Updated: Rossi Crashes, Gibernau Wins Qatar MotoGP

Updated: Rossi Crashes, Gibernau Wins Qatar MotoGP

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Race Results

1. Sete Gibernau, Honda
2. Colin Edwards, Honda, -1.315 seconds
3. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -23.844
4. Alex Barros, Honda, -25.458
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -31.417
6. Max Biaggi, Honda, -39.209
7. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -53.373
8. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -58.006
9. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -64.320
10. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -78.518
11. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, -109.438
12. James Haydon, Proton, -112.158
13. James Ellison, WCM, -113.900
14. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -3 laps, DNF, retired
15. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -9 laps, DNF, retired
16. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -9 laps, DNF, retired
17. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, -10 laps, DNF, retired
18. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, -12 laps, DNF, retired
19. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -16 laps, DNF, crashed
20. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, -17 laps, DNF, crashed
21. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -17 laps, DNF, retired
22. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -19 laps, DNF, retired



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR – LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
2ND OCTOBER 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

HOFMANN FINISHES A FAST NINTH IN QATAR HEAT WAVE

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann scored his best result of the season so far, with a determined ride to ninth place in today’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit on the outskirts of Doha.

But while Hofmann celebrated, his team-mate Shinya Nakano saw a potential podium finish snatched away when his Ninja ZX-RR suffered a mechanical failure on lap four.

The retirement was a huge disappointment for the Japanese speed merchant who had made a brilliant start from fifth on the grid to move into third place behind eventual race winner Sete Gibernau, and Carlos Checa on lap two.

It was an impressive turn of speed by Nakano aboard his Bridgestone-shod Kawasaki, and he had high hopes of repeating his third place podium result at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Today’s 22-lap race was run in heat wave conditions with track temperatures of over 50 degrees C, which tested the endurance of both riders and bikes to the limit.

Starting 18th on the grid Hofmann’s task was made more difficult on the sand-blown Losail Circuit, which had a narrow racing line that limited overtaking opportunities.

But the German young gun rode with patience and skill to be 13th on lap nine, and then position himself for a late race charge into ninth.

Hofmann had lost ground with a poor start from his grid position on the dirty side of the circuit, with his ZX-RR spinning and sliding all the way to turn one.

It was lap six before the 24-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki pilot had settled into 15th and raced at the same pace as the group in front, which included John Hopkins and Norick Abe.

The Qatar race broke new ground for MotoGP, opening up a new market in the Middle East and providing riders and teams with many new challenges from the dusty but fast circuit, and the stifling and exhausting tropical temperatures.

Alex Hofmann: 9th
“That was a really tough race, but I’m really happy because it’s my best result of the season after starting so far back. But it could have been even better, because towards the end of the race I could run at the same pace as Hopkins and Abe, but I was just too far behind. The start was a big problem from the dirtiest part of the track on the inside; I was just spinning and sliding and lost too much time in the early laps. In the final laps I was just riding smoothly and shifting gear early.”

Shinya Nakano: DNF
“I had bad luck today, but that’s racing. Last race I was on the podium but today an engine problem meant a disappointing end to the race while running in third place. My start was very good, but there were a lot of riders bumping into each other, so there was a big chance of crashing. Obviously Kawasaki have to work hard to understand our engine problems, but despite this result, I’m very confident for the future after qualifying fifth and racing in third place.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“It is disappointing to know that the ZX-RR has the performance potential that Shinya again showed today, only to have some engine problems rule him out of the race. It is clear that we have to work harder to keep our motors alive and that is our priority now. Shinya did a fantastic job this weekend, so I understand completely how he feels today. Alex also performed strongly for his best result of the season, and if he can qualify better and make stronger starts then his performances will only improve.”

MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 44’01.741; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +1.315; 3. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team +23.844; 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +25.458; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +31.417; 6. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +39.209; 7. Norick Abe (JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +53.373; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +58.006; 9. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +1’04.320; 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +1’18.518



More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix, Losail
Race Day
Saturday October 2 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN OUT OF LUCK AT LOSAIL
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss endured a disappointing Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix at Losail today, neither rider finishing the incident-packed GP. In pitilessly hot conditions, with ambient temperatures nudging 40 degrees C, both men had high hopes for the race after qualifying on the second and third rows of the grid. But Bayliss made his exit in the early stages, while Capirossi retired just after halfway through the 22-lap event. The race was won by Sete Gibernau, while World Championship leader Valentino Rossi crashed out.

“That was a disappointing race for us,” commented Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “We had a chance of a good result here, but it didn’t happen. Loris was going well and he was able to keep a very good pace, but he had some unbelievable luck when he ran off the track after touching a piece of Rossi’s broken windscreen that was lying on the track. After that he had some problem with his bike which forced him to pull into the pits. We are investigating what went wrong. Troy meanwhile had a rear problem which we are looking into with Michelin. I never like to talk about bad luck but for sure we’ve been unlucky today. Finally, I would like to offer my congratulations to Ruben Xaus and the whole D’Antin Ducati team for scoring their first podium today”.

CAPIROSSI FAST BUT FAILS TO FINISH
Loris Capirossi ran well in the early stages of today’s Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix, working his way up to fifth place on lap four, but then his luck ran out. First the Ducati Marlboro Team rider ran off the track on lap five after straying off the narrow grippy line around this super-slippery racetrack, without losing too much time. Then, two laps later, he took a longer excursion into the gravel after touching a fragment of Rossi’s screen. Finally he was forced into the pits with engine gremlins. While he was on track Capirossi was one of the fastest men out there, his best lap just 0.5 seconds off the lap record.

“Today was a difficult day even though it started quite well for me,” said Capirossi who rode in some pain from the foot he broke two weeks ago at the Japanese GP. “Considering I started from the second row I got a good start and was making progress. The first time I ran off the track I only lost a couple of places, but the next time I lost another six places, so I was way down in 13th. After that I was fighting back, my tyres were working really well, I felt comfortable and I was running a good pace until I had to stop.”

BAYLISS MAKES EARLY EXIT IN QATAR
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss was in the thick of the action during the first few laps of this afternoon’s race but soon realised that he couldn’t continue to ride. On lap six he pulled into the pits, suspecting a rear problem.

“Something didn’t feel quite right pretty much from the first lap,” said the Australian. “So in the end I had to pull into the pits so the guys could take a look together with the Michelin guys. It’s a pity but it is something that can happen”.



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

HAYDON TAKES FIRST MOTOGP POINTS ON PROTON KR

Round 13: Qatar GP, Doha
Race: Saturday, October 2, 2004

James Haydon: 12th
Nobuatsu Aoki: Did Not Finish – crash

Proton Team KR substitute rider James Haydon preserved the team’s record of finishing in the points for four races in a row in a race of attrition at the new 5.380km Losail circuit in today’s inaugural Qatar GP, bringing the England-built bike home 12th, regaining the position after getting the better of his almost race-long rival James Ellison.

Team regular Nobuatsu Aoki missed out, however, one of only two riders to crash on a track that was slippery and treacherous in baking 40-degree heat. Aoki was chasing one of the factory Suzukis at the time, and the tumble spoiled the chances of an otherwise impressive reliability record for the Proton KR V5, in a race where conditions tested machine integrity to the utmost, and seven failed.

Haydon was riding for one race in place of injured team regular Kurtis Roberts, who will make his racing return at next weekend’s Malaysian GP, home race for the Proton sponsors. It is eight years since the English rider last raced in GPs – he has been racing in World and British Superbike series since then.

The Proton riders were lapping together for the early part of the race, with Aoki drawing ahead when he crashed out, victim of a freak corner-entry crash. After the race, the team were still investigating data to try to pin down the reason; the rider escaped injury.

Haydon was by then already involved with fellow British Superbike series racer James Ellison, and the pair scrapped for the rest of the 22-lap race, with Haydon saving his best to sweep past his rival on the last lap, and finish almost two seconds clear.

The first ever GP in the Middle East was run in front of a small crowd, and won by Sete Gibernau.

JAMES HAYDON
I was too quick on the clutch at the start and went sideways on the line, so I was basically last into Turn One, though I nipped past Ellison under braking on the second corner. I was behind Nobu and pushing, then I lost the front big style twice on two consecutive laps. Then I saw Nobu crash, so I backed off a little and I was back with Ellison. I let him lead for a while … he wasn’t going to get away, and I got a good rhythm, but when I passed him he came back by me again, so I thought I should save my energy and hope for a clear last lap … and it worked out. I want to say a massive thank you to Proton Team KR and Dunlop, first for the opportunity and second for the excellent job they did getting the bike how I like it. My aim was to finish in the points, and though the attrition helped, you still have to be there at the end.

NOBUATSU AOKI
I knew it was going to be a race of survival, and I wanted to try to ride steadily … but when I saw Yukio Kagayama’s Suzuki ahead I felt I had the chance of catching him for a good race. Honestly I wasn’t pushing, and the grip was better than in the morning, though still not enough to really go hard. I thought I had everything under control, then suddenly the back end lost grip and I was high-sided. It was on the way into the corner with the throttle closed, which was weird. They’re trying to find out now if there was something wrong.

CHUCK AKSLAND – Team Manager
James had a good weekend. Step by step and session by session he worked on set up and feeling, and meshed really well with everybody. His points were well deserved. From the first Nobu said it would be a race of survival, and unfortunately he didn’t survive. But we kept up our points record over recent races, and all the bikes were reliable all weekend in really tough conditions. It’s put us in a good mood for Sepang next weekend, in front of our sponsors Proton.



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

DIRE DAY FOR GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) was forced to retire from third position with only two laps remaining of today’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. The 31-year-old Spaniard took the hole-shot from pole position on his YZR-M1 machine and led the first lap. He was edged out of contention by race-winner Sete Gibernau (Honda) on lap two and then by second-placed Colin Edwards (Honda) six laps later. Checa’s retirement, which was due to a fuel problem, allowed fellow Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) to record his first ever MotoGP podium.

Valentino Rossi’s race started in controversy, contained sheer magical brilliance but ended in disaster on lap six. The Italian World Championship leader was forced to start from the back of the grid when Race Direction ruled that his team had infringed the rules by making a mark on the track at his third-row starting grid position. The crew had intended that the five-time World Champion could use the mark during the morning warm-up session to develop a good line into the first corner from his original third row grid position. Within one lap Rossi had scythed through the field to eighth and continued his scintillating progress until he caught the edge of the track with his rear wheel coming out of the second last turn on lap six and was thrown from his bike. The bad end to his day was further compounded by Gibernau’s win which narrows Rossi’s points lead to just 14 with three races remaining.

The MotoGP circus leaves Qatar for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next Sunday. It then moves to Phillip Island in Australia the following week and back to Europe for the season finale at Valencia in Spain on 31st October.

CARLOS CHECA (DNF – RETIRED LAP 20)
“I want to think in a positive way. My team did a really good job and I really appreciate it – especially Yamaha. This is not a nice day for us or for Yamaha. But I did some good work this weekend. I was pleased with my pole position and I was riding well in the race. I was under control in third place but I couldn’t keep the pace and had some problems with rear stability but then with three or four laps to go I started feeling a throttle connection problem. I was praying and thinking “only three laps to go” but the problem got worse and the bike finally stopped.”

VALENTINO ROSSI (DNF – FELL LAP 6)
“Firstly I have to say I was amazed and very disappointed by the decision to make me start at the back of the grid. I don’t think there is any consistency in some of the decisions made. At other races people have cleaned their grid places and nothing has happened. In fact, my crew were doing something they used to do with Doohan when the track was dirty. I didn’t know about it until after it had happened.

“Finally in the race I made a mistake. I had really pushed in the first few laps and could see that Colin was in slightly better shape than me when I was behind him. I ran wide in the second last turn and just clipped the grass. They were looking strong but I did think I could have made the podium. Fortunately I’m not hurt. I was worried about my finger but it is not serious.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“It has been a bad weekend. We’ll go away with Qatar with no result and no points but that’s racing. Valentino is still leading the Championship by fourteen points and now we will react and fight until the end of the Championship. In Brazil we were in the same situation and we fought back strongly. We have got three races to go and anything can happen.

“It’s such a shame for Carlos. He was riding a very good race to follow up his pole. He is really disappointed as he fully deserved a podium. He was suffering with the problem during the race and eventually it stopped.”

Please find below today’s correct results from the Qatar Grand Prix and the current MotoGP World Championship standings:

RESULTS
1.. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA 44’01.741
2.. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA +1.315
3.. Ruben Xaus (SPA) D’Antin Ducati MotoGP +23.844
4.. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda Team +25.458
5.. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +31.417
6.. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Pons +39.209
7.. Norick Abe (JPN) Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha +53.373
8.. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +58.006
9.. Alex Hoffmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +1’04.320
10.. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda 1’18.518

CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha retired lap 20
VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha fell lap 6

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1.. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 229
2.. Sete Gibernau (SPA) 215
3.. Max Biaggi (ITA) 168
4.. Colin Edwards (USA) 131
5.. Alex Barros (BRA) 128
6.. Makoto Tamada (JPN) 120
7.. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) 102
8.. Nicky Hayden (USA) 94
9.. Loris Capirossi (ITA) 84
10.. Marco Melandri (ITA) 75




More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Great fightback from Max at Losail, finishing sixth after starting from the back row, Makoto Tamada in the top ten

On the back row on the starting grid after the penalty inflicted by the race direction, Max Biaggi fought back in today’s race, making it up to sixth position as he passed the chequered flag. A slight blip on the final lap where he ran off track meant he couldn’t hang on to fifth place, which had been fruit of some great determination up until that moment. Makoto Tamada ended up in the top ten having to deal with a lack of feeling on the front, the same which had perturbed him all weekend. The championship continues next weekend in Malaysia, at a similar temperature than in Qatar, but undoubtedly easier without the sand and dust which have been the main focus of attention in this first Middle Eastern GP.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Max started this race from the back of the grid for a penalty which I feel was too severe. The team has done what you do to a new track and where the presence of sand was more than evident. To clean the position where the rider is starting from is a process which is simply for the safety of the rider a the start, a preventative measure which the organisation should have dealt with especially in the area of the starting grid. I repeat, our intervention was only trying to guarantee the safety of the rider on the track. Penalised with his grid position, Max fought back hard during the race and came up close to the front runners. It’s a shame about that off-track excursion on the last lap which lost him a place.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 6th – 44’40.950
“I started in last place, because of the penalty put upon my team. What can I say about that… It was the result of a complaint made by our rivals. Whatever, for the third race in a row things were tough from the start. However I wasn’t disheartened, not even when I got an awful start, with the rear tyre slipping on the sand, which was present in industrial proportions down there at the back. Rossi meanwhile was in the middle line of the straight, the cleanest bit, and he got a great start. I tried not to lose my desire and I got down to business. It was tough, very tough, because the area we had to work in was tight. But I wanted to get as far up the order as possible. On the last lap I got on Barros’ tail to try and snatch fourth place, but my front let me down, and the steering folded and I went straight on. Hayden also profited from it, but I don’t regret having tried it. All that’s happened over the last three races has been practically unbelievable.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“We tried lots of things to try and improve Makoto’s confidence in the front, but evidently we didn’t get the ideal solution. We had this problem for the entire weekend, to which a loss of grip was added during the complicated conditions for this race. Now we will analyse the data we collected to try to understand if the problems are only linked to this type of asphalt or if it is something that we will need to solve by working in another way, and it could even just be something to do with this track. We will be in similar conditions in Sepang, it’s a similar climate, but we have more experience and data there, both in the settings and with the tyres.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 10th – 45’20.259
“The main difficulty today was with the lack of confidence in the front end of the bike, so it was hard to turn the bike into the corners with the necessary aggression. In some corners I couldn’t lean the bike properly. I’m not worried, here there wasn’t much grip whereas in Sepang things will clearly be different.”



More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Gibernau takes win as Rossi crashes in Qatar

Sete Gibernau took victory in a dramatic inaugural race at the Losail International Circuit, where Valentino Rossi was controversially forced to start from the back of the grid and then crashed out as he made his way through the field. Rossi’s Yamaha team were penalised for cleaning his starting position on the grid, as were Max Biaggi’s Honda crew, and both riders were docked six seconds from their qualifying times.

It meant the Italian pair would have to start from the back row, giving Gibernau fresh confidence as he looked to close down Rossi’s gap at the top of the championship. Gibernau started from third and gave chase to early leader Carlos Checa, passing him on the first lap. At the same time Rossi made up fourteen places in an incredible start, making up another four positions on the next three laps to move fourth behind Colin Edwards.

However, two laps later the Italian drifted slightly wide onto the artificial grass which surrounds the track and spectacularly lost control of his machine, escaping unhurt but unable to return to the track. On the ninth lap Edwards passed Checa and gave chase to his team-mate at the front, exerting pressure on Gibernau but not pulling close enough to challenge for victory in an intense finish.

“We’ve taken a big step forward with the best possible result of a high-pressure weekend,” said Gibernau, who moves to within fourteen points of Rossi at the top of the championship. “Once again my team knew how to manage it and I am delighted. We gave maximum concentration to the job because I know that if we focus all our energy we are capable of progressing. I’m happy for the 25 points and for the great race but I don’t want to get carried away. We are back at our best and that is important. The advantage has been reduced but I’m looking at the next round in Malaysia as just another race.”

MotoGP rookie Ruben Xaus clinched his first ever podium in third place after taking advantage of a fuel problem for Carlos Checa three laps from the end. Alex Barros came through to take fourth after fighting back from a double whammy on the fourth lap, when he was pushed wide by Rossi and then got caught behind Shinya Nakano just as the Japanese rider experienced engine problems, blowing smoke into the face of the Brazilian and forcing him to run off track, returning down in 18th place.

Nicky Hayden completed the top five whilst Max Biaggi made continual progress through the field to take sixth as Checa, Nakano, Troy Bayliss, Loris Capirossi, Neil Hodgson and Marco Melandri all retired and Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki crashed. The historic race was enjoyed by the Royal Family of Qatar and other national dignitaries, as well as top international sportsmen currently plying their trade in the Middle East including footballers Gabriel Batistuta, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Frank Lebeouf and Josep Guardiola.

Sebastián Porto completed a perfect weekend for him in the 250cc class, taking an authoritative victory after dominating every single practice and qualifying session. Dani Pedrosa and Alex de Angelis gave chase to the Argentinean but only Pedrosa could keep pace, eventually consolidating his lead at the top of the championship with second place. De Angelis suffered heartbreak two laps from the end, retiring form a comfortable third place with a mechanical problem and allowing Hiroshi Aoyama to pick up his second podium in as many races after a close battle with Franco Battaini. A crash for Randy de Puniet leaves him virtually out of the chase for the title, with Porto moving up to second and trailing Pedrosa by 43 points. This means that Pedrosa can win the title by scoring eight points more than Porto in the next round at Sepang.

The opening race of the day and the first ever Grand Prix in Qatar saw the closest ever finish in the history of the sport, with Jorge Lorenzo taking 125cc victory by less than a thousandth of a second over Andrea Dovizioso. Lorenzo started from pole position but got involved in a four rider battle for victory which was reduced to three when Casey Stoner retired on the ninth lap. Alvaro Bautista then led the way but himself suffered from a technical problem near the end of the race and had to settle for third, leaving an historic head-to-head between Lorenzo and Dovizioso. With Hector Barberá struggling to twelfth place and Roberto Locatelli back in twentieth, Dovizioso can now secure the title with third place in Malaysia next week.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Grand Prix of Qatar, Losail, September 30, October 1, 2, 2004

Race Day October 2

SETE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON TITLE AS ROSSI FALTERS

In one of the most riveting MotoGP showdowns of the season sensational Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) put his title challenge back on track with a resounding win in searing heat here in Qatar. His team-mate Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) was second and Ruben Xaus (Ducati) third.

In front of a modest crowd of nearly three thousand people at Qatar’s inaugural race, Gibernau and Edwards showed their rivals precisely how to master 22-laps of this sinuous 5.4km track. World Championship title race points leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) showed how to gift 25 points to a rival by falling on lap six as Gibernau stamped his authority on the contest.

Today was packed with drama – on and off the track. Before the race began Honda lodged a protest against Rossi’s crew for tampering with his grid slot by burning rubber from a paddock scooter onto the tarmac to enhance grip at the start.

Yamaha then made a tit-for-tat protest about Biaggi’s crew who had swept his grid slot clean. Both were upheld and Rossi and Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) were each given a six second time penalty before the start. This relegated them to the back of the grid.

Carlos Checa (Yamaha) got a lightning take-off and led into turn one with Gibernau in hot pursuit. Sete then made short work of his Spanish rival and led across the line after lap one. Ruben Xaus was third with Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) in the hunt in fourth. Rossi was already eighth and was holding nothing back in his bid to get on terms near the front.

Edwards was lying sixth in the opening laps but the Texan was getting into a rapid rhythm and began to close down the front runners. First he took care of Xaus and Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) on lap two for fourth place, then he inherited third on the next lap when Nakano’s engine expired.

Rossi was now through to fourth but his bid to snatch an unlikely victory in adversity foundered when he made one of his customary wide exits on a fast left-hand turn before the final corner onto the straight. On grass he might have got away with it, but the Astroturf laid trackside here to counter drifting sand caught him out and he fell heavily.

Gibernau was now in total control out front by four seconds and Edwards was working on depriving Checa of second place. He made his move on lap eight and then had his team-mate as a target. Try as he might Edwards could not catch Gibernau and although he reduced the gap to 1.6 seconds in the closing stages, Gibernau ran out an easy winner in a hard, hard race.

“When is a win ever easy?” said an exhausted but buoyant Sete. “Sometimes it’s hard just to finish sixth like in Japan two weeks ago. This was difficult and the team did a great job. They gave me a great bike and I really enjoyed riding it here today. I’ve got the best team and factory in the business behind me and it showed here today.”

Edwards was generous to his team-mate and said, “After the first three laps Sete was away and gone. I got past Carlos but that was as much as I could manage. That was an awesome race and it’s great for Sete to get maximum points. As far as any team efforts go – this is as good as it gets.”

Barros finished fourth. “I got a bad start,” said the Brazilian. “I passed Xaus and then Valentino touched me and I went off line into the dirty section of the track and lost a few places. Then I was right behind the smoking Kawasaki and I had to brake and ran off track. I had a chance to fight with Sete today and we missed the opportunity.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) was fifth and said, “My first few laps were so slow it was embarrassing. When the front tyre got more scrubbed in I got back into a decent rhythm and if I try to look positively at this we got a top five finish. And this is the first time we’ve scored any points since Donington in July.”

Max was sixth. “What can I say about the starting penalty?” he said. “The result of it is that for the third race in a row our plans have been ruined. But I don’t ever give up and even though the rear tyre was sliding in the dirty part of the track I finished the race. Rossi was in the cleaner part of the track at the start and got away better than me. But I’ll be riding as hard as ever in Sepang.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, had a troubled weekend and finished tenth. “The trouble was a lack of feel at the front-end and I just couldn’t be as aggressive as I needed to be in the turns. I’m not worried too much about Sepang next weekend because although the conditions might be similar we have a lot more data from there.”

The World Championship points reckoning has now tightened considerably. Rossi still leads with 229 points from 13 races. But Gibernau is back in business with 215, with three races and 75 points still up for grabs. Max lies third with 168.

The 250cc race followed almost the same pattern as the earlier 125cc race where three riders made a break and pulled away from a field that just couldn’t make the same progress. Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) won from Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) with Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) third.

Dani got the holeshot but Porto edged ahead on lap two to dominate the race from the front while Pedrosa and Alex de Angelis tried all they could to reel him in. Title hopeful Randy de Puniet (

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