2006 MotoGP - AUSTRALIAN GP

R14, SEP 17, 2006 - PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

• VALENTINO ROSSI: WINNER 2005, 04, 03, 02, 01
  BEFORE RACE: “Phillip Island and Australia in general is a special place, very beautiful. This race is very important for my team, because many of them are Australian and it’s their home race, like Mugello for me. I want to thank them for all their hard work by doing well! Phillip Island is a magic track for me. I’ve won a lot of races there and some championships too, I love it! It’s one of my favourite tracks, an ‘old style’ track. We didn’t test there this year but anyway the M1 always works well there and I love riding there. It’s very cold this year, so it’s going to be difficult with the tyres, but I am really looking forward to it. After Laguna I didn’t entirely believe in my chances for the championship anymore, but then after Brno I said to myself ‘okay we still have a chance, we can try.’ Now my objective is to win as many races as possible, then we see in Valencia.”
• LAST YEAR'S (2005) RACE RESULT
• 1 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
• 2 Nicky Hayden, Honda +1s
• 3 Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati +4.2

RACE RESULT   (TOP OF PAGE)

BAUTISTA WINS 125 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 21 year old Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista won the 125 race and the 125cc GP Championship. He has won 7 races so far this season.

RACE RESULT, SEP 17, 2006
1 MARCO MELANDRI, ITA, HONDA 2 CHRIS Vermeulen, AUS, SUZUKI +9.6 3 Valentino Rossi, ITA, Yamaha 4 GIBERNAU, DUCATI 5 Hayden, Honda 6 STONER, HONDA 7 CAPIROSSI, DUCATI 8 Nakano, Kawasaki 9 ELIAS, YAMAHA 10 TAMADA 11 De Puniet 12 Hopkins 13 Hofmann 14 Roberts 15 Pedrosa 16 Ellison 17 Cardoso
RACE, SEP 16	RACEID, SEP 16
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Aprilia 2. Alex de Angelis (SM) Aprilia 3. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jpn) KTM 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 5. Shuhei Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 6. Hector Barbera (Spa) Aprilia 7. Roberto Locatelli (Ita) Aprilia 8. Jakub Smrz (Cze) Aprilia 9. Anthony West (Aus) Aprilia 10. Marco Simoncelli (Ita) Gilera	1. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Aprilia 2. Mika Kallio (Fin) KTM 3. Mattia Pasini (Ita) Aprilia 4. Thomas Luthi (Swi) Honda 5. Julian Simon (Spa) KTM 6. Lukas Pesek (Cze) Derbi 7. Raffaele De Rosa (Ita) Aprilia 8. Fabrizio Lai (Ita) Honda 9. Gabor Talmacsi (Hun) Honda 10. Joan Olive (Spa) Aprilia

KAWASAKI RACE REPORT   (TOP OF PAGE) NAKANO 8TH

• Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano was forced to accept a hard fought eighth place in today's Australian Grand Prix, after the onset of rain on lap six forced him to relinquish a five second lead at the front of the race.
• A brief rain shower as the riders lined up on the grid for today's 17-lap race caused the start to be delayed. The race was eventually started ten minutes behind schedule in dry conditions, but with the black clouds surrounding the circuit still threatening rain.
• Nakano got a flying start from second place on the grid, taking the lead into the first turn and immediately pulling away from the chasing pack. Intermittent rain made conditions difficult, but the 28-year-old Kawasaki rider was in a class of his own during the opening laps.
• By the time the rain had increased to the point where the white flag was shown to the riders - to indicate they could return to the pits, to change to bikes with a wet set-up - Nakano had pulled out a five second gap on second placed Sete Gibernau.
• As the rain continued to fall steadily, the majority of the MotoGP riders returned to the pits at the end of lap eight, for a somewhat chaotic switch to their spare machines, leaving Nakano virtually alone on track, as he continued to push hard in the tricky conditions.
• One lap later and Nakano also pitted to change to his second Ninja ZX-RR, but despite rejoining the race in second place, the Kawasaki pilot was quickly demoted to sixth, as he tried to get a feel for the full wet tyres fitted front and rear.
• Nakano continued to push hard as the track dried out, using up his wet tyres in the process, with the result that he was unable to counter moves by Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi at the end of the race, forcing him to settle for eighth place at the line.
• Randy de Puniet was pushing hard to make up places from eleventh position when he came into pits with a large group of riders to switch bikes, rejoining the race in the same position, after narrowly avoiding a collision with Makoto Tamada in the busy Phillip Island pit lane.
• The 25-year-old Frenchman quickly settled into a good rhythm, moving up the order to take tenth place, before losing time as a build up of dirt on his visor considerably reduced his visibility.
• De Puniet fought hard to hold off Makoto Tamada on the final lap, but lost out on a top ten finish as the Japanese rider out-dragged him to the chequered flag, leaving the Kawasaki pilot to cross the line in eleventh place.
• Shinya Nakano: 8th "Well, I think that's the best start I've ever had in MotoGP! There was some rain from the start, but I could feel that the grip was still there, so I pushed as hard as I could from the off. I couldn't believe it when I saw I had a two second lead at the end of the first lap, which had increased to over three seconds by the end of the next. Then it started raining. I stayed out for an extra lap, but it was difficult to manage the pace out there on my own. I came in on the next lap, switched bikes, and then got swallowed up by the leading group as I tried to get a feel for the grip offered by the full wet tyres. Then it dried out a bit and I used up all the tyres chasing the leaders, which left me with a problem when it started raining again. In the closing stages, although the bike was moving around a lot, I still thought I could overtake Loris, but then when I closed onto his rear wheel it was obvious straight away that it would have been too risky to try and pass. Eighth isn't the result I was looking for today, so that's a little disappointing, but now I must focus on the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend, which is obviously important to me as it's my home race."
• Randy de Puniet: 11th "My start was not so good, but I was already starting to make up positions when the rain started to make the track too slippery to continue on slicks. When I switched to wet tyres my feeling wasn't so good, and I was also struggling to see out of my visor, because the spray from the bikes in front was full of dirt. It's disappointing, because we expected much better this weekend, after being consistently quick on race set-up throughout practice and qualifying. As the track started to dry the rear was spinning up in a lot of places, and this made it difficult to keep my lap times consistent. I thought I could hold off Tamada for a top ten finish, but it wasn't to be. All we can do now is look forward to the next race at Motegi, which is only a week away."
• Harald Eckl: Team Principal "Shinya got a fantastic start, and rode brilliantly to build up such a big lead in difficult conditions. If it had stayed dry then I'm positive we would be celebrating a podium finish now. But, unfortunately, it started raining, and he eventually finished eighth. I'm sorry for him and for Randy, as both riders proved during practice and qualifying that we were strong at this circuit, and that a good result in this race was a real possibility. Having said that, I'm happy that both riders managed to finish the race in the points, in what were very difficult conditions today."

QUALIFYING   (TOP OF PAGE)

• HAYDEN, POLE:"It's really nice to be on pole and to get a good lap in. That Michelin qualifier worked so good and my bike felt awesome for that one lap. I was able to open the throttle as hard as I liked and it was really fun, though it doesn't count for anything other than a really good grid position.

GRID, SEP 16, 2006
1 Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1M 29.020 2 Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 3 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 4 Kenny Roberts Jr. (US) 5 EDWARDS, YAMAHA 6 CHECA, HONDA 7 MELANDRI, HONDA 8 STONER, HONDA 9 R D PUNIET, KAWASAKI 10 PEDROSA, HONDA 11 TAMADA 12 GIBERNAU 13 CAPIROSSI 14 ELIAS 15 Hopkins 16 Vermeulen 17 Hofmann 18 Ellison
GRID, SEP 16	GRID, SEP 16
Jorge Lorenzo, APRILIA 1m 32.71 De Angelis Guintoli Dovizioso Simoncelli H Aoyama Barbera Smrz Takahashi Locatelli	Mika Kallio, ktm 1m 36.62 Bautista Pesek Luthi Olive Pasini De Rosa Faubel Lai Simon

QUALIFYING REPORT - HONDA   (TOP OF PAGE) HAYDEN 1ST, PEDROSA 10TH

• This crucial timed session of MotoGP qualifying provided all the action usually associated with this raw, coastal track. In sunny 17-degree temperature with the track at a manageable 25-degrees, this final hour got underway with Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) heading the timesheets.
• But it ended with last year’s pole-setter Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) on top again here with another Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano lining up next to him and with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) completing the front row. Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) just missed out on what would have been his fourth front row start of the season.
• At the halfway point of the session it was Ducati man Sete Gibernau who led the way with a lap of 1m 30.471 seconds. This was before de Puniet upped the pace with an early qualifying tyre fitted to record a 1m 30.581 second time. The front row grid order at this stage was de Puniet, Gibernau, Nakano.
• With twenty minutes to go Carlos Checa (Yamaha) rode into the reckoning and onto the provisional front row knocking Nakano back to fourth. Hayden and his team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V), still recovering from his Sepang injuries, were nowhere (10th and 15th) with twenty minutes to go.
• Events intensified as the clock ticked down, and with 18 minutes remaining Nakano made another bid for pole with a 1m 29.827s lap. Aussie hope Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) elevated himself to the front row too with a 1m30.446s lap. Then with 11 minutes remaining Rossi, who had been sitting seventh slotted into fourth, while Hayden scorched to second fastest.
• Dani then made it to eighth quickest, but it was clear that the rookie sensation was still suffering from his cut right knee and broken left toe sustained in Malaysia. He would eventually qualify tenth for a fourth row start.
• With five minutes left on the clock, Checa grabbed second place from Nicky and it was left to the Kentucky Kid to respond. He did it the best way he could, shattering his own 2005 pole time of 1m 29.337s by 0.317 seconds with the fastest ever lap of this daunting 4.448km Phillip Island track at 1m 29.020s.
• Rossi was on the grass trying to respond to this time but he got in one final tour of the circuit before the clock ran down to steal second on the grid before Nakano again reclaimed that spot for himself with a 1m 29.258s time.
• The front row line-up is Hayden, Nakano, Rossi. Row two reads Roberts, Colin Edwards (Yamaha), Checa, and row three, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V), Stoner, de Puniet. Dani starts from tenth with Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) alongside him as 11th fastest qualifier, while Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V) qualified 14th.
• This is Nicky’s first pole of 2006 and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
• Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1st."It's really nice to be on pole and to get a good lap in. That Michelin qualifier worked so good and my bike felt awesome for that one lap. I was able to open the throttle as hard as I liked and it was really fun, though it doesn't count for anything other than a really good grid position. I knew before the start of my lap that my timing wasn't good and I wasn't going to get use my last qualifier so I knew I had to get in a good lap. On race pace I'm struggling a bit and I just cannot find any traction. We've changed everything on the bike to try and get some grip and not just spin the tyre. Nonetheless it feels good to get a good lap in - we've still got some work to do if we want to do 27 of them tomorrow."
• Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: 4th: “I really didn't think I had a lap in me like that, to get so close to the front row. We've been struggling for rear grip, and we made a few changes since this morning. On my second qualifier I thought I could follow Nicky (Hayden) ... but he wanted to follow me. I surprised myself. I had a really steady lap, pretty smooth. I think I could have gone quicker if I had somebody to gauge off. But it's only qualifying, and anywhere in the top three rows for me would have been good. Fourth is a bonus. We tried a slightly steeper steering head this afternoon, and that seemed to pick us up some time and a better feeling. It's similar to what Barcelona was, though you wouldn't think of the two tracks together. We'll try that in the second bike tomorrow, and a shock setting that we tried to begin with that seemed to give us a little bit better grip. Qualifying is kind of insignificant, because (Loris) Capirossi and Sete (Gibernau) are way down, but they're ultra fast on race tyres. It's going to be a weird race.”
• Kenny Roberts Senior, team owner: “The secret is to follow Nicky, and not let Nicky follow us. It's nice around here to get a bit of a tow, because it breaks the wind. I was quite impressed by Kenny's lap, on his own. I'm still not super-confident in race trim, though this race-track should favour us a little more than the last one. We need to start doing better in the races before I'll have much confidence.”
• Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 7th.: "Today we worked a lot on the weight balance of the bike and the feeling on the front in particular has improved. We still need to work with the suspension to try and get a bit more confidence in the fast corners and get a bit more traction in the corners that are most important to a good lap time. I set a decent pace but unfortunately I lost a few vital tenths on a qualifying tyre and tomorrow I'll be on the third row. We've still got a few modifications to try in the warm-up. I'm still confident I can fight for the podium because this is a track where you always fight to the end. Last year that was the case - I started from eighth and fought for the podium, finishing fourth."
• Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: 8th: "I think it is going to be a bloody close race up front. Hopefully I can get a good start, although there is not a big run to turn one. I like the Island track but there is not a lot of passing room, you have be aggressive on the first lap and then be patient as the race unfolds. I usually suck in qualifying so I'm pretty happy with today -- the set-up worked really well on both race and qualifying tyres. Michelin gave us some different tyres today and I did my fastest race lap on one those this morning, but some others did not work and confused us. Melandri held me up on one lap in qualifying but we got some good set-up information from that, so everything is looking OK for the race."
• Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 10th: "Today we worked on set-up and my feeling on the bike was not quite as good as I'd have liked. We are tenth on the grid and that is not fantastic but it's much better than 15th which is where I have been for a lot of the weekend. I was able to ride quite hard on the qualifying tyre, but I'm losing a lot of time on every lap in the first sector so I will have to improve that for the race. The bike set-up is not bad, although we still have to decide on the right Michelin race tyre. Tomorrow is another day so I'm not sure of my potential yet. I don't know yet if I'll have painkillers - I prefer not to but it may be necessary."
• Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 11th: “Probably, the different track conditions today are the reason why this morning, I immediately suffered a grip problem in corners and a lack of traction. We tried different tyre solutions, and worked on rear suspension and electronics without solving the problem. This hampers me in the long high speed corners in the second and fourth track sectors.”
• Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 14th: "The feeling with the bike setting has improved a lot and compared to yesterday we have taken a big step forward. I set quite a good pace but I wasn't able to build on the good work we did on a race tyre by making the most of the qualifying rubber. Hopefully I can
  make a good start in the race as I did in Malaysia. I'm confident - I like the track a lot - but I hoped to be higher up on the grid".

QUALIFYING REPORT - KAWASAKI   (TOP OF PAGE) NAKANO 2ND, DE PUNIET 9TH

• Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix from the front row of the grid, after qualifying his Ninja ZX-RR in second place during this afternoon's hotly contested timed session at the Phillip Island circuit.
• Randy de Puniet will start from ninth position, and the third row, as changing conditions meant he was unable to better his fastest lap from yesterday during qualifying this afternoon.
• Nakano was quick to stake his claim for a front row start, taking pole position on race tyres just ten minutes into qualifying. The 28-year-old Japanese rider relinquished the top spot five minutes later, but remained top five on the timesheet, as his Kawasaki teammate, de Puniet, put in a fast lap to take pole position at the halfway stage.
• With his first qualifying tyre Nakano was the first rider to dip below 1'30s this afternoon, reclaiming pole position from de Puniet in the process. Nakano improved his lap time again with his second qualifier, but then fast laps in quick succession from Carlos Checa, Nicky Hayden and Kenny Roberts saw the Kawasaki rider pushed back to fourth, and facing a second row start in tomorrow's race.
• Nakano started his final qualifying run determined to reclaim a place on the front row. With the qualifying tyres struggling to last even a single lap of the 4.445 km Phillip Island circuit this afternoon, the Kawasaki ace rode as smoothly as possible up to the first split, before riding right on the limit over the remaining two thirds of the lap.
• It was a tactic that paid dividends, with Nakano taking second place on the grid, but missing out on his first ever MotoGP pole position by the slimmest of margins.
• De Puniet was quick to take maximum advantage of a switch to qualifiers, taking pole position at the halfway stage in the qualifying session, and only relinquishing it to his Kawasaki teammate, Nakano.
• The MotoGP rookie then held on to second place, giving Kawasaki a one-two at the top of the timesheet, before being pushed back to ninth position during the closing seconds of the hour-long session.
• Both Kawasaki riders were happy with the pace and consistency of their lap times on race tyres today, and will start tomorrow's 27-lap Australian Grand Prix with their sights set firmly on a top five finish.
• Shinya Nakano: 2nd - 1'29.258 "We worked extremely hard here at Phillip Island during the winter test in February, to provide both Kawasaki and Bridgestone with a lot of information and development data, and today was our payback. From this data, Kawasaki and Bridgestone have improved to the point where Randy and I were able to come here on Friday and be straight on the pace. I think this shows the commitment of everyone involved with the Kawasaki Racing Team. I'm happy with my consistency on race tyres, as this is important for tomorrow, but I'm also pleased to be starting from the front row. I saw from my pit board that I was in fourth place as I started my final qualifying lap, so I pushed as hard as I could to try and reclaim a position on the front row of the grid. I'm not so bothered about missing out on pole; the front row is good enough for tomorrow's race, in which I think it's possible for us to finish top five at least."
• Randy de Puniet: 9th - 1'30.037 "I'm a little disappointed not to have matched my best lap time from yesterday, as this would have put me closer to the front of the grid for tomorrow's race. However, I am pleased with the improvements we made to the bike today, and also my times on race tyres. It's been a good weekend so far, and I hope we can carry the momentum into tomorrow's race. If I can get a good start, then my only strategy is to try and stay with the leading group of riders for as long as I can. I think it's possible, if our luck holds in the race, to score our best finish of the season so far tomorrow. That's what I'll be aiming for anyway."
• Harald Eckl: Team Principal "Shinya did a fantastic qualifying lap today, to finish on the second row, and as the highest placed Bridgestone rider. Both riders have a good race set-up, as they showed with their pace on race tyres early in the session, and this is equally as important as their final qualifying positions. I hope that Shinya and Randy can get a good start tomorrow, because I think they are both capable of finishing top five. I'm certainly looking forward to, what promises to be, an exciting race."

QUALIFYING REPORT - YAMAHA   (TOP OF PAGE) ROSSI 3RD, EDWARDS 5TH

• Valentino Rossi will start from the front row of the grid in third place with his Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards just two spots behind him in fifth when the Australian Grand Prix gets underway tomorrow, thanks to a much improved performance on the second day of action at Phillip Island. After initially struggling to find an adequate set-up for their YZR-M1 machines in yesterday’s opening free practice sessions due to the cool spring temperatures, both riders worked effectively with their pit crews to find better grip for the rear tyre - improving their best lap times by almost two seconds and securing prime starting positions for tomorrow’s crucial round in the process.
• For Rossi the target is a sixth victory of the season as he looks to pull even closer to series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda). After an excellent run of recent form the Italian lies just 26 points short of the American and tomorrow promises to be another mouth-watering duel between the pair, with Hayden starting from pole position thanks to a record lap this afternoon. Edwards is also targeting his best finish of the season in front of a bumper Phillip Island crowd including many of his Australian family members and friends.
• VALENTINO ROSSI (3rd , 1’29.271; 28 laps) “The team did a really good job today because we had some difficulties setting the bike up yesterday, but today it worked really well and I was able to qualify on the front row, which is very important at this circuit. Because of the temperatures here we are finding it hard to get heat into the rear tyre and we struggled a bit again today, which is why I had to leave it so late before trying for the fast time on the qualifying tyre. We still have some work to do in this aspect on the race setting but with the qualifying tyre the grip was there and I was able to go third fastest, even though I ran off the track on my out lap and then my bike did a small wheelie in the last corner on my flying lap. Anyway I am happy and want to say a big thank you to my team and to Michelin for the excellent progress we made today. I’m surprised that Capirossi and Gibernau are so far back because they have got a very strong race pace so I suppose me and Nicky will be pushing hard from the start to try and escape.”
• COLIN EDWARDS (5th , 1’29.680; 29 laps) “I don’t think I’ve ever gone from one extreme to the other to this extent in my whole career! From being totally miserable yesterday I’m now really happy and content with our set-up and today’s work. It’s a good feeling! We’ve actually made a big move with the setting, back towards what we had at China and Le Mans and it seems to be working. The thing is we had a different chassis back then and we were suffering with chatter at the time so we never went back to that but the guys worked overtime and came up with a concoction that worked. I’ve really got to thank my team; we’ve changed almost everything possible since yesterday, from electronics to suspension and, bar the engine and the chassis, it’s hardly the same bike today. They’ve put in the hours and it’s clearly worked so I really am seriously grateful to them. I’m really happy with my race tyre and the set-up we used through the session and then the qualifier I used was like superglue! It’s no secret that we were struggling in the tyre area too yesterday so I want to say thanks to Michelin, they’ve pulled something out overnight and it’s looking good. I can’t wait for tomorrow; it feels good to be starting at the right end of the grid for my favourite race of the year!
• DAVIDE BRIVIO , CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It’s been a very good day for us. Firstly we’re all really pleased to see Colin back near the top again and feeling so much better with the bike. Then with Valentino we achieved our main target of starting on the front row and this is very important for tomorrow’s race. I think it’s going to be a very interesting race tomorrow! The race pace of both Valentino and Colin is very good and I think it’s going to be a great fight, as it always is at Phillip Island, with a lot of overtaking. I hope that we will be in that fight with both our riders!”

FRI PRAC, SEP 15, 2006
1 R. De Puniet Kawasaki 1m 29.745 2 L. Capirossi Ducati 3 N. Hayden Honda 4 Gibernau 5 Nakano 6 Stoner 7 Melandri 8 Rossi 9 Roberts 10 Checa 11 Tamada 12 Hopkins 13 Edwards 14 Vermeulen 15 Hofmann 16 Elias 17 Pedrosa
FRI PRAC, SEP 15	FRI PRAC, SEP 15
Lorenzo 1m 33.21 Guintoli De Angelis H Aoyama Dovizioso Barbera Smrz Simoncelli West S Aoyama	Kallio 1m 36.66 Luthi Faubel Olive Bautista Pesek Pasini Gadea Simon Di Meglio

FRIDAY REPORT - KAWASAKI   (TOP OF PAGE) DE PUNIET 1ST

• Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet got his Australian Grand Prix weekend off to the best possible start, by taking provisional pole position aboard his Ninja ZX-RR during this afternoon's second free practice session at Phillip Island.
• The 25-year-old Frenchman wasted no time this afternoon, taking pole position just fifteen minutes into the session, ahead of his Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano.
• The Kawasaki pairing remained at the top of the timesheet until the session was well into the final ten minutes, when a fast lap by Ducati's Loris Capirossi netted the Italian second place, and relegated Nakano to third.
• With less than two minutes of the session remaining, de Puniet was finally knocked from the top spot by Nicky Hayden, who, in turn, was relegated to second place by Capirossi just seconds later.
• Already on his out lap, and unaware that he'd been pushed back to third place, de Puniet started his flying lap just seconds before the chequered flag was brought out to mark the end of the hour-long practice session.
• The Kawasaki rider was fastest at the third split, but suffered a big slide out of the final turn, which he controlled by holding the throttle wide open and relying on his Bridgestone tyres to find the grip necessary to bring the bike back in line. His tactic worked perfectly, and he crossed the line to take provisional pole, and to become the first rider to dip below 1'30s so far this weekend.
• After running second on the timesheet for much of this afternoon's hour-long session, Nakano eventually finished fifth fastest, but is confident that there is more to come tomorrow.
• Although satisfied with the handling of his Ninja ZX-RR during today's two practice sessions, the 28-year-old Japanese rider will make further refinements to suspension settings overnight, to improve the feeling from the rear of the bike when exiting Phillip Island's faster corners hard on the gas.
• Randy de Puniet: 1st - 1'29.745 "Sometimes you turn up at a racetrack and the bike just seems to work; that's what happened here today. From the first lap this morning I felt comfortable on the bike, and we've changed very little during the two practice sessions. This has allowed us to test a number of different tyres from Bridgestone, and it has also given me time to perfect my lines at the corners where I wasn't so quick during winter testing. Both the bike and the tyres have improved considerably since we tested here in February, which is down purely to hard work on the part of Kawasaki and Bridgestone, so I have to thank them for that. I didn't feel like I was pushing so hard on my last lap, but I had a big slide exiting the final turn. But, our bike is very predictable when it slides, so I was able to hold the throttle wide open and, as a result, I didn't lose so much time. This is something we need to keep in mind for qualifying tomorrow, when I think it's possible to go even faster if the conditions remain the same."
• Shinya Nakano: 5th - 1'30.716 "Today's result just goes to show the progress made by Kawasaki and Bridgestone since the winter test here back in February. We've been able to run near the top of the timesheet from the start of free practice this morning, eventually finishing top five this afternoon. Overall, the bike and tyres are working well here, but we still have some small issues when I'm hard on the gas, especially out of the fast left-hander that leads onto the front straight. We will make some minor changes to the suspension settings overnight that should improve things in this area, and I'm confident that this will lead to an improvement in my lap times tomorrow. Already I have a good feeling about this weekend, and I'm looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow morning."
• Harald Eckl: Team Principal "It seems that we have made a significant improvement to our Ninja ZX-RR since the winter test we completed here, and it's pretty obvious that Bridgestone have matched this improvement also. The bike and tyres have worked well for both riders from the beginning today, and I think this is the best start we've ever had to a MotoGP weekend. I hope we can carry this momentum into qualifying tomorrow, and then on to Sunday's race."

FRIDAY REPORT - HONDA   (TOP OF PAGE) HAYDEN 2ND, PEDROSA 17TH

• Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden set the third fastest time today as practice for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix got under way at Phillip Island near Melbourne. The 25-year-old world championship leader continued to make progress with the latest chassis on his evolution RC211V, improving from ninth in the morning session to third overall. In the afternoon Hayden was one of several riders to make a late test run on a qualifying Michelin, in preparation for tomorrow’s one-hour qualifying session where the American hot-shot will be looking for a repeat of last year’s pole position.
• Still affected by injuries sustained in a practice crash in Malaysia a week ago, Dani Pedrosa took his time working up to speed at the picturesque 4.448km (2.764 miles) Australian track. With his injured right knee healing but far from comfortable, the 20-year-old reigning 250cc World Champion worked on achieving a comfortable riding technique, preferring to ease into the pace rather than go for the fastest possible lap-times today.
• The qualifying session tomorrow begins at 2pm local time (6am CET) with the lights going out for Sunday’s 27-lap race at 3pm (7am CET.) As well as holding first and second places in the riders’ world championship, the Repsol Honda Team, with 406 points, enjoys a clear lead in the MotoGP Team World Championship, 122 points ahead of its nearest rival. With points from both riders counting, a total of 14 points from the Repsol Honda stars this weekend would clinch the title with three rounds remaining.
• Nicky Hayden 3rd , 1m 30.471s “It’s been a reasonable start to the weekend compared to the last few races which is good. We made a bit of an improvement this afternoon and tried a few settings that worked better on the bike. The biggest thing right now is to try to find some more traction and get the bike to transfer weight without hurting the front too much. We’ve definitely got some ideas about how to improve it and right now Turn 10 is my worst point , getting out of that slow corner and into the next left. The bike feels ok in a few spots, though we’ve definitely got some work to do , I need to be able to get into the 1m 30s consistently tomorrow. So all the boys in my team will put their heads together and come up with something to keep it going in the right direction tomorrow.”
• Dani Pedrosa 17th , 1m 32.304s “Today I was really just checking my physical condition and also the conditions of the track because the temperatures here are very different to the last race in Sepang. From being away from racing for four days I felt pretty good , but now to be back on the bike is pretty difficult , it feels really sore. I had some painkillers this afternoon to ease it a little , but no injections. It’s going to be important to step up my current pace, and we’ll see if we can do it tomorrow. I ran off the track this afternoon because I touched the brake on the downhill section and lost the front , it went completely straight on, and I released the brake but it was too late to stay on track. I will just keep taking things step by step this weekend , hopefully they will be big steps!”
• Makoto Tanaka - Team Manager “Today’s first practice was quite high-paced compared to last year, and Nicky had a good start. We need more work to improve the acceleration from the last corner, but he finished the first day with a good feeling from the bike. Dani is still feeling the affects of his Sepang fall and is going to work on his bike set-up carefully. He is obviously very keen to avoid any more falls right now so it was normal steady progress today. He is going to resume the set-up of the bike gradually tomorrow. The rivals looks quite strong here so we have to continue to concentrate totally and work hard.”

FRIDAY REPORT - YAMAHA   (TOP OF PAGE) ROSSI 8TH, EDWARDS 13TH

• Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards were welcomed to the Phillip Island circuit by bright blue skies and cool ambient temperatures of 18ºC today, as the paddock breathed a sigh of relief that dismal recent forecasts were denied on the first day of practice for the Australian Grand Prix. The relatively good weather gave the riders ample opportunity to begin set-up work on their YZR-M1 machines as they worked to find an ideal configuration to suit the demands of the fast and flowing circuit over 27 laps on Sunday.
• However relatively fresh track temperatures of 28ºC, compared to 45ºC on the first day in Malaysia one week ago, made life difficult for the Italian and the American as they tried to adapt their bikes to cope with the lower grip levels. Both riders struggled for rear traction and after ending the day in eighth and thirteenth place respectively they will aim to work specifically on this area in tomorrow morning's final free practice session before qualifying takes place in the afternoon. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) set the pace today with a best lap of 1'29.745.
• Valentino Rossi (8th - 1'31.045; 58 laps) "Friday is always a difficult day for us because we have to make a lot of changes to the bike from one circuit to the next and today was no different. Especially here, since the track temperatures and the conditions are a big change from Malaysia, which makes life especially difficult and we have some work to do. The grip levels are lower than in past years and I think both Colin and I are struggling with the rear. For me it is taking me four or five laps to get the tyre up to a temperature where I can ride at the maximum so obviously this is not the ideal situation for me. We have to find a setting and a tyre that can deal with these cooler conditions better tomorrow because this is a very important race for us and I want to do well in front of the Australian fans. However we have gathered a lot of data today and we have some good ideas for tomorrow, so we're quite confident that we can improve the situation."
• Colin Edwards (13th - 1'31.514; 55 laps) "It hasn't been a bad first day despite how it may seem on the time sheets. My only problem at the moment is on the rear - it steps out if I brake too hard, runs off line if I'm too fast through the corner and spins up if I get on the gas too early. The front end is great but the low track temperatures are really not helping the bike to work with the rear tyre we have at the moment. This will be our main focus tomorrow and I think once we get that sorted out then the lap times can come down dramatically. It seems Valentino has some similar problems and between both sides of the garage we have some good ideas, so let's see what happens tomorrow."
• Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "Today was quite cold and we have found ourselves in a completely different situation to Malaysia, which we expected. Valentino spent a lot of time working to find a good race tyre, whilst Colin worked hard on adapting the setting of his bike after struggling at Sepang. We didn't test here in February like the other teams so we have a lot of work to do compared to them. Already we can see that our rivals are setting a strong pace and they will be hard to beat on Sunday, but we are confident we can make the right steps forward tomorrow."
• Tech 3 Yamaha Team shines in Australian sunshine at Phillip Island
• With unusually mild temperatures and pristine blue skies blessing the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, the Tech 3 Yamaha Team confirmed the ongoing improved developments of the latest range of Dunlop MotoGP tyres as Carlos Checa again recorded a time to place him in the top ten of the field after the opening two free practice sessions at the picturesque Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
• In the second session Carlos was up to seventh fastest but with the combined times dropped back slightly, although still in an encouraging tenth fastest position just 0.092 second behind fellow Yamaha rider and defending world champion Valentino Rossi.
• Teammate James Ellison continued his long season of disappointment to finish the day in 19th spot in a session where Kawasaki rider Randy De Puniet recorded the fastest time of the day .
• Carlos Checa (10th, 1'31.137, 43 laps) "Today was one of the best sessions we have had all year. I am very happy with the progress of the Dunlop tyres and today confirms the steps that we have achieved. To be so close to Valentino and in front of Colin Edwards is very encouraging for me although also being on a Yamaha I wish them all the best in their setup troubles. Phillip Island is one of my favourite tracks and to come here and records these times, shows that we are improving all the time. It is not only the time I am happy with as we are now getting very good consistency with the tyres and the durability is improving all the time. Also, we have much better side grip of the rear tyre compared to the troubles we had last week in Malaysia and this is allowing us better drive. Side grip is very important at a place like Phillip Island as we are on the edge of the tyre for very long periods, especially coming onto the straight and this is vital for a good lap time. I am looking forward to the sessions tomorrow as the weather seems to be getting better all the time so if we have a fine weekend we are expecting a very good result."
• James Ellison (19th 1'32.778, 44 laps) "I wish I could be as happy as Carlos but today has been a continuation of the rest of the year so I am pretty disappointed. It is very frustrating to me and the rest of the team because no matter what direction we decide to go nothing works. All I can hope for is that we can decide something overnight that will help us in the morning as I am determined to finish this season on a high note. I love this Philip Island track and I don't think people realise how well I want to do here so I have to have the attitude that tomorrow is another day and that things will improve."
• Herve Poncharal - Tech 3 Yamaha Team Director "It is so good to be back in Australia and everyone really looks forward to coming to Phillip Island. Surprisingly the weather has been exceptional and it looks like it will get better as the weekend goes on. We are very happy after today and it is more satisfying because we did no testing here during the winter. The Dunlop tyres are working really well and this new batch have performed exceptionally from the first time out and the times and performance has been as good as we could have hoped. We are also putting in consistent lap times on race tyres and that makes us all smile at a place like Phillip Island as this track is so very hard on tyres. We are hoping for even more improved performance and wear with the tyres as the weather is expected to get warmer and this is very good for the Dunlops."

BRIDGESTONE FRI REPORT      (TOP OF PAGE)

• Bridgestone Riders Set Friday Pace on Phillip Island
• Australian Grand Prix - Free Practice , Phillip Island, Friday 15 September , 2006 Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet led the way on Bridgestone tyres after the first day of free practice for this weekend's Australian GP on Phillip Island. His late lap of 1m29.745s, achieved using a set of Bridgestone qualifiers, outclassed the rest of the field by 0.6s, but it is the Frenchman's pace in race trim that leaves Bridgestone optimistic for the remainder of the weekend.
• De Puniet's Japanese colleague Shinya Nakano proved that Kawasaki are contenders in Australia by posting the fifth quickest time of the day (1m30.716s) on race tyres, just one-tenth shy of his team-mate's best "race" lap (1m30.696s). Bridgestone's great start to the weekend was supported by the achievements of Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau, who wound up second and fourth quickest (1m30.310s and 1m30.693s respectively) in today's combined practice standings for the Ducati Corse team.
• Ducati, who finished third at this event with Carlos Checa in 2005, focussed on race preparations today in an effort to continue their recent fine form following victory in Brno and a close second place in Malaysia. Both riders tried a new profile rear which allows for an increased contact patch between tyre and asphalt, aiding grip and traction. The Kawasaki and Ducati riders were the only four to lap under 1m31s in both of today's two free practice sessions.
• Suzuki, meanwhile, struggled on the opening day with John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen in 12th and 14th (1m31.496s and 1m31.846s respectively).
• Shinji Aoki , Bridgestone Motorsport - Assistant Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development "It would appear from initial results that we have put into good practice what we learned from our success at the Phillip Island circuit last season and the information we collected at pre-season testing here back in February. From those experiences, we have adjusted the compounds accordingly for this track to cope with the stresses placed on the tyres, especially on the left-hand side. The selection of tyres that we evaluated with each of our teams today seems to be consistently competitive, but it is too early to draw results.
• "It is only Friday and we have seen how quickly things can alter over the course of a weekend. With Kawasaki, we adopted a similar strategy to Malaysia, which allowed Randy to try one specification of our qualifying tyres at the end of the session. This proved a useful decision, as we can see that a slightly different specification will work better over the complete lap in tomorrow's all-important qualifying session. Nevertheless, it is important not to look just at Randy's qualifying simulation, as both he and Shinya have shown an impressive pace on their Bridgestone race tyres.
• "Ducati has demonstrated another strong performance in free practice, which has all the signs of a competitive weekend for both Loris and Sete. In the second session, both riders tried a new profile rear tyre with a greater contact patch with the asphalt to enhance grip and traction. Both riders are pleased with this tyre and were able to lap in the low 1m30s at the end of the session. Suzuki has not had an easy day, but they are all working hard to improve the set-up of their bikes and we, too, are collaborating to equip their bike with the most suitable tyres for their package."

PREVIEW   (TOP OF PAGE)

YAMAHA PREVIEW

• The Camel Yamaha Team take their global points quest to the southern hemisphere this week as the MotoGP World Championship makes the transcontinental trip from Malaysia to Australia. Round fourteen of seventeen takes place at the Phillip Island circuit near Melbourne almost a month earlier than usual, promising brisk spring temperatures and another unpredictable weekend of top class motorcycling action.
• Valentino Rossi arrives Down Under on top form, having clinched his fifth victory of the season just last Sunday in Malaysia. That morale-boosting win over fellow title contender Loris Capirossi (Ducati) has left him just 26 points shy of series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) with four rounds to go and his most successful premier-class circuit on the horizon. The 27 year old has taken MotoGP victory at Phillip Island for the past five straight seasons, adding to two previous successes there in the 250cc class.
• The target for Colin Edwards is a return to the early season form that culminated in a victory challenge at Assen in round seven. Like the Dutch TT circuit, Phillip Island is a place the Texan enjoyed huge success at during his World Superbike career and it provides the ideal scenario for him to work around the set-up problems he has encountered with the YZR-M1 machine in recent races.
• Valentino Rossi: A special place
  Valentino Rossi can’t wait to get back on track after one of the most exhilarating races of his career at Sepang on Sunday. The Italian is relishing every opportunity he gets to close in on series leader Hayden and can’t wait for his next bite of the cherry at one of his favourite venues.
• “Honestly I always look forward to this race a lot, and especially now, when my M1 is working so well,” says Rossi. “Phillip Island and Australia in general is a special place, very beautiful. This race is very important for my team, because many of them are Australian and it’s their home race, like Mugello for me. I want to thank them for all their hard work by doing well!”
• “Phillip Island is a magic track for me. I’ve won a lot of races there and some championships too, I love it! It’s one of my favourite tracks, an ‘old style’ track. We didn’t test there this year but anyway the M1 always works well there and I love riding there. It’s very cold this year, so it’s going to be difficult with the tyres, but I am really looking forward to it."
• “After Laguna I didn’t entirely believe in my chances for the championship anymore, but then after Brno I said to myself ‘okay we still have a chance, we can try.’ Now my objective is to win as many races as possible, then we see in Valencia.”
• Colin Edwards: The next challenge
  Colin Edwards also has a special affinity with Phillip Island having built a strong record at the track during his World Superbike career, finishing on the podium on no fewer than eight occasions, including a win in 2001. The Texan also benefits from the backing of strong local support, with friends and family always amongst the crowd.
• “My Dad is actually Australian so Phillip Island is always a bit of a home race for me,” explains Edwards. “The Australian fans are amazing and I always have a lot of mates there which makes it fun. I am looking forward to it; I just need to put Malaysia behind me and focus on the next challenge."
• “Like Valentino I really love the track and I’ve had some brilliant races there over my career, with the Superbikes as well. It seems to suit our bike, although it’s going to be pretty cold there at this time of year so it’s hard to predict the situation with the tyres. Obviously I had a tough time in Malaysia, where I was expecting to go well, so we’re going to have to find something new this week. I really need a good result here.”
• Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio could not wish for a better venue to be heading to on the back of a successful weekend in Malaysia, with the riders sharing a fondness for the track layout and several of the mechanics hailing from Australasian shores. The second of three races in as many weeks, Phillip Island promises to be another stern challenge of the team’s organisation and mettle.
• “It’s great to be going to a place and a circuit that both our riders love,” says Brivio. “A lot of the team are Australian too and for them to be heading home after such a long and demanding season can only help them to recharge their batteries and stay fully focused for another important weekend ahead. From Japan to Italy, all our staff have been working extremely hard to keep the championship alive and that’s the goal again this Sunday."
• “These three races in such a short space of time put a lot of demands on the team but we are just keeping our heads down, keeping focused and taking each race as it comes. The win in Malaysia was a fantastic emotion for everybody and I’m sure the show will be just as spectacular on Sunday. Hopefully Colin can be involved up at the front too and help Valentino take another step closer to the top of the championship.”
• Technically speaking: Phillip Island according to Pierre Alves
  Phillip Island demands far more than just a fast bike to make for quick and consistent lap times. The sweeping and flowing circuit is possibly one of the ultimate tests of machine control and throttle accuracy, not to mention the sheer bravery and forcefulness required of the rider. Its exposed location on the cliffs facing the Bass Strait means that weather is a constant talking point, especially this year, when tyre choice will be a crucial consideration.
• “It’s going to be a big change from what we’re used to at Phillip Island because we’ve never been there at this time of year and we’re expecting it to be very cold!” explains Pierre Alves, Michelin Tyre Technician for the Camel Yamaha Team. “Generally for Phillip Island you need a tyre that’s quite hard on the left side and much softer, but not too soft, on the right side. Because of the temperature it’s going to be much harder than usual to find the right combination and balance for the track, as tyre efficiency will be reduced with such a low track temperature."
• “Usually we have quite a good base to work from at Phillip Island, because we test there, but this year we didn’t so we don’t know so much about how the new M1 will go there. However the biggest factor, as far as tyres go, is the weather; it’s quite difficult because we’ve really never faced a situation like this! It’s certainly going to be one of the most challenging, and interesting, races of the year for us!”

BRIDGESTONE PREVIEW      (TOP OF PAGE)

• Bridgestone aims to extend competitive streak in Australia
• Tuesday 12 September 2006 , Following a sensational head-to-head battle between Bridgestone rider Loris Capirossi and his compatriot Valentino Rossi at Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix, MotoGP barely has time to exhale before this weekend's Australian Grand Prix gets underway at the renowned Phillip Island circuit.
• Bridgestone Motorsport heads 'down under' buoyed by strong performances at the last two rounds of this season's MotoGP calendar in the Czech Republic and Malaysia, where the Ducati Corse team has scored a dominant victory and a tantalisingly close second place in succession. Bridgestone's three teams, Ducati, Kawasaki and Suzuki, have amassed two podiums and six top eight finishes between them over the last two events, a competitive streak that the team hopes will be extended this coming weekend in very different conditions.
• The tropical rainstorms and sweltering heat that pervaded the Malaysian GP weekend are in stark contrast to the cooler weather expected in Phillip Island. Last year's Australian GP took place in mid-October as temperatures were gradually on the increase but with this year's event some four weeks earlier, MotoGP teams, riders and tyre manufacturers could well find themselves dealing with new challenges in the form of the Antipodean winter.
• Last year's race rewarded a strong performance from the Ducati team with a third place for Carlos Checa, but an accident in free practice sidelined Loris Capirossi for the duration of the event. Similarly, Kenny Roberts was unable to take part in his Suzuki, leaving four riders to fly the Bridgestone flag. Shinya Nakano and John Hopkins both claimed top ten results in what was an encouraging weekend. Eleven months later and with valuable data from a test in February, Bridgestone is confident of continuing its most competitive season in MotoGP to date.
• Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport - Motorcycle Racing Manager
• "Phillip Island is a traditional high-speed circuit which requires a unique and challenging approach to tyre development. The track is unlike any other venue on the calendar and, as such, we have produced special tyres which have been shipped directly from our plant in Japan to Australia. We must develop harder compound tyres to cope with the increased temperatures caused by the high-speed nature of the circuit which sees riders reach an average speed of around 175kmh over the 4.445km circuit layout. However, we will face some of the lowest ambient and track temperatures of the season as we head into the cooler Australian climate at this time of the year. The track reached 27C in last year's race which took place one month later in mid-October, so we must brace ourselves for even cooler conditions in mid-September.
• "The long, high-speed final corner is crucial to the overall lap at Phillip Island. Our tyres will need to work in unison with the bike to allow the rider to carry the speed through the corner and to build up a good rhythm and momentum coming into the next lap. We carried out an important test at the circuit back in February that yielded some promising results from which we have created this year's race tyre selection. Bridgestone tyres helped Ducati to third place last year with Carlos Checa, so we will be hoping to improve upon that result, particularly in light of our recent high level of competitiveness and positive podium results."

DUCATI PREVIEW      (TOP OF PAGE)

SUZUKI PREVIEW   (TOP OF PAGE)

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