Phillip Island GP Aussie time!

deez · 10-17-2003, 3:29 AM

QP1

Read below, Bayliss looks good in qualifying thus far, will be nice to see Bayliss or Capirossi duke it out in front again.

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...253/253129.jpg

Warm and sunny weather conditions illuminated a dramatic first day of qualifying at the Phillip Island circuit this afternoon, where Valentino Rossi clocked a new MotoGP pole position record just hours after seeing his young friend and Honda colleague Dani Pedrosa break both his ankles in a nasty practice crash. The 125cc World Champion, who wrapped up the title just five days ago at Sepang in Malaysia, was airlifted to hospital in Melbourne where he was due to undergo an emergency operation. Whilst the fracture on his right ankle was clean, his left ankle was badly twisted and doctors predict a recovery period of up to 40 days before he can begin to walk – definitely ruling him out of the final Grand Prix of the season in two weeks’ time at Valencia, his home race.

The first qualifying practice for the MotoGP class was also interrupted by a crash for Marco Melandri which saw the session red-flagged for around ten minutes. However, the Italian was uninjured and quickly returned to the track to try and keep up with an electric pace being set by home rider Troy Bayliss.

The gritty Australian battled for top spot with recently re-crowned World Champion Rossi, with both riders dipping under the pole record set at this circuit one year ago by Jeremy McWilliams on the two-stroke Proton KR3. Bayliss’ brave effort was foiled with just minutes left when his Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi, a renowned last lap specialist, and then Rossi with a time of 1’30.631 edged to the top of the time sheets to deny a memorable home provisional pole.

Max Biaggi completes the provisional front row with the fourth fastest time of the day, edging out Honda rival Sete Gibernau by just 0.002 seconds. Nicky Hayden was sixth fastest ahead of Carlos Checa on the Yamaha, whilst Garry McCoy enjoyed his best session of the season so far with the eighth quickest lap in front of his home crowd. Kawasaki team-mate and fellow Australian Andrew Pitt also performed well for the locals, setting the twelfth fastest time and provisionally qualifying on the third row. Last year’s pole setter McWilliams, now riding the Proton V5 four-stroke, came within one tenth of a second of his previous best here to clinch ninth on the grid in the absence of his team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki. The Japanese rider was taken to a local hospital for x-rays after injuring his neck in a practice crash this morning.

Baketech · 10-17-2003, 7:57 AM

Okay....who will be the first to take out one of those bigazz birds... ?

Coxy · 10-17-2003, 7:59 AM

Might be wet come race day so they are saying down here
23'c and storms! not good
we want a good dry race
GO BAYLISS

CBRGuy · 10-17-2003, 10:28 AM

I predict Nicky ahead of Bayliss and takes over 5th place in points championship.

Baketech · 10-17-2003, 10:48 AM

You Aussies that are going better post a few pics.....

tigerblade · 10-17-2003, 11:01 AM

Phillip Island is one of my ultimate GP destinations. Gotta go some year!

phozed · 10-17-2003, 10:22 PM

FP2 - Nicky go zoom... sorry maxi!! Can't wait to see Nicky and Troy go at it for fitfh place overall!!

Also - lookie the kawi and the proton for crying out loud! They running the 2 or the 4 stoke?

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...253/253461.jpg

Coxy · 10-18-2003, 12:33 AM

anytime your down Tigerblade your more than welcome!
It is a awsome track and a great place for a holiday
planty of good ridin' around there also.

firebladetoronto · 10-18-2003, 9:44 AM

Nicky infront of Max...going to be an awesome race...I think Rossi is going to play around with everyone and have a blast!!!!

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...253/253590.jpg

omen137 · 10-19-2003, 8:16 AM

Just got back from the island. The weather was to say the least, um...wet. I won't say anymore just in case you watch it on replay, but let me say that one of the guys in the GP's is an absolute freak. Hope all who went had a good time despite the weather.

damo

Red Rider · 10-19-2003, 9:10 AM

Well shame on me for reading this thread, but there wasn't any warning of a SPOILER in the header saying the final results were posted *

So much for today's excitement...

nhfirefighter13 · 10-19-2003, 10:09 AM

Uhhh yeah.

What the hell happened to posting a spoiler warning?

Yes. I deleted the offending posts...so sue me.

nhfirefighter13 · 10-19-2003, 10:28 AM

here ya go...to replace the info I axed.

Valentino Rossi clocked up win number 8 (fifth from the last six) of the year and his 21st consecutive podium result all despite incurring a ten second penalty in the formative stages of the race due to passing under yellow flags.

An incident packed MotoGP event at Philip Island took place in vastly different weather conditions compared to the previous two races. It was still cold and windy but the rain-lashed asphalt of the 125cc activity had now dried and was bathed with sunshine; slick tyres were warmed and umbrellas closed.

The first third of the race was typical exciting Aussie GP fare as a six rider group battled for the top positions with Marco Melandri, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi all taking their turn to front the field. Troy Bayliss was a member of the throng but crashed out on lap 4 after touching one of the treacherously wet and slippery white lines on the outside of the asphalt at the Honda hairpin. The Ducati rider went down heavily and was knocked unconscious, being declared OK before being taken to hospital for further checks.

The following circulation Rossi passed Melandri at the same corner clearly not seeing the yellow flags and was promptly informed of a ten second penalty several laps later when he was leading by three seconds from Loris Capirossi who had also escaped the clutches of the pursuing group. Melandri then fell at high speed entering the last turn on the circuit. Nicky Hayden had been looking threatening and had made his way to third before running slightly wide at the Honda curve, which dropped him behind Melandri, Tohru Ukawa, Sete Gibernau and Carlos Checa. Nine laps after Melandri’s untimely exit Checa ran off the circuit but was able to rejoin the fray some way behind and take 8th by the chequered flag.

Rossi, upon digesting the knowledge from his pit board that he had to beat Capirossi by ten seconds, put his head down and produced a frantic pace in the second half of the GP to eventually extend a winning margin of 15.2 seconds. Capirossi was smoking his rear tyre onto the main straight trying to catch-up but stood little chance against his fellow Italian, who went on to celebrate by brandishing a number seven lap in memory of the late Barry Sheene.

The action-packed tussle for third went down to a last lap showdown between Hayden and Gibernau, with the former pulling a brave and aggressive move on one of the fastest parts of the circuit to hold onto his first ‘proper’ top three finish by just four hundredths of a second. Repsol Honda had two riders on the podium with young rookie Hayden really starting to look like a worthy replacement for Rossi if the World Champion decides to change teams for 2004. Ukawa was fifth some 16 seconds ahead of Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano. Kenny Roberts was ninth in front of Makoto Tamada.

The top three riders in the Championship, Rossi, Gibernau and Biaggi (who was all the way down in 17th and almost lapped), cannot be displaced from their standings as the GP season has one more race to run at Valencia, Spain in two weeks time.

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...254/254163.jpg

ND4SPD · 10-19-2003, 2:00 PM

Congrats Nicky, and Rossi......you're a freak!

fl-929 · 10-19-2003, 2:01 PM

I don't think it is a question of can Rossi win on the Yamaha, but it is a question of can he win on the Suzuki...

Repsol_69 · 10-19-2003, 2:01 PM

This is for everyone who doubted Nicky

Baketech · 10-19-2003, 2:06 PM

Just got to watch the tape......GREAT race even though the supsense was ruined by reading this thread before it was marked spoiler....aarghh!!

Phillip Island always looks awesome on the tube....

firebladetoronto · 10-19-2003, 2:09 PM

Just look at Val's record...no matter what, always on the box!!

Go Nicky Go!!!

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...254/254212.jpg

Baketech · 10-19-2003, 2:57 PM

Honda Quotes:
Quote
Valentino Rossi
Repsol Honda Team: 1st
'The race for me was incredible. I knew I had a good rhythm. Perhaps a little bit better than the others. I made a bad start and had to fight a lot at the beginning. It was very dangerous because everyone was very aggressive. A lot of heavy braking and with the strong wind. The bike was difficult to control. I attacked and after seven or eight laps I saw on my board 'less 10'. I didn't understand what it meant. Next time I see 'P8'. I said to myself 'what happened?' Later I understand it the yellow flag but I don't remember. I didn't see any flag. Two victories with the yellow flag in one year is incredible. I don't have a problem with the points so I closed my eyes for the last 10 laps. I never made a race at 100% all the time so far. Maybe today was the first time. I made the number 7 flag in respect for my friend Barry Sheene. He was a magic person; much more than a world champion. He changed a little bit of the whole sports. When I came back here we had a strange feeling. I understand he's gone so we make a flag using a sheet from the hotel. I'm sorry for the hotel!'

Nicky Hayden
Repsol Honda Team: 3rd
'You gotta' crawl before you can walk! I've been movin' up recently and really startin' to fight with the top guys over the last few races. I really wanted to get a legitimate podium and now I got one. We were all goin' at it out there; some real scrappin'. It was good to lead my first GP of a time. I wanted to go with Valentino and Capirossi but couldn't match their speed. I made a little mistake in the rocks where Bayliss fell and lost a few spots. I just kept workin' forward. I got Ukawa and then managed to get Gibernau on the last lap. I'm so happy and am really pleased my dad was here to see it. I'd like to thank all the team, Honda and my sponsors. Hopefully the best is yet to come!'

Sete Gibernau
Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 4th
'All season I have taken each race as it comes, but here I was thinking about second spot in the championship. We had a tough weekend. My crash yesterday meant we lost a lot of time and after crashing again in the warm-up I had to go out on the second bike. I made a good start but had a problem changing down through the gears and decided to race for the championship. Obviously I would have liked to be on the podium but I am very satisfied. Now I am looking forward to the last race at home in Valencia where I could be relaxed. I'm ready to fight for the podium and hopefully to put on a good show for the crowd.'

Tohru Ukawa
Camel Pramac Pons: 5th
'No podium and I´m not happy about that. The start was okay and I´ve been with the leading group and fighting for position for a long time. It was a lot windier than yesterday and that didn´t help anyone, but when I was with Gibernau and Hayden, they had slightly more traction. And after me and Hayden touched on the last lap at turn two I was out of the fight.'

Makoto Tamada
Pramac Honda Team: 10th
'I've never ridden in a wind like that. The first bend after the start, when everyone was bunched up, it was quite something. I tried to get a good pace and move up, but possibly I chose a front tier that was a bit too soft - but then the much lower temperature than in the previous days did seem to bear out this decision. The tyres were actually very good, even at the end of the race. So I'm satisfied, especially for the experience I got of riding in the strong wind that flayed the circuit today. I maintained a good pace but I also made some mistakes and that's why I didn't do better.'

Max Biaggi
Camel Pramac Pons: 17th
'I crashed soon after Bayliss. I couldn´t see a thing through all the sand, grit and debris so I just braked as hard as I could, but I ran onto the grass and crashed off track, there wasn´t much I could do to save it. That was real shame because I was right up there after a great start. That turn two episode lost me the lead, but I was still in contention until the crash.'

ND4SPD · 10-19-2003, 3:02 PM

I wonder if Nicky coulda gotten second if he didn't go wide in that one turn. That mishap seemed to throw him outta whack

CBRVFR · 10-19-2003, 3:54 PM

Vale's a great, great rider. But if he goes to Yamaha next year. he can kiss that string of podium finishes goodbye. This was the M1's best showing of the year on a track that suits its strengths and disguises its weaknesses. After heroic efforts by Melandri, and Checa (or was that Barros, or both?) --they went off the track.

The RCV is dominant everywhere, and Rossi knows it. He woudn't have been able to make up that 10 second deficit against Honda on any other machine on the grid - and he knows it.

Well, maybe Ducati, but not Yamaha...(barring a rules change that allows them to use the stock R1, of course.)

He'll either stay with Honda or give up the championship next year.

Nicky is improving exponentially every week. He has become the equal of the rest of the MotoGP riders except #46.

Red Rider · 10-19-2003, 4:00 PM

Quote:

Baketech : Just got to watch the tape......GREAT race even though the supsense was ruined by reading this thread before it was marked spoiler....aarghh!!

*What a race! *Rossi truly is a phenomenal rider as he proves it race after race. *Nicky fookin' rocked! *I think he's proven he can run up front and lead. *If he hadn't run wide in that one corner he might have taken second.

Wish the season wasn't almost over...

Crash · 10-19-2003, 4:31 PM

Man I was standing in front of the TV screaming for Nicky!!! *Awesome race, to make a mistake, go back to 6th and fight back to a podium in a few laps, and then to hold off Sete.... *He's going to be good.

Was it just me, or did anyone notice how excited Rossi was on the podium to be with Nicky? *I just don't think that Rossi is going to leave. *I think it's going to be a last minute thing at Valencia. *He and Nicky can be the most dominant team next year...... *What a great race.

I did get freaked out watching Bayliss' limp body sliding down the grass. *My wife was almost crying.. it was horrible looking but I'm glad that he is okay!!