Moto GP

[Rev004]

Thanks Dave just what we wanted someone rubbing our nose in it I spose the rest of us will have to sit back and watch the Box and yes we want PHOTOS...

Some info from the traps fellers..

FIM announce 2009 provisional MotoGP entry list
Monday, 16 March 2009

The 2009 provisional entry list for the FIM MotoGP World Championship has been published by the FIM.


The 2009 provisional entry list for the FIM MotoGP World Championship as announced by the FIM on Monday 16th March is as follows:
3. DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
4. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
5. COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
7. CHRIS VERMEULEN, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP
14. RANDY DE PUNIET, LCR HONDA MOTOGP
15. ALEX DE ANGELIS, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI
24. TONI ELIAS, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI
27. CASEY STONER, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
33. MARCO MELANDRI, HAYATE RACING TEAM
36. MIKA KALLIO, PRAMAC RACING
46. VALENTINO ROSSI, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
52. JAMES TOSELAND, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
59. SETE GIBERNAU, GUINEA ECUATORIAL TEAM
65. LORIS CAPIROSSI, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP
69. NICKY HAYDEN, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
72. YUKI TAKAHASHI, SCOT RACING TEAM MOTOGP
88. NICCOLO CANEPA, PRAMAC RACING
99. JORGE LORENZO, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM


So who is everyone putting there Money on will the top 5 look like this

27. CASEY STONER, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
46. VALENTINO ROSSI, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
3. DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
99. JORGE LORENZO, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
65. LORIS CAPIROSSI, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP

or

46. VALENTINO ROSSI, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
27. CASEY STONER, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
99. JORGE LORENZO, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
3. DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
7. CHRIS VERMEULEN, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP


Who knows but it would be great to see the 2 Aussies finish in the top 5...

Dovizioso relishing hard work in factory environment
Monday, 16 March 2009

With his move to Repsol Honda giving him a big chance to be ever more competitive in 2009, Andrea Dovizioso is enjoying the challenge of this yearâ€s preseason preparations.


Given the responsibility of developing a bike for the first time this winter Andrea Dovizioso is enjoying the challenge of improving the factory RC212V as he goes into his second season in MotoGP.

Having made his debut in the premier class last year Dovizioso was the highest placed satellite rider in the 2008 final standings earning him a promotion within the HRC ranks and the chance to ride with Repsol Honda in 2009.

He will aim to finish higher than last yearâ€s impressive fifth place overall, but the Italian has a big weight on his shoulders as he develops the factory Honda prototype alone at present, due to team-mate Dani Pedrosaâ€s injuries.

On that added expectation and the extra work on his schedule, Dovizioso told motogp.com at the Repsol Honda team presentation over the weekend, “It is normal to have more responsibility in a factory team. But for me it is not a problem, we need to work hard and we are going the right way.”

Commenting on being ready for the start of the season in less than one month at Qatar on 12th April, he added, “We are not 100% yet, we have two big problems to work on. From the first test we had these problems and it is not easy to find the solution because we also need to improve the set-up with the new tyres, so everything is new for us. Right now we are not competitive enough to beat the top guys, but we have one more test and in that time I hope we can find the solution.”


Hayden promotes safe riding with U.S. military
Monday, 16 March 2009

2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden has been helping the Motorcycle Industry Council in his native United States, as the celebrity face fronting a road safety campaign.


New Ducati Marlboro recruit Nicky Hayden found time over the winter break to help the American Motorcycle Industry Council promote safe riding within the U.S. armed forces.

The 2006 MotoGP title winner participated in a photo shoot to promote the safety campaign towards the end of February, at the Los Alamitos air base in Southern California.

The pictures and video from the photo shoot will be used in all US armed forces bases in the USA and across the globe.


Suzuki and Rizlaâ€s MotoGP partnership keeps on rolling
Monday, 16 March 2009

Suzuki Motor Corporation and Imperial Tobacco Group are pleased to announce that they have agreed terms for Rizla - the worldâ€s leading rolling papers - to continue to be the title sponsor of the Japanese companyâ€s MotoGP team for 2009.


Rizla has been the title sponsor of the Suzuki Grand Prix motorcycle race team for the past three seasons and a further one-year extension will see Suzuki MotoGP stars Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen racing the distinctive ‘Rizla blue' Suzuki GSV-Rs during this season's championship.

This is further positive news for Suzuki, following on from two successful tests in 2009 at Sepang in Malaysia and recently at Losail in Qatar. Capirossi and Vermeulen both had equally impressive tests as they were consistently inside the top six at both venues and showed big improvements at the two circuits compared to last year's performances. Both riders benefited from many new developments to this year's Suzuki GSV-R, including changes to aerodynamics, chassis, engine and suspension.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will next be in track action at Jerez in Spain at the end of March for the Official MotoGP test, which also includes a televised session. The first race of the year will be a night event, when Rizla Suzuki MotoGP return to Losail on Sunday 12th April.

Paul Denning - Team Manager:
"This is very positive news for Suzuki to continue our partnership with Rizla in today's current difficult climate. We have enjoyed a very close relationship, both on and off the track, with Rizla during the past three years and have certainly considered all the representatives of Rizla as part of the team. Our on track performance during the first two tests has also been very encouraging and shows how much hard work the Factory has put in during the off season. The GSV-R has certainly come a long way since last year and we know there is still more to come - Chris and Loris were both very impressed with the new bike, but we know there is still a lot of work to do. The Suzuki team will continue to work hard to keep improving, and we are very positive about our prospects for 2009 in partnership with Rizla."

Graham Blashill - Imperial Tobacco Group Sales & Marketing Director:
"In difficult economic times, it is even more important to continue to support major brands and excellence in sport. Rizla and Suzuki are global brands committed to providing top quality and innovative products, and we are pleased to be continuing our partnership."

[Rev004]

Mamola assesses MotoGP picture ahead of 2009 championship
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Former World Championship runner-up Randy Mamola has given motogp.com his thoughts on how the main players in the premier class are shaping up for the forthcoming season.


Paddock regular Randy Mamola has been watching the preseason preparations of MotoGPâ€s ‘front-runners†as closely as ever ahead of the 2009 season and he believes Casey Stoner may have a critical advantage further to the reduction of practice time this season.

The Australian has been the fastest rider at both preseason tests this year in Malaysia and Qatar, despite not fully recovering from surgery on his left wrist in November, which has prevented him from undertaking a race simulation so far in 2009.

Although Stoner is yet to demonstrate his stamina levels of late, Mamola believes the 2007 World Champion is in good shape and could have the edge over his rivals due to his ability to set the Desmosedici up so quickly on GP weekends – given the cost reduction rule changes in MotoGP which have seen Friday morning free practices removed from the schedules.

“We had to see how Stoner would get on after his operation and it seems to be getting better,” Mamola noted. “At the last test in Qatar he was going well and was starting to prolong his runs. There has not been a big surprise in terms of the first two, Valentino and Casey.”

The American four-time premier class runner-up continued, “The real questions will come when we get to round two in Japan and the riders have three 45-minute sessions to set up their bikes with the tyres, not five or six hours like they get at a test. The two strongest riders in this championship are Casey and Valentino and Casey is the favourite on that side of things, because he gets his bike set-up so quickly.”

Considering the affect that 2009â€s other major rule change could have, Mamola also stated, “With going to the single-tyre supplier we have heard the riders say they are in favour and they like it. But it is going to put more pressure on the teams and the riders to make those tyres work for them. Valentino said for 2008 that he wanted to develop his Yamaha around the tyre that Casey had used in general in 2007.”

The former Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda rider went on to say, “Then we also heard that Suzuki had done the same, building a couple of chassis to try and make the tyres work well for their bike. Obviously that work is paying off because Suzuki have been running well in the first two tests of this year. Now that everyone is on the same tyre it is even more crucial to make sure your chassis and your race setting are set to those points. It is not as easy as it looks.”

When asked about the damage Dani Pedrosaâ€s preseason injuries could do to his title aspirations Mamola replied, “He is basically not allowed to move his leg for four weeks. What happens when you donâ€t move a muscle for four weeks is that it deteriorates. So Dani is going to be behind whether he races or he doesnâ€t. Dani can go to Qatar to try and get points, because if he can ride he can most likely finish in the top 15, but I would hate to see him prolong the injury.”

Acknowledging Jorge Lorenzoâ€s late improvements in the Qatar night test, which saw him shoot up the timesheets into second place on the last evening, Mamola concluded, “For me it was good to see Lorenzo pop up there, but the key point is that it has taken him quite a long time to get up to speed on the new tyres. He had been hovering around the ‘mid-pack†area in tenth place on the timesheet. Right on that last day he did that long run and it was very encouraging to see because on his last lap he did his best time.”


San Carlo Honda Gresini 2009 MotoGP project launched
Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Ahead of the 2009 World Championship premier class outfit San Carlo Honda Gresini have officially launched their MotoGP project for the new season.


Former 125cc World Champion Fausto Gresini was the master of ceremonies at the official 2009 launch of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team in Milan on Wednesday, with Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis of course in attendance alongside a number of additional important guests.

Gresini, who won the 125cc title in 1985 and 1987, was delighted to present the teamâ€s ambitious 2009 project, and stated, “It is always a great feeling and a real honour to officially present the team for a new season. This will be an important year for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, a MotoGP season which promises to be exciting and competitive and for which we are prepared to assume a leading role. I believe firmly in the potential of my riders. Alex has accumulated vital experience, having a complete MotoGP season under his belt, while Toni returns to the team with a wealth of expertise himself.”

The Italian team boss continued, “HRC have carried out excellent work in their preparation of the 2009-spec RC212V and they will guarantee technical support of the highest level to the San Carlo Honda Gresini Team throughout the entire season, both for the ‘satellite†bike entrusted to Alex as well as for Toniâ€s factory-spec bike. I wish the riders and all the guys in the team the very best of luck. Naturally I would also like to say special thanks to all our partners who have believed in our projects over many years, especially San Carlo.”

Numerous personalities from the world of two wheels were present, including Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta , Honda Italia President Yasuhiro Oyama and the Italian Motorcycle Federation President Paolo Sesti. The teamâ€s main sponsor was also represented by Alberto Villaloni, President of the San Carlo Gruppo Alimentare.

The delegates heard returning hero Elias preview the season, saying, “To have the opportunity to rejoin Faustoâ€s team is something that gives me real joy. Iâ€m working with a group of people who have both great humanity and great technical abilities. I remember fondly the two seasons that we enjoyed together, so it is a bit like coming home. I want to thank HRC for believing in me and all the sponsors of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team who make this project a reality.”

Elias†team-mate De Angelis, who got his big break in the MotoGP class last year with Gresiniâ€s team, added, “I am approaching this new challenge with great enthusiasm. It will be an even tougher championship than last season, but I feel much stronger in myself. Now I have the experience of one year in MotoGP and the new RC212V is definitely competitive, above all with regard to the engine power. I aim to improve upon my results, I am not content with the two fourth positions that I scored last year.”


Indianapolis hits 100 with special celebration
Thursday, 19 March 2009

Track centenary commemorated with extended museum opening and photo event.


One of the oldest venues featured on the MotoGP calendar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reaches an historic milestone on Friday, March 20th. The legendary roadracing location, which will this year run its second MotoGP World Championship race on the purpose-built motorcycle track, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009, and has taken the opportunity for a special photo event.

To commemorate the signing of the companyâ€s articles of incorporation a century ago to the day, fans will be given free admission to the IMS Hall of Fame Museum and a photo opportunity with the ‘Founding Fathers†–actors dressed in period costume.

The Museum will stay open until 6.30pm, with free admission for the final two hours of the day.

The first race to take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway involved motorcycles, and a renovated version of one of the bikes used –a 1909 Indian- was used by Nicky Hayden for the MotoGP trackâ€s inauguration.


Flying the flag in the World Championship
Thursday, 19 March 2009

Riders from Finland, Russia, the Netherlands, San Marino, Austria and Thailand going solo to represent their country in the World Championship.


In a World Championship dominated by Italians and Spaniards, with sizeable representation from countries such as France, Great Britain, America, Australia and Germany, some of the more ‘exotic†nations are putting their names into the mix in 2009.

This yearâ€s entry list features six riders flying the flag for their nation across the three cylinder categories on a full-time basis, with all having the chance to blaze new trails on the world stage.

Top of the list are two competitors in the premier class, with Alex de Angelis undertaking his second year on an 800cc bike. Representing San Marino, the San Carlo Honda Gresini man has been left on his lonesome in the World Championship after the departure from the scene of Manuel Poggiali –the Republicâ€s only title winner courtesy of his 125cc and 250cc crowns in 2001 and 2003.

Similarly attempting to increase his countryâ€s title haul to two is Finn Mika Kallio, who has big boots to fill upon his arrival in MotoGP. Pramac Racingâ€s former 125cc World Championship runner-up is following in the footsteps of the late great Jarno Saarinen, to date the only rider from Finland to take a title across the current classes. Kallio stays true to the ‘hang off†style of the former quarter-litre World Champion, thanks to his keeping with the tradition of ice racing in his homeland.

Austria and the Netherlands have both seen respectable numbers of riders competing under their respective banners in recent history, but the two European nations have experienced a dip in numbers for 2009. Michael Ranseder and newcomer Jasper Iwema are the sole representatives in the lower cylinder categories.

More notable is the arrival of Russian Vladamir Leonov in 250cc, ending a long drought of full-time riders from his country in the World Championship. In fact, previous points scorers Nikolai Sevostayanov and Endel Kiisa made their mark on the 500cc and 250cc classes back in the 1960â€s, over twenty years before the collapse of the U.S.S.R.

The rider most celebrated for his role in forwarding the development of motorcycle racing in his country, Ratthapark Wilairot could further add to his popularity in Thailand this year with a continuation of his steady progression. After a wild card appearance in 2006, Wilairot has been a regular fixture on the 250cc grid since 2007 and the first Thai rider to complete a Grand Prix season.

The sextet will have the hopes of their nations on their shoulders on April 12th, when they begin the season in Qatar.

[bigfoot]

GO CASEY GO! GO CASEY GO!! i can feel a chant coming on here! good to see Ant West performing well in the supersports!

[Rev004]

Hi guys and gals well Jerez testing is about to kick of in just over a days time before the 1st round at Eaters kicks off and the bookmakers have already come out putting there money on Rossi to take out the title once again. Anyway here's some more Gossip from the GP Paddocks.. Enjoy

De Puniet tests Bridgestone streetbike tyres
Friday, 20 March 2009

LCR Honda rider puts in laps with Battlax BT-003 tyres in Almeria.


A week ahead of the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez, LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet has already touched down in southern Spain. The Frenchman appeared on Wednesday at the Almeria circuit in a promotional capacity, endorsing Bridgestoneâ€s new Battlax BT-003 road tyre.

De Puniet tested the tyre on a Honda CBR 600cc RR, joined by journalists from Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands, plus ex-MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams.

“It was a very interesting event. I spent a good time with the journalists and Bridgestone staff. It was my first time with a street bike on the circuit; of course it was not a MotoGP bike but pretty fast anyway. Honestly I was really surprised with the grip level of the BT-003,” said the Frenchman on the multi-layer compound based on Bridgestoneâ€s MotoGP range.

“I think this Bridgestone product will satisfy the customers needs both in the field of performance and safety.”


Final preparations set for MotoGP Official Test at Jerez
Friday, 20 March 2009

BMW M Award headlines last preseason test of 2009 for 800cc competitors.


The MotoGP riders will undertake their final preseason test of 2009 next week, and the stakes are high as they head to the Spanish circuit of Jerez. Dubbed ‘GP Zero†within the World Championship paddock, the MotoGP Official Test gives competitors from all three classes the chance to finetune their machines ahead of a grueling eight months of racing.

Taking place from March 25th-March 29th, the Jerez visit unites the paddock in one location for the first time since 2008â€s season-closing race at Valencia. Split into two parts, the MotoGP Official Test will open with three days of 125cc/250cc action, before the MotoGP premier class have the track to themselves on the Saturday and Sunday.

With some notable exceptions, the famous names and expected title contenders will be in attendance to put the finishing touches to their 2009 bikes, and top of the bill is MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi. The Fiat Yamaha rider has been one of the fastest riders over the course of preseason, and is in peak condition whilst some of his rivals are battling for fitness.

Former titlist Casey Stoner is one such rider, expressing concern over the condition of his wrist following an operation at the end of 2008. Stoner has put in fast individual laps on his return to testing, but has been struggling with endurance onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

Repsol Hondaâ€s Dani Pedrosa will miss the Official Test through his own injury woes, currently recuperating from injuries picked to his left hand arm and knee at the recent Qatar test. The Spaniardâ€s recuperation schedule does not allow for any riding between now until the opening race of the season at the earliest, leaving development of the factory Honda RC212V to new teammate Andrea Dovizioso and San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Toni Elias.

Riders in ruder health on factory machinery are Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo, Ducatiâ€s Nicky Hayden and Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi & Chris Vermeulen, all having featured at the sharp end of the timesheets since the turn of the year. The extent of progression made with the latter pairâ€s GSV-R engine will become apparent on one of the longer straights of the preseason circuits.

New liveries are likely to be presented by Suzuki (who renewed their title sponsorship deal with Rizla this week) and Monster Yamaha Tech3, and MotoGP teams will be making the most of the high attendance to officially unveil their 2009 projects.

The focal point of the MotoGP Official Test will be a 45-minute ‘qualifying†shootout, the annual BMW M Award. Taking place from 2.05pm on Sunday, the riders will have a chance to take home a brand new BMW sports car in return for clocking the fastest time of the session. Previous winners of the prize include Rossi, Stoner and Sete Gibernau.

The MotoGP Official Test begins with the 125cc and 250cc classes in action from Wednesday March 25th-Friday March 27th, with MotoGP taking centre stage for the following two days.


Lorenzo aims to break into MotoGP top three
Friday, 20 March 2009

Spaniard talks about aspirations and rivals for 2009.


Some friendly race action was the order of the day for Jorge Lorenzo on Thursday, as the Spaniard pitted his skills on the karting track against some of the people helping to prepare him for the 2009 MotoGP season. The Fiat Yamaha rider has changed his training schedule for his sophomore season in the premier class, and karting at the Barcelona track has joined football in a varied and fun list of workouts.

Lorenzo is certainly in better physical shape for the upcoming campaign than he was for his rookie season, recovering from a spate of injuries and with a year of callouses and endurance muscle building behind him. The return to full fitness provides him with an optimistic outlook on what he expects of the next few months.

“If I can stay injury-free and donâ€t have bad luck, and if the bike goes well, then I can aspire to win races this season –more than just the one. We have to have the mentality of always trying to improve upon the results of the previous season, and it would be ideal to finish higher than fourth in the standings,” said Lorenzo after racing against members of his team on the karting course. As he has done on previous occasions, he also weighed in with some humble analysis of the title favourites.

“The press have Rossi, Stoner and Pedrosa as the favourites, and I think that they should be looking at the title. They have ridden in more campaigns than I have and finished ahead of me last year, so they have the most possibility of taking the crown.

“Stoner might have an advantage with the new reduced practice time, because he is always fast straight away whilst the rest of us need a little bit of time,” continued Lorenzo when asked about the decision to cut Friday morning practice sessions from the MotoGP schedule.

“I donâ€t think that he is injured in a way that is apparent when he is riding. Pedrosaâ€s condition will be more unpredictable, and we will see what happens in Qatar.

“Beating Stoner in Qatar will definitely be difficult, but last year I was in worse shape physically and was close to beating him, so weâ€ll be optimistic.”

Lorenzo will be one of 17 riders taking part in the MotoGP Official Test next weekend at Jerez, with a BMW sports car up for grabs for the fastest ‘qualifier†on the Sunday.


Bookmakers see Rossi as strong title favourite in 2009
Monday, 23 March 2009

The bookmakers have Valentino Rossi down as a clear favourite to win his seventh premier class title this year.


Following two preseason tests thus far in 2009 and ahead of next weekâ€s MotoGP Official Test at Jerez, the bookmakers have marked the reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi out as the clear title favourite.

The 2007 MotoGP title winner Casey Stoner is sure to have plenty to say about that and with many bookies only offering ‘odds-on†(e.g. 4/5) or ‘evens†(1/1) prices to punters on Rossi retaining the premier class crown, there may be a temptation to look beyond the Italian for a good bet.

Nonetheless, given his strong preseason form, his brilliant 2008 campaign and his continued determination to break records and dominate in MotoGP the current odds of close to 2/1 for a Rossi title win with bwin.com should spark some interest.

Stoner of course had a complex wrist operation over the winter and is yet to complete a full race simulation since the surgery, but he has set the fastest times at both MotoGP tests so far this year. Those factors taken into account, bwin.com offer a decent price of 3/1 on the Ducati Marlboro man to win the title, whilst several other oddsmakers have him down as a 2/1 second favourite.

Interestingly there are similar odds being offered by most bookies on the injured Dani Pedrosa and Rossiâ€s Fiat Yamaha colleague Jorge Lorenzo.

Given his serious injuries sustained in Qatar Pedrosa has certainly suffered a major blow in his own preseason preparations. The Repsol Honda rider was briefly the World Championship leader until his costly Sachsenring crash last year, but eventually finished a distant third in the standings, although he certainly has talent to push for the title again. Even though he could miss the start of the season, bwin.com still have Pedrosa at 8/1 as third favourite, slightly ‘ahead†of Lorenzo at 9/1.

Pedrosaâ€s fiery young compatriot Lorenzo will be doing everything he can to finish ahead of his Spanish rival in the final standings. He certainly looked to have come good on the last day of testing in Qatar, but can he find the consistency to overcome the more experienced men around him in the 2009 MotoGP field?

Elsewhere, in addition to the ‘big fourâ€, the likes of Repsol Honda newcomer Andrea Dovizioso (around 16/1), 2006 World Champion and Ducati newboy Nicky Hayden (from 20/1) and Rizla Suzuki colleagues Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen on the improved GSV-R (both around 50/1), may also attract fans looking for an outside bet.


New livery and new power on the cards for Suzuki
Monday, 23 March 2009

Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi await engine improvement for final preseason test.


Rizla Suzuki will unveil their 2009 livery at this weekâ€s MotoGP Official Test in Jerez, but it is the novelties beneath the paintwork that provide the main interest for riders Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi. The two are looking for an improvement in engine power along the straight on the Spanish circuit, and have been assured of some extra acceleration for the final test of the preseason.

"The Jerez test can't come soon enough for me. After the first two tests, where we have made some good advances, it will be interesting to see what improvements the factory has made after all the data we supplied from Sepang and Qatar - I am sure the technicians are doing all they can to find what we are looking for,” says Vermeulen ahead of the test, and the Australian is also interested in what can be learnt from Sundayâ€s BMW M Award session.

”It will be the first time we've had a timed session - similar to a new qualifying session - with the single rule tyres. This will give us a good chance to gauge what we could possibly expect from qualifying in the coming season. This is our last test before the season starts so it will be very important for the whole team to get in as much work as possible and end the break from racing on a high.”

The confidence in the GSV-R extends to Vermeulenâ€s teammate, with Capirossi raring to go less than a month away from his 20th Grand Prix season –his second with the Suzuki squad.

"We have had a good start to the year, but we must continue to improve. I am very fit at the moment and have been training everyday to get ready for the new season,” explains the World Championship veteran.

”I believe that Suzuki will give us a bike that we can win on and I can't wait to see the latest version that we get at Jerez. I am really looking forward to the new season and I feel as prepared and fresh as I ever have done, so I just can't wait to get racing!"

Rizla Suzuki will join the remainder of the MotoGP premier class teams in two days of testing, beginning this coming Saturday, at the Circuito de Jerez.


Akiyoshi to test for Repsol Honda at Jerez
Monday, 23 March 2009

Former Suzuki test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi will ride for Repsol Honda at the Official MotoGP Test in Jerez this weekend.


In the absence of regular rider Dani Pedrosa at this weekendâ€s forthcoming Official MotoGP Test at Jerez de la Frontera, the Repsol Honda ranks will be boosted by Kousuke Akiyoshi, who steps in to help with testing.

The 34 year-old rider, who has performed test duties for Suzuki in the past and made wildcard appearances for them in MotoGP, joined Honda over the winter and will ride for the (Honda) F.C.C. TSR team in several Japanese National Championship races this year. He will also represent Honda later this year in the Suzuka 8 Hours event alongside Shinichi Itoh.

Pedrosa faces a race to be fit for the start of the season at Qatar on 12th April due to knee and hand injuries picked up in testing at the Losail International Circuit at the beginning of March, so in the mean time Akiyoshi will stand in for him at Jerez.

Meanwhile, Ducatiâ€s regular test rider Vittoriano Guareschi will also be in attendance at the Jerez test.


BMW M Award returns to spice up the Official MotoGP Test at Jerez
Monday, 23 March 2009

The opening laps of the worldâ€s most exciting motorsport kicks off this weekend at Jerez in Spain with the BMW M Award as the curtain raiser to the 2009 MotoGP season being ushered in with the MotoGP Official Test and the best riders on the planet all battling for a chance to win a brand new BMW.


A televised 45 minute ‘qualifying†session on Sunday afternoon will see the entire MotoGP entry vie for the fastest lap around the 4.4 km Jerez track that in May will host the third round in the seventeen race title chase.

As a MotoGP partner for the past 10 years, BMW is once more providing the ultimate prize with a limited edition BMW 135i ‘BMW Sauber F1 Team Edition†ready to be driven away from the test by the fastest rider. Only 135 of these cars have been made in respect of the 135 points that BMW Sauber F1 Team scored last year in Formula 1.

The BMW Award is the ultimate springboard for all MotoGP riders and teams as they lock horns for the first time after the long winter of development back in their workshops and factories during their quest for every hundredth of a second in the racing season. The opening race of the year is once more under the stunning floodlights of the Losail circuit in Qatar where last year the very first night time Grand Prix took place, two weeks after the Jerez test.

On every Grand Prix grid this year will once more be a fleet of BMW Safety Cars, spearheaded by the brand new X6 M and M6 with their V8 twin turbo and V10 engines respectively. For many people the world over, it will be their first glimpse of the BMW X6 M that has been honed to perfection on the toughest circuit known to any automobile engineer; the Nürburgring.

Another world debutant will be at Jerez this weekend and on each MotoGP grid in the shape of BMWâ€s brand new S 1000 RR superbike; a truly staggering motorbike that has taken the worldâ€s motorcycle shows by storm with itâ€s looks and technology.

Elsewhere at MotoGP events this year will be a further fleet of up to 25 other BMWs for the VIP Village and MotoGP Paddock guests for swift and serene movement around the circuit.

Keep an eye out this weekend and see who which MotoGP rider has got the jump on the other with the curtain raiser for the 2009 season. Will it be the reigning champion Valentino Rossi, or an outsider? In years past Loris Capirossi gave a BMW 330 CD to his mechanics, Casey Stoner took a Z4 M Roadster last year, while Rossi has taken two Z4s back to Italy too. Indeed, many wives and girlfriends of riders will bee cheering their man on in an effort to win what could be a new, and very fast, car!

As since 2003, there will be the BMW Best Qualifier Award that gives riders points for their qualifying position for each race. At the end of the season a BMW M3 Sedan is available for the winner – a mouthwatering car in even the eyes of some of the superstar 310kph riders!

[Rev004]

Hi all well another round of testing is kicking off later today with the last couple of days occupied by the 125 & 250cc but that's all over with the next 2 days being all about the MotoGp class.

Anyway when I see some more details will post times etc then..

Until then here's some more light reading..

Gibernau returning to action after Qatar absence
Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Veteran rider Sete Gibernau will resume his preseason preparations in Jerez this weekend having missed the night test in Qatar earlier this month due to a shoulder injury.


When Sete Gibernau suffered a small setback to his recovery from a winter shoulder operation during a training session in February it significantly affected his 2009 MotoGP comeback programme, as he aggravated an old shoulder ligament problem and missed the Official MotoGP Night Test in Qatar.

Having never ridden under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit that was a missed opportunity to prepare for the 2009 season opener on 12th April at the Arabian desert track, but Gibernau will be raring to go at this weekendâ€s Official MotoGP test in Jerez, with the Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati satellite team.

motogp.com spoke to the experienced Spanish star before he left his native Barcelona for this weekendâ€s workout in southern Spain and he explained that he had recently paid a visit to Ducatiâ€s headquarters in Italy, where the factory updated him on how the Desmosedici GP9 had developed in recent months. Gibernau, in return, told Ducati management how his shoulder was recovering and what could be expected of him in Jerez due to his current physical limitations.

“I left Italy feeling happy and relaxed, with my mind at ease having agreed with everyone that we will just have to see how things go in Jerez according to how much my shoulder can take,” Gibernau said. “The aim is just to get back in contact with the bike and ride, as we donâ€t think I can do too many laps in Jerez.”

The 36 year-old continued, “The whole shoulder was affected but it has healed quite well. I am not at 100% yet but Iâ€m getting better. Having had to rest completely means the muscle around the area has weakened so we canâ€t go to Jerez and force things too much. Iâ€ll do some laps on the first day and see if I can do a bit more on the second day, but the main thing is to make sure I donâ€t make anything worse before Qatar.”

The former World Championship runner-up admitted that the left shoulder injury has affected his plans for his Grand Prix return, stating, “Obviously this has set me back quite a bit. In the first couple of races the objectives will be fairly different to what they would have been, but it is important for us to take a step forward in Jerez and the same in Qatar at round one. Iâ€ll have to train as much as I can and if I canâ€t finish the first race Iâ€ll have to adapt.”

“Clearly, the priority has to be gradually rehabilitating the shoulder and getting it back to full strength as soon as possible, but before getting back to a good level we just need to make sure it doesnâ€t get worse,” Gibernau added.

Although his early season expectations have been lessened, Gibernau nonetheless remains positive about the project he is undertaking with Pablo and Gelete Nieto.

The ex-Ducati factory rider noted, “The fact that a new team, which has been created from nothing and which I am part of, is going to the Official Test at Jerez and will be at the first race of the year is something very special. We wanted to achieve this and we are getting there. It is not easy to create a MotoGP team from scratch and that is what we are in the process of doing. Just competing in that first race at Qatar will mean we have taken a highly successful first step. It has been a big job for everyone and Pablo and Gelete have been working extremely hard.”


Monster Yamaha Tech3 unveil new livery
Friday, 27 March 2009

Yamaha satellite team riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland open day with presentation in Jerez.


Monster Yamaha Tech3 were up early on Friday morning, opening their garage at the Circuito de Jerez for the unveiling of their 2009 livery. Riders James Toseland and Colin Edwards pulled the covers off their respective M1 bikes to reveal a black and yellow colour scheme.

The photo opportunity –which concluded with the entire team posing for a picture in pit lane- also confirmed that a wall will be in place to separate the two riders, who have become embroiled in conflict since a crew chief switch at the end of 2008. The move mirrors the situation in the Fiat Yamaha garage, where riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo remain split by a partition.

Photo opportunities for all MotoGP teams will take place over the course of the weekend, giving a first look at the final livery and garage design looks for the upcoming campaign.


LCR Honda welcome Playboy onboard
Friday, 27 March 2009

At the Official MotoGP Test this weekend Randy de Punietâ€s LCR Honda RC212V machine will display the famous Playboy bunny logo thanks so a new sponsorship agreement.


Lucio Cecchinelloâ€s premier class Honda satellite outfit LCR Honda are all geared up for the new season with a new bike and an exciting new sponsor.

As the team prepare for their fourth season in the premier class working closely with HRC, Cecchinello has reached an agreement with Playboy for the global brandâ€s licensees to act as ‘Event Title Sponsors†at individual Grands Prix this season.

Randy de Puniet remains as Cecchinelloâ€s sole rider in 2009 and the fiery Frenchman, no stranger to glamour himself with his ‘pin-up†good looks, will have the famous bunny logo promoting Playboy Italy on his leathers and his 800cc RC212V in the early part of the year.

Cecchinello explains, “We have been in touch with Playboy US for a long time and we have defined the guidelines of a project allowing us to start negotiations with some of this evergreen brandâ€s global licensees. Playboy Italy has positively assessed the project and confirmed the sponsorship for the early stage of the season (during the test in Jerez and the GPs in Japan and Spain as title sponsor) linking it to their activities in the view of relaunching the magazine in Italy.”

He continued, “Currently, there are further ongoing negotiations with licensees in more countries, who have been presented with our ‘projects by event†concept, which does not imply any millionaire investments.”

The Italian team boss also previewed the forthcoming season, ahead of the Official MotoGP Test in Jerez this weekend, acknowledging the need for an improvement in results after an inconsistent campaign for De Puniet last season. Cecchinello believes his rider will have more competitive machinery this season thanks to a step up in support from HRC.

“Itâ€s clear that 2007 and 2008 for the independent teams were not easy years,” said the LCR boss. “Since the 800cc class made its appearance, it has become harder than ever to compete with the factory teams. Now we are approaching a phase where the factories can even supply the satellite teams with the state-of-the-art technologies and this will make us more competitive.”

“Honda, in particular, has really made a big effort for 2009 by giving us the same engines as the ones they use, featuring pneumatic valve technology and all the relevant managing software,” Cecchinello added. “Now itâ€s up to us, working hard with Randy to be ready to battle and, where possible, challenge the factory riders.”

For his part, De Puniet summarised the preseason saying, “The first impression I got from the bike was very positive. The engine is more competitive compared to last yearâ€s, especially as far as its maximum speed is concerned. The first test in Malaysia didnâ€t go as well as we were hoping for, but later, in Qatar, we improved the fine tuning and I hope for a further improvement in Jerez.”

The 28 year-old went on to say, “I already have two years of experience with Bridgestone (from his time with Kawasaki in 2006 and 2007) but the front tyre is now different. I will have to adjust my riding style to this grip but in Qatar we have already done a lot. I can still improve the feeling with the front tyre and be faster. We will have to work hard also on the racing set-up but there are all the prerequisites to have a highly competitive bike on track.”

I wonder what the Grid Girls will look Like mmmmmmm now wouldn't it be nice to see a tasty centrefold Girl out there please


Stoner and Hayden make Madrid pit stop
Friday, 27 March 2009

En route to Jerez for the Official MotoGP Test, Ducatiâ€s Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden called in at a Shell filling station in the Spanish capital for a special photo call.


Traveling to southern Spainâ€s beautiful Andalusia region for the Official MotoGP Test this weekend, team-mates Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden - the 2007 and 2006 World Champions respectively – stopped in at a Shell filling station as part of an event to mark the tenth anniversary of Shellâ€s technical partnership with Ducati.

The photo call was made all the more special for two Ducati fans who were able to meet the two MotoGP stars as they arrived to refuel their bikes. Hayden turned pump attendant for the day when he filled up the bike of one of the Ducati fans with Shell V-Power road fuel - the road-going equivalent of the Shell V-Power race fuel which powers the Ducati bikes in MotoGP.

The formulation of Shell V-Power race fuel is constantly being developed to power the Desmosedici GP9 to victory. The knowledge gained from developing fuels for racing these high revving, ultra-powerful engines contributes to the development of Shell V-Power for the road, which is a vital part of Shellâ€s research and development process.

Hayden joked, “Itâ€s part of my new contract… I have to work 20 days for Shell and this is my first day!” before saying, “Seriously, itâ€s great to meet fans on a day like this. I hope everything goes well in Jerez as I feel good at Ducati and the GP9 feels better every time I ride it.”

Casey Stoner, who enjoyed the event alongside his new team mate, was very optimistic ahead of the forthcoming test. “Iâ€m really looking forward to the test in Jerez and I believe we can be a lot more consistent for the next season with the Ducati and the Shell package we have at the moment. Everything technically is working very well, very consistently.”

[Rev004]

Well Fellers and Gals the next round of testing has had a little of everything with some morning rain and different riders and the top of the charts but Lorenzo is the man on top after yesterdays free practice and it is also great to see the 2 Aussies in the top 5. Anyway read to your hearts content I'm off to to work and for all you guys and gals going for a ride stay safe..

Rossi only rider without laps in pre-lunch MotoGP outing
Saturday, 28 March 2009

MotoGP testing begins at Circuito de Jerez with tricky conditions.


Less-than-ideal track conditions at the Circuito de Jerez on Saturday morning divided the MotoGP field into two camps: those choosing to brave a wet track and scattered showers, and those all but writing off the early session.

Eighteen of the nineteen MotoGP riders expected to undertake laps went round the Spanish track before 1pm local time, with World Champion Valentino Rossi the notable absentee. The Fiat Yamaha rider should leave his work until after lunch, although the clouds may not have said their final words just yet.

Just over half the riders had put their lap totals up to over ten before the clock struck one, although the fastest man on track has just five against his name; Loris Capirossi taking the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R round in 1â€42.717 before returning to the garage.

Behind him, James Toseland was two-tenths of a second down after performing twenty-five laps, with Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo and Hayate rider Marco Melandri rivaling the Briton for zeal by also breaking the twenty-lap mark.

Former MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner had performed just three laps before 1pm.


Hayate Racing count on Jacqueâ€s experience
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Former MotoGP rider Olivier Jacque is in attendance at the Official MotoGP Test in southern Spain, helping Marco Melandri and the Hayate Racing team.


Marco Melandri is this weekend undertaking his second test with the newly formed Hayate Racing team, onboard the Ninja ZX-RR, with test rider Olivier Jacque alongside the Italian to give advice and support.

If necessary Jacque will ride at the test, but the key objective for the Frenchman is to simply assist Melandri in getting comfortable with his new machine.

Former 250cc World Champion Jacque told motogp.com on Saturday, “Maybe I will ride, but the main target from this weekend is to get some information from Marco, so we can see how the bike is performing compared to the others around the track. My main job is to advise Hayate on development, but also to help Marco to get the best from the bike.

Having tested for Hayate privately in Australia earlier this year, Jacque gave the following reply when asked if he will be testing throughout 2009, “We will see during the season if I have to do more development work. As long as there is money left in the budget then we can do more tests. At the moment we will start as it is. The bike cannot be developed any more right now. We need Marco to set up the bike properly for his style and to get some comments from him after the races.”

Giving details of what he himself had discovered about the prototype machinery Melandri will be using this season, Jacque commented, “The rear of the bike was a problem within the chassis that we discovered, the front end I liked from the beginning, but the rear problem is something we solved after the first test.”

Detailing the support he hopes to give fellow ex-250cc title winner Melandri, Jacque stated, “I hope I can help him to keep his motivation up because it is not easy to work alone in a team and know the situation of the team, so he needs to trust someone and trust the team. He knows that and he has to understand that everybody will give the best to him, and I will also try my best for him as I trust the project and I trust this bike. I think that if he is clever and if he wants to be at the top he can do it. He has the potential.”


Dovizioso discusses RC212V and progress of rival Lorenzo
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Two weeks away from his first MotoGP race as a factory rider Andrea Dovizioso is still adapting to riding the Repsol Honda RC212V and acquainting himself with the 2009 Bridgestone tyres.


A highly consistent performer throughout his MotoGP debut campaign in 2008 Andrea Dovizioso has had a lot on his plate over the winter.

Injuries to his new team-mate Dani Pedrosa, a reduced testing calendar restricting his own time on track, the switch to Bridgestone tyres and his first opportunity to develop a MotoGP machine have all meant extra pressure for the Italian star.

Dovizioso will be working as hard as ever this weekend at the Official MotoGP Test but he still found time to talk to motogp.com on Saturday in Jerez. Explaining the complexities of fine tuning his latest generation Honda 800cc prototype he said, “Itâ€s not easy when you change the bike. You need to try and understand the set-up of the bike because it can vary a lot. The chassis changes and the power changes, so the riding position always changes, like with the handle bars, the seat position and the angle of the seat.”

Discussing the differences between the 2008 satellite and factory RC212Vs and the 2009 RC212V factory machine, all of which he has ridden in the last six months, the 23 year-old stated, “On certain points, certain parts, there are differences, but on other points there is not a big contrast. For example, with the power, there is a big, big step and the stability of the front end makes a big difference, but the instability on the rear is similar. Also, we have some problems with the clutch and that is very similar to my 2008 bike.”

Dovizioso went on to outline the main improvements he wants to make to the bike saying, “The main problem is on corner entry, but I think that is just because of the instability of the bike and the chassis. And we also need to improve the power delivery from the engine.”

Asked about his rival Jorge Lorenzoâ€s apparently swift adaptation to the 2009 Bridgestone tyres compared to his own move onto Japanese rubber, the Italian commented, “I think our situations are completely different. He has a different package and Valentino won by more than 100 points last year with that bike. Dani only did four races with Bridgestone last year on our bike, so we havenâ€t got enough data to understand the tyres 100% yet.”

“Jorgeâ€s test performances have been strange, because for the first and second days in Qatar and also in Malaysia, he wasnâ€t so fast, but on the last day at Losail he got stronger. I donâ€t know his situation exactly, but it is not so easy to understand the Bridgestone tyres.”


Edwards feeling good with Jerez test top five finish
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider on form in Saturday testing.


A previous winner of the BMW M Award at the MotoGP Official Test, Colin Edwards will be able to focus his Sunday efforts almost entirely on the 45 minute shootout after a positive Saturday in Jerez.

The American placed inside the top five on the opening day of MotoGP riding in Spain, with a fastest time of 1â€40.579. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 man seems nearly completely prepared for the year ahead, and was content with his dayâ€s work and teamâ€s winter efforts.

“We hadnâ€t tried this bike here before, as in November we had the old bike. Iâ€m getting to understand the Bridgestones with this bike and the differences between the chassis. Yamaha have done a great job over the winter, you can see that with three of us in the top five,” said Edwards after an early conclusion to his Saturday runout.

“Weâ€ve got a little setting issue; weâ€re running a bit high at the front mid-corner. We havenâ€t really messed with things today, so weâ€ll work to try and fix that tomorrow. It looks as if we need to put the front a little bit lower, which Iâ€ve been feeling too and should be a quick fix.”

Edwards was victorious in a wet competition for the 2006 BMW M Award (held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain) and is not ruling out the possibility of winning the latest version of the sports car prize, despite some tough competition.

“Itâ€s going to need a magical lap to get that BMW, as Lorenzo, Rossi and Stoner are all going fast, but weâ€ll give it all that weâ€ve got,” he promised.


Third placed Stoner pleased with big step at Jerez
Saturday, 28 March 2009

At a venue where he has not been 100% comfortable on the Ducati Desmosedici in the past Casey Stoner felt he had made a breakthrough at Jerez on Saturday.


Returning to riding at Jerez for the first time since his difficult 2008 Spanish Grand Prix race, Casey Stoner again pointed out his troubles at Andalusian venue on Saturday, noting his third place finish on the timesheets as a marked improvement on previous results.

Stoner missed the November test at Jerez, where he was eleventh in last yearâ€s race having run off track and was eighth fastest overall in last yearâ€s MotoGP Official Test visit to the Spanish track.

Although his ability at riding so well in the rain helped him to last yearâ€s BMW M Award in the timed showdown session, Jerez is clearly not the 2007 World Championâ€s favourite venue and he was philosophical about lapping just behind Fiat Yamaha pair Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi on Saturdayâ€s timesheet.

“The rhythm was not so good because we are trying to get used to this circuit on the new bike and for some reason we are always struggling on this track,” he commented. “But it has been a very positive day and we are not far from the front. I think with a little bit more time we can get the setting better, although Iâ€m not sure we can be faster than everybody.”

He continued, “However at this circuit it has been a big step for us because over the past two years all the tests and the races I have never been able to have a good result here on the Ducati. I am hoping that this year we can pick up the pace and be a little bit more competitive.”

Asked about the condition of his left wrist which required surgery at the end of â€08 he replied, “Things seem pretty good. At the last test in Qatar I was really happy with the way things were going and the pain was decreasing. Iâ€m slowly getting movement in the direction I need. It is now five months since the operation so it has been a long time, but I think everything should be ok for the first race.”


Vermeulen fourth on first day of final test
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Rizla Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen continued with his strong run of pre-season form during the first day of the Official MotoGP Test at Jerez in Spain.


Most of the morning was lost to a heavy downpour, but as soon as the track began to dry Vermeulen put in consistently quick laps to move up the leader-board. He posted a fastest time of 1'40.572 during his 70 laps, and using the information gained from the two previous tests this year he recorded a time over half-of-a-second quicker than his fastest lap during last year's Grand Prix at Jerez.

Loris Capirossi also had a good day as he recorded the sixth fastest time from his 64 laps. He too benefitted from the improvements to the ever-evolving GSV-R, as he posted a time of 1'40.650. The Suzuki Factory has made a number of changes to the 2009 Suzuki GSV-R for the final test, which again seemed to suit both Capirossi and Vermeulen over the 4,423m long Spanish circuit.

Today also saw the first view of the 2009 Suzuki GSV-R prototype MotoGP machine in the now familiar Rizla Blue. The latest incarnation of Suzuki's premier racing machine broke cover during an early morning presentation to waiting journalists, with Vermeulen and Capirossi on-hand in their new leathers to pose for photographs.

Tomorrow will see the final day of testing in readiness for the new season and the added attraction of a 45-minute televised timed session in the afternoon will give all riders some competitive action, as they battle it out to win a brand-new car for the fastest time.

Chris Vermeulen:
"It's been good to come back to a track like Jerez because it is very different to Malaysia and Qatar where we have already tested this year. We didn't come to the test here last year - like the other teams did - and for us to get mostly a dry day today was very important and it has proved that the new bike has definitely taken a step forward at all kinds of circuits. We've have been consistently fast more than we were last year and the bike feels a lot easier to ride. We had a good day today and tried a lot of parts and found a good base setting for this track. We still have a bit of work to do to catch the front guys - who did some very fast times today. My guys will look at today's data and hopefully make the necessary improvements to make sure I can challenge for that new car in the afternoon!"

Loris Capirossi:
"It has been a positive day today and we spent a lot of time working on detailed settings. Stuart is a great Crew Chief and we tried so many things today to get the best feel, and I only used two sets of tyres all day to find the best settings for the bike on old tyres. We tried many things to find the best solution for tomorrow and I think that we are close and can concentrate just on lap-times tomorrow. I am happy with the progress and the bike is still as competitive as it was in the first test and we are pleased with where we are at the moment."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:
"Given that the weather was so bad when we arrived at the circuit this morning we have been very happy to have achieved as much work as we have and we are pleased to have run quite competitively with both riders. It has been a day of checking and confirming the changes and the developments that have been made at the other circuits, and whilst we weren't quite as quick as we were at Sepang at the end of January, the potential still looks very promising. The gap to the front three riders doesn't look so big on paper but at Jerez it's quite a lot to find. We will be looking to get the most out of the bike overnight so that the riders have the confidence to move their own performance levels to the maximum tomorrow."


Late arrival Rossi has good feeling about M1
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Italian on target to try for BMW M Award win and new season.


Last out on track, Valentino Rossi made the most of the five remaining hours of Saturday testing in Jerez to record the second fastest time of the day. The Fiat Yamaha rider appeared on track shortly after 1pm, electing against riding in the wet conditions left behind by some early rainfall. He ended the day with a 1â€39.861 fastest time from 65 laps, and a confident outlook on the final day of preseason.

“Itâ€s been a good day. Unfortunately this morning it rained but in the end it didnâ€t matter so much because the grip was good this afternoon with the new asphalt and we were able to do some important work. I had a good feeling with my M1 in November and it was the same today and I was able to do a lot of laps in a good rhythm,” reviewed Rossi after the 6pm test conclusion.

“In the end we used the softer of the two Bridgestone tyres to try to improve the time and I was able to do a 39, but I was fast with the harder tyre as well. We tried a lot of different things on the bike and I am feeling confident and happy; already today weâ€ve got through half our workload so hopefully tomorrow morning the weather can be good so we can get through the other half and then be free to focus on winning the car in the afternoon. There are one or two places on the track where Iâ€m not at 100%, but we will try to fix that in the morning.”

Rossi won the BMW M Award –which on Sunday holds its latest edition- at the Circuito de Jerez in 2007.


Lorenzo fastest ahead of Sundayâ€s live BMW M Award session
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Preparing well for Sundayâ€s BMW M Award session – which will be broadcast live on motogp.com – Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest rider on the first day of the Official MotoGP Test at Jerez.


Saturdayâ€s action concluded in southern Spain with a Spaniard at the top of the timesheet, Jorge Lorenzo leading the way with a 1â€39.791s hot lap to put him 0.070s ahead of his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who was the second fastest participant in the session.

At a circuit where he started in pole position in just his second MotoGP race last year, Lorenzo registered his best time on the 97th turn of a marathon 99 lap workout, setting himself up nicely for Sundayâ€s BMW M Award session, in which he is sure to face stiff competition from Rossi and Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner.

Behind the factory Yamaha pair at the top of the timesheets, Stoner was third fastest on Saturday, the Australian lapping within 0.115s of Lorenzo. Stonerâ€s compatriot Chris Vermeulen was fourth, the Rizla Suzuki man continuing his good preseason form with a best effort 0.781s down on Lorenzoâ€s pace.

The experienced pair of Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) ended up fifth and sixth respectively, both within a second of topping the timesheet.

Completing the top ten were Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro) and Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini). De Angelis suffered a crash in the afternoon, despite conditions improving as the day proceeded after a wet start, but he was unhurt.

James Toseland was eleventh fastest, the Englishman looking much more comfortable on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1 machine after a nightmare preseason so far.

Hayate Racingâ€s Marco Melandri will be pleased to have lapped twelfth fastest, even though he was 1.369s down on Lorenzoâ€s best time. The Italian was not lapping in podium pace but will still be satisfied to have discovered a relatively competitive rhythm.

Meanwhile, although returning veteran Sete Gibernau was 16th overall and nearly two seconds off the pace, he was positive at the end of the day having managed to complete 39 laps despite his ongoing shoulder problem.


MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'39.791 284.360
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'39.861 283.986 0.070
3 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'39.906 287.769 0.115
4 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'40.572 284.285 0.781
5 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'40.579 284.584 0.788
6 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'40.650 283.315 0.859
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'40.821 285.110 1.030
8 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'40.900 282.870 1.109
9 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'40.987 287.310 1.196
10 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'41.049 290.088 1.258
11 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'41.122 281.837 1.331
12 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'41.160 285.941 1.369
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'41.168 282.870 1.377
14 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'41.226 287.539 1.435
15 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'41.362 278.422 1.571
16 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'41.737 282.352 1.946
17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'41.851 276.994 2.060
18 64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'42.286 280.738 2.495
19 22 Vittoriano GUARESCHI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'42.324 279.865 2.533

[Rev004]

Well another round of free practice is over this morning with some more this afternoon at Jerez. Stoner has come to grips with the track and posted himself at the top of the time sheets closely followed by Lorenzo and then Rossi.

So for all that are interested here's some more gos from the GP Paddicks.. Take note of the changes to the regs in the next few years this could make things interesting especially the bike rule next year per MotoGp Event anyway enjoy..


Dry track likely for BMW M Award session
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Sunny Sunday morning bodes well for timed shootout


The Circuito de Jerez was basked in sunshine at the beginning of Sunday, the final day of preseason for the MotoGP riders. A dry track and a cloudless sky correlated with forecasts ruling out the possibility of rain before the BMW M Award session at 2.05pm. However, anything can happen in MotoGP, and the riders have too much experience to second guess the weather.

The 45-minute battle to set the fastest time will be the highlight of the MotoGP Official Test, dubbed ‘GP Zero†amongst the riders. Previous winners Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Sete Gibernau and Colin Edwards get another chance to take home a brand new sports car, but it is last yearâ€s poleman Jorge Lorenzo who has laid down the gauntlet with the fastest time on Saturday afternoon.

Following the handing over of the BMW keys, three hours of fine-tuning will conclude the 2009 preseason and allow the riders to turn their focus to the April 12th season-opener in Qatar.


Stoner shapes up sharpest for timed Sunday session
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Australian quickest rider in morning run ahead of BMW M Award.


Last yearâ€s BMW M Award winner and a man focusing exclusively on the adaptation of the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 to the Jerez circuit, Casey Stoner was Sunday mornings hot rider at the MotoGP Official Test. The Australian will attempt to increase his car collection in the 2.05pm timed shootout –broadcast live on motogp.com- by becoming the fastest one-lap rider at the circuit for the second preseason in a row.

A 1â€39.804 morning lap less than a tenth of a second slower than Jorge Lorenzoâ€s quickest time from Saturday gave Stoner an early psychological advantage, placing him at the top of the Free Practice 2 standings. Lorenzo made his own late charge with five minutes to go in the Sunday run, but was unable to break back into the 1â€39 range.

The last dry weather winner of the BMW M Award, Valentino Rossi was the final rider within half a second of Stonerâ€s time. The 2008 World Champion appeared on track at 11.25am –slightly later than some of his rivals- but quickly racked up over thirty laps as he sped through his Sunday workload.

Also going fast as they target the prestigious ‘qualifying†award were Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen, sandwiching Repsol Honda man Andrea Dovizioso in the sessionâ€s top six.


MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 Classification
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'39.804 279.214
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'40.187 282.131 0.383
3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'40.252 279.937 0.448
4 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'40.330 283.464 0.526
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'40.806 282.352 1.002
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'40.970 279.575 1.166
7 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'41.060 282.279 1.256
8 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'41.207 280.738 1.403
9 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'41.243 280.446 1.439
10 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'41.513 281.616 1.709
11 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'41.516 278.997 1.712
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'41.594 284.584 1.790
13 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'41.600 285.563 1.796
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'41.637 277.207 1.833
15 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'41.640 276.285 1.836
16 22 Vittoriano GUARESCHI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'41.711 280.884 1.907
17 64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'42.058 282.352 2.254
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'42.376 279.865 2.572
19 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'42.564 279.358 2.760


One bike per rider rule for 2010 announced in Jerez
Saturday, 28 March 2009

Changes made public by FIM President and Dorna CEO at Saturday press conference.


A series of regulation changes affecting the MotoGP World Championship were announced by FIM President Vito Ippolito and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta at the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez, with some of the modifications taking place during the 2009 season.

Messrs. Ippolito and Ezpeleta held a press conference for journalists covering this weekendâ€s action in southern Spain, explaining decisions made by the FIM, MSMA and Dorna.

The most immediate of changes is a modification to a previously established norm for 2009. Contracted riders will now be able to test their bikes at two designated post-race opportunities, following Grands Prix at Barcelona and Brno. Test riders will be able to put in laps at any time.

Another tweaked rule is that of engine number limitation, as a result of the cancellation of this yearâ€s Hungarian round. The number of motors to be used by each rider for the last seven races has been limited to five, and the penalty for exceeding this number has been set at ten points. The number of engines available without penalty for the 2010 season will be six.

Subject to limitation in 2010 will be the amount of bikes in the garage, as from next season onwards there will be just one machine per rider. The minimum weight of the single bike will be 2kg more than permitted in the previous rules.

The regulatory bodies have also decided to prohibit the recruitment of new riders to factory teams as of next year, with rookies required to serve their apprenticeship with a satellite team.


FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix: Changes to the 2009 Regulations

29/03/09 - 12:13
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Hervà Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Messrs Vito Ippolito (FIM President), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Sport Director), Javier Alonso (Dorna) and M. Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held on March 28 in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), decided to introduce the following amendments to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

MotoGP Class

For immediate application

1. Engine restriction from Czech Republic Grand Prix included

a) A rider can use a maximum of 5 engines until the end of the Championship.

b) New engines have to be sealed before use (practices, warm up, race).

c) A new engine will be deemed to have been used when the motorcycle exits the pit lane.

d) All used engines will have the exhaust ports additionally sealed at the end of each event.

e) A sealed engine can be reused at any time.

f) The penalty for using an unauthorized engine will be a deduction of 10 points from the total point of the Championship ranking of the rider concerned.


2. 2009-2010 tests

8 days in total. Venues and days will be announced.

3. Ceramic composite materials shall not be permitted for brake discs and pads.

4. Any pressurized hydraulic powered system is not allowed. Also engine lubricating oil cannot be used for any other purpose.

5. Electronic controlled suspension shall not be permitted.

6. EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) shall not be permitted.

7. Testing with non-contracted riders is allowed at any track, at any time, but it is subject to the following limitations:

a) Only tyres coming from the Tyre Supplier are allowed, and not more than 240pcs. per Manufacturer can be used from the 1st of January to the 31st of December including after-race tests.

b) After the MotoGP season has started, testing before a race included in the MotoGP Championship is limited to 2 tracks, and no later than 14 days prior to the race.

8. Testing for contracted riders:

a) Contracted riders are allowed to 2 after-race tests. The tyres used by the contracted riders will not be counted.

b) The winter test ban will be extended up to January 31st.


For 2010

1. Only one machine can be used during each MotoGP event.

2. A rider can use a maximum of 6 engines for the entire Championship.

3. A new event schedule will be announced.

4. Carbon composite front brake discs must be of one diameter only and two types of mass. The diameter will be 320mm only.

5. The maximum fuel injection pressure is 10 Bar.

6. MMC (Metal Matrix Composite) & FRM (Fiber Matrix Material) shall not be permitted.

7. Temperature sensor for the tyre will not be permitted.

8. From 2010 to 2012, the rim width shall be limited to 2 sizes for front and 1 size for rear for each manufacturer. Wheels diameter shall be limited to 16.5 inches only.

9. Variable exhaust system shall not be permitted.

10. Variable Valve Timing system and Variable Valve Lift system powered by electric and/or liquid, shall not be permitted.

11. Connecting rod shall not be a hollow structure but less than 2mm oil pass tunnel is permitted.

12. Twin clutch system (known as DSG) shall not be permitted.

13. Automatic transmission shall not be permitted. But manual transmission assisted by small force shall be permitted.

14. Consecutive Variable Transmission shall not be permitted.

15. Only DORNA can supply GPS unit just for entertainments such as TV broadcasting, which canâ€t connect to CPU unit by any kind of system.

16. Electric/electronic steering damper system shall not be permitted.

17. Minimum weight of motorcycle shall be the existing one + 2 kg. (ex: 150 kg for 4 cylinders).

18. Only 5 persons can work on the machine in the pits.

19. Riders who enter the Championship for the first time (Rookies) must be entered by a non factory Team.

Moto2 class
MSMA unanimously proposed “One Make Engine Regulation”. Manufacturers will be consulted to know if they are interested.

[Rev004]

Another Round of free practice is over with Stoner putting in a blistering time seven tenths quicker than is rival Rossi. Rain brought the session to an early close but we will have to see what happens in the next session which is currently in progress but we won't know the results for another couple of hours which is past my bed time. So if I get time will post the last session times and reports before going to work in the morning.
Once again it was also great to see Vermeulen finish in the top five.

Stoner takes 2009 BMW M Award with hot lap at Jerez

Sunday, 29 March 2009

Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner was the winner of a special edition BMW 135i in Sundayâ€s showdown session at the MotoGP Official Test.


The 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner was untouchable in Sunday afternoonâ€s BMW M Award at the southern Spanish circuit of Jerez, dominating the session onboard his formidable Desmosedici GP9 machine.

Stoner registered a superb 1â€38.646s lap in the final ten minutes of the session even finding time to give a wave to his Ducati Marlboro team in their pit-box as he flew down the main straight at the end of the lap. Shortly after, the session was brought to a premature close by rainfall, with just over three minutes remaining on the clock.

The winner of last yearâ€s BMW M Award in the rain at Jerez, Stonerâ€s repeat trick earned him another car to add to his collection, picking up a 135i ‘BMW Sauber F1 Team Editionâ€, of which only 135 have been made.

The reigning World Champion and winner of the 2007 BMW M Award Valentino Rossi got closest to Stoner with a 1â€39.365s time, which put him second on the timesheet, 0.719s behind the Australian. Like Stoner, the Fiat Yamaha man is enjoying a good preseason and the pair look like they will push each other hard for the title in 2009.

Behind the front two it was Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen who sandwiched fourth placed Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo in the top five.

Causing a surprise in sixth place was Mika Kallio who impressed his Pramac Racing crew with his pace, despite running off track at one point.

In the continued absence of injured team-mate Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Hondaâ€s Andrea Dovizioso was the fastest HRC representative. A good performance from returning Ducati rider Sete Gibernau, meanwhile, saw him lap eighth quickest on his Grupo Francisco Hernando satellite bike.

The top ten was rounded off by San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Toni Elias and the winner of the 2006 BMW M Award, Monster Yamaha Tech 3â€s Colin Edwards.

With around 15 minutes remaining Edwards†team-mate James Toseland suffered a nasty highside crash and was stretchered away, as his problematic preseason continued. The session was briefly red flagged as the English rider was given medical attention at the side of the track, with early reports from Clinica Mobile later indicating that he was heavily bruised but not seriously injured.

The 2009 MotoGP preseason concludes on Sunday afternoon after a final 3.15pm – 6.00pm free practice session, with the riders reconvening at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar for the first race of the year on the 10th-12th April weekend.


MotoGP Official Practice Classification
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'38.646 279.214
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'39.365 284.960 0.719
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'39.757 283.687 1.111
4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'39.829 284.210 1.183
5 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'39.848 281.396 1.202
6 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'40.149 281.984 1.503
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'40.168 280.010 1.522
8 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'40.228 281.250 1.582
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'40.266 287.539 1.620
10 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'40.305 282.205 1.659
11 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'40.401 282.205 1.755
12 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'40.405 282.131 1.759
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'40.646 277.777 2.000
14 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'40.814 278.637 2.168
15 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'40.869 271.971 2.223
16 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'41.425 279.720 2.779
17 22 Vittoriano GUARESCHI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'41.485 276.073 2.839
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'41.551 279.069 2.905
19 64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'42.206 280.665 3.560


Hayden: "It would be nice to be pushing near the front before Qatar"

Saturday, 28 March 2009

Despite changeable weather on the first day of testing in Jerez, Nicky Hayden completed some important set-up work on his Desmosedici GP9 machine.


The 2006 MotoGP World Champion continued to make progress in his adaptation to the bike and Bridgestone tyres but will be looking to make the most of his final day of preseason testing, which takes place here tomorrow.

"We were lucky today because it looked like the weather was going to be a disaster," commented Hayden, who was ninth fastest with a lap clocked in 1â€40.987. "This morning we decided to go out and do some laps anyway just to check the performance of the wet tyres on a damp track because we wonâ€t have any intermediates this year."

"When it dried out in the afternoon we found that the bike had improved in some areas but there are other things we really need to work on. Weâ€ll speak to Filippo Preziosi this evening, analyse the data and try to do much better tomorrow because it would be nice to be pushing near the front before we go to Qatar."

[Gassick]

Up to speed, off to work!!!!

[Rev004]

Well the last of the preseason testing is over and if the riders aren't ready for a couple of weeks time well there've got some work to do. Not much happened in the last seasion of free practice due to rain with a number of riders opting out so here is some info for you to read..Cheers.

Delighted Stoner picks up BMW 135i keys
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Having added yet another BMW to his collection on Sunday, former World Champion Casey Stoner gave his reaction to winning the BMW M Award in Jerez.


Beating down his rivals in a dominant fashion on Sunday afternoon in the BMW M Award during the MotoGP Official Test, Casey Stoner sent out a message to the rest of the premier class grid with his stunning 1â€38.646s lap, having also lapped fastest in the morning free practice session.

After the 45-minute shootout at Jerez a delighted Stoner picked up the keys to a brand new 135i ‘BMW Sauber F1 Team Edition†from Thomas Schemera, the BMW M Commercial & Marketing Director and Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports CEO.

Stonerâ€s southern Spanish success story added to his perfect preseason record to date, the Australian having also been the fastest rider in the post-Christmas tests in Malaysia and Qatar, as he bids to recapture the MotoGP title and overcome a wrist injury that required surgery last year.

His Ducati crew were overjoyed at putting the first gauntlet down to their rivals ahead of the 2009 season, all flocking to the have a team photo with the BMW 135i.

Stoner later said, “Last year I gave the BMW I won here to my in-laws, but this year I donâ€t yet know what Iâ€m going to do with this one. I have an M3 that I won last year for the BMW Best Qualifier Award and I really like that, so Iâ€ll find a place for this one here!”

He added, “I really donâ€t know how I did it! Especially on this track, I mean I have not been on the podium or got a front row start here so it has been something of a bogey circuit for me and the Ducati bike. The last two years have been difficult but today we found a good setting in the morning before we came out for this session. I didnâ€t expect much, because I guessed everyone else would really up the ante and they did, they got their lap times down, but I never thought I would be able to put in the time that I did when I needed to pull it out.”

BMW will once more be providing another car for the 2009 BMW Best Qualifier Award for the fastest rider throughout every qualifying session this season. Stoner has driven away with a brand new M3 Coupe and Cabrio in recent years, but can he make it a set of three with a M3 Sedan at the end of this season?

The opening race of the year will see the BMW Safety Car fleet on the grid in Qatar on 12th April, with an all new BMW X6 M at the helm, with M6, M5 Touring, M3 Sedan, X5 4.8i and 330i Touring cars all part of the fleet that will be fully launched when MotoGP returns to Jerez for round three on the 1st-3rd May weekend.


Lorenzo ready for podium battle in Qatar
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Fastest on day one at the Official MotoGP Test on Saturday and fourth in the BMW M Award Sunday afternoon session, Jorge Lorenzo was upbeat as he left Jerez.


Spanish star Jorge Lorenzo wrapped up the preseason preparations for his second year in the premier class in fourth place on the timesheets in Sundayâ€s 45-minute BMW M Award run - and he was pleased with the visit to Andalusia overall.

The factory Yamaha youngster was Saturdayâ€s best rider in Jerez and lapped second fastest on Sunday morning behind the dayâ€s best performer Casey Stoner – whose brilliance Lorenzo later acknowledged.

Another good sign for Lorenzo on Sunday was a run of consistent 1â€40 laps at the end of the early session as he demonstrated the current strength of his M1 package.

In the afternoon showdown the Majorcan rider lapped 1.183s off Stonerâ€s pace, behind team-mate Valentino Rossi and veteran Italian Loris Capirossi on the timesheet.

Lorenzo was strong on Michelin qualifying tyres early last season, taking pole position for his first three premier class races, including the 2008 Grand Prix at Jerez, but is still getting accustomed to notching fast laps on his new Bridgestone material.

Summarising the Official MotoGP Test in his typically upbeat and confident manner Lorenzo stated, “The important thing is that I have felt really good on both days here, I have been consistently fast and I am definitely prepared to fight for the podium at the first race in Qatar.”

He continued, “Yesterday was good but today it was a lot colder and I found it harder to be as fast because the conditions were quite different. Today Stoner was so fast with the soft tyre and I didnâ€t have a chance to catch him.”

His Team Manager Daniele Romagnoli, meanwhile, commented, “After yesterday and this morningâ€s sessions we expected to be closer to the front, but we couldnâ€t get there today. We used the harder tyre that we selected yesterday, with which Jorge had his best performance, but unfortunately the weather was colder today and so the potential for a few fast laps was higher with the softer tyre today.”

“Our race pace is good, but obviously we still need to keep working to keep up with Casey, because he is very fast. Next time it will be the real thing in Qatar, where we had a very good test, and weâ€re confident that Jorge can be at the top.”


Capirossi and Vermeulen pleased by Jerez results
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi achieved a solid third place during Sundayâ€s BMW M Award Official Practice in Jerez, just ahead of his fifth placed colleague Chris Vermeulen.


The winter improvements made by Suzuki on their GSV-R prototype were confirmed by the Rizla Suzuki pair Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen over the weekend at the Official MotoGP Test.

After using Sunday morning to fine tune to the setting of his new machine at the 4.423m Spanish circuit, Capirossi worked hard with his crew to get the best result possible in the afternoonâ€s 45-minute showdown session and was pleased to have ended up third, with a best time of 1â€39.757s.

The veteran Italian commented, “We are quite happy because we have seen the improvement of our bike again. We have done three preseason tests and twice we have been third overall, so this is a good sign for the future. We have to continue working hard because our targets are really high. We still have a long way to go if we want to win races but I think we now have a good opportunity this season.”

Previewing the first race of the year in Qatar, Capirossi went on to say, “Well we struggled there a little bit a couple of weeks ago at the last test, but we found some chassis modifications which are better and we really hope to be competitive there.”

Vermeulen was only narrowly behind Capirossi in the Sunday shootout, the Australian 26 year-old clocking a fastest time of 1â€39.848 from his 13 laps, to leave him fifth overall.

He stated, “We had a great ‘qualifying session†and to be up there closer to the front than we were last year, with Loris third and me fifth is great for us as a team. I am happy because we have been to Phillip Island (Australia), to Malaysia and to Qatar this winter and those circuits are quite similar, so to then come to Jerez where the layout is completely different and for the bike to be competitive is very good.”


Rainy final session brings MotoGP preseason to a close
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Only half the MotoGP field returned to the track in Jerez on Sunday afternoon, following heavy rainfall.


Rainfall at the Circuito de Jerez meant that the MotoGP Official Test came to a progressive end rather than a sudden stop, and left Casey Stonerâ€s BMW M Award-winning lap as the fastest time recorded over the final weekend of preseason.

The Ducati Marlboro man was one of the vast majority of riders concluding work after the 45-minute timed session, with little chance of improving lap times or gathering useful data on a wet track. His 1â€38.646 lap made him the only rider to go round in under the 1â€39 mark, with even reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi some three-tenths of a second from breaking the barrier.

The fastest laps of the weekend came during the showpiece session, with the riders pulling out all the stops in search of the quickest time. Only nine regular riders returned for the third outing on track, namely Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro), Niccolo Canepa & Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing), Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki), Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing) and Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing).


Toseland ok despite Jerez crash setback
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Poncharal expects Briton to return to action at Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.


Aside from Casey Stonerâ€s BMW Award-winning lap, the major talking point of the 45-minute session was a big crash for James Toseland that brought out the red flag. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider did not return for further laps after totaling his M1 machine, but is expected to be fit for the first race of the season in two weeks time.

Speaking on Toselandâ€s afternoon fall, Team Principal Herve Poncharal expressed disappointment with the setback.

“Unfortunately it was the same kind of crash today to what he had in Sepang. It hurt him. It was his first timed lap after leaving the pit with a fresh tyre. It looks like he should hopefully be ok, even though he was motionless in the gravel for a little while,” said the Frenchman.

“James was recovering well from the Sepang crash; Qatar was a big step in recuperation for him, and until the crash everything was going a lot better for him here. He was in the group in which we think that he can be and making a lot of progress.”

The satellite team made a big impact of a different kind at the 2008 Qatar round of the World Championship, with Toseland and teammate Colin Edwards on the front row. They return to the scene of that glory in a fortnight, but Poncharal has set the bar to a realistic height for his charge.

“Crashing is certainly not the best thing that you can do before starting the first Grand Prix, but we know that James is a fighter. He will be there for the first race and, even though we are not expecting to win, we will try to pick up a few points.”


Champion Rossi quietly satisfied with test work
Sunday, 29 March 2009

Although he could not prevent Casey Stoner taking the glory in the BMW M Award showdown, Valentino Rossi was content with his work at the Official MotoGP Test.


The World Champion Valentino Rossi came second in Sundayâ€s Jerez showdown with his predecessor as MotoGP title winner Casey Stoner, but the Fiat Yamaha man made progress in southern Spain and has had a good preseason as he prepares to defend his premier class crown.

The legendary Italian rider put in a best lap of 1â€39.365s in the BMW M Award shootout, leaving him trailing Stoner by a 0.719 gap, but he was in or around the top three on the timesheets consistently over the course of the weekend, just as he was in tests at Sepang and Losail International earlier this year.

“Firstly the conditions were quite bad in the 45 minute session, but anyway I am quite happy, especially about the work we did yesterday and this morning,” Rossi stated. “We tested a lot of new and different things which worked well and we have found a setting which will be good for the race here at Jerez. I am quite fast with the hard tyres, I feel strong and our speed is ok.”

Having been tangled up with San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Toni Elias at one stage and interrupted by the temporary halt in proceedings when Tech 3â€s James Toseland crashed heavily, Rossi felt he could have gone quicker on Sunday.

However he nonetheless acknowledged Stonerâ€s rapid pace when he added, “Over one lap Stoner is faster than me, he did a good time today so congratulations to him. I was a little bit unlucky with the red flag and with Toni Elias. My potential is a little bit faster than I went, but I donâ€t think it was possible to have gone as fast as Casey.”


MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 3 Classification[b]
[b]Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'51.488 260.743
2 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'51.688 270.473 0.200
3 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'52.105 253.699 0.617
4 22 Vittoriano GUARESCHI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'52.228 257.941 0.740
5 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'52.243 266.600 0.755
6 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'52.343 264.187 0.855
7 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'53.678 259.428 2.190
8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'55.147 248.733 3.659
9 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'55.219 256.166 3.731
10 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'55.465 250.754 3.977
Not classified
15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda Lap
24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda Lap
27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati Lap
46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha Lap
5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha Lap
52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha Lap
59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati Lap
64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda Lap
99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha Lap

[Rev004]

Well it's been an interesting pre season testing and on the other hand nothing to surprising with the normal faces at the top of leader board and everyone seems to have come to grips with the one tyre rule.
We have some changes coming over the next few years that will hopefully bring the racing a little closer and the guys that have all these electronics packages will have to get use to not having all aspects availabe to use. I reckon we are in for some good times ahead with the sport in general.

So here's some more info from the paddicks..

Riders assess Bridgestone material after first ‘competitive†session
Monday, 30 March 2009

Sunday saw the first ‘competitive†session since the switch to single tyre supply by Bridgestone for 2009, the experience provoking varied but mainly positive reactions from the MotoGP field.


One of the big changes in MotoGP over the â€08-â€09 off-season has been the move onto new generation Bridgestone tyres, following the rule change to a single supplier arrangement at the end of last year.

Qualifying sessions in particular will be different this year, with the Japanese company no longer producing ‘qualifying†tyres as such and with the Official Practices which dictate grid positions having been reduced to 45 minutes, as part of the ongoing cost reduction process in the World Championship.

With the first preseason in the single tyre supplier era now complete - and with Sundayâ€s BMW M Award session giving an insight into what qualifying may be like in 2009 – a number of MotoGP riders have given positive impressions on the new rules.

Instead of fitting qualifiers in search of hot laps this season riders have the option of putting on a new ‘soft†tyre from their Bridgestone compound allocation, with all riders receiving exactly the same material in the name of fairness.

The most experienced rider on the premier class grid, Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi played a big role in helping Bridgestone to establish themselves in MotoGP during his time with Ducati and he is a fan on the updated regulations.

The veteran Italian, who has been riding well over the winter on an updated Suzuki prototype and was third in Sundayâ€s showdown session, commented, “Now it is easier compared to the past because everyone has the same material. We have the choice of softer and harder tyres and maybe some riders will even race on the softer ones because they are not qualifying tyres.”

He added, “We will have these 45-minute sessions and everyone will try hard. Last year we saw instances where someone was tenth or eleventh, they put on a qualifier and suddenly they were second. We wonâ€t see that anymore.”

Another vastly experienced MotoGP rider, Colin Edwards spent years riding with Michelin until the end of last season, but he too is in favour of the new system, despite finishing tenth on Sunday. He stated, “I think the single tyre supplier rule is working out really well as we are now all in the same boat. So instead of trying to find a tyre that works for your bike you have to adjust your bike to work with the tyre.”

The Texan continued, “With our bike it is a little bit different to last year, but we have had the same bike for five years so that maybe gives me an advantage. I know what to do with the bike, or my crew chief especially knows what to do with the bike so we can just adjust it. I think the rule is excellent, you look at other championships that are also going to one tyre and it seems to be working.”

A successful qualifier last year, Jorge Lorenzo remarkably took pole position for his first three MotoGP races and was on pole four times in total last season. He has had to adapt to riding with Bridgestones ahead of his second year in the premier class and he believes that he is at a slight disadvantage now, even though he was the fastest of the 2008 Michelin riders on Sunday.

The Spanish youngster said, “I think that the qualifying this year is going to be quite hard without the special tyres, which always suited my riding style quite well. I was quite a specialist with the qualifying tyres and now I donâ€t have that advantage, so I have to learn to adapt. My riding style is better with the harder Bridgestone tyre and so it will be quite difficult for me to be as good in the qualifying sessions this year I think.”

Lorenzoâ€s big rival Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, has also been adapting to Bridgestones over the winter but he remains upbeat about the situation, despite going slower than Lorenzo over the weekend at Jerez. The Repsol Honda rider focused on racing rather than qualifying when asked about tyres, saying, “We need to wait until the weekend of the first race to really see, but I donâ€t think it will be a big problem because you can do many laps with the same tyre. Also we donâ€t have too many tyres in terms of quantity, I think we have enough for each weekend.”

The last word on the matter goes to Valentino Rossi, the legendary Italian who made headlines last season by regaining the MotoGP title after a dramatic move onto Bridgestone rubber at the beginning of 2008. He stated, “We have to wait and see what it will be like at the first Grand Prix. The situation looks ok and it is possible to push and make quite good lap times, but these tyres are not like qualifiers. There is not the same grip, but you can still enjoy it, push hard and go faster for just one lap. I feel that I still have to improve in this area a bit.”


De Puniet admits to error in showdown session
Monday, 30 March 2009

LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet concluded the 2009 preseason lower down the timesheets than he would have liked, but he is still positive about his chances in Qatar at round one.


Unable to force his way into the top ten in Sundayâ€s BMW M Award Official Practice in the south of Spain, Randy de Puniet left Jerez ruing missed opportunities.

The Frenchman admitted to an error in the 45-minute shootout session as his fastest effort of 1â€40.646 left him down in 13th position – though he was in truth only half a second behind sixth placed Mika Kallio.

De Puniet was one of the nine MotoGP riders who went back out on track on Sunday afternoon for the final free practice outing, though perhaps conscious of his numerous costly crashes in 2008 the Honda satellite man took it pretty easy and lapped just eight times on the wet track.

He finished that session as the slowest rider and his team later acknowledged that they were unable to complete their ‘to-do list†before the preseason came to its rather wet conclusion.

De Puniet summed things up, saying, “Before the 45-minute session we worked especially on used tyre to find a better grip and we fixed some points on the chassis and suspension set up. We found good solutions as I set a good lap time on a used tyre but I expected something better on soft tyre in the ‘qualifying sessionâ€. Maybe three or four tenths of a second faster, but I made a small mistake on my last lap.”

“Anyway, all we can do is continue our work, because I am sure we can close the gap with the middle group. My aim is to qualify in the top ten and the team will do a good job to prepare the machine for the first race in Qatar.”


Hayden looks back on ‘disastrous†session
Monday, 30 March 2009

Ducati Marlboro newboy Nicky Hayden encountered problems on Sunday afternoon in Jerez and referred to his eleventh placed finish in the BMW M Award as something of a disaster.


Outside the top ten in the first ‘competitive†session with his new team on Sunday at the Official MotoGP Test, Nicky Hayden left Jerez trailing his triumphant team-mate Casey Stoner by a significant 1.755s margin – as the Australian took the honours in the BMW M Award.

In fairness, the vast majority of the MotoGP grid have struggled to match Stonerâ€s 2009 preseason pace and Hayden is still adapting to Bridgestone tyres and the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

The 2006 World Champion survived a scary moment in the Sunday showdown session as he ran into one of the Jerez gravel traps at high velocity, fortunately managing to keep himself upright and immediately return to the track.

Having placed eleventh on the Official Practice timesheet Hayden reviewed the second day in the south of Spain saying, “In the morning we made some small improvements and I was able to go a bit quicker, but the 45-minute session was a bit of a disaster. We were making some changes beforehand but ran out of time to get the bike ready and I lost some time at the beginning of the session. Then when I went out we had a clutch problem and I had to change to my second bike, which Iâ€ve hardly ridden this weekend, and it had a different setting.”

Forever his own harshest critic Hayden admitted he had hoped to round off the preseason in a more competitive fashion and noted his own team-mateâ€s high standards, to which he will aspire in 2009.

“Casey has shown the package is good and to be honest Iâ€d hoped to be closer to him by this stage,” the American rider stated. “But now itâ€s time to go racing, so weâ€ll head out to Qatar, work hard and see what happens.”

Unlike Stoner, Hayden went back out on track for the late Sunday free practice run, using the opportunity to get some additional wet laps under his belt before calling it a day.


Kallio: ‘We had an almost perfect bikeâ€
Monday, 30 March 2009

Mika Kallio believes his crew chief Fabiano Sterlacchini helped him achieve an almost perfect setting for his Desmosedici GP9 at Jerez on Sunday afternoon.


Jumping from 13th place on the Sunday morning free practice timesheet with a best lap of 1'41.600 to a surprise sixth place in the afternoon BMW M Award session with a vastly improved 1â€40.149 effort, Mika Kallio was in a confident mood at the end of the Official MotoGP test at Jerez.

The Finnish MotoGP rookie felt he could have gone even faster had it not been for some difficulties in the final section of the circuit, but he acknowledged the work of his Pramac Racing staff as he stated that they had been close to perfection in setting up his Desmosedici GP9.

The 250cc graduate commented on Sunday evening, “With the data we gathered on Saturday and on Sunday morning I assessed the situation with the track and the bike, alongside my Technical Director, Fabiano Sterlacchini. We put together all the positive things we found and we had an almost perfect bike. I was still losing too much time in the last sector, otherwise we could have finished in an even better position. We are doing a great job and Iâ€m sure we can keep up that good work in the first race in Qatar.”

Kallio was one of the nine MotoGP riders who re-emerged after the BMW M Award session, in the third and final free practice, putting in 17 laps of wet riding as he rounded off the preparations for his debut campaign in the premier class. He also concluded that session sixth on an abridged timesheet, again lapping faster than fellow debutants Niccolò Canepa and Yuki Takahashi.


Dovizioso: “We are improving, but it is still not enough”
Monday, 30 March 2009

Repsol Hondaâ€s new rider for 2009, Andrea Dovizioso, had a busy final day of preseason testing and insists he still has plenty of preparative work to do when he arrives at Qatar for the start of the season.


Shouldering extra responsibility at the MotoGP Official Test over the weekend as he continues to make final adjustments to the factory RC212V in the absence of injured team-mate Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Hondaâ€s Andrea Dovizioso was in a philosophical mood after seeing Casey Stoner run away with the BMW M Award in Jerez.

Assessing his findings from the Spanish test visit, the young Italian rider admitted, “It was not bad and my lap time was quite fast, but Stoner is unbelievable! We have improved little bit on our problems, though it is still not enough. We need to keep working, but the rain on Sunday meant we couldn't try any more new material, so we will just have to continue the job on the weekend of the race in Qatar.”

Doviziosoâ€s day was split into three parts, a dry morning free practice in which he finished fifth and improved on his best time from Saturday, the 45-minute BMW M Award session in which he upped his pace but ended up seventh - and a wet final practice in which he lapped 20 times and came out on top of a shortened timesheet featuring the names of eight of his MotoGP rivals.

Detailing his continued adaptation to the new Japanese rubber to be used in his second premier class season, he also stated, “The feeling with the Bridgestones now is really, really good. The setting on the bike is still not at 100% but the feeling with the front is getting better and better. The grip on the rear end still needs some attention though.”

Noting his solid performance in the final session, Dovizioso added simply, “As far as the wet set-up goes, my feeling with the bike and tyres is good and Iâ€m happy about this. Now Iâ€m looking forward to getting to Qatar for the first race.”

Doviziosoâ€s new Team Manager in the factory Honda structure, Kazuhiko Yamano, gave his perspective on the final preseason test, saying, “Weâ€ve made some useful improvements at this test and this is positive for the Repsol Honda team, though there is still a sizeable gap to the fastest riders and we will keep working to close this as quickly as possible. We are not at our maximum level of potential with this machine yet. Andrea did a good job at this test and worked very hard, putting in a lot of laps.”


Edwards satisfied with competitiveness ahead of â€09 season
Monday, 30 March 2009

Colin Edwards ran into problems on the last day of preseason testing but he is confident his team will quickly find a solution and believes they are in good shape for race one in Qatar.


After his hitherto excellent preseason preparations Colin Edwards ended up tenth on the Official Practice timesheet at the end of Sundayâ€s 45-minute Jerez showdown, having encountered problems at the Spanish circuit on his satellite Yamaha M1.

Nonetheless, after good tests at Sepang and the Losail International circuit already this year the veteran rider believes he can run near the front this season and admitted he was unwilling to take any risks on Sunday afternoon in tricky conditions, as he and the majority of the MotoGP field trailed behind the rampant Casey Stoner by a significant margin.

“I think overall the test was pretty good,” Edwards remarked before he left Jerez. “We actually found a problem on Sunday that was there already, the more we pushed the more chatter we created, but I think we are really starting to understand it. This track is a little bit ‘special†for us compared to Malaysia and Qatar where everything was working well.”

“We knew the BMW was out of reach because Caseyâ€s time was astronomical, but to me our rhythm was ok,” he continued. “I think with the hard tyre, the race tyre, we are in the top five.”

Summarising his solid â€09 preparations as a whole the experienced Texan said, “Iâ€m happy with the way the winter has gone. Yamaha has done a great job and at every test we have been competitive. I canâ€t wait for the first race to try and get a good start.”

Monster Yamaha Tech3â€s Team Manager Herve Poncharal contributed his appraisal of Edwards†preseason efforts when he commented, “I think we can be very optimistic of having a good season after Colinâ€s performance during the winter. He has done another excellent job for the team and Yamaha here. He didnâ€t come here to win the car, but he wanted to get more of an understanding of the new bike and the Bridgestone tyres ahead of the first race.”

“I would like to thank all the team for their hard work and effort over the winter. I believe we are in a great position to have our best season for a long time, and with our new partner Monster, the future is looking very bright for Tech 3.”

[Rev004]

The day we have been waiting for draws closer with the 1st round of MotoGp Action kicking of this weekend unfortunately I will be away for the Easter Weekend so probably won't see the race or have access to the net so for my Money I reckon Stoner will take out the 1st round.

Then lets wait for all the one eyed fans to chuck their two mods worth in and all the opinions that come with it to all start again oh what fun..

Anyway with all that going on the one thing that we can all agree on is that we all enjoy a good race regardless of the winner.

So here is some more gossip leading up the the weekend..


Pick against Crivillà in MotoGP 2009 Fantasy League
Monday, 06 April 2009

Former 500cc titlist predicts Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo top three for Qatar.


As a former MotoGP World Champion, Alex Crivillà knows a few things about premier class racing. But can you out-predict him in the new MotoGP 2009 Fantasy League?

Crivillà has gone for a conservative prognosis in his pick for the top three riders at this weekendâ€s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, and if you disagree with the Spaniard then you can make your own predictions and receive the chance of winning some top MotoGP prizes.

“Iâ€m going for Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo for the first podium of the year,” says CrivillÃ. “Weâ€ll see what Andrea Dovizioso is like with the Honda, but I donâ€t think that Dani Pedrosa is fit enough to get a good result –the most logical thing for him to do is be conservative.

“We should also pay attention to Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen, as the Suzuki is a good bike and at the last test they were in the top five.”

The latest edition of the motogp.com prediction game allows for the selection of race winners, and Crivillà has once again gone for Stoner in his overall bet for the title.

“The man to beat this year is going to be Stoner. He has been the fastest in all the preseason tests that heâ€s done, and the way that he rides the Ducati is incredible. Heâ€s the one with the least active traction control as well; when the other Ducati riders were getting pushed to the outside by the bike at Jerezâ€s Ferrari corner, he was getting on the gas to hit the apex.”

Prizes up for grabs in the MotoGP 2009 Fantasy League include Grand Prix passes and a Yamaha scooter.

http://www.motogp.com/en/Fan+Zone/Fantasy+League


Opening night in Qatar beckons for MotoGP riders
Monday, 06 April 2009

2009 season begins this weekend in Losail in second MotoGP night race.


Five months on from the final race of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship, the 2009 edition of the series starts up on April 12th with the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. The first of seventeen races to decide who will be crowned the king of the premier class takes place at the Losail International Circuit in the Arab emirate, opening up the action for the third consecutive year.

The only night race on the MotoGP calendar, the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar is a showpiece event for both the state and the World Championship. The inaugural event under the floodlights took place last year, and was won by Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner.

Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi has won races at every track used in 2009, but is still pending victory after sunset. The Fiat Yamaha rider was victorious by day in the desert in 2005 and 2006, engaging in his first head-to-head battle with future title rival Stoner at the latter event. Last season he finished fifth in Qatar, off the podium for the first of only two occasions.

The Losail International Circuit is a favoured track for former champion Stoner, the scene of his first pole position and MotoGP victory. The Australian begins the season fresh from a triumph in the BMW M Award competition in testing at Jerez, a ‘qualifying†competition in which he rolled over the opposition with an outstanding lap. Attention will be focused on Stonerâ€s endurance, called into question by his not having undertaken any long runouts since undergoing scaphoid surgery in November.

Guaranteed to be at less than 100% is 2008â€s third place finisher Dani Pedrosa, who missed the final test of preseason through injury and is a doubt for the Qatari round. A crash at the scene of this weekendâ€s race left Repsol Hondaâ€s Spanish star requiring surgery on his arm and leg, with his estimated return to fitness extremely close to opening night.

Jorge Lorenzo returns to the scene of his amazing MotoGP debut –where he took pole and finished second- after an injury-free preseason. He will be racing with Bridgestone rubber on his Fiat Yamaha M1 for the first time in what will be the maiden race for the series under a single tyre rule.

Four more factory riders will be in action in Qatar, as Ducati Marlboroâ€s Nicky Hayden lines up alongside Repsol Honda replacement Andrea Dovizioso and Rizla Suzukiâ€s unchanged lineup of Loris Capirossi & Chris Vermeulen.

2004 Qatar racewinner Sete Gibernau will be participating in his first MotoGP race since the 2006 Portuguese Grand Prix, whilst premier class bows will be made by Pramac Racingâ€s Niccolo Canepa & Mika Kallio plus Scot Racing's Yuki Takahashi. The 800cc field is completed by Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Colin Edwards & James Toseland, San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis and Toni Eliás and Hayate Racing man Marco Melandri.

Practice for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar begins on Friday night, with the first 45-minute practice session for the MotoGP riders taking place at 10.30pm local time.

The Losail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million USD and required round-the-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready for the inaugural event on October 2nd 2004. The clockwise-running track itself has a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners.


Pedrosa confirms Qatar participation
Tuesday, 07 April 2009

Spanish rider will ride in season opener after five weeks of recovery.


Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has confirmed that he will be present for the first practice session at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. Speaking on his blog at www.repsol.com, the Spaniard announced that he had decided at the last minute to head to Losail.

Pedrosa has been sidelined since a crash at the track in testing, which led to him needing surgery on his leg and arm. Unable to bend his leg to 90 degrees whilst his rivals were testing in Jerez less than two weeks ago, it is unlikely that he is at full fitness for the opening race of 2009.

The recuperation of Pedrosaâ€s left knee and arm has progressed more quickly than expected, according to a separate statement from sponsors Repsol.


Rossi excited by unknown of Qatar
Tuesday, 07 April 2009

World Champion feels that not all his cards have yet been shown.


Valentino Rossi begins the defence of his MotoGP World Championship this weekend, and the Fiat Yamaha rider is in high spirits ahead of the first race of the year. Rival Casey Stoner may seem to have the beating of him at the Losail International Circuit, but Rossi has a strong belief in his Yamaha M1 and is sure to have a strategy in mind for the season-opener.

“Qatar isnâ€t one of our strongest tracks but we still have a few cards to play and I hope that a little more work will see us improve for the first race,” says the man who won at Losail in 2005 & 2006. “Tests really mean nothing once you get to racing, the situation is totally different and really we have little idea what will happen until we get there, itâ€s very exciting!”

“Iâ€m feeling confident, weâ€re in good shape even if weâ€re going to what was our worst track during testing, but I am happy about the performance of my M1 in general; Yamaha have done a great job and so this makes me happy.”

The final preseason test of the year in Jerez gave a glimpse of what qualifying will be like following the implementation of a single tyre supplier rule, in the BMW M Award shootout won by Stoner. Rossi is expecting the true effects of the rule change to become apparent over the course of the year, particularly following the first race this weekend.

“With the new rules the tactics will become clearer race by race. I think a lot of new factors will come into play and strategy is going to be quite important to determine where you start the race. I think luck will also be a factor in qualifying, more so than previously! In fact, I am quite curious to see what will happen in a 45 minute race with so few tyres, itâ€s going to be interesting.”

Rossi finished fifth at last yearâ€s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, one of only two occasions that he did not place on the podium in 2008.


Stoner keeps feet on the ground in preparation for Qatar
Tuesday, 07 April 2009

Australian avoiding overconfidence whilst teammate Hayden prepares for 100th race.


Casey Stoner and his Ducati Marlboro colleagues return to the scene of some of their most successful races this weekend, beginning their quest for a second MotoGP world title at the track at which they have won the past two editions of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

The final preseason test of the year gave Stoner an extra boost heading to the Arab emirate, with his victory in the BMW M Award competition held at Jerez. The test also allowed the Australian to confirm his positive feeling with the Desmosedici GP9, although he is taking nothing for granted in the run-up to the 2009 campaign.

“Iâ€m leaving behind the end of the summer holidays in Australia but to tell you the truth I really canâ€t wait for the new season to start. Iâ€m really pleased with the progress weâ€ve made together with the Ducati engineers behind the scenes and with the tests weâ€ve done out on the track,” says Stoner ahead of race one.

“Everybody has worked really hard, the bike has improved in a variety of areas and itâ€s much easier to ride. The power delivery from the engine is better, the carbon frame has improved stability and Iâ€m happy with the carbon swingarm too, even though we have only tried it in the last two tests and it still needs a little more work before we full understand it. So testing has been positive but we know that racing is another story and we simply cannot afford to drop our guard at any point – we have to keep working hard to make sure we donâ€t make the same mistakes as last season, which we went into with too much confidence.”

The Qatari race will also be a race to savour for Stonerâ€s new teammate, Nicky Hayden. The American debuts with Ducati on what will be his 100th Grand Prix start, something that fills him with pride.

“To be honest with you Iâ€d like to have had a little more time with the bike in preseason but this is what weâ€ve got to deal with and now itâ€s time to get serious. If I could have chosen anywhere to be making my debut on the Ducati I would have chosen Qatar, where we had a good test session a few weeks ago, so I guess Iâ€m lucky in that respect!” says Hayden of the Losail track.

“I canâ€t hide the fact that Iâ€d like to be closer to the front than where weâ€re at right now and further down the road in terms of the work weâ€ve got to do with the team but Iâ€m still really pleased that the season is starting because I love the races.

“I canâ€t believe itâ€s already been a hundred GP starts - I have really enjoyed them all… well some a lot more than others! But itâ€s been an honour to race in Grand Prix with all these great riders, sweet tracks, and the awesome fans all over the world! I know it wonâ€t be easy but I really hope my best GPs are ahead of me.”



Lorenzo previews season in depth
Tuesday, 07 April 2009

Returning to the venue where he commenced his remarkable MotoGP rookie campaign in such style last year, Jorge Lorenzo is pumped up and ready for the â€09 season.


Sure to be one of the key players this weekend at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Jorge Lorenzo is looking forward to returning to the scene of his superb MotoGP debut at the beginning of last season.

Pole position and second place in the race at your first GP is not a bad effort and the ultra-confident Lorenzo would surely be happy with a repeat result. In the preseason test visit to Qatar early in March Lorenzo was also second overall and he counts the desert track as one of his favourites.

“Losail is one of the tracks where I am strongest,” says the 21 year-old Spaniard. “It has a place in history as the host venue of the first ever night race and the floodlights there make it different to anywhere else. Itâ€s a great place to start the season and if I can get back on the podium there it will be even better.”

The 2008 rookie of the year went on to preview the season in more detail as he undertook a revealing Q & A session, just days ahead of his second premier class campaign…

Q. How are you feeling after the first few tests with the new Yamaha M1 during the preseason?
A. “Iâ€m doing well and I really want the races to start. It wasnâ€t easy with the new bike at first, but now I have started to go fast with the Bridgestone tyres. The last day of the Qatar test and both days in Jerez were good. Iâ€m really up for it now, with the reduction in tests and the long winter break I really want to get back on the bike and start racing.”

Q. What do you think about the new Bridgestone tyres and the removal of Friday morning free practice from the time schedules?
A. “The new tyres are really different to the ones I was using last year but Iâ€m gradually getting used to them. The Bridgestone front tyre is really impressive and when you are on the brakes you really notice the difference. From a selfish point of view I donâ€t think losing Friday mornings will help me much because I like to put in plenty of laps, but it will help the championship financially.”

Q. Do you think the tyres were talked about too much last year?
A. “It was logical because the situation was not normal. I think Dorna took the right decision even though it was a break from the tradition of tyre competition. Hopefully we will see an even more open championship with more overtaking and more excitement at the end of the races.”

Q. Do you feel more confident as you go into your second year in MotoGP?
A. “Well I obviously have a lot more experience after everything I went through last year. Last year I felt good right from the start and I started to get good results straight away. But the tyres were such a big factor. When they worked well we were up front but when they didnâ€t I started crashing, as it took time to understand that I had to adapt my riding according to the conditions.”

Q. What is you main objective this season?
A. “The main aim is to improve on the fourth place I got overall last year. Itâ€s a good goal to have, to improve yourself as a rider each season.”

Q. Who do you see as the favourites for the title?
A. “Logically you have to say those who were at the top last year. Valentino (Rossi) is the champion and (Casey) Stoner was the winner before him, so they are under the most pressure. (Dani) Pedrosa has a serious injury but Iâ€m sure he will be fighting for victories again. That is how you have to see things logically, but we all know that anything can happen when the races start.”


Grand Prix Motorcycle history book released
Thursday, 02 April 2009

A book covering the official technical history of the machinery used in the premier class of the MotoGP World Championship, entitled ‘The Grand Prix Motorcycleâ€, is now available for purchase.


A new book entitled ‘The Grand Prix Motorcycle - The Official Technical Historyâ€, written by Kevin Cameron and with a foreword by MotoGP Legend Kenny Roberts Sr., is now on sale.

The publication is an authoritative technical analysis of Grand Prix bikes, looking at the motorcycles used right from the beginning of the FIM MotoGP World Championship in 1949 to the end of the 2008 season.

Written by one of the foremost experts on the subject, the text is packed with factual detail, insightful perspective and thought-provoking judgement, all supported by illustrations of each of the World Champion motorcycles from 60 years of the premier class.

Features also include:
- Technical developments in each of the 60 seasons described in detail.
- Coverage of 14 major eras, each with a special body-off illustration of the landmark motorcycle design of the period.
- Full data on each of the 60 champion bikes, covering title-winning marques AJS, Ducati, Gilera, Honda, Manx Norton, MV Agusta, Suzuki and Yamaha.

The new title is a latest release from Haynes Publishing and forms part of an extensive range of officially licensed MotoGP books. For more details visit http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/store...ogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=35017&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10188&top_category=10006

[Gassick]

Whats a STONER?



















We are in for a good one this year REV004!!!!!

[Rev004]

Round 1 - Qatar 2009.
Part 1

I don't believe it we have the 1st round of MotoGp kicking off and I thought for sure when I got home this arvo someone would have kicked off the banter and got everyone revved up but not to be.

Anyway just looking through some of the goss and Stoner is on Pole for the race in the morning going for his hat trick. Hayden is looking like he maybe out after a huge off but Rossi and Lorenzo are on the pace so we will have to wait and see.

But that's enough from me here's some light reading and times to go over just to get you lot in the mood. Hope everyone is having a good Easter.

Suzuki improvements lift confidence for â€09 kick off
Wednesday, 08 April 2009

As the Rizla Suzuki team travel to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar spirits are high following winter improvements to the GSV-R.


As the excitement builds ahead of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend Loris Capirossi and his team-mate Chris Vermeulen are desperate for the competitive action to commence, having made significant strides over the winter.

Successful preseason tests in Malaysia, Qatar and Spain, have seen winter improvements to the GSV-R800 confirmed by both riders, with the last of those tests at Jerez resulting in Capirossi and Vermeulen finishing third and fifth respectively in the BMW M Award showdown session.

Both riders struggled for consistency in 2008, with competitiveness in the latter stages of races a specific problem, so this weekend will give both Suzuki riders a chance to see how far their overall race package has in fact improved since the conclusion of last season.

Capirossi and Vermeulen were regularly amongst the top riders at all of the 2009 preseason practices, but that will count for nothing unless they can get some good points on the board in Qatar.

“It was good to finish the test schedule with a good result at Jerez and it shows how far the bike has come on in the winter, but now we have to be focused on racing, because we have to keep improving,” comments the vastly experienced Capirossi. “We want to be on the podium and winning races and I believe that is where we can be. Qatar has been a tough track for Suzuki in the past, but the test there earlier this year was quite good and hopefully we can get the season off to a strong start.”

The veteran Italianâ€s 26 year-old Australian colleague Vermeulen adds, “We had an important test at Losail last month and we are going there a lot better prepared than the same time last year.”

“Qatar has been a track that we have struggled at in the past, but the new GSV-R seems to be working very well there this year and both Loris and I were well on the pace in the test. Hopefully we can stay in the top-five at Qatar, because that is certainly what we are aiming for.”


Upbeat Dovizioso raring to go at round one
Wednesday, 08 April 2009

Being given a big break this year on factory machinery Andrea Dovizioso is aiming to make the most of his improved package, as the 2009 season commences.


Last year in MotoGP Andrea Dovizioso was a breath of fresh air, finishing as the highest non-factory rider in fifth place, after a highly consistent premier class debut campaign with JiR Team Scot.

He goes into his second season in MotoGP - and this weekendâ€s first race of the year at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar - as a Repsol Honda rider, having been ‘promoted†by HRC in recognition of his loyalty and hard work.

Winter testing has not been easy for the Italian youngster as he has adapted to riding on Bridgestone tyres and taken on the burden of extra responsibility which comes with being a factory rider. Furthermore his new team-mate Dani Pedrosa has missed a significant amount of preseason testing due to injury, putting more pressure on Dovizioso and his new crew chief Pete Benson to get the RC212V ‘race ready†for 2009.

Former 125cc World Champion made a spectacular MotoGP entrance last year when he qualified ninth and finished fourth in Qatar, beating his illustrious compatriot Valentino Rossi in the process.

Having finally achieved his first podium of the year in third place at the penultimate round of 2008 at Sepang, Dovizioso finished strongly with another fourth place in Valencia at the end of last season - and he will be keen to continue that sort of form at the beginning of this year.

“Iâ€m really looking forward to the start of the season,” he states. “This was my first winter as a factory Honda tester and it was an exciting experience to be in the full works squad. Now the preparation is over and weâ€re going racing.”

“I like racing in Qatar, and riding under the floodlights at night is very special. It has an amazing, unique atmosphere and the layout of the track is different from the other circuits, in particular the turns are very long and it is not easy to go at high speeds on the corners. Still, I have always had good results in Qatar and last year, at my debut in MotoGP, I had a fantastic race.”

Commenting on his seventh place finish in the BMW M Award at the Official MotoGP Test in southern Spain which completed the 2009 preseason, he added, “At the last test in Jerez our machine had improved compared to the previous test we did in Qatar at the beginning of March, so Iâ€m confident for the first race of the season and I will be doing my best to fight up front.”


Elías happy to be racing with Gresini again
Wednesday, 08 April 2009

As he makes the final preparations for Qatar Spaniard Toni Elías is excited about returning to competitive action with San Carlo Honda Gresini.


Heading into his fifth season in the premier class Toni Elías will be looking for a big improvement in 2009, having struggled last season on a satellite Ducati bike with which he never got fully comfortable.

The 26 year-old of course returned to the Honda Gresini team over the winter and despite not having had a perfect preseason, he is hopeful he can get a good result this weekend at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

Re-united with Fausto Gresini, under whose management he rode for two years in 2006 and 2007 achieving his career highlight Portuguese MotoGP win in â€06, Elías has familiar faces around him again this season and will enjoy factory support from HRC.

He was not as high up the test timesheets as he would have hoped to be during the winter and was visibly disappointed at the end of the Jerez test just over a week ago when he completed the BMW M Award session in ninth place.

The rider and his team have admitted they still have adjustments to make in order to find the right setting for Elías†RC212V, as the man from Catalunya explained, “We have struggled a little more than we expected in testing but we know where the problems lie and it is good to be going back to a circuit where we already have lots of data.”

On an enthusiastic note, he continued, “Iâ€m happy to be going racing with this team again, with Honda and on this fantastic bike. Ideally Iâ€d like to be starting the season in better shape but the truth is we have work to do in a short space of time when we get out to Qatar and weâ€ll be pushing hard in every aspect to approach the race in the best possible way.”

Referring to the peculiarities of this weekendâ€s floodlit season-opener Elías also stated, “Racing at night makes it a bit tricky but Losail is one of my favourite circuits and Iâ€ve started on the front row there twice before – both times with this team. I remember in particular three years ago we were three seconds off the pace on the first day and still managed to qualify on the front row. That just shows how quickly things can change in racing so weâ€ll go there with optimism, fight hard and see what happens.”


Dust settles on rivalry in Qatar press conference
Thursday, 09 April 2009

Rossi and Gibernau feature in MotoGP quintet as they set the scene for season curtain-raiser.


The time for talk ahead of the start of the MotoGP season was almost over on Thursday in Losail, but the last platform for the riders was raised for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar press conference. The media gathering saw five riders expressing their views, reviewing their preseason and –in the case of two famous faces- putting their differences to bed before the second MotoGP night race.

Riders Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha), Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro), Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) and Sete Gibernau (Grupo Francisco Hernando) were the riders being posed the questions by the gathered national and international press, all five delighted to be recommencing a race weekend.

“I have the same level of excitement as I had back in 1996; when I donâ€t feel this way then Iâ€ll go home,” said reigning World Champion Rossi. “Weâ€re all wanting to understand our level in a real scenario, different to testing. We werenâ€t at 100% when we last tested here, but we have improved a bit from what was our worst race last year.”

Also claiming less than full preparedness was Dovizioso, who nonetheless had good memories of his 2008 debut at the Losail International Circuit.

“Last year was nice, and now we have some data here with the new bike. We will keep working,” promised the Italian.

“Iâ€m sure that we are able to start this season at a reasonable level,” added Stoner, the winner of the two most recent races at the Qatari track. “With the bike the new chassis has made a big difference, and the new swingarm makes the bike move around a lot less. Itâ€s easier for me to ride.”

Vermeulen indicated that whilst Suzuki did not have the “perfect machine”, they were still happy with what has been a successful winter and stated that, “our goal is the podium, but everyone else wants to be there as well, and there arenâ€t that many spots on the box.”

The gathered hacks eager for a story could not have wished for a better opportunity with the presence of Gibernau in the press conference alongside former nemesis Rossi. Whilst the Spaniard was eager to express his excitement at his return to MotoGP action after two years on the sidelines, and his ambition being simply to finish the opening round in the face of pain from his injured shoulder, the question on everyoneâ€s lips regarded the relationship between himself and the six-time MotoGP titlist.

“The best years of my life were spent in MotoGP, and riding against the man who many of you say is the best ever,” considered Gibernau. “Also I had some of my best times off the track with him, so I am proud to be back.” Rossiâ€s thoughts on whether the two could become friends? Yes they could, and he hopes to see his rival “up in front… but not in front of me!”

The two gave a handshake for the cameras, already leaving the 2009 season with an iconic image even before they begin practice on Friday night.

A confessedly nervous Gibernau almost felt enough at ease to crack a joke about his lack of night riding experience, explaining that heâ€d been “trying to get used to the lights by going out in Barcelona,” but was unsure as to whether this would help him.

Pedrosa ready to give it a shot
Friday, 10 April 2009

Repsol Hondaâ€s Dani Pedrosa rates his own fitness levels at 60% or 70% as the season starts, but he will still try to race in Qatar.


Last yearâ€s third placed rider overall in MotoGP, Dani Pedrosa has had a difficult preseason ahead of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship, with surgery before Christmas, a heavy crash in Qatar during testing at the beginning of March and another resultant operation to help repair the damage.

The 24 year-old Spaniard has spent the last five weeks recuperating after the insertion of a screw into his left wrist and the latest surgery to fix a long-term injury in his left knee, which was aggravated by his Qatar crash.

Pedrosa participated in the official 2009 MotoGP riders photograph on Friday afternoon at the Losail International Circuit and he will test his fitness levels in the first MotoGP free practice of the year at 10.30pm local time this evening in Qatar.

The rider himself stated, “Iâ€m here to try to race this weekend and Iâ€m happy about that. Itâ€s not been easy to get here because I didnâ€t have much time to recover and Iâ€m not at 100% yet. We can say that Iâ€m at about 60% or 70%. There are some injuries where you can push hard to recover faster, but this injury was not of this type and I really couldnâ€t push the recovery – I had to take some time.”

He continued, “Iâ€ve not been able to fully bend my knee since I crashed in Australia in October and after two operations since then there is still some way to go before Iâ€m completely fit again. Right now I still cannot fully bend my knee and I canâ€t squat down completely, which is usually what you need to race the bike, so I canâ€t tell exactly how itâ€s going to go until the first practice session tonight.”

In addition to his physical state Pedrosa also has other thoughts on his mind, commenting, “Iâ€m also concerned about the machine. We still have to make quite a lot of progress and we will need some time to get to the same level as our rivals. Still, we are where we are and we have to give our maximum to overcome the issues.”

Noting the support of those around him he went on to add, “I want to say thanks to all the fans who have sent me letters and emails showing their support and pushing me to recover. When youâ€re in this situation, this kind of support really helps you a lot. Also I want say thanks to my team for all the dedication theyâ€ve shown to get to the best possible position since Iâ€ve been away. After last year, they already know how to work in this kind of situation and I have full confidence in them.”


De Puniet aiming for top six after first session
Friday, 10 April 2009

Frenchman Randy de Puniet says he could have done better than tenth place in the first free practice session of the season but was slowed down by another rider.


LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet set a fastest lap of 1â€58.771 aboard his satellite RC212V on Friday evening in the first free practice of the 2009 season at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

Having completed a total of 18 laps in the 45 minute session he gave his thoughts on finishing tenth on the opening night in the Arabian desert.

Randy De Puniet – 10th
“It was not so bad even if the session felt very short. We did a good job testing different settings and tyres and honestly Iâ€ve already made my tyre choice for the race. I did a long run (8 laps) at the end of the session, riding with a good feeling. Tenth position is not bad but we could go faster, finishing in the top six. Unfortunately I lost some time behind (Nicky) Hayden on my last lap, but I think we started the race week end in a good form”.


Stoner reacts to opening night success
Friday, 10 April 2009

After Casey Stoner began the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar in good form on Friday night he was in an upbeat mood about the results of the first MotoGP free practice of 2009.


Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner has a great record at Qatar, having started his remarkable 2007 MotoGP title triumph with a brilliant victory at the Losail International Circuit, a win which he repeated in style at the beginning of last year.

The Australian was also the fastest man at the 2009 Official Night Test at the desert track at the beginning of March and having stopped off in Jerez two weeks ago to top the timesheets again and win himself a new car in the BMW M Award, he continued his preseason form with the best time in free practice on Friday evening as the new season commenced.

The 23 year-old will be hard to stop at this weekend, although fans can be assured that the likes of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will be doing their very best to prevent a third consecutive Stoner Qatar win on Sunday.

Reviewing his eveningâ€s work late on Friday Stoner commented, “The bike is working very well. The settings that we found in Jerez seem to be working quite well here also, but we still need to improve a couple of things like everybody. The track conditions are not perfect yet, though by the time we arrive tomorrow night for qualifying it should be fine and we will understand where we are a little bit more.”

Asked about his fitness as he prepares for his first race since winter surgery, he replied, “There is no problem with my wrist. I would like to be able to do more physical training but that is not an excuse and the wrist is not causing any issues. So we are looking forward to starting the season and we will see how things go.”


Rossi notes improvements in good Friday session
Friday, 10 April 2009

“Weâ€ll get better" assures reigning MotoGP World Champion.


Casey Stoner may have set the early pace in Qatar with a storming practice time, but MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi drew positive conclusions from the first session of the 2009 season. At what he described on Thursday as the scene of his ‘worst race of 2008â€, the Fiat Yamaha man saw potential for further improvement in the two forthcoming Saturday sessions.

“It was a good session. We are already close to the top, and we already have some ideas from the last test on how to improve the grip levels,” said Rossi after clocking a 1â€57.439 time (0.386 slower than Stonerâ€s lap) on a circuit that had only had 1.5hours worth of riding undertaken beforehand to clear up the lines.

“The new setting is working well, and we have more confidence now when compared to the test that we had here. Now is only the first practice; weâ€ll get faster.”

The previous test had seen prior rainfall and cold temperatures cause problems for the riders, and the Italian felt the difference in conditions to some extent on Friday.

“I can ride the bike feeling that it is more under control. With lower temperatures it was perhaps dangerous at times before.”

Rossi will be back on track with the rest of the MotoGP riders for the second free practice session for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, on Saturday at 7.05pm local time.


Lorenzo unworried by early Qatar form
Friday, 10 April 2009

Fiat Yamaha rider confident of Saturday improvement before qualifying in Qatar.


Jorge Lorenzo needed a late lap to push himself into the top five at Losail on Friday, but the Spaniard declared himself unpeturbed by events in the first free practice session in Qatar. The Fiat Yamaha rider will look for further improvement on Saturday, at the scene of his maiden MotoGP pole position.

Jorge Lorenzo - 4th
“We had a few problems, mainly in the hard braking areas where I didnâ€t have such a great feeling with the front tyre, but apart from that itâ€s been ok. The track was quite dirty so it was difficult to go at 100%, and I think tomorrow it will be much better. At the end today we made a big improvement and my last lap was much better, so I am not worried and I think tomorrow, with more time on track, we can improve. 45 minutes doesnâ€t feel enough to me but I do understand the reason for this change; if it helps the championship then itâ€s important and we just need to get used to this new way of working. The track should be much less dirty as well tomorrow so I hope we can start from where we finished tonight and keep going.”


Suzuki looking for improvements on day two
Friday, 10 April 2009

Loris Capirossi began his twentieth season in Grand Prix racing by recording the sixth fastest free practice 1 time at Losail on Friday evening, but is hoping to go faster on Saturday.


Experienced Italian Loris Capirossi was sixth quickest in the first practice session of 2009 at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Friday, but he wants to make improvements ahead of qualifying.

His Rizla Suzuki colleague Chris Vermeulen is looking for a big step forward himself after ending up 14th on the timesheet.

Loris Capirossi - 6th
“For the first practice it was not too bad, but we did struggle a bit with the setting. In the recent test it was not perfect so we tried a new one and this didnâ€t work as well so we will use some stuff from that and go back to the old one. We have a good idea what we need to modify tomorrow and I am sure we will be stronger. 45 minutes seems a really short time and it is difficult to get a lot of work done, also with the limited amount of tyres - especially on such a dirty track - made it quite tough. Overall we are quite pleased and we will have quite an easy way to improve tomorrow!”
Chris Vermeulen – 14th
“It was not really the start to the weekend that we wanted. We have a limit on tyres and didnâ€t really want to use any of the hard front tyres that we will be using for racing. We tried to make the softer one work and we were going not too bad in the beginning of session, but at the end I kept the front tyre in and there was a lot of movement in the front of the bike and struggled to keep corner speed up. It was a bit frustrating that we couldnâ€t go as fast as we have been round here, but I still have all my hard front tyres left and hopefully the speed will come back when we put that in.”


Edwards: “Weâ€ve just got to put the pieces together”
Friday, 10 April 2009

Adjustments between Qatar test and practice bear fruit for American.


Monster Yamaha Tech3 were back at the business end of the timesheet in Qatar, with Colin Edwards showing the form of the M1 as one of only three riders capable of a lap under 1â€58. The American saved the best - his 1â€57.835 lap - until last, on his seventeenth and final lap of the first MotoGP practice session.

“Weâ€ve changed the bike up a little bit, and the engineers have done something a little bit different with the front to solve some problems,” explained Edwards after his debrief. “Weâ€ve been having problems, especially at Jerez, with the bike bumping and acting like a speed limiter. Now weâ€ve moved that on a bit after trying something out.”

The ‘Texas Tornado†added, “Jerez was a bit special, and we thought that what was needed there could be used here and work well. Weâ€ve got all the pieces, but weâ€ve just got to put them together.”

Edwards qualified on the front row for last yearâ€s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, one of his best Saturday performances of the season.


Stoner on the pace as Qatar weekend and 2009 season commence
Friday, 10 April 2009

The 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner started the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar weekend and the new season ahead of his rivals, in the first MotoGP free practice session of the year.


As the first day of action at the opening round of the season concluded under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit on Friday evening the winner of the last two MotoGP races at the Qatari track, Casey Stoner, was the paceman again onboard his superb Desmosedici GP9.

Despite running off track at one stage, Stoner was in charge from early in the session with his 1â€57.053 best time coming on the 12th of his 17 laps and keeping him 0.386s ahead of second fastest rider Valentino Rossi. Australian Ducati Marlboro rider Stoner was the form rider of the 2009 preseason and he will take some beating this weekend in Qatar.

World Champion Rossi was once more the closest man to his young rival Stoner, the Italian registering his quickest time (1â€57.439) towards the end of the session. A race winner previously at the desert circuit, the legendary Fiat Yamaha rider will look to start his title defence with another victory on Sunday.

In the first ever Grand Prix free practice session in the single tyre supplier era, a rider who did not use Bridgestone tyres last year, Monster Yamaha Tech3â€s Colin Edwards, was third fastest, courtesy of a best time right at the end of the 45-minute practice, albeit 0.782s off Stonerâ€s pace.

Another rider new to Bridgestone rubber this year, Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo surged up the timesheets with his own last gasp hot lap to finish fourth. The young Spaniard undertaking his second season in the MotoGP class will aim to repeat his 2008 Qatar pole position in qualifying on Saturday night.

Like Lorenzo, San Carlo Honda Gresiniâ€s Alex de Angelis embarks on his second MotoGP campaign this year and he started the weekend well on his satellite RC212V, in fifth place as the fastest Honda rider.

Veteran Italian Loris Capirossi, starting his 20th season in the World Championship placed sixth on the timesheet on the improved and updated Rizla Suzuki GSV-R, nearly a second and a half behind former team-mate Stoner.

An impressive effort from MotoGP rookie Mika Kallio, meanwhile saw him lap seventh quickest as he continued his adaptation to premier class riding with his new team Pramac Racing.

Andrea Dovizioso gets his big break with Repsol Honda this season and he started his first GP weekend on factory machinery in eighth place overall.

Next on the timesheets were Marco Melandri, on the Ninja ZX-RR in the new Hayate Racing team set-up, and LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet.

James Toseland (Tech 3 Yamaha) just missed on the top ten as he continued his recovery from some big preseason crashes, whilst 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden was down in thirteenth place as he commenced his first race weekend with Ducati Marlboro.

Dani Pedrosa was back on track, riding through the pain barrier with his knee and wrist injuries, returning to action after missing the Jerez Official Test as a result of a heavy crash in testing at Losail just over a month ago. The Repsol Honda rider lapped 4.382s off the pace, completing 17 important laps, but ending the session last on the timesheet

COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.053 328.967
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.439 327.471 0.386
3 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.835 322.677 0.782
4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'58.272 326.579 1.219
5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.452 326.975 1.399
6 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.468 323.643 1.415
7 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'58.499 328.367 1.446
8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'58.506 325.693 1.453
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'58.757 324.812 1.704
10 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'58.771 321.332 1.718
11 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'58.850 320.000 1.797
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.094 327.471 2.041
13 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.158 324.519 2.105
14 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.348 316.437 2.295
15 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'59.437 319.621 2.384
16 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 2'00.595 323.547 3.542
17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 2'00.597 317.927 3.544
18 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'01.435 326.876 4.382

[Rev004]

Round 1 - Qatar 2009
Part 2

Hayden to start 100th GP on Ducati debut
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Ducati newcomer to celebrate 100th race in the premier class this weekend.


Former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden has more than one reason to look forward to Sundayâ€s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, his debut race for the Ducati Marlboro team. The American is making the 100th Grand Prix appearance of his career this weekend, joining an elite club of riders to reach the milestone.

Of the seven members of the premier class ‘100 club†(for those who have participated in a century of races in the MotoGP during the four-stroke era) only Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards and Loris Capirossi are still active competitors in the 800cc category.

In the following video motogp.com celebrates Haydenâ€s 100th Grand Prix with a look back over his MotoGP career, from his debut in 2003 to his most recent podium and taking in his three race victories and twenty-five podiums along the way


Ducati Desmosedici GP9 explained by Stoner Crew Chief
Saturday, 11 April 2009

800cc bike detailed in video feature by Ducatiâ€s Cristian Gabarini.


The Ducati Desmosedici GP9 has been a standout machine over the course of the preseason, with a number of successful developments improving upon the model used in 2008. Casey Stoner is the man to get the most out of the bike thus far, although he isnâ€t the only one with a ‘hands-on†approach to working with the rough-and-ready 800cc monster.

In the following video, Stonerâ€s Crew Chief Cristian Gabarini talks through the ins and outs of the number 27 Desmosedici, explaining how the bike has been modified for Stonerâ€s unique style and adapted according to the demands and availability of the latest technology. A carbon fibre frame and swing arm, credited by Stoner as being a tremendous help in stabilising the bike, are detailed by the Italian.


Showdown at sundown awaits riders on Saturday
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Final free practice and qualifying runs set for Saturday.


The second night of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar takes place on Saturday evening at the Losail International Circuit, as things hot up in the Persian Gulf. The final free practice sessions for all three classes will open proceedings, in preparation for the first qualifying session of the 2009 season.

History will be made in the premier class when all eighteen 800cc riders take to the track for qualifying shod with Bridgestone tyres. The 45-minute session will be the first to take place since the introduction of a single-tyre rule.

The man to beat in MotoGP appears to be Ducati Marlboroâ€s Casey Stoner, the winner of the past two Grands Prix held in Qatar. Stoner set the early pace on Friday with a 1â€57.053 lap of the track, although with the track becoming cleaner with every session times are sure to drop as grid positions are decided.

The 125cc class opens up the night action at 6.05pm local time, followed by MotoGP at 7.05pm and 250cc at 8.05pm. Following the same order, qualifying runs from 10.05pm to 12.05am.


Stoner mutes Rossi response in second MotoGP practice session
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Australian continues in control of premier class field in second evening ride in Qatar.


The second MotoGP free practice session for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar saw Casey Stoner once again sitting pretty at the head of the field, as the Australian shrugged off a response to his Friday dominance made by Valentino Rossi.

Stoner took times under the 1â€57 mark for the first time this weekend, and it was only in the final stages of the session that Rossi was able to join him with a solitary lap. Stonerâ€s 1â€56.310 time was just under a tenth of a second faster than that of the 2008 MotoGP World Champion, who later tried to further better his time in the final minute of the run.

Late surges from Loris Capirossi and 2008 poleman Jorge Lorenzo pushed them up into the top five and within half a second of Stonerâ€s time, with fifth-placed Marco Melandri separated from the group by nearly half a second. Melandri had been involved in a late night meeting with his mechanics on Friday to try and better his top ten placing from the first session, and took over 1.5 seconds off his previous best.

Repsol Hondaâ€s Andrea Dovizioso and second Rizla Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen placed ahead of Colin Edwards, Fridayâ€s third quickest rider, whilst the top ten was completed by Randy de Puniet and James Toseland.

Stoner, Capirossi and Scot Racingâ€s Yuki Takahashi ran off track during the session, but the most spectacular incident involved Ducati Marlboro rider Nicky Hayden. The American had a problem with his Desmosedici GP9 that caused vapor to pour out of the bike and delayed his workload ahead of Saturday qualifying.


COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'56.310 330.679
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'56.406 330.679 0.096
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.598 328.767 0.288
4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'56.649 329.268 0.339
5 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'57.135 326.777 0.825
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'57.290 328.667 0.980
7 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'57.576 323.741 1.266
8 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.714 326.579 1.404
9 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'57.971 323.159 1.661
10 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'58.125 323.159 1.815
11 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.152 327.669 1.842
12 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'58.349 330.983 2.039
13 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'58.361 331.491 2.051
14 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.618 329.268 2.308
15 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.226 328.567 2.916
16 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'59.340 324.032 3.030
17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'59.564 323.063 3.254
18 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 2'00.256 324.714 3.946


Stoner on pole and gunning for Qatar hat-trick victory
Saturday, 11 April 2009

After a dominant performance in the first MotoGP qualifying session of the year Casey Stoner will get away from pole at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.


The 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner will attempt to make it three consecutive season-opening victories in Qatar on Sunday having qualified in pole position at the floodlit Losail International Circuit on Saturday.

The superb Australian who blitzed his opponents in the opening races of the year in 2007 and 2008 was in hot form again in the first qualifying session of the new single tyre supplier era, setting a 1â€55.286s best time near the end of the session, to keep him nearly half a second ahead of the chasing pack.

The ‘best of the rest†was World Champion Valentino Rossi who registered his best time on his penultimate lap, a 0.473s margin behind Stoner. The Italian therefore starts his title defence second on the grid, a big improvement on his seventh place in qualifying at Qatar last year.

Rossiâ€s team-mate, 2008 poleman Jorge Lorenzo completes the front row, courtesy of his 1â€55.783s time which was just 0.024s behind his Fiat Yamaha colleagueâ€s best.

Like Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso was taking part in his first qualifying practice on Bridgestone tyres and the Italian youngster ended up in fourth spot. The new Repsol Honda rider will get away from the head of the second row on his factory debut as he attempts to match or improve on his impressive fourth place at Losail last year.

Loris Capirossi, meanwhile, who starts his 20th World Championship season this weekend, will be on his compatriot Doviziosoâ€s shoulder having put himself fifth on the grid on the new and improved Suzuki GSV-R.

Another experienced rider, Monster Yamaha Tech 3â€s Colin Edwards, completes the second row having lapped within a second of Stoner.

Randy de Puniet of the satellite LCR Honda team caused something of a surprise in seventh place, with a best effort of 1â€56.358, just over a second off pole position pace.

Also slotting in on the third row, behind Frenchman De Puniet, are Australian Suzuki man Chris Vermeulen and San Marino rider Alex de Angelis of the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. Pramac Racingâ€s Mika Kallio completes the top ten as the best rookie qualifier.

Dani Pedrosa qualified in 14th position on his Repsol Honda RC212V, handicapped by his left wrist and knee injuries, but still giving himself a chance of scoring points on Sunday.

Comeback star Sete Gibernau is also riding injured, with an ongoing shoulder injury sustained in training in the winter, and he will start his first race in more than two years in 15th position.

A huge high-speed highside crash for Nicky Hayden on turn two at the end of the session saw him unable to move up from 16th on the grid on his Ducati debut and he was stretchered away for medical attention.


COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Qualifying Practice Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'55.286 337.183
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'55.759 334.158 0.473
3 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'55.783 336.973 0.497
4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'55.977 333.642 0.691
5 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.149 332.512 0.863
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'56.194 330.882 0.908
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'56.358 327.868 1.072
8 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'56.493 325.791 1.207
9 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'56.790 332.103 1.504
10 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'56.852 338.028 1.566
11 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'56.962 330.983 1.676
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'57.225 333.848 1.939
13 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'57.510 328.567 2.224
14 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'57.729 338.557 2.443
15 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1'57.899 330.882 2.613
16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'58.215 332.614 2.929
17 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'58.784 327.968 3.498
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'58.999 328.467 3.713


Rossi hopes to up the pace on Sunday at Losail
Saturday, 11 April 2009

World Champion Valentino Rossi found the first qualifying session of the new single tyre supplier era interesting and hopes to be able to catch poleman Casey Stoner on Sunday in Qatar.


Reacting to qualifying second at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday MotoGP title holder Valentino Rossi was in a positive frame of mind ahead of the first race of the year, though he admits he and his team have plenty of work to do on Sunday.

The Italian will be trying to prevent poleman Casey Stoner from registering a hat-trick of Qatar wins as the 2009 season gets underway and says there are some points on the track where he couldnâ€t match the Australian on Saturday.

Rossi has had a good race pace all weekend and is confident of being able to mount a strong challenge if he can refine the setting of his Yamaha M1 in Sundayâ€s warm-up session which takes place at 7pm local time.

Analysing the results of first qualifying session in the single tyre supplier era Rossi stated, “It was very interesting especially with the 45 minutes of practice, you have to run, run, run because the time is short! It is not exactly like before with qualifying tyres but it is very close, the lap times are fast and it is difficult to use the soft tyres to the maximum. Anyway I am happy with the performance because a month ago here in the test we were quite slow.”

He added, “However, there are still two or three parts of the track where we are not strong enough to beat (Casey) Stoner, so we will have to try tonight or tomorrow to improve the setting and we will see. It is important to start in second place for the race and it will be a long battle.”


Stoner reviews first pole position of new season
Saturday, 11 April 2009

A highly competent performer at the Losail International Circuit, Casey Stoner reflected on his strong Qatar qualifying display late on Saturday.


Looking back over another successful evening in the Arabian desert on Saturday Casey Stoner pragmatically reviewed his sensational qualifying performance at the 2009 Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

The 2007 World Champion stated, “We knew the lap was there all along. We got into the low 1â€56 area with the hardest compound tyre and then we went a lot faster with our softer tyres in the early evening session, so we knew we could go quite a bit faster. We just needed to wait for the qualifying session. Everything went reasonably well, I didnâ€t feel I got the most out of the softer tyres, but it was enough to be on pole so we are happy with the way things are going.”

The winner of the last two races in Qatar, Stoner was typically straightforward as he admitted he is not quite ready for the first race of the year despite his rapid Saturday pace. The Ducati Marlboro rider revealed, “We have still got a bit more work to do before the race tomorrow. We donâ€t feel like we have got the set-up really where we want it yet but Iâ€m sure everyone else is in the same position. With much less time as we have on track now it is much harder to get everything right before the race but we have to make do with what weâ€ve got.”

Asked about his expected race pace for Sunday he replied, “It is difficult to say because if the weather stays nice and clear, not too windy, if the dust does not come back on the track then the pace should increase.”


Dovizioso takes second row despite mistake
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Pedrosa moves up to fourteenth in qualifying session.


Andrea Dovizioso will look to open his tenure as a Repsol Honda rider with a podium on Sunday, and put himself in a prime position at the head of the second row of the grid. The Italian said afterwards that he had made an error in the session, although he did not pay too dearly for any mistake.

Teammate Dani Pedrosa refused to throw in the towel during the session, and made improvements to his Friday time despite being in considerable discomfort. He will begin the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar from fourteenth.

Andrea Dovizioso -4th
“Iâ€m very happy with this fourth position. We worked hard during qualifying, testing the two bikes with two different set-ups. Both solutions gave good feedback, I was confident, and the machine performance improved. Iâ€m happy with the rhythm we found for the race with the hard tyres, and also the lap times we achieved with the soft tyre. Iâ€m satisfied also because I had room for even more improvement during my last lap with soft tyre - in fact I made a mistake and I spoiled the improvement Iâ€d made in T1. I think racing suits my style and mentality better than practice so Iâ€m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Dani Pedrosa -14th
“Well weâ€ve made it into the race and that was the aim of coming to Qatar so Iâ€m please with that. I didnâ€t expect to improve my lap time by this much from yesterday so this is good progress. The leg feels a little better and I pushed harder today than yesterday, though this situation is not something that is fixed after one day. My lap time is not really so bad considering my condition and the time Iâ€ve spent away from the track, but for sure I wanted to be faster than this and a bit further forward on the grid. Still, the race is here weâ€ll get ready to give it the maximum effort tomorrow. Maybe I can improve my lap times by a further second or so.”


Monster Yamaha Tech3 look forward to a battle in Qatar
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Sixth and thirteenth in qualifying for Edwards and Toseland.


Colin Edwards and James Toseland may have had their differences over the preseason, but both found themselves in similar situations in MotoGP qualifying on Saturday night. Although Edwards qualified in a respectable sixth place, the American was left wanting more, a situation shared by thirteenth-placing Toseland. Both, however, are ready to fight in Losail.

Colin Edwards -6th
“I'm reasonably happy with the second row but I thought I had a shot at being in the top three. But even though I'm a veteran I'm still learning. I came here with a bike set-up different than what I've been running in the winter to cure some movement issues with the front when I push harder. The new setting is better but I've still got some of those issues and it is a little confusing. Valentino (Rossi) is going fast and he doesn't have any issues, and Jorge (Lorenzo) is the same. So I've got to figure something out. I've made progress and I feel like I can go faster, but I'm having to anticipate the movement and that is not helping the lap time. I've got to figure out whether I need to go softer or harder with the front forks. I just wish I were an engineer because right now I'm not sure which direction I need to take. The new qualifying format was still exciting. I kept three softer tyres back and did two laps on each, and each time I got faster, but not quite fast enough for the front row. I'm looking forward to the race now and I feel ready. The guys in front of me are within touching distance though Casey (Stoner) is on another planet. Hats off to him, but I'm ready for the battle.”
James Toseland -13th
“I started on a used front tyre that had done thirteen laps and I was straight into the low 58s and I thought great. I put a new hard front tyre in with my first soft rear tyre and the front never seemed to get to temperature. And when I put in my second soft rear the front wasn't so stable mid-corner. Now you can't just throw another tyre in with the new rules, so I'm really frustrated because the rear tyre was working pretty good. To do a 57 with the problems I had I'm actually pleased with that because I picked the bike up on my knee twice and I still did a reasonable lap time. I'm a bit disappointed because the bike was feeling good and I'm sure I could have got around the top six, but there was nothing I could do with the small issue with the front. I've got to take it on the chin and build on the progress I've made prior to the end of that session. If everything had gone to plan then I'd have qualified in the top ten and been looking at fighting for the top six. I'm going to need a good start and get my head down but I'm riding well and looking forward to it.”


Lorenzo unhappy about pace on race tyres
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Jorge Lorenzo could not repeat his remarkable 2008 Qatar pole position, but despite qualifying on the front row again at Losail he is concerned about his pace on the harder Bridgestone tyres.


Fiat Yamahaâ€s Jorge Lorenzo qualified just 0.024s behind his illustrious second placed colleague Valentino Rossi on the Qatar grid on Saturday, but as he commences his second season in MotoGP the Spaniard is playing down his chances in Sundayâ€s race.

Lorenzo shone under the Losail floodlights on his premier class debut last year as he rode to second place from pole position at the start of 2008, but he tried to play down his chances of a repeat performance after qualifying for the 2009 season-opener.

Third on the grid, the young Majorcan rider stated, “Iâ€m not happy, not because of the third place with the soft tyres, but because with the harder ones I expected a better pace. But anyway thatâ€s how things are and tomorrow we will have to struggle to stay with the front group. Thatâ€s racing, maybe at one track you donâ€t have a good pace but at the next circuit things could be easier.”

He continued, “During the test here I was faster with the hard tyre but for some reason we have the opposite situation this time and I am much faster with the soft tyre. Now we need to work hard to try to solve the problem tonight. On Sunday I wonâ€t be thinking about winning, just about doing the best I can.”


Second row start for Capirossi at season opener
Sunday, 12 April 2009

Rizla Suzukiâ€s Loris Capirossi qualified in the middle of the second row for Sundayâ€s Qatar MotoGP race.


With improved Suzuki machinery at their disposal following a significant winter update to the GSV-R Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are hoping to cash in on their respective fifth and eighth qualifying places in Qatar.

Loris Capirossi – 5th
“It has been not too bad overall because we have improved a lot and went one second quicker than we did at the last test here. The bike is working well and we have found a good setting. We worked a lot on engine braking and mapping today and the whole team worked really hard to make everything happen. We tried to use all the time to its best extent and we are able to confirm that the bike is much better here than last year. I want to thank the whole factory for all the hard work they have put into the bike for this year. I think our qualifying is not too bad, but the race will be very hard and we will need to fight a lot to get a good result!”
Chris Vermeulen – 8th
“It has been a much better day for us today. We really got the tyres sorted out today and we know what we are going to be running tomorrow. We will certainly be using the harder ones - both front and rear. We found that the softer rear had a bit more potential for pure lap-time speed, so we saved a couple of those for the qualifying session. We were able to do three or four laps on each tyre and that suited me. It felt like the bike was working well and the last tyre was going really well, but I just missed doing a final lap by a couple of seconds. The lap that I did my best time on was not a perfect lap and I was hoping to get one more lap in and iron out those mistakes. Starting from the third row is a lot better than it was last year and I'll try and get a good start and stay with the front group and see what happens at the end of 22-laps!”


Hayden doubtful for Ducati race debut
Saturday, 11 April 2009

Following his high-speed crash in qualifying at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Nicky Hayden may not be able to make his Ducati race debut this weekend.


In stark contrast to his pole-setting new team-mate Casey Stoner in Qatar, Nicky Hayden is suffering a nightmare weekend at the Losail International Circuit and may not be able to race on Sunday after a heavy crash in qualifying.

Trying to improve on his 16th place on the grid at the end of Saturday nightâ€s 45-minute qualifying practice at the floodlit desert circuit the 2006 World Champion suffered a spectacular highside that has left him battered, bruised and doubtful for his Ducati Marlboro debut.

The American is suffering severe pain in his back and after undergoing some initial x-rays at the circuit medical centre, he was taken to the local Ahmad public hospital in Doha for further checks. Hayden required three stitches in a cut on his chest and a decision on his participation in the race will be made on Sunday.

Hayden was briefly quoted as saying cheerfully, “I donâ€t feel like going for a jog right now, I can tell you that much! It was a big crash and Iâ€m in a lot of pain so weâ€re going to get some more x-rays done and see what the score is.”

A concerned Stoner added, “The whole team are keeping our fingers crossed for Nicky. Hopefully he can ride but the most important thing is that heâ€s okay.”


Well if your still reading and haven't fallen a sleep this is My tips for the Weekend - Stoner , Rossi and Lorenzo