KRT MotoGP - Le Mans
Sat May 19, 2007 8:34 am
Circuit: Le Mans
Date: 18/05/2007
STEADY AWAY FOR DE PUNIET AND NIETO AT LE MANS
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet, kicked off the weekend of his home Grand Prix with some healthy lap times at Le Mans. The 26-year-old, riding the Ninja ZX-RR, finished today's two, hour-long practice sessions in 12th place on combined times.
While he was one of the fastest through the speed trap today, that wasn't Randy's primary concern at the Bugatti Circuit, as he used both sessions to concentrate on refining machine set up. Having used just one set of tyres for the whole of the morning session, he clocked his fastest time on his last lap, giving him huge confidence in the longevity of the Bridgestones' grip.
Similarly, in the afternoon practice, he switched to a new rear tyre just before the end of the session but patches of rain on his out lap brought him in early and he called it a day. He and the team remain in no doubt that there's plenty of progress to come in qualifying practice tomorrow afternoon.
Meanwhile, Fonsi Nieto, Randy's teammate for the weekend, put in a solid performance on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. The Spaniard, standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, clocked 1'39.463 on his first outing on a MotoGP machine.
Nieto took his time in the early session, getting used to the bike and tyres before stiffening up the rear suspension in the afternoon, after which there was a significant improvement. He then went on familiarising himself with the power delivery and handling of the Ninja ZX-RR and the characteristics of the Bridgestone tyres.
Nieto was also surprised at quite how light a MotoGP bike is, compared to his more familiar World Superbike machine, and proved cautious into corners and slightly uneasy on the brakes. He was caught out, early on, forgetting carbon brakes need time to reach their optimal operating temperature and briefly left the track at the ultra-fast turn one.
In the afternoon, Nieto improved his time to 1'38.837 with a top speed of 252.1 km/h. The erstwhile 250cc world championship rider, running number 11, has a healthy history at Le Mans and his feedback to crew chief, Fiorenzo Fanali, has been both coherent and accurate. Therefore, Fonsi, his crew and the team are confident he will close the gap further on the series regulars over the weekend.
Position:12th - Best Lap: 1'36.352
"The first day in Le Mans hasn't been easy as we've struggled a lot with the rear. It moves a lot, exiting corners and it was difficult to change direction. I can't say I'm unhappy, though I'm not confident. My confidence in the bike set up improved into the afternoon session but we need to keep progressing tomorrow, mainly in T4 where I've been losing a lot of time. However, I'm really happy with the race tyres. I spent the whole session this morning with the same set and I did my best lap time in my last lap. I used a new set of the same spec in the afternoon and the conclusion was the same. The performance and consistency are very good; very positive for the race. The weather wasn't wonderful but the forecasters predict good conditions for tomorrow. We all hope they aren't wrong!"
Position: 19th - Best Lap: 1'38.827
"This morning, I was so excited to get on the Kawasaki MotoGP bike for the first time. The experience of riding the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR has been amazing and I've had a lot of fun, although we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Following the team's advice, I decided to take it easy as everything was new to me. I just wanted to get used to the bike and the tyres without rushing, to avoid making any mistakes. The biggest differences and challenges for me today have been the difference in weight, the carbon brakes and the tyres. I don't have all the confidence necessary to change direction, I need to improve my braking to maintain a good corner speed and also to gain some confidence in the front tyre as well. The weather conditions didn't help us much and, consequently, my lap times have been quite slow but there is plenty of room for improvement tomorrow. The team, and particularly having Fiorenzo Fanali by my side, helps me a lot and I'm sure tomorrow will be much better."
Kawasaki Technical Manager
"To be honest, we expected a little bit more from these first sessions at Le Mans, although the weather made everything more difficult for our riders and the track surface was not in the best condition. But at least we were able to collect some data for dry conditions and Randy seems to be happy with the race tyres. He now needs to find a good "feeling" in the bike and tomorrow we will work on the suspension and chassis set up in order to achieve this. Fonsi is going step by step. Today was his first day and we will see how he progresses tomorrow on our machine. We know there are some points we need to address but we still have another day of practice before the race."
Date: 18/05/2007
STEADY AWAY FOR DE PUNIET AND NIETO AT LE MANS
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet, kicked off the weekend of his home Grand Prix with some healthy lap times at Le Mans. The 26-year-old, riding the Ninja ZX-RR, finished today's two, hour-long practice sessions in 12th place on combined times.
While he was one of the fastest through the speed trap today, that wasn't Randy's primary concern at the Bugatti Circuit, as he used both sessions to concentrate on refining machine set up. Having used just one set of tyres for the whole of the morning session, he clocked his fastest time on his last lap, giving him huge confidence in the longevity of the Bridgestones' grip.
Similarly, in the afternoon practice, he switched to a new rear tyre just before the end of the session but patches of rain on his out lap brought him in early and he called it a day. He and the team remain in no doubt that there's plenty of progress to come in qualifying practice tomorrow afternoon.
Meanwhile, Fonsi Nieto, Randy's teammate for the weekend, put in a solid performance on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. The Spaniard, standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, clocked 1'39.463 on his first outing on a MotoGP machine.
Nieto took his time in the early session, getting used to the bike and tyres before stiffening up the rear suspension in the afternoon, after which there was a significant improvement. He then went on familiarising himself with the power delivery and handling of the Ninja ZX-RR and the characteristics of the Bridgestone tyres.
Nieto was also surprised at quite how light a MotoGP bike is, compared to his more familiar World Superbike machine, and proved cautious into corners and slightly uneasy on the brakes. He was caught out, early on, forgetting carbon brakes need time to reach their optimal operating temperature and briefly left the track at the ultra-fast turn one.
In the afternoon, Nieto improved his time to 1'38.837 with a top speed of 252.1 km/h. The erstwhile 250cc world championship rider, running number 11, has a healthy history at Le Mans and his feedback to crew chief, Fiorenzo Fanali, has been both coherent and accurate. Therefore, Fonsi, his crew and the team are confident he will close the gap further on the series regulars over the weekend.
Position:12th - Best Lap: 1'36.352
"The first day in Le Mans hasn't been easy as we've struggled a lot with the rear. It moves a lot, exiting corners and it was difficult to change direction. I can't say I'm unhappy, though I'm not confident. My confidence in the bike set up improved into the afternoon session but we need to keep progressing tomorrow, mainly in T4 where I've been losing a lot of time. However, I'm really happy with the race tyres. I spent the whole session this morning with the same set and I did my best lap time in my last lap. I used a new set of the same spec in the afternoon and the conclusion was the same. The performance and consistency are very good; very positive for the race. The weather wasn't wonderful but the forecasters predict good conditions for tomorrow. We all hope they aren't wrong!"
Position: 19th - Best Lap: 1'38.827
"This morning, I was so excited to get on the Kawasaki MotoGP bike for the first time. The experience of riding the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR has been amazing and I've had a lot of fun, although we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Following the team's advice, I decided to take it easy as everything was new to me. I just wanted to get used to the bike and the tyres without rushing, to avoid making any mistakes. The biggest differences and challenges for me today have been the difference in weight, the carbon brakes and the tyres. I don't have all the confidence necessary to change direction, I need to improve my braking to maintain a good corner speed and also to gain some confidence in the front tyre as well. The weather conditions didn't help us much and, consequently, my lap times have been quite slow but there is plenty of room for improvement tomorrow. The team, and particularly having Fiorenzo Fanali by my side, helps me a lot and I'm sure tomorrow will be much better."
Kawasaki Technical Manager
"To be honest, we expected a little bit more from these first sessions at Le Mans, although the weather made everything more difficult for our riders and the track surface was not in the best condition. But at least we were able to collect some data for dry conditions and Randy seems to be happy with the race tyres. He now needs to find a good "feeling" in the bike and tomorrow we will work on the suspension and chassis set up in order to achieve this. Fonsi is going step by step. Today was his first day and we will see how he progresses tomorrow on our machine. We know there are some points we need to address but we still have another day of practice before the race."
Sun May 20, 2007 11:05 am
Circuit: Le Mans
Date: 19/05/2007
DE PUNIET AND NIETO READY FOR LE MANS SHOWDOWN
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet and stand in rider, Fonsi Nieto, will start tomorrow's French Grand Prix from the third and seventh rows of the grid, respectively.
Under sunny skies and with a dry track, Randy put in an early qualifier and set the pace at Le Mans this afternoon, topping the leader board for much of the session on his 800cc Ninja ZX-RR. His best time was 1'34.318, with a mere 0.702 seconds between him and eventual pole position holder, Colin Edwards.
It was a thrilling qualifying practice, which saw an unusually wide variety of riders taking it in turns to occupy provisional pole: an indication that tomorrow's race could generate any number of surprises. De Puniet will be looking for a good result in front of his home crowd and recent improvements to the bike's set up, alongside extraordinary performance from his Bridgestone tyres, bode well for the 26-year-old Frenchman.
Meanwhile, Fonsi Nieto, who is standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, achieved 19th position. Whilst this illustrates the Spaniard's inexperience on a MotoGP bike, he has consistently improved his lap times during the weekend so far, reflecting the effort he's putting in and the hard work of the team to develop his performance in a very short space of time.
With less than a second separating the top 12 riders, the arduous, 28-lap race at the Bugatti Circuit should prove a gripping contest tomorrow.
Position: 8th - Best Lap: 1'34.318
"We definitely improved the bike today and the adjustments made to the front and rear suspension were spot on. The bike is more stable now and that lead to a quick improvement in my lap times this morning. We tried a couple more rear tyre options today but this only served to confirm that yesterday's set-up, which I was already happy with, is the best one for tomorrow's race, if conditions remain the same. We switched to the qualifying tyres early in the afternoon session as we had four different sets to get through. The first and the second ones were fine but the third one was much better. I was so confident for the fourth set but I had a problem during my fast lap. My out lap was too slow, so the tyre wasn't warm enough when I had to push harder and I lost eight tenths in the first two splits. Then, when I got up to speed, it was too late to improve my lap time to get a better spot on the grid. Tomorrow's is going to be a close race and, more than ever, I'll need a good start to follow the leading group. I'm sure I'll be able to, though, as the bike's feeling very good indeed and the fans will be there to support me."
Position: 19th - Best Lap: 1'36.312
"Things are much better today! Yesterday I was quite nervous and spent both sessions trying to get used to the Ninja ZX-RR and the tyres. Today, I've been much more relaxed and quickly improved my lap times. As soon as I went out on track this morning I was two seconds faster and every time I got on the bike I was quicker and more confident. I'm still struggling with braking and getting the most from the tyres but I‘ve only had three hours on the bike. It would have been great to have more time to find the best set up but I'm happy with the job we've done. My first experience with the qualifying tyres has been a bit frustrating. The grip is amazing but I wasn't able to make the most of the three sets I used. With the first two, the front was pushing and vibrating a lot. I improved my times a little on the second lap out with the third set but the tyre was already worn. Anyway, we're feeling positive for the race tomorrow. My target is to finish and it would be fantastic not to have to ride the race alone, but either way, I know it will be fun."
Kawasaki Racing Director
"Overall, we are happy with the performance of our bikes and our riders so far this weekend. Randy had some problems yesterday that his crew has been able to fix, enabling him to post faster lap times. We expect him to finish within the first eight, as in the last two races, although a better position could be possible. The bike and the race tyres are working well and he is confident, so we are confident too. We are really satisfied with the race tyres, though we are still having the same problem with the qualifiers we've been having all the season, with our riders being unable to fully exploit the extra grip. Fonsi is here as a replacement for Olivier and this is his first experience with a MotoGP bike. Considering he's had just two days to practice, we are satisfied with the job he's done. We've also been able to collect some data and get his feedback, which is very positive for our development. I hope, in the race tomorrow, he'll be able to get into a good rhythm and follow some other riders, although his only real duty is to finish."
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'33.616; 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.094; 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda LCR +0.243; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +0.259; 5. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.486; 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda Gresini +0.509; 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.631; 8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.702; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +0.744; 10. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.796; 19. Fonsi Nieto (SPA) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.696
Date: 19/05/2007
DE PUNIET AND NIETO READY FOR LE MANS SHOWDOWN
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet and stand in rider, Fonsi Nieto, will start tomorrow's French Grand Prix from the third and seventh rows of the grid, respectively.
Under sunny skies and with a dry track, Randy put in an early qualifier and set the pace at Le Mans this afternoon, topping the leader board for much of the session on his 800cc Ninja ZX-RR. His best time was 1'34.318, with a mere 0.702 seconds between him and eventual pole position holder, Colin Edwards.
It was a thrilling qualifying practice, which saw an unusually wide variety of riders taking it in turns to occupy provisional pole: an indication that tomorrow's race could generate any number of surprises. De Puniet will be looking for a good result in front of his home crowd and recent improvements to the bike's set up, alongside extraordinary performance from his Bridgestone tyres, bode well for the 26-year-old Frenchman.
Meanwhile, Fonsi Nieto, who is standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, achieved 19th position. Whilst this illustrates the Spaniard's inexperience on a MotoGP bike, he has consistently improved his lap times during the weekend so far, reflecting the effort he's putting in and the hard work of the team to develop his performance in a very short space of time.
With less than a second separating the top 12 riders, the arduous, 28-lap race at the Bugatti Circuit should prove a gripping contest tomorrow.
Position: 8th - Best Lap: 1'34.318
"We definitely improved the bike today and the adjustments made to the front and rear suspension were spot on. The bike is more stable now and that lead to a quick improvement in my lap times this morning. We tried a couple more rear tyre options today but this only served to confirm that yesterday's set-up, which I was already happy with, is the best one for tomorrow's race, if conditions remain the same. We switched to the qualifying tyres early in the afternoon session as we had four different sets to get through. The first and the second ones were fine but the third one was much better. I was so confident for the fourth set but I had a problem during my fast lap. My out lap was too slow, so the tyre wasn't warm enough when I had to push harder and I lost eight tenths in the first two splits. Then, when I got up to speed, it was too late to improve my lap time to get a better spot on the grid. Tomorrow's is going to be a close race and, more than ever, I'll need a good start to follow the leading group. I'm sure I'll be able to, though, as the bike's feeling very good indeed and the fans will be there to support me."
Position: 19th - Best Lap: 1'36.312
"Things are much better today! Yesterday I was quite nervous and spent both sessions trying to get used to the Ninja ZX-RR and the tyres. Today, I've been much more relaxed and quickly improved my lap times. As soon as I went out on track this morning I was two seconds faster and every time I got on the bike I was quicker and more confident. I'm still struggling with braking and getting the most from the tyres but I‘ve only had three hours on the bike. It would have been great to have more time to find the best set up but I'm happy with the job we've done. My first experience with the qualifying tyres has been a bit frustrating. The grip is amazing but I wasn't able to make the most of the three sets I used. With the first two, the front was pushing and vibrating a lot. I improved my times a little on the second lap out with the third set but the tyre was already worn. Anyway, we're feeling positive for the race tomorrow. My target is to finish and it would be fantastic not to have to ride the race alone, but either way, I know it will be fun."
Kawasaki Racing Director
"Overall, we are happy with the performance of our bikes and our riders so far this weekend. Randy had some problems yesterday that his crew has been able to fix, enabling him to post faster lap times. We expect him to finish within the first eight, as in the last two races, although a better position could be possible. The bike and the race tyres are working well and he is confident, so we are confident too. We are really satisfied with the race tyres, though we are still having the same problem with the qualifiers we've been having all the season, with our riders being unable to fully exploit the extra grip. Fonsi is here as a replacement for Olivier and this is his first experience with a MotoGP bike. Considering he's had just two days to practice, we are satisfied with the job he's done. We've also been able to collect some data and get his feedback, which is very positive for our development. I hope, in the race tomorrow, he'll be able to get into a good rhythm and follow some other riders, although his only real duty is to finish."
1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'33.616; 2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.094; 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda LCR +0.243; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +0.259; 5. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.486; 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda Gresini +0.509; 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.631; 8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.702; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +0.744; 10. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.796; 19. Fonsi Nieto (SPA) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.696
Sun May 20, 2007 5:52 pm
50 odd min to go
Sun May 20, 2007 5:58 pm
warm up underway... shoulda went to work with the mrs and watched it in sports bar...didnt think of that...doh...
Sun May 20, 2007 6:10 pm
and Casey was quickest in warm up...Edwards down 10th or somthin..Randy 5th... lets hope that means sumthin...
Mon May 21, 2007 12:09 am
Sensational race. Absolutely action packed and had me on the edge of my seat.
Mon May 21, 2007 1:52 am
yea..effing awesome.. who'd of thought!!
Mon May 21, 2007 9:29 am
King Oath!!!
What a race...
What a race...
Tue May 22, 2007 7:44 pm
NIETO TAKES 5 POINTS IN MOTOGP DEBUT
Newsflash, 22 May 2007 - Fonsi Nieto, who's been standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, rode heroically in his 100th Grand Prix race, during the French MotoGP in Le Mans.
The PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse rider completed the race despite the horrendous conditions and lack of familiarity with Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR. Numerous riders crashed out during the 28-lap race, enabling Nieto to finish in 11th place, with a total time of 51’50.572 and earning him five championship points!
Fonsi Nieto: "Conditions couldn't really have been worse for my MotoGP debut than they were today; it was possibly the most difficult race of my life, but as an experience it was definitely worth it. Today was also my 100th Grand Prix start; so to finish the race with five championship points was a nice present. The rain started while we were sat on the grid, and it was at this point that I decided to take is steady to make sure I finished the race, and hopefully in the points. This is what the team asked me to do and I did it. The experience of going into the pits to switch bikes was pretty unique, although I was a little bit nervous because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I made sure I kept a safety margin from the start of the race as my first target was to learn as much as I could, by completing as many laps as possible and bringing the bike home. We achieved this objective. The welcome I received from everyone in the team has been amazing, and they have made me feel at home from the start. I would like to thank them for all they have done for me this weekend."
Newsflash, 22 May 2007 - Fonsi Nieto, who's been standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque, rode heroically in his 100th Grand Prix race, during the French MotoGP in Le Mans.
The PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse rider completed the race despite the horrendous conditions and lack of familiarity with Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR. Numerous riders crashed out during the 28-lap race, enabling Nieto to finish in 11th place, with a total time of 51’50.572 and earning him five championship points!
Fonsi Nieto: "Conditions couldn't really have been worse for my MotoGP debut than they were today; it was possibly the most difficult race of my life, but as an experience it was definitely worth it. Today was also my 100th Grand Prix start; so to finish the race with five championship points was a nice present. The rain started while we were sat on the grid, and it was at this point that I decided to take is steady to make sure I finished the race, and hopefully in the points. This is what the team asked me to do and I did it. The experience of going into the pits to switch bikes was pretty unique, although I was a little bit nervous because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I made sure I kept a safety margin from the start of the race as my first target was to learn as much as I could, by completing as many laps as possible and bringing the bike home. We achieved this objective. The welcome I received from everyone in the team has been amazing, and they have made me feel at home from the start. I would like to thank them for all they have done for me this weekend."
Tue May 22, 2007 8:54 pm
Circuit: Le Mans
Date: 20/05/2007
MIXED FORTUNES FOR KAWASAKI AFTER THRILLING RACE AT LE MANS
The French Grand Prix ended in disappointment for Kawasaki rider, Randy de Puniet, when he crashed out on the eighth lap, having taken his first ever lead in a MotoGP race in front of his home crowd.
After a difficult start from eighth on the grid, de Puniet was pushed down the order but soon fought back, ploughing his way through the field in the early laps to take a confident lead, much to the pleasure of his countrymen, who were cheering him around the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans.
The race was officially declared wet but de Puniet, like the rest of the riders, began on slick tyres. The weather worsened as the race progressed and, just he was about to pull into his pit garage to change bikes, the 26-year-old Frenchman lost control of his 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and ended up in the gravel. It was hugely disappointing, especially as he’d been dicing with fellow countryman, Sylvain Guintoli, at the front of the pack, delighting their home fans in the process.
Fonsi Nieto, the World Superbike rider who’s been standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque this weekend, rode heroically in what was his 100th Grand Prix race. He completed the race despite the horrendous conditions and lack of familiarity with Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR. Numerous riders crashed out during the 28-lap race, enabling Nieto to finish in 11th place, with a total time of 51’50.572 and earning him five championship points!
Due to his crash, Randy sustained a minor injury to his shoulder but otherwise came out unscathed. Unable to improve on his 19 championship points, he moves down the leader board to 14th place, overall.
After a testing weekend at Le Mans, the team are looking forward to going to Italy in a fortnight, when MotoGP returns to Mugello for one of the biggest races in the calendar.
Position: 11th
"Conditions couldn't really have been worse for my MotoGP debut than they were today; it was possibly the most difficult race of my life, but as an experience it was definitely worth it. Today was also my 100th Grand Prix start; so to finish the race with five championship points was a nice present. The rain started while we were sat on the grid, and it was at this point that I decided to take is steady to make sure I finished the race, and hopefully in the points. This is what the team asked me to do and I did it. The experience of going into the pits to switch bikes was pretty unique, although I was a little bit nervous because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I made sure I kept a safety margin from the start of the race as my first target was to learn as much as I could, by completing as many laps as possible and bringing the bike home. We achieved this objective. The welcome I received from everyone in the team has been amazing, and they have made me feel at home from the start. I would like to thank them for all they have done for me this weekend."
Position: DNF
"I am so disappointed and I'm sorry for my crew, the team, Kawasaki and Bridgestone as they have all worked so hard. The race was declared wet from the start, but I think we all opted to start on slick tyres because the rain was not so heavy, just a few spots, and you can never be sure what will happen in these conditions. Once again I had some problems from the start and I lost some places in the run to the first corner, though I was feeling confident on the bike and I was quickly able to fight myself through the field and take the lead. And then the rain started to fall harder and I was about to come in to switch bikes when I crashed. Maybe I was too fast, I don't know, but the result was that the rear came round on me at the Esses Bleus and down I went. It's a shame because running at the front of the field in my home Grand Prix was a fantastic feeling. But, I learnt an important lesson today and I hope that I will have the opportunity to lead a race again this season, when I might handle things differently. We showed today that we're in good shape and now we must look to securing a good result in the next race at Mugello."
Kawasaki Competition Manager
"We came to Le Mans with high expectations of Randy, because we knew our Ninja ZX-RR would be competitive here. Early on in the race it looked like Randy was going to fulfil these expectations; he was confident on the bike and very aggressive in carving his way through to the front of the field. Unfortunately he either got a bit too overconfident or misread the worsening conditions, and crashed out of the race on the lap on which he was due to return to the pits to switch to a machine with a wet set-up. But, once again, he has shown his potential and now he has some experience of leading a race, and we hope that the next time he finds himself at the front of the field then he'll be able to better handle the pressure. As for Fonsi, he came here completely cold, never having ridden a MotoGP machine and with no experience on Bridgestone tyres. His approach and attitude have been fantastic all weekend, even in today's extremely difficult race conditions. It was his first time on wet tyres, on a bike that he only rode for the first time on Friday, and yet he showed his maturity as a rider by keeping his head and finishing just outside the top ten. You can't fault his performance this weekend. It is always a pleasure to come to Le Mans, with many fans cheering us on, and it is a shame that we couldn’t give them a better result today."
1. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 50'58.713; 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +12.599; 3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +27.347; 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +37.328; 5. Alex Hofmann (GER) Pramac d'Antin Ducati +49.166; 6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +53.563; 7. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +1'01.073; 8. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1'21.241; 9. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Tech 3 Yamaha +1 Lap; 10. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Tech 3 Yamaha +1 Lap; 11. Fonsi Nieto (SPA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1 Lap; 12. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +3 Laps; DNF. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +20 Laps
Date: 20/05/2007
MIXED FORTUNES FOR KAWASAKI AFTER THRILLING RACE AT LE MANS
The French Grand Prix ended in disappointment for Kawasaki rider, Randy de Puniet, when he crashed out on the eighth lap, having taken his first ever lead in a MotoGP race in front of his home crowd.
After a difficult start from eighth on the grid, de Puniet was pushed down the order but soon fought back, ploughing his way through the field in the early laps to take a confident lead, much to the pleasure of his countrymen, who were cheering him around the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans.
The race was officially declared wet but de Puniet, like the rest of the riders, began on slick tyres. The weather worsened as the race progressed and, just he was about to pull into his pit garage to change bikes, the 26-year-old Frenchman lost control of his 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and ended up in the gravel. It was hugely disappointing, especially as he’d been dicing with fellow countryman, Sylvain Guintoli, at the front of the pack, delighting their home fans in the process.
Fonsi Nieto, the World Superbike rider who’s been standing in for the injured Olivier Jacque this weekend, rode heroically in what was his 100th Grand Prix race. He completed the race despite the horrendous conditions and lack of familiarity with Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR. Numerous riders crashed out during the 28-lap race, enabling Nieto to finish in 11th place, with a total time of 51’50.572 and earning him five championship points!
Due to his crash, Randy sustained a minor injury to his shoulder but otherwise came out unscathed. Unable to improve on his 19 championship points, he moves down the leader board to 14th place, overall.
After a testing weekend at Le Mans, the team are looking forward to going to Italy in a fortnight, when MotoGP returns to Mugello for one of the biggest races in the calendar.
Position: 11th
"Conditions couldn't really have been worse for my MotoGP debut than they were today; it was possibly the most difficult race of my life, but as an experience it was definitely worth it. Today was also my 100th Grand Prix start; so to finish the race with five championship points was a nice present. The rain started while we were sat on the grid, and it was at this point that I decided to take is steady to make sure I finished the race, and hopefully in the points. This is what the team asked me to do and I did it. The experience of going into the pits to switch bikes was pretty unique, although I was a little bit nervous because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I made sure I kept a safety margin from the start of the race as my first target was to learn as much as I could, by completing as many laps as possible and bringing the bike home. We achieved this objective. The welcome I received from everyone in the team has been amazing, and they have made me feel at home from the start. I would like to thank them for all they have done for me this weekend."
Position: DNF
"I am so disappointed and I'm sorry for my crew, the team, Kawasaki and Bridgestone as they have all worked so hard. The race was declared wet from the start, but I think we all opted to start on slick tyres because the rain was not so heavy, just a few spots, and you can never be sure what will happen in these conditions. Once again I had some problems from the start and I lost some places in the run to the first corner, though I was feeling confident on the bike and I was quickly able to fight myself through the field and take the lead. And then the rain started to fall harder and I was about to come in to switch bikes when I crashed. Maybe I was too fast, I don't know, but the result was that the rear came round on me at the Esses Bleus and down I went. It's a shame because running at the front of the field in my home Grand Prix was a fantastic feeling. But, I learnt an important lesson today and I hope that I will have the opportunity to lead a race again this season, when I might handle things differently. We showed today that we're in good shape and now we must look to securing a good result in the next race at Mugello."
Kawasaki Competition Manager
"We came to Le Mans with high expectations of Randy, because we knew our Ninja ZX-RR would be competitive here. Early on in the race it looked like Randy was going to fulfil these expectations; he was confident on the bike and very aggressive in carving his way through to the front of the field. Unfortunately he either got a bit too overconfident or misread the worsening conditions, and crashed out of the race on the lap on which he was due to return to the pits to switch to a machine with a wet set-up. But, once again, he has shown his potential and now he has some experience of leading a race, and we hope that the next time he finds himself at the front of the field then he'll be able to better handle the pressure. As for Fonsi, he came here completely cold, never having ridden a MotoGP machine and with no experience on Bridgestone tyres. His approach and attitude have been fantastic all weekend, even in today's extremely difficult race conditions. It was his first time on wet tyres, on a bike that he only rode for the first time on Friday, and yet he showed his maturity as a rider by keeping his head and finishing just outside the top ten. You can't fault his performance this weekend. It is always a pleasure to come to Le Mans, with many fans cheering us on, and it is a shame that we couldn’t give them a better result today."
1. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 50'58.713; 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +12.599; 3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +27.347; 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +37.328; 5. Alex Hofmann (GER) Pramac d'Antin Ducati +49.166; 6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +53.563; 7. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +1'01.073; 8. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1'21.241; 9. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Tech 3 Yamaha +1 Lap; 10. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Tech 3 Yamaha +1 Lap; 11. Fonsi Nieto (SPA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1 Lap; 12. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +3 Laps; DNF. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +20 Laps