Moto Gp Round 10: Donnington Park

[Allyc85]

Soo whos going? Ive only ever been once (in 2006) and cant wait for sunday with the prospect of another Rossi V Lorenzo shoot out with Pedrosa in the mix as well!

Not sure where im going to watch from yet. We watched from the old hairpin last time which was good as you saw the bikes for a while, but we didnt see much action.

[The Phantom]

I'd love to say "me"

Any place I've been to watch bike and car racing, I've found general admission to be ok, but on the times I've paid up and been in a grandstand I've always felt it to be a worthwhile expense, especially if you get one with a Superscreen for replays and between-race info/entertainment.

Can't wait for this race, the Magnificent Four (or 'The Aliens' as Randy dePuniet calls them) should turn on another brilliant show

[patnicholls]

Yep, I'll be there as ever (2001-present), at the Old Hairpin.

I never think of Donington as a Ducati circuit (I would imagine it's Yamaha-y more than anything else), but Casey's won the last two. However he's struggling with illness recently, so it may be a three-way shoot out between the Yamahas and Dani who of course thumped everyone in 2006 when he won his first big-class race.

Either way, am looking forward to it though it'll be a kind of sad day because as things stand it'll be the last at Donington for some time with things scheduled to move to Silverstone for 2010 onwards.

There's just something about Donington ............I'm always waiting, waiting for it to bite. It dealt very harshly to Nori Haga recently.

[Allyc85]

Nightmare! Just asked mum to print out my ticket as she bought it for me birthday and theres nothing in her email account from Donington, no nned for it so close to the event!

[Allyc85]

Ok thats sorted it, some muppet put .com instead of co.uk on the email address for the tickets...

Anyway still undecided where to watch from, especially as the infield viewing is restricted with the building work about to start. Was thinking of the Foggy esses so we can see the bikes twice on one lap?

[MrJan]

Get there early to get a spot at the T**t-face Esses as there isn't much space and I seem to remember that it was packed when I go there.

We watched on the infield at the old hairpin the year that it hossed down with rain, forgotten anything about the race TBH but Westy was on the Kwaka when it was the darker green.

Anyway no visit for me, got the far more mouthwatering prospect of driving around an airfield in the rain.....although now with twin 40s I'll probably be wet but at least I'll be noisier than usual

[Allyc85]

Yea I remember the foggy esses beng busy last time, and we wont be there till around 8am so i think itl be the exit of the old hairpin unless we can squeeze in.

Practice times from this afternoon.

Pos Rider Bike Time Gap
1. Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m38.627s
2. Casey Stoner Ducati 1m38.872s + 0.245s
3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m38.917s + 0.290s
4. Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1m39.069s + 0.442s
5. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m39.105s + 0.478s
6. Marco Melandri Hayate Kawasaki 1m39.130s + 0.503s
7. Mika Kallio Pramac Ducati 1m39.209s + 0.582s
8. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1m39.379s + 0.752s
9. Toni Elias Gresini Honda 1m39.755s + 1.128s
10. Nicky Hayden Ducati 1m40.116s + 1.489s
11. Loris Capirossi Suzuki 1m40.419s + 1.792s
12. James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha 1m40.522s + 1.895s
13. Gabor Talmacsi Scot Honda 1m40.850s + 2.223s
14. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 1m41.467s + 2.840s
15. Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 1m41.861s + 3.234s
16. Alex de Angelis Gresini Honda 1m42.210s + 3.583s
17. Niccolo Canepa Pramac Ducati 1m42.696s + 4.069s

Hard to make any conclusions from the times with it being a wet session that dried right at the end, but I think itl be the usual suspects at the front.

Toseland had decent pace when it was full wet but got bumped down towards the end and then ran out of fuel when the track was at its driest!

[Rod Richardson]

125 GRID
1 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Aprilia 1'37.442
2 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA KTM + 0.131
3 60 Julian SIMON SPA Aprilia + 0.307
4 33 Sergio GADEA SPA Aprilia + 0.407
5 6 Joan OLIVE SPA Derbi + 0.432
6 18 Nicolas TEROL SPA Aprilia + 0.547
7 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Derbi + 0.675
8 11 Sandro CORTESE GER Derbi 0.925
9 12 Esteve RABAT SPA Aprilia + 1.029
10 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Aprilia + 1.042
11 45 Scott REDDING GBR + 1.059
12 24 Simone CORSI ITA Aprilia 1.059
13 17 Stefan BRADL GER Aprilia +1.113
14 99 Danny WEBB GBR Aprilia + 1.128
15 94 Jonas FOLGER GER Aprilia +1.406
16 7 Efren VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi + 1.437
17 88 Michael RANSEDER AUT + 1.639
18 77 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Derbi + 1.747
19 71 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA JPN Loncin + 1.924
20 73 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN Aprilia + 1.951
21 35 Randy KRUMMENACHER SWI Aprilia + 1.959
22 8 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA Aprilia + 1.965
23 14 Johann ZARCO FRA Aprilia + 2.091
24 39 Luis SALOM SPA Aprilia + 2.900
25 53 Jasper IWEMA NED Honda + 2.940
26 32 Lorenzo SAVADORI ITA Aprilia + 3.014
27 16 Cameron BEAUBIER USA KTM + 3.067
28 5 Alexis MASBOU FRA Loncin + 3.644
29 86 Karel PESEK CZE Derbi + 3.687
30 89 James LODGE GBR Honda + 4.129
31 91 Martin GLOSSOP GBR Honda + 4.336
32 69 Lukas SEMBERA CZE Aprilia + 4.638
33 87 Luca MARCONI ITA Aprilia + 4.984
34 90 Timothy HASTINGS GBR Honda + 5.031
35 92 Paul JORDAN IRL Honda + 5.95


250 GRID
1 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Aprilia 1'31.802
2 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA Gilera + 0.092
3 4 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Honda + 0.253
4 6 Alex DEBON SPA Aprilia + 0.466
5 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Aprilia + 0.841
6 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Aprilia + 0.862
7 75 Mattia PASINI ITA Team Aprilia + 1.081
8 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT THA Honda + 1.244
9 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Aprilia + 1.343
10 52 Lukas PESEK CZE Aprilia + 1.401
11 35 Raffaele DE ROSA ITA Honda + 1.416
12 12 Thomas LUTHI SWI Aprilia + 1.558
13 15 Roberto LOCATELLI ITA Gilera + 1.603
14 55 Hector FAUBEL SPA Honda + 1.701
15 16 Jules CLUZEL FRA Aprilia + 1.820
16 25 Alex BALDOLINI ITA Aprilia + 1.966
17 48 Shoya TOMIZAWA JPN Honda + 2.099
18 10 Imre TOTH HUN Aprilia + 2.859
19 7 Axel PONS SPA Aprilia + 3.549
20 95 Ralf WALDMANN GER Aprilia + 3.606
21 53 Valentin DEBISE FRA Honda + 3.798
22 11 Balazs NEMETH HUN Aprilia + 4.400
23 8 Bastien CHESAUX SWI Honda + 4.507
24 64 Luke MOSSEY GBR Aprilia + 5.425


MOTOGP GRID
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'28.116
2 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda + 0.095
3 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha + 0.286
4 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati +0.330
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda + 0.662
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha + 0.749
7 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki + 0.949
8 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda + 1.059
9 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha + 1.154
10 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda + 1.318
11 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati + 1.483
12 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda + 1.484
13 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki + 1.982
14 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki + 2.037
15 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati + 2.152
16 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati + 2.456
17 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda + 3.077

[The Phantom]

Aliens at the front.

I assume Hayden had set-up problems, I know he said the track is very slippery which wouldn't help his confidence.

Edwards will be smug after outqualifying Toseland at his home round. Another blinder from Melandri and Elias is still clearly chasing contracts

1'34.28" is the 107% cut-off, based on Rossi's time. Talmacis' 1'31.193 still gives him three full seconds in hand... his qualifying so far has been pretty ordinary, but he's staying aboard and finishing races, and obviously will be learning each and every time he rides. Which round did he join, will he do nine races this year? If so, he will not be a rookie in 2010, and therefore would be eligible for a factory bike