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Rossi Completes Malaysian Test with Impressive Race Simulation

Valentino Rossi rounded off a successful three days in Malaysia with another impressive day's testing at the Sepang International Circuit today. The high point of the Italian's day was his race simulation, when he lapped consistently under lap record pace and improved on his time from the January test, as well as on last year's race time. Rossi was pleased both with the performance of his 2008-spec M1 and with his Bridgestone tyres, today's results indicating that he and his team are on target with their pre-season development. His best time of 2'01.190 was set on a qualifying tyre on his 23rd of 48 laps, putting him second in the standings behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. The Fiat Yamaha Team will reconvene closer to home at Jerez in Spain on Saturday, 16th February for the three-day Official MotoGP Test, the penultimate test before the season kicks off in March. Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 2'01.190 Laps: 48 "I'm really happy about today's race simulation and about the overall balance of this test. Everything has gone well and the race-simulation was an improvement on the one from last time; this is the real test of where we are. We've worked on various different items in many different areas but we've had positive feedback throughout. It's given me the chance to better understand the tyres and today's simulation has given me even more information about how they behave. We've worked more at this test on the set-up of the bike to enable it to work as well as possible with the new tyres and we've also continued to work on the new engine, which will be the standard one for this season, and on the electronics. We've still got a lot to do but so far everything is progressing well. Now we're looking forward to Jerez and seeing where we are at a new track alongside all of our competitors." Davide Brivio - Team Manager "This test has been very positive; all the hard work that the Yamaha engineers have put in over the winter is now showing in our good results so I would like to say a big thank you to all of them. We've seen improvement in all the different areas in which we've worked in this week and so we hope that these results will help us to create a competitive package. Today's race simulation was good and an improvement on January, plus the individual lap times within it were fast and consistent. This is a very important indication of our level. We've only done 50% of our pre-season testing, we have two more to go before the first race but we hope to continue improving like this and arrive at the first race in good shape and ready to commence our challenge."
Lorenzo on Top Despite Struggles on Final Day in Sepang Jorge Lorenzo finished his second test of the year in positive fashion today with an impressive lap on qualifying tyres. The young Fiat Yamaha Team rider had a somewhat difficult test overall and was unhappy not to improve in the way he had expected to, but his performance on Michelin qualifying rubber at the end of the day gave him some cause for cheer. Like his team-mate Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo had planned to complete a race simulation today but he abandoned it after a few laps when he found he was lacking pace, deciding instead to spend the remainder of the day working on set-up and tyre testing with Michelin. His time of 2'00.705, set on the 72nd of 73 laps, was an improvement on his best qualifying time from the January test and good enough to leave him at the top of the day's time sheets, with Rossi in second after a best lap of 2'01.190. Lorenzo and his team will now enjoy a short break before the Official MotoGP Tests commence at Jerez in southern Spain on 16th February. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st Time: 2'00.705 Laps: 73 "This has been a difficult test for us but not completely negative. The major problem is still the front end going into the corners; the bike is not stable and we also have a bit of vibration. We've tried many different settings but we haven't been able to improve as much as we expected, so this means that I still need to adapt my riding style in some areas. Today I started to do a race simulation but I came in again because my pace was not good enough. At the end of the day we tried some qualifying tyres and I was able to improve on my time from the last test, so that's positive. I'm not worried about what's happened here; I've had bad days before and I have confidence that we will find the right way forward. I am looking forward to going to a different track now and seeing what happens there." Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager "After the January test, when we had quite a good pace, we hoped to improve again this time but unfortunately this hasn't been the case. We've tried many different things with the chassis and the suspension settings but we still have some problems going into the hard braking areas. It's been a useful test despite this however because we've had the chance to refine some mapping, improve the cooling system with the new fairing and to find some new tyres with Michelin. Jorge has worked very hard this week; the hot weather makes his job more difficult and of course he's not used to so much winter testing outside of Europe like this, so well done to him. Now everyone has a short rest and hopefully we'll start in better shape in Jerez." Test Results 1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'00.705 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2'01.190 3. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda Gresini 2'02.135 4. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Honda Gresini 2'02.194 5. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing 2'03.021 6. Tamaki Serizawa (JPN) Kawasaki Racing 2'03.623 7. Yamaha Test Rider (-) Yamaha Test Team 2'06.000 8. Yamaha Test Rider (-) Yamaha Test Team 2'06.040 Sepang: Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108 Sepang: Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Rossi Continues Strong Form on Second Day in Sepang

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi continued his impressive form on the second day of testing in Sepang today, topping the time sheets again with another very quick lap on qualifying tyres. The Italian, who turns 29 in ten days time, was also fast throughout the day on race tyres, lapping consistently in the 2’01s. Rossi had a busy day, continuing his tyre testing programme with Bridgestone, working on suspension and electronic mapping as well as trying a new cowling and putting in some practice starts. His time of 2’00.472 was set on the penultimate lap of 70 and was a fraction slower than his time from yesterday, although still inside the existing circuit pole record, which he himself still holds from 2006. Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2’00.472 Laps: 70 “Today was another very good day and I had a good pace and rhythm all day. We tested some different Bridgestone tyres before again trying the one I prefer, which confirmed that this is the best one for us and so we will use it for the long run tomorrow. We worked a little bit on the suspension and also on the electronic mapping and we also tried a lot of practice starts, maybe as many as ten, and we need to improve a bit in this area. I also tried a new cowling which is aimed at improving the cooling system and this had a good result. Finally I tried a qualifying tyre again and, although I made a small mistake on my lap because I was quite tired by then, it was again very positive.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “At the moment we’re going very well and we’re very happy with our progress so far. Tomorrow we will concentrate on completing a long run and this will be very important to help us to see where we are. It was very, very hot today which made work quite difficult and Valentino did very well in these conditions. Now we just hope for a successful final day before we return to Europe.”
Difficult Day for Lorenzo in Malaysia Fiat Yamaha Team rookie Jorge Lorenzo ran into a few problems on the second day of a three-day Sepang test today, continuing to struggle with front-end feeling going into the hard braking areas. The 20-year-old and his crew dedicated most of the day to working on the problem but are yet to find the perfect solution, although Lorenzo was able to make a small improvement on his time from yesterday. There were some positive notes however as the Spaniard tried a new chassis and reported improved stability with this. He completed 55 laps in the sweltering conditions and finished the day fourth fastest in a time of 2’02.396. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2'02.396 Laps: 55 "It has been quite a difficult day! We’re not so fast; slower than at the last test even though we have the same bike set-up, and we need to improve. Tomorrow I think I need to try some changes to my riding style. It’s still the same problem overall, with the front-end going into the corners, although I did try the new chassis and this is helping a little bit. After the session we had a long meeting with the engineers to look at all the data and now we will make a plan for tomorrow. We have one day left so of course we will try to make the most of it and finish the test in better shape.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Today was a hard day’s work. We’ve tested various different set-ups and improved a little bit but we still need to make a bigger step. We had some positive points with the new chassis, which improved stability in the hard braking areas, so we will keep working in this direction. I am confident that the team can find some solutions to help us on our final day here tomorrow.” Results 1. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.472 2. Nicky Hayden - Repsol HRC 2:00.900 3. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini 2:02.049 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.396 5. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.646 6. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.513 7. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:05.647 8. Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing 2:06.027 9. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:06.244
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Rossi Feeling Positive After Impressive Times in Sepang

The second Fiat Yamaha Team test of 2008 began in Sepang, Malaysia today, with Valentino Rossi picking up just where he left off at the same track 12 days ago. After several teams opted to test at Phillip Island last week, it was a somewhat depleted MotoGP field on track today and Rossi and new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo shared the track with just seven other riders. Rossi topped the time sheets today with a blistering best lap of 2’00.300, over 0.3 seconds faster than the existing best lap of Sepang, which the Italian set himself back in 2006. Rossi set today’s time on a Bridgestone qualifying tyre on his 62nd of 64 laps, but he also recorded improvements in his times with race tyres as he continues development with his new tyre manufacturer. Team-mate Lorenzo chose to stick to race tyres today and posted the fourth fastest time with a lap of 2’02.654 Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 2’00.300 Laps: 64 “Today was a positive day for us and I really enjoyed myself. We started to work more on the bike and to adjust the suspension and balance to suit our tyres. I have a very good feeling and the lap times have improved compared to last time, both with race tyres and with the qualifying tyre. It’s a big deal changing tyres – not as big as changing bikes but all the same I have needed time to understand how to ride the bike differently and now I’m learning more and more how to get the best from the Bridgestones. My fitness has also improved compared to last time and this is also helping me to ride better, so I think that we’re in good shape at the moment.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “It was a good day for us and the times show that we are on target. This morning the surface was quite dirty but it improved this afternoon and Valentino was quicker than at the last test both on race and qualifying tyres. His fitness is also better so this is enabling him to improve his overall performance. Tomorrow we will continue with our testing programme and hopefully we can improve further on this good start.”
 
Lorenzo Working Hard To Improve Set-Up in Sepang New Fiat Yamaha pilot Jorge Lorenzo resumed the task of getting to grips with his YZR-M1 in Sepang today, ahead of his inaugural MotoGP race in Qatar in one month’s time. After a promising showing here last time out, Lorenzo and his team’s clear focus for this test is to refine and improve set-up, and they began work today with the same bike they used at the last test. The Spaniard’s main issue to address is front-end feel going into the corners and he was disappointed not to make more progress in this area today. Nonetheless his engineers were able to gather some important information and they will continue with their task tomorrow, as well as resuming tyre testing with Michelin. Lorenzo posted the 4th best time of the day, his lap of 2’02.654 coming on the 24th of 57 laps. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2'02.654 Laps: 57 “We are working as we planned but unfortunately today we haven’t been able to improve as much as we hoped on the problems we had at the last test. The biggest issue is the feeling I have with the front-end going into the turns; I need more confidence in this area so we still have some work to do to find the key. We have some more ideas after today so tomorrow we will try again, working in a slightly different direction, and hopefully we will be able to make more progress on this.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “We didn’t improve as we wanted to today and Jorge is still lacking some confidence in front, which means we’re not fast enough going into the turns. Despite this it’s not a wasted day as our engineers were able to collect a lot of data and they and the team will analyse this tonight, prepare a schedule for tomorrow and go from there. The bike is the same as the last test but the goal is to improve the set-up and solve the issues which are affecting Jorge. We will keep working tomorrow and see where we get to!” Results 1. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.300 2. Nicky Hayden - Repsol HRC 2:01.949 3. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini 2:02.317 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.654 5. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:03.231 6. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.655 7. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:06.356 8. Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing 2:06.874 9. Yamaha Test Rider - Yamaha Test Team 2:07.319 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha's challenger getting ready for another big season

Having participated in two successful winter tests in Qatar and Australia the Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team is already in a high state of readiness to meet the challenge of the forthcoming World Superbike Championship season. Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (both Yamaha Motor Italia (YMIT) WSB Team) continue their riding partnership for a second year, after taking a total of 24 podiums between them last season. Japanese superstar Haga came within a meagre two points of winning the riders’ championship outright on ‘07, ending the campaign with six victories to his credit. In the Qatar test last November both Haga and Corser made immediate improvements even compared to the strong results obtained by their 2007-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 machines, and carried on their good work in the subsequent test last month, at Phillip Island. These venues are the first two on the WSB calendar, the 5.380km circuit of Losail again enjoying its now traditional status as the season opener, on Saturday 23rd February; one week ahead of the Australian round, on Sunday March 2.
In the Qatar test Corser was particularly fast from the outset, with Haga matching him on the final day, while the changing conditions of the Phillip Island tests provided more of a challenge to both riders and technical staff. Everyone in the highly respected YMIT WSB squad worked hard to make final adjustments to the 2008-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 and help the championship’s single make tyre supplier with feedback on their latest development tyres. Yamaha Motor Italia’s YZF-R1 Superbike, a new model in 2007, was the tool with which Haga and Corser helped earn Yamaha the Manufacturers’ Championship, and the 2008 version has undergone a comprehensive programme of development over the winter months. The race machine now runs Yamaha’s revolutionary YCC-I variable intake system, as fitted to the original road bike. Even in early trials this unique Yamaha innovation showed its potential, and in testing has provided smoother and more torquey engine response in the midrange, reduces the massively powerful R1’s desire to wheelie in the lower gears and yet still maintains its class-leading top end performance. Due to recent changes in the WSB technical rules four-cylinder machines can now run at a minimum weight of 162kg, and the R1 has lost mass due to a new swing arm design, lighter Akrapovic exhausts, a carbon airbox and even a new lightweight wiring loom to meet that new lower limit exactly. The latest rear swing arm is a step closer to the state of perfection that demands more feel with less unsprung weight; more ultimate performance with longer tyre life. The latest generation of Öhlins suspension units also make a significant contribution to the weight loss programme, and have already shown measurable improvements during the track tests. The look and graphics of the 2008 machines are based on the 2007 versions, while a new logo joins existing sponsors Santander, Sika, Akrapovic and Fabbri on the flanks of the R1. FIMER, a welding machine company that has long links to Yamaha Motor Italia (even taking over the premises once used by the Yamaha importer in its early years) has now signed a three-year deal to support the efforts of the official YMIT team in WSB. The 15-round 2008 season is set to be a stiff challenge for all comers, with four long haul races instead of two, Qatar; Australia; USA and Indonesia, and four individual venues which are either new to World Superbike entirely or have been missing from the calendar for a decade or so. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "We will have 30 individual races this year and many good riders have now entered the World Superbike series, including six Japanese! I’m looking forward to a good battle with all of them. I think World Superbike will be more exciting than MotoGP this year, so people should come along to their local race to see the close battles. I feel that the performance of all the riders and teams will improve a great deal so the biggest threat is difficult to see right now. We must see more of the competition first. Suzuki and Ducati were strong at the Philip Island tests, but we have not seen the new Honda. We’ll have to wait for that. Our YCC-I variable intake system will improve acceleration and make the engine performance more useable everywhere. It worked very well at the Phillip Island tests. Our whole machine is very competitive, but like always in racing, we are still seeking points to improve. We are determined to continue the improvements on the 2008 R1 all year, starting from this moment.” Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "Our test in Qatar was particularly good and we also worked through a lot of new things in Phillip Island. The engine on the machine is definitely stronger and lots of other aspects are improved now, especially the electronics. We weren’t that concerned about absolute lap times at the Phillip Island test, we just wanted to get lots of time on the bike to try out all the equipment that we had to test there. For me that test wasto make sure we started the season with the best equipment and information we could get, and to get us all working well together once again. The new suspension is definitely an improvement; it’s just a case of spending more time with it now, and we will have that chance in the two-day test at Qatar soon. Same with the YCC-I system, which we felt a difference with straight away. I know Yamaha has been working hard over the winter and after the last couple of days of testing, we will really be ready to go. I think it’s going to be a tough championship but I haven’t been looking at the other riders too much at this stage.” Massimo Meregalli - Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team - has been impressed by both his men and his machines already, and knows that the team should start the season in great shape. “We had a very good test at Qatar and although we found some more work to do in Australia we were still satisfied with our progress on the bike. It was a big improvement in Qatar, and in Australia we went faster than we did last year - faster than we had ever gone. “Overall, we expect to have some small advantage over the manufacturers who will arrive in 2008 with new machines, and we will see what the real potential of the new 1200cc twins are in races, not testing. The main thing is that we know our bike is already better than the way it finished the season with a double win in Magny Cours last year, thanks to many areas of development. One is reduced weight and we will start on the weight limit of 162kg. Another example is the new rear swing arm that has proven to give both the guys a more positive feeling on the track. Right now we are ready to race, very focused on our main goal, and everyone knows what this is. We have two absolute top riders and in my opinion we have the very best rider combination. Nori and Troy have a lot of experience, and have a strong motivation to reach the goal. We have never seen Noriyuki so willing to do extra work in testing. He was doing more than one long run per day and that is a great sign.” Final pre-season preparations will be carried out in a two day test at Qatar on 12 and 13 February. The first round begins for real with first practice on Thursday 21 February, continues with Superpole qualifying on Friday 22 and culminates in race day, Saturday 23 of February. Rnd 01: February 23 - Qatar - Doha/Losail Rnd 02: March 2 - Australia - Phillip Island Rnd 03: April 6 - Spain - Valencia* Rnd 04: April 27 - Netherlands - Assen* Rnd 05: May 11 - Italy - Monza* Rnd 06: June 1 - United States - Salt Lake City Rnd 07: June 15 - Germany - Nürburgring* Rnd 08: June 29 - San Marino - Misano* Rnd 09: July 20 - Czech Rep. - Brno* Rnd 10: August 3 - Great Britain - Brands Hatch* Rnd 11: September 7 - Great Britain - Donington Park* Rnd 12: September 21 - Italy - Vallelunga Rnd 13: October 5 - France - Magny Cours* Rnd 14: October 12 - Indonesia - Sentul Rnd 15: November 2 - Portugal - Portimao* *with Superstock FIM Cup
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

James Toseland third as Tech 3 Yamaha finish on high note

James Toseland produced arguably the most outstanding performance on the final day of testing in Phillip Island today as the Tech 3 Yamaha team successfully concluded the long haul phase of its pre-season testing campaign. Making only his fourth appearance for the Tech 3 Yamaha team, Toseland took full advantage of his vast Phillip Island track knowledge to finish with the third fastest time of 1.29.754. His best was set on a Michelin qualifying tyre, with only world champions Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden lapping faster on the final afternoon. Toseland was one of only five riders to break the 1.30 barrier over the three days. Toseland also gained more crucial experience by completing his first full race simulation on board the 2008 Yamaha YZR-M1. He lapped consistently in the 1.31 bracket during his 27-lap run, as he assessed new front and rear suspension settings and a revised electronics set-up in full race conditions. His best lap on race tyres today was a 1.31.012.
American Edwards was fifth quickest today, also using a Michelin qualifying tyre to set his best time of 1.29.795 in sunny but windy conditions at the 4.445km circuit. Experimenting with chassis set-up to try and improve rear grip, Edwards was satisfied enough with progress to stop just before 2pm having completed a distance run of 20 laps. Just five days of testing remain for Toseland and Edwards in Jerez and Qatar, before the new season’s spectacular start under floodlights in Doha on March 9. James Toseland 3rd 1.29.754 – 89 laps “I’m really happy. I was always looking forward to coming here with my track knowledge and its nice to see the difference where I stand in the order with that experience. To be at the sharp end of the times and see my name up there has put a bigger smile on my face. Knowing the track I can be on the same line each lap and that’s helped me relay my feedback on the bike a lot more precisely to my team. On other tracks I’ve been finding my way round as well as trying to make a lap time. I was happy with my pace in the race simulation but those extra five or six laps over what I’ve been used to in superbike were a bit strange. My body just isn’t used to that distance but I felt good and wasn’t too tired at the end. It is all good experience and its all coming together nicely. I will sleep well tonight on the plane after this performance. Even one of my mechanics said that it is so good to see an English rider at that end of the timesheets rather than at the other end. And the best thing is I can only get faster and stronger. I’m still waiting for some new parts from Yamaha, so there is still plenty of room for improvement, also from Michelin. Everybody is working hard and I’m riding on a wave at the moment.” Colin Edwards 5th 1.29.795 – 56 laps “I did a long run to give Michelin some information to see what the tyres could handle. The 20 laps I did I was 20 seconds faster than in the race last year which is positive. This track is a little bit strange because you spend so much time on the side of the tyre trying to build up speed. And that’s where Michelin needs to concentrate their efforts so we can generate a little bit of speed. But I’m more motivated than ever because I can see my team and Yamaha working, but to see Michelin put in the same effort and work just as hard adds a lot of motivation. Everybody is working equally hard with me and for me. These guys are putting in the hard days at the moment and I’m really happy with my team. After these six days of testing in Sepang and Phillip Island I’m excited and I’m really looking forward to the first race in Qatar.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

World’s fastest female motocrosser joins Yamaha for 2008

Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is very pleased to announce a new partnership with current FIM Motocross Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm.The 19 year old New Zealander will steer a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and 2007. Prumm’s union with Yamaha four months ahead of the inaugural FIM endorsed championship is a major coup as the women’s competition will enjoy top billing alongside the MX1 and MX2 world series and embark on a five round schedule as part of the 2008 Grand Prix campaign. The Kiwi will work from the Dutch Van Beers Yamaha set-up in the paddock, alongside Aigar Leok (MX1) and Evgeny Bobryshev (MX2), using YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development) parts on her number one plated YZ250F. With her victories in Europe, (two from two rounds in 2006 and two from three outings in 2007) numerous female Australasian titles, and several female AMA wins on the other side of the Atlantic, Prumm is presently one of the leading figures in Women’s motocross.
“The move to Yamaha is really exciting for me,” said the reigning champ. “It will be a whole new bike and new team and I am really looking forward to being part of the Yamaha environment. Yamaha is behind me 100% and I feel that they can give me the best chance of success in 2008.” “I cannot wait for the upcoming season and the FIM Women’s World Championship where I will try for my third title on my new Van Beers YZ250F,” she added. “At the end of the year I will also compete in the Men’s New Zealand Motocross Championship under the MXDK Subway Yamaha team banner and my goal is a top ten finish in the Men’s MX2 class after having attained a 12th place in 2007. I will also be going for my fourth New Zealand Women’s championship. For my activities back home I am officially supported by Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.” “Yamaha is happy to see that the number of women riding and racing our machines is growing along with their interest and participation in off-road motorsport,” commented YME Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “The upgrade of the FIM Women’s World Cup to a World Championship is a good example of how the sport is progressing and we are very much looking forward to competing in this new class with Katherine as well as promoting women and motorcycling in general.” The Women’s World Championship was officially sanctioned towards the end of 2007 after the World Cup had seen growing entry lists in its three year existence and an increasing level of interest from female competitors across the globe. The series now has the recognition it deserves and is no longer merely a sideshow to the MX1 and MX2 motos. The 2008 calendar will see the ladies in action in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany and Holland. The first event will be at the Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on May 11th. Katherine Prumm Date of Birth: 04/06/1988 Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa Residence: Auckland, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand Height: 172cm Weight: 66kg Hobbies: Cycling, running, Graphic design, spending time with friends and family Career Highlights 2007: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, AMA WMA Women’s Cup winner, Australian Champion 2006: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, winner of two WMA (USA) rounds 2005: FIM Women’s World Cup runner-up, Oceania Champion, Australian Champion, NZ Champion 2004: New Zealand Women’s Champion senior and junior classes
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Tech 3 make progress in mixed conditions at Phillip Island

Mixed weather conditions couldn’t stop Tech 3 Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland from making good progress at the Phillip Island circuit today. The second morning was dominated by persistent rain showers, but typical of the fast changing conditions experienced at Phillip Island, the grey and gloomy skies gave way to sunny but blustery conditions by midafternoon. The day’s unpredictable weather gave Toseland his first taste of Yamaha’s YZR-M1 in full rain conditions, with the British rider gaining valuable experience and data in the wet. Toseland completed 21 laps to post a 1.43.719 for the 11th quickest time. Edwards was eighth quickest in the wet with a new Michelin front rain tyre helping him register a best lap of 1.42.547.
 
After spending over two hours waiting for scattered damp patches to dry out, by the time Edwards and Toseland returned to the track, the rain and lower track temperature significantly reduced grip levels. Toseland ended the day with the sixth fastest time, clocking a 1.31.451 in the last hour. Edwards was 10th fastest with a best time of 1.31.593. Forecasts for the final day tomorrow predict sunny conditions throughout, with only a 20 per cent chance of light rain showers. James Toseland 6th 1.31.451 – 55 laps “It was important to try the bike in the wet for the first time and I got to grips with it quickly. Luckily I did a lot of wet tyre testing for Michelin last year at the Suzuka Eight-hour. I had five days of testing and three-and-a-half days were completely wet and I got a bit of time on the Michelin wets so I got a pretty good feeling pretty quickly. The electronics work very well and I had a lot of grip. The track was really dirty once it had dried. I don’t know whether the rain brought some sand with it but the track was really slippery. I went out and couldn’t break a 1.35 and it was completely dry. I got back down to some decent times but the conditions were still not as good as yesterday. There was just no drive grip exiting corners, so it was more difficult to make a lap time. Quite slow corners lead onto the fast straight sections on this track and if you can’t get good grip on the exit, you can’t carry momentum on the straight and that can cost a lot of time. It also got quite windy in the afternoon and that makes it difficult as well. I got some good experience of riding in the rain, and but hopefully it will be dry tomorrow so I can try a full race simulation.” Colin Edwards 10th 1.31.593 “It was a difficult day with the weather but we still managed to take something positive out of it. I tried a new front rain tyre from Michelin that I was asking about and they produced one out of the back of the truck and I was really happy with it. Michelin seem to have really taken steps forward with slick and wet tyres. The tyre was different to what I had in the wet last season and it felt more natural for my style. The electronics in the rain are so much better too. The bike is easier to ride. I came in after the first run and gave my electronics guys a hug because I was so happy with it. I liked the ’08 chassis in the rain too. It gives me a lot of confidence and I can understand more what’s going on with the front tyre. This afternoon the track was slippery as hell. I tried a few tyres from Michelin but it was hard to gauge with the track being so greasy. At the end of the day I think we have learned something for Michelin and Yamaha and that’s the key.” Results: 1. Stoner, Ducati Marlboro - 1'29.938 (45) 2. De Angelis, Honda Gresini - 1'30.449 (54) 3. Dovizioso, JiR Team Scot - 1'31.074 (60) 4. Nakano, Honda Gresini - 1'31.316 (74) 5. Haydon, Repsol Honda Team - 1'31.373 (72) 6. Toseland, Yamaha Tech3 - 1'31.451 (55) 7. Melandri, Ducati Marlboro - 1'31.478 (80) 8. Capirossi, Rizla Suzuki - 1'31.545 (62) 9. De Puniet, LCR Honda - 1'31.575 (72) 10. Edwards, Yamaha Tech3 - 1'31.593 (44) 11. Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki - 1'31.774 (50) 12. West, Kawasaki Racing - 1'32.242 (75) 13. Elias, Alice Team - 1'32.246 (59) 14. Guintoli, Alice Team - 1'32.431 (64)
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Start for Edwards and Toseland in Australia

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards continued his impressive pre-season form today by setting the fastest time at the start of a three-day test session at the Phillip Island circuit. Just six days after an exhausting but successful test at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Edwards clocked his best lap of 1.29.566 on the first of two Michelin qualifying tyres he tried shortly after 1pm. Evaluating new Michelin tyres and the latest electronics upgrades from Yamaha, the American’s best time on race tyres today was a 1.30.832 set in a seven-lap run this afternoon as the Texan completed 77 laps in close to perfect conditions. That was the third fastest time on race tyres with reigning world champion Casey Stoner quickest in race trim. James Toseland also impressed by setting the fifth quickest time on only his fourth appearance on the Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1. His best time of 1.30.864 on race tyres came on his 46th lap of an 81-lap stint today, with the British rider immediately on the pace as he returned to familiar territory at Phillip Island. Toseland’s extensive track knowledge gained in his World Superbike career at Phillip Island immediately came to the fore as he broke into the 1.32 bracket on only his fourth lap. He then reeled off a series of consistent laps of 1.31 laps and finished just 0.03s slower than Edwards.
 
Today’s action marked the start of the second of four 2008 pre-season tests for the Tech 3 squad, with tests in Jerez and Qatar to follow before the first race in Doha on March 9. Colin Edwards 1st 1.29.566 – 77 laps “It was a good day. I started with the same setting I finished in Malaysia and played around with that for the day. The bike feels good at this track compared to what I raced with a few months ago. Yamaha has been working hard and the new parts are definitely a step in the right direction, particularly with the electronics, which has helped on corner entry and exit. With a qualifying tyre in Malaysia my time didn’t get any better. I had a couple of handling issues with the qualifier in Sepang so once I got a good pace going I chucked a couple of qualifiers in. It is the first day but you never know what the weather is going to do down here, and it could be raining tomorrow. We wanted to make sure with the adjustments we were going to make for the qualifier that it was the right way. In Sepang I had too much weight on the rear. The rear was taking over and running me wide and we made a change to get more weight on the front and get it to turn a bit better. It seemed fine and I’m happy with the lap time.” James Toseland 5th 1.30.864 – 81 laps “The first few laps I was able to hit the exact same six inches of track and I got up to speed much quicker than I did in Sepang and Jerez. It was nice to be at the sharp end of the times and I didn’t realise but track knowledge is even more important with these bikes to help things come together. When you can hit the same spot lap after lap without thinking about it then you can really concentrate on the bike set-up and that makes a big difference to help gradually improve. I’ve got a slight problem with entry to the fast corners. Just as I tip in I get a bit of chatter from the front. I’m losing quite a lot of time because of that problem because they are in such fast parts of the track.I could make up quite a lot of time if it wasn’t for that. I’ll try a new setting tomorrow morning to try and help before I do a race simulation. But it’s nice to be doing decent lap times with a few problems. And I actually passed somebody on the brakes for the first time ever in MotoGP. I passed Chris Vermeulen going into the first corner turn which I was pretty proud of.” Results: 1. Edwards Yamaha Tech3 1'29.566 (77) 2. Stoner Ducati Marlboro 1'30.178 (73) 3. De Angelis Honda Gresini 1'30.688 (70) 4. Dovizioso JiR Team Scot 1'30.701 (79) 5. Toseland Yamaha Tech3 1'30.864 (81) 6. Melandri Ducati Marlboro 1'30.869 (99) 7. Nakano Honda Gresini 1'31.111 (91) 8. Hayden Repsol Honda 1'31.226 (107) 9. Capirossi Rizla Suzuki 1'31.274 (82) 10. Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki 1'31.317 (99) 11. De Puniet Honda LCR 1'31.436 (103) 12. Hopkins Kawasaki Racing 1'31.623 (88) 13. West Kawasaki Racing 1'31.786 (72) 14. Guintoli Alice Team 1'32.484 (68)
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Lorenzo rounds off Sepang test in forceful fashion

New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo finished what was just his fourth test on a MotoGP bike in fine form today, rounding off testing in Malaysia in third place overall. The Spanish rookie posted his best lap from 63 on a Michelin qualifying tyre but also put in a string of consistently fast laps on race tyres, despite a fall cutting short his long run. The youngster set out for his race simulation in sweltering conditions this morning and was posting some consistently fast times when he crashed on lap 17. He was unhurt however and was able to continue with Michelin tyre testing for the rest of the day, rounding off with an impressive time of 2’00.766 on a qualifying tyre, just 0.440 seconds off fastest man of the day Nicky Hayden and only 0.161 seconds off the existing Sepang pole record. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rd Time: 2’00.766 Laps: 63 “Today was another positive day for me and it’s been an encouraging three days overall: I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved. I had a little problem this morning because I felt like I had a bit less grip than usual, so we had to work on this. Then I started my race simulation and unfortunately I crashed about three-quarters of the way through; I was a bit out of the line and when I accelerated I lost control of the bike. Before that my pace was not so bad and we had time to gather a lot of information before it happened, so it wasn’t the end of the world. I wasn’t hurt and so after that we started again with Michelin tyre testing and at the end I tried a qualifying tyre which was very good; I improved my time quite a lot. I’m really happy with the team’s work and now we’re waiting for the next test so we can continue improving.” Daniele Romagnoli – Team Manager “Despite the crash in his long run we got some good information and his pace up to that time was good. Overall it’s been a very good test and we’ve had some good improvement from the engine side. We’ve continued to progress with regards to the bike set-up and also with tyres, where we’ve found some good new material. Thanks to the rider and the team for their hard work and of course we’re looking forward to coming back again in ten days to continue our preparation for the season ahead.” Rossi content with progress at close of first Sepang test Valentino Rossi rounded off the third day of testing in Malaysia with another day’s solid progress in Sepang today, the Fiat Yamaha Team rider finishing the test sixth overall out of 22 riders testing. Rossi had time to complete a full race simulation of 21 laps and recorded a general improvement compared to last year’s race, despite slowing down for a lap in the middle in order to give himself a breather as temperatures topped 34 degrees. Rossi’s best time after 48 laps, a lap of 2’01.425, was posted on a Bridgestone qualifier but the Italian admits there is more work to do in order to maximise bike set-up when using the softer qualifying tyres. Overall it was an extremely positive test for Rossi and his crew, who managed to complete everything on the schedule thanks to good weather throughout.
 
The Fiat Yamaha Team will now head to their respective homes for a week before returning to Sepang for another three-day test on 5th, 6th and 7th February. Valentino Rossi - Position: 6th Time: 2’01.425 Laps: 48 “The overall balance of the three day test has been very positive and we’ve worked in many different areas. We’ve tested the pneumatic-valve engine and I have a good feeling from it, plus we’ve improved our top speed compared to the race here. I’m happy about the engine so far, although we want to make as much mileage as possible with it in order to check its reliability and performance. We’ve continued to work with the new electronics in braking and acceleration and the new system is helping us to have more control and make less mistakes. Of course we’ve also done a lot of work with Bridgestone on tyres, and we have found some positive things here. We need to improve our performance with the qualifying tyre; we need more time to better understand how to set-up our bike with the soft tyres and so we will continue to work on this next time. We’ve given a lot of information to Bridgestone this week and we look forward to more work together next time. Finally I was able to complete a good race simulation and overall my pace was better than in the race last year, even though I had to slow down for a bit in the middle because it was so hot! Anyway I really wanted to finish so I kept going and in the end I was very happy with my performance. It’s been a good test for us and now we’re looking forward to next time.” Davide Brivio – Team Manager “This has been a very positive test and it’s clear that Yamaha have worked very hard during the winter, so I would like to say a big thank you to all the engineers. To everyone involved now it looks like we’re on our way to fixing some of the issues and weak points which we had last year and we hope that at every test we will be able to make the same amount of progress. Valentino’s level is already high but it’s only the first test after the long winter break and so I am sure he will continue to improve as well. Now we look forward to coming back in ten days time to continue our programme.” Edwards concludes Sepang stay with fourth fastest time The opening chapter in the 2008 MotoGP campaign for the Yamaha Tech3 team was brought to a close with the third and final day of testing at a sweltering Sepang circuit in Malaysia this afternoon. After clocking the second best effort yesterday there was further good news for Colin Edwards and the French crew as the American rested fourth in the Day 3 standings with a circulation just eight tenths of a second off the top slot. New team-mate James Toseland was eighth and upbeat after just his third run with the YZR-M1. Colin Edwards racked up 34 laps in pursuit of his quickest time of the three day session, which he managed on his 12th attempt and snipped two tenths of a second away from Wednesday’s impressive feat. The 33 year old was buoyed after the technical crew solved a small matter of chatter with the front end of the motorcycle and he maintained a steady presence in the 2:01 bracket with Michelin race tyres; underneath the fastest lap setting of the 2007 Grand Prix at Sepang. Herve Poncharal had reason to feel content with the results and progress of his rider line-up as well as the overall usefulness of the test. Colin Edwards – Position: 4th: 2:01.179, 34 laps “We got a little bit of a late start today; man I was sore! I am getting old! After six weeks off the bike your hands and butt gets soft and it takes time to build up the calluses. After three days of riding I just have blisters at the moment. We made some improvements again today with the M1. My crew chief and suspension technician had an idea for the front end because we were having some chatter. It was something I had never tried before, but they fixed the problem. It was such a simple thing but they did really well, so a big thanks! We did not do anything new today but played around with tyres. Michelin came up with the goods. I did my best times on the new race tyre and it was phenomenal. Onto Phillip Island now and more of the same I hope.” After speeding up through both previous days of action James Toseland hit his stride throughout a stuffy afternoon run. The 27 year old concentrated on familiarising himself with new electronic and traction control systems but still managed a batch of laps in the ’01 and low ‘02s. Toseland is Britain’s sole representative in the ’08 MotoGP championship and comes into the Tech3 set-up hot from winning eight from twenty-six races and grabbing thirteen podiums on the way to a second World Superbike title. James Toseland – Position: 8th: 2:01.745, 45 laps “In November I managed a 2:03.5 lap; just one. So to do a 2:02 on a race tyre and then an ’01 with a qualifier let me finish eighth overall today, which I quite pleased with. We have had quite bad chatter that we have struggled to get rid of, although I am told that this place is one of the worst circuits for this and maybe in Australia I might not have it. I am really happy with how the team is working. I finally got the traction control and the engine system, and this gave an improvement but it is really something that you need to get used to and be confident with to improve your times. It is something I can build-on for the next test. I know Phillip Island very well and it is a much cooler place so I am looking forward to starting again next week.” Herve Poncharal, Team Principal, Tech3 Yamaha: “I am very pleased with how things have gone for the first 2008 test. It was important that both riders were quicker every day and the new bike and the tyres from Michelin have let us make a big step. Colin has impressed me with how he was instantly in the good lap-times; I think he has been the fastest on race tyres which is a positive sign. We have been testing a lot of things and for sure the new Yamaha is an improvement over last year. I would also like to thank Michelin for their application and the products that they have brought. Colin feels that there is a huge difference and James is continuing to learn, improve and surprise us; I think you have to go step-by-step in MotoGP otherwise we know how things can end up. We leave Sepang after many laps and with a lot of data for Michelin and Yamaha. We are eager to get to Phillip Island now because we will find some new conditions. Overall it is great to show we are competitive and thanks to the team for their good work.” With their 2008 schedule now active, a busy sequence of work for the Tech3 team lays ahead. Logistical staff were busy Thursday afternoon loading the motorcycles and equipment into crates in preparation for the trip to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia next week and the second stint of testing for both riders. Further outings at the two IRTA dates in February (Jerez and Qatar) are then pencilled in. A little over six weeks remain before the first Grand Prix of eighteen takes place at the Losail circuit in Qatar; the first ever world championship night event. Results 1. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc 2:00.326 2. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:00.660 3. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:00.766 4. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech3 2:01.179 5. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:01.198 6. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.425 7. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:01.447 8. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:01.745 9. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.748 10. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.778 11. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.873 12. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.032 13. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.198 14. Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:02.725 15. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:02.978 16. Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:02.995 17 Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.030 18 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:03.628 19 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:03.703 20 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:04.354 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Three Yamaha riders topping the time sheets in Sepang

Another scorching day in Sepang saw the Yamaha riders putting in some fast laps on the new 2008 YZR-M1 today, on the second day of the opening test of the year. Proving that Edwards, Rossi and Lorenzo were harbouring no ill-effects from yesterday’s falls, three out of four Yamaha riders topped the time sheets. Rossi was a second faster than yesterday and over half a second under lap record pace, setting the third fastest time of the day on a race tyre as his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was just behind him with a time of 2’01.583. Yamaha Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards was just ahead of both Fiat Yamaha riders in second place in a time of 2.01.327. For the second consecutive day Randy de Puniet topped the time sheets. Rossi once again worked on the pneumatic-valve engine and on the new electronics, as well as concentrating on tyre testing with Bridgestone as he and his crew continue their learning curve with their new tyre manufacturer. Rossi completed 60 laps and his best lap of the day, a time of 2’01.437, was set just before five pm.
Valentino Rossi - Position: 3rd Time: 2’01.437 Laps: 60 “Today we continued to work on bike set-up in the same way as yesterday and on the new engine, the electronics and the tyres. We continued with the pneumatic-valve engine as it’s important to get as much mileage as possible behind us with this engine to check the performance, the reliability and just to gain experience with it. With the electronics we worked a lot on the acceleration mapping and I’m quite happy with this. Although it doesn’t make us any faster, it helps me to be more comfortable on the bike. Finally we tested some different rear tyres with Bridgestone and also some qualifying tyres, although we didn’t improve on the time with the soft tyres so we need to work more in this area. We completed a lot of work today and hopefully we can have another good day tomorrow to finish.”
Davide Brivio - Team Manager “We were able to get through a lot of work today and we’re finding some good results. We continued to work a lot with different settings, constantly modifying the bike, as we learn more about it, to make it easier and faster to ride. Valentino is getting more used to his new tyres and therefore he is gaining more confidence and going faster. We didn’t complete a long run today but this is on the schedule for tomorrow so we hope for more good weather to allow us to get through all of our testing schedule.”
 
New Fiat Yamaha Team signing Jorge Lorenzo showed how quickly he’s getting to grips with his new YZR-M1 today when he finished the second day of testing in Sepang in fourth position. The 20-year-old improved on his time from day one by a second and was also under the lap record pace. Continuing from where he left off yesterday, Lorenzo had his first chance to try the pneumatic-valve engine and reported some improvement with it. Aside from that, today’s primary focus was tyres and the Spaniard and his crew commenced an extensive programme of rubber testing with Michelin. His best lap, in a time of 2’01.583, was set on the 31st of 54 laps shortly before one pm. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: 2’01.583 Laps: 54 “Today was a good day! We continued in the same way as yesterday, working on our overall performance and we improved by one second, so this is very encouraging. I tested the new pneumatic-valve engine and this was interesting and I found some improvement with it. We’re still working on the hard braking and, although we have improved our performance in these areas a bit, we still need to do more work on this. Likewise I’m still adjusting my riding style to better suit the M1 but this is becoming more natural and comfortable for me day-by-day. Finally we also began testing tyres with Michelin today. We tried quite a lot of new material, especially for the rear, and found some good stuff. I’m happy with the day’s work and hopefully we can have an even better day tomorrow.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Today we had even more positive results. We continued with our testing plan and Jorge showed a good overall performance today. We’re still focusing on improving the stability into the hard braking corners and Jorge also had his first chance to try the pneumatic-valve engine, which gave him a good feeling and worked well for him. Today we also began our testing programme with Michelin, trying several new compound tyres, which helped Jorge to improve his performance further. Tomorrow we’ll continue with Michelin and hopefully we will also have the chance to do a race simulation and check our overall performance.” Edwards finds his feet on Sepang second day The second day of action for the Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP team at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia revealed further progress for the French crew and their riders Colin Edwards, who was second quickest, and James Toseland, clocking in with the eleventh best time but shaving a second off his best, with their YZR-M1 machinery. A total of 105 laps were completed at the venue which will host the penultimate round of eighteen in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Edwards recorded a lap-time that was less than two-tenths of a second away from the fastest effort. The Texan immediately felt at home with a new chassis on the M1 and was also full of praise for the Michelin tyres that enabled him to register his impressive circulation. Colin Edwards – Position: 2nd time: 2.01.327, 46 laps “I am so happy right now,” he said. “Yesterday I was confused after the crash and what the problem could be. We had been struggling with engine braking but after we found the cause we went at it again this morning and the difference was huge. We made a small change to the new chassis and things were much better. I was more comfortable and the bike was working just how I wanted.” “We burned a few laps and I have to say ‘hats-off’ to Michelin and a big thank you! We had problems last year, but without a doubt they have redeemed themselves and more; I am really pleased and we should know better than to doubt Michelin anyway,” he added. “At tests you don’t push, not at 110% anyway,” the 33 year old said (34 next month), who has notched eight MotoGP podiums, “but I felt good out there. I was calming down and putting in less effort but I was still doing 2:01s and that little series of laps we made was great.” Edwards, also running a new swing-arm, is planning on making a longer on-track stint tomorrow to collect further valuable data for the chassis of the M1 and also tyre information. James Toseland, still getting acquainted with the M1 and the rigours of MotoGP testing, continued to cut his lap-times and today’s efforts saw a decent full second sliced from his personal best. James Toseland – Position:11th time: 2:02.276, 59 laps “To make that reduction in the lap-time was good even if I did more or less stay in the same position in the standings,” the 27 year old World Superbike Champion said “but I am not looking at positions at the moment, just the fact that I am getting quicker and quicker.” “We have a problem with chatter at the moment, which is holding us back, but we have a few things to try in terms of engine braking, electronics and traction control and we will be going through that stuff tomorrow,” he remarked after making 59 laps. “The adjustments seemed to work for Colin and if you look at the telemetry data then my setting was three times worse than his. So I am quite pleased that we are still doing pretty good lap-times. I made a 2:03 yesterday and I said to the team last night that I was looking forward to being in the ’02s today. I hardly dropped out of that bracket so I am happy, and will hope to get in the ‘01s tomorrow!” The third and final day of work takes place at Sepang tomorrow before Tech3 box-up and travel to the flowing Phillip Island circuit in Australia. Results 1. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.139 2. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech32:01.327 3. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.437 4. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:01.583 5. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:01.638 6. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:01.874 7. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:01.917 8. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:02.006 9. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.095 10. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc2:02.102 11. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:02.276 12. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.371 13. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:02.579 14. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:02.914 15. Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:03.311 16. Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:03.380 17 Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.462 18 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:04.217 19 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:04.382 20 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:04.427 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
 
 
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

2008 Challenge Gets Underway For Yamaha In Sepang

Valentino Rossi completed a mainly positive first day of testing in Malaysia today as the first of four pre-season tests began for the Fiat Yamaha Team. Rossi’s second test on Bridgestone tyres was interrupted when he crashed entering turn two on his twentieth lap of the day, but the Italian was unhurt and completed 44 laps and some important development work. It was a typically hot and humid Sepang day and the track surface caused some problems with several riders, including Rossi’s new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, also hitting the gravel at some point. Rossi and his team concentrated on a variety of things throughout the day as they continued to work on the development of the 2008 YZR-M1, recording positive results with a new 2008 specification pneumatic-valve engine, new electronics and of course some tyre work with Bridgestone. Rossi’s time of 2’02.490, recorded on his final lap of the day, put him in sixth place. Valentino Rossi - Position: 6th Time: 2’02.490 Laps: 44 “It feels good to be back on the bike after the winter break, and me and all my team are feeling very motivated about the task ahead. I still have some pain in my hand but I had it checked out again last week and the fracture is okay, so I know it’s not a problem to ride. Today we continued where we left off with Bridgestone and it seems we’re making good progress, we did many laps with the same tyre and I’m pleased with things so far. Unfortunately I had a crash today; I was on an out lap and maybe I pushed a little bit too hard, too soon, with not enough temperature in the tyre and I lost the front. Luckily I was not hurt, my hand is okay and I was able to continue with the day’s work! As well as tyres we tried a new-spec engine and I was quite pleased with this, as well as with some new electronics. The surface wasn’t good today and it wasn’t possible to go so fast but I hope tomorrow it will improve and we will be able to keep improving in all areas.” Davide Brivio - Team Manager “It was unfortunate that Valentino crashed, as well as quite a few other riders, but he is fine, the bike was okay after some work and it didn’t interrupt things too much. The surface was quite poor and this caused problems for everyone but anyway we were able to get quite a lot of work done and overall it’s been a good first day, despite Valentino’s problem! Of course we’re working a lot with Bridgestone, continuing from the work we did in Jerez, and so far we seem to be going well. Tomorrow we might try a long-run and check the situation with the tyres over many laps, so this will be interesting.”
 
After being officially welcomed into the Yamaha fold at the Team’s presentation in Turin last week, Jorge Lorenzo was out on track in Fiat Yamaha Team colours for the first time today in Sepang. The three-day Malaysian test is the first of four pre-season tests before the Spanish rookie makes his MotoGP debut in March. It was an interesting day for the Michelin-shod 20-year-old, who completed some promising work despite an incident at turn 13, when he lost the front and slid into the gravel. Like his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who suffered a similar fate, Lorenzo was entirely unhurt and was back out on his second bike almost immediately. He completed 43 laps on a scorching Sepang day, trying out a new 2008-specification engine and also some new electronics, registering improvements with both. The Michelin rider stayed on base tyres today and will begin tyre-testing tomorrow as he continues in his task of getting to grips with his new YZR-M1. His time of 2’02.563 was good enough for ninth place. Randy de Puniet was fastest today after recording a lap of 2’01.377. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 9th Time: 2’02.563 Laps: 43 “Unfortunately I lost the front and crashed at turn 13 but it wasn’t a big fall and I wasn’t hurt at all. I went back to the pits and went out on my other bike, forgot about the problem and started improving straight away! In this way it was a positive day for me. We had the chance to test a new engine, with which I found to be an improvement compared to the previous one, and we also worked on some new electronics. I still need to improve some things about my riding style, and we need to work on the bike in the hard braking areas because I am lacking some stability there. Today we didn’t change anything with the tyres but tomorrow we will start some tyre testing with Michelin.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “Luckily Jorge wasn’t hurt so despite his crash it was a good day’s work for us. We continued with the base set-up we had in Jerez, where he was quite fast, and it seems to work okay. The main area we need to work on is the hard braking areas, where we still have some vibration, so we need to concentrate on improving the bike for those parts of the track. We tried a new-specification engine and some new electronics and Jorge felt very comfortable with these. Tomorrow we will continue with general set-up work and also start testing new tyres with Michelin; we have a lot to do but so far things are going quite well.” First day of action for new-look Tech 3 in Sepang The Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP team began their 2008 campaign under hot Malaysian sun at the Sepang circuit today for the first of three days of testing.New riders James Toseland, the 2007 World Superbike champion, and Colin Edwards, a former two-time Superbike number one, completed 74 laps between them and posted best lap-times to rest 13th and 7th respectively from a full complement of MotoGP teams and riders. The first shakedown test of the year saw the Briton and American getting re-accustomed to their machinery after two sessions towards the end of 2007 and before the forced winter break. The pair worked on the data accumulated last time at Sepang and Jerez in Spain to begin building the competitive basis of their M1 motorcycle for this season. Colin Edwards - Position: 7th Time: 2:02.549Laps: 29 “We are not quite on the new stuff yet but we are slowly morphing into the next version; we will have a new chassis for tomorrow,” commented Edwards who rounded the fast layout for 29 laps and is currently preparing for his fourth season with Yamaha in MotoGP. “We started out getting the setting right and backing up what we found out from the last November test. Everything went well in the morning. We did not test anything special from Michelin but more the good tyres we had selected from the last outing.” Edwards was third quickest early on but relentless sunshine baked the asphalt in the afternoon and caused some problems, even prompting a slow-speed spill for the Texan. “After lunch the temperature on the ground went up to sixty degrees or something crazy like that and then things became difficult,” he recounted. “It was hard to stop the bike and I had perhaps the most stupid crash I’ve ever done. I was braking for the hair-pin and the bike stepped sideways. I tried to manage it straight, but it flicked back again and high-sided me in a straight-line. I was fine and the bike was the one we were going to change the chassis on anyway. We still have some work ahead.” Toseland –a MotoGP debutant and the only British rider in the premier class of the world championship – understandably circulated the breezy but sizzling Sepang circuit for as much track mileage as possible. He lapped 45 times in what was his third outing on the Yamaha M1. James Toseland - Position: 13th Time: 2:03.264 Laps: 45 “Today was pretty good even if it did take me a bit of time to get back into things after the break. My quickest time here in November was 2:03.5 and then I was mostly in the 04s and 05s. On my last run today, when the track was at its hottest, I was constantly in the low 03s, so we have made progress and I am pretty pleased with that,” he said. “We have got some new forks which are quite stable under braking,” he added. “Along with an increase in engine performance this is the main thing that I noticed compared to the old bike. The new rear swinging arm was working well and I did not feel as much chatter around this track as I did before. The bike is not hugely different so far but the subtle changes are a step in the right direction.” With all the manufacturers on the 2008 MotoGP grid represented at Sepang, the test gave the team a decent chance to set their benchmarks against the opposition they will battle through the eighteen round calendar that begins on March 9th in Qatar. The French crew will continue work on Wednesday and Thursday before shipping out to Phillip Island in Australia for further development next week. Results 1. Randy De Puniet - Honda Lcr 2:01.377 2. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Hrc2:01.864 3. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.074 4. Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki 2:02.416 5. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro 2:02.457 6. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.490 7. Colin Edwards - Yamaha Tech32:02.549 8. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Hrc2:02.558 9. Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha Team 2:02.563 10. Shinya Nakano - Honda Gresini2:02.622 11. John Hopkins - Kawasaki Racing2:02.628 12. Andrea Dovizioso - Jir Team Scot2:02.783 13. James Toseland - Yamaha Tech32:03.264 14. Alex De Angelis - Honda Gresini 2:03.301 15. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing 2:03.387 16. Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing2:03.863 17 Toni Elias - Alice Team 2:03.954 18 Marco Melandri - Ducati Marlboro 2:04.414 19 Niccolò Canepa - Ducati Test2:05.580 20 Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team2:06.000 21 Tamaki Serizawa - Kawasaki Racing2:23.590 Sepang Lap Record Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007 - 2'02.108 Sepang Best Lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 - 2'00.605
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Yamaha and Fiat celebrate their second year together at 2008 team launch in Turin

Yamaha Motor Company Ltd. and Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. marked the second year of their MotoGP partnership today, at the official 2008 Fiat Yamaha Team Launch in Turin, Italy. The presentation was hosted by Italian TV star Simona Ventura and took place at the historic Lingotto building, which was Fiat’s car factory from 1923 until 1982. The building, which features a unique rooftop test track, played host to a different type of wheel power today when the new 2008 YZR-M1s, sporting an updated version of the Fiat Yamaha Team’s eye-catching white and blue livery, were unveiled. Yamaha’s double MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was present at the ceremony alongside his new team-mate, 20-year-old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who is making the step up to MotoGP after two years as 250cc World Champion. Also present today were Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, Masahiko Nakajima, Fiat Yamaha Team Director and YZR-M1 Project Leader, Davide Brivio and Daniele Romagnoli, Fiat Yamaha Team Managers, and Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of the Fiat brand. “I’m very happy that we’re so close to the start of racing,” said Rossi, who will contest this season on Bridgestone tyres for the first time. “This is a very important year for us and our only aim is to win, although it’s going to be hard work. My hand is much better, if not yet perfect, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike in Sepang next week. Everyone has been working very hard over the winter and I think our new bike is quite good, although of course we still have a lot of work to do. Everyone is very motivated and I know that we have the best team there is.”
 
Lorenzo, whose M1 will be Michelin-shod this season, enjoyed his first official day as a Yamaha rider. “I’m very happy to be here, with these people, this bike and in this team. I have a long way to go in my development but I have improved each time I’ve ridden the bike and the last test especially was very good. I’m very excited about this season and it’s a great honour to share the garage with Valentino, who is without doubt the most complete talent in our sport.” Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, commented, “We’re very pleased to be continuing our strong partnership with our title sponsor Fiat. Meanwhile, the most important change to our team is the arrival of Jorge Lorenzo as Valentino Rossi’s new team-mate. Our aim is to recapture the title and, as our most experienced rider, this is Valentino’s clear mission. However we also expect Jorge to be fighting at the front as he gains experience. We have two multiple World Championship winning riders in our team and we believe we have optimum chance to realise our ambitions. “As well as continuing with Fiat, we also enter into a second year with Official Sponsors AIA and ACER, and we’re also delighted to announce today the arrival of a new Official Sponsor in solar-energy company KERSELF, with whom we have concluded a two-year sponsorship agreement. Another important new partner is YAMALUBE, Yamaha’s own high performance lubricants brand. Plus, as everyone knows, this season we will be working with both Michelin and Bridgestone tyre brands and we would like to thank them, as well as all our official sponsors and suppliers, for their continued support.” “The Fiat Yamaha initiative has been a success for Fiat from the start,” added Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of the Fiat brand. “The team is young, successful and dynamic and MotoGP brings us very close to our target market and gives us great visibility, not only in Italy but worldwide. We’re looking forward to another great year with Yamaha.” The Fiat Yamaha Team’s 2008 campaign gets underway in Sepang, Malaysia next week with the first of four pre-season tests. The 18-round MotoGP season commences in Qatar on 9th of March.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Coppins eager to start pre-season work

Yamaha Motocross Team’s Josh Coppins is more determined than ever to see his FIM World Championship dreams come to fruition in 2008 after coming so desperately close last year. The 30 year old will shortly return from an active winter of training in his native New Zealand to embark on a busy pre-season spell of international races and tests before the first Grand Prix of fifteen in Holland on April 6th. “At the moment I am starting to work more on my riding and getting the hours on the bike but also keep up my physical training,” he said. “I leave New Zealand on the 28th of January and go straight to Italy where I will test my race bike. Then we have races at Mantova, Montevarchi , Valance and Hawkstone, all in a row. This year I will also work with Jacky Vimond (former 250cc World Champion). After this I will have three weeks off from racing and I will see what areas I need to work on; they may be speed, or the bike or fitness. I will do the first round of the Belgium championship the week before Valkenswaard and then we hit Grand Prix 1.” Coppins has been honing his physical condition since December in his town of Motueka, with some local race appearances – including domination of Supercross outings in Australia and New Zealand - thrown in for good measure. His gym and cardiovascular itineraries have seen an intense timetable of activities from cycling and riding to rock-climbing. “To be honest every year it gets better,” he said of his programme. “Every year we step-up the training and try to prepare better, but then so do my competitors! I did pretty much the same as the previous two years except I rode the motorbike a bit more and basically did more training than in the past. Last year we were struggling to do twenty hours a week, this year almost every week was well over that.”
 
The winner of five Grand Prix in his maiden season with the YZ450FM first had to let his broken shoulder heal. The injury meant that the Yamaha Motocross Team surrendered the MX1 crown they had owned since in 2004 and halted their phenomenal run of six titles. Coppins lead fourteen of fifteen rounds in 2007 until being forced to withdraw from the final race of the year. He insists that the ‘downtime’ he needed to recover from the break was a positive experience for his mental state approaching 2008. “I spent some time doing nothing at home waiting for my shoulder to heal,” he revealed. “In that time I thought about the highs and the lows of 2007, the good and the bad parts of my season and most of all how I could improve for ‘08. I have a bit of a different approach now, mostly mentally, I think I am a stronger person now.” In terms of his work with the Italian crew of YMT, Coppins also stresses that the 2008 version of his race motorcycle means he will be even more of a potent force come April. “The new 2008 bike is a really good and I am happy because Yamaha addressed the few little issues we have from last year,” he remarked. “I tested the new bike for two weeks before I left Europe at the end of ‘07. There are only small changes but mostly to the chassis. They have made a big difference and it is a nicer bike to race.” “There is not too much testing to do now as I am happy with how things are,” he continued. “We will try a few modifications that I have asked the team to try over the winter, but mostly it will just be getting time on the bike and getting comfortable again in Europe.”
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

Haga and Corser move forward at Phillip Island

Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) completed a tough but successful three day test at Phillip Island in conditions which varied from relatively cool to exceptionally hot, finding real improvements while using Yamaha’s YCC-I variable intake system in full race trim. Noriyuki Haga (Position: 6th – Best time: 1’32.4) “It’s gone very well. We spent the days testing new parts, the results are good so now I am just waiting for the race. I’ve tried new suspension, new swing arm linkages and many tyres and the variable inlet trumpets. Before coming to Phillip Island I tested the variable inlet trumpets for two days in Japan and the feeling is very good. We can see from the power curve that it is better and as a rider it gives me a better feeling. It gives us increased adjustment and for sure we will use this from now on.” Haga’s personal best time of 1’32.4 was only 0.3 seconds from the best over the three days of testing, while Corser set a 1’32.7, both concentrating their efforts on finding good race settings and tyre options in the constantly changing track conditions. Corser in particular found the surface uncharacteristically bumpy in places, and the final day of testing, run in ambient temperatures of 38°C at times, was hard work for all.
As well as successful trials of the YCC-I system, the team evaluated swingarm and linkage developments, with Corser also trying out new braking components. The very high temperatures of the final day are not expected to be experienced at the Phillip Island race itself, on 2 March. Troy Corser (Position: 7th – Best time: 1’32.7) “We’ve had a lot to test but we’ve seen a direction - some were good and some not so good. I’ve been working to improve the stability on the bike and we’ve also been trying some new discs to give us better braking. We’ve had a whole range of front forks, rear shocks and a different swing arm link and tyres to test. The actual one lap fast times on the final day didn’t really come but we gained a lot of data, a lot of feedback and have a good race speed. I only spent the final afternoon using the variable inlet but I’ve been able to feel a bit different power. I think we’ve still got a bit of work to do to find the best bike balance here but it’s definitely been a positive test.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "We have to be happy with this test because we are better than last year and the year before and in particular over a race distance our speed is good. Still this circuit remains difficult for us because it offers not the grip level that makes are bike work perfect. It is difficult to say the difference between us and the competition, because we did our long run at around 12 noon, most others did theirs at a different time. We were happy with ours, especially the one from Noriyuki, so we are leaving Phillip Island feeling optimistic. Both riders used the variable intake system properly for the first time and both of them were very happy with it. It is a positive step and for sure we will use it at the first race in Qatar.” Circuit Length: 4.445km, Temp: First day 20°C, rising to last day 38°C Weather: Dry, sunny Parkes hot at home as Foret continues progress Broc Parkes left his home circuit of Phillip Island with the best lap time of the three day test in the Supersport category, while his new team-mate, Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport Team) also made great progress with the new Yamaha YZF-R6. Parkes set a blistering 1’34.6, some 0.4 seconds faster than his closest rivals, and easily inside the previous lap records. Foret found the set-up changes he needed to set his best of 1’35.2 on the very last day. It had been a tough test because of the every increasing temperature, and the fact that since the last test there, the track has become bumpy in places. A lot of effort was focused on finding suspension setting that worked effectively, as the previous test of the brand new machine was conducted on the smooth and flat circuit at Qatar, in late November. Broc Parkes (Position: 1st – Best time: 1’34.6) "It’s been a good test and we’ve been working really well. The engine, chassis and suspension is all working together, we’ve tried a lot of things and it seems that every direction we went in was a good one and we kept improving. The new bike is a big improvement especially the engine, it’s got more torque which makes it more user friendly and it’s also giving us better tyre life. All in all I’m really happy, at the Qatar test I was quickest and I’ve been fastest all three days here in Phillip Island so hopefully we can keep the momentum going until the first race.” Fabien Foret (Position: 4th – Best time: 1’35.2) "My test was much better on the final day and I did a few fast laps at the end, so I am a bit happier than I was on day one or two. I am still working on the feel and feedback from the front and because of the very hot conditions everyone seemed to be looking for grip. Turn one was very bumpy, but the grip was the biggest thing for me in the heat.” Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Coordinator - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "The test went OK even if the conditions changed each day and the track was quite bumpy in places compared to the experience we had at the Qatar tests. It was very smooth and flat there. It was 20°C on the first day, 30°C on the second and then 38°C today, so we have tested the new bike in every condition except rain. We had to work hard for three days to find the best suspension settings and we still have work to do to be exactly where we want to, but we still have the time and space to do that. We have been fast, so that is not an issue. We also did some successful long runs to choose tyres.” Circuit Length: 4.445km Temp: First day 20°C, rising to last day 38°C Weather: Dry, sunny Superbike times combined 1. Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki) 1’32.1 2. Troy Bayliss (AUS-Ducati) 1’32.2 3. Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1’32.3 4. Ruben Xaus (ESP-Ducati) 1’32.3 5. Fonsi Nieto (ESP-Suzuki) 1’32.3 6. Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Yamaha) 1’32.4 7. Troy Corser (AUS-Yamaha) 1’32.7 8. Max Biaggi (ITA-Ducati) 1’32.8 9. Regis Laconi (FRA-Kawasaki) 1’33.0 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN-Kawasaki) 1’33.4 11. Max Neukirchner (GER-Suzuki) 1’35.5 Supersport times combined 1. Broc Parkes (AUS-Yamaha) 1’34.6 2. Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda) 1’35.0 3. Andrew Pitt (AUS-Honda) 1’35.0 4. Fabien Foret (FRA-Yamaha) 1’35.2 5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN-Kawasaki) 1’35.6 6. Chris Walker (GBR-Kawasaki) 1’35.7 7. Josh Brookes (AUS-Honda) 1’35.7 8. Garry McCoy (AUS-Triumph) 1’35.9 9. Robbin Harms (DEN-Honda) 1’36.4
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

2008 Dakar rally cancelled amid safety concerns

The 2008 Dakar rally has been cancelled just one day before the 30th edition of the historic competition was due to start in Lisbon, Portugal. The late move was initiated over security concerns with at least eight of the fifteen stages passing through Mauritania in western Africa. An announcement issued by the event organisers A.S.O today stated that: “Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 24th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but also and mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken by A.S.O.” “A.S.O.’s first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of all: that of the populations in the countries visited, of the amateur and professional competitors, of the technical assistance personnel, of the journalists, partners and rally collaborators.” 52 Yamaha riders from a list of more than 250 were set to take the start in Lisbon. A.S.O has vowed that the future of the rally is not at threat. “The Dakar is a symbol and nothing can destroy symbols. The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar,” the statement also read.
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno

30th Dakar awaiting green light

While a great many people across the world ate, drank and relaxed over the end of year festive period a select group of well-trained and courageous sportsmen made last minute checks and nervously counted the hours until the day they had to travel to Lisbon, Portugal on January 5th. The 30th edition of the Dakar rally sees the largest entry list yet of 540 teams using motorcycles, quads, cars and trucks traverse the longest course to-date with over 9000km to be covered across Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal in just fifteen days. The third launch from the Portuguese capital will see 52 WR450F-engined Yamaha machines (bikes and quads) compete for positions and aspire to last the distance from a roster of more than 250 riders. Not only hoping to reach Dakar in Senegal on January 20th but also ambitious of capturing a top finish in the motorcycle class – as well as defend Yamaha’s crown in the increasingly growing division for 450cc bikes – are Frenchmen David Frétigné and Michel Marchini and Czech Republic’s Martin Macek.
 
In terms of results Frétigné will be looking to match the heights of his 2005 attempt in which he took fifth position overall (an achievement that was repeated last year by Portuguese Helder Rodrigues). The WR450F has a fine tradition in the 450cc category with Frétigné winning that particular section of the competition in 2004 and 2005. The bike was steered to victory again in 2007. Frétigné led the 450s up until the seventh stage before sustaining a KO and Rodrigues went on to take the overall honours. Five times French Enduro champion Frétigné boasts seven stage wins in his Dakar career and will again be going up against motorcycles from 400cc to 690cc capacity. “I expect a very technical Dakar in 2008, which maybe will allow riders on smaller motorcycles to make time,” he said. “This gives a big hand to the 450 and it means that the bike could produce some surprises. When I first arrived at the Dakar in 2004 on the 450 people thought I was crazy. I have since won seven stages, two of which were in that first year. This time we must strive to make the difference with our navigation and the 2008 route seems to favour this aspect of the rally. I was really close to the podium in 2005 and missed it by only a few minutes. Therefore for 2008 I will be aiming for a place among the leading trio. I want to prove that a 450 can have a place on the podium.” The Yamaha Europe backed team of Frétigné and Marchini uses a six-wheeled truck, a 4x4 assistance vehicle. There are two drivers, three mechanics, a team manager and press officer. Michel Marchini finished 7th and as the second best Yamaha rider in 2007. The Corsican is more than aware of the extreme task that faces him but insists the experience he has gained will stand him in good stead. “Arriving in the first five would be the main goal,” commented Marchini, “every year you get to know the land better, you can read the road book better and every little thing that is easier helps save time.” “The body becomes a machine,” he added. “It is only necessary to eat, sleep and drink when you can.” 39 year old Macek, from Smrzovka, was Yamaha’s third highest finisher in 2007. He reached Senegal with 15th position overall in the bike category and was 6th in the 450s. The Czech Enduro expert, who has an ambition to build an Enduro school/training area in his native country, stated that his aim for 2008 was to break into the top ten. He has assembled a suitable back-up squad and was testing in Tunisia during October. In 2008 the fifteen days of action see the participants covering more than 500km a day on average (with just one rest day). The route consists of fifteen stages, each of which contains a ‘special’. The ‘specials’ are timed and the subsequent results make up the race standings. The longest stage takes place in Morocco at more than 800km. Entering Mauritania means a number of ‘specials’ across the dunes and terrain of the Sahara desert. Aside from the competitive element of the specials (the riders and drivers are timed for almost 6000km in total, longer than the previous two Dakars) the ‘liaisons’ also have to be negotiated; a set distance until a vehicle completes a stage. Although liaisons do not contain the pressure of a special, the added kilometres – the most in Africa involves 326km through Mauritania on Day Fourteen – increases the high endurance demands of the rally. There are few motorsport competitions that push the limits and resolve of man and machine quite as hard as Dakar. Yamaha have a fantastic record in the rally with nine overall victories stretching back from 1979 and six successes thanks to Dakar ‘legend’ Stephan Peterhansel. Frétigné’s first effort in 2004 saw the introduction of the famous ‘2-Trac’ mono WR450F and he won three stages against the might of the twin cylinders. The Dakar organisation is vast and the popularity of the event continues to grow. Almost 500 accredited media follow the rally and over 600 televised hours are beamed out from the desolate but beautiful depths of western Africa. Dakar 2008 START-FINISH 05/01/08 Lisboa-Portimão 486 km 06/01/08 Portimão-Málaga 535 km 07/01/08 Nador-Er Rachidia 717 km 08/01/08 Er Rachidia-Ouarzazate 584 km 09/01/08 Ouarzazate-Guelmim 834 km 10/01/08 Guelmim-Smara 625 km 11/01/08 Smara-Atâr 829 km 12/01/08 Atâr-Nouakchott 531 km 13/01/08 Rest Day 14/01/08 Nouakchott-Nouhadibou 648 km 15/01/08 Nouhadibou-Atâr 685 km 16/01/08 Atâr-Tidjikja 692 km 17/01/08 Tidjikja-Kiffa 531 km 18/01/08 Kiffa-Kiffa 515 km 19/01/08 Kiffa-Saint-Louis 757 km 20/01/08 Saint-Louis-Dakar 304 km TOTAL 9273 km Dakar 2008 Yamaha Competitors 7. MARCHINI Michel (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 12. FRETIGNE David (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 16. PAIN Olivier (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 19. MACEK Martin (CZE) YAMAHA WR450F 28. CROQUELOIS Eric (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 34. PISANO Michael (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 37. MATEUS Nuno (PRT) YAMAHA WR450F 44. RANDYSEK Dusan (CZE) YAMAHA WR450F 47. WILLEMSEN Daniel (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 64. CORNILLE Franck (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 65. MORO Joel (FRA) YAMAHA 450F 85. RIGAUDEAU Pascal (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 91. ALGERI Luigi (ITA) YAMAHA 450F 92. BIANCHI PRATA Pedro (PRT) YAMAHA WR450F 119. FERREIRA Luis (PRT) YAMAHA WR450F 121. SARR Alioune (SEN) YAMAHA 131. MEIER Christina (DEU) YAMAHA WR450F 134. DE GROOT Richard (NLD) YAMAHA WR250F 135. FROSTAD Gjermond (NOR) YAMAHA WR450F 141. VAN DER WAL Paul (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 143. DE ROO Herwin (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 146. CARDOSO Paulo (PRT) YAMAHA WR450F 153. LENOBLE Andre (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 154. PENNARUN Philippe (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 159. SZILVASI Peter (HUN) YAMAHA WR450F 161. BODELIER Loek (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 162. HOFLAND Jan (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 167. ROSA Joao (PRT) YAMAHA WR450F 173. BARDAUSKAS Balys (LTU) YAMAHA WR450F 177. ANO Julio (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 182. MARCANT Dominique (FRA) YAMAHA WR450F 189. OLIVEIRA Pedro (PRT) YAMAHA 450F 190. RIBEIRO FERREIRA Fernando agostinho (PRT) YAMAHA 450F 193. FRANKEN Dirk jan (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 202. LECOMTE Antoine (FRA) YAMAHA 450F 218. LIST Gerard (NLD) YAMAHA WR250 219. VAN BERGEIJK Henno (NLD) YAMAHA WR450 220. SCHUTTEL Dirk (NLD) YAMAHA WR450F 223. PEDERZOLI Claudio (ITA) YAMAHA WR450 229. GABARI Harite (MAR) YAMAHA WR450 236. DOTTORI Alberto (ITA) YAMAHA WR450F 237. SLETHOLT Asbjorn (NOR) YAMAHA WR450F 239. MEES Yvan (BEL) YAMAHA WR450F 240. PALIOKAS Sarunas (LTU) YAMAHA WR450F 250. MACHACEK Josef (CZE) YAMAHA 252. PENA Jose maria (ESP) YAMAHA 254. DECLERCK Christophe (FRA) YAMAHA 255. MONTEIRO Miguel (PRT) YAMAHA 256. OLIVEIRA Alexandre (PRT) YAMAHA 257. GONZALEZ Joan manuel (ESP) YAMAHA 259. HERBE Philippe (FRA) YAMAHA 260. CHARROING Alderic (FRA) YAMAHA
Alex Asigno
Alex Asigno