MotoGP Update

Aurin: ‘The key for Dani is to be a little more aggressive’

2015-02-13T13:56:00.003+01:00

After the Sepang 1 test, Dani Pedrosa’s new Crew Chief Ramon Aurin spoke about his new role and Pedrosa’s 2015 title hopes.

From the Malaysian circuit Aurin gave his thoughts to Spain's Movistar TV:

You have already started working with Dani Pedrosa, how have things gone so far?

"After three years without working as a crew chief something always escapes you, but hopefully by Qatar all will be well on track. Like a rider, I just need a bit of practice."

Has your work changed much?

"Last year I had a more technical role, whereas now it is more about coordination and decision making to get the bike set-up. There are days when you'd be more on the technical side and others where it is decision making or as a coordinator, but I accept it as it comes and I'm happy to be back."

You worked as crew chief with Andrea Dovizioso. Is there more pressure now?

"Maybe the first year with Dovi I had a lot of pressure because it is role that you have to learn. Dani is a rider who always fights for the title. To maintain this dynamic you have to do a good job."

How did the job offer come about? Was it from Dani or proposed by Honda directly?

"Because of circumstances, Mike Leitner decided to leave and various possibilities were assessed. I'm a Honda man and have been for a long time, I did this job with Dovi and I think he was happy. I wanted to know if Dani agreed because the relationship with the rider is very important. He said he was very happy with it and here we are."

Do you think Dani will be a title contender this year?

"The key for Dani to be champion is to be a little more aggressive. Last year he made good races from middle distance to the end. The regulations help the Open riders to be ahead in the opening laps, he is not so aggressive and being lighter it is harder for him to warm the tyres at the beginning, he just needs four or five laps to be on the pace, when others get on it in the second. That's where we need to improve, to be more aggressive at first, so I don’t know whether or not he’ll win, but for sure he will have more chance."

source : MotoGP.com

Ducati Desmosedici GP15 to be presented in Italy

2015-02-13T13:50:00.002+01:00

The Ducati Team to take part in the 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship will be presented on Monday (16th February) in Italy.

The presentation will take place at 11am on Monday at the Ducati Auditorium in Borgo Panigale. During the event, which has been organized in collaboration with Telecom Italia, the 2015 sporting activities will be presented and the team’s official riders Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone will pull the wraps off the highly-awaited Desmosedici GP15.

The riders will officially debut the machine on track at the Sepang 2 test from 23rd to 26th February.

source: MotoGP.com

Marquez nominated for Laureus award

2015-02-12T13:00:00.000+01:00

MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has been nominated for the main Laureus World Sports Award.

Last year the Spaniard won the Laureus Breakthrough Award after taking the 2013 MotoGP title, as the youngest ever rider to win the premier class title.

After retaining the title in 2014 he is now up for the main award for "Best Sportsman of the Year", with the likes of Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1), Novak Djokovic (Tennis), Rory McIlroy (Golf) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) also nominated.

The Laureus Foundation provides financial and practical support to over 150 projects related to education for young people living in deprived areas of the world. The result of the vote of the Laureus Awards and the awards ceremony will take place on 15th April in Shanghai.

source: MotoGP.com

MotoGP Legend Agostini honoured in Jerez

2015-02-12T10:00:00.000+01:00

Former 500cc World Champion Giacomo Agostini has been honoured in the Jerez Walk of Fame.

The Italian MotoGP™ Legend was inducted into the city’s new Walk of Fame as part of Jerez’s celebrations as the World Motorcycling Capital. Fellow MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto was the first rider to be inducted into the walk in January.

Officials from the city of Jerez and Agostini’s wife were alongside him as he unveiled his star, the second to have been created on the Walk of Fame.

Agostini is the most successful rider in the World Championship history with a total of 122 Grand Prix victories and 15 titles to his name, eight in the premier class and seven in the former 350cc category.

source: MotoGP.com

British Grand Prix to run at Silverstone

2015-02-12T03:04:00.002+01:00

Silverstone and Circuit of Wales have confirmed they have reached an agreement which will see Silverstone hosting the British GP in 2015.

The FIM have confirmed that Silverstone will be the host venue. The event will take place over the weekend of 28 – 30 August 2015 and the arrangement has secured the future of MotoGP™ racing in the UK following the recent announcement by Donington Park confirming that they will not be hosting the event.

Patrick Allen, Managing Director of Silverstone commented: "A lot of work has been done over recent years to ensure MotoGP™ fans enjoy what Silverstone has to offer and it was devastating for the venue to lose the event last autumn. Two wheel racing is as much a part of Silverstone’s heritage as four wheel racing and I am obviously delighted to be in a position to announce we are hosting both the F1™ and MotoGP™ Grand Prix in 2015."

"We have recently introduced a family friendly pricing policy for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix which is proving extremely popular and over the next two weeks I will be working closely with my team at Silverstone to launch a ticket model for MotoGP™ that I hope will be equally well received by fans."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers who have moved their event dates to enable us to accommodate MotoGP™."

Michael Carrick, Chief Executive of Circuit of Wales commented "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Silverstone to host the 2015 and 2016 British rounds of MotoGP™. We want to thank the new management at Silverstone, our partners at Dorna and our investors for the rapid response needed to support the 2015 event when it became clear that we would be unlikely to conclude the contractual arrangements at Donington. We are delighted to secure the future of the event for the next two years while our circuit in Wales is under construction. Today’s announcement ensures we will have the 2015 British Round of MotoGP™."

"We continue to advance our development activity on the Circuit of Wales and are focused on the upcoming public inquiry into the deregistration of the common land. We expect construction to commence once this inquiry has concluded."

source: MotoGP.com

Nico Terol to miss British Grand Prix

2014-08-23T19:00:00.000+02:00

The Mapfre Aspar rider will take time out to recover from physical issues that have dogged him all season.

Mapfre Aspar rider Nico Terol ended last season in good form, with three victories and a podium, despite some physical problems arising from premature muscle fatigue. This year Terol started out strongly during winter testing but once the season started the muscle fatigue returned and with eleven races already gone in the championship he has been advised by doctors to take a break from racing so that he can be properly examined again and treated.

The decision to follow the doctors' advice means that Terol will definitely miss the next round of the season, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Since he started with these symptoms Terol has been in the hands of Dr. Ángel Charte, head of the Internal Medicine team at the Instituto Universitario Dexeus and also part of the rapid response medical team at the MotoGP events. The rider has already undergone a host of examinations and over the next few days he will be subjected to an exhaustive run of tests to try and detect the cause of his muscle fatigue.

The decision to take this break in the middle of the season has been taken jointly by the Mapfre Aspar Team and Nico Terol. Terol has the full support of the team during the time he needs to make a full recuperation.

Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’: “It has been hard to take this decision alongside Nico and those closest to him but we have to accept that at the moment he is not 100% fit and the best thing for him is to recover. As a rider myself it hurts me to see my riders, and people that I have affection for, suffering with physical problems. Even though he is going through a tough period Nico is a fighter and he will work hard to recover as soon as possible. He has the full backing of everybody at the MAPFRE Aspar Team, and we just want to wish him well with his recovery.”

Nico Terol: “After eleven tough races because of my health I am going to take some time off to analyse every detail and find the origin of this physical problem so that we can tackle it. I had a few episodes last season but they were only occasional and I was able to recover, even winning some races. The doctors think that with some quiet time away from racing we can find the root of the problem. I have spoken with Jorge and I want to thank him for his understanding at this time. I'm sad for my team, my sponsors and my supporters and I'm also upset because we had high expectations for this season. After winning races last year we thought we would be very competitive this time around.”

source: MotoGP Official

Asymmetric front slicks available for Australia and Valencia

2014-08-23T13:00:00.000+02:00

Bridgestone has announced that it will be offering its new asymmetric front slick tyre as part of the allocation for this year’s Grands Prix at Phillip Island in Australia and the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.

Of the many items on the agenda for Bridgestone during the Brno post-race test on Monday, one was to test its new asymmetric front tyre for the first time. As explained by Shinji Aoki, Manager of Bridgestone Motorcycle’s Tyre Development Department, the aim of the test was to evaluate the balance offered between braking stability and edge grip: two key characteristics of a front tyre.

“On Monday, the track conditions were very good in comparison to what we had on Sunday and many riders were able to set better lap times using the same tyre combinations they used for the race,” Aoki explained. “We offered our new asymmetric front slick to all riders to evaluate at Brno and some riders took the opportunity to test these and provide us with feedback.

“Although the Brno circuit is quite balanced in terms of layout and isn’t a circuit where an asymmetric front slick would be offered, we wanted riders to test the braking stability as well as the transition while cornering of this new development.”

Aoki went on to confirm that the new asymmetric front tyre will be available for riders to use across the Australian and Valencian rounds of the season later this year:

“Overall, the reaction to this tyre is that it will work very well at circuits like Phillip Island which have a big difference in the number of right and left corners, so we will be bringing this new front slick to the Phillip Island and Valencia rounds this year as part of our tyre allocation, which we feel will improve safety levels for the riders to an even higher level.”

source: Bridgestone

Bradley Smith: Signed, seamless, ready to deliver

2014-08-23T10:00:00.000+02:00

Safe in the knowledge that he is only halfway through an extended Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP contract, Bradley Smith's top priority is to stretch single-lap form over a complete race distance.

"I'm feeling very good,” said Smith of the one-year contract extension. “I've got a new deal, found some performance and I'm finally able to stay on a motorcycle more than a few laps!

“Obviously I'm very happy that Yamaha and Herve [Poncharal] have shown the belief in me for another season. It's nice to have ridden a MotoGP bike for 18 months but also know that I'm going to be riding it for another 18 months.”

Smith's seat had been in doubt due to his ninth place in the world championship. The 23-year-old hesitates to label pressure as the cause of a tough mid-season, which included five falls at the Sachsenring.

“I had a few grands prix where I made bad decisions. Where I just started to ignore warning signs and feedback, rather than pressure because I've had that all my life in motorsport,” Smith explained.

“It's more about how you interpret warning signs. Sometimes you think, 'ok, today it doesn't feel good and we'll back it down one or two percent'. The alternative is that when it doesn't feel good, you're just not willing to accept it. You think you are Superman and can just out-ride it.

“But sometimes you have to be in that desperate place. I was trying to secure my ride. I knew that I could and I believed that riding through dangerous situations is the way to do it. It wasn't and it's not a smart move! It creates more problems than it's worth. But it's a tough one to find the balance [when you are riding on the edge].”

One glance at Smith's left hand shows he isn't afraid to push the limits, his little finger being permanently bent downwards.

“I don't have the tendon. I haven't had it for twelve months. So the finger doesn't move, but I had it put into a handlebar position! I have a special glove, but it doesn't change my riding. We don't really use the clutch anymore. I had to remember to use the clutch on the R1 [while doing pillion rides around Silverstone, pictured] because we've got an auto-backshift now. It was strange using the clutch again.”

Not using the clutch lever when shifting down the gearbox is one of the main technical innovations made available by Yamaha for its satellite team this season, the other being a seamless shift gearbox.

Smith and rookie team-mate Pol Espargaro's machines are, “the same specification as Jorge Lorenzo rode from Misano to the end of last year. It's a great bike.” That means they are using the first generation of Yamaha seamless, which offers the super-fast upshifts from second gear onwards. However first to second gear is still a normal shift, passing through neutral.

Factory Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo received a second generation seamless this year, with neutral moved 'out of the way' and seamless shifts between every gear.

“Neutral is still between first and second gear for us,” Smith confirmed. “I don't know where the Factory Yamaha team have got it. I know Honda have it at the bottom.”

Is the slower shift from first to second gear noticeable for Smith at the start of a race?

“I don't know if that is exactly why, but I seem to launch good in first and when I put in second everyone seems to come back past me. But we also have some room for improvement with our launch control as well. I started fourth at Brno and got swallowed by both the Factory Yamahas into turn one. It's a killer when that happens! We are working on it.”

If the present pattern of hand-me-downs continues, Smith and Espargaro will get the full range of seamless upshifts from Yamaha for 2015. However the Factory team are still likely to be a step ahead, with Yamaha under pressure from Rossi and Lorenzo to replicate the seamless downshifts (as well as upshifts) on the Honda.

Back to this year and Smith began the season in style by qualifying on the front row in Qatar. He then fell while in the hunt for a debut podium at Losail, before a career best fifth next time in Texas. However Smith didn't break the top six again until just after his contract renewal, at Indianapolis, then qualified fourth and the top Yamaha last time at Brno.

“I've put in some good performances. Still not clinched that [standout] race result, but Indy was a step forward and I believe Brno would have been as well if we didn't have tyre issues in the race.”

Smith believes design changes made for the latest Factory team M1 have improved early race pace. It's an attribute Smith and his team are seeking to achieve with set-up and riding changes.

“Where Yamaha have improved with their new bike is in race spec form and that is the next area where we need to try and improve as well,” Smith explained. “It's a case of bike balance. My bike is very balanced towards the front end with full fuel and it's difficult to keep rear contact. I think that is something Yamaha has been working with for their new bike.

“It looks like it is more balanced towards the rear. It doesn't seem to help [Lorenzo and Rossi] so much on a one-off lap, but especially at the beginning of races. The second half of the races I'm closer. So it's a case of dynamic balance and weight balance.

“I also have a few weaknesses with my riding style that I'm trying to iron out. I'm working with Randy Mamola around the track to try and figure out what I need to do compared to other riders: Video analysis, photo analysis and what he can see.

“That is the next level. There is only so much you can extract from a motorcycle. You have to do the rest of it yourself.

“This year I've been smoother on the bike. You have to be very quiet, you almost have to creep on the motorcycle rather than jerk it around and upset the bike too much. I've had to work on that, even at the test on Monday, especially in the changes of direction.”

Smith remains firmly in the fight for top satellite honours, sitting 13-points behind Pol Espargaro but equal with LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl and ahead of Gresini Honda's Alvaro Bautista, with seven rounds to go. Reigning Moto2 champion Espargaro joined Tech 3 in place of Cal Crutchlow, who had helped guide Smith through his debut season.

"At the beginning of the season it was quite different," Smith said of his new team-mate. "But we've gained a relationship and I think it's better for me to not be as friendly with my team-mate as last year. Having Cal as a team-mate for my first year was great because it helped smooth the introduction to MotoGP. It's quite an isolation when you come to MotoGP and a lot of pressure. So having him there for support was good.

"But in terms of my career it's better to have someone that I'm competitive against and is a rival, because it is going to push me forward and push me on. I'm excited to be in the same team with him for another one and half seasons because I think the rivalry will push us both forwards."

The next round will be Smith's home GP at Silverstone, an event he admits to 'dreading' as a rookie last season. "I feel like I'm ready for Silverstone this year. I wasn't last year. I was actually dreading it, but now I'm really excited."

Smith, who qualified tenth and finished ninth on his home premier-class debut, added:

"I wasn't fast enough this time last year. It was a cold weekend, the tyres were not really working and I had no experience of how to make them work. I rode nervous and tense. I didn't enjoy last year but I'm looking forward to changing that.

“I've got a completely different outlook now and I'm ready to ride the M1 how it should be ridden at Silverstone."

MotoGP comes to Silverstone on August 29-31, coverage starts from Friday at 8:30am and continues on Saturday and Sunday exclusively live on BT Sport.

source: crash.net

Lorenzo edges thrilling battle for Qatar pole

2012-04-07T20:12:00.003+02:00

Jorge Lorenzo came out on top in a gripping head to head with Casey Stoner for pole position at the first round of the 2012 MotoGP™ World Championship, the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, whilst Cal Crutchlow made it two Yamahas on the front row with his best-ever qualifying display.

1 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing 1'54.634
2 Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team 1'54.855 0.221 / 0.221
3 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'55.022 0.388 / 0.167
4 Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing 1'55.512 0.878 / 0.490
5 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'55.637 1.003 / 0.125
6 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'55.858 1.224 / 0.221
7 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'55.905 1.271 / 0.047
8 Hector BARBERA Pramac Racing Team 1'55.983 1.349 / 0.078
9 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1'56.063 1.429 / 0.080
10 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'56.198 1.564 / 0.135
11 Alvaro BAUTISTA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'56.521 1.887 / 0.323
12 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team 1'56.813 2.179 / 0.292
13 Colin EDWARDS NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'57.644 3.010 / 0.831
14 Randy DE PUNIET Power Electronics Aspar 1'58.266 3.632 / 0.622
15 Aleix ESPARGARO Power Electronics Aspar 1'58.520 3.886 / 0.254
16 Yonny HERNANDEZ Avintia Blusens 1'58.795 4.161 / 0.275
17 Michele PIRRO San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'59.085 4.451 / 0.290
18 Mattia PASINI Speed Master 1'59.195 4.561 / 0.110
19 Danilo PETRUCCI Came IodaRacing Project 1'59.664 5.030 / 0.469
20 Ivan SILVA Avintia Blusens 2'00.493 5.859 / 0.829
21 James ELLISON Paul Bird Motorsport 2'00.757 6.123 / 0.264

source: MotoGP Official

Luthi seals top spot in qualifying

2012-04-07T18:59:00.000+02:00

After leading all three practice sessions Thomas Lüthi booked pole position on the Moto2™ grid for Sunday's Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, just ahead of Marc Márquez and Andrea Iannone.

1 Thomas LUTHI Interwetten-Paddock 2'00.187

2 Marc MARQUEZ Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol 2'00.259 0.072 / 0.072

3 Andrea IANNONE Speed Master 2'00.296 0.109 / 0.037

4 Pol ESPARGARO Pons 40 HP Tuenti 2'00.597 0.410 / 0.301

5 Mike DI MEGLIO S/Master Speed Up 2'00.625 0.438 / 0.028

6 Max NEUKIRCHNER Kiefer Racing 2'00.658 0.471 / 0.033

7 Esteve RABAT Pons 40 HP Tuenti 2'00.793 0.606 / 0.135

8 Claudio CORTI Italtrans Racing Team 2'00.874 0.687 / 0.081

9 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Italtrans Racing Team 2'00.898 0.711 / 0.024

10 Simone CORSI Came IodaRacing Project 2'00.986 0.799 / 0.088

11 Julian SIMON Blusens Avintia 2'00.992 0.805 / 0.006

12 Bradley SMITH Tech 3 Racing 2'01.015 0.828 / 0.023

13 Scott REDDING Marc VDS Racing Team 2'01.031 0.844 / 0.016

14 Mika KALLIO Marc VDS Racing Team 2'01.111 0.924 / 0.080

15 Alex DE ANGELIS NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2'01.181 0.994 / 0.070

16 Dominique AEGERTER Technomag-CIP 2'01.374 1.187 / 0.193

17 Toni ELIAS Mapfre Aspar Team 2'01.618 1.431 / 0.244

18 Xavier SIMEON Tech 3 Racing 2'01.718 1.531 / 0.100

19 Johann ZARCO JIR Moto2 2'01.910 1.723 / 0.192

20 Roberto ROLFO Technomag-CIP 2'02.018 1.831 / 0.108

21 Randy KRUMMENACHER GP Team Switzerland 2'02.097 1.910 / 0.079

22 Angel RODRIGUEZ Desguaces La Torre SAG 2'02.142 1.955 / 0.045

23 Ricard CARDUS Arguiñano Racing Team 2'02.500 2.313 / 0.358

24 Axel PONS Pons 40 HP Tuenti 2'02.535 2.348 / 0.035

25 Yuki TAKAHASHI NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2'02.637 2.450 / 0.102

26 Nicolas TEROL Mapfre Aspar Team 2'02.811 2.624 / 0.174

27 Gino REA Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 2'02.934 2.747 / 0.123

28 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda Gresini Moto2 2'03.031 2.844 / 0.097

29 Anthony WEST QMMF Racing Team 2'03.621 3.434 / 0.590

30 Alexander LUNDH Cresto Guide MZ Racing 2'04.130 3.943 / 0.509

31 Marco COLANDREA SAG Team 2'04.424 4.237 / 0.294

32 Elena ROSELL QMMF Racing Team 2'05.183 4.996 / 0.759

33 Nasser Hasan AL MALKI QMMF Racing Team 2'05.591 5.404 / 0.408

source: MotoGP Official

Cortese nips first Moto3 pole of season

2012-04-07T18:00:00.002+02:00

Sandro Cortese (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took the first ever Moto3™ pole position for Sunday's Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar after posting the fastest lap at the very end of Saturday's qualifying session. The German rider's final effort of 2'08.188 was enough to seal prime position on the grid by a margin of just 0.016s ahead of Maverick Viñales (Blusens Avintia).

Spanish rider Viñales – whose top time from FP2 was faster than Cortese's pole – looked set to take first position on the timesheet with his time of 2'08.204 until Cortese's late salvo, with Louis Rossi (Racing Team Germany) completing the front row following a strong session.

Luis Salom (RW Racing GP) led the session towards the end but eventually had to settle for fourth position, and the Spaniard will be joined on the second row by Niklas Ajo (TT Motion Events Racing) and rookie Romano Fenati (Team Italia FMI).

Starting the season-opening race from the third row will be Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Airasia-SIC-Ajo), Miguel Oliveira (Estrella Galicia 0'0) and another debutant Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

British rider Danny Kent (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended the session 12th fastest and will therefore begin from row four, whilst compatriot Danny Webb was 25th quickest on the Mahindra Racing machine. Italian Simone Grotzkyj (Ambrogio Next Racing) had a crash with 10 minutes of the session left, and qualified in 29th.

The Moto3 riders will be back on track at 9.20pm local time on Saturday evening for their 20-minute warm up session prior to Sunday's race.

1 Sandro CORTESE Red Bull KTM Ajo 2'08.188

2 Maverick VIÑALES Blusens Avintia 2'08.204 0.016 / 0.016

3 Louis ROSSI Racing Team Germany 2'08.303 0.115 / 0.099

4 Luis SALOM RW Racing GP Kalex 2'08.566 0.378 / 0.263

5 Niklas AJO TT Motion Events Racing 2'08.734 0.546 / 0.168

6 Romano FENATI Team Italia FMI 2'08.799 0.611 / 0.065

7 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN AirAsia-Sic-Ajo 2'08.847 0.659 / 0.048

8 Miguel OLIVEIRA Estrella Galicia 0,0 2'08.926 0.738 / 0.079

9 Arthur SISSIS Red Bull KTM Ajo 2'09.001 0.813 / 0.075

10 Alexis MASBOU Caretta Technology 2'09.107 0.919 / 0.106

11 Alessandro TONUCCI Team Italia FMI 216.0 2'09.119 0.931 / 0.012

12 Danny KENT Red Bull KTM Ajo 2'09.126 0.938 / 0.007

13 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 2'09.139 0.951 / 0.013

14 Alberto MONCAYO Bankia Aspar Team 218.3 2'09.370 1.182 / 0.231

15 Brad BINDER RW Racing GP 216.5 2'09.560 1.372 / 0.190

16 Hector FAUBEL Bankia Aspar Team 2'09.869 1.681 / 0.309

17 Jasper IWEMA Moto FGR 2'09.876 1.688 / 0.007

18 Alan TECHER Technomag-CIP-TSR 2'09.991 1.803 / 0.115

19 Jakub KORNFEIL Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta 215.7 2'10.142 1.954 / 0.151

20 Niccolo ANTONELLI San Carlo Gresini Moto3 2'10.150 1.962 / 0.008

21 Efren VAZQUEZ JHK T-Shirt Laglisse 2'10.577 2.389 / 0.427

22 Ivan MORENO Andalucia JHK Laglisse 215.1 2'10.760 2.572 / 0.183

23 Marcel SCHROTTER Mahindra Racing 2'11.055 2.867 / 0.295

24 Adrian MARTIN JHK T-Shirt Laglisse 2'11.264 3.076 / 0.209

25 Danny WEBB Mahindra Racing 2'11.317 3.129 / 0.053

26 Jack MILLER Caretta Technology 2'11.461 3.273 / 0.144

27 Isaac VIÑALES Ongetta-Centro Seta 2'11.651 3.463 / 0.190

28 Kenta FUJII Technomag-CIP-TSR 2'12.845 4.657 / 1.194

29 Simone GROTZKYJ Ambrogio Next Racing 2'12.960 4.772 / 0.115

30 Luigi MORCIANO Ioda Team Italia 2'13.024 4.836 / 0.064

31 Toni FINSTERBUSCH Cresto Guide MZ Racing 2'13.254 5.066 / 0.230

32 Jonas FOLGER IodaRacing Project 2'13.695 5.507 / 0.441

source: MotoGP Official

Valentino Rossi will race a Ferrari

2012-04-07T18:00:00.000+02:00

Valentino Rossi just can't stay away from four wheeled racing. His participation in the Monza Rally is now a fixed event every winter, where he drives his VR46 liveried car, but that won't be his only automobile race this year. The Doctor will be participating in the first round of the Blancpain Endurance Series, on April 15, at Monza, in the Pro-Am Cup category. And of course he couldn't pass up the opportunity to drive an Italian legend, a Ferrari, even if it isn't a Formula 1 car.

Vale will share the Ferrari 458 Italia, prepared by the Kessel Racing Team, with his trusted friend Uccio Salucci. The race number has already been chosen, obviously the 46, and the colors will be those of his merchandising company and Monster. "We decided at the last minute to take part in this round, and doing it together with my friend Uccio will certainly be a lot of fun," Rossi said.

source: GP One

Valentino Rossi seeks smoother Ducati power

2012-04-07T16:00:00.000+02:00

Understeer is not the only issue that Valentino Rossi believes is preventing him from moving the Ducati GP12 closer to challenging Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo’s recent domination of the MotoGP world championship.

After he ended practice with the eighth fastest time in Qatar tonight, the 33-year-old said taming Ducati’s aggressive power delivery would help him reduce the gap to the front in the new 1000cc premier class.

The Italian finished with a best lap time of 1.56.535 but he was still 1.233s behind Lorenzo, who topped the timesheets.

Since he first rode the radical new GP12 in Sepang at the end of January, Rossi has spoken frequently of the understeer issue remaining that hampered him so much in a disastrous debut season with Ducati in 2011.

But at the Losail International Circuit in Doha tonight, Rossi told MCN: “The front of the bike gives more feedback and feels more like a normal bike. I understand in a better way what’s happening on the front so I can push more on the front, and this is so important.

"But the understeer remains and with this bike you have always the feeling to ride with the rear tyre and it is a strange feeling. The second target is to try and have a better drivability of the engine.

"It needs to be softer and smoother because we have a lion in the cowling and we always fight quite a lot and this creates some problem for us to put the horsepower on the ground and don’t wheelie and slide.

"But now we have a place where it works because at the end of the straight we are very fast. The Ducatis are first, second, third and fourth on top speed, so maybe we can take out some power from the top and put on the bottom.”

source: MCN

Lorenzo: "Being first was not the goal, we will not know until Sunday where each one"

2012-04-07T15:00:00.000+02:00

Jorge Lorenzo set the fastest lap in free practice for the third Grand Prix of Qatar, a track that seems unbeatable Casey Stoner, a theory that is preserved Spanish is working well to try to change it. Yes, the Yamaha has set his best lap on soft tires, while Casey, who used them in the other two sessions, was shot in the third off with hard rubber.

"I'm happy, yes, I see in his face. We are almost always first or second, with a very strong pace and see the standings, with second and Stoner Crutchlov is near, still going very fast at the beginning of the session went very quickly, but in comparison to last year we much better and everything seems to look good. "

Jorge scored on Thursday, as key to have options to win, be close to or even overtake Stoner in any practice session. The script is being met. "It was a major goal now finish first, but had to try the soft tire tomorrow (used in qualifying) to see if the bike improved a lot or not, what we have and we have improved and we first seven tenths. But as I said it was not the goal. Tomorrow I will be remembered in 54/2. I think the race tire will be hard as the soft can give five or six times faster, but then you lose. "

About the fact that Stoner has not mounted soft in the third train, said that "can not mount at all sessions soft, you have to save yourself the tires. I rode in the first two workouts, which I made with hard, and tonight I have assembled for testing. "

The truth is that seeing three Yamaha in the top four further strengthens confidence in the bike. "Absolutely. We saw a couple of years with Ducati's Casey, who was the only one with that bike I was able to go ahead, an out of class, going very fast and above all other Ducati were far behind. But to have three or four Yamaha front means that the bike is going well. "

"So far we are very close, both Casey and I are the ones we have better rhythm, but I say that I have five or six laps in a row, I have given more, and the race are twenty-something, so until we do the race will not know where everyone is, "said the Spaniard.

Jorge was asked about Valentino Rossi and also by the fact that Hector Barbera has been much faster than the Italian, both with Ducati. "Well ... Barbera is hooked to my wheel, specializes in this type of maneuver, which is doing very well and has made a very quick lap early in the round, then his time has not improved but has earned to be there in front of Valentino. But Rossi is a racing driver and the race will certainly be ahead, but in workouts Hector is doing well. "

On the CRT, which are much slower ... "has bothered me in the first round a pulling, which was faster than the fast I have done, I think it was 55.1, but I found Ellison and I had to abort ".

Still, George is keeping his feet on the ground. On Thursday he signed the second for this race, "the second, and third or the fourth, if the circumstances are not favorable we must finish the race as the post and we can."

About the chattering affecting other drivers ... "we too are suffering, as we are going faster we are chattering at the rear wheel, and also the first slow wave in the front wheel when the brakes much effort. We're having enough trouble with the rear wheel. "

source: motocuatro

Valentino Rossi: "Getting the second row of the grid would be a great result"

2012-04-07T14:00:00.000+02:00

Valentino Rossi was not jump for joy after the third free practice Qatar Grand Prix yesterday , but the Italian seemed happier than on Thursday after the first session. Rossi is working hard on the bike, looking for a good set up more than a good lap to make up the time table and warns that "this is not over, the result is given on Sunday night," referring it is not the first Ducati ...

"I've done quite well in the sense that we have improved the pace, we were more consistent, we have not made a big step, but I can ride the bike better. Then we tested with a soft rubber and I turned quickly, I hope tomorrow ... would be nice to leave on Sunday from the second row of the grid, I do not see an impossible goal, I think we could qualify in the second row, "said the Italian star.

"We've been better than in previous workouts. In my opinion we have improved, we made some changes for this final session. We are still a bit far but now I can fly a little better and that makes me more optimistic, "he maintains Vale.

On what still do not like about this bike says that "we are noticing much understeer, but what this bike is very positive about the past year is that we can push much more than before, because the front of the bike now tells us more, there is a better feedback and this is an important thing. Now we have to seek to improve because we have always had to drive with the rear wheel. "

Despite improvement has not been the best Ducati. "Yes, I've gone a little better but Barbera and Hayden are in front, but hey, this is not over yet, wait and see on Sunday night. But the truth is that Barbera and Hayden are going very strong, but we are close and hopefully tomorrow we can improve a bit more. "

The difference with Barbera, however, was four-tenths ... "yes, four tenths because Barbera has taken the wheel of someone (Lorenzo) and has the time, but if you got it right. Nicky is working well too and that means that we too can improve. "

You are experiencing a lot, a role that formerly were not comfortable doing in the Grands Prix. "We are working on the bike, this bike can fly a little better, the front now gives us feeling better but still the problem of understeer that we are trying to solve."

"We have to stay focused at work and keep improving. I think tomorrow we can do better and we need two or three tenths to have a good rhythm and can fight with those who want to do and also to drive more consistently, that's a good goal. "

On race tires, Valentino commented, "I think it will be hard, Bridgestone has done a good job with the soft rubber on the security issue, but in my opinion will not be adequate."

source: motocuatro

Cal Crutchlow plays down podium hopes

2012-04-07T13:00:00.000+02:00

Cal Crutchlow has played down hopes that he could kick off the new 1000cc MotoGP era with a podium on Sunday night in Qatar after he ended practice in second position and just 0.154s behind Jorge Lorenzo.

The British rider dazzled under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights to lead in the final stages of the third and final 45-minute free practice session.

But his best lap of 1.55.456 was eclipsed by factory Yamaha rider Lorenzo, who posted a fastest time of 1.55.302 to deny the inspired Crutchlow in the final moments.

Crutchlow’s superb display raised hopes that he could challenge for a career first front row start in tomorrow night’s qualifying session and then a maiden podium in Sunday’s 22-lap race.

But the former World Supersport champion, speaking exclusively to MCN, said: “Maybe it does make me think about the front row tomorrow night but it doesn’t change a thing as far as I am concerned. I need to get this first race under my belt with a good result.

"I’d like to be in the top six and closer to the leaders than I was last year and I’ll be happy with that. But I’m not going to be suddenly battling to win the race or be on the podium. What it does show is that I have got the potential to run with the best in the world.”

Crutchlow believes he could have gone even quicker on his best lap had he not been slightly baulked as he exited the final corner onto the fast home straight.

He added: “I actually got held up on my best lap as well. Coming onto the start/finish straight one of the BQR bikes went really wide and he came right back into my path.

"I changed to third and fourth gear eight metres later than what I normally do, so that cost me a bit of momentum. I might have been a bit quicker but I’m not worried and I’m not going to get ahead of myself just because I am second fastest.

"I could have done a run in the 55s but there is no point pushing too hard. I had quite an old front tyre on as well with the new soft rear at the end and it was pushing a bit and there was no point doing anything stupid with qualifying and a race to go.

"The set-up is not perfect. I can’t finish the corner off. I enter fine but the bike won’t turn very well and I can’t finish it off to get the bike stood up. So I am carrying a bit too much lean angle on the exit but I know that. I also need to work on my riding style round here.

"I’m braking a bit too late to be honest if you look at my data compared to Lorenzo’s. I’ll work on that tomorrow to see if that helps me get out of the corner. The easier you go round the corner the sooner you can pick up the throttle. But I am going round the corner and picking up the throttle a little bit too late.”

source: MCN

Pedrosa: "The chattering continues, comes and goes"

2012-04-07T12:00:00.000+02:00

Dani Pedrosa has fallen today in the third free of Qatar. "I pulled very hard and both the glove and the monkey are over the limit. His hand and thigh very hot and I stopped to see, "he commented.

"The chattering is the same forever. Sometimes there is a little less and in the next batch comes back again. Today I had problems with the electronics out of corners to give gas, but there was no way to fix it. Let's see if we can improve the times tomorrow. It is as if a little messy, sometimes a lot of control and sometimes little control, "said the Honda Pilot.

"There is a track that I like very much. But today I feel better than the previous days, "concluded the Catalan.

source: motocuatro

Pirro Make Progress, Bautista Disappointed

2012-04-07T11:00:00.000+02:00

Michele Pirro continues to surprise on board the Honda CBR 1000R powered FTR CRT machine despite it having on a few hundred kilometres on the clock. The Italian rookie shaved a second and a half off his best time from yesterday in tonight's second and third free practice sessions and could have gone even faster but for a small technical setback with the bike. Alvaro Bautista struggled for front feel on the RC213V tonight and has work to do ahead of tomorrow night's qualifying session.

Alvaro Bautista (10th 1’ 56” 771) “Today wasn't a good day for us – we tried to improve the feeling with the bike from yesterday but didn't manage it. My feeling with the front just doesn't allow me to push although when we changed to the soft tyre it improved so maybe we should have done that from the start and we'd be in better shape right now. Anyway, it's important to try these things because we need to make our tyre choice for the race. After 11 laps we had more grip than we'd had with the hard so I think the soft has good potential for the race. Now we need to look at the data and try to improve the front.”

Michele Pirro (15th 1’ 58” 800) “We have taken another big step and improved by a second and a half from yesterday, closing the gap to the top CRT bike, so that gives us reason to be satisfied. Obviously we have a lot still to do but we are staying positive. Our priority is to work on the electronics because they play such a big part. We are trying to work without making mistakes, I have a great team around me so I think we just need to keep working in the same direction and we will get our rewards.”

Fausto Gresini “It wasn't an easy night for Alvaro. He struggled more than yesterday and we need to know why. There is one particular section of track that he's having difficulty with so we need to have a close look at the data and try to get more out of the bike. I should say that apart from the top guys everybody else is very close so it looks like it could be a tight race from fourth place back. Like yesterday Michele and the CRT bike were a pleasant surprise. Even though the bike is so young it is improving every time and that's great for me and all the guys in the team because this first part of the season was never going to be easy.”

Honda Gresini Press Release

Significant Improvement from Aspar Rider

2012-04-07T10:00:00.000+02:00

Both Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró scratch more than a second and a half time of the opening session, and we look with optimism on the day of qualifying

Today was the opening shift MotoGP action at the Losail circuit, and have also been the premier class riders who have enjoyed two training sessions in preparation for the Grand Prix race Tasting. Although a batch to the other almost all the drivers have improved markedly their records, the truth is to be released today by the wind, or lack of grip on the asphalt, times yet to come to the roofs of Losail (return of the pole , Stoner 1.54.137 - best lap, Lorenzo 1.53.927). So far the new 1000cc prototype will have to continue rolling to match records obsolete 800cc. Although the end of the second shift Crutchlow has dared at times to sneak in the top of the table, so far the round Cathari is a duel between Lorenzo and Stoner for the best time. Stoner was quickest yesterday, and Lorenzo tonight.

Everything and the conditions were not the best because the Losail continued slippery asphalt, and the wind has been more of a tight spot, POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders have continued to improve today. In the first session this afternoon and have lowered their records regarding the opening day of this event Catari, and at the last meeting have returned to lower the clock. Randy De Puniet remains committed to being the best pilot CRT, and squints and motorcycle officers, meanwhile, Aleix Espargaró, has spent all day looking for improvements to the problems of rebounds that appeared yesterday. De Puniet has slipped in turn seven, near the end of the second round and has gone down, a situation that has prevented completion of the thirteenth fastest time, three seconds back, or keep you from work tomorrow for the final formal meeting. Aleix Espargaró has solved many of its drawbacks, and on the penultimate lap of the last trial sealed his best-1.59.169-day to leave the path catarí with the 17th best result.

Randy De Puniet 13 º 1.58.261 (31 laps): "Today we continue to improve in the two working sessions, progress has been made, but still I have the feeling I want. I feel that the track does not have much grip, so today it took me quite evolve. We worked mainly with the hardness of the suspension. With a soft ring configuration secure but slow, hard setting that makes me better times, but I have to drive carefully because she lacks confidence in cornering. At the end of the last turn I lost the bike in front at turn seven, and I have gone down, luckily it was nothing. Tomorrow will be further investigated to achieve a configuration that allows me to quickly turn minimizing risk. Despite the fall I am pleased that we are shooting well, and I know we can still get better results. "

17 º Aleix Espargaró 1.59.169 (27 laps): "We have improved a bit the feeling from the first day, but the result is still far from our purpose. We have worked very hard in both sessions of the second day, and fortunately have been able to correct the bounce we had yesterday. We are in the right way because we are improving, there is now the focus for developments that are greater every day. We need to look more grip in fast areas, today we have taken a step forward, but we can not stop here. Thought to be in more advanced positions, in any case it is a distance race, we must continue working and I'm sure we will improve gradually. If tomorrow we take a step as positive as today, may I be ready to face the race. "

Aspar Press Release

Bradl Content with his Improvement on Day Two

2012-04-07T09:00:00.000+02:00

The premier class riders undertook their second day of practices beneath the floodlights of Losail circuit with two night session continuing to familiarize themselves with the new prototypes ahead tomorrow’s first qualifying session at 19:55 local time.

Rookie Stefan Bradl's integration to the premier class continued to gather impressive pace as the LCR Honda rider timed in ninth fastest producing a lap time of 1’56.571. After yesterday’s first run the German rider concentrated on adjusting front-end feeling slightly improving his pace throughout today’s two sessions.

Stefan: “Today I rode the bike: yesterday the bike was riding me! We made a big improvement compared to yesterday. Already after few laps I was capable to improve my pace and I immediately had a good balance. We improved the bike handling and the front feeling using new tyres and being more precise in every corner but I am still missing some confidence in the fast corners. Today we are also closer to the front and this is the place where we like to be”.

LCR Honda Press Release

Good Start from Hector Barbera

2012-04-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

Definitely positive the second day of practice at the Losail circuit in Qatar for the Pramac. Hector Barbera has concluded the last session dedicated to MotoGP with the sixth time in 1.56.163, which makes it the first of the Ducati riders. The positive performance of the Iberian rider is the result of teamwork that has been done in these two days . The Team Pramac is continuing his work on the path taken during winter testing. No sudden upheaval, but modular changes agreed with the pilot, which can in this way have a quick response time of those activities from the box.

Hector Barbera

"I am very pleased, not only for the time. In fact I still have a good feeling with the bike and work with a strategy that is giving us the right results. Today we have immediately started very strong, trying to make time and we did, because after five laps the rear tire loses some 'grip. Tomorrow, in qualifying, we will do the same: once aggressive search for the fastest lap, then we will try to improve the set-up for the race. Needless to say I am very happy to still be the first Ducati rider ".

Guidotti Francisco

"Our strategy proved correct and we pushed the tires hard that we will use in the race. We also tried a softer cover, but you can only do two laps before the "soft", and then went back to the original all'assetto proved to be the best. We must continue to be focused tomorrow. "

Pramac Press Release

Improvements felt by Hayden and Rossi

2012-04-07T07:00:00.000+02:00

The opening round of the 2012 MotoGP season continued this evening (Friday), with the second and third free practice sessions taking place at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit. Although the area was buffeted by fairly strong winds for much of the day, the surface grip improved compared to Thursday night’s dusty conditions, forcing the riders and their teams to adapt their set-ups accordingly.

Both Nicky Hayden, seventh at the end, and Valentino Rossi improved their performances, with the Italian in particular working with the hard tyre, consistently lowering his times with the race set-up. Only in the final exit did he mount a softer tyre, with which he posted the eighth-best time of the day.

Nicky Hayden:

"As the track is cleaning up, we’re getting more grip, but in a way that’s hurting us since I’m also getting more chatter. When that happens, I can’t keep my lean angle, and I run wide, especially in the flat corners. We tried some different springs but haven’t found the right solution yet. Chatter is so strange and inconsistent sometimes, but we’ll have a look at the data and do our best to sort it out. My pace isn’t great, but although I’m not thrilled with how the day went, the bike is certainly doing well on top speed, which is going to be important in the race."

Valentino Rossi:

"Today went pretty well, and I’d say that the last session was the best. The position is nothing fantastic, but on the positive side, I’m very consistent with the hard tyre. The front of the bike is giving more feedback, so I can push more, which is very important, and the bike is very fast at the end of the straight. The understeer is still there, but now I think we have a place from which to work. We hope to improve two or three small things with the setting for tomorrow, and we’ll try to qualify on the second row."

Ducati Team press release

Crutchlow and Dovizioso thrilled with displays

2012-04-07T06:00:00.000+02:00

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders both put in head-turning performances in the final practice sessions at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Friday evening.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso produced dazzling performances under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights in Qatar tonight (Friday) to finish practice in second and fourth respectively.

British rider Crutchlow was in sparkling form on the new Yamaha YZR-M1 1000cc machine and a best lap of 1'55.456 came tantalisingly close to claiming top spot in this evening's third and final free practice session. The former World Supersport champion was only 0.154s behind 2010 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo on a fantastic night for Yamaha, with three YZR-M1 machines occupying the top four places.

Italian Dovizioso also demonstrated the rapid progress he is making in getting the best out of the impressive YZR-M1 machine after he finished third quickest in the earlier second session, which took place in blustery conditions. A lap of 1'56.648 put him in the top three behind Casey Stoner and Lorenzo and he was able to improve his pace by 0.7s as grip levels improved after the strong winds decreased ahead of the third and final session.

Dovizioso ended with a best lap of 1'55.905 to finish fourth quickest and he too will start tomorrow's all-important qualifying session optimistic that he can battle for a place on the front row of the grid for Sunday night's season opening 22-lap race.

Cal Crutchlow:

“I'm really happy to be second quickest but I'm not going to get carried away and say I will be on the front row tomorrow night. I think we can certainly be challenging for it but my expectations for the race on Sunday are to be battling for the top six and being closer to the leaders than last year. The start of the session wasn't that great because we went the wrong way with the chassis setting and once we went back to the previous set-up, I was much more comfortable. At the end I used the soft tyre but I had an old hard compound front on. I was pushing the front but I am really happy with the lap time. I got held up a little bit too on my fastest lap coming out of the last corner by one of the CRT bikes. It just meant I changed from third to fourth gear a bit later than normal and I lost a bit of drive. I'm not going to say that would have put me quickest, but it would have been very close. But to be second and just over one-tenth behind Jorge is great for my confidence. My Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew have done an awesome job, so hopefully we can battling for a similar position tomorrow night in qualifying.”

Andrea Dovizioso:

“I am really satisfied again with our performance tonight. Each session I go out on the bike my feeling with the Yamaha improves and I am gaining a lot of confidence. Even during a race weekend like this when you don't have so many laps, we have made some very big improvements and this is very positive. We didn't make any special changes to the bike but the improvement comes from me having a better understanding of how to use the Yamaha's potential and now I am really confident for qualifying. Maybe the front row will be difficult but I will be trying my best. I am convinced our times will be faster because the track condition will be better and I know in myself where I can be faster on the track. Tonight was very positive for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and I've no doubt that we will be as fast and competitive in qualifying.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 press release

Mixed results for Stoner and Pedrosa

2012-04-07T05:00:00.000+02:00

The Repsol Honda Team finished the second day of practice at Losail circuit with Casey Stoner in third position and Dani Pedrosa fifth.

The Australian World Champion set the fastest time in FP2 and was leading in FP3 until others put on a new soft rear to take the fastest time of the day. Casey improved his lap time by 0.3s in the evening even though he remained on hard tyres until the end.

Dani Pedrosa crashed in FP2, without sustaining any injury, and was only able to use one bike in the second session of the evening, whilst his mechanics worked hard to build up the damaged machine. Nevertheless, Dani also improved his lap time by half a second from one session to the other.

The Repsol Honda riders return on track tomorrow night for the first qualifying session of the season, which will decide the starting grid for the Grand Prix of Qatar.

Casey Stoner:

“Today has been pretty good for us in general, we has some issues in the first two sessions but we've fixed them slightly in last one which is definitely positive. We've been able to turn down the electronics a lot more and now I have more feeling and connection with the rear tyre which gave me a lot more confidence. This allowed me to do some good lap times with some pretty old tyres. A few people got in our way throughout the session so we were unable to show what we were really capable of, but we know how we feel and we're confident for qualifying tomorrow.”

Dani Pedrosa:

“The day wasn't as good for us as we would have liked. I had some problems with the electronics and I couldn't ride at 100%, especially in the exits of the corners where we have more issues. Let's hope the mechanics can find a solution and we can have a good qualifying session tomorrow. The crash in the first session was totally unexpected; it was on my first lap of the second exit and I was not pushing at all. But I escaped unhurt and it's ok.”

Repsol Honda press release

Lorenzo delighted with pace but Spies rues 'rough' session

2012-04-07T04:00:00.000+02:00

The final free practice this evening (Friday) ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Qatar saw Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo set the MotoGP pace. The Mallorcan finished in second place in the penultimate practice session earlier in the evening, 0.214 seconds behind leader Casey Stoner as he continued to develop his set-up. A strong final session on hard tyres was then delivered before a softer rear option at the end provided the extra speed to take the top spot, 0.154 seconds ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow in second.

Ben Spies experienced a less fortunate final practice session this evening. The Texan had embarked on a race simulation but lost the front end early on, possibly due to a cold front tyre. Spies was unhurt and returned to the garage to continue the session. Unfortunately his second bike then experienced a technical problem, preventing him from continuing.

Jorge Lorenzo:

“I am very happy with today because we improved a lot on yesterday’s lap time. I’m also happy for Cal in second, the bike seems much better than last year for us. I think we have even more potential for improvement tomorrow. We still have a few issues to solve, especially corner entry, but we managed to keep a good pace. I’m going to try my hardest for qualifying tomorrow and see what we can do.”

Ben Spies:

“It was a rough session tonight, we’ve had a good weekend up to now, unfortunately tonight was the most important session for us. I went out to do a race simulation and I think I didn’t let the front tyre heat up properly. I need to check the data to confirm it but I put the blame firmly on myself for it. Unfortunately the second bike just didn’t run right so a wasted session for us.”

Yamaha Factory Racing press release