Rio GP. Races. Driver´s comments

Valentino Rossi: ‘That was good today. A very, very good race’.
MotoGP, Valentino Rossi, 1.50´453 sec, 1st: That was good today. A very, very good race. In the past I make good races here, especially with the big bikes; the 500 and the MotoGP. It is fun for me. The track is medium, fast with long corners. This track is very good for my style. We had a very good rhythm this weekend and we make a very good set up. The suspension was especially good as we have had troubles in the past but not we have a consistent team working on this area of the bike and it shows. Today the bike was perfect.                       MotoGP, Nicky Hayden, 1.51´357 sec, 5th: I guess I should be happier with fifth. I got an awesome start and was right up there. The bike felt good but it was difficult to hold on when Valentino really pulled the field. At about lap 10/11 I really picked it up again and got right up to the back of Maxs tyre. I picked up a little vibration about five laps from the end and things didnt feel right at all. I guess Im a little disappointed with the final result. Ive had a fifth before and I really didnt think a podium was unrealistic. 250. Toni Elias, 1.54´257 sec, 18th: This had been a perfect weekend until today. The championship has become complicated for us but there are still four races left and there are a hundred points at stake. My main target here was to shorten the gap with regard to Poggiali, but it hasnt been possible. Today, during the race, I tried to escape but I couldnt, we risked everything in every lap and in the end things went wrong for me. In the last lap I tried to brake as late as possible in a bumpy area and I crashed. But, anyway, such are races. I made a mistake today but Ill do everything possible to make up for it. I wanted to win and it went wrong. Well keep on working in Motegi to try to get some points back.                        250. Fonsi Nieto, 1.55´270 sec, retired: This weekend weve had some problems with the settings. This morning, during the warm-up I tested a different bike that I didnt like so much so I decided to take the bike I used the first day for the race, because I had felt comfortable with it and I had managed to set fast times. I made a good start, I was behind Porto and Rolfo lapping very comfortably and the moment I thought about passing them to join Poggiali and Toni, the engine stalled. Its been a shame because despite all the problems weve had, I was sure that we could get a good result. But anyway, such are the race, there are four GPs left and nothing is lost. 250. Sebastián Porto, 1.55´574 sec, crashed out: My crash today has been a shame, I had set so many hopes in this race and things just didnt work out. I was lapping easily and that was my only worry, because I didnt want to loose contact with the leading group in the first lap. I made a good start and Ive been easily lapping behind Rolfo during the first lap. I could have passed him but I didnt want to because I knew that I would be able to escape from the Aprilias. I also wanted to keep the tyres until the end and I probably crashed because I had been waiting too long. I didnt want to open the throttle completely from the beginning. I still dont understand what happened, its been a stupid crash, I was lapping easily, rather slowly, but such are races, when it doesnt have to be it just doesnt work out. Its been a shame for the team, for me, because weve made good practice sessions, and also for the people who had come over from Argentina to support us. 250. Héctor Faubel, 1.56´280 sec, 6th: We where wishing for a result like this, we needed it to rise the teams moral and get a better place in the overall standings. The truth is that Im very happy after this race. From now on we have to continue on the same line. I made a bad start and I had to regain positions from the very fast lap. The bike worked very well at the beginning but theres been a moment where the engine reduced its performance, I guess it was due to the heat. I lost a bit of rhythm and the riders who where following me reduced the gap, but I kept myself on the seventh place and lapped alone the rest of the race. It was a bit boring though, but Im very happy. My team and I deserved this results because weve all been working very hard.                        250. Joan Olivé, 1.56´900 sec, 7th: Its been a very tough race from the beginning because I didnt make a good start. My bike touched other riders bikes in the first corner and I was set back. Then I managed to overtake the other riders, one by one and once I managed to be alone I was able to set my own rhythm. I wanted to catch the riders in front of me but it was already too late. Im satisfied with the result anyway and I want to congratulate Héctor because he has also made a good race. I hope that the work done on these three days has been convincing and to be able to sep on getting these kind of results in the next races.            125. Dani Pedrosa, 1.58´121 sec, 4th: I made a bad start and therefore I stayed back. I was afraid to crash due to the other riders because they were very nervous. But I managed to regain positions and put myself in the lead very fast, in the fourth lap. The bike was racing very well and I lapped in the front during some time. Then I stayed back and I was able to see how the other riders were doing. With five laps to go I wanted to take back the lead and I was just about to make it, but suddenly the bike began to fail and the engine lost performance bit by bit, I dont know why. But despite the problems Ive been able to keep the fourth place and to take the chequered flag. Shortly afterwards the engine stalled. I could have taken the victory today, I had already prepared the strategy and I knew I could make it. Therefore the final result has been a bit disappointing, I couldnt do anything to improve my situation and that left me a bit frustrated. 125. Pablo Nieto, 1.58´892 sec, 5th: Taking into account that I started from the fourteenth place on the grid, finishing fifth isnt bad at all. I kept myself in the leading group and that is always positive. But I had to push hard from the beginning to keep that position and that forced me to force the tyres that where completely worn-out in the end making it impossible to keep on riding the bike. But I insist, fifth is not a bad result. The race has been very hard, it was very hot and that was definitive. Those who have started from the front and managed to keep a good a good rhythm, and to keep the tyres had more podium options at the end of the race. I want to congratulate Jorge Lorenzo, this has been his first victory and I think that hes done a great job. 125. Héctor Barberá, 1.58´712 sec, 9th:Its been a shame because we had solved partly the problem we had, though not completely. The heat has been a big problem and it was very difficult to take the bike into the corners. When I left the line and opened the throttle, the rear tyre skidded although the engine was working very well. Its been a shame because I could have been in the front and when youre fighting for a place on the podium or for a fifth place you are really eager to run, youre motivated and the race seems to be much shorter. But it hasnt been possible and therefore this race has been very hard, much harder than the one in Portugal. Weve had a lot of problems since the first day, I havent been able to finish a practice session without the tyre skidding and the strong heat hasnt been of much help. Now we have to work hard, especially with regard to the suspensions and try to be back in the front in Motegi. Repsol drivers tyre´s choice Valentino Rossi: hard / unknown                     Nicky Hayden: hard / mediumFonsi Nieto:  hard / hard                Toni Elias:  hard / hardSebastián Porto: hard / hard                Héctor Faubel: medium / hardDani Pedrosa: medium / medium                                   Pablo Nieto: hard / medium                       Héctor Barberá: hard / mediumJoan Olivé:  medium / hard