Marco Simoncelli - “Another important step up”

The San Carlo Honda Gresini rookie achieved his best premier class qualification and equalled his best race result of the season at Phillip Island over the weekend.

Marco Simoncelli enjoyed another weekend of notable progress in his debut MotoGP campaign with a sixth-placed finish in the Iveco Australian Grand Prix. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider started from a season’s best position of fourth on the grid for the Round 16 race, and contested for fifth place with Ben Spies for much of the 27-lap encounter.

It was Simoncelli’s third top-six result of 2010 and equalled his previous best results in Germany and Japan, whilst also signifying another stride in his development in his first season in the premier class.

“I’m very happy with this race. The rhythm I had was very pleasing and I fought with Spies on every lap, and for the first ten laps with Rossi and Hayden too, so this was very good,” said Simoncelli as he reviewed his performance.

“I am a little unhappy with the final position however because I had hoped for something better from the race. But in general I’m very pleased with my weekend. We took another important step up and I hope to continue like this until the end of the season.”

In the remaining two rounds of the campaign the Italian visits tracks he has taken victory on in the 250cc class over the past two seasons. In his title-winning 2008 season Simoncelli won at Valencia, whilst last year he took victory at Estoril.

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/

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Eighth a solid initial run for Marco Simoncelli

The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider recovered from a crash early on in FP1 at Brno to set the eighth fastest time of the session.

Marco Simoncelli set about the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic in a resolute manner on Friday, lapping eighth fastest in the first practice having climbed back aboard his San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V machine following an early crash.

The fall did little to tarnish the Italian’s enthusiasm and focus and his best time of 1’58.840 left him just over a second-and-a-half off Jorge Lorenzo’s top time, with a positive foundation to build on in Saturday’s sessions.

"Apart from the crash I’m happy with today,” said the former 250cc World Champion. “I started out well but lost the front when I hit a bump and I crashed. Maybe after a few days’ holiday I was just pushing too hard! When I went back out things went well and I set a 1’58.840 on my own in the only run we had time for before it started raining.”

“The bike still doesn’t feel great but I’m confident for tomorrow. The rain wasn’t heavy but there was no point staying out there and risking another crash. I feel better with the electronics than I did at Laguna. I spent time working on them with the team over the break and I think we’re already feeling the benefit."

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/

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Honda Gresini pair set to push on

Marco Melandri hopes to be at full fitness in Brno whilst Marco Simoncelli is anticipating the benefits of a new electronics package on the team’s satellite RC212V machines.

After three weeks in which to continue the recovery of his injured shoulder San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri is hoping that his improved physical condition at the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic will lead to a solid result at Brno.

“I expected to do better at Laguna Seca but unfortunately I was forced to accept that physically I wasn’t up to it,” said Melandri, who finished eighth in the previous round. “My shoulder wasn’t painful during the race but after ten laps I was exhausted. I had no feeling on the way into the corners and I couldn’t ride as fast as I’d hoped.”

“Since then I’ve taken a short holiday near the sea but I’ve continued with constant physiotherapy in the hope that I can be back to full fitness for Brno. I like the circuit and if I have recovered as well as I hope and I can stay strong over race distance then I should be fighting near the front. I am not happy with the current situation because I don’t like to be making up the numbers in MotoGP!"

Rookie team-mate Marco Simoncelli is targeting a return to points scoring after a fall at Laguna Seca, and is aiming to replicate his 250cc form there of the past two seasons.

"The crash at Laguna left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Whenever that happens you head home with your tail between your legs but I took a short break in Sardinia and then began to prepare myself for this weekend because it is going to be a very important Grand Prix for me,” he said.

“Brno is a circuit I like a lot and I have always had good races there especially the last two years, finishing third in 2008 and winning last year. The Czech Republic has been kind to me in the past so I hope I can be strong again this weekend,” he added, before commenting on an update to his machine.

“We have more confidence now with the electronics package given to us by Honda in America so we should get more performance out of the bike.”

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/

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Marco Simoncelli qualifies as top Laguna Seca newcomer

San Carlo Honda Gresini's Marco Simoncelli bounced back from his Friday fall to qualify quickest of the five Laguna Seca first-timers.

The Italian rookie claimed ninth on the grid and will start next to two very experienced Americans - seventh fastest Nicky Hayden and eighth fastest Colin Edwards.

“I'm quite happy with that," said Simoncelli. "We were struggling yesterday but that was normal because it was my first time at the track and considering everything it wasn't so bad. We weren't brilliant this morning, when we spent the session on a used tyre and made a few changes to the setting that didn't quite work.

"Thanks to the help of our Japanese technician from HRC, who made a suggestion about the set-up, the bike immediately felt better and I was able to ride alone and make progress. I wasn't following anybody for my fastest lap so that gives me a lot of confidence for the race.

"I'm happy I know my way around Laguna Seca now and I think I have the Corkscrew sorted out, so all in all I am satisfied.”

Team-mate Marco Melandri will start two spots behind Simoncelli. The track has always been good to Melandri and he was hoping for more of the same. This weekend the team received upgraded electronics, which should be of great help, but can be tricky to adapt to in the short term.

“It has been a difficult day and we have struggled a lot. The new electronics package definitely has a lot of potential but we need more time to set it up – we are still a long way from getting the most out of it," he said.

"In qualifying this afternoon (Mika) Kallio got in my way in the Corkscrew when I was on my fastest lap and I lost it. But that doesn't cover up the fact that we are still some way off where we should be.”

Source: http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/

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Marco Simoncelli starts out “on the right foot”

Marco Simoncelli set the fifth best time of the first practice at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on Friday, and was left to contemplate the best start to a weekend in his debut MotoGP season.

The Italian kept his feet on the ground after his best time of 1’23.204 placed him fifth with less than a second separating the top 13 in the session, but he was pleased nonetheless with his performance, one he hopes to repeat on Saturday.

"I am happy with the fifth fastest time although it doesn’t mean that much because there are a lot of riders in just a few tenths of a second. It wouldn’t take much to drop from fifth to the bottom of the time sheets but I can’t deny I’m pleased to be inside the top five for the first time in MotoGP… it feels good!” he said.

“Obviously we still have a lot of work to do because we’re still having some problems with rear grip but I think we have the data we need to make the right changes for tomorrow. Other than that, like I say, I am happy and confident that I can do well again tomorrow. One thing is for certain - we have started out on the right foot."

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/

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Brave ride from Melandri for ninth

Marco Melandri’s sheer determination pushed the Italian to a ninth placed finish at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya on Sunday, as he fought increasing pain through the race to take an impressive top-ten finish.

Having dislocated his left shoulder just a week earlier in a practice session at Assen – a race he subsequently missed – Melandri was back on his satellite RC212V at Montmeló for round seven, not wanting to lose out on the chance of taking more valuable Championship points.

“That was a tough race - really tough,” admitted Melandri. “The temperature was incredible but the heat was the least of my worries and I was struggling most of all with my condition under braking. I could hardly get the bike stopped in the first corner but my pace was good and I was hopeful of following Spies and Capirossi to the end.”

He continued: “Unfortunately I made a couple of mistakes and I started to feel more and more pain. I was riding practically using only the right side of my body and when the front started to lose grip it was hard for me to hold on. I made one last attempt to pass Hayden at the end but I couldn’t hold it on the brakes so it was impossible.”

Melandri’s result moved him up to ninth place in the overall standings, where he is now level on 39 points with team-mate Marco Simoncelli and American Colin Edwards.

Source: http://www.motogp.com/

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