MotoGP round 3: Jerez

[Corny]

The first European race of the year

FP1:
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'39.647 16 21 273.6
2 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'40.011 19 21 0.364 0.364 275.3
3 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'40.268 11 16 0.621 0.257 269.9
4 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'40.441 18 20 0.794 0.173 275.3
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'40.601 21 21 0.954 0.160 272.8
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'40.703 9 19 1.056 0.102 276.9
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1'40.866 17 21 1.219 0.163 270.9
8 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'41.063 20 20 1.416 0.197 274.6
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'41.182 18 20 1.535 0.119 274.8
10 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'41.208 19 19 1.561 0.026 272.8
11 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'41.461 15 20 1.814 0.253 273.3
12 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando DUCATI 1'41.531 12 18 1.884 0.070 272.9
13 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'41.557 19 22 1.910 0.026 265.0
14 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'41.584 10 21 1.937 0.027 274.4
15 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'41.736 19 19 2.089 0.152 276.4
16 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP HONDA 1'41.898 17 20 2.251 0.162 268.7
17 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'41.916 15 21 2.269 0.018 277.0
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'42.063 13 19 2.416 0.147 267.9

Just hope that Nicky will not be another Melandri on the second Ducati

[The Phantom]

Hayden 2.26s down on Rossi, I think that's less of a gap than Melandri was usually behind by in 2008? Hopefully he is simply suffering from lack of track time and to a lesser degree his below usual physical condition.

Cannepa I expected more from, but he might come good once he gets a handle on the circus.

[Corny]

FP2:
1 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'39.422 10 20 271.8
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'39.476 18 22 0.054 0.054 274.1
3 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'39.542 3 16 0.120 0.066 271.1
4 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1'39.759 20 22 0.337 0.217 273.0
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'39.962 20 22 0.540 0.203 275.5
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'40.134 4 21 0.712 0.172 276.0
7 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'40.244 5 20 0.822 0.110 271.4
8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'40.304 13 19 0.882 0.060 273.9
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'40.520 5 18 1.098 0.216 273.1
10 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'40.593 17 23 1.171 0.073 277.0
11 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'40.601 18 21 1.179 0.008 266.7
12 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'40.762 11 20 1.340 0.161 275.4
13 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'40.829 15 21 1.407 0.067 276.8
14 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando DUCATI 1'40.878 4 18 1.456 0.049 276.1
15 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'41.042 10 21 1.620 0.164 272.8
16 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP HONDA 1'41.203 17 18 1.781 0.161 273.0
17 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'41.339 12 18 1.917 0.136 264.1
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'42.167 14 19 2.745 0.828 269.8

Nicky is up to tenth now.. That's better indeed

[TheFamousEccles]

Melandri seems to be getting along with the Kawasaki - maybe the Factory keeping its nose out of things is working

[Corny]

qualifying:

1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'38.933 18 21 275.7
2 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'38.984 20 23 0.051 0.051 275.7
3 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'39.415 17 18 0.482 0.431 272.8
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'39.642 21 21 0.709 0.227 269.9
5 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1'39.806 17 21 0.873 0.164 272.7
6 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'39.862 18 20 0.929 0.056 276.6
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'39.926 19 20 0.993 0.064 275.7
8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'39.966 18 22 1.033 0.040 268.9
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'40.112 17 19 1.179 0.146 276.0
10 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'40.185 21 22 1.252 0.073 276.4
11 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'40.381 17 20 1.448 0.196 273.6
12 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando DUCATI 1'40.440 16 19 1.507 0.059 270.5
13 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP HONDA 1'40.599 19 21 1.666 0.159 271.8
14 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1'40.670 14 19 1.737 0.071 269.9
15 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini HONDA 1'40.796 18 18 1.863 0.126 267.7
16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'40.953 18 20 2.020 0.157 273.8
17 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'41.238 19 21 2.305 0.285 271.2
18 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing DUCATI 1'41.253 17 20 2.320 0.015 266.5

the 3 'other' ducati's on the back.. Unbelievable

This is the first time that Vale has a faster teammate. How will he react on that?

[tha_jackal]

Jonas Folger is my new hero... What a freaking ride by the young man, sooo shattered when he crashed.

Kudos to young Bradley, he has a sound head on those young shoulders.. Handles himself very well on and off the track IMO..

Aoyama will probably end up in MotoGP one day, Honda seem to like him..

Shame Pedrosa couldn't give Rossi more of a scare or give the home crowd something to smile about.. The atmosphere at Hereth seems amazing, definately a round to attend one day.. 120,000+ attendance hock:

Special mention to RdP too.. Me likey the playboy-bunny grid girls Oh and his race was ok too..

[ozrevhead]

Special mention to RdP too.. Me likey the playboy-bunny grid girls Oh and his race was ok too..

I thought you would like that

Im happy with the result - Casey's third is as good as a win and to leave his and Duc's two worst tracks by far with only 11pts in areers is a nice feeling

Onward and upward!

[The Phantom]

Good race, interesting in the first half and just when the second half is looking like a procession to the flag Lorenzo makes it all very interesting with a chase and fall. A shame for him but certainly good for the spectacle of a close championship.

[52Paddy]

Good racing. Particularly enjoyed the Melandri-Capirossi-Edwards race-long battle. That was entertaining. Pedrosa drove solidly but its a shame he couldn't keep up with The Doc when he'd been passed. And I expected a little more from Lorenzo but he just went backwards...and then downwards :

[Rod Richardson]

Stellar performances on the day by Smith, Folger despite his crash, Melandri and and DuPuniet in their respective classes. I hope that Kawasaki continues to improve and stirs up the top 5. The company needs a boost.