Pics of the day: San Marino GP, Sunday

Bravo Bati! Bravo Talma!

Álvaro Bautista to stay in 250cc in 2009

Team Aspar manager Jorge Martinez and Mapfre Aspar rider Álvaro Bautista confirmed today that Álvaro will stay in th 250cc class for another year.
That way Álvaro will have another chance to fight for the 250cc title in 2009.
After his excellent result at the Misano GP however, he still has a very good shot at the 2008 title, being only 27 points away from the leader with five races to go.

We congratulate Team Aspar and Álvaro Bautista on the contract renewal and wish all the best for the future cooperation.



Álvaro Bautista: "I'm really happy to renew my contract because I am so comfortable with the set-up at Mapfre Aspar. The mechanics and team structure are unbeatable. Now that we have re-signed with Jorge for 2009 I feel much more relaxed and I'm ready to continue my education in this category."

Jorge Martínez: "It is a pleasure for us to be able to continue with Álvaro for another season. I have always known that he is a born winner and signing him again was a personal mission for me. I'm convinced he will give us plenty more reasons to celebrate and as he showed in the 125cc class in 2006 he has everything it takes to become 250cc World Champion - whether it is this season or next."

San Marino GP - Misano - 250cc quotes after the race

Álvaro Bautista -Winner
"Alongside my mechanics and Aprilia we found a really good setting in the warmup, and I was very excited about the race. The only setback was the fact that I was starting from far back and the race was shaping up to be difficult. With the high temperatures the physical effort involved was enormous. In the end I tried to catch up with the leading group, and they were bothering each other so much that I was able to do it. At the end of the race Hector and Marco touched and that allowed me to reach the line more comfortably. I'm really happy because the result takes us closer to the top of the standings, and because this weekend looked to be a difficult one. I would also like to dedicate this victory to the victims of the recent Spanish air disaster."

Héctor Faubel (DNF)
"It was a pity about the crash, because all weekend we had been working well and had a great race pace. The start was a good one, but Debon hit me from behind and I lost positions. The when I regained positions I also had a problem with Debon, because he fell just as I was opening the gas. I had no way of avoiding him, and looping back at my pace I Could have had a good result without that happening. Racing is like that. Now I am hoping for the same kind of early conditions at Indianapolis."

San Marino GP - Misano - 125cc quotes after the race

1º Gábor Talmacsi
"From the start I tried to escape from the others, and I used the confidence picked up over the weekend. I think that the strategy worked, because Smith was the only one able to keep up with me at any point in the race. In the middle of the race I made a mistake, slipping the gears, and Bradley passed me and made me think twice about the victory. However, lap by lap I got stronger and more confident in the grip of the Aprilia, so I tried to break free again when I passed him. With Bradl and Di Meglio crashing, the championship is wide open again, so we have to keep doing what we've been doing and try and win as many races as possible."

Sergio Gadea 10th
"I gave all I had, but it was very difficult to find regular pace from lap to lap. I didn't have confidence with the Aprilia during the weekend, above all with the rear end. I wouldn't mind the result that much if it hadn't have been so unenjoyable to ride. I started angry, trying to be aggressive in order to catch up positions quickly, but I didn't have any feeling with the bike and a lot of riders passed me. This put me off and I had to try and come back again. The team's work was good, but we have to keep working in order to find solutions to these problems."

Adrián Martín (DNF)
"I started well and soon realized that a good race was possible. I overtook a few riders on the start and was keen to keep doing so, but on the closed corner after the chicane two riders touched and I couldn't avoid them. I tried to brake, suddenly I saw the KTM on the track and had to go over it. I tried to restart the bike, but the front wheel was stuck and there was nothing to be done about it. Although I only did a few laps, I am happy because of my good start. I think that I can do well next time."

San Marino GP - 250cc Race Results: Bati wins!

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time

1 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 43'15.831
2 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 2.088
3 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 3.752
4 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 7.472
5 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 10.862
6 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 21.180
7 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 29.440
8 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 33.882
9 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 35.051
10 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 45.405
11 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 47.260
12 F. SANDI ITA Matteoni Racing + 1'10.664
13 M. HERNANDEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1'10.882
14 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 1'33.332
15 S. GROTZKYJ ITA Campetella Racing 1 Lap
16 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia 1 Lap

Not classified
A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia 7 Lap
E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia 12 Lap
I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia 14 Lap
M. PASINI ITA Polaris World 15 Lap
H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 23 Lap
M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 23 Lap
H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team 24 Lap
A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia 24 Lap
A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing 25 Lap

San Marino GP - 125cc Race Results: Talma wins!

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time

1 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team 40'03.679
2 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 5.402
3 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 14.388
4 M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 17.058
5 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB + 17.321
6 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team + 17.482
7 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 17.485
8 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 18.657
9 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 19.148
10 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 34.650
11 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior + 34.855
12 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 39.394
13 M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team + 47.304
14 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 53.241
15 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull MotoGP Academy + 53.349
16 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 1'01.903
17 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 1'04.165
18 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 1'06.235
19 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 1'06.260
20 R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 1'07.200
21 G. FERRO ITA Metasystem RS + 1'21.814
22 B. CHESAUX SWI WTR San Marino Team + 1'22.521
23 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 1'35.247
24 H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 1'39.723
25 L. VITALI ITA Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing 1 Lap
26 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 2 Lap

Not classified
M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport 9 Lap
S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing 9 Lap
L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran 9 Lap
P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi 11 Lap
L. SAVADORI ITA RCGM 11 Lap
R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM 13 Lap
A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing 17 Lap
G. SABATINO ITA Junior GP Racing Dream 17 Lap
P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM 19 Lap
S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix 20 Lap
S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior 22 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
A. MARTIN SPA Bancaja Aspar Team
R. MORETTI ITA CRP Racing

Double win for Team Aspar!

The San Marino GP in Misano saw splendid results for Team Aspar.

In 125cc Gabor Talmacsi took a dominant win after taking pole in qualifying yesterday and fighting briefly with Bradley Smith in the race today.

And in 250cc Mapfre Aspar rider Álvaro Bautista won the race with extremely clever and hard riding after starting from only 11th position.

Congratulations to both of them!

San Marino GP - Misano - 250cc quotes after QP2

8th Héctor Faubel, 1.39.058 (21 laps)
"Our pace is good and we're starting from the second row. Our hopes are high for tomorrow's race and I think we can take the fight to the factory Aprilia RSA machines - it could be a good race. We've worked along the same lines as yesterday and only made some small changes to the front suspension because of the heat. I have to refine my riding a little during the warm-up but I think we're ready for the race. Above all it will be important to get a good start and then stay with the leaders for as long as possible. The main objective is to improve on the result from Brno."

11th Álvaro Bautista, 1.39.217 (22 laps)
"I'm struggling to find a set-up that allows me to have fun on the Aprilia. I'm lacking confidence on the way into the corners. We've improved today but we're still a long way off a good feeling. We'll see what we can do with the engineers tonight and try to take a step forward in the warm-up. I'm not happy with this result but we just have to work harder - especially at a time when things are tricky. It's going to be tough to stay with the lead group if the pace is high but we'll give 100% to try and catch them and never give up."

San Marino GP - Misano - 125cc quotes after QP2

1st Gábor Talmacsi, 1.43.729 (13 laps)
"To be on top in all four sessions is really exciting. The changes we made at Brno have had a positive effect - we've found a really good set-up and it allows me to brake later and accelerate earlier and harder. The feeling with the rear is really secure and I can have fun riding. I felt a bit tired yesterday, maybe because of the heat, but today I was better and I'm ready to race. It won't be easy because of the heat but I intend to impose my pace and try to win. I felt really strong in qualifying and I think that's important for my confidence going into the race. If the conditions tomorrow are like today I'll be very happy."

12th Sergio Gadea, 1.45.033 (14 laps)
"I'm happy with the job we've done and how things have gone but the end of the session wasn't what we expected. I was hoping for a better position but there are three key points to this track where I am losing a lot of time. The bike is bouncing around on the front and that makes it tough in the fast direction changes. I like the track and I'm enjoying riding the Aprilia. We've got nothing to lose tomorrow so we can try and get away at the front and push as hard as we can, see if we can spring a surprise. I think that if we can get more confidence in the direction changes we can make up a lot of ground."

35th Adrián Martín, 1.47.023 (15 laps)
"I think I could have done better this afternoon but a few problems cropped up and I lost time in T3. I'm happy because we're moving forward step by step but we probably needed a bigger improvement to get higher up the grid. I'm motivated and I want to have fun in my first GP. Any result will be good but I'd love to be in the top 25 and try to learn from a faster group than me."

San Marino GP - Misano - 250cc Grid

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:38.047
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:38.124 + 0.077
3. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:38.813 + 0.766
4. Yuki Takahashi Honda 1:38.822 + 0.775
5. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM 1:38.869 + 0.822
6. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:38.961 + 0.914
7. Julian Simon KTM 1:39.009 + 0.962
8. Hector Faubel Aprilia 1:39.058 + 1.011
9. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:39.130 + 1.083
10. Mika Kallio KTM 1:39.165 + 1.118
11. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:39.217 + 1.170
12. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:39.402 + 1.355
13. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:39.749 + 1.702
14. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1:39.828 + 1.781
15. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1:39.875 + 1.828
16. Fabrizio Lai Gilera 1:39.963 + 1.916
17. Eugene Laverty Aprilia 1:40.317 + 2.270
18. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1:40.360 + 2.313
19. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:40.732 + 2.685
20. Federico Sandi Aprilia 1:41.205 + 3.158
21. Manuel Hernandez Aprilia 1:41.513 + 3.466
22. Toni Wirsing Honda 1:42.620 + 4.573
23. Simone Grotzki Giorgi Gilera 1:42.756 + 4.709
24. Doni Tata Pradita Yamaha 1:42.992 + 4.945
25. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:43.841 + 5.794
26. Alen Gyorfi Honda 1:46.446 + 8.399

San Marino GP - Misano - 125cc Grid

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia 1:43.729
2. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1:43.920 + 0.191
3. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1:44.334 + 0.605
4. Scott Redding Aprilia 1:44.339 + 0.610
5. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1:44.450 + 0.721
6. Mike Di Meglio Derbi 1:44.543 + 0.814
7. Sandro Cortese Aprilia 1:44.555 + 0.826
8. Marc Marquez KTM 1:44.668 + 0.939
9. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1:44.706 + 0.977
10. Joan Olive Derbi 1:44.821 + 1.092
11. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1:44.840 + 1.111
12. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1:45.033 + 1.304
13. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1:45.082 + 1.353
14. Dominique Agerter Derbi 1:45.119 + 1.390
15. Raffaele De Rosa KTM 1:45.324 + 1.595
16. Riccardo Moretti Honda 1:45.370 + 1.641
17. Steve Bonsey Aprilia 1:45.394 + 1.665
18. Efren Vazquez Aprilia 1:45.418 + 1.689
19. Esteve Rabat KTM 1:45.539 + 1.810
20. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1:45.566 + 1.837
21. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1:45.607 + 1.878
22. Tomoyoshi Koyama KTM 1:45.641 + 1.912
23. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1:46.017 + 2.288
24. Jules Cluzel Loncin 1:46.099 + 2.370
25. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1:46.136 + 2.407
26. Lorenzo Zanetti KTM 1:46.278 + 2.549
27. Robin Lasser Aprilia 1:46.310 + 2.581
28. Jonas Folger KTM 1:46.341 + 2.612
29. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1:46.410 + 2.681
30. Gennaro Sabatino Aprilia 1:46.500 + 2.771
31. Gabriele Ferro Honda 1:46.559 + 2.830
32. Marco Ravaioli Aprilia 1:46.670 + 2.941
33. Louis Rossi Honda 1:46.781 + 3.052
34. Pablo Nieto KTM 1:46.801 + 3.072
35. Adrian Martín Aprilia 1:47.023 + 3.294
36. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1:47.078 + 3.349
37. Randy Krummenacher KTM 1:47.100 + 3.371
38. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia 1:47.863 + 4.134
39. Hugo van den Berg Aprilia 1:47.891 + 4.162

Misano - Circuit Notes

The Misano World Circuit (until 2006 called Circuito Internazionale Santamonica) is located next to the town of Misano Adriatico (Province of Rimini) in the frazione of Santamonica. Originally designed in 1969 as a length of 3.488 kilometres (2.17 mi), it hosted its first event in 1972. In 1993, the track length was increased to 4.064 kilometres (2.53 mi).
In 2007 it hosted the San Marino and Rimini's Coast Grand Prix as part of the MotoGP World Championship for the first time.

Misano World Circuit was designed in 1969; it was built from 1970 and 1972, and inaugurated that year. Its initial length was 3,488 km and had a little and open pit area. This version of the circuit hosted three editions of the San Marino motorcycle Gran Prix, from 1985 to 1987. In 1993 it was modified for the first time: the track length was incremented to 4.060 kilometres (2.52 mi), with the possibility to race both the long and the old short loop; moreover, new facilities and new pit garages were built.

Between 1996 and 2001 all facilities were improved further, adding more pits and stands. In 2005, a new access point to the circuit was built, in via Daijiro Kato (Daijiro Kato street) in honor of the late Japanese pilot, killed during the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, who loved to live in the frazione Portoverde of Misano Adriatico.

In order to host again the World motorcycle championship, the circuit was deeply modified in 2006. The circuit direction was changed to clockwise direction, the track length was brought to 4.180 km, track width has been incremented to 14 meters, facilities were improved, and all security measures have been applied. The first MotoGP race held on the circuit after the modifications was the 2007 San Marino and Rimini's Coast Grand Prix, which was won by "home" marque Ducati.


FACTFILE
Location: Misano Adriatico, Province of Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Time zone: CET, UTC+1, GMT+1
Major Events: MotoGP; SBK; Formula Renault; FIA Sportscars
Circuit Length: 4.064 km (2.525 mi)
Turns: 11
Lap Record: 1:33.918 (Casey Stoner, Ducati, 2007)


Sources: www.wikipedia.org www.misanocircuit.com
Map source: etracksonline

San Marino GP - Misano - Event Schedule

Friday August 29th

125cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 09:00-09:45 
MotoGP :: Free Practice 1 :: 10:00-11:00 
250cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 11:15-12:15 
125cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:10-13:40 
MotoGP :: Free Practice 2 :: 13:55-14:55 
250cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 15:10-15:55


Saturday August 30th

125cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 09:00-09:45 
MotoGP :: Free Practice 3 :: 10:00-11:00 
250cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 11:15-12:15 
125cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 13:10-13:40 
MotoGP :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:55-14:55 
250cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 15:10-15:55


Sunday August 31st

125cc :: Warm-Up :: 08:40-09:00 
250cc :: Warm-Up :: 09:10-09:30 
MotoGP :: Warm-Up :: 09:40-10:05 
125cc :: Race :: 11:00-11:45 
250cc :: Race :: 12:15-13:00 
MotoGP :: Race :: 14:00-15:00


(*All times local: GMT +1)

GP San Marino - 250cc Preview Quotes

Alvaro Bautista:
“We come to San Marino with a lot of desire and especially after the race in Brno, where we were close to the victory, we will try to win here at all costs. Misano is the track where I tested the Aprilia RSA for the first time last season, so we already have references and that is a very positive aspect. In 2007 we were fast from the first day on, our intention is to repeat that and to continue improving. We must continue to cut down points and therefore we will have to get out our best weapons. It will be a very difficult task because we are on the home turf of the "enemy", but that doesn't mean we won't try.”

Héctor Faubel
“Misano is a circuit that I like a lot, but of which I do not have a very good memory, because last year I crashed at the end of the race. I hope to have a good result this season to make up for that. The last GP and the testing afterwards helped us to get back some good feeling, but we know our limits, so our goal will be to continue working in the same direction, to be able to get a Aprilia RSA in 2009. It is clear that there's always some space for improvement and that is what we try, to continue going in that direction.”

Alvaro Bautista at F1 in Valencia

Even though it could be a weekend off of motorsports for him, Mapfre Aspar rider Álvaro Bautista will instead be present at the F1 GP this weekend in Valencia.
And according to this article he will have splendid accomodation to spend the time away from the track. Together with several other Spanish stars and the commissioners of the FIA he will stay onboard the Vision Athena, an ultra-modern cruise ship which will anchor in the Valencian port for the time of the GP and serve as the official boat of the circuit management company, Valmor Sport.One third of Valmor Sport's founders is none other Aspar team manager Jorge Martinez who will also be present at the Valencia street circuit.

Team Aspar Lineup 2009

According to an interview with Jorge Martinez the structure for the Aspar squad next year could be almost the same as this year.
Gabor Talmacsi will move up to the 250cc class with Aspar, but in a second team which might also have a different sponsor. The main 250cc team will continue with Alvaro Bautista and Hector Faubel, but depending on this season's results of Alvaro Bautista and the outcome of Aspar's efforts to start an additional MotoGP team which might see Bautista move up next season.
The 125cc team will again start with Sergio Gadea while Pere Tutusaus could also stay in the team, depending on how many bikes Aspar can provide.

Aspar also said that he'd like to have the MotoGP question solved and officially announce the results before the race in Misano. With that announcement a lot of the team structure would fall into place as well.

250cc Mapfre Aspar Team testing in Brno

After the Czech GP the both Mapfre Aspar riders stayed another day at the Brno circuit to test new parts for their bikes. With them were the 250cc teams of Emmi Cafe Latte, Lotus Aprilia, Polaris World, Red Bull KTM and Toth Aprilia.
Alvaro Bautista managed to improve his best laptime from yesterday's race and clocked the fastest laptime of the day with 2'02''057.
Teammate Hector Faubel also improved and finished the day with a best of 2'02''981.

Results:
1. Bautista (Aprilia) 2:02.057 (61 laps)
2. Kallio (KTM) 2:02.248 (34)
3. Barberá (Aprilia) 2:02.315 (84)
4. Luthi (Aprilia) 2:02.562 (76)
5. Pasini (Aprilia) 2:02.849 (41)
6. Faubel (Aprilia) 2:02.981 (60)
7. Aoyama (KTM) 2:03.004 (77)
8. Pesek (Aprilia) 2:03.830 (49)
9. Olivé (Aprilia) 2:04.935 (65)



Alvaro Bautista: 2.02.057 (61 laps)
“I am very satisfied, because I went out on track with both motorcycles and it has been a very productive day. With the first motorcycle we have found improvements in the engine that made us very fast and the tyres mounted during the session gave me an incredibly stable feeling on the Aprilia. Besides that we have worked on the front wheel of the bike. I am convinced that if we had this setting yesterday, we we would have had a better chance for the victory. Later, with the second bike, I have tested new compounds that Dunlop brought us and have improved my laptime of yesterday's race. All the tyres used during the day are durable and make the motorcycle faster, but at the same time stabilise it very good and give very good grip. They give you a lot of confidence riding the bike.”

Héctor Faubel: 2.02.981 (60 laps)
“I can honestly say that I leave Brno with a very good feeling. The feelings in the race were formidable and today's test has helped us to discover many things for the near future. I used the first bike all day and the mounted tyres made it possible to get the maximum from the Aprilia. I have even been able to lower my laptime of the race. Besides the tyre testing we made some adjustments in the geometry of the motorcycle, lowering it and achieving that the riding was much more comfortable. I am very satisfied and I can't wait to go to Misano and continue the work.”

Aspar Kawasaki with Alvaro Bautista in 2009?

According to the magazine gpweek.com Jorge Martinez Aspar has now finalized the deal with Kawasaki to run a NEW factory Kawsaki team in the MotoGP class next season. The rider is said to be current 250cc championship contender and former 125cc world champion Alvaro Bautista.

The quote in full:

A NEW one-rider second Kawasaki team for next year will add to the grids, and has helped other contracts fall into place, as the 2009 line-up nears finality.
The team, with a new Spanish telephone company sponsor, will be run by former multi-80/125cc champion Jorge 'Aspar' Martinez, and will field current 250 star and former 125 champion Alvaro Bautista on a Kawasaki.
This ends Martinez’s long quest to add a MotoGP team to his impressive portfolio of 250 and 125 teams, increasing his influence in the paddock. Martinez had previously been in negotiation with Suzuki, but was told earlier this year they would not be able to supply him with a motorcycle.

Spanish media already reported this weekend that Jorge Martinez is in negotiations with Kawasaki and wanted to seal the deal before the next race in Misano in two weeks time. The riders in question were Alvaro Bautista and Toni Elias. However, nothing was said about a finalized contract, so it remains to be seen if this news is indeed true or maybe just a case of jumping to conclusions a little to early.

Pics of the day: Czech GP, Sunday

Czech GP - 250cc - Quotes after the race

2nd Álvaro Bautista
“It was a special race. I started very badly and had a difficult first lap; I had to push harder than the others to keep closing the distance. I pushed as hard as I could to get to that first group. Once there I tried to stop the pace and conserve the front tyre, which I had problems with when braking and passing riders. It was a nice fight and I took second. I’m happy, but with 2 laps to go I touched Debon and lost distance that I wasn’t able to make up. I thought that we could have fought for the victory without that.”

Czech GP - 125cc - Quotes after the race

4th Gábor Talmacsi
“Today has been a difficult day, because I was overtaken a lot. When I was riding alone I was able to keep up my pace, but when Olive arrived I was blocked out. I tried to pass him, but he was stronger on the brakes. I think that I gave my all, but I didn’t feel comfortable when braking; it took a lot of work to pick up the bike, and the chassis gave me problems. For this reason the other riders were able to pass me easily. I tried to take measures to hold onto third and another podium, but it just wasn’t my day.”

12th Sergio Gadea
“At the start my throttle was locked, and I wasn’t able to do anything. From the beginning I wanted a consistent rhythm, but the accelerator lost me a number of positions. I was too far away to make up ground. I think that I gave my all, and the bike was working good, but the result wasn’t that which we deserved. I’m looking ahead to Misano.”

20th Pere Tutusaus
“I am happy because we have solved the problema of the weekend. The setting was hard to find, so today’s result was pretty good. I was fast in the race and was able to fight with a group, with some of my CEV rivals. I had another great start, and that really helped me out. The Aprilia has a lot of acceleration, but we weren’t quite Fast enough. I am happy with my pace.”

Czech GP, Brno - 250cc - Race Results

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista managed to fight for the victory at the Czech GP after starting from only 10th position on the grid. In a exciting tight battle with Alex Debon and Marco Simoncelli he rode quite brilliantly and ultimately finished second.
With that result he closes a bit of the gap to the leaders in the championship despite falling back to fourth position with one point behind Brno winner Alex Debon.
Teammate Hector Faubel equals his best season result with 8th place.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time
1 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia 41'08.168
2 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.280
3 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.325
4 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.827
5 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.249
6 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 13.713
7 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 13.826
8 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 16.026
9 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 19.084
10 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 20.692
11 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 29.495
12 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 29.772
13 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 31.944
14 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 36.314
15 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 43.751
16 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 46.564
17 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 55.591
18 F. SANDI ITA MAtteoni Racing + 55.704
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 1'24.324
20 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 1'39.423
21 R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1'59.990

Not classified
T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte 17 Lap
K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 18 Lap

Not starting
M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing

Czech GP, Brno - 125cc - Race Results

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 41:05.176
2. Mike Di Meglio Derbi + 0.881
3. Joan Olive Derbi + 4.070
4. Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia + 4.118
5. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 7.048
6. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 9.334
7. Sandro Cortese Aprilia + 12.813
8. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 16.491
9. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 17.637
10. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 17.855
11. Scott Redding Aprilia + 18.964
12. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 29.920
13. Esteve Rabat KTM + 38.445
14. Dominique Aegerter Derbi + 54.637
15. Robin Lasser Aprilia + 54.797
16. Pablo Nieto KTM + 55.723
17. Lukas Sembera Aprilia + 56.786
18. Efren Vazquez Aprilia + 59.166
19. Lorenzo Zanetti KTM + 59.330
20. Pere Tutusaus Aprilia + 59.340
21. Michael Ranseder Aprilia +1:00.307
22. Marco Ravaioli Aprilia +1:07.401
23. Randy Krummenacher KTM +1:11.701
24. Jules Cluzel Loncin +1:19.343
25. Hugo Van Den Berg Aprilia +1:30.988
26. Alexis Masbou Loncin +1:31.018
27. Robert Muresan Aprilia +1:31.149
28. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia +1:33.222
29. Louis Rossi Honda +1:33.600
30. Michal Prasek Aprilia + 1 lap
31. Andrea Touskova Honda + 1 lap


Retirements:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Karel Pesek Aprilia 17
Stevie Bonsey Aprilia 15
Marc Marquez KTM 6
Jonas Folger KTM 1

Pics of the day: Czech GP, Saturday

Czech GP - 250cc - Quotes after QP2

10th Álvaro Bautista: 2.14.577 (17 laps)
“It’s difficult to know what to do in this weather. Yesterday went well because we solved the few problems we had and I felt safe but I had a crash at the end of the session. I also had a headache and stomach ache and even though I felt better this morning the mixed conditions made it impossible to work on the setting. This afternoon I improved my feeling gradually with the Aprilia and it’s just a shame I couldn’t get higher than tenth by the end. I’d prefer a dry race tomorrow so that it’s more straightforward to overtake. I need to get into the lead group before they escape but if I can do that then we’ve got a chance of even winning the race.”

14th Héctor Faubel: 2.15.416 (15 laps)
“Luckily we’ve found a setting I really like for the wet. It has been a grey and rainy day but with the way this year have gone you come to expect it. I’m not happy with the result because we could have gone better over the last couple of laps and I’m not too comfortable with this weather. The forecast is for sunshine tomorrow, which will be a handicap for everybody because we’ve had no dry time, but obviously we’ll try to be as close to the front as possible.”

Czech GP - 125cc - Quotes after QP2

1st Gábor Talmacsi: 2.09.870 (8 laps)
“To take my second pole of the season in front of so many of my fans is a great feeling. I’ve worked really hard during the break to come back in the top four and show that I’m not ready throw in the towel – it looks like it’s worked. It’s difficult to guess what might happen tomorrow but we’ve got a great base setting. Whatever the weather for the race I’ll be trying to make my experience count. We’ll have to see what happens in the warm-up but I’m sure we’re on the right lines and we should get a good pace together in the dry or wet. The wet setting we tried in the last ten minutes gave positive results.”

9th Sergio Gadea: 2.11.276 (9 laps)
“I’m happy because the Aprilia is working well. Yesterday we decided to switch to the second bike and it looks like it’s worked. At the same time I’m not really satisfied with my grid position but we’re taking more positive steps every day. We’ve tested some geometry settings and in general terms I feel comfortable on the bike. I’m still not getting enough feel from the front end but as far as everything else is concerned we’re ready to race.”

30th Pere Tutusaus: 2.14.192 (9 laps)
“The rain has come back to stop us from improving our position but the work we have done in these two sessions should help us in the future. I haven’t felt comfortable in the wet and it’s been a difficult weekend for us but I think we can have a good race tomorrow as we have done in the past. I’d like the race tomorrow to be in the dry so that I can try and get in the points.”

Czech GP - 250cc - Qualifying 2

Since the 250cc riders already had a wet qualifying yesterday and with a drying track towards the end of the session, every rider was able to improve their laptimes today.
Mapfre Aspar riders Alvaro Bautista and Hector Faubel were still struggling a bit however and will start the race tomorrow from 10th and 14th position on the grid.

Full results QP2:

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time
1 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera 2'10.723
2 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 0.766
3 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.855
4 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 1.445
5 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 2.039
6 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 2.351
7 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 2.975
8 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 3.221
9 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 3.247
10 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 3.854
11 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 3.941
12 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 4.195
13 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 4.380
14 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 4.693
15 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 4.936
16 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 5.062
17 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 5.113
18 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 5.829
19 F. SANDI ITA MAtteoni Racing + 6.827
20 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 7.286
21 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 8.041
22 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 8.295

Out of limit time
R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia
M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing

Czech GP - 125cc - QP2: Talma on Pole

Due to the very bad weather conditions with a wet track and cold temperatures none of the 125cc managed to improve their laptimes from Friday. This means that Bancaja Aspar rider Gabor Talmacsi will be on pole position for the Czech GP in Brno tomorrow while teammates Sergio Gadea and Pere Tutusaus will start their battle for positions from 9th and 30th spot respectively.

Results Qualifying 2:

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time
1 R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM 2'18.227
2 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 0.391
3 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior + 1.491
4 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 2.015
5 S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 2.776
6 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 2.781
7 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 2.910
8 L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran + 4.113
9 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 4.166
10 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 5.324
11 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 5.500
12 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team + 5.584
13 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 5.956
14 K. PESEK CZE Czech Road Racinf jnr. Team + 5.959
15 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 6.443
16 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 6.468
17 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 6.543
18 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 6.849
19 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 7.356
20 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 7.525
21 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 8.541
22 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 8.743
23 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull MotoGP Academy + 8.811
24 B. CHESAUX SWI S3+ WTR San Marino Team + 9.027
25 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 9.133

Not classified
N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB Lap
S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix Lap
D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix Lap

Out of limit time
P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi
H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix
P. TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team
M. PRASEK CZE Roha'c & Fetja Motoracing
A. TOUSKOVA CZE Eurowag Junior Racing
E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior
M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team
J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing
R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing
M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc
A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team

Czech GP - 250cc - Free Practice 2

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 2'09.842
2 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 0.771
3 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.246
4 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.559
5 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.854
6 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 2.488
7 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 2.551
8 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 2.748
9 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 2.962
10 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 3.086
11 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 3.377
12 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 3.379
13 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 3.681
14 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 4.220
15 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 4.387
16 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 4.913
17 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 4.997
18 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 5.722
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 6.767
20 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 7.625
21 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 7.694
22 F. SANDI ITA MAtteoni Racing + 10.601
23 M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing + 18.954
24 R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1'05.288

Czech GP - 125cc - Free Practice 2

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB 2'19.680
2 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team + 0.093
3 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 0.597
4 L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran + 0.708
5 R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM + 0.988
6 M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team + 1.681
7 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior + 1.729
8 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team + 2.067
9 M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 2.110
10 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 2.179
11 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 2.306
12 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 2.428
13 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 2.560
14 B. CHESAUX SWI S3+ WTR San Marino Team + 2.571
15 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 2.721
16 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 3.403
17 S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix + 3.503
18 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 3.704
19 R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 3.775
20 K. PESEK CZE Czech Road Racinf jnr. Team + 4.103
21 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull MotoGP Academy + 4.692
22 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 4.921
23 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 4.949
24 P. TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 5.252
25 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 5.259
26 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 5.353
27 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 5.467
28 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 5.659
29 H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 5.717
30 S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 5.725
31 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior + 5.843
32 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 5.875
33 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 5.878
34 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 6.052
35 P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi + 6.207
36 M. PRASEK CZE Roha'c & Fetja Motoracing + 10.350
37 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 12.907
38 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 13.121

Not classified
A. TOUSKOVA CZE Eurowag Junior Racing Lap

Pics of the day: Czech GP, Friday

Czech GP - 250cc - Quotes after QP1

10th Álvaro Bautista: 2’20.270 (16 laps)
“The first session today was quite productive because we tried a few things in the cycle part of the bike that worked. I’d hoped to make some more changes for qualifying but the rain didn’t give us much chance. Also, just before the start I started to feel some pain in my stomach and it affected my concentration. Just before the end I think I braked too hard going into turn 3 and I went down. I felt really dizzy but luckily I’m okay and ready to get back to work tomorrow.”

Héctor Faubel (did not qualify): 2’26.173 (15 laps)
“Everything went quite well this morning and then suddenly this afternoon it started to drizzle and eventually turned into heavy rain. The track was flooded by the end. I’ve had quite a few problems with the engine of my Aprilia, and I think this has been our biggest handicap. I think the new surface is really good, they’ve ironed out a lot of bumps. We’re still missing a bit of grip but that will improve as more rubber is laid down. Free practice went well, I was pretty much in the top ten, but in the end it’s been a tough day for various reasons – not least the weather.”

Czech GP - 125cc - Quotes after QP1

1st Gábor Talmacsi: 2.09.870 (10 laps)
“I’m happy with this result although I think the pace is quite slow compared to past seasons. The different grip levels have given us some set-up problems with both the front and rear end. The bike was sliding around quite a lot but the main thing is that nobody went faster. That is positive but we can’t afford to sleep and we need to work on finding out why we can’t go faster. The rain was a bit of a setback but when we went back out Jorge told me to give it everything. That’s what I did – it was still raining a bit but the grip was good. It’s been a good first qualifying but this is only the start and we can’t take anything for granted. Hopefully I can be fast again tomorrow.”

9th Sergio Gadea: 2.11.276 (10 laps)
“I think the pace this year is slower than it was last year at all the tracks. I’m happy with this afternoon because we switched from the number 1 bike to the number 2 and the gamble paid off. The engine works well although it takes time to get used to a different bike. In the end I pushed and managed to considerably improve my lap time, going from 2’13 to 2’11 on one lap. We’ve still got a lot of work to do this weekend but we’re taking some important little steps forward. I took some lines off Gábor in some areas of the track and it really helped.”

30th Pere Tutusaus: 2.14.192 (11 laps)
“This is not the kind of result we want and the truth is that I didn’t find any kind of feeling for the bike all day. It seems to be a horsepower issue because a lot of riders were passing me as if I was parked – we need to improve this aspect before tomorrow. I tried to push and in qualifying I improved my time from this morning but we’ve ended up 30th, which is certainly not where we should be. The track is quite technical but I like it and I’ve come here to fight for a good result.”

Czech GP - 250cc - Qualifying 1

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 2:16.210
2. Mika Kallio KTM 2:16.896 + 0.686
3. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 2:17.306 + 1.096
4. Alex Debon Aprilia 2:17.759 + 1.549
5. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM 2:18.948 + 2.738
6. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 2:19.086 + 2.876
7. Eugene Laverty Aprilia 2:19.796 + 3.586
8. Julian Simon KTM 2:19.988 + 3.778
9. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 2:20.155 + 3.945
10. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 2:20.270 + 4.060
11. Yuki Takahashi Honda 2:20.469 + 4.259
12. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 2:21.162 + 4.952
13. Fabrizio Lai Gilera 2:21.697 + 5.487
14. Doni Tata Pradita Yamaha 2:22.563 + 6.353
15. Toni Wirsing Honda 2:22.804 + 6.594
16. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 2:23.106 + 6.896
17. Karel Abraham Aprilia 2:23.688 + 7.478
18. Hector Faubel Aprilia 2:26.173 + 9.963
19. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 2:26.189 + 9.979
20. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 2:26.200 + 9.990
21. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 2:26.739 + 10.529
22. Federico Sandi Aprilia 2:27.294 + 11.084
23. Russel Gomez Aprilia 2:29.688 + 13.478
24. Manuel Poggiali Gilera

Czech GP - 125cc - Qualifying 1

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Lap time
1 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team 2'09.870
2 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB + 0.718
3 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team + 0.719
4 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 0.782
5 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 0.921
6 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.154
7 P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi + 1.160
8 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 1.357
9 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 1.406
10 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 1.471
11 R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM + 1.483
12 M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 1.483
13 S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 1.645
14 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 1.648
15 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 1.806
16 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior + 1.849
17 S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.906
18 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior + 2.386
19 L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran + 2.407
20 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 2.416
21 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 2.585
22 R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 2.805
23 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull MotoGP Academy + 3.051
24 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 3.163
25 M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team + 3.229
26 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 3.249
27 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 3.885
28 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 3.912
29 K. PESEK CZE Czech Road Racinf jnr. Team + 4.163
30 P. TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 4.322
31 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 4.720
32 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 4.761
33 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 4.899
34 B. CHESAUX SWI S3+ WTR San Marino Team + 5.261
35 H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 5.415
36 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 6.039
37 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 6.451
38 M. PRASEK CZE Roha'c & Fetja Motoracing + 6.874
39 A. TOUSKOVA CZE Eurowag Junior Racing + 8.344

Czech GP - 250cc - Free Practice 1

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Lap time
1 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera 2'03.149
2 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 0.048
3 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.315
4 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 0.578
5 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.729
6 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.935
7 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.090
8 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.117
9 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 1.230
10 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 1.475
11 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.608
12 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 1.833
13 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 2.218
14 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 2.410
15 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 2.981
16 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 3.207
17 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 3.285
18 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 3.408
19 F. SANDI ITA MAtteoni Racing + 3.779
20 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 3.945
21 M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing + 4.357
22 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 4.432
23 R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 5.794
24 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 6.013

Czech GP - 125cc - Free Practice 1

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Lap time
1 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team 2'10.510
2 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB + 0.538
3 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 0.632
4 G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team + 0.818
5 P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi + 0.970
6 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB + 1.105
7 R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM + 1.146
8 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 1.181
9 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior + 1.185
10 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.258
11 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 1.356
12 M. MARQUEZ SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 1.364
13 T. KOYAMA JPN ISPA KTM Aran + 1.402
14 S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 1.473
15 J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi + 1.640
16 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull MotoGP Academy + 2.038
17 L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran + 2.389
18 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 2.631
19 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 2.708
20 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior + 2.990
21 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 2.991
22 R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 3.054
23 M. RANSEDER AUT I.C. Team + 3.061
24 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 3.166
25 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 3.369
26 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 3.403
27 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport + 3.648
28 K. PESEK CZE Czech Road Racinf jnr. Team + 3.707
29 S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix + 3.982
30 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 4.408
31 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 4.440
32 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 4.947
33 P. TUTUSAUS SPA Bancaja Aspar Team + 5.510
34 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 6.302
35 M. PRASEK CZE Roha'c & Fetja Motoracing + 7.035
36 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 7.435
37 B. CHESAUX SWI S3+ WTR San Marino Team + 7.544
38 H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix + 7.971
39 A. TOUSKOVA CZE Eurowag Junior Racing + 9.356

Czech GP, Brno: Team Aspar 250cc Preview

Alvaro Bautista:
“This break was very much needed to relieve the stress of so many races in such a short time. Especially considering that in some the result was not the awaited one. But I focus on the fact that I finished the first part of the championship and can return with full force to be at the front again, with 100% power. We have to go on with the same mentality, thinking from race to race, knowing that we still have seven races and many points in the game. At the moment everything can happen, the first part wasn't very good to us, but considering the last races before the break that will surely change. We always have to continue being in the fight for the first positions.”

Héctor Faubel:
“When there are no results, there are no vacations. That is my mentality, so although we are not doing bad this season I didn't finish satisfied. That is the reason why I have been working during the summer break to stay fit and in form and to be ready to improve in the second half of the championship. The goal without a doubt is to be the best LE rider at the end of the season.
I am extremely excited to go to Brno, it is a circuit that I like very much and is one of my favorites. Last year I had a fantastic weekend and on Sunday, with not few complications, I was able to get the victory in the last lap. With technical problems on the motorcycle I was able to pass several pilots almost at the end of the race and to defend the leadership. It was possibly one of the best races of my life.”

MotoGP 2009 iCal Now Available To Download

Just to prove how far ahead of the curve we are at times, here's news that we have put live our MotoGP 2009 iCal.
iCal calendars work in the .ics format and can be used not only within iCal in Mac OSX but also in various Windows calendar and organiser applications. In fact there's some info on compatible Windows and Linux calendar apps at the bottom of this linked page. (The URL for the calendar that you will need to use in these apps is this: webcal://ical.me.com/gbouch/MotoGP_2009.ics )

Mac users can subscribe to the iCal by simply clicking here...
Download it and have the dates handy whenevr you need them (especially if you synchronise the calendar with an iPod or iPhone).


BTW - Just in case you want a quick refresher on the 2009 schedule, it's as follows: (this list is still officially referred to as 'provisional' mind...)

12th April Qatar Doha/Losail*
26th April Japan Motegi
3rd May Spain Jerez de la Frontera
17th May France Le Mans
31st May Italy Mugello
14th June Catalunya Catalunya
27th June Netherlands Assen**
5th July United States Laguna Seca***
19th July Germany Sachsenring
26th July Great Britain Donington Park
16th August Czech Republic Brno
30th August Indianapolis Indianapolis
13th September San Marino Misano
20th September Hungary Lake Balaton
4th October Portugal Estoril
18th October Australia Phillip Island
25th October Malaysia Sepang
8th November Valencia Ricardo Tormo Valencia

* Evening race
** Saturday
*** Only MotoGP class

MotoGP, Czech Grand Prix, Brno - Schedule

Friday August 15th

125cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 1 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:05-13:35
MotoGP :: Free Practice 2 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 15:05-15:50


Saturday August 16th

125cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 3 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 13:05-13:35
MotoGP :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 15:05-15:50


Sunday August 17th

125cc :: Warm-Up :: 08:30-08:55
250cc :: Warm-Up :: 09:05-09:30
MotoGP :: Warm-Up :: 09:40-10:05
125cc :: Race :: 11:00-11:45
250cc :: Race :: 12:15-13:00
MotoGP :: Race :: 14:00-15:00


(*All times local - CEDT, GMT+2)

Gadea and Tutusaus train at Sierra Nevada

Bancaja Aspar riders Sergio Gadea and Pere Tutusaus will prepare for the resumption of the championship season in Brno by training for five days at the Sierra Nevada.
The 125cc contenders will complete an intense physical plan with their trainer Rafa Olcina and train in the highest mountains of Spain from August 4th to August 8th.
They will be accompanied by fellow 125cc rider Nico Terol.