YRC News
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MotoGP : Rossi takes historic victory in first ever race at Shanghai
Round: 3 - Shanghai MotoGP
Circuit: Shanghai
Date: 1 May 2005
Crowd: 30000
Temp: 21ΊC
Weather: Very Wet
Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi made history once again today,
becoming the first rider to take a MotoGP victory at Shanghai, with a stunning
performance in torrentially wet conditions at the inaugural Grand Prix of China.
Despite starting from sixth place on the grid Rossi took control of the race on
the fifth lap, passing early leader Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) and opening up a
clear gap over the chasing pack.
It was an advantage the reigning World Champion would never let slip, holding
his concentration for the next 17 laps despite the attentions of surprise
challenger Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki), riding in place of the injured Alex
Hofmann. Jacque passed Sete Gibernau (Honda) for second place with seven laps to
go and closed in on Rossi at the front, but was unable to seriously threaten the
Italian's second victory from the opening three rounds of the championship.
With Marco Melandri (Honda) eventually passing Gibernau on the final lap to
snatch third place, Rossi's advantage at the top of the World Championship now
stands at 25 points over his Italian compatriot. A determined performance from
his team-mate Colin Edwards, who rode from 13th on the grid to take the flag in
eighth, means the Gauloises Yamaha Team now lead the teams' championship, with
Yamaha also on top in the manufacturers' standings.
The Fortuna Yamaha riders Ruben Xaus and Toni Elias finished the Grand Prix of
China in 10th and 14th position respectively. Building on his impressive
qualifying performance Elias made a great start, which saw him move into third
position on the opening laps. The 'MotoGP Rookie' looked set to demonstrate his
true potential, but bad fortune robbed him of the chance to remain with the lead
riders. It was deemed the Manresa rider had badly positioned his bike on the
starting grid and as a result the circuit officials imposed a 'drive-through'
penalty that saw him have to return to the pit-lane before rejoining the race.
His team-mate Xaus was thinking only of scoring points and making up some of the
ground lost in the championship points race, and eventually finished in tenth
place.
Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 1st
"Out of all the victories in my career, this was the one I least expected - I am
really surprised. It is the first time I have won in the wet on the Yamaha, so
it is a special victory. We had some problems with the set-up of the bike this
weekend but the team made some modifications overnight, changing the front fork
setting, and already in the warm-up it felt good. I got off to a good start in
the race and I was quite surprised to be at the front so quickly. There was a
lot of water on the track so I had to keep my concentration at 100%. I was
smooth and in control all the way to the end, and the race worked out perfectly
for me. All I can say is big thanks to Jeremy Burgess, the rest of the team and
Yamaha because we have worked especially hard for this win."
Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 8th
"I got a good jump from the line but there were a couple of guys trying to be
heroes in the first corner and they messed things up for me a little. After that
I just tried to make up positions but the spray made it difficult and it was
risky to get off the racing line. As soon as I had clear track in front of me my
pace was as good as the guys at the front, but I had a problem shifting down
through the gears and, coupled with the tyre wear, I couldn't do much more than
bring it home in eighth. I'm disappointed but it's good to have a race in the
wet and we know we're on the right line for the rest of the season."
Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director
"It was a fantastic day for us - Valentino was simply great. It was our first
race in the wet since Jerez last season and I think we saw how much the bike has
improved, so a big thank you goes out to all the team and engineers, who have
worked hard under a lot of pressure. Colin's starting position made it hard for
him but his pace was good and he picked up some important points. It's a
pleasure for us to take the first win in China and it was important because
we're now leading in the rider, team and manufacturers' championships. Now let's
continue like this!"
Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 10th
"I am progressing, at least I was able to score some points and finish in the
top ten, although I still owe my team a lot for the mistakes I made in
pre-season. I rode very well in the warm-up and had a lot of confidence on the
damp track, but I took it easy on the first corner as I did not want to risk
anything. I let a few riders pass me and took the first few laps easy thinking
about conserving my tyres. In the end that helped me and I was able to lap with
times the same as the lead group, and score some points."
Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 14th
"I got away very well and was lapping comfortably for the first few laps with
Rossi, Gibernau and Biaggi. But the race authorities warned me I had to enter
the pit-lane for a penalty because I was not in the right position on the
starting grid. I got confused with the positioning because in MotoGP you only
have three bikes on each row. It's devastating, but in the end it was my own
fault. I was having a great race. After the penalty I was able to climb back up
the field a bit but it did not help much."
Herve Poncharal, Fortuna Yamaha Team Director
"Toni was having a great race, but unfortunately the penalty for his wrong
positioning did not allow him to continue with the lead group. It was a real
shame! Despite that, Toni showed his great potential, not only during the race,
but throughout the weekend too. He was quick both in dry and wet conditions, and
that is very important. The potential is there. For Ruben, he put in a good
showing and that is the second race that he has finished tenth. He rode a very
intelligent race and little by little he is showing the potential that he has
and that everyone knows about. He is adapting to the M1 and you can see that in
the results."
Race classification MotoGP
Round: 3 - Shanghai MotoGP
Circuit: Shanghai
Circuit Length: 5451m
Lap Record: 2' 13.716 (Alex Barros, 2005)
Race: 22 Laps
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1. V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 50' 2.463
2. O. Jacque Kawasaki FRA +1.700
3. M. Melandri Honda ITA +16.574
4. S. Gibernau Honda ESP +18.906
5. M. Biaggi Honda ITA +19.551
6. J. vd Goorbergh Honda NED +21.622
7. J. Hopkins Suzuki USA +25.883
8. C. Edwards Yamaha USA +31.033
9. N. Hayden Honda USA +39.299
10. R. Xaus Yamaha ESP +40.991
11. A. Barros Honda BRA +44.014
12. L. Capirossi Ducati ITA +44.401
13. J. Ellison Blata WCM GBR +53.449
14. T. Elias Yamaha ESP +1' 5.853
15. T. Ukawa Moriwaki JPN +1' 9.480
16. R. Rolfo Ducati ITA +1'15.293
Fastest Race Lap:
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat Total Time
1. A. Barros Honda BRA 2'13.716
Championship standings MotoGP
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 70
2. Marco Melandri Honda ITA 45
3. Alex Barros Honda BRA 43
4. Max Biaggi Honda ITA 36
5. Sete Gibernau Honda ESP 33
6. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 25
7. Olivier Jacque Kawasaki FRA 21
8. Shinya Nakano Kawasaki JPN 19
9. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 17
10. Jurgen vd Goorbergh Honda NED 16
11. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 16
12. Troy Bayliss Honda AUS 15
13. Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 14
14. Ruben Xaus Yamaha ESP 12
15. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 11
16. Toni Elias Yamaha ESP 8
Manufacturers standings MotoGP
Pos.Manufacturer Points
1. Yamaha 70
2. Honda 61
3. Kawasaki 39
4. Ducati 21
5. Suzuki 15
6. Blata WCM 4
7. Moriwaki 1
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