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FIVE HONDAS IN TOP SIX
Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) rode to a fighting third. A baying crowd of 106,000 race fans watched the action unfold in hot conditions with the track temperature elevated to 40 degrees as the MotoGP race got underway. Despite the resurfacing work carried out to the circuit, tyre wear was to be the critical issue here in the heat. Gibernau stormed off the line from pole into turn one with his team-mate Melandri right on his shoulder and with Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) in third and fourth. Into turn one at the start of lap two, Rossi was squeezed to third by the RC211Vs of Gibernau and Melandri, with Gibernau retaking the lead from his team-mate Melandri. Alex Barros snatched fourth from Hayden as the Brazilian set one of the early fastest laps. The action was never less than intense as six riders fought for supremacy at the head of the field: Melandri from Rossi, from Gibernau, then Barros, Hayden and Biaggi with Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) now making up ground on the leaders. The fight was so frantic that Gibernau touched Melandri’s rear wheel on lap three as Tamada made the most of the fierce in-fighting to get on the tail of the group. The Japanese also set another fastest lap as he made his way forward. Gibernau then put in a fastest lap before Rossi briefly led on lap five while Barros was trying to secure third from Hayden who was trying everything to get it back. Tamada was the fastest man on the track, but was to crash out a lap later. As Gibernau upped the pace to try and break the will of his pursuers he put in another fastest lap of 1m 43.253 seconds. And only Rossi could stay with the flying Spaniard now. By mid-race the pair were 3.2 seconds ahead of the three rider struggle for third place between Melandri, Hayden and Barros. Biaggi was by now 2.7 seconds adrift of the fight for third place in sixth and there he would remain until the flag. At least he was close enough to see the three riders ahead of him ride three abreast into turn one as they tried everything to grab that third podium place. Rossi then forced the pace in the final three laps. He led into turn one on lap 22 of the 25-lap contest, and Gibernau had no answer to the reigning World Champion’s speed as the Italian set a fastest lap of 1m 43.195 seconds on lap 23. Rossi maintained a gap of at least 0.5 seconds in the final two laps and as the pair crossed the finish line, Gibernau had clearly settled for second place and a points finish – the gap at 1.094 seconds. Melandri came out on top in the fight for third. Gibernau said: “I was putting in some good laps, but then eight laps from the end the front-end began sliding too much going into turns. I thought I had something left in reserve for the end of the race – but not as much as Vale had at the end. I’m looking forward to Assen now and trying to stay positive and keeping the pressure on.” His team-mate Melandri said: “I’m a bit disappointed because I lost time at the start with a foot-peg problem. It was hard to stay with the leaders, but as long as I keep improving race by race that’s OK with me. Riders are fighting more and more as the season goes on – but I won my battle for the podium and it’s good to be here again.” Barros said: “I’m quite happy because it was a while since I had a race like this. I enjoyed myself. Towards the end I overtook Nicky and then waited until the last lap to try and pass Marco too. I wanted to get him at turn six, but I was too far back, I then tried it at turn nine and didn’t manage it. It’s a shame, but in the end it was a good race and now we can look forward to the next one at Assen, a track which I really love.” Hayden said: “The whole race was a bit of a dog fight really. We were really going at it. I got a good start and made a few overtakes stick in the opening laps. I got up to third and wasn’t that far behind the leaders when I made my fastest lap of the race trying to close the gap. Then Melandri came past with a big move that cost me time. I got back to third and just tried to get a steady rhythm and pull away. On the positive side the bike went well, the Michelins hung on well and my boys did a great job.” Biaggi in sixth said: “It went bad. We rode a different bike from the one we used at Mugello, with a set-up meant to improve braking. In those sections the feeling was good but it really worsened handling and cornering, with consequent problems for tyre life. I could never take part in the game and it makes me very sad. I look to the next Assen Grand Prix knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but we must push harder.” Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), who finished eighth after starting from 15th said: “Qualifying didn’t go as planned yesterday, but in the free practices I was quick, so I knew that in the race today I could go fast. I had the worst start of my career – I couldn’t believe it, I was something like seventeenth or eighteenth at the end of the first lap. We’re improving, but now we need to make another step forward and I’m hoping we can do it in testing here tomorrow.” “What happened?” said Tamada. “I wasn’t pushing my bike so much. I could stay with the fastest riders easily without pushing my bike to the limit. But something went wrong. I was doing a simple turn just behind Barros when suddenly I found myself on the ground with the bike beside me. I think I lost the front.” The World MotoGP Championship points table now shows Rossi with 145 points, Melandri with 87, Biaggi on 77 and Gibernau fourth overall with 73. Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda: second: “The team have done a great job and I had a good feeling with the bike today. I set a good pace over the opening laps which gave me a couple of tenths advantage and allowed me to lead for the majority of the race. At eight laps to go the left side was sliding too much and I wasn’t able to maintain my pace. I’m disappointed for the fans, who have given me great support all weekend, but I’m sure they enjoyed the excitement in the race and a great show all round.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda third: “It was a tough but incredible race for me. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead riders over the opening laps. I had a good pace and even managed to lead for a few laps but I ran wide when Nicky Hayden passed me and Barros also came through to send me back to fifth place. The fight with Barros and Nicky for third meant that I lost contact with the front two and I was never able to make the ground up. Even so, I am really happy with third place. I won a personal battle today – my race pace was much better compared to Mugello and the podium confirms that we are getting constantly better. I want to say a special thanks to the whole team, to Fausto and to Michelin, that has helped me a lot in the right tyre choice.” Alex Barros , Camel Honda: fourth: “I’m quite happy because it was a while since I had a race like this. I enjoyed myself and even thought I would have obviously preferred to have got on the podium, I think I had a nice battle with Marco and Nicky. I got away well and had a good first lap, tagging along with the front group straight away. Towards the sixth lap though, I began to have a problem when braking. I just couldn’t brake properly and went too deep on a couple of occasions. So I had to work with the problem, without losing ground. Towards the end I overtook Nicky and then waited until the last lap to try and pass Marco too. I wanted to get him at turn six, but I was too far back, I then tried it a turn nine and didn’t manage it. It’s a shame, but in the end it was a good race and now we can look forward to the next one at Assen, a track which I really love.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: fifth: The whole race was a bit of a dog fight really. We were really going at it. I got a good start and made a few overtakes stick in the opening laps. I got up to third and wasn’t that far behind the leaders when I made my fastest lap of the race trying to close the gap. Then Melandri came past with a big move that cost me time. I got back to third and just tried to get a steady rythmn and pull away. The last few laps were amazing – we were all just back and forth - we were just duking it out. I so wanted that podium but it just wasn’t to be. It’s fruntrating to have such a good overall weekend and go away with a fifth. On the positive side the bike went well, the Michelins hung on well and my boys did a great job.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: sixth: “It went bad. We rode a different bike from the one we used at Mugello, with a set-up meant to improve braking. In those sections the feeling was good but it really worsened handling and cornering, with consequent problems for the tires’ life. I could never take part in the game and it makes me very sad. I look to the next Assen Grand Prix knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but we must push harder.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda: eighth: “Qualifying didn’t go as planned yesterday, but in the free practices I was quick, so I knew that in the race today I could go fast. I had a start though which will rank alongside the worst in my whole career. Incredible, I couldn’t believe it, I was something like seventeenth or eighteenth at the end of the first lap. I got my head down though and began to fight back, riding consistently at a good pace. We’re improving, but now we need to make another step forward and I’m hoping we can do it when testing here tomorrow.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: DNF “What happened? I wasn’t pushing my bike so much. I could remain with the fastest riders easily without pushing my bike to the limit. I was serene and charged up at right level to remain there; my goal was to conquer the podium. Yes, because everything, the bike, the tyres, and the set up of the bike found in these days of work was more than satisfying. But something went wrong; I was doing a simple turn just behind Barros when suddenly I found my self on the ground with the bike beside me. My sensation is that the front tire lost adherence and made me slip, but before making a final evaluation of what happened we have to analyze the images showed on television and check the telemetry. I am very sorry for my Team; I thought the time to give them back what they have done for me in this beginning of the season was arrived.” MotoGP results Fastest Lap (Unofficial new record): Valentino ROSSI 1''43.195 164.903 Km/h Lap 23 Lap Record: Sete GIBERNAU 1''44.641 162.624 Km/h 2004 World Championship Positions:
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