Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Results:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 23 laps, 43:28.008
2. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -1.416 seconds
3. Max Biaggi, Honda, -4.576 seconds
4. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -13.210 seconds
5. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, -13.411 seconds
6. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, -13.666 seconds
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -14.253 seconds
8. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -22.811 seconds
9. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, -33.056 seconds
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, -38.882 seconds
11. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -38.977 seconds
12. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -48.639 seconds
13. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, -50.183 seconds
14. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -54.213 seconds
15. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, -83.281 seconds
16. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, -97.287 seconds
17. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, -5 laps, DNF, mechanical
18. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -9 laps, DNF, mechanical
19. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -13 laps, DNF, crash
20. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, -16 laps, DNF, crash
21. Alex Barros, Yamaha, -21 laps, DNF, crash
22. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -21 laps, DNF, crash
23. Kenny Roberts, Szuuki, -21 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 115 points
2. Biaggi, 83 points
3. Gibernau, 72 points
4. Barros, 46 points
5. Ukawa, 42 points
6. Bayliss, 40 points
7. Capirossi, 36 points
8. Nakano, 33 points
9. Jacque, 32 points
10. Hayden, 26 points
11. Tamada/Edwards, TIE, 25 points
13. Checa, 21 points
14. Norick Abe, 18 points
15. Haga, 17 points
16. Hopkins, 15 points
17. McWilliams, 14 points
18. Aoki, 11 points
19. McCoy, 8 points
20. Melandri/Roberts/Kiyonari, TIE , 6 points
23. Hofmann, 2 points
24. Pitt, 1 point


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Italian GP, Mugello
Race Day
Sunday, June 8 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SCORES BEST RESULT SO FAR AT RED-HOT MUGELLO

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi rode a breathtaking Italian GP at scorching-hot Mugello this afternoon, finishing his team’s home GP in a fighting second place, just 1.4 seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi. It was a remarkably determined performance from Capirossi and his Desmosedici V4 – the Italian factory competing in its first home GP in 31 years in front of 72,000 enthusiastic fans. Team-mate Troy Bayliss had a more difficult time in the torrid 35-degree heat – the Australian was pushing through the pack when he crashed out at half-distance.

“I can hardly believe the way Loris rode – he never gave up,” said a delighted Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO. “He kept trying so hard because he wanted to be in a position to take advantage if Rossi made a mistake. I think he knew it was possible to win today with our bike, but Valentino and Max (Biaggi) rode brilliantly. Our straight-line speed is fantastic, now we just need to make some improvements to the handling. Anyway, second in our first home GP in more than thirty years is a really great result. Troy was one of the fastest men on the track when he crashed, which proved he had found a good set-up after two difficult days of practice. Once again we had two of the quickest riders out there, which shows the project is heading in the right direction.”

During the race Capirossi set a new GP top-speed record at 332.4kmh, with Bayliss second at 331.2kmh.

CAPIROSSI: “THIS FEELS AS GOOD AS A WIN!”

Loris Capirossi was the star of the MotoGP show at Mugello today – eliciting roars of delight from the home crowd whenever he pulled a move on rivals Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi (Honda).

By leading the first four laps the Italian maintained the Ducati Marlboro Team’s amazing record of leading every GP so far, then settled into a long and nail-biting race that had him battling back and forth with his compatriots in a rerun of their unforgettable 2000 Italian GP contest. He spent the mid-stages of the race third, then once Rossi took off out front he came back at Biaggi with gusto, the pair passing and repassing and colliding on at least one occasion. When he finally got the better of the Roman he was 2.5 seconds down on Rossi, but he still refused to give up, his Desmosedici bucking and sliding as he closed the gap to one second with a lap to go. He crossed the line just 1.4 seconds down – by far Ducati’s best race result.

“This is fantastic – it feels as good as a win,” said a sweat-drenched Capirossi. “It’s a great day for Ducati, for all of us, and for the fans. I tried my best – got into a good rhythm from the start, but then Max and Valentino came. Valentino was so fast, then I had a big fight with Max. It was so difficult to overtake him but my bike had fantastic top speed, so I was able to do it. Then I gave 105 per cent over the last few laps. I caught Valentino a little, but with one lap to go I saw the gap was too much, so I just made sure I finished.”


BAYLISS BACK ON THE PACE, THEN FALLS

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode a typically tough race at Mugello today – fighting back from a third-row start to move into sixth place on lap nine. But two laps later he crashed.

“It’s not been a great weekend,” said the Aussie who had struggled during practice to find the right set-up for this technically challenging track. “The race was going okay, though the rear tyre I’d chosen wasn’t going to plan. I thought I had it under control, I was riding hard, trying to bridge the gap, had a few moments with the front, then just crashed. I really hate not finishing races and that’s two races in a row I’ve not finished.”

LUCA GETS HIS KNEE DOWN AGAIN!

Former 125 and 250 World Champion Luca Cadalora returned to action at Mugello this morning – as passenger to former rival Randy Mamola on the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici two-seater MotoGP bike. The pair rode two laps of the track, Cadalora becoming the first ever two-seater guest to get his knee down.

“That was great, you just need to place total trust in the rider, which was difficult because it was Randy!” joked Cadalora, who raced 500 GPs for Marlboro Team Roberts and 250s for Marlboro Team Agostini. “After half a lap we both shifted forward and then the fun really began, that’s when I started to get my knee down. It was great!”

Ducati aerodynamics consultant Alan Jenkins also took a ride this morning. “I spend quite a lot of time in wind tunnels,” said the Briton. “But I really had to fight to stay on down the straights. And it’s so physical on the brakes, you kind of lose your focus because you’re trying not to end up in the grandstand!”


More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

Hopkins crashes out of Italian Grand Prix

MUGELLO, Italy (June 8, 2003) – The Italian Motorcycle Grand Prix ended on a sour note for Suzuki’s John Hopkins. Hopkins crashed out of the race on the third lap when he and teammate Kenny Roberts Jr. collided. It marked the second straight DNF for Hopkins and dropped him to 16th in the World Championship point standings. Italian Valentino Rossi won the race on a Honda.

“It’s very frustrating,” said an extremely disappointed Hopkins. “I was going along riding my own race and never saw Kenny. I turned in for turn 12 or 13, I don’t know for sure what they call it, and I got T-boned. I saved it from the initial impact but then Kenny’s bike slid into me and took me down.”

Hopkins strained his neck in the accident.

“My head dug into the gravel trap,” he explained.

The teammates did not speak after the accident so Hopkins was unsure of what caused Roberts to crash into him.

“He just walked away from the crash,” Hopkins said. “I’m sure he knew I was in no mood to talk and he probably wasn’t either.”

Hopkins estimated that his speed was between 80 to 90 miles per hour when the two riders collided.

“The team is working too hard for this kind of thing to happen,” concluded a frustrated Hopkins.

Hopkins now heads to Barcelona in preparation for next Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

SWELTERING CONDITIONS IN ITALY PROVE TOUGH FOR FORTUNA YAMAHA

The Italian Grand Prix in Mugello today became an all Italian affair after Valentino Rossi (Honda), Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Max Biaggi (Honda) dominated the 23-lap race in sweltering conditions – finishing in the same order. Spurred on by a massive home crowd the trio left the remaining 20-bike field in their wake. Despite all efforts made by Fortuna Yamaha team-mates Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri the duo were unable to match the intense pace this weekend and eventually ended the day with a disappointing eighth and 11th place respectively.

After a solid start, which saw Checa as high as fifth in the opening few corners, the Spaniard dropped back to eighth by the end of the first lap, yet looked set to remain in contention up until half race distance. At this point the 30-year-old was back in the top six, and looking threatening with only a 4.4 second deficit to the race leader. That was until Checa lost his rhythm and began to lose touch with the battle for fourth – which included Makoto Tamada (Honda), Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team), Tohru Ukawa (Honda) and Sete Gibernau (Honda), who finished in that order.

“I can’t be satisfied with the final result but overall we did a good job,” said Checa. “The team have worked very hard, everyone has pushed themselves to their own limits; the technical side in the garage, and me on the track. Nakano did well all weekend on his Yamaha so we know that we had more potential. We will take today’s experience with us to Barcelona. At least I felt a bit better during the race and especially felt good on the bike at the beginning, but at the end I was behind by about 1½ seconds and it was difficult to close the gap any more.

“My main aim right now is to find a good pace, and I’m not entirely sure how to achieve that right now. We need to work carefully again from here and analyse the technical data from the race. I will talk with my technicians and we’ll look at the chassis side of things, perhaps in a slightly different direction.”

All hopes for a top five result at Marco Melandri’s home Grand Prix came to an end when a technical problem prevented him from achieving his goal in the most crucial points on the 5245m circuit. The 20-year-old Italian, who won the 250cc race here last year, was confident and feeling good on the YZR-M1 during the opening few laps. Melandri featured as high as sixth in the race, and was still making solid progress when it became difficult to ride in third gear on his factory machine – which proved too much of a deficit to overcome at such an intense pace.

“That was not such a good race,” lamented Melandri, who was hoping for a better result than eleventh position today in front of his home crowd. “I had a problem with the clutch, and the bike was jumping a lot. Most of all I had problems when I was in third gear, so on most of the corners, especially the two Arrabbiata corners. I couldn’t open the throttle and therefore couldn’t push hard in all the corners.

“At the beginning when the tyres were new it wasn’t quite so bad but I had to balance my weight on the front and enter the corners very fast. When the tyres wore out more through the race I felt myself getting slower, and the problem increased as the tyres wore out. In the last lap I overtook Olivier (Jacque) about three times but then he overtook me again.”

“It wasn’t the best day for Fortuna Yamaha,” said Team Director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team, Davide Brivio. “Of course our congratulations go to Shinya Nakano and his Yamaha team, who have performed well all weekend. Carlos rode well at the beginning of the race and put up a good fight but seemed to lose something towards the end and couldn’t keep the same pace that he found at the beginning, although he is feeling a bit better with the bike generally. Next race will be his real home Grand Prix, in Catalunya, so he’ll have to pull off a good race!

“We have found out that Marco had electronic problems when running in third gear and apologies to him for that. He has again shown his maturity, strength and potential this weekend and was looking so good at the start but unfortunately he was prevented from gaining any more positions. We are pleased with his continuing progress with the M1. Both riders are capable of more than we are currently achieving and our team will do everything to support them to change that.”


More, from a press release issued by Alice Aprilia Racing Press Information:

MUGELLO GRAND PRIX/race

SCARPERIA – In front of a warm crowd Colin Edwards qualified 9th on his Aprilia Rs Cube of Alice Aprilia Racing Team. A difficult race for the American rider because of a bad start but he has been able to get into the top ten. Noriyuki Haga fell off in the 8th lap because of the loss of the front. It’s a pity because Haga made a very good start today.

COLIN EDWARDS: “What a bad start! The bike jumped twice and I lost several positions. Anyway I reacted immediately trying to catch the firsts. Then I was riding alone without any point of reference and this was frustrating as I could easily fight for the podium with the firsts. I am very surprised about the Italian crowd: I knew that but yesterday night I was riding my scooter in the paddock meeting many fans with food and drinks. That’s very exciting”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I starter well and I could easily stay with the firsts. I lost the pace after two contacts with Bayliss but then I took it again. Unfortunately I lost the front in the corner. I am a bit angry!”

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “With a better start Colin would have been able to get a great result today. We made some “extra” technical experiments on Colin’s bike no.2 during the warm up but the bikes were almost the same. We leave for Barcellona with the same material but next Tuesday and Wednesday we will test here in Mugello with Marcellino Lucchi”.


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda Team Press Information:

Mugello – Italian Grand Prix

Sunday – Race

Makoto Tamada honours the “home” race with a magical fourth place

Determination, a desire to win and absolute resolve. Makoto Tamada brought all his extraordinary skill to bear. After ending the first lap in 18th place, the talented Japanese embarked upon a furious battle to shoot up
through the ranks and cross the finishing line in fourth place just behind the three great Italians. An uphill race in which Makoto kept up an extraordinary pace and, on more than one occasion, made a lap time lower than that of the race leader. An important result that shows just what mettle Makoto is made of, and a magnificent injection of enthusiasm for the whole team. Bridgestone, the Japanese tyre giant that shods the Honda RC211V of the Pramac Honda team, is beginning to reap the fruits of its intense and
meticulous work that has never let up an instant since the season began.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 4th – 43:41.218

“All I needed was to make a better start and I’d have enjoyed the type of race I really like: up at the front with the leaders. You really feel good when you are battling against those who are leading the way. But my start wasn’t exactly great and I really had to go for it. I knew what the tyres could do, since we’ve done lots of tests over the past few days and I was quite sure I’d made the right choice for this race. Lots of overtaking, but no strategy. You don’t wonder whether to squeeze past when braking or
whatever – you just think about stepping on it and getting to a pace that just keeps pushing you forward. Even so, as I was saying, I like duelling with the best, so I’m going to have to get quicker off the mark at the beginning. The bike’s great, and so is the set-up: to tell you the truth, there isn’t much left to improve.”

“I’d like to thank the team, Makoto, Honda and Bridgestone for the great work they are doing”,
added Gianluca Montiron, sports director of the Pramac Honda Team.

“We’re working calmly, without feeling we are under pressure, and we’re beginning to reap the first fruits. Our Italian-Japanese workgroup is really blending together and everyone’s skills are being enhanced in a highly qualified team. Bridgestone is pouring enormous effort into the project with us, responding to our requirements and providing an extraordinary level of know-how. Today’s result shows that tough and extremely professional work pays off, especially when it’s combined with true passion. As for Makoto, his performance at Suzuka and Le Mans was no mere fluke: he’s a powerful, motivated rider. Perfect for a challenge like the one we’re facing.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 5 – GRAN PREMIO CINZANO D’ITALIA
8TH JUNE 2003 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

HOFMANN AND McCOY IN THE POINTS FOR KAWASAKI

Alex Hofmann, making only his second wild card appearance of the season for Kawasaki, opened his World Championship account with a hard fought 14th place in today’s baking hot Italian GP at Mugello.

The 23-year-old German rider made a brilliant start from the fourth row of the grid, making up places in the early part of the race before becoming embroiled in a battle with Honda riders, Nicky Hayden and Ryuichi Kiyonari, for 12th place. The top speed advantage enjoyed by the Honda pairing proved too much for Hofmann to overcome, forcing the German rider to eventually settle for 14th place and his first championship points of the 2003 season.

Hofmann was joined in the points by his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, Garry McCoy, who finished 15th. The Australian had planned on making a fast start, in a bid to run with his German team-mate, but the plan was thwarted at the first turn when he was slowed by the two riders in front of him and Hofmann managed to pull out a slight gap.

Mugello rookie Andrew Pitt, who faced a steep learning curve this weekend, endured a long and lonely ride to 16th place, just missing out on scoring points in his first outing on this demanding Italian circuit.

Alex Hofmann – 14th
“I got a very good start and it was a lot of fun fighting with the guys early in the race, and obviously I’m happy to get some points today. For many laps I had a good battle with Hayden and Kiyonari, but for the moment they have a slight speed advantage – although it is very positive for Kawasaki that we have been in there fighting with them. Our qualifying was good, but that is just one lap and what we were looking for today was progress over a race distance. The front end was very stable today and I only lost a little bit of rear grip towards the end.”

Garry McCoy – 15th
“It was tough in the heat but it was good progress for me today – I didn’t get lapped and I picked up a championship point! At the start I thought I would try and run behind Alex, but a couple of riders got in between us and he got a break on me. I raced the bike flat out and we made a good race tyre choice today, so I was able to run consistent laps. Alex had a good run today and clearly all his testing is paying off. Now we just have to keep working towards making the whole package better.”

Andrew Pitt – 16th
“It was no fun racing at the back, but at least I finished the race, got some laps under my belt and learnt something about the bike for the next time we come here. I struggled with chatter virtually all through the race; every time I opened the throttle off-line it was really difficult to hang onto. You need confidence in the front end here, but I’ve struggled over the bumps all weekend.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“We scored some points today, which is good, but the main thing is that we’re starting to bridge the gap to the teams at the front, and this gives us confidence that we are making progress. The steps may be small, but this is a new project in a very competitive class, so we are happy each time we do move forward. It was unfortunate for Alex that, at the moment, we are down a little on top speed, otherwise Hayden and Kiyonari would not have been able to draft back past him on the straight every time he made a pass on them through the turns.”




More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

PROTON KR FOUR-STROKE TOUCHES POINTS IN FIRST GP

Round Five – Italian GP, Mugello
Sunday, June 8, 2003

Jeremy McWilliams – Did Not Finish
Nobuatsu Aoki – Did Not Finish

A double did-not-finish score line in the Proton KR V5 prototype’s first ever race did no justice to a fantastic debut for the all-new 990cc four-stroke racer.

Although both riders succumbed to fuel pump problems and finished the afternoon in the pits, it was not before both had clearly shown the potential of a motorcycle running only for the fourth full day at a race-track, after shake-down tests barely two weeks before. And not before McWilliams had pushed through from a slow start to move up to 15th position, in the points and moving away from his nearest rival.

Sadly, this potential triumph did not last the full 23 laps of the scenic 5.245km circuit in the Apennine foothills outside Bologna. With just five laps remaining, McWilliams ran into fuel pump and starvation problems that had already sidelined Aoki four laps early, and he dropped back to pull into the pits.

It was still a brilliant start for the Proton KR four-stroke, built in record time to tackle the challenge of the 990cc four-stroke MotoGP class. The bike is still in first rough-cut prototype form, after a series of the inevitable teething troubles with the radical new V5 engine had been solved on the test bench. Since that time, with only three machines in existence, there have been no serious engine problems in four days of work, including three in full combat at the Italian GP.

Blazing heat did bring up the next problem, however. Today’s air temperature was 34 degrees, and ground temperature a searing 47 degrees. Engine cooling worked perfectly, but heat build up elsewhere was reckoned the most likely cause of fuel supply problems. Fuel pump failure struck both riders in qualifying, and again in the race.

With the next race in seven days in Spain, the England-based team will focus on this area in the short break, as well as bringing the first round of power-up parts to take the machine from shake-down specifications one step closer to the ultimate goal of competitive racer.

Today’s race was won by defending champion Valentino Rossi (Honda), heading an all-Italian rostrum from Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Max Biaggi (Honda).

JEREMY McWILLIAMS
“That was just so difficult … the four-stroke is such a different monster to ride after the two-stroke – a big old monster. I’m trying to learn how to ride it and the guys are trying to learn how to make it finish. It was nice to get it up into the points, and very disappointing not to finish. It’s not as fast round the corners as the two-stroke, but it’s not the slowest thing out there, and I was able to pass McCoy’s Kawasaki for 15th because I could brake much later than he could. Then basically I suffered from fuel starvation after that, and I had to retire.”


NOBUATSU AOKI
“Of course as a racer I am disappointed and frustrated, because I had the same fuel starvation problems all weekend. I wasn’t able to push hard in the race, and then I did not finish. But I have to remember this was like a very early test, and the bike has such a lot of potential. I hope they can fix this problem for next weekend, and I am really looking forward to that race.”


KENNY ROBERTS – Team Owner
“I’m happy to start from here and work our way up. At least we are going away from here with a list of things to work on rather than a box of broken engines. Obviously we have to make some changes before next week. The water and oil temperatures were fine, but it seems the gas is getting too hot. I guess we’ll have to find a way to get some air through there. We’ll also have more performance for Barcelona, and more again for the next race at Assen. The bike’s still at a low level. We have to work on things like compression ratio and cam timing. I think we will still have only the three bikes next week. We’ve been holding back until we get a list. There’s no point in building seven chassis, then deciding we need to change the engine position. Of course I’m pleased, and proud of my guys. I’m surprised that it ran so well and so long, and that we only had fuel problems – though when we start getting more performance perhaps we’ll find some more problems.”



More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

DOUBLE CRASH FOR SUZUKI IN ITALY

Mugello, Italy – Sunday, June 8, 2003
Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins both retired from today’s Italian GP, after the pair collided early in the 23-lap race round the scenic 5.245km Mugello circuit outside Florence.

Both Suzuki riders fell off, with no possibility of restarting.

The pair had started from 14th and 18th positions, but both got away well from the start line, to finish the first lap with Hopkins 12th and Roberts 14th. One lap later Roberts was right behind his younger team-mate.

Then the bikes touched as they went into a medium-speed corner, and both crashed out.

Hopkins escaped without serious injury, but Roberts was taken to the medical centre. Although he did not suffer any fractures, he was badly knocked about, and was not available for comment. It is too early to say whether he will be fit to race at the Catalunyan GP next weekend.

The race was run in front of a capacity crowd of more than 70,00 fans, in baking heat, with an air temperature of 34 degrees and the track at a simmering 47 degrees. It was won by defending champion Valentino Rossi, the darling of the enthusiastic crowd.

JOHN HOPKINS – Did Not Finish
There’s not much to say. My team worked really hard all weekend. It’s just a pity it had to end the way it did. My neck is a bit sore, but basically I’m okay.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
Kenny’s been checked over, and there are no broken bones but there is no way of measuring the pain. You have to say it was just one of those racing things. Both are riders are having to use every ounce of skill and aggression at the moment, and in these circumstances this sort of thing can happen.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Raceday Sunday June 8

ROSSI ON TOP AFTER THREE-WAY DOMESTIC INCIDENT

A sun-baked crowd of 73,000 race fans lined the Tuscan hills of the majestic Mugello track to see Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) reign supreme in a thrilling race that was typical of the superb action this 5.245km track usually provides. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) was second and Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) third.

Temperatures rocketed into the 35 degree range and the track tarmac was scorched to 47 degrees by the beating heat as the grid lined up for a race where the sense of anticipation was palpable. With the three Italian main men on the front row headed by Rossi, and joined by Yamaha interloper Shinya Nakano, the first turn action would be intense.

It was Capirossi who launched his Ducati off the line best and he emerged from turn one in the lead from Biaggi and the flying Nakano. Rossi was down in seventh but in typical fashion he scythed his way through to fourth in the space of the first lap.

By lap five Nakano had been dispensed with by the home trio and the stage was set for some epic encounters along Mugello’s undulating series of off-camber turns and blind approaches. Biaggi went through to lead when Capirossi drifted wide at turn one, now approached from at least 328km/h (200mph) by the top men.

Then Rossi squeezed past Capirossi and the three knew they were in for a fight. The crowd knew it too and every time a move was pulled the crowd went berserk – this was epic stuff. So intense was the battle that no rider could accept being overtaken without coming straight back at the overtaker – to the extent that Biaggi and Capirossi were side by side bashing fairings for at least half of lap 16.

Eventually Rossi pulled clear but Capirossi hounded him all the way to the line and Rossi’s 1.4 second winning margin at the flag hardly reflects the effort he had to put in to achieve it, or the pressure he was under from two riders that never gave up the chase.

Rossi’s 53rd career win and his third this season was hard-earned. “That was a great show for everybody,” he said. “We were all three at the front and we had a great fight for the win. I would like to congratulate Max and Loris because they rode very well. At about half way through the race Max and Loris were fighting and it was possible to take some advantage. And at the end I just concentrated and kept my rhythm.”

Biaggi knew he’d made a major contribution to a storming race. “Third is a decent result but I really want to win,” he said. “I made a good start and I tried my best to hang on to the front but then Rossi came and then Loris passed me at the end of the straight. We passed and re-passed each other many times and had a good fight. Nobody crashed and I think we put on a great show for the fans.”

Another rider who never gave up was fourth-placed rookie Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) who got an appalling start from the third row of the grid and charged through the field respecting neither reputations nor conventional corner lines as he bulldozed his way through.

“I had a terrible, terrible, terrible start,” he said. “And that was a terribly, terribly, terribly tough race. I knew what the tyres could do and I knew I’d made the right choice for the race. There was lots of overtaking but no strategy from me. You don’t wonder whether to squeeze past on the brakes or whatever – you just think about stepping on it and pushing forward.”

Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) was unhappy with sixth. “I almost crashed passing Checa on the straight and I ran out of braking area,” he said. “It was hard today but I can’t be satisfied with the result, sixth is just not good enough and Catalunya can’t come soon enough for me.”

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) was another disappointed rider, unhappy with seventh. And after his Le Mans win two weeks ago, the Spaniard was never really in the running here. “We had one problem after another,” he said. “We already knew that the bike wasn’t accelerating as it should and we paid for that in the race. In any case we could have done a lot better with what we had. Luckily we’re in Barcelona next and we can sort it out there.”

American rookie Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) had a torrid time on his first visit to this demanding environment and finished 12th. “Not a lot of fun really,” he said. “I never felt comfortable all weekend and I’m not sure if it was just the fact that I was trying to learn the place or we really needed to make some big changes here.”

Rookie Riuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) managed a 13th place finish in his second MotoGP race and felt happy with his work. “I’ve picked