2006 MotoGP - FRENCH GP

R5, FRANCE, LE MANS, MAY 21, 2006

• AFTER FRI PRACTICE: Valentino Rossi (2nd): "I'm happy because both Colin and I are fast from the start and it seems the M1 machine is working very well at this circuit. Now we are in the first and second places so this is a very good result for our team and it gives us some confidence."
• BEFORE RACE, PEDROSA: "After Shanghai I know that all the rivals will be trying to beat me and I'm waiting for their reaction, but my goal is the same: to focus on my job and forget what we did in Shanghai."

RACE RESULT

• 1 M. Melandri Honda ITA
• 2 L Capirossi Ducati ITA +1.9
• 3 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP +2.2
• 4 C. Stoner Honda AUS +5.4
• 5 N. Hayden Honda USA +5.7
• 6 C. Edwards Yamaha USA
• 7 M. Tamada Honda JPN
• 8 S. Gibernau Ducati ESP
• 9 T. Elias Honda ESP
• 10 C. Vermeulen Suzuki AUS
• 11 C. Checa Yamaha ESP
• 12 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN
• 13 A. Hofmann Ducati GER
• 14 J. Ellison Yamaha GBR
• 15 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA

WINNER, Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 1st:

• "It was an incredible race! Obviously I am very satisfied as I was not expecting it. At the start the weather conditions were very changeable and I put on a hard rear tyre for the race after talking to our Michelin technician. I'm happy and I want to thank Michelin because it was the perfect tyre choice. I got away well and that allowed me to lead on the first lap. Hopkins then overtook me as my bike was suffering a bit in the first laps, but after a few laps when the tyre temperature increased, the bike began to work better and better and I was able to lap near the front. As the laps went by I started to think about winning and I overtook Loris and then, when the time was right, Pedrosa as well. I want to thank the whole team for the great job they did."

2ND, LORIS CAPIROSSI:

• "When I was riding with Marco I saw that Valentino was out, so I thought that I would be on the podium right then. Then I saw Marco catching Dani, so on the last few laps I tried to keep with him and see if it was possible to overtake Dani on the last lap. I did it and kept him behind me, so this second position is very good for me. I used the tyre we tested yesterday and I knew I could keep a pace in the high 1’35s, and I maintained this pace all through the race, and never gave up. This track is not one of the best for us, in the rain it seems to be better, but we finished on the podium in second, and got really good championship points. Thanks to the whole Ducati team and the Bridgestone guys."

3RD, Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 3rd:

• "I'm happy with the result because I was lucky today. We are on the podium which is good for me and my team, and also the race was dry. At the beginning I was strong but then I realised Valentino was gaining a few tenths every lap and I was trying not to lose ground on him, yet every time the gap was bigger and I had to focus on controlling the gap behind me. When I took the lead I knew they were catching me and I knew I would only lead for two or three laps. On one lap I made two mistakes and I realised I was going slowly whilst on the limit! So I decided I didn't want to crash like in the race in Turkey and I closed the throttle and focused on finishing the race. But the result is good and we must keep consistent and learn from this."

YAMAHA RACE REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• MotoGP : Bad luck strikes again for Camel Yamaha Team at Le Mans
• Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi's unfortunate start to his MotoGP World Championship defence continued today as the Italian rider was hit by another bout of bad luck at Le Mans, where he was forced to retire from the lead with an engine problem. This time his team-mate Colin Edwards was also hit by the jinx, the American being pushed wide in the second corner of the race and running into the gravel traps. The silver lining to the day for the team on a cloudy day in France was that Edwards did manage to get back on track and charge through from last place to finish in sixth - arguably the individual rider performance of the race.
• Rossi started the fifth round of the season in confident mood after finding a good set-up for his YZR-M1 machine during the dry practice sessions and he quickly translated that pace to the race, moving from seventh on the grid up to second place by lap three. After two laps behind early leader John Hopkins (Suzuki) the World Champion took control and opened out a comfortable advantage over Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who also got past Hopkins. With eight laps remaining Rossi looked on course to become the first rider this season to win two races but to his despair disaster struck, leaving Pedrosa to fight it out with Marco Melandri (Honda) for the win. Melandri made the decisive move for victory with five laps remaining before Pedrosa was also passed for second place by Loris Capirossi (Ducati).
• Colin Edwards (6th; + 11.519 seconds): "To be honest I don't quite know what happened at the start. I had my plan which was to run it around the outside like I did last year but things just went haywire from the start and riders were coming at me from everywhere. I got baulked by somebody - it might have been Dani Pedrosa but I'm not sure - and I couldn't get to the outside so I had to move where the space was and go tight. Everybody was wide through the right and came across me as we went left into the chicane so I had nowhere to go but the gravel. Last year it would have probably been okay but the changes they made to the track played against me. I lost four or five seconds there and probably lost another four or five trying to get past people during the first six laps. I wanted to overtake on the exits but they all had so much grip at that stage of the race that it was impossible and I just had to wait for opportunities on the brakes. The setting of the bike was good - the only thing I was missing was a bit of
  rear grip at the end but with the pace I had we should have been on the podium today."
• Valentino Rossi (DNF): "The team did a great job with the new chassis this weekend and I really enjoyed being able to ride so fast during the race, so it is a real shame that it ended like that and of course I am very disappointed. Everything was working really well, the bike and tyres felt perfect but then the engine went. A bike stopping on me like this has only happened to me a couple of times in my career, and never with a four-stroke, so for it to happen today is typical of our luck at the moment. Something seems to have gone wrong for us at each of the first few races of the season, apart from Qatar, and it has put us in a difficult situation with regards to the championship. We know that championship is a big challenge now but the last word has not been spoken yet. Now we need to look at it race by race, maybe not think about the championship for a while and concentrate on trying to win as many races as possible from the remaining 12."
• Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director
  "We are trying to smile but obviously we are all very disappointed - especially Valentino. Our engineers did a great job to get the bikes prepared for this race and both Valentino and Colin were ready to fight for a top result. It was great watching Valentino in harmony with the bike and it looked as though it was going to be a classic Valentino Rossi race, making his way to the front and then controlling his advantage over second place. Unfortunately the engine broke and we are analysing it now to find out why. I have to say Colin rode a great race after being forced wide in the first corner and in general we will take a lot of positives from this weekend, even if we don't feel too great right now. Today we should have had two riders on the podium, but we have 12 more chances to try!"
• Most impressive result of the season so far for Tech 3 Yamaha Team
• The home Grand Prix for the Tech 3 Yamaha Team provided the best result of the season so far as lead rider, Carlos Checa finished 11th overall with teammate James Ellison also scoring championship points finishing 14th.
• In his 100th appearance for Yamaha in the premier class, Checa was involved in an exciting battle with factory riders Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki), Tony Elias (Honda) and Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki). Carlos is now the second longest serving Yamaha rider in the premier class behind Norick Abe who had 162 starts for the innovative Japanese company
• The result added further confirmation to the improvement in the Dunlop race tyres the team is using during the 2006 season with Carlos the closest he has been to the leading pack at the end of the race. The team will remain at the Le Mans circuit for a further two days to evaluate a range of the latest Dunlop rubber with various specifications for wet and dry conditions.
• Carlos Checa (11th, Fastest lap 1'36.781): "It was a good result and I also feel it is the best progress for the year as well. At the beginning I was putting in good lap times but after lap 11 or 12 the rear tyre dropped down and I couldn't keep the pace and of course I was thinking about finishing the race. I tried to keep in the 37's and keep the battle going with Vermeulen and Elias but I had a lot of movement at the rear and I thought 'ok I want to keep the tyre as good as possible.' Then Nakano was coming and I tried to push more to keep Nakano behind and I managed to do this. It was good to have a fight for most of the race. We will take a lot of information away from here. We know where we are and where we want to go. I was very happy with the progress of the bike and now we have two days of testing. I hope we can test many things that we have planned whether it is wet or dry especially on tyres and also to confirm all the settings on the bike that we think can help. I'm looking forward to this as at Turkey and
  China I was a little bit depressed as we seemed to keep hitting the same wall all the time but now I think we have jumped over the wall and we are much more in front than what we were and this is very satisfying for the team. Even if we are a bit behind we have improved the areas a lot more than before. I hope in two days we can finish everything because you always want to test more. I'm ready to test the two days and I have a lot of motivation to do this so we now know we have some direction to head and what we need to go faster. Dunlop has brought many things and has many ideas so it should be a big help for the next few races.
• James Ellison (14th Fastest lap 1'37.572): "The race wasn't so bad actually and I'm happy when I see my lap times are getting closer to Carlos all the time. We really made some positive progress this weekend. The way the race went was a good boost to myself as besides getting closer to Carlos's time I feel that I'm moving forward as I'm getting closer to the leaders in race time by the end of the race as well, but we have to improve so we can keep doing those lap times for most of the race. I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday where we have a full two-day test and I think we can make big improvements. It'll be great to get in two solid days of testing. I don't care what the weather's like as long as we get through the allocation of tyres we have. There's a lot of things I want to try on the bike as well so hopefully it will be dry so we can do all the work. What we want to do is start playing around with angles swingarm length and all that sort of stuff to find the best settings as obviously the tyres have a lot
  different characteristics to what the other Yamaha riders are using.
• Herve Poncharal - Tech3 Yamaha Team Director:
  This has been the best weekend of the season so far. We have the best race position with 47 seconds to the leaders which is the closest gap we have ever had so far. Most important was the first half of the race as we were together with Vermeulen and Elias lapping at the same pace and I think that is the first time that has happened too. Unfortunately the second part of the race we struggled a little bit to keep the same pace and that is what we have to work on. In China we had the consistency without the performance. Now we have the performance but we have lost a little consistency so clearly this is what we have to work on. We are testing here Monday and Tuesday and Dunlop has brought plenty of tyres to test. The test will now be a lot easier when you have a more positive frame of mind because although it is not the best thing that can happen to finish 11th, it is not too bad when you know how competitive the MotoGP grid is. James also had his best race with both riders in t
  he points and he continues to improve and get faster every time he rides the bike. We had a lot of laps in the dry and wet as we closed the gap to everyone else so we know now we're heading in the right direction and after this test I think things will be even better.

QUALIFYING (TOP OF PAGE)

• Pedrosa's 2nd consecutive pole: " I'm really satisfied of having the pole again, but the important day is tomorrow. The activity today has been hard because of the wind, but it hasn't rained, which is good ... After some mistakes in the first part, I was more focused in the final minutes and I achieved a better pace. We found good tyres for the race, so I'm happy"
• ROSSI QUALIFIED 7TH:"To be honest I expected a better position this afternoon so I am a little disappointed but it is not a disaster. We worked in the right way and found a good race setting for the bike. When we used the very soft tyre at the end of the session we again found some vibration problems caused by the extra grip but it's not such a problem on the race tyres"

		GRID	MAY 20, 2006
	POS	RIDER	BIKE	TIME	GAP
	1	Dani Pedrosa	Repsol Honda Team	1m 33.990s
	2	Shinya Nakano	Kawasaki Racing Team		+0.311
	3	John Hopkins	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
	4	Randy de Puniet	Kawasaki Racing Team
	5	Marco Melandri	Fortuna Honda
	6	Loris Capirossi	Ducati Marlboro Team
	7	Valentino Rossi	Camel Yamaha Team
	8	Sete Gibernau	Ducati Marlboro Team
	9	Colin Edwards	Camel Yamaha Team
	10	Nicky Hayden	Repsol Honda Team
	11	Casey Stoner	Honda LCR
	12	Chris Vermulen	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
	13	Makoto Tamada	Konica Minolta Honda
	14	Carlos Checa	Tech 3 Yamaha
	15	Kenny Roberts	Team Roberts Honda
	16	Toni Elias	Fortuna Honda
	17	James Ellison	Tech 3 Yamaha
	18	Alex Hofmann	Pramac d'Antin MotoGP
	19	Jose Luis Cardoso	Pramac d'Antin MotoGP

• POLE: Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda, 1st: "Of course I am happy to be on pole again, but the important day is tomorrow! Today the practice was difficult because it was very windy, but it was dry, so that was good. At the beginning of the session I didn't make the most of the practice time - I made some mistakes and I had some traffic. I was not riding so well on race tyres and at the start of the session I didn't really do a good job. But then, at the end, I focused on the job and I got in to a better rhythm. We found a good race tyre so I'm happy about that and the set-up for the bike tomorrow for the race, if it's dry, can be good. I'll be hoping to make a great start and have a good race - we'll have to wait to see what the weather does."
• 2ND: Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki: 2nd - 1'34.201
  "Mission accomplished! I had a very good feeling during practice yesterday, so I knew a front row start was possible, but I didn't really expect to be fighting for pole position. When I saw the chequered flag I thought I'd held onto pole, but at the back of the circuit they have a big TV screen, which showed Dani stealing pole position as I rode past it on my way back to the pits. I was a bit disappointed not to take pole, but I'm happy enough with second place on the grid, and I go into tomorrow's race more confident than in recent weeks. So far the races have been difficult for us, but here we know we have a strong package in the Ninja ZX-RR and our Bridgestone tyres, so a good result is possible; maybe even a podium finish if everything goes well."
• 3RD: John Hopkins, Suzuki:
  “What can I say, I’m happy to be on the front row but not exactly happy with the way it went on the qualifiers. Dani did a good job but I think if we had had a proper go at him we could have got near him or even on pole. It was our goal to start from the front row so that we can get with the lead group at the start of the race. We have a pretty good race set-up and once again the crew has worked really hard. The Bridgestones and the Suzuki have come together pretty well on this track, so wet or dry we need to chase that first podium and perform as well as we possibly can.”

HONDA QUALIFYING REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) put his stamp firmly on the MotoGP category with a scorching 1m 33.990s lap of the Bugatti circuit here at Le Mans to record his second pole position in only his fifth outing on a 990cc machine. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) qualified second and John Hopkins (Suzuki) completes the front row.
• In awkward, gusty conditions the pint-sized pilot proved he is now way more than a mere premier class protégé with a commanding lap that dislodged Nakano from the top slot with just half a minute of the hour-long session to go.
• After a wet free training session in the morning, conditions were dry for the afternoon showdown but 15km/h blasts of wind made things tricky for riders. Hopkins was the first to show his hand by topping the board in the opening minutes, before Colin Edwards (Yamaha) squeezed him off the top rung.
• With dark clouds threatening to dampen proceedings many opted to get some early fast laps in and no one was more determined to set the pace than home hope Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) who occupied the pole until Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) showed he might be getting to grips with his so far recalcitrant machine by establishing himself at the top of the order with 40 minutes to go.
• With 20 minutes remaining Rossi’s position at the top was usurped by Nakano who posted a 1m 35.795s lap to steal the number one position. But of more significance was the steady progress of the Spanish wunderkind Pedrosa who elevated himself to third in the standings with 15 minutes remaining.
• Hopkins, who was always on the pace here, made an early bid for supremacy with a 1m 34.795s lap, but Nakano responded with a 1m 34.679s effort to regain the upper hand. The Honda runners were by now finding the measure of this track; Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) hoisted himself to fifth and Dani was still lurking in third – a front row grid position – but patently not quite good enough for this exacting young man.
• Nakano then carved another hot lap of 1m 34.201s to put his marker firmly down, but the rapid Japanese reckoned without the methodical work of Dani.
  He became the first man to dip below the 1m 34s mark (albeit on a modified track) with a scintillating 1m 33.990s lap and with it the 20- year-old established beyond doubt that he is a new force to be reckoned with.
• Melandri too was on the move, briefly holding second position before being bumped back down to fifth for a second row start. Dani’s team- mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V), suffering from a bout of influenza, was generously fulsome in his praise for his team-mate after his maiden victory in China last weekend qualified tenth, and must be hoping that lauding his running-mate does not become too much of a habit this season.
• Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) qualified 11th for a fourth row start while Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) will have to make do with a getaway from 13th.
• Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) will be encouraged by a grid position ahead of Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V). They qualified 15th and 16th. The top ten riders are covered by less than a second, which promises a tight, tense race tomorrow.
• Dani said, “I was not riding so well on race tyres and at the start of the session I didn’t really do a good job. But then, at the end, I focused on the job and I got in to a better rhythm. We found a good race tyre, so I’m happy about that and the set-up for the bike tomorrow for the race, if it’s dry, should be good. I’ll be hoping to make a great start and have a good race – but we’ll have to wait to see what the weather does.”
• Melandri was happy enough and said, “The bike worked well from the start in the qualifying session and I found a good rhythm. However, I couldn’t make full use of the qualifying tyre as I hit a bit of traffic which slowed me down. However, I’m happy with fifth position, it’s my best qualifying performance of the season and I have achieved my objective, which was to start from the first two rows.”
• “Sure I’m not happy about starting tenth,” said Nicky. “Things felt pretty good this morning. In full wet conditions we felt pretty strong. But in the dry we’re definitely struggling to get some traction and in these long corners I’m losing a lot of time. We’ll just have to put our heads together tonight and come up with a better combination for tomorrow and do the best we can.”
• Casey was far from content and said, “It’s very disappointing. I was able to do these times on race tyres yesterday. This afternoon I struggled to go fast on qualifiers. I just didn’t have a good feeling with the bike. I kept losing the front-end every time I touched the brakes. If I can get the bike back to how it was on Friday I should be OK for the race.”
• Tamada said, “I did not expect such a slow qualifying session after the positive practice day of yesterday. Today I have not been able to find the same riding feeling of yesterday especially in terms of grip. I’m still too slow in the first sector and I’m not able to go faster with qualifying tyres. As far as the settings are concerned, we should not have any particular problems when choosing the race tyres.”
• Roberts said, “The new chassis is definitely a step in the right direction – now we need to take it further. The rain was against us this weekend and we lost valuable time. Sure we were fast in the wet but we need dry time. The bike gets into the corners better with this chassis but we still have work to do, also mid-corner speed is not there yet. We are closer with his chassis and will be closer at Mugello when we have dry track time to work off.”
• "I am still having a problem which is preventing me from riding how I’d like,” said Tony Elias “I’ll sit down with the team to try and find a solution as soon as possible. I am still a little nervous on the bike as I don’t have the rear grip I want which is making it difficult to exit corners. It will be a difficult race tomorrow, I hope to make a good start and make up some positions.”
• Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) secured his first pole in the 250cc class with a hot 1m 39.733 second lap to relegate the Aprilias of Alex de Angelis and Hector Barbera to second and third.
• Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) and Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) showed how much this track suits the nimble and responsive Honda machine by occupying grid slots four and five, while Sebastian Porto (Repsol Honda RS250RW) enjoyed something of an improvement with 10th.
• “This is my first 250cc pole and of course I’m satisfied,” said Dovi. “But, I’m even more happy for the great pace I was able to keep from the beginning of the session and even with worn tyres. As it happened yesterday, I could have been faster on the last lap with soft tyres on, but it’s fine. Here, there isn’t much of a gap with the Aprilias and I’m not so penalized in acceleration. For this reason, I want to thank the team, because my bike has been very competitive since Friday morning.”
• His team-mate Takahashi said, “At the end of the session I thought I was sixth or seventh, so I was really surprised when I saw my mechanics waiting for me in the park fermé. I was able to set a good time today and lapped very fast even with race tyres. Thanks to the team who did a great job and make my Honda very competitive. I hope it won’t rain tomorrow as I haven’t ridden enough in the wet yet.”
• “Today I really can say that I’m very happy,” said Aoyama. “Although I’m not forgetting that there’s still the race tomorrow, which is what really counts. We’ve made good practice sessions with the team and we have the right set-up for the race, so tomorrow can be a good day for us. I’ve made up my mind and I’m going to take the start and the first laps with a certain ease, but then I’m decided to fight for the leading positions. The bike, the team and me are ready to make a good race tomorrow.”
• In the 125cc class pole went to Aprilia rider Mattia Pasini who edged out series points leader Alvaro Bautista (both Aprilia). Lukas Pesek (Derbi) qualified third fastest and Honda’s Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R) completes the front row.
• Reigning World Champion Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) qualified ninth one place behind Fabrizio Lai (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125R), while teen ace Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) managed 25th. Domestic hope Mike di Meglio (FFM Honda RS125R) showed well early in the half-hour session but had to content himself with 16th when the clock ran down.
• Talmacsi said, “The bike today was perfect and this gave me a good pace. It’s a shame about the strong wind as it made me change the lines in some corners. If tomorrow is dry, I just have to push and take full advantage of my Honda, but if it rains we have to do some adjustments as I wasn’t fast this morning.”
• Luthi said, “I was very happy with my performance in the rain this morning. I found a good fast rhythm without mistakes the bike is very good. In the qualifying session I knew I would need to slipstream two fast riders to get a really fast time. But I didn’t find any till near the end of the session when Pasini and Zanetti came past.”

KAWASAKI QUALIFYING REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed their most successful qualifying session to date at Le Mans this afternoon, as Shinya Nakano scorched to second place on the grid for tomorrow's race, and teammate Randy de Puniet put in a stunning performance to finish fourth fastest during the hour-long qualifying session.
• Nakano dominated proceedings throughout this afternoon aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. The Kawasaki pilot snatched pole position with just 20 minutes of the session left to run and responded immediately when John Hopkins knocked him from the top spot; replying with another fastest lap to retake pole position.
• With five minutes of the session remaining, Nakano underlined his dominance by improving on his own pole position time, to put him over half a second clear at the top of the timesheet.
• As the flag came out to mark the end of the session, Nakano looked almost certain to secure his, and Kawasaki's, first ever pole position in the premier MotoGP class, but a late charge by Honda's Dani Pedrosa saw the Spaniard steal the top spot from Nakano by the slimmest of margins.
• Although disappointed not to have held onto pole position, Nakano was happy to have secured Kawasaki their best ever qualifying position with second place on the grid, and the Japanese ace goes into tomorrow's 28-lap Grand Prix de France confident of a strong performance aboard his Ninja ZX-RR.
• After two frustrating practice sessions yesterday, and a practice crash in the difficult conditions this morning, de Puniet showed his resilience by bouncing back this afternoon to claim fourth position on the grid for his home Grand Prix tomorrow.
• The Kawasaki rider was holding third position on the provisional grid as the session drew to a close, but missed out on a front row start by just one tenth of a second when John Hopkins managed to improve his time on his final flying lap.
• Happy with his qualifying performance, de Puniet is now focussed on tomorrow's race. The 25-year-old Frenchman was consistently in the top six on race tyres this afternoon, and is confident of a good result tomorrow, on a track that he knows intimately, and which seems to suit the characteristics of his Ninja ZX-RR perfectly.

		FRI PRAC 2	MAY 18, 2006, Temp: 16ºC, Dry
	POS	RIDER	BIKE	TIME	GAP
	1	Colin Edwards	Camel Yamaha Team	1:35.170	0
	2	Valentino Rossi	Camel Yamaha Team		0.112s
	3	Shinya Nakano	Kawasaki Racing Team		0.277
	4	John Hopkins	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP		0.291
	5	Casey Stoner	Honda LCR		0.376
	6	Makoto Tamada	Konica Minolta Honda		0.455
	7	Sete Gibernau	Ducati Marlboro Team		0.458
	8	Loris Capirossi	Ducati Marlboro Team		0.492
	9	Dani Pedrosa	Repsol Honda Team
	10	Marco Melandri	Fortuna Honda
	11	Nicky Hayden	Repsol Honda Team
	12	Randy de Puniet	Kawasaki Racing Team
	13	Toni Elias	Fortuna Honda
	14	Carlos Checa	Tech 3 Yamaha
	15	Kenny Roberts	Team Roberts Honda
	16	Chris Vermulen	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
	17	Alex Hofmann	Pramac d'Antin MotoGP
	18	James Ellison	Tech 3 Yamaha
	19	Jose Luis Cardoso	Pramac d'Antin MotoGP

YAMAHA FRIDAY REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• MotoGP : Camel Yamaha Team riders set the pace at Le Mans Date: 19 May 2006
  
• Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards were the fastest two riders in each of the first free practice sessions on the opening day of action at the Grand Prix of France today. Rossi lapped the Le Mans circuit in a time of 1'35.288 during the morning, when Edwards was just behind him with the second fastest time, whilst in the afternoon the roles were reversed as the American set the pace with a lap of 1'35.170, followed closely by his Italian team-mate.
• The factory team have arrived in France in determined mood as they look to turn around their early season misfortunes, aided by the latest improvements to the YZR-M1 machine brought to this circuit by Yamaha. Rossi today ran back to back tests with a brand new chassis, designed to eliminate vibration problems suffered with the bike during the opening four rounds, and reported positive results. He will therefore incorporate the update into both of his machines tomorrow, when Rossi and Edwards try to repeat today's success in the official Qualifying session.
• Colin Edwards (1st; 1'35.170, 52 laps): "It wasn't a bad day. We came here off the back of a good result in China, just brought the bike off truck this morning and everything seemed to work pretty well. Valentino is trying to fix a few things with the new chassis so we're able to focus on working hard towards a race setting and seeing what we can get. I said yesterday that I'd know after four laps what my objective can be for the weekend and now I can say it's to win. Why not? Since the test in Turkey we've hardly touched the bike and I've got a level of confidence and feeling that I know what the bike will do. This morning it worked really well and although the chatter started to come this afternoon when we got more grip, we were still able to push so that's encouraging. We know this chassis has its limit but we can get it there pretty easily and at this track, where the Yamaha goes well, at least it should allow us to push as hard as anyone else."
• Valentino Rossi (2nd; 1'35.282, 36 laps): "I'm happy because both Colin and I are fast from the start and it seems the M1 machine is working very well at this circuit. Now we are in the first and second places so this is a very good result for our team and it gives us some confidence. I was very fast in the morning and in the afternoon we spent the time making some tests for the setting with the new chassis for tomorrow. This job is very important because they say it might rain tomorrow, but we have already found a good base, so I'm very happy about that. I like the new chassis and I think it will help us to go faster. It is much better for the vibration and even at this early stage we can see it has a lot of potential. Yamaha have always gone well at Le Mans so now we wait for tomorrow and see if we can keep it going."
• Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director: "We've made a good start today with both Colin and Valentino. Both specs of the bike are working well so this is a very positive thing for us. Today was a good chance for us to gather some data in the dry because it looks as though it will rain tomorrow and we at least know we have a good base setting if it is dry again for the race on Sunday. Tomorrow Valentino will have the new chassis on both bikes and Colin will remain on the standard version but it seems both are working well so we look forward to seeing what happens tomorrow."
• Tech 3 Yamaha Team closes gap to rivals
• With two hours of almost perfect conditions during the opening free practice sessions for the MotoGP class, progress continued for the Tech 3 Yamaha Team with further improved performances in the Dunlop range of race tyres. The confidence boosting statistic from the day's efforts for riders Carlos Checa and James Ellison, is that they are now closer to the leaders than at any time during the 2006 season, with Carlos's time just over a second off fellow Yamaha YZF-M1 riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.
• At every Grand Prix, practice and qualifying are a major exercise as besides endeavouring to determine an optimum race set up for the 2006 Yamaha YZF-M1, the Tech 3 Yamaha Team has the added responsibility of testing a new batch of Dunlop tyres at every race as the ongoing development continues.
• Carlos Checa (14th, 1'36.306, 31 laps): "The Yamaha is working very well here and the gap to the leaders is coming down although the track is shorter than where we have been in the last two races. We still have limitations with the tyres in finding enough side grip and other areas in the rear tyre but the Dunlop people are trying very hard to keep improving. I'm sure they are not here for a holiday. Everyone is working hard but my hope and wish is that soon as possible we can keep improving the areas that need attention. I am pushing for that and to get a better feeling from the rear tyre. "I would like to tell you completely the opposite, but the reality is that we still have some problems and need to improve to find something that gives us the chance to be even closer to the top guys. I tested many tyres today and I have found one that I like but now we have to make sure that we have the endurance for the race. I hope it can stay dry tomorrow so we can keep heading in this direction."
• James Ellison (17th, 1'37.986, 34 laps)
  "I'm so happy with the way Yamaha handles this Le Mans layout. That's also proven with Colin and Valentino up the front so that's something in our favour. I like this track as I've done a lot of laps around here with a 24 hour race but the new chicane layout hasn't changed it too much. We've got three different compounds that we're going through at the moment. There's a couple of things we want out of each tyre so if we can't find one that suits for everything we have to change the bike to suit so we have to find the best compromise. "There's been a huge improvement in the tyres since the start of the year but everyone else has improved as well. It's not as big as we would've hoped, but if you look at the big picture we're doing a good job to be honest. That's proven in the lap times. I'm getting closer to Carlos and he is getting closer in his times with the front guys but, admittedly being on the same equipment, I'd like to be right with Carlos. I'd also like some more heat
  in the track because the Dunlops seem to work better when it's a bit warmer; not too hot but enough to keep the heat in the tyre as they work pretty good in those conditions. We tested a new style of tyre but it just wasn't hot enough. Hopefully tomorrow will allow us to see how they go."
• Herve Poncharal - Tech3 Yamaha Team Director: "Today was a very good day. We are a lot closer to the front than we have been for the entire season, being just a second off. In session two we could've been closer. There is a possibility to be at least half a second closer to the front but we decided to stay on the track with a used tyre in case it is raining tomorrow and on Sunday the race is dry. Yamaha is doing well here as we have seen with both Colin and Valentino. On Dunlop we are not too bad as we have a couple of riders on other bikes and tyres behind us so it has been good but the big thing for everyone here is the weather as it is so very changeable . It's still early days this weekend, but it's good for the team spirit and good for Dunlop. We have two days testing here after the race, so hopefully we're on the right track. I don't want to say we're on schedule but the most important thing for us is to keep improving and get closer to the opposition."

RACE PREVIEW (TOP OF PAGE)

• Hot on the heels of an action-packed race in China, the MotoGP teams and riders head back to Europe this week for the Alice Grand Prix de France. The fifth date on the World Championship calendar, this weekend’s race could prove to be the turning point of the season, with the next seven races taking place in just ten weeks, and six of them on the same continent.
• American Nicky Hayden heads the overall classification, and finds himself on a run of eight consecutive podium finishes. The Repsol Honda rider was second in Shanghai, but his main worry is that the top step of the podium is proving elusive to him. Kentucky’s finest has a thirteen point advantage that he will be looking to extend in Le Mans with his first victory since his maiden win at Laguna Seca last year.
• Ducati Marlboro’s Loris Capirossi is the nearest rival in terms of points for Hayden, finishing off the podium in China but still adding valuable points to his tally. However Hayden’s eyes will be looking towards an adversary closer to home than the Italian. With his first victory in the premier class, his team-mate Dani Pedrosa heads to France on a high, having become the joint second-youngest winner ever of a MotoGP race. The star of last Sunday’s thrilling contest, the Spaniard is now third overall in the standings, and travels to Le Mans with a certifiable pedigree, having won there in all of his last three visits, including last year’s 250cc race.
• Despite an inauspicious start to the 2006 season, the victory in Turkey pushed Marco Melandri up the standings, however there was more disappointment to follow after he came home seventh in China. The 2005 season’s second placed rider, Melandri still has serious title aspirations.
• Meanwhile rookie sensation Casey Stoner has shown incredible form since his jump to MotoGP and trails Hayden by just twenty points. The Australian rounds off a tight top five on the leaderboard having never finished outside the top six in the premier class so far.
• Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi lies in sixth overall, having missed out on the opportunity of earning valuable points at both Jerez and China. A damaged tyre curtailed his race last weekend, and the French date will be the chance for redemption for the charismatic Italian, who won there last season in a classic battle with Sete Gibernau.
• Although yet to place on the podium this season, Toni Elias has had a strong start in the World Championship. Fortuna Honda’s Spanish rider continues racking up points, part of a second trailing pack of riders. Le Mans is the home of some rather unhappy memories for Elias, as last year he suffered a injury during tests at the circuit which kept him out of the following three Grands Prix.
• With his first podium of 2006 in China, Colin Edwards was boosted up the standings. The ‘Texas Tornado’ commented before the race that the chattering problems suffered thus far depended heavily on the circuit, so will be hoping that Le Mans’ tight downhill braking zones are kind to the M1. Shinya Nakano and Sete Gibernau complete the top ten in the overall classification.
• In the BMW M Award, the prize given to the rider with the fastest qualifying times throughout the season, Nicky Hayden currently lies ahead of nearest rival Colin Edwards by just under one and a half seconds. Australian Chris Vermeulen lies in third, over another second off the two Americans.
• In 250cc, Andrea Dovizioso continues to lead the series. Despite still not having a win to his name in the quarter litre category, Humangest Honda’s Italian star has shown his consistency so far this season to head the standings. There is no room to breathe for Dovizioso however, as Hector Barbera’s is just three points behind after victory in Shanghai with Jorge Lorenzo and Hiroshi Aoyama’s close attendance also increasing the pressure on the top two.
• With only four races gone, Alvaro Bautista looks unstoppable in 125cc. The Master MVA Aspar rider is thirty points ahead of nearest challenger Mika Kallio, despite the Finn being victorious last weekend. Bautista completed his fourth consecutive podium finish of the season at Shanghai, and will be hoping to better his best finish of ninth at the French track, whilst Kallio will draw on the experience of his third place there last year.
• Built in 1965 around the existing 24-Hour track, the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit lies 5km south of the city of Le Mans and 200km south-west of Paris. The venue has hosted Grand Prix intermittently since the late sixties. Now the host of the French GP consistently since 2000, Le Mans is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that places the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, the Bugatti circuit is always a thrilling occasion for racefans.

YAMAHA PREVIEW    (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Camel Yamaha Team get back to European territory this weekend as they look to bring their MotoGP World Championship points quest back on track in France, following a disappointing run of races on unfamiliar shores. The legendary Le Mans circuit, which has intermittently played home to the MotoGP World Championship since 1969, has been a fixture on the calendar for the last six seasons and this year plays host to the fifth round of an incredible campaign that has already seen four different winners.
• Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi is one of those - his sole victory so far coming in the second round at Qatar - but he is aiming to put an end to the parity this weekend as he aims to recover from a largely disappointing run of early season results. A first-corner crash at Jerez and technical problems in the last two rounds at Istanbul and Shanghai mean the Italian lies 32 points adrift of current leader Nicky Hayden (Honda), but the most pressing issue for Rossi is to finally overcome the problems that have restricted development of the 2006 version YZR-M1 machine so far.
• The 4,180m track holds happy memories for the Camel Yamaha Team, with Rossi having taken pole position and the lap record on his way to victory last season, when he was joined on the podium by his team-mate Colin Edwards. A repeat result is the target for both riders this Sunday, with Edwards having recorded his first top-three finish of the season just days ago in China, when he also extended his run of points-scoring finishes to 25 - a number only previously achieved by Grand Prix legends Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Valentino Rossi.
• Valentino Rossi: A critical time
  MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi knows that the time is right to turn around his early misfortune and start picking up serious points in his bid to defend motorcycling's premier-class crown for the fifth successive season. The Italian currently lies sixth in the general standings but he is well aware that a change in fortune can spark a good run of results over the next few weeks and dramatically improve his situation.
• "Sunday was the second time in the first four races that we've scored virtually zero points and on both occasions it hasn't been our fault," reflects Rossi. "Luck has definitely not been on our side but the most important thing now is to sort our problems out as soon as possible because we have a run of important races coming up - starting at Le Mans. The next four or five rounds in Europe are the 'main course' of the season and it is a critical time for us.
• "We have got some new things to try at Le Mans so hopefully they can help us find a good base set-up but still have enough room for improvement to keep the pace with our rivals over the weekend. We are up against good riders on good machinery and we have to be at our maximum level to be able to beat them. I am already a few points behind the leader but the championship is very long, I have a lot of confidence in my team and we have time to put things right.
• "Le Mans is not one of my favourite tracks but last year it was very good for us. I took pole position, the fastest lap of the race on the final lap and the victory and Colin was also on the podium, so it was a perfect weekend for us. We hope this weekend can be the same."
• Colin Edwards: Repeat podium the target
  Colin Edwards has his sights firmly set on consecutive podium finishes following his first top-three result in nine months at China on Sunday. Edwards also scored his maiden rostrum of 2005 in round four, which took place at Le Mans one year ago, when he led the race for several laps before eventually conceding positions to Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. The Texan is hoping that can be a good omen for a repeat success this time around.
• "I seem to like round four of the season and I was really pleased it came good for me again in China," smiled Edwards. "Last year's podium at Le Mans was the kick-start to a decent run of results for me so I hope that can prove to be the case this time around. It's no secret that we've been having problems with the bike but we're working hard and if we're capable of winning races and taking podiums when we're in trouble then just think what we can do when everything is running smoothly!
• "I don't mind Le Mans as a circuit too much - it's a real 'stop and go' track, as everybody says, with hard braking, tight corners and hard acceleration. We'll have some work to do with the set-up of the bike but this track was good for us last year so hopefully it can prove a little bit easier to adapt to and not as critical in terms of the problems we've had at the last few circuits."
• Davide Brivio: Keeping our heads down
  Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is looking forward to the relative normality of life on the road as the MotoGP World Championship returns for a seven-week spell on European shores. After a gruelling start to the season including flyaway trips to Qatar, Turkey and China, the team's trucks - home to their travelling workshops and offices - will roll into Le Mans this week to provide a focal point for the hard work to begin.
• "After such a difficult start, which nonetheless has given us one win with Valentino and Colin's recent podium, I hope the next few weeks in Europe will be like a new beginning to the season for us." says Brivio. "The races coming up are crucial but all we can do is keep our heads down and continue to work hard on solving the problems we have found this year. There is clearly a lot of room for improvement but we know from the performances of Valentino and Colin already this season that the bike has real potential, so we are excited about finally seeing it performing to its maximum. Hopefully that can be at Le Mans.
• "The engineers at Yamaha have been working very hard to make sure that is the case and Valentino will have a new chassis available from the first practice session on Friday. We will compare it with the current one and will decide later if we will use it or not. We will also remain there for a test on Monday to continue with our development. Last year we had a very good weekend at Le Mans, which finished with both of our riders on the podium, so it would be nice to repeat that result! If we can shake off the bad luck that has been following us around the world recently then we have plenty of reason to be confident."
• Technically speaking: Le Mans according to Jeremy Burgess
  Le Mans is an archetypal stop-go track, with the added complication of one of the highest speed turns on the calendar, just after the short start-finish straight. There are several hairpins and chicanes, calling not just for balance and control under hard and repeated braking, but a neat and swift transfer from full braking to full acceleration on the exit of the corners.
• With nine right-handers and only four lefts, the track is also particularly hard on one side of the tyres, but according to Valentino Rossi's Chief Mechanic Jeremy Burgess there are no hidden secrets to the track in terms of machine set-up. "Le Mans as a circuit is probably the least technical on the whole calendar - it doesn't really have any stand-out features or characteristics that set it out from the rest, certainly not in a positive way," says Burgess. "You need good acceleration out of the slow corners, which is why we struggled there on our first visit with the M1 in 2004 because we were trying out new engines before tackling the true horsepower tracks like Barcelona, Mugello and Assen.
• "Last year we had a fully-developed bike so we were able to make the minor adjustments that this circuit requires and both Valentino and Colin were fast. Clearly with so much hard braking you need firmer fork settings and spring rates on the front, and then a slightly softer spring on the rear so that the rider can hold his line on the exit. That's it really - there are no secrets to Le Mans!"

HONDA PREVIEW    (TOP OF PAGE)

• Dani Pedrosa is determined to keep his feet on the ground following his brilliant maiden victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix of China. As the MotoGP paddock dashes back to Europe for this weekend’s French Grand Prix, the Repsol Honda Team’s new signing knows the world of motorcycling will be looking to see how he reacts after winning in only his fourth MotoGP race.
• The 20-year-old 250cc World Champion amazed the Grand Prix paddock by taking the chequered flag in Shanghai to become the equal second-youngest ever winner in the premier class of motorcycle racing. And Pedrosa is now expecting his MotoGP rivals to be more determined than ever to beat him at the famous Le Mans circuit on Sunday.
• Current world championship leader Nicky Hayden goes to France focused on stretching his superb run of consistency and notching up his first win of 2006. This season the 24-year-old from Kentucky, USA has been developing the evolution version of the Repsol Honda RC211V, which makes his lead in title race all the more impressive. If the former dirt-tracker scores another podium finish this weekend it will be his ninth in succession.
• Hayden’s impressive speed in both the wet and the dry this year also means he leads the MotoGP Best Qualifier standings, a scoring system which totals the lap times from each race’s qualifying session.
• The Le Mans circuit is hosting the French Grand Prix for the 18th time this year having received extensive safety-enhancing changes over the winter. The notorious uphill right-hander at turn one, scene of Alberto Puig’s infamous crash in 1995, has been re-profiled which has actually made it faster, but the run-off has been extended and the chicane that follows the corner has been made slower. To make way for the modifications many buildings had to be controversially demolished, including a hotel.
• The track is stop start in nature, putting an emphasis on stability under braking and strong acceleration off the bends. With the Repsol Honda RC211V on Michelin tyres proving to be the most consistent package so far this year, Hayden and Pedrosa will be confident of further success this weekend.
• Honda has an excellent recent record at the French Grand Prix, having won ten of the last twelve 500cc and MotoGP races here. Sunday’s 28-lap race begins at 2pm local time (12pm GMT), following free practice on Friday and a one-hour qualifying session at 2pm on Saturday.
• Nicky Hayden, 2005 result: 6th
  “I’m looking forward to being back in Europe and the pace is always faster here because a lot of the riders are at home. Also the European crowds make it fun – these places really come alive on race day. Since they re-paved Le Mans the track’s got a lot better. I can’t say there’s one part that’s my favourite and there’s a lot of stop and go stuff – nevertheless, I quite like the track. In the past I’ve gone well there but I’ve had some bad luck and haven’t had great results so I’m looking forward to going there and putting that right. It’s good to be leading the world championship and to pull it out a bit at the last race - I’m proud of that - so I’m going to try to stay consistent and not do anything silly. But I want that win. We’ve still got to make some improvements and we know what out issues are – we’re working on edge grip and on engine braking. If we get that sorted out we’ll be even stronger. It’s still early – we’ve got a long way to go in the championship and these guys aren’t going to lay down, everybody’s going to come back fighting. So now it gets busy – it’s going to be a good summer.”
• Dani Pedrosa, 2005 result: 1st (250cc race)
  “Finally we come back to Europe! I’m really looking forward to these races, even though we haven't had time to rest since the last round. It has been a tough start of the season but I'm happy with the results so far. After Shanghai I know that all the rivals will be trying to beat me and I'm waiting for their reaction, but my goal is the same: to focus on my job and forget what we did in Shanghai. Every race is different and we cannot be relaxed. Le Mans is very close to Spain so I hope to see a lot of my home fans there, as there are every year. Technically speaking, Le Mans is very different from Shanghai. This circuit has a lot of hard acceleration, a lot of hard braking sections and a very fast, long corner at the end of the straight. Having good drive at the exit of the corners is fundamental to making a fast lap. And the gearbox has to be very well set up.”

STONER / LCR HONDA PREVIEW    (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Honda LCR team and Australian young gun Casey Stoner are back on familiar territory this week as the MotoGP championship begins a sequence of six European races. The first of those is Sunday’s French Grand Prix, where Stoner is looking to continue his impressive start to his rookie season in motorcycling’s elite category.
• Pole position in Qatar and a second-place podium in Turkey have been the highlights of the opening four grands prix, three of which have been overseas races. Earlier Stoner finished sixth in Spain in his first race aboard a Honda RC211V and last Sunday was a fast-finishing fifth in Shanghai -- overtaking five riders in just three laps!.
• The China GP again confirmed Stoner’s smooth transition to MotoGP as an emerging star after just four races. Most impressive has been his performances on the 250-plus horsepower Honda V5 when the tyres are worn. In both the Shanghai and Istanbul GPs Stoner set his fastest times on lap 21 of 22 lap races.
• Stoner finished fourth in last year’s 250cc French GP at the stop-go, Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans. Stoner is currently fifth in the points with 52, just seven points out second position held by Loris Capirossi. Honda rider Nicky Hayden leads the championship.
• CASEY : “I’ve always been quick at Le Mans but have struggled for results, I’ve never had a lot of luck there in the past. But after three flyaway races at least I’m starting the main part of the European season with some experience on the Honda. Before the start of the season if someone would have offered me these results I would have taken them. MotoGP is the toughest class in racing and even fifth place for a rookie is a result I should be happy about. In China I finished ahead of guys like Loris Capirossi, Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri, all of them GP winners. I think I've answered some critics who said I couldn't ride on worn tyres.”

(TOP OF PAGE)