Race Weekend - Qatar

With an extreme short race the British DeGraaf Grand Prix rider Danny Webb scored a 9^th position during the first Grand Prix of 2009 in Qatar. Randy Krummenacher had a bad start and dropped back to a 25^th position and almost lost the control of his Aprilia but fight back to 22^nd position. Because the organisation red flagged the race after 4 laps the riders gets half points and the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team earned 3,5 points. 

 Danny Webb (9th):

“I had a very good start. In the end this was really good for the race because they cancelled it after four laps. I was in the second group and could follow them easy and had the feeling to ride together with Bradl to the front group. Because of the rain they stopped the race and I finished in 9^th position. I’m glad with this result considering the set-up problems we had and looking forward to the next race in Motegi.”

Season 2009 started today. It wasn’t the best start for the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team. Danny Webb was struggling with the front fork set-up and Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher didn’t had a fast lap because of a mechanical problem. Danny Webb finishes this free practice at the 19th position and Randy Krummenacher ended at the last position. 

For the second time in the history there is a Grand Prix race in the dark here on the Losail International circuit. This new season the organisation decided to cut down one session on the Friday. Now there is only one free practice on the Friday and one free practice and one qualification session at the Saturday. All the sessions are 40 minutes this year. British teenager Danny Webb struggled with the set-up of the front fork. Saturday their will be two sessions and more time to find the right set-up.

Danny Webb (19^th, 2:11,410):

"This session was not good. We have the upgrade kit now for this new front fork but the set-up wasn’t good. I was really struggling in every turn and couldn’t hold the line. We have to work on this and we looking at the data at this moment to get the right set-up. I hope I have a better feeling tomorrow."

After a lot of testing and the problems we had with the settings, the DeGraaf Grand Team had a reasonable qualification. Danny Webb missed the third row with less than a tenth of a second and will start tomorrow at the fourth row at the 13^th position. Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher missed with only one hundreds of second the fourth row and will start from the 17^th position the race.

The free practice of today wasn’t a good one for the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team. British rider Danny Webb finishes this session on an 18^th position. Swiss teenager Randy Krummenacher ended the session at the 26^th position. Both riders tried this session to get a better set-up for them Aprilia’s and made short sessions to get it better. Between the free practice and the qualification there was some rain drops but luckily it didn’t start to rain proper.

Danny Webb (13^th, 2:08,971):

“So far this weekend was really hard for us. We had a lot of problems with the upgrade of the forks and chassis. We decided to put the forks in from the test with the test settings so we knew how it felt. I think 13^th in this circumstances isn’t so bad. I try to get a top 10 finish tomorrow and I would be happy if I can do this.”

It only rains six days a year in Qatar but one of those days just happened to be on the opening round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. Heavy rain driven on by high desert winds soaked the Losail International circuit causing the postponement of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

The 22 lap race round the 3.343 mile Losail International circuit was due to start when the deluge started and it was impossible for the race to start under the floodlights.

After a meeting between the teams and Race Direction it was decided that the race will be run at 21.00 hrs on Monday evening. The last grand prix to be cancelled was in 1980 when the Austrian Grand Prix at the Salzburgring did not start because of heavy snow.

Earlier in the evening the opening round of the 125 cc World Championship was reduced to just four laps when the rain started to pour down. Eighteen year old Bradley Smith took fifth place in the race won by Italian Andrea Iannone. Only half World Championship points were awarded because of the length of the race.

Kent – based Danny Webb finished ninth with 16 year old Scott Redding in 13th place in a race that was originally scheduled to run for 18 laps. Yorkshire teenager Matthew Hoyle did not start the race after damaging his back crashing in the warm-up session.

TOSELAND LOOKS TO LIGHTEN THE GLOOM

James Toseland puts a nightmare pre-season testing programme behind him as he faces the first round of the 2009 MotoGP season under the floodlights at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar on Sunday.

The 28 year old gritty Yorkshireman has suffered two massive 125 mph crashes while testing in Sepang and Jerez and arrives in Qatar recovering from concussion and a broken fifth metatarsal in his foot. It’s been a tough time for Toseland who made his MotoGP debut a year ago at the 3.343 mile Losail International circuit. Also he is involved in a bitter dispute with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate and fellow former World Superbike Champion American Colin Edwards. They have fallen out after swapping crew chiefs. Toseland has also missed valuable time testing the Bridgestone tyres who are the sole supplier to MotoGP teams this year.

Last year Toseland finished a brilliant sixth on his MotoGP debut in the Qatar race which was the first ever grand prix on two or four wheels to be held under floodlights. A repeat result on Sunday would be a remarkable result after all that has gone on in the last two months.

The four British teenagers in the 125 cc class are busy testing in the dark in Qatar on Monday and Tuesday before the opening round of the Championship which could once again bring some home success. Last year 15 year old Scott Redding finished a brilliant fifth in Qatar on just his second grand prix appearance. Later in the year he went on to win the British Grand Prix and faces this season a year older and with a works engine in his Blusens Aprilia

Bradley Smith grabbed his first ever pole position in Qatar last year but broke down in the race which in many ways summed up his season. The 18 year Oxfordshire rider has switched to the Championship winning Bancaja Aspar Aprilia team for his fourth season in grand prix racing. An early maiden grand prix victory could set him up for a very successful year.

Eighteen year old Kent-based Danny Webb returns to the fray fully recovered from the injuries that dogged him last season. His remains with Dutch-based DeGraaf Aprilia team and a repeat of his sixth place last year would be a great start to the year.

Seventeen year old Yorkshireman Matthew Hoyle faces a baptism of fire in his first grand prix season. He makes just his second grand prix appearance riding for the new Chinese Haojue team who will take time to make an impact in one of the most competitive of all World Motorsport Championships.

Quotes

James Toseland

“There’s no doubt that the recent testing programme has been tough. I’m still working hard to understand the limit of the new Bridgestone tyres. I have been extremely lucky to escape serious injury both in Sepang and Jerez. As we all know, the race is where results really count and I’m completely focused on achieving success in my second year in MotoGP, starting on Sunday”.

Bradley Smith

“Testing has gone really well with the new team and I can’t wait to get started. I’m still wearing the pole position watch from last year but poles count for nothing and it’s race wins I’m after. This is my fourth year and I must start winning races although in the first three races scoring points is going to be vital or I will be playing catch-up for the rest of the season.”

Scott Redding

“Testing has gone ok but it has taken us time to adjust to the new Aprilia but we are getting there. These two days in Qatar testing before the race will be very important. I can’t wait to start because it’s been a long winter and I want to get racing.”

Danny Webb

“I have learned a lot about how the Aprilia is working and have faith going into the two day test in Qatar. We will be working on the front fork which I’m sure will make an improvement. Apart from a problem with a finger I’m fully fit and can’t wait to both test and race again.”

Matthew Hoyle

“I know it’s going to be tough but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s a new circuit for both me and the team and there is a lot of hard work in front of us. Racing under floodlights will also be a new experience but that’s what grand prix racing is all about.”

ROSSI AND STONER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Like every other major sports these are tough times for MotoGP but the gloom will be lightened by the start of the 2009 season in Qatar on Sunday.

It promises to be a foretaste of the battles that lie ahead with World Champions Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner in the spotlight under the floodlights at the Losail circuit.

Australian Stoner has won the race for the last two years riding for the Ducati Marlboro team and has been in superb form on the new GP 9 Ducati in pre-season testing. Italian Rossi, who won back his MotoGP crown last year riding the M1 Fiat Yamaha, has been equally impressive which sets up another head to head confrontation between the two best motorcycle riders in the World.

The only factor to spoil the duel could be the state of Stoner’s left wrist after a bone graft operation in the close season to repair an old injury. The 23 year old Australian is still having problems completing race distances despite some blisteringly quick laps and the big test will come in the 22 lap race on Sunday evening.

There are plenty of others who should be joining in the fun at the front. Rossi’s team-mate and former 250 cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has been very impressive despite the switch to Bridgestone from Michelin tyres. Former World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards has also made a successful switch of tyres on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine while Rizla Suzuki have hit the ground running.

The experienced Suzuki pair of Italian Loris Capirossi and Australian Chris Vermeulen hope to be chasing podium finishes right from the off.  While the Repsol Honda duo of Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso know the opening few races are going to be tough.

Spaniard Pedrosa is fighting a painful battle to be fit after an operation on a knee he re-injured during the Qatar test.  Italian Dovizioso, who made such an impressive MotoGP debut last year, steps up to the works team and switches from Bridgestone to Michelin tyres.

Former World Champion American Nicky Hayden left Repsol Honda to join Stoner at Ducati, while grand prix winner Spaniard Toni Elias returns to the San Carlo Gresini team to join Alex De Angelis.

Nine times MotoGP race winner Spaniard Sete Gibernau makes a welcome return to the track after a two year absence riding for the brand new Guinea Ecuatorial Ducati team while Frenchman Randy De Puniet remains at LCR Honda who are sporting some new Playboy sponsorship.

After a tough winter former 250 cc World Champion Marco Melandri will make it to the grid. He left Ducati after a tough season last year to join Kawasaki who then pulled out. However, they will run one bike this season under the Hayate banner with Melandri who was in impressive form during the recent Jerez tests.

Three newcomers make their debut in the class. Finn Mika Kallio, both 125 and 250 cc grands prix winner, has looked in great form during testing riding the Pramac Racing Ducati where he is joined by young Italian Niccolo Canepa. Completing the 18 rider line-up is 250 cc grand prix winner Yuki Takahashi who replaces Andrea Dovizioso in the Scott Racing Honda team.

The 250 cc class looks to be another heart stopping battle between World Champion Italian Marco Simoncelli and former 125 World Champion Alvaro Bautista. Throw in the likes of Hector Barbara, Hiroshi Aoyama and 125 cc World Champions Mike De Meglio and Gabor Talmacsi and it should be another classic confrontation.

The 125 class looks even closer with the departure of those World Champions. Spaniard Julian Simon, who has returned from the 250 cc class, has been outstanding in testing but will be given a really tough time by the usual suspects including Simone Corsi, Joan Olive, Nicolas Terol, Pol Espargaro and the British pair of Bradley Smith and Scott Redding.

Just before the first Grand Prix of the 2009 season the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team is testing today and Tuesday at the Losail circuit in Qatar. This night test went ok for the DeGraaf Grand Prix riders Randy Krummenacher and Danny Webb. Randy Krummenacher had a little crash in the 125cc session and couldn’t finish this session. Danny Webb ended the 125cc session at the 13^th position and call it a day. The team decided to let Krummenacher ride the last combined session and Krummenacher finished at the 10^th position in this session.

Danny Webb (2:09,250):

“Today has been a good day. We done some good laps and made progress with the front fork. We still have a lot of work to do but we are going in the right direction. I am feeling happier on the bike now and it feels more like my bike. But overall I am happy with today.”

The DeGraaf Grand Prix Team had a successful second test day at the Losail circuit of Qatar. British rider Danny Webb finishes this day just outside the top 10 and was a second faster than Monday. Teammate Randy Krummenacher could improve his lap time by one tenth of a second compare the first test day and ended in the top 15. The DeGraaf Grand Prix Team has some points to improve at the set-up of the Aprilia RSA bikes before the first Grand Prix of the year starts. The riders have two days of rest and than the season start.

Danny Webb (2:08,283):

"It was a successful day. I’m happy with the way things went today. We still have the front fork problems but now we reached the point where we can’t get them any better. For the race weekend we have a upgrade for the forks and than the forks should work better. I’m looking forward to the weekend to push the bike harder."