MotoGP field to try and reel in Stoner at Misano

A seventh win of the 2011 campaign at Indianapolis extended Casey Stoner’s lead at the top of the Championship standings to 44 points over defending title holder Jorge Lorenzo, as the Repsol Honda rider further reinforced his already strong claim for this year’s crown. A personal milestone of a 30th premier class GP win for the Australian could also prove to be a pivotal one in the fight for the title come the end of the year, especially after Lorenzo placed fourth. Now the premier class heads directly from the USA to San Marino for the Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini as the season enters its final third.

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Lorenzo’s task in retaining his title now seems to be an even tougher one, but he will head to Misano determined to stop the run of three successive victories that has led Stoner to his improved current position. In doing so Lorenzo will need a return to the podium having been off it for the past two rounds, but will garner confidence from his record at Misano where he has placed second for the last three years.

At close quarters in third place is Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), a rider who will be counting on a strong support from the Misano crowd as he looks to improve on fifth from Indianapolis at a track he is yet to score a premier class podium at. His team-mate and last year’s Misano race winner Dani Pedrosa comes into Round 13 off the back of a second place finish at Indianapolis, as he homes in on a strong final third of the campaign.

With his third podium of the year at his home race Ben Spies heads to Misano in fine form. The Yamaha Factory Racing rider currently lies fifth in the Championship, with just five points separating Pedrosa ahead of him and Valentino Rossi behind in sixth.

For the seven-times premier class World Champion Indianapolis proved to be one of his most difficult races to date in his first season on the Desmosedici. Gear box issues during the race and an all-round difficult weekend contributed to 10th place, his worst result to date in 2011, although it did stretch his run of points-scoring finishes to 23 races which started in Germany last year on his return from injury.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) will both be grateful for the back-to-back races as they aim to immediately put the memory of 14th and 12th placed finishes, respectively, behind them, whilst Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) will eye an improvement on seventh from the last round.

Hiroshi Aoyama will tackle the track fully fit for the first time on a MotoGP bike after riding last year’s race whilst still recovering from injury – he scored a top-ten result at Indy – and Héctor Barberá’s (Mapfre Aspar) sole focus will be on erasing the memory of his final-corner crash at Indianapolis when trying to go through on the Japanese rider.

Rizla Suzuki rider Álvaro Bautista converted his recent form into a top-six finish at Indianapolis and will be confident of building on that at Misano, and Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) will be another rider hoping to carry momentum gained in the States through to the next round. Toni Elías (LCR Honda) stepped on the podium in the premier class at Misano in 2008 and will hope for a boost, whilst Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) and Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing) both failed to finish the Indianapolis race so will be intent on strong results, Capirossi in front of a solid fan base. The Italian’s team-mate Randy de Puniet scored his best result of the season so far with eighth at Indy.

source: MotoGP Official Website

Race at Suzuka, says Honda boss

RADIATION concerns still has a select group of MotoGP riders yet to commit to the Japanese GP, but according to Honda MotoGP team principal Shuhei Nakamoto the race could be saved by switching the event from Motegi to Suzuka.

After the tsunami and earthquake devastated the country in March, the date of Japanese GP was postponed from April and moved to October 2nd. However concerns have risen throughout the MotoGP contingent over the risk of radiation levels at the circuit from a leak at the Fukushima nuclear plant 100 miles away.

Vocal in their fears about riding at Motegi were the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, all of whom insisted they would not travel to Japan. An independent review has been since been conducted declaring the circuit safe and race officials have confirmed that the race will continue as planned.

Stoner has admitted that he is likely to compete after revealing his concerns grew from the announcement of his wife's pregnancy. Along with this an email from Dorna to IRTA which was then relayed onto the teams has demanded that the everyone must honour their contracts regarding the race, leading to reports that the factory Yamaha team will race alongside the various teams who have already committed - including Tech 3 Yamaha and Aspar.

However the attendance of Rossi still remains uncertain, as the Italian believes that the riders should stay united as reported by GPone - they have more influence if they "stick together".

Nakamoto thinks that switching to Suzuka would be an ideal solution, as the circuit - which held the Japanese round from 1987 to 2003 - is over 400 miles away from the danger zone and would help keep the event running this year, even if the race is in six weeks time.

Speaking to Motosprint, Nakamoto said: "I say that we could race this year at Suzuka and then go back to Motegi from next year.

"Besides, I like Suzuka better: the circuit is nicer and more technical. The international federation has taken away the homologation of the Suzuka track, so it would need some dispensation, and that would need to be done quickly.

"For sure three years ago the Suzuka track has undergone important renovation works to the circuit, the run-off areas, and the service roads around the track.

"The paddock has remained a bit outdated, but for just once it wouldn't bother anyone. And the Suzuka Eight Hours, held regularly, demonstrates that bikes, too, can race there."

A major problem facing this plan is the removal of Suzuka's certification by the FIM following the death of Daijiro Kato in 2003. This was something that Nakamoto further elaborated on, as his desire for MotoGP to race at Suzuka again comes from a personal preference over the fast and technical circuit compared to the stop-and-go nature of Motegi. The former circuit would need to achieve approval from the FIM with issue regarding the run-off at turn 11 - changes that would be difficult to implement.

source: visordown

Stoner: no 1000cc at Misano

Casey Stoner completed a perfect weekend today with his victory at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, celebrating Honda's second successive win here at the brickyard and marking Honda's third consecutive win on American shores.

After recording the a new circuit best lap record yesterday whilst claiming pole position for today's race with a 1'38.850 lap, Stoner also achieved a new fastest race lap record of 1'39.807. This is Stoner's seventh win of the season and third consecutive win in a row after Laguna Seca and Brno.

"We got an OK start and I should have been a little more aggressive in the first corner - the Australian said - As I entered turn two, Dani hit the breaks quite hard and I just had nothing, my brakes weren't warmed up yet and I had trouble stopping, I was lucky to get through the first lap. The race was tough, conditions were very hot and the track surface a little more slippery than practice and qualifying which made things difficult to know how much to push. At one point, I closed the front and dropped the bike on my knee, I was pretty much down but managed to pick it back up and not lose too much confidence. From there we started to make our way past Dani, put in a few good lap times and pull an advantage. Under challenging track conditions everything has worked really well this weekend, the crew did a fantastic job and gave me a great bike so a huge thanks to them all!"

Towards the end of the day, Honda also revealed that they will not be testing the 1000cc bike at Misano. Although the most recent test session at Brno went well, they Japanese factory has some small modifications they would like to perform before the bike's next outing.

source: GP One

Laverty: Tech 3 my top choice for MotoGP

Eugene Laverty says he is actively pursuing a switch to the MotoGP World Championship in 2012 following the announcement that his Yamaha World Superbike team is withdrawing at the end of the season.

The Irishman, currently fourth in the WSBK standings, had plotted an assault on the WSBK title with Yamaha next season having already won two races in his rookie campaign, but the confirmation that the manufacturer won't continue in 2012 has scuppered those plans.

With uncertainty over whether Yamaha will have a presence at all next year, Laverty is considering following in the footsteps of predecessor Cal Crutchlow and making the switch to MotoGP, possibly also with Tech 3 Yamaha.

Indeed, Laverty – who raced in the 250GP paddock in 2007 and 2008 - feels MotoGP's imminent switch to 1000cc makes this the ideal opportunity for him to move.

“Upon receiving the news I thought it a good idea to travel to Brno to visit the MotoGP paddock,” Laverty wrote on his personal blog at eugenelaverty.com. “I've been in talks with Herve Poncharal and I've made no secret of the fact that this would be my number one choice for next year if the opportunity arises.

“Tech 3 Yamaha are in my opinion head and shoulders above the rest of the privateer teams and on top of that I feel really at home within the Yamaha family. With MotoGP switching to 1000cc next year it would be the perfect time to make the jump to the top class.

“For now though my focus is on the final four races of the World Superbike Championship and I haven't given up on 3rd in the championship just yet. We'll need eight strong finishes to have any chance of chasing down Max or Marco so I'll see what I can do.”

Laverty is believed to be one of a few riders in contention for a Tech 3 Yamaha ride, though it hasn't been confirmed whether Colin Edwards – who is out of contract at the end of the season – will even be dropped for 2012. The likes of Randy de Puniet and Bradley Smith have also been linked with the ride.

source: crash

Pedrosa hoping for 'step forward' at Misano

Dani Pedrosa feels he is in a good position to challenge for victory in the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano after scoring a strong podium finish during the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

The Spaniard moved back up to fourth position in the overall standings with a sixth run to the podium this season, Pedrosa now 44 points behind Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso in the fight for third.

Heading to Misano, where he was a winner last season after scoring back-to-back victories, Pedrosa says a strong start to the weekend should see him capable of challenging for this year's victory.

"After the good race we had at Indy, we arrive at Misano in a very positive mood. The circuit is so different compared to Indy, but last year we had a very good race there and we will try to repeat this. We must be a little stronger on Saturday and prepare for the race the best we can.

“Misano is a track where you need good acceleration and hard braking, so this will be our priority to start working on with the bike setting. After the success in America, it's good to head directly to Misano. I hope we can continue working well with the team and take another step forward".

source: crash

Tech3 jumps in with Suter and FTR

Colin Edwards remains tight lipped about his future in MotoGP, but nevertheless some small hints were dropped during the Indy GP weekend.

Speaking about Yamaha, with whom he first raced as an adolescent in motocross, the Texan said, "We are talking and I can almost say that I'll be back in MotoGP with them next year."

By "with" Yamaha, he is likely referring to the Team Forward Moto1, which is set to be powered by an R1 based engine. The latest talk, however, suggests that the chassis will actually be built by Team Tech3, who are currently doing this in Moto2 with Bradley Smith. The technical director - not crew cheif - would likely be Guy Coulon.

And so the "old" guard of MotoGP team members are being shown the door, only to come right back in through the side window with Moto1. The same thing could happen at Team Gresini, with Cecchini supervising the Moto1 project which, at HRC's insistence, would instead use Honda engine.

Axe hovering over Indianapolis Grand Prix?

This year's MotoGP Indianapolis Grand Prix could be the last held around the famed 'Brickyard' as uncertainty over whether a new deal will be struck for the 2012 season continues to rumble on.

Indianapolis welcomed MotoGP for the first time in 2008, but the layout, which incorporates some of the reputed oval that leads into a twisty infield, received a lukewarm reaction from riders, while spectator numbers have also declined during that time.

Though the United States remains a significant market for the motorcycle industry, seemingly firming Indianapolis's position on the MotoGP calendar as the second American race alongside Laguna Seca, the multi-year deal to take the series to the new Circuit of the Americas in Texas in 2013 has raised doubts over whether a contract extension is forthcoming.

Indeed, no deal is currently in place for 2012, with IMS president Jeff Belskus telling Reuters that while he hopes MotoGP returns next year, he is prepared for the eventuality that it won't.

“We're still talking about what the future holds. I hope it (MotoGP) is back and I hope we can come to terms. We would be disappointed to lose it but I think both sides will move on if that's what it comes to."

Though Indianapolis remains a famed venue for the Indianapolis Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, it has struggled to capture the fans' imagination with its international events, most notably Formula 1, which pulled out of the US in 2007 after eight races.

Indeed, though the likes of Ben Spies, Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards enjoy fairly high profiles in the United States, Dorna is undecided as to whether the calendar would benefit from having three races there, though it is not ruling it out.

"It's possible to have three races in the United States," Dorna's Javier Alonso added. "We had only one race in Spain 20 years ago. It is important for us to be successful in America."

Laguna Seca will host MotoGP for another two seasons at least, while the Circuit of the Americas – which is currently under construction – has a ten-year deal from 2013.

source: crash

Guareschi: big effort, little reward

For Vittoriano Guareschi, and for the rest of the Ducati team, the results at Indianapolis were difficult to swallow. Following the race, long meetings were held with both Rossi and Hayden (photo).

"Today was very challenging for our team and riders, and despite their typical great efforts, we struggled to bring home a few points - the Italian team manager said - After the positive performance at Brno, we expected to find a good rhythm here at Indianapolis as well. We didn’t manage it, although it’s also true that we suffered a few setbacks. For example, Nicky chose a soft front tire that proved not to be the best, but his race pace in the early laps was very good, while Valentino had a transmission problem that had never shown up during the four practice sessions. Anyway, we know that we have to improve, and no one at Ducati or in the team is holding back as we work toward that goal.”

source: GP One

Rainey’s return to Misano

Living legend Wayne Rainey will visit the Misano circuit for the first time in nearly 18 years to see next weekend’s GP at the Misano World Circuit. The former World Champion will find an extensively modified track that now holds races in the opposite direction.

Rainey suffered a career-ending crash in the 1993 Italian GP while well on his way to a fourth-consecutive World title. He was leading the Championship and the race when he crashed and slid into a rutted gravel trap designed as a safety feature for car racing. The high speed tumble against the raked surface fractured the sixth thoracic vertebra in his spine, resulting in paralysis from the chest down.

Rainey’s return will be honored in the paddock on Friday, September 2nd from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, with Yamaha organizing a special event for the unforgettable rider.

source: crash

R1-engined CRT bike for Edwards?

HINTS from Colin Edwards have the current Tech 3 rider in with a move to one of the new Claiming Rule Teams in 2012 instead of World Superbikes.

The Texan was in talks with a move back to the World Superbike championship, perhaps joining the factory BMW team.

But the production-based series is looking less tempting for the former champion, as he recently referred to WSB as a 'ghost-town' in an interview with GPWeek - regarding Yamaha's decision to pull out of the series and the fate of Aprilia questionable.

Reports coming away from Indy have Edwards linked to a Claiming Rule Team; in particular Forward Racing - the Moto2 team given one of the grid slots for 2012 - and their proposed choice of the BMW-engined Suter chassis.

However, developments now see a continuation of the American's relationship with Yamaha and the YZF-R1 engine used in a prototype CRT chassis, calling the powerplant his 'weapon of choice' and further speculation suggests that the frame could be built by Tech 3 and Guy Coulon - the creator of the Mistral that Bradley Smith rides in Moto2.

Discussing these new machines with Asphalt & Rubber, Edwards acknowledged that the alternative 1000s will be at a disadvantage at certain circuits, mainly places ilke Mugello and Catalunya where speed rules, but noted tracks like Laguna, Sachsenring and Assen as possibilites where the gap to the factory bikes will be closer, he said: "We’re already clipping so much power it’s just ridiculous, and we’re only on 800s. So, there’ll be tracks where, is it going to compete for a win? Maybe not. But I think there’ll be tracks where it’s going to surprise some people."

source: visordown

[Pictures] Podium Indianapolis MotoGP 2011

Lorenzo's title hopes on the ropes

Looking to recover from a bad race in Brno, Jorge Lorenzo instead found himself on the back foot relative to MotoGP title leader Casey Stoner throughout the Indianapolis weekend.

Yamaha's reigning world champion never really found a set-up for the resurfaced track and struggled with front-tyre wear from as early as lap four of the race.

Third behind Stoner and his Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa for the first 16 laps, Lorenzo was caught and passed by team-mate Ben Spies, before just holding off third Repsol rider Andrea Dovizioso in the closing stages.

With Stoner winning his seventh race of the year, Lorenzo has now dropped 44 points behind the Australian with six rounds to go.

“It's a shame; I thought I could reduce my gap with Casey at Indy but since the first practice I have had many problems with the asphalt and the front tyre. I've tried everything with my team to fix it, but we couldn't," confirmed Lorenzo.

"After four or five laps the front tyre was destroyed. I saw the other three front riders and their tyres were perfect. I don't know if it was because of the track and I'm not the only one complaining.

"Now the Championship is much more complicated, but hope is the last thing you can lose. Next weekend we ride again at Misano, I looking forward to forgetting this result."

source: crash.net

Dovizioso: Second in the points is possible

Andrea Dovizioso is setting his sights on second in the 2011 MotoGP World Championship - despite being beaten by Jorge Lorenzo in Sunday's Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Yamaha's Lorenzo currently holds second in the championship and is now 25 points in front of Repsol Honda rider Dovizioso - yet to sign for 2012 - after finishing less than one-second in front of the Italian on Sunday.

Dovizioso made contact with Ben Spies early in the race, but improved his pace in the closing stages to hunt down Lorenzo.

“We had a bad start, Nicky [Hayden] blocked me and then Ben [Spies] and I touched in turn four and I lost valuable time and positions. From that moment I tried to remain focused and lap by lap I found the pace that allowed me to recover positions," said Dovizioso.

"This track wasn't the best for us. The consumption of the tyre was worse during the race. I had to find a new way to ride the bike. I had to change my style in the last half of the race and in the last 10 laps, I was one of the fastest."

Doviziosio's team-mate Casey Stoner now leads Lorenzo by 44 points in the championship - and Dovi believes a Repsol title one-two is possible with six rounds to go.

"I think [second in points] is possible. I think that we are in a position to fight. I am really confident. We will push on finishing second in the championship," he said.

source: crash.net

Gearbox woes taunt Rossi at Indy

Just 14th on the Indianapolis grid after a crash in qualifying, Ducati's Valentino Rossi then suffered gearbox problems in the race.

The neutrals sent Rossi wide on numerous occasions and he had dropped to last place on lap 9 of 28.

Initially considering pulling out, Rossi not only went the distance - but had climbed back up the order to tenth at the chequered flag.

“Unfortunately, after some laps, I started having problems with the gear box," said Rossi. "When I shifted down, I remained in neutral. So I made two or three mistakes for this reason on the first corner. And I wanted to stop, seriously.

"But I try to not give up before I arrive at the end. I remained in neutral another two or three times and tried to take some points, but it was very, very sad.

"We know that we have to work hard. Ducati is doing that, and my team and I are as well, because we must try to not let up and to get the bike ready while we wait for technical updates.”

Rossi has now dropped from fourth to sixth in the world championship standings heading into his second home round of the season at Misano this coming weekend.

Team-mate Nicky Hayden made a pit stop on his way to 14th at Indy, having suffered major front tyre problems after chasing the softer option.

source: crash.net

Paddock Girls MotoGP Indianapolis 2011

Márquez masters the Brickyard

Second place starter Simone Corsi led the outset of the race, but it was Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol rider Márquez who took the control of the Moto2 race, making his pass on Italian Ioda Racing Project rider on lap eight and riding unchallenged thereafter. The Moto2 rookie now stands just 28 points in the Championship behind his German rival Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing).

Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) and Pol Espargaró (HP Tuenti Speed Up) both claimed their first podiums in the Moto2 class following a half race chase for second, with 20 year old Espargaró riding across the finish in front of his fellow countryman in second position.

Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Racing) took fourth position, with fellow Brit Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing) behind him in fifth after making his way from 11th on the grid into sixth in the first four laps, then briefly leading in front of Smith on lap 14 of the race.

Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) skillfully made his way through the field after starting from the 22nd position to take sixth, holding onto his Championship lead. Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) followed in seventh, with Mattia Pasini (Ioda Racing Project), Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing) and Aleix Espargaró (Pons HP 40) completing the top ten finishers.

The hot track temperatures proved detrimental to some, with tires deteriorating and slowing riders like Corsi, who ended the race in fourteenth, and fellow front row starter Andrea Iannone (Speed Master), who had maintained second until beginning to drop back with 12 laps to go, ending the race in eleventh.

American rider Kenny Noyes (Avintia-STX) had an early crash and was unable to rejoin the race, while fellow countrymen JD Beach (Aeroport de Castello) finished 29th and wildcard Jake Gagne (GPTech) finished in 31st.

Stoner storms to seventh victory of the season with Pedrosa second and Dovizioso fifth

After recording the a new circuit best lap record yesterday whilst claiming pole position for today's race with a 1'38.850 lap, Stoner also achieved a new fastest race lap record of 1'39.807. This is Stoner's seventh win of the season and third consecutive win in a row after Laguna Seca and Brno.

Dani Pedrosa rode a great race to finish second behind Stoner. Pedrosa made one of his trademark flying starts and took an early lead in the 26 lap race however, Stoner passed him on lap seven and Pedrosa maintained second position comfortably, fending off the Yamaha's.

Andrea Dovizioso was hoping for a podium here in Indianapolis, but he endured some tough laps early in the race after being blocked by Hayden which knocked him down a few positions. Andrea remained focused and recovered these positions to finish the race in fifth position.

Casey Stoner now leads the Championship with 243 points (a 44 point margin over Lorenzo), with Andrea Dovizioso in 3rd position on 174 points and Dani Pedrosa, 4th position on 130 points.

Casey Stoner:

"We got an OK start and I should have been a little more aggressive in the first corner. As I entered turn two, Dani hit the breaks quite hard and I just had nothing, my brakes weren't warmed up yet and I had trouble stopping, I was lucky to get through the first lap. The race was tough, conditions were very hot and the track surface a little more slippery than practice and qualifying which made things difficult to know how much to push. At one point, I closed the front and dropped the bike on my knee, I was pretty much down but managed to pick it back up and not lose too much confidence. From there we started to make our way past Dani, put in a few good lap times and pull an advantage. Under challenging track conditions everything has worked really well this weekend, the crew did a fantastic job and gave me a great bike so a huge thanks to them all!"

Dani Pedrosa:

"We are very happy with second place today for several reasons. After yesterday's qualifying session, we had to work hard to reduce the one second gap we had from Casey, it wasn't normal to be so far away from him. To finish second after the crash in Brno is a great feeling. I knew that my race pace wouldn't be as fast as Casey's, but the team did a very good job, helped me to feel more comfortable with the front and I was able to find a good rhythm, just 3-4 tenths slower than Casey. It was a tough race being alone, but I focused on my lap times and I made my best lap at the end, so I'm happy with my performance and the bike. To get 20 points is not so bad after the crash in Brno and I look forward to going to Misano next week to try and take another step forward."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“I can’t be happy with today’s result because our target was the podium and gaining some points on Lorenzo, but we also have to look at the positives and I'm pleased I managed a 1’40.1 lap time, my fastest of the race on my final lap. Considering the demanding conditions of this track and the hot temperatures, this lap time shows that we were fast even at the end. We had a bad start, Nicky (Hayden) blocked me and then Ben (Spies) and I touched in turn four and I lost valuable time. From that moment I tried to remain focused and lap by lap I found the pace that allowed me to recover positions. We knew that the race would be tough and it really was. It was also a strange race, from the beginning we had no rear grip and especially in the first laps I had the feeling that the front was closing a lot. However, I was able to adapt my riding style to the conditions to manage the tyres in the best way and ride consistently. We are competitive and we go to Misano, my home GP very determined and confident of a good result”.

Repsol Honda press release.

De Puniet eighth at the Brickyard

After a mediocre start, de Puniet was at the back of the field by the end of the first lap, but fought back and managed to move up in the rankings throughout the race, finishing in eighth place. It was a great end to a promising race that provides hope for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile Capirossi encountered unexpected problems and was forced to retire at lap sixteen due to extreme front tyre wear. The Italian rider will look for revenge in seven days at his home track at Misano Adriatico.

Randy De Puniet:

"I'm happy, this is my best race of the season! I had a poor start when Loris touched me and I lost at least three positions, otherwise I could stay with the group and probably I could have fought for a better position. But its OK, our pace, like I said yesterday, has been steady until the end and this allowed me to overtake many riders in the second half of the race. I'm satisfied with how things went today, the team worked very well and after a difficult start of the season we all deserve a good result. We needed it and I look forward to continue at this level next week at Misano."

Loris Capirossi:

"From the fourth lap the bike didn’t respond as I wanted. I kept losing the front tire and risked falling at every turn. At one point I could no longer manage the bike and I was forced to retire. When I returned to the box we noticed that the front tire was really worn. I'm so sorry that this happened in this race because the whole weekend we didn’t have problems like this. Not much else to add, we are going to look ahead and concentrate on Misano, where we hope to get a good result in front of our fans."

Pramac Racing Team press release

Simoncelli hindered by tire wear, ninth for Aoyama

A minor breakthrough in the morning's warm-up did not prove to make the required difference and with track temperatures again exceeding 50°C, the nightmare for the Italian began after just five laps. From that point, the Team San Carlo Honda Gresini was resigned to a rescue mission as he focused on simply reaching the checkered flag. Things went somewhat better for Hiroshi Aoyama, who did not suffer from the front tire problem and with a more aggressive start could have perhaps even challenged for a higher position.

Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“I am happy but not altogether satisfied with this result. The way the tyres worked and also my physical conditions in this intense heat were plus points for us and we went much better in the race than we had managed in practice but maybe with a better start I could have been fighting further up the field. Overall it has been a positive weekend and gives us a boost for the next races.”

Marco Simoncelli: 

“Unfortunately today my race only really lasted five laps, during which time I had a lot of fun – it's just a shame about the other 23! We have had this problem all weekend and even though we thought we had improved the situation this morning it was only because the track temperatures were lower. In the afternoon heat the problem came back after just five laps and even though I was able to keep it consistent for the next six or seven laps I could do nothing to prevent the decline in performance after that. It was a real mission just to make it to the end – I was putting myself on the line just ride slowly. Now we need to look into exactly what caused this problem.”

San Carlo Honda Gresini press release.

Consistent Edwards delivers another top ten in Indianapolis

The Texan made a fast start from the second row of the grid, but as the pack jostled for position in the tight first section of the 2.62 miles track, Edwards was bumped back to eighth. He was involved in an exciting early battle with factory riders Alvaro Bautista, Ben Spies and Valentino Rossi before the field began to stretch out at the halfway stage of the 28-lap encounter. With temperatures reaching close to 30C degrees, Edwards was left in a personal duel with Spaniard Bautista until lap 23, when a big front end slide cost him crucial time. With his front tyre starting to progressively push, Edwards decided to slow down his pace to secure a deserved seventh place, which moves him into eighth place in the World Championship standings ahead of Marco Simoncelli on 84 points.

Cal Crutchlow's reward for a weekend in which he worked tirelessly to improve the front end feeling with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine was his best finish since the Catalunya race in early June. He maintained a consistent pace throughout the race having led Loris Capirossi, Toni Elias, Randy de Puniet and Hiroshi Aoyama in a frantic opening few laps. And a series of strong laps in the final stages saw him snatch 11th from Marco Simoncelli on the final lap to end his recent run of disappointing results.

Colin Edwards:

“I thought I got a fantastic start but the problem is the Yamaha is lacking a bit of grunt. I needed Fred Flinstone behind giving me a push to go faster, so I had a few people come by me on the run to the first corner. The first few laps I felt I could go faster but with Bautista sitting in front of me, I'd get close and then coming out of the corner he would just grab a few metres on me. In the twisty stuff at the end of the lap I was gaining it all back and at the last corner I almost ran into him. But by the time we got to the first corner he'd pull a few bike lengths on me again. I really wanted to beat Bautista but he started to ride really well in the second half of the race. I was on his back wheel and looking for an opportunity to make an overtake but I lost the front at the end of the back straight and that was a warning just to back off and take seventh. The front tyre lost a fair bit of grip in the last few laps though I wasn't the only one to have a problem. But I was top non-factory rider, I got another top ten and I moved up another place in the Championship, so it wasn't a bad afternoon's work. We go to Misano now and see if we can fight for the top six."

Cal Crutchlow:

“Firstly I want to say a big thanks to all my guys in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. They never gave up all weekend, even when we were struggling a little bit and it might sound silly but I don't think any of us in the garage have ever been so pleased to get an 11th place. After the bad recent run it was important to finish the race and I did that. The result wasn't the best but my speed at the end of the race was really good and I'm happy about that, so there are a lot of positives to take to Misano. At the end of the race I was lapping faster than Jorge Lorenzo. I was a long way behind him but that still gives me a lot of encouragement. Like a lot of people I had a few issues with the front tyre and in the early part of the race it wasn't easy but I never gave up and pushed right to the end. This result at least gives us something to build on for the next races, starting at Misano, which is a track that at least I don't have to learn. I've needed to finish races to gain some experience and I'm glad we did because I learned a lot this afternoon and gave the Team a lot of good feedback to hopefully improve the bike in Misano.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team press release

Last corner move doesn't pay off for Barberá

With less than five hundred meters remaining in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá was on course for a great finish. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, a brave move to try and regain positions failed to pay off, and he crashed out on the final turn of the race. Barberá had taken big strides forward over the course of the weekend, and showed his talent during the 28-lap contest. He had to adapt his riding style to a slippery front tyre right from the beginning, and had rivals Hiroshi Aoyama and Randy de Puniet closing in on him ahead of the chequered flag. Both passed him, and Barberá decided to lay it on the line with a spectacular pass attempt. It didn't quite go as planned, and he slid along the asphalt after lowsiding his Ducati. Unable to restart, his top ten finishing position chances ended in a flash. He hopes for a better result at the next round of the World Championship next weekend at Misano.

Héctor Barberá:

"It is a real shame that the race ended like this, after so many laps riding at the limit. After the opening four laps I realised that the front tyre had practically melted away. I made a sudden drop in pace, because I was trying to push the front end down and losing control on every corner. What I did was improvise with my riding style, and it took some five or six laps to get back to feeling comfortable. It should have been a lot sooner. The important thing is that I have regained confidence and ridden comfortably again, despite not having the front tyre in good condition. The last lap was going perfectly, until I reached the final sector. I knew that the final turn would be tricky, because the tyre wasn't responding at all and I could barely dip into the corner. That had meant that De Puniet and Aoyama passed me beforehand. I went all-or-nothing into the last corner, trying to regain a position, but unfortunately I lowsided. I enjoyed myself out there though, and gave 100%. We have taken a big step forward at this race and that leaves me satisfied, but I hope that we can continue like this and finish the race at Misano."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Difficult race for Ducati Team at Indianapolis

A transmission problem caused Rossi to slip to last place on the ninth lap, but he recovered as far as tenth place by the finish. Meanwhile, Nicky Hayden got a great start and was in the top four, but the decision to use a soft front tyre didn’t pay off. After seven laps, he steadily lost ground before finishing in fourteenth place.

Nicky Hayden: 

“It was a really tough day. We thought the soft front tyre could be a good option for the race, but unfortunately it only worked for seven or eight laps. Then I began to steadily lose ground until it even began shaking on the straightaways, and I had to come in. Since you’ve got to finish to get points, I went back out, and it was actually worth getting two points. I got a good start and was up front the first few laps, and that was the first time I put up a real fight in the dry all season. My bike felt fast in a straight line, and with this new gearbox, I could get out of that last corner and keep guys in the draft early on. We’re on our first race with this bike, and maybe we don’t know enough about what it needs. Sorry to all my US fans and the Ducati fans here who came to support us, but we’ll try again next week.”

Valentino Rossi: 

“A number of things happened this weekend that contributed to making this a particularly difficult race: the crash yesterday in qualifying, which robbed some confidence and was part of the reason we had to start so far back on the grid, and today there was a problem with the gearbox. The bike stuck in neutral six or seven times, and the first two caused me to go straight and lose time. I found myself in last place, but I decided to do what I could to at least get some points. In this morning’s warm-up, we had made a small change that let us improve the pace a little, but the race was really difficult. We know that we have to work hard. Ducati is doing that, and my team and I are as well, because we must try to not let up and to get the bike ready while we wait for technical updates.”

Ducati Team press release

Spies Strikes back to score home podium at Indy

Starting from second on the grid the Texan rider was caught up in first a bottle neck of riders in turn one, then came together with Andrea Dovizioso in turn four, dropping him back to ninth as he fought to stay on the bike. Despite the setback Spies went on to deliver one of the star performances of the day, taking an impressive number of overtakes and setting some of the fastest laps of the race. He finally took the chequered flag in third place and stood on the podium to a huge applause from the US crowd. Spies picks up 16 points, moving up to fifth in the standings, just five points behind Dani Pedrosa in fourth.

Team mate Jorge Lorenzo’s race was a battle not with his competitors but with the resurfaced Indianapolis track. The reigning World Champion continued to be plagued with a rapidly wearing front tyre causing critical control issues from as early as lap four. Lorenzo battled on regardless, having made a great start he eventually had to relinquish position to team mate Spies and crossed the line in fourth, pushing to stay ahead of Dovizioso to the line.

Ben Spies: 

“My actual start wasn’t too bad, just a couple of people got into turn one too hot and I got bottled in. I think Dovi came across in front of me in turn four and I was just glad to stay on the bike. I never even saw him. After that happened we just had to pluck away and not get ahead of ourselves. We rode well but just needed to be up there in the first four turns. I rode as fast as I could; it was tough to pass out there as we couldn’t get it done on the straight so we had to figure out some different spots. I was happy to be able to do that and still run good pace at the end.”

Jorge Lorenzo: 

“It's a shame; I thought I could reduce my gap with Casey at Indy but since the first practice I have had many problems with the asphalt and the front tyre. I've tried everything with my team to fix it, but we couldn't. After four or five laps the front tyre was destroyed. I saw the other three front riders and their tyres were perfect. I don't know if it was because of the track and I’m not the only one complaining. Now the Championship is much more complicated, but hope is the last thing you can lose. Next weekend we ride again at Misano, I looking forward to forgetting this result."

Yamaha Factory Racing press release

Strong sixth for Bautista at the Brickyard

Starting from ninth on the grid, Bautista had a good start and was in seventh at the end of the first lap. He then became involved in a local battle as he fought with the Americans on their home circuit over the next few laps. He passed Nicky Hayden and fought off the constant attacks of Colin Edwards, before pulling away from the Texan to leave him comfortably behind.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“I am happy with today’s position because this weekend we didn’t have the same rhythm as we have had in the last couple of races. I had a good qualifying session, but I was not quite on par with the top guys and that meant I couldn’t really stay with them and fight in the race. I made a decent start and overtook a couple of riders, but I just couldn’t keep up with the front group. We struggled a bit more at this track because we couldn’t get the bike to turn how we wanted and I think we were not quite at the same level as some of the others. I was consistent throughout the whole race and had a couple of good battles with other riders – especially with Edwards – but at the end I picked up a good rhythm and was able to put some distance on the riders behind. I think today was the best result we could have gotten – so we did the maximum. We now head to Misano where I think we can be more competitive from the beginning, so I am really looking forward to the race.

“One other thing that was very important was to finish the race, as I have crashed in the last two, so I am very happy that I did that! It gives us more motivation and also the team needed a result. I want to say a big thank you to the whole team for the passion that they showed this weekend and now we are in the best position to make another step forward.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Stoner takes seventh Grand Prix win at Indianapolis

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) took the early race lead, until team mate Casey Stoner overtook the Spaniard on lap seven and stretched his lead in front of the pack to remain unchallenged for the remainder of the race. Stoner extends his Championship lead to 44 points ahead of reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) with this win, his first ever podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A bad start for Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) from second on the grid found the Texan down in ninth position, after his poor start was made worse when he and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) touched heading into turn one, pushing Spies wide. The 25 year old methodically made his way back through the field and into third position by lap sixteen. The pace set by Spies would have been quick enough to fight for second position, though his poor start kept him from catching Pedrosa, who crossed the line second in front of the American.

Lorenzo had seen second position in the early laps, but was overtaken by Stoner and then eventually Spies to finish in fourth position. Dovizioso tussled with Nicky Hayden early in the race for fifth, until the American from the Ducati Team fell back with tire problems, leaving the Italian to chase Lorenzo.

Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) finished a lonely sixth after starting ninth on the grid. The Spaniard crossed the line 9 seconds in front of American Colin Edwards on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine. Randy de Puniet (Pramac Racing) crossed the line in eighth, giving the French rider his best finish of the season.

Ninth spot went to Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini), who crossed the line a second and a half ahead of Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team). Rossi’s tenth place was of note in that on lap eight the Italian fell back into 17th position with apparent tire troubles. It appeared he would be entering the pits, but kept circulating and made his way back up to finish tenth in front of rookie Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) .

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) had seen as high as third position in the race, until tire trouble for the Italian saw him slowly dropping back, finally finishing in twelfth. Toni Elías (LCR Honda) and Hayden completed the race finishers, with Elias ahead of the American. Hayden had pitted in earlier with troubles and rejoined the session to salvage some points, finishing 14th.

A disappointing end was had for Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar), who crashed out of eighth place in the final corner.

Barberá second highest Ducati on Indy grid

Alhough the new Indianapolis asphalt may still not be to all of the MotoGP riders' liking, the lap times tumbled today at the Brickyard with a new pole position record of 1'38.850 going to Casey Stoner. Just 2.2 seconds separate the entire field and that is with virtually a full second covering the front row.

Like the majority of riders, MAPFRE Aspar man Héctor Barberá shaved a massive five seconds off his lap time from the opening free practice to this afternoon's qualifying. The Spaniard made positive progress throughout the weekend so far and was able to translate it into the tenth fastest time of the day, meaning he lines up on tomorrow's grid with just a single Ducati ahead of him and only 1.5 seconds off Stoner's pole lap. Front tyre wear continues to be an issue, however, and solving that could be the key to any further progress in tomorrow's race.

Héctor Barberá:

"We have a really good set-up now and that helped us get on the pace today. What is worrying me is that the tyres are completely destroyed after ten laps, especially the front. The rear tyre is a pretty obvious choice; it is just the front we need to decide so we'll work on that in the warm-up. We did a good job today and made more progress but I still think we have room for improvement and need to keep pushing. I had fun on the bike though and we have improved a lot from the morning to the afternoon so we'll keep going in the same way from here."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Seventh pole of the season for Stoner, second row for Pedrosa and Dovizioso

Already the fastest man on track in this morning's practice, the Australian showed he was ready to fight for his seventh pole of the season, and was the only rider capable of lapping in the 1'38's in a very tough qualifying session, with an air temperature of 31 degrees and a track temperature of 51.

Dani Pedrosa will start the race from fourth on the grid, just behind Casey, and next to him will be his team mate Andrea Dovizioso, in fifth position. Dani fought for the front row until the last second and narrowly missed it by three tenths. The Spaniard didn't feel at ease with the front tyre this afternoon but remains confident starting from the second row for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix tomorrow, after he won in 2010 from fifth position.

Andrea Dovizioso made another small step forward in the qualifying improving his lap time by 3 tenths from the morning session. With higher temperatures this afternoon, the tyre wear caused issues that Andrea's team will look to improve for the race tomorrow and hope to fight for a podium.

Casey Stoner:

"I'm very happy with pole here in Indy, the team have been doing a great job under difficult conditions this weekend, but we will keep working right up until the last moment to try and get the set up right. Obviously without the bumps the track is a lot better, but the lack of consistency in the grip levels are causing issues, everyone is losing the front and it doesn't give you a lot of confidence, when you hit these patches the bike just seems to drop away from you. We haven't changed too much since FP1, just a few small steps and trying to get the front tyre to work more with such little grip, we are destroying it. For race distance we're looking pretty good, we did more than race distance on soft front and soft rear and had good stability, we'll wait and see what the conditions are like for tomorrow and decide from there."

Dani Pedrosa:

"We had some issues in the session with the front tyre, I didn't feel very comfortable with it and we couldn't get the most from it. I wasn’t going super fast and I missed the first row, but I'm not worried. We would like to be closer to Casey and Ben - they have been very fast and consistent, so I hope to find something more tomorrow morning in the warm up to help us fight for the podium. The race will be hard because it's very hot out there, and it will also be a big challenge for the tyres, but I hope we perform better in the race."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“Starting from the second row tomorrow isn’t too bad. It will be important to have a good start and ride consistently, trying to manage the tyres for the twenty eight lap race. The rear grip is too strong compared with the front which causes the front tyre to overheat, this remains the main issue so we need to continue working with the set up to rectify this. During qualifying the ground temperature reached fifty one degrees, these conditions are really demanding for the tyres. Concerning the pace, I have good rhythm and even though the gap to Casey remains too big for my liking, I think we can fight with Dani and Lorenzo for a podium position, this is our target and we will continue working to improve the machine for the race."

Repsol Honda press release.

Third row for Simoncelli as Aoyama qualifies 13th

Despite improving his pace from Friday Marco Simoncelli was unable to make up positions and will start the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix from the third row of the grid on Sunday. The Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider has found a good set-up for the race but once again struggled with front tyre wear, especially on the left side. The Italian will look to improve the situation in Sunday morning's warm-up, as will Hiroshi Aoyama, who also improved his pace but not enough to move up positions.

Marco Simoncelli – 7th:

“Obviously I was hoping to do better than this because things weren't going too badly or us in the first half of qualifying. I was optimistic because my pace on race tyres was good but when we put a new rear in to chase a faster lap time the front was completely destroyed within a couple of laps and I couldn't push the bike as I wanted to. Now we will have a look at the data and do some work for the race to and find a solution that will save on front tyre wear. As I said I am still optimistic about my race pace and even though a podium will be difficult and even more so the win, we have a good chance of improving on our starting position.”

Hiroshi Aoyama – 13th:

“My feeling was a little better today but not enough to make up positions. We start from near the back again and that presents its own problems but my race pace is not too bad so I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

San Carlo Honda Gresini press release

Fall hinders qualifying for Rossi, Hayden to start from eighth

Despite immediately returning to the garage, the Italian was unable to use his first bike or its set of fresh tyres again in the session, and the nine time World Champion finish the qualifying in fourteenth, leaving him to start from the fifth row for Sunday’s race.

Nicky Hayden was able to improve his pace by over a second and a half over his best time set on Friday, posting the eighth best time, and will start his home Grand Prix from the third row.

Nicky Hayden: 

“Compared to yesterday, we had wanted to take a step forward in qualifying, but I got a bit confused this morning, and my feedback to the team wasn’t as good as it should have been. This bike is new for us, and we still need more experience with it. Anyway, we still salvaged the third row in the end, which is better than I was. Tyre wear is going to be a big question mark for me. I’m sorry for my fans and the Ducati supporters who want to see us qualifying up front, but we’ll give it our best tomorrow. They say there may be cooler weather, which normally helps us a little bit, so maybe we’ll catch a break”

Valentino Rossi: 

“We took a nice step forward this morning that we hoped to confirm in qualifying, and instead I fell right away. We really could have done without that crash, but the front closed right when I touched the brake. From there, the whole session was difficult because the second bike had a slightly different setup. I lost one pair of new tyres and I had to start with a set of used ones. I wasn’t able to get back the feeling from this morning, when the bike felt better and I could push harder. It’s really a shame because we wanted to try to start from the second row again, like at Brno, and instead we’ll have to work hard tomorrow. Anyway, we’ll give our best effort in the race because we weren’t so far off this morning.”

Ducati Team press release

Qualifying sets Bautista on row three

Bautista will start from the third row after qualifying in ninth place with a best lap time of 1’40.333 from his 28 turns around the circuit. Bautista is still looking for a bit more durability from his preferred front tyre selection, but believes the team will be able to make a few changes to the set-up of the GSV-R to assist with tyre life in readiness for the race.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“The qualifying today was not too bad compared with the last few races, so this is a lot better for us. We tried a long run at the start of the session and the grip from the rear was no problem, but the front did not have enough life in it to make a full race length. This will make things difficult for tomorrow, because we have to try and preserve the front tyre and make sure we have enough durability for 28-laps. We are starting from the third row so the main thing will be to get a good start and stay with the front guys. We will look at today’s data to see if we can use a setting that will give us more life in the tyre and stop it dropping off and sliding around. I am looking forward to tomorrow because we have a better grid position and I will give it full gas and 100% to get a good result.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.