 |
 |
| Phillip Island MotoGP Previews 2005
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 Various and sundry previews of the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island: HONDA RACING INFORMATION Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island 14, 15, 16 October 2005 MELANDRI AND HAYDEN TO CLOSE SEASON IN STYLE After a rousing ride in Qatar, where Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) finished tantalisingly close to his maiden MotoGP win, the Italian star is revved-up and ready to make Phillip Island the place where he finally makes the top step of the podium as a winning force in the premier class. Marco has proved beyond doubt that he has the speed and the will to triumph in the cauldron of MotoGP and he can also bank on the fact that Phillip Island was where he secured his 250cc World Championship in style with a win here in 2002. Another Honda man who has already tasted victory in the big class is Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V). He won his home race at Laguna Seca in the USA this year and the young man from Kentucky is eager to add at least another to his record this season. Runner-up position in the MotoGP World Championship is wide open still with a maximum 75 points up for grabs from the remaining three races. Realistically, an incredible seven riders are in with a chance - just 43 points cover the men currently lying from second down to eighth place. Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) is the man best placed to steal the prize, but the Roman's wretched run of form (a sixth place and a DNF) in the last two races) suggests he will be overhauled by the form riders Melandri and Hayden. Max has 159 points to Melandri's 157 with Colin Edwards (Yamaha) on 152, Hayden on 150, Loris Capirossi (Ducati) with 148, Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) on 129 and Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) still in the hunt with 126.
Gibernau, although he has the most ground to claw back, is hungry for a win to end this disappointing season with a flourish at a track where he finished second last year, and set the fastest qualifying lap of 1m 30.122 seconds. This rollercoaster of a circuit is situated 130km south east of Melbourne and is home to one of the climaxes of a 17-race season. Real talent is needed here, perhaps more than at any other circuit. Australia hosted its first Grand Prix race here in 1989 and the racing is almost always spectacular, the crowd vocal and the atmosphere spine tingling. Tyres will be an issue here. The two long left-hand turns onto the main straight are particularly hard on rubber, so machine set-up will be partly aimed at conserving rubber on this 4.448km long circuit. It has just one short 900m straight, but five right-hand turns and seven lefts including the high-speed series onto the start/finish straight. Much of the track requires rapid changes of direction at high speed, and sustained periods of high lean-angle test riders to the maximum. Competitors need to be comfortable on worn tyres towards the end of the race, while wind and trouble with wandering wildlife can also be determining factors. Sete said, "Phillip Island is one of the quickest and most spectacular tracks of the World Championship. It's fun to ride and very technical. During the pre-season tests I went very quickly and we have some very interesting data references for set-up. I'm confident about this Australian Grand Prix. I'm convinced that as soon as we're able to overcome this difficult period with a positive result, we'll go back to being stronger than ever." "I can't wait to go back racing after the fantastic race in Doha," said Melandri. "After a bit of a difficult moment I finally got back onto the podium. The Grand Prix of Qatar was an important race. I am now third again in the overall standings and I'm ready to give my best. I'm coming to a track I really like, I'm full of energy and yet very relaxed too. After Qatar I went straight to Australia, Brisbane to be exact, for one week of complete relaxation on the beach!" Biaggi said, "All I can really hope for is that we find something good for this weekend. I've won here in the past and it's an amazing circuit to win at. Every view is just like a post card; it is truly spectacular. I only hope that from Friday morning in first qualifying we can report back some good news to give my fan club, who are always so supportive here, something to be proud of." Nicky Hayden said, "Phillip Island is a fantastic place. It was somewhere I'd heard of when I was a kid and I was so excited to go there for the first time to test back at the start of 2003. It's a real riders track. If you like riding bikes fast then you have to like it here. The last long fast left hand turn onto the start finish straight is one of my favourite corners on any track in the world." "Phillip Island is a track I really like," said Barros. "It's one of the best on the calendar—quick, technical, with super-fast corners where the front of the bike is worked really hard - and has to be set up perfectly. So I hope that, with Michelin's help after a week of being able to analyse the problems we've had in the last few races, we can get back to finding a good set-up with the tyre/forks combination." Aussie Chris Vermeulen, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), said, "It's especially exciting to be able to ride Honda's RC211V at Phillip Island. It's always good to ride at home because we only get one race here each year. Phillip Island is one of the best circuits in the world. It's fast and flowing and that really suits my riding style. You get a great view of the ocean coming down the start/finish straight, but maybe I won't get the chance to appreciate that so much on a factory Honda Grand Prix machine at something like 320kph!" Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) said, "I am ready to give it my best on this track. I'm charged-up and motivated and very concentrated. I want to make up for the negative performance in Qatar together with the all Konica Minolta Honda Team. It will be vital to work well on the bike settings because unluckily during the winter tests done on this track in February, we didn't accomplish what we planned due to an accident." ************ Circuit: Phillip Island The visit to Phillip Island will bring back sweet memories for the Gauloises Yamaha team and Valentino Rossi. About one year ago it was here where Rossi wrote history by winning the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, giving Yamaha its first title in the premier class since 1992, while Rossi won more victories (nine) in one season than any other Yamaha rider in history. By now this last record has already fallen at the previous victorious race in Qatar, adding the tenth race win to Rossi's tally in 2005. Being one of Rossi's favorite tracks he is the big favorite for success this year too, but like last year it won't come easy. A year ago 'The doctor' had a race long battle with Sete Gibernau (Honda), winning the race by only 0.097 seconds. In a hard stopping moment Rossi almost ran off the track on lap one, giving Gibernau the chance to strike a gap. But by lap seven Rossi arrived at Gibernau's back wheel and a terrific scrap saw both riders swapping the lead several times. Rossi, determined to be champion in true style, overtook Gibernau on the last lap just for a short moment, losing the lead again when he ran wide at Honda corner. The decisive move came when Rossi made a seemingly impossible and final pass on the inside going back into the entrance of Lukey Heights. He held on to take a magnificent victory by the smallest of margins. Set-up report YZR-M1 Due to its fast flowing nature Phillip Island is a track most riders love to race on. It is one of the few circuits where they can unleash their manic 240+ horsepower machines. Contrary to some of the recent circuits where braking stability and front end feel is crucial, such as Motegi and Sepang, the fast and flowing nature of Phillip Island requires above all a good linear acceleration and turning stability. The key to a fast lap is a high-speed average, not just top-speed, carrying speed and momentum from one to the next long and high-speed sweeping corners is the key to success.
'The Island', as it is often referred to, offers a variety of cambers throughout its sweeping 4448m layout, both positive and negative, the rear suspension unit will need to be on the money so to speak. It will need to offer enough feedback and predictability, without pumping through its stroke as the rider tries to drive hard off the side of the tyre, or squatting as the weight transfers onto the rear. The latter will unload the front of the motorcycle, causing it to understeer and push wide—affecting exit speed and eventually lap times. On the other hand too stiff a rear shock will only lead to the front wheel rising while the rider powers off each of the slow and medium speed turns. It will also lead to the fast deterioration of the rear tyre and increase the likelihood of a highside crash. The rear shock must use a slightly soft spring rate, to aid feel, with a reasonable amount of preload to prevent rear-end squat. As for the damping, it will be dialed in to help balance out the package over some of the finer bumps, located in some of the high-speed corners. The front forks will mimic the rear set-up to ensure an overall balanced geometry. Too hard and the front will become vague in its feedback, and at these high speeds and lean angles this can be detrimental. Too soft and the basic feel will be too loose, not giving the rider the confidence he needs to carry the high speeds through the corners that is required to be competitive on the Island. The M1 engine will be mapped to reach a high top end performance, but not at the expense of a linear delivery. Acceleration off the side edge of the tyre is the key to a fast lap time, especially exiting the final fast turn where momentum can make the difference between winning and losing. DUCATI MARLBORO MEN READY FOR ISLAND ADVENTURE The Ducati Marlboro Team jets into Australia very much on form, with three pole positions, two victories, one second-place and one third-place finish from the last four races. Riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa therefore can't wait to get to grips with Phillip Island, possibly the most looked-forward-to racetrack of the MotoGP season. Capirossi has a particularly strong record at the Australian circuit and the Italian needs all the points he can get because he's fighting for the 'silver medal' in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, currently just 11 points down on second place. Checa meanwhile lies ninth in the points standings, having recently scored his first podium finish with the team.
"We've had a great run recently, which proves that our partnership with Bridgestone is growing really well, though Qatar showed that we still have work to do together," says Ducati MotoGP manager Livio Suppo. "We always look forward to Phillip Island, it's a fantastic track and we've always gone well there, with Loris taking podium finishes in 2003 and 2004, as well as a new lap record last year. These results prove that it really suits the Desmosedici." Fast and open, Phillip Island has always allowed ultra-close racing, which ensures that this event is also much enjoyed by teams and fans. "Riders love this track because it is full of fast corners, and we really enjoy watching races here," says Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. "It's a very flowing, high-speed track with only one area of heavy, prolonged braking, at Honda corner. You need a very stable set-up to give your riders confidence through all the fast sections. The other big thing about Phillip Island is that it's very hard on the left side of the rear tyre. Bridgestone have done some incredible work in recent months so we look forward to trying the new tyres they've prepared for this circuit." ON-FORM CAPIROSSI LOVES THE ISLAND Ducati Marlboro Team man Loris Capirossi is MotoGP's man of the moment. With two wins, one second-place and a tenth-place finish from the last four races he's scored more points than anyone since the end of the World Championship's midseason break, so that second overall is now very much in his sights. The hard-riding Italian has also scored three pole positions at the last three races.Capirossi has always enjoyed Phillip Island, ever since he won his first world title on his first visit to the track, way back in 1990. Since then he has enjoyed plenty more success here, including podium finishes at the last two Australian GPs. He is also the current circuit lap record holder. "I love Phillip Island, it's so nice to ride, so long as the weather isn't too bad," he says. "I always love fast corners and Phillip Island has many beautiful corners. My favourites are turns one and three and up the hill through Lukey Heights. The only corner I don't like is Honda corner! It is the kind of track where the rider can make the difference. It's also good for our Desmosedici, we have always been fast here, so I hope that we can are able to fight with the best as we were able to do at Motegi and Sepang. Bridgestone has done some great work recently, so we'll wait and see what evolution tyres they bring to this race. I hope we've got a good package because I really want second place in the championship!" CHECA CELEBRATES 33rd BIRTHDAY Carlos Checa turns 33-years old on Saturday at Phillip Island, so the Ducati Marlboro Team man will be out to celebrate with the best-possible race result on Sunday. Third at Sepang last month, where he helped achieve the team's first double podium finish, Checa is working well with his Desmosedici and knows that the bike really likes the Island's high-speed curves."Phillip Island is a really nice track and also a really nice place, the only thing that can spoil it is the weather," says Checa who has already ridden his Desmosedici at the track during off-season testing. "The main character of the circuit is very fast turns, and the high-speed run back to Lukey Heights is especially tricky because there are many fast changes of direction. The rest of the track isn't so tough, though it's always hard work for the rear tyre, mainly because of the last two lefts. You always have close racing at this track, which is nice for us and also for the fans. We have made some great progress over the last few races with Bridgestone. It's a great feeling to be able to race for the leading positions again, even though we weren't quite there at Qatar. Like everywhere, so much depends on tyre performance, so we'll be working very hard to get the best package with Bridgestone." THE TRACK Phillip Island is the fastest currently used for motorcycle GP racing (now that Dutch GP track Assen is undergoing a major redesign) and demands much of machines and tyres. There are three essentials for a good result at the Victorian state venue: guts, determination and a sweet-handling motorcycle. Most riders count the track as one of their favourites because unlike many modern circuits that have been built to contain the speed of F1 cars, the Island is dominated by super-quick curves that test rider skill and daring to the limit.The Australian GP's only negative is the area's unsettled early spring weather that can whip up dangerously strong winds off the nearby Bass Strait. Situated 130 kilometres south east of Melbourne, Phillip Island hosted its first motorcycle races way back in the 1920s, when riders competed over a dusty 12-mile street circuit and the only access to the island was by boat! The circuit fell into disrepair but was redeveloped in the late 1980s and hosted Australia's first bike GP in 1989. Since then the circuit has been renowned for creating ultra-close racing action. PHILLIP ISLAND DATA Team SUZUKI MotoGP heads down under
The Polini Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island near Melbourne will be round 15 of the 17 event season and Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins will be hoping to add to their points tally and push themselves towards a top-10 championship position. Roberts Jr didn't race at Phillip Island last year due to injuries he sustained earlier in the season. The 2000 World Champion will be aiming to continue his impressive run of always finishing in a points scoring position at every Australian Grand Prix he has raced in. Hopkins is also eager to add to his current total, the hard charging Anglo-American already has eight more points than the whole of the 2004 season and is still confident that he can better the fifth place that he secured in Japan last month. The Phillip Island circuit is arguably one of the most spectacular in the world and the stunning ocean backdrop just adds to the fantastic spectacle of the Australian GP. The circuit is very demanding on tyres due to many long left handed corners that have to be powered around and the extremes of temperatures that can range from warm spring conditions to chill winds blowing straight up from Antarctica. The new generation of Bridgestone tyres will certainly be put to the test at a track where high average speed - not top speed - is the key to a good lap time and the correct choice of tyre for race day will be vital. Sunday's race will begin at 14.30hrs (local time), 06.30hrsCET and both riders will be going all out to get the best result for Team SUZUKI MotoGP. Paul Denning - Team Manager: "We have just about recovered from the strenuous three-week Asian tour and now have the long trek to Australia. Both Kenny and John are rested and ready to race. They both enjoy the Phillip Island circuit so they are looking forward to Sunday. "Team SUZUKI MotoGP has been working on many exciting behind the scenes projects for next season and we should hopefully have some news soon. But firstly we must focus on the job in hand and that is to continue with the steady development of the GSV-R and the latest Bridgestone tyres. We must work as hard as we can to get the best possible results over the remaining three rounds and try to improve on both the rider's individual positions and team's standing in the championship." ENDS PRIVACY POLICY | HOME | RETURN TO TOP © 1997 - 2005 Hardscrabble Media LLC |
||||
