2006 MotoGP - DUTCH TT

R8, ASSEN, NETHERLANDS, JUNE 23, 2006

RACE RESULT    (TOP OF PAGE)

QUALIFYING   (TOP OF PAGE)

GRID, JUNE 23, 2006

SUZUKI QUALIFYING REPORT - HOPKNS ON POLE    (TOP OF PAGE)

• John Hopkins roared to his first ever pole position at Assen in Holland for tomorrow’s Dutch TT, with team-mate Chris Vermeulen putting his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R on the second row.
• Anglo-American Hopkins (P1, 1’36.411, 29 laps) has nearly secured the top position many times before but today was his day, as he powered his Bridgestone shod Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to the head of the grid with just seconds to spare in this afternoon’s qualifying session. Hopkins and his crew had worked tirelessly today to get the best set-up for Saturday’s race and his pole position is reward for all the hard work they and Hopkins have put in.
• Vermeulen (P6, 1’37.077, 28 laps) qualified on the second row of the grid just 0.666 of a second behind team-mate Hopkins. The rookie Australian could have been further up the grid but was baulked by a slower rider during his fastest lap. Vermeulen is happy with the race set-up he has for tomorrow’s 26-lap race and he will be looking to get a good start when the flag drops tomorrow.
• Today’s qualifying was held in warm and dry conditions with air temperatures reaching 20°C and track surface 23°C. Tomorrow’s race is round eight of the MotoGP World Championship and both Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers will be aiming for glory when the lights change to go.
• John Hopkins: “What can I say? I’ve had lots of front row starts and now I‘ve finally got that pole position! I’m really happy about it. I am pleased with how the set-up has gone and I am enjoying the track and making the best of everything. My team is working really hard and Bridgestone have brought some great tyres for this weekend. We have got to try really hard tomorrow and go after that first podium. Colin Edwards is running a really fast pace so we know we will have to work hard in the race. It’s a huge weight off our shoulders – getting this pole position out of the way – now we have to concentrate on the 26-laps tomorrow. I am feeling good about the whole situation. My thanks go to the crew, to Bridgestone for some awesome tyres and to Suzuki for improving their level so much, everything seems to be coming together and we are looking forward to tomorrow.”
• Chris Vermeulen: “It’s been a good day. The new-look Assen circuit seems like it will be quite difficult to pass on, so the aim was to get a start from somewhere on the front two rows, and we have achieved that with sixth place. The team worked very well in this afternoon’s session and we made a lot of progress with the bike. We tried a few more race tyres and we have got a good direction which way to go with them. In qualifying I got held up by Ivan Silva on what looked like it would have been my best lap – but that’s racing and I hope he doesn’t do it to anyone else. Congratulations to John, I know he has been working on that pole position and it’s good to see him there, but I’ll be giving him a run for his money tomorrow!”
• Paul Denning – Team Manager: “Well, it’s finally happened for John! He’s achieved the elusive pole position that he has been working so hard to get. More importantly both he and Chris, and the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R, have been improving step-by-step over the last few races. With some new setting parts and new engine internals here we have taken another small step forward. Qualifying was really tight and, as in Chris’ case, the smallest bit of bad luck can make all the difference between pole and sixth place. It really doesn’t mean anything that we were a few hundredths of a second quicker than Shinya, but we will definitely take it and it’s awesome to see Suzuki on pole in the dry.
  “It’s been another great job again by all the crew. We have a few more things to look at to try and improve our consistency and durability over race distance before tomorrow. As ever it will be difficult, but both the riders and the team are looking forward to it and we are all up for the challenge.”

KAWASAKI QUALIFYING REPORT - NAKANO 2ND

• Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow's 26-lap Dutch TT from the front row of the grid, after qualifying his Ninja ZX-RR in second place during this afternoon's hour-long timed session at Assen.
• The 28-year-old Japanese rider stole pole position early on in the session, but was pushed back to second place by a hard charging Colin Edwards after 20 minutes at the top of the timesheet.
• Nakano responded with ten minutes left on the clock, retaking pole position from the American and holding on almost to the chequered flag. With just 14 seconds remaining of the session, Nakano was knocked from the top spot by John Hopkins, who bettered the Kawasaki rider's lap time by just 0.013s to steal pole position for tomorrow's race.
• Although a little disappointed to have missed out on his, and Kawasaki's, first pole position in the premier class by such a narrow margin, Nakano is happy to be starting from the front row of the grid on a revamped Assen circuit that offers few opportunities for overtaking.
• For Randy de Puniet, today's hour-long qualifying session was a frustrating one. The 25-year-old Frenchman was disappointed to finish 11th fastest overall, and knows that starting from the fourth row of the grid will make for a hard race tomorrow.
• Although fast around the old parts of the circuit, the Kawasaki pilot lost valuable time each lap as he struggled to get to grips with the new section of track that has replaced the old North Loop.
• De Puniet will again concentrate on this section during tomorrow's 20-minute warm up, when he is hoping to unlock the secret to a fast time through the difficult Ossebroeken right-hander.
• Shinya Nakano: 2nd - 1'36.424 "Everything came together for us today. The bike and tyres were working well, especially the qualifiers from Bridgestone, so I knew that pole position was a possibility. In the end I lost out by the smallest amount, but the important thing is that I will start the race from the front row. As soon as practice started on Thursday it was obvious that there aren't many places to overtake on this new circuit, so a front row start is important if you are to avoid a difficult fight through the field. So, we achieved today what we set out to do, and now I need to make sure I get away cleanly from the line tomorrow, so I can take maximum advantage of starting with a clear track in front of me. On race tyres today I was able to lap consistently to stay in the top five on the timesheet, so our original aim for the weekend of securing our best result of the season so far is looking to be a very realistic possibility."
• Randy de Puniet: 11th - 1'37.556 "This afternoon was disappointing; I was actually quicker during this morning's free practice session. The problem is the first section of the track, I just can't seem to find the right line, especially through the long, right-hand Ossebroeken turn. Even when I was behind Colin Edwards through this section, I just didn't seem to be able to follow the same lines as he was taking, and I still lost time. It's frustrating, because my times through the remaining sectors are good, but the new section loses me too much time on every lap. The only thing I can do is to try some variations to my line through Ossebroeken tomorrow during warm up, and I hope we can find some improvement before the race. Starting from the fourth row of the grid doesn't make my job any easier in tomorrow's race but, as always, I'll be pushing as hard as I can to get the best result possible."
• Harald Eckl: Team Principal
  "With the changes made to the first part of the track, it seems that Assen probably suits the characteristics of our Ninja ZX-RR better than any other track on the calendar. Shinya was consistent on race tyres during practice and qualifying today, before switching to Bridgestone's qualifiers and putting in one of his best qualifying performances to date. He has given himself the best possible chance by qualifying on the front row, and I think he is capable of securing his, and Kawasaki's, best result of the season so far tomorrow. I know Randy is disappointed not to have finished higher up the grid after all his hard work today, but he seems to be struggling with the first part of the circuit and it looks like he is fighting too much with the bike. I hope we can improve his set up for tomorrow, because I know he will want to push hard in the race."

HONDA QUALIFYING REPORT

• Current World Championship points leader Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) qualified fourth fastest here at Assen today while the front row belonged to John Hopkins (Suzuki) on pole with Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) second fastest and Colin Edwards (Yamaha) third fastest man.
• But the biggest news is that reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) fell heavily yesterday and broke bones in his right hand and foot. He attempted free training this morning and the timed session this afternoon – but could complete neither. If he starts tomorrow’s race (a decision will be made after morning warm-up) it will be from 18th on the grid.
• Another two riders are struggling here – Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) who was injured in the turn one crash at Catalunya last Sunday and Loris Capirossi (Ducati), another victim of the Barcelona melée last weekend.
• Despite debilitating shoulder and neck injuries Melandri managed a heroic seventh on the grid here with a time just under one second short of Hopkins’ pole time of 1m 36.411s. Capirossi, suffering from bruising to his chest could do no better than 15th for a fifth row start.
• But these riders are the lucky ones. Sete Gibernau (Ducati) will miss this race and Donington Park next weekend too while he recovers from broken fingers and a broken collarbone, while Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V) misses this race with a broken left shoulder. He fell yesterday and is now in Barcelona undergoing treatment.
• Capirossi, Rossi and Melandri are currently Hayden’s closest rivals in the World Championship points table and their misfortune hands Hayden a potentially huge boost at the critical halfway point of this intense 2006 series if he can score points when they register none.
• Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V), fresh from his fine third place in Catalunya last weekend, headed the timesheet during the early stages of this hour-long session, with gritty Melandri holding a provisional second with ten minutes gone.
• In overcast conditions with track temperature at 23-degrees and ambient temperature at 20-degrees, riders made their fastest laps of this heavily revised Assen track. The circuit has been shortened form its former free-flowing 6.027km to a truncated 4.555km form with the challenging Northern Loop section bulldozed to make way for a conference centre.
• Few riders approved of the drastic surgery, but did their best to get comfortable with the new layout despite their reservations over the changes. Among the first to show he had the new track under control was Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) who turned a 1m 37.130 lap to hold pole at the halfway point.
• In the final 15 minutes Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) hauled himself onto the front row with a 1m 36.755s lap, but he would eventually lose out to Edwards and Hayden who bumped him back to row two in the final five minutes.
• With one minute remaining Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) elevated himself to fourth before having to settle for fifth at the flag with a best lap time of 1m 36.993, 0.582 seconds off Hopkins’ pole time.
• Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) qualified 12th fastest for a fourth row start while Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) will have to make do with a fifth row start as 13th fastest qualifier.
• Nicky said, “We’re definitely going to have to plan on getting a good start tomorrow and getting up front because some of the guys have got a really fast race pace and I haven’t been able to get into the 1m 37s times on race tyres this afternoon, which is a little frustrating. We’re definitely going to have to make some changes tonight and see what we can do tomorrow – which is where it counts.”
• Dani said, “Fifth is not ideal, but it’s OK. I’m still struggling with getting the best from qualifying tyres at some tracks and I need a bit more experience at this. Anyway, tomorrow the start will be crucial as always and even after another day riding here I still prefer the old Assen, even though I’m now used to the new layout.”
• For the injured Melandri, seventh on the grid is something of an achievement. He said, “I’m very happy considering my situation. On Sunday I didn’t even think I’d be here, never mind seventh on the grid only four days after the accident. I could only do a few fast laps in succession before my shoulder got tired, but I should be OK tomorrow.”
• Kenny, in tenth, said, “We were faster on race tyres today than with the qualifying tyres. This is about the same position we were in at the beginning of the year with the old chassis on qualifiers. We had no problems in practice but as soon as we put in the qualifying tyres we had chatter. We get the problem as I lean the bike into the turns. On race tyres we can run high 1m 37s laps all day, but the problem is picking off the guys in front of me while I try to get to the front.”
• Casey, in 12th, said, “I couldn’t get a decent time on a qualifying tyre and I would have been better off on a race tyre. But I’ve always made good starts – in dirt track racing you have to. I use the launch control at the start but for me I don't think it makes a big difference. There is not a lot of room to pass on the new track, so it’s let’s wait and see in the race.”
• Tamada, down in 13th, said, “I had a good feeling from the 16-inch tyre the first time I used it at the Mugello test. It’s is a positive move in the right direction – the bike is easier to ride now. We’ve not had to do much to the suspension to suit the tyre, just little things. My engine is good and the set up is right so I’ll be happy to race tomorrow with what I have.”

YAMAHA QUALIFYING REPORT     (TOP OF PAGE)

• Camel Yamaha Team team-mates Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi will start from opposite ends of the grid in tomorrow's 76th edition of the Dutch TT after enjoying contrasting fortunes in qualifying practice. Whilst Edwards was consistently amongst the fastest riders on track throughout the day, topping the time sheets in morning free practice before clocking the third quickest time to seal a front row start in the decisive afternoon session, Rossi continued to suffer from the effects of a heavy crash yesterday and was only able to complete fourteen laps in qualifying.
• The Italian's best effort was almost four seconds off the pole position time of 1'36.411 set by John Hopkins (Suzuki) and he now faces an anxious wait to see if he will be able to take his place at the very back of the grid for the eighth round of a luckless season. Rossi will undergo further therapy this evening but his participation in the event will not be 100% confirmed until after tomorrow's morning warm-up, when he will make a final assessment of his fitness along with the Clinica Mobile doctors.
• Colin Edwards (3rd - 1'36.755; 27 laps)
  "Obviously I would have liked to be on pole position and I felt with the pace we were setting that we had a good shot. I went out there at the start of the session and ran a couple of tyres. On my final race tyre I was really happy with the pace and then we started throwing some qualifiers on but I don't know if I had a 1'36.4 in my bag. I was pretty happy with 36.7 that I did but for Hopkins and Nakano to do a 36.4 was pretty impressive so it would have been a case of taking my brain out and setting it on one side to try and match that! Anyway, right there at the end Stoner and Pedrosa were just sitting in the middle of the track on my last lap so we'll never know. As I say my race pace is good so I'm looking forward to tomorrow and I just hope Valentino can make the best possible recovery overnight to try and salvage something from the weekend."
• Valentino Rossi (18th - 1'40.298; 14 laps) "This afternoon I tried using some painkillers but the fracture in my right wrist hurts a lot. Truly it was very difficult to ride - the hand is very swollen and I don't have much strength. Together with Marco Montanari and Doctor Claudio Costa we have done the best that was possible, I've had a lot of treatment and I was able to ride for a few laps, but the strong pain stopped me from finishing the qualifying session. Tomorrow we will see how I am and, depending on what happens in the warm-up, we will decide whether I will ride or not. Anyway it's going to be very difficult. We tried to move the brake lever a little bit down and we're now looking at the possibility of making a bigger brake lever to see if this is better for me."
• Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "Colin did a good job - he was consistently fast in every practice session and qualified on the front row so we couldn't ask for much more. The omens are good for the race for him and starting from the front row makes him one of the contenders to win the race. Unfortunately that is not the case for Valentino. He had to be very strong just to complete a few laps this afternoon and now it is just a case of letting him rest and seeing how his condition develops overnight. Obviously we want him to race but our first concern is his physical condition. Thankfully the Clinica Mobile is doing a fantastic job, as always, and we know he is in good hands."

QUALIFYING   (TOP OF PAGE)

YAMAHA ASSEN PREVIEW

• Fresh challenge awaits Camel Yamaha Team at historic Assen
  
  Assen, the Netherlands
• The MotoGP World Championship returns to its oldest venue this weekend with a fresh new challenge awaiting it at the legendary Dutch TT. With major changes having taken place at the Assen circuit since last season, the whole of the Northern Loop section making way for a new car park and expanded viewing areas, the Camel Yamaha Team venture into the unknown this weekend as they look to extend their winning run to three straight races.
• The 76th edition of the Dutch TT welcomes MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi in top form, the Italian having taken consecutive victories at Mugello and Catalunya in the last two rounds to put his title defence firmly back on track. Rossi has won at Assen for three of the last four editions of the world-famous race and nothing less than another success will do as he aims to cut back a 29-point deficit to current series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda), who has yet to win a race this year.
• Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards himself took three victories at Assen in the World Superbike series, including a double win on his way to the title in a gripping climax to the 2002 season. Last season he joined Rossi on the MotoGP podium after finishing in third place and, after continuing set-up work on the new version YZR-M1 chassis at Catalunya, he is confident of rejoining the battle for a top three position in Holland.
• Valentino Rossi: A great emotion
  Valentino Rossi is looking forward getting back out on track just five days after the 56th victory of his illustrious career in Barcelona. Despite his opposition to such a hectic run of races, which will almost certainly see some of the riders injured last Sunday missing at least one round, the Italian sees the next two weekends as a valuable opportunity to maintain his momentum and pull even closer to the championship lead.
• "Having three consecutive races is a problem because if you are injured in the first then you risk not being able to ride for two more races," comments Rossi. "By the third race the riders are also tired and begin to lose concentration so it's very tough for everyone. In the past Assen was one of my favourite tracks and it was always a great, great emotion to ride a MotoGP bike at the limit there. Sadly the track has been changed so I am not as excited about it as usual, because it seems from reports that some of the 'Assen magic' has gone. Anyway, I hope that it's still a good track and I know it will still be fun to race there; it always has a fantastic atmosphere and the Dutch fans are wonderful.
• "We have now won two races in a row and if we hadn't had the problem in Le Mans then that would be three, which means we are now more or less at the same level that we were at this time last year. These races are really important so I hope that we can manage to win as many as possible. I have moved up to third in the championship now but I still only took five points from Hayden in Barcelona and he is 29 points ahead of me, so we need to keep winning because he is a consistent podium finisher and he always fights to the end."
• Colin Edwards: Familiar Territory
  Colin Edwards returns to one of the most successful circuits of his career this weekend but, like Rossi, he is concerned that some of the natural character will have been lost with the recent modifications. After picking up a solid fifth place in the last round at Catalunya the American is now targeting a return to podium form as he heads into three important races at Assen, Donington and Laguna Seca.
• "I grew up on the next three tracks and I've finished on the podium at all of them in MotoGP so hopefully this can be a good spell for me," says Edwards. "On paper the Yamaha should work well at the new track and some more time with the new chassis will help us get up to speed. We know that what Valentino is using works so it's a case of adapting it to me, making a few small changes and getting as close to his pace as possible - if not improving on it.
• "Like a lot of the riders I have a lot of affection for the old Assen circuit and I hope it hasn't lost too much of its character. Whatever the track is like you can bet that the atmosphere is going to be just as crazy as ever and I always have a lot of fans there - especially some of the Brits who come over for the party. Hopefully I can give them something to shout about on Saturday afternoon."
• Davide Brivio: A team effort
  Such a hectic schedule of races is a major strain on any team and Camel Yamaha is no different. It requires a special effort from the riders and engineers right through to the catering staff and it is a point of the season where every member of the workforce plays a crucial role. Team Director Davide Brivio says everybody has a major part to play as the points quest continues with a second race in the space of just six days.
• "It was amazing watching the boxes being packed up in the pit garage and the hospitality unit being dismantled on Sunday night to think that in just two days' time they would all be put back together at a circuit 1800 kilometres away," says Brivio. "It is a huge challenge for the whole team and a lot of pressure but it is another example that shows how a rider cannot be successful on the track unless he has the right staff behind him to put everything in place.
• "Our target before Mugello was to win the next four races so now you could say the job is half done. We want the same level of performance at the next two rounds and the same result, although we know it will be difficult. Assen will be a very interesting challenge because it is virtually a new track - like going to China, Laguna Seca or Turkey last year - but the base setting of our bike has improved vastly and we hope it can be adapted quickly."
• Technically speaking: Assen according to Andrea Zugna
  Despite the dramatic changes to Assen's unique layout over the winter, it still promises to be one of the most technically and physically demanding circuits on the calendar for the MotoGP riders. With barely a straight piece of tarmac in sight, handling remains a major focal point due to high-speed chicanes and dramatic camber changes - the latter, in some places, resembling the profile of the public roads that the original circuit was based around 76 years ago. Andrea Zugna, Data Engineer for Colin Edwards, says the information gathered last season will still be highly valuable.
• "It will be interesting to see how the track is without the Northern Loop because that was a very characteristic section of the circuit, with high camber and left-right switches," says Zugna. "I suppose the first section of the circuit will now be similar to China, with a series of tight right-handers from turns one to four causing strain on the right hand side of the tyre, and that will also make it physically demanding on the riders.
• "As far as the setting is concerned we will still start with the same as last year because we know it works for around 90% of the track. On Friday morning we will analyse the data from the final 10% and the engineers will be able to make the adjustments based on that information. We expect Assen to be more like a 'normal' circuit now. It has always required only partial throttle and that will still be the case, so it is not too critical on gearbox and engine settings but does require a good compromise to cope with the fast direction changes and the slow chicane which was modified last year. Our setting worked well last year and we finished on the podium so hopefully that can be the case for both riders again."