INDIA in F1

Tag: MotoGP

  • Dovizioso pips Vinales to win Italian GP; Rossi 4th

    Dovizioso pips Vinales to win Italian GP; Rossi 4th

    Ducati’s Dovizioso wins Italian GP. A Ducati MotoGP team image.

    Mugello, 4 June 2017: Andrea Dovizioso scored a fantastic win in the Italian GP in the MotoGP world champioinship here on Sunday. Maverick Vinales came second and Danilo Petrucci pushed Valentino Rossi back to finish on the podium with an excellent third place on the Team Pramac Desmosedici GP.

    Andrea Dovizioso scored a fantastic win in today’s Italian GP, held at the Mugello circuit in Tuscany in front of a record crowd of 98,269 spectators. The Italian, who started from the front row after qualifying third, crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in fourth and then fought it out with Lorenzo and Rossi in the early stages, before moving up to second behind Viñales on lap 6. Dovizioso then took control at the front and maintained the lead of the race until the flag, holding off attacks from Viñales and Petrucci, who were second and third at the finish.
    Jorge Lorenzo, who got a great start from row 3, was in the lead of the race for part of the opening lap, but then began to lose touch with the leading group and in the end he had to settle for eighth, ahead of Michele Pirro, who finished ninth after starting from row 2.
    Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1st
    “It was a fantastic day for me but it had started badly after a sleepless night because I had a bit of food poisoning. Today I didn’t have much energy, but I knew that the bike was going to be strong, because we had worked well throughout the weekend and I also had a lot of support from my fans, physiotherapist and family and this made a big difference. Despite the fact that I wasn’t at 100%, I was able to administer the race even though I wasn’t the quickest man out there, but I did a perfect strategy, and I moved into the right position at the right moment. I rode really smoothly, I never forced the pace excessively and this made all the difference because Mugello is a track that physically wears you out and in any case the tyres did not allow me to push too hard. Finally we did it: winning at Mugello is really something special!”
    Movistar Yamaha adds:

    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales ended the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley today with a strong performance. The Spaniard held firm at the front of the field to earn a second place, his fourth podium of the season over six races. His still recovering teammate Valentino Rossi had the passionate Italian crowds at the Autodromo del Mugello in a frenzy as he battled at the front of the field. He finished the race in fourth position.

    Viñales had a good start from pole and slotted in behind his fellow Movistar Yamaha rider. After a few tussles with various rivals in the opening stages, he hit the front of the field on lap four and put his head down to get a bit of daylight between him and the chasing riders. Though he was unable to completely break away, he held on to the lead for ten laps, after which he had to let Andrea Dovizioso pass.

    Small mistakes in turn 15 on lap 15 and in turn one on lap 17 caused the young contender to lose some time and he found himself in third place. However, Viñales refused to give up the fight and, with four laps to go, he took back second position and was on the hunt for Dovizioso, 1.215s ahead of him. He shaved off some time in the last few laps, but decided to abort his mission on the home stretch. He crossed the line in second place, 1.281s from first, scoring valuable points for the championship.

    Starting from second on the grid, Rossi had the air horns blare in the crowd as he dashed past his teammate to take the holeshot. He was joined at the front by Jorge Lorenzo, Viñales and Dovizioso. The heart rates of VR46 fans all around the world went through the roof on the opening laps, as the Doctor battled with the challenging riders. The order changed constantly, until a front group, consisting of four riders, started to form after lap seven.

    While the Mugello Circuit got swamped in yellow smoke, Rossi bravely held on to third place for eight laps, until Danilo Petrucci passed him on lap 14, just when the Doctor was lining up Viñales. The nine times World Champion was initially up for the challenge to regain his position, but with his body still sore from his motocross accident, he wisely decided to bring home his YZR-M1 for a fourth-place finish. He took the chequered flag 3.685s from the front.

    Viñales’ second place earns him 20 points. He maintains the lead in the championship standings with a 105-point total, 30 points ahead of Rossi in third place. The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team also hold the lead in the Team standings by 44 points, with a total of 180 points, whilst Yamaha remains the top manufacturer in the Constructor’s Championship by a 23-point margin, with 128 points.

    The MotoGP paddock will now travel to Spain for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, held next weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

    Valentino Rossi:
     I knew that today‘s race would be more difficult than usual for me. While on the bike I rode well and I didn’t have pain, but I was struggling a bit and I knew that 23 laps would be long and hard. I tried my best, I did a perfect start and I led the race for some laps, but I couldn’t really ride the way I would have liked to. At the end I tried to stay close to the riders in front, but I did not have the power to attack Danilo. I would have liked a lot to be on the podium today, but there was nothing I could do. It‘s a bit disappointing that I’m not on the podium at Mugello, but seeing where I was few days ago, and the big hit I took, it‘s been a positive weekend all in all. Being here and riding in front of so many fans was a “gift”. Now we have just few days before Catalunya, another important race, so I will try to recover and be in perfect shape in Barcelona.
    Maverick Vinales:
    Honestly, I‘m so happy and pleased, because today was a day to stay on the bike. When I saw Valentino fall back and with Marc not being there at the front, I thought “OK today is the day to take second place and bring home a lot of points”, which is really important after the crash on Friday. Being on the bike was already very lucky, because it was a fast crash and my arm was hurting a lot, so I‘m very pleased for today‘s result. I was only feeling pain when the bike was moving but for most of the race I was feeling really good, I was at 100%. I was, as always, preparing to push on the last five laps and make my best rhythm of the race, but like I said, today was a good day to stay on the bike.
    eom/Ducati, Yamaha press releases
  • Vanales takes pole ahead of Rossi for Yamaha 1-2

    Vanales takes pole ahead of Rossi for Yamaha 1-2

    Rossi action shot courtesy Movistar Yamaha team.

    Scarperia (Italy), 3rd June 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi set a hot pace at the Autodromo del Mugello, securing first and second position on the grid for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

    After showing a stunning pace in Free Practice 3, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi promoted to Q2 and flexed their muscles at the Autodromo del Mugello circuit in the fight for pole position. The teammates secured first and second place respectively on the grid for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

    Having amended the setting of his bike to his liking in FP4, Viñales knew what he had to do to get the job done today. He was quick to leave pit lane as qualifying got underway and he didn‘t hold back. He put in a 1’47.271s on his second flying lap to slot into second place before returning to the box with seven minutes on the clock, but he knew he had more in store for the second stint.

    Back on the track, one and half minute later, it was the Spaniard’s time to shine. He dominated the field with his third hot lap, a 1’46.575s, to take first place in the rankings. His lap remained unbeaten over the remainder of the session, earning Viñales his third pole of the season, with his teammate coming within 0.239s of his time.

    The still recovering Rossi had an eventful start to the day, topping the FP3 and combined time sheets and walking away from a late crash in FP4, but he was his cool and collected self at the start of Q2. Riding with a special Mugello helmet that pays tribute to Nicky Hayden, Marco Simoncelli, and retiring Italian football captain Francesco Totti, the Doctor put his head down on his second flying lap. He dropped a 1’47.539s to take provisional fifth place, before returning to the pits for fresh tyres with seven and half minutes to go.

    He left the box almost three minutes later, giving the competition a head start to ensure clear space on track as he joined an intense battle for the front row. Finding himself in eleventh place, he pushed hard to shave a big chunk off his time with his 1’46.814s third attempt, securing second position on the grid, next to his teammate.

    Valentino Rossi:

    Today we did great work, carrying on from yesterday. My condition improved and we also improved the setting of the bike. This morning was the first practice that I ended in P1 this season, so I‘m very happy because I did a great lap time. This afternoon I was also strong, but unfortunately I made a stupid mistake at the end of FP4 and I slid. Fortunately it was no problem, also because it was with the second bike, I didn’t damage the right bike. However, I lost a bit of feeling, so to make this second place was good, even better than normal, because when you start with a mistake, maybe you need it sometimes. I think the race will be very tough from every angle, because it looks like there are six other bikes with the same pace, so to start from the front row is very important.

    Maverick Vinales:

    Qualifying was really special and very nice. I gave my 100% and the bike was working really well and I did my best. Honestly, I‘m so pleased with the work of the team, because we did a really good job in FP4. We modified the bike in a better way and we improved, so I‘m quite happy about that.

    eom/Movistar Yamaha press release

     

  • Vanales 5th fastest, Rossi 14th: Yamaha’s Mugello Practice

    Scarperia (Italy), 2nd June 2017
    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were back on track for the first free practice sessions at the Autodromo del Mugello. Viñales was in fine form in the morning, but a crash in the afternoon cost him valuable track time, leaving him in fifth position in the combined timesheets. Rossi focused on both getting a feel for the track and assessing his condition ahead of this weekend’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, and set the fourteenth fastest time of the day.

    Still in good spirits from his victory in Le Mans, Viñales showed a strong pace in the 45-minute morning session. With a clear track in front of him, he was quick to find a good setting and topped the standings for most of the time with a 1’47.669s lap, until various riders put in a soft tyre towards the end of FP1. However, the young Spaniard underlined how fast his race pace is, as he held third place when the chequered flag came out, 0.275s off the front.

    The afternoon saw a similar start to the proceedings. The number 25 rider was quick to ride his YZR-M1 to second place in the rankings, but a fast crash, 13 minutes into the session at turn 9, lost him some valuable practice time. Despite not being able to use FP2 to the fullest, Viñales was quickly back into the groove when he headed out on his second bike and in fresh leathers. He wrapped up FP2 in thirteenth place, with a 1’48.014s lap on his last try, 0.649s from first.

    Local hero Rossi was also out on track in the Tuscan sunshine this morning and impressed with his brave performance as he prepared for his first home race of the season. Despite the fact that he‘s still recovering from injury, the Italian completed 15 laps and tested various settings for his YZR-M1 throughout the morning practice, to finish in fifteenth place with a best lap of 1’48.513s, 1.119s off the fastest time.

    The nine-time World Champion further improved in FP2. Encouraged by the loud cheering of the Italian fans, he gradually quickened his pace. He used the afternoon session to further fine-tune his bike‘s setting and finished strong, in twelfth place, with a fastest lap of 1’48.000s, 0.513s faster than his best time of FP1 and 0.635s from the FP2 leader.

    Today‘s results see Viñales placed fifth in the combined session times, 0.304s from the front, with Rossi infourteenth, 0.635s off today’s fastest time.

    eom/mov

  • Dalla Porta on the pace at home round: Moto3

    Mugello, 2 June 2017: The Italian Grand Prix had a distinctly local feel in the Moto3 class as three home riders took the top three positions on the opening day of free practice, with Fabio di Giannantonio setting the pace at Mugello with a 1’57.328 lap that Nicolo Bulega got closest to. In third place was Mahindra Aspar Team rider Lorenzo dalla Porta, who lives just fifty kilometres from the track, with British rider John McPhee the top non-Italian in fourth place ahead of a trio of Spaniards in Joan Mir, Jorge Martín and Juanfran Guevara. Along with 24 others, the riders will be back on track tomorrow to battle for pole position.

    Lorenzo dalla Porta put the Mahindra Aspar Team on the provisional front row thanks to a strong start at his home circuit, the Italian youngster stopping the clock at 1’57.618 to finish the day on a high and in third place on the combined timing sheets. Dalla Porta feels very comfortable around Mugello on the Mahindra chassis, which has adapted well to the Tuscan track, and he is confident of staying up near the front with the support of the Italian crowd. His team-mate Albert Arenas also proved to be competitive in the early stages of practice although he was unable to put together the perfect lap after switching to the softer tyres so has some work to do tomorrow before making another attempt in qualifying.

     

    3rd Lorenzo Dalla Porta 1:57.618 (27 laps): “It is nice to have the support of family and friends here. In general it has been a good day. We are still lacking a little horsepower but the chassis is making up for it and working really well. I can set a fast lap time with the slipstream but it will be difficult to maintain that in the race with so many riders out there. We have a little work to do but in general I am happy. Tomorrow we need to keep making steps forward.”

    20th Albert Arenas 1:59.362 (22 laps):“Things were going well up until the final ten minutes of the session, I was running on a race tyre, feeling comfortable and working on a set-up for Sunday. When we put the softer tyre in to attack the lap time I felt a little lost. It is hard to find the perfect lap here so I will have to learn before tomorrow and pick up a good slipstream to make sure we get a good grid position in qualifying. I’m looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow.”

    eom/Mahindra Aspar team release

  • Rossi declared fit for Italian GP

    Scarperia (Italy), 1 June 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi is declared fit to participate in this weekend‘s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

    Earlier this afternoon, the nine-time World Champion underwent a routine medical check-up at the Autodromo del Mugello. VR46 fans from all over the world can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that FIM Medical Director, Dr Giancarlo Di Filippo, the Chief Medical Officer of the Mugello Circuit, Dr Remo Barbagli and the MotoGP Medical Director, Dr Angel Charte have found Rossi to be in a suitable condition to take part in his home Grand Prix, starting with Firday’s free practice sessions.

    eom/Movistar Yamaha press release

  • Dalla Porta ready for his home race at Mugello: A Mahindra Aspar team preview

    Dalla Porta ready for his home race at Mugello: A Mahindra Aspar team preview

    A Mahindra Aspar team image

    Mugello, 30 May 2017: The MotoGP World Championship reaches a third distance this weekend as it arrives in the Tuscan hills that host the stunning Mugello circuit. The Italian track, which traditionally provides incredibly close finishes in the Moto3 class, like the one in 2016 that saw just 0.069 seconds covering the top three, has seen a limited amount of Spanish success in recent seasons. Since Luis Salom’s victory in 2013, Romano Fenati, Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder have taken the top step of the podium but so far this season four out of fives wins have gone to Spanish riders – three for series leader Joan Mir and one to third-placed Aron Canet – with only Fenati able to break their dominance. Even if Fenati scores another home win at Mugello, the Italian will remain in second position overall as Mir already boasts an enviable lead of 34 points after only five races.

    This sixth round of the season will be even more special for Mahindra Aspar rider Lorenzo dalla Porta. The Italian lives just fifty kilometres down the road from the circuit so this is very much a home race for him. Dalla Porta already raced at Mugello in 2016, when he took the place of Philipp Ottl and managed to lead the race before he finally finished fifteenth, picking up one point despite finishing just two seconds behind the winner. This year at Mugello he hopes to follow the positive recent trend that took him to the points positions at Le Mans. For his team-mate Albert Arenas this will be a first visit to Mugello and the last unknown quantity for him as he raced on all of the rest of the circuits in 2016. The Spaniard arrives in Italy after achieving his best grid position in France, where after two exceptional starts he was running in the top ten before a crash ended his weekend.

    Lorenzo Dalla Porta: “For me, Mugello is my home race and the most important Grand Prix of the season. Last year, when I replaced Ottl, I managed to lead it for a lap. I’m looking forward to the race because I feel ready, but also all my fans will be there, so I’ll be even more motivated. With the bike we have been taking steps forward, so we hope we can adapt it well to this circuit.”

    Albert Arenas: “Mugello is a fast circuit, which looks a lot like Jerez. We will see how it goes but from Friday it will be important to give one hundred percent to adapt as quickly as possible and to work towards a good grid position and a good race. I am feeling very motivated after Le Mans, where we achieved our best grid and we were up at the front in both races. The crash was a pity, but it is about learning from the mistakes and continuing to enjoy ourselves at Mugello.”

    eom/Mahindra Aspar team release

  • Rossi returns home, continues recovery process

    Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 26 May 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi has left the hospital to continue his recovery process at home. The MotoGP-star was hospitalised after a motocross accident yesterday afternoon.

    Rossi has returned home from the “Ospedale Infermi” in Rimini, having successfully completed routine diagnostic tests that were scheduled earlier this afternoon.

    With the attending doctors confirming the findings shared in this morning‘s medical bulletin, the nine-time World Champion left the hospital at 5.30pm, accompanied by his staff. He will continue the recovery process in his own surroundings.

    Yamaha would like to thank the entire staff of the “Ospedale Infermi” for their dedication and professional care over the last 24 hours.

    Earlier on 25th a release said: Rossi was involved in a motocross training accident at the Cross Club Cavallara in Mondavio (Pesaro Urbino, Italy), on Thursday, May 25th.

    The 38-year-old Italian rider was taken to a local hospital for a medical check-up, where he was diagnosed with mild thoracic and abdominal trauma.

    No fractures have been detected in any part of the body and no serious traumatic pathologies were found.

    INDIAinF1 team prays that he recovers fast for the next round of the season.

     

    eom/Movistar Yamaha press release

  • RIP Nicky Hayden 1981-2017

    RIP Nicky Hayden 1981-2017

    Nicky Hayden 1981-2017 A Red Bull pool image

    A statement from Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team

    22 May 2017: It is with great sadness that Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has to announce that Nicky Hayden has succumbed on Monday to injuries suffered during an incident while riding his bicycle last Wednesday.

    Nicky passed away at 19:09 CEST this evening at Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy. His fiancée Jackie, mother Rose and brother Tommy were at his side.

    Throughout his career Nicky’s professionalism and fighting spirit was greatly valued and carried him to numerous successes, including his childhood dream of being crowned MotoGP World Champion with Honda in 2006. As well as being a true champion on the track, Nicky was a fan favourite off it due to his kind nature, relaxed demeanour, and the huge smile he invariably carried everywhere.

    Nothing says more about Nicky’s character than the overwhelming response expressed by fellow racers and his legions of fans over the past few days. Jackie and his family are truly grateful for the countless prayers and well wishes for Nicky.

    The ‘Kentucky Kid’ will be sorely missed by all that ever had the pleasure of meeting him or the privilege to see him race a motorcycle around a track, be it dirt or asphalt.

    The racing world says goodbye to one of its dearest sons. Rest in peace Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Patrick Hayden.

    Tommy Hayden

    “On behalf of the whole Hayden family and Nicky’s fiancée Jackie I would like to thank everyone for their messages of support – it has been a great comfort to us all knowing that Nicky has touched so many people’s lives in such a positive way.

    “Although this is obviously a sad time, we would like everyone to remember Nicky at his happiest – riding a motorcycle. He dreamed as a kid of being a pro rider and not only achieved that but also managed to reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport in becoming World Champion. We are all so proud of that.

    “Apart from these ‘public’ memories, we will also have many great and happy memories of Nicky at home in Kentucky, in the heart of the family. We will all miss him terribly.

    “It is also important for us to thank all the hospital staff for their incredible support – they have been very kind. With the further support of the authorities in the coming days we hope to have Nicky home soon.”

    eom/Red Bull Honda World Superbike team release

  • Vinales wins; Heartbreak for Rossi fans

    Vinales wins; Heartbreak for Rossi fans

    Le Mans, 21 May 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales delivered a stunning performance at the Grand Prix de France, taking his third victory of the season and the 500th Grand Prix win for Yamaha. Teammate Valentino Rossi also rode a brilliant race at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit and had the crowds on their feet as he stormed to the front, but an unfortunate crash on the last lap meant an end to his challenge.

    Repsol Honda adds: Today Dani Pedrosa scored his third consecutive podium finish after starting the French GP fr

    Maverick Vinales celebrates after winning at Le Mans on Sunday. A Movistar Yamaha image

    om the 13th spot on the grid and making a great comeback to finish third  in front of over 104,000 spectators, a new record for the Le Mans event. The last time Dani was in the top three for three consecutive races was in 2014 (Catalunya, Assen, Sachsenring). He is now third on the list of most career podium finishes with 147, behind Agostini (159) and Rossi (224).

    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales came out fighting, dominating the MotoGP field to take a sensational victory at the Grand Prix de France, sealing Yamaha‘s 500th Grand Prix win. Valentino Rossi also showed a blistering pace in the French sunshine at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit. He was scrapping with his teammate in an epic podium battle for the win, but suffered an unlucky fall on the last lap.

    Viñales was strong right from the beginning of the 28-lap French round. Starting from pole, he flew off the line to take the holeshot and slotted into second as he dived into turn 3, behind Johann Zarco. The Spaniard was on the case, shadowed by his teammate. With 22 laps Viñales made a textbook move on the satellite Yamaha rookie to take over the lead.

    Now at the front, the Spaniard put the hammer down. He did everything in his power to escape from Zarco. He managed his pace to perfection and made sure he held on to his P1 position until he got in a fierce battle with a rapidly approaching Rossi, but the number 25 rider held firm. He was leading on the last lap, when the Doctor crashed out of the race, allowing him to bring his YZR-M1 over the finish line, 3.134s ahead of his closest rival.

    Teammate Rossi had a good start from second on the grid and put his Yamaha in fourth position behind Marc Marquez after the first couple of corners, only to pass the Spaniard a few turns later. With Viñales in front of him, the Movistar Yamaha men rode in tandem as they chased the leader of the race.

    Outbraking himself with 16 laps to go, the Italian lost some time, which left him within the grasp of Marquez. The Doctor responded quickly to the situation and upped his pace as the Spaniard crashed out of the race, allowing Rossi to focus on the battle in front. With five laps to go, he overtook Zarco for second place, making it a perfect Movistar Yamaha 1-2, but the nine-time World Champion was hungry for more.

    He planned an attack on Viñales on lap 26 and had the fans cheer when he hit the front, but it wasn‘t to last. His teammate slipped back past him as the scrap continued and with the pace as hot as today‘s, a small mistake from Rossi on the last lap prohibited him from reaching the finish line after a hard-fought battle.

    Viñales‘ first place earns him 25 points. This puts him on 85 points and in the lead in the championship standings, 23 points ahead of Rossi in third place. The 500th Grand Prix win also sees the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Teamhold the lead in the Team standings by 21 points, with a total of 147 points, whilst Yamaha remains the top manufacturer in the Constructor’s Championship by a 13 point margin, with 108 points.

    The MotoGP paddock will next hit the Gran Premio d’Italia at the Autodromo del Mugello in two weeks‘ time.

    Massimo Meregalli

    Today it looked like we were going to have a dream scenario with a Yamaha 1-2-3, but unfortunately it wasn‘t to be. Still, we take great pride in this Grand Prix weekend’s performances. Yamaha has reached the 500th Grand Prix milestone, which is a very special occasion, and the manner in which it was done further underlines how successful Yamaha is in Grand Prix racing. Maverick‘s incredible focus, dedication and speed prevailed in a tension-filled race, leading to his third Grand Prix victory of the season. For sure it would be nice to have had Vale on the podium, but the tiny mistake on the last lap robbed him of that moment. Even so, it‘s been a proud day for the ’Yamaha family‘: the way Vale fought today made the French Grand Prix a great show and made it a race to remember. We hope many more exciting races like today‘s are in our future as we continue to strive for top results over the rest of the season.

    Maverick Vinales

    Keeping up with Johann in the early laps of the race was hard, he was really fast and with the full tank we were not so strong as him. He was exiting from the corners really good and really fast. Then his tyre started to drop a little bit and our tyre started to work good on the rear, and lap by lap I was feeling better. Until the end, in the last lap, I gave everything I had here in the French GP and, honestly, I’m so happy and so pleased. The team was working on an incredible level this weekend, I hope we can continue like that. For sure the tyres were working really good here, we hope we can work like this also in Mugello.

    Valentino Rossi

    It was a great shame, because for my team it was the best weekend of the season, where I was more competitive on the track, also in the wet, but especially in the race. For sure, for me this could have been the best result of the season. It was very difficult because the pace was always very high, but at the end I felt comfortable on the bike, I had a good feeling, so I tried to attack. Unfortunately, on the last lap I made a mistake in turn 6 and I fell back a little, so Maverick could overtake me. I knew I had another chance, because we were very close and I tried to remain there, because in sector 4 I was good. Sincerely, what happened during the crash, we don’t understand. Usually you have to pay attention to the front, but I lost the rear when I crashed. Anyway, I made a mistake, and it’s like this. It is a great shame to go back home with zero points. First of all, I’m very sorry for missing out on the probable victory and also for losing the lead in the championship, because I lost points. For me, it still has been a good weekend, I was strong. Now we have to start thinking about the next race track, I hope to ride there like I did this weekend. We hope to continue like this.

    eom/Yamaha press release

  • Yamaha takes the first row; Marquez P5

    Yamaha takes the first row; Marquez P5

    Maverick Vinales pole for French GP on Saturday. A Movistar Yamaha image

    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi showed a competitive pace on the second day of the Grand Prix de France, taking a superb first and second place respectively in today‘s qualifying session.

    Le Mans (France), 20 May 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi went all out in an intense 15-minute qualifying session at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit today, that saw the teammates secure the first two slots on the front row for tomorrow’s Grand Prix de France.

    Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa will start tomorrow’s French GP from the fifth and 13th places on the grid, respectively, despite both being quite fast during the course of the day.

    Marc’s progression in his work to find the best setup has been affected by the limited dry track time and by two small crashes, in FP4 and in QP2, though both incidents were without consequence, adds Repsol Honda release.

    According to a Movistar Yamaha Press Note, having topped FP4, Viñales stepped aboard his YZR-M1 with great confidence at the start of the qualifying session. As one of the last men to leave pit lane, he enjoyed some free track space and went directly on the attack. He took the top spot with his first flying lap, a 1’33.134s, before being pushed back to sixth place when the pace quickened.

    With more than seven and a half minutes to go, he came into the pits for a fresh set of rubber. Two minutes later the Spaniard was back on track, now in seventh place in the timings, and had just enough time left for three more hot laps. He put his mind to it and produced a strong 1‘32.146s for provisional pole, but further underlined his incredible speed with a 1‘31.994s on his next lap, that earned him his second pole position of the season.

    Rossi also flexed his muscles during the 15-minute shoot-out. He was quick to head out to make the most of the time available, but decided to let some chasing riders pass at the end of his first hot lap. He moved up to second place on his third attempt, before heading back to the box with six minutes remaining.

    The Italian continued his efforts one and a half minute later, setting another personal best lap that moved him up from fourth to second, despite having to avoid a crash from Jack Miller that happened right in front of him. The Doctor still had some time left for a final push, and improved his time to a 1’32.100s, to keep a strong hold on second place, ahead of Johann Zarco, who made it a full Yamaha front row.

    Valentino Rossi

    “I am so happy, because today was the first practice in the dry, so you never know. We modified the setting a bit, and that, together with this track and this asphalt, makes our bike work well. In the end it was a really good qualifying, I think on the first flying lap I was fast, but I reached Jack a bit too early, so I lost a bit of time. It’s a shame for missing out on the pole position, but starting from second place is OK for the race.”

    Maverick Vinales

    It was a tricky qualifying, because the track was not at its best, but anyway our bike is really good here. We knew we could do it, so I just tried to concentrate and push to the best of my ability and bring home the pole position. We have to be really careful with the weather, we also have to pay a lot of attention if we have a flag to flag, a wet race or even on the dry, we still have to improve. We have to work tonight and try to improve for tomorrow.”

    eom/Movistar Yamaha press release