FIM MotoGP World Championship Valencia, Spain October 26, 2008 Race Results: 1. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, 30 laps, 46:46.114 2. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Bridgestone, -3.390 seconds 3. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Bridgestone, -12.194 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), Michelin, -24.159 5. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, -26.232 6. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, -32.209 7. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Bridgestone, -34.571 8. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha), Michelin, -35.661 9. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -38.228 10. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda), Bridgestone, -47.583 11. James TOSELAND (Yamaha), Michelin, -52.107 12. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Ducati), Bridgestone, -52.350 13. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -52.833 14. John HOPKINS (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -53.227 15. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda), Michelin, -53.411 16. Marco MELANDRI (Ducati), Bridgestone, -68.387 17. Anthony WEST (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -71.181 18. Toni ELIAS (Ducati), Bridgestone, -97.055 MotoGP World Championship Point Standings (after 18 of 18 races): 1. Rossi, 373 points 2. Stoner, 280 3. Pedrosa, 249 4. Lorenzo, 190 5. Dovizioso, 174 6. Hayden, 155 7. Edwards, 144 8. Vermeulen, 128 9. Nakano, 126 10. Capirossi, 118 11. Toseland, 105 12. Elias, 92 13. Guintoli, 67 14. De Angelis, 63 15. De Puniet, 61 16. Hopkins, 57 17. Melandri, 51 18. West, 50 19. Ben Spies, 20 20. Jamie Hacking, 5 21. Tadayuki Okada, 2 Final Constructor Championship Point Standings: 1. Yamaha, 402 points 2. Ducati, 321 3. Honda, 315 4. Suzuki, 181 5. Kawasaki, 88 Team Championship Point Standings: 1. Fiat Yamaha Team, 563 points 2. Repsol Honda Team, 404 3. Ducati Marlboro Team, 331 4. Tech 3 Yamaha, 249 5. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 248 6. San Carlo Honda Gresini, 189 7. JiR Team Scot MotoGP, 174 8. Alice Team, 159 9. Kawasaki Racing Team, 112 10. LCR Honda MotoGP, 61 More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: STONER TAKES SIXTH VICTORY OF THE SEASON AT VALENCIA AND SECURES SECOND PLACE FOR DUCATI IN CONTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP Casey Stoner took a dominant victory in the final round of the 2008 MotoGP season to secure second place in the Constructors’ World Championship for Ducati. Today’s win, at the circuit where he celebrated his debut success in the 125cc class back in 2003, was also the 150th for Australian riders in all Grand Prix classes. Not only that, but Stoner’s sixth victory of the season means that the Italian factory have taken 17 wins from 36 races since the start of the 800cc era – an average of almost 50%. Marco Melandri enjoyed a positive but ultimately unfortunate final race with Ducati, the Italian rider coming through from the very back of the grid to lap in tenth place, only to run off track two laps from the end – returning to finish the race in sixteenth. Tomorrow the Ducati Marlboro Team will be back on track to begin preparations for next season, with Casey Stoner joined for the first time by his new team-mate Nicky Hayden. CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1st “We couldn’t really have asked for much more today. To end a difficult season in this way is a fantastic feeling and it’s a nice way to thank everybody at Ducati for their hard work. Once again my crew got it right, finding a good setting for the bike despite limited dry track time. To be honest I was quite worried during qualifying yesterday because I didn’t have a good feeling at all but by the time we put the softer tyres on the bike was already feeling better and then the guys did a fantastic job overnight and in the warm-up this morning to iron out a few more of the problems. This was the first time we’ve ridden in these conditions all weekend so there were still a few question marks before the race, so to go out and set the pace like that was a nice feeling. Now I’m really excited about testing the new bike tomorrow. It felt good the last time I rode it and I’m sure they’ve made it better, so hopefully we can have a good first session and go home for the winter full of optimism about next season.” MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Marlboro Team) 16th “Despite everything that was a fun race because I felt quite comfortable on the bike and I was able to attack and pass a whole bunch of riders. Starting from so back was a handicap and I lost touch with the fast group that Lorenzo was in. But I lapped well with a decent pace. Unfortunately near the end of the race I hit neutral instead of first gear and ran wide. I’m disappointed because it would have been nice for me and the team to finish well. At least it was a dignified race.” FILIPPO PREZIOSI (Technical Director Ducati Corse) “The win from Casey today is a real gift to us because we’ve finished second in the championship. I’m also happy because after two days of tests here on Monday and Tuesday Casey will finally be able to have his operation in the knowledge that he finished the season with a wonderful victory. I’m pleased for Marco because even though he didn’t got the result in the end, he has fought hard, made a lot of passes and rode as he knows he can in his final race with us.” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI ROUNDS OUT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WITH 16TH PODIUM Valentino Rossi brought the curtain down on a spectacular season with a third place in Valencia today, his 16th podium from 18 races in a year which saw him win his eighth world title. The 29-year-old Italian has taken nine wins, five seconds and two thirds this year, surpassing the all-time premier class win record and the record for the most points in a season in the process. His outstanding performances this season also helped the Fiat Yamaha Team to secure the Teams’ title and Yamaha the Manufacturers’ title. Rossi had struggled to find a good set-up for his M1 during yesterday’s qualifying and he started from 10th on the grid. However some last-minute changes paid dividends and he was able to get a good start, climbing to seventh in the first lap and then making a characteristic charge through the field to move into third on lap six. Unfortunately from then on he was unable to make a dent in the gap to second-placed Dani Pedrosa and he had to settle for the final podium position, 12 seconds off winner Casey Stoner. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo secured the Rookie of the Year title with eighth place today, rounding off an eventful but impressive season for the 21-year-old. Both riders will be in action tomorrow as work for the 2009 season gets underway immediately with a two-day test at Valencia. Valentino Rossi Position: 3rd Time: +12.194 “I don’t think that was so bad today! Unfortunately we had some problems yesterday and that meant we had to start from the fourth row, which left us with a very difficult task. As always though we found a way and my team gave me a good bike, which meant I was able to get a great start and then have some fun passing people. Once I got to third there was no way to catch Dani and so it wasn’t such an exciting race from then on. This has been an amazing season for us and to finish with another podium, the 16th, is great and we cannot complain. I am so happy with what we have done this year, as I said it’s definitely one of my greatest championships and I want to thank everyone once again Yamaha, my team, the engineers, Bridgestone and everyone who helped us to get this result. Tomorrow we will try the new bike which means we can’t have as big a party as we would like, but it is important to try to find a base for it so I am looking forward to it.” Davide Brivio Team Manager “I think it would have been difficult to have done more than this today, because we were starting from the fourth row and the setting still wasn’t perfect. Anyway it was a great end to the season and we scored another podium, making 16 in total, nine of the them wins. We have the triple crown and this all makes it a fantastic season. Thank you very much to Valentino first of all and then all the engineers in Japan, who have worked so hard, and to all the team members for this huge effort. Luckily we had a big party in Japan because tomorrow we start to think about 2009 and start to test, and it’s going to be important to make the most of it and to give good information to the engineers about the new bike. But we will still have some celebrations tonight so let’s all enjoy ourselves! Thanks again to everybody, it’s been a wonderful season.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: LORENZO SECURES ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AT SEASON FINALE Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo took a deserved Rookie of the Year title by finishing eighth at Valencia today, his fourth position in the championship the highest finish for a premier-class newcomer since the advent of four-stroke MotoGP. The Spaniard’s first season in MotoGP has seen him win a race and take a further five podiums and four pole positions, helping Yamaha to secure the Team and Manufacturers’ titles to add to his team-mate Valentino Rossi’s World Championship. After struggling for grip yesterday Lorenzo started from seventh on the grid and things got worse as the race got underway. He was unable to find a rhythm and slipped to11th until mid-race distance. From then on he began to improve and he was able to make up three places, finishing strongly to set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap. The race was won by Casey Stoner with Rossi taking third, his 16th podium of the season. The team gets straight back to work tomorrow with the very first test of the 2009 season, during which Lorenzo will have his first chance to try the new prototype 2009 YZR-M1. Jorge Lorenzo Position: 8th Time: +35.661 “I feel a bit disappointed with this result today because I really wanted to finish the season with a podium, but in the end we couldn’t manage it here. We had some problems though so I have to be happy that I was able to finish the race strongly, passing people and doing my best lap of the race on the last lap, especially when you consider that yesterday in qualifying I was the slowest on race tyres! The best thing about today is that I am the leading rookie, so I get a trophy all the same and this makes me very proud of my first season in MotoGP with Yamaha. I want to thank all of my team, engineers and everyone who has helped us. I also have to say a special thank you to Michelin for their work this season because this is our last race with them. I am very proud that I was able to win my first MotoGP race with them. Tomorrow we begin straight away to work on the 2009 bike and I am very excited to try it.” Daniele Romagnoli Team Manager “We expected to finish in a better position for this last race, but unfortunately the problem we had in qualifying persisted, although we were able to improve it somewhat from yesterday. Jorge was able to keep a good pace during the second half of the race and he was able to finish strongly and make his best lap on the very last lap. This has been a fantastic year for us because we were able to make four pole positions, win a race and take five more podiums, helping Yamaha to win the triple crown, and Jorge is the year’s leading rookie. I want to thank Yamaha very much for the huge effort they made in order to give us such a competitive machine, and I also want to thank Michelin for their support we wish them all the best for the future. Finally thanks to everyone in our team for doing a fantastic job all year and we look forward to coming back even stronger next year.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Yamaha: Fantastic finale for Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia Colin Edwards’ seventh top six finish of the season and a determined ride from James Toseland ensured the Tech 3 Yamaha team claimed a superb fourth place in the Team World Championship standings in today’s Valencia MotoGP race. The 15-point haul collected by Edwards and Toseland in today’s 30-lap battle saw the Tech 3 squad seize fourth position by a single point from Suzuki’s official factory team, ending the 18-round campaign as the highest placed independent team. American Edwards played a starring role in the success, his superb start from the second row of the grid giving him the perfect platform to mount a bid for his first top six finish since he took third in Assen back in June. Edwards quickly claimed third from Nicky Hayden on the first lap to settle in behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. But with minimal dry set-up time after another weather-hit weekend, Edwards quickly encountered some rear grip issues to find himself back in sixth on lap six. He quickly adapted to the decreasing grip and crucially began to pull away from Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, maintaining a constant pace to the end. Toseland also played a critical role in today’s fantastic finale as he closed his rookie campaign with a hard fought 11th position. The British rider shadowed fellow Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo for the opening fifteen laps in a close dice for 11th place, twice passing the Spaniard momentarily. Toseland also ran into grip issues in the closing stages, but he rode a brilliant final three laps to fend off Sylvain Guintoli, John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen. Colin Edwards 6th – 144pts “It has been a while since I finished in the top six and for this result to help the team finish fourth in the Team World Championship makes it extra rewarding. I’m pleased for Herve Poncharal and the team because they deserve it. We had a couple of races where we gave a lot of points away, but for an independent team we have done a fantastic job together and it was a year to remember. I got a great start and rode around the outside of Nicky at the first corner to slot in behind Casey and Dani. I actually felt pretty comfortable at that point. Nicky passed me though down the front straight and I started to spin the rear tyre a bit just as the other guys started to get into the groove. The next thing I know, everybody was disappearing up the road and there was nothing I could do. With so little dry track time we gambled with the setting and I ran a softer tyre and at the end I was having a few problems. My bike felt great but I just didn’t have a lot of grip and this isn’t the best track for Yamaha. We don’t have the initial raw grunt that you need on a tight and twisty track like this with a lot of low speed acceleration points. I’d like to thank all my guys for their hard work throughout the season and to Yamaha for their continued support. Finally I’d like to say a big thanks to Michelin. I had the greatest moments of my career with them and I’ve enjoyed our time together. I’m looking forward to a bit of a break now before coming back in Jerez next month to begin working as hard as ever for 2009.” James Toseland 11th 105pts “It was a hard race to finish a pretty hard season and while it wasn’t how I wanted to finish on a personal note, it was great that I contributed to the team getting fourth by a point. I’m glad I managed to hang on at the end there because I was coming under a lot of pressure. In the first half of the race I was probably a bit quicker than Jorge but I just couldn’t make a pass on him stick. I got him a couple of times but I made mistakes and let him back through. One time I put my hand in the air to apologise for a close move going into the first corner, and as I put my hand back for the second corner I missed my braking marker. So I’m annoyed with myself about that. I was in a real fight at the end and I was just struggling for a bit of grip. We tried quite a big change on the set-up and it worked well for the first half of the race, but towards the end I had to ride a bit defensive and make sure I didn’t lose too many places. The team deserve to be fourth in the championship this year and I was determined to help them achieve it. Tech 3 and Yamaha have given me unbelievable support in my rookie year and I was pleased to battle right to the last lap to get that result for them. I have learned a lot in 2008, and I’m looking forward to working hard in the winter and making a big impression next season.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager “It was a fantastic way for us to end the season and I really want to thank Colin and James for their effort. It was a tough weekend with the weather conditions but it was very important to end on a positive note and we were reasonably confident when both of them qualified on the second row. Colin made a great start and he did a good race, keeping a really good rhythm. In the first half of the race, James looked even a little bit quicker than Jorge but he couldn’t quite pass him. He pushed really hard throughout even though he didn’t have 100 per cent confidence, but it was a strong result and by hanging on at the end under a lot of pressure he helped us get fourth in the Team Championship and we beat two full factory teams. That was our target before this weekend and we achieved it. I’d like to congratulate Yamaha again for an incredible season. They gave us a great bike in 2008 and I’d also like to say a big thanks to Michelin for their support. Thanks to them and Yamaha we had one pole position and two podium finishes. We will miss Michelin but we now must look forward to a new era. Everyone at Tech 3 is now looking forward to a quick break and we will be back raring to start our 2009 preparations in Jerez at the end of November.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: TOUGH RACE TO END TOUGH SEASON FOR KAWASAKI Kawasaki’s John Hopkins and Anthony West faced a tough test at the Valencia circuit today, ending their 2008 MotoGP world championship campaign with 14th and 17th positions respectively in today’s 30 lap race, after race day conditions differed greatly compared to practice and qualifying. Hopkins got a good start from 14th on the grid and rode spectacularly around the outside of his rivals into eighth position by the end of lap one. The 25-year-old Anglo-American set his sights on hunting down the group ahead, but early on in the race was troubled with cornering issues aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. Despite his best efforts and some gritty riding, Hopkins lost a place on lap four to Shinya Nakano, and was then unable to hold off a succession of attacks as he struggled to find grip at the 4.005km Valencia circuit. A lack of dry set-up time and the hotter race day conditions both contributed to the Kawasaki racer’s difficulties in the race. As the rear grip began to drop off, and drive out of the turns more difficult to find, Hopkins was unable to defend against a determined attack by Chris Vermeulen on the final lap and had to settle for 14th position at the chequered flag West, who campaigned his Ninja ZX-RR for one final time today, also got a good start and took four positions into the first turn. But with only a brief outing to set his machine up on slick rubber in yesterday’s qualifying, the 27-year-old Australian also suffered with rear traction issues early on in the race. West was frustrated as the rear traction available from his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR, using a tyre combination he is not confident was the right choice for today’s race, rapidly deteriorated and he slowly slipped down the standings to cross the finish line in 17th position. Now that the 2008 MotoGP World Championship season has drawn to a close after 18 events held across four continents around the globe, tomorrow’s testing at the Valencia circuit will mark the start of preparations for the 2009 season for the Kawasaki Racing Team. John Hopkins #21 – 14th Position “After getting such a good start to the race it became obvious we were going to be fighting a losing battle, because I soon realised I couldn’t get the bike turned well enough. This also added to the wear on the rear tyre, and the season-long traction issues we’ve suffered were evident again, so after the first few laps I had to fight for every position I could. We knew it was going to be a tough one because, after all of the rain this weekend we’ve had very little dry set-up time, but I was really hoping for a top ten finish. I’m also incredibly disappointed as my crew chief, Fiorenzo Fanali, is retiring after this race and I really wanted to get one final good result for him. The 2009 season starts with testing tomorrow and we have to start finding solutions to our problems so we can be competitive right from the word go next year.” Anthony West #13 – 17th Position “What a frustrating end to a frustrating season. I wanted to finish my last race with Kawasaki as close to the top ten as I could, but a questionable tyre choice put paid to that today. Rear grip dropped off sharply within a few laps, and it was like riding dirt track for the rest of the race with the bike sideways everywhere. This season didn’t turn out as I was expecting, and while I’m sure people are pointing the finger at me for this, I leave here knowing that I did my best and that I couldn’t do any more. I knew I’d finish the season close to my teammate in the championship standings, what I didn’t expect was for us both to be so close to the bottom of the points table. I’d like to thank Kawasaki for giving me this chance in the premier class; it hasn’t been the easiest time, but the experience will definitely stand me in good stead as I move onto pastures new in 2009.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “Today’s race was a tough ending to a tough season for the Kawasaki Racing Team. Conditions out on track were very different to those in practice, but both riders suffered with the issues that have plagued us throughout this year. The final result for this season is certainly not one I was expecting. I was confident that with the undoubted calibre of our riders, combined with the professionalism of everyone involved in Kawasaki’s MotoGP project, we would be regularly finishing in the top ten, or even top five. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as we were expecting and this is something we hope the all-new for 2009 bike will address. I’d like to thank Anthony for all his hard work this year and, together with everyone in the team, wish him the best of luck for next season.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: STONER WINS, PEDROSA CHASES HARD FOR SECOND Casey Stoner (Ducati) won this end of season finale by nearly four seconds from a battling Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) who finished the year strongly, with the 2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) relegated to third place. It was Dani who sped off the line to lead the pack into turn one with one his trademark lightning starts from the front row. Stoner stayed with him with Colin Edwards (Yamaha) holding third place and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V), who crashed in the morning warm-up, fourth. Into turn two and Stoner slid up the inside of Dani to steal the lead and the Aussie never let it go from then on. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) had scorched from row three into fifth place and the rookie ace was destined to have yet another great day in his debut season with fourth at the flag. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) who started from sixth on the grid ran wide on lap one compromising his chances of a top ten finish when he looked to have the potential for at least that here. The Frenchman’s luck once again deserted him on a crucial opening lap. Hayden knew he had to get past Edwards to stand any chance of catching the runaway lead pair of Stoner and Nicky’s team-mate Dani. On lap two the Kentucky Kid did just that but he now had to close a one second gap to the leaders. It never happened. Stoner and Dani were too quick for any pursuers with Stoner proving beyond the reach of even the masterly Pedrosa who knows how to win here at Valencia. By lap six of this 30-lap contest Stoner led Dani by one second and the Spanish star held nearly four seconds over the chasing pack. And that pack order was about to change dramatically. Rossi had taken time to get among the immediate challengers, lying seventh at the end of lap one. But by lap seven he was third having disposed of Dovi on lap four and then both Edwards and Hayden on lap six. Dovi maintained fourth but couldn’t make any inroads on Rossi. Rossi in turn could make no impression on Pedrosa and Dani could only watch as Stoner guarded his lead from him. Hayden in fifth was closer to Dovi but not close enough to trouble him for the rest of the race. There was action downfield as Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) fought off the attentions of John Hopkins (Kawasaki), Jorge Lorenzo and James Toseland (Yamaha), and Marco Melandri (Ducati). The eight riders in front of them, including Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) in seventh, were spread thinly along ‘Cheste’s’4.005km covered by 22 seconds. Little changed in the closing laps except the gaps between riders, although Lorenzo moved up to eighth past Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) at the flag to secure the Rookie Of The Season title from his erstwhile rival Dovi. He ended the season fourth overall with 190 points to Dovi’s fifth place in the final standings with 174. Second-placed Dani, riding his RC212V along with Nicky in one-off retro Repsol livery, said: “I’m happy with second place today. I pushed Casey as hard as I could but he had something a little extra and he managed the gap very well. We worked hard all weekend, so my thanks to my team and also to Repsol, the bike I rode today was one of the best-looking bikes I’ve ridden. The crowd was great, it was fantastic to see so many fans here, packing the grandstands and obviously really enjoying the spectacle and pushing us along. Overall, I’m also happy with the last few races, because we were able to come back from a difficult period during the middle of the season. I hope to have a good off-season and stay healthy.” Dovi, fourth, 12 seconds behind Rossi, said: “From tomorrow I’ll be an official Honda rider and this is the achievement of a dream, but it’s sad to leave a team that always believed in me and gave me the opportunity to contest the MotoGP Championship. We’ve had a good season, often in front of ‘official’ factory machines and we achieved all the goals we set ourselves. Today in the race, I started well but I knew things would become difficult. Next year I can develop a motorcycle and learn different working methods. I know I must still improve.” Hayden, fifth, said: “We started out the weekend a bit like a fairytale fastest in the first three sessions and I think the conditions were better for us then. This morning we had a big off which probably didn’t help things. I just lost the front at turn nine, maybe conditions were a bit too cool for that front tyre. In the race I didn’t quite get the start I wanted and those guys were just quicker. I rode hard this weekend and I have to finish off by saying thanks to my team, to Honda, to Michelin and to everybody here. They made me a World Champ and I’m grateful to them all.” Nakano, in seventh, said: “I’m happy with seventh place today because it was important for me to get to the finish line, which is why I pushed hard but without taking too many risks. We’d gone for a hard tyre with an eye on the later stages of the race and I think we made a good choice. I’m satisfied with this season because we’ve had some good races and despite a couple of ups and downs I’m happy with how it’s all gone. I want to thank Team Gresini and my fans for their support and I’ll go away with great memories of people I’ve had the pleasure to work with.” Tenth-placed De Angelis said: “The way this weekend started we’ve managed to finish it off in positive style so I’m happy. We were hoping for better but the weather proved a real setback for us and our preparations for the race because we lost our way a little in the last races and we needed more time to sort the bike out. I want to thank everybody who has worked with me this season they have all done everything they could to help me because for a rider the first year in MotoGP is always the most difficult.” De Puniet managed 15th at the flag. He said: “I’m very disappointed because I wanted to get a better result in the last race of the season. In the first lap I made a small mistake and had to go wide to avoid Toseland. At the end of the first lap I was last and twelve seconds away from the leader. After that I started to push, but a comeback was beyond me. My wrist ached a lot and I just did my best to finish the race. Thanks to my crew and the Honda and Michelin staff for all their work this season.” 250cc Grand Prix Reigning World Champion Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) won this frantic 27-lap race, but the star of the show was the flying Yuki Takahashi (JiR Scot Honda RS250RW) who finished second. Spanish interest lay with Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) who was third. Mika Kallio, who crashed out of second place on the final lap, got the holeshot and led Julian Simon (both KTM) into turn one. When the early race order settled, a six-rider lead group headed by Kallio, with Takahashi in sixth, had established itself. By the halfway point Simoncelli, Kallio and Takahashi had opened a two second gap to Simon in fourth. He then retired with mechanical trouble as Bautista chased this lead trio. In the final laps Takahashi dropped away before Kallio fell and the Japanese star earned a well-deserved second place. Takahashi, scoring his third podium of the season to finish fifth overall in the points standings, said: “I’m very happy. I said we could earn the team some champagne here and sure enough we can have some now. The last race had to be a good race for us and my lap times were good. My start was good, I pushed hard, but I had a few slides from mid-race and couldn’t stay with Simoncelli. Thanks to everyone for their support this season.” Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT SAG RS250RW) finished eighth for his fifth top ten finish of the year. He said: “After qualifying I was aiming for a top five finish but I made another bad start and was only 14th at the end of the first lap. My bike was running really well again today and I slowly made up positions. The leading group was very fast and we were running around the same lap times. Overall I’m happy with my season but I have to think about a lot before next season, particularly about my starts.” 125cc Grand Prix Simone Corsi took his fourth win of the season ahead of his Aprilia team-mate Nico Terol with 2008 World Champion Mike Di Meglio (Derbi) third. Corsi had to work hard for this win, enmeshed in a five-rider group from mid-race distance the Italian stole across the line just one tenth of a second ahead of Spaniard Terol. The win moves Corsi to second overall in the final points standings as 2007 World Champion Gabor Talmacsi (Aprilia) who led him by six points going into this race, crashed out. It was the Hungarian’s last 125cc Grand Prix. British rider Bradley Smith (Aprilia) finished a strong fourth. Louis Rossi (FFM Racing Honda RS125R) finished in 23rd place. He said: I stalled on the starting grid and started from way back. We didn’t have the right settings today as grip levels changed throughout the weekend, making it extremely difficult to dial in the precise set-up for my Honda. But I really feel that I could have a much more satisfying result with a better start. But I had fun out on the racetrack and really feel I made some improvements.” GP Valencia race quotes. October 26, 208. Honda rider quotes. MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd 3rd in World Championship. “I am happy with second place today. I pushed Casey as hard as I could but he had something a little extra and he managed the gap very well. We worked hard all weekend, so my thanks to my team and also to Repsol, the bike I rode today was one of the best-looking bikes I’ve ridden. The crowd was great, it was fantastic to see so many fans here, packing the grandstands and obviously really enjoying the spectacle and pushing us along. Overall, I am also happy with the last few races, because we were able to come back from a difficult period during the middle of the season. We changed tyres and I came in for some criticism, but finally we got back on the pace at the last few races, running close to the front in the wet and in the dry. It hasn’t been the easiest of years. I broke my right hand during preseason testing, I broke my left hand in Germany and I injured my left knee at Phillip Island. These injuries caused me to lose my rhythm and they interrupted our development work, while everyone else was racing and improving their bikes. I have had to push really hard to come back from all these injuries. Tomorrow we start testing for 2009 I am looking forward to it because things are going well now. I hope to have a good off-season and stay healthy.” Andrea Dovizioso, JiR Scot Honda: 4th – 5th in World Championship. “This was my last race with my Team, with whom I’ve been with for seven consecutive years. I still remember when running in the Italian Championship, being contacted by them to join the Team. From tomorrow I will be an official Honda rider and this is the achievement of a dream, but there is also sorrow to leave a Team that has always believed in me, that gave me the opportunity to contest the MotoGP championship. We have had a good season, often in front of ‘official’ factory machines and we achieved all the goals we set ourselves. Today in the race, I started well but after that I knew things would become difficult. I lost time overtaking both Nicky Hayden and James Toseland, but I was not able to stay with Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. For next year I will have a motorcycle, which I can develop and also I will have a new team with different working methods. I know I must still improve, I will have to understand how to steer the development of the motorcycle, and in the race I must be more consistent. There will be equality of tyres also, which will be good for me. Today I left my bike with Yuki Takahashi, as he is coming to this category, and he was my team-mate in 250s. I think he could do well in MotoGP, as in recent years he has had injuries that have influenced his results, but he has come back so strong. His approach to it will be interesting, as with MotoGP, at first it seems easy but then it becomes very challenging!” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 5th – 6th in World Championship. “We started out the weekend like a bit of a fairytale fastest in the first three sessions, so we were off to a good start, I think the conditions were better for us then. Yesterday afternoon we were third and on the front row, then this morning we had big off which probably didn’t help things. I just lost the front at turn nine, maybe conditions were a bit too cool for that front tyre. I had to swap bikes for the race and my crew had to change a lot of stuff: callipers, swingarm and so on. My other bike didn’t feel so smooth. It wasn’t too bad but I definitely liked my first bike better, but that was my fault. In the race I didn’t quite get the start I wanted and those guys were just quicker in the beginning, my rhythm wasn’t quick enough. It obviously would’ve been better to finish my last race with Honda a bit stronger. I rode hard this weekend, now I’m looking forward to doing something different. I have to finish off by saying thanks to my team, to Honda, to Michelin and to everybody here. They made me a world champ, I’m grateful to them all.” Shinya Nakano, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 7th – 9th in World Championship. “I’m happy with seventh place today because it was important for me to get to the finish line, which is why I pushed hard but without taking too many risks. Considering that I started the race from fifteenth I had to be very focused to make up positions at the start, taking another couple of riders over the opening laps before catching Edwards, although it was difficult to get past him. We had gone for a hard tyre with an eye on the later stages of the race and I think we made a good choice. I’m satisfied with this season because over the final few races in particular we’ve had some good races and despite a couple of ups and downs I’m happy with how it’s all gone. I want to thank Team Gresini and my fans for their support and I will go away with great memories of the people I have had the pleasure to work with this season.” Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Gresini Honda: 10th- 14th in World Championship. “With the way this weekend started we’ve managed to finish it off in positive style so I’m happy. Tenth place is gratifying even though we were hoping for better. Unfortunately the weather here proved a real setback for us and our preparations for the race especially because we lost our way a little in the last races and we needed more time to sort the bike out. I want to thank everybody who has worked with me this season they have all done everything they could to help me because for a rider the first year in MotoGP is always the most difficult. Tomorrow we start a new adventure on a new bike, with new technical staff, and I’m curious to see how the new season shapes up.” Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 15th 15th in World Championship. “I am very disappointed because I wanted to get a better result in the last race of the season. In the first lap I made a small mistake and had to go wide to avoid Toseland. At the end of the first lap I was the last rider and lost twelve seconds from the leader. After that I started to push but was impossible to come back. My wrist ached a lot and I did my best to finish the race. Honestly I expected something better because my pace in race trim was fast but now it’s time to work for next season. I want to thank my crew, the Honda and Michelin staff for their good job during this championship”. 250cc: Yukio Takahashi, JiR Scot Honda: 2nd – 5th in World Championship. “I am happy here because I wanted to end my last season in 250s in the best possible way, giving another podium to my team. During practice we worked hard on the settings for the race and the bike was perfect. Yesterday I was not satisfied with qualifying, because I knew that I could do more and to the team last night I said we would be today on the podium. I started pushing from the start, I gave 100% and gave no thought to anything, just to give the bike full gas! I want to thank the whole team, as we have been very close during this year’s world championship. Tomorrow I will ride for the first time on the Honda MotoGP bike and right now I’m feeling many different emotions, all together. I am happy, eager and I am realizing a dream.” Ratthapark Wilairot, Thai Honda PTT SAG: 8th 13th in World Championship. “After qualifying I was aiming for a top five finish but I made another bad start and was only 14th at the end of the first lap. My bike was third fastest yesterday and running really good again today and I slowly made up positions. My problem was that I took too long to pass Pasini, I was not aggressive enough. The leading group were very fast and I could not make a better place because we were running around the same lap times. Overall I am happy with my season but I have think about a lot before next season, particularly my race starts!” 125cc: Louis Rossi, FFM Honda: 23rd. ” I stalled on the starting grid and obviously started from way back. I was nevertheless able to close on a group led by Bastien Cheseaux and Daniel Saez. We did the whole race together and it was really interesting. We had a good fight and in the final lap I made two mistakes and wasn’t able to finish on top of that group. Cheseaux had the last word, it’s a real pity. But I must admit that we didn’t necessarily have the right settings. The grip changed throughout the week end, making it extremely difficult to dial the precise set-up for my Honda. But I really feel that I could have a much more satisfying result with a better start. Nevertheless I had some fun out on the racetrack and really feel I had made some improvements.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Casey Stoner ended the 2008 season as he began, victorious onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP8. The Australian took the win at the Gran Premio Parts Europe de la Comunitat Valenciana in emphatic fashion, breaking away from pole for triumph number six of the year. Runner-up in the overall standings, Stoner was riding for pride in the final race of the campaign, once again competing through the discomfort of a scaphoid injury that will be treated almost immediately following Monday and Tuesday´s post-race test. Setting circuit records along the way, Stoner eventually crossed the line some 3.390 seconds clear of any challenge to his superiority. 2007 racewinner at Valencia, Dani Pedrosa was unable to repeat the feat in 2008 despite his best attempts. The Repsol Honda rider had taken the holeshot after his trademark speedy start off the line, but was left taking a back seat to Stoner as the pace quickened. Nonetheless, the Spaniard treated the home fans to another podium finish, his eleventh of the year. Valentino Rossi had claimed on Saturday that he was not fast on race or qualifying tyres in the dry at Valencia, but proved himself wrong with his own mercurial performance with the Yamaha M1. The 2008 World Champion also added a further notch to his podium tally with third place, his ninth in succession and sixteenth of the campaign. One week on from his first MotoGP podium, Andrea Dovizioso earned fourth place in a similarly closely-fought battle to that of Sepang with Nicky Hayden. The JiR Team Scot rider got a chance to further inspect the factory bike with which he will test on Monday and Tuesday, edging out his American rival but unable to take the Rookie of the Year prize. He handed his satellite machine to his replacement, Yuki Takahashi, on returning to the garage. Moving from Repsol Honda to Ducati for 2009, Hayden fell short in his quest to end his stay on Japanese machinery to a final victory. Starting from the front row like Pedrosa running a special white retro livery & leathers combination for the race- `The Kentucky Kid´ dropped to fifth as he once again lost out to Dovizioso. Tech 3 Yamaha´s Colin Edwards came home sixth, ahead of Shinya Nakano, Jorge Lorenzo, Loris Capirossi and Alex de Angelis. All eighteen of the MotoGP riders completed the 30 lap race, held in front of 119,788 spectators. Casey Stoner- Race Winner “I couldn´t ask for much more! It was a very difficult season with lots of ups and lots of downs. I´m looking forward to testing the new bike it´s the reason that we´ve kept on riding- but another two good results is great. Yesterday we couldn´t find a good setup, but working after doing the qualifying laps and in the warmup got us ready for the race.” 250cc 2008 250cc World Champion Marco Simoncelli brought his title-winning season to a perfect conclusion in Valencia, taking victory from pole position at the Spanish track. The Metis Gilera rider faced stiff competition from Mika Kallio in the duo´s final duel in the quarter-litre class, but a last lap fall from the Finn left the Italian with room to breathe on the final corners of 2008 campaign. Running a special livery to commemorate his title triumph, Simoncelli made the most of the superior drive of his Gilera RSA keep distance between himself and the Red Bull KTM man, but his sixth win of the year seemed to be under threat as Kallio continued to set new lap records. A memorable race for Simoncelli was one to forget for Kallio, who tests an 800cc bike for the first time on Monday for Ducati. Yuki Takahashi, another rider heading to the premier class for 2009, took advantage of Kallio´s fall from nearly five seconds behind, moving up into the runner-up spot. The JiR Team Scot man gave his 250cc team a happy sendoff with his third rostrum of the year. Alvaro Bautista completed the podium at his home race, having had a bad start to the Valencia date. He was held up early on by Simoncelli´s teammate Roberto Locatelli, who was on a tear for fourth his best result of the year. Falls for Alex Debon and Julian Simon moved several riders in the top ten up places, with Hiroshi Aoyama the highest placing KTM rider in the factory´s final 250cc race. Hector Faubel took his best placing of the season, whilst Aleix Espargaro, Ratthapark Wilairot, Mattia Pasini and Thomas Luthi also made their mark. Kallio remounted for eleventh place. 125cc Simone Corsi closed the 125cc season with a fourth victory of the year on Sunday morning, assuring the Italian the runner-up spot in the 2008 World Championship. Corsi held his nerve in the face of challenges from Jack&Jones WRB teammate Nico Terol and World Champion Mike di Meglio over the duration of the race, eventually taking the chequered flag first in an exciting sprint to the line. The race had begun with a near-collision between Corsi and Terol off the line, setting the tone for the forthcoming 24 laps. After Corsi and Di Meglio seemed to have broken away, an increased pace from a trailing trio and a mistake from the titlist let Terol back into the game. He held on to complete Jack&Jones WRB´s first one-two in the class. Di Meglio had run wide on the penultimate lap, although kept his cool to limit the damage. The Frenchman rounded off the podium his eighth time on the rostrum in 2008. Just outside the top three, despite his best efforts, Bradley Smith placed fourth in his final race for Polaris World Aprilia. In a top five separated from the rest of the field by some twenty seconds, Sandro Cortese was also denied a podium finish as the pace was upped on the final laps. Andrea Iannone, Tomoyoshi Koyama, Scott Redding, Pablo Nieto and Esteve Rabat made up the remainder of the top ten, with Nieto participating in his final Grand Prix before taking up a managerial role in MotoGP next season. There was no positive departure for 2007 World Champion Gabor Talmacsi, however, as the Hungarian was forced to retire from the race due to a mechanical problem. He took third in the season´s overall standings. Early frontrunners Stefan Bradl and Sergio Gadea also DNF’ed when Bradl fell, taking the home rider with him. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi used all his experience to fight to the chequered flag at Valencia today to secure himself a top-10 finish in the 2008 MotoGP World Championship. Capirossi started from eighth on the grid and was battling with the front group during the early stages of the 30-lap race. As grip became an issue in the much higher temperatures at the Spanish track today, Suzuki’s Italian star rode a lonely race for much of the duration until he came under pressure in the closing stages. Capirossi tried to defend his eighth place, but was overtaken on Valencia’s long start-finish straight as the penultimate lap started. He wasn’t able to claw back the position and brought his GSV-R home in ninth. Chris Vermeulen took a gamble on using harder compound race tyres as the track temperatures rose to 30ºC, but unfortunately it didn’t pay off and the Australian racer struggled to find the level of grip that he wanted to be competitive throughout the race. He managed to pass a couple of riders in the closing stages and eventually crossed the line in 13th place, to give him eighth overall in the championship standings. Today’s race was watched by almost 118,000 fans that crowded the stands around the 4,005m circuit. Casey Stoner took victory on his factory Ducati with a faultless flag-to-flag performance. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now remain in Valencia for a two-day test, where it will begin working on its assault on the 2009 campaign with the first evaluation of the latest incarnation of the Suzuki GSV-R. Loris Capirossi: “It was a really hard race today. I got a good start and had a nice rhythm in the first few laps. I stayed in touch with the front guys and I stayed there for a while and everything seemed to be ok until I had a little bit of trouble with the front tyre. I had chosen a soft compound and it started to move a little bit under braking and then the edge grip started to drop off a bit on the rear and I had to change my rhythm. I tried to defend my position but Lorenzo got me on the straight and I couldn’t do anything about it. This is now the last race and we have to start working hard for next year, I am a bit upset that we won’t have as many tests in the winter because we have a lot to do on the bike. I am sure Suzuki will work hard to help us because we still need to improve a lot.” Chris Vermeulen: “With the hotter temperatures we gambled with tyres and it was probably the wrong decision because from the first lap I really struggled to get feeling out of the tyres. It didn’t really get any better throughout the race so it made it very difficult for me to even keep the bike upright – as well as going as quick as I could. At the end of the race I was quicker than a few of the guys in front of me, but I was still a long way behind where we need to be. The engine just didn’t have enough on the one long straight, but for the test tomorrow Suzuki has brought a lot of parts for us to try, and fingers crossed they’ll be good parts and take us a good step forward.” Paul Denning – Team Manager: “Through no lack of effort or commitment the results today were far away from what we would like to achieve. From today the most positive thing to happen is that we now start work on the 2009 season straight away. The bike is not a bad package at all, but there are a couple of restrictions that are hindering the riders over race distance. We know the strong points of the GSV-R – and the weak points are extremely clear as well. Suzuki, and the team, is fully committed to taking a massive leap forward next season. “I’d like to thank everybody involved with the team for their sterling efforts in 2008, the level of commitment has never faltered regardless of the situation and if we continue with that attitude we have a great chance of turning things around in 2009!” More, from a press release issued by JiR Team Scot Honda: Andrea Dovizioso 4th in Valencia race and 5th in MotoGP championship The last race of the MotoGP World Championship for 2008 ended for Andrea Dovizioso with a fourth place finish, which consolidates his fifth position in the championship ranking. The result also confirms his and JiR Team Scot’s position as the highest finishers in the championship of any of the customer teams in MotoGP aboard his satellite RC212V. After two days of practice marked by changeable weather, the Spanish sun finally shone and Andrea Dovizioso once again started well and soon moved up to fourth position, which he kept until the end of the race, behind the leading trio of the race and championship: Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. The race concluded a season full of satisfaction for Andrea and JiR Team Scot, who have four times been near the podium, then finally reached it in Malaysia with a third place result. At the end of the race, Andrea returned to the pits and was hugged by his team and Yuki Takahashi, with the Italian symbolically handing over his Honda RC212V to the Japanese rider, who will take his place in 2009. After seven years with his team and a 125cc World Championship it was an emotional farewell, as next season Andrea will be in the colours of the official Repsol Honda factory team. Gianluca Montiron Director JiR Team Scot “Today ended a season full of sporting satisfaction for us, that since the first race has truly highlighted the potential of Andrea. During the championship we have managed to achieve and then maintain, fifth position in the overall ranking, which was our goal at the start of the season: my thanks go to the team, our partners and of course to Andrea.” Andrea Dovizioso Rider JiR Team Scot MotoGP HONDA RC212V 4th position, 4th-best time: 1’33 “313 “This was my last race with my Team, with whom I’ve been with for seven consecutive years. I still remember when running in the Italian Championship, being contacted by them to join the Team. From tomorrow I will be an official Honda rider and this is the achievement of a dream, but there is also sorrow to leave a Team that has always believed in me, that gave me the opportunity to contest the MotoGP championship. We have had a good season, often in front of ‘official’ factory machines and we achieved all the goals we set ourselves. Today in the race, I started well but after that I knew things would become difficult. I lost time overtaking both Nicky Hayden and James Toseland, but I was not able to stay with Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. For next year I will have a motorcycle, which I can develop and also I will have a new team with different working methods. I know I must still improve, I will have to understand how to steer the development of the motorcycle, and in the race I must be more consistent. There will be equality of tyres also, which will be good for me. Today I left my bike with Yuki Takahashi, as he is coming to this category, and he was my team-mate in 250s. I think he could do well in MotoGP, as in recent years he has had injuries that have influenced his results, but he has come back so strong. His approach to it will be interesting, as with MotoGP, at first it seems easy but then it becomes very challenging!” Cirano Mularoni Team Manager JiR Team Scot “And so ends a season that has seen us achieve, in both classes that we took part in, the goals we set ourselves. In MotoGP, Andrea is the fifth-best rider in the championship, the first ‘customer’ motorcycle home and he also climbed onto the podium in Malaysia. In the races he has often managed to stay ahead of some of the works riders, and today he once again confirmed his potential and those of the Team. Yuki finished in fifth place in the 250cc championship, and also took his third podium. From tomorrow he will start with a new adventure in MotoGP. I thank the Scot Group, all our sponsors, technical partners include Honda, Michelin and Showa. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Stoner wins season finale and leads all-Bridgestone podium Round 18: Valencia Race Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia Sunday 26 October 2008 Ducati rider Casey Stoner has today taken victory in the season finale at Valencia, ending the 2008 season as he started it with a dominant win. It is the Australian’s sixth win of the season and the 15th victory for a Bridgestone-shod rider this year. Stoner led an all-Bridgestone podium with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa in second position and 2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi in third, concluding Bridgestone’s most successful MotoGP season in style. The result takes Bridgestone’s combined podium tally for the year to 35 with Stoner’s pole position from Saturday afternoon extending the number of pole results this season to 12. Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano continued his recent strong run of form to take seventh position at the chequered flag with team-mate Alex De Angelis also scoring a top ten result this afternoon. Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi also featured in the mid-field scrap, taking an eventual ninth position. After a weekend of mixed and often inclement weather, over 117,000 attending spectators enjoyed brilliant sunshine for today’s 30-lap race, but the inconsistent weather over the weekend made race tyre choice difficult. Of the five time sessions this weekend, only this morning’s warm-up session was held in completely dry conditions with work centered on finding the most appropriate tyre for the race. Most Bridgestone riders demonstrated consistent pace over the full race distance in spite of the hot track temperatures with the three podium finishers in a class of their own at the front of the field. Stoner set the fastest lap of the race with a time 0.2s quicker than last year’s race best Preparations for next season get underway tomorrow with a scheduled two-day test in Valencia. Bridgestone will use the occasion to start its own development for 2009 when it will be the sole tyre supplier to the MotoGP world championship. Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit “I could not have asked for a better way to end this successful season for Bridgestone. Casey rode a faultless race and thoroughly deserved his sixth win of the season. Together with Casey and Ducati, we have taken wins at the beginning and end of this season. Dani and Valentino were also competitive and helped us to our fifth 1-2-3 result of the season. We have taken an amazing 15 wins this year with Valentino and Casey’s successes, as well as 1-2 in the championship, something that I am very proud of. We enter a new era for next season with a sole tyre supply regulation, but it has been a great pleasure for Bridgestone to have been part of a competition scenario with our rivals in MotoGP since 2002. After such a long season, I would like to thank each and every one of our riders, teams and their staff for a tremendous support this year, and to all Bridgestone staff at the track and at the factory for their invaluable individual contributions. Tomorrow marks the first day of testing in preparation for next season and we will surely have another big challenge ahead of us.” Tohru Ubukata Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Race Tyre Development “I am pleased with the performance of our tyres in today’s Valencia Grand Prix after a complicated weekend. The wet weather on Friday and Saturday greatly reduced the possibility to evaluate our slick tyre range so we were left with just 20 minutes of warm-up to prepare for the race. We worked hard with our teams to allow them to select the most suitable tyre for the race distance and most riders were able to push hard throughout the 30 laps. Track temperatures were hotter today than at any other point over the weekend, so most riders preferred a hard spec rear tyre to help with the durability. Casey produced a very competitive performance and the top three riders showed a great consistency which definitely helped them obtain their podium results today.” Casey Stoner Ducati Race Winner “We couldn’t ask for much more than to finish the season like this. This weekend has been largely affected by the weather. We were struggling a bit to find the best set-up yesterday and also to identify the best tyre for the race. We found a good solution and were quick in warm-up this morning. The bike worked fantastically throughout the whole race, as did the tyres, and it is fantastic to sign this season off with a win.” Bridgestone-shod Riders’ Race Results and Tyre Choices Pos. Rider Team Race Time Gap Front Tyre (all 16.5”) Rear Tyre (all 16.5”) P1 Casey Stoner Ducati Corse 46m46.114s Winner Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 46m49.504s +3.390s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P3 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 46m58.308s +12.194s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P7 Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini 47m20.685s +34.571s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P9 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 47m24.342s +38.228s Slick-Soft Slick-Hard P10 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 47m33.697s +47.583s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P12 Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team 47m38.464s +52.350s Slick-Medium Slick-Hard P13 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 47m38.947s +52.833s Slick-Medium Slick-Medium P14 John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 47m39.341s +53.227s Slick-Soft Slick-Hard P16 Marco Melandri Ducati Corse 47m54.501s +1m08.387s Slick-Medium Slick-Medium P17 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team 47m57.295s +1m11.181s Slick-Soft Slick-Medium P18 Toni Elias Alice Team 48m23.169s +1m37.055s Slick-Medium Slick-Soft Weather: Dry Air 26°C, Track 34°C More, from a press release issued by Michelin: DOVIZIOSO IS TOP MICHELIN MAN IN MICHELIN’S FINAL MotoGP RACE Michelin didn’t obtain the results it had expected in today’s MotoGP season finale at Valencia. The company had high expectations after setting the pace in the first three practice sessions and putting Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin)on the front row in yesterday’s qualifying session, with all six Michelin men on the first three rows of the grid. Today’s weather was very different from the last two days, with warm, sunshine replacing the grey, rainy skies of Friday and Saturday. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) was Michelin’s top performer, coming through from the third row of the grid to finish in fourth place, just ahead of fellow Michelin men Hayden and Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin). Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) came home in eighth place to win the Rookie of the Year prize. James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) finished 11th and Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) took 15th after running off the track on the first lap. “We expected a better race, the results were not as good as we had wanted,” said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “There was a lot of rainfall during the two days of practice and qualifying, so there wasn’t so much dry track time, which meant we couldn’t do many laps on race tires, though of course everyone was in the same situation. Today’s track temperature was also hotter and maybe we had more heat in the tires than expected, which could be why the lap times were not as fast as we had wanted.” Today’s race was Michelin’s last in the premier class of the motorcycling World Championship. MotoGP switches to a one-make tire format for 2009 and because Michelin’s philosophy of racing is open competition, which ultimately creates better tires for the street rider, the company has decided to continue its racing activities elsewhere. “This was our last race, after a long involvement in this series, during which we have won 26 world titles,” added Weber. “I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has been involved with us over the years, thanks to the riders for their efforts, thanks to our partners for their hard work and thanks to everyone for their support, both here and back at our own factories. Now we look to the future.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: DE PUNIET OUT OF LUCK IN THE LAST 2008 GP AT VALENCIA CIRCUIT Valencia, 26 October: Under sunny skies the last GP of the 2008 season at Valencia race track was run at a very hot pace today with ambience temperature of 26°C and LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet made a big effort to finish the 30-lap race despite the pain on his right wrist. After yesterdays good qualifying session result, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V started from the second row for the tenth time this year but went wide in the first lap loosing many positions. In the middle of the race Randy’s injured wrist started to ache a lot and the 27-year-old managed to finish the race in 15th position. Today’s winner is Stoner followed by Pedrosa and Rossi. The premier class riders will be back on track tomorrow for two testing-day. De Puniet 15th: “I am very disappointed because I wanted to get a better result in the last race of the season. In the first lap I made a small mistake and had to go wide to avoid Toseland. At the end of the first lap I was the last rider and lost twelve seconds from the leader. After that I started to push but was impossibile to come back. My wrist ached a lot and I did my best to finish the race. Honestly I expected something better because my pace om race trim was fast but now it’s time to work for next season. I want to thank my crew, the Honda and Michelin staff for their good job during this championship”. More, from a press release issued by Alice Ducati: THE MOTOGP 2008 SEASON ENDED IN VALENCIA. GUINTOLI TWELFH, ELIAS EIGHTEENTH. Finally the sun has arrived in Valencia where the last round of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship season has ended. Sylvain Guintoli, Alice Team rider, has done a good race after starting from the thirteenth position. The Frenchman has concluded in twelfth position maintaining the same level of the past two days. His teammate, Toni Elias, didn’t make it to do well in front of his fans. The Catalan rider has concluded in eighteenth position after finding some difficulties with the rear part of the bike. Sergio Verbena — Sylvain Guintoli Track Engineer “Sylvain has maintained the same level all weekend long. He has done a good race showing true professionalism in this last day of the season. He didn’t start too well but after a few laps he found a good rhythm being able to overtake some riders. We want to thank him for the work done this year and we wish him the best for the rest of his career.” Sylvain Guintoli — Alice Team rider (12th in the race; 13th in the MotoGP Classification) “My experience with the Alice Team has concluded and I wanted to have the best performance possible. I gave all I had and at the end I have conquered some more points for the World Championship. I have to thanks my staff because they have always given their best during this season. We have encountered many difficulties but we never gave up.” Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (18th in the race; 12th in the MotoGP Classification) “Today I didn’t find the confidence with the rear part of the bike. Since the first few laps I couldn’t push to the maximum. We have to see the data to understand what have slowed us down. I have to thanks Fabiano Sterlacchini, all the technicians, the sponsors and Ducati for this season together. We have meet some hard moments and some really great results and I have learnt a lot as a person and as a rider.”