Qatar GP - 125cc - Quotes Qualifying

1st Julián Simón 2.06.974 (14 laps)
"I have never been on pole in a Grand Prix before and I'm really happy. It is payback for a perfect job so far, now we need to finish it off in the race. The session went well - we ran the harder tyre too and it felt great. I think it's going to be a tight race because Smith and Iannone have closed the gap. It's obviously impossible to predict what could happen tomorrow because the slipstream is a major factor here with the long straight and it's difficult to escape, but I think it is going to be between us three. My objective is to finish well and leave Qatar with a job well done. This pole has given me a real boost because I gave it my all and everything worked out how we hoped."

2nd Bradley Smith 2.07.107 (17 laps)
"I was pleasantly surpised with how we were able to pick the pace up from free practice to qualifying. We've taken a big step with the lap times, I don't know why exactly but the grip has been improving gradually and so has my feeling with the bike. I think the conditions were better tonight than they have been all weekend. I set a lot of laps in the low 2'07s, which is really important for the race. I think it's going to be a close race between Julián and myself, and I'm sure Iannone will go with us, but there are other guys that will be able to make the most of the slipstream down this long straight and pick their pace up. We've done our homework, now we need to have a good rest tonight and get ready for the first race of the season."

6th Sergio Gadea 2.08.147 (17 laps)
"I'm happy with the result because we're steadily getting closer to the front. We're still missing something but I feel satisfied with this. I pushed for an extra lap at the end just to make sure and it felt quite easy but there was some traffic out there and it was a shame because I think I could have got a front row start. I just want to finish the race tomorrow at all costs and if possible do so within the top five. Bradley and Julito are a step ahead but it's not as big a step as it was and I'm sure the rest of us will get even closer because it's a long championship. Anyway, we're ready and I think we can look forward to a great race tomorrow."

Qatar GP - 125cc - Bati on Pole!

The 250cc qualifying for the Qatar GP ended just as positively for the Aspar Team as the 125cc qualifying did, with Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista taking the pole position. His teammate Mike Di Meglio also had a splendid session in the desert and will start his first 250cc race tomorrow from the first row. Fellow rookie Gabor Talmacsi had a good qualifying as well and will line up on the second row, having finished sixth quickest today.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap
1 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2'00.677
2 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'00.777 0.100
3 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2'01.113 0.436
4 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2'01.174 0.497
5 Hector FAUBEL Valencia CF - Honda SAG 2'01.636 0.959
6 Gabor TALMACSI Balaton Racing Team 250cc 2'01.693 1.016
7 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 2'01.699 1.022
8 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2'01.713 1.036
9 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 2'01.738 1.061
10 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2'01.839 1.162
11 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2'01.872 1.195
12 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2'02.062 1.385
13 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2'02.113 1.436
14 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'02.408 1.731
15 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 2'02.567 1.890
16 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 2'03.590 2.913
17 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2'03.592 2.915
18 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2'04.895 4.218
19 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2'05.240 4.563
20 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'06.329 5.652
21 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 2'07.096 6.419
22 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Milar - Juegos Lucky 2'07.701 7.024

Not classified
58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera Gilera

Qatar GP - 125cc - Double Pole for Team Aspar!

Julian Simon and Bradley Smith reinforced their great preseason form by setting the fastest and the second fastest laps in the 125cc qualifying for the Qatar GP. Sergio Gadea will start tomorrow's race from the second row.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap
1 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'06.974
2 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'07.107 0.133
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'07.588 0.614
4 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 2'07.781 0.807
5 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 2'07.835 0.861
6 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'08.147 1.173
7 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'08.148 1.174
8 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 2'08.380 1.406
9 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Motorsport 2'08.417 1.443
10 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'08.424 1.450

Qatar GP - 250cc - Results FP2

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista lead the second free practice in Qatar for most of the time and was the only rider who consistently clocked low 2'01 laptimes, but was relegated in the last minute to third position, right ahead of new teammate Mike Di Meglio. Fellow rookie Gabor Talmacsi finished in 7th position.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'01.106
2 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2'01.126 0.020
3 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2'01.169 0.063
4 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2'01.486 0.380
5 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 2'01.607 0.501
6 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2'01.713 0.607
7 Gabor TALMACSI Balaton Racing Team 250cc 2'01.718 0.612
8 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'02.037 0.931
9 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 2'02.161 1.055
10 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2'02.177 1.071
11 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2'02.230 1.124
12 Hector FAUBEL Valencia C.F. - Honda SAG 2'02.301 1.195
13 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 2'02.330 1.224
14 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 2'02.400 1.294
15 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2'03.227 2.121
16 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2'03.679 2.573
17 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2'03.720 2.614
18 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 2'04.310 3.204
19 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2'05.356 4.250
20 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2'05.715 4.609
21 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'06.856 5.750
22 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Milar - Juegos Lucky 2'07.598 6.492
23 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 2'07.933 6.827

Qatar GP - 125cc - Results FP2

Bancaja Aspar rider Julian Simon made his intentions for Sunday's race clear again by clocking the fastest laptime in the second practice, being almost half a second quicker than second-fastest Nico Terol.
Teammates Bradley Smith and Sergio Gadea finished with in 4th and 6th respectively.

Pos. Rider Team Motorcycle Lap time Gap

1 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'07.578
2 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2'08.016 0.438
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'08.022 0.444
4 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'08.056 0.478
5 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten Derbi 2'08.360 0.782
6 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'08.617 1.039
7 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 2'08.923 1.345
8 Simone CORSI Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2'08.935 1.357
9 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Motorsport KTM 2'09.160 1.582
10 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'09.228 1.650
11 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.269 1.691
12 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten Derbi 2'09.360 1.782
13 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 2'09.588 2.010
14 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.690 2.112
15 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.718 2.140
16 Esteve RABAT Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 2'09.880 2.302
17 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing Aprilia 2'09.914 2.336
18 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 2'10.345 2.767
19 Lorenzo ZANETTI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'10.622 3.044
20 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'10.763 3.185
21 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 2'11.223 3.645
22 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse Aprilia 2'11.370 3.792
23 Cameron BEAUBIER Red Bull KTM Motorsport KTM 2'11.637 4.059
24 Jasper IWEMA Racing Team Germany Honda 2'11.760 4.182
25 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing Aprilia 2'12.074 4.496
26 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 2'12.195 4.617
27 Alexis MASBOU Loncin Racing Loncin 2'12.308 4.730
28 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing Loncin 2'12.970 5.392
29 Michael RANSEDER Haojue Team Haojue 2'13.538 5.960
30 Luca VITALI CBC Corse Aprilia 2'15.931 8.353
31 Matthew HOYLE Haojue Team Haojue 2'16.210 8.632

Qatar GP - 250cc - Quotes FP1

1st Gábor Talmácsi 2.01.902 (16 laps)
"I am very happy because I improved my best time from the past week's test by a considerable amount. It is very positive, because the test hadn't been as productive as I had hoped. I think that it is a good time that signals that we should be at the front, but this is neither a qualifying session nor a race, just a good start that gives us the spirit to continue working hard. In this first session the track was dirty and had little grip, but I expect conditions to improve tomorrow and the others will come closer to my time. We have a good setting, so we'll carry on confident ahead of tomorrow's qualifying."

2nd Álvaro Bautista 2.01.943 (16 laps)
"We are a little far off the times that we did at the beginning of the week. The track isn't in the best of condition and this is definitely affecting our setting, as I haven't really felt comfortable on my Aprilia. It was vibrating a lot on the front when we entered the corners, so tomorrow I hope that when the other classes clean the track we can get a better grip from their rubber. The wind has also been a handicap. We all have good data from the test, so we've been able to ride in similar times, but we need to see who is able to carry on improving when the times really drop. Tomorrow we first need to check the state of the track, and then try to improve. If the track is as it was during the two days of testing, then we will be able to continue with our original setting."

11th Mike Di Meglio 2.02.836 (16 laps)
"Today we had a complicated session, because the engine wasn't performing at its best. We didn't get a good lap in, but in any case it is a free practice and we still have tomorrow to find out how to continue facing our problems and what the solutions are. The team have worked hard all preseason, and tomorrow we will fine-tune to have a good qualifying session. I want to have some fun and see how we are going to be when the race comes around. The important thing now is not to worry too much and carry on learning."

Qatar GP - 125cc - Quotes FP1

1st Julián Simón 2.07.791 (14 laps)
"I was able to make a step forward today because we solved the chattering problems we had in the MotoGP test. Having said that, the track was much dirtier today and there was more wind so the lap times have suffered. I'm happy with the progress we've made but we still have work to do. I need to decide which tyre to go with in the race - soft or hard - and then we'll be all set. Personally I prefer the softer one but after fifteen laps on it today the bike was moving around a lot so we'll have to try and work with the hard one tomorrow. I'm enjoying myself at the moment and I think that when you have the best material and the best team it is much easier to produce your best form."

2nd Bradley Smith 2.08.823 (17 laps)
"Unfortunately after the bad weather here recently the track was slippery so we spent the whole session trying to find a good feeling. I actually spent half an hour of the session out there without stopping, just getting laps in and trying to prepare for the race. The conditions here in the desert are really variable and we don't know what we'll get in the race so to spend so much time out there setting a good consistent pace is important. Julito's time is very quick but our objective is to be up there and try and get close on the second day. It looks like we're a step ahead of everybody else at the moment and I think it's better that way - let's keep it all inside the Bancaja box! My experience tells me that we can be up front in a lot of races this year and that's what we'll be fighting for. We got 95% of the set-up work done at the test so we just have small changes to make depending on the track conditions."

5th Sergio Gadea 2.09.366 (15 laps)
"I'm really happy to be up near the front again. It was a shame because we made a couple of changes that we hoped would gain us some time on the straights but we weren't counting on the wind slowing us down so much. I know that if we can fix that then we'll make up a second and move up the order. I'm satisfied because I felt comfortable despite the bad track conditions and I know we have plenty of room to improve. Every time I get on the Aprilia I feel more confident - we're not at 100% yet but if we keep this up I'm sure we'll soon be ready for battle."

Qatar GP - Day 1 - Pics of the Day

The complete 125cc and 250cc Lineups for 2009 with all Aspar riders in the first row.

Qatar GP - 250cc - Results FP1

Also the 250cc class finished the first practice with the riders of Team Aspar coming out on top. Class rookie Gabor Talmacsi lead the way by a small margin to second fastest Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista. Current 125cc world champion Mike Di Meglio finished the first day in 11th position.

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff Diff Previous

1 28 Gabor TALMACSI APRILIA 2'01.902
2 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA APRILIA 2'01.943 0.041 0.041
3 75 Mattia PASINI APRILIA 2'02.196 0.294 0.253
4 4 Hiroshi AOYAMA HONDA 2'02.346 0.444 0.150
5 40 Hector BARBERA APRILIA 2'02.383 0.481 0.037
6 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT HONDA 2'02.383 0.481 0.000
7 12 Thomas LUTHI APRILIA 2'02.426 0.524 0.043
8 16 Jules CLUZEL APRILIA 2'02.701 0.799 0.275
9 52 Lukas PESEK APRILIA 2'02.764 0.862 0.063
10 55 Hector FAUBEL HONDA 2'02.782 0.880 0.018
11 63 Mike DI MEGLIO APRILIA 2'02.836 0.934 0.054
12 17 Karel ABRAHAM APRILIA 2'02.848 0.946 0.012
13 35 Raffaele DE ROSA HONDA 2'03.159 1.257 0.311
14 6 Alex DEBON APRILIA 2'04.085 2.183 0.926
15 15 Roberto LOCATELLI GILERA 2'04.126 2.224 0.041
16 58 Marco SIMONCELLI GILERA 2'04.876 2.974 0.750
17 48 Shoya TOMIZAWA HONDA 2'05.091 3.189 0.215
18 10 Imre TOTH APRILIA 2'05.172 3.270 0.081
19 25 Alex BALDOLINI APRILIA 2'06.476 4.574 1.304
20 7 Axel PONS APRILIA 2'06.830 4.928 0.354
21 56 Vladimir LEONOV APRILIA 2'07.082 5.180 0.252
22 8 Bastien CHESAUX HONDA 2'08.877 6.975 1.795
23 77 Aitor RODRIGUEZ APRILIA 2'09.985 8.083 1.108

Qatar GP - 125cc - Results FP1

A very successful first day for the 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team with all three riders finishing the first practice in the Top 5. Julian Simon was again dominating the field, going over a second quicker than his teammate Bradley Smith. Spaniard Sergio Gadea clocked the fifth-fastest time of the day.

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff Diff Previous

1 60 Julian SIMON APRILIA 2'07.791
2 38 Bradley SMITH APRILIA 2'08.823 1.032 1.032
3 18 Nicolas TEROL APRILIA 2'09.165 1.374 0.342
4 93 Marc MARQUEZ KTM 2'09.266 1.475 0.101
5 33 Sergio GADEA APRILIA 2'09.366 1.575 0.100
6 11 Sandro CORTESE DERBI 2'09.583 1.792 0.217
7 29 Andrea IANNONE APRILIA 2'09.669 1.878 0.086
8 17 Stefan BRADL APRILIA 2'09.875 2.084 0.206
9 44 Pol ESPARGARO DERBI 2'10.170 2.379 0.295
10 94 Jonas FOLGER APRILIA 2'10.422 2.631 0.252
11 45 Scott REDDING APRILIA 2'10.494 2.703 0.072
12 77 Dominique AEGERTER DERBI 2'10.501 2.710 0.007
13 12 Esteve RABAT APRILIA 2'10.656 2.865 0.155
14 73 Takaaki NAKAGAMI APRILIA 2'10.825 3.034 0.169
15 6 Joan OLIVE DERBI 2'10.827 3.036 0.002
16 24 Simone CORSI APRILIA 2'10.893 3.102 0.066
17 32 Lorenzo SAVADORI APRILIA 2'10.906 3.115 0.013
18 8 Lorenzo ZANETTI APRILIA 2'11.287 3.496 0.381
19 99 Danny WEBB APRILIA 2'11.430 3.639 0.143
20 14 Johann ZARCO APRILIA 2'11.760 3.969 0.330
21 87 Luca MARCONI APRILIA 2'12.587 4.796 0.827
22 16 Cameron BEAUBIER KTM 2'13.138 5.347 0.551
23 53 Jasper IWEMA HONDA 2'13.466 5.675 0.328
24 7 Efren VAZQUEZ DERBI 2'13.849 6.058 0.383
25 71 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA LONCIN 2'14.223 6.432 0.374
26 88 Michael RANSEDER HAOJUE 2'15.087 7.296 0.864
27 69 Lukas SEMBERA APRILIA 2'15.559 7.768 0.472
28 5 Alexis MASBOU LONCIN 2'16.723 8.932 1.164
29 10 Luca VITALI APRILIA 2'16.800 9.009 0.077
30 66 Matthew HOYLE HAOJUE 2'19.394 11.603 2.594
31 35 Randy KRUMMENACHER APRILIA 2'23.205 15.414 3.811

Qatar GP - 250cc - Preview Quotes

Alvaro Bautista: "I think that we have had a good preseason. I had a bit of bad luck when I got hurt, but the recovery has been fast. I’m back to having a good feeling with the bike. After getting injured we were competitive in Jerez and Qatar, and I think that we are pretty clear about where we are for the first race. We can’t throw caution to the wind though, we have to be prudent. Our Friday work will be hard, because nothing comes for free in this class, so we’ll see whether we have the luck to start this year better than the last. I think that it will be fun, and that we will have a good result.”

Mike Di Meglio: "I have been able to enjoy two days of rest ahead of this race, and they have gone down well with me. Sometimes the last test can be unpredictable, but we have to maintain our concentration and concentrate on our hard work. I hope that conditions will be good. I went well in the last test, but I don’t want to say anything now, just that we should work hard and look for development. We don’t have much time to practice, so I can’t afford to make an error, but I don’t want to put more pressure on us than is necessary. It will be my first 250cc race, and I have a lot to learn still.”

Gábor Talmácsi: "We have been present at as many tests as possible, and the team have given me all the possibility of being ready for this first race. We are at a good level, but we still need to see where exactly we are and to what level we can set our goals. The 250cc class is a very competitive one, with lots of riders within a second of each other. We have been working all preseason for a good pace and that is more important than isolated Fast laps. We have done this, and we're fast, so if we can be like this then we will be competitive."

Qatar GP - 125cc - Preview Quotes

Julian Simon: "Next Friday I will begin a new adventure with this team. Everything has gone well in preseason since the first moment, and we have done very good times in every test. The last test in Qatar allowed me to finish fine-tuning my bike, and I believe that we are in a position to start well. The track is one that I like, but it isn’t amongst my favourites. I am going to give my all to leave the first race with a good taste in both my mouth and that of the team. We want to go well and –why not?- win it. We have a chance.”

Bradley Smith: "I can only say that I am really happy to be starting this season. Testing is nice, and we’ve done an exhaustive amount of work over the winter, trying to improve the bike the maximum possible when compared to last year. The end objective has always been the races. The work has been great up until now, and I think that we have taken a big step forward from my first test in Valencia back in November. We have to keep fighting up at the front, and the tests have given us an idea of this. Races are different though, and the season is long, so the goal for Sunday is to get as many points as possible and start things off well. Once we get past Japan and Jerez then we will see where we are.”

Sergio Gadea: "During the preseason we have been getting better every time, although maybe we were a bit venid at the last test in Qatar. I am happy, because we’re capable of solving problems and being amongst the top guys. I will always be positive as long as we are working this way, and we will be able to improve. Last year I wasn’t able to give 100% at this race and I won, which was an unforgettable experience, and I want to show that I can do even better. I want to start this season consistently, something that we didn’t do in 2008. Then I can start looking at winning again.”

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 2, Pics of the Day

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 2, Quotes 250cc

1º Alvaro Bautista 2.00.496 (65 laps)
"I believe that we did some good work because we tested lot of things on the engine. Also it seems that we took another step forward with the frame because I feel better with the modifications on the front part. Although the work of today has centered mainly around the engine to achieve a better speed in the curves. We also tested different types of tires and now we know more or lesss clearly which ones work for us, always depending on the conditions of the track. The most important thing is that we now have a lot of information for the race. I got my good feeling back, a good rhythm with the bike and when we finished the test I was able to enjoy riding the bike and find my reference points."

4º Mike Di Meglio 2.00.946 (43 laps)
"I am very happy to finish fourth, because at the end of the test session everyone was able improve their laptimes from yesterday, but we needed just a little bit. We rode very well, the chassis made me feel really comfortable on the Aprilia and I believe that I did a very good laptime. But we still have some work left with the gear changes to get a bit more ahead, but I am very satisfied with the work of the team during this test. It's been two very positive days despite the fatigue and I leave this test very satisfied with the fourth fastest time of today. It will be necessary to stay focused, to follow with this way during the race weekend and to be strong and ready for the race."

13º Gábor Talmácsi 2.01.772 (51 laps)
When I went out for the last time I had a crash and this finish of the test leaves me unhappy. Today we tested numerous different settings, but our main problem in this circuit always came from the front part of the bike. We still don't have a solution, but the team is working hard to find it. Today wasn't our day, at the beginning we went very well, but from the middle of the session onwards we stopped improving and discovered some disadvantages. We didn't know what we needed to be faster. In any case I am calm because we did good work yesterday which we can use in practice on Friday, to improve this situation."

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 2, Results

125cc
1. Julian Simon (E), Aprilia, 2:06,808
2. Bradley Smith (GB), Aprilia, 2:06,908
3. Sandro Cortese (D), Derbi, 2:07,090
4. Stefan Bradl (D), Aprilia, 2:07,104
5. Scott Redding (GB), Aprilia, 2:07,464
6. Marc Marquez (E), 2:07,695
7. Sandro Cortese (D), Derbi, 2:07,587
8. Jonas Folger (D), Aprilia, 2:07,726
9. Joan Olivé (E), Derbi, 2:07,923
10. Pol Espargaro (E), Derbi, 2:07,927
11. Lorenzo Zanetti (I), Aprilia, 2:08,034
12. Nicolas Terol (E), Aprilia, 2:08,042
13. Andrea Iannone (I), Aprilia, 2:08,058
14. Takaaki Nakagami (J), Aprilia, 2:08,108
15. Sergio Gadea (E), Aprilia, 2:08,250

250cc
1. Alvaro BAUTISTA APRILIA 2:00.496
2. Hiroshi AOYAMA HONDA 2:00.873
3. Mike DI MEGLIO APRILIA 2:00.946
4. Hector BARBERA APRILIA 2:01.061
5. Karel ABRAHAM APRILIA 2:01.094
6. Raffaele DE ROSA HONDA 2:01.129
7. Thomas LUTHI APRILIA 2:01.152
8. Roberto LOCATELLI GILERA 2:01.203
9. Mattia PASINI APRILIA 2:01.391
10. Ratthapark WILAIROT HONDA 2:01.479
11. Lukas PESEK APRILIA 2:02.026
12. Gabor TALMACSI APRILIA 2:02.207
13. Alex BALDOLINI APRILIA 2:02.249
14. Hector FAUBEL HONDA 2:02.293
15. Shoya TOMIZAWA HONDA 2:02.781
16. Imre TOTH APRILIA 2:03.733
17. Alex DEBON APRILIA 2:03.788
18. Axel PONS APRILIA 2:05.293
19. Vladimir LEONOV APRILIA 2:07.115
20. Aitor RODRIGUEZ APRILIA 2:08.559

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 1, Quotes 125cc

1º Bradley Smith 2.06.568 (55 laps):
"Most important of today is that we have improved a lot and in addition the conditions of the track also have been improving throughout the training. We have worked mainly on the front suspension and I believe that we have found the best way to follow and work on tomorrow. In this circuit it is very important to achieve that the bike turns well, because the majority of the curves is long and it is necessary to get out of them fast. At the moment we are still very far from the fastest laptime of last year, but we still have a day to continue progressing. If we continue to work like we did today, I am convinced that we could again come out fastest.”

3º Julian Simón 2.07.042 (48 laps)
"Frankly speaking I was very uncertain to ride here for the first time with a 125cc bike at night and I immediately noticed that it is completely different from the 250s. Last year I had my worst race here and I had my doubts, but we have reached a good level from the first moment on, always getting better laptimes step by step. Our main disadvantage has been chattering on the rear in the fast curves, that has prevented us from getting better laptimes, but despite that I had a good rhythm in several laps and I am content with the first day. Looking to tomorrow the team and me will work the best we can to solve our chattering problems and to be prepared for the race."

4º Sergio Gadea 2.07.843 (35 laps)
"I am content, because at the beginning of the test session we did very well and finished in first position. In the later session I went on track again feeling very comfortable, but I had a crash early on and therefore I wasn't able to go out again. In the third session I also had a crash and we had to finish the day before time. It's a pity because the feeling with the bike was good. But be that as it may, I'm working hard to get a fast rhythm as quickly as possible, so we only have to polish up some details on the bike. For tomorrow we will continue to ride with the setup that we had last year and will try to make the setting perfect and get to the first race being competitive."

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 1, Quotes 250cc

2º Alvaro Bautista 2.01.121 (58 laps):
"This first day has been a little complicated because the track didn't have much grip and it has taken us a little to get a good rhythm. While we were riding we finally found a solution for the front part of the bike, which really caused us the most problems. With some little variations we achieved great improvements, and progressively I've been able to ride more comfortable and the conditions of the track also improved. If we continue this line of work tomorrow then I am convinced that we will improve and I will gain confidence. Most important thing of today is that little by little I have found some feeling on the Aprilia, although there is still room to improve with the suspensions."

8º Gábor Talmácsi 2.02.278 (47 laps):
It has been quite a positive day although I still have some doubts. At the beginning of the session I had an incident with the gear lever and have spent a lot of time in the box, but the team has has done an awsome job and we have been able to continue testing things. With used tires I am able to get a fast rhythm, but with new tires I have much more problems which is really is not logical, so we will have to find out why. I think that with used tires I managed some fast laptimes, but we have to be able to be fast in any circumstances and condition and with the tire we have. Today we concentrated on evaluating the performance of the tires with each additional lap. At the end of the session I felt very comfortable riding the bike and I am satisfied."

10º Mike Di Meglio 2.02.469 (47 laps):
"This is a circuit I like much and I felt very comfortable on the Aprilia despite it being my first contact with the 250cc at night. I was very tired because we only arrived this morning and I believe that I was not at my maximum, but even so we have had fantastic a first day. We will try to continue improving tomorrow. Today we basically concentrated on working with the frame of the bike. I think that we found a good configuration of the chassis since I felt very comfortable riding the bike. We decided to finish the day a little ahead of the time so that I could rest a bit and will be able to return tomorrow with all my strength."

IRTA Test Qatar - Day 1, Results

Results of Day 1 at the final IRTA test in Qatar.
In the 250cc class Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista is among the fastest as expected while the 125cc Bancaja team managed to position all riders in the Top 4.
The test will conclude tomorrow at 10PM (CET).

250cc
1. Hector BARBERA 2:00.545
2. Alvaro BAUTISTA 2:01.121
3. Karel ABRAHAM 2:01.406
4. Hiroshi AOYAMA 2:01.685
5. Thomas LUTHI 2:02.085
6. Roberto LOCATELLI 2:02.252
7. Gabor TALMACSI 2:02.278
8. Alex DEBON 2:02.442
9. Mike DI MEGLIO 2:02.469
10. Lukas PESEK 2:02.575
11. Ratthapark WILAIROT 2:02.580
12. Raffaele DE ROSA 2:03.522
13. Mattia PASINI 2:03.708
14. Hector FAUBEL 2:03.959
15. Alex BALDOLINI 2:04.410
16. Imre TOTH 2:04.889
17. Shoya TOMIZAWA 2:05.051
18. Axel PONS 2:06.151
19. Aitor RODRIGUEZ 2:12.536

125cc
1. Bradley SMITH APRILIA 2:06.568
2. Andrea IANNONE APRILIA 2:06.708
3. Julian SIMON APRILIA 2:07.042
4. Sergio GADEA APRILIA 2:07.843
5. Joan OLIVE DERBI 2:08.062
6. Jonas FOLGER APRILIA 2:08.391
7. Sandro CORTESE DERBI 2:08.502
8. Pol ESPARGARO DERBI 2:08.531
9. Esteve RABAT APRILIA 2:08.617
10. Randy KRUMMENACHER APRILIA 2:08.783
11. Scott REDDING APRILIA 2:08.985
12. Lorenzo ZANETTI APRILIA 2:09.297
13. Takaaki NAKAGAMI APRILIA 2:09.371
14. Efren VAZQUEZ DERBI 2:09.460
15. Johann ZARCO APRILIA 2:10.098
16. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA LONCIN 2:10.684
17. Jasper IWEMA HONDA 2:11.270
18. Lorenzo SAVADORI APRILIA 2:11.496
19. Alexis MASBOU LONCIN 2:12.256
20. Luca MARCONI APRILIA 2:13.318
21. Michael RANSEDER HAOJUE 2:13.750
22. Lukas SEMBERA APRILIA 2:14.153
23. Matthew HOYLE HAOJUE 2:17.277
24. Luca VITALI APRILIA 2:18.415

BatiFans.com Announces RACECARD '09 Competition

A sure sign that the fun's about to begin in MotoGP is the announcement of the annual BatiFans.com RACECARD Competition...
It's dead simple - for every 250cc race in 2009 you can enter your qualifying and race predictions for how Alvaro Bautista is going to do. You get 5 points for a correct qualy prediction and 10 points for a correct race result.
We keep an eye on the scores, and at the end of the season one lucky winner walks off with some great prizes, like a rare Alvaro Bautista photo-biography, a diecast model of his 2005 Seedorf Honda, and a superb documentary about Alvaro on DVD.
It's free to enter and open to all members of the BatiFans Forum and adds an extra bit of fun and excitement to each race weekend.

Just get clicking on the link to find out more about the RACECARD 2009 Competition...
Sign up, join in, and bag yourself a bunch of fun across the season - and possibly a great prize at the end of it.

Yet Another Promotional Commitment For Aspar!

Jorge Martinez, left, and the president of Bancaja, José Luis Olivas, at a promotional event for the Aspar Team ahead of the 2009 season. It's been a hectic few weeks for the Aspar boss; which now continues with the Qatar test ahead of the GP itself next weekend. '09 is GO!