 | |
| Fight for second place looming at new Parkalgar circuit | | |  | The 14th and final round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship takes place at an all-new venue this weekend, and the focus for both Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) is clear - to beat each other in the fight for overall second place in the championship rankings.
Currently Haga has a nine-point advantage over Corser, with Corser himself 18 points ahead of Max Neukirchner, and a further 14 ahead of Carlos Checa. In all likelihood the runner-up spot will be contested between the two Yamaha riders, and each is keen to finish off the season with at least one race victory.
So far Haga has seven individual wins to his credit in 2008, during a season which has included utter dominance at some rounds, then pain from injury at one or two others. Corser, despite his greater consistency week-on-week, is still looking for his first win in Yamaha colours, and will be bringing every ounce of the experience that brought him two world championships to bear this weekend, in his attempt to secure that elusive race win.
At the most recent WSB race, at Magny-Cours in France, Haga took a win and second place, while Corser recorded third in race two, his 12th podium finish of the year.
Neither Yamaha rider has experience of the new track but the combination of their talents and the unrivalled experience of the Yamaha Motor Italia technical staff will be a fearsome obstacle for their rivals to overcome, as always.
The all-new track at Portimao was only competed recently and the first tests have just been carried out by a handful of World Superbike and Supersport teams. There are many blind corner entries and sudden changes of elevation at the track, which can be used in several different layouts. For World Superbike the lap will be 4.592km, and the Superbike races will be conducted over 22 laps.
Haga was optimistic of his chances of success in the run-up to race weekend. "Portimao is a new circuit which I have never ridden. We planned to test last week but unfortunately that test was cancelled so we will start from scratch. Anyway, this is the last race of the year so I would like to finish well, for me and especially for our team. This season we have all tried and worked really hard and we had both good and bad days. This is the last race for us so I will try extra hard to get good results for Yamaha, my team and our supporters. I will send 'Kando'* to every race fan and all my supporters until the end of my last race with Yamaha."
Corser is also committed to winning, as always, this weekend. "I'm looking forward to this weekend and I'll be going all out to get one or two of those wins we have been trying to take all year. It will be very interesting riding at an all-new track that maybe only one or two of the other guys have ridden at before. Most others, like us, have not been there to test. I don't know anything about the circuit at all but we are in the same position as we were in at Miller in America this year. That was a completely new track for us as well."
Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Team YZF) will have a sign-off race for his French-based team at Portimao. He is the top ranked Yamaha rider behind Haga and Corser, 19th, and with designs on an improvement on that position at the final round.
The GMT 94 team will once more field Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) and David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) at the Portuguese race, with the team-mates separated by a single point, in favour of Checa.
Portimao according to Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team Manager)
""The track is all new for us but we know the bike has a very good level of performance. We haven't tested at Portimao but this is the same for almost everybody so it's not an issue. We are confident we can find a good set-up for the race weekend. Our bike and riders have been very good in the last few races, and we all know what we can do. We are ready to race, like always. Our bikes have been refreshed for the Portimao race but there won't be anything new in the set-up." |
|
Parkes and Foret out to secure final 2008 prize
Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) and Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport Team) will be out to end the season on a high note at the Parkalgar circuit in Portugal.
Each rider has already scored a race win in 2008, Parkes in Losail and Foret in Monza, and for Parkes, currently fighting for third in the championship, there is only one ambition this weekend, to secure a victory for his team and himself in his last race for Yamaha.
Foret has recovered well from the serious head and spine injuries that ruined his mid-season push whilst sitting second in the championship. His comeback at Magny-Cours at the last round was impressive, as he posted an eighth place finish, despite his enforced lack of physical conditioning. Foret will return to the fray with Yamaha once again in WSS in 2009, alongside new signing Cal Crutchlow, who will test the YZF-R6 after the Portimao race.
Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) is determined to march to a top ten finish overall after the Portuguese round. Currently he is 11th, albeit only two points from tenth.
Parkes, like most of the field, has not seen the all-new track on the Algarve up close yet, but expects to be on good form after a month of preparation and anticipation. "I've got to get a good result after the last round, when I got knocked off. So that means finding a good set-up for the race, concentrating on getting a better start, get the front early and then stay there. I normally learn tracks petty quickly and according to everyone who has seen it the new venue is really good. I'm just psyched to get out there and give it a go. I'll try to win my last race for Yamaha to say thank you to them for the past four years."
Foret sees the Portimao race as a good opportunity to boost his confidence before the winter testing begins shortly after raceday. "I was very pleased with the way things went at Magny-Cours, even though I was very tired at the end of the race. I will be much stronger this weekend and I am very keen to see the new track, which should be fantastic."
Wilco Zeelenberg, the Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager, acknowledged that racing so late in the year, and at a new circuit, was slightly peculiar. "It is a little strange to be racing the final round of the championship on a track we have never been to and to be racing so late in the year, especially as the championship has now been decided. The new track layout looks challenging, there are lots of blind corners and those kinds of tracks are the most difficult to learn. Because the track is completely new, when the weather is nice all will be fine but it will be difficult if there is a lot of wind blowing dust across the track. We will start with our normal base set up and start working on finding the right gearing from the very start. It is our last race with Broc and I hope he will be able to take a good result."
|
|
Pirro and Corti looking to end on a high
Both Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni) and Claudio Corti (Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team) head into Portimao determined to end the Superstock 1000 season on a high note and secure as many points as possible on their Yamaha R1s.
Talented young rider Loris Baz (Yamaha France Junior Team) goes into the last Superstock 600 race of the season as the Championship winner having secured top spot in the standings at the previous race at Magny-Cours, meaning he can enjoy this final round in Portugal with less pressure.
*kando - the word used to describe the Yamaha corporate mission. It translates to "the sensation of excitement and gratification derived from experiencing supreme quality and performance."
|
Yamaha Racing Communications
Hoogte Kadijk 61hs / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands
T. +31 (0) 20 625 6539 / F. +31 (0) 20 420 9470
E. office@yrc.nl W.
|
Click here if you cannot see the mail correctly.
| News | Valencia, Spain 28/10/2008 | | Bad weather curtails Fiat Yamaha Team test in Valencia | | | Due to bad weather in Valencia today the Fiat Yamaha Team took the decision to cancel their second day of testing at the Spanish track.
2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi and the season's leading rookie Jorge Lorenzo will next be in action on 26th November for a two-day test in Jerez, Spain. |
|
Yamaha Racing Communications
Hoogte Kadijk 61hs / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands
T. +31 (0) 20 625 6539 / F. +31 (0) 20 420 9470
E. office@yrc.nl W.
|
Click here if you cannot see the mail correctly.
| News | Valencia, Spain 27/10/2008 | | Rossi makes positive start on 2009 campaign in Valencia | | | One day after the final race of his victorious season, MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi began working towards the defence of his title with his first day's testing aboard the 2009 prototype M1. The Italian was third fastest in a time of 1'32.921, quicker than his best lap in yesterday's race.
Rossi made two runs of six laps each with his 2008 M1 in order to check some settings and also get a feel for the new tyres, as today was the first day of the new mono-brand tyre rule with Bridgestone now the official supplier for all riders. He then made five runs and a total of 28 laps on the new prototype, setting his best time on the second run.
Lorenzo started off on his 2008 M1 in order to get a feel for the different tyres and to check some settings. He made ten laps with the old bike before climbing onto a test bike, which has some new prototype parts for him to try. He made five runs and 36 laps with the test bike, and despite a low-speed crash on the outlap of his third run he was able to make good progress and set a best time of 1'33.550.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: 1'32.921 Laps: 40
"Today we began work on 2009 and I was able to try the new bike for the first time. It is only the first prototype but my impression of it is very good and it seems they have done a good job. We are working on the engine in order to have more acceleration on the exit from the corner and there is a small change, not enough yet but in the right direction so this is important. We worked on the setting and the weight distribution and I was faster with the new bike so this is good! We need more time to understand the bike and more laps but this is only the first day and it is very positive. The other 'big' thing today of course is the new tyres and I am really happily surprised. This is not the best track to try them at as we don't have so much data for here but anyway they feel very good. I was expecting less grip but we had a lot and everyone was fast today. The track conditions are a lot better today than they have been during the weekend so this makes a difference, but anyway we can already see that they are quite good. I think Bridgestone have done a good job but of course it will be hard to know for sure until we have been to some different tracks. We have to wait and see. For me they feel good even in comparison with my Bridgestone tyres from all of the season so I am happy so far. I have a special 'world champion' helmet now which I like a lot and which I will use throughout the winter testing. As for the number one…I will keep my 46 of course but I will put the number one on my back as I did in the past." |
| Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 7th Time: 1'33.550 Laps: 46
"I am really happy today because now everyone has the same tyres. I tried a test bike with some new parts and today we were just working on collecting information and understanding the new things. I think it was a good day and I made some good laps, so I am quite happy. I had a crash in the afternoon which was my mistake, it was at turn twelve and I opened the throttle too much when the tyre was cold, but I was not hurt and we were able to continue. Tomorrow we will try again with the new tyres and keep working and collecting information. Of course we need more time to be able to understand them and evaluate them properly, this is just the first day but we will go step-by-step. There is a long time before the new season but I am excited that we have started work already." |
| Test Times
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 1'32.464
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 1'32.672
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'32.921
4. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 1'33.142
5. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'33.325
6. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Team San Carlo 1'33.375
7. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'33.550
8. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 1'33.676
9. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 1'33.760
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Kawasaki Racing Team 1'33.782
11. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'33.832
12. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'33.960
13. Toni Elias (SPA) Team San Carlo 1'34.129
14. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 1'34.451
15. Mika Kallio (FIN) Alice Team 1'34.793
16. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing 1'34.925
17. Niccolò Canepa (ITA) Ducati Test 1'34.995
18. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) JiR Team Scot Honda 1'35.203
Comunidad Valencia: Record Lap
D.Pedrosa (Honda) 2007, 1'32.748
Comunidad Valencia: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1'31.002
|
|
Yamaha Racing Communications
Hoogte Kadijk 61hs / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands
T. +31 (0) 20 625 6539 / F. +31 (0) 20 420 9470
E. office@yrc.nl W.
|
Click here if you cannot see the mail correctly. | | |
| Rossi rounds out world championship season with 16th podium | | | | Valentino Rossi brought the curtain down on a spectacular season with a third place in Valencia today, his 16th podium from 18 races in a year which saw him win his eighth world title. The 29-year-old Italian has taken nine wins, five seconds and two thirds this year, surpassing the all-time premier class win record and the record for the most points in a season in the process. His outstanding performances this season also helped the Fiat Yamaha Team to secure the Teams' title and Yamaha the Manufacturers' title.
Rossi had struggled to find a good set-up for his M1 during yesterday's qualifying and he started from 10th on the grid. However some last-minute changes paid dividends and he was able to get a good start, climbing to seventh in the first lap and then making a characteristic charge through the field to move into third on lap six. Unfortunately from then on he was unable to make a dent in the gap to second-placed Dani Pedrosa and he had to settle for the final podium position, 12 seconds off winner Casey Stoner.
His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo secured the Rookie of the Year title with eighth place today, rounding off an eventful but impressive season for the 21-year-old. Both riders will be in action tomorrow as work for the 2009 season gets underway immediately with a two-day test at Valencia.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: +12.194
"I don't think that was so bad today! Unfortunately we had some problems yesterday and that meant we had to start from the fourth row, which left us with a very difficult task. As always though we found a way and my team gave me a good bike, which meant I was able to get a great start and then have some fun passing people. Once I got to third there was no way to catch Dani and so it wasn't such an exciting race from then on. This has been an amazing season for us and to finish with another podium, the 16th, is great and we cannot complain. I am so happy with what we have done this year, as I said it's definitely one of my greatest championships and I want to thank everyone once again - Yamaha, my team, the engineers, Bridgestone and everyone who helped us to get this result. Tomorrow we will try the new bike which means we can't have as big a party as we would like, but it is important to try to find a base for it so I am looking forward to it."
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"I think it would have been difficult to have done more than this today, because we were starting from the fourth row and the setting still wasn't perfect. Anyway it was a great end to the season and we scored another podium, making 16 in total, nine of the them wins. We have the triple crown and this all makes it a fantastic season. Thank you very much to Valentino first of all and then all the engineers in Japan, who have worked so hard, and to all the team members for this huge effort. Luckily we had a big party in Japan because tomorrow we start to think about 2009 and start to test, and it's going to be important to make the most of it and to give good information to the engineers about the new bike. But we will still have some celebrations tonight so let's all enjoy ourselves! Thanks again to everybody, it's been a wonderful season."
Lorenzo secures Rookie Of The Year at season finale
Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo took a deserved Rookie of the Year title by finishing eighth at Valencia today, his fourth position in the championship the highest finish for a premier-class newcomer since the advent of four-stroke MotoGP. The Spaniard's first season in MotoGP has seen him win a race and take a further five podiums and four pole positions, helping Yamaha to secure the Team and Manufacturers' titles to add to his team-mate Valentino Rossi's World Championship.
After struggling for grip yesterday Lorenzo started from seventh on the grid and things got worse as the race got underway. He was unable to find a rhythm and slipped to11th until mid-race distance. From then on he began to improve and he was able to make up three places, finishing strongly to set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.
The team gets straight back to work tomorrow with the very first test of the 2009 season, during which Lorenzo will have his first chance to try the new prototype 2009 YZR-M1. |
|  | Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 8th Time: +35.661
"I feel a bit disappointed with this result today because I really wanted to finish the season with a podium, but in the end we couldn't manage it here. We had some problems though so I have to be happy that I was able to finish the race strongly, passing people and doing my best lap of the race on the last lap, especially when you consider that yesterday in qualifying I was the slowest on race tyres! The best thing about today is that I am the leading rookie, so I get a trophy all the same and this makes me very proud of my first season in MotoGP with Yamaha. I want to thank all of my team, engineers and everyone who has helped us. I also have to say a special thank you to Michelin for their work this season because this is our last race with them. I am very proud that I was able to win my first MotoGP race with them. Tomorrow we begin straight away to work on the 2009 bike and I am very excited to try it."
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
"We expected to finish in a better position for this last race, but unfortunately the problem we had in qualifying persisted, although we were able to improve it somewhat from yesterday. Jorge was able to keep a good pace during the second half of the race and he was able to finish strongly and make his best lap on the very last lap. This has been a fantastic year for us because we were able to make four pole positions, win a race and take five more podiums, helping Yamaha to win the triple crown, and Jorge is the year's leading rookie. I want to thank Yamaha very much for the huge effort they made in order to give us such a competitive machine, and I also want to thank Michelin for their support - we wish them all the best for the future. Finally thanks to everyone in our team for doing a fantastic job all year and we look forward to coming back even stronger next year."
Fantastic finale for Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia
claimed a superb fourth place in the Team World Championship standings in today's Valencia MotoGP race. The 15-point haul collected by Edwards and Toseland in today's 30-lap battle saw the Tech 3 squad seize fourth position by a single point from Suzuki's official factory team, ending the 18-round campaign as the highest placed independent team.
American Edwards played a starring role in the success, his superb start from the second row of the grid giving him the perfect platform to mount a bid for his first top six finish since he took third in Assen back in June. Edwards quickly claimed third from Nicky Hayden on the first lap to settle in behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. But with minimal dry set-up time after another weather-hit weekend, Edwards quickly encountered some rear grip issues to find himself back in sixth on lap six. He quickly adapted to the decreasing grip and crucially began to pull away from Suzuki's Loris Capirossi, maintaining a constant pace to the end.
Toseland also played a critical role in today's fantastic finale as he closed his rookie campaign with a hard fought 11th position. The British rider shadowed fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo for the opening fifteen laps in a close dice for 11th place, twice passing the Spaniard momentarily. Toseland also ran into grip issues in the closing stages, but he rode a brilliant final three laps to fend off Sylvain Guintoli, John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen. |
|  | Colin Edwards - Position: 6th Time: +32.209
"It has been a while since I finished in the top six and for this result to help the team finish fourth in the Team World Championship makes it extra rewarding. I'm pleased for Herve Poncharal and the team because they deserve it. We had a couple of races where we gave a lot of points away, but for an independent team we have done a fantastic job together and it was a year to remember. I got a great start and rode around the outside of Nicky at the first corner to slot in behind Casey and Dani. I actually felt pretty comfortable at that point. Nicky passed me though down the front straight and I started to spin the rear tyre a bit just as the other guys started to get into the groove. The next thing I know, everybody was disappearing up the road and there was nothing I could do. With so little dry track time we gambled with the setting and I ran a softer tyre and at the end I was having a few problems. My bike felt great but I just didn't have a lot of grip and this isn't the best track for Yamaha. We don't have the initial raw grunt that you need on a tight and twisty track like this with a lot of low speed acceleration points. I'd like to thank all my guys for their hard work throughout the season and to Yamaha for their continued support. Finally I'd like to say a big thanks to Michelin. I had the greatest moments of my career with them and I've enjoyed our time together. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break now before coming back in Jerez next month to begin working as hard as ever for 2009." |
|  | James Toseland - Position: 11th Time: +52.107
"It was a hard race to finish a pretty hard season and while it wasn't how I wanted to finish on a personal note, it was great that I contributed to the team getting fourth by a point. I'm glad I managed to hang on at the end there because I was coming under a lot of pressure. In the first half of the race I was probably a bit quicker than Jorge but I just couldn't make a pass on him stick. I got him a couple of times but I made mistakes and let him back through. One time I put my hand in the air to apologise for a close move going into the first corner, and as I put my hand back for the second corner I missed my braking marker. So I'm annoyed with myself about that. I was in a real fight at the end and I was just struggling for a bit of grip. We tried quite a big change on the set-up and it worked well for the first half of the race, but towards the end I had to ride a bit defensive and make sure I didn't lose too many places. The team deserve to be fourth in the championship this year and I was determined to help them achieve it. Tech 3 and Yamaha have given me unbelievable support in my rookie year and I was pleased to battle right to the last lap to get that result for them. I have learned a lot in 2008, and I'm looking forward to working hard in the winter and making a big impression next season."
Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
"It was a fantastic way for us to end the season and I really want to thank Colin and James for their effort. It was a tough weekend with the weather conditions but it was very important to end on a positive note and we were reasonably confident when both of them qualified on the second row. Colin made a great start and he did a good race, keeping a really good rhythm. In the first half of the race, James looked even a little bit quicker than Jorge but he couldn't quite pass him. He pushed really hard throughout even though he didn't have 100 per cent confidence, but it was a strong result and by hanging on at the end under a lot of pressure he helped us get fourth in the Team Championship and we beat two full factory teams. That was our target before this weekend and we achieved it. I'd like to congratulate Yamaha again for an incredible season. They gave us a great bike in 2008 and I'd also like to say a big thanks to Michelin for their support. Thanks to them and Yamaha we had one pole position and two podium finishes. We will miss Michelin but we now must look forward to a new era. Everyone at Tech 3 is now looking forward to a quick break and we will be back raring to start our 2009 preparations in Jerez at the end of November." |
| Circuit Length: 4005
Weather: Dry | | | 2008 MotoGP Valencia Ricardo Tormo - Valencia 26/10/2008 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 46'46.141 | | 2 | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 0'3.390 | | 3 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 0'12.194 | | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 0'24.159 | | 5 | Nicky Hayden | Honda | USA | 0'26.232 | | 6 | Colin Edwards | Yamaha | USA | 0'32.209 | | 7 | Shinya Nakano | Honda | JPN | 0'34.571 | | 8 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 0'35.661 | | 9 | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 0'38.228 | | 10 | Alex De Angelis | Honda | SMR | 0'47.583 | | 11 | James Toseland | Yamaha | GBR | 0'52.107 | | 12 | Sylvain Guintoli | Ducati | FRA | 0'52.350 | | 13 | Chris Vermeulen | Suzuki | AUS | 0'52.833 | | 14 | John Hopkins | Kawasaki | USA | 0'53.227 | | 15 | Randy De Puniet | Honda | FRA | 0'53.411 |
| Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 1'32.582 |
| Rider Standings | 26/10/2008 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Points | | 1. | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 373 | | 2. | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 280 | | 3. | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 249 | | 4. | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 190 | | 5. | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 174 | | 6. | Nicky Hayden | Honda | USA | 155 | | 7. | Colin Edwards | Yamaha | USA | 144 | | 8. | Chris Vermeulen | Suzuki | AUS | 128 | | 9. | Shinya Nakano | Honda | JPN | 126 | | 10. | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 118 | | 11. | James Toseland | Yamaha | GBR | 105 | | 12. | Toni Elias | Ducati | ESP | 92 | | 13. | Sylvain Guintoli | Ducati | FRA | 67 | | 14. | Alex De Angelis | Honda | SMR | 63 | | 15. | Randy De Puniet | Honda | FRA | 61 |
| Team Standings | 26/10/2008 | | Pos. | Team | Points | | 1. | FIAT Yamaha Team | 563 | | 2. | Repsol Honda Team | 404 | | 3. | Ducati Marlboro Team | 331 | | 4. | Tech3 Yamaha | 249 | | 5. | Rizla Suzuki MotoGP | 248 | | 6. | Honda Gresini | 189 | | 7. | JIR Scot Team | 174 | | 8. | Team Alice | 159 | | 9. | Kawasaki Racing Team | 107 | | 10. | Honda LCR | 61 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 26/10/2008 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Yamaha | 402 | | 2. | Ducati | 321 | | 3. | Honda | 315 | | 4. | Suzuki | 181 | | 5. | Kawasaki | 88 |
Yamaha Racing Communications
Hoogte Kadijk 61hs / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands
T. +31 (0) 20 625 6539 / F. +31 (0) 20 420 9470
E. office@yrc.nl W.
|
|
