2008 MotoGP Estoril, Portugal

Text and Photos Courtesy MotoGP, Kawasaki, Suzuki Racing, Yamaha Racing and World Superbike. Edited by webBikeWorld.com staff.

2008 MotoGP - Estoril Race Circuit, Portugal

Estoril Circuit. Courtesy Yamaha Racing.

Race Results
Jorge Lorenzo topped off an incredible opening month in MotoGP with his maiden premier class victory today, his first ever career win at Estoril. After three pole positions and two podiums, the Fiat Yamaha Team rookie went one step further to win the Portuguese Grand Prix in fine style, taking joint first in the championship standings in the process. It was also the second double podium of the season for the team, with Valentino Rossi finishing third.

The first lap was a close battle between Lorenzo, Rossi and Dani Pedrosa with Lorenzo just prevailing over the line. Rossi then passed him into turn one and pushed on ahead, leaving his team-mate to defend second position from Pedrosa, who was right on his tail.

It began to spot with rain but Lorenzo kept his head and kept in touch with Rossi, despite pressure from Pedrosa behind him. On lap 11 Pedrosa made it past Lorenzo and stayed in front of him for two laps, but the Mallorcan was clearly cruising and, after setting the fastest lap of the race so far on lap 12, the Michelin-shod rider passed Pedrosa into turn one and set off after Rossi.

He made his move later that lap in typically flamboyant fashion with an incredibly bold pass at the chicane and from then on it was a one-man-show as he extended his lead and eventually crossed the line 1.817 seconds in front of Pedrosa, who had passed Rossi on lap 15.

At just 20 years of age, Lorenzo's victory today makes him the youngest rider in premier-class history to take three successive podiums and he now shares the championship lead with Dani Pedrosa on 61 points. Rossi consolidates third with 47 points whilst Fiat Yamaha top the Team's table and Yamaha the Constructor's.

Jorge Lorenzo 1st - 45'53.089: "I feel like I'm in heaven! First of all I have to say thank you to Yamaha and to Fiat because without their confidence in me I wouldn't be here now. I can't believe it and it's really impossible for me to describe my feelings, I'm so happy for everyone! My team did a fantastic job and my Yamaha and my Michelin tires worked very, very well today.

The start of the race was quite crazy because there were some drops of rain and it looked like it might get worse. Anyway I just carried on and really I can't remember the details of exactly what happened…I remember making my pass on Valentino; I know it was quite a risk so I'm sorry to him but at that point I felt that I could make it and get away from him, so I took the chance and it worked.

I'm so proud of everyone, to be here after just three races and at the top of the championship as well is something that I could never have even dreamed of. We can't afford to relax now however because Pedrosa and Rossi are here as well and they are two very fast and clever riders. I had some pain again in my arms today so tonight we will make a decision about whether or not I will have the operation before China, but for now I'm just going to enjoy this moment!"

Fighting Fourth for Edwards, Toseland Seventh
Colin Edwards claimed his best result of 2008 with a determined ride to fourth place in Estoril today, while a hard fought seventh moved James Toseland into the top five of the MotoGP world championship standings. Lying sixth and tantalizingly close to the leading bunch for the opening nine laps, Edwards comfortably held onto the fourth place that he seized on lap 17 after a mistake by fellow American Nicky Hayden.

He briefly threatened to close on Valentino Rossi in third as he posted his fastest lap on lap 19 of 28 with a 1.38.083, but settled for his best result since the German GP last July. The race started in tricky and unpredictable conditions as light rain showers fell at several sections on the circuit, leaving riders unsure of exactly how hard to push in the early stages.

The light rain certainly had an impact on Toseland's normal aggressive start. He slipped down to 11th on lap one, but fought back to overtake Loris Capirossi, Chris Vermeulen and Casey Stoner. The British rider only lost his chance of a third consecutive top six finish when Stoner passed him with eight laps remaining.

Toseland and Edwards though ensured that Yamaha claimed four of the top seven places, and today's result strengthened Tech 3 Yamaha's fourth position in the all-important Team world championship standings.

2008 MotoGP Portugal Race Results - April 13, 2008

28 Laps. Circuit Length: 4182. Temp: 18. Weather: Dry

1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 45'53.089

2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'1.817

3 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'12.723

4 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0'17.223

5 John Hopkins Kawasaki USA 0'23.752

6 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 0'26.688

7 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 0'32.631

8 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 0'36.382

9 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 0'38.268

10 Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 0'39.476

11 Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 1'1.306

12 Toni Elias Ducati ESP 1'3.867

13 Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 1'9.525

14 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'9.634

15 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 1'11.542

Rider Standings as of April 13, 2008

1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 61

2. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 61

3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 47

4. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 40

5. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 29

6. Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 26

7. John Hopkins Kawasaki USA 24

8. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 22

9. Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 21

10. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 19

11. Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 16

12. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 14

13. Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 12

14. Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 8

15. Alex De Angelis Honda SMR 7

Team Standings as of April 13, 2008

1. FIAT Yamaha Team 108

2. Repsol Honda Team 80

3. Ducati Marlboro Team 52

4. Tech3 Yamaha 51

5. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 40

6. Kawasaki Racing Team 27

7. Honda Gresini 23

8. JIR Scot Team 21

9. Team Alice 10

10. Honda LCR 8

Manufacturer Standings as of April 13, 2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points

1. Yamaha 65

2. Honda 61

3. Ducati 40

4. Suzuki 27

5. Kawasaki 24

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Qualifying
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo made it an incredible three poles from three MotoGP starts with another masterful qualifying display in Portugal this afternoon.

Estoril was one of only two circuits on the calendar at which the outstanding rookie had never before claimed a pole position, but he put that behind him in impressive style today to smash the previous record by nearly half a second.

After changeable weather conditions yesterday, today was a much more settled affair and the sunny conditions allowed the riders to vastly improve on yesterday's lap times this morning, with Lorenzo finishing second fastest.

Towards the end of this afternoon's session the chase for qualifying times got underway and the Spaniard's first Michelin qualifying tire saw him take provisional pole. He then went on to improve on both of his next qualifying runs, despite dropping time in the middle section on his second tyre when briefly caught behind a slower rider.

On his final soft tire he produced an inch-perfect lap of 1'35.715 to seal a hat-trick of MotoGP pole positions and the 29th of his Grand Prix career in total.

Lorenzo's team-mate Valentino Rossi also had a good afternoon and will line up on the outside of the front row tomorrow, with Dani Pedrosa in between the Fiat Yamaha pair, whilst Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland, on his first visit to the track, take fifth and sixth spots to make it four Yamaha riders in the top six.

Jorge Lorenzo 1st 1.35.715 - 26 laps: "Each pole position has felt like a dream and I can't believe I am here again! I am very proud to have a record like this and in fact I'm especially happy to have qualified in front here because this track has always been quite difficult for me and I've never been on pole at it before.

Our race pace is quite good and now the aim for tomorrow will be to make the most of my starting position, stay at the front and hopefully fight for the win. It's going to be a hard race and there are many strong riders, but I am looking forward to it. Our aim is to try to win but if that's not possible then the podium will be okay; it's still only my third race and I am still learning all the time! Anyway, I feel good on my bike and tires, the team have done a great job and now we just have to cross our fingers for good weather tomorrow!"

Valentino Rossi 3rd 1.36.199 - 27 laps: "I'm really happy! It's very important to be on the first row here and now we can think about trying to win tomorrow. We've made some big steps forward with Bridgestone and considering that every time we use the qualifying tire it's still a bit like a test, it's a great achievement to be here.

Today my bike and tires worked very well and I felt confident and strong. We have a good setting and I can ride how I want to, which is great fun as well! Now I really hope that we can have a good race tomorrow. The weather is a worry and we will have to wait until last thing to make our final tire choice, but we have some good ideas.

Lorenzo and Pedrosa are looking very strong but I think we are not so far and we have a chance to be there tomorrow. There is a great atmosphere in our box and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow's challenge."

Setup Troubles Put the Brakes on Stoner's Qualifying Effort
Casey Stoner was today forced to rely heavily on the talent and class that made him a World Champion in order to secure a third row start for the Grand Prix of Portugal following a particularly difficult qualifying practice. It is an unusual situation for Casey and the team, who are used to finding a set-up quickly and taking full advantage of the GP8's potential.

The Australian, who was clearly not happy at not being able to challenge for a front position, held a long debrief with his engineers at the end of the session as they formulated a plan for tomorrow's warm-up session. He then gave a firm handshake to each and every one of his mechanics in a show of unity that proves every member of the team is committed to turning around this difficult situation.

Marco Melandri also struggled today as he looked to make progress from a difficult start and he faces another uphill task tomorrow as he starts from the back row.

Casey Stoner - (Ducati Marlboro Team) - 9th fastest; 1'37.253: "We were struggling a little bit for confidence coming here after the problems we had at Jerez and even though I was expecting a better performance at this track we've found similar difficulties. We're really struggling for a set-up and I don't think there's much more we can get out of the bike here.

Even so, we need to look ahead to the warm-up tomorrow to try and find a better solution in a way that will let me fight in the race. Things went so smoothly for us last year that it would be easy to get frustrated with our current situation but they way out of it is to stay calm and have belief in each other. I know I've got a great team and a great factory behind me, so we'll keep working together until we turn things around. Basically we need to sleep on what's happened over the last two days and head into tomorrow's warm-up in a positive and productive manner."

Edwards and Toseland On Second Row in Estoril
Tech 3 Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland will start next to each other on the second row of the grid for tomorrow's 28-lap Portuguese MotoGP race in Estoril.

American Edwards missed out on preserving his 100 per cent front row starting record in 2008 by just 0.090s as he finished a qualifying session dominated by Yamaha and Michelin with the fifth best time.

Toseland, who will stay with the Tech 3 team for 2009 after agreeing an extension to his current contract in Portugal, was just one place further back with a best time of 1.36.790 securing him sixth. Despite his lack of circuit knowledge at the challenging Estoril track, Toseland still beat a host of more experienced rivals to help Yamaha claim four of the top six places on the grid.

Both Edwards and Toseland go into tomorrow's race with heightened expectations as they prepare to debut Yamaha's pneumatic valve YZR-M1 motor. The engine is a significant improvement on the long Estoril start/finish straight, while also helping with mid-range acceleration compared to the spring valve engine they used in Qatar and Jerez.

Race Preview - Yamaha Team Report
Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo head to Europe's Atlantic coast this weekend as they look to build on a positive start to the season with another bountiful points-haul at Estoril.

The eleventh edition of the Grand Prix of Portugal is the third round of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship and is an event that has seen contrasting fortunes for the Italian and the Spaniard in the past.

Rossi is the most successful rider in Grand Prix history at Estoril, having finished on the podium on each of his eight visits to the circuit, including five race victories.

The 29-year-old hopes to round that figure up to a half dozen on Sunday as he targets a repeat of his hard-fought victory at the circuit last October. That win was Rossi's most recent, making for a six-race run without an appearance on the top step of the podium - his longest since his debut win in 2000.

Estoril is one of only four circuits on the current calendar where Jorge Lorenzo has previously raced that he has not had a victory in any Grand Prix class. It is also one of only two current circuits where the 21-year-old has not had a pole position, but after starting from the front of the grid and finishing on the podium in each of the opening two races of his MotoGP career he has nothing to fear this weekend.

Whilst last year's race was run in ambient temperatures of 28ºC, the spring climate on the Portuguese coast averages in the low 20s, although the location of the Estoril circuit is just seven kilometers from the Atlantic and it is notorious for dramatic changes in weather, with spells of warm sunshine often interrupted by wild gusts of cold wind and rain.

The layout of the Autodromo Fernanda Pires de Silva is similarly contrasting, featuring one of the longest main straights in MotoGP and one of the slowest corners. Several other twisty sections make for the low est average speed in the championship but the 200km/h kink at turn five and the final Parabolica corner are two of the toughest tests of any rider's skill and bravery.

Jorge Lorenzo: "I am feeling very happy at this early stage of the season; we have had two podiums and two pole positions in my first two MotoGP races! Of course I would like to have won in Jerez, but I think is too early to be worrying about victories, we are working a lot and progressing very well and this is the most important thing. The test in Jerez was very good and it seems that all the changes we're making to the M1 are bringing positive results; I hope every test will be as good!

In Estoril last year I was third and very close to my second championship, so it was an exciting time for me. That said it's always a very important race for Spanish riders because Portugal is our neighbor and many Spanish fans come to the race. It's actually not one of my best tracks however; I've never been better than third!

The weather is quite unpredictable and the track is tricky with some very heavy braking zones but I know that Yamaha seems to go well there so I hope this will continue with me. It's the first track I've raced at this year at which I haven't tested, so it's going to be a new challenge and I will need to adapt on Friday with my team and go step by step from there. Once again however my aim for the race remains the same; to learn, enjoy, improve and do my very best once again."

Valentino Rossi: "Estoril last year was a great race; it was a fantastically close battle with Pedrosa and one of the high points of the season for us. It's also the last time I won a race and I hope that this is something we can repeat again this time! Jerez was a very important race for us, second place in just our second race with Bridgestone and following the difficult result in Qatar it was very important, plus it gave confidence to everyone involved that our package is really coming together.

Our bike was very strong and our tires worked well until the end, then on Monday we had a test and were able to make some more important steps forward with Bridgestone. We have been working step by step but everyone is very focused and motivated and confidence is running high.

Hopefully we are now ready to fight for the win! Portugal is usually a good track for us and I've had a lot of very good races there, especially with Yamaha. It's a different time of year to when we raced there last year so the conditions might be a little different, but I think that we're going to be ready for anything!"

Grand Prix Results: Estoril 2007
1. V.Rossi (Yamaha) 45'49.911
2. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +00.175
3. C.Stoner (Ducati) +1.477

Jorge Lorenzo Result: Estoril 2007
3. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia +6.148 (250cc)

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