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Friday Sep 26 2008
Round 15 - Japanese GP - Free Practice
STONER SETS THE EARLY PACE AT MOTEGI, GOOD START FOR MELANDRI
Casey Stoner set the quickest lap on the opening day of free practice for the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi today, where Marco Melandri made an encouraging start with the eighth fastest time. It was a good day for Ducati in general, with all four riders inside the top ten.
The weather continued its persecution of the MotoGP paddock in 2008, with morning rain making for a damp track that dried out in the afternoon. Lap times, however, were still some way off record pace.
Both Stoner and Melandri used the second session to find a good base setting for their machines and the pair are confident of further improvements tomorrow, providing weather forecasts predicting a dry day throughout are proved correct.
CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1st: 1'48.121
"This morning we struggled to find rear grip on the wet track and we couldn't understand why, so this afternoon it was a case of taking our time to get the setting right and eventually we found a decent feel. We have a few areas to improve on and one of the things we tried towards the end of this afternoon proved to be a blind alley, so that cost us some time. Basically we tried a new tyre but it was spinning up a lot on the rear and forcing me wide on the brakes. We need to make up for that tomorrow and a dry day would certainly help! My wrist is feeling pretty good here - much better than it has for the last two races anyway, only in the dry it is a little bit more difficult, in the wet no problems. I didn't use any bandage I preferred not to because I have not the same movement. If I can I won't use it."
MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Marlboro Team) 8th: 1'48.945
"This morning we had a lot of problems - we weren't totally prepared with the electronics and I was running wide for the first four or five laps. However, in the afternoon things went much better. We still have a few things to work on but the weekend has started out positively and I think that trend can carry through to the race. Now we'll see if we have another two sessions in the wet but at least it looks as though it will be dry for Sunday. If that's the case we have an idea about tyre choice and even though we have some way to go with the bike I can say I'm happy today."
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HAYDEN FASTEST IN RAIN, SEVENTH OVERALL
Japanese Grand Prix, Twin Ring Motegi
First day of practice, Friday September 26 2008
Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden made a good start to his Japanese GP weekend at Motegi today. The American topped this morning's wet opening session and placed seventh in the tightly packed dry afternoon outing, just three hundredths of a second off fourth place.
Coming to Motegi from his superb second-place finish at hurricane-lashed Indy, Hayden rode brilliantly in the rain, using the latest Michelin rain tyres to end the session ahead of Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner. Following the dry session Hayden plans to work on machine balance to improve performance around this stop-and-go racetrack.
Nicky Hayden, 7th fastest, 1m 48.800s
"This year, it wouldn't be a GP weekend without a little bit of rain. Things felt awesome this morning. The bike set-up was quite similar to what we had at Indy, so the bike, the tyres, everything was working really good. I was quite fast, but it looks like the weather is going to clear up for the rest of the weekend. This afternoon things weren't quite as great. The track looked a little patchy, so I just did one lap on intermediates when we went to slicks, the track came in quite quick. The bike felt okay in the dry but not great, though with just a few more tenths I would be quite a lot higher up the order. This track I sometimes struggle a bit in the dry. I'm close on all the splits but I've definitely got some work to do. I wasn't completely happy with the set-up, the balance felt wrong, the way it was pitching back and forth into and out of the corners. I'll try to give my guys some good information, so hopefully they can help me out and make it a bit easier tomorrow."
Kazuhiko Yamano - Team Manager
"Nicky had a good first day, both morning and afternoon sessions. He is still feeling a little bit of pain from his broken right heel, but after his excellent result at Indy he is very motivated to score another good result here in Japan. The fastest riders are setting a very quick pace here, so Nicky's target is to improve machine set-up so he can push harder over the next two days.
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PEDROSA JUST 0.073 SECONDS OFF ?POLE'
Japanese Grand Prix, Twin Ring Motegi
First day of practice, Friday September 26 2008
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa rode a storming session at Motegi this afternoon, ending up second fastest, less than a tenth of a second of ?provisional pole position'.
The performance was impressive, considering that the Spaniard is still getting accustomed to his new technical package - the pneumatic-valve RC212V and Bridgestone tyres - which he raced for the first time in Indianapolis two weeks ago. This morning's opening practice session was run on a wet racetrack, the circuit drying out in time for the afternoon outing. Conditions are forecast to stay dry for the remainder of the weekend, allowing Pedrosa and his crew to continue working to get the very best out of his new machine and tyres.
Dani Pedrosa, 2nd fastest, 1m 48.194s
"Track conditions were quite difficult this morning, so I struggled a bit. This afternoon everything improved. The track dried out, so we were able to start working towards the race, improving our machine set-up and especially trying the different tyres from our allocation. We found some good grip out there, but we need some more time to find the ideal combination for this track, because I am still finding the limit of the Bridgestone tyres. I am feeling better and better, and we want to keep working hard to get the best set-up because this is such an important race for us."
Kazuhiko Yamano - Team Manager
"Dani and his team did a good job today. He was not so comfortable in the wet this morning but he made excellent progress in the dry, improving his machine settings and working on tyre choice. The target is always the race and I am sure that he will make more improvements tomorrow, so that he is in a very good position for Sunday."
FREE PRACTICES
1 C. STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1'48.121
2 D. PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team + 0.073
3 V. ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team + 0.389
4 A. DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 0.649
5 L. CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 0.658
6 S. GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team + 0.673
7 N. HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team + 0.679
8 M. MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team + 0.824
9 T. ELIAS SPA Alice Team + 0.853
10 R. DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP + 1.028
11 S. NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini + 1.069
12 J. HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team + 1.076
13 C. EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha + 1.223
14 J. TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha + 1.303
15 J. LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team + 1.384
16 C. VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 1.543
17 A. WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team + 2.010
18 A. DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini + 2.037
19 K. AKIYOSHI JPN Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 2.758
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Event: Grand Prix of Japan Free Practice - Lorenzo
Date: 26th September 2008
Ambient temperature: 21 degrees
Track temperature: 22 degrees
Humidity: 89%
PROBLEMS ARISE FOR LORENZO AS TRACK DRIES OUT AT MOTEGI
After his first ever wet-weather podium in Indianapolis, Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo continued with his newly-found liking for riding in the rain with a strong performance in this morning's wet first practice session. However he ran into problems once the track dried out this afternoon and finished the first day in Japan in 15th position.
The young Spaniard spent time at the top of the time sheets this morning before finishing the session in fourth, but the rain stopped soon after and the track had dried out by the time second practice began. Lorenzo immediately felt he was lacking in rear grip on his M1 and, despite trying a range of Michelin tyres, he was unable to improve the situation enough to be able to set the fast times he wanted. Together with his team however he is confident that he will be able to improve the situation tomorrow. His team-mate Valentino Rossi meanwhile made a strong start to his weekend, finishing second this morning and third this afternoon.
Jorge Lorenzo
"Today has been strange because usually I'm not so fast in the wet but fast in the dry; today was the opposite! I don't really know what happened this afternoon but I felt like I didn't have enough grip in the rear on the entrance to the corner and so I didn't have enough confidence to go fast. It felt a bit like in Donington and Assen. We're working hard now in the team and together with Michelin and we gathered a lot of data so I hope that tomorrow we will be able to find a way to improve it. I know that I also need to work on my riding style a bit for this track. Anyway, it seems that tomorrow it will be hotter so I think this will help us as well."
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ROSSI GETS WEEKEND OFF TO GOOD START WITH THIRD IN MOTEGI PRACTICE
Valentino Rossi made a solid start to his Japanese Grand Prix weekend by riding his Fiat Yamaha M1 to third place on the opening day of action at Motegi. This weekend offers the Italian his first chance to wrap up the 2008 World Championship, which he can do by finishing third or higher on Sunday, even if Casey Stoner should win the race.
Rain greeted the paddock on arrival this morning and first practice was run on a wet track, although Rossi was fast from the off and finished the session in second place. The weather dried up this afternoon, despite remaining overcast, and the track was dry for the second session. The different conditions gave rise to a few issues for the Italian however and he lacked some front grip through the longer, slower corners, but he was still consistently fast and finished third behind Stoner and Dani Pedrosa
Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who has never won at this track, was quick this morning in the wet but suffered some problems on the drier track this afternoon, finishing in 15th.
Valentino Rossi
Position: 3rd Time: 1'48.510 Laps: 46
"This morning it was quite wet and we were very fast from the start. We found a good setting and the Bridgestone wet tyre worked very well for me. This afternoon in the dry however we had a few more problems and Stoner and Pedrosa were both faster than me. At the moment we're missing a bit of front grip. This track is always quite hard and it doesn't suit our M1 perfectly; at the moment we have some issues in the slow corners and we're suffering a bit. Anyway, we were still third so it's not a big problem and I am sure we will be able to improve tomorrow. I hope the weather is better for the rest of the weekend!"
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Stoner heads Bridgestone trio in Motegi practice
Round 15: Japan - Free Practice
Twin Ring Motegi, Friday 26 September 2008
Ducati's Casey Stoner topped the opening day of free practice for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, heading a
trio of Bridgestone-shod riders with Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa in second and Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi in
third place.
It was something of an inconclusive opening day for Bridgestone at their home grand prix after mixed weather at the
Motegi Twin Ring circuit today. This morning's opening free practice session was held on a wet-damp track while this
afternoon's session led to drier conditions and the opportunity for slick tyres to be used.
In spite of the changeable conditions, four additional Bridgestone riders achieved top ten results today. Three-time
Motegi maestro Loris Capirossi set the fifth fastest time of the day for Rizla Suzuki just ahead of Alice Team's Sylvain
Guintoli in sixth position. All four Ducati machines were represented in the top half of the timesheets with Marco
Melandri in eighth place and Toni Elias in ninth for the Ducati and Alice teams respectively.
Rossi and Stoner were equally competitive in the morning's wet/damp conditions, but lost out on the top spot to
Repsol Honda man Nicky Hayden. The difficult nature of the circuit due to the weather prevented Bridgestone from
conducting a decisive analysis of either wet or slick tyres and the tyre manufacturer hopes for a more stable day of
weather tomorrow.
Tyre Talk with Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
Would you say that was an encouraging start for Bridgestone's home grand prix preparations?
"I would say that it has been quite a difficult day to draw any concrete conclusions because of the inconsistency of the
track conditions in both sessions. This morning started off wet and was slowly drying in places, while the afternoon
hour was held on a largely dry track, which continued to dry out during the session. We could get some
understanding of the performance of our standard wet tyres in damp conditions in the morning, but the track was not
consistent enough to gauge the full level or potential."
Could Bridgestone assess slick tyre performance at all in the afternoon?
"The majority of riders started the afternoon session using slick tyres and steadily picked up pace as the track
improved. The rain did not leave the track in such a good condition so it was difficult to carry out our usual tyre
evaluation programme. Riders used soft and medium specification slicks and there were nevertheless some pleasing
performances from Casey, Dani and Valentino to take the top three positions, starting our home grand prix in a very
satisfactory way. Loris and Sylvain also made the top six with some strong runs, so it was good to see five
Bridgestone riders in the top six. We hope for more consistent and improved track conditions tomorrow so that we
can get a fully representative picture of our tyre performance for the rest of the weekend."
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Grand Prix MotoGP of Japan . Motegi - Free Practices. Friday 26th. Sept. 2008
Tech 3 Yamaha battle mixed conditions in Japan
Mixed weather conditions posed another tough challenge for the Tech 3 Yamaha team on the opening day of the
Japanese GP today, with Colin Edwards and James Toseland finishing 13th and 14th respectively on combined
times.
This afternoon's session started on a rapidly drying track after an earlier cloudburst, and Edwards quickly found his
rhythm, moving to the top of the timesheets in the opening ten minutes. The American continued to reel off fast and
consistent lap times and he was still in the top four at the halfway point in Yamaha's all-important home race. He
finished with a best time of 1.49.344, but in a frantic final few minutes he slipped out of the top ten to finish 13th.
Toseland was one place further back with a best time of 1.49.424 as today's intermittent rain showers posed another
challenge for the British rider, who again had to contend with tricky conditions while trying to learn the Twin Ring
Motegi circuit.
By the end of the session, his lowly position didn't reflect the significant progress the 27-year-old made throughout,
as he was delighted with his day's work. Toseland made a major breakthrough with the set-up of his Yamaha YZR-
M1 machine, with suspension adjustments dramatically improving his confidence with braking stability and corner
entry rear grip.
Today's session was run under grey and gloomy skies, but weekend forecasts are for improved conditions, with
tomorrow and Sunday expected to be dry.
Colin Edwards 13th 1.49.344 - 41 laps
"It hasn't been a brilliant day. I went out there at the start and I was on top of the charts and thought it was all looking
good. Even after about five or six laps when the times started to improve a lot I was hanging around second and third
place. It felt good but as soon as some guys really got going I started dropping down the list pretty quick. I tried a
couple of rear tyres and haven't really found anything and that's the problem. The best rear I've got at the moment
doesn't look like it will be good enough compared to the other guys. I did six laps at the end of the session in
qualifying mode just to try and get a decent lap time in, but I couldn't go any faster than a 49.3. I was running some
of the best laps I've ever done at this place but I can't get any feel from the rear. The front tyre is great but I'm
spinning too much with the rear, and the burning question is how do we find more traction? We've made a couple of
adjustments to the bike and it feels awesome. I'm not going to get the bike any better. I'm putting myself under a lot
of pressure to perform, but when I go out and ride as hard and as good as I did today, to still be way down the
standings is a bit frustrating. I'll sit down with my guys and try and find a solution. I'll never give up and I'm desperate
to get a good result for Yamaha in Japan."
James Toseland 14th 1.49.424 - 44 laps
"I was completely lost this morning and to be honest we've been a bit lost for quite a few races. I got a good result in
Misano but that was only because I was able to do the same lap time on every single lap. So when everybody else
wasn't that consistent I ended up getting a sixth. But really I was no faster on Sunday than I was on Friday. It has
been a really frustrating time but we just tried something radically different with the suspension and all of a sudden it
has clicked again and it is a nice feeling. Ignoring the position I'm in because I stayed out on one of the softer tyres
for nearly half race distance, I am really relieved to have found something with the bike. The change has really
helped with braking stability and with the contact of the rear tyre on corner entry. The feeling on the brakes and going
in and coming out of corners has not been great for the last few races and we have been chasing our tails trying to
find a solution. We all sat down and talked how we weren't really going in a direction that was good enough and the
team has done a great job to get back on track. Today is the nearest I have been to the front in terms of time on a
brand new track on the first day, and I've only had limited dry time again. I don't mind learning a track in the rain
because it makes it slower, so you can feel the bumps and see the lines. The only thing is I'm missing out on dry set-
up time and I've struggled with that all year because of how badly we've been hit by the rain."
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HOPKINS CONFIDENT OF IMPROVEMENTS AT MOTEGI
Kawasaki's John Hopkins concluded today's free practice sessions at the Motegi circuit, which were held in mixed weather conditions, in confident mood after finishing in 12th position on his upgraded Ninja ZX-RR.
Following this morning's wet practice, Hopkins utilised the dry time this afternoon to evaluate different Bridgestone tyre options from his allocation to find a suitable race tyre for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Anglo-American made an initial evaluation of the upgraded Ninja ZX-RR engine that the team received yesterday, as well as adjusting his chassis set-up to suit the 4.8km circuit.
Hopkins is confident that this new specification engine offers a smoother power delivery, although due to today's low track temperatures and damp conditions, the Kawasaki Racing Team will continue to make an analysis during the race weekend. Hopkins continued to improve his lap time throughout the hour-long afternoon session and ended the day in 12th position after posting a best time of 1'49.197s on his final lap.
The Kawasaki pilot is now hoping to make further refinements to his chassis setting, to improve manoeuvrability into the turns for tomorrow's qualifying session.
Despite improving his lap time throughout the day, Anthony West has suffered with handling problems aboard his Kawasaki race machine. The 27-year-old Australian finished this morning's wet stint in ninth place, but in the later session West struggled with a lack of grip and corner stability, ending the day in 17th position.
The Kawasaki racer will review the data with his crew overnight and is looking to make improvements to his chassis set-up in order to make more of an impact tomorrow around the Motegi track.
John Hopkins
#21 - 12th - 1'49.197
"There wasn't much we could do this morning in the wet, especially as the rest of the weekend is predicted to be dry, so we just refined our wet weather set-up. This afternoon the track was still damp in places, but we went out on slick tyres and evaluated all of our different Bridgestone tyre options to find something suitable for the race. We also had a revised specification engine to use and although it's not that different to what we had before, I can already feel that it's quite a bit smoother. The main area we are concentrating on is making improvements to our chassis setting as I'm struggling at a few of the hairpin corners to get the bike to turn and exit comfortably. However, we set our fastest time right at the end of the session on a tyre that had already done a lot of laps, which is positive. We'll make a few changes overnight and we're not that far off the rest of the field, so I'm feeling confident that we can work our way up the time sheets in qualifying."
Anthony West
#13 - 17th - 1'50.131
"Conditions at the circuit have been far from ideal today as this morning was wet, but it didn't really dry out totally for the afternoon session. This inconsistency in weather is not making our job any easier, and we need to make some big improvements to move ourselves further up the standings. We're struggling to get the machine into the turns, and we're also suffering with a lack of rear traction on corner exit. It felt slippery out on track, and although we've made quite a lot of changes to the chassis set-up, we haven't really found anything that's made a big enough difference to improve our lap time significantly. We will continue to work overnight with the data we now have and hopefully we can make more of an impression tomorrow."
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