bMoto

With exception of the top two, most riders expressed some disappointment at the change in weather conditions during the race, none more so than Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano, relegated to 8th place at the chequered flag after a strong start.

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Marco Melandri claimed his third victory of the season in a difficult race at Phillip Island in which the flag-to-flag rule had to be introduced. With 193 points, the Fortuna Honda rider is now third in the World Championship, 32 points behind leader Nicky Hayden. After the start was delayed by rain and the subsequent application of the flag-to-flag rule, it was Marco Melandri who made a good start, making up places as he set off on what was to be a superb ride. The Italian lapped amongst the top four over the first few laps and it was on lap nine that he came into the box to change his bike because of the rain. He quickly returned to the race and it was on lap 16 that he moved to the front of the field, a lead he was never to surrender. It is the third time that he has made it on to the podium in Australia podium, (he won in 1999 - 125cc, 2002 - 250cc) and means he has now climbed to third in the championship. His team-mate Toni Elias, who did not initially make a good start, got stronger as the race progressed. The Spaniard, a big fan of the Australian circuit, would have been looking for a better result at the Australian track, but in the end had to settle for ninth position.

Marco Melandri (1st)
“It was an incredible race and it came just at the right time for me. To win at Phillip Island, (the track where I won the 250 title), in whatever conditions, is an incredible feeling. I was really motivated because I went well in the warm-up this morning thanks to a good set up and made some small changes for the race. The weather conditions then made things even more tense. I made a good start and got into third position on the first lap. It then started to rain and so I had to ride with care. When it started falling harder I came into the pit-land to change the bike. It was a strange situation, like when you play on the playstation, because there were a lot of people in the pit-lane and it was hard to get to your own box. Back on the track I had to ride without forcing because it was hard to keep the feeling in slippery conditions. When I started to feel comfortable and increased the pace I was able to get past Vermeulen and Gibernau. The bike and the Michelin tyres worked very well and it helped that I know the circuit so well. During the winter tests I did lots of laps here in different conditions and knowing how things would work really helped. I am happy and want to thank the team and Honda and Michelin because everything worked perfectly.”

Toni Elias (9th)
“It was a strange race. For the first time they used the flag to flag rule which was introduced two years ago. It made things more tense and infact nearly came together with Vermeulen as I went to change on the second bike. In general, though, it was an enjoyable race. I did not make a good start and after I had changed bikes it was difficult to get the feeling because the rain made conditions slippery and I realised I had put on a compound that was a bit too hard. In the end I had to be content with ninth place and there are now three more races to go. I hope to get a good result as we have been working hard.”

Press release courtesy of Fortuna Racing

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Chris Vermeulen stormed to his first ever MotoGP podium at a rain affected Australian Grand Prix from Phillip Island in Australia.

Vermeulen started from 16th place on the grid and by lap seven had moved up to 12th, when most riders chose to enter the pit-lane and change to their ‘wet’ setting bikes as heavy rain started to fall. Vermeulen raced past many riders on the pit-entry lap and re-joined the race in 7th place, and by the next lap was up to third. The young Australian star then passed Sete Gibernau for second place and dug deep to hold his position for the remaining 10 laps.

The race was watched by over 44,000 Australian fans who cheered Vermeulen all the way to the chequered flag behind eventual winner Marco Melandri.

Team-mate John Hopkins had a very different race to Vermeulen. Having started in 15th he made an amazing start and was up to seventh by the end of the first lap. When he came in to the pits to change machines he was in fifth, but he just couldn’t get the drive he needed and dropped back to 12th by the end of the race. The points that he scored for that position did enable him to move up to eighth place in World Championship table and close the gap on Kenny Roberts Jr in seventh.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP now travels to Motegi in Japan for round 15 of the MotoGP World Championship on Sunday 24th September for the final leg of the three week fly-away tour.

Chris Vermeulen (2nd)
“I’m obviously very happy to get my first MotoGP podium at my home Grand Prix! The support everyone gave me here at Phillip Island, and the bike the team gave me, was superb. We did no testing in the rain and used a brand new Bridgestone wet that we didn’t have any experience of - in hindsight I probably would have chosen a harder tyre but we didn’t know that at the time. I’ve got to give full credit to my team, when I came into the pits they were ready and everything went to plan. That’s down to Tom, the organisation of the crew and everyone working with us. I’ve got a new track to learn next weekend but I’ll be going all out to get another one of these at Motegi!”

John Hopkins (12th)
“Well done to Chris that was an extremely good race for him, especially being on the podium at his home Grand Prix. It really sucks when your team-mate beats you and puts you to shame like that but I just couldn’t get any hook-up from my wet set-up and I couldn’t stay with the front runners. This will just make me go even harder in the last three races. I’m going to Motegi in a positive frame of mind - I know we can go well there!”

Paul Denning - Team Manager
“Giving the unseasonably good weather here at Phillip Island I joked that maybe we would get lucky and it would rain. I didn’t imagine that would come true and we would see such an exciting race. The team has been long overdue a podium this season and Chris was awesome out there today- it makes up for the disappointment he suffered in Laguna and in his home country this must be a dream come true. Congratulations to him, and also to Tom and all his crew for giving him the bike to do the job on.

“I’m disappointed for John after the fantastic work he had done in the early part of the race. He was the class of the field in the dry but just couldn’t quite get the feel for the bike in the wet. Even so he has moved himself up to eighth in the Championship and brought the bike home safely. I am sure he will be full of confidence for one of his favourite tracks at Motegi next weekend.

“We were given a ‘Get out of jail card’ today, and the team took full advantage!”

Press release courtesy of Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

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Valentino Rossi clinched the final spot on the podium with a daring manoeuvre in the very last corner of a dramatic flag-to-flag race, the first of its kind in MotoGP, held in mixed weather conditions at Phillip Island this afternoon. The drama started on the warm-up lap when a light shower meant that the race was recalled as wet, giving the riders chance to change tyres on the grid. However, with track conditions still relatively dry they all opted to stay on slicks until the rain intensified – Rossi eventually coming in to pit on lap eight, having battled back to third after dropping to ninth after a poor start from the front row.

The Italian’s team-mate Colin Edwards had also been about to come in and change his tyres on the same lap but the American was caught out by a slippery patch of track in the middle of the second corner, which caused the rear tyre of his YZR-M1 machine to lose grip and step out before digging in again and throwing him over the handlebars. Edwards landed hard on his backside and was badly winded but thankfully he escaped any serious injury.

Rossi jumped onto his second bike and headed back out onto the track, although over-cautiousness on the wet tyres saw him lose several places and drop to eighth. After a brief battle with eventual winner Marco Melandri (Honda), Rossi took a few laps to carefully judge the condition of a track that had now begun to dry out again, making the performance of the wet tyres difficult to predict. Over the closing laps he picked up his pace and launched a typical charge past several riders, culminating in a thrilling final corner move on Sete Gibernau (Ducati) that sealed third place and moved him up to second in the championship, 21 points behind Nicky Hayden (Honda), who finished fifth. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) completed the podium in second place.

Valentino Rossi (3rd)
“I’m a little disappointed with third place because I know that in dry conditions we had a very good set-up and I think the result could have been better. Anyway, we can’t do anything about the weather and in these circumstances I have to be thankful for third place because we have pulled some more points back on Nicky. After we changed the bike I lost a few places because I didn’t have a good feeling initially on the wet tyre. Honestly I think this was my fault because once I found my rhythm I realized my M1 was in good shape and I was able to push more. I’m really happy with the second half of the race because the gap to Sete was seven seconds, but I made my mind up to try and pass him and my bike and my Michelin tyre worked very well to the end. I saw the red dot getting bigger and bigger and to pass him in the last corner was excellent. I would have liked to win for the sixth time here but at least I got to celebrate on the podium in front of all these wonderful fans. Now we are 21 points behind – it is a lot, but not impossible.”

Colin Edwards (DNF)
“That was a weird race. I actually got a decent start and I felt comfortable out there, but I think this flag to flag racing is dangerous. I think most of us thought we’d just keep riding until somebody crashed, and wouldn’t you just know it – that person was me. I’d actually made my mind up to pit and I held my leg out to the crew as I came down the straight to warn them, so I wasn’t pushing any harder than I had done on the previous lap. I was off the brakes and off the gas, just tipping it into turn two, when the rear stepped out then dug in and threw me into a handstand. I came down real hard on my backside and that’s where the pain is right now. I’m extra disappointed because we’d done a good job with the bike this weekend and if it stayed dry we were all set for a top result. Unfortunately it seems whenever they put the race back an hour it gives the weather a chance to move in. I guess that’s live television for you!”

Davide Brivio – Camel Yamaha Team Director
“It’s good news that Colin is not hurt after his crash, and it’s really unlucky that it happened when he was going so well and after he had made such good progress this weekend. He could have had a good race so it’s a pity for him. Today with Valentino we got five important points on Hayden, so in such difficult conditions, when it was very easy to make mistakes, we can consider this a very positive result. Well done to everyone in the team for managing a difficult situation so well. Although it wasn’t the result we were hoping for today, all in all we’re happy.”

Press release courtesy of Camel Yamaha Team

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Ducati Marlboro Team rider Sete Gibernau lost his first podium finish for the team during the final few metres of this afternoon’s Australian GP, run in tricky dry, wet and half wet and dry conditions. Gibernau finished the race just 0.089 seconds outside third place. Team-mate Loris Capirossi also suffered in the chaotic conditions, ending up in seventh position.

Following the start, briefly delayed after the first spots of rain fell, Gibernau stormed through from the fourth row to take second place on lap two and began eating into Shinya Nakano’s lead. But after five laps the rain intensified, most riders entering the pits at the end of lap eight to swap to their spare bikes equipped with rain tyres. This was the first time that anyone had changed bikes mid-race since flag-to-flag races were introduced at the start of 2005.

Gibernau led the next six laps but once the rain subsided and the track dried he began to struggle with rear traction and was unable to get on the gas as hard as he wanted, losing third place to Valentino Rossi with the chequered flag in sight. After the race it was alleged that Rossi had earlier made an illegal pass when he overtook another rider under yellow flags, but he was not penalised.
Capirossi’s result did at least make him the first rider in GP history to complete 200 points scoring rides.

Sete Gibernau (4th)
“We did everything right. I got a good start in the dry, I had a really good pace and I was going by them one by one. When we pitted to swap bikes I was second, then I was first, I was going to split from the pack in the rain but then the track started drying and my rain tyres weren’t right for the conditions. If it had been completely wet or completely dry we would have had a good chance of a win today. All credit to the guys in the team and to Bridgestone, they gave me tyres that worked great in the wet and the dry. Now I can’t wait for Motegi where I hope it will be payback time.”

Loris Capirossi (7th)
“We agreed with Race Direction that if it rained on the warm-up lap we would stop on the grid, not in the pits. So that’s what we did and they declared it a wet race. We started on slicks but if there was any bad luck today it fell upon us. I had the fastest rhythm in morning warm-up, so even though I started from the fifth row I was up into fifth by the second turn! If it had stayed dry I would have been able to attack. When the rain came and we swapped bikes I took a couple of laps to get a feel for the conditions and once again I was very fast. I was catching Valentino (Rossi) and I thought I could fight for a podium but then the track began to dry and I couldn’t do any better. I did what I could but I hate races like that and I can’t wait to get back on track and fight again at Motegi.”

Livio Suppo - Ducati MotoGP project manager
“It’s a real pity because the worst conditions were the worst we could have had. Our tyres were excellent in the dry and excellent in the wet but the crucial stages of the race were played out on a drying track, so Sete couldn’t defend his position during the final few laps and it wasn’t easy for Loris either. It’s a real shame for Sete to lose this podium but he did his best, he had no rear traction during the last laps. Races like this are always a bit of a lottery, that’s for sure.”

Press release courtesy of Ducati Marlboro Team

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Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano was forced to accept a hard fought eighth place in today’s Australian Grand Prix, after the onset of rain on lap six forced him to relinquish a five second lead at the front of the race.

A brief rain shower as the riders lined up on the grid for today’s 17-lap race caused the start to be delayed. The race was eventually started ten minutes behind schedule in dry conditions, but with the black clouds surrounding the circuit still threatening rain.

Nakano got a flying start from second place on the grid, taking the lead into the first turn and immediately pulling away from the chasing pack. Intermittent rain made conditions difficult, but the 28-year-old Kawasaki rider was in a class of his own during the opening laps.

By the time the rain had increased to the point where the white flag was shown to the riders - to indicate they could return to the pits, to change to bikes with a wet set-up - Nakano had pulled out a five second gap on second placed Sete Gibernau.

As the rain continued to fall steadily, the majority of the MotoGP riders returned to the pits at the end of lap eight, for a somewhat chaotic switch to their spare machines, leaving Nakano virtually alone on track, as he continued to push hard in the tricky conditions.

One lap later and Nakano also pitted to change to his second Ninja ZX-RR, but despite rejoining the race in second place, the Kawasaki pilot was quickly demoted to sixth, as he tried to get a feel for the full wet tyres fitted front and rear.

Nakano continued to push hard as the track dried out, using up his wet tyres in the process, with the result that he was unable to counter moves by Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi at the end of the race, forcing him to settle for eighth place at the line.

Randy de Puniet was pushing hard to make up places from eleventh position when he came into pits with a large group of riders to switch bikes, rejoining the race in the same position, after narrowly avoiding a collision with Makoto Tamada in the busy Phillip Island pit lane.

The 25-year-old Frenchman quickly settled into a good rhythm, moving up the order to take tenth place, before losing time as a build up of dirt on his visor considerably reduced his visibility.

De Puniet fought hard to hold off Makoto Tamada on the final lap, but lost out on a top ten finish as the Japanese rider out-dragged him to the chequered flag, leaving the Kawasaki pilot to cross the line in eleventh place.

Shinya Nakano (8th)
“Well, I think that’s the best start I’ve ever had in MotoGP! There was some rain from the start, but I could feel that the grip was still there, so I pushed as hard as I could from the off. I couldn’t believe it when I saw I had a two second lead at the end of the first lap, which had increased to over three seconds by the end of the next. Then it started raining. I stayed out for an extra lap, but it was difficult to manage the pace out there on my own. I came in on the next lap, switched bikes, and then got swallowed up by the leading group as I tried to get a feel for the grip offered by the full wet tyres. Then it dried out a bit and I used up all the tyres chasing the leaders, which left me with a problem when it started raining again. In the closing stages, although the bike was moving around a lot, I still thought I could overtake Loris, but then when I closed onto his rear wheel it was obvious straight away that it would have been too risky to try and pass. Eighth isn’t the result I was looking for today, so that’s a little disappointing, but now I must focus on the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend, which is obviously important to me as it’s my home race.”

Randy de Puniet (11th)
“My start was not so good, but I was already starting to make up positions when the rain started to make the track too slippery to continue on slicks. When I switched to wet tyres my feeling wasn’t so good, and I was also struggling to see out of my visor, because the spray from the bikes in front was full of dirt. It’s disappointing, because we expected much better this weekend, after being consistently quick on race set-up throughout practice and qualifying. As the track started to dry the rear was spinning up in a lot of places, and this made it difficult to keep my lap times consistent. I thought I could hold off Tamada for a top ten finish, but it wasn’t to be. All we can do now is look forward to the next race at Motegi, which is only a week away.”

Harald Eckl - Team Principal
“Shinya got a fantastic start, and rode brilliantly to build up such a big lead in difficult conditions. If it had stayed dry then I’m positive we would be celebrating a podium finish now. But, unfortunately, it started raining, and he eventually finished eighth. I’m sorry for him and for Randy, as both riders proved during practice and qualifying that we were strong at this circuit, and that a good result in this race was a real possibility. Having said that, I’m happy that both riders managed to finish the race in the points, in what were very difficult conditions today.”

Press release courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team

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ALEX HOFMANN conquest the 13th final position after a big fight under the Australian rain. The German rider of the PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP has done a great race without any fear on his DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP06 “Sat”. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO, even though he had some difficulties with the DUNLOP tires, showed determination and ended the race in 17th position.

Two starts, the first declared in dry condition and the second one in wet condition for this spectacular Grand Prix.

On the grid with HOFMANN and CARDOSO were actually present the Australian Rugby Champions of the MELBOURNE STORM, JAKE WEBSTER and GREG INGLIS to watch the race.

The next race will be the end of this long tour, in Asia, Japan, on the 24th September at Motegi.

Alex Hofmann (13th)
“I had a lot of fun and I gave the maximum! The second start ha been really good for me even though it was raining. From the 17th position on the grid I managed to get immediately the tenth position, fighting with the other riders for some laps. Then, the rain was actually stronger, I had to go a little bit slower and they overtook me. I went back to the pit-box to change the bike and take the one with the rain settino and tires. Then I began to take back some positions, overtaking Tamada, Elias, Pedrosa and Hopkins. Unfortunately, the track began to dry and these riders went back in front of me as my rear tire was consumed at this time. A real pity as I could have ended in the top ten. I’m happy to have obtained important points again and to have been the first DUNLOP rider to end the race. I want to thank the whole team for the great work they have done during the whole weekend. It has been a pleasure to get to know champions as WEBSTER and INGLIS! I send them all my best wishes for their career.”

Jose Luis Cardoso (17th)
“I gave my maximum in these conditions but I can’t be satisfied. I went back in the pit-box twice to change the rain tires that were finished and that’s why I lose a lot of time instead of fighting with my team mate for a good result. I really want to make something good during the next race in Japan”.

Luis D’Antin – Team Manager
“A great work for HOFMANN. He has done a really good job to adapt himself to the circumstances and he fought really good to take back many positions. The result as the best DUNLOP rider is a good prize for him and the great work he did during the whole weekend. In Japan, we will try to make our best once again, to end the season in a positive way.”

Press release courtesy of Pramac D’Antin MotoGP

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Rain played havoc with the MotoGP race at Phillip Island. The start was delayed, the race declared a ‘wet’ race, reduced by one lap to 26-laps from 27, and an incident-packed contest unfolded in front of a 44,500 crowd. Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) won from Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) third.

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team (5th)
“What a wild race. I had some problems getting off the line, which is clear, and in the first few laps it was just wet and it felt pretty sketch to me. I was using quite a hard tyre and I was just getting eaten up and losing positions at the beginning. Then it started to rain, we came in and switched bikes and it was actually really good fun – I enjoyed it. When it was really raining it felt pretty good and I was charging hard and getting past quite a few guys but as it dried out I struggled a bit in the half-wet half-dry conditions. I got Rossi, he got me back and we were catching some guys in front of us. It was looking ok until he got Sete in between us which was not great, but we’re still holding on with three races to go and we’ll just roll into Motegi and keep fighting.”

Casey Stoner, Honda LCR (6th)
“I’m pretty disappointed, the weekend was going great until the rain and I felt very good after being fastest in the morning warm-up. At the start I took it easy, some of the other guys were going too hard for the conditions. Then the rain came and it really hammered down, visibility was very bad, but I’ve got a good feeling in the wet and was able to make up some positions before the pitstop. But on the spare bike the rear wet tyre felt like a slick — it was too hard a compound tyre and I struggled for grip on the left side — it was a disaster. When Valentino passed me he came back up the inside at Siberia corner and pushed me wide — I just remember it was an aggressive pass. You can’t do anything about the weather but I was expecting more from this race”.

Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda (10th)
“This year we have sometimes had some bad luck at this race if it was dry we would have got a good result. When I came in to take my wet bike the settings were not so good. The suspension was too hard and for the first two - three laps I had no grip and a big gap opened up between me and the riders in front. Later the grip got better but by that time it was too late.”

Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda (14th)
“The result speaks for itself. I had a loose throttle for the second part of the race. That was that.”

Kenny Roberts Senior - team owner
“Kenny came in the pit last of everyone to change bikes, after he fell down, so maybe our race was spoiled anyway. With the bike as it was, he could do nothing to recover. This was the first time people have changed bikes, and it was good for TV, with no race stoppage. Not so good for us.”

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team (15th)
“We were ready for the dry race and I was able to run near the front in the early laps. Everybody was careful for the first few laps because it was raining and the tyres were cold – except Nakano – right from the start he was already gone. After the weather changed and it started raining I more or less kept the rhythm of the riders in front. But when we came into the pit-lane to change bikes the pit-lane was full and there were plenty of people who didn’t need to be there and I can’t really understand why. I lost some time and after I changed bikes many of the riders who were behind me before were in front. The tyre choice for the second part of the race was too soft and after two laps it was destroyed so it was impossible for me to maintain the pace. The result is obviously not good in terms of points but Motegi is a track I like so I hope to have a better race there.”

Honda MotoGP rider quotes courtesy of Honda