moto gp & superbike thread

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Bayliss may ditch Honda

By Robert Grant

February 15, 2005

AUSTRALIAN MotoGP rider Troy Bayliss has threatened to abandon his obstinate Honda race bike just weeks out from this season's grand prix season.

Bayliss admits he is struggling to come to grips with the machine but his teammate Alex Barros says he is pushing too hard.

Noted for the aggressively ragged style that won him the Superbike world championship with Ducati, Bayliss cannot find a compromise with a bike that is regarded as the most rider-friendly machine in GP racing.

"There's no way I'm going to change my whole style to suit this bike and if I can't get it to work around me a little then I'll give it to someone else," Bayliss said.

"You don't just change you're style after 36 years. I can't change myself.

"At the moment the way it is the bike suits a smooth rider. It suits a GP rider more than anything because they are used to using the clutch all the time.

"Everything that Colin Edwards said last year, I'm copping it in the arse now."

American rider Colin Edwards, who is the new team-mate to world champion Valentino Rossi at Yamaha for 2005, raced for Honda last year and spent most of the season complaining about adapting to the Honda.

And for many years both Edwards and Bayliss dominated production-based Superbike racing, yet neither rider has won a race in two seasons of MotoGP.

"I've got chatter from the clutch and off-the-engine braking and I never had this problem on the Ducati," Bayliss said.

"I know this is a good bike and I've just got to get it sorted out.

"You could be more loose and aggressive with the Ducati. I've tried to smooth out and then I go slower."

Bayliss is hoping that a return to his home track at Phillip Island this week will spark a much-needed return to form following a disappointing series of pre-season test sessions.

Controversially axed by Ducati at the end of 2004, Bayliss will make his first local appearance on a Honda V5 for the official MotoGP test session which starts at Phillip Island on Thursday.

Also testing at the track will be Rossi, returning to the Victorian circuit where he clinched his fourth MotoGP World Championship last October.

Since switching to Honda, Bayliss, at 35 the oldest rider on the MotoGP grid, has struggled to match the pace of his six Honda team-mates and Yamaha rivals.

He was only 14th fastest and nearly three seconds off the red-hot pace of sub-record times at the latest test session which ended at Sepang in Malaysia last Sunday.

"I've never really had a lot of luck at Sepang and I'm trying not to beat myself up too much, but maybe when I get to Phillip Island I'll have a bit better understanding," Bayliss said.

Honda riders Makato Tamada and Max Biaggi set the fastest times at Sepang with Rossi, slowed by a day in bed with a flu virus, fourth fastest.

Brazilian veteran Barros said that the Australian is putting too much pressure on himself and pushing too hard.

"He looks too aggressive, Barros said.

"Maybe the Ducati you can ride like this but I think he needs to change his style to ride the Honda.

"He is trying too hard, I told him to be more relaxed," he said. Apart from Bayliss, Rossi and Biaggi the world's top 12 MotoGP riders, including the Suzuki team of Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins, will participate in the three-day Phillip Island test.

AAP

Honda lifeline shocks Bayliss

By Peter Krupka

February 16, 2005

AFTER an international career with Ducati, Troy Bayliss never thought rival Honda would pay him one of the greatest compliments he has received.

Dumped by Ducati for 2005, and amid a push for younger riders to be part of the MotoGP scene, Bayliss, 36, expected his time at the top to be over.

Instead, he received a phone call from officials at Honda, the most decorated manufacturer in motorbike racing, asking him to join.

"It gives me motivation for this year because there are so many fast Italian and Spanish guys out there with a lot of backing," Bayliss said.

"It was great they chose to hire me at 36. I'm hoping I'm still on an upward curve.

"I ended up on my feet. I'm really happy about the way things turned out. I was a bit surprised because I never had anything to do with them (Honda) in the past. I feel like a bit of an intruder."

A World Superbike champion with Ducati, Bayliss knows he has the bike to score his maiden MotoGP win but is struggling to get the right set-up on the more sensitive Honda.

"I know it's a great bike because they have won titles in the past and Honda have always been very strong," he said.

"It feels a bit strange for me having been on a Ducati for so long.

"The Ducati really suited me because it was a physical bike and I'm very aggressive on the bike. The Honda does not always work if you try too hard." Bayliss has another 18 days of testing the Honda, including a session at Victoria's Phillip Island, to hone his skills on the bike before the season kicks off at Jerez, Spain, on April 10.

The Australian

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Rossi preparing for record return

By Robert Grant

February 16, 2005

BIRTHDAY boy Valentino Rossi is preparing for a record-breaking return to the Phillip Island circuit, the scene of his finest moment in MotoGP racing.

The Yamaha team leader Rossi, who turns 26 today, will take part in a 14-rider MotoGP test session which begins at the Victorian circuit tomorrow.

Leading riders are predicting lap times around two seconds under the existing lap record with Rossi joined by seven Honda rivals including new Australian signing Troy Bayliss, Spain's Sete Gibernau and Italian ace Max Biaggi.

However Rossi's birthday celebrations are likely to be subdued as he prepares for an important pre-season test session at a circuit he loves.

"I love this track at Phillip Island and I like to ride fast here, it gives me a very good sensation," Rossi said.

"It is not a computer style track like many others."

The flamboyant Italian claimed an historic MotoGP world championship with a breathtaking victory in the Australian Grand Prix last October.

It was the fourth consecutive world title for Italy's two-wheel maestro and his first riding for the Yamaha M1 team, following his defection from Honda where he had won three world titles.

"That was a fantastic victory and last year was my best championship winning year," Rossi said.

He is already an early favourite to win a fifth consecutive title after early 2005 test sessions.

Aboard the latest Yamaha M1 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia last Sunday Rossi was in top form, bettering his own lap record by two seconds.

A repeat of that speed will easily threaten the current Phillip Island lap record of 1 minute 31.1 seconds held by Italy's jockey-sized Ducati rider Loris Capirossi.

"With good conditions you will see 1m29s laps and that's the first time you would have seen that at the Island," Bayliss said.

But the hard-riding Australian has a lot of catching-up to do since switching to Honda after seven successful years at Ducati.

In two test sessions at Sepang, Bayliss admits to being pretty disappointed with his speed on the fast, rider-friendly Honda V5 after his forced departure from Ducati.

Bayliss, who will be 36 next month, is hoping that previous success at Phillip Island will help him sort a few things out to improve his performance on the Honda.

"I need to be going quicker than this," Bayliss said of his efforts in Sepang where he was three seconds off the pace of his Honda colleagues. The three-day MotoGP test, from Thursday to Saturday, is in advance of the world championship season which opens at Jerez in Spain on April 10.

AAP

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Rossi within reach

By James Stanford

February 18, 2005

VALENTINO Rossi is facing some stiff competition during pre-season testing for this year's MotoGP championship.

The Italian superstar, who turned 26 on Wednesday, was out-paced on his Yamaha by Spaniard Sete Gibernau on the opening day of a three-day test at Phillip Island yesterday.

Gibernau's time of 1min 30.290sec gave the Honda rider the top spot on the time sheet, ahead of Rossi and Honda young gun Nicky Hayden, who both recorded 1min 30.570sec.

Testing times mean nothing once the season begins, but the result must give Rossi's rivals some confidence as they work towards the first race at Jerez in Spain on April 10.

Rossi was showing no signs of worry yesterday.

"It is the first day and we are not at 100 per cent yet," Rossi said. "I'm happy because the bike has improved and we know that with some more changes it will be even better.

"The new bike is a bit faster in the engine."

Gibernau was pleased with his time, but was not getting carried away.

"I think we are fast and consistent, but I think we still have a way to go," he said.

Gibernau said he would be in a better position to win the title this season after finishing second to Rossi last year.

"Personally, I am stronger, mentally and physically, the team is also stronger," he said.

Australian Troy Bayliss, who was well off the pace during last week's test at Sepang in Malaysia, was the slowest Honda rider yesterday and third last on the time sheet.

Bayliss, who is still not happy with the set-up of his Honda, was about 1.5sec slower than Gibernau's top time.

"It's getting better, but it is going to take a while until I feel right at home on it," Bayliss said. "The bike's good. There is not a lot that I have to do to it, we are just missing something and it is not quite letting me do what I want on it."

The 35-year-old, who has spent most of his career riding Ducati bikes, admits he was frustrated by his lack of pace in Malaysia.

"When you are tearing your hair out, you are always hoping that something is going to go better, that's why I was looking forward to coming here and hopefully get three good days under my belt," Bayliss said.

"I know I am still missing something here now. If we knew what it was we would fix it straight away, but that's what racing is like."

Teammate Alex Barros said Bayliss was adapting to his new bike.

"He had a little bit of a problem in Malaysia, but he looks much better here, so he should be more competitive," Barros said. Honda rider Makato Tamada survived a 200km/h spill with bruising after he fell at the track yesterday. The Japanese rider escaped with a bruised foot and will not ride today.

Herald Sun

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Philip Island GP venue to 2011

February 18, 2005

PHILLIP Island is set to host the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix until at least 2011, the Victorian Government announced today.

Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos met leading international riders at the MotoGP test session on a pit walk hosted by Australia's five-times world champion Mick Doohan.

The current contract with Dorna, the international rights holder for MotoGP, expires in 2006.

"The Government is looking at least at a five-year extension and I have had discussions about going forwards to 2011 and beyond with Carmelo Ezpeleta (CEO of Dorna)," Mr Pandazopoulos said.

Doohan said Phillip Island was the perfect venue for the Australian GP and saw no need to move it to another part of the country.

Phillip Island hosted the first two Australian rounds of motorcycling's premier class in 1989-90, before the event moved to Eastern Creek in Sydney from 1991-96. It has been back at Phillip Island ever since.

Fifteen leading MotoGP riders including world champion Valentino Rossi are participating in a three-day pre-season at Phillip Island.

Spanish Honda rider Sete Gibernau bettered the lap record today to become the first rider to break 1 minute 30 seconds at the 4.4km circuit. Gibernau set a time of 1:29.9.

Agence France-Presse

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Rossi says Sete biggest threat

From correspondents in Tokyo

March 7, 2005

MOTO GP champion Valentino Rossi expects former Honda team-mate Sete Gibernau to be the biggest threat to his bid to winning the title crown for a fourth year in succession.

"We had a lot of tough battles in the last two years, Rossi said.

"I think he will be the most difficult rival for me this year, too.

"Honda has also improved its machine like we did, so there will be a lot of tough battles, for sure. But we are quite strong, we have more confidence than we had last year.

Rossi, also the 2001 world 500cc champion, switched to Yamaha from Honda after wrapping up the 2003 MotoGP title for a second year running.

He claimed the championship again after winning nine races last season while Gibernau won four to finish runner-up in the overall standings.

"It's always difficult (to win the championship). We'll try... but it's never easy," Rossi said.

"I think it was a good result to win nine races, so I'll also try to win (the same number of races) this year."

Yamaha, which was announcing its motor sports program for the season in Japan, said its new machine had more power at top speed than last year.

"We did a lot of tests on different tracks with the new bike," Rossi said.

"I think the new bike has good improvement from last year's. We improved the engine and chassis. The set-up is not 100 percent yet, but we are ready for the first race.

"We will have 17 races. Each race is important, because the winner always receives 25 points, but to win the Italian Grand Prix has always a special taste for me, so it's the most important race, for sure," added the defending Italian GP champion. The Grand Prix series will start at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain on April 10.

AAP

[GTRSRULE!!!]

Corser beats the lot

By James Stanford

April 4, 2005

AUSTRALIAN Troy Corser beat the wind, rain and every other rider at Phillip Island yesterday.

The Suzuki star dominated both of yesterday's World Superbike Championship races and survived conditions that left many other riders bruised and battered at the side of the track.

Corser defied wind gusts of up to 74km/h in the opening shootout to control the race and come home first with a massive lead of 8.2 seconds in front of Suzuki teammate Yukio Kagayama, while Australian Chris Vermeulen was third.

Rain threatened to ruin Corser's plan to win the second race from the front when it hit the track on the 13th lap.

Corser had built up a lead of close to four seconds before the riders returned to the pits to fit wet tyres and line up for the restart.

He slipped back into the pack after the restart and was nearly knocked off when Garry McCoy fell from his Foggy Petronas bike.

"McCoy crashed right in front of me at that fast turn near the hay shed and I must have missed his head by about an inch," Corser said.

Several other riders lost control and crashed off the slippery track, but Corser rode sensibly. He finished the second race behind Kagayama on the track, but took the win with 5.8sec to spare thanks to the lead he built up before the race was restarted.

Kagayama was second in the rain-affected race, while talented German rookie Max Neukirchner came home third on his Honda.

Corser, who won a race at the first round of the championship in Qatar last month, dedicated his victory at Phillip Island to Australian rider Kirk McCarthy, who was killed in a racing accident at Queensland Raceway in August.

"That win was for Kirk McCarthy, who we lost last year and who was a good friend," said an emotional Corser, who rode much of his victory lap looking up and pointing to the sky.

He had to master the difficult conditions to win the first race, with severe gusts of wind blowing many riders off line and toppling two TV camera towers.

"The wind would just pick your front wheel up," Corser said. "It was never the same twice. You would come down the straight and it would hit you from the side, the next lap it wouldn't when you were allowing for it to hit you," he said.

Corser enjoyed his first win of the season at Qatar, but said this victory was more special because it was in front of a home crowd.

"I see all the flags waving and I was trying not to look, but it was pretty hard not to with all the waving and the cheering that was going on," Corser said.

Kagayama was happy to finish second in both races given his limited experience at Phillip Island.

He said he was actually pleased that he suffered a high-speed crash in yesterday's morning warm-up at the same corner that claimed McCoy in the race.

"The crash was good experience, in the race when it rained (in race two) I was very careful at that corner," he said.

The Japanese racer, who speaks little English, summed up his weekend with the line: "The bike is good, rider is good, that is all."

Former World Supersport champion Andrew Pitt finished the weekend with one fifth place and severe bruising.

The Queenslander suffered several nasty spills in practice and qualifying and two in the final race yesterday.

Pitt crashed when the rain hit the track, but was allowed to join the restart even though he nursed a black eye you would expect to see on a boxer.

Minutes later Pitt was back in the garage after crashing again on the same fast corner as McCoy.

"It was unbelievable," Pitt said. "I was careful because I knew it was the first lap and the tyres were new and cold. Really careful, just touched the throttle and next second I was over the handlebars."

Vermeulen finished fourth in the second race, but it was his exciting third place in race one that thrilled the crowd.

The Queenslander came together with Neukirchner on the final lap and even sported a rub mark on his leathers after the contact.

"Max was pushing me really hard, he was riding really well," Vermeulen said.

"I just had to try and hold him off and that's what I did." Teammate Karl Muggeridge finished race one in eighth place, but was knocked out of race two when he and Ducati racer James Toseland came together in a braking duel at Honda corner.

Herald Sun