MotoGP Race Results From Phillip Island:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 27 laps, 41:08.542 2. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -1.007 seconds 3. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, -4.215 seconds 4. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, -4.232 seconds 5. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -14.088 seconds 6. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, -33.200 seconds 7. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -45.055 seconds 8. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -45.103 seconds 9. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, -45.104 seconds 10. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -50.260 seconds 11. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, -50.697 seconds 12. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, -68.324 seconds 13. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, -91.737 seconds 14. James ELLISON, Blata, -1 lap 15. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, -1 lap 16. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, -2 laps, pitted 17. Alex BARROS, Honda, -5 laps, DNF, crash 18. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -27 laps, DNF, crash

MotoGP World Championship Point Standings (after 15 of 17 races):

1. ROSSI, 331 points 2. TIE, HAYDEN/MELANDRI, 170 points 4. EDWARDS, 162 points 5. BIAGGI, 159 points 6. CAPIROSSI, 148 points 7. GIBERNAU, 137 points 8. BARROS, 129 points 9. Carlos CHECA, 114 points 10. NAKANO, 87 points 11. TAMADA, 76 points 12. ROBERTS, 63 points 13. HOPKINS, 59 points 14. ELIAS, 58 points 15. Troy BAYLISS, 54 points 16. XAUS, 49 points 17. TIE, JACQUE/ROLFO, 25 points 19. Alex HOFMANN, 22 points 20. Jurgen vd GOORBERGH, 12 points 21. TIE, BATTAINI/ELLISON, 7 points 23. Shane BYRNE, 6 points 24. VERMEULEN, 5 points 25. David CHECA, 4 points 26. Tohru UKAWA, 1 point

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO IN STUNNING SURGE TO SEVENTH IN MAGIC ISLAND FINISH

With a stunning surge on the final lap, Japanese race ace Shinya Nakano rode his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR into a hard-earned seventh place in today’s Australian Grand Prix.

In a breathtaking finish to the 27-lap race, Nakano crossed the line just 0.04s ahead of factory Honda rider Makoto Tamada who was eighth.

The three-way photo-finish also included Yamaha’s Toni Elias who was ninth, just 0.001 behind Tamada, as the trio flashed across the line side-by-side.

Nakano’s teammate Olivier Jacque was classified 16th, two laps down, after making a pitstop to change a rear tyre.

The sun-soaked race at Phillip Island was won by Valentino Rossi and watched by 43,400 spectators.

It was another superb display of clever race craft by Nakano, who battled a persistent gearbox downshift problem from the start that compromised the braking performance of his bike.

But over the final five laps Nakano was able to use the consistent race grip on the critical left side of his Bridgestone rear tyre to close on, and then outsmart, Tamada and Elias.

Nakano started the final lap in ninth place, in the slipstream of his rivals. He passed Tamada on the fast, sweeping back section – on the run from Siberia corner – and then timed his flying finish to perfection.

Nakano rocketed off the long and fast turn 12 and dived past Elias to claim seventh as the chequered flag was waved.

Because of the downshift problem Nakano was forced to spend most of the race patiently following Tamada and Elias, so as not to risk crashing under hard braking.

Nakano’s seventh place allowed him to consolidate his tenth place in the championship standings, ahead of nearest rival, Tamada.

Jacque was bitterly disappointed with his race after running straight-on at the first hairpin twice, before stopping on lap 11 for a new rear tyre. He rejoined the race and set a string of consistent laps to finish the race just out of the points.

Shinya Nakano: #56 – Seventh “Only the final lap was exciting for me, at 100%, but the rest of the race was not much fun – just cruising behind Tamada-san and Toni. After practice I did not expect this result, so that is the good point, but I’m not happy because we did not achieve our maximum potential today. From the start I had a downshift problem, and after missing a gear once in the early laps, I had to be careful under braking. I could only follow, not race. But my rear Bridgestone gave me the advantage on the final lap, especially on the drive-side – the left – and the ZX-RR motor was working well, so I attacked and was able to finish seventh. I couldn’t push before that because of the gearbox, and also a lack of feeling from the right-side of the rear tyre.”

Olivier Jacque: #19 – Sixteenth “I feel very bad. The only consolation is that I rejoined the race and made it to the chequered flag and got more experience on the ZX-RR. For the whole weekend I have had a problem with braking stability, the bike was very sensitive in this area. After twice going straight at the hairpin I came in and changed the rear tyre and, after going back out, I was able to pass both Vermeulen and Hopkins, and the bike was fast and consistent. It’s a shame, I wanted to fight for a better result than this.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager “Again, Shinya has taken the maximum possible from a difficult situation – his timing on the final lap was just perfect. We had some problems this weekend with set-up, both braking stability and grip, and this result was unexpected, but very satisfying after all the hard work by the team.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications:

Rossi takes eleventh win as Pedrosa clinches 250cc title at Phillip Island

Valentino Rossi took his eleventh victory of the season in a thrilling race at the Polini Australian Grand Prix on Sunday to extend his unbeaten record at Phillip Island to five years. Rossi was pushed all the way by a determined performance from Nicky Hayden, who led for the opening two laps after starting from pole position before Rossi took control. The Italian’s initial lead lasted until the halfway stage when, after several attempts to break Hayden’s resistance, he allowed the American a brief spell at the front. However, with eight laps remaining Rossi regained control and opened up a one-second advantage that he maintained until the end of the race, clinching the constructors’ World Championship for Yamaha to add to the teams and riders’ titles.

“It has been an amazing season and today we have won the constructors’ title for Yamaha in the year of their 50th Anniversary so I am very happy, congratulations to everybody,” said Rossi. “Eleven wins for the year is a fantastic achievement and to do it at Phillip Island is very special. I have won a lot of races here, a lot of important races, and it is a magic track for me I love it. Today was tough, I had a great rival in Nicky Hayden and it was a great race.”

Hayden’s plight to stay in touch with Rossi was hindered by a spirited performance from Honda colleague Marco Melandri, who came through from eighth on the grid to challenge for second place at the midway stage of the race. By the time Hayden had shaken off the Italian’s attentions it was too late for him to catch Rossi, despite clocking virtually identical times to the race leader over the closing laps.

A late charge from Carlos Checa saw Ducati celebrating at the end of a difficult weekend, the Spaniard riding alone today in the absence of his injured team-mate Loris Capirossi and coming through to snatch the final podium position from Melandri with a draft pass at the finish line. With Capirossi missing out on today’s race and Max Biaggi crashing on the opening lap, fourth place for Melandri moves him up to second in the championship, level on points with Hayden with just two rounds remaining.

Whilst Sete Gibernau relegated Colin Edwards to sixth place in today’s race with an aggressive pass just four laps from the end, the American also moved ahead of Capirossi and Biaggi in the championship and now lies fourth, just eight points behind Hayden and Melandri. Alex Barros is now all but out of the chase for the runner-up spot after crashing heavily with five laps remaining of today’s race and dropping to eighth in the championship. However, his temporary team-mate Chris Vermeulen will be pleased with his performance after taking eleventh place on his MotoGP debut following a close battle for tenth with John Hopkins.

Dani Pedrosa celebrated the 250cc World Championship title for the second successive season at Phillip Island, taking a surprise victory after his only remaining rival crashed out. Local favourite Casey Stoner started well from pole position but lost control of his Aprilia on the fourth lap, taking factory colleague Alex de Angelis down with him and handing Pedrosa the chance to take the title if he could secure victory. Jorge Lorenzo briefly led before last year’s winner Sebastian Porto took control, with Pedrosa stalking the Argentinean all the way to the final corner before emerging to take a dramatic win by just 0.027 seconds at the line. Lorenzo completed the podium in a lonely third place, with Hector Barbera clinching fourth after an entertaining battle with Andrea Dovizioso and Hiroshi Aoyama.

Thomas Lüthi leads the 125cc World Championship by twelve points after sealing his fourth victory of the season in the day’s opening race. Lüthi bolted from pole position and forged an immediate advantage that he would hold until the end of the race. Mika Kallio, who led the series by two points going into today’s event, battled for second place until the final lap in a combative group but could only manage fifth place as Tomoyoshi Koyama and Marco Simoncelli completed the podium, with Mattia Pasini in fourth place.

More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha:

YAMAHA CLINCHES CONSTRUCTORS’ CROWN WITH ROSSI’S 11TH WIN

Yamaha completed a clean sweep for 2005 today as the Constructors’ World Championship was added to the Riders’ and Teams’ titles thanks to Valentino Rossi’s eleventh win of the season at Phillip Island. The Gauloises Yamaha Team rider held off a strong challenge from Nicky Hayden (Honda) to continue his undefeated run at this circuit, which stretches back to 2001.

Rossi started well from second on the grid and chased pole setter Hayden over the opening two laps before taking the lead and making several attempts to escape. However the American hung on and was presented with the opportunity to retake the lead when Rossi dropped the pace at the halfway stage. After studying Hayden for three laps, Rossi regained control on lap nineteen and managed to open out a one-second cushion as Hayden became embroiled in a scrap with Marco Melandri (Honda). Hayden eventually got the better of the Italian but Rossi was able to control his lead until the end of the race, winning by 1.007 seconds.

Colin Edwards remains in the hunt for second in the riders’ championship after a battling sixth place finish today. The Texan had struggled all weekend to match the excellent pace he found here during pre-season testing and was unable to hang on to the front group after starting from fifth on the grid. Edwards now lies in fourth place overall, eight points behind Hayden and Melandri, who are tied for second with two rounds remaining.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st 41’08.542)

“It has been an amazing season and today we have won the constructors’ title for Yamaha in the year of their 50th Anniversary, so I am very happy. Congratulations to everybody. Eleven wins in the year matches my own record and to do it at Phillip Island is very special for me. I have won a lot of important races here, especially the 2001 500cc title and the title last year for Yamaha and it is a magic track for me I love it. Today was tough, I had a great rival in Nicky Hayden and it was a great race. I got to the front after two laps and had a good rhythm so I pushed two or three times to escape. Every time Nicky came with me so I let him pass me just to see how it was. Then some more riders arrived so I tried again and this time I managed to get a one second advantage, which was like gold! I managed to hold it until the last lap and to celebrate the win in front of this great crowd is always a magnificent pleasure. Thank you to them and to everybody else who has made this season so special.”

COLIN EDWARDS (6th +33.200)

“That wasn’t great. We’ve been chasing our tail a little bit all weekend with the set-up and unfortunately we ran out of time and ideas. In the winter everything seemed okay here but this time we’ve been playing catch-up. In the end we went towards Valentino’s setting, which was obviously working well for him, but for me it was just spinning up too much, even with the front wheel off the ground, which isn’t normal. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work and congratulate Yamaha for the constructors’ title. It’s just a shame it didn’t work out for me today.”

JEREMY BURGESS VALENTINO ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF

“It’s been a good weekend for us, starting off with some fast and consistent times on Friday and Saturday and then staying in good shape as the other riders got better in the build-up to the race. Valentino controlled the race today and gave another example of why he is World Champion he rides with his head as much as his wrist. It was nice for the Australian guys in the team to win their home race but more than that we are delighted for Yamaha to win the constructors’ title. It was our only remaining target for the season so now we can look forward to the last two rounds and see what comes up.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

Hopkins keeps it on the Island for a top 10 finish

Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer John Hopkins secured his fifth top 10 finish of the season after today’s Polini Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island near Melbourne.

The hard-charging Anglo-American had struggled all weekend to find the optimum set-up for his Suzuki GSV-R, but during morning warm-up he found some small improvements which enabled him to run an aggressive and consistent pace throughout the race. His never-say-die attitude was summed up as he overtook Chris Vermeulen to move into 10th place on the last lap of the race.

Hopkins had been left to fly the sole Suzuki flag – after team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr had been forced home due to an injury and he continued the impressive run of form that has seen him consistently score points at recent races.

Today’s race was held in warm sunny conditions and over 43,000 exuberant fans witnessed another victory for World Champion Valentino Rossi.

Team SUZUKI MotoGP now travels directly to Turkey for next Sunday’s race – the first MotoGP race to be staged there. This will be the fifth and final leg of a gruelling six week schedule before the Team returns to Europe for the final race of the season at Valencia next month, when Roberts Jr hopes to make a return.

John Hopkins:

“I wanted to finish in the top 10 and we finished in the top 10. Unfortunately we had to have two riders go down that were in front of us for us to finish there, I hope they are both alright. The race was pretty good though, we made a lot of improvements to the bike just before the race. I got bumped and pushed wide by Nakano on the second lap and lost a couple of places and then I had to fight back from there. I got held up a bit by Olivier Jacque and that allowed Nakano to get away. Unfortunately with our bike being a bit down on acceleration from the others it means we need to use the draft to our advantage, and the group in front got away. Then Vermeulen came past, but I didn’t want to pass him, so I stayed in his draft because I figured he could pull me along and we could catch up to the group in front. We made up a bit of time but not enough. I had it planned that I would get Vermeulen on the last lap and I did that. What more can I say other than let’s go to Turkey, I’m sure it will be a delight!”

Paul Denning Team Manager:

“We thought a top 10 might have been possible before the race and we just about scraped in there. John will be the first to admit that Phillip Island is one of the final tracks he has not yet truly mastered. After the race he was frustrated because he found some stuff which would’ve helped him over the course of the weekend in terms of line and technique.

The Bridgestone tyres worked very, very consistently and enabled John to get into 10th on the last lap. It was a shame that the group in front had broken away because over the last 15 laps the times between that group and John and Chris Vermeulen were almost identical. Possibly in terms of getting the right settings solution we missed Kenny’s input over the weekend and one thing that the race has confirmed without a shadow of a doubt is that our engine performance must move forward a dramatic amount for us to be truly competitive. The team, the riders and the Factory are all aware of this fact and the concentration is now firmly on 2006 with that area of the motorcycle being of the utmost priority.”

More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

ALEX IN PAIN BUT UNHURT, CHRIS CONFIRMED FOR NEXT RACE

Alex Barros crashed five laps from the end of a race in which he was riding well in sixth position. The Brazilian lost control of the front of this bike in turn number eight, and took a heavy blow to his left hand side. He was taken to the medical centre, and was put under observation to ensure there were no problems with his spleen, but in the end fortunately all the tests came back negative and he was released. In the next few days he will be forced to take some rest. Chris Vermeulen’s MotoGP debut was a success, as he crossed the finish line he was just a whisker away from the top 10 in the Phillip Island Grand Prix, in eleventh place. The young Australian is also confirmed to ride for the team in Turkey next weekend.

Sito Pons Camel Honda “I’m obviously very disappointed about Alex’s crash, but luckily despite the way he spectacularly flew through the air there were no serious injuries, although it was a big bump. He started with a disadvantage – on the grid in twelfth place but he managed to make lots of passing manoeuvres and made his way up to sixth, which he held on to with a good rhythm. Then he lost the front and crashed. As regards Chris, I think he did a really good race. He didn’t get a good start, but then he recovered quickly and overtook three riders and rode at a similar rhythm to the group in front of him. He still has a lot to learn, but he has shown the mentality and the work ethic required to do well. He will ride with us again in Turkey and he will be able to improve even more.”

Alex Barros Camel Honda crash “At the moment I’m in a lot of pain even though they’ve given me some painkillers. I took a big hit to my side but everything’s hurting at the moment. I was riding well, keeping my rhythm going without pushing too hard but then I suddenly lost control of the front. It would have all been okay if I had just slid out and travelled along the ground, but when I hit the gravel trap the sudden deceleration flipped me up into the air. In any case now I must try and rest as much as possible before we decide what to do in Turkey.”

Chris Vermeulen Camel Honda 11th “It was an okay race, nothing more as far as I’m concerned. I wanted to get into the top ten, but I got boxed in at the start and took the first lap cautiously. Then I picked up the pace, I felt good and passed Jacque, Xaus and Hopkins. They’re all riders with experience and as I followed them before attacking, especially John, I learnt so many things about race management. This one was longer than the ones I’m used to, and the last five laps are crucial. By the end my tyres were well worn, too much to think about Nakano ahead, as I had planned. It was my mistake, I had used them up too much at the beginning and on the last lap Hopkins got back past me. Inexperience, but it’s a lesson for the next race. Working with this vastly experienced team is teaching me so much so quickly.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

CHECA PUTS DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON PODIUM AGAIN

Carlos Checa rode a superb race as the Ducati Marlboro Team’s lone rider at Phillip Island today, the Spaniard taking a last-gasp third place by using his Desmosedici’s awesome horsepower to draft past Marco Melandri in the run to the finish line. Team-mate Loris Capirossi was unable to take part due to injuries sustained in a crash during Friday morning practice.

“Losing Loris on Friday was a real blow to the team but Carlos did a great job today,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “In fact he has done a great job all weekend, running fast and consistent in practice to make sure he had the best bike/tyre package for the race. His start today was pretty good but in the race he couldn’t run the pace he’d run yesterday and in morning warm-up. Later on he came back strong and it was great to see Ducati power in action! Our thanks to everyone back at Ducati and also at Shell Advance because they make sure we have the horsepower we need. Thanks also to Bridgestone, because once again they gave us great tyres.”

CHECA: ‘TASTES LIKE VICTORY’

Carlos Checa scored his second podium result in three races at Phillip Island this afternoon, claiming that the result tasted as good as a victory. The Ducati Marlboro Team man had to work extra hard for his ticket to the champagne podium ceremony after running fourth for much of the race.The pair passed three times on the final lap, Checa ahead at Turn One, Melandri returning the compliment at Honda corner, Checa finally drafting past in the dash to the chequered flag.

“First, I want to dedicate this result to Loris,” said Checa, who had his 33rd birthday yesterday. “It’s been a different weekend working alone but I’m quite satisfied with the work we’ve done. After practice we expected a good result, though in the race I couldn’t run the pace I’d run yesterday and in morning warm-up. When I got close to Melandri I could see my bike was better in some areas, but we weren’t so strong on braking, so it was tough to pass. This is the first time I’ve scored a result that way, it was exciting, I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a funny weekend numbers-wise – I was 33 yesterday, I had the highest top speed here at 333km, I was fighting with Melandri whose number is 33 and I finished third. Tonight, I suppose, there will be a party.”

CAPIROSSI TO FLY TO EUROPE TONIGHT

Loris Capirossi was ruled out of today’s Australian GP when he crashed heavily at Turn One on Friday. He sustained chest injuries in the fall, with internal bleeding around his right lung. Since then the Ducati Marlboro Team rider has been recovering in Melbourne’s Cabrini hospital and he’s now been passed fit to fly home to Europe. He will fly with a chest drain attached to drain the bleeding.

“The doctors decided it is best for Loris to fly home tonight,” said Livio Suppo. “He will fly with Dr Corbascio, from the Clinica Mobile, and should meet Dr Claudio Costa tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully the chest drain will be taken off soon because it’s causing him some pain. Otherwise he feels good and doesn’t have any other injuries. For sure he will miss Turkey, but it’s too early to talk about Valencia.”

More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda:

MARCO MOVES LEVEL SECOND IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

After producing a stunning performance at Phillip Island Melandri misses the podium by inches and moves up to joint second in the championship alongside Hayden.

AUSTRALIAN GP -MOTOGP RACE

After fully recovering from his injuries at Motegi four weeks ago, Marco Melandri proved again today that he is capable of fighting consistently at the front of the MotoGP pack. After an incredible battle for victory in Qatar, Marco was again one of the stars of the race in the Australian Grand Prix. The Italian lined up on the third row of the grid but made a great start and was able to stay with the lead group from start to finish. Chased by Carlos Checa, Marco held third place for the majority of the race and even threatened to steal second from Nicky Hayden before eventually missing out on the podium after a draft pass from Checa out of the final corner relegated him to fourth. Despite his disappointment Marco Melandri now lies second in the championship standings, level on points with Nicky Hayden.

It was a tough weekend for his team-mate Sete Gibernau, who was unable to resolve the problems he endured during practice ahead of the race. The Spanish rider did everything he could to seal a top five finish but did not quite have enough to challenge for the podium.

MARCO MELANDRI (4th): “It’s been a really nice race I fought hard until the end and I was hoping to finish on the podium so it is a shame. I thought I had Checa under control but he passed me in the slipstream. Despite that I am satisfied it has been a difficult weekend but this morning the team did a great job and the bike was working really well. I gave my maximum and I am happy. I arrived here two points behind Max Biaggi and now I am level with Nicky Hayden in second place. It will be important to do well in the final two races if I want to finish as runner-up in the championship.”

SETE GIBERNAU (5th): “We’ve struggled all weekend. This morning I thought we took a step forward in the warm up but in the race I had a lot of problems. The bike was sliding around and I couldn’t finish any higher.”

FAUSTO GRESINI, TEAM MANAGER: “Marco has had a wonderful race and I’m disappointed for him with the finish. Melandri has ridden well and proved that he is constantly improving as a rider. It is a shame for Sete because he had a tough weekend. Yesterday he got the best out of the qualifying tyre but in the race he suffered with the same problems he had in practice.”

More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

ELIAS AND XAUS PICK UP VALUABLE POINTS IN AUSTRALIA

FORTUNA YAMAHA riders Toni Elías and Ruben Xaus finished the Australian Grand Prix in ninth and twelfth position respectively. Toni Elias was just a thousandth off 8th place in Phillip Island, thus unable to improve his result from two weeks ago in Qatar, whilst Rubén Xaus suffered during the early laps, but finished 12th and picked up important points to boost his confidence. Toni was unhappy with being overtaken by two riders across the line, but his team was happy with it also being Rubén’s best weekend of the year.

TONI ELIAS Race: 9th Overall standing: 14th with 58 points

“We had a traction problem throughout practice which stopped us from being any higher up. In the race the problem hadn’t been solved and I had to fight really hard during the race to try and hang on. We have to still keep looking forward though, and continue working to improve every time we go out. Next week we go to Turkey and I hope that we can improve our results.”

RUBEN XAUS Race: 12th Overall standing: 16th with 49 points

“I had a lot of problems in the first five laps, because the bike felt heavy and I couldn’t get it onto the right line easily, I had to run wide and I couldn’t finish the corners well. I suffered a lot over those 5 laps, and I lost touch with the group ahead of me, but I gradually fought my way back. In races though, you have to be fast from the first to the last lap. I’ve picked up points though, and my pace at the end was pretty good.”

HERVE PONCHARAL, Fortuna Yamaha motogp Team Director

“Toni did a good race today, although he lost seventh to Nakano and Tamada on the finish line, Tamada by just a thousandth. I think that Toni has a right to be disappointed but the most important thing is that his whole weekend went well, improving in every session. He wanted to get into the top 5, but that will come. We need to be happy, because since Malaysia, Toni is improving in every race. Turkey is new for everybody and we can get even closer then. As for Rubén, he had a good weekend, perhaps his best so far this year, although his position doesn’t stand out. It’s clear that he’s going much quicker than in previous races and I think he is beginning to enjoy the M1, which is important and we have to stay optimistic.”

More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

HONDA REACHES RECORD OF 600 GRAND PRIX WINS

History was made here at Phillip Island today when Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) notched up his second 250cc World Championship with his seventh win of the season so far and Honda’s historic 600th in all classes.

The factory’s first win was in the 125cc class in 1961 when Aussie Tom Phillis won from Ernst Degner on an MZ. Honda has won more races than any other manufacturer and it was fitting that Dani should clinch the 600th in the country of Phillis’ birth.

In the MotoGP race Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) pressed winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) all the way to the flag to take second place, Carlos Checa (Ducati) was third.

In bright conditions the 27-lap contest got underway with pole man Nicky swift off the line into the rapid downhill turn one. But Checa judged the lights well too and tried to force his machine up the inside of Nicky but was then badly placed for the next turn, so Hayden nosed in front.

Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) did not last the lap. He crashed at turn four when the rear of his machine stepped out under braking. Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) was another non-finisher when he crashed at the high-speed Hayshed turn in the closing stages of the race while lying sixth. He was winded and badly bruised but apart from that the Brazilian was uninjured.

On lap three Rossi took the lead from Nicky while Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) edged past Checa into third place. On the next lap Marco also relieved Hayden of second and it looked as if the crowd could have been in for another epic Rossi/Melandri showdown as seen at Qatar.

But Melandri could not sustain his initial sprint and as Rossi pulled clear, Hayden had to set to work passing the Movistar man so he could try to get back on terms with the leader. The American wasted no time and in three laps he was working on Rossi for the lead.

The first five riders; Rossi, Hayden, Melandri, Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) and Checa were now well clear of the field and the Rossi/Hayden duel was itself drawing clear of the fight for third between Melandri and Checa. But it would soon drift back into their orbit as Rossi dropped the pace to upset Hayden’s rhythm and let the chasers interfere with his progress.

Sure enough, Melandri relieved Hayden of second within two laps, and Rossi then set about building a lead. While he did that, Hayden had to squeeze past a typically determined Melandri and try as he did, he could never then recover the one second advantage held by Rossi.

He shaved it down to 0.85 seconds in the closing laps but it was 1.007 second at the flag. Checa just stole third from Melandri over the line after the pair had swapped places twice in the closing laps. Gibernau faded to finish fifth.

Nicky said, “That was a tough race and I enjoyed it. Valentino was setting a good pace so I just sat there. It all felt good running at that speed just nice and comfortable. A couple of times Rossi picked up the pace and I could respond. Then the others caught up and me and Marco battled a bit and just gave a slight advantage to Valentino. You can’t give a guy like him a one-second lead round here with a few laps to go.

“It’s been a really nice race,” said Melandri. “I fought hard until the end and I was hoping to finish on the podium. I thought I had Checa under control but he passed me in the slipstream. Despite that I am satisfied it has been a difficult weekend but this morning the team did a great job and the bike was working really well. I gave my maximum and I am happy. I arrived here two points behind Max Biaggi and now I am level with Nicky Hayden in second place.”

Gibernau said, “We’ve struggled all weekend. This morning I thought we took a step forward in the warm up but in the race I had a lot of problems. The bike was sliding around and I couldn’t finish any higher.”

Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished eighth and said, “I lost feeling with the front tyre. I couldn’t push as I did in the warm-up, particularly in the left turns. In the last laps it has been very hard to remain with Toni and Shinya. From Istanbul I really hope to do better. I know that thanks to the technical package at our disposal and my qualities, we can do more.”

Chris Vermeulen, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), finished 11th on his first RCV ride. The Aussie said, “It was an okay race, nothing more as far as I’m concerned. I wanted to get into the top ten, but I got boxed in at the start and took the first lap cautiously. Then I picked up the pace, I felt good and passed Jacque, Xaus and Hopkins. They’re all riders with experience and as I followed them before attacking, especially John, I learnt so many things about race management.”

Max said, “It is very hard to explain my disappointment. To sit back in the garage after crashing out of the race so early and watch the race on TV is so hard when I know I could have been up at the front fighting with the leaders. One moment I was braking for the corner the next moment the bike was on its side. That’s as much as I can say.”

A battered Barros said, “At the moment I’m in a lot of pain even though they’ve given me some painkillers. I took a big hit to my side but everything’s hurting at the moment. I was riding well, keeping my rhythm going without pushing too hard but then I suddenly lost control of the front. It would have all been okay if I had just slid out and travelled along the ground, but when I hit the gravel trap the sudden deceleration flipped me up into the air.”

Nicky and Marco are now locked together on 170 points each as they strive to pick up the runner-up spot in the World Championship with two races and 50 points available.

Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) won his second consecutive 250cc World Championship in style here with a last gasp draught of Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) over the line. Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) finished a distant third.

Porto has won here before and his second place on the grid was testament to the Argentine’s competitiveness here, but Casey Stoner (Aprilia) on pole was the man many feared might dent Dani’s World Championship ambitions. He had won the last two races and was now riding at his ‘home’ track.

But Stoner’s outside chance of denying Dani his title came to grief when he crashed on lap four while leading. If Dani won the race the 250cc crown would be his, but the veteran Porto is never easy to beat and so it proved. A momentary lack of traction from the Argentine in the long left-hand turns onto the start/finish straight was all it took for Dani to seize his moment and dart out the slipstream to take the win.

It’s a doubly sweet win for Dani. It was here that he badly broke both his ankles in 2003. So to take his third World title and second 250cc title here in such style and to secure Honda’s 600th Grand Prix before he moves up to the MotoGP class next season as a Honda rider is no more than he deserves.

Dani said, “That was difficult because qualifying was hard, but I started well and pushed hard on cold tyres to stay with Stoner until he crashed. Then I stayed with Porto and he was good in the turns but my engine was strong today. I couldn’t have done this without the work of my team so thanks to them.”

Lorenzo said, “I’m not happy with third because I was half a second a lap away from the leaders on every lap and that’s too far away. I wasn’t really in the same race.”

Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) had his best result of the season with a fourth in his rookie year. He said, “This is the first time this year I’m happy now that I’ve had a good bike for the whole weekend. Fourth is not a dream result but now I have the confidence to expect more in Turkey next weekend.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) was fifth and said, “During the whole weekend we had setting problems we were not able to solve. As a consequence, after three laps, my rear tyre was finished. It was very difficult to ride in those conditions. I just tried to get as many championship points as possible.”

Honda’s chances in the constructors’ World Championship were given a welcome boost here with five Honda’s filling the first six places. Honda now has 304 points to Aprilia’s 298.

Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) stole back the advantage in his fight for the World 125cc Championship with a strong pole to flag victory where no one, not even his title rival Kallio (KTM), who finished fifth, came close.

Luthi had a lead of 1.3 seconds even by the end of the second lap, and by mid-race it was 3.6 seconds over the then second placeman Marco Simoncelli (Aprilia). But behind Luthi it was hard going in a pack of seven riders.

Kallio, who was in the group, looked to have gone clear in second place with two laps to go, but the group swallowed up and spat him out in fifth, damaging his title hopes, although not irretrievably.

Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) finished second for his first Grand Prix podium in a mad dash for then line with Simoncelli third and Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) fourth. The trio were separated just ten thousandths of a second.

Luthi said, “A great race for me. The team did well to get me on pole and give me a bike to win with. This is a hard track to have to get out front and win on, you have to really concentrate here, but it worked out OK.”

Koyama said, “I was confident in the fight because I knew that if I was with the top group on the last lap I had a chance of getting a good result and I got second which is great for me and my team.”

Luthi now leads the World Championship from Kallio by 12 points with two rounds remaining. In the Manufacturer’s World Championship KTM has 294 points, Honda 269 and Aprilia 260.

Honda Team Quotes:

MotoGP:

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2nd: “That was a tough race and I enjoyed it. Valentino was setting a good pace so I just sat there. It all felt good running at that speed just nice and comfortable. A couple of times Rossi picked up the pace and I could respond. Then the others caught up and me and Marco battled a bit and just gave a slight advantage to Valentino. You can’t give a guy like him a one-second lead round here with a few laps to go. The team gave me a great bike today. It was really comfortable to ride. I wanted more today. The way things were going it felt like a win wasn’t out of the question. We’ve got two more cracks at it. The season’s almost over and I want another win.”

Marco Melandri, MoviStar Honda: 4th: “It’s been a really nice race I fought hard until the end and I was hoping to finish on the podium so it is a shame. I thought I had Checa under control but he passed me in the slipstream. Despite that I am satisfied it has been a difficult weekend but this morning the team did a great job and the bike was working really well. I gave my maximum and I am happy. I arrived here two points behind Max Biaggi and now I am level with Nicky Hayden in second place. It will be important to do well in the final two races if I want to finish as runner-up in the championship.”

Sete Gibernau, MoviStar Honda: 5th:: “We’ve struggled all weekend. This morning I thought we took a step forward in the warm up but in the race I had a lot of problems. The bike was sliding around and I couldn’t finish any higher.”

Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 8th.: “I was satisfied by my start, but at a certain point a lost the optimal feeling with the front tyre. I didn’t make it to push as I did in the warm up, particularly in the left turns. In the last laps it has been very hard to remain with Toni and Shinya. At the end, for how things went, the eight position conquered at the photo finish is good, but from Istanbul I really hope to do better. I know that thanks to the technical package at our disposal and my qualities, we can do more.”

Chris Vermeulen, replacement rider for Troy Bayliss at Camel Honda: 11th: “It was an okay race, nothing more as far as I’m concerned. I wanted to get into the top ten, but I got boxed in at the start and took the first lap cautiously. Then I picked up the pace, I felt good and passed Jacque, Xaus and Hopkins. They’re all riders with experience and as I followed them before attacking, especially John, I learnt so many things about race management. This one was longer than the ones I’m used to, and the last five laps are crucial. By the end my tyres were well worn, too much to think about Nakano ahead, as I had planned. It was my mistake, I had used them up too much at the beginning and on the last lap Hopkins got back past me. Inexperience, but it’s a lesson for the next race. Working with this vastly experienced team is teaching me so much so quickly.”

Max Baggi, Repsol Honda: dnf – crash: Alex Barros, Camel Honda: dnf crash: “At the moment I’m in a lot of pain even though they’ve given me some painkillers. I took a big hit to my side but everything’s hurting at the moment. I was riding well, keeping my rhythm going without pushing too hard but then I suddenly lost control of the front. It would have all been okay if I had just slid out and travelled along the ground, but when I hit the gravel trap the sudden deceleration flipped me up into the air. In any case now I must try and rest as much as possible before we decide what to do in Turkey.”

250cc:

Dani Pedrosa, MoviStar Honda: 1st. “Well, I wasn’t thinking about winning the World Championship when I got up this morning all I wanted was to have a good race. I don’t like this track and we had struggled with the set up in practice. In the opening laps I was a little worried about the front tyre. Stoner’s crash also put De Angelis out and Lorenzo led but Porto passed him so I had went with him because I knew Porto would push hard all the way. I got onto his rear wheel to follow him and stayed there I thought that for sure with the 20-points for second place it would make it impossible for Stoner in the championship. Coming onto the last straight I caught Porto’s slipstream and passed him before the line. This title is very special because it was a tough championship. My crash in practice at Motegi left me with a cracked bone in my shoulder I saw it on the photo but I didn’t say anything to the team because they might not have let me race, or worried about me. It was difficult to race in Malaysia and Qatar but I flew home to Barcelona for treatment and arrived here in better shape. The press and some other riders criticised me for my performances and that made me angry. So I am especially pleased with this title.”

Alberto Puig, Team manager MoviStar Honda: “These last few weeks have been a little bit stressful for us but we never doubted Dani at any time. It was an exceptional day for us. Even in the closing stages of the race I thought Dani would clinch the title. It’s difficult to say if this is the best championship title of the three the team have won but it is very special.”

Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda: 3rd: : “In the race things didn’t feel too good, the rear tyre wasn’t in good shape and even on the sighting lap it felt strange. They got away from me at the front and in the end I couldn’t do anything. I hope to do better in Turkey, and win if I can. I could tell that the last sector was hard for me in practice, and this continued in the race. It’s positive to be on the podium though, but I want to win, let’s hope I can in Turkey or Valencia.”

Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 4th: “It’s the first race this year that I’m really satisfied with, having given my all. The bike is in good shape at the moment. I enjoyed myself all weekend, and I’ve got a monkey off my back a little. I crossed the line with a smile on my face, now I’m enjoying things. It’s true that everything went our way this weekend. Fourth place isn’t what would really satisfy me, because I couldn’t fight it out in the front group. I’m confident in the bike now though, having finished three races in a row, and I hope that in Turkey we can make another step forward.”

Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda: 5th. “During the whole weekend we had setting problems we were not able to solve. As a consequence, after three laps, my rear tyre was finished. It was very difficult to ride in those conditions. I just tried to get as many championship points as possible.”

Hiroshi Aoyama, MoviStar Honda: 6th: “I can’t be happy with the way I raced today. This is a very difficult circuit and I haven’t managed to get the better of it all weekend. I wasn’t able to make up any positions at the start and it was impossible to follow the pace of the front group. I’m a little disappointed because I expected to do better today but I also feel happy for Dani. It was difficult for him but once again he showed what he is capable of.”

Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: 9th. “Great race today the result is a good for the team. The bike was perfect today great set up and the engine was very strong the only small problem was the front tyre wear late in the race but that was the same for all riders. I’m very happy for the team for the return we got from this race. Now we have to continue on this way in Turkey and at Valencia and try for the best private rider trophy.”

Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Castrol Honda: 12th. “I didn’t get a very good start because we fitted a new clutch before the race. In the beginning of the race I was battling with Giansanti and couldn’t go as fast as the riders in front o him. Then I went better, faster than in qualifying and caught the group in front of me. I passed them one by one. I’m mega-proud after the difficulties we had in practice. The bike was much, much better than in qualifying it was no problem to pass the other riders I was racing with.”

Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: 13th. “Really satisfying race for me. I got a good start for a change and didn’t lose any positions. The only difficulty I had came after half way when the tyres started sliding. I was racing with Heidolf for 12th place right up to the line. Coming of the last corner I tried to use his slipstream to pass him before the line but I just couldn’t get passed him.”

Arturo Tizon, replacement rider for Radomil Rous at Wurth Honda BQR: 19th. “That was a very boring race for me as I was all alone for most of the time. I crashed in the morning warm, at 220 km/h, I was trying to follow a fast rider. For the race I ran a harder construction front tyre and it was perfect. I’m very happy with my first GP race.”

Yuki Takahashi, Scot Honda: dnf retired. “I made contact with Sekiguchi on the first lap and I lost a lot of time. I started again among the last riders but I wasn’t able to find my rhythm. In these conditions my team preferred to stop me.”

125cc:

Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 1st. “The engine and set up was perfect for me today. We changed the engine settings a little after warm up because of the wind and it was a good decision. I got a good start but Talmacsi tried to push me wide at the first corner, I was on the run off strip but I passed him and decided to push as hard as I could to get away and it worked. I was consistent for the first few laps and made a gap but the tyres started to move about very early in the race and at mid-race I eased of a little because of front wheel slides. Maybe that was my best race everything went to plan and I have to thank my team, my bike is very, very fast!”

Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 2nd. “That was a very, very good race me. It was a very good race and I enjoyed it a lot, I really like racing on this track. Before the race I changed the gearbox ratios a little to make it shorter because of the wind we had in the warm up, while some riders made theirs longer. My machine set up has been very good all weekend and the engine very fast, so finally in the race I could pass them coming off the last corner. I have had a good year and finally I could take a podium place, I am very happy.”

Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing World Honda: 7th. “After the bad crash in the warm up my technicians worked hard in order to put my bike back together. Without the possibility to test anything I just wasn’t competitive in the race.”

Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda: 9th. “A good start for a nasty race for me. My bike wasn’t at its best and me too. I was not able to make the most of my chances today.”

Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 10th. “The engine was very fast today but because we had problems in qualifying I did not get the set up right for the race. But I enjoyed today and had a great fight with Gadea for ninth place but he just beat me to the line.”

Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 16th. I started well but I quickly realised it was not possible for me to follow the leading group. The engine was not fast today I could not use the other riders slipstream to pass. Also my suspension was not perfect so it was always going to be difficult. This has been a very disappointing year for me so far.”

Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 17th. “Not a very good race for me today. The bike was better yesterday I had a lot of problems with tyres and some pain from my injured leg I had to keep stretching it during the race. After the middle of the race I was not fast. It not my best race of the season.”

Sandro Cortese, Kiefer-Bos-Castrol Honda: 19th. “At the second corner of the first lap Espargaro came underneath me that was OK but then Terol went under both of us too fast and we had to stand the bikes up. That cost us some places. The bike was good today but I could not pass the Derbi down the straight but I could pass him in most of the corners.”

Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 2nd. “That was a very, very good race me. It was a very good race and I enjoyed it a lot, I really like racing on this track. Before the race I changed the gearbox ratios a little to make it shorter because of the wind we had in the warm up, while some riders made their’s longer. My machine set up has been very good all weekend and the engine very fast, so finally in the race I could pass them coming off the last corner. I have had a good year and finally I could take a podium place, I am very happy.”

Sacha Hommel, Molenaar Honda: dnf-crash. “My start was not so bad but at the second corner somebody hit me and put me on the grass and I crashed. I’m very disappointed because in the warm up the same thing happened to me when Abraham suddenly stopped in front of a group of us. “

More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:

Carlos Checa celebrates 33rd birthday with magic third

Ducati star Carlos Checa had a magic run with the number 3 in this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix: After hitting the 333 kph mark in Saturday’s free practice session, the Spaniard celebrated his 33rd birthday on Sunday with a thrilling battle against the bike with number 33 on the fairing, Marco Melandri, to eventually finish in a brilliant 3rd position in the race.

“Maybe I should ask Max Biaggi to swap starting numbers now”, Checa joked.

Expectations had been high within Bridgestone and Checa’s Ducati team from the very beginning of the weekend, with Checa scoring third and second places throughout the free practice sessions, and then topping the list in the only qualifying on Saturday, with Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau edging past him in the final minutes of the session.

Checa started the race from the second row of the grid, and whilst Hayden and Rossi battled for the lead, he had it out in the pursuing group with Marco Melandri. After holding fourth place in Melandri’s slipstream for most of the race, it all came down to the final lap, when the pair swapped positions twice, before Checa used the superior power of his Ducati Desmosedici and the superior traction of his Bridgestone tyres to pull away from the Italian Honda ace after the last, ultra-fast lefthand corner before the main straight.

Kawasaki star Shinya Nakano also enjoyed a fantastic last lap in which he beat two other rivals, Spanish Yamaha rider Toni Elias and Japanese Honda ace Makoto Tamada, to take an impressive seventh place.

American Suzuki rider John Hopkins was the third top ten finisher for Bridgestone, with a successful last lap attack on local hero and GP rookie Chris Vermeulen.

The celebrations within Team Suzuki MotoGP and Ducati Corse Team were overshadowed by two accidents that had happened in short succession on Friday morning.

In cold and windy conditions of the first free practice sessions, both Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts and Ducati’s hero Loris Capirossi crashed in the first, fast righthand corner of the track. Roberts suffered a broken left wrist, Capirossi was hospitalised with a heavily bruised chest and some internal bleeding, but his condition improved over the weekend, and he will be able to fly back home to Italy.

Carlos Checa Ducati Marlboro Team 3rd position “This third place tastes like a victory! I wasn’t quite able to ride at the same speed as yesterday, and braking isn’t our strongest area either, so I wasn’t in the position to attack earlier in the race. On the last lap, I eventually caught Marco and passed him, then he passed me again. But out of the fast last corner, his bike became a bit unsettled, whereas I used the better acceleration and the better drive of my Ducati to my advantage and pulled away to take this third place a very exciting final! We had tested a lot of new Bridgestone tyres during practice, and our choice for the race turned out to be very, very good. It is a big satisfaction for me that we have arrived at this level, because if you consider where we came from, the team, the tyre manufacturer and myself, we certainly made more progress than anybody else this season. That’s a big boost to everybody’s moral. We are competitive, and we will now try everything to confirm this in the races to come. Most of all, I want to dedicate this third place to Loris. I hope he is getting well soon. We all miss him it is a strange feeling to be the only rider in the garage!”

Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “Another very good race for us! We want to thank and congratulate Carlos Checa and the Ducati Corse team, they’ve done a great job this weekend. At the same time, we feel all very sorry for Loris Capirossi and Kenny Roberts after their unfortunate accidents on the first day of practice. The reason for these crashes is still not completely clear but we hope they’ll be well soon. As far as tyre performance goes, the new specs that we developed for this race worked very, very well during the race. This circuit is very hard on the rear tyre in terms of grip and durability, but the last lap performances of Carlos, Shinya Nakano and John Hopkins are the best proof that we’ve mastered the challenge. Now there are two more races to go, and we will continue to push ahead in our development work!”

Bridgestone Results: 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, 41.12,757, 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 41.53,597, 10. John Hopkins (UDA) Suzuki, 41.58,802, 16. Olivier Jacque (F) Kawasaki, – 2 laps. Did not start: Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, Loris Capirossi, (I) Ducati.