NO DELIGHT FOR KAWASAKI TEAM IN TURKISH GRAND PRIX Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, finished 10th and 13th respectively in today’s inaugural Turkish Grand Prix at the Istanbul Park circuit. The outcome was disappointing for both riders and team, following a promising start to the weekend when the combination of Ninja ZX-RR bikes and Bridgestone tyres appeared to adapt quickly to the impressive 14-turn, 5.34 km circuit. Both Nakano and Jacque struggled with rear grip and race distance endurance over the 22-lap distance and were frustrated not to be able to engage rivals in close-quarter racing. Nakano made a strong start from the fourth row and stayed ahead of Honda riders Chris Vermeulen and Makoto Tamada to be ninth on lap six. But by lap ten Nakano’s lap times began to fade as he battled reduced edge grip, especially in the long, right hand corners. Jacque faced similar problems and rode with great determination, even changing his riding style to assist in maintaining lap times over the final laps. Jacque, starting 13th, settled in 12th place ahead of factory Honda rider Max Biaggi and Suzuki’s John Hopkins and ran ahead of this pair for 14 laps. But the hard-riding Frenchman could not respond when Biaggi went ahead over the final stages of the race. In the end, both Nakano and Jacque concentrated on scoring world championship points over the latter stages, to maintain Kawasaki’s fourth position in the world constructors’ championship points. The race was run in sunny and mild weather, with the new Istanbul Park circuit meeting wide approval from riders and teams for its layout and facilities. The next race, the Valencia Grand Prix, will be the final event of the MotoGP World Championship. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Tenth “The first couple of laps were okay when I could fight with Vermeulen and Tamada-san, but after that it was difficult and a lonely ride to the finish. From lap ten it was not possible to maintain my lap times, the rear tyre was spinning-up and it was difficult to hold concentration without anyone to race. In a 17-race season there are going to be days like this, and now we have to work even harder to improve for the future, both the bike and tyres.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Thirteenth “Apart from the opening laps it was a boring race, and once Biaggi came past me I could not respond. The main problem was a lack of edge grip, especially in the long, right hand corners with a lot of lean angle; it was not easy to control the rear traction. In the final stages I changed my riding style and this helped me to at least finish in the points. The front tyre was good today and this saved me a few times when I was sliding.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “I am not happy with this result. I expected more today after our performances in Friday practice on a track that appeared to suit the Ninja ZX-RR. What we must do now is study the reasons for this result and work very hard in the coming months to come back with a better package for the 2006 season when the competition will be even tougher, and good results even more difficult.” MOTOGP RACE RESULT 1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 41’44.139; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +1.513; 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +6.873; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +12.420; 5. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +26.963; 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +29.105; 7. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +29.255; 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda +33.345; 9. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +33.790; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +44.225; 11. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Camel Honda +46.099; 12. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +50.184; 13. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +56.766 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Melandri takes maiden win at historic Istanbul opener Valentino Rossi this season after a thrilling first race at the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey. The Italian youngster clinched his maiden premier-class victory with a performance that reflected his dominance throughout free practice this weekend, despite having conceded pole position to his team-mate Sete Gibernau on the final lap of qualifying yesterday afternoon. Melandri snatched the lead from Gibernau in the first corner and, after briefly conceding his position on lap four, he was back in front just two laps later as the Spaniard ran into the gravel and saw his chance of winning his first race this season disappear. Whilst Rossi recovered from a bad start to pile on the pressure over the final few laps, Melandri held firm to take the chequered flag with a comfortable advantage of 1.513 seconds. “I haven’t won a race since Valencia in 2002 so this is the perfect way to end a wonderful weekend for me,” said Melandri, who had stood on the top step of the 250cc and 125cc podiums on seventeen occasions before moving up to the MotoGP class in 2003. “I was disappointed to lose pole position yesterday but it taught me an important lesson for today and I just tried to ride without putting pressure on myself. I had fun and focused on my rhythm, even when Valentino got close I just kept taking it lap by lap. I have had bad luck and injuries this year so to come back and end the season like this is unbelievable.” Second place for Rossi represented his fifteenth podium finish from sixteen races this season but it also means that the Italian will not be able to break Mick Doohan’s record of twelve race victories for a single season, with one remaining chance to equal the Australian’s total in the final round of the season at Valencia in two weeks’ time. Whilst Gibernau returned to the track in fourth place he could do nothing to prevent Nicky Hayden from clinching his third consecutive podium placing, with the American now trailing Melandri by nine points in the chase for second place in the championship. Colin Edwards’ chances of beating the Honda youngsters to the coveted runner-up spot are all but over after the Texan could only muster seventh place in today’s race behind Carlos Checa and Toni Elías, who passed his Yamaha colleague with a daring pass on the final lap. Edwards now cuts a distant figure in fourth place in the championship, 21 points adrift of Melandri. Whilst Makoto Tamada, Alex Barros and Shinya Nakano completed the top ten, Chris Vermeulen capped an impressive second weekend in MotoGP as a replacement for Troy Bayliss by clinching eleventh place. The Australian’s performance was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he finished ahead of Honda colleague Max Biaggi, as well as other full-time riders such as Rubén Xaus and John Hopkins. Casey Stoner bounced back from the disappointment of seeing his 250cc World Championship chances disappear in his home round at Phillip Island seven days ago by taking victory in the first ever quarter-litre race at this circuit. Stoner led the race from the first corner and held off a late challenge from recently crowned double-World Champion Dani Pedrosa to become the first Australian rider ever to score five wins in a season in the class. Hiroshi Aoyama completed the podium after an intense battle with pole setter Alex de Angelis, who crashed in the final corner but was able to remount and finish seventh. Thomas Lüthi missed out on the chance to become 125cc World Champion after his only remaining rival for the title crashed. Mika Kallio slid out of the battle for victory on the final lap, meaning a podium finish for Lüthi would have been enough to seal the title. However, a frantic finale saw the Swiss teenager cross the line at the back of the lead group in fifth place, meaning he now needs at least two points from the last round at Valencia. French teenager Mike Di Meglio celebrated his maiden victory and was joined on the podium by Mattia Pasini and Tomoyoshi Koyama. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI ADDS TO PODIUM TALLY WITH SECOND PLACE AT ISTANBUL Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi took his fifteenth podium from sixteen races this season after finishing second in the inaugural Grand Prix of Turkey. Whilst Marco Melandri (Honda) backed up his practice pace with a strong victory at the front, Rossi overcame a series of set-up problems and a bad start in the race to push his fellow Italian hard over the final few laps. Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards finished seventh today, improving his pace towards the end of the race as he continued to adapt to a new riding style. Starting from the second row of the grid, Rossi did not get the ideal jump from the line and had dropped two places to sixth by the end of the first lap. As the Italian made his way through the field Sete Gibernau (Honda) took the lead, only to run off the track two laps later and allow Melandri, Nicky Hayden (Honda) and Rossi through. Rossi passed Hayden on lap eight and began an intense pursuit of Melandri over the final two thirds of the race, although he was unable to make up the gap between the pair and could do nothing to prevent the youngster from clinching his first ever MotoGP victory. VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd – +1.513) “On Friday and Saturday we struggled to find a good setting for the bike; yesterday morning I felt like I wanted to go home! It wasn’t until qualifying practice yesterday afternoon that we began to understand what the problem was. We made some more steps forward in the warm-up this morning and went in a slightly different direction with the setting, which in the end wasn’t so bad. Unfortunately I made a big mistake at the start and conceded a couple of seconds to the leader, which proved to be a big gap to make up. Melandri was very fast throughout the race and in certain points of the track I knew he was faster than me, so it would have been very hard to pass him. Anyway, I am satisfied with second place it is a good result for us after all the troubles we’ve had this weekend and I’m really pleased with the way the team worked to overcome a difficult situation.” COLIN EDWARDS (7th +29.255) “I struggled today. I’ve been trying a new riding style this weekend which has really helped me find some more pace from the bike, but my instinct took over at the start of the race and I just went back to my old superbike style, trying to squeeze everything out of the bike. Once I had calmed down and focused on the new style I managed to get it together and I actually set my fastest lap of the race on lap 20, which tells its own story. I hate to say that this Grand Prix has been like a test but we have to look to improving our performances next season and I firmly believe we have contributed to that here, even though the race result was not what we were after.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Valentino had a very difficult weekend so second place in the race today is a good result. After the problems we had on Friday and Saturday morning the team worked very hard right up to the start of the race, as they always do, and helped Vale find some more speed. Second place is not so bad and now he has one more race to try to make it twelve wins for the season. Colin also had a few problems this weekend but he has tried something completely new to him and this race was like a transition. I think we will see the benefit of it next season.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Disappointment for Suzuki in Turkey John Hopkins finished in a point scoring position at today’s Grand Prix Of Turkey from the Istanbul Park Circuit, as a combination of difficulties took its toll. Hopkins (P15) has been struggling with a heavy cold all weekend and the symptoms of that and some other factors contributed to one of his most lacklustre performances of the season. An indication of how the Anglo American has suffered since taking to the track on Friday, is that his best lap time in the first practice session the first time he had ever ridden on the track was only .057 seconds slower than his quickest race-lap today. Today’s race was held in sunny conditions with the track temperature reaching 25 degrees, the warmest it has been all weekend. The relatively small but excited crowd of just over 14,000 witnessed Marco Melandri win his first-ever MotoGP race. Team SUZUKI MotoGP will now move onto Valencia in Spain for the final round of the MotoGP World Championship on Sunday 6th November, where Hopkins will be joined by Nobuatsu Aoki, who will be replacing the injured Kenny Roberts Jr. John Hopkins: “Basically I’m in no way satisfied with myself. We need to finish much higher than that! I put a lot of the blame on my riding, I have been ill for the weekend and could have been better. On top of that I had a tyre problem from half-way through the race, whether that was down to the lack of information we had or the tyre, we don’t know. The only thing we want to remember from this weekend is the way the track goes so we can be better when we come here next year.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “The combination of bike, tyre and rider performance this weekend has been our worst in the 2005 Grand Prix season. Our final setting on race day in terms of tyre choice and overall bike package was nowhere near as good as it could have been. This was largely caused by John’s illness over the weekend and the lack of pace and accurate feedback that resulted from that. “The racetrack is fantastic and we need to make sure we can enjoy it a lot more when we return in April. “Suzuki would like to send its congratulations to Marco Melandri on his first ever MotoGP victory. His performance today shows us the level that Suzuki needs to achieve.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: ALEX AND CHRIS NINTH AND ELEVENTH IN TURKEY Alex Barros rode a determined race and finished in the top ten today despite not being physically at one hundred percent after his spectacular crash in the Australian GP last week and even with a general bike set-up which didn’t give him enough grip in the second half of the race. Chris Vermeulen showed a constant improvement during the whole weekend always closing in on the top MotoGP riders in terms of performance, without once making a single error and putting himself just a whisker away from the top ten in just his second race in motorcycling’s elite class. The Australian eventually crossed the finish line in eleventh place in the Turkish Grand Prix. Sito Pons Camel Honda “Alex once again proved his great determination and courage today, finishing in the top ten despite not being physically ready after his hefty crash in Phillip Island. In the second part of the race he was unable to maintain his early rhythm due to a progressive degradation in grip, but he still pushed to the last metre to get the best possible result. Chris is demonstrating that he has the talent we thought he did and also the right mentality to do well in the premier class, not only because after around ten tough hours on the bike he hasn’t made a single error, but also because in such a short time he has a great technical rapport with the team and has gradually reduced the gap to the top guys both in terms of performance in qualifying and the gap he has put on riders who have been riding in MotoGP for years.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 9th “I don’t have too much to say other than the fact that I’m disappointed with this race. I’m still in pain from the crash in Australia but not enough to not be able to do better than ninth. In any case, I will try to get a good result in the last race in Valencia.” Chris Vermeulen Camel Honda 11th “We can say that I managed to complete one of my objectives, which was to finish ahead of another Honda, but it’s not enough though. I would have had to do much better to be satisfied. As I ride this bike more I realise how many things I still have to learn and that this is building up some great experience for me. Today I got away better than in Phillip Island and I battled with several riders for a few laps. I also committed a few mistakes and one of these allowed Tamada and Nakano to pass me. For a few laps I lost my rhythm a bit, and only in the last part of the race did I feel much better again. I closed in on Nakano but not enough to get past him. As I said, it’s all experience which will help me improve, whether it’s in setting up the bike or in racing, especially if I get the chance to ride again in Valencia.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: MELANDRI CLAIMS MAIDEN MOTOGP WIN The Movistar rider takes his first MotoGP victory after a faultless display and closes on the championship runner-up spot TURKISH GP – MOTOGP RACE Marco Melandri made his dreams reality on Sunday after clinching his first win in the MotoGP class before the end of a season which has seen him establish himself amongst the brightest prospects in the category. He emerged victorious at the new Istambul Park circuit at which he made his own right from the first qualifying session on Friday. Having demonstated his potential in qualifying, he rode the perfect race having moved to the front on lap six and took the chequered flag a second and a half ahead of world champion Valentino Rossi. Melandri assumed the lead after a mistake from team-mate Sete Gibernau had seen him leave the track. Rossi and Hayden joined Marco on the podium, while Sete fought back bravely to claim fourth. The win means Marco is closing on his main objective of the season, to end the season as runner-up in the premier class. MARCO MELANDRI (1st): “It was an incredible day to cap a great weekend. I can’t describe my happiness. I have not won since Valencia in 2002, and since then I’ve had a difficult couple of years due to injury and misfortune. This win in the MotoGP class feels different to winning in the 250s. I liked this track from the first moment I tried it and the team did a great job. After dominating the free sessions I knew I could have a good race, but it’s not always that easy. I got away well and even though Sete got past me I was happy to wait as we were opening up a gap on the rest. Then Sete made a mistake and I found myself on my own at the front and I just concentrated on maintaining my rhythm. I want to enjoy this moment and thank Fuasto for the confidence he has shown in me, Fabrizio Cecchini, my chief mechanic and everyone at Honda and Michelin.” SETE GIBERNAU (4th): “Once again it has been demonstrated that this is not my year and it’s a shame because the team did a great job this weekend and we had a great chance totake our fisrt win. We have wasted another chance but race after race things have not gone my way. I went off after a mistake; I went into a corner too quickly and tried to brake but couldn’t. It cost us dear again.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: MASTERFUL MELANDRI POWERS TO MAIDEN WIN Today belonged to 23-year-old Honda hotshot Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) who won his first MotoGP race from reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) with Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) third. The 23-lap race got off to a blistering start at this 5.340km track that was new to all riders this weekend. With ambient temperature at 20 degrees and with the track surface at 26 degrees, conditions were ripe for a fierce contest but no one had an answer to Melandri’s sheer pace here. The Italian had qualified on the front row for the eighth time this season and this time he made sure the victory was his as he scorched into the downhill left-hand turn one with five clear bike-lengths between him and his team-mate Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V), who eventually finished fourth. The pattern for the race was set early when Melandri, Gibernau and Hayden made the early running. Rossi got a poor start and had to claw his way up from eighth in the opening lap, but by lap three he was making inroads into Hayden’s third place, setting a fastest lap of 1m 53.7 seconds as he did so. Then it was Gibernau’s turn to make the running with a fastest lap as he and Melandri circulated together in a bid to establish supremacy. But Gibernau succumbed to his own enthusiasm as he visited the gravel trap on lap five. The Spaniard rejoined the race in seventh place but despite a spirited effort he was never going to get back on terms with the front-runners. Melandri was never going to be denied this victory. He looked smooth and rapid as he made the fastest lap of the race with a 1m 53.11s effort on lap 17. He was carving times in the mid 1m 53s region throughout the race and this was always going to be too hot a pace for anyone to get near him let alone make a pass. As Rossi climbed to second past Hayden on lap eight Melandri held a 1.075s lead. This was extended to 1.5 seconds by lap 12 and to a full two seconds by lap 17. It dropped to 1.5 seconds again in the closing laps, but by then he had done more than enough to reap the rewards for his determination to end his first season with Honda in the premier class with a richly deserved win. He said, “This win in the MotoGP class feels different to winning in the 250s. I liked this track from the first moment I tried it and the team did a great job. After dominating the free sessions I knew I could have a good race, but it’s not always that easy. I got away well and even though Sete got past me I was happy to wait as we were opening up a gap on the rest. I want to enjoy this moment and thank Fausto (Gresini) for the confidence he has shown in me, Fabrizio Cecchini, my chief mechanic and everyone at Honda and Michelin.” Hayden said, “That’s the first time in MotoGP I’ve had three consecutive podiums so that’s definitely a step forward but to be honest I haven’t really had the pace all weekend. In the race I came through much faster than we’d managed during the practice days and for that I’m happy. Congratulations to Marco, he definitely deserves it we now have a little gap to second place.” For Gibernau, this race was ‘so near yet so far’. He said, “This is not my year and it’s a shame because the team did a great job this weekend and we had a great chance to take our first win. We have wasted another chance but race after race things have not gone my way. I went off after a mistake; I went into a corner to quickly and tried to brake but couldn’t. It cost us dear again.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished eighth and said, “Even if I started well, in the first few laps I lost too many positions. I didn’t feel enough grip to push more, but after some laps the tyres has reached the ideal temperature and this allowed me to recover a lot thanks to a good race rhythm. Eight doesn’t make me happy. I must end the season with a good performance in Valencia.” Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) was ninth. The veteran Brazilian said, “I don’t have too much to say other than the fact that I’m disappointed with this race. I’m still in pain from the crash in Australia but not enough to not be able to do better than ninth. In any case, I will try to get a good result in the last race in Valencia.” Chris Vermeulen, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), finished just outside the top ten in 11th. He said, “We can say that I managed to complete one of my objectives, which was to finish ahead of another Honda, but it’s not enough though. I would have had to do much better to be satisfied. As I ride this bike more I realise how many things I still have to learn and that this is building up some great experience for me. Today I got away better than in Phillip Island and I battled with several riders for a few laps. I also committed a few mistakes and one of these allowed Tamada and Nakano to pass me.” Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) was 12th. He said, “I never felt comfortable on the bike around here at any point of the weekend. My team tried so many things but nothing seemed to work. I rode as hard as I could on the package we had today and in the end it was only good enough for 12th place. To be in this position hurts me so much.” Casey Stoner (Aprilia) won the 250cc race. The Aussie has now consolidated second overall in the World Championship to Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) who was second today. Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) was third. Stoner looked hungry today after the crushing disappointment of a fall at his home race last weekend. Tyre wear was a huge issue and all riders complained of a fierce deterioration of the left side of their rubber chiefly the front tyres. But all had to compensate and Stoner and Pedrosa were plainly the men who could best ride around the problem. The pair were eight seconds ahead of the pursuing duo of Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) and Aoyama at mid-distance. Stoner got the verdict over Dani by just under a tenth of a second at the flag while Aoyama had to cope with a desperate De Angelis leaning on him mid-crash at the final turn. The Italian didn’t recover and Aoyama cruised to the podium alone. Pedrosa said, “The front tyre was gone and so was my confidence in it. I made a mistake staying behind Stoner, but there was little I could do because my engine was not quite as strong as his today. The team did a great job as usual but I just couldn’t quite do it today.” His team-mate Aoyama was happy enough with a gritty third and said, “We all had trouble with the front tyres but I was never going to catch Casey and Dani today. I’m sorry about De Angelis’ crash, but this third place is as important to me as it was to him.” Lorenzo in fourth said, “We weren’t quick all weekend and we could not expect miracles in the race. My battle with Hector and Dovizioso on the last lap would have been spectacular if it had been for victory, but coming fourth is no good to me really. It’s not where I want to be.” Fifth-placed Dovi said, “I gave my best today. I started well but I couldn’t keep the pace of the leading group because my bike had some set-up problems. I expected a better Championship race but I had many problems we never solved completely.” Barbera in sixth said, “I am not happy at all. I could have got on the podium today but the engine just did not perform. We worked well on the chassis, but if the engine doesn’t work that doesn’t really matter. I followed Pedrosa into the corner, but when we came out on to the straight he pulled half a second on me. I think I was ready to get on to the podium and even win, but it seems instead of moving forward we have taken a step backwards.” Mike Di Meglio (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125R) won the 125cc race, his first Grand Prix win. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) was second and form rider Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) was third for his second consecutive podium finish in his rookie season. The big news is that Mika Kallio (KTM), the man mounting the challenge to series points leader Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) crashed on the last lap. He nearly collected Luthi as he slid across the asphalt, but the Swiss remained composed enough to finish fifth and extend his lead to 23 points with just one round remaining in the series. Luthi led into turn one with a bold ride around the outside of the pack and he made sure he remained bunched in the lead group of nine riders in the early laps. As the front-running men were whittled down to five riders when Sergio Gadea and Hector Faubel (both Aprilia) eliminated themselves when they tangled and fell at the final turn on lap four, Luthi held station in fourth. Koyama joined the fight by mid-race of the 19-lap contest while Di Meglio always looked as if he could cope with the pace. Aside from a scare in the closing laps when Luthi dropped back from the tail of the group only to climb back into contention, the Swiss man is now in a strong position to try and clinch the title in Valencia in two weeks time. Luthi has 235 points to Kallio’s 212, with Gabor Talmacsi holding third place overall with 178. The Constructor’s World Championhsip shows KTM with 307 points to Honda’s 294 with Aprilia on 280. Mike di Meglio said, “A good race. I’m really happy to be on the top step of the podium. I knew I needed to get to the front in the opening laps and it was a lot of fun in that lead group.” Koyama said, “The team did a great job and gave me a very fast bike. It was tough in the lead group because no one had any real advantage it was good fun too.” Luthi said, “That was really a very wild race. When I was leading the lap I was very comfortable on the bike but when I was brought back into the group I was fighting really hard to keep my position. When Mika (Kallio) crashed I missed him by millimeters. I tried my best to win the race but it was not to be for me today.” HONDA TEAM QUOTES: MotoGP: Marco Melandri, MoviStar Honda: 1st: “It was an incredible day to cap a great weekend. I can’t describe my happiness. I have not won since Valencia in 2002, and since then I’ve had a difficult couple of years due to injury and misfortune. This win in the MotoGP class feels different to winning in the 250s. I liked this track from the first moment I tried it and the team did a great job. After dominating the free sessions I knew I could have a good race, but it’s not always that easy. I got away well and even though Sete got past me I was happy to wait as we were opening up a gap on the rest. Then Sete made a mistake and I found myself on my own at the front and I just concentrated on maintaining my rhythm. I want to enjoy this moment and thank Fausto for the confidence he has shown in me, Fabrizio Cecchini, my chief mechanic and everyone at Honda and Michelin.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 3rd: “That’s the first time in MotoGP I’ve had three consecutive podiums so that’s definitely a step forward but to be honest I haven’t really had the pace all weekend. In the race I came through much faster than we’d managed during the practice days and for that I’m happy. The team did a great job and they definitely made a difference. I’m disappointed for the points situation. With Marco having such a great ride congratulations to him, he definitely deserves it we now have a little gap to second place. I want to dedicate this podium to a very special friend of mine back home. We all recently found out he’s been taken ill and wish him all our best. He’s had a huge influence in my career I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Our thoughts are with him.” Sete Gibernau, MoviStar Honda: 4th: ): “Once again it has been demonstrated that this is not my year and it’s a shame because the team did a great job this weekend and we had a great chance totake our first win. We have wasted another chance but race after race things have not gone my way. I went off after a mistake; I went into a corner to quickly and tried to brake but couldn’t. It cost us dear again.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 8th: “Even if I started well, in the first few laps I lost too many positions. I didn’t feel the right grip to push more, but after some laps the tyres has reached the ideal temperature and this allowed me to recover a lot thanks to a good race rhythm. The eight position doesn’t make me happy. I want to end the season with a good performance in Valencia and give some satisfaction to the Konica Minolta Honda Team.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda: 9th: “I don’t have too much to say other than the fact that I’m disappointed with this race. I’m still in pain from the crash in Australia but not enough to not be able to do better than ninth. In any case, I will try to get a good result in the last race in Valencia.” Chris Vermeulen, substitute rider for Troy Bayliss at Camel Honda: 11th: “We can say that I managed to complete one of my objectives, which was to finish ahead of another Honda, but it’s not enough though. I would have had to do much better to be satisfied. As I ride this bike more I realise how many things I still have to learn and that this is building up some great experience for me. Today I got away better than in Phillip Island and I battled with several riders for a few laps. I also committed a few mistakes and one of these allowed Tamada and Nakano to pass me. For a few laps I lost my rhythm a bit, and only in the last part of the race did I feel much better again. I closed in on Nakano but not enough to get past him. As I said, it’s all experience which will help me improve, whether it’s in setting up the bike or in racing, especially if I get the chance to ride again in Valencia.” Max Baggi, Repsol Honda: 12th: “I never felt comfortable on the bike around here at any point of the weekend. My team tried so many things but nothing seemed to work. I rode as hard as I could on the package we had today and in the end it was only good enough for 12th place. To be in this position hurts me so much. My spirit is gone here and I can only hope we have some small piece of sunlight in Valencia to end this season that I want to forget on some sort of a reasonable note.” 250cc: Dani Pedrosa, MoviStar Honda: 2nd: “It was a difficult race, especially at the start, when there was a bit of confusion as the riders went into the first corner. On the warm-up lap I noticed the bike wasn’t as quick as I would have liked. I remebered what my mechanics had told me, but it’s difficult to make adjustments on the grid. I was crowded at the start and as everyone headed into the first turn I had to break hard and four riders got in front of me. Stoner took advantage of that to get a lead of more than one second and so I had to react and do everything to catch him quickly. But I noticed that, especially at some corners, it was really hard to close him down. The tyres were skidding a bit as mine were hard. Towards the end we both had problems with the front tyre as they had worn more on the left side than we thought they would. When I caught him I was behind him for a while but he was still faster. I would have liked to win and think with a bit more power we could have done so. Now we are going to head home and relax for a while so we get to Valencia in the best shape possible.” Hiroshi Aoyama, MoviStar Honda: 3rd: “It was a tough race, as I expected, but I am proud to be on the podium. I really wanted to do so after getting up there in the last few races and the team really worked hard to enable me to do so. These races are very important for me and today we did a good job. On the last lap I blocked off all De Angelis’ moves; in the end we touched and I was worried I might have fallen. Now we are heading back home and I’m looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere and ending the season well at Valencia.” Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda: 4th. “We weren’t quick all weekend and we could not expect miracles in the race. My battle with Hector and Dovizioso on the last lap would have been spectacular if it had been for victory, but coming fourth is no good to me really. It’s not where I want to be. In the warm-up this morning we improved a bit, but in the race the problems with the front-end flared up again. We had the same problems in Australia, but they were worse here. We’ll see if we can improve in Valencia.” Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda: 5th. “I gave my best today. I started well but I couldn’t keep the pace of the leading group because my bike had some setting problems. I expected a better Championship race but I had many set up problems we never solved completely.” Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 6th. “I am not happy at all. I could have got on the podium today but the engine just did not perform. We worked well on the chassis, but if the engine doesn’t work that doesn’t really matter. I followed Pedrosa into the corner, but when we came out on to the straight he pulled half a second on me. I think I was ready to get on to the podium and even win, but it seems instead of moving forward we have taken a step backwards. On the last lap I got in front of Lorenzo and Dovizioso but knew that later on they would be able to pass me.” Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: 12th. “I’m not happy, very angry in fact. I got a good start and was running in ninth place but on lap five Cardenas ran into me and put me off the track. That cost me so much time and many places and I had to fight hard to take 12th place. It was a pity because the bike was running very good today, we could have taken a lot more points from this race.” Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: 15th. “We could not find a solution to the front end vibration I had on my best bike in qualifying. I had to use the back up machine but it doesn’t handle as well as my best bike and didn’t have enough power at top rpm. My start was not good but I won a few places at the first corner. At one point I was racing with Debon but he was very late on the brakes and I couldn’t get passed him. Then Ballerini and Giansanti caught me but I was having problems with the shifter coming off the turns late in the race and they got away from me.” Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Castrol Honda: 16th. “I don’t really like this circuit too much and right from free practice I had a few problems getting good lap times. The engine was not so bad and worked well today but I ran with the hard compound tyre and that was a mistake. When De Puniet crashed I had to avoid the confusion and after that I never found a good race rhythm and I didn’t ride well. A poor race from me after such a good one in Australia.” Arturo Tizon, Wurth Honda BQR: 18th. “I am still learning to ride and set up the 2-stroke. I’m happy with today. In the race I had some problems with the rear tyre sliding while I was expecting the front to go first. The bike was sliding badly and I almost crashed twice, once in the middle of the race the second time near the end of the race. I have improved from Phillip Island so I have to be pleased with my performance.” Yuki Takahashi, Scot Honda: dnf crash. “Despite a good start I lost contact with the leading group: the gap between me and them increased and I couldn’t keep their rhythm. After Guintoli and Locatelli passed me I tried to follow their slipstream. During the last lap, in corners 3 and 7, I tried to overtake them but in the eighth corner I lost the front and I crashed out. Now I have a bruise at the right wrist but it is nothing serious.” 125cc: Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing World Honda: 1st. “It was a funny and fair race but very difficult for all the leading group. I started very well, my bike was very fast and I had the same pace of Luthi and Kallio: the most important thing was to keep the contact with them. I made a clever race. I had only two hesitations: the last, in the last corner where I almost lost the front but I managed to arrive first despite Pasini was in my slipstream. I’m very, very happy and I thank my team for the good job they have done during these two years together: now I’m more mature.” Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 3rd. “That was a very hard and tough race for me and I’m really happy with the result. We had some problems in practice and qualifying, the engine was not accelerating and I had a front suspension problem. The team found the acceleration I needed and we found good suspension settings by softening the springs on the front forks springs and changing the rebound. I didn’t get a good start and had to work hard to catch the lead group. I was running the same times as the best but the leaders were slowing each other and I caught them. I’m very pleased for myself and the team.” Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 5th. “That was really a really wild race. When I was leading the lap I was very comfortable on the bike but when I was brought back into the group I was fighting really hard to keep my position. The bike was not as good as yesterday in the first three gears but top speed was good. I made a mistake under breaking and went to the back of the group and from then on it was too wild. When Mika (Kallio) crashed I missed him by millimetres. I tried my best to win the race but it was not to be for me today.” Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda: 7th. “The bike today had good engine performance but during the first lap I lost the contact with the leaders and then I made all the race in the second group. There was a long duel with Simoncelli but I had problems with the rear suspension and then we also touched during the last lap. So I preferred to do not lose important points for the championship.” Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 12th. “Not an easy race for me. I got a good start and was quickly catching the second group. I got close to Iannone and Poggiali but riding alone without the slipstream is very difficult and I could not catch them particularly because my rear tyre was sliding a lt. On the positive side I was faster than in qualifying and I felt good on the bike.” Sandro Cortese, Kiefer-Bos-Castrol Honda: 14th. “That was very good, great to fight for positions with the others. My start was god and I was 18th at the end of the first lap racing with Poggiali and Iannone. After about six laps the bike was sliding on the left side of the tyre and I slowly dropped back from them. It became a lonely race for me. Once they were five seconds ahead of me and I had five seconds over the rides behind I just tried to hold my position and finish in the points.” Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 17th. “I got a very bad start and had to push too hard to make up positions. But after four laps I had used up too much of my tyres and was sliding badly. I just couldn’t fight any harder because of the rear tyre, I nearly crashed a few times.” Sacha Hommel, Molenaar Honda: 26th. “My start was good and in contrast to the previous two races I raced for the team before today I could ride the full race distance. At Qatar the ignition failed and I crashed on the first lap in Australia. My lap times were not so bad today but I could not hold the group ahead of me. With five laps to go my rear tyre was finished but I’m happy I finished the race but sad that I was so far behind the group.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: dnf technical problem. “I am quite disappointed with the result of today. I was having a good race, always in the group fighting for the places between eighth and 12th place. But with five laps to go the engine seized and I was out. It had been getting slower on the laps before it stopped.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO MAN CHECA FIFTH IN ISTANBUL Ducati Marlboro Team rider Carlos Checa battled hard to take a top five placing in the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park, recovering from 11th place at the end of lap one to earn 11 more championship points, after 22-laps of the high-speed 5.340km circuit. Shinichi Ito, riding as a replacement for the injured Loris Capirossi, finished the first lap in 14th place, but was signalled to undertake a pitlane ride-through penalty after jump-starting. Failing to do so, he was shown the black flag and was forced to retire after lap six, and excluded from the race results. Checa pushed hard in the first period of the race, moving to fifth on lap seven, and keeping a safe gap to the riders behind as the laps counted down to a finish. He sits ninth in the championship, with one race remaining, having scored a total of 125 points thus far. “Carlos did the best job possible today, so thanks to him,” said Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo. “After an imperfect start he recovered very well and made some good laps. Unfortunately it was not possible for him to keep that rhythm all the way through. Together with Bridgestone we have to work on this circuit, as there are still some things to do. We are in a learning season and at some circuits we are really good and others we still have work to do. But fifth position today is a good result.” CHECA FIGHTS FOR EVERY PLACE Some tough riding from other competitors left Checa with work to do after the first lap but the Spanish rider pushed to the end, even when he was unable to repeat his early times nearer the finish. “My position at the start was not the best and some of the other riders were really aggressive,” said Checa. “This is racing but I made a quick recovery. I got a good pace but I could not keep it. We lost some grip towards the end and I had to slow. Other riders started closing from behind so I pushed hard to keep my position safe. I was controlling the gap to the rider behind, but trying to catch Sete Gibernau up ahead was impossible. I think we did the maximum we could with the package we had here, so I am satisfied for that, even if we need to push to improve next time. The aim for me this weekend was to finish top five and that is what we got.” ITO EXCLUDED AFTER BRIGHT START Despite setting the highest top speed of the race, at 305.2kmph, Ito’s eventual exclusion lost him a good chance of scoring points, leaving him disappointed with his afternoon’s work. “I did not think I jumped the start,” stated Ito. ” And when I saw the black flag I pulled in. I’m unhappy about it but there is nothing I can do. The bike and tyres were OK, and I felt very comfortable on the bike: I am so disappointed that I couldn’t complete the race. I would like to thank all the guys that have helped me – the Team and the sponsors – for this fantastic opportunity”. More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: ELIAS SHINES TO TAKE SIXTH AS XAUS IS IN THE POINTS AGAIN FORTUNA YAMAHA rider Toni Elias produced a spectacular performance in the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix. After a consistent display in qualifying, the Spanish rider confirmed his potential aboard the M1 at the brand new Istanbul Park circuit after again competing on equal terms with the biggest names in the category. Despite a small mistake that saw him fall back to ninth whilst running sixth, the Catalan fought back strongly to reclaim sixth at the chequered flag and finish as the second best Yamaha in the race. In what is his first year in the class, Elias has demonstrated he has all the attributes to become one of the stars of the future. His team-mate Ruben Xaus suffered an electronic fault on his M1 but responded well to finish the race in the points in 14th. TONI ELIAS Race: 6th MotoGP Championship: 12th, with 68 points “I got away well, but it was impossible to keep up with the rhythm of the top three of four riders I’m still not at that level yet. I was going along comfortably with Checa and we left behind the group who were chasing us. Then I made a mistake and he got away from me. From that moment I fought hard and got ahead of Tamada and Barros and, on the last lap, caught up with Edwards. I got past him two corners from the end in a section I knew I was quicker than him. This morning I got up and noticed that the temperature was about five degrees higher and we decided to use a hard Michelin tyre during the warm-up and then in the race also. It was a bit risky, but after five laps of the race they had warmed up and after that they worked very well. I am very happy with our progression and I hope to continue like this in the final race of the season.” RUBEN XAUS Race: 14th MotoGP Championship: 16th, with 51 points “I had a problem with the clutch; we tried a new one but it didn’t work too well at the start and I almost stalled the bike. It was an electronic problem. But after starting badly I fought my way up through the field and the fact that my best lap was my last lap says it all. It took me 12 laps to get past Rolfo because of the straights on this circuit and in the end I was able to get past Hopkins. I want to do well in Valencia, the weather was good today and I believe in Valencia I can do well if I can start better.” HERVE PONCHARAL, Team Manager Fortuna Yamaha MotoGP “After qualifying we thought Toni could have a good race, but you are never sure as at Phillip Island, for example, we had a problem with tyre selection. Here the temperature of the track worried us and most of the riders gambled with tyre choice. Toni chose well and that enabled him to go fast at the end of the race. When he went off and came back on in ninth it was a bit of a shock, because we wanted to finish as high as possible, but he fought incredibly and showed the determination of a champion to get past a great rider like Edwards. It was a major step forward, and in his first year in MotoGP it shows his progression. I am very happy for the team. As concerns Ruben, he got past Hopkins at the end of the race and he is always quicker in the second half compared to the first. There is one race left in Valencia, a home race for both riders, and we want to get a good result.”