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| No rest for Fiat Yamaha as they return to Europe and marvellous Misano | | |  | Despite having just finished a punishing weekend's racing in the searing heat of Indianapolis, the MotoGP riders will be back on board in four days time for the twelfth round of the season at Misano Adriatico on Italy's eastern seaboard. It is another 'home' race for the Fiat Yamaha team, as it lies just a few hundred kilometres away their Italian base, and both championship leader Jorge Lorenzo and his team-mate Valentino Rossi will be planning on a big weekend at the Italian party town.
Lorenzo finished third in Indianapolis, the first time he has been out of the top two all season, and although it was another great result for the 23-year-old he was disappointed not to have been able to mount a stronger challenge after winning there the year before. He still leads the championship by a mighty 68-points however and none can argue that he is in the form of his life, with seven wins to his name this season. After finishing second at Misano for the past two sasons he will be one of the favourites to top the podium on Sunday and will be going all-out to take a first premier class win on Italian soil.
Misano lies just 13km away from Rossi's hometown of Tavullia, where the 31-year-old legend grew up and where he still lives today. The race always brings out the Rossi tifosi in their thousands and this year will be no different as they will their idol on to take a first win since the opening race of the year. Indianapolis was tough for Rossi, who is still suffering the effects of his injury earlier in the season, but the fact that he has won in Misano for the previous two years will give him confidence and he will be aiming for the top come Sunday.
This will be the fourth year of racing at Misano since Grand Prix racing returned there after a 16-year gap, when the circuit was altered to run in the opposite direction to previous years. The tracks sits a kilometre inland, just back from the string of small towns and villages that make up Italy's 'East Coast Riviera' and that turn into a huge party zone for the thousands of fans that pack into them during race weekend. Misano is another completely flat track, like Indianapolis last weekend, but the similarities end there as the Italian track is tight and twisty, with no long straights and a fairly equal balance of right and left corners meaning an agile bike is a must.
Jorge Lorenzo - "Straight to Misano"
"We are going straight to Misano and I want to continue in the same way and get on the podium again. I've been second there for the last two years and I am feeling very motivated and looking forward to another good race. I hope the temperature is a bit cooler than in Indy because it was really too hot there. Last Sunday was my worst result this year, but I am still happy because it was still third and because it was very important for our goal, which is the Championship."
Valentino Rossi - "Hoping to give the fans a good show"
"In Indianapolis we made some progress with our race setting but the conditions made me realise that I'm still not 100% fit. It's hard going straight to Misano with no break but hopefully it will be a little bit cooler than Indy! Of course it's my home race and it's near my house so it's always very special to race there, in front of all of my fans. I have won there the last two years but this year we come in slightly different circumstances. Still, we will be trying our hardest and I really hope I can give the fans a good show!"
Wilco Zeelenberg - "A track that he loves"
"Misano is straight away so it will be important that Jorge gets a couple of days of good rest before we get there. It's a track that he loves and it will be a lot less bumpy than Indy so hopefully a bit easier on everyone. He's been second there the last two years and our bike works very well there so we will be trying for the podium once again."
Davide Brivio - "Going in the right direction"
"We were happy after Indy because despite the difficulties of the weekend it ended on a good note and Valentino was able to ride how he wanted in the race, even if it wasn't for the whole race because of the heat and his physical condition. It shows that we're going in the right direction towards our goal of a strong end to the season. Now we go to our 'home' track, close to our workshop and even closer to Vale's house! We've had two great years there and we will be doing the best we can do put on another good show for all Valentino's fans at Misano."
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 31
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 234 (174 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 23
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 33 (13 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 139 (45 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 40 (14 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)
Misano: Record Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 1'34.746
Misano: Best Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'33.378
Grand Prix Results: Misano 2009
1. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 44'32.882
2. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +2.416
3. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +12.400
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| Second, thrid and fourth for Yamaha in intesen Indianapolis heat | | |  | Jorge Lorenzo finished third at Indianapolis today and Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi fourth in a punishingly hot race won by Dani Pedrosa. Tech 3 Yamaha and future Factory Team rider Ben Spies finished second, his best result so far in his rookie MotoGP season.
Lorenzo dropped three places on his grid position at the start and finished the first lap in fifth with his team-mate close behind. On lap three of 28 the championship leader made it past home favourite Nicky Hayden and he set off in pursuit of Andrea Dovizioso, arriving within striking distance by the eighth lap. The Italian did not make it easy for Lorenzo however and it took the Mallorcan several more laps to pass him, which he did on the brakes into turn one on lap 12. By that time Spies was too far ahead for Lorenzo to make much headway on second place so he settled for third and 16 points to add to his already hefty season tally.
Rossi meanwhile had jumped from seventh to fifth at the start and looked more comfortable on the bike than he had all weekend, during which he had struggled for grip and rhythm. On the fourth lap he overtook Nicky Hayden and settled in fifth, a few tenths off the Lorenzo-Dovizioso battle. Once Lorenzo was past Dovizioso, the World Champion too began to close down his compatriot and with eight laps remaining he passed him for fourth place. By then however his lack of fitness following his injury had caught up with him in the searing heat and he was unable to push any more, coming home some six seconds behind his team-mate.
Lorenzo continues to sit comfortably at the top of the standings, with a 68-point lead over Pedrosa. Rossi remains fifth but has moved to within five points of Casey Stoner and fourth. The MotoGP paddock now has just a few days rest before it reconvenes at Misano in Italy for round 12 of the World Championship.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rdTime: +6.812
"Of course I shouldn't be disappointed with third place but at the same time I'm not happy with my race today, I didn't ride as well as I could have and I didn't get a good start. The conditions were incredibly hard and I simply didn't have the physical strength to push as hard or do the same times I did in practice; it was like a race in Malaysia! The track was so slippery and it was very difficult to use the tyres as you wanted to, I think honestly I'm quite lucky to have finished third today. The good thing is we took some points and now I have to concentrate on recovering before Misano because we don't have much time." |
|  | Valentino Rossi - Position: 4thTime: +12.633
"This was a good race for us after the weekend. Fourth is quite good in the circumstances but the important thing is that my rhythm in the race was strong and I felt much happier on the bike. I did some good laps and I wasn't too far from the other Yamahas, but unfortunately I paid a lot for my lack of fitness in this heat and in the end I had to stop pushing because I didn't have any strength left in my body. I'm happy though because we came back to a good setting and with me riding well, and if you consider I had three small crashes in the weekend, fourth isn't so bad. Now we will look forward to Misano, my home race!"
Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"These were terribly hard conditions for the riders and considering this we have to be very happy with third. It was so hot and so easy to make a mistake so before the race we told Jorge to just try to bring it home on two wheels! Unfortunately he had a bad start which didn't help because he then had a hard task to get past Dovizioso, but considering the conditions and the championship we're just as happy with this as with one of our seven wins."
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"This was a really positive race for us and Valentino showed us that he could keep the pace of the front runners. Unfortunately he's still not in peak condition after his accident and with the heat he wasn't strong enough to keep the same pace for the whole race, but he fought at the top end, stayed close and showed us that he's okay. It gives us confidence for our overall set-up and our package for the next races. We came out well from a difficult weekend so well done to everyone."
Sensational Spies claims career best second at Indianapolis
Ben Spies treated a patriotic home crowd at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway to an all-action display in today's MotoGP race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider ending a fantastic weekend with a career best second position.
Starting from pole position for the first time in his premier class career, Spies made a blistering start and streaked away from the field in the early stages with a succession of fast laps as he looked at ease leading a MotoGP race for the first time.
Such was Spies' phenomenal early speed that he was a second clear after just three laps, the reigning World Superbike champion leavin g his illustrious rivals trailing in his wake. Only Dani Pedrosa was able to get close to matching his rhythm as a crowd of over 62,000 fans roared the Texan on.
Spies was producing heroics to keep Pedrosa at bay but the Spaniard made a decisive attack on lap seven to move into the lead. Spies produced a super human effort in gruelling heat and humidity to try and keep the pressure on Pedrosa before he eventually eased off to secure a richly deserved second.
The 26-year-old's performance received a huge ovation from the appreciative Indianapolis crowed with Spies celebrating being top Yamaha rider for the first time in his career. And marking his career best result in front of his home fans shortly after confirming his 2011 move to Yamaha's factory team only made his accomplishment even more special.
Colin Edwards had a tough afternoon after he was one of only four r iders to select the hardest compound Bridgestone rear tyre available for the 28-lap race. With temperatures and humidity higher than at any stage during the weekend, Edwards hoped his choice would enable him to mount a strong showing in the second half of the race.
But he opted to change to the softer compound tyre at the end of lap 11 and while his lap times instantly improved, the 36-year-old retired on lap 17. |
| Ben Spies - Position: 2nd Time: +3.575
"I'm really happy to have got my best result in MotoGP in front of the American crowd and at a track as famous as Indianapolis. I always said I wanted my best result in my home race, so it's mission accomplished. After the pole position I got a great start and it felt good to be out front for the first time in MotoGP. But I didn't have the pace for Dani today and he rode a great race. I'm happy because I didn't make too many mistakes when I was out in front and I was consistent for the whole race. When Dani passed me I knew I couldn't follow him, so I let him go and concentrated on keeping a gap to Jorge in third and that's what I achieved. I can't complain because it was a great weekend and to be top Yamaha rider when you look at who else is on that bike is pretty satisfying. It hasn't sunk in yet that I've finished second in my home race. But I'll enjoy it before I hop on a plane and try and do it again in Misano next weekend." |
|  | Colin Edwards - DNF
"I went for the hard tyre because I'd done a 41.6 on that tyre on Friday and felt pretty comfortable and confident. I'd not been able to make the soft tyre last close to race distance. I'd started to have a problem after eight or nine laps with it, so with the temperature and humidity coming up I was getting excit ed about using the hard tyre. But I had a problem with edge grip from the start and I was having an issue turning. I was riding on the limit but way off the pace so I pulled in for the softer tyre and did a few laps and my lap times were immediately better. The tyre choice cost me today but congratulations to Ben. He's just riding at an amazing level and second in this field is something to be proud of."
Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
"That was a fantastic weekend from Ben and he delivered an unbelievable performance for the American fans. We could not have hoped for more and he showed why we are so sad to see him leaving us to join Yamaha's factory team next season. But I'm happy for him though because clearly with the factory team he will be with the top four. His pole position yesterday was incredible when you consider how tough it is to achieve that against such a h igh level of competition. He got an incredible start and he was very strong at the beginning of the race. Only Dani could match him and pass him but Ben rode immaculately and it never looked like Jorge was going to catch him. It wasn't the race Colin was expecting and unfortunately his decision to run the hard tyre didn't pay off. Conditions were very demanding but it was clear when he switched to the softer tyre that he had the pace to have scored possibly his best result of the season." |
| | 2010 MotoGP Indianapolis - Indianapolis 30/08/2010 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 47'31.615 | | 2 | Ben Spies | Yamaha | USA | 0'03.575 | | 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 0'06.812 | | 4 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 0'12.633 | | 5 | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 0'21.885 | | 6 | Nicky Hayden | Ducati | USA | 0'35.138 | | 7 | Marco Simoncelli | Honda | ITA | 0'36.740 | | 8 | Alvaro Bautista | Suzuki | ESP | 0'36.825 | | 9 | Aleix Espargaro | Ducati | ESP | 0'44.905 | | 10 | Hector Barbera | Ducati | ESP | 0'51.368 | | 11 | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 0'55.386 | | 12 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda | JPN | 0'57.903 | | 13 | Randy De Puniet | Honda | FRA | 1'04.139 |
| Rider Standings | 29/08/2010 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Points | | 1. | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 251 | | 2. | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 183 | | 3. | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 126 | | 4. | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 119 | | 5. | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 114 | | 6. | Ben Spies | Yamaha | USA | 110 | | 7. | Nicky Hayden | Ducati | USA | 109 | | 8. | Randy De Puniet | Honda | FRA | 78 | | 9. | Marco Simoncelli | Honda | ITA | 63 | | 10. | Marco Melandri | Honda | ITA | 61 | | 11. | Colin Edwards | Yamaha | USA | 57 | | 12. | Hector Barbera | Ducati | ESP | 54 | | 13. | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 41 | | 14. | Aleix Espargaro | Ducati | ESP | 39 | | 15. | Alvaro Bautista | Suzuki | ESP | 33 | | 21. | Wataru Yoshikawa | Yamaha | JPN | 1 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 29/08/2010 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Yamaha | 260 | | 2. | Honda | 220 | | 3. | Ducati | 159 | | 4. | Suzuki | 56 |
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| QUALIFYING 1 REPORT | 29/08/2010 | | Another front row for Lorenzo, Rossi has a difficult day as Spies claim his maiden pole position | | |  | Jorge Lorenzo took his eleventh straight front row of the season in Indianapolis today to extend his spotless 2010 qualifying record, but it was a difficult day for his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi as the World Champion slid out in the closing minutes of the session and will start from seventh.
Another hot day in Indiana brought about tricky conditions on the bumpy asphalt this afternoon, with surface temperatures in excess of 50 degrees during the session. Despite the hindrance Lorenzo looked in fine fettle and as the minutes ticked down he abandoned race set-up to concentrate on qualifying times, being rewarded soon after with provisional pole. However Tech 3 Yamaha rider Ben Spies had other ideas today and the Texan edged Lorenzo into second by two tenths. The Championship Leader will be sandwiched between two Americans when the lights go out tomorrow after Nicky Hayden qualified third.
Rossi suffered a torrid day on track, unable to find a comfortable set-up and hitting the gravel in this morning's free practice session, in which he finished ninth. Some major set-up changes before qualifying left him and the team hopeful of improvement this afternoon and his race pace was considerably better, although he still lacked some grip. Inside the final minutes and with a softer Bridgestone tyre fitted he was ready to push for a fast time but he lost the front when he hit a bump on the track and slid out for the second time today, with not enough time left in the session to go out again on his second bike. The Italian was relieved to discover he was not further down than seventh and he is looking to try to charge through the field tomorrow when the lights go out at 1500 local time.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2ndTime: 1'40.325Laps: 28
"This was a really difficult session because it was so hot and the track was very slippery and bumpy, it was hard to know what to expect! Luckily we managed a good lap and I'm happy with second place, Ben's lap was amazing so well done to him. A good start will be really important tomorrow because there are many fast riders behind and I think it will be a tough battle for everyone. Our setting is good and we are happy with the choice for the tyre so we will try our best and see what we can do here in Indy." |
|  | Valentino Rossi - Position: 7thTime: 1'41.005Laps: 23
"We worked hard today to try to recover the feeling we've lost and we have made some improvement. Unfortunately I crashed at the worst point in the session, with the soft tyre in and doing some fast laps but with not enough time left to try again. It could have been worse because I thought I would end up much further back than seventh, so we can be happy for this. This track is very bumpy and I really think something needs to be done to some parts of it to improve it. I don't know when the last time I crashed twice on one day is but for sure it was many years ago, back in the 90s perhaps! Luckily I am okay, nothing is hurt and this is the most important thing. I think tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day because me, Pedrosa and Stoner are all behind the front row which is unusual. It could be fun!"
Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"The conditions were really bad today with the heat and the grip levels so it was easy for the riders to be caught out. Luckily Jorge kept his head and we have a good result, as well as a good feeling with both our bikes. We know which Bridgestone tyre we're going to use and we are starting from the front row so we're ready for a fight. Well done to Ben Spies for this pole position, he did an amazing lap at his home race."
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"We are not having the best weekend but we made some improvements today and our race pace is not too bad. Unfortunately Valentino crashed at the end of qualifying and there wasn't time for him to go out on the second bike, but considering this then the third row isn't too bad and luckily he hasn't hurt himself in any way. We have some work to do tonight and we will focus on tomorrow, anything can happen and we're looking forward to it."
Super Spies storms to sensational maiden pole position
Ben Spies' remarkable rookie MotoGP campaign hit a new high today when the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider stormed to a stunning maiden pole position at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Texan thrilled a large and sun drenched home crowd with a startling performance at the historic 4.216km circuit, Spies topping the timesheets with an incredible late attack to claim a first pole position for the Tech 3 squad since the China Grand Prix in 2008.
Spies had spent most of the qualifying session, which was run in searing temperatures that peaked at a punishing 33 degrees, concentrating on a crucial race set-up for tomorrow's 28-lap encoun ter.
But as soon as the field switched to the softer compound Bridgestone rear tyre, Spies was in devastating form and always looked like challenging for a second successive front row start.
There were 12 minutes left on the clock when a lap of 1.40.465 saw him rocket from ninth to the top of the timesheets. That impressive pace put him a fraction ahead of Jorge Lorenzo.
Lorenzo and compatriot Nicky Hayden were both able to lap faster than Spies in the closing stages and relegate him momentarily to third. But the 26-year-old wasn't finished and he produced an immaculate lap of 1.40.105 to seize back the initiative by 0.220s from Lorenzo.
Spies was denied pole position in the dying moments at the previous round in Brno, but his pace today was unmatched and only Lorenzo, Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso lapped within 0.5s of the reigning World Superbike champion.
Colin Edwards will start tomorrow's race from ninth, his final grid position certainly not a reflection of his pace on race tyres. The 36-year-old has shown strong form all weekend on the harder compound Bridgestone rear tyre but was unable to significantly improve his pace on the softer option this afternoon.
Sizzling track temperatures that hit 54 degrees meant grip was at a premium this afternoon and although Edwards did find himself in the top six at one stage, he had to settle for a spot on the third row with a best time of 1.41.432. |
|  | Ben Spies - Position: 1st Time: 1.40.105 Laps: 28
"This is a great feeling for me to get my first MotoGP pole position and for it to come in front of the American crowd and here at Indianapolis with all the history makes it even more special. And I'm glad for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team too. This team helped catapult me into this position and I've been trying to give as much for them as I can, even though I'll be moving to Yamaha's factory team next year. I've got to say I really put it on the line this afternoon. I'd come so close at Brno a couple of weeks ago to getting my first pole position and I really wanted to finish the job on home soil. And being on the front row with Nicky too is pretty incredible for MotoGP racing in America. There was no way coming into this weekend that I thought this result was possible. Bur I've been able to do it and now I'm going to concentrate on getting a good start and giving it everything in the race. I'd love a podium and my best result at home but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. But right now I'll certainly enjoy today." |
| Colin Edwards - Position: 9thTime: 1.41. 232 Laps: 27
"Honestly I expected to be a bit higher up than ninth and after this morning I felt I could get into the mid-40s and be on the second row. But it was really hot out there this afternoon and it made the track quite slippery. When you put the soft tyres on you expect to go a fair bit faster but I didn't really improve much at all. Normally I'd expect to shave off three-quarters-of-a-second but I just didn't have the grip in the heat. On the hard tyre for the race we've got a good setting and I'm confident of a strong race. I've had a good pace on the hard tyre all weekend so a top six and my best result of the season is not out of the question. I'd like to congratulate Ben too because his performance today was just fantastic. He did an awesome job and it is great for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team too." |
| | 2010 MotoGP Indianapolis - Indianapolis 29/08/2010 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Ben Spies | Yamaha | USA | 1'40.105 | | 2 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 1'40.325 | | 3 | Nicky Hayden | Ducati | USA | 1'40.336 | | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 1'40.559 | | 5 | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 1'40.637 | | 6 | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 1'40.664 | | 7 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 1'41.005 | | 8 | Marco Simoncelli | Honda | ITA | 1'41.092 | | 9 | Colin Edwards | Yamaha | USA | 1'41.232 | | 10 | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 1'41.512 | | 11 | Alvaro Bautista | Suzuki | ESP | 1'41.534 | | 12 | Marco Melandri | Honda | ITA | 1'41.623 | | 13 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda | JPN | 1'41.631 | | 14 | Aleix Espargaro | Ducati | ESP | 1'41.649 | | 15 | Mika Kallio | Ducati | FIN | 1'41.856 |
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| FREE PRACTICE REPORT | 28/08/2010 | | Lorenzo and Rossi second and fifth in Indianapolis sunshine | | | The first free practice of the Indianapolis Grand Prix weekend was run in blazing sunshine at the Motor Speedway today, with Fiat Yamaha Team riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi finishing the day in second and fifth positions. The fastest time of the day was set by Casey Stoner, just two tenths ahead of Lorenzo.
Last year's race winner Lorenzo felt confident from the outset and was at the top of the time sheets for three quarters of the session before Stoner just edged him out. The young Spaniard made some subtle tweaks to his setting to better suit the flat nature of this track and also had time to try both Bridgestone race tyres, about which he already feels confident of his direction for Sunday.
Rossi struggled a little more today, lacking grip on the bumpy surface and lacking pace as a result. He and his team will make a detailed examination of the data tonight to try to find a way to improve their setting so they are in a position to challenge for the front row in tomorrow afternoon's qualifying session.
Both Fiat Yamaha riders are once again running the special 'Fiat 500' livery that was showcased in Laguna Seca earlier this season. The livery celebrates the forthcoming launch of the Fiat 500 in the United States and features the smiling faces of 500 Rossi and Lorenzo fans on each bike.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2ndTime: 1'41.109Laps: 26
"I rode really well today and improved a lot during the practice. The rear was sliding a lot, maybe because the temperature is so high; it's a lot hotter than last year! I think the level between the top riders here is more or less the same and everyone is looking very strong. Then everyone will improve further tomorrow and we must make sure we do so as well. It will be a good battle! Finally I want to say congratulations to Ben Spies, next year he will join the Factory Team and I think it's great news for him and for Yamaha." |
| Valentino Rossi - Position: 5thTime: 1'41.623Laps: 27
"My physical condition is much better here; I so still have some pain but it's not too bad so I am not worried. I am feeling confident on the bike but we have to improve our setting in order to improve our pace because we are lacking some grip here. It's not an easy track because there are a lot of bumps. We did quite a lot of work today but it wasn't enough and the gap to the top is too much. Our target for tomorrow morning is to close this gap so that we're in better shape to push for a good position on the grid."
Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"This was a very nice practice session for us and we were able to try everything we needed to try. We're quite happy to be second and the handling and balance is quite good. It's very bumpy of course and we need to work a little bit to minimise the wheelie in places, but basically it feels good for Jorge. We also know the direction for the tyres already so this is everything we could wish for today."
Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"We struggled a bit today and we need to do some more work to try to find the right package for this track. We started with our standard setting and now we need to continue to try to make it work how we want. It's just the first session so we have time. There is nothing very specific, we're lacking some grip and so we need to make the tyre work better for us. We will have a look at the data tonight and keep on with it tomorrow."
Confident start for Edwards and Spies at sun-drenched Indianapolis
Colin Edwards and Ben Spies made a fast and confident start to the Indianapolis MotoGP weekend today, the American duo immediately able to set a competitive pace in opening practice.
Edwards will set a personal milestone on home soil on Sunday when he becomes only the 13th rider in history to start 130 premier class races. And he made an impressive start to the landmark weekend at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 36-year-old concentrated on fine-tuning a revised front-end geometry setting he first used in Brno earlier this month on board his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine.
Edwards was a persistent threat in the top six throughout the session, which was run in gloriously sunny conditions that saw air temperatures hit 28 degrees. The Texan was as high as third in the final 20 minutes and his best time of 1.41.664 left him just 0.041s behind reigning world champion Valentino Rossi in sixth place overall.
Edwards though was delighted with his progress today and his lap times bode well for a strong showing in Sunday's 28-lap race after he finished top non-factory rider.
Just as impressive was team-mate Spies, who wasted no time in establishing himself in the top three in the early stages. Spies gave a sun-soaked and sizeable home crowd reason to cheer from the off when he topped the timesheets in the opening 15 minutes.
Spies, who will move to Yamaha's factory squad in 2011 after a fantastic first full season in MotoGP with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad, was always in contention for a top three position as he reeled off a series of consistently fast laps on race tyres.
Not even a late crash could take the shine off a productive afternoon for the 26-year-old, who ended in eighth position, a result that certainly didn't reflect his true potential.
Spies lost the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine after hitting a bumpy section at turn six and he ended with a best time of 1.41.722 to finish less than one-tenth behind Edwards. |
| Colin Edwards - Position: 6th TRime: 1'41.664 Laps: 24 laps
"I'm really happy with that session because the bike felt good and that's the main thing. We've had so many races this year where I've struggled finding a good set-up quickly and we've been trying to catch up right from the first session. But the front-end setting we first tried in B rno is working well here too, so it seems like we made a big breakthrough at the last race. Now I can hold good corner speed instead of fighting the bike, and I feel more confident and comfortable. I've always said this season that if the bike is working underneath me, I can still ride it fast. And that is the case now. I got my best result of the season with seventh in Brno and that gave me some momentum. We've just got to carry it on and show what we are capable of." |
| Ben Spies - Position: 8th Time: 1'41.722 Laps: 25
"I'm actually pretty happy with that session even though it ended not so great with the crash. I'm not too upset because it was one of those crashes that I know what I did wrong. There's a bump going into turn six and I turned in a little too early. I knew I was turning in too early but I thought I wasn't pushing the front hard enough to make a difference. But as soon as I hit the bump I lost the front. I missed the last five minutes and I definitely could have gone quicker because the bike was working good and I felt good. I was right up there all the time but I just made a mistake. Without that I'm sure I could have gone three or four tenths faster and been in a better position. But I did quite a lot of consistent fast laps and we have a lot of good data on race tyres, so it was a good start to the weekend." |
| | 2010 MotoGP Indianapolis - Indianapolis 28/08/2010 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Casey Stoner | Ducati | AUS | 1'40.884 | | 2 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | ESP | 1'41.109 | | 3 | Nicky Hayden | Ducati | USA | 1'41.405 | | 4 | Daniel Pedrosa | Honda | ESP | 1'41.421 | | 5 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 1'41.623 | | 6 | Colin Edwards | Yamaha | USA | 1'41.664 | | 7 | Andrea Dovizioso | Honda | ITA | 1'41.683 | | 8 | Ben Spies | Yamaha | USA | 1'41.722 | | 9 | Aleix Espargaro | Ducati | ESP | 1'41.992 | | 10 | Marco Melandri | Honda | ITA | 1'42.147 | | 11 | Marco Simoncelli | Honda | ITA | 1'42.268 | | 12 | Hector Barbera | Ducati | ESP | 1'42.368 | | 13 | Mika Kallio | Ducati | FIN | 1'42.600 | | 14 | Alvaro Bautista | Suzuki | ESP | 1'42.696 | | 15 | Loris Capirossi | Suzuki | ITA | 1'42.790 |
Yamaha Racing Communications
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| Insider - MotoGP Indianapolis edition | | | Straight form the track, the Indianapolis Insider Edition has been issued!
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Make it a habit to check in on the Friday before each MotoGP to find a new Insider with the latest on the Fiat Yamaha Team waiting for you!
Enjoy! |
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Yamaha Racing Communications
Barentszplein 4B / 1013 NJ Amsterdam / The Netherlands
T. +31 (0) 20 625 6539
E. W.
© Copyright Yamaha 2010 |
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