View Full Version : MotoGP 2011 - Races & Results
Julie B
20th March 2011, 10:29
QATAR - 19/20 March 2011
Qualifying
Australian Casey Stoner, who is chasing his fourth win in five years at the Losail circuit, grabbed pole position in floodlit qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The result came as no surprise after the Australian had been quickest in all three practice sessions, though his Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa made Stoner work for it.
Stoner had been quickest almost from the outset, but going into the closing stages Pedrosa managed to edge ahead with a 1m54.758s.
He did not stay in front long before Stoner put in a 1m54.375s - and then made his pole position even more emphatic by lapping in 1m54.137s a few minutes later.
That time stood for pole, as although Pedrosa improved, he remained 0.205 seconds adrift.
World champion Jorge Lorenzo could only get within 0.8s of Stoner as he completed the front row on the best of the Yamahas.
He was just ahead of Gresini Honda's Marco Simoncelli and Ben Spies on the second Yamaha.
"The consistency we've shown in pre-season testing is something that's really given us a lot of confidence," said 2007 champion Stoner, who won in Doha in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
"The team's done a fantastic job, they've done everything right and we've made small steps in every session and slowly got the bike to a place where we really enjoy it," added the 25-year-old who raced for Ducati last year.
"There were some really impressive lap times out there tonight in the session," said Lorenzo. "We are still quite far behind the front but our goal is to finish on the podium and that is in my mind for tomorrow."
"My race pace is pretty good; I think I can keep running 1:55.7s or maybe 1:55.8s. We will finalise our set up in warm-up and try to achieve that tomorrow."
Valentino Rossi's Ducati career got off to a low-key start with ninth on the grid. The seven-time MotoGP champion was not even the fastest Ducati, as Aspar's Hector Barbera repeated his shock practice form with sixth on the grid. Rossi's factory team-mate Nicky Hayden was way back in 13th.
While Stoner and Pedrosa gave Honda a one-two, the works team's third rider Andrea Dovizioso was thoroughly outpaced by his team-mates. Only 11th going into the final three minutes, he eventually salvaged seventh.
Cal Crutchlow was one of the stars of the session. Despite suffering an unpleasant finger injury in testing at the start of the week, the World Superbike convert took an excellent eighth on the grid for his MotoGP debut - two places ahead of his Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards.
Only 16 bikes will take the start, with Suzuki absent after its sole rider Alvaro Bautista broke his left leg in a practice crash, and efforts to bring in John Hopkins, Nobuatsu Aoki or a Moto2 rider as a short-notice substitute did not pay off.
1 Casey Stoner Honda HRC 1:54.137 (q)
2 Dani Pedrosa Honda HRC +00.205
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory +00.810
4 Marco Simoncelli Honda Gresini +00.851
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory +00.958
6 Hector Barbera Ducati Aspar +01.086
7 Andrea Dovizioso Honda HRC +01.092
8 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha Tech 3 +01.441
9 Valentino Rossi Ducati MotoGP +01.500
10 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech 3 +01.510
11 Randy de Puniet Ducati Pramac +01.519
12 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda Gresini +01.587
13 Nicky Hayden Ducati MotoGP +01.744
14 Loris Capirossi Ducati Pramac +02.186
15 Karel Abraham Ducati Cardion AB +02.528
16 Toni Elias Honda LCR +03.855
17 Alvaro Bautista Suzuki MotoGP q
Sianellen
20th March 2011, 20:02
Happy for Pedrosa coming 3rd :-) I hope his arm issue can be fixed.
Tifoso
20th March 2011, 20:15
This race doesn't count, right?
Suzie
20th March 2011, 20:18
Had a bad feeling Stoner would win but I'm happy Dani P got a podium. Thought Crutchlow did well too.
Vale's fluorescent red/yellow is an eyesore to be honest.
Greig
20th March 2011, 20:26
Turned it off after 5 laps, keep trying to watch it but its just boring to me :-(
Dancing on Ice was awesome though :-D
Aussie
20th March 2011, 21:11
What a race and win by the flying kangaroo.
Go stoner
RockyRaccoon
20th March 2011, 21:13
Difficult first race for Rossi and Ducati, hopefully things will improve soon.
I thought Lorenzo was pretty immense and rode a fantastic race.
Julie B
20th March 2011, 22:10
[B]QATAR - Race Results[B/]
Casey Stoner commenced his first season as a factory Honda rider with victory in Qatar - but the result was not the Honda steamroller that was anticipated.
Honda did not even manage to deliver a one-two, with world champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) battling through to second ahead of Honda's Dani Pedrosa.
Valentino Rossi started his Ducati career with seventh place after a hard-fought race.
Stoner had fallen from pole to third at the start, as Pedrosa moved into the lead for half a lap before the hard-charging Lorenzo slipped ahead.
But Honda - which had been quickest in every pre-season test and all the practice sessions at Losail - soon flexed its muscles and by the end of lap two Stoner and Pedrosa were back to first and second.
Stoner was unable to shake his team-mate off, and at the start of lap six the Spaniard sliced down the inside at Turn 1 to take the lead.
With the smaller Pedrosa proving faster down the straights, Stoner needed several laps to find a way back past, eventually getting through into Turn 12 on lap 13.
Stoner then immediately blasted in a new fastest race lap to instantly open up a 1.2-second lead over Pedrosa.
The Australian duly pulled away to win in Qatar for the fourth time in five years, while Pedrosa found himself under huge pressure from Lorenzo.
The two Spaniards would swap places four times in as many laps, before Lorenzo managed to get away and secure second as Pedrosa's pace faded.
He only just held off the third works Honda of Andrea Dovizioso for third, the Italian having won a tough battle with compatriot Marco Simoncelli (Gresini Honda).
Yamaha's Ben Spies lost ground on the first lap and was only able to recover to sixth, having become embroiled in a spectacular dice with Rossi.
The seven-time champion had thrust his Ducati from ninth to second by the first corner of the race, but was down to seventh again by halfway around the lap and was fighting a rearguard action for most of the distance. As he had predicted as his recovery from shoulder surgery continues, Rossi fell away in the closing stages.
His team-mate Nicky Hayden made good progress in the race to come through to ninth, right behind Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards, having put a late move on 10th-placed Hiroshi Aoyama's Gresini Honda.
Qualifying stars Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3) and Hector Barbera (Aspar Ducati) slipped back to 11th and 12th in the grand prix, jostling all the way to the flag.
Newcomer Karel Abraham completed the finishers on the AB Cardion Ducati. The two Pramac Ducatis both had to retire after Randy de Puniet crashed on the first lap trying to pass Loris Capirossi and clipped his team-mate. LCR Honda's Toni Elias also fell in the closing stages while struggling in last place.
1 Casey Stoner Honda HRC 42:38.569
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory +03.440
3 Dani Pedrosa Honda HRC +05.051
4 Andrea Dovizioso Honda HRC +05.942
5 Marco Simoncelli Honda Gresini +07.358
6 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory +10.468
7 Valentino Rossi Ducati MotoGP +16.431
8 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech 3 +26.293
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati MotoGP +27.416
10 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda Gresini +28.920
11 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha Tech 3 +34.539
12 Hector Barbera Ducati Aspar +34.829
13 Karel Abraham Ducati Cardion AB +37.957
14 Toni Elias Honda LCR DNF
15 Loris Capirossi Ducati Pramac DNF
16 Randy de Puniet Ducati Pramac DNF
999 Alvaro Bautista Suzuki MotoGP
Ste
21st March 2011, 13:18
Not sure the first race was really that exciting. Although Qatar is always a bit of a drag.
Lorenzo was my rider of the day, he should never have been in second - no wonder he was over the moon with the result. Dani is starting to sound like Casey with all the complaining. Not a peep from him during testing about his arm, now it's a problem. I think Rossi is using his shoulder as an excuse a lot as well, although this is clearly a bigger problem than the others.
That Ducati is nowhere near on the pace regardless of Rossi's condition. What was Hayden doing all the way down in 9th? Once Rossi's shoulder has healed - by May, I think we can see him challenge but they still need to make a big step with the bike.
The Honda's are looking pretty strong at the moment, the straight line speed is incredible and the new electronics that pre-select a gear is just incredible. I think that's where most of their advantage lies. For me, Lorenzo remains the man to beat, if Yamaha can give him the bike he will wipe the floor with everyone.
Sianellen
21st March 2011, 14:18
I want to see some more Lorenzo victory celebrations :-D They were fab last season.
RockyRaccoon
21st March 2011, 14:19
Lorenzo was my rider of the day.
Totally agree with this and everything else you said. I thought Lorenzo's ride was incredible! Also agree that Rossi is using his shoulder as a bit of an excuse although I don't doubt it is causing him some problems, hopefully he will be back to full fitness and the Ducati will be sorted sometime soon.
Bikus
23rd March 2011, 18:02
Great ride by Stoner and Lorenzo . Well done . Wel done Honda !!! :-)
Sianellen
26th March 2011, 16:16
Pedrosa gutted by injury revelation
By Simon Strang Wednesday, March 23rd 2011, 20:18 GMT
Dani Pedrosa has been told that the shoulder injury he sustained in a crash in the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix, last October, was the cause of the numbness and lack of strength in the opening round this year's championship in Qatar last weekend and that it still requires more time to heal.
The Spaniard led the race early on before fading to third as he began to suffer discomfort in his left arm.
The 25-year-old underwent a 3D CAT scan upon his return from Doha which revealed that while there was no vascular or nerve damage, there was a small stretch in the plexus that requires time to heal fully.
Pedrosa, whose HRC Honda team-mate Casey Stoner won the race, admitted that he was disappointed to have begun yet another season not at full fitness - having previously thought he was beginning the year on equal terms to his rivals healthwise.
"I honestly didn't expect my arm would react in this way because during pre-season I didn't feel too much trouble and I thought the problem was solved," he said. "However, I felt really bad in the Qatar race and was aware that the injury is not completely healed.
"It was a shame because in Qatar I had a good feeling and until the second half of the race - which is when the pain started - I was really strong and I saw a realistic chance of winning.
"I would be lying if I said I'm not disappointed because this year the bike is working very well and physically I feel good, but unfortunately this complication has arisen and I have nothing else to do but give my best until the injury heals completely."
Aussie
28th March 2011, 05:28
Totally agree with this and everything else you said. I thought Lorenzo's ride was incredible! Also agree that Rossi is using his shoulder as a bit of an excuse although I don't doubt it is causing him some problems, hopefully he will be back to full fitness and the Ducati will be sorted sometime soon.
Stoner was my pick
Tifoso
28th March 2011, 19:18
I have no problem not winning the titles this year, as long as we are the best bike several races from the end. Rossi can't be expected to do miracles. :-)
NB1: We definitely win it all in 2012 :lou
NB2: I am in no way writing off our chances for this year, and still think we will win both titles :-)
Tifoso
1st April 2011, 18:06
Some really good news:
Rossi breaks into MotoGP top three with Ducati
“Apart from the two Hondas at the front, we're closer to everyone else, which was our goal. It was a good day” – Valentino Rossi.
After a subdued seventh on his Ducati race debut in Qatar, Valentino Rossi jumped back into MotoGP podium contention by posting the third fastest lap time during Friday's pair of free practice sessions for the Spanish MotoGP at Jerez.
Like the top seven riders, Rossi set his best time of the day in morning session, having been fifth fastest with a slower lap time in the hot and blustery afternoon practice.
Rossi was 0.526sec from fastest man Casey Stoner in FP1 and 0.855sec behind Stoner's Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa in FP2.
“I'm happy because this morning I did the third-fastest time, and in the afternoon, when the higher temperature hurt us a little, I was fifth,” said Rossi. “Anyway, most of the riders went a bit slower in the second session.
“Apart from the two Hondas at the front, we're closer to everyone else, which was our goal. It was a good day.
“There's still work to do; we're trying to find the right balance, and that's why we're trying two settings that are a little different from each other as we work on weight distribution.
“We have to improve the front feeling a little; the bike that I prefer still doesn't turn like we want it to, which means we'll have to find a compromise between the two setups.
“As for my shoulder, I don't have much strength, but in terms of endurance, it's a little better.”
Team-mate Nicky Hayden was one of seven riders to set his best time in FP2 and he finished the day ninth overall, 1.507sec from Stoner's morning time.
“We're basically riding the same bike as in Qatar, obviously with a couple of small tweaks for this track; you need a stiffer front spring and a few other little differences,” revealed the American.
“We feel closer than we were in Qatar. We made a little step forward this afternoon and it's good because only a few riders improved in the afternoon session, though the wind was a lot worse.
“It's the same for everybody, but the wind was really brutal today, especially around here where you're leaned over in a lot of long corners. We're still almost a second off of the front riders, but at least we're inside a second, which wasn't the case at Round 1.
“We're not over here jumping up and down with joy, but we're positive, and we'll keep improving. There's a few places I'm lacking, but we're trying to just make small gains and not make too many big changes.”
crash.net
Suzie
3rd April 2011, 18:39
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90423
Jorge Lorenzo took a home victory in the Spanish Grand Prix at a damp Jerez - but only after Valentino Rossi had taken Casey Stoner out in a collision as they fought for second place, and Marco Simoncelli had crashed out of the lead.
Yamaha was set for a one-two until Ben Spies crashed out with just three laps to go, allowing Dani Pedrosa (Honda) to reclaim second despite struggling for speed late on.
Simoncelli and Rossi had been the stars of the opening laps, making the best of the wet conditions to make swift progress up the order.
Though Stoner had led from pole, ahead of Lorenzo, at first, Simoncelli was soon with the lead duo, and sliced past the Yamaha and the Honda in quick succession to hit the front on lap six.
Rossi's Ducati was also surging through, and by lap seven the Italian had taken third from Lorenzo. He then went down the inside of Stoner for second into the first corner, but though the Ducati nosed ahead, he then lost control and fell, sliding into Stoner and eliminating the Honda. Rossi was able to continue at the back of the field and would later visit the Honda garage to apologise to Stoner.
That gave Simoncelli a two-second lead over Lorenzo, and the Gresini Honda rider seemed to have a fine chance of taking not only his maiden MotoGP win, but the first for a satellite rider since Toni Elias' Estoril triumph for Gresini in 2006.
But the dream ended on lap 12, when Simoncelli made a mistake at the first corner and was launched into a high-side as he tried to catch his sliding bike.
Now into the lead, Lorenzo looked set to come under threat from Pedrosa. The Honda rider had lacked pace in the opening laps, tumbling right down to 10th place before mounting a fightback that took him all the way to second.
Lorenzo had things under control, though, and with Pedrosa's pace fading as expected in the closing stages while the Honda rider battles with his arm issue, the world champion was able to stretch away.
Spies then closed in on Pedrosa, who did his best to hold the Yamaha off but eventually had to relinquish second. He soon reclaimed the place though, when Spies had a low-side with only three laps to go.
Ducati's Nicky Hayden held third after the early crashes among the leaders, before his pace drifted away and he fell to fourth. He lost that spot to Colin Edwards (Tech 3 Yamaha) moments before Spies' crash turned it into a podium place - then was given third back again when Edwards parked in the gravel at the start of the final lap.
Hiroshi Aoyama gave Gresini some consolation with a strong ride to fourth, right on Hayden's tail, ahead of the recovering Rossi and Aspar Ducati's Hector Barbera.
Rookie Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3 Yamaha) had been doing an exceptional job to run fifth for much of the race, until a late fall saw him drop to eighth. Fellow newcomer Karel Abraham also fell as he battled to resist Aoyama for seventh, but with the attrition ahead the Cardion AB Ducati rider was able to get the position back in the end. Toni Elias (LCR Honda) and John Hopkins (Suzuki) completed the top 10.
Andrea Dovizioso had a trip through the gravel and a pitstop on the way to a distant 12th on the third Honda.
Randy de Puniet's strong qualifying performance for Pramac Ducati was wasted by a bad start and later an incident that forced him to retire.
Results - 27 laps:
Pos Rider Team/Bike Time/Gap
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 50m49.046s
2. Dani Pedrosa Honda + 19.339s
3. Nicky Hayden Ducati + 29.085s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Gresini Honda + 29.551s
5. Valentino Rossi Ducati + 1m02.227s
6. Hector Barbera Aspar Ducati + 1m08.440s
7. Karel Abraham Cardion Ducati + 1m14.120s
8. Cal Crutchlow Tech 3 Yamaha + 1m19.110s
9. Toni Elias LCR Honda + 1m42.906s
10. John Hopkins Suzuki + 1m48.395s
11. Loris Capirossi Pramac Ducati + 1m51.876s
12. Andrea Dovizioso Honda + 1 lap
Retirements:
Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 26 laps
Ben Spies Yamaha 24 laps
Randy De Puniet Pramac Ducati 16 laps
Marco Simoncelli Gresini Honda 11 laps
Casey Stoner Honda 7 laps
That race was eventful to say the least! I'm very happy with the race result as seeing Dani and Nicky on the podium was fab :-D
Casey's been complaining about the marshalls not helping him get back onto the track, and to be fair they did seem to be like headless chickens.
Sianellen
3rd April 2011, 18:51
I just feel sad for Simoncelli, he's so good looking he deserved to win for that reason alone. :-D
Suzie
3rd April 2011, 18:52
I just feel sad for Simoncelli, he's so good looking he deserved to win for that reason alone. :-D
Hahah! Yeah it was a shame, would have been nice to see a different winner.
Sianellen
3rd April 2011, 18:55
Hahah! Yeah it was a shame, would have been nice to see a different winner.
Yeah, I hope we have a few surprises this season.
OldskoolF1
3rd April 2011, 21:52
It was hilarious when the marshals shunned Stoner to make sure Rossi was ok and on his way again. I know I shouldn't laugh but that was classic
im recording the re-run tonight on Eurosport at 17.30 and watch later tonight. Missed it yesterday.
I only noticed on Sunday so it's probably old news to some of you but had anyone noticed the number 1 on the front of Lorenzo's bike actually being JL?
http://www.racers-republic.com/Gallery/Images/Preview/MotoGP/2011/c62867e4-6990-477f-9ac5-f45d6cb2278d.jpg
http://motoaus.com/images/stories/motogp/2011/lorenzo-2011-1.jpg
Julie B
5th April 2011, 18:39
Ooooh yeah, very clever :-)
Suzie
5th April 2011, 20:25
Hadn't noticed that! Nice one.
Sianellen
5th April 2011, 20:46
I remember one of the commentators saying that. Hadn't really seen it close though. Looks good :-)
Tifoso
29th April 2011, 23:59
http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA926658.jpg
Shoulder boost as Rossi regains strength and style
“When watching myself on television, I can see that my style is starting to be a little more normal” – Valentino Rossi.
Valentino Rossi felt a noticeable improvement in the strength of his shoulder as he claimed fourth place at the end of Friday's pair of free practice sessions for round three of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship at Estoril.
After nursing the shoulder injury for most of last season, Rossi underwent surgery last November but is yet to reach full physical fitness. However the near four-week break since Jerez has allowed the seven time MotoGP champion
“I'm pretty satisfied with how the day went,” said new Ducati rider Rossi. “Let's start with my physical condition, which I'm very happy with: I was obviously aware of being a little better when I arrived here, but I wanted to wait until I tested my shoulder on the track, which confirmed that I'm able to ride well and have fun.
“It still hurts a little, and I'm missing a little strength, but the difference compared to my left shoulder is less. I can concentrate on riding the bike, and when watching myself on television, I can see that my style is starting to be a little more normal.
“Naturally, we're also working on the bike. Today we used a different weight distribution and some changes to the electronics that worked well. For the first time, we went faster in the afternoon session than in the morning.
“We dropped almost half a second, getting us closer to the top. I still have some problems with rear grip, so tomorrow we have to do better, but I'm happy for now.”
Team-mate Nicky Hayden stopped on track with an engine problem in morning practice, before setting the ninth best time in FP2.
“This morning was not a good session at all, but the afternoon was a lot better,” said Hayden. “We had a problem with one bike in FP1. I'm not sure what happened, but we'll send the engine back to Bologna to check it out. I went back out at the end, but we used hard tyres because I didn't want to waste another soft tyre, since it looks like it will be a soft-tyre race this weekend. Also, I had just gone out with a new setting, and since I only did about four corners, we got no information on that.
“We lost some valuable time, but this afternoon went better - not spectacular, but pretty steady. I was in the top ten for most of the session, and I had a decent feeling with the bike - I would say better than what the lap time shows. I'm sure everybody thinks they can do better tomorrow, but I feel like we can do a good job and try to get in a good lap in qualifying, which is going to be really important.”
Rain began falling just after the end of afternoon practice and is forecast to remain a threat for the rest of the weekend.
crash.net
Ferrarichamp
30th April 2011, 07:32
Looking forward to the race. Good to know Rossi is feeling better :-)
Tifoso
30th April 2011, 17:56
Rossi 9th :-s
Ferrarichamp
30th April 2011, 18:52
and Hayden 13th. Hopefully the Ducati riders will fare better in the race. I would've expected to see them a bit further up the grid though :Hmm
Rob
30th April 2011, 18:55
Lorenzo and Simoncelli in public row
By Toby Moody and Matt Beer Saturday, April 30th 2011, 17:09 GMT
Jorge Lorenzo vehemently criticised Marco Simoncelli in the post-qualifying press conference at Estoril this afternoon as the pair's dispute over riding ethics escalated.
Lorenzo had claimed earlier in the weekend that Simoncelli's riding style was too aggressive, citing a close call between them in last year's Valencia finale as an example.
Today Lorenzo beat Simoncelli to Estoril pole position, and in the end of day press conference, the Italian attempted to rebuke the Spaniard for his previous comments.
"I read something that he said about my riding style, but for me, he said some wrong things, because he said that last year in Valencia I touched him and he nearly crashed, but it was not true because I was in front, he tried to pass me and he made a mistake. For me that is not a correct example," said Simoncelli.
But Lorenzo hit back firmly, saying he stood by his criticisms and that his view of Simoncelli's riding manners was shared by many other riders.
"From my side, I think yesterday I spoke the right words. For me, it's not a problem. If nothing happens in the future, it's not a problem. We'll see what happens in the future," he said, addressing Simoncelli directly.
"I think you have done a lot of touching with a lot of riders. How many races have I not crashed or touched anyone?
"This is your opinion, but I think a lot of people here in the paddock and a lot of riders have the same opinion as me. Ask [Andrea] Dovizioso, for example. Or [Hiroshi] Aoyama.
"If in the future nothing happens, it's not a problem. But if in the future something happens with you, it will be a problem."
In response, Simoncelli joked: "Okay, then I will get arrested..."
The spat drew widespread laughter among the gathered media, but Lorenzo said he had a serious point to make.
"Everybody is laughing, but it's not funny, because we are playing with our lives," he said. "We are riding at 300 km/h with a very powerful and very heavy bike. It's not mini-bikes. It's a dangerous sport and you have to think about what you do."
Asked if he would feel comfortable potentially battling for victory with Simoncelli in tomorrow's grand prix, Lorenzo said he was happy to fight and confident in his own ethics.
"It's okay, I'm ready for a fight with other riders," he said.
"I don't like to fight not clean. I crashed into [Alex] de Angelis in Japan, and he crashed because of my mistake, but from this time forwards I've tried to ride clean.
"I can make a mistake because I'm human. But when I ride, I think twice. I am not impulsive because it's one thing to play with your health, but another thing to play with the other riders' health."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91029
Rob
30th April 2011, 18:57
With conditions more variable than they had been on Friday, the two Ducati MotoGP Team riders struggled more than expected to find the best setup during qualifying for the Portuguese Grand Prix. The third free-practice session, which took place on a mostly wet track, was positive for both riders, with Hayden third and Rossi fourth, while the afternoon session, which was dry but with a slightly dirty track, saw the Italian finish ninth and the American thirteenth. Valentino Rossi (Ducati MotoGP Team) 9th, 1:38.271
“I’m a little disappointed with my performance today because I expected to get the fifth- or sixth-best time and be on the second row; that was the target. Unfortunately, though, it was a little more difficult than expected, and I wasn’t able to ride like I could yesterday since I didn’t have as much feeling. I couldn’t fight for a position that we would have been happier with. I struggled a little with the track conditions, as I didn’t have enough grip, especially on the front, and we’re trying to understand why. For tomorrow, we have to try to improve something with the front setup in order to still have a good race. I think the best pace will be around 1:37.5, and I’d be very happy to get in the high 1:37s, but we’ll have to find something in order to do that. I’m not hoping for a wet race, because although it’s true that we might be able to have more fun, racing in the dry makes it possible to understand more. Really, both options are fine.” Nicky Hayden (Ducati MotoGP Team) 13th, 1:38.922
“I really thought we had made some good progress yesterday, and I’m certainly not thrilled about qualifying thirteenth, especially when we were third this morning—I liked the sound of that a lot better. This morning we went out on the slicks and had a pretty decent feeling for a patchy track. In the afternoon, the track was pretty dry apart from a few patches, but it was definitely cooler and dirty, which didn’t help with the tyres. I just wasn’t able to get enough grip, especially in the front and over the bumps. I had one front tyre that we couldn’t get to come in for some reason, and between losing those laps and coming back in to change it, we lost some time there. We also made a change with the rear to try to get it to turn better, and maybe we went too far and got it a bit wrong. Anyway, that clearly wasn’t good enough, but we’ll give it our best tomorrow.”
scuderiafan
1st May 2011, 09:42
does anyone have a video of Rossi talking about Stoner? i heard Rossi was pretty angry.
oh and i am in no means an expert, but how come lorenzo is on pole? i thought the Hondas were miles ahead.
Aussie
6th May 2011, 03:52
does anyone have a video of Rossi talking about Stoner? i heard Rossi was pretty angry.
oh and i am in no means an expert, but how come lorenzo is on pole? i thought the Hondas were miles ahead.
He took Stoner out mate i am not happy
scuderiafan
15th May 2011, 12:40
Tifoso will be happy. Vale on the way to the podium. :-D
great ride by Vale, i hoped he would have passed dovisioso, but i guess now Stoner will run away with the title. Lorenzo and Yamaha need to improve that bike, but The Doctor is back :clap
Aussie
15th May 2011, 22:22
Go stoner awesome ride.
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