THE Jeremy McWilliams rode the new RC8 1190 for us at Ascari. Not only is that very special track stunning to ride, it's absolutely stunning to look at through the RC8's cockpit! Especially when former MotoGP ace Jeremy McWilliams is the rider... No one went faster around Ascari that day so please enjoy the Ultimate KTM RC8 1190 launch video with the worlds fastest test rider! It is with the greatest confidence we say that this is the best film you'll ever see from that historic KTM launch. TS

"I went out guns blazing and revving the tits of the poor thing." "I hadn’t gone there thinking about times, but when Michel Fabrizio rolled out on Pirelli slicks and I had treaded Corsa’s and on board camera bolted on, it was time to find out." "I didn’t get a chance to check times on that run but 1.49’s came easily enough when we got the DTC and the suspension nearer to my preferred settings." "To make the bike spin more and cut less I moved from 4 to 2." Jezza said... More here

Next: Ducati 1098R video-Michel Fabrizio versus Jeremy McWilliams, Moto Guzzi Griso 8V, Moto Morini MM3 not happening, BMW F 800 GS world launch, KTM RC8 1190 world launch, 08 Yamaha R6 roadtest, 08 Triumph Thruxton 900 roadtest and a whole lot more...

For McWill it's all about motorcycles, preferably 200bhp+ ones. We spoke with the great man from Belfast exclusively. After amputating his ring finger, breaking the Femur, both collar bones twice and all the ribs in his body a small crash on snowboard is nothing for this man. Read everything here! TS

2008 Ducati 1098R   2008 Buell 1125R   Jeremy McWilliams

This press release caught my attention as I have been an eager Supertech rider for many years now. The 2008 Supertech R is a new and improved version of the popular Alpinestars Supertech boots. Directly from MotoGP to the roads works just fine when we are talking safety. Very few other motorcycle boots can match the super safe Supertech's. With a lightweight inner boot and extra strength where needed my feet have never suffered during the few crashes I've had with Supertech's on. The boots are usually more than up for continued use afterwards too. So now there's a brand new and improved version. "New research has produced a re-profiled double hinged inner and outer torsion bars to give greater impact protection of the ankle and progressively absorb flex and rotation stress, reducing pressure and hyper-extension injury to the lower leg joints." "New opening/closure system, featuring side-opening/exit zip with stretch bellows panel edge to ensure close fit and ease of access and removal. Security and adjustability is further improved with internal Velcro® which ensures a tight, non-slip, connection between surfaces. Micro adjustable ratchet top closure for added precision and security around the calf."

Colors: Black, GP Tracks Camo, Black/Red, Black/Blue with vented versions in White and Black/Silver  Sizes: (EUR) 36-48, (US) 3.5-12.5  Alpinestars   More Raptors gear here

James Toseland signs for Yamaha Tech 3 to become a MotoGP rider.

Advertisers contact for details 

Nicky Hayden world champion!

After Rossi crashed out and re-entered the race Hayden only had to finish the race to take the title. We guess Dani Pedrosa was very relieved. Nicky Hayden as world MotoGP champion is probably one of the best things that could happen this year ahead of the 800 era. Nicky Hayden will be a great champion and probably better than fellow Repsol Honda rider, Alex Criville from the 1999 season. Will Honda enable Hayden to dominate on the 800 next year like Rossi did after the V5 990 was launched?

Finishing with 252 points to Rossi’s 247, Nicky said, “I’m so blessed. When you dedicate your life to something and it comes true it means so much. I have to thank the people around me who never stopped believing: Honda, my team, Michelin, my friends and family. It just goes to show when you keep fighting to the end and never give up then good things happen to you. I can’t really say just how much this means to me right now.”
 

Such a race filled with contrasts. The WSBK champion wins the last MotoGP race. The MotoGP world champion crashes and another ex-superbike racer wins the title! Everyone apart from Valentino Rossi is a winner today. Bayliss takes the race win, Capirossi takes second and third in the championship overall and announces a new mini-Capirossi due next year in the same year the next level mini-MotoGP 800cc makes its entrance. Then Nicky Hayden off course finishing third in the race and overall number one. Congratulations to everyone!

Troy Bayliss: "Honestly, it's been a fairytale weekend, I'm still pinching myself. I've had a great year, winning the World Superbike championship was a good start! Then just when I was kicking back I got a phone call asking if I was interested in doing this ride. It was something I couldn't knock back because I started the Desmosedici project with Loris at the end of 2002 and had some great times in 2003 and 2004, so to be able to come back and finish off the story at the last 990 race was incredible. I brought a few guys with me- Paolo Ciabatti, Davide Tardozzi and Ernesto Marinelli - and together with my old squad from 2004 we took it step by step and really enjoyed the weekend. Thanks to everybody because this will be my last ride in MotoGP, I've had some great times but I'm really comfortable where I am and this is probably best left to the young guys. To take a win is incredible - I've showed I can still ride around in circles pretty fast."

"Things went very well for us in Estoril - we've achieved our goal of coming here still fighting for the championship and for this I have to thank everyone in the team so much," says Rossi. "Each person has worked at 100% to bring us back to this position and now we're all very excited about this final race. Of course it's not going to be like other times, when I have won the championship with some races to spare and less pressure. Now I only have one chance. It's a big pressure for everyone but it's great for the show.

"Valencia isn't one of my best tracks and we also know that Hayden is really strong there, so it's definitely not going to be easy. On the other hand we know that the M1 works quite well there and in the race last year it was very good in the second half of the race especially. If we can start from the front then I think we can try for the win, but whatever happens it's going to be a really exciting race. Hopefully Colin and I can be at the front together like in Estoril and we'll just see what we can do!"

Toni Elias won his first ever MotoGP race followed by Valentino Rossi and Kenny Roberts jr. Controversy around Pedrosa torpedoing team mate Nicky Hayden. Pedrosa is only tiny, but couldn't avoid hitting Hayden after a rookie mistake. Toni Elias probably saved his own skin in the best possible way as after the race Makato Tamada was the poorest performing Honda rider in the circus and he got sacked.

MotoGP: Motegi, Japan

Loris Capirossi won followed by countrymen Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri.

MotoGP: Philip Island. Australia

Marco Melandri won the race followed by homeboy Chris Vermeulen and Valentino Rossi.

MotoGP: Sepang Malaysia

Valentino Rossi won the race after a great battle with fellow Italian Loris Capirossi on the fast Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Loris Capirossi did not rest for long before testing new tyres on the GP6 and then he did 28 laps around Brno on the GP6 800cc '07 machine. His best lap was 1.59.6, almost three seconds slower than his qualifying time on Saturday.

"This morning I did some tyre testing which went quite well and which might allow us to have some interesting developments for the next few races. Then we started with the GP7. As a first test it was very positive even though the bike still has to be developed. We expect to have to do a lot of work but the first impression was positive. The bike's handling has improved a lot and that's important. This bike has to be ridden in a different way to the GP6, it's actually very enjoyable, a bit like a 250 machine and testing it now was interesting and useful so we can immediately start to work on it. The engine is different, obviously less powerful but it makes a great noise! It has been a fantastic day, I'm very happy and tomorrow we'll continue to work hard".

Everyone's favourite Italian Ducati rider brought the big Desmosedici past the chequered flag in convincing style beating both Rossi and Pedrosa by a good margin in Brno.

"This has been an unbelievable weekend for me! After Friday morning I wanted to take the plane back to Monaco because the bike wasn't working so well, but after that we did a great job, with strong support from Bridgestone.
"Yesterday I could see my rhythm on race tyres was really good, a little better than everyone else's, so this morning I told my team that my dream was to make a great start, push hard during the first few laps, make a gap and I saw from my pitboard that my advantage was growing bigger and bigger. I would like to say from my heart thanks to the team and all the sponsors who believe in us. Of course, I am also a little upset about my bad luck at Barcelona but the three-week break before this race was a big help, it allowed me to rest and get my fitness back, so I came here feeling 100 per cent.
"I don't want to talk about the world championship yet. I will just do my best at the last five races and we will see, you never know. We stay here to test tomorrow. First we try some new tyres on the GP6, then in the afternoon maybe we try the new 800. I will be like a kid tonight, too excited to sleep!"

The American Honda Repsol man won yet another convincing home race and increases his championship lead as Rossi retired with tyre and mechanical problems. Pole man Vermeulen had to settle for fifth after fuel injection trouble towards the end of the race. Dani Pedrosa and Marco Melandri completed the podium.

It looks like Suzuki might have had one of its best weekends this year after Yukio Kagayama did the WSBK double in Brno and Vermeulen grabbed pole and finished 5th in the US MotoGP.

Kagayama: “I am so happy today and I want to thank my team for all the great work they have done. Also, thank you to Batta-san, who is not here today, but I hope was watching on TV. In both races, I had to use patience - and this is not my normal style - but it was worth it. I was close to Toseland from the start of race one so it was just a case of waiting to make my move at the right time and my plan worked perfectly."

“The second race was much more difficult because I had to pass many riders before I could attack the leader - my friend Nori-san. In the closing stages of the race he knew that I was faster than him and he very kindly waved me through. After that I just concentrated on keeping a good pace and not making any mistakes. I have always thought of myself as a little crazy, but today I showed another side of Yukio. Maybe this will be my new style for the rest of the season!”

The young Aussie and ex-world superbike runner up Chris Vermeulen is on pole position for the race on Sunday. Suzuki have enjoyed many good qualifying results this season but has yet to show winning pace throughout the whole race. If Vermeulen can hold of both Colin Edwards (2nd), Nicky Hayden (6th), Kenny Roberts (3rd), John Hopkins (5th), Dani Pedrosa (4th) and Valentino Rossi (10th) it will be nothing less than a fantastic race!

Chris Vermeulen: "For a qualifying session it couldn’t have gone better. We’re in pole position! I did three fast laps at almost identical times and nobody else was close for a while. It got a bit nearer at the end and perhaps a bit too close for comfort. My whole team, Bridgestone, Ohlins and everybody else has been working really really hard. All credit to all my guys as I just had to ride the bike. The track conditions were difficult this afternoon because it was so hot and that made it slippery. The track was actually starting to tear up in places and you could see the bitumen coming away from the concrete underneath. Tomorrow will be hard with this heat over 32-laps, we have a good set-up and think we have the tyres for the job - we hope it is all going to work for us.”

Haga on pole for Yamaha in Brno. 

That man Valentino Rossi is just a MotoGP genius. Once again he has made sure tight racing around the technical Sachsenring is exciting. And we bet the Repsol Honda bosses are very uncomfortable with a Yamaha win from 11th on the grid when both the Honda Repsol boys where on the front Row. Rossi said: "That was an unbelievable race for me and my team. The first thing I have to say is 'sorry' to my M1 because last night was the first time in our relationship that I ever doubted her! But she was true to me once again and for this I owe a huge thank you to Jeremy and all my mechanics and engineers. Last night I didn't think I could win this race but we made a change in the morning warm-up and then again before the race in the afternoon and today my M1 flew. In some parts of the track it was very, very fast. We also did a great job together with Michelin and at the start I realised that my rhythm was good enough to battle for the win. Once I got to the front I knew I was probably two or three tenths faster than the other guys but it wasn't enough to escape and I had to battle with Dani, Nicky and Marco - each one was a great fight. Marco was so strong at the end of the race and I have to give my big congratulations to him, but thankfully I got the right line in the last corner and I was able to win. Italy became World Champions in the football last weekend and I won today; Germany is a good country for us!"
 

Dani Pedrosa was the fastest rider all weekend on a very hot Donington circuit. Fast enough to take a comfortable win ahead of Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri.

“I’m happy because this was almost the perfect weekend the team did a great job in every session. When I tried to overtake Marco I braked but I couldn’t stop the machine so I was getting closer and closer to him and he was about to turn in. I was saying, ‘please leave room!’ and luckily he did. Then I was able to get back in front. I didn’t know at that point if I could open up a gap because this class is really close, but at the end I slowed down a little bit to be careful. I think the English crowd enjoyed the race, and this British weather is really good!”
 

“It was a wild one today and I definitely enjoyed it – it’s just a really good day for me. I’m proud to win for Repsol Honda and really proud to score Honda’s 200th win in the top class of Grand Prix too. At the end of the race I felt really good and really strong. Going into the last chicane he was going in so deep so I used a move I used on Hopkins earlier in the race. Honestly it wasn’t going to work and I caught neutral, but he ran off the track too.”
 

John Hopkins was the fastest man around the new Assen circuit today and claimed pole position ahead of Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano and Yamaha rider Colin Edwards. Valentino Rossi still suffers from injuries after a crash yesterday and starts at 18th position on the grid. Rossi is not sure whether he will be able to race on Saturday which is good news for Nicky Hayden that qualified fourth fastest.

Colin Edwards was the fastest man around the new Assen circuit after day1. The weather has been a concern as it has changed all day. Let's hope for a sunny race on Saturday in Holland.

The first start of the race caused mayhem at the first corner as Ducati rider Sete Gibernau hooked his front brake lever into Melandri's bike and tumbled over wiping out several riders. Valentino Rossi won the race in the end followed by Hayden and Roberts Jr.

Valentino Rossi showed what he is made of once again in front of the home crowd. The race was a true MotoGP thriller where the battle was between Gibernau and Rossi in the first half and Capirossi, Rossi and Hayden in the last half. Rossi opened a small gap on the last round and won comfortably after Capirossi had no more rear grip left on his big Desmosedici GP6. Results: 1. Rossi-Yamaha. 2. Capirossi-Ducati. 3. Hayden-Honda.

Loris Capirossi showed what a great rider he is when he came back to fight for the victory after a very poor start. After finishing second in the race the likeable Italian MotoGP veteran is now leading the championship again, with Nicky Hayden that now shares the same point score overall.

Loris commented: "My start was so bad and I had chosen quite hard tyres so I was a little bit quiet in the first few laps. When my rhythm came good I started overtaking guys, though it wasn't easy because everyone was going so quick today. The battle with Valentino and Nicky was great, we overtook each other many times but always in a correct manner, it's always so nice to ride with Valentino. I enjoy races like that even if I don't win! To win here at Mugello is the best, but today I'm happy with second. Everyone in the team made a really great job this weekend, so thanks to them all. Bridgestone are coming better and better, we're at a very high level now and I hope we can continue improving. Our season started so well and it continues to go well, now I want more of this!"

Marco Melandri won his second race this year after Rossi had an engine failure and Pedrosa a tyre problem. Loris Capirossi finished second and Dani Pedrosa third. Nicky Hayden still leads the championship.

Results Shanghai:

1.Dani Pedrosa (Honda)

2.Nicky Hayden (Honda)

3.Colin Edwards (Yamaha)

More coming...

Rossi leads the free qualifying on a wet racetrack in Shanghai followed by Loris Capirossi and John Hopkins.

The amazing Troy Bayliss did the double at his Ducati Xerox home track Monza near Milan in Italy. Does Troy really need a 1150cc engine at all?

“I love coming to Monza and I’ve got fond memories of the place ever since I first arrived here with Ducati in 2000 but to win like I did today is pretty special. Ernesto Marinelli, my main man, had a few solutions this morning to solve the bike’s stability, he’s normally right and we didn’t really have any problems at all” declared Troy after race 1.

“The second race was a bit harder, because the guys got a bit of a jump and Corser and Haga made a good first few laps, while I was with Toseland for a bit and it was difficult to get past. Eventually I caught the two in the front. Corser and I played a bit of cat-and-mouse but the most important thing was that we got away from Haga and it came down to us two in the last few laps. I love to do well here in front of all the Italians, there’s just something special about the place, I’ve done the double here today and the last time I was here I was lucky enough to get the same result. I think I’ve got the best team in the paddock and a big thanks to everyone for these wins today”.

Results:

Race 1: 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Barros (Honda); 3. Corser (Suzuki).

Race 2: 1. Bayliss; 2. Corser; 3. Haga (Yamaha)

With a close group of four riders fighting it out for the victory until the very end Sundays MotoGP race in Istanbul was the most exciting one this year. Casey Stoner looked certain to win the race after a very strong performance, but was passed by Marco Melandri on the last lap. Dani Pedrosa lowsided and handed third place to Nicky Hayden. Total Honda domination in Turkey in other words. TS

1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda 41'54.065; 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda +0.200; 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +5.458; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +6.209; 5. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda +6.587

At a rain drenched Istanbul circuit the pole results reflects what we might have in store for the future in MotoGP. Rizla Suzuki rider and MotoGP rookie Chris Vermeulen went fastest of all riders in the final qualifying and grabbed pole position in front of Honda Repsol rider Nicky Hayden and Ducati Marlboro rider Sete Gibernau.

Paul Denning – Suzuki Team Manager had these comments about grip yesterday. Looks as if they found what they were looking for:

“We came here with the hope of having a solid first day and that is exactly what we have managed to do. Both riders have made a lot of progress and we have been trying to get the best out of the machine and the Bridgestone tyres. To take a small step in performance with the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R is maybe possible tomorrow but what will help us in the race is to improve our consistency and make the bike more rideable when grip reduces. We are chasing grip in partnership with Bridgestone and that is certainly one of our biggest tasks this weekend. Whilst we are always after more performance, the GSV-Rs are running strongly and both the guys are very enthusiastic about further improvements tomorrow.”

1. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Team Suzuki MotoGP 2'04.617; 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.206; 3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.386; 4. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.923; 5. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +1.083

Bayliss commented after race 2: “Everything went really well in both races” declared Troy. “We thought about changing the tyre for race 2 but we didn’t and it was the right decision to stick with the hard tyre. I didn’t think Corser was going to be as quick as he was in that second race, I thought it would be the same as the first but he went really well. I know that the limit of my tyre on the rear is exactly 35.7 or 35.8, but it stays good for the whole race and when I saw him pulling away it was disheartening. I just kept my eye on the board and did every lap like a qualifying lap, just hoping he was going to run into the same sort of problems as the first one and he did. Then once I got there it took me a long while to put it together and get past him. A big thanks to the Ducati Xerox squad, Shell Advance and all our other sponsors, they all did a great job to help us get this double win today!”

RACE 1: 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Corser (Suzuki); 3. Lanzi (Ducati); 4. Abe (Yamaha); 5. Haga (Yamaha)

RACE 2: 1. Bayliss; 2. Corser; 3. Lanzi; 4. Abe; 5. Haga

Rossi commented on his first victory this year on the 2006 Yamaha M1.

Suzuki GSV-R is yet another MotoGP prototype on Bridgestone's. The new Rizla Suzuki team is completely rejuvenated in the hopes that young blood will win races for Suzuki within a couple of years. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen is two of the youngest most promising riders in the paddock. Will they be able to develop the GSV-R into a winner within the year?

Ducati will once again challenge the industrial might of Japan with a new Desmosedici, the GP6. In the final IRTA test before the first race the Ducati's of Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau smoked everything on their Bridgestone qualifiers. Will the two experienced riders be able to do the same consistently through the season?

Kawasaki ZX-RR, MotoGP

This green monster has finally woken up at the start of the 2006 MotoGP season. The bike belongs to Kawasaki racing team and features the hugely experienced Japanese rider Shinya Nakano and French rookie Randy de Puniet that came from the 250 GP class. 2006 is the year of the dog, is it every dog has its day for Kawasaki this year?

Next MotoGP bike profile: Ducati Desmosedici GP6

The IRTA test is the last test before the circus starts for real again. It is a good pointer to how the first rounds of the MotoGP season could turn out. If this years IRTA is anything to go by (looking at the times it is) then Ducati and Kawasaki will dominate the first rounds. Particularly the Kawasaki's of Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet is a big surprise. Another surprise is how poorly both Rossi and Edwards performed on the now vibrating Yamaha M1. They have either got some big problems or it's all tactics ahead of the first race at Jerez. 

Anyhow it was the Ducati's of Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau and the Kawasaki of Shinya Nakano that were the stars at Jerez.

Capirossi commented: 1:39.411"Three very positive days for us. We are well prepared for the season opener and I am very happy. My Desmosedici responded well to all the set-up modifications that we introduced and now it's perfect on this track. It is not easy to find the perfect set-up for our GP6, but once it's done, we have a great bike. In any case, I think that the work done in the past few days will be important and useful on other tracks too, and it will be a good starting point for the season that is about to begin. Today we've been a little bit faster than yesterday: doing 40.2 on race tyres is quite an achievement! We improved our pace too, I'm satisfied. I enjoyed riding on qualifying tyres and I was fast. We must keep our feet on the ground because the others will improve also but, now we can only enjoy this good ending to our winter tests! I'd like to thank Bridgestone for the great job done in these months and everyone at Ducati Corse. Our boys are really strong!"

Gibernau commented: 1:39.663 "It was a long, hard day and we tested a lot of new things on the bike and with the tyres. Generally speaking, it went well although we took a bit too long finding the right way to go and there was a little confusion at some point. I would like to thank my team for the very good job done, I'm happy with the way the pre-season testing ended. Bridgestone also proved to be very competitive and very responsive. They brought the right material to allow us to be both up to pace on race tyres and very fast on qualifying tyres here. I would like to thank everybody because we're working so well together. Now I can't wait for the new season to start!"
 

Nakano commented: 1'39.776 "Yesterday I felt like we still needed to take another step forward, so today we spent a lot of time looking for the last small improvements from the suspension, the fuel injection system and also from the tyres. I'm happy to say we found it, but then everyone else improved towards the end of the test, so we now need to make another small step during practice and qualifying for the opening race here. We know that some of the guys who didn't have such a good test here will be quick to improve once the season starts, so we can't afford to rest on our laurels. Having said that, after such a successful test schedule over the past months, we will arrive at the first race with higher expectations than we have had in the past, and I'm confident that, in the 2006 Ninja ZX-RR, we have a package that will enable me to improve upon my fifth place in this race last year."

The two Troy's shared the spoils today at Philip Island where Troy Corser won race 1 when Bayliss had no grip left in his tyres and Troy Bayliss won race 2 after Troy Corser crashed out.

RACE 1: 1. Corser (Suzuki); 2. Barros (Honda); 3. Toseland (Honda); 4. Haga (Yamaha); 5. Rolfo (Ducati)

RACE 2: 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Toseland (Honda); 3. Barros (Honda); 4. Haga (Yamaha); 5. Pitt (Yamaha)
 

Bayliss commented: “It’s very nice to be on pole back here at Phillip Island, at the moment I’m having a bit of a dream run,” declared Troy. “Everything’s gone well today, my lap was good enough to take pole, but honestly I thought I was going to do a little bit better. It was messy and I had my feet in the wrong place in a few spots, but I’m happy. I’m not kidding myself however because I realise how hard tomorrow is going to be, with two long races and plenty of heat out there. I really need to get a good start if I want to try and do something special, but Phillip Island makes for great racing and it tends to bring the top few guys together and you end up having a race and then it gets sorted out at about two-thirds distance.”

Corser commented: "Superpole would’ve been good, especially as I have my family and friends here, but the front row is all that matters and I’m ready to race. We had some problems yesterday with grip and the clutch and the bike seemed to be spinning a lot instead of giving good traction. So we made some changes to both and there was an improvement today. I can’t say it’s fully OK, but it’s better than yesterday for sure. Tomorrow is going to be another long, hard day and I’m sure we’re all going to feel tired after two 22 lap races. There’s going to be quite a riders in with a chance of a win and that’s going to mean really good racing. With good weather and good racing, the fans are in for a treat."

1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:32.159, 2 Corser (Aus-Aus Suzuki) 1:32.373, 3 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:33.003, 4 Martin (Aus-Petronas) 1:33.206, 5 Barros (Bra-Honda) 1:33.373

 

Troy Corser won race 2 and Bayliss finished second in both races that puts the Ducati rider first in the championship with 40 points.

Troy Corser commented: "Phew that was a hard day’s work! If the whole season is like today, there are going to be an awful lot of tired riders out there at the end. Considering how well the winter tests went in Phillip Island, it was strange to have any problems here - but that’s what happened.  We’re using a new clutch this year and it worked perfectly in the tests, but today it gave us problems in both races. It was worse in the first race and I actually think I was lucky to finish the race - that’s how bad it was! It’s possible that I may have over-revved the bike on the start and that cooked it, but we practised some starts in Phillip Island and it was OK. I had to try and wind back the adjuster in race one and then had to brake harder to keep with the guys up front. That probably worked the front tyre too hard as well, making a podium impossible. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Haga and Kagayama crashing out, I would’ve ended sixth! I had some more clutch problems in race two, but I dealt with it earlier and kept my momentum up. It was good being back at the front of the pack again and I kept pushing hard for as  long as I could. Towards the end, I could hear this noise and knew it was probably Bayliss on the Ducati. I overdid it a bit at the last turn and nearly let him through, but I managed to keep the thing upright and then blast my way to the line and the chequered flag. It felt sweet. I think we all knew that this year is going to be tough - maybe the toughest ever. There are a lot of good riders and the level has definitely gone up. It’s important to win races for sure, but it’s more important to be consistently in the points and high up as possible for as many races as possible." Photo by Alex Photo/Kel Edge/View Point

Results Race 2 Losail, Qatar

1. Corser (Suzuki), 2. Bayliss (Ducati), 3.Haga (Yamaha), 4. Toseland (Honda), 5. Pitt (Yamaha).

James Toseland won Race 1 in the first World Superbike race of the year followed by Troy Bayliss.

Results Race 1 Losail, Qatar:

1. Toseland (Honda), 2. Bayliss (Ducati), 3. Pitt (Yamaha), 4. Corser (Suzuki), Fabrizio (Honda).

The experienced Ducati rider set the only Superpole lap time below the 2.00 mark and will start Race 1 and 2 on Saturday from pole position. Results from worldsbk.com

1	Bayliss T.	Ducati 999 F06	2'17.326	2'00.639	1'59.696	35
2	Lanzi L.	Ducati 999 F06	2'26.171	2'01.369	2'00.028	35
3	Pitt A.	Yamaha YZF R1	2'19.991	2'00.818	2'00.110	36
4	Toseland J.	Honda CBR 1000RR	2'21.732	2'01.692	2'00.112	37
5	Corser T.	Suzuki GSXR1000 K6	2'19.614	2'01.008	2'00.206	35

The 36 year old Xerox Ducati rider is back in the Superbike paddock and has already shown this is where he belongs. Superpole on Friday and race 1 and 2 on Saturday.

"I’m not surprised to be up at the front to be honest” declared Troy, “and I’m really pleased with the way it went because it was the first time I’ve tried the Pirelli wets and I was happy with them. The bike worked well and we’re still using the basic set-up we’ve had since testing started. I expected to go a little bit faster before the end when we had an intermediate in the rear. Maybe it would have been OK if I had stayed out longer but I didn’t give it enough chance and put a harder rain tyre on which wasn’t quite as good as what I did two-thirds through the session. But all in all it turned out well and I hope we’re finished with the rain for this weekend and can move on to some dry weather.”

Results:

1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 2:17.326, 2 Laconi (F-Kawasaki) 2:19.064, 3 CORSER (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 2:29.614, 4 Walker (GB-Kawasaki) 2:19.684, 5 Gimbert (F-Yamaha) 2:19.687, 6 Barros (Bra-Honda) 2:19.834

Yamaha released the news that Carlos Checa finally had agreed to ride their M1 on Dunlop's with team mate James Ellison this year. The Spaniard will be the most experienced MotoGP rider along with Kenny Roberts, Loris Capirossi and Valentino Rossi after Biaggi and Barros both have lost their MotoGP rides.

Today the conditions was much better for the riders and this is evident from the unofficial lap times. Spaniard Sete Gibernau was fastest on his Ducati Desmosedici closely followed by team mate Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri. Already next week Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki will test in Australia at Phillip Island. Yamaha and Suzuki will go for another break and start testing again next month in Qatar.

Sete Gibernau (73 laps - 2m01.03)
"My settling-in period with the team, the bike and the tyres is continuing and I am increasingly satisfied with the choice that I have made. Today I felt pretty good on the GP6 and I also wanted to do a few laps on the GP5, which I have never tried, to make a back-to-back test. This confirmed what Loris, who knows the bike well, had said yesterday: the GP5 is a good bike but the GP6 has more development potential and from now onwards we are only going to use that bike. For the first time I used Bridgestone's qualifying tyres and they gave me a good feeling. We've still got a lot of work to do to be at 100% but we are on the right path".

Loris Capirossi (76 laps - 2m01.08)
"We can also be satisfied with today's performance. The weather was good all day and we were able to do all the scheduled tyre testing. Bridgestone are working well and we have gathered a lot of useful information for the next test session here at Sepang. I also tried the new qualifying tyres, which have a good potential. I like the GP6 more and more and I can't wait to test it in Australia, where last year I only did a few laps on the Friday morning before crashing, which forced me to miss the Australian and Turkish GPs".

MARCO MELANDRI ( 81 laps, 2’01.12): “Today we worked with only one bike and we struggled quite a bit to find a reasonable set up. During lunch time my mechanics did an incredible job and in the afternoon my feeling with the bike improved. Unfortunately the research of a good setting took a lot of time and in the end I couldn’t do a race simulation. At the moment we are not using all the potential of the RC211V. I’m happy that we have another test next week so that we can continue working on the bike. I’m confident and I look forward to test in Australia."

Unofficial lap times
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2'01.03
2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2'01.08
3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2'01.12
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2'01.51
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'01.60
6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2'01.69
7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2'01.78
8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.18
9. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2'02.30
10. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 2'02.43
11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.54
12. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2'02.67
13. K. Akiyoshi (JPN) Suzuki 2'02.80
14. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2'03.05
15. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 2'03.20
16. Kenny Roberts (USA) KR Honda 2'03.37
17. Jose Luis Cardoso (SPA) Ducati 2'03.50
18. S. Ito (JPN) Ducati 2'03.60
19. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2'04.17
 

Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha are testing the latest 990cc MotoGP machines for the first time after the holidays. They will spend three days in Malaysia. Notice that Rossi and Melandri are back as the two fastest riders as they were when they left for the holidays after last years season. Dani Pedrosa has already found some pace on the Honda.

Valentino Rossi (2'02.14, 74 Laps)
"It's always a little difficult to start again after the holidays, and I am never sure if I will be able to ride well straight away! Today however everything has felt good right from the start and I am already quite fast. The new M1 is a good bike, I like it and I can see that Yamaha has worked very hard over the winter. We had a few problems with it today; some chattering, but in reality it is good for this stage of the year. We still have a lot of work to do on it of course. The new bike is not so different from the 2005 bike, but still we have to understand completely its character and I have to get more confidence in it, then we can begin to make the modifications needed in order to improve it. Today has just been about understanding the bike, tomorrow we will concentrate more on tyres with Michelin."

Unofficial Lap Times:

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.14
2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2'02.21
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2'02.23
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2'02.46
5. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2'02.55
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.61
7. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2'02.77
8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2'03'57
9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2'03.77
10. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2'03.80
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.90
12. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 2'04.63
13. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2'06.40
14. Jose Luis Cardosa (SPA) Ducati 2'07.70

Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 - 2'02.993
Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 - 2'01.731