Rossi starts title defence with a victory Valentino Rossi began his MotoGP World Championship defence with a determined performance at Jerez today, snatching victory from home favourite Sete Gibernau in a dramatic final corner manoeuvre. A minute’s silence in memory of Pope John Paul II provided the calm before the storm as Rossi stalked Gibernau for virtually the entire race, making his move on the penultimate lap only to make a mistake in the final circulation and hand the lead back to the Spaniard. It set up a breathtaking finale, with the pair exchanging places in the fast right corners which lead into the final left-hand hairpin, where they collided as Rossi forced his way up the inside. Gibernau ran it wide into the gravel but returned to the track to limp across the line in second place, benefiting from the huge gap the two riders had opened up over third-placed Marco Melandri, who completed the podium in his first MotoGP appearance for Honda. “This was for sure a great race, especially after the problems I had in the morning,” said Rossi, who had crashed out of the warm-up and caused extensive damage to his number one Yamaha machine. “Sete rode a great race and set a very fast pace. I attacked at the end but made a mistake on the last lap and then we touched in the final corner. I’m sure Sete’s angry about it right now but racing motorcycles is hard. There are 16 races to go and it will be a hard battle.” Melandri took third place after Nicky Hayden had crashed out with just eight laps to go, ending hopes of what looked like a certain podium for the American, the only rider to match the pace of Rossi and Gibernau throughout the race. Alex Barros clinched a distant fourth after a hard battle with Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano and his Honda team-mate Troy Bayliss, who took a creditable sixth place on his debut for the Japanese factory. Max Biaggi recovered from his worst ever grid position of 16th to take seventh after overcoming the challenge of Honda colleague Makoto Tamada and Yamaha’s Colin Edwards, whilst Carlos Checa fought through the pain of a recovering shoulder injury to complete the top ten at his home circuit on the Ducati. Despite Gibernau’s misfortune in the premier-class the 127,000 crowd had plenty to cheer in the 250cc race, as reigning World Champion Dani Pedrosa and his Honda stormed to a clear victory over Aprilia’s Sebastian Porto. Randy de Puniet and Casey Stoner both crashed out of third place to leave Aprilia colleague Alex de Angelis with his third career podium in the quarter-litre class ahead of Honda debutantes Andrea Dovizioso, Hector Barberá and Andrea Dovizioso. Marco Simoncelli proved his wet victory here last year was no fluke as he went from pole position to the top step of the podium for the second successive season in the 125cc. The Aprilia teenager rode a controlled race in a typically frenetic lead group, which saw home hope Pablo Nieto crash his Derbi just two laps from the end when challenging for second place. Nieto’s misfortune opened the way for KTM rider Mika Kallio to snatch second with a last-corner move on Fabrizio Lai, who took third on his debut for Honda. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 ROUND 1 – CIRCUITO DE JEREZ, SPAIN 10 APRIL 2005 – MOTOGP RACE FANTASTIC FIFTH FOR FLYING NAKANO AT JEREZ The 2005 model Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR made an impressive start to the MotoGP season, with Shinya Nakano finishing a brilliant fifth in today’s Spanish Grand Prix. From the start Nakano rode with his trademark mixture of style and aggression, and at the end of the 27-lap race he was the first rider using Bridgestone tyres to greet the chequered flag. Joining Super Shinya in the points was his hard-riding German teammate Alex Hofmann, who finished 11th with a strong performance from the fourth row of the grid. Today’s race was the GP debut of Kawasaki’s new big-bang motor. Still in the early stages of development, the 990cc four-cylinder engine displayed its future potential in today’s windswept race at Jerez. The latest generation of Bridgestone tyres, with stiffer case construction, also proved ideally suited to the conditions and the Ninja ZX-RR machines of Nakano and Hofmann. Nakano settled into fifth place on lap one and for much of the first half of the race he rode alone, as he tagged the leading group containing eventual race winner Valentino Rossi. Although pressured by Alex Barros late in the race, Nakano responded to chase the Brazilian home, and at the finish the Japanese rider was just 0.7s behind fourth place. Hofmann charged into eighth briefly on the first lap, and then raced aggressively in a tight bunch that included double World Superbike champion Colin Edwards, Spaniard Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi. The Kawasaki Racing Team will test at Jerez tomorrow (Monday) before moving on to Estoril for next weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Fifth “This is a fantastic start to the season for Kawasaki’s new big-bang motor; I’m obviously very happy. All the engineers at Kawasaki have done an excellent job, the engine was strong and there is more performance to come. Also my Bridgestone tyres were very good in these conditions. From the start I pushed very hard, but I just could not stay with the leading group, it was difficult to keep pace riding alone. I kept pushing until the finish and even when Barros overtook me I could follow his pace and I didn’t lose any more positions.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Eleventh “That was a tough battle in the wind and on a very dusty track. I didn’t make my best start, but I was able to make some moves and be eighth on lap one . It was a very fast pace at the front and I had a very good race with the group that included Edwards, Checa and then Biaggi. I was able to run the same pace through most of the race and had no problems with the new big-bang motor or the Bridgestone tyres. I think I showed my potential today against the guys I raced with.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “A very good start to the season with Shinya and Alex in the points, both with very consistent performances. This race has confirmed the performance potential of our new firing order motor and the Bridgestone tyres. Thanks to the work of everyone in the Kawasaki Racing Team we now have a very strong platform on which to build for the rest of the season.” MOTOGP RACE RESULT – FINAL TIMES 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 45’43.156; 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +8.631; 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +18.460; 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +26.938; 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +27.659; 6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +28.509; 7. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +30.618; 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda +36.887; 9. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +37.608; 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +39.678; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +42.283; 12. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +55.457; 13. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1’02.372 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki MotoGP: Team SUZUKI MotoGP scores points at season opener Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer John Hopkins secured his first MotoGP points of the season, with a hard fought 14th place at the first round of the MotoGP World Championship at Jerez in Spain. Starting from 11th on the grid, Hopkins had a coming together with Roberto Rolfo and was relegated back down the field to 15th at the end of the first lap. Battling with the consistently high winds that seemed to effect the Suzuki GSV-R prototype race bike, the gutsy Anglo-American – who has been suffering with flu all weekend – fought against the elements to record a point scoring finish in front of 130,000 fans at trackside. World Champion Valentino Rossi won a dramatic race following a last lap coming together with local hero Sete Gibernau, causing the Spaniard to head for the gravel trap on the last corner. Hopkins said: “I’m really upset with today’s race as it’s not where I wanted to finish. All that said and done though, I am pleased to have finished the first race of the season with some points. We did have a few problems with the wind and I could have gone with harder tyres – but that was my choice because I wanted to use the softer compound Bridgestone race tyres. “Portugal is now 100 per cent in my sights and we have to take all the positives from this race and funnel them into next weekend.” Kenny Roberts Jr was in a points scoring position and challenging his nearest rival, when an electrical fault that affected the engine management system of the GSV-R caused him to pit on lap 12 and retire from the race. Roberts Jr still managed to be upbeat as he left the garage. He said: “I felt the bike make a sudden, unexpected movement and knew straight away that I would have to come in. Up till that point the bike felt ok. I’m disappointed for the team that we couldn’t finish. I am now looking forward to Portugal and the next race, we can definitely do better.” Team SUZUKI MotoGP now makes the trip to the beautiful Algarve coastline for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship at Estoril in Portugal on April 17th. Paul Denning – Team Manager: “It was a massively disappointing race for both riders, especially after such good potential was shown in the tests. John got bumped on the start line and wasn’t able to pass other riders in these conditions. He showed his commitment by racing through the wind and with his illness to give Team SUZUKI MotoGP its first points of the season. “Kenny had bad luck with an electrical fault that caused him to retire when he was in a point scoring position. His effort has been great all weekend, I know how disappointed he is not to have been able to at least score some points. “We will now sit down and assess all events from this weekend and make sure that we act on them for the next race, and more importantly for the races after that. I hope we can get to a stronger position and challenge further up the field.” Spanish Grand Prix (Round 1) – Result: 1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 45’43.156: 2. Sete Gibernau (Honda) +8.631: 3 Marco Melandri (Honda) +18.460: 4. Alex Barros (Honda) +26.938: 5. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) +27.659: 6. Troy Bayliss (Honda) +28.509: 7. Max Biaggi (Honda) +30.618: 8. Makoto Tamada (Honda) +36.887: 9. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +37.608: 10. Carlos Checa (Ducati) +39.678: 14. JOHN HOPKINS (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1’19.346: DNF. KENNY ROBERTS JR (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP): Championship points (after one round): 1. Rossi 25: 2. Gibernau 20: 3. Melandri 16: 4. Barros 13: 5. Nakano 11: 6. Bayliss 10: 7. Biaggi 9: 8. Tamada 8: 9. Edwards 7: 10. Checa 6: 14. HOPKINS 2: More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: Spanish Grand Prix Jerez de la Frontera, Spain Sunday 10th April 2005 ROSSI OPENS TITLE DEFENCE WITH DETERMINED VICTORY AT JEREZ Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi put the gloss on a perfect start to his defence of the MotoGP World Championship at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez today, smashing the lap record by over two seconds and adding an incredible race victory to the pole position he took in yesterday’s qualifying session. The reigning World Champion stalked Sete Gibernau (Honda) for almost the entire race, passing him for the first time two laps from the end but allowing the Spaniard back in front with a mistake halfway through the final circulation. The pair diced their way through the decisive series of fast right-handers in the second half of the lap before Rossi demonstrated that he has talent and determination in equally abundant measures with a brave pass on the brakes into the final left-hand hairpin. The Italian’s effort was particularly special thanks to the hard work put in by the Gauloises Yamaha Team engineers and staff, who worked against the clock to find the ideal set-up for his YZR-M1 after an uncharacteristic crash in this morning’s warm-up. Meanwhile, Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards kept his promise of passing as many riders as possible after starting from 15th on the grid. The American made steady progress despite the dusty track surface, making overtaking precarious anywhere off the racing line, eventually sealing ninth place on his Yamaha MotoGP debut. VALENTINO ROSSI, 1st (Race time – 45’43.156; Fastest lap – 1’40.496) “That was an amazing race, an incredible victory and really difficult, especially after the fall I had this morning in the warm-up. Luckily I wasn’t hurt and the team did a great job to fix the problem and set up my other bike for the race. Gibernau set a fast pace from the start but I just tried to stay with him and then attacked at the end. I got in front but I made a mistake on the last lap on the braking and Gibernau got past. We passed each other again in the fast rights but I got a better exit and there was enough space for me to pass him in the final corner, it was the only place where I could pass. We touched but motorbike races are sometimes like this. I know Sete is not happy but there are going to be 16 more races this year and there will be many more hard battles. The level of this race was really high. “ COLIN EDWARDS, 9th (Race time – 46’20.764; Fastest lap – 1’41.596) “The setting we found for the bike at the tests and during qualifying didn’t seem to work after the change in conditions, and with the wind and the dust this morning we decided to make some adjustments. We basically went back to the base setting we’d found at the Phillip Island and Catalunya tests but it didn’t work in the way we had hoped. It was a difficult race, it was hard for me to get any traction down. Despite that I was in the fight for sixth until another rider sneaked past on the inside and I lost touch with the group I was following. We were searching for something and didn’t find it but we’ve learnt a lot as a team this weekend. Now we have to move on and put this lesson to good use at Estoril. ” JEREMY BURGESS ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF “In spite of the problems we had this morning, everything came good for the race especially Valentino. He rode very intelligently behind Gibernau and then passed him at the end. He opened out 0.3 seconds in the first section and looked comfortable but he made a small mistake, which set up a brilliant finale. It’s a great start to the year for us pole position, a new lap record and the race win. We couldn’t ask for more.” RESULTS 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 45’43.156 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +8.631 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +18.460 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +26.938 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +27.659 6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +28.509 7. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda Team +30.618 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda +36.887 9. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +37.608 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +39.678 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 25 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) 20 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) 16 4. Alex Barros (BRA) 13 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) 11 6. Troy Bayliss (AUS) 10 7. Max Biaggi (ITA) 9 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) 8 9. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) 7 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) 6 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Marlboro Spanish Grand Prix, Jerez Race Day, Sunday April 10 2005 DUCATI MARLBORO MEN RUE INJURIES AT JEREZ Ducati Marlboro Team riders Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi made an injury-blighted start to the 2005 MotoGP season at Jerez today, riding courageously to tenth and 13th positions. Checa, suffering from a recent shoulder injury, was even uncertain that he would be strong enough to finish the race. Capirossi meanwhile needed pain-killing injections to race with the ankle injury he sustained yesterday. “A big thank you to Carlos and Loris, it must have been a very tough day for both of them,” said Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Of course, their injuries didn’t make things easier for the team as a whole, plus we have had a busy weekend testing our new engine-braking control system. In the end we decided to race with the standard system because after warm-up we found that the bikes had suffered excessive chain stretch when the riders made their usual practice starts. We hadn’t encountered this problem during testing with the new system. We stay here to test tomorrow, after which we will decide which system to use at Estoril next weekend.” CHECA BATTLES TO TENTH WITH WEAK SHOULDER Carlos Checa ran strong during the early stages of today’s race, riding in the thick of a frantic skirmish for sixth spot until he began to slip back, troubled by his still-weak left shoulder, the legacy of a fall during tests at Catalunya last month. Although the injury is not painful, it drastically reduces upper-body strength, making bike control difficult, to say the very least. “To be honest, I didn’t even expect to finish the race,” said Checa. “At first things weren’t too bad, but then Tamada made contact with me while trying to pass on the brakes. That hurt the shoulder again, then Barros and Bayliss came past and I couldn’t stay with Biaggi and Edwards when they attacked. Physically and technically it’s been a tough weekend, so all things considered, this isn’t such a bad result.” CAPIROSSI SCORES DESPITE ANKLE INJURY Loris Capirossi won three points for his pains this afternoon, battling to control his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 with a cracked bone in his left ankle, sustained during a nasty highside crash yesterday morning. “My thanks to the Clinica Mobile who made it possible for me to race,” said the gritty Italian who had started from the second row of the grid. “I did my best but unfortunately I wasn’t able to ride the bike the way I like to ride it. I had problems shifting gears and so I made a few mistakes. I tried as hard as I could and I managed to finish. The result isn’t great but two or three points are always better than none.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing: DOUBLE PODIUM AFTER HEART-STOPPING RACE AT JEREZ Sete Gibernau finishes second after a race to the finish with Rossi as Melandri makes an extraordinary debut with MoviStar Honda SPANISH GP – MOTOGP RACE The MoviStar Honda MotoGP team celebrated podium finishes for both its riders at Jerez after a heart-stopping race which saw Sete Gibernau fighting for victory until the final few metres and Marco Melandri clinch an historic third place as well as the top speed (291,9 kms./h.) on his Honda debut, his first ever podium at Jerez. Sete led the way from the start and set an extremely high rhythm whilst Melandri battled it out behind him, racing like a true veteran and picking up third as Nicky Hayden crashed out. The pace at the front was frenetic and the race sparked into life four laps from the end as Valentino Rossi launched his first attack on Gibernau. However, it wasn’t until two laps later that things really heated up, with Sete and Valentino passing each other on several occasions until Gibernau ended up in the gravel trap in the final corner, returning to the track to take second place. SETE! GIBERNAU (2nd): “We set a really fast pace throughout the race and in the end I slowed down a little to see where Valentino’s strong points were. We pressured each other hard and in the end I have the peace of mind that I did everything I could and that in general we’re already at a high level at the first race. It’s going to be a long and hard championship. I don’t want such a great race to be reduced to what happened in the final corner. I love this sport and I don’t want to get involved in politics, I just want to stay strong and calm and remain focused on our dream. I led the race from the start, I wanted to have a look at Rossi’s pace and I think it was the right strategy. We have to keep going now.” MARCO MELANDRI (3rd): “To make my Honda debut at Jerez and finish on the podium is more than I could have dreamed of. I’d never been on the podium at this circuit and I want to share the moment with Gresini, Hon! da, Michelin and MoviStar. At the start of the race I tried to follow Sete but his pace was incredible so I just focused on my own race and tried to hold my position. Then Hayden made a mistake and I moved up to third. A front row start and a podium finish give me a lot of confidence for Estoril”. SPANISH GP 1. Valentino Rossi 45’43″156 2. Sete Gibernau + 8″631 3. Marco Melandri + 18″460 4. Alex Barros + 26″938 5. Shinya Nakano + 27″659 MOTOGP STANDINGS 1. Valentino Rossi 25 points 2. Sete Gibernau 20 points 3. Marco Melandri 16 points 4. Alex Barros 13 points 5. Shinya Nakano 11 points More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone Motorsport: Jerez de la Frontera April 10th, 2005 Grand Prix of Spain Top performance of Shinya Nakano – and of Bridgestone’s new tyre generation Super Shinya Nakano rode his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR to an impressive fifth place in today’s season-opening Spanish Grand Prix, keeping a group of much faster bikes under control with impressive cornering speed and remarkable consistency. The new big bang version of his four-cylinder machine proved its potential as much a new generation of Bridgestone rear tyres with a new construction, new compounds and a new shape for improved traction under acceleration. Nakano’s team-mate Alex Hofmann confirmed the promising package with a similarly strong ride. Well within the top ten for most of the race, the young German only dropped back to eleventh on the last laps, after losing the topspeed battle against a group of ultra-fast Honda machines. Whereas local hero Carlos Checa bounced back from a difficult start into the weekend to take tenth place despite a left shoulder injury, his team-mate and Ducati superstar Loris Capirossi had to settle for 13th position after struggling with set-up problems all weekend long. Bruised from a practice crash, Suzuki rider John Hopkins fell short of his own expectations with 14th place. His team-mate Kenny Roberts stranded with an engine failure. Shinya Nakano Kawasaki Racing Team 5th position “I was able to ride within the leading pack for the opening laps, and my Bridgestone tyres felt really good and competitive. By mid-race, it became a little more difficult to control the slides, but the consistency was still there, and the life of the rear tyre was extraordinary Bridgestone has made another big step in development. It was fun to ride with Alex Barros and to be able to keep his pace, and it was great to get a strong result at the opening race of the season, a real boost for Kawasaki, for Bridgestone and for myself. As everybody could see, our new bike with the big bang engine has a lot of potential, and even though we still have a long way to go, we are definitely on the right track!” Carlos Checa Ducati Marlboro Team 10th position “I was in the group battling for sixth at the beginning, but then Tamada and I touched each other under brakes, and this hurt my left shoulder again. Considering the circumstances and the technical trouble we had initially, tenth place is not so bad at all honestly, I didn’t even expect to finish the race.” Alex Hofmann Kawasaki Racing Team 11th position “The performance of our tyres was really good this weekend, and the fact that Shinya’s lap times hardly dropped on the last laps shows that the latest tyre generation pays off not only in terms of traction but also in terms of tyre life. As far as my own race goes, I enjoyed fighting with the group that was battling for fifth, but when it counted towards the end, I dropped back because I still lack some experience on the straights, I was easy prey for a few of the Honda guys, and to be overtaken like that made me lose my rhythm. But at least I got a first whiff of how it feels to go with the top contenders!” Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “Congratulations to Shinya and Kawasaki, who scored very good results in both qualifying and the race. Shinya’s lap times were very consistent. The difference of his best and his last lap in the race was only 0,5 seconds, which means that our tyre life and consistency was very good, and that we have arrived at top level in terms of tyre performance. We changed the shape, the construction and the compound of our rear tyre for this race, and the result confirms that we are going the right direction. We are very sorry for Ducati and Suzuki who had aimed at stronger results. I’m sure they’ll do much better in the next race!” Bridgestone Results: 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 46.10,815, 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, 46.22,834, 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki, 46.25,439,13 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 46.45,528, 14. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 47.02,502, DNF Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki Temperature Track Air Weather Afternoon 32 C 15 C Sunny, windy More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez Sunday April 10, 2005 ROSSI WINS TOUGH LAST LAP BATTLE WITH GIBERNAU A final turn, last lap clash between reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Sete Gibernau (Team MoviStar Honda RC211V) decided this race, with Rossi taking the top step of the podium from Sete, with Marco Melandri (Team MoviStar Honda RC211V) in third on his first ride for Honda in MotoGP. In bright sunshine, and with the howling wind that had blighted the weekend dropping off slightly before the start of the ‘big’ race, it was Rossi who led into turn one from pole position, but Gibernau hardly allowed him the luxury of settling into a lead before he relegated the Italian to second one turn later. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) also took Rossi to lie second at the end of lap one. Melandri was fourth as lap two began with Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) fifth and Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) in sixth. Melandri was shadowing Rossi closely in fourth place and by lap four the leading four riders; Gibernau, Hayden, Rossi and Melandri, had opened up a visible gap over Nakano. On lap five of this 27-lap encounter Rossi moved up the inside of Hayden at the end of the back straight for second place and began working on the slim 0.28 second advantage that Gibernau held. Melandri was by now finding the hot early pace hard to handle and he began to lose touch with the leading trio. As the race drew towards the middle section Gibernau turned up the heat on his pursuers and was running just under half a second lap faster than his rivals. He extended his lead over Rossi to 0.8 seconds before the Italian upped his pace to stay in touch with his fierce World Championship rival. By mid-race distance that gap stood at just 0.2 seconds. Now Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V), Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) and his team-mate Bayliss were closing on Nakano in fifth and the battle was just as intense as it was at the front. The final third of the race was where the action would turn from merely intense to frantic. Hayden crashed out at the final turn on lap 20 when he ran wide on the entry into a dirty part of the windblown, dusty 4.423km track. That put Melandri in third, but the Italian was some way adrift of the leading pair. Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) was now 9th after fighting his way through the field from 16th on the grid and the fourth fastest man on the track. Barros was now fourth, albeit 25 seconds in arrears of the leaders, after disposing of Nakano and getting the better of Tamada and Bayliss but the real action was at the front. With three laps to go Rossi ran wide at the end of the back straight, but managed to re-gather himself and shoot past Gibernau into the final turn. Sete then had the chance to take a close look at Rossi on the penultimate lap and plan his bid for the lead. They were now 15 seconds ahead of Melandri. Rossi handed him the opportunity on the last lap when he went wide and allowed Sete up the inside before standing the bike up and firing it back on terms with the Spaniard. Sete now led into the stadium section and he held the lead until the final left-hand hairpin where Rossi charged up the inside, making contact and sending Sete into the gravel. Sete extracted his RC211V from the gravel trap and made the line in second place, clutching his left shoulder, which had taken the force of Rossi’s manoeuvre. The partisan crowd reacted with hostility to Rossi’s win and the atmosphere on the podium was consequently strained. Gibernau said, “Honda, my team and Michelin did a great job. The pace was high and I’m happy we kept control of all the things I could control.” His team-mate Melandri said, “I’m very happy with this first race with Honda. I’ve never had a podium here at Jerez before. I tried to catch Sete but the pace was too high and so I settled for my position.” Nicky was disappointed. “Just so frustrating,” he said. “The weekend was going well, I got a good start and I was right up there, but the boys pulled out a gap. I had a good lead on fourth but then I pushed it too hard on the brakes.” Barros wasn’t entirely happy, but said, “I paid a high price for my start when I made a mistake by not engaging the electronic start system, so I got caught in traffic. It took me half the race to get on the pace and by then the front group was too far away. But this is only the first race and Estoril should be better for us.” “I’m quite happy,” said Bayliss. “Sixth isn’t a bad result for a first race with a new bike. We’ve still got a long season ahead of us and I want some good results soon. I feel good, my motivation is high and I can’t wait for Portugal next weekend.” Max was philosophical. “In Italy we say ‘you don’t have to twist the knife in the cut’. I don’t want to do that, so we move on to Estoril and see what happens there.” Tamada said, “I lost some places at the start and this stopped me from making contact with the leading group. After a few laps I made some ground back by getting into a good rhythm but then I had trouble in some of the turns. I had to really fight until the flag to keep the places I made and not risk losing all the hard work we did this weekend.” Rossi now leads Gibernau by five points in the overall World Championship classification as the MotoGP circus heads to Estoril in Portugal next weekend. Melandri sits third, a further four points behind his team-mate. Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RS250RW) won the 250cc race in a start-to-finish demonstration of the continuing superiority of the diminutive but devastatingly effective Spaniard’s style. Sebastian Porto was second and Alex de Angelis third (both Aprilia). With the track temperature at 24 degrees and ambient temperature at 13 degrees, with wind and consequent dust on the track, this was a tough race so tough that only 16 riders finished from 28 starters. Pedrosa got away cleanly and led into turn one with Porto on his tail and Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RS250RW) powering through the field into third after starting from sixth on the grid. But by lap four Pedrosa and Porto had a one second lead over Randy de Puniet (Aprilia) who had bumped Aoyama down to fourth. Then, as Pedrosa left Porto in his wake, Aoyama fought with Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) for fourth. De Puniet then crashed out of third place and Aoyama fell when he tangled with Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) on lap 11. From here on to the flag it was a lonely Pedrosa pursued by a lonely Porto and then De Angelis in third. Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) finished a creditable fourth first time out on a 250, while two other graduates from the 125cc class Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) crossed the line fifth and sixth. Alex Debon (Würth Honda BQR RS250RW) was eighth. “The track was difficult today,” said Dani. “We did a great job in tough, windy conditions. I pushed hard and did what I had to do, so thanks to the team, to MoviStar and to the crowd I am happy to have won for them.” Dovi, who is not a fan of the Jerez track said, “The first job was to finish my first race on a 250, but to be fourth at a track I don’t like is good. The wind and the dirt made this a very physical race and the front-end of my bike wasn’t perfect. So now to Estoril, which I like.” Pedrosa now leads the 250cc World Championship by five points from Porto, with De Angelis third. Marco Simoncelli (Aprilia) won the 125cc race after his main challenger Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) dropped out just after the halfway stage of this 24-lap race. Mika Kallio (KTM) was second and Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW) finished third. The KTMs of Mika Kallio and Gabor Talmacsi made turn one ahead of the pack, but it was Simoncelli and Luthi who soon put their stamp on the 24-lap contest, with Luthi pulling out a lead on lap four. Pablo Nieto (Derbi) was soon up with them and a five rider group now controlled the race: Luthi, Kallio, Nieto, Lai and Mattia Pasini (Aprilia). But when they hit backmarkers as early as lap 10, the pattern changed and Nieto headed the field after getting the better of the pack as they barged past the hapless straggler. But then Luthi dropped out of the race on lap 16 with electrical trouble and Simoncelli drew clear. As the flag loomed Simoncelli held a 1.6 second lead over Nieto and Lai, before Nieto crashed at the final turn handing second place to Lai with two laps to go. But Kallio squeezed past Lai for second one lap later with Nieto remounting to finish 12th. “Mika passed me at the final turn where I knew he’d try,” said Lai. “But even if I thought I’d get second, it’s not a bad result getting a podium in the first race of the season, especially when it was so windy out there.” Alvaro Bautista (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125RW) crashed out on lap one. “I got hit from behind and the same thing happened last year on lap two,” he said. Mike Di Meglio (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125R) finished just outside the top ten in 11th. Simoncelli leads the World Championship points table with 25 points to Kallio’s 20 and Lai’s 16. HONDA TEAM QUOTES: Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP, 2nd: “We set a really fast pace throughout the race and in the end I slowed down a little to see where Valentino’s strong points were. We pressured each other hard and in the end I have the peace of mind that I did everything I could and that in general we’re already at a high level at the first race. It’s going to be a long and hard championship. I don’t want such a great race to be reduced to what happened in the final corner. I love this sport and I don’t want to get involved in politics, I just want to stay strong and calm and remain focused on our dream. I led the race from the start, I wanted to have a look at Rossi’s pace and I think it was the right strategy. We have to keep going now.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP: 3rd: “To make my Honda debut at Jerez and finish on the podium is more than I could have dreamed of. I’d never been on the podium at this circuit and I want to share the moment with Gresini, Hon! da, Michelin and MoviStar. At the start of the race I tried to follow Sete but his pace was incredible so I just focused on my own race and tried to hold my position. Then Hayden made a mistake and I moved up to third. A front row start and a podium finish give me a lot of confidence for Estoril”. Alex Barros, Camel Honda: 4th: “I can’t say I’m satisfied with fourth place, especially because of how it came about. I’m happy when I fight at the front, for podium positions, not when I’m so behind. If I was fourth and one second behind, then fine, I can say I was there or thereabouts, that I lost the battle with the others, looking to win it. But so far away, I can’t say that I’m happy. I paid a high price for my start, when I made the mistake of not engaging the electronic start system and I was caught in the traffic. Then I ran wide as I tried to go past, and at the end it took me half a race to get up to the right pace: by then the front group was much too far away. Nevertheless, this is only the first race, and now I have to do better in Estoril.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda, 6th : “I’m quite happy. I think that sixth isn’t a bad result for the first race with a new bike. I’m happy for the team too. We still have a long season ahead of us, and I need and want to get on that bike and do some good races. I feel good, now my motivation is even greater and I can’t wait for the Portuguese GP next week.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda, 8th: “Unluckily I have lost some positions during the start and this didn’t allow me to try to remain with the fastest group. After some laps I have conquered back some position by keeping a good rhythm, but just after half of the race I hade some complications in entering each turn. For this motive I had to fight until the last lap without the full potential of my RC211V to don’t risk to lose all the hard work done during the Spanish weekend.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: 7th: : “This is not a GP to forget about: this is a GP to remember very well. It’s not the situation to describe my race. In Italy we say that you don’t have to move the knife inside the scar. I don’t want to do it. From the place we started our result could have been much worse. I’m not even satisfied with my coming back. But I’m serene, because I know I gave the best until the chequered flag. Anything more could not be possible. With my riding condition it’s already a result that I didn’t fall. I leave with a big question mark on my shoulder, heavy like rock. Not only for me, I hope.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: DNF “I’m just so frustrated! Most of the weekend we had been going real well. I gotta’ good start and was right there. The boys pulled a bit of a gap but I managed to close it up again. It all felt pretty comfortable really. I had a good lead on fourth but I was pushing and in the end crashed on the brakes at the last corner. I’m so disappointed. We all worked so hard over the winter and to be so close at the first race and get no points is hard. My thumb’s a bit of a worry. I need to get it checked out.” 250cc: Dani Pedrosa, Movistar Telefonica Honda: 1st: “It was a goal for us to win at Jerez and we’ve managed it at last. The support from the fans was fantastic – I could hear them cheering for me over the final two laps. I’m really happy because to start the season here was difficult because of the added pressure and the win also made it hard to ride today. It’s the perfect way to start the championship and I want to thank the team for the great job they have done; the bike worked perfectly.” Hiroshi Aoyama, Movistar Telefonica Honda: DNF “I’m gutted because the crash wasn’t my fault. I touched with Barberá at the end of the back straight and it was impossible for me to return to the race. I’m particularly disappointed because I made a great start and I was holding my own in the lead group.” Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Racing Honda 250: 4th: “I’m the first of the ‘Debutantes’ in the 250cc class and it’s great to be 4th in a circuit that I dislike. The wind and the sand on the track made the race difficult. I didn’t have a good feeling with the front end today. Now I’m thinking about Estroril next week, a track where I have never ridden a 250 but I like the track very much.” Alex Debon, Wurth BQR Honda: 8th: “I’m very happy with my race the conditions were very difficult for all of us. The bike was really good today, the complete package. The balance between engine and chassis performance was as good as we hoped it would be. For me to finish eighth in my home grand prix and against so many factory bikes is incredible.” Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: dnf.: “Going over he start finish line on the penultimate lap the bike slowed a little, it felt like fuel starvation. Then the engine picked up again and felt OK. But on the last lap in the stadium section the engine stopped altogether and I coasted back to the pits. I am very disappointed and unhappy, I could have taken five points from the race. “ Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Honda 250: dnf : “Even if I didn’t finish the race I’m happy with my debut. My start was good and also the race pace. It’s a pity about the technical problem that stopped me, I could have made a good race today. I think everything will be all right in the future because the bike and the team have great potential.” 125cc: Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda 125: 3rd: “That was a difficult race. There was so much sand on the track and the wind was so strong, particularly where the outside wall finished at that point I was almost blown over by the wind. I am very happy with the bike my first time with this Honda. I expected Kallio to attack me and he was clever o take me at the last corner. But I would not take risks on my debut race for the team, it’s a long season and I didn’t want start the year with a crash.” Mike di Meglio, Kopron Racing World 125cc: 11th: “I could not do any better today the rear tyre was completely finished before the end of the race. I think it was a suspension problem because we had similar problems in practice. Still, four points from the first GP is OK.” Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Honda: 14th: “I am very happy because this is only my second GP and I took two points. The bike was very good and I could race together with Poggiali so I have to be happy with my performance.” Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Honda: dnf: “I am very angry about what happened. Halfway round the opening lap I was hit from behind by another rider. The same thing happened to me here last year at turn two. I am particularly angry because I could have run the race speed of today.” Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: dnf: “I am happy with my performance but unhappy because I didn’t score any points. The bike was great, right up until it stopped. On about lap eight I felt I was a little down on power coming off the corners but top speed was not affected the bike was still very fast. Then on lap 14 the engine suddenly stopped. We don’t know what caused it yet.” Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: dnf: “About five six laps from the finish I lost sixth gear but I wanted to finish the race and score some points but with two laps to go the gearbox broke and I was out. I am very disappointed because at one time I was sixth.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: dnf: “On the first lap I passed many riders on the inside and got with a group of fast riders. I could race with them until the rear tyre started to wear badly so I slowed I didn’t want to risk a crash. It was not too bad to ride because the front end was perfect. But with four laps to go the engine stopped. The team is looking for the problem.”