Results MotoGP Losail, Qatar (All on Bridgestone tires) 1. Casey Stoner, Ducati 2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, -7.771 seconds 3. Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, -16.244 4. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, -24.410 5. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, -27.263 6. Alex de Angelis, Honda, -29.883 7. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, -33.627 8. Mika Kallio, Ducati, -34.755 9. Toni Elias, Honda, -39.981 10. Randy de Puniet, Honda, -42.284 11. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, -48.526 12. Nicky Hayden, Ducati, -48.883 13. Sete Gibernau, Ducati, -52.215 14. Marco Melandri, Hayate (formerly known as the Kawasaki ZX-RR), -56.379 15. Yuki Takahashi, Honda, -60.286 16. James Toseland, Yamaha, -74.978 17. Niccolo Canepa, Ducati, -75.028 18. Loris Capirossi, Suzuki, -15 laps, DNF, crash More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Edwards claims brilliant fourth in floodlit Qatar opener The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team finally ended an eventful Qatar MotoGP weekend with Colin Edwards riding to a brilliant fourth place finish in tonight’s rescheduled opening race. The race was run nearly 24 hours late after the opening round of the 2009 world championship was postponed because of a freak desert storm last night. Tonight’s race went ahead over the scheduled 22-lap distance after Losail International Circuit staff spent the day using specialist vehicles to clear dust and sand off the surface. Edwards produced one of the best performances of the race in which he was able to showcase his overtaking skills. His stunning surge from ninth on lap one culminated with a pass by Andrea Dovizioso for fourth on lap 14 to ensure Yamaha claimed three of the top four places. British rider James Toseland looked well set for a top ten challenge as he shadowed Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio in the early stages. But just as he closed in for an attack, he ran off into the gravel trap at the final corner on lap seven after a tangle with Toni Elias. He got back on track and finished just outside the points in 16th position. Colin Edwards 4th 13pts “That was a good start to the season after I made a rubbish start to the race. I thought I’d got a good start but the next thing I know is everybody flying by me. I was way down and it cost me the chance to fight for the podium really. I’m not saying I could have run with Jorge (Lorenzo) because he was riding really well, but it would have been nice to give myself a shot. The track conditions were good considering the rain we had last night and I just concentrated on being smooth and not abusing the tyre too much and it paid off because when I caught (Andrea) Dovizioso I could see he was having some issues. By the time I passed him for fourth, Jorge was long gone and it was going to take a massive mistake from him for me to get close to Jorge but I kept pushing. I’d like to think I could have kept the pace with Jorge if I’d got a good start, but it’s easy to say that after the race. The grip from Bridgestone was really good and I’m glad we all stayed and raced. I just want to say thanks to all my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. It has been a long and difficult weekend but we have all pulled together, stayed strong and focused and come out with a good result, so I’m looking forward to another good race in Japan next time out.” James Toseland 16th 0pts “It has been a difficult weekend to say the least and I know we have got a long way to catch up. This race was almost like a test for me, and like in testing, I didn’t have a lot of luck out there. I felt like I could fight for the top ten but Toni Elias came up the inside of me at the final corner as I was closing on Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio. He touched me and I went off into the gravel and that left me out of the points unfortunately. We tried a different front-end setting for the race to try and solve some stability issues I’ve been having, and there is plenty of room for improvement. I just need time on the bike and a bit of luck to go my way. My guys have put in a lot of effort this weekend and I’m confident I can get a good result in Japan for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: Event: Grand Prix of Qatar – Race Date: 13th April 2009 Ambient temperature: 22 degrees C Track temperature: 26 degrees C Humidity: 79% FIAT YAMAHA PAIR OPEN ACCOUNT WITH DOUBLE PODIUM IN QATAR Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo put in a strong opening showing for the Fiat Yamaha Team tonight, finishing second and third under the Qatar floodlights after the race was delayed 24 hours following last night’s heavy rain. Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards brought his M1 home in fourth, making it three Yamaha’s in the top four, with Casey Stoner taking the race win. Starting from second on the grid, Rossi lost some ground at the start and was passed by Loris Capirossi and then Lorenzo. He had passed his team-mate back by the end of the first lap and on lap three he despatched Capirossi, but by that time Stoner was already some three seconds clear. The world champion set off in pursuit and after ten laps had closed the gap to less than two seconds, but the wear and tear from pushing so hard on his Bridgestone tyres was beginning to tell and he wisely chose to settle for the safe option and twenty points, crossing the line 7.771 seconds adrift. His team-mate Lorenzo, who finished second here last year in what was his first MotoGP race, rode a spirited race from the third grid spot. He slipped down to sixth at one point but found his rhythm and fought back to pass Edwards, Capirossi and eventually Dovizioso to take the final podium spot, a further eight seconds behind Rossi. Round two of the MotoGP World Championship takes place at Motegi in Japan in just under two weeks time. Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: +7.771 “So I think it’s definitely more fun to race on a Monday than test, like last year! Today the conditions of the track were quite different to before and this evening in warm-up we encountered a couple of small problems related to tyres, so our strategy had to change slightly tonight. It’s a pity because I think last night we could have put up more of a fight, but anyway this is a good result to start the season, much better than last year. I knew I needed a good start in order to go with Stoner but unfortunately I didn’t get one and I lost some time fighting with Lorenzo and Capirossi and by then Stoner had already gone! The middle part of the race was great fun and I made six or seven good laps to come much closer, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue in that rhythm, it was too risky for the tyres and I decided it was more important to take the 20 points. Casey was very strong today but he is always fast here and I believe that our potential is very good; I think that we can be back fighting again in Motegi. I am so glad we could race today after yesterday and I am satisfied to be leaving here having made a good start to the season it is long!” Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: +16.244 “I am so happy to be on the podium tonight, I really enjoyed some parts of the race when I made some good overtakes and felt confident enough to take some risks. The grip of the track was better tonight but my rear tyre was moving from the start, so this is something we need to address and improve. Apart from the result and the points it is clear we have some work to do because our pace tonight was too far off Rossi and especially Stoner. The gap is too big! After yesterday’s crazy weather I am really happy we could race, it was very important for everyone and now we have got the season underway with a good result, my aim is to be much closer to the leaders in Motegi.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “We didn’t win but we can consider this a good start to the season, certainly much better than in 2008. Now we need to work to fix one or two small problems that we have. The middle part of the race was good, we were gaining on Stoner but in the latter stages he was in a better condition to push and Valentino was right to settle for second. It’s a long championship and the points are important. We are confident that we will be able to battle with Stoner in Motegi.” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “We are happy with the result because we have started the season well and this is very important, especially with so many rule changes to get used to. It is clear that we have some hard work to do in order to close the gap on the leaders and that we need to improve our setting further, so this will be our target for Motegi. Well done to everyone for the effort to get the race run tonight, it was very important to have the chance to compete.” Results 1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1:59.701 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team + 7.771 3. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team + 16.244 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 + 24.410 5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda + 27.263 6. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 29.883 7. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 33.627 8. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing + 34.755 9. Toni Elias (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 39.481 10. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP + 42.284 11. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda + 48.526 12. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team + 48.883 13. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando + 52.215 14. Marco Melandri (ITA) Hayate Racing Team + 56.379 15. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team + 1’00.286 16. James Toseland (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 + 1’14.978 17. Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Pramac Racing + 1’15.028 NOT CLASSIFIED Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +15 Laps Championship Standings 1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 25 points 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 20 3. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 16 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 13 5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 11 6. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 10 7. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 9 8. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing 8 9. Toni Elias (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 7 10. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 6 11. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 5 12. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 4 13. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 3 14. Marco Melandri (ITA) Hayate Racing Team 2 15. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team 1 Losail: Record Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’55.153 Losail: Best Lap J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1’53.927 More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Casey completes clean sweep with victory in Qatar GP1 Qatar Race Losail International Circuit, Monday 13 April 2009 It was second time lucky for the Qatari night race as the usual desert conditions prevailed for the duration of Monday’s running, leaving Casey Stoner and the Ducati Team to complete a clean sweep at the top of the time sheets in every one of the weekend’s sessions. The Australian was followed home by Valentino Rossi, whilst Jorge Lorenzo finished third to take the second podium spot for Fiat Yamaha. As they had prepared to do before yesterday’s postponement, all riders competed on Bridgestone’s medium compound front and rear slicks. Whilst Stoner controlled the lead of the race, there were some close battles in the midfield including some fairing-bashing between Honda stable-mates Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and the recovering Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda). After last night’s rain, the track conditions had changed today with the MotoGP machines running on a cleaner surface. Unlike the past three days, there was also very little wind all day to blow sand back onto the tarmac, meaning that the Stoner’s fastest race-pace lap was just six tenths of a second shy of his qualifying pole time, set using Bridgestone’s soft compound rear to give maximum grip over a short qualifying run. Whilst the race weekend was extended by one day, no additional Bridgestone tyres were allocated to the riders. Owing to an increased level of grip from the cleaner track and the slightly increased ground temperature, the medium compound slick was clearly the correct choice for today’s conditions. Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit “I would like to congratulate Casey Stoner and Ducati Team for their victory in what has been a very unusual race weekend at Losail. It is very rare that we have a race on Monday! We came here knowing that our tyres faced a challenge as Qatar was one of our most difficult races last year, but I am happy with the level we have delivered this weekend. I am pleased that we have been able to meet the task of providing a consistent control tyre and I am pleased we have completed this weekend with no problems.” Casey Stoner, Ducati Team, Race Winner “Everyone is on the same tyres now so you don’t hear any more things about ‘his tyres are better than mine’. The grip is not the best at this track and the bike was moving around a little, but maybe from my dirt-track days I feel more comfortable than maybe other riders do like this. We are all on the same tyres so it is a good feeling to win the first race like this.” Top ten classification (Monday 21:00 GMT+3) Pos. Rider Team Race time Gap Front tyre Rear tyre 1 Casey Stoner Ducati Team 42m53.984s Medium Medium 2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha 43m01.755s +7.771s Medium Medium 3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha 43m10.228s +16.244s Medium Medium 4 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech3 43m18.394s +24.410s Medium Medium 5 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 43m21.247s +27.264s Medium Medium 6 Alex de Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m23.867s +29.883s Medium Medium 7 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki 43m27.611s +33.627s Medium Medium 8 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing 43m28.739s +34.755s Medium Medium 9 Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m33.465s +39.481s Medium Medium 10 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 43m36.268s +42.284a Medium Medium Weather: Dry. Ambient 22°C; Track 26°C More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Vermeulen equals race best at Qatar Rizla Suzuki MotoGP’s Chris Vermeulen equalled his best-ever result at Losail in Qatar tonight by racing his Suzuki GSV-R to seventh place. Vermeulen got a good start from the third row of the grid and was up with the leading group early on. As the race settled down he was involved in a number of battles with various riders and fought all the way to the line to score his – and Rizla Suzuki’s – first points of the 2009 MotoGP season. Loris Capirossi had a less successful race, as he crashed out on lap eight. Starting from fifth on the grid Capirossi got off the line very well and was up into second place by the first corner – a position he held for the first two laps. As the race wore on he experienced a dramatic loss in front tyre performance and eventually lost the front-end of the bike and crashed. Suzuki’s tough Italian walked away unhurt from the high-speed crash and will be fit for the next round in two week’s time. Today’s race was held in dry and fine conditions with track and air temperatures both in the 20ºCs, stark contrast to yesterday’s torrential downpour that led to the race being postponed and rescheduled for today. Ducati’s Casey Stoner led the race from start to finish to record his third successive victory at the Qatari circuit. Rizla Suzuki now travels to Suzuki’s home Grand Prix in Japan, which will be held at the Motegi Twin Ring Circuit on Sunday 26th April. Chris Vermeulen: “I made a good start and got into a good group of guys straight away and I was hoping to stay there. The track conditions were a bit different to what it had been all weekend and it was very different to the test which was how I had the bike set-up, and to be honest I really struggled for front-end feeling. Towards the end of the race the rear tyre performance dropped off as well so that’s something we’ve really got to work on. It’s hard though with the lack of testing in race conditions and also on race weekend’s with the sessions being shorter and there being less of them, it makes it very difficult to put race distance on the tyres and to iron out any other problems. It was not the result we wanted because we were hoping to be in the top-five. We have got quite a bit of work to do to catch up to the podium so we need to put our thinking caps on and go to Motegi and have a better performance!” Loris Capirossi: “I feel really sorry for the whole team, because all winter we have worked so hard and have gone quite well so this was hard to take. It was really strange today because our practice has been good, but in this evening’s warm-up I had a big problem with chatter, this hadn’t happened all weekend and then during the race it was the same. The front tyre didn’t work like normal either, I had done 25 to 30 laps on the same tyre with no problems and the feeling had always been good, but today after just five laps it felt like it was destroyed! This race is over now and we have to concentrate on the next one and find out why the things that happened today occurred.” Paul Denning – Team Manager: “Without doubt it was the right thing for MotoGP to stay on and race here at Qatar tonight, but unfortunately for Rizla Suzuki our bike worked quite differently than it had done all weekend for both riders. We suffered from a serious lack of front grip and some bad vibration which restricted both the guys. Clearly some of our competitors were far less affected by the different conditions and the Team – and Factory – will be working very hard to understand the difference in performance between tonight and the rest of the weekend. We will now go to Motegi and push 100% to perform a lot better at Suzuki’s home GP!” Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar Race Classification: 1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 42’53.984: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +7.771: 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +16.244: 4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +24.410: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +27.263: 7. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +33.627: DNF. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP): World Championship Classification: 1. Stoner 25: 2. Rossi 20: 3. Lorenzo 16: 4. Edward 13: 5. Dovizioso 11: 7. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 9: LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) NOT CLASSIFIED: More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: DE PUNIET ENDS IN THE TOP TEN THE OPENING RACE AT QATAR Losail, 13 April: LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet finished in 10th position the night race at Qatar floodlit track. With a track temperature of 26°C the premier class riders got underway the first GP of the 2009 season at 21:00 local time after the cancellation of yesterdays race due to a rainstorm which is unusual for the desert circuit. Following on from an impressive practice session, Stoner won the opening round followed by Yamaha riders Rossi and Lorenzo. After Saturday’s positive qualifying session (7th place), the Frenchman aboard the Honda RC212V nr. 14 started from the third row for the 22-lap event ending the first lap in 7th position but he struggled with front tyre for the whole race and managed to finish in the top ten. Randy De Puniet 10th De Puniet: “I am a bit disappointed because I expected a better result after my performances in the practice sessions. I made a good start and after that I thought that the race was easy for me. But suddenly I started to suffer grip problems on my front tyre. It was a bit dangerous and did my best to manage the race like this. It’s strange as I did not have this feeling during the whole week end and it was like riding on a soft tyre. My target was the top ten but I could get a better result in different conditions. Anyway we will analyse the data to be more competitive in Japan”. More, from a press release issued by Dorna: Superb win for Stoner in Qatar Monday night race Commercial bank Grand Prix of Qatar Monday 13 April As the action in the premier class of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship finally got underway, at the spectacular Losail International Circuit on Monday night, it was Casey Stoner who took the headlines, completing a hat-trick of season-opening wins at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. Following the exceptional postponement of the opening MotoGP contest of the year due to rain in the Arabian desert, Monday night witnessed the first race in the new single tyre supplier era, but it was a familiar story with Stoner crossing the line first, ahead of World Champion Valentino Rossi. A ruthless Stoner took the holeshot from pole and had built up a two second gap at the end of the first lap. The 2007 World Champion’s victory never looked in serious doubt as he controlled the race from the front, having been the fastest rider in every session over the weekend. His winning margin was more than seven seconds at the end of a brilliant performance, casting aside any doubts about his fitness after winter surgery on his left wrist. Completing the podium behind the front two was Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha colleague Jorge Lorenzo repeating his rostrum result from his MotoGP debut in the opening race of 2008, in his first race on Bridgestone tyres. Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards started his seventh season in MotoGP riding solidly from sixth on the grid to finish fourth on his own Bridgestone debut, making it three Yamahas in the top four. Also on new tyres and with a new factory bike Repsol Honda’s 2009 signing Andrea Dovizioso was fifth, fading slightly in the second half of the race having run in third place for several laps. There was a good performance from Alex de Angelis, crossing the line sixth having qualified ninth at the start of his second year with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen also made a decent start to the year with his improved GSV-R machine in seventh. An excellent MotoGP debut from satellite Ducati rider Mika Kallio, meanwhile, saw him end up as the best placed rookie in eighth for the Pramac Racing team. On factory machinery and returning to the Honda Gresini team this year, Toni Elías could not do better than ninth, whilst Frenchman Randy de Puniet brought the satellite LCR Honda RC212V home three seconds behind the Spaniard to complete the top ten. Dani Pedrosa, riding with knee and wrist injuries, battled through the pain barrier to pick up some important points in eleventh spot. On his Ducati debut, Pedrosa’s former team-mate Nicky Hayden also did well to complete the race in twelfth, given the back and chest injuries he suffered in a huge highside crash in qualifying on Saturday. The brave 2006 World Champion even set his best time on the last lap. Sete Gibernau finished 13th on his MotoGP comeback with the satellite Ducati Grupo Francisco Hernando team, unable to push into the top ten due to his ongoing shoulder injury. Marco Melandri made his first appearance for the Hayate Racing Team and ran off track early on but battled back well to finish in the points in 14th. Commencing his 20th Grand Prix season Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi crashed out on lap eight and was unable to rejoin the race. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: PROMISING REPSOL HONDA SHOWING IN EVENTFUL QATAR GRAND PRIX Qatar GP, MotoGP Race Repsol Honda riders Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa put on a battling display in the Qatar Grand Prix, finishing in fifth and eleventh places in the delayed opening round of the MotoGP World Championship. Both came away feeling positive after an eventful weekend, yet also believed their finishing positions didn’t fully reflect their potential in this dramatic 22-lap race. Making his race debut in the factory Honda team, Dovizioso didn’t get the best of starts and slipped from fourth on the grid to seventh in the first few corners. The 23-year-old Italian then unleashed a series of scorching moves in the opening laps, climbing to third place and setting off in pursuit of Valentino Rossi. His blistering progress was only subdued by a feeling of reduced grip from the front of his RC212V which forced Dovizioso to slow slightly and adjust his riding style. He came home in a creditable fifth to collect 11 points. No one would have believed his Repsol Honda team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, was riding injured as he stormed through the field from his starting position of 14th. The tough Spaniard was up to an amazing sixth place by lap eight and, considering that he’s been unable to ride for over five weeks as he recovered from surgery, an incredible result looked possible. However, the 24-year-old began to experience some vibration from his front wheel and started slip back through the field. He wasn’t helped by Alex de Angelis who spectacularly slammed into the side of Pedrosa – who had been forced wide as Chris Vermeulen slipped by to take sixth place. At the chequered flag, a battered and bruised Pedrosa valiantly held on to eleventh place to collect five valuable points – confirming that his decision to race in Qatar was the right one. The Repsol Honda squad now heads for their home race, the Japanese Grand Prix which takes place at the Twin Ring Motegi, in two week’s time. Andrea Dovizioso, 5th “I didn’t start well but I was able to overtake some riders and get into third position. During the first three laps the machine was performing really well – as it had during practice – and I tried to keep in contact with Valentino, but then I started struggling with the front. It was folding entering the corners and, later, also mid-corner, so I couldn’t turn as I would have liked. I had to slow down and compensate by turning with the rear tyre. We never had this issue during practice or the pre-season tests, so we need to understand what happened and do some more work to adapt the machine to the tyres. It was a very hard fight today, and I’m satisfied that we learned a lot here in practice and during the race. Now we’ll analyze the data and work hard for the next one in Japan.”. Dani Pedrosa, 11th “Overall I’m happy because of my progress over the weekend. I improved in every session and I’m glad to have come here and scored five points – though I’m also slightly disappointed because it could even have been ten or eleven. I got a good start and the race was going very well at the beginning. After seven or eight laps, though, I had started to get some vibration with the front wheel which became more severe as the race progressed. I started to lose grip at the front and my lap times suffered, so we’ll have to check what the issue was. I also suffered a lot physically in the race, and de Angelis gave me a big hit mid-race. The collision was avoidable I think because he could have passed me cleanly. My knee was giving me a lot of pain by the end and my left arm was pretty tired too. Still, we came away having completed the race and with a few points, which was our target, so I’m happy.” Kazuhiko Yamano – Team Manager “Both riders were fighting hard to the chequered flag and I’m very pleased with their performance this weekend. We’ve amassed a lot of data from both machines and from Andrea and Dani’s feedback, and we’ll use this to work on the areas where we need to improve our machine’s performance. Now we’re back racing again we know what we’ve got to do. The weekend has been positive overall, but fifth and 11th isn’t where we want to be, so we’ll continue to work hard and move forward.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: Great eight position at MotoGP debut for Mika Kallio. Canepa seventeenth. 2009 MotoGP World Championship Doha, Qatar Great begin for the Pramac Racing Team rider, Mika Kallio, who has conquered at his debut in the top class an excellent eight position. The Grand Prix of Qatar didn’t start too well for the Finnish rider who lost two positions after starting in tenth place. Thanks to his rhythm he has came back concluding at only ten seconds from the fourth position. His teammate, the debutant Niccolò Canepa, has now passed the emotion of the first race in the World Championship and he will have the opportunity to do better in two weeks time in the next race in Japan on the Motegi circuit. Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Technical Director “Happy. A lot. Beside the eight final position, the riders that were in front of him didn’t have such a faster rhythm. Unluckily Mika didn’t start well and in the first laps lost some time otherwise he could have finish in a better position. Anyway we are positive because the rhythm he maintained for the all race is excellent for a debutant. For Niccolò we are happy that he passed this first Grand Prix without any mistakes, of course he will have to improve, but I think that the many emotions he lived this weekend has limited his performances in his first appearance in the top class.” Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing rider – 8th position “Before coming here I thought that if I would have finished in the top ten I would have been satisfied: the eight position is therefore a really good result. I didn’t manage to start in the best way, but I have maintained a good rhythm. I tried to catch the group in front of me, but after a few laps I thought to keep my rhythm and this strategy paid off. In the last laps I was seeing Vermeulen closer and closer and I think that if I would have had a couple of more laps I could have pass him. Anyway in general we had a positive weekend and we will try to continue on this direction in the next appointment in Japan.” Niccolò Canepa – Pramac Racing rider – 17th position “I hoped to do better to be honest, but it has been a difficult weekend since the first session and we couldn’t expect a miracle for the race. In the last laps I made it to stay with Toseland and I learnt many things. We will try to improve our performances in Japan even if it will be the first time for me in Japan, but I will surely be more aggressive because it is what I need.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: STONER SENSATIONAL AND HAYDEN HEROIC IN QATAR Casey Stoner took a dominant victory in the opening round of 2009 MotoGP World Championship and his third in consecutive years at the Grand Prix Qatar in tonight’s rescheduled race under the floodlights of Losail. With torrential rain forcing the postponement of the original contest last night, the riders returned to the track today for a 20-minute warm-up at 1830h ahead of a 2100h start. The nervous wait didn’t seem to affect the Australian, who launched from pole position to lead the entire distance, maintaining his searing pace in the second half of the race to keep the chasing Valentino Rossi at bay. Nicky Hayden produced an equally impressive display and whilst the result was not as spectacular as Stoner’s his determination certainly was. The American suffered a heavy crash during Saturday’s qualifying session that left him nursing an extremely sore back and three stitches in his chest but he valiantly battled through to take twelfth place, almost snatching eleventh from Dani Pedrosa on the line with an exciting late charge. CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1st “I’m so pleased with this victory because it is fruit of the hard work done by everybody at Ducati over the winter. It has been difficult to work in such short sessions here this weekend and going into the race last night we took a gamble with a setting change that we weren’t sure about, but we got the opportunity to try it in warm-up and it felt great, so thank you to the team that worked really hard during the whole week-end. That gave me more confidence ahead of the race. We knew this circuit is demanding for fuel consumpionts and I had to adapt my style a little to keep the pace up and hold the advantage over Valentino but finally we didn’t have problems at all with it. My wrist felt 100% tonight but I still need to work on my overall fitness after the down time over the winter and I’m sure we can keep progressing.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 12th “It’s been a tough weekend and we’ve had a lot of issues obviously a 130mph high-side doesn’t help things but nothing really went smooth. In the beginning of the race I was quite slow, I didn’t get a great start but actually as the fuel load changed and I got a better feeling I got faster and faster and the last five or six laps were my fastest of the whole weekend. It would have been nice to nick Dani at the end there but I think the team have showed that even though a lot of stuff has gone against us this weekend we’re not going to give up. Hopefully the bad stuff is behind us now and Casey has shown the potential of the bike, so crazy as it sounds I’m leaving here in a really positive mood and looking forward to Motegi.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MotoGP race report Weather: dry, warm Temperature: 22 degrees ambient, 26 degrees track Humidity: 79% Crowd: 4500 DOVIZIOSO FIFTH IN REPSOL HONDA DEBUT Former World Champion Casey Stoner (Ducati) won the rain-delayed Qatar Grand Prix by speeding from the pole position to the checkered flag on a warm night in the desert east of Doha. The win was his third in a row on the Losail International Circuit and the first under the new racing regulations that include control tires and limited practice and qualifying. None of which seemed to bother the 23-year-old Australian. Stoner sped away at the start, built a comfortable lead in the early going, then rebuffed a mid-race attack by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). From the 11th lap to the end of the 22-lap affair, Stoner steadily built his lead to a margin of victory of 7.771 seconds. Rossi’s teammate Jorge Lorenzo was third. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) came home in fourth just ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda). Stoner had to wait a day to notch his third consecutive win. Rare torrential rains just as the MotoGP field was about to start its warm-up lap on Sunday night forced the postponement of the race to Monday night. The only time anyone could remember this ever happening to the senior class was in the 1960’s when the 500cc GP on the Isle of Man was delayed a day by “fog on the mountain.” Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso nearly equaled his stunning premier class debut from 2008 by finishing fifth. Dovi had moved into third on the fourth lap before front end issues that affected much of the 18-rider field also slowed his drive. The problem had never arisen during practice and qualifying, so the young Italian had some on the job learning. But he managed it well and gained valuable experience. Unfortunately, on lap 14 he was dropped one spot by Colin Edwards (Yamaha), but he’d still finish as the top Honda rider. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Alex De Angelis made a late run at Dovi and closed to within 1.6 seconds at the stripe. The excitement in his race came on the 11th lap when he made contact with Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa as the pair went side-by-side through a left-hand corner. De Angelis ran wide, slamming into Pedrosa’s left side and leg, which had recently been surgically repaired. Pedrosa slid off the left side of the saddle as his RC212V skated along the rumble strips, but somehow the gritty Spaniard managed to stay upright. The controversial pass put De Angelis in seventh and two laps later he would steal sixth from Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki). Teammate Toni Elias gave the San Carlo Honda Gresini squad a double top ten finish by taking ninth. But the Spaniard wanted more in his return to the team he last rode for in 2007, especially since he was racing a factory supported Honda RC212V. It hadn’t been an easy weekend for Elias, who now looks forward to better things at the following grand prix in Motegi, Japan in two weeks. Elias was the first of three Hondas to finish in order. Behind came LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet and Pedrosa. De Puniet battled a front tire grip problem that slowed him early on and he could finish no better than tenth. Scot Racing Team MotoGP’s Yuki Takahashi scored a point in his MotoGP debut. The former 250cc campaigner treated his first race like a master class, learning from the rest of the more experienced field. Mostly he learned about dealing with the front end and braking in what was his longest ever ride on a GP machine. The second running of the night-time race was a success, even if the MotoGP world had to wait a day. The World Championship order is as per race order after only one race. Fifth-placed Dovi said: “I didn’t start well but I was able to overtake some riders and get into third position. During the first three laps the machine was performing really well – as it had during practice – and I tried to keep in contact with Valentino, but then I started struggling with the front. It was folding entering the corners and, later, also mid-corner, so I couldn’t turn as I would have liked. I had to slow down and compensate by turning with the rear tyre. We never had this issue during practice or the pre-season tests, so we need to understand what happened and do some more work to adapt the machine to the tyres. It was a very hard fight today, and I’m satisfied that we learned a lot here in practice and during the race. Now we’ll analyze the data and work hard for the next one in Japan.” De Angelis finished sixth and said: “I’m so happy with this result because I think we deserve it after working so hard this weekend. I didn’t get a great start but I knew my pace was okay, so I just tried to stay calm, pass as many people as possible and make up positions. We knew the podium was out of reach for us here but I always felt we were capable of a top result and sixth place falls into that category. I was called up to Race Direction to put forward my version of the collision with Dani, but there was no complaint against me so it wasn’t a big deal. This is just the start, and even though we know this circuit suits my style of riding and my package, our aim is to be consistent and keep scoring results like this one.” Toni Elias finished ninth and said: “Taking into account where we started from and the problems we had this weekend, this is a decent result for us and I’m satisfied. In terms of points it probably would have been better for us if the race was cancelled here because we knew it would be tough for us but the truth is that if you had offered me ninth place on Friday, I probably would have taken it! We know we have work to do and we know exactly where our problems are, so we’ll work together with Honda to try and fix them as much as possible before the next race in Japan.” Randy De Puniet finished in 10th place and said: “I am a bit disappointed because I expected a better result after my performances in the practice sessions. I made a good start and after that I thought that the race was easy for me. But suddenly I started to suffer grip problems on my front tyre. It was a bit dangerous and did my best to manage the race like this. It’s strange as I did not have this feeling during the whole week end and it was like riding on a soft tyre. My target was the top ten but I could get a better result in different conditions. Anyway we will analyse the data to be more competitive in Japan”. Pedrosa was a valiant 11th and said: “Overall I’m happy because of my progress over the weekend. I improved in every session and I’m glad to have come here and scored five points – though I’m also slightly disappointed because it could even have been ten or eleven. I got a good start and the race was going very well at the beginning. After seven or eight laps, though, I had started to get some vibration with the front wheel which became more severe as the race progressed. I started to lose grip at the front and my lap times suffered, so we’ll have to check what the issue was. I also suffered a lot physically in the race, and de Angelis gave me a big hit mid-race. The collision was avoidable I think because he could have passed me cleanly. My knee was giving me a lot of pain by the end and my left arm was pretty tired too. Still, we came away having completed the race and with a few points, which was our target, so I’m happy.” In his MotoGP debut, Yuki Takahashi finished 15th and said: “The best came at the end, when I had a chance to follow Marco Melandri for a long while. I studied him, and I got a lot of information about how to deal with the front tyre and about braking points. Don’t forget that this is my first race in the MotoGP class. Not only that, but I never did a long run before. I’m satisfied. My target was learning the bike and how to compete against the best riders in the world. How to deal in the heat of the first laps, and strategies, and tactics. At the beginning I lost a little time, but I did not want to make any silly mistake. And at the end I was able to keep the same pace of the riders who were in the first groups. And now, let’s prepare for my home race, in 13 days, in Japan.” Honda rider quotes. Qatar GP race April 13. MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 5th. “I didn’t start well but I was able to overtake some riders and get into third position. During the first three laps the machine was performing really well – as it had during practice – and I tried to keep in contact with Valentino, but then I started struggling with the front. It was folding entering the corners and, later, also mid-corner, so I couldn’t turn as I would have liked. I had to slow down and compensate by turning with the rear tyre. We never had this issue during practice or the pre-season tests, so we need to understand what happened and do some more work to adapt the machine to the tyres. It was a very hard fight today, and I’m satisfied that we learned a lot here in practice and during the race. Now we’ll analyze the data and work hard for the next one in Japan.”. Alex de Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 6th. “I’m so happy with this result because I think we deserve it after working so hard this weekend. I didn’t get a great start but I knew my pace was okay so I just tried to stay calm, pass as many people as possible and make up positions. We knew the podium was out of reach for us here but I always felt we were capable of a top result and sixth place falls into that category. I was called up to Race Direction to put forward my version of the collision with Dani but there was no complaint against me so it wasn’t a big deal. This is just the start and even though we know this circuit suits my style of riding and my package, our aim is to be consistent and keep scoring results like this one. ” Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 9th. “Taking into account where we started from and the problems we had this weekend, this is a decent result for us and I’m satisfied. In terms of points it probably would have been better for us if the race was cancelled here because we knew it would be tough for us but the truth is that if you had offered me ninth place on Friday, I probably would have taken it! We know we have work to do and we know exactly where our problems are, so we’ll work together with Honda to try and fix them as much as possible before the next race in Japan.” Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 10th. “I am a bit disappointed because I expected a better result after my performances in the practice sessions. I made a good start and after that I thought that the race was easy for me. But suddenly I started to suffer grip problems on my front tyre. It was a bit dangerous and did my best to manage the race like this. It’s strange as I did not have this feeling during the whole week end and it was like riding on a soft tyre. My target was the top ten but I could get a better result in different conditions. Anyway we will analyse the data to be more competitive in Japan”. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 11th . “Overall I’m happy because of my progress over the weekend. I improved in every session and I’m glad to have come here and scored five points – though I’m also slightly disappointed because it could even have been ten or eleven. I got a good start and the race was going very well at the beginning. After seven or eight laps, though, I had started to get some vibration with the front wheel which became more severe as the race progressed. I started to lose grip at the front and my lap times suffered, so we’ll have to check what the issue was. I also suffered a lot physically in the race, and de Angelis gave me a big hit mid-race. The collision was avoidable I think because he could have passed me cleanly. My knee was giving me a lot of pain by the end and my left arm was pretty tired too. Still, we came away having completed the race and with a few points, which was our target, so I’m happy.” Yuki Takahashi, Scot Racing Team MotoGP:15th. “The best came at the end, when I had a chance to follow Marco Melandri for a long while. I studied him, and I got a lot of information about how to deal with the front tyre and about braking points. Don’t forget that this is my first race in the MotoGP class. Not only that, but I never did a long run before. I’m satisfied. My target was learning the bike and how to compete against the best riders in the world. How to deal in the heat of the first laps, and strategies, and tactics. At the beginning I lost a little time, but I did not want to make any silly mistake. And at the end I was able to keep the same pace of the riders who were in the first groups. And now, let’s prepare for my home race, in 13 days, in Japan.” More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP RACE REPORT: GRAND PRIX OF QATAR Stoner opens 2009 season with third consecutive victory in desert; Edwards fourth INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, April 13, 2009 Rain or shine, day or night, Casey Stoner continues to be the master of Qatar. 2007 MotoGP World Champion Stoner earned his third consecutive victory in the Grand Prix of Qatar, opening the 2009 season by winning from pole on his Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone. He never trailed in the 22-lap race, winning by 7.771 seconds over reigning World Champion and Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Valentino Rossi. The night race was delayed one day at the Losail International Circuit due to heavy rain Sunday, April 12. Stoner won this event in 2007 when it took place during daylight and also won in 2008 and this year in races conducted under floodlights. Stoner was the fastest rider in every session this weekend, and he built a two-second lead after the first lap. “We knew this circuit is demanding for fuel consumption, and I had to adapt my style a little to keep the pace up and hold the advantage over Valentino, but finally we didn’t have problems at all with it,” Stoner said. Rossi’s teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, rounded out the podium finishers in third on his Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone. American Colin Edwards finished fourth on his Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone with a strong rally after a sluggish start. Edwards qualified sixth but dropped to ninth on the first lap. But he recovered to pass five riders on the ensuing laps, capturing fourth from Andrea Dovizioso on Lap 14. “That was a good start to the season after I made a rubbish start to the race,” Edwards said. “I thought I’d got a good start, but the next thing I know is everybody flying by me. I was way down, and it cost me the chance to fight for the podium, really. I’m not saying I could have run with Jorge because he was riding really well, but it would have been nice to give myself a shot.” American Nicky Hayden, the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, finished 12th in his debut as Stoner’s teammate with Ducati. Hayden was uncertain to start the race his 100th in MotoGP after suffering a severely bruised back and a cut in his chest that required three stitches during a high-speed, high-side crash in qualifying April 11. But he climbed from his 16th starting spot to battle Dani Pedrosa for 11th, falling just three-tenths of a second short. The next race is the Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday, April 26 at Motegi. The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. *** RESULTS DOHA, Qatar Results of the 22-lap Grand Prix of Qatar MotoGP race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle/tire, time behind winner. All riders on Bridgestone tires: 1. Casey Stoner Australia Ducati 2. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha +7.771 seconds 3. Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha +16.224 4. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha +24.410 5. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda +27.263 6. Alex de Angelis San Marino Honda +29.883 7. Chris Vermeulen Australia Suzuki +33.627 8. Mika Kallio Finland Ducati +34.755 9. Toni Elias Spain Honda +39.481 10. Randy de Puniet France Honda +42.284 11. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda +48.526 12. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati +48.883 13. Sete Gibernau Spain Ducati +52.215 14. Marco Melandri Italy Kawasaki +56.379 15. Yuki Takahashi Japan Honda +1:00.286 16. James Toseland Great Britain Yamaha +1:14.978 17. Niccolo Canepa Italy Ducati +1:15.028 18. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki +15 laps Fastest lap: Stoner, 1:55.844, Lap 2 Pole lap: Stoner, 1:55.286 *** POINTS Riders: Stoner 25, Rossi 20, Lorenzo 16, Edwards 13, Dovizioso 11, de Angelis 10, Vermeulen 9, Kallio 8, Elias 7, de Puniet 6, Pedrosa 5, Hayden 4, Gibernau 3, Melandri 2, Takahashi 1. Manufacturers: Ducati 25, Yamaha 20, Honda 11, Suzuki 9, Kawasaki 2. *** PODIUM QUOTES CASEY STONER (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, winner): “I’m so pleased with this victory because it is fruit of the hard work done by everybody at Ducati over the winter. It has been difficult to work in such short sessions here this weekend, and going into the race last night we took a gamble with a setting change that we weren’t sure about, but we got the opportunity to try it in warm-up and it felt great. That gave me more confidence ahead of the race. We knew this circuit is demanding for fuel consumption, and I had to adapt my style a little to keep the pace up and hold the advantage over Valentino, but finally we didn’t have problems at all with it. My wrist felt 100 percent tonight, but I still need to work on my overall fitness after the down time over the winter, and I’m sure we can keep progressing.” VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, second): “So I think it’s definitely more fun to race on a Monday than test, like last year! Today the conditions of the track were quite different to before, and this evening in warm-up we encountered a couple of small problems related to tires, so our strategy had to change slightly tonight. It’s a pity because I think last night we could have put up more of a fight, but anyway this is a good result to start the season, much better than last year. I knew I needed a good start in order to go with Stoner, but unfortunately I didn’t get one and I lost some time fighting with Lorenzo and Capirossi, and by then Stoner had already gone! The middle part of the race was great fun, and I made six or seven good laps to come much closer, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue in that rhythm. It was too risky for the tires, and I decided it was more important to take the 20 points. Casey was very strong today, but he is always fa st here and I believe that our potential is very good. I think that we can be back fighting again in Motegi. I am so glad we could race today after yesterday, and I am satisfied to be leaving here having made a good start to the season it is long!” JORGE LORENZO (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, third): “I am so happy to be on the podium tonight. I really enjoyed some parts of the race when I made some good overtakes and felt confident enough to take some risks. The grip of the track was better tonight, but my rear tire was moving from the start, so this is something we need to address and improve. Apart from the result and the points, it is clear we have some work to do because our pace tonight was too far off Rossi and especially Stoner. The gap is too big! After yesterday’s crazy weather, I am really happy we could race. It was very important for everyone, and now we have got the season underway with a good result. My aim is to be much closer to the leaders in Motegi.” *** AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES COLIN EDWARDS (Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, fourth): “That was a good start to the season after I made a rubbish start to the race. I thought I’d got a good start, but the next thing I know is everybody flying by me. I was way down, and it cost me the chance to fight for the podium, really. I’m not saying I could have run with Jorge (Lorenzo) because he was riding really well, but it would have been nice to give myself a shot. The track conditions were good considering the rain we had last night, and I just concentrated on being smooth and not abusing the tire too much, and it paid off because when I caught (Andrea) Dovizioso I could see he was having some issues. By the time I passed him for fourth, Jorge was long gone and it was going to take a massive mistake from him for me to get close to Jorge, but I kept pushing. I’d like to think I could have kept the pace with Jorge if I’d got a good start, but it’s easy to say that after the race. The grip from Bridgestone was really good, and I’m glad we all stayed and raced.” NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, 12th): “It’s been a tough weekend, and we’ve had a lot of issues. Obviously, a 130-mph high-side doesn’t help things, but nothing really went smooth. In the beginning of the race, I was quite slow. I didn’t get a great start, but actually as the fuel load changed and I got a better feeling, I got faster and faster, and the last five or six laps were my fastest of the whole weekend. It would have been nice to nick Dani at the end there, but I think the team have showed that even though a lot of stuff has gone against us this weekend, we’re not going to give up. Hopefully the bad stuff is behind us now, and Casey has shown the potential of the bike. So crazy as it sounds, I’m leaving here in a really positive mood and looking forward to Motegi.” *** MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS 250cc: Hector Barbera, Spain, Pepe World Team Aprilia 125cc: Andrea Iannone, Italy, Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia. American Cameron Beaubier placed 16th. *** NEXT RACE Grand Prix of Japan, Motegi, April 26. Round 2 of 17. *** 2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011. Tickets for the three events in 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the Indianapolis 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Red Bull Indianapolis GP can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.