YRC News
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MotoGP : Yamaha concludes 50th Anniversary year with Valencia podium
Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia
Circuit: Valencia
Date: 6 November 2005
Crowd: 124520
Temp: 21ēC
Weather: Sunny
Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi scored his sixteenth podium from
seventeen races in the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship to put
the shine on Yamaha's 50th Anniversary celebrations at Valencia. The Italian
started from his lowest grid position of the season but produced a dramatic ride
to end the race in third place, lapping quicker than eventual winner Marco
Melandri (Honda). A crowd of 124,520 watched Rossi make up seven positions with
an incredible surge on the first lap, although the early pace of Melandri and
Nicky Hayden (Honda) provided them with an advantage that proved impossible to
breach in the second half of the race.
Rossi's Yamaha Factory team-mate Colin Edwards suffered a disappointing end to
his first season with the team, losing three positions on the first lap after
starting from sixth and only managing to recover one place by the end of the
race. Nevertheless, the American has made significant progress with a new riding
style over the course of the weekend and he is now looking forward to winter
testing as he prepares for his second season as a Yamaha rider. In the meantime,
Yamaha is left to reflect on a stunning Anniversary season, in which it has
swept the board, taking the riders', teams' and constructors' World Championship
titles.
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd
"The second part of the race was very positive because my pace was fast and I
rode well but if you want to win a race then you can't start from fifteenth on
the grid. I made a mistake yesterday with the crash but the truth is that we
were struggling all weekend with the setting and we didn't understand until this
morning what the problem was. We worked it out and in the race I was able to
ride how I wanted to, but it was too late. It was good fun, I pushed hard but it
wasn't enough. In the future we have to make sure we work better in practice.
It's been a fantastic season and everyone has worked hard to achieve all our
targets. Now we look forward to some holidays and some hard work during winter
testing!"
Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 8th
"I didn't ride great today. In the middle of the race I started to push hard and
caught up again with the middle of the pack, but by that time I had abused my
tyres a lot, they were moving around and so I decided to hold station. I have
never been at the last race of a season counting down the days for winter
testing to start. We have a lot of work to do and I want to get going as soon as
possible. It's been an average season but we've learnt a lot for next year and
the whole team has worked very hard for me. I want to thank them and thank
Michelin and I'm looking forward to working with everyone over the winter and
coming out strong next year."
Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director
"Basically we lost the race in practice, both with the setting difficulties we
had and Valentino's starting position for the race. It is always going to be
difficult from the fifth row, but he was 4.9 seconds down on the leader after
four laps and by the end it was 2.9 so his pace was even better than the race
winner. It's been a long season from January, when testing started, to November.
We have won everything available, scored eleven race victories and right now I
would accept the same statistics next season - only with Colin higher in the
championship. That is our aim for next year but for now I just want to say thank
you to all our staff, engineers, crew and both of our riders. It has been a
fantastic season."
Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 10th
"We had a difficult weekend as we could not solve the problems we had on the
first day. However, I still gave my best. I think it was a season where I built
up very valuable experience. I have learnt a lot and, despite the injury that
kept me out for a while, I think I have progressed well. Now I am going to rest
for a few days which I think I deserve! I want to thank everyone at my team, the
mechanics and everyone who has supported me."
Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 15th
It has been a difficult year in which I have been battling to adapt to the
YZR-M1, but it has proved difficult. Today was another hard one, but despite not
enjoying myself much on the bike, we got one point. I must look forward now and
keep fighting."
Race classification MotoGP
Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia
Circuit: Valencia
Circuit Length: 4005m
Lap Record: 1' 33.043 (Marco Melandri, 2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 31.874 (Sete Gibernau, 2005)
Race: 30 Laps
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 46'58.152
2 N. Hayden Honda USA +0.097
3 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA +2.959
4 C. Checa Ducati ESP +18.718
5 A. Barros Honda BRA +20.706
6 M. Biaggi Honda ITA +21.254
7 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA +23.142
8 C. Edwards Yamaha USA +25.678
9 M. Tamada Honda JPN +36.710
10 T. Elias Yamaha ESP +39.116
11 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN +41.136
12 R. Kiyonari Honda JPN +45.691
13 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA +46.507
14 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER +49.856
15 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP +1'19.443
Fastest Race Lap:
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1'33.043
Championship standings MotoGP
Pos.Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 367
2 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 220
3 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 206
4 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 179
5 Max Biaggi Honda ITA 173
6 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 157
7 Sete Gibernau Honda ESP 150
8 Alex Barros Honda BRA 147
9 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 138
10 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki JPN 98
11 Makato Tamada Honda JPN 91
12 Toni Elias Yamaha ESP 74
13 Kenny Roberts Suzuki USA 63
14 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 63
15 Troy Bayliss Honda AUS 54
16 Ruben Xaus Yamaha ESP 52
Manufacturers standings MotoGP
Pos.Manufacturer Points
1 Yamaha 381
2 Honda 341
3 Ducati 202
4 Kawasaki 126
5 Suzuki 100
6 Blata WCM 13
7 Proton KR 1
8 Moriwaki 1
Team standings MotoGP
Pos.Team Points
1 Yamaha Factory Team 546
2 Repsol Honda Team 379
3 Team Movistar Honda MotoGP 370
4 Ducati Marlboro Team 295
5 Honda Camel 220
6 Kawasaki Racing Team 150
7 Fortuna Yamaha Team 130
8 Team Suzuki MotoGP 126
9 Konica Minolta Honda 103
10 D'Antin MotoGP 25
11 Blata WCM 14
12 Team Roberts KR 1
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