FIM MotoGP World Championship Sepang, Malaysia October 19, 2008 Race Results: 1. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Bridgestone, 21 laps, 43:06.007 2. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Bridgestone, -4.008 seconds 3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), Michelin, -8.536 4. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, -8.858 5. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Bridgestone, -10.583 6. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, -13.640 7. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -15.936 8. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, -18.802 9. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -23.174 10. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda), Michelin, -25.516 11. John HOPKINS (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -27.609 12. Anthony WEST (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -41.399 13. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Ducati), Bridgestone, -45.617 14. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda), Bridgestone, -49.003 15. Toni ELIAS (Ducati), Bridgestone, -59.139, jump start/ride-through penalty 16. Marco MELANDRI (Ducati), Bridgestone, -63.328 17. Nobuatsu AOKI (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -108.363 18. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha), Michelin, -9 laps, crash 19. James TOSELAND (Yamaha), Michelin, -19 laps, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 17 of 18 races): 1. Rossi, 357 points 2. Stoner, 255 3. Pedrosa, 229 4. Lorenzo, 182 5. Dovizioso,161 6. Hayden, 144 7. Edwards, 134 8. Vermeulen, 125 9. Nakano, 117 10. Capirossi, 111 11. Toseland, 100 12. Elias, 92 13. Guintoli, 63 14. De Puniet, 60 15. De Angelis, 57 16. Hopkins, 55 17. Melandri, 51 18. West, 50 19. Ben Spies, 20 20. Jamie Hacking, 5 21. Tadayuki Okada, 2 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: KAWASAKI DUO ENDURE SWELTERING SEPANG Kawasaki’s John Hopkins overcame rear traction problems and the sweltering heat to take a hard fought 11th place in today’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Anthony West followed his Anglo-American teammate home in 12th place, after struggling with similar issues around the blisteringly hot Sepang track. Both Kawasaki riders managed to make up places in the drag race from the start down to the left-hand turn one, but then fell victim to other riders running wide as the pack jostled for position on the opening lap. Hopkins managed to negotiate turn one safely, but then lost ground as he was pushed wide twice on the first lap. The 25-year-old Kawasaki pilot eventually hooked onto the back of the battle for ninth place between Randy de Puniet and Chris Vermeulen, but was unable to close the gap as his rear tyre started to go off. After chasing hard throughout the race, Hopkins was eventually forced to drop back and settle for 11th place at the chequered flag. West’s problems started even earlier than those of his teammate. The 27-year-old Australian made up a handful of places away from the start, but then got pushed wide by James Toseland, as the British rider struggled to get his bike stopped on the entry to turn one. West eventually found himself in 12th place, but too far off the back of his teammate to try and mount a challenge on Hopkins. The Kawasaki pilot struggled with rear traction throughout the race, but managed to ride around the problem to bring his Ninja ZX-RR home in the points once again. The Kawasaki Racing Team now head straight to Valencia, where both riders are hoping to finish with a strong performance in the season finale. John Hopkins #21 – 11th Position “I got away from the start pretty well, but then I got pushed out wide a couple of times in the first lap, so I didn’t manage to make up as many places as I was hoping for. Initially the lap times were good, but as soon as the rear tyre started to go off I began having problems. We improved confidence in the front this weekend, so I was able to close right onto the back of Vermeulen into the turns, but I was losing ground on the exit every time. The bike was just spinning off the edge of the rear tyre on the throttle, and it continued spinning once you’d picked it up onto the fat part of the tyre. With five laps to go the rear grip dropped off even more, giving me no chance of catching de Puniet and Vermeulen before the end. Rear traction has been a consistent issue this season, and it’s an area that we need to look at very closely if we’re to fully understand the cause, and ensure that we don’t transfer the same problem to the 2009 bike. The result today was disappointing, because I really thought it was possible to get into the top ten. Hopefully we can end our season with a better result next weekend in Valencia.” Anthony West #13 – 12th Position “The start went pretty well, but then I got pushed out real wide in the first turn and lost all the places I’d made up at the start. Things weren’t too bad for the first part of the race; the rear was still spinning up out of the corners, but at least there was some drive. But as the rear tyre started to go off I started having problems going into the turn. It was a really strange feeling; the rear would break traction as I turned in off the throttle. It was worst at the downhill turn two where it really unsettled the bike on entry, but I could feel it everywhere to differing degrees. It’s quite hard to put in consistent lap times when you’re lacking rear grip on both corner entry and exit, but I just got my head down and did the best I could. Hopefully we can come up with some improvements for the season finale next weekend, as I’d really like to end my time at Kawasaki with a good result.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “This wasn’t the result we were looking for this weekend, but it is still a step forward compared to Phillip Island. We know that with better rear traction both riders would be a lot closer to the front of the race, and we have made improvements in this area, but there is clearly still more work to do. The important thing is that our engineers have a clear idea of the causes, so I’m confident that a solution will be found. But, with only one race left this season, it may be that, realistically, we won’t see the benefits of the work done this season until Kawasaki roll out the all-new 2009 bike in February. In the meantime, I hope that we can go out on a high with two good results from John and Anthony next weekend in Valencia. They both deserve it after all their hard work this year.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Valentino Rossi took victory number nine of his 2008 season in the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, escaping from the clutches of Dani Pedrosa in the final third of an exciting race at the Sepang circuit. The 2008 MotoGP World Champion had started from second on the grid, but held onto the tail of Pedrosa´s Repsol Honda RC212V as his rival attempted to make an early breakaway. After taking the lead from the Spaniard on lap ten Rossi set about creating an advantage of his own, and as the race entered the final third the biggest problem for the Italian was the threat of rain. With the option open to come in and change bikes, the Fiat Yamaha man and all the other riders so used to the changeable nature of the Sepang weather- elected to stick out the light rainfall, a decision vindicated when the rain passed and the high temperatures quickly dried up any residual wetness. With his latest podium finish Rossi extends his run of rostrum placings to eight consecutive Grands Prix, with a chance of win number ten in Valencia at next weekend´s season finale. Pedrosa placed inside the top three in Sepang for the third time in as many premier class visits to the Malaysian track, although it was not enough to keep the battle for the runner-up spot in the 2008 World Championship standings alive. Nonetheless, the Spaniard recorded his best race result on Bridgestone tyres, after taking his first pole for the Japanese manufacturer on Saturday afternoon. With just one race left in his maiden MotoGP season, Andrea Dovizioso finally achieved a first premier class podium after a tooth-and-nail battle with Nicky Hayden. The JiR Team Scot rider also moved further into contention for the Rookie of the Year honour as his result combined with a crash from rival Jorge Lorenzo. San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano showed that he was also up for a battle, eventually keeping the fifth spot despite the best attempts of 2007 Sepang racewinner Casey Stoner. Sixth place was enough for Stoner to confirm second in the season´s overall classification. Loris Capirossi, Colin Edwards, Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet rounded off the first ten past the chequered flag in the 21-lap race. Valentino Rossi – Race Winner “The conditions were unbelievable because the temperatures were incredible out there. We worked hard to get the M1 strong during the winter here, and we knew that the bike was suitable for the type of corners that we have here. We worked very well with the team this year and started off with a great setting. I had a great battle early in the race with Dani, but I had ten laps alone which, although the track is fun, were hard work. I´m happy because it´s my ninth victory of the year; I like this number and will try for ten in Valencia!” Alvaro Bautista won the 250cc battle in Sepang, but third place for Marco Simoncelli meant that it was the latter who was victorious in the season-long war for the quarter-litre title. With just one round to go, Simoncelli now has an insurmountable advantage over the Spaniard in the World Championship standings, taking a first Grand Prix title to complete his breakthrough 2008 season. Bautista knew upon arrival in Malaysia that simply winning would not be enough, and slowed up the pace when he took the lead in order to put bikes between himself and his Italian rival. With the frontrunners just too hot for the rest of the field to handle, the Mapfre Aspar rider eventually pulled away, taking victory number four of the season and confirming the runner-up spot in this year´s campaign. Starting from pole position, Hiroshi Aoyama stepped onto the podium for the second time this season with second place, selling himself to interested parties after finding out this weekend that he is now a free agent for 2009. The Red Bull KTM rider was unable to repeat his 2007 Sepang victory as Bautista pulled away with a new circuit record, but came home in second place after a series of stints at the head of the race. Simoncelli took his third rostrum finish in succession, greeted by his pit board announcing `You have won the World Championship´ The Italian celebrated with a burnout and a lap of the Sepang circuit, and was joined in parc ferme by MotoGP titlist and friend Valentino Rossi. JiR Team Scot´s Yuki Takahashi came home in fourth, ahead of Lotus Aprilia riders Aleix Espargaro and Alex Debon. Espargaro had taken the holeshot and led the first two laps of the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, his first time at the front of a 250cc race. Roberto Locatelli, Ratthapark Wilairot, Thomas Luthi and Lukas Pesek completed the top ten in the quarter-litre race. 2007 125cc World Champion Gabor Talmacsi repeated his Sepang victory from his title-winning year in emphatic fashion, taking the holeshot in the lower cylinder category race and never looking back. The Hungarian had been fast all weekend, starting from second on the grid and having topped the morning warmup timesheet. The Bancaja Aspar rider took the holeshot from poleman Andrea Iannone, and after riding in tandem with the Italian he broke away on the sixth lap. A series of rivals attempted to chase him down, but Talmacsi was not for breaking in his chase for the runner-up spot in the 2008 standings. He now holds the advantage over Simone Corsi and Stefan Bradl with just 25 points up for grabs. A rider who will replace Talmacsi in the Jorge Martinez `Aspar´-led squad next year, Bradley Smith proved to be the most durable challenge to Talmacsi´s dominance. Starting from thirteenth on the grid, the Briton fought his way up to the head of the chasing pack, cutting the difference between himself and the race leader before eventually running out of laps. Second place in the Malaysian race marked Smith´s fourth podium of the season. The fight for third was narrowed down to three by the time the final lap rolled around, with Corsi taking the final podium spot in the draft to the line. Losing out on the rostrum after coming close for the second consecutive year, Sandro Cortese placed his Emmi-Caffe Latte Aprilia in fourth, with newly-crowned 125cc World Champion Mike di Meglio dropping down two places after starting the last lap in third. Front row starter Pol Espargaro came home sixth, ahead of Belson Derbi teammate Joan Olive, Ajo Motorsport´s Dominque Aegerter, Jack&Jones WRB man Nicolas Terol and Iannone, who dropped down the field at the midway stage of the race. More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI SURVIVES SEPANG FURNACE TO TAKE NINTH WIN OF THE SEASON 2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi rode an inch-perfect race in energy-sapping conditions at Sepang today to take his ninth win of the season and his 150th career podium. He is only the second rider in the history of the sport to pass this milestone, the other being Giacomo Agostini, whose all-time win record Rossi has already broken this season. Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo meanwhile had a disappointing day, with his challenge ending in the gravel trap on lap 12. With temperatures in excess of 40 degrees as the riders lined up on the grid, today’s race was clearly going to be a test of endurance, both for riders and tyres. Rossi, starting from second, crossed the line for the first time in third but was able to pass Andrea Dovizioso on the next lap, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process, and set off on the heels of Dani Pedrosa. The pair gradually began to open out clear air from the chasing pack but the gap between them remained at just a few tenths of a second for next eight laps. Rossi eventually made his move at mid-race distance, was able to pass Pedrosa on the brakes into the hairpin at turn nine and was then unchallenged to the chequered flag, crossing the line 4.008 seconds ahead of the Spaniard with Dovizioso in third. The paddock now heads straight to Valencia in Spain for the 18th and final round of the season, with Rossi looking to avenge two bad years at the track and Lorenzo determined to secure the title of Leading Rookie with a positive performance to make up for today’s disappointment. Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 43’06.007 “I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani I tried to pass many times but he was very fast and very consistent and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap I understood better where it was possible and eventually I could make my move and go away from him. Everything worked very well today in such conditions, my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres and I want to thank everyone for making me so fast all weekend. I love winning here because it’s such a great track but today was really a test, especially the last five laps when I really had to make an effort to keep my concentration in such incredible heat. Anyway, it was important to win here because when we came here in the winter I did a very fast race simulation and I promised my new Bridgestone tyre technician, Peter, that we would win the race! I took a gamble in February so I had to win today! Finally I want to congratulate my friend Marco Simoncelli for winning the 250cc World Championship today. I know how hard he has worked to get here and he really deserves it I am very happy for him.” Davide Brivio Team manager “Nine wins sounds good! Now that we’ve won the world championship it’s great to race for fun and to think only of winning and today was just like that. Valentino rode a perfect race; he started well, followed Dani for some time then passed him and escaped and he did a good job to keep his concentration and rhythm in such hot conditions. This has been another great day in a fantastic season for us and now we’re looking forward to one more in Valencia.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR LORENZO AS HE SLIDES OUT OF MALAYSIAN GP Jorge Lorenzo’s high hopes for a podium in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang today ended in the gravel trap on lap 12, when the Fiat Yamaha rookie slid out of sixth position. His team-mate and 2008 world champion Valentino Rossi meanwhile led from the middle of the race to take his ninth win of the season. After being fast all weekend and qualifying on the front row for the fifth race in succession, Lorenzo was determined to make a return to the podium after just missing out at the last two rounds. He got a poor start however, which left him in seventh, and he lacked the grip he’d had all weekend which meant he was unable to replicate the fast race pace he had shown in the practice sessions. By mid-race distance the Michelin-shod rider had begun to improve his rhythm somewhat and he was able to pass Shinya Nakano to move into sixth, but at turn one on lap 12 he lost the front and slid out. Lorenzo remains fourth in the championship and still leads the Rookie of the Year standings with one round remaining. The final race of the season takes place in Valencia, Spain in just one week’s time. Jorge Lorenzo Position: DNF Time: “I didn’t feel good today and I was riding much worse than yesterday. I was having some problems in braking and acceleration and this is really a pity because I thought I had the chance to be on the podium today. I had many problems with my tyres in the first few laps and in fact I had a lot of warnings about the crash, but in the end I just couldn’t avoid it. I got a bad start and it seems this part of the race is getting more difficult every time. If I had a better start I could have tried to go with Valentino and Pedrosa but today was terrible. We have to change something here because at the moment it’s quite difficult. Apart from these problems I know I didn’t have the same feeling in myself as I had yesterday, so it really wasn’t a good day! It’s a little sad now that we can only be fourth in the championship, but I can still be rookie of the year so I will focus on this because it’s important for all of my team. Congratulations to Valentino for another triumph and now let’s look onwards to Valencia.” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “We’re quite disappointed with this result because we thought we had a good chance to be on the podium today. Unfortunately Jorge lacked grip compared to yesterday, especially in the front, and he wasn’t able to ride in the same rhythm. He didn’t get a good start and then lost a lot of places at turn one, so this also didn’t help. He had finally begun to improve his pace and start to catch up when he crashed at turn one, so this was a great pity. Luckily he’s not hurt however and now we’re just focusing on Valencia and finishing the season on a high.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Yamaha: Edwards claims top ten, Toseland crashes in scorching Sepang Colin Edwards rode his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 machine to his best ever Malaysian MotoGP result today, the American finishing a scorching hot 21-lap encounter in eighth position. With air temperatures nudging an energy sapping 40 degrees, Edwards lost four places in a frantic jostle for positions at the first corner, but quickly found the pace that saw him top the timesheets on the opening day of free practice. The 33-year-old immediately dropped his lap times into the 2.02 bracket and seized eighth place from Loris Capirossi with a clinical move at the second corner on lap four. That move left Edwards glued to the back wheel of fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo as an exciting six-rider dice from third to eighth unfolded in front of 38,500 fans. Edwards was promoted to seventh when Lorenzo was unlucky to tumble out on lap 11 at the first corner, but he slipped back down to eighth on lap 15 when Capirossi pounced. With track temperatures hitting 42 degrees, Edwards began to encounter small grip issues and was unable to mount a counter attack. He kept a consistent pace in the extreme heat for the final few laps, but despite a determined ride, he couldn’t close back in on the group in front. James Toseland was unable to capitalise on significant steps he made with the set-up of his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 in this morning’s warm-up session. He improved front-end braking stability, but the 28-year-old slipped down to 16th after a hectic opening two laps while he tried to get the better of Anthony West and Randy de Puniet. Pushing hard to move back into the points, Toseland crashed out when he lost the front-end at turn six on lap three. He emerged unscathed from the spill, and will be looking to end his rookie season in style in next weekend’s final round in Valencia. There is still plenty to fight for the Tech 3 Yamaha team in Spain next Sunday, with Edwards still pursuing a top six World Championship finish, and Toseland a top ten overall placing. Tech 3 Yamaha is also still firmly in the hunt for fourth place in the Team World Championship. Colin Edwards 8th 134 points “I thought I’d got a good start and I must have done because I nearly tangled with Jorge off the line and he was on the front row. It was pretty close but luckily we didn’t touch. But at the first corner people started coming around me and there was a bit of bumping and barging and I lost a couple more places. Nakano and Capirossi came by but in the first eight laps I felt pretty good and I got into the high 2.02s. I was right on the back of the bunch but I felt like I was losing a bit on acceleration. As much as I’d close up on the brakes, I’d lose coming onto the back straight and the front straight. It was so hot and the track temperature was so high that the balance of the bike changed around the halfway point. Once the rear grip goes down a bit, it stops transferring weight on the front. When Jorge crashed I almost went down in the exact same circumstances going into the first corner because the rear tyre wasn’t holding as well as it did at the start of the race and it wasn’t driving the front tyre into the track. And when that happens it is hard to turn the bike. That was my issue and after that it was difficult. I kept my head down and tried to push because I could still see the group in front. But I couldn’t get any pace going coming out of the corners and I made a couple of little mistakes. I’m really disappointed even though it is my best result ever at this race. But eighth is well below where I want to be. I leave here knowing I did the best I could do and I hope I can give the team and Yamaha a strong finish in Valencia next week before we starting looking to 2009.” James Toseland DNF 100 points “Things never clicked from the start of the weekend, although this morning we found a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. But getting it nearly right on Sunday morning means you don’t have time to get a proper feeling with the setting and we made a big change with the front. We raised the front and got it to steer better because that was the main issue we had. It was causing me a problem on the brakes and entry and that was messing me up for the rest of the corner. I could brake better and it made the bike more balanced for the entry and exit. Qualifying 12th though makes it tough, especially here and I got boxed in a bit at the first corner. I braked after everybody else and made a couple of places up but ran wide and then it was a real dogfight. I was having a close battle with de Puniet and West but then when I picked up my pace I went down. I had to run a harder front tyre to make the race distance and I think it just needed another lap to get the temperature in it. I just pushed it too hard and lost the front at turn six. I paid for pushing too hard trying to make up the time I’d lost. I was confident after this morning when I was eighth and we’d make progress with the bike, so it is a bit disappointing. But I’ll be going all out to make amends in Valencia and finish on a high.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: SUFFERING STONER SEALS RUNNER-UP SPOT AT SEPANG Casey Stoner fought through the pain barrier to finish the Malaysian Grand Prix today, where sixth place in suffocating conditions was enough to seal the runner-up spot in the 2008 MotoGP World Championship with a round to spare. With some of the hottest, most humid conditions the MotoGP circus has ever had to suffer at Sepang and his physical condition still a long way from perfect, the Australian struggled throughout the race with cramps in his right hand – caused by the excessive forced required to compensate for the scaphoid injury to his left. Despite that he chased Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden hard for the final podium position but faded towards the end and eventually conceded fifth place to Shinya Nakano. Marco Melandri paid the price for an unproductive weekend working on his set-up and the Italian could finish no higher than sixteenth today. CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 6th “I had no feeling whatsoever from my injured hand today, it just wasn’t working. It meant I had to put all the pressure on to my right hand and in such physically demanding conditions it was really difficult. It started cramping up and I couldn’t even get the throttle fully open down the straights. To be honest I don’t think we quite found a perfect set-up this weekend but I can’t complain about that because I wasn’t able to push the bike to the limit today. It’s been a tough weekend and we have another one coming up at Valencia, which we will push hard to get through with as good a result as possible before finally looking ahead to the operation. At least we have the runner-up spot already in the bag, which is an achievement I think myself and the whole team can look back on and be very proud of.” MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Marlboro Team) 16th “There are only negatives to take out of a race like that. We went back to the settings we used yesterday afternoon but I didn’t have the same feeling. I had hardly any feeling with the front from the first few laps and I couldn’t brake hard into the corners. From then on things just got worse. I went for a softer rear tyre so the grip was good at the start but I almost crashed a couple of times in the fast corners in the second half of the race and that took away any shred of confidence I had left.” LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director) “We haven’t been unable to maintain our great tradition here at Sepang but Casey rode in really difficult conditions today and he was brave to even finish the race. We know he’s going through the pain barrier just to test the GP9 after the race at Valencia and we really appreciate that. The positive thing today was that Casey made sure of second in the championship and that is still a prestigious result in a category with so many strong rivals. It has been another difficult weekend for Marco but we still hope he can finish the season with a smile at Valencia.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: Weather: largely dry, sporadic light rain Temperature: 41-degree ambient, 48-degree track Humidity: 21% Crowd: 36,560 PEDROSA TAKES SECOND AS DOVI VISITS PODIUM Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) won today in searing heat with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) scoring second place. His best result so far since his switch to new rubber on the pneumatic-valved RC212V. But perhaps the third position achieved by class rookie Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) was the more significant achievement. Pedrosa sped off the line from pole to lead the pack into turn one with the pacy Dovizioso on his tail and Rossi holding third with Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) in fourth, Casey Stoner (Ducati) fifth and Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) sixth. With 21-laps ahead of them it was to be expected that Dovi might fade from the rostrum positions as the race unfolded after Rossi past him on lap two but the dogged rookie showed he had the grit to hold onto his place despite the close attentions of former World Champion Hayden. With Dovi’s close rival, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), for the coveted ‘rookie of the season’ title falling mid-race and failing to finish, the fight for this important award will now go to the final round in Valencia next weekend. Pedrosa and Rossi did not take long to leave Dovi, Hayden, Stoner and Nakano way behind as they fought hard for the lead. By mid-race they had pulled out a six second gap on their pursuers and it was then when Rossi pounced on Dani at the hairpin to steal the lead. The Italian Yamaha man then outpaced the Honda ace at the head of the field as leaden skies threatened to unload rain. Occasional spots of rain fell on the far side of the track as teams prepared spare machines fitted with wet tyres, but no rider felt compelled to pit and change bikes. The battle for third place now became the main interest as Nakano took fifth from Stoner and the Japanese veteran looked as if he might have the pace to challenge Nicky for fourth and perhaps even Dovi for the final podium place. But it was only 2006 World Champion Hayden who could sustain the challenge to the rapid Dovi, the man who will replace the American in the factory Honda Team next season. Nicky stole third at turn one on lap 18, but Dovi had the mettle to pass him back at turn four. Hayden then made enough of an error on the next lap to give Dovi enough breathing space to hang onto third and notch his first ever premier class podium as the rain held off and the flag came out to conclude a contest that showed just what a talent Dovi will be on works machinery in 2009. Dovi and his crew prepared his RC212V for maximum acceleration out of the turns to match the Honda’s massive drive out of the turns with Andrea’s legendary late-breaking skills and it proved a masterful ploy. Second-placed Dani said: “It’s been a busy weekend. On Friday morning we were only 17th, I think, then we started moving forward and yesterday we were able to get pole and today I finished second, so finally it has been a good weekend for me and my team. We have made another important step forward after Phillip Island where I crashed out of the race and hurt my left knee. At the end of today’s race Valentino was faster than me, he always puts on some extra pressure towards the end, so it was difficult to follow him, but we were closer this time than we were at Motegi so I am happy that we are making progress with our new bike and tyres.” Third-placed Dovi said: “Today I am happy. The first podium in MotoGP, after so much work in a season full of satisfaction. Thanks for the seven years competing with the Scot Team. I won the world 125 title with them and next year I will be with Team HRC. I could not afford to make the slightest mistake today. I made the most of the tyres, which in these conditions were sliding a lot and over the last few laps I was pushed hard by Nicky but I managed to finish and took a reality check on the podium. Thanks again to everyone in my team which has always been very close and supportive.” Nicky, fourth, said: “We knew it was never going to be easy all weekend we’ve been sixth and seventh, and with the changeable weather we were never really able to find anything set-up-wise. Then we had a bad warm-up. We tried some stuff overnight and went a bit backwards, so for the race I was quite unsure how it was going to go. I pushed hard, a couple of times I was able to get in front of Dovi, but he held tough. Man, he don’t give in for nothing. It was fun battling for the podium after the dudes up front took off early. I tried everything I could, I was pushing the front quite a lot, through Turn three mainly. Maybe I should have tried something a little more on the last lap, but I was already pushing hard. Congratulations to Dovi on his first podium, he earned it.” Nakano in fifth said: “I got a good start and quickly moved up from fifteenth to sixth. I followed Stoner for a while and tried to pass him in several places but it wasn’t easy because he was so fast and he was braking very deep in the corners. Anyway, I soon realised that he was starting to have some issues, it looked like the front end of his bike, so I was able to make the pass and then hang on to fifth place until the end.” Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) finished tenth and said: “At the start I released the clutch too early and did a big wheelie losing a few positions. After the first lap I started to set my rhythm and was pretty comfortable despite the heat. I enjoyed battling with Toseland because he passed me twice and I did the same with him but at the end he crashed. Then I caught Hopkins and passed him in the fifth lap pushing hard to catch the first group. My pace was pretty fast but in the middle of the race my right wrist started to ache a lot and it was very hard for me to change direction and to brake.” Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) was 14th. He said: “I’m really disappointed with today’s race because I made a good start but I got pushed wide by Toseland, who braked really late into turn one, and a few riders were able to pass me. I got my pace together but then lost a lot of time fighting with Melandri, and in the second half of the race I struggled with the tyres and I couldn’t get back on the pace I’d been able to set in practice. It was a really tough race but I’m confident I can bounce back at Valencia and make the most of our last chance this season.” 250cc Grand Prix Marco Simoncelli clinched his first World Championship when he finished third behind Alvaro Bautista (both Aprilia) with Hiro Aoyama (KTM) third. Yuki Takahashi (JiR Scot Honda RS250RW) finished in a fighting fourth place. Simoncelli rode a controlled race resisting the urge to get involved in a fight for the win that might have jeopardized his chances of securing the points he needed to put Bautista out of the title hunt. Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT SAG RS250RW), who had put in a stunning performance in qualifying to head the second row of the grid made a poor start, but still managed eighth place to equal his best result so far in the class. His qualifying lap time of 2m 07.410s was the fastest ever by a Honda rider at Sepang. Quicker even than Pedrosa or Dovizioso in their prime. Takahashi said: “Today felt very hot and it was really hard. Physically I was tired and the heat made the front tyre very slippery. Up to half-distance, the race went well, but after the tyre began to slide I could not push more. The result today is important and Valencia is vital for us to defend the fifth place ranking in the Championship. It’s a track I like and I will give the maximum. I want to thank the team that worked hard and prepared the bike well.” Wilairot said: “My start was bad again, not as bad as Phillip Island but I was only 13th at the end of the first lap. But the bike was really good today, very fast and I had good acceleration, I could run with anybody. I found a very good rhythm early in the race and concentrated on riding smoothly and gain positions but it was hard work. The race was fun and I really enjoyed myself today. Now we go to Valencia for the last race and I hope to keep my form.” 125cc Grand Prix Gabor Talmacsi won from Bradley Smith with Simone Corsi third (all Aprilia). Talmacsi headed the pack into turn one and the Hungarian former World Champion used all his pace to prevent the hard-charging Smith from getting close enough to challenge for the lead. Smith started from 13th on the grid and made a brave bid to get on terms with Talmacsi but his fourth podium of the season had to be consolation enough for a stirring effort. Cyril Carrillo (FFM Racing Honda RS125R) did not start the race after injuring himself in a crash during qualifying Honda rider quotes. GP Malaysia Sepang Race October 19, 2008. MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd. “It has been a busy weekend. On Friday morning we were only 17th, I think, then we started moving forward and yesterday we were able to get pole and today I finished second, so finally it has been a good weekend for me and my team. We have made another important step forward after Phillip Island where I crashed out of the race and hurt my left knee. At the end of today’s race Valentino was faster than me, he always puts on some extra pressure towards the end, so it was difficult to follow him, but we were closer this time than we were at Motegi [where Pedrosa finished third], so I am happy that we are making progress with our new bike and tyres. It has been a little bit difficult for me and my team to get used this package so late in the season, but we are getting faster every race and this is important. If we can get closer at the next race then we know we are working in a good direction. I am looking forward to Valencia next week. The Spanish crowd wants a Spanish winner, so I will do my best.” Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 3rd. “Today I am happy! The first podium in MotoGP, after so much work in a season full of satisfaction: this is important for me and for my team. I wanted to give other podiums to the team but I hope that this will repay them for all the work done this year, but it is also a thanks for the seven years that we have competed together. With the Scot Team I won the world 125cc championship and we wanted to achieve something spectacular, given that next year I will be in the works HRC Repsol Honda team. The race was hard and after a good start, Valentino and Dani gained ground, while Nicky I were left behind. I led alone, focusing on myself, because I had no references in front and felt the approach of Nicky’s Honda going into every turn! When I saw the group behind, I realised my situation and realized that I could not afford to make the slightest mistake. I made the most of the tyres, which in these conditions slid a lot, and I had to drive hard by picking the bike up out of the corners early. Over the last few laps I was passed by Nicky but I managed to finish ahead and finally realise my podium finish. Thanks again to everyone on my team as every one of them has always been close to me and supportive.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 4th. “We knew it was never going to be easy all weekend we’ve been sixth and seventh, and with the changeable weather we were never really able to find anything set-up-wise. Then we had a bad warm-up. We tried some stuff overnight and went a bit backwards, so for the race I was quite unsure how it was going to go. We put the bike back to how it was yesterday morning, and it was okay, but I was just missing that little bit. The race honestly went better than I thought I would, it could’ve been uglier. I pushed hard, a couple of times I was able to get in front of Dovi, but he held tough. Man, he don’t give in for nothing. I enjoyed the battle, it was fun battling for the podium after the dudes up front took off early. I tried everything I could, I was pushing the front quite a lot, through Turn Three mainly. Maybe I should have tried something a little more silly on the last lap, that’s always hindsight, but sure I’ll beat myself up tonight, thinking I should have taken some bigger chances, but I was already pushing hard. Congratulations to Dovi on his first podium, he earned it.” Shinya Nakano, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 5th. “I’m satisfied with this race I got a good start and quickly moved up from fifteenth to sixth. I followed Stoner for a while and tried to pass him in several places but it wasn’t easy because he was so fast and he was braking very deep in the corners. Anyway, I soon realised that he was starting to have some issues, it looked like the front end of his bike, so I was able to make the pass and then hang on to fifth place until the end.” Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 10th. “At the start I released the clutch to early and did a big wheeling losing a few positions. After the first lap I started to set my rhythm and was pretty comfortable despite the heat. I enjoyed battling with Toseland because he passed me twice and I did the same with him but at the end he crashed. Then I caught Hopkins and passed him in the fifth lap pushing hard to catch the first group. My pace was pretty fast but I took a big risk in the last corner at four laps to go and preferred to reduce the speed. In the middle of the race my right wrist started to ache a lot and was very hard for me to change directions and to brake in the corners”. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 14th. “I’m really disappointed with today’s race because I made a good start but I got pushed wide by Toseland, who braked really late into turn one, and a few riders were able to pass me. I got my pace together but then lost a lot of time fighting with Melandri, and in the second half of the race I struggled with the tyres and I couldn’t get back on the pace I’d been able to set in practice. It was a really tough race but I’m confident I can bounce back at Valencia and make the most of our last chance this season.” 250cc: Yukio Takahashi, JiR Scot Honda: 4th. “Today felt very hot and it was really hard. Physically I was tired and the heat made the front tyre very slippery. I made a good start but then I was hampered by other riders as we swapped position. Up to half-distance, the race went well, but after the tyre began to slide I could not push more. The first three riders had gone, then it was difficult to catch up. When I was alone I managed to maintain a good pace. The result today is important and Valencia is vital for us to defend the fifth place ranking in the championship, but it is a track that I like and I will give the maximum. I want to thank the team that worked hard and prepared the bike well. ” Ratthapark Wilairot, Thai Honda PTT SAG: 8th. “My start was bad again, not as bad a s Phillip Island but I was only 13th at the end of the first lap. The bike was really good today, very fast and I had good acceleration, I could run with anybody. I found a very good rhythm early in the race and concentrated on riding smoothly and gain positions but it was hard work. The race was fun and I really enjoyed myself today. Now we go to Valencia for the last race and I hope to keep my form.” 125cc: Cyril Carrillo, FFM Honda: Did not start due to injuries sustained in race practice. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP’s Loris Capirossi battled to a well-earned seventh place at this afternoon’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang as track temperatures reached an amazing 60ºC. Capirossi was ninth at the halfway point and was never out of touch with the seven rider skirmish for the third podium position. He pushed hard for all 21 laps and made some aggressive passes in the latter stages of the race to move up to seventh. Capirossi tried to improve further in the closing part of the race but just couldn’t find a way through and brought his Suzuki GSV-R home for nine valuable championship points. Chris Vermeulen raced to ninth position a result that gave Rizla Suzuki enough accumulative points to move up to fourth in the Team’s Championship. Vermeulen too made a late charge as he moved from 11th to the top 10. He made a pass with three laps to go to move into ninth, but was just too far away from the riders in front to make a further challenge. Team Test Rider Nobuatsu Aoki did his best to get his prototype Suzuki GSV-R up into the points, but his lack of race fitness worked against him this was his first competitive outing in a year – and a couple of technical issues with his bike restricted his chances of a higher finish and he brought his bike home in 17th. Today’s race was watched by 38,500 spectators, who were treated to a comprehensive victory by recently crowned World Champion Valentino Rossi on his factory Yamaha. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now head back to Europe for the 18th and final round of the season at Valencia in Spain next weekend. Loris Capirossi: “It has been a bit of a tough weekend, but I am quite happy today because I tried 100% all race and when you see a podium place that close it makes you try even harder. I struggled a bit to get past Colin as our bike still needs more speed to be able to overtake other riders – so that is still something we need to work on. Once I got past Colin I immediately caught up with Casey because he was quite a bit slower over the whole lap than me. I tried to overtake on turn two and then ran wide and he came back past, then on the next lap I went into a corner much faster to get past, but I touched the back of his bike and ran off the track! If I had got by Casey earlier I really believe I could have challenged for the podium, but it was not to be. I really want to say thanks to all my crew because again they have worked really hard this weekend in difficult conditions. We still have to keep pushing really hard for the extra performance we need – I believe in our potential and we really need to start next season with a good bike because I feel strong and still have a good opportunity to fight with the top guys, and I will try everything I can to make that happen.” Chris Vermeulen: “It was very hot today and that made it really difficult out there – the track was nearly 20 degrees hotter than it had been all weekend! I got a good start and felt very comfortable on the first lap. After a few laps I was right up with Loris and everything seemed to be working well, but I then had a few issues with front end grip and that continued as the race went on. With about eight laps left the rear grip started to go off, making the front and rear more even, and I was able to pass de-Puniet and get up to ninth. I thought we had enough pace to do better today, but that was the best we could mange and we have certainly taken some steps forward. I am now looking forward to see how the improvements we have made recently work at Valencia, which is a slower track and should probably not affect our horsepower deficit so much.” Nobuatsu Aoki: “The bike was working really well until near the end when we had a bit of problem with the feel of the front end. I thought I could have passed some guys to get a point but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that and we also had a few engine performance issues that caused my speed to drop I really hoped it would rain so I could come in and change the bike as I didn’t want to break the engine! I took it easy to the end of the race so that I could finish. I certainly believe from this we now have some very good data to help us for next year and I hope I can help develop the bike for the GP team a lot more.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “The results aren’t our best of the season, but the performances were top notch today, and but for a better start or grid position we certainly had the chance to fight for a podium. Towards the end of the race Loris was the second or third fastest rider on many laps and that is an encouraging sign, he pushed to the maximum all race and did a great job. Chris didn’t quite have the front end feeling today that he managed to generate on Friday, so he’s a bit disappointed with the end result, but by keeping his head down he also achieved a top-10 finish and helped Rizla Suzuki to move up to fourth position in the Team’s Championship. We are now looking forward to Valencia a track that Rizla Suzuki performed well at last year and to finish the season in style!” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Rossi takes ninth win of season, Pedrosa second in Sepang Round 17: Malaysia Race Sepang International Circuit Sunday 19 October 2008 Bridgestone-shod Valentino Rossi has claimed victory in this afternoon’s Malaysian Grand Prix to take the ninth win of his championship-winning season. The Yamaha rider took the lead from Honda’s Dani Pedrosa at the halfway point of the race and continued to build an unassailable lead up to the chequered flag. The win represents the 14th win on Bridgestone tyres in the 17 races held so far this year with just the Valencia GP remaining next week. Pole sitter Pedrosa led into the first corner and fended off Rossi for 11 laps before settling into a comfortable second place where he ultimately finished the 21-lap race. Second marks a one place improvement over Pedrosa’s previous best on Bridgestone tyres, a third place in Japan three weeks ago, in only his fourth race running with Bridgestone. Fellow Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso rounded out the podium in third place just over four seconds behind Pedrosa. Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano repeated his strong fifth-placed finish from Australia a fortnight ago with another spirited ride in Sepang. Starting from 15th on the grid, the Japanese rider was up to sixth place on the first lap and eventually made his way up to fifth spot, right on the back of the podium battle. Ducati’s Casey Stoner was sixth and cemented second place in the championship. Suzuki duo Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen both scored top ten results in seventh and ninth places respectively, keeping them both solidly in the top ten of the world championship. Tyre longevity is always crucial in Sepang’s extreme heat with ambient temperatures nudging 40 degrees Celsius and track temperatures well over 50 today, so it was a tough race for all riders and consistency over the grueling race distance proved a key factor. Rossi set fifteen of his 21 race laps under the 2m03s mark with his best lap, 2m02.249s the fastest of the race, albeit just over a tenth-of-a-second off the existing race lap record, set in last year’s race by Casey Stoner. Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit “Well done to Valentino for another great win today and also to Dani for taking his best result so far on Bridgestone tyres. I am pleased with the overall result today with another 1-2 and our third win in Malaysia in the last four years. Shinya also had another great ride today repeating his fifth place from Australia, while Casey finished just a bit further back in sixth. Although sixth is not where he would want to finish the race, we are nevertheless happy to see him secure his second place in the championship. This race is always very tough on riders and teams considering the intense heat, so we are thankful to everyone for their support this weekend. We have had to mount a lot of different tyres this weekend due to the changeable weather conditions and our fitting crew did a great job in these difficult circumstances.” Tohru Ubukata Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Race Tyre Development “The performance of our tyres has been quite good in this afternoon’s Malaysian Grand Prix, especially in the heat that we have experienced. Generally, the range of tyres that was used was reasonably consistent over the race distance, which is a particularly important factor at this race. Valentino and Dani set some very impressive lap times in the first half of the race and it was this period that helped them break away from the rest of the group. However, there was some slight drop off in performance towards the end of the race, but that seemed to be the case for everybody. I think we can be reasonably satisfied with today’s results after another demanding Malaysian weekend.” Valentino Rossi Yamaha Race Winner and 2008 World Champion “I’m pleased with this victory because we worked strongly on our M1 during the winter here in Sepang. We knew we had a great potential because I like the track and the bike is suitable for these types of corner. It was a very tough race because the temperature was incredible. So it was a long, long race already after five or six laps. I had a good start at the beginning and was involved in a hard battle with Dani, but after half of the race I got in front. I knew I had a good pace and I made ten laps in front alone. This track is enjoyable but difficult, so I’m happy to take my ninth victory of the season. We now head to Valencia where we aim for another good result.” Bridgestone-shod Riders’ Race Results and Tyre Choices Pos. Rider Team Race Time Gap Front Tyre (all 16.5”) Rear Tyre (all 16.5”) P1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 43m06.007s Winner Slick-Hard Slick-Hard P2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 43m10.015s +4.008s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P5 Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m16.590s +10.583s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P6 Casey Stoner Ducati Corse 43m19.647s +13.640s Slick-Hard Slick-Hard P7 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 43m21.943s +15.936s Slick-Hard Slick-Hard P9 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 43m29.181s +23.174s Slick-Hard Slick-Hard P11 John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 43m33.616s +27.609s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P12 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team 43m47.406s +41.399s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P13 Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team 43m51.624s +45.617s Slick-Hard Slick-Hard P14 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m55.010s +49.003s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P15 Toni Elias Alice Team 44m05.146s +59.139s Slick-Hard Slick-Medium P16 Marco Melandri Ducati Corse 44m09.335s +1m03.328s Slick-Medium Slick-Soft P17 Nobuatsu Aoki Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 44m54.370s +1m48.363s Slick Medium Slick-Hard Weather: Dry Air 36°C, Track 55°C (Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by JiR Team Scot Honda: Andrea Dovizioso secures first podium with JiR Team Scot, 3rd at Sepang Andrea Dovizioso concluded the weekend of the Malaysian Grand Prix by climbing for the first time onto a MotoGP podium after battling hard in a long race. When the lights went out, the JiR Team Scot rider made a good start, slotting into third position behind Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi at the first corner. The duel for the third step of the podium was a fierce one between Nicky Hayden and Andrea. The JiR Team Scot rider held the upper-hand until a few laps from the end when Nicky launched an attack, passing Andrea frequently, but the Italian replied blow-for-blow. For Andrea and JiR Team Scot this first podium has the taste of victory in a season full of satisfaction and hard work, where they have exploited to the full the satellite Honda RC212V package. Andrea is now firmly in fifth place in the ranking, 17 points ahead of Hayden as they look to the final round in Valencia. Gianluca Montiron Director JiR Team Scot “A fitting tribute to Andrea who made a good race and also to the team that worked so hard throughout the weekend. After a good start Andrea was able to defend his position until the end, collecting his first podium. This has been a weekend that has certainly increased his experience. In the championship ranking we are the first among the Honda customer teams, and this is also representative of the excellent work of our Team.” Andrea Dovizioso Rider JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA RC212V 3rd position, 7th Time: 2’02 “881 “Today I am happy! The first podium in MotoGP, after so much work in a season full of satisfaction: this is important for me and for my team. I wanted to give other podiums to the team but I hope that this will repay them for all the work done this year, but it is also a thanks for the seven years that we have competed together. With the Scot Team I won the world 125cc championship and we wanted to achieve something spectacular, given that next year I will be in the works HRC Repsol Honda team. The race was hard and after a good start, Valentino and Dani gained ground, while Nicky I were left behind. I led alone, focusing on myself, because I had no references in front and felt the approach of Nicky’s Honda going into every turn! When I saw the group behind, I realised my situation and realised that I could not afford to make the slightest mistake. I made the most of the tyres, which in these conditions slid a lot, and I had to drive hard by picking the bike up out of the corners early. Over the last few laps I was passed by Nicky but I managed to finish ahead and finally realise my podium finish. Thanks again to everyone on my team as every one of them has always been close to me and supportive.” Cirano Mularoni Team Manager JiR Team Scot “For this season we set two goals for the championship: fifth overall and the final position on the podium at a race or two. Today we managed to seize the result that we lacked for the whole season, but one that we have repeatedly almost been able to touch! Andrea ran a great race, continually defending his third place in difficult weather conditions, which have severely tested his physical endurance. Special thanks must also go to the Team that has worked well throughout the weekend. Giovanni Torri the president of the Scot Group has also congratulated Andrea and the whole Team.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: De Puniet POSITIVE 1oth AT SEPANG RACE TRACK Sepang, 19 October 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made a positive race at the 5.548 Km Sepang circuit today starting from the third row and getting the 10th final place. The penultimate round of the season at the Malaysian circuit was held in very hot conditions with air temperature of 39°C whilst the asphalt temperature rose up to 42°C. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V qualified tenth in this morning warm up session and was confident ahead the 21-lap race but Randy did not make a perfect start finishing the first lap in 13th position. Despite the tropical heat and the injured right wrist, the 27-year-old managed to finish the race in the top-ten. The LCR team will now move to Spain for the last round of the season at Valencia circuit. De Puniet 10th : “At the start I released the clutch to early and did a big wheeling loosing a few positions. After the first lap I started to set my rhythm and was pretty comfortable despite the heat. I enjoyed battling with Toseland because he passed me twice and I did the same with him but at the end he crashed. Then I caught Hopkins and passed him in the fifth lap pushing hard to catch the first group. My pace was pretty fast but I took a big risk in the last corner at four laps to go and preferred to reduce the speed. In the middle of the race my right wrist started to ache a lot and was very hard for me to change directions and to brake in the corners”. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP RACE REPORT: MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX Rossi returns to top spot; Hayden edged in duel for final podium position KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008 Reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi pulled away from pole sitter Dani Pedrosa to win the steamy Malaysian Grand Prix on Oct. 19, his ninth victory of the season. Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Rossi prevailed by 4.008 seconds over Pedrosa on his Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone in air temperatures of approximately 104 degrees F. Rookie Andrea Dovizioso edged American star Nicky Hayden for third on his JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda/Michelin, earning the first podium position of his career. Rossi extended his streak of podium finishes to eight consecutive races this season and earned the 150th podium finish of his illustrious Grand Prix career across all classes. “I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories,” Rossi said. “Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! “Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani, I tried to pass many times, but he was very fast and very consistent, and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap, I understood better where it was possible, and eventually I could make my move and go away from him.” Pedrosa led the first 10 laps on his Repsol Honda Team Honda/Bridgestone. But Rossi dove under Pedrosa under braking at the hairpin at Turn 9 of the Sepang International Circuit and never trailed thereafter despite drizzle dampening the track late in the race. Hayden and Dovizioso traded spots numerous times as they dueled for third before Dovizioso kept the position. Still, it was Hayden’s fourth consecutive top-five result on the Repsol Honda Team Honda/Michelin, a streak that started with a runner-up finish at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “A couple of times I was able to get in front of Dovi, but he held tough,” Hayden said. “Man, he don’t give in for nothing. It was a fun battle. I tried everything I could. “Maybe I should have tried something a little more silly on the last lap. That’s always hindsight, but sure, I’ll beat myself up tonight, thinking I should have taken some bigger chances, but I was already pushing hard. Congratulations to Dovi on his first podium.” American Colin Edwards finished eighth on his Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha/Michelin, his third straight top-10 result. John Hopkins rounded out the American finishers in 11th. In off-track news during this event, Bridgestone was named as the single tire supplier for the MotoGP class from 2009-11. Also, Pramac Racing announced that 250cc standout Mika Kallio of Finland and Ducati test rider Niccolo Canepa of Italy will race Ducatis for its MotoGP team in 2009. Canepa was the quickest rider during the inaugural MotoGP test at IMS in July. *** RESULTS KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Results of the 21-lap Malaysian Grand Prix race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle/tire, time behind winner: 1. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha/Bridgestone 2. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda/Bridgestone +4.008 seconds 3. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda/Michelin +8.536 4. Nicky Hayden United States Honda/Michelin +8.858 5. Shinya Nakano Japan Honda/Bridgestone +10.583 6. Casey Stoner Australia Ducati/Bridgestone +13.640 7. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki/Bridgestone +15.936 8. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha/Michelin +18.802 9. Chris Vermeulen Australia Suzuki/Bridgestone +23.174 10. Randy de Puniet France Honda/Michelin +25.516 11. John Hopkins United States Kawasaki/Bridgestone +27.609 12. Anthony West Australia Kawasaki/Bridgestone +41.399 13. Sylvain Guintoli France Ducati/Bridgestone +45.617 14. Alex de Angelis San Marino Honda/Bridgestone +49.003 15. Toni Elias Spain Ducati/Bridgestone +59.139 16. Marco Melandri Italy Ducati/Bridgestone +1:03.328 17. Nobuatsu Aoki Japan Suzuki/Bridgestone +1:48.363 18. Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha/Michelin +9 laps 19. James Toseland Great Britain Yamaha/Michelin +19 laps Fastest lap: Rossi, 2:02.249, Lap 2 Pole lap: Pedrosa, 2:01.548 *** POINTS Riders: Rossi 357, Stoner 255, Pedrosa 229, Lorenzo 182, Dovizioso 161, Hayden 144; Edwards 134, Vermeulen 125, Nakano 117, Capirossi 111, Toseland 100, Elias 92, Guintoli 63, de Puniet 60, de Angelis 57, Hopkins 55, Melandri 51, West 50, Ben Spies 20, Jamie Hacking 5, Tadayuki Okada 2. Manufacturers: Yamaha 386, Ducati 296, Honda 295, Suzuki 174, Kawasaki 86. *** PODIUM QUOTES VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, winner): “I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani, I tried to pass many times, but he was very fast and very consistent, and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap, I understood better where it was possible, and eventually I could make my move and go away from him. Everything worked very well today in such conditions, my M1 and my Bridgestone tires, and I want to thank everyone for making me so fast all weekend. I love winning here because it’s such a great track, but today was really a test, especially the last five laps when I really had to make an effort to keep my concentration in such incredible heat. Anyway, it was important to wi n here because when we came here in the winter I did a very fast race simulation, and I promised my new Bridgestone tire technician, Peter, that we would win the race. I took a gamble in February, so I had to win today. Finally I want to congratulate my friend Marco Simoncelli for winning the 250cc World Championship today. I know how hard he has worked to get here and he really deserves it I am very happy for him.” DANI PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team Honda/Bridgestone, second): “It was a very tough race, and I’m happy very about this result. I want to thank my team. We have worked well, improving every session. On Friday morning, we were only 17th, I think. Then we started moving forward and yesterday we were able to get pole and today I finished second, so finally it has been a good weekend for me and my team. We have made another important step forward after Phillip Island, where I crashed out of the race and hurt my left knee. At the end of today’s race, Valentino was faster than me. He always puts on some extra pressure toward the end, so it was difficult to follow him, but we were closer this time than we were at Motegi, so I am happy that we are making progress with our new bike and tires. It has been a little bit difficult for me and my team to get used this package so late in the season, but we are getting faster every race, and this is important. If we can get closer at the next ra ce, then we know we are working in a good direction. I am looking forward to Valencia next week. There will be a lot of Spanish fans there.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda/Michelin, third): “I was afraid in the last three laps, because I didn’t know where Nicky wanted to try to overtake me. When he overtook me with four laps remaining, I overtook him again and wanted to push 100 percent for the last three laps because we didn’t have the power down the straight, so I had to stay in front of him. For the last three laps I went very fast given my package, so I’m very happy. Before I finished the year, it was very important for me to get a podium. But it’s very difficult for us. During the season there were many races where we were near the podium, but it was very difficult for us, so I’m really happy and want to say thank you to all the team.: AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES NICKY HAYDEN (Repsol Honda Team Honda/Michelin, fourth): “We knew it was never going to be easy. All weekend we’ve been sixth and seventh, and with the changeable weather we were never really able to find anything setup-wise. Then we had a bad warm-up. We tried some stuff overnight and went a bit backward, so for the race I was quite unsure how it was going to go. We put the bike back to how it was yesterday morning, and it was OK, but I was just missing that little bit. The race honestly went better than I thought I would; it could’ve been uglier. I pushed hard. A couple of times I was able to get in front of Dovi, but he held tough. Man, he don’t give in for nothing. I enjoyed the battle. It was fun battling for the podium after the dudes up front took off early. I tried everything I could. I was pushing the front quite a lot, through Turn 3 mainly. Maybe I should have tried something a little more silly on the last lap. That’s always hindsight, but sure, I’ll beat myself u p tonight, thinking I should have taken some bigger chances, but I was already pushing hard. Congratulations to Dovi on his first podium; he earned it.” COLIN EDWARDS (Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha/Michelin, eighth): “I thought I’d got a good start, and I must have done because I nearly tangled with Jorge off the line and he was on the front row. It was pretty close, but luckily we didn’t touch. But at the first corner, people started coming around me, and there was a bit of bumping and barging and I lost a couple more places. Nakano and Capirossi came by, but in the first eight laps I felt pretty good and I got into the high 2.02s. I was right on the back of the bunch, but I felt like I was losing a bit on acceleration. As much as I’d close up on the brakes, I’d lose coming onto the back straight and the front straight. It was so hot and the track temperature was so high that the balance of the bike changed around the halfway point. Once the rear grip goes down a bit, it stops transferring weight on the front. I kept my head down and tried to push because I could still see the group in front. But I couldn’t get any pace going coming out of the corners, and I made a couple of little mistakes. I’m really disappointed, even though it is my best result ever at this race. But eighth is well below where I want to be. I leave here knowing I did the best I could do, and I hope I can give the team and Yamaha a strong finish in Valencia next week.” JOHN HOPKINS (Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki/Bridgestone, 11th): “I got away from the start pretty well, but then I got pushed out wide a couple of times in the first lap, so I didn’t manage to make up as many places as I was hoping for. Initially the lap times were good, but as soon as the rear tire started to go off, I began having problems. We improved confidence in the front this weekend, so I was able to close right onto the back of Vermeulen into the turns, but I was losing ground on the exit every time. The bike was just spinning off the edge of the rear tire on the throttle, and it continued spinning once you’d picked it up onto the fat part of the tire. With five laps to go, the rear grip dropped off even more, giving me no chance of catching de Puniet and Vermeulen before the end. Rear traction has been a consistent issue this season, and it’s an area that we need to look at very closely if we’re to fully understand the cause and ensure that we don’t transfer the sam e problem to the 2009 bike. The result today was disappointing because I really thought it was possible to get into the top 10.” *** MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS 250cc: Alvaro Bautista, Spain, Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia. Marco Simoncelli of Italy finished third to clinch 2008 250cc World Championship. 125cc: Gabor Talmacsi, Hungary, Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia. American Stevie Bonsey placed 24th due to engine failure and is 14th in series points. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: PEDROSA’S BEST YET WITH NEW TECH PACKAGEISLAND Repsol Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang Race day, Sunday October 18 2008 Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa rode a brilliant race at witheringly hot Sepang this day, leading the first ten laps and finally finishing in a strong second place. The result completed an impressive weekend for the Spaniard, who yesterday scored his second pole position of the year and his first pole with his new technical package of pneumatic-valve RC212V and Bridgestone tyres, which he only started using last month. The race was a huge challenge for riders, with ambient temperatures reaching 40 degrees and a light drizzle falling at several corners at three-quarter distance. Pedrosa got the holeshot from pole and set a scorching pace, Valentino Rossi the only rider who could go with him. In the end he had to settle for second, his best result with his new bike and tyres, proving that his team is making excellent progress. The race featured excellent performance from three other Honda riders, making it four RC212Vs in the top five finishing positions. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V) took third, Pedrosa’s team-mate Nicky Hayden was just a fraction behind in fourth and Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Gresini Honda RC212V) took a close fifth. Next weekend’s Valencia GP in Spain is the 18th and last MotoGP race of 2008. Dani Pedrosa, finished 2nd, 3rd in World Championship “It was a very tough race and I’m happy very about this result. I want to thank my team, we have worked well, improving every session. On Friday morning we were only 17th, I think, then we started moving forward and yesterday we were able to get pole and today I finished second, so finally it has been a good weekend for me and my team. We have made another important step forward after Phillip Island where I crashed out of the race and hurt my left knee. At the end of today’s race Valentino was faster than me, he always puts on some extra pressure towards the end, so it was difficult to follow him, but we were closer this time than we were at Motegi [where Pedrosa finished third], so I am happy that we are making progress with our new bike and tyres. It has been a little bit difficult for me and my team to get used this package so late in the season, but we are getting faster every race and this is important. If we can get closer at the next race then we know we are working in a good direction. I am looking forward to Valencia next week: there will be a lot of Spansh fans there.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “Dani rode a good race, this is his best result since changing bike and tyres, so my thanks to him, to the team and to Bridgestone. He scored a podium at Motegi last month but today he was much closer to the winner, which is a good sign. Now we will work very hard in the lead up to next weekend’s Valencia GP, where we really want to win, like Dani and the team did last year.” More, from another press release issued by Repsol Honda: HAYDEN BATTLES FOR THIRD AT RED-HOT SEPANG Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang Race day, Sunday October 18 2008 Repsol Honda RC212V rider Nicky Hayden enjoyed a thrilling battle for the final podium position at tropically hot Sepang this afternoon, finally finishing a close fourth. His team-mate Dani Pedrosa led the first ten laps and came home second. Hayden fought long and hard for third place, sneaking ahead of rival Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V) on a couple of occasions and crossing the finishing line just three tenths behind the Italian. Today’s result continues a strong run of results from the American, with two podiums from the last four races. Honda machines featured well in today’s race, with four RC212Vs in the top five. Conditions were ultra tough, with ambient temperatures reaching 40 degrees. Next weekend’s Valencia GP is the 18th and final race of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. Nicky Hayden, finished 4th, 6th in World Championship “We knew it was never going to be easy all weekend we’ve been sixth and seventh, and with the changeable weather we were never really able to find anything set-up-wise. Then we had a bad warm-up. We tried some stuff overnight and went a bit backwards, so for the race I was quite unsure how it was going to go. We put the bike back to how it was yesterday morning, and it was okay, but I was just missing that little bit. The race honestly went better than I thought I would, it could’ve been uglier. I pushed hard, a couple of times I was able to get in front of Dovi, but he held tough. Man, he don’t give in for nothing. I enjoyed the battle, it was fun battling for the podium after the dudes up front took off early. I tried everything I could, I was pushing the front quite a lot, through Turn Three mainly. Maybe I should have tried something a little more silly on the last lap, that’s always hindsight, but sure I’ll beat myself up tonight, thinking I should have taken some bigger chances, but I was already pushing hard. Congratulations to Dovi on his first podium, he earned it.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “Nicky again pushed hard, his motivation is very high, and he was so close to scoring his third podium in four races. He had a great race with Andrea, they were both riding very hard, so it was difficult for them to overtake each other. Nicky ran wide a couple of times, so he lost his chance to attack at the end of the last lap. My thanks to him, to the team and to Michelin for their efforts here. Now we target Valencia, and the target is the same as always: to win.” More, from a press release issued by Michelin: MICHELIN MAN DOVIZIOSO SCORES FIRST PODIUM Michelin riders Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) provided the most entertaining action of today’s sweltering-hot Malaysian GP, battling for third place throughout most of the race. MotoGP rookie Dovizioso eventually won the duel to score his first elite-class podium, the Italian crossing the finish line just 0.3 second ahead of the American. For a while it looked like Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) might also join in the fun, but the Spaniard slid off at half-distance while in the group fighting for third. Conditions were the toughest of the year for riders with temperatures reaching 40 degrees [104 F] and complicated by light drizzle falling during the second half of the 21-lap event. Not only that, changeable conditions during practice and qualifying, with rainfall on both days, prevented riders and teams from doing a lot of laps on race tires, leaving Michelin’s technicians the task of choosing race tires according to this morning’s warm-up session. “Today’s race was very tough, for the riders and also for the tires because the ambient and track temperatures were so high,” said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “Our riders didn’t have so much time during practice to put a lot of laps on their tires, so we had to decide race tires based on the results of morning warm-up. We are quite happy with today’s result because our tires remained fast and consistent throughout the race. Also, we enjoyed a very good fight between Andrea and Nicky for more than half the race. They both chose similar tires and both rode very well. We are happy for Andrea, because this is his first MotoGP podium. He is a strong rider and he has been clever and pushed very hard throughout his rookie season. It was a shame that Jorge fell. He was doing some very good lap times at that time and could have had a great result today, but that’s racing. Now we switch our concentration to the last race of the year at Valencia where we will do our maximum as always.” Dovizioso was rightly delighted with his first top-three result in MotoGP. “It has been a difficult year with so much to learn, especially about the electronics, which we didn’t use in 250s,” he said. “I’m really happy now because this is a good reward for our hard work. It was a difficult race because the heat was unbelievable and because Nicky was behind me all the way so I could never examine his lines, so I don’t know where he would try to overtake. Thanks to all my team, to Honda and to Michelin.”