MCNEWS.COM.AU - The ultimate in motorcycle news MotoGP 2005 - Round 10 - Sachsenring
Ducati Race Report
July 31st, 2005

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Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa were unable to match their pre race performances in race conditions at the Sachsenring, with Capirossi, who set one of the fastest laps of the race (1'23.708), eventually ninth and Checa a non-finisher after a fall. The race itself was shortened from the expected 30 laps, after highside crash suffered by Suzuki rider John Hopkins left his bike stranded on the racing line.

This incident led to a delay in proceedings and a shortened 25-lap race, with Capirossi in sixth place on the grid, Checa tenth, due to their finishing positions in the aborted five lap start. The race was won by championship leader Valentino Rossi, from Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden. Capirossi sits eighth in the championship, with Checa tenth.

"It's a disappointing result after our warm up performances this morning, when we were second and third," said Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP Project Manager. "It was particularly disappointing as Carlos had such a good rhythm and pace, so it was a pity to lose him at the beginning of the race. Loris, who was able to set a very fast lap, was not able to maintain the rhythm in the race that he showed in the warm up and that is really a pity. Bridgestone proved to have done a very good job in practice this weekend, so we can enter the summer break hoping for a better result when we get to Brno."

Loris Capirossi looked good for a top five finish in the re-start but a drop off in lap times saw him fight hard to finish ninth, taking seven championship points to maintain his eighth place in the championship.

"In the second part I did not start so well," stated Capirossi. "I worked hard to go faster so I passed Nakano and Melandri and I stayed with them. Then the front pushed hard a couple of times, the first time at the bottom of the fast downhill curve. Towards the end the bike began moving at the back so my pace went down. Here you stay longer on the left hand side of the tyre than that caused problems at the end of the race. We have made a step forward with Bridgestone and we are almost satisfied. We must keep on working. Today I could have done better but I could also just as easily have lost everything. In Brno the second half of the season will begin and it will be the moment to make the real advance."

Carlos Checa was pushing his pace to try and get back into contention with a group of riders just in front when he lost the front at the final corner of lap five, ending his race in the gravel trap.

"I'm very sorry because we worked a lot for all the weekend", said Checa. "It is slightly uphill in that area where I crashed and a little bumpy. I think I was a little bit late on the brakes there and probably a bit too strong. It went past the limit when I let the brakes off and the front lost contact."

 

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