Fiat Yamaha Team target more glory as MotoGP lands in Europe

Jerez de la Frontera

The MotoGP circus has its first European port of call this weekend, at Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain. After the rain-interrupted first two races, springtime in Andalucia will hopefully bring calmer weather for the riders and the capacity crowd of passionate Spanish fans. The Fiat Yamaha Team is riding high after a one-two from Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi in Japan last weekend and the pair will be targeting more glory this week as they look to continue their stunning start to the season.
Rossi has a huge Spanish following and an impressive six victories in all classes to his name at Jerez, two of which have come with Yamaha in 2005 and 2006. The 30-year old finished runner-up there last year, his opening podium of the season and his first on Bridgestone tyres. After two second places on the bounce this year he will be out to claim his first win and wrest the championship lead from his team-mate, who he currently trails by just one point.
After a brilliant second MotoGP win last Sunday at Motegi, Lorenzo comes to his home Grand Prix brimming with confidence and leading the championship. Last year he took his second pole position and went on to finish third and he will be hoping to make the most of his home advantage this weekend and take a first MotoGP win on Spanish soil. The Mallorcan, who turns 22 on Monday, made history at Jerez back in 2002 as the youngest rider ever to qualify for Grand Prix and he took victory there in 2006 and 2007 on the way to his two 250cc titles.
Jerez is a Mecca for Spanish motorcycle racing and always draws one of the biggest crowds of the season, with more than 120,000 filling the natural amphitheatre and creating a unique carnival atmosphere. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.
Valentino Rossi – "A step up"
"We’ve made a good start to the season with two podiums which shows we are consistent, but now we need to make the step up. Motegi was a good race but we had one or two problems, which we need to fix. We have a lot of data from Jerez because we tested there twice in the winter so I hope that this will help us to find a good setting straight away. I also hope that the weather is good because we’ve had two difficult races for this and I have had enough of the rain now! As a rule we are very strong at the track and it is always great fun riding there. I love Jerez, it’s always a brilliant atmosphere and the fans make a big, big party for three days; I hope I can be part of the party this time! The championship is becoming very interesting now so let’s hope for an exciting race this weekend."
Jorge Lorenzo – "A special circuit"
"My motivation is high because I am arriving as the World Championship leader in my own home. I can’t ask for more! I had a very good feeling in Japan, and I enjoyed riding the bike in every corner. I have to be careful however because I am still learning all the time how to ride with the new Bridgestone tyres. I think that Jerez is maybe one of the most special circuits in the world, to be a MotoGP rider there is like a dream, all the people surrounding you… The last test in Jerez was very good. I was always in the three first positions so I hope to be fast from the start this weekend. I would like another podium, like last year in Jerez and like the first two races in 2009. I am confident!"
Davide Brivio – "Try and win as soon as possible"
"It’s nice to be back in Europe after two races away, and to be starting the European stretch with two good results behind us. Jerez is the start of an important period of racing and it’s key that we continue the same form and consistency. Our first target still remains to be on the podium every time, but of course we want to try to win a race as soon as possible!"
Daniele Romagnoli – "Extra motivation"
"The next race will be very exciting! Last weekend’s win has given Jorge extra motivation and confidence; we know that the podium is possible now every time for us and at Jerez we know that he will give the maximum once again. We need to keep our feet on the ground and keep the concentration level high because our rivals are very strong. We have a good base setting and it seems to be working very well at different tracks and now we just need to continue working in the same way. It will be a great show in Jerez."
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 30
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 97 (71 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 212 (152 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 52 (42 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 8 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 23 (2 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 113 (19 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 30 (4 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)
Jerez: Record Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1’40.116
Jerez: Best Lap
J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1’38.189
Grand Prix Results: Jerez 2008
1. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 45’35.121
2. V.Rossi (Yamaha) +2.883
3. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +4.339

www.yamaha-racing.com

Jorge Lorenzo

After it looked at one point on race-day as if the Grand Prix of Japan would be a complete washout, the sun broke through the dark clouds and streamed onto the Motegi circuit as the Fiat Yamaha team enjoyed a clean sweep of the top two spots. With qualifying having been cancelled yesterday due to the heavy rain, both riders started the race from the front row of the grid according to their times from Friday’s free practice. Following a stunning race, Jorge Lorenzo took the glory of standing on the top step of the podium, after coming through a brilliant scrap with his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who finished a close second.
Starting from third on the grid Lorenzo briefly lost a position on the first lap, but was soon back up to his starting spot as they crossed the line for the first time. With a superior pace to his compatriot Pedrosa it seemed as though the Mallorcan was being held up, and sure enough on lap three the Spaniard edged into second place. Once there he had the unenviable task of closing a two-second gap to his team-mate Rossi, but gradually edged nearer his colleague. The two enjoyed a good head-to-head fight, swapping positions at the V-corner before Lorenzo finally found a way past Rossi. From that point there was no looking back, and as Rossi was entangled in the battle with Pedrosa behind, Lorenzo sealed a glorious second victory in MotoGP.
Leading from the first corner, Rossi had opened up the gap on the Spaniards in the early stages, but once Lorenzo had found a way past, it was Pedrosa who caused the champion most problems. With Pedrosa attacking on several occasions, the Italian was forced to keep his wits about him, but always seemed to have enough edge to keep ahead. The killer move come heading into the tunnel at turn five, and the race was decided as Rossi pulled away from Pedrosa in the latter stages.
With Lorenzo leading the championship on 40 points, one ahead of Rossi, the MotoGP World Championship moves on to his home race at Jerez in just a week’s time.
Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 1stTime: 43’47.238
"First of all I just want to thank my team, my Mum, Dad and whole family, my friends and all the team workers. Also Yamaha, as it is their home race, it was a difficult race because I didn’t really get a very good start, I think I even finished the first lap in third or fourth. After that I began to catch up the pace. I passed Valentino and opened up a little gap, about a second and a half, and he was following me very hard. I had to ride the best I can to get the victory."

Rossi – Lorenzo

Valentino Rossi – Position: 2ndTime: + 1.304
"It was a great race, long, very difficult and also physical. I got a really good start from the front row, but there was a part of the race that I wasn’t quite able to ride like I wanted, there was some kind of problem and I wasn’t fast enough to pull away. I lost time from Jorge and then was involved in a battle with Dani and then in the last part of the race I was able to step up my pace and pick my lines, setting some good lap times. I tried to come back but unfortunately Lorenzo was too far away. It’s a good race, second place is not a victory but it’s still twenty points for the championship. I think the championship will become very interesting now because we have four riders ready to battle for wins at the end."
Daniele Romagnoli – Team Manager
"I’m really happy about today’s result, we didn’t expect a victory, maybe we were just thinking about the podium, so I’m extremely happy. We did a great job on Friday and I think that was the key because we worked a lot around the harder tyre and in the end that was the good one. With the information and the data we collected, today we just had to do some fine-tuning to the bike and it has brought us this special victory, and we are able to show the world how strong Yamaha is. Jerez will be a great battle, like today it will be a big show and so i am looking forward to that event."
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
"First of all, congratulations to Jorge, who rode very well, and congratulations to Yamaha, because this result confirms the great job we have done in the last months. We are always very fast and for the second time this year we have two riders on the podium. Night or day, we are always there! Valentino took a very important second place, because our target is to be always there. Now we are looking forward to going back to Europe for a very important phase of the championship and it is crucial to start this time on top".
Top ten for Toseland, Edwards fights back into points in Japan
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo James Toseland and Colin Edwards secured hard fought points-scoring finishes in Yamaha’s home race at the Twin Ring Motegi today.
British rider Toseland gave himself a welcome confidence boost with a determined ride to ninth place in the 24-lap encounter, which took place in windy but dry conditions after another weekend dominated by rain. Opting to run the softer compound Bridgestone tyre, Toseland made a storming start from the fourth row of the grid, crossing the line at the end of the first lap in seventh place. The 28-year-old secured his first top ten finish of the campaign with a superb attacking display in the final stages, holding off the persistent challenge of Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet. American Edwards encountered a small problem in the early stages of the race but once he was able to demonstrate his true potential, the 35-year-old reeled off some blistering lap times. At times he ran the same pace as the top five as he fought his way through the field to a highly commendable 12th, setting the sixth fastest time in the race to miss out on a top ten finish by three seconds.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team now heads to Jerez next weekend for the start of the European leg of the MotoGP world championship.

James Toseland

James Toseland – Position: 9th Time:
"I needed to be back in the top ten, so today was the step I’ve been looking for. We made a big step with the front-end setting on Friday in just the 45 minutes of dry track time we had this weekend and it helped me a lot. The comfort on the braking was much better and I was able to pass a couple of guys on the brakes today, which was good. I went for the soft rear tyre just because that’s what I’d run most on Friday. We knew the soft one would go the distance, but it wouldn’t be as strong in the latter stages of the race with the temperature being hotter today. But I didn’t want to take any risks by running the harder compound, particularly as we knew it would take a couple of laps to get to temperature. In the early part of the race I had quite a bit more grip than some of the guys and I might have been able to pass (Casey) Stoner and (Loris) Capirossi) if I was more comfortable with the bike on a full fuel load. That would have pushed me a bit further up earlier in the race when I had an advantage with the softer tyre. It was a good battle on the last lap with Vermeulen. He passed me briefly at the end of the back straight, but I managed to keep him at bay. I’m happy for my team because they’ve stood behind me and everybody has kept their morale up, and now we’ve got a result we can build on."

Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards – Position: 12th Time:
"That was not at all what I expected but I can’t turn the clock back. I wish I could because I believe I could have fought for the podium. We had a small issue at the start of the race and I simply couldn’t ride how I wanted to. I kept my head down and persevered throughout and perhaps a few more laps I could have chased down the guys in front for a top ten. I couldn’t have ridden any harder today and I did my absolute best for Yamaha. I was really confident going into the race because I was one of the few guys who had done a lot of laps on the harder compound tyre in the dry on Friday. So with the track temperature coming up a lot compared to how cool it was on Friday, I felt that experience we gained would really help. When I got going in the race my lap times were as quick as the top five, so it’s a case of wondering what might have been today. We’ll look to bounce back in Jerez next weekend because I feel like I’m riding really well."
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
"We obviously had higher expectations but I’m pleased that both James and Colin showed their determination throughout the race. It was good to see James fighting strongly in the top ten and this result will have given his confidence a big boost. He has had a difficult winter and first race, but he’s remained incredibly focused and this is a good platform for him to build on for the rest of the season. I’d also like to thank Colin for his efforts today in difficult circumstances. He had a problem before the start and we are still investigating the cause with Yamaha. But his pace in the second half of the race was very impressive, so we know that Colin is in very good form heading into Europe. I’d like to say big congratulations to Yamaha for its one-two in front of the Japanese fans. It shows the YZR-M1 is a very strong package and that Yamaha is the brand to beat again in 2009."

www.yamaha-racing.com

Mit einem souveränen Doppelsieg in der Tasche kehren die beiden Fiat Yamaha Team Fahrer Jorge Lorenzo und Valentino Rossi aus Motegi nach Europa zurück. Sah es zu Beginn des Renntages nicht nach gutem Wetter aus, kam die Sonne pünktlich zum Rennen hinter den dunklen Wolken hervor und bescherte den WM-Protagonisten bestes Rennwetter. Nachdem das Training am Samstag wegen wolkenbruchartigen Regenfällen gestrichen wurde, nahmen die Piloten ihre Position nach den Platzierungen vom freien Training am Freitag ein.
Von Position drei ging es für Lorenzo in das zweite Rennen der Saison und der Spanier verlor zu Beginn an Boden, den er aber kurze Zeit später wieder gut machen konnte. Hinter seinem Landsmann Pedrosa zog Lorenzo seine Bahnen und es sah danach aus, als ob Lorenzo schneller fahren konnte als sein Vordermann. In der dritten Runde schnappte sich Lorenzo Pedrosa und schaffte es in kürzester Zeit, den Rückstand von 2 Sekunden auf den führenden Rossi aufzuholen. Im ersten Anlauf konnte sich Lorenzo an Rossi vorbeizwängen, musste aber einen weiten Bogen fahren, den Rossi nutzen und sich wieder an die Spitze setzen konnte. Erst beim zweiten Überholmanöver gelang es Pedrosa, die Führung zu behalten und in den folgenden Runden einen Vorsprung auf seine Verfolger herauszufahren. Am Ende reichte ein Vorsprung von 1,3 Sekunden auf Rossi für den zweiten Sieg in Lorenzos Karriere.
Für Rossi begann das Rennen erfolgreicher. Der Italiener führte nach dem Start und konnte eine kleine Lücke auf seine Mitstreiter öffnen. Doch Lorenzo, der zuvor an Pedrosa vorbeifahren konnte, ließ nicht locker, schloss die Lücke auf Rossi und überholte ihn. Das Rennen war für Rossi noch nicht zu Ende, nachdem sich Lorenzo an der Spitze absetzen konnte. Von hinten kam Pedrosa mit großen Schritten an und machte mächtig Druck auf Rossi. Erst in den letzten Runden gelang es Rossi, sich von seinem Verfolger abzusetzen und seinen zweiten Platz nach Hause zu fahren.
In der WM-Tabelle führt Rossi nach zwei Rennen mit 40 Punkten, bevor am kommenden Wochenende in Jerez der dritte Lauf gestartet wird.
Jorge Lorenzo, Platz 1
"Ich möchte mich bei meinem Team, meiner Mama, Papa, meiner Familie und meinen Freunden bedanken. Vielen Dank auch an Yamaha für dieses tolle Heimrennen. Das Rennen war ziemlich schwierig, denn nach meinem schlechten Start, lag ich auf Platz drei oder vier. Nach einer kurzen Phase fand ich einen guten Rhythmus. Als ich an Valentino vorbei war, konnte ich einen kleinen Vorsprung herausfahren. Er machte ziemlich Druck, aber mit meinem Vorsprung von 1,5 Sekunden hat es dann am Ende doch gereicht. Ich musste heute wirklich alles für diesen Sieg geben."
Valentino Rossi, Platz 2
"Es war ein tolles Rennen, lang und ziemlich schwierig, auch körperlich. Mein Start war gut doch für eine bestimmte Zeit konnte ich nicht so fahren, wie ich wollte. Ich hatte ein kleines Problem und war leider nicht schnell genug, um einen kleinen Vorsprung herauszufahren. Ich verlor Zeit, als ich mit Jorge kämpfte und wurde noch in einen Zweikampf mit Dani verwickelt. In den letzten Runden konnte ich wieder meinen gewohnten Speed fahren. Ich wollte noch einmal attackieren, doch Lorenzo war schon zu weit weg. Es war ein gutes Rennen, auch wenn der zweite Platz nicht der Sieg ist. Aber zwanzig Punkte für die WM sind nicht zu verachten. Ich denke, die WM wird ziemlich spannend, denn jetzt sind es vier Fahrer, die um Siege fahren können."

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