST MOTOGP POINTS ON

DEBUT
Perfect start in the desert undone by minor overtaking error, but persistency pays off for MotoGP rookie.

The 2010 MotoGP season kicked off as scheduled on Sunday night in Qatar ?in contrast to last year?s rescheduled contest moved to Monday. None of the three races put on for the Qatari fans could be described as a dampener on proceedings, with excitement the order of the evening. The premier class provided the best of the action, with twists and turns every step of the way. From Dani Pedrosa?s storming start to Casey Stoner?s rise to the front and surprising fifth-lap crash, the Grand Prix of Qatar had something to keep everybody on the edge of their seats. Valentino Rossi took victory in the first race of his title defence, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso. There were battles for every position, rookies making their mark and some beautiful overtaking maneuvers in a race that hopefully is a sign of things to come in the 2010 series.

P?ginas Amarillas Aspar rider H?ctor Barber? marked his debut in the premier class with his first four points as a MotoGP competitor. The Spaniard made a flying start to his maiden race on an 800cc bike, but lost his way when an error in overtaking dropped him down to last place. Not one to throw in the towel, Barber? mounted a progressive comeback during the 22-lap race, finishing twelfth and placing in the points onboard his Ducati Desmosedici. With his late race pace, the rookie could even have featured in the top ten had he not suffered the earlier inconvenience.


12th H?ctor Barber?: ?I?ve earned my first points in MotoGP and I am pretty happy. I was able to get a very good start, but when I was overtaking Kallio at turn four I found Aoyama in my path and had to switch to the outside. I linked up with ?lvaro soon after and that was the start of a new race for me, as we started off battling for five laps ?getting in each other?s way a little- but spurred each other on to ride at a faster pace. It?s a pity that I committed a rookie error on the opening lap, because with my pace in the second part of the race I would have placed in the top ten otherwise. I paid the price for inexperience, but twelfth isn?t a bad result -even if it did come as a result of other riders crashing out. The important thing was to bring my Ducati home after 22 laps, getting the most amount of points possible under the circumstances and continuing to gain experience in the new class.?

 

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Capirossi battles to ninth in Qatar thriller

Publish Date: Monday, April 12, 2010

Loris Capirossi recorded a hard-fought ninth position on his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R in the season opening round of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship.

Capirossi celebrated his 300th Grand Prix start by lining up for the race with his bike sporting the number 300, instead of his usual 65, as well as a gold-plated helmet. Capirossi got a solid start to the 22-lap race, but was boxed in early on and relegated to eighth by the end of the first lap. He was then involved in a long battle with Colin Edwards, before finally crossing the line just behind the Texan.

Alvaro Bautista had an entertaining, but ultimately fruitless debut race as he crashed on the very last corner when fighting for 11th place. Bautista got a poor start as he was hit by another rider, relegating him to last place. He took a few laps to get into a good rhythm, before recording several personal best laps during the mid-way point of the race. Bautista then set about making his way up to the riders in-front of him and as he chased down Marco Simoncelli on the last lap, he pushed too hard in the final bend and crashed.

The battle at the front of the race saw World Champion Valentino Rossi walk away victorious after pole-setter Casey Stoner crashed. Behind Rossi, an exciting three-way clash entertained the crowd, with Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso just squeezing out Nicky Hayden to the final podium positions.

The Rizla team will now travel to the home of Suzuki for the next round of the season, as the MotoGP circus heads to Motegi in Japan for the second race in the championship, to be held on Sunday 25th April.

Loris Capirossi:

?I am a bit upset about the result because we thought we would go better than that. We have worked hard all weekend, but we struggled with the conditions today, because it was so different to yesterday with a lot more humidity tonight. I struggled in the third section of the track and was not very fast there, but in other sections I was quite strong. My rhythm was not too good and in the end I was just trying to defend my position. We don?t need results like this; we need to be nearer the front, especially for all the effort that everybody is putting in. It was not easy, but we need to keep working well and feeling well. I feel sorry for Alvaro because he has had a tough weekend, but we will continue to work hard together and makes things happen.?

Alvaro Bautista:

?This has been a disaster of a race for me! Seriously though, I had a bad start and Barbera pushed me out on lap two and I lost everything. I used the next part of the race like a practice because I had no other riders to fight with. In the middle of the race I got a better rhythm and it was not so bad. I caught two riders, but in the last corner I crashed. I feel like I cannot say that I have done my first MotoGP race because I never finished. The positive thing is that my rhythm was not too bad and for the next race we can only improve. We must continue to work hard and to try to make things better.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?The Qatar Grand Prix has never been particularly kind to Suzuki and today was not really a lot different! Loris rode as hard as ever in his 300th Grand Prix, but did not have the confidence to push the bike especially hard in the fast corners. He felt that his pace was terrible, but in fact over race distance it averaged out at less than a second a lap from the winner. So I am sure we can make significant improvements over the next couple of races and see Loris a lot closer to the sharp end.

?For Alvaro it was certainly an interesting debut Grand Prix, but overall the whole team was very encouraged with his potential and his commitment. We are not at all worried by the result and neither should he be. I am pretty sure that if he had not been closing down a certain Mr Simoncelli by over a second a lap, with the chance of getting him on the final corner, then he would have finished!

?Alvaro won the 250cc Grand Prix at Motegi last year and it is a great track for Loris as well. So, we are looking for a much better weekend in Japan.?

Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Race Classification:

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 42?50.099: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +1.022: 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +1.865: 4. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +1.876: 5. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +3.903: 9. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +20.893: NOT CLASSIFIED: ALVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):

World Championship Classification:

1. Rossi 25: 2. Lorenzo 20: 3. Dovizioso 16: 4. Hayden 13: 5. Spies 11: 9. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 7: NOT CLASSIFIED: ALVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):

 

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DIFFICULT BEGINNING FOR THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IN QATAR

Really an unlucky day for the Pramac Racing Team who after seven laps of the Qatar Grand Prix saw both riders slips. A race to forget for the white and green duo who in the next Grand Prix in Japan, in two weeks time, will look for redeem. Mika Kallio's race hasn't initiated in the best way, in fact, the Finn suffered two hits: the first by Spies, in the second turn, and the second by Barbera which sent him in the dirt. Back on track in last position he tried to recover but his race ended after only two laps. Aleix has instead slipped in the last corner of the track during the seventh lap: stepping back on his bike he tried to get back on track but after seeing the bike was no longer usable he decided to ride back in the box.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Technical Director

"Really a pity because on this track our bikes were very competitive. Mika was hit twice in the first lap and the second time was even thrown off track. Probably, after returning on track in last position, he was pushing hard and the bike was still dirty and wasn't in perfect condition. Aleix was very unlucky: he was doing a good race but unfortunately he lost the front and slipped into the dirt before the final straight."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing rider - DNF

"What to say ! Perhaps the worst start of my career. Frankly, even the most unlucky: I managed to gain some positions in the first turn, but in the second Spies touched me making me lose five positions. After a few curves also Barbera has accidentally hit me sending me outside the track. I managed to stay on my bike and came back in last position. I was trying to push hard to reach the group but I slipped and at that moment there was nothing else I could do. We have to forget this race, a long season is ahead of us."

Aleix Espargar? - Pramac Racing rider - DNF

"In the first laps I had some difficulties, but when I felt that my feeling with the bike was improving I found myself with my back side on the ground. I was approaching the riders in front of me and I was very confident to reach them. I don't have much more to say, we will have to earn the points lost here in two weeks time in Japan."

 

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Andrea Dovizioso on the podium in season opener

World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) held off a trio of determined riders to win the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit outside of the Qatari capital of Doha. Rossi?s teammate Jorge Lorenzo was second, with Repsol Honda?s Andrea Dovizioso speeding to the final podium position with a fine third place finish to start his season.

The race began with Rossi leading, but under pressure from Repsol Honda?s Dani Pedrosa, who made a lightning fast start from seventh on the grid. Pedrosa took the lead on the second lap before being passed by Ducati rider Casey Stoner.

Stoner, starting from the pole, then sped away and held over a two second lead when he crashed in turn four on lap six.

That put Rossi at the point of the spear, but under pressure from Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and Dovizioso. Not far back were Pedrosa and Rossi?s teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi controlled the pace well past half distance when Dovizioso used Honda power to draft past the world champion on the front straightaway. Rossi soon regained the lead, while Dovizioso and Hayden fought over second. Dovi took the spot on the 19th of 22 laps and was on his way to second when Lorenzo passed him on lap 21. Dovizioso was under the threat of missing out on the podium when Hayden passed Dovi on the last lap. But the second year Repsol Honda powered out of the final corner to take third by .011 secs.

Pedrosa would encounter handling problems and fall back to seventh place, one spot behind LCR Honda?s Randy de Puniet. De Puniet, who?d qualified fourth, the top Honda rider, rode a mostly solitary race to sixth, his best result since finishing on the podium in last year?s rain-hit British Grand Prix.

After overcoming a difficult start, Interwetten Honda MotoGP?s Hiroshi Aoyama was involved in a spirited three-way fight with veterans Colin Edwards (Yamaha) and Loris Capirossi, the Italian who was racing in his 300th grand prix. Aoyama was happy to reach his goal of a top ten finish and looked forward to his home grand prix in two weeks at Motegi.

Finishing one position behind Aoyama came San Carlo Honda Gresini?s Marco Simoncelli, another GP debutant. Simoncelli was happy to finish well into the points after a difficult testing season. The rookie admitted that he needs to better understand the race rubber so as to be more of a threat in the second half of the race when the tyres start to fade.

San Carlo Honda Gresini?s Marco Melandri finished 13th in what he felt was one of the most disappointing races of his career. A problem with the connection between the throttle and the rear tyre made for a long night for the veteran rider. However, Melandri was confident the team could find a solution and put it into place for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi in less than two weeks time.


Honda rider quotes.

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 3rd.
?I?m really happy about this podium - it?s a great satisfaction. It was so important to begin the season with a good result and I hope this is just the start. Today?s podium is the result of the hard work done by Honda, the technicians, the team and myself during the winter. I have to thank Honda, Repsol and all the sponsors for having believed in me also when the results were not coming. In fact, today I really believed I could get second position and it was a pity that I couldn?t keep it until the very end. My start was not so good but the first five laps were crucial for me to recover positions and glue myself behind Valentino. My Honda was very fast on the straight and I could use this advantage to compensate for our weaker points on the track. I can say that I lost my race in Turn 10. We struggled in T3 for the whole weekend but tonight I understood that we lost so much in the long left hand turn - Turn 10. When Valentino overtook me I tried to re-pass him, but he overtook me again and then I didn?t have the possibility to get back by. I did a masterpiece in the last corner of the last lap where I overtook Nicky on the inside and then I used all the power of the RC212V to get to the line first. Tonight I raced with my heart, and this result is a good motivation for myself and everyone in the Repsol Honda Team.?

Randy de Puniet, LCR Honda: 6th.
?All the weekend I was up there and I am very satisfied about this result. My start was not that bad, but with a bit of traffic I have got a little bit pushed out in the first corner. After that I lapped a smart race as my pace on race trim was really good like the top guys. At five laps to go we were five seconds behind the leader, which is incredible for us as a satellite team. The hard work we have made in the winter and the long run we have been made adjusting the race map have helped us to get this positive result in the first round of the season.?

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 7th.
?I made a good start and was able to stay at or near the front of the race for the first few laps. It really wasn?t easy though and we had a few handling issues with the machine that meant unfortunately it was impossible for me to maintain that pace. I fought as hard as I could to hold off the other riders but in the end there was no way I could keep them behind. On the one hand it?s encouraging that we could achieve this early pace because the winter testing has not been easy, but on the other it proves we still have a lot of work to do to get the machine the way I need so that I can be at the front at the end rather than the start of the race. This isn?t the ideal start to the season and I?d hoped to be able to fight for a podium here, but it?s a long season and we?ll stay focused and work as hard as possible to improve things. Congratulations to Andrea on the podium. We?ll come back fighting at Motegi - it?s a circuit I like and I hope to get a much better result there.?

Hiroshi Aoyama, Interwetten Honda MotoGP: 10th.
?This is a good result, not great, but good. I pushed all the 22 laps and I did what I was able to do. I had a horrible start and lost some positions in the first few laps that I had to fight back. Therefore the 10th place is a good result for my first MotoGP race. If I would have had a better start I don't know where I would have been then. Now I look forward to go home and see my family as I will go straight to Japan for a visit.?

Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 11th.
?I?m pretty happy with what you could call a decent debut. After having struggled in the winter tests we?ve seen tonight that I am in shape to fight with the mid-pack, if not the front guys just yet. I?m happy with the first half of my race but when the tyres went off I couldn?t stick the pace with Capirossi and Edwards and had to ?pull the oars into the boat?! It was tough for me to keep a fast pace when I was riding on my own so I slowed down. There were definitely positive aspects to take from this and now we move on.?

Marco Melandri, San Carlo Honda Gresini, 13th.
?That was a very disappointing race, one of the worst of my career. It was impossible for me to ride ? I was struggling from the start and after a few laps it got worse, with the engine braking system cutting out which meant I couldn?t even brake properly. There was something wrong with the throttle connection and I couldn?t work out how much to open the gas ? sometimes I was giving too much and the bike was moving around on the exits of the corners. It is a bad race to end a disappointing weekend. I just have to keep the faith that my team can help me find a solution. Unfortunately I am a very sensitive rider with a specific style and it seems this bike is not the best solution for me. I?m really upset.?
Pole position : 1m55.007s (168.407Km/h) Casey Stoner, Ducati
Fastest lap : Lap 5 - 1m55.537s (167.537Km/h) Casey Stoner, Ducati
Circuit record lap : 1m55.153s (168.193Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
Circuit Best Lap : 1m53.927s (170.003Km/h) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha, 2008)
Event results - Round 1 - Race 1
1 Valentino Rossi 42m50.099s ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo +1.022s SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
3 Andrea Dovizioso +1.865s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Nicky Hayden +1.876s USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
5 Ben Spies +3.903s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
6 Randy De Puniet +9.322s FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Dani Pedrosa +16.508s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Colin Edwards +19.867s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
9 Loris Capirossi +20.893s ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10 Hiroshi Aoyama +21.100s JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
11 Marco Simoncelli +31.638s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
12 Hector Barbera +32.573s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
13 Marco Melandri +40.780s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
16 Alvaro Bautista NC - 1 lap SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
17 Aleix Espargaro NC - 15 Laps SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
18 Casey Stoner NC - 17 Laps AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
19 Mika Kallio NC - 20 Laps FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
Championship standings
1 Valentino Rossi 25 pts ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 20 pts SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
3 Andrea Dovizioso 16 pts ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Nicky Hayden 13 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
5 Ben Spies 11 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
6 Randy De Puniet 10 pts FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Dani Pedrosa 9 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Colin Edwards 8 pts USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
9 Loris Capirossi 7 pts ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10 Hiroshi Aoyama 6 pts JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
11 Marco Simoncelli 5 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
12 Hector Barbera 4 pts SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
13 Marco Melandri 3 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
14 Mika Kallio 0 pts FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
15 Casey Stoner 0 pts AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
16 Alvaro Bautista 0 pts SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
17 Aleix Espargaro 0 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing

 

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Fiat Yamaha open account with thrilling one-two in Qatar

The 2010 MotoGP season got off to a flying start under the floodlights tonight with a gripping Qatar Grand Prix and a perfect opening result for the Fiat Yamaha Team. The indomitable Valentino Rossi took his 104th career victory, his first in the opening round since 2005, whilst Jorge Lorenzo rode a clever race to finish a strong second.

The World Champion got a brilliant start from second on the grid and led after the first lap but both Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner were faster on the straight and he was soon relegated to third. On lap five he battled back to pass the Spaniard but Stoner was two seconds in front by then and the Italian looked to be facing a hard task to catch him. On the next lap however Stoner slid out of the race, leaving Rossi in the lead pursued by Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso. His work was far from over however as Dovizioso proved impossible to shake off and mounted a challenge on the straight on lap 16, momentarily getting his nose in front before his more experienced compatriot passed him back on the brakes into turn one. A couple of quick laps from Rossi gave him some breathing space and he was eventually able to pull clear, leaving Dovizioso and Hayden to dice with Lorenzo while he charged over the line to finish 1.022 seconds clear. His win today makes him only the third rider in history to have scored points in 200 Grands Prix.

Lorenzo meanwhile had slipped several places at the start, dropping back to sixth before he started to find his rhythm on lap six. The 21-year-old had to contend with some pain in his recovering hand as well as a lap of grip in the rear but he played the waiting game until his fuel load lessened and he was able to push a bit harder. He then put up a gutsy display to gradually reel in the leaders and come within striking distance with two laps to go. A masterful overtaking display on the penultimate lap despatched first Hayden and then Dovizioso and he crossed the line behind his team-mate to the delight of the Yamaha garage.

The team now has a short break before heading in high spirits to Yamaha's home race in Japan, with the second round of the MotoGP World Championship coming at Motegi in two week's time.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 42'50.099
"I got a fantastic start but I wasn't quite fast enough and was suffering on the straight. I lost some time passing Pedrosa and by then Stoner was quite far from me, I thought then that it was going to be hard to catch him! Then he made a mistake and crashed, which was bad luck for him but crucial for us. After that I expected it would be easier but in fact it was very hard to stay in front of Dovizioso, who was very strong. We had a good battle and then I did three or four laps at the maximum and was able to stay in front, but it wasn't easy! I haven't won at the first race since 2005 and these 25 points at this stage are like gold dust, it's a fantastic result for the team to make a one-two at race one. It's especially good to win here because it doesn't suit our bike, we worked very cleverly throughout the practices and this is the reward, so thanks to all my guys. We definitely have some work to do but this is a good base to start from. I ran out of fuel on the slow down lap, I think I used more than expected early on because I was sliding quite a lot, but it was very funny to come to Parc Ferme riding a scooter!"

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2nd Time: +1.022
"Today I had to disconnect my brain and just ride with my heart, and I am so happy about this second place. My hand was a bit sore but the bigger problem was the rear sliding, and early on with a full fuel tank I found it quite hard. My plan was to take it quietly and not risk too much, but after a while the adrenalin built up and I couldn't do that, I had to ride at the maximum! Once I had less fuel it was easier and I started to get closer, but I was on the limit physically and with the bike, so it was quite risky! I made some good overtakes at the end and this is a fantastic result for our team, with Valentino winning as well. Now we go to Motegi, where I won last year, and I will be in better physical condition by then and ready to be even stronger."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"It's been a very positive weekend for us not only because we won, but because we've worked through our issues very well and been able to confirm that our bike is good. This isn't a good track for us and we know we're suffering a bit in terms of top speed, this is something we need to work on, but to win here shows that we've got a good overall package. Now we will work to lessen the gap to our rivals. It's been a great night for Yamaha; three bikes in the top five and a brilliant start to the season. Now we got to Yamaha's home race in Japan and we're looking forward to maintaining our lead."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"This is a very good start to the season and Jorge rode a very clever race. He kept his patience when the bike was heavy, realised it wasn't the right time to push and little-by-little he was able to improve his pace and close the gap. With a couple of laps to go he saw his advantage and was able to grab second position. To finish just one second behind Valentino after his interrupted pre-season is very impressive and a great result for our team."


Spies lights up 2010 MotoGP opener

Ben Spies produced a dazzling performance in Qatar tonight to end a stunning Monster Yamaha Tech 3 debut in fifth position. In an enthralling 22-lap race under the Losail International Circuit floodlights, Spies produced one of the performances of the evening to storm through from 11th on the grid to a career best top five in only his fifth MotoGP start.

Spies produced a thrilling first lap to gain four places and claim seventh before he was elevated into the top six by a surprise mistake from race leader Casey Stoner on lap six.

Pursuing fellow Yamaha YZR-M1 rider Jorge Lorenzo, Spies once again demonstrated his devastating speed on worn tyres as he threatened to haul himself into contention for the podium battle involving Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso.

For several laps, Spies was the fastest man on track and he ended with the fourth best time of 1.56.087 clocked on lap 17. Opting to settle for fifth as a dramatic battle for the podium unfolded in front of him, Spies finished just over two seconds off third position. And impressively on only his second race for Yamaha, the reigning World Superbike champion was less than four seconds away from race winner and reigning world champion Valentino Rossi.

Fellow Texan Colin Edwards had a tough start to his eighth MotoGP campaign but rode a determined race despite some minor rear grip issues. Edwards guided his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 to eighth position having brilliantly kept the hard-charging duo of Loris Capirossi and Hiroshi Aoyama at bay.

Ben Spies - Position: 5th Time: +3.903
?I'm happy because I knew we had the bike and I knew I was riding decent. Some things didn't go my way in qualifying and while it wasn't really a smooth weekend, it came together in the race. I gave 110 per cent every lap and that's all I can do and at the end I came out with a decent result. They key was that I knew we had a good pace on race tyres. I got a good start and I was quite aggressive in the first couple of laps to try and make up some places and keep contact with the front group. My confidence was growing in the middle of the race and I could see Jorge and Valentino and those guys not a million miles in front of me. I wasn't catching them a lot, but I knew for a few laps in the middle of the race I was definitely the quickest out of the top five. Maybe if I'd have qualified higher I might have been in that fight for the podium at the end. But I can't be too greedy and this is a good start for me and gives me a platform to build on for the rest of the season.?

Colin Edwards - Position: 8th Time: +19.867
?Tonight wasn't really any surprise because I struggled all weekend and I never seemed to get on top of the problems we had. We made the bike a little better for the race and it was certainly more comfortable to ride and that showed in the improved lap times, but it obviously wasn't enough to get close to that top five. I rode my hardest but tonight was one of the times when you're just riding around problems. The front grip was great but I was lacking a bit on the rear and I couldn't get a set-up that pushed the tyre on the ground. As soon I accelerated the rear tyre wou ld spin, but we actually found out some things for the future that will help me. The Yamaha is obviously working good when you look at the result and I want to congratulate Ben because he did a great job. Hopefully next time out I'll be a bit closer to the fight.?

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
?Everybody was expecting great things from Ben this year and we have to say already that he has shown what he is capable of tonight. We were a bit disappointed when he was only 11th in qualifying but we knew it would be better for the race because he was so strong on hard tyres and we know this is a major strength of Ben's. And he is a racer who is very aggressive and he made up a few places early on, which is always crucial in MotoGP. His lap times were incredibly fast and was he closing on the leading group for the whole race and this is a fantastic start for Ben with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. It was a tough weekend for Colin but he scored some valuable points and found out some interesting information on the set-up of the bike that will help him for the future. Overall it is a great team performance and we move to Japan now full of confidence in what is a very important race for Yamaha.?