MotoGP 2005

Nicky Hayden took his best finish of the year taking fourth place with team-mate Max Biaggi coming in sixth in front of more than 90,000 enthralled spectators at the 75th running of the Dutch TT at Assen, Holland today.

Hayden’s team knew they had to gamble a little for race set-up. The American had never found the ideal feel with his RC211V over the practice days and in the cooler, damp warm-up session this morning he finished eighth fastest in a 21-rider field. Starting from the second row of the grid for the sixth time in seven races this year the 23-year-old made a lightning start and rode aggressively and confidently in the first lap around the outside of many of the front men ending the first lap running second.

The Kentucky rider choose a soft rear Michelin and found grip an issue in the middle part of the 19-lap race when
he succumbed to the Yamaha pair of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards. He settled himself and hunted down Honda - mounted Sete Gibernau to re-take fourth place and secure 13 valuable championship points.

Biaggi had his difficulties over the two practice days but a change in the weather this morning brought hope when the Italian finished the morning warm-up posting the third fastest time of the session. The track temperature was 32 degrees cooler than it had been in the qualification period yesterday.
Starting from the third row of the grid the 33-year-old found himself down in 11th place at the end of the first lap. Again he proved a fighter and battled his way up through the field, overtaking half the pack and grabbing sixth place as the chequered flag came out. Not an ideal present for the four-time world champion who celebrates his 34th birthday tomorrow but still enough to hang on to third in the riders’ standings.

Hayden left the circuit soon after the race to fly direct to the UK to ride a RC211V at the Goodwood Festival of Speed alongside past Honda World Champions Mick Doohan, Freddie Spencer, Luigi Taveri and Ralph Bryans in a celebration of Honda’s Grand Prix success. He moves from the UK straight to America to prepare for the first running of the US GP since 1994 that will be staged at Laguna Seca, on July 10th.

It was announced yesterday that Repsol and Honda have agreed a new two-year deal that will see the two companies continue their successful 11-year partnership for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The long-term relationship between the Honda Racing Corporation and the Repsol YPF brand has brought eight 500cc and MotoGP titles, 90 race victories in the premier class and 130 podium finishes.

Rossi won his sixth race of the year with Movistar Honda-mounted Marco Melandri taking the runner-up position and Edwards the last spot on the podium.

Makoto Tanaka, Repsol Honda Team Manager
“It hasn’t been the easiest weekend for the team but I’m relatively happy in the end. Nicky rode strongly and confidently and had his best result of the year; a good time for it before going to America. Max once again proved what a racer he is by coming through the field so well. It would have been nice to celebrate the signing of the Repsol agreement with a stronger result but we’re in the deal for the long-run and I know the results will come.”

Max Biaggi
Position: 6th - Best lap: 2m 02.152s
Front: 16.5" slick Michelin Rear: 16.5" slick Michelin
“I had no grip since the start of the race and couldn’t really get into the turns and open the throttle like I wanted to. I lost immediately too much ground and could only fight for the lower positions. We need to work harder and we need a result soon – hopefully by the nest race because we have the potential to express ourselves. This is not the level that I or the team should be working at. We can do much better because we have to.”

Nicky Hayden
Position: 4th - Best lap: 2m 01.702s
Front: 16.5" slick Michelin Rear: 16.5" slick Michelin
“It’s been a tough weekend really especially with the weather. This morning the track was so different so in the race we had to gamble a little. We changed the fork springs and it all felt pretty good at the start. The tyre really came in over the first few laps and I was able to make some passes. Then Rossi and Edwards came by and I had to regroup a little and in the end I got past Gibernau for a pretty lonely fourth. I know its the best finish this season but I really want to move on to the next group – and for the whole race, not just a bit of it. I really looking forward to putting on a good show for all the fans at Laguna in the next race.”

Search the site - Late Braking News - Forum

Bike Tests - Features - Wallpaper - Race Calendar

MCNEWS.COM.AU