It was a day of mixed emotions for the Yamaha Motor Italia team in
Assen. Andrew Pitt grabbed two superb second places to move up to fourth in
the championship but team-mate Noriyuki Haga dropped down to third
after he failed to finish either race.
The day's first race was wet and, with little more than 15 minutes rain
testing in the morning warm-up, was to prove something of a lottery
that caught out all of the main title contenders.
Starting from second on the grid, Haga found himself in fourth place at
the end of the first lap, behind series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati)
and the Suzukis of Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama. Despite the conditions
the racing proved close, with Haga fearless on the brakes as he took
the lead for the first time on lap six. One by one Haga's rivals crashed
out, leaving the Yamaha rider with an 18 second lead over team-mate
Pitt in second. Unfortunately Haga also succumbed to the conditions,
losing the front end on lap 13 of 22.
That left Pitt in the lead, the Australian having worked his way
diligently through after ending the first lap in seventh place. The
Australian had found it hard to overtake, a situation caused as much by the
proliferation of yellow caution flags as the slippery surface, but finally
got past Michel Fabrizio (Honda) to take the lead on lap 13.
Pitt rode steadily as the conditions worsened, but by lap 15 wet
weather specialist Chris Walker completed his charge from the back of the
grid to take the lead going into the chicane. The Englishman went on to
take his first ever world championship win, while Pitt used his head to
take his fourth podium finish of the season.
Race two was run in dry conditions but proved to be short for Haga. The
Yamaha rider had collided with Corser coming off the line but led into
the first turn, only to be knocked off by another rider. With the
accident also claiming Corser and championship contender James Toseland
(Honda), Bayliss led from Pitt and Kagayama. Bayliss was able to make a
break and take his 10th win of the year, while Pitt rode a superb race to
take a comfortable second ahead of third placed Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki).
Norick Abe used all of his experience to take fifth place on his Yamaha
Motor France YZF-R1 in the opening race. The Japanese rider avoided the
carnage to move steadily through the pack, although he was unable to
equal his best result of the season after being passed by Nieto on the
final corner. Team-mate and countryman Shinichi Nakatomi gained three
points for 13th place, although there was disappointment for Sebastien
Gimbert on the third Yamaha France machine. He crashed out of a top 10
finish on lap 10 and was unable to make the second race due to a back
injury. Abe and Nakatomi also failed to score in the second race after
retiring with a lack of grip.
Bayliss now leads the championship by 100 points from Toseland, who is
two points ahead of third placed Haga. Pitt's 40 point haul in the
Netherlands, the highest of any rider on the day, sees him move up two
places, to fourth overall, with three rounds and six races of the
championship remaining.
Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"At half distance I really thought that I could have won that second
race, but in the end the front tyre was gone and I had to settle for
second. I'm really pleased with how its went today and I'd like to give
special thanks to my team, because they worked very hard and gave me a
great bike for the races. When Chris passed me in the first race I tried
to stay with him but I think that I was destined to be second.
Fortunately the grip is quite good here in the wet but there were a few parts
that were unbelievably slippery, probably from the oil that got spilled
in the morning warm-up. You just had to work out where you could push
and where you couldn't and thankfully I was able to bring it home."
Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"My pace in the first race was not so good but I was lucky that many
riders crashed in front of me. In the second race I made a good start but
slipped back because the grip wasn't right. I went out of the points
and pulled in because it was too dangerous to continue."
Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"Very difficult weekend. Conditions were very hard in the first race
and I was pleased to make the finish and score points. In the second race
there was a problem with the rear grip, I think the suspension settings
caused the tyre to wear too quickly, and I had to retire."
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"A very bad day with many crashes. After crashing in the warm-up I had
to ride my second bike for the first race. I had a good feeling with
the bike but then I just lost the front without any warning. The second
was also disappointing because I made a good start and was leading into
the first corner. The next thing I knew another bike has hit me and I
am out with Toseland and Corser."
Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"My back is very painful but I have been to the hospital and the scans
say nothing is broken. This is good news and with the Bol d'Or
endurance racing coming up soon I hope I can make a speedy recovery."
Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"It's been a mixed day for us in Assen. For Nori it's been a bad day,
losing 25 points in the first race and then getting knocked off in the
second. Andrew, however, rode two fantastic races. He scored more points
than anyone else and has moved up two places in the championship, so
this is a good result for him. His points have also moved Yamaha up to
second in the constructor's championship. This is also important because
it proves to us that we have a very good bike and that the team is
working in the right way. Now we've got to go to Lausitzring next weekend.
We had a good test there recently and we're looking forward to going
back."
Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France)
"It's been a crazy day because it stared out well and finished bad. The
biggest problem is Gimbert's injury. Nothing is broken but he will not
make the Lausitz race because the most important thing for him is the
Bol d'Or. Abe made a very nice race in the first but it was a bad choice
of tyre in race two. The tyre is completely destroyed, and I have never
seen anything like it. He used the 200, but Nakatomi used the smaller
one and had basically the same problem. So we had a soft tyre and hard
tyre and both had a problem. Maybe we did not adjust the suspension
properly for the conditions."
Race 1 - 22 Laps
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
1, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 44'23.501
2, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.965
3, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 0'24.130
4, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 0'36.968
5, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 0'37.178
6, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'37.324
7, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'40.930
8, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 0'41.857
9, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'53.382
10, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 0'55.869
11, Ivan Clementi, Ducati, ITA, 1'39.835
12, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 1'59.724
13, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, -1 Laps
14, Harry van Beek, Suzuki, NED, -1 Laps
15, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki, ITA, -5 Laps
Race 2 - 22 Laps
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 40'0.000
2, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 0'9.342
3, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 0'11.648
4, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 0'12.743
5, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'12.811
6, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'19.845
7, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 0'29.241
8, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'34.085
9, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 0'42.113
10, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 0'51.815
11, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 0'53.608
12, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 0'56.132
13, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'57.168
14, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'1.056
15, Joshua Brookes, Kawasaki, AUS, 1'34.429
Best Lap
Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'40.767
Rider Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points
1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 332
2, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 232
3, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 230
4, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 197
5, Troy Corser, Suzuki, AUS, 193
6, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 175
7, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 139
8, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 123
9, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 115
10, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 112
11, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 109
12, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 95
13, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 88
14, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 80
15, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 76
17, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 32
20, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 18
Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Manufacturer, Points
1, Ducati, 351
2, Yamaha, 299
3, Honda, 292
4, Suzuki, 282
5, Kawasaki, 181
6, Petronas, 13
RACE REPORT - 03/09/2006
Curtain takes championship lead in Assen
Kevin Curtain did a professional job in difficult conditions to take
second place and the championship lead at Assen today, although there was
disappointment for his Yamaha Motor Germany squad as team-mate Broc
Parkes suffered serious injury after crashing.
The experienced Australian finished second in each leg of the two-part
race to pull out a seven point lead over defending world champion
Sebastien Charpentier (Honda). Charpentier took the chequered flag 'on the
road' but finished fourth on aggregate time.
In wet conditions it was Curtain's team-mate Broc Parkes who took the
lead and quickly pulled away. The Australian had hoped a good result
would put him right in contention for the title after winning last time
out in Brands Hatch but his day ended on lap three when he suffered a
huge crash. The rider lost the rear of his machine and tumbled
spectacularly into the gravel. Parkes was taken to hospital where the initial
diagnosis suggests he has suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung and
an injured shoulder.
With Parkes out, Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu built up a big lead while
Curtain slotted into a five rider battle for second. The Yamaha rider
was battling with Kai Borre Andersen (Suzuki) when the red flags were
brought out on lap 10 to allow medical staff to attend to an injured
rider. Charpentier took the flag in a relatively incident-free second part,
with Curtain and Sofuoglu content to ride sensibly and finish second
and third on the road. Sofuoglu took the win, his first of the season, on
aggregate time, with Curtain second, Andersen third and Charpentier
fourth.
Curtain now leads the championship on 151 points to Charpentier's 144,
with three races remaining. Parkes stays third, on 119.
Yamaha's other supersport riders faced mixed results in Assen. Yamaha
Team Italia riders Gianluca Vizziello and Massimo Roccoli brought their
YZF-R6s home in seventh and eighth places respectively, while Yamaha
GMT94's David Checa ran strongly until being sidelined with an electrical
problem in the second part of the race.
Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany)
"It was important to come here and get a good result for the
championship. It's a shame for us that the race was wet, because we worked really
hard all weekend to find a great set-up for the dry conditions. It was
important not to throw it down the road and we can go to Lausitz in
good spirits. I'm a lot more confident going to Lausitz than I was coming
here, because we've tested there and have good settings while
Assen was completely new to us with this bike."
Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I'm happy with the result today and felt confident because I normally
go quite well in the rain and had a good rhythm in the practice. It's
important to have a good end to the season, to remain in the top 10 of
the championship and to build up my confidence for next season."
Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I felt a lot better in the second part of the race as I learned a lot
about how to ride this track in the wet conditions. With Tibero and
Harms crashing I thought about the championship and rode for the points.
I'm satisfied because I am not normally strong in the wet but have
scored some good points today."
Terrell Thien (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor Germany)
"When Broc was in the lead everything was looking OK but in the crash
he had a bad head knock and other internal injuries. It is strange
because it is great for Kevin to be leading the championship but tonight I
my feelings are mixed, on one hand I am happy for Kevin but very sad for
Broc."
Race 1 - 21 Laps
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
1, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 41'49.124
2, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.581
3, Kai Borre Andersen, Suzuki, NOR, 0'9.241
4, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 0'9.489
5, Arie Vos, Honda, NED, 0'29.994
6, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'31.858
7, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 0'54.312
8, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 0'56.085
9, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'9.735
10, Stuart Easton, Ducati, GBR, 1'13.899
11, Maxime Berger, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'21.451
12, Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda, BEL, 1'26.458
13, Alessio Velini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'32.137
14, Vesa Kallio, Yamaha, FIN, 1'37.377
15, Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati, ITA, 1'45.357
Best Lap
Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 1'55.516
Rider Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points
1, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 151
2, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 144
3, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 119
4, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 94
5, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 92
6, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 86
7, Yoann Tibero, Honda, FRA, 67
8, Johan Stigefelt, Honda, SWE, 57
9, Xavi Fores, Yamaha, ESP, 49
10, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 46
11, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 29
12, Simone Sanna, Honda, ITA, 27
13, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Honda, JPN, 22
14, Joshua Brookes, Ducati, AUS, 21
15, Christian Zaiser, Ducati, AUT, 21
Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Manufacturer, Points
1, Honda, 202
2, Yamaha, 188
3, Ducati, 54
4, Kawasaki, 49
5, Suzuki, 28
RACE REPORT - 03/09/2006
Corti takes second 1000cc win at Assen
Yamaha Team Italia youngster Claudio Corti took his second FIM
Superstock 1000 Cup win of the season in a thrilling Assen race.
The Italian had looked strong all weekend, placing his Yamaha YZF-R1 SP
second on the grid and riding an intelligent race to fend off the
challenge of British superstock champion Brendon Roberts (Suzuki). The pair
enjoyed a fascinating battle which was settled once and for all when
Roberts braked too late trying to make a pass as they went into the final
chicane for the last time. Corti's win sees him close in on the top
three of the championship. The Italian remains fourth in the standings but
is now 17 points from third placed Luca Scassa (MV Agusta) with three
races remaining. Alessandro Polita (Suzuki) finished third to extend his
championship lead to 22 points over non-finishing pole sitter Ayrton
Badovini (MV Agusta). Former European supersport champion Matteo Baiocco
finished fourth on another Yamaha.
Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I am especially happy because I did not make a good start today. I was
able to recover quickly though and when I got into the lead I had a
good feeling that I could win. I knew that Roberts would try to pass at
the last corner so I was aware of him and waiting for his mistake. It's a
good result and now I will push hard and try to finish in the top three
of the championship."
Race 1 - 13 Laps
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
1, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 22'58.130
2, Brendan Roberts, Suzuki, AUS, 0'3.461
3, Alessandro Polita, Suzuki, ITA, 0'5.718
4, Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha, ITA, 0'6.094
5, Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 0'7.397
6, Enrique Rocamora, Yamaha, ESP, 0'7.623
7, Gilles Boccolini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'8.007
8, Loic Napoleone, Suzuki, FRA, 0'8.557
9, Ilario Dionisi, Yamaha, ITA, 0'8.596
10, David Johnson, Yamaha, AUS, 0'10.275
11, Sheridan Morais, Suzuki, RSA, 0'16.091
12, Riccardo Chiarello, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'16.188
13, Richard Cooper, Honda, GBR, 0'16.396
14, Danilo Dell'omo, Suzuki, ITA, 0'17.802
15, Herve Gantner, Yamaha, CHE, 0'24.357
Best Lap
Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time
Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 1'44.800
Rider Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points
1, Alessandro Polita, Suzuki, ITA, 131
2, Ayrton Badovini, MV Agusta, ITA, 109
3, Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 107
4, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 90
5, Enrique Rocamora, Yamaha, ESP, 65
6, Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha, ITA, 51
7, Denis Sacchetti, Kawasaki, ITA, 45
8, Riccardo Chiarello, Kawasaki, ITA, 43
9, Brendan Roberts, Suzuki, AUS, 42
10, Richard Cooper, Honda, GBR, 34
11, Alex Martinez Mas, Kawasaki, ESP, 30
12, Sheridan Morais, Suzuki, RSA, 29
13, Ivan Silva, Kawasaki, ESP, 27
14, Loic Napoleone, Suzuki, FRA, 24
15, Danilo Dell'omo, Suzuki, ITA, 23
Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006
Pos., Manufacturer, Points
1, Suzuki, 144
2, MV Agusta, 129
3, Yamaha, 108
4, Kawasaki, 78
5, Honda, 35