Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
MotoGP Race Results:
1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 28 laps, 46:34.911
2. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -5.111 seconds
3. Alex BARROS, Honda, -8.157 seconds
4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -8.312 seconds
5. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, -17.966 seconds
6. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -18.631 seconds
7. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -23.670 seconds
8. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -25.126 seconds
9. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -25.611 seconds
10. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -26.727 seconds
11. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -44.704 seconds
12. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -50.511 seconds
13. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -54.372 seconds
14. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -59.518 seconds
15. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -92.853 seconds
16. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, -1 lap
17. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -10 laps, DNF, mechanical
18. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -12 laps, DNF, mechanical
19. Michel FABRIZIO, Aprilia, -17 laps, DNF, mechanical
20. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -21 laps, DNF, crash
21. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -28 laps, DNF, crash
MotoGP World Championship Standings (After 11 of 16 rounds):
1. ROSSI, 209 points
2. GIBERNAU, 180 points
3. BIAGGI, 158 points
4. EDWARDS, 111 points
5. BARROS, 102 points
6. CHECA, 93 points
7. TAMADA, 89 points
8. CAPIROSSI, 84 points
9. Nicky HAYDEN, 83 points
10. MELANDRI, 64 points
11. ABE, 55 points
12. XAUS, 46 points
13. NAKANO, 46 points
14. BAYLISS, 42 points
15. Kenny ROBERTS, 37 points
16. HOPKINS, 32 points
17. HOFMANN, 30 points
18. HODGSON, 29 points
19. McWILLIAMS, 16 points
20. Shane BYRNE, 15 points
21. TIE, FABRIZIO/AOKI, 8 points
23. Andrew PITT, 2 points
24. Kurtis ROBERTS, 1 point
More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:
HOPKINS SCORES CAREER BEST IN PORTUGAL
ESTORIL, Portugal (Sept. 5, 2004) – The development of John Hopkins into a top-level MotoGP rider reached an all-time high on Sunday when the young Suzuki ace scored his career-best finish, taking sixth in the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril. The solid result follows on the heels of Hopkins earning the top qualifying spot in his two-and-a-half years in MotoGP.
While the 21-year-old Californian was pleased with his finish, he was not totally satisfied.
“It’s my best GP result so I am happy for that,” Hopkins said. “We had a small problem that prevented me from doing better. I felt chatter all race that we didn’t have any other time this weekend. After the race it was discovered that the rear tire had slipped on the rim and caused vibration. It was a distraction, but I wasn’t going to let it hold me back. I just ignored it as best I could and everything came out O.K.”
Hopkins got a good jump off the line, but was out-motored before the pack got into the first turn.
“At a lot of tracks I’m able to overcome the lack of horsepower, but it was tough this weekend. We had the second slowest motorcycle in the field here so that’s something Suzuki needs to address. The handling of the bike is awesome. If Suzuki can give us a little more power we’ll be right where we need to be.”
Hopkins and fellow American Colin Edwards came together early in the race. “We had a bit of a mix up,” Hopkins explained. “That allowed the leaders to gap us.
“I chased down [Carlos] Checa and actually made a pass on him at the end of the back straight, but I wasn’t able to hold my line and he quickly got back by me.”
In the end Hopkins followed Checa to the finish, 18.6 seconds behind winner Valentino Rossi. Hopkins was the top American finisher. Fellow American Colin Edwards was ninth and Suzuki teammate Kenny Roberts was 14th.
“It was a great weekend,” concluded Hopkins on Estoril. “I’m happy for the team that they are finally getting to see results for all their hard work. We are definitely getting in a position to score even better in the upcoming races.”
The Portugal finish moved Hopkins up from 18th to 16th in the world standings. In addition, he eclipsed his world championship point total of last season with five rounds yet left on the schedule.
Hopkins remains unwavering on his goal of a podium finish this season.
“I’ve got the package to get on the podium,” Hopkins asserted. “I’m pleased with the direction we’re going but I won’t look at this year a success until I meet a few more of my goals.”
Hopkins’ manager Douglas Gonda was delighted with the Estoril result. “This is just further indication of what John can do given the proper equipment. He can consistently run up front and at just 21 he’s proving that he has a bright future in this sport.”
The world championship next moves to Motegi, Japan on September 19.
More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:
Rossi run away winner in Estoril
Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi put on a show of supremacy today, storming clear to win the Portuguese Grand Prix by more than five seconds from Honda rider Makoto Tamada. Fellow Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Carlos Checa also rode a strong race and made up five places on his starting grid position, finishing in fifth.
Starting from second in perfect sunshine, Rossi was behind Loris Capirossi at turn two but shortly after passed the Ducati rider and took the lead. He was unchallenged for the rest of the 28-lap race and crossed the finish line 46 minutes later, taking his sixth victory in his debut season with Yamaha and the 65th of his Grand Prix career. Checa spent the early part of the race engaged in a battle for fifth with fellow Yamaha rider Marco Melandri, before the Italian fell on lap seven, leaving Checa to hold onto fifth place ahead of John Hopkins (Suzuki).
Rossi now leads the Championship standings by 29 points ahead of Honda’s Sete Gibernau, whilst Checa has moved up the ranks one place into sixth. The MotoGP paddock now packs up to embark on the annual four-race ‘flyaway’ series before returning to Spain to round off the season. Rossi, Checa and the Factory team will stay on at the Estoril circuit tomorrow to continue their test programme before leaving for the next round in Japan.
Valentino Rossi (1st)
“This was a super important race for us. It didn’t rain last night so the bike had more grip today and my team worked so hard this morning on the bike to improve the set up. My start was not great but I managed to stay first for the first few laps and the tyres held out really well, so I was able to push through right to the end in the lead. I really wanted to push a lot from the beginning because I knew that if someone else was close at the end it would be really hard, because everyone’s tyres would be moving around a lot. The bike was great today so thanks to Yamaha and everyone in the team for all the hard work.”
Carlos Checa(5th)
“I am satisfied with the race result because I started from tenth on the grid and I’ve improved a place in the Championship. After a few laps I felt the tyre go down a bit so I am pleased that I could hold onto my position. However I can’t accept the difference between Valentino and I; I know he’s the best rider but I feel that I must improve and close the gap between us. We need to analyze my performance today and I am going to push myself and my team to improve for the last five races.”
Davide Brivio, Team Director
“Valentino made a great race, always alone, and that shows how strong he was today. It’s of course a very important result for the championship, as we have created a bigger gap from our competitors. Hopefully we will be able to manage like this in the next race as well in Motegi if we face any difficulties there. Yamaha and the team worked very hard here, and this result gives us even more of a boost for the final races. Carlos, despite the trouble he had in warm up this morning, did a good race. We will work with him to improve, he can do better. We won’t stop working now, we’re staying here to test some new parts and we will try to be as prepared as possible for Motegi where we know it won’t be easy.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:
Nakano and Hofmann in the points for Fuchs Kawasaki
Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano showed his true fighting spirit, with an impressive ride from the back of the grid to finish a creditable eleventh in today’s hot and gruelling Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.
And team-mate Alex Hofmann delivered a double-points finish for Kawasaki, by charging home in 13th place aboard his Ninja ZX-RR.
Because of a leaking oil seal Nakano had to switch to his spare Ninja ZX-RR race bike just before the start, forcing the Japanese ace to line-up in last place on the 21 rider grid.
Nakano made a lightning start and rode brilliantly to make up six places on lap one.
Settling into a consistent rhythm, Nakano was determined to improve his points scoring position from 15th place in a tight pack of riders over the next 27 laps.
After a long battle chasing Ducati, Aprilia and Suzuki rivals, Nakano passed Jeremy McWilliams on lap 17, and then four laps later he secured 11th place by overtaking Suzuki rival Kenny Roberts.
From 17th on the grid Hofmann was boxed in by heavy traffic through turns one and two, and he rode a frustrating race as he tried to find a consistent pace after an unsettling start.
After two days of set-up problems at Estoril, Hofmann was not comfortable with the balance of his ZX-RR over the race distance until the final stages, when he was able to match Nakano’s race pace.
Three laps from the finish Hofmann also charged ahead of Roberts to claim thirteenth position at the flag.
Today’s race was watched by a crowd of more than 45,000 people.
Shinya Nakano: 11th
“I am obviously disappointed with the result today. I really don’t like racing this far from the front of the field; it’s very frustrating. Because of the problem on the warm up lap I had to start on my spare bike at the back of the grid, which is never easy. My times were pretty consistent throughout the race, but starting so far back meant a better result just wasn’t possible today. Tomorrow we test here at Estoril and my main focus now is not on today’s result, but on finding a good set-up for my home Grand Prix at Motegi.”
Alex Hofmann: 13th
“Right from the start I didn’t feel comfortable at all, and I couldn’t find a good rhythm on the bike. I was forcing myself to get on the pace, but this is not an enjoyable way to go fast and, as a result, I found the first part of the race really tough. I had the best set-up we could find after all our problems in practice but, for sure, a weak point for me today was a lack of consistent race times. Late in the race I did some good times, but I want to do much better than this in the remaining races of the season.”
Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Shinya’s race bike had a leaking oil seal and, for safety’s sake, the decision was made to switch to his spare machine. In these difficult circumstances Shinya did an excellent job today. At the end of the race Alex managed to improve his lap times to the point where he was as fast as Shinya, but while he definitely has the potential to score more points, he needs to work on his consistency. Both riders finished in the points today, but clearly we still need to improve things in the engine department if we are to make the next step.”
More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:
McWilliams 12th as Fabrizio retires in Estoril
MS Aprilia Racing’s Jeremy McWilliams equalled his best result of the 2004 MotoGP world championship after a typically hard-riding display at the Estoril circuit in Portugal.
The British rider finished in 12th position despite a problematic 28-lap race on the RS3 Cube machine. McWilliams was dogged by a persistent chatter problem in the tight and twisty sections of the 4.1km circuit, which blunted his charge to close in on Shinya Nakano in the final laps of an exhaustive race.
McWilliams made a superb start from 16th position on the grid and he made up four places on the opening lap having overtaken Neil Hodgson, Nakano and Norick Abe. He’d only lost one place by lap 19 after he’d survived a scare at the first corner with compatriot Hodgson at turn on lap 17. The pair almost collided, and ultimately the near miss cost McWilliams the chance to claim 11th as the time he lost gave Nakano the opportunity to break clear. McWilliams said: “We had some chatter problems which made the last section hard to ride. Two or three times coming through the last corner I’d have to lift, because it was really bad when the bike was fully leaned over. I thought I could catch Nakano but when I touched Neil I lost about three seconds. I could close the gap on Nakano but then lose everything going through the final turn. I’m not sure what caused the chatter but it was something that I couldn’t ride around.”
Michel Fabrizio had a disappointing and painful end to his one-off ride. With Shane Byrne expected to be fit for the Twin Ring Motegi GP later this month, Fabrizio was hoping to claim a top 15 finish on his first race on board the Cube. But the promising 19-year-old was forced to retire after 11 laps. He’d suffered a severe impact to his arms early in the race after a first lap wheelie sent his Cube into a violent weave. He said: “I’m very disappointed. On the first lap I had a big wheelie accelerating hard and when the bike came down, the handlebars went into a violent shake. It was a big shock on my arms and wrists and after a few laps I was struggling to hold on. This is not how I wanted to finish my first ride for Aprilia. I have to say a big thanks to Aprilia and the team for this great opportunity, and hopefully it won’t be my last. I have learned a lot and enjoyed the experience, if not the result.”
Fabrizio was taken for precautionary checks in the circuit’s medical centre, but doctors confirmed he’d not suffered any serious injury.
More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:
Makoto Tamada second in Estoril.
Max out on lap one
Makoto Tamada made it onto the second step of the podium with his yellow Camel Honda RC211V. It capped a weekend which saw him take his first MotoGP pole yesterday and then of course a thrilling second place today. Contrasting fortunes for Max Biaggi today, who went out on lap one after he came into contact with a rival. A weekend without points which sees him now 51 points off the top of the championship standings.
Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“A very unfortunate race for Max and for the title challenge. Max had the necessary pace to fight for victory and his chances ended on the first lap, as well as making his title chances that bit slimmer, which is the main disappointment today. In any case, the team can celebrate a great second place for Makoto Tamada who rode a superb race. Now we must focus on the next race, to take the championship fight even further and recover some of those lost points.”
Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – Not finished first lap
” It was an involuntary accident which came about from a misunderstanding with Capirossi. He probably had a lot to do on the first lap, he was ahead of everyone from the first bend on the track. He was ahead and detached from the rest and he went very wide, going well outside the normal line on that turn. I was right behind and with Loris going wide, as well as slowly, I held my line as he closed the throttle suddenly. Trying not to crash into him I jammed on the brakes so hard that my rear tyre left the ground. We made contact then and I crashed. It’s a shame, today I was in the right shape to do a good race. I don’t want to think about the championship at the moment, but it’s obvious the situation is very difficult now. There are still five races left however and we will wait to see what happens.”
Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“We’re delighted with Makoto’s race, we even began to think that he was going to catch up the race leader. The tyres have really made a step forward and the bike’s set-up was really good. We’re reaching that consistency which helps you go that extra mile: the extra three or four seconds on the race time which means you can compete with the leaders throughout. Now we go to a really important race for our Japanese rider; Motegi, and we want to back up the positive steps we have made in this race.”
Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 2nd – 46’40.022
“We were able to get the bike set up well and to eliminate the serious chattering that we got in the practices. It was a good start and the first part of the race I tried to contain the gap Valentino was pulling out. In the middle part of the race I made up some time and closed in on Rossi but he was going strong and got the race under control. I didn’t quite have that edge to make a final attack, but it was a good race anyway, great to start from the front and to be able to decide what movements to make. Motegi is up next, an important race because it’s my home. The place I most want to win.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Ducati Marlboro Men prove their mettle
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss enjoyed inspired rides in today’s Marlboro Portuguese Grand Prix, both charging through the field to finish seventh and eighth after difficult starts from the fourth and fifth rows of the grid. Incredibly Capirossi got the holeshot into turn one, using the awesome horsepower of his Desmosedici GP4 to storm past ten bikes in just a few hundred metres, only to get taken out by a rival before lap one was over. He restarted from last but one to take seventh. Bayliss also shone, running tenth during the first laps, then getting the better of two former World Champions to take eighth.
“That was a very exciting race for us to watch,” said Marlboro Ducati Team directior Livio Suppo. “Loris made an unbelievable start, only for Max (Biaggi) to knock him down, but that’s racing. The collision and his return to the track cost Loris a lot of time, but once he got going again he was simply incredible. Of course, it’s a pity that he lost so many places in the incident but his comeback showed his spirit as a rider, as well as the improving performance of our bike. Troy also rode a great race, he was faster than he’d been in both qualifying and warm-up, so he put in a great effort today. The weekend could have been better but after the race I think we can look at it in a positive way.”
Capirossi makes superb recovery after collision
Loris Capirossi may not have made the podium in his 100th premier-class race at cool, blustery Estoril this afternoon, but he did show his incredible determination to overcome. Taking the holeshot from the fourth row of the grid was a remarkable achievement, allowing the Ducati Marlboro Team rider to lead until Max Biaggi rammed him from behind going into the chicane for the first time. Biaggi fell while Capirossi took to the dirt, losing six seconds. He regained the tarmac in 19th place, then embarked on a dazzling recovery to seventh, often lapping within a fraction of a second of the leaders.
“I started great, then took some big risks to get into turn one first,” he said. “It was a pity that Max tried to pass me so soon – he could have waited for a better place to attack. Once I had regained the track I started my comeback, passing a lot of riders, but the leaders were too far ahead, so I just made sure I maintained my position. My pace was close to the leaders’ which proves we are improving the bike, though we still have work to do.”
Bayliss rides tough race to take strong eight
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss scored a hard-fought eighth-place finish today, a well-earned improvement on his fifth-row start. The hard-riding Aussie completed the first lap in tenth spot and once he’d got settled in he began moving forward in impressive style, passing former 500 World Champion Kenny Roberts Junior on lap eight and his former World Superbike rival Colin Edwards, himself another former world champ, the very next lap. With ten laps to go Capirossi passed Bayliss and the two were pretty much together from then on, Bayliss finishing 1.5 seconds down on his team-mate.
“It was nice to pass a few good guys,” said the former World Superbike champion. “Once I got going the race wasn’t too bad. The engine cut out for a second on the third lap, though I didn’t lose any places. Loris did a great job. After half-distance we ran together for a while. He seemed to have chosen a slightly better rear, so I was losing a bit on him through the final split – the last left and the last right. Towards the end I was just hanging on, so then I thought I should just keep it together because I wasn’t in a bad position, so I didn’t want to blow it.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:
Rossi wins with Tamada in a strong second place
A crowd of 45,000 watched Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) ride to victory with Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres finishing second with Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) third. The threatened thunderstorms never happened, but nor did the challenges expected from Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) and Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V). Sete was fourth and Max crashed out on the first lap.
Tamada made the most of his maiden pole position to fire his RC211V off the line in lightning fashion. But he didn’t make turn one in front of the pack. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) beat him into the right-hander with Max and Rossi right up with them.
As the close-quarter combat began with riders fighting desperately to stay in touch with the front-runners, it was Max who became the early casualty. He tangled with Capirossi at the uphill chicane and went down. Despite desperate efforts to pick up his machine and restart it, his Portuguese Grand Prix was over.
Rossi now led the pack with Tamada tucked in behind and Barros in fourth behind Marco Melandri (Yamaha). Melandri would eventually crash spectacularly at turn seven on lap eight while holding fifth. But Barros was up to third by lap two.
Both Tamada and Barros had little trouble holding their places for most of the race, although Gibernau’s attack on third place in the last two laps came closest to depriving Barros of his podium finish. But none of them could make any impression on leader Rossi.
Just after mid-race distance it looked like Tamada was reeling in Rossi. He’d reduced the gap to 2.4 seconds by lap 19 and the Japanese charger had taken half a second out of Rossi’s advantage on the previous lap. But by the closing stages it was back up to 4 seconds and was eventually 5.1 seconds at the flag.
There was frantic action for third place between Barros and Gibernau on the final lap. Sete had been struggling in the first section of the track and had made no real impression on Barros until lap 28 when he hung onto him and tried to ride round the outside of the Brazilian on the final turn.
Barros rode defensively and used all the track on the exit to squeeze Sete wide. Sete would not back off and he hit the dirt when he ran out kerb, kicking up a cloud of dust and popping a violent wheelie when his rear tyre bit on tarmac again. It was a typically brave move – but in vain.
Tamada was typically forthright in his assessment of the race. “The race was controlled by Valentino,” he said. “I tried really hard to catch him but he was simply faster and hard to chase. I had some problems with chatter but overall our tyre development is very good.”
Max was seething. “What can I say? What’s the point of talking to Capirossi. Three years ago he did the same thing to me on the last lap at Mugello and took out my front wheel. Did he want to do one lap or 28 laps? This is bad for me, but I still can’t say whether the World Championship is over for me or not.”
Alex Barros said, “I’m tired but happy. I tried to follow Valentino and Makoto but it was impossible. My tyres went off a little and I tried to keep my rhythm because I knew Sete was close. That was a very physically and mentally punishing race and this result is important after some of our recent results.”
Sete was never fully dialled-in here and admitted as much. “I had problems with settings since Friday especially in the first section of the track. We just couldn’t find a fix. I was losing seven tenths of a second in those first two turns and that was too much.”
Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) finished ninth and said, “Chatter, chatter, chatter. I couldn’t push and my lap times were all the same – worse than ever. I went for a soft tyre to help cure the problem but it didn’t work and the bumps here just made everything worse.”
Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) did not race after breaking his right collarbone last weekend in a training crash. He will ride at Motegi in two weeks time.
The World Championship points table now looks like this: Rossi 209 points, Gibernau 180, Biaggi 158, Edwards 111.
Honda Team Quotes:
MotoGP:
Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres), 2nd: “We were able to get the bike set up well and to eliminate the serious chattering that we got in the practices. It was a good start and the first part of the race I tried to contain the gap Valentino was pulling out. In the middle part of the race I made up some time and closed in on Rossi but he was going strong and got the race under control. I didn’t quite have that edge to make a final attack, but it was a good race anyway, great to start from the front and to be able to decide what movements to make. Motegi is up next, an important race because it’s my home. The place I most want to win.”
Gianluca Montiron, Camel Honda, (Makoto Tamada Team Manager): “We’re delighted with Makoto’s race, we even began to think that he was going to catch up the race leader. The tyres have really made a step forward and the bike’s set-up was really good. We’re reaching that consistency which helps you go that extra mile: the extra three or four seconds on the race time which means you can compete with the leaders throughout. Now we go to a really important race for our Japanese rider; Motegi, and we want to back up the positive steps we have made in this race.”
Alex Barros, Repsol Honda Team, 3rd: “I am so tired but very very happy. That was a very hard race from the start to finish. At the start I tried to follow Valentino and Tamada but it was impossible. My tyres go off a little and I tried to keep my rhythm. I knew Sete was very close. I didn’t need a pit board to tell this – I could hear him. I tried to reduce the pace in the middle of the race to conserve my tyres for the end. I defended my position and took the tight line wherever possible. It was a very physical and mental race but a race that was very important after some of the recent results. We need to build on this performance in preparation for the rest of the season. My team have worked very hard this weekend and I am very happy to be able to give them and my sponsors something to smile about!”
Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda 4th: “We got what we deserved today because we’ve had a bad weekend in general and we’ve paid for it in the race. I made too many mistakes in qualifying, we changed the bike again for the race and we didn’t get it right. These things happen when everything is nort perfectly in its place and we have to learn from it.”
Colin Edwards, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 9th: “The chattering was my biggest problem once again. It was worse than ever today and if you look at the lap times it was the same all the way through because I couldn’t push any harder. We chose a slightly softer tyre than Brno because there are more bumps here but even so I couldn’t do any more.”
Fausto Gresini, team manager: “Sete gave his best but the setting wasn’t right for the race and his level is better than fourth. The whole weekend was tough and we lost precious time in the wet session. The important thing is that we are not beaten yet, even though the gap is increased. We will keep focused and fight for the championship until the end.”
Max Biaggi, Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres), Not finished first lap: “Obviously I’m disillusioned with today’s events, even though I know it’s all part of racing. It was an involuntary accident which came about from a misunderstanding with Capirossi. He probably had a lot to do on the first lap, he was ahead of everyone from the first bend on the track. He was ahead and detached from the rest and he went very wide, going well outside the normal line on that turn. I was right behind and with Loris going wide, as well as slowly, I held my line as he closed the throttle suddenly. Trying not to crash into him I jammed on the brakes so hard that my rear tyre left the ground. We made contact then and I crashed. It’s a shame, today I was in the right shape to do a good race. I don’t want to think about the championship at the moment, but it’s obvious the situation is very difficult now. There are still five races left however and we will wait to see what happens.”
Sito Pons, Camel Honda (Team Principal): “A very unfortunate race for Max and for the title challenge. Max had the necessary pace to fight for victory and his chances ended on the first lap, as well as making his title chances that bit slimmer, which is the main disappointment today. In any case, the team can celebrate a great second place for Makoto Tamada who rode a superb race. Now we must focus on the next race, to take the championship fight even further and recover some of those lost points.”
Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda, dns: Nicky Hayden did not start the race due to a broken collar bone sustained in his race crash at Brno.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:
Hopkins takes best position yet for Suzuki
Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins claimed his best ever GP finish and Suzuki’s best of the year so far, when he stormed to sixth place in today’s Portuguese GP in front of crowd of more than 40,000.
His finishing position matched his qualifying place, after a weekend that again demonstrated the growing strength of the 990cc Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP prototype, and had the team breaking out the champagne in the pit afterwards.
Hopkins rode hard throughout the race after finishing the first lap sixth, only to be displaced next time round by Carlos Checa. The 21-year-old Anglo American held his place, shadowing the experienced Spanish rider while at the same time making sure he kept a safe gap ahead of the pursuit, led at the finish by Loris Capirossi, like Checa a GP winner in the premier class.
Hopkins was timing his attack for later in the race, when he was sure his Bridgestone tyres would give him some advantage. He did get ahead of Checa on the final lap, but Checa’s machine had more top speed, and he was ahead again by less than two tenths of the second as they crossed the line on the 28th and final lap of the 4.182km Estoril circuit, outside the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
Team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr. had a disappointing afternoon, finishing the race a distant 14th after dropping back from a strong start, in company with H
