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New A1-Ring gets go ahead

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:16:00 +0000

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has been given the green light by the local authority to begin rebuilding the A1-Ring circuit in Austria.

The Styrian government approved plans for the new track and motorsports centre, which will be called Spielberg New and is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2010.

The new circuit will follow the layout of the A1-Ring, which held seven grands prix between 1997 and 2003, with the addition of a loop using the old Flatschach straight - part of the old Osterreichring, which hosted Formula One from 1970 to 1987.

It was originally hoped that the new circuit would be finished in time to hold a DTM round next season, but environmental protests delayed the project's approval until now.

Mateschitz is reported to be investing 70 million Euros into the facility, along with a nine million Euro subsidy from the Styrian government.

The Red Bull boss also stated that he has no intention to bring Formula One back to the circuit.

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otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:43:00 +0000

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Symonds Renault car better than Toyota's

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:28:00 +0000

Renault's director of engineering Pat Symonds believes the French team will have the upper hand over rivals Toyota in their fight for fourth place in the championship.

Renault have scored two consecutive four places in Belgium and Monza which, aided by Toyota's failure to score in those races, have allowed the former champions to be equal on points with the Japanese squad with four races left.

And Symonds reckons Renault's car is now generally stronger than Toyota's, although he admits he is expecting a very close fight in the remaining races.

"You can't get any closer than equality. Obviously, as the number of races decreases, even a constant gap becomes more difficult to deal with and so it's nice to have made up the ground we needed to so quickly," said Symonds.

"I do believe that on balance our car is better than the Toyota; it's very close and there are certainly days when they might be stronger than us and days when we are stronger than them.

"We beat them in Monza by out racing them as a team, but it's far from over and we know we are going to have a tough fight on our hands through to the end of the season."

Symonds also revealed the team will run a few new components at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix as part of their final push for development in 2008.

"We will have the final updates for the R28 in Singapore, including a new front wing," he added.

"In previous years when we have been working on the new car in the wind tunnel, we have always hoped to see developments that we can use on the current car, but it's not the case this year because the aerodynamics for next season are so different.

"So this really is the end of the updates, other than any changes that may be made for reliability."

The Briton reckons Formula One's first night race will be a big challenge, especially for all team members, who will have to work on European times.

"I think it will have an impact on us and perhaps the biggest challenge will be managing the human performance of the team," Symonds added. "We've been working with our medical guys to make sure we are all prepared for it because travelling to the Far East is always quite hard and taxing on our bodies.

"The fact that we will be more or less operating on a European time zone will add a further dimension and confuse our body clocks even more. It's not something I'm worried about, but we need to keep it in mind as we're well aware that it's asking a lot of our mechanics and engineers.

"When we look back on Singapore, I think we will be talking mainly about how we coped with the logistical challenge."

Kawasaki hope for strong home form

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:25:00 +0000

John Hopkins is determined to turn around his string of poor results at Motegi to give Kawasaki a strong showing on home soil.

The American hasn't bettered his fifth place finish at Motegi in 2005 in the last two seasons, but says he likes the circuit and hopes his worst luck is already behind him this season after missing three races in the middle of the year through injury.

"Motegi has never been a circuit that's been kind to me, even last year, which was my best season so far, Motegi was definitely my worst round," said Hopkins. "However, maybe this is the year we can turn it around after all of the bad luck we've had with injury."

But the Kawasaki team have a good record at Motegi following Randy de Puniet's second-place finish in last year's race.

"It's a track I actually enjoy, the fans and atmosphere are all a lot of fun, and the circuit layout is good too.

"This is Kawasaki's second home round so it would be really nice if we can do well here. It would be great to finish the final few rounds of 2008 with strong results."

Vermeulen positive for Japanese GP

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:23:00 +0000

Chris Vermeulen feels his Rizla Suzuki team are making good progress with their new chassis and the Australian is in a positive mood for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Although neither Vermeulen nor teammate Loris Capirossi managed a good result in the previous race at Indianapolis, both men had showed strong form in the previous races.

And despite the result in the US, Vermeulen feels his team are getting stronger and stronger and he reckons the new chassis should suit the Motegi circuit.

"I had a good ride at Motegi last year despite stalling on the grid," said Vermeulen in a team preview. "I feel that every time I go out on the track I am getting faster and faster and the new chassis that we have been using for the last couple of races should certainly help us at this track.

"I am in a good state of mind going into this event and confident of a strong performance. I am just outside the top five at the moment and with the races we have left I am sure I can make a serious challenge to improve my position in the championship."

Capirossi will be also aiming for a good result at a track where he has won for the last three years.

"I have great memories from Motegi, I have won the last three races there and it will be good to go back and try to do my best again - especially now that I am riding for a Japanese factory on its home track," he said.

"We had a tough time at Indianapolis for a number of reasons, but that is now behind us and we have to make the most of the rest of the season and Motegi is a good place to start that. I can still fight with the best guys out there and that has to be my goal!"

Vermeulen and Capirossi will be joined by wild card rider Kousuke Akiyoshi this weekend

Rossi No pressure to win title in Japan

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Valentino Rossi says he is not putting himself under pressure to clinch the title at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

The Yamaha rider is 87 points ahead of Casey Stoner with just 100 points left to be won in the four races remaining.

Rossi needs to finish in fourth place at Motegi to secure the title regardless of what Stoner does.

The Italian, however, says he is is no hurry to clinch his eighth title and will approach the Japanese race as usual.

"We have had a fantastic run of race and now here we are finally, with a 'match point' for the championship, and in Motegi once again," said Rossi in a team preview.

"In 2005 I was in the same situation but I crashed and had to wait for Malaysia to win the title, and then last year we lost the championship in Japan.

"I really would like to win in Motegi, especially as it's such an important race for Yamaha and it would be a great reward for them for all of the work they have done.

"However, we cannot put too much pressure on ourselves and I will try to treat it like another normal race. We have a good margin of points, but there are still four more races so it is still not over."

Suzuki to run third bike at Motegi

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:20:00 +0000

The Rizla Suzuki team will run a third bike in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi for Kousuke Akiyoshi.

The team ran a third GSV-R for American Ben Spies at Indianapolis last weekend and at Laguna Seca in July, and will call on marque regular Akiyoshi for his home round.

The 33-year-old Japanese made previous MotoGP outings for Suzuki at Motegi in 2006 and 2007, and also at Jerez in 2007, with his best finish being 13th in the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix.

Elias set for Gresini return

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Toni Elias is set to return to the Honda Gresini team next year after deciding to leave the Alice Ducati squad.

The Spaniard looked unlikely to be offered an extension to his Alice contract mid-way through what began as a disappointing season, but podium finishes at Brno and Misano raised his stock and brought about an offer from team boss Paolo Campinoti.

Both Campinoti and factory Ducati team boss Livio Suppo were happy to retain Elias for at least another season, but he is believed to have turned down the offer in favour of a return to Honda and Gresini, the team he rode for in 2007.

"The contract with Toni stipulated that he would be automatically confirmed if he was within the top eight in the championship after Brno," Suppo told Italian magazine Motosprint. "He wasn't, but we told him that if he carried on going the way he had been, then we would have confirmed him no problem.

"On Sunday Campinoti said 'if he goes on the podium again, we'll keep him'. He was third in the race (at Misano) so it was sorted for us. But after the race he said he had other offers and in the end he decided to go elsewhere."

Gresini's commercial director Carlo Merlini would not confirm that a deal with Elias had been completed, but he did say: "I can confirm that we are in talks and we have made up our mind about next year's riders."

Stoner could undergo early surgery

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Ducati team boss Livio Suppo has suggested world champion Casey Stoner could miss the end of the season if his wrist injury continues to hinder him.

The Australian aggravated an old wrist injury - suffered in 2003 - during the San Marino Grand Prix weekend and has been in pain while riding since then.

Suppo said Stoner is likely to undergo surgery eventually, and the Italian claimed his rider was in a lot of pain during the Indianapolis Grand Prix last weekend.

With his championship chances now gone, Suppo has not ruled out the possibility of Stoner sitting out some of the remaining four races of the season in order to have surgery and be ready for winter testing.

"Casey keeps quiet because he doesn't want to be labeled a whiner, but I can reveal that, besides the problem with the hand, he had great pains in his shoulder and ribs from Friday's crash," Suppo was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We got checked by several doctors and the common prognosis is that it's the old fracture from 2003 opening up again. Surgery would require two and a half months of convalescence.

"If the pain remains tolerable, then Stoner will complete the season, otherwise..."

Stoner is 87 points behind championship leader Valentino Rossi, with just 100 available in the remaining races.

Melandri Kawasaki will suit my style

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:14:00 +0000

Marco Melandri is confident the Kawasaki bike he will race with next season will suit his riding style.

The Italian has endured a miserable year with Ducati, struggling to get the GP8 to his liking all year long.

Melandri announced he will leave Ducati at the end of the season to join Kawasaki, who have also endured a difficult year themselves.

But Melandri admits he is looking forward to the challenge and is convinced he will not have the same problems to adapt to the bike.

"It will be easier to criticise me than to agree with my decision," Melandri was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I liked Kawasaki already in 2007, and I think they have great growth potential.

"It's a bike that suits my riding style well. It will be difficult, but I know that with Kawasaki I will finally be able to work for myself, and that's something I've never done before."

He added: "I would have gone back to Fausto (Gresini) for the human relationship, but I'm convinced of this challenge at Kawasaki: if you finish third with a Honda then it's normal, but if you go quick with the Ninja then it means you've worked well."

Hayden confirmed at Ducati for 2009

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Ducati have confirmed 2006 MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden will partner Casey Stoner at the team next season.

The 29-year-old American had already announced his plans to leave Repsol Honda at the end of the year, after six seasons at the Japanese team.

Hayden will replace Marco Melandri at Ducati, and he will make his debut on the Desmosedici GP9 on 27 October right at the end of the season in Valencia.

"We are really happy to have Nicky join us," said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO. "We are certain that his never-say-die attitude, riding style and character will be great additions to our team in 2009.

"I would like to thank HRC for allowing Nicky to start testing our bike immediately after the Valencia Grand Prix.

"I would also like to thank Marco Melandri for his professionalism during a difficult year, which was below all our expectations.

"Unfortunately his feeling with the Desmosedici was never good enough to allow him to ride as well as he can. We wish him all the best for the future."

Honda officially confirm Hayden's exit

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:10:00 +0000

Nicky Hayden and Repsol Honda have officially confirmed they are parting at the end of the 2008 season.

The confirmation has been awaited for some time, but an announcement of Hayden joining Ducati is expected this week.

The move will mean that Hayden will not ride a Honda for the first time in ten seasons after winning two AMA championships and the 2006 MotoGP title with the marque.

Hayden has had a difficult past two seasons adapting to the smaller 800cc RC 212V Honda, but got onto the podium for the first time in 2008 with the bike yesterday at Indianapolis.

The 'Kentucky Kid' said: "Sure, it hasn't just been one big holiday, along the way there's been some tough days but a lot of good days too.

Winning the World Championship was by far the highlight of my career so far, plus I won a couple championships in America with Honda, the Supersport championship, the Superbike title and the Daytona 200. And I won some dirt track with Honda too: I won Springfield short track twice, the Peoria TT, in all four Grand National dirt tracks.

"Winning MotoGP rookie of the year in 2003 was quite an achievement against Bayliss, Edwards and Melandri, that was something I was pretty proud of. And of course my two MotoGP wins at Laguna were awesome experiences. I'd just like to thank everyone, and the best way to thank them is to put up some results these last few races. That's the plan."

HRC president Masumi Hamane said: "We wish to thank Nicky for all he has achieved for Honda both as a rider and a man. Nicky and Honda have shared much success and a few disappointing days but in each case Nicky has always behaved cheerfully and has led the team in a positive way. His warm-hearted character has been much loved by all who have worked with him."

Repsol Honda team manager Kazuhiko Yamano, speaking on behalf of HRC said Hayden had been "an excellent ambassador for Honda, his genuine polite and friendly personality has made him a favourite with racing people, the media and race fans wherever he goes.

"Nicky is a racer, a tough man on track and always a gentleman with whom it has been a pleasure to work. We all wish Nicky good luck and success with his new challenge he will be a fierce rival for our team in 2009."

Hayden boosted by Indy performance

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:08:00 +0000

Nicky Hayden says he has been boosted by his performance at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, although the American claims he never doubted his abilities.

Hayden, world champion in 2006, had not climbed onto the podium since the 2007 season following a dismal 2008 campaign with Repsol Honda.

But the American fought for victory in the first Indianapolis race on Sunday, although he eventually had to settle for second place behind Valentino Rossi.

Hayden admitted the result was a big boost for his whole crew.

"It's great for my confidence, but honestly I don't doubt my skills," said Hayden. "I know it's been a tough year, as I said the other day, I came into this race having the worst season I've had in my career, although I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me because I've had it pretty good.

"It seemed like I couldn't do anything right. I was making some mistakes, and some things that went on in the team have just been tough on everybody. My team needed a boost. They deserved it, because my guys have worked really hard."

The 'Kentucky kid' took the lead of the race early on and stayed there until Rossi charged back following a shaky start from pole position.

Hayden finished nearly six seconds behind Rossi after the race was shortened due to the poor weather.

"It was never like I had a big lead, so I knew it wasn't going to be easy," Hayden added. "But it felt great to be up front and I felt comfortable there. I felt like I was in control.

"I knew it was going to be tough. I was a little bit worried that I was too soft on the tyres and might be in trouble. She started to spin a little bit early on, so I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"The podium's good, but I'm greedy - I've been a world champion and I want to win. When you're leading your home GP and the laps are clicking away, I'm not thinking 'ah, be cool, let's stay on the podium', I'm thinking 'let's go for it...'"

Stoner blames tyre troubles for slump

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:06:00 +0000

Casey Stoner said a fading rear tyre prevented him from pushing harder in the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

The reigning world champion grabbed the lead at the start but then lost pace and ultimately finished a distant fourth in the red-flagged and rain-affected race.

"I'm never going to be satisfied with fourth place but it would have been foolish to push harder in those conditions and I made the right decision not to do so," Stoner said.

"I got a good start but I quickly lost confidence because the rear tyre was tearing up quickly and by the time they stopped the race I was struggling to hold my lap times."

Team boss Livio Suppo wasn't sure why Stoner had encountered tyre problems, but was relieved that he brought the bike home fourth despite his issues.

"It was a tough race for Casey but he showed grit and determination to bring home a decent result," Suppo said.

"It may be to do with the power delivery of our engine or the set-up of the bike but the rear tyre went off quicker than expected and Casey couldn't ride on the attack, as we're used to seeing. It's a shame it wasn't a dry race because in the warm-up we saw Casey was in good shape for those conditions."

With Valentino Rossi winning the race, Stoner is now 87 points behind his title rival in the standings with only four rounds remaining.

Spies satisfied with career-best result

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Rizla Suzuki rider Ben Spies was satisfied with his career-best result in today's inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix, his third ever MotoGP race.

In extremely wet conditions, the new AMA Superbike champion impressed on his way to sixth place, a result that betters his previous best of eighth at Laguna Seca, the other race in which he was entered as a wild card this year.

"It was a good race today for me because my goal was to better my result at Laguna and I did that," said the 24-year-old American.

"I know that I had a fourth place bike today though because the crew had got it working great, but after ten laps I couldn't see anything through my visor and that was why I never made an attack because I had to follow the other guys around me to see where I was going - I think if I had lost them I would have got caught by everybody!

"I rode as hard as I could and ended the race with a good sixth place. I wish we could have done a bit better, but every time I'm getting on a GP bike I'm getting better results so who knows what's to come!"

Regular Suzuki race riders Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi today could do no better than ninth and 16th respectively.

Dovizioso hints at works Honda deal

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Andrea Dovizioso has strongly hinted that he will replace Nicky Hayden in the factory Repsol Honda team next year.

The Italian, who currently rides for the satellite JiR team and has impressed throughout his rookie season in MotoGP, has been repeatedly linked with the works team in recent weeks, and is expected to be announced as Dani Pedrosa's 2009 teammate in due course.

When asked by television station Italia1 if he had signed a Repsol Honda deal, Dovizioso replied: "No, not yet, but I hope I will. You can't say what you're not allowed to..."

Hayden has had an increasingly fractious relationship with Pedrosa, and Dovizioso admitted that he is expecting similar problems when he is paired with the Spaniard.

"Yes, I think they'll try that in every way," Dovizioso replied when asked if he thought Pedrosa and manager Alberto Puig would make his life 'difficult'.

"No-one knows Pedrosa, in my opinion. He doesn't want to be known, he wants to live MotoGP in a different way compared to the others. That's the way he is.

"I don't think anything will change, but we'll see. I'd like to get to know him..."

Dovizioso led a MotoGP race for the first time today at Indianapolis, when he burst through from seventh on the grid to head the field on the opening lap, before later falling back to finish fifth. Hayden and Pedrosa took second and eighth respectively on the factory Hondas.

Tyre gamble doesn't pay off for Dovizioso

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Andrea Dovizioso reckons he should have been able to fight for the podium at Indianapolis today, had he not taken a gamble with his Michelin tyres.

The JiR Honda rider admitted after the race that his bike had been fitted with tyres he had not previously tried in previous sessions, and the rear was not to his satisfaction.

The Italian rookie managed to get in the lead for the first time in his career during the first lap after starting seventh, but was soon overtaken by Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden - also on Michelins - and Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi.

He ultimately finished the race in a distant fifth place, while the other two former world champions finished second and first respectively.

"I wanted at all costs to lead at least a lap before the end of the season, so I made it," Dovizioso told Italia1 television.

"In these conditions a fifth place is fine because it was really hard, especially after ten laps when a strong wind came.

"I can't be 100 percent happy, however, because we started the race with two tyres we never tried before, we risked a lot, and unfortunately the rear wasn't going very well. At the start it was ok, but as soon as Hayden and especially Valentino started to go quick, there was nothing I could do.

"It's a shame, because I think I could have given trouble at least to Hayden. By contrast the front tyre was good, but I couldn't get into corners aggressively because I was losing grip."

Rossi glad race was stopped

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Race winner Valentino Rossi reckons that red-flagging the Indianapolis MotoGP event eight laps before the end was absolutely the correct decision.

The race was halted on lap 21 as increasing wind and rain made conditions too dangerous to continue.

At first there were suggestions that it would be restarted, causing leader Rossi and title rival Casey Stoner to lobby Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta to get the race result declared, and eventually the officials deemed that the results could be taken from lap 20.

"When I got in the lead I was a tad quicker in certain spots and I tried to push hard, but an incredible wind started, it began to rain a lot and you couldn't see anything anymore, on the straight there were gusts making the bike uncontrollable," Rossi told Italia1 television.

"I didn't raise my arm up because otherwise they would have said 'he raised it up because he's ahead', but every lap I was hoping to see the red flag and in the end I saw it.

"To win here is incredible. Today I've had plenty of different emotions. At one point I honestly thought we wouldn't race, because when the downpour started the track was impossible to use. I think they've been very good because they cleared all the water that was standing on the track.

"With the same conditions elsewhere we wouldn't have raced, but they had these trucks to remove the water. So from there I started finding my focus again and to prepare for the race.

"The problem then was the wind, it was incredible, inconsistent, with gusts. You couldn't go over the front straight, with beer cans, paper cups, plastic bags going over the track. It was a mess, the artificial grass was coming off."

Rossi's Indianapolis win was his fourth straight victory, and puts him 87 points ahead of Stoner in the championship. He can therefore clinch the 2008 title at Motegi in a fortnight.

"Things are very good for the championship, we have a lot of points," he said. "Today we finished in front and then we'll go to Motegi. We'll see.

"I can't remember when was the last time I won four races in a row. I'm extremely happy, I hadn't won a wet race for a very long time.

"I feel in shape, I'm riding well. We are working hard with the entire team, with Yamaha, and Bridgestone. Even though we have some problems, we always try to solve them calmly and we never give up.

"The advantage is 87 points, I need to leave Motegi with 76 ahead, so I can also finish behind Stoner there. In 2005 I could win the championship in Japan but I crashed and brought (Marco) Melandri down with me, so history isn't very positive. So we need to keep focused and try to do a good race there too, and then we'll see."

The Italian dedicated today's win to his grandfather, who passed away this weekend.

"I've just received the news that my grandfather, who was very sick, has died," Rossi said. "It's a shame, because I would have liked to show him whether I could win the title because he cared for it. But he was very sick, these things happen, he was very old. I'm happy to have a victory to dedicate to him."

Lorenzo thrilled with rain breakthrough

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Jorge Lorenzo hailed his third place at Indianapolis as the best wet weather performance of his entire racing career.

The Fiat Yamaha rider said he had never managed to reach the podium in a wet race before.

"This is my first podium in wet conditions in all my life, so I'm so happy," said Lorenzo.

"In the Spanish championship, I never took a podium (in the wet). So for me it's a very good result."

Lorenzo added that his only regret was that the race was red-flagged before he had a chance to overtake Nicky Hayden for second place.

He had closed rapidly on the Honda rider as the rain returned in the final laps, and was putting Hayden under heavy pressure when the officials decided to halt the race due to the worsening rain and wind.

"It's not perfect, because with maybe one or two laps more I could have passed Nicky," said Lorenzo.

"He was so fast at the beginning, but with the wind and his worn tyres, he reduced his pace. Next time I hope to do better."

The result was Yamaha's second double podium in a row, as Lorenzo's championship-leading teammate Valentino Rossi clinched his fourth consecutive victory

Hayden says he had 'nothing to lose

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:52:00 +0000

Nicky Hayden admitted that he threw caution to the wind in his home race at Indianapolis.

The former world champion charged through from fourth on the grid to take the lead early on in the very wet race, and stayed ahead until Valentino Rossi overtook him on lap 15. Factory Honda rider Hayden then resisted a strong challenge from Rossi's Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo to take second place.

"I had nothing to lose here and just had to go for it," said Hayden.

"The bike felt pretty good in the wet when it wasn't heavy water, and I felt confident before the race. Up front, leading early, it's been a long time since I led a race and it felt really good coming out of the last corner and seeing nobody. I was thinking 'man, this is only supposed to happen in the movies', especially being at my home GP."

With the track drying slightly between showers in the middle of the race, Hayden felt he had taken too much out of his wet tyres by the time Rossi caught him.

"Unfortunately Valentino came through and had a little bit more speed than me," said the American. "I made a little run at him, but towards the end, when the track dried out, we used a lot of rubber off the tyre.

"When it rained again, on the edge I'd lost so much tread pattern and it went 'gnarly'. But still I pushed till the end, to the maximum, and I really left nothing on the table. I was riding as hard as I could, taking a few chances and I felt good up front."

The second place was Hayden's best result since he won at Laguna Seca in 2006, and his first podium of a difficult 2008 season, which has seen his relationship with the Repsol Honda team decline, and a foot injury sustained at the X-Games sideline him for two races.

"I really want to thank my team, my family, my fans and everybody for sticking behind me," said Hayden, who had to walk onto the podium with the aid of a stick due to his injured heel. "It's not been a really easy road lately, but that's how it goes."

Hayden is set to leave Honda at the end of the season, and should soon be confirmed as Casey Stoner's new teammate in the works Ducati squad.

Indianapolis 250cc race cancelled

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:51:00 +0000

The Indianapolis round of the 250cc series has been cancelled due to the poor weather conditions at the American track.

The race had already been postponed three hours from its originally scheduled start as a downpour had hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the 250cc runners lined up on the grid.

The officials had hoped to run the 250cc race after the MotoGP event, but when that had to be red-flagged eight laps from the end due to the worsening wind and rain, the decision was taken to abandon the 250cc round as well.

Championship leader Marco Simoncelli had qualified on pole before the race was cancelled.

Rossi wins first ever Indy MotoGP race

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:50:00 +0000

MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi beat crowd favourite Nicky Hayden to win the inaugural, rain-shortened Indianapolis Grand Prix.

The rain that shortened the 125cc race, and forced a rescheduling of the 250cc round, came back with 16 laps of the 28-lap MotoGP race gone, and caused the red flag to be shown on lap 22.

By then Rossi, who had a major moment with his Fiat Yamaha on lap 17 but managed to save it, had already overtaken Hayden's Repsol Honda on lap 14 and kept edging away from him, after the Kentucky rider took the lead at the end of lap two.

Rossi didn't have the best of starts from pole as he dropped to fourth, with title rival Casey Stoner taking the lead immediately with his Ducati Marlboro and followed by Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso.

In the space of a few corners the JiR Honda rider, who started in seventh, overtook both men ahead, but Hayden was soon back on his tail and from the beginning of third lap he was ahead and chased by Rossi.

Rossi and Hayden exchanged fastest laps for ten consecutive laps, while the rest of the field, led by the Italian's teammate Jorge Lorenzo, dropped back. The Spaniard, however, opened up a wide gap over a fighting trio composed of Stoner, Dovizioso, and Rizla Suzuki wild card Ben Spies.

In the end, the top six positions were classified exactly in that order, which was taken at the end of lap 20.

Sylvain Guintoli finished seventh with his Alice Ducati, ahead of Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa, eighth in his racing debut with Bridgestone tyres, Chris Vermeulen's Rizla Suzuki, and Alex de Angelis's Honda Gresini.

Pos  Rider             Bike           Time
1.  Valentino Rossi   Yamaha    (B)  37:20.095
2.  Nicky Hayden      Honda     (M)  +   5.972
3.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha    (M)  +   7.858
4.  Casey Stoner      Ducati    (B)  +  28.162
5.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda     (M)  +  28.824
6.  Ben Spies         Suzuki    (B)  +  29.645
7.  Sylvain Guintoli  Ducati    (B)  +  36.223
8.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda     (B)  +  37.258
9.  Chris Vermeulen   Suzuki    (B)  +  38.442
10.  Alex de Angelis   Honda     (B)  +  42.437
11.  Anthony West      Kawasaki  (B)  +  47.179
12.  Toni Elias        Ducati    (B)  +  55.962
13.  Randy de Puniet   Honda     (M)  +  57.366
14.  John Hopkins      Kawasaki  (B)  +  58.353
15.  Colin Edwards     Yamaha    (M)  +1:00.613
16.  Loris Capirossi   Suzuki    (B)  +1:05.620
17.  Shinya Nakano     Honda     (B)  +1:05.854
18.  James Toseland    Yamaha    (M)  +1:07.968
19.  Marco Melandri    Ducati    (B)  +1:21.023

De Puniet to stay on at LCR

otolive (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Randy de Puniet is to stay with the LCR Honda team for the 2009 season.

The Frenchman joined the satellite Honda squad from Kawasaki this year, and the team have confirmed that they will take up their 2009 option on him as part of a deal that also confirms their continued customer deal with Honda.

"I think that Randy and Honda have big potential," said team boss Lucio Cecchinello. "Our aim was to continue with Randy and thanks to Honda HRC support we will co-operate together for next season as well. Besides I am happy to say that we have retained all our present team staff for our 2009 project with Randy."

De Puniet has yet to finish higher than sixth for LCR Honda, having often qualified higher only to fall in the races.

But he is confident that he can do better with the team in 2009.

"The 2009 season will be my fourth year in the MotoGP class; Honda is working hard to improve the RCV machine and the LCR team is very professional and they are like a family for me," said de Puniet.

"We have got the potential to make special results and we will do our best to achieve important goals."

A race weekend with… Jarno Trulli

otolive (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:08:00 +0000

After 12 years as a Formula One driver, and with 192 Grand Prix starts and eight podium finishes under his belt, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli is an old pro when it comes to his race routine. We caught up with Trulli in Hungary, following Sunday's event, to find out about his time in Budapest and discover a little more about how he likes to spend his time ‘in the office’ over a race weekend…

Q: We were in Budapest this weekend, what do you associate with this circuit?
Jarno Trulli: Heat and dust. Most of the time - I only can remember one race, some years ago, when it was surprisingly cool - it is really, really hot here and the track is usually quite dusty because it isn’t used very often. That means that if you go off line you lose a lot of time. Still, it’s a track that I like and I’ve enjoyed many good races here.

Q: You don’t take to the track until Friday morning, but when do you like to fly in?
JT: For European races like Hungary I try to arrive on Thursday morning. That means I am able to spend as much time as possible with my family. Obviously for the flyaway races it is better to spend a little time in the country before to acclimatise, so I arrive a day or two earlier.

Q: Do you make an effort to discover your surroundings at a race, or do you stick to the airport-hotel-track-airport itinerary?
JT: To be honest, it’s not really possible to see much of the city when we are here in Budapest because I am so busy at the track. When I arrive on Thursday, I go directly to the track to meet with my engineers and do some media work and I am busy from that moment on. In the evening maybe I have the chance to have a meal in the city but I am here to race so I don’t like to stay up late. That means sightseeing is out of the question but this is my 12th season coming to Budapest so I have seen a decent amount of the city over the years.

Q: What’s your exercise regime over a race weekend? Does it vary according to the race location, demands of the circuit etc?
JT: I don’t do any intensive exercise during the race weekend because there isn’t the time and I am already in good shape from my training away from the track. But, depending on the circuit, I might go for a run around the track on Thursday night, or even take my rollerblades out and have a go on them.

Q: What’s your preferred accommodation at races - city hotel, hotel near the circuit, your own motorhome near the paddock?
JT: I like to have a good hotel near the circuit so the travelling time is as small as possible.

Q: Anything you have to have provided in your hotel room or any luxuries you always bring with you from home?
JT: I don’t have any fancy tastes so I’m quite an easy guest! I have everything I need so I don’t normally ask for anything special, but an internet connection helps.

Q: Do you enjoy entertaining friends and family during a race weekend?
JT: Normally my family stay at home during the race weekend because I don’t have much time to spend with them. I am always completely focused on racing when I am at the track so it’s not the best environment to bring my wife and children to. Sometimes I have friends at a Grand Prix and in that case it’s nice to spend a little bit of time with them, maybe have dinner together or whatever.

Q: Do you get the chance to go out and socialize on Friday and Saturday night?
JT: Not really, no. Often I have PR or marketing commitments, such as media dinners, that kind of thing, or I may need to stay late at the track with my engineers to study data from the car and decide what to do next. If I have the spare time, I prefer to relax, perhaps have a quiet meal but nothing too lively.

Q: Any drivers you particularly like hanging out with?
JT: For most drivers the weekend is really busy and usually we don’t stay in the same hotels, so it’s hard to spend time together. If I get the chance, I like to catch up with my old team mate Fernando Alonso.

Q: Your favourite race for nightlife?
JT: I’m not really a nightlife sort of person!

Q: What’s the best night out you’ve had at a Grand Prix? And have you ever overslept the next morning?
JT: Sometimes you do get the chance to have some fun - but only really ever after the race and as long as you’re not flying out the same evening. I’ve had some good meals out. The first place that springs to mind is the Le Latini restaurant in Montreal. And no, I’m always early for appointments so I never oversleep!

Q: What do you have for breakfast on a race Sunday?
JT: I don’t have any breakfast on a Sunday but instead I have an early lunch of pasta at around 10am.

Q: How much do you drink over a race weekend? And what?
JT: For a hot race like Hungary you have to be careful to drink a lot of fluid. My doctor provides me with a mineral drink which has everything in it that my body needs. I don’t know exactly how much but in a hot climate it is many, many litres because re-hydration is very important.

Q: How do you spend the morning on race Sunday?
JT: I try to relax as much as possible but that’s not always easy. I usually have an appearance to make at the Paddock Club or at the merchandise booth, then there’s the drivers’ parade and I also spend time with my engineers discussing the coming race. If I get the chance I also like to catch some of the GP2 race.

Q: How do you like to get to the circuit on Sunday morning? Do you drive yourself?
JT: I prefer not to drive myself so usually my manager will drive me, although at some races, like Turkey and China, we have our own driver.

Q: How do you like to spend the hour or so before the race? Any superstitions or pre-race rituals you always go through to bring you luck?
JT: I have a short sleep and then I do some stretches and get into my overalls in time to take the car to the grid 30 minutes before the race starts. I don’t have any superstitions but I generally go to the bathroom soon after I have taken the car to the grid - I find that is a good strategy!

Q: Do you have a lucky charm?
JT: No.

Q: What do you do to stay calm as you’re sat on the grid awaiting the formation lap?
JT: I have a programme of mental exercises which I do all year round with the team doctor, Dr Ceccarelli, so I am well prepared for this moment. I just try to think about what I am doing and try not to make any mistakes on the formation lap, because if you are not concentrating then you never know what can happen.

Q: How do you wind down after the race?
JT: That’s quite easy. I talk to my engineers and we discuss what happened, then after that, the race for me is finished and I don’t worry about it; my focus is on the next race. I take a shower and change into more comfortable clothes, and then I am calm. I just have a chat to my manager and any friends at the track and probably I am a bit hungry so I will eat something.

Q: If things don’t go your way and you retire early, do you prefer to get away as soon as possible, or hang out and watch the rest of the race?
JT: If that happens I stay at the track and watch the rest of the race. That way I have the chance to do a proper debrief with my engineers when the race has finished.

Exclusive - Theissen on KERS, Valencia and BMW

otolive (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:01:00 +0000

The Hungarian Grand Prix was a race to forget for BMW Sauber. For a team that had surprised the paddock by leading the constructors’ championship earlier in the season, their Budapest performance came as a bitter blow. BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen may not yet understand the reasons for the poor showing, but he is determined the team

will improve over the summer break. Theissen is also being kept busy with preparations for the arrival of KERS in '09 - and for a new track at the forthcoming European Grand Prix. Here he explains more…

Q: Mario, in comparison to your recent podium results, Hungary was not a great race for BMW Sauber. What happened?
Mario Theissen: Well, this race has to be seen differently. Our performance on Friday was reasonable, the performance on Saturday in qualifying was good to very good, but our performance in the race was completely different. It looked like we weren’t there, that the race went on without us. At no point did Robert (Kubica) or Nick (Heidfeld) come close to the lap times they did in qualifying. And I have to admit that I don’t know the reason yet. What we certainly will look into is the equation of car, set-up, tyres and track conditions. If you look at Robert’s qualifying time he should have been able to fight at the front but in reality, in certain phases of the race, he was the slowest car on the track. What happened in the race was completely unexpected.

Q: Robert said that even on the first lap it was bad, but during the race it went from bad to worse. How did it look to you from the pit wall?
MT: It was the same for all of us.

Q: Could it be that the Hungaroring simply isn’t BMW Sauber’s track?
MT: I would not agree with that. In the last two years we have been on the podium, so there must be another explanation behind this disappointing performance. We were not just slow, we were also inconsistent. Like at Ferrari, we also witnessed that one car was doing much better than the other. There was something out there that we did not understand.

Q: BMW Sauber has now been relegated to third place in the constructors’ championship. Do you think you can regain your second position?
MT: Based on the performance and points yield of the Budapest weekend, you’d say certainly not. But naturally we will not twiddle our thumbs, as we still have developments in the pipeline - aerodynamic as well as mechanical - and we will definitely not stop the development of the F1.08 because of one unsatisfying result.

Q: Not so long ago one of your drivers seemed to be in trouble - now it seems it is the car…
MT: Well, Nick’s qualifying was certainly not what he had expected and it was the reason why he could not score points in the race. But what we saw in the race definitely had nothing to do with the drivers.

Q: Robert was on a two-stop strategy, while Nick was one-stopping. In reality, neither made much difference…
MT: The two stops were absolutely the right strategy for Robert, whereas in Nick’s case we opted for a one stop, reasoning that if we saw a safety-car phase, he would have the chance to move closer to the front. Without a safety car, however, it was quite clear that he would not be able to score points.

Q: There were two team principal meetings last week: one in Maranello and one during the Budapest weekend, with KERS one of the main topics. Regarding its introduction next year, is it still the case that three teams are behind it 100 percent, two teams are 50-50 and five teams are against it?
MT: That is not entirely wrong.

Q: You are fully supportive of KERS and its introduction next year. Do you understand why some teams are hesitant?
MT: Yes, I can understand them. There are reasons that have to be considered. On the one hand is the safety aspect and it goes without saying that we will not run KERS unless we are sure that those problems have been solved - and I am very confident that this will be the case. On the other hand there are financial aspects. And here I can understand the viewpoint of the independent teams, as for them KERS means an additional financial burden. But I would not consider this to be an argument for manufacturer teams because the development would continue even if we postponed KERS for one year. A technical development has never got cheaper by postponing it. And there is another side to the matter, which is immensely important even though it is not openly discussed, about the competitiveness of being with or without KERS. That issue must not be underestimated.

Q: Some of the independent teams fear that KERS could be a performance differentiator. Do you share these fears?
MT: I am not sure about that because even some of the manufacturer teams rely on the same supplier, who also offers the product to the independent teams.

Q: Valencia is the next stop on the Formula One calendar. It is virgin soil for all the teams. How do you prepare for such a situation?
MT: Before looking at a new race we will have to analyze what happened this weekend. But of course we will do anything possible to analyze a totally unfamiliar track. We have a track map and we can estimate how fast it is and which aero-settings it requires, but there will be more questions marks than usual before we drive there for the first time on the Friday. I expect much more action on the track during the Friday sessions than is usually the case.