Motorsports Journal

Prumm bravely takes fourth in Bulgaria

YAMAHA RACE REPORT 11/05/2008

Sevlievo and the Grand Prix of Bulgaria witnessed the opening round of five in the inaugural FIM Women's World Championship and Yamaha Van Beers Racing's Katherine Prumm battled adversity to take fourth overall.

]]> The double World Cup winner was not afforded a fair debut on her YZ250F after rupturing her right anterior cruciate ligament in the days leading up to the Grand Prix. Putting aside her pain and discomfort it was an uneasy weekend for Prumm who tried to compete but was clearly frustrated by the handicap and being unable to run at her normally impressive speed.

She made two mistakes in the first moto that saw her having to work hard to make fifth position, recovering from a second lap placing of twelfth. A slower and wetter second race saw her net a decent third.

Prumm before start

The 19 year old will now have an MRI scan on Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage to her knee joint and then make a decision as to whether she can fulfil a five month campaign of races internationally and in her native New Zealand.

UTag Yamaha.com's Megan Lewis grabbed two points on her GP debut. The 15 year old was nineteenth in Moto2.

As with the MX1-GP and MX2-GP classes, round two for the ladies will occur next week at Mantova for the Italian Grand Prix.

Katherine Prumm, Van Beers Racing, 4th:

"I am actually disappointed with the result. My preparation for the world championship had been perfect. I was feeling very good on the bike, with my training and making good lap-times. I knew I was three or four seconds off my usual pace today. It is hard to go out there and not be able to give 100% and not feel 100% and this showed in my results. I had pain and swelling and I tried to put it to the back of my mind but it was difficult not to let it affect my riding. The world championship is what I want but if the knee is damaged then we will have to make a decision about it this week."

Temp: 15 degrees
Crowd: 27,000
Weather: Changeable

2008 GP of Bulgaria, Sevlievo 11/05/2008
Race 1 - 11 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Larissa Papenmeier Suzuki GER 26'24.860
2 Livia Lancelot Kawasaki FRA 0'1.760
3 Ashley Fiolek Honda USA 0'8.863
4 Maria Franke Kawasaki GER 0'11.812
5 Katherine Prumm Yamaha NZL 1'24.099
6 Elin Mann KTM SWE 1'34.522
7 Elien De Winter KTM BEL 1'46.280
8 Marianne Veenstra Suzuki NED 1'48.229
9 Marielle De Mol Yamaha NED 1'52.804
10 Anne Borchers Suzuki GER 2'20.564

Race 2 - 11 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Livia Lancelot Kawasaki FRA 25'59.026
2 Maria Franke Kawasaki GER 0'8.182
3 Katherine Prumm Yamaha NZL 0'25.098
4 Ashley Fiolek Honda USA 1'29.889
5 Elin Mann KTM SWE 1'39.693
6 Sandra Adriansson Suzuki SWE 1'59.825
7 Elien De Winter KTM BEL 2'1.008
8 Marianne Veenstra Suzuki NED 2'3.755
9 Nicky Van Wordragen KTM NED 2'5.178
10 Niki Scott Kawasaki NZL 2'10.404

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Livia Lancelot Kawasaki FRA 47
2. Maria Franke Kawasaki GER 40
3. Ashley Fiolek Honda USA 38
4. Katherine Prumm Yamaha NZL 36
5. Elin Mann KTM SWE 31
6. Elien De Winter KTM BEL 28
7. Marianne Veenstra Suzuki NED 26
8. Larissa Papenmeier Suzuki GER 25
9. Sandra Adriansson Suzuki SWE 15
10. Nicky Van Wordragen KTM NED 12
11. Marielle De Mol Yamaha NED 12
12. Anne Borchers Suzuki GER 11
13. Niki Scott Kawasaki NZL 11

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Kawasaki 47
2. Suzuki 40
3. Honda 38
4. Yamaha 36
5. KTM 31

Cairoli seventh after first corner incident

YAMAHA RACING

MX2-GP World Champion Antonio Cairoli finished off a Grand Prix podium for the first time since Namur, August 2007 after suffering a first corner crash in a wet second moto at Sevlievo for the Bulgarian round of the FIM series. The fourth round of fifteen took place under changeable weather conditions that saw the first race occur in sunshine and the second on a slippery and soggy terrain. The Sicilian was seventh overall but had already banked some points with a comprehensive victory in Moto1.

]]> The Bulgarian dirt was hard and flat and together with the layout created a fast course that left little room for error. The start and initial corners were vital in determining the leading positions as lap-times generally remained fairly close and overtaking was difficult.

Cairoli enacted a fantastically close duel with Tommy Searle during the Saturday qualification Heat and got the better of the Briton to secure his second consecutive pole position. The pair briefly resumed their fracas in the first GP moto but the Yamaha De Carli rider unearthed a series of rapid circulations on his YZ250F to break free from his English rival and win his third moto in succession.

The second race could not have started more differently. The 22 year old slid off in front of the pack entering the first right turn and was hit by Tyla Rattray. Then, while pushing to regain positions, was struck from behind by another rider and again hit the ground, losing time to restart. He finished down in nineteenth.

Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin also had a contrasting set of results. The Frenchman could not recover well from a start that left him in the bottom half of the top twenty on the first lap of Moto1 and scored thirteenth. He did however reverse his fortunes in the second sprint when he chased Shaun Simpson and Tommy Searle and was less than three seconds from first position by the end of the race. His third place meant a ranking of fifth overall.

Team-mate Davide Guarneri was sixteenth in the final GP standing. The Italian had to qualify via the Last Chance session after a heavy crash during Saturday's Heat race. A fall in Moto1 meant that he was unable to restart, while he was one of the casualties of the first corner mayhem in Moto2. The 23 year old did manage to capture a hard-won tenth by the end of the 35 minutes and 2 laps.

Cairoli's team-mate, Matteo Bonini, made a welcome return to Grand Prix action only two weeks after he recovered sufficiently from a dislocated shoulder. The Italian is lacking race speed and fitness but registered a total of six points with nineteenth overall.

3C Racing's Manuel Monni was a consistent figure around the top ten and earned eleventh position thanks to finishes of twelfth and eleventh.

Cairoli lost a little ground in the world championship standings and rests 4 points behind new leader Tyla Rattray. Aubin is fourth and 43 away from the top three. Guarneri is seventh.

The MX2-GP elite will be in action in the space of seven days as the Italian Grand Prix at the jumpy Mantova circuit constitutes round five.

Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 7th:

"Of course, after the first moto, I expected more from this GP. I had a really good start in the second moto and when I cut tight for the corner my front wheel slipped away. Everyone was really close and Tyla hit me in the back, which caused a lot of pain. I lost time restarting but worked my way back to 12th, and that was OK because Tyla was in the same group and I felt like I was riding really well. Then when I came down one of the hills a rider had stopped in the line in front of me so I had to slow also and I was hit from behind. The handlebars were covered with mud, so I quickly had to clean them and try to go again. I wanted to keep positive and try for points so I kept pushing and reached 19th. I am now second and four points behind Tyla. This is manageable, and the next GP is in Italy so we will be strong. I want the red plate again in Mantova."

Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 5th:

"I was missing something today. I started badly in the first moto and could not get a rhythm. I tried to push hard but could not pass the other riders, thirteenth was a poor result. In the second race I felt better and faster and was in the fight for first position which was good. I like Mantova and I must get better because we have had four GPs now and I have not made the results that I want. I have a good bike and my physical condition is OK. I just need a little something extra and that second moto was good for my head."

Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 16th:

"A bad weekend; too many crashes. I like this track but I had a big crash in the heat on Saturday and hit my head so I had to go through the last chance. My gate was far to the outside. I started way back in the first moto and after a few laps I was up to 14th but I lost the front wheel on a jump and I could not restart the bike. Many riders fell at the start of the second moto and I got pushed outside and also crashed, again! It was very slippery there. I pushed and I rode pretty well to finish 10th which was OK. I lost points today but the championship still has a long way to go."

Matteo Bonini, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 19th:

"I did not feel too bad out there. My shoulder was OK, considering I only started training two weeks ago. I pushed so hard in those two weeks to make this GP that I think it left me very tired today. I gained some points at least and things can only get better. I wanted to make this GP to get some race time before Mantova. The track there is difficult but now I am a little bit more familiar with the speed the guys are making now."

Temp: 15 degrees
Crowd: 27,000
Weather: Changeable

2008 GP of Bulgaria, Sevlievo 11/05/2008
Race 1 - 19 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 39'3.953
2 Tommy Searle KTM GBR 0'2.943
3 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 0'3.719
4 Stephen Sword Kawasaki GBR 0'18.419
5 Gautier Paulin Kawasaki FRA 0'20.386
6 Marvin Musquin Honda FRA 0'24.837
7 Xavier Boog Suzuki FRA 0'27.211
8 Anthony Boissiere KTM FRA 0'31.010
9 Jeremy Van Horebeek KTM BEL 0'36.679
10 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 0'42.073
11 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 0'47.949
12 Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 0'50.738
13 Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 0'56.220
14 Jason Dougan Suzuki GBR 1'0.504
15 Gregory Aranda Kawasaki FRA 1'5.079
16 Kounsith Vongsana Kawasaki FRA 1'7.458
17 Jeremy Tarroux KTM FRA 1'9.300
18 Elliott Banks-Browne Suzuki GBR 1'12.926
19 Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 1'15.677
20 Shannon Terreblanche Suzuki RSA 1'16.915

Race 2 - 19 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Tommy Searle KTM GBR 39'48.824
2 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 0'0.430
3 Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 0'2.811
4 Xavier Boog Suzuki FRA 0'16.230
5 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 0'22.889
6 Anthony Boissiere KTM FRA 0'25.473
7 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 0'27.206
8 Jeremy Van Horebeek KTM BEL 1'12.440
9 Gregory Aranda Kawasaki FRA 1'14.557
10 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 1'18.343
11 Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 1'21.577
12 Marvin Musquin Honda FRA 1'35.750
13 Carl Nunn Suzuki GBR 1'38.871
14 Jason Dougan Suzuki GBR 1'45.436
15 Shannon Terreblanche Suzuki RSA 1'46.912
16 Joel Roelants KTM BEL 1'48.078
17 Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 1'54.455
18 Wyatt Avis Honda RSA 2'4.616
19 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA -1 Laps
20 Julien Vanni KTM FRA -1 Laps

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 157
2. Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 153
3. Tommy Searle KTM GBR 149
4. Rui Goncalves KTM POR 106
5. Nicolas Aubin Yamaha FRA 106
6. Stephen Sword Kawasaki GBR 98
7. Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 97
8. Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 92
9. Xavier Boog Suzuki FRA 87
10. Jeremy Van Horebeek KTM BEL 82
11. Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 79
12. Gautier Paulin Kawasaki FRA 64
13. Joel Roelants KTM BEL 54
14. Anthony Boissiere KTM FRA 50
15. Marvin Musquin Honda FRA 47
16. Jeremy Tarroux KTM FRA 38
17. Erik Eggens Suzuki NED 38
18. Gregory Aranda Kawasaki FRA 36
19. Carl Nunn Suzuki GBR 35
20. Gert Krestinov KTM EST 23
22. Evgeny Bobryshev Yamaha RUS 20
30. Alessandro Lupino Yamaha ITA 8
31. Matteo Bonini Yamaha ITA 6

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Yamaha 186
2. KTM 184
3. Kawasaki 116
4. Suzuki 113
5. Honda 52

Philippaerts takes first win with Yamaha

YAMAHA RACING RACE REPORT 11/05/2008

In changeable weather conditions and across a tricky Sevlievo circuit, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts scored his first success on the YZ450FM with first and second positions in the two motos at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria. After four rounds of fifteen in the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship the Italian has extended his lead in the series to 17 points and also placed Yamaha first in the manufacturer's standings. Josh Coppins was sixth overall and currently lies third.

]]> The hard and fast layout situated deep in the Bulgarian countryside offered two different tests to the riders of the MX1-GP category as the first moto of 35 minutes and 2 laps took place in sunshine but a grey sky and rainfall created a slick and greasy terrain for the second outing.

Philippaerts made the most of two decent starts to obtain his prize. The 24 year old escaped the attentions of Billy Mackenzie and Marc de Reuver to lead the first sprint from start to finish. In the second wetter race he fought with Jonathan Barragan and was ultimately unable to match the Spaniard's pace. Entering the last lap Philippaerts was resigned to his second consecutive runner-up position until the leader crashed and allowed Sebastien Pourcel and the Yamaha representative to pull through. Second spot in the moto was enough to secure the overall and his second career MX1-GP success.

Josh Coppins ended the day disappointed with sixth position but a set of average starts and some hesitancy on the first lap of Moto1 meant that a better placing was not possible. The Kiwi qualified quite well, (Philippaerts was eighth after being baulked on his two flying lap attempts) with the sixth best lap-time on a dry track that saw the protagonists of the class separated by very little. However he was, by his own admission, 'too slow' in the opening stages of Moto1 and although he pulled through the pack well and was all over the back wheels of Marc de Reuver and Barragan contesting second place, he crossed the finish line in fourth. The second moto was even tougher as he touched with his team-mate along the start straight and had to be determined to cut through from a mid-pack position on the first lap.

The course was not easy for overtaking, making Coppins' job even harder; he took 14 points for seventh at the flag. The 31 year old is still well in touch with the title chase.

Yamaha Van Beers' Aigar Leok was 17th, one place ahead of UTag Yamaha.com's Carlos Campano.

The world championship table still shows both Yamaha Monster Motocross team members within the top three. Philippaerts holds a bigger margin over world champion Ramon and Coppins is 34 points away. Yamaha head the manufacturer's standings by 5 points. The squad are well-placed for round five and their home Grand Prix at Mantova in Italy next week.

The red plate

David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 1st:

"This is a really good result for me. I tried to win both races but Barragan was very fast in that second moto and I had some luck when I saw him crash. I was pretty tired by that point and I could not stop Pourcel taking the lead. The track was very different in the afternoon. The rain had made it very slippery and some more lines appeared. The mud went softer and got bumpier. The bike is really good and the team are working hard. I'm happy for this; a good day!"

Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 6th:

"I thought that things would turnaround for me this weekend but I am really disappointed with how the motos went. My starts were not good, which is unusual for me, and I was too slow at the beginning of the first moto. I wanted to do better for the second moto but David cut across me coming out of the gate; that's OK though because I would have done the same if I also had the holeshot. I was stuck in the middle of the pack and by the time I passed riders there was too big a gap to rise any further. This is not what I wanted ahead of Mantova, which is perhaps the hardest track of the year for me and I am losing my patience; it has been a hard start to this championship."

Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager:

"A very good weekend. David won the GP with some luck, thanks to Barragan's crash. He was already looking quick and motivated through the practice sessions and playing with the bike but found two slower riders in the Timed Practice that ruined his laps. Anyway, he still got the starts from eighth in the gate. Josh was fourth in the first race which wasn't so bad and his speed in the last ten minutes was very good. His start was a handicap and he could not find his pace like before. The bikes performed well and the riders felt good; we just need to understand why Josh couldn't get going in that second moto."

Temp: 15 degrees
Crowd: 27,000
Weather: Changeable

2008 GP of Bulgaria, Sevlievo 11/05/2008
Race 1 - 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 40'7.606
2 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 0'5.616
3 Marc De Reuver Honda NED 0'6.650
4 Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 0'8.084
5 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 0'14.351
6 Julien Bill Honda CHE 0'29.896
7 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 0'31.501
8 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'36.148
9 Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 0'39.608
10 Ken De Dycker Suzuki BEL 0'43.629
11 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 0'45.507
12 Mike Brown Honda USA 0'48.676
13 Kornel Nemeth KTM HUN 0'59.604
14 Manuel Priem Kawasaki BEL 1'1.597
15 Billy MacKenzie Honda GBR 1'9.729
16 Marcus Schiffer KTM GER 1'17.854
17 Alessio Chiodi TM ITA 1'19.659
18 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 1'22.498
19 Carlos Campano Yamaha ESP 1'24.738
20 Pierre A. Renet Suzuki FRA 1'40.124

Race 2 - 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 39'28.719
2 David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 0'6.913
3 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 0'8.068
4 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 0'21.486
5 Marc De Reuver Honda NED 0'27.233
6 Billy MacKenzie Honda GBR 0'34.377
7 Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 0'43.440
8 Julien Bill Honda CHE 0'44.277
9 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 0'44.803
10 Mike Brown Honda USA 0'48.434
11 Ken De Dycker Suzuki BEL 0'53.504
12 Manuel Priem Kawasaki BEL 0'55.953
13 Marcus Schiffer KTM GER 1'6.237
14 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 1'8.493
15 Kornel Nemeth KTM HUN 1'11.843
16 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 1'16.105
17 Carlos Campano Yamaha ESP 1'17.858
18 James Noble KTM GBR 1'22.384
19 Alessio Chiodi TM ITA 1'26.089
20 Bradley Anderson Suzuki GBR 1'28.192

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 149
2. Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 132
3. Joshua Coppins Yamaha NZL 115
4. Billy MacKenzie Honda GBR 100
5. Ken De Dycker Suzuki BEL 98
6. Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 94
7. Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 90
8. Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 80
9. Marc De Reuver Honda NED 76
10. Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 71
11. Mike Brown Honda USA 62
12. Kornel Nemeth KTM HUN 62
13. Manuel Priem Kawasaki BEL 56
14. Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 55
15. Marcus Schiffer KTM GER 40
16. Julien Bill Honda CHE 38
17. Kevin Strijbos Kawasaki BEL 36
18. Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 28
19. James Noble KTM GBR 23
20. Tom Church Kawasaki GBR 20
26. Carlos Campano Yamaha ESP 14

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Yamaha 149
2. Suzuki 144
3. Kawasaki 131
4. KTM 125
5. Honda 118
6. TM 19

Jonathan Barragan denied victory in last minutes of MX1 in Bulgaria

KTM Racing

KTM Team Silver Action rider Jonathan Barragan looked certain to take victory in the second moto and seal his MX1 Grand Pix win in Sevlievo, Bulgaria on Sunday when a mistake in the last stretch of race two denied him the overall victory.

]]> On a day where rain fell before the second race to create a whole different set of conditions on the normally hard packed track, the Spanish KTM rider did go on to be second overall to rescue a podium place and pick up more valuable championship points.

Last minute mistake on tricky wet circuit
"I am very sad, "the Spanish rider said. "I made a mistake in the last lap and lost my position. Without this I know I would have won today. I was very fast this weekend and I know I can win races. Now I will concentrate on a good result next weekend in Mantova, where I had a good result in the pre-season Starcross event. I'm going to do my best to get back in the championship and to finish every race with as many points as I can."

Max Nagl looks ahead to Mantova
It was also a disappointing day for Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl of Germany. Despite snatching the holeshot in both heats of the MX1, Sunday was not his lucky day. Max went into the race hoping for a top five position but a mistake in heat one cost him his chances then in the second heat his boot got wedged in between the frame and the rear brake and he lost valuable time trying to free it. Overall he finished in eighth position in the GP. Max also goes to Mantova next weekend optimistic about riding on a circuit that he likes and where he has enjoyed good results in the past.

MX 1 Grand Prix Results
1. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha
2. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM
3. Sebastien Pourcel, France, Kawasaki
4. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki
5. Marc de Reuver, Netherlands, Honda
8. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM

Championship Standings
1. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 149 points
2. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki, 132
3. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, Yamaha, 115
4. Billy Mackenzie, Britain, 100
5. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, 98

Other KTM
6. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 94
8. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 80
12. Kornel Nemeth, Hungary, KTM, 62
15. Markus Schiffer, Germany, KTM, 40
19. James Noble, Britain, KTM 23

Searle tops MX2 podium; Rattray has Red Plate as championship leader

KTM Racing

Red Bull KTM factory rider Tommy Searle stopped the hearts of all spectators of the second MX2 moto in Sevielo, Bulgaria on Sunday when he swept past fellow KTM rider Shaun Simpson in the last seconds of the race to take the top podium spot in the GP.

]]> On a day when rain fell to soften the hard track and reshuffle the cards just before the second MX2 moto, Red Bull KTM's Tyla Rattray made a good comeback from a tussle with Toni Cairoli in the second moto to finish overall second. Shaun Simpson was on the podium for the first time in third place to complete a complete clean sweep of the podium for KTM.

Elated Tommy Searle
"I am very happy because this is my first victory of the season and my second career GP win," Tommy said. "I really enjoyed the battle with Shaun. I knew that Tyla and Cairoli were quite far back but I did not want to take any risks. The track was quite tricky as I wanted to be sure to try to pass Shaun at just the right time." The last minute by the young British title contender was certainly the highlight of the race weekend at this circuit in central Bulgaria.

Rattray overcomes clash with Cairoli
Tyla Rattray, now again in front in the championship standings and owner of the red number place said he regretted the incident with Toni Cairoli, the current MX2 champion, saying that although it was part of racing he was sorry it had happened. "I always like to ride clean but I also always race for the win." After the tangle Tyla managed to work his way back up through the pack on a circuit and in conditions where it was difficult to make up ground. After his third place in the first moto he finished fifth in the second, collecting enough points for the second podium place on the day.

First GP podium for Shaun Simpson
Shaun Simpson, riding for Team KTM UK, one of the new KTM-supported teams was naturally delighted to be up with Searle. He led the race right from the beginning and said he didn't expect to be on the podium this early in his career in GP racing. "This is a very new experience for me," he said. "This is a track that suits me and I already knew in race one that I was fast. I couldn't believe I was in front of Tommy in the second moto. It was fun and now I know I am getting faster I have good hopes for the rest of the season and I want to improve in every GP.

Problems for Goncalves in heat one
Rui Goncalves, the third Red Bull KTM factory rider had difficulty with pain in his arms in the first moto, finishing in tenth place. The second heat proved more successful after some adjustments to the bike's setup. "I had a lot of problems with my arms in the first heat. It was very distracting and hard to ride. It was easier in the second with a different setup but I did not have a very good start. I was also behind Cairoli and Tyla during their incident. I went on to finish seventh and of course I never give up." The Portuguese Red Bull KTM rider said he is looking forward to next week's ride in Mantova, Italy, where he had a good race in the pre-season Starcross event. "It's now my aim to finish every Gp and to pick up as many points as I can," he said.

Great MX2 weekend for KTM
The Bulgarian GP was very successful for KTM with six of the top eight riders on their machines.

Results MX2 Grand Prix
1. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM
2. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM
3. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM
4. Xavier Boog, France, Suzuki
5. Nicolas Aubin, France, Yamaha
6. Anthony Boissere, France, KTM
7. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha
8. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM

Championship Standings after Grand Prix of Bulgaria
1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM, 157 points (regains leader's red number plate)
2. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha, 153
3. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM, 149
4. Nicolas Aubin, France, Yamaha, 106
5. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 106

Other KTM
8. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 92
10. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM, 82
13. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM, 54
14. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM, 50
17. Joel Tarroux, France, KTM, 38

Yamaha contenders taken out at Monza

YAMAHA RACE REPORT 11/05/2008

A promising race at Monza for top Yamaha qualifier Claudio Corti (Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team) and his fellow R1 runners was ended at the first chicane, in a double crash, which also put out Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni YZF-R1) and Sylvain Barrier (YZF Yamaha Junior Team). No fewer than 11 riders were halted by the results of these crashes, with Corti and Pirro hit by a bike that ran across the infield as another incident took place behind.

]]> Claudio Corti (DNF - Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team)
"I'm very depressed about this result because we were set for a good race until I got taken out. After a no score at Assen as well, the championship has become very difficult. We will try our best to get back into contention from Germany onwards."

Michelle Pirro (DNF - Yamaha Motor Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)
"After the first corner crash behind me I thought I had got away with it at the front, but then a Ducati came across the grass and knocked me off. The bike bashed into my groin and stomach very hard and that was it finished."

A fantastic ride at Monza in the Superstock 600 European Championship for young YZF Yamaha Junior Team star Loris Baz. Having qualified on pole, the talented young rider went on to take the chequered flag at Monza in his debut season. This was his second win of the year, adding to his Valencia victory. Baz leads the championship with 61 points, a 19 point lead over second placed rider Daniele Beretta.

Circuit Length: 5792
Temp: 33
Weather: Hot and Sunny

2008 Superstock Italy - Monza 11/05/2008
Race 1 - 11 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Xavier Simeon Suzuki BEL 20'14.707
2 Matej Smrz Honda CZE 0'2.109
3 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 0'2.147
4 Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 0'6.656
5 Michele Magnoni Yamaha ITA 0'10.849
6 Fabrizio Perotti Suzuki ITA 0'11.070
7 Freddy Foray Yamaha FRA 0'11.143
8 Kenny Foray Yamaha FRA 0'14.501
9 Gareth Jones Suzuki AUS 0'15.802
10 Michael Savary Suzuki CHE 0'16.593
11 Aldo Aldrovandi Kawasaki ITA 0'19.172
12 Andrea Antonelli Honda ITA 0'19.315
13 Filip Backlund Suzuki SWE 0'28.267
14 Gregory Junod Yamaha CHE 0'28.874
15 Jonathan Gallina Kawasaki ITA 0'29.029

Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Matej Smrz Honda CZE 1'49.418

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Xavier Simeon Suzuki BEL 57
2. Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 42
3. Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 38
4. Maxime Berger Honda FRA 34
5. Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 30
6. Matej Smrz Honda CZE 29
7. Davide Giugliano Suzuki ITA 28
8. Kenny Foray Yamaha FRA 18
9. Michele Magnoni Yamaha ITA 17
10. Fabrizio Perotti Suzuki ITA 15
11. Andrea Antonelli Honda ITA 15
12. Freddy Foray Yamaha FRA 13
13. Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 11
14. Raymond Schouten Yamaha NED 10
15. Gareth Jones Suzuki AUS 9
27. Sylvain Barrier Yamaha FRA 2

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Suzuki 61
2. Honda 54
3. Ducati 54
4. Yamaha 42
5. Kawasaki 7

Foret wins in style at Monza

YAMAHA RACE REPORT 11/05/2008

Both Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes posted heroic performances in race conditions at Monza, with Foret taking his first win of the 2008 season, by 1.199 seconds, and Parkes finishing third. Parkes was unsure if he could even ride at all on Wednesday, so his podium finish, his second of the year, was an impressive performance from the tough Australian rider.

]]> Foret pulled through from fifth after an imperfect start to overhaul early leaders Josh Brookes and Parkes, and after taking a firm grip on the lead on lap nine the winning result was never really in doubt. Parkes had a pretty lonely race after putting up a spirited defence of his early leading position, fighting with Brookes for much of the time. He finished only six seconds from victory, and five seconds ahead of the next best rider, Andrew Pitt.

Foret's win places him second in the championship on 71 points to Joan Lascorz's 77, with Parkes third on 65.

Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) had a fighting ride at his home track, taking seventh after riding in a group of warring riders, looking for fourth place.

Yamaha Spain rider Angel Rodriguez had a solid tenth place but his team-mate David Salom just missed out on a point again, going 16th for the second race in succession.

Fabien Foret (1st - 29'38.261 - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"I am very pleased to win here. After a tough time in round one at Qatar, I needed points - but I also wanted to win. This was my race; I love this track. I was a bit nervous after problems with my start in previous races so I didn't push it for a bit, but then it started to happen for me. I tried to push every lap from then on. There is still a long way to go in the championship but I am very happy with the win. A big thanks to the team!"

Broc Parkes (3rd - +0'6.736 - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"I had an accident on my mountain bike a short while ago and my arm's still quite sore. That made it very difficult today. It was good for the first half of the race, but then it just got harder and harder to push under braking and during changes of direction. Considering how things were a few days ago, I'm happy to take the points and move forward."

Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"We are very happy of course with Fabien's first win. He deserved it at the first race in Qatar, because he was fighting so hard for that first win in February, but it didn't happen. He had the whole package to win today and he made the most of it. We took lots of points from Lascorz and the championship is open again. Broc had a brave and fast ride. He tried to pull away to let him relax a little on the final laps but he couldn't, just because of his injured arm. A first and third today was a good result for the whole team."

Massimo Roccoli (7th- +0'11.757 - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)
"The race was not great and not bad, but for sure I could not get to the pace of the top three guys today, they were just too fast. I was a little disappointed not to get to the front of the group I was racing in at the finish."

Angel Rodriguez: (10th - +0'15.175 - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team)
"Since yesterday I started to feel pain in my forearms. During the race, 6 or 7 laps to go, it was painful again so I settled for the 10th position. I didn't want to risk another crash like Assen, today it was important to finish. I tried to follow Lascorz but he had a little more rhythm and escaped, but at the end we finished almost together. Everything has been OK, team and bike has worked well."

David Salom: (16th- +0'46.152 - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team)
"I was fighting with a riders group and I couldn't escape them. The rear tire slid a lot and it was impossible to find a rhythm. But anyway I think it would have been difficult to escape. In the last laps I was very slowly because we were fighting with each other so much."

Circuit Length: 5792
Temp: 22
Weather: Cloudy

2008 WSS Italy - Monza 11/05/2008
Race 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 29'38.261
2 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'1.199
3 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 0'6.736
4 Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 0'11.398
5 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 0'11.477
6 Craig Jones Honda GBR 0'11.716
7 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 0'11.757
8 Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 0'12.186
9 Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 0'14.847
10 Angel Rodriguez Yamaha ESP 0'15.175
11 Mark Aitchinson Triumph AUS 0'21.256
12 Cristiano Migliorati Kawasaki ITA 0'24.899
13 Gianluca Nannelli Honda ITA 0'25.077
14 Vesa Kallio Honda FIN 0'25.160
15 Katsuaki Fujiwara Kawasaki JPN 0'26.429
16 David Salom Yamaha ESP 0'46.152

Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 1'50.430

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 77
2. Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 71
3. Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 65
4. Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 63
5. Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 63
6. Craig Jones Honda GBR 49
7. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 41
8. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 39
9. Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 28
10. Gianluca Vizziello Honda ITA 26
11. Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 25
12. Gianluca Nannelli Honda ITA 20
13. Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 20
14. Mark Aitchinson Triumph AUS 20
15. Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 19
19. David Salom Yamaha ESP 8

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Honda 115
2. Yamaha 96
3. Triumph 30
4. Kawasaki 24
5. Suzuki 19

Haga takes win number two

YAMAHA RACE REPORT 11/05/2008

Noriyuki Haga overcame some early weekend set-up issues to power his way to a superb race two win for his Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team at their home track of Monza. Having already scored second in the first race this was Haga's best weekend of the year so far and pushed him further up the championship table. He now sits third overall, on 112 points.

]]> In the first race Haga pushed hard in the early laps, taking the new lap record of 1'45.882, beating his previous 2007 record as he brought himself forward to join what had been a breakaway trio of eventual winner Max Neukirchner, Yukio Kagayama and eventual third place rider, Troy Bayliss.

Haga was in contention for race two almost from the start, taking the lead over the line on lap three, and after some close action riding with Neukirchner and Ryuichi Kiyonari, he held Kiyonari off over the line, with Neukirchner second, by only 0.009 seconds.

Corser had a tough weekend at Monza, starting well in race one but slowly dropping back to 12th. In race two he was in more competitive form but a close moment under braking with another rider saw him run wide at the first chicane and lose places. He finished eighth, and is now sixth overall, on 101 points.

Team YZF Yamaha rider Shinichi Nakatomi was 13th in race one and 12th in race two, in two 18-lap contests with a host of non-finishers. This was also Nakatomi's best race of the 2008 season so far.

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) scored points in each race, posting 15th and 14th places. The team's stand in rider Michel Beck acquitted himself well, finishing race one 19th and race two 15th, scoring a point in only his second ever WSB Championship race.

Noriyuki Haga (2nd and 1st - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
"In the first race I tried to ride 100% but the feel was not really there. We had a team meeting and we altered the chassis settings and suspension for race two. We got a better feeling and I could push everywhere. I could not calculate for the last few laps I just knew I had to keep in front of everyone. On the last lap I tried to brake hard into the last corner and then passed Kiyonari. I am really happy today because everybody in the garage made a good job, so my thanks go to them."

Troy Corser (12th and 8th - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
"I struggled to get a good set-up today and the bike didn't feel as fast as we hoped it would. The bike felt unbalanced so I found it difficult braking into corners, the tyre seemed to spin up more on exit making it harder to drive out. I just couldn't get comfortable with it. The bike was better in race two but it didn't really feel better."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
"An unbelievable win for Noriyuki. His fender was touching his wheel and that was why we saw smoke coming from his machine a couple of times. We were all worried it was something else at one stage! We made the machine shorter between races and it seemed that the tyre was rubbing, but only sometimes. Nori rode really well today and we worked well to give him a winning bike. Troy had some problems that we could not get right for raceday. A huge thank you to everyone on the Yamaha team, we worked really hard at Monza this year, I'm very proud of the team."

Shinichi Nakatomi (13th and 12th - Team YZF Yamaha)
"We changed the settings on the bike to make it easier. I made a mistake and lost positions in race one. In race two I had a good start but after five laps the rear tyre started to drop off. So we need to work on the electronics and the suspension to balance this."

Circuit Length: 5792
Temp: 22
Weather: Hazy

2008 WSB Italy - Monza 11/05/2008
Race 1 - 18 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 32'2.851
2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0'0.058
3 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 0'0.672
4 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'0.771
5 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 0'3.869
6 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 0'5.995
7 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 0'8.788
8 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'9.374
9 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'10.667
10 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'10.771
11 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'12.180
12 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'14.719
13 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'32.734
14 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'36.550
15 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'36.607

Race 2 - 18 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 32'7.576
2 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'0.009
3 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 0'0.051
4 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 0'4.489
5 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'10.272
6 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 0'10.376
7 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'10.496
8 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'12.498
9 Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki ITA 0'19.429
10 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'26.373
11 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'26.544
12 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'26.895
13 Russel Holland Honda AUS 0'27.761
14 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'29.661
15 Michael Beck Yamaha USA 1'29.001

Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'45.882

Rider Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 194
2. Carlos Checa Honda ESP 116
3. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 112
4. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 111
5. Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 107
6. Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 101
7. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 90
8. Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 65
9. Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 65
10. Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 59
11. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 55
12. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 54
13. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 49
14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 41
15. Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 35
20. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 16
23. Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 6
24. David Checa Yamaha ESP 5

Manufacturer Standings 11/05/2008

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Ducati 217
2. Yamaha 171
3. Suzuki 158
4. Honda 135
5. Kawasaki 44

Difficult Superstock weekend for KTM in Monza

KTM Racing

The first appearance of the KTM Maehr Superstock Team on the traditional Monza racing circuit came to a premature end three laps into the race when Rene Mähr had shut down his RC8 and return to the pits.

]]> The newly formed team and their talented rider Rene Maehr already experienced some difficulty with the KTM 1190 RC8 during training for the third race in the FIM Superstock 1000 World Cup on the spirited and legendary racing circuit at Monza. The bike was launched in the spring of 2008 and KTM and the team have declared their first season on the racing circuit as one in which to learn and to gain experience.

Unlike the first two races in Valencia and Assen, it was unfortunately not possible to come up with a suitable engine and chassis setup to suit the famous Italian circuit, which features long straights, hard braking zones and tight chicanes.

Despite a significant improvement at the end of the warm up for the World Cup race over 11 laps, the first trip to Monza ended in disappointment for the team and the recently launched KTM machine when Rene was forced to pull off the circuit with a defective clutch.

Rene Maehr: "Even if we did have a tough job ahead of us at Monza, at the end of the day I am most disappointed that we weren't able to solve the problem during training. Being unable to finish the race is doubly disappointing because I wasn't able to test out the improvements we made during the warm-up at race speed. Nevertheless our experience in Monza continues the learning process and this is the task we set ourselves for the 2008 racing season."

The next race in the FIM Superstock 1000 World Cup is from June 13-15 on the Grand Prix circuit at Germany's Nuerburgring.

MINASSIAN/GENE/VILLENEUVE TAKE THE SPOILS AT SPA WITH THE PEUGEOT 908 HDi FAP

Team Peugeot Total
LE MANS SERIES:
1,000KM DE SPA
RACE (May 10, 2008)

Just like the first two rounds of the 2008 Le Mans Series, the 1,000km de Spa-Francorchamps turned out to be yet another fiercely-disputed, drama-filled race. The result saw Team Peugeot Total claim its third success from three starts without suffering the slightest technical problem. Nicolas Minassian, Marc Gené and Jacques Villeneuve shared the winning N°7 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, but the team's other car crashed out shortly after the two-hour mark.

Photos by: Jean Michel Le Meur / DPPI

]]> The Belgian Ardennes were bathed in glorious summer sunshine throughout the weekend and an impressive crowd of 35,000 spectators turned out to watch the 42 starters begin the race behind the Safety Car following an off by a competitor during the formation lap. When the cars were finally unleashed, Pedro Lamy got away cleanly with the N°8 908 HDi FAP N°8 and soon started to pull clear of his chasers, putting five seconds between his Peugeot and the Audi R10 of McNish who was coming under pressure from Nicolas Minassian in the other 908 HDi FAP. The scrap between the two began in earnest on Lap 21 and ended in a virile clash on Lap 35 during which neither driver was prepared to give way and both were forced to take to the grass through Combes. The last word went to Nicolas Minassian, however, which left the two Peugeots lapping in first and second places for the rest of their double-stint. The first driver changes on Lap 44 saw Villeneuve take over from Minassian, but the N°8 car dropped 35 seconds in the pits when the engine was accidentally switched off with Wurz on board. The Austrian re-joined in third place behind Capello's Audi and began to push hard to make up the gap which was closed on Lap 56. As Wurz came up to pass a Spyker, however, the two cars touched and the Austrian crashed hard in a tyre wall, taking with him the hapless Capello who was able to re-join, albeit with a damaged car. "It all happened so quickly," explained Alexander Wurz. "I was pulling back in front of the Spyker when the rear right of my car hit it, and that sent me into a spin. I couldn't avoid hitting the Audi and I would like apologise for that, just as I would like to say sorry to everyone at Peugeot whose excellent work had given us a fantastic car." Jacques Villeneuve handed over to Marc Gené who went on to post the fastest race lap before the Spaniard handed back over to Nicolas Minassian, as the three drivers took turns to head the field without suffering the slightest technical or strategic problem.
In the Drivers' standings, Minassian/Gené now top the standings, equal with Rockenfeller/Prémat, while Peugeot has lost its advantage in the Manufacturers' table to Audi by two points.

Jacques VILLENEUVE:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the race. We had a good fight and the three of us did a good job together. The weekend was excellent preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours and it was also very nice to win a race again. My last victory dated back to the 1997 Luxemburg Grand Prix!"

Nicolas MINASSIAN:
"I suffered quite badly with oversteer during my first stint but everything returned to normal once new tyres were fitted and I had a great scrap with McNish. I left my braking as late as possible, and he braked even later, and we both end up crossing the grass. It was close, but perfectly fair and square! I spent the rest of the race enjoying the afternoon with my two teammates."

Marc GENE:
"'Nico' did most of the work. It's a good result in championship terms and I'm delighted that the team brought in Jacques for this race to help us prepare for Le Mans."

Michel BARGE:
"Peugeot has kept up its unbeaten run in the Le Mans Series and we were also pleased that we chose to use Spa to prepare for Le Mans by entering three-drivers for both cars. That doesn't necessarily mean we are perfectly ready for Le Mans; we still have a great deal of work to do, especially following the accident of the N°8 car. Unfortunately, that's racing. Mixing cars of differing performance levels is one of the draws of this discipline, but it's also its biggest difficulty."

Bruno FAMIN:
"We didn't have any technical problems whatsoever. The engine cut on the N°8 car following an erroneous manoeuvre during the driver change. The N°8 car's crash has obviously made life more complicated for us, but it isn't the first challenge we have had to rise to!"

THE RACE

Time Lap Car Incidents
12:53 1 7 and 8 Race start behind the Safety Car after the N°46 car went off during the formation lap.
12:57 2 7 and 8 Re-start: the N°8 908 leads ahead of the N°1 Audi and the N°7 908.
13:02 3 7 Battle between McNish and Minassian: Minassian makes a mistake at La Source and loses six seconds.
13:38 21 7 and 8 Fuel and tyres.
14:02 32 7 Minassian attempts to pass McNish round the outside through Combes. The two cars go off into the grass. Minassian moves into second place.
14:27 44 7 and 8 Fuel and tyres. Driver changes: Wurz takes over N°8 and Villeneuve takes over N°7. The N°8 car loses 35s after the engine is switched off, leaving the N°7 car in the lead.
14:34 46 7 and 8 Safety Car.
14:47 51 7 and 8 Re-start.
14:58 56 8 Wurz crashes heavily following a tangle through Fagnes. Safety Car.
15:01 58 7 Fuel.
15:17 63 7 Re-start.
15:37 72 7 Safety Car.
15:43 75 7 Fuel. Driver change (Gené).
15:50 77 7 Re-start.
15:54 79 7 Gené posts the fastest race lap (1m 59.883s).
16:33 98 7 Fuel and tyres.
17:22 121 7 Fuel and tyres. Driver change (Minassian).
17:55 136 7 Safety Car.
18:03 139 7 Re-start. Minassian leads by 13s ahead of Prémat (N°2).
18:12 143 7 Victory for the N°7 Peugeot 908 (Minassian/Gené/Villeneuve).

1,000km de Spa – final positions:
1, Minassian/Gené/Villeneuve Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (143 laps in 5h 17m 48.566s)
2, Rockenfeller/Prémat Audi R10 (+30.387s)
3, Panis/Lapierre Courage Oreca (+3 laps)
4, Capello/McNish Audi R10 (+4 laps)
5, Collard/Boullion Pescarolo (+4 laps)
Fastest race lap: Marc Gené (Peugeot 908 HDi FAP), 1m 59.883s (average: 210.295kph)

Manufacturers' Championship: Drivers' Championship:
1, Audi 37 points 1, Minassian/Gené 24 points
2, Peugeot 35 points Rockenfeller/Prémat 24 points
3, Pescarolo 21 points 3, Primat/Tinseau 12 points
McNish/Capello 12 points
5, Sarrazin/Lamy 11 points

NEXT EVENTS:
Le Mans 24 Hours
Test day: June 1, 2008
Race: June 14-15, 2008
Le Mans Series
Nürburgring: August 16-17, 2008

www.peugeot.com

Audi re-captures lead in Le Mans Series

Audi
Ingolstadt/Spa-Francorchamps
11 May 2008

- Alex Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller runners-up at Spa again

- Audi in first place in the manufacturers’ championship
- Prémat/Rockenfeller have equal points as the front runners

Audi has taken the lead of the manufacturers’ championship of the European Le Mans Series at the 1000-kilometre race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). The two Audi youngsters Alexandre Prémat (26/France) and Mike Rockenfeller (24/Germany) in their Audi R10 TDI finished the third race of the season again in second place, thus going to the "Audi home round" at the Nürburgring on 17 August with the same points score as the Peugeot drivers Marc Gené and Nicolas Minassian.

]]> In brilliant sunshine and summer temperatures, the spectators in the Belgian Ardennes witnessed another captivating fight between the diesel sportscars of Audi and Peugeot. A possible first victory of the Audi R10 TDI in the Le Mans Series was prevented by two collisions of the Audi that had started from the first row with the competition from the Peugeot camp.

As early as in the starting phase and fight for second place, there was body contact between Allan McNish and the attacking Peugeot driven by Nicolas Minassian. In the incident the valve of the R10 TDI’s left rear wheel broke off. The early unscheduled pit stop cost almost a minute.

Despite this setback Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, thanks to quick lap times and a good strategy of Audi Sport Team Joest, were back within striking distance to the leading Peugeot when Alexander Wurz in the second Peugeot, at the beginning of the third hour, collided with a GT2 vehicle and then violently hit the rear of Capello’s car. The necessary repair cost three laps and caused the R10 TDI to drop to position twelve. Three further minutes were lost by car #1 due to a stop-and-go penalty for disregarding the red light at the pit lane exit.

Capello/McNish pushed and recovered to fourth place, thus contributing their share to Audi’s re-capturing of the lead in the manufacturers’ championship of the Le Mans Series. Audi now ranks one point ahead of title defender Peugeot.

The race of the other Audi R10 TDI went without any major incidents. Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller in their third race of the Le Mans Series again took second place, thus standing on the podium for the third time in a row.

Quotes after the race at Spa-Francorchamps

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport):
"The performance in the race was pretty good. Unfortunately, our #1 car was prevented from fighting for victory all the way to the end because it got entangled in an accident through no fault of its own. The second car once more showed a solid performance and took second place again. It’s nice to be leading the manufacturers’ championship and to have two drivers sharing the same points score with the leaders of the standings. We want to build on this and achieve an even better result in the next race at the Nürburgring."

Alexandre Prémat (Audi R10 TDI #2):
"I think we can be satisfied with the result. Audi is leading the manufacturers’ championship. ‘Rocky’ and I’ve got the same number of points as the Peugeot drivers. The race was really tough. Peugeot was very quick again, but we weren’t slow either. We started in fourth place and finished in second for the third time in a row. This podium result makes me feel even more confident for Le Mans."

Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R10 TDI #2):
"We did what we were expected to do and what we’d set out to do: safely bringing the car home. As far as our speed was concerned, we were doing pretty well in the race. Alex and I are getting along with the R10 TDI better and better. Now we’ve finished in second place for the third time in a row and have got the same number of points as the leaders of the standings - if someone had told me that before the start of the season … I’m super happy. I want to thank Alex and the whole team. The car was great in the race and very safe to drive. So I’m satisfied as far as that goes, although I’d have preferred victory of course."

Dindo Capello (Audi R10 TDI #1):
"When I was hit from behind I just didn’t know what had happened. It was a big impact. Then I saw the Peugeot, but I still do not know exactly what occurred. I didn’t see the red light at my pit-stop. I really believed our luck would change for this race. We had a car to challenge for victory again. In each LMS race we have something unexpected happening and we have to recover. We show that our speed is good enough to fight for victory but at the moment just do not get onto the podium."

Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI #1):
"Lamy accelerated before the final corner and broke every rule that was explained to us prior to the race so I was surprised that the organisers allowed the start and that the Peugeot didn’t receive a penalty. I was able to fight pretty well with both Peugeots sitting in second position until I was baulked in Eau Rouge and Minassian got a run on me on the outside into Les Combes. I was on the inside in the braking area and he turned in, which punctured my left rear tyre - he came and apologised afterwards. We came back well from that until Dindo’s unlucky incident with the other Peugeot, which required repairs in the garage as is the story of our LMS year so far unfortunately. From that point it was just recovery back to fourth position."

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest):
"That was a ‘déja-vu’. Again, car 1 had problems, this time through no fault of its own. The second R10 TDI again drove a flawless race to finish as the runner-up. Congratulations to Alex (Prémat) and ‘Rocky’: The two are really making headway. The number one car still managed to recover to fourth after a major repair and the stop-and-go penalty - that’s the best result of the season so far for Dindo (Capello) and Allan (McNish), as sad as that may sound. All in all, we should be satisfied, but I won’t deny that we’d like to see our first victory pretty soon."

The results at Spa-Francorchamps

1 Gené/Minassian/Villeneuve (Peugeot) 143 laps in 5h 17m 48.566s
2 Prémat/Rockenfeller (Audi R10 TDI) + 30.387s
3 Panis/Lapierre (Courage-Oreca-Judd) - 3 laps
4 Capello/McNish (Audi R10 TDI) - 4 laps
5 Collard/Boullion (Pescarolo-Judd) - 4 laps
6 Verstappen/van Merksteijn (Porsche) - 5 laps
7 Lienhard/Theys (Porsche) - 5 laps
8 Elgaard/Nielsen (Porsche) - 8 laps
9 Hall/Kerr (Creation-Aim) - 9 laps
10 Ragues/Lahaye (Pescarolo-Judd) - 9 laps

Ferrari World Record meeting in Japan

Ferrari
Fuji, 11th May 2008

With 500 Ferraris at the Fuji circuit the Prancing Horse beats the World Record of the highest number of Ferraris on a race track at the same moment.

Before the very eyes of the Guinness Book of World Records' jury 500 Ferraris were at the Fuji circuit at the same moment, thus beating the record of 385 Ferraris at the track of Silverstone last year. 500 Japanese Ferrari owners met to beat the record: going on the track before the very eyes of the judges they registered a new record, which will now be listed in the "Guinness Challenge". Ferrari had a busy weekend at Fuji with an intensive program of the first driver's courses in Japan, the FXX program and five F1 Clients. As of the upcoming 1st July the Japanese market will be directly managed by Ferrari through Ferrari Japan KK.

Massa maestro of Turkey

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's
Turkish GP
Istanbul, 11th May

Felipe Massa secured Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro's fourth win from five races this season, his second this year, to take a hat-trick of Turkish Grand Prix victories. Starting from fourth on the grid, Kimi Raikkonen also put in a strong drive to come home third, joining his team-mate and second placed Lewis Hamilton on the podium. With the quarter point of the season now passed, the numbers tell the story: Ferrari heads the Constructors' table on 63 points, nineteen points ahead of BMW Sauber, Kimi is still up at the top of the Drivers' classification on 35, with Felipe now moving up to second, seven points behind the Finn.

]]> The grid formed up in untypically chilly conditions for Turkey, with an ambient temperature of just 17 degrees and keeping tyres warm was made even harder as the Safety Car came out immediately after the start because of a collision that Fisichella and Nakajima. Massa got a perfect start from pole, with Lewis Hamilton charging into second place from third ahead of Kubica who got ahead of Kovalainen who made a bad start from second place. The Finnish McLaren driver pitted as soon as the race restarted on lap 2 for a change of tyres. Raikkonen found his path blocked off the line and had dropped two places to sixth, moving up to fifth after the McLaren had pitted. So the order on lap 3 was: Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Raikkonen, Alonso, Webber, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Coulthard, Trulli, Button, Barrichello, Glock, Bourdais, Piquet, Vettel, Sutil and Kovalainen, 18th and last.

Out in front, Massa was having to push hard, as second placed Hamilton was only 1.4 seconds behind on lap 7 and only 1.1 five laps later. Why was the McLaren so fast? All would be revealed later! Kubica's BMW was a further 5.3 behind, while Raikkonen was 1.1 down on the Polish driver, with a comfortable 2.1 seconds in hand over Alonso's Renault. The fight for first place was turning into a fascinating duel, as the McLaren man seemed to always have a slight advantage in the first two sectors of the track, but the Ferrari had the edge in the third and final part of the lap.

Alonso was the first driver to make a planned pit stop bringing his Renault in on lap 15 and next time round, Hamilton came in for a 6.4 stop, which took the pressure off Massa, who came in for an 8.2 second stop on lap 19, as did Kubica in the BMW. But a Ferrari still led, as these stops promoted Raikkonen to first place, the Finn immediately setting a fastest lap with a clear track ahead of him. Next time round, he made his first stop, stationary for 8.6 seconds. Heidfeld who had been up to second in the BMW, also refuelled on this lap. Massa was leading again, but not for long, as Hamilton tried a very brave move running down to the hairpin to pass the Ferrari man on lap 24. This meant the two F2008 were running in convoy, as Raikkonen was third, 9.3 behind his team-mate and 4.1 ahead of Kubica.

With 28 laps of 58 remaining, the lead McLaren now headed Felipe by 6.3 seconds lapping almost a second quicker than the Brazilian, while Kimi was now running a solitary race behind Massa with a 4.8 second lead over Kubica. In the remaining points positions, were Heidfeld fifth, then Alonso, Webber and Button who pitted the Honda on lap 31.

On lap 32, Hamilton made his second stop, thus handing the lead back to the Ferrari duo. The TV caption indicated the McLaren driver had enough fuel to get to the flag. Was this right? Wait and see! Sometimes the best battles are not at the front and that was the case in Istanbul, as in the middle order, there were two fantastic fights for eleventh place between Button and Piquet and for thirteenth between Kovalainen and Glock.

Massa made his final 7.3 second stop on lap 40, with fourth placed Kubica also pitting on the same lap. Hamilton was now the McLaren meat in a Ferrari sandwich, as Raikkonen inherited the lead when Massa rejoined in third place, with the Englishman back in the lead when Kimi made his second and final stop for 7.1 seconds on lap 43. This meant that with 14 laps to go, Hamilton looked set for a relatively secure sprint to the flag as he led Felipe by 14.4s, with Kimi a further 7.1 behind. But things are not always what they seem and the pace of the McLaren now became clear as Hamilton came in for a third stop on lap 45, which promoted Massa to the number one position yet again. McLaren had in fact opted to put their English driver on a three stop strategy, which is why, on lighter fuel loads, he appeared to be quicker than the Ferraris. With eight laps remaining, the Finn had closed to within 0.7 seconds of Hamilton, but it was clear that he would not get past and Kimi made sure of a good third place. Off the podium but in the points were Robert Kubica, fourth and Nick Heidfeld fifth for BMW Sauber, Fernando Alonso sixth for Renault, Mark Webber seventh for Red Bull Renault and Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams Toyota.

The next round of the championship takes place at the most glamorous venue on the calendar in Monaco, where driver confidence and good team spirit play a key role - what better way to go there than leading both championships.

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Turkish GP - The race

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
Turkish GP - The race
Istanbul, 11th May

F. Massa: 1st 1:26.49.541 58 laps chassis 267
K. Raikkonen: 3rd 1:26.53.722 + 4.271 58 laps chassis 270

Weather: air temperature 20 °C, track temperature 28/29 °C, partially cloudy then sunny

Fourth consecutive win of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the second for Felipe Massa. This is victory number 205 from 763 Grand Prix starts for Ferrari, the seventh from 93 starts for Felipe.

]]> Stefano Domenicali:
"We are very happy with this result, but we know it was a tough one to get. Felipe drove a great race and made the most of yesterday's pole position, but given what happened at the start, Kimi's result in managing to get onto the podium, could have been a lot worse. It was yet another example of the fact that, in this sport, it takes very little for the pendulum to swing one way or the other. We wanted to continue down this winning path which started as a reaction to the heavy hit we took in Melbourne and we have managed it. We hope this is a nice wedding present for Clementina, the daughter of our President, Luca di Montezemolo! These sixteen points are the result of the work from the whole team at all levels and that is why we chose Francesco Uguzzoni, the head mechanic to go on the podium and pick up the winning team trophy. Now we have to prepare maybe even more carefully for the next rounds: at Monaco and Canada last year, we suffered a lot and we will have to do our best in preparing for these races, both in the test session at Paul Ricard, from next Wednesday to Friday and in analyzing the data back in Maranello."

Felipe Massa:
"Its fantastic to have got the hat trick here in Istanbul: it might really almost be worth asking for a Turkish passport! It was a very tough race but the team work magnificently, giving me a great car. When Hamilton came underneath me at an incredible pace, I preferred not to take too many risks: the pit wall informed he that he was cleary running a lighter fuel load even if we were not certain he was on a three stop strategy. When that became clear, we were calmer, knowing we had everything in place to go for the win. My engineer, Rob, guided my pace and I drove in such a way as to keep ahead of Lewis. Maybe the hard tyres worked better today, but from what we saw over the weekend, the softs were more competitive and in any case, the difference was not that great. I want to dedicate this win to two people: to my mother on Mothers Day and to Stefano Domenicali whose birthday it is today."

Kimi Raikkonen:
"It was a difficult weekend for me but six points are definitely better than nothing. At the start, I was almost alongside Heikki but then he slowed and I had to brake too to avoid a heavy crash. We touched just enough to damage the end plate of the front wing on my car: it was not a very serious problem, but it definitely didn't help my race. My first set of soft tyres worked very well, but the second was not as good: for the rears, maybe it would have been better to switch immediately to the harder, but that's easy to say with hindsight. After a less than great qualifying yesterday, we knew the race would be an uphill struggle. Now we must ensure we are as well prepared as possible for the Monaco Grand Prix, where we struggled in 2007. This winter we worked a lot on the car to concentrate on those shortcomings which we saw at tracks like this. Now we will see if we did enough to be competitive."

Luca Baldisserri:
"All in all, a really good result. We had the potential to get a one-two, but after what happened at the start, we could have ended up with one car outside the points. The choice of when to use which tyre was based on data gathered in free practice and on past experience at this track, as well as a logical prediction of how the track surface would evolve. With hindsight, it is easy to say that we could have gone for a different choice. The team worked well and the cars ran trouble free, which included amongst other things, successfully completing the useage cycle of four races for the gearbox: for this and for their usual technical contribution I would like to thank Shell especially. Now we can expect two tricky races, where last year we were not competitive enough to win. We have worked a lot to remedy the problems which we had there and now we will find out if we have worked in the right direction."

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 2008 Turkish Grand Prix

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
2008 Turkish Grand Prix
Istanbul, Sunday 11th May 2008

Lewis Hamilton MP4-23 04
Heikki Kovalainen MP4-23 05

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul in second place. After 58 laps (309.396kms), he came home 3.7 seconds behind winner Felipe Massa. Lewis’s team mate Heikki Kovalainen had to make an unscheduled stop on lap two (8.4 seconds) following a coming-together at the first corner with Kimi Raikkonen and ended up 12th. Lewis was on a three-stop strategy and came in on laps 16 (6.4 seconds), 32 (6.2 seconds) and 45 (5.9 seconds). Heikki made his planned stops on lap 27 (9.9 seconds) and 50 (6.2 seconds). After the fifth of 18 Grands Prix, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is third in the Constructors’ Championship with 42 points; Ferrari leads with 63 points. Lewis is third in the drivers’ rankings with 28 points; Heikki is sixth with 14 points. Räikkönen leads with 35 points.

]]> LEWIS HAMILTON
“I am so thrilled with today’s result, and I think this is the best race ever for me. It’s not about winning, it’s about feeling that you extract 100% from yourself and the car and I did that today. Before the race our prediction was that all being well I would finish fifth, so second is such a bonus. I was not happy with my performance yesterday and perhaps if I had managed to get the car on pole I could have won. However, we knew that we would have to use a three stop strategy as a precaution as we had some issues with our tyres. The team did a fantastic job, the pitstops were great, and the balance of the car was superb, and we all kept our spirit up. There were no problems with the tyres in the race. I managed to overtake Felipe at one point, and I really think we have closed the gap to Ferrari. I am so excited about the next race in Monaco and just can’t wait.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
“Not a lucky race for me as I made a bad start from the dirty line on the grid. After the start Kimi and I touched slightly which caused a slow puncture to my left-rear tyre. Initially I was not sure whether the tyre was damaged or not, but during the Safety Car period I realised that I had to come into the pits for a new tyre. That was almost it for me, because with my heavy fuel load and the traffic it is extremely difficult to gain any places during the race. However, I did my best but no points. These things happen, and I have had a good weekend and really enjoyed being back in the car. It’s a shame that we were not able to get points today as I have been fast throughout, but I am really optimistic for Monaco.”

RON DENNIS
“Today we saw a truly phenomenal drive from Lewis, in which he optimised a three-stop strategy that we were forced to adopt as a consequence of concerns we had with his tyres. As a result of the eight points that his second-placed finish netted him, he closed the gap on Kimi in the World Drivers’ Championship to just seven points. Heikki’s race was spoiled by a punctured left-rear tyre, the result of contact with Kimi at the first corner. As soon as the pit lane had reopened, we called him in for tyres and fuel. Thereafter he drove forcefully and well all afternoon. But for that puncture, he would have scored heavily today. I believe we have closed the gap to our main competition which gives the team a great boost before heading for Monte Carlo.”

NORBERT HAUG
“A really exciting Grand Prix and, as I think, quite entertaining for the spectators. We had an aggressive strategy for Lewis which almost paid off as our aims were first places in both qualifying and race. Lewis drove a great race with a good speed. His overtaking manoeuvre when he passed Massa was surely enjoyed by lots of television spectators as it does not happen too often in Formula 1 that the leading car is passed. Kimi touched Heikki at the first corner, and Heikki had to make an extra pit stop due to a damaged tyre. This ruined his race and prevented him from taking a possible podium finish. We all will continue to work very hard and are looking forward to the season’s highlight in Monte Carlo in two weeks’ time.”