FIM MotoGP World Championship Phillip Island, Australia September 17 Race Results: 1. Marco MELANDRI (Hon RC211V), Michelin, 26 laps, 44:15.621, pitted 2. Chris VERMEULEN (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -9.699 seconds, pitted 4. Valentino ROSSI (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, -10.526 seconds, pitted 4. Sete GIBERNAU (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -10.615 seconds, pitted 5. Nicky HAYDEN (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -10.694 seconds, pitted 6. Casey STONER (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -11.323 seconds, pitted 7. Loris CAPIROSSI (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -26.555 seconds, pitted 8. Shinya NAKANO (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -26.666 seconds, pitted 9. Toni ELIAS (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -57.234 seconds, pitted 10. Makoto TAMADA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -62.231 seconds, pitted 11. Randy DE PUNIET (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -62.432 seconds, pitted 12. John HOPKINS (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -78.809 seconds, pitted 13. Alex HOFMANN (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -108.233 seconds, pitted 14. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (Hon KR211V), Michelin, -1 lap 15. Dani PEDROSA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -1 lap, pitted 16. James ELLISON (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -2 laps, pitted three times 17. Jose Luis CARDOSO (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -3 laps, pitted three times 18. Carlos CHECA (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -10 laps, DNF, pitted twice, crash 19. Colin EDWARDS (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, -19 laps, DNF, crash FIM MotoGP World Championship Standings (After 14 of 17 races): 1. HAYDEN, 225 points 2. ROSSI, 204 points 3. TIE, MELANDRI/PEDROSA, 193 points 5. CAPIROSSI, 180 points 6. STONER, 119 points 7. ROBERTS, 103 points 8. HOPKINS, 97 points 9. EDWARDS, 96 points 10. VERMEULEN, 86 points 11. NAKANO, 83 points 12. GIBERNAU, 82 points 13. TAMADA, 75 points 14. ELIAS, 71 points 15. CHECA, 58 points 16. DE PUNIET, 31 points 17. HOFMANN, 25 points 18. ELLISON, 20 points 19. CARDOSO, 8 points More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO SUFFERS AS RAIN HITS PHILLIP ISLAND RACE Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano was forced to accept a hard fought eighth place in today’s Australian Grand Prix, after the onset of rain on lap six forced him to relinquish a five second lead at the front of the race. A brief rain shower as the riders lined up on the grid for today’s 17-lap race caused the start to be delayed. The race was eventually started ten minutes behind schedule in dry conditions, but with the black clouds surrounding the circuit still threatening rain. Nakano got a flying start from second place on the grid, taking the lead into the first turn and immediately pulling away from the chasing pack. Intermittent rain made conditions difficult, but the 28-year-old Kawasaki rider was in a class of his own during the opening laps. By the time the rain had increased to the point where the white flag was shown to the riders – to indicate they could return to the pits, to change to bikes with a wet set-up – Nakano had pulled out a five second gap on second placed Sete Gibernau. As the rain continued to fall steadily, the majority of the MotoGP riders returned to the pits at the end of lap eight, for a somewhat chaotic switch to their spare machines, leaving Nakano virtually alone on track, as he continued to push hard in the tricky conditions. One lap later and Nakano also pitted to change to his second Ninja ZX-RR, but despite rejoining the race in second place, the Kawasaki pilot was quickly demoted to sixth, as he tried to get a feel for the full wet tyres fitted front and rear. Nakano continued to push hard as the track dried out, using up his wet tyres in the process, with the result that he was unable to counter moves by Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi at the end of the race, forcing him to settle for eighth place at the line. Randy de Puniet was pushing hard to make up places from eleventh position when he came into pits with a large group of riders to switch bikes, rejoining the race in the same position, after narrowly avoiding a collision with Makoto Tamada in the busy Phillip Island pit lane. The 25-year-old Frenchman quickly settled into a good rhythm, moving up the order to take tenth place, before losing time as a build up of dirt on his visor considerably reduced his visibility. De Puniet fought hard to hold off Makoto Tamada on the final lap, but lost out on a top ten finish as the Japanese rider out-dragged him to the chequered flag, leaving the Kawasaki pilot to cross the line in eleventh place. Shinya Nakano: 8th “Well, I think that’s the best start I’ve ever had in MotoGP! There was some rain from the start, but I could feel that the grip was still there, so I pushed as hard as I could from the off. I couldn’t believe it when I saw I had a two second lead at the end of the first lap, which had increased to over three seconds by the end of the next. Then it started raining. I stayed out for an extra lap, but it was difficult to manage the pace out there on my own. I came in on the next lap, switched bikes, and then got swallowed up by the leading group as I tried to get a feel for the grip offered by the full wet tyres. Then it dried out a bit and I used up all the tyres chasing the leaders, which left me with a problem when it started raining again. In the closing stages, although the bike was moving around a lot, I still thought I could overtake Loris, but then when I closed onto his rear wheel it was obvious straight away that it would have been too risky to try and pass. Eighth isn’t the result I was looking for today, so that’s a little disappointing, but now I must focus on the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend, which is obviously important to me as it’s my home race.” Randy de Puniet: 11th “My start was not so good, but I was already starting to make up positions when the rain started to make the track too slippery to continue on slicks. When I switched to wet tyres my feeling wasn’t so good, and I was also struggling to see out of my visor, because the spray from the bikes in front was full of dirt. It’s disappointing, because we expected much better this weekend, after being consistently quick on race set-up throughout practice and qualifying. As the track started to dry the rear was spinning up in a lot of places, and this made it difficult to keep my lap times consistent. I thought I could hold off Tamada for a top ten finish, but it wasn’t to be. All we can do now is look forward to the next race at Motegi, which is only a week away.” Harald Eckl: Team Principal “Shinya got a fantastic start, and rode brilliantly to build up such a big lead in difficult conditions. If it had stayed dry then I’m positive we would be celebrating a podium finish now. But, unfortunately, it started raining, and he eventually finished eighth. I’m sorry for him and for Randy, as both riders proved during practice and qualifying that we were strong at this circuit, and that a good result in this race was a real possibility. Having said that, I’m happy that both riders managed to finish the race in the points, in what were very difficult conditions today.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ROSSI SALVAGES PODIUM IN DRAMATIC FLAG TO FLAG RACE AT PHILLIP ISLAND Valentino Rossi clinched the final spot on the podium with a daring manoeuvre in the very last corner of a dramatic flag-to-flag race, the first of its kind in MotoGP, held in mixed weather conditions at Phillip Island this afternoon. The drama started on the warm-up lap when a light shower meant that the race was recalled as wet, giving the riders chance to change tyres on the grid. However, with track conditions still relatively dry they all opted to stay on slicks until the rain intensified Rossi eventually coming in to pit on lap eight, having battled back to third after dropping to ninth after a poor start from the front row. The Italian’s team-mate Colin Edwards had also been about to come in and change his tyres on the same lap but the American was caught out by a slippery patch of track in the middle of the second corner, which caused the rear tyre of his YZR-M1 machine to lose grip and step out before digging in again and throwing him over the handlebars. Edwards landed hard on his backside and was badly winded but thankfully he escaped any serious injury. Rossi jumped onto his second bike and headed back out onto the track, although over-cautiousness on the wet tyres saw him lose several places and drop to eighth. After a brief battle with eventual winner Marco Melandri (Honda), Rossi took a few laps to carefully judge the condition of a track that had now begun to dry out again, making the performance of the wet tyres difficult to predict. Over the closing laps he picked up his pace and launched a typical charge past several riders, culminating in a thrilling final corner move on Sete Gibernau (Ducati) that sealed third place and moved him up to second in the championship, 21 points behind Nicky Hayden (Honda), who finished fifth. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) completed the podium in second place. VALENTINO ROSSI (3rd; +10.526) “I’m a little disappointed with third place because I know that in dry conditions we had a very good set-up and I think the result could have been better. Anyway, we can’t do anything about the weather and in these circumstances I have to be thankful for third place because we have pulled some more points back on Nicky. After we changed the bike I lost a few places because I didn’t have a good feeling initially on the wet tyre. Honestly I think this was my fault because once I found my rhythm I realized my M1 was in good shape and I was able to push more. I’m really happy with the second half of the race because the gap to Sete was seven seconds, but I made my mind up to try and pass him and my bike and my Michelin tyre worked very well to the end. I saw the red dot getting bigger and bigger and to pass him in the last corner was excellent. I would have liked to win for the sixth time here but at least I got to celebrate on the podium in front of all these wonderful fans. Now we are 21 points behind it is a lot, but not impossible.” COLIN EDWARDS (DNF) “That was a weird race. I actually got a decent start and I felt comfortable out there, but I think this flag to flag racing is dangerous. I think most of us thought we’d just keep riding until somebody crashed, and wouldn’t you just know it that person was me. I’d actually made my mind up to pit and I held my leg out to the crew as I came down the straight to warn them, so I wasn’t pushing any harder than I had done on the previous lap. I was off the brakes and off the gas, just tipping it into turn two, when the rear stepped out then dug in and threw me into a handstand. I came down real hard on my backside and that’s where the pain is right now. I’m extra disappointed because we’d done a good job with the bike this weekend and if it stayed dry we were all set for a top result. Unfortunately it seems whenever they put the race back an hour it gives the weather a chance to move in. I guess that’s live television for you!” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It’s good news that Colin is not hurt after his crash, and it’s really unlucky that it happened when he was going so well and after he had made such good progress this weekend. He could have had a good race so it’s a pity for him. Today with Valentino we got five important points on Hayden, so in such difficult conditions, when it was very easy to make mistakes, we can consider this a very positive result. Well done to everyone in the team for managing a difficult situation so well. Although it wasn’t the result we were hoping for today, all in all we’re happy.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Vermeulen Takes Debut Podium In Chaotic Home GP Australian Grand Prix – Race Phillip Island, Sunday 17 September 2006 Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen finished this afternoon’s chaotic Australian GP in second place after a rain shower in the early stages of the race forced all riders to pit for their spare bikes equipped with full wet set-up. Vermeulen had started 16th on the grid but made full use of the rain to vault up the running order and ultimately become the first Australian to finish on the podium in the Australian Grand Prix since Mick Doohan back in 1998. Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano took the early lead after a sensational qualifying performance from the Kawasaki team on Saturday and a competitive package in race trim which showed the team’s potential. Unfortunately, his early dominance was undone by the rain as he dropped back to eighth by the chequered flag. His team-mate Randy de Puniet had to settle for 11th place following an otherwise competitive weekend. Sete Gibernau made a flying start to run in the top three by the second lap, making up for a difficult qualifying session which left both Ducati riders outside of the top ten on the grid. With strong race pace in the dry, demonstrated throughout the weekend’s free practice sessions, Gibernau and team-mate Loris Capirossi were quickly back in contention and aiming for the podium. Even after the rain, Gibernau was still riding in a podium position until being bumped back to fourth on the final lap. Capirossi was classified in seventh place, the result making him the first rider to reach the milestone of 200 point-scoring finishes in GP racing. Suzuki’s John Hopkins also salvaged four championship points to elevate himself to eighth in the riders’ standings. Vermeulen’s second place today takes him to tenth place in the season standings ahead of Nakano and Gibernau who make it five Bridgestone riders in the top 12. Bridgestone’s three teams opted to switch their bikes to soft compound wet weather tyres at the pit-stops in a bid to make headway on a wet track, and podium-scorer Vermeulen was quick to praise his team. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 2nd Place: “I’m obviously very happy to get my first MotoGP podium at my home grand prix. The support everyone gave me here at Phillip Island and the bike the team gave me was superb. We did no testing in the rain and used a brand new Bridgestone wet that we didn’t have any experience of in hindsight I probably would have chosen a harder tyre but we didn’t know that at the time. I’ve got to give full credit to my team when I came into the pits, they were ready and everything went to plan. That’s down to Tom, the organisation of the crew and everyone working with us.” Toru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development “We are extremely happy for Suzuki and Chris Vermeulen for scoring such a terrific result after this afternoon’s chaotic GP. We know that conditions were not easy out there with the initial rain shower making way for an ever-drying track as the race drew to a close. The weather played the decisive role with conditions neither completely dry nor completely wet. As the rain came down, our teams acted efficiently and quickly to get their riders into the pits and onto soft compound wet weather tyres in order to take full advantage of the wet track. Unfortunately, the track started to dry quicker than we would have liked and it was a closely fought race in the final laps as the track rapidly dried out, but we were pleased to see Chris retain his well-earned second place after a typically strong ride in adverse weather conditions. Shinya made the most of his second place grid slot to build up a significant lead in the early laps, while Suzuki and Ducati saw their qualifying disadvantage eradicated after excellent starts. Sete was up to fourth on the first lap with John up to sixth and Loris also in the top ten. Had the race remained dry for the entire 26 laps, I think our tyres would have been strong enough to help all three of our teams to challenge for top scoring results today in spite of yesterday’s qualifying difficulties. Suzuki’s result has ensured that each of our teams has now taken a podium result this season as we head to our own home grand prix in Motegi next weekend.” Bridgestone Race Results Pos. Rider Motorcycle Race Time Gap Front Tyres Rear Tyres P2 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 44m25.320s +9.699s Slick Medium-Wet Soft Slick Medium-Wet Soft P4 Sete Gibernau Ducati 44m26.236s +10.615s Slick Medium-Wet Soft Slick Medium-Wet Soft P7 Loris Capirossi Ducati 44m42.176s +26.555s Slick Medium-Wet Soft Slick Medium-Wet Soft P8 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki 44m42.287s +26.666s Slick Medium-Wet Soft Slick Medium-Wet Soft P11 Randy de Puniet Kawasaki 45m18.053s +1m02.432 Slick Soft-Wet Soft Slick Medium-Wet Soft P12 John Hopkins Suzuki 43m18.910s +1m18.809 Slick Medium-Wet Soft Slick Hard-Wet Soft Weather: Dry start, turning wet, but drying towards end. Air 23°C, Track 33°C, Humidity 13% More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Melandri victorious in first ‘flag-to-flag’ race, Bautista crowned 125 World Champion GMC Australian Grand Prix – Sunday 17th September MotoGP In what will go down as one of the most unpredictable races in premier class history, Marco Melandri took victory at the GMC Australian Grand Prix today. Twenty-six laps of breathtaking action saw the first appearance of the ‘new’ wet weather rule which was introduced last year; Phillip Island finally seeing some of the predicted rainfall just after the start of the MotoGP race. After a delayed start, Shinya Nakano stormed out of the blocks and commanded an early lead. From pole, Nicky Hayden had dropped down to sixteenth after an atrocious start, although the World Championship leader would have a second chance to redeem himself. Colin Edwards and Sete Gibernau could only watch as the Kawasaki rider put a fair distance between himself and the other riders. However, the Japanese rider was the last to come in as the white flag with diagonal red cross was held by the marshals signalling rainfall, and after the rest of the field had made their permitted change of bikes, he would come back out onto track with his advantage wiped away. After the restart, the race was turned completely on its head. Gibernau, Chris Vermeulen Carlos Checa and Nicky Hayden were the early beneficiaries, but a later gamble by Checa proved not to be so opportune as he crashed out after a second change. It was Marco Melandri who proved the king of the mixed conditions however, judging his race to perfection as he first lost places in the wet, but began to pick them up with alarming speed as he lapped two seconds quicker than anyone else on track. Melandri took the lead from Gibernau on lap 16, and never looked back as he managed his lead wisely, crossing the line nearly ten seconds ahead of his nearest challenger. There was delight for Vermeulen at his home Grand Prix, as he took both his and Rizla Suzuki’s first MotoGP podium with an awe-inspiring ride into second. Having seen mechanical problems rob the Australian of a rostrum place in America, there were plenty of anxious faces in the Suzuki garage as the last laps came round with Sete Gibernau hot on Vermeulen’s heels after being passed by the Brisbane racer previously. However, fans weren’t to be denied a home rider on the podium as he guided his GSV-R home. The title fight between Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi had been a tantalizing encounter midway through the race, but eventually the Italian gained another 5 points on his rival when he made a last-gasp move on Gibernau to sntach third from his old adversary whilst the Kentucky Kid was unable to do the same. Casey Stoner put two home riders in the top six, ahead of Loris Capirossi and a dejected Shinya Nakano. Toni Elias and Makoto Tamada completed the top ten. Way back in 15th place, Dani Pedrosa’s inexperience on a MotoGP bike in wet weather conditions may have ended his title contendership. He now sits in fourth place in the series, level on 193 points with Melandri, but having won fewer races. Rossi moves up to second, 21 points behind Hayden who has 225. 250cc Jorge Lorenzo made it eight 250cc wins so far this season as he extended his World Championship lead to 24 points over Andrea Dovizioso. Victory for the Spaniard came after an awful start from pole, where he dropped down to sixth on the first lap. However, the Fortuna Aprilia rider’s dominant performances over the weekend weren’t merely coincidence, and Lorenzo quickly became embroiled in a four way battle with Dovizioso, Alex de Angelis and Hiroshi Aoyama. Towards the end, it was Lorenzo and de Angelis who broke away and made it a straight dogfight for quarter litre glory, and as the San Marino native tried a classic Philip Island final straight move on the World Championship leader. Lorenzo held out by just 0.009 to take the win, whilst Hiroshi Aoyama completed the podium places ahead of his home Grand Prix next weekend. Andrea Dovizioso lost ground in his quest for the 2006 title as he came in fourth, and will need to add to his only win of the season at Catalunya before the end of the season to keep his chances in his own hands. Shuhei Aoyama joined his brother in the top six, ahead of Hector Barbera, Roberto Locatelli and Jakub Smrz. Home rider Anthony West pushed his Kiefer BOS bike to the fullest to take ninth, ahead of Marco Simoncelli. 125cc Alvaro Bautista sealed the 125cc World Championship with a win at the GMC Australian Grand Prix in the first race of the day. The 21 year old Spaniard never looked in danger as he took off from the start of the shortened 15 lap race. An early crash involving Sergio Gadea and Joey Litjens amongst others, caused the red flag to be waved by the Australian marshals. When the light went out for the second time, Bautista was unstoppable in his pursuit of a third consecutive victory. Taking his seventh win of the season in the lower cylinder class, Bautista celebrated at the side of the track before returning to the pits to be greeted by his elated Master MVA Aspar team led by former World Champion Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’. Bautista only needed to finish ahead of Mika Kallio to take the title, and the Finn did his part to try and draw out the seemingly inevitable. Battling as part of the trailing pack, the Red Bull KTM rider finished second at Phillip Island, ahead of Mattia Pasini who was gifted a second chance to race by the enforced restart. As a new champion was crowned, now-ex World Champion Thomas Luthi was pipped to a podium place by Pasini. Julian Simon, Lukas Pesek, Raffaele De Rosa, Fabrizio Lai, Gabor Talmacsi and Joan Olive completed the top ten. 1st place – Marco Melandri – Honda “It was so difficult, but I had nothing to lose in the championship which perhaps gave me the room to try things. I decided to stop at the same time as everyone else, and when I started again it was very difficult, because the tyres were new. I saw Vermeulen going fast and thought “maybe I could go faster than I’m doing now”. When I saw that there were 11 laps to go after I took the lead I knew that I just had to keep riding smoothly. It’s been..not easy but good fun.” 2nd place – Chris Vermeulen – Suzuki “I might have been robbed in Laguna by mechanical problems but today made up for it, at home it is so special. The track was getting more and more slippery, so it was difficult to know how slow to go. The team gave me great bike to bring it home with.” 3rd place – Valentino Rossi – Yamaha “It was a very important move at the end. I am happy because I caught Sete when I was 7 seconds behind. Unfortunately I lost too much when started on the rain tyre, when my Michelin tyres had been going well in the dry and after coming into the pits I had to take things step by step by step instead of at the pace I had been going before. On the last corner I took the podium, and 5 points and second place in championship makes things interesting for Japan.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DUCATI MARLBORO MEN THWARTED BY ISLAND WEATHER Ducati Marlboro Team rider Sete Gibernau lost his first podium finish for the team during the final few metres of this afternoon’s Australian GP, run in tricky dry, wet and half wet and dry conditions. Gibernau finished the race just 0.089 seconds outside third place. Team-mate Loris Capirossi also suffered in the chaotic conditions, ending up in seventh position. Following the start, briefly delayed after the first spots of rain fell, Gibernau stormed through from the fourth row to take second place on lap two and began eating into Shinya Nakano’s lead. But after five laps the rain intensified, most riders entering the pits at the end of lap eight to swap to their spare bikes equipped with rain tyres. This was the first time that anyone had changed bikes mid-race since flag-to-flag races were introduced at the start of 2005. Gibernau led the next six laps but once the rain subsided and the track dried he began to struggle with rear traction and was unable to get on the gas as hard as he wanted, losing third place to Valentino Rossi with the chequered flag in sight. After the race it was alleged that Rossi had earlier made an illegal pass when he overtook another rider under yellow flags, but he was not penalised. Capirossi’s result did at least make him the first rider in GP history to complete 200 points scoring rides. SETE GIBERNAU, finished 4th, 12th overall, 82 points “We did everything right. I got a good start in the dry, I had a really good pace and I was going by them one by one. When we pitted to swap bikes I was second, then I was first, I was going to split from the pack in the rain but then the track started drying and my rain tyres weren’t right for the conditions. If it had been completely wet or completely dry we would have had a good chance of a win today. All credit to the guys in the team and to Bridgestone, they gave me tyres that worked great in the wet and the dry. Now I can’t wait for Motegi where I hope it will be payback time.” LORIS CAPIROSSI, finished 7th, 5th overall, 180 points “We agreed with Race Direction that if it rained on the warm-up lap we would stop on the grid, not in the pits. So that’s what we did and they declared it a wet race. We started on slicks but if there was any bad luck today it fell upon us. I had the fastest rhythm in morning warm-up, so even though I started from the fifth row I was up into fifth by the second turn! If it had stayed dry I would have been able to attack. When the rain came and we swapped bikes I took a couple of laps to get a feel for the conditions and once again I was very fast. I was catching Valentino (Rossi) and I thought I could fight for a podium but then the track began to dry and I couldn’t do any better. I did what I could but I hate races like that and I can’t wait to get back on track and fight again at Motegi.” LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP project manager “It’s a real pity because the worst conditions were the worst we could have had. Our tyres were excellent in the dry and excellent in the wet but the crucial stages of the race were played out on a drying track, so Sete couldn’t defend his position during the final few laps and it wasn’t easy for Loris either. It’s a real shame for Sete to lose this podium but he did his best, he had no rear traction during the last laps. Races like this are always a bit of a lottery, that’s for sure.” Temperatures: Ambient: 23 degrees. Track: 33 degrees More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: SPECTACULAR VICTORY FOR MARCO MELANDRI AT PHLLIP ISLAND Toni Elias finishes ninth in a race hit by the flaf-to-flag rule Marco Melandri claimed his third victory of the season in a difficult race at Phillip Island in which the flag-to-flag rule had to be introduced. With 193 points, the Fortuna Honda rider is now third in the World Championship, 32 points behind leader Nicky Hayden. After the start was delayed by rain and the subsequent application of the flag-to-flag rule, it was Marco Melandri who made a good start, making up places as he set off on what was to be a superb ride. The Italian lapped amongst the top four over the first few laps and it was on lap nine that he came into the box to change his bike because of the rain. He quickly returned to the race and it was on lap 16 that he moved to the front of the field, a lead he was never to surrender. It is the third time that he has made it on to the podium in Australia podium, (he won in 1999 – 125cc, 2002 – 250cc) and means he has now climbed to third in the championship. His team-mate Toni Elias, who did not initially make a good start, got stronger as the race progressed. The Spaniard, a big fan of the Australian circuit, would have been looking for a better result at the Australian track, but in the end had to settle for ninth position. MARCO MELANDRI (1st ): “It was an incredible race and it came just at the right time for me. To win at Phillip Island, (the track where I won the 250 title), in whatever conditions, is an incredible feeling. I was really motivated because I went well in the warm-up this morning thanks to a good set up and made some small changes for the race. The weather conditions then made things even more tense. I made a good start and got into third position on the first lap. It then started to rain and so I had to ride with care. When it started falling harder I came into the pit-land to change the bike. It was a strange situation, like when you play on the playstation, because there were a lot of people in the pit-lane and it was hard to get to your own box. Back on the track I had to ride without forcing because it was hard to keep the feeling in slippery conditions. When I started to feel comfortable and increased the pace I was able to get past Vermeulen and Gibernau. The bike and the Michelin tyres worked very well and it helped that I know the circuit so well. During the winter tests I did lots of laps here in different conditions and knowing how things would work really helped. I am happy and want to thank the team and Honda and Michelin because everything worked perfectly.” TONI ELIAS (9th): “It was a strange race. For the first time they used the flag to flag rule which was introduced two years ago. It made things more tense and infact nearly came together with Vermeulen as I went to change on the second bike. In general, though, it was an enjoyable race. I did not make a good start and after I had changed bikes it was difficult to get the feeling because the rain made conditions slippery and I realised I had put on a compound that was a bit too hard. In the end I had to be content with ninth place and there are now three more races to go. I hope to get a good result as we have been working hard.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MELANDRI WINS, HAYDEN HANGS ONTO POINTS LEAD Rain played havoc with the MotoGP race here at Phillip Island. The start was delayed, the race declared a ‘wet’ race, reduced by one lap to 26-laps from 27, and an incident-packed contest unfolded in front of a 44,500 crowd. Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) won from Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) third. With a 23-degree ambient temperature and a 33-degree track temperature under cloud cover, riders lined up for the sighting lap as spots of rain fell on the grid. All teams were ready with spare bikes shod with wet or intermediate tyres in preparation for possible machine swaps under the ‘wet’ race rules. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) shot into the lead from the lights to lead Sete Gibernau (Ducati) by an incredible 3.5 seconds by the end of lap two. Melandri lay third, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) fourth and series points leader Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) was way down in 14th after a bad start. As lap five began the rain worsened as Rossi moved up to fifth, then passed Pedrosa for fourth and then went third past Melandri until Marco repassed him. On the next lap Rossi went second overhauling Melandri again and then Gibernau. But Nakano was still in front now by a massive 4.8 seconds. By lap nine it was raining hard. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) had crashed and Hayden, Rossi, Gibernau and Melandri had been into the pits to swap bikes for wet-shod machines. Nakano delayed his pit entry until lap ten and he emerged behind new leader Carlos Checa (Yamaha) who been among the first to pit. The mid-race order was now Gibernau, Vermeulen, Melandri, Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V), Nakano, Checa, Rossi then Hayden. Dani was to lose out to the confusion in pit lane as the majority of riders came in the change machines at the same time. He entered pit lane in eighth position but was hindered by Tamada’s retired machine parked in his path and found himself down in 13th place when he returned to the track. As the track dried Melandri got stronger and sped past Vermeulen for second before relieving Gibernau of the lead on lap 16 and then working that advantage to nearly ten seconds by the flag. On lap 18 there was controversy as Rossi sped passed Stoner under a waving yellow flag following an incident involving Carlos Checa (Yamaha). Rossi retained his position into the next corner and gained precious time on Hayden. The Race Direction later ruled no further action should be taken as it was deemed Stoner had momentarily re-passed Rossi. The fight for the rest of the places became super-intense as the final lap began. Gibernau, Rossi, Stoner and Hayden were bunched up and scrapping for every place and point. Gibernau was clearly suffering severe tyre wear and as the rain again fell hard he couldn’t keep Rossi at bay for third as they crossed the line. Nor could Hayden get past Gibernau and Nicky had to accept fifth, Stoner sixth. The World Championship points table now shows Nicky still ahead on 225, Rossi second with 204 and Melandri and Pedrosa, who was 15th, tied on 193 each. Loris Capirossi (Ducati), who was seventh, has 180 points. Honda leads the Constructors’ series with 303 points to Yamaha’s 242. Three races remain. Of his third win of the season so far Marco said, “It was an incredible race and it came just at the right time for me. To win at Phillip Island, (the track where I won the 250 title), in whatever conditions, is an incredible feeling. I was really motivated because I went really well in the warm-up this morning and made some small changes for the race. I had to ride without forcing it because it was hard to keep the feeling in slippery conditions. I want to thank the team and Honda and Michelin because everything worked perfectly.” Nicky said, “What a wild race. I had some problems getting off the line and in the first few laps it was just wet and it felt pretty sketchy to me. I was using quite a hard tyre and I was just getting eaten up and losing positions at the beginning. Then it started to rain, we came in and switched bikes and it was actually really good fun I enjoyed it. I got Rossi, he got me back and we were catching some guys in front of us. It was looking OK until he got Sete in between us, which was not great, but we’re still holding on with three races to go and we’ll just roll into Motegi and keep fighting.” Casey said, “I’m pretty disappointed. The weekend was going great until the rain and I felt very good after being fastest in the morning warm-up. At the start I took it easy. Then the rain came and it really hammered down, visibility was very bad, but I’ve got a good feeling in the wet and was able to make up some positions before the pitstop. But on the spare bike the rear wet tyre felt like a slick it was too hard a compound and I struggled for grip on the left side it was a disaster.” Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V), ninth, said, “It was a strange race. For the first time they used the flag-to-flag rule which was introduced two years ago. In general, though, it was an enjoyable race. I didn’t make a good start and after I’d changed bikes it was difficult to get a good feeling because the rain made conditions slippery. In the end I had to be content with ninth place and there are now three more races to go. I hope to get a good result as we’ve been working hard.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V), who finished tenth, said, “If it had been dry we would have got a good result. When I came in to take my wet bike the settings were not so good. The suspension was too hard and for the first two or three laps I had no grip and a big gap opened up between me and the riders in front. Later the grip got better but by that time it was too late.” Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) managed 14th place and could not mask his disappointment. He said, “The result speaks for itself. I had a lose throttle for the second part of the race and that was that. The race was maybe good for TV, not so good for us.” Dani, down in an unfamiliar 15th place, said, “We were ready for the dry race and I was able to run near the front in the early laps. Everybody was careful for the first few laps because it was raining and the tyres were cold except Nakano right from the start he was already gone. I lost some time after I changed bikes and many of the riders who were behind me before were in front. The tyre choice for the second part of the race was too soft and after two laps it was destroyed so it was impossible for me to maintain the pace. The result is obviously not good in terms of points but Motegi is a track I like so I hope to have a better race there.” The dry 250cc race, held earlier in the day, belonged to Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) who won his eighth race of the season and moved closer to the World Championship title with three races remaining. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) was second and Hiro Aoyama (KTM) third. Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) got the holeshot into turn one from fourth on the grid and the Italian led lap one until de Angelis inched past him on the Gardner straight to make the running, while Lorenzo bided his time in fourth. By lap six four riders had left the rest of the field trailing as de Angelis, Dovi, Lorenzo and Aoyama set the pace. Lorenzo then upped it to take charge by mid-race distance while Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) entered the pits to bring his race to a premature end. As Lorenzo rode the final laps with de Angelis in close pursuit Dovi dropped back to fourth, where he eventually finished, and lost touch with the podium positions. De Angelis tried to take Lorenzo as they approached the flag on the final lap but he left his drafting manoeuvre a little too late and lost out by just nine thousandths of a second across the line. Lorenzo now holds a 24-point lead over Dovi with three rounds remaining while in the Constructors’ Championship Aprilia has 296 points to Honda’s 242 with KTM third on 152 points. Dovi said, “During the warm up we had an engine problem, but we didn’t think it was too serious. In the race, though, it was. When Lorenzo and then Ayoama passed, whenever I changed gear, the engine died and I was losing time. Also, I had cramp in my left leg and so I wasn’t able to change gear properly. The Championship is not finished yet, but it will be very hard to take it.” Takahashi said, “In the first laps everything was going well. Then, starting from lap three, the machine started to lose power in fifth and sixth gear. This was dangerous for me and for the other riders especially on the fast straight in front of the pits. So I decided it was better to retire. It’s a shame looking at the Championship, but I go to Motegi confident that I can do well.” Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) finished fifth for his second best result of the season so far, while his team-mate Martin Cardenas (Repsol Honda RS250RW) returned to Columbia to rest his broken collarbone after the fracture re-opened during practice here. Spaniard David de Gea will ride for the team at Motegi. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) won the (dry) 125cc race in typically convincing fashion and with it the World Championship. The Spaniard beat Mika Kallio (KTM) by five seconds to record his seventh win from 13 starts and secure his first world title. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) was third. The 23-lap race was restarted and scheduled for just 15-laps after a lap one, turn one crash involving four riders. Neither Joey Litjens (Arie Molenaar Racing Honda RS125R), nor Sergio Gadea (Aprilia) made the restart. Bautista made the running, just as he had in the original start, and he made short work of stretching out an unassailable lead. By mid-race he held a 3.8 second advantage over a nine-rider pursuing pack and nobody could reduce it. On the last lap a four-way dice ensued for the two remaining podium places and reigning World Champion Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) used all his bravery and skill at turn one to stay with the fight but Kallio’s KTM and Pasini’s Aprilia had the edge on speed over the Swiss man’s Honda. With 280 points to Kallio’s 201, Bautista now reigns in 2006. In the Manufacturers’ Championship Aprilia has 303 points, KTM 206 and Honda 145. Luthi said, “My first start was good but on the restart I was in the middle of the group and had to fight my way out to get to Kallio. We changed a few little things on the engine set-up for the warm-up and the bike was really good today, the engine was perfect. It was great for me to be back racing at the front and I enjoyed it. Now we have to keep it going for the last three races.” Fabrizio Lai (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125R) finished eighth and Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R) was ninth. Talmacsi said, “Today the bike was very fast and I want to thank the team because they did a good job. I could keep the pace of the other riders, but with five laps to go I had to slow down because the rear tyre wore out. The bike was sliding in the curves and I couldn’t open the throttle as I did at the beginning. Congratulation to Alvaro Bautista, he really deserves the world title.” HONDA RIDER QUOTES: MotoGP Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda Team, 1st: “It was an incredible race and it came just at the right time for me. To win at Phillip Island, (the track where I won the 250 title), in whatever conditions, is an incredible feeling. I was really motivated because I went really well in the warm-up this morning and made some small changes for the race. The weather conditions then made things even more tense. I made a good start and got into third position on the first lap. It then started to rain and so I had to ride with care. When it started falling harder I came into the pit-lane to change the bike. It was a strange situation, like when you play on the playstation, because there were a lot of people in the pit-lane and it was hard to get to your own box. Back on the track I had to ride without forcing because it was hard to keep the feeling in slippery conditions. When I started to feel comfortable and increased the pace I was able to get past Vermeulen and Gibernau. The bike and the Michelin tyres worked very well and it helped that I know the circuit so well. During the winter tests I did lots of laps here in different conditions and knowing how things would work really helped. I am happy and want to thank the team and Honda and Michelin because everything worked perfectly.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 5th “What a wild race. I had some problems getting off the line, which is clear, and in the first few laps it was just wet and it felt pretty sketch to me. I was using quite a hard tyre and I was just getting eaten up and losing positions at the beginning. Then it started to rain, we came in and switched bikes and it was actually really good fun I enjoyed it. When it was really raining it felt pretty good and I was charging hard and getting past quite a few guys but as it dried out I struggled a bit in the half-wet half-dry conditions. I got Rossi, he got me back and we were catching some guys in front of us. It was looking ok until he got Sete in between us which was not great, but we’re still holding on with three races to go and we’ll just roll into Motegi and keep fighting.” Casey Stoner, Honda LCR, 6th “I’m pretty disappointed, the weekend was going great until the rain and I felt very good after being fastest in the morning warm-up. At the start I took it easy, some of the other guys were going too hard for the conditions. Then the rain came and it really hammered down, visibility was very bad, but I’ve got a good feeling in the wet and was able to make up some positions before the pitstop. But on the spare bike the rear wet tyre felt like a slick — it was too hard a compound tyre and I struggled for grip on the left side — it was a disaster. When Valentino passed me he came back up the inside at Siberia corner and pushed me wide — I just remember it was an aggressive pass. You can’t do anything about the weather but I was expecting more from this race”. Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda, 9th: “It was a strange race. For the first time they used the flag to flag rule which was introduced two years ago. I felt under pressure from that moment and infact nearly came together with Vermeulen as I went to use the second bike. In general, though, it was an enjoyable race. I did not make a good start and after I had changed bikes it was difficult to get the feeling because the rain made conditions slippery. In the end I had to be content with ninth place and there are now three more races to go. I hope to get a good result as we have been working hard.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda, 10th “This year we have sometimes had some bad luck at this race if it was dry we would have got a good result. When I came in to take my wet bike the settings were not so good. The suspension was too hard and for the first two – three laps I had no grip and a big gap opened up between me and the riders in front. Later the grip got better but by that time it was too late.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: 14th.”The result speaks for itself. I had a loose throttle for the second part of the race. That was that.” Kenny Roberts Senior – team owner. “Kenny came in the pit last of everyone to change bikes, after he fell down, so maybe our race was spoiled anyway. With the bike as it was, he could do nothing to recover. This was the first time people have changed bikes, and it was good for TV, with no race stoppage. Not so good for us.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team, 15th “We were ready for the dry race and I was able to run near the front in the early laps. Everybody was careful for the first few laps because it was raining and the tyres were cold except Nakano right from the start he was already gone. After the weather changed and it started raining I more or less kept the rhythm of the riders in front. But when we came into the pit-lane to change bikes the pit-lane was full and there were plenty of people who didn’t need to be there and I can’t really understand why. I lost some time and after I changed bikes many of the riders who were behind me before were in front. The tyre choice for the second part of the race was too soft and after two laps it was destroyed so it was impossible for me to maintain the pace. The result is obviously not good in terms of points but Motegi is a track I like so I hope to have a better race there.” 250cc: Andrea Dovizioso, Humangest Honda: 4th. “During the warm up we had an engine problem, but actually we didn’t think it was so serious. In the race, though, it came out again at least three times. When Lorenzo and then Aoyama passed, when I changed gear, the engine died and I was loosing time. Also, I had cramps at my left leg and so I wasn’t able to change gear properly. But a part these problems, we were lacking of a couple of tenth of a seconds to be as competitive as the leaders. The championship is not finished yet, but it will be very hard to clinch it”. Yuki Takahashi, Humangest Honda: dnf – technical problem. “In the first laps everything was going well, then, starting from lap 3 the machine started to loose power in fifth and sixth gear. This was dangerous for me and for the other riders especially in the fast straight in front of the box. So I decided it was better to retire. It’s a shame looking at the championship, but I go to Motegi confident that I can do well”. Shuhei Aoyama, Repsol Honda, 5th. “I’m very happy today. It was a very good race. Too bad I didn’t make it onto the podium but let’s take it easy and go step by step! We had some trouble this morning during the warm-up with the speed, but the bike went much better during the race and I was able to push harder. I managed to make a good start and overtook several riders. I moved up to fifth and managed to keep the position until the end. I’m very happy and looking forward to my home race next weekend in Japan.” Fabrizio Perren, Stop and Go Racing: 14th. “I made a bad mistake at the start and ended up last away from the line. I fought hard to make contact with the group ahead I got up behind Poggiali and was running in his slipstream but the bike was not getting enough in the air getting into the air-box and the engine started to get rich and the engine lost a little power and I could not pass him down the straight. But from last place on lap one to 14th at the finish I am quite happy with my race.” Aleix Espargaro, Wurth Honda BQR: 15th. “Up until the middle of the race more speed than the riders around me but I could not brake hard because of my injured hand. I have to thank my team and the Doctor for their help in preparing the bike and myself for the race.” Arturo Tizon, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf – technical problem. “I made the wrong tyre choice ad went for the soft compound but in the race the tyres were used up very quickly. My problems came from the crash in practice, which was not my fault. We missed so much time to work on the bike that I just did not have the chassis and suspension settings I needed and that’s what cased the tyre problems.” Arnaud Vincent, Molenaar Honda: dnf – carbrationproblems. Dnf technical problem. “My problem was the same as the one we had all through practice and qualifying, every time I changed gear the engine started to stutter and I was losing a lot of time. My start was good but because of the electrical problem I went backwards. So I stopped because it was getting dangerous.” Martin Cardenas, Repsol Honda. Did not start due to injury sustained at Czech Republic GP 125cc: Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 4th.”My first start was good but on the restart I was in the middle of the group and had to fight my way out t get to Kallio, he was not fast from the beginning. We changed a few little things on the engine set up for the warm up and the bike was really good today, the engine was perfect. It was great for me to be back racing at the front and I enjoyed it. Now we have to keep it going for the last three races. Fabrizio Lai, Seedorf Racing World, 8th “I was concentrate also after the red flag. I could make a good restart and did not lose the contact with Bautista and Kallio for some laps. But it wasn’t possible for my Honda to maintain the same rhythm of Aprilia and Ktm: I lost to much ground in the straight. Moreover in the last curve they were faster than my and Talmacsi Honda, which have rear-wheel drive problems. Certainly the cool weather let us to colsed down the gap between Honda and other Constructors but it wasn’t enough”. Gabor Talmacsi, Humangest Honda: 9th. “Today the bike was very fast and I want to thanks the team because they did a good job. I could keep the pace of the other riders, but at five laps to go I had to slow down because the rear tyre wore out. The bike was sliding in the curves and I couldn’t open the throttle as I did at the beginning. Congratulation to Alvaro Bautista, he really deserves the world title”. Sandro Cortese, Elit Honda: 14th. “I really enjoyed that race. I got a perfect start and was racing with Koyama, Faubel and Da Rosa from early on. When I ran off the track at th last corner my heart stopped – it was scary but I regained control and the track without losing my rhythm. I am happy with my race and scored two points.” Mike Di Meglio, FFM Honda: 15th. “This morning, the warm up was delayed because there was too much fog; but the weather conditions for the race were good. I took a good start (10th) and after one lap, the race stopped by a red flag because of a collective crash. The race started again for only 15 laps; I was in a group fighting for points but Bradley Smith crashed just in front of me. I could avoid him but I lost the contact with the group. Then I was on my own on this track on which the aspiration is very important and I couldn’t catch up with the other riders. I finally finish 15th and score 1 point; I’m a bit disappointed but it’s the race and I’m satisfied of the bike because we worked a lot this weekend.” Michele Conti, Seedorf Racing World: 18th. “It was a good and fun race. I couldn’t maintain the contact with the group because with the slipstreams the other riders could easily pass me and had not enough acceleration to follow them. But I’m satisfied because now I have a good pace and I think I could stay within the 15: I have to get a better position on the grid to have the possibility to make a better race.”. Bradley Smith, Repsol Honda: 28th. “After the first start I was really flouted. I got a good start and was a bit hesitant on the second corner about three people passed me. After the first lap I just tried to catch back-up. The four laps before I crashed I was going well. I went faster than my qualifying time, doing consistent lap times and I caught the group in front and things we’re looking up. But then I caught a slipstream down the straight and I didn’t want to be in the back I just tried to get to the front so I tried to brake straight away, like out braking. I don’t know maybe I had a different line to Sandro (Cortese) but it looked as if he was going wide and I just went through the inside and as he cut back it was just too close So I thought I had to pick it up and as I picked up he must have caught my front end and down I went. But I got back on and finished. The position wasn’t good for me but at least I finished which is better than just retiring or something like that. It’s a shame but my head’s up, we had a good weekend, it’s been positive and now we’re on to Japan.” Michele Pirro, Humangest Honda: dnf – “I am not able to ride this bike and to feel confident on the Honda, so I decided to retire in the pit garage. I’m really sorry as I am not using the chance that has been offered to me”. Tito Rabat, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf – crash. “What can I say? I was going into the bottom of the dip on the brakes and Sandi torpedoed me and we both crashed. It was not necessary we were racing for 16th place, we could not score any points. Before that I was having a good race, enjoying myself. I got a good start and the bike was good, my engine was fast my lap times were not so bad – not super good. My tyres were also good at the end of the race so I could have help Sandi behind me.” Joey Litjens, Molenaar Honda: dnf – crash. “Gadea made a dumb mistake, how could he do such a thing? It was a shock when he hit me I saw him on the grass but no way I expected that to happen. He ruined my whole weekend. I really like this track and was happy with my start and was in a good position. Instead of having a fun race on a great track – now all I have is cut fingers and a badly swollen hand and a damaged bike. It’s so disappointing.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Stunning podium for Vermeulen and Rizla Suzuki at Phillip Island Chris Vermeulen stormed to his first ever MotoGP podium at a rain affected Australian Grand Prix from Phillip Island in Australia. Vermeulen started from 16th place on the grid and by lap seven had moved up to 12th, when most riders chose to enter the pit-lane and change to their ‘wet’ setting bikes as heavy rain started to fall. Vermeulen raced past many riders on the pit-entry lap and re-joined the race in 7th place, and by the next lap was up to third. The young Australian star then passed Sete Gibernau for second place and dug deep to hold his position for the remaining 10 laps. The race was watched by over 44,000 Australian fans who cheered Vermeulen all the way to the chequered flag behind eventual winner Marco Melandri. Team-mate John Hopkins had a very different race to Vermeulen. Having started in 15th he made an amazing start and was up to seventh by the end of the first lap. When he came in to the pits to change machines he was in fifth, but he just couldn’t get the drive he needed and dropped back to 12th by the end of the race. The points that he scored for that position did enable him to move up to eighth place in World Championship table and close the gap on Kenny Roberts Jr in seventh. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP now travels to Motegi in Japan for round 15 of the MotoGP World Championship on Sunday 24th September for the final leg of the three week fly-away tour. Chris Vermeulen: “I’m obviously very happy to get my first MotoGP podium at my home Grand Prix! The support everyone gave me here at Phillip Island, and the bike the team gave me, was superb. We did no testing in the rain and used a brand new Bridgestone wet that we didn’t have any experience of – in hindsight I probably would have chosen a harder tyre but we didn’t know that at the time. I’ve got to give full credit to my team, when I came into the pits they were ready and everything went to plan. That’s down to Tom, the organisation of the crew and everyone working with us. I’ve got a new track to learn next weekend but I’ll be going all out to get another one of these at Motegi!” John Hopkins: “Well done to Chris that was an extremely good race for him, especially being on the podium at his home Grand Prix. It really sucks when your team-mate beats you and puts you to shame like that but I just couldn’t get any hook-up from my wet set-up and I couldn’t stay with the front runners. This will just make me go even harder in the last three races. I’m going to Motegi in a positive frame of mind – I know we can go well there!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Giving the unseasonably good weather here at Phillip Island I joked that maybe we would get lucky and it would rain. I didn’t imagine that would come true and we would see such an exciting race. The team has been long overdue a podium this season and Chris was awesome out there today- it makes up for the disappointment he suffered in Laguna and in his home country this must be a dream come true. Congratulations to him, and also to Tom and all his crew for giving him the bike to do the job on. “I’m disappointed for John after the fantastic work he had done in the early part of the race. He was the class of the field in the dry but just couldn’t quite get the feel for the bike in the wet. Even so he has moved himself up to eighth in the Championship and brought the bike home safely. I am sure he will be full of confidence for one of his favourite tracks at Motegi next weekend. “We were given a ‘Get out of jail card’ today, and the team took full advantage!” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Downpour destroys efforts for Tech 3 Yamaha Team at Phillip Island It was a day that promised so much but delivered very little for the Tech 3 Yamaha Team as a rain shower lashed the Phillip Island circuit just as the Australian Grand Prix commenced. After qualifying in sixth position, there were high hopes for Carlos Checa but these ambitions evaporated as the field charged off the line as rain started falling. In a historical moment for the sport it was left to the riders to make the decision to enter pit lane to change to their number two Yamaha’s already setup with rain tyres as conditions worsened. Checa and his team mate James Ellison were the first riders to enter the pits to change to wet weather tyres and the decision appeared to pay off as Carlos was in second at one point but without a refined wet-weather set-up and varying conditions the wet weather tyres didn’t last and both riders were forced to re-enter the pits to change machines once again. Ellison battled on to finish 16th but it was a rare DNF for Carlos as he crashed out on the slippery surface. Carlos Checa (DNF, Fastest lap 1’31.500) “I am very disappointed like the rest of the team but there is very little you can do with the weather. I think we did great to start with as we were second but the tyres just didn’t survive and after a few laps the rubber was pretty bad on the left hand side. I decided to stop because it was very dangerous to stay out there. I went out again and in a slow corner I lost the rear and had a soft crash. Overall we had a fair weekend as we have made so much progress but the race was ruined by the weather. There is nothing we can do against that. We tried our best but that is the way things go sometimes. We have a few races left so I hope that we can get a result that reflects all the hard work we have been putting in.” James Ellison (16th; Fastest lap 1’35.287) “It was a very weird race that’s for sure. I came in to change but the tyre we chose had no traction so I came in to change again but I still had no grip. I tried out there but it was just a matter of trying to keep the Yamaha upright. It was a day of trying to deal with things that were beyond us but at least I have created history by being the first rider to come in during a wet weather race to change tyres! We just have to cop this race on the chin and regroup for next weekend in Motegi Who knows, it might be the same next weekend but at least we have learnt a lot here at Phillip Island so I suppose we have to look at the positives of this Grand Prix as we now know how much the Dunlop tyres have improved in the last few races. Herve Poncharal – Tech 3 Yamaha Team Director “It was a very disappointing way to end a weekend that worked really well until the rain started to fall, I think all through the weekend we have been very good on race and qualifying tyres. Unfortunately the rain came and I think we made the right decision when Carlos and James came in a lap before the other guys and after a change of tyres allowed him to go out in second position, which was perfect. Unfortunately the tyres went off after three laps then he had to come in again and restarted with intermediates, but unfortunately he crashed out. We didn’t have any rain conditions to practice in this weekend but we definitely made big, big improvements on race tyres but now we have to work on the wet tyres, that is the main thing we have learnt today. It is very disappointing but we look forward to Japan without rain so we can confirm our progress in race conditions.
