2005 MotoGP: CATALUNYA, SPAIN

2005 MotoGP : MotoGP R6 of 17: June 12, 2005, BARCELONA, SPAIN

CIRCUIT:

• MONTMELLO CIRCUIT, Catalunya, SPAIN
• 4.727 km / 2.937 mile
• located near Barcelona
• fast track; av speed over 100 mph; top speed over 200 mph
• long main straight 1.4 km long
• 25 lap race
• 2004 winner: Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
• 2003 winner: Capirossi, Ducati
• 2002 winner: Valentino Rossi, Honda
• 2001 winner: Valentino Rossi, Honda
• 2000 winner: Roberts Jr./Suzuki
• 2004 RACE:
• 1 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha M1, 25 laps
• 2 Sete Gibernau, Honda RC211V
• 3 Marco Melandri, Yamaha M1

2005 MotoGP RACE RESULT - CATALAN GP

• 1 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 43:16.487
  "The first lap was a hard fight with a lot of riders coming crazy, everybody wanted to be at the front and it was so much fun. Gibernau set a fast pace and I tried 100% to follow him. I had some problems on the right side of the tyre early in the race but Sete started to slide too. At the end it was difficult but the bike was so good into the corners and great fun to ride. To do the fastest lap three laps from the end at a track like this is amazing - my last lap was around two seconds faster than the last lap last year and it shows the fantastic job Michelin have done with tyre endurance. I was a little worried before this weekend about the reaction from the crowd but I was so happy with the reception I got. It shows that motorcycle fans are the best kind and especially here in Spain, where it is always a pleasure to ride. The advantage in the championship is allowing the team to work in a relaxed way and we are having a lot of fun, which is an extra motivation in itself."
  2 S. Gibernau Honda ESP + 1.094
  “I was putting in some good laps, but then eight laps from the end the front-end began sliding too much going into turns. I thought I had something left in reserve for the end of the race – but not as much as Vale had at the end. I’m looking forward to Assen now and trying to stay positive and keeping the pressure on.”
  3 M. Melandri Honda ITA + 7.810
  “I’m a bit disappointed because I lost time at the start with a foot-peg problem. It was hard to stay with the leaders, but as long as I keep improving race by race that’s OK with me. Riders are fighting more and more as the season goes on – but I won my battle for the podium and it’s good to be here again.”
  4 Alex Barros Honda + 8.204
  “I’m quite happy because it was a while since I had a race like this. I enjoyed myself. Towards the end I overtook Nicky and then waited until the last lap to try and pass Marco too. I wanted to get him at turn six, but I was too far back, I then tried it at turn nine and didn’t manage it. It’s a shame, but in the end it was a good race and now we can look forward to the next one at Assen, a track which I really love.”
  5 Nicky Hayden Honda + 8.273
  “The whole race was a bit of a dog fight really. We were really going at it. I got a good start and made a few overtakes stick in the opening laps. I got up to third and wasn’t that far behind the leaders when I made my fastest lap of the race trying to close the gap. Then Melandri came past with a big move that cost me time. I got back to third and just tried to get a steady rhythm and pull away. On the positive side the bike went well, the Michelins hung on well and my boys did a great job.”
  6 Max Biaggi Honda + 12.051
  “It went bad. We rode a different bike from the one we used at Mugello, with a set-up meant to improve braking. In those sections the feeling was good but it really worsened handling and cornering, with consequent problems for tyre life. I could never take part in the game and it makes me very sad. I look to the next Assen Grand Prix knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but we must push harder.”
  7 Colin Edwards Yamaha
  8 Troy Bayliss Honda
  9 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki
  10 Ruben Xaus Yamaha
  11 Carlos Checa 12 Loris Capirossi 13 David Checa 14 Roberto Rolfo
  15 Kenny Roberts Jr

YAMAHA RACE REPORT:

• Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi re-ignited his love affair with the Spanish public today as he stormed to a fifth win from the opening six rounds of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in front of a record crowd of 105,698 at the Catalunya Grand Prix. After losing places in a combative opening to the race, the reigning world champion stormed through the field to go head to head with local favourite and pole setter Sete Gibernau (Honda) in another nail-biting finish. Just as he had done with Max Biaggi (Honda) at Mugello last weekend and Gibernau himself two weeks previously at Le Mans, Rossi timed his victory charge to perfection, passing the Spaniard with three laps remaining and setting a stunning time of 1'43.195, almost 1.5 seconds inside the previous circuit record, to open up a decisive advantage over the final two laps.

QUALIFYING & RACE PREVIEW: