MotoGP 2005 - Round 3

MotoGP : Rossi takes historic victory in first ever race at Shanghai
Round: 3 - Shanghai MotoGP
Circuit: Shanghai
Date: 1 May 2005
Crowd: 30000
Temp: 21慢
Weather: Very Wet

Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi made history once again today, becoming the first rider to take a MotoGP victory at Shanghai, with a stunning performance in torrentially wet conditions at the inaugural Grand Prix of China. Despite starting from sixth place on the grid Rossi took control of the race on the fifth lap, passing early leader Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) and opening up a clear gap over the chasing pack.

It was an advantage the reigning World Champion would never let slip, holding his concentration for the next 17 laps despite the attentions of surprise challenger Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki), riding in place of the injured Alex Hofmann. Jacque passed Sete Gibernau (Honda) for second place with seven laps to go and closed in on Rossi at the front, but was unable to seriously threaten the Italian's second victory from the opening three rounds of the championship.

With Marco Melandri (Honda) eventually passing Gibernau on the final lap to snatch third place, Rossi's advantage at the top of the World Championship now stands at 25 points over his Italian compatriot. A determined performance from his team-mate Colin Edwards, who rode from 13th on the grid to take the flag in eighth, means the Gauloises Yamaha Team now lead the teams' championship, with Yamaha also on top in the manufacturers' standings.

The Fortuna Yamaha riders Ruben Xaus and Toni Elias finished the Grand Prix of China in 10th and 14th position respectively. Building on his impressive qualifying performance Elias made a great start, which saw him move into third position on the opening laps. The 'MotoGP Rookie' looked set to demonstrate his true potential, but bad fortune robbed him of the chance to remain with the lead riders. It was deemed the Manresa rider had badly positioned his bike on the starting grid and as a result the circuit officials imposed a 'drive-through' penalty that saw him have to return to the pit-lane before rejoining the race. His team-mate Xaus was thinking only of scoring points and making up some of the ground lost in the championship points race, and eventually finished in tenth place.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 1st "Out of all the victories in my career, this was the one I least expected - I am really surprised. It is the first time I have won in the wet on the Yamaha, so it is a special victory. We had some problems with the set-up of the bike this weekend but the team made some modifications overnight, changing the front fork setting, and already in the warm-up it felt good. I got off to a good start in the race and I was quite surprised to be at the front so quickly. There was a lot of water on the track so I had to keep my concentration at 100%. I was smooth and in control all the way to the end, and the race worked out perfectly for me. All I can say is big thanks to Jeremy Burgess, the rest of the team and Yamaha because we have worked especially hard for this win."

Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 8th "I got a good jump from the line but there were a couple of guys trying to be heroes in the first corner and they messed things up for me a little. After that I just tried to make up positions but the spray made it difficult and it was risky to get off the racing line. As soon as I had clear track in front of me my pace was as good as the guys at the front, but I had a problem shifting down through the gears and, coupled with the tyre wear, I couldn't do much more than bring it home in eighth. I'm disappointed but it's good to have a race in the wet and we know we're on the right line for the rest of the season. "

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director "It was a fantastic day for us - Valentino was simply great. It was our first race in the wet since Jerez last season and I think we saw how much the bike has improved, so a big thank you goes out to all the team and engineers, who have worked hard under a lot of pressure. Colin's starting position made it hard for him but his pace was good and he picked up some important points. It's a pleasure for us to take the first win in China and it was important because we're now leading in the rider, team and manufacturers' championships. Now let's continue like this!"

Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 10th - "I am progressing, at least I was able to score some points and finish in the top ten, although I still owe my team a lot for the mistakes I made in pre-season. I rode very well in the warm-up and had a lot of confidence on the damp track, but I took it easy on the first corner as I did not want to risk anything. I let a few riders pass me and took the first few laps easy thinking about conserving my tyres. In the end that helped me and I was able to lap with times the same as the lead group, and score some points."

Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 14th - "I got away very well and was lapping comfortably for the first few laps with Rossi, Gibernau and Biaggi. But the race authorities warned me I had to enter the pit-lane for a penalty because I was not in the right position on the starting grid. I got confused with the positioning because in MotoGP you only have three bikes on each row. It's devastating, but in the end it was my own fault. I was having a great race. After the penalty I was able to climb back up the field a bit but it did not help much."

Herve Poncharal, Fortuna Yamaha Team Director - "Toni was having a great race, but unfortunately the penalty for his wrong positioning did not allow him to continue with the lead group. It was a real shame! Despite that, Toni showed his great potential, not only during the race, but throughout the weekend too. He was quick both in dry and wet conditions, and that is very important. The potential is there. For Ruben, he put in a good showing and that is the second race that he has finished tenth. He rode a very intelligent race and little by little he is showing the potential that he has and that everyone knows about. He is adapting to the M1 and you can see that in the results."

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