1000Km of Catalunya live on EUROSPORT
The 1000 Km of Catalonia can be followed live on Eurosport
Watch the first race of the season, live from 11h15 to 12h00 for the start and then from 12h45 to 13h15 and again at midnight for 26 minutes of highlights!
You can also refer to the global TV broadcast plan of the 1000 Km of Catalunya by clicking here.
Saisonrückblick in Buchform
Nach einer erfolgreichen Autosportsaison 2008, lässt Joe Schmitz das abgelaufene Sportjahr in einem Buch Revue passieren.
Das 36 seitenstarke Buch beinhaltet viele Farbfotos sowie kurze Berichte über die jeweiligen Ereignisse.
Das Druckwerk kann zum Preis von 50 EUR pro Exemplar durch Überweisung auf das Konto:
IBAN LU73 0019 4603 7936 0000 (BCEELULL) bestellt werden.
Bilan de la saison automobile 2008
Dans son livre, fort de 36 pages, Joe Schmitz passe en revue la saison sportive 2008.
Le grand nombre de photos couleurs est accompagné de textes retraçant les divers événements.
La publication peut être commandée contre virement de 50 EUR sur le compte courant:
IBAN LU73 0019 4603 7936 0000 (BCEELULL)
The Ducati MotoGP riders surprise customers at a Shell filling station
The countdown to the much-anticipated new MotoGP season got underway this weekend in Jerez, when the bikes got out on track for the final pre-season MotoGP test. All of the MotoGP teams gathered at the Andalucian circuit and Ducati Corse riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden made a ´pit-stop´ in Madrid, stopping off at a Shell filling station in the Spanish capital en route to their final testing session before the beginning of the season.
Stoner and Hayden were on-hand in Madrid for a photocall, which was made all the more special for two Ducati fans who were able to meet the 2006 and 2007 World Champions when they arrived to refuel their bikes. The whole day was captured on an exclusive video which shows Nicky Hayden turning pump attendant, filling up the bike of one of the Ducati fans with Shell V-Power road fuel, the road-going equivalent of the Shell V-Power race fuel which powers the Ducati bikes in MotoGP.
Over the course of the strong ten-year technical partnership between Shell and Ducati, the formulation of Shell V-Power race fuel has constantly been developed. The knowledge gained from developing fuels for racing these high revving, ultra-powerful engines contributes to the development of Shell V-Power for the road, which is a vital part of Shells research and development process.
I don´t know whether to pay or not I should be pumping fuel for them, commented Francisco Lopez, one of the local riders who was more than a little surprised to see the 2006 MotoGP Champion ready and waiting to re-fuel his bike. Jose Antonio Perez was another customer who was completely astonished to find Nicky ready and waiting to fill up his bike.
Hayden joked, "It´s part of my new contract I have to work 20 days for Shell and this is my first day! before saying, Seriously, its great to meet fans on a day like this. I hope everything goes well in Jerez as I feel good at Ducati and the GP9 feels better every time I ride it.
Casey Stoner, who enjoyed the event alongside his new team mate, was very optimistic ahead of the forthcoming test. Im really looking forward to the test in Jerez and I believe we can be a lot more consistent for the next season with the Ducati and the Shell package we have at the moment. Everything technically is working very well, very consistently.
Shell Motorsport
Bridgestones soft tyre proved to be the fastest rubber on track at Sepang for the first day of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonens Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro set the days fastest lap time in the afternoon practice session held in hot but cloudy weather conditions. AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg used the hard compound to go fastest in the morning session.
The hot and humid 5.54km Sepang circuit provided a challenge for competitors still mastering the 2009 specification cars and Bridgestones latest slick tyres and new tyre allocations. Today was the first time that Bridgestones hard compound tyre has been used by teams, and the first time a Bridgestone soft compound has been used at Malaysia.
Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about todays running?
Todays running was interesting as it was the first time that the teams have used the hard compound. This tyre worked very much as expected, in line with our predictions, so we are very pleased. As designed, this tyre takes longer to warm-up than the soft, but it looks to deliver good constant performance once in its temperature working range.
How durable do you expect the soft compound to be in Malaysia?
Today we saw most running with the soft compound take place in the afternoon session, when track
temperatures were dropping. We did not see the same level of drop off as we did in Australia with the super soft compound. Also, we did not see the same amount of graining as we did last weekend, which should make life easier in this respect for the drivers here. Sundays race does not start until 17:00 hrs, so we do not expect extreme heat like we have seen in Malaysia in the past, which should make life less difficult for the tyres.
Stats of the Day 
Russian Federation’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin visited Togliatti and the LADA Avtovaz factory on Tuesday.
In the city of the Samara region, Mr Putin chaired a remote session of the Russian Government that was dedicated to the situation of the national automotive industry.
During his visit the Prime Minister met the workers, visited the automobile plants and took a close look to the exhibition of LADA Sport cars.
Mr Putin showed a lot of interest for the racing and rally cars, sat behind the wheel of some of them and wished success to all drivers who take part in the competitions under the LADA Sport banner.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his visit at LADA Sport
EUROPEAN CHAMPION LOOKS AT WTCC
Michel Nykjær, the winner of two consecutive FIA European Touring Car cups, plans to make a few appearances in the WTCC.
The 29-year old Dane won a first European title in 2007 at Adria, Italy, at the wheel of a SEAT León and encored last year at the Austrian Salzburgring driving a Chevrolet Lacetti. "After we won the race the team and I started negotiations for the 2009 Danish Touring Car championship," said Nykjær who was crowned Danish Touring Car champion in 2007.
DTC is the priority, but Nykjær and the team are looking ahead: "We won the European cup together and we are certain that we could do well in the WTCC. Chevrolet Motorsport Denmark have a very tight cooperation with Chevrolet’s WTCC team, and I am hoping that we could join a few WTCC events, which are not in clash with the Danish races."
BENNANI’S FIRST TEST AT MAGNY-COURS
Mehdi Bennani had his first test in the Exagon Engineering SEAT Wefnesday on the French track of Magny-Cours. The young Moroccan driver, who will make his first appearance in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at Marrakech, spent the day at the wheel of the petrol-powered SEAT León car sporting the red-white-green livery of OMNT, Morocco’s Tourism Office.
During the test Bennani was watched carefully by the team principal Luc Marchetti, the team manager Cathy Muller and by her brother Yvan, the reigning WTCC champion.
"Yvan was very generous in giving Mehdi advice. I have to say that we were all impressed by the way this young driver was able to quickly adapt himself to the car and also by the interesting feedback he gave. Obviously it will take some times to be competitive in such a tough championship, but I’m sure Mehdi has the potential to do well," Marchetti commented.
Mehdi Bennani tests the Exagon Engineering SEAT at Magny-Cours
9:30 …………………………………………………………….. Apertura del complejo
10:00 a 10:05…………………………………………………. Entrenos libres cadete.
10:10 a 10:15…………………………………………………. Entrenos libres 125cc. y senior.
10:20 a 10:30…………………………………………………. Entrenos libres alevín y benjamin
10:35 a 10:45…………………………………………………. Entrenos crono senior.
10:50 a 11:00…………………………………………………. Entrenos crono cadete.
11:05 a 11:15…………………………………………………. Entrenos crono 125cc.
11:20 a 11:30…………………………………………………. Entrenos crono alevin y benjamin.
11:35 a 11:50…………………………………………………. Pre – Final senior.
11:55 a 12:10…………………………………………………. Pre – Final cadete.
12:15 a 12:30…………………………………………………. Pre – Final 125cc.
12:35 a 12:50…………………………………………………. Pre-Final alevin y benjamin.
12:55 a 13:10…………………………………………………..Final señor.
13:15 a 13:30…………………………………………………. Final cadete.
13:35 a 13:50………………………………………………… Final 125cc.
13:55 a 14:10…………………………………………………..Final alevin y benjamin.
14:20……………………………………………………………..Entrega de trofeos
14:30 …………………………………………………………… Verificaciones técnicas