The MotoGP title will be decided in Valencia.
Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden crashed together at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Hayden looses the leadership and leaves Estoril in second position, 8 points behind Rossi, new leader.
Disappointing MotoGP race for the Repsol Honda Team, having to witness how his two riders disappeared from the scene during the fifth lap, and Nicky Hayden lost the leadership. The race started with Rossi in the lead, setting a fast pace, closely followed by Pedrosa, Edwards and Hayden who managed to open a gap to the rest of the pack.
While Rossi was leading the group without noticing what was going on behind him, Edwards, Hayden and Pedrosa were exchanging tight overtaking manoeuvres. In the fifth lap, both riders of the Repsol Honda Team were third and fourth, with Dani Pedrosa closing the leading group. In corner six, in a left-hand corner after the back straight, Pedrosa entered too fast but tried to avoid touching his team mate who was already in the corner.
But Pedrosa was finally not able to avoid hitting the rear part of Nicky Haydens bike, causing them both to crash without having any option to rejoin the race. The victory went finally to Toni Elias, with Rossi second and Roberts third. After this result, the round in Valencia promises to be a high-tension race with Rossi leading the standings with an advantage of 8 points over Nicky Hayden.
The final result of the 2006 season in the MotoGP class will come to light in two weeks time at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. The 250cc race was the first today and wasnt really positive for the interests of the Repsol riders. Shuhei Aoyama, who started from the third row with the ninth fastest time, was seventh after the first lap. Team mate David de Gea, thirteenth yesterday and starting from the fourth row, gained one position at the start and was twelfth after the first lap. Shuheis race ended in lap 16 due to a mechanical problem of his bike, while he was lapping in eighth position.
David De Gea, immerse in an intense fight for the twelfth position against Poggiali and Espargaró, had to finally settle for the fourteenth position. Despite entering the final straight ahead of Poggiali and Espargaró he could not avoid being passed due to the slipstream. In the minor class, Bradley Smith was not able to finish a race that could have been one of his best races of the season. Starting from the twentieth position of the grid fifth row the Repsol rider was eighteenth after the first lap, and even managed to be fourteenth in the second. After overtaking several riders he even managed to move up to tenth in a hard fight against Nico Terol.
A crash after highsiding due to a loss of grip of his rear tyre set the final point to the Britons race who tried hard to get back onto the track, but the bike was too damaged. Fortunately Bradley was unhurt. The race victory went to Alvaro Bautista.
Rider´s comments
Nicky Hayden:
I dont know what to say really it just hurts. I had a really hard tyre on for the race, especially for the left handers, and it came in and I couldnt believe how comfortable I felt in the first few laps. I was a lot faster than Edwards and Id just made up my mind that Id pass him right there on the brakes and I felt I could go and see what Valentino had. I dont expect Dani to pull over and let me by but I definitely didnt expect him to do that. Were professionals and Dani did come to my motorhome and talk to me afterwards and we shook hands. Ive proved this weekend that I wasnt going to give up without a fight and even now I believe Im pretty strong. This was not one of my best tracks and Ive come here and gone quick I was fastest in one session, got on the front row and had a good race pace. I need Danis help now because anything could happen in Valencia, so I hope his hands ok. I told him theres a way to make it up to me and thats if we run one-two in Valencia then the championships still possible. Its racing.
Dani Pedrosa:
What can I say? I made a mistake and Im really sorry. Its the first time Ive hit another rider in my career its never happened before in practice or racing in six years and its happened at the worst moment that I could do it. Obviously Im very unhappy and Nicky is not happy and I just want to apologize because I made a mistake. I said sorry to Nicky and I can understand that he is very upset I wish I could change it. I didnt want to pass him at that moment. I braked and my rear wheel came off the ground and then it touched the ground again, I got a little more speed. I couldnt stop the bike and there was nowhere to go. I have a fracture in my little finger but we have time for it to be ok for Valencia.
David De Gea:
Im happy. It was important to finish the race today, although I was hoping to finish somewhat more in the front despite starting from the back. I had trouble getting the pace because he bike went as well in the beginning as in the end and I only managed to do well towards the end. This means that Im lacking experience with this bike. But, well, I have finished the race which was out aim for today, as well as getting experience on this bike, and now I know it much better. I have one more race of experience for Valencia as well as the feeling during the 27 laps of the race which will be very important for the next race. I hope to be able to do better in Valencia, both in the practices and in the race.
Shuhei Aoyama:
I made a quite god start, and the first part of the race was good as well. Then I made a little mistake that made me loose some time but I was able to recover positions. And then the engine broke down at the end of the straight, when I was going into the first corner. Just when I was braking before the corner I noticed the rear tyre sliding and then the engine was gone. Im very disappointed. Bradley Smith: I made a good start, but then I wasnt so good at the brake point. It was ok during the first part however; I pushed hard and moved up to tenth. I passed Terol and tried to get away from him but he passed me back. Then I was behind him again for a few laps, but I wanted to go again. I tried to get past him and I was trying to get closer to get the slipstream but I got too close and highsided. It hasnt been good, but I cant restart it now and such are races. Its good that we still have one race in Valencia.
Tyre´s choice
– Dani Pedrosa: Front: Medium. Rear: Hard
– Nicky Hayden: Front: Medium. Rear: Medium Standings
MotoGP
- T.Elias (Honda) 46’08.739
- V.Rossi (Yamaha) + 0.002
- K.Roberts (KR) + 0.176
- C.Edwards (Yamaha) + 0.864
- M.Tamada (Honda) + 18.419
NC. N.Hayden (Honda)
NC. D.Pedrosa (Honda)
World Championship MotoGP
- V.Rossi, 244 points.
- N.Hayden, 236
- M.Melandri, 217
- L.Capirossi, 209
- D.Pedrosa, 202
250
- A.Dovizioso (Honda) 44’30.727
- H.Aoyama (KTM) + 0.015
- A.de Angelis (Aprilia) + 0.348
- R.Locatelli (Aprilia) + 1.842
- J.Lorenzo (Aprlia) + 6.4021
- D.de Gea (Honda) + 43.040
NC. S.Aoyama (Honda)
World Championship 250
- J.Lorenzo, 276 points.
- A.Dovizioso, 263
- A.de Angelis, 203
- H.Aoyama, 193
- R.Locatelli, 171
10. S.Aoyama, 89
32. D.de Gea, 2
125
- A.Bautista (Aprilia) 40’48.792
- H.Faubel (Aprilia) + 15.098
- M.Kallio (KTM) + 15.112
- L.Pesek (Derbi) + 15.745
- J.Simón (KTM) + 15.778
NC. B.Smith (Honda)
World Championship 125
- A.Bautista, 325 points.
- M.Kallio, 242
- M.Pasini, 185
- H.Faubel, 172
- S.Gadea, 144
20. B.Smith, 16
