Motourage

For the last race of his MotoGP career, Loris Capirossi carries the #58 plate in honor of Marco Simoncelli

A pair of free-practice sessions were completed today at Valencia, site of the final round of the 2011 MotoGP season, the GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana. Pramac Ducati’s Loris Capirossi, with the number 58 on his bike in honor of Marco Simoncelli, finished with the fifth-best time of 1:46.108. His teammate, Frenchman Randy De Puniet, finished two positions back, in seventh place with 1:46.371.

Fabiano Sterlacchini, Pramac Technical Director:
“It went well, apart from this afternoon’s result, which is a little misleading. We started with a pair of tires that was particularly old, and that caused some problems. It’s why we then decided to return to the setup form the morning, when Loris had done well, but unfortunately he began to lose some feeling. As for Randy, there’s not much to say; he had a perfect session. We hope he can repeat that performance tomorrow.”

Loris Capirossi, 5th, 1:46.108:
“It was an honor to ride with Marco’s number on my bike. Apart from that, it was a bad afternoon. The tires didn’t work, so in the final minutes, we had to use my tyres from this morning. They were a bit worn, but I still managed to improve my second-session time by three seconds. I’m happy with how the morning went, and I’m very optimistic for tomorrow. We can do well.”

Randy De Puniet, 7th, 1:46.371:
I’m satisfied. The track, this morning was quite dry, principally at the end of the session and I finished in seventh place. In the afternoon, instead, with the wet track I done well, dying with the seventh best lap time. The feeling with the bike is good, I hope it will also tomorrow. There are many chances to close this season with a good result. My thought is to Marco and his family.”

After several medical consultations, Pramac Ducati’s Loris has decided to follow the advice of doctors and will miss the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi, which takes place in ten days, to return in the best condition possible for the last three rounds of both the 2011 MotoGP World Championship and his career.

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing:
“I wanted to race in Japan, one of my favorite tracks where I have achieved many good results and much satisfaction, but the doctors were more than clear. After an initial consultation in Monaco, where it was recommended I immediately undergo surgery, which would have meant three months out and the end of my career, I went to Imola to see Dr. Costa. He is used to seeing other riders in these conditions, and I thought he might have other ideas. Unfortunately, he was also quite hard about it, and I was strongly advised not to take part in the Japanese race. My shoulder hurts, and it will take at least two weeks of full rest plus a week of rehabilitation. I regret this very much, but I think this is the best choice for ending my season, and my career, in the best way possible for the last three races in Australia, Malaysia and Valencia.”

Doctor Costa Claudio, Clinica Mobile:
“I saw Loris’ fall, which was spectacular and of course very dangerous. He again suffered a dislocation of the right clavicle, which he had already dislocated in the Netherlands Grand Prix. Now if he were to have another similar accident, with the ligaments that have just healed and are therefore no longer totally healthy, it could be dangerous and not worth the risk. Strong pressure would be enough to damage his shoulder even more and thus obligate Loris to surgery and consequently the end of his career. My suggestion is that, although it is difficult, he should take a break and miss the race in Japan in order to keep the shoulder protected for two weeks by immobilizing it. After that, a week of therapy in the water and he can return to the track for the last three races.”

The starting grid for the MotoGP Gran Premio de Aragón was finalized in today’s qualifying session, but there’s frustration in Randy De Puniet’s Pramac Ducati garage. The Frenchman, who had the third-best time just a few laps from the end of the session – having posted a 1:49.826 with a hard tire – wasn’t able to improve after switching to the soft tire. His teammate, Loris Capirossi, continues to gain confidence on the Spanish circuit, having improved by more than three seconds since the first free practice session. The MotoGP veteran will start from the sixth row for tomorrow’s race.

Randy De Puniet, 10th, 1:49.826:
“It’s a shame how things went; but that’s how it goes. I gave my all both this morning and this afternoon. I’m tenth, just a few tenths from the sixth and seventh positions. I wasn’t able to do a lap like I needed with the soft tire; just consider that my best time was set with the hard. I would have liked to start from the third row, but anyway, my starting spot isn’t so terrible. I’m convinced that I can have a good race.”

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet’s Track Engineer:
“It’s a shame, because we did a good time with the hard tire. Randy made a few mistakes with the soft tire, and he told us he could have cut off at least three tenths. We could have started from the third or even the second row. Anyway, the important thing is to start well tomorrow, in the race. The race pace is good, as is the rider’s feeling with the bike.”

Loris Capirossi, 16th, 1:50.752:
“What a nice track, and even if the results suggest otherwise, I was able to improve my time quite a bit. Having one less session hurt us a little more than the other riders, who already knew the track. I’m sure that tomorrow I’ll manage to further lower my time, and since we’re all very close, anything can happen. For being here for the first time, it didn’t go so badly.”

It was truly an unfortunate weekend for Pramac Ducati’s Loris Capirossi, who wasn’t able to finish the final Italian Grand Prix of his career at this afternoon’s GP Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini at the Misano Circuit. The MotoGP veteran had to return to the garage almost immediately due to sprocket damage that was caused by the chain stretching. Once he was back on track, he realized that the gap to the others was extremely difficult to make up, and he dropped out of the race 20 laps from the finish. Randy De Puniet didn’t have the same feeling with the bike that he had at Indianapolis, and he finished the race in fourteenth place.

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet’s track engineer:
“We used the same bike that we did in qualifying yesterday, but in both the warm-up and the race, Randy didn’t find the right feeling, especially with the front tire. At least we made it to the finish. We don’t have many opportunities to try various solutions at the moment, so we have to be happy with what we have.”

Randy De Puniet, 14th:
“I’m disappointed. After Indianapolis, I thought things would go better, but this weekend was really negative in terms of my feeling with the bike. Even the heat didn’t help me, but what really didn’t work was the front end. I wanted to finish better, like in Indianapolis, where I was able to get into the top 10. I must forget this race in a hurry and think of Aragon, with the desire to do well.”

Loris Capirossi, DNF
“Today was another unfortunate day. We managed to do something good during the warm-up, but the race was really a disaster. I had a problem with the clutch on the start, and then another one with the chain as a result. I came back to the garage to try to fix the situation, but it was useless because the gap to the others had become huge in the meantime.”

The eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place at the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic, three weeks after Pramac Ducati rider Randy de Puniet’s frightening qualifying crash at the Laguna Seca Grand Prix. The Frenchman, like his teammate Loris Capirossi, won’t be in top form, but the goal is to take to the track for the race. De Puniet took the 250cc win at this track in 2003, and it’s also one of the favorites of Capirossi, who in 2006 finished first aboard the factory Ducati.

Fabiano Sterlacchini, Pramac Racing Technical Director:
“We come to Brno after a break of a couple weeks, although our two riders, Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet, certainly won’t be at 100 percent. Loris continues to undergo daily therapy on his shoulder. After the miracle at Laguna Seca, where he managed to finish the race, there’s hope that he’ll be better. Randy’s condition is still uncertain. The fractures that he suffered are quite painful, but he has the will to race. He’s not taking anti-pain medication these days, but maybe he will if he decides to ride. Brno is a very nice circuit, even if there are some particular spots to consider—fast changes of direction, so the bike will have to be stable.”

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing Team:
“Unfortunately, the shoulder problem is persisting. The doctor said I should undergo surgery, but I’ll only consider that after the championship. For now I’m undergoing therapy every day. For Brno I hope to continue improving my physical condition. I’ve rested during this two-week break, which I really needed. I want to ride well and to finally have a good result. The Czech track is one of my favorites, so hopefully I’ll manage that.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing Team:
“Missing the race at Laguna Seca was very difficult for me to accept, especially after the hard work carried out during practice and qualifying. During the past couple of weeks, I visited the doctor to better understand the situation with my pelvis. Fortunately, there are no fractures, but the pain still hasn’t gone away. I underwent, and am still undergoing, daily therapy in order to be ready for Brno. The bike had responded well to input in recent races, and it would be a shame not to take full advantage of this positive moment for us with the bike.”

Good first day of work for Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing rider, who finished with the eighth-fastest lap time during MotoGP free practice at Laguna Seca; first with a Ducati. His teammate, Loris Capirossi, has concluded with the sixteenth best lap time as he couldn’t improve this morning lap time. There will be another free practice session tomorrow morning before the qualifying session that will begin at 2pm.

Only wild card rider Ben Bostrom logged slower laps than Loris Capirossi

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet’s Track Engineer
“We have made some good step forward this afternoon. Randy was happy about the modifications we have made and tomorrow we can concentrate on maintaining a more stable rhythm. This is a difficult track and to make a perfect lap each time isn’t so simple. Randy has basically used always the same rear tyre and this didn’t also allow us to improve the best lap time at the end of the session, but as for today we can be happy with what we got.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing, 8th, 1’23.135
“A good first day of work. We made it to improve by seventh tenths of a second compare to this morning and this give us good expectations for the next couple of days of work. I really enjoyed today the track, we have tried many solutions but as we kept the same rear tyre during the session we couldn’t make it to improve more in the last few laps. I am confident.”

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing, 16th, 1’24.566
“In the afternoon it was probably more difficult because I only took one painkiller to try to understand which were my real physical conditions. Sincerely I found more complications as I couldn’t make it to ride as in the first free practice session. Tomorrow it will surely not be easy, but I am here to ride and give the maximum to climb the classification.”

After the German Grand Prix, MotoGP returns to action in the United States at Laguna Seca, host to the tenth round of the world championship. The circuit, which in 2005 returned to the MotoGP calendar for the premier class only, is laid out in the California hills that surround Monterey. Laguna Seca is famous for its unique Corkscrew section, a narrow and spectacular left-right chicane on a steep descent. The whole track, with its many ups and downs, calls to mind a rollercoaster, with straightaways being both few and short. There are a number of fast corners, and it’s quite common for the bikes’ wheels to come off the ground.

This round marks Loris Capirossi’s return to the Desmosedici. His shoulder is still painful, but the GP veteran is ready to once again compete for the Pramac Racing Team. Meanwhile, Randy De Puniet is looking for confirmation. After the modest progress made in Germany, the Frenchman returns to Laguna Seca two years after his last outing there (he missed the race last year due to an injury incurred at the Sachsenring).

Fabiano Sterlacchini, Pramac Racing Technical Director:
“It’s a crucial moment for Loris Capirossi. After three races as a spectator, he’ll be back in his bike’s saddle, though obviously not in perfect condition. Still, it seems that he has recovered enough to face this weekend with no problems. The fact remains that Laguna Seca is a very physical track, with many ascents and descents and a Corkscrew that’s quite difficult. It’s one of Randy De Puniet’s favorite circuits, and if he doesn’t have any problems, the Frenchman can get a good result.”

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing Team rider:
“This time I’m really returning to the track. As I said before the Sachsenring weekend, the Desmosedici is mine, and seeing another rider on it bothered me a lot. I’m not in top form, but I’ve worked over the past few days to be in decent physical condition. The track is very tough, which isn’t ideal for my condition, but I’ll give 110% to be able to finish the race. I’m expecting a very challenging weekend.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing Team rider:
“First, I must repeat the same results I had in practice and qualifying at the Sachsenring, and there’s also much work to be done regarding the race. I hope not to have the same problems as usual, although they’ve been improving lately. Laguna Seca is a very physical track, which could help me to get a good result. Last year, unfortunately, I skipped this round, so I’m very motivated for this weekend.”

Loris Capirossi won’t take part in the Iveco TT Assen, the seventh round of the MotoGP Championship. The Pramac Ducati rider was the victim of a bad crash in the final minutes of qualifying.  The medical exams he underwent after the fall (in which the Italian was hit by his own bike)—first in the mobile clinic, then in the hospital in Assen—excluded serious injuries, but a dislocated right shoulder and injured rib cartilage will force the veteran to sit out the race. His best time was 1:37.130 for 15th place. The atmosphere is calmer on the other side of the team’s garage. Randy De Puniet seems to have overcome the difficulties with bike setup that he has experienced lately. The Frenchman finished qualifying with the tenth-best time (1:36.435), and tomorrow he’ll start from the fourth row.

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet’s Track Engineer:
“The feeling with the bike definitely isn’t the same as what we had in Qatar and at Jerez, but this week the problems that Randy had with the bike have diminished significantly. This aspect is very important for all of us, as we have to find the confidence we had at the beginning of the season. The results once again highlight the problems with the Ducati; we’re just behind Hayden and ahead of Rossi. The weather will be very important tomorrow. We’re not yet going like we’d like in the wet, so we hope it will be dry when we’re on the track.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing Team, 10th, 1’36.435:
“I’ll start from the tenth spot—too bad because I only missed the third row by a few tenths. Right now, it’s impossible to do better, so we’ll have to work to try and improve the feeling with the bike; anyway, it has improved compared to the last few races, especially Silverstone. Tomorrow I’ll have to fight in order to finish the race in this position, but I’ll try not to push too hard and instead just take advantage of any opportunities I get. My goal is to reduce the gap to the other satellite Ducatis and to steadily lessen the problems with the bike.”

Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team, 15th, 1’37.130:
“There’s not much to say. It’s not much fun to be crushed by a bike at high speed. I’m feeling better now, although I’m sorry to miss tomorrow’s race. I crashed as I was at my best; I could have dropped my time, but the problem in left-hand corners, which we had already experienced in the morning’s free-practice session, caused me to lose control. Tomorrow I’ll go back to Monte Carlo, and in two days I’ll undergo some more checks on my physical condition.”

The second free practice session at the seventh round of the MotoGP Championship, the Iveco TT Assen in the Netherlands, was canceled due to the track conditions, which were made impossible for riding when Alex Baldolini’s bike lost oil during the Moto2 class’ first session. All events have been postponed until tomorrow, with the final free practice session scheduled for 9:50 a.m. During today’s morning session, Pramac Racing Team riders Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet clocked the fifteenth- and seventeenth-fastest times, at 1:53.348 and 1:53.562, respectively. The two riders made different choices for the day. The Italian’s staff preferred to postpone the debut of its new frame until tomorrow, while Randy De Puniet tried it, although the Frenchman didn’t have a positive outing in the rain.

Pramac Ducati's Loris Capirossi

Fabiano Sterlacchini, Pramac Racing Team Technical Director:
“We really didn’t need the oil on the track. These days, when we haven’t been so lucky, we need as much track time as possible to try and improve our situation. In Loris’ case, we’ll try to speed up some solutions. We’ll dismiss some options without trying them, and some we’ll try together with others. Among these is the new frame. We had planned to ride today with the same bike as before, and then to compare that to tomorrow’s bike with some new updates, including the frame of course. However, we’re forced to try it without making comparisons, although it’s enough to now that the Ducati Marlboro Team riders liked it.”

Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing Team rider – 15th, 1:53.348:
“I had hoped to get on the track this afternoon. This morning we worked hard on the bike’s setup, so the second session was important for planning our work for qualifying. Fortunately, we still have a card to play: the new frame. Tomorrow we’ll probably start with this important change, hoping that it can help us to improve our situation.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing Team rider – 17th, 1:53.562:
“I left Silverstone with the rain, and unfortunately, I once again find it here at Assen. This morning I had problems with grip, especially on the rear of the bike. Compared to the last race though, the front end is better. We had some ideas for this afternoon, but unfortunately we weren’t able to get on the track. I can’t yet judge the new frame, but Rossi and Hayden have had positive feedback on it in the dry.”