2005 MotoGP: VALENCIA

2005 MotoGP : MotoGP R17 of 17, Nov 6, 2005, VALENCIA

• Winner, Melandri: “It has been a perfect weekend for me. Not only have we sealed the runner-up spot in the championship but we did it with my second consecutive win. I started the race planning to control my advantage in the standings without pushing too hard but I got a good start and was leading into the first corner. I knew Nicky was very close so I focused on maintaining my rhythm without taking too many risks. There was a point where I thought about letting him past but I was worried that I might find it too difficult to get back in front. I pushed as hard as possible over the final few laps to try and open up a gap and I was able to win. This is like a dream come true.”
• 2nd, Hayden: “That was good racing! At the beginning I was a little tight as I’ve crashed here for the last two years when things got hot and I didn’t want to blow things this year. Once I’d loosened up and the bike was moving around a bit I started to get comfortable. I tried to be in a position all the race to take advantage of Marco leaving the door open but he rode real solid and never gave me the opportunity. On the last corner I was going to go up the inside and when he got all sideways I ditched the plan and tried to square off the corner but it just didn’t happen. Of course I’m disappointed – I want to win. In the end I’m happy we’ve had a good end to the season and I’d like to thank all those that have stuck behind me this year; Honda, Michelin and all the sponsors. We’ll be back stronger next year.”
• 3rd, Rossi: "The second part of the race was very positive because my pace was fast and I rode well but if you want to win a race then you can't start from fifteenth on the grid. I made a mistake yesterday with the crash but the truth is that we were struggling all weekend with the setting and we didn't understand until this morning what the problem was. We worked it out and in the race I was able to ride how I wanted to, but it was too late. It was good fun, I pushed hard but it wasn't enough. In the future we have to make sure we work better in practice. It's been a fantastic season and everyone has worked hard to achieve all our targets. Now we look forward to some holidays and some hard work during winter testing!"

YAMAHA RACE REPORT: Yamaha concludes 50th Anniversary year with Valencia podium

• Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi scored his sixteenth podium from seventeen races in the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship to put the shine on Yamaha's 50th Anniversary celebrations at Valencia. The Italian started from his lowest grid position of the season but produced a dramatic ride to end the race in third place, lapping quicker than eventual winner Marco Melandri (Honda). A crowd of 124,520 watched Rossi make up seven positions with an incredible surge on the first lap, although the early pace of Melandri and Nicky Hayden (Honda) provided them with an advantage that proved impossible to breach in the second half of the race.
• Rossi's Yamaha Factory team-mate Colin Edwards suffered a disappointing end to his first season with the team, losing three positions on the first lap after starting from sixth and only managing to recover one place by the end of the race. Nevertheless, the American has made significant progress with a new riding style over the course of the weekend and he is now looking forward to winter testing as he prepares for his second season as a Yamaha rider. In the meantime, Yamaha is left to reflect on a stunning Anniversary season, in which it has swept the board, taking the riders', teams' and constructors' World Championship titles.
• Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd
  "The second part of the race was very positive because my pace was fast and I rode well but if you want to win a race then you can't start from fifteenth on the grid. I made a mistake yesterday with the crash but the truth is that we were struggling all weekend with the setting and we didn't understand until this morning what the problem was. We worked it out and in the race I was able to ride how I wanted to, but it was too late. It was good fun, I pushed hard but it wasn't enough. In the future we have to make sure we work better in practice. It's been a fantastic season and everyone has worked hard to achieve all our targets. Now we look forward to some holidays and some hard work during winter testing!"
• Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 8th
  "I didn't ride great today. In the middle of the race I started to push hard and caught up again with the middle of the pack, but by that time I had abused my tyres a lot, they were moving around and so I decided to hold station. I have never been at the last race of a season counting down the days for winter testing to start. We have a lot of work to do and I want to get going as soon as possible. It's been an average season but we've learnt a lot for next year and the whole team has worked very hard for me. I want to thank them and thank Michelin and I'm looking forward to working with everyone over the winter and coming out strong next year."
• Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director
  "Basically we lost the race in practice, both with the setting difficulties we had and Valentino's starting position for the race. It is always going to be difficult from the fifth row, but he was 4.9 seconds down on the leader after four laps and by the end it was 2.9 so his pace was even better than the race winner. It's been a long season from January, when testing started, to November. We have won everything available, scored eleven race victories and right now I would accept the same statistics next season - only with Colin higher in the championship. That is our aim for next year but for now I just want to say thank you to all our staff, engineers, crew and both of our riders. It has been a fantastic season."
• Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 10th
  "We had a difficult weekend as we could not solve the problems we had on the first day. However, I still gave my best. I think it was a season where I built up very valuable experience. I have learnt a lot and, despite the injury that kept me out for a while, I think I have progressed well. Now I am going to rest for a few days which I think I deserve! I want to thank everyone at my team, the mechanics and everyone who has supported me."

GRID, NOV, 5, 2005

• 1 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 1m 31.874
  "We’ve been fastest in qualifying, spent most laps leading the races and due to bad luck and the occasional mistakes, we have not been able to make the most of this hard work at every Grand Prix this season. I hope to do it here, at home, in the final race of the year. I want to fight for the podium and the victory if it is possible, and finish with my best result of the season.”
• 2 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 32.111
  “I am a bit annoyed because I made a small mistake on the last qualifying tyre and when I changed to a new one the bike was sliding around and I lost time. In any case, in the afternoon we were very competitive after suffering a little bit in the final free practice this morning. Now we are ready to give our best.”
• 3 N. Hayden Honda USA 1' 32.217
  “After the first qualifiers I tried a bit too hard with the second set and the time just didn’t come so I was real happy to end up on the front row, especially as our pace hasn’t been that hot so far this weekend. Really looking to have a good race tomorrow. Marco will need to have to have a major problem not to keep second slot but we’re going to give it our best.”
• 4 C. Checa Ducati ESP 1' 32.374
• 5 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 1' 32.384
  “My main problem is on the entry into the corners – the same as it has been all season – but we are not as far off the front as we have been in the last few races. It will be hard to improve much before tomorrow but we start the race with the same drive and enthusiasm as if it was the first round of the season.”
• 6 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 1' 32.456
• 7 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 1' 32.482
• 8 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 32.518
  “We eventually managed to improve the suspension settings so we should be able to get better grip at the rear. But in doing so we lost time on choosing a tyre and we got a little confused. In any case I have tested myself on race tyres and the pace might not be the fastest, but it’s still not bad.”
• 9 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN 1' 32.663
• 10 M. Tamada Honda JPN 1' 32.682
  11 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA 1' 32.785
  12 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER 1' 32.966
  13 T. Elias Yamaha ESP 1' 33.005
  14 N. Aoki Suzuki JPN 1' 33.393
  15 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 1' 33.503
  16 R. Kiyonari Honda JPN 1' 33.846 *** fill in for Bayliss ***
  17 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP 1' 34.874
• ROSSI, 15TH: "When I crashed I was pushing hard with the qualifying tyre and honestly I felt confident that I could do a good time. I was maybe a little too aggressive and when I touched the brake I just lost the front and went down. I was going fast and I have some small bruises on my elbow and on my leg, but I will be fine tomorrow for the race. I was lucky. The grid position is not so good, my worst for a very long time! The situation on the track is actually not so bad; the rhythm is okay, although we do have some problems and for sure I am slower than some of the other riders. The main problem is that it's hard to overtake at this circuit. A lot will depend on how many riders I can pass at the start and in the first lap. Anyway, we will try to make some progress tomorrow morning and see what happens in the race. My target is to be in the top five, any higher is maybe too difficult, but it's going to be a good battle!"

FRI PRACTICE, NOV 4, 2005

• 1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 33.464
  2 C. Checa Ducati ESP 1' 33.506
  3 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 1' 33.523
  4 N. Hayden Honda USA 1' 33.722
  5 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 1' 33.730
  6 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 33.967
  7 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 1' 34.040
  8 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 1' 34.094
  9 M. Tamada Honda JPN 1' 34.103
  10 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 1' 34.129

MotoGP YAMAHA QUALIFYING REPORT

• Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi faces an uphill battle in the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship tomorrow after qualifying fifteenth fastest at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Rossi slid from his YZR-M1 machine just over eleven minutes from the end of this afternoon's qualifying session and, despite returning to the track on his second machine, he lost several positions in the final push for times. The Italian will start from the fifth row of the grid as he aims to score his twelfth victory of the season and repeat the success he has enjoyed at this circuit for the past two years.
• Rossi's Yamaha Factory team-mate Colin Edwards benefited from a more productive afternoon, making major progress with his new riding style and knocking almost two seconds off his best practice time from yesterday. For the second successive race the American will start from the second row of the grid in sixth place as he aims to improve his championship position with a good finish tomorrow. Pole position went to Sete Gibernau (Honda) in a new record time of 1'31.874 and the Spaniard is joined on the front row by Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden (both Honda), who will fight for the runner-up spot behind Rossi in the championship in tomorrow's race.
• Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 6th - 1'32.456
  "I'm halfway happy with the result. We had a few problems early in the session but we worked things out and I was able to set a decent time on a qualifying tyre. The second row isn't terrible but we have work to do to find a better race pace. We made more progress with the new riding style but in reality I need 100 laps to perfect it, so I can't wait for winter testing! It takes me five or six laps to get going and we just need to get it ingrained in my system. The team has worked hard today and Michelin has given us some good options for tomorrow - I am determined to finish the season on a high. The stadium style atmosphere here is always fantastic so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
• Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 15th - 1'33.503
  "When I crashed I was pushing hard with the qualifying tyre and honestly I felt confident that I could do a good time. I was maybe a little too aggressive and when I touched the brake I just lost the front and went down. I was going fast and I have some small bruises on my elbow and on my leg, but I will be fine tomorrow for the race. I was lucky. The grid position is not so good, my worst for a very long time! The situation on the track is actually not so bad; the rhythm is okay, although we do have some problems and for sure I am slower than some of the other riders. The main problem is that it's hard to overtake at this circuit. A lot will depend on how many riders I can pass at the start and in the first lap. Anyway, we will try to make some progress tomorrow morning and see what happens in the race. My target is to be in the top five, any higher is maybe too difficult, but it's going to be a good battle!"
• Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director
  "We are in a strange situation. Colin is on the second row but his race pace is not as good as we would like, whilst Valentino is on the fifth row with a better race pace than his team-mate. We need to combine the two! Valentino's starting position is going to make it very difficult for him and it will not be his easiest race, but that is the reality of the situation and we have to deal with it. Luckily we have already won everything but we still want to have a good last race. It's going to be tough but we'll work hard in the morning and see what the race brings."
• Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 13th - 1'33.005
  "This morning I had a spectacular crash without getting any injuries. Unfortunately this afternoon we did not have the same pace as in the morning session. Throughout the day we've been working with a full fuel tank and a race tyre and we've got a good pace even though we do not have a top position. This will make the race more difficult for me but I hope I will have a good start and will be able to get in touch with the top group as fast as I can."
• Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 17th - 1'34.874
  "It's hard to do things right when you're in a difficult situation like now, but I'm not looking for excuses. I'm working hard to get a good feeling and the bike itself is working fine. Tomorrow I hope to find a good rhythm and to score some points."

RACE PREVIEW

YAMAHA

• 2005 set-up report YZR-M1
• Valencia is a circuit that offers a slightly undulating layout with good camber combined and an abrasive surface. It has many stop-and-go 90-degree corners, bumps and a tight design which has claimed many of victims losing the front-end. This is especially the case with the faster and heavier MotoGP machines. For this reason riders will be chasing security on this very point, followed by stability under brakes, while still offering the agility to deal with a circuit that is more suited to a 250 than a 240Hp MotoGP four-stroke.
• The latest spec YZR-M1 offers all the traits that a winning MotoGP bike should have; agility, drivability off slow and medium speed turns, enough horsepower to survive on the straights and all of this offered consistently throughout an entire race. The linear character of the 'big-bang' YZR-M1 power plant is supported by state-of-the art electronic engine management systems that offer a much more rider and tyre friendly delivery - making it easier to get on the power earlier in the turn and with more confidence.
  This is essential in the final turn - the run onto the front straight and the start/finish line. With all of these qualities secured, the main challenge will be to set-up the bike giving enough front-end confidence on corner entry in order to not fall victim to a low side crash.
• Regarding the geometry and suspension set-up, the Yamaha will have a front-end lifted slightly, compared to most other circuits, and the rear lowered. Combined with the right front spring rates and preload, all controlled by the rebound, this will allow for improved stability under brakes and a planted front-end.
• With good camber, except for the penultimate sweeping turn, the ability to leap the M1 hard off the turns is essential. Especially with the high corner speeds Rossi likes to carry. To ensure this the rear suspension preload will be set to prevent an excessive amount of rear-end squat - reducing understeer - while still offering a plush enough ride to provide good, consistent traction.

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