Motourage

Yamaha Factory Racing Complete Successful Test at Sepang

 

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team today completed the first test of the 2012 MotoGP season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the three track days working to develop the base set up of the 1000cc YZR-M1 ahead of the second Sepang test in one month’s time. The riders and engineers focused on the balance of the M1 chassis along with improving the electronics package to gain the optimum performance from the increased horsepower. New Bridgestone tires were also assessed ahead of the upcoming race season. The times from today’s final session saw Lorenzo slot in as the second-fastest rider, 0.59 seconds behind Casey Stoner. Teammate Spies wrapped up in fourth position, 0.88 seconds from first.

The riders will now return to the USA and Spain respectively while the engineers return to Japan with the valuable data to make the next steps forward in development. The team will return in four weeks’ time to test the work done.

Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd, 2.00.198, 35 Laps
“I’m really, really satisfied, I have improved on my best record here in Sepang. We tried a lot of things; some have been a lot better, especially one major improvement. We also know where we have to improve in the future. The electronics are not perfect yet, we still need to make it smoother but the bike has so much potential we are very optimistic. The Yamaha engineers have worked really hard so they have done a good job. I made my best time today at midday which is the hardest time with the conditions so it was pretty good. Let’s see what we can do when we come back.”

Ben Spies, 4th, 2.00.495, 16 Laps
“It’s been a good test, we’ve got a lot of things accomplished, we’re definitely moving in the right direction with my bike. I tried the Yamaha test rider’s bike today which had a slightly different set up to make a fair comparison with mine. I made a small mistake, losing the front but that’s testing; it can happen when you’re working out the good and bad. All in all it’s been great and I’m really happy and looking forward to coming back and seeing what’s new.”

 

Positive start to 2012 for Crutchlow and Dovizioso

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Telecom Italia and Ducati have extended their partnership to the Superbike World Championship during the 2012 season as the sponsorship agreement between the two companies in MotoGP is extended to the World Superbike Championship’s Althea Racing Team.

TIM, Telecom Italia’s mobile telephony brand, will be emblazoned on the fairing and front cowls of Team Althea’s two Ducati 1198s and on the racing leathers worn by Carlos Checa, current World Superbike Champion, and 2011 Superstock 1000 and new Althea Ducati superbike contender Italian Davide Giugliano.

This partnership strengthens the links between the two companies, both of which share values like the pursuit of excellence, technological leadership and a desire to compete in major challenges. Telecom Italia and Ducati line up to race together towards new triumphs on and off the track.

MotoGP 2012 finally got underway today with the first of three days of testing at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies took their first ride on the 1000cc YZR-M1 since last year. Both riders blew the cobwebs off quickly and settled down to an impressive pace, Lorenzo proving to be the fastest man on track with his team mate always close behind him.

The focus for the first day was to get back into the swing of riding and also to establish a good base set up. Tomorrow and the day after, Lorenzo and Spies will compare various new settings to provide valuable data for the second Sepang test in one month’s time.

Jorge Lorenzo, 1st, 2.01.657, 30 Laps:
“I’m very happy with today. For the first ride on the bike in some time, it’s been very positive. Yamaha has worked very hard over the winter for this M1. I can see very easily where I have to adapt my riding style for the bike and I can see a lot of potential. We have many areas where we can improve so I’m looking forward to beginning again tomorrow. I’m also very happy that my finger is fine and doesn’t affect my riding at all.”

Ben Spies, 4th, 2.02.234, 28 Laps:
“I’m happy. It was fun to get back on the bike today. I haven’t ridden any type of motorcycle since Valencia. It didn’t take too long to knock the rust off, we tried a few things in set up and every step we did made small improvements. We have a lot to do in the next couple of days and a lot more in the second test. It’s been a confidence inspiring start, Yamaha have put in a lot of effort for this season so we’ll work day by day to be even better.”

Test Times:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’01.657
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2’02.003
3. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha Tech3 2’02.221
4. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’02.234
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati Team 2’02.392
6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Yamaha Tech3 2’02.751
7. Hector Barbera (SPA) Pramac Racing Team 2’02.773
8. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (JPN) Yamaha Factory Racing 2’02.829
9. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Honda Gresini 2’02.869
10. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 2’03.151
11. Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda 2’03.668
12. Karel Abraham (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing 2’03.781
13. Franco Battaini (ITA) Ducati Team 2’04.986
14. Casey Stoner (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 2’07.163
15. Colin Edwards (USA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2’08.240
16. Jordi Torres (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’10.671
17. Ivan Silva (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’11.267

Sepang Record Lap:
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2’02.108

Sepang Best Lap:
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2’00.518

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo kicked off 2012 on Wednesday with a visit to New Delhi, India. The MotoGP star was in India for a personal appearance at the 2012 Auto Expo to meet racing fans and the national Indian media. Lorenzo also took time in the afternoon to visit the Budh International Circuit, a potential newcomer to the MotoGP calendar in the not-too-distant future. After a lap of the circuit aboard a Yamaha R15 in full Yamaha Factory Racing leathers Lorenzo met with a selected few new R15 owners before holding a short press conference at the track.

The Yamaha rider will now fly on to Indonesia to be joined by teammate Ben Spies for two days of PR activities in Jakarta on January 14-15. The trip will be hosted by Yamaha Motor Kenkana Indonesia  (Semakin di Depan), a main sponsor of Yamaha’s Factory Racing MotoGP Team .

“It’s been great to visit the Budh circuit,” said Lorenzo. “The track is very modern and wide. I think it is quite prepared and ready to be on the calendar. I believe it will be exciting to ride with many overtaking opportunities. The Indian people I have met have been very kind and gentle, I would like to see more of India in the future with more time; we didn’t get to see so much in just two days here. Now I’m very excited to go to Jakarta to see all my Indonesian fans there.”

The FIM has released the provisional roster for the 2012 MotoGP season, which starts on April 8 at the Losail International Circuit near Doha in the Arabian state of Qatar. For the fifth season, the MotoGP calendar will kick off under the desert lights with the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

1 CASEY STONER AUS – HONDA TEAM, HONDA
4 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ITA – YAMAHA TECH 3, YAMAHA
5 COLIN EDWARDS USA – FORWARD RACING, SUTER*
6 STEFAN BRADL GER – LCR HONDA MotoGP, HONDA
8 HECTOR BARBERA SPA – PRAMAC RACING TEAM, DUCATI
9 DANILO PETRUCCI ITA – IODA RACING PROJECT, IODA*
11 BEN SPIES USA – YAMAHA FACTORY RACING, YAMAHA
13 ANTHONY WEST AUS – SPEED MASTER, ART*
14 RANDY DE PUNIET FRA – ASPAR TEAM MotoGP, ART*
17 KAREL ABRAHAM CZE – CARDION AB MOTORACING, DUCATI
19 ALVARO BAUTISTA SPA – HONDA GRESINI, HONDA
20 ALEIX ESPARGARO SPA – ASPAR TEAM MotoGP, ART*
22 IVAN SILVA SPA – BQR, BQR-FTR*
26 DANI PEDROSA SPA – HONDA TEAM, HONDA
35 CAL CRUTCHLOW GBR – YAMAHA TECH 3, YAMAHA
46 VALENTINO ROSSI ITA – DUCATI TEAM, DUCATI
51 MICHELE PIRRO ITA – HONDA GRESINI, FTR*
68 YONNY HERNANDEZ COL – BQR, BQR-FTR*
69 NICKY HAYDEN USA – DUCATI TEAM, DUCATI
77 JAMES ELLISON GBR – PAUL BIRD RACING, ART*
99 JORGE LORENZO SPA – YAMAHA FACTORY RACING, YAMAHA

*CRT

In a joint press release, Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP Team and Petronas have announced the conclusion of their MotoGP partnership. The integrated Malaysian oil and gas corporation came onboard with Yamaha in 2009 and has enjoyed a hugely successful three year relationship, which included two consecutive Triple Crown MotoGP victories, in 2009 and 2010.

“The relationship between Yamaha and Petronas has been a great success; we have enjoyed some major achievements together in the MotoGP class,” said Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “Now that the partnership has reached its natural conclusion I would like to thank our friends at Petronas for the support during their time with us and wish them well for the future”.

“We are happy to have had this opportunity to work with the Yamaha Factory Racing team over the past three years,” said Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Senior General Manager of Petronas Group Corporate Affairs Division. In that time, we have enjoyed the benefits of strong brand exposure through the privilege of being associated with a team that shares our values and passion. The team has achieved many successes through a high level of competitiveness and stretched performance standards and we wish the team continued success in the future”.

Wayne Rainey will forever be remembered as one of Yamaha’s greatest stars in an era of the FIM World Championship Grand Prix where talent, technology and speed combined to create some of the most captivating seasons of racing seen in the sport. As a three time 500cc world champion between 1990 and 1992 Rainey’s mastery of steering the ferocious two-stroke machines and his unrelenting determination to always be the best mark him as one of the principal figures of a phase in which names like Lawson, Doohan, Gardner, Schwantz, Kocinski and Mamola entertained millions worldwide. Rainey would eventually rise to the very top of the road racing tree thanks to his exquisite motorcycle handling, dirt-track background and uncanny ability to steer the YZR500 with the rear wheel.

His beginnings in Grand Prix were a little more humble with a season in the 250cc class in 1984 where he took a podium in only his second appearance on the TZ250 but headed back to the USA the following year to grow in status among the burgeoning superbike scene. As AMA Superbike Champion and under the stewardship of Kenny Roberts in 1988 the Californian entered the 500cc class for his second shot at the world championship and rode well to third overall and to record his first victory, using new carbon brake technology at Donington Park in Great Britain. He was part of a memorable three-way fight for the title in 1989 with Schwantz and Lawson before recording 35 podiums with 16 wins during the next three years to bring Yamaha to the forefront of the premier class in the new decade.

Rainey continued to develop the YZR500 and was poised to secure another crown in 1993 when he crashed while leading at Misano, only three rounds before the end of the series, and was paralyzed from the chest down. 32 at the age of his forced retirement, Rainey completed all of his 95 Grands Prix with Yamaha and picked up a remarkable 65 trophies. After a brief period as Yamaha team manager he withdrew to his home on the Californian coast in Monterey, close to the Laguna Seca circuit and is a regular visitor to the U.S. Grand Prix and well as being a keen kart racer.

To find out more about Yamaha’s Racing history, you’re kindly invited to read through Yamaha’s dedicated anniversary website.

Ducati UK has announced that Neil Hodgson will take on the role of Ambassador with Ducati to promote and support the Ducati 848 Challenge.

Hodgson won British Superbike and World Superbike championships with Ducati and also made appearances in MotoGP for the Italian brand. He contested two years in the AMA Superbike class on a Ducati before eventually finding his way to Corona Honda. In 2010 he again contested the British Superbike Championship with Motorpoint Yamaha before an aggravated shoulder injury sustained in a motocross incident eventually led to his retirement

The Lancashire, England native – and current Isle of Man resident – will make a number of appearances at British Superbike rounds and is also scheduled to be at one of the overseas rounds plus World Ducati Week in Misano. Hodgson will be on hand to give advice and mentoring to the 848 Challenge riders on and off track and pass on his knowledge of the circuits. As well as sharing his experience with the 848 Challenge riders, Neil will also be available to present trophies, media interviews and personal appearances and will be an invaluable presence in the paddock for both riders and fans alike.

Ducati UK and Neil are working together to produce a package that will offer unique opportunities to younger and more established riders competing in the Championship. Ducati UK will announce further details in due course.

Neil’s first Ducati 848 Challenge role will be a pre-season track day with the 848 Challenge riders where he will assist the teams and riders with advice and help riders shake off some pre-season rustiness.

As well as his ambassadorial role for the 848 Challenge, Neil will attend Ducati UK events and dealer openings throughout the year and you will be able to meet him at the Ducati stand at Motorcycle Live.

2011 BSB Championship runner up and former MotoGP and AMA man John Hopkins plans to make another go at the World Superbike Championship after signing with Crescent Suzuki, as the UK-based team makes the move from the national to the world stage. Hopkins completes the two-man lineup with his new teammate, Leon Camier, who makes the move from the Alitalia Aprilia team. Camier will begin testing the Crescent Suzuki Powered by Yoshimura GSX-R1000 at Portimao, Portugal later this month, with Hopkins joining him in the tests in early 2012. The first race of next year’s calendar is scheduled for Sunday, February 26 at Phillip Island, Australia.

Hopkins is currently at his U.S. home in California, recovering from surgery to correct a finger injury he sustained at Brno while riding as a wild card for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team. He had a successful first season with Crescent Suzuki in the British national series, narrowly missing out on the championship at the last race of the year to Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill. Hopkins contested the World Superbike Series in 2009 as a mid-season replacement for Robbie Rolfo at the ill-fated Stiggy Honda team, but injuries – and a horrific crash at the Nurburgring – coupled with Stiggy’s decision to pull out of the series, ended Hopkins WSBK hopes. He signed with John Ulrich’s team in AMA Superbike the following year but was again hampered by injuries. Earlier this season, he captured Superpole at the Silverstone WSBK weekend before finishing fifth in race 1 and seventh in race 2 as a wild card.

John Hopkins:
“I am really happy to be joining up with the Crescent guys again. We had a great year in British Superbike and I’m sure we can continue that in WSB. I wanted to get back into world championship racing and this is a natural progression from last year. The difference this time is that I will be going to tracks that I already know and have some reference from, so that should make some things a bit easier.

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LCR Honda announced yesterday that a deal has been signed with newly crowned  Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl to compete in the MotoGP premier class for the next two years.

Lucio Cecchinello, Team Manager:
“Next year will be very important for the MotoGP; starting from next April the championship will be rich of new technical rules and participants. Together with Honda we have considered several riders and Stefan was one of our candidates. After the test in Valencia we were very impressed by his potential and his determination: Stefan is young and fast and he just clinched the Moto2 World Title so we believe we can grow together with the Team in the next two years. He already knew the technical staff and today I am happy to give him our warmest welcome in the
LCR Team.”

Stefan Bradl:
“This is simply fantastic like a dream that comes true. When I tested the RC212V in Valencia I realized that LCR Team is very professional and well organized so I am sure they will do their best to support me; making my debut in the premier class aboard the RC213V is great, and I can not wait to get back on track.”