From a press release issued by Honda:
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
MotoGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2002
GERMAN GRAND PRIX, SACHSENRING
Race Day, Sunday July 21
ROSSI MAKES IT EIGHT WINS
Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team RC211V) took the eighth MotoGP win of his amazing 2002 season in unusual circumstances, after 30-laps of intense action at the Sachsenring. Starting from a second row grid position Rossi worked his way to the race lead with 11 laps to go, only to lose two places on lap 24, as the early pace-setters Alex Barros (West Honda Pons NSR500) and Olivier Jacque (Yamaha) blew past him in close company.
A turn one incident on lap 28, during which an ambitious overtake from Barros saw him lose the front under braking, caused both riders to crash out of contention. The stalking Rossi capitalised on the situation, easing away to a narrow but safe 0.730 second win over Max Biaggi (Yamaha) and Tohru Ukawa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V).
Rossi, who extended his championship lead once more, knew he was fortunate to have an unfettered run to the flag, even if he recognised that he still had work to do to stay clear of the chasing duo. “A few laps from the end I saw Barros brake too deep, try to stop, but it was impossible,” said eyewitness Rossi. “Jacque was unlucky, but the race was not finished because I had Biaggi and Ukawa behind. It was difficult for me to concentrate 100% on those last few laps, but we won and I am very happy about that. The win was good for me and the race was good for the show.”
Further proof of his current dominance in the class came from his new lap record of 1:26.226, which he set on the second last lap. Rossi now enjoys 96-point advantage over his closest rival Ukawa, 220 to 124.
Ukawa had an outstanding race considering the foot and coccyx injuries he picked up at the previous Donington round. The gritty Japanese rider led the race for six laps and eventually scored his sixth podium finish of the year; more than anyone could have realistically expected in such a close race. “Today was an especially hard race for me,” said a clearly suffering Ukawa. “I was experiencing so much pain it was difficult to keep my position. I tried so hard during the race, however, and it was great to get a podium.”
With Barros out and some of the regular NSR riders failing to finish, the top Honda two-stroke was ridden to tenth place by substitute rider Alex Hofmann (West Honda Pons NSR500). A top ten result was a great reward for not only local rider Hofmann, but also the 78,000 fans that packed out the Sachsenring on raceday. “I was a little lucky missing all the crashes because at the beginning it was chaos,” said Hoffman. “I was also unlucky, because I lost out on some places at that time. I passed many riders later in the race and I feel that I have learned a lot and gained a good feel for the bike and the tyres. Unfortunately I have to give the bike back to Loris Capirossi now!”
Hofmann’s now former team-mate Barros was particularly disappointed not to finish a race he thought he had a genuine chance of winning. “I was having a great race and I think I could have won, especially when Rossi made an error and both Jacque and I passed him,” said Barros. “Jacque was overtaking me every time on the main straight because my bike was not fast enough. I could not wait until the end of the race to overtake him and I made a mistake in calculation. It was my mistake and I feel sorry for him.”
Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Kanemoto Racing Honda NSR500) had a frustrating day, unable to lap at a pace he was happy with, although due to the high attrition rate ahead of him, he took an unexpected 12th place. “I was putting in low 1:28 second laps all race but couldn’t get under that time,” said a disappointed van den Goorbergh. “I pushed almost to the end however, until Regis Laconi eliminated himself three laps from the finish. I cruised in after that. I was hoping to score a point, but because of all the crashes I actually scored four. But I’m not that happy with the result.”
A three-rider melee put Daijiro Kato (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR500) out of the race on lap 11, when he, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and Sete Gibernau (Suzuki) were involved in a peculiar incident, with all three riders in the dirt and unable to restart. “I think it was Gibernau’s bike that hit me,” opined Katoh. “I think he slid off first but sincerely I saw nothing. It was a pity for my race to finish in this way, because I wanted to leave my NSR with a good result. But from the next race I am thinking only about my new RC211V.”
Tetsuya Harada (Pramac Honda NSR500) retired from the race on lap 14, with a worn rear tyre.
Robby Rolfo (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250) was deprived of a possible win after the scheduled 29-lap race was terminated early, due to a light fall of rain.
Rolfo was leading his fellow Italian Marco Melandri (Aprilia) for much of the race, but Melandri had taken the lead before he crashed out on lap 23, just as the gentle shower started to affect the track conditions. The incident warranted a red flag to call a halt to proceedings, and with the race counted back to the 22nd lap, Melandri was awarded the win by the margin of 0.181 seconds.
Disappointed with his misfortune, Rolfo was philosophical about his fate. “The weather decided the race because it could have been a spectacular battle between me and Marco until the end,” stated Rolfo. “I started very fast and my bike was really good today. When Marco passed me I saw some rain on the screen and after a few minutes the rain washed across the track and he crashed. Anyway, the race direction made a good decision to stop the race.”
Rolfo sits third in the championship with 127 points, behind Melandri on 170 and Fonsi Nieto (Aprilia) on 145.
Emilio Alzamora (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250) crashed out of the race on lap seven, one of many fallers in a race littered with incident. Only 19 machines made it to the finish.
Alzamora was subdued after experiencing misfortune again. “I was behind Ralf Waldmann, fighting with him, but after I passed him I crashed.” He continued: “Now we have a holiday, I hope to arrive in Brno in good shape, to be lucky and have a good race.”
Haruchika Aoki (Arie Molenaar Racing Honda RS250R/W) had a heavy crash on lap 16, ending his chances of a top ten finish. Although prostrate at the trackside for some time, he was not seriously hurt.
The top private Honda was ridden by Leon Haslam (By Queroseno Racing Honda RS250R/W) who took 13th place, one ahead of his team-mate Jason Vincent.
Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R) proved to be the top Honda finisher in a tough 27-lap 125 race. Circulating in a potential podium position before half distance, he slipped back through the field to finish seventh. “I think this has been the most complicated weekend of my sporting career,” said Pedrosa. “Both the team and myself have worked to the maximum to try and resolve my suspension problems but we couldn’t do it. My bike was quick, but in the left-hand turns which are almost all of them I was sliding constantly. There are races in which you fight for victory, and races where you have to fight just to finish. Today was one of those.”
A sterling effort by Mika Kallio (Red Devil Honda RS125R) delivered him a ninth place at this tight and demanding circuit, enhancing the flying Finn’s growing reputation.
Joan Olive (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R) finished his race just outside the top ten, his 11th place netting him five championship points. “The machine was sliding but we already knew we had to race in this condition. All we could do was fight and get the most possible points,” said Olive in summation.
Vincent’s win promoted him to second in the championship, at the expense of Pedrosa, with the top three order now Poggiali on 160, Vincent 153 and Pedrosa 140.
A long summer break beckons for all MotoGP classes, with Round 10 scheduled for Brno, in the Czech Republic, on August 25.
HONDA TEAM QUOTES:
Valentino Rossi: Repsol Honda Team: 1st:
“That win was good for me and the race was good for the show. I got a bad start and a bad first lap where I lost a position. There are some places on the track where the 4-stroke is quicker and I managed to get to the front. I try to push to get away but I make a mistake and lose places to Jacque and Barros. I then see Barros brake too late for the corner and for me it is a gift. But the race is not over. Biaggi and Ukawa are very fast and I have to keep full concentration to stay in the position. I now look forward to a holiday.”
Tohru Ukawa, Repsol Honda Team: 3rd:
“That was a very, very hard race for me. After the Donington crash I still hurt a lot. I got a great start here and led for several laps. But I was in a lot of pain and gradually got overtaken by Jacque, Barros, Rossi and Biaggi. It was difficult to keep concentration. Finally I get the podium and I’m very happy. This position from a week ago was only a dream. Much thanks to the medical staff.”
Alex Hofmann, West Honda Pons: 10th:
“I did not get a good start but little by little I started to increase the pace and lower my lap times, overtaking riders like Harada, Ryo and others. The tenth position is incredible for me because it means I have scored good points in my second race with this bike I am very happy for me and for the crowd, who had a very good time here today. However, I am also sad because in the next race I will not continue. The bike performed very well and I would like to thank all the team members for the way they have accepted me into their team for these two races and for the help they have given me.”
Sito Pons:
“It was a spectacular race, as we predicted. We are conscious of the fact that Alex Barros had a chance for victory and it is a real shame because he really thought he could win. I do think, though, that we should congratulate him because he battled away for the whole race, he gave it everything he had, and he never gave up. He demonstrated that he is a very brave rider with a strong will to win. I am sorry for Jacque, who also had a great race, but things like this are all part of racing. Meanwhile, I would like to say that Alex Hofmann has taken another important step forward in finishing tenth in a race where he has lapped very quickly. I congratulate him too because his work was not easy.”
Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Kanemoto Honda, 12th: “As I said yesterday, I could run 1:28s all day. I had a lot of under steer, but as soon as I hit the throttle, I got over steer! I raced at the maximum for 30 laps. If I tried to get into 1:27s, I risked crashing. Sure I could do it for two-three laps but I would crash on the fourth if I tried. It was not worth the risk for an extra point or two. But I’m happy with my riding, and that’s important.”
Erv Kanemoto, team owner manager: “We are a little disappointed with the result today even with the 12th place. Now we go to Mugello for a two-day test where we hope to get a better understanding of where we are right now, and where we need to be. The test will be in a controlled environment and should show us need to know for the second half of the season.”
Alex Barros, West Honda Pons, (crashed): “I was having a great race and I think I could have won, especially when Rossi made an error and both Jacque and I passed him. Olivier was overtaking me on every time on the main straight because my bike was not fast enough, which is a problem we have had all season. There were two overtaking places, but to have a go I needed to take a huge risk because he was always 20 metres in front of me at that point. I could not wait until the end of the race and I made an error in calculation. I turned too sharply into the corner and we hit each other, because we both wanted to win. It was my mistake and I feel sorry for him. It is a shame for the championship and a shame because I have missed a great chance to win a race this season with a two-stroke bike. Now I want to get over this race as soon as possible, take a break with my family, and recharge the batteries ahead of Brno.”
Daijiro Kato, Fortuna Honda Gresini, crashed: “I think that Gibernau’s bike hit mine, he slid off and the bike hit me, but sincerely, I saw nothing. I have a lot of pain from my bruised thigh, but Dr. Costa told me that I wouldn’t have problems with it. During the race my bike was not really handling well with a full fuel tank, the handling improved as the fuel load went down and I was enjoying the race in the top group. It’s a pity that the race finished in this way, I would have liked to leave my NSR500 with a good result, but from the next race I am thinking only about the RC211V four-stroke.”
Fausto Gresini: “I’m sorry for what happened to Kato but this sort of thing can always happen in a race. He couldn’t show his value because of the accident. Luckily he wasn’t injured too much. Everybody is now thinking about their holidays but we will not have too much: the team mechanics must go to Japan to familiarise themselves with the RC211V and Daijiro will go to Suzuka for the ‘8 Hours.’ The next appointment is in Brno, where we will show our desire to do well.”
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