2005 MotoGP: MALAYSIA

2005 MotoGP : MotoGP R13 of 17, Sept 25, 2005, SEPANG, MALAYSIA

• Sepang, Malaysia
• modern racing circuit near Kuala Lumpur International Airport
• 5.448 km; 21 lap race
• lap record: Capirossi, Honda 2m 5.637s, 2001
• comparison F1 record: Hakkinen/McLaren, 2000, 1m 38.543s
  
  PREVIOUS WINNERS
• 2004 winner: Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
• 2003 winner: Valentino Rossi, Honda
• 2003 pole: Valentino Rossi, Honda, 2m 2.48s
• 2002 winner: M Biaggi,Yamaha
• 2001 winner: V Rossi, Honda
• 2000 winner: K Roberts Jr, Suzuki
• LAST YEAR'S RESULT: 2004
• 1 Valentino Rossi, ITA, Yamaha
• 2 Max Biaggi, ITA, Honda
• 3 Alex Barros , BRA, Honda
• 4 Nicky Hayden USA Honda
• 5 Makoto Tamada JPN Honda
• 6 Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati

RACE RESULT

SEP 25, 2005

MotoGP RACE

• 1 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati
  “It was a difficult race because I knew I had a seven-time World Champion chasing me so the pressure was very high. Thankfully the Bridgestone tyres worked well in the second half of the race and I was able to escape. To win two races in a row is unbelievable to me and I want to thank everybody at Ducati and Bridgestone.”
• 2 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha *** WINS 2005 TITLE *** +1.9s
  “I am very happy because I gave more than 100% in the race today. We have been in trouble all weekend and this morning I wasn’t sure if I would finish on the podium. But I got a good start and rode a clever race whilst other riders seemed nervous and made mistakes. Little by little I moved to the front and I felt comfortable with the bike. I passed Hayden and then swapped positions with Capirossi a couple of times. In the last seven laps he changed gear and I couldn’t chase him. Anyway, I am World Champion for the seventh time, which is incredible!”
• 3 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati +2
  "I knew I had to get a good start because it's not easy to pass people from the third row but when I flicked into the first turn I had to run wide to avoid contact. That totally changed my race, it wasn't easy to come back but I set my pace and saw the leaders losing time as they battled together. I had a lot of fun with Nicky, though it's not easy to out-brake someone at over 300kmh! Then I saw Valentino struggling. The last turn was exciting but he defended his position too well. We started this year with a new package, it was tough to start with, but now we are reaping the reward. My thanks to everyone and I want to dedicate this race to Livio's family."
• 4 Hayden +9.2s
  “The first few laps were kinda’ fun really. There were guys going for it everywhere. I think I got hit by Sete at one stage and I lost a bit of the tyre right it the centre that caused a little chatter. The bike came a long way this weekend – my guys did a great job. I couldn’t hold the pace in the end. I tried my hardest and tried to hold onto the podium but it wasn’t to be. The tyre I ran today was a lot better than I’ve had all weekend. Michelin did a great job to give us something for the race – really gave us a chance to fight. Fourth is not what I wanted but I learned a lot in the race – mixing it with Valentino, Capirossi and Checa.”
• 5 Melandri +15.8
• 6 Biaggi +16.8
  “I remember so well being at this track back in February when I limped onto the factory RCV for the first time, recovering from my broken foot. I was very high on emotion and we were fast on the bike. Sure it was not perfect but it was the start of the year and we had time before the season started to make a good package. When we arrived here we are in a bad shape with the bike. It is not the same machine as it was at the start of the year. As this weekend passed it seems to get worse. In the race there were times when I nearly crashed. Sometimes when things are not right you have to work even harder to make the points and just to get home. Today I make it back with a machine that does not go the way I want and me and my team under Erv tried so hard. We still have second place in the championship and this is a position I will defend right till the end of the season with all my spirit.”
• 7 Roberts
  “The race in Japan was confusing, but here I was allowed to be consistent and I could pretty much ride exactly where I thought I was going to be - as far as race times. We were able to stay consistent and we had a couple of guys go down which brought us up in the order. We are really, really close in as much as if we get something engine-wise to accelerate and run with the other guys, we’ll be right there. The tyre combination that Bridgestone have given us and the torque improvements since Brno have all helped a lot. Now the biggest thing is that the traction control is working much, much better. We now need to get some kind of wheelie control on there - which will help us even more. It’s those little refinements that will put us more and more up the pecking order.”
• 8 Barros
  “Today I had to ride a defensive race, without be able to attack. I was behind Roberts and I stayed there, blocked. I only tried once to pass him and I ran it wide, risking crashing. Every time I braked the bike didn’t stop, it jumped, there was no grip at the front and that meant I couldn’t attack to make up places. Probably with this heat everyone had a few difficulties and there are time you can ride over the problems, but this was not really possible on this occasion. I tried to finish the race without crashing, because I didn’t want to do as I did in Motegi and I managed that, but I can’t be happy with eighth place.”
• 9 Hopkins
• 10 Edwards
• 11 Elias 12 Tamada 13 Rolfo 14 Byrne 15 Xaus 16 Battaini
• DNF: Gibernau, Nakano, Jacque, Ellison

YAMAHA RACE REPORT

• Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi clinched the MotoGP World Championship for the fifth successive season after taking second place in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang today. Rossi became only the third rider in history to win the premier-class title on five occasions, emulating the achievements of Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini and adding to his championships in the 125cc and 250cc classes. Now a seven-time World Champion, Rossi marked the achievement by wearing a t-shirt bearing the famous number 7 worn by the legendary Barry Sheene and launching into a riotous celebration with his fan club, dressed as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to commemorate the occasion.
• The Italian secured the championship with four races to spare thanks largely to the swift action of his mechanics, who resolved a series of tyre and set-up problems during this morning's warm-up session and allowed him to charge from seventh on the grid to a sensational second place behind eventual winner Loris Capirossi (Ducati). Rossi's Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards finished in tenth place after struggling with front set-up problems all weekend.
• Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 2nd
  "I am very happy because I gave more than 100% in the race today. We have been in trouble all weekend and this morning I wasn't sure if I would finish on the podium. But I got a good start and rode a clever race whilst other riders seemed nervous and made mistakes. Little by little I moved to the front and I felt comfortable with the bike. I passed Hayden and then swapped positions with Capirossi a couple of times, but in the last seven laps he changed gear and I couldn't go with him. Anyway, I am World Champion for the seventh time, which is incredible! Last year was a bit of a surprise but this time everybody was out to beat me. I want to thank all my mechanics, Jerry, the engineers. everybody who works for Yamaha!"
• Takashi Kajikawa, President, Yamaha Motor Company: "We are very happy to announce that we won our second consecutive MotoGP World Championship with Valentino Rossi today. This victory in MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, after we have already won the MX1 and MX2 riders' and manufacturers' titles this season, is made even more truly amazing in this year of Yamaha's 50th Anniversary. "We would like to extend our great gratitude to the whole team for working so hard to develop the YZR-M1 machine to such a high level. We would also like to share our joy and thank our technical partners, sponsors, Yamaha dealers and customers, the international media and all the people who supported our challenge to win this MotoGP world title. "However, the season is not over yet and with four more rounds to go we will continue to challenge for both the MotoGP Team and Manufacturers titles. We hope you will continue to support us and we trust that our challenge will give all of you the feeling of "Kando".
• Shigeto Kitagawa, General Manager, Technology Development Division: "In this important year when Yamaha Motor is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its corporate founding, we have worked hard with the singleminded purpose of winning a second world championship title in MotoGP. Of course I deeply regret that we let down our fans in Japan by not being able to clinch the championship at the Japanese GP, and although we were not able to win the race today, we nonetheless succeeded in winning the world title after an exciting race where we challenged for victory here at the Malaysian GP.
  "I believe that this great achievement is a result of the best possible marriage of Rossi's exceptional talent and our team's relentless devotion to
  the single goal of winning. There are still four races remaining and we are going to continue to give our very best to try to achieve our other goals:
  winning the 2005 Manufacturers' and Team World Championship. We hope that everyone will continue to root for us for the rest of the season."
  
• Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 10th
  "We made the same mistake as we did in the first round at Jerez, but in reverse. This morning we went to a different construction front tyre and we fixed the problem we had, but then the balance of the bike wasn't right and we didn't have time to sort it out. The rear was sitting way too low and started to go quite early in the race. From then on it was a case of survival. At least we know where we went wrong and I'm really looking forward to Qatar because I had a great race there. I want to say congratulations to Valentino because he's done an awesome job this year."
• Jeremy Burgess - Rossi's Crew Chief
  "Obviously the situation in Motegi meant that the celebrations were put off for a week but now we can celebrate. It has been a difficult weekend for all the teams, including ourselves, but we made a few changes in the warm-up and managed to give Valentino a bike that we knew could run for the podium. The season started with exactly the bike that we wanted and Yamaha has done everything we asked for. To win nine out of thirteen races is an excellent achievement by everybody and we have a great package. Good rider, good bike, good team. what more could you ask for?"
• Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 11th
  "It was a very tough race. We had problems with the front end, which did not let me ride comfortably as I did not have the grip I wanted. It's a bit strange, as we did not have any problems for the first two days. Now we'll have to work hard to find a solution in the next few days. Despite everything we have worked well this weekend and must keep heading in this direction."
• Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 15th "I did not feel too good yesterday and did not sleep well at all. I had a bad start today and it took a while to find my rhythm. There are still four races left at circuits that I like and I hope to get some good results and enjoy myself. If I don't feel confident on the bike then it makes it difficult for me, but I will keep on fighting."

QUALIFYING

GRID, SEP 24, 2005

• 1 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2m 1.7
  "The team did a great job today, my thanks to all of them. We've had to work harder than we did at Motegi, because the track isn't in such good condition, that's why we're slower than when we tested here last winter. We made many minor adjustments to the suspension today, just looking for more grip. My qualifying run went really well but I also did a lot of laps with race tyres, and I think maybe we're even better with race tyres! It's going to be a long race - this heat makes it tough for the tyres and for the bike."
• 2 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Honda 2m 1.8
  “I don’t think my fast lap really reflects the reality. Our race pace doesn’t have winning potential and we’ll have to work hard to find it tomorrow. We’ve got some problems that we didn’t detect here in pre-season and we can’t get the best out of the engine yet.”
• 3 John Hopkins (US) Suzuki 2m 2.0
  “I’ve got to say I’m quite disappointed really because I want that pole position, but at the beginning of the day if I’d have known I’d have been on the front row I’d have been ecstatic! I had a really good lap going but it was my fault that I got held up with two other riders on my last lap - but that’s what happens. I’m not going to worry about it – it would’ve been nice to get the watch for pole but, ah well. We are really concentrating on tomorrow, I think we’re looking pretty sweet for the race. We’ve put in a lot of laps with the race tyres and everything seems to be going pretty well. We’re able to run consistent throughout the life of the tyre and right now we are looking to get the best start possible - it’s time to work on that podium!”
• 4 Nakano
  "I'm very happy, because this is a great motivation for the team after our problems at the Japanese Grand Prix last week. For the last five races I have not been able to qualify up front like I did at Assen and Jerez, so I'm very confident after this performance. The new Bridgestone tyres offer improved forward drive grip, which is important in the tighter corners here. And we now have good settings for the new motor, better top speed and more usable power delivery, so I can open the throttle earlier."
• 5 Roberts
• 6 Hayden
  “We’re much better off today than we were yesterday. We just made a few little changes on the bike and it all felt much better this morning. Just felt like I was riding stronger today than I was yesterday. The bike was better than I was showing – I gotta’ do my part. We’re all in this together. Was third this morning and sixth this afternoon on qualifiers. I’m not where I want to be for the race. My consistency in the afternoon in the heat is not where it should be. I’m gonna’ have to make a huge step tomorrow if I’m gonna’ make anyone proud. I don’t want to run round at the back tomorrow – I looking for a good race but I know it’s going to be hard.”
• 7 Rossi
• 8 Hayden
• 9 Melandri
• 10 Edwards
• 11 Barros 12 Biaggi 13 Jacque 14 Elias 15 Tamada 16 Xaus 17 Rolfo 18 Byrne 19 Battaini 20 Ellison
• BYRNE REPLACE BAYLISS: Shane Byrne will ride in place of injured Troy Bayliss for the next 3 races

YAMAHA QUALIFYING REPORT

• Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi will launch his second attempt to seal the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in Malaysia tomorrow from the third row of the grid after setting the seventh fastest time in this afternoon's single qualifying session. Rossi was the third fastest Michelin rider around the Sepang circuit, lapping almost 0.6 seconds short of the pole position record he set here last year as the team once again battled to overcome set-up difficulties.
• Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards also encountered unexpected obstacles today as he struggled to overcome tyre problems, seemingly caused by the reduced levels of grip offered by the circuit in comparison to past years. The American will start from the fourth row of the grid in tenth place. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) will start from pole position for the second successive race and is joined on the front row by Sete Gibernau (Honda) and John Hopkins (Suzuki).
• Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 7th - 2'02.412
  "We are having difficulties again. Personally it is a worse situation for me because I expected to have some problems at Motegi, but not here. Usually the bike flies here, both last year's model and the 2005 version! We have had a big meeting with the engineers and now we will try to find a way out of this. The problem is mainly with the front. Out of twelve races this year we've probably used the same front nine times but then the problems started at Motegi. Anyway, it is not just an issue with the tyres. I followed Hopkins and Capirossi for a while but it was like we were doing a different sport. They were riding really well and I couldn't ride at all. It's now two races that Colin and I have lost feeling with the front. The good thing is that Biaggi is also having problems so my only rival for the title is behind me. Maybe we fight together for sixth or seventh place!"
• Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 10th - 2'02.805
  "For some reason the tyres aren't working well here, we just can't get any load onto the front end to make it stick. I've probably lost the front more times today than I have all season. We had no problems in the test here even though we used basically the same tyre. The track temperature is very similar so the only thing we can put it down to is the extra amount of dirt that there seems to be on the surface this year. For whatever reason we can't break through it and we're having a lot of difficulty getting any grip. Today the team worked so hard and we changed pretty much every setting you could think of - higher, lower, longer, shorter, softer, harder. but nothing seemed to make a difference. We'll keep going and see if we can make the breakthrough tomorrow but at the moment we're struggling."
• Davide Brivio - Gauloises Yamaha Team director
  "Of course it was not a brilliant day for either rider. We've tried some different settings but we don't have a clear solution yet. However the team and engineers will continue to work, all night if necessary, and we will see if we can find what we are looking for. We have the warm-up to try to improve so now we wait until tomorrow."

FRI PRAC NO. 2, SEP 23, 2005 - WET SESSION, Temp: 30ºC

• 1 Kenny Roberts Jr. (US) Suzuki 2m 15.9
  “I think today in the wet or dry we were competitive for the first day and we will try to continue it through the weekend. I think we are in a little bit better shape here than we were in Japan, just with the characteristics of the circuit. Over at least three-quarters of the circuit – without the straights – we seem to be able to sneak up on the other guys. I think we are kind of on to something and Bridgestone has made a big step-up in the last couple of races. Wet and dry the tyres seem to be working well but we need more time to get a race tyre for dry conditions – which is what you have got to kind of expect – but who knows!”
• 2 Barros 2m 16.1
• 3 Nakano 2m 16.2
• 4 Capirossi
• 5 Edwards
• 6 Jacque
• 7 Hopkins
• 8 Elias
• 9 Rossi
• 10 Melandri

YAMAHA FRIDAY REPORT

• High temperatures, intense humidity and an inopportune spell of afternoon rain gave an ominous sign of things to come at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards prepared themselves for a weekend of unpredictable weather at Sepang. The day started brightly for the pair as they reacquainted themselves with their principal test venue and built on the settings they had found here during extensive winter development of the YZR-M1 machines.
• However, the ceiling of grey clouds hanging over the ultra-modern circuit grew darker over lunch and eventually broke just moments before the afternoon session, interrupting the team's programme and covering the track surface with a greasy film that made life even more difficult for the riders.
• Rossi ended the day in fourth place after lapping just over two tenths of a second outside the circuit record time of 2'03.253, which he set on the way to victory in last season's race. Edwards was fifth fastest in the afternoon but conceded four places on the combined time sheets, with both riders hoping that a day of dry weather tomorrow will provide a more realistic reflection of their chances in Sunday's race. Sete Gibernau (Honda) ended the day on top of the time sheets after clocking a best time of 2'03.299.
• Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 4th - 2'03.485
  "The conditions today were quite bad. Already in the morning the track was quite dirty, with some sand in places, and the grip was not good. Then in the afternoon it rained so it definitely was not a good day for the weather. Anyway we were able to test the bike in all conditions and understand a few problems. The dry setting is not bad but it could be a lot better and I am definitely not riding as I would like to. In Japan we had problems with the rear of the bike under braking and here it is similar but not exactly the same. I'm finding it hard to control the bike through the corner but we have gathered enough data to make some changes for tomorrow. Hopefully the conditions will be a lot better."
• Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 9th - 2'04.054
  "The morning session was an absolute disaster for the first ten or fifteen minutes and the rear tyre really wasn't working well. Michelin helped us out with a better tyre, we made a few changes to the bike and by the end of the session it actually felt good. The afternoon was about keeping a level head and checking how the bike worked in the damp conditions. If it rains like that before the race starts then we're all in trouble because you'd have to change tyres every five laps. As it dried out more towards the end I was able to put a softer cut slick in, which really helped, but in those conditions it's always a question of who is prepared to take the most risks. It would be fabulous to have some dry time tomorrow so we can work on the bike and recover the time we lost because of the weather and the tyre issue today."
• Davide Brivio - Gauloises Yamaha Team Director
  "The conditions were very strange in the afternoon - not completely wet for the first half and not completely dry for the second! It was interesting to check how the bike worked when the track was actually wet for a few laps and gather a little information but other than that there is not much we can say, we can only hope that the weather doesn't stay like this until Sunday. Whatever happens it looks like it is going to be an interesting weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings."

RACE PREVIEW:   HONDA    YAMAHA

HONDA PREVIEW

• GIBERNAU: “I hope that things will go better in Sepang, they can’t be any worse than they were in Japan. We are motivated as always to do well, but I don’t remember having such a bad season as this current one. I hope that this situation turns positively and I look forward to scoring my first win of the season.”
• BIAGGI: “I’m looking forward to the next race. I finished third in Brno and second at Motegi. It would be so good to go one better in Malaysia and win the race here. The track is very fast and is both physically and technically hard work. The spectators are fantastic as well, because they come from all over Asia. That’s what I’d call a continental Grand Prix. Our Michelins worked so well in Japan so much side grip it was fantastic.”
• HAYDEN: “I always say that when we have a bad race weekend all I want to do is to get back on the bike and I’m happy we’re going straight to Malaysia. We need to get on the pace fast something that we just didn’t manage to do in Japan. I’ve made many laps on this circuit because we’ve spent several days testing here I the past. Grip is very important because the track temperature increases a lot in the afternoon.”
• MELANDRI: “On Monday I flew to Kuala Lumpur. Luckily the wound doesn’t hurt too much. This morning the doctor took out the small drainage system and told me that the wound is recovering correctly. According to him I can start walking on it a little bit. I’m feeling fine and I want to go steadily to start with and race on Sunday.”
• BARROS: “Sepang is one of the most physically challenging circuits on the calendar, as is Qatar. The heat and humidity are incredible for both the riders and the bike. Sometimes the engine gets so hot that it burns your hands and feet! Such extreme conditions are also a tough test for the tyres, as well as the engine and the suspension but we had some really good tests there in preseason and we already have a good base set-up to start from. I want to have a good race so that I can recover some points in the championship so hopefully we can start well from the first free practice on Friday”.
• BYRNE: “I thought my season was over but now I have this fantastic chance to ride a Honda, I still can’t believe it. It will be tough because everybody has high expectations but I’m determined not to waste this opportunity. I have never raced in Malaysia but I did test there with Aprilia. It is a technical circuit and I like it but until I ride there on the RC211V I don’t know what to expect. I have only ever dreamed of riding a bike like this.”

YAMAHA PREVIEW

• ROSSI: “Sepang is one of my favourite tracks. The bike worked well there during the tests in the winter even though we had some problems at the time, but we have made a lot of progress since then so I am interested to see how well everything works when practice starts on Friday morning.
• As far as the championship is concerned, of course I wanted to win it at Motegi but it didn’t happen and we still have five more races to go. I am not feeling any more pressure than before and I will be riding to win at every round.
• For sure Max Biaggi will be strong again but this season there has been a different rider on the pace at almost every round, like Capirossi in Japan. Anyway, I am feeling confident and hopefully we can be back to our best this weekend.”
• 2004 race summary
  Valentino Rossi arrived in Sepang in very determined mood, wanting to forget about his Qatar DNF. Aided by the extensive preseason tests on the Malaysian circuit the YZR-M1 was in very good shape to give Rossi the performance he needed to get his revenge. He dominated qualifying, setting the fastest lap ever, and come Sunday he slipped straight into second place on the first lap behind Alex Barros (Honda).
• The two switched places several times until Rossi made his final pass stick on lap four. Eventual second place finisher Max Biaggi (Honda) was close behind determined to stay in contention for the top podium position. Rossi managed to maintain and extend his advantage, while he was cautious not to ruin his tyres with air temperatures being higher than expected, hitting 40°C.
• Still he was able to still put in laps inside the 2'03s, setting a new lap record of 2'03.253 on lap eight. Rossi eventually finished 3.6 seconds ahead of Biaggi, who never quite made it to pose a serious threat. Colin Edwards had a disappointing result on his Honda finishing in 11th place.
• Set-up report YZR-M1
  Due to the Sepang circuit's hairpins and numerous hard braking areas a fast lap comes down to braking stability and the bike's turn-in characteristics. Two such areas include the combination of long straights and hairpins that make up the final sequence of the 5542m layout. Suspension technicians have a relatively easy task with the track surface boasting a high level of grip and few bumps. At the same time it is a venue that also offers challenging high-speed sweepers - the first, diving down deep into a hollow before climbing back out the other side for a 90 degree right-hander. This corner alone has a tendency to load up the front of the bike to the extreme on the entry, and the rear on the exit. The other is a blind left-hander that disappears over an undulating crest, which ensures that keeping the back-end in line will be challenging even for the best MotoGP talent.
• Therefore the ideal chassis set-up is somewhat compromised. With this approach the key areas of concern are catered for - such as braking stability and chassis agility under heavy loads. To help cater for both the suspension balance will be targeted towards a similar neutral feel as that used in Motegi. The front fork springs will be set slightly firmer - achieved with a higher spring rate - with the bike's attitude controlled by the spring preload. Softer damper settings will improve feel, leaving the heavier springs to deal with the high cornering and braking forces. As for the rear shock, it will also carry a high spring rate, but the damping will still be smooth to give the riders the feel needed to get the power down hard and predictably, in conditions that can melt a rear tyre in a matter of laps.
• Aiding the Yamaha contingent at Malaysia will be the 2005 YZR-M1's in-line, four-cylinder power plant. This year's evolutions in terms of electronic engine management will give improved throttle linearity making the power delivery more predictable. The more tractable power will also improve tyre endurance, a must in the hot Sepang climate.

TOP OF PAGE