2013 MotoGP Thread

[Rob]

Ahhh, OK. Thanks Ray!

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/188...e_critics.html

No idea who Suzi Perry is, though

She used to do the BBC's GP coverage. I ok, knows her stuff on bikes. Doing F1 now, (had check the report and news as couldnt remember if it was her doing BBC F1)

[Tifoso]

She used to do the BBC's GP coverage. I ok, knows her stuff on bikes. Doing F1 now, (had check the report and news as couldnt remember if it was her doing BBC F1)

Thanks mate!

[budaman]

Honda & Yamaha factory teams, along with some of the customer teams are testing here the next few days. Hopefully will be able to sneak away from work & check some of it out.

April will be here soon!

[Rob]

Stoner and Valentino disengage torpedoes against Ducati
Rossi: "They react badly to criticism." Casey: "With the budget of Vale would have won a lot more"
March 18, 2013 11:58
Wednesday MotorCycleNews hits newsstands UK with an exclusive interview with Valentino Rossi . In the meantime, however, over the weekend, gave a tasty preview of the declarations of the nine times world champion, who after his return to Yamaha has not missed a good opportunity to attack the Ducati , with whom he has no doubt lived the two darkest years of his career in MotoGP . rider Tavullia has stressed the difference in reaction to the criticism that is in the box of a Japanese company and that of the Red Army. If on the one hand everything is perceived as something constructive to improve the bike, according to the Pesaro in Ducati things are so very different. " When you talk to a technician at Yamaha or Honda, but especially with one of the Yamaha, and explain that you think there is something wrong with the bike, the Japanese engineers did not react badly. know that is a good thing, because they understand how they can improve the bike, but this does not happen to Ducati. When you say you have a problem, first you do not trust you 100% and then get upset because you told him that their bike has a problem , "said the "Doctor" . But there are many trips arrive in Borgo Panigale this end week, because in Melbourne was Casey Stoner at Australian GP Formula 1, where he also spoke of the possibility of seeing him in MotoGP for the wild-card race , and he went there for an interview in the thin granted to the Gazzetta dello Sport : " The problem was not the bike. If in my day we had the budget you have spent the past few years, we would have achieved much more. They thought if he can do certain results Stoner, Valentino will do better. They showed a wrong mentality and did not have enough passion . " It was not the fault of the technical staff according to him, as the talking heads: " The fault is not of Filippo Preziosi, whose estrangement was a huge mistake. He created alone that project and there was much more potential. Certainly we would have won even with Ducati. 's why I brought my men to Honda and I did the same with Preziosi, if I could . " We could not miss, however, also a barb aimed at the "Doctor": " Too many drivers think that we should change the bike to suit their own style, instead you have to be to adapt to the bike when you can not. With the Ducati was able to drive over to the problems, while Valentino not. So he gave me a lot of resources and nothing. I had only one frame per season and was the one . "

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/257...ntro-la-ducati

[Rob]

Pedrosa: "We don’t know what will happen in Austin"

Pedrosa on his first test at the Circuit of the Americas
Monday, 18 March 2013

Dani Pedrosa is unable to predict which way the balance will swing when MotoGP™ returns to Texas for Round 2. Last week, the Spaniard and Repsol Honda Team completed a three-day private test at the venue.
The Austin-based Circuit of the Americas played host to its private gathering following on from Official MotoGP™ Pre-Season Tests in Valencia and Sepang.

After always riding on the same circuits, is it a breath of fresh air to be testing at a completely different track?

It is a different kind of track. It’s got a layout with a very ‘Formula 1’ style. It is difficult to adapt the bike to some of the strange corners. In any case, we were able to put some laps in and saw that it is a little different to the European tracks that we are used to.

What are the characteristics of the track?

The asphalt is new and in good condition. The corners are a little strange – especially the hairpins, which are really pronounced. We riders are not so used to these types of corners, with such pointed apexes. The bikes obviously don’t corner like cars, so it is difficult to find the best lines. We try to adapt as best we can to the lines required.

Does the Circuit of the Americas most closely resemble Shanghai?

Not completely. Shanghai had more rounded corners; it just had the one sharp hairpin, but the other corners were all nice and flowing.

What is the most fun part of the circuit?

In my opinion, the most fun part of Austin is the right-hander with various apexes. That’s where I enjoyed myself the most, as you can slide well there and you can get on it with some speed.

There are various tracks that are known as ‘Honda circuits’ or ‘Yamaha circuits’. Could we say that this track favours either of the two factories?

It’s difficult to say. We’ve only had one test and we don’t know what will happen in the Grand Prix.

In recent years it has not been so common to have new tracks. The last one was Silverstone in 2010. How do you approach these special cases and prepare to tackle a circuit from scratch?

The work consists of going out and getting the bike on-track. You need to put in the laps to learn from onboard the bike, finding out what the corners are like. In the beginning you don’t go at full speed, because you need to see what the grip is like with the tyres and see if you are running a tyre that is too hard or too soft. You also have to calculate the length of the straights in order to adjust your gearing for both those and the corners. Then it’s time to start pushing to go faster.

Next week you have the final pre-season test and then, a few days later, the first race of the season in Qatar. Are you counting down the days?

There’s not long to go before the start of the season and we have an important test at Jerez. It is a track that we know well and where I like to test. We will have a few days of rest afterwards in order to arrive ready at the opening GP.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2013/I...ter+Texas+test

[Rob]

Hayden: "Added Ducati feedback important"
Monday, 18 March 2013

Nicky Hayden has praised the amount of feedback Ducati will receive over the course of 2013, with a quartet of regular riders all able to report back. The 2006 World Champion is now looking to make up lost ground.
Ducati Team is yet to claim a world title since it first did so with Casey Stoner in 2007. Now heading into its first full season under Audi ownership, the outfit is headed up by German Bernard Gobmeier who replaces stalwart Filippo Preziosi.

"I would say that in past years Ducati has been pretty close with the satellite team and the engineers are the same," Hayden said during a Red Bull Indianapolis GP teleconference. "This year, all four bikes are full factory bikes and full factory efforts. We need that. The more data and feedback and the more different styles is going to be important and useful for the engineers."

At the same time, the American admits his frustration over not visiting last week’s private test at Circuit of the Americas – attended by rivals Honda and Yamaha.

"I love going to new tracks for the first time," he continued. "I was flying home from Germany and had a four-hour layover in Chicago, so I was killing time and reading up on what the guys had to say about the track. It was frustrating. Obviously I hated not being there and I hated giving those guys a big head-start."

Heading all three days in Texas was rookie Marc Márquez. Although off-season lap times are always joined by speculation, the Spaniard continues to excite.

"Well, it is impressive," Hayden admitted. "You don't need me to tell you that. I don't think anybody doubted that he was going to be fast after what we saw in 125 and Moto2. When you’re fast, you’re fast. I would say to be quite this quick - and so consistently quick - this early…it wasn't expected and for some of us riders we aren't so pumped on it. Honestly, I think we wanted to give him a little more time, and he is going to be exciting for the sport. He rides very hard and he is very hungry. You know, if he can stay healthy, he is really going to shake things up this season. So he is being very, very impressive and very fast, which is a bit of his own style. He could be a game-changer to MotoGP and all of road racing."

Hayden’s world title for Honda was the first for an American since Kenny Roberts Junior’s in 2000, although prior to that one had to look back to 1993 and Kevin Schwantz. In order to encourage a new breed of American riders, Hayden believes solid foundations must be put in place.

"In the early 80s and the 90s all the dirt trackers made the transition to 500," he recalls. "They were really suited to those, with the amount of power and their sliding - I think dirt track was the best training for that. Now the sport has changed a lot, with the electronics, the tyres and the way the four-strokes are ridden. In Spain, I would say the main thing they are doing so good is starting the kids so young. It doesn't matter if you are golfing, riding motorcycles or want to be a cook. It is a young man's game. The younger you start, the better you are. There are academies and schools, where they are starting these kids on road racing on real bikes and real competition at a young age. If America wants to catch up, that is what America is going to have to do. The age limit in America is a little different and it makes it a little bit harder (but) we need to follow those next steps and get some kids in a competitive series earlier, like the Rookies Cup in Europe. It has certainly helped."

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Hayden and fellow countryman Ben Spies (Pramac Racing Team) head to Circuit of the Americas in order to launch the Ducati 1199 Panigale R. Both riders will sample the Austin track for the first time.

[Rob]

Rossi leads on penultimate day of testing
Sunday, 24 March 2013

Valentino Rossi moved ahead on yet another rain-affected day at Jerez, topping the Sunday testing timesheets from Yamaha Factory Racing teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow joined his fellow Yamaha riders in the top three.
The first half of the day featured little track activity. Although there was no driving rain at that point, the track surface was greasy and semi-dry, meaning neither Slick nor Wet tyres would be completely suitable. After three and a half hours, now with a dryer surface, more runners elected to peel out of the pit lane.

Rossi was just 15 thousands of a second quicker than Lorenzo, leading the way on his lap of 1’39.525. Less than half a tenth separated the top three riders and the final position marked the first time Rossi had topped any MotoGP™ session since first practice for last year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Tomorrow, he and Lorenzo intend to run new chassis. Dani Pedrosa was today’s leading Repsol Honda Team bike in fourth, ahead of Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso who ran several new small parts, as the second Repsol bike of Marc Márquez finished seventh.

Sixth was GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who missed over an hour of running following a crash towards the end of the afternoon. While testing different suspension to that of yesterday, the Spaniard lost control at Sito Pons corner and picked up small fractures in the fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand; now resting, he will be back in action on Monday morning.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team’s Andrea Iannone and Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden rounded out the top ten, but both the German and Italian endured crashes during the day. All riders had hoped for either fully wet or fully dry conditions in order to conduct proper comparisons for setup changes, although the former was preferable. That was certainly the case for rookies Bradley Smith and Bryan Staring, plus Danilo Petrucci who was running a new chassis for Came IodaRacing Project.

Leading CRT was Héctor Barberá in 11th position, ahead of Tech 3’s Smith, Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró and Ioda’s Petrucci. Incidentally, Espargaró sampled a single wet lap in the closing stages but elected to return straight to the pits, whereas teammate Randy de Puniet – who ended the day in 16th place, behind Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro – was caught out and crashed.

Rounding out the top 20 were NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti, Ignite Pramac Racing Team’s Ben Spies, Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham and PBM’s Yonny Hernández. The Colombian’s teammate, Michael Laverty, was all set to continue testing the team’s own-built chassis – on which much ECU work was carried out yesterday – but was also delayed by the rain en route to 24th slot.

The aforementioned Staring, Forward’s Colin Edwards and Avintia Blusens’s Hiroshi Aoyama occupied positions 21 to 23; the latter may have destroyed a set of Wet tyres while running on a drying track, but was able to extract direct comparisons in similar conditions to those he finished in yesterday. The second Ioda bike of Lukáš Pešek, the Czech newcomer in the CRT ranks, backed up the 25-bike field.

Monday brings the last day of pre-season testing before the 2013 MotoGP™ campaign commences in Qatar on 7th April. Sunshine and blue skies are wished for in the paddock, but weather reports are warning of more rain.

[Rob]

Return to the top pleases Rossi
Sunday, 24 March 2013

Valentino Rossi led the way as the Official Jerez MotoGP™ Pre-Season Test continued on Sunday. The result marked the first time the nine-time World Champion had topped a session since returning to the Yamaha Factory Racing squad.
Not only was Rossi atop a timesheet for the first time in 2013, but the result also signaled his first P1 finish since opening practice for last year’s British Grand Prix.

“It’s not important, but it’s very important!” the Italian smiled in an exclusive video interview with motogp.com. “To end the day with the best lap time is great, not just because of the position but also because we modified some of the settings of the bike after the first test to adapt the M1 more to my style.

“It’s good because I am able to go faster, like Jorge, in all sectors of the lap. For tomorrow, we have a new chassis with some small differences, so both Jorge and I will try it. We hope to be able to improve our level a bit.”

The weather remains the prime talking point in Spain. Although the riders would welcome an all-dry final day on Monday, more rain is expected to arrive.

[Suzie]

2 weeks to go, can't wait

[tifosi1993]

[Tifoso]

Guys,

Can someone point me (again) to a link which gives USA stations/times for the races? Will bookmark

[Rob]

i will look them up for you Lou.

[Tifoso]

i will look them up for you Lou.

Thanks mate. Been almost 2 weeks of pure --- here

[Rob]

MotoGP™ signs multi-year deal with FOX SPORTS

Monday, 25 March 2013

FOX Sports has signed a multi-year deal with Dorna Sports for broadcast rights to the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing series, the MotoGP™ World Championship, with races to air on SPEED and the newly announced, multi-sport FOX Sports 1 in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
MotoGP, with three events in the U.S. in 2013, is highlighted during the high-profile FOX Sports 1 August launch weekend, with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix scheduled for August 18 as one of the first live events on the new network.

"With an international event line-up that includes three U.S. stops, MotoGP brings an immediate world class motor sports presence to the FOX Sports 1 line-up," says Bill Wanger, EVP Programming & Research for FOX Sports. "Having the race from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway fall on our FS1 launch weekend is a bonus, and one of which we plan to take full advantage."

"We're very proud of this new agreement with Fox Sports and we are looking forward to being part of this huge project that is Fox Sports 1," adds Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of the Media Area at Dorna. "Through this agreement, MotoGP will continue to be watched by our extensive American fan base, via the Speed channel until August and from then on, via the new Fox Sports 1 channel.

"Our 15-year partnership is arriving now to a very exciting MotoGP season with three GPs on U.S. soil and the promise of some thrilling action on track. We will deliver the very highest standard of TV coverage of the Championship, using the latest production technologies, which is what our fans in the U.S. and around the world and also our Global media partners like the Fox Sports Group, deserve."

The season opens April 7 on SPEED with the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar. Other U.S. highlights include the second event of the season, the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas inaugural series event at newly built Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on April 21 and a return to Laguna Seca for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 21. Coverage from Austin includes qualifying on April 20 at 9 p.m. ET; race coverage, including pre-race activities begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on April 21. On-board camera access is available on SPEED.com for all U.S. rounds, with qualifying practice sessions on SPEED2.

The new deal, continuing a successful relationship that began on SPEED in 1997, when the series was known as the FIM World GP 500, also includes coverage of Moto2™ and Moto3™, as well as expanded digital rights.

[Rob]

Bautista hails ‘big step’ for new season

Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Álvaro Bautista heads into the new MotoGP campaign with confidence, positive over improvements made at GO&FUN Honda Gresini. However his pre-season was not completely trouble-free, having suffered a crash in Jerez.
Bautista’s accident came on the penultimate day of testing and left the Spaniard on the sidelines across the final 24 hours. That aside, he is pleased with general progress and now heads to the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar in which he qualified 11th and finished seventh last year.

“The new season is about to start and I think we are ready,” he begins. “We did a great job throughout the pre-season, even though we weren't helped by the weather in the final session at Jerez. Unfortunately we still had some things we needed to test, so it would have been good but we didn't get a chance.

“Anyway, overall we have made a big step from last year…we'll keep working to make the bike more rideable and make sure we're as competitive as we can be for the race. I had a lot of problems in Qatar practice last year and only managed to finish seventh in the race, which I wasn't happy with, so this year we'll certainly look to make up for it.”

Bautista is now joined by a teammate, as Australian rookie Bryan Staring enters MotoGP as a representative of the CRT class. He raced to fourth overall in last year’s FIM Superstock 1000 series and his only previous MotoGP appearance came at the age of 17, as a wildcard entry to Phillip Island’s 125 race of 2004.

“I am nervous and excited about making my debut in MotoGP,” Staring admits. “After an encouraging test at Jerez, I am highly motivated and confident we can do well. I don't know Losail but I have watched all the races there on television and I'm curious to experience it myself.

“I have worked hard with the team throughout the winter and gradually I’m getting used to the bike, which is very different to anything I have ridden before. I have gradually adapted my riding style to cope with the power of the FTR-Honda and I am now ready for this new experience.”

In 2012, Bautista and Gresini rode to a pair of podium finishes, coming home third in the respective Grands Prix of San Marino and Japan.

[Rob]

Bridgestone explains changes for 2013 season
Wednesday, 3 April 2013

2013 sees Bridgestone continue as the sole MotoGP™ tyre supplier for a fifth consecutive season. There are no major changes to the regulations, although a number of tweaks are in place following requests from riders.
This year sees a new practice and qualifying format which has brought with it a revision in tyre allocation, with each rider being given one extra rear slick and an extra set of wet tyres at each race compared to last year.

Bridgestone has also responded to rider requests by allowing selection of up to seven of the softer option rear slicks at each race weekend, compared to six last year. Although the total number of front slicks allocated to each rider remains the same at nine tyres, riders have greater flexibility in how they can select their tyre compounds and can now choose up to six tyres in either the softer or harder slick option - up from five last year. Slick compounds for the front tyre remain unchanged this season, though the names of the front slick compounds have been revised to Extra-Soft, Soft, Medium and Hard to make them consistent with the rear slick tyre.

For those in the field competing with CRT bikes, a new softer rear slick has been made available from this season onwards.



Slick compounds available for Round 1 in Qatar:

Front: Soft and Hard

Rear: Medium and Hard (Asymmetric)

[Tifoso]

Awesome. Will be watching

Go Valentino!

[Rob]

Be good seeing him back on a Yam, cross fingers for him on pole and win

[Rob]

Valentino also changes the colors of his helmet
The yellow is the dominant color, but the design is novel compared to two years in Ducati
April 4, 2013 13:40

In a few hours will officially begin his second adventure in Yamaha and Valentino Rossi meanwhile showed the first picture of his new helmet. As was widely expected, the "Doctor" has decided to completely turn face and to do so he invited the faithful Aldo Drudi to study a new livery. dominant color, as always, is yellow and the rest could not be otherwise, given that on the cover dominates the tribal sun that has become a trademark for Pesaro. Stands on the chin and then the number 46, which goes back to being quite large on the helmet. then there's also room for some carbon stain color here and there, with the largest space which is also its main sponsor Monster Energy . The question that everyone is doing now is simple: this will be the color of the final return at the head of Valentino ?

[tifosi1993]

Losail, Qatar (Free Practice-1)

1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.685s
2. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 56.743s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.756s
4. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.276s
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.538s
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 57.601s
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 1m 57.670s
8. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.749s
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 57.843s
10. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.926s
11. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 58.369s
12. Andrea Iannone ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.559s
13. Ben Spies USA Ignite Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.575s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 1m 59.608s
15. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 59.633s
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (ART CRT) 1m 59.758s
17. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.341s
18. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 0.426s
19. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.563s
20. Claudio Corti ITA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 1.227s
21. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 1.438s
22. Bryan Staring AUS Go&Fun Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT)* 2m 1.942s
23. Lukas Pesek CZE Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 2.079s
24. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 2.135s

[killer]

Interesting set up they have with qualifying.

Come on Vale and Dovi!

[tifosi1993]

Losail, Qatar (Free practice-2)



1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 56.477s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.745s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.805s
4. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 57.169s
5. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 1m 57.257s
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.833s
7. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.877s
8. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 58.040s
9. Ben Spies USA Ignite Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.137s
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 58.298s
11. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 58.340s
12. Andrea Iannone ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.575s
13. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 58.631s
14. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 1m 58.871s
15. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 1m 58.904s
16. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 59.185s
17. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (ART CRT) 1m 59.809s
18. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 0.557s
19. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.652s
20. Lukas Pesek CZE Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 0.919s
21. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.940s
22. Claudio Corti ITA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 1.321s
23. Bryan Staring AUS Go&Fun Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT)* 2m 1.622s
24. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 1.816s
* Standard ECU.

[tifosi1993]

Losail, Qatar (Free practice-3)




1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'56.084
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1'56.085 0.001
3 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'56.326 0.242
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1'56.416 0.332
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'56.417 0.333
6 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'56.502 0.418
7 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 1'56.572 0.488
8 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 1'56.670 0.586
9 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'56.901 0.817
10 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'56.984 0.900
11 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 1'57.169 1.085
12 11 Ben SPIES USA Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati 1'57.308 1.224
13 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 1'57.420 1.336
14 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 1'57.956 1.872
15 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 1'58.211 2.127
16 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 1'58.396 2.312
17 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 1'58.863 2.779
18 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing ART 1'59.180 3.096
19 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 1'59.212 3.128
20 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 1'59.755 3.671
21 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 1'59.758 3.674
22 52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 1'59.837 3.753
23 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 2'00.080 3.996
24 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 2'00.439 4.355

[Tifoso]

C'mon Rossi!

[Rob]

Rossi: "Tyre choice critical for Sunday"
Friday, 5 April 2013

Yamaha Factory Racing head into Saturday’s Losail qualifying session with the second and fourth fastest bikes, according to the timesheets so far. However both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo point out a number of variables.
Friday’s third free practice brought the conclusion of those sessions that have a direct bearing on qualifying, as the top ten are automatically promoted to Q2 on Saturday.

“The practices were not so bad, but we are continuing to work for the race,” said Rossi, the slower of the two riders on Friday. “We still have to decide which tyre to use; that will be very important for Sunday. We are ready for tomorrow for qualifying, to try and start as far in front as possible and aim for the front row.”

Lorenzo almost topped the timesheets on Friday but was pipped to the post by Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Márquez, who moved ahead by one thousandth of a second.

“I’m very happy with the changes we made on the bike because it improved a lot,” declared the reigning world champion. “In the last moments the track was better this evening, as in the beginning it was very dirty.

“I think we can still improve the bike more tomorrow. We still haven’t decided which chassis is better; today it is the new one, yesterday the old one. I’m very curious to see how the qualifying goes with the new formula - we will just be concentrating on doing four fast laps and the maximum performance we can get.”

Although Yamaha has promised no wall between the two sides of its garage this year – as was the case when Rossi and Lorenzo last raced alongside each other in 2010 – the Losail garage is somewhat divided due to a permanent concrete divider.

[Rob]

Spies: "Our testing is starting now"
Friday, 5 April 2013

Ben Spies admits that he still has a mountain to climb in fully configuring his bike. The American, who has switched for 2013 from Yamaha Factory Racing to Ignite Pramac Racing, continues to suffer from his accident of Malaysia last year.
In last season’s race at Sepang, Spies crashed and suffered a shoulder separation as well as a cracked rib and bruised lung. Since then, he has also revealed a concussion which continued to affect him for approximately four months.

“I’m okay, even though tonight’s session didn’t go exactly the way we wanted,” the Ducati said at the Losail International Circuit on Friday night. “We tried something a little bit different before our practice and it didn’t work out. We had to make a change during the session, which cost me some time.

“We know we missed about 50% of testing due to my injury and learning a new bike so, realistically, our testing is starting now. It was the first time that we pushed the bike hard and I’m learning things about it. We’re changing stuff and getting used to it, but we need more time. The feeling with the bike is getting better every time out.”

Although he and Pramac teammate Andrea Iannone have not finished in the overall top ten of the first to third practice sessions, both men have another chance to enter Q2; in Q1 on Saturday, the two quickest riders will be promoted to the final shootout.

[Tobes]

Come on Dovi...

[Tifoso]

The doctor is in

[Massimo]

The doctor is in

Man, i missed seeing Rossi race like that, the doctor is back!

[tifosi1993]

"The Doctor" is back.