Ducati's Rossi & Hayden Ready for Jerez

Sam Sims for Ultimatemotorcycling.com
04/25/2012

2012 MotoGP

The 2012 MotoGP Championship heads to Jerez this weekend for the first of four rounds in Spain. And one team is hoping the winter testing performed at the Jerez circuit will help for better initial setup, and ultimately results - the Ducati Team.

Riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden have positive results at Jerez, the nine-time World Champion Rossi taking six premier-class wins there, making him the most successful rider at the Spanish circuit, and Hayden five top-five places, including third at a wet 2011 MotoGP.

As for VR46, Rossi was involved in the infamous crash last season between him and Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner, the 2011 MotoGP Champion. Although Rossi crashed on lap 8 last season, the Italian remounted to finish fifth.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team GP12 MotoGP) says: "I've always liked the Jerez track a lot, and we certainly must try to do better than in Qatar. By the end of the three-day test in March, we had found a decent setup for the GP12, so we have a base to start from for this track as we prepare the bike for the race. It will be very important to work well during the Friday and Saturday practice sessions, focusing particularly on maintaining a good direction and on taking advantage of what we currently have to work with."

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team GP12 MotoGP) says: "I really enjoy the Jerez GP. In some ways it's like the first race all over again, because it's a little bit different than Qatar. We're back in Europe, with our trucks and all the crowds. It's also a special track. It's really tough, with very few straightaways, so you have to ‘connect the dots' and do some hard braking.

"If you want to do a good lap time, it's important to be fast in those last two right-handers. I'm looking forward to it. We tested there last month, but since then we have a race under our belt and a bit more data to consider. We know the general setup of the bike now. Last year the weather definitely mixed things up a bit, so we'll see what it does this time."

Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati Team Manager) says: "We're returning to Jerez a month after the winter test there, so we should find very similar conditions. The first race, in Qatar, was very difficult for Valentino, as we didn't find a good setup that would let him feel comfortable on the bike. In Spain, by taking advantage of the work we did there in March, we'll focus on helping him once again find a good feeling.

"Nicky is coming off of two days of testing at Mugello, where he had hoped to make up some of the time lost during winter testing, but bad weather prevented him from doing much. Still, he was able to get to know the bike better at the first round, and he's confident in being able to find a good setup for this track as well."

Jerez MotoGP Records:

• Lap Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2010), 1:39.731, 159.657 Km/h (99.206 mph)
• Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha - 2008), 1:38.189, 162.164 Km/h (100.764 mph)
• Track Length: 4.423 km (2.748 mi)
• 2012 MotoGP Race: 27 laps (119.421 km, 74.205 mi)
• 2012 MotoGP Race Time: 2:00 p.m. local time
• 2011 Podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Nicky Hayden
• 2011 Pole: Casey Stoner (Honda) 1:38.757 - 161.232 Km/h (100.185 mph)
• 2011 Fastest Lap: (4th lap) Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 1:48.753 - 146.4 Km/h (91.0 mph)

Ducati Team Results at Jerez:

• 2011: 3rd (Hayden)
• 2010: 4th (Hayden)
• 2009: 3rd (Stoner)
• 2008: 11th (Stoner)
• 2007: 5th (Stoner)
• 2006: 1st (Capirossi)
• 2005: 10th (Checa)
• 2004: 12th (Capirossi)
• 2003: 3rd (Bayliss)

Ducati Team: Rider Info:

Valentino Rossi:

• Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
• Race Number: 46
• Age: 33 (born in Pesaro, Italy, 16 February 1979)
• Residence: Tavullia (Pesaro, Italy)
• Number of GPs: 259 (199 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
• First GP: 1996 Malaysian GP (125cc)
• Number of Wins: 105 (79 x MotoGP, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
• First GP Win: 1996 Czech Republic GP (125cc)
• Poles: 59 (49 x MotoGP, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
• First Pole: 1996 Czech Republic GP (125cc)
• World Championships: 9 (6 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

Rossi's MotoGP Results at Jerez

• 2011: Qualifying, 12th; Race, 5th
• 2010: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 3rd
• 2009: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 1st
• 2008: Qualifying, 2nd; Race, 2nd
• 2007: Qualifying, 2nd; Race, 1st
• 2006: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 14th
• 2005: Qualifying, 1st; Race, 1st
• 2004: Qualifying, 1st; Race, 4th
• 2003: Qualifying, 5th; Race, 1st
• 2002: Qualifying, 1st; Race, 1st
• 2001: Qualifying, 1st, Race, 1st

Nicky Hayden:

• Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
• Race Number: 69
• Age: 30 (born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 30 July 1981)
• Residence: Owensboro (Kentucky, USA)
• Number of GPs: 152 (152 x MotoGP)
• First GP: 2003 Japanese GP (MotoGP)
• Number of Wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
• First GP Win: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
• Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
• First Pole: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
• World Championships: 1 (6 x MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden's MotoGP Results at Jerez

• 2011: Qualifying, 11th; Race, 3rd
• 2010: Qualifying, 5th; Race, 4th
• 2009: Qualifying, 16th; Race, 15th
• 2008: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 4th
• 2007: Qualifying, 11th; Race, 7th
• 2006: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 3rd
• 2005: Qualifying, 4th; Race, DNF
• 2004: Qualifying, 7th; Race, 5th
• 2003: Qualifying, 19th; Race, DNF

Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com

Lorenzo Patiently Strikes for Qatar Win

Ron Lieback For Ultimatemotorcycling.com
04/10/2012

2012 MotoGP Championship

If there's one trait Jorge Lorenzo greatly displayed Sunday at the season opener of the 2012 MotoGP Championship at Losail International Circuit, it was patience.

The Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 rider was quick throughout the practice sessions for the Qatar race under the floodlights, but really showed the strength of both mind and the new-1000cc machine during qualifying.

Lorenzo took the pole at Qatar, and was 0.221 of a second quicker than the man who had won the previous-five races at Qatar - Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner. The Australian was the biggest threat to Lorenzo, Stoner wanting to immediately defend his title.

It looked as if the RC213V rider would complete the task, considering he took the lead from Lorenzo on the third lap and began opening a gap on Lorenzo. But the 2010 MotoGP Champion patiently remained in second, with an equally patient Dani Pedrosa in third.

With seven laps to go, Stoner's gap contiunally decreased, the Australian complaining of arm-pump issues. And on Lap 19, Lorenzo striked, passing his rival for the lead, Stoner's teammate Pedrosa shortly doing the same.

It now came down to a race for the checkered flag, and Lorenzo was able to hold off Pedrosa for the win by 0.852 of a second. Stoner would finish third, 2.908 second behind Lorenzo.

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 MotoGP) says: "What an amazing race! I put everything I have, all my energy into the track, this victory is because I never gave up, kept pushing and trying. Casey was very strong at the beginning and opened a gap.

"Fortunately for us he struggled at the end and dropped his pace where I could keep mine so I managed to pass him. I am very grateful to Yamaha because they have made a big step this winter on the YZR-M1."

Wilco Zeelenberg (Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager) says: "What can I say, what a great victory! A typical Lorenzo win, he's won a few races like that, he never gives up. Because of this he was able to win.

"Of course Casey was struggling a bit with his hand issue but I don't think we had the perfect set up either. Jorge pushed really hard the last few laps, taking a lot of risks but that's what it takes in this class to win. He really deserved it. The team also deserve thanks as they worked very hard all weekend for this result."

Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director) says: "An impressive victory for Jorge, I don't have the right words to say how impressive. I think he was superior all weekend, now we go to Spain with a lot of optimism; there was no better way for him to start the season."

With his patient, Lorenzo opens up the 2012 MotoGP Championship with 25 points before the 17-round series heads to Jerez in three weeks, a home round that he has won the past two years.

But there's more to Lorenzo's win than just striking first before his rival Stoner. Last year ended with many bragging rights for Honda (think of Stoner's 10 victories), but it appears Lorenzo is ready to lead the 2012 assault for Yamaha. And with a bit of patience such as displayed at Qatar, Lorenzo is more than capable of such a task.

Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com

MotoGP Qatar Results 2012

Bryan Harley

Cruiser Editor for Motorcycle-usa.com

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Floodlights filled the desert night above Qatar Sunday as eager MotoGP fans filled the stands of the Losail International Circuit for the first race of the 2012 season. They were not disappointed as former World Champion Jorge Lorenzo maneuvered by defending champ Casey Stoner on Turn 16 with three laps to go and made the pass stick on his way to a victory in the opening race.

“It was a race similar to Jerez 2010. …Never give up, keep on pushing, keep on trying. It’s wonderful. It’s wonderful to win this race,” said Lorenzo post-race.

Repsol Honda’s Stoner led much of the contest, sometimes by almost two seconds, but Lorenzo and Repsol's second man Dani Pedrosa were able to eventually track him down, whittling his lead after Stoner began sliding and losing grip late in the race. Pedrosa made a gutsy pass with two laps to go, his late braking manuever sending the back tire of his RC213V bouncing all over the tarmac heading into Turn 1. Pedrosa would ultimately hold off Stoner on the way to finishing in second. Meanwhile, Stoner was relegated to a third place finish.

"The team did a fantastic job and we saw things very different after warm-up. Then I managed a perfect start which was a key moment in the race, and I was able to stay with Casey and Jorge. In the end, with four laps to go I tried to take the lead, but Lorenzo was cleverer than me this time and choose a better strategy. I passed him but he overtook me immediately and also Casey, then I was behind Casey for one lap and lost contact with Jorge. Anyway, it's a good start to the season and we will try to do better in Jerez.," Pedrosa said in team PR.

It was a fine way to usher in the 1000cc era, with Lorenzo grabbing the holeshot on the factory Yamaha and Pedrosa launching from the third row to almost snag the lead into the first corner. Stoner would settle into third place with Factory Yamaha’s Ben Spies and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow right behind. Spies would have issues with his M1 Yamaha and dropped further as the race waged on. Stoner would power by Pedrosa on the straight heading into Lap 3 then began to hunt down Lorenzo. By the next lap, the Australian rider used the straight to squeeze Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa shot from 7th to 2nd by the first turn and raced hard on his way to second place. Pedrosa and race-winner Lorenzo were able to track down a streaking Stoner and eventually pass the defending World Champion in the final laps.

Crutchlow and Dovi would have their own spirited battle behind the leading trio with Dovizioso slamming the door on the Englishman’s attempts on more than one occasion. Crutchlow finally snuck by his teammate on Lap 17 and held on to finish fourth on the day, equaling his best-ever MotoGP results. Dovzioso had a respectable debut aboard his new Tech 3 mount to finish the day in fifth.

MotoGP rookie Stefan Bradl had an outstanding debut, running in sixth place by himself for much of the race. The reigning Moto2 champ would eventually be tracked down by the trio of Ducati factory rider Nicky Hayden, Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera. The scramble turn a took for the worse for Barbera who pushed too hard and ran off course in the final lap not long after passing Bradl for sixth. But it was veteran Hayden who would bring the Desmosedici GP12 home in sixth place, edging out Bautista by 0.033 seconds. Bradl would cross the line eighth, capping off an impressive rookie debut. Barbera meanwhile, had enough of a gap between him and the next group to safely return to the track and finish ninth.

Ducati’s second factory rider, Valentino Rossi, seemed to struggle early in the race and was never in contention, finishing the race in tenth place. Crossing the line way behind him was Spies, who jumped out quick but soon began dropping back until he barely finished better than the top CRT competitor, BMW/Suter rider Colin Edwards. Not surprisingly, Edwards and MotoGP vet Randy de Puniet (Power Electronics Aspar) were the two highest CRT finishers.

2012 MotoGP Qatar Results:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.852
3. Casey Stoner (Honda) +2.908
4. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) +17.114
5. Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha) +17.420
6. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +28.413
7. Alvaro Bautista (Honda) +28.446
8. Stefan Bradl (Honda) +29.464
9. Hector Barbera (Ducati) +31.383
10. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) +33.665
11. Ben Spies (Yamaha)+56.907
12. Colin Edwards (Suter) +58.088
13. Randy de Puniet (Aspar)
14. Yonny Hernandez (Avintia)
15. Aleix Espargo (Aspar)
16. Ivan Silva (Avintia)
17. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master)
18. James Ellison (Paul Bird Motorsport)

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

MotoGP Qatar Qualifying 2012

By Bart Madson motorcycle-usa.com

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Jorge Lorenzo claimed pole position for the 2012 season opener at Qatar in a close battle with rival Casey Stoner.

Jorge Lorenzo spoiled MotoGP rival Casey Stoner’s pole position streak at Qatar. The Factory Yamaha rider bested Stoner during Saturday’s qualifying session at the Losail circuit, the 2010 and 2011 MotoGP champions will start a respective first and second on the grid for tomorrow's race. Satellite Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow joins the factory men on Row 1.

Lorenzo and Stoner traded hot laps in the frenetic closing minutes of the MotoGP qualifying session, but the Spaniard was able to edge his Australian rival by 0.221. Lorenzo ends Stoner’s run of four consecutive pole positions at the Losail circuit – the two front-runners the only riders able to dip under the 1’55 marker.

Crutchlow impressed on the Tech 3 Yamaha, running much of the session in the front row and briefly holding provisional pole. The British rider comfortably held onto the final front row position ahead of factory Yamaha’s Ben Spies by almost a half second. The Texan will lead Row 2 after having suffered another get-off at Qatar. Spies crashed hard on Friday, and nearly saved his latest lowside in qualifying. The spill spoiled his soft-tire charge for the front row.

The Ducatis were quiet throughout the session, until the very end, with American Nicky Hayden charging up onto Row 2 on the final flying lap. The Kentucky Kid starts alongside Tech 3 Yamaha’s Andrea Dovizioso – the two former Repsol Honda riders getting the better of their former teammate, and still Repsol pilot, Dani Pedrosa, who had a lackluster session in seventh.

Rossi continues to look for solutions on the Desmosedici. The nine-time World Champion qualified 12th for the Qatar GP.

Pramac Racing’s Hector Barbera was the next fastest Ducati in eighth, with another frustrating result for Valentino Rossi.  Not only was The Doctor the slowest qualifying Ducati, he was the slowest non-CRT bike in 12th. Rossi's 1'56.813 is a full two seconds off the pace of his former factory Yamaha teammate, Lorenzo.

It was a rough session for the CRT field with numerous crashes on the new bikes. Randy de Puniet was the most significant casualty, the Team Aspar ART rider following yesterday’s hard crash with another one on Saturday. While the Frenchman seemed less shaken by today’s spill, his Aspar mount was unable to continue the session, this opened the door for Colin Edwards to take top honors in the CRT class aboard the Forward Racing BMW/Suter.

Other CRT riders that went down in qualifying include Avinta’s Ivan Silva, IodaRacing’s Danilo Petrucci, Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellsion and Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini – the latter rider’s bike igniting into flames from the crash. Cardion AB Ducati rider Karel Abraham, who qualified 10th, also went down in the closing laps.

2012 MotoGP Qatar Qualifying Results:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1’54.634
2. Casey Stoner (Honda) 1’54.855
3. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’55.022

4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 1’55.512
5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 1’55.637
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha) 1'55.858
7. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1'55.905
8. Hector Barbera (Ducati) 1'55.983
9. Stefan Bradl (Honda) 1'56.063
10. Karel Abraham (Ducati) 1'56.198
11. Alvaro Bautista (Honda) 1'56.521
12. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 1'56.813
13. Colin Edwards (Forward) 1'57.644
14. Randy de Puniet (Aspar) 1'58.266
15. Aleix Espargaro (Aspar) 1'58.520
16. Yonny Hernandez (Avintia) 1'58.795
17. Michele Pirro (Gresini) 1'59.085
18. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master) 1'59.195
19. Danilo Petrucci (Ioda) 1'59.884
20. Ivan Silva (Avintia) 2'00.493
21. James Ellison (PBM) 2'00.757

Motorcycle-usa.coma

2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Preview

RBRC
03/28/2012 Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com

2012 MotoGP Rookies Cup

The track action for the 2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup starts on Monday April 2 at Estoril in Portugal, scene of so much dramatic Cup action in the past.

Hopefully there will be no repeat of the lightning strike that hit competitors at last year's GP as 24 of the best young riders in the world shake off the winter cobwebs and start the final season for the KTM RC125 two-strokes.

With a rest day on Wednesday and hard work Monday, Tuesday and Thursday there is ample time for the experienced young men to get back in the groove and for the new boys to learn what it is all about. There are 13 newcomers and 11 who stay from last year.

The man with the target on his back is of course last year's Rookies Cup Champion Lorenzo Baldassarri. The 15-year old Italian is too young to move up to Moto3 and it is second place finisher Arthur Sissis who has the "Rookies Cup Place" in the factory KTM Moto3 team this year. Baldassarri and the other 23 are competing to take a similar spot for the 2013 World Championship season.

The racing year covers 15 races at 8 GPs, only the Italian round at Misano has a single race on the Saturday otherwise they are double race weekends and the desire to succeed in front of all the MotoGP team managers, media and fans is extreme. The TV audience is huge with both the United Kingdom and Italy being added to those nations around the globe already covering the series.

Baldassarri won two races last year and knows that a similar score this season will probably not be enough. He was helped by the mistakes made by other riders and by scoring in every race but sometimes he struggled to fight his way out of a pack and he will certainly be working on that from the start this year.

Another double winner was Philipp Oettl and the 15-year-old German would have been a serious title threat had he not missed races through injury. He also throttled back early to hand the final race victory of the year to Florian Alt. He will only expunge that hideous memory by claiming the Cup this season, last year he was fourth.

It wasn't only that good fortune that made 15-year-old Alt a race winner last year, in the second half of the year he was usually racing at the front and might well have done so before but for also suffering an early season injury. He was 6th in the final standings.

They are just three of the 24 names who have their body and mind committed to Rookies success this year. They will all benefit from the Cup's constant development including the major partnership with IPONE, the 100% motorcycle oil who join KTM and Alpinestars as backbone supporters.

KTM are already working on the four-stroke that will power the Rookies Cup from 2013 onwards. It will of course be a close brother to the Moto3 machine that carries their Grand Prix men this season, including ex Rookies Danny Kent and Sissis. Similarly Alpinestars never ease up on their technical development, more than keeping pace with the safety demands of our sport as well as clothing us in style. They are joined by the growing list of suppliers including Dunlop, Oakley, Geox and Rizoma.

The first races of the season are part of the Spanish Grand Prix on April 28th and 29th in Jerez, the following weekend is the Portuguese GP in Estoril. The year concludes with the Cup's first visit to Aragon at their Grand Prix on September 29 and 30, just over five months that will be key to the future of some very talented individuals.

To download a PDF file of the 2012 Red Bull Rookies Cup schedule, click here.

Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com

MotoGP Jerez Test Day 3 2012

Bart Madson

Managing Editor|Articles|Articles RSS|Blog|Blog Posts|Blog RSS For Motorcycle-usa.com

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

Bashing away at an MCUSA keyboard for more than half a decade, Madson lends his scribbling input on everything from bike reviews to industry features and motorcycle racing reports.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Casey Stoner returned to the top of the timesheet on his final lap, during the final day of testing at Jerez.

Casey Stoner returned to his familiar place in the MotoGP order, leading the timesheet at pre-season testing concludes at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The final day of testing featured improved weather, with Day 2 hampered by wind and rain. Only bothering with three laps on Saturday, Stoner turned 61 on Sunday – his best lap being the final one, with edged out rival Jorge Lorenzo for bragging rights heading into the season opener at Qatar.

Stoner and Lorenzo, the respective 2011 and 2010 MotoGP champions, were the only riders able to dip under the 1’39 mark. Lorenzo held the top position for most of the test, until Stoner’s final lap bested the Mallorcan by 0.173. The Repsol Honda and Yamaha Factory aces were followed by their teammates, Dani Pedrosa third and Ben Spies fourth. Pedrosa spend a large portion of the day on a 27-lap racing simulation, in preparation for the April 8th opener.

Cal Crutchlow was the fastest of the satellite riders. The Brit lapped fifth on the day, with teammate Andrea Dovizioso seventh-fastest. Staggered behind the Tech 3 Yamahas were the factory Ducatis, with Valentino Rossi in seventh and yesterday’s fastest rider, Nicky Hayden, in eighth. Rossi improved more than a second from Friday, his 1’39.733 on Sunday almost a full second off Stoner’s best.

Alvaro Bautista’s ninth-fastest time was earned during a challenging day in the Gresini Honda RC213V saddle. The Spaniard crashed twice during a racing simulation, losing a bit of confidence and unable to get under the 1’40 marker. Fellow Honda satellite rider Stefan Bradl rounds out the top 10, the MotoGP rookie testing various setups for the LCR Honda.

Unlike Friday, Randy de Puniet was unable to embarrass the satellite Ducatis. The Team Aspar rider finished 13th, at the head of the CRT class – a couple tenths off the pace of Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) dead even with Karel Abraham (Cardion AB). De Puniet was a full second ahead of the next CRT, his Aprilia-powered Aspar teammate Aleix Espargaro.

Danilo Petrucci finished 15th-fastest for Iodaracing, the next fastest CRT. Colin Edwards was 17th aboard the Forward Racing BMW/Suter machine. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master), Michele Pirro (Gresini Honda) and James Ellision (Paul Bird Motorsport) were next on the timesheet. Bringing up the rear are the two Kawasaki/FTR Avintia Racing mounts of Ivan Silva and Yonny Hernandez.

Next stop for the MotoGP paddock is Qatar, where the 1000cc era begins in full for Round 1 of the 2012 MotoGP Championship.

2012 MotoGP Jerez Day 3 Test Results:
1. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) 1'38.780
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) 1'38.953
3. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1'39.157
4. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory) 1'39.495
5. Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3 Yamaha) 1'39.585
6. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 1'39.733
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3 Yamaha) 1'39.860
8. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 1'39.919
9. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) 1'40.017
10. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) 1'40.098
11. Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) 1'40.287
12. Karel Abraham (Cardion AB) 1'40.579
13. Randy De Puniet (Team Aspar) 1'40.601
14. Aleix Espargaro (Team Aspar) 1'41.645
15. Danilo Petrucci (Iodaracing) 1'41.926
16. Franco Battaini (Ducati Team) 1'42.057
17. Colin Edwards (Forward Racing) 1'42.073
18. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master) 1'42.184
19. Michele Pirro (Gresini Honda CRT) 1'42.212
20. James Ellison (Paul Bird Motorsport) 1'42.437
21. Ivan Silva (Avintia Racing) 1'42.446
22. Yonny Hernandez (Avintia Racing) 1'42.906 

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

MotoGP Jerez Test Day 2 2012

Bart Madson

Managing Editor|Articles|Articles RSS|Blog|Blog Posts|Blog RSS for Motorcycle-usa.com

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

Bashing away at an MCUSA keyboard for more than half a decade, Madson lends his scribbling input on everything from bike reviews to industry features and motorcycle racing reports.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Nicky Hayden topped the timesheet during poor conditions on Day 2 of testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.

Poor weather hampered the second day of MotoGP testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. Nicky Hayden topped the timesheet, one of a handful of riders to set out in the closing minutes on a drying track. The results were an unusual ordering of the GP results.

Cardion AB Ducati rider Karel Abraham and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies followed Hayden on the topsy turvy timesheet. Several CRT squads were able to vault up into the top 10 by taking advantage of the drying track.

Most riders focused on wet weather setups following an afternoon deluge. Some riders, like Gresini Honda’s Alvaro Bautista and Tech 3 Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow, turned their first wet laps on the 1000.

In the Repsol Honda camp, Dani Pedrosa made 25 laps – the Spaniard not known for his prowess in the rain. Casey Stoner on the other hand, only bothered with three laps in the dismal conditions. The Factory Yamaha’s went a little faster in the wet than their Honda counterparts.

Ducati test rider Franco Battaini put in the most laps (48) on the day, one of the first riders to venture out into the wind and rain. Hayden turned the most of any regular competitor (40 laps) en route to his timesheet topping finish.

Conditions are expected to improve for tomorrow’s final day of testing.

2012 MotoGP Jerez Test Day 2 Results:
1. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 1'40.755
2. Karel Abraham (Cardion AB) 1'41.661
3. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory) 1'41.726
4. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) 1'42.711
5. Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) 1'43.288
6. Ivan Silva (Avintia Racing) 1'43.613
7. Franco Battaini (Ducati Team) 1'44.264
8. Michele Pirro (Gresini Honda CRT) 1'44.761
9. James Ellison (Paul Bird Motorsport) 1'44.969
10. Danilo Petrucci (Came Ioda Racing) 1'45.336
11. Colin Edwards (Forward Racing) 1'47.968
12. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1'49.822
13. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) 1'50.088
14. Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3 Yamaha) 1'51.127
15. Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3 Yamaha) 1'51.702
16. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master) 1'51.772
17. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) 1'51.778
18. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) 1'51.856
19. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 1'51.910
20. Randy De Puniet (Team Aspar) 1'52.397
21. Aleix Espargaro (Team Aspar) 1'57.718

RIDER QUOTES

1. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team): “It’s a shame about the weather because I’d like to take advantage of as much time as possible to work on the bike, since I lost so much time in the past few months. That’s how it was today though, and it does no good to complain, especially since I had the chance to try the GP12 in the rain for the first time, improving my feeling little by little. We took a long break when the track started to dry out, and we put on the slicks at the end, even though there were still some wet patches out there. I was able to do a couple exits to try the two little changes that we’d planned yesterday. Considering that the conditions weren’t perfect, it’s positive that we quickly come close to my best time from yesterday. Now we hope the weather will let us work well tomorrow, because we’d like to improve some details before Qatar, especially with traction in the fast corners.”

3. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory): "It’s been a tough day but it’s been like that for everybody. Luckily we got a lot of stuff done yesterday, a simulation and most of the test settings. Today we just tested some wet set up stuff. I was quite happy with that, we didn’t get on the track when it was in prime condition for wet but good enough. As the track dried out we needed to wait a little to try one thing in the dry. We know what we need to do for tomorrow so we’re hoping for good weather.”

4. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda): “It has been a similar day to the second test at Sepang in Malaysia but we at least managed to get some laps in the wet and the first impressions are good because I have confidence in the bike so that's positive. Then the track started to dry out but there was no point riding because the wet tires just tore up. In the final 30 minutes we got some track time and I was happy with what we achieved but it wasn't really dry. In conclusion is hasn't been a productive day so we just have to hope for better conditions tomorrow.”

5. Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing): "When I went out to try my Ducati, riding with wet condition, the track was already damp. We made some test to try the wet set-up, but unfortunately the weather changed quickly. The highlight spot was that today we spent our time to improve my confidence with these unexpected weather conditions. Today’s weather was the same as the 2011 race here, therefore the team’s work of the day was important, thinking about the new season. I also tried the new chassis of my Ducati and, to be honest, it is better than the old one, because I can ride, maintaining a good line.”

8. Michele Pirro (Gresini Honda CRT): “A real shame because with such a young bike it is important for us to get some laps but the weather has played us a bad hand today. We have lost a day of testing and will have to try and make it up tomorrow, which makes life difficult. Patience! We managed to get some laps in the final 30 minutes even though the conditions weren't perfect and at least got some information to work from tomorrow.”

12. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): "I decided to go out when it started raining properly because it's always good to get some information about the behavior of the bike in wet conditions before the beginning of the season, and even more important with a new bike. Obviously, the setup of the bike was pretty standard on chassis and electronics, but I had good feelings riding it, the bike worked well and it gives me confidence. If it's not raining tomorrow we will go back to the testing program we had planned for today: basically to try some new ideas for the chassis and the electronics and if we have time I'd like to do a race simulation. Everything has been positive and smooth so far, so let's hope to close the preseason with a good result."

13. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory): “Today we started late because of the weather so we only managed to do 25 or 30 laps in wet conditions. Now we know that the bike is working quite well and is competitive, we were in second place in the wet behind Dani and the next rider, Cal, was a second behind. We still need to work on our electronics as we haven’t got the perfect solution for Qatar. For tomorrow we haven’t got anything new but we need to decide whether to put away some parts.”

14. Cal Crutchlow (Tech 3 Yamaha): “I've never ridden the 1000 in the rain so it was important to get a few laps under my belt today. I only did 16-laps though because it is pointless taking too many risks with the first race so close. The surface wasn't actually completely wet when I was out because this track dries so quickly but the first impression of the bike in the wet is really positive. With the extra power it is challenging to ride but I don't think more difficult than the 800. Our chassis is quite similar to the 800, so it felt similar but the 1000 bike is definitely a handful. It is a handful to ride in the dry, so it is the same in the wet but I enjoyed it. The big positive today is I only used one set of rain tires and I think some of the others used three. I think if I had put in a new tire I could have been fastest in the rain. Hopefully the weather is much better tomorrow because I've got a few things to try. I was fast yesterday without trying the new Bridgestone front tires, so I think there is some time to be gained with those."

15. Andrea Dovizioso (Tech 3 Yamaha): “I felt in much better physical shape than yesterday, so it was a pity that the weather meant we were unable to test the bike in the dry. When I was on track today the surface wasn't fully wet but it was good experience and it was very important to test in the wet again because the grip is less than in Malaysia. It was an interesting experience and we learned some good information that will help for the future. Hopefully tomorrow we will have dry conditions so we can continue the work of the first day. My feeling with the bike in this track is not the same as in Malaysia, so it is important we can try and improve tomorrow. We used the new red light that you have to use in the wet and I think in some places it will be a good step for the safety. We need to see in a race situation when there are a lot of bikes, but in a situation like the rain in Silverstone last year where the conditions were really difficult, it will be good to use the light.”

17. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda): "Well, today we could not lap so much because of the bad weather conditions but as soon as it started to rain consistently we went out for a couple of laps. Immediately I had a good feeling with the bike, the tires and everything was good from the beginning. Then we made a change to make the bike turn easier and it worked: we went out on another set of tires that had me lapping comfortably and I could improve the lap time quite easy. Unfortunately the asphalt was not fully wet so this means that you destroy the tires too quickly and we have decided to finish the session earlier. We'll see if the weather is sunny tomorrow for the last outing."

18. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda): "We realized that the weather conditions weren't really suitable for what we needed to work on today so we decided to wait for the heavier rain, which never appeared. We went out briefly but realized it wasn't really wet enough to work on anything regarding wet set-up and there was no reason for us to stay out on track and ruin sets of tires. They were 50/50 conditions and you never set up a bike for these circumstances. I hope the weather improves tomorrow so we can continue our plan."

19. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team): “I’m sorry to have lost practically the entire day of testing, even if we still did three exits with wet tires and a wet setup, to confirm the feelings we had in similar conditions at the last test. Otherwise, there’s not much to say. We couldn’t work well today, but the forecast for tomorrow is better, so we hope to be able to continue working on the setup that we identified at the end of the day yesterday.” 

MotoGP Jerez Test Day 1 2012

Bart Madson

Managing Editor|Articles|Articles RSS|Blog|Blog Posts|Blog RSS for motorcycle-usa.com

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

Bashing away at an MCUSA keyboard for more than half a decade, Madson lends his scribbling input on everything from bike reviews to industry features and motorcycle racing reports.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner led the MotoGP field as testing gets underway at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The three-day test is the first to showcase the entire 2012 roster, as a nine-rider CRT field joins the 12 factory-built 1000cc prototypes. The top four spots were claimed by the factory Honda and Yamaha, as Stoner led Jorge Lorenzo, followed by Dani Pedrosa and Ben Spies.

The defending MotoGP champion waited until his final lap (54) to claim his accustomed position atop the timesheet. The Australian rider bested his Spanish rival by 0.273, with Lorenzo in the number-1 slot for the majority of Day 1.

Pedrosa and Spies played runner up to their title-winning paddockmates. Pedrosa was four tenths off Stoner’s pace, while Spies pace more than a half-second slower than Lorenzo.

Cal Crutchlow lapped fastest out of the satellite riders, the Brit ending Day 1 in fifth. Crutchlow’s Tech 3 teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, was eighth-fastest and more than 1.5 seconds adrift of the leader. Alvaro Bautista placed seventh on the Gresini Honda, with LCR’s MotoGP rookie Stefan Bradl 10th-fastest.

Nicky Hayden was the fastest Ducati, lapping sixth, while teammate Valentino Rossi struggled in ninth.

Randy de Puniet proved the fastest of the CRT field, the Frenchman placing 11th. Expected to be the strongest CRT rider on the grid at the Jerez test, the Team Aspar rider showed up the factory-equipped Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) and Karel Abraham (Cardion AB) with his Aprilia-based CRT. De Puniet’s best was within two seconds of Stoner and a full second better than his nearest CRT rival, teammate Aleix Espargaro.

Forward Racing's Colin Edwards was three seconds off Stoner’s pace, the Texan 16th on the timesheet aboard the BMW/Suter. Making his testing debut on the Gresini Honda CRT, Michele Pirro outclassed five riders in the 17 spot.

2012 MotoGP Jerez Test Day 1 Results:
1. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) 1'39.146

2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) 1'39.419
3. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1'39.579
4. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory) 1'39.984
5. Cal Crutchlow (Tech3 Yamaha) 1'40.130
6. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 1'40.512
7. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) 1'40.545
8. Andrea Dovizioso (Tech3 Yamaha) 1'40.665
9. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 1'40.920
10. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) 1'40.983
11. Randy De Puniet (Team Aspar) 1'41.015
12. Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) 1'41.388
13. Karel Abraham (Cardion AB) 1'41.603
14. Aleix Espargaro (Team Aspar) 1'42.293
15. Franco Battaini (Ducati) 1'42.403
16. Colin Edwards (Forward Racing) 1'42.462
17. Michele Pirro (Gresini Honda CRT) 1'42.655
18. Danilo Petrucci (Ioda Racing) 1'42.750
19. Mattia Pasini (Speed Master) 1'43.006
20. Yonny Hernandez (Avintia Racing) 1'43.437
21. James Ellison (Paul Bird Motorsport) 1'43.477

22. Ivan Silva (Avintia Racing) 1'44.025

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) 1st: "Today has been quite good, we did race distance with a soft set tires this morning and we were getting quicker and quicker as we progressed but I think also the circuit was getting better. Then we put the hard tire on and did a tire comparison and we had very similar feelings to what we had in Sepang. We tried a few things with the chassis as the bike was proving slow to turn in the corner but in general it is working well especially at the end of the tire life. On the last exit we did our fastest lap on a new soft rear tire. It's been a good first day".

Jorge Lorenzo (Factory Yamaha Racing) 2nd: “Today was a very long day because we started at 10am and finished at 6pm. We did a lot of laps and it was very interesting to see how different the bike was compared to Sepang because it’s a different track. Here it is much slower and more corners, not so many straights. The 1000cc is not so easy compared to the 800cc here. At the end of the day we were able to be very fast and stay in the first three positions so we are satisfied.”

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 3rd: "It's been a pretty tough day, the mechanics had a lot of work to do in the garage and I've been stationary a long time, so it was not easy to get into the rhythm quickly. But I'm happy because we have a clear idea about the changes we need to do on the bike to improve tomorrow, especially on braking and the exits of the corners. We also tested the new front Bridgestone tire, but just for a few laps, so I will keep testing it tomorrow to know if it's better. Unfortunately, in the afternoon I had a problem on one bike and I couldn't use it anymore, so I spent quite a long time in the box between runs and thinking about the changes we want to do. We didn't have too much chattering today, but I think it's because of the circuit characteristics".

Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) 4th: “Today was a positive day; we actually got more than we thought accomplished. We were able to look at the two tires Bridgestone wanted us to test and also went through a couple of different settings on the bike. We did a race simulation to get one out of the way and we might do one more before the end of the test just get me and the bike in tune for that many laps. Today’s was to test the fuel consumption and we were happy with that. We can now focus pretty much on going fast and trying to improve the bike lap time wise and also improve me around the track! This isn’t a strong track for me so I’m quite happy that we’ve shown some decent pace around here. We’ve got a lot done and it’s been a good day.”

Cal Crutchlow (Tech3 Yamaha) 5th: “Today was a positive start to the test and important for me to carry on the momentum we gained in Sepang. I did a lot of laps but I have to do that because this is only my second time at this track and I need to gain some experience so I am in the best shape possible when we return for the race next month. We have made really good progress with the set-up of the bike today and it is good that we have come to a completely different style track compared to Sepang and the bike is working well. We are always looking to improve and the bike is still a bit of a handful to manage exiting the corner, but a real positive e is that I did my best time today on the hard rear tire. Last year on the 800 I could never really use the hard tire, so I'm pleased about that because today I only did five laps on the soft tire. Another big plus is my consistency. We talked about improving that over the winter and I've definitely improved in doing more constant times, so it has been a really productive start to the test.”

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 6th: “After missing the test at Valencia and having to do damage control in Malaysia, where I wasn’t strong, especially at the first test, it was nice to be able to get back on the bike today and feel close to 100 per cent physically. I felt good here and I was able to ride all day and finish sixth, which isn’t bad even if the gap is obviously still too big. We got off to a nice start, but we didn’t improve enough, while the guys ahead of us continued to make progress. It’s a little frustrating, although we gathered a lot of data by being able to ride all day without trying a million different things, and we have some good ideas for tomorrow. Of course our goal is to get closer to the leaders, especially with the lap time.”

Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) 7th: "Today went well on a track with very different characteristics to Malaysia, especially considering that I haven't ridden Jerez for a couple of years and I'd forgotten how close all the corners are to each other. We worked a lot on the electronics in terms of power delivery and anti-wheelie, which is an important issue at this track. I had a little crash this morning that cost us a little time, but in the afternoon we put a good rhythm together around the 1m 40.5s mark and tried two different Bridgestone front tires which gave me a lot of feel. The new tires are a lot better than the ones we had been using and that's important for confidence in corner entry. Overall I am happy because we have improved with every outing and finished the day with a good pace. My confidence with the bike is growing, the team is working really well and, as I said, before we're on the right lines. Obviously we're going to need a little time to take the next step, but I think we'll be ready for the first race."

Andrea Dovizioso (Tech3 Yamaha) 8th: “I was really looking forward to starting this test today because it is a very important three days for me. It is my birthday too and I was looking forward to gaining more experience with the Yamaha. This morning though was not easy because I didn't have the same good feeling with the bike as I did at the last test in Sepang. Thanks to my Tech 3 crew we found a much better setting but unfortunately I wasn't able to exploit it because of my physical condition. I had some problem with my stomach and I had zero energy and I am sorry I could only make 46-laps. The most positive point of the day was some new electronics I tried which helped stability exiting the corner. But we can still improve more in this area. I am not worried about the gap to the front because I didn't feel in a good enough physical condition to push hard.”

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 9th: “We solved some things today, but not one important thing, which is corner entry, especially in the fastest part of the turn. I’m not able to be incisive there, and it’s where most of our gap comes from. I can’t load the front enough to enter fast, so I don’t carry enough speed through the corner, and that’s why we’re far from the front. We found a more promising setting toward the end and I was able to repeat my fast time with a tire that was very used, but it was already 5:30 and the temperature had dropped, so we decided to start working on it again tomorrow because we think there’s a margin. Nicky went better today, and we also have to reduce the gap.”

Stefan Bradl ( LCR Honda) 10th: "It has been a big change coming to Jerez from Sepang for the first European test. Thanks to the weather conditions the engine was more powerful and I was impressed about the performance of the bike. We had a couple of issues at the beginning of the day with the anti-wheelie and the electronics and we had to adjust a lot of things, but step by step we have improved and I could go faster. At the end of the session the tires were working different compared to Sepang, especially the soft one, and I was expecting a little bit more grip. Tomorrow we will have to find the way to improve our braking stability, but today was A-OK."

Randy De Puniet (Team Aspar) 11th: “I am really happy with the way this first day has gone here at Jerez. Despite a few technical problems and a crash halfway through the day we have been working on the right lines and the lap times are really good. The crash put me out of action for a while because the bike was badly damaged but the team did a brilliant job to set the other bike up and I was able to lap eleventh fastest, ahead of some factory riders. I don't think we could expect much more from this first day of testing. It is satisfying to see the hard work we have done over the winter paying off and now that we are all on track together we can check our level. I enjoyed riding the bike and I hope to continue like this tomorrow. We did some work on the front forks today, as well as electronics and gearbox settings.”

Aleix Espargaró (Team Aspar) 14th: “The bike was sliding around a lot at the start of the day and I was struggling to get a feel for it but we gradually adapted. We did a lot of testing with the clutch, engine brake and electronics. We also tested two new front tires which in theory we'll be using from now on and I liked them a lot. We wanted to protect engine life by just using one bike today. My team-mate was very fast today but I knew that would be the case because he has been excellent all preseason. On one hand it's tough to take seeing him going so well but on the other it is a huge motivation because we're on the same bike. It means that if we keep

Michel Pirro (Gresini Honda) 17th: "The Imola session was nothing serious, so today was really the first outing for this bike. We have worked very hard to find where our limits are right now and the biggest issue is with the front end, which is limiting our corner entry speed. Having said that, we have to be more than satisfied because the bike is only a few hours old and we're measuring up to the rest, apart from (Randy) De Puniet. It was also a bit of a debut for me, with so many new things such as Bridgestone tires, which I have never ridden before. We can be happy, and even though we have a lot of work ahead of us I have great faith in the team and I am sure that with the data we have gathered we can take another step forward."

Source: Motorcycle-usa.com

Valencia Moto2 Tests: Redding Leads Day 1

MotoGP Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com
02/09/2012

2012 Moto2 Testing

The first day out for the Moto2 riders concluded after a slow start had many team waiting in their boxes for the track temperatures to rise.

The second part of the day allowed all the Moto2 riders to get to work preparing for the start of the 2012 season, with Briton Scott Redding topping the unofficial reported times with a 1:.36.5 aboard his Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex bike.

Pol Espargaró (Pons Racing) completed the day in second, half a second behind Redding, with Italtrans Racing Team rider Claudio Corti in third with a reported time of 1:37.4. Max Neukirchner of Kiefer Racing and Pons Racing's Tito Rabat completed the top five times, with all five riding Kalex machinery.

The 2010 Moto2 World Champion Toni Elias finished the day in the eleventh place out of 31 riders on track, at the controls of Mapfre Aspar Team's Suter. The Spaniard reported that he took the day easy after not riding for two months, saying "we took it easy because it's easy to make mistakes and crash, after two months it was important to get back on the bike with confidence."

Elias was a tenth of a second behind last year's 125cc runner up, Johann Zarco, who was the fastest newcomer of the day, ranking 9 places ahead of rival and 125cc World Champion Nico Terol.

Season favorite and 2011 runner up, Marc Marquez is recovering from eye surgery and was not present at the test.

Valencia Moto2 Times: Wednesday (unofficial, recorded by teams):

1. SCOTT REDDING, MARC VDS RACING TEAM 1'36.5 53 laps
2. POL ESPARGARO, PONS RACING 1'37.0 47 laps
3. CLAUDIO CORTI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM 1'37.4 52 laps
4. MAX NEUKIRCHNER, KIEFER RACING 1'37.5 38 laps
5. ESTEVE RABAT, PONS RACING 1'37.5 43 laps
6. THOMAS LUTHI, INTERWETTEN PADDOCK 1'37.9 24 laps
7. ANDREA IANNONE, SPEED MASTER 1'37.9 27 laps
8. SIMONE CORSI, IODARACING PROJECT 1'38.0 43 laps
9. MIKA KALLIO, MARC VDS RACING TEAM 1'38.1 26 laps
10. JOHANN ZARCO, JIR Moto2 1'38.2 22 laps
11. TONI ELIAS, ASPAR TEAM Moto2 1'38.3 47 laps
12. ALEX DE ANGELIS, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING 1'38.7 20 laps
13. ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SAG TEAM 1'38.7 27 laps
14. BRADLEY SMITH, TECH 3 RACING 1'38.8 36 laps
15. DOMINIQUE AEGERTER, TECHNOMAG-CIP 1'39.0 68 laps
16. AXEL PONS, PONS RACING 1'39.1 45 laps
17. TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI, ITALTRANS RACING TEAM 1'39.2 40 laps
18. MIKE DI MEGLIO, SPEED UP 1'39.2 21 laps
19. NICOLAS TEROL, ASPAR TEAM Moto2 1'39.6 30 laps
20. RANDY KRUMMENACHER, GP TEAM SWITZERLAND 1'39.7 36 laps
21. ALEXANDER LUNDH, MZ RACING TEAM 1'39.7 29 laps
22. XAVIER SIMEON, TECH 3 RACING 1'40.1 36 laps
23. DAMIAN CUDLIN, QMMF RACING TEAM 1'40.9 45 laps
24. ROBERTO ROLFO, TECHNOMAG-CIP 1'41.4 46 laps
25. ERIC GRANADO, JIR Moto2 1'41.5 30 laps
26. ELENA ROSELL, QMMF RACING TEAM 1'41.7 57 laps
27. YUKI TAKAHASHI, NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING 1'42.7 3 laps
28. MARCO COLANDREA, SAG TEAM 1'44.0 35 laps
29. GINO REA, GRESINI RACING Moto2 No times provided
30. RATTHAPARK WILAIROT, THAI HONDA GRESINI Moto2 No times provided
31. JULIAN SIMON, AVINTIA RACING Moto2 No times provided

Source: Ultimatemotorcycling.com

Following is the final 2011 MotoGP Point Standings and race-by-race results

The closest finish of the 2011 MotoGP Championship occurred at the season finale in Valencia after Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner beat Yamaha Factory Racing's Ben Spies to the line by a mere 0.015 of a second.

The only other 2011 MotoGP race when the 1-2 finishers were within a second of each other was at Mugello, when Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo beat Andrea Dovizioso to the line by 0.997 of a second.

The Valencia win was Stoner's 10th of the 2011 season, achieved after taking his 12th pole of the season. With his 12th pole, the Australian has matched the record poles set in a single season, Stoner joining five-time 500cc Champion Mick Doohan.

Joining Stoner and Spies on the podium at the season finale was Dovizioso. Following are the final point standings after 18 rounds in the 2011 MotoGP Championship.

FIM: 2011 MotoGP Championship Final Point Standings

2011 MotoGP Round Results:

2011 MotoGP: Round 18: Valencia: 

2011 MotoGP: Round 17: Sepang:

Race Canceled: RIP Marco Simonelli

2011 MotoGP: Round 16 Results: Phillip Island:

2011 MotoGP: Round 15 Results: Motegi:

2011 MotoGP: Round 14 Results: Aragon:

2011 MotoGP: Round 13 Results: Misano

2011 MotoGP: Round 12 Results: Indy

2011 MotoGP: Round 11 Results: Brno

2011 MotoGP: Round 10 Results: Laguna Seca

2011 MotoGP: Round 9 Results: Sachsenring

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