Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results:

1. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 24 laps, 43:43.220
2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, -6.168 seconds
3. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -13.396 seconds
4. Alex BARROS, Honda, -15.435 seconds
5. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -23.577 seconds
6. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -27.378 seconds
7. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, -35.834 seconds
8. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -47.976 seconds
9. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -49.881 seconds
10. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -56.107 seconds
11. Olivier JACQUE, Moriwaki, -81.237 seconds
12. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -87.683 seconds, crash
13. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, -1 lap
14. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -1 lap
15. Youichi UI, Harris WCM, -1 lap
16. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -5 laps, DNF, crash
17. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -15 laps, DNF, mechanical
18. Tohru UKAWA, Honda, -16 laps, DNF, crash
19. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -24 laps, DNF, crash
20. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -24 laps, DNF, crash
21. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -24 laps, DNF, crash
22. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -24 laps, DNF, crash
23. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -24 laps, DNF, crash
24. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -24 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championships Standings (After 12 of 16 races):

1. ROSSI, 229 points
2. GIBERNAU, 190 points
3. BIAGGI, 158 points
4. BARROS, 115 points
5. TAMADA, 114 points
6. EDWARDS, 111 points
7. CHECA, 102 points
8. CAPIROSSI, 84 points
9. HAYDEN, 83 points
10. MELANDRI, 75 points
11. NAKANO, 62 points
12. ABE, 55 points
13. XAUS, 53 points
14. BAYLISS, 42 points
15. TIE, Kenny ROBERTS/HODGSON, 37 points
17. HOFMANN, 36 points
18. HOPKINS, 32 points
19. McWILLIAMS, 20 points
20. BYRNE, 18 points
21. AOKI, 10 points
22. Michel FABRIZIO, 8 points
23. JACQUE, 5 points
24. Andrew PITT, 2 points
25. TIE, Kurtis ROBERTS/UI, 1 point


More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Tamada emerges victorious from dramatic race at Motegi

Makoto Tamada took a clear victory in his home Grand Prix today after a dramatic race which saw six riders crash in the first corner. Pole setter Tamada got a poor start but stayed clear of the melee as John Hopkins, who followed Valentino Rossi into the first corner in second place, was wiped out by Loris Capirossi and the two were sent sprawling across the track. Colin Edwards and Max Biaggi could do nothing to avoid the stricken bikes and were also sent tumbling into the gravel, followed by Kenny Roberts and Nicky Hayden.

The slight gap which formed behind Rossi was quickly made up by Tamada, who chased the Italian over the opening stages of the race and made his attack on the sixth lap, taking the lead to the delight of the 67,158 record home crowd. The pair went head to head for the remainder of the race, but Rossi was unable to match Tamada’s electric pace in the closing laps and was forced to settle for second place.

“First of all I would like to thanks the wonderful fans here at Motegi today,” said Tamada, who also won at Rio earlier in the season. “They were great throughout the race and I wanted to win for them. The team also did a great job. I was struggling with my race pace during practice but the team worked hard right up until this morning and we found a solution. It’s a fantastic result for myself, Honda and Bridgestone.”

The early gap which formed at the front of the pack saw Marco Melandri hang on to third place for eighteen laps, at which point Shinya Nakano completed an incredible home race for Kawasaki by overtaking the Italian and hanging on for the factory’s first MotoGP podium. Melandri, making his 100th Grand Prix appearance, suffered in the closing stages of a hot and humid race and was also overtaken by Alex Barros, who snatched fourth spot with four laps remaining after Troy Bayliss crashed out.

Whilst Melandri equalled his fifth place finish from last season, Sete Gibernau will be bitterly disappointed with sixth, a result which leaves him 39 points adrift of Rossi at the top of the standings. Carlos Checa recovered seventh place after running off track whilst Neil Hodgson came home in eighth to secure his best finish of the season.

Hodgson was followed across the line by his Ducati team-mate Ruben Xaus whilst Alex Hofman completed a perfect day for Kawasaki with the final top ten slot. Olivier Jacque picked up five points for Moriwaki on his return to MotoGP whilst Shane Byrne fought through the pain barrier to finish one place behind team-mate Jeremy McWilliams in fourteenth place despite dislocating his wrist three weeks ago. Youichi Ui completed the points on his MotoGP debut riding the WCM.

Dani Pedrosa extended his lead at the top of the 250cc World Championship after taking victory in an entertaining head-to-head with his former team-mate Toni Elías. The Spanish pair set an electric pace at the front of the pack which saw them break away from a chasing group headed by Randy de Puniet. The Frenchman was overtaken by local favourite Hiroshi Aoyama on the seventh lap and crashed out two laps later as he tried to fight back, recovering to cross the line in eleventh place but seeing the gap to Pedrosa extended to 47 points. Sebastián Porto lies just one point behind De Puniet after clinching fourth ahead of impressive wildcard Yuki Takahashi.

The 125cc race was another dramatic affair, with the red flag shown after just eight laps due to a crash for Andrea Ballerini and Imre Toth on the main straight when Andrea Dovizioso was leading. Whilst Dovizioso lined up on pole for the second part of the race, Hector Barberá and Jorge Lorenzo had to start from the back of the grid after failing to return to the track in time. Barberá then suffered mechanical problems and retired, with Roberto Locatelli chasing Dovizioso for the 13 lap straight race but crashing out just a few corners from the end, losing the chance to overtake Barberá in the championship and allowing Dovizioso to open up a 45 point advantage at the top of the standings. Fellow Italians Fabrizio Lai and Simone Corsi completed the top three, both riders making the podium for the first time.


More, from a press release issued by Galouises Fortuna Yamaha:


Rossi extends championship lead with podium finish

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) secured a second place at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi today after a closely contested battle with eventual victor Makoto Tamada (Honda). Rossi led the early stages of the 24-lap race but lost his advantage to the Japanese rider from lap ten onwards, reserving his concentration to take the 20 points on offer for second place. His team-mate Carlos Checa dropped back from a bright start to finish seventh.

In front of a 67,000 strong crowd, Rossi made an excellent start from his front row grid position, leading into the first corner and thus escaping a six-rider pile-up caused by a collision between Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and John Hopkins (Suzuki). Checa also narrowly escaped the melee, running strongly in the early part of the race until an off track excursion dropped him down the order, leaving him to finish in a solitary seventh place.

Rossi and Tamada charged away from the remains of the pack, with the former leading until Tamada made a successful pass along the back straight on lap 10. From that point on Tamada built a gap over Rossi, and ended the race just over six seconds ahead of the Italian.

Rossi’s second place and Gibernau’s sixth place finish gives Rossi an additional ten-point cushion at the head of the championship table, with Rossi on 229 and Gibernau on 190. Max Biaggi (Honda) remains third on 158 after being put out on the first corner, with Barros leapfrogging another first corner crasher, Colin Edwards (Honda) to go fourth. Tamada lies in fifth and Checa seventh in the order, with 102 points.

Valentino Rossi (2nd, 43’49.338s)
“I made a great start and that put me in front. That was very important because behind me hell arrived at the first corner! I tried to stay with Makoto and tried to win. After leading for the first ten laps he overtook me and then I started to slide a lot and I had a little problem exiting the corners under acceleration. It was impossible for me to get back in front of Makoto and for sure I would have preferred to win. This second place improves our championship position though, another ten points of a gap. This was an important race for us in every respect.”

Carlos Checa (7th, 44’19.054s)
“I missed the big crash and I was lucky, because many people did not. I saw Loris Capirossi’s screen on the ground, then I touched with Sete. I was thinking about last year and to be involved in a crash at the same place would have been hard. In the race I could not keep the pace I wanted. I pushed and pushed and in turn one I arrived a bit too fast and ran off the track. I lost eight seconds and then I knew the race was gone. After that I finished the race but it was not a nice feeling to stay there.”

Davide brivio – Team director
“Looking at the championship, today was a good day for us because we have increased our championship lead and that was important. OK, we didn’t win, but Valentino tried and today Tamada was quite strong in his entire race package. It was correct for Valentino not to take too many risks at this point in the championship. Now we go to Qatar with a 39-point lead but we have to keep going and keep concentration levels high. Carlos couldn’t go faster and that was a pity. We look forward to Qatar, because it will be a new track for everyone.”

Jeremy Burgess – Valentin Rossi’ crew chief
“After the incident on the first corner it certainly put a different perspective on the race. Valentino and Tamada avoided all that. Without the other guys it was difficult to say what would have happened. Track temperatures were over 40°C in the race, so that may have been a factor. Our rivals have fewer points and fewer races to earn them in now. We knew this race would be difficult for us, so you have to say it turned out not bad.”


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

Aoki’s Proton KR scores points for a third race straight

Nobuatsu Aoki: 14th position
Kurtis Roberts: Did Not Start

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki went one better at the Japanese GP, scoring two points for 14th position, after taking a single point at each of the previous two rounds, where he finished 15th. It was his sixth time to score points this year, and once again he overcame difficult circumstances to achieve it.

Aoki was racing alone, with team-mate Kurtis Roberts recuperating from surgery, after a crash in the Czech Republic GP four weeks ago. The lone Proton KR rider had a difficult weekend, with problems finding a good race set-up in qualifying, then severe heating problems in the race that left him with “a roasted left foot, and a deep-fried right foot”.

With trade-mark determination, Aoki – who started from 22nd position on the grid – continued lapping steadily for 24 laps of the 4.801km Motegi Twin-Ring circuit, in mountainous country about one-and-a-half hours from Tokyo.

Aoki managed to stay clear of a multiple crash in the first corner that eliminated six riders, and was alone for most of the race distance, fighting his own gremlins.

The race was run in dry conditions in front of a record crowd of more than 67,000. It was won by Honda-mounted Makoto Tamada, who outpaced defending champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). The next round is the inaugural Qatar GP, at a new circuit at Doha in two weeks time.

Nobuatsu Aoki
My right footpeg got so hot in that race that my foot is burned now. I was roasted on the left, and deep-fried in oil on the right. It has been such a difficult weekend, for everybody in the team. They worked really hard to get the bike as good as possible for me, so I rode as hard as I could to get the best result. I am glad I could get some points for the team.

Kenny Roberts- Team principal
It’s clear now that we can’t fix this engine without a redesign, which there is no time to do this season. We just have to get through the year as best possible. There’s no chance of switching to the KTM engine we tested after Portugal, because apart from anything there is only a very limited number of those engines in existence, and we would need a winter of testing before racing it. Anyway, it would only be a short-term fix.


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Race Team:


First podium for Nakano and Kawasaki at Motegi

In a superb home race performance for the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team, Shinya Nakano scored an historic third place podium finish in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi today.

This is the best result for the factory Kawasaki team since they returned to MotoGP competition at the end of 2002 with the 990cc, inline four-cylinder Ninja ZX-RR.

Super Shinya’s ride into third place equalled the last Kawasaki podium result in the elite category, with Kork Ballington’s third place on a KR500 in the 1981 Finnish Grand Prix at Imatra. This was Nakano’s second career MotoGP podium, his first coming in 2001 at the German Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old Japanese ace was backed-up today by his determined German team-mate, Alex Hofmann, who finished tenth; his second top ten result of the season.

>From twelfth on the grid Nakano used his intimate local knowledge of the Motegi track to avoid the carnage of a six-rider, turn one pile-up just after the start. Realising the potential for a repeat of last year’s similar accident, Nakano braked cautiously to take the inside line and emerge in fourth place on lap one.

Spurred on by cheering, Kawasaki flag waving fans, Nakano staged an absorbing 18-lap pursuit of Yamaha rival Marco Melandri in search of third place. The critical moment came at the end of the back straight on lap 19, when Nakano outbraked Melandri and then cut back inside as the Italian briefly went back in front.

Once clear in third place Nakano opened a gap and, over the final laps, was the fastest rider on track. The Fuchs Kawasaki rider finished ahead of the factory Honda V-five ridden by Alex Barros into fourth place.

Both Nakano and Tamada were using Bridgestone tyres, and Nakano’s storming ride into third place provided Bridgestone with two riders on the podium for the first time in MotoGP.

After starting from 19th Hofmann was unsettled by the drama of the first turn crash, but recovered his rhythm to move into 10th place on lap twenty, a position he held to the chequered flag.

Shinya Nakano: 3rd
“This is a fantastic result for me, and for Kawasaki and Bridgestone. From the start I saw the accident coming, because turn one is very tight. I went up the inside and took fourth, then tried for many laps to pass Melandri without success. But late in the race I still had good grip from my rear tyre, and this is where I had the advantage. I knew Melandri would try and cut back inside, so I was ready for this. I could still do fast times at the end of the race, but the last lap was probably the longest in my racing life; I was just waiting for the chequered flag. I couldn’t believe I was third.”

Alex Hofmann: 10th
“It was a tough race. After the first corner crash it took a few laps for everyone to settle down and I was in a tight group of riders. But it was difficult to pass; I didn’t really find a good set-up for front-end braking stability this weekend. I really had to push my front tyre too much early in the race and, towards the end, I just wanted to make sure I finished. It’s great to see Shinya on the podium, he did a great job. It shows what is possible with the Ninja ZX-RR.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“The most important thing this afternoon was how much motivation this result provides for the future; today we saw the potential of the Ninja ZX-RR. I’m very happy for everyone in the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team, and also for Bridgestone, because there has been a great deal of hard work over recent months. Today it finally paid off. But without Shinya today this podium would not have been possible, he did a fantastic job. Alex rode consistently to be tenth, but he struggled to find his best rhythm this weekend, and we understand this. His time will come.”


More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

No chance for Sete in crash-strewn race

Gibernau finishes sixth as Edwards is knocked off on the first lap

Sete Gibernau could only finish sixth and Colin Edwards was forced to retire at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Telefónica MoviStar Honda MotoGP team’s worst weekend for two seasons. The American had high hopes of the podium but was caught up in a multi-rider pile-up caused by Loris Capirossi in the first corner. Sete made up several positions as a result of the accident but tyre problems he has endured since Estoril continued at a circuit notorious for its hard braking zones. Gibernau did his best to hang to sixth place and collect as many points as possible with the front tyre completely shredded. Sete remains second in the championship, now 39 points down on Rossi, whilst Edwards drops two places to sixth.

Sete Gibernau (6th): “We’ve had a lot of problems here this weekend and this is my worst GP since I came to Honda. I couldn’t do much more in the situation we were in and I even have to thank God I finished sixth, which was unthinka! ble with the problems we had. I almost retired because I had a major problem with the front tyre from the start and I didn’t know if I could hang on. In the end I made it to the finish line but with the tyre in pieces. When I saw it on my return to the pit box I realised how lucky I was that I didn’t crash. This sort of thing has never happened to me before and I am sure Michelin want the best for us, but we need to go back to what we had before and the tyre which has always worked for me.”

Colin Edwards (crashed): “It was a real shame because the bike was perfect and I felt really good here. I think I could have fought for the podium but what can you do? I went down completely unexpectedly – just as I did last year with Hopkins. The only positive thing is that two Japanese guys finished on the podium here in Japan.”

Fausto Gresini (team manager): “Today was a complete disaster. We have got a better result than we expected with Sete as a consequence of other people’s misfortune and we need to concentrate on getting him back where he belongs. Colin was really lucky to get caught up in that accident and it’s a real shame because he could have done well here.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:


Makoto Tamada dominates in Motegi

After yesterday’s qualifying session, where he took pole with an astonishing lap, Makoto Tamada won today’s race in spectacular fashion. In his home race of Motegi, at the Camel GP of Japan, Makoto once again showed his talent and fighting spirit. Taking the lead on lap six of 24, he stretched his legs, in an incessant dominant rhythm and a pace which meant no-one got close to him until after the chequered flag. Today’s victory moves him up to fifth place in the championship. Max Biaggi was out of the race almost immediately, without any blame as he got involved in a first lap incident that forced six riders out in total. There was no injury to the Camel Honda rider but he was disappointed to have been unable to fight for victory as he had expected.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)

“We are delighted for Makoto Tamada. This is the third victory of the year for the Camel Honda team. This is an important result for the team, for Honda and for our partners, but also because winning in Japan has a special flavour to it. I feel for Max, he could have fought for victory but, like in Estoril, hopes were dashed on the first lap of the race. We took the pole and won the race sponsored by Camel, our team’s title sponsor, and that’s a massive satisfaction.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – Not finished first lap

“I got away quite well, but as I turned into the first bend, I saw a Ducati and another bike crossing the track in the opposite direction to that which it goes. I felt a big smack on the side and I saw Hopkins flying, but I was still upright. I ended up in the sand and then another bike fell right in front of me and that’s when I finally went down. It’s what I didn’t want, I’m so disappointed because today I could have done a great race. I want to congratulate Makoto because he did a fantastic race. He’s a brilliant rider and also most importantly a friend.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)

“Already in the morning warm-up we knew that Makoto could have a race pace which could make the difference, and we knew who he had to keep an eye out for. Makoto imposed the pace and dictated the race using all his determination. If he had need to push even more, he probably had something else in reserve just in case. This second victory for Makoto and the team in 2004 is a result that shows the good work we are doing here. Thanks to Honda for their support, to Bridgestone and to Camel, the GP of Japan has been a great event.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 1st – 43’43.220

“In the first corner I realised that everybody was going too fast to take it properly, and you all saw how it ended up. I was second behind Valentino and I remembered the last race at Estoril, where I finished behind him. I wanted a different race to that one so I pushed hard and began to attack him. The bike was running brilliantly and so were the tyres. I followed the advice the Bridgestone technicians gave me after the warm-up and the tyre choice was correct. I had everything to win, I attacked and overtook Valentino and set my rhythm to the end. Thanks to everybody, this victory is really important”.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:


Disappointing Grand Prix for Ducati Marlboro Team

The Grand Prix of Japan proved to be a disappointing race for the Ducati Marlboro Team as both riders were involved in crashes and failed to finish.

Like last year, the race at the Motegi circuit in Japan began with a tremendous pile-up at the first corner which involved six riders including Loris Capirossi. The Italian, who lay immobile on the ground after the crash, suffered slight concussion and two bone fractures to his right foot. It was a day to forget also for team-mate Troy Bayliss. Sixteenth on the starting-grid, the gritty Australian was making a fantastic recovery when he crashed five laps from the end while in fifth position.

The good performance of the Ducati Marlboro Team riders on Friday and Saturday, when both Loris and Troy were quick on race tyres, was not transformed into a similar result in the race.

“This could have been our best race of the season, but instead it was a day to forget” declared Livio Suppo, director of the Ducati Marlboro Team. “During the warm-up Loris was third quickest and Troy was also in a good position. Unfortunately Loris was involved in a bad crash at the first curve and was unable to demonstrate all his potential. Troy, after starting in sixteenth position, was having an incredible race, but he crashed while in fifth place five laps from the end. In 2003 on this track we were struggling a lot, but this weekend’s qualifying demonstrated how much the bike has progressed since last year: unfortunately we were unable to get a good result to confirm this progress”.

Loris Capirossi’s Grand Prix of Japan came to an end at the first corner, when he was involved in a big crash, together with five other riders. The Italian, who had been consistently quick over the weekend and third in the morning warm-up, was convinced a good result could have been possible today. Now Loris is faced with a race against time to recover for the Grand Prix of Qatar.

“I don’t know what happened, I just found myself on the ground” admitted Loris afterwards in the Clinica Mobile. “It was a pity, but that’s racing and these things can happen. This could have been an important race for us: we had gone well during qualifying and in the morning warm-up and were convinced we could have obtained a good result, instead it all came to an end at the first curve. This is a strange track and last year there was also a crash involving 4 or 5 riders, including Troy. I’m now just going to have to do well in the next race.”

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss gave the spectators at Japan’s Motegi circuit an exciting race: after starting from the sixth row, he managed to get up to fifth place with a spectacular recovery. Unfortunately Troy’s race came to an end when he crashed out with five laps remaining.

“I got a reasonably good start and I had a good race despite starting from sixteenth on the grid. I was really disappointed about the crash because I was riding well. It’s better to have a crash in fifth position than sixteenth position, so I’m leaving here on a positive note because I was doing OK. I look forward to the next race, I’m going to go home and train like mad to get ready for Qatar”.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:


Both Suzukis out of Japanese GP in turn one Mayhem

Racing can be a cruel sport – and Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr. were two victims in today’s Japanese GP, when they were among six riders brought down in the very first corner in a multiple crash.

The disappointment was all the more acute after Hopkins had started from the front row of the grid for the first time in his career, with Roberts close behind, and after both had made an excellent start in a race that should have lasted 24 laps for them, rather than less than one. Worse still, two out of three on the top-three rostrum were using Bridgestone tyres, the same as those fitted to the GSV-R Suzukis, suggesting that their chances of success were even better than usual.

Both riders were injured in the crash, which was triggered when Ducati rider Loris Capirossi, who started from the third row of the grid, came up the inside from the start, but was travelling too fast to make the corner. Photographs showed that he was already crashing when he struck Hopkins, lying in second place, sending the Anglo-American somersaulting through the air, and setting off a chain reaction that took out not only himself and the Suzuki pair, but also Colin Edwards, Max Biaggi and Nicky Hayden.

Hopkins was at first thought the worst injured, suffering two broken ribs and a deep gash to his buttocks. In fact, it was 2000 World Champion Roberts who came off worse, with a dislocated left elbow, and burns to his right side. He will definitely be out of the next round, the Qatar GP in two weeks; Hopkins hopes to be fit enough to start.

The accident was a bitter irony for Hopkins, who last year was blamed for causing a similar incident in the same place. He was disqualified from the next round as punishment. At the time of writing, there had been no announcement that the same penalty will be applied to Capirossi in this case.

Suzuki’s hopes for this race had been high, with both riders taking the benefit of a new exhaust system that significantly improved mid-range horsepower. This gave the team confidence they could continue the trend of improving results over the past few races, with Hopkins’s sixth place at the last round the best of the year so far for the team.

Today’s race was won by Japanese rider Makoto Tamada, with defending champion Valentino Rossi left trailing in second.

Kenny Roberts Jr. – Did Not Finish
I don’t know if I got a good start or a bad start – but it was the wrong start! A couple of guys got into each other and caused a chain reaction. I think I got taken out by Biaggi, but my left arm got stuck between his rear wheel and some part of the chassis. It pulled me into the bike and I burned my neck a little bit, and my right arm on his exhaust pipe. When I pulled my arm out, I couldn’t bend my elbow – but I could twist my arm and my hand, with pain, so at least I knew there wasn’t nerve damage. I ran to the inside of the track because I knew I’d get to the medical centre faster. Colin (Edwards) helped me get my gloves off, and I came to the clinic. They took the X-ray and put my arm back in probably 15 seconds. It really hurt going in and it really hurts now. They say I should know in a couple of weeks at what stage I’ll feel somewhat good. The left side of my body is in pain from the dislocation, and the right side from being burned . so I have quite a different set of circumstances. Other than that, I’m basically fine. The crash was quite slow, but these things happen. I hope all the other riders are okay. We’ll wait until I’m feeling 100 percent, and continue from there.

John Hopkins – Did Not Finish
Word’s can’t express my disappointment. I guess it’s some kind of payback. Last year I took out some riders in the same place, and this year I got taken out. It sucks, but I’m just hoping it will not affect Qatar. I’ve broken some ribs, but I hope I can make the race. I was running into the corner in second, right behind Rossi. I had no warning – it felt like a freight train hitting me.

Garry Taylor – Team Manager
What a weekend. We had excellent results in qualifying, and both guys got a great start. Then they both suffered very painful injuries . though it could be worse. It’s especially poignant for John, after his similar incident last year. Kenny was lucky that Dr Costa and his team were on hand to relocate his elbow straight away. He is certainly out of Qatar – we will have to wait and see about John. If we decide to replace Kenny, either test-team rider Gregorio Lavilla or factory tester Kosuke Akioshi would be candidates. Today’s injuries came after I sustained a fracture in the foot last night, slipping in the shower. As I said – what a weekend.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

TERRIFIC TAMADA TRIUMPHS ON HOME TERRITORY

Magnificent Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres made his home race his own with a resounding win. In front of a vocal 67,000 crowd in beating heat, he finished 6.168 seconds ahead of Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) with Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) third.

Tamada started from his second consecutive pole of the season, but it was Rossi who made it into turn one first. But a huge pile-up ensued immediately behind taking out six riders. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V), Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V), Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V), Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins (both Suzuki) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati) never got further than turn one.

The incident was sparked when Capirossi dived up the inside and collided with Hopkins. They tangled, went down and skittled the other victims. There were no serious injuries although Roberts suffered a dislocated elbow and Hopkins two broken ribs. It could have been worse.

The debris, human and mechanical, was cleared quickly enough to prevent the appearance of red flags and it was Rossi who led Tamada and Marco Melandri (Yamaha) into lap two.

Tamada was right up with Rossi and they had a 2.9 second advantage over Melandri by the time lap three began. It looked like this would be a two-way fight until Tam