Sunday Oct 5 2008
Round 16 - Australian GP - Gara

STONER SEALS HOME WIN IN DUCATI'S 100TH MOTOGP RACE

Casey Stoner took his fifth victory of the season, his second in a row at Phillip Island, and with it celebrated a special milestone for Ducati today. This was the Italian factory's 100th MotoGP race since joining the series in 2003.

For Stoner this was his 15th win and it came from pole position after a dominant weekend from the Australian at his home Grand Prix. After clocking a new pole record here yesterday, overnight changes to the set-up of his Desmosedici gave him a further edge today and only Nicky Hayden was able to give chase before eventually relenting.

Since 2003 the Italian factory has claimed the 2007 Rider, Constructors and Team Titles, 58 podiums - 23 of them victories - and 22 pole positions.

It has been another tough Grand Prix for Marco Melandri. The winner of this race in 2006 has been unable to get close to that kind of form this season and he wasn't helped by a series of crashes this weekend, eventually crossing the line out of the points in 16th place today.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team): 1st

"This weekend has been a bit like the whole season - up and down! Thankfully it's finished on a high and it's a great feeling to win my home Grand Prix in front of all these wonderful fans, with my family here too. That's largely down to the hard work of my team because we've had some issues with the bike here but today it felt great and I was able to push hard from the first lap. Sometimes at this track you can have the best pace but still get dragged into a battle but I was able to get away, even though Nicky chased me hard for a long time before eventually dropping off and giving me some breathing space. It's been a great year for me and even though we haven't won the title I feel proud of our achievements. If we can battle for the championship again next year that would be great but for now I'm just going to enjoy winning my home GP."

MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Marlboro Team): 16th

"It has been a really difficult weekend for us. Unfortunately we've never been able to find the right setting for the bike and some really strange crashes have set us back even more. The one form this morning left me in some pain and this made things even more complicated".

LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director)

"Casey was fantastic and he truly deserved to win here at Phillip Island. Today's victory is really very special and comes after a few difficult races for him. I am very happy that he has been successful here of all places, in front of his fans. And it is also the best way for us to celebrate our one hundredth race in MotoGP. Since the podium in the first race in Suzuka up to today, we have experienced unforgettable moments and difficult days, but we still have the same enthusiasm and have always demonstrated to be a united team. Thanks to everyone in Ducati Corse who in these past six years have worked hard both at the track and back at the factory to make all of this possible.

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ossi roars through the field to take second on the island

Valentino Rossi

Fiat Yamaha rider and 2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi recovered from yesterday's mishap to charge through the field from the fourth row at Phillip Island today, eventually taking second behind Casey Stoner. His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo took a second consecutive fourth place after a race long battle with several other riders.

A mistake during qualifying yesterday had left Rossi with strained neck muscles and a grid position of 12th, but the Italian relishes a challenge and he was already up to eighth by the end of the first lap, despite narrowly missing a collision when Alex de Angelis crashed out in front of him. On lap four Rossi found himself the back marker of a Yamaha trio, behind his team-mate Lorenzo and Tech 3 rider James Toseland. He despatched the Spaniard within two laps and got by Toseland soon after but the Briton put up a spirited challenge, wresting third back and hanging on for five more laps until Rossi eventually got the better of him. With a podium place secure the eight-time champion could have been forgiven for coasting home but he is never one to take the easy option and, with clear air and his M1 and Bridgestone tyres working perfectly, he gradually began to close on Nicky Hayden, who was nearly six seconds ahead. Little-by-little he made up the gap until he was within striking distance, making his move on the very last lap to take second and his 14th podium of the season.

After an intense two weeks the MotoGP paddock now has a two week rest before the penultimate round in Malaysia on 19th October.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: +6.504
"That was a very exciting race for me, from start to finish! Unfortunately I made a small mistake yesterday and I paid a high price for it - both with my starting position and with my body! This morning my neck was okay but I had a lot of pain in my head, so I have to say thank you to Dr. Costa and the Clinica Mobile because they gave me a lot of massage and some medicine and I was in better shape for the race. I got a good start and I was lucky to miss de Angelis by just a couple of centimetres, and then I arrived to Lorenzo and Toseland. The first time I passed James I thought I would be able to go but then he passed me back and I realised that his pace was not so bad, and we had a great battle! He was very strong and difficult to pass but once I did get by I was able to go and then I just kept pushing and gradually Nicky got bigger and bigger. It was fun to keep fighting till the last lap and I am very happy with this second position because it's always a great emotion to be on the podium here. Thanks to my team and to Bridgestone, with Casey as strong as he was I think this was the best we could have done today and I really enjoyed the race."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"We didn't win but this was another incredible performance from Valentino, demonstrating once again how he never gives up. The championship is secure, he was starting from the fourth row and the podium would have already been a good achievement but he still pushed at the maximum and was able to come second! He wasn't in perfect shape but the Clinica Mobile helped him a lot and he was able to do his best once again. We're racing to have fun now and we had a lot of fun today in a race that was exciting from start to finish."

Fourth place for Lorenzo after island battle

Jorge Lorenzo was disappointed to miss out on the podium at Phillip Island today, despite prevailing in a race-long battle for fourth place. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi stormed through the field after starting 12th to finish second behind Casey Stoner.

Lorenzo started from second on the grid but he did not quite have the outstanding rhythm he had yesterday and he slipped to fourth on lap one. He then traded places with Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland a couple of times before settling in behind the Briton as Rossi loomed behind. By lap 13 of 27 Lorenzo's world champion team-mate had dispatched his Yamaha compatriots and was disappearing off and it then became a battle for fourth between the Spaniard, Toseland, Andrea Dovizioso and Shinya Nakano with the foursome trading passes at times more reminiscent of a 125cc race. In the last few laps Lorenzo was able to take control of proceedings somewhat and he was able to hang on to fourth, just ahead of Nakano with Toseland in sixth.

The rookie is 27 points off third in the championship and also has a mathematical chance of second, with two rounds remaining. The next battle comes in two week's time at Sepang in Malaysia.

Jorge Lorenzo

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 4th Time: +11.500
"I'm not very happy with the race because I know I should have been able to fight for the podium today. I didn't ride like I know I can, Toseland was in front of me many times and I couldn't pass him, and then I couldn't follow Valentino when he came through. I think I had the rhythm to have been with Valentino but it didn't work today. Even though it's mathematically still possible, I think that the second and third places in the championship are probably lost to me now. I think that the most important thing now is to get good results in Malaysia and Valencia so that we finish the season in the right way. The team, the tyres and the bike are all working well, we're getting good results but we know they can be better. I like Malaysia a lot, I rode there in the winter and I think it will be good for Michelin, so I'm looking forward to it."
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
"We're a bit disappointed about today's result because we definitely had the potential to be on the podium and that's what we were hoping for. We had a few more problems than yesterday with grip in the rear and in the hard braking areas we weren't as good as the others, so we suffered for this. Aside from this it was a good race and Jorge had a great battle for fourth, so despite the result we've enjoyed it and now we're looking forward to the next one."

Birthday boy Toseland celebrates in style at Phillip Island

James Toseland celebrated his 28th birthday in fantastic fashion today, the Tech 3 Yamaha rider equalling his best MotoGP result in a pulsating Australian MotoGP race. Toseland played a starring role from the start of an enthralling 27-lap race as he charged into third place on the first lap. He briefly surrendered third to fellow Yamaha YZR-M1 rider Jorge Lorenzo on lap three, but retaliated superbly with a bold move at the first corner on lap five. Toseland then led a three-way Yamaha dice that included a hard-charging Valentino Rossi as he rode magnificently to keep the world champion at bay for six laps. Twice Rossi passed Toseland in quick succession, only for the British rider to respond with inch-perfect moves to reclaim third in what proved to be the battle of the race. Toseland's determined pursuit of Rossi thrilled a large Australian crowd, but as he lost touch with the Italian on lap 13, he was then locked in another terrific battle with Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Shinya Nakano. Just when it looked like his faultless display would be rewarded with his career best result, he dropped from fourth to sixth on a frantic lap 25. Toseland continued to push hard but was unable to improve on sixth, but his performance was arguably the outstanding ride of the day.

Colin Edwards also made a great start from the third row of the grid as he tried to mark his 100th Grand Prix appearance with a top six. Fifth on the first lap, he quickly encountered some traction issues, and his reward for a hard fought race was a battling eighth place. Today's result saw the Tech 3 Yamaha team move back into fourth place in the Team World Championship standings.
James Toseland

James Toseland - Position 6th - 100 points
"That was an unbelievable race. I got a really good start but Casey and Nicky were incredibly fast at the start. They really put the hammer down and I was wary that I needed to save my tyre for the last few laps, which are always difficult on this track with so much wear on the left side. I just wanted to stay out of trouble but I had some incredible battles out there. The one with Valentino was something special. When he passed me I knew I had to get straight back by him. If I had let him go I knew I'd have to push right at the limit and that would wear my tyre too quickly. The rear was already spinning at that point and I tried everything I could to keep him behind me. When he did pass me and he pulled a gap, I did push a bit too hard and that cost me towards the end of the race. But it was an honour to be racing with Valentino and passing him. In the last three laps I'd just lost a bit of grip and that was crucial because it probably cost me those two places. I knew fourth was up for grabs so I tried to pass Andrea at Honda Hairpin on the last lap. We ran a bit wide and Andrea seemed a bit upset but I passed him without touching him. I am sorry if he is upset, but he is upset for no reason. I was fighting for the best result of my MotoGP career so I had to try something. Shinya came by as I ran wide but I passed him back at Siberia, only for him to come right back underneath me because I ran a bit wide again. I am just happy with the way I rode. I rode hard and I am really pleased that on my birthday I put a good show on and I could enjoy it. I was riding my heart out and when I have a ride like that and I pass Valentino it encourages me even more."

Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards - Position 8th - 126 points
"I got a really good start and I thought I could hang in with the battle for third and fourth, but pretty much from the first couple of laps I knew it was going to be a really difficult race. I couldn't even keep them close to me because I couldn't get in the corner and I couldn't get out of the corners. Quite early on I had a moment on the front-end and that hadn't happened all weekend. After that I just couldn't push and I just stayed at the same pace. I couldn't really do more than a 31.5 and it didn't matter what I did I kept falling back. Right at the end I could see de Puniet was running into a few problems with his rear tyre and I was slowly reeling him back in. I managed to pass him and make it stick. It is severely disappointing because I really believed that I could run up close to the podium today. I was riding really hard so to finish eighth is frustrating. I felt like I was on the absolute limit at the pace I was running and it wasn't good enough. This isn't the way I wanted to celebrate my 100th Grand Prix, but congratulations to James. He rode a great race and I'll be looking for a lot more in Malaysia."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
"James was absolutely incredible today and he could not have done anymore to get his best result of the season. It was a shame he was sixth again, but again he showed what a true fighter he is. We were quietly confident going into the race after we had a very strong qualifying session with James fifth and Colin seventh on the grid. James made an incredible start and when we saw him fighting in third we couldn't believe it because we weren't sure whether he could maintain the pace knowing how tough this track is for the tyres. But he kept his pace and that was impressive. He also fought very hard with some of the top guys in this championship. His fight with Valentino was extra special and terrific to watch. Not a lot of guys get passed by Valentino and then pass him straight back, so it was incredible to see him do this. We were dreaming of a podium at one point but the way he rode, I think he gave the fans a really special show. It was a great way to celebrate his birthday and I think he gave himself a good present with that ride. Colin didn't finish where we expected but he fought hard to the end and his result has helped us move back into fourth in the Team World Championship, which is very important for us. I'd also like to congratulate Mike di Meglio for winning the World 125 Championship. As a French team it is special to see home grown talent succeed on the world stage."

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HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, Sunday 5 October, 2008

MotoGP race report

Weather: dry, sunny, light breeze
Temperature: 19-degree ambient, 34-degree track
Humidity: 39%
Crowd: 50,541

HAYDEN TAKES THIRD AS STONER WINS AT HOME

Casey Stoner (Ducati) took a convincing win here
at his home track ahead of a determined Valentino
Rossi (Yamaha) who was second and a resurgent
Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) who finished
third here at a cold Phillip Island hosting red-hot racing.

Stoner launched his Ducati down the hill off the
line into turn one pursued by Hayden and a
fast-starting James Toseland (Yamaha). As the
horde peeled into turn two Dani Pedrosa (Repsol
Honda RC212V) ran wide, onto the grass, and down he went.

Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V)
was another lap one casualty, the San Marinese
man almost completing a lap before tumbling out
of contention. Stoner and Hayden were well away
already and by lap three the lead duo had 1.7
seconds over third-placed Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).

Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) got
badly baulked at the start and began the lap in
last place. But he cut through the field
fearlessly to begin edging back up the race order
to lie seventh by lap seven – a staggering comeback from the depths of nowhere.

Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V)
was riding strongly too. The Japanese ace was
sixth in the early laps and he had the race pace
to hang in there with the pack dicing for third
place. He managed a valiant fifth at the flag,
and could have even have snatched fourth in the
four bike melée for fourth place.

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) was another
Honda man in the mix for the places, but a
race-long duel with Yamaha rider Colin Edwards
prevented him from gaining places by getting
clear of his rival. The fast Frenchman had to
settle for ninth at the end of these 27-laps.

By mid-race distance Stoner had shed the
attentions of the determined Hayden and began
working his lead cushion from 2.6 seconds to the
7.9s lead he had at the flag. Nicky meanwhile had
his work cut out fending off the hard-charging Rossi.

On the final lap Rossi dived past Hayden at turn
one and Nicky tried all he could to get back on
terms and stage a pass on the final lefts onto
the start/finish straight where Hayden really
hangs the back of his RCV out as he puts down the power. But it was not to be.

Dovizioso too was robbed on the final lap while
holding fourth place. Lorenzo got the verdict for
fourth when Toseland and Dovi tangled letting
Nakano in for fifth at the same time. All Honda
finishers were in the top ten, although not as
high as Nicky and Dovi felt they could have been.

Nicky, third, said: “The bike and everything was
working pretty good, so I was able to stay with
Casey for a while, I felt comfortable there. Then
once he started to pull away I had some issues, I
couldn’t keep the corner speed I had early on. I
enjoyed the race, it was a lot of fun – riding
this track for 27 laps is quite intense, you
don’t realise how fast you’re going around here.
It was a good battle at the end, Valentino
started coming for me, I started to ride a little
harder but I ended up going a little slower. I
tried to stay wheels in line as best I could and
hold him off. Nonetheless it’s cool to be on the podium, I enjoyed the race.”

Dani, who crashed early on lap one, said: “I got
a good start and was entering the second corner
in third position when the rear tyre started
sliding. I tried to correct the bike but I ran
off the track. On the grass I tried to correct
the bike again but I crashed. I hurt my left knee
in the fall. Fortunately I’ve not broken any
bones or damaged any ligaments, but I’ve got a
lot of pain and the knee is swollen. I am very
disappointed because we knew we had a good race
pace and I was very confident that I could score
another podium, just like at Motegi last weekend.
It was another bad race. I am sorry for the team.”

Nakano, fifth, said: “Despite our problems in
practice the race went well today – I got a good
start and managed to improve on my pace from
practice so I’m really satisfied. After the
warm-up we decided on a medium compound tyre,
which proved to be the right choice because the
bike felt really balanced and I was able to stick
with a fast group of riders from the start. On
the final five laps I really pushed hard, taking
two riders and crossing the line in fifth. It has
been a long time since I enjoyed a race like this
so today I’m happy I was able to show our true
potential and I’d like to thank the team for that.”

Dovizioso was seventh and said: “I feel I made a
tremendous race. If I had not had to recover from
last after being pushed off the track at the
start, we could have had a podium. At the start I
kept on the left for the first turn, Lorenzo was
almost alongside me and then he moved outside.
This put me on the grass. From here I started a
great comeback, even if in those first laps I
could not push 100%. In the last ten laps the
tyres were finished and I wasn’t able to push
anymore. At one of the corners, I had to go wide
to avoid Toseland, who I was lining up to
overtake, but because of this Nakano made it past
us both. I am sorry to have lost that fourth
place because it was a reality today.”

De Puniet, 9th, said: “We could have finished in
a better position but after 5 laps I got stuck
behind Colin Edwards and could not pass him for 8
laps. Then, when I caught him, the gap to the
front was too wide and tried to keep my rhythm.
At the end Colin overtook me on the straight with
two laps to go. Anyway I am pretty satisfied
about the job we made during the whole week end
because the overall package was good and we had
the chance to fight for the top five positions.”

De Angelis, who crashed on lap one, said: “I’m
really disappointed with today because I finally
managed to get a good start and I’d made up some
positions. After the first couple of corners I
was following De Puniet but he made a mistake
under braking and I was too close behind him to
avoid him. Unfortunately I came out worse and I’m
disappointed because today was a good opportunity
for us to show our potential. I’m sorry for the
whole team because they’ve all worked so well
here, making constant improvements in every session.”

Stoner, after his win now has 245 points and is
closing in on the title runner-up spot. Dani lies
third with 209 points after this untimely DNF. There are two rounds to go.

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Stoner takes emphatic home victory heading Bridgestone 1-2

Round 16: Australia - Race
Phillip Island Circuit - Sunday 5 October 2008

Ducati rider Casey Stoner took a tremendous home victory at Phillip Island this afternoon, claiming his and Bridgestone's second
consecutive Australian Grand Prix win. It is Stoner's fifth win of the season and further cements his second place in the world
championship with two races remaining. The popular victory also takes the total number of wins by riders using Bridgestone tyres
this season to thirteen, one more than were scored last season with just the Malaysia and Valencia events still to run.

In front of a passionate crowd, Stoner led from the start and never relinquished his command over the 27-lap race, leading a
hard-charging Nicky Hayden in the early stages before gradually extending his advantage in the second half of the race. Hayden
was forced to settle for third at the chequered flag after an impressive run from Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. After a
qualifying crash relegated him to 12th on the grid, Rossi charged up the field and became embroiled in a close scrap for third.
Passing James Toseland for the position on lap 13, Rossi then began to steadily close the gap to Hayden and managed to get past
the Repsol Honda rider on the final lap to take an additional twenty points for his championship-winning tally.

The podium was filled with world champions with last year's title holder Stoner leading this year's champion Rossi and 2006 victor
Hayden. It is the sixth time this season that Stoner and Rossi have occupied the first two spots on the podium.

San Carlo Honda Gresini's Shinya Nakano was on the tail of the battle for fourth place throughout the 27-lap event. The Japanese
rider used all the remaining grip from his Bridgestone tyres on a terrific final lap, elevating himself from seventh to fifth position, his
best result since finishing fourth in Brno back in August.

Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit
"That was a highly charged race and there was plenty of close and competitive racing going on. Casey did an outstanding job
today to take his second home win in a row, so congratulations to him and Ducati for their fifth win of the season. It was a dominant
win for Casey after early pressure from Nicky, and he truly deserved his success today. Valentino also produced an exceptional
ride today from 12th on the grid. To get up to third place was already an achievement, but to steal second place on the last lap was
great. Between Casey and Valentino's results, we have seen Bridgestone-shod riders win the last nine races in a row and 13 times
in total this year, which is a new record for us. A special word of congratulations must also go to Shinya for a competitive race this
afternoon. His commitment in maintaining pace with such a closely-fought group helped him take a fine top five result."

Shinji Aoki - Bridgestone Motorsport - Assistant Manager, Race Tyre Development
"Phillip Island is never an easy race for the tyre manufacturers, so I am very pleased that our tyres could contribute to today's
excellent result. We did not have a trouble-free race, but over the last few years we have shown that our tyre performance has
gradually improved and I think we can say that we had our most competitive Australian GP performance today. In practice, we
could get a reasonable indication of the durability of the race tyres, but it is only when we run 27 laps consecutively that we can
understand exactly what the tyre degradation is like. Thankfully, most of our riders were able to push right until the flag, as we
could see from Valentino and Shinya's last lap passing moves."

Casey Stoner - Ducati - Race Winner
"We found a good direction in warm-up this morning and were able to set a strong pace, but it was difficult to know what to expect
from the race. At the start I thought there was no way I could pull away from Nicky. He looked so good riding behind me, I could
hear him there every step of the way. Then my bike started feeling a little bit better as the tyres warmed up, so I went a little bit
quicker and pulled a small advantage. We just kept building from there and then it was just a matter of bringing it home. This
season's been a very difficult one for us, but we've givent everything. We've had a few ups and downs, and it's nice to come back
up again. We've been working really hard this weekend and we managed to do it. It is always special to win in front of the
Australian crowd, who have given us such a terrific support again at Phillip Island this weekend, and we've now managed two in a
row, which is a fantastic feeling."

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DETERMINATION PAYS DIVIDENDS FOR KAWASAKI PAIR
A determined ride in today's Australian Grand Prix at Philip Island saw Anthony West take the honours as first Kawasaki rider across the line, as the 27-year-old Aussie held off hard charging teammate, John Hopkins, to take a well deserved12th place in front of his home crowd.

Starting from 18th position on the grid, West was lucky to avoid becoming entangled in the incident that saw Dani Pedrosa crash out of the race on the opening lap. Spurred on by an enthusiastic and vocal Australian crowd, West soon reeled in his teammate before scything past to steal 12th place just four laps into the race. Despite intense pressure from Hopkins over the remaining 23 laps West's consistency, aboard a Ninja ZX-RR that was sideways out of almost every turn, allowed him to maintain the same position to the chequered flag.

John Hopkins also had to take avoiding action on the opening lap as Pedrosa out-braked himself and crashed, but the 25-year-old Anglo-American was quick to settle back into a steady rhythm on his Ninja ZX-RR, as he set about closing the gap to the group of riders battling for a top ten position ahead of him.

But the Kawasaki pilot's charge was halted when he started to lose edge grip on the left-hand side of his rear tyre early in the race, and was unable to drive hard out of the all-important left-hand corners leading onto the start finish straight. This lack of drive was enough to allow first Elias, and then teammate West, to get close enough to put in passes. Hopkins pushed hard to maintain a consistent pace to the end, eventually crossing the line in 13th place, less than half a second down on his teammate.

Kawasaki's engineers will use the interval between now and the next race in Malaysia, which takes place in just two weeks time, to identify and then eliminate the cause of the rear traction problems that hampered both riders throughout this weekend.

#13 - 12th Position
"I arrived at Phillip Island determined to put in a good performance in front of my home crowd this weekend, but the traction problems we had throughout practice and qualifying put paid to that. On the opening lap I could see Marco Melandri ahead of me, so I thought I'd give him a good look at the bike he'll be riding next year - from the rear, obviously. The traction problems meant I was sideways on the gas right from the start, but by just holding it wide open, letting the rear spin up and using my bodyweight to steer the bike, I was actually able to drive it out of the corners pretty good. After Marco the next target was John. I could see he was struggling for drive out of the turns even more than me, so it was just a case of closing the gap and choosing my moment. Fair play to John though; he kept me honest by pushing me all the way to the end. I thought he might try something on the last lap, but I'm glad he didn't because I wasn't going to let him get away with that! It wasn't the result I was hoping for this weekend, but I'm happy I did the best I could with what we had to work with."

#21 - 13th Position
"At the start of the race I was just dodging and weaving my way around all of the crashes, but we managed to make up quite a few places by going around the outside of some of the other riders in the opening laps. I settled into a rhythm and tried to keep in touch with the group ahead, but a few laps in I lost the front at Honda corner and ran wide, which cost me a few positions. It was then basically a race with Anthony (West), and we did the best we could with what we had. He just had a little more drive out of the turns and was able to stay ahead, but we were both particularly struggling on the final turn of the circuit. I could see that Chris Vermeulen was catching us towards the end of the race, so we just pushed as hard as we could to maintain our position. I'm looking forward to the next round because we had a positive pre-season test at the Sepang circuit, and hopefully we can gain a better result there."

Kawasaki Competition Manager
"This weekend has been very difficult for us. We knew it would be a tough race, as we were starting from the last row of the grid, but I am pleased that both riders managed to finish in the points. It's very clear that we need to improve our performance, not only for the end of this season, but also in preparation for next year. Both riders are suffering with similar difficulties and I think they both did the best they could with the package we gave them today. Our machines should be more suited to the Sepang circuit, and I hope we will have a better weekend there in two weeks time."

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2008 MotoGP World Championship
Alice Team
Phillip Island, Australia, sixteenth MotoGP round
Race, Sunday October 5th 2008

ELIAS GRAZES THE TOP TEN. GUINTOLI GRIT HIS TEETH AND CONQUERS POINTS

Difficult race for the Alice Team riders Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli. The French rider has found himself in an accident in the second turn and was obligated to go off track with Chris Vermeulen losing almost twenty seconds from the group. From that moment on the pair put their energies together to reach the riders in front of them. Sylvain, injured at his left shoulder blade yesterday morning, grit his teeth and after passing Melandri at half race, overtook Vermeulen on the finish line concluding in fourteenth position. Toni Elias has instead maintained the eleventh position from the third to the last lap bringing home five points for the World classification. The Alice Team is now in seventh position in the Team's classification, while Elias and Guintoli are respectively in twelfth and thirteenth position in the riders' classification. Next MotoGP round in Malaysia in two weeks.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Alice Team Technical Director
"We have done what was possible with the set up of the bike today. Each race depends by many factors; one of them is surely the start. If we had started in a better way we would have surely seen a different race. We also need to improve a lot in the qualifying because starting so far back is always complicated. Sylvain was very brave today. He has a lot of pain at the left shoulder blade, but he fought hard and with his physical conditions and the unlucky accident at the beginning of the race we can be satisfied with his performance."

Toni Elias - Alice Team rider (11th in the race - 12th in the MotoGP classification)
"We maintained yesterday's handicap with the tyres. It was really hard. In addition I didn't start too well and this complicated even more the situation. After a few laps I made it to find back yesterday's rhythm that allowed me to gain back some time. If I had one more lap I would have probably had the opportunity to overtake at least a couple of riders that were in front of me. It's a pity. I will try to make it up in Malaysia on a track that I really like."

Sylvain Guintoli - Alice Team rider (14th in the race - 13th in the MotoGP classification)
"I had a lot of pain today and I didn't know if I would have make it to finish the race. Then, in the second corner, I made a mistake due to some confusion on track: I went long losing a lot of time. Together with Vermeulen, who also went off track, we made it to maintain a good rhythm gaining back a lot of time. I knew that on the final straight my Ducati was really fast and therefore I decided to attack in the last lap to gain a position. I made it and for how this weekend went I can consider my self satisfied with the final position."

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MICHELIN MEN STAR IN ISLAND BATTLE

Michelin's six MotoGP riders all finished inside the top nine at Phillip Island today, the French tyre brand's best finisher Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin) taking a great podium result in third place.

Michelin men played a thrilling part in the most entertaining action of the race, Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), James Toseland (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) and Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda RC212V-Michelin) battling back and forth in a breathtaking contest for fourth place. That position eventually went to Lorenzo, while Toseland and Dovizioso finished sixth and seventh, just 0.7 seconds and 1.3 seconds behind the Spaniard. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1-Michelin) won another great battle for eighth place, beating Randy de Puniet (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) by just one tenth of a second. Yesterday Michelin's six riders all qualified inside the top eight, with Lorenzo and Hayden on the front row.

"Nicky rode a good race today, he fought well to stay with Casey [Stoner, race winner] and really deserved his podium finish," said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin's director of motorcycle racing. "Having all six of our riders in the top nine is good, and it was great to see Lorenzo, Toseland and Dovizioso battling for fourth place with Shinya Nakano. Nicky chose a medium tyre, not the harder tyre we had suggested. He did this because he felt more confident with the medium tyre which gave him more grip early on."

Hayden was delighted with his second podium finish in three races, today's result following his brilliant runner-up finish in last month's rain-lashed Indianapolis GP. "It's cool to be on the podium, I enjoyed the race," said the American. "My Michelin guys wanted me to run a harder tyre. I did the sighting lap on that tyre, but put back in my original choice for the race. The warm-up was really good, it was nice to get some heat in there. It got a little loose at the end but it was fun."

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Battling performances for Rizla Suzuki racers in Australia
Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen both had their own race long battles during today's Australian Grand Prix as they pushed themselves and their machinery to the limit to get the best results possible for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP.
Capirossi started from 11th on the grid and was soon involved in a battle with Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet that was to last all race long. Capirossi used all his experience and traded places with Edwards a number of times over the 27-laps, before finally bringing his Suzuki GSV-R home in 10th place.
Vermeulen had to show his true racer spirit as he was pushed off the track on the first lap - as another rider fell - and into the gravel on the third corner. He rejoined the race but was in last position and over 25 seconds behind the leader. He forced his way through the field and was in with a chance of a 12th placed finish, but just couldn't find the extra power that he needed to make the passes and had to settle for a very hard-fought point for 15th place.
Today's race was watched by just over 50,000 Australian fans at trackside, and not only were they treated to a beautiful sunny spring day they also celebrated a home victory as Casey Stoner rode to victory on his factory Ducati.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now remain in Australia for a day of testing tomorrow, before making the trip to Sepang in Malaysia for the final leg of the Pacific tour and the penultimate round of the season on Sunday 19th October.
Loris Capirossi:
"It has been a really hard day for us because we really struggle with the bike here at Phillip Island. Overall, set-up and the tyres were working well right up to the last part of the race, but I hard to push really hard to keep up with the other guys, and also as you could see our bike wasn't really fast enough on the straight. We have to continue to work hard and keep developing the bike, we still have two races left and we have to do our best in them. Everybody is 100% committed to Suzuki and we know we have a long winter of testing to get the best from the bike that we can for next year. Everybody knows we are a still a bit behind and we have to work as hard as we can to improve our whole package."
Chris Vermeulen:
"I made a good start from a not so good grid position and had a strong first couple of turns. Then I got pushed wide by the domino effect of the crash, and although I thought I could still make it, there was nowhere to go and I had to run off. I lost a lot of time and just put my head down to try and catch the other riders and get into the points. The bike worked quite well, but it is a lot down on horsepower here and it was really difficult to be competitive with the Ducati that I caught up with - it just purely had a speed advantage and I couldn't get past and away from it. In the last five laps tyre wear was an issue and that made it even more difficult out there. I think if we'd have stayed on the track in the first lap we'd have been a lot closer to the front, but it would have still been difficult to race with our power disadvantage. We've got a test here tomorrow and let's hope we've got some good things to try!"
Paul Denning - Team Manager:
"Given the difficulties we've had in getting the GSV-R to work around Phillip Island, the weekend has had some very positive points in that our lap-times have improved a big step since last winter. I think our target of getting both bikes into the top-10 could have been realised if it hadn't been for Chris's off-track excursion on lap one. He fought hard to get back into the points and 12th place wasn't far away at the end of the race.
"Loris also pushed to the maximum and took some big risks to improve his position, but both guys were handicapped today by a lack of outright speed and we certainly need some help from the Factory as soon as possible to compete on equal terms with the best guys."

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