football and motorsport

Rossi camp look ahead to 2010 in Brno test

2009-08-18T20:31:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

Looking good in this year’s championship after the weekend’s events at Brno, Valentino Rossi and his team were making early plans for 2010 in the post race test.

After another success story for Valentino Rossi in Sunday’s Cardion AB Czech Republic Grand Prix has put him in a great position in the 2009 championship and the current Fiat Yamaha package is the strongest on the MotoGP grid, but in Monday’s post-race test the Italian and his team were already looking ahead to next year.

Six-time premier class World Champion Rossi got a first chance to test prototype developments for 2010, trying out a new chassis and a new engine specification, setting his best time of the day just before the end of the afternoon session, which had been interrupted by rain.

Rossi’s best time of 1’56.622, was under the new lap record set by his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in Sunday’s race, but was the second best time of the test – 0.451s behind Lorenzo’s best test lap.

Rossi stated, “We had some important work to do as we were testing a 2010 spec engine which is more resistant and should be able to do more kilometers. We also tested the first prototype of the 2010 chassis, but I did just 20 laps in the morning.”

“Unfortunately it rained in the lunch break and so we couldn’t ride for a lot of the afternoon because of the wet rack, but it dried enough for us to do some more work at the end. This time we could really concentrate on doing a proper job testing the chassis and the new engine specification, and I was quite fast.”

Team Manager Davide Brivio added, “We got a lot done and we were able to collect a lot of data about the new chassis and engine spec, which will help the engineers back in Japan with their development for the future and next year’s bike. We also tried some electronic mapping and it was a very useful day for us. We’re now approaching the final stage of the championship and we can’t relax because our rivals are strong, so now everyone can have a well-deserved rest and then we’ll be ready for anything in Indianapolis!”

MotoGP riders enjoy Viennese whirl

2009-08-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

As part of the build-up to the Cardion AB Czech Republic Grand Prix a number of World Championship riders called into neighbouring Austria’s capital city of Vienna on Wednesday.

An exciting event witnessed by thousands of local fans in Vienna saw a demonstration ride through the heart of the city with Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha), Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro), James Toseland (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Racing) all taking part.

Although MotoGP has visited Vienna before this was the first time in history that the Grand Prix riders were allowed to take their prototype machines along the famous Ringstreet, the main boulevard in the city.

Local government welcomingly treated the event like a state visit, with a clear 5.2km police escort ride through the city, commencing at the Burgtheater on Josef-Meinrad-Place, along Ringstreet and past several important buildings such as the State Opera House, the most famous historical museums and the Austrian Parliament.

Czech 250cc rider Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) and three 125cc competitors - Spaniard Marc Marquez (Red Bull KTM), Austrian Michael Ranseder (CBC Corse) and Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher (Degraaf Grand Prix) – were also present at the event, which included bike presentations, an autograph session and interviews with local and international media.

Afterwards the riders headed across the border to begin their final preparations for the first round since a short summer break, with the action at the Cardion AB Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno set to begin on Friday afternoon.

Lorenzo visits Spanish Riding School in Vienna

2009-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Jorge Lorenzo talked about his title battle with Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner’s three race absence on a visit to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna on Wednesday.

Fiat Yamaha’s young Spanish title hopeful Jorge Lorenzo paid a visit to the illustrious Spanish Riding School in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Wednesday, taking some time out to relax ahead of this weekend’s Cardion AB Czech Republic Grand Prix.

Visiting an institution with more than 430 years of tradition in the art of classical horsemanship with his Austrian sponsors GRIZZLY Energy Drink, Lorenzo spoke to motogp.com, with some interesting thoughts on his mind with regard to team-mate Valentino Rossi and his Ducati rival Casey Stoner.

On the temporary absence of his hitherto fellow title candidate Stoner, who misses the next three races due to health problems, Lorenzo remarked, “I felt really bad for him when I heard the news because Casey is such a talented rider and is a really brave guy. We feel for him because it’s a serious issue and we hope he’s ok. For the competition in general it’s also bad because we have one rival less and in this case it’s Casey, who always gives 100% and is always great to race against.”

Asked whether he thought the title battle was now a two-way fight between himself and Rossi, Lorenzo replied, “You never know. Dani (Pedrosa) is currently more than 70 points behind but you can not rule him out, because in this championship a thousand and one different things could happen. It looks like there are two riders with a real chance, especially Valentino, but mathematically you can’t rule anyone out.”

Looking to bounce straight back from his disappointing Donington DNF at Brno, Lorenzo also stated, “I’m really up for it, despite the crash which no-one was expecting. Perhaps it was to be expected in one sense though because the conditions were so difficult and I hit the ground because I made a mistake, but were are still in the fight for the title. Things have got more difficult, but it is not impossible.”

Long and abrasive track of Brno affects tyre choice

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Going into their eleventh Grand Prix as the single tyre suppliers in MotoGP Bridgestone are all set for the visit to the Czech Republic.

Having won at Brno for the last three years and having supplied the tyres for the top eight finishers last year in the Czech Republic Bridgestone have a great pedigree at the venue for this weekend’s round eleven action.

The Czech circuit is undulating but fairly evenly balanced, with eight right and six left hand corners. It was resurfaced in 2008 and as a result is now more abrasive, hence Bridgestone’s decision to go with hard and extra hard compound front slicks. By contrast, because of the track’s flowing nature the medium and hard compound rear Bridgestone slicks have been selected.

Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone’s Motorcycle Sport Unit Manager, previewed the visit to the Czech Republic saying, “I think we are all looking forward to going racing again after the much deserved summer break, and Brno has traditionally been a good circuit for Bridgestone as we have been very successful there in recent years, with three consecutive wins.”

He went on to say, “We have seen some fantastic races so far this season in the single tyre era, and the championship is still close at the front so I’m sure we’ll continue to see more nail-biting competition.”

Bridgestone’s Motorcycle Race Tyre Development Manager Tohru Ubukata added, “Brno has a long lap but an even balance of left and right handed corners so we will bring symmetric compound tyres again. Since it was resurfaced in 2008 Brno has become a more abrasive circuit, so we will bring harder front tyres this season to cope with the loads generated through the fast and flowing corners.”

“The circuit is characterised by its undulating nature and flowing corners that require a great deal of finesse from the riders. This also places a premium on bike setup so that each rider package can use our tyres to the optimum. This is especially crucial on the more abrasive surface where excess sliding can accelerate wear.”

Owen misfires while Valencia outshines namesakes

2009-08-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

MANCHESTER UNITED 2 - 0 VALENCIA

"Just imagine Michael Owen scoring a goal at the Stretford End," urged the relentlessly enthusiastic man on the PA. It still sounds strange, but perhaps repetition will bring a normality to it. These are surreal times at Old Trafford: directly in front of the press box, there were as many fans wearing shirts bearing David Villa's name as Owen's. One of each, to be precise.

The small matter of 158 Liverpool goals is not easily forgotten but when Owen made the slow trudge to the touchline after 63 minutes, he was greeted by generous applause. Sir Alex Ferguson's decisions rarely meet with open dissent and the same supporters who worshipped Carlos Tevez appreciated Owen's efforts, if not his finishing. His introduction to 74,311 supporters proved to be an evening with the misses. As Manchester United concluded their pre-season fixtures by defeating Valencia 2-0, the Stretford End did witness Owen bearing down on goal following a fine pass by Darren Fletcher, though imagination was required to see him scoring, the striker skewing his shot some way wide. A further effort, following a surge from Antonio Valencia, missed the other post. The majority of his opportunities actually came in front of the East Stand, not the hardcore of the United support. Owen, at least, was much more prominent than in much of his Newcastle career without resolving the debate over his recruitment: masterstroke or a sign of desperation? It is too early, of course, to make a definitive judgment, but Owen's advocates have a theory that incorporates two provisos: put Owen in a better team and he will get chances; get chances and he will score goals. On this evidence, the first is certainly true, but it doesn't necessarily lead to the latter part of the equation. Indeed, an hour at Old Trafford brought more chances than several months at St James' Park. First, he rose well to head Patrice Evra's cross over the bar. It was a reminder that, perhaps appropriately for someone who took a helicopter to training, he appeared at his most dangerous in the air at Newcastle. Next United's new-look strike-force combined. Owen and Wayne Rooney hadn't previously played a minute together in pre-season and each appears to prefer the company of Emile Heskey in an England shirt. Renewing a partnership that had seemed consigned to the past, they provided evidence of an understanding. A delightful pass from the younger man found Owen, in trademark fashion, lurking on the shoulder of the last defender. He lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, but watched it trickle past the far post. Then, following Fletcher's pass, his driven shot was much too close to Cesar Sanchez. It was his sole effort on target, watched by a typically stony-faced Fabio Capello. Ferguson was more lighthearted. "He should have scored four," he said, with a grin. "His movement was fantastic. He probably deserved at least one, particularly the first one. It was a fantastic pass from Wayne, marvellous movement and he was just unlucky."

Four goals in as many games in the Asian leg of United's pre-season may shown that Owen can prosper against lesser opposition. An unconvincing display against Bayern Munich and a profligate showing against the Spanish side cloud the picture. If Owen's evening is open to varying interpretations, another newcomer was a definite positive. Indeed, there was rare evidence of Valencia overcoming Valencia without any evidence of a self-destructive streak. Valencia - Antonio, United's new winger - provided the cross to unlock the La Liga side's defence. Rooney headed it in emphatically. A second delivery from the right flank was only palmed away as far as Tom Cleverley, accelerating in off the left wing to slot it in. "The most exciting part was Valencia's performance," added Ferguson. "I thought he was very, very good. He's got great balance and he has got power and speed. Coming to our club, he has taken the challenge well. He is playing with a lot of purpose." The visitors twice came close when Michel struck the bar with a rasping drive and Tomasz Kuszczak made a superb block to deny Miku either side of half-time. Ultimately, however, the Valencia to impress was an electric Ecuador international.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Antonio Valencia - The Ecuadorian is unlikely to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as a goalscorer, but as an out-and-out winger, he looked a worthy successor. His pace and penetration led to a series of chances.

MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: Besides Valencia, Fletcher excelled to suggest he can carry on his fine form from last season. Of the lesser-known players, Cleverley showed some neat touches while, following a nervous start, Richie de Laet overlapped effectively from right-back. Darron Gibson struck the bar and drew a fine save with his ferocious long-range shooting. VALENCIA VERDICT: Quite how a club with such debts has managed to retain the services of David Villa and David Silva is a source of bemusement. But especially in the first half, before Unai Emery made 10 changes, Valencia looked a very accomplished side, capable of qualifying for the Champions League.

De Puniet has surgery on broken ankle

2009-08-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet has broken his left ankle in a motocross training accident, but after a quick operation it is hoped that he will be fit to ride at Brno on the 14th-16th August weekend.

After Randy de Puniet’s brilliant ride to a surprise podium in MotoGP’s farewell to Donington Park at the British Grand Prix – where he finished in third place behind Andrea Dovizioso and Colin Edwards – the Frenchman has suffered a setback in a private training accident.

Undertaking a summer fitness programme De Puniet was participating in a motocross session last Saturday afternoon with his personal trainer Yves Demaria (a former motocross rider) in Aix en Provence, when he crashed on entering a corner, hitting his left leg heavily.

The 28 year-old was taken straight to hospital and x-rays showed a fracture of the left ankle. After a quick surgery to insert a screw into his ankle De Puniet left hospital on Monday and will meet Clinica Mobile staff in the next few days to organise his rehabilitation. Hopefully we will be racing in Brno in less than two weeks’ time.

De Puniet stated, “Yves and I have a specific training programme to improve my performance on track this year. This programme has helped me a lot so far and through the summer break I didn’t want to stop training. So we went out to do a short motocross session, but unfortunately I had a fall and the impact on the ground caused a fracture of the left ankle.”

“I am very disappointed about this setback but training is very important for me in order to be in good shape in MotoGP. I will do my best to race in Brno and I am sure that the Clinica Mobile staff will support me in the best way.”

Stoner and Hayden stand by British GP tyre gamble

2009-07-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Ducati Marlboro riders pay the price for running wet weather tyres.

What could have been the tactical masterstroke of the season ended up being a gamble that didn’t pay off for Ducati Marlboro at Donington. The decision to run wet tyres for the British Grand Prix appeared to make some degree of sense -Casey Stoner had topped the wet morning warmup session and Nicky Hayden had been in good form- although in practice the track was not sufficiently sodden for the move.

"Everybody knows I’ve been struggling for the last few races in the dry so I was praying for the rain to come today,” said Stoner after the race, in which he placed fourteenth and suffered the indignity of being lapped at the track where he had twice won MotoGP rounds. “Every single lap we were out there it threatened to pour down and we were very close to having the perfect situation. Unfortunately, even though it got heavier, it didn’t come soon enough and our tyres were destroyed so it ended up being the wrong decision.

“For us, in our current situation, I still think it was a risk worth taking because it could have worked out fantastically but obviously we’re disappointed it didn’t,” he added, sticking by the choice.

Fifteenth-placed Hayden had less to lose than his teammate, with no title challenge on which to focus. He was slightly less convinced as to whether to run the wet tyre risk, but in the end made the final call –despite having been informed that every other rider on the grid would be on slicks.

“We agreed on it together with the team but it was my shout, I thought ‘let’s try and be a hero here!’ The tyre was pretty much destroyed after seven or eight laps but there was no point coming in to pit and it came apart five laps from the end. To be honest it’s amazing how it held together for that long! I don’t want to say it was a mistake; it was just a gamble that didn’t pay off and we’ll learn from it,” lamented the American.

The brave decision had come after the initial sighting lap, during which both riders had expressed concerns over a lack of grip.

*motogp.com

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2009-07-26T21:16:00.001-07:00

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Mixed fortunes for Fiat Yamaha duo

2009-07-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Title chasers Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo had an eventful day at Donington on Sunday, Rossi emerging with the title advantage.

A mixed day for the factory Yamaha team at the British Grand Prix saw Valentino Rossi ride his luck - to pick up his M1 from a midrace crash to come home fifth - and extend his World Championship lead, whilst his title rival and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo spectacularly crashed out of the race lead.

Describing the slippery conditions and how he was able to remount and fight his way through the field to secure fifth place on the last lap as he overtook home rider James Toseland, having earlier led the race for several laps, Rossi said, “Once Jorge had crashed I was riding to win, as is always my style. In hindsight maybe I should have let Andrea Dovizioso pass me for a while but it was difficult to judge in such strange conditions.”

Rossi continued, “Riding in the rain with slick tyres is always a risk and it was quite slippery, the turns on the left were all wet which made the left side of the tyre cold and that’s why I crashed. After that we made a great recovery, I chose to remain with slick tyres despite the rain and the result was eleven points, which are like gold dust for us because we have extended the lead despite what happened here and we’re going on holiday with a good advantage over our rivals.”

For Lorenzo, meanwhile, his second DNF of the year was a bitter pill to swallow as he touched the white line in the last corner and went down on lap nine. He stated, “I got a good start and the first few laps went well, I was feeling quite comfortable in the lead. Unfortunately on the final corner of the ninth lap I made a small mistake, got my line wrong and touched the white line and there was nothing I could do; it was very slippery. I was okay and wanted to carry on but my bike was too badly damaged.”

“Of course I’m sad and disappointed but this is racing and these feelings don’t help, you just have to learn from a mistake like this and look forwards. Valentino was lucky that he could continue after his crash, but it wasn’t our day. I am going to enjoy the break now despite this and take the chance to do plenty of training so we can come back at full strength in Brno.”

*motogp.com

Dovizioso win “harder after Rossi crash”

2009-07-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Italian racewinner relied on series leader for early lines.

Dovizioso delighted with Donington win

A maiden win for Andrea Dovizioso in the premier class could not have come at a better time for the Italian. Following three races without claiming World Championship points, a month in which speculation about his future has been debated and some tough times chasing a first podium as a Repsol Honda rider, the sophomore star gave an assured display when some of the more experienced names in MotoGP fell foul of the Donington Park conditions.

The first new MotoGP racewinner since last year’s Portuguese round (won by persistent 250cc rival Jorge Lorenzo) Dovizioso now has a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. However, whilst he may have looked confident when leading the British Grand Prix, things were still tough for ‘Dovi’ on Sunday afternoon.

“This race was very difficult. With these conditions the temperature of the tyres was too low, and the light rainfall for the whole race meant that it was probably the worst scenario for riding on this tyre. We couldn’t change the bikes either, so it was really difficult to manage,” said the Honda factory rider after an ecstatic celebration on the podium. He had led the race since lap nineteen, when reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi went in too hot on the Fogarty Esses, but the lack of a close rival actually made the final eleven laps harder for the eventual winner.

“Before Valentino crashed it was easy, because I just followed him; after that I needed to understand the track better,” he explained. “Wearing a light visor also meant that I couldn’t see clearly which lines were the driest.At the end Randy (De Puniet) and Colin (Edwards) were riding at 100% and catching me, which was difficult to manage. I think maybe for the last two laps I was pushing so hard that they couldn’t risk reaching me.”

And has the win changed Dovizioso’s goals for the year? Not exactly. Speaking pragmatically, he declared that “Today wasn’t a normal situation, so we still have to understand how we can use all the potential of the package. We still need to find some solutions.”

Tottenham draw with Barcelona

2009-07-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Eurosport - Fri, 24 Jul 22:10:00 2009

Tottenham held an under-strength Barcelona side to a 1-1 draw while Celtic thrashed Al Ahly 5-0 on the opening day of the Wembley Cup.

Striker Bojan Krkic gave Barca the lead but Jake Livermore levelled with eight minutes to go in a match devalued by Pep Guardiola's decision to field a second-string side before bringing on a bench of reserve team players at half-time.

Spurs started better than the Spanish and European champions and on 12 minutes the impressive Aaron Lennon tested their defence with a turn of pace and dangerous cross that skimmed Jermaine Defoe's head and fell to Luka Modric, whose shot was blocked.

But Los Cules soon got a grip on the game, going close with a Bojan chip on 17 minutes and, three minutes later, a wicked low drive by Pedro that Carlo Cudicini tipped behind for a corner.

They took the lead on 32 minutes when Spain U21 striker Bojan drilled in from close range, but the goal belonged to midfielder Yaya Toure.

The brother of Arsenal defender Kolo picked up the ball on halfway and ran through the entire Spurs midfield and defence before a lunging tackle from Tom Huddlestone prevented him from finishing. Bojan, however, was there to fulfil his poacher's role and finished off in style.

Spurs almost equalised soon afterwards when Modric hammered a drive off the bar and, seconds later, Benoit Assou-Ekotto forced a smart stop from Albert Jorquera.

The treble-winning Catalans went into the break 1-0 up but wholesale changes at half-time allowed Spurs back into the match.

Huddlestone saw a low drive deflected wide and, while Barca should have had a second when Jeffren was sent clean through, but he fired at substitute keeper Heurelho Gomes and Spurs regained control.

They almost grabbed an equaliser but replacement keeper Jose Manuel Pinto made a smart double save as substitute Robbie Keane attempted to convert Lennon's low cross.

They got the leveller through the unlikely source of Livermore who, only a few minutes after coming on as a sub, nodded in Pascal Chimbonda's deep cross after a short corner routine involving Robbie Keane, who made a cameo from the bench.

Spurs pushed for a winner but the young Barca held on for a draw that leaves Celtic top of the standings in the mini-tournament after their 5-0 thrashing of Al Ahly.

Scott McDonald scored twice as the Hoops warmed up for their Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Moscow by thrashing the African champions.

Tony Mowbray's side face Dinamo in the first leg at Parkhead and the Russians will have to mark special plans to stop Australia striker McDonald after a dynamic display in the opening match of the pre-season tournament.

After Italian midfielder Massimo Donati opened the scoring, McDonald won and scored the first half penalty that put Celtic in control.

Shaun Maloney added a third after the break before McDonald struck again with a superb effort and New Zealand striker Chris Killen completed the rout late on.

A 15-minute cameo from England U21 defender Daniel Fox, signed from Coventry just hours earlier, gave former West Brom boss Mowbray further cause for optimism heading into his first season at Parkhead.

Celtic are back at Wembley on Sunday when they face Tottenham.

The Hoops were on top from the start. McDonald went close twice in quick succession before new signing Marc-Antoine Fortune hit the bar and Maloney struck the post from the rebound.

Celtic eased ahead in the 31st minute after some woeful defending from right-back Ahmed Ali allowed Donati to jink into the penalty area, round keeper Amir Abdel Hameed and produce a cool finish.

Mowbray's men increased their lead in the 39th minute after McDonald, running onto Aiden McGeady's pass, was brought down in the penalty area by Abdel Hameed. He dusted himself down and squeezed home the spot-kick via a post.

Maloney put the result beyond doubt four minutes after half-time when he drove in a clever near-post shot that left Abdel Hameed rooted to the spot.

It got even worse for Al Ahly as McDonald claimed his second goal with a curling strike in the 59th minute before Killen tapped home after 83 minutes.

Hossam El-Badry, the first Egyptian to take charge of Al Ahly for 17 years, could take nothing from his team's half-hearted effort and he has plenty to work on before the Cairo club begin their bid for a sixth successive Egyptian championship.

Eurosport / AFP

Friday analysis - close weather and even closer times

2009-07-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 22.554s P3/1m 22.079s P1
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 22.278s P1/1m 22.126s P2
Nobody here really expects to challenge for victory on Sunday, but the performance of the aerodynamically improved MP4-24 brought big smiles to McLaren faces as Kovalainen headed the morning practice session and Hamilton the afternoon's. The car is better, for sure, but Hamilton said it still does not get out of corners as well as the Red Bulls and Brawns.

Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 22.337s P2/1m 22.154s P3
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 22.619s P5/1m 22.426s P5
Both drivers were models of consistency, with Rosberg second and third fastest in the two sessions and Nakajima fifth in each. The latter was quite happy, but the former said he still wanted to do some more work before he would be completely satisfied with his FW31.

Red Bull
Mark Webber, 1m 22.615s P4/1m 22.369s P4
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 23.283s P15/1m 22.550s P6
Webber was quite happy with his RB5, apart from a hydraulic problem at the end of the day. Vettel wasn’t 100 percent happy with his car’s balance.

Brawn
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 23.209s P13/1m 22.641s P7
Jenson Button, 1m 23.130s P10/1m 22.806s P13
Button said this was a better Friday for Brawn than the last two and seemed content with the team’s aerodynamic improvements. Barrichello spent most of his time evaluating the prime tyre. No doubt they have kept some of their powder dry here for Saturday.

Toyota
Jarno Trulli, 1m 22.703s P6/1m 22.663s P8
Timo Glock, 1m 23.234s P14/1m 22.731s P10
Trulli was quick when he could get going, but he lost valuable time in the afternoon when his TF109 was delayed by an electrical glitch. Glock reported that his car felt better in the afternoon as the grip level rose when the track rubbered in.

BMW Sauber
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 23.164s P12/1m 22.690s P9
Robert Kubica, 1m 23.146s P11/1m 22.870s P14
Modifications helped to make the F1.09s look more respectable in Hungary and Heidfeld said they had made progress. But he didn’t like the balance of his car, either on single lap runs or in distance simulations. Kubica was happier with his in the morning.

Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 22.796s P7/1m 22.763s P11
Felipe Massa, 1m 22.855s P8/1m 23.156s P18
Raikkonen reported that his F60 wasn’t bad, and that managing the Bridgestone super soft tyre was easier here than it has been thus far this season. Massa was unhappy, struggling for grip on the prime tyres and then damaging the rear suspension after a bumpy off in the afternoon.

Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 23.001 P9/1m 22.793s P12
Nelson Piquet, 1m 23.678s P17/1m 22.927s P15
Alonso said he had a normal day, but that it was tough keeping abreast of changing track conditions. Piquet spent time getting used to the effect of the new parts that Alonso already used in Germany.

Force India
Adrian Sutil, 1m 23.845s P18/1m 22.978s P16
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 23.484s P16/1m 23.029s P17
Sutil said he had a tough day with low grip that was a mixture of oversteer and understeer depending on the characteristic of the corner. Fisichella said his programme went reasonably well, apart from flat-spotting a tyre in traffic.

Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, 1m 23.998s P19/1m 23.176s P19
Jaime Alguersuari, 1m 24.228 P20/1m 23.942s P20
Buemi found that the aero updates to his STR4 did not perform a magic trick and spent his day honing the balance as he learned more about the car’s new behaviour. New boy Alguersuari kept himself to himself, didn’t get in anyone’s way and did a fine job in his first experience of lapping a Formula One car as opposed to doing straight-line aero tests.

Elías and De Angelis hoping for dry Saturday

2009-07-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Friday, 24 July 2009

Both San Carlo Honda Gresini riders look for improvements after wet-dry Friday run.

Toni Elias and Alex De Angelis were able to test their rain setting on a fully wet circuit at the start of the session following a heavy lunchtime storm but as the track dried it became more and more difficult to find a usefull configuration and tyre combination.

Toni Elias -9th

“In the wet we have to improve in a few areas but I’m sure we’ll get plenty of opportunity this weekend to do that and I am convinced we can make massive improvements because the changes we need to make are pretty obvious ones. In the dry the conditions were really difficult. In the end ninth place isn’t good or bad, it is normal. We’re not far off but it was tricky today – it was just a case of doing what you could when you were out on track. Hopefully tomorrow it stays dry all day so that we can get plenty of laps in but if it doesn’t it will be the same situation for everybody.”

Alex De Angelis -17th

“In the end it was almost completely dry so I decided to come back to my box because there was no useful data to be obtained and we’d just have been out there destroying tyres, which is pointless. On my first two runs, which were in fully wet conditions, I was consistently between fifth and eighth place on the time sheets so that is good. We made some changes to the front and rear to try and find more grip because this circuit in particular is slippery when wet. We solved some things on the front but not so much on the rear so that’s what we’ll be working on tomorrow if it’s wet again. Hopefully it isn’t though because I think we all want it to be dry!”

*motogp.com

Stoner pleased to get wet track time

2009-07-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Friday, 24 July 2009

Casey Stoner was second fastest on Friday at Donington in mixed conditions as the British Grand Prix got underway.

Some typically changeable weather provided a challenge for the MotoGP riders on the opening day of practice for the last ever visit to Donington, with the 2007 and 2008 British Grand Prix winner Casey Stoner dealing well with the wet and wet-dry conditions.

A mixture of sunshine and rain made it tough going on track but Stoner was not distracted as he lapped second quickest overall, just 0.245s behind pacesetter Dani Pedrosa, even though he only put in 17 laps.

“It was good to be able to test the wet setting today because we’ve struggled with it a little this year and we need time to work out the best solution,” Stoner commented. “We’re still far from it at the moment but it felt quite good and we have a good base to work from now.”

The Aussie youngster added, “Once we got some laps under our belt in the wet I decided to sit the rest of the session out because even though the track was drying it was very slippery and it would be foolish for us to risk an unnecessary crash on the first day of an important weekend. Hopefully we’ll get a couple of sessions in the dry tomorrow and ideally, from our point of view, we’d like it to be cool.”

*motogp.com

European Transfer News: Real Madrid still after Xabi Alonso, the latest on John Terry

2009-07-22T14:52:00.001-07:00

By Jonathon Feyerherm

Here’s the latest European Transfer News that included Real Madrids pursuit of Liverpool star Xabi Alonso and the latest on John Terry and Manchester City’s bid at the Chelsea captain.

Real Madrid still after Xabi Alonso - Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has reaffirmed his club’s interest in Liverpool midfielderXabi Alonso yet reports suggest there could be other clubs interested in buying the Spanish international.

Pellegrini wants to add Alonso to his big-name arrivals.

Sources in Spain insist that both Chelsea and Manchester City have been in touch with Alonso’s agent to enquire about the current situation.

So far Madrid have refused to meet the asking price of around £30m. Pellegrini said in an interview with Sky Sports from Real’s Irish training camp: “Alonso is a very good player, but I do not know now what is going to happen. He is a Liverpool player, but we will see what happens in the future.

“He is a player that I like, but I cannot speak about players who are not at Real Madrid now.”

Benitez has declined to be drawn on the issue after arriving in Bangkok earlier this week, other than to say that the player was available for selection the club’s friendly against Thailand.

Alonso, who has previously spoken on his interest in the Real Madrid “project” hopes to discuss the situation with Benitez while Liverpool are on their Far East tour, with a further game in Singapore on Sunday before they fly home to the UK.

Madrid are likely to wait until then before re-opening negotiations, with Benitez intent on holding out for the £30million he wants to reinvest in the transfer market. – ESPNSoccerNet.com

The Latest On John Terry - Carlo Ancelotti has vowed John Terry’s Chelsea future will be settled within a week.

The Blues boss is determined to keep Terry at Stamford Bridge, despite a huge offer on the table from Manchester City.

Mark Hughes wants to take the England captain to Eastlands in a deal that could be worth up to £40m, but Ancelotti has now enlisted owner Roman Ambramovich to help persuade Terry to stay at Stamford Bridge for the rest of his career.

And the Italian has promised a resolution in the next seven days. Ancelotti said: “For John it is not a distraction this question because he is very concentrated and focused. I think that in one week nobody will have a problem about John Terry.

“John wants to stay in Chelsea and Chelsea want john terry to be captain for more years. It is normal other teams want him because he is a great player and all teams want to buy a great player.

“These are normal questions but he stays in the same team because he is a captain for Chelsea, it is impossible to sell John Terry. There is no problem with Manchester City. If Manchester City want to improve and buy the best players.

“Paolo Maldini never thinks to go away from Milan, and I think John Terry also thinks this. Loyalty is very important because Terry like Ashley Cole, Lampard, Drogba is a very important player.

“Not only as players but as men, they are great men and they present an example for other players. This is very important for the club.”

German midfielder Michael Ballack will miss Tuesday’s friendly with Inter Milan and ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho who faces his former club for the first time.

Ballack has a toe injury and the rest of his tour is in doubt. – ESPNSoccerNet.com

Last walk in the park as MotoGP makes Donington swansong

2009-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

British Grand Prix takes place this weekend with honour on the line.

This Sunday sees the end of an era in the MotoGP World Championship, as the series makes its final visit to Donington Park for the British Grand Prix. The venue has played host to some classic races in all classes and, with competition at a breathtaking level in 2009, expect another thriller on Sunday 26th July.

World Championship leader Valentino Rossi has his own fond memories of Donington Park, the scene of his first premier class victory back in 2000. He hasn’t won at the track since 2005, but is undoubtedly capable of ending the drought in front of a crowd that have always been heavily behind the six-time MotoGP World Champion.

Rossi holds a fourteen point advantage at the head of the standings, adding a fourth win to his 2009 tally with victory in Germany just days ago. His principal challenge so far this year has been Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, whom he ousted for the triumph in Sachsenring by just 0.099. Lorenzo has won once at Donington Park, in the 2006 250cc race, and placed sixth at the track last year, although previous form counts for little when talking about the flying Spaniard on a run of six consecutive podium finishes.

A further fourteen points separates Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner from the head of the overall classification. The Australian is still out of sorts with a mystery illness, but has kept up his title challenge with some gritty performances over the past month. Off the podium for the past two races in the 2009 season, a return to Donington Park gives Stoner the chance to win his third Grand Prix in as many years on British soil –however much he might dislike the track.

Dani Pedrosa’s bid for the MotoGP crown has picked up as his own physical problems have healed, but the Repsol Honda man is still very much the outside bet of the top four. He needs to pull back forty points just to catch up with third-placed Stoner. Pedrosa’s last win in Britain came back in his rookie season of 2006, riding the 990cc RC211V.

The British Grand Prix is a home race for James Toseland, who has double motivation to get a good result on race day. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider is racing for his future in the MotoGP World Championship, and also has some demons to put to bed following his first lap crash at last year’s race on the Derbyshire-Leicestershire border. Toseland won both 2007 races at Donington in superbike competition.

Although Marco Melandri has since relocated to Italy, the former MotoGP World Championship runner-up can also count this weekend’s round as a home race. He spent a handful of years living just a stone’s throw from the track before the start of this year. He is currently sixth in the standings, behind Toseland’s teammate Colin Edwards.

The British Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 26th July, with practice sessions beginning the preceding Friday.

*motogp.com

Aspar closing in on Ducati MotoGP deal

2009-07-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

New project could be announced as soon as this weekend.

One of the MotoGP World Championship’s longest running sagas could come to an end as early as this weekend, as Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’ looks to finalise an arrangement to move his successful lower cylinder category project up to the premier class.

The Spaniard is moving ahead with a potential deal with Ducati to run a satellite team in 2010, explaining to motogp.com at Sachsenring that “the idea is to work with Ducati and we are going forward with this plan. We have to tie up the last few details –the matter of the rider more than anything- and hope to be able to announce something at Donington at the latest.”

Whilst current Aspar 250cc star Álvaro Bautista would be the logical choice and hot favourite for the spot in the new team, his name has not yet been confirmed by either party. The quarter-litre title contender is, however, looking to progress to 800cc competition having engaged in talks with a number of premier class managers.

Aspar expressed his interest in a MotoGP ascension last year, negotiating to run satellite squads for both Yamaha and Suzuki in addition to links with a third Kawasaki bike.

*motogp.com

Hungarian Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes

2009-07-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

With a distinct absence of high-speed corners and the expectation of hot summer temperatures, the Hungaroring is a unique and demanding challenge. And as Budapest beckons, the drivers and senior team members discuss their prospects for the race...

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 7th
"I enjoy visiting Budapest, and the Hungarian Grand Prix is an enjoyable one for me. The Hungaroring is a challenging track from a driver's perspective because it is very narrow with a lot of corners, even though it is quite a short lap. It might not be one of the fastest tracks on the calendar but it is actually good fun to drive, although you have to keep your concentration because you get punished badly by going off line. It is very close among several teams at the moment so it is difficult to predict what will happen in Hungary but if we can do a smooth weekend with no problems then we will be competitive. The last race weekend was very frustrating for me because we had a lot more performance than the result showed but we are all determined to make up for that with a good points finish in Hungary."

Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 2nd
"Obviously Hungary is a special race in my career after the podium there last season. That was the first of several strong points finishes for me and I hope another competitive weekend there can get the ball rolling again this year. I am in a positive mood and optimistic I can score again. It was disappointing to just miss the points at the last race, especially in front of my home fans, but I made up 11 places after starting from the pit lane so we have the potential to finish much higher. One of my targets this weekend will be to get a perfect lap in qualifying because that has been an issue in the last couple of races for various reasons. Lap times are really close this year so if you are a tenth or two off your maximum pace in qualifying you can drop a few positions and that makes life harder in the race. We'll be pushing as hard as possible and I am sure we will bounce back."

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager chassis:
"We are looking forward with optimism to the Hungarian Grand Prix. Even though the Hungaroring is a low average speed circuit it consists mainly of medium-speed corners with very few really slow corners, but still you need plenty of downforce. The track is quite hard on brakes, which is demanding in terms of braking stability and cooling. Also, tyre grip and consistency management can be a challenge because the track surface and lay-out are very specific; it is low grip with high cornering severity. That created a risk that the hard specifications would struggle for grip while the soft specs could suffer severe graining but Bridgestone has reacted so we will use the soft and super soft tyre to avoid that situation. We are likely to face high ambient temperatures this weekend but the cooling efficiency of our car is very good so we can cope with these conditions without degrading the aerodynamic performance."

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 3rd
“Traditionally this is some sort of a home race for us Finns, because there are so many fellow countrymen on the grandstands. I’ll show up with a new rear wing, which worked really well on Felipe’s car and there’s the possibility that we’ll have further modifications. The F60 should run pretty well at the Hungaroring with its many slow corners; furthermore the temperatures should be slightly higher than at the weekend in Germany: it would be great to gain another podium.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 17th
“I haven’t got very good results at this race but that doesn’t mean I don’t race well there: if you remember last year I had the win in my pocket, but then my engine unfortunately let me down with just two laps to go. It’s a nice circuit to drive even if it’s not really one of my favourites, but ask me how we will get on in this race and to be honest I really don’t know. I hope we can carry on making improvements to our package, carrying on in the same direction as in Germany.”

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Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 5th
“The Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits for drivers because you’re busy throughout the entire lap. It’s a bit like a kart circuit - there are lots of twists and turns and the only place to relax is along the start/finish straight, which is quite short. It’s also quite low-grip which makes overtaking particularly tricky. But I really enjoy the place - I won here in 2007 and was on pole last year. It’s a circuit that really rewards consistent, precise driving - push too hard and you tend to lose rather than gain time. Given the potential we showed in Germany last weekend, I’m hopeful of getting a result that demonstrates the improvement we’ve made over the past few weeks.”

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 1st
“Obviously, I won in Hungary in 2008 so it will be nice to come back to Budapest again. This race is likely to be won or lost in qualifying: you’ve got to be at the front and run an aggressive first stint if you are to succeed in the race. The track is also quite hard on tyres so you need to find a balance that will allow you to look after your rubber until the finish - the softer rubber, in particular, tends to suffer at the end of the race so you have to be careful. I’m really looking to running the team’s new upgrade package this weekend. I had a strong weekend at the Nurburgring and I didn’t let a single car past me in the race - with the improved car I’m really hopeful of getting another strong result at the Hungaroring.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“While Lewis demonstrated during practice and qualifying at the Nurburgring that our upgrade package appears to provide us with a sizeable step forward in performance, it was frustrating that damage to the rear bodywork left us unable to fully ascertain that benefit in the race itself. For Budapest, both Lewis and Heikki will be equipped with the new package and we are hopeful that it will enable us to mount a more sustained attack towards the front of the field. The Hungaroring is a circuit where we as a team have enjoyed many successes in the past and we travel there this weekend hoping to provide concrete evidence that we’re decisively turning our fortunes around for the remainder of the season.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
"The Grand Prix circuit just outside Budapest is, after Monaco, the one with the lowest average speed. The layout, consisting of more slower corners, where mechanical grip is especially important, should suit us quite well - as demonstrated already in Monaco. However, I currently would consider our technical performance still not good enough to repeat last year’s victory with Heikki - but in any case we at least have been in the lead for a few metres at the Nurburgring - until Lewis’s right-rear tyre was hit which caused a deflated tyre, damaging the underfloor - which prevented Lewis later from achieving good lap times. Everybody in the team is giving it their all to continue the upward trend with both cars.”

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 4th, 2008 Race - 8th
“Hungary is a very special Grand Prix for me. In 2006 I made my debut there, and there are always a lot of Polish fans as Budapest is quite close to Poland. Last year was amazing - it was like being in Poland. The Hungaroring is very special, tricky and physically demanding. Driving the main straight is the only time you can recover. Almost over the entire track you leave one corner and immediately approach the next. Beyond that, it is very hot in Hungary, which makes it demanding for the driver and the tyres. As a lot of corners are quite bumpy, the car’s balance will be another crucial factor.”

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 15th, 2008 Race - 10th
“I’m very fond of the Hungaroring. The track suits me and I also have some good memories of racing there and achieving good results in the past. It was in Hungary in 1999 that I secured an early championship title in Formula 3000, and in 2006 and 2007 I was on the podium for BMW Sauber. We can generally expect high air temperatures in Hungary. That doesn’t bother me from a physical point of view, although the races on this twisty circuit are always exhausting, and it could help us get the tyres into the temperature window to work well. One drawback in terms of grip, especially at the start of the weekend, is always the dust that blows onto the track from the surrounding landscape.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director
“This year our team heads for the Hungarian Grand Prix with muted expectations. So far our car just hasn’t been fast enough for any top placings. We are nevertheless working flat-out on ongoing development of the F1.09 - for two reasons. This year’s new aerodynamic regulations will remain the same for next season. What we are learning from our present car will flow virtually 1:1 into the concept for the F1.10. Besides that, under the test ban in force, the race weekend offers the only chance to track-test new developments and components. It’s an opportunity that has to be utilised. Beyond that, we naturally want to prove to our fans and, not least, to ourselves that we are also capable of reversing a deficit.”

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
“After Monaco, the Hungaroring has the second-lowest average speed of all the Formula One circuits. The mainly slow and medium-fast corners follow in quick succession and the start/finish straight is relatively short. Because dust continually blows onto the track, grip levels tend to be low at the beginning of each of the practice sessions, which can lead to understeer. For the car set-up the focus is primarily on the middle sector with its variety of corner combinations. Another factor that has to be taken into account is that the rear tyres come under heavy loads during the race. Air and track temperatures are traditionally very high in Hungary, which should favour the optimal use of tyres.”

Fernando Alonso, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 4th
"The memories of my win in 2003 in Hungary are very special as it was also Renault's first victory since returning to Formula One and it gave the whole team a lot of motivation and self-belief. I always enjoy visiting Budapest as it's a beautiful city, the people are friendly and there is usually a relaxed atmosphere in the paddock as everybody is looking forward to their summer holidays. It's one of the slowest tracks of the season and you are almost constantly in a corner so the track is quite demanding mentally and physically, especially with the high temperatures. With so many low-speed corners you need a stable front end because if you understeer wide it will cost you a lot of time. Good traction and mechanical grip are also important to get a clean exit from the slow corners. Overtaking is really difficult and the only real opportunity is into turn one at the end of the main straight, so it's important that we maximise our performance in qualifying so we can start the race well inside the top ten.”

Nelson Piquet, Renault
2008 Qualifying - 10th, 2008 Race - 6th
“I enjoyed Hungary last year and it was probably one of my best races as I finished sixth. It's also a circuit where I won in GP2. Although there are no quick corners, it's a fun place to drive and the twisty layout makes it feel like a go-kart track. It's still quite challenging and you have to find the rhythm of the circuit and be accurate through the slow corners as the exit of one corner is the entry to the next. Any mistakes therefore cost you a lot of time. I should have the same upgrades as Fernando in Hungary and I think I can be more competitive. As always I will be aiming to qualify in the top ten and hopefully score some points in the race. Qualifying will be vital as it's so tough to overtake at the Hungaroring because the braking zones are small and it's very dirty offline, so it's important that we concentrate on getting the most from Saturday.”

Bob Bell, Renault technical director
“In Germany we only had the new updates on Fernando's car, but next weekend Nelson will have the same upgrades as Fernando. There will also be some more bodywork updates that should take us another step further forward. Hungary will also give us more time to optimise all the previous upgrades in terms of car set-up, so I expect to see further benefits coming from the upgrade package we introduced in Germany. The problems we have been experiencing with the car in the first half of the year have not been related to specific circuit characteristics and are more general as we were lacking a little bit of performance in all areas of the car. To some extent those deficiencies have been corrected by the recent upgrades and so there's no reason why we can't produce a similar level of performance in Hungary as we did in Germany. The Hungaroring is also a circuit Fernando enjoys and has always gone well at so I think he can be competitive again.”

Horner: Vettel and Webber to get equal treatment

2009-07-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Following his German Grand Prix success, Mark Webber is closer than ever to Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel, both in terms of performance and world championship points. Webber is third in the standings on 45.5 to second-placed Vettel’s 47.

But while championship leader Jenson Button may hope to gain from the Red Bull duo taking points off each other, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists the team won’t favour one driver unless a clear title favourite emerges.

“We will continue to support both drivers equally,” Horner told Red Bull’s official website. “There’s only a point and a half between them, so obviously they are both in contention for the drivers’ championship. There’s a long way to go to catch up with Jenson Button.

“If and when we reach a point where there is a significant gap, or it becomes mathematically impossible for one of them to challenge for the championship, then they are both team players and one of them will play a supporting role should it be required. Our intention is to see both of them catch the lead Brawn as quickly as possible."

Following his German Grand Prix success, Mark Webber is closer than ever to Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel, both in terms of performance and world championship points. Webber is third in the standings on 45.5 to second-placed Vettel’s 47.

But while championship leader Jenson Button may hope to gain from the Red Bull duo taking points off each other, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists the team won’t favour one driver unless a clear title favourite emerges.

“We will continue to support both drivers equally,” Horner told Red Bull’s official website. “There’s only a point and a half between them, so obviously they are both in contention for the drivers’ championship. There’s a long way to go to catch up with Jenson Button.

“If and when we reach a point where there is a significant gap, or it becomes mathematically impossible for one of them to challenge for the championship, then they are both team players and one of them will play a supporting role should it be required. Our intention is to see both of them catch the lead Brawn as quickly as possible."

Indeed, rather than worrying about how evenly matched his drivers are, Horner is proud of what he considers to be the best pairing on the current Formula One grid, especially now that Webber appears to have bounced back from the broken leg he sustained during a pre-season cycling accident.

“Our drivers are both at the top of their game at different stages in their career and they are pushing one another very hard,” he concluded. “I think we’ve got the best driver line-up in F1 at the moment. I think it’s only now we are seeing Mark at the level of fitness he was at prior to his injury and his recent results show he is absolutely on the form of his life.

“Sebastian is undoubtedly a star in the making. He shows remarkable maturity, given his lack of experience. He is a prodigious talent who will continue to get better. The best is yet to come from him. Both men are being treated with total fairness within the team and are supplied with identical equipment."

Webber and Vettel will be back in action for the team at next weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, which will take place at Budapest’s Hungaroring from July 24-26.

Alguersuari to race for Toro Rosso

2009-07-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

At 19, the Spaniard will become the youngest-ever driver in the 59-year history of the Formula One world championship when he takes to the track at Budapest’s Hungaroring.

“I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula One,” he said. “Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid.

“I am aware that I’m facing a very tough challenge, because coming into Formula One is never easy, coming into Formula One in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult. But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers.”

Toro Rosso have announced that Red Bull reserve driver Jaime Alguersuari will race for the team at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix and for the rest of the 2009 season. Alguersuari replaces Sebastien Bourdais, who parted company with the Italian squad last week.

Born in Barcelona, Alguersuari is the reigning British Formula Three champion and was competing in the World Series by Renault championship this year before being called on to make his Formula One debut.

Over the past few years he as made his way through the ranks of Red Bull’s young driver programme and, as a result, already knows Sebastien Buemi, his new team mate at Toro Rosso, well.

Explaining his choice of driver, team principal Franz Tost said: “Red Bull’s stated aim for Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its young driver programme. We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.

“I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban. But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge. I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula One environment.”

Rooney backs Owen to shine

2009-07-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney reckons Michael Owen will have a new lease of life at Manchester United.

Owen's career appeared to be heading for the buffers until Sir Alex Ferguson stepped in with the offer of a two-year contract which could turn out to be one of the Scot's masterstrokes.

And Rooney believes his international colleague is ready to explode again after scoring on his debut against a Malaysia Select XI.

Rooney said: "He looked really sharp in training. He is working very hard and you could see by the way all the lads celebrated with him how pleased they were for him when he scored. This move will give him a new lease of life.

"Over the last couple of years Michael has had some criticism but it would have been difficult for any player to score in the Newcastle team he was in last season."

Rooney opened United's account with a tap-in on Saturday and then set Nani up for their second.

And if one man is going to profit from Cristiano Ronaldo's world record £80m exit, it is surely Rooney given he can now abandon his station on the wing and resume a forward role in which Fabio Capello feels he has few peers in the world game.

"We haven't spoken about it but I am sure that is where I'll play," he said. "Everyone knows it's my best position. I enjoy it more than being out on the flanks - it's less work and you get more chances to score. As a forward that's what you want."

Talmacsi takes first MotoGP points in Sachsenring

2009-07-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

Monday, 20 July 2009

Hungarian writes name in MotoGP history books despite tyre issue.

Four races into his MotoGP career, Gabor Talmacsi took his first premier class point at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on Sunday. Fifteenth in Germany made the Hungarian the first rider from his country to put his name on the MotoGP scoreboard, and historic achievement that has not satiated his desire for bigger and better things before the end of the year.

"I got my first point in MotoGP, today and I'm happy for that,” said the former 125cc World Champion. “It is something that will stay in my record. Nevertheless, we want to progress more.”

Like factory Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, Talmacsi needed to ride around front tyre deterioration over the course of the 30-lap race. A problem encountered already at a few races, the 28 year-old dealt with the issue as well as anyone has so far in 2009, despite his limited 800cc experience.

“Maybe I overrode, but I had some problems with the front tyre, and from a certain moment on I could not keep in contact with my group,” he revealed after the Sachsenring round, in which he was lapped on the final time around the track by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. “I tried to find a good rhythm and go as fast as I could. I'm confident: we all have the same target: to fight for good positions. We have simply to work hard.”

Talmacsi has, save for his DNF at Laguna Seca two weeks ago, improved his placing at every MotoGP race in which he has competed.

*motogp.com

Elías explains ‘zero to hero’ Sachsenring performance

2009-07-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Monday, 20 July 2009

Spaniard goes from sixteenth to sixth in first third of German round.

Toni Eliás’ efforts in the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland went almost unnoticed as the action heated up at the front of the race, but by the end of the thirty laps he had put in a performance as impressive as anything that was occurring in the fight for the win.

The Spaniard had crashed in qualifying for the Sachsenring race, and was unable to clock a time that would give him anything higher than the last spot on the grid. That was in the wet, and with a dry track on Sunday Elías was able to overtake nine riders in the opening ten laps to turn his situation around.

”I was expecting a fight for a top ten finish, to be honest,” revealed the surprised San Carlo Honda Gresini rider, who came up through the field for sixth place. “I ended up doing much better than I could have imagined!”

Adding to the steep difficulty level of the race was the fact that Elías had been ill in the days prior to the race, in addition to the toughness of rival Marco Melandri. Both these factors coincided in a nervous moment for the Spanish star.

“Once I caught up with Marco I found it difficult to get past him and my stomach pains started,” he continued. “I thought, ‘please no, not now!’ I fought through the pain and over the last few laps we had a great battle, which I was able to win. I want to thank the team because they’ve been doing a great job and we are starting to see the fruit of our hard work.”

Elías is currently twelfth in the overall classification, level on points with teammate Alex de Angelis.

*motogp.com

Unwanted hat trick deflates Dovizioso in Germany

2009-07-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, 20 July 2009

Italian retires from third consecutive race at Sachsenring.

Unprecedented in his MotoGP career, Andrea Dovizioso took an unwanted third DNF in a row at Sachsenring.

Unlike in the previous rounds at Assen and Laguna Seca, this time the Repsol Honda rider did not have too much say in his race retirement. Whereas those two Grands Prix ended early due to crashes, in Germany it was excessive tyre wear and electrical issues that forced his return to the garage.

“We needed a strong result here and at the start of the race I was able to ride at a really good pace,” said Dovizioso after his latest disappointment, which dropped him down to seventh in the standings.

“I made a quick start from the fourth row and got past six riders on the first lap - then I was able to get past (Jorge) Lorenzo for fourth on the third lap. On that lap I did a 1m 22.7s but then, during the fourth lap, the front folded at turn eight and I ran wide.”

From then on it was more a case of Dovizioso v.s. tyre deterioration than any of his on-track rivals. It was a difficulty also experienced by teammate Dani Pedrosa and satellite rider Gabor Talmacsi, but in the Italian’s case the troubles were compounded by a further mechanical setback –one sufficiently serious for him to call it a day.

“Within a few laps after this the performance from the front had dropped dramatically. It meant I couldn’t lean the bike or brake as normal so it was very difficult to control the bike. From then on my target was to finish the race but with five laps to go I had an electrical issue with the machine and I had to pull in.

“Obviously I’m really disappointed with the result because I was feeling fast here and I had a very good feeling from the bike. We really had the potential for a good result here, which is what we need at this moment,” sighed Dovizioso, whose season has taken a downward turn after a promising opening.

*motogp.com

Angry Beckham confronts boo-boys in Los Angeles

2009-07-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

England international David Beckham found the criticism too much to take in his first home game back with Los Angeles Galaxy, which came against, of all teams, AC Milan on Sunday.

KevorkDjansezian/GettyImages

LA Galaxy fans make their feelings clear

The 34-year-old tried to hurdle a barrier to get to a group of fans who had been jeering him throughout the match and appeared to make a "come on" gesture. Security had to hold the star back as he tried to get across to the supporters, while one fan had to be stopped from getting out of the stand to confront the star.

A hardcore section of the crowd booed Beckham every time he touched the ball and held aloft signs reading "Go Home Fraud'' and "23: Repent'' in reference to his shirt number.

Another read: "Hey Becks, Here Before You, Here after You, Here Despite You'' while one stated: "Is evil something u are...or something u do?''

Galaxy fans refuse to forgive Beckham first for opting to return to Europe to play for AC Milan and then for making no secret of his desire to stay at the San Siro.

The apparent snub has angered some Galaxy fans, notably a hardcore that sit in the so-called LA Riot Squad section.

Beckham explained afterwards in comments broadcast on Sky Sports News: "I tried to shake one of the guy's hands but he didn't want any of it. That's the way it is.''

It is not the first time that Beckham has reacted badly to such behaviour from the stands. He escaped punishment for making an obscene gesture to abusive England fans after 3-2 defeat by Portugal at Euro 2000. And he has never hidden his disappointment at jeering fans since.

After the incident, Beckham was escorted into the changing rooms but did reappear for the second half while the group of fans who had upset the player were joined by a team of yellow-jacketed security staff.

Even so, Beckham had a hand in both Galaxy goals, scored by Alan Gordon and Bryan Jordan, as they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with the Rossoneri. Thiago Silva and Filippo Inzaghi scored for Milan.

After the second Galaxy goal, Beckham turned and shrugged his shoulders in the direction of the section of crowd that had been jeering him.

The former Manchester United star was substituted after 75 minutes and walked off to a mixture of cheers and boos.

On the boos, Beckham said: "It's to be expected. Sometimes it goes beyond it. The majority of the fans have been great.''

*soccernet

Stoner happy with Sachsenring race

2009-07-20T06:17:00.001-07:00

Monday, 20 July 2009

Ducati’s Casey Stoner finished the ninth race of the year in better shape than at recent rounds and felt that he might have challenged for victory had he not experienced a rear end issue.

Although Casey Stoner lost points to Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in the 2009 MotoGP title fight in Germany the Australian rider appeared to be in better physical shape at the end of the demanding 30-lap Sachsenring contest.

The Ducati Marlboro rider held the lead for ten laps in the middle of the race and cited a rear tyre issue, rather than his recent physical weakness, as the reason for dropping away in the final stages. Stoner eventually crossed the finishing line 10 seconds behind winner Rossi and was seven seconds off the final podium position, which was secured by a resurgent Dani Pedrosa.

Reviewing the race in depth with motogp.com, Stoner explained, “At the beginning I thought I was going to be dropped pretty quickly because the bike didn’t feel too good in the first couple of laps. So I decided to hit the front as soon as I could, if nothing else to just try and hold everybody else up and try to stay in there with a shout. Then I started to lose the front end a few too many times so after the Laguna Seca qualifying crash and a few front end losses this weekend I thought it was better to play it safe and just bring it home.”

He continued, “Jorge and Valentino came past and then the front started to feel better, with a lighter fuel load so I started to push a bit harder, started to catch them and then I made a mistake. Then Dani had one unbelievable lap where he went half a second quicker than any of his other laps just about and then he came past me. I then started struggling on the left hand side of the tyre and lost the rear slightly at the bottom of the hill, but I was lucky enough to pull it up before I hit the gravel trap.”

Summarising the way things had gone, Stoner added, “I was pretty happy with the race to be honest, considering the way things have been going lately. It’s the first time I feel like I have actually been involved in something for a while and if I hadn’t made that problem with the rear I might have been able to dig deep enough to catch Valentino and Jorge.”

*motogp.com

Melandri enjoys busy contest in Germany

2009-07-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Monday, 20 July 2009

Hayate Racing rider Marco Melandri used all his experience to make it up from 13th on the grid and finish seventh at Sachsenring.

Marco Melandri left the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on Sunday afternoon in sixth place overall in the MotoGP World Championship, with another good result adding to his excellent efforts in the first half of the season.

The Italian competitor has battled against the odds through nine tough rounds thus far with the Hayate Racing team and after a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday – in which he crashed and ended up 13th – Melandri made up for it in the race.

On his Sachsenring performance, which saw him push his way through to seventh by the end of the 30-lap contest, Melandri stated, “It was a good race for me and in the dry I knew I had a good pace. Actually I made a good start and then on the first corner quite a few riders took me wide, I almost went off track, I lost a lot time and I was almost in last place. Then I found a good rhythm and I started to recover after battling with several riders.”

“I lost a little bit of focus because of something on my visor and Toni Elías came past me,” Melandri continued. “I tried to get back in front of him because I think I was a bit faster but I couldn’t do it and it was a nice battle anyway.”

Concluding his review of the German visit and looking ahead to the next round in England, where Melandri was resident for several years, he stated, “The bike worked quite well this weekend and it is the first time I have ridden it in really wet conditions, so we got some good information. We are very much looking forward to the next round because I think the bike could work well at Donington so I can’t wait to get back on track.”

*motogp.com

Faultless Rossi holds Lorenzo off for Sachsenring win

2009-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Reigning World Champion denies Spanish upstart victory at Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

Sachsenring 2009 - MotoGP Race Highlights

Valentino Rossi was never under any illusions that he would have it easy in his defense of the MotoGP world title, and once again the Italian was made to fight for glory at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Fiat Yamaha rider took the win at Sachsenring by just the smallest of margins from persistent rival Jorge Lorenzo in a breathtaking race to extend his lead in the World Championship.

After starting from pole for the first time at the German track, Rossi took the lead of the race after thirteen laps. Both the Italian and teammate Lorenzo eked out an advantage to make it a two-way battle to the chequered flag, with a last lap battle reminiscent of the Barcelona round of the series one month ago. Rossi’s definitive pass had come at the end of the home straight with two laps to go, and he brushed off the young pretender’s overtures for his fourth win of the 2009 season.

Starting from eighth on the grid, Dani Pedrosa had established his credentials in the dry with the best lap in the morning warmup. He had another storming start at Sachsenring to move up to the lead group, and put up a bold fight both amongst and behind the Yamaha duo. The Repsol Honda rider completed the podium with a race time under three seconds down on the top two.

Early leader Casey Stoner’s condition lasted longer than he had expected in the dry race, and he was able to mount a serious challenge for the win. With five laps to go, however, he was passed by Pedrosa going into the first turn, and one lap later a sit-up meant that he lost touch of the Spaniard.

Alex de Angelis and Toni Elías had a successful salvage operation for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Elías was particularly impressive, having started from last place.

The only retirees from the race were Randy de Puniet -who crashed on the opening lap- and Andrea Dovizioso. The latter fell victim to excessive front tyre wear and was forced to call it a day before the end of the 30-lap Grand Prix.

*motogp.com

Stoner surprised with position in crazy German qualifying

2009-07-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Ducati Marlboro rider maintains front row form with third in Sachsenring qualifying.

Casey Stoner praised rivals Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo after placing on the front row for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, stating that the two were 'on rails' in the soaking session. The Australian starts from third on the grid.

Casey Stoner - 3rd

"That was a crazy session because of all the standing water on the track and the grip levels were minimal. There were riders crashing all over the place so once we knew we had a decent lap time in the bag I decided to sit out the last few minutes of the session because the last thing I needed was a crash. I’m still feeling the effects of the qualifying crash at Laguna two weeks ago so to be honest the first thing I’m pleased about is to have stayed upright today, the second thing is to be on the front row! I have to take my hat off to Rossi and Lorenzo today because whilst everybody else was sliding around all over the place those two looked like they were on rails. They are clearly the guys to beat again tomorrow in wet or dry conditions although to be honest I’d prefer it to be wet – at least that way I know I am physically fit enough to be strong to the end of the race!"

Nicky Hayden – 4th

“In some ways the session was a complete disaster but I ended up with my best grid position of the year so I’ll take it! I went out on the first bike and immediately something happened to the gearbox going into turn one and I almost went down. It was stuck in second gear so I had to ride it all the way back to the pits like that. I didn’t feel as comfortable on my second bike but I knew that was all I had to work with for the rest of the session so I was a little tentative. Then we made a couple of changes and got going pretty good. Things were coming together so I went out with ten minutes to go, got right on the pace and felt I could do something special. I set my best time through the first split but then in the downhill section I lost the rear and there was no way of getting it back, unfortunately it took Niccolo out too. I’m basically okay from the crash and I hope Niccolo is okay too because it was my fault. I was trying too hard when it was getting too slippery – it was raining harder but I felt like I could go faster”

*motogp.com

Barca and Inter set to swap star strikers

2009-07-19T02:49:00.000-07:00

Reuters - Friday 17 July 2009, 18:39

MADRID - Barcelona and Inter Milan have reached an agreement in principle to swap Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Barca forward Samuel Eto'o plus cash, the Primera Liga and European champions said on Friday.

The conclusion of the deal depends on the Sweden and Cameroon internationals agreeing personal terms, Barca president Joan Laporta was quoted on the Catalan club's website as telling a news conference.

Barca did not specify the amount of cash involved but Spanish media reported it was about 40 million euros and that Barca's Belarus midfielder Aleksandr Hleb would be heading to Inter on loan as part of the deal.

Barcelona said Laporta wanted to make clear a final deal had not been completed and the club were still considering other options, including the purchase of Valencia striker David Villa.

"The Ibrahimovic deal is not done and dusted and it would be too early to say which of the two options is the most satisfactory," Laporta said. "In the end we will choose the option that is best for Barca."

Ibrahimovic would be Barca's second buy of the close season following their purchase of Inter's Brazilian left back Maxwell, which was completed earlier on Friday for a fee of 4.5 million euros rising to a possible 5 million.

Barca's arch rivals Real Madrid have spent more than 200 million euros bringing in players including Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil playmaker Kaka.

Rossi and Lorenzo continue qualifying dominance

2009-07-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Run of Fiat Yamaha riders on front row in 2009 extends to nine.

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo duked it out to be crowned the king of qualifying once more in Sachsenring, taking a one-two at the German track for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. It is the sixth time that the two have shared the front row in 2009, and the seventh time that either of the two has taken pole position.

It was Rossi’s turn to take pole position, his first at the venue in his MotoGP career. In doing so he knocked Fiat Yamaha teammate Lorenzo down to second on the grid, and was delighted to be leading the attack.

“I’m really happy for this pole because it means I’ve already got more than in the whole of last year!” beamed the Italian. “Getting the pole position here is very important for the race because it’s such a hard place to overtake, so I’m really happy. We’ve done some good work today and my team has done a great job to set-up the bike. We’ve made a few small modifications, which have improved the feeling for me and I felt very confident today despite the bad conditions.”

Of the two rivals, Rossi is certainly in the best shape. Lorenzo had a tough Friday and had to face the rain whilst already sore from a collarbone and ankle injury, but rose to the top with a reinvigorated performance on Saturday after putting fears of another fall to the back of his mind.

“Yesterday I was quite worried about my injuries but I am happy to say that today I feel a lot better and I was able to ride much more strongly and brake much later,” said the Spaniard, who leads the BMW M Award competition for qualifying results. “I was really fast in the dry this morning and then this afternoon I did a lot of consistent laps, improving all the time, which is very good because often I struggle in the wet. At the end it was very easy to crash so I didn’t want to push too much or take too many chances, it was important to be careful!”

Either Rossi or Lorenzo have won five of the eight races held to date in 2009.

Will David Villa be left stranded in Valencia?

2009-07-19T02:45:00.000-07:00

The polymathic genius that is La Liga Loca used to think that it had a decent grasp of economics.

In its seven years teaching the subject at Rutland Poly, the blog would always opine that the standard operating procedure for something or someone in debt was to sell assets.

But this crazy notion has been made to look outdated and distinctly fuddy by Valencia, who have chosen to follow the theory that the best way to face a crisis is to do nothing and hope it goes away.

Despite the predictions from the blog over the past few months that Valencia would be stripped bare of its playing talent due to the club’s 500m Euro debt, the main departures from the club so far are the eternally injured Edu and Teresa the Tealady.

The terrific trio of Juan Mata, David Silva and David Villa are still Mestalla men, although the latter doesn’t sound very pleased about it at all.

It was widely expected that the Spanish striker would be shipped out to either Real Madrid or Barcelona over the summer, especially as both clubs are reported to have made hefty offers to Valencia for his goalscoring services.

Madrid made a 'multimillion Euro and Alvaro Negredo thrown in' bid only to see it being snook-cocked by current club president Manuel Llorente.

Meanwhile, the Catalan papers advise that Barcelona offered to pay Valencia 42 million Euro for Villa.

According to El País, this was eight short of what Valencia were demanding, but Villa was so desperate for the move that he offered to pay the difference himself.

But Valencia will only accept a “scandalously scandalous” bid for the prize, says Llorente.

It may be that the various suits supposedly running the club know more than they are telling in regards to Valencia’s immediate financial situation.

Or it may be that the mysterious Dalport group will hand-over the half-a-billion Euro of investment that it claims to have.

But considering nothing has been heard from them in nearly two weeks and that the company’s logo was taken from a children’s colouring book, it seems unlikely.

And it also seems unlikely that David Villa will be going anywhere this summer, especially as he has always turned down the chance of playing in the Premier League, the only place containing clubs with the means to buy him now.

Madrid’s interest in Villa ended when they made their move for Karim Benzema, while Barça have apparently grown tired of Valencia’s obstinacy and are on the brink of replacing Mad Sammy with Mad Zlatan.

And this leaves poor old Diego Forlán sobbing by the wayside at the Vicente Calderon screaming, “you can’t leave me here!” to his agent.

All this is not to say that there isn’t some financial activity to be found in Mestalla.

A group of current and ex-footballers have got together to buy some shares in the club. Around 2,400 Euro worth, in fact, per player.

“We are part of Valencia and are in a position to help the club,” announced David Albeda, whose last major contribution to the side was to take it to court last year, when dropped from the squad by Ronald Koeman.

Whether or not this laudable if not substantial contribution to the club’s accounts is enough to cover the shortfall left by the non-sale of Villa remains to be seen.

Pedrosa dashes as Hayden crashes in MotoGP warmup

2009-07-19T02:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Spaniard quickest in the dry as former teammate crashes.

With the benefit of dry weather at the Sachsenring circuit, Dani Pedrosa came out swinging on Sunday morning with the quickest time of the MotoGP warmup session. The Repsol Honda rider put down a fastest lap of 1’22.391 with his updated RC212V, besting Casey Stoner by nearly three tenths of a second.

Andrea Dovizioso completed the factory Honda fightback with third in the session, but both he and his teammate will start the race itself behind the front two rows.

Front row starter Jorge Lorenzo was fourth quickest, whilst poleman Valentino Rossi was sixth.

Ducati Marlboro’s Nicky Hayden had a late crash before the fastest descending part of the circuit, lowsiding his Desmosedici GP9.

*motogp.com

Rossi fires back for first Sachsenring pole

2009-07-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Italian tops timesheets for first time in German weekend for maiden pole at Sachsenring.

Valentino Rossi added a third pole position to an enviable haul from 2009 at Sachsenring on Saturday, coming out on top in a drenched qualifying session for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Rossi’s last gasp 1’32.520 lap was not only enough to head the timesheet by over six-tenths of a second, but it was also sufficient to give him a first ever MotoGP pole at the German track.

Rossi relegated Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo to second on the grid, and the two share the front row for the sixth time this season. Joining them in the first line of attack will be fellow title contender Casey Stoner, a further six-tenths down on Rossi’s marker in the qualifying run.

Lorenzo and Stoner had experienced big crashes at Laguna Seca last time out, but this time they were two of the few riders not to have experienced a moment in preparation for the Sachsenring race. The area at and ahead of turn eight proved costly for a number of riders on Saturday afternoon, with falls for Marco Melandri, Toni Elías, Randy de Puniet, Alex de Angelis, Nicky Hayden and Niccolò Canepa adding to Chris Vermeulen’s Friday hit and James Toseland’s morning moment. Canepa first hit the gravel of his own accord, then later became involved in Hayden’s crash when the American speared him off track. All riders escaped unhurt.

Hayden took his best qualifying result as a Ducati Marlboro rider to date with fourth place, ahead of San Carlo Gresini Honda’s De Angelis and LCR Honda man De Puniet on the second row.

The Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland begins at 2pm local time on Sunday.

*motogp.com

Kallio’s Ducati Desmosedici in focus

2009-07-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Chief Mechanic gives guide to satellite Ducati bike.

Fabio Sterlacchini, Chief Mechanic for MotoGP debutant Mika Kallio in the Pramac Racing team, gives the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 SAT bike used by the flying Finn the once over at the latest round of the World Championship. The Italian takes motogp.com inside the garage and reveals the secrets of setting up the machine.

In the following video, Sterlacchini talks about how Kallio has adapted to the bike, how the bike has been adapted for Kallio, and what the key components of the distinctive 800cc machine are.

*motogp.com

Lorenzo makes upward surge for Free Practice 2 lead

2009-07-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 18 July 2009

Spaniard moves from eleventh to first in second MotoGP session.

Best images of MotoGP FP2 in Sachsenring

Languishing in eleventh in Friday afternoon’s practice for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, Jorge Lorenzo answered back on Saturday with the quickest time of the weekend to date. The Fiat Yamaha rider posted a 1’21.882 time on a dry track to boost his hopes of a strong result in Germany.

Lorenzo was the only rider to breach the 1’22 mark, trailed by previous leader Casey Stoner. Nearly four-tenths of a second separated the duo.

Laguna Seca racewinner Dani Pedrosa made a charge for the top spot in the final moments of the session, but fell short in his latest run with the new Honda engine introduced to his RC212V. He had been unable to get a full assessment of the motor on Friday due to the wet conditions.

Pedrosa eventually placed third, ahead of former teammate Nicky Hayden –now with Ducati Marlboro. Hayden’s confidence has been boosted by a positive result in his home race and a decent showing for most of Friday afternoon.

Down in fifth and half a second down on Fiat Yamaha colleague Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi ran off track when trying to tuck in for a tight turn. He kept his Yamaha M1 vertical, an achievement that Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s James Toseland had been unable to manage earlier on with a high speed lowside. Niccolò Canepa also crashed during the session.

*motogp.com

Pedrosa in buoyant mood ahead of Sachsenring visit

2009-07-16T20:53:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Heading back to the scene of a season-changing 2008 crash, Dani Pedrosa returns to Germany this weekend after ending his win drought in Laguna Seca at the last round.

When Dani Pedrosa surged to a significant lead in last year’s Sachsenring contest he appeared to be on course to extend his championship advantage, but his costly crash in the wet at the end of the start-finish straight saw him lose the standings lead, suffer a hand injury and crucially lose momentum in the title fight.

Effectively Pedrosa’s nightmare run of accidents and injuries started at that moment in the German 2008 MotoGP contest, so it was a highly crucial result for the Spanish star at the last round in Laguna Seca when he crossed the line in first place for the first time in more than a year.

Pedrosa responded perfectly on the pressure building up on him as a factory Honda rider, taking the holeshot in the States and never looking back. Whilst his young championship-chasing rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner suffered big crashes at Laguna, Pedrosa finally enjoyed a fully productive weekend and the maximum points haul means he can go into the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland confident of ‘exorcising’ more demons.

Indeed, despite last year’s mishap Pedrosa has a good record in Germany, having scored three previous Grand Prix victories there - twice in the 250cc class in 2004 and 2005, and again in MotoGP in 2007. He will need another top result in order to claw back the 59 point deficit by which he trails Valentino Rossi in the general classification.

“I’ve had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been in for a while,” stated the Honda star. “The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we’ve been making progress and we now have the pace to win races.”

Pedrosa continued, “However, we can’t take anything for granted and I’m sure our rivals will be strong again and determined to fight back. I really like the Sachsenring circuit too and, despite what happened last year, I think we can be competitive again here.”

Raikkonen eyes podium in Hungary

2009-07-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

By Edd Straw

Wednesday, July 15th 2009, 11:51 GMT

Kimi Raikkonen is hopeful of challenging for his second podium finish of the season in next week's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Finn believes that the Hungaroring will be well-suited to the Ferrari F60, which is at its most competitive on lower-speed circuits.

"The F60 should run pretty well at the Hungaroring with its many slow corners," said Raikkonen.

"Furthermore, the temperatures should be slightly higher than at the weekend in Germany: it would be great to gain another podium."

Raikkonen added that he was pleased with the progress of development of the F60, although it is still at an aerodynamic disadvantage in high-speed corners.

"I'll show up with a new rear wing, which worked really well on Felipe [Massa's] car and there's the possibility that we'll have further modifications," he said.

"The F60 had some updates [in Germany] and the set up was pretty much ok, but we're still paying a high price in terms of downforce as you could see in some sectors of the track."

The 2007 world champion is keen to put his bad luck in grands prix on German soil behind him.

In 15 F1 starts on German soil, he has finished in the points just four times and never finished higher than third. At the Nurburgring last weekend, he retired with a holed radiator while on course for a points finish.

"There curse that seems to follow me in Germany struck again," said Raikkonen. "I finished races at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring only a few times. Obviously I'm not lucky there."

He was also involved in a collision with Force India's Adrian Sutil as the German rejoined the track from the pit-lane at Turn 1. Raikkonen said that he agreed with the stewards that it was a racing incident.

"He came out of the box while I was on my line," said Raikkonen. "He tried to defend his position on the inside. The cars collided and he lost a bit of his front wing, while the side of mine was slightly damaged.

"With these wide wings it's quite easy to collide and break them. I went with Adrian to meet the stewards and we thought that it was a normal race accident, as indeed did the stewards."

Lorenzo not expecting to be at 100%

2009-07-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

After a big crash but yet another rostrum result in the U.S., Jorge Lorenzo will ride through the pain and aim for the podium again in Germany.

When Jorge Lorenzo arrives at Sachsenring this week for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland his first appointment will be with the Clinica Mobile, whose staff helped prepare him for the Laguna Seca race after his qualifying crash - which resulted in a collarbone injury, a micro fracture in his right foot and two bruised ankles.

With the help of Dr Claudio Costa and his team the fearless young Spaniard achieved his fifth consecutive podium result (his seventh of 2009) in California, before flying back to Barcelona for a week of much-needed rest. On his return to Spain Lorenzo visited a private clinic last Wednesday where his injuries were confirmed and he was provided with anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce discomfort and swelling.

A week of physiotherapy and recuperation has followed, before he picks up his title assault again in Germany, with the first of two races in seven days which are certain to be draining experiences for the 22 year-old.

Currently second in the general standings behind team-mate Valentino Rossi - by nine points - as the World Championship reaches its half way stage, Lorenzo previewed the visit to Germany saying, “It is one of the circuits where I’ve never done particularly well, in fact I’ve only had one podium there, in 2006 when I was third in 250cc. Last year it rained a lot and unfortunately I fell on the third lap, so it wasn’t a weekend to remember but I hope this one will be very different.”

“Following my injuries in Laguna Seca, I am feeling a lot better after a week of rest but I won’t be at 100% this weekend,” he continued. “I have some pain in my foot when walking and also in my shoulder joint. My aim as ever this weekend is to be on the podium and to try to get as many points as possible.”

Team manager Daniele Romagnoli added a positive Fiat Yamaha perspective on the situation, saying, “Jorge won’t be in perfect condition but he will be a lot stronger and therefore able to push harder on the bike this weekend than he could in Laguna. In America Jorge showed once again that he has a great determination to achieve his potential whatever condition he is in, so we hope that in Germany we can be in good shape once again, be at the front and fight for the podium.”

Bourdais eyes legal action against STR

2009-07-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Noble

Thursday, July 16th 2009, 17:41 GMT

Sebastian Bourdais is considering taking legal action against Scuderia Toro Rosso after he was dropped by the team.

Following days of speculation about Bourdais' future, Toro Rosso announced on Thursday morning that the Frenchman had competed in his last race for the team at the German Grand Prix.

Reacting to the news, Bourdais has expressed his shock at the announcement and revealed that he is consulting his lawyers to see if the team breached its contract with him.

"I am very disappointed and shocked by the decision taken by Scuderia Toro Rosso of not allowing me to drive for the team until the end of the current season," said Bourdais, in a statement issued on Thursday night.

"I consider that, in doing so, Scuderia Toro Rosso has breached its contractual duties towards me; also I believe that nothing in my behaviour would legitimate a decision of the team to terminate the contract.

"I think that the team's decision is in clear violation of Scuderia Toro Rosso's obligations under the agreement. I have instructed my lawyers to review the situation including the possibility of issuing legal proceedings."

As well as his anger at Toro Rosso's move to drop him, Bourdais has expressed further irritation because it comes on the eve of the introduction of a major new car update for the Hungarian GP.

"I am even more frustrated by the team’s decision considering that the latter has been taken immediately before the Hungarian Grand Prix, where a new highly competitive racing package will be introduced by the team in order to try and overcome its current difficulties," said Bourdais.

"I am convinced that if I was given the chance to race with such a new package I would have had the opportunity to achieve satisfactory results."

Bourdais also told his fans that he remained committed to making a success of his F1 career.

Stoner to battle on despite illness

2009-07-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Casey Stoner has been diagnosed with slight gastritis and mild anaemia, but he will fight on as a rapid-fire series of races continues this weekend.

Former World Champion Casey Stoner is still well in contention for the 2009 MotoGP title despite recently competing at less than 100% and he will try to fight for the podium again this weekend at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

Stoner took fourth place last time out at Laguna Seca to keep within touching distance of leader Valentino Rossi in the standings – Rossi is 16 points ahead of him – even though his illness was compounded by a heavy qualifying crash which left the Australian battered and bruised on the night before the race.

Ducati and Stoner have had to put their faith in Clinica Mobile staff and specialists in California as they look to overcome a recent rough patch, whilst the rider himself also continues to praise his team for the competitiveness of the Desmosedici GP9 – the strength of which Stoner feels has masked his own recent weakness.

Having been diagnosed with slight gastritis and mild anaemia, Stoner stated, “I have been in USA until Saturday to do all the tests. First of all I’d like to thank all the Doctors involved in this, Dr. Ting and Dr. Tuan in the Fremont Surgery Center, Dr. Macchiagodena, Dr. Catani, Dr. Ceccarelli and of course my physiotherapist Freddy. Hopefully step by step I will feel better with their indications.”

“I still don’t feel like I am 100% but the biggest problem now is that my ribs are very painful after the crash in qualifying in the U.S. It will be probably another hard weekend in Germany, but as always, we will do our best to stay as much as possible close to the lead of the Championship.”

Ducati’s MotoGP Project Director Livio Suppo remarked, “This is a delicate time for Casey but we know he is made of stern stuff. He will continue to fight like a lion, as he has done in the past few races, even though the crash at Laguna left its mark on him and that certainly won’t help.”

Suzuki team hope to re-find form at round nine

2009-07-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen hope to bounce back from their Laguna Seca disappointments this weekend.

The Rizla Suzuki team went into the last round in the U.S. in spirits high after the successful incorporation of a new engine in the GSV-R and a series of top five results in the preceding races, but things did not go according to plan for Loris Capirossi or Chris Vermeulen in California.

Capirossi crashed out of the Laguna Seca contest - his second DNF this year - to leave him frustrated and sitting tenth in the World Championship standings. He now gets a chance to put that right at Sachsenring, where he finished seventh last year despite carrying a nasty arm injury.

The Italian rider – who got his best result from eight premier-class starts at the Sachsenring in 2007 when he finished second – gave his thoughts ahead of the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, saying, “The last couple of races have been a bit tough on us, which has been pretty difficult as we have worked so hard to get everything right. The crew have certainly been giving all they can and we just didn’t get the solutions we were looking for.”

He continued, “We have still managed to learn a lot of things about how the Suzuki GSV-R behaves in different situations and on different types of Bridgestone tyres, so all that will be very useful to us in Germany. Sachsenring is not a track that needs a lot of power and speed, but it does require careful balance because you are on the side of the tyre so much. It is a track that I certainly enjoy racing at and believe that we can do well at - we will just have to see what happens this weekend!”

His team-mate Vermeulen did at least finish the race at Laguna, but the Australian’s eighth place finish was well below expectations at a track where he had been on the podium on his previous two visits, with tyre choice apparently letting him down.

Looking ahead to the visit to Sachsenring, where he rode a great race in the rain last year to also mount the rostrum despite starting in 14th on the grid, Vermeulen commented, “I got a third at Sachsenring last year and although that was in the wet I am sure we can try and repeat that this year in whatever weather we have to contend with. The bike is still working well and seems to improve every time we go out on it The crew have got a good base package and if that works from the start at Sachsenring - and we can get the tyres to match the bike - then I see no reason why we can't be competitive from the first day.”

Robben shrugs off exit rumours

2009-07-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

442 Staff - Wednesday 15 July 2009, 17:56

Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben has dismissed speculation linking him with a return to the Premier League this summer.

The 25-year-old has made 50 league appearances for the Bernabeu outfit - scoring 11 times - since arriving from Chelsea in 2007.

However, the Dutchman's future in the Spanish capital- along with several of his fellow countrymen including Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ruud van Nistelrooy - has been cast into doubt following the return of former president Florentino Perez, who has already splashed more than €200 million on stellar signings including Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Tottenham Hotspur have been strongly linked with bringing the former PSV star back to London ahead of the 2009/10 campaign.

But Robben has now insisted that he has no intention of leaving Real during the close-season.

"I am very happy at the club, full of confidence and I am really looking forward to next season," he told Sky Sports News.

And when asked if there was any likelihood of seeing him plying his trade in England again next season, he responded:

"No, I don't think so."

Gresini wants Elías hard tyre switch

2009-07-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Team boss wants move to improve race pace in Sachsenring and Donington.

San Carlo Honda Gresini boss Fausto Gresini has pinpointed Sachsenring as one of the circuits at which rider ability is most paramount to success, and has not minced his words in his expectations for Toni Elías at the German track. The Spaniard has finished inside the top ten on just three occasions since his move back to the satellite outfit and, despite a lack of updates for his factory spec bike, has pressure to show his talent this weekend.

Particularly pressing for Gresini is moving Elías onto a level playing field with the other riders in the premier class, rather than the unorthodox approach taken by his charge thus far in 2009. The rider’s unconventional tyre choice will come under special scrutiny.

“We have made some big steps forward recently with Toni but we know there is much more to come because in Laguna Seca, for example, we were still using the softer tyre whereas our competitors are on the hard rubber,” explains Gresini. “It is important for us to transfer his performance to the hard tyre so that he can take that extra step in terms of his pace over race distance and this is our target for the next two races.”

Elías’ previous results at Sachsenring have not been the most impressive on his résumé, but he gives his own explanation for difficulties at the circuit.

“To be honest I don’t like Sachsenring much, but looking back I have raced there injured on three occasions so maybe that’s why I don’t have good memories or good results to reflect on!” he analyses.

Hleb set to seek Barcelona exit

2009-07-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Reuters - Wednesday 15 July 2009, 19:53

MOSCOW - Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb will leave the Spanish club at the end of the year unless he starts playing more regularly, Russian daily Sport-Express quoted him as saying.

"For now I'm still a Barca player," the 28-year-old Belarus international told the newspaper. "I'll try my best but if my situation doesn't improve then I will have to find another club."

Hleb moved from Arsenal for 15 million euros 12 months ago but played only a limited role as Barcelona won a European and domestic treble last season.

Racing numbers for Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

2009-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Numbers and statistics for the latest round of the MotoGP World Championship.

159 – At Sachsenring, Valentino Rossi is scheduled to make his 159th successive premier-class GP start without missing a race. This will take the record for successive premier-class starts from Alex Barros, who started 158 successive races.

61 – With his tenth place finish at Laguna Seca, Marco Melandri has scored 61 points from the first eight races of the year. This is four more than top Kawasaki rider of last year John Hopkins scored throughout the complete 2008 season.

18 – Dani Pedrosa’s win at Laguna Seca ended an 18 race sequence without a win for Honda in MotoGP, since Pedrosa won in Catalonia last year. This is the longest sequence of races in the premier-class without a Honda win since they re-entered Grand Prix racing in 1982.

16 – Valentino Rossi has been on the podium sixteen times in the seventeen races since finishing second in Germany last year. The only occasion he has not finished on the podium during this period was when he crashed at Le Mans and re-started to finish 16th.

15 – Spanish riders have started from pole on fifteen occasions across the three classes in 2009. None of these riders have gone on to win the race after starting from pole.

11 – Race day in Germany will be the 11th anniversary to the day of the very first Grand Prix event to be held at the newly built Sachsenring circuit in 1998.

3 – Sachsenring is one of just three current circuits where Rossi has not started from pole in the premier-class; the others are Laguna Seca and Misano.

3 – There are only three riders in the 250cc class who have scored points at all seven races held so far in 2009; Hiroshi Aoyama, Hector Barbera and Raffaele de Rosa.

Barcelona set to sign Maxwell

2009-07-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

Reuters - Wednesday 15 July 2009, 20:19

BARCELONA - Barcelona have agreed to buy Inter Milan's Brazilian left-back Maxwell, the European champions said on Wednesday.

A statement on Barca's website said the initial fee would be 4.5 million euros, rising to a possible 5 million.

Maxwell, who won three league titles with Inter, lost his place last season to teenager Davide Santon and is being sold after coach Jose Mourinho said his squad was too large.

If he agrees personal terms, the 27-year-old will fight with Frenchman Eric Abidal for the left-back slot at Barcelona following the departure of Silvinho.

The former Cruzeiro and Ajax player can also play in midfield.

Last chance to bid for Donington Ducati ride

2009-07-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Time running out to bid for the chance of a ride of a lifetime at the British Grand Prix.

Ever wondered just how fast a MotoGP bike is, or just when a professional rider brakes into a corner? Riders for Health are giving people the once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride on the back of a MotoGP bike with the MotoX2 Ducati at Donington Park.

This is an incredible chance to take to the Donington Park circuit in front of the full race day crowd at the British MotoGP. All the money raised from the sale of these rides will support the work of Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP.

The Ducati Desmosedici MotoX2 ride is a unique chance to complete a lap of one of the world’s best motorcycling circuits on a MotoGP bike piloted by Grand Prix hero and co-founder of Riders for Health, Randy Mamola.

And it doesn’t stop there. Each passenger will receive a pair of premium paddock passes for the day of their ride and will enjoy hospitality in the Ducati suite for the day.

This will be your last chance to get a MotoGP rider’s-eye view of the famous Donington Park circuit, including the legendary Craner Curves, before MotoGP moves to Silverstone from 2010.

Members of the public simply cannot buy the chance to ride on this bike anywhere else in the world. All the money raised from the sale of the rides goes directly to support Riders' work in Africa. Riders for Health is an award-winning social enterprise that works to make sure all health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation so they can reach the most isolated and vulnerable people with regular and predictable health care.

Rides are available on the Sunday of the MotoGP weekend. For more information about taking part in this incredible experience, contact Martyn Cook by calling +44 (0)1327 300 047 by Friday 17th July.

Please note that each passenger must undergo and pass a full medical check prior to their ride, and passengers must not exceed 90 kilos. Participants must be over 18.

City still in talks over Adebayor acquisition

2009-07-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Reuters - Yesterday, 09:08

ABU DHABI - Manchester City are still holding talks to buy Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal to boost their bid to break into the top four of the English Premier League

Speaking at a news conference in Abu Dhabi, home to the club's billionaire owner Shaikh Mansour, City manager Mark Hughes also confirmed Richard Dunne would be the club's captain this season.

"Talks are ongoing at the moment ... we are still in discussions," Hughes said on Thursday, when asked about a possible 25 million pound move for Adebayor.

City chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak said last month the cash-rich club could buy up to six players for next season.

Argentina striker Carlos Tevez joined from arch-rivals Manchester United earlier this week following the club's signing of Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry and Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz.

"We are talking to some players...and are looking to make sure the balance of the team is correct," Hughes said. "We do recognise the need to strengthen in certain areas."

City have also been linked with a bold swoop for Chelsea captain John Terry.

"The transfer window is developing at this point. Our priority is to get top quality players," Hughes said on the subject of Terry. "It's not for me to discuss it now."

Varying perspectives in Sachsenring press conference

2009-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 16 July 2009

The official Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland press conference saw five riders provide varying perspectives on the championship scenario and the German track.

Rossi speaks in press conference

World Champion and standings leader Valentino Rossi was the first man to speak in Thursday’s press conference at Sachsenring, as he, Dani Pedrosa, Chris Vermeulen, Nicky Hayden and Mika Kallio commented on their 2009 experiences to date and offered their views on riding at the hilly German venue.

On his Sachsenring record Rossi stated, “It is always a difficult track for me personally but I have had some good victories here in the past, one in the 250cc class, one in MotoGP in 2002 and two in a row with Yamaha more recently. In 2007 I made a mistake in the race and lost a lot of important points in the championship, but last year was good in difficult conditions. It was very cold and there was a lot of rain but arriving in second position was an important result.”

Moving on to explain his approach the ninth GP weekend of the year, which he goes into with a nine point championship lead, Fiat Yamaha rider Rossi added, “This year we arrive here with a good pace and having got some good results. We also have a clear idea on our setting so we hope to start well from Friday.”

Meanwhile, Repsol Honda’s ‘comeback kid’ Pedrosa, who finally returned to full form with victory last time out at Laguna Seca less than two weeks ago, referenced his U.S. win saying, “It was a good result for me and for all our team, so we went out afterwards for dinner to celebrate and it was nice.”

Currently fourth in the classification, Pedrosa turned his focus to Sachsenring, where he dramatically crashed out last year, but normally goes well, adding, “I’ve also had some good times here but last year especially was not the greatest moment! It is a track where things are tight, the lap times are very close between the riders, so you have to work very hard to get on the front row.”

Rizla Suzuki representative Vermeulen, who lies eighth in the championship and was on the podium in 2008’s wet race in Germany despite starting 14th on the grid, stated, “Like Valentino said last season it was a very tough in the race, with conditions so different to practice and qualifying. We had struggled to get the most out of one lap on the tyre but I was very happy to be back on the podium in the race. It looks like the weather could be unstable again this weekend so it will be important to be fast in all conditions.”

Ducati’s fast-improving former World Champion Hayden arrives at round nine having boosted his confidence in his home race at Laguna. The American remarked, “In my last four races I’ve gone twelfth, tenth, eighth and fifth, so we know we are going in the right way. The next step, to put myself in with the front group, is the hardest one, but there is a lot of racing to go this year. We just have to keep our heads down and see what happens.”

Having missed the chance to make his Laguna Seca debut last time out, due to a nasty finger injury sustained when he crashed out late in the race at Assen in round seven, Pramac Racing rookie Kallio is ready to ride again. Having lost a significant portion of the finger in question he is unable to wear his wedding ring at present, but joked, “I didn’t plan it like that!”

“There is not much of the finger left, but it is better than it looks. It is not painful any more and if it starts to get uncomfortable when I’m on the bike I’m sure it will be ok with a painkilling injection.”

Dovizioso wants to prove improvement in Germany

2009-07-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Italian laments lack of results from previous two MotoGP rounds.

Andrea Dovizioso hits Sachsenring off a big dip in momentum this weekend, following two races in which DNFs beside his name have proved costly for his World Championship positioning. The Repsol Honda rider has found himself overtaken by teammate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha man Colin Edwards in the overall classification, and is determined to regain positions and show what progress has been made with the RC212V.

“I’m very motivated to show my potential and the potential of the machine in Germany because at the last two races we have improved a lot, without getting the results to match,” says Dovizioso on the pair of rounds that represent a first consecutive non-finish run of his Grand Prix career.

“The race results in Assen and Laguna were disappointing, but the recent signs have been encouraging, especially in Laguna where we were very close to the leaders and I had a good race pace and a package that meant I was capable of fighting for the front positions. Unfortunately I made a mistake, but it’s just something you learn from and move on,” he continued.

“I wouldn’t say the Sachsenring racetrack is one of my favourites of the year but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It is quite short, with a very slow first section followed by a very fast second half. The team is getting stronger all the time and I’m confident we can have a good weekend.”

Dovizioso is yet to place on the podium in Germany after a total of seven visits in all three classes.

*motogp.com