FIM MotoGP World Championship Silverstone, Great Britain June 12 Race Results (wet conditions, all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Casey STONER, Australia (HONDA), 20 laps, 47:53.459 2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (HONDA), -15.159 seconds 3. Colin EDWARDS, USA (YAMAHA), -21.480 4. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -26.984 5. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (SUZUKI), -35.569 6. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (DUCATI), -64.526 7. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), -92.650 8. Toni ELIAS, Spain (HONDA), -111.938 9. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (HONDA), -112.350 10. Loris CAPIROSSI, Italy (DUCATI), -123.312 11. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -1 lap 12. Randy DE PUNIET, France (DUCATI), -1 lap 13. Marco SIMONCELLI, Italy (HONDA), -10 laps, DNF, crash 14. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -12 laps, DNF, crash 15. Ben SPIES, USA (YAMAHA), -13 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 18 races): 1. Stoner, 116 points 2. Lorenzo, 98 3. Dovizioso, 83 4. Rossi, 68 5. Dani Pedrosa, 61 6. Hayden, 60 7. Aoyama, 43 8. Edwards, 37 9. Spies, 36 10. Abraham, 33 11. Simoncelli, 32 12. Barbera, 31 13. Cal Crutchlow, 30 14. Elias, 28 15. TIE, Bautista/Capirossi, 22 17. De Puniet, 10 18. John Hopkins, 6 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista equalled his best MotoGP result today by taking a brave and confident fifth at a rain-soaked Silverstone in England. Bautista got a good start and was up with the front runners in the first few corners, but the amount of spray coming from the track – due to all the standing water hampered his vision and by the end of the first lap he had consolidated his ninth place starting position. As the race developed the Spaniard got into a smooth and consistent rhythm in the treacherous conditions and produced personal best laps that were comparable to a podium position. Bautista moved through the field with a couple of neat passes and benefitted from other riders crashing on the slippery surface. With a few laps remaining he had settled in to a comfortable position and kept his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R upright to bring it safely home for a well-earned and deserved fifth place. The rain started to fall at Silverstone from early this morning, but 72,544 fans braved the awful weather to witness another commanding victory by Casey Stoner on a Honda, a result that lifts him to the top of the World Championship standings. Rizla Suzuki now has a weekend off before heading to Assen in the Netherlands for the Dutch TT on Saturday 25th June. Álvaro Bautista: “For sure I am very happy today, because we have been able to finish the weekend with a great result. I have to say thank-you to my team, they have so much passion for what they do and have helped me get back to my maximum level. With all their help, this has been the first race that I have been able to feel competitive since the injury and I was nearer my limit than I have been all season so a really big thanks to all of them! In the wet warm-up I felt very strong and had good feedback from the whole package, so I was feeling confident for this afternoon. In the race it was important make a good start, I did that and I think I was maybe fifth or sixth, but it was difficult to see because I was splashed a lot by other riders and I couldn’t see too much and had to drop back a bit. I tried to get into a good rhythm and as the race wore on I started to ride more comfortably. I saw that a couple of riders crashed due to all the water that was making it very difficult, but I just carried on and did my own thing. I had to have lots of feeling with the brakes and the gas because it was really very difficult conditions and towards the end I saw that Valentino was trying to catch me. I pushed a bit more and started to close on Nicky, but he responded and kept the gap, but by then I had increased on Valentino and I then just wanted to finish. Fifth is a good result and now I’m looking forward to getting to the next race and have the same level of confidence and feeling if not even better!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Álvaro did a good job today, and so did the whole team to give him a bike to provide him with the confidence to push in today’s horrendous conditions. He was careful on the first few laps, where it was so easy to make a mistake, as there was a lot more standing water than in the practice and this morning’s warm-up. Once he found his rhythm his pace and consistency were both excellent and he had the right balance between speed and an accident! It’s been a tough start to the season, but now we are starting to see the potential that Álvaro was showing before his accident and we are looking forward to the next race at Assen, where we are sure he will be even stronger.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: The Repsol Honda Team reign supreme at Silverstone The Repsol Honda team leaves the Silverstone circuit with another victory for Casey Stoner, second place on the podium for Andrea Dovizioso and also with the Australian rider leading the MotoGP World Championship, 18 points clear of Jorge Lorenzo. The British Grand Prix, scene of Stoner’s 150th career GP, sees him claim his third consecutive win, fourth of the season, and twenty-seventh in MotoGP class. The 1-2 for Stoner and Dovizioso has been the perfect climax in a dramatic wet race, which not only demanded the best skills but also ultimate concentration to avoid any mistakes. The Australian, focused and determined found himself racing alone out in front and was able to maintain the high pace for 19 laps after he overtook his team mate on the second lap. Andrea fought hard and was victorious in his duels, first with Jorge Lorenzo, and then with Marco Simoncelli, who both crashed while they were behind the Italian. Casey’s superiority was so evident that two riders were lapped with four laps remaining, while Andrea, after a perfect start from fifth on the grid to lead the race in the first corner, took his second podium of the season and holds third position in the World Championship standings, 15 points behind Lorenzo. The team now prepare for Assen in two weeks time and will hope to be back to full strength with Dani Pedrosa back on his RC212V. CASEY STONER Race Position: 1st World Championship Position: 1st with 116 points “At the beginning of the race we didn’t have a great start and I needed to wait for the tyres to get up to temperature. In the first few laps when I was behind the other riders I got a lot of spray up inside the visor and it was hard for me to see, or for me to push. At this time I was being careful, trying to cover my lines to stop them coming inside, then after five laps my visibility got clearer and the water drained away from my visor and I was able to start doing the lap times we were looking for and started to open up a gap. I was just happy to stay up on the bike, it was incredibly cold and I was so nervous as in these conditions it’s so easy to crash! We had a great race today in very tough conditions where anything could have happened, but to come away with a win is fantastic”. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO Race Position: 2nd World Championship Position: 3rd with 83 points “I’m really happy with today’s podium. It’s a second place that feels like gold. The track conditions were very tricky, with much more water than in the warm up this morning. We made a modification on the set up to have more rear grip and then we did a very good strategy. It helped us doing two laps before the race to bring the tyres up to temperature quicker. I had a very good start and then I was focused to manage the second position with Casey. I was braking very hard to close the doors to Lorenzo and Simoncelli. I had a good rhythm, not to far from Casey’s pace, but he is very strong with these conditions so I preferred to manage my race the best I could. I want to thank my team for the hard work and the support. We need to improve the performance also in qualifying but at the important moment, in the race, we are there. We never give up. With today’s second place we have consolidated the third position in the Championship and reduced the gap to Lorenzo. The season is still long so I’m confident”. More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Heroic Edwards claims podium in Silverstone monsoon Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards produced a heroic performance at a rain-lashed Silverstone circuit this afternoon, the experienced American mastering atrocious conditions during the Airasia British Grand Prix to finish in a deserved third position. Just nine days after breaking his right collarbone in seven places at the Catalunya round, Edwards showed outstanding skill and bravery today to claim his first MotoGP rostrum since he was second in the 2009 British Grand Prix at Donington Park. With large patches of standing water littering the circuit and heavy rain falling throughout, Edwards quickly got to grips with the treacherous conditions and he needed only five laps to pass compatriot Ben Spies to move into fifth. Edwards maintained a fast and consistent pace, and while other riders were being caught out by the tricky conditions, the 37-year-old called on his vast experience to keep his composure and concentration to secure his 12th MotoGP podium. British rider Cal Crutchlow spent a comfortable night in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after he suffered a broken left collarbone in a high-speed crash at the start of yesterday’s qualifying session. Crutchlow’s collarbone, which is broken in three places, will require surgery, but no decision has been taken on whether he will remain in Oxford or be transferred to Manchester to see a specialist who has treated the 25-year-old for a previous shoulder injury. Crutchlow is also being assessed for a neck injury and further information on his condition and recovery w ill be made available at the earliest opportunity. Colin Edwards 3rd 37 points: “That was an unbelievable race and to finish on the podium feels amazing. I was happy to qualify eighth but never in a million years did I think I’d be on the podium just over a week after breaking my collarbone. I need to thank Dr Xavier Mir for the repair job he did on my shoulder and also my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 because they gave me a phenomenal bike today. My shoulder felt great and it was the muscle damage around my ribs that caused me the most pain. But the rain definitely helped because it was a lot less physical than in the dry. I just gritted my teeth and got on with it, just trying to stay smooth and not make any mistakes. Conditions were pretty bad and it was a case of working out when and where you could push. I’d have been happy to fin ish the race and then go home to think about Assen. But I saw a few people succumbing to the conditions and I saw P3 on by board and I couldn’t believe it. At that time though there were still eight or nine laps to go and I couldn’t feel my hands or my feet because it was so wet and cold. It was difficult but it was a good way to the end the weekend for the Team after what happened to Cal. Nobody wants to get hurt, but being injured for your home race is really tough to take, so I wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him back in Assen.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager: “Colin was absolutely amazing. Nobody would have bet any money on him to be on the podium just one week after having an operation on his broken collarbone. But Colin has been a hero and this is a memorable day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. It was a bad day yesterday when we saw Cal crashing and he was forced to miss his home race. But Colin helped put the smile back on the faces of everyone inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team with a brilliant ride. And not only was he fast but he was very brave too. He was robbed of a podium finish in Jerez in similar conditions a few weeks ago and I have to give him a lot of respect because it would have been easy just to go home to rest after his injury in Catalunya. He rode for the Team more than anything and it shows how much he is still enjoying racing and how motivated he is. He has been in a lot of pain but he’s never complained and he treated the weekend like a normal weekend and his ride was the best of the day in MotoGP. He didn’t make a mistake like some of the others so we are overjoyed. We can’t be completely happy because of what happened to Cal and it was a big pity he couldn’t race, but he is a fighter and we’ll see him back stronger than ever soon. I know how much he wanted to ride in front of his home crowd, bu t he has seen what Colin has achieved so quickly after his collarbone injury, so hopefully this will be a good inspiration for him.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: BRAVE 8th POSITION FOR ELIAS AT SOAKED SILVERSTONE GP Silverstone, 12 June: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Toni Elias has achieved a brave eight place in today’s 20-lap British Grand Prix at Silverstone circuit which saw Stoner gaining his 3rd victory in a row ahead Dovizioso and Edwards. As predicted the sixth round of the season was affected by the typical English weather with heavy rain since the early morning and low temperatures (11° in the air and only 10° degrees on the asphalt). Toni Elias lined up in 14th place after yesterdays qualifying taking a superb start behind Rossi and he was 8th at the end of the first run. The Spaniard put in a brave performance despite the slippery asphalt and some visibility issues because of his helmet visor. Elias scores further 8 points in the world classification and will be back on track at famous Assen circuit on the 25th of June. Elias: “I am quite happy as yesterday I was hoping for a wet race to finish in the top ten. I could not have finished in the same position in the dry as we are still struggling with bike set up. Anyway this is a positive weekend for me and the team because we have scored further points in the standing. I knew I could fight for a better position battling with Rossi and Abraham but after some laps I had problems with my helmet: the visibility was not clear and a couple of times I had to open the visor. I think I took a brave start from the 14th spot on the grid but I went wide in the first corner: luckily I was capable to rejoin the track proceeding with my race”. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha MotoGP Team: The Grand Prix of Great Britain at the Silverstone circuit came to a premature end today for both Yamaha Factory riders in a race played out under treacherous weather conditions. World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and team mate Ben Spies spent the weekend building a good race set up, qualifying strongly in the dry yesterday to start third and fourth on the grid respectively. Lorenzo started well, taking first position from the line but conceding quickly to Casey Stoner. As heavy rain drenched the Silverstone circuit, the Mallorcan began to close the gap to the front when a high side crash just after entering a corner too fast saw his M1 too damaged to continue. Spies also fell victim to the adverse track conditions. Having dropped initially to fifth he fell going into turn one, crossing the gravel and hitting the wall. The American rider was taken directly to the medical centre for precautionary scans of his back and neck and was thankfully given the all clear after the check up. Jorge Lorenzo Position : DNF Time: “I feel disappointed because the crash was my own mistake. It’s a shame for the team because they did a very good job all weekend and also my Fan Club who come here to support me. I was riding with confidence, but I had to wait my moment to overtake Andrea. I think I could have fought for the victory with Casey. I wasn’t worried that Simoncelli was catching me; I was worried because Casey was going if I didn’t overtake Andrea… then I crashed! Before Casey was chasing me, like a greyhound with a hare but now the situation has reversed. Now we have to go for the victory in Assen! I want to say congratulations to Colin; it has been a good weekend for him. He deserves it after last week”. Ben Spies Position : DNF Time: “I’m so disappointed to finish like this after we worked so hard to be ready for the race. It’s been a challenging weekend for all the guys with the different weather changes but we were ready to race with a really good package. The track was really wet, when I hit the brakes going into turn one the front just dropped away and I hit the wall before I knew it. I hit my back pretty badly, my back protector is really busted up, but it did its job. I’m really sore and will probably need a big cushion for a few days but I’m happy it wasn’t worse. We’ll take a few days to relax and recover then come back fighting at Assen.” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “Conditions today were very difficult, Jorge had not much grip in the rear for the first three laps. After five or six laps it improved a little bit so he got up close to Dovizioso to try and make an overtake. Unfortunately he lost the rear and went over the handlebars, ending his race. It’s not the best result, my first DNF with the team and Jorge’s first for 25 races. We were leading the Championship, we’re now 18 points behind but everything is still open. There are 12 races still to go so let’s go to Assen and see what we can do.” Massimo Meregalli Team Director “This was not the results we were expecting today. Both Ben and Jorge and their crews have worked extremely hard all weekend to find both wet and dry competitive set ups, resulting in a good qualifying and giving us confidence for the race. Unfortunately the difficult racing conditions led to both riders falling and being unable to continue. Jorge was able to return directly to his garage uninjured however due to the severity of Ben’s crash he was first taken to the medical centre for essential checks to his back and neck. Finally he has been given the all clear so despite the two DNFs we are relieved to be able to leave Silverstone with both Jorge and Ben uninjured. We will put this weekend behind us and head to Assen in two weeks time determined to continue our form from Barcelona.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: ADVERSE WEATHER AT SILVERSTONE. CAPIROSSI TENTH, DE PUNIET TWELFTH It was a complicated weekend in England for the Pramac Racing Team. The day followed along the same lines as Friday’s practice sessions and Saturday’s qualifying. During the warm up, Randy De Puniet was the victim of a high-speed fall that affected his preparation for the race. Then in the afternoon, the weather conditions (wind, rain and low temperatures) significantly influenced the final results of the premier Grand Prix class. Specifically, the Ducati Desmosedicis of the Pramac duo suffered for all 20 laps. Unlike in Barcelona, Loris Capirossi came up short in the battle for ninth place with Hiroshi Aoyama (in Montmelò, the Italian’s rival had been Karel Abraham). With his six points from today, No. 65 now has 22 in the overall standings. Randy De Puniet finished a race for second time this season, earning twelfth place to bring the Frenchman’s total to 10. In two weeks, the seventh round of the MotoGP series will be held in the Netherlands at Assen. Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Team Technical Director “Today’s race was extremely difficult. Above all, for the weather conditions; the rain made things hard, and so did the asphalt temperature. The fact remains that we can’t be satisfied with our performance. Randy’s race was too conservative, even if that’s understandable after this morning’s crash. He’s coming off of five races in which he only finished one. Loris could have given something more, but after having a couple of risky moments he decided to back off. The main problem is with the bike’s setup. We can’t allow such big gaps, especially compared to the other Desmosedicis. We must try to get some ideas from Hayden and understand what’s not right on our Ducati, even if it’s clear that we’re not the only ones having problems. It’s also strange that when we work in extreme conditions, we’re never able to do our best. We’ll try to find a solution to these problems as soon as possible.” Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – 10th in race – 16th in MotoGP standings “Compared to yesterday, the situation didn’t improve. It was important for us to finish the race, but I had a really hard time because I lacked feeling with the front end. I wasn’t able to make the front tyre work, and I was close to falling every time I leaned over, even putting my feet down. I was only thinking about finishing the race. The weather also made things really difficult for us. It was very cold, and it was hard for me to ride the bike. For now, anyway, we’re even having trouble in dry conditions. It’s a shame, because I surely could have done better.” Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – 12th – 17th in MotoGP standings “Today was the worst race in my life. It’s difficult for me to explain this bad day, which began with a bad crash during warm up. I lacked feeling with the bike because of the usual problem with the front. Then it was difficult to stay up in these conditions. I came close to crashing at least two times a lap. I don’t say anything. It was a horrible race”. More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: FOURTH AND SIXTH PLACES FOR HAYDEN AND ROSSI AT RAINY SILVERSTONE As had been generally predicted in weather forecasts, the British Grand Prix took place in driving rain, and Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi finished the race fourth and sixth, respectively. It was a good team result, as the Italian limited damage in a challenging weekend, while the American posted the fastest lap of the race and finished just off the podium. Along with his team, Nicky Hayden found a very good setup for the wet, and the only thing that caused him to lose contact with the battle for the podium was the particularly treacherous conditions of the early laps, when he came close to crashing his GP11 on a couple of occasions. Despite starting from the last row and not being completely comfortable with his bike’s setup, Valentino Rossi made up several positions and rode a controlled race, collecting ten precious points to retain fourth place in the series standings. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 4th “To be honest, I really liked my chances for a podium in the rain today; if you’d have told me before the race that I could have fourth, I’d have said, ‘No thanks, I can do better,’ but I’m not disappointed with my ride. I didn’t get a great start because the clutch was jumpy, and for the first few laps, it was hard to see and to get heat in the tyres. I had a big moment on the exit of Turn 1 and actually jarred my shoulder pretty good, but I tried to hang in there. I saw Colin in front of me for the podium, and I really pushed. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever had the fastest lap on a Ducati, which is kind of cool even if you don’t get points for it. Full respect to Colin a week after breaking his collarbone, but I still don’t like him beating me for the podium! Thanks to the team. It hasn’t been an easy weekend for us, but we kept trying and got a pretty good chunk of points. We’ll take it and move on.” Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 6th “Without a doubt, this weekend was the most difficult so far this season, but we at least managed to do a good job of limiting the damage. Considering how we came into the race, sixth place is a fairly positive result that helps us to stay not too far from the top of the standings in fourth, which isn’t bad. We knew that my lack of experience here compared to the others would hurt us, but it’s also true that we haven’t managed to improve our setup as well as we should have. In fact, today Nicky managed to have a nice race and ride well, even setting the fastest lap, which demonstrates that the Ducati is competitive in the wet. We didn’t improve enough though, and that made it hard for me, as the bike was difficult to ride and I couldn’t push hard. We’re all responsible””me, the bike, and the team””so together we’ll try to improve and return to the level we were at in Le Mans and Catalunya as soon as possible, and then take another step forward.” Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager) “It was a very challenging weekend, but we still ended it with a fairly good team result. Nicky rode very well in the race, and if he hadn’t come close to crashing early on, I think he could have done even better. After a high-side like the one he had, which allowed Spies and Edwards by, you need a little time to re-find your rhythm. He rode better than anyone else in the late laps, but the gap was too big to make up. In any case, he felt good on the bike, as we managed to find a good wet setup that he liked a lot. Unfortunately, that was not the case for Valentino, who never managed to find a good feeling. We must figure out why that was the case at this particular Grand Prix, then return to the positive trend of improvements that we had been on since the first race.” More, from a press release issued by Silverstone Circuit: Silverstone and Stoner celebrate MotoGP success – Weekend attendance reaches 157,000 over all three days A crowd of just under 73,000 were at Silverstone on Sunday for the 2011 AirAsia British Grand Prix, where Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner celebrated his fourth win of the MotoGP season and his first British Grand Prix victory at the Northamptonshire circuit. The Australian rider was joined by team mate Andrea Dovizioso and American Colin Edwards on the podium, after a number of riders fell at a wet and windy Silverstone. More than 157,000 fans were at Silverstone over the three days of the event: 32,054 attended on the Friday (up almost 25% on last year’s Friday crowd), while 53,110 headed to the circuit for qualifying on Saturday. Attendance figures were up on all three days of the 2010 event, despite the inclement weather on race day. While Stoner stole the headlines in the MotoGP class, the British crowd was also treated to a podium finish by British rider Bradley Smith, who rode a stunning race to finish second in the Moto2 race, after starting at the back of the grid. Brits Scott Redding and Danny Kent also put in strong performances in front of their home crowd, finishing fifth and tenth in the Moto2 and 125cc races respectively. Away from the track, a number of celebrities added even more glamour to the occasion, including the only man to be crowned World Champion on both two and four wheels, John Surtees OBE, five time MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan, F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell OBE, actor Ewan McGregor, former athlete Iwan Thomas and singer Shane Lynch. In addition to the impressive on-track action, with the riders pushing as hard as they could in the wet conditions, fans were treated to a world class line-up of free off-track entertainment. More than 4,500 fans stayed behind on Saturday evening to see almost all of the MotoGP riders interviewed on a giant stage in the Arena Entertainment Zone, while further entertainment ranged from stunt shows, concerts and aerobatic displays, to on and off-road riding experiences. Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend for Silverstone, despite the weather conditions on Sunday. Early feedback from the fans has been extremely positive and I can’t praise them highly enough. They’ve had to endure some pretty miserable weather today, but they’ve turned out in force and enjoyed a great event. Attendance figures were up on all three days, and we were particularly pleased with the increase on Friday. More fans are making the most of the three-day tickets and official camping facilities. “MotoGP was the first bike event to inaugurate the new Silverstone Wing and we’re delighted with how it has been received. Dorna and the teams have been highly complimentary, while the riders have raved about the Grand Prix circuit again.” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports SL, said: “I have been very impressed with Silverstone again. The new Wing is a fantastic facility for the teams and the circuit has put on a great event for the fans. I am always happy with Silverstone.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Stoner delivers wet-weather masterclass at soaked Silverstone Round 6: British GP Race Silverstone Circuit, Sunday 12 June 2011 Bridgestone wet compounds available: Front: Soft. Rear: Soft Casey Stoner ran away from the field at a drenched British Grand Prix today, not putting a wheel wrong in incredibly tricky conditions to take his fourth win of 2011, his third in succession and the lead of the World Championship. After fine weather for yesterday’s qualifying, the rain was relentless today leaving a great deal of standing water on the circuit and really testing Bridgestone’s wet tyres. Spray was also an issue in the race as visibility for any rider following another closely was greatly reduced. In such difficult conditions, in what was the first fully-wet race since the Malaysian Grand Prix at the end of 2009, there were three high-profile retirements as Ben Spies, Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli all crashed out whilst running towards the front. Andrea Dovizioso, who won the wet British GP at Donington in 2009 and finished on the podium at Silverstone last year, also put in a strong performance to finish second. Colin Edwards completed a remarkable recovery, having broken his collarbone just nine days ago during the opening day of the Catalunya Grand Prix, to finish third. Taka Horio General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “For Casey to have taken the championship lead after such a tough race is very fitting as he is showing he is very deserving of it at the moment. He and the Repsol Honda Team are working very well together, and it was also a good weekend for Andrea and it is good to see him on the podium again. What Colin achieved today is remarkable, coming back so soon after his injury and then finishing on the podium. I’d also like to say congratulations to Silverstone circuit for all the work they have put into the new ‘Wing’ complex we used this weekend. I believe they have done a great job and delivered a motorsport facility to be proud of.” Hirohide Hamashima Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division “Firstly I must say that the conditions today were made incredibly challenging by the amount of standing water around the circuit. The amount of spray showed just how wet the tarmac was, and the fact that we saw three crashes amongst the leaders shows just how easy it was to make a mistake. Casey however showed very good laptimes from early on even when there was so much water which was very impressive. By the end of the race the rain had eased and there was less standing water which made the times slightly faster, although those at the front had eased off to manage their gaps. I am pleased with the performance of our wet tyres in these soaking and cold conditions as they dealt adequately with puddles that got deeper as the race went on and the times were consistent.” Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team Race Winner “That was a very very hard race. We didn’t make the best start and behind the riders I was getting drenched. I got some water inside my helmet so I couldn’t see where the deeper water puddles were, but when I got ahead it cleared and I tried to just be steady and constant and not make mistakes. It was so easy to make a mistake as it was cold and we were aquaplaning more. I think the hardest thing was keeping the tyre temperatures up. If you slowed down too much the tyres would cool and it’d feel more nervous, in a vicious cycle. I’m very happy with this race and to come away with three wins in a row and with the championship lead is awesome.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: STONER WINS AND TAKES POINTS LEAD AT SOAKING SILVERSTONE Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) made light of atrocious conditions in today’s British Grand Prix to achieve his third consecutive victory and take the World Championship lead. Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) rode a well-judged race to make it a one-two for the Repsol Honda team. Last man on the podium was Colin Edwards (Yamaha). Stoner gave the crowd a masterful display of inch-perfect wet-weather riding, taking the lead on lap two and never relinquishing it. Despite persistent heavy rain, blustery wind and rivers of water running across the track, Stoner never put a wheel wrong. In addition to several aquaplaning scares during the race, he struggled during the early laps to see where he was going because water had got inside his visor while he was behind Dovizioso on lap one. His other issue was keeping the tyres warm whenever he eased his pace the tyres cooled and lost some grip, so he had to stay on the limit throughout. By half distance Stoner was 5.7s ahead of his team-mate. With three laps to go he started lapping other riders a very rare event in MotoGP and by the time the chequered flag came out he was 15s in front of Dovizioso. This was the Australian’s fourth win from the first six races of 2011 and the success moved him into the World Championship lead, 18 points ahead of reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) who crashed out of third place just before halfway. Dovizioso started brilliantly to lead the first lap, then after Stoner came past he had his hands full as he battled with Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), who had both qualified on the front row alongside pole-sitter Stoner. Dovizioso then found himself all alone after Lorenzo fell and then Simoncelli, the Italian tumbling as he braked for the first turn at the start of lap 11. Simoncelli was a victim of the deep standing water at various parts of the track which caused many a scare during the 20 laps. From that point on Dovizioso was able to control his position to take his second podium result of 2011. This was Stoner and Dovizioso’s second one-two of 2011, following their identical performance at last month’s French GP. The rain was good news for Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) who has struggled in the dry so far this year but was able to score his best result of in eighth place, just four tenths of a second ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V). Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing-Kalex) won his fourth Moto2 race of the year, giving a superb display, similar to Stoner’s. The young German led from the start and won the race by 7.6s to extend his lead in the Honda-powered series to a remarkable 62 points. Bradl had two riders come past him during the first seven laps, but Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team-Suter), who took the lead on lap one, couldn’t maintain his pace, and Mattia Pasini (Ioda Racing Project-FTR), who passed Bradl on lap six, only lasted another lap before he fell. Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Racing-Tech 3) gave the sodden crowd something to cheer about as he came through from 28th on the grid to finish second, the rookie’s first Moto2 podium result. A brilliant first two laps moved Smith into 12th and he kept moving forward from there. While many slower riders fell by the wayside, the former 125 winner found grip where others found none. Vision was a problem as he came through the pack in the early laps, but once he had worked his way closer to the front he felt more and more comfortable. Michele Pirro (Gresini Racing Moto2-Moriwaki) won the contest for the final podium position, crossing the line almost five seconds down on Smith and five ahead of last year’s Silverstone winner Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing-Suter). After Redding had led the first three laps the Briton began to slip back, defending each position as he went, ultimately crossing the finish line in fourth for his best result of the year so far. Esteve Rabat (Blusens STX-FTR) was fifth, his best finish in Moto2. After scoring a win and second place at the last two races, Marc Marquez (Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol-Suter) had a day to forget. The Spaniard grabbed his first Moto2 pole yesterday, but fell at the final turn in this morning’s wet warm-up session. His bike stayed on two wheels and arced across the track until it rammed into the pit wall at speed giving the reigning 125 World Champion’s pit crew a frantic two hours getting the bike fixed for the race start. In the race Marquez fell again. MotoGP rider quotes Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: race winner “At the beginning of the race we didn’t have a great start and I needed to wait for the tyres to get up to temperature. In the first few laps when I was behind the other riders I got a lot of spray up inside the visor and it was hard for me to see, or for me to push. At this time I was being careful, trying to cover my lines to stop them coming inside, then after five laps my visibility got clearer and the water drained away from my visor and I was able to start doing the lap times we were looking for and started to open a gap. I was just happy to stay up on the bike, it was incredibly cold and I was so nervous, because in these conditions it’s so easy to crash! We had a great race today in very tough conditions where anything could have happened, but to come away with a win is fantastic.” Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 2nd “I’m really happy with today’s podium. It’s a second place that feels like gold. The track conditions were very tricky, with much more water than in warm-up this morning. We made a modification on the set-up to have more rear grip and then we did a very good strategy. It helped us doing two sighting laps before the race to bring the tyres up to temperature quicker. I had a very good start and then I was focused to manage the second position with Casey. I was braking very hard to close the door to Lorenzo and Simoncelli. I had a good rhythm, not too far from Casey’s pace, but he is very strong with these conditions so I preferred to manage my race the best I could. I want to thank my team for the hard work and the support. We need to improve the performance also in qualifying, but at the important moment, in the race, we are there. We never give up. With today’s second place we have consolidated third position in the championship and reduced the gap to Lorenzo. The season is still long so I’m confident.” Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP: 8th “I am quite happy as I was hoping for a wet race to finish in the top ten. I could not have finished in the same position in the dry as we are still struggling with bike set-up. Anyway this is a positive weekend for me and the team because we have scored further points. I knew I could fight for a better position battling with Rossi and Abraham, but after some laps I had problems with my helmet: the visibility was not clear and a couple of times I had to open the visor. I think I took a brave start from 14th spot but I went wide in the first corner: luckily I was capable to rejoin the track proceeding with my race.” Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 9th “It was difficult to get a feeling for the bike in the wet conditions in morning warm-up, but as the laps went by in the race I felt more and more comfortable. The end result isn’t particularly satisfying, but we got good experience on a wet track that will help us find a good set-up in the future. Hopefully we can do better next time out.” Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: DNF “I am completely distraught because it seems every week we line up ready for a top race and something happens to deny me. I had already had a moment in that corner so I tried to be more careful, but the front closed and I found myself on the floor waving goodbye to the podium once again. I am gutted! I’ll go home with my head down now, but tomorrow I have to start looking forward to Assen with the hope that this bad run is over.” Moto2 rider quotes Stefan Bradl, Viessmann Kiefer Racing-Kalex: race winner “That was such a tough race in really difficult conditions. I always prefer a dry race, so to win today is really great for us. I focused on myself and my own race and didn’t care what the others were doing. The difficult part was to stay concentrated for the whole race. Things are going well for us, but we still have a long way to go and we will continue working in the same way.” Bradley Smith, Tech 3 Racing-Tech 3: 2nd “Starting from 28th I knew I had to make a good start. Going into Turn Three I went right around the outside of about five people and just kept making moves. In the pack the spray was really bad and I couldn’t see anything, so I just got my head down and went for it. I had a really good pace, but I had nothing for Stefan. I tried to keep a fast pace and put some pressure on him but he was cool and never really made a mistake that gave me a chance.” Michele Pirro, Gresini Racing Moto2-Moriwaki: 3rd “The situation at the start of the race was really difficult because the track was so wet and I didn’t have much confidence. I managed to stay calm and lap after lap my feeling improved and I made up ground. I am really happy because I had never been to this circuit before and this is a really important result for the team. Hopefully it is the first of many! Thanks to the team and the sponsors. I’m really happy!”