Top tweets from today.

A long day today, on track and off it.

Here are some top tweets from today.

Hope you all enjoy them too.

@motorbikehub
Fabrizio - has an uncertain future - but cleverly tries to get a tissue sponsorship for next year. Crying a like a baby post race #WSBK

We're convinced that James Toseland must've killed a black cat with a broken mirror whilst walking under a ladder. Crashed out again #WSBK


@OnTheThrottleTV 
Rossi said in an interview, "..to lose the pole position for just fifty cent is a pity..." too funny

So pedrosa was not wearing the fancy schmancy alpine stars air bag suit when he crashed. I'm calling my congressman

Simoncelli sure was mean to Edwards stuffing him like that. AMA should talk sternly to him about it

@Alex_66   
Quote of the day from Jorge Lorenzo = "Maybe one day the other riders get totally mad & pay back" ! Can't wait for next week at Sepang ...

Yes - now we are talking ! Great racing in Moto 2 and Moto GP ! The grin on Vale's face at parc ferme = priceless !

@birtymotogp  
"Jorge has been saying all year that he wanted to have a last lap battle with me. Well today he got it." Valentino Rossi

@rogerhayden  

Race 1 = another mechanical. Hopefully race 2 goes better, want to end the season with a good ride

Another long day in France. Hopefully tomorrow is better. Used all my luck before the weekend in FIFA I think.

(guess he should keep some luck for the track, 2 DNF in 4 races, whats going on with the Kawasaki?)

@eugenelaverty   

Solid day, got my 15th consecutive front row start in WSS! That'll do nicely.. As would the title, wishful thinking I guess.

@TomTunstall 

Just ending a 7 race "sofa-a-thon" great scrap with biaggi & crutchlow... I don't think it finished on the track!..


@andrewpitt88

Gutsy stuff today from @jonathanrea today.... footballers could well take note

@GinoRea

Not such a good end to the year. Leaked oil while comfortably in 4th, could have been on the podium again. Maybe riding a superbike on Tues!

Valentino Rossi – Italian GQ interview translated

Posted by Gaelle on Sunday, October 3, 2010 · View Comments

This is the translation of Rossi’s interview in the October edition of the Italian GQ magazine.

Since you’ve hurt yourself, it seems that Stoner and Lorenzo have finally found the courage to say what they really think about you.

Yes, and I am glad. When you are injured and start to lose blood, the younger ones immediately feel stronger and think they can tear you apart: it’s like the jungle! But I like it. That’s just the way it is.

At the beginning, Lorenzo, like Stoner, used to say: “Ah, Valentino, he was my hero when I was little”, but it is not true. It’s all rubbish.

I am just an obstacle, a target. Like Biaggi was for me.

When 2 people are fighting for the same goal, it is normal to hate each other. You are lying if you deny it. I am not talking about homicidal hate but violent, yes. As such, it pleases me that Stoner and Lorenzo say what they really think about me. Because it is the truth.

We watched the race at Mugello, and when Lorenzo was in front of the cameras wishing you to get well soon, we were amazed. What do you think?

How fake…


Imagine you could invent a new motorcycle racing championship, what would your rules be?

Firstly, the right number of competitors is 24 or 26.
At the moment, I would keep the four-stroke.
It is true that everyone likes the 500cc 2-stroke but the world now unfortunately goes with the four-stroke.

I believe the correct displacement is 1000cc, not 800cc with a limit of 16,000 to 17,000 rpm, not 19,000 as it is right now, so that the bikes cannot reach 360 km / h (Editor’s note: 223.69 mph).
In my opinion, 320 km per hour is sufficient (196 mph).

Then, I would remove a lot of electronics and many tricks that help guiding the bike.

It might take a little traction control, a little help, because the bikes would be powerful, but I would like a quarter of electronics we use now.

You know, we can now set the power, gas and traction control at every corner, for each gear.

The bike knows exactly where it is on track. When taking advantage of the electronics, you can adapt it so that it takes every curve perfectly.

I would keep the traction control but it should be fixed, not adaptable to any type of curve.

And no anti-surge control, no control on the brakes: so we would see beautiful overtakes, large drifts in the braking zone and good battles during the races.

For me, the championship would be better that way.


And what about the tyres? Maximum openings. The competition between manufacturers is a positive thing.

Is Jorge Lorenzo psychologically stronger than Biaggi and Gibernau?

The fact is that my rivals now, especially Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner are a new generation and they are faster than Sete and Max. I have no doubt about that. Of the three, I think Lorenzo is the most balanced

Why did you decide to change teams? Ducati’s history, the records, money, fame, adrenaline…What?

Ducati is Italian like me.
If I wanted to chase Agostini’s record, I would stay with Yamaha. It would be easier.
For sure, the move isn’t about money because Ducati is giving me the same amount I am getting at Yamaha.
I never chose the bike I am racing based on money.
Yamaha had made me an offer. I went to the Ducati and I said, “I guess that’s a good number?”. They said yes, and the issue was resolved.
It was easy. It’s the desire to try new sensations, to push myself.

MotoGP 2011 Silly Season Update

Tried something new
The text is from
http://motomatters.com/

motogp - 2010 Assen- QF

Lorenzo authority rolls on with Assen pole

Friday, 25 June 2010

The Fiat Yamaha rider continued his occupation of top spot on the timesheets at the TIM TT Assen by qualifying in pole position, his second of the season. Randy de Puniet will again be on the front row, joined by Casey Stoner.

Assen - 2010 - MotoGP - QP - Highlights

Jorge Lorenzo continued to tighten the grip he is developing on proceedings at the TIM TT Assen by taking pole position for Saturday’s race, having topped both practice sessions in the lead up to qualifying. The Fiat Yamaha rider secured his second consecutive pole with a best lap of 1’34.515, taking over two-tenths off his best time from the two free sessions.
Randy de Puniet became the second rider of the weekend to get under 1’35” when he briefly took the lead in the session with 20 minutes remaining, and the LCR Honda rider will start from second position on the grid for the second straight race after a fantastic session left him 0.282s off Lorenzo’s pace.
Ducati Team rider Casey Stoner put in a last lap of 1’34.803 – just six-thousandths behind De Puniet – to ensure he will start his bid for a first podium of the season from the front row. The Australian was followed by rookie Ben Spies as the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider continued to impress, setting the fourth fastest time to ensure he will start from the second row after his first podium finish last time out.
Joining the American in taking over half a second off his best time of the weekend was Nicky Hayden, as the Ducati Team man registered the fifth best time and was the final rider under 1’35”. Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso will complete the second row after timing in at just 0.016s further back. His team-mate Dani Pedrosa was seventh in the order and will start from the third row.
Completing the top ten for the session were Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team), Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing).
Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) was absent after his earlier crash in the second practice session, when a highside resulted in a dislocated shoulder that prevented his participation in this afternoon’s qualifying, and most likely tomorrow’s race as well.

Results:

Pos	No.	Rider	Bike	Time	Diff	Diff Previous
1	99	Jorge LORENZO	YAMAHA	1'34.515
2	14	Randy DE PUNIET	HONDA	1'34.797	0.282	0.282
3	27	Casey STONER	DUCATI	1'34.803	0.288	0.006
4	11	Ben SPIES	YAMAHA	1'34.926	0.411	0.123
5	69	Nicky HAYDEN	DUCATI	1'34.999	0.484	0.073
6	4	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	HONDA	1'35.015	0.500	0.016
7	26	Dani PEDROSA	HONDA	1'35.162	0.647	0.147
8	58	Marco SIMONCELLI	HONDA	1'35.283	0.768	0.121
9	5	Colin EDWARDS	YAMAHA	1'35.393	0.878	0.110
10	41	Aleix ESPARGARO	DUCATI	1'35.593	1.078	0.200
11	65	Loris CAPIROSSI	SUZUKI	1'35.664	1.149	0.071
12	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SUZUKI	1'36.344	1.829	0.680
13	36	Mika KALLIO	DUCATI	1'36.502	1.987	0.158
14	40	Hector BARBERA	DUCATI	1'36.569	2.054	0.067
15	64	Kousuke AKIYOSHI	HONDA	1'38.198	3.683	1.629
	33	Marco MELANDRI	HONDA

motogp - 2010 Assen- FP2

Lorenzo preserves top spot in second practice

Friday, 25 June 2010

The Fiat Yamaha rider was again fastest in practice as he broke the 1’35” barrier, just over three-tenths of a second ahead of Stoner. Pedrosa was a further 0.363s back in third spot, whilst Melandri dislocated a shoulder.

Assen 2010 - MotoGP - FP2 - Highlights

Jorge Lorenzo was once more the pacesetter in free practice at the TIM TT Assen, as he led the second session with a best time of 1’34.769. The Fiat Yamaha rider was the first rider of the weekend to get under 1’35”, and remains so, with Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner 0.319s off the Spaniard’s time with a fastest lap of 1’35.088.
Stoner lapped consistently in the low 1’35” region and was ahead of third placed Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) by a margin of 0.363s. There then stood a gap of just 0.122s between fourth placed Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) in eighth.
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) was fifth fastest in the session and managed to set his time in the midst of some issues. First the American had an engine problem which forced him into Pit Lane, and with three minutes to go he had a minor fall. LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet and Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso were sixth and seventh quickest respectively. Completing the top ten were Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki).
There was a crash for Marco Melandri just 12 minutes into the session which ended in injury for the San Carlo Honda Gresini rider at Turn 7. Running on, the Italian was braking hard when his RC212V highsided him, and Melandri landed heavily on his left shoulder. The result was a posterior dislocation of the left shoulder and Melandri was taken to hospital in Assen for X-rays after being assessed at the Clinica Mobile. He will not take part in this afternoon’s qualification, and will most likely be out for Saturday’s race. Further updates are expected on the Italian’s condition in due course.

wsbk- 2010- misano- fp1

Corser opens up on top at Misano

Eurosport - Fri, 25 Jun 14:00:00 2010

Troy Corser drew first blood at Misano as World Superbike action got underway again following a month's break.

A return to the Adriatic circuit for most of the riders who used the four-week gap to test there, Corser moved decisively to the top of the timesheets at the mid-way point in the session with a 1min 38.005secs.
However, it was his follow-up lap of 1min 37.362secs that put him out of reach of his rivals, the BMW rider emerging a comfortable three tenths quicker than second place man Michel Fabrizio.
Fresh from having tested alongside Troy Bayliss at World Ducati Week, the Italian was the fastest of five 1198s to feature inside the top 10 but remains some way off Corser.
Having lingered outside the top 10 for much of the session to concentrate on set-up work, Leon Haslam pumped in a late fast time to catapult up to third, the Suzuki rider well clear of title rival Max Biaggi, the local favourite down in 12th position.
James Toseland led the Yamaha charge in fourth place, ahead of Luca Scassa, the continuously-improving Italian continuing his steady march up the WSBK hierarchy with the fifth best lap.
Despite being hampered by a technical issue early on in the session, Noriyuki Haga was a solid sixth best on the second Xerox Ducati machine, ahead of Cal Crutchlow and Althea duo Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa. Corser’s team-mate Ruben Xaus - a winner at Misano on a privateer Ducati two years ago - completed the top 10.
Further back, Lorenzo Lanzi and DFX Ducati made their return to competition in 11th, ahead of Biaggi, while his Aprilia team-mate Leon Camier was just behind in 14th.
With each rider inside the top 14 having tested at Misano recently, Ten Kate Honda - who stayed at their Assen base - and Kawasaki - who didn’t test at all - were well adrift, with last year’s Misano winner Jonathan Rea in 15th, while Tom Sykes was the fastest ZX-10R rider in 17th.
Elsewhere, Aprilia wild-card rider Federico Sandi was 23rd and last.
Crash.net / EurosportResults:

Pos	No.	Rider	Bike	Time	Diff
1	11	T. Corser	BMW S1000 RR	1'37.362
2	84	M. Fabrizio	Ducati 1098R	1'37.630	0.268
3	91	L. Haslam	Suzuki GSX-R1000	1'37.699	0.337
4	52	J. Toseland	Yamaha YZF R1	1'37.852	0.490
5	99	L. Scassa	Ducati 1098R	1'37.947	0.585
6	41	N. Haga	Ducati 1098R	1'38.014	0.652
7	35	C. Crutchlow	Yamaha YZF R1	1'38.046	0.684
8	67	S. Byrne	Ducati 1098R	1'38.062	0.700
9	7	C. Checa	Ducati 1098R	1'38.153	0.791
10	111	R. Xaus	BMW S1000 RR	1'38.214	0.852
11	57	L. Lanzi	Ducati 1098R	1'38.230	0.868
12	3	M. Biaggi	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	1'38.282	0.920
13	50	S. Guintoli	Suzuki GSX-R1000	1'38.443	1.081
14	2	L. Camier	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	1'38.887	1.525
15	65	J. Rea	Honda CBR1000RR	1'39.024	1.662
16	96	J. Smrz	Ducati 1098R	1'39.068	1.706
17	66	T. Sykes	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1'39.141	1.779
18	76	M. Neukirchner	Honda CBR1000RR	1'39.258	1.896
19	95	R. Hayden	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1'39.858	2.496
20	77	C. Vermeulen	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1'39.912	2.550
21	15	M. Baiocco	Kawasaki ZX 10R	1'40.477	3.115
22	23	B. Parkes	Honda CBR1000RR	1'40.618	3.256
23	90	F. Sandi	Aprilia RSV4 1000 F.	1'41.201	3.839

motogp - 2010 Assen- FP1

Lorenzo leads the MotoGP line in FP1

Thursday, 24 June 2010

The World Championship leader lay down the marker in the opening practice of the TIM TT Assen. Ducati Marlboro duo Stoner and Hayden followed the Fiat Yamaha rider on the timesheet.

Assen 2010 - MotoGP - FP1 - highlights

Jorge Lorenzo was immediately on the pace as the TIM TT Assen got underway on Thursday afternoon, setting the fastest time in the first free practice. The historic Dutch track has had some modifications since the Fiat Yamaha rider finished second in last year’s race, but he displayed a sound knowledge of its revised layout as he set a best lap of 1’35.169 to top the session.

Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner is searching for his first podium of the season this weekend and got his GP off to a solid start. The Australian was only 11-thousandths of a second off Lorenzo’s pace on his Desmosedici GP10, as he kept a close check on the Championship leader.

A further half-second back on the timesheet was Stoner’s team-mate Nicky Hayden, as the American ended the session third fastest. He stayed upright during a run off at Turn 5 towards the end of the hour as he pushed hard to improve on his time.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards was next up in the order and was just 0.013s off Hayden as he found an improved feeling on his machine. Repsol Honda pair Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa were separated by just five-hundredths of a second in fifth and sixth places respectively.

Aleix Espargaró’s season continues on its promising path and the Pramac Racing rider was hot on Pedrosa’s heels (+0.005s), with Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the highest number of laps of the session with 29 and both had minor detours off track in the session. Marco Simoncelli and Marco Melandri (both San Carlo Honda Gresini) completed the top ten.

Riding in place of the injured Hiroshi Aoyama for the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team, Kousuke Akiyoshi was 16th fastest, 6.163s off Lorenzo’s time.

TIM TT ASSEN

MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification

Assen, Thursday, June 24, 2010
Pos.;Num.;Rider;Nation;Team;Bike;Km/h;Time;Gap 1st/Prev.
1;99;Jorge LORENZO;SPA;Fiat Yamaha Team;Yamaha;290.6;1'35.169;
2;27;Casey STONER;AUS;Ducati Team;Ducati;297.3;1'35.180;0.011 / 0.011
3;69;Nicky HAYDEN;USA;Ducati Team;Ducati;297.9;1'35.686;0.517 / 0.506
4;5;Colin EDWARDS;USA;Monster Yamaha Tech 3;Yamaha;283.9;1'35.699;0.530 / 0.013
5;4;Andrea DOVIZIOSO;ITA;Repsol Honda Team;Honda;290.5;1'35.868;0.699 / 0.169
6;26;Dani PEDROSA;SPA;Repsol Honda Team;Honda;292.0;1'35.922;0.753 / 0.054
7;41;Aleix ESPARGARO;SPA;Pramac Racing Team;Ducati;299.7;1'35.927;0.758 / 0.005
8;11;Ben SPIES;USA;Monster Yamaha Tech 3;Yamaha;296.1;1'35.942;0.773 / 0.015
9;58;Marco SIMONCELLI;ITA;San Carlo Honda Gresini;Honda;278.1;1'36.002;0.833 / 0.060
10;33;Marco MELANDRI;ITA;San Carlo Honda Gresini;Honda;302.1;1'36.269;1.100 / 0.267
11;14;Randy DE PUNIET;FRA;LCR Honda MotoGP;Honda;298.8;1'36.294;1.125 / 0.025
12;40;Hector BARBERA;SPA;Paginas Amarillas Aspar;Ducati;283.6;1'36.735;1.566 / 0.441
13;65;Loris CAPIROSSI;ITA;Rizla Suzuki MotoGP;Suzuki;281.8;1'36.786;1.617 / 0.051
14;36;Mika KALLIO;FIN;Pramac Racing Team;Ducati;297.1;1'37.261;2.092 / 0.475
15;19;Alvaro BAUTISTA;SPA;Rizla Suzuki MotoGP;Suzuki;281.8;1'37.384;2.215 / 0.123
16;64;Kousuke AKIYOSHI;JPN;Interwetten Honda MotoGP;Honda;271.3;1'41.332;6.163 / 3.948
Weather Conditions:
| Track Condition: Dry| Air: 27º| Humidity: 30%| Ground: 44º
Records:
Fastest Lap: ;Lap: 28;Jorge LORENZO;1'35.169;171.8 Km/h
Circuit Record Lap: ;0;;;Km/h
Best Lap:;2010;Jorge LORENZO;1'35.169;171.8 Km/h

motogp - 2010 Assen- pre-race

MotoGP action to intensify at historic Assen

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

Just six days after Silverstone the MotoGP class will be back on track for the sixth round race of the 2010 campaign, as the TIM TT Assen celebrates its 80th edition.

The 2010 MotoGP World Championship gathers further momentum this week as the TIM TT Assen heralds the sixth round on the calendar. Taking a 37-point Championship lead into the Grand Prix is Jorge Lorenzo, and the Spaniard will aim to turn the screw further as he chases a fourth win of the season having finished inside the top two in every race so far.

Just six days after his win at Silverstone Lorenzo will attempt to replicate the three previous victories he has scored at the Dutch circuit (two in 250, one in 125), and last season the Fiat Yamaha rider finished second at Assen on his way to runner-up spot in the 2009 Championship.

Pushing ever harder for his first win of the campaign will be Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso however, after the Italian’s second place in the previous round lifted him to second spot in the standings – his highest position since joining the premier class. Dovizioso is also in a rich vein of form, having scored four podiums in the opening five rounds, and has a best finish of fifth at Assen from his debut season in the elite class.

Just five points behind him team-mate Dani Pedrosa will be targeting a bounce back from eighth place at Silverstone, and he has two podiums in the premier class at Assen, the most recent being second place in 2008. It was also the site of the Spaniard’s first ever World Championship win in the 125cc class in 2002.

Nicky Hayden again missed out on a podium as he took his fourth fourth place of the season, and prior to last year he had finished inside the top four at Assen for four successive years which included victory in 2006. His Ducati Marlboro team-mate Casey Stoner is also still in search of a first podium of 2010, and has been inside the top three at Assen for the last three years, delivering Ducati their first MotoGP win there in 2008. His aim will be a repeat in an attempt to improve on his current standing of eighth.

Randy de Puniet had a fine weekend at Silverstone as he took his first front row grid start in three years, and last season at Assen he was the first Honda rider across the line in seventh. The LCR Honda rider is sixth, just six points behind Hayden and is the highest placed private team rider at the moment.

Fresh off the back of his first MotoGP podium in Britain, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies continues his learning curve in the premier class which appears to be making rapid progress, whilst San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Marco Melandri – who became the youngest ever GP winner at the time when he took victory in the 125cc race in 1998 – and Marco Simoncelli are both level on 32 points in the Championship.

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took his best dry weather result of last season at Assen with fourth and will want to up his current points haul, as will Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar), Aleix Espargaró, Mika Kallio (both Pramac Racing) and Rizla Suzuki pair Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista.

Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama will be absent following a crash in the warm up session at Silverstone in which the Japanese rider fractured a vertebra and will be replaced by Kousuke Akiyoshi, Honda's test rider, for the race. Valentino Rossi continues his recovery from a broken right leg. Italian legend Giacomo Agostini will be present as a guest of Yamaha and will ride some display laps on his 1975 YZR500 OW23 machine.

The TIM TT Assen takes place from June 24th-26th, with the opening MotoGP practice session starting at 1.55pm local time on Thursday.

Yamaha announce replacement for Rossi

Yamaha announce Yoshikawa as replacement for injured Rossi

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

The experienced test rider will stand in for the Fiat Yamaha team from the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya until the World Champion is back to full fitness.

Yamaha Motor Racing have confirmed that their experienced test rider Wataru Yoshikawa will join the Fiat Yamaha team for the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya on July 4th, riding in place of injured World Champion Valentino Rossi until the Italian is back to full fitness following his broken leg.

Yoshikawa, a two-time Japanese superbike champion, will ride Rossi’s YZR-M1 for the Italian’s side of the Fiat Yamaha garage and is expected to be with the team for at least three races, after which more is expected to be known about Rossi’s expected return date.

Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, Lin Jarvis, said: “We have considered many different scenarios and candidate riders to fill the temporary vacant seat in the Fiat Yamaha Team. We had always planned to use a rider from within the Yamaha Motor & Tech 3 family but for each rider we considered who is in active competition, their move to the Fiat Yamaha Team would have created another problem for their own racing programme or for the teams in which they are engaged.”

“Finally, after a great deal of consideration, we have selected Wataru Yoshikawa, our Japanese YZR-M1 test rider, to join us as our substitute rider. We provisionally plan for three races (Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca) but we will adjust the plan accordingly when we know more about Valentino's expected date of return.”

Yoshikawa, who has ridden as a wildcard once before in MotoGP when he finished 12th at Motegi in 2002, stated: "I'm happy to have this chance to stand in for Valentino while he is recovering and to compete in MotoGP again. Looking at the Fiat Yamaha Team results with the 2010 YZR-M1, I can see that the winter developments were correct and now I am looking forward to having the chance to gather some ‘real racing' data, which will be very helpful for the future development of the M1."

Jarvis further welcomed the experience and knowledge of 41 year-old Yoshikawa, adding: “The benefit of Wataru's presence in our team will be threefold. Firstly he brings with him a wealth of experience riding the YZR-M1. Secondly his presence allows us to fulfil our contractual obligations and to join the team's quest to accumulate points for the Team Championship. Thirdly he will gain valuable first hand MotoGP race experience in three challenging circuits which will surely be very useful to assist him and Yamaha with the future development of the YMR-M1. We look forward to welcoming Wataru into our team while we wait for Valentino's return to full fitness."

MotoGP - 2010 - Silverstone -race results

Jorge Lorenzo seals British MotoGP win at Silverstone

from bbc.com

Lorenzo 'excited' by Silverstone win

Spain's Jorge Lorenzo stretched his lead at the top of the Championship standings to 37 points after winning Sunday's British MotoGP at Silverstone.

The Fiat Yamaha rider led from start to finish, having begun the race on pole.

Last year's winner Andrea Dovizioso came in second while American Ben Spies grabbed his first podium spot in third.

Compatriot Nicky Hayden was edged into fourth with Casey Stoney fifth, a place ahead of Frenchman Randy de Puniet with Dani Pedrosa trailing in eighth.

Pedrosa, who was second in the Championship going into the race, endured a torrid weekend.

The Spaniard crashed during qualifying on Saturday, sustaining bruising to both knees, fell off again in final practice on Sunday and the Repsol Honda rider was well off the pace in the race itself.

When I saw five laps to go and De Puniet made a mistake I thought 'the podium is potentially on, I am pulling the pin' Ben Spies

For Lorenzo, it was his third win of the season in five races. The 23-year-old is favourite for the title after team-mate and world champion Valentino Rossi broke his leg in practice for the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago.

"I'm so excited. I didn't expect to go so fast at the beginning, the track was quite cold and it was difficult to go fast with these tyres," he told BBC Sport. "Today was very important for the Championship."

Dovizioso moved up from fourth to second in the standings after his second place, with Pedrosa dropping to third.

"We had a controlled race," said Doviozoso. "We didn't have the pace to fight with Lorenzo, he was so fast, but second is very important for the Championship."

Spies was also thrilled to earn his first podium finish in MotoGP.

"When I saw five laps to go and De Puniet made a mistake I thought 'the podium is potentially on, I am pulling the pin'. Then Nicky and I went crazy, but I held on and got the podium and it feels good."

In the Moto2 race France's Jules Cluzel, riding for Forward Racing, took victory ahead of Swiss Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) and Spaniard Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar).

In a thrilling final lap Cluzel took advantage of a small mistake by Luthi in the closing stages to claim his first grand prix race win.

Briton Scott Redding turned in a superb performance, finishing in fourth after starting 12th on the grid.

Compatriot Bradley Smith went one better and grabbed his first podium place of the season in the 125cc race.

"It is something I will treasure for a long time," said the Briton. "It is something like fifth time lucky because I have never managed to get on the podium before here.

"It is a special moment for my family and friends, and the team after a struggle in the first four races of the season."

Marc Marquez won an enthralling tit-for-tat battle at the front after his fellow Spaniard Pol Espargaro made a mistake on the final lap as he tried to overtake.

But Espargaro's second place was enough to lift him above Nico Terol, who finished fourth, in the Championship standings by a point.

---

British MotoGP result:

1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha
2 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda
3 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha
4 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati
5 Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati
6 Randy de Puniet (France) Honda
7 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Honda
8 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda
9 Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha
10 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Ducati

Standings after British MotoGP:

1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 115 points
2 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 78
3 Dani Pedrosa (Sp) Honda 73
4 Valentino Rossi (It) Yamaha 61
5 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 52
6 Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 46
7 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 36
8 Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati 35
9 Marco Melandri (Italy) Honda 32
10 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Honda 32

Moto2 result:

1 Jules Cluzel (Fra) Suter
2 Thomas Luthi (Swi) Moriwaki
3 Julian Simon (Spa) Suter
4 Scott Redding (Gbr) Suter

Moto2 standings:

1 Toni Elias (Spain) Moriwaki 80 points
2 Shoya Tomizawa (Japan) Suter 65
3 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Moriwaki 58
13 Scott Redding (GB) Suter 18

125cc result:

1 Marc Marquez (Spa) Red Bull
2 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Tuenti Racing
3 Bradley Smith (GB) Bancaja Aspar
4 Nico Terol (Spa) Bancaja Aspar
10 Danny Webb (GB)

125cc standings:

1 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Tuenti Racing 99 points
2 Nico Terol (Spa) Bancaja Aspar 98
3 Marc Marquez (Spa) Red Bull 82
4 Bradley Smith (GB) Bancaja Aspar 61
11 Danny Webb (GB) 24

Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, 41'34.083 (Yamaha Racing) "This was an important day for me and an important win, because I felt so strong and I enjoyed riding my Yamaha so much. I had a different feeling today; I felt that it was going to be a good race. It was quite hard to be fast at the start and the first lap with Dani was difficult, but once I got past him I felt very relaxed and comfortable. I thought he would follow me for a bit longer but he didn't and then I was on my own, so I just had to focus on myself; I didn't even know who was behind me! I never dreamt of taking three wins from five races but here we are and I am feeling very strong mentally at this moment. I want to thank my team, Yamaha and Bridgestone for this victory. The Beatles celebration was something fun for the fans, I love their music and I thought it was nice to make a homage to them, since we're in England!"

Jorge Lorenzo Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo "This was a great performance by Jorge. The start was a little bit interesting, with us on the hard Bridgestone and some of the others on the softer one, but Jorge rode so well, kept his head and brought it home safely. Our bike is working very well and it was great to see Spies taking a podium on the Yamaha too, well done to him. It is impressive to have a 37-point gap at this stage but now we have four more races in very close succession so we can't relax. Well done to Jorge and to everyone for today

2 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda (motogp.com)

Andrea Dovizioso’s consistency this season moved up another gear at the AirAsia British Grand Prix on Sunday, where the Repsol Honda rider secured his best finish of 2010 to date with second place.

Having already placed third in three of the four preceding rounds, the Italian enjoyed the next level up on the podium at Silverstone, a result that also improved his standing in the Championship.

“I’m really happy with second in the race, and we also have second in the Championship now so this reflects our strong start to the season,” said Dovizioso, who shot up from fourth on the starting grid and then enjoyed a battle with Randy de Puniet for the majority of the 20-lap race.

“In the middle of the race I saw many riders were closing in behind me and so I tried to push at 100% to get a gap and try to avoid a fight on last lap. Corners 13 and 14 towards the end of the lap are really slow and you can see clearly the riders that are behind, and it would be easy to be overtaken here on the last lap if they were too close, so it was important to get a gap, which I managed to do.”

With such a promising start to the season Dovizioso is now focused on accomplishing the next step and taking a victory, something he has done just once before in the premier class.

“I’m so pleased with the season so far and I’d like to say thank you to Honda and to the team for the work they are doing. We still need to improve so that we can battle for race wins, but we are one step closer today and it’s a good result for us at the start of a busy period of races. Next stop is Assen and we must move forward again so that we have a chance of winning there,” concluded the 23 year-old.

Ben Spies - 3rd +7.097 sec.(Yamaha Racing)
"I didn't expect to get my first podium so quickly, especially after yesterday which wasn't the best for me. I got a decent start but once I got by Dani and Simoncelli I just tried to stay on the back of the group battling for the podium. Once I realised I could stay in contention I just tried to save the rear tyre as much as I could and it all worked out. The last few laps I pushed as hard as I could and made some good passes and it is great for Yamaha and the Monster Tech 3 Team. I'm also pretty happy about it too and this is good for my confidence. That last lap was difficult to pass Nicky but I got a really good drive onto the back straight and tried to pass him at Stowe Corner but he came back by. On the next straight I managed to get by him and then had to ride quite defensively on the last part of the lap. I was on the edge but I had to go for the podium and it worked out. It will be hard to duplicate this but right now I'll let it sink in and make the most of it. But on this day I can say I was the third best rider in the world and it is a good feeling."

Hayden frustrated with last-lap error, Stoner laments bad start

Sunday, 20 June 2010 from motogp.com

The Ducati Marlboro riders assessed their respective results of fourth and fifth at the AirAsia British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Ducati Marlboro riders Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner were left to wonder what could have been after finishing fourth and fifth at the AirAsia British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday.

Hayden had looked like he would secure his first podium finish of the season as he went into the final lap in third place, but a small mistake from the American allowed compatriot Ben Spies through at Abbey Corner as he finished fourth for the fourth race this season.

“It’s a pretty frustrating result because the team did a great job with the bike after the warm-up and it was a lot of fun to ride,” explained Hayden. “Unfortunately I didn’t get a good start – we’ve been having some little clutch problems and didn’t get away well.”

“The race was really fun, everybody was going back and forth, I was able to make some moves in the corners but just didn’t really have the top speed in the straights. It’s hard for me to dress this result up because I’m not happy to finish fourth again but the good thing is we were in the hunt again. We did something good with the bike today so hopefully it will work at Assen, a circuit I love,” he concluded.

Stoner lost ten places after a bad start to the race saw him drop to the back of the field as the riders went into the first corner, but a superb ride from there onwards saw the Australian rise to fifth by the end.

“I’m not happy with fifth place because we were capable of more today,” said Stoner, who was left to speculate on what could have been had he gotten off to a better start. “I don’t know if we could have challenged Jorge for the win but we definitely found something in warm-up and made more improvements in the race, but we paid the price for a terrible start. As I let the clutch out the bike started jumping and hopping around and I had to pull the clutch in and go again, by which time everybody was past.”

He continued: “The tyres were fresh on before the warm-up lap so in the early laps I had to be really careful before being able to start overtaking and I lost a lot of seconds. The race then was fun, we were able to find a good rhythm and to make our way forward but the time lost at the beginning prevented us by fighting for the podium.”

Colin Edwards - 9th +27.954 sec. (Yamaha Racing)
"I don't want to be finishing in ninth at all but honestly I'm reasonably happy with the way I rode and it was a lot better than I expected after what has been a tough weekend. I'm still a fair way behind the top group but I had so many problems this weekend that even a top ten was looking like a difficult result to achieve. I didn't leave anything out there and I went better than I did in qualifying but it was still not easy. The bike isn't agile enough and having to muscle it around gave me a small arm pump problem, but not as bad as Mugello. If I could get the bike to go where I want it to go I could save lots of time, but we've got some ideas for the future. It was a bit of a lonely race but I rode as hard as I could for as long as I could. I want to congratulate Ben though because he did an awesome job and I've got nothing but admiration for him. He showed today what a great rider he is and it is great for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team to be back on the podium."

MotoGP - 2010 - Silverstone -photos FP2+QF

Saturday, Silverstone, Scott Jones' Photo Bonanza

(from http://www.motomatters.com)

Yamaha still can't find anyone to ride Rossi's bike

Dirty Leathers: Andrea Dovizioso had a big off, and no time to clean his leathers on Saturday

Full marks for effort: Randy de Puniet is on a mission at Silverstone

Ben Spies still has a fractured ankle from his crash at Le Mans

Fortune favors the brave. Or even the foolish.

Normal service has been resumed for Jorge Lorenzo

Claudio Corti scored a pole in the Moto2 class ...

... with his Forward Racing teammate Jules Cluzel alongside him

Bradley Smith really, really wants to win his home Grand Prix

A typical June day in England: cold, cloudy, and full of good cheer

Can Dani Pedrosa stay with Jorge Lorenzo on Sunday? Dani Pedrosa thinks so.

Colombian rider Yonny Hernandez. Remember that name.

Marc Marquez. A name you have already remembered

The Pramac Twins: Struggling At Silverstone

The measure of how hard Scott Redding was trying was the number of laps that were canceled, for running wide at turn 5.

One hot #19. Xavier Simeon has been impressive for the Holiday Gym team

A not so hot #19: Alvaro Bautista still has cracked ribs and a banged up shoulder

Casey Stoner is still searching for his mojo. Very, very carefully.

The Suter is much easier for Julian Simon to ride

Derbi, Derbi. Pol Espargaro leads Efren Vazquez

Nico Terol, the other fast 125 guy

The sun ain't gonna shine this weekend

MotoGP - 2010 - Silverstone -QF

Lorenzo seizes Silverstone pole

Eurosport - Sat, 19 Jun 15:00:00 2010

Jorge Lorenzo clinched pole position for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone with a fastest lap time of 2:03.308.

The Fiat Yamaha rider jostled for the lead with Randy de Puniet and Dani Pedrosa, but had just enough to ensure that the title leader holds ascendancy ahead of Sunday's race.

Silverstone hadn’t held a round of the motorcycle grand prix world championship since 1986, after which it moved to Donington Park, and the weather stayed fair as the riders fought for contention.

De Puniet was second quickest with Pedrosa third, and the pair both had to be helped away from the track after falling on their final laps.

The Spaniard, winner of the previous race at Mugello in Italy and 25 points behind Lorenzo, had difficulty getting up and was taken away on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

De Puniet had appeared to be heading for a surprise first career pole until Lorenzo pushed him off the top with the seconds ticking away to the chequered flag, before he fell from his bike looking to reclaim the top spot.

Andrea Dovizioso started slowly, but the Italian powered into fourth spot with Australian Casey Stoner going sixth fastest after American Nicky Hayden.

Lorenzo, having assumed pole position, will be keen to capitalise on his advantage with De Puniet and Pedrosa having to regain their strength after their falls for the race.

British Grand Prix qualifying result:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 2mins 03.308secs

2. Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 2:03.434

3. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 2:03.586

4. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 2:03.995

5. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 2:04.332

6. Casey Stoner (Australia) Ducati 2:04.394

7. Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 2:04.477

8. Marco Melandri (Italy) Honda 2:04.555

9. Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Honda 2:04.868

10. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 2:05.035

MotoGP - 2010 - Silverstone -FP1

Lorenzo tops first Silverstone practice

By Matt Beer http://www.autosport.com

Friday, June 18th 2010, 13:57 GMT

Jorge Lorenzo got up to speed fastest as the MotoGP field acclimatised to the new Silverstone in Friday practice.

The championship leader ended the first hour of running 0.142 seconds ahead of Casey Stoner's Ducati.

Stoner had been the early pacesetter, before the impressive Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) took turns on top for a while.

Yamaha's sole works rider Lorenzo then moved to the head of the order with 12 minutes to go, improving his time to 2m05.991s on his next lap. Any other gains were prevented when a hard rain shower started two minutes from the end, sending everyone to the pits.

Stoner improved just before then, pushing Dovizioso and de Puniet back to third and fourth, with Ben Spies completing the top five for Tech 3 Yamaha.

Mugello winner Dani Pedrosa was back in sixth on the second works Honda, while Ducati's Nicky Hayden was 10th. Gresini Honda got both riders in the top ten - Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli in seventh and ninth, split by Pramac Ducati's Aleix Espargaro.

Pos  Rider   Team      Time       Gap
1.Jorge Lorenzo;;Yamaha;;2m05.991s
2.Casey Stoner;;Ducati;;2m06.133s;;+ 0.142s
3.Andrea Dovizioso;;Honda;;2m06.347s;;+ 0.356s
4.Randy de Puniet;; LCR Honda;; 2m06.439s;;+ 0.448s
5.Ben Spies;;Tech 3 Yamaha;;2m07.250s;;+ 1.259s
6.Dani Pedrosa;;Honda;;2m07.586s;;+ 1.595s
7.Marco Melandri;;Gresini Honda;;2m07.588s;;+ 1.597s
8.Aleix Espargaro;; Pramac Ducati;;2m07.927s;;+ 1.936s
9.Marco Simoncelli;;Gresini Honda;;2m07.951s;;+ 1.960s
10.Nicky Hayden;;Ducati;;2m08.300s;;+ 2.309s
11.Hector Barbera;;Aspar Ducati;;2m08.452s;;+ 2.461s
12.Colin Edwards;;Tech 3 Yamaha;;2m08.525s;;+ 2.534s
13.Alvaro Bautista;; Suzuki;;2m08.666s;;+ 2.675s
14.Hiroshi Aoyama;;Interwetten Honda;;2m09.639s;;+ 3.648s
15.Loris Capirossi;; Suzuki;;2m09.805s;;+ 3.814s
16.Mika Kallio;;Pramac Ducati;;2m10.227s;;+ 4.236s

MotoGP - 2010 - Silverstone - pre-race interview

Lorenzo taking it one race at a time

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, Marco Melandri and Paul Denning all discussed the forthcoming AirAsia British Grand Prix at the official press conference on Thursday.

Jorge Lorenzo may have arrived at Silverstone for the AirAsia British Grand Prix with a 25-point lead over Dani Pedrosa in the Championship standings, but the Fiat Yamaha rider was quick to point out during the pre-event press conference that the title is not something he is thinking about at this point in the season.

"For me it's better not to think about the Championship and focus more on enjoying each race and improving my riding, because we know there are improvements to be made," explained Lorenzo.

With Valentino Rossi missing from the MotoGP grid this weekend following his Mugello practice crash, Lorenzo will be the sole Fiat Yamaha rider on track this weekend at Silverstone, a track that is new to all the riders.

"I like to do a lot of laps in practice, which will help with learning the circuit, but we won't be taking any risks tomorrow, as the track looks a little dirty at the moment,” he explained. “The track will clean up with each session, so the fast lap times will only come on Saturday. From a quick look around the circuit on a scooter the track looks very long and very wide, with lots of different types of tarmac, but I guess we'll only see how it feels on the bike tomorrow during free practice."

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) proved with a flag-to-flag victory in Mugello that he has the form to be a contender for the win here in Silverstone, while his RC212V has already displayed something of a speed advantage over the opposition at some of the faster tracks this season.

"The last race was good for us," declared Pedrosa. "With the bike we are improving little by little and we've had two good and two bad results so far this season. Hopefully this weekend will be another good one. This is a long track, without the short cut back to the pits that we had in Mugello, so it will be important to make the most of each lap during practice and qualifying."

A revitalised Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) will be looking to carry the momentum from Mugello into this weekend's race at Silverstone. The Italian, who is currently lying seventh in the Championship standings, seemed to find a set-up that suited his very precise riding style last time out at his home race as he took fifth.

"The bike was certainly better in Mugello, but I'm still not 100% happy,” said Melandri. “There are still improvements to be made and I hope we can continue to make them here at Silverstone this weekend. The track looks amazing and I hope we will be able to put on a good race for the fans on Sunday."

Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) placed fourth at Mugello, his best result so far in 2010 after a difficult start to the season, and will be keen to take his first podium of the season and make some headway in the standings.

"We didn't have the start to the season we wanted, but we thought we could be competitive at Mugello because it's a track we've gone well at before,” he said. “To arrive there and have problems like we did was a real shock to the system."

Stoner is one of the few MotoGP riders to have raced at Silverstone before having contested the British 125cc Championship at Silverstone in 2001 and 2002, but he expects that to be of little help on the redeveloped circuit.

"I raced here nine years ago, but I think that there are only four corners still in use from that time with the new track layout. I certainly don't think that counts as circuit knowledge, so it definitely won't give me any sort of advantage this weekend,” he added.

For Paul Denning, Team Manager of the UK based Rizla Suzuki team, the weekend is a big one indeed. He stated: "We made some big steps with the bike over the winter, but then we had some issues at the start of the season with Loris' confidence in the bike and also with Álvaro's injury. Where we are right now obviously stinks, but when the riders are both fully fit and confident then I think we can be up there. I'm not saying we're suddenly going to start challenging Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa at the front, but the potential for much better results is definitely there."

Silverstone’s past revisited

Wednesday, 16 June 2010 from motogp.com

MotoGP is back at the circuit for the first time since 1986 for the AirAsia British Grand Prix this weekend. Read up on some interesting facts and statistics on the GP history at the track.

This weekend MotoGP returns to Silverstone after a 24-year absence, and for ten years between 1977 and 1986 the World Championship enjoyed some memorable GPs at the Northamptonshire venue.

During that spell many defining moments were witnessed, such as the first ever one-two finish for American riders in GP racing when Pat Hennen and Steve Baker took first and second in the maiden 500cc race held at Silverstone. Additionally, in each of the ten events held between 1977-1986 there were also sidecar races as well as the GPs for solo motorcycles.

Back in the days when timing was clocked to the nearest hundredth of a second, the closest ever finish in the 500cc era was recorded in 1979 at Silverstone when just 0.03 seconds separated Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene. The first five riders across the line in the 1983 250cc race were covered by just 0.4 seconds – the closest ever top five in the 61-year history of the 250cc class.

In 1979 Honda debuted the NR500 four-stroke challenge to the established 2-stroke machines in the 500cc class. The bikes were ridden by Mick Grant and Takazumi Katayama. Grant crashed at the first corner and Katayama completed a handful of laps before retiring. Freddie Spencer rode an updated version of the NR500 at Silverstone in 1981 and ran as high as fifth place in the race before retiring with mechanical problems.

Riders to have experienced the highest highs at the circuit include Kork Ballington and Angel Nieto, who are the two riders with most GP victories at Silverstone, each having won there on six occasions. Toni Mang’s 1985 win made him the only rider to have won 250cc GP races on machines from three different Japanese manufacturers: Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda.

For the home British riders Silverstone has also provided a happy hunting ground. Ten Brits have finished on the podium across all the solo classes of Grand Prix racing at Silverstone: Barry Sheene (1978/500cc/3rd, 1979/500cc/2nd), Tom Herron (1978/250cc/2nd, 1978/350cc/2nd), John Williams (1977/350cc/3rd), Steve Manship (1978/500cc/2nd), Mick Grant (1978/350cc/3rd), Clive Horton (1978/125cc/2nd), Keith Huewen (1981/350cc/2nd), Andy Watts (1984/250cc/2nd), Ron Haslam (1984/500cc/3rd) and Ian McConnachie (1986/80cc/1st). Sheene however remains the only British rider to have started from pole position at Silverstone across all solo GP classes, when he took prime place on the grid in the 500cc race in 1977.

Q & A WITH YAMAHA MANAGEMENT AND DR. BUZZI

Q & A WITH YAMAHA MANAGEMENT AND DR. BUZZI

1. What caused the accident? Was it rider error or a bike/tyre issue?

Davide Brivio, Fiat Yamaha Team Manager, Valentino Rossi’s crew: “Valentino was on his first flying lap with new hard tyres. At ‘Arrabbiata 2′ Valentino slowed down to let another rider pass, because he was following him. When Valentino opened the throttle again at ‘Biondetti’, the first corner on the left, having ridden for about a quarter of the track at a very low speed, the rear tyre had cooled down and lost grip suddenly, causing the crash. When Valentino lost the rear of the bike his speed was approximately 180kph and when he hit the ground it was approximately 150kph.”

2. What were Valentino’s exact injuries?

Professor Roberto Buzzi, MD, Trauma Unit, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy: “Valentino suffered a ‘grade 2′ open fracture of the distal third right tibia, as well as a bifocal fracture of the fibula.”

3. What exactly was done in the operation?

Professor Roberto Buzzi: “Debridement and lavage, stabilisation with locked intramedullary nailing and a VAC (vacuum assisted closure) application on Saturday 5th June. Then a second look and delayed primary closure on Monday 7th June.”

4. What is the expected recovery time for VR?
Professor Roberto Buzzi: “Six months.”

5. At which race can we expect him back?

Davide Brivio: “It is very difficult to say now. We will have to see, step by step, how his recovery goes. Around 45 days after the accident we will have a clearer picture about his condition. In the meantime he will be busy with the rehabilitation. At the moment we think it’s unlikely that he will be back within the next two months. If everything goes well we might see him racing in August or September.”

6. Where will he be spending his recovery time? Will he be attending any races?

Davide Brivio: “Valentino left the CTO in Florence today and travelled to Cattolica to meet with doctors close to his home. He will probably spend his entire recovery at home. We want Valentino to concentrate fully on his recovery and rehabilitation, therefore we will not involve him in any activities until he is back to the best physical condition. He will not be attending any races until that time, so the next time we will see Valentino at a track it means that he is ready to race again.”

7. Will anything be done to his shoulder during this time?

Davide Brivio: “Yes, of course the next couple of months will be very useful for the shoulder recovery as well. His doctors will be attending to this as well. Due to the recent accident the shoulder rehabilitation program has had to be updated because he has had to change some exercises, but from tomorrow he will be starting to work on the shoulder as well.”

8. When will Yamaha field a replacement? Why not straight away?

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing: “Firstly let me say that I am very happy that Vale has left the hospital today to return to his home area. This is a good sign as it means that his recovery is proceeding well and now he will start the rehabilitation program that will return him to full fitness. Concerning the replacement rider – we have decided to field a replacement rider from the Catalunya Grand Prix on 4th July. We have chosen the Catalunya Grand Prix to respect our Team Participation obligations to the MotoGP championship and also to take time to select the most suitable rider and to make sure we’re organised and well prepared for this new situation.”

9. Who will the replacement be?

Lin Jarvis: “At this moment I am unable to tell you who the rider will be because we have not yet made a definitive decision. We expect to be able to inform you of our plan next week or at the latest at the Silverstone MotoGP event.”

10. Who are the staff members not coming to Silverstone and Assen?

Lin Jarvis: “The Fiat Yamaha Team members working closely with Valentino will not come to Silverstone or Assen, i.e. his Team Manager, his Crew Chief and his mechanics. They will return in Barcelona and they will support the stand-in rider. All other Team and Corporate staff members will attend the coming races as usual.”

11. How does this affect your sponsors? Are they okay about missing two races?

Lin Jarvis: “We have been receiving messages of solidarity and understanding from all of our sponsors, without exception. They, like Yamaha, are all looking forward to Valentino returning in perfect shape. Valentino’s garage will be set up in Silverstone and Assen and both his YZR-M1s will be there for the fans to see.”

12. Will Valentino be meeting the media during his recovery time?

William Favero, Communications Manager, Yamaha Motor Racing: “Valentino will not be giving any interviews to press or television during his recovery time. All Yamaha wants is for him to focus on his rehabilitation and make a full recovery. Yamaha will arrange a press conference with Valentino in due course. In the meantime we will make sure that our sponsors, the fans and the international media are kept updated about his condition through our official spokesmen and team press releases, with the same efficiency and transparency with which we have treated this issue so far.”

Q&A With Rossi - Back At Brno, Or Maybe Indy

Latest From Yamaha: Q&A With Rossi - Back At Brno, Or Maybe Indy

Submitted by David Emmett on Thu, 2010-06-10 20:52.

The latest update on Valentino Rossi's condition comes in a rather unusual form, though an extremely informative one. Yamaha Racing today released a question and answer session with Valentino Rossi, in which he answers most of the burning questions Rossi's many fans have. The good news is that Rossi has not lost his fire for racing. The bad news is that he won't be back until Brno at the very earliest. Read for yourself what Rossi had to say:

---

Gerno di Lesmo, Italy
Thursday 10th June 2010

Q & A WITH VALENTINO ROSSI ON HIS RELEASE FROM HOSPITAL

1. Vale, first question: how are you and are you still in pain?

VR: "The positive thing is that the worst is past and that the two operations went well, so everything is okay. Now I am expecting a difficult period, in which I have to be aware of the risk of infection and in which I must remain with the leg constantly elevated. Then there will come a second key period, when I will be able to start my rehabilitation and, with support on the leg, will be able to start to walk around with crutches."


2. Dr. Buzzi talked about a rehabilitation period of about five or six months, what do you think?

VR: "It's to be expected that Dr. Buzzi has been very cautious in his prognosis. I want to heal the injury; that is the only thing I'm interested in. If I miss four races or six races, it doesn't make any difference. The right time to return could be Brno, but it won't necessarily be like this."

3. Do you remember the accident?

VR: "I remember everything perfectly. I didn't hit my head, I didn't hit anything else. The airbag in my leathers worked very well and my helmet was just slightly scratched. I don't have a single bruise! The problem was that I landed on my leg, and it was stuck under my body. If I had landed on my back it would have been different. I had a new tyre and I'd done two laps, then I slowed down because I had Barbera behind me. When I came back onto the racing line Pedrosa arrived and I didn't want to cause a problem for him so I moved again but then when I reopened the gas, it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. Seven seconds were enough to make the tyre drop temperature dramatically. The error was mine."



4. Who would you like to thank?

VR: "First of all I want to thank Professor Buzzi of the CTO Careggi in Florence and all of his staff, because they were brilliant. Fortunately, doing it at Mugello meant I wasn't far from the Careggi and this was very lucky. I also want to thank everybody else at the Careggi and all the nurses because they treated me so well, then the staff at the Clinica Mobile and the marshals and officers at the Mugello circuit. Finally, a big hello and particular thanks to all the fans because never, not even for a second, have they let me forget their affection and support. The messages I saw on Sunday on television from the circuit were beautiful."



5. At any time since the accident has there been a moment when you have said "stop racing motorcycles"?

VR: "Sincerely, I haven't felt any fear. I was a bit horrified when I saw the leg, yes...but the thing I dislike the most is to miss so many races! I will take all the time I need and be sure not to do anything stupid because I want to return quickly, but only if my condition allows it. I know I have a bike for next year and I don't need to rush my return to demonstrate anything. I could miss just four races but I still wouldn't come back to win the championship. It's better to be careful, finish the rehabilitation in the best way and come back to race for many more years. I've heard of many other sportsmen, a lot in fact, who have had the same problem as me. One example for everyone: Mark Webber called me and he has had an exposed fracture of the right leg. He told me to be very patient and that I would have some moments of discomfort, but that in the end recovery was guaranteed."

6. Now you have some time at home to rest and to think... 


VR: "Yes, now I have a lot of time at home to rest, to recover and to think. Firstly, I want to use this time to improve some things. I want to improve my English, learn something new, read a lot. Basically, I want to improve and learn. This I will do for sure. If your question instead is referring to 2011, this incident will not influence my choices for next year in any way. Last Saturday hasn't changed anything. I just have one broken leg extra! The result of 2010, therefore, has never been relevant to my decisions for the future."

7. During your enforced rest, will you also be working on your injured shoulder?

VR: "Definitely, yes. This is one of the few positive things about this incident; finally I can work on the rehabilitation of the shoulder, in no hurry, without operations and without races. From tomorrow I will restart the exercises, lying on my bed, and I am certain that when I return the shoulder will be completely recovered. When I come back I will be in perfect shape, although it won't mean that I can win straight away. When you return after an enforced break you not only have to think about the body, but also the mind. I won't be able to come back and win immediately."

Yamaha hold fire on Rossi replacement

Yamaha will keep Valentino Rossi's place open for the next couple of races before calling up a stand-in for their injured MotoGP champion.

More Stories

• Rossi: I'll be back
• Rossi's title defence over after crash

Team manager Davide Brivio told the official MotoGP website on Monday that there was no rush to replace the charismatic Italian, who is likely to miss most of the rest of the season after breaking his leg in practice for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

"We will probably miss the next couple of races because that is allowed under the regulations and then if, as I think, Valentino stays out for more we have to find a replacement," said Brivio.

"It's very strange to speak about Valentino's replacement," he added. "But we will try to find the best solution we can."

Rossi, 31 and a nine-times world champion in all categories, is expected to be out for between four and five months. Under MotoGP regulations, a team must replace an injured rider after two races without him.

The season ends in Valencia, Spain, on November 7.

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, the championship leader who has already proved to be Rossi's toughest team mate this season, will therefore be the team's solo rider at Silverstone in Britain next week and at Assen in the Netherlands on June 26.

Brivio told the Gazzetta dello Sport that the choice of replacement was not obvious, with the team's test riders unsuitable and American superbike world champion Ben Spies under contract to the non-works Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP team.

"If it were up to Yamaha to decide alone, we would not enlist anyone to take his (Rossi's) place from now to the end of the championship," added the team manager.

Lorenzo and compatriot Dani Pedrosa, the winner in Italy with Honda, are now clear favourites for the title in the absence of the sport's biggest draw.

Spain has only ever had one world champion in motorcycling's top category, with Alex Criville winning the 500cc title for Honda in 1999.

In an eerie parallel with 11 years ago, Criville won his title after Australian world champion Mick Doohan crashed in practice for that year's Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and suffered career-ending injuries.

Doohan had won the previous five titles and Criville, like Lorenzo now, was the reigning champion's team mate at the time.

Rossi, who fractured his right shin and fibula in the crash and underwent surgery on Saturday, had made a record 230 successive grand prix starts prior to Sunday.

The Italian showman had enjoyed a remarkably injury-free career and had not missed a race since he made his debut in the 125cc category at the 1996 Malaysian Grand Prix.

"The fact it's his leg is going to hamper his chances of coming back fit and strong," Ducati's Australian Casey Stoner, the 2007 world champion who has had his own injury and sickness problems, said at the weekend.

"If it's something like your arm or wrist, you can still get out and run or cycle to keep your fitness going. With a leg injury, unfortunately you're lying in the lounge for a little while," he added.

"It's going to be a really difficult situation for him to come back from this for this year."

Reuters

2010 motoGP- Mugello - race results

took me a few days to get over Rossi's big crash. will update here and in twitter- so follow me there and here

2010 Mugello MotoGP Race Result:

Clear Win Riders Battle For Second

Results and summary of the MotoGP race at Mugello:

Dani Pedrosa took an almost unchallenged win at Mugello, getting his usual excellent start to lead into the first corner, and controlling the race from start to finish. Pedrosa did more than just get a good start though: The Repsol Honda rider laid down a scorching pace, shattering the lap record for lap after lap, running six to seven tenths ahead of the chasing group.

That chasing group consisted of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, who tussled for 2nd for much of the race. Dovizioso got the best of the early laps, before being passed by the Fiat Yamaha rider, but even once Lorenzo was past, he could neither catch Pedrosa nor drop Dovizioso. Lorenzo's pace never faltered, but it was simply not fast enough. For Dovizioso, he was not quite quick enough to catch and pass Lorenzo.

The real meat of the action was the battle for 4th, with Marlboro Ducati's Casey Stoner, LCR Honda's Randy de Puniet and San Carlo Gresini Honda's Marco Melandri engaged in a wild and brutal scrap for most of the race. In the end, it was a brave move by Stoner on Melandri that settled it, after Melandri tried to pass Stoner but could not make it stick. Randy de Puniet, who had been leading the group as they started the final lap, lost out in braking for San Donato, and was left holding 6th.

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Ben Spies ended the race 7th after a strong start, but the Texan could not quite stay with the group fighting for 4th. Spies finished ahead of fellow "experienced rookie" Aleix Espargaro on the Pramac Ducati, while Melandri's Gresini teammate took 9th, and Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi ended the day in 10th.

But the atmosphere at the race revolved around the one man who wasn't there. Valentino Rossi, watching the race from his hospital bed in Florence, saw a huge outpouring of well wishes from the fans and riders alike. His teammate Jorge Lorenzo held up a placard saying "Everybody can feel pain, but not everybody can be a legend" before the race, and he was joined by Marco Simoncelli and the Ducati corner, who had arranged to hold up red and white boards spelling out VALE. Lorenzo also appeared on the podium wearing a yellow #46 fan shirt, as a mark of respect for his injured Fiat Yamaha teammate.

But most of all, the empty gaps on the hillsides marked the importance of Valentino Rossi. Official attendance for the three days was 116,467, though Italian journalists thought those numbers might be inflated. That compares to 123,987 for 2009 at Mugello. That's a significant hole to fill.

Results:

Pos.	No.	Rider	Manufacturer	Time	Diff
1	26	Dani PEDROSA	HONDA	42'28.066
2	99	Jorge LORENZO	YAMAHA	42'32.080	4.014
3	4	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	HONDA	42'34.262	6.196
4	27	Casey STONER	DUCATI	42'53.769	25.703
5	33	Marco MELANDRI	HONDA	42'53.801	25.735
6	14	Randy DE PUNIET	HONDA	42'54.031	25.965
7	11	Ben SPIES	YAMAHA	42'56.872	28.806
8	41	Aleix ESPARGARO	DUCATI	43'08.238	40.172
9	58	Marco SIMONCELLI	HONDA	43'09.460	41.394
10	65	Loris CAPIROSSI	SUZUKI	43'10.173	42.107
11	7	Hiroshi AOYAMA	HONDA	43'11.161	43.095
12	40	Hector BARBERA	DUCATI	43'11.429	43.363
13	5	Colin EDWARDS	YAMAHA	43'42.459	1'14.393
14	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SUZUKI	43'52.455	1'24.389
Not Classified
	36	Mika KALLIO	DUCATI	15'06.148	15 laps
	69	Nicky HAYDEN	DUCATI	9'24.063	18 laps

MotoGP FP1 - Mugello

Rossi leads the way in opening Mugello practice

Friday, 04 June 2010

The defending World Champion was the only rider under the 1’50” mark as he got his home GP, the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM, off to a strong start in the first practice session. Jorge Lorenzo made it a Fiat Yamaha one-two.

Mugello 2010 - MotoGP - FP1 - highlights

Valentino Rossi laid down an opening warning to the rest of the MotoGP field by setting the fastest time in the first practice at Mugello. The Italian is going for his eighth premier class win at the circuit this weekend, and was almost four-tenths of a second faster than his team-mate and Championship rival Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi and Lorenzo established themselves at the forefront of the timesheet early on and Rossi continually improved his time as the session reached its climax. Inside the final ten minutes he finally broke the 1’50” barrier, setting a hot lap of 1’49.751.

Ending the first practice at 0.369s further back in second place was Championship leader Lorenzo, with Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) pushing up into third with a late surge that left him 0.608s off the pace of his fellow Italian’s top marker. Capirossi then experienced a fall pushing hard through San Donato as his session ended a minute or two earlier than anticipated.

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3) enjoyed a good opening session and was fourth fastest, just over a second off Rossi, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) the highest-placing Honda at just a thousandth of a second behind Edwards.

Ben Spies impressed on his first MotoGP outing on the track by registering the sixth best time, just over two-tenths off Pedrosa. Casey Stoner, who will be looking to pull on the inspiration of last season’s race win at the circuit after his difficult opening to the 2010 campaign, had the worst possible start to the hour-long practice when he experienced a run-off at Turn 15. The Australian had to take his Desmosedici GP10 down into the gravel to avoid hitting the fence, and eventually placed seventh in the session as he completed 15 laps, the fewest of the field.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro) and Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) all set top-ten times as well, the rookie running off at Bucine early on just moments after Stoner had, and without consequence. Rizla Suzuki rookie Álvaro Bautista made his return after sitting out the last race at Le Mans due to his recovering collarbone, and was clearly still feeling some discomfort with a best time just over 5.5s off that of Rossi.

GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA TIM

MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification

Mugello, Friday, June 04, 2010

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 322.4 1'49.751
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 322.4 1'50.120 0.369 / 0.369
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 322.8 1'50.359 0.608 / 0.239
4 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 330.2 1'50.772 1.021 / 0.413
5 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 322.8 1'50.773 1.022 / 0.001
6 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 322.3 1'51.004 1.253 / 0.231
7 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 332.0 1'51.128 1.377 / 0.124
8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 325.8 1'51.255 1.504 / 0.127
9 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 336.7 1'51.387 1.636 / 0.132
10 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 339.6 1'51.582 1.831 / 0.195
11 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 320.5 1'51.605 1.854 / 0.023
12 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 320.4 1'51.717 1.966 / 0.112
13 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 324.2 1'51.782 2.031 / 0.065
14 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 334.5 1'52.202 2.451 / 0.420
15 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 322.6 1'52.399 2.648 / 0.197
16 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 335.1 1'52.418 2.667 / 0.019
17 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 319.2 1'55.257 5.506 / 2.839
Weather Conditions:

| Track Condition: Dry| Air: 30º| Humidity: 29%| Ground: 50º

Records:

Fastest Lap:	Lap: 23	Valentino ROSSI	1'49.751	172.0 Km/h
Circuit Record Lap:	2008	Casey STONER	1'50.003	171.6 Km/h
Best Lap:	2008	Valentino ROSSI	1'48.130	174.6 Km/h