2006 MotoGP Italy
Mugello Circuit
May 21, 2006

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

Race Results:  Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi's unfortunate start to his MotoGP World Championship defense continued today as the Italian rider was hit by another bout of bad luck at Le Mans, where he was forced to retire from the lead with an engine problem.

This time his team-mate Colin Edwards was also hit by the jinx, with the Texas Tornado being pushed wide in the second corner of the race and running into the gravel traps.  The silver lining to the day for the team on a cloudy day in France was that Edwards did manage to get back on track and charge through from last place to finish in sixth - arguably the individual rider performance of the race.

Rossi started the fifth round of the season in confident mood after finding a good set-up for his YZR-M1 machine during the dry practice sessions and he quickly translated that pace to the race, moving from seventh on the grid up to second place by lap three.  After two laps behind early leader John Hopkins (Suzuki) the World Champion took control and opened out a comfortable advantage over Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who also got past Hopkins.

With eight laps remaining Rossi looked on course to become the first rider this season to win two races but to his despair disaster struck, leaving Pedrosa to fight it out with Marco Melandri (Honda) for the win.  Melandri made the decisive move for victory with five laps remaining before Pedrosa was also passed for second place by Loris Capirossi (Ducati).

Colin Edwards (6th; + 11.519 seconds):  "To be honest I don't quite know what happened at the start. I had my plan which was to run it around the outside like I did last year but things just went haywire from the start and riders were coming at me from everywhere.  I got baulked by somebody - it might have been Dani Pedrosa but I'm not sure - and I couldn't get to the outside so I had to move where the space was and go tight.  Everybody was wide through the right and came across me as we went left into the chicane so I had nowhere to go but the gravel.  Last year it would have probably been okay but the changes they made to the track played against me.  I lost four or five seconds there and probably lost another four or five trying to get past people during the first six laps.  I wanted to overtake on the exits but they all had so much grip at that stage of the race that it was impossible and I just had to wait for opportunities on the brakes.  The setting of the bike was good - the only thing I was missing was a bit of
rear grip at the end but with the pace I had we should have been on the podium today."

Valentino Rossi (DNF):P  "The team did a great job with the new chassis this weekend and I really enjoyed being able to ride so fast during the race, so it is a real shame that it ended like that and of course I am very disappointed.  Everything was working really well, the bike and tires felt perfect but then the engine went.  A bike stopping on me like this has only happened to me a couple of times in my career, and never with a four-stroke, so for it to happen today is typical of our luck at the moment.  Something seems to have gone wrong for us at each of the first few races of the season, apart from Qatar, and it has put us in a difficult situation with regards to the championship.  We know that championship is a big challenge now but the last word has not been spoken yet.  Now we need to look at it race by race, maybe not think about the championship for a while and concentrate on trying to win as many races as possible from the remaining 12."

Kawasaki on Front Row for Le Mans
May 20, 2006 - Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed their most successful qualifying session to date at Le Mans this afternoon, as Shinya Nakano scorched to second place on the grid for tomorrow's race, and teammate Randy de Puniet put in a stunning performance to finish fourth fastest during the hour-long qualifying session.

Nakano dominated proceedings throughout this afternoon aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. The Kawasaki pilot snatched pole position with just 20 minutes of the session left to run and responded immediately when John Hopkins knocked him from the top spot; replying with another fastest lap to retake pole position.

With five minutes of the session remaining, Nakano underlined his dominance by improving on his own pole position time, to put him over half a second clear at the top of the timesheet.

As the flag came out to mark the end of the session, Nakano looked almost certain to secure his, and Kawasaki's, first ever pole position in the premier MotoGP class, but a late charge by Honda's Dani Pedrosa saw the Spaniard steal the top spot from Nakano by the slimmest of margins.

Although disappointed not to have held onto pole position, Nakano was happy to have secured Kawasaki their best ever qualifying position with second place on the grid, and the Japanese ace goes into tomorrow's 28-lap Grand Prix de France confident of a strong performance aboard his Ninja ZX-RR.

After two frustrating practice sessions yesterday, and a practice crash in the difficult conditions this morning, de Puniet showed his resilience by bouncing back this afternoon to claim fourth position on the grid for his home Grand Prix tomorrow.

The Kawasaki rider was holding third position on the provisional grid as the session drew to a close, but missed out on a front row start by just one tenth of a second when John Hopkins managed to improve his time on his final flying lap.

Happy with his qualifying performance, de Puniet is now focused on tomorrow's race. The 25-year-old Frenchman was consistently in the top six on race tyres this afternoon, and is confident of a good result tomorrow, on a track that he knows intimately, and which seems to suit the characteristics of his Ninja ZX-RR perfectly.

Shinya Nakano: 2nd - 1'34.201 "Mission accomplished!  I had a very good feeling during practice yesterday, so I knew a front row start was possible, but I didn't really expect to be fighting for pole position.  When I saw the checkered flag I thought I'd held onto pole, but at the back of the circuit they have a big TV screen, which showed Dani stealing pole position as I rode past it on my way back to the pits.  I was a bit disappointed not to take pole, but I'm happy enough with second place on the grid, and I go into tomorrow's race more confident than in recent weeks.  So far the races have been difficult for us, but here we know we have a strong package in the Ninja ZX-RR and our Bridgestone tyres, so a good result is possible; maybe even a podium finish if everything goes well."

Randy de Puniet: 4th - 1'34.780  "If someone had said to me yesterday that I'd be starting my home Grand Prix from fourth position on the grid, I wouldn't have believed them.  It's fantastic.  I had some problems during practice yesterday, including a crash and an unplanned trip through the gravel, and then this morning I crashed again.  For sure, this is not the best way to prepare for qualifying, and I'm sure a lot of people thought I was maybe nervous racing in front of my home crowd, but this wasn't the case.  This afternoon it all came together, and I had a good feeling with the bike. I was running consistently in the top six on race tyres early in the session, which gives me confidence with our tyres and our set-up for tomorrow's race. It was great to qualify fourth fastest, but now qualifying is over and I must look to follow today's performance with a good result in tomorrow's race."

Valentino Rossi:  (7th; 1'34.840, 28 laps) "Today I am happy because we worked in the right way and found a good race setting for the bike.  When we used the very soft tire at the end of the session we again found some vibration problems caused by the extra grip but it's not such a problem on the race tyres.  Anyway, looking at the qualifying results from the last few rounds the third row is an improvement and I think there is the possibility of a good result tomorrow.  Myself and Colin have been at the top through all the practice on race tyres so we know we have a good pace compared to the other riders.  To be honest I expected a better position this afternoon so I am a little disappointed but it is not a disaster.  Now we wait to see what the weather does tomorrow, hope for a dry race and then try to turn around our recent bad luck in the race."

Race Preview
After a thrilling start to the 2006 season, the Le Mans circuit plays host to the fifth date on the MotoGP calendar.

Nicky Hayden arrives in France as series leader, ahead of Loris Capirossi, but the Repsol Honda rider’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa is on a roll following victory in Shanghai.

The Camel Yamaha Team is back in European territory this weekend as they look to bring their MotoGP World Championship points quest back on track in France, following a disappointing run of races on unfamiliar shores.  The legendary Le Mans circuit, which has intermittently played home to the MotoGP World Championship since 1969, has been a fixture on the calendar for the last six seasons and this year plays host to the fifth round of an incredible campaign that has already seen four different winners.

Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi is one of those - his sole victory so far coming in the second round at Qatar - but he is aiming to put an end to the parity this weekend as he aims to recover from a largely disappointing run of early season results.  A first-corner crash at Jerez and technical problems in the last two rounds at Istanbul and Shanghai mean the Italian lies 32 points adrift of current leader Nicky Hayden (Honda), but the most pressing issue for Rossi is to finally overcome the problems that have restricted development of the 2006 version YZR-M1 machine so far.

The 4,180m track holds happy memories for the Camel Yamaha Team, with Rossi having taken pole position and the lap record on his way to victory last season, when he was joined on the podium by his team-mate Colin Edwards.  A repeat result is the target for both riders this Sunday, with Edwards having recorded his first top-three finish of the season just days ago in China, when he also extended his run of points-scoring finishes to 25 - a number only previously achieved by Grand Prix legends Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Valentino Rossi.

Nicky Hayden: "It’s tough, but it’s a good track. I haven’t had good results here but I have always put in good performances.  I like racing, so the more the better.

I think I felt stronger in Qatar than in Shanghai in terms of chasing the win. Second is good, but for me its never enough. I’m not too down yet.  The last three circuits were all big, long tracks. There is nothing too fancy here, and it seems like the weather has followed us too. Mugello is obviously the big one, with three races back to back around that time. I’m not too caught up with points now anyway, it’s still early.

Dani Pedrosa:  "To be honest, I don’t really like the track. However, results have been good for me here in the past. Every Friday I have to learn tracks on a MotoGP bike, and here I also need to learn the new first turn and chicane.  I wasn’t expecting to win in Shanghai, but I want to win all the time of course.  It’s a long way to go until Barcelona race, I need two more good results before then.

Valentino Rossi:  MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi knows that the time is right to turn around his early misfortune and start picking up serious points in his bid to defend motorcycling's premier-class crown for the fifth successive season.  The Italian currently lies sixth in the general standings but he is well aware that a change in fortune can spark a good run of results over the next few weeks and dramatically improve his situation. 

"Sunday was the second time in the first four races that we've scored virtually zero points and on both occasions it hasn't been our fault," reflects Rossi.  "Luck has definitely not been on our side but the most important thing now is to sort our problems out as soon as possible because we have a run of important races coming up - starting at Le Mans.  The next four or five rounds in Europe are the 'main course' of the season and it is a critical time for us.

We have got some new things to try at Le Mans so hopefully they can help us find a good base set-up but still have enough room for improvement to keep the pace with our rivals over the weekend.  We are up against good riders on good machinery and we have to be at our maximum level to be able to beat them.  I am already a few points behind the leader but the championship is very long, I have a lot of confidence in my team and we have time to put things right.

Le Mans is not one of my favorite tracks but last year it was very good for us.  I took pole position, the fastest lap of the race on the final lap and the victory and Colin was also on the podium, so it was a perfect weekend for us.  We hope this weekend can be the same."

Colin Edwards:  Colin Edwards has his sights firmly set on consecutive podium finishes following his first top-three result in nine months at China on Sunday.  Edwards also scored his maiden rostrum of 2005 in round four, which took place at Le Mans one year ago, when he led the race for several laps before eventually conceding positions to Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. The Texan is hoping that can be a good omen for a repeat success this time around.

"I seem to like round four of the season and I was really pleased it came good for me again in China," smiled Edwards. "Last year's podium at Le Mans was the kick-start to a decent run of results for me so I hope that can prove to be the case this time around.  It's no secret that we've been having problems with the bike but we're working hard and if we're capable of winning races and taking podiums when we're in trouble then just think what we can do when everything is running smoothly!

I don't mind Le Mans as a circuit too much - it's a real 'stop and go' track, as everybody says, with hard braking, tight corners and hard acceleration.  We'll have some work to do with the set-up of the bike but this track was good for us last year so hopefully it can prove a little bit easier to adapt to and not as critical in terms of the problems we've had at the last few circuits."

John Hopkins:  "I tried all I could to stay with Colin.  At the end I was waiting for him to make a mistake, but he rode more or less the perfect race.  At least I now have the self-confidence to run at the front. I was riding a lot on the front tire, and settled for easing it home in fourth. We won’t have a new engine for a while, I think Mugello is the predicted race for that.  Le Mans is so much narrower than the previous circuits. There is lots of late braking and stuff that is more my style.  I have had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders by the Shanghai result, so confidence is high.

Kawasaki: de Puniet Quietly Confident Going Into Home Grand Prix
The Kawasaki Racing Team return to Europe, after three overseas races, this weekend for the Grand Prix de France at the legendary Bugatti circuit in Le Mans.

For MotoGP rookie, Randy de Puniet, races don't come more important than this.  As the only French rider in the premier MotoGP class, de Puniet will have the support of a strong home crowd this weekend, but he will also carry the hopes and expectations of every French MotoGP fan on his young shoulders.

But de Puniet is adamant that he welcomes this additional pressure, and that four podiums in the past at Le Mans prove that he is more than capable of channeling this pressure into a strong result in Sunday's 28-lap Grand Prix de France.

De Puniet's Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano, can also count on strong support at Le Mans this weekend, after building up a loyal fan base during four years racing for a French team, firstly in the 250cc World Championship, and then in the MotoGP class.  And if added incentive were needed, the fact that Nakano's parents will be watching this race from the Kawasaki pit box, after making the trip from their home in Japan, is sure to provide it.

Like many of the MotoGP riders, Nakano does not rate the Le Mans circuit amongst his favorites on the MotoGP calendar, but after a strong performance during practice and qualifying for last year's race, the 28-year-old Japanese rider arrives in France confident that, with the new Ninja ZX-RR, a good result is a distinct possibility on Sunday.

Le Mans, which is situated in the Sarthe region of France and is home to the legendary 24 Heures du Mans car race, is one of the most famous motorsports facilities in the world.  First gear corners dominate the 4.18 km Bugatti circuit, on which Sunday's 28-lap Grand Prix de France will be run, demanding a bike that is stable under braking, but with explosive acceleration out of the low-speed turns.

Randy de Puniet: #17:  "I've had a lot of fun racing at Le Mans in the past. I've finished on the podium here four times on the 250cc machine, and I hope that this weekend, on the MotoGP bike, I can do another good race in front of my home crowd.  I arrive here pretty confident, because although the race in China didn't go quite as we'd hoped, the bike was working well in practice and qualifying.  For sure, the support of the French fans here at Le Mans adds some pressure this weekend, but it is the same every year and I think this is a good pressure, because my results in this race in the past have always been strong. So, for me, it is not a problem."

Shinya Nakano: #56:  "During the European season I live in France, as I did when I raced for four years with a French team, so this weekend is like a second home race for me.  In the past this circuit has not been one of my favorites, but we had a good feeling with the bike here last year, and I hope that the same will be true with the new version of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR this weekend.  This circuit requires a bike to be stable on the brakes, but also to have good acceleration, and finding a set-up that achieves this will be our main focus during practice on Friday and Saturday.  The weather is always unpredictable here, but if we can find a good balance with the bike, then I'm confident that we can put in a strong performance in Sunday's race whatever the conditions."

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