After the Flag now available

The latest episode of the MotoGP series with presenter Gavin Emmett looks back over the World Championship’s first visit to the Motorland Aragón circuit.

Round 13, the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón, is put under the spotlight in the latest After the Flag with Gavin Emmett as a full review of the weekend’s action is featured. Casey Stoner’s first win of the season, a first podium of 2010 for Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo’s first time off the rostrum… There is plenty up for discussion so join Gavin for a topical review.

Click here to see the latest episode of After the Flag, or visit the iTunes store to download it for free.

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/

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Shoya Tomizawa dies of Misano injuries

Shoya Tomizawa has died as a result of injuries sustained in the Moto2 race on Sunday at Misano.

The Japanese - who made history by winning the first ever Moto2 Grand Prix at Qatar this year, then took pole and a podium at round two - fell from fourth place on lap 12 and was then hit at high speed by Alex de Angelis and Scott Redding.

The official statement from Dorna announcing the death was as follows:

"On Sunday 5th September during the Moto2 race at the Misano World Circuit, rider Shoya Tomizawa aged 19 suffered a serious crash and subsequent cranial, thoracic and abdominal trauma.

"Given the seriousness of his condition - especially for the thoracic and abdominal trauma - Tomizawa was immediately treated at the Misano World Circuit medical centre and put under artificial respiration.

"The rider was taken by ambulance to the Riccione hospital accompanied by two doctors - helicopter was not used in order to allow for the proper respiratory support to be administered. Despite various attempts to resuscitate him Shoya sadly succumbed to his injuries at 14.20.

"Everybody involved in MotoGP extends its deepest condolences to Shoya's family and friends at this tragic loss."

de Angelis walked away from the huge accident, while Redding received ten stitches for a back laceration. Neither rider had any chance to avoid Tomizawa, who was sixth in the world championship heading into the race.

2010 was Tomizawa's second season in grand prix racing, after finishing 17th in the 2009 250cc class.

Prior to last year, Tomizawa had been a wild-card rider at his home Motegi event in 2006 (125cc), 2007 (125cc) and 2008 (250cc).

Tomizawa was runner-up in the 125cc Japanese Championship in 2006 and the 250cc Japanese Championship in 2008.

The last time a rider was killed during a motorcycle grand prix was Daijiro Kato, in the MotoGP class, at Suzuka 2003.

Our thoughts are with Tomizawa's family and friends. 

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

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Marco Melandri leaves MotoGP for Yamaha WSBK ride

Marco Melandri has confirmed that he will leave the San Carlo Honda Gresini team at the end of the 2010 MotoGP season and move to the World Superbike Championship with Yamaha.

Melandri has been a full time grand prix rider since 1998 in the 125cc class and has taken a total of 22 GP wins - 5 in MotoGP, 10 in 250cc and 7 in 125cc.

The Italian won the 250cc world championship in 2002 and moved to MotoGP with a factory Yamaha ride the following season.

Valentino Rossi's arrival saw the #33 switch to Tech 3 Yamaha for 2004, whom he left under something of a cloud before joining Honda Gresini in 2005, where he finished second to Rossi in the World Championship with two wins.

Melandri then won three races for the Gresini team in 2006, but no satellite rider has won since the start of the 800cc era in 2007, the year Melandri took his last two podiums for Gresini.

A dream move to the factory Ducati team for 2008 turned into a nightmare, but Melandri rebuilt his reputation with the Hayate-run Kawasaki in 2009, leading to a Gresini Honda return in 2010.

But Melandri is only ninth in the championship after twelve rounds and can't get the RC212V to work as he would like and he has now decided to make a fresh start in WSBK with the factory-backed 2009 title-winning Sterilgarda team.

“I'm very happy with this new challenge, it's a big change and I want to fight for world Superbike wins,” said 28-year-old Melandri. “It's nice to be back with Yamaha; I know many people there; I was very young when I rode with them before, now I'm much more mature.

"As the reigning 2009 champions The Yamaha Sterilgarda Team have proved to have a very competitive package and are one of the top teams in World Superbike. I realise Superbike is not easy and I know I have to work hard. I'm looking forward to feeling the adrenalin again and fighting for the championship.

"I felt that I needed a new challenge and the genuine opportunity to be back fighting for wins and podiums led me to make this choice. It will be a big change for me but I would like to thank Fausto and everybody else at Team San Carlo Honda Gresini for the opportunity they gave me this season."

"I would like to thank Marco for this season on behalf of myself, our sponsors and everybody who works with the team," said Fausto Gresini. "I'm glad that we were able to spend another season together because we are great friends and I hope that we can achieve the results that have eluded us so far in what remains of the championship.

"I encourage him to take on his next challenge with great determination and I am sure he can be as successful there as he was with us in 2005, 2006 and 2007."

Melandri's deal comes just minutes after present Yamaha Sterilgarda rider cal Crutchlow was confirmed as moving to MotoGP with Tech 3 next year. The future of James Toseland, Crutchlow's team-mate, is less clear. 

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

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Scott Redding escapes serious injury

Scott Redding escaped serious injury during a huge crash in Sunday's Moto2 race at Misano, but was left devastated by the news that Shoya Tomizawa sustained fatal injuries in the incident.

Tomizawa fell from fourth place after running wide onto the back straight and was hit at high-speed by Alex de Angelis and then Redding, who were close behind and had no chance to avoid the stricken rider.

19-year-old Tomizawa died later in hospital.

Redding was also taken to the circuit medical centre, where he received ten stitches for a laceration to his back. de Angelis miraculously walked away from the huge accident.

"Scott's crash was a big one, so we are thankful that the only injury he sustained was a minor laceration on his back," said Redding's Marc VDS team manager Michael Bartholemy.

"We were deeply saddened by the news that Shoya Tomizawa succumbed to the injuries sustained. He was a respected rival and will be sorely missed in the paddock.

"Like everyone in the Marc VDS Racing Team, my thoughts are with his family and friends at this time." 

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

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MotoGP paddock united in Tomizawa grief

There was an overwhelming sadness at Misano as riders and teams expressed their sorrow at the tragic death on Sunday of Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa.

The untimely passing away of Shoya Tomizawa on Sunday provoked an array of sad reactions from the MotoGP paddock, as the sport lost a talented rider and one of its most popular figures.

Nineteen year-old Tomizawa, the first rider ever to win a Moto2 race at the start of the season, was a highly charismatic, friendly and well-liked person and tributes to him were paid by those who had been fortunate to experience his fantastic persona.

Moto2 race winner at Misano on Sunday Toni Elías said: “All I feel is sadness right now and my victory today is irrelevant. I was talking and joking with Tomizawa only yesterday in the Clinica Mobile and to think that he is no longer with us is truly awful. Even today we were out there racing together when he was in front of me before this incredible tragedy. He has left an indelible mark on my life."

Elías Team Manager Fausto Gresini, who experienced the tragedy of losing a rider when Daijiro Kato passed away at Suzuka in 2003, stated: "Today is a very sad and very tough day, when racing doesn't feel like it should. I know just how hard it is to lose a rider in these circumstances and I know the pain that his family and all the guys on the team who worked with him are feeling right now. There is little more to say.”

MotoGP race winner Dani Pedrosa reflected: “There are no words to say how it feels after this victory - it feels like nothing. It’s so sad, terrible, and these things should never happen. As a person I can only say that he was a very funny boy, always happy and making jokes, and as a rider he earned respect from everybody in a very short time, he was fast and brave.”

Jorge Lorenzo said: "I don't have many words for the race on such a sad say. It's a huge pity because he was a good guy and a strong rider. I am so sad and I just want to say how sorry I am for his family and his friends. When this happens nothing else matters."

The Spaniard’s team-mate Valentino Rossi commented: "I'm so sorry for Shoya because he was a strong rider but above all he was very ‘sympatico.' He was very funny, always smiling and he always had nice things to say to everyone. He was also very young with a great career ahead of him so we are all very sad."

Ducati rider Casey Stoner said: “I am deeply saddened for Tomizawa, his family and everybody who worked with him. It is something truly terrible and it left me breathless, like a week ago (and the death of Peter Lenz). It was a pleasure to watch him ride and I was looking forward to see him have a great career."

The Australian’s team-mate Nicky Hayden added: “I am really sad, we have lost two riders in two weekends. My thoughts are with his family and his team but I think the whole paddock has been hit hard by this tragedy. At the end of the day we are all brothers here. We have lost a talented kid with a great personality. I loved his style, his determination and the smile he always wore.”

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/

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Nicky Hayden, Capirossi first lap clash at Misano

Loris Capirossi's 200th premier-class race ended at the first chicane in Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, when the Rizla Suzuki rider was hit by Ducati's Nicky Hayden.

Both riders fell in the incident, which occurred as they accelerated out of the second apex.

Capirossi was out on the spot, while Hayden rejoined before also retiring due to gear lever damage.

While Hayden was unhurt, Capirossi suffered an injury to his right little finger and will require surgery in San Marino on Monday.

The Italian is hopeful that he will make the next round of the MotoGP championship at Aragon on September 17-19.

“I am very angry at what happened today because I was feeling very confident and the bike was good, so I thought we could have a competitive race," said Loris. "Now I have to have an operation and I hope I can be back for Aragon, but this is nothing compared to what happened in the other race."

Hayden, who had qualified just 14th, has not managed to complete a race at Misano since the venue returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007.

The American, who has twice previously been the victim of first lap Misano accidents, felt it was simply a racing incident.

"This hasn't been a great track for me over the last couple of years. I got quite a good start and made up some positions but on the exit of turn two when I got on the gas and opened up for the next turn I touched with Loris, who was closing his line a little," said Nicky.

"I'm sorry but it was a racing incident that can happen at any time and when you start so far back you tend to cross lines. The shifter was damaged and I had to come back in." 

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

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 confirm Cal Crutchlow for 2011

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is delighted to announce the signing of British rider Cal Crutchlow to contest the MotoGP World Championship for the next two years.

Crutchlow will extend his successful collaboration with Yamaha having won the World Supersport championship at the first attempt in 2009 with five victories and ten pole positions. Crutchlow has demonstrated his world-class pedigree again in 2010 after a series of blisteringly fast performances in World Superbikes on board Yamaha's YZF-R1 machine. He has claimed five pole positions so far in 2010 but the highlight of his impressive campaign was undoubtedly a majestic double victory in his home race at Silverstone in early August.

Cal Crutchlow

“It is hard for me to explain how excited I am about the prospect of riding in MotoGP next season with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Joining MotoGP is like a dream come true for me, and I want to thank Yamaha and Hervé Poncharal for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. Yamaha have been fantastic to me and without their incredible support I wouldn't be where I am today. And I'm really looking forward to working with the Tech 3 Team. They are a very professional team with a lot of experience and I'm sure they will be able to help me develop even more as a rider. I am under no illusions about how difficult this challenge will be. But I have always loved a challenge and I'm relishing this one. To think I will be racing against the likes of Valentino Rossi, who I grew up being a massive fan of, is a really exciting prospect and I can't wait for 2011.”

Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager

“I am delighted that a rider of Cal's calibre will ride for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. He has shown with his World Supersport success in 2009 and with a series of outstanding performances in World Superbikes this year what an exciting prospect he is for the future. I think he is ready to test himself against the very best in the world and I'm really looking forward to working with him. He is a very talented rider and he has an unbelievable desire to succeed. Ben has proven this year that with talent, hard work and determination you can make a successful switch from World Superbikes to MotoGP. I have no doubt that Cal has the potential to emulate Ben's success in the future. I am sure the combination of Cal, Yamaha and Tech 3 will be a strong one and I can't wait to start this exciting new adventure in our history.”

Source: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/

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