MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
12 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KAWASAKI DETERMINED TO END ON A HIGH NOTE
After the disappointment of the Japanese Grand Prix, the Kawasaki Racing Team return to Europe in confident mood ahead of this weekend's penultimate race at the Circuito Estoril in Portugal.
Determined to end the season on a high note, with good results in the final two races, Shinya Nakano returned to Europe soon after the Japanese Grand Prix, to complete a four-day training camp in France before heading to Portugal for this weekend's race.
Nakano celebrated his 29th birthday on 10th October with a strenuous training run in the mountains around his Clermont Ferrand base, with his training partners singing happy birthday to the Kawasaki pilot at the summit of the final climb.
Although not a big fan of the Estoril circuit, Nakano feels confident that, if he can find a good race set-up on his Ninja ZX-RR during practice and qualifying, then a good result in Sunday's 28-lap Grand Prix of Portugal is a distinct possibility.
While most people in the MotoGP paddock welcomed the time off between the three overseas rounds and the penultimate race of the season at Estoril, this weekend couldn't come quick enough for Randy de Puniet.
Like his Kawasaki teammate, the 25-year-old Frenchman has been training hard for this weekend's race, spending the time since returning to Europe from Japan riding his mountain bike in the hills surrounding his home.
Although making his MotoGP debut at the Estoril circuit, de Puniet has fond memories of Portugal, having qualified on pole position for the 250cc race here last year, in which he set a new lap record on his way to a podium finish.
The 4.182 km Estoril circuit is one of contrasts; tight technical corners are combined with long straights to produce a challenging layout that tests both man and machine to the limit. The infamous chicane is the slowest corner on the MotoGP calendar, and one at which a mistake on entry can lose a rider not only time, but also many positions in the race.
For this year's race the exit of the uphill chicane has been widened and resurfaced, with other resurfacing work being carried out on two additional sections of track. Whether the new tarmac will reduce the notoriously bumpy nature of the Estoril circuit remains to be seen.
Located as it is next to the Atlantic Ocean, the weather can also play a big part at Estoril. Conditions are often changeable, and the high winds that occasionally blow in from the sea can also create big problems for the riders, although the weather forecast for this weekend promises only gentle sea breezes.
Shinya Nakano: #56
"I can't believe there are only two races to go; the season seems to have flown by. While not finishing my home race was disappointing, we didn't have such a bad overseas trip overall, and this makes me confident that we can end the year with two good results at Estoril and Valencia. To be honest, Estoril is not one of my favourite circuits. There are some high-speed corners here, but this is also a circuit that is hard on the brakes, and for this it is important that we find a good balance with the set-up of the engine and the chassis. Since Japan, I have been working hard in France with my trainer, and I arrive at Estoril fighting fit, raring to go, and determined to end the season on a high with two good performances in the final two races of the year."
Randy de Puniet: #17
"Since Japan I've been impatient to get back on the bike, so this weekend couldn't come quick enough for me. I quite like the Estoril circuit; I qualified on pole position here last year aboard the 250cc machine, set the lap record in the race and then finished on the podium. For sure it will be different on the Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP bike, but I'm confident that our machine will work well here. There is a lot of heavy braking for the slower corners here, where it's very easy to make a mistake and lose time, so it is important that we set the bike up during practice and qualifying to be stable under braking. The main straight here is long, and the fast right-hand turn leading on to it is critical to a good lap time. You must carry high corner speed through this long turn, but you must also get on the gas as early as possible at the exit, to maximise your speed down the straight. We have made some big improvements to the bike during the last few races, so I think a good result here is a definite possibility."
Kawasaki Racing Team - Portugal
-
MadKaw
- Administrator
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- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:33 pm
- Bike: ZX10R
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Kawasaki Racing Team - Portugal
Dave
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
-
MadKaw
- Administrator
- Posts: 9671
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:33 pm
- Bike: ZX10R
- State: New South Wales
- Location: Windsor or the Creek..
- Contact:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
13 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TRACK CONDITIONS PROVE DIFFICULT FOR KAWASAKI PAIRING
A dusty track surface, and the resulting lack of grip, left Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet down in tenth and fourteenth place respectively after today's opening day of practice at Estoril.
While resurfacing work ahead of this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix has improved the notoriously bumpy Estoril circuit, the problem of windblown dust on the track surface remains, with both Kawasaki riders reporting a lack of rear grip throughout both of today's hour-long practice sessions.
Despite the problems, Nakano remains confident that the base set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR will allow him to improve on both his lap time and his position tomorrow, once more laps on the circuit have started to clean off the surface.
The dusty conditions also made evaluating revised suspension components difficult for the 29-year-old Kawasaki rider. Nakano did notice some improvement in the stability of his Ninja ZX-RR under heavy braking, which is important at Estoril, but he also feels there is more work to be done to improve the way the bike tracks through the faster turns.
Randy de Puniet was also left looking for a solution to his rear grip problems after today's opening two practice sessions. The 25-year-old Frenchman was struggling for grip from the start this morning, with the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR spinning up under acceleration, losing him valuable time on every lap.
Changes to the set-up of de Puniet's Ninja ZX-RR were made during both practice sessions to try and increase rear traction, but no significant improvement was forthcoming and, together with his crew, the Kawasaki pilot will need to look to the data for a solution ahead of tomorrow's practice and qualifying sessions.
Shinya Nakano: 10th - 1'39.161
"Track conditions were far from ideal today. The resurfacing work means there are fewer bumps than before, but the track is still very dusty, and this made it difficult to find the grip we need to assess our tyre options for Sunday's race. The lack of grip also makes it a little difficult to evaluate fully the revised suspension components we are running on my Ninja ZX-RR this weekend. Already I can feel an improvement in the stability of the bike under heavy braking - of which there is a lot here - we still need to refine the set-up further for the fast corners, as it was a struggle to get the bike turned at speed today. We know we have a good base setting, so I'm not so worried about my lap times today; when the track surface cleans off a little more tomorrow then I'm confident that the lap times will come."
Randy de Puniet: 14th - 1'40.096
"Today was not so good for us. This morning we were struggling for rear grip, and the changes we made to our set-up for this afternoon's session didn't give us the improvement we were expecting. For sure, the track surface is still very dusty, but out of the turns the power seems to be coming in a little too hard, and the lack of grip means the rear is spinning up almost immediately. I know it's possible for me to go at least one second faster if I can get the rear to hook up out of the corners, so we need to come up with a solution for this problem ahead of tomorrow's practice and qualifying sessions. The track surface will also improve the more laps we do tomorrow, and this should, hopefully, make things a little easier for us."
Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
"While track conditions were obviously difficult today, it was the same for everyone, and we can see that some of our competitors are finding more grip than we are. Tomorrow we will try some changes to the suspension settings on both bikes, as well as different tyres from Bridgestone. With these changes I think it's possible to improve rear traction for both Shinya and Randy, and to close the gap on the riders who are at the top of the timesheet after today's opening two practice sessions."
FREE PRACTICE - COMBINED TIMES
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda 1'38.218; 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.050; 3. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +0.119; 4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.285; 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.368; 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.561; 7. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.597; 8. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.608; 9. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.789; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.943; 14. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.878
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
13 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TRACK CONDITIONS PROVE DIFFICULT FOR KAWASAKI PAIRING
A dusty track surface, and the resulting lack of grip, left Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet down in tenth and fourteenth place respectively after today's opening day of practice at Estoril.
While resurfacing work ahead of this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix has improved the notoriously bumpy Estoril circuit, the problem of windblown dust on the track surface remains, with both Kawasaki riders reporting a lack of rear grip throughout both of today's hour-long practice sessions.
Despite the problems, Nakano remains confident that the base set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR will allow him to improve on both his lap time and his position tomorrow, once more laps on the circuit have started to clean off the surface.
The dusty conditions also made evaluating revised suspension components difficult for the 29-year-old Kawasaki rider. Nakano did notice some improvement in the stability of his Ninja ZX-RR under heavy braking, which is important at Estoril, but he also feels there is more work to be done to improve the way the bike tracks through the faster turns.
Randy de Puniet was also left looking for a solution to his rear grip problems after today's opening two practice sessions. The 25-year-old Frenchman was struggling for grip from the start this morning, with the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR spinning up under acceleration, losing him valuable time on every lap.
Changes to the set-up of de Puniet's Ninja ZX-RR were made during both practice sessions to try and increase rear traction, but no significant improvement was forthcoming and, together with his crew, the Kawasaki pilot will need to look to the data for a solution ahead of tomorrow's practice and qualifying sessions.
Shinya Nakano: 10th - 1'39.161
"Track conditions were far from ideal today. The resurfacing work means there are fewer bumps than before, but the track is still very dusty, and this made it difficult to find the grip we need to assess our tyre options for Sunday's race. The lack of grip also makes it a little difficult to evaluate fully the revised suspension components we are running on my Ninja ZX-RR this weekend. Already I can feel an improvement in the stability of the bike under heavy braking - of which there is a lot here - we still need to refine the set-up further for the fast corners, as it was a struggle to get the bike turned at speed today. We know we have a good base setting, so I'm not so worried about my lap times today; when the track surface cleans off a little more tomorrow then I'm confident that the lap times will come."
Randy de Puniet: 14th - 1'40.096
"Today was not so good for us. This morning we were struggling for rear grip, and the changes we made to our set-up for this afternoon's session didn't give us the improvement we were expecting. For sure, the track surface is still very dusty, but out of the turns the power seems to be coming in a little too hard, and the lack of grip means the rear is spinning up almost immediately. I know it's possible for me to go at least one second faster if I can get the rear to hook up out of the corners, so we need to come up with a solution for this problem ahead of tomorrow's practice and qualifying sessions. The track surface will also improve the more laps we do tomorrow, and this should, hopefully, make things a little easier for us."
Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
"While track conditions were obviously difficult today, it was the same for everyone, and we can see that some of our competitors are finding more grip than we are. Tomorrow we will try some changes to the suspension settings on both bikes, as well as different tyres from Bridgestone. With these changes I think it's possible to improve rear traction for both Shinya and Randy, and to close the gap on the riders who are at the top of the timesheet after today's opening two practice sessions."
FREE PRACTICE - COMBINED TIMES
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda 1'38.218; 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.050; 3. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +0.119; 4. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.285; 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.368; 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.561; 7. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.597; 8. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.608; 9. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.789; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.943; 14. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.878
Dave
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
-
MadKaw
- Administrator
- Posts: 9671
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:33 pm
- Bike: ZX10R
- State: New South Wales
- Location: Windsor or the Creek..
- Contact:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
14 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAKANO SECURES THIRD ROW START IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow's 28-lap Portuguese Grand Prix from the third row of the grid, after qualifying his Ninja ZX-RR in seventh place during this afternoon's hour-long timed session.
The 29-year-old Kawasaki rider set exactly the same lap time as Suzuki's John Hopkins, but the American retained his position on the second row of the grid, having set his fastest lap earlier in the qualifying session than Nakano.
A lack of rear grip left Randy de Puniet frustrated with his qualifying performance today, and the 25-year-old Frenchman knows that starting from sixteenth position, and the sixth row of the grid, leaves him with a lot of ground to make up in tomorrow's race.
Both Kawasaki riders reported an improvement in both traction and drive grip during this morning's final free practice session, but a major increase in track temperature ahead of this afternoon's all-important qualifying session meant that Nakano and de Puniet were forced to re-evaluate their tyre choice, as grip, once again, became difficult to find.
Although Nakano was able to identify a combination of tyre and set-up that at least allowed him to keep the leading riders in sight, de Puniet was losing time at every turn as the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR continued to spin up under acceleration.
As this afternoon's session drew to a close, Nakano took advantage of the extra grip offered by Bridgestone's qualifying tyres to close to within half-a-second of eventual pole sitter, Valentino Rossi.
While reasonably happy with his qualifying position, Nakano will try some minor changes to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR during morning warm-up tomorrow, in an attempt to improve further his lap time in race trim.
Tyre choice for tomorrow's race will be critical, and both Kawasaki riders will spend time with the Bridgestone tyre technicians this evening, in order to review the tyre options open to them for tomorrow's 28-lap race.
Shinya Nakano: 7th - 1'36.790
"We made some changes to the set-up of the bike this morning, but we didn't see much of an improvement to be honest. This afternoon we still had some problems with a lack of rear grip, but it was definitely more consistent and I think everyone was suffering with the same problem, as there were not many riders breaking into the 1'37 bracket on race tyres. But, still, we're looking for a couple of tenths in race trim, which we hope we can find during warm-up tomorrow. Switching to the qualifying tyre this afternoon obviously gave us more grip, and the balance of the bike felt good, so we know we have a workable set-up for the race. This evening we need to sit down with Bridgestone to consider our race tyre options for tomorrow, as tyre choice will be critical."
Randy de Puniet: 16th - 1'37.592
"This afternoon was very frustrating. This morning we suffered a mechanical problem with one of my bikes, but right at the end of the session I found a rear tyre that seemed to work well at this circuit, and I was able to improve my lap time. But the track temperature had increased considerably for this afternoon's qualifying session and, as a result, the same tyre just didn't offer the same level of grip as it did this morning. When we switched to the qualifying tyre this afternoon I made a mistake on my final flying lap and, because of this, I'm facing a start from the sixth row of the grid tomorrow. For sure, this is going to make for a difficult race, but I will just have to go out there and push as hard as I can."
QUALIFYING PRACTICE - FINAL TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team 1'36.200; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.278; 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.349; 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.369; 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda +0.502; 6. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.590; 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.590; 8. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.740; 9. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.907; 10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.982; 16. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.392
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
14 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAKANO SECURES THIRD ROW START IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow's 28-lap Portuguese Grand Prix from the third row of the grid, after qualifying his Ninja ZX-RR in seventh place during this afternoon's hour-long timed session.
The 29-year-old Kawasaki rider set exactly the same lap time as Suzuki's John Hopkins, but the American retained his position on the second row of the grid, having set his fastest lap earlier in the qualifying session than Nakano.
A lack of rear grip left Randy de Puniet frustrated with his qualifying performance today, and the 25-year-old Frenchman knows that starting from sixteenth position, and the sixth row of the grid, leaves him with a lot of ground to make up in tomorrow's race.
Both Kawasaki riders reported an improvement in both traction and drive grip during this morning's final free practice session, but a major increase in track temperature ahead of this afternoon's all-important qualifying session meant that Nakano and de Puniet were forced to re-evaluate their tyre choice, as grip, once again, became difficult to find.
Although Nakano was able to identify a combination of tyre and set-up that at least allowed him to keep the leading riders in sight, de Puniet was losing time at every turn as the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR continued to spin up under acceleration.
As this afternoon's session drew to a close, Nakano took advantage of the extra grip offered by Bridgestone's qualifying tyres to close to within half-a-second of eventual pole sitter, Valentino Rossi.
While reasonably happy with his qualifying position, Nakano will try some minor changes to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR during morning warm-up tomorrow, in an attempt to improve further his lap time in race trim.
Tyre choice for tomorrow's race will be critical, and both Kawasaki riders will spend time with the Bridgestone tyre technicians this evening, in order to review the tyre options open to them for tomorrow's 28-lap race.
Shinya Nakano: 7th - 1'36.790
"We made some changes to the set-up of the bike this morning, but we didn't see much of an improvement to be honest. This afternoon we still had some problems with a lack of rear grip, but it was definitely more consistent and I think everyone was suffering with the same problem, as there were not many riders breaking into the 1'37 bracket on race tyres. But, still, we're looking for a couple of tenths in race trim, which we hope we can find during warm-up tomorrow. Switching to the qualifying tyre this afternoon obviously gave us more grip, and the balance of the bike felt good, so we know we have a workable set-up for the race. This evening we need to sit down with Bridgestone to consider our race tyre options for tomorrow, as tyre choice will be critical."
Randy de Puniet: 16th - 1'37.592
"This afternoon was very frustrating. This morning we suffered a mechanical problem with one of my bikes, but right at the end of the session I found a rear tyre that seemed to work well at this circuit, and I was able to improve my lap time. But the track temperature had increased considerably for this afternoon's qualifying session and, as a result, the same tyre just didn't offer the same level of grip as it did this morning. When we switched to the qualifying tyre this afternoon I made a mistake on my final flying lap and, because of this, I'm facing a start from the sixth row of the grid tomorrow. For sure, this is going to make for a difficult race, but I will just have to go out there and push as hard as I can."
QUALIFYING PRACTICE - FINAL TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team 1'36.200; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.278; 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.349; 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.369; 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda +0.502; 6. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.590; 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.590; 8. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.740; 9. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.907; 10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.982; 16. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.392
Dave
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
-
ZXR750
- KSRC Regular
- Posts: 995
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 10:27 am
- Bike: ZXR750
- State: New South Wales
- Location: Hills District NSW
Both Elias and Edwards are with out rides next year arn't they??red_dave wrote:I'd hate to be Dani Pedrosa at the moment...
...and Toni Elias should at least get a look in for the vacant Kawasaki seat next year i reckon...
Edwards road a great race and did every thing Yamaha could have asked from him. He was a real team player. A bit different in attitude to little Danii.
I think Colin Edwards would also look good on a green bike. He also has good experience.
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MadKaw
- Administrator
- Posts: 9671
- Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:33 pm
- Bike: ZX10R
- State: New South Wales
- Location: Windsor or the Creek..
- Contact:
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
15 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIRST TOP TEN FINISH FOR DE PUNIET IN HARD FOUGHT ESTORIL RACE
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet posted his best result of the season so far at Estoril, overcoming the rear grip problems that have plagued him all weekend to bring his Ninja ZX-RR home in tenth place in this afternoon's 28-lap Portuguese Grand Prix.
De Puniet's was the only Kawasaki to make the finish, as Shinya Nakano crashed out of the race on the opening lap, after being hit from behind at the left-hand turn four. The 29-year-old Japanese rider crashed heavily, but was passed fit to return to the Kawasaki pit box after a precautionary examination by circuit medical staff.
A quick start from the sixth row of the gird, and an aggressive opening lap, saw de Puniet battling with Suzuki's John Hopkins for tenth place, but then rear grip started to deteriorate after just five laps, and the 25-year-old Frenchman was unable to maintain his previous fast pace.
A change in riding style to account for the lack of traction meant de Puniet was, once again, able to close the gap on the battle for ninth place, but after passing Loris Capirossi with just two laps to go, the Kawasaki pilot was forced to settle for tenth place at the line, after an abortive last lap passing attempt on fellow MotoGP rookie, Chris Vermeulen.
Although happy to have posted his best result of the year so far this afternoon at Estoril, de Puniet remains convinced that, without the grip problems he struggled with all weekend, a much stronger performance was possible in this, the penultimate race of the season.
Randy de Puniet: 10th
"I got a good start, and a couple of aggressive moves in the opening lap put me just outside the top ten, but then the rear tyre went off after just five laps, and I couldn't stay with the group ahead of me. I've never felt anything like it before. I was still pushing really hard and, by changing my lines through the turns, I was able to improve my lap time, which allowed me to close onto the back of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi. We were both able to pass Loris towards the end of the race, but I just couldn't get close enough to Chris to steal ninth place away from him. This is my best result so far this season, but I can't help feeling it would have been even better if we hadn't struggled so much for grip in every session. It's been a hard weekend for Kawasaki, but everyone in the team, together with the guys from Bridgestone, have done a great job under the circumstances, and for that I would like to say thanks to them."
Shinya Nakano: DNF
"I don't really know what happened. I had a clear line through turn four and everything was looking good. But then I felt someone hit my rear wheel, and the bike just disappeared from under me. It's frustrating for everyone. The whole team have worked hard this weekend, only for our race to be over after less than half a lap. We must put this behind us now, and concentrate on ending with a good result in the last race of the season in Valencia."
Harald Eckl: Team Principal
"Another difficult weekend for us, especially after the disappointment of Motegi. I feel particularly sorry for Bridgestone. All year they've worked hard to make improvements, with a lot of success, so it's a shame that they were caught out by the track surface here. Shinya was unlucky to go out of the race early on, but Randy did a good job under difficult circumstances to record his best result of the season so far. We need to learn from this weekend, so that we come back better prepared next year."
MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda 46'08.739; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.002; 3. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +0.176; 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.864; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) JIR Konica Minolta Honda +18.419; 6. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +25.181; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +29.348; 8. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +31.813; 9. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Team Suzuki MotoGP +40.117; 10. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +41.496; DNF. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +28 Laps
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
15 OCTOBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIRST TOP TEN FINISH FOR DE PUNIET IN HARD FOUGHT ESTORIL RACE
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet posted his best result of the season so far at Estoril, overcoming the rear grip problems that have plagued him all weekend to bring his Ninja ZX-RR home in tenth place in this afternoon's 28-lap Portuguese Grand Prix.
De Puniet's was the only Kawasaki to make the finish, as Shinya Nakano crashed out of the race on the opening lap, after being hit from behind at the left-hand turn four. The 29-year-old Japanese rider crashed heavily, but was passed fit to return to the Kawasaki pit box after a precautionary examination by circuit medical staff.
A quick start from the sixth row of the gird, and an aggressive opening lap, saw de Puniet battling with Suzuki's John Hopkins for tenth place, but then rear grip started to deteriorate after just five laps, and the 25-year-old Frenchman was unable to maintain his previous fast pace.
A change in riding style to account for the lack of traction meant de Puniet was, once again, able to close the gap on the battle for ninth place, but after passing Loris Capirossi with just two laps to go, the Kawasaki pilot was forced to settle for tenth place at the line, after an abortive last lap passing attempt on fellow MotoGP rookie, Chris Vermeulen.
Although happy to have posted his best result of the year so far this afternoon at Estoril, de Puniet remains convinced that, without the grip problems he struggled with all weekend, a much stronger performance was possible in this, the penultimate race of the season.
Randy de Puniet: 10th
"I got a good start, and a couple of aggressive moves in the opening lap put me just outside the top ten, but then the rear tyre went off after just five laps, and I couldn't stay with the group ahead of me. I've never felt anything like it before. I was still pushing really hard and, by changing my lines through the turns, I was able to improve my lap time, which allowed me to close onto the back of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi. We were both able to pass Loris towards the end of the race, but I just couldn't get close enough to Chris to steal ninth place away from him. This is my best result so far this season, but I can't help feeling it would have been even better if we hadn't struggled so much for grip in every session. It's been a hard weekend for Kawasaki, but everyone in the team, together with the guys from Bridgestone, have done a great job under the circumstances, and for that I would like to say thanks to them."
Shinya Nakano: DNF
"I don't really know what happened. I had a clear line through turn four and everything was looking good. But then I felt someone hit my rear wheel, and the bike just disappeared from under me. It's frustrating for everyone. The whole team have worked hard this weekend, only for our race to be over after less than half a lap. We must put this behind us now, and concentrate on ending with a good result in the last race of the season in Valencia."
Harald Eckl: Team Principal
"Another difficult weekend for us, especially after the disappointment of Motegi. I feel particularly sorry for Bridgestone. All year they've worked hard to make improvements, with a lot of success, so it's a shame that they were caught out by the track surface here. Shinya was unlucky to go out of the race early on, but Randy did a good job under difficult circumstances to record his best result of the season so far. We need to learn from this weekend, so that we come back better prepared next year."
MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda 46'08.739; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.002; 3. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +0.176; 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.864; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) JIR Konica Minolta Honda +18.419; 6. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +25.181; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha +29.348; 8. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +31.813; 9. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Team Suzuki MotoGP +40.117; 10. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +41.496; DNF. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +28 Laps
Dave
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol