SUZUKI CASTROL READY FOR SUZUKA Team Suzuki Press Office – July 28, 2005. World Endurance Championship leaders Suzuki Castrol are aiming to extend their advantage in the series at this weekend’s third-round Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan. GSX-R1000-mounted Keiichi Kitagawa, Vincent Phillipe and Matthieu Lagrive currently hold a 19-point lead over Kawasaki-mounted Bolliger Team Switzerland with Yamaha Austria Racing third. The French-based Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) will be hoping to dominate the prestigious event after guest rider, Australian Shawn Giles, was knocked off last year as the team challenged for sixth position – an incident that ultimately cost them the series victory. Nineteen Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted teams have entered in the 80-team field including last year’s runners-up ‘Yoshimura Suzuki Jomo With Srixon’ comprising Atsushi Watanabe and World Superbike star Yukio Kagayama, plus a two-rider Woman-Riders.Com squad of Hideki Itoh and Satoshi Okada. World Championship Points (after 2 of 5 Rounds): 1 Suzuki-Castrol Team (Suzuki GSX-R 1000) 55, 2 Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki ZX10R) 36, 3 Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Yamaha YZF-R1) 30, 4 Diablo 666 Bolliger (Kawasaki ZX10R) 26, 5 Yamaha Phase One Endurance (Yamaha YZF-R1) 26, 6 Folch Endurance 23 (Yamaha YZF-R1) 24, 7 Shell Endurance Academy (Yamaha YZF-R1) 20, 8 No Limits & RT Racing Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 13, 9 Sapeurs Pompiers 18 (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 12, 10 Team Fagersjo-el.se (Suzuki GSX-R10000) 10.

MotoGP paddock dries out at Sachsenring Five days after packing up in the torrential rain of Donington Park, the MotoGP World Championship paddock unfolded at the Sachsenring circuit beneath clear blue skies today as warm sunshine greeted the world’s premier motorcycle racing series to Germany. The Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland this weekend represents the tenth round of the 2005 season and the final event before a month-long summer break before the action resumes in the Czech Republic on 28th August. The rest could not come at a better time for reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi, who makes his 150th Grand Prix appearance this weekend and defends a 104-point advantage over Marco Melandri in the championship standings after an exhausting start to the season that has seen him take seven wins from nine races. “Things have gone very well in the first half of the year but we have some tracks coming up that I don’t like especially Sachsenring and Brno,” admitted Rossi. “I am not so fast at Sachsenring like Donington, also last year we had some problems with the M1, but I think we are more competitive this season and will be able to fight for the podium.” Rossi will have an extra rival this weekend as Olivier Jacque makes his third appearance of the season as a wildcard for Kawasaki. The Frenchman took pole position for the MotoGP race at this circuit three seasons ago and is looking to build on impressive performances earlier this year at Shanghai, where he finished second to Rossi, and Le Mans. “This will only be my third Grand Prix of the season but it’s great to be back with Kawasaki, especially at a track where I have some good memories,” said Jacque. “I’ve been training hard and this race is really the beginning of my programme as test rider, so I’m looking forward to the challenge, and working with the team to further improve the ZX-RR. It is already a very strong package and I think it will feel at home at the Sachsenring.” Jacque will team up with regular Kawasaki riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, who has a special motivation this weekend as he rides in front of an expectant crowd of over 100,000. “Of course you always want to do well in your home race but the dedication the people show to MotoGP in this area deserves an extra effort,” said the German. “The sport is getting more and more popular in this country and we have to keep it this way so I want to do my part by finishing as high as possible in the race. With Olivier in the team it will be more crowded in the garage but my goal is to beat him and Shinya.” Hofmann was one of several riders to take time out of their preparations today to line-up for a MotoGP XI in a charity football tournament. The local favourite proved to be the centre of attention at the annual event, which also featured Rubén Xaus, John Hopkins, Carlos Checa and James Ellison. Meanwhile, despite a record number of 93 crashes in last weekend’s British Grand Prix, there were no serious injuries to report at the Clinica Mobile today, including joint 125cc leaders Mattia Pasini and Gabor Talmacsi, who remain on top of the minor category standings despite both tumbling out of the race. Like his mentor in the premier-class, current 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa admitted he also has one eye on the summer break after mounting a 34-point lead in the championship after the opening nine races. “After this weekend we have three weeks of holidays so we have to try and go away with a sweet taste in our mouths,” said Pedrosa, who took his best ever wet weather result with fourth place at Donington Park. “I had never been on the podium in Germany before last season but I won on the 250 and I hope to have another good result here. I hope the weather stays nice all weekend – we already had enough water in England and even though I can’t complain about how things went there I always prefer to race in the dry.”

Sachsenring July 28th, 2005 German GP Preview Bridgestone teams confident to rock and roll on twisty Sachsenring With only 3.671 kilometres in length, the Sachsenring is one of the shortest circuits on the European MotoGP calendar. A unique stadium layout with a maze of interlinking twists and bends, the German track offers fantastic views from almost anywhere on the grandstands, and has been rewarded with record-braking audience figures of more than 200000 spectators in last year’s edition. The spectacular corner sections are not only thrilling to watch, but also very demanding on riders, bikes and tyres. Mid-range power, good acceleration and agile handling are more important than sheer top-speed, and good front-end feel, side-grip and traction are the main requirements when it comes to tyre choice especially on the left side. Sachsenring’s track layout should especially help Suzuki, where speed and horsepower have been a concern in the past. The British-based team with its American riders Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins arrives with high hopes and high spirit in Germany, since former World Champion Roberts scored a hard-earned second place in last week’s wet British Grand Prix. “We will have to carry on working with the same drive and enthusiasm we have shown all season, to make sure our step by step improvements continue”, says Suzuki team-manager Paul Denning. Similarly high are the expectations within German-based Kawasaki Racing Team that boasts a three-rider line-up for the Sachsenring Grand Prix. The green force not only has Shinya Nakano and local hero Alex Hofmann to offer, who is always a top-ten contender on his home turf, but also Olivier Jacque. The 31-year-old Frenchman stunned the racing world with a surprise second place in the wet Chinese Grand Prix in May as Hofmann’s replacement rider, and was later on signed up as Kawasaki’s test rider. The odds are strong that Jacque might surprise again: After conquering pole position in 2002, he had battled for victory, before crashing out in the final stages of the race. Ducati celebrated their last podium finish in Mugello, Italy, but have also arrived in good mood at the German venue following their encouraging results in England, with Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi in fifth and sixth place. “Bridgestone proved they have fully competitive rain tyres that work wherever we go, like in China and in Britain. That’s a positive sign of the company’s capabilities, which is why we are confident we can obtain similarly consistent dry-weather performance”, said Ducati team manager Livio Suppo. “We are already strong in the dry at some tracks like Mugello, and Bridgestone will bring new spec tyres to the Sachsenring, which proves how hard they are working, and makes us very confident for the future.” Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport In the pouring rain in Donington last week, we were able to score points with 5 of our riders in a field where only 11 riders finished the race. Kenny Roberts stood on the podium and the two Ducati boys were 5 and 6, so our wet tyres have proven its strength. For this week’s GermanGP, we plan to enter a few new dry condition tyres as we are aiming to develop higher performance slicks, and I am hoping for the same type of results with the slicks as we have achieved with the wets.

2005 CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FLASH NEWS – CURIOSITY 8TH ROUND BRANDS HATCH 5th, 6th and 7th AUGUST 2005 Roma, 28th July 2005 A TRACK FOR TWO WINS Brands Hatch is present in the World Superbike calendar since 1993 and 24 races have been run in it, it seems to be a track well suited for double wins. It happened 7 times that a rider was able to win the first and second race of the day: the first one was Giancarlo Falappa in 1993, followed by Fogarty in 1994, then in 1999 it was Colin Edwards’ turn, in 2001 Ben Bostrom, in 2002 Edwards again, the following year Shane Byrne and then last year Noriyuki Haga. The dominator is Colin Edwards, that won here 6 times compared to Fogarty three, the american rider has 9 podium finishes compared to 7 by Neil Hodgson and Pierfrancesco Chili. Colin leads also the points chart, with 274 points in Brands Hatch, compared to Chili’s 242, and also the fastest laps chart with 4 fastest laps against 2 gained by 6 of his rivals: Slight, Hodgson, Fogarty, Falappa, Corser and Chili. Looking at the pole positions, it’s Neil Hodgson who dominates, with 4 straight poles from 2000 to 2002, in the history of World Superbike only Troy Corser manged to set 4 straight poles on the same track in 4 consecutive years, it happened in his home track, Phillip Island, from 1998 to 2001. A TRACK FOR TWO MAKES In Brands Hatch only Ducati (18 times) and Honda (6 times) managed to win, no other make managed to climb the highest step of the podium. A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER It’s 2003 one, when John Reynolds scored his only pole and his only fastest lap (in race 2) with the Suzuki GSX 1000R the model substituted this year by the GSX 1000R K5. It’s one of the two poles recorded by this model of motorcycle, the other one being the one set by Matthew Mladin in Laguna seca the same year, the previous round. Reynolds broke a string of 9 poles by Ducati in Brands Hatch that lasted since 1995, when Fogarty put the 916 R on pole. A similar period of domination is recorded on the wins side: Ducati won from 1993 to 1997 (8 races) and only Colin Edwards with the Honda RVF 750 was able to break the spell. The 2003 race weekend is remembered also for Ducati domination of the points zone, with 11 bikes in the points in race 1, an absolute record that Borgo Panigale’s factory managed to set 5 times in history, always in 2003 (Oschersleben in both races, Valencia race 1 and Phillip Island race 2). In race 1 the first six places were all by riders on Ducati machinery. A TOUGH TRACK Brands Hatch is a tough track both for men and bikes, it’s the track where have been recorded more retirements per single rider. Lucio Pedercini leads the chart with 11 retirements, an absolute record for a single track in the history of the championship, he is followed by Jiri Mrkyvka with 9 and then Michael Rutter and James Haydon with 8 retirements each. Only at this stage we can find another track with so many retirements per rider: Pedercini and Martin retired 8 times in Phillip Island. Another example of how this track can be hard is race 1 in 1993 run with heavy rain: Giancarlo Falappa won by 36″83 in front of Scott Russell, the second gap in history behind the 56″255 that Goddard put between himself and Robert Phillis in Oran Park, race 1, 1989. A THING LIKELY TO HAPPEN Corser is only 1 win short of the second place all time for wins, held now by Colin Edwards (31 wins), Fogarty is still very distant at 59. CORSER’S ANOMALY Troy is the undisputed king of Superbike qualifying history with 33 pole positions and 71 front rows, but in Brands Hatch he recently didn’t perform up to his standars: he misses the front row since 1998 when he made the pole position. After that he recorded only a sixth place in 1999, a tenth and a sixth in 2000, an eigth in 2001, a twelfth In 2003 and a fifth in 2004. This is quite interesting if we consider that in his career the aussie champion on 111 qualifying attempts only 40 times fell behind the first four positions. LAST TIME IN BRANDS HATCH These are the occurences recorded on the British track that happened for the last time: in 2004 the last fastest lap by an italian rider (Chili in race 1) and last pole by Steve Martin, in 2001 the last win of Ben Bostrom and in 1996 the last time a belgian rider made it to the points, Michel Paquay, twelfth in race 2.

Round 8 UK Brands Hatch 4th , 5th , 6th & 7th August 2005 Thursday, August 4th , from 2.30pm to 5.30pm Saturday, August 6th, from 12.45pm to 13.00pm Dear Friends, SBK will organise the 4nd Open Paddock of the season at Brands Hatch on Thursday 4th August. This will give a great opportunity to the public to taste the enthusiastic & friendly atmosphere of the famous SBK Paddock and the chance to meet the riders. The new SBK Paddock Show will be the heart of the riders autograph sessions, where the English public will come face to face with the SBK & WSS top riders. These autograph sessions will be organised following the herein attached schedule. The access to the Paddock and to the Circuit will be free of charge on Thursday and the opening hours will be from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. The entrance to the Paddock and to the Circuit on Saturday will not be free of charge. Schedule Thursday, August 4th 2.30pm 2.40pm (SBK) Foggy PETRONAS Racing: Steve Martin/Garry McCoy 2.45pm 3.00pm (SBK) DFXstreme Sterilgarda: Marco Borciani/ Miguel Praia (SBK) D.F.X. Treme: Jose Luis Cardoso/Lorenzo Alfonsi 3.05pm 3.20pm (SBK) Yamaha Motor France: Norick Abe/Sebastien Gimbert (SBK) Team Zone Rouge: Michel Nickmans (WSS) Yamaha Motor Germany: Kevin Curtain/Broc Parkes 3.25pm 3.35pm (SBK) Yamaha Motor Italia WSBK Team: Noriyuki Haga/Andrew Pitt (SBK) Team Lorenzini by Leoni: Gianluca Vizziello 3.40pm 3.50pm (SBK) Team Ducati SC – Caracchi: Lorenzo Lanzi/Fonsi Nieto (SBK) Team Pedercini: Lucio Pedercini/Alessio Velini 3.55pm 4.05pm (SBK) Ducati Xerox Team: James Toseland/ Regis Laconi 4.10pm 4.25pm (SBK) Winstone Ten Kate Honda: Chris Vermeulen/Karl Muggeridge (WSS) Winstone Ten Kate Honda: Charpentier Sebastien/Katsuaki Fujiwara 4.30pm 4.40pm (SBK) Team PSG-1 Corse: Chris Walker/Mauro Sanchini 4.45pm 5.00pm (SBK) Team Klaffi Honda: Pier Francesco Chili/Max Neukirchner (SBK) Team Renagade Koji: Ben Bostrom 5.05pm 5.15pm (WSS) Team Italia Megabike: Michel Fabrizio/Fabien Foret (WSS) Stiggy Motorsports: Johan Stigefelt/Robbin Harms 5.20pm 5.30pm (SBK) Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: Troy Corser/Yukio Kagayama (WSS) Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: Javier Fores Saturday, August 6th 12.45pm 13.00pm (SBK) Ducati Xerox Team: James Toseland (SBK) Foggy PETRONAS Racing: Steve Martin/Garry McCoy (SBK) Team PSG-1 Corse: Chris Walker (SBK) Team Renagade Koji: Ben Bostrom

Round four of the 2005 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship was held at Mallala Motor Sport Park (SA) on June 3-5. At the meeting, two cases of potential non-compliance to Motorcycling Australia’s General Competition Rules became apparent, which have now been addressed at separate Stewards’ hearings. Following is a summary of the two cases, and the subsequent sanctions imposed. 1. A specimen was taken on the fluid in the cooling system of the #42 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike ridden by Shannon Johnson. The ensuing analysis, by an independent laboratory, showed that glycol was present. A Steward’s hearing was held on July 21 to address the issue, where a two-part penalty was imposed. That is, a $2000 fine, while Johnson loses all his points accrued at Mallala 36. 2. The rear swingarm of Jamie Stauffer’s #27 Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike was deemed to be non-compliant by the Series Scrutineer. A follow-up hearing was first held on July 21, and then adjourned to July 27 to give Kawasaki more time to provide evidence demonstrating that the swingarm had not been modified. However, the Steward determined from the evidence provided that the swingarm had been modified. A two-part sanction has now been imposed: a $700 fine, while Stauffer loses his points from race two at Mallala 14. Both Yamaha and Kawasaki have 21 days in which to appeal the decisions.

THE THIRD EDITION OF CENTOPASSI WAS CONCLUDED ON THE 24TH JULY WITH THE VICTORY OF MARCO TOMASSINI. Bologna, 27th July 2005. After 4 exhilarating Legs on the Western Alps, Centopassi, the most satisfying event for those who love to put to themselves to the test on mountain roads organized by Dream Engine with the support of the main sponsor Z Zegna, the technical partner Ducati Motor and Iveco – Has concluded itself on the 24th July in Bardonecchia. Marco Tomassini on a BMW R1200 GS, is the overall winner of the Competition Class and has taken home the coveted prize a Ducati Multistrada 620 with a total of 75 points acquired on the ability trials and time checks along the way. In second place Cesare Conti, on a BMW RGS 1100R, with 63 points, followed by Alessandro Severi, in third place with a total of 44 points, on the seat of a Ducati Multistrada 1000DS. With regards to team participations, in first place was the BMW Racing Team composed by Marco Tomassini, Cesare Conti and Stefano Tosi with 73 points, in second place the Etna Team composed by Antonio Zingali, Attilio Pennisi and Michele Battiato with 52 points and in third place the X One Performer team composed by Renato Zocchi, Denis Terranova and Giuseppe Gelmini, with a total of 51 points. Participants of both categories Competition and Iron Biker have spent 4 days on the most fun roads and challenging passes of the Western Alps, departure was from Nice and headed towards the beautiful mountains that surround it. On day one participants passed by Gorges du Cians, Guillaumes, Col de la Cayolle, Barcellonette, Col du Vars, Guillestre, Col d’Izoard, Briançon, Col du Montgenevre, Cesana Torinese to arrive at Oulx. On the 22nd of July, departure was from Bardonecchia, then crossing the Col de l’Echelle, Briançon, l’Argentiere La Besse, Col du Vars, Jausiers, Col de la Bonette, Vinadio, Demonte, Elva, Col de Sampeyre, Colle dell’Agnello, Chateau Queyras, Col du Montgenevre and ending in Cesana Torinese. On the 23rd participants swerved by Briançon, Col du Lautaret, Col du Galibier, Col du Telegraphe, Montvernier, Col du Chaussy, Col de la Madeleine, Bourg St. Maurice, Col de l’Iseran, Lanslevillard, Col du Mont Cenis, Susa to return to Bardonecchia. The forth and last leg winded itself through Susa, Col du Mont Cenis, Lanslebourg, Modane,Saint M. de Maurienne, Col du Mollare, Belleville, Col de la Croix de Fer, Alp d’Huez, Col de la Strenne, Clavans, Col du Lautaret, La Vachette, Col de L’Echelle once again with final arrival in Bardonecchia. The prize giving ceremony took place at the Hotel Rivè in Bardonecchia, the Ducati Multistrada 620 first prize was awarded to Marco Tomassini by the SuperG Olympic Champion Daniela Ceccarelli, guest of the event for the second consecutive year. The overall winner of the third edition of Centopassi has expressed that he will place his prize in a charity auction in benefit of the school founded in Dakar by the unforgettable Fabrizio Meoni, who died last January during the Paris-Dakar. The 150 participants of this years’ event came from a wide range of countries: other than Italy, participants came all the way from France, Germany, United Kingdom, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Lussemburg, Sweden, Norway, USA, South Africa and New Zeland, showing great enthusiasm for both the competitive class (Competition Class) as well as the more tourist class (Iron Biker). Centopassi is made possible thanks to the main sponsor Z Zegna, the new fragrance for men launched by Ermenegildo Zegna, a perfume that speaks of style, sport and seduction, created for a man who is passionate about his liberty, about the open road, motorbikes, speed and travel. The event also relies on the support of its’ technical partner Ducati Motor, of Iveco as well as the important collaboration from the local administrations of the locations where each leg ends: Bardonecchia, Cesana Torinese and Oulx. Centopassi is an event organised by Dream Engine with the support of the Curve &Tornanti team, Motoclub Terni “Libero Liberati”, and under the aegis of Federazione Motociclistica Italiana. Also essential to the success of the event was the contribution of the Italian Police Force of Bologna who accompanied the motorbikes along the whole itinerary.

Rizla Suzuki on the pace at Cadwell test RIZLA SUZUKI’S John Reynolds was fourth and James Haydon fifth fastest in today’s Cadwell Park official MCRCB British Superbike test. Featuring most of the main contenders in the BSB series, the Superbikes were given three one-hour sessions on the 2.18-mile long fans’ favourite circuit in Lincolnshire. Rain started to fall with just 20-minutes remaining in the last session but by then the Rizla Suzuki racers had completed a lot of positive testing work. Ducati’s Leon Haslam was quickest. “That was a really good day,” enthused JR. “I always struggle to test at Cadwell Park but it all came together and we were right on the pace despite keeping a fair bit in reserve. “I tried altering the swing-arm pivot point on my Rizla Suzuki and then tested several new Dunlop tyres. I’ve come away from the test revitalized – my GSX-R1000 is just awesome!” James Haydon’s technicians changed the geometry settings on his Rizla Suzuki to give him additional front-end feedback and he was ecstatic with the results. He said: “When we tested at Croft we made big improvements and I honestly didn’t think we could make that much progress again – but we have today. “The difference in the feeling with my bike compared to previously is massive and I am thrilled to be riding it. A big thanks to Norris, Oz and all of my team for ringing the changes and giving me a bike that is just mind-blowing. I’m really looking forward to racing at Castle Combe this weekend.” Rizla Suzuki will be competing at the Castle Combe Grand National in Wiltshire this weekend. James Haydon will be racing alongside British Superbike Privateer Cup leader James Buckingham in the Rizla Suzuki squad. British Superbike Champion JR will be attending to support the team and meet the fans. Racing starts at 13:15 on Sunday, July 31st. Test Times: 1: Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1:28.763, 2: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 1:29.072, 3: Karl Harris (Honda) 1:29.092, 4: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 1:29.182, 5: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 1:29.539, 6: Steve Plater (Honda) 1:29.669.

German Grand Prix at The Sachsenring 29, 30, 31 July 2005 HONDA MEN DETERMINED TO TOP PODIUM IN GERMANY After a damp and dismal British GP at Donington Park Honda’s big names in MotoGP are resolved to make amends at the Sachsenring on Sunday. The 17-race season is now past the halfway point with just eight races left to run and this is the last chance to put pressure on World Championship points leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) before the summer break. Four of Honda’s big names: Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V), Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V), Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) and Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) have tasted success here before, three of them in the premier class, and Melandri twice on a 250. If ever any of them needed a win here around the twisting dips and climbs of the sinuous Sachsenring, now is the time. With Rossi now on 211 points overall to second-placed Melandri’s 107, nothing less than a win for Honda’s young hotshot will do if he is to put pressure on the reigning World Champion. But Max Biaggi, currently lying fourth on 100 points, is still in a position to put a late-season charge together. But this race surely represents his last chance to claw his way back into contention. He won here in 2001 and tasted victory here last year too. Never a rider to give less than his best whatever the circumstances, his first win of the season is overdue and the Sachsenring could be the place where it happens. The 3.671km track is the shortest of the 17 tracks visited this season. Set in the rolling heartlands of German motorcycle sport in the Hohenstein-Ernstthal region, the former public roads circuit is close to the MZ motorcycle factory and huge crowds of up to 250,000 attended the event in its heyday, when the race took place on the old road course. The tight twisting nature of the track demands acceleration rather than outright speed, six left-hand turns in succession put great stress on tyres and a steep downhill plunge followed by an uphill section to the start-finish straight requires precision from riders and stability from machines. Alex Barros is itching to ride, and said, “I’m happy to be heading to the Sachsenring, where we’re all hoping for a nice sunny day for the race! It’s an unusual track; tight and twisty, but I like it because I’ve had some good results there both on the 500cc bikes and on the MotoGP bike. Last year I battled for victory with Max and I think I did one of the best races of the year, so I’m quite confident for Sunday. The podium in Donington was satisfying because the conditions were truly awful, but I want to do even better before returning to Brazil for the summer break.” His team-mate Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), who failed to finish last weekend, said, “I was really annoyed at Donington, even though there’s nobody to blame for what happened considering the rotten conditions in the race. I returned home to Monaco, and took out my anger with a good bike ride and now I’m ready to race again. I love the Sachsenring, I can’t wait to race there next Sunday. I feel so much more comfortable with the bike, We’ve made some steps forward with the front settings and if we continue in this fashion, I will have my say on Sunday.” Sete, who won here in spectacular fashion in 2003, beating Rossi at the final turn on the last lap, said, “The Sachsenring is a slow and difficult track for MotoGP. It’s the shortest and most tortuous of all the tracks in the Championship and it is for this reason that the 250cc times are similar to ours in MotoGP. Due to the weight of the bikes and the slowness of the track, this is a very physically demanding circuit.” His team-mate Melandri said, “Overtaking is quite difficult here and the best place to do it is the braking at the end of the start/finish straight and at the Sachsenkurve. The atmosphere is fantastic here, the track is small so the public is all packed in tight, near the track, and you can really feel their presence. I achieved my first victory in the 250 class in 2001 here, but I also fell here last year.” Max said, “After the disaster at Donington I come to the Sachsenring determined to have a good result and good performance for my fans, for my team and for myself. I remember well last year when we took pole position and won the race. It was the perfect weekend and sadly one that has not happened since last year. It’s so frustrating knowing that I have the ability to be regularly on the front row and be regularly on the podium but at the moment it is just not happening. Let’s hope that the race this weekend will see a change in fortune.” Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) said, “I’ve gone pretty well at the Sachsenring in the past. I wouldn’t say it’s the most fun track but we’ve had some pretty good results there. The first year, I started 15th and finished fifth and last year got a podium. Some of the big left-handers really remind me of some of the dirt tracks back home, and I really like the downhill section towards the end of the track when it really falls away. As always when we have a bad race day I just want to get straight back on the track.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) needs a strong race here and said, “From this Grand Prix onwards I expect to improve my results, because as I promised before the United States of America Grand Prix, I want to, and I believe I can, reach my season objective: to improve on the final position of sixth obtained last year.” In the 250cc class reigning World Champion Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) will be looking to consolidate his position at the top of the World Championship standings with a repeat of his win here last year. “I had never been on the podium in Germany before,” said Dani. “But last season on the 250 I had a great race at the Sachsenring. I hope to have another good result here and I hope the weather stays nice all weekend. We already had enough water in England and even though I can’t complain about how things went there I always prefer to race in the dry. After this weekend we have three weeks of holidays so we have to try and go away with a sweet taste in our mouths.” His team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) said, “I lost a good chance to win at Donington so I want to make up for that with a good race in Germany. Last year I finished fourth but I was only a few tenths of a second off the podium. Let’s see if I adapt as quickly as possible to the track this year and get a good position on the grid. In Germany it’s important to get a good start and stay at the front because the first turn is very tight and it’s always dangerous to be part of a big group there.” Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who qualified on pole last weekend, is ready for another attempt at winning his first 250cc Grand Prix. “It’s not one of my favourite tracks,” said the Spaniard. “But we just need some dry weather. The bike is going really well and my aim is to win here.” Swiss star Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) Will be seeking to gain an advantage in the increasingly tight 125cc World Championship. Luthi makes no secret of his preference for faster tracks, but knows he has to perform well here. “The Sachsenring is a tight track with many elevations,” he said. “But I much prefer fast circuits with fast corners. I’ve only raced here three times and haven’t had a good result. But this time I hope to do a lot better. The bike is working really well so I’ll be in better shape to take a good result. We shall have to wait and see.” Alvaro Bautista (Seedorf RC3 Racing Honda RS125RW) is aiming to make up for a disappointing Donington Park, and said, “I feel good and the bike is very strong at the moment. This is the perfect chance to get a good result as long as the weather turns out okay.”

Round 10: Sachsenring, Germany Track length: 3671 m Opened: 1966 Fastest Lap Ever: 1:24.056 (Alex Barros, 2004) MotoGP lap record: 1:24.056 (Alex Barros, 2004) Last year MotoGP winner: Max Biaggi 2004 MotoGP Race Summary Yamaha Factory rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi entered the 2004 German Grand Prix, held at the Sachsenring with high expectations since the tight and twisty circuit has traditionally suited the nimble Yamaha. But after a determined fourth place in what was a dramatic and changeable race it was Max Biaggi (Honda) who mounted the podium as winner. Rossi’s fourth place came after an incident-filled race, and his team-mate Carlos Checa was one of many riders who did not make the finish. The Spaniard tumbled out on lap five, shortly after passing a string of riders. Rossi encountered his own challenges in the final laps, running wide on two corners and experiencing a violent weave as he tipped into the fast left hand curve at the top of the hill, losing places on each occasion after the rear tyre began to fade. Rossi chased the eventual race winner Max Biaggi in the early laps, sitting second and harrying his fellow Italian throughout. Sete Gibernau (Honda) closed in on the pairing until he fell from third place on lap eight, allowing fellow Honda riders Nicky Hayden and Alex Barros to move in on the act. Rossi broke Biaggi’s lead on lap 16, 0.7 seconds ahead at one stage, heading the order for a total of six laps. The young Italian’s challenge for maximum points faded, however, when he lost places consecutively to Biaggi, Barros and finally Hayden. Meanwhile massive misfortune visited the Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 team when both riders crashed out on lap 21 of the 30-lap race. Marco Melandri lost control of his YZR-M1 when the rear wheel touched the grass. The bike highsided the young Italian into the air and then Norick Abe hit the stricken machine at nearly 200kmh, crashing spectacularly as a result. Both riders were circulating the 3.671km track in close company as they both tried to get the better of Honda runners Colin Edwards and Makoto Tamada. Marco and Abe were both well into the points places in seventh and eighth when the double disaster unfolded. 2005 Set-up report YZR-M1 The tight and twisty nature of Sachsenring lends itself to close racing. This is partially influenced by its rather short overall length, only just scraping in on the minimum allowed distance to host a MotoGP race, while the looping layout itself has the reputation of making passing moves on fellow competitors difficult even at the best of times. The design of the circuit, with virtually only three pieces of straight tarmac, has seen the MotoGP machines reach their top speeds at the back straight, with two key passing points – the final two left-handers. Like Donington Sachsenring is made up of low and high speed sections. For this reason the Yamaha YZR-M1 will need to offer agility and a degree of stability too – a difficult combination – although agility takes priority. For 2005 this has become a major strength with the re-born YZR-M1 and should provide each of the four Yamaha pilots an advantage. Due to the long radius turns, and the low speeds a smoother power delivery is especially useful at such an undulating circuit as much of the driving is done off the left side of the tyre. All of this with little camber on offer. To help the YZR-M1 in this regard Yamaha will opt for a more linear characteristic from the rear suspension linkage – to suit the needs of the circuit and the flatter torque characteristics likely to be used by the inline-four. Such a linkage ratio will offer a plusher movement through the first stage of the stroke before gradually increasing in intensity. It will not only improve traction off the turns, allowing the rider to get on the power harder and earlier than before, the new linkage should also reduce the effects of the M1’s front wheel pawing for the clouds. This is often an issue for the 240 plus horsepower 145kg machines. This will be supported with a rear shock set-up that sports a setting a little more on the softer side; offering more feel while working the rear tyre less over the bumpy surface. It is necessary, however, to ensure the swingarm motion is predictable, as these setting, combined with the undulating layout and lack of grip, can lead to instability. To prevent this from becoming an issue the shock’s damping will be dialed in to compensate, while the front forks will be set to provide the best all-round balance. This is possible with the limited amount of hard braking that takes place at the Sachsenring.