Pedrosa speaks out

[Gatso shy]

Pedrosa speaks out




Dani Pedrosa went form hero to villain in the Repsol Honda garage in one swift movement. Here he talks about what happens and how he felt about the incident.
What were your feelings when you woke up on Monday morning?

Was it ,,,,, I'm screwed ?

I thought that it had been a heavy blow, especially for my team mate Nicky, but also for me, for Honda, for Repsol, for the mechanics and for all the fans that have been following us throughout the season. I'm very sad about what happened in Estoril. I know that there's nothing I can change now, but there are still many chances for my team mate Nicky Hayden to become World Champion. Repsol Honda is one team and we are going to show it in Valencia, as we always do. I'll do everything I can to help him. We have a big challenge ahead but we can make it.
Nicky's behaviour and reaction on Sunday afternoon was really praiseworthy, he behaved like a gentleman. Have you thought about how you would have reacted being faced with a situation like this, i.e. if he would have hit you with you leading the overall standings?
I've thought a lot about it. He didn't want to start any kind of controversy through the media and despite everything that had happened and how angry he was, he managed to calm down and behave like a great professional. Nicky has taught a lesson of professionalism behaving in an excellent way. He accepted my apologies when I went to see him in his motorhome and he didn't foster the media, nor did he want to make a big deal out of this. I know what he told the media and despite them trying to get good headlines, Nicky didn't say a single negative word about me. And to tell you the truth, I would have understood. It was his right.
Let's talk sincerely about the incident on Sunday. Now that some days have passed and you're able to analyse it from a cooler perspective, what can you tell us about what happened in corner number 6 of the Estoril Circuit on lap five of the race?
I made a good start; I passed Nicky and put myself behind Rossi who was pushing hard. I knew that Rossi wouldn't be able to escape and also that Edwards was there and that he would try to stop us to help Rossi. Suddenly Edwards passed me, almost taking me off my line and I had a big fright. Shortly after it happened again with Nicky, so I decided not to take part in the battle so soon and stayed fourth, waiting. There was a lot of race left and it wasn't the time to start absurd fights. Valentino was not escaping and being fourth was alright. My plan was to control Valentino and let the laps go by to attack towards the end.

So, I understand that your final attack was aimed at taking the victory?
Yes, that's right. Alberto [Puig] and I had talked about the different possibilities and our aim was scoring 50 points in the two remaining races. Honda had given us freedom to decide and we had mathematically chances. Nicky could fail in one of the races and the Yamaha had already shown along the season, that the engine is fragile. So our plan was to score those 50 points, considering that there were two circuits ahead in which we could be very competitive, and just watch what Rossi and my team mate Nicky would be doing. I'm a race rider and I obviously want to win, but all those who follow me and know me, know that I have never done it by trickery. I had never knocked down anyone in the six years I've been in the World Championship. Not even in my worst dreams would I have thought that something like what happened on Sunday could ever happen to me. I wanted to win, but in no way hindering my team mate from continuing with his fight for the title. He has been working very hard this season, he has been very regular and he had big chances to win the title. I also race to win and as long as Honda wouldn't say anything different, I had to try.
You were saying that staying fourth waiting for what would happen was alright?
Yes, that was my plan, to control the situation, to observe and to play my cards towards the end. But suddenly, in corner 6, a left-hander after the second longest straight of the circuit, I arrived too fast at the braking point and my rear tyre was up while I was operating the brakes. It was only a question of a few seconds; I noticed what was going to happen, I went through the inside looking for space enough to brake and when the front tyre lost grip I just prayed to God to be the only one to crash? It was an instant, some tenths of a second, but I remember perfectly well how my team mate was on the asphalt and his despair.
Many people used those moments to level criticism, sometimes heartless, at Dani Pedrosa. What does Dani have to say about everything that has been written about him these days?
I just can say that I'm terribly sorry about what happened. Nicky didn't deserve something like this. I have already apologised to whom I had to, and I publicly commit myself to doing all I can to help my team mate to achieve the title. I will be Nicky Hayden's best help in Valencia

 

[Oldbull]

Heres Some More

REPSOL HONDA TEAM HEAD FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN AT VALENCIA



The climax of the extraordinary 2006 MotoGP World Championship takes place at the Valencia circuit in Spain this weekend, with Nicky Hayden looking to launch a sensational comeback to clinch his first world title. The 25-year-old American rider sits eight points from the top of the standings and will be going all out in Sunday?s 30-lap race to secure the championship he?s led for most of the season.

Hayden rates the Valencia circuit as one of his favourites on the Grand Prix calendar and the Repsol Honda star proved his pace here last year, finishing just 0.097s seconds adrift of the

, Marco Melandri on the Movistar Honda. After the disappointing result in Estoril, Hayden will be going into this weekend?s decider with nothing to lose. If he scores nine points more than title rival Valentino Rossi, the crown will go to Hayden.

21-year old Spaniard Dani Pedrosa will be riding for the third time this year in front of his home crowd. The MotoGP Rookie of the Year has a brilliant record at Valencia in the smaller Grand Prix categories having taken the race win, pole position and fastest lap on three previous occasions ? in 2004 and 2005 in the 250cc class and in 2002 on the 125. Pedrosa will be looking to bounce back from the Estoril weekend with a strong performance and has declared his intention to do all he can to assist Hayden?s championship cause. A Repsol Honda one-two, with Hayden taking the chequered flag first, would add the Riders? world championship to the Constructors? and Team titles which are already in the bag.

The Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo first held a round of the motorcycle World Championship in 1999, and has hosted the final MotoGP event of the season since 2002. Completed in 1999, it?s a modern venue with excellent viewing facilities for up to 150,000 fans. Many of the grandstands afford a view of almost the entire 4.005km (2.487 miles) lap, and the total weekend attendance last year was a staggering 212,312 spectators.

Dominated by medium to slow corners, MotoGP bikes spend much of their time in second and third gears at Valencia, and for this reason it?s not regarded as a classic Grand Prix circuit. But there are challenges, chief among them the fast left-hander at the end of the lap which crests a rise and is the scene of spectacular rear wheel slides as the 250bhp MotoGP bikes become unweighted.

With practice beginning on Friday followed by qualifying on Saturday, Sunday?s 30-lap Grand Prix of Valencia begins at 14.00 CET. This race also marks the end of the spectacular 990cc MotoGP era, with 800cc rules coming into effect for the 2007 season.



How Hayden can take the 2006 title:

The Repsol Honda ace needs to score at least 9 points more than Valentino Rossi to take the World Championship. The possible finishing results to ensure this are:


Hayden 1st (25 points) with Rossi 3rd or below (16 points)

Hayden 2nd (20 points) with Rossi 5th or below (11 points)

Hayden 3rd (16 points) with Rossi 9th or below (7 points)

Hayden 4th (13 points) with Rossi 12th or below (4 points)

Hayden 5th (11 points) with Rossi 14th or below (2 points)

Hayden 6th(10 points) with Rossi 15th or below (1 point)

Hayden 7th (9 points) with Rossi 16th or below (0 points)




Nicky Hayden ? World Championship Position: 2nd ? 236 points

?When I think about the last race I still feel pretty sick but the truth is I?ve got to get over it because whinnying or talking about it any more won?t change that doughnut in the points column. My shoulder is feeling a little better, the clutch is finally better and my boy Elias did me a huge favour at Estoril and gave me hope! Valencia is a track I really like and the atmosphere there is unreal - it?s as good as it gets as far as a crowd to race in front of. So I go there with nothing to lose ? I need to win and hope that Rossi has a bad weekend. I know that?s a long shot but we won?t surrender until the chequered flag on Sunday. I know my team is in my corner and I have lots of fans ? especially back home ? still riding with me. Also it?s the last race for MotoGP as we know it so I am sure this one will be another classic!?




Dani Pedrosa ? World Championship Position: 5th ? 202 points

?It?s been quite a difficult time since the race at Estoril, for obvious reasons. It?s hard to just forget such an incident, especially when it was so important for Nicky and the team, but that is what I must do now. I have to put it behind me and to focus on getting the best possible result this weekend. I?ll do everything I can to help Nicky ? we have a big challenge ahead but we can make it. Valencia is a small circuit, but it?s a good test of the bikes. On a MotoGP machine it?s going to feel very tight and the key will be to get a good balance from the bike in the many medium and slow corners. It?s very flat and it?s very good for fans because they can follow the whole lap of a rider from almost every spot. And since it's the last race of the championship and in Spain, the atmosphere is going to very intense. I?ve been on pole position and won the race here three times before so I really hope the weather stays fine and I?m able to put in a strong performance this weekend and get the right result for the team.?


Circuit length : 4.005km (2.487 miles)


Lap Record : Marco Melandri 1m 33.043s (2005