MotoGP Race Results: 1. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 24 laps, 43:30.499 2. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -1.479 seconds 3. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -16.227 seconds 4. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, -22.148 seconds 5. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -33.212 seconds 6. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, -34.915 seconds 7. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -45.894 seconds 8. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -56.498 seconds 9. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, -72.037 seconds 10. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, -94.927 seconds 11. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, -1 lap 12. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, -12 laps, DNF, crash 13. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, -12 laps, DNF, crash 14. Alex BARROS, Honda, -12 laps, DNF, crash 15. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -13 laps, DNF, crash 16. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 17. Tohru UKAWA, Honda, -20 laps, DNF, mehcanical 18. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, -22 laps, DNF, crash 19. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -22 laps, DNF, crash 20. Naoki MATSUDO, Moriwaki, -24 laps, DNF, crash MotoGP World Championship Standings (after 12 of 17 races): 1. ROSSI, 261 points 2. BIAGGI, 149 points 3. EDWARDS, 133 points 4. MELANDRI, 126 points 5. HAYDEN, 121 points 6. CAPIROSSI, 117 points 7. GIBERNAU, 115 points 8. BARROS, 114 points 9. Carlos CHECA, 72 points 10. NAKANO, 69 points 11. TAMADA, 64 points 12. Troy BAYLISS, 54 points 13. ROBERTS, 49 points 14. HOPKINS, 46 points 15. XAUS, 42 points 16. ELIAS, 38 points 17. Olivier JACQUE, 25 points 18. HOFMANN, 22 points 19. ROLFO, 15 points 20. Jurgen vd GOORBERGH, 12 points 21. BATTAINI, 6 points 22. TIE, ELLISON/David CHECA, 4 points 24. TIE, UKAWA/Shane BYRNE, 1 point More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Capirossi wins Motegi thriller as Rossi crashes out Loris Capirossi took his first victory of the season in a dramatic Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi this afternoon as Valentino Rossi crashed out and missed his first opportunity to clinch the 2005 MotoGP World Championship. Capirossi made a cautious start from pole position, chasing early leader Marco Melandri over the opening laps before being joined by Max Biaggi. Rossi, meanwhile, made excellent progress from eleventh on the grid and by the time he caught the leading trio on the fourth lap, Melandri had been relegated to third place. With Biaggi now leading from Capirossi the pair were left alone at the front on lap thirteen, Rossi colliding with Melandri into turn ten and sending both riders tumbling into the gravel. Capirossi then stalked his compatriot for the next six laps before making his move and opening up an advantage of 1.4 seconds to take a clear victory, Ducati’s first of the season and the first for tyre manufacturers Bridgestone since winning at the same circuit last year with Makoto Tamada. The Japanese rider crossed the line in a distant third place to complete the podium today. “It is good to have taken the win today but the team have done a great job all weekend,” said Capirossi, who recently signed a new one-year contract with the Italian factory. “Bridgestone have given us some brilliant tyres here and my consistency was good over a lot of laps in practice. I had a good rhythm in the race but sometimes when I tried to pass I was over the limit. When I took the lead I knew I was faster than Max and I knew it would be my race.” Carlos Checa took the chequered flag in fourth place although he was 22 seconds down on his victorious team-mate as only eleven riders finished a crash-strewn race. John Hopkins, who started from the front row of the grid but gradually lost positions as the race wore on, picked up his best ever Grand Prix finish in fifth ahead of Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden, Kenny Roberts, Toni ElÃas, Rubén Xaus and Franco Battaini. Alex Hofmann crashed and broke his ankle, almost certainly ruling him out for the rest of the season. With Alex Barros and Sete Gibernau also crashing out, the only rider with a mathematical chance of halting Rossi’s championship charge over the next five races is Biaggi, who must score 14 points more than his compatriot to prevent him winning the title in the next race at Sepang in seven days’ time. There was a complaint against Rossi regarding the incident with Melandri, which was rejected by Race Direction, meaning a top four finish will be sufficient for the Italian in Malaysia. Whilst Tamada was unable to repeat his home heroics in the MotoGP class, there was a Japanese winner in the 250cc race as Hiroshi Aoyama took his maiden career victory in front of 68,015 jubilant fans. Aoyama started from pole position but conceded ground to Jorge Lorenzo in the opening laps before launching an unstoppable surge in the second half of the race. His team-mate Dani Pedrosa clinched second place after dodging a collision between Jorge Lorenzo and Alex de Angelis on the final lap, with Lorenzo later disqualified for his part in the incident and banned from the next race at Sepang. De Angelis recovered to take seventh place but the main beneficiary was Casey Stoner, who came through to complete the podium in third and extend his advantage over Andrea Dovizioso in second place in the championship. However Stoner now trails Pedrosa by 63 points with five races remaining. Mika Kallio was handed victory due to a red flag decision for the second time this season as the 125cc race was halted five laps from the end following a spectacular crash on the main straight. Thomas Lüthi crashed as he battled with Kallio for the lead, his ankles clipped and bike destroyed by an unsighted Sergio Gadea, who was lucky to escape unhurt. Lüthi, whilst fortunate to avoid serious injury, dislocated his shoulder in the crash and is doubtful for the next round in Malaysia. The Swiss youngster still leads the championship by three points from Kallio after being awarded second place in today’s race, the final positions being taken back to the previous lap. Héctor Faubel completed the podium. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: CAPIROSSI TAKES MOTEGI WIN FOR DUCATI MARLBORO Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa gave Ducati its best ever overall MotoGP result after Loris won the 24-lap Motegi race and Carlos finished fourth. Capirossi added his win to his pole position and took a new lap record at the Japanese circuit. It was Ducati’s second win in MotoGP, and Capirossi’s tenth podium finish on a Ducati in MotoGP. It was also the first MotoGP win for an Italian rider on an Italian bike in Japan. Such was Capirossi’s early pace that he broke the previous lap record at the second attempt, then again on lap three, dipping under the magic 1’48 bracket to record a new lap record of 1’47.968. His desire to lead took him inside Marco Melandri on lap 10 but he pushed the front too hard on the final left of the lap and almost fell, recovering to rejoin third. He regained second on lap seven, and took the lead on lap 19, to enjoy a final margin of victory of 1.479 seconds. Checa, ninth on the grid, made a strong charge in the early laps, sitting in sixth place until a crash between Melandri and Valentino Rossi promoted him to fourth. He rode at high pace until the end, proving the all round prowess of the entire Ducati Marlboro team this weekend. “It’s fantastic for everyone involved in the team,” said Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP Project Manager. “It was especially satisfying to win here in Japan. A win is a win, but here it is even better. We must thank Loris first of all, because he rode perfectly the whole weekend, then Bridgestone, because the tyres worked well all weekend, and of course the guys who have been working on the bikes, both here and back in Italy. It’s not just the tyre and the rider; it is also the machine. It is a dream that has come true. Carlos also made a good race, and even if a lot of people crashed he was still not far away. A good team result and very good for our morale, with the next races coming up so soon.” Loris Capirossi took the jump from 2005 podium finisher to race winner at Motegi, fighting hard in the early laps with Marco Melandri and Max Biaggi, but easing away in the final laps to score a clear win. He earned himself sixth place in the championship standings, as well as his victory. It’s great to take the win today, but it has not just been about today,” stated Capirossi. “From Friday to Saturday to the race it has been good for Ducati Marlboro, for Bridgestone, for the team. Bridgestone made a great job here at Motegi and the tyres have been working well; we did a lot of consecutive laps in practice at high speed. I had good rhythm in the race but sometimes when I tried to overtake I was past the limit. When I went into the lead I knew I was faster than Max and then I knew it would be my race. It’s great to win for Ducati and Bridgestone in Japan.” Carlos Checa had the disadvantage of starting his Motegi race from the third row, but he worked hard in the early laps, passing riders to sixth, then capitalising on dramatic events up ahead to score fourth place. He now sits ninth overall. “The most important thing is that we made good progress here,” said Checa. “We had some problems both and in Brno but we grew up a lot over this weekend. We knew that the tyres had a lot of potential but we had been unable to use them but here we went one step in front. I am actually happier for the performance rather than the result. I have to give my compliments to Loris and they tyres have definitely made some difference to us today, so thanks to Bridgestone for their good work.” More, from a press release issued by D’Antin Pramac Ducati: Grand Prix of Japan : Unlucky race for Roberto Rolfo The twelfth Grand Prix of the season on the MOTEGI track, has been long only a few laps for ROBERTO ROLFO. The TEAM D’ANTIN PRAMAC rider has been hit by another rider during the third lap, as he was in 14th position with his DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP04. The next round will be in MALAYSIA at SEPANG, on the 25th of September. ROBERTO ROLFO: “A rider hit me as I was entering a corner, in the braking point; I didn’t realize what was happening and already was on the ground. It’s really a pity because we could have done a good race; I had a good rhythm and this could have been the best result of the season for us. I’ve liked the track from the first practice sessions and this morning during the warm-up I did good times very constantly”. LUIS D’ANTIN – D’ANTIN PRAMAC TEAM MANAGER: “We were happy after the results of the qualifying session and the warm-up; we prepared the bike in the best way as possible for the race and we should have done our best result of the year. Unfortunately sometimes these things happen during the races; it hasn’t been Roby’s error as another rider hit him from behind. Now we have to go on working, always harder”. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: DISAPPOINTMENT FOR KAWASAKI AT MOTEGI In a dramatic day of fast and hot racing both Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, failed to finish today’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. The Kawasaki team had held high hopes for their home race, seeking to back-up the brilliant third place podium finish by Nakano at this race last year. A huge crowd of 68,000 spectators, basking in warm and humid weather, watched today’s 24-lap race, which was finally won by Loris Capirossi. From 14th on the grid Nakano started strongly and quickly raced ahead of Kenny Roberts and Colin Edwards and into 11th place. Then for five laps Nakano pressured Honda riders Nicky Hayden and Alex Barros for a place in the top ten. Just as Nakano felt he was positioned to make a move on his Honda rivals he suffered an engine problem, which forced his retirement on lap nine. A similar problem yesterday had cost Nakano the opportunity of a faster qualifying lap. From 12th on the grid Hofmann was shuffled back in an early battle for track position on the tight, 4.8 km Motegi circuit. He settled in 16th position, right behind Tohru Ukawa and Roby Rolfo. On lap three, as Hofmann tried to squeeze up the inside of Ukawa’s Honda he collided with Rolfo in the turn and both ended the race in the gravel trap. Hofmann underwent treatment in the circuit medical centre, where he was diagnosed with a broken bone in his left ankle. The 25-year-old German will fly to Munich tomorrow (Monday), where he will undergo surgery on his fractured ankle. While he is certain to miss the next two races in Malaysia and Qatar, Hofmann hopes to make his racing return at the Australian Grand Prix, which is just one month away. Despite the double setback today, the Kawasaki team is moving forward positively with a continuing technical development programme with the Ninja ZX-RR. Shinya Nakano: #56 – DNF “Not a good day for the Kawasaki Racing Team. In the first couple of laps I was able to overtake and move forward to 11th behind the Honda riders, Barros and Hayden, although we were a long way back and it was difficult to see the front group. I thought I had the potential to pass the Honda guys, but then I suffered the same problem with the engine as I suffered yesterday. At this track you are using low gears and high revs a lot during each lap. I like both Sepang and Doha, the next races, but we have to fix this problem if we want to see the chequered flag.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – DNF “I’m absolutely devastated; yet another disaster and another stupid injury. We just don’t have the top speed with our bike to overtake on the straights, so we have to pass into the turns on the brakes. But even then you have to make up at least 20 metres on the brakes before you’re even close enough to pass. I went up the inside of Ukawa into the corner and I had no other option but to go under Roby as well, as he’d run wide of the apex. Unfortunately, he didn’t know I was there and turned in right in front of me; we collided and both ended up in the gravel. I’m sorry for Roby, he did nothing wrong. I guess I will just have to wait and see what the doctors in Munich say about my ankle, but I’m fairly confident that a return to racing at Phillip Island will be possible.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager “Motegi has not been easy for us, with a crash for Alex and some engine problems for Shinya. I understand the problem with Shinya’s motor, but we have to fix the problem before the next race.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “This has got to rate as one of Kawasaki’s darkest days since we returned to the MotoGP World Championship three years ago. I understand that bad luck is a part of racing, but it’s so disappointing that we had to have today’s result in front of representatives from Kawasaki, including the chairman, Mr. Tazaki. Alex was strong in qualifying and deserved better today than another injury. But now we need to put today’s disappointment behind us and concentrate on improving our results at the next two races in Malaysia and Doha. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR ROSSI IN EVENTFUL JAPANESE GRAND PRIX Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi suffered a rare fall in the Grand Prix of Japan today, after making a sensational start from eleventh on the grid and passing seven riders by the fourth lap. Seven laps later he suddenly came together with Marco Melandri (Honda) as they pitched into the notorious turn ten and collided into the gravel, leaving Max Biaggi (Honda) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati) clear at the front. The race was eventually won by Capirossi, who passed Biaggi six laps from the end and opened up a 1.4 second advantage to claim his first win of the season. Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards rode a battling race and eventually finished sixth, despite some front-end problems with his M1. He moved up to third in the championship, sixteen points behind Biaggi. Biaggi is now the only rider with a mathematical chance of denying Rossi his second MotoGP title for Yamaha, with the reigning World Champion needing thirteen points from next Sunday’s race in Sepang, Malaysia, to clinch the title. COLIN EDWARDS (6th +34.915) “I made a good start for once and it wasn’t too bad to begin with. I got past Kenny Roberts but I lost the front going into turn seven and ran wide. It was strange because, apart from my crash on Friday, the front has been very stable this weekend but in the race I lost it in a few corners and it affected my confidence. For the rest of the race it was survival for me. I got past Kenny again but the conditions were hotter than they had been during practice and our tyre and suspension combination suffered a little. It has been a struggle for the past few races but I like the tracks we’ve got coming up so hopefully we can sort it out and make some progress. At least we’ve moved up to third in the championship, so that’s one good thing we can take away from here!” VALENTINO ROSSI (DNF) “We knew this would be a difficult race but the mechanics worked hard to improve the bike this morning in the warm-up and it worked well over the first few laps. I was able to pass a lot of people but I started to have a few problems with the front tyre when I arrived behind the front three. I knew it would be a risk to try and overtake and I expected Loris to pass Max in the final few laps. I knew I could be World Champion with fourth place and so I decided to just wait and do my race. Then Marco made a small mistake and suddenly I was behind him. It was the first time I had followed him into turn ten and we took completely different lines. He went to the outside of the track to cut across and get good acceleration out of the corner but I went to the inside to run wider on the exit. For the first 50m of braking we were at exactly the same speed so there was no warning, but he was able to stop the bike much harder than me and I couldn’t avoid him. You can’t see it very well on the television but I wasn’t even trying to pass him, it was just one of those things. I apologised to Marco and he said ‘it happens.’ Now I am very concerned for him and I just hope he is ok.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Our first concern is for Marco Melandri. We are not sure of his injuries just yet but we hope it is not serious and I wish him well on behalf of the whole team. There was a protest against Valentino put forward by Honda on behalf of all its MotoGP Teams, but Race Direction has judged this unfounded. As far as the championship is concerned, it is a pity we couldn’t finish it off here and for Valentino it is a shame that his run of podiums has been interrupted. All we can do is try to make up for it by taking the points back next time. Colin finished sixth in a difficult race, but it was an important result for him as it means that he remains in the top positions.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Hopkins races to top five finish at Motegi Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer John Hopkins recorded the first top five position of his MotoGP career at the Grand Prix of Japan from a sun-soaked Motegi today. As air and track temperatures rose from the splendid far eastern sunshine, Hopkins kept a cool head as many other riders crashed out of the race. Having started in second place the aggressive Anglo-American was determined to get around turn one something he had not done in the previous two GP’s at Motegi. Having negotiated the first corner he settled into a good groove and was hot-on-the-heels of reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi. An uncharacteristic mistake by Rossi saw him crash into Marco Melandri and Hopkins was left in fifth place a position he held throughout the rest of the race. Kenny Roberts Jr also finished well inside the top ten in his 100th Grand Prix start for Suzuki. The ex-World Champion rode his ever-improving GSV-R to a strong eighth place behind eventual winner Loris Capirossi on his Ducati. Today’s race was watched by a colourful and enthusiastic Japanese crowd of 68,015 fans that included many Suzuki supporters. A large delegation of Suzuki Motor Corporation staff and management also attended and gave additional support to Team SUZUKI MotoGP. The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will be in seven days time as the fantastic series moves south to Malaysia for round 13 on Sunday 25th September. John Hopkins: “Finally I got the top five finish I’ve been looking for in my whole GP career! I am perfectly confident in my riding talent, I have always believed that the results would come when the machinery gets better and that’s exactly what’s happened. “Suzuki has brought some improvements here and the Bridgestone tyres were just unbelievable this weekend, everything about them was really good. I had a couple of front-end slides in the race but that was inevitable with the heat. The lap-times weren’t as good as what we had been doing but as I said with the heat that is only natural. “I got to the first corner and just kept thinking don’t anybody hit me, don’t anybody hit me and they didn’t! So I breathed a huge sigh of relief and just kept my cool and my consistency and brought it home in the top five. That was really important for me because first it’s the top five – then a podium – then a win!” Kenny Roberts Jr: “That was basically the worst result besides falling down that I could have strung together. I think either the temperature change got us or something, but I couldn’t be aggressive from the start and was only using half my braking force. I then got frustrated and was overshooting the corners and by the time I had got to the next corner I didn’t know where the hell to brake. This complicated everything and I then felt as if something was wrong, so that and sliding the front all added up to me just riding around completely lost. “I think we could have had a better result to what level I don’t know but we obviously need to keep improving.” Hirotaka Ono Board Member, Suzuki Overseas Marketing: “I think the team did their best so I am happy today. But of course I’m not satisfied with today’s result. But now the tyre construction is getting better the Bridgestone team is working very hard so I hope our staff can develop a more powerful engine for it. “I think we have a big possibility and the team situation and team-work is very good, so as I said today I am happy but not satisfied.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “I’m really pleased that John has got the top five position that he has been working so hard for. He’s ridden consistently on the limit all weekend and richly deserves the result and the bonus money! “My feeling before the race was that a top ten result would be despite the qualifying positions a sensible and achievable target. We got better than that! “Kenny suffered along with John in the early laps from a lack of front grip and an inability to brake hard and turn in, maybe caused by the higher track temperature this afternoon than we have had all weekend. Both the guys managed to cope with it and a lot of the riders didn’t – there was a lot of carnage out there. “I’d like to thank all Suzuki senior management, in particular Mr Iguchi and Mr Ono for attending this weekend. They can see the effort that the riders and the team are making and we know where we have to be. Those guys are going to help us get there.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: DIFFICULT RACE-DAY FOR BARROS AND UKAWA IN JAPAN It was a particularly tough day in Japan for the Camel Honda team, with both riders forced to finish the race early. Tohru Ukawa was out on the fourth lap after a small technical hitch. Alex Barros was running sixth when he crashed at the penultimate left corner before the straight, due to the oil left on track by the engine failure of Nakano. Sito Pons Camel Honda “After three years of victories for our team here at Motegi I’m disappointed the winning streak has ended. Tohru had a problem with the engine and had to come in. it was his first race for us this year, and I thought that here at his home race, he could have picked up a decent result. I’m also disappointed about Alex’s crash because it’s the first time this season that neither of our riders crossed the finish line. That’s racing sometimes, things don’t always go as you plan and you have to take it. Next Sunday in Malaysia we will have the chance to make up for this.” Alex Barros Camel Honda crashed on lap thirteen “I didn’t get the best of starts, and I soon realised that without having been able to sort the forks set-up out this weekend, it was hard to be efficient under braking. On top of that it was also much hotter than yesterday and the tyres were suffering, mine as much as the others. Anyway, I was picking up positions, albeit with difficulty, and I had Hopkins in my sights when the bike went away from me. At the moment I don’t know why, but I knew that it was a strange crash because I crashed when I was heading into a left turn, but I was still upright. Then Colin (Edwards) who was right behind , told me that I touched a spot of oil left on the track by Nakano and which wasn’t flagged. It’s a shame because I was riding focused after seeing Sete slide out in front of me. Crashing was exactly what I wanted to avoid at all costs, because even though I knew I couldn’t’ do the greatest race, I could still pick up important points to keep up at the top of the championship. Now it’s a whole lot more difficult but there are still five races beginning with Malaysia, in just a week’s time, where we had some good pre-season testing.” Tohru Ukawa Camel Honda retired on lap four “I’m really disappointed with how the race went, and would have loved to battle for a top spot here. Instead not long after the start I felt that there was something wrong and then on the fourth lap something happened to the engine and I was forced to retire.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Pole Position and Victory: Dream weekend for Loris Capirossi and Bridgestone Loris Capirossi pushed his Ducati Desmosedici beyond all limits in today’s Japanese Grand Prix to score a sensational victory ahead of fellow Italian Max Biaggi and local hero Makoto Tamada. The All-Italian success on the Honda-owned Twin Ring Motegi was Capirossi’s second MotoGP race win since he joined the new Ducati MotoGP team in 2003, and the first victory in the young partnership between Bridgestone and the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Capirossi recovered quickly from a slow start and moved up to second position behind yet another Italian, Marco Melandri. An attempt to pass the young Honda rider almost ended in disaster on lap ten, but Capirossi managed to save his bike and stay on two wheels even though he dropped back behind Max Biaggi. Melandri was less lucky two laps later, when he was taken out by Valentino Rossi. Biaggi and Capirossi remained unchallenged in their lead after this incident, with Capirossi having more in reserve: Six laps from the end, he swept passed Biaggi and turned the remainder of the race into a display of supremacy. A perfectly balanced bike and a clear advantage in terms of tyre grip allowed him to open a gap of almost 1.5 seconds by the time he reached the chequered flag. Capirossi’s victory topped a dream weekend for the 32-year-old Italian that had started with the announcement of a new one-year contract between the rider and his team. Capirossi didn’t hesitate to confirm the benefits of this partnership with consistently fast lap times in all practice sessions, and with pole position in Saturday’s qualifying, fulfilling the high hopes that Bridgestone and Ducati had set into the latest tyre generation. The other five Bridgestone riders had also impressed in practice, with Suzuki rider John Hopkins securing a front row start alongside Loris Capirossi. The 22-year-old American finished a hectic race in fifth position behind Capirossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa. Unlucky were both Kawasaki riders: German Alex Hofmann crashed, Shinya Nakano dropped out when his engine seized and spilled oil. Loris Capirossi Ducati Corse Team 1st position “We did a fantastic job all weekend long. I gave it a 150 per cent all the way and I rode just about five Grand Prix distances over the three days just to make sure everything was going to be all right! We did a lot of tyre testing, but we saw immediately on Friday that Bridgestone’s new tyres had enormous potential, so all our focus went to what was going to happen in the race even in the warm-up this morning, I did a lot of laps to confirm our tyre choice and our set-up. My start wasn’t perfect, and whereas Marco Melandri was riding very aggressively, I didn’t want to risk too much. When I finally decided to overtake, I got onto the oil of Nakano’s bike and nearly crashed. I then followed Max and could see that I was faster in some sections. When I passed him, I put my head down, pushed ahead and pulled 1.5 seconds away from him quite easily. It was the Bridgestone guys especially who did a great job for this race. We could see the potential of their new tyres with my second place in Brno, and this is another step up. It’s great that they followed my suggestions and that we now have tyres that allow me to ride the bike the way I want to. And it’s fantastic to win here in Japan Ducati is a small company with a big heart, which makes the taste of this victory on Honda’s circuit even sweeter!” Shigeo Watanabe President, Bridgestone Corporation “I would like to congratulate Loris Capirossi and the Ducati Corse Team from my heart. We take great pride in the fact that a Bridgestone-equipped rider won at our home Grand Prix in Japan. We will now aim at further success as a tyre supplier and continue to strive for excellence!” Bridgestone Results: 1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43.30,499, 4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, 43.52,647, 5. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 44.03,711, 8. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, 44.26,997, Did not finish: Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki; Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki, Temperature: Track 48 C, Air 34 C, Weather Sunny More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: MAX AND MAKOTO HIT FORM WITH SECOND AND THIRD In an action-packed race in front of 68,000 fans Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) finished second to Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V), who won here last year, came home third. This was a fast-paced race with a close grid determined to get through the difficult turn one without incident. The field managed to negotiate the corner successfully and it was Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) who hit the front from the off. The Honda man had pulled out a lead of 0.85 seconds over second-placed Capirossi by lap two and as the Ducati rider sensed his compatriot was set to charge, he put in an early fastest lap to claw back some ground. By lap three he was on Melandri’s tail and soon a lead trio of Melandri, Capirossi and Biaggi, with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Tamada hanging onto them, had broken clear of the pack. By lap seven they were well clear of the field and one lap later it seemed as if Rossi, Tamada, and Carlos Checa (Ducati), who had now joined then, could not stand the pace. By lap ten Max, who was lying third, held a 1.7 second advantage over Rossi. But Capirossi was determined to demonstrate to the Roman that he had the means to make life tough. He shadowed him for two laps before making a bid for the lead and then as Max began to pressure Melandri, so Rossi upped his pace in an attempt to stay with the leaders. But on lap 13 Rossi and Melandri tangled. Both fell and did not restart. This left Max and Capirossi out on their own with a 3.2 second advantage over Tamada. Checa, John Hopkins (Suzuki) and Colin Edwards (Yamaha) continued the pursuit in fourth, fifth and sixth but they weren’t close to the hot race rhythm of the front three. It was clear that this would be a dogfight all the way to the flag. On lap 19 Capirossi made his move for the lead. Max was more than prepared to make him struggle for it, but Capirossi had the edge and in the closing stages he extended his lead to gain a margin of 1.9 seconds. While the protagonists were fighting it out, other Honda riders fared less well. Tohru Ukawa, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), retired on lap six with a technical problem, Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) made it to lap 12 before crashing out, and Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) pitted on lap 16. Naoki Matsudo (Moriwaki Honda RC211V) succumbed to a crash early in the race while Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) finished seventh. Max “That race was so hard and I am very happy with the result in the end. Michelin did a great job with the tyres the grip on the edge was unbelievable! When I opened the throttle there was so much traction it was incredible. My team has done a great job and even if we didn’t win we improved again in the World Championship. It is good to be the best Michelin finisher and the first Honda home as well. I’m confident in Malaysia that we can take revenge on Bridgestone! They did a great job and Loris rode very hard congratulations to them. A good battle to watch for the fans I think.” Makoto said, “The best result of the season but I feel I can do even more. I am only at 70 per cent of my condition and I hope that soon we’ll make it improve. Finally I had the opportunity to show my new Michelin cap, seeing this is my first podium with the French tyres. During the race I had some chatter problems, which didn’t allow me to remain with the fastest riders. I tried, but when I saw Rossi and Melandri fall, I preferred not to risk anything and maintain the third position.” Nicky Hayden said, “Things never really clicked here for the moment I got off the plane really. Seemed like I was on the back foot all weekend and things never came good to be honest. In the race I had a good battle with a few guys and went back and forth with Barros a few times then I overshot at the end of the straightaway and lost a few places. I feel I let my boys down here and don’t feel good about it. I just want to make sure we come out of the gate fast in Sepang next week and put things straight.” Marco Melandri was injured in the collision with Rossi. He sustained a deep cut to his right foot and after treatment at the circuit medical centre he was transferred to Dokkyo hospital for further examination, in case of internal injuries. Barros said, “I was picking up positions, and I had Hopkins in my sights when the bike went away from me. At the moment I don’t know why, but I knew that it was a strange crash because I crashed when I was heading into a left turn, but I was still upright. Then Colin (Edwards) who was right behind, told me that I touched a spot of oil left on the track by Nakano, which wasn’t flagged. There are still five races beginning with Malaysia, in just a week’s time, where we had some good pre-season testing.” Gibernau said, “I tried from the start but I didn’t have the pace and I went down, it was my own fault. I was riding behind Checa and trying to force the pace a little, hoping the guys at the front would slow down because I knew I couldn’t go any faster. There’s no need to look for excuses, we’ve done badly again and that’s all there is to it. When it’s not one thing it’s another; we’ve had a difficult season but we have to remain confident that our luck will change.” A disappointed Ukawa said, “I’m really disappointed with how the race went, and would have loved to battle for a top spot here. Instead, not long after the start, I felt that there was something wrong and then on the fourth lap something happened to the engine and I was forced to retire.” The overall points standings show Rossi, who failed to score here on 261, Biaggi on 149, Colin Edwards (Yamaha), who finished sixth, with 133, and Melandri with 126. The 250cc race was another tough contest. Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) triumphed in front of his home crowd with a masterful ride to victory. He sped ahead on lap five and kept out of trouble while Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) came to grief along with Alex de Angelis in a last lap crash. Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) finished second, with Casey Stoner (Aprilia) third. Aoyama, de Angelis, Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW), Stoner and Pedrosa were in a class of their own as they left the rest of the grid floundering in their wake by mid-distance of this 23-lap encounter. Despite a rash of practice crashes, Pedrosa kept out of trouble in the race to score vital points here, and the ascendant Spaniard now looks likely to secure his second 250cc World title sooner rather than later. Aoyama said, “After a few laps I was second, then I thought ‘it’s time to go’ and I pushed. I made it in the end and I’m so happy for the team, for Honda, for everyone really.” Dani was relieved. “That was a difficult race. It’s been a very hard weekend. I didn’t expect to get second place. The right side of my body is already stiffening up and it’s a relief to get these points. Congratulations to Hiro, I hope he enjoys the win, he really deserved it.” Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) said, “I’m happy with fourth, it gives me confidence for the next races. It was very hot and so it was a very difficult race for everyone. I didn’t start very well but I didn’t lose contact with the front group and it was important for maintaining my race rhythm. Riding with the best riders is a constructive comparison and I have still a lot to learn.” In terms of the World Championship standings, Pedrosa leads with 226 points, Stoner sits on 163, Dovizioso on 144 and Aoyama on 123 with five races left to run. The 125cc race didn’t get to run the 21 scheduled laps. Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) crashed heavily with six laps left to run, and with two thirds of the race distance completed, and Mika Kallio (KTM) leading, the order stood Kallio, Luthi, Hector Faubel (Aprilia) on the podium. Luthi sustained injuries to his shoulder and right foot in his crash and a question mark hangs over his participation in next week’s Malaysian Grand Prix. The young Swiss rider said, “I don’t understand why the crash happened because I was already on the straight when the bike high-sided me. I dislocated my shoulder in the crash and it’s quite painful, but the real problem is my right foot it is now baldy swollen very big. The only positive thing is the points I scored. Whatever happens this week I will be in Malaysia and I’ll see if I can race.” Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) finished fourth and said, “It was a great pity that Luthi crashed and the race was stopped. At the time the accident happened the top three had used up their tyres, they were sliding a lot. My tyres were still good and I was beginning to catch them, then Luthi crashed and I lost my chance of a podium finish. I am very disappointed, I really wanted a podium at my ‘home’ Grand Prix.” Alvaro Bautista (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125RW) was ninth. He said, “It was a pity the race was stopped because I was running at a great pace. At the start I had some problems with other riders who were a bit dangerous. After that I was fighting with Lai: I was faster than him but he was braking very late out of the corners and caused me to lose my rhythm. When I finally overtook him I was able to catch the front group and at that moment the race was stopped. I had five more laps and I think that was enough time for me to join the fight for a podium place.” “I did the best I could,” said Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW). “I started well but I was back on the starting grid and the straight is too short. Then there is the treacherous corner where it is important to be very careful. The chassis set-up was okay but the engine had less power than in other races and I couldn’t keep the pace of the front group. I tried to recover position. In addition, the race finished too early and unfairly. It’s not Luthi’s fault but the rules have to be changed.” The World Championship points table shows Luthi still ahead with 164 points, Kallio on 161, and Gabor Talmacsi (KTM), who crashed out of the race, with 120 points. HONDA TEAM RIDERS QUOTES: MotoGP: Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: 2nd: “That race was so hard and I am very happy with the result in the end. Michelin did a great job with the tyres the grip on the edge was unbelievable! When I opened the throttle there was so much traction it was incredible. My team have done a great job and even if we didn’t win we improved again in the championship. It is good to be the best Michelin finisher and the first Honda back as well. I’m confident in Malaysia that we can take revenge on Bridgestone! They did a great job and Loris rode very hard congratulations to them. A good battle to watch for the fans I think.” Makoto Tamada , Konica Minolta Honda: 3rd: “Best result of the season but I feel I can do even more. I am only at 70 per cent of my conditions and I hope that soon we’ll make it to improve. Finally I had the opportunity to show my new Michelin cap seen this is my first podium with the French tyres. During the race I had some chattering problem which didn’t allow me to remain with the fastests. I tried, but when I saw falling down Rossi and Melandri, I preferred to don’t risk and maintain the third position. Marco has risked going outside the track some laps before, therefore I preferred to give him some space to don’t get involved in some contacts. At the end I think I made the right choice. When he was in front of me, Rossi was going really fast, but I noticed that he wasn’t secure as usual. I am happy for this result, most of all because obtained in front of our title sponsor, Konica Minolta, who this year never stopped believing in it. I hope to be able repeat this performance in seven days, because we are on the right way.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 7th: “Things never really clicked here for the moment I got of the plane really. Seemed like I was on the back foot all weekend and things never came good to be honest. In the race I had a good battle with a few guys and went back and forth with Barros a few times then I overshot at the end of the straightaway and lost a few places. I got things back together and made up some places and rode for the points. I feel I let my boys down here and don’t feel good about it. I just want to make sure we come out of the gate fast in Sepang next week and put things straight.” Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP: (crashed): “I tried from the start but I didn’t have the pace and I went down, it was my own fault. I was riding behind Checa and trying to force the pace a little, hoping the guys at the front would slow down because I knew I couldn’t go any faster. There’s no need to look for excuses, we’ve done badly again and that’s all there is to it. When it’s not one thing it’s another; we’ve had a difficult season but we have to remain confident that our luck will change.” Fausto Gresini (Movistar Honda team manager): “Another disastrous day for the team, with crashes for both riders and injuries to Marco. We still don’t know the extent of the injury, or whether he will be fit to race next week. I am gutted because I thought both riders worked well for this race and we had hoped for a much different result.” Alex Barros , Camel Honda, crashed: “I didn’t get the best of starts, and I soon realised that without having been able to sort the forks set-up out this weekend, it was hard to be efficient under braking. On top of that it was also much hotter than yesterday and the tyres were suffering, mine as much as the others. Anyway, I was picking up positions, albeit with difficulty, and I had Hopkins in my sights when the bike went away from me. At the moment I don’t know why, but I knew that it was a strange crash because I crashed when I was heading into a left turn, but I was still upright. Then Colin (Edwards) who was right behind , told me that I touched a spot of oil left on the track by Nakano and which wasn’t flagged. It’s a shame because I was riding focused after seeing Sete slide out in front of me. Crashing was exactly what I wanted to avoid at all costs, because even though I knew I couldn’t’ do the greatest race, I could still pick up important points to keep up at the top of the championship. Now it’s a whole lot more difficult but there are still five races beginning with Malaysia, in just a week’s time, where we had some good pre-season testing.” Tohru Ukawa, Camel Honda, retired: “I’m really disappointed with how the race went, and would have loved to battle for a top spot here. Instead not long after the start I felt that there was something wrong and then on the fourth lap something happened to the engine and I was forced to retire.” 250cc: Hiroshi Aoyama, MoviStar Honda: 1st: “This is an incredible victory for me. To take my first career victory at my home race is more than I could have dreamt of. I’ve been very focused all weekend although it has been tough to stay away from all the people here with me, who I haven’t seen y for a long time. Pole was a good sign but I knew that I couldn’t relax for the race because it was always going to be very tough. That’s the way it turned out. I went out strong from the start, concentrated on my rhythm and seven laps from the end I just pushed with all my strength. I want to dedicate this win to my team and my family, I am so happy.” Dani Pedrosa, MoviStar Honda: 2nd: “I suffered a bit today to be honest. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a tough race. The first time I tried to pass Dovizioso in the tunnel there was a problem with the carburetion, Stoner came past and I went backwards again. I found it hard to stay with the pace at the start and the race took a lot out of the right side of my body because I had to force my position on the bike. When I caught De Angelis it got really hard because he wasn’t that fast but he kept the door shut, braked late, and it was impossible to pass him. We touched a few times and in the end I was a bit lucky with the collision between Lorenzo and De Angelis and finished second. This is much more than I expected after Friday, after the second crash, when we wondered if I would be able to race at all. I’m also really happy for Hiro; he had a great weekend and today was his day. He deserves it.” Yuki Takahashi, Scot Honda: 4th: “I’m happy of the fourth position: it gives me trust for the next races. It was very hot and so a very difficult race for all. I didn’t start very well but I didn’t lose contact with the front group and it was important for maintaining my race rhythm. Ride with the best riders is a constructive comparison and I have still a lot to learn”. Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda: 6th.: “It has been a hard race for all, due to the climatic conditions. The asphalt was too hot with little grip and my Honda had an engine problem: the bike lost first gear and I was forced to use second gear in the corners where it would be better to use the first gear. I set my teeth to trying to stay with Ayoama but I wasn’t able to. In the last laps I made strong breaking so as not to lose contact with Pedrosa. Then, during the last lap, I lost the front and instinctively I used my hand to not crash out but I went out of the track: I lost some positions and any hope of the podium”. Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 8th: “That was one step forward for me, I finished the race and that was very important for me. Today I had my best result in 250 because I was closer to the leaders than before. I finished 24 seconds down and now I want to continue to improve as I did today. I want to be a top five rider before the end of the season and now I have the breathing space to improve and this is important to me.” Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: 9th: “I’m very happy with my result today for myself and the team, we ran a very strong race in terribly high temperatures. The bike was really good today. Now we have to continue in this ay till the end of the season.” Radomil Rous, Wurth Honda BQR: 15th: “That was a very hot and very hard race today. I got my usual bad start but didn’t worry and just started to ride at a good rhythm. The chassis and brakes were good but the bike wouldn’t accelerate the same as in qualifying I was pushing too hard to catch Baldolini but got a few big slides so I am happy to be in the points in the circumstances.” Kohki Takahashi, Dydo Miu Racing Team: 16th: ” I am disappointed because I lost the top group after the race. Then I touched with another rider and after that I couldn’t pace up. Only for 1 or 2 laps I enjoyed true battle. The GP riders I was racing with were so good because they didn’t make any mistake. Those guys in the top group even lapped faster in the end. I truly realised how high the level of Grand Prix Racing. Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Castrol Honda: 18th: “My start was good and the first corner was good but in front of me at the second corner Smrz hit somebody and crashed and I had to go onto the grass to miss the accident. I got back on the track but I was last. I found a good rhythm and was setting really good lap times. I passed a few guys and felt good but on the last lap I accidentally touched the kill switch land the engine almost stalled. I’m not happy with the result but pleased with the way I raced.” Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: dnf crash: “I got quite a good start but there was the usual chaos at the first turn I got round OK but going into the second corner I went underneath Locatelli but he closed the door real hard on me and I had no place to go and hit him and crashed out. I’m OK just a few stitches in my right elbow.” Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda: dnf crash: “Overall this as a very negative race because I gave as much as I could to get the bike set up perfectly for the race, and so did my mechanics. But it was not the result we intended. I took the lad but I was slow because the engine temperature was too high and this robbed the engine of power. I was also having a front end problem. The spot where I had my crash was my best part of the track. I was on line and if I had not touched De Angelis it would have been the perfect way to ride the corner.” Shuhei Aoyama, Team Harc Pro, Dnf: “Nothing much to say because I crashed. I crashed from the rear. The lap times at the beginning of the race wasn’t fast and I was in the middle of a big group. Water temperature rose because couldn’t get enough air within the group and I didn’t stay cool. I feel sorry because I couldn’t show my potential during a GP. I was looking forward to this race the whole year. Next time if I get another chance I will show my potential. 125cc: Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 2nd: “I don’t understand why the crash happened because I was already on the straight when the bike high sided me. I dislocated my shoulder in the crash and it’s quite painful but the real problem is my right foot it is now baldy swollen, very big. The only positive thing is the points I scored. Whatever happens this week I will be in Malaysia and see if I can race.” Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 4th: “It was a great pity that Luthi crashed and the race was stopped. At the time the accident happened the top three had used up their tyres, they were sliding a lot. My tyres were still good and I was beginning to catch them, then Luthi crashed and I lost my chance of a podium finish. I am very disappointed, I really wanted the podium at my ‘home’ GP.” Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 9th: “It was a pity the race was stopped because I was running at a great pace. At the start I had some problems with some other riders who were riding in a dangerous way. After that I was fighting with Lai: I was faster than him but he was braking very late but slow out of the corners and caused me to lose my rhythm. When I finally overtook him I was able to catch the front group and at that moment the race was stopped. I had five more laps and I think that was enough time for me to join the fight for a podium place.” Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda: 10th: “I did the best I could. I started well but I was back on the starting grid and the straight is too short. Then there is the treacherous corner where it is important to be very careful. The cyclistic setup was ok but the engine had less power than in other races and I couldn’t keep the pace of the front group. Therefore I tried for all the race to recover positions. In addition, the race finished too early and unfairly: it is not Luthi fault but rules have to be changed”. Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing World Honda: 11th: : “My Honda, as Fabrizio one, was ok in cyclistic setup but with less engine power. I could have done a better race but I started bad and I lost the contact with the firsts. When the front group slowed down it was too far from me”. Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 12th: “I am very happy after a weekend with a lot of problems. We tested some things this morning but they didn’t work so we made a decision for the race that solved our situation. After one lap of the race I had made up many places and was 14th. My bike was very fast today, much faster than in qualifying, but I passed many riders on the brakes. I just felt very comfortable on the bike today, it was a good race for me and I am looking forward to racing at Sepang next week.” Toshihisa Kuzuhara, Angaia Racing Honda: 14th: “Today was a good result after my qualifying but my first lap of the race was not as good as I had hoped. When the race settled down I passed a few riders and managed to finish in the points so I have to be a little happy but I’m not pleased with my performance.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 20th: “I am not so happy I had a carburetion problem which made the bike far to aggressive when Ii accelerated. The bike was sliding everywhere and I could not make any progress to catch the group in front of me.” Takumi Takahashi, replacement rider for Raymond Schouten, for Molenaar Honda: 25th “I really enjoyed my first grand prix and racing such a fast machine. My start was good but at the first corner I was on the outside with no chance to get to the inside and many riders out braked me, I couldn’t believe how late the GP riders braked. I enjoyed racing with the GP riders I cold even out brake some of them later in the race, and pas using the slipstream. I have to thank the team for giving me the chance to race at Motegi today.” Sandro Cortese, Kiefer Castrol Honda: dnf crash: “I had a high side crash early in the race (lap 4) so I did not go very far. My start was good and I held my qualifying position. The bike was good apart from a small front-end problem under heavy braking, the wheel was hopping a bit. Then on lap four the rear wheel stepped out but I saved it then when it happened the second time I lost it and crashed.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: FORTUNA YAMAHA RIDERS FINISH IN AN ACCIDENT-STREWN RACE Both Fortuna Yamaha riders took the chequered flag to score valuable points in what proved to be an accident-plagued Japanese GP, thanks to the scorching weather conditions which made the race something of a lottery. Nine riders did not finish the race, whilst Elias and Xaus came home ninth and tenth respectively. Their race pace was not the best, down largely to their poor positions on the grid, but they managed to finish when many others didn’t. Toni Elias 9th in Japanese GP 16th in championship, 38 points “We leave Motegi with some good points under our belts and a better finish than we were hoping for. But this race was worse than the previous one in Brno where I rode a better race but got a worse result. I had many problems this weekend and we weren’t able to solve them. We will try to sort them out for Malaysia. Obviously this wasn’t my best race and, although they don’t completely console me, the points are valuable.” Rubén Xaus 10th in Japanese GP 15th in championship, 42 points “I did not go quick today despite finishing tenth. Halfway through the race when riders were falling all over the place, I thought I could not really raise my rhythm too much because the hot conditions would have made it risky as it was such a physical effort. At moments like that you have to be calm and not risk too much. I want to take points from these races before returning home again. Today felt like I was fighting against the bike as much as anything else and I put in so much effort I did not want to throw it away. It’s about progressing and it’s satisfying to finish races in high positions.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager: “We have to be happy with ninth and tenth positions because after qualifying we could not have dreamt of such good results. From the beginning of the weekend we knew it would be almost impossible to get such good results, but all the falls allowed us to do so. The strategy was, when riders started to fall, to ask our riders to be patient. On the other hand we can’t be happy with the pace of our Yamahas. The feelings we have are a mixture of happiness at the points and sadness at our set-up problems. I hope we can find a solution in time for nest weekend’s race in Malaysia.”
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