Bautista tests Gresini Honda RC212V
Bautista is aboard the ex-Hiro Aoyama RC212V 800cc bike
Just hours after leaving the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team, Alvaro Bautista is now lapping Valencia aboard the ex-Hiro Aoyama Gresini Honda RC212V and has just done a 1'33.8s lap. The Spaniard will replace Marco Simoncelli in the team but it is doubtful he will have the same HRC backing as the late Italian.
Team boss Fausto Gresini said: "I’m particularly satisfied that Álvaro Bautista will ride a Honda RC213V in the San Carlo Honda Gresini team colours next year. He is a very fast rider and I hold him in high regard for his personality and pleasant nature too. I am sure he will integrate into our group swiftly and that we will enjoy some notable experiences together in the future.”
Just hours after leaving the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team, Alvaro Bautista is now lapping Valencia aboard the ex-Hiro Aoyama Gresini Honda RC212V and has just done a 1'33.8s lap. The Spaniard will replace Marco Simoncelli in the team but it is doubtful he will have the same HRC backing as the late Italian.
Team boss Fausto Gresini said: "I’m particularly satisfied that Álvaro Bautista will ride a Honda RC213V in the San Carlo Honda Gresini team colours next year. He is a very fast rider and I hold him in high regard for his personality and pleasant nature too. I am sure he will integrate into our group swiftly and that we will enjoy some notable experiences together in the future.”
Bautista leaves Suzuki and looks set for Gresini Honda berth
Bautista will swap to an RC213V for 2012
Spaniard Alvaro Bautista has left the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team and is now odds-on favourite to replace Marco Simoncelli in Fausto Gresini's San Carlo Honda team for MotoGP 2012.
He is expected to test a 800cc RC212V today at Valencia after running out of patience with the Suzuki factory, who have said they will make a decision on their MotoGP plans for next year by Friday evening. It paves the way for Randy de Puniet, who tested successfully yesterday, or John Hopkins to jump on the bike.
"I am very sad to be leaving Suzuki after the two great years that I have had here. It has been a great team to work in and I have learned a lot of things from everyone in the team. It was a fantastic experience working with an English/Japanese team and we have become like a big family, except we have never had any arguments and no-one falls out with each other," said Bautista.
"I want to thank everybody personally for the last two years, sometimes it has been difficult, but nobody ever gave up and I felt like I always had their full support and commitment. I don’t feel like I am leaving a team, but a group of friends that I hope I will know for a long time."
Spaniard Alvaro Bautista has left the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team and is now odds-on favourite to replace Marco Simoncelli in Fausto Gresini's San Carlo Honda team for MotoGP 2012.
He is expected to test a 800cc RC212V today at Valencia after running out of patience with the Suzuki factory, who have said they will make a decision on their MotoGP plans for next year by Friday evening. It paves the way for Randy de Puniet, who tested successfully yesterday, or John Hopkins to jump on the bike.
"I am very sad to be leaving Suzuki after the two great years that I have had here. It has been a great team to work in and I have learned a lot of things from everyone in the team. It was a fantastic experience working with an English/Japanese team and we have become like a big family, except we have never had any arguments and no-one falls out with each other," said Bautista.
"I want to thank everybody personally for the last two years, sometimes it has been difficult, but nobody ever gave up and I felt like I always had their full support and commitment. I don’t feel like I am leaving a team, but a group of friends that I hope I will know for a long time."
'Some big problems remain' says Rossi after GP12 test day
Rossi is happier with the aluminium frame
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi has admitted there is more work to do to fix the front-end grip problems he has suffered with all year but using the new aluminium perimeter frame makes developing solutions much easier and faster to implement.
The nine-time world champion rode an experimental version of the GP12 today at Valencia and said that although there is a more positive feeling with the bike, his corner speed problem, or lack of it, is still there and he also has too much wheelspin under power.
"Today is not so bad in the sense that the feeling with the bike is good, the 1000cc is better to ride compared to the 800cc and the feeling is positive. It is the first time we try this configuration so we need some experience and some more data for understand. Unfortunately some big problem remain so we arrive to one level but we are not able to improve during the afternoon," said The Doctor, speaking to bikesportnews.com this evening.
"Our problem is always in the centre of the corner and I don't have enough grip from the front to carry enough speed. We expect this remain as we think it is another type of problem and there is a different way to fix. Also, we are struggling with acceleration because with this amount of horsepower we wheelspin too much. We have to modify some weight distribution and electronics.
"We expect the problem is not in the material (of the frame). We expect we have to work more on the bike to fix. With this frame and this configuration we can work on the bike a lot better in the sense that for make some modify we need less time and especially with the six-engine rule, if we need to make some more modify we don't have to change the engine so it is more easy to try and make development.
"We have worked on the riding position because I still don't feel comfortable and we modify some things and all is improve but we need to do some other steps. I feel more confident on the bike."
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi has admitted there is more work to do to fix the front-end grip problems he has suffered with all year but using the new aluminium perimeter frame makes developing solutions much easier and faster to implement.
The nine-time world champion rode an experimental version of the GP12 today at Valencia and said that although there is a more positive feeling with the bike, his corner speed problem, or lack of it, is still there and he also has too much wheelspin under power.
"Today is not so bad in the sense that the feeling with the bike is good, the 1000cc is better to ride compared to the 800cc and the feeling is positive. It is the first time we try this configuration so we need some experience and some more data for understand. Unfortunately some big problem remain so we arrive to one level but we are not able to improve during the afternoon," said The Doctor, speaking to bikesportnews.com this evening.
"Our problem is always in the centre of the corner and I don't have enough grip from the front to carry enough speed. We expect this remain as we think it is another type of problem and there is a different way to fix. Also, we are struggling with acceleration because with this amount of horsepower we wheelspin too much. We have to modify some weight distribution and electronics.
"We expect the problem is not in the material (of the frame). We expect we have to work more on the bike to fix. With this frame and this configuration we can work on the bike a lot better in the sense that for make some modify we need less time and especially with the six-engine rule, if we need to make some more modify we don't have to change the engine so it is more easy to try and make development.
"We have worked on the riding position because I still don't feel comfortable and we modify some things and all is improve but we need to do some other steps. I feel more confident on the bike."
Ellison in shock MotoGP return with Bird's CRT squad
Britain's James Ellison will make a shock return to the MotoGP paddock in 2012 after signing to ride for Paul Bird's CRT team in 2012.
The Kendal man will team up with fellow Cumbrian Bird, who is also running a British Superbike outfit next year, to ride an Aprilia RSV4-powered bike but in which chassis it will be placed is yet to be confirmed.
Ellison has experience in MotoGP, riding for the Tech3 Yamaha team in 2006 and was the first rider to switch bikes under then-new flag-to-flag rules. He also rode for the ill-fated WCM team who were lobbed out of the 2005 series for using a production R1 motor in the prototype-only class.
"We want to be as much of an all-British team as we can. James has a lot of experience in developing and setting up bikes and he has been in the MotoGP paddock before in a similar situation so he is ideally-placed to do a great job for us," said Bird, speaking to bikesportnews.com this afternoon.
"There are still a lot of details to get sorted out but everything is looking very rosy. We're highly-optimistic about being able to run at the top of our game and as soon as James has his crew around him, we can plan the test schedule."
De Puniet takes Rizla Suzuki test ride with hour's notice
De Puniet looks a little Doohan-esque in this shot
Former Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet had only an hour's notice to get himself ready to test the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R800 bike at Valencia today and that included peeling old stickers off his leathers!
The Frenchman did 55 laps on Alvaro Bautista's bike and managed to clock the fourth-fastest time of the day. He was only 1.3s slower than quickest man Dani Pedrosa who has 200cc and bike knowledge as an advantage,
“I am very happy with the job I have done today and would like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me this opportunity. One hour before I rode the bike I didn’t know I was going to be on it, so I had to modify old leathers to remove the wrong brands," said de Puniet.
"I had a good day and am very happy with the lap-time and position. The staff are very professional and it has been nice to have this day and to work with them. I was very impressed with the bike and I felt comfortable immediately and enjoyed it a lot. I would like to ride it next year, I’m not the boss, but I hope I did a good job for everybody! I think the bike has good potential and also the feeling with everybody in the team was good and this is the most important thing for me – to feel at home.
“I would like to say thank-you to my manager for pushing so hard to get me this opportunity, to Pramac for allowing me to take it and to Sahara san, Paul, Tom and the GSV-R for such a good day!”
Former Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet had only an hour's notice to get himself ready to test the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R800 bike at Valencia today and that included peeling old stickers off his leathers!
The Frenchman did 55 laps on Alvaro Bautista's bike and managed to clock the fourth-fastest time of the day. He was only 1.3s slower than quickest man Dani Pedrosa who has 200cc and bike knowledge as an advantage,
“I am very happy with the job I have done today and would like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me this opportunity. One hour before I rode the bike I didn’t know I was going to be on it, so I had to modify old leathers to remove the wrong brands," said de Puniet.
"I had a good day and am very happy with the lap-time and position. The staff are very professional and it has been nice to have this day and to work with them. I was very impressed with the bike and I felt comfortable immediately and enjoyed it a lot. I would like to ride it next year, I’m not the boss, but I hope I did a good job for everybody! I think the bike has good potential and also the feeling with everybody in the team was good and this is the most important thing for me – to feel at home.
“I would like to say thank-you to my manager for pushing so hard to get me this opportunity, to Pramac for allowing me to take it and to Sahara san, Paul, Tom and the GSV-R for such a good day!”
Pedrosa fastest on first day of Valencia MotoGP test
Pedrosa in action on the RC213V this morning
Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa left it until the last few minutes to set the fastest time on day one of 1000cc MotoGP testing at Valencia this afternoon, just topping team-mate Casey Stoner by a tenth of a second.
Stoner had led for pretty much the entire day but could do nothing about his team-mate who set a 1'32.186 compared to the new champion's 1'32.322, which he did in the middle of the afternoon. Pedrosa was just a couple of tenths slower than Stoner's pole time from Saturday. Yamaha's Ben Spies was third fastest but nearly a second off the pace.
Randy De Puniet put in a stunning performance on the 800cc Rizla Suzuki to take fourth on the timesheet with a 1'33.544 - just a tenth slower than Alvaro Bautista's time in qualifying. The Frenchman's performance will increase speculation he will sign for the team should it be given the go-ahead to remain in 2012.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow jumped into fifth place with a 1'33.652 later on in the day and his time was more than half a second quicker than he managed on Saturday. It was also quicker than Valentino Rossi on the aluminium-framed GP12 and Crutchlow's own new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, who were both two tenths slower than the Coventry man. Nicky Hayden did not take part as he has broken his right scaphoid and radius bones in the turn-one dominoes that happened on Sunday..
Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa left it until the last few minutes to set the fastest time on day one of 1000cc MotoGP testing at Valencia this afternoon, just topping team-mate Casey Stoner by a tenth of a second.
Stoner had led for pretty much the entire day but could do nothing about his team-mate who set a 1'32.186 compared to the new champion's 1'32.322, which he did in the middle of the afternoon. Pedrosa was just a couple of tenths slower than Stoner's pole time from Saturday. Yamaha's Ben Spies was third fastest but nearly a second off the pace.
Randy De Puniet put in a stunning performance on the 800cc Rizla Suzuki to take fourth on the timesheet with a 1'33.544 - just a tenth slower than Alvaro Bautista's time in qualifying. The Frenchman's performance will increase speculation he will sign for the team should it be given the go-ahead to remain in 2012.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow jumped into fifth place with a 1'33.652 later on in the day and his time was more than half a second quicker than he managed on Saturday. It was also quicker than Valentino Rossi on the aluminium-framed GP12 and Crutchlow's own new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, who were both two tenths slower than the Coventry man. Nicky Hayden did not take part as he has broken his right scaphoid and radius bones in the turn-one dominoes that happened on Sunday..
Valencia MotoGP test day one - conditions dry
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1:32.186 - - 40
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 1:32.322 +0.136 +0.136 42
3 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 1:33.226 +0.904 +1.040 73
4 Randy De Puniet Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.544 +0.318 +1.358 55
5 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech3 1:33.652 +0.108 +1.466 75
6 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 1:33.857 +0.205 +1.671 71
7 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech3 1:33.859 +0.002 +1.673 49
8 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 1:34.174 +0.315 +1.988 57
9 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda MotoGP 1:34.330 +0.156 +2.144 62
10 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 1:34.393 +0.063 +2.207 61
11 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 1:35.371 +0.978 +3.185 29
12 Kousuke Akiyoshi Repsol Honda Team 1:35.728 +0.357 +3.542 34
13 Ivan Silva BQR Inmotec 1:37.159 +1.431 +4.973 44 (CRT)
14 Carmelo Morales TeamLaglisse 1:38.989 +1.830 +6.803 33 (CRT)
15 Gianluca Nannelli Grillini Team 1:39.173 +0.184 +6.987 24 (CRT)
16 Federico Sandi Grillini Team 1:39.827 +0.654 +7.641 9 (CRT)
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 1:32.322 +0.136 +0.136 42
3 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 1:33.226 +0.904 +1.040 73
4 Randy De Puniet Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:33.544 +0.318 +1.358 55
5 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech3 1:33.652 +0.108 +1.466 75
6 Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 1:33.857 +0.205 +1.671 71
7 Andrea Dovizioso Monster Yamaha Tech3 1:33.859 +0.002 +1.673 49
8 Hector Barbera Pramac Racing Team 1:34.174 +0.315 +1.988 57
9 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda MotoGP 1:34.330 +0.156 +2.144 62
10 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 1:34.393 +0.063 +2.207 61
11 Franco Battaini Ducati Team 1:35.371 +0.978 +3.185 29
12 Kousuke Akiyoshi Repsol Honda Team 1:35.728 +0.357 +3.542 34
13 Ivan Silva BQR Inmotec 1:37.159 +1.431 +4.973 44 (CRT)
14 Carmelo Morales TeamLaglisse 1:38.989 +1.830 +6.803 33 (CRT)
15 Gianluca Nannelli Grillini Team 1:39.173 +0.184 +6.987 24 (CRT)
16 Federico Sandi Grillini Team 1:39.827 +0.654 +7.641 9 (CRT)
Rossi rides the aluminium-framed GP12
Rossi giving the new aluminium frame ballyhowhatfor this morning
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi has turned in his first laps on the aluminium-framed Demsosedici GP12 at the Valencia MotoGP test this morning and set a 1'33s lap in his first run. Nicky Hayden will also go out on the same bike and we expect full debriefs from the pair later.
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi has turned in his first laps on the aluminium-framed Demsosedici GP12 at the Valencia MotoGP test this morning and set a 1'33s lap in his first run. Nicky Hayden will also go out on the same bike and we expect full debriefs from the pair later.
Broken scaphoid rules Hayden out of GP12 test
Marlboro Ducati's Nicky Hayden has been forced to withdraw from testing the 2012 1000cc GP12 at Valencia today after scans showed he has broken the scaphoid and radius bones in his right wrist.
The 2006 MotoGP World Champion had been due to evaluate the new aluminium frame today and tomorrow but injury he sustained in Sunday's first-corner melee means he may have to have surgery and will not ride.
“This morning I put my leathers on to go out, but I was still pretty uncomfortable. I went to the mobile clinic for a painkiller, and when I got there, the doctor said it would be better to get a proper scan. They set me up for an MRI at a local clinic, and the fractures were pretty clear," said Hayden.
"After talking to the doctor and my physiotherapist, we decided not to ride, even though we do have some stuff we’d like to test for Ducati. The scaphoid is a unique bone, and if you mess with it, it can take a long time to heal because it gets limited blood supply. I just have to be smart and watch the test. We’ll get some more opinions and decide whether to get surgery.”
Crutchlow on the 2012 Yamaha M1
Crutchlow on the litre M1 he will race next year
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow has had his first run out on the 1000cc Yamaha YZR-M1 he will campaign in MotoGP next year, putting in some tentative laps at Valencia before coming in to make adjustments to his brain and setup after lapping in the mid 1'35s.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow has had his first run out on the 1000cc Yamaha YZR-M1 he will campaign in MotoGP next year, putting in some tentative laps at Valencia before coming in to make adjustments to his brain and setup after lapping in the mid 1'35s.
De Puniet tests Rizla Suzuki sparking contract speculation
Former Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet has this morning tested Alvaro Bautista's Rizla Suzuki GSV-R800, sparking speculation that the Spaniard has done a deal with Gresini Honda for 2012 and theFrenchman is waiting in the wings to take over.
De Puniet has fallen out of favour with the Pramac team and was involved in a messy split with LCR Honda at the end of 2010 so the Suzuki team, should it finally be given the green light to continue, is the logical place for him to land next.
Dovizioso debuts the Tech3 Yamaha
Former Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso has made his debut for the satellite Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP squad. Unlike team-mate Cal Crutchlow, he is riding a plain black bike with matching lid and leathers, and is already slightly faster than the Coventry man so far.
Rossi will test 'experimental' GP12 at Valencia tomorrow
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi and team-mate Nicky Hayden will ride experimental versions of the Desmosedici GP12 on day one of the Valencia MotoGP test tomorrow and, according to boss Filippo Preziosi, it will be nothing like the bike they will race at Qatar next year.
Both the riders will run the full aluminium perimeter frame designed by FTR and Preziosi also hinted they may change the angle of the engine's V in order to be able to put more weight over the front wheel to load the Bridgestone tyres more.
"The bike tomorrow with the perimeter frame will not be the bike for the first race. It is an experimental bike, really a prototype bike to give to our designers the targets to design the bike for the future. We don’t expect that at the test we will have a step in performance because the bike is more or less the same as the current bike but with a different technology We would like to realise a bike with a different type of chassis with the same geometry and weight distribution," said Preziosi, speaking to bikesportnews.com.
"We believe the engine based chassis is a good idea in general but in the MotoGP championship there are some constraints. The first is the tyre, which are very good but they require special chassis in terms of stiffness. The other point is the number of engines are limited so when you have an engine based in the chassis, if you want to change some dimensions or weight distribution you have to redesign the tooling to do new cast parts, machine it then put in the new engine. This is a big economic effort and quite impossible to do with six engines. For these reasons we have to change this."
Hector Barbera joins Pramac Ducati for MotoGP 2012
Former Aspar Ducati rider Hector Barbera has switched to the Pramac Ducati team for the 2012 MotoGP season but will once again find himself in a one-rider team after Pramac decided to downsize.
This year, the squad ran Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet but the Italian has now retired and the Frenchman finds himself out in the cold after they only finished in the top ten seven times between them. Aspar, meanwhile, couldn't find the money to lease a GP12 for next season, so will field a CRT bike.
“This will be my third year riding a Ducati and I want to thank the Pramac Racing Team and Paolo Campinoti who have given me this opportunity. In the last two seasons I have not conquered the results I wanted and I hope that now, after the experience I gained, I can get better results," said Barbera.
"Both I and Pramac Racing have high goals. I am coming from one of the hardest moments of my career and I want a change. Ducati is working hard, this was a difficult year but I am sure that with the tests tomorrow and Wednesday and especially with the winter break, where they will have time to work, they will be able to give us a very competitive bike at the beginning of next season.”
Top rookie Crutchlow can 'hold head high'
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow bagged the coveted Rookie of the Year trophy at today's MotoGP finale in Valencia after a race-long battle with rival Karel Abraham saw the Czech rider touch his rear wheel and slip off leaving the Coventry man a clear run at the works Honda of Dani Pedrosa.
Crutchlow went past the Repsol-backed rider on the last lap, ending up in fourth which was his best finish of the season and also the top result from a British rider in the four-stroke era. He says he can now go into 2012 and the era of the litre bikes with his head held high.
“That was a pretty dramatic way to finish the season and I am obviously thrilled to win the Rookie of the Year title. But I'm equally happy to have finished in fourth place because that was an incredibly difficult race. I'm not sure what happened at the first corner but I came out of it in sixth place and just pushed as hard as I could," said Crutchlow.
"It was a really intense battle with Karel right to the end and both of us were giving it everything we had. The track was so greasy it felt like you could crash so easily and when the rain started getting heavier I just got my head down again and kept pushing. I started to catch Dani really fast and I wasn't sure if he had a problem or whether I was pushing too hard. I slowed down because of that and Karel caught me back up, so it came down to the last lap and he obviously made a small mistake.
"He hit me from behind but I managed to stay on and to finish the season with my best ever result is a great way to start planning for 2012. This year has been an incredible learning experience and we have a lot to work on for next season, but I feel confident I can make the step to the next level. I can hold my held up high and now I am looking forward to getting my first experience of the Yamaha 1000cc bike on Tuesday.”
'Stoner had a little more motor' - Spies
Factory Yamaha's Ben Spies lost today's Valencia MotoGP season finale by just 0.015s to new champion Casey Stoner and said that despite trying to make the Australian use as much track as possible, he just had the edge on grunt out of the last corner and won by the smallest margin in the 800cc era.
Spies had gambled on hard tyres front and rear which paid off as the track stayed dry and he was able to pass Stoner when the Repsol Honda man made a mistake with three laps to go. Texan Spies held him off but the Aussie took some risks in the final corners and just had the extra drive to win.
"We knew if there was a dry line the hard tyre is what I like, the grip level doesn't change too much, just the feeling, it's a little bit stiffer and it's what I prefer. The only way we would run a soft front was if was for 10 laps and there was a bike swap," said Spies, speaking to bikesportnews.com.
"I was banking on a dry race and that's what happened. I was making up the time on the front tyre but we needed more acceleration for the race, we need a little bit less wheelie but everything else was good. I could hear Casey going into the last corner so all I did was try to get the best run I could and slowly made my way over the track.
"I didn't do anything dangerous, just make him use as much real estate as I could. Casey just had a little bit more motor than us."
Crash sees Rossi tie with Simoncelli on points
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi finished the 2011 MotoGP season tied on points with his old friend Marco Simoncelli who was honoured with a massive tribute at the Valencia track today.
The Doctor had wanted to put on a special T-shirt for a lap at the end of the race but a first-corner crash involving the nine-time world champion, team-mate Nicky Hayden, Alvaro Bautista and Randy De Puniet put paid to his plan.
“There’s really nothing to say about today, other than that I’m sorry beyond measure not to have been able to put on Sic’s T-shirt for the lap of honour. It’s truly a shame. I started well and all the conditions were in our favour for having a nice race, but we were unfortunate and received no points here either. We finish the season tied with Sic, with him ahead of me in the standings. I guess that’s my tribute to him," said Rossi.
'Feels good to win on the line,' says Stoner
Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner threw caution to the wind on the last lap of today's MotoGP finale at Valencia and took some risks to beat Ben Spies to the line by the narrowest of margins in the whole 800cc era.
The newly-crowned champion beat his Yamaha counterpart by 0.015s after squandering a ten-second lead when rain came down hard. He then followed Spies for two laps before deciding to put it on the line for the last half of the final lap to just mug the Texan as they crossed the line.
"When the rain started to come down, I just wasn't too keen, I had the rear come round on me a couple of times so I kept going the way we were going but if they catch and pass, I know I can stay with them - I know I have more pace around here than anyone but I wasn't willing to risk crashing out," said Stoner, speaking to bikesportnews.com.
"The rain kept coming and kept coming stronger, then I made the mistake and Ben came past. I was quite happy to have someone to follow to see what their ear was doing, see how much grip there was and get a good indication of how hard I had to push.
"In the last half of the last lap, I thought I would take some risks and go for it. For the first half, Ben was riding really smooth but in the last half I knew I was faster as I had been the lap before. He took an advantage in first part and I was like, 'let's just finish this one' but then going up the straight I closed on the brakes.
"I haven't taken any risks all year long, I've always kept that last bit in reserve to make sure we didn't do anything stupid and I just decided to go for it. I had a lot of corner speed going up through turn 13 and I was waiting for the bike to come away from me.
"I let the brakes off going through the last turn to get close enough. I took a few more risks than I would have liked. It's the first time I have taken a win from someone on the line, it has happened to me a few times but it's a good feeling."
Stoner mugs Spies over the line to win
Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner pipped Ben Spies by 0.015s for the final MotoGP win of 2011, outdragging the Texan from the last corner to cross the line first after the Texan ran out of horsepower and Stoner occupied the Honda lane to take victory.
With three laps left, Spies took top spot after the Australian made an error but on the drag to the line, Stoner was able to nose in front of the Texan after taking a couple of extra risks on a damp surface in the final corners to build a fraction more momentum.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow also took advantage of the tricky conditions, going past Dani Pedrosa on the final lap to bag fourth and the Rookie of the Year crown which also meant that Andrea Dovizioso secured third in the championship table before he moves to be Crutchlow's team-mate. It is the Coventry man's best result in MotoGP so far, the best for a Brit in the four-stroke era and stands him in good stead for the move up to litre bikes in 2012.
The race started with high drama as, on the entry to turn one, Dovizioso looked to clip Alvaro Bautista's front wheel causing him to crash and take Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and Randy De Puniet with him. All three Ducati riders had the chance of top five results today and it was the end of a possible podium finish for The Doctor.
Oblivious to all that, Stoner cleared off at the rate of a second a lap while Dovizioso, Pedrosa and Spies fought it out for the podium spots. After some paint trading by the Repsol riders, Dovizioso and Spies finally made a break before the rain came down with five laps remaining.
Stoner's ten second lead dropped to two seconds in as many laps and, after Spies did a number on number four, he caught the newly-crowned world champion with three laps remaning when Stoner made an error on the brakes, running wide.
It was then a case of defensive riding for the former World Superbike Champion but Stoner pushed that little bit harder in the final three corners and used the superior power of his HRC RC212V to mug Spies over the line.
Spies' temporary team-mate Kats Nakasuga just held off AMA Champion Josh Hayes for sixth place while Karel Abraham, who had the measure of Crutchlow until he crashed in the dying laps, managed to salvage eighth place.
Pramac Ducati's Loris Capirossi bode an emotional farewell to racing with a ninth place in his special helmet and leathers while Toni Elias, whose future is far less certain, rounded out the top ten.
Marco Simoncelli tribute picture special
The whole of MotoGP gathered together at 10.10am today to honour the memory of Marco Simoncelli. A parade lap of all the MotoGP, Moto2 and 125GP bike was led by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz (see picture below) before a traditional two-minute Valencian firework display.
A big celebration for a big man with a big personality and a big heart. Ciao, Marco...
Schwantz to lead Simoncelli tribute lap
Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz will lead a parade lap of every single bike from all three MotoGP categories at Valencia tomorrow to honour the memory of Marco Simoncelli - and will ride the Italian's San Carlo Honda RC212V
The 1993 title winner will lead the mass of bike out of pitlane at 10.10am local time (GMT+1) and A
as the riders round the final corner of the circuit and approach the finish line they will stop just short, with local authorities and representatives of MotoGP’s governing bodies (Dorna, IRTA and the FIM) congregating on the other side of the finish line alongside Simoncelli’s family and members of the Gresini team.
Once the bikes have taken up their positions on the start/finish straight a two-minute Valencian Mascletà (a traditional firecracker display) will take place.
'I got 20 per cent of clue yesterday' - Hayes
Monster Yamaha's Josh Hayes had his first sessions on a fully dry track today aboard the YZR-M1 he is riding in place of Colin Edwards at the Valencia MotoGP round after being tenth fastest in the wet second free session yesterday.
Although the two-time AMA Champion was last on the timesheet, he has spent a lot of time analysing why it is different to his YZF-R1, thinking through the behaviour of the tyres and figuring out that a lot of how to ride it goes against what comes naturally to him, and how to fix that.
Here are just some of this thoughts after qualifying:
"It's more difficult for me with the high grip level in the dry, the bike is rigid, it's got stiff settings, it's tough. I'm trying to maximise my time on the bike and learn as much as I can that way. In doing that, I'm not really able to come in, take a breath and think about it but I'm enjoying my time riding the bike and it's different from what I expected," said Hayes, speaking to bikesportnews.com.
"You get a hint of what it is like in the wet, but in the dry the guys can really lean on these things. I got 20 per cent of clue yesterday of what it would be like today. I'm really having a difficult time turning the motorcycle and I'm laughing because I'm like: 'This is a fucking GP bike what do you mean it doesn't turn? This doesn't make any sense!'.
"Some things about it are very counter-intuitive. I made a mistake in some way of listening to people too much about 'this is how you ride the bike' and then I tried to do exactly that and I come in and they say 'this is why you're slower', and it's all the ways I would typically ride the bike anyway but I was told 'you gotta ride it like this!'.
"It has been quite the adventure and quite honestly I go out there thinking you have to do this and that, struggle, struggle, struggle, I come in, then I do my normal thing, pick up some time and I feel a little more comfortable in the process of doing it, a little less on edge and I end up getting a better feel for how it is supposed to be.
"This bike in the dry, it's very low, there's not a lot of transfer, it's stiff. To generate heat in the tyre you have to put a lot of pressure on them. I like the feel of the tyres because they are stiff but some of the things that are natural to me, like how to go faster on a race track, just don't work as it makes me fight the motorcycle."
Come back tomorrow for some more of Mr Hayes' thinkings...
Rain is Rossi's best bet for podium
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi has not publicly stated he wants a wet MotoGP race at Valencia tomorrow but the nine-time world champion has shown this weekend that his pace on a wet or drying track is enough to score a much-needed podium.
The Doctor qualified in sixth this afternoon but was third fastest in yesterday's drying opening free practice - a track condition that is quite likely tomorrow according to the forecasts - and said he has a good setting for a fully-wet race.
"This afternoon the condition were quite difficult because during the practice it rain a bit but the last 15 minutes everybody can push more and I can improve my laptime and the second row for us is quite good. The gap from all of the rest of the guys, except Stoner, is quite small. The forecast says it will be wet so we can make a good setting for the wet and we are quite fast so we wait and see," said Rossi, speaking to bikesportnews.com.
"I’m quite fast in T2 and T3, which are twisty, but I lose a lot in T1 and T4, where I have a hard time braking like I should, and where the bike tends to wheelie too much on acceleration out of the hairpin. Honestly, T1 has always been difficult for me, through all the years that I’ve raced here."
This weekend, like most of the other riders, Rossi is wearing a tribute to Marco Simoncelli. The Doctor has merged his traditional sun and moon helmet design with the twin red stripes of his old friend.
"I like the design very much but it not the design that is so important, it is the meaning. I want to make something for remember Marco and to have the two design together and the front part with the two red stripes of Marco was put together with mine and the end is great, it's something very emotion," he said.
Share story
0 comments: