Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) finished just shy of the podium places riding to a fighting fourth place in front of 47,000 race fans here at a sweltering Sepang. Hayden set the first fastest lap of his career so far after challenging for the lead in the early stages of the race.

Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) rode to fifth place – an especially rugged ride taking into account his badly cut foot. But he was not quite fit enough to stay with the leaders or eventual winner Loris Capirossi (Ducati). Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) finished second and Carlos Checa (Ducati) was third. Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) was sixth.

The 21-lap race got off to a frantic start as riders funnelled into turn one with Capirossi getting the better of his front row rivals with a clean exit that gained him at least ten metres. Checa was pushed wide on the exit of the turn and had to make up early ground to get back on terms with the front-runners.

And he wasn’t the only rider pushing to stay in touch with the leaders. Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) continued his wretched season when he crashed out on lap three while trying to carve through the field, and the Spanish star also took out Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) in the crash.

The early race order was Capirossi, Melandri, Hayden, Rossi before Nicky began his charge to second putting in a fastest lap of the race of 2m
02.993 seconds on lap three. He put pressure on Capirossi for the lead by lap five but couldn’t make it past the Italian despite massive efforts.

Rossi was soon the man taking up the challenge to the leader. He passed Nicky for second and then began to attack Capirossi. Nicky then lost third to Checa while Capirossi responded to the Rossi threat in the closing laps, extending his lead from 0.7 seconds on lap 17 to 1.2 seconds by lap 19.

Checa was now intent on stealing second place from Rossi and he relentlessly bore down on the World Champion in the final stages only to lose out by seven hundredths of a second as they crossed the line.

With the track temperature at 50 degrees and ambient temperature at 38 degrees this was always going to be a hard race and so it proved. Every effort to close the gap made by Capirossi’s pursuers took its toll and all the challengers were forced to back off, unable to sustain or remount a challenge. Such was the rapid Italian’s mastery on the day.

Nicky, in fourth, said, “The first few laps were fun. There were guys going for it everywhere. I think I got hit by Sete at one stage and I lost a bit of the tyre in the center that caused a little chatter. The bike came a long way this weekend – my guys did a great job. I couldn’t hold the pace in the end but I tried my hardest and tried to hold onto the podium. The tyre I ran today was a lot better than I’ve had all weekend. Michelin did a great job to give us something for the race.”

Melandri, a fighting fifth, said, “I am so tired… We worked on the rear end of the bike for the race because it was painful for me to push down on the rear brake but in changin that we lost a bit of feel at the front. Because of the problems under braking the bike was sliding a lot on the exit but luckily from the halfway stage onwards, with less fuel and weight on board the bike, I found my rhythm and pushed a little.”

“I’m really sorry that I’ve failed to finish the race again, said Sete. “There’s not much else to say. We had a good warm-up this morning but once again we’ve been unable to finish things off in the right way on Sunday. All I can say about the crash is that I’m sorry. I tried to pass Nakano on the inside on the brakes but my front brake lever made contact with him and I lost the front-end.”

Sixth-placed Max said, “Sometimes when things are not right you have to work even harder to make the points and just to get home. Today I made it back with a machine that doesn’t go the way I want although Erv and my team tried so hard. We still have second place in the World Championship and this is a position I will defend right till the end of the season with all my spirit.”

Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) finished eighth and said, “Today I had to ride a defensive race. I was behind Roberts and I stayed there, blocked. I only tried once to pass him and I ran wide, risking crashing. Every time I braked the bike didn’t stop, it jumped. There was no grip at the front and that meant I couldn’t attack to make up places. Probably with this heat everyone had a few difficulties and there are times you can ride through the problems, but this wasn’t one of them.”

Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) struggled to 12th. The Japanese star said, “Our weekend didn’t start well and it finished that way too. Due to crashes in the first two days during practice, we didn’t get our RC211V set up right. Today I did what was possible, but I couldn’t push it any more. I’m very sad for my team who’ve done everything to give me a competitive bike. Let’s close this page of the season and think about the future. In seven days in Qatar we’ll have to do much better. It’s never my intention to give up.”

Shane Byrne, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), managed 14th place. He said “Having got to the end of this weekend I can safely say that I expected fewer problems, but I quickly changed my opinion, after the first practice. Probably if these two races were in Europe it would have been a bit easier for me, but that’s not the case. The team has done a fantastic job, and in the end I’m quite satisfied to have finished the race and to have not committed any serious errors.”

Rossi is now World Champion and the fight is on for the runner-up slot. Biaggi has 159 points, Capirossi 142, Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 139, Melandri 137 and Hayden 134. It will be an even closer battle now with just four races to go.

World Championship points leader Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) crashed out of the 250cc race on the second lap while holding third place.
His Championship rival Casey Stoner won the race from Alex de Angelis, Sebastian Porto was third (all Aprilia).

With Dani out of the running early no one had the pace to challenge Stoner and even the on-form Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) couldn’t make an impression on the front men. He finished fifth, just over ten seconds adrift of the winner.

With Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) suspended for this race, it was a chance for his team-mate Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) to match his second-best result of the season with another sixth place as he gets to grips with a 250 after cutting his teeth on 125s.

Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) finished seventh while his teammate Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) crashed out on the first lap.

Dani said, “It was an unexpected an unnecessary crash that I still can’t explain it. I was riding carefully, allowing Stoner and De Angelis to set their pace because they were running fast. I didn’t feel comfortable with the bike, which was sliding a lot. When I arrived at the corner I went in as normal, let go of the brakes and when I went to open the gas I lost the front end and couldn’t hang on. It’s a shame because this weekend had got gradually better after a few days of rest, but it’s my fourth crash in just over a week.”

Aoyama said, “There wasn’t much grip on the track, the engine temperature was higher and it wasn’t as strong as it had been in practice. I saw Dani crash in front of me and it scared me a little because I wasn’t that comfortable either. I decided not to push too hard and just finish in the best possible position.”

Takahashi said, “I started from the back of the grid and when Debon crashed on the first lap, I had to brake to dodge him and lost some positions. On the tenth lap when Locatelli passed me I got into his slipstream improving my time and position till I was seventh. I’m satisfied with this result after a low-key performance this weekend. We changed the set-up for the race taking some risks – but it was the right choice.”

Dovi said, “I didn’t make a good start and at the first corner Aoyama, who was in front of me, slammed on the brakes: I had to brake too hard to and I lost the rear end. The lack of points is not too bad because Pedrosa hasn’t scored any points, either.”

The World Championship now takes on a greater tension with Dani’s lead now reduced to 38 points with four races to go. The table looks like this: Pedrosa 226, Stoner 188, Dovizioso 144, Aoyama 134.

Tough Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) won the 125cc race with a stirring ride from pole position despite carrying injuries from his heavy Motegi crash last weekend. Mika Kallio (KTM) was second and Mattia Pasini
(Aprilia) third.

Luthi powered into the lead from the off and by the halfway stage the young Swiss had built up a 1.4 second lead. But Kallio slowly reeled him in and with nine laps to go Luthi’s advantage was down to just under a second.

It looked as if the punishment of 19 laps of this demanding 5.548km track in searing heat would be too much for Honda’s injured World Championship points leader, but Luthi showed real steel to hold off a determined Kallio to win by the slenderest of margins at the flag – just two thousandths of a second.

Luthi said, “It’s been a very difficult week after my crash. I tried everything to be able to ride here, to qualify and to race, but huge thanks must go my team because my bike was a wreck after the crash at Motegi and this weekend it was fixed and it was perfect.”

Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW) finished seventh while Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) rode into the top ten in tenth position. He said, “My start was good and I recovered a lot of positions in the first corners, but a mistake on the second lap kept me far away from the leaders. My engine was not so powerful today and I wasn’t able to get to the three KTMs in front of me. But I managed seventh position after fighting with Simoncelli and Di Meglio.”

Koyama said, “My start wasn’t so bad, but in the first three laps I felt the suspension was too hard and I lost a few places. Then from lap four I began to feel good with the bike and got faster. I was with Poggiali and we caught the second group. In the slipstream my engine ran hot, it was up to over 60 degrees at one stage, so I stayed beside Poggiali to keep the temperature down. Those first few laps cost me some positions at the end.”

The World Championship points table now shows Luthi on 189, Kallio with 181, then Gabor Talmacsi (KTM) slipping out of title contention on 131, followed by Pasini in fourth overall with 127 points. There are now four rounds of the series to go with a maximum 100 points available.

HONDA TEAM RIDERS QUOTES:
MotoGP:
Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 4th:“The first few laps were kinda’ fun really. There were guys going for it everywhere. I think I got hit by Sete at one stage and I lost a bit of the tyre right it the centre that caused a little chatter. The bike came a long way this weekend – my guys did a great job. I couldn’t hold the pace in the end. I tried my hardest and tried to hold onto the podium but it wasn’t to be. The tyre I ran today was a lot better than I’ve had all weekend. Michelin did a great job to give us something for the race – really gave us a chance to fight. Fourth is not what I wanted but I learned a lot in the race – mixing it with Valentino, Capirossi and Checa.”

Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP: : "I am so tired… the foot wasn't too painful but the area around the cut is much more sensitive to the heat and I almost burnt it. We worked really well with the rear end for the race because it was painful for me to push down on the rear brake but with that we lost a bit of feel for the front. Because of the problems under braking the bike was also sliding a lot on the exit but luckily from the halfway stage onwards, with less fuel and weight on board the bike, I found my rhythm and pushed a little. I'm happy with this result because it was unthinkable that a race could end this way a few days ago. I want to thank all the Clinica Mobile doctors for all their help."

Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team:6th: “I remember so well being at this track back in February when I limped onto the factory RCV for the first time, recovering from my broken foot. I was very high on emotion and we were fast on the bike. Sure it was not perfect but it was the start of the year and we had time before the season started to make a good package. When we arrived here we are in a bad shape with the bike. It is not the same machine as it was at the start of the year. As this weekend passed it seems to get worse. In the race there were times when I nearly crashed. Sometimes when things are not right you have to work even harder to make the points and just to get home. Today I make it back with a machine that does not go the way I want and me and my team under Erv tried so hard. We still have second place in the championship and this is a position I will defend right till the end of the season with all my spirit.”

Alex Barros, Camel Honda: 8th: “Today I had to ride a defensive race, without be able to attack. I was behind Roberts and I stayed there, blocked. I only tried once to pass him and I ran it wide, risking crashing. Every time I braked the bike didn’t stop, it jumped, there was no grip at the front and that meant I couldn’t attack to make up places. Probably with this heat everyone had a few difficulties and there are time you can ride over the problems, but this was not really possible on this occasion. I tried to finish the race without crashing, because I didn’t want to do as I did in Motegi and I managed that, but I can’t be happy with eighth place.”

Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 12th: “Our weekend didn’t start well and so it finished. Due to the slips in the first two days during practice, we didn’t make it to properly adjust our RC211V. Today I have done what possible, but I couldn’t make it to find the right feeling to push it more. I’m very sad also for my Team that has done everything to give me a competitive bike. Let’s close this page of the season and let’s think about the future. In seven days in Qatar we’ll have to do much better. It’s not my intention to give up.”

Shane Byrne, Camel Honda: 14th : “Having got to the end of this weekend I can safely say that I expected fewer problems, but I quickly changed my opinion, after the first practice. Probably if these two races were in Europe it would have been a bit easier for me, but that’s not the case and I have to do the best I can. The team has done a fantastic job, and in the end I’m quite satisfied to have finished the race and to have not committed any serious errors. Running wide in a corner at the beginning meant I lost contact with the small group in front of me, and I couldn’t get back up there. On the last lap I did manage to enjoy myself battling with Xaus though. With a race under my belt I hope to get off to a better start in Qatar and to take a better result.”

Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP: Dnf: "I'm really sorry that I've failed to finish the race again - there's not much else to say. We had a good warm-up this morning but once again we've been unable to finish things off in the right way on Sunday. All I can say about the crash is that I'm sorry. I tried to pass Nakano on the inside on the brakes but made contact with my front brake lever and lost the front end."

250cc:
Hiroshi Aoyama, MoviStar Honda: 5th: “There wasn’t much grip on the track, the temperature of the bike rose and the engine wasn’t as strong as it had been in practice. I saw Dani crash in front of me and it scared me a little because I wasn’t comfortable either. I decided not to push too hard and just finish in the best possible position.”

Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 6th: “After the race I got off the bike really upset and not happy with this result. I did better in the race than in qualifying to earn this place. I had hoped to be up with the front group but I had a problem with the rear tyre. I have to work much harder on making the best tyre choice for the race and how to save the tyre. I always look forward and step by step with a lot of work we will reach our goal.”

Yuki Takahashi, Scot Honda: 7th: “I started from the back of the grid and when Debon crashed, in the first lap, I had to brake to dodge him losing positions. On the tenth lap when Locatelli passed me I exploited his slipstream improving my time and position till I was seventh. I’m satisfied for this result after a low-key performance this weekend. We changed the set up for the race taking some risks. But it was the right choice”.

Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Bos Castrol Honda: 11th. “The race was difficult. I got a very bad start and then Dovizioso crashed in front of me. I had to take avoiding action to miss his bike and lost time. But I soon found a good rhythm and caught Jenkner and closed on the group in front of me. I chose to race with the hard H tyre from Dunlop and maybe that was a mistake because the track is bumpy and I was sliding a lot, I couldn’t get on the gas as early as I wanted to so I lost a little ground. Still I’m happy with my place at the finish. Now we go to Qatar and hope we can continue in the same way. We have to build on this result.”

Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: 19th. “I had a problem with the valve going to the start line. I tried to ride with by using the kill switch but I was last so I pulled into the pit so the team could fix the problem. When I went out I was behind the leading group, one lap down just to see how fast I was against them. I didn’t come here to watch the race on TV so I rode it out.”

Dani Pedrosa, MoviStar Honda: dnf – crash: “It was an unexpected an unnecessary crash that I still can’t explain. I was riding carefully, allowing Stoner and De Angelis to set their pace because they were running fast and I still didn’t feel comfortable with the bike, which was sliding a lot. When I arrived at the corner I went in there as normal, let go of the brakes and when I went to open the gas I lost the front end and couldn’t hang on. I wasn’t pushing it at all. We had a carburetion problem and the bike was getting bogged down at the end of the two straights. We leave here without scoring points and the gap in the championship is reduced, but I’m confident that the bad luck will end here and we’ll be back at our best in Qatar. It’s a shame because this weekend had got gradually better after a few days of rest, but it is my fourth crash in just over a week and we have made another mistake

Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda: dnf – crash. ”I haven’t mad a good start and at the first corner Ayoama, who was in front of me, slammed on the brakes: I had to brake too hard and I lost the rear end slid out. The lack of points is fortunately not too bad because Pedrosa hasn’t scored any points, either “

Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf – crash. “I went to the start very happy with my bike. I got a good start but at the corner coming onto the back straight. I opened the gas too fast and got high-sided from the bike. I’m not happy with my performance because I lost a good chance to take points and move up in the ‘Private’ rider standings.”

Radomil Rous, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf- crash. “I got a bad start and was near the back that made me nervous and I pushed too hard opened the gas too early and crashed at the same corner as Alex (Debon). I am very disappointed after my good race at Motegi last week.”

Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda serving one-race suspension: dns.

125cc:
Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 1st. “I started a little too fast and the front end came up on me. After that I braked hard at the first and second corners and got the lead. Once in front I tried to breakaway running 2m 15s lap times but Kallio eventually caught me. We stayed together and towards the end of the race the dropped the pace to 2m 17s. Then on the last lap I put in another 2m 15s lap and held on to win. That was my tactic and it paid off. I really happy after what happened at Motegi. ”

Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda: 7th: : “My start was good and I recovered a lot positions in the first corners but a mistake on the second lap kept me far away from the leaders. My engine was not so powerful today and I wasn’t able to get to the three KTM’s in front of me. I reached seventh position after fighting against Simoncelli and Mike (Di Meglio)..”

Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 10th. “My start was not so bad but in the first three laps I felt the suspension was too hard and I lost a few places. Then from lap 4 I began to feel god with the bike and got faster. I was with Poggiali and we caught the second group. In the slipstream my engine ran hot, it was up to 64’ at one time, but I stayed beside Poggiali to keep the temperature down. The first few laps cost me some positions at the end.”

Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing World Honda: 11th: “On this track it’s important to start from the first few rows because at the first corner all the riders are concentrated into a funnel. Unfortunately I mistakes in the second and fundamental qualifying practice and I started from the third row. My bike was ok in the cyclistic set up but the engine was good only when I stayed in.

Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 14th. “It was a difficult race today.
My bike was good on acceleration but not top speed so I had to use the slipstream to stay with the group. The trouble was that the engine got too hot, it was running at almost 70’, so when I pulled out of the slipstream to pass another rider I couldn’t do it.”

Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 15th. “I’m not very happy to finish 15th. I didn’t get a very good start but I could slipstream the other riders in my group but without the draft I was slow. I was a little worried about the rear tyre before the race but it was OK. The chassis was good but the engine was not as good as in practice. At the last corner I thought I would finish 17th but I pushed hard and the others ran a little wide and I was on the inside and got 15th.”

Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 26th. “I am really disappointed with that race. Somebody hit me at the second corner and I crashed. I saw the bike was not too badly damaged so I picked it up and continued. But I was in last place. I passed a few riders but I didn’t find a good rhythm after the crash so I didn’t ride at my best.”

Wai On Cheung, CHN, replaces Raymond Schouten on Molenaar Honda: 29th: “I enjoyed the race and fighting with GP riders, it was a great experience. In China we don’t have high-speed corner and I was not fast there in practice but I was better today. The team helped me a lot and I have to thank them a lot.”

Toshihisa Kuzuhara, Angaia Racing Honda: dnf – crash. “Today in the race I really tried my best and I’m really disappointed with my crash at the ‘S’ corner. Particularly as there were just two laps to go in the race. Now we go to Qatar where I will again give my best and hope for a better result.”