2008 MotoGP Championship - Jerez, Spain

Race Report
Dani Pedrosa was nearly unchallenged for the win today, with Valentino Rossi taking second and Jorge Lorenzo third.  Lorenzo started from pole, but couldn't match the pace he had shown in practice and qualifying over the days preceding the race.

Nicky Hayden followed up in fourth, and he might have finished higher but for a mistake on the first lap that cost him several positions.

Valentino Rossi reached another milestone in his career also today, joining an elite group of riders who have stood on the premier class podium 100 times today after riding his Fiat Yamaha M1 to second place in Jerez.  The seven-time world champion formed part of a podium double for the Fiat Yamaha Team as his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo finished third, claiming his second consecutive podium in his rookie season.

Starting from fifth, Rossi did not get the best of starts and finished the first lap in sixth, but he soon settled into a good rhythm and was stalking Lorenzo, then in second, by lap three.  On the next lap he passed his team-mate and set off after Dani Pedrosa, who had led from the start.

The Spaniard was too quick today however and Rossi was unable to catch him, lapping comfortably in second until crossing the line at the end of the penultimate lap, when Rossi mistakenly thought the race had finished and slowed down as he crossed the line.  He quickly realized his error however and luckily had enough of a cushion from Lorenzo to hang on to second, eventually finishing 2.883 seconds behind Pedrosa.  Rossi moves into third place in the championship, whilst Lorenzo holds onto second and the Fiat Yamaha Team leads the team's championship.

Valentino Rossi 2nd - Time: +2.883:   "I'm really happy with this podium because, even though it hasn't been so many races since the last one, it's been quite a lot of months!  I am also very happy to have reached 100 podiums in MotoGP; now I am wondering if I can get to 200!  It's a pity we couldn't win today and maybe I was a little bit too cautious at the start because I wanted to take care of my tires, but in the end they worked very well from start to finish and so this is great for the future.

It's always better to win but after the poor result in Qatar this is a very important second place to us, also because it's my first podium with Bridgestone.  Thanks to my team, to Yamaha and to Bridgestone because we've made a lot of progress this weekend, continuing right up to making some small but important adjustments after warm-up this morning.  My bike and tires are working very well, we're third in the championship with a very long way to go and I'm feeling quite confident."

Jorge Lorenzo 3rd - Time: +4.339:  Fiat Yamaha Team new-recruit Jorge Lorenzo proved his Qatar podium was no fluke by taking third marking a great day for the team in front of over 130,000 Spanish fans and King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Lorenzo started from pole for the second race running but was unable to keep pace with his countryman Dani Pedrosa, who led over the line for the first time.  Meanwhile Rossi had moved to within striking distance of his team-mate by the third lap, making his move on the next lap and passing the Mallorcan to take second.  Lorenzo rode strongly in third for the remainder of the race but was unable to get close enough to Rossi to mount a challenge, crossing the line 1.456 seconds adrift of the Italian.

Lorenzo said:  "Of course I'm a little bit disappointed today because we thought that we might be able to make more of a challenge, but I can't complain because it's only my second race and I've had two podiums and two pole positions, so it's still a great result!  To race today in front of so many Spanish fans and also The King was something incredible and I have really enjoyed myself a lot here.

Dani was a fair winner today, his pace was very strong and I couldn't stay with him, but I am learning all the time and I will be stronger again at the next race.  It's a very long championship and this is an important result for us.  Thanks to my team and to Yamaha and Michelin, everyone worked very hard and I think we've done a very good job so far.  To be second in the championship at this point is still far more than I expected and now I am just looking forward to the next race."

Heroic Performance of James Toseland
2008 is proving to be a great year for MotoGP racing, with many excellent rookies, including last year's World Superbike Champion, James Toseland.

Tech 3 Yamaha's Toseland produced a heroic performance in the sun drenched Spanish GP today; the British rider was fighting the flu to claim a deserved top six finish.  In what proved to be a mentally and physically draining 27-lap race for Toseland, the rookie showed great strength of character to become the first British rider since 1990 to score successive top six premier class finishes.

Weakened by a serious chest and throat infection all weekend, Toseland slipped down to 10th from eighth on the grid in a frantic opening, but then he produced a series of brilliantly executed overtaking moves to move into fifth by the penultimate lap.

Toseland's never-say-die attitude saw him delight a 131,563-strong crowd with passes on Chris Vermeulen, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi in quick succession at the Curva Sito Pons.  Fifth going into the last corner, he had to settle for sixth after losing a place in a chaotic finale.  Capirossi was the chief benefactor from a tangle between Dovizioso and Toseland as he snatched fifth from the 27-yearold.

James Toseland 6th - Time: +27.808:  "I really had to dig deep in that race.  There are two groups of people that kept it together this weekend and they are the Tech 3 team and the Clinica Mobile people.  I want to thank them for helping me get out there.  At one point it looked like I might not be able to ride so to finish sixth is a great result.

What I was worried about was if I couldn't breath properly then that might have made me dizzy in the race but luckily I was fine.  The bike felt great and the front Michelin tire worked great.  That's why I was able to pass all the guys at the same place coming onto the back straight.  I couldn't pass anybody down the straight and the only place I could pass was where I did.

I was getting good drive off the corner but I still couldn't get side by side on the straights to line them up for a pass on the brakes.  It would have been do-or-die on the brakes, but because my front tire was so good it really hooked well mid-corner round turn five onto the back straight and my corner speed carried me underneath Vermeulen, Dovizioso and Capirossi.  I was disappointed not to keep fifth, especially after I'd battled so hard for it.

The last corner was a bit manic and I don't know how Andrea stayed on the track because he was in there so hot. I got a bit pushed out and Loris came up the inside.  To finish sixth like in Qatar and back that result up on a track I've never raced at in my condition is really good for me.  This bike and this team are capable of being in the top six, even with a touch of bronchitis.  I'm looking forward to getting the new engine now. We are one of the few that can actually look forward to getting something new for the next race and I can't wait for the new engine."

 

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Qualifying: Yamaha Team Report
Home hero Jorge Lorenzo continued his impressive rookie assault on the MotoGP class with an outstanding pole position in Jerez today, smashing the existing pole record by almost a second aboard his Fiat Yamaha M1 in front of thousands of Spanish fans.  The youngest rider on the grid produced a masterful qualifying display to take his second consecutive pole position and his 3rd at this circuit.

After topping the time sheets yesterday, Lorenzo continued gradually refining his set-up throughout this morning's free practice and the early part of the afternoon session, before setting the fastest lap so far on the first of three Michelin qualifying tires with 20 minutes remaining.

He bettered himself once again soon after before an inch-perfect final lap on his third soft tyre saw him improve another half a second to consolidate pole position.  Dani Pedrosa was over half a second slower in second place whilst third spot was filled by Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards for the second race running.

Lorenzo's team-mate Valentino Rossi had looked on course to join him on the front row before an electronic problem caused him to abandon his final hot lap, and he will start from fifth for tomorrow's 27-lap race.

Jorge Lorenzo 1st 1'38.189:  "The pole position and the second place in Qatar were like a dream, so it's an amazing surprise for me to repeat that pole position here, and even better because it's in front of my home fans!  I was really happy with the last qualifying lap, my earlier ones were already quite good but not perfect, so I was really excited to make such a great final lap.

Our race pace is good as well and I am feeling very comfortable on the bike and with my Michelin tires.  My rivals are very strong and will be trying hard to beat me, but I will definitely be fighting for the podium!  Thanks to my team for doing a great job; I am really excited about tomorrow and I hope we have more weather like this and a fantastic show."

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi will start the Spanish Grand Prix from fifth position tomorrow.  The Italian's last flying lap was cut short by an electronic issue but he nevertheless has an excellent race pace and looks on course to be a protagonist in tomorrow's 27-lap race.

Rossi spent the first half of this afternoon's session refining set-up and testing Bridgestone tires ahead of the race tomorrow, before strong laps with his first two qualifying tires saw him on the provisional front row.  He was confident of dipping under the 1'38 mark with his final try, but the electronic problem saw the end of his challenge and he will start from the middle of the second row.  His time of 1'39.064 was dead-on the existing pole record, which was meanwhile bettered by almost a second by his young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

Valentino Rossi 5th 1'39.064:  "Our target today was the front row and I think we could have done a 1'38 and maybe been second, but unfortunately I had an electronic problem on my last qualifying lap and I had to stop, which was unlucky.  This is a pity and of course it would be better to be on the front, but anyway we're not far away, the second row is not so bad and I think we can be competitive tomorrow.

Our race pace is okay, I think with some small adjustments we can improve a bit more but we're close. Congratulations to Lorenzo, I don't know if we can be quite as fast as him on race tires and he will be hard to beat tomorrow, but let's see!  We still haven't decided on our final race tire, we have to wait and see how the temperature is tomorrow, but it's going to be a very exciting race and we're all looking forward to it!"

Colin Edwards Secures Front Row Again
Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards emerged from an eventful Spanish GP qualifying session this afternoon with the third fastest time to maintain his 100 per cent front row starting record in 2008.  The American ran into the gravel trap and then produced an early contender for save of the season at turn one before logging a best lap of 1.38.954 to secure a second successive front row clean sweep for Michelin this season.

A dramatic session for Edwards began when he ran off track at the Curva Dry Sack after six minutes.  He then produced a memorable moment just 17 minutes later, somehow producing a miraculous save when he lost the front of his Yamaha YZR-M1 at the first corner.  Digging his right knee and elbow into the tarmac, Edwards saved the big front tyre slide, much to the delight of fans packed in the trackside grandstand. 

Edwards has now finished in the top three in every session so far in Jerez this weekend, raising expectations that he can clinch a second successive Spanish GP podium in tomorrow's 27-lap race.

Weakened by a severe bout of bronchitis, team-mate James Toseland produced a performance full of grit and determination, and he was only 0.3s off the front row. He clocked a best lap of 1.39.334 to finish just 0.048s behind reigning world champion Casey Stoner in eighth position.  Far from being in peak condition, Toseland is still determined to become the first British rider since 1990 to claim successive top six finishes in MotoGP tomorrow afternoon.

Colin Edwards 3rd 1.38.954:  "It was very, very eventful to say the least.  I was in the gravel once, somehow saved myself from crashing at the first corner and still managed to get on the front row.  After all that I had to get on the front row for the team. My guys at Tech 3 and Yamaha have been awesome and they are doing a great job.

I started the session with a rear tire that had a few laps on it but with a new front.  But a few laps in the bike didn't feel perfect. I came in and put a new rear in and I just got a little bit carried away.  I started pushing and obviously got into turn one too hot.  It went, came back, went away again and I thought I was down.  I tried to dig my elbow in but it kept going so I kind of lifted my arm up and pulled it up on the handlebars.

And it came back somehow.  The crowd loved it anyway.  I've done it a few times but this is the first time it has been caught on camera.  I was a bit upset with the first incident.  I was pushing and I saw Jorge Lorenzo in front of me and I thought he was on a new rear tire. 

I'd done 15 laps on mine but I still wanted to keep him in sight.  I came to the end of the back straight and I knew the second I hit the brakes I was running off.  I just thought 'oh no, this is about ten meters too deep' and off I went into the gravel.  After Qatar this is my second front row and I'm ready for the race. My pace for the race was a bit better this morning when it was a bit cooler, but we are still looking good."

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Race Preview: Kawasaki Team Report
MotoGP is heading to Jerez this weekend for the first European round of this year's world championship.  After the historic opening race at Qatar, held at night earlier this month, the premier class teams return to Spain for what is always one of the most popular events of the calendar.

The Kawasaki Racing Team, fielding riders John Hopkins and Anthony West, is looking forward to getting stuck in to another round and, having recently visited the circuit for the official IRTA test in February, where it ran the latest incarnation of the remarkable Ninja ZX-RR, hopes are high for some good results.

Hopkins, while still not completely recovered from a muscular injury sustained in a crash in Australia in January, nonetheless feels more than ready for another race, having had some time since Qatar to concentrate on his rehabilitation.

West remains disheartened by a disappointing opening round but will not allow that to affect him as the practice sessions begin at the end of this week.  The Queenslander is more determined than ever to make his mark.

The Jerez circuit first hosted MotoGP in 1987, a year after its construction, and the championship has made an annual pilgrimage to the track (it is always the venue for the first European round of the year) since 1989.

Situated in south west Spain, not far from the coastal city of Cadiz and on the outskirts of Jerez de la Frontera, it is a popular venue for both motorcycle and Formula 1 testing during the winter months.

It has a complex layout, offering riders a real challenge. It boasts 13 turns over its 4.42km distance, so teams will be looking to set the bikes up for some hard braking with shorter, sharper bursts of power out of the corners.

Given the circuit's curvaceous nature, the machines spend much of their time at an angle, so the Kawasaki squad, along with their tire partners Bridgestone, will aim for good stability and drive.

As the 18 riders who make up the 2008 grid take their places for Sunday's 27 lap race, there will no doubt be a very substantial crowd there to watch them.  Last year, Jerez saw 132,168 spectators visit the circuit on race day with a staggering 244,461 fans attending during the whole of the weekend.

Practice sessions begin on Friday and continue, along with qualifying, on Saturday, with the race itself starting on Sunday afternoon at 2pm local time.

John Hopkins, #21:  "The abductor muscle I tore at Phillip Island in January still isn't completely fixed but everything's going okay and I've been training hard.  I've been in Miami, the sun's been out and I've been taking care of myself before Jerez.

We've had some more MRI scans done, which show the injury is still definitely there, unfortunately, but it's not been keeping me from working on my fitness.  Despite the muscle problem, I really feel 100% ready for the race and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm definitely going to improve on the position I got at Qatar.  We'll work on tire choice and a good set up and it'll be great to head back to Europe to race."

Ant West, #13:  "I really wasn't happy with my performance at Qatar.  Riding around at the back isn't why I'm here and I need to get it together.  My confidence was shot when I crashed a couple of times and, after that, I never really found my pace.  My main aim is essentially to raise my game.

I need to have more faith in the bike and the set up, especially when it comes to turning it in to the corners. This is a weak spot for me, of sorts. Still, I'm really looking forward to the Jerez race. I really want to prove myself and I'm hoping this is where I can start doing that."

Jerez Lap Record:  V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2005, 1'40.596

Jerez Best Lap:  L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 1'39.064

Grand Prix Results: Jerez 2007: 
1. V.Rossi (Yamaha) 45'53.340
2. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +1.246
3. C.Edwards (Yamaha) +2.701

John Hopkins. Courtesy Kawasaki Racing.

Race Preview:  Ducati Corse
After a fantastic opening to the 2008 season under the floodlights of Qatar, where the Losail circuit played host to another master class from Casey Stoner, MotoGP returns to Europe this weekend for one of its classic fixtures - the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez de la Frontera.

Despite setting the fastest lap in wet conditions during the Official Test here in February, when he also found excellent race pace in the dry, the reigning World Champion is also aware that the Andalusian track is one of only four venues where he didn't manage a podium finish on his way to the title last season.

However, Stoner is not the type to look at past results - be they good or bad - and he is ready to work 100% with his team to achieve the highest possible finish this time out.

Stoner's team-mate Marco Melandri heads to Spain in the same spirit after finding a good feeling and rhythm with his GP8 during the second half of the race in Qatar.  He can't wait for the next Grand Prix as he targets continued improvements.

A fortnight ago, Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri attended the international media launch of the new Bridgestone Battlax BT-016 tyre at Jerez using a Ducati 848 equipped with the new hypersport tyres (photos attached)

Casey Stoner:  "You could say that Jerez last year wasn't one of our best races, but winter testing went well there and with the general improvements we've made since last year I think we can be competitive next weekend.  We worked well with the Bridgestone technicians there and tested a lot of different types of tire, so we should be well prepared to pick the right one for the race.

There are a lot of riders who have started the season strongly, especially the rookies, amongst them riders who will want more of the same and riders racing at home, so they'll be very motivated.  We just have to try and make sure we do our job well and then try to achieve the best result possible."

Marco Melandri:  "Jerez is one of the circuits where we did a lot of testing in the winter and where we tried a lot of different set-up solutions.  It is quite a demanding circuit but for me the first race was very important to understand certain things, more than we'd managed during the tests.

I definitely have to decide on a direction during practice and follow it without making too many modifications so that we're ready when the moment arrives to put in a qualifying tire.  Starting closer to the front gives you the chance to be fast from the first laps, something we couldn't do in Qatar.  The first race certainly wasn't at the level we want to be at but there were positives to take out of it, especially in the second half, so we have to keep working because we can and must improve."

Race Preview: Yamaha Team Report
After the excitement and intrigue of the first ever night race in Qatar two weeks ago, business returns to normal this weekend for the Fiat Yamaha Team as the second round of the MotoGP World Championship welcomes the staff and riders to more familiar surroundings in Spain.

A spring afternoon in Andalucia, at one of the championship's most popular testing venues, should provide somewhat more predictable conditions and a more realistic flavor of what is to come from the riders in 2008, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo looking to establish their credentials in front of an adoring capacity crowd at Jerez.

Rossi's love affair with the Spanish fans stretches back to 1996, when he took the first of his six victories in all classes at Jerez.  Five of those have come in the premier-class, including with Yamaha in 2005 and 2007, but with the 29-year-old now without a win since Estoril last year, he must win if he is to avoid his longest winless streak since his debut MotoGP victory at Donington Park in 2000.

For rookie sensation Lorenzo the event marks his home debut in the premier-class and he heads into the race full of confidence after taking centre stage under the floodlights of Doha.  The 20-year-old started from pole position and finished on the podium in his maiden MotoGP appearance, meaning he lies second in the championship heading to Jerez - a circuit that holds no secrets for the Mallorcan.

Lorenzo made history on home soil as the youngest rider ever to qualify for a Grand Prix on his 15th birthday in the 125cc class back in 2002 and 250cc victories for the past two seasons have contributed to his rise as a national hero.

Jerez could barely provide a more strikingly contrasting backdrop to Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle r acing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage.

The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.

Valentino Rossi:  "Obviously Qatar didn't turn out quite as we hoped but we took away a lot of positives from the weekend. We saw how competitive both our bike and the Bridgestone tires are, and this is very exciting for the season ahead.  We did some excellent work at the Jerez test in February and I was able to have great fun riding the bike, so now I'm really looking forward to going to race there.

It's a great track to ride on, it's quite technical and it usually seems to suit our bike quite well. We know we have a big job facing us, especially after the result of Qatar, so we will be aiming to make the most of the few hours of practice time that we have available to us to refine our package.

Jerez is a great track for me and I have had some wonderful races there in the past, including a brilliant win last year, and I always enjoy racing there a lot. It will be nice to return to a 'normal' racing schedule, even if I enjoyed the night racing in Qatar, and I have always felt very at home racing in Spain.  Most importantly, there's always a fantastic atmosphere in Jerez with the fans coming from all over Spain; it's like one big crazy party!"

Jorge Lorenzo:  "Qatar was unbelievable and something I will remember forever. I've felt great since and now I'm really excited about the next one; I never expected to be going into only my second MotoGP race in such a great position in the classification!  However I know it will be hard work for me again in Jerez and it's still just my second race on the M1.  I will have to work and focus very hard in practice if I want to be able to repeat the Qatar experience. 

In November at the test I had some difficulties but in February I did one of my best laps of the whole winter, despite the bad weather, and I hope I can be even faster this time.  Jerez for me last year was a fantastic race, I took pole position and the victory and I also won in 2006 so I have some great memories of racing here.

Jerez is undoubtedly a special track for me; it's my home, I know it very well and it's the track where I rode in my very first GP in 2002.  It's also the first place I ever planted my 'Lorenzo's Land' flag!  It will always be in my heart.  It's quite a technical track and I like this about it.

In Jerez a rider can win the race in the corners and it's not always the most important thing to have the fastest bike.  I feel quite different going to race in Spain now compared to last year when I was in 250.  Now I am at the top and I feel very much in the spotlight.  Qatar changed everything for me and now I hope that I can continue in the same way in front of my home fans!"?