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Alex
Rossi and Lorenzo both undertook a race simulation in the stifling Malaysian heat this afternoon to shake the 2014 M1 down over race distance.

Four–time world champion Lorenzo was also happy having completed the three days. The Mallorcan made good progress during the riding sessions, managing to closely replicate the feeling of the 2013 bike whilst making the big reductions in fuel required for the 2014 season. Lorenzo completed the final day in third position, just 0.333 seconds from the front.

The MotoGP paddock will return to Sepang on February 26th for the second official test of the year.


Valentino Rossi
2nd / 1'59.727
“The test has been very good, I’m very happy, especially for the second position and more than that for the lap time which is the best of my career in Sepang. It’s the first time under 2’00 for me and just one tenth from Marc and the overall record of the track. I found a good feeling with the bike, we found some good solutions and it’s been very positive. We tried a simulation in the afternoon that was very good to understand any problems. We suffered a bit to keep a good pace but it wasn't so bad. For the first test the balance was good.”

Jorge Lorenzo
3rd / 1'59.866
“I think we improved a lot the lap time from yesterday but I didn't make a perfect lap. Maybe with softer tyres we could make a 1’59.5 or a 1’59.6. The goal was not to improve the one lap time but to improve the race pace which we did. When we tried a race simulation in hot conditions we found some problems where we didn't expect it, so the pace wasn't as good as we wanted. We’ve only practised in one track though which isn’t a Yamaha track historically, so let’s see what happens at the next Malaysia test and the other tracks. The evolution and the improvement is big so I’m quite satisfied. To have a similar feeling to last year with less fuel is a big thing.”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“The last day of testing done and we reached our target. We really wanted to jump under the 2’00 mark this weekend so we made that. Step by step we are working in the right direction. We still have some work to do but we have six testing days to go until the first race so we can be satisfied with all the things we tried so far.”
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“We finished the first three day test of the new season well with good data. We’ve been pretty fast throughout and the two semi-race simulations we did at 4pm gave us good information. Our main subject was fuel consumption and after this test we are able to run a race according to the new rules so this is a successful result. There is still some work to do, we need to find a better way to work with the new tyre but overall we are satisfied.”


Positive Sepang test concludes for Monster Yamaha Tech3
Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro made further improvements at the Sepang International circuit as the first test for the forthcoming 2014 MotoGP World Championship drew to a close.

The three day test at the 5.543km circuit, 50kms south of Kuala Lumpur had perfect conditions for all three days. This allowed the Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders to ride uninterrupted, in order to prepare for the 2014 MotoGP world championship season which begins under the floodlights at the Losail circuit in Qatar, on the 23rd of March.

Young British rider Bradley Smith completed the first test of the season in a positive manner, by exploring different set ups on the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike in preparation for his second full time season in MotoGP. Smith experimented especially with full fuel loads, new Bridgestone tyres and long distance runs in today’s session with his Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, and undertook 65 laps. He finished today with a best lap time of 2.00,896 min which puts him into 11th position but his time from yesterday ensures Smith an 8th place on the combined classification.

Pol Espargaro concluded a positive, first MotoGP test of 2014 to finish inside the top ten at the Sepang International circuit. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion familiarised himself further with his new Yamaha YZR-M1, the brakes and the tyres, with Sepang being only his second test on a MotoGP bike. The young Spaniard progressed well with his new Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team and completed 65 laps. Espargaro finished the session with a best lap time of 2.00,655 min, which puts him in 8th place in today’s session, 9th in the combined times, and almost a second quicker than his initial best lap time set on the first day of testing on Tuesday.

Bradley Smith
8th / 2'00.603
“We did some really good work, today we were concentrating on the new Bridgestone tyres. I tried to gain as much information and data also doing a half race simulation at the end of the day with this new tyre, just to compare it with the one from last year. Yesterday’s simulation was quite similar to today, although I believe we can still improve with this new tyre. I think I’ve done nearly 180 laps this test and we know where we need to start at Sepang 2. All in all I am pleased, even if the position on the timesheet does not seem to be ideal, it was never my main aim to set fast lap times during these three days. We are looking at the big picture, and preparing for the Championship and we will try to be ready for Qatar."

Pol Espargaro
9th / 2'00.655
“I’m really pleased with how this first test went. I could improve every day by at least four tenths and it’s exactly these small steps that we need to do to be prepared for the season. My Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team helps me a lot as the feeling with them is already perfect. Nevertheless, I know that there are still numerous things to work on such as my corner speed and my braking. I think the braking is one of the toughest things when coming from Moto2 because you don’t have any electronic help, like there is in acceleration for example. Anyway, I’m truly happy because after these three days, I know exactly where I need to improve also on my personal preparation and I’m already looking forward to come back to this track in a few weeks.”

Source: yamaha-racing.com

Alex
When was the first time you ‘noticed’ Cyril Despres?
I first noticed Cyril when he was riding in his first Dakar Rally.

When did you first think he was going to be a Dakar winner?
In 2001 he came to Vesoul to train with me, I noticed that he had a good technical level and a really strong motivation. I said to myself; “This guy, will get there!”

Do you think he has a similar riding style and approach to Dakar as you?
He doesn’t have the same riding style to me, but like me, he has the same approach to the race. He doesn’t leave any details to chance. In addition, the physical preparations required to race have evolved a great deal since my time and he is in excellent physical condition.

What do you think makes him special enough to win five titles?
What makes Cyril unique is his intense motivation. His principal quality is his professionalism, and of course his excellent riding and navigational skills.

When did you first think of him being on a Yamaha?
I have known Cyril for a long time and it was myself who tried to create the initial liaison with Yamaha. I was very happy when I heard he had a contract confirmed with Yamaha, although it is still a real surprise to see him in blue!

Have you shared any Dakar secrets with him this year to help him fight for his sixth win?
Cyril is a good friend of mine so I’ve always tried to share my experience with him. Now, he’s joined Yamaha, myself and my copilot will give him some information to help navigation!

Why do you think Despres and Yamaha will be such a good team?
The Yamaha YZ450F motorcycle is powerful and the Yamaha team is really committed to winning the 2014 Dakar. Cyril is a big professional and so I hope that the teaming of ‘Cyril and Yamaha’ will succeed!

What do you think will be the biggest challenge for Cyril in the 2014 Dakar?
His challenge will be the race itself because it is harder than the other years. The Dakar is always difficult, it is not necessary to be the best, but mistakes should not be made and it is necessary to pass through all the traps to finish.

What’s your impression of the 2014 Yamaha 450 Dakar bike?
This race will be very interesting because the two best riders (Coma and Despres) are not any more in the same team! I had the chance to test the Yamaha YZF450, it is very powerful and the engine is reliable and powerful, so this motorcycle has all its chances, especially in the hands of Cyril.
Alex
Lorenzo rose to the occasion, firing off the start line like a bullet in front of Yamaha’s home crowd to lead the race into the first laps. The Mallorcan was able to build a gap of nearly two seconds in the first three laps then saw it cut as championship rival Marc Marquez closed in. Marquez and Dani Pedrosa were able to get onto the heels of Lorenzo but unable to pass. The defending champion held on to the line to score his 51st Grand Prix victory, crossing the line just over three seconds clear of Marquez.


Teammate Valentino Rossi made a great start to the race from the second row and tucked in behind Lorenzo in second position as the Japanese Grand prix got underway. Unfortunately a lack of braking power on turn 11 of the second lap caused him to run wide, allowing Marquez and Pedrosa past. He then got back on track but suffered the same issue the following lap, dropping down to 11th in the process. In typical Rossi fashion he then put his head down and made several passes as he fought back up the field to finish in sixth position.

The stunning victory by Lorenzo brings him five points closer to Marquez. 13 points separate them now as they head to the final round in Valencia. Rossi increases his point score to 224 and remains in fourth place in the standings.

Alex
This incredible success story goes back to 1973, when British rider Chas Mortimer took the first ever 500cc victory in the class that would become the modern day MotoGP Championship. Yamaha is still only the second manufacturer to achieve this milestone.


The greatest MotoGP legend of all-time, Giacomo Agostini played a key part in writing Yamaha’s story of race success, taking six 500cc wins in the 1970s to add to the score. Later on in the story it was the Americans who wrote their piece of Yamaha history with three in particular, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey racking up the victories.

Roberts was the first, the pioneer of knee dragging wild riding, taking three back-to-back 500cc championships from 1978 to 1980. Eddie Lawson followed, adding 26 wins to the total and claiming three titles for Yamaha in 1984, 1986 and 1988.

The last of the three, Wayne Rainey, then took up the challenge, scoring an impressive 24 race victories on his way to taking the world title in 1990, 1991 and 1992. A tragic accident in 1992 brought an end to Rainey’s racing career, and the focus returned to Europe with riders Luca Cadalora and then Max Biaggi taking up the charge. Biaggi ironically was challenging against the then rival Rossi for the eight victories he scored.

It was in 2004 that Valentino Rossi arrived in the Yamaha garage, forming a love affair with the YZR-M1 that has endured to this day, creating an almost impossible to believe success that has won the hearts of fans worldwide. By 2007 Rossi had made it 150 wins for Yamaha at the historic Assen TT races, his own 28th MotoGP win.

2008 saw the arrival of another remarkable talent in the Yamaha garage. Stepping up to join Valentino on the YZR-M1 was hotheaded Mallorcan Jorge Lorenzo. The pairing proved unbeatable, adding two further world titles with Yamaha and an amazing 30 race wins to Rossi’s haul.


Kouichi Tsuji
YMC Motorsport Development Division, General Manager
“We can be very proud and happy to witness this incredible achievement today here in Motegi. Jorge delivered a perfect performance to give us our 200th Grand Prix victory, continuing in the long tradition of success that we have enjoyed now since 1972. For Yamaha it is also very special to be able to enjoy this victory here in Japan for our home Grand Prix.”


Lin Jarvis
Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director
“It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to celebrate our 200th Grand Prix victory here in Japan at our home race with such an incredible performance from Jorge Lorenzo. He totally dominated, not just the weekend, but also the race today under extreme pressure from his rivals. I’d like to say thanks to all of the riders and teams and all of the sponsors and partners and everyone involved in bringing us these memorable victories over the years. May we go on to 201 in Valencia!”


Jorge Lorenzo
“It's a very special day, to be the rider to get the 200 wins is a great honour. To win at Honda’s home race is even more special! It was a very difficult race today, they were very close but I never gave up and tried to be even faster, brake harder and open the gap more. Finally I was able to make a little gap. We are very proud of this victory, for the result, for the circumstances and for the championship, it couldn’t be better.”


Source: yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Sam Lowes

The title comes just two weeks after British rider Sam Lowes took his Yakhnich Yamaha YZF-R6 to World Supersport title glory at the penultimate round of the championship in Magny Cours. Having taken the title Lowes kept the pressure on last weekend for the final round, taking victory in Jerez with his sixth win of the season yesterday to wrap up the year in style.

The two wins are just part of the Yamaha YZF-R6 story of supremacy in 2013, the World Supersport and British Supersport titles added to an impressive haul of global honours. The 2013 AMA Daytona Sportbike Championship in the USA was dominated by R6 rider Cameron Beaubier who won 12 of the 13 races, including the Daytona 200, on his Yamaha.

On the other side of the world in Australia Daniel Falzon claimed his second consecutive 2013 ASBK Supersport Championship on the 9th October in Phillip Island, keeping the Yamaha on top down under.

Back in Europe and the story was the same in France. Yamaha France’s Dark Dog Academy Yamaha rider Mathieu Gines completed a storming season to take title honours, an impressive 59 points clear of his closest rival Valentin Debise. Across the borders in Germany Kevin Wahr was doing the same, taking nine race wins to secure the IDM German Supersport Championship title on his R6.

Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Further disaster was also narrowly avoided when Marquez exited the pits just as Lorenzo passed down the straight at high speed, the two making contact into turn one. Luckily both were able to stay upright and continue. Lorenzo kept the pressure on and held the top spot for the remaining nine laps to claim the race win.

Rossi enjoyed yet another intense race long battle with rivals Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista. The three swapping positions in the fight for the last podium spot throughout the first ten laps and again in the following nine. Rossi completed a super fast pit stop, beating both out to gain two positions. As one of the most successful MotoGP riders of the modern era in Phillip Island it was never going to be easy for them to beat him, and they couldn’t. The Italian claimed third at the line to make it another double Yamaha podium.

The result leaves Lorenzo now on 280 points, 18 behind Marquez as they head to Motegi for the final of the triple-headers. Rossi stays secure in fourth position on 214 points, 35 ahead of Crutchlow in fifth.


Jorge Lorenzo

1st | 29'07.155 | 19 Laps
“I’m really happy with this win, we’ve also been lucky because Marc made this mistake. Without that he would have been second or first because he was really fast today. So we’ve been lucky but we were unlucky in the middle of the championship so today is a balance. When I was entering the first corner Marc was exiting the pit at exactly the same time, the situation was almost impossible to avoid. I was braking a little later to open the line and I don't think he was looking so much entering the corner so it was both our fault. Now we have options, if Marc keeps constant on the podium then it is impossible to win the championship but there are a lot of laps to go so anything could happen.

It’s unbelievable to have 50 Grand Prix victories at 26years old. It seems like only yesterday when I won in Brazil in 2003 but it’s been ten years. I’m very proud of it and hope to win some more in the future!”


Valentino Rossi

3rd | +12.344 | 19 Laps
“At the end the result was good, I’m so happy to be on the podium here at Phillip Island because it’s always a great pleasure and a great atmosphere. I tried to give the maximum, the race was very thrilling and I enjoyed it very much, especially because with the team we were able to do a very good job in the pit and gain two positions. I had a great battle with Cal, when I understood it was for the podium I tried to give the maximum. In the last half of the lap it started to rain which was very scary but at the end it was ok and a good result. We still need to work and improve to be faster for the next race.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“A perfect result, winning here is a dream for us after two tough races. With Marc making the mistake it opens the championship a little more as well. 18 points is a completely different story to nearly 40. We are very pleased with that.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“It has been an incredible race, Jorge didn't make any mistakes and led from the first to the last lap, always pushing hard. It was also nice to have the flag to flag in dry conditions and we got a lot of points to close the gap. There is only 18 points between them now so the championship is more open. We are looking to Motegi now to keep going and close it more. Vale did another great race, another double podium which is a great result for Yamaha. We had some doubts before the start of the race on grip but we got a great result.”
Alex

Evolution of the Species

By Alex in Yamaha News

Whilst the dirt and the tarmac require very different machines to be competitive Yamaha retains the same philosophy of development in both areas, exemplifying the company’s spirit of development in the quest to create not only Championship dominating machines but also innovation for the customers of the future.
Akrapovic


The 2013 YZR-M1, the M1 standing for ‘Mission One’, is the latest incarnation of an incredible machine that first broke cover in 2002 as MotoGP made the move from 500cc bikes.

Yamaha’s design philosophy has continued to move forward and evolve at the cutting edge of design off-road, most notably with some serious ‘forward’ thinking. When the current engine design development reached its limits Yamaha stepped outside the box and made a bold move. A revolutionary design change saw rearward and backward facing cylinders move the mass centralization, bringing the heaviest part of the bike closer to the middle for flickability.

The development doesn’t stop in Japan; Yamaha is very flexible in its approach to the advancement of the YZ off-road machines. A partnership with Michele Rinaldi in Italy started in 1992 has earned numerous victories and consistently class leading bikes. In 1995 the Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development program (YRRD) was founded, developing race-winning parts for the then two-stroke machines. Working to maximise the regulations in the racing class that opened up different possibilities for development, Rinaldi were able to develop a completely new crankcase for the YZ450F, gaining valuable performance benefits at the track during the 2001 season.

The collaboration to develop race-winning machines delivered Yamaha the first ever four-stroke world title in 1999 with Andrea Bartolini and is further exemplified by Stefan Everts total domination over six seasons from 2001 to 2006, including four back to back YZ450FM titles. Everts has since been joined by David Philippaerts who stormed to Championship victory in 2008 on the YZ450F.
YZ450F

Yamaha’s cutting edge design philosophy in racing remains very much focused on benefit not just on track but for future customers on the road. The OWP3 M1 engine developed for the 2004 MotoGP season featured the crossplane crankshaft for the first time. Valentino Rossi won the opening race with the bike at Welkom in South Africa, going on to win the title with a further eight victories. The MotoGP legend would cement the M1’s place in history with a further three premier class world titles. Current world champion Jorge Lorenzo would then add another two titles to this, giving Yamaha six MotoGP titles in the last ten years. Between them they helped Yamaha make history, taking the triple crown of rider, team and manufacturer titles for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010.

The YZR-M1’s technology has filtered to Yamaha’s production machines and the YZF-R1 appeared in 2009 with the crossplane crankshaft technology. American rider Ben Spies took Yamaha’s first World Superbike Championship victory with the new R1 in the same year, crowning the development journey from MotoGP prototype in 2004 to production dominance in 2009.

For a full range of photos from this unique photo shoot please check out http//www.yamaha-racing.com/Racing/motogp/photo/
Alex
Teammate Mickael Metge completed today’s stage in sixth position after a good ride to move up to sixth in the overall standings.

The two Yamaha riders started the Rally in good form with the prologue event on the 26th July in the city of Goiania, Metge completing the day in third with Despres just behind in fourth position. The Rally proper got underway the next day with stage two, an 84 kilometre ride between Goiania and Pirenópolis. The two were again not far from the front and repeated the first day with Metge taking third place and Despres fourth.
Mickael Metge

By the third stage it was clear to see Despres had adapted well to the Yamaha as he picked up the pace on the 287km trial between Pirenópolis and Uruaçu, finishing in second behind Coma and setting the scene for the following day’s stage victory.

Metge had a less fortunate third stage, the French rider missed a waypoint so doubled back, adding an extra 10km to his ride and finished in eighth as a result.

The Rally, which runs for nine days in total and covers 4,115km, will continue for a further six stages as it winds its way to Palmas before returning to Goiania on 3rd August.


Cyril Despres
“Today we were rewarded for the months of hard work the team have put in with a first stage victory here in Brazil on the Rally dos Sertoes. It’s a great boost for all of us, not only for those of us present on the race but also for everybody at Yamaha who believed in the project and who have been so solidly behind us. Obviously it isn’t a Dakar stage victory, let alone an outright Dakar victory, but it is an important milestone on the road to that ultimate ambition and I must admit today’s result has a special flavour to it. Not that we have much time to saviour it! Tomorrow is the first leg of a particularly tough 900 kilometres marathon stage and we have a lot of work to do, both on man and machine, to make sure we are in good shape for the challenge.”


Mickael Metge
“My result isn’t too bad and I’m really pleased for Cyril and the rest of the team, but the actual stage itself was a little frustrating for me. Yesterday evening they changed my GPS after it cut out on the special but it didn’t solve the problem and it cut out 7 times again today. In addition I rode much of the time in the dust, especially over the last 50 kilometres after the refuelling. Hopefully starting 6th on the road tomorrow it will be less of a problem and a new GPS antennae will solve the cutting out problem.”
Mickael Metge


Source www.yamaha-racing.com.
Alex
Potisek earned a top ten finish at Maggiora for the Italian round of the series last month and held the red plate early in the year in the competitive French national MX1 championship; a contest in which he today remains less than thirty points from first position. He is also a beach race specialist and was runner-up in the prestigious Enduropale Le Touquet event in February.

Frossard is aiming to be back on his factory YZ450F for the British Grand Prix next month after successful surgery on his left foot last week. The Frenchman had pins inserted in the two fractured metatarsals and the procedure enabled the bones to be closely set.

Frossard, the 2011 MX1 world championship runner-up, suffered the breaks during the Grand Prix of Finland last week and now must enter a period of convalescence and rehab to be strong enough to remount his works YZ and close-out a disrupted and desperately unlucky 2013 campaign.
Alex
Jorge Lorenzo successfully completed his weekend of damage limitation with an exhausting ride to sixth place. Still physically compromised following his two surgeries to his collarbone the Laguna race proved to be a big challenge for the world champion. Starting from sixth on the grid he initially made up two places to fourth, diving inside Dani Pedrosa on turn one for position. The race became a war of attrition for Lorenzo, battling to stay focused for the 32lap stint, eventually bringing it home in sixth place after a testing ride.

The podium finish leaves Rossi on 117 points in the standings in fourth position, 20points behind teammate Lorenzo. Lorenzo holds on to third place, now on 137 points, ten behind Pedrosa in second. The teams now take an extended break before returning to the USA for Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday 18th August.


Valentino Rossi 3rd
“At this track with the Yamaha we suffer a little more than the Hondas, but we worked very well in the practice, we tried everything and I could keep a good pace in the race until the end, not far from Bradl. I fought with Bautista but always stayed in front so I could take the third podium in a row. I am quite competitive and I am happy, it is a good result. Now we take some rest, we go on holiday and we try to take some rest for the second half of the season. Regarding the pass, I tried to resist but today wasn't the right day, Marc was too strong for me. Before the end of the season we will have another battle where I will be faster and I will give back the overtake for sure!”


Jorge Lorenzo 6th / 1'21.453 / 9 laps
“This was a difficult race because I am not in shape, one month or more without training and two general anaesthetics. I felt quite dizzy from the middle of the race to the end so my performance was getting worse. The bike was also not working the same as in warm up. Maybe with more temperature the tyres were working differently and I couldn't stop the same in the braking zones so I didn't have the same feeling and I was half a second slower. The important thing is that we saved a very dangerous situation because if I crashed again I might have finished my championship. We have one month to rest and train now to get back in shape which will be important for Indianapolis. I hope to be in almost perfect condition there and have the same performance as before the crash.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“A very crazy race, to do this with so few days recovery after twice breaking your collarbone is very inhuman. This is one of the most physical race tracks in the world. He clearly struggled in the race but he found a rhythm to not throw away too much energy in the beginning and try to keep a decent pace. It was a little bit up and a little bit down at times. Of course the result is great, we lose some points to Marc and Dani but this race was about damage control. We need to come back very strong for the last nine races.”


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“Overall a good weekend. We put a lot of effort in to find a best set up. Laguna is not the most suitable circuit for Yamaha. To get a podium with Vale is an important step for us. We have improved the bike which is very good for the coming races. Jorge I think proved again that he is really tough and determined. He could manage to finish sixth even with a lot of pain after his surgeries. I think we can leave here satisfied that we have done the best job possible in the circumstances.”
Alex
This wondrous search and thirst for torque quickly fed into a new format of the sport as 125, 250 and 500cc categories – classes that had come to define the shape of motocross across the decades from the 1960s to the end of the century – morphed into MX1 and MX2.

The four-stroke era blossomed from the early ‘00s. The bikes became lighter, more powerful and quieter and also influenced a generation of young and fast talent who learned a different style of motorcycle racing.



But were the marginalised two-strokes really on their last legs?

There might be discrepancies with the manufacturers with regards to the production of the engines – Yamaha is the only Japanese firm to still offer a comprehensive line-up from 85 to 250cc for example – but the controllers of the sport at FIM level and also in the burgeoning European Championships are putting the onus back on to the screamers.

At the root of motocross (and perhaps all motorcycling as off-road is normally the easiest first step for any youngster to twist a throttle) the two-stroke motorcycle didn’t quite die-off as expected. 65 and 85cc machinery provided a natural progression for those who had taken their initial steps with special and heartfelt bikes like the Yamaha PW50. Two-strokes were still the ideal entry level to the two-wheeled world as the bikes held aloft principals that stand strong to this day: manageable technology, low cost maintenance, lighter riding experience and skill-set building.

“Two-stroke motocross bikes are important to Yamaha, in particular for the kids and young customers in general,” affirms Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Yamaha Motor Europe’s Racing Manager. “They offer a relatively affordable start in the motocross world, are easy to maintain – for example by the father - and are a good base for youngsters to learn how to control the throttle. Sometimes I have the feeling that people think that only some European manufacturers still make two-strokes but Yamaha is offering a full range of very competitive YZ85, 125 and 250cc models.”
YZ125

Motocross in Europe is angled directly towards the FIM Motocross World Championship and sees the two-stroke playing an essential role in the path of any ambitious junior athlete or kid with eyes on professional status. Regional European series on 65s and 85s lead into the eight round EMX125cc championship that is run at Grand Prix events and on the best stage possible. The FIM and Youthstream – promoters of Grand Prix – even announced a new European Championship to sit alongside the MX1 and MX2 division from 2014 that will see two-strokes up to 300cc take to the line. Youth development has become a more important and visual side of any brand’s work in the sport over the past five years. With the MX2 class carrying an age limit of 23 years and the elevated status of the European competitions, teams like the Kemea Reytec Van de Laar Yamaha squad - that functions in EMX85, EMX125, EMX250 and MX2 – provide a well-supported and professional ‘ladder’ for aspiring racers. At the core of the Belgian team’s work is their attitude to the development of Frederik Van Der Vlist (Dutch) and Cyril Genot (Belgian). With two other important ingredients also in place: the YZ two-strokes and the presence of former GP winner Marnicq Bervoets.


“I think what we are doing here it is really good,” says the experienced and knowledgeable Belgian. “Two years ago I was working with a young kid who had to move straight onto a 250 four-stroke to continue his progress and you could see the difference in what he had to handle. They are heavier and more powerful, too much actually. Kids need a lighter bike to make a better step. They are still growing in their mid-teens and they might not be strong enough at that age for a four-stroke. There had to be a decent stage between moving from 85cc to the four-strokes and the 125 is pretty essential for that and their career. It is also important to try and avoid big injuries. I think it is a very good system now in terms of progression.”
Marnicq Bervoets


So far the team have enjoyed fruits of their labour with Peter Van de Laar looking after the tuning of the engines from his Dutch workshop. The highly-rated Genot is currently second in the 85cc Dutch Open Championship, scoring a double win in the last round and already catching the eye with his speed in the European regional series. Van Der Vlist is proving to be formidable force on Dutch soil and is leading the 125cc points table by a hefty margin. He is also third in the EMX125 standings with three of the eight rounds already in the bag. In France the YZ125 is the choice of more than half the field in the national series. The French Federation’s ‘L'equipe de Franc de motocross Espoir’ fields Nicolas Dercourt on a YZ125 and the teenager has finished on the podium in the last two rounds of the EMX125 contest after also lifting silverware in 2012 and currently lies fourth in the championship. All the youngster are making good progress on the YZs.


“The bikes are fast and hugely reliable and through our YRRD Rinaldi racing parts programme we offer 125cc kits which are very popular, particularly in France,” said Klein Koerkamp.

“The Yamaha YZ125 hasn’t changed that much out of Japan but we have a set-up with Yamaha Netherlands and Van der Laar with a different sub-frame and of course overall tuning and we are very competitive,” says Bervoets. “The development has been small but we have worked hard. Van der Laar is very interested in helping young riders on two-strokes. They are always tuning and working on the bikes but usually the modifications are small because it is not easy to make big steps with the engine. The power is good though and strong enough to be competitive and serve its purpose as being the next educational step. At the last EMX125 round in Latvia in early July we saw four YZ125s in the top ten, all with different tuning.”

“You know, kids can change so much and so quickly between the ages of 13 and 17,” continued Bervoets. “It is a crucial stage of a career and the two-stroke allows the riders to play more with the bike and develop their technique. Yamaha have the right approach with their two-stroke and four-stroke motorcycles. I hope one day manufacturers will bring modern two-strokes right up to the level alongside the advanced technology on the four-strokes so it means absolutely all riders have a good choice.”

Photos courtesy of Kemea Reytec Van de Laar Yamaha/Christophe Desmet and Max Zanzani
Alex
The result puts Rossi on 101 Championship points, six behind Crutchlow in fourth. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo now sits in third position in the Championship on 127 points having missed the race through injury. Despite the set back he is just 11 points behind leader Marquez.

No decision has yet been made for Lorenzo’s participation in the Laguna Seca race as he recovers from yesterday’s collarbone surgery in Barcelona. His team will travel to the USA and set up as normal should the reigning World Champion decide to ride in next weekend’s Grand Prix.


Valentino Rossi 3rd / +9.620
“It's a good result, to stay on the podium is always a good result but I expected something more and to do a better race. During the weekend we made some choices, yesterday we decided to set up the bike in one way and today after some laps I started to suffer too much. The first ten laps were not so bad but after I started to have problems and it was too difficult to turn the bike, especially on the left I was sliding too much. We have to work to try and make another step to stay with the top guys. Next we will have Laguna, a very special track, and we will try to have better results there. We are five very fast riders and we are closer now because unfortunately Dani and Jorge are injured and we have another race next week. If I want to fight for the Championship I have to go faster and I have to be constantly faster so I have to make another step.”


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“We worked the entire weekend to manage the tyre life in the best way possible but we couldn't make it as we wanted. We had a decent pace and in the end we got a podium, that is an important result and we got points. We knew at the beginning that this circuit was not one of the favourites for us and we had to manage it. We are looking forward to Laguna to fight for the positions that we are used to be fighting for. We are pleased that Jorge’s surgery was completed successfully yesterday and we wish him a very speedy recovery. We have made no decision yet on when he will return to race however we will bring his crew to Laguna to be prepared for any eventuality.”


Crutchlow and Smith equal season best in Germany
Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith equalled their season best results at Germany’s Sachsenring today, the British duo storming to a fantastic double top six finish for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.

Crutchlow raced to an outstanding fourth podium in the last five races to continue his amazing record-breaking exploits in the 2013 World Championship, while Smith showed tremendous speed and consistency to secure a second top six finish in his rookie campaign. On form Crutchlow produced a scintillating surge through the field after he’d been dropped back to sixth in a frenetic opening to the 30-lap race. The 27-year-old’s brilliant charge gathered momentum on lap four when he dived underneath Alvaro Bautista to slot into fourth at the final corner. He then pressured home crowd favourite Stefan Bradl into a mistake at the final corner on lap 10 to move into the top three. With adrenaline and the non-stop action taking his mind of numerous cuts, bruises and friction burns he suffered in two heavy practice crashes, he then executed a brave but perfect pass on Valentino Rossi at Turn 12 on lap 16 to snatch second. At that stage of the race, Marc Marquez had established a comfortable advantage of 2.8s. But demonstrating his never give up attitude and fighting spirit, Crutchlow launched a relentless pursuit of the Spaniard that kept fans on the edge of their seats right to the chequered flag. Crutchlow narrowed the gap to 1.5s but Marquez was unflappable, though Crutchlow’s second place helped him secure another personal milestone in his third premier class season. Today's result saw him become the first British rider to score four or more podium MotoGP finishes since the legendary Barry Sheene in 1982.


Not be to be outdone, Smith’s eye-catching ride ensured he played an important role in a landmark result, with today’s race the first time two British riders have finished inside the top six in a premier class encounter since the Donington Park round back 1993. Starting from seventh on the grid, the 22-year-old held onto that place while he was comfortably able to streak away from a chasing pack that included MotoGP race winners Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden.

He moved into the top six on lap seven and feeling comfortable and confident on the YZR-M1 machine he pushed hard to try and bridge a gap of close to three seconds to Bautista in fifth. He kept the Spaniard firmly in his sights throughout the race but was happy to settle for a richly deserved top six.

The most pleasing aspect for the rookie was the 25-second gap to race winner Marquez, which was the closest Smith has finished to first place in 2013, and provides further proof of his rapidly growing confidence with the YZR-M1 machine.


Cal Crutchlow 2nd– 107 points :
“I am really happy to be on the podium again because it was a hard race in my physical condition. The two crashes in practice took a lot out of me but I dug deep and it is great to get another podium for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. I actually made a really good start but I had to roll off the throttle when Marc came towards me and that cost me a few places. The bike worked really well in the first few laps and I was able to fight my way through and I really enjoyed it. In the second half of the race the bike felt great and I was fast. I came on strong and pulled away from Valentino and I did absolutely everything I could to close down Marc. I couldn’t have done anything more but credit to him because he didn’t make a mistake, he controlled the gap to me very well and he deserved to win. I just kept on pushing and at the end second is another fantastic result. It is my fourth podium and I am not so far back in the Championship, so I can’t really ask for anything more. Now we go to Laguna trying to fight for another podium and hopefully that first win.”


Bradley Smith 6th– 51 points :
“I am truely happy with this sixth place. I got a good start and I was really pleased with my pace for most of the race. It is particularly pleasing because this is a track where I expected to struggle more because it has a lot of left-hand corners and you are constantly pushing with the left part of your body. That’s where my injury is but I felt strong for the whole race. I’m also pleased that we managed to reduce the gap to the winner by another seven seconds and I think 25 seconds is not too bad at the moment. There were so many positives but I had a little bit of an issue with rear grip and I think we can still improve our setting to make that better. I still believe I did a really good job and now the next objective is to get closer to Bautista on the satellite Honda. This result has given me a lot of confidence and I am really looking forward to going to Laguna Seca. It is a very difficult track and while I did test there earlier this year on a production bike I am still expecting a tough weekend.”
Alex
While his teammate rightly deserved the honours for an amazing victory, Jorge Lorenzo also shone today. The World Champion gave everything he had and more, defying the pain from collarbone surgery just 36 hours ago in a heroic effort to race. Lorenzo had started from 12th on the grid but had risen to eighth by turn three. By the second lap he had climbed to fifth and was chasing down satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow in fourth. With 23 laps to go he had passed Crutchlow and began to close the gap to Marquez in third. As the laps wound down exhaustion set in and with 11 to go Lorenzo was re-passed by Crutchlow. With grim determination he managed to maintain pace for fifth position and rolled into the Yamaha pits to an applauding team. The remarkable feat means Lorenzo holds second in the Championship and is just nine points behind Pedrosa as they head to Sachsenring in two weeks time.

Valentino Rossi 1st / 41'25.202 / 26 Laps
“Today was something special, this is one of the best victories in my career because it is one of the most wanted and expected for such a lot of time. I’m so happy because I won a real race where all my opponents were very strong and very fast, apart from Jorge with his injury. It was great from the beginning, I had a good feeling, I could overtake on braking and I felt good on the bike. It was difficult but the finish line was calling me so I had to arrive as fast as possible. We have made a step with the bike, I can ride in a better way so we have to try and stay with the top guys every weekend. Jorge rode an incredible race, we have to say a special great congratulations because he had great courage to do this and also he made an important step for his Championship.”

Jorge Lorenzo 5th / +15.510 / 26 Laps
“It would have been impossible to believe some minutes after my crash that this could happen. We were brave to make the operation the same day, if I had waited to Friday the doctors would not have let me race. We made the race today and I was very brave in the first laps because passing the riders with a collarbone like this under braking was really hard. I felt quite good physically at the beginning of the race but after lap seven every lap was worse; it was more difficult to change direction, to brake and to accelerate so I couldn't do more than fifth position. We only lost two points to Dani who is leading the Championship. This fifth position is better than any victory I have had in my career. I hope to have a good recovery for Germany, I will not be 100% but I hope to be better than here. The victory for Valentino and the third for Crutchlow are good for the Championship, I would have preferred Cal to finish in front of Marc but you can’t always have perfection! I am happy for Valentino, more than two years without winning has been hard for him so I’m happy for my box partner. After Aragon I think he made some improvements and here he took profit from the opportunity. Lets see what happens in Sachsenring as last year we had some issues and the Hondas were strong but I think if I can improve my physical condition I can be more competitive than this race.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“If you would have asked me a quote before the race I would have said we need to finish and get some points. To fight for the first fifteen laps at least and to be there with the front boys was unbelievable for Jorge. Finishing fifth, having Vale winning the race and having Cal also on the podium is great for Yamaha. The result is great for us as we lose just two points to Dani. I think that is what this race was all about, damage control, we had to try to finish and for sure not to crash.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“It has been a double victory today, so great for both results. Vale is back with a victory after two years and eighth months and the last one was also with Yamaha so it has been a great result for all of us. We were also able to gain some points against our competitors so for me it was a very special victory. Jorge did something really incredible. He showed he has the determination that is not normal. That he could race having had surgery just two days ago, has been very impressive, I know what a rider can physically feel when you are on the bike and injured. At the end we also only lost two points to Pedrosa. For me this is going to be an unforgettable weekend. We will leave this place in a really good mood and for sure we are going to start the next weekend totally full gas.”
Alex
The Italian circuit enjoyed a Grand Prix reawakening as it welcomed the FIM series for the first time this century. The steep hills housed a typically hard-pack terrain but the corner ruts were still long, deep and hard and the bumps ensured a degree of technical challenge under high temperatures.

Charlier set the fastest lap in the second moto as he rode similar races; recovering ground from top ten starts to make some effective overtaking moves and registering 5th and 6th positions. The Corsican needs a little more aggression in the vital formative phases of the motos to vie for his second podium of the season but his consistency has become a strength and he now hold fourth in the championship; 24 points from his goal of reaching a top three slot.

Dean Ferris was less than two seconds from a second consecutive pole position on Saturday but was still able to enjoy the second pick in the gate for the 35 minute and 2 lap motos. The Australian had a problem with his front suspension in the first race that prevented him forcing a top five result; ending the distance in 7th. ‘111’ pushed in customary fashion in the next sprint and again breached the top seven with the same ranking. He is sixth in the MX2 table.

Mel Pocock was limping around the paddock with a sore right heel as a consequence of his accident at the French GP last week. The Briton lodged a decent top ten finish with 8th place at the first time of asking but suffered a big ‘one’ in the second moto descending one of the downhills and managed to arrive to the chequered flag in sixteenth and holds eleventh in the MX2 standings. Maxime Desprey was unlucky to suffer a mechanical glitch in the first race and then struggled to cope with the track after a mediocre start and registered just one point for 20th. The French youngster is fifteenth in his rookie GP term.

Maggiora also entertained round three of seven for the women and Kiara Fontanesi faced little opposition in her quest for a perfect first half of her FIM title defence. Maggiora went crazy for their local star and ‘Fonta’ responded in kind with a confident and error-free run to a memorable victory. She leads the standings by 32 points.

The Uddevalla circuit north of Gothenburg will once more host the Grand Prix of Sweden and round ten of the series on July 1st.
Alex
The third round of the FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship on the island of Sardegna took place over five days of special stages covering a total of 1600km with over 800km of special stages. The route took the 74 competitors from Alghero to Arborea, Chia and Sa Itria before finishing in San Teodoro.

Having announced the new partnership with Yamaha just last week, Despres used the rally to get to grips with the YZ450F based machine and get used to racing again having not competed since the Dakar in January. Despres was quick to show the potential of the Yamaha in Sardegna, completing the first day of the five-day competition in second position, just 55 seconds behind the leader. Botturi was also on the pace, riding a standard WR450F with only minor modifications to suspension, fuel tank and exhaust, he finished the day in third overall behind Despres and just over a minute from the leader. The second day of two special stages saw strong performances again from the Yamaha pair with Botturi leading overall and Despres in third just 58 seconds behind.

The second stage of the third day saw both Yamaha riders overcome a time loss after a mix up at an assistance point. Despite the setback Despres fought back to complete the day second overall with Botturi again behind in third. Botturi shone on day four, making up for lost time on the first stage the Italian was a potential stage winner until running out of fuel metres from the finish line. He made up for it by winning the second stage of the day. Despres was unfortunate to fall on the fourth day and bang his head but was able to continue, losing some time but holding third position overall.

Botturi saved the best for last, taking his Yamaha WR450F to the top of the final day’s standings with a lead of 1’22 seconds to secure fifth overall in the Rally. Despres was just over two minutes behind in fourth position, confirming fourth overall, just 11 seconds off third place on the podium. Italian Yamaha rider Andrea Mancini finished the final day in fifth position, making it three Yamahas in the top five standings.


Cyril Despres
“To be perfectly honest I was a little bit surprised to have finished second on the first day after just one day’s competition aboard my new Yamaha– it certainly wasn’t on the programme! My priority was just to get a feel for the bike and get used to racing again after not having ridden a bike in anger since January. Of course I’m a racer at heart and so never happier than when competing and then there was the pleasure of discovering the YZ450F.
Of course I am disappointed to have missed the final podium by just 11 seconds but over five days that’s nothing, a couple of micro-errors of navigation. But as they say in this game, ‘that’s rally-raid’, there are always plenty of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. At least I can console myself with the knowledge that I didn’t make many mistakes yesterday and was able to fight hard all the way to the end. For me the rally was lost a couple of days ago and here, once you have given away time, it’s very hard to pull it back again. Looking at the bigger picture, the really positive aspect of these last five days has been how good I have felt on my new bike. I’d only done a few practice hours on the Yamaha YZ450F before coming here but now I have a much better understanding of how the machine functions and coming away from Sardegna my impressions are extremely positive. Obviously there is plenty of work still left to do on our Dakar bike but both the Yamaha’s engine and chassis are really strong and those are the essential ingredients of any bike. Now we will go back to France and start getting ready for next month’s Rally dos Sertoes which is an event much closer, both geographically and in format, to the Dakar and therefore a much more useful open-air laboratory.”


Alessandro Botturi
“I am satisfied, I did all I could, I cannot complain for anything or ‘give blame to bad luck’. The final day was especially a good day; I expressed myself during the race and those who wanted have seen it. At the end I was pushing a lot, and a slide with such a pace can happen. Congratulations to the winners, Marc, Paul and Joan, who earned their successes. I raced this Rally thanks to the team GB Spare parts, the extraordinary mechanical and strategist Franco Picco and Yamaha Italy who made the WR450F available. I still have something to complete here, and next year I will be here to settle.”


Credit yamaha-racing.com
Alex
Jorge Lorenzo, 1st
“The conditions and the circumstances were good for us and I didn't make a mistake, I made my best performance even if the conditions were much hotter than this morning. We are still struggling so much when the conditions get hotter. Anyway the key of the race was in the middle where I improved my riding, I was able to brake later with less fuel in the tank so I was able to improve the lap time by two tenths, from this moment Dani gave up a little pace and I could get away and win the race, more or less like last year. It’s very special; I won the last three years here so this track is magic for me and very positive for Yamaha. It also reminds us to keep working on the bike as at the tracks which are not so flowing like Mugello we will struggle. I’m very happy to give this win to Yamaha Motor Racing President Shigeto Kitagawa because this was his last race here in Grand Prix, as he will retire. He has done a great job for the team in the last years and it is a big loss for us. I hope he will enjoy the different life he will have. Our president Yanagi-san is also lucky for me, I won the 2010 Championship in Malaysia when he was there on the track and again today a victory with his presence.”


Valentino Rossi, DNF
“Unfortunately in the start I had a problem with the clutch spinning and I lost two or three positions. Then I was attacking because we had a good pace and I was fast. On the second corner I was on the outside already in front of Bautista. For me, from the inside he opened the throttle to close the line so he doesn't lose another position but I was already in front so he came to me and took me on the boot. I was lucky because it was a bad crash and I arrived at the wall but I’m ok. We will try next week in Barcelona, but it is a pity because firstly it is Mugello and secondly I think we could have done a good race and maybe arrived on the podium.”


Crutchlow storms to majestic Mugello podium
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow stormed to a second successive podium in 2013 after a fantastic late attack in today's Italian MotoGP race was rewarded with a richly deserved third position. The British rider quickly seized fourth position from former Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Andrea Dovizioso on the second lap, but leading trio Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez had already established a lead of over one second. Crutchlow showed tremendous fighting spirit and blistering speed in the second half of the 23-lap race to superbly cut into a big advantage held by Pedrosa and Marquez, who were locked in an exciting battle for second. The 27-year-old's stunning charge paid off when Marquez was unfortunate to tumble out of second with just three laps remaining, just as Crutchlow was sizing up an attack on Pedrosa.

With a brilliant third place secured to follow up his career best second in Le Mans last time out, Crutchlow called off his pursuit of Pedrosa to collect 16 priceless World Championship points that consolidated his fourth position in the rankings.

Award for the bravest and most courageous ride of the day went to outstanding rookie Bradley Smith, who demonstrated amazing determination to bounce back from two heavy crashes ahead of the fifth round of the Championship. Nursing a nasty left hand injury after a heavy fall in Friday's FP2, Smith suffered another bruising crash during this morning's warm-up session. Way below his peak physical condition, it seems nothing can knock the 22-year-old's confidence and he showed he has desire and determination to match his talent by riding his YZR-M1 machine to a heroic top 10.

Smith, who will undergo skin graft surgery in San Marino to repair damage to his left little finger tomorrow (Monday), finished in ninth position and he will now begin a period of rest and recuperation to be in the best physical condition for the next race in Catalunya.


Cal Crutchlow, 3rd
"I am really happy to be back on the podium because Mugello is one of the blue riband races on the calendar and that makes it feel a bit more special. It is an awesome result and I have to pay a big tribute to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew who did an incredible job this weekend. I've not felt comfortable on the bike but today they gave me a package that was really competitive. In the second half of the race I was really strong and consistent and I could see for the last 10 laps I had the pace that was bringing me closer to Dani and Marc. I was in a really fast and consistent rhythm but I hate to be gifted a podium like that. I'm sorry Marc crashed because he was doing an amazing job again but to be honest I felt I could have caught Dani and taken third anyway. When I saw Marc crash I slowed down to not risk losing a second podium in a row, which is a fantastic achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and me. I'm fourth in the Championship, top non-factory rider again, so it has been another great way to finish the weekend and continue our very strong start to the season."


Bradley Smith, 9th
"To be honest ninth position was obviously a really good result considering the circumstances of today. This morning's crash was the last thing I needed, so to be able to go the whole race distance with just one mistake was positive for me. I had a lot of problems with my left hand as well as with my wrist and it was magnified with Mugello being such physically demanding track. So I believe I did a really good job. It would have been good to beat (Aleix) Espargaro at the end but considering the whole weekend I should be satisfied with another top 10 result. After a very difficult weekend for my body I just need to rest as much as I can to put me in the best possible condition for Barcelona. We still learned a lot during these tough days, especially from the big crashes, but I suppose that's all part of the game on my way to becoming a better MotoGP rider."
Alex
Top billing went to Yakhnich Yamaha Motorsport’s Sam Lowes in the World Supersport class. The young British rider shot to pole position in Saturday’s qualifying with a blistering 1'38.375, making it three from three for the 2013 season so far and his seventh career pole. The race itself saw Lowes and rival Kenan Sofuoglu contest a tight two-man battle for the lead, the riders swapping lead repeatedly and rarely more than 0.3 seconds apart over the 21-lap run. Lowes saved the best for the end, taking the inside line through the final chicane on the final lap to take victory on his Yamaha YZF-R6. The result puts Lowes in third position, just nine points away from Fabien Foret at the top of the standings.

Sam Lowes
“I always enjoy the battle with Kenan and Fabien. The team and Yamaha really deserved this; they’ve given me a really fantastic bike all year so thank you very much to everyone. I think Kenan and I tried many things on the last lap so I’m really happy to come out on top.”

MTM Racing Team Yamaha’s Gauthier Duwelz took his second consecutive pole position in qualifying on his R6 with a 1’42.255. Guwelz dominated the entire session, the Belgian rider consistently dropping his time in response to any potential threat. Duwelz’s teammate Adrian Nestorovic was also clearly enjoying the challenge of the Assen circuit on his R6, wrapping up qualifying just 0.222 seconds behind the pole sitter. The incident packed race proved to be a hotly contested duel between the two teammates at the front with Duwelz ultimately emerging the victor after a decisive move on the final lap. The result keeps Duwelz firmly at the top of the Superstock 600 standings.

MTM Yamaha Team Owner Ludo van der Veeken
“It’s been a really positive weekend, very successful. After the practices we discussed with both riders about our race approach. There were no team orders but we expected both riders to ride fairly and take no high risks to overtake a teammate if the other is clearly faster. Both riders rode very professionally, and we are very proud of the 1-2 results. Now we have to stay focused, it’s nice to win both first races but it’s a long season.”

Source: yamaha-racing.com
Alex
It was mission accomplished for Bradley Smith in the 21-lap race as he gained priceless experience by guiding his YZR-M1 machine home to his first point scoring finish in his rookie campaign. Opting to run Bridgestone’s hard compound front tyre for the first time all weekend, Smith gradually built up his confidence and an impressive charge in the second half of the race saw him set a personal best lap of 2.06.415 on the penultimate lap to finish in 12th position. That was 0.3s faster than his best qualifying lap and the confidence and experience gained this weekend means Smith heads to Jerez next month optimistic that he can battle for a maiden top 10 finish.


Cal Crutchlow, 4th
“I’m very pleased and we did a better job than any of us expected before we arrived in Texas. With no testing here I was worried that it would be more of a struggle and the fire in the garage on Wednesday meant we couldn’t do any of our normal preparation work. So to finish fourth and be behind Marquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo is a great achievement for all of us and I want to say a massive thanks to my crew. We qualified well and I rode very well in the race and the most pleasing aspect was my consistency. Unfortunately I ran wide while trying to pass Bradl but I managed to fight my way back through and I was running the same speed as Lorenzo for a long time and that gives me a lot of confidence to take into the next few races. I’m giving it my all and I’ll never give up and I think this weekend again we showed how competitive the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 package is. Now we go to Jerez and I was quickest at the winter test a few weeks ago, so it is going to be another big battle that I’m excited about.”


Bradley Smith, 12th
“I am really happy to finish the race because what I learned over a full race distance was priceless. I ran the hard front tyre on the advice of Bridgestone and while it was definitely the right choice, it took me a few laps to understand how it was working. The last thing I needed was to push too hard and make another mistake like in Qatar but the best thing about the race is I got faster and faster. I was quicker as in qualifying on the penultimate lap of the race, and that’s a sign of how much better I was riding the bike. I am learning more and more about the bike on each lap and I can go to Jerez now confident that I can be even more competitive and the goal will be to get closer to the top 10. Finally I can’t praise my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team enough. After the garage fire on Wednesday night it really put everybody on the back foot, but we all rallied round and it is nice to see both Cal and I finish in the points to reward their hard work."


Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“That was a very good first race here in Texas and Cal did an amazing job. He was in a very hard battle in the early laps and after he ran off the track his recovery was fantastic. He was back on his pace immediately and he brilliantly passed both Bradl and Bautista, even though it was clear that they had a very competitive package at this track. What was very impressive was the way Cal pulled away and he was able to run the same pace as Lorenzo in front of him, which is not an easy task and something he should be really proud of. Bradley also had a good race and he did exactly what he had to do after the crash in Qatar. He was calm at the beginning but once his confidence grew he got faster and faster and at the end he was as quick as a lot of those inside the top 10. This will give him a big boost and also the experience he is lacking, so we can look forward to an even stronger challenge from him in the next few races. Cal and Bradley did an awesome job but so did the whole Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. We didn’t test here and that put us at a disadvantage and after the fire on Wednesday night our preparations were far from ideal. So to get this result in a crucial race for Yamaha and Monster Energy is extremely satisfying.”
Alex
Having started form eighth on the grid, Valentino Rossi got involved in an early fight with the mid pack, including riders Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl, eventually bettering the German rider to move up and hold on to sixth place to the finish line. Rossi had to contend with a vibration from his front brakes during the race and had battled all weekend to find the best setup for the demanding circuit. The result places him in fourth place in the overall standings with 30 points, 3 behind Dani Pedrosa in third.


Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd
“Yesterday we were so far from Marc and Dani but this morning in the warm up we found something. The hairpin corners we normally take in first gear we made in second so it improved a lot the feeling and the acceleration, but it was not enough. Just a little bit more, maybe two tenths quicker and I could have fought with Dani and Marc. Today third position was the best we could do. I want to congratulate Cal who didn't give up until the end and also Marc, he’s the youngest rider in history to win a Grand Prix; he is a phenomenon. It’s an important day for me; I never thought to get this unbelievable number of podiums so today is a magic day. Time flies very quickly, it seems like it was just yesterday that I got my first victory, which was my first podium in Brazil in 2003 ten years ago and now today my 100th.”


Valentino Rossi, 6th
“This is a difficult track for us. We expected to do better, but I had a lot of problems in the race because I had a problem with the brakes. I had a vibration in braking because I lost one part of a disc so this didn't help. We knew that we had to defend here; we know that when we cannot attack we need to try and arrive in the top five but today it was sixth. The balance of the first two races is positive and we arrive in Jerez optimistic for the next few races as the tracks are better for us.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“This was our target, to be on the podium. To be honest to be just three seconds behind the lead is very nice. When you are ten seconds behind and you finish third you are quite happy but if it’s just three seconds you think you might have been able to get a bit more. Apart from that we must be very pleased with the result, to be on the podium was our target and that will continue to be our target for the next couple of races. We struggled a lot here and everyone could see our competitors were strong; we had it the other way round in Qatar. Let’s hope at the end of the season that the balance is in our favour.”


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“We knew since the beginning that this race was going to be really tough for us but I think the team has worked really well and we could manage it in the best way. To finish third, with only three second gap to the leader is for me really good. Jorge did a really intelligent race without a lot of risk. Now we are going back to Europe where the circuits are more suitable to our M1. Vale’s team worked really hard to try and fit the bike to his riding style; they improved the bike through each practice. Unfortunately we made another step from the warm up to the race that didn't work as we expected. He also had a vibration on the front from his brakes. I think we are leaving Austin in a really good shape and we are really looking forward to the Jerez race.”
Alex
The 2011 MX1 vice-champion had a pin inserted in the foot to stabilise the break on Easter Monday in Belgium, the day of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Frossard has since been recuperating and felt comfortable enough to throw his leg over the works YZ450FM to ride on Wednesday with a special protective plate inserted in his boot. After some rigorous laps ‘183’ gave his team the thumbs-up.

“The operation went well and it wasn’t long before I started to feel good with my foot,” he said. “I was hopeful of going to Italy and was keen to try the bike with the special modification I have in my boot. From the time around the track I knew I would be able to ride at the weekend. I cannot say what my goal will be but I want to get my season moving in the right direction.”

Ferris has been riding his YZ250F this week and will use proceedings at Arco di Trento to reignite his assault on the MX2-GP category after a sensation podium at Losail in Qatar for the championship opener.

Source www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex
In the Supersport class it was Mar-Train Yamaha’s new signing Stuart Easton making the title challenge clear, The YZF-R6 rider taking the chequered flag in the first race, just 0.255 seconds ahead of closest rival Billy McConnell. Easton’s teammate Glenn Irwin was only six seconds behind him over the line in seventh place. The win from Easton places him fourth in the standings ahead of Thruxton in a week’s time, despite a DNF in yesterday’s second Supersport race.

James Ellison
“It was great to bounce back in the second one from the schoolboy error in the first race as it was really disappointing. I had a bit of a moment at Graham Hill Bend and I thought that was going to be enough for Shakey to try and make a move but we were lucky and held onto it. I really enjoyed being out the front with the other guys and full credit to the Milwaukee Yamaha team as we have had an impressive start to the season.”

Stuart Easton
“I expected Ben Wilson to be aggressive but I got past him though was always expecting him to lunge through at me, then I heard a Triumph up behind me. I was doing my best to stay consistent and it is so good to win first time back."

Source www.yamaha-racing.com.
Alex
Valentino Rossi proved he still hasn’t lost his magic in tonight’s race, thrilling fans with a sensational run to claim second on the podium, completing a Yamaha Factory Racing one-two finish with his teammate Lorenzo. Rossi made sure his first race back with Yamaha was one to be remembered, having started from seventh on the grid he quickly moved up to fourth only to mistime a pass on Andrea Dovizioso and drop back to seventh again. By lap eight he was charging back up the field, closing down a gap of over three seconds to catch the podium battle and join the fight for Qatar honours. The nine-time World Champion dispatched fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow and Honda rival Dani Pedrosa before entering into a fantastic duel with MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez in the final laps for second place. Rossi emerged from the battle the victor, crossing the line in second position just under six seconds behind Lorenzo to take 20 Championship points.


Jorge Lorenzo 1st
“Half an hour before the race I felt a little bit nervous so I had to really concentrate and relax on the grid. I knew it was going to be difficult to open a gap but I had to try, I made a good start and pushed more than 100%. In the beginning it was hard to open the gap as Pedrosa didn’t want to let me get away, he tried to stay with me but after six or seven laps I opened the gap which made me more confident to keep my pace. I’m very happy for Yamaha and happy for Valentino as he has now passed two difficult years.”


Valentino Rossi - 2nd
“I’m more than happy, very happy indeed because it was my dream to come back with Yamaha. To arrive on the podium at the first race was my target from November and I put all my effort to arrive at the maximum here. It was a difficult weekend, especially yesterday in qualifying, but I know I had great pace so I tried to recover in the beginning but I made a mistake and I lost time. I had to do a great second part of the race and step by step I came close to my podium. In the end there was a great battle, especially with Marc for the second place. I’m so happy for me, for my team, for my friends and all my fans who stay with me through two difficult years and also for Yamaha, to start the season with first and second place is not so bad!”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“What a terrific start to the season, we are of course very pleased with the result. There are 17 races to go and it looks like it will be a fantastic season. The first race is always quite important to get a little advantage and have a good feeling. To have your first win for Jorge and of course second with Vale is great for the team and for the spirit because it will be a long season as we know so for everybody it's a big boost. We go to Austin now where we struggled a bit in the test but we have improved the bike already quite a bit. Hopefully we’ll be able to close the gap and have a good race there as well.”


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“I have to say that this weekend started very well and finished even better. We couldn’t expect anything more. We won the race with a big gap and we finished second with Vale after he made an incredible comeback. I think the team did a really great job since Sepang test one, making the bike better and better and I thin this result is the icing on the cake. Everyone put in a lot of effort so I have to make a big thank you to then all. This is the best way to start the season and we won’t give up to until the end.”



2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 02/04/2013
race I
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 42'39.802
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'05.990
3 Marquez Marc Honda ESP 0'06.201
4 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'09.473
5 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'18.764
6 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 0'22.148
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'24.355
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0'24.920
9 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 0'37.124
10 Ben Spies Ducati USA 0'44.908
11 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 0'49.809
12 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 0'56.495
13 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'09.599
14 Yonny Hernandez ART COL 1'10.742
15 Hiroshi Aoyama FTR JPN 1'13.600

MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 1 of 18
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 25
2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 20
3. Marquez Marc Honda ESP 16
4. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 13
5. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 11
6. Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 10
7. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 9
8. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 8
9. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 7
10. Ben Spies Ducati USA 6
11. Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 5
12. Randy De Puniet ART FRA 4
13. Hector Barbera FTR ESP 3
14. Yonny Hernandez ART COL 2
15. Hiroshi Aoyama FTR JPN 1
Alex
Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time - 1'56.685
“It's a very good way to start the season, on top. To have three Yamahas in the first three positions like in Jerez means this track can be positive for us. We need to improve though because the other guys will come in the next practice. We’ll make the step little by little by riding, improving the bike and also the track will improve. Today we tried both bikes and tomorrow we will try the new chassis here.”

Valentino Rossi - 3rd, Time - 1'56.756
“The first practice was very positive for us, we are in third position and we are very close to Jorge. Our pace was ok, especially because I used just one set of tyres to understand if I could be fast with a lot of laps. The setting and balance of the bike is good so it looks like we can be competitive.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“Our position is good, especially as the track is quite tricky and dirty, off line it’s quite slippery, but that’s normal here. To be on top and see the competitors struggling a little is good. It’s not what we want to be just yet but we have to be satisfied in first position.”
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“It’s a good beginning and the bike is working very well. This circuit is really suits the YZR-M1. To see both riders consistently leading the practices means something positive. Well check the data now and make some small adjustments and see where we can go. The start has been good!”


Crutchlow stars on opening night in Qatar
The 2013 MotoGP World Championship roared into action tonight, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow one of the leading lights in the season's opening practice session at the floodlit Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The British rider was immediately battling for the top three in a session run in warm but windy conditions, which meant grip levels were far from ideal with sand and dust being blown onto the 5. 38km track surface from the surrounding desert landscape. An indication of how tricky track conditions were was reflected on the timesheets, with Crutchlow's best pace of 1.56.743 some way off the fastest race lap set by Casey Stoner in 2012 of 1.55.541. Full of confidence after setting the quickest time during last month's final pre-season test session at the Jerez track in Spain, Crutchlow continued his impressively fast form tonight to help Yamaha take a clean sweep of the top three in the 45-minute session. A 1.57.795 put him inside the top three and he was able to improve his pace by over a second to keep nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi at bay and secure a stunning second position behind current title holder Jorge Lorenzo.

Tonight's session saw Bradley Smith make his competitive debut for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, the British rider making solid progress throughout the session and finished just outside of the top 10 on an encouraging opening night. The British rider dedicated the majority of his time on track to learning lines and braking markers on the YZR-M1 machine, which has never ridden at the Losail International Circuit. Smith completed 18 laps and gaining confidence throughout he ended the session with a best pace of 1.58.369 that put him on the brink of the top 10 in 11th and ahead of Andrea Iannone and Ben Spies.

Crutchlow and Smith will continue their preparations for the unique night race tomorrow evening when two further practice sessions are held under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights.


Cal Crutchlow - 2nd, Time - 1'56.743
“It was a very good first session on a personal level with me finishing second and also for Yamaha with a clean sweep of the top three. As is always the case on the first night in Qatar the track was quite dirty, particularly off the racing line. Even on the racing line it was quite slippery but I am happy to be right in the mix from the start. We need to make some changes to the bike for tomorrow because I felt we had too much weight transfer on braking and acceleration but I've got to be happy to finish in second and ending up in between Jorge and Valentino. Second place is great but I am not reading too much into it. As the track conditions improve some of the rest will get faster and it is still going to be very tough to be on the podium. I am looking forward to the race and being so competitive from the sta rt certainly gives my confidence another lift and helps me carry on the momentum gained in testing.”

Bradley Smith - 11th, Time – 1'58.368
"I'm really happy with my performance in my very first practice session in MotoGP. It's nice just to get rid of the initial nerves and tension that has been building up as you get ready for the beginning of the season. With such little time on track in 45 minutes we didn't tweak the bike too much. I just wanted to get familiar with the track because the lines and braking points are completely different to what I am used to in Moto2. Being on track with the rest of the field at the same time helps because I can pick up some pointers and I'll watch a video of the session again to understand where I can improve and be faster for FP2 and FP3, where it will be important to finish in the top 10 for the new qualifying format. I'm satisfied with my posit ion though and I am not a million miles behind Nicky and 1.6s off the best pace is the closest I have been since I first rode this bike, so that shows I am moving in the right direction.”


Qatar Free Practice 1 Times:
1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.685s
2. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 56.743s
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 1m 56.756s
4. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.276s
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.538s
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 57.601s
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 1m 57.670s
8. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 57.749s
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 57.843s
10. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 57.926s
11. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 58.369s
12. Andrea Iannone ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.559s
13. Ben Spies USA Ignite Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 58.575s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 1m 59.608s
15. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 59.633s
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (ART CRT) 1m 59.758s
17. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.341s
18. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 0.426s
19. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 0.563s
20. Claudio Corti ITA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 1.227s
21. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 1.438s
22. Bryan Staring AUS Go Fun Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT)* 2m 1.942s
23. Lukas Pesek CZE Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 2.079s
24. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 2.135s
* Standard ECU.


Source www.yamaha-racing.com


Alex
Valentino Rossi prepares for his first race reunited with Yamaha in confident mood having seen a marked return to form over winter testing. The nine-time MotoGP World Champion has been quick to answer his critics and find a highly competitive pace on the 1000cc YR-M1, putting himself firmly among the favourites alongside his team-mate for podium honours under the spotlights of the Losail Circuit. Rossi can claim three premier class victories in Qatar, the last being also his last outing at the track on the Yamaha M1.



Built in the desert on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital city Doha, The Losail International Circuit has hosted a MotoGP round since 2004. The track celebrated the first ever night-time Grand Prix in 2008 and continues to be the only night race on the calendar. The 5.4km track is well suited to the YZR-M1 with a fast flowing nature. With a main straight over a kilometre in length and a combination of medium and high-speed corners the track is guaranteed to provide an exciting spectacle to start the season.

Jorge Lorenzo
"I am very excited to return to Qatar and begin the season. The testing has been good, we have good pace and we are quite happy with our performance. We still have some areas to improve but our situation is not so bad compared to our competitors and I think we can fight for the win. Jerez was a good point for us after testing in Austin; that was a new circuit where maybe we haven’t yet found a perfect feeling. In Jerez we were able to make a long run and all the Yamahas were on top; that gave us some extra motivation before travelling to Qatar. It also shows that every track is different and it’s going to be an exciting Championship. I want to keep the crown but it’s going to be hard. There are some great riders this year, I was surprised by Marquez’ pace and also with Valentino on his return to Yamaha. Dani is also so strong after the last part of the 2012 season. We will fight really hard from the first race, I believe we are in good shape for that. Losail is a track where we usually find a difficult track surface, plenty of sand and because of that it is always very tough with the tyres. We will see how we can perform there. I am feeling very fit and ready so I want to start!”

Valentino Rossi
"I’m very happy with the work done in Jerez and over the winter. I was fast and everything worked fine and we have a competitive bike to fight for the podium. I believe that in Qatar will not be so easy; it is a track that is a little difficult for me, but I think I can defend myself and get a good result. I would like to get on the podium: that's my goal. After the testing I know I can be competitive in some tracks but also that I will have some problems in other tracks. The most important thing is that now I have a good feeling when I ride my M1 and this will help me at all tracks, including Qatar. Every year you get a little bit nervous at the beginning of the season. It’s normal to feel like that; it’s crucial to get some good points and not to make mistakes. I can’t wait to start this 2013 season."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
"We are pretty satisfied with all the work we’ve done during the winter tests, especially at Jerez, where we were able to find a good pace and we could prove the new materials. I think more or less the work is done and Jorge is ready for Qatar. He is in good shape and we have a lot of good information for the first race in Losail.
As we saw at Jerez, Jorge seems to be quite consistent in a long-run, despite some little problems we found with the setting because of the wet conditions in Jerez. We are looking forward to starting the new season, it’s going to be a very tough year with good rivals like Dani, but also Valentino returning to Yamaha and Márquez who has been impressive on his first tests. I guess the key for us is going to be keeping calm from the beginning, trying not to make mistakes and going race by race. I can say that Jorge has been training very hard and is very fit, he has a competitive package to ride with the M1 and is ready to fight and defend our title."

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“We arrive in Qatar with good confidence. Our performance over the winter testing has been very good and we are very competitive. We have two very strong riders, both with a good record at Qatar. Jorge has completed some race simulations and I think he’s very physically prepared. Valentino has improved his feeling with the bike at each test. It’s normal that it has taken him more time because for two years he has had another bike, but at Jerez he definitely proved he had the right feeling. The bike will continue to improve over the season but as it stands now it is a very competitive machine and we know it can achieve good results. The track is very suited to the characteristics of the M1, there is only one place which is difficult, the last corner is a very slow turn, first or second gear so we suffer a little there. We believe we can have the best start to the season here.”



2013 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 02/04/2013

Circuit Length:
5380

Lap Record:
1'55.537
(Casey Stoner, 1-1-2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'53.927
(Jorge Lorenzo, 9-3-2008)

Last Years Winner:
Jorge Lorenzo
Alex
Valentino Rossi - 2nd, 32 laps, Time - 1'39.735
“I’m so happy at the end of today to have some quite good conditions to make some laps in the dry, because for us it was very important to try the different chassis. The feeling is generally ok; I was competitive in difficult conditions and also made good lap times with the used tyre. The new chassis has some good and bad points but I think I will start the season with the chassis from yesterday and test this one again during the season. I am happy about the test; I was competitive so I think we can be competitive for the first race in Qatar also.”

Jorge Lorenzo - 4th, 34 laps, Time -1'40.105
“We didn't think we would practice so much today because the weather was so bad but finally we had two hours to practice and improve some things on the bike. I made a long run that I think was positive to understand the behaviour of the bike with old tyres. We are not the fastest but I think we are very consistent. It’s been a positive test for us to gain some motivation after Austin; that was a difficult three days. It shows that every track is a different world so lets see what happens in Qatar. There can be a lot of sand on the track there so we’ll see how it is. Like every year you feel a little nervous at the beginning, its so important to start in a good way and get some points!”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“It’s the last day of testing, finally in the last two hours we were able to go out and do what we came for and test the bike and new material we had available. The situation wasn't perfect, there were still some damp patches but I think we have the information we need to be able to start in Qatar with the right stuff. We didn’t complete so many laps over the last three days but we are quite satisfied with the results. One of Jorge’s strong points is consistency, yesterday he struggled to be able to find a constant pace but today he had that back and was good. We didn't pay too much attention to one hot lap, but looking at him I think he’s ready for Qatar.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“Today we are feeling the passion and fortunately we could ride for one and a half hours. We couldn't get all the information we were looking for, but the results we got are enough to decide which path we will take to start the season in Qatar in ten days time. The winter tests are now done, we have done a good job and we can start the season in the best way. We achieved most of our targets and I think we finished Jerez with Yamaha top three leading the practices which means the package is really good. We are looking forward to Qatar and we are ready to fight.”



Crutchlow ends pre-season campaign in style at Jerez
The 2013 MotoGP World Championship pre-season ended in stunning style for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow, who topped the timesheets on a weather-hit final day at the Jerez track in Spain. The 27-year-old surged to the top of the timesheets on a greasy but dry track in the closing stages of a day that saw less than two hours of track time available following early morning rain. Crutchlow powered his YZR-M1 machine to a brilliant time of 1.39.511 in the final hour to better Valentino Rossi's best lap that the Italian set on the second day by just 0.014s. Crutchlow's impressive performance today provided him with the perfect confidence boost ahead of the first race in Qatar on April 7, where he will be looking for a strong start to his third season in the MotoGP World Championship.

This morning's rain and the short window to test on a dry track this afternoon gave Bradley Smith another opportunity to build up his experience on Bridgestone's wet and slick tyres. Smith completed 25 laps in the wet and then spent a large part of the day waiting for the surface to dry to further work on his riding style and YZR-M1 settings on a dry track. He completed an additional 31-laps on slick rubber and after setting a best time of 1.41.398 in the dry yesterday, he was able to improve his pace to a 1.41.134. That encouraging pace moved him one place up the rankings from 12th to 11th and on the combined leaderboard h e finished 13th. After a positive pre-season Smith is confident that he can be fighting for a top 10 finish on his much anticipated MotoGP debut at the Losail International Circuit in Doha.

Cal Crutchlow, 1st, 30 laps, Time - 1'39.511
“It is obviously very satisfying to finish the test with the fastest time because it shows what a really good job I did and what a great job my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team did too. It is a shame we didn't get the chance to get in a lot more dry laps but I have been very fast and consistent and that gives me a lot of confidence for when we return to Jerez for the third race. This morning's rain meant the track wasn't in a great condition in the last two hours and I felt I could have definitely gone faster if there was more grip available. But it is the same for everybody and we came out on top, so that's positive. Each time I tried to improve my pace at the end I came across some traffic, so I've no doubt I could have gone faster. It has been a positive pre-season and I think I have shown I have made another big improvement for this year. This result gives me a lot of confidence going to Qatar but my goal will be to finish in the top six and get some early momentum like I did last season. It is going to be a very exciting season and now I can't wait to get to Qatar.”

Bradley Smith, 11th, 56 laps, Time - 1'41.134
“The really important aspect of today was that I did eventually get some dry time on track. I was reasonably happy with my performance in the wet because it is all about building my experience of the bike and tyres in those conditions. But I was really happy the track dried because I badly need seat time and the weather has definitely not helped my preparations. I'm still searching for a base setting but we have it clear the direction we need to move in with the bike and that's to move away from what Andrea Dovizioso used and make the bike more like how Cal has his. I'm gradually getting more comfortable and at this test I've followed Cal, Jorge and Valentino to get a really understanding of how the Yamaha needs to be ridden. Now I'm really looking forward to going to Qatar. I'd have preferred to have done a few more dry laps in testing but I am confident and optimistic that I can start the season with a strong result.”

Jerez Test Times, Day Three
1. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 39.511s (Lap 22/30)
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 1m 39.735s (24/32)
3. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 39.975s (20/26)
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 1m 40.105s (22/42)
5. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 40.130s (23/34)
6. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (GP13) 1m 40.331s (24/25)
7. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 40.370s (41/42)
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 1m 40.516s (29/30)
9. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (GP13) 1m 40.881s (40/44)
10. Randy De Puniet FRA Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 40.971s (21/24)
11. Bradley Smith GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 41.134s (56/56)
12. Aleix Espargaro ESP Aspar (ART CRT) 1m 41.218s (38/39)
13. Claudio Corti ITA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 1m 41.443s (42/44)
14. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 1m 41.772s (40/41)
15. Lukas Pesek CZE IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 1m 41.791s (49/49)
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB (ART CRT) 1m 41.864s (29/36)
17. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 1m 42.363s (20/25)
18. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 1m 42.428s (17/18)
19. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 1m 42.470s (28/36)
20. Bryan Staring AUS Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT) 1m 43.525s (31/41)
21. Colin Edwards USA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 1m 56.281s (14/14)
22. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 1m 56.897s (2/5)
* Control ECU.

Source: yamaha-racing.com