MotoGP 2008 - Donington

[patnicholls]

Let's have a Donington thread since the action's already under way...

The surprises in the big class are Jorge struggling (presumably still hurting from his Catalunya crash) and the Gresini riders further up the timesheets than usual, which is nice to see.

I'm off to Donington tomorrow - as I have been every year from 2001 onwards. Rain is forecast!

[maxu05]

Have a good time Pat and don't forget to pack the Wellies

[Wim_Impreza]

Enjoy the qualifying sessions, the warm-up and off course the races, Pat.

Hopefully we will see the same weather conditions as last year in Donington.

[maxu05]

Casey is looking good so far, he would have to be my pick so far, but, the Rossi factor must also come into play. I am surprised, (and happy), that Shinya is making ground, I just hope he can Qualify in a decent position. Great to see that Ant is not the tail end Charlie, I hope he can get a better grid position and have a good race, he needs it. I think this race will shake things up as far as the championship goes, and some unlikely suspects might upset the favourites. Can't wait for the race tomorrow.

[NinjaMaster]

Day 1 times:

Free Practice Two

1 C. STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1'28.253
2 N. HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team + 0.576
3 V. ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team + 0.656
4 C. EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha + 0.716
5 A. DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini + 0.739
6 D. PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team + 0.954
7 S. NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini + 0.954
8 J. TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha + 1.088
9 C. VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 1.157
10 R. DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP + 1.180
11 J. HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team + 1.188
12 A. WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team + 1.413
13 A. DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 1.469
14 M. MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team + 1.603
15 T. ELIAS SPA Alice Team + 2.015
16 J. LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team + 2.037
17 B. SPIES USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 2.513
18 S. GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team + 2.678


Thus far Stoner has beaten the competition to a bloody pulp at Donington. However, rain is forecast for Saturday so we will see what happens. Lorenzo's crashes appear to finally have caught up with him and he is struggling. Maybe wet conditions will help him. And the long awaited positive step forward for Ant West appears to have happened after his recent testing in Japan, finishing 12th fastest.

125 and 250 1st qualifying - and remember, if Satyrday is wet, these will be Sundays grids:

125cc First Qualifying

1 Simone CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB Aprilia 1'37.488 208.549
2 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia 1'37.520 205.410 0.032
3 Sergio GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia 1'37.649 209.970 0.161
4 Scott REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior Aprilia 1'37.766 203.433 0.278
5 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi Derbi 1'37.949 203.587 0.461
6 Andrea IANNONE ITA I.C. Team Aprilia 1'37.950 204.281 0.462
7 Nicolas TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB Aprilia 1'38.034 207.665 0.546
8 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc KTM 1'38.044 206.591 0.556
9 Pablo NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM KTM 1'38.104 202.099 0.616
10 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran KTM 1'38.153 202.175 0.665
11 Raffaele DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM KTM 1'38.186 200.074 0.698
12 Bradley SMITH GBR Polaris World Aprilia 1'38.347 204.708 0.859
13 Esteve RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc KTM 1'38.355 203.433 0.867
14 Danny WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 1'38.473 201.645 0.985
15 Joan OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi Derbi 1'38.554 201.457 1.066
16 Stevie BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 1'38.606 203.510 1.118
17 Sandro CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia 1'38.724 205.215 1.236
18 Stefan BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing Aprilia 1'38.775 208.186 1.287
19 Randy KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 KTM 1'38.856 202.061 1.368
20 Michael RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team Aprilia 1'38.916 204.436 1.428
21 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport Derbi 1'38.938 200.260 1.450
22 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team Aprilia 1'39.007 202.288 1.519
23 Stefano BIANCO ITA S3+ WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 1'39.037 205.528 1.549
24 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran KTM 1'39.386 199.777 1.898
25 Pere TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia 1'39.538 204.165 2.050
26 Jules CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing Loncin 1'39.760 200.558 2.272
27 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport Derbi 1'39.806 201.231 2.318
28 Alexis MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing Loncin 1'39.986 197.943 2.498
29 Hugo VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 1'40.357 196.859 2.869
30 Robin LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing Aprilia 1'40.525 198.563 3.037
31 Robert MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing Aprilia 1'41.070 200.074 3.582
32 Louis ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 Honda 1'41.320 197.544 3.832
33 Roberto LACALENDOLA ITA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 1'42.182 199.334 4.694
34 Matthew HOYLE GBR SP 125 Racing/Mackrory Demolition Honda 1'42.316 195.645 4.828
35 Connor BEHAN GBR Connor Behan Racing Honda 1'42.593 189.656 5.105
36 Luke HINTON GBR Buildbase/Knotts Honda 1'42.966 193.711 5.478
37 Lee COSTELLO GBR Vent-Axia Honda 1'43.149 192.604 5.661
38 Paul JORDAN IRL KRP Honda 1'43.227 194.480 5.739


250cc First Qualifying

1 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia 1'31.834 238.013
2 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 1'32.004 233.124 0.170
3 Hector BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 1'32.353 236.810 0.519
4 Thomas LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia 1'32.835 237.908 1.001
5 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 Honda 1'32.853 236.033 1.019
6 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 KTM 1'32.983 235.004 1.149
7 Julian SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc KTM 1'33.063 229.648 1.229
8 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia Aprilia 1'33.116 233.933 1.282
9 Lukas PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP Aprilia 1'33.276 233.124 1.442
10 Fabrizio LAI ITA Campetella Racing Gilera 1'33.281 235.055 1.447
11 Alex DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia Aprilia 1'33.297 234.595 1.463
12 Mattia PASINI ITA Polaris World Aprilia 1'33.302 235.414 1.468
13 Roberto LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 1'33.379 233.730 1.545
14 Mika KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 KTM 1'33.595 233.730 1.761
15 Manuel POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing Gilera 1'33.660 233.275 1.826
16 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia 1'33.859 230.828 2.025
17 Hector FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia 1'33.954 234.136 2.120
18 Ratthapark WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG Honda 1'34.039 233.225 2.205
19 Alex BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 1'34.074 232.922 2.240
20 Eugene LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 1'34.285 228.238 2.451
21 Imre TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 1'35.571 231.572 3.737
22 Russel GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 1'37.081 225.659 5.247
23 Toby MARKHAM GBR BM GroundWorks Yamaha 1'37.675 217.028 5.841
24 Doni Tata PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia Yamaha 1'38.170 225.187 6.336

[tha_jackal]

Not only is Westy 12th, but he's right next to his teammate.. Which is something he's been sturggling to do this year.. Hope he can keep progressing and put Hopper behind him after QP

[NinjaMaster]

That would be nice though qualifying is definately a weakness for Ant. I'm just hoping for a strong top 10 for him, especially if he can beat his teammate.

[Roby44]

Day of Champions short video..

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Ne...?&R=EPI-101206

[Roby44]

Dovizioso makes strides in wet MotoGP Saturday session

Saturday, 21 June 2008
Andrea Dovizioso put himself in the driving seat for this afternoon´s MotoGP qualifying run, recording the fastest wet time of the weekend in the final free practice.



A frantic finale to the third MotoGP free practice session saw Andrea Dovizioso walk away with the fastest time of the Saturday morning run. The JiR Team Scot rider was the only participant unable make improvements in yesterday´s afternoon outing, but was back on form as the soaked Donington track threw up a new challenge for the riders.
Dovizioso´s quickest time was a 1´43.957 lap of the British circuit, ahead of another rider whose ability to compete to the fullest was in doubt. Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa had taken a heavy bump in Friday´s second session, but continued unabated on the spring valve engine-supported Repsol Honda RC212V at just 0.038 slower than Dovizioso.
Second factory Honda rider Nicky Hayden once again showed himself to be more suited to the pneumatic valve version of the Japanese factory´s motor, half a second down on his teammate in third and with reason to be optimistic ahead of qualifying.
MotoGP´s `Rain Man´, Anthony West had no complaints about the typically British showers as he gave his best practice performance of the year. The Kawasaki rider has spent the gap between Catalunya and Donington testing in Japan, and seems to have gone some way to addressing his previous rear-grip problems.
After the indignity of finishing below debuting replacement Ben Spies in yesterday´s combined timesheet, Sylvain Guintoli bounced back as the fastest Ducati rider in fifth, ahead of 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner who led the way for most of the session.
Alex de Angelis was once again at the sharp end of the standings, ahead of the Fiat Yamaha duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi and Spies himself.
Whilst no rider in the top ten took a tumble, there were crashes for five participants as they fell foul of the slippery track. Randy de Puniet, Chris Vermeulen, John Hopkins, Shinya Nakano and home rider James Toseland all had inconsequential falls.

[Corny]

1 Stoner
2 Rossi
3 Pedrosa

my prediction on tomorrow's race:P