A mixed bag for the Repsol ridersin this weekend`s Australian GP on Phillip Island. Although the results obtained today in the two smaller categories were very positive, the same cannot be said of those in the top category where the two Repsol Honda Team riders got very different results. After Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa showed that they were competitive on the Australian track the whole weekend, they will leave Australia with very different results. While Hayden packs his suitcases for the trip to Malaysia –setting for the next race in two weeks – having finished on the podium, his teammate will leave with out having gained any points at all, and with the disappointment of knowing that he could have got a good points haul in his fight to be runner-up.
As is becoming normal the two riders started very well, getting among the leaders at the end of the straight. But on the second curve, a left-hander, Pedrosa`s bike skidded and he lost his line. He tried to lean more to compensate but he ran out of track and when he made contact with the grass he fell. He was transferred to the medical centre at the circuit as he got a knock on his left knee. He had some X-rays taken and these ruled out any serious injury. Therefore Pedrosa leaves Phillip Island with a big bruise on his knee but he retains third position in the overall classification, although his fight to be runner-up will be more complicated.
Nicky Hayden finished the race in a satisfactory third position. At the start Hayden was behind Stoner and the Australian set a fast pace right from the start. The local idol and the American in the Repsol Honda Team quickly got away from the rest of the riders, at a distance of over two and a half seconds. Hayden was not able to keep up with Stoner though but was safe in second position, riding practically alone until the end of the race. But with two laps left the recently proclaimed World Champion, Valentino Rossi, caught Hayden up and he overtook him, and the American had to make do with third position.
SIMÓN, FOURTH IN 250cc AND A GOOD RACE FOR THE TWO REPSOL RIDERS IN 125cc.
Julián Simón finished in the same position that he got a week ago, fourth position in Motegi, but he was diappointed as he led the race at the halfway mark. Bautista started strongly and he had Simoncelli on his rear wheel. Simón completed his first lap in 7th position, but he quickly began to climb in the classifications. On the twelfth lap a mistake by Bautista and Simoncelli allowed Simón who had been 3rd to take over the lead, but he did not last long there since the performance of the Aprilia, compared to the KTM, meant that he could not defend his position for even a lap. Simoncelli and Bautista then got away from him and the Repsol rider was left fighting for third position with Kallio. On the last lap Simón moved into third place and he tried to stay there but in the end Kallio overtook him on the finishing line. So fourth position again for the Repsol rider who now hopes to get an elusive podium finish in one of the two races that are left.
The two riders in the Team Repsol KTM 125cc had a good race fighting right to the end for 5th position in a very competitive group. After the satrt Marc Márquez completed the first lap in 4th position, and his teammate Esteve Rabat was in 12th. At the front a gap quickly opened up, with de Meglio in the lead and he little by little got away from the rest of the riders. He won the race and was proclaimed World 125cc Champion. Bradl, Talmacsi, Gadea and Iannone were in a group fighting for second place, Márquez and Rabat were in the chasing group. Falls and engine problems for Gadea, Olivé and Reeding allowed this group, with the two Repsol riders in it, to fight for 5th position.
Rabat and Márquez both led the group at some point, fighting intensely with Corsi, Espargaró and Cortese who had caught up with them from the back, until the last lap. In the end Rabat ended in 7th position and Márquez, who had a race incident on the finishing line with Corsi – the Italian`s bike went very close to him and so to avoid hitting him he had to stick his elbow out – finished 8th, but later on this was considered to be a dangerous reaction and he was penalized with a one second penalty, finishing 9th behind Simone Corsi.
Dani Pedrosa, fall >> Audio
“I got a good start and was entering the second corner in third position when the rear tyre started sliding. I tried to correct the bike but I ran off the track. On the grass I tried to correct the bike again but I crashed. I hurt my left knee in the fall. Fortunately I’ve not broken any bones or damaged any ligaments, but I’ve got a lot of pain and the knee is swollen. I am very disappointed because we knew we had a good race pace and I was very confident that I could score another podium, just like at Motegi last weekend. It was another bad race. I am sorry for the team, they worked hard throughout the weekend. Tonight I will fly back to Spain and rest the injury while looking forward to the Malaysia GP. Now it’s looking difficult for second place in the championship, there are only two races left.”
Nicky Hayden, 3rd at 7,205 sec. >> Audio
“We got a really good start and I thought was going to lead. Things felt pretty good early on, I went a lot faster in the race than I went all weekend. The bike and everything was working pretty good, so I was able to stay with Casey for a while, I felt comfortable there. Then once he started to pull away I had some issues, I couldn’t keep the corner speed I had early on. I enjoyed the race, it was a lot of fun – riding this track for 27 laps is quite intense, you don’t realise how fast you’re going around here. It was a good battle at the end, Valentino started coming for me, I started to ride a little harder but I ended up going a little slower. I tried to stay wheels in line as best I could and hold him off. But I didn’t get off the last corner great going into the last lap. Coming down the start-finish I saw him on the big TV screen out of the corner of my eye, so I knew it was going to be tough, there wasn’t much I could do, I didn’t have much tyre left. Nonetheless it’s cool to be on the podium, I enjoyed the race. My Michelin guys wanted me to run a harder tyre. I did the sighting lap on that tyre, put back in my original choice for the race. The warm-up was really good, it was nice to get some heat in there. It got a little loose at the end but it was fun. A big thanks to my team and to all my fans for sticking with me.”
Julián Simón, 4th at 14.478 secs. >> Audio
“This has been a very complete, and very good weekend. We were always up with the leaders and my worst position was a 6th, so I am very pleased with that. We have taken a big step forward towards the end of the season. I am finding the motorbike a little better and I am very motivated. We will work really hard to get a podium in Malaysia or Valencia. Here we were very close, but on the last curve I came out of it slower than on other laps and Kallio caught my slipstream. And I made a mistake, because I did not go to the right towards the finishing line which is where I should have gone and he found it easier to find my slipstream. Anyway I am satisfied, and I will go to Malaysia very motivated and ready to work hard again.”
Esteve Rabat, 7th at 27.181 secs. >> Audio
“This race was great fun and I had a great time from the beginning right to the end. I began far back, 17th, and I fought hard to finish 7th. The set up on the bike in the end was very good, although the rear wheel skidded a lot, that made it even more fun. I had to fight the whole race, overtaking many times, and I really enjoyed that. I want to thank the team and Repsol, for always being there ready to help me.”
Marc Márquez, 9th at 28.287 secs. >> Audio
“This race was great fun since we were in quite a big group where you had to ride hard. During the whole race I was able to hang in behind the group, but entering the finishing straight I had a fright, I opened up too much and I touched Corsi`s bike. I was on the right line and he was on the piano. He was running out of track and little by little he was moving towards me, so to protect myself I stuck out my elbow a little to avoid him touching my brake lever. Luckily neither of us fell, and I want to apologise to him.”
