From Rizla Suzuki
Hopkins leads the way for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
John Hopkins was the fastest of the trio of Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers during today's free practice sessions at Motegi in preparation for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, as he recorded the fourth quickest time of the day.
Hopkins (1'48.361, 45 laps) looked fast and settled right from the start of the day and topped the leaderboard during both hour-long sessions. The confident Anglo-American is pleased with the progress he and his team have made and is sure there is still more to come from both himself and his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R tomorrow.
Team Test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi (1'48.457, 41 laps) produced a fantastic performance to clock the sixth fastest time and leave some much more experienced and famous riders in his wake. Appearing in only his third GP event Akiyoshi performed well on his 'home' circuit and showed that all the laps spent testing the 800cc GSV-R has proved very useful to him in a racing environment.
Chris Vermeulen (P18, 1'49.555, 45 laps) struggled to find a smooth rhythm today around the 4.8km Motegi circuit. He will be working hard into the evening with his Crew Chief to try to rectify any details that they believe will help Vermeulen find the time to move up the timesheets and into a competitive position.
Today's practice was held in sunny and very hot conditions with air temperatures in the mid-30s and the track surface reaching over 50°C. Dani Pedrosa on his factory Honda set the best time of the day.
The three Rizla Suzuki men have another free practice session on Saturday morning which will be followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday's race is round 15 of the MotoGP World Championship and the action gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (05.00hrs GMT).
John Hopkins:
"The day went pretty good straight away as the Bridgestone tyres worked really well and so did the Suzuki. We've had a play around with a couple of things including the suspension, but we haven't had to do a whole lot of set up because it all seemed to work well right out of the box. We'll try a couple of things tomorrow and test the durability of one of the best tyres from today, but all-in-all we're in pretty good shape and everything seems to be going well."
Kousuke Akiyoshi:
"I am very pleased with my position and maybe quite surprised. It is good to be able to race the GSV-R after so much testing this year. I think I can go a bit quicker now and will be trying to get a good grid position tomorrow to help me for the race."
Chris Vermeulen:
"It has not been a great day today! We struggled with some problems with the bike this morning which the mechanics sorted out very quickly between the sessions. This afternoon it felt like my first session really because anything I did this morning was a bit of a waste. We did get things going and made some progress in the session but I am disappointed with the lap-time. At the end I only really got one flying lap with the set-up that I liked and tomorrow we need to make a lot of progress so we can move up the order a bit."
Paul Denning - Team Manager:
"An encouraging day's work for John and his crew and a tremendous performance by Akiyoshi! He and Nobuatsu Aoki have been responsible for some of the big improvements to the GSV-R this year and it's good to see him wringing the bike's neck rather than having to worry about the details of testing - and I am sure his is really enjoying that as well!
"Chris's position isn't good and there is a lot of work to do overnight to make sure that he comes out in the morning swinging and is able to show his full potential."
From Kawasaki
KAWASAKI'S DE PUNIET ON THE PACE AT MOTEGI
The A-Style Grand Prix of Japan started well for the Kawasaki Racing Team today as Randy de Puniet, Anthony West and Akira Yanagawa mounted their Ninja ZX-RR machines and took to the circuit at Motegi.
De Puniet showed he was on form by ending the first two free practices in second place, on combined times, after putting in blistering performances in both the morning and afternoon sessions. With a best time of 1'48.254 at the end of the day, he knocked nearly half a second off his previous best, assisted by a lightning top speed of 284.8kmh.
The 26-year-old Frenchman is determined to do well this weekend after a hugely disappointing Portuguese Grand Prix last week saw him retire with a mechanical problem. Happy with the progress made in setting up the bike so far, and riding at a scorching pace throughout the day, de Puniet is very much on course for the podium spot which, so far this season, has eluded him.
Team mate, West, started the day in less positive fashion, still unable to find enough grip to give him the confidence to fulfil his and the bike's potential. However, by the end of the afternoon session, the 26-year-old Australian was smiling as his best time of 1'48.529 put him in eighth position, just 0.030 seconds behind last year's winner at Motegi, Loris Capirossi, and ahead of current world champion, Nicky Hayden. Assorted suspension tweaks and some successful choices of Bridgestone tyres seemed to have done the job in helping West feel more at home on the Ninja than he has at previous rounds.
Meanwhile, wild card rider for the Japanese race, Akira Yanagawa, put in 28 laps over the two sessions on his ZX-RR and managed 19th place on the provisional grid. Stunned by the 800cc bike's light weight and staggering power, the 36-year-old Japanese superbike rider struggled slightly to find a set up to suit his riding style but, with his dedicated crew and the back up of the factory team, he is confident he can fine tune the Ninja to his needs by the start of Sunday's 24-lap race.
It was a boiling hot day at Motegi, with temperatures reaching 34°C and the track temperature 46°C this afternoon. With the weather set to continue in this vein for the coming weekend, and the top 15 riders within a second of provisional pole man, Dani Pedrosa, it looks as if Sunday's race could be a sizzling spectacle indeed.
Randy de Puniet: Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14
"That wasn't a bad day! This morning we worked on the settings on the bike and this afternoon we tried a harder compound tyre, which was better for longevity because I did 20 laps on it and my time at the end of the session was still very good. We can improve a few bits and pieces, including adjusting the rear suspension slightly and perhaps working with a different rear tyre, but already, it's pretty good and I'm happy."
Anthony West: Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"This morning I didn't feel so confident but all of a sudden, this afternoon, everything felt good on the bike. I struggled in the first session with rear grip, just spinning and sliding everywhere, then this afternoon it was so different: just from better grip I could get more of a lean angle in the corners and choose better lines. Essentially, I simply felt more comfortable on the bike. It was actually a heap easier to ride and go faster. In one corner, I even got my elbow on the ground once or twice and I've never had that before! It was all a big improvement and the times show that."
Akira Yanagawa: Kawasaki MotoGP Wild Card #87
"I feel okay. I have a little problem with chatter on entering the corners but I suspect some of that may be down to me because my riding style is not suited yet to this bike. We need to find a solution to that, if we have time. Anyway, I have to compromise and I need to put in some more laps to get used to the feeling of the Ninja. This bike is like nothing I've ever ridden: like the chassis of a 125 with the engine of a rocket ship! I think you probably need a special technique for riding it but I'm sure we can make some further adjustments to help me get more from it."
From Dorna
Still in with the slimmest of mathematical chances to become 2007 MotoGP World Champion, Dani Pedrosa was the fastest rider at Motegi on day one of MotoGP practice for the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan. The Spaniard, who also made the unsurprising announcement today that he would be continuing as a Honda rider for at least the next two seasons, cut over a second and a half off his fastest time from this morning with a 1'47.865 lap of the Japanese track originally designed to test the manufacturer's bikes.
The pace was as fierce as the intense heat in the Far East, although Pedrosa's time was far off the pole record set by Loris Capirossi last season. With the field looking evenly matched, tomorrow's qualifying session could be one of the most closely contested of the season.
For the moment, Pedrosa has been the only rider to have gone round in under 1'48, with his closest rival today being Randy de Puniet nearly four tenths of a second behind him. Just over a tenth of a second separated the remainder of the top six, all using Bridgestone tyres chasing the times of the Michelin-shod timesheet topper.
Said top six consisted of Marco Melandri, who sneaked onto the podium last season and rides his last Japanese race for Gresini Honda this weekend, John Hopkins, possible World Champion Casey Stoner and Japanese wild card Kousuke Akiyoshi. Stoner could win the 2007 title this weekend, and a repeat of the excellent form shown by Loris Capirossi onboard the Ducati at Motegi in recent years would allow him to do so in style, but he will need to up his pace a notch if he is to take the crown with a win. Akiyoshi impressed onboard the Suzuki GSV-R800 which he has previously ridden this season at Jerez in another one-off appearance.
Motegi race winner Loris Capirossi was just outside the top six, and ran off track in the afternoon session. He was joined in taking an excursion onto the gravel trap by reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden, who finished ninth behind Anthony West. Home rider Makoto Tamada completed the top ten as the highest placing Dunlop rider.
Sparks flew in the early stages, as Casey Stoner lashed out at Carlos Checa as the Spanish veteran followed him around the track. Both riders looked heated as they showed their grievances with a series of gestures.
Valentino Rossi had further mechanical problems with his Yamaha M1, having to return to his garage with 20 minutes to go as white smoke streamed out of the back of his bike. The Italian returned to the track soon afterwards, with no repeat of the problem.
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Hard work ahead for Yamaha in Motegi
"Perhaps our rivals are a little
nervous now." - -Makoto Tanaka
Repsol Honda Team Manager |
Scorching sunshine welcomed the MotoGP paddock to Motegi today as the fifteenth round of the season got underway at the Japanese track. Temperatures reached a maximum of 34 degrees during this afternoon's free practice and it was a difficult day's work for the riders and teams alike, with Fiat Yamaha pair Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi finishing the day 11th and 14th respectively in the combined standings, which were topped by Dani Pedrosa. Just five days after his spectacular victory in Portugal, Rossi got off to a less auspicious start today, finishing the morning session fifth but dropping to fourteenth this afternoon after his number one bike suffered a technical problem and he was forced to complete the hour on his second machine. Edwards meanwhile did not fare much better, finding himself down in 13th this morning and climbing just two places in the second session, despite making some improvements to his set-up this afternoon.
Colin Edwards - Position: 11th Time: 1'48.614 Laps: 46
"This morning and early this afternoon things were not looking good at all! We couldn't find the right setting or the right tyre and we were crossing our fingers that something was going to work out for us. Mid-way through the afternoon however we tried our last tyre and we were immediately one second faster, so at least there's no doubt now that's the right direction to follow. We've got a lot more work to do, both on setting and with the tyres, so we need to have a good look at the situation tonight to make sure we make the most of the time we've got left to us. We were two seconds off the pace and now we've closed that gap to one but that's still way too much and we're really going to have to pull out all the stops tomorrow."
Valentino Rossi - Position: 14th Time: 1'48.736 Laps: 48
"Today was very, very hot, much more than we expected. We're a long way behind because unfortunately we were following different set-ups with my two bikes and the one that was working better had a technical problem. On my second bike, with the different setting, I wasn't able to improve and so here I am in 14th. The situation with the tyres is not so good and we have a lot of work to do, even if we know that Michelin can work here because they are in front with another rider. For us the situation isn't great at the moment and we need to find a way to turn this around. It's the first day and I know that if we can improve a few things then we can be in a better position. We have to do the maximum tomorrow and see where we get to."
Davide Brivio - Team Director
"We have some work to do! We used today to assess the situation and see where we are, but it's clear that we have some issues with both riders and we need to do our best to improve the situation. We will work with the best tyre we have available and hopefully if we find some small advantages with the bike then we can improve our position. Valentino had a problem with his engine this afternoon and so we will also be checking carefully to fully understand what has happened."
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A-STYLE GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN MOTEGI CIRCUIT SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2007 ROUND 15/18
PEDROSA FASTEST ON DAY ONE AT MOTEGI
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa dominated the first day of practice for the Grand Prix of Japan today,
topping the timesheets in both one-hour sessions aboard his Honda RC212V. On a day when the 21-
year-old Spaniard renewed his contract with HRC to ride for the factory Repsol Honda squad for two
more years, Pedrosa was peerless at a track he rates as one of his favourites. In the afternoon session
he was the only rider to lap below 1m 48s, his time of 1m 47.865s being 0.389s quicker than nearest
rival Randy de Puniet in second.
With the top ten MotoGP riders covered by less than three-quarters of a second, Nicky Hayden finished
0.687s from the fastest time and was not fully satisfied with ninth position and a time of 1m 48.552s
today. The World Champion was a little less comfortable with the feeling of his RC212V than his team-
mate and will look for improvements ahead of tomorrow afternoon's qualifying session as he attempts
to repeat his pole position from the previous race in Portugal.
Both today's practice sessions at the 4.801km (2.981-mile) Motegi circuit were demanding on the riders
with temperatures reaching 34 degrees in the afternoon. The weather conditions are expected to
remain hot for the rest of the weekend, with Sunday's 24-lap Grand Prix of Japan beginning at 14.00hrs
local time (CET: 07.00hrs BST: 06.00hrs).
Dani Pedrosa 1st 1m 47.865s
"As a first day today went quite well and the pace I could maintain was pretty fast and consistent, so I
am happy so far. It was hot in the morning session and then it got even hotter in the afternoon, but
still the balance of the bike felt good. I like this track and we must continue to improve the set-up
tomorrow because this is only the first day and for sure our rivals will be working hard to overtake us.
I am very happy to have signed for Honda again today and I hope we can continue this weekend in
the positive way we have started."
Nicky Hayden 9th 1m 48.552s
"This morning went relatively smoothly but this afternoon I had a few problems and couldn't find a
good rhythm. I made a few mistakes and almost crashed one time and was in the dirt another time. It
just wasn't really flowing really well and I'll definitely have to clean that up for tomorrow. It wasn't the
greatest of starts and for sure I'd like to be closer to the front right out of the gate. The track
temperature is quite warm and it's going to be important to get some good feel and traction. A lot of
riders seem pretty close right now so we'll have to make some improvements for tomorrow morning."
Makoto Tanaka Team Manager
"Dani was in control today and finished at the front in both sessions which is a very good start. He
was trying some different options with the machine this afternoon and the pace he could maintain was always high which is promising for the next couple of days. Perhaps our rivals are a little
nervous now. Nicky wasn't able to improve as much as he'd have liked from the morning to the
afternoon and we still have some work to do to improve his package for tomorrow. We're expecting
similar weather conditions tomorrow so we have a good chance to move things on based on what we
learned today. With Marco and Honda Gresini close behind in third place it looks like Motegi may be
more friendly for Honda this year."
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Four Bridgestone-shod manufacturers in the top five at Motegi
Round 15 - Japan - Free Practice
Motegi Circuit, Friday 21 September 2007
In scorching heat, preparations for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix got underway in Motegi today with four of
Bridgestone's five teams represented firmly in the top five of the combined classification. Honda's Dani Pedrosa set a
searing pace to lead the pack after the opening day, but seven Bridgestone-shod riders lock out positions two to eight,
led by Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet.
Honda Gresini's Marco Melandri had a strong first day setting the third best time ahead of Suzuki's John Hopkins and
championship-leader Casey Stoner who claimed an overall fifth place on his Ducati. Japanese wildcard rider Kousuke
Akiyoshi, who last raced at the Spanish GP in Jerez back in March, sprung a surprise sixth best time. Winner of the
previous two MotoGP events at Motegi, Loris Capirossi, finished in seventh ahead of Anthony West who set a strong
pace in eighth for Kawasaki.
Bridgestone's range of tyres have performed encouragingly on the first day for the company's home GP, in spite of
higher than anticipated track temperatures which reached close to 50°C this afternoon. Bridgestone's plan for tomorrow
is to conduct some longer unbroken runs with its teams to assess the tyre performance over a more representative
distance at this 4.801km Motegi circuit.
Tyre Talk with Junichi Kawajiri - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
How satisified are you with today's performance for Bridgestone's home race weekend?
"From a tyre performance point of view, I am quite pleased. We tested here at the end of August and we were able to
define a particular direction for this weekend's race which has given us encouraging results from today's two sessions.
We have four of our teams in the top five and have a lot of riders in the top ten, so the performance potential is clearly
there. Dani Pedrosa seems to be very strong, though, and he is the benchmark after the opening day."
What is Bridgestone's plan for Saturday?
"We must continue to look at the performance of our tyres over longer runs. The track conditions today were very hot,
reaching close to fifty degrees, and it is likely that we will face cooler temperatures on Sunday, so we must also take this
into consideration when preparing for the race. Our range of tyres is competitive which each of the four manufacturers
we supply with two Kawasaki riders, two Ducatis, two Suzukis and a Honda (Gresini) rider in the top eight, so I would
like to continue this trend for the rest of the weekend.
How does Bridgestone feel having three Japanese riders on Bridgestone tyres this weekend
"It has been a pleasure to work again with these three Japanese riders- Kousuke Akiyoshi, Akira Yanagawa and
Shinichi Ito. All three of these riders have previous experience on Bridgestone tyres so it will be interesting to listen to
their feedback to see what progress we have made. We wish them all the best for their home GP."
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DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDERS WORKING HARD AT MOTEGI
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi completed day one of practice for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix fifth and seventh fastest. Riding in searing heat - with afternoon ambient temperatures in the mid-30s and track temperatures nudging 50 degrees - both men worked hard on set-up and are hopeful of improving tomorrow.
World Championship leader Stoner ended the day 0.579s off 'provisional pole', while 2005 and 2006 Motegi winner Capirossi was a further 0.055 seconds down.
CASEY STONER, 5th fastest, 1m 48.444s
"I'm a bit disappointed with today because we couldn't find a good set-up and we just went around in circles. This afternoon we tried something with the chassis but it didn't work and we didn't have enough time to go back to the same settings we had this morning, so we spent a lot of time making a lot of changes and it definitely wasn't a great day. To be honest there isn't one area where we have a big problem, we just need to generally improve in a lot of areas, so tomorrow we will start again with the bike settings we had this morning and we will continue working from there in a different direction. I'm confident we can improve because this morning's set-up wasn't bad at all".
LORIS CAPIROSSI, 7th fastest, 1m 48.499s
"Here we have tried something really different on the set up. I rode four or five laps, one of them behind John [Hopkins], and I was able to be quite fast, even if I had to push really hard. Anyway, tomorrow I think we will make a few more little changes and we should have the chance to improve. It's difficult, because I'm still struggling with the power delivery. At this track you need a lot of power at low revs and we don't have so much, it's one of our limitations. We are trying to get around this problem by working on the set-up in order to find more torque. We have also made some changes to the gearbox. The team is reacting very well, we are trying many things and we hope that we can improve tomorrow."
