Kawasaki Moto GP - Donnington

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Donington Park
Date: 21/06/2007


ALL CHANGE AT KAWASAKI BEFORE THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
The Kawasaki Racing Team confirmed today that Anthony West has accepted a ride on the factory Ninja ZX-RR for the rest of the 2007 MotoGP season. The 25-year-old Australian rider fills the void created by the decision for Olivier Jacque to move permanently to the role of test and development rider for the team.

After a number of crashes, which have resulted in numerous injuries and missed races, Jacque has been feeling increasingly uneasy about continuing in the series. Furthermore, Kawasaki's regular test rider, Naoki Matsudo, is out of action due to injuries sustained earlier this year. Therefore, the decision was made for Jacque, a former 250cc world champion, to return to full-time testing and development: an area where his skill and experience are proven and desperately needed.

Much of the season has seen the Ninja ZX-RR being ridden by team rider, Randy de Puniet, without the added input and expertise of another rider to maximise development potential. With Jacque now able to concentrate his efforts away from racing, the team feel confident the evolution of the bike will move onwards and upwards.

Taking Jacque's place as permanent team rider, Anthony West joins the squad from having previously ridden an Aprilia in the 250cc class. Unhappy in that championship, he went on to make his mark as a stand in rider for the Yamaha World Supersport team. In just three races on the 600cc machine, West took one third place, at Monza, and two wins, at Silverstone and, last weekend, at Misano, which caught the attention of Kawasaki bosses and helped promote him to his new position in the premier class.

Making his factory MotoGP debut alongside Randy this weekend at the British Grand Prix at Donington Park, West has had little opportunity so far to ride Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR other than a brief testing session after the race at Catalunya, two weeks ago.

Unable to ride his usual number, 14, as it's already taken by teammate de Puniet, Anthony has bravely adopted the number 13 as his own. It is, as they say, lucky for some, and that's what the Kawasaki team are hoping for with their new line up as the season continues.


Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #19
"I've crashed on several occasions this season, often with severe injuries and, right now, I feel tired and physically diminished. My body keeps telling me maybe it's time to move on and I don't feel competitive enough to ride at the top level. Obviously, it was a difficult decision to make but Kawasaki and I have reached an agreement that will allow me to stay involved in the racing world, for which I'm passionate, and play a role from the other side of the fence. I'm truly satisfied with this compromise and I wish the team plenty of success with a new, young rider because they really deserve it. I'm convinced the Kawasaki Racing Team has only just begun its MotoGP success."



Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"I left my 250cc team because the results weren't coming and I wasn't very happy there. Then I did some races on 600cc bikes with the Yamaha team, which have been really good and now I'm here to ride an 800cc factory MotoGP bike. Coming up from smaller bikes, the Ninja is much more comfortable to ride: it's bigger, I feel more natural on it and, overall, it suits me more. When I tested the ZX-RR, it felt right straight away: a lot easier to ride than I expected and the power's so smooth and easy to use. I'm really pleased to be joining the Kawasaki Racing Team: they're great guys and really experienced. For the rest of the season, my aim is to be consistent, try to get some results and not to crash it straight away!"



Kawasaki Competition Manager
"I think maybe we expected too much of Olivier this season. Last year he did a fantastic job developing the Ninja ZX-RR that has proved so competitive this year but, in hindsight, expecting him to be able to continue the development process whilst also racing at this level was unrealistic. But we need someone to fulfil this development role, and Olivier is the ideal person to shoulder this responsibility. Once he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained in his Shanghai and Catalunya crashes, Olivier will revert to the role of test and development rider for Kawasaki, on a two-year contract, and we're confident we'll see our development back on track as a result. For Anthony, moving up to the premier series as a factory rider is a big step, but he showed some potential during his brief test aboard our bike in Catalunya, and we hope we can help him realise this potential during the remainder of the season. Now we have two young guns on our bike, and both of them will be able to call upon Olivier's experience whenever they need it. I think this new situation will benefit everyone, and will allow us to show the true performance of our Ninja ZX-RR. Finally, I would like to say thank you to Yamaha, and Racing Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp in particular, for releasing Anthony and allowing him to realise his dream of competing as a factory rider in MotoGP. "

[MadKaw]

Donington Park
Date: 21/06/2007


NEW LOOK KAWASAKI READY TO HIT DONINGTON
This weekend sees the return of the MotoGP series to the UK for the Nickel and Dime British Grand Prix at Donington Park. The Kawasaki squad, represented by Randy de Puniet and new teammate, Anthony West, will be there to continue the offensive in what is proving to be a very exciting season indeed.

De Puniet is nearly fully recovered from the accident at Le Mans, which caused his knee to swell dramatically and painfully. His gutsy ride at Catalunya saw him claim fifth place, his best ever finish in a MotoGP race, despite the injury. He is now back to around 80% fitness and keen to prove he can put in another impressive performance. Having won at Donington in the 250cc class in 2005 and, with ever increasing confidence in his bike and Bridgestone tyres, he knows he’s got what it takes to secure a good run at the Midlands circuit, as long as his knee holds out.

Meanwhile, Anthony West will make his MotoGP debut aboard the Ninja ZX-RR this weekend, completing the rider line up. The 25-year-old Australian has joined the team as a replacement for Olivier Jacque who, in agreement with Kawasaki, is standing aside for a younger rider whilst maintaining a vital role, testing and developing the bike for Kawasaki.

Gaining spectacular results in the World Supersport championship as a stand in rider over the past month, West, who has primarily raced 250cc machines, raised eyebrows after claiming one third place and two wins in just three races on an unfamiliar motorcycle.

West rode the 800cc Kawasaki MotoGP racer during a one-day test at Catalunya after the last Grand Prix. Other than that, his first real chance to show what he can do on the machine will come in Friday’s first free practice session. Still swaying from the unexpected invitation, he’s delighted to have joined the factory team and looks forward to making his mark on the premier class.

Donington Park provides a spectacular backdrop to motorcycle racing. A natural amphitheatre, the 2.5 mile/4.023km circuit consists of fast, flowing sections combined with hard braking and ever-tightening corners. In other words, it has plenty of everything and will test each rider, and their bike, to the maximum. With the ZX-RR increasingly competitive, the new-look Kawasaki team are looking forward with confidence to facing the challenges both of this weekend and the rest of the season to come.


Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14
"I’m feeling ok about this weekend and I hope to do at least as well as we did in Barcelona. My knee is much better than it was after it was drained last week, not perfect yet though, and my shoulder still isn’t moving properly, so I’m not 100% fit yet and haven’t been able to do any training for a month. I like Donington except, perhaps, for the last two corners! I won here in 2005 on the 250 and did ok last year so yes, I’m confident after the race in Spain, feeling pretty good and hoping to do well this weekend too."



Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"Naturally, I’m feeling a bit nervous. I haven’t done many laps on the bike and this is MotoGP so it’s going to be very different to anything I’ve raced before. I don’t know what to expect at the moment, I just want to finish the race and not crash. It would be great to come in the top ten but I don’t know if it’s really possible or not: I’ve never raced against these guys before. I’m feeling confident, though, and I’m glad I’ve been riding 600s recently as it would have been even more difficult coming here straight from 250s. I like this circuit, and the team really seem to know what they’re doing, so I’m sure they’ll find a good set up to start me off and we’ll take it from there."

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Donington Park
Date: 22/06/2007


KAWASAKI BUOYANT AT DRENCHED DONINGTON
The Nickel and Dime British Grand Prix got off to a particularly soggy start today as continuous rain poured down on the Midlands circuit. However, the day went well for the Kawasaki team with both Randy de Puniet and new teammate, Anthony West, finishing the timed sessions well within the top ten.

Randy claimed fourth place on the leaderboard on combined times with a fastest lap of 1’44.302 in the first session of the day. This put him just 0.553 seconds behind current championship leader and today’s pacesetter, Casey Stoner. The 26-year-old Frenchman sat out half of the second session as the morning’s activities had taken their toll on his injured knee but, once back out on track, he put in another 16 productive laps. A brief foray through the gravel at Redgate failed to topple him over, in conditions that saw the likes of Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa either crashing or veering off onto the grass.

Hoping to build on his positive performance at the last race in Catalunya, where he gained fifth place, de Puniet’s looking strong and confident: a fact reflected in his notable lap times despite the conditions.

New team rider, Anthony West, put in a similarly robust performance in his first MotoGP practice session on the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR. Despite having never ridden in the company of these riders at this level, he more than held his own, finishing seventh fastest on combined times and spending much of the second practice dicing with Hopkins and Stoner for first place.

Fast and consistent, the 25-year-old Australian put in his fastest lap of the day,1’44.498, right at the end of the last session and the team were impressed, not only with his riding but with the expertise with which he managed to communicate his needs to his technicians. It’s early days but things are gelling nicely.

Both riders appeared happy with the day’s work, the bikes and the Bridgestone tyres they were running, resulting in a positive mood in the Kawasaki camp.

A smattering of fans braved the horrendous conditions as, in legendary English style, the clouds opened over Donington and then refused to close again. However, with more bad weather forecast for the weekend, a wet practice could well prove particularly fruitful for the team, enabling them to fine tune a good wet set up.


#14 - 4th - Best Lap 1'44.302
“The conditions were bad and vision wasn’t great but I’m happy about the bike: I had a good feeling and I’m confident. We’ve been working on the tyres and the mapping, which are the most important things here. My knee’s been painful but after this weekend there’s a break, so I hope it will be completely better for the Sachsenring. Tomorrow, we will work on more of the same, especially tyre choice, depending on the weather.”



#13 - 7th - Best Lap 1'44.498
“We had a few problems with the rear this morning but now it’s a lot better. And it’s really odd but the bike’s becoming more comfortable even though the back tyre’s done both sessions, so with a new tyre I’m sure we could go even quicker and get more traction. At the moment, I’m really happy. I’m excited to be here and today was a good day. I was worried about the rain this morning but it’s turned out well and I like working with this team: they seem to understand what I want. We’ve been trying things out and playing around, seeing what I like and what I don’t like. A lot of testing in a short time.”



Kawasaki Technical Manager
“Both riders did a good job to set up the machine today for a wet race but we must wait and see what happens tomorrow as we haven’t got a dry set up. We’ve adjusted the throttle to be more precise and gentle and sorted out the engine mapping and tyres. We’ve been very impressed with Anthony on his first time out. He was fast and really consistent and when he came in, he made good progress improving the set up. As for Randy, we know he mustn’t stress his knee too much but we’ll see how he’ll cope. It’s all good. We’re really happy.”



1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'43.749; 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.032; 3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.121; 4. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.553; 5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.622; 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +0.696; 7. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.749; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.967; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +1.935; 10. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +1.969

[sp500]

Heavy showers forecasts for sunday aswell, great job by Westy.

[mfzx6r]

I'm realy looking forward to sunday's race for the first time this year I think we are a chance to get a place in the top 3

[MadKaw]

Donington Park
Date: 23/06/2007


PROGRESS CONTINUES AS KAWASAKI PREPARE FOR THE BRITISH GP
Randy de Puniet and Anthony West will start tomorrow’s MotoGP race from eighth and 17th on the grid respectively after today’s qualifying practice at Donington Park.

After two wet sessions yesterday, the final practice was held this morning in the dry and saw de Puniet finish sixth on combined times, just ahead of the afternoon’s eventual pole position man, Colin Edwards.

Meanwhile, Anthony, adapting to a dry track on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR after Friday’s spectacular, rain-hit debut where he came seventh on combined times, finished in 18th place in practice, nearly two seconds ahead of Team Roberts rider, Kurtis Roberts.

The qualifying session brought with it some unexpected sunshine and lap times continued to rise. De Puniet, with a best time of 1’29.415 and a top speed of 266.485kmh, finished the session just 0.884 seconds behind Edwards, earning himself a position on the third row of the grid.

Still limping slightly due to a knee injury sustained at Mugello, the Frenchman put in a sterling performance. Happy with his bike’s set up and Bridgestone tyre choices, he feels confident he can do well in tomorrow’s race and certainly aims to beat the 12th place finish he achieved at the Leicestershire circuit last year.

Newcomer to the team, West, managed to find a good dry set up for what will be his first ever MotoGP race. The 25-year-old Australian put in a 1’30.718 lap, putting him 17th on the grid, ahead of Tamada and Roberts.

Having never before ridden on a qualifying tyre, the former 250cc and World Supersport rider managed to put in consistent lap times and continues to give useful feedback to his mechanics, enabling them to be prepared for tomorrow’s race, regardless of what the weather decides to do.

Anthony has done well at Donington in the past, taking a third in 2003 and a second (behind a victorious Randy!) in 2005, both in the 250cc championship.

The British GP is always a sell out with the fans and tomorrow’s 30-lap race is unlikely to disappoint as the riders face the challenges prompted by the sweeping undulations of Craner Curves and the notoriously tricky Melbourne Loop.

The Kawasaki Racing Team are very pleased with the progress of both bikes and riders and feel confident their new line up and ever-improving Ninja ZX-RRs will bring home some valuable championship points on Sunday.


#14 - 8th - Best Lap 1'29.415
“Today, I got some good lap times in race conditions and I’m happy about that. I hoped for a bit more in qualifying, and I’m a bit disappointed about being on the third row, but another rider was on my line in the last corner and I lost a little time. Still, I’m happy with the race tyres and we’ve achieved a good set up. I’m just hoping for a good race, like the one in Barcelona, and aim to be in the top eight: it’s a hard track, though, and there are a lot of laps.”



#13 - 17th - Best Lap 1'30.718
“It’s hard getting only two hours in the dry and there’s a lot to learn. I’ve never used a qualifying tyre before and didn’t know what to expect. It felt… different! I didn’t know how hard I could push it and now I know I wasn’t pushing hard enough. I’ve had a bit of trouble with the front: the bike wants to wheelie all the time and I’ve got to change some aspects of my riding style to suit the ZX-RR. Tomorrow, I hope to finish and maybe try to get further up than I am now. It’s not so bad, though. I normally go faster in the race itself and I’m sure, once I get to follow some of these guys, I’ll learn a few things.”



West Crew Chief
“Yesterday we found a good wet set up but today we had to start again in the dry and it’s very difficult to jump on a bike for the first time and then experience such differing conditions. Anthony did very well indeed: it’s the first time he’s used a qualifying tyre and that isn’t easy. Our target is for him to finish the race and he was very consistent on race tyres. We will keep taking it step by step and I think he’s going to improve quickly. We just need a little time.”



1. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'28.531; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +0.146; 3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.332; 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.494; 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.530; 6. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.542; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda LCR +0.750; 8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.884; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +0.967; 10. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda Gresini +1.180; 17. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.187

[ozx6r]

nice! westy fastest in warm-up, looking forward to the race now even more!

[sp500]

Could be a good result if wet race for the Aussies

[Lone Wolf]

24 Jun 2007
DE PUNIET AND WEST IN THE POINTS AT DONINGTON

A delighted Kawasaki Racing Team are today celebrating the first time this season both their riders have come home with championship points, after the British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

As a result of steady rain all morning, the 30-lap race was run in the wet: not regarded as an entirely bad thing in the Kawasaki garage. But the track started to dry out and grip became unpredictable on the notoriously unforgiving circuit, making for a hugely exciting eighth round of the season.

Randy de Puniet managed a well-deserved sixth place on his 800cc Ninja ZX-RR having started on the third row of the grid. In front of nearly 85,000 spectators who braved dismal conditions at the Leicestershire circuit, the 26-year-old Frenchman lost a couple of places on the first lap but soon made his way back up through the pack. A crash in this morning’s warm up session had failed to dent his confidence and, towards the end of the race, he held off rival, Alex Barros, whilst simultaneously giving the man in front, John Hopkins, something to worry about.

Randy’s sixth spot earns him 10 points, taking his total so far this season to 40. Maintaining his 13th position in the championship overall, he’s just one point behind 2006 world champion, Nicky Hayden.

In his first ever MotoGP race, team newcomer Anthony West put in a staggering early performance, firing up from 17th on the grid to ninth by the end of lap one. When he overtook Valentino Rossi on the fourth lap, the seven times world champion got him straight back but West passed him again, rising to a remarkable fifth place. There was no sign of a let up in his extraordinary progress until a lack of grip saw the 25-year-old Australian in the gravel at Coppice on lap seven.

He quickly remounted the bike and rejoined the track in 15th position. During the rest of the race, West managed to make up ground, passing the likes of Elias and Nakano, eventually crossing the line in 11th place. He scored five points on his first outing and is, already, officially 18th out of 22 riders in the championship.

Earlier in the day, the premier class rookie had topped the timesheets after a wet warm up, beating none other than current world championship leader, Casey Stoner, and today’s pole position man, Colin Edwards: the men who claimed first and second places in the race itself.

Next weekend sees yet another round of the MotoGP world championship, at Assen in the Netherlands: the end of an exhausting run of four races in five weekends for the teams. Another hugely popular round, the Kawasaki team will be spurred on to improve by the recent upsurge in their prospects, and by the podium finish they achieved last year at the Dutch circuit. In the meantime, it’s smiles all round at Randy and Anthony’s hugely promising achievements in the UK.

Randy de Puniet: 6th Position
“That was a hard race and I was very happy to see the flag! The first few laps felt a bit slow but I found it difficult to improve as I didn’t want to make a mistake. Tyres were a problem at the end, with the track becoming dry, and it was difficult to control the machine. Grip wasn’t good but it was the same for everybody and, overall, the bike worked well in the difficult conditions. I finished in sixth position and, for me, it was my best race because it was so, so hard, so I’m very happy. It’s great for me and the team to continue to do well after the result in Barcelona.”

Anthony West: 11th Position
“I felt really strong in the wet and it didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. Nicky Hayden crashed right in front of me in the same place a few laps before and there was no grip there. I’d struggled with it all weekend. But the rear came round so quickly and I don’t really know what happened. After that, when the track started drying out, I found it hard to get any traction and couldn’t lay the power down. Later, it started to feel better but by then it was too late to make a move back on Melandri. I’m disappointed I crashed because I wanted to get a good result for these guys but I’m happy I finished and got some points.”

Michael Bartholemy: Kawasaki Competition Manager
"I am happy with our performance today, and throughout the whole weekend. Randy rode a sensible race to secure his second successive top ten finish in difficult conditions, while Anthony showed just how quickly he's adapted to our Ninja ZX-RR with an impressive performance early on in the race. He's completed only three full days on the bike, and yet he was running in fifth place before a mistake at Coppice saw him run off the track. But, he fought back and was unlucky to miss out on a top ten finish as conditions improved towards the end. This is the first race in which both bikes have finished in the points this season, so Randy and Anthony can congratulate themselves on a job well done. I think we've shown that the Ninja ZX-RR is capable of finishing high up the order regardless of the conditions and I hope we can continue this trend for the remainder of the season."

MotoGP Race Result:
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 51'40.739; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +11.768; 3. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +15.678; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +21.827; 5. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +35.518; 6. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +36.474; 7. Alex Barros (BRA) Pramac d'Antin Ducati +38.094; 8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +38.992; 9. Alex Hofmann (GER) Pramac d'Antin Ducati +39.239; 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +1'01.526; 11. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +1'06.486

[Nanna10r]

Well there quoting Westy's ride as an "impressive performance" I cant top that.

[swabio-ACT]

It certainly was a great race! West is certainly looking promising indeed!

[redzedx7r]

1st time both Green bikes have finished in the points this year, it bodes well for the rest of the season. Go Green
Dominating performance by Casey that kid has that bike dialled in, without a doubt the Bridgestones is what is keeping Rossi off the podium.
Great race also by Chris the V and Colin Edwards (nearly all Australian podium, Colin's dad is an Aussie )

[Neka79]

yea..not bad when the only non-aussie on the podium is 1/2 aussie.....

i was so impressed by Westy, he was carving... such a shame he didnt keep it on the black stuff..i woulda done a major issue if we hadda had the 3 aussies on the steps...