2005 MotoGP: BRNO CZECH REPUBLIC

2005 MotoGP : R11 of 17, Aug 28, 2005, BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC

• 2006 provisional calendar released

• BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC
  

  old circuit : GP race in from 1965 -1977

  new circuit: since 1987 -

  5.403 km circuit; 22 laps

  elevation changes; negative camber corners

  6 left turns; 8 right turns; width 15 m
• Fastest lap record: 1m 58.769 Valentino Rossi, 2003
• MotoGP lap record: 1m 59.302 Alex Barros, 2004
• 2004 winner: Sete Gibernau, Honda
  2003 winner: Valentino Rossi, Honda

  2002 winner: Max Biaggi, Yamaha

  2001 winner: Valentino Rossi, Honda

  2000 winner: Max Biaggi, Yamaha
• LAST YEAR'S RESULT: 2004
• 1 Sete Gibernau, Honda 22 laps
• 2 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha +3.5s
• 3 Max Biaggi, Honda
• 4 Tamada, Honda
• 5 Capirossi, Ducati
• 6 Checa, Yamaha

RACE

YAMAHA RACE REPORT: Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi became the first rider in the history of the MotoGP World Championship to score nine wins for five consecutive seasons, as he clinched victory in the eleventh round of the 2005 campaign at Brno today. Rossi's record-breaking ride featured an intense battle with Sete Gibernau (Honda) that again came down to a dramatic finale, with Rossi making his definitive pass at the end of the penultimate lap. Gibernau tried to fight back but as Rossi edged clear through the final series of sweeping corners, the Spaniard's slim hope of a victorious response disappeared completely as he suffered a technical problem and was forced to retire.

AUG 28, 2005

• 1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA
  "That was one of the hardest races of the season. After the warm-up I saw Sete's time and I wasn't sure that I could beat him in the race. I had confidence in the bike but I knew I was a bit slower than him. I spoke with Jeremy Burgess to ask for some modifications to be made to the bike in order to make a better compromise for the whole race and, like always, he and the rest of the team worked at 100% to improve the situation. There were a lot of fast riders out there but Gibernau was my hardest opponent so I tried to push him and put the pressure on from the start. It was a great fight with a lot of overtaking. In the middle of the race I decided to try to go and make a gap, but Sete came back. At the end I did three or four good laps, made the pass on Sete and then did a perfect final lap. Unfortunately Sete had a problem, which was bad luck for him because he deserved to be on the podium. Anyway this is a good win for me and now I just need one more for the title, but it is not over yet."
• 2 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA +1.8s
  "I was angry with my start because normally I'm a very fast starter on the Ducati," said Capirossi. "But I knew I was strong - I'd had a very good rhythm all weekend because we focused only on our race set-up. Despite the bad start I stayed cool, I just tried to pass the guys one by one. Towards the end of the race my tyres were good and I was faster than the leaders but I didn't have time to attack them. Anyway, I'm so happy with this podium, even though, to tell the truth, I was lucky to get second and I'm sorry for Sete. My thanks to all the people at Bridgestone and also to everyone at Ducati."
• 3 Max Biaggi Honda ITA +3.4
  “That is an amazing result and one that makes me very happy for both myself and for all my team. It has been a very hard weekend and I knew that the race would be difficult from the fourth row. We made the best possible result from our position and I hope this is the start of the more positive part of the season for me. For sure it has not been easy so far. We test here for the next two days and I am very much looking forward to the next races with renewed confidence.”
• 4 Alex Barros BRA Honda +4.148
  “On the last lap I would have been able to challenge for the podium, Sete stopped right in front of me, and I had to close the throttle too. However that’s the way it went, we need to think about the next objective, Motegi, and try to make the most of tomorrow’s test to improve our staying power, because in everything else both the Michelins and the bike are perfect.”
• 5 Nicky Hayden USA Honda +4.36
  “The pace was so fast up front but that’s what you get with the best riders in the world. They dropped the hammer at the start and just went. I tried my hardest to make my boys proud but it didn’t happen this weekend. It was all good experience and I’m happy to be testing here tomorrow because we’re going to have to be in good shape for the rest of the season.”
• 6 Marco Melandri ITA Honda +11.15
  " This morning we made a few changes to the bike and I set a good pace that gave me confidence for the race. I got a good start and forced my way into the lead group but over the first few laps I started to lose traction. I pushed my rhythm to try and stay near the front but I really punished the front tyre. From there on I just tried to finish the race. The two days of tests will be really important ahead of Motegi”.
• 7 Colin Edwards USA Yamaha
  "I started alright but after five laps we were in trouble. We changed the setting of the bike a little after the warm-up but the track was much warmer than we expected for the race and we loaded up the front a bit too much. It was a repeat of the race at Mugello - the bike was spinning and I couldn't get any edge grip on the rear. I pushed on the pegs, stood up, leaned back. everything I could think of to make it stick! The positive side is that we still got some points and we've got a two-day test coming up where we can work on some of these problems and hopefully find the solution we need. We haven't tested since Le Mans so it will be nice to have a chance to rack up plenty of hours on the track without the pressure of a Grand Prix, as we get ready for a tough finish to the season."
• 8 Carlos Checa ESP Ducati
  "I was able to push hard during the first few laps but then I felt the tyre performance start to go down," said a disappointed Checa, who rode the fifth fastest lap of the race on lap three, just 0,110 seconds off the best. "I don't think we chose the best tyre for the day, it looks like Loris made the better choice. The same tyre worked well yesterday, then we tried a used version of the same tyre this morning, and though the performance went down a little, it still seemed like the right choice. We expected it to work better in the race."
• 9 Troy Bayliss AUS Honda
• 10 Makoto Tamada JPN Honda
• GIBERNAU RETIRED ON THE FINAL LAP - RAN OUT OF FUEL
  “Another negative day after a weekend in which we have done a great job during qualifying. This morning we had a good rhythm in the warm up with some low 1m 58s, a pace I knew would allow me to fight for the win. In the race I wasn’t able to set the same pace and that was the main problem. Then a fuel problem prevented me from finishing the race, which topped it off. I’m really disappointed because once again I gave it everything I had and it’s a shame to end the race in this way.”

QUALIFYING

GRID, AUG 27, 2005

• 1 Sete Gibernau SPA Honda 1m 57.504
  "the races are long and very difficult to go away. It's a very, very hard race with many different places to pass and to overtake. Many things happen in the last lap, in the last corners and we have to be ready for that."
  2 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 1m 57.551 +0.047s
  “That feels real good. I’m so happy for the team. It all feels so much better today than yesterday. We made a few small adjustments, nothing major but it all helped. Things feel much more comfortable today and I’m really looking forward to the race. My last Michelin tyre felt so good. You can really let it all hang out with a qualifier on.”
  3 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 1m 57.685
  "I'm very happy with the way our bike/tyre package works here. We've been able to find a good set-up, with the engine and tyres working well together. All the while we focused on race set-up, and I was able to be consistently fast every time I made a long run. I was also able to fully exploit the new Bridgestone qualifying tyres, which I'm very happy about. Of course, much will depend on tomorrow's conditions, but I'm confident we will be competitive."
  4 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 1' 57.875
  "Today we have done a good job with the set-up of the bike, especially on race tyres, and I am quite happy with the pace. I thought a 1'57.8 would be enough for the front row but Loris Capirossi put in a very fast lap at the end and I am fourth. Gibernau and Hayden are also strong and I think tomorrow will be a very close race because it is so difficult to escape here - it could be like Mugello earlier in the season. I hope so because I won that race! I have great rivals and the men on the front row tomorrow are strong, but I never, never give up until the finish. The championship is definitely not over yet and my only thought now is to try and win the race tomorrow."
  5 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 57.999
  “Today we continued preparing for the race with a few small changes to the bike to improve my feeling at the rear end. I’m happy with fifth place because my objective was to get on either the front or the second row. It was a bit of a shame because on my final lap with qualifying tyres I made a few mistakes, which meant that I couldn’t improve on my grid position. Tomorrow I will have to get a good start and stay in the front group. I know it will be a long and hard race because there are so many places to overtake and it won’t be decided until the final lap.”
  6 C. Checa Ducati ESP 1' 58.185
  "It wasn't easy because we lost the first 20 minutes. The balance is much better now, so I have more grip, more stability and better turning. That's why I was more than one and a half seconds faster today. But I didn't find a qualifier I really liked until my third and last qualifying run, right at the end of the session. I had just one flying lap on that run, so I thought 'okay, this is it, my last chance'. I have already chosen my race tyres which should be perfect."
  7 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 58.223
  “With so many tests and changes to the bike the rhythm isn’t perfect yet – but it’s not too bad at all. We’re lapping in the 1’59.5s or 1’59.7s, so perhaps we need to cut a couple of tenths off that to be up with Sete and Valentino. Generally I’m happy though with the work we have done, and I think that in tomorrow’s warm up we can improve yet further. Compared to Friday, Michelin brought us some different tyres, which are working well. Tomorrow will be a very tough race, there’s lots of riders close together performance-wise, but I feel ready for it.”
  8 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA 1' 58.277
  9 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 1' 58.323
  10 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 1' 58.337
  11 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN 1' 58.490
  12 M. Tamada Honda JPN 1' 58.610
  13 T. Bayliss Honda AUS 1' 58.662
  14 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER 1' 58.793
  15 T. Elias Yamaha ESP 1' 58.815
  16 N. Aoki Suzuki JPN 1' 59.495
  20 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP 2' 1.535

YAMAHA QUALIFYING REPORT:

• The eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship looks set to be one of the most exciting yet after a dramatically close qualifying session at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic this afternoon. Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will start from the second and third rows of the grid respectively with less than two seconds covering the top sixteen riders.
• Rossi qualified fourth fastest after launching a late pole attack that saw him dip almost a full second inside his own previous pole record from 2003 with a best lap of 1'57.875. The Italian's effort was just 0.371 seconds short of the eventual pole time set by Sete Gibernau (Honda) but it wasn't quite enough to dislodge Nicky Hayden (Honda) or Loris Capirossi (Ducati) from the front row. Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards made another encouraging start to the day as he lapped third fastest in the morning free practice but the American again struggled to convert his good race pace to a top qualifying time as he lapped ninth fastest.

FRI PRAC, AUG 26, 2005

• 1 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1m 59.278
  "Today was a strange day because we all came back from the holidays and it felt like everybody was still in the beach rhythm! The crash this morning was not the perfect way to start. Troy was pushing hard but he suddenly decided to come in to the pit and braked in the middle of the corner. I was lucky because my front brake made contact and I went down at 149km/h but I am not hurt. I think we need to modify the pit entry for next season because at the moment it is dangerous; I will talk about it with the Safety Commission. Anyway, my mechanics did a great job to virtually rebuild the whole bike in just three hours and this afternoon I was able to do a lot of tyre tests. In the end we went back to the first tyre and I was able to go fastest. Tomorrow we need to work on the suspension to find more grip but so far I am quite happy."
• 2 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1m 59.366
• 3 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Honda 1m 59.454
• 4 Melandri
• 5 Roberts
• 6 Checa
• 7 Hayden
• 8 Edwards
  "The base set-up we started out with this morning was probably as good as I have felt with the bike all season, it did exactly what I wanted it to do. The Yamaha definitely suits this circuit and my pace in the first session was good. From there we concentrated on tyre tests, although it turned out that the one we tried first was the best of the lot. When we put that back on at the end I immediately felt comfortable again. When Valentino put the same tyre on he set the fastest time of the session, so we know what works. Tomorrow we'll have to focus more on the bike set-up and I'm confident we'll improve the lap time and the position."
• 9 Barros
• 10 Hopkins
• 11 Biaggi 12 Hofmann 13 Bayliss 14 Nakano 15 Elias 16 Aoki 17 Tamada 18 Rolfo
  19 Ellison 20 Xaus

RACE PREVIEW: DUCATI   HONDA   MICHELIN   YAMAHA

MICHELIN PREVIEW

• Nicolas Goubert: " Brno is very balanced, with a fairly equal number of right-handers and left-handers (eight and six respectively), and its character is medium-gear sweeping turns, not tight, low-gear hairpins. It is very important to choose the correct front tyre at Brno. The circuit features downhill corners, bumps and plenty of fast esses, so it's a little like Mugello. Both these two tracks demand careful front-tyre choice, probably more so than most other GP tracks. You need quite a stiff front- tyre construction to ride the downhill bumps, with a medium rear construction. The track is bumpier than most, which can make life difficult for everyone. In the past a lot of riders had chatter problems at Brno, but we will have to wait and see how things are this year."

DUCATI PREVIEW

• CAPIROSSI: "Everyone in the team, at the factory and at Bridgestone is working very hard to give me what I need to get back up front. Bridgestone brought some good tyres to Germany, they seem to have taken a good step forward, so we hope we can continue that progress at Brno, especially since they've had a month to work at developing more new tyres. I always look forward to Brno. These days we race at many quite short circuits, so it's always special to race at fast, open tracks like Brno, Mugello, Phillip Island and Barcelona. I enjoy these circuits the most and our bike also works well at Brno. I've had a good few weeks off - just going out on my boat around Monaco and doing very little else - so I am ready to race again!"

HONDA PREVIEW

• GIBERNAU: “I’m looking forward to having fun on the bike again, having good races, and Brno is always a circuit I look forward to. Last year we won in the Czech Republic and I remember it as one of the most enjoyable races of the season. That victory and the good sensations I left with from the last race in Germany mean that I’m returning to the Championship feeling mentally strong.”
• BIAGGI: “This is my favourite circuit of all. I like it because it's fast and I'm particularly fond of the four chicanes. The speed is really high there and you need a lot of courage and commitment to face the changes of direction. In addition it's a place that fits me; I've taken victory several times there and the local people have given my name to a bridge not far away from the circuit. I've won there with all the bikes I've raced with except for the current one and this I hope to change. I come back form my holidays refreshed and ready for the second part of the season. It know after the race at Brno we test and we hope to find some positive results as the last six races after Brno will come very fast together and I am confident we can get some good results for the team and for all my fans who have been so supportive!”
• HAYDEN: "I'm really looking forward to getting back on the bike on Friday morning. I've had a good time back home but I'm ready to get racing again - in fact I was ready a few weeks ago actually! Me and my bros have been training on the dirt at home and its been fun all hangin’ out but it's time to get back to work now. After Brno the season is going to click away real fast and like I said after the race in Germany, now I've tasted blood I want some more. Laguna was great and Germany felt kinda' ordinary just standing on the bottom step. Last year at Brno we went pretty well until we went out. It's a circuit which seems to make for close racing and I'm real ready for a fight now. It's so close between seventh and second spot in the championship and every race and every point is going to count for so much. I won't be happy to finish where I am at the moment. I look to start movin' up from Brno."
• MELANDRI: "Brno is a great track, one of the few where you can get a MotoGP bike wide open in a lot of different places. With MotoGP bikes you can spin the rear whenever and wherever you want, but you need to be smooth at Brno, you need to maintain your momentum through the fast turns, so you use a 250-type riding style. I hear it's a lot bumpier than last year because they've run GT cars and trucks there in recent months. The bumps don't help, of course, especially since they can cause chatter. But it seems to me that you only really get chatter if your bike's engine-braking settings aren't correct. When the engine braking isn't right, you get a lot of chatter which can come from the rear of the bike to the front."
• BARROS: “I spent the holidays in Brazil with my family, but now I’m ready to get back on the bike. In the last three races before the break we always got the bike well prepared for the race, and managed to be fast and competitive, so even though I might not have the best memories from Brno, I’m confident that I can go well there and I will travel there with that aim in mind. It’s the sort of track you have to ride clean, be fast in the corners and where the engine power delivery is very important. Normally the tyres aren’t worked as hard as at Sachsenring as long as it’s not too hot, but that is something you really have to bear in mind. I’m not worried though because I’m sure that whatever happens, Michelin are perfectly equipped to deal with any eventuality.”
• BAYLISS: “Three weeks off is not enough to get back to Australia with the whole family, so we all stayed on in Monaco with a few friends over. It has been a relaxing period, and gave me the chance to forget about the last couple off races. I really like Brno, and got on the podium in my first ever race there, but I’m not expecting a good result just because of that. In the last races we haven’t demonstrated the steps forward we have made with the bike, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t been making them. With a little bit of luck we can do well in the next few races, beginning with Brno.”

YAMAHA PREVIEW

• ROSSI: “This break was very important because the first half of the season has been very tough and everybody needed to rest! I have been winning races but every one has been a big battle, almost always with a different rival. Each of the remaining seven races of this season will be another challenge, but I want to try to beat my record of eleven wins in a season.Brno is definitely not my favourite circuit but I have had good races there in the past, especially two years ago. It is a high-speed track, but it still has many turns, as well as some up and downhill sections and a lot of adverse camber. Last year the Yamaha was not bad there, but I lost a little bit too much time under acceleration at the beginning and then also under braking towards the end and in the end it was impossible to beat Gibernau. This year our bike is much better, so I hope it will be a different result!”
• MotoGP Set-up Report - Brno
• 2004 Race Summary
  Valentino Rossi started the Czech Republic Grand Prix somewhat disadvantaged after both qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday were wet. With no opportunity to test for an optimum race setting he started the dry 22-lap race having made an educated guess at his M1's set-up. Nevertheless Rossi was in contention from the word go, slotting into fourth after the first lap. The Italian had a close battle on his YZR-M1 machine with championship Honda rivals Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi, ultimately holding on to finish in second - 3.514 seconds behind Gibernau at the flag. After a slight scare at the end of the first lap, when his wheel touched the trackside grass causing a serious wobble, Rossi went on to pass the Hondas of Biaggi and Alex Barros to move into second position. With Barros crashing out after 14 laps, Rossi took the lead on lap 17 from Gibernau, after which the two swapped places no less than six times as Biaggi closed in on the duelling pair. A worn rear tyre mean
  t Rossi had to settle for second as he was unable to make a final pass on Gibernau.
• Set-up report YZR-M1
  Visually Brno appears challenging with many long radius medium-speed turns and medium-length straights which lends the Brno Automotodrom to being one of the easier circuits - technically speaking - on the 17 round MotoGP calendar. Combined with the wide, smooth, track surface, it's a venue which also allows a variety of competitive racing lines and passing opportunities - and the majority of the time this takes place under brakes. The second part of the circuit is undulating, something which is not apparent form the TV images, while the corners themselves often feature a positive camber. The Brno tarmac also offers a great amount of grip, but without the reputation for tearing up tyres. All in all, a perfect venue to test the limits on everything a bike has to offer regarding handling.
• Due its nature Brno is not overly demanding on any specific area of chassis set-up except on front end feel and the need to concentrate on the overall balance. The main target are good, stable turn in characteristics and a set-up that offers easy changes in direction; supported by a high level of feel from both the front and rear. Yamaha engineers will ensure that the weight bias is as neutral as possible to prevent the front Michelin overloading in the midpoint of the turn while also ensuring good drive off the sides of the rear tyre. This will build the rider's confidence, therefore encouraging him to keep a high rolling speed - a key to making up time at this particular venue. And since the track surface is relatively smooth and the top speeds only just nudge 300kmh, straight-line stability can be sacrificed to some degree in order to support this.
• The M1 will run a slightly lower centre of gravity in an effort to improve the rate of pitching and the bike's ability to change direction quickly. It will also reduce the risk of the front folding under the rider while entering the downhill sweepers - caused when excess weight transfers onto the front tyre under deceleration.
• With no real specific hard braking anywhere on the five kilometre layout, fork springs will be chosen to maximise rider feedback, although biased slightly towards the softer side. It will also be a similar case on the rear with the monoshock's spring rate. This is possible due to the circuit's design, which allows the rider to keep up his corner speed, and is therefore unlikely to load the rear shock under power to the same extent as riding, for example, the stop-and-go Le Mans layout.
• With the long radius corners a consistent and progressive throttle action is needed to ride them quickly. Although power is always a must have, throttle connection and a linear power delivery play a prime part in any successful result at Brno.

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