motogp

2011-09-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

Photo: The fall of Rossi @ Aragon

and do not chew again getsDOCTOR

2011-04-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

2011-04-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Texas lands MotoGP from 2013

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Ten-year deal signed for new Circuit of the Americas™ in Austin includes the three classes of the MotoGP World Championship.

Dorna Sports, S.L., 3FourTexasMGP, LLC and Full Throttle Productions, LP are pleased to announce the historic signing of a ten-year contract bringing MotoGP to the new Circuit of the Americas™ facility in Austin, Texas, from 2013.

This agreement includes the three categories of the World Championship; the MotoGP class - the pinnacle of motorcycling - Moto2 and Moto3.

The addition of a ten-year MotoGP deal is coupled with the already scheduled ten-year deal to host the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™, for which the Circuit of the Americas™ in Austin, Texas is currently under construction.

Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, S.L. said: “We are delighted to be adding the Circuit of the Americas™ to the MotoGP calendar. It’s an honour to expand our Championship to Texas, which has a rich history of producing World Championship riders. We have had a wonderful and special relationship with Kevin (Schwantz) for 20 years and often talked about a mutual dream of increasing the popularity of MotoGP in the U.S. and raising our already successful worldwide profile. Now, with what Tavo Hellmund (Managing Partner of Full Throttle Productions) is doing in Austin, we have realised that situation and are looking forward to this new venture together. The ten-year agreement is a sign of our confidence and commitment to the future success of MotoGP racing in Austin.”

“For me this is a dream come true, that the MotoGP World Championship will be in my home state of Texas. I am such a believer in the sport and know how popular motorcycling is in Texas. I am sure that this will be a resounding long term success,” stated Mr. Kevin Schwantz, Manager of 3FourTexas MGP and LLC, and the 1993 FIM MotoGP World Champion.

Mr. Hellmund, who has worked hard to bring MotoGP to Texas, stated: “We are extremely pleased to add the best motorcycle World Championship to our annual schedule. This is a fantastic opportunity for the State of Texas and this region and I believe it is the first time in American Motorsports history that both the car and motorbike World Championships are held at the same facility annually. We are very proud of becoming the United States international facility for motorsports.”

“Kevin and I have been close friends for a long time and I enjoy a great relationship with Carmelo. I respect so much what they (Dorna) and the FIM have done for MotoGP globally. It’s going to be great for the State, the product is fantastic and you never know, we may even have a reigning Texan in Ben Spies as World Champion for our first event… that would be icing on the cake” concluded Mr. Hellmund.

Construction of the new facility is progressing well and is scheduled for completion sometime in mid 2012, in time for the first Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™.

2011-04-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hayden completes GP12 Test at Jerez

The Ducati Team rider participated in the first track Test of the Desmosedici GP12, riding on Saturday after team-mate Valentino Rossi had done so the previous day.

Nicky Hayden first run with the Ducati Desmosedici GP12

The final day of testing at Jerez de la Frontera did not get started until 1pm local time on Saturday, due to unfavourable weather conditions that greeted the Ducati Team on its arrival at the circuit. High humidity that bordered on rain made riding on the track impractical until lunchtime, when the sun came out and thoroughly dried the asphalt.

Nicky Hayden was therefore able to try the GP12, just as his team-mate Valentino Rossi had done on Friday, and he quickly made up for lost time, lapping almost continuously until he had completed 61 laps.

“When I woke up this morning, the sky was really grey and the track was completely wet,” said Hayden. “I was pretty disappointed. I didn’t think we’d be able to do anything because it wouldn’t have made sense to waste a day testing in those conditions. The situation got better and better though, and after lunch I was able to put on my leathers. I couldn’t wait to ride, and it was worth the wait.”

“It’s an honour to be able to participate in the first track test of the GP12 because it doesn’t happen very often that you get to ride a bike on the track for the first time: it’s a special feeling. Everything went well, and we didn’t have a single problem. The motor is really nice to use, and I had a lot of fun riding the bike. I hope I gave some useful feedback to Filippo and the boys. I know they’ll be working on this bike while we go back to focusing on the next race, because this season has just started.”

“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone at Ducati,” said Filippo Preziosi. “Thanks to their hard work and expertise, it was possible to carry out three days of trouble-free testing and complete nearly a thousand kilometres with the GP12 on its track debut. Having received consistent feedback about the bike from four different riders puts us in a position to efficiently continue the development process, because we can prioritise the work we have left to carry out.”

2011-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

2011-04-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

2011-04-09T23:59:00.001-07:00

Excerpt Permintaaf Sorry Rossi To Stoner After Racing At Jerez

Sport News - Casey Stoner reap failure rates in Jerez is not free from mistakes made by Valentino Rossi. Both were involved in a conversation after the race. What?

In the race in Jerez, a reporter witnessed the entire process detikSport Andi A Sururi of locations on Sunday (03/04/2011), Stoner and Rossi involved duel on lap 8.

It was Rossi tried to overtake Stoner from the inside corner, to occupy the second position.However, the effort was not perfect and Rossi fell off the motorcycle.

The incident was then negatively affect the right to Stoner is on the left side of Rossi. Join Stoner fell off the bike.

After the fall, Rossi was able to continue the race and even finish in the top five positions. While Stoner's fate is far worse because they can not continue so that the hollow figure.

Immediately after the race, the Ducati rider who feel guilty and then search for Stoner to the Honda pit. There Rossi was involved in talks with Stoner, after both seen shaking hands.

2011-04-09T23:55:00.001-07:00

Cal Cruthclow : Balapan Terhebat Sepanjang Hidupnya

Sport News - Cal Crutchlow baru melakoni dua seri dalam kariernya di MotoGP. Namun, dia merasa MotoGP Spanyol akhir pekan lalu adalah balapan "tergila" sepanjang hidupnya.

Crutchlow adalah debutan dalam kompetisi MotoGP musim ini. Dia direkrut oleh tim Monster Yamaha Tech 3 untuk menggantikan posisi Ben Spies yang hijrah ke tim utama Yamaha.

Start dari posisi kesembilan, Crutchlow sempat masuk lima besar, namun terjatuh pada lap ke-12. Dia tak menyerah dan mampu melanjutkan balapan. Kegagalan Ben Spies dan Colin Edwards melanjutkan balapan akhirnya membuat pembalap Inggris ini finish di peringkat kedelapan.

"Ini adalah balapan tergila yang pernah saya ikuti selama hidup saya," cetus Crutchlow, di situs resmi MotoGP.

"Itu adalah balapan yang panjang, 27 lap. Itu sangat menghibur karena semuanya terjadi," sambung pembalap 25 tahun itu.

"Saya terjatuh tapi juga finish kedelapan, di mana itu satu tingkat lebih baik daripada saatstart. Itu tak terlalu buruk," ujarnya.

Crutchlow mengakui bahwa dirinya, juga para pembalap lain, berjuang keras untuk tetap melaju dengan ban basah Bridgestone dalam kondisi lintasan yang mulai mengering.

"Dengan kondisi basah pada awal balapan, itu sempurna. Tapi saat (lintasan) mulai mengering, itu lebih licin," urai mantan pembalap Superbike itu.

"Saya lebih memilih hujan terus berlangsung sepanjang balapan. Tapi, dengan motor MotoGP dan ban Bridgestone ini, mereka membersihkan permukaan air begitu cepat. Tapi itu sama untuk semua orang," tambahnya.

"(Seri selanjutnya di) Estoril akan bagus sepanjang saya bisa mempelajari sirkuit seperti yang saya lakukan (di Jerez), dan kita akan lihat apa yang bisa saya lakukan," simpulnya.

2011-04-09T23:52:00.001-07:00

Operasi Pedrosa Sukses

Barcelona - Operasi yang dijalani Dani Pedrosa untuk memulihkan lengan kirinya berlangsung sukses. Rider Honda itu akan istirahat di rumah sakit selama 48 jam ke depan.

"Dani Pedrosa telah menjalani operasi di Teknon Medical Centre di Barcelona untuk dekompresi terhadap arteri subklavia sebelah kiri dan diharapkan proses pemulihannya bisa berjalan dengan memuaskan," demikian keterangan dari Honda di situs resmi MotoGP, Rabu (6/4/2011) sore WIB.

Operasi ini dilakukan untuk memulihkan kekuatan lengan kiri pembalap Spanyol tersebut. Seperti diberitakan sebelumnya, Pedrosa dididagnosis mengalami kompresi intermiten pada pembuluh darah subklavia yang menyebabkan dia kehilangan kekuatan pada lengan kiri.

Ini bisa jadi merupakan efek samping dari patah tulang selangka yang dialami Pedrosa akibat kecelakaan dalam latihan MotoGP Jepang tahun lalu. Meski dia sudah dioperasi pada bulan Oktober 2010 silam, kondisinya belum 100 persen pulih.

"Dalam rangka menghilangkan kompresi arterial, plat titanium dan screw yang dipasang di tulang selangka Pedrosa kami lepas. Di bagian subklavia juga dilakukan pemisahan dari jaringan fibrosis yang mengelilingi ruang costoclavicular. Pada saat yang sama, angiografi intraoperatif dengan pendekatan transfemoral minimal invasif mengkonfirmasi kembalinya aliran subklavia," demikian keterangan Honda.

Operasi tersebut dipimpin oleh dr César García-Madrid ahli bedah vascular dan dr Joaquim Casañas yang merupakan ahli bedah ortopedis dan spesialis menangani trauma.

Pedrosa punya cukup banyak waktu untuk memulihkan diri pasca operasi. Dia diuntungkan dengan ditundanya MotoGP Jepang akibat bencana gempa dan tsunami. Setelah MotoGP Spanyol di Jerez, seri berikutnya adalah MotoGP Portugal di Estoril pada 1 Mei 2011.

"Dani Pedrosa akan tetap berada di rumah sakit untuk 48 jam ke depan untuk melanjutkan perawatan dengan analgesia dan anti-pembengkakan. Pekan depan dia akan bertemu dokter untuk memutuskan seperti apa proses rehabilitasi yang haruis dijalani, terkait dengan persiapan menuju GP Portugal di Estoril pada 1 Mei."

2011-04-09T23:51:00.001-07:00

Abu Dhabi Siap Menjadi Tuan Rumah MotoGP 2013

Sport News - Abu Dhabi menyatakan siap menggelar balapan MotoGP pada tahun 2013. Fasilitas di sirkuit Yas Marina sudah memenuhi syarat dan tinggal menunggu otoritas yang berwenang memberikan jadwal balapan kepada mereka.

Setelah dua musim terakhir menjadi tempat adu cepat 'Jet Darat', sirkuit Yas Marina semakin serius berniat jadi tuan rumah gelaran MotoGP. Hal tersebut diungkapkan oleh bos sirkuit Richard Cregan, November silam.

Ketika itu sirkuit Yas Marina dikritik lantaran kurang memberikan ruang cukup untuk menyalip lawan. Cregan mengatakan bahwa pembenahan terus dilakukan demi tersajinya balapan yang seru di sana.

Dalam perkembangan selanjutnya, Cregan mengatakan bahwa Sirkuit Yas Marina sudah siap untuk menggelar MotoGP dan hanya tinggal tunggu penetapan waktu saja dari otoritas yang berwenang.

"Kami aktif berdiskusi dengan MotoGP seperti yang sudah kami katakan sebelumnya. Keputusan paling besar adalah kami bisa menggelar balapan MotoGP tahun 2012 atau 2013," ujar Cregan seperti dikutip dari media online Uni Emirat Arab, The National, Selasa (7/4/2011).

Cregan mengatakan bahwa pihaknya ingin menggelar MotoGP di tahun 2013. Pasalnya sepanjang tahun ini dan tahun depan, mereka masih memiliki agenda lain seperti mengembangkan sekolah balap dan juga gelaran drag race.

"Jujur saja, kami mengincar MotoGP musim 2013. Kurun waktu tersebut memberi kami 'ruang untuk bernapas' bagi kegiatan yang sudah kami mulai seperti sekolah balap dan juga drag race, serta lisensi NHRA (National Hod Rod Association)."

"Kegiatan-kegiatan itu berlangsung dengan baik. Kami membutuhkan waktu lagi untuk mengembangkan kegiatan tadi, dan kemudian di tahun 2013 kami bisa menggelar MotoGP. Idealnya seperti itu," tuntas dia.

Ducati Night: Hero Welcome to the Vale

2011-03-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

30.000 cheered and chanted rhythmically Vale, Vale, Vale ... H Piazza Maggiore in Bologna city center turned into a big a sea of faces, with more than 30.000 fans of Ducati and Rossi to dance to the rhythms of rock band opened the show. After an Italian comedian took to spread laughter and got a lot of applause. After some hours of music, around 11 pm local time, began to climb on stage the members of Team Ducati, with Filippo Praziosi to get the biggest applause. When the two got Desmosedici GP11 before the crowd began to be in ecstasies, as Hayden and Rossi came on the scene in their racing bikes. When Valentino took his helmet was bedlam, with people loudly «Vale, Vale, Vale ...» In the end after the customary greetings and questions, the Vale took the shirt and threw it into the crowd. This is how he finished the great celebration of Ducati with the Italians to celebrate the arrival of Rossi on the red team, but to expect much in them, trying to be patient!

Ducati Night: Rossi: day by day I feel better

2011-03-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ducati Night: Rossi: day by day I feel better

The Valentino the face of the event "It was nice feeling that I went this morning at the factory. It is different from previous years. Now I work with Italians. Day by day I feel better with the bike. The Filippo (Preziosi) is a genius and I want to become competitive as soon as possible. Should be improved because the moment I'm not 100%. The Desmosedici is very different from other bikes and I'm curious to see how we go. In the first races this year we're going defensively, "was the main statements of Valentino Rossi in press conference on the occasion of the feast of the Ducati, the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna. "The Desmosedici is very fast, very strong acceleration. You work in electronics and will work with the context and weight distribution, the more we understand the bike. I feel more responsibility to win the championship and I want to turn this liability into energy to do better. I will use this extra pressure to win. Opponents are now stronger than ever, but I have motivation, "added in response to questions. The Nicky Hayden on his part said: "I have great expectations for this year. I know that the season will be difficult, especially after the second test in Sepang, which did not go well. I respect the Valentino Rossi and I want to deal with the track. The GP11 is a little better all the GP10, but I did not go very well in Malaysia and others have made great progress. " At this point, our envoy Dimitri Diatsidis (the only Greek who was invited to this celebration), Filippo Preziosi asked whether he fears that it may "spoil" a recipe to Stoner hands win to make it more evloodigiti for the sake of Valentino, to get a response: "Our challenge is to make the bike to win again, with another driver! We are not afraid to do tests with the fork of 42 mm. The Nicky already tried but did not see any difference. We want to try and Valentino. But anyway no big difference in the stiffness of the whole. We want to have that in the circumstances and some tracks that suit, drivers have the option to use it. " Asked colleague in relation to the competition the big head of Ducati said: «H Honda is a big step forward. The Honda is a major manufacturer with a tradition and 500cc and MotoGP, where he was a protagonist. Our job is to try to reach. " These were the main points of the interview, followed by a sumptuous dinner at the palace «Re Enzo». Soon after came the big party in the square, which was attended by more than 30.000 fans of Ducati and Rossi! At some time pictures from this party!

Sepang, Day 2: Statements Honda

2011-02-23T22:15:00.001-08:00

Latest News 24/02/2011

What did the actors In previous news will read about the performance of riders Repsol Honda. Let's see what we said at the end of the day. Casey Stoner: "We tried many different things, including the new fork and shock. With this created intense vibrations. In most of the day we changed the suspension settings, the frame and fork but nothing seemed to satisfy us. However, it is essential to do these tests now, before the Championship. Now we begin to understand how the new framework behaves and tomorrow we will do more tests. However, the new fork I can brake better and slower. As I said, this causes many vibrations which, however, managed and reduced somewhat by the end of the day. " Dani Pedrosa: "Today we tested mainly in suspension. The new fork allows me to have better feel and improved braking and feel the rear wheel and I'm happy with the work of the people of Ohlins. Also, we tried various settings in the new framework to be able to judge what I prefer. However, both frames are good and should think twice before deciding what to use. The bike responds very well to what we applied, but only the first race may find advantage in and failing. Yamaha is very close to us and must be careful. " Andrea Dovisizo (photo) "I repeat, but I'm very happy! It was a surprise to me when I did the first testing time 2 ': 00'9, and today I 2': 05 '.0, which is also good. Usually I'm not so quick (in testing) and that means I have become more competitive. Today the state of the track was better than yesterday and it is good that we improved our times compared with those of the first Test here, while our competitors have done the same. I did a lot of new settings, and tomorrow will try to make a simulation game. "

Sepang: O Rossi ill does not

2011-02-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

Latest News 23/02/2011 - 9:35

With a fever that Valentino, returned to the hotel The virus that wanders Europe appears to be in Malaysia and after yesterday's flu Cal Crutchlow, o Valentino Rossi got a fever today. After his visit to clinica Mobile decided not to participate in the current tests and went back to his hotel, the Pan Pacific. O Crutchlow on the part of today is much better than yesterday, noting he fell twice! So there is hope that the action will be followed today by Rossi, may tomorrow, the last day of the test to turn on the track. Moreover, it is very important this test for himself and his team and is big enough loss to Today, which had planned to put soft tires and to see who can get in terms of year

MOTOGP » Pedrosa to make independent chassis choice

2011-02-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Dani Pedrosa's chassis choice won't be influenced by the decision of his Repsol Honda team-mates. Dani Pedrosa says it doesn't matter to him which type of chassis is chosen by Repsol Honda team-mates Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso. Pedrosa and Stoner are still finding it hard to chose between the two options available - and there are now just three days of pre-season testing remaining; tomorrow's final day at Sepang and then the Qatar test. “I tested the two chassis options again today. It's hard to say [which is better]. Both give a good feeling and it's hard to have a clear choice,” said Pedrosa, speaking at Sepang on Wednesday evening. “I have to think about it, because it's a very important decision and I still have no preference,” confirmed the 2010 title runner-up. Pedrosa, like Stoner, wants to make a decision as soon as possible. If one of the Repsol Honda riders chooses a different chassis to the others, it could complicate machine development and reduce the amount of sharable set-up data. On the other hand, going in a different direction to the others - and making it work - would allow one Repsol rider to gain an advantage over the others. Crash.net asked Pedrosa if he would take the chassis choice of his team-mates into account when making his own decision - and if he thought it mattered, in terms of development, if the Repsol Honda riders use different chassis designs this season. “I don't know, ask HRC! I think this is just a rider's choice. If they offer 'this or this' [chassis option] then I think the decision is up to the feeling of each rider,” replied Pedrosa, “Honda already said it is not a problem. They will develop [both chassis during the season, if needed]” added a Repsol Honda spokeswoman.

2011-02-23T06:06:00.001-08:00

MOTOGP » Q&A: Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati team manager) "Even with Valentino at 80% everything is possible" - Vittoriano Guareschi. Vittoriano Guareschi holds a unique position in the MotoGP paddock, being both test rider and team manager for the Ducati Marlboro Team. The transition from rider to team manager came at the end of 2009, when Livio Suppo moved to Honda, and Guareschi now has the pleasure - and pressure - of overseeing MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi's first season on a Desmosedici. Giving the seven time MotoGP champion the bike he wants has been made harder by the Italian's shoulder surgery, and then sickness today, during day two of the second Sepang test. But Ducati and Guareschi remain confident... Q: Vitto, first of all tell us about your riding career before becoming team manager? Vittoriano Guareschi: I began racing in the 125cc Italian Championship in 1988. Many years ago! After ten years in Italian Championship, 125cc and 600, I started in Supersport and rode in the world championship in '97 and '98, when I finished second in the championship twice and won four times. I rode in World Superbike in '99 and 2000 before coming back to Supersport in 2001, which is when I started my career with the Ducati factory, racing the 748. Then in 2002 the MotoGP project began. Filippo [Preziosi] and many others asked me if I wanted to start testing the MotoGP bike. I took this opportunity so that I could stay close to Ducati, because it is such an important historical factory in Italy. So I started this MotoGP testing job in 2002 and I haven't finished, because I still test now. Next month I will test the bike again. Q: What do you remember most about your time as a Ducati MotoGP test rider? Vittoriano Guareschi: The most important moment was the first time that I rode the MotoGP bike. In June 2002. Q: Were you the very first person to ride the Desmosedici? Vittoriano Guareschi: Yes! The first. Q: What did you think after the first lap on the bike? Vittoriano Guareschi: I don't know if it was some luck or just because we have very, very good engineering, but the bike was immediately incredible. Very, very good. A lot of torque and power. It was a monster! After that first test the bike developed a lot, engine firing order, many things. It was a really interesting time. Then, at the group IRTA test 'time attack' session at Barcelona, when Loris [Capirossi] set the best lap time, I thought 'whoa, I did a good job!'

MOTOGP » Dovizioso close to solving Honda instability?

2011-02-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

"We made a big improvement with the electronic system to control how the engine works during braking. Last year we never made a big difference like this" - Andrea Dovizioso. Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso couldn't hide his delight at finally making a clear breakthrough with what he feels is the RCV's last significant weakness; a lack of stability - or rear-wheel hopping - under braking. Movement under braking has been an issue ever since the original 990cc version of the RCV, and all three factory Repsol Honda riders pinpointed it as the biggest area for further improvement after the first Sepang test earlier this month. The trio - Dovizioso, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa - indicated it would take new parts to cure, but a change to the electronics did the trick for Dovizioso on Tuesday's opening day of the second Sepang test. “I'm really happy because we made a big improvement with the electronic system to control the engine brake, and how the engine works during braking,” said the 2009 Donington Park race winner. “Last year we never made a big difference like this. “The bike is much more stable and I'm very happy. We didn't fix everything but we improved a lot. It is a big, big improvement just through set-up. The HRC engineers have worked very well. “Turn seven is still a problem, because when you don't work the clutch [downshift] the problem stays the same as it was last year and at the first test here. This is still a bad point, but in all the other braking areas, where you need to shift down, we have improved the stability a lot.” Stoner said that he didn't work further on the 'hopping', having spent plenty of time on it at the first test. Pedrosa did try electronic changes on Tuesday, but without the same level of success as Dovizioso. “In the morning I was trying some electronics to improve the entry and exit of the corner... So-so,” said the 2010 title runner-up. “Hopping is really hard to fix,” he added. “Some other things are easier to get done.” Stoner and Pedrosa were first and second on Tuesday, with Dovizioso fifth. Honda riders have led all four days of 2011 testing to date.

Repsol Honda trio dominate day two timesheet in Malaysia

2011-02-23T04:34:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso were the three fastest riders on Wednesday, with the first two riding under Valentino Rossi’s 2009 circuit best lap record. The Ducati rider was unable to take to the track due to illness.

Day two at the official MotoGP Test at Sepang ended with the RC212V having once more displayed its pre-season strength, as Repsol Honda trio Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso took the three top positions on the timesheet.

With the heat having intensified and the track temperature reaching over 60ºC at one stage, the riders and teams worked hard to make the most of the second of the three days. After Pedrosa had already bettered Valentino Rossi’s 2009 Sepang circuit best lap by almost three-tenths with a 2’00.229 in the morning, Stoner stole the best time with his 42nd and final lap of the day, registering a 2’00.171 and heightening expectations that the 2’00” barrier could well be broken tomorrow (Thursday) if conditions permit.

With Stoner and Pedrosa having taken the top two spots Dovizioso slotted into third with an effort of 2’00.531, whilst Yamaha Factory Racing pair Ben Spies (2’00.824) and World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (2’00.931) were the final two under 2’01” for the day as they placed their M1 machines inside the top five. Spies’ day ended with a non-consequential crash at Turn 7.

A notable absence on day two was Rossi, who was eventually unable to ride at all on Wednesday due to illness. The Ducati Team rider, who yesterday came in ninth fastest, attended the circuit in the morning but returned to his hotel to rest in a bid to be fit for the third and final day.

Back on track the San Carlo Honda Gresini bikes of Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama continue the RC212V theme, making it five inside the top seven. Working on suspension settings to improve braking stability, an issue which has been highlighted by a number of Honda riders, Simoncelli was the final rider within a second of Stoner as he posted a 2’01.033. Aoyama, riding to find out if major changes made the day before brought any significant benefit, was fractionally over four-tenths off his team-mate.

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) and Álvaro Bautista completed the top ten, the Rizla Suzuki rider’s day having been interrupted by illness. He managed 35 laps nevertheless, with a best time of 2’02.035.

The sole factory Ducati rider on track Nicky Hayden worked on the setting of his GP11 and set a best time of 2’02.208, with Pramac Racing’s Desmosedicis belonging to Randy de Puniet and Loris Capirossi closely matched.

Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing), who had a fall right at the end of the day, Toni Elías (LCR Honda) and Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the timesheet, which you can view by

The clutch is the "secret" of the Honda;

2011-02-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

Latest News 23/02/2011 - 14:23

A "controversy" has erupted on the Internet * VIP (Very Important Post) According to a report in the Italian site «Sportmediaset», the secret to dominance of the Honda riders in Sepang tests is that the Japanese use expertise from the double-clutch gearbox. The text of the website stated that "once they have motorcycle production dual-clutch gearbox DCT (H Honda VFR 1200) - as used in motor of the group Volkswagen - it's easy to imagine that this knowledge is applied and the race motorcycles. It seems that Honda has a new type of clutch, which, however, is in conformity with the regulations. Please note that regulations prohibiting the use of dual-clutch gearbox. At present, no official announcement from Honda for the published

Sepang Day 2: 3 Honda ahead, "it's raining feathers!" Latest News

2011-02-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

23/02/2011

New absolute record for the track Pedrosa! H Honda has once again demonstrated the strength of this year, with three drivers in the Repsol Honda in the top three and with terrible times. Once the fourth round of the morning, Dani Pedrosa 2:00.229 noted, time is absolutely new track record, well below the 2:00.518 he had made in 2009 by Rossi. O Casey Stoner in fourth round also stopped the clock at 2:00.342, and this time under the Italian. The third group of works Honda, o Andrea Dovizioso in 2:00.531 wrote this year in the 8th round and finished the morning dominance of HRC, which may change only at the end of the day, yet still 3 hours until 6 afternoon in Malaysia and the end of the second day. The fourth driver of the factory Honda, o Marco Simoncelli was the fastest of the first test on the same track in early February, is in sixth position, a difference of 0.931 from the top, while teammate in the Team Gresini Honda, o Hiroshi Aoyama is seventh, completing 5 Honda on top 7. "Brechei wings" in Malaysia, as it is telling the fans of the big company to mark the wing. Two Yamaha, Jorge Lorenzo of Ben Spies and interrupt the party of "feathers" in positions 4 and 5 with the works of the American team of "pitch" to be 0.107 seconds quicker than his Spanish World Champion. In eighth place another Yamaha M1, with Colin Edwards, but in 1509 of a second behind Pedrosa, big difference. The tester's Yamaha, which currently do not know who he is, is in ninth place, ahead of Alvaro Bautista of the Suzuki's in 1921 behind the top shows provlimatisenos. Similarly, the Ducati is not in any way a good psychology, since Nicky Hayden in 11th place, is 1979, almost two seconds from Honda! O Valentino Rossi, as we wrote in previous reports, does not now and the other Ducati, the Barbera, De Puniet, Capirossi, Abraham followed in positions 12-15. So defeat for the Italian company at the moment! Defeat for World Champion Moto2 Toni Elias is just 17th 2712 by far the first and only ahead by Cal Crutchlow but they had a fever yesterday and today is just a little better. In three hours we finished the second story of the penultimate day of official testing at the track in Sepang.

Aoyama leads day one Gresini effort

2011-02-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

The Japanese rider was marginally quicker than his Italian team-mate Marco Simoncelli as the Sepang Test got underway on Tuesday. It was a positive first day for the Team San Carlo Honda Gresini riders at Sepang, where the second off-season MotoGP test is taking place. Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama completed 73 laps as he worked hard doing comparative tests between various technical solutions for the set-up of his Honda RC212V. Marco Simoncelli had a good day on the pace and got through some useful work without searching for the fast lap time. ‘Super Sic’ and his team were satisfied in view of the heavy work schedule planned for tomorrow. He was not worried about the second that separates him from the fastest rider having not used the soft tyre, and is certain of being on the right path to keep himself amongst the front runners of the class going into the new season. Hiroshi Aoyama - 7th, 2’01.939: “I did a lot of laps and a lot of work today. I did lots of comparisons and found a different feeling with the bike and in the end I felt much better with the technical parts that I’d already been using. Tomorrow I will continue to work hard but it’s certainly not easy to find a good feeling with the new options so we will see! In any case, it was an interesting day figuring out which direction to take so that we can make the most of the season that is fast approaching.” Marco Simoncelli - 8th, 2’01.996: “We’ve picked up from where we left it at the last test 20 days ago here at Sepang. Track conditions were not optimal today and in any case, I’ve not tried for a fast lap time, we were focused doing lots of different tests. We tried several set-ups and electronic settings, which we will continue to work on tomorrow. I’m quite happy because with twenty laps on the tyres I was still able to lap around the 2’02” mark. Honestly speaking, we are a bit behind the front-runners with about a second’s gap, but I am confident nonetheless because I didn’t use the softest tyre. In terms of pace, we’re not far off the best, so I’m happy with that."

Crutchlow takes positives from tough first day

2011-02-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider was battling the remnants of the effects of food poisoning on Tuesday, as he tackled the opening day of the Sepang Test. Crutchlow takes positives from Sepang day one Cal Crutchlow’s first day at the official MotoGP Test at Sepang was a particularly tough one for the British rookie, who was still recovering from the aftermath of a bout of food poisoning in the sweltering Malaysian heat. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider continued his adaptation to the YZR-M1 as he prepares for his debut season in MotoGP, and a slow speed crash towards the end of the session persuaded him to call an end to his day having completed 36 laps. “It was a stupid crash in the first-gear hairpin!” said Crutchlow in the attached interview. “It has been difficult here today.” Despite his fall and weakened physical condition Crutchlow still managed to get within 0.219s of his best time of the entire Test at the same circuit three weeks ago. “Coming out here for the second time we’ve gone at a good speed and just as fast as the last Test, and consistently at the same speed, which is good,” said Crutchlow, who posted a 2’02.936 on Tuesday. “We’re just trying to work on a few things because changing a lot of things at once for me is really the main focus. I have to change the braking, the clutch control, the corner speed… everything from a normal production bike to a GP bike. So I’m trying to get everything to link in.” Commenting on where he thinks the key to taking the next step may lie, Crutchlow continued: “I think we know the area, it may be my positioning on the bike and that may have been the reason why we had the crash. I keep complaining about the same thing over and over again. But I’m not too worried about that, I think we’ll be able to show some speed over the next couple of days and continue the Test.” Talking about the physical issue that had dogged him in the intense Malaysian heat, Crutchlow added: “We decided to stop today because I was still feeling a bit dodgy with the stomach from the poisoning. I ate some bad food on the plane and for one day I was just completely sick, and now I’m feeling a bit drained. I’ve had to have a drip for some rehydration, especially with the heat being 45ºC, and that’s not so good after being sick for a day!”

2011-02-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

Abraham reviews Sepang start Tuesday, 23 February 2011

The MotoGP rookie assessed the opening day of the Sepang Test. Abraham continuing GP11 adaptation Karel Abraham completed 46 laps on board his Ducati Desmosedici GP11 and set best time of 2’03.167 on Tuesday at the Sepang Test. The Czech rider also experienced a non-consequential fall around midday: “It was small crash and I am okay,“ said Abraham, who was not satisfied with his performance. “There are still some places at the track where I know I can go faster,“ added the Cardion AB Motoracing rider, whose team would like to fix a problem with traction of the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 on Wednesday. “Due to the slippery surface we had problems with the traction of the bike, especially in the corner exit. We found something and we hope that it will help us tomorrow,“ concluded Abraham.

Sepang, Day 1: Declarations Ducati

2011-02-22T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ikanopoiimenoi by Rossi and Hayden The Valentino Rossi started well this morning and some time was in the top six. After the tests the first day was in ninth place and completed 53 laps. The Italian rider said: Valentino Rossi: "We can be satisfied from the first day of testing and we were one second behind the first, as we were during the previous test here. However, today we tried not to make good time at the end and did not use soft tires, as did others. In most of the day I was fifth or sixth and that was the goal we set at the outset. I still miss about three tenths on the tour because of my shoulder, but the rest (ten until you close the gap) is to reduce the work we do on the bike. Also, I am happy because I drove too hard on tires. Towards the end of the current test we chose two settings that we had in previous trials of Sepang and that means we have a good base to work from. " The Nikcy Hayden, who was 12th, said: "It's nice to come back here to evolve even further to GP11. In the morning we made various arrangements to confirm that what we learned last time was right. Everything went according to a program other than the fall I had at the end of the morning trials. It was hot and I lost the front of the bike, fortunately we move slowly and do not hit or wrecked. Today we had so many shocks, which is good, but it is a phenomenon that we must remove. They should find the settings to get better traction, so we have enough work. "

Sepang, Day 1: Declarations Honda

2011-02-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

Latest News 22/02/2011 - 17:13
Meet again to Honda team The Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovisiozo «showed its teeth" to their competitors from the beginning of the current tests and long hours were in the first three places in the ranking. After the tests indicated: Casey Stoner: "We had a really good day. From the beginning I felt comfortable on the bike and worked with the suspension settings and context-indeed, we did comparisons between different contexts. It's hard to say what is best. What if we made arrangements to post, the times were similar. We are very pleased with the progress we made and everything seems to work well. " Dani Pedrosa (photo) "Today we did a good job because it will probably rain tomorrow and we can not properly evaluate the data. In the morning we were testing the electronic systems to improve the behavior of the motorcycle at the entrance and exit of a turn, while the afternoon we worked on the context and the behavior of the bike when braking. At noon the temperature was high, leading to the sliding track, but we managed and we got the data we wanted. My shoulder is better than last time and has strengthen the practice. " Andrea Dovizioso: "I'm happy about the way we started these tests. Honda engineers have done a good job with the engine and electronic system has improved the feel of the bike the rear wheel. Been reduced vibration compared to the first test here. I am very pleased that we were quicker than the beginning. Although we tested tires of different composition, the times we were very similar. "