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MotoGP-Monster Energy de Catalunya

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Impatient to Start Montmel? Match


After the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team scored their third consecutive win in Mugello a fortnight ago, they head to the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship. Teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi both love the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and are eager to show their strong pace again this weekend.

After securing his second Grand Prix win in a row in Mugello, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo is shaping up for his home race at this Sunday's Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Valentino Rossi shares the love his teammate feels for the circuit in Montmel? and can't wait to bounce back from a premature end to his home GP in Mugello with a strong race this weekend.

Feeling good with his YZR-M1, Lorenzo is currently leading the championship by ten points and is eager to continue his winning streak at his home Grand Prix this weekend and take a third consecutive race win in front of his home fans. The Montmel? circuit is a track he likes very much, so the Mallorcan hopes to seize the opportunity to add a fifth Catalan premier class victory to his earlier wins in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015.

After the abrupt ending to an otherwise strong Mugello weekend, Rossi is determined to return to the podium in Montmel?. He holds a record of six premier class victories in Catalunya with wins in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009. At the moment, the Doctor holds third place in the 2016 championship standings and, as he is clearly in great shape, he fancies his chances to reduce the 37-point gap to his teammate this weekend.

The Catalunya track opened its doors in 1991 for the Spanish F1 Grand Prix and went on to host the European Motorcycle Grand Prix four years later. The circuit then became home to the Gran Premio de Catalunya and has been a crowd favourite ever since. It has won the IRTA 'Best Grand Prix' trophy in 2001 and is known as one of the most atmospheric and exciting races on the calendar, with the most famous battle in Montmel? being the unforgettable duel between Rossi and Lorenzo in 2009.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“After a short break of a week, we are feeling motivated for the next round in Catalunya. We are moving from Vale's and the team's home race to another special event, as it will be Jorge‘s home Grand Prix this weekend. He is approaching Montmel? with a lot of confidence, having won two consecutive races at the last rounds. He really likes this track and so does Valentino. Vale is also in a good condition and feeling good with the bike, so he will be strong too. This track has been the host to some incredible races and we have achieved good results for our team here in the past, so we are looking forward to getting started.”
Jorge Lorenzo
Championship: 1st, 115 points


“Here we are, at my home race. Barcelona is so special for me. It‘s a track I love and most of my people are coming to this Grand Prix. I lived here for a long time and here I feel at home. I‘m still savouring my last win in Mugello, that one was so special because of the many ingredients that were mixed in. It was an important race for the championship. Now in Montmel? we need to add more points obviously but we will try to show our potential and try to fight again for the victory”
Valentino Rossi
Championship: 3rd, 78 points

“The Catalunya Grand Prix is held at one of my favourite tracks. I like the circuit a lot as well as the atmosphere. I think that I can have a good potential to do a good race. I‘m coming to Spain with the knowledge that I‘m able to be fast, but also with regret for what would have been a great race at Mugello. The most important thing is that we were very fast on Sunday thanks to the work we did during the weekend. In Barcelona we have to work in the same way and get ready to race.”
Espargaro ready for home GP battle, Smith eyes up strong finish

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith keenly await the highly anticipated round seven fight at the Circuito de Catalu?a this weekend, with both intending to seal top tier results. The Monster Energy sponsored event will take place at the state of the art track with a full house expected to watch the 25-lap sprint on Sunday.

Pol Espargaro will seek to ride to glory in front of his fans and finish at the front in the battle for the top independent position. The 24-year-old who was born in Granollers, just a stone's throw from the circuit, looks to build on his current standing at the head of the satellite tussle in the championship, by completing the race as close as possible to the factory MotoGP riders.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith intends to build on his promising result of 7th at the previous round in Mugello, with another strong performance aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 this weekend. The return to form leaves the young Briton confident of following up last year's result of 5th, with a determined display this weekend.

Pol Espargaro
Championship: 7th, 48 points


"I am very excited for this weekend because not only is it my home race, but I am looking forward to putting on a good show for my fans who mean a lot to me. The atmosphere there is always electric and their support really spurs me on, so I will do my absolute best to give them something to cheer about. I have spent a lot of time on this track, but it will never get boring because it really is a spectacular circuit and one that challenges every aspect of our riding. The straight is long so the Ducati's will have a slight advantage, yet, the Yamaha enjoys the corners and is always strong there, so it will be close plus I think we can be at the front of the independent battle on Sunday afternoon. Last weekend's race ended in a disappointing way for me, however, I am ready to turn everything around and have a positive race in Montmelo."
Bradley Smith
Championship: 12th, 29 points

"As always, I am confident of hitting the ground running in Barcelona and I am certain that I can carry on the positive momentum from the last GP. The Catalu?a circuit is one of the best that we visit and it has a good mix of corners and straights, which make it physical and demanding but great fun to ride. Last year I finished as the leading satellite rider in 5th, the result may be a bit more difficult to achieve this year because the level of competition has risen, but I will still give it everything I've got to score a solid position. It may have taken me a bit longer than some other rides to adapt to the Michelin tyres, but we have made the step and I can now get the results that I want and need to. This weekend I will be gunning for the top independent team position and I know Pol will be strong there, so I'll do my best to beat him at his home GP."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
SUZUKI ECSTAR HEADS TO RIDERS? HOME MotoGP? RACE

The GP of Catalunya is the next round on the MotoGP calendar this weekend; a very special and important one for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders Aleix Espargar? and Maverick Vi?ales, who both consider it their home GP.

The two Spaniards grew-up very close to the track, and both being Catalans, they will take benefit of the many fans that are going to pack the Team?s Hospitality Unit as well as the grandstands around the circuit.

Another reason for an emotive weekend at the Montmel? circuit is memories from last season?s impressive qualifying, where Espargar? took the pole aboard his GSX-RR with a stunning last-lap of the session and Vi?ales placed second alongside him on the front-row in only Team SUZUKI ECSTAR?s seventh race in its comeback in the most-prestigious motorcycle world championship.

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR arrives in Barcelona after a two-days of private testing at Valencia where both riders tested some new-specs chassis? that will be further investigated at Montmelo; and which left both riders satisfied and confident in the improvements made by Suzuki?s Factory Technicians.

The Circuito de Catalunya in Montmel?, Spain, is one of the most historic circuits in the Championship. Opened in 1991, it started to host the GP of Catalunya in 1995. It has very fast corners that will test the stability and precision capabilities of the chassis and set-up, but will be very demanding on tyres. With five left-hand corners and eight right-hand corners, it measures 4.7km (2.94 miles) and it?s longest straight is 1047mt (3435.04 ft.).

Maverick Vi?ales:

?The race in Mugello was not as good as I expected, and I am happy we?ll soon get to racing again to find more performance. Last week we had two very positive days in Valencia and I found a good feeling, as the Suzuki Factory sent us some developments that will hopefully help me with the bike set-up. We are improving day-by-day and race-by-race, this is very important, and I really hope to have a good weekend in Catalunya. It will be my home race, I was born in the region and grew-up there, so there will be many of my friends and also a lot of people from my Fan Club, which will be a further incentive for me.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?Racing in Barcelona is always magic; I was born and grew-up very close to the circuit, and when I was a kid at school, I could hear the sound of engines while I was in class, so this again will be an emotional race for me. Lately we have been finding very positive set-ups and my competitiveness has increased a lot. The two days testing in Valencia gave us further options we will investigate more in Barcelona, but the overall feeling is good and I have the confidence that we can improve even more. The bike has also improved a lot since last year and we should suffer less with acceleration problems we had in 2015 as our engine is now performing much better.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Fantastic 5th for Scott in Friday free practices at Barcelona. Petrux finishes 13th
The weekend of Grand Prix of Catalunya started great for Scott Redding who managed to notch up the 5th quickest lap-time in afternoon FP2. For Danilo Petrucci a bit more difficult day due to lack of grip at the rear.

Octo Pramac Yakhnich ends up with great satisfaction the first day of activity in Barcelona. The British rider has found soon a good feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP managing in Fp2 to lower than 1 second his best crono set in the morning, mainly thanks to a stunning T1 (second overall). The time of 1'42.282 gives Scott the fifth place in the first day of the Grand Prix of Catalunya.

Danilo Petrucci has instead had to contend with a crash (with no consequences) in the last run of the FP1, which delayed the set-up on his moto-1. In the afternoon Petrux managed to lap under the wall of 1'42 but the lack of grip at the rear did not allow him to get close to the Top 10. The rider of Fiamme Oro finished 13th with a time of 1'42.830.

5th - Scott Redding
1'42.282


I'm really happy for this day. Since morning I had positive feelings even though the lap-time was not great. When i put the soft tyre in the time attack of the afternoon, I immediately had the feeling I could do well but I had to quickly understand the tire behavior. Today we made a good job but we have to work a lot for the race because I found grip over one lap but in a run of 6-7 laps I had some difficulties. Tomorrow I will try the hard tyre although Danilo has tried it today and things have not gone very well in terms of race pace.

13th - Danilo Petrucci
1'42.830


I do not like very much this track and this morning I have also crashed. I'm happy with how I rode with the hard tyre in afternoon but I would have done better with the soft one. The problem is that the rear tire seems to be competitive in the first 5 laps then the grip start to drop. We have to understand how to last longer the rear tire and we have to work a lot on this. The electronic does not help us much but this is a problem that also others riders have to deal with. This is a track where you slide a lot and during the race will be important to try to save the tire as much as possible.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Take Charge in Catalunya Free Practice



Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo was quick to return to his Mugello form at a somewhat dusty Montmel? circuit today and wrapped up the first day of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya at the top of the combined free practice time sheets. Teammate Valentino Rossi was also fast in the sweltering conditions and showed a competitive pace throughout the day to take sixth place in the combined rankings.

Lorenzo had been looking forward to riding in front of his home fans again this weekend and immediately stormed to first place on his flying lap. Riding with a special, by Anna Vives designed, 99 rider number to raise awareness for people with disabilities and the importance of teamwork in 'connecting abilities', he did not relinquish his provisional lead until the final five minutes of the session. He secured second place with a best lap of 1'42.143s, just 0.078s from the front.

The afternoon practice saw the track temperatures go up to 26 degrees, changing the track conditions. Lorenzo remained unaffected and only took three laps to drop a 1'42.281s to take the top spot again in the first minutes of FP2. He led until the pace picked up as the session came to a close. The local hero was quick to respond with a 1'41.712s and regained first place to end the day 0.242s ahead of his closest rival.

Rossi has named Montmel? as one of his favourite places to visit on the MotoGP calendar and was clearly enjoying being back at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He steadily improved his pace in the morning session to move up to second position, behind his teammate. He then put his attention towards improving tyre-life and finished FP1 in third place with a 1'42.536s, under half a second from the front.

In the afternoon he upped the pace further. He set a 1'42.365s for second place on his third lap and maintained this spot throughout most of the session. He focused on bettering his bike's settings and testing various tyre options and was pushed back to sixth when various riders put in a hot lap at the end of the session. He wrapped up the day with a best time of 1'42.296s, 0.584s behind his teammate.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"In terms of lap times, bike setting and also the pace we are in a quite good position, as displayed by Jorge's fastest lap times and also Valentino's competitive pace. However, we were not expecting to have this unforeseen tyre behaviour for both the front and rear. Even though we tried all the tyre choices, we still have a lot of doubts about which option would be best suited for the race. We have collected a lot of information in both sides of the garages because many things have been tested today. We will study the data deeply to prepare something for tomorrow's practice sessions, mainly to elongate the tyre life and rear grip."
Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 1'41.712 / 32 laps


"I'm very happy with the start of this weekend because from the first lap I was very fast and had a huge difference compared to our rivals on the first laps. In the other practice session, on new tyres, we also got close but the pace was fantastic this morning. This afternoon, with hotter temperatures, the conditions were more difficult; there was less grip on the track. We are trying some settings and all the tyres, and we still have a gap to the others, mainly in terms of pace, so this is very positive."
Valentino Rossi
6th / 1'42.296 / 38 laps


"Here in Montmel? it's always difficult with the tyres because the asphalt has a low grip-level, so after some laps the performance of the tyre goes down a lot. It's very important to have a good balance of the bike but also have a good pace when the tyres have done more than five or six laps, so we worked on that. I'm quite happy about my speed and pace and the bike is not so bad. We have to work, but the feeling is good. This weekend we have three fronts and three rears, because Michelin brought some new rubbers, so it's very important to know the way to work for tomorrow. We have three different tyres but the quantity is the same, so it will be crucial to have the right plan. For the Friday it wasn't so bad."
Espargaro bolts into action at home Grand Prix

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team riders Pol Espargaro confidently concluded the first day at the Catalu?a circuit as he looks to impress at his home Grand Prix on Sunday. The young Spaniard launched straight into gear when the event got underway and completed the opening shakedown impressively in 4th. In the afternoon session, he continued the setup work on his Yamaha YZR-M1 as the track temperature increased at the physically demanding circuit. His time from free practice one leaves Espargaro in 13th in the combined standings, but only 0.513 of a second from 4th and he now intends to up his pace tomorrow morning ahead of the all-important qualifying shootout.

On the other side of the pit box, Bradley Smith methodically began to set up his Yamaha YZR-M1 for the 23 lap sprint as he aims to follow up his strong result at the previous round in Mugello with another determined performance on Sunday. The 25 year old tirelessly completed 20 laps in the morning session, more than another other MotoGP rider, and finished less than a second back from third. Smith got straight back into the groove in FP2 as he carried on the vital setup work whilst he sampled the various compounds of Michelin tyres. His personal best from FP1 leaves him in 16th overall and with a firm plan of action in place for tomorrow, where the young Briton will seek to bounce back strongly and seal a top tier grid position.

Pol Espargaro
13th / 1'42.709 / 31 laps


"Overall today was a positive opening to the weekend. The fourth position this morning showed that we are working in the right direction, but unfortunately I had a very strange feeling with my front tyre on the last run during the second session. As a result, this afternoon so we weren't able to lower the lap time as much as we expected to. I think it was just this tyre, because we used the same compound before and it was working ok, but of course, if things like this have to happen, it's better that they occur on Friday and not later in the weekend. However, overall my feeling with the bike was good even though the grip level wasn't high, but that's the same for everybody. Now I'm focusing on tomorrow morning's session, which is the most important one for us and where my aim is to definitely pass straight through to QP2 so that I can get a strong qualifying position for my home GP on Sunday."
Bradley Smith
18th / 1'43.470 / 40 laps


"I think it's been a bit of a tricky start for everyone in Catalu?a today. We had three types of compound for both the front and rear so we wanted to try as many as possible. However, it looks like some of the compounds were a bit too soft for this conditions, and now it looks like we will have to use the harder option for the race and the rest of the weekend. As a result of assessing the tyres, we haven't found the optimum chassis setting at the moment, because with sampling all the tyres, you have a different feeling and feedback and it's time consuming. However, I am comfortable on the bike but we need to focus on the front turning for tomorrow and it's a small change but it makes a big difference because there are a lot of high-speed corners at this racetrack. In addition, we also need to improve our corner speed. Overall, the bike balance is ok as well as the rear grip. We will analyse everything further tonight, but we currently have two clear options that we want to try tomorrow with bike one and two, anyway we are certain that we can lower the lap time and get back inside the top ten."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Honda?s Marquez aims for home-track success


Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) heads to his home track in the stunning hills north of Barcelona with the World Championship lead in his sights, two weeks after one of the closest race finishes in MotoGP history.

Just 0.019s separated the two-time MotoGP World Champion from a third victory of the season at Mugello. But the strength of his challenge to winner Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) was still a boost to his confidence and ensured that the 23-year-old has finished on the top-three podium in five of the first six races.

At the close of the first third of the 2016 season, a year which has seen MotoGP switch from Bridgestone to Michelin tyres and to control electronics, Marquez just ten points behind championship leader Lorenzo, with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 27 points back in third.

Marquez has often fared well when racing in front of his home crowd, with two race wins (2010 in the 125cc class and 2014 in MotoGP) and a further three podium finishes in his Grand Prix career.

Team-mate and countryman Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) also arrives at his home race in a confident frame of mind. Like Marquez, Pedrosa narrowly lost out in a tight duel at Mugello, but his fourth-place finish and proximity to the podium showed that the 30-year-old is equipped to regularly challenge the front three.

Now in his 11th season in motorcycle racing?s premier class, career-long Honda stalwart Pedrosa was able to make strides with the chassis and electronic settings of his RC213V that should benefit him at Catalunya. Although Pedrosa has taken a little longer to adapt to 2016?s technical changes than his younger team-mate, a consistent opening to the year sees him fourth in the championship standings, 12 points shy of Rossi.

Pedrosa, from nearby Sabadell, won his home race in 2008, and the Spaniard has finished three times second and twice third in his last five races at the fast and rhythmical 2.94-mile track.

Honda?s three satellite riders, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda RC213V), Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) and Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V), have found the going more challenging in the first six races of 2016 and will be looking for improvements as the season moves past one-third distance.

Former World Supersport champion Crutchlow scored valuable points in Italy, putting an end to a run of four tumbles in the first five races. Collecting set-up information and data was essential in Mugello, and the English rider believes that will bode well for him in northern Spain, where he scored an eye-catching fifth place in his second season in the class.

Another rider competing in front of a home crowd, Rabat makes a heroic return from injury less than two weeks after fracturing his left collarbone in a fall at Mugello. The 2014 Moto2 World Champion was unable to race in Italy but has since made a positive recovery after surgery in Barcelona last week.

Aside from the prospect of competing in front of vocal home support, Rabat rates the circuit as a personal favourite. His Moto2 record across the past three years saw him on the podium each time, with a win from pole position in his championship-winning year.

Team-mate Miller endured an equally frustrating weekend in Mugello. The Australian was the innocent victim of a three-rider first corner crash. Now a resident in nearby Andorra, the 21-year old views the race outside Barcelona as a second home event. For him also, set-up advances in Italy should work well in Spain, where he scored his best result in his debut MotoGP season last year.

This is the 25th Grand Prix at the Montmel? circuit. Honda has won ten of those premier-class races, with World Champions Mick Doohan, Alex Criville and Valentino Rossi scoring two wins apiece for the manufacturer. Carlos Checa, Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Marquez are the other Honda riders to have left the spectacular venue with 25 points.

The circuit presents riders and engineers with a unique challenge of a succession of flowing, high-speed corners interspersed with heavy braking areas.

After the race outside Barcelona, the MotoGP paddock heads north to the historic setting of Assen for the Dutch TT on June 26th.


Marc Marquez 93
?There?s nothing like racing at home in front of your crowd and your fan club to make you feel good and give you extra motivation, even if in the end you must try and be as professional as always and to completely focus on the job at hand. We?ll see how it goes there, and as always we?ll work hard on the bike setup in order to make the most of what we have, an approach that has worked well enough so far. I know that Honda is working at 100 percent. At Montmel? we?ll give our best to get another good result. Then at Monday?s post-race test we?ll see if we?re able to find that half-a-tenth that could help us a lot, as we were able to do last year on the same occasion.?


Dani Pedrosa 26
?I?m looking forward to racing at home in Catalunya, at a track I love and where I?ve had some very good results in the past. Last year I took my first podium of the season there, and it was the first race where I really felt I was coming back after arm surgery. I hope to be able to do well again in front of my fan club and my entire home crowd. We?ll work on the bike setup, using what we learned at the last race to see if we can get something extra, trying to keep the momentum from Mugello, which was my best GP so far this season in terms of feeling on the bike during the race. Then we?ll see if we can take a further step forward in the post-race test on Monday.?


Cal Crutchlow 35
?I?m really looking forward to racing in Barcelona. I haven?t had great results there in recent years but it?s a track that I like and I feel quite comfortable at. Overall I was quite happy to finish the race at Mugello and get some decent points. I felt I could have gone faster if I was in a group and I didn?t push the first eight laps. I was too adamant to complete the race. I had one or two issues but I managed the situation the best I could and picked up a lot of valuable information for the coming races. Hopefully in Barcelona we can make another step.?


Tito Rabat 53
?Firstly, I want to say a big thanks to all the medical team and circuit staff at Mugello and Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS for all the attention I received after my crash. Their quick reaction was very important in giving me a chance to ride in my home race this weekend. The operation in Barcelona last week went very well and Doctors Mir and Marlet as always did a great job. I have been fully concentrated on recovering as well as I possibly can, and I will be giving my all to be on track in my home Grand Prix. The target is to be as close to full strength as I can be and work closely with my team and Honda to try and make another step. I felt we?d made another small step before my crash in Mugello and that was good. I will try to finish the race and improve my feeling with the bike. If we can do that I think it will be a successful weekend.?


Jack Miller 43
?The race didn?t finish like we wanted at Mugello but I?ve got to take the positives out of a bad situation and I definitely think we found some improvement with my race pace in Italy. I can?t dwell too much on Mugello and I?ve got to forget about that and be fully concentrated on bouncing back with a strong performance in Barcelona. I?m really looking forward to this weekend. My European base is not too far away from Barcelona in Andorra, so it is like a second home race for me. I really like the track and it seems to suit the Honda as well, and last year I had my best result in MotoGP, so that also gives me confidence.?
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
A little smile for Octo Pramac Yakhnich in the sad Barcelona week end: Petrux 9th, Scott 11th
In the weekend that will be sadly remembered for the tragic death of Luis Solom occurred during free practice on Friday, Octo Pramac Yakhnich finds a smile thanks to the performance of Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding. For the first time this season, they gained a double direct qualification to Q2 before ending respectively in ninth and eleventh place the Grand Prix of Catalunya qualifying.

It was a particular day due to the change to the circuit layout which has become necessary to increase security measures in the turn 12, theatre of the dramatic crash of yesterday. Both Petrux and Scott, however, interpreted well the new layout managing easily to center direct access to qualifying for pole position (7th and 8th place).

Danilo Petrucci, however, has had to deal with a crash in FP4 that has taken away a bit of confidence. Petrux was still able to achieve a good laptime in Q2 lapping alone (1'44.911) and winning the third row (9th place) in the starting grid of the Grand Prix de Catalunya.

Scott instead missed to enter the Top 10. His quickest laptime of 1'45.030, just 1 millisecond behind Andra Dovizioso, earned him eleventh. The best news, however, come from the race pace. During FP4, in fact, the British rider has been shown to have found a good feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP setting the fifth fastest time in race pace only one-tenth of a second from the virtual podium.

11? - Scott Redding
1?45.030


We have a good base on which we can work for tomorrow's race and also the confidence is good. It will be a tough race, the new layout does not help but it?s a situation common to all. I struggled a bit in qualifying, but in race pace we were very fast and this is a good sign for tomorrow. I'm happy because in Q2 I did better than the FP3. It was not a great improvement but no matter because it means that we are on the right direction.

9? - Danilo Petrucci
1?44.911


We did a good job in Q2. With the new tire the bike proved to be very fast even though I lost a little confidence with the crash in FP4 and this was a shame. We are sure about the tire to use tomorrow especially at the front. We could not find a good set up for the race so far. I'll have to try to ride a little more smoothly than my aggressive style. I think I'll find a bit more difficulties than the others.
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
VI?ALES & TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR SECOND-ROW AT CATALAN GP



Team SUZUKI ECSTAR?s Maverick Vi?ales will start tomorrow?s Catalan MotoGP? from the second-row of the grid after putting his GSX-RR into sixth position in this afternoon?s Q2, as team-mate Aleix Espargar? will start from row five after just missing-out on the final session to determine the front four-rows.

The track?s layout was modified today as a security measure to assure riders? safety after yesterday?s crash, when Moto2 rider Luis Salom lost his life. The revised layout required Vi?ales and Espargar? extra effort to learn new lines and revise the machines? set-up, but the day was hard for them also for the emotions they carried following their friend?s departure.

The first two sessions of the GP of Catalunya saw both Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders work with various chassis options that were introduced last week in Valencia. The evolution chassis work done in the early part of the season has been useful for Suzuki?s R&D in Japan to consolidate a standard chassis that has been developed following feedback from both riders after the Winter tests. Following Valencia, however, the standard chassis configuration was developed further into two various directions; both of them preferred for different reasons by Vi?ales and Espargar? because of personal reasons and riding styles. These two evolution chassis were brought to Catalunya so that both riders had one bike equipped with the standard chassis and another with the new evolution chassis.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?Today we had to restart our work on the track in some way, although the atmosphere was pretty different after what happened yesterday to Luis Salom. We tried to think as normal, and we had two different situations. With Maverick we managed to be performing, the morning was very positive; and in the afternoon he had some small issues, but was only 22-thousands-of-a-second from the first row, which is good because in the race it doesn?t make too much difference to start on first or second row assuming that we will be able to improve his setting and allow him to find the right pace. On the other hand, Aleix missed the Q2 by very little and so he will need to make a recovery race. We still have some options; we will try to find a better feeling on the front and a solid pace to allow him to have a positive race.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?This has been a hard day from the emotional side, because of what happened yesterday. I was very close to Luis and today was pretty hard to get on the bike. However, from the sporting side, the weekend has been positive so far, as I managed to be among the fasted for all of the three free practice sessions, even though I am disappointed with the qualifying. The second row is not that bad, but I?m sad that when the temperatures get higher we can?t find a good feeling with the bike. It?s a problem we have already had - when it becomes hot, we lack in traction and grip - and this affected my performance in qualifying. However, although I?m sixth I?m not far from the first row, which means I still have some room for a good race. The new layout of the track is not that good for us, but assuming it has been done for safety reasons, we will adapt to it.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?What happened yesterday touched me deeply and it felt really, really hard to get back on the bike today. To be honest, yesterday after I heard the news, I was thinking about not racing, but then with all the other riders we decided not to stop the event and commemorate Luis with a good race. The new layout is very hard for me, I struggle to find a good set-up that allows me to be effective in sector ?4? and we lack a lot on grip. The most worrying is the tyre performance; it drops very fast and the difference between new tyres and worn tyres is nearly two seconds, which is a huge drop, and which will make the race very interesting. My position on the grid is not so good, but the pace is not bad; the race will be very long, therefore we still have good hopes for a positive home race.?


CATALUNYA QUALIFYING RESULTS:

1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1'43.589
2 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1'44.056 + 0.467
3 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'44.307 + 0.718
4 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing 1'44.322 + 0.733
5 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1'44.324 + 0.735
6 Maverick VI?ALES Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1'44.329 + 0.740
7 Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda 1'44.366 + 0.777
8 Andrea IANNONE Ducati Team 1'44.458 + 0.869
9 Danilo PETRUCCI OCTO Pramac Yakhnich 1'44.911 + 1.322
10 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1'45.029 + 1.440
13 Aleix ESPARGARO Team SUZUKI ECSTAR SUZUKI 1'44.914 - (Q1)
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
VI?ALES & SUZUKI FOURTH AT THE CATALAN GP


Maverick Vi?ales scored a brilliant result at his home MotoGP? race for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR at the Circuit Catalunya-Barcelona today with a hard-fought fourth position aboard his GSX-RR.

The 21-year-old Spaniard set a blistering pace from the start, moving-up to fifth from his sixth-placed grid position, to hound the leading pack in the early stages, as he lapped even faster than the leaders: In his fifth lap he scored the new circuit record with the stunning 1'45.971, but as the chase to the podium positions was very demanding for the tyres, this forced him to reserve wear and settle for the fourth position.

Team-mate Aleix Espargar?, unfortunately suffered with electronic issues. After the normal tyres dropped, the issue became too prevalent and he had to pull-out of his home race with seven laps to go.

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR will now stay one more day in Catalunya for a session of IRTA tests tomorrow where technicians will verify the data collected over the weekend and prepare for the upcoming races; working particularly with the evolution chassis and fine-tuning of electronics.

Ken Kawauchi ? Technical Manager:

?Firstly, I want to very-much thank both riders because they kept on working both yesterday and today, even though on Friday they lost a very good friend of theirs. They did positive work, and in particular Maverick did a good job in the race. In the first part of the race he stayed with the top competitors, fighting at the same level or even faster, but when the tyre-drop downed our performance, he suffered more than the others, so this is one aspect we have to work on. Anyway, he took the maximum from our machine, he scored fourth and we are happy with this. Aleix, unfortunately, had some electronic issues during the race that forced him to enter the pit lane and retire. This weekend he struggled to find a good feeling with the bike and we will use tomorrow?s test to try to deliver him a more comfortable bike and look towards the next race in Assen positively and with the best attitude.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?I?m happy with the final result of the race, although I had to struggle towards the end with the rear grip and maybe I couldn?t take the whole profit from of our race. I managed to make a really good jump and stay close to the leading group, my laps were consistent and fast, but it took me a lot to overtake for the fifth and then to the fourth positions, stressing my tyres. I?m happy, but it?s also a pity, because if I managed to overtake sooner, my pace would have allowed me to fight for the podium. We still lack in rear grip, we have been dealing with this for a while now and we will work further on that in tomorrow?s test. We will try the evolution chassis again in order to understand how to improve. We still have room for improvement, but overall I can say I?m happy with this fourth place; it?s a good way to remember my friend Luis Salom who passed away on Friday.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?Unfortunately during the race I had electronic issues that prevented me finishing. There was an unusual intervention of the traction control which prevented the bike delivering the power we had, and lap-after-lap, with the consumption of the tyres, the situation got worse and worse, until I had to stop. It?s a pity, I feel at home in Montmel? and I really wanted to have a great race. Unfortunately, we couldn?t be really competitive the whole weekend, we still need to work and get a better feeling, so tomorrow?s test will be very important in this sense. Let?s try to forget this race, focus on the job and think ahead to Assen, which is one of my best tracks.?


CATALUNYA MotoGP? RESULTS:

1 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 44'37.589
2 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team - 44'40.241 + 2.652
3 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team - 44'43.902 + 6.313
4 Maverick VI?ALES Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 45'01.977 + 24.388
5 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 45'07.135 + 29.546
6 Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda - 45'13.833 + 36.244
7 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team - 45'19.053 + 41.464
8 Alvaro BAUTISTA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - 45'20.564 + 42.975
9 Danilo PETRUCCI OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 45'22.926 + 45.337
10 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing - 45'24.258 + 46.669
NC: Aleix ESPARGARO Team SUZUKI ECSTAR
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Unshakeable Rossi Conquers Grand Prix of Catalunya



Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Valentino Rossi returned to the top rostrum today after a brilliant performance at the Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, celebrating his second victory of the season. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo suffered from a premature ending to the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya after a race incident caused by Andrea Iannone.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Valentino Rossi charged to an impeccable victory today at the Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, taking his second win of the season at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya.

Jorge Lorenzo also set a strong pace over the first stages of the race, but he was unable to hold his lead due to front tyre grip issues. Riding in fifth place, he was looking to take home vital points for the championship, until Andrea Iannone clipped him and caused a DNF for them both.

Starting from fifth on the grid Rossi had his work cut out for him as he dropped back to eighth when exiting the first corner. The Doctor immediately put his nimble YZR-M1 to work and carved his way through the pack like a knife through butter. By the end of the first lap he had overtaken Hector Barbera and Andrea Dovizioso. Riding in sixth place as he crossed the line for the first time, Rossi moved on to his next targets, Maverick Vi?ales and Andrea Iannone. He overtook the both of them with a great manoeuvre and quickly passed Dani Pedrosa to earn a spot in the top three with still 22 laps remaining to reel in the front riders.

As he pursued Marc Marquez, the Italian quickened his pace setting a fastest lap of the race so far. He soon reached the back of his rival's bike and smoothly passed the Spaniard on lap six and swiftly moved on to pass his teammate to take over the lead on the very next lap. Now with a clear track in front of him, he put the hammer down, but he was unable to shake off Marquez, who was riding in second place.

The end of the race saw a brilliant fight between the two key protagonists. The local rider made a move in turn five, but Rossi was quick to respond with a brilliant move in turn two a lap later. Marquez used the slipstream to find a way through again, but Rossi fought back. With two laps to go the Italian was in Marquez' slipstream and needed no second invitation when the Spaniard left a gap on the penultimate lap in turn seven, allowing Rossi to make the race-winning pass. Marquez was unable to make up the lost time, while Rossi rode towards his second victory of the season, holding a 2.652s margin over the finish line.

Lorenzo had a lightning fast start from second on the grid to take the holeshot. He rode the early stages of the race exactly as he had planned, increasing his lead to over 0.7s by lap two, whilst the 20 riders behind him tried to sort out their order.

The Mallorcan rider pushed hard, but was unable to completely break away from Marquez in second place and his fast approaching Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammate. He was forced to let the pair go past with 19 laps to go as he struggled to find grip on the harder front tyre. Lorenzo tried to make his Yamaha as wide as possible, yet Pedrosa also found his way past. He was then put under pressure by Vi?ales. A hot battle followed, with multiple overtakes from both riders, but in the end Lorenzo was unable to stick with his compatriot as the grip-level of his tyre was too deteriorated. The Spaniard then cleverly focused on collecting as many points as possible and was determined to keep Andrea Iannone at bay, but then disaster struck. Nine laps before the end Iannone ran into the back of Lorenzo's bike whilst entering turn ten, thus ending the race for both riders.

Rossi's first place earns him 25 points. This result keeps him in third place in the championship standings on 103 points, now just 12 points behind Lorenzo in second position.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"Until the start of the race it had been a very strange weekend because we faced many issues, first with the front tyre wear, then with the new track layout and finally with the tyre choice. The decision on the tyres was never a question because there was only one option for us, but when we tested the hard tyre in FP4, the riders' feelings were not good at all, so we did not know what to expect from the race.

"Our crew reacted in a magnificent way because they drastically revised the set up of both bikes, especially to make them suitable for T4, which was our weakest sector.

"The race was another bittersweet one after Mugello. I'm almost speechless in front of Valentino's supremacy on track today. I believe he's written a new page in the history of this sport, winning at Montmel? seven years after his last victory here. He's been able to recover from a less than perfect start that moved him back to the eighth place, and then he's given the race a rhythm that was unmatchable for his rivals.

"Jorge did a great start and led the race for six laps, until the front tyre dropped and he had to manage the attacks from Pedrosa, Vi?ales and ultimately Iannone. I believe Iannone has no excuses and, because it's not the first time he causes such an accident, I expected the Race Direction to be more strict with him, as this incident could seriously compromise Jorge's chances to fight for the title.

"Finally, a special thought to Luis Salom and his family. Today's show, put together by all riders, is the best way to pay tribute to a member of our extended "MotoGP Family" who is no longer with us."
Valentino Rossi
1st / 44'37.589 / 25 laps, Championship: 3rd, 103 points


"I think it was a perfect Sunday, because this morning we improved the setting of the bike a lot and after the warm-up I felt more confident about the race. The race was great! Though the start was not fantastic, I was strong enough to come back, do some good overtaking and arrive in front. From that moment I tried to push at 100 percent to go away alone, but unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to pull away from Marquez. I tried to stay quiet and ride well, because I felt I had a good pace and felt good with the bike. At the end I was ready for the battle, which was a good one, with a lot of overtaking and I was ready to give it a try. You can't wish for a better race, I think. This is one of my favourite tracks and it was from 2009 that I didn't win here, and that wasn't great for me. For this reason I'm more happy today and the battle with Marquez we can put on the same level as the battle with Lorenzo. What happened in Mugello was very sad because I was ready to fight for the victory there, which was fantastic. Over the last week I just thought I had to try do the same, to arrive ready for the race. Together with my team we did a great job and I think this is the best way to forget about the zero points in Mugello."
Jorge Lorenzo
DNF, Championship: 2nd, 115 points

"First of all, as I said yesterday, everything is secondary after what happened on Friday. About the race, it's unbelievable that Iannone made this mistake again and when he did, instead of saying "sorry" he asked me if I had an engine failure or something strange happening in this corner. I thought it was his fault, but he had this reaction and didn't say sorry. There is always one rider that doesn't understand the risks and that his actions can seriously injure the other riders and if Race Direction don't give him a hard penalisation, like they did with me in 2005, these kinds of riders don't understand that they have to change their mentality. That's why I think starting the race from last position is not enough, because in five to seven laps he will be positioned at the front again due to his pace."
Espargaro stars at home GP to clinch 5th

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro produced a superb performance in front of over 100,000 passionate fans to seal the top independent position for the fourth time this season. The 24-year-old Spaniard kicked off his campaign from the 12 place on the grid and launched forward when the lights went out before closing the first lap in 8th. With the target being a strong finish in front of his home crowd, Espargaro quickly stuck into a formidable pace and he dived past the factory Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso two laps later. He continued pushing and was running in 5th with a third of the distance left to run, before meeting the chequered flag in this position, marking a positive close to the weekend for the Barcelona born rider.

On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 pit box, Bradley Smith's weekend came to an unfortunate end after withdrawing from the race six laps in due to a technical issue with the engine. The young Briton began the race from the fifth row of the grid and he undertook a solid start after taking the outside line into the first turn. However, shortly afterwards he dropped to the back of the field and then despite his best efforts he was forced to retire a few laps later. Today's result marks a disappointing end to a tough weekend for the 25 year old, yet, after tomorrow's test at the Catalunya circuit, he will seek to bounce back strongly at the Dutch Grand Prix in a fortnight's time.

Pol Espargaro
5th / +29.546 / 25 laps, Championship: 6th / 59 points


"Even though I am really pleased with my performance today, I have to say that it was a hard weekend and the race was especially challenging but my main target was to finish the GP for Luis so I put in 200% effort and achieved it. When I was sitting on the grid, I was a bit unsure about which rear tyre to run. I had used the medium compound all weekend long, yet the majority of the grid was going for another option and only Bradley, Dani and me picked the medium compound. Now I believe it was definitely the right choice, especially because we were able to be strong in the opening laps after a good start. Then, I kept the distance from Cal and pushed until the chequered flag. Looking back on the weekend, I have to say that I believe it was the right choice to continue the event. In our sport we showed that we are a big family, and even if all of us didn't know Luis, we gave our respect to him, with the three best riders in the race demonstrating this by putting on the memorial shirts as well as all the riders running Luis' number. We had to make some important decisions in the safety commission to show the world that we care and that we are united but, he will always be in our thoughts and the best way to remember him is to continue showing our love as a family. Next up we have a test tomorrow, and then after that it will be round 8 in the Netherlands."
Bradley Smith
DNF, Championship: 12th / 29 points


"It goes without saying that this is quite an upsetting way to finish the Grand Prix. As soon as we began, I noticed that something wasn't right with the bike, even though I didn't know immediately what it was. We lost a lot of positions and I was struggling when slowing the bike down. Now, we will obviously investigate what happened in order to figure out what the issue was. However, it's frustrating to finish this way because I certainly felt that we could have had a really positive close to an otherwise tricky weekend. Thanks to the Tech3 team for their efforts in Catalunya, we'll work out the issue and then start again with testing tomorrow. Nevertheless, I am certain that we can get right back to where we need to be at the next round which is the Motul Dutch TT."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Repsol Honda celebrates double podium at home race


Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) today scored their second double podium of 2016, at the team?s home round of the championship.

The pair finished second and third at the end of a thrilling race, which turned into another classic duel between Marquez and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Both men rode the outer limits in pursuit of victory, Rossi finally prevailing despite several sensational moves by Marquez, whose sixth podium from the first seven races puts him back into the championship lead.

On the podium all three men paid tribute to Moto2 rider Luis Salom, who tragically lost his life during Friday afternoon practice. The circuit layout was adjusted following the accident and the Grand Prix only continued following consultation with the 25-year-old Spaniard?s family, other riders and the MotoGP Safety Commission. Today?s racing went ahead after an emotional ceremony of a minute?s silence on the grid.

After the race Rossi dedicated his win to Salom, while Marquez transposed the nine and three of his #93 race number to #39, the number used by Salom.

Hot temperatures and slippery track conditions meant this afternoon?s MotoGP race was a test of managing used tyres. Four-time World Champion Marquez held second for the majority of the 25 laps, all the while planning an attack during the closing laps.

The 23-year-old Spaniard first took the lead at turn ten on lap 20, before once again exchanging places with Rossi on the start/finish straight. With two laps to go he was building for another attack when a small error cost him the chance to take his second premier-class win at the undulating track outside the city of Barcelona.

Nevertheless, Marquez now has a ten-point advantage in the World Championship, following the exit from the race of reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who was taken out by another rider.

Pedrosa ended the race just six seconds behind Rossi and may have finished even closer had it not been for some aggressive overtaking from Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) in the early stages. The three-time World Champion maintained an impressive pace, despite a late decision to use Michelin?s medium rear tyre, only easing off in the closing laps. The result strengthened his fourth place in the points standings.

Another rider with reason to cheer Briton was Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda RC213V) who rode to a sixth-place finish, his best result of the season, and good enough to make it three Honda riders inside the top six.

Despite a difficult and injury-plagued opening to the year, Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) showed signs that he is returning to full fitness with tenth place, his best result in the MotoGP class. The 21-year old made steady improvements with set-up overnight and was able to extract the maximum from his bike in the race.

Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) arguably put in the most heroic race of the day by riding to a brave 14th place despite fracturing his left collarbone just over two weeks ago in Mugello. The Spaniard showed plenty of the grit that took him to the 2014 Moto2 World Championship and gained a wealth of crucial race experience in the process.

The MotoGP paddock now has a two-weekend break before travelling north to the Netherlands for the Dutch round of the 2016 at the iconic Assen venue.


Marc Marquez 93
2nd

?It has been a hard weekend for all the riders, but in the end I think that together we paid tribute to Luis Salom with the Sunday that he deserved. It was a nice race with Valentino. I was suffering a little with the increase in temperature and was never completely comfortable, so I was unable to try overtaking at the right time. I had a couple of scares and started doing the math for the standings in my head, knowing that Jorge Lorenzo was out of the race, and I think that in the end, a podium finish is a very positive result for the championship. Another thing that?s important for motorcycle racing is that Valentino and I shook hands; it was probably the weekend and the right situation to do so.?

Dani Pedrosa 26
3rd

?This has been a positive race. We opted for the medium rear tyre because I felt more comfortable with it. On the first few laps I tried not to wear it down too much so as to keep it in good condition for the final stretch of the race. In the fight with Maverick Vinales I lost contact with the front group, but I managed to set a good pace and push a little more. In the final laps, the rear tyre had degraded quite a lot and there was nothing more that I could do. I?m happy to get back at the front and return to the podium, and to do so at home. But on the other hand it?s been a difficult weekend for what has happened. Luis?s family wanted us to continue, and we gave our all for him and for them. The minute?s silence, with all the riders and the whole MotoGP family, was really emotional.?

Cal Crutchlow 35
6th

?I can?t be happy. First and foremost I thought it would be a good idea to finish two races in a row, and I finished sixth. I beat a lot of guys that I didn?t in Mugello but here we didn?t have as many problems. It was a race of survival in the end. I had a great rear tyre today for the start of the race, which was crucial to follow other riders. We have to give great credit to Honda because you can see how much the factory bikes have improved since preseason. By the time my rear tyre was finished I just cruised round to the finish as there was no point in taking any risks. I made a couple of mistakes in braking zones but overall it was a good way to end a difficult weekend.?

Tito Rabat 53
14th

?I am really happy to finish inside the points in my home race and I want to thank all the people that helped me to get this result just over two weeks after I broke my collarbone. It was very a physically demanding race for me in the hot conditions but I?m so pleased to get more crucial mileage under my belt on the bike and I was able to gain a lot of experience, despite being less than 100% fit. I made a bad start in the race but I recovered well and made some good overtakes and I?m happy to finish. It has been a difficult weekend after the sad passing of Luis Salom and I was determined to finish for him. Now I can focus on continuing my recovery to be back to full fitness in Assen.?


Jack Miller 43
10th

?I?m really happy to be back in the points and I had a big fight throughout the race and really enjoyed it. I tried to conserve my tyres because I knew we would lose some grip in the hot conditions and it was a strategy that paid off. I definitely feel like I got the most potential out of the bike today. I tried to save the tyres in Jerez and I probably conserved them too much and felt I could have pushed more. But today I gave it my all and I used the whole performance potential of the rear tyre. To finish in the top 10 for the first time in my MotoGP career is a really big boost for me. My guys have stuck with me all through a difficult first part of the season and I?m happy for the team. And I dedicate my first top 10 in MotoGP to my friend Luis Salom, who I will miss greatly.?
 
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