A-Z from the Teams on Jerez – MotoGP
- Posted by TRS Media on March 31st, 2008
TOUGH BUT DETERMINED RACE FOR STONER AND MELANDRI
It certainly wasn’t an easy Grand Prix of Spain for the two Ducati MotoGP Team riders at the tricky Jerez circuit but a show of character and determination. For Casey Stoner, who was never completely comfortable with the set-up of his GP8 all weekend, his desire to give 100% combined with a touch of bad luck saw him run into the gravel twice.
After a superb start lifted him to third place on the opening lap, the World Champion’s first off-track excursion came on the third lap and saw him relegated to last place. By the 22nd lap an exciting fight-back had lifted him back into the fight for fifth but contact with Nakano at the end of the back straight led to another trip across the gravel. Stoner again returned to the track in eleventh and without enough remaining laps to repeat his comeback.
Like in Qatar, Marco Melandri saved his best for the race and set a much better pace in the second half of the encounter to rise from the very back of the grid to a twelfth place finish.
CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 11th
“Today wasn’t my day – I suppose it wasn’t my weekend! We never found the set-up here that would let us make the most of our potential. Normally braking is one of the strong points of our bike but here I just didn’t have the feeling with the front. I wasn’t quite on the limit when I ran off track the first time but I couldn’t get the bike stopped so it took me by surprise because we weren’t doing anything differently. After that I had to really push to get back into the race and I was pretty happy once I caught the group. Just when I was passing Nakano he let go of the brakes and touched my wheel, so I had nowhere to go but the gravel. I think I could have finished fifth, which I would have been happy with, but instead it was a bit of a disaster. The tires weren’t perfect but they weren’t bad either so I can’t blame it on that. I’m not happy but it’s not the end of the world – there are plenty of other tracks and other races, starting with Portugal, where we went well last year and finished on the podium, even if we had some little problems, and where this year we will try to fight for victory.”
MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati MotoGP Team) 12th
“Today, like in Qatar, we improved in the second half of the race when the bike improved under braking and on the way into the corners so I could ride much better. Unfortunately I didn’t have the grip on the rear and that made me lose a lot under acceleration as soon as I went on the gas. This is my main problem and it is this which we must improve. We knew, however, that this weekend would be difficult because this track is something of an Achilles heel for Ducati, with the 800 at least, because with the 990 they won. In any case we must work and we must continue to improve especially the rear grip”.
LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Leader)
“It’s been an unfortunate day for Casey, his first running of track affected his whole race. After that he set a great pace and produced a brilliant comeback. Unfortunately he then touched with Nakano and that cost him fifth place – a result that would have been satisfactory at a circuit that really doesn’t suit our package. It’s a shame but it’s only the second race and he can be up there. Today he showed that he’s a fighter and that he never gives up. Marco, like in Qatar, was able to lap at the sort of pace we expect from him in the second part of the race so we need to understand why he’s struggling so much in the first half. Tomorrow we have a day of tests and we’ll work hard to help him and to work out why we’ve struggled so much here.”
Fantastic fifth for Capirossi at Jerez
Loris Capirossi raced his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to a brilliant fifth place at today’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.
Starting from 10th on the grid, Capirossi got a great start and was up to seventh at the end of lap one. He picked up another couple of places on lap three before settling into a strong and consistent race pace. Suzuki’s new Italian star came under pressure during the latter part of the race and was relegated back to seventh, but he used all his experience to fight back on the last lap and overtake James Toseland and Andrea Dovizioso on the final corner, a result that gives Suzuki its best finish from a MotoGP race at Jerez since the introduction of the four-stroke regulations.
Chris Vermeulen had an equally eventful race as he tried to make up from starting 12th on the grid. He battled his way through the field to seventh and was catching the riders in front of him, but as grip became a problem he was caught by Toseland, who put in a very strong pass on Vermeulen resulting in the Australian’s leather suit being ripped on the upper arm! Vermeulen tried to fight back put had to settle for 10th place and score his first points of the 2008 season.
Today’s race was held in sunny conditions with the air temperature reaching a pleasant 19ºC and was watched by over 131,000 fans at trackside. The colourful and partisan crowd were treated to a victory by Spain’s Dani Pedrosa on his factory Honda.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now remain at Jerez for a further two days of testing before moving on to the third round of the MotoGP World Championship at Estoril in Portugal on Sunday 13th April.
Loris Capirossi:
“First of all I really want to say thank-you and well done to the whole team because they have all made a great effort for me and everybody stayed focused. We didn’t start the season in the best place and now we have come back a little bit, but we must continue to work in that way. Fifth position is not the best for us because our target is different, but at the moment it is not too bad. I had to fight to get through and I started really aggressive because I knew the Bridgestone tires would work well at the beginning and I tried to stay with top guys, but as the tire started to wear I had to defend my position. In the last couple of laps I fought with Toseland and Dovizioso, but I beat both of them in the last corner. That was for sure nice for me!”
Chris Vermeulen:
“It was another tough race at Jerez, for the second year in a row! I qualified a fair way back and gave myself a lot of work to do. I didn’t get a good start but I had a couple of really strong laps and got past a few guys. I felt quite strong, the bike was working well and my pace was good early on. By about lap eight I got through to seventh and I was catching fifth and sixth – they were right there in front of me – and things felt really good. Towards the end of the race my rear tire grip really dropped off and I now think that perhaps we chose a too soft compound and it really suffered in the last few laps. I really struggled and the bike wouldn’t turn or get enough grip to lean it over far enough. We will learn from that and go with a harder compound next time. I’d like to thank all my guys for their hard work this weekend. We are finally on the scoreboard with some points and I’m already looking forward to Estoril.”
Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“It is no secret that we had a tough pre-season and first event in Qatar, but today’s result – a fifth for Loris and both bikes inside the top 10 – gives us hope that we can come back to a seriously competitive level. Loris justified today all the reasons why we wanted to bring him to Suzuki. He has helped us a lot with the bike and the future development of the GSV-R. Most importantly it is clear that his aggression level, his will to win and to get the best result possible under any circumstances is the same as it was when he was 18 years old!
“Chris admits that he made an incorrect gamble on the rear tire choice, but we do thank Bridgestone for the flexibility on allowing him to make that choice, because it may have worked out better for him. From 12th on the grid he had to try something to get to the front group, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.
“The crew and both riders are now looking forward to the next two days here in Jerez and to take the good base that we now have, and work on the details to give the riders an increasingly competitive package for Estoril and the races beyond!”
Tech 3 Yamaha’s James Toseland produced a heroic performance in a sun drenched Spanish GP today, the British rider fighting illness to claim a deserved top six finish.
In what proved to be a mentally and physically draining 27-lap race for Toseland, the rookie showed great strength of character to become the first British rider since 1990 to score successive top six premier class finishes.
Weakened by a serious chest and throat infection all weekend, Toseland slipped down to 10th from eighth on the grid in a frantic opening, but then he produced a series of brilliantly executed overtaking moves to move into fifth by the penultimate lap.
Toseland’s never-say-die attitude saw him delight a 131,563-strong crowd with passes on Chris Vermeulen, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi in quick succession at the Curva Sito Pons. Fifth going into the last corner, he had to settle for sixth after losing a place in a chaotic finale. Capirossi was the chief benefactor from a tangle between Dovizioso and Toseland as he snatched fifth from the 27-year-old.
Having claimed his second consecutive front row start yesterday, Colin Edwards had a disappointing afternoon, crashing out of sixth on lap five at the Curva Sito Pons. He remounted but retired on lap six.
Toseland’s result leaves him sixth in the world championship standings, while Tech 3 Yamaha remain fourth in the team championship points. Toseland and Edwards are now looking forward to their first appearance on Yamaha’s improved pneumatic valve engine at the next round in Estoril, Portugal.
James Toseland – 6th – 20 points
“I really had to dig deep in that race. There are two groups of people that kept it together this weekend and they are the Tech 3 team and the Clinica Mobile people. I want to thank them for helping me get out there. At one point it looked like I might not be able to ride so to finish sixth is a great result. What I was worried about was if I couldn’t breath properly then that might have made me dizzy in the race but luckily I was fine. The bike felt great and the front Michelin tire worked great. That’s why I was able to pass all the guys at the same place coming onto the back straight. I couldn’t pass anybody down the straight and the only place I could pass was where I did. I was getting good drive off the corner but I still couldn’t get side by side on the straights to line them up for a pass on the brakes. It would have been do-or-die on the brakes, but because my front tire was so good it really hooked well mid-corner round turn five onto the back straight and my corner speed carried me underneath Vermeulen, Dovizioso and Capirossi. I was disappointed not to keep fifth, especially after I’d battled so hard for it. The last corner was a bit manic and I don’t know how Andrea stayed on the track because he was in there so hot. I got a bit pushed out and Loris came up the inside. To finish sixth like in Qatar and back that result up on a track I’ve never raced at in my condition is really good for me. This bike and this team are capable of being in the top six, even with a touch of bronchitis. I’m looking forward to getting the new engine now. We are one of the few that can actually look forward to getting something new for the next race and I can’t wait for the new engine.”
Colin Edwards DNF – 9 points
I’m disappointed. I didn’t get a good start and compared to every start I’ve done this weekend it was a lot slower and I got caught up and tangled with Nicky and Stoner right off the start. I got in behind them and I just couldn’t do anything. It’s just what we are lacking in the motor. We can run the pace on our own but as soon as we get in traffic to where we can’t carry the momentum round the corner, then we have a problem. We are just waiting for the new engine at the next race and that is going to make a big difference because now it is hard at the moment with the deficit we have got. I can get off the corner but when you have got somebody road blocking you midway through the corner it is hard to carry the momentum that we have to carry. You can’t out-brake any of these guys from five bike lengths back. It is just not going to happen, so I was kind of stuck for a little bit and Capirossi motored by me into turn one. Then I was pretty angry because I didn’t want to get stuck behind him. But I’d come off the corner and he’d just pull away. I was pushing trying get up there with the guys in front and I made a mistake. I lost the front coming onto the back straight but that’s racing I guess. Before yesterday I hadn’t had any moments on the front tire. We had that big moment yesterday and today I was a bit unlucky. We’ve looked at the data and I was actually slower than the lap before but I must have hit a little but I’m not sure what happened. It didn’t look like I should have crashed but I did. I felt really confident and thanks to my guys because they worked hard all weekend and it’s a shame it turned out how it did.”
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“I am speechless about James today. He has been in a really bad condition and we were really doubtful about whether he would ride this weekend. For the race distance on this physical track we had a big question mark, but what he did today shows the mark of a true champion. He was fighting very hard at a pace he was never at in practice because of his physical condition. He never gave up and was very strong throughout the whole race. He was almost fifth but the last corner is always a difficult place here. Dovizioso tried a bit too hard to pass but I’m still happy. James is improving all the time and for sure with the new engine and feeling fit in Estoril he will be even better. It was a very eventful weekend for Colin. Of course we are a bit frustrated and disappointed about Colin because he was so good all weekend. We had the memory of his podium from last year so we were hoping he could repeat it. We have to take the positive out of it and he has been fast all weekend and I think the good thing is that we will have the new engine from Estoril and it will be easier to race.”
NAKANO IN JEREZ TOP TEN, DE ANGELIS GAINS CRUCIAL EXPERIENCE
San Carlo Honda Gresini riders Shinya Nakano and Alex De Angelis ended up 9th and 14th respectively on Sunday, as the Spanish Grand Prix concluded at the Jerez de la Frontera Circuit. After a good start Alex lost several positions and ended up in a battle lower down the order, fighting with Melandri and West before coming home 14th. Shinya was matching the times of the second group of riders in the race who were chasing 5th place and was involved in duels with Australian pair Stoner and Vermeulen, before he crossed the line 9th.
Alex de Angelis (14th): “I am not happy about today’s performance. Unfortunately, on the first lap, even though my start was good I got caught up with a group of riders and lost some places which I couldn’t make up. I was trying to make a comeback but kept losing places on the straight. I also felt that the traction control was taking away from my pace and that cost me in the end. It’s the same as in Qatar really and I hope to put things right starting from tomorrow with Bridgestone’s help. They are going to give us some new material that we have not tested before.”
Shinya Nakano (9th): “I made a good start and made up a few places. I was behind the fastest group and I was able to follow them for a while but at around the halfway mark a couple of riders caught me and I lost some ground. At the end I had a fight with Vermeulen and two laps from the end I got past him and was going for the group ahead of me again. Throughout the weekend I’ve been able to constantly lower my times thanks to the work of the team and this leaves me quite optomistic for the next race. Thanks to all my mechanics for their work.”
Fausto Gresini – Team Manager: “We are not that happy with the result but at least both riders finished the race. Shinya won his battle with Vermeulen, to get ninth place, which was good. Obviously we expect more of ourselves and we will work hard to achieve better results in the future: results that reflect our potential. We don’t want to stop where we are and therefore hard work awaits us, but that is the job of the team and of the riders.”
‘Back-to-front’ race for Andrea Dovizioso at Jerez
30-03-2008
In his 100th Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso and his JiR Team Scot squad experienced a ‘back-to-front’ race on their Honda RC212V. After a difficult start, which put Andrea in last position at the end of the first lap, the Italian rider did a lot of overtaking to gain fifth position in the race on the last lap – in doing so using his bike to the maximum and asking 100% from his technical package. The Italian fought until the last corner, where in a last-ditch battle with Loris Capirossi and James Toseland, he lost out on fifth position after a coming together with the British rider. Dovi is now fifth in the championship ranking, showing his determination to stay in contact with the series leaders.
Luca Montiron – Team Director, JiR Team Scot
“A ‘back-to-front’ race for Andrea truly showed his skills and the fact that he’s ready to fight with the best in the premier category. He was a little down on the leaders thanks to his position on grid, but Andrea had to fight at the maximum from the first lap, taking a lot of risks. The last lap was exciting because Andrea had tried everything to maintain fifth position from the back straight to the final corner. Obviously we were looking for something better than this, but fifth position from Andrea in the championship shows that we are up there and fighting!”
Cirano Mularoni– Team Manager, JiR Team Scot
“Our position on the grid didn’t allow Andrea to have the best of starts to the race! In the early laps he was asking everything of the bike and himself and taking some big risks with the tires, which were not yet up to temperature. The way Andrea managed the race today, showed that he has a very strong character and never gives up! It will be important now to do better in the coming races and improve our qualifying performance to give ourselves a better start position on the grid than we had today.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP
HONDA RC212V
Final position: 8th – 6th best lap: 1’ 40.675”
“We didn’t have the best start, but we ran a strong race. Despite our poor grid slot I was able to go to near the head of the race, which was good. From the first corner I was last – I don’t know why – but from there I was forced to attack on cold tires. Obviously this was risky but I pushed very hard until I was in fifth position and ahead of Capirossi. After I made the pass I was tired and unable to pull away and I was also asking a lot of my Michelin tires. I was ready to fight in last corner, but I was going a little too wide and was trying to accelerate when James and I touched each other and it moved my bike wider still and I lost grip. After this contact there was no chance to keep fifth and I ended up eighth. It’s clear that I wanted to celebrate my 100th Grand Prix in a better way, but now it’s important to work hard to improve our qualifying performance. The test here tomorrow will be important for this reason.”
SUN SHINES ON KAWASAKI AT JEREZ
The Spanish Grand Prix was held today at the Andalucian circuit of Jerez and both Kawasaki Racing Team riders, John Hopkins and Anthony West, showed off their skill and determination by managing seventh and 13th positions respectively.
After a solid start from the third row of the grid, Hopkins was right in the thick of the action near the front of the field. Soon however, eventual race-winner, Dani Pedrosa, took off with a small selection of riders, leaving the #21 racer in an impressive group which stayed virtually intact until the end of the 27 lap event.
Showing no sign of pain from his groin injury and steering his Ninja ZX-RR expertly around the complex, 4.423km circuit, Hopkins battled to the last, seeing off Shinya Nakano and former Suzuki team mate, Chris Vermeulen, in the process. In a nail-biting finale, there was a last corner scrap for places with Loris Capirossi, James Toseland, and Andrea Dovizioso, and a delighted Kawasaki squad looked on as Hopkins got seventh spot, bringing his points total after two races to 13 and putting him ninth in the championship.
Further down the field, Anthony West was engaged in a race-long battle with Marco Melandri and Alex de Angelis. The 27-year-old Australian had also managed a good start, soon finding himself in 13th place after rising two positions during the first lap. By the end of lap three, he had progressed to 11th but lost that to 2007 world champion, Casey Stoner, who was having to catch up with the field after a an earlier error had forced him off the track.
West was then overtaken by Marco Melandri and the two diced for the rest of the race with West finally missing out on 12th but, like his team mate, he fought until the end, holding off a last gasp attempt to overtake him by de Angelis.
The Kawasaki Racing Team will now undertake further testing at Jerez before the championship continues on 13th April at Estoril, Portugal.
John Hopkins: #21 – 7th
‘We took a gamble on the race tire we used today as we’ve only completed two timed laps on it previously and, thankfully, we made a good decision. I got a good start to the race but went backwards a few places on lap one. I was pushing hard to make a pass on lap four when I made a mistake and lost a few positions, so I gritted my teeth and pushed hard to stay with the group in front. I was riding consistently throughout the race but, by the time the last lap arrived, I was sliding quite a lot on the rear tire. I was right with Toseland and Dovizioso when they had a coming together in the final part of the race, which left the door open for me to make up another position. Although I’m pleased with the result, we still have a lot of work to do. My injury is feeling much better and now we have some test time so can continue the process of getting the Kawasaki to the top of the field.’
Anthony West: #13 – 13th
‘I gave it my all today and to be honest it was hard work. The result is a big improvement since the last round, although we’re still struggling with a lack of rear traction. I got a good start to the race and I was trying to be as smooth as possible but, once the tire went off, this became quite difficult. During my battle with Melandri, I felt much faster than him and I easily re-passed him on a few occasions. He managed to pass me in the last few laps and, despite pushing really hard, I just didn’t have enough grip to get by him again. The front end of the bike felt good, entry and mid corner I was a lot faster than everyone else, but we’re losing a lot of time in the exit of some corners so that is the area we need to focus on. Hopefully, with the test time we have, we can make another step forward before reaching Estoril.’
Michael Bartholemy: Kawasaki Competition Manager
‘I am happy with the result today: both riders rode very hard and we have achieved much better positions than last time out. John is still not completely comfortable on the bike with his injury but both he and Anthony were fighting right until the end of the race. Jerez is not one of our favourite circuits, as we’ve struggled here in the past, but we have to work hard to try and improve even further before the next round. We now have some test time in the next two days where John will try some front tire options and he will also be given the opportunity to ride the ‘screamer’ machine. Anthony and our test rider, Olivier Jacque, have similar riding styles so they will work together to try and find a better base setting to race with.’
STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO FOR THE ALICE TEAM
Alice Team Catalan rider Toni Elias, who started from the sixteenth position of the starting grid, started well in the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez de la Frontera. At the first time check the Catalan rider was in twelfth position after passing De Angelis, Dovizioso and West. His Team-mate, Sylvain Guintoli, didn’t make it to start in the same way losing a position to Marco Melandri, who started just behind him. But from the second lap things didn’t go too well also for Toni who lost positions until he dropped to fifteenth position, just in front of his team-mate Sylvain Guintoli. Elias obtained another point for the Rider and Team World Championship Standings and after two races he is now in sixteenth position. Sylvain, with the point conquered in the first race of the season in Qatar, is now in eighteenth position. Tomorrow test day for the Alice Team before next MotoGP round in Estoril for the Grand Prix of Portugal.
Sergio Verbena – Sylvain Guintoli Track Engineer
“It hasn’t been the best day for us. Unluckily on this track the Ducati-Bridgestone package at our disposal didn’t make it to give its best. Both Sylvain and Elias found many difficulties. We are to far from the fastest group. I can’t understand not fighting for podium, but I don’t want it like today. Now we have to use at the best tomorrow to work hard and prepare in the best way possible the bike for Estoril.”
Toni Elias – Alice Team Rider (Fifteenth position – 16th in MotoGP Classification)
“I started well, but it didn’t help me at all. This hasn’t surely been an exciting race for me. We knew we weren’t in the best conditions for this race since Friday, but we can’t make miracles in two days. We have to analyze this weekend data and find, if there are any, positive things to restart to work. This performance hurts, but I don’t give up. I will not stop until I will make this bike go well.”
Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team Rider (Sixteenth position – 18th in MotoGP Classification)
“Honestly I don’t understand why I am so slow. I really try all the modifications possible but I can’t make it to improve my performances. I also try to adapt my riding style to the bike but nothing. I don’t understand what I have to do. Every time I try to dominate the bike or I lose control or I fall like it happened in yesterday’s session. Tomorrow it will be very important, we have the all day at our disposal to evaluate the situation and try to improve our rhythm.”
Sunny weather with ambient temperature just above 26 degrees and track temperature at 33 degrees welcomed the 800cc riders for the last first day of testing at Jerez de la Frontera circuit. After yesterdays spectacular race with Pedrosa on first place ahead 1’31.563 spectators, the premier class riders continued their set-up work today with Lorenzo on the top of the timesheets with a 1’38.679 lap.
The LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet worked on suspension setting in combination with tires from Michelin completing a marathon 88-laps at the Southern Spain track. The Frenchman aboard the Honda RC212V nr. 14 gathered important data for next race in Estoril clocking his quickest lap time on 1’39.484 (4th position) on qualifiers.
De Puniet: “It was a very long day for us. I made 88 laps in total and tested many things. This morning we lost some track time to fix a front-end problem. Then we will focus our work mainly on suspensions regulations and tires testing: we found some good solutions but we still miss some adjustments to make a step forward. Anyway we improved the rear traction and, in the last two laps of the day, I tried many starts. I think we got a good base for next GP at Estoril track”.
