Motourage

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista led the way during yesterday afternoon’s second free practice session at the GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana as he took first place on the timesheets at the wet Spanish track.

Heavy rain started to fall over the 4,005-meter Ricardo Tormo Circuit at mid-day, and by the time Bautista and the rest of the MotoGP riders took to the track it was fully wet. Suzuki’s Spanish star acclimatized to the conditions well and produced consistent quick laps that consolidated his position at the top of the standings. His time of 1’47.975 was more than 0.3 seconds quicker than his nearest rival, and he looks to have a good set-up and a confident riding style for Sunday – if yesterday’s weather replicates itself for the race.

The morning’s practice session started in damp conditions, with Bautista again looking impressive, but as the track started to dry out he found grip difficult to find and finished in 11th place. Already-crowned 2011 world champion, Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner, took the honors on the drier track by recoding the fastest time of the day.

Bautista has one more free session this morning followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 30-lap race is the final event of the season, and with inclement weather forecast it looks like being a very interesting and entertaining race.

Álvaro Bautista:
“Today has been a good day for us because we have had a full wet session to get some practice in those conditions. In this morning’s session I had a good feeling at the start, but as the track became drier it wasn’t as good and I couldn’t ride at the limit. The bike moved a lot and was spinning-up all over the track, so it was very difficult. In the second session, after the heavy rain, the track was much wetter and the conditions were a lot worse than this morning for all the riders, so it was essential that you rode smoothly and carefully. We changed some settings in the bike to help me get a confident feeling in the GSV-R and at the end of the session I was able to find a good rhythm. We finished first today and although it’s only the second free practice, you cannot improve as much in the wet as you can in the dry, so this is very good for us. I hope that tomorrow we can make some improvements in drying conditions like we had earlier today, but if it is totally dry we still have plenty of work to do to get ready. I am happy with the first day and looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”

Paul Denning, team manager:
“Winter feels like it has arrived in Valencia and it didn’t look like the most pleasant day to be on a Grand Prix bike out there. That said, cold and low grip conditions were always the situation that caused us the most problems and as we saw at Phillip Island a few weeks back – and again today – the steps that Suzuki has taken with the GSV-R have again proven to be very effective. However, improvements to the motorcycle aren’t enough because you also need a confident and capable rider and Álvaro looked very assured and smooth in the full wet conditions this afternoon – it was nice to see his name at the top of the sheets. I think Álvaro – and everyone else – would prefer some dry, sunny running over the next couple of days, but whatever the weather brings our intention is to push to the maximum and achieve the best result we can.”

GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana Combined Free Practice Classification:
1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 1’45.513
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.223
3. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) +0.315
4. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.560
5. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) +0.595
11. Álvaro Bautista (Suzuki) +1.409

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista crashed out of yesterday’s MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan while fighting for the best premiere class finish of his career.

Bautista started from eighth on the grid and found himself up into sixth early on after narrowly missing the Lorenzo/Rossi/Spies collision in front of him on the first lap. He was then promoted to fourth as Honda’s Marco Simoncelli and Andrea Dovizioso were forced to complete a ride-through penalty for jumping the start. Then, almost immediately, he found himself in a podium position when race leader Casey Stoner ran off the track.

Bautista held third position for six laps and fought off an attack from Ducati’s Nicky Hayden before Stoner regrouped and began to move back up through the field. Bautista looked comfortable in fourth and began to push to secure his best-ever MotoGP finish but lost the front near the end of the 13th lap and crashed at high speed. He walked away uninjured, but bitterly disappointed.

The 2011 Grand Prix of Japan was a rescheduled race after the initial date was cancelled due to the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country earlier in the year. A crowd of just more than 34,000 showed their support for both the MotoGP racers and the people of Japan. The race was won by Dani Pedrosa, with current World Champion Jorge Lorenzo second. Current championship leader Stoner took the final place on the podium.

Rizla Suzuki now has one weekend off before heading to Phillip Island in Australia for the second leg in a trio of Pacific races.

Álvaro Bautista:
“This was for sure not the result we expected today. I chose the softer rear tyre for the race because the conditions today were colder than yesterday and because for the first laps I needed to be as fast as possible. I didn’t get a good start because some riders jump-started and I was a bit confused by them and when the red light went off I was little bit late. There was a crash on the second corner and I then found myself in a good position. A few laps later some riders entered the pits because they did a jump start and I was then in third, but I knew it was not my real position. When Casey went past me and I saw what the distance was between me and Andrea – who was the next rider – and how many laps were left, I tried to follow Casey and keep the gap to Andrea. Near the last corner I lost the front and crashed and that was the end of the race for me. We worked very hard this weekend and improved in all the sessions, and in the race we were in a good position. Today the luck was just not with us. I am sorry for the whole team because this result would have meant so much to them, and I’m sorry for Suzuki at its home Grand Prix because we wanted to make a good race and a positive result. I have to keep the good things from this weekend in my mind and in the next race we have to keep doing the same things we have done here and keep our heads up.”

Paul Denning, Team Manager:
“When your rider crashes out of fourth position at Suzuki’s home Grand Prix it can only be described as disappointing. However, we have to take the positives from this weekend – the GSV-R performed well in cold and overcast conditions, Álvaro achieved his equal best qualifying and we were running very strongly in the race itself. We don’t quite have the speed of the Factory Hondas or Yamahas – at the moment – but apart from that we can race with anyone in the field, and when the opportunity presents itself – like today – fourth was definitely on the cards. Álvaro’s not stupid and with just over 10 laps to go, and Dovizioso only seven seconds behind, he knew he had to push hard to keep fourth place – fifth or sixth wasn’t going to do it as far as he was concerned. That’s racing; it was a high-speed crash and Álvaro’s completely uninjured, so let’s move on and look forward to the next Grand Prix.”

Grand Prix of Japan Race Classification:
1. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 42’47.481: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +7.299: 3. Casey Stoner (Honda) +18.380: 4. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +23.550: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +23.691: DNF. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):

World Championship Classification:
1. Stoner 300: 2. Lorenzo 260: 3. Dovizioso 196: 4. Pedrosa 195: 5. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 156: 12. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 67

Álvaro Bautista recorded his best dry race finish of the season so far at Indianapolis today as he raced to an impressive sixth on his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R.

Starting from ninth on the grid, Bautista got a good start and was in seventh at the end of the first lap. He then got involved in a local battle as he fought with the Americans on their home circuit over the next few laps. He got past Nicky Hayden and fought off the constant attacks of Colin Edwards, before resisting the Texan’s advances to leave him comfortably behind.

Today’s race was watched by 64,151 fans at trackside, and under the clear blue skies they saw another convincing victory from Honda’s Casey Stoner, as he took his seventh victory from 12 races to strengthen his championship lead.

Rizla Suzuki now heads straight back across the Atlantic for the next round of the 2011 season, when the San Marino Grand Prix takes place at Misano in Italy on Sunday 4th September.

Álvaro Bautista:
“I am happy with today’s position because this weekend we didn’t have the same rhythm as we have done in the last couple of races. I had a good qualifying session, but I was not quite on par with the top guys and that meant I couldn’t really stay with them and fight in the race. I made a decent start and overtook a couple of riders, but I just couldn’t keep up with the front group. We struggled a bit more at this track because we just couldn’t get the bike to turn how we wanted it to and I think we were not quite at the same level as some of the others around here. I was consistent throughout the whole race and had a couple of good battles with other riders – especially with Edwards – but at the end I got a good rhythm and was able to get some distance on the riders behind. I think today was the best result we could have got – so we did the maximum. We now go to Misano and I think we can be more competitive from the beginning, so I am really looking forward to the race.

“One other thing that was very important was to finish the race as I have crashed in the last two, so I am very happy that I did that! It gives us more motivation and also the team needed a result. I want to say a big thank-you to the whole team for the passion that they showed this weekend and now we are in the best position to make another step forward.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“After showing so much potential in Laguna and Brno – and coming home with nothing – it was great to see Álvaro take the chequered flag today. It was a well won sixth place and it was richly deserved for him and the whole team. I don’t think this is one of the best tracks for us and we were only beaten by the three Repsol Hondas and the two factory Yamahas. This bodes well for the rest of the season, and we’re looking forward to Misano.”

Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix Race Classification:
1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 46’52.786: 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +4.828: 3. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +10.603: 4. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +16.576: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +17.202: 6. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +30.447:

World Championship Classification:
1. Stoner 243: 2. Lorenzo 199: 3. Dovizioso 174: 4. Pedrosa 130: 5. Spies 125: 12. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 49:

Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista ended today’s U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in the gravel after crashing out on lap 14.

Bautista made a confident start from 12th on the grid and had moved up a place by the end of lap one. He produced a couple of very strong passes over the next few laps to move into eighth place and join the battle for sixth between the two Ducatis of Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi. Bautista closed the gap on the pair, and it looked like the crowd was in for a repeat of last week’s exciting battle between the three, but unfortunately Bautista low-sided his Suzuki GSV-R and, although he remounted his bike, he was unable to get it restarted and had to retire from the race.

The crowd of 52,670 that gathered on the hillsides that surround the Laguna Seca circuit were again treated to bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine as they witnessed current championship leader Casey Stoner take his fifth victory of the season on a Factory Honda. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was second with Dani Pedrosa filling the final podium place.

Rizla Suzuki and Bautista now embark on a short Summer Break before resuming the 2011 season at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday August 14th, when Bautista will be joined by John Hopkins who is making a Wild card appearance at the eastern European circuit.

Alvaro Bautista:
“I am very, very disappointed after today and really frustrated because although we did a really good job all weekend, we didn’t get the result we deserved and I crashed. We tried many different things here this weekend and used a completely different setting to last year and we managed to get the same good feeling as we had in Germany. This is the best I have felt on a bike in my MotoGP career so I know things are moving in the right direction. I think we made a mistake on Friday and Saturday because we didn’t try the soft front tyre in the afternoons. I think the hard tyre here wasn’t too bad, but it didn’t give me the feeling I wanted in the corners – the grip wasn’t too bad, but it just didn’t transmit enough information. For the race I started with a hard front and I now think it was a mistake not to use a soft one. I got a good start, but some riders closed up in front of me and I couldn’t get past, but I did make up one place on the first lap. I overtook some other guys and got behind the Ducatis, but I was a bit far away and had to catch them up.

“My rhythm was really good and I had a lot of confidence in the bike, but I lost the front without any reason and crashed. I had entered that corner at the same speed and in the same place in previous laps so I don’t know what happened. I am happy with the work we did this weekend and pleased with my level on the bike. Before the crash I was fighting for sixth or seventh and I know we can be there now and we have to keep working at this level and higher in the next races. We now have some time to relax and charge our batteries, so we can be full-gas for Brno.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“I am really disappointed today for everyone at Suzuki, Rizla, the team itself; and of course for Alvaro. Starting from 12th was never going to make the job easy, but a very aggressive first couple of laps, and then settling in to a good rhythm saw him right back in the fight and another entertaining duel with the Factory Ducatis was on the cards. Equally, once the race settled down, our lap-times were not so different from Dovizioso and Spies battling for fourth, so despite today’s disappointment, there are a lot of positives to take from this weekend at Laguna Seca. We’ll be arriving in Brno with two riders and looking to keep the positive momentum going!”

Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Race Classification: 1. Casey Stoner (Honda) 43’52.145: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +5.634: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +9.467: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +20.562: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +20.885: DNF. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP).

World Championship Classification: 1. Stoner 193: 2. Lorenzo 173: 3. Dovizioso 143: 4. Pedrosa 110: 5. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 108. 13. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) 39.

Rizla Suzuki has made a trans-European journey to Italy from The Netherlands for the eighth round of the MotoGP Championship to be held at the Mugello Circuit this weekend.

Álvaro Bautista will be looking to find a solution to the grip issues that he struggled with last time out at Assen. He is hoping that warmer weather conditions and the new surface at Mugello will assist him as he aims to make himself and the Suzuki GSV-R more competitive this coming weekend. Mugello sees the MotoGP circus enter the second half of its exhausting run of six grands prix in eight weeks, and the Italian track will give the Spaniard a chance to move forward at a circuit he has tasted success at before, winning in the 250cc race in 2007 and finishing in a podium position on two other occasions.

Mugello is located just north of Florence in the stunning Tuscan countryside. It is one of the must-see events on any motorsport calendar. The fabulous backdrop of the mountains coupled with the natural amphitheater of the 5,245m long circuit and the always enthusiastic and colorful Italian fans makes this event a truly memorable occasion. The Mugello circuit is one of the fastest tracks in the world, with average lap speeds of almost 175km/h attainable over its 15 corners and a top speed of 350km/h achievable down the 1.141m long start/finish straight.

Rizla Suzuki, Bautista and the rest of the MotoGP grid take to the track on Friday for two 45-minute long free practice sessions, plus a further practice on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon will then stage the all-important qualifying session, where riders will determine their grid positions for Sunday’s 23-lap race that gets underway at 14:00hrs local time (12:00hrs GMT) on July 3.

Álvaro Bautista:
“I really like the Mugello circuit; it is very fast and great fun to ride at. It holds a lot of good memories for me because it is where I won my first 250cc race in 2007 and I have also been on the podium there a couple of times. Last year I was still struggling with my shoulder injury, but I am going there 100% fit this time and determined to do well. The track has a new surface and hopefully that – and hotter weather – will help us to make the bike more competitive, we are all trying hard and the whole crew deserves a bit of a change of luck, so that we can start to move forward.”

It has been an unproductive day in the Netherlands for most of the MotoGP World Championship teams. Heavy rain at the Assen TT circuit this morning made conditions very difficult for all classes, but two separate oil leaks from riders in the Moto2 field caused a large spillage over a significant part of the 4,542m Dutch circuit. The organizers tried to clear the surface with a mixture of detergent and water, but conditions were too dangerous for the remaining practice sessions to take place. A decision by race control was taken to cancel all of this afternoon’s events and allow time to get the track prepared and safe for tomorrow.

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista (P13, 1’53.164, 15 laps) was left very disappointed at the news of the cancellation, as he had a major setting change to test on his Suzuki GSV-R this afternoon, to try help him find the grip he was looking for in the wet. He struggled to find similar levels of grip here at Assen this morning to those he had in Silverstone two weeks ago and was eagerly anticipating this afternoon’s session to try and solve the problem.

Bautista and Rizla Suzuki will now have an extended 90-minute practice session tomorrow morning, before the all-important qualifying in the afternoon. This weekend’s 26-lap race is scheduled for 15.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT) on Saturday, June 25.

Álvaro Bautista:
“In this morning’s wet conditions I had a lot of problems with rear grip and I just didn’t have the confidence in the corners to open the gas early enough. We tried another setting in the session, but I didn’t have a good feeling with that either. This afternoon we wanted to test a completely different setting, but after what happened on the track in the Moto2 class it has made this impossible. We have a couple of sessions tomorrow and I hope that I can resolve this problem, because I really need to get the same feedback from the bike as I had at Silverstone in the last race.”

Paul Denning, Team Manager:
“None of the teams will be happy that FP2 was cancelled this afternoon, but we definitely needed it to go ahead as we hadn’t found the same grip feeling in the rain as we achieved at Silverstone two weeks ago. There was a quite radical set-up on one of the bikes – which was to be tried this afternoon – to hopefully help or solve the problem, but we will now have to sit down and decide the best way forward. Fortunately, we now have an extended session tomorrow morning to find a decent setting so that hopefully we can be in the best shape possible to qualify the bike in the afternoon.”

Iveco TT Assen Free Practice Classification:
1. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) 1’49.036
2. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) +0.360
3. Casey Stoner (Honda) +0.491
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.604
5. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.959
13. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZKI MOTOGP) +4.128:

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista made an astonishing comeback to MotoGP action at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal today just six weeks after breaking his left femur in Qatar.

Bautista (P17, 1’40.173, 40 laps) has made an amazing recovery to be fit enough to ride at this weekend’s bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal. The Spaniard showed a true racer’s courage around the 4,182m Portuguese circuit to complete today’s two sessions. After finishing the first free practice session this morning – with a time only 0.03” behind his best lap time from last year at Estoril – Bautista made a further step up in his performance during the afternoon session. He finished the first day’s practice only 2.5” away from the quickest rider of the day – Marco Simoncelli on a Honda – and almost 0.5” inside his best time from 2010.

Bautista had no ill effects from the serious injury he suffered last month and will rest his leg this evening after receiving some physiotherapy from the Clinica Mobile. He is eager to make sure that he is a fit as possible for tomorrow’s final free practice in the morning and the afternoon’s qualifying session and is in a good condition for Sunday.

Sunday’s 28-lap race is the third round of the MotoGP championship and the main event gets underway at 13:00hrs local time (12:00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“I am very happy because I think that nobody expected that after little more than one month I would be able to jump on the bike and ride! When I broke my femur my target was to ride here and I worked very hard to make it happen. I did many kilometers every day between Talavera and Madrid, for my visits to the hyperbaric chamber and for the physiotherapy that I needed – now I can say that I am here and I am riding because of that! I am still not 100%, because I need some more power in my leg, but to be able to ride and get a feeling for the bike and the reference points around the track in my mind to be a MotoGP rider, I am certainly fit enough. I went one second faster this afternoon than I did this morning and my feeling on the bike was very similar, I was just a bit more confident so I could push more. I didn’t want to risk anything today, it was all about riding and getting a feeling – I didn’t want to push too hard to find that fast lap-time. I am improving every time I get on the bike so that makes things look good for the rest of the weekend. My leg is a bit stiff now so I will need to recover and get a bit of work on it this evening, but it recovered quickly after this morning’s session, so I don’t think that will be a problem. I think my body is also remembering how to ride a MotoGP bike as well as my mind is, so that is a very positive thing. I want to say a big thank-you to all the team for all the confidence they have shown in me. They all know that it is difficult for me to get to my maximum level, but they have given me their full support – so thanks to all of them for that.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“Performance is usually only measured by lap-time and position, but today’s performance by Álvaro rates amongst the best we’ve seen at Rizla Suzuki over the last few years. The effort and commitment that he has made to get his body into a good enough condition to ride a Grand Prix bike in such a short time is simply outstanding – he needs to be applauded for his bravery! We didn’t use the softer rear tire this afternoon, which was undoubtedly the one needed to improve the lap-time, because Álvaro simply concentrated on getting the feeling back and recovering his confidence – we have to remember that the last time he was on the bike was not a particularly pleasant experience! The decision to ride this weekend was wholly Álvaro’s and so far it has proven to be the right one. Today was the first step in his recovery back to a competitive level.”

bwin Grande Premio de Portugal Combined Free Practice Times:
1. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) 1’37.663: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.061: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.064: 4. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) +0.439: 4=. Casey Stoner (Honda) +0.439: 17. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +2.510:

Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista has been medically cleared to ride at this weekend’s bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal, following tests at the Estoril Circuit today.

Bautista was examined by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarmento, and after a thorough assessment of the Spaniard’s condition, he was deemed fit to return to action with immediate effect.

Bautista broke his left femur at Qatar only 41 days ago and will make an incredible return to MotoGP action tomorrow morning in the first free-practice session, where he will also assess his own on-bike fitness. If he is unable to continue for the remainder of the weekend, Rizla Suzuki has Factory test rider Nobuatsu Aoki available to deputize.

Álvaro Bautista:
“I am really pleased I have been given the ok to ride, but I must now see what it feels like to get on a MotoGP bike. I have a done a bit of Supermotard riding and that felt good, but that is nothing like riding the GSV-R. I will see how things go tomorrow morning and we will make a decision about the rest of the weekend after that.”

Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista is targeting an amazing return to the MotoGP arena at this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix, just 42 days after breaking his left femur.

Bautista has been undergoing intensive physiotherapy to make sure he is at a sufficient level of fitness to be able to take to the track on Friday – following a full medical to determine his ability to compete. If he is unable to ride at a competitive level, Rizla Suzuki will have Factory test rider Nobuatsu Aoki on stand-by to take over if he has to withdraw from the event – but Bautista’s clear target is to compete in the Grand Prix.

Rizla Suzuki’s GSV-R will feature a new logo in Estoril – “Change and Challenge” – which is used by Suzuki in the Asian regions to promote its new range of motorcycle products in these markets. Rizla Suzuki hopes to engage with the enthusiasm and passion of all MotoGP fans in these areas and it appreciates all the support of Bautista as he undertakes what is certainly a huge challenge in his comeback from serious injury.

The Estoril circuit is a track of contrasts, where some fast corners in its 13-turn configuration mix with an almost kilometer-long straight and one of the slowest sections of the year. Situated on a rocky outcrop high above the towns of Estoril and Cascais, the circuit is only six kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean and this can give rise to some very changeable weather, a fact that was emphasized in 2010 when torrential rain caused the cancellation of the qualifying session.

Bautista plans to take to the track on Friday morning for the first of two free-practice sessions. Saturday will see a final practice in the morning, followed by an hour-long qualifying session in the afternoon where he aims to be qualifying for the best grid position he can obtain. Sunday’s race is round three of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship and the 28-lap race gets underway at 13.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“I have been working very hard to be back in time for Estoril and I believe I will be able to take part in the race. I know it will be difficult, but I think the sooner I can get on the bike the more it will aid my total recovery and help my way to full fitness. I have travelled over 4,500km with many journeys to the hyperbaric chamber in Madrid to assist with my healing – I have been there so many times I could close my eyes and go without problems! I have now finished the rehabilitation phase and started on the physical preparation; this involves a lot of swimming, cycling and other fitness programs to build up the strength so I can ride again. It is going to be really tough, but I am totally focused on being on the GSV-R in Portugal, it’s all I can think about at the moment and that is my first goal. After that we’ll see what happens and take everything one step at a time.”