• Welcome to the new B.I.R.D. Forum. Please be sure to read the "New Member / New Registered ? Please Read" thread in the Coffee Shop. This contains some important information. To become a full member ( £5.90 a year ) simply click on your user name near the top on the right I hope you enjoy the new site ................ Jaws ( John )

Moto GP news

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Jorge Lorenzo Surgery Update


Following successful plastic surgery in Australia, Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo has now flown home to Barcelona for a period of recovery. As already confirmed the Mallorcan rider will miss this weekend?s Grand Prix of Malaysia. A decision on his participation in the final race of the season at Valencia will be made within the next two weeks dependent on the progress of his recovery.

?Casey has had an incredible season with very few mistakes,? commented Jorge Lorenzo. ?He has always been very strong and consistent so it has been very difficult to beat him. Congratulations to him, he has been the best this year and deserves his second title, a huge achievement as it comes with a different manufacturer. I would have liked to fight until the end, maybe until Valencia but the accident on Sunday has made it impossible. I am very proud of my team for all the hard work they have put in to take second in the Championship. Now we have to think about next year and work as hard as possible to win again. After the crash I was very worried that I would not have full feeling in my finger again. After the excellent treatment I received I have been assured I will have complete feeling in nerves and tendons. This gives me good confidence; I can?t wait to get back on my M1 again!?

-ENDS-

Please find below the medical report following the successful operation:

Surgeon: John Crock - MB.BS (Melbourne). Dip. Anat. MD. FRACS

Hospital: Knox Private Hospital, Wantirna (Vic)

Operative Diagnosis: Left hand ring and middle finger injuries

Summary of operation: Debride and reconstruct left ring and middle fingers

Duration of operation: 80mins

Operation details:


Middle finger wound: skin loss only, covered with SSG taken from the hypothenar eminence.

Ring finger wound: longitudinal dorsal grinding injury with loss of tip. (?) Distal half of the distal phalanx missing. (?) The extensor tendon was identified and reattached. (?)
 

KUCIAR666

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Katsuyuki Nakasuga to Replace Jorge Lorenzo for Malaysian Grand Prix


Yamaha YZR-M1 test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga has been drafted in to replace injured Yamaha Factory Racing star Jorge Lorenzo for this weekend?s Grand Prix of Malaysia.

Reigning World Champion Lorenzo received an injury to the ring finger of his left hand during the Sunday morning warm up session prior to the Grand Prix of Australia. He has since received surgical treatment and is now recovering at home in Barcelona.

30yr old Nakasuga-san is a current Japanese Yamaha test rider with an excellent working knowledge of the YZR-M1 and Bridgestone tyres. He is also competing in the 2011 All Japan Road Racing Championship, JSB1000 class, and is currently third in the standings.

A decision on Jorge Lorenzo?s participation in the final race of the season at the Grand Prix of Valencia will be made within the next two weeks.



Rider Profile

Name: Katsuyuki Nakasuga
Date of birth: 9/08/1981
Age: 30
Nationality: Japan
Place of birth: Fukuoka
Team: YSP Racing Team with TRC (current ranking 3rd - Series not yet complete)
Championship series: All Japan Road Racing Championship, JSB1000 Class

Career:
- 2000/2004: All Japan RR GP250 class (best ranking 5th)
- 2005/present: All Japan RR JSB1000 class (2008/2009 Champion, 4th in 2010
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Colin Edwards Injury Update

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards is recovering well from injuries sustained in the tragic accident that claimed the life of popular Italian rider Marco Simoncelli in Sepang last weekend.

The 37-year-old though will not be fit to ride his YZR-M1 machine in next weekend's Valencia MotoGP round, as he requires surgery on a left arm injury that resulted from a three-rider incident on the second lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Edwards was assessed by orthopedic specialist Dr Henry Small at the University General Hospital in Houston on Wednesday and it was confirmed he has multiple small fractures to the top of his left humerus bone, which connects the shoulder to the elbow.

There is also damage to the cartilage around the tip of the humerus bone, which will require surgery next Tuesday. With a four-week recovery period, Edwards will not be able to take part in the Valencia race on November 6, which was due to be his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.

Edwards also suffered severe bruising and swelling to both wrists and right heel in the accident, but additional checks at the University General Hospital showed no fractures.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is currently considering replacement options for the Valencia round and an announcement will be made at the earliest opportunity.

Colin Edwards

?Firstly, I want to thank everybody for all their messages of support since Sunday. The support and love has been overwhelming and it has been a great comfort to me at this difficult time. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Marco and I will miss him a lot, as will the entire MotoGP family. I watched Marco's funeral yesterday and I really wish I could have been there. I wanted to go but unfortunately my injuries meant I was unable to travel. I know Valentino spoke to Marco's family on my behalf and I thank him for that. It was a great service and a fitting celebration of his life. I also wanted to be in Valencia next week to give my support to MotoGP, but it is not going to be possible because of the surgery I need on my left arm. The top of my left humerus bone has got multiple small fractures but the cartilage that is around the top of the bone has been pulled off. The surgery will anchor the cartilage back to the bone but there is no nerve damage, so I should be 100 per cent in about four weeks."
 

KUCIAR666

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Josh Hayes to join Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia

American Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will replace injured Colin Edwards for this weekend's Valencia MotoGP round in Spain.

The 36-year-old has been drafted in by the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad because Edwards is unable to participate in Valencia while he recovers from injuries sustained during the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on October 23.

Edwards was due to make his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit after a long and successful career with Yamaha in the MotoGP World Championship, which started back in 2005.

The Texan though will undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage around the top of the hume rus bone in his left arm after he was involved in an incident with Marco Simoncelli and Valentino Rossi on the second lap of the Sepang race.

Tragically, Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident.

Hayes, who won his second successive American Superbike crown for the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha Team in a dramatic final round in New Jersey, was due to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine the day after Sunday's final race.

Yamaha US and Monster Energy arranged the test appearance to reward Hayes for capturing the American Superbike title for the second year in succession in 2011.

Hayes will now join British rider Cal Crutchlow when practice for the Valencia round gets underway on Friday morning.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Ben Spies to Test 1000cc YZR-M1 at Valencia


Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies will test the 2012 1000cc YZR-M1 tomorrow and Wednesday at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. The 1000cc test is the first following the end of the 800cc Grand Prix era, marked by yesterday?s Valencia Grand Prix race. Team mate Jorge Lorenzo will not participate in the test as he continues to recover from his recent injury sustained in the Australian Grand Prix.
 

KUCIAR666

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Rizla Suzuki to test Randy de Puniet


Rizla Suzuki has given the opportunity to Randy de Puniet to ride the GSV-R at today?s Valencian post-season test.

De Puniet will join the team this afternoon for a shakedown and comparison test to assess the potential of the GSV-R from another rider?s perspective. Rizla Suzuki has worked with ?lvaro Bautista in a single rider team this season, with the exception of a couple of wild-card appearances for John Hopkins, and it is accepted as a good opportunity by the team and the Suzuki factory to get another rider?s feedback during the final test of 2011.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Rizla Suzuki and Bautista part for 2012


Rizla Suzuki regretfully announces the departure from the team of current rider ?lvaro Bautista

Bautista joined Suzuki for the start of the 2010 season, making his racing debut at Qatar. He has been a popular rider with the team as well as establishing himself as a firm favourite with the fans due to his racing spirit and infectious smile. During his two seasons with Suzuki he has recorded top five finishes and put his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R on the front row of the grid. Bautista has been the solo rider in the team in 2011 and has been an asset in the improvements to the bike and the huge potential it is now showing.

Suzuki Motor Corporation, all members of the MotoGP team, title sponsor Rizla and the team?s other sponsors and partners would like to wish Bautista well in his future career and every success and happiness in his personal life, and everyone in the Rizla Suzuki squad would like to thank him for the two years of hard work, loyalty and commitment that he has given the team.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I am very sad to be leaving Suzuki after the two great years that I have had here. It has been a great team to work in and I have learnt a lot of things from everyone in the team. It was a fantastic experience working with an English/Japanese team and we have become like a big family, except we have never had any arguments and no-one falls out with each other! I want to thank everybody personally for the last two years, sometimes it has been difficult, but nobody ever gave up and I felt like I always had their full support and commitment. I don?t feel like I am leaving a team, but a group of friends that I hope I will know for a long time. I want to say a special thank-you to Tom, Paul, Ken san and Sahara san, and wish them and the rest of the team all the best for the future.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
MotoGP and F1 say a fond farewell to Charlie Moody

Publish Date: Friday, December 09, 2011

MotoGP and F1 team members joined family and friends at a service of thanksgiving this week for the life of Rizla Suzuki?s Operations Manager Charlie Moody, who sadly passed away last month.

Nearly the complete 2011 Rizla Suzuki team was present at the service, held close to Moody?s home in Gloucestershire, England. The church was overflowing with members of the MotoGP and F1 paddocks, in addition to his family and numerous friends. Moody had succumbed to Motor Neurone Disease following a short spell in hospital after contracting pneumonia; he was 55 years old and leaves his wife Arlene and sons Wil and Nic.

Charlie Moody was a native of Chesterfield, in Derbyshire and after leaving Sheffield University joined Walter Wolf in Formula One as a mechanic. He worked with Jody Scheckter, James Hunt and Keke Rosberg during this time and stayed with Rosberg as the Finnish driver moved to Williams and won the F1 World Championship in 1982. Moody?s next progression was to run the Benetton test team and he then moved to Leyton House in the same role, before becoming its Race Team Manager. Moody then moved to Simtek Grand Prix as Team Manager before heading to the British Touring Car Championship to run the Janspeed team, afterwards returning to Formula One to run the Williams BMW F1 test programme. Amongst his many achievements, Moody was also the very first person to strap Ayrton Senna into a Formula One car in the Brazilian?s inaugural Grand Prix test at Donington Park in 1983.

Moody then turned his attention to two-wheels, joining Kenny Roberts? MotoGP organisation and he became an important and integral part of the company, before moving to Rizla Suzuki in 2009. He was an instantly recognisable figure in the MotoGP paddock with his long hair and trademark jacket, worn in even the hottest of conditions! He had an infectious and warm personality as well a thoroughly determined streak to get the job done. His many achievements and fun-loving character were summed up in readings at his memorial service. Charlie will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

Charlie Moody will be remembered as being a true gentleman, as well as a gentle man.

?Charlie? ? Charles William Moody 1-7-56 ? 22-11-11 R.I.P.



Donations given in memory of Charlie Moody are for ?Motor Neurone Disease Research? and can be either sent to:

E. Taylor & Son
21 Corbett Road
Carterton
Oxfordshire
England
OX18 3LG

Or online at

http://www.mndassociation.org/get_involved/donations/make_a_donation.html
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis Reflects on the Upcoming MotoGP Season

01/02/2012

You can now find online at http://www.yamahamotogp.com/home/video.php a short video from Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis reflecting on the start of the 2012 MotoGP season. The video was recorded at 1pm today in Malaysia, midway through the first Official MotoGP Test of the year at Sepang.

Thank you,

Yamaha Factory Racing
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Ben Spies to Miss Phillip Island


Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 22nd October 2012

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies will not attend the Grand Prix of Australia at the Phillip Island circuit this weekend following injuries sustained during the Grand Prix of Malaysia on Sunday 21st October.

Spies fell whilst riding in extremely challenging wet conditions at the Sepang International Circuit. An initial check by the trackside medical centre found no serious injuries however further tests conducted today in Kuala Lumpur have revealed injuries requiring surgery.

The Texan will return to the USA tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd October, to receive treatment for an AC shoulder separation, a cracked rib in the upper chest area and bruising to the lung.

Yamaha Factory Racing will not field a replacement rider at Phillip Island due to time constraints.


Ben Spies
Yamaha Factory Racing Rider



"I'm lost for words. We've had such a tough season with an unbelievable amount of bad luck. We have always gone out there to give it 100% and it was the intention of both myself and my team to continue to do so at Phillip Island.

I took a really hard knock on Sunday and it's now clear from today's tests that I have some injuries that require immediate attention.

It's disappointing to be heading back to the USA now instead of to Phillip Island but it's obviously important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.

I'm sorry for my team and thankful for all the hard work they and Yamaha have put in so far; our current situation is not where we should be".
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Ben Spies Undergoes Successful Surgery in the USA



Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies has successfully completed surgery in the USA on October 23rd to repair torn ligament damage to his right shoulder following a crash in the Grand Prix of Malaysia on the 20th October.

The procedure consisted of the reconstruction of the Coracoclavicular Ligaments torn in the crash and a reduction of a separated Acrimioclavicular joint, aided by a Twin Tightrope device, which is a suture based system. Cadavar tissue was placed to replace and reinforce the Coracoclavicular Ligaments that were torn.

The surgery was successful, Spies will make a full recovery although he will need to remain in a sling for up to 10-12 weeks.

The decision on a replacement rider for the final round of the Championship at Valencia will be clarified by Yamaha Factory Racing following the Phillip Island weekend.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Phillip Island (Australia), 28th October 2012

Japanese Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga will step in to replace injured Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies for the final round of the 2012 MotoGP Championship, the Grand Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana in two weeks time.

Nakasuga-san has already proven to be a trustworthy rider to handle the Factory YZR-M1, taking it to an impressive sixth place finish whilst substituting for injured Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo at last year?s Valencia Grand Prix. He was back again this year as wild-card for the Grand Prix of Japan with the Yamaha YSP Racing Team, again impressing with a ninth place finish.

Spies is currently at home in the USA recovering from injuries sustained in the Grand Prix of Malaysia one week ago. The Texan had successful surgery this week to repair torn ligament damage in the right shoulder and will need a recovery period of eight to ten weeks.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Iwata (Japan), 28th October 2012



A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM MR. HIROYUKI YANAGI, PRESIDENT OF YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD.

"I want to convey my heartfelt congratulations to Jorge Lorenzo for clinching the 2012 MotoGP Championship title at the Australian GP with one round still remaining in the season.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the fans, the sponsors and other people involved who have supported Jorge and the Team.

This championship title has value that goes above and beyond the great achievement of a second MotoGP title for Jorge Lorenzo. This was the first season under the new 1000cc regulation and, in that sense, made for a new and greater challenge for all of the riders and teams competing. I believe winning the title in such a new realm was made possible thanks to the combined strength of the riders, the machine and the team?s management.

Let me say that I am very proud to have a rider like Jorge Lorenzo, who continues to adapt and grow steadily with such success, as a member of the Yamaha family. I look forward to his achievements in the 2013 season to come."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Yamaha Factory Racing Looks to the Future with Monster Energy Partnership

Yamaha Factory Racing is delighted to announce a Sponsorship and Partnership agreement with the Monster Energy Company (MEC) for 2013 and 2014. As a result of this agreement Monster Energy branding will be visible on the Yamaha YZR-M1s and racing leathers of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi as well as on all team clothing and all team equipment.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Lorenzo has a personal engagement with Monster Energy and Yamaha included in the agreement. Valentino Rossi?s personal agreement with Monster Energy will be complementary to the agreement between Yamaha Factory Racing and MEC.

The agreement between the satellite Monster Energy Yamaha Tech3 team and Monster Energy will remain unchanged and is unaffected by the Yamaha ? MEC agreement.

Lin Jarvis - Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
?We are very happy to be able to announce the start of a new chapter in the Yamaha ? Monster Energy partnership. Monster Energy is already a major partner to Yamaha?s top global sports activities in many domestic and international racing activities around the world in Motocross, Supercross, Endurance and Superbike disciplines. They have also been the title sponsor of the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha team for the past 4 years. The expansion to include the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team is a logical and prestigious expansion of the program.

This completion of the program permits Yamaha and Monster Energy to work even closer together to develop their sports marketing programs and to develop rider talent to continue to be successful into the future in all areas of motorcycle racing. For the Yamaha Factory Racing Team this new partnership will bring even more ?energy? into our racing program and Monster Energy will be a great supporter to further promote our Team and our riders' performances around the world.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User

The sponsorship between Team Pramac Racing and Energy T.I. is official for the upcoming 2013 MotoGP season.


Energy T.I. is the brand ?gas&power?, the new arrival for the upcoming 2013 MotoGP season.

The entry of Energy T.I. in the racing world as protagonist, the desire to associate the brand with the Pramac Racing Team and especially in the choice of putting the Energy T.I. logo on the fairing of the young talented Italian rider Andrea Iannone will enable the brand to associate itself in the fast paced moving world of racing.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Pramac Racing and Andrea Iannone join forces with Energy T.I. gas & power in MotoGP 2013.

Pramac Racing and Andrea Iannone join forces with Energy T.I. gas & power in MotoGP 2013.

Unveiled today, at WROOOM F1 & MotoGP Press Ski Meeting 2013, Andrea Iannone?s bike, Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team.

The factory supported team Ducati, announced enthusiasm and satisfaction for the partnership reached with TI Energy gas & power, putting the Energy T.I. logo as ?Title Sponsor? on the fairing of the rider Andrea Iannone, in the new scenario of the MotoGP 2013.

Energy T.I. gas & power, engaged in supplying natural gas to industrial, domestic and local distributors, enters the world of motorsport as a protagonist, relying on the performance of the team and of the young Italian talent to let the image of the brand run fast in the world.

Andrea Iannone:
?I am honored to be part of this big Ducati family, I am facing this new MotoGP challenge with everything I need to do my best. I expect a period of apprenticeship as all rookies in this class, but I know that my team will help me a lot. I thank all the partners, the title sponsor Energy T.I. and Pramac Racing Team.?

The date therefore is April the7th, Grand Prix of Qatar, the first MotoGP race which will officially kick off the two wheeled season, ready to sprint off at the green light. National and international media, fans and enthusiasts will be physically and virtually on the track to live and describe with passion a real explosion of energy.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Karel Abraham at the beginning of a new season with ART

The ?Cardion AB style? gala programme was all about two stars this year: Karel Abraham and his new ART motorbike for the 2013 MotoGP season. The motorbike in the 2013 season livery was unveiled in the deconsecrated chapel of Sacre Coeur in the historical downtown Prague, Czech Republic.

Karel Abraham:
?I know that motorbikes do not run on design, but I have to say I am very excited about design this year. We have been focused on the same principle for years and now I feel it?s close to perfection. I am hoping for a similar level of perfection on the track. My goal is to always be one of the best CRT riders. And I believe there will be several opportunities during the season to race against the prototypes, since there are circuits where the differences between CRT bikes and prototypes are eliminated. I had a very good feeling about ART at Valencia during first testing, especially its cornering performance. We should have a better engine now and I cannot wait to ride the bike at Sepang.?

Marco Grana, Chief Mechanic:
?Ironically, the transition to ART is not that big a deal for mechanics. Karel has had the Aprilia for most of his career and we can use this experience to our advantage, now that Karel will ride the ART. Of course we all spent a lot of time in Noale so that we could get to know the bike and work hard from the very beginning to make sure Karel has the bike well under control.?

Karel Abraham Sr., Team Manager:
?ART is one of the best CRT motorbikes. The transition from prototype is not a step backwards but rather a side step. I believe CRTs? will be able to match with prototypes. Plus, they will be much more visible thanks to the new qualification system.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Ben Spies to miss Jerez race




Unfortunately, the pain felt by the Ignite Pramac Racing Team rider at the end of the warm up during last weekend in Austin (Texas), has had more serious consequences than expected.

As a result, Ben Spies will not be able to race at the next round of the Championship, held on May 5th in Jerez, Spain.

After taking part regularly in the Texan race, in which he finished in 13th position, the American rider was seen by his medical staff, who advised him three consecutive weeks of intense rehab in order to alleviate the strain in his pectorals and back muscles.

Despite the constant improvement in the condition of his shoulder after recent surgery, Ben still needs further intense work to build up his muscle, and to acquire the necessary strength which will enable him to endure the stress during the race. Therefore the therapy will be different to what he has done so far, focused on limb mobility, thanks to his better physical condition. These three weeks of therapy will allow the Texan to be back for the Le Mans race.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager Wilco Zeleenberg Q&A
Yamaha Racing caught up with Yamaha Factory Racing's Team Manager Wilco Zeelenberg recently at Assen to ask a few questions about the current season in MotoGP and his continuing role alongside reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo...

Has your season started as you expected?


?Well, I would say better! After the first two races we?re leading on points tied with Marquez which is a bit of a surprise as we expected Dani to be there, closer anyway than Marc. For the Championship it?s great to have another guy instead of Casey up there which is what was needed.?

Jorge is a very accomplished rider, is there another step forward in his learning this season?

?He continues to improve, especially in the way of building up the weekend. He?s a little quieter, and takes more time to go into details to set the bike up for the race. You can see clearly it's a big relief that he has two Championships under his belt and its also clear it's a big relief for him to know he?s settled for a couple more years. It?s nice to have these things in the pocket, but he?s not satisfied, he still wants more! He?s still very hungry but in a calmer way.?

What?s a bigger motivator for Jorge, beating teammate Valentino or Marc Marquez?

?I would say both, not one more than the other. First of all he wants to be the best Yamaha rider, second he wants to be the best Spanish rider. As Marc is on a competitor bike its difficult to judge differences at times. For sure he wants to beat them all!?

In 2012 the YZR-M1 was a great package and the one to beat at most tracks, is it the same story this year?

?In Qatar we won by six seconds, and in Austin we were just three seconds from Marc. This time gap over race distance is not a lot so track-by-track we have to re-analyse this story. It?s quite exceptional that this happens in the first and second race already, Honda struggled in Qatar and we struggled in Austin. Everyone is waiting to see the whole package being good for everyone at the same track and then we?ll hopefully see four or five guys really racing each other. I think that?s what this class is about now and why this sport is so attractive.?

What is the focus on bike development for this year?

?Track by track it's a bit of a different story this year. In preparing our bike for 2013 we tried to improve the stability on the rear because we had quite some problems on bumps last season during acceleration. Corner entry and turnability were also an issue but we solved that over the winter tests.

Has your role changed at all this year?


?My role is still very much the same; I concentrate on where I think I am able to add something to Jorge?s racing. I have this experience of watching on track and discussing what I see. Sometimes he needs that so he can concentrate on riding the bike and analysing where to improve. He?s getting better and better at finding the best way to get round the track so I try to help with that and support in the maximum way.?

Can you give a specific example of where you help through watching on track?

?In Austin Jorge struggled into turn one. He always concentrated on fast and late corner entry as this exit needed some improvement because of the pick up and acceleration of our engine. Austin?s turn one is very steep uphill but there was more banking on one side of the corner than on the other side. The reason why he attacked the corner in the normal way with very late entry is because he wanted to turn at the maximum at the crest of the corner and he was losing the front constantly. So we looked at it and we analysed it and then I put him about two and a half metres more to the inside. With an earlier entry we gained a coupe of tenths of a second and it also made the corner entry very safe. These moments are important and can make a big difference.?

You?re back in Europe at Jerez, how are you feeling for the race?

?Casey won in Jerez last year so it was a Honda victory. This year we hope to have a closer package and a better one than we had in Austin. We believe the grip level is also better than Austin so it?s already one step in the right direction. We tested here last month and it went smoothly so let?s see what happens!?

You were at Assen recently watching the World Supersport race, what?s your opinion of the level; do you see any future Grand Prix riders?

?I think so, the guys in Supersport like Sam Lowes are on the level to join Moto2 racing and maybe even a bit further into MotoGP. The MotoGP class is growing; we have 24 riders now so in the future you never know. These young guys are not all able to make the normal MotoGP progression through Moto3, Moto2 and up so it?s difficult to judge but for sure they are fast!?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Ben Spies back on track at Mugello.
Following today?s additional medical check in Dallas, the doctor supervising Ben Spies recommended that the Texan undergo a period of extended rehabilitation.

Despite his wish to return to the track as soon as possible, Spies will miss the French Grand Prix and will join the team again at the end of May, at Mugello.

At Le Mans, Ducati Test Team rider, Michele Pirro, will ride the Ignite Pramac Racing Team Desmosedici GP13.
 
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