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Alex
In race two Brookes was again fighting with the leading pack, however as Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW) crashed out in front of him he was forced to take evasive action. Brookes held the Milwaukee Yamaha across the grass and rejoined, but dropped drastically down the order. A strong run of consistent fast laps but Brookes back up into sixth position and holding fourth in the overall standings. Parkes was determined to make improvements for the second race, but he crashed out at Goddards.
 
 
[b]Josh Brookes[/b]
[i]Race 1: 3rd / Race 2: 6th / Championship position: 4th[/i]
"We've been in and out of the pits all weekend and all through testing trying to fast track the learning of the bike - for me as a rider to learn the bike. I purposely didn't ride the first few laps too hard in race one, because there was a lot of testosterone going on! I was all the way back, and it wasn't an ideal situation - but I wanted to make sure I put a strong race together and not fade off at the end.
 
"I maintained my focus, kept looking at my own lap times and just keeping them steady. I picked away at a few other riders, and made it up through to third. We're obviously expecting the bike to improve as the year goes on, but to put it on the podium at the first round is testament to what Yamaha have done with a brand new model.
 
"After race one we considered making changes, but we decided to stick with the set-up – we had a bike that was working and I went about trying to ride smoothly. It felt better and I was able to go with the front guys, but then Kiyo crashed right in front of me. I had to brake hard and stand the bike up to avoid him. Once I was back on the track, among the other guys who were racing on, with dirty tyres, I took it easy into the chicane and then had a battle to come back.
"I was pleased because when I rejoined I was nine seconds down, but by the end of the race I was four and a half seconds down so I did a good job. I’m pleased with what we did, it was just the circumstances – Kiyo came and apologised to me as he does, and I am just glad that I didn’t hit him. Now we go onto Brands Hatch and will take it from there."
 
 
[b]Broc Parkes[/b]
[i]Race 1: 16th / Race 2: DNF / Championship position: -[/i]
"I didn’t have the best of starts to the season. I had a problem in race one when I only had half the handle bar grip so I just had to ride and couldn’t do anything about it. I had better pace in the second race, but lost the front into Goddards. I ran a bit shallow into the last corner and just lost the front.
 
"It is just so disappointing not to get any points today. I have to try and make up for it next time out at Brands Hatch which in the past had been a good circuit for me. I hope to be strong there as things just didn’t work out here today."
 
 
 
[b]Mick Shanley - Team Manager[/b]
"Overall we have to be happy - we’ve done a massive amount of work to get to this position.The lads in the team and the riders have worked so hard this weekend. For Josh to finish on the podium in the first race was a bit like a fairytale. It was such a shame for him that he got caught up in Kiyo’s accident; it was no-ones fault and again he showed he had the pace to be running up front.
 
"Broc had a tough weekend, but he was on the pace in the second race only to crash at the last turn over the bumps. We have a lot of data to take back and work on and we will come back stronger at Brands Hatch."
 
 
 
[b]Results Race 1[/b]
1. James Ellison (GBR), Kawasaki - JG Speedfit Kawasaki, 31'05.460 
2. Shane Byrne (GBR), Kawasaki - PBM Kawasaki, +0.131s 
3. Josh Brookes (AUS), Yamaha - Milwaukee Yamaha, +9.112s
4. Dan Linfoot (GBR), Honda - Honda Racing, +9.170s 
5. Peter Hickman (GBR), BMW - RAF Reserves BMW, +11.276s 
6. Tommy Bridewell (GBR), BMW - Tyco BMW Motorrad Racing, +16.139s 
7. Christian Iddon (GBR), Suzuki - Bennetts Suzuki, +17.281s 
8. Chris Walker (GBR), Kawasaki - Be Wiser Kawasaki, +22.776s 
9. Michael Laverty (GBR), BMW - Tyco BMW Motorrad Racing, +22.915s 
10. Richard Cooper (GBR), Kawasaki - Anvil Hire TAG Racing Kawasaki,+23.456s 
 
16. Broc Parkes (AUS), Yamaha - Milwaukee Yamaha, +28.299s
 
 
 
[b]Results Race 2[/b]
1. Shane Byrne (GBR), Kawasaki - PBM Kawasaki, 30'15.457 
2. Dan Linfoot (GBR), Honda - Honda Racing, +0.589s 
3. Stuart Easton (GBR), Kawasaki - PBM Kawasaki, +1.331s 
4. Peter Hickman (GBR), BMW - RAF Reserves BMW, +3.343s 
5. Christian Iddon (GBR), Suzuki - Bennetts Suzuki, +4.239s 
6. Josh Brookes (AUS), Yamaha - Milwaukee Yamaha, +5.327s
7. Michael Laverty (GBR), BMW - Tyco BMW Motorrad Racing, +8.786s 
8. Tommy Bridewell (GBR), BMW - Tyco BMW Motorrad Racing, +9.311s 
9. Billy McConnell (AUS), BMW - Smiths Racing BMW, +10.931s 
10. Chris Walker (GBR), Kawasaki - Be Wiser Kawasaki, +11.346s 
 
DNF, Broc Parkes (AUS), Yamaha - Milwaukee Yamaha, - 2 laps
 
 
 
[b]Standings[/b]
1. Shane Byrne, 45 
2. Dan Linfoot, 33 
3. James Ellison, 29 
4. Josh Brookes, 26
5. Peter Hickman, 24 
6. Stuart Easton, 21 
7. Christian Iddon, 20 
8. Tommy Bridewell, 18 
9. Michael Laverty, 16 
10. Chris Walker, 14 
 
- Broc Parkes, 0
Alex
Rossi was up for the challenge of repeating his strong ride of two weeks ago. He needed little time to get back into the swing of things and was quick to take over the top spot from his teammate at the start of the eight-hour long session. As the temperature started rising the pace of the field picked up, but the Doctor was quick to respond and cruised back to the top the leader board with an impressive 2’00.414s lap, which kept him sitting on top for the rest of the session.

Teammate Lorenzo had a more challenging start to the second Sepang test. Though he briefly topped the leaderboard with a 2’02.099s lap, he struggled to find the good setup for the slippery asphalt. The Spaniard was pleased with his YZR-M1’s gearbox update and made the most of the available testing time by putting in a total of 51 laps. During his multiple stints he worked on improving the setting and set a best time of 2’01.162s, putting him in fifth place just +0.748s behind Rossi.

Both riders took a break in the afternoon until the worst of the heat passed before returning to the track, but the dry track conditions weren’t to last. Rain flags signaling an approaching thunderstorm were raised and soon the fickle Malaysian weather struck the Sepang circuit.

Not wanting to let the last precious hour of testing time go to waste, Rossi and Lorenzo decided to brave the pouring rain to test their wet setup until, with 30 minutes remaining, the red lights came on, ending the session.

The change in weather meant Rossi and Lorenzo were unable to improve their times and they finished in first and fifth place respectively.

Valentino Rossi
1st / 2'00.414 / 54 Laps
“Everybody in our team was curious about the updated gearbox and the first impression is quite positive, so I’m happy. It doesn’t make a huge difference, but it’s a small help in a difficult point where we need to improve. The bike is a bit better in braking and corner entry and I think we need to work to understand the maximal potential, but the first test was good. I am happy to finish in the first position because I was in P1 from this morning, so it’s a good first day. It’s important for us to make some kilometers on the wet. I don’t really like the feeling with the bike on the wet and last year I struggled a bit. We already improved a bit today, but we need to do some more testing and make some more kilometers.”
Valentino Rossi


Jorge Lorenzo
5th / 2'01.162 / 51 Laps
“Today was a pretty tough day for me. I feel the jet lag and last night I was only able to sleep for just four hours. At the beginning of the session we tried the set-up we used at the first Sepang test but nothing worked. We changed so many things on the bike but the result was the same. I'm a bit disappointed because of the results today but at least the new gearbox works well. We need to adjust it a bit but overall it is quite good, especially on braking where we can get more stability. The track conditions were pretty bad compared to the first test. The asphalt had less grip so we struggled a lot with the conditions. Hopefully we can improve our pace tomorrow and check the new things we need to test again before going to Qatar.”


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“For me it has been a positive first day. As with the first Sepang test we don’t have a lot of material, but it is really important that we continue to work to find the right direction. The updated transmission gave both Jorge and Vale a good feeling, and it will continue to develop further. Today’s rain allowed us to obtain a full set of wet data to go with our dry findings so it has had its use. We made the decision to stop early after the rain, and will continue tomorrow.”


Espargaro shines on first day of Sepang 2
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro began the Sepang 2 test with immediate speed to storm to third place on the opening day of action in Malaysia. The young Spaniard continued working on the 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1 as he gears up for the fast approaching 18 round season and made further progress in establishing a strong setup. The 23-year-old Catalan clocked a best time of 2’00.876 which he set on his 17th lap out of 45 to successfully see him finish inside the top three on the first day. Although rain fell in the afternoon, costing the riders the chance to improve their times, it did allow them to test rain setups and Espargaro ran six laps on wet tyres as he now looks to tomorrow to continue his bright start in Malaysia.

On the other hand, Bradley Smith opened his Sepang 2 account with a firm and confidence boosting ride to eighth position in the standings. The young British rider suffered a leg injury during the winter break and after easing back into riding at the first test, this week he returns to Sepang recovered and ready for action. The 23 year old set to work immediately as the session began as he sought to further refine and adjust the 2015 Yamaha YZR-M1 with the season opener in Qatar only a month away. The end result was a best time of 2’01.241, less than a tenth of a second back from fifth which he set on his 22nd lap before going on to complete 51 in total including several laps in the wet. His performance today leaves him fully confident of making further improvements tomorrow.



Pol Espargaro
3rd / 2'00.876 / 45 laps
“I am really happy with the progress that we have made today and to finish in third is a great start to this test. We are continuing to work in the right direction and as soon as we started this morning, I knew that we could be quick. At midday it was already 54 degrees on the ground which was clearly warmer than the first test where it reached a max of 50 and so we weren’t able to ride as many laps. However, the general feeling for today was that it was productive and we focused on trying different electronic settings. The information that we collected will be very useful and furthermore, it was very good to run some laps in the rain as well. This meant that we could work on the wet setup and I am really pleased with this especially, as there is a definite improvement. The 2015 Yamaha feels great and I know that if I can ride a bit smoother and adjust my riding style slightly, we can be strong. There are a few more things which we have to study in order to improve, but we cannot rush everything and we must take it all step by step.”
Pol Espargaro


Bradley Smith
8th / 2'01.241 / 51 laps
“It’s great to be back here at Sepang again after not such a long wait so that we can carry on getting prepared for Qatar. The track conditions were different today compared to the last time when we were riding here and the circuit was a bit unpredictable with the grip levels. In some corners there was a lot less than in others but I’m happy because I didn’t really lose a lot of time compared to the other riders in these conditions. I’m closer to the front than the last test and I am also pleased because my ankle is much better than it was, although it is still not perfect. We were able to ride in the rain as well which is positive. I didn’t risk too much but I already feel much more comfortable when compared to last year in the wet and the lap time was much quicker. I think we still need to work but we are starting to see what we need to do to carry a good lap time and also to get grip in the wet with the Yamaha.”


Bradl and Baz still on track at Sepang
The first day at Sepang is over for the Forward Racing team and its riders involved in the second official test of the season.

Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz completed respectively 42 and 37 laps each, before torrential downpour interrupted the session in the early afternoon.

The German recorded a best lap of 2.02.410 and ended in 18th position in the time sheet, with Baz claiming 24th position with a personal best of 2.03.316.

The development work in view of the upcoming Qatar GP will continue tomorrow at the Malaysian circuit.



Stefan Bradl
18th / 2.02.410 / 42 laps
“I can’t say that I am really satisfied with the work done today. The track conditions were very different from last test and I struggled particularly at the start of the day. In the afternoon the feeling was better, I was able to push even on worn tires, but then it started to rain and I could not improve my lap time. I am optimistic for tomorrow, I would like to make the most of the day and improve my performance.”
Stefan Bradl


Loris Baz
24th / 2.03.316 / 37 laps
“It was a complicated day. I went on track hoping I would find the same conditions as the first test, but the reality was different and I was not able to push as I wanted. I tried some new solutions and I’m fine with them. In the afternoon, the rain started to fall heavily and I was able to complete few laps on the wet track in order to get to know better this bike in these conditions. It was another day of work, we continue to move forward step by step in view of the Qatar GP. I am confident that I will improve tomorrow.”

Test Results - Day One
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2:00.414
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 2:00.543
3. Pol Espargaro (SPA), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.876
4. Aleix Espargaro (SPA), Team Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.055
5. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2:01.162
6. Marc Marquez (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 2:01.190
7. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), CWM LCR Honda, 2:01.222
8. Bradley Smith (GBR), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:01.241
9. Maverick Viñales (SPA), Team Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.317
10. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati Team, 2:01.355

18. Stefan Bradl (GER), Forward Racing Team, 2:02.410
24. Loris Baz (FRA), Forward Racing Team, 2:03.316


Source yamaha-racing.com.
Alex
With the track still cool in the morning, teammate Rossi took his time to further test set-ups with the aim to prolong tyre life. When the track started to warm up he put his YZR-M1 to the test and posted the sixth fastest time of 2’00.676s, +0.713s behind his teammate, despite suffering some chattering issues.

While the track was baking in the blistering afternoon temperatures at 2pm, the riders took some time to regain their strength and consume enough fluids, before heading back out into the bright sunshine at the Sepang International Circuit.

When Lorenzo and Rossi retuned to the track they used the last two hours of the session to test various aspects of the bike with their fastest lap time and position in the standings remaining unchanged.


Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 1'59.963 / 56 laps
“1’59 is a good lap time. The other riders couldn’t do it because the track seems to be a bit more slippery and bumpy and that makes it more difficult to achieve good lap times. Our bike improved a lot over this last year and I feel ready both physically and mentally. All together, we’re in a good shape. In the first four hours in the morning I was quite comfortably riding 2’00’s. In the afternoon it seemed that the track condition was a bit worse and I couldn’t ride as many fast laps. The goal for tomorrow is to repeat the pace that I had today and maybe do even better.”


Valentino Rossi
6th / 2'00.676 / 63 laps
“Today was more difficult for us. In the morning we had chattering of the bike in the corner, because we tried something different. The braking was not so bad, but the bike was very difficult to ride. There were hard vibrations with a high frequency. The morning was the right moment to ride good lap times. The conditions were right to push, but I couldn’t ride at 100 per cent. In the afternoon we modified the bike and we fixed the problem with front vibrations. My pace was not so bad but it was also nothing special. I’m not very happy with what we tried today. We have to continue tomorrow, try something else and continue in a good way.”


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Today was a good day but a strange day. We don't know the reason but between yesterday and today the bikes behaved differently. Jorge has been impressive in the morning and has been very fast and consistent. Valentino suffered from some chattering issues in the morning, we were able to resolve this for the afternoon but possibly due to the track conditions we were then not able to make a step forward in lap-time. We lost a little time working on the chatter this morning but we are confident that we will be on schedule tomorrow to continue testing. Both Jorge and Valentino still need to make a race simulation tomorrow which we will aim to do at the time this year’s race would take place in the afternoon to have as close as possible conditions.”


Espargaro and Smith battle through the heat on day two at Sepang
Monster Energy Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro concluded another successful day on track in the searing Sepang heat to post the seventh fastest time as he experimented with different chassis on day two of testing. The young Spaniard undertook another large collective of 57 laps and rode to his quickest one of 2'00.959 right at the beginning of the session on his seventh lap. Some testing time was lost in the afternoon due to the extreme heat which caused a lack of traction, however, once temperatures had cooled, the 2014 rookie of the year went back out to continue working on both chassis and setup options. Although he had a small crash in the afternoon, the 23 year old rider optimistically looks towards tomorrow as he intends to plug the gap to the leading time on his Yamaha YZR-M1.

On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team garage, Bradley Smith proceeded to battle onwards to post a top time of 2'01.098 on the 32nd lap out of 51 in Malaysia, despite still not being fully fit. Similarly to his teammate, his focus today was testing the two different chassis as well as additional general aspects of his 2015 specification Yamaha YZR-M1, with the overall feeling being positive and confidence boosting. His time left him in ninth position, yet satisfied with his progress after completing the productive work. The young British rider remains poised to continue his evaluation of the new Yamaha tomorrow and to lower his lap time further.



Pol Espargaro
7th / 2'00.959/ 57 laps
"Today was a bit more challenging than yesterday as we were testing chassis plus new parts and there is no clear result on which one I prefer yet, but we are making good progress so I am happy. I tried to improve my lap this afternoon, but I wasn't able to, as it's not the best time to attempt a hot lap due to the track conditions. Anyway, I am not focused on making super fast times for the moment because I would rather concentrate on the bike setup and my riding style, which are progressing positively. I had a small crash this afternoon which was fortunately not damaging to me at all, nor to the bike too much, so I am happy to walk away from that unscathed. Nevertheless, tomorrow is another day and we have a lot more work to undertake which we need to do in the morning due to the temperature in the afternoon, but I look forward to getting back out on track after a good rest tonight."


Bradley Smith
9th / 2'01.098 / 51 laps
"Overall, I am pleased with the progress we have made on day two in Malaysia and I am happy to be back in the groove whilst working on some areas that I can evaluate here in Sepang. I'm at about 85% fitness due to my injured right ankle which I hurt in training, however I still managed to complete 103 laps over today and yesterday. I can't move around on the bike as much as I would like to due to the injury and right hand corners are a bit tricky, but I will heal and these are only small details and issues, which can be ironed out later. I'm evaluating the two different chassis at the moment and today I rode both and completed a similar distance. My lap times were close on either chassis, which is a very good sign, so I am certainly happy about what we achieved. Yet, now we need to continue working in order to decide which one has more potential for the upcoming season. There's still some work to do, but we are moving forward."


Second day of testing at Sepang for the Forward Racing team
The second day out of three of testing in Sepang for the Forward Racing team ends with Stefan Bradl on top of the standings of the Open class.

The German completed 49 laps improving his time by less than a tenth. Bradl finished the day in 11th place and the first of the Open bikes.

It was a productive day also for Loris Baz who has significantly improved his time. The Frenchman completed 44 laps with a personal best of 2.02.842, ending up twenty-first in the timesheet.



Stefan Bradl
11th / 2'01.484 / 49 laps
“Today I worked on the lap time. Yesterday we were fast but I needed to find the right consistency and to get closer to the limit. The feeling is positive, I managed to push hard and I was able to set some fast laps even with the old tyres. I'm glad we worked well on the electronics and I tried some new setting for the chassis. Tomorrow we will try to make the most of the day."

Loris Baz
21st / 2'02.842 / 44 laps
“Today we did a good job. We are moving forward step by step. The feeling is also getting better. The lap time is good. I thought I could improve slightly again in the afternoon but the track was slippery. Overall we have done a good job. Let's focus on tomorrow”.

Test Results - Day Two
1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 1:59.963
2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati Team, 2:00.015
3. Marc Marquez (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 2:00.146
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA), Repsol Honda Team, 2:00.260
5. Andrea Iannone (ITA), Ducati Team, 2:00.391
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 2:00.676
7. Pol Espargaro (SPA), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.959
8. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), CWM LCR Honda, 2:01.058
9. Bradley Smith (GBR), Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:01.098
10. Aleix Espargaro (SPA), Team Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.344

11. Stefan Bradl (GER), Forward Racing Team, 2:01.484
21. Loris Baz, Forward Racing Team, 2:02.842



Source yamaha-racing.com

Alex
The stage was not enjoyed by all Yamaha riders unfortunately. Spanish Yamaha rider Juan Pedrero didn’t start this morning and was very nearly joined by Xavier de Soultrait, who was ill all night with gastroenteritis. The Frenchman finally arrived at this evening’s bivouac in a courageous 21st place. Overall Olivier Pain maintains his 10th place, Xavier de Soultrait is 13th with Frans Verhoeven 16th.
Xavier de Soultrait

In the quad category there were some different names on top of the leader board than the usual suspects. Today it was Christophe Declerck who came out on top, leading from fellow Yamaha rider Nelson Sanabria (at 06’35). However the order of the overall stage remained unchanged. Rafal Sonik stays ahead of 18 year old Jeremias González Ferioli, by 2h50’01.

Tonight the riders will stay at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, to cover a long cross-country journey the following morning, the penultimate day.


Olivier Pain
10th / at 06'11, overall 10th / 2h55’17
“Yesterday it was extremely cold on the liaison but I dressed accordingly and didn’t suffer too much. Then in the special I didn’t attack too hard as I didn’t want to risk damaging the bike in anyway on the marathon stage. Then today, knowing I would meet up with my assistance again, I was able to attack a little harder. I’m getting to know my bike’s strengths and weaknesses much more now and ride accordingly, making up time where I can. The route was really nice to ride, up in the mountains. It had rained overnight so there was lots of grip. Not much in the way of navigation but apart from that it was pure pleasure.”


Frans Verhoeven
9th / 05'34, overall 16th / 5h07’50
“I had a big scare yesterday. Just before the start of the special the organisers directed me across a river and my bike started to sink into the mud. I had no choice but to lay it on its side, otherwise it would have disappeared completely. Then by luck my assistance crew turned up, saw what was happening and got an army truck to pull my bike out with a winch. You can imagine, just 10 minutes before the start both me and my bike were completely covered in mud. Once I got into the special, the tracks were so nice I forgot about the incident completely. Two days of riding like that makes up for all the bad days of riding in the fesh-fesh!”


Xavier de Soultrait
18th / 12'35, overall 13th / 4h10'47
“Yesterday evening, as I was approaching the marathon bivouac, I started to feel very weak and thought it must be altitude sickness. However the doctors knew better and as soon as I arrived they put me on a drip – apparently there is a mini epidemic among the Dakar participants. All night I was vomiting, listening to the rain falling and hoping they would cancel today’s stage. No such luck – so I just rode in economy mode. Overall I’m 40 minutes behind Rodrigues so I have no one to chase after but Barreda. He is currently less than 25 minutes behind me and I would really like to hold on to my 13th place overall!”



Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 11: Salta to Termas Rio Hondo
1. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 03:28:08
2. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 03:28:16
3. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 03:28:50
4. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 03:29:13
5. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 03:30:46
6. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 03:31:58
7. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 03:32:01
8. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 03:32:25
9. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 03:33:42
10. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 03:34:19
11. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 03:34:50
12. Fabien Planet, FRA (Sherco TVS) 03:34:52
13. Javier Pizzolito, ARG (Honda) 03:34:53
14. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 03:37:33
15. Patricio Cabrera, CHL (Kawasaki) 03:37:42

18. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 03:40:43
30. Txomin Arana Cobeaga, ESP (Yamaha) 03:56:19


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 41:43:03
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 42:04:15
3. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 42:14:46
4. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 42:16:18
5. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 42:31:10
6. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 43:23:46
7. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 43:29:54
8. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 43:56:23
9. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 44:07:49
10. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 44:38:20
11. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 45:07:51
12. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 45:08:42
13. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 45:53:50
14. Paolo Ceci, ITA (KTM) 46:25:30
15. Txomin Arana Cobeaga, ESP (Yamaha) 46:47:28

16. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 46:50:53



Source yamaha-racing.com

Alex
For the second marathon stage of the 2015 Dakar, the remaining competitors had to make another high-altitude crossing of the Andes before tackling a 371 kilometre special. The route was mostly over hard-packed ground and directly followed by 135 kilometres of liaison to take them to their bivouac.

Olivier Pain finished today’s special 15’37 behind the leader, with Frans Verhoeven not far behind in 19th (at 17’10). Olivier preserves his 10th place overall, while fellow Yamaha mounted Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait finished 22nd and holds on to his 13th place overall. Spanish Yamaha rider Juan Pedrero’s run of bad luck continued. The latest news is that he had a stand still on the special, but still managed to finish in 71st place.
Frans Verhoeven

In the quad category it was Nelson Sanabria who excelled in the treacherous conditions. The Paraguayan rider came in first, completing the stage in just under five hours, with 18 year old Jeremias González Ferioli on his heels (at 03’40). As Ignacio Casale withdrew at CP1, the Argentinian youngster moved up the overall standings, directly behind provisional leader and fellow Yamaha Raptor 700 rider Rafal Sonik (at 2h51’39).

Having arrived at the bivouac, the riders are now once again deprived of their assistance crews. Tonight they will have to carry out their own repairs before tackling the second leg of this marathon stage. Tomorrow the riders will head to Termas Rio Hondo and cover a total of 523 kilometres, including two specials, the first one measuring 157 kilometres and the second adding another 142 kilometres.

Extreme weather conditions have hit the Dakar’s headquarters in Salta this evening and blacked out TV broadcasts in the process. The heavy storm has made it impossible to talk directly to the riders.



Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 10: Calama to Salta
1. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 04:07:11
2. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 04:08:50
3. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 04:09:08
4. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 04:09:25
5. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 04:10:57
6. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 04:13:33
7. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 04:13:37
8. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 04:13:40
9. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 04:16:10
10. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 04:17:30
11. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 04:18:38
12. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 04:19:13
13. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 04:20:55
14. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 04:20:56
15. Txomin Arana Cobeaga, ESP (Yamaha) 04:22:42

16. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 04:22:48
19. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha)04:24:21
22. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 04:29:20
71. Juan Pedrero, ESP (Yamaha) 06:00:50


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 38:13:50
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 38:21:25
3. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 38:45:32
4. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 38:45:56
5. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 38:59:09
6. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 39:55:04
7. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 39:55:30
8. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 40:18:50
9. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 40:39:41
10. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 41:04:01
11. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 41:35:26
12. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 41:36:44
13. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 42:13:07
14. Paolo Ceci, ITA (KTM) 42:46:40
15. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 42:51:02

16. Txomin Arana Cobeaga, ESP (Yamaha) 42:51:09
18. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 43:17:11
19. Juan Pedrero, ESP (Yamaha) 43:52:51


Source yamaha-racing.com
Alex
The day started slowly as the start of the race was delayed to 8:00 am local time. Yesterday’s heavy rain in Uyuni had made it nearly impossible to cross the salt pans that cover the first 100km of the eighth stage and an alternative route had to be sorted.

The change in plans did not affect Pedrero’s focus. With a chance of victory in his sights the Spaniard fought off Stefan Svitko and snatched the lead, until Pablo Quintanilla dove under his time by just eleven seconds. Today’s results see Pedrero jump to 11th place in the overall rankings, after having received an 15-minute penalty yesterday that saw him drop from 6th to 23rd in the race results and from 19th to 20th in the overall standings.

HFP Yamaha Racing Off-Road rider Xavier de Soultrait also delivered a fine performance and finished 6th on the stage, shooting up to 14th overall.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Rally Team Yamalube riders had a more difficult time. Olivier Pain rode a strong race and finished in 12th place and this evening jumps from 21st to 13th overall, but his teammates weren’t as lucky.

Michael Metge’s bad luck continued. After yesterday’s fall, today he encountered mechanical problems right in the middle of the salt lake and was unable to continue the race. Teammate Alessandro Botturi was also forced to withdraw from the race at the fuel point after 310 km.

In the quad category Jeremias González Ferioli was the star of the day. The 18 year-old won today’s stage (3h43’35) and currently holds 4th position in the general standings. The leader in the standings, Ignacio Casale, finished today’s stage in second place (7’54) in front of Lafuente (11’04). Rafal Sonik experienced some difficulty and lost the provisional lead (at 6’49) in the overall standings to Casale (36h04’14).

Tomorrow the riders will wave goodbye to Iquique and cross the Atacama Desert on their way to Calama. A road full of bumps and potholes lies ahead, which will be demanding for both the riders and their vehicles.



Juan Pedrero
2nd / 00’11, overall 11th / 2h06’19
“Aahh! I was so close to winning the special. Just 11 seconds! At the end of the dried lake I stopped to clean the radiator, which was completely blocked up with salt. Then, when I got to the CP a few kilometres after, I knew it was time well spent. There were broken bikes everywhere. At the end of the first special I was just one second behind the leader, but coming down the steep descent at the end of the second special Quintanilla came past me. I tried to stay with him but my bike started to shake and I had to close the throttle. Still, an excellent day for me.”


Olivier Pain
12th / 8’15, overall 13th / 2h15’38
“Last night I started working on the bike straight away and managed to get about six hours sleep, though working on a muddy bike in the freezing rain at 4000m was no fun at all! Then this morning nobody was very enthusiastic to start the special, it was still raining, it was still freezing cold and there was water lying everywhere. They told us at the start that the first special had been shortened, which motivated ‘the troops’ a little and off we went in the first wave of 30 riders, flat out 130km across the salt lake with about 5cm of standing water! One of the Yamaha WR450F Rally’s strengths is its engine, so I wasn’t surprised to find myself right up at the front of the pack. In a couple of places however the water was so deep my bike started to aquaplane and I was forced to drop back a little and follow the tracks of the other riders, where the water was less deep. Then after the long neutralisation we had 40kms of special to take us directly into the bivouac. The cars had been through the day before so it was very rutted. This evening I feel pretty good, both physically and mentally, which is just as well as we have a tough couple of days ahead of us.”


Alexandre Kowalski - Team Director
“The first marathon stage turned out to be exceptionally difficult, even by Dakar standards and unfortunately for us resulted in the retirement of both Alessandro Botturi, who was unable to start his bike after the refuelling, and Michael Metge who broke down in the middle of the salt lake. Until we get to see the two bikes we can only speculate on what happened, but looking at the machines that have made it into the bivouac and talking to the other riders it is possible that a combination of salt and mud blocked up their radiators causing their engines to overheat with catastrophic results. Olivier (Pain) however is still in the race and knocking on the door of the top 10 and the whole team is behind him now to achieve the best possible result. Congratulations too to Juan Pedrero and Xavier de Soultrait for their excellent performances.”



Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 08: Uyuni to Iquique
1. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 02:56:19
2. Juan Pedrero, ESP (Yamaha) 02:56:30
3. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 02:56:31
4. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 02:57:00
5. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 02:58:55
6. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 03:02:55
7. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 03:03:01
8. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 03:03:53
9. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 03:03:56
10. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 03:04:03
11. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 03:04:20
12. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 03:04:34
13. Javier Pizzolito, ARG (Honda) 03:04:44
14. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 03:06:41
15.Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 03:08:36

Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) withdrawn
Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) withdrawn


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 28:51:12
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 29:00:23
3. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 29:02:23
4. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 29:07:08
5. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 29:17:42
6. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 29:25:46
7. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 29:49:20
8. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 30:02:00
9. Laia Sanz Pla-Giribert, ESP (Honda) 30:10:03
10. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 30:38:59
11. Juan Pedrero, ESP (Yamaha) 30:57:31
12. Hans Vogels, NLD (KTM) 30:57:58
13. Olivier Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 31:06:50
14. Xavier De Soultrait, FRA (Yamaha) 31:23:09
15. Fabien Planet, FRA (Sherco TVS) 31:36:42

18. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 31:52:47


Source yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Yamaha Factory Racing Rally Team Yamalube’s Alessandro Botturi was the next rider to complete the route from Copiapo to Antofagasta. He arrived at the bivouac and found himself in 18th place just ahead of Michael Metge in 20th. Olivier Pain crossed the line shortly after in 24th position.
Alessandro Botturi

In the quad category Rafal Sonik was again the fastest man of the day. The Polish rider set a fastest time of 05h47’46. Completing the top three were fellow Yamaha riders Ignacio Casale (10’51) and Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli (21’41). After today’s results, the provisional overall standings show Sonik (21h52’41), Casale (24’23) and Yamaha’s Sergio Lafuente (26’20) as the leading trio.

Tomorrow’s stage will take the riders up the Pacific coast, through the dunes, to the centre of Iquique, where a podium will mark the mid-way point in the race.


Juan Pedrero
12th / 14’25, 13th / 01h04’14
“I didn’t get my time back for stopping for a crashed rider yesterday so I started in 31st place. Apparently the time will be deducted from the overall classification this evening. Starting so far back, with slower riders meant I was riding in a lot of dust and I was impatient to get past them and into clean air. At around kilometre 16 I jumped into a ‘rio’ and hit a big rock with my bash plate, which broke it and made a hole in the petrol tank. I stopped for about four minutes to try and stop it leaking too much and then carried on to the refuelling CP. As I arrived I ran out of petrol! I was shaking the bike to get the last drops out of the tank. Then after the refuelling I started to run out of petrol again when I saw some spectators. I rode up to them and told them I was a friend of Chaleco Lopez (a famous Chilean rider who retired this year) and they gave me some fuel. Then in the canyon at the end I really attacked hard and pulled back some time. I was unlucky to put a hole in my petrol tank at the start of the special but very lucky to get to the end!”


Alessandro Botturi
18th / 23’31, overall 16th / 01h11’35
“The track was fast, then you had some fesh-fesh, then fast again, with nothing difficult in terms of navigation. The Yamaha WR450F Rally’s engine is powerful but it’s physically demanding to ride. This evening my arms are really tired from holding on to the bike.”


Michael Metge
20th / 29:04, overall 19th / 01h16’42
“I already had the feeling from what the organisers were saying that today’s special wasn’t going to be much fun and so I can’t say I’m disappointed. It was exactly as advertised; fast and bumpy with lots of traps to catch you out. Towards the end, before the canyon, there was a section of fesh-fesh with big white rocks sticking out of it. I saw a rider in front of me hit one and go straight up in the air. Physically I’m ok. The knee that I injured on the Sardegna Rally Race six months ago isn’t giving me any problems, but this evening I’m pretty tired.”


Olivier Pain
24th / 35’14, overall 20th / 01h35’52
“Not a very interesting special, apart from a run through a canyon at the end, but by then my arms were too tired to enjoy it. The rest of the stage was simply designed to wear out man and machine and in that at least they succeeded.”
Olivier Pain


Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 05: Copiapo to Antofagasta
1. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 04:38:16
2. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 04:40:32
3. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 04:40:56
4. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 04:42:10
5. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 04:42:53
6. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 04:44:51
7. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 04:45:26
8. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 04:45:40
9. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 04:48:13
10. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 04:48:21
11. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 04:52:04
12. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 04:52:41
13. Javier Pizzolito, ARG (KTM) 04:55:05
14. Ivan Jakes, SVK (KTM) 04:55:11
15. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 04:55:40

18. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 05:01:47
20. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 05:07:20
24. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 05:13:30


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 17:51:05
2. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 18:01:38
3. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 18:13:55
4. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 18:22:11
5. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 18:27:28
6. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 18:29:18
7. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 18:29:41
8. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 18:30:59
9. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 18:33:10
10. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 18:34:29
11. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 18:35:17
12. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 18:50:15
13. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 18:55:19
14. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 18:55:32
15. Riaan Van Niekerk, ZAF (KTM) 19:02:09

16. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 19:02:40
19. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 19:07:47
20. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 19:26:57


Source www.yamaha-racing.com

Alex
Best placed Yamaha was once again Juan Pedrero’s machine, finishing in 10th place. The day’s results put Pedrero in 10th overall, Metge in 17th, Boturri in 18th and Pain in 19th place.

Yamaha Netherlands Verhoeven Team’s Robert van Pelt didn’t start this morning after being helicoptered out of yesterday’s special after a crash, however his teammate Frans Verhoeven is still in the game and finished 32nd.

The riders are now taking a well-earned rest to ready themselves for tomorrow’s stage. Marked by its long liaison of 594 km and large difference in altitude, the route will take riders to an altitude of 4,800m. The thin, cold air will make for demanding riding conditions in the Atacama Desert and the dunes and basins of Copiapo.



Michael Metge
16th / 07’51 , 17th overall / 35’22
“The piste at the start of the special had just been remade and that was great fun to ride. Then after that we went into a ‘rio’ (dry river) which was more complicated. We made some changes to the chassis set up last night. That improved the bike a little and we need to keep working in that direction.”

Alessandro Botturi
14th / 06’16, 18th overall / 35’28
“It went a little bit better today, both for myself physically and technically with the bike. I must admit I didn’t feel great this morning when I got up after yesterday’s crash but ‘fortunately’ we had a long liaison before the start of the special to fully wake up. The special itself was OK but dust was a big problem. ‘Thank you’ both to Mika (Metge) and Laia (Sanz) who both moved over straight away when they saw that I was behind them.”
Alessandro Botturi

Olivier Pain
21st / 11’35, 19th overall / 37’54
“Over the fast terrain at the beginning of the rally, I was able to find a good rhythm on the bike. Then after the CP we got into more rocky terrain, in a rio and some off-piste, and it was harder work. The team is working hard to improve the bike in these kind of conditions and there was definitely some improvement today. Tomorrow we have a very long liaison of 594 kilometres to get across the Andes into Chile. We’re going to climb up to almost 5000 metres, so it will be very cold and the air will be very thin. Once we’ve negotiated that we have a quite tough 315 km special to take us all the way to Copiapo. I’m hoping that there will be more navigation than we’ve had up until now and that it will allow me to pull back some time.”

Juan Pedrero
10th / 05’21, 10th overall /23'02
“I was hoping to attack today but unfortunately the high altitude at the start of the special had a very negative effect on my top speed – I could only manage 145 kph. At the CP I was down in 20th place! Then after the CP, in the technical terrain, I was able to ride harder and pulled back 10 places to finish 10th which is also my overall position this evening.”
Juan Pedrero

Frans Verhoeven
32nd / 22’58, 29th overall / 1:18'13
“Yesterday Robert (van Pelt) crashed in the special, the bike got so hot that the fuel started boiling. He ran out of water and eventually became so exhausted that he had to be evacuated by helicopter. It is the classic Dakar downward spiral… As for myself, I’m OK but obviously very disappointed to see my teammate being forced out of the race so early.”


Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 03: San Juan to Chilecito
1. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 02:34:28
2. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 02:35:08
3. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 02:36:21
4. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 02:37:13
5. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 02:37:17
6. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 02:37:39
7. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 02:37:54
8. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 02:38:30
9. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 02:39:04
10. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 02:39:49
11. Sam Sunderland, GBR (KTM) 02:39:51
12. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 02:40:07
13. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 02:40:43
14. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 02:40:44
15. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 02:41:29

16. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 02:42:19
21. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 02:46:03
32. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 02:57:26


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 09:43:05
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 09:48:38
3. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 09:53:38
4. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 09:53:55
5. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 09:55:15
6. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 09:55:29
7. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 09:57:12
8. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 10:01:38
9. Helder Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 10:01:39
10. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 10:06:07
11. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 10:06:45
12. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 10:09:41
13. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 10:10:58
14. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 10:15:21
15. Riaan Van Niekerk, ZAF (KTM) 10:17:16

17. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 10:18:27
18. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 10:18:33
19. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 10:20:59
29. Frans Verhoeven, NLD (Yamaha) 11:01:18



Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Michael Metge was the fastest of the Factory Yamaha’s today, securing 17th place. Alessandro Botturi took 18th and Olivier Pain arrived not long after in 19th. Today’s leading Yamaha was Spanish rider Juan Pedrero Garcia. The Spanish rider battled the heat to finish an impressive 10th.

Despite the heat, it was a good day for the Yamahas in the quad category. Rafał Sonik won the special stage with his Yamaha Raptor 700 as he created an over three-minute lead from Ignacio Casale (3’33), who was closely followed by Sergio Lafuente (4’14). The three Yamaha riders top the general ranking, with fellow Yamaha rider, Sebastian Halpern, less than five minutes behind in fourth place.

Tomorrow’s shorter stage will take the riders to one of the most scenic regions of Argentina: the canyons. However, the riders won’t have much time to enjoy it as this quads and bikes route will also include some gruelling sections.


Oliver Pain
19th / 26’19 / 17th overall
“The organisers promised us a hard day today and they kept their promise! I struggled to find my rhythm early on in the mountains and then managed to pick up the pace a little around the half way point. Towards the end we had 40 kilometres of ‘Le Touquet’, except instead of it being freezing cold it was like riding in an oven! Both mentally and physically it was very tough. It was so hot that I opened by jacket to let some air in, something I hardly ever do. I can’t say I’m really delighted with my result but I’m not surprised either. Although the terrain was varied, there was very little navigation, it was more like a Baja. Good for some of the newcomers but not so good for someone like myself who can make the difference with the road book.”

Michael Metge
17th / 25’25 / 18th overall
“I was looking forward to today’s special and started very motivated. Straight away I found a good pace and overtook several other riders, at one point getting up to seventh place. Then we got into the fesh-fesh and things got a little more complicated. No doubt about it, it was a very hard special and the high temperatures didn’t make it any easier. Tonight we will need to make sure we recuperate as much as possible and be ready for tomorrow. According to the organisers it’s not going to be as hard tomorrow but if the temperatures stay this high everybody is going to suffer.”

Alessandro Botturi
18th / 26’11 / 19th overall
“A really tough stage today. I was doing OK and then about 40 kilometres from the end I crashed. For maybe five minutes I was pretty disorientated and then I got myself back on the bike and rode very gently to the finish. Fortunately the liaison at the end wasn’t too long as I wasn’t feeling on top form!”
Alessandro Botturi

Alexandre Kowalski - Team Director
“Not an easy day today for our riders with the high temperatures pushing all the competitors to the limit. Over some parts of the special the bike went well but on others, notably in the fesh-fesh, it was harder to exploit it to the fullest and we need to look at the chassis set up this evening to improve the bike’s balance. The important thing is to remember that we are only on the second day of this long rally with a brand new bike and we will continue to work as hard as we have up until now to give the riders the best possible package.”

Juan Pedrero
10th / 16'45 / 10th overall
“The result is good but it could have been a bit better. From CP3, where they neutralised the special, it was so hot that I had to slow down or risk damaging the bike. It’s not a big deal – maybe I lost five minutes… Apart from that everything is good. The bike is performing well and I’m feeling fit. Tomorrow I should be able to attack hard.”


Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 02: Villa Carlos Paz to San Juan
1. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 5:46:06
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 5:52:19
3. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 5:55:22
4. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 5:55:26
5. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 5:55:48
6. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 5:57:31
7. Pablo Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 5:57:41
8. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 5:58:38
9. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 6:01:55
10. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 6:02:51
11. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 6:04:06
12. Riaan Van Niekerk, ZAF (KTM) 6:07:50
13. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 6:08:01
14. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 6:08:56
15. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 6:09:26

17. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 6:11:31
18. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 6:12:17
19. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 6:12:25


Dakar Rally 2015: Overall Ranking
1. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 7:06:44
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 7:11:21
3. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 7:17:21
4. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 7:18:08
5. Toby Price, AUS (KTM) 7:18:16
6. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 7:18:47
7. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 7:19:10
8. Pablo Rodrigues, PRT (Honda 7:20:10
9. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 7:23:08
10. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 7:26:18
11. Stefan Svitko, SVK (KTM) 7:28:58
12. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 7:29:06
13. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 7:30:51
14. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 7:30:59
15. Riaan Van Niekerk, ZAF (KTM) 7:32:41

17. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 7:34:56
18. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 7:36:08
19. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 7:37:49


Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Not taking any unnecessary risks, the Yamaha riders made a cautious start. Olivier Pain was the first rider of the team to ride his WR450F Rally into the bivouac (13th at 03’34), followed by Michael Metge (19th at 05’40) and Alessandro Botturi (25th at 06’35), who were forced to slow their pace due to visibility issues.
Michael Metge

Quad rider Ignacio Casale had a different strategy as he took on the first stage. After securing his first Dakar crown one year ago, the Chilean gave his all to show that he still has what it takes. He was the first quad to start the first stage and rode his Yamaha Raptor 700 to a solid one-minute lead. Last year's runner-up, Rafał Sonik, completed the all Yamaha provisional podium together with Sergio Lafuente.

The riders now look forward to tomorrow’s stage, which will include the longest special of this year’s Dakar rally.


Olivier Pain
13th / 03’34
“I didn’t take any risks today. The track had some deep and very hard ruts in it and a lot of them were hidden in the grass or under the shade of the trees where you couldn’t see them. In conditions like that the best thing is to take it easy and make sure you get to the end. Apart from that there was no drama. The bike went well and I was particularly happy with the top speed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. The longest special of the rally and I reckon I’m well placed this evening to make the best of it.”

Michael Metge
19th / 05’40
“After only about 14 kilometres I caught up with the rider who started in front of me and got stuck in his dust. Obviously in such poor visibility you have to choose your moment to overtake and in the end I had to wait over 60 kilometres before I could get past. It’s frustrating, as you know you’re losing time, but that’s part of the rally. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a clearer run.”
Michael Metge

Alessandro Botturi
25th / 06’35
“I had the same problem as Michael, getting stuck in other peoples’ dust. Unfortunately it meant I didn’t see a sharp right hand corner until it was too late. I didn’t go far off track, but far enough to get some loose fence wire stuck in my front wheel, which took me a while to untangle.”


Dakar Rally 2015 Stage 01: Buenos Aires to Villa Carlos Paz
1. Sam Sunderland, GBR (KTM) 1:18:57
2. Paulo Gonçalves, PRT (Honda) 1:19:02
3. Marc Coma, ESP (KTM) 1:20:09
4. Joan Barreda Bort, ESP (Honda) 1:20:38
5. Alain Duclos, FRA (Sherco TVS) 1:21:05
6. Jeremias Israel Esquerre, CHL (Honda) 1:21:13
7. David Casteu, FRA (KTM) 1:21:33
8. Matthias Walkner, AUT (KTM) 1:21:39
9. Pablo Quintanilla, CHL (KTM) 1:21:55
10. Ruben Faria, PRT (KTM) 1:21:59
11. Toby Prince, AUS (KTM) 1:22:28
12. Pablo Rodrigues, PRT (Honda) 1:22:29
13. Oliver Pain, FRA (Yamaha) 1:22:31
14. Jordi Viladoms, ESP (KTM) 1:22:42
15. Juan Pedrero Garcia, ESP (Yamaha) 1:23:27

19. Michael Metge, FRA (Yamaha) 1:24:37
25. Alessandro Botturi, ITA (Yamaha) 1:25:32

Alex
Olivier Pain
“For sure, with us moving into the assistance parc with all the other teams and going through scrutineering, the tension goes up a little. The start is only a few hours away now and you can feel the anticipation. The nice thing about the Dakar though is that it really is like a big family. We spend a lot of time together and share something very intense and that creates strong friendships. Plus of course this isn’t circuit racing, it isn’t a contact sport, essentially we are racing against the clock not each other. Obviously there is some rivalry but, for me at least, my biggest challenger is myself and the mental battle I have to stay focused and not make any mistakes. Then comes the desert, which must be treated with respect, and which is always a serious adversary.”

Michael Metge
“For me going through scrutineering always reminds me of the first day back at school. You see friends that you haven’t seen for a while, everybody is looking at the new clothes you’re wearing and you’re looking at theirs. Everybody is excited and a little bit nervous at the same time. The temptation is to chat to everybody you meet but when you are in a factory team you must never forget you are here to do a job, so you need to hold back a little and not get too distracted.”

Alessandro Botturi
“Personally I feel very relaxed. It is a pleasure to be in this environment, see my friends from the other teams and swap stories. I’ve always liked this atmosphere and feel totally at home in it. I do admit however that I’m impatient to get going now. We’ve been here since the 29th and I’m keen to get out in the desert and ride my bike.”
Alex
Olivier Pain
“As always it’s a pleasure to be back in South America. This will be my seventh time here for the Dakar but I’m still surprised by the warmth of the people and the welcome they give to the competitors. At the moment we are in a hotel about 70 kilometres from the centre of Buenos Aires, the perfect place to relax, acclimatise and recover from the flight. But even here, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the other hotel guests come up to us to wish us luck and politely ask for an autograph. We’ll stay here for a night. The whole team celebrated the New Year together and then it was be quickly off to bed. We’ll save the big celebrations for when we arrive back in the Argentinian capital on the 17th of January!”
Olivier Pain


Michael Metge
“We’ve been here a few days now and our preparations are going well. As the days pass the pressure mounts a little but I am confident in the capabilities of the new WR450 F Rally and in my own physical fitness and looking forward to the start of the race. Here’s hoping the New Year starts well for me and the team and we’ll have a fruitful 2015.”


Alessandro Botturi
“At the moment everything is very relaxed. The hotel we were staying at was perfect to get used to the change in temperature and do a little sport. This is my first time with all the team together and straight away I feel very comfortable. To me it seems like a big family, mechanics or riders, everybody is treated the same and I have been made very welcome. A very Happy New Year to you all.”
Alessandro Botturi


Alexandre Kowalski - Team Director
“The whole team has had the chance to rest and recuperate, while finishing off our final preparations, and now we are looking forward to going through scrutineering today. The riders and team members have all worked hard to get ready for this race and are proud to represent the Yamaha brand on such a prestigious global event.”
Alex
Week 1

"Still, if we look at the route a bit more closely we can make some educated guesses about what to expect. The first day is a long stage but a short special, 663 and 175 kilometres respectively. It has been billed as a giant prologue without major difficulty and that seems entirely logical. Clearly the challenge is to not get carried away and do anything stupid right at the start of the race, while making sure to be up with the front runners and not stuck in the dust of the mid-pack riders, to be well positioned for the stages prior to crossing over the Andes into Chile."

"From the second stage on you could say that the Dakar ‘proper’ gets under way with two tough stages to Chilecito. In the past this region has caused plenty of problems for competitors of all abilities. In the previous edition we had temperatures up in the high 40s and clearly this can be very tough on both man and machine. You don’t want to push either into the ‘red’ but again you can’t afford to fall back too far. A few years ago we had big storms and they can bring their own problems. Whatever the conditions, these two stages need to be approached with great care, so as to be sure to get to the crossing into Chile in the best possible shape."

"From Chilecito we’ll have a long liaison over the Andes towards Copiapo. It’s likely to be very cold, subzero is not impossible and we’ll reach altitudes of around 4800 metres. All this will be done in liaison, but as we are racing soon after we get over the other side, and still have another two big stages before the rest day, you want to keep the impact of the Andean passage to an absolute minimum!"

"The Atacama Desert stages are always a highlight of the rally and something I will be looking forward to. We are in wide open spaces where good navigation is essential and it’s a challenge I personally relish. I’m not one to follow the rest of the pack blindly and will be making sure I read my road book very carefully to put in a series of good results. The race is often won or lost during this kind of going and for me it is the very essence of rally-raid."
Olivier Pain

"Then on arriving in Iquique we get our well earned rest day. This is a bit of a euphemism because between various team briefings and press interviews there always seems little time to actually rest! Still, I should at least get the time to have a good sort through my bags and squeeze in a quick afternoon siesta!"



Week 2

"Straight after the rest day we head into Bolivia for a couple of days. Unless the organisers have found some special ‘bike only’ tracks, for us I think the route will be similar to last year’s and relatively straightforward. There are however three elements that could complicate matters. The first is that it is a marathon stage, meaning that we have no outside mechanical assistance for the night we are there. These marathon stages are always a special moment on the Dakar. The bike competitors are all alone, in pretty basic conditions and that creates a very different, more intimate atmosphere. Obviously not having any assistance adds another dimension. If you don’t have any problems with your bike then you just check it over, change the air filter and get on with marking up the next day’s road book. But if you’ve had a crash or some other mechanical issue then you know you are in for a late night and lots of improvisation to make repairs as best you can ready to start the next day. The other challenge is that the bivouac is at 3500 metres and you will feel the difference. You will be short of breath and might not sleep so well, all of which puts additional strain on an already tired body!"

"Heading back to Iquique there is talk of us crossing the biggest dried salt lake in the world. I think that it is something ridiculous like 100 kilometres wide. We were supposed to cross it last year but apparently it wasn’t dry enough. Whether we do it this year remains to be seen. For sure the organisers can’t take the risk of the whole race sinking under the lake’s salty crust."

"The next day we say farewell to the Atacama Desert, which can always come up with some surprises, before heading back over the Andes - direction Salta - and our second marathon stage of the rally. Clearly this is going to be one of the toughest two days of the rally. The high altitude always takes it out of you and, to make matters worse, we start the special at 3600 metres, which means not much air for either the bike or the rider. Then when we get down to Salta we’ll have to manage on our own again with no mechanical assistance. That means riding to preserve the bike and pilot and making sure your tyres aren’t too destroyed for the following day. Fortunately we have a single cell fuel tank this year which should make the bike much easier to service."
Olivier Pain

"After that, in theory at least, it should be a relatively straightforward run back down to Buenos Aires, over relatively flowing WRC tyre ‘pistes’. I say ‘in theory’ because you never know really know what the organisers, the terrain, the climate or Lady Luck will throw at you. We will know a bit more when we get to Buenos Aires and the organisers give us a more detailed breakdown of the stages. I’ll have another good look at the stage profiles but I’ll still be on my guard. It’s tempting to get too far ahead of yourself and run ‘your’ Dakar film through your head before you’ve even started. Experience has taught me that it is better to take it one day at a time and expected the unexpected. Pretty much the only thing you can be certain of for 2015 is that, just like every year, the Dakar will be the toughest motorsport challenge on the planet and a great way to start the New Year!"

You can follow Yamaha's progress in the Dakar HERE .
Alex
“One of the most striking features of the new bike is the WR’s unique single-cell fuel tank incorporating the rear sub frame”, Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamlube Team Manager Jose Leloir commented. “The major consideration when building a Dakar bike is where to place the necessary 35 litres of fuel. For 2014 we had five separate fuel tanks all requiring pumps and all linked by fuel pipes. By using a single carbon fibre fuel cell we have simplified the system massively and in the processes made huge gains in both weight saving and reliability. In total we’ve reduced the bike’s weight by a considerable ten kilos and in the process made servicing the bike each evening a whole lot easier.” In addition to having less weight to haul around, the team’s riders have also gained increased peace of mind. No longer to they have to juggle with five different fuel taps and, as an added bonus, they can now actually have a fuel gauge that lets them know exactly how much petrol they have left to get to the end each day’s stage.
WR450F Rally

“Obviously the single-cell solution wasn’t just a question of making it fit and plumbing it in, it also had major implications in terms of the bike’s setup”, Jose Leoir added, “Once we decided on how we wanted to carry the fuel the bike went through several stages of development to ensure that the WR handled how the riders wanted it to with the new weight distribution.” In the end the team settled on a modified standard Kayaba front fork, specific front end geometry, a modified rear suspension linkage, a full factory Kayaba rear shock absorber and a longer swinging arm. Jose Leloir, “We tested a large number of different configurations before the riders were entirely happy with how the bike handled and now they delighted to have a bike that is both stable over the fast going and manoeuvrable over the increasingly technical terrain the Dakar organisers are choosing to run the ‘bike only’ specials over.

WR450F Rally
The icing on the cake and what all motorcycle racers want, whatever the discipline, is more speed – a 10% gain over last year’s machine. Once again the single-cell fuel tank plays a role. Jose Leloir concluded, “Some of the bike’s increased performance comes from a new fuel injection system incorporating traction control that will reduce rider fatigue, improve fuel consumption and tyre wear. A substantial part of our top speed gain comes from improved aerodynamics. Put simply, with the single fuel cell, the bike is much slimmer and so cuts through the air with considerably less drag. A big part of the Dakar’s appeal is that anything can happen out there in the desert, but we are at least confident that for 2015 we have given our riders a machine with which they can fully express their talents.”

You can follow Yamaha's progress in the Dakar on www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Rossi didn’t let the changeable conditions slow him down and set a fastest lap of 1’32.437 on lap five. As things closed up at the front, fans were thoroughly entertained with a heated battle between Rossi, Marquez and Iannone. Sparks were flying from Rossi’s bike on lap 12 as Dani Pedrosa started to get into the mix. Six laps later rain threatened again, allowing the Doctor to reel in Marquez. Rossi kept his head down, but as the track dried again he came just short and finished in a deserved second place, 3.516 seconds behind the front man.

Teammate Lorenzo had an unlucky end to the 2014 season. Starting from fourth on the grid, he soon got caught up in a fight with rival Pedrosa. The Movistar Yamaha rider looked to be the stronger of the two until drops of rain began to fall and he took a few laps to get a feel for the situation, falling back to seventh.

As the track started to dry Lorenzo regained confidence and rose to fifth, having retaken Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso by lap nine. Four laps later the Spaniard arrived at the back of Iannone’s bike and won a hard battle with him before continuing his hunt for Pedrosa in third, until rain once again disrupted the race. Lorenzo struggled to get the bike stopped in the uncertain conditions and dropped down the order. He decided to come into the pits on lap 20 to switch to his wet bike and rejoined the race in 14th place. Unfortunately the gamble didn’t pay off. He dropped back to 21st and was forced to retire with five laps remaining as the conditions remained dry.

With second place Rossi gains 20 championship points, securing second in the championship, with 295 points total. Lorenzo finished third in the championship as his points total remained 263.

Tomorrow Rossi and Lorenzo will be back aboard the M1 on the Valencia circuit for the first test sessions in preparation for next year’s season.



Valentino Rossi
2nd / +3.516 / 30 laps
“I’m happy, because I finished this very positive season for me and my team with a great race and a good result here in Valencia. For me it’s a great achievement to take the pole position and to finish in second place, especially because this race was very difficult and the conditions were very dangerous. I tried to stay concentrated and not to make a mistake. It’s a bit of a shame that I started to suffer a little bit on the right side of the tyre, because I wasn’t so far from Marc, but it still has been a good season. We got second in the championship, a lot of podiums and two victories. Now, we have to work to be even better next year. My bad luck is called Marc Marquez, because without him I can win the championship and a lot of races. He did a fantastic job and won a lot of races. It’s a great pleasure to fight with him, but we are not so far and we never give up and try to come closer. Especially on Tuesday, but also tomorrow we will start working for next season. I am very close to 300 points, but Marquez won a lot more races than me, so me and my team need to improve the Yamaha to try and stay closer during the whole season. The test is important because we have a lot of new stuff to test for next year, so it will be interesting.”

Jorge Lorenzo
DNF / - / 24 laps
“In Aragon I decided to come into the pits and it was a good decision, but here it was not raining enough for the rear tyre to work well. I was losing a lot of time as the slicks were dropping because of the water. The other riders were more confident. They weren’t scared to make a mistake, so they were faster and I kept losing time. Like in Aragon, instead of finishing in fifth, sixth or seventh position, I prefer to take risks, but today we didn’t have the luck we had there. I entered the pits and I was losing time every lap. I was five or six seconds slower than the others and eventually I decided to stop. We made a mistake and we have to learn from all the mistakes that we made this season to be stronger and more clever next year.”


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“This has been one of the fastest seasons from my experience in MotoGP. We had a really positive year, though we missed out on the championship we had really good results and 24 podiums, many of them with both our riders standing together. In general our results were excellent and we deserved to finish at least second and third in the championship. We responded very well from the second half of the season and we were able to close the gap and show that the performance of the bike is very good. I really appreciate the effort that everybody in the team put in to keep pushing and never give up, that’s been really important. Today it was a difficult race, the conditions weren’t easy at all. Valentino proved again that he is still one of the most competitive riders in the world. Unfortunately it was a bittersweet end to the season with Jorge’s result. He wanted to take a gamble. It worked in Aragon, but here unfortunately it didn’t. I want to thank everybody again who made this good season possible, every team member and Yamaha employee and also the fans for their fantastic support. Congratulations to Marc for his title, we’ll be back to fight for it next year! Tomorrow it’s already the start of 2015 for us and we’ll start working on the new season.”

Espargaro scores non-factory glory in Valencia
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro charged to an expertly undertaken sixth place to finish his debut season in the MotoGP class in superb form at Valencia. The 23 year old commenced the 30 lap sprint from the rear of the second row with drops of rain falling as soon as the race began. Espargaro undertook a solid start before being pushed back to 8th at the close of the first lap, yet he powered on as the rain still fell, albeit intermittently. The young Spanish rider had slipped back to 13th on lap four, but showed a fantastic display of determination to remain firm and try to move up the field. Espargaro pushed onwards and with two thirds of the race distance covered, he had ascended though the order in a consistent manner and back up to seventh with his sights directly set on the position in front. On the 25th lap the rookie had brilliantly closed the gap to his brother, Aleix Espargaro, in front and sped past to move into sixth one lap later before speeding across the finish line in this placement. His resolute and hard fought ride saw him brilliantly achieve his ambition of seizing sixth and the title of the leading satellite rider as well the rookie of the year in the 2014 World Championship standings.

On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 garage, Bradley Smith concluded his 2014 campaign with a ride to 14th after an unfortunate final round in Valencia. The British star started the race from seventh on the grid, but was shuffled down to eleventh place by the end of the first lap. However, Smith persisted with his efforts to jump back up the field in order to score a top result as he set into a fierce race pace. By lap seven, the 23 year old rider had reached eighth position and continued to climb. Yet, with more spots of rain falling at the 4005 metre Ricardo Tormo circuit, Smith unluckily fell on lap 17, before re-joining to end the lap in 20th. Nevertheless, the young British rider proceeded forward and a final dash in the last laps saw Smith make up ground as well as six places to cross the line in 14th. The performance today marks a challenging yet resolute end to the 2014 season which sees him finish in eighth position in the world championship standings.


Pol Espargaro
6th / +37.884 / 30 laps
“I can't help but be slightly disappointed about our result today, even if this was not because of the placement itself yet, more about how things went. The second row was a solid position to start the race from and this morning with a full fuel load and used tyres I finished second in the warm up, so I think we were really prepared for the last race of the season. However, just like many other times this year, the rain came right at the start of the race and ruined our hopes. I am still not very experienced riding in the slight wet conditions with the slick tyres but today I couldn't risk too much. I had Bradley and my brother close to me on the track, who I was fighting with for the sixth place in the championship, so I had to think about the end result as well as finishing the race without any mistakes. However, I still ended my rookie year as the best non-factory rider, which had to be our aim, so I'm truly pleased with what we achieved. I want to say a huge thanks to the team for all their work as well as patience in teaching and supporting me this year. Tomorrow we'll kick off preparations for 2015 and I'm already excited to try our new parts.”



Bradley Smith
14th / +57.517 / 30 laps
“Overall, it was positive to be able to finish the race after falling, but today’s result didn’t reflect the true performance that we would have been able to achieve. The bike felt extremely well so firstly, a big thanks to my team for the work that they undertook and in all honesty, I am sure that I could have fought for fourth position. However, unfortunately at the beginning of the race I was pushed out wide by my teammate and then afterwards my fight with Aleix cost me further time so I lost the gap to the Ducati’s. Yet, once I was able to get in front of my group, I could run a good pace and recovered some time on the riders in front of me. Then I made a mistake going into turn 8 when the track was slippery due to the rain and I locked the front tyre. When I tried to get back on track, I tried to use a shortcut but a marshal stopped me which made me lose further time so it would have been better to turn and come back sooner. For sure, I will learn from this mistake and I am sorry to the team as we lost the seventh position, but I am still satisfied with the final placement in the standings. Furthermore, I hope to begin 2015 with a similar high to how we have performed in the second half of this season.”

Aleix Espargaro and NGM Forward Racing finish an extraordinary 2014 season 7th overall
The Valencia GP, last round of the season was the perfect place for the NGM Forward Racing team to celebrate the Open class title won by Aleix Espargaro with one race in advance. A success that crowned an amazing season that saw the Spaniard among the protagonist of the MotoGP class with one podium finish at Aragon and a pole position at Assen.

Today, in front of the Spanish crowd, Espargaro crossed the finish line once again as first open, conquering a well deserved seventh position, after an exciting battle with his brother Pol. With this result he secured the seventh position in the rider World Championship with 126 points. The NGM Forward Racing Team shared the same success, clinching seventh in the Team Classification with 151 points.

It was a difficult race for teammate Alex De Angelis, who closed the 2014 season with the 18th position. The rider from San Marino had a good start and was fighting to get some points, but when it started to rain he lost some confidence in the rear and couldn’t defend his position.


Aleix Espargaro
7th / +38.168 / 30 laps
“It was the final round of an incredible season together with the NGM Forward Racing Team. If I look back at this winter, we couldn’t have imagined to finish seventh in the championship on board of an open bike. We had a lot of satisfactions with the team: the first pole position, the first podium in MotoGP and 18 rounds were we have been protagonists, fighting with the front guys. I’d like to thank the “Forward family” for all their efforts, the support and the trust. The whole team has done an incredible job to give me a competitive bike. I’d like to thank Yamaha, my family and all the sponsors and partners for their support.”



Alex De Angelis
18th / +1'15.795 / 30 laps
“I would have loved to close my season with the NGM Forward Racing team in a different way, but in the last laps I struggled so much, that I couldn’t push more. I started well and I recovered positions, aiming at getting some points. Unfortunately, when it started to rain, I lost some confidence with the rear and I couldn’t keep my pace to defend my position. I’m sorry because my target was to finish the last round with some points to thank the team.”
Alex
In this season that saw Nakasuga shooting for the coveted third consecutive championship in the pinnacle class, he emerged the winner in a fierce battle with rivals Kosuke Akiyoshi (Honda) and Takumi Takahashi (Honda) to take the opening round, the Suzuka 2 and 4 Race, and get the season off to a great start.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga

In the next round at Autopolis, he took a fall and suffered injuries before the qualifying, leaving him to start the race from 6th position. Although the victory in the next day’s race went to rival Takahashi, Nakasuga was able to beat out Kazuki Watanabe (Kawasaki) by a slight margin to claim 2nd place. Then, in round three at Twin Ring Motegi, he finished 2nd again to take him into the fourth round at SUGO holding 2nd place in the season standings. However, in bad weather there at SUGO he was only able to finish in 6th place, which left him to enter the second half of the season in 2nd place in the standings, 10 points behind the leader, Takahashi.

However, Nakasuga’s comeback was set to begin. In the next rounds at Autopolis and the Okayama International circuits, he scored consecutive wins that catapulted him to the top of the standings as the point leader going into the final round, the MFJ-GP at Suzuka. Here, Nakasuga ran to the win from pole position in the first race and finished 2nd in the second race to claim his third consecutive championship, while also becoming the first rider in history to win five championship titles in Japan’s pinnacle road racing class.


Katsuyuki Nakasuga
“In order to win my third consecutive title, I thought that a strong start from the first round would be very important, and when I was able to win the opening race, the Suzuka 2 and 4, I thought I had gotten a good flow going. But, Takumi Takahashi was also improving, and he took consecutive wins in the second round at Autopolis and the third round at Twin Ring Motegi. I knew I had to do something to get the flow going my way again, but the bad weather in the next round at SUGO threw my pace off. To tell the truth, I thought I had lost my rhythm at that point. Still, the entire team was working together so hard this season and I was able to come back and ride a wave that brought me three consecutive wins, in the series’ second race at Autopolis, at Okayama International, and then in the first race at the MFJ-GP at Suzuka. In the last race, there was a change in the track conditions, and the tension was reaching a peak in me, but I was determined to do anything to win the title. Thanks to the support of the fans, my team and everyone else who supported me, with all kinds of support I was able to win my third consecutive title and the fifth of my career. I want to thank everyone for cheering me on throughout this year.”


Tadahiko Taira
Champion of All Japan GP500 class from 1983 to 1985
“This was a flawless, well-earned third consecutive title. Congratulations! And, I’m so proud to see that Nakasuga has won three consecutive titles as a Yamaha rider. Because of the fall he took in the pre-season test that left him not in his best condition, the early stages of the series must have been difficult for him. Still, from mid-season through to the final round, he performed so well that I could watch his racing with assurance. His strength as a rider really shone throughout the season. Of all the riders in the All Japan championships, Nakasuga truly stands above the rest in terms of both his strategy and riding technique. I believe this is because of the dramatic growth he has managed to achieve through the experience of working as the development rider for the premier YZR-M1 race machine and actually participating in MotoGP races. Also, we can’t forget the contribution of his dedicated team in the areas of machine development and set-up, etc. In this sense, it has truly been a victory by the entire team. I really hope Nakasuga will go on now to take up the challenge of winning a fourth consecutive title and continue to grow as a model for younger riders to aspire to.”


Yoshihiko Fujiwara
Champion of All Japan GP500 class from 1987 to 1989
“When Nakasuga made his first attempt to get a third consecutive championship title in 2010, a crash when he was pushing hard caused him to and lose his chance for the title. But, even then I believed that he was a rider who would someday get that record. I feel like now that time has finally come. I know from my own experience that winning three consecutive titles is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish. It is not enough just to be fast. You need the mental strength and toughness to keep up your motivation to win and to overcome the pressure. I believe that Nakasuga has accomplished this feat because he is a rider with the kind of speed and strength it takes. I want to give my heartfelt congratulations. I also want to see Nakasuga go on to new heights. Because, with his experience as development rider for the YZR-M1, the MotoGP machine, he has the potential to become an even faster and stronger rider. I hope he won’t be satisfied with three consecutive titles but go on to a fourth and then a fifth; I look forward to a number of new records from him.”



Takaaki Kimura
Executive Vice President and Chief General Manager of Technology Center of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
“I want to say congratulations to Katsuyuki Nakasuga for winning the championship. Amid the pressure of competing for his third consecutive title, I’m sure that the season was not an easy one for him. But like last year, he never gave up and continued to race with strength of will and determination until he succeeded in this great achievement he had set his sights on. I believe that seeing Nakasuga’s serious dedication has brought real Kando to many fans. Having now achieved the great feat of winning three consecutive titles in the pinnacle class of Japanese road racing like the great riders Tadahiko Taira and Yoshihiko Fujiwara before him, I feel that we have just seen another rider join the ranks of the few who will be recognized as legends. Now we look forward to seeing Nakasuga go on to be the first rider ever to win four consecutive titles in the pinnacle class, and we also look forward to his achievements as a MotoGP machine development rider. Finally, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the fans who have given their warm support throughout the season. Thank you all.”


Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Alexandre Kowalski (Team Director - Yamaha Factory Racing Rally Team Yamalube)
“It is a new start for Yamaha Factory Racing, with the arrival of this brand new WR450F Rally that the riders have extensively tested and developed and which they will be able to push to the limits. Solid and experienced, Alessandro Botturi completes a team already composed of Olivier Pain (3rd on the 2014 Dakar) and the promising Michael Metge. Both among the riders and the technical team the motivation is strong to take the WR450F Rally onto the top spot on the podium. Front runner on the Dakar since the very beginning - remember we were there in 1979! – Yamaha have everything in place to add to their outstanding record.”

José Leloir (Team Manager - Yamaha Factory Racing Rally Team Yamalube)
“We have just finished three intensive and positive weeks in Sardinia. These extensive tests have allowed us to fine tune the set-up of the new WR450F Rally in readiness for the 2015 Dakar. Clearly we are satisfied with the potential of this new machine and I would like to personally thank the technical team for all their hard work since the previous edition.”


Yamaha WR450F Rally: born for rally-raids
Unprecedented, this new WR450F Rally is distinctly different from the previous Yamaha YZ450F Rally and features a single carbon-fibre fuel cell – as opposed to the five of its predecessor – for an equivalent capacity. As the riders Olivier Pain, Alessandro Botturi and Michael Metge were able to appreciate during October tests, this choice allows for an optimal weight distribution and improves the general balance of the machine. Narrower and more compact, the WR450F Rally is more manoeuvrable and easier to place. But this solution is only one of a number of improvements made to the machine that, among other things, gains an electric starter, without increasing overall weight and a six speed gearbox. The exhaust pipe has been supplied by the famous Akrapovic brand. Finally, in terms of looks, the WR450F Rally boosts new bodywork that gives it an even more modern profile.

To watch a video of the brand new WR450F Rally in action click HERE .

For pictures of the brand new WR450F Rally click HERE .




Yamaha WR450F Rally Specification

Engine
450cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder with electric-start
Special crankshaft
Racing spec. exhaust system
Programmable ECU
6 speed gearbox

Engine External
Akrapovic exhaust system
Get programmable ECU (with GPA)
Superprox front and rear sprockets
DID chain
Twin-air (air filter)
Rekluse clutch parts
Innteck seals and bushes
Yamalube lubricants

Chassis
Factory spec. triple clamps
Factory swingarm (with water tank)
Carbon-fibre fuel tank
Carbon-fibre airbox
Carbon-fibre fairing

Chassis External
KYB Factory rear suspension
KYB Std front fork with Yamaha Factory Team settings
Motomaster front disc (300mm)
Motomaster rear disc (245mm)
Haan front and rear wheels (rear hub with damper)
Michelin tyres
MigTEC roadbook reader
Acerbis hand guards
Kudvek stickers


Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Aware that he was still followed by rival Marquez, the Doctor put the hammer down on the next lap but went slightly off line on the last corner and was forced to give the position to Marquez. Rossi refused to give up and chased his rival but, as the tyres started to wear down and the heat started to take its toll, he was unable to retake the lead and finished the race in second, +2.445 behind the leader.

Teammate Lorenzo catapulted off the line at the start of the Sepang battle and arrived at the first corner in second place until a slight touch with rival Marc Marquez forced him wide in the first corner. The Majorcan was quick to recover and went through the first corners side by side with teammate Rossi in third and fourth place.

Lorenzo was the quicker one of the two and soon made his move on Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa to take the lead before the end of the fist lap. He put his head down in the attempt to extend his lead, but Rossi soon caught up and with 11 laps to go made his move. Before Lorenzo could answer he held off an attack from Marquez in his typical x-fuera style, but was unable make it last. Lorenzo remained determined to fight, but eventually settled for third place, his 85th MotoGP podium finish.

Rossi’s impressive comeback from sixth to second earns him 20 points and leaves him second in the championship standings with 275 points. Lorenzo’s performance sees him take 16 points and leaves him third in the championship standings on 263 points, just 12 points behind his teammate.


Valentino Rossi
2nd / +2.445 / 20 laps
“This race is the most difficult race for the riders but I felt good with my preparations. This means I have worked well. The second place is positive for me because we struggled much during the weekend and I wasn’t very strong. This morning we improved the bike and once again in the afternoon. The bike was perfect for the race. I fought a lot and I enjoyed the fight with Jorge and also the battle with Marc at the end. At one moment I thought I could win, but unfortunately Marc was a little bit too fast. The best way to think of the second place for the championship is to try and fight for the podium. That’s my target, but Valencia is a difficult track for me. In the past I struggled there a lot, so this year I want to try the maximum. I want to be competitive on Sunday and try to arrive on the podium.”


Jorge Lorenzo
3rd / +3.508 / 20 laps
“This race was very difficult. It was probably the hottest race in Malaysia in the whole 12 years that I have competed. I made a good start and was very brave on the first lap. I pushed at the maximum for the first seven to ten laps, but little by little trying to get the bike stopped was getting worse and worse. Valentino was really fast and during the second part of the race he was able to keep the same pace that I had at the beginning. It was very difficult to ride and fight. I wasn’t as fit as in Silverstone or Misano. These three weeks outside of Europe I’ve not trained hard enough, so I wasn’t as quick.”


Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It’s been almost a perfect day, we finished the triple header overseas races with a brilliant result and again have both riders on the podium. Vale rode a superb race and Jorge also was very strong. Their performances were especially impressive considering the incredibly hot conditions. We were able to see in warm up that the pace and speed were good so we thought we could get a great result. Unfortunately we didn't win but we have six podiums in three races and two wins, we can’t ask for much more. We go home satisfied with our efforts and look forward to finishing the season on a high note with a great race in Valencia. We have to thank all our staff, three overseas races in a row is tough and everyone worked very hard and never gave up.”
Alex
Valentino, how are you today?
VR: “I’m fine, everything is ok, and this is the most important thing. I did not injure myself too much except for a big bump to the head. Last night I had a little headache but today I'm fine, I'm 100%. It was a real shame because before the race we made a change that would have helped me a lot; the bike was strong, I was going well, I had recovered the gap in the first few laps and I was there with the leading riders. I felt good and I am sure I could have made a good race, so it was a real shame to fall. In a way I'm almost glad because even though we had a difficult weekend on Sunday we were competitive and this was supposed to be a track that is not very good for us.”
Valentino Rossi

Q: Have you watched the race? What can you say about your crash and about your rivals’ race?
VR: “Unfortunately, like Iannone I went onto the artificial grass. This is always very dangerous and especially in these cases because the track was still wet from the morning shower and there was nothing to be done. Marc and Dani tried to stay on track on the slick tyres but they took a big risk and in fact they crashed. In my case, if I had gone off track one meter before, I would have just gone wide, instead I touched the grass and I fell.”

Q: We have a triple back-to-back ahead of us in Asia and Australia. How do you see the coming races?
VR: “Now there are three races in a row, three races that are all beautiful and I know all tracks very well. I like all of them a lot. I will try to do my best as we have done in the last races.”
Alex
Lin Jarvis - Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing


“I’m very happy to be able to confirm this agreement with Monster Energy for our MotoGP program. As two of the most recognisable brands in the premier class of motorcycle racing we have enjoyed a highly successful partnership together in recent years. Monster Energy’s sponsorship of both Movistar Yamaha MotoGP and also of Monster Energy Yamaha Tech3 holds special significance with the unique synergy between the two racing teams in the MotoGP class. Tech3 continues to provide a key role not just as credible protagonist in the fight for MotoGP honours but also as a nurturing channel for young talent for the Factory team. We look forward to developing and strengthening this three-party relationship even further into the future.”


Hervé Poncharal - Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Principal

“I am truly delighted to be able to announce that the Monster Energy claw will continue its strong presence on the Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP bikes for a further two seasons in the premier motorcycle racing series. It has been a perfect partnership that began in 2009 with many successes accomplished together and it is fantastic to be able to confirm that our long standing adventure will continue into the future. The company have proceeded to grow from strength to strength in recent years and it’s very important to have their backing to allow us to field the young, up and coming riders as we are currently in our sixth season together. Now, we look forward to a bright future and again, it is simply fantastic to have a company as elite and iconic as Monster Energy carrying on their long term partnership with us.”


Mitch Covington - Vice President of Sports Marketing, Monster Beverage Company

“Monster is once again pleased to announce our continued partnership with Yamaha for our MotoGP program. The Factory Team run by Lin and Hervé’s Tech3 Team always do a great job and we could not be happier to continue such a strong relationship with a view to winning races and championships for years to come.”

Alex
Febvre, a former European Champion, has developed through three years in the FIM Motocross World Championship to emerge as a Grand Prix winner in 2014 and finish third in the MX2 standings; the highest classified athlete from a group who graduate to MXGP next season and the very top international stage. The former supermoto racer – he also won the prestigious Mettet Superbiker event two weeks ago - took his first GP podiums in 2013 and made fantastic progress in 2014 to embellish his reputation as one of the FIM series’ brightest young prospects.


The 22 year old Frenchman is expected to form a promising bond with the YZ450FM that already shone in Van Horebeek’s hands this year as he kept pace in the chase for the 2014 MXGP crown. “I can finally start work this week and I’ve bought a plane ticket without a return journey at the moment because I’m keen to get to Italy and then see what we have to do,” the 2014 Grand Prix of State of Goias winner commented. “I’ve already had two quiet weeks and I want to get started with my preparation and work for 2015. I know I will have things to learn about MXGP and this new challenge but I believe I’m in the right place to do that.”

2015 will be not only represent Febvre’s first in MXGP but also on the larger 450cc motorcycle. “On the 250 I liked to use a lot of rpm and liked wide spread of power but we’ll have to see with the 450,” he offered. “From what I saw in 2014 Van Horebeek had the bike working really nicely and I’m sure I get the engine to my liking. I know the team have such a good name for giving riders the best packages they need.”


Yamaha Factory Racing toasted twelve podium finishes from seventeen rounds, Grand Prix victory in the Czech Republic and second place overall in MXGP thanks to a positive union with Van Horebeek. It is the latest occasion that a racer has gelled immediately with the YZ450FM after Josh Coppins, David Philippaerts and Steven Frossard all vied for the championship in their first terms since the New Zealander caused a stir in 2007. After a year in which the team split their priorities between MXGP and MX2 categories they will be focusing on the blue ribbon MXGP division, while Yamaha Motor Europe will spread their influence and offer significant support to several private teams to continue development on the vastly promising technical platform of the latest YZ250F in MX2.

“Our team changes for 2015 with Romain joining Jeremy in MXGP but we already made positive work with the YZ450FM in 2014 and I know we will be able to offer our new rider exactly the same possibilities with set-up and performance for next season,” commented Michele Rinaldi. “It was very positive for us and also Yamaha Motor Europe to be fighting for wins and podiums again this year and I cannot help but feel that we have strengthened again for what will be a long campaign in 2015.”


Romain Febvre

Date of Birth: 31/12/1991
Birth Place: Epinal
Nationality: French
Weight: 72kg
Height: 175cm
Marital Status: Single
Hobbies: BMX, Trial, Jet Ski


Career Highlights:

2014: 3rd FIM MX2 World Championship (first win)
2013: 12th FIM MX2 World Championship (first podiums, injured)
2012: 13th FIM MX2 World Championship (GP debut)
2011: EMX250 Champion
2007: French 125cc Supermoto champion
2006: 2nd French 85cc Supermoto Championship
Alex
Teammate Jorge Lorenzo experienced his second Grand Prix weekend to forget today, making a jump start at the beginning of the race and receiving a ride-through penalty as a result. He pitted immediately at the end of the opening lap and re-joined at the back of the field in 23rd. The four-time world champion then showed his dedication and professionalism, working hard to move back through the pack to earn his first championship points of the season. As he crossed the finish line he did so in tenth position, less than four seconds from Rossi in eighth.

The eighth place finish gains Rossi a further eight points to give a total of 28, dropping him to third on the overall standings. Lorenzo’s tenth place earns his first championship points of the season, putting him in 16th with six points.

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders today finished round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship in a highly determined manner, with both riders achieving their best ever results in the premier class. Bradley Smith finished in 5th position after narrowly missing out on a debut podium, with rookie Pol Espargaro crossing the line in 6th to claim his first MotoGP points and as the quickest rookie.

Bradley Smith delivered a fierce campaign to challenge for a podium position, before guiding his Yamaha YZR-M1 home in what was his best ever MotoGP result. After having qualified in 8th, the British rider dropped back a place during the first lap, but soon set into a smooth rhythm and proceeded to move up the field, progressing up to 7th a few laps later. He then closed in on the Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi before passing him quickly. On lap 14 the young British rider overtook his teammate and swiftly caught the 5th placed rider three laps later, before hunting down the remaining competitors to challenge for the final podium position. Smith rode tirelessly to reach them, and then exchanged forceful moves with Stefan Bradl right down to the chequered flag fighting for 4th position. Even though the battle didn’t come to a lucky end, on what was once again a difficult racetrack for all the Yamaha bikes, Smith brilliantly showed his progression, finishing as the top Yamaha on the timesheets.

Rookie Pol Espargaro successfully clinched his maiden points scoring finish today at COTA, and completed the race as the fastest rookie by finishing in a highly impressive 6th position. The Reigning Moto2 World Champion had a positive start, and moved forward to 10th on the first lap. Espargaro skilfully forged ahead and continued to battle remaining with teammate Bradley Smith as they moved up the field. On lap ten, the Spanish rookie brilliantly overtook multiple world champion Valentino Rossi. Espargaro finally completed his impressive point scoring race by taking 6th place on the final lap.

The NGM Forward Racing Team leaves Texas with Aleix Espargaro finishing 9th overall and first open. After the great result scored yesterday in qualifying, Aleix struggled to make a good start, losing contact with the front group. He had issues with chattering and preferred to be a bit conservative to finish the race and get some good points. The result puts him 5th in the championship with 20 points.

It was an unlucky day for Colin Edwards who expected to get another result in his home grand prix. As with his teammate, Colin struggled a lot during the race and when there were 4 laps to go his bike stopped, obliging him to retire. With today’s retirement, Colin is 14th in the rider Championship.

The championship stays outside of Europe for round three, moving south for the Gran Premio de la República Argentina on 27th April.


Valentino Rossi

8th, +45.519
“We destroyed the front tyre completely on the right side. I had the same problem during the weekend but less than this. This morning we made a good step and with a used tyre I could do all the warm up so we were quite positive. Unfortunately after seven or eight laps the front was gone and I had to go three seconds slower. It's a pity because we could do another podium which was the target here in Austin, unfortunately it wasn't to be.”


Jorge Lorenzo

10th, +49.111
“I wasn’t thinking and was distracted and I made a big mistake in the start. I just tried to push at the maximum afterwards to get the best result but the race was almost over for me. I want to say sorry to the team as I destroyed my race, but at least I didn't crash because it was a difficult situation with the tension and it was easy to make a mistake and get injured. The good thing is that I finished the race and got my first points in the championship but clearly it wasn’t our weekend.”


Massimo Meregalli

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Unfortunately Valentino completely destroyed the right side of his front tyre after a few laps. We had suffered already this weekend with this and made some changes to the set up, this morning we could do 16 laps with the tyre still looking good so we thought the problem was solved. It's a shame because as a result we lost the podium here in Texas, where we knew from the beginning it was going to be a tough race. As for Jorge, no matter how hard you prepare for a race weekend there are some things that cannot be anticipated. We all know he is one of the hardest working riders here and very rarely makes a mistake. He did a good job to make the best of it afterwards. I want to thank all the team for another weekend spent working extremely hard to overcome challenges and make a competitive bike for the race, we are looking forward to Argentina to come back even stronger.


Bradley Smith

5th, +22.963
“I am very pleased with my performance during the 21 laps with this being the most physical track on the calendar in my opinion. I made it hard work for myself. It’s difficult to get a perfect setting around here as there are so many different corners, and it is impossible to make one setting which suits all of them. You have to make the best compromise. I was a bit too aggressive during the first laps, and overheated my brakes and the front tyre got really warm. So rather than risking anything, I let them recover, which took me 3 or 4 laps. I saw Pol come past me and then Valentino getting away, so I just had to take a breath. Once the tyres had stabilised, I started moving forward. I then thought either the bike is going to come to me or I am just going to have to sit where I am. With 12 laps to go, I realised that I had a chance and put my head down. I got to Bradl and gave everything I could, and when I reached those left right left corners, where I tried to go underneath him, my heart rate just went through the roof. I put all my cards on the table, as I knew that Dovizioso was edging away, but I am still really pleased to be the top Yamaha”.


Pol Espargaro

6th, +26.567
“I’m truly happy with today’s result; to finish my first MotoGP race in sixth position and in front of the Factory Yamahas makes me quite proud. I knew that I had to push as much as possible at the beginning, as I didn’t want to lose contact with the guys in front of me. I probably pushed a little too much and I could not keep the rhythm until the end of the race. But I’m happy that I was able to battle with my teammate during a certain stage of the race because Bradley is going really fast this season. Being the second Yamaha means we have not done a bad job at all. The biggest problem during the race has been the front tyre and I think all of the Yamaha’s struggled with it. We knew already from last year’s race that it would not have been an easy track for our bike. I can physically feel that it has been a very demanding race, the MotoGP bikes are exhausting. I have some pain in my shoulder because of the high number of left corners and especially during braking towards the end of the race. The team did a great job and I’m really giving it my all to learn and improve as quickly as possible. I’m already looking forward to the next round in Argentina in a couple of weeks”.


Aleix Espargaro

9th, +47.605
“This morning we struggled a lot due to the front chattering and it happened the same in the race. I couldn’t push. I had to be a bit conservative, focusing on finishing the race and getting some points. It was very frustrating but it was impossible for me to push more today. Anyway I’m confident for the next gp and I look forward to race in Argentina."


Colin Edwards

DNF
“We struggled the whole weekend and I also had an issue with my front tyre, that made my race even more complicated. With 4 laps to go, I had problems with the fuel pressure and my bike stopped, when I was in the back straight. My race was over. Now we will try to understand what happened."
Alex
The Team now move directly to Phillip Island in Australia for a further test before the season kicks off under the floodlights of Qatar on the 23rd March.

Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro completed the final day of testing with many positives to conclude, for the beginning of the MotoGP season at the end of March.

Both Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders experimented with various aspects of their Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bikes in order to find the most suitable set ups which would suit their riding styles.

British rider Bradley Smith ended the test with an overall feeling of satisfaction regarding his performances over the past three days, as he prepares for his second season in MotoGP. Having spent a large quantity of time on refining the front and rear sections of the Yamaha YZR-M1, as well as accustoming himself to the seamless shift gearbox and the new Bridgestone tyres, Smith was content with the developments made. He completed a full race simulation today, which was successfully undertaken and confirmed that all of the changes made during this test were in the right direction. Undertaking a colossal 185 laps over all three days, the young British rider finished the second Sepang test with a best time of 2:00.804 in 9th place.

Young Spanish rider Pol Espargaro finished the session feeling pleased, having spent the past three days learning and mastering his new MotoGP bike. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion, completed over 158 laps around the 5.543 kilometre track, over the three days. He optimised the available time and tested ceaselessly to continue to gain as much knowledge of his new Yamaha YZR-M1 and Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team as possible. The learning curve was steep and despite a small crash yesterday, Espargaro leaves the Sepang test feeling positive. Having gelled seamlessly with the new gearbox, the young Spaniard set the 3rd fastest time on the opening day, before finishing in 10th overall, with an ultimate lap time of 2:00.999.

The next testing session will commence at the Losail Circuit, Qatar on the 7th of March for Satellite MotoGP riders, and Open Class MotoGP riders only.

The second 2014 MotoGP pre-season test session ended today with very positive results for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team.

Aleix Espargaró was very consistent along the three days of testing, scoring the 4th best time in the combined lap times classification with a top time of 2’00.101. After having worked on the bike set up in the first two days, this morning he made a long run to check the bike behaviour on the race distance, showing a good pace.

Colin Edwards continued working on the bike set up. He also tested some new solutions in preparation of the race distance. In total he completed 23 laps, Aleix 43.

Valentino Rossi
1st / 1'59.999 / 41 laps
“First of all I am very happy because I am in first position and I did a good lap. I was one of the only ones in the 1’59s which is positive, especially because with the 2014 tyres in the first test we tried a time attack and I was more than one second slower than today. This test we have always been at the top and fighting for the first position so it’s positive. We still have some problems when it’s very hot over long distance with the new tyres, so we still have to work, but we made a good step from the first test. The next test in Philip Island will be very important to understand if also there we improved a lot like here because I am more than one second faster than the second test of last year so we have been working well.”

Jorge Lorenzo
7th / 2'00.619 / 70 laps
“We found a better solution today to improve our situation and adapt these tyres at this track. The tyres are much harder in the sidewalls. At this track, with this tarmac that is very slippery, it’s not the same as Phillip Island or Mugello for example, it’s impossible for us to be competitive. This tyre is much worse for Yamaha and better for Honda. Our bike is competitive, at a similar level to the competitors but with the tyre we have problems. We tried a simulation today and it was worse and worse every lap. In the edge there is a problem with no grip but also when you pick up the bike it spins. You can improve the feeling a little to get more grip but when the tyre starts to drop the problems get worse and worse.”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“It’s been a difficult test and really we are not very happy with the result. For the last day Jorge has found some confidence back in the bike. Of course it’s not how we want it but at least he could do a decent long run and be quite consistent. It was very hot today and we got a lot of new information with the new tyres. We are very curious to see how we get on in two days in Phillip Island.”
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“We finished this three day test with some good improvements and were able to make the bike better every day. At the end Valentino was able to make the fastest lap of the day. Jorge continued to have some difficulties, especially because of his riding style. It looks like the new tyre doesn't work very well on our bike, especially at this track. Here at Sepang the problem was increased because of the lack of grip on the tarmac and also the high temperatures. We made some improvements but we are not satisfied 100% and we have to improve over race distance. We look forward to the Phillip Island test now to see what Bridgestone has prepared to solve the issues we had last year and then we are ready for Qatar.”

Bradley Smith
9th / 2'00.804 / 71 laps
“We tried a lot of different solutions today, especially with the rear of the bike and tried to work the new Bridgestone tyres as much as possible. I found a setting that I was much happier with, which made the bike smoother, and let me ride the Yamaha how it should be. We definitely made the step with rear tyre performance, which allowed me to be much more consistent, compared to the last Sepang test and last year’s race. I did a race simulation, and am pleased as it was during a really hot part of the day, so not perfect in terms of track conditions. At the end of the day, after 70 laps I also did my best time. There are many positives, and I come away from here quite happy. It appears as though the track was slower this time than the previous test, but we are close to my lap time from then. All in all, it has been a somewhat difficult three days, but I am really pleased with the final result. “

Pol Espargaro
10th / 2'00.999 / 54 laps
“It has not been an easy day today. Probably the most difficult one we have had so far. I didn’t feel too well, on one hand maybe because of the crash from yesterday, or on the other hand because it’s really demanding doing several days and so many laps in such hot and humid conditions. However, even if I’m not too enthusiastic about my performance today, I am still just one second from the top of the timesheets which makes me feel much better. Again, we tried different setup solutions, as I still have many things to learn about this bike. I’m really looking forward to trying the bike on a different circuit, in Qatar next week. This will extend my knowledge further, and will permit us to be able to evaluate the information which we collected during this test in a better way. But honestly, all these comments are not as important when you get news like we received today from our Moto2 rider, who is in hospital in France. My thoughts are with him and I hope he recovers quickly.”

Aleix Espargaro
4th / 2'00.101 / 43 laps
“I’m very happy with how we progressed in these three days of testing. We started where we left here in Sepang 1 and I could work on the second bike and on the race distance. I’m very satisfied with the data gathered during the long run. We were competitive and now I look forward to confirm my feeling in Qatar, where we will do another test session before the opening race of the season”.

Colin Edwards
14th / 2'01.748 / 35 laps
“We continued working on the bike set up to improve the feeling with the bike in the corners. We tried several solutions but I still don’t have the right confidence to push as I am used to. We also worked on the electronics with positive results and we focused on the tank to check the fuel consumption as we would like to take advantage of the possibility to use all the 24 liters that the Open class has at disposal. We gathered important data and I’d like to thank my team for the work done during these three days”.


Sepang Test Two, Day Three: Final Times
1. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 59.999s (Lap 13/41)
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 59.999s | +0.000s (47/50)
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2m 0.067s | +0.068s (6/36)
4. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-Yamaha) 2m 0.101s | +0.102s (7/43)
5. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 2m 0.164s | +0.165s (12/48)
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP GoFun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 0.506s | +0.507s (9/60)
7. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2m 0.619s | +0.620s (20/70)
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2m 0.790s | +0.791s (7/62)
9. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 0.804s | +0.805s (69/71)
10. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 1.032s | +1.033s (6/54)
11. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 2m 1.198s | +1.199s (26/47)
12. Randy De Puniet FRA Suzuki Test Rider (XRH-1) 2m 1.430s | +1.431s (53/55)
13. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 2m 1.497s | +1.498s (51/56)
14. Colin Edwards USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-Yamaha) 2m 1.748s | +1.749s (23/35)
15. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2m 1.924s | +1.925s (57/59)
16. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (Desmosedici) 2m 2.029s | +2.030s (8/48)
17. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2m 2.070s | +2.071s (61/61)
18. Scott Redding GBR GoFun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R) 2m 2.228s | +2.229s (48/50)
19. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2m 2.341s | +2.342s (13/54) 20. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 3.115s | +3.116s (3/30)
21. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2m 3.499s | +3.500s (15/52)
22. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R) 2m 4.304s | +4.305s (5/29)
23. Nobuatsu Aoki JPN Suzuki Test Rider (XRH-1) 2m 6.482s | +6.483s (3/14)

Alex
Van Horebeek is finding an effective rhythm and feeling on the works YZ450FM and showed positive speed in just his second outing on the new motorcycle. The circuit at Noto was bumpy and technical but ‘JVH’ attacked the surface with confidence. Jeremy had to work in the first sprint to recover from a mid-top ten start but was able to find room past Todd Waters and other GP peers to reach second spot. A top three launch in the next moto put him right at the front from the get-go but Cairoli’s holeshot and pace on home turf was tough to match.

“Overall another good weekend with some solid results,” evaluated Team Manager Mino Raspanti. “Jeremy improved his start in the second moto and his riding was good on a track that was occasionally too narrow in places but had some nice line choices.”

Van Horebeek is 65 points ahead of Waters in MX1 with DP19 Racing’s David Philippaerts also high up the table in fifth.
Christophe Charlier scored another podium result with second place in the MX2 race behind Jordi Tixier. The Corsican upped his game in the Elite moto (run with the 450s) but a mistake on a jump saw him exit the track and crash. Charlier was unharmed but was unable to complete the race distance.

“Christophe is OK after his crash and we’re happy that he managed to close the distance in speed to Tixier in the second moto. Again there were encouraging signs that we are on a good path in our preparation for Qatar,” commented Raspanti.

“We’ll do some training and testing on Wednesday this week and then we’ll have our 2014 photoshoot before the final round at Montevarchi,” he added.
Charlier

Source yamaha-racing.com