IRTA
- Jerez
1.
Losail
2. Jerez
3. Istanbul
4. Shanghai
5. Le
Mans
6. Mugello
7.
Catalunya
8.
Donington
9. Assen
10.
Sachsenring
11.
Laguna Seca
12. Brno
13. Misano
14. Estoril
15. Motegi
16. Phillip Island
17. Sepang
18. Valencia
|
  |
News 05/08/07
Round 10. Germany
: Sachsenring
Seby wins the
fourth successive race to take the championship lead in Sachsenring.
Team mate down and Skider complete the podium in Germany.
Seby
continued his incredible run of victories in the 2007 MotoGP500online
World Championship with his fourth victory in a row at the bwin.com
Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland Sunday. Last year's winner, Skider,
could do nothing to prevent a breathtaking charge to the line from
Seby, who smashed the circuit record by over 2 seconds with just five
laps remaining to open up an insurmountable advantage as the chequered
flag was prepared.
Skider who pushed Seby to the limit today was involved in an incident
on lap 9 when the pair collided and Skider found himself in the gravel,
losing over 3 seconds. He came back to the track in 3rd position where
he was to finish the race after few more other mistakes by the Spaniard
as he was desperately trying to pass down.
down was involved in a thrilling battle on the final few laps as he
held off the attentions of World Champion Skider to the line to finish
in the second position and thanks to this result Seby moves to the top
of the standings, equal on points with Skider. After a one-two by the
Lords Of Shadow colleagues their team moves to the top of the Team
Standings for the first time this season.
Saber120 and SFW were forced to settle for fourth and fifth place
respectively after a classic battle between the two veterans, both
passing Gaz&Slide on the way to the finish line.
Vouks did his best to get involved in the podium struggle but was some
way adrift of the leading group in seventh place as he failed to follow
up a strong showing in the debut of the season, when he managed to win
a race and take a couple of more podium finishes.
Yvos rode a lonely race to eighth place after struggling with tyre
problems in the latter stages of the race, although by that time he had
escaped an intense struggle for positions in the middle of the pack
involving Dolz, TxUs and Max.
LuKe had also formed part of the skirmish but dropped away drastically
in the second half of the race, when he also encountered tyre troubles
in rising temperatures at the notoriously demanding German circuit,
finishing 11th in his home race.
Seby Lords Of
Shadow (winner, 16:10.833):
"Thanks guys! Most important thing, a huge congratulations and thanks
to my team-mate down for this 2nd place finish. Thanks to down I'm
leading the championship for the first time in my life and damn it
feels good.
What have I done in a previous life to deserve such good results?
Here comes the long story hahahaha (hope not).
As usually, I did many practice races so I can be consistent during the
official race.
During the week I was able to watch the other guys in action but none
of them was too fast so I didn't worry. I knew Skider was going to be
close to me because last year he beat me by a big difference. Few days
before official I did some laps with him and he wasn't too fast but
very consistent and I knew it will be a hard job to win the race.
During practice I wasn't sure what tyres to use, soft-med or med-med.
With both of them I did 16:05 total time and also 19.4 hot lap. Last
laps 20.1 with med-med and 20.6 with soft-med. With soft-med I fell few
times on the brakes but per total I had a good feeling with the bike.
With med-med I didn't fall but the bike felt bad, no feeling.
I thought Skider would beat me if I chose med-med because I had no
feeling with the bike and usually that's when you make mistakes. With
soft-med there was only one corner where I fell few times in practice
so I concentrated on that corner, not to brake too hard and on Sunday I
was happy with what I did in practice until that moment.
In qualifying with Skider, SFW and down I put in a couple of fast laps
to show them I won't be easy to beat and to demoralise them a bit. 19.4
in the 3rd lap and then I did few more laps with soft-med to be ready
for the race (like a warm-up).
The race started and I was surprised I had no stress so I could
concentrate 100% on the race. SFW passed me in the first corner but
soon after I managed to pass him without too much problems. I did a
good time in the first lap, 23.6 or so and I was almost 1 second
in front of Skider but later that lap (2nd lap) I touched the grass
right before the downhill corner so Skider was right behind me again.
In 3rd and 4th laps I pushed very hard and did that hot lap 19.6 and
again Skider was 1 second behind me. Few more laps in low 20s and
Skider was right behind me again, that's when the fight for the win and
also the standings begun. For about 4-5 laps Skider showed me his front
wheel and in 10th lap or so he tried to pass me in the downhill corner
but he rode thru me so we hit, I didn't notice it in that moment but he
flew a bit and couldn't brake
in time and went to gravel. By that time down was 2-3 seconds behind me
with Skider side by side with him. It was kind of hard to think about
the race anymore, I was thinking 'PLEASE GOD, let down finish 2nd'.
Since I didn't have Skider behind me it wasn't too hard to finish the
race, I just took it easy because I had about 2 seconds advantage with
2 laps to go.
I just did safe laps, I didn't push at all so down closed the gap to
0.7 at the end of the race. Another victory and this one was the most
important one because I'm the leader of the championship now. Again,
thanks down.
@SFW, about what you said, I think you are wrong. I'm a pesimist so I
don't think I'll be able to beat Skider until the end so I try to
concentrate only on each race at this point of the championship so I
don't have stress at all. Skider is in a bad need of victories and I
think he will start winning many races very soon. Now there are 5 races
in a row without a win for Skider which makes it the longest period
without a win for him since he joined the championship in mid 2005
season. It will be very hard for me to beat Skider from now on because
he's very upset and I doubt we'll see many more races won by a
different rider.
Of course I'm happy to lead the standings but I doubt I'll be able to
be so close to Skider in the standings at Valencia. I don't doubt my
pace but I also don't doubt his and he is faster than me, you'll see at
the end of the year.
@Yvos, down was so close but it wasn't a matter of winning the race.
The gap 0.7 was because I let him get so close, same as at Donington
and Assen when I didn't push in the last laps because the win was
already in my pocked with 3 laps before the end. Without Skider's
mistake we would have done 16:07, I did 16:10 because the win was
already mine, no point to risk too much. When you are at 3 seconds in
front you don't gain anything for winning at that difference, important
is to win, even if its by 0.006 (Shanghai). In this race, only Skider
was fast enough to win the race..
Per total I'm very happy with another victory, thanks and
congratulations to every rider. It's been fun to beat Skider 4 times in
a row but it's getting harder and harder to stop him and I don't think
I'll be able to do it many more times."
Skider Oasics
NoGrip Racing Team (3rd, 16:13.833):
"Congratulations to Seby, 4 in a row GG, very good ride for down
because he made a mistake, lost some secs and finished close to the
winner!
I raced with Seby, down and SFW and it was interesting, at the
beginning Seby took the lead and I tried to follow him close to his
tail, at the end of lap 1 we were riding alone because SFW and down
made few mistakes. Seby was going very quick, it was hard to follow
him, but he didn't open a gap to scape from me. With 4 laps to go I
tried to overtake him on the slope, I went out so close to him to brake
later and pass him but there was an anticol bug, my bike had a little
bit
jump going to the left side of the tarmac and I went into the gravel.
I lost 3 secs on that move, down overtook me and he was pushing really
hard to catch Seby coming back, but was too late, anyway GG. I'm a
little bit upset because I was able to fight for the victory against
Seby but unfortunatelly I couldn't do anything to avoid the gravel
excursion, hope to have better luck next time.
SFW, I'd also like to see another rider winning again and you are not
slow indeed, like I said a week ago, it's just matter of practice.
Good luck everyone for Laguna!"
SFW Kawasaki
Racing (5th, 16:16.220):
"Congratulation to Seby with another victory and for taking the
championchip lead, also well done to down after losing some time in the
beginning of the race he recoverd well and finished on a strong 2nd
place. A huge respect to Skider for finishing 3rd after a difficult
race and some unlucky moments. I had good fun racing with Seby, Skider
and down, I knew I was a little off the pace and as long I didn't made
any mistakes I could keep up but I did make 2 mistakes wich made me
lose some time and destroy my rithm so I could only watch and hope for
a crash in front of me. Now we have Seby and Skider equal in points and
I belive that there won't be much difference between them on the last
race in Valencia. The pressure will be high and because of that I
belive that the next few races we won't see either Seby or Skider
winning races.
There are other riders coming back in form and free to push hard so
people like down, Vouks, Saber120 and even me can push hard and go for
the win.
I might be totally wrong but hey, it would be nice to have other riders
winning races.
Laguna here we come....."
Yvos Arkos
Froggy's Connection (8th, 16:29.820):
"GG Seby, great race again, also down who could win without a
mistake... and Skider, a bit unlucky...
Seby on top of standings now, hmmm ...interesting
I had a tough race again, long fight against Dolz, after Thunder and
Transalp crashed early.
I tried to push at the beginning to make a gap with Dolz, but he hanged
on, and took even the lead with 3 laps to go... I was getting real
nervous and affraid to lose that fight but Dolz crashed just before
last lap, maybe his soft tyres, maybe his nerves...
The pace was a bit slow compared to practice, but 8th is a good result.
Vouks, that makes 4-6 prrr...
See you all on great Laguna this week-end"
Atman Asica
Racing Team (19th, 16:49.527):
"My gap to the best time in race was 3.2 sec, average this gap is about
3 sec, best was 2.1 in Le Mans 2006 and in Catalunya 2007 (also 2.1).
Worse gap was in Sepang 2006, 4.9sec...
In fastest laps my place was 28, only Rui was 29, all others were
better as I (as usually). Thanks to constant pace and big mistakes of
others I gained 2 points in race with JC and Venturi.
Pity of fall of Venturi, I rode tight behind him 3 laps... After this
fall, JC came back, he rode in sand after start and great 3 laps battle
started between us.
Gafo didn't come for race, Matt rode again by other host, Fonta after
long time rode again with good results and Rui is surprise for me with
bad performance.
I am looking forward to Laguna Seca, I hope for more than 3 riders at
the start."
Livingston
Tornado-CreW (30th, 17:23.304):
"I can say Thankyou to my Team. The setup was nearly perfect. So the
Tyres worked really well. No problems. I have made 2 little mistakes.
But it was okay for me. I hope I´m on Podium in Group C. My team
partner LuKe has made a good job at the german gp, only one crash.
A nearly perfect weekend for our team and the german fans too."
With this fourth consecutive victory, Seby took the lead of the
championship for the first time in his life, level with Skider on
points, 241. Vouks is third with 172 points, SFW fourth with 147 and
Guishermo fifth with 146 points.
Lords Of Shadow have moved to the first place of the Team Standings
after Seby and down were the first two riders to cross the line at
Sachsenring. Now they lead Oasics NoGrip Racing by 8 points and MotoGP
Greece Racing Team by a massive 150 points. Hurricane Miu Racing
and Nitram Racing complete the top 5.
Thanks to Seby's 4nd victory in a row, Yamaha extended the lead over
Suzuki to 24 points in the Constructors' Standings. Moriwaki is 3rd,
111 points behind Yamaha with Kawasaki and Honda 4th and 5th.
In the Qualifying Award, Seby extended his lead over Skider to 1.343,
while Vouks is 3rd at 1.823 behind Seby.
In the Hot Lap Award Seby reduced the gap to Skider to only 1.132 after
a Hot Lap worthy of a champion. Vouks is third, a little more than 2
seconds behind Skider.
Seby has also taken the lead in the Total Time Award, thanks to his 4th
victory in a row. Skider is second, less than a second behind Seby,
while Vouks lies third, more than one minute behind the leading pair.
Thunder and Dolz complete the top5.
Join us in one week's time for the MotoGP500online U.S. Grand Prix at
Laguna Seca.
Report by Seby
|
|
|
|
