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Thursday, 25 December 2008
Casey Stoner goes under the spotlight in the latest journalist review.
The Paddock Press series turns its focus to the runner-up in the 2008 season, as BBC pitlane reporter Matthew Roberts looks back over Casey Stoner´s title-defending year. Stoner may have come up short in his second season with Ducati, but British journalist Roberts believes that the season has been far from a write-off for the 2007 MotoGP World Champion.
`To get first and then second over two years in MotoGP is an outstanding achievement,´ he says in the accompanying video. `Far from being a disappointment this year losing the title, I think that it´s been a real success, and Casey will look back on it that way too.´
Paddock Press concludes tomorrow, running the rule over 2008 MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi´s glorious year.
TAGS
- Casey Stoner
- sources:www.motogp.com
Construction on the new track track was finished two months ago, and A1GP will be the circuit’s first international car race meeting, occurring on April 12, 2009.
The black A1GP test car visits the 2.9-mile circuit to officially launch the event early in January.
sources:www.a1gp.com
Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) have unveiled the Yas Marina Circuit, host to next year’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in a unique art exhibition at the Emirates Palace. The exhibition features a selection of images of the new track’s facilities that have been transformed into pieces of art. source:www.formula1.com
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Jakarta, Indonesia – Racing enthusiasts can now purchase tickets for the only street race on the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2008/2009 season calendar. A1GP Lippo Village, Indonesia will be held from 6th - 8th February 2009, using the streets of the township that is just 45 minutes away from the centre of Jakarta.
The 3.2km track is centered on the hub of Lippo Village that includes University Pelita Harapan and the massive Supermal and was designed by Herman Tilke, who has been responsible for some of the most exciting race circuits round the world. The track will host a number of family entertainment activities during the race weekend, offering an abundance of food and beverage outlets as well as street performances and games. Twenty two teams from around the world, including A1 Team Indonesia, will be there racing for ‘the pride of their nations’.
“We are on schedule to complete the track as planned, as well as the infrastructure and facilities necessary to host the event,” said Gordon G. Benton, Organizing Chairman of A1GP Lippo Village. “The grandstands and hospitality suites will be ready to accommodate racing enthusiasts and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our little township.”
The circuit is divided into three zones (A, B, C) with grandstand seating for adults at Rp 1 million, Rp 800 thousand and Rp 1.2 million for each zone respectively. For children under the age of 12, ticket prices per zone will be Rp 700 thousand for Zone A, Rp 575 thousand for Zone B and Rp 850 thousand for Zone C. Students with valid ID can purchase special student tickets at Rp 850 thousand for Zone A, Rp 675 thousand for Zone B and Rp 1.050 million for Zone C.
General admission for entry to the venue is Rp 250 thousand for adults, Rp 175 thousand for children and Rp 225 thousand for students with special early bird pricing of only Rp 180 thousand per person till 20 December 2008 or while supplies last.
For more information about tickets, please contact one of 52 Authorized Ticket Boxes in Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya or the official ticketing hotline at (021) 828-2137, email at ticketing@A1GP-Indonesia.com or go to www.A1GPIndonesia.com for online ticket sales. Each ticket holder will receive a special complimentary race kit at the event.
- Ends -
sources: www.a1gp.com
source: www.a1gpindonesia.com
The FIM have published the provisional entry list for the premier class of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship.
The provisional entry list for MotoGP in 2009 has been released by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) as follows:
3. DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
4. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, REPSOL HONDA TEAM
5. COLIN EDWARDS, TECH 3 YAMAHA
7. CHRIS VERMEULEN, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP
14. RANDY DE PUNIET, LCR HONDA MOTOGP
15. ALEX DE ANGELIS, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI
21. JOHN HOPKINS, KAWASAKI RACING TEAM
24. TONI ELIAS, SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI
27. CASEY STONER, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
33. MARCO MELANDRI, KAWASAKI RACING TEAM
36. MIKA KALLIO, PRAMAC RACING
46. VALENTINO ROSSI, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
52. JAMES TOSELAND, TECH 3 YAMAHA
59. SETE GIBERNAU, GRUPO FRANCISCO HERNANDO
65. LORIS CAPIROSSI, RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP
69. NICKY HAYDEN, DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM
72. YUKI TAKAHASHI, SCOT RACING TEAM MOTOGP
88. NICCOLO CANEPA, PRAMAC RACING
99. JORGE LORENZO, FIAT YAMAHA TEAM
sources: www.motogp.com
Next season’s A1GP debut at Surfers Paradise in Australia has sure got the drivers excited.
Could it be the sun-kissed beaches of the Gold Coast, the fantastic party atmosphere of the place, the enthusiastic and passionate crowd or the fact that it is one of the most famous auto racing street courses in the world?
Probably all of the above.
Last month, A1GP announced a five-year deal to take over from the IRL IndyCar series as the headline single-seater category at the event. The first race on the Queensland track, which has hosted 18 ‘Indy’ Car races since 1991, will be on the weekend of 22-25 October.
A1 Team USA’s Marco Andretti raced with his IndyCar team, Andretti Green Racing, at last October’s event, and has been going there since he was a child – his father Michael won the meeting back in 1994.
“I think A1GP will be a big draw there for sure,” Andretti told A1GP.com. “It’s an unbelievable event. You get a lot of support from the fans and there are plenty of good vantage points to watch. It’s a party city, I know that. You go out there and the fans are out of control!
“As a circuit, it really helps to know the track well, so if I am doing that race next year then it will benefit me. Knowing where the bumps are is key, because you will hit a bump half way through the weekend that you had no idea was there and you almost crash.
“It’s a street circuit so it’s obviously very bumpy, and whatever you can imagine is out there you’re going to hit it. You have to attack the kerbs to make the car work or else you are going to be slow.”
Australia’s John Martin was another racer who was at this year’s event, wining two of the weekend’s three races in the Formula 3 category.
“It’s got a bit of everything,” Martin said. “There’s a quad chicane out the back that’s really, really quick and you can use a lot of kerb which is a bit of a challenge for the car set-up wise. But then there is another section after that that’s quite slow.
“A1GP at Surfers Paradise will be awesome because so many people get revved up for that weekend, it is a massive weekend. There will be over 100,000 people just on Sunday, you won’t be able to move and everyone is there for a big party. It’s a really fun weekend for everyone involved.
“IndyCars were able to pass around there so I think A1GP will definitely be able to as well. Some people said we wouldn’t be able to pass at Chengdu either but we still made that alright. A1GP seems to make it possible to pass anywhere in the world.”
Martin added that he hopes to be Australia’s driver when A1GP makes its Gold Coast debut next October, but thinks that whoever is chosen will be the focus of attention.
"Plus, being from Queensland there would be so many more people that I know there. I have people there booking rooms already, but at the end of the day I would just have to put that aside and go and do the job.”
source: www.a1gp.com
Following Friday’s meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, the FIA has confirmed details of the cost-cutting measures agreed with the teams for 2009 and beyond. sources:www.formula1.com |
A1 Team Indonesia completed the Sprint and Feature races at Sepang circuit, Kuala Lumpur in the fourth round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport today. Satrio Hermanto, driving for the team in Malaysia, finished 13th in both the Sprint and the Feature races.
The weather for the Sprint race was hot, humid and sunny, resulting in challenging conditions for the field of A1GP drivers. The drama came before the race had even started with three cars ahead of Indonesia piling into each other. Satrio was lucky to escape the incident although he had to pick his way through the debris and was fortunate not to pick up a puncture from any carbon fibre shards. The race had to be stopped to clear the track and after a few minutes was restarted, although this time the safety car paced the cars for a lap before the cars were let free to race.
Satrio was quickly on the pace and pushing hard. The young Indonesian made up ground as the race progressed, maintaining a good pace and defending well from the attacks of Monaco behind him. The Indonesia team pitcrew gave him a great pitstop to keep Satrio in position. He crossed the finish line in 13th place, a credit to all the team’s efforts.
“The sprint race was quite good, but we didn’t really make as much progress as I would have liked. We gained from other drivers’ misfortunes, but we kept it clean and reached the chequered flag, with the aim of a points finish in the Feature race,” said Satrio.
The period between the two races gave the team an opportunity to review the car setup and prepare for the Feature race. Satrio took part in the traditional A1GP drivers ceremony, and shortly after this was back in the car ready to take the standing start for the Feature race.
The frenetic start of the Feature race saw Satrio having to take evasive action of cars around him, but keeping his cool he was able to hold position. The Indonesian crew gave Satrio two clean pit stops and the team were able to retain their position as the race laps counted down. The Indonesian racked up miles in the new A1GP car, learning and making progress as he raced, although ultimately unable to make headway.
He said after the Feature race. “It was a tough race, I'm a bit disappointed because we missed our target to get a point. It was a good race, but not really good. the car was good in the middle of the race, getting better, after that I had a few understeer problems, which is why I slowed down a little bit and then after the second pitstop I pushed very hard to catch up with Lebanon. With lap times the same and the same PowerBoost, there was no point to be so aggressive because Mexico were just getting closer and closer. I'm just a bit disappointed.”
Bobby Issazadhe, Team Manager, A1 Team Indonesia added, “We’re pleased that Satrio completed the two race distances today, but we didn’t see the improvement in finish positions that we had hoped for. , It wasn’t that exciting, not much happened, the pitstops were not fantastic and the race was not fantastic. We qualified 14th and ended 13th. Everything has been 13 this week, even the garage number! Progress has been made and the guys have put together a reliable car and we've had absolutely no problems apart from the filter which was pretty much out of our control. Still, we’re making progress.
The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport heads to Taupo circuit, New Zealand, early next year for the fourth round of the 10 event series. It will be the third visit to the Southern Hemisphere outpost for the A1GP Series and promises to deliver more exciting race action for the local motorsport fans and for the millions of TV viewers around the world.
sources: www.a1gp.com
Tuesday, 02 December 2008
Alice Team rider feels Ducati Desmosedici to be more forgiving than KTM 250cc.
One of two newcomers to the MotoGP class to have come up from 250cc, Mika Kallio is the first rider to do so with the tricky Ducati Desmosedici. The nature of the machine makes it one of the most contrasting bikes to the two-stroke KTM to which he has become accustomed, although the Finn has made a promising start with his new ride in preseason testing.
The quarter-litre category´s `class of 2007´ (Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Alex de Angelis) had expressed their surprise with the electronic systems used in the premier class last year, with Dovizioso in particular saying that he felt more comfortable and confident on the bigger 800cc Honda than with the 250cc version. Kallio shares his opinion to an extent, based on his experiences in Valencia and Jerez.
`Perhaps it is a little easier to ride this bike,´ the Finn told motogp.com this week. `It´s a difficult one to judge. On one hand the 250cc machine is easier because there´s less power, and on the other you have more power in MotoGP but with help from the electronics.
`The bikes are completely different; the power certainly makes things harder, but let´s say that in terms of general riding the 250cc is more difficult. You can´t make a mistake, because you can´t use the power to fix the problem. As an example; in MotoGP you can brake a little too late, go two metres wide, but still fix the problem.´
Whether he feels more at ease with the bike or not, there is still plenty of adaptation for the former 125cc World Championship runner-up to make. Two positive tests on Spanish soil have done much to help Kallio´s progress, although there were some difficulties along the way.
`For me everything is going quite well with my new team and new bike. Everything felt quite different to the 250cc in Valencia, but already my first lap times were good,´
`Then we continued testing in Jerez and felt on the first day that it was more difficult. We got used to it again and the second day was really good. We made adjustments to make the bike better for my riding style and feeling.´
Whilst Kallio is yet to engage in deep discussion with the Alice Team over whether he will be able to indulge his hobby of ice racing over the winter break, the Finn has assured that he will definitely be doing some practices in the discipline. Besides that, his winter training has been planned to keep him race fit and help him gain additional power for the task at hand.
sources: www.motogp.comTAGS
Friday, 28 November 2008
Italian expecting more on-track battles in 2009 with introduction of new regulation.
Valentino Rossi may have been the fastest rider of the Jerez test, but to take the top spot at the final test of 2008 the Fiat Yamaha rider had to dig deep late on Thursday. The Italian edged out persistent rival Dani Pedrosa by just 0.018 to end his World Championship winning year on a high note, and is predicting closer battles to come with the move to a single-tyre manufacturer for 2009.
`I think that the first tests with the new rule have been positive. It will be difficult for Bridgestone to decide which tyres to use, but with everyone on the same rubber it will be possible to watch more fighting on track with everybody on the same level,´ says Rossi, starting his second preseason with Bridgestone tyres.
The workload for Thursday included some novelties not rolled out on day one, and Rossi had just four hours in which to put them to the test. The 29 year-old was pleased with the developments, which will now be put together in Japan as the 2009 prototype is assembled for next February´s Sepang test.
`We had some different parts to test compared to yesterday, and their performance was not so bad,´ he continues. `Closing the year at the top was important, but so was making sure that those new parts were good for when the bike is worked on over the winter.´
TAGS
Sources: www.motogp.comWhile Sunday in Brazil belonged to Lewis Hamilton, last year’s Interlagos race was a different story altogether, with the Grand Prix ending in equally heroic circumstances as Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen claimed his maiden drivers’ title.
Following his 2008 return to Sao Paulo, we caught up with Raikkonen to ask how it felt to be back, and to discover how he spends his time ‘in the office’ over a race weekend and find out why sleep plays an intrinsic part in his pre-race regime…
Q: We were in Brazil this weekend, what do you associate with this circuit?
Kimi Raikkonen: For sure I had there the best memories of my racing career. The 2007 Grand Prix will always remain in my mind and in my heart!
Q: You don’t take to the track until Friday morning, but when do you like to fly in?
KR: It depends on the programme. Usually in Europe I arrive at the track Thursday late morning, so I do not touch down later than Wednesday afternoon.
Q: Do you make an effort to discover your surroundings at a race, or do you stick to the airport-hotel-track-airport itinerary?
KR: No, unfortunately there is not too much time during a race weekend. It is different maybe when there are back-to-back races overseas, like Japan and China in the last two years. Then, for instance, I love to go to Tokyo and spend two days there.
Q: What’s your exercise regime over a race weekend? Does it vary according to the race location, demands of the circuit etc?
KR: No, basically it remains the same. The only change this year was for Singapore, as we had to adapt to a different timetable.
Q: What’s your preferred accommodation at races - city hotel, hotel near the circuit, your own motorhome near the paddock?
KR: It depends where the race is hosted. If it is a street circuit I like city hotels. If not, I prefer to stay not too far away from the track. But, as I said, it depends case by case.
Q: Anything you have to have provided in your hotel room or any luxuries you always bring with you from home?
KR: No, I am a simple man! I only bring with me my computer and my iPod.
Q: Do you enjoy entertaining friends and family during a race weekend?
KR: Usually the family is not with me because we don’t really have time to spend together, so it would make no sense to have them around.
Q: Do you get the chance to go out and socialize on Friday and Saturday night?
KR: Friday we finish our technical programme late so I just go back to the hotel. Saturday there is more time, but I prefer to spend the time in a relaxed way.
Q: Any drivers you particularly like hanging out with?
KR: No, not specifically.
Q: Your favourite race for nightlife?
KR: Monaco.
Q: What’s the best night out you’ve had at a Grand Prix? And have you ever overslept the next morning?
KR: Brazil 2007 - you can easily figure out why!
Q: What do you have for breakfast on a race Sunday?
KR: The same as for a normal day: some cereal and milk.
Q: How do you spend the morning on race Sunday?
KR: On Sunday morning we have a series of technical and sporting briefings with the team. Then there are the commercial activities which usually last a total of 45 minutes. In the meantime, I usually sleep as much as I can.
Q: How do you like to get to the circuit on Sunday morning? Do you drive yourself?
KR: By car, driving myself.
Q: How do you like to spend the hour or so before the race? Any superstitions or pre-race rituals you always go through to bring you luck?
KR: No, nothing special. As I said before, I try to sleep as much as possible.
Q: Do you have a lucky charm?
KR: No.
Q: What do you do to stay calm as you’re sat on the grid awaiting the formation lap?
KR: Nothing special. Usually I listen to my race engineer who repeats the starting procedure and the latest news.
Q: How do you wind down after the race?
KR: It depends on the result. If it is a good one I love to chill out with my friends. If it is a bad one, I prefer to go back home as soon as possible.
Q: If things don’t go your way and you retire early, do you prefer to get away as soon as possible, or hang out and watch the rest of the race?
KR: I would prefer to disappear but I still have to participate in the post-race debriefing so I just stay in my room and wait for that.
sources: www.formula1.com
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- Exclusive Adrian Sutil Q&A - 2009 could be my seas...
- Paddock Press: Roberts on Stoner's 2008 season
- Check Out the Algarve
- Yas Marina Circuit unveiled by Abu Dhabi
- Playing Catch-up on KERS costing Ferrari
- A1GP Lippo Village Tickets on Sale
- Lippo Village Street Circuit Map
- MotoGP 2009 Provisional entry list released
- A taste of Paradise
- Renault to launch R29 on January 19
- FIA confirms radical cost-cutting plans
- A Beginner's guide to the 2009 rule changes
- Steady Improvement for Satrio
- Kallio compares MotoGP and 250cc riding
- Paddock Postcard From Sao Paulo
- Felippe Massa - no more the nearly man
- Rossi: "Single-tyre makes equality more of a posib...
- A race weekend with.... Kimi raikkonen
- Garuda To make maiden voyage
- Mercedes, Ferrari hold end-of-season celebrations
- McLaren To Launch MP4-24 on January 16
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