Mugello MotoGP Quote Machine Final

These just in from Mugello:

Lorenzo Scores Magnificent Mugello Victory
Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo delivered his second consecutive Mugello masterclass today, repeating last year's performance to take victory in the Grand Prix of Italy. Starting from second on the grid, Lorenzo was quick to pass pole man Dani Pedrosa and take the lead on the first lap. Although initially difficult to pull away, the Mallorcan put everything into his pace, dropping into the 1'47s to become unbeatable and gradually extend a lead to finish 5.223 seconds clear by the finish line. The win, his fifth this season, puts him on 185 points, 19 clear of Pedrosa in second.

Ben Spies' run of bad luck continued today in Mugello, the Texan struck down with possible food poisoning on one of the hottest race days of the year so far. Despite experiencing physical sickness and dizzy spells he hung on to complete the race, taking five Championship points. He remains in tenth with a total of 66 points heading to his home race at Laguna Seca in two weeks time.

Jorge Lorenzo
Position : 1st Time: 41'37.477

"From the beginning I felt great on this track, the asphalt was completely different to Sachsenring which was a nightmare for us. From the first practice here I felt very strong, very good on the bike and a fast constant pace. It was a pity that we had the problem in the last lap of qualifying but the important thing was the race. Today I was hammering a lot to open a gap at the beginning of the race as I thought my competitors would have problems on cold tyres. Unfortunately I couldn't do it immediately. Only hammering every lap and going faster and faster from 1'48.1 then into the 47s could I open a bit to Pedrosa then little by little it got better and I could start to breathe. It's been a great win for the whole team's efforts and for Yamaha who have given me such a good bike."

Ben Spies
Position : 11th Time: +57.862
"I'm so disappointed, not just for me but for my whole team and Yamaha who have worked so hard this weekend. I was feeling really not right from before warm up this morning and it just got worse over the day. I was struggling to put three laps together at a time in the race and fighting waves of dizziness and trying not be physically sick in my helmet. Clinica Mobile did their best to help me before the race but it was a huge challenge to focus on the bike at the speeds we do."

Wilco Zeelenberg
Team Manager

"A fantastic weekend with a fantastic end result. Jorge was always the fastest except for qualifying with our little issue. The race was great; he had great pace and that made the difference. Dani had good pace but Jorge was more consistent and was able to break away step by step. A six second lead in this category is a good one!"

Massimo Meregalli
Team Director
"Another weekend of highs and lows. A perfect race by Jorge, which we all expected, his pace was unbeatable all weekend and he really deserved the victory. I am very sorry for Ben and the team, they all worked hard this weekend and we were confident in a decent race pace for today. Unfortunately Ben was pretty ill from this morning onwards and honestly put in a huge effort just to finish the race. I am confident we will be back fighting in Laguna next week for his home race."

Repsol Honda MotoGP
Dani Pedrosa, second at Mugello

Repsol Honda Team rider rounds off positive weekend in Italy with second place. Casey Stoner fights back for eighth after running off track.

Once again there were uneven results for the Repsol Honda Team at a Grand Prix, this time in Italy. Dani Pedrosa was on the second step of the podium at Mugello, whilst Casey Stoner had to fight back to eighth after a midway point run off track. The Repsol riders thus reach the halfway mark of the season with the Spaniard in second ?19 points off leader Jorge Lorenzo? and Stoner in third -37 points off the top.

When the lights went out, Dani Pedrosa used his pole position to take the holeshot at Mugello, but he ran slightly wide and Jorge Lorenzo was able to take him on the inside of the long opening turn. Andrea Dovizioso had moved up into the fight by the end of the first lap of his home race, whilst Casey Stoner had suffered a bad start and dropped to eighth.

The Australian recovered two positions on the second lap and attempted to catch up with Nicky Hayden. Meanwhile, Pedrosa got past Dovizioso on lap five slotted into second. By then, Lorenzo had already opened up a gap of around a second at the head of the field, with his Yamaha a few tenths faster per lap despite a push from the Repsol Honda Team rider. Stoner was again suffering from chattering on his Repsol Honda RC213V from lap ten onwards, a problem which caused a loss of braking power on one occasion that dropped him down to tenth when he rode off track.

As the laps progressed, Stoner managed to catch up and pass Bautista and Barberá. He would have to settle for eighth place in the end. Pedrosa was having issues with his rear tyre stepping out, as he tried to up the pace in pursuit of Lorenzo. He placed second, ahead of Dovizioso.

Lorenzo leads the standings with 185 points, Pedrosa has 166 and Stoner has 148. The MotoGP class returns in two weeks at Laguna Seca.

Dani Pedrosa
2nd at 5.223 sec.

"I braked late at the first corner but I missed something and Jorge was already there. Then a few corners later I was surprised by Dovizioso, he passed me also and it took a few laps for me to make the overtake on him as he was very strong in the first corner so I had to pass him in another part of the circuit.

By this point Jorge had already opened up a small gap but I tried to get back in my rhythm and I started to lap in the 1'47's. When I started to drop into these times though, my tyre began to spin a lot in the rear and I got some chatter so I was worried for the tyre. At this point I decided to slow down a little because to catch Jorge meant laps in 1'47's. He was riding very strong so I have to congratulate him, finally for me a second place is a good result overall and I want to thank all the team for their hard work this weekend".

Casey Stoner
8th at 30.617 sec.

"It's definitely not the way we planned it, we thought today we could be fighting for the podium and maybe have the pace to stay with Dani, Jorge has ridden fantastically all weekend and hasn't really put a foot wrong but I think a third position would have been good today. However, we just couldn't get the bike working. During our last attempts in warm up we couldn't get anything to work, we weren't very happy with the bike today and I just didn't feel comfortable.

I made a mistake in the race, I had a bit of a shake exiting turn 11 and when I arrived at turn 12 I had no brakes, I was squeezing them as hard as I could and thought I had enough brake power to stop before the edge of the track but I had too much momentum and had to ride through the gravel trap which wasted a lot of time. I'm sorry for the incident with Alvaro, I went to make the pass into turn 2 and he started to close my front off and I couldn't do anything. It's a disappointing end to a difficult weekend that I thought I might be able to salvage something from but unfortunately not".

Bridgestone

Lorenzo extends championship lead after Mugello masterclass

Round 9: Italian Grand Prix - Race
Mugello, Sunday 15 July 2012

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard* (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)

* The hard compound rear slick tyre was available in both regular and special constructions at Mugello this weekend.
Weather: Dry. Ambient 28-28°C; Track 49-48°C (Bridgestone measurement)

Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo unleashed the strong pace he showed all weekend to win the Italian Grand Prix in dominating fashion ahead of Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Andrea Dovizioso.

Starting from second on the grid, Lorenzo managed to squeeze his way past pole-sitter Pedrosa on the exit of turn one on the first lap and then set a relentless pace to eventually finish over five seconds ahead of his compatriot at the checkered flag. Pedrosa passed Dovizioso to move up into second place on the fourth lap and despite setting a new race lap record of 1:47.705 on lap ten, the Spaniard couldn't catch Lorenzo and had to settle for second place ahead of Dovizioso who once again rode brilliantly to score his third successive podium. The first CRT rider across the finish line today was Randy de Puniet on the Power Electronics Aspar ART machine in twelfth place.

Like the rest of the weekend, track conditions for today's race were good with track temperatures very similar to yesterday's qualifying session. Fourteen of the twenty riders on the grid selected the harder compound for the rear, with only one rider selecting this compound in the special construction rear slick, while front tyre choice was uniform across the field with all riders selecting the harder front slick.

Lorenzo's fifth win of the season increases his lead in the championship over Pedrosa to nineteen points at the halfway point of the season, while Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner remains in third position overall and thirty-seven points off Lorenzo.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

"Congratulations to Jorge and the Yamaha Factory Racing team for capping off an impressive display at Mugello with their fifth win of the season. The race was run at an impressive pace with the winning race time over thirteen seconds faster than last year and in particular, the battle from third to seventh position was a thrill to watch. I would like to offer my thanks to all the teams and riders for their cooperation these past few days and for taking the time to evaluate both specifications of rear slick tyre. The addition of the special construction rear slick to our tyre allocation for this weekend required extra effort from our engineers to ensure teams could incorporate this additional supply of tyres into their programme without too much disruption. Our technical team now turns its focus to tomorrow's MotoGP test at Mugello where they will support all the teams taking part before heading over to Laguna Seca for the U.S. Grand Prix."

Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department

"Today's race was held under very similar conditions to Friday and Saturday and this was the first race weekend since Qatar where rain didn't interrupt any sessions, so this was a welcome change. As track temperatures for the race were the same as yesterday, most riders selected the harder compound rear slick in the regular construction for the race, and only one rider chose the harder rear slick in the special construction. Front tyre choice was much more straightforward with all riders deciding that the superior durability and stability of the harder front slick was the best choice for the race. This race was quite unique in that we offered three specifications of both front and rear slick tyres, so we had to work closely with teams throughout the weekend to ensure the best choice of tyre for the race conditions we had today."

Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing - Race Winner

"I knew it was going to be a very difficult race because Dani had very good race pace so I tried to overtake him in the first corner as I thought his pace early in the race on the new tyres wouldn't be the best, but in the end it didn't turn out that way. I managed to pass him but couldn't open much of a gap in the first ten laps, so I kept on pushing and set a few 1'47 laps and then towards the end of the race it was a bit easier, so I could concentrate on riding smooth."

Tech Three

Dovizioso claims podium at magnificent Mugello

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Andrea Dovizioso produced a masterclass in aggressive riding under pressure to claim a richly deserved rostrum finish in front of his sun-drenched home crowd at the Mugello track this afternoon.

Dovizioso secured his fourth podium in the last five races to delight a passionate home crowd of nearly 65,000 fans after he came out on top of a fascinating battle with German Stefan Bradl. The Italian was in contention for the top three from the start of the 23-lap race after he rocketed from seventh on the grid to third at the first corner with a typically fast launch off the line.

He led Dani Pedrosa in second for the opening four laps before the Spaniard retaliated, which pitched Dovizioso into an epic battle with Bradl that went right down to the chequered flag. Bradl moved into third position on lap 10 but Dovizioso was determined to score a second successive MotoGP podium at Mugello and put the LCR rider under intense pressure until he pounced to take third back on lap 21.

Dovizioso used all his experience to fend off Bradl's challenge and his 61st Grand Prix podium was secured by just 0.046s after a tense run to the finish line.

British rider Cal Crutchlow was locked in a superb battle of his own throughout the race with h ome crowd favourite Valentino Rossi. At the halfway stage of the race the pair were six seconds behind Dovizioso and the podium battle but both showed stunning speed, spurring each other on to close down on the battle for third in the final stages.

Crutchlow could not have put Rossi under any more pressure but the Italian refused to buckle and an exciting last lap saw the 26-year-old brilliantly grab his seventh top six finish of the season after passing Nicky Hayden at the final corner. At the chequered flag Crutchlow was only 1.4s away from the podium after his tremendous tussle with Rossi.

Andrea Dovizioso 3rd - 108 points:

"To get a podium is always special but to do it in front of the Italian crowd and after s uch a strong battle makes it feel even better. I got the perfect start and was third at the first corner and I felt very strong in braking at the start so passed Dani at Turn 5. Immediately though I could see that Lorenzo was faster in some parts of the track, but it was good to see again the small points I need to improve to get the best out of the Yamaha. The fight with Bradl for the whole race was fantastic and he did a great job. When he passed me he was making it look easy and I was having to push right at the limit to make sure he couldn't open up a gap that I couldn't recover. He was trying for his first podium and I was pushing hard to be on the podium in Italy, so it made for a great battle. I knew I was a little bit stronger in the brakes than him so with three laps to go I decided to attack and I was confident I could hold him off. He didn't give up but I am so happy with another podium and I want to say a big thanks again to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew. We are working so well together and our results show it. After three podiums in a row now I am really looking forward to going to Laguna Seca."

Cal Crutchlow 6th - 95 points:

"My start and the first five laps pretty much decided my race because I got a terrible start. Once I found my pace I was pretty comfortable but I didn't have a very good feeling on a full fuel tank and that is something we need to work on. The battle with Valentino was fantastic and I learned a lot from him. His knowledge of this track is unrivalled and his consistency was awesome. I was faster than him in the final section but I was not close enough to pass him on the brakes and he had a fast bike down the straight. I did everything possible but he is incredible on the brakes and didn't give me a chance. But we came from way back to almost get in the fight for the podium and I am happy to have got Nicky on the last lap for the top six. I was really strong at the last corner and made a good move, and to finish 1.4s off the podium having come from so far back is a positive outcome. I also want to say congratulations to Andrea. He is doing a phenomenal job and to get three podiums in a row in this class is a great achievement. He did it in front of his home crowd too and it shows what an unbelievable job the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is doing in 2012."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager:

"That was another incredible weekend for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and to be on the podium in four of the last five races feels like we are dreaming. I have to give all the credit to Andrea, his crew and the Yamaha staff because together they are doing a fantastic job. These kin d of results are very difficult to achieve but Andrea's success is giving us an incredible feeling. Andrea's start today was unreal and that was the key to him getting on the podium. He was close to the front at the start and then he got involved in a really exciting fight with Bradl and I think the Italian fans really enjoyed his performance. When Bradl passed him I wasn't worried because Andrea is a very intelligent rider and I was confident he was saving his tyres to attack again at the end. He did that but Bradl certainly didn't give up and Andrea showed nerves of steel at the end to get third. I'm also happy to see Cal back in the top six. The second half of the race from him was really impressive and he was fast and consistent and never giving Valentino a moment to relax. A better start might have put him in the battle for the podium because he came from way back to finish less than 1.5s behind Andrea. That shows Cal never gives up and both of them back in the top six means it is another great weekend for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team."

Marlboro Ducati

Rossi and Hayden close to podium at Italian GP

Today at Mugello, Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden were protagonists in a great race that saw them cross the finish line in fifth and seventh positions, respectively, both coming very close to making the podium.

It was the best dry performance of the season for the Ducati Team, in terms of the gap to the front and the excellent rhythm that both riders were able to maintain to the end.

After a poor start, the Italian made a determined charge forward from twelfth place to fifth, making a last-lap pass on his teammate, who himself had fought for the podium before finishing just behind Bradl and Dovizioso.

Tomorrow the team will return to action for a one-day post-race test on the Tuscan circuit.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 5th

"Overall, I think today was the best dry result of the year for Ducati, because Nicky had a great race as well. We're quite happy, as our pace was very good, especially toward the end. Unfortunately, I lost time at the beginning. Not only was I on the fourth row, but I also had a bad start. I got by some riders pretty quickly, but by then I had already accumulated too much of a disadvantage. Otherwise, I think it would have been possible to make the podium. We're having too much trouble in practice. Normally we're able to have a decent rhythm with the hard tyres, but when we put on the soft, we can't manage to cut those six or seven tenths that the others drop. For two races, we've worked on a setting that allows us to be consistent until the end of the race, but at the same time, it gives me more trouble with the front. When I put on the soft tyre, the extra grip makes that problem worse and I'm not able to effectively initiate corner turn-in. We have to work on that area. We have a test day tomorrow, so we'll see."

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 7th

"I got a good start, but I was spinning a lot in the beginning, and I thought I was going to destroy the tyre. Once I went to a smoother map, I was able to really start driving off the corners and bringing the group back. Those last seven, eight laps, I really gave it everything; I wasn't sure I was going to finish, but I was sure I was going to go for it. On the last lap, after I went by Bradl for fourth, I was only thinking about trying to pass ?Dovi' and get the Ducati on the podium, so I don't regret the fact that I tried. In the end, we can't be happy with seventh, but I hope all the Ducati fans that came to support us can be proud of this team this weekend. They gave me a good bike, and we really had a shot at the podium today."

Vittoriano Guareschi, Team Manager
"Today we got to see a nice race for both Vale and Nicky, and it was the result of the good work done by the team over the weekend. We found some settings that were adapted to the needs of both riders so that they were able to take advantage of our current potential. Now we must continue working to take a step forward with the bike's development. Tomorrow we'll test some things with the chassis in order to improve the bike's balance, and we'll try some details with the motor in an effort to further improve rideability."

Mugello MotoGP Quote Machine Final 2012-07-15T10:36:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Admin