• Edwards Brands De Angelis "a Dumbass"

  Posted: 2009-09-09 11:18:23 UTC

  
  Monster Yamaha's Colin Edwards branded Alex De Angelis as a 'dumbass' following the crash that wiped out the Texan and countryman Nicky Hayden in the second corner of lap one at today's MotoGP race at Misano.

  In an interview live on the BBC, Edwards said: "We're in Italy and we have to deal with dumbass Italians sometimes. It was going to be a good day."

  After the race, Edwards added: "I thought I had the pace to easily be fourth and maybe fight with Pedrosa for a podium but we are in Italy and occasionally you have to deal with an Italian rider who wants to be a hero and today that was De Angelis.

  "Turn one at the start with seventeen bikes is not the place to be going at race pace and he was never going to make through there. Today De Angelis is the guy who needed to be wearing Valentino's donkey helmet. I didn't know what happened until I was sliding through the gravel.

  "Turn one is the most dangerous time to crash with so many bikes around you, it is unacceptable. I've been fighting with Dovizioso in the championship most of the season and now he has ten points on me with four races to go."

• Rossi Not Expecting Victory In Italy

  Posted: 2009-09-09 11:15:48 UTC

  
  Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi says he wasn't expecting to win at the Misano MotoGP round but it makes up for his 'donkey' mistake last time out at Indianapolis.

  The Doctor, who was sporting a new helmet paintjob featuring Donkey from the Shrek movies, said he had to ride carefully with a full fuel tank at the start of the race but then controlled it when he hit the front.

  "This is a great feeling! It's taken me some time to get used to Misano and view it as a 'home' race because Mugello is so special to me, but I can honestly say that winning here today, in front of everyone dressed in yellow and with 46s everywhere, is a great emotion and I want to thank everyone for making it so special," said Rossi.

  "Today I had to go quite carefully with the full tank at the start and I took some time to get to the front but once I was there it was great and my bike felt fantastic. We didn't expect to be this competitive here but it's been a perfect weekend, so I have to say a huge thank you to the team for a brilliant job.

  "Since Indianapolis, when I made that mistake, we have been so focused and concentrated and everyone deserves this result. I was the 'flying donkey' today! I am happy that we are going into a month without racing with these memories and this points lead, but as we saw in Indy everything can change quickly so we will be fully focused once again in Estoril when we come back.
  

• Toseland's Manager says Pramac is an Option

  Posted: 2009-09-09 11:14:15 UTC

  
  James Toseland's manager Roger Burnett has said he is looking at trying to get his rider into the Pramac Ducati squad if a deal with Monster Yamaha isn't forthcoming.

  But Burnett also intimated that there could be another team joining the MotoGP grid next season which may also have a seat for the underperforming two-time World Superbike Champion.

  "It's a difficult situation because things have changed week by week. The current situation is that Yamaha have asked the team (Tech3) to make Colin Edwards an offer for next year," said Burnett.

  "And that means the second place in the team, which is James's at the moment, has to be kept open in case they want to bring Ben Spies here. Speculation is that Ben Spies may come here next year and, commercially, that might be a good decision for Yamaha.

  "You don't need to be Einstein to work out the other opportunities for James which are Pramac Ducati and, potentially, a new team coming into the series which is of interest."

• Predrosa says Indianapolis crash is behind him

  Posted: 2009-09-04 18:45:41 UTC

  Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa says his lap-four crash in the Indianpolis MotoGP race is firmly behind him and his happy with the pace he showed after he picked his RC212V up off the floor.

  The Spaniard managed to charge back through the field and secure a tenth-place finish, overtaking four riders in the process and passing Valentino Rossi as he picked his Fiat Yamaha off the floor.

  

  "It's really good that I'll get an immediate chance to make up for the disappointment of the Indianapolis race result. Although that was obviously a big let down and you never want to crash, the pace we set over the whole weekend was very encouraging," said Pedrosa.

  "The fact that I could finish the race riding very fast again means that I've already been able to put the fall behind me and we can concentrate on being quick from the start of first practice on Friday.

  "Misano always has a great atmosphere because there are so many passionate fans. Even though most of them are supporting the Italian riders, it's still a special feeling for everyone at this circuit.

  "To be quick you need to ride quite aggressively there, and machine stability on the brakes and powering out of the corners is very important. I'm confident that we can be up front and fight for the win again this weekend."
  

• Bradley Smith says it's time to start winning again!

  Posted: 2009-09-04 18:50:58 UTC

  Bancaja Aprilia's Bradley Smith has said that after his second place the Indianapolis MotoGP 125cc race it is time to start winning again at this weekend's Misano round.

  The Oxfordshire teenager reckons he could have easily won the race in America save for a small mistake he made on the final lap but feels now that he has clawed back some points in the championship it is not the time to back off.

  
  

  "I'm really excited about Misano and I'm sure we can have another top race. Indianapolis gave me a little self-confidence back because I was on the pace all weekend and could have easily won the race," said Smith.

  "In the end second place wasn't a bad result but I feel it is time for me to start winning again. Last Sunday I finished ahead of my main rivals in the championship but I can't back off now - I have to go out there and fight for wins.

  "I love Misano as a circuit - it is my mechanics' home race and I'll be giving everything I have to score a good result for them. The podium the other day has to be the start of a run of good results from now to the end of the season if we want to stay up there."

• Hayden stays with Marlboro Ducati for 2010

  Posted: 2009-09-04 18:45:01 UTC

  Marlbo Ducati have this afternoon confirmed that Nicky Hayden will remain with the MotoGP for 2010 team after signing a one-year extension to his existing contract.

  The 2006 MotoGP World Champion looks set to partner Casey Stoner in the squad and hopes to continue his run of good results on the Desmosedici GP9 he has seen over the past few races.

  

  "This has been a very good week and this news just adds to that. After the good result in Indy, now to renew the deal with Ducati is exactly what I wanted. I'm very happy," said Hayden.

  "I always had faith and believed that we could achieve good results. I'm excited for these last five races of the 09 season, and if you look at the progression we have made from the start of the season to the middle, hopefully we will continue this through to the end."

  "The confirmation of Nicky is the right reward to a rider who has shown to perfectly embody the frame of mind that characterizes Ducati - Passion, Determination and Commitment," said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding General Manager.

  "We have always considered Nicky to be an important asset to the Ducati 2010 strategy and we are very happy that he will remain in the Ducati Marlboro Team. His progression through the season has been constant up to the podium in Indianapolis and we are certain that the experience he has gained will be decisive for a 2010 season full of success."

• Rossi fastest in opening practice at Misano

  Posted: 2009-09-04 18:27:12 UTC

  Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi has put his Indianapolis MotoGP nightmare behind him to set the fastest time on opening free practice at Misano this afternoon but was just over a tenth of a second quicker than team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

  Rossi set his quickest time on his last lap, circulating in 1'35.304 which knocked a tenth off his own quickest lap, with Lorenzo on a 1'35.430 and Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa in third.
  

  Pedrosa, however, suffered an engine blow up on the very last lap with bits of his RC212V falling onto the track. It could prove disastrous for the Spaniard as he is only allowed to use five engines for the rest of the season.

  Britain's James Toseland finished the session in ninth place, 1.2 seconds behind Rossi after being as high as seventh with only a handul of minutes remaining. He was busted down by late laps from Marlboro Ducati's Mika Kallio and Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi.

  

• Jorge Lorenzo: to win you have to be on the limit

  Posted: 2009-09-01 14:29:00 UTC

  Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo reckons that the result of the Indianapolis MotoGP race proves that to win in the blue riband class, you have to be on the limit all the time.

  The Spaniard was handed an easy win in America when countryman Dani Pedrosa crashed out only four laps into the race and was followed by series leader Valentino Rossi at half distance.

  

  "If you want to win, you have to always be at the limit, and in the last two races I was at the limit to try to win and I crash, so I was a bit disappointed," said Lorenzo.

  "The situation changed completely and it changed for Valentino and Dani, and not only for them, but for me. It was difficult to keep my concentration for 20 laps because I was a little bit bored, but I can't relax because maybe if you think of another thing, you can crash."

• Soft set up pushes James Toseland to sixth at Indianapolis

  Posted: 2009-09-01 14:46:10 UTC

  Monster Yamaha's James Toseland reckons that softening his suspension setup from morning warm-up helped him to push through to equal his best MotoGP result of sixth at today's Indianapolis race.

  The two-time World Superbike Champion didn't have much feel from the bike on Sunday morning, but some adjustments enabled him to push through the field and finish one place behind team-mate Colin Edwards.

  

  "It's very pleasing to finish in the top six. I know I'm capable of these sort of results and need to be doing it very weekend. It was an entertaining race for me, pushing my way through from tenth on the opening lap and today I don't think I lost any friends doing that," said the Yorkshireman.

  "Later in the race I had a great battle with Marco Melandri until he made a mistake with two laps go. I thought it would be a fight right to the end with him. I didn't have good feeling in the warm-up so I was a little worried for the race but we softened the bike up a little and I was able to keep my pace from qualifying.

  "Melandri was really strong in turns one and two but i just kept covering my line, kept my head down and kept pushing. Now I'm really looking forward to Misano next week, a track I know very well from Superbikes."
  

• Alex De Angelis says podium was no fluke

  Posted: 2009-09-01 14:11:48 UTC

  Gresini Honda's Alex De Angelis has said that his debut MotoGP podium at Indianapolis was not a fluke caused by the early exits of Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi.

  The San Maranese racer took second place behind Jorge Lorenzo in America but insists that he has had the pace over the last five races and has been in good form.

  

  "The bike has been fantastic ever since we unpacked it on Friday and we have gone from strength to strength over the course of the weekend. They also gave me a lot of confidence and honestly I think they had more belief that I would be on the podium than I did," said De Angelis.

  "It is a fantastic result, but it is no fluke because we have been in great form over the last five races. It is a long time since I was on the podium back in the 250cc class and I had almost forgotten what a great feeling it was. Now I want to enjoy it and celebrate with another good performance at my home race next weekend."
  

• Valentino Rossi caught out by dirty track

  Posted: 2009-09-01 14:07:36 UTC

  Fiat Yamaha's Valentino Rossi says he was disappointed not to finish Sunday's MotoGP race at Indianapolis after crashing out on the brakes in a dirty area of the track.

  The Doctor fell out of second place as he shadowed his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo after Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa had also lobbed it in front of the pair on lap four.

  

  "Today is a disappointment of course! We struggled here with the setting all weekend but we made an improvement today and I got a good start and was able to stay in touch with Pedrosa," said Rossi.

  "Once he fell, I knew it would be between Jorge and I but I honestly don't know how it would have finished, because Jorge was very fast today. Of course, it would have been better to have finished second than not to finish at all! Unfortunately I ran wide on to a dirty part of the track at turn one and lost the front.

  "I tried to carry on but there was a problem with my throttle and it wasn't possible. I want to congratulate Jorge for his victory and now we look forward to coming back to the front at Misano. We are still leading the championship and this is the most important thing."

• Brno test data should boost Capirossi for for Indy MotoGP

  Posted: 2009-08-28 11:23:58 UTC

  Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi reckons that data gleaned from the Brno one-day test a week ago uncovered some setting changes that should help him and team-mate Chris Vermeulen for the rest of the 2009 MotoGP season.

  The diminutive Italian missed out on a podium in the Czech Republic by less than a second and should announce he will remain with the Rizla Suzuki squad this weekend, alongside rookie Alvaro Bautista.

  

  "We had an encouraging performance at Brno and also discovered a few things during the test on the Monday that will improve things for the rest of the season. I am going to America in a very positive frame of mind and determined to fight for everything we can for the rest of the year," said Capirossi.

  "Last year at Indianapolis was the worst conditions I have ever raced in and I hope we don't have that to contend with again. I didn't really get on the pace there last year and I was very disappointed about that and will be looking to put that right this year."
  

Hayden to wear special lid for children's charity

Posted: 2009-08-28 11:13:40 UTC

Marlboro Ducati's Nicky Hayden will sport a one-off Arai crash helmet at this weekend's Indianapolis MotoGP round to support the Make A Wish charity which he has been involved with for five years.

The specially-painted lid will be auctioned off after the race and all the cash will go to the foundation which helps children with life threatening illnesses to realise their dreams.

"Indianapolis is probably the race I look forward to most - it's just three hours from my house and MotoGP now is becoming very popular. Last year it was a great weekend for me, the crowd was great and Indy did a great job in organizing their first race and made us proud of it," said Hayden.

"At Indy I will wear a special Arai helmet, but this time it really is "special". It will carry the "Make A Wish" logo and other special designs, and after the race we will auction it off. All the money will go towards the foundation which helps kids' dreams come true. I have worked with this charity for five years now and it always feels good to help out such a solid cause, and yes, I have already made my wish for the weekend!