Some useful basic work During two days of testing at the Valencia circuit, the Team YZF Yamaha and Shinichi Nakatomi have done a lot of basic work to improve the performance of the R1. This session was the opportunity for the team to try many new solutions, including the engine mapping. Some work was done also on the suspensions to have a better feeling regarding the tyres. Everything went well. There was not the smallest crash, nor any technical failure. Shinichi Nakatomi had the possibility during those two days to ride a total of 134 laps, which is the fourth overall total distance between all the riders in attendance, behind Bayliss, Biaggi and Morelli. So this test session was very positive regarding the next round of the World Championship that will be held at Donington. Shinichi Nakatomi: “I tried many new suspension settings on the machine in this test and some new parts. We worked a lot on suspension. We were looking for a base setting for the Valencia race and the feeling with the bike got better and better. We set the best lap time in the last session, even in the strong wind, so that proves that we made improvements.” Martial Garcia (team manager): “These tests were satisfying. We did not use qualifying tyres, because we did not look for the last tenths of a second. We have done a lot of basic work, which is very important.” Tests results: 1-Bayliss (Ducati) 1:34.102; 2-Xaus (Ducati) 1:34.565; 3-Lanzi (Ducati) 1:34.584; 4-Biaggi (Suzuki) 1:34.708; 5-Corser (Yamaha) 1:34.851; 6-Haga (Yamaha) 1:35.029; 7-Nieto (Kawasaki) 1:35.410; 8-Muggeridge (Honda) 1:35.470; 9-Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1:35.532; 10-Laconi (Kawasaki) 1:35.639 — ¦15-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 1:36.832 World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 90 points, 2-Biaggi (Suzuki) 74, 3-Bayliss (Ducati) 64, 4-Haga (Yamaha) 50, 5-Corser (Yamaha) 45 –¦15-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 10 Valencia stats Practice record (2003): 1:34.633 Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 152.360 kph Lap record (best race time 2003): 1:35.007 Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 151.760 kph 2006 Yamaha Motor France practice times: Nakatomi: 1:36.794 / 21st; Abe: 1:35.974 / 8th; Alfonsi: 1:39.117 / 33rd Race 1 results 2006: 1- Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Corser (Suzuki), 3-Lanzi (Ducati), 4-Abe (Yamaha), 5-Haga (Yamaha) 2006 Yamaha Motor France race 1 results: Nakatomi: 12th; Abe: 4th; Alfonsi: DNF Race 2 results 2006: 1- Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Corser (Suzuki), 3-Lanzi (Ducati), 4-Abe (Yamaha), 5-Haga (Yamaha) 2006 Yamaha Motor France race 2 results: Nakatomi: 12th; Abe: 4th; Alfonsi: DNF 3rd round of the Superbike World Championship: April 1st at Donington (United Kingdom)

Bridgestone Motorsport returns to the scene of its first European success this weekend as the second round of the 2007 MotoGP world championship is held at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain. Ducati’s Loris Capirossi scored a memorable win in Jerez last season which marked the first occasion that a rider on Bridgestone tyres had won a MotoGP race on European soil. A trio of Bridgestone-shod riders were at the head of the grid as well with Capirossi’s pole position well supported by Sete Gibernau in second for Ducati and Shinya Nakano in third for Kawasaki. Tyre Talk with Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Motorcycle Sport Department Jerez Testing “Similar to the last race in Qatar, we have had the opportunity to test in the run-up to the GP with our five teams. Since the end of last season, we have carried out two important test sessions at the track, one in November and one in February, both of which were highly productive for us from a tyre development point of view. In November, we did some initial studies for 800cc tyre development using similar tyre specifications to what had been raced in 2006. We then used the big pre-season test in February to finalise our development work for 800cc from the results obtained in November.” Jerez Tyre Performance 990cc Vs 800cc Bikes “Whereas our new generation tyres showed a marked difference in performance at Qatar compared to last year’s specification, we have seen from the results of testing that the differences in tyre characteristics between the 990cc and 800cc machines at Jerez are actually not so vast. The new 800cc machines are more agile at turning and the cornering speed is relatively higher from the entry to the exit, so the bike demands more ultimate grip on both front and rear tyres at tracks like Jerez.” Track Characteristics “We consider Jerez to be quite a standard circuit in terms of its technical challenge. The grip level is quite average compared to other tracks on the calendar, but the circuit boasts a real variety of corners. The range from slow to high speed cornering, places emphasis on higher grip front tyres as well as rear tyres, while high speed traction is also important. The circuit characteristics and climatic condition is totally different to what we faced in Qatar two weeks ago, so we will supply a very different specification of tyre; the compound will be softer and the construction will be adapted to fit the Jerez track character. We will mainly supply soft and medium specs to our teams, while we will also bring new rear qualifying tyres, which have been fine-tuned from the results of February’s IRTA test.” The Weekend Ahead “We always enjoy a massive and passionate crowd at Jerez which gives the whole weekend a special atmosphere. The pre-season test was attended by around 30,000 spectators demonstrating the enthusiasm of the Spanish fans for MotoGP. We will certainly work hard with all of our teams to help a rider on Bridgestone tyres take the top step of the podium for the second consecutive Jerez GP and for the second race in a row after Casey Stoner’s great win in Qatar.” Riding Perspective with Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias “The Circuito de Jerez comprises a combination of fast and slow corners. There are some strong braking points around Jerez and it is particularly important to have a good set-up for these heavy braking areas. There is also the need to carry mid-corner speed through the long corners as this is where important lap time can be lost. A compromise of these two elements is required to post competitive times. Specifically for Jerez, we made a good step ahead at the pre-season test in February and we believe that we will have competitive material at our disposal. I am sure that we will also make a positive step forward in terms of qualifying performance – this was an area highlighted for improvement after the Jerez test, but Bridgestone has reacted quickly on this matter. I am really happy with the work that Bridgestone has done for Honda Gresini as a team and for me personally as a rider. They have listened to our feedback and provided me with tyres that better suit my riding style.” 2006 Flashback Race Winner and Top Rider on Bridgestone Loris Capirossi Ducati 45m57.733s Pole Position and Top Rider on Bridgestone Loris Capirossi Ducati 1m39.064s

KAWASAKI FACES WITH CONVICTION EUROPEAN DEBUT IN JEREZ After a hard start to the year in Qatar just over seven days ago, the Kawasaki Racing Team head for the first European round of the new season at the technical Jerez circuit, for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix The technical Andalusian circuit welcomes back all the MotoGP teams less than a month after the Official IRTA test at the track, which saw Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque top the timesheets on the final day of testing. Now having got over the crash that saw him fail to finish in the season opener in Qatar, Randy de Puniet has good reason to be confident heading into the second round of the championship. The 26-year-old Frenchman finished twice on the podium at Jerez in the 250cc world championship, and was consistently in the top ten during the recent IRTA test, setting consistent times on race tyres before finishing fifth fastest overall during the annual qualifying shootout. Despite the fact that he had to withdraw from last year’s race after sustaining injuries in a morning warm up crash, Kawasaki’s young gun heads to Jerez determined to kick-start his season with a strong result in Sunday’s race. De Puniet’s Kawasaki teammate, Olivier Jacque, had a steady start to the season with a 12th place finish in Qatar, but the 33-year-old Frenchman heads for Jerez determined to take another big step forward in his transition from development rider to full-time racer. Jacque is the first to admit that he still has some work to do if he is to regain his race pace, which he hopes to achieve this week during the build up to the Spanish Grand Prix. The Kawasaki pilot will also work on taking full advantage of Bridgestone’s qualifying tyres, in a bid to improve on his fifth row grid position in Qatar. With race tyres already selected, both Kawasaki riders will be free to continue refining set-up on their Ninja ZX-RR machines during practice and qualifying for Sunday’s race. They will also have the first opportunity to test at Jerez changes to the ignition mapping tested in Qatar and designed specifically to alleviate the abrupt power delivery that both riders commented on during last month’s IRTA test. Randy de Puniet: #14 “Jerez is one of my favourite tracks; it is very technical but fun to ride. I like the style of the corners; second-third gear in the corner and even fourth gear at the last part, which makes you take them at very high speed. The atmosphere at this track is amazing, crowded with people from all over the world. The main straight is not so long, which is good for us, but it is not easy to overtake. There are only three points where you can pass: the first and last corners and after the back straight. We were very competitive there during the IRTA tests, with only an issue with the engine power delivery. In Qatar we tried different mappings that helped a lot and I hope we will confirm it on Friday. If we can get a good grid slot and make a good start, I hope I can fight for a top six or seven finish. But I won’t take unnecessary risks this time, as my main concern is to finish the race, though I will try to do it in the best position possible.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “The Qatar race was the first step, but I know that the race rhythm was not so fast and I need to improve it here. The most important thing was to understand the bike better and check myself. Now I know that I am still capable to race and that makes me face this GP with more confidence. Jerez is a demanding and technical circuit; short, narrow and a bit bumpy. The last test here was hard because the bike was not so easy to ride, but this time will be better. The straight is shorter than Qatar, the power delivery has been improved and one of the strengths of our machine is the corner speed, which is very important in Jerez. I am very optimistic for this race but not under any illusions as there are still some things that need to be improved, both from the machine side and myself, to be 100% competitive.” Ichiro Yoda: Kawasaki Racing Director “Randy didn’t achieve his target in Qatar, but I’m sure this time he will. We had a talk and I asked him to be calmer this time and finish the race. We would be happy if he could qualify on second or first row and finish the race among the first eight. Olivier showed his talent in Qatar and we hope he will start from third row and finish in the top ten this time. We already have a very good set up for Jerez that only needs to be adjusted. The procedure will be easier this weekend. We know the track and successfully tested there a month ago, finishing first and second. The engine was the main problem then, but in Qatar we found some solutions that made the power delivery friendlier from the bottom to full throttle. I hope we can corroborate that as the rest of the package is already working very well.”

2007 Superbike World Championship Valencia tests, March 18/19, 2007 Circuit: 4.005 kms. Weather: dry, sunny MAX 4th, YUKIO 12th Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi recorded the fourth quickest lap of the two-day Valencia tests, easily inside the lap record of 1:35.007 set by Briton Neil Hodgson (Ducati) in 2003. Max and the team used the two days to evaluate different set-ups and mappings and although he was unable to find the perfect balance for his bike, he was able to finish in the top four. His team mate Yukio Kagayama defied the pain barrier throughout the two days and ended with the twelfth fastest lap overall. His left shoulder joint was heavily strapped (a legacy of his heavy crash in Phillip Island recently) and although his discomfort was severe he still managed to help the team test a variety of components and settings. Aussie Troy Bayliss (Ducati) stormed to the top of the standings with a lap of 1:34.102, despite the windy conditions this afternoon. Second quickest was Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati), with Lorenzo Lanzi (also Ducati-mounted) third fastest. MAX I think Valencia is quite a good track for testing, possibly because it is quite a technical track. It is not a very fast track and, because there are so many slow corners you need to find a good set-up for your bike to make fast laps here. The temperature has been good these two days and we tried many different ideas, but when we come back here for the race in one month’s time, conditions may be very different and we will have to think again. We started trying to get a good set-up and balance because, when I find a good feeling with a bike, I can push hard. We’ve also been working on the bike’s electronics, mapping etc. There are lots of things we can change on the bike and sometimes small changes can make big differences, so we must use a step-by-step approach. We tried a few different rear tyres here also. Now we have to sit down and analyse all the data so that we can make progress. The Suzuki is a good bike and I feel that there is quite a bit more to come from it. Every time we go out, we learn a little bit more and this is the way we have to go so that we can compete at the top level. Today was a little frustrating at times, but that is the nature of testing. There was a lot to do and I think we probably did most of it. YUKIO On the first day, I could feel pain in my left shoulder, but I wanted to help in this test, so I tried to forget about it. On the bike it was not so bad, but in the evening, I could feel it for sure. I didn’t take any pain-killers at all, because I wanted to feel what was going on with my bike as much as possible. There are many things to test here, so it was just a case of getting on with it. Fortunately the weather was good on both days and we were able to do a lot of work. For me it was difficult to ride for more than about five or six laps in one go – because of my shoulder – so I tried to concentrate on the important things we had to test – different links, ignition etc. Some of this work will be very useful in the future and tests are the best place to try these things, not during a race weekend. I had some tyre problems today – like others – and I could not get the best performance from the rears. The other problem today was the wind! It was so strong, kept changing direction and every lap was different and that made life difficult. It is bad enough trying to hang on to a bike in strong winds when you are 100 per cent fit, but it is much more difficult when your shoulder is not as strong as it should be! But I got through the tests OK and now I have some time before Donington for my shoulder to improve. Overall results Laps Best lap 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 165 1:34.102 2 Xaus (E-Ducati) 96 1:34.565 3 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 120 1:34.584 4 Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 144 1:34.708 5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 129 1:34.851 6 Haga (J-Yamaha) 92 1:35.029 7 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 97 1:35.410 8 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 78 1:35.470 9 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki) 92 1:35.532 10 Laconi (F-Kawasaki) 124 1:35.639 12 Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 115 1:35.785 More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS AND LANZI FIRST AND THIRD FOR DUCATI XEROX IN VALENCIA SUPERBIKE TESTING Valencia (Spain), Monday 19th March : Troy Bayliss’s love affair with the Valencia circuit continued as the Australian set the quickest time on both qualifying (1m34.102s) and race tyres (1m34.482s) in the two-day official FGSport tests at the Spanish venue. His quickest time, obtained with just a few minutes to go, was half-a-second faster than the circuit’s official outright best lap set by Neil Hodgson (Ducati) in 2003, but four-tenths of a second off Troy’s own extraordinary performance in testing exactly one year ago. “It’s one year later and I’m going slower so I must be getting old!” joked Troy after today’s extremely windy marathon session. “I’ve had some pretty good results here in the past as you know, and yesterday morning we got pretty much onto the pace straightaway. In the afternoon the track got a lot warmer and had a lot of wind and we struggled quite a bit. So we really worked hard today and came up with a couple of things in the afternoon and that got me more comfortable and I just leave the test very happy. If we did the race now I’d probably use the tyre I raced on last year because it’s very consistent, but who knows what things are like in a month’s time. The team worked really hard this weekend and it was a good shake-down both to get me ready for Donington and to give us a good starting-point for the race here in April.” Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was quickest out of the box today and the Italian stayed at the top of the timesheets for much of the day’s five hours of circuit action, but was edged out of the second spot towards the end by Ruben Xaus (Ducati). “This morning I started off well immediately and was quickest for most of the day” commented Lorenzo. “I did the time with a race tyre because I managed to ruin my qualifying lap and then seeing as the track conditions were getting worse, I decided to keep the second qualifier for the afternoon. Today we did a great job, testing a lot of things and I’m pleased because we are on the right track. Then in the last quarter of an hour I put softer tyres on and started to lap quicker but when it was time to use the qualifier the weather conditions suddenly changed bringing strong winds and dust on the track, and then Ruben and Troy got ahead of me. However I’m still pretty happy with my performance despite not going as quick as I did in November when the conditions were better.” TIMES : 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.102s; 2. Xaus (Ducati) 1m34.565s; 3. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.584s; 4. Biaggi (Suzuki) 1m34.708s; 5. Corser (Yamaha) 1m34.851s; 6. Haga (Yamaha) 1m35.029s; 7. Nieto (Kawasaki) 1m35.410s; 8. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m35.470s; 9. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1m35.532s; 10. Laconi (Kawasaki) 1m35.639s. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: This time Valencia didn’t forget its promise, with three days of reasonably good weather for this test, which was accompanied by great expectations all round. After the first day dedicated to the Superstock classes, Supersport and Superbike riders had two days to test all the new material. Many bikes are new this season, and there were a lot of new parts brought here after the two ‘extra-European’ races, designed to improve the bikes ready to face the challenge of the Championship. This was a FGS official test, in which Development Teams were testing the new Pirelli tyres but they were not alone in the racetrack, as basically the whole grid came here. This means that Pirelli brought a lot of different solutions, both for Supersport and for Superbike, and in order to test tyres and bikes the riders were asked to undertake a really a huge job. In the Supersport class 3 front and 3 rear tyres were present in basically the same numbers as usual like in a race weekend which meant that there were more than 2200 tyres, only for this class. At the end of the four sessions the best time went to Kevin Curtain, and he was able to set a very good 1’37.126. The wind started to blow quite strongly, particularly on day two, and this was annoying the riders making it more difficult to set the best times. Curtain, during the two days made the incredible amount of 108 laps, which represents 5 races! This is a good way to describe how important these tests were to the teams. In Superbike the total amount of available solutions was even bigger: 7 rear tyres and 4 front tyres, including a qualifier. SBK riders from the development teams were asked to test this material in order to give to the Pirelli technicians useful information to develop the tyres – not only for the Valencia race that will be held in here on April the 15th – but also for other rounds during the season. Four long sessions in SBK gave a lot of answers, also because the riders made a huge amount of laps, concentrating on the race itself and thus making many long runs instead of single laps. At the end of the sessions the name on top of the list is for Troy Bayliss, preceding Xaus and Lanzi. Fastest man here in November Max Biaggi finished with the 4th time, but all the riders were more focused on preparing the race than on the single fast lap time, and also the conditions of the track were not allowing to repeat the times of November. WSupersport (Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSA, 17″) Curtain Yamaha Motor Germany 1’37.126 Roccoli Yamaha Team Italia 1’37.498 Foret Kawasaki Gil Motorsport 1’37.556 Fujiwara Althea Honda Team 1’37.590 Parkes Yamaha Motor Germany 1’37.635 Race ’06: Best lap 1’38.664 Pole ’06: 1’36.913 WSBK (Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE, slick 16,5″) Bayliss Ducati Xerox 1’34.102 Xaus Team Sterilgarda 1’34.565 Lanzi Ducati Xerox 1’34.584 Biaggi Suzuki Alstare 1’34.708 Corser Yamaha Motor Italia 1’34.851 Haga Yamaha Motor Italia 1’35.029 Nieto Kawasaki PSG-1 1’35.410 Muggeridge Alto Evolution Honda 1’35.470 Neukirchner Suzuki Germany 1’35.532 Laconi Kawasaki PSG-1 1’35.639 Race ’06: best lap 1’35.37 Superpole: 1’34.9 More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: PROGRESS FOR TROY IN VALENCIA Despite the very strong winds that attacked Valencia circuit today, Troy and his Yamaha Motor Italia team tested a variety of parts and settings and left the track in a positive frame of mind. Troy posted his best lap of 1:34.851 in this afternoon’s session, well inside Neil Hodgson’s 2003 lap record, but it was only good enough for the fifth quickest time. Leading the charge was Troy Bayliss (Ducati), with a lap of 1:34.102, with Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) second. Third fastest was Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati), just ahead of Max Biaggi (Suzuki) in fourth place. TROY – 5th, 1:34.851 Generally I think the tests were not too bad. I could feel the differences in everything we tried, whether it was links, forks, calipers or anything else. Some of the new settings were better, some were worse, but that’s what testing is all about – trying out things. The team have made some small changes to the throttle bodies and that has improved the mid-range, which means that the bike is a bit easier to ride. I feel good on the bike – it stops and turns well, but it isn’t going fast enough yet. All it needs is a bit more power and I hope we can get that pretty soon – hopefully for Donington. I think all of us have had some tyre problems here and that has been a bit frustrating, because I’m sure I could’ve gone quicker. I’m pretty happy with a new front we tried here and would’ve liked to tried some more, but they didn’t have enough for me to make more tests. The wind was very strong today and it seemed to keep changing direction and that caused a few problems. Going into turn one, I had the bike leant over, but then the wind picked it up and pushed me more upright. That meant I ran in too deep and had to take to the gravel! But I kept it upright OK, rode through the gravel and back on to the track, so no big drama. That was the only ‘moment’, otherwise all was OK and I’m happy that we managed to get through as much as we did and I’m looking forward to the fruits of all the work. See ya, Troy

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School announces its sponsorship of the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club 250 GP Championship Streets Series. Rich Oliver and Willow Springs Motorcycle Club have partnered to promote the 2007 250 GP Streets Series. The series will be known as the 2007 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School 250 GP Championship. Rich Oliver is well known in the 250 Grand Prix world as a four-time Willow Springs Roadracing World 250/50 race winner, and a five-time AMA 250 GP Champion. Rich comments, “What a great sponsorship this is! We are looking forward to helping America develop young 250 talent in the WSMC Streets Series, and as you can see from current Moto GP racing, two stroke Grand Prix riders are in high demand now! ‘250 Grand Prix machines teach a high cornering and momentum riding style, along with accurate and precise steering, braking and shifting techniques. The machines are also highly adjustable, so a young rider can learn about complicated chassis geometry principals and gearbox ratio selection along with engine tuning and jetting. ‘Overall 125 and 250 Grand Prix riders learn many lessons that pay dividends on the larger machines they may graduate to in the future. As the new full size bikes get better, a modified Grand Prix riding style will be the way to go, instead of the old point and shoot Superbike style used when the bike has loads of power but won’t go around the corners very well. We are proud to be a part of such a great racing organization as the WSMC and the Huth family”. The 2007 Champion of the Rich Oliver’s Mystery School 250 GP Championship will be awarded a Four-Day Ultra Pro Camp to train with Rich Oliver in this intense program developed for serious riders. You can find out more information about the WSMC: www.wsmcracing.com 661-256-1234 Information about Ultra Pro Camps with Rich Oliver: www.richoliver.net/mystery1t 559-855-3089 More, from another press release issued by Rich Oliver’s Mystery School: Rich Oliver continues with Shoei for two more years! Rich Oliver’s Mystery School is pleased to announce a continuation of their productive relationship with Shoei Safety Helmets Corporation for the next two years. This will include a selection of brand new Shoei V-MT Motocross helmets for Rich and the Mystery School students to use during their classes, insuring a high level of safety, comfort and passion for all those riding in the varied Mystery School training courses. Rich will also continue to perform in his outstanding X-11 Shoei Oliver replica when he ventures out of retirement once a year for the Roadracing World 250/50 and the Toyota 200 at Willow Springs, CA. Rich will continue to travel the United States and Canada with his Shoei University Seminar Tour. Motorcycle dealers learn the inside story of the Shoei factory manufacturing and testing methods from Rich in an evening seminar. This information is critical for the dealer to learn as it provides a solid foundation and understanding of the Shoei quality and design that they can then pass along directly to their customers. Rich comments, “I am very pleased to be associated with such a fine company as Shoei, my Shoei helmet has saved my life on a number of occasions when I’ve crashed racing, and I absolutely believe in their quality. I’m a good spokesperson for them because I come from a racing background but I also understand the manufacturing process and the safety testing, so it’s easy for me to be passionate about their products. It’s also nice to know my students are so well protected.” For maximum instruction and riding time, our courses are limited to only six to eight individuals so be sure to reserve your spot now! Visit http://www.richoliver.net for all the inside details on the Mystery School and Rich Oliver! Additional course dates are available for private groups. Call (559) 855-3089 to reserve your course dates now!

After the season-opening race in Qatar just over a week ago, the MotoGP World Championship heads to Jerez this weekend for the first European round of the year, the Gran Premio bwin.com de España. 21 year old Casey Stoner currently leads the way in the MotoGP overall standings for the first time in his career, having taken his maiden victory in the class with a perfect ride at Losail. The Australian made his debut for the official Ducati team one to remember, and the sight of all four of the Italian factory’s bikes at the head of the speed charts demonstrates that the Desmosedici GP7 is in tremendous shape for the 800cc era. Stoner’s win also makes it the first time since the year 2000 that there have been six or more different winners in consecutive races. Unable to do anything to catch Stoner on the straights, Valentino Rossi took second at the Qatari race. The five-time MotoGP World Champion is currently on a run of five races without a win, his worst drought since his debut victory at Donington in 2000, and will be eager to break the streak as he begins his revenge mission for the world title in earnest. The Italian has been in blistering qualifying form as of late, including a magnificent run at the Jerez Circuit during last month’s MotoGP Official Test. On the podium once more at Losail, Dani Pedrosa broke Rossi’s record to become the youngest ever rider to take 50 Grand Prix podiums. He was also fast at his home track during testing, with an extremely impressive race simulation on the final day of the 2007 preseason, and will remember with fondness a thrilling debut MotoGP ride into second place in last year’s event. One rider with slightly less recent experience of the circuit is Suzuki’s John Hopkins. The Anglo-American is still on the mend from a hand injury which forced him to miss his final chance to test the GSV-R800 at Jerez, and was in obvious pain after an impressive race in Qatar where he equalled his best ever result of fourth. Marco Melandri put in some fast runs at Jerez during preseason and subsequently at the opening race of 2007, but will hope his calls for more power are answered in Spain. He is joined in the overall top eight by Colin Edwards, Chris Vermeulen and Nicky Hayden, with the latter having had a start to his title defence with a result far from that which he would have liked. The World Champion will need to pick up the pace early on this year if he is to keep up with the top riders who are out for his crown. Andrew Pitt and Jeremy McWilliams will be absent from the race in Jerez as their Ilmor GP team temporarily suspended its participation in the championship at the end of last week. Meanwhile, Suzuki will be running a wildcard rider at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España, their regular tester Kousuke Akiyoshi. The Japanese rider stepped in for Hopkins to complete testing work last month, and has been rewarded with a race outing for Paul Denning’s MotoGP outfit. Circuit Info Built in 1986 and hosting its first Grand Prix one year later, the Circuito de Jerez is now one of the most popular MotoGP venues and the focal point for a city fanatical about the sport. Set in a slight valley in the south of Spain, Jerez is blessed with consistently good weather and beautiful scenery, its numerous grandstands providing the perfect viewing facilities for up to 250,000 spectators throughout the weekend. With two alternative road circuits (4,423m and 4,428m), which were resurfaced during 2005, Jerez is a popular venue used by many race teams for testing throughout the year, whilst its recently updated corporate and media facilities have proven to be a popular addition to the complex. 250cc In 250cc, Jorge Lorenzo leads the way after a repeat of his 2006 triumph. The quarter litre World Champion claims to have regained the ‘eye of the tiger’ which inspired his excited post-race celebration, something which will be essential for the Spaniard in a fiercely competitive 250cc field. He leads Aspar rider Alex de Angelis and Team Toth’s Hector Barbera in the standings, although the championship seems to have already been shaken up by the arrival of some new faces. Thomas Luthi, Mika Kallio and Alvaro Bautista all qualified well for their first race in the class, with the Finn suffering mechanical problems and the Spaniard a crash which left them without a tangible reward for their efforts. Former 125cc World Champion Luthi had a fantastic Grand Prix, taking fourth and battling for a podium spot. 125cc After a closely-fought win to open his 2007 account, Hector Faubel became the first rider in the 125cc class to win the last race of one season and the first race of the next since Masao Azuma in 2000/2001. The Spaniard edged out team-mate Gabor Talmacsi to deny the Hungarian his first victory for the Aspar outfit on the line, and both reaffirmed their title credentials with fine performances on the Aprilia. Another rider sure to be in contention for glory this season, Lukas Pesek added another podium to his account with third in Qatar. The Czech rider is still chasing his first win in the class, something which he will be hoping to amend at Jerez despite the presence of many local riders. Practice for the Gran Premio bwin.com de España begins on Friday March 23rd, with the race itself taking place on Sunday in a return to the regular European schedule. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Will Spanish Eyes be smiling for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP at Jerez? Rizla Suzuki MotoGP travels back to Europe for the second round of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship this week, looking to expand upon a strong showing in Qatar. Both John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen have been encouraged by their first round performances. Hopkins finished fourth in Doha, despite being below-strength due to injuries sustained at the same circuit in testing last month. Suzuki’s Anglo-American star is determined to carry the momentum to Spain and ride to the maximum of his and the GSV-R’s ability. Team-mate Vermeulen finished a creditable seventh in Qatar and believes his route to success lies in getting a better qualifying position. He qualified in 13th for the first round and fought his way through the field. Vermeulen has had little chance to test Bridgestone’s qualifying tyres and was planning on a thorough evaluation at last week’s Qatar test after the race but strong winds at Losail meant this was not possible. Jerez is the most visited Grand Prix on the calendar, housing nearly a quarter-of-a-million people at trackside throughout the three days last year. The 4.423km circuit is a great racing circuit due to its undulating layout, hard-braking corners and endless camber changes. This is a track that should suit the new 800cc bikes with their higher cornering speed and a fast exciting race should be provided for the massive crowds to enjoy. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will also be joined at Jerez by Team Test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi. He is making not only his race debut at the Jerez circuit, but also his first European MotoGP appearance. He tested at Jerez with the team last month and will be looking to get a good result in his first wild-card race of the season. All three Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers will take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions. This is followed by a further free practice session on Saturday morning and then the hour-long qualifying session to determine grid positions for Sunday 27-lap race, which gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT). John Hopkins: “I am ready for this race! I am hoping to be fully fit, unlike Qatar, and to give it all I’ve got. We tested here a couple of times and I know that I have the pace to run at the front. Jerez has a lot of heavy braking but my hand is ok now, and I’ve been training really hard in Miami to make sure that I’m 100% when the lights change to ‘go’ on raceday!” Chris Vermeulen: “I was not that pleased to finish seventh in Qatar, but from where I started on the grid it was a good result. I realise that I have to get a better place to start from so that I can challenge with the front guys. The new tyre rule might have had something to do with the qualifying tyres I chose, but this week I will be sure to get what I want and make the most of them. I like the Jerez circuit and know that I can perform well on race tyres there so I am really looking forward to getting out there and going for it!” Kousuke Akiyoshi: “I am very happy to have the chance to race at Jerez. I did my first GP in Japan last year, but this will be something very different to that. I want to perform well and make sure that I can get a good result.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: Fiat Yamaha Team look to build on strong start at Jerez The second round of the MotoGP World Championship welcomes the Fiat Yamaha Team to Europe next weekend with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards looking to continue their strong start to the season at Jerez. After starring in an intriguing curtain-raiser to the season in Qatar, where the pair dominated in practice only to see Casey Stoner (Ducati) storm to his debut victory in the race, the Italian and the American will be looking to use data from positive tests at the Spanish circuit just over three weeks ago to propel them to victory next Sunday. Second place for Rossi in the desert dust of Doha leaves him lying second in the championship, five points behind the Australian youngster, whilst Edwards holds sixth place after suffering grip problems on the unpredictable Losail surface in the race. Both riders lapped well at Jerez in the final Official Test of the pre-season, when Rossi took the top spot in a televised ‘qualifying’ session – smashing the pole record with a best lap of 1’38.394. Rossi’s record at Jerez in competitive action is unmatched, the 28-year-old having won there on six occasions riding five different types of motorcycle since his first appearance in the 125cc class in 1996. Edwards, meanwhile, had never ridden at the Spanish venue previous to his debut MotoGP appearance in 2003 and the Texan has enjoyed limited success at the circuit since then, his best finish coming with seventh spot in a wet race three seasons ago. Jerez could barely provide a starker contrast to the scenes at Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle racing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles. Valentino Rossi – “We’re in good shape” Valentino Rossi has reiterated his confidence in the ability of Yamaha’s engineers to respond to the top-speed challenge laid down by Ducati at Qatar as he looks to end his longest run without a win since his debut victory at Donington Park in 2000. Stoner’s machine had the top speed advantage over Rossi’s down the long Losail straight but ‘The Doctor’ fully expects the deficit to reduce over the coming weeks and says that the extra corner speed of his M1 will prove crucial at tighter circuits such as Jerez. “I think Qatar showed that, although we have some areas to improve, our bike is working well and we won’t be making the same mistakes as last year,” said Rossi. “I’m feeling confident for Jerez, I think it will suit our bike very well, even better than Qatar, and we were very strong there in the test. We know we lack a bit of horsepower but I think this will improve race-by-race and Yamaha are working very hard. I don’t expect it to be a big problem in Jerez as it’s a different type of track”. “Jerez is one of my favourite circuits and I’ve had some great races there in the past so I hope this is another good year for me there. Qatar was very quiet, which was a good way to start the season because there were no distractions for me, but Jerez is always a great party with a fantastic atmosphere, so now I am really looking forward to that and I hope we can give the fans a good show. I expect that Pedrosa will be very fast here, as he was in the test, and I expect a big battle with him at his home race.” Colin Edwards – “Learn and move on” Despite his unexpected problems in the race at Losail, sixth place for Colin Edwards was still a decent points haul for the opening round and the Texan is confident of adding considerably to that tally at Jerez. The more predictable nature of the Spanish track conditions should allow the 33-year-old to fully exploit the excellent set-up work he completed there during pre-season testing and allow him to once again run at the top of the time sheets throughout the Grand Prix. “I’m looking forward to Jerez, our bike worked pretty well there during the test and we made some good changes to it there so I am expecting to be running at the top again – just this time I hope to be able to do it in the race, too!” says Edwards. “Qatar was disappointing of course because we were so good all week and then the race didn’t work out. It wasn’t what we expected but we just have to learn from it and move on”. “Last year Jerez wasn’t great for us, I got a good start but then got caught up in Valentino’s crash and ran through the gravel at turn one but both he and I will be looking to avoid anything like that this year! We’ve got a good setting to start with in Jerez and we’ll go from there. We know we need to work on a few things and I know Yamaha are working hard to improve our top speed a bit, but hopefully that won’t be too much of an issue in Jerez”. Davide Brivio – “Podium priority” Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio outlined the importance of Rossi’s opening-race podium in what promises to be another unpredictable season of MotoGP racing. Whilst the team’s focus is clearly on winning races, Brivio points out that the priority is to be on the rostrum in as many events as possible as the team put together another championship tilt. The Italian added that his staff are now looking forward to the next challenge, with Jerez high on the list of favourite venues for any paddock regular. “We’re happy with the way the season started in Qatar because we saw that our bike is competitive and ready to win races ” says Brivio. “We were on the podium and that is our target at every race this season because that’s where the serious points are. Now we’re looking forward to Jerez, a circuit where we tested well at and got lots of good information, so hopefully there will be no surprises. We’re also confident that the difference between our bike and others in straight-line speed won’t be as much of an issue there”. “Qatar is a nice place to go but it clearly doesn’t have the atmosphere and sense of occasion of Jerez. It’s nice to be in such a great motorcycling arena, with lots of people bustling around the paddock and thousands of screaming fans in the grandstand. I think it is the kind of atmosphere Valentino responds to and he will want to put on a great show for the fans. It’s a great motivation for all the riders and there is no reason why Colin can’t repeat his form at the tests and challenge with Valentino for the podium this Sunday.” Valentino Rossi: Information Age: 28 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 174 (115 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 46 World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) Colin Edwards: Information Age: 33 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 67 x MotoGP World Championships: 2 World Superbike Jerez Lap Record (990cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005, 1’40,596 Jerez Best Lap (800cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2007, 1’38,394 2006 Spanish Grand Prix Results 1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 45’57.733 2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda +4.375 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda +9.996 11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +37.930 14. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +1’05.766

FGSport is pleased to announce that with effect from April 2 2007, Paolo Ciabatti will assume the role of “SBK Project Leader”. Paolo Ciabatti will be responsible for the management of the Superbike World Championship, and in this function will report directly to the CEO of FGSport, Paolo Flammini. In welcoming Paolo Ciabatti aboard, Paolo Flammini stated: “We are all very enthusiastic about the arrival in our company of such a highly respected and experienced person in the field of motorsport, and also a person with whom everyone in FGSport has always had good relations. I wish Paolo all the best in his new future with us.” Paolo Ciabatti added: “I am grateful to Maurizio and Paolo Flammini for the confidence that they have shown in making this agreement with me and I am very enthusiastic about this new adventure with FGSport. I have arrived in FGSport at a magical time, with the championship on the up, and I will put all my experience, gained in the last ten years, at the disposal of the championship to help it become even more successful.”