2007 MotoGP - Motegi, Japan

Casey Stoner.  Photo Courtesy Ducati Corse

Race Results
The Ducati MotoGP Team enjoyed its greatest day in Japan today, Casey Stoner securing Ducati's first MotoGP World Championship and Loris Capirossi winning the race, run in tricky conditions on a drying track.

The result triggered scenes of unbridled joy in the Ducati MotoGP Team pit, in the more than one thousand fans who watched the race in the Borgo Panigale Factory with the CEO Gabriele Del Torchio among them and in all the Ducatistis around the world.

Australian genius Stoner had to finish today's race ahead of Valentino Rossi to wrap up the title with three GPs remaining, and he did that, no problem, finishing sixth after leading the early stages.  The race couldn't have been more nerve-wracking: it started on a slightly damp track, most riders choosing rain tires, then the circuit dried out enough for riders to swap to slick-equipped bikes.

Capirossi was one of the first riders to switch, at the end of lap nine, and his strategy paid rich dividends, the 2005 and 2006 Japanese GP winner going on to score a Motegi hat-trick, 10.853 seconds ahead of his closest rival.  Stoner swapped bikes at the end of lap 14 and maintained his renowned cool to become the second youngest premier-class World Champion, after American legend Freddie Spencer.  So far this year Stoner has won eight races, taken three further podium finished and scored five pole positions.

Casey Stoner, 6th, 2007 MotoGP World Champion on 297 points:  "At the moment it all feels a little bit unrealistic! I'm struggling for words, I don't think there's any feeling that can compare to this, but I think it's really going to sink in as the day goes on and heads into tomorrow.  The race started out quite well, we were able to get up front quite early and I had a reasonably good feeling with the bike, I was in a happy position.  But then my rain tires started wearing out as the track dried, and Valentino and Dani (Pedrosa) came past.  I didn't really know whether to come in or not, then my team put 'box' on my pitboard, so I had a bit more confidence to come in."

"After I changed bikes there was something up with the steering damper, the bike wasn't allowing me to tip into corners, so I had to slow down to unwind it.  Then I started to find more of a rhythm, Valentino had a problem and we managed to finish ahead of him.  I guess that was the aim of the game today.  Towards the end everything was creeping into my head, so I just tried to stay focused on the job in hand, I wanted to bring it home for my team."

"The whole thing is a bit overwhelming, because we didn't really expect to get the championship today, it's come on me quite quickly.  There's a lot of people I have to thank: my parents, who have always been there for me, they've supported me throughout my career, my wife Adriana's who's been there this season and the past few and everyone else who's helped me along the way - Ducati, my whole team, Bridgestone tires, a big thanks to everyone who's had anything to with my career - we finally did it!"

Loris Capirossi, winner, 7th in World Championship on  130 points:  "We struggled a lot this weekend and only yesterday did we find a better set-up solution.  When I woke this morning and saw the rain I said 'wow, for sure this is going to be a difficult day'.  We didn't know which would be the best tires to use, so we started with medium rain tires."

"At first it was really difficult, so I decided to pit early, and for sure my tactic was the best because I won my third consecutive race here, it's a great moment for me.  It's also a great day for Casey, for Ducati and for the team. I congratulate Casey, he's a really strong rider, I'm very happy for him."

Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO/Ducati Motor Holding product director:  "It is a dream come true - a fantastic feeling, really fantastic.  I don't have enough words to thank all the guys who have contributed to this incredible achievement, which shows that Italy is a nation whose passion and talent can succeed in a hugely technically advanced field.  It's certainly a good reason for Italians to be proud - proud about the talent of our engineers and about the quality of our universities.  It is also a sign that allows Italy to look to the future and into globalization with a pinch more optimism."

Yamaha Team Report
Weather and tire issues brought about an end to Valentino Rossi's slim title chances today, as he finished 13th in Motegi despite a heroic ride which saw him lead the race at one point.

His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards suffered similar problems in what was an extraordinary race, finishing one place behind Rossi in 14th.

With the asphalt still wet after a morning of light rain, the riders started with wet-weather tires on a fast-drying track.  Rossi got a poor start from second on the grid and crossed the line for the first time in seventh place, with Edwards behind him in eighth.

An outstanding ride from the seven-time World Champion then saw him fight his way back to the front, making up five seconds on the leaders and taking the lead on lap 14.  The racing line by now was almost completely dry however, and behind him most riders had already opted to pit and change onto their second bikes with slick tires.

When Rossi eventually came in to change one lap later he had built up such a lead that he was able to re-join the race in second place, behind eventual winner Loris Capirossi, but Yamaha's jubilation was short-lived as Rossi immediately ran into serious issues with his front tire and was forced to pit again.

He rejoined the race in 15th but was able to make up only two places to the finish as he struggled with grip. Edwards, who was in third place when Rossi came in for the first time, rejoined in eighth but had similar tire problems and also dropped back through the field to cross the line two seconds behind his team-mate.

Casey Stoner took sixth place, which was enough to secure him the World Championship title.  Rossi remains second and 26 points clear of Dani Pedrosa, who failed to finish the race, while Edwards drops two places down the standings to ninth, with three races remaining.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 13thTime: +1'09.699:  "It's a great pity for us how everything has turned out this weekend, because in the dry we were faster than Stoner and we could have had a good chance.  The first problem today was the weather this morning, but actually we were able to find a good setting for the bike and when the race started we were quite hopeful"

"I got a bad start but on the drying track I had the fastest pace and I was able to make up five seconds to the leaders.  After I passed Melandri I came into the box to change and maybe this was one lap too late, but our strategy was more or less okay because I was able to come back into the race with only Loris in front of me.  We had an intermediate front tire, a slick cut which is normal in these situations, but the bike was almost impossible for me to ride and turn and it felt like there was something seriously wrong.  I came back in but my mechanics could see there was nothing wrong so I went straight out again, and by then it was too late; the race was over for me and the championship was gone."

"Congratulations to Loris but especially to Casey on becoming world champion.  I am very flattered that he made a dedication to me on his victory T-shirt, if someone else has to win then I am glad it's one of my fans!  He is a great rival and I hope that we can continue this rivalry into the future."

Kawasaki Team Report
An elated Kawasaki Racing Team are today celebrating Randy de Puniet's superb second place at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, after one of the most thrilling races in recent MotoGP history.

The 26-year-old Frenchman, starting from fourth on the grid, got off to a patchy start when he dropped back to 10th place as the pack launched itself off the line.  He then had to contend with a couple of trips into the gravel, and a pit stop to change bikes, but it all failed to stop him from scoring his first ever premier class podium position.

De Puniet swapped machines at the end of lap seven and went from eighth position to 13th when he rejoined the track.  From there, he made steady progress until finding himself behind eventual winner, Loris Capirossi, on lap 16, where he stayed until the end. It is a longed-for and hard-earned reward for him, his crew, the team and Bridgestone who are also celebrating: all today's top three riders, plus new world champion, Casey Stoner, are in partnership with the Japanese tire manufacturer.

Wild card rider, Akira Yanagawa, also has something to smile about.  Five years after debuting the first 990cc Kawasaki MotoGP bike at Motegi, but failing to finish after a mechanical problem caused him to crash out, the 36-year-old has now completed a premier class race, taking 17th position in a field of 21.  He pulled a huge wheelie over the line, much to the delight of the team who were, by this stage, clambering all over pit wall in euphoria over all three riders' achievements.

It was a particularly special race for Kawasaki: the team's first 800cc podium, the first podium this season, Anthony West leading a MotoGP for the first time and Yanagawa finally completing a premier class race. And all at the manufacturer's home round.

Sensational Fourth Place for Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3
In one of the most dramatic races on record, the Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 Team scored its most impressive result to date when MotoGP rookie, Sylvain Guintoli rode his Yamaha YZF-M1 to a sensational fourth place in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

The race commenced on a wet, but drying track.  Conditions soon improved ensuring that the riders timing of the all important pit stops to change to bikes fitted with lightly cut slick tires would be crucial.

Astute judgment and skill plus the performance of the tires in the varying weather conditions would be the governing factor.  In the circumstances Sylvain gave a faultless display to finish just 1.2 seconds from second place and a tantalizingly close 0.566 of a second from the podium.

Sylvain constantly recorded the fastest lap of the race as he made his charge through the field after his stop, passing most of the field including Valentino Rossi. He then became embroiled in a titanic struggle with Toni Elias for third that wasn't decided until the final corner.

Teammate Makoto Tamada rued his decision to stay out on a drying track with his wet weather tyres for an extra two laps before pitting to finish in 12th place.

Sylvain Guintoli - Position: 4thTime: +0'12.192:  "This has got to be one of the best days of my life!  To finish fourth in a MotoGP is something I could only dream about at the beginning of the year but I will always think how close I was to a podium."

"I tried very hard on the last lap to pass Toni but I didn't want to try too hard and end up in the gravel.  I got a good start and decided to come in early to try and make a move on the leaders and it worked."

"To be fastest on the track for so many laps was very satisfying and I missed out on fastest lap of the race by so little in the battle with Toni.  Also I was able to pass Valentino so I have done that twice this year. I'd like to thank the team and Dunlop so much as I will always remember this weekend."

Makoto Tamada - Position: 12thTime: +1'09.313:  "I wish I could be as happy as Sylvain but I made the wrong tyre choice for the wet, as they were a little too soft.  Plus I stayed out on the track too long when it dried out. If I had come in a few laps earlier I'm sure I could've been up there as well but in these conditions everything is a bit of a gamble."

Qualifying
Valentino Rossi sealed his tenth front-row start of the season ahead of tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi today, the Italian taking second place on an all-Michelin front row in between Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden.  Colin Edwards also had a good session, qualifying seventh at the head of the third row.

After making a poor start to the weekend by finishing 14th yesterday, Rossi made a step up this morning and put in the second fastest time in free practice.  His qualifying session did not get off to plan however as he made an off-track excursion in the opening minutes and then found himself down in 18th place mid-way through.

Edwards meanwhile, was doing little better in 17th, but both began to steadily improve as they worked on refining their race settings and finalising their tyre choices for tomorrow

Once it came down to qualifying tires it was clear that Rossi especially was on top form and his first run put him in second place, before improving again with his second tire and moving one place higher.

Pedrosa was even faster however and, despite Rossi's Michelin tire working well enough to give him a second flying lap, a small mistake on the last corner cost him a few tenths and he was unable to better the Spaniard.  Edwards also put in two good qualifying laps and looked to have sixth in the bag before he was edged down one place by Toni Elias.

Tomorrow's 24-lap race gets underway at 1400 Japanese time.  Rossi must finish in front of Casey Stoner in order to keep his championship hopes alive for another race; the Australian will start from ninth tomorrow, on the outside of the third row.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 2ndTime: 1'46.255Laps: 25:  "I'm in good shape and I'm very happy with this result after the problems we had yesterday.  We were struggling a lot but everyone has worked very hard and today has been much, much better.  We tried some modifications and now I can use the throttle well and the grip from the tires is good.  In fact today the tire situation is really a lot better and I can use my M1 how I want to, with a good rhythm."

"This morning especially was a big improvement although this afternoon we tried some different things again and it wasn't quite so good to start with.  Pedrosa's rhythm is slightly better than mine at the moment so we have one or two things to work on, but we're definitely in a good position and we are starting from the front row, which is the most important factor."

"I was very happy with the qualifying tires because I was able to do two laps with the second one.  Michelin brought a new tire and asked that I try for a second lap and it worked well, so this is very encouraging.  Now I am really looking forward to the race; it's going to be hard in this heat but we will do our best and see what happens."

Race Preview
Continuing improvements with the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine and the enhanced performance of Michelin's latest tires make for another promising weekend ahead as the Fiat Yamaha Team head east for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship in Japan this weekend.

A frantic pack-up operation took place at the Estoril circuit on Sunday evening as the entire paddock prepared to make the gruelling 11,000 kilometre journey from the western tip of Europe to far east Asia, where Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will do battle for Yamaha in the factory's home country.

The long trip to Motegi has at least been taken in buoyant mood thanks to Rossi's stunning fourth victory of the season in Portugal.  The Italian kept his slim World Championship hopes alive with a breathtaking ride that saw him cut the gap to series leader Casey Stoner to 76 points with four rounds and a maximum haul of 100 points remaining.  The race in Japan is followed by trips to Australia and Malaysia before the series returns to Europe for its traditionally grand finale at Valencia in Spain.

Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout.  A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race.

Motegi Race Circuit, Japan

Motegi: Lap Record V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1'47.288 Motegi: Best Lap L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 1'45.724 Grand Prix Results: Motegi 2006 1. L. Capirossi (Ducati) 43'13.585 2. V. Rossi (Yamaha) +5.088 3. M. Melandri (Honda) +8.378 8. C. Edwards (USA) Yamaha +22.492

Valentino Rossi - "Motivation and confidence high":  Valentino Rossi's fourth win of the season was his 29th for Yamaha and with four races remaining before the end of the year he is keen to add to that tally.  The 28-year-old's army of Japanese fans will be supporting him all the way this weekend at a circuit he admits is not high up on his list of favorites - despite holding the lap record of 1'47.288 - and he plans to continue his winning ways.

"Portugal was a great, great race and it was fantastic to win again after so long," said Rossi.  "Now we go straight to Motegi and the motivation and confidence within the team is very high.  We know that our rivals are always very strong in Motegi and we expect the same from Stoner this year, but I've never won there with Yamaha so I will be doing my best to change that this week.

"We're not thinking of the championship, we know it's probably out of our reach, but we can do the best we can to try to keep it open for as long as possible and this will be our goal next week.  Our top speed is much better with the new engine, our tires worked well in Portugal and now we hope we have the same situation again in Japan."

Colin Edwards - "Time is running out":  Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Colin Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career.  After a difficult weekend in Portugal, he hopes those positive memories and the support of the Japanese fans can help him recover points and, just as importantly, confidence ahead of the season run-in.

"To finish tenth at Estoril, one of my favorite tracks, was really demoralizing but at least we don't have time to dwell on it," said Edwards.  "I've never had a great race at Motegi but this has got to be the right time to turn that around! We had a really good test there last year so with any luck some of that data will help us out this year.

"We're just going to have to get our heads down from day one and get on with it.  Time is running out and I want to get back on that podium before the end of the season.  I know both myself and Valentino have a lot of supporters in Japan, especially after winning the Suzuka 8 Hour together a few years ago, so hopefully that can propel us to a top result this weekend."

Kawasaki Team Report
The A-Style Grand Prix of Japan takes place this coming weekend as the MotoGP circus travels to Motegi for the 15th round of the world championship.

Opened in 1999, the 4.8km Twin Ring circuit, some 160km north of Tokyo, sits in a rural landscape and, as its name suggests, boasts not one but two tracks: a "super speedway" oval and the longer, snaking "road course", which the premier class teams will be tackling on Sunday.

Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet will be aiming to improve upon last year's premier class outing here, when he crashed out on lap nine.  In previous years, when riding in the 250cc World Championship, the Frenchman proved more than capable of conquering the circuit: scoring a couple of top ten finishes at the track. 

After the disappointment of last week's Portuguese Grand Prix, where a mechanical fault ended his race, de Puniet hopes for a better result at the Twin Ring on Sunday.

Anthony West is also familiar with the circuit, having raced 1000cc V-twins throughout Japan in his younger years, as well as competing in 250s, and one 500cc race, at world championship level.  He also took part in an endurance race here once, his team coming second, so he's put enough laps in to know his way around.

The 26-year-old Australian, who recently signed to stay with the Kawasaki squad next season, will be hoping to overcome his recent struggles with set up and show both strength and stamina this weekend.

Wild card entry, Akira Yanagawa, will be joining the Kawasaki team for a one-race ride on the Ninja.  Currently leading the All Japan Superbike Championship on a ZX-10R, the 36-year-old will be aiming to exorcise his Motegi demons: he crashed out and broke his pelvis on lap six of the Pacific Grand Prix in 2002, riding the 990cc ZX-RR on its debut MotoGP outing.

Kawasaki's MotoGP history at Motegi is somewhat checkered: of the two factory riders and a wild card entry taking part last year, none finished.  However, Shinya Nakano secured a 3rd position here in 2004, claiming the team's first podium spot since returning to the class five years ago.

Certainly, with four straights and a lot of tight corners, the super-fast 800cc ZX-RR could do very well here and, with three green bikes due to line up on Sunday's grid, who knows what will happen?

Randy de Puniet:  "I like this track. It's strange because there's a lot of 'stop and go', and normally I don't like that much, but here it always feels better.  Also, I think it's a good track for the Kawasaki and Bridgestone.  With the 800cc bike, I'm confident about dealing with the hairpins and the handling in the corners."

"As for acceleration, last year's bike was good but this year's is even better, which is why I feel we can do well here.  I didn't get any podiums at Motegi when I was riding in 250s but I managed some good places and, while I crashed out last year, it was the first time I was fighting near the front of the pack so I think it could go well on Sunday."

Ant West:  "It's good to be at Motegi again, I love Japan and I'm looking forward to riding here.  I've done a lot of laps here so I know my way around, and I just hope we don't have as many problems as we had in Portugal.  I’m confident the bike will work pretty well here."

"There are a lot of hard braking areas, which normally I can use to make up a lot of time, and the engine's acceleration is amazing so it should be quick enough on the straights.  I think if we can get the bike to exit the corner quicker, we can try and get a good result here in front of the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Japanese crowd. But we'll just have to see what happens."

Akira Yanagawa:  "I tested the ZX-RR over a couple of days at the end of August but I'm still not perfect on it.  Normally, I ride a Superbike and there's a big difference between the characters of the two machines.  The Ninja is special, you can't buy a bike like it and it's totally different from anything else.  That makes me a bit nervous!  But I know Motegi very, very well; I've done well over 1000 laps here, I'm sure.  I have bad memories of racing the former ZX-RR here, when I crashed: so this time, my aim is to get to the checkered flag."

Suzuki Team Report
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads to the land of the rising sun this week with its team strengthened by the inclusion of Team Test Rider Kousuke Akiyoshi, to form a three-man attack at the Japanese rider’s home circuit.

Akiyoshi will be making only his third Grand Prix start this coming weekend and is eager to continue with the excellent form he showed at last season’s Japanese Grand Prix. 

He qualified in 12th position and finished in 13th – in front of many more experienced riders – whilst giving a very impressive debut performance.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP regulars Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins will be looking to continue with the impressive form they have both shown this season – giving Suzuki its best ever points haul in the four-stroke era – in front of many Factory guests and management who will be at trackside.

The three Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers take to the track on Friday for two free practice session, there will be a further free session on Saturday morning followed by and hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 24-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (05.00hrs GMT).

Chris Vermeulen:  “I enjoyed my first time in Japan last year and although the track was quite difficult to learn at first, I managed to get to grips with it on race day and finished as the first Suzuki home. I  will certainly want to repeat that this weekend but I am planning that it will be a lot higher up than the 11th place I got last year."

"We are still working hard to improve the bike at every race and we know we still have a bit of work to do, but we will be trying to get as many points from the rest of the season as possible and be as strong as we can be for next year.”

John Hopkins:  “I had a bit of bad luck at Motegi last year when Dani Pedrosa and I touched and I ran off the track.  I am pretty sure I would have got a better result than I did if that hadn’t have happened."

"I really like the Motegi circuit and seem to go quite well there – at least in qualifying!  I’ve had some strange things happen to me in races there but I want to put on a good show for all the Suzuki staff and fans and get a good result there this year that will leave then cheering!”

Kousuke Akiyoshi:  “I am very please to riding at my home Grand Prix.  I have done many miles of testing on the 800cc GSV-R and the bike has improved a lot throughout the season.  I will be trying my best and hope to give Suzuki a good result as a thank-you for letting me race.”