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Yamaha Impresses with Strong Performance in 2013 Sardegna Rally

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

Lorenzo Makes it Three in a Row with Masterful Mugello Victory

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

Yamaha Owns Assen with the YZF-R6

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

Fantastic fourth for Crutchlow in Texas

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

Lorenzo Takes 100th MotoGP Podium in Texas

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

Frossard and Ferris looking forward to Italian Grand Prix

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

Yamaha Kick Off Title Challenge with Victory in British Superbike

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

Double Delight as Yamaha Dominate in Qatar

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

Yamaha Lead the Way as MotoGP Begins in Qatar

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

Yamaha Prepares to Open the 2013 MotoGP Season in Qatar

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

Final Pre-Season Testing Concludes Successfully for Yamaha in Jerez

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


Alex

Yamaha Completes Testing in Texas

The Factory team will now re-join the rest of the MotoGP paddock back in Europe for the next Official IRTA test at the Jerez De La Frontera Circuit in Spain on the 23rd March.

Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2'04.664 - 17 Laps
“I feel better today, especially in the last run before the lunch break, we changed the set up of the bike and we improved some tenths so we are closer to the fastest riders, but not as much as we would like. We were too soft in the suspension to start with, we made it harder and in this track it works.

These two days that we are here I think is enough to get a good idea of set up and riding style. The fans will like MotoGP here, it is going to be a great show.

We have been trying different set ups of the bike, no new parts, just playing with the set up, changing the suspension and forks and in the last run I improved half a second with set up changes.

We still don't have enough grip on the rear so we can’t lean over with confidence which is why we are further behind than in Sepang.

I am adapting my riding style every lap a little for the track. In the main straight we are at 340kmh/h which is an amazing speed; when you have to brake and put your helmet up the wind is very strong so it’s difficult to be stable.”

Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2'05.518 - 29 Laps
“The feeling with the track improved today, we started to work on the bike to improve the difficult points, especially in the three very hard braking areas where it is important to have good stability. It’s also very important to have grip on the edge through the hairpin to have speed along the straight.

It looks like you can make a big difference in the slow parts here. The chicane part in turn two is very technical and difficult as it is blind; you have to go a bit with memory.

Step by step we improved a lot from yesterday but have some disadvantage compared to the other guys so we need to put all the sections together. The target was to come here and try to understand the track and try to be ready for the race.

Our competitors are able to accelerate faster than us from the hairpin and they have a bit more grip on the edge compared to us so these are the areas where we have to work, in the flowing parts we are not so bad.

The track is good, a very classical ‘Tilke’ track, I like the fast parts, turn two and turn ten especially. There is lots of hard braking and it is very wide so good for overtaking. The long right before the last two lefts is also good. Its fun and not too hot like it is in Sepang so it's a good place to make a motorcycle race.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“First of all I would like to remark that it has been a good idea to come here. Yesterday we were able to download a lot of data from both riders; that has permitted us to find a much better set up.

Today the results we got are quite promising and we are leaving Austin with a lot of useful data. We are expecting different conditions for the race but the test has been successful. We are now looking forward to the Jerez test which is important as we will decide there how to start for the season.

The test here was organized by Honda to cover three days but we knew from the beginning that two days would be enough for us. The target was to allow the rider to get used to the circuit and get as much data as possible for our Japanese engineers.”

Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT):

1 - Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda - 2'04.363
2 - Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda MotoGP - 2'04.640
3 - Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing - 2'04.664
4 - Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda - 2'04.686
5 - Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing - 2'05.518

High resolution images from today's action in Texas can be downloaded directly from www.yamaha-racing.com

Source: www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex

Yamaha Get Back To Business Texas Style

Jorge Lorenzo, 4th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.388
“I think it’s very important to come here and learn the track. I haven’t learnt 100% of it, I need more laps to learn my lines, but for the moment it’s a very beautiful track which is very complete with every kind of corner. In the beginning it was difficult to understand the lines but I have improved 22 seconds from the first lap today, that means it's a hard track to learn and a difficult track to go to the maximum on. I think it helps more than some other places to have this extra time. I think three or four practices before the race will not be enough to understand it so some of the riders who didn’t come here will have a little disadvantage.

The wind has been a little bit of a problem, especially on the longer straight where you arrive over 340kmhr, you feel a lot of unstable feelings. Almost all the track is tricky, there’s some very hard braking and also tight hairpins. The first sector is flowing but it is very hard to find a good line because it’s blind. We’re getting used to the track but also trying to solve a problem at maximum lean where we don’t have full confidence. We have to change the setting a bit to make it better. The tarmac is not perfect with only four bikes on it to clean it so it’s difficult to understand if it’s very grippy or not. It’s hard to know if it will be much better at the race weekend or just a little bit.”

Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.924
“I really like the track, my first impression is that it is beautiful. It’s very flowing with a lot of fast corners and a lot of change of direction; it is fun on the bike! There are three hairpins that are very tight; this is better for Formula 1 overtaking, but for us they are a bit slow. In general the track is good. There is some downhill and uphill and first braking zone is very good. We have to understand which tyre to use, but the asphalt surface doesn't have any rubber on it at the moment so there is not so much grip at the moment. The uphill at turn one helps to stop the bike, which is beautiful. For me turn two is the best though and after you enter into the chicane which is very similar to Silverstone. The straight is very long, which is maybe good for overtaking.

The city is great, the atmosphere is very good so I think it is a very good place for a race. Its very important to have this time as the track is so difficult, the are a lot of blind corners where you have to understand where to brake. We will continue to work on the line to understand the track and also to increase the rear grip on the bike as we suffer in acceleration. The first feeling is positive. It’s important for MotoGP to have a third race in America, we have a lot of good riders from the USA so it’s right to be here.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“It was definitely a good idea to come here. The track is very difficult to learn, I think it is really special. We are working hard to get a base setting but the most important point is for the riders to get used to the circuit. We’ve started with our base set up from Sepang and we’ll modify it for this circuit. We are on schedule and we will continue working until tomorrow night. If we gather all the information required then we won’t stay for Thursday.”

Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT):

1 - Marc Marquez (HRC - Honda) - 2:05.620
2 - Dani Pedrosa (HRC - Honda) - 2:06.140
3 - Stefan Bradl (LCR - Honda) - 2:07.307
4 - Jorge Lorenzo (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.388
5 - Valentino Rossi (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.924Yamaha Get Back To Business Texas Style
Austin (Texas, USA), 12th March 2013 - Update at 3pm local time (-6GMT)

Yamaha Factory Racing were back on track today with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi enjoying their first ever Circuit of Americas (COTA) experience. The Yamaha riders were at the new track in Texas for day one of the three-day private test. The first sessions were dedicated to learning the track, both Lorenzo and Rossi focusing on understanding the complex 5.5km circuit which has 20 corners and an elevation change of over 41 metres.


Jorge Lorenzo, 4th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.388
“I think it’s very important to come here and learn the track. I haven’t learnt 100% of it, I need more laps to learn my lines, but for the moment it’s a very beautiful track which is very complete with every kind of corner. In the beginning it was difficult to understand the lines but I have improved 22 seconds from the first lap today, that means it's a hard track to learn and a difficult track to go to the maximum on. I think it helps more than some other places to have this extra time. I think three or four practices before the race will not be enough to understand it so some of the riders who didn’t come here will have a little disadvantage.

The wind has been a little bit of a problem, especially on the longer straight where you arrive over 340kmhr, you feel a lot of unstable feelings. Almost all the track is tricky, there’s some very hard braking and also tight hairpins. The first sector is flowing but it is very hard to find a good line because it’s blind. We’re getting used to the track but also trying to solve a problem at maximum lean where we don’t have full confidence. We have to change the setting a bit to make it better. The tarmac is not perfect with only four bikes on it to clean it so it’s difficult to understand if it’s very grippy or not. It’s hard to know if it will be much better at the race weekend or just a little bit.”

Valentino Rossi, 5th; Best lap time (at 3pm local time): 2:07.924
“I really like the track, my first impression is that it is beautiful. It’s very flowing with a lot of fast corners and a lot of change of direction; it is fun on the bike! There are three hairpins that are very tight; this is better for Formula 1 overtaking, but for us they are a bit slow. In general the track is good. There is some downhill and uphill and first braking zone is very good. We have to understand which tyre to use, but the asphalt surface doesn't have any rubber on it at the moment so there is not so much grip at the moment. The uphill at turn one helps to stop the bike, which is beautiful. For me turn two is the best though and after you enter into the chicane which is very similar to Silverstone. The straight is very long, which is maybe good for overtaking.

The city is great, the atmosphere is very good so I think it is a very good place for a race. Its very important to have this time as the track is so difficult, the are a lot of blind corners where you have to understand where to brake. We will continue to work on the line to understand the track and also to increase the rear grip on the bike as we suffer in acceleration. The first feeling is positive. It’s important for MotoGP to have a third race in America, we have a lot of good riders from the USA so it’s right to be here.”


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“It was definitely a good idea to come here. The track is very difficult to learn, I think it is really special. We are working hard to get a base setting but the most important point is for the riders to get used to the circuit. We’ve started with our base set up from Sepang and we’ll modify it for this circuit. We are on schedule and we will continue working until tomorrow night. If we gather all the information required then we won’t stay for Thursday.”

Test Result at 3pm local time (-6GMT):

1 - Marc Marquez (HRC - Honda) - 2:05.620
2 - Dani Pedrosa (HRC - Honda) - 2:06.140
3 - Stefan Bradl (LCR - Honda) - 2:07.307
4 - Jorge Lorenzo (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.388
5 - Valentino Rossi (YFR - YAMAHA) - 2:07.924
Alex

Yamaha Wraps Up Sepang in Challenging Weather Conditions

Team mate Rossi opted to spend the remaining day continuing work on bike set up, the Italian still looking for the optimum mix of traction and balance on the YZR-M1, especially as tyre wear increases. The Italian wrapped up his second Sepang test in fourth position, just 0.07 seconds behind his teammate.


Jorge Lorenzo - Laps 56, Time - 2'00.992
“The practice was wet at the beginning of the day so we exited and tried the bike on the wet. It wasn't bad, I made the fastest wet time but when the track became dryer it was never the same as yesterday. It was much more slippery and so harder to equal yesterday’s time. We made a complete simulation, it was a little worse than I expected because we had some problems with the front tyre in braking; it didn't give me much confidence so I slowed my pace a little. The conditions were extreme this time so it was harder to equal the simulation we made in the first Sepang test.”


Valentino Rossi - Laps 61, Time - 2'01.062
“This test at the end is positive because we are in fourth place and not so far from the front. We are struggling a little more than the first test though; we were unlucky and suffered a little electrical problem that lost us some time and some other little problems. We tried to improve our performance and we fixed some problems but not all. The balance is positive; we have had another three days with the bike, and ridden more kilometres to take the bike back to the top and closer to the limit. Now we are looking forward to Austin.”


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“Sepang test two has come to an end and we are quite happy with the result, we tested everything we had to. We completed the long run today under very hot circumstances which was one of our aims because it is very difficult to keep the pace and know what can happen after ten or 11 laps here. We have a lot of data and I think we are getting to where we want to be. Of course the season hasn't started yet so we still hope to find more improvements.”
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“It has been a successful test for us. In terms of speed, data and race pace for sure we are still missing some things but the direction is good and I think if we have to judge after first two tests the package is really good. Now we are looking to Austin, it is important to go there and get some valuable data so we can prepare for the race as best as possible. The riders and team have been extremely professional over the test, working hard through very hot and humid conditions.”


Crutchlow and Smith leave Sepang positive after successful test
Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith ended a successful three-day test at the Sepang International Circuit on a high note after the British pairing both finished inside the top 10 on the final timesheets. Heavy rain that fell this morning gave the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo the chance to complete a handful of laps on Bridgestone's rain tyres, with Crutchlow completing nine and Smith seven laps before the track started to dry out in extreme heat. The morning rain had a clear impact on grip levels for the remainder of the final day, with both Crutchlow and Smith unable to better thei r pace from the second day's action in Malaysia. Crutchlow completed a total of 59 laps today to set a best time of 2.01.094, which put him in sixth position and less than 0.1s away from the top three as he worked on improving corner entry performance on his YZR-M1 machine. A best time of 2.00.907 set yesterday meant Crutchlow finished fourth fastest on the overall leaderboard.

Smith completed an exhaustive testing schedule today, the 22-year-old building up his knowledge by using a range of different settings on his YZR-M1 machine to set a personal best time of 2.02.070. That time placed him 10th on today's timesheets and he managed to reduce the gap to the leading group to just over 1.7s. Smith was 10th overall at the conclusion of the second Sepang test courtesy of a best lap of 2.02.023 set on the only full dry day of the test yesterday.


Cal Crutchlow - Laps - 59, Time - 2'01.094
“I am leaving this test in a positive frame of mind because I am fourth overall and although I was only sixth quickest today I actually think I could have been fastest. When everybody was pushing hard for a fast lap time at the end of the day I got held up on every lap but I am not worried about that. We have worked very hard this week to improve our package and today we gained more valuable information. I still lose a bit in the braking area and rolling into the corner. We tried to improve that but made the braking worse. But when we make the braking better we have no grip. So it is finding a compromise. We tried two different settings on the different bikes and one was better for braking and the other one was better for grip, so we need to find the best of both and put them together. I am not that far off the top three and they are all on factory machinery, so that is encouraging. To be fourth overall is very positive and I definitely think we are in the mix. My target was to be close to the factory guys and we are not too far away.”


Bradley Smith - Laps - 64, Time - 2'02.314
“I leave this second test in Sepang positive because I know a lot more about the bike when I first got here. I sat in the garage when everybody was in time attack mode at the end and pushing for a fast lap on a new tyre. It is not that I didn't want to go for the lap time but we are just trying to go step-by-step at the moment and look at the bigger picture. I still don't believe that we have a base setting for me to ride but at least we have a direction of which way I prefer. Luckily for us it is towards the way Andrea Dovizioso went last year and that's positive because we have got a whole load of data and experience from working wit h him. This is only day two of really modifying the set-up of the bike, so in terms of development we still have a lot to do. I would say we are in a lot better position now than I was at the last test although we haven't gone faster. Now I am looking forward to working on the YZR-M1 at a different track when we go to Jerez for the final test.”


Test Times
1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.562s (Lap 41/57)
2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 2m 0.643s (54/54)
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 0.992s (23/56)
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 2m 1.062s (60/61)
5. Alvaro Bautista ESP Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 1.078s (13/43)
6. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 1.094s (57/59)
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda (RC213V) 2m 1.309s (7/46)
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 1.650s (35/44)
9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.070s (23/53)
10. Bradley Smith GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.314s (46/64)
11. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 2.566s (46/52)
12. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (GP13) 2m 2.773s (36/38)
13. Randy De Puniet FRA Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 2.863s (44/45)
14. Ben Spies USA Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 3.055s (31/33)
15. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 3.154s (24/32)
16. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 3.155s (37/42)
17. Wataru Yoshikawa JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 3.257s (22/26)
18. Aleix Espargaro ESP Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 3.423s (18/45)
19. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB (ART CRT) 2m 4.066s (33/57)
20. Colin Edwards USA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.102s (21/42)
21. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.512s (15/51)
22. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM CRT)* 2m 4.546s (21/24)
23. Lukas Pesek CZE IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 4.674s (32/33)
24. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing (Suter-BMW CRT)* 2m 4.686s (18/36)
25. Claudio Corti ITA Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT)* 2m 4.718s (48/51)
26. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 4.722s (46/47)
27. Takumi Takahashi JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V) 2m 4.749s (63/65)
28. Bryan Staring AUS Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT) 2m 5.313s (15/40)
* Control ECU.

www.yamaha-racing.com
Alex