Motourage

Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow head to the all-important home race for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in France this weekend confident they can continue their brilliant start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship campaign. And not only is this weekend’s encounter at the legendary Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans the home race for Tech 3, the event is sponsored by the Team’s main backer, Monster Energy, adding further importance to the fourth round of an engrossing season.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Cal Crutchlow

Edwards heads into this weekend’s race in optimistic mood after he claimed his first top six finish of the campaign in the Portuguese Grand Prix earlier this month. And he impressed again during a one-day test at the Estoril track to finish inside the top six having worked on a range of suspension settings to improve rear grip with his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. The vastly experienced American has produced some of his finest MotoGP performances at the 4.815kms circuit, and one of his three premier class pole positions came at the French venue in 2007. And two of his 11 podium finishes have been scored at the Le Mans circuit, which has been a permanent fixture on the MotoGP calendar since 2000.

British rider Crutchlow is aiming to continue his fantastic rookie campaign and the 25-year-old won’t be daunted at the prospect of having to learn another new track. Crutchlow had never raced in Jerez and Estoril before, but he qualified and finished comfortably inside the top ten in both races. He’s made another impressive top-ten finish his prime target for this weekend after he produced a sensational performance in the recent Estoril test. Demonstrating how quickly he has adapted to the challenge of riding a lighter and more powerful MotoGP machine, Crutchlow finished fourth quickest behind Marco Simoncelli, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner and is determined to deliver another good result for Tech 3 and Monster in this weekend’s 28-lap race.

Colin Edwards
“I am really looking forward to Le Mans because it is a track where I’ve had a lot of success at in the past. The Yamaha YZR-M1 has always worked well there too with the sweet handling characteristics of our bike suiting the layout of the track. We had a really good test after the race in Portugal and found a good direction to work with for improving rear grip and that should help us a lot. The new Yamaha chassis has a lot of potential but we still have to understand it a lot more to get the best performance out of it. A top six in Portugal is going to be hard to repeat because the field is so strong this season, but that’s what I’ll be aiming for. This weekend is huge for Tech 3 and Monster and I’ll be giving it 100 per cent to deliver a good result for both.

Cal Crutchlow
“I’m heading to Le Mans with a lot of confidence, even though it is another track I’ve only ever seen before on TV. I know it won’t be an easy task, but Estoril was obviously another great weekend for me and then to finish fourth quickest in the test showed what I am capable of. Each time I get on the bike I am learning more and more and thanks to my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 I’ve been able to make some big progress. I’m always determined to get the best result possible but this weekend definitely has extra significance being the Team’s home race and Monster being title sponsor of the event. If I can replicate the results I achieved in Jerez and Estoril I’ll be really happy.”

Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow continued their excellent start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in Sunday’s bwin Grande Premio de Portugal after the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo stormed to top-eight finishes at the Estoril Circuit.

Edwards claimed a season best sixth place finish after he’d produced a magnificent early challenge to fight with Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso as the Italian pair battled for fourth spot.

American Colin Edwards once again claimed honors as the highest finishing satellite rider

Taking advantage of the best weather conditions of the weekend that saw air temperatures hit 20 degrees C, the experienced American looked poised to join the Rossi and Dovizioso battle on lap ten when he closed to within 1.5” of Dovizioso with a determined performance. But he almost immediately started to encounter a side grip issue, and despite a rousing effort to remain in touch with Rossi and Dovizioso, he settled for a safe sixth position to finish leading non-factory rider once again. His top-six position also moved him back into the top ten in the overall World Championship standings on 18-points after three rounds.

Crutchlow looked on course to secure his best MotoGP finish of a rookie season in which the British rider continues to show his incredible speed. The 2009 World Supersport champion was in outstanding form in the early stages to pull away from an exciting battle involving Hiroshi Aoyama, Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies.

Only Aoyama had the speed to match Crutchlow and the pair engaged in a captivating battle for seventh position. Aoyama took seventh on lap 20, but determined not to let the former 250cc World Champion streak away, Crutchlow retaliated on lap 25 with a clinically executed overtake. Crutchlow kept the hard-charging Japanese rider at bay until the start of the final lap, and despite a brilliant attempt to re-pass at the final chicane, Crutchlow was just unable to claim seventh.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team will now prepare for its all-important home race at the historic Le Mans circuit later this month, with Edwards and Crutchlow looking to cement the Team’s position as the leading independent squad in the MotoGP World Championship.

Colin Edwards, Position 6th – Time +32.575
“I don’t know what happened at the start but there was stuff going on everywhere. I saw Casey have a big moment and then Simoncelli needed a parachute, so it was just survival for the first few corners and see what happened. I saw Valentino and Andrea right in front of me and I was ready to reel them in. I was getting closer but I was pushing so hard just to stay in touch I lost a bit of side grip in the middle of the race and the lap times dropped a bit. I couldn’t have tried any harder to catch them and felt I had the pace in some areas, but when I opened the throttle the traction control would kick in because I was having quite a bit of wheelspin. But to be in the top six in this field is still a great achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and me. I can’t really ask for anything more because I know the package I’m on and I know how fast the factory bikes are and the guys sat on top of them. A top six to take into the next race in France gives us all a lot of confidence because that is a big race for Tech 3 and Monster and I’m already looking forward to going there.”

Cal Crutchlow, Position 8th – Time +40.912
“I’m happy enough with that because before the start of the weekend I’d have never thought it possible to finish in the top eight on a circuit I’d never even seen before. And considering I had problems with both my arms all weekend, it is a great feeling. My right arm, which I had the operation is fine, but my left arm is really sore because I’ve been compensating with it. But the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team have been awesome all weekend. They have experience of helping rookie riders and they are doing a great job for me. And they’ve adjusted the bike to help me feel more comfortable with the arm problems. It is a shame I couldn’t quite beat Aoyama at the end. Earlier in the race I felt really comfortable and kept some really fast and experienced guys behind me. It was a really good battle with Aoyama and while I don’t like to get beaten in a last lap fight, I gave him a good run for his money and it is great experience for me to be in a scrap like that. If I keep doing what I’m doing at the moment then there is no reason why on tracks that I know that I can’t be even further up. I’m really looking forward to Le Mans now. It is a massive race for the Team being in France and also for Monster, so I’ll be looking to get another top-ten finish.”

Herve Poncharal, Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager
“That was a very good race. We were all a bit worried about the weather, even when we were on the grid, but it stayed dry and allowed Colin and Cal to finish comfortably inside the top eight. Colin had a brilliant start and he pushed really hard in the beginning and he managed to open a gap on the chasing pack to stay right behind Rossi and Dovizioso. He started to lose a bit of time but he could keep his position easily and sixth is a really good result, especially after the big disappointment of Spain when were so close to the podium. I am really pleased as Colin is doing an incredibly good job since the beginning of the season and he deserved to get in the top six. Cal was very strong all weekend again and he continues to amaze me. He was fighting really hard with Aoyama and he never gave up until the very last lap, even though he has less experience of MotoGP and much less experience of the Estoril track than Aoyama. I was a bit worried about his arm before the start of the race, but he showed that he is great in the fight and never gives up. The next race is our home Grand Prix and we are looking forward to a very good result as we know Yamaha is always very strong in Le Mans.”

Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow made an impressively fast return to MotoGP action in Portugal today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders lapping consistently inside the top ten during the opening day of practice at the Estoril track.

Edwards ended with the sixth-fastest time, the experienced American taking full advantage of unexpectedly dry and warm conditions to set a best time of 1.38.203 that put him less than 0.5s away from the top three.

Forecasts had predicted rain for the opening day of the Portuguese Grand Prix, but both sessions took place on a full dry track with temperatures this afternoon nudging close to 25 degrees C.

Edwards, who was fourth until the final moments of the second 45-minute session, made big progress in improving side grip with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine having made swingarm set-up changes after he was seventh-fastest this morning.

Rookie Crutchlow produced another fantastic performance that not only showcased his ability to learn and master new tracks quickly, but the British rider also demonstrated his determination to ride at 100 per cent despite facing a grueling physical test.

During the long break following the postponement of the Japanese Grand Prix, Crutchlow underwent surgery to solve a numbness issue in his right hand that occurred during the first two races in Qatar and Jerez. But Crutchlow was struck by a chronic arm pump issue again this morning and he needed a large build-up of fluid draining from his right arm in the Clinica Mobile ahead of the second session.

A modified handlebar position helped Crutchlow feel much more comfortable on his YZR-M1 machine this afternoon and he was unlucky not to finish inside the top seven after a brilliant performance.

He was as high as seventh in the final stages when he was unfortunate to be bumped down the order to 13th. He ended with a best time of 1.38.912 having knocked nearly 1.5s off from his best time from this morning and he was only 0.5s behind Edwards and marginally over a second away from the fastest pace set by Marco Simoncelli.

Colin Edwards
“That was a pretty good day and I’m really satisfied. We just rolled the bike off the truck and immediately I had a good feeling without having to make any changes. I’ve always gone well at this circuit and I’ve no idea why, but right out of the gate I felt comfortable on the bike and I was able to lap easily inside the top six for most of both sessions. This afternoon I never used the soft tire and I probably lost a bit of time that would have put my further up the timesheets, but that’s not a big issue on Friday. We played with the balance of the bike this afternoon a little bit and tried something different with the swingarm that gave me better side grip with the hard tire. I wanted to be open the throttle smoothly and generate some speed and we found a good direction, so I’m happy.”

Cal Crutchlow
“I’m really happy because to be only a second off the pace on a track I’ve never seen before gives me a lot of confidence. I honestly feel I should have kept that seventh place because I made a late change to the bike and everybody went quicker. I could have gone quicker once I was back on track but I encountered a lot of traffic and it was like a 125 session! I got held up and that cost me at least a couple of tenths, which would have easily put me in the top ten. This track is much harder to learn than Jerez. It is quite bumpy and you have to be so precise with your lines that it has been quite difficult. But I’m only 0.5s behind Colin and he has a good record at this track. After this morning I didn’t think I’d be so fast because I was really struggling with my arm. There was a massive build-up of fluid at the end of the session that I had to get drained and I’m not sure why it has happened. I rode a motocross bike last week without any drama, but the brake pressure on a MotoGP bike is incredible. We moved the handlebars out for this afternoon and it was definitely better and I felt more confident on the brakes, but at the end I’ve got another big fluid bump on my forearm.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow return to action after a long break this weekend when the 2011 MotoGP World Championship resumes at the Estoril track for the bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal.

This weekend’s race presents American Edwards with a chance to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on a podium finish in an enthralling Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez circuit earlier this month. Poised to secure his first rostrum since 2009, Edwards was cruelly denied by a small technical failure on the final lap of a dramatic rain-hit race, but the 36-year-old is determined to impress again on Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine in Estoril. Edwards has twice finished fourth at the Estoril circuit in 2006 and 2008 and only once in his nine-year MotoGP career has he failed to finish inside the top ten.

The Portuguese Grand Prix will provide impressive rookie Crutchlow with another steep learning curve. The British rider has never raced on the 2.599 miles circuit before but he has already demonstrated his ability to learn new tracks quickly by challenging for a podium with an inspired performance on his debut at the Jerez track recently. The three-week break gave Crutchlow the chance to undergo surgery on his right arm to solve a persistent numbness issue and he’s confident he will be at 100 per cent fitness for Sunday’s 28-lap race.

The recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan saw last weekend’s Twin Ring Motegi race postponed, meaning the Estoril encounter is the third round of this season’s MotoGP campaign. Despite featuring a straight measuring nearly 1000 meters in length, Estoril is the slowest circuit on the calendar. And the circuit is notorious for rapidly changing weather conditions, owing to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

Cal Crutchlow, 9th – 13 points:
“I am looking forward to Portugal. This is a new circuit for me and it will be difficult once again as the others know this track already and have a lot more experience on it than me. I hope I can learn this circuit as fast as Jerez where I was quickly up to speed and I qualified inside the top ten. My arm is getting better and better after the surgery that was done to get rid of the numbness I felt during Qatar and Jerez. The stitches are out already, but I haven’t tried to ride a bike yet, so I’ll understand more on Friday when practice starts.”

Colin Edwards, 13th – 8 points:
“A few years ago I was in the group fighting for the win and I like the Estoril track. I always seem to do pretty well there and it will be good to get back on the bike after a long break. The track seems to suit my riding style and with the extra performance we’ve got with the 2011 Yamaha YZR-M1, I’m confident we can have a strong weekend. The Yamaha has always works good in Estoril and had a good balance there, so there is no reason why I can’t go there and think about challenging for at least a top six.”

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team kicked off the European phase of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in Jerez today, with Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow both posting competitive times on the opening day of practice.

Cal Crutchlow

In warm but windy conditions at the 2.748 miles circuit, Edwards set a best time of 1.41.063 to finish tenth overall on combined times.

Edwards continued his excellent start to 2011 in this morning’s opening practice session, the experienced American once again the leading non-factory rider in eighth position as he concentrated on refining the set-up of his YZR-M1 machine to gain more turning performance.

With track temperatures almost 20 degrees hotter for this afternoon’s session, further set-up experiments gave Edwards and his crew valuable information to make further adjustments ahead of tomorrow’s final practice and qualifying session.

Today presented Crutchlow with his first opportunity to acquaint himself with the challenging Jerez circuit. The British rider applied himself to the task with typical determination and enthusiasm and he posted a best lap of 1.41.854 to finish 15th on the timesheets.

Despite his minimal experience of the Jerez circuit, the 2009 World Supersport champion was able to demonstrate his undoubted potential by lapping faster than circuit specialists Hector Barbera and Toni Elias for the majority of the morning and afternoon session. He was one of only seven riders to lap faster in hotter conditions this afternoon and is confident overnight set-up tweaks will help him take another step forward tomorrow.

Jerez kicks off the long-awaited European leg of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship with a large and partisan crowd of over 100,000 expected to flock to the Andalucía venue.

Colin Edwards
Position 10th – Time 1’41.063 – Laps 39
We tried a bit of an experimental set-up with one bike we thought would work to help with the turning performance but it didn’t quite give us the result we were anticipating. It worked in some areas but it created some other issues, so we’ll go back to more of a similar set-up to what we ran in Qatar for tomorrow and we know that works. I was actually faster using the different setting but I just don’t feel I can run that pace consistently over a race distance. What made it really difficult today was the wind. It was really gusting hard in some places, so you just had to be pretty careful because it was easy to get caught out. You just had to pay attention and get a feel for which way the wind was blowing because at least it was consistent in one direction.”

Cal Crutchlow
Position 15th – Time 1’41.854 – Laps 36
I felt like I learned the circuit pretty quickly and I was happy with my performance this morning. But this afternoon I didn’t really make the improvement I was looking for and that was a lot to do with the track temperature being much higher. You only have to look at the times of the fast guys to see the hotter conditions made it hard because nobody in the top seven was faster this afternoon. I was a little bit quicker, so I’ve improved and gained some time, but I needed to make a bigger jump than I did. With the track temperature a lot higher it made the bike feel quite a bit different compared to this morning. I’m sure I can improve the front-end feel because the wind was so strong it was blowing me off line. The front needs to be more planted so we’ve got some ideas to improve tomorrow. Considering my lack of experience at this track, I’m satisfied because the times are pretty close and I know we can improve.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team made a bright start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in Qatar, Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow finishing with points scoring finishes in the season opening night race.

A solid eighth-place finish for Colin Edwards at Qatar

Edwards made a blistering start from the 10th position on the grid and was looking to force his way into the fight for the top six when he lost time by running slightly off line at the second corner. Dropping back into 10th behind teammate Crutchlow, he quickly moved up to ninth to launch a pursuit of 2010 teammate Ben Spies. He closely followed his compatriot for the opening five laps, the 37-year-old setting a consistently fast pace in the mid-1.56 bracket. He shadowed the fast starting Hector Barbera until lap nine when he moved into eighth position. But he’d lost too much time trying to overtake the Spaniard to maintain the pressure on Spies and he finished eighth.

Crutchlow made an impressive MotoGP debut at the 5.38km Losail International Circuit having started in front of Valentino Rossi and Edwards on the grid. Hampered again by the nasty left little finger injury he suffered during the pre-race test in Qatar less than a week ago, Crutchlow rose to the occasion brilliantly, fighting for the top ten for most of the 22-lap race. He was right on the back of a group battling for ninth that was headed by Nicky Hayden, Hiroshi Aoyama and Barbera. But like Edwards earlier in the race, Barbera proved tough to overtake and Crutchlow lost contact with Hayden and Aoyama with three laps remaining. He was rewarded for his determined performance when he swept by Barbera on the final lap to finish a hugely encouraging debut in 11th.

Colin Edwards, 8th, Eight points
“That was the best I could do and I’m happy with the way I rode and my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 gave me a good bike as always. A top eight is pretty good considering the speed of the guys in front of me and I was pretty much where I thought I’d end up based on practice. I got a good start and thought the only way I’ve got any chance of getting a top six is to take a few early risks. I went round the outside at the first corner and made up a couple of places. But I had a couple of moments, one when I nearly ran into Ben, which wouldn’t have been a good move. I thought I might have had something for Valentino early on but even when he’s not 100 per cent he can still ride pretty good. I’m never happy with eighth but we got some decent points and we can move on to Jerez with confidence.”

Cal Crutchlow, 11th, Five points
“I’m pretty happy with that and honestly I’d have liked to have got a top ten after how well qualifying went. I couldn’t keep up with the group that included Nicky and Aoyama because it was tough to pass Barbera. They passed Barbera and I then overtook him to chase them, but he got me back immediately and let them get away because his pace dropped off quite a bit. But he’s got a fast bike and that makes it hard to make a pass and stay in front of him. I was happy to be in the fight for the top ten for as long as I was and the experience gained is invaluable to help me progress in MotoGP. I wanted to finish and get a race under my belt, so it was mission accomplished. The next couple of races will be tough because I don’t know the circuits but I’ll be doing my best for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“Colin had a really good start and it was really interesting for the first few laps as he tried to battle with Ben and Valentino. When you look at the final position he was the best non-factory rider and in this field that is a big achievement. It is clear the top seven are really fast but Colin did his maximum with the package we’ve got. I am also very pleased with Cal. We didn’t know what to expect because of his inexperience and the finger he damaged in the test was a bad injury. But he was able to battle with Aoyama and Hayden, who are world champions. It was a good pass on Barbera too, who has a lot more experience than him and that result that will give him more confidence for the next race. In Jerez his finger will be a lot better and I’m sure he can learn the track quickly, so we are looking for another positive result.”

2011 MotoGP Qatar race results:
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda
4. Andrea Dovisioso (ITA) Honda
5. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) Honda
6. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha
7. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati
8. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati
10. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda
11. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha
12. Hector Barbera (SPA) Ducati
13. Karel Abraham (CZE) Ducati
DNF Toni Elias (SPA) Honda – crash
DNF Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati – retire
DNF Randy De Puniet (FRA) Ducati – crash

Cal Crutchlow

MotoGP Rookie Cal Crutchlow lit up the Losail International Circuit in Qatar tonight with a stunning debut qualifying performance. The British rider lapped faster than nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi and a host of more experienced riders to produce the performance of the night on board the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine.  Crutchlow built up his confidence and speed throughout tonight’s session, the big progress he’s made in mastering the braking technique in MotoGP evident with fast and consistent pace.

He made major steps in improving front-end feel in the fast sections of the 5.38km Doha circuit and finished less than 0.5s away from the top six, despite still riding in constant pain from the nasty left finger injury he suffered in a testing crash on Monday night. He was a massive 2.2s faster than his best pace at the two-night test earlier this week and he’s confident he can fight for a top ten finish in his MotoGP debut tomorrow night.

Colin Edwards will kick off his ninth premier class campaign from 10th position, the experienced American finishing just more than 0.060s behind Crutchlow. Edwards was happy with his performance on the hard compound Bridgestone rear tire he will use in the 22-lap race tomorrow night. But he was unable to significantly improve his pace on the soft tire on his way to clocking a best time of 1.55.647

Cal Crutchlow, 8th – Time 1’55.578 – Laps 23
“It feels great to have qualified eighth when you look at the caliber and record of some of the guys behind me, but I’m not going to be getting ahead of myself. It is just a shame it is not the four-rider per row formation because that would be a second row! But to be on the third row, I’m happy enough with that. A qualifying session like that is not like Superpole in World Superbikes at all. I’m normally used to the intense pressure and being hyped up for one lap, so to have an hour where you build up pace a bit slower felt a bit strange. But I’m really happy and my fastest lap wasn’t a perfect one. I made a couple of mistakes but I think that’s because I’m having a small issue with the front-end in the fast corners. But I still managed a 55.5 and I never would have imagined doing that pace a few days ago at the test when I was doing high 57s. I’m not going to make a prediction for the race. I’d be happy to get a few points and have a strong race. It will be tough to finish where I’ve qualified but with the help of my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew, it has been a really positive weekend so far.”

Colin Edwards, 10th – Time 1’55.647 – Laps 24
“I definitely feel like I’m riding a lot better than tenth position, but that shows how competitive MotoGP is this year. As good as I’m riding, I feel like I should have been on the second row because all week I’ve been around sixth and seventh position. I just wasn’t able to lap as fast as I needed to be on the soft tire. It looks a bit like last year in that when the Honda has a soft tire in they can drop the lap time by a big chunk. We improve but not by a big margin and that’s something we need to work on in the future. But I’m really confident with the hard rear tire and we’ve got the bike working great in race trim. I’m fast and consistent but I couldn’t do anything more, I’m definitely getting the most of the bike.”

2011 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 19/03/2011
1    Casey Stoner    Honda    AUS    1’54.137
2    Daniel Pedrosa    Honda    ESP    1’54.342
3    Jorge Lorenzo    Yamaha    ESP    1’54.947
4    Marco Simoncelli    Honda    ITA    1’54.988
5    Ben Spies    Yamaha    USA    1’55.095
6    Hector Barbera    Ducati    ESP    1’55.223
7    Andrea Dovizioso    Honda    ITA    1’55.229
8    Cal Crutchlow    Yamaha    GBR    1’55.578
9    Valentino Rossi    Ducati    ITA    1’55.637
10    Colin Edwards    Yamaha    USA    1’55.647
11    Randy De Puniet    Ducati    FRA    1’55.656
12    Hiroshi Aoyama    Honda    JPN    1’55.724
13    Nicky Hayden    Ducati    USA    1’55.881
14    Loris Capirossi    Ducati    ITA    1’56.323
15    Karel Abraham    Ducati    CZE    1’56.665

Circuit Length: 5380
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1’55.537 (Casey Stoner, 1/1/2009)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1’53.927 (Jorge Lorenzo, 3/9/2008)
Last Year’s Winner: Valentino Rossi

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow declared themselves satisfied with early progress at the end of the opening practice session for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar tonight.

Colin Edwards

In windy conditions that were as unpredictable as those experienced during a two-night test earlier this week, experienced Edwards made big improvements to the set-up of his YZR-M1 machine to post the 10th fastest time at the floodlit Losail International Circuit.  The Texan was encouraged by his pace having concentrated exclusively on using the hard compound Bridgestone rear tire, though he plans to make overnight changes to improving turning performance in the faster sections of the 5.38km track.  Highlighting just how competitive the 2011 MotoGP World Championship promises to be, Edwards’ best time of 1.56.879 was less than half-a-second away from the top three.

Crutchlow produced a performance that demonstrated his incredible courage and determination as he finished just over 0.5s behind Edwards in 14th position. Crutchlow lost the tip of his left little finger when he crashed on the second night of testing on Monday evening and rode tonight in considerable discomfort.  The British rider had to use a modified clutch lever to ease the stress on his badly damaged finger and he clocked a best time of 1.57.429 in 17-laps. He too concentrated on fine-tuning the set-up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine to suit the harder compound Bridgestone tire. But it was a late front-end change that boosted his confidence and helped him lap nearly 0.5s faster than he managed during the test earlier this week.

Colin Edwards, 10th, 1’56.879
“I actually feel really good on the bike but unfortunately I am not quite fast enough at the moment. The number beside my name on the timesheets doesn’t look that good but I’m actually better off than the charts suggest. I’m missing those crucial two or three tenths but I’m confident I can find it. We just need to get the bike to turn just a little bit better and I’m sure if we can work in that area, we’ll find that time I’m losing. But I did my best lap on the hard tire right at the end, so that gives me a lot of confidence with a couple more changes to the bike that I can be higher up. I think a lot of the guys in front of me ran the soft tire, so the race set-up isn’t that far away. I got with (Andrea) Dovizioso on the Honda and behind Valentino (Rossi) and our package is pretty strong, but the times tonight prove how competitive it is going to be this season.”

Cal Crutchlow, 14th, 1’57.429
“That was not easy at all and being honest, the pain from the finger is really bad and it was tough to ride. The crash was only three days ago and when I took the bandage off tonight; I learned there’s some nerve damage where the fingernail was. The pain when the bandage came off was something I can’t describe, so considering how uncomfortable it is, I’m pretty pleased to be where I am and doing some decent times. I was having trouble using the clutch so I modified the lever, but I was still having some problems shifting, particularly at the first corner when I kept going down to first instead of second. That was costing me time but I couldn’t do anything about it. We made a change to the front-end at the end of the session that we haven’t tried since Sepang and it felt night and day different. I was much faster and felt much more comfortable because I felt like the front tire was loaded more in the corner and I could turn better. I’m looking forward to working more with the new front-end set-up tomorrow because I believe we can make another step and hopefully the finger will be a little bit better too.”

2011 MotoGP Qatar
Losail Circuit 17/02/2011
1 Casey Stoner, Honda, AUS, 1’55.752
2 Dani Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 1’56.362
3 Hector Barbera, Ducati, ESP, 1’56.421
4 Marco Simoncelli, Honda, ITA, 1’56.441
5 Valentino Rossi, Ducati, ITA, 1’56.479
6 Ben Spies, Yamaha, USA, 1’56.493
7 Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha, ESP, 1’56.586
8 Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, ITA, 1’56.592
9 Randy De Puniet, Ducati, FRA, 1’56.790
10 Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 1’56.879
11 Nicky Hayden, Ducati, USA, 1’56.910
12 Hiroshi Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1’56.987
13 Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 1’57.366
14 Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha, GBR, 1’57.429
15 Karel Abraham, Ducati, CZE, 1’57.821

Circuit Length: 5380
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1’55.537 (Casey Stoner, 1/1/2009)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1’53.927 (Jorge Lorenzo, 3/9/2008)
Last Year’s Winner: Valentino Rossi

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team completed its winter testing campaign in Qatar last night, with Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow quickly turning their attention to the start of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship this weekend.

MotoGP rookie and former BSB, WSS and WSBK competitor Coventry, England's Cal Crutchlow

Edwards was delighted with his progress at the conclusion of preparations for his ninth MotoGP campaign, the Texan working meticulously through a range of chassis and suspension set-up options to give him a base from which to work from when practice for the opening race in Doha commences on Thursday evening.

A fierce gusting wind tonight made for unpredictable conditions at the Losail International Circuit, though Edwards was still able to lap marginally quicker than he did in more favorable weather last night. He ended with a best time of 1.56.716 to finish eighth tonight, having finished sixth on the opening night.

Crutchlow’s pre-season ended in premature and painful fashion after he’d shown encouraging progress throughout the test, the British rider dedicating much of his time to improving his braking technique on the YZR-M1 machine.

The British rider effortlessly adjusted to the unique challenge of riding under the spectacular Losail International Circuit floodlights for the first time last night. Crutchlow has previous experience of the Doha venue, but only in daylight when he raced in the 2009 World Supersport series. But he made light work of adapting to riding at night, ending the opening evening just over 0.5s away from the top ten.

Changes to the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine tonight further increased his confidence but he was unfortunately unable to take any further part in proceedings following a heavy crash at Turn 10 shortly before 9pm.

Crutchlow suffered a nasty wound to his left little finger, which required lengthy treatment in the circuit medical center. He lost the tip of his little finger when his hand became trapped underneath his handlebar, though fortunately there was no bone damage that required surgery. He will now undergo constant monitoring in the next 48 hours with Clinica Mobile staff ahead of the opening practice session on Thursday.

Colin Edwards, 1.56.716 – 99 laps
“It has been another positive test and now I’m really looking forward to the racing starting. The bike has been working awesome again at this track and it shows the hard work we put in during the two tests at Sepang recently has really paid off. We haven’t really needed to make any major changes to the bike and that is a good sign. If you can take the bike to a completely different track and it works then it shows we’ve found a good set-up and I’m confident we go into the new season with a really good package. I ran through a few tire options for Bridgestone tonight and got some good information but the conditions were really windy. I want to be further up the timesheets with a better lap time but it is the last day of testing before we start racing and I just didn’t want to risk pushing for an outright lap time in those conditions. The wind was so bad in places it was blowing the front –end out from underneath you, so I didn’t want to be caught out. I feel really motivated and excited and while I know it is going to be a tough year, I feel we can put up a good fight. The field is probably the strongest it’s ever been but I’m ready to go out there and fight for some good results.”

Cal Crutchlow, 1.57.730 – 79 laps
“The test certainly didn’t end how I wanted and it is a real shame because we had made some changes to the balance of the bike that really helped my confidence with the front-end tonight. But I made a silly little mistake at Turn 10. I lost the rear and closed the throttle but then lost the front and I couldn’t get my left hand out from underneath the handlebar. I’ve basically taken the tip off my left little finger and it is really sore now. I don’t need surgery but it is obviously going to be uncomfortable this weekend for the race now. It is a shame because I was only 0.5s away from the top ten last night. I adapted to riding under the floodlights really quickly once I realized the shadows weren’t somebody trying to overtake me! I was confident of taking another step tonight and I’m sure I could have done without the crash. It cost me nearly three hours of track time, which I can’t really afford to lose at this stage, but I’m still looking forward to my MotoGP debut. It will be an honor to line-up against this field on Sunday night and as always I’ll be giving it my best.”

Day Two Results
1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 1m 55.681s (46)
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 55.745s (39)
3. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 56.294s (45)
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 56.433s (70)
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 56.439s (58)
6. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 1m 56.445s (67)
7. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 56.707s (48)
8. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 56.716s (57)
9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 56.726s (68)
10. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 56.740s (73)
11. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar Team 1m 56.798s (62)
12. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 56.931s (63)
13. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 56.988s (50)
14. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 1m 57.345s (62)
15. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 57.730s (28)
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1m 57.846s (49)
17. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 58.536s (57)

Factory Yamaha's Ben Spies and Monster Tech 3's rookie rider Cal Crutchlow

Today saw the final session of the first official MotoGP test of 2011 at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. Yamaha Factory Racing Team riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the three days on track evaluating a number of development steps for the 2011 YZR-M1 ahead of the new race season which kicks off next month. Lorenzo’s session focused on a series of shorter runs as he continued evaluating the various developments, impressing his team as he maintained a faster pace through the afternoon despite the increased track temperatures. The reigning World Champion finished the day in third position, just 0.088 seconds off the top of the time sheets. New factory rider Spies was again among the fastest riders on track for the majority of the day whilst working through various electronic settings on his bike. This test also marks the first time the Texan rider’s complete crew have worked together.

The riders will now travel to Bangkok for public appearance in the city on Saturday 5th of February, then heading home for a rest in advance of the second official test here at Sepang on February 22.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team concluded a successful start to preparations for the 2011 MotoGP world championship today with Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow satisfied with significant progress made at the end of a three-day test at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Experienced American Edwards took full advantage of dry conditions throughout the test to evaluate a host of new upgrades on his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. The 36-year-old completed 125 laps, working closely with his crew to assess a revised engine, chassis and electronics package he will campaign in 2011.  Edwards ended with a best time of 2.01.651 to finish ninth overall, the Sepang test highlighting just how competitive the 2011 World Championship is likely to be with the top ten riders split by just over one second.
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