Kawasaki Racing Team - China

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI, CHINA
24 APRIL 2005 - EVENT PREVIEW


KAWASAKI IN NEW MOTOGP ADVENTURE TO CHINA
The Kawasaki Racing Team will be part of a history-making MotoGP race in China at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday 1st May.

The Chinese Grand Prix, which will deliver the glamour and excitement of MotoGP to the world's most populous nation, is a significant milestone in the global expansion of motorcycle grand prix racing.

This will be the first-ever FIM Road Race GP to be staged in China since the world championship began in 1949. The race opens a potential market of 1.7 billion people to MotoGP, which continues an impressive rise upwards in worldwide spectator and television audience figures.

The 5.45 km Shanghai circuit is the most modern motorsport facility in the world, designed by renowned racetrack architect Hermann Tilke, who was also responsible for the circuits in Malaysia and Bahrain.

Joining the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR squad for the China adventure is French rider Olivier Jacque, who will be re-united with former 250cc teammate Shinya Nakano.

Jacque, 31, replaces regular team rider Alex Hofmann, who is out for five weeks as he recovers from fractures to the ulna and scaphoid bones in his left wrist.

Jacque won the 250cc world championship in 2000. He scored 34 podiums, including seven victories, in an outstanding 250cc career before stepping back from full-time MotoGP racing in 2004.

Meanwhile Kawasaki's main man Nakano goes to China holding sixth place in the championship standings, and is the first Bridgestone rider in the points after two rounds.

Since being called-up to the Kawasaki team Jacque has quickly adapted to the latest ZX-RR, having previously tested the 2004 model at Valencia last November.

With no previous test data available from the Shanghai circuit this race will be a steep learning curve for riders and engineers, both from Kawasaki and tyre supplier Bridgestone.

Shinya Nakano: #56
"This will be my first visit to Shanghai and all I know about the track is from watching the Formula One race on TV last year. For me the race in China is very interesting, it is just a two hour flight from Japan, and is part of Asia and I'm always happy to racing in this part of the world. I think the Kawasaki team has a good chance here because nobody has tested at this track and the conditions will be the same for everyone. We had a very productive test in Portugal, so I'm aiming to stay in the top six of the championship points."

Olivier Jacque: # 19
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of China and the Shanghai circuit in my first race for Kawasaki. After the test at Estoril I'm feeling more comfortable on the bike, although it takes time get back up to speed after being away from racing. One advantage for me is that the Shanghai track is new for everyone. The 2005 ZX-RR is clearly a step forward compared to the '04 model I tested last November and being part of the new China event is an unexpected, but timely opportunity for me."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
"The Chinese GP is a very important stage in the global expansion of MotoGP, it is a significant opportunity for everyone in the sport, especially the major manufacturers. The Shanghai race is a new market and it is exciting to be part of this adventure. But it will be a big challenge, a new track with no previous test data for our riders and engineers. It is a pity that Alex Hofmann cannot be with the team for this race although we have a very capable replacement in Olivier Jacque, who like everyone else will have to learn the track from the beginning of practice. Based on recent races and test sessions I'm sure both Shinya and Olivier are going to be competitive in Shanghai."

[ozx6r]

track looks good! dunno about this new class of bike they run over there might see some high lap times over a 5km track!

[Barrabob]

They may have gone into overkill with some of the infastructure....I wonder if you can go over and do a trackday.

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, CHINA
29 APRIL 2005 - FREE PRACTICE


DELAYED START TO HISTORIC FIRST DAY OF MOTOGP IN CHINA
Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, finished the first day of free practice in the build-up to Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix in 12th and 15th positions respectively.

The race will be the first-ever road race GP to be staged in China, with the all-new Shanghai International Circuit providing space-age facilities for this historic MotoGP event.

However, the combination of unpredictable weather and the delayed arrival of the medical helicopter proved to be a frustrating mix, as the riders and team engineers tried to understand the all-new 5.4 km circuit.

The morning free practice session was delayed by two and half hours awaiting the helicopter arrival. This meant that the second session did not start until 4pm, two hours later than usual.

By this time rain had hit the Shanghai circuit, which had been dry and humid in the morning when no bikes could take to the track.

All the fast times were posted in session one, with times in the mainly damp but drying second session up to 15 seconds slower. A narrow dry line appeared late in the session, although there were still patches of wet track.

After spending session one learning the track and checking set-up on his Ninja ZX-RR, Nakano spent the second free practice session trying to second-guess the track conditions without success.

Temporary teammate Jacque, subbing for the injured Alex Hofmann, made an impressive debut on his first official day of competition aboard the four-stroke, 990cc Ninja ZX-RR.

Initially shocked by the impressive power and performance of Kawasaki's MotoGP machine in wet conditions the experienced Frenchman, winner of the 250cc world title in 2000, quickly justified the decision by team management to engage his services.

Shinya Nakano: #56 - Twelfth - (2’03.687)
"That was a difficult afternoon session in the conditions; starting wet and then drying out. I tried a cut slick on the rear too early in the session, the track was not dry enough, and that was a mistake. I then switched back to rain tyres, but the track was too dry, so it was difficult to evaluate tyre performance. The surface grip feels okay, although I am still lacking some confidence in the slow corners, but I think the correct tyre choice is the answer to that problem. The surface and some corners remind me of the Sepang circuit in Malaysia."

Olivier Jacque: #19 - Fifteenth - (2’05.165)
"That was a very scary comeback to MotoGP for me. It is so long since I have raced and I am not used to this amount of power in rain! Also this is my first GP on Bridgestone tyres and I am still adapting to them. But overall the bike is feeling very good, the team have given me an excellent set-up and the track has good grip, even in the rain, and this has helped build my confidence. I’m keen to move forward from here."

Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director
"Tyre performance has been difficult to understand in these conditions and normally as the track dries out lap times reduce. The rain specification front tyre was very stable, but at the moment the rear tyre is the limiting factor for us. Tomorrow we will try some different specification tyres, which Bridgestone have brought to China, as we try to gather more data on our first visit to this track. We had no technical problems today."

FREE PRACTICE - FINAL TIMES
1. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 2'02.327; 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +0.158; 3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +0.230; 4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.337; 5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +0.350; 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.378; 7. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +0.489; 8. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.948; 9. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +1.093; 10. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +1.199; 11. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +1.290; 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.360; 15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.838

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, CHINA
APRIL 2005 - QUALIFYING PRACTICE


NAKANO TO START TENTH IN SHANGHAI RACE
Shinya Nakano will start his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR from tenth place, on the fourth row of the grid in tomorrow's history-making Chinese Grand Prix.

The always competitive Japanese ace was frustrated by a couple of small mistakes on his qualifying lap, but is confident of his pace for the 22-lap race.

French rider, Olivier Jacque, continues his impressive debut with the Kawasaki factory team and today qualified 15th, despite having his first experience of the latest soft compound Bridgestone qualifying tyres.

Jacque is racing here and in his home race, the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in two weeks, as a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann.

While admitting he felt the pressure of the new, single-session MotoGP qualifying format, after a long absence from the series, Jacque delivered a fast and consistent performance.

The 31-year-old Frenchman was briefly as high as 12th while, with four minutes remaining, Nakano surged to sixth before slipping to tenth in a late flurry of fast times.

Nakano is just one of five riders using Bridgestone tyres to qualify in the top ten.

Kawasaki engineers will assess the data collected over the past two days of practice and qualifying to improve the engine brake settings on the new ZX-RR motor.

Technical Director, Ichiro Yoda, says that more time is required to fully understand its character, especially at new circuits like the 5.4 km Shanghai track, which features three first gear corners.

Conditions were warm but humid and overcast for qualifying, with threatened rain holding off for a session that saw lap times drop dramatically from Friday's free practice.

Similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow's first-ever MotoGP event to be staged in China at the Shanghai circuit.

Shinya Nakano: #56 - Tenth - (2'01.098)
"The fourth row of the grid is not the best position for the race. I made a couple of mistakes on my qualifying lap; I braked too hard at the end of the straight and then lost the rear-end with some slides in the hairpin. But I have collected a lot of tyre data, so I hope it is hot and dry for the race, because I think I have a good tyre option from Bridgestone. On the bike we need to adjust the engine brake settings, I'm not comfortable with it at the moment. The track is okay, it is tight in parts but I'm getting used to it."

Olivier Jacque: #19 - Fifteenth - (2'02.072)
"It was a big surprise for me to experience the incredible grip levels and performance of the latest soft qualifying tyres, which have improved dramatically since the last time I raced in Grand Prix. Getting the best from a qualifier is all about confidence, so I was under a lot of pressure in this session. I don't think I got the maximum from the soft tyre, but I'm happy with the chassis balance and engine for the race. With three first gear, and some long, slow corners this is not a very fluid track for MotoGP bikes; it is not easy to get a lot a pleasure from this layout."

Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director
"We need more time, especially to find the correct engine brake settings. In some corners the braking force is too strong, but we have only had this new engine for three months and we are still trying to understand all the data. For the race it seems we now have a very good tyre option, both front and rear, from Bridgestone, so I'm not so worried about that."


QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1 - FINAL TIMES
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 1'59.710; 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +0.163; 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.770; 4. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.956; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +1.037; 6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +1.111; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1.192; 8. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +1.371; 9. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +1.375; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.388; 11. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +1.407; 12. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +1.618; 15. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.362

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, CHINA
01 MAY 2005 - MEDIA INFORMATION


NAKANO RACKS UP A CENTURY OF GRAND PRIX STARTS
The inaugural Chinese Grand Prix, at the Shanghai International Circuit, marked Shinya Nakano's 100th Grand Prix start since his debut as a wild card rider in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka seven years ago.

To mark the occasion, Nakano was presented with a commemorative cake by the three team managers for whom he's raced since joining the Grand Prix series full time in 1999; Herve Poncharal, Luis d'Antin and his current team manager, Kawasaki's Harald Eckl.

The 27-year-old Japanese rider made his first Grand Prix appearance in 1998, racing as a wild card in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Nakano made his full time world championship debut the following season, and it was an impressive one. The Japanese ace racked up five podium finishes, won his first race at his home Grand Prix at Motegi and ended the season an impressive fourth in the championship standings to secure the coveted Rookie of the Year award.

Nakano's run of form continued the following year, with the affable Japanese rider scoring five race wins and seven podium finishes during the course of the season, more than any other rider. The championship that year went down to the last lap of the final race in Australia, with Nakano losing the title to his teammate, Olivier Jacque, by a mere 0.041s at the line.

A move up to the 500cc World Championship in 2001 again saw Nakano lift the coveted Rookie of the Year award, after finishing on the podium in the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring and ending the season fifth in the championship standings.

After five years with Yamaha in Grand Prix, Nakano joined the Kawasaki Racing Team for the 2004 season. On the pace from the start, the undoubted highlight of the season came when he gave Kawasaki their first premier class podium finish for more than 20 years by bringing his Ninja ZX-RR home in third place in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

Seven years, six race wins, 20 podium finishes, five pole positions and 99 races after his World Championship debut, Shinya Nakano notched up his century of race starts when he lined up on the grid aboard his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR for this afternoon's history making 22-lap Chinese Grand Prix.

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, CHINA
01 MAY 2005 - MOTOGP RACE RESULT


JACQUE DELIVERS HISTORIC RESULT FOR KAWASAKI IN SHANGHAI
Olivier Jacque delivered Kawasaki’s best-ever result in the premier class of motorcycle grand prix racing, with a masterful second place in a water-logged Chinese Grand Prix today.

The podium position was also a personal best for the 31-year-old Frenchman in the premier class. Previously he was fourth in the 2003 French GP at Le Mans.

In surging from 15th on the grid to second at the finish of the rain-hit race, Jacque and Kawasaki also delivered the best-ever result for Bridgestone in a MotoGP race using full wet specification tyres.

It was a spectacular debut ride for Kawasaki by Jacque, who was a late replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann.

The Frenchman, starting 15th, finished the 22-lap race with a dramatic surge for victory, finishing just 1.7s adrift of race winner, and four-time world champion, Valentino Rossi.

Jacque closed almost four seconds over the final five laps with a near perfect display of bike and throttle control, which emphasised the step forward made with the latest motor powering the Ninja ZX-RR.

The Kawasaki pilot was ninth on lap two and, when he splashed past Spaniard Sete Gibernau to secure second place on lap 15, the Frenchman was still 6.1s behind Rossi.

In his chase of Rossi, Jacque overcame a fogging visor and windscreen which made it almost impossible to read his pit board and race position.

After the race Rossi said: "I read that Olivier was coming to MotoGP for two races and that China was just for training, so now we must watch out for him at Le Mans."

Jacque’s teammate Shinya Nakano failed to finish, retiring his Ninja ZX-RR with an electrical problem at the end of lap two. Nakano was hugely disappointed with this outcome, which resulted in him dropping to eighth place in the world championship.

Olivier Jacque: #19 - 2nd
"For sure Valentino’s crew didn’t have my name ready to put on his pit board over the final laps, and I still don’t really understand how it all happened. It’s magic, better than winning the world title. When I arrived as a replacement rider on Thursday I said I felt like 'a hair on the soup' but today I felt like fish in water. I was comfortable with the conditions, had good grip from the tyres and my team gave me a confidence-boosting set-up. It’s strange to be here on the podium, I’m not sure how to feel."

Shinya Nakano: #56 - DNF
"On lap one I had a strange feeling from the motor, and then on lap two it felt like I lost power from one cylinder with a misfire. I’m very disappointed, I don’t like losing championship points like this, although there are still a lot of races to go."

Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director
"Incredible, I can’t believe this result and I don’t understand why a rider like Olivier is not in MotoGP full time. I hope the sport will see more of him. I worked with him at Yamaha for the 250 world championship so this result today with Kawasaki is very special for both of us."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
"A fantastic result, and full credit to Olivier in very difficult conditions. Two weeks ago at Estoril we saw that he still had what it takes to race at this level, and today's result just goes to prove that the decision to put him on our bike for this race, and for the next at Le Mans, was the right one. The result also proves that Kawasaki's engineers have built an engine that is suited to these conditions. Finally, I must say a big thank to our tyre partner Bridgestone, they have done a lot of work on their wet weather tyres."

MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 50'02.463; 2. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.700; 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +16.574; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +18.906; 5. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +19.551; 6. Jurgen vd Goorbergh (NED) Konica Minolta Honda +21.622; 7. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +25.883; 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +31.033; 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +39.299; 10. Ruben Xaus (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +40.991

[Derek_C]

They may have gone into overkill with some of the infastructure....I wonder if you can go over and do a trackday.

Not really. Big bore bike - anything over 150cc are not available to the average punter. This will change over the next few years. Hopefully hosting a motogp round will change people's attitudes to motorcycles and racing.