Race Weekend - Estoril

The exciting 125cc bwin.com GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL race has brought an outstanding top 10 finish for Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher. British rider Danny Webb was riding one of his best races of the season and battling for the 5^th position before the Brit had to quit the race in the last lap due a technical problem.

During the warm-up session in the morning the weather conditions weren’t as good as in the race. With a humidity of more than 95% and a lot of fog, Danny Webb finished this session on a very good 7th position. Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher ended the session on the 18^th position.

British rider Danny Webb had to give in a lot of positions in the first lap dropping down from 10th to the 16th position. In the first few laps Webb got the rhythm and was battling with his team-mate for the 12^th position but Webb was able to ride a better pace and came into the top 10. Halfway the race Webb found the group battling for 5^th and was changing a lot in positions. In the last lap Webb had a technical problem with his Aprilia and couldn’t finish the race.

Danny Webb (DNF):

“I remain speechless! The whole season I didn’t break down in the race and at the moment of one of my best races of the season the bike cuts down. I had a good race battling for a 5^th position and the battle was like it was every lap the last one! Unfortunately it wasn’t my day. I need a good result this year to secure a ride for next season. I will give my maximum in Australia, Malaysia and Spain to score top 5 results. The team did really a great job this weekend and I want to thank them for this.”

The qualification during the bwin.com GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL in a sunny Portugal went good for the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team. British rider Danny Webb made a big step forward compare to the Friday session and qualified 10th. Also Randy Krummenacher made a big improvement compare to the Friday in lap time and qualified on an 18^th position.

The free practice session on the Saturday morning both DeGraaf Grand Prix riders were able to improve their lap times of the Friday session. The set-up of both Aprilia’s felt good for both riders. Danny Webb and Randy Krummenacher want some more grip in the rear and the team is working on this. Danny Webb finished the session at the 15^th place and Randy Krummenacher ended the session on a 19e position. 

The weather circumstances during the qualification session were nearly the same as on Friday with temperatures around the 26 degrees. British rider Danny Webb had a good session and qualified on a good 10^th position. Webb had a long first run and was able to improve his lap time from the Saturday morning and was even on P2 in the first 10 minutes of the session. In his last run Webb was able to improve his lap time again and didn’t use a tow of some other rider. After the session was finished Webb qualified on the third row on P10.

Danny Webb (10^th, 1:46,442):

“It went today much better than the Friday session. The speed we didn’t had yesterday we found back after a great job of the team. The Aprilia was fast again and I was able to improve my lap time immediately this morning.

In the qualification session I tried to set a fast lap time directly in the beginning of the session. I succeeded and was even on P2 in the first ten minutes. In the last run I could improve my lap time again without using the slipstream of another rider and was pretty happy with that.

My race pace is good and with a good start I can have a very good race. I aim for a top 8 finish tomorrow.”

Bradley Smith scored a solid third place at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday at Estoril, as he battled for victory in the final stages but eventually came up just short of race-winning Spaniard Pol Espargaro and second placed German Sandro Cortese.

Smith’s World Champion elect colleague Julian Simon will have to wait a while longer to wrap up the title after he crashed on the 16th lap and the Briton achieved a podium finish, meaning the gap between the two Bancaja Aspar riders is now down to 50.5 points with three races remaining

There was heartbreak on the final lap for Kent’s Danny Webb as he was forced to retire when battling for a top five finish, whilst Gloucestershire youngster Scott Redding also suffered a late disappointment as he missed on out on a point on the final straight.

In the MotoGP race Jorge Lorenzo repeated his 2008 Portuguese triumph from pole position to cut back Valentino Rossi’s championship lead to 18 points as the Italian came home fourth. A brilliant comeback ride by Casey Stoner in second place will assure him that his recent break was the right move, the Australian pushing Dani Pedrosa back into third. James Toseland, meanwhile, was ninth.

Race Results

1 Jorge LORENZO SPA YAMAHA 45'35.522
2 Casey STONER AUS DUCATI 45'41.816
3 Dani PEDROSA SPA HONDA 45'45.411
4 Valentino ROSSI ITA YAMAHA 45'58.950
5 Colin EDWARDS USA YAMAHA 46'08.174
6 Toni ELIAS SPA  HONDA 46'11.231

Championship Positions

1 ROSSI Valentino 250 points
2 LORENZO Jorge 232
3 PEDROSA Dani 173
4 STONER Casey 170
5 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 142
6 EDWARDS Colin 134

Bradley Smith arrives at the final quarter of the 125 cc World Championship season fighting for second place starting at the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril on Sunday.

The Oxfordshire teenager is just five points behind second placed Nico Terol in the Championship while Smith’s Aspar team-mate Julian Simon could clinch the title at the 2.599 mile circuit on the Atlantic coast

Smith has been in top form with second and third places in the last two races but feels he needs another victory to add to the two he’s already taken this season to win the fight with Spaniard Terol who’s been equally impressive – it promises to be a very close affair likely only to be decided in the final round at Valencia. Last year Smith crashed out in Estoril while battling with Terol.

It’s been a very different story for 16 year old Scott Redding. The Gloucestershire teenager has been hit by some morale draining mechanical problems with his Blusens Aprilia. He’s been forced out of the last two races with breakdowns which has pushed him down to 14th in the Championship. After his brilliant third place at the British Grand Prix he has scored a single point and needs a real change of fortune in those last four races.

Kent-based Danny Webb is fighting for his grand prix future with the Dutch-based Degraaf Aprilia team. He had a brilliant weekend at Estoril last year. After qualifying on the front row of the grid he finished fifth after a tremendous battle with his team-mate Steve Bonsey. Webb was tenth at the previous round in Misano this year and will be chasing similar or better results in the last four races to improve on his 16th place in the Championship.

Yorkshireman James Toseland faces the last four MotoGP races knowing he is likely to be replaced by American Ben Spies in the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team next season. He’s had a tough year, not helped by two big pre-season crashes, but will fight to the end not only for his pride but to secure a ride in either the premier MotoGP or World Superbike Championship next year.  Last year Toseland was seventh on his Estoril debut.

QUOTES

Bradley Smith

“My aim now is to delay Julian as long as possible from claiming the title and winning the battle with Nico for second place. My last three races have been really encouraging and the only thing that has been missing is a win and I’ll be flat out for that in Estoril.”

Scott Redding

“The team have been working hard for the last three weeks to sort out the problems with the bike and so hopefully I can finish the race on Sunday. It’s an important last four races and also a big weekend when the Moto2 entry list for next season will be announced.”

Danny Webb

“My goal for the last four races is to finish all of them in the top ten. I’ve been training hard in the break and as my results show at Estoril last year I really like the circuit. It’s important that we get a good set-up from the start on Friday afternoon which we did at Indianapolis and Misano. I’m confident of a good result on Sunday.”

James Toseland

“It’s an important four race for me and my future. I was disappointed to finish tenth at the last round in Misano where I think I could have finished in the top six if I’d not got pushed back in the first bend incident. I was seventh at Estoril last year which should be a good start to work on this weekend.”

CASEY’S COMEBACK

All eyes will be focused on Australian Casey Stoner as he is expected to return to the action at the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal on the Atlantic coast in Estoril on Sunday. The former World Champion has been recuperating from a mystery virus at home in Australia after missing the last three rounds of the Championship. His return, riding the Marlboro Ducati will really shake up the pack and especially the all conquering Fiat Yamaha team of Championship leader Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

While Stoner has been absent they have won all three grands prix with World Champion Rossi victorious in two to open up a 30 point lead in the Championship over Lorenzo with four rounds remaining. Rossi arrives at round 14 of the title chase refreshed after a three week break and encouraged by a superb record round the tight 2.599 mile Estoril circuit that can often be buffeted by strong winds off the Atlantic Ocean. The Italian, who makes his 100th appearance for Yamaha on Sunday, has won five MotoGP races at the former Formula One car venue although team-mate Lorenzo scored his maiden MotoGP victory at the track last year.

The man under most pressure from Stoner’s return will be Dani Pedrosa. The Spanish Repsol Honda rider moved into third place in the Championship after finishing third, behind Rossi and Lorenzo in the previous round at Misano. He is just seven points in front of Stoner and has never won in any class at Estoril although has finished second in the last two Portuguese MotoGP races.

His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso won the 250 cc race three years ago and is in good form. The Italian is fifth in the Championship and has finished fourth in the last three races after winning the British Grand Prix. He moved in front of American Colin Edwards, who together with countryman Nicky Hayden, was brought down by a flying San Carlo Gresini Honda ridden by Alex de Angelis at the very first bend in the previous round at Misano.

Edwards is having a great season on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and has been retained by the team for next season. The Texan is just ten points behind Dovizioso and had finished every race of the season until Misano.

Frenchman Randy De Puniet has been retained by the LCR Honda team after a very consistent season. The three week break will have given the ankle he broke in a Motocross accident even more time to heal as he takes on Loris Capirossi, De Angelis, Marco Melandri and Chris Vermeulen in not only a frantic battle for seventh place but in some cases a future in MotoGP.

Both De Angelis and Vermeulen are without rides next year together with Spaniard Toni Elias who won a sensational race three years ago in Estoril. Kenny Roberts did a Julian Simon and thought the race was over a lap before the finish while Dani Pedrosa crashed and brought down his then team-mate and Champion elect Nicky Hayden in a race that has gone down in MotoGP folklore.

Mika Kallio returns to the Pramac Ducati team after replacing the absent Stoner in the Ducati factory team. He will be partnered by Italian Niccolo Canepa despite the impressive performance of Spaniard Aleix Espargaro in the last two races.

Spaniard Alvaro Bautista arrives in Estoril brimming with confidence as he takes on Hiroshi Aoyama in the 250 cc World Championship that promises to go all the way to the wire. The Aspar Aprilia rider trails Aoyama in the title chase by 13 points but has won the 250 cc race in Estoril for the last two years. He chases his fourth successive victory after winning the 125 cc race in 2006 but faces a real battle in the 26 lap race on Sunday and not only with the Scot Honda of Aoyama. World Champion Marco Simoncelli’s crash at Misano wrecked his chances of retaining his title. He returns after a brilliant one off third place in the World Superbike Championship race at Imola on Sunday while Hector Barbara is certain to be in the frame after his second win of the season in Misano

Julian Simon could be crowned the first World Champion of the season after the 125 cc race on Sunday.  The Aspar Aprilia rider will probably have to wait a little longer but mathematically could do it because he holds a 57.5 point lead over second place Nico Terol with four rounds remaining. The four times winner this season needs to hold a 76 point lead after the race on Sunday.

The real battle in the Championship is for second place with just five points separating Terol and Simon’s team-mate Bradley Smith. The three Championship leaders all benefited in Misano when the race leaders Andrea Iannone and Pol Espargaro crashed on the last bend. That particular saga could well continue on Sunday in the 23 lap race.

EVENT TIME SCHEDULE

Friday 2 October

12.40 – 13.40              125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55              MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10              250cc Practice 1

Saturday 3 October

09.00 – 09.40              125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55              MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10              250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40              125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55              MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55              250cc Qualifying

Sunday 4 October

09.00 – 09.20              250cc Warm Up
09.30 – 09.50              MotoGP Warm Up
10.00 – 10.20              125cc Warm Up
11.15                           250cc RACE (26 laps)
13.00                           MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
14.00                           125cc RACE (23 laps)

Please note amendment to race schedule.

Schedule is local time + 0

After a four week break the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team could start their Aprilia RSA’s again for the first free practice of the bwin.com GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL.  It is a difficult start of the weekend for the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team. Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher had an ok 17^th position result in the free practice and British rider Danny Webb didn’t went well with a 21^st position.

Danny Webb struggled this session. Nearly the whole session Webb was outside the top 20 but could improve his lap time every lap. Several times the British teenager came in to make adjustments to the engine but couldn’t get a good lap time to finish in the top 15. Webb ended the session on a 21^st position.

Danny Webb (21^e, 1:48,539):

“It didn’t went well today. After three weekends of rest it took me a few laps to get in my rhythm. From the start of the session I felt the bike wasn’t as strong as normal. After the session me and Hans Spaan checked the data and we saw were we can improve. I will have a good night sleep so we can be on it tomorrow!”