MotoGP – Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix: statements, rankings and analyzes –

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Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix: statements, rankings and analyzes

MotoGP - Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix: statements, rankings and analyzes -

After each MotoGP race, find the statements and results of the main protagonists of the premier category, as well as the analysis of their successes (and their failures) by the editorial staff of Site. 2011 Japanese GP Debriefing.

Questioned after the which ravaged the Land of the Rising Sun on March 11, the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix took place yesterday on the Motegi circuit, in accordance with the wishes of the organizers of the Moto GP (read in particular).

Threatened with boycott by a large part of the drivers (notably Lorenzo, Stoner and Rossi), the Japanese round finally hosted the entire field of the premier category, with the exception of Karel Abraham – injured during the warm up – and his teammate Loris Capirossi (read and).

104,882 euros for Japan

Thanks to its "We are for Japan" campaign, the Moto GP raised no less than 104,882 euros through the sale of reproductions of the t-shirt signed by the 17 riders entered in the premier category in 2011 (read). The original of the t-shirt, which bears the authentic signatures therefore, was auctioned on eBay and alone raised 2,750 euros. These funds will be distributed to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami by the Japanese authorities.

Obviously happy to be able to attend their national Grand Prix, Japanese fans overwhelmingly responded to the meeting and fervently cheered the victories Pedrosa, Ianonne and Zarco (read our summaries of the races).

Many supporters were also waving messages addressed to the pilots and the teams in order to thank them for having defied their fears concerning the seismic and radioactive activity which remain worrying in the north-east of the archipelago: Thursday evening, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6, whose epicenter was located off Fukushima, once again shook Japan …

Dani Pedrosa, Honda-Repsol (4th in qualifying and 1st in race) : "I’m really happy with this victory, for the team who worked very hard, for the HRC because it is the first victory at Motegi with Repsol Honda and for myself because it was the first time that I won here. in MotoGP. The race was a little weird at the start, Stoner and Dovi were very fast, they were slipping away, then Casey had a problem and Dovi was penalized".

"I found myself all alone in front of Lorenzo, I lowered my head and attacked to escape. I’m very happy because it’s a circuit where I had some ups and downs, a serious injury last year and so it was great to come back here and win in MotoGP"

Site analysis : Lucid, Dani Pedrosa admitted that Stoner’s exit from the track and Dovizioso’s penalty had opened the royal road to his first victory at Motegi. Rid of his two cumbersome teammates and hardly threatened by Lorenzo, the little Catalan was able to achieve a solitary breakaway as he likes them so much, signing in passing the 400th victory for a Spaniard in Grand Prix and the first success of a Honda in the Twin Ring from Makoto Tamada in 2004 (read).

Nevertheless, if "Pedro" plays it modest at the finish, his lap times prove that he was well on course for the victory: with the new race lap record (1’46.090) and metronomic regularity, the duo "RC212V-Pedrosa" proved formidable at Motegi! A nice revenge for the Spaniard, whose last title hopes last season were suddenly gone during a crash during free practice at the 2010 Japanese GP (read) …

Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat-Yamaha (2nd in qualifying and 2nd in race) : "I did not expect such a strange race, Casey started too wide and Dovi was penalized. After that I thought I could fight Dani but he was going faster and faster. I believe he was inspired today and he was really at a very high level. He took the win and I couldn’t follow him".

"Currently, it is almost impossible for us to win but we still have possibilities! A big thank you to all my team, who worked very hard to provide me with a competitive bike this weekend and thank you to all the Japanese who came to support us".

Site analysis : While he did not forget to humbly salute Pedrosa’s superiority at the finish line, Jorge Lorenzo can also thank Stoner and Dovizioso for eliminating themselves from the favorites list for the win! Despite the great progress made to his M1 on Saturday, the reigning champion did not have the speed to follow the official RC212Vs, as evidenced by his best time in the race: 1’46.398, or 0.308 sec more than the record for Pedrosa.

Unable to seize the opportunity offered by Casey Stoner, Lorenzo had – once again – to settle for the second step of the podium. However, his facade optimism no longer fools anyone: accusing Stoner 40 points behind three races from the end of the season, the Mallorcan knows full well that he can no longer claim the world title without a helping hand from fate …

Casey Stoner, Honda-Repsol (1st in qualifying and 3rd in race) : "The weekend had gone really well for us, we were off to a good start and we had even taken a little lead. Andrea also drove really well on the soft tire and we knew ours would perform better at the end of the race, so I was comfortable with the pace at the start of the race.".

"I had a big jerk at the end of the straight line and the handlebars almost slipped out of my hands. I tried to brake but it didn’t respond and I had to do it twice. Fortunately I avoided the wall at the end of the gravel trap but it was really disappointing because we had a motorbike to win".

"In the end, I still had the chance to start again and get on the podium when there were a lot of drivers who were unlucky or who made mistakes here. I am now looking forward to going to Phillip Island, I have my championship leader position to defend and I want to win races too"

Site analysis : Ultra-domineering in practice and holder of the new pole position record in four-stroke Moto GP (10), Casey Stoner seemed to be heading almost without forcing to his ninth victory of the season at the Motegi.

Despite his reservations about the Japanese GP and the unusual absence of his wife by his side (the Stoner spouses preferred that Adriana, five months pregnant, not make the trip: read), Stoner had once again all the assets to shine: velocity of course, but also regularity and efficient settings defined very early on.

But that was without taking into account the vagaries of the race: victim of violent steering which undoubtedly spread its brake pads, the n ° 27 ended up with a "spongy" right lever response at the end of the line. right, which led him straight into the gravel under the effect of surprise.

Lucky, the official Repsol managed to get back on the track without wasting too much time and started a superb comeback: crunching his opponents one by one, the 2007 world champion finally finished third, 18.380 sec behind the winner. A hell of a performance for Stoner who could "Casey-ment" be titled at the next Grand Prix, scheduled on "his" Phillip Island circuit on October 16th..

Marco Simoncelli, Honda-Gresini (6th in qualifying and 4th in race) : "I made a stupid mistake at the start line. The red light took a long time to go out, I saw Dovizioso move and I let go of the clutch a little too early, but enough to be penalized".

"We cannot afford to make these kinds of mistakes. I am very angry with myself, especially after the race I did after the penalty. Today could have been a big day for us, the podium was waiting for us and maybe there was still more to take. I had fun on the last laps with Dovizioso and I’m happy to have beaten him".

Site analysis : Marco Simoncelli is bitter: lured by Dovizioso’s false start, he too released his clutch moments before the lights went out (like Cal Crutchlow), which earned him a stint in the pit lane.

Very fast (fifth fastest lap in the race at 0.394 sec from Pedrosa), the n ° 58 indeed had the podium within reach of gloves: he finished only 23.550 sec from the winner after crossing the pit lane at 60 km / h ! Revenge, "Sic" took pleasure in depriving "Dovi" of a fourth place that the HRC pilot already saw his own, thus punishing his best enemy in front of the big bosses of Honda.

For Marco, this pugnacity is particularly welcome, since Fausto Gresini and the HRC have just announced the renewal of his status as semi-official driver in 2012. Simoncelli, who is testing the Honda RC212V today, thus makes a nick of Dovizioso who , him, will lose his status of official pilot at the HRC and which is announced at LCR or at Tech 3 …

Andrea Dovizioso, Honda-Repsol (3rd in qualifying and 5th in race) : "I can not believe it. I had never had a false start before and it happened today, in a race where I thought I could fight for the win! I don’t know why the bike jumped before the green light but I immediately realized what was happening and expected to have this Ride through (penalty in the form of a passage through the pit lane inflicted by the Race direction, Editor’s note)".

"I had a good feeling on the first laps and I was pushing really hard because I knew I was the only rider with the soft tires in the leading group and I think it was the right choice today since I caught up with Casey. Casey then went wide and I ended up in front but unfortunately it didn’t last".

"After the ride through I attacked hard but it wasn’t the same as if I had fought for victory. Five laps from the finish, the rear tire became less efficient and I was slower. Simoncelli caught up with me, I tried to defend my position but I did not succeed. I am really disappointed because I could have fought for the victory. In the end, the gap on Dani corresponds to the time that the ride through took me"

Site analysis : The only HRC rider to have opted for the soft pneumatic solution, Andrea Dovizioso had a very good advantage up the sleeve of his suit: his RCV was riveted to the ground as soon as the lights went out, while his rivals on hard tires had to do is more careful due to the cooler conditions during the race (50% humidity and 29 ° C on the ground on Sunday against 55% and 32 ° C on Saturday).

Still performing well at Motegi (second in 2010), Andrea also had a very satisfying pace: author of the second best time in the race (1’46.114) just 0.024 seconds from Pedrosa’s record, "Dovi "could legitimately run for the podium, if not victory …

Alas, penalized by a passage in the pit lane (where the speed is limited to 60 km / h) for stealing the start, the Italian saw all his dreams of glory shattered when he had just finished s ‘take the lead in the Grand Prix. And this, on the land of his employer Honda …

Despite his legitimate disappointment, the n ° 4 had a solid second part of the race, climbing back to the Top 5 with the strength of his wrist… before finally being dosed by his "friend" Simoncelli who took advantage of the better condition of his tire. back to steal fourth place! O rage, O despair …

Ben Spies, Fiat-Yamaha (5th in qualifying and 6th in race) : "The results are obviously mixed, we had made an excellent start and the bike was responding very well. I was in perfect position, just behind Dovi, then I was hit at the back. I only kept one hand on the handlebars and was not in good control of what was happening when I got into the gravel pit".

"Once back on the track, I knew there were slower drivers and that I could score a lot of points. (…). I caught up with a lot of people, I had very good lap times and in the end it was a good result given the circumstances. On the other hand, it’s a shame because I could have turned 1’46s throughout the race and fought for the podium. It’s racing, it sucks, but that’s how it is. I don’t have to blame anyone, it’s just a shame, we have to move on".

Site analysis : Victim of the collision between Rossi and Lorenzo, Ben Spies was deprived of a possible good performance from the second corner. Having left the low side with more than 20 seconds behind the leader, the American then expended himself without counting the costs and finally crossed the finish line in 6th position, "only" 30 seconds behind his teammate Lorenzo.

Disappointed, but not acerbic, the n ° 11 made it clear that his setback was part of the race: a very "sport" reaction from Spies, who already had to fight against food poisoning contracted upon his arrival in Japan.

Hiroshi Aoyama, Honda-Gresini (11th in qualifying and 9th in race) : "The race was difficult. Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much grip as I hoped. It went much better yesterday and I’m having a hard time understanding what happened today. The temperature changes certainly didn’t help and I was a lot less confident on the front. We will have to catch up on the next race".

Site analysis : The only Japanese rider on the Moto GP grid in 2011, Hiroshi Aoyama was obviously keen to shine in front of his family. A pious wish, since he only finished in ninth place after an inconstant race …

However, this new mixed performance will certainly not clarify his future in Moto GP: aware of being "missed" this season, the n ° 7 would also be already in contact with top teams in Moto2 and with Honda Ten Kate in World Superbike.

Discreet, the Honda-Gresini rider hardly spoke about the boycott of his Grand Prix and never questioned the positions, sometimes virulent, of some of his opponents concerning the holding of the Japanese GP. Not without a certain sense of humor, the smiling Japanese even slipped in a press conference having for a moment thought of winning the race for lack of participants !

"I want to thank everyone who came here to run, because I believe it was a difficult decision to make, but very important for the people here", then solemnly declared Hiroshi Aoyama.

Randy de Puniet, Ducati-Pramac (13th in qualifying and 10th in race) : "I’m not happy, today we had the potential to be in the top 8. I was behind Aoyama, Elias and the others, then I saw the signs announcing the penalties and thought I was going also be penalized".

"I was looking at the wall every lap and at one point I slowed down to see if there was my number, I went slower on the straight line but I braked too late and after this error I was too far of the group in front of me. I tried to come back but I couldn’t ride the way I wanted".

"The bike was great in Aragón, where I unfortunately had to go off the track to avoid a rider who had fallen and here I didn’t have the right feeling. We hope to find him in Australia".

Site analysis : Disturbed by the signs indicating the penalties of Dovi, Sic and Crutchlow, Randy de Puniet briefly lost his focus, losing precious time in the maneuver. Tenth out of thirteen drivers at the finish, the Frenchman is aware of missing out on a better result, especially as he admits to being slightly more comfortable with the Desmosedici GP11.

Sixteenth in the general classification, ahead of his teammate Loris Capirossi and the three wild cards who have scored points this season, Randy intends to confirm in Australia on October 16. In the meantime, the n ° 14 is still working to find a handlebar in Moto GP and many are hoping that the Frenchie will return to his former Honda-LRC team in 2012 …

Valentino Rossi, Ducati (7th in qualifying and retirement in the race) : "It’s a real shame to leave the race after two turns, especially after all the progress we had made this weekend. I was fourth this morning during the warm-up and I could have turned in 1’46. I think our choice of tires for the race, hard at the back and soft at the front, was correct".

"Given all the problems Stoner, Simoncelli and Dovizioso had, maybe we could have fought for the podium and that would have been really good for us. We were unlucky. Lorenzo drove past the grass in the first corner and suddenly moved to correct his course. He hadn’t seen me because I was a little behind. He touched me and the contact pushed me towards Spies, who touched my front brake lever".

"It was a mundane contact, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We still did well this weekend and we were more competitive than usual. We are going through a difficult time and I hope we are on the right track".

Site analysis : In the cellar in free practice and barely better in qualifying (7th to 1.2 seconds from pole), Valentino Rossi was nevertheless quite optimistic about his chances of shining in Japan. Despite his recurring concerns with the front axle of a GP11.1 considered by many to be a "rolling laboratory", the n ° 46 considered himself able to fight for the podium thanks to the "ki-va-bien" settings discovered warm-up.

But it seems written that the Doctor will live a difficult season from start to finish: well off his position on the grid, Rossi found himself, as he points out himself, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sandwiched between the two official YZR-M1s, the transalpine could not avoid the fall, while by "ricochet", Spies finds himself expelled from the track.

This white result, the first of the 2011 season, also ends his incredible streak of 25 consecutive finishes in points. Under these conditions, the genius of the alpine pastures can only bitterly regret having potentially missed out on a second podium with Ducati, after which he races the 2011 French Grand Prix (read).

Next meeting on October 16 for the Australian Grand Prix, the fifteenth event of the 2011 Moto GP calendar: stay tuned !

Provisional general classification Moto GP 2011

Position-Rider-Motorcycle-Nationality-Points

  • 1 Casey STONER Honda AUS 300

  • 2 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha SPA 260

  • 3 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Honda ITA 196

  • 4 Dani PEDROSA Honda SPA 195

  • 5 Ben SPIES Yamaha USA 156

  • 6 Valentino ROSSI Ducati ITA 139

  • 7 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati USA 123

  • 8 Marco SIMONCELLI Honda ITA 119

  • 9 Colin EDWARDS Yamaha USA 98

  • 10 Hiroshi AOYAMA Honda JPN 94

  • 11 Hector BARBERA Ducati SPA 77

  • 12 Alvaro BAUTISTA Suzuki SPA 67

  • 13 Cal CRUTCHLOW Yamaha GBR 57

  • 14 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati CZE 50

  • 15 Toni ELIAS Honda SPA 47

  • 16 Randy DE PUNIET Ducati FRA 39

  • 17 Loris CAPIROSSI Ducati ITA 29

  • 18 Kousuke AKIYOSHI Honda JPN 7

  • 19 John HOPKINS Suzuki USA 6

  • 20 Shinichi ITO Honda JPN 3

    • Alexandre BARDIN – Photos DR

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