POLINI MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX

Time Schedule..

Friday, 17 October 2008
125 FP1 09:00 - 09:45
MotoGP FP1 10:00 - 11:00
250 FP1 11:15 - 12:15

125 QP1 13:10 - 13:40
MotoGP FP2 13:55 - 14:55
250 QP1 15:10 - 15:55

Saturday, 18 October 2008
125 FP2 09:00 - 09:45
MotoGP FP3 10:00 - 11:00
250 FP2 11:15 - 12:15

125 QP2 13:10 - 13:40
MotoGP QP 13:55 - 14:55
250 QP2 15:10 - 15:55

Sunday, 19 October 2008
125 WUP 08:40 - 09:00
250 WUP 09:10 - 09:30
MotoGP WUP 09:40 - 10:05

125 RAC 11:00
250 RAC 12:15
MotoGP RAC 14:00

Local Time Zone: GMT +8 hours

Rossi expects strong Stoner threat at penultimate round
Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Ready for the concluding double-header of his title-winning 2008 season, Valentino Rossi believes Casey Stoner is the man to beat in Malaysia.


Valentino Rossi is MotoGP´s most successful rider at Sepang courtesy of his four premier class wins at the South East Asian circuit and the legendary 29 year-old is focussed on adding to that victory tally at this weekend´s Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Having secured his eighth World title with a fifth consecutive 2008 race win in Japan, Rossi saw his victory-run ended by a rampant Casey Stoner in Australia, the Fiat Yamaha rider unable to catch the home favourite after starting twelfth on the grid - following a painful qualifying crash.

Nonetheless, second place `Down Under´ for Rossi resulted in his 149th visit to a Grand Prix rostrum and leaves him just ten short of the all-time record held by MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini, whom he also robbed of the all-time premier class win record earlier this season.

Having recovered well from his sore neck sustained in that Australian crash, Rossi expects another strong challenge this weekend from Stoner, who was the 2007 victor in Sepang and is the only man to have won in Malaysia in all three classes.

`I love Malaysia and I have had some great races there in the past, plus it generally suits our bike very well so with any luck we can look forward to a fun weekend. That said, we know that Casey will be very strong again as well as others so it will no doubt be a good battle!´

Rossi visited the scene of the seventeenth round of the season twice during his crucial pre-season transition from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres and is confident of being competitive there again this weekend.

`I am looking forward to going to Sepang because we have done quite a bit of testing there with Bridgestone so we have a lot of data – not something we have had for most of this season,´ said the Doctor. `I was quite strong there in the winter and I hope it´s the same again this time, especially since we know a lot more about the tyres now.´

Keen for two more wins to end a highly successful campaign Rossi has another milestone in his sights, being just 35 points short of the highest ever tally in a MotoGP season, with 50 still up for grabs, a record which he shares with Stoner. The Italian is also keen maintain Yamaha´s superb run of having at least one rider on the rostrum in every single race so far in 2008.

`We have two races left and I would really like to try to win them both, plus I also want to keep up Yamaha´s excellent podium record this season,´ he added.

Thanks for the article Maro

Geez, i thought KC needed an immediate surgery> now without surgery he can still race at 100percent

Im interested in knowing whether Vale will pay tribute to guido on his bike, add a pic of tombstone there he has lost a dog, will he need a new pet? shall i get him a small pussy tomorrow?

LMAO

A small pussy ...

I wonder where you could find one ..

There are lots of strays around..
Maybe romantik could choose one and take it to him..

I think he looks quite cute in the header image doesn't he..

Romantik says she's going to smell him, he might like that and 'borrow' romantik for a spin

Becoz i have a tendency to do things on impulse, not sure what i'd do when i get to see him. Heres the kind of pussy for him

I think he likes ping ball playing pussies..

Fiat Yamaha Team take podium mission to Malaysia


A glorious MotoGP season for the Fiat Yamaha Team reaches its penultimate chapter this weekend, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo targeting the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur. From the fresh air of Phillip Island the series heads to sticky and steamy Sepang with both riders keen to maintain Yamaha’s record of having at least one rider on the podium in every single race so far this season.

Second place in Australia for Rossi, who was already crowned World Champion at the previous round in Japan, resulted in his 149th visit to a Grand Prix rostrum and leaves him just ten short of the all-time record held by Giacomo Agostini, whom he also robbed of the all-time win record earlier this season. The 29-year-old, who is the most successful rider at Sepang with four victories, is also just 35 points short of the highest ever tally in a MotoGP season, which he shares with Casey Stoner, with 50 still up for grabs.

After back-to-back fourth place finishes in the last two races, Lorenzo has also pinpointed a top-three return as his main goal for this weekend. The Spanish rookie, who won the 250cc race at Sepang two years ago and clinched his second world title in the class with third place last year, has played a crucial part in Yamaha’s success this season, with the factory lifting the Teams’ and Constructors’ titles. He currently lies fourth in the championship and with a 37-point advantage over Andrea Dovizioso he looks set to stay there – an unprecedented position for a debutante in the four-stroke MotoGP era.

Sepang is one of the widest tracks on the MotoGP calendar, measuring 16 metres across in some areas, and always features high track temperatures in the tropical climate. With four major hairpins, and some fast and frequent changes of direction in its 5.542km layout, Sepang provides a stern workout for the entire bike set-up and its largely consistent, if demanding, climate makes it the ideal winter testing venue.

Valentino Rossi - “Looking to have fun”
“I am looking forward to going to Malaysia because we have done quite a bit of testing there with Bridgestone so we have a lot of data – not something we have had for most of this season. I was quite strong there in the winter and I hope it’s the same again this time, especially since we know a lot more about the tyres now. We have two races left and I would really like to try to win them both, plus I also want to keep up Yamaha’s excellent podium record this season. I love Malaysia and I have had some great races there in the past, plus it generally suits our bike very well so with any luck we can look forward to a fun weekend. That said, we know that Casey will be very strong again as well as others so it will no doubt be a good battle!”

Jorge Lorenzo - "I’d like to get back on the podium”
“I’m looking forward to arriving in Malaysia and going to a quite a fast circuit, which I like and where most importantly we’ve tested already this year and things didn’t go badly. We’ve scored decent results over the last four races so I’m optimistic going into the final two rounds of my rookie MotoGP season. We’ve got a couple of fourth places recently so now I’d like to get back on the podium. I hope and believe that Michelin will come up with some tyres that give slightly better performance than in Japan and Australia, where we were just a little bit short of being with the best. Sepang is well known for the heat and the changeable conditions; one minute it can be boiling hot and then the next it’s throwing down with rain. I’ll be training hard this week to stay in good shape and finish off a positive trip around the Pacific."

Davide Brivio - "One eye on the statistics”
“We have reached our most important targets for the season so the focus for us is on having fun but we also have one eye on the statistics. It would be nice to keep this podium run going for Yamaha until the end of the season and if Valentino can make the points record it will mean we’ve had a strong finish to the year, which is clearly all we want. We know Sepang very well from the preseason testing but, as with every season, by the time you come back for the race you have a whole season of development under your belt and the bike is very different. The data is useful but really we start from scratch with the setting. The circuit has two long straights, which test the bikes’ top speeds, but overall it’s a good track and Valentino likes it very much. Hopefully we can have another fun weekend, like at Phillip Island.”

Daniele Romagnoli - "Jorge has already surpassed expectations”
“Malaysia is a track we already tested at three times in the winter – once at the end of 2007 and twice at the start of 2008. We have a base set-up, lots of information and Jorge knows how to ride the bike here. If you look at the results so far this season Michelin have done well at tracks where we have tested previously so I’m sure they will be competitive again. We fought for pole position in the last round at Phillip Island and quite honestly we were a little disappointed not to be on the podium. It would be great to make up for that this weekend but whatever happens Jorge has already surpassed our expectations for him this season so there is absolutely no pressure on him – we just want him to enjoy himself and to do his best.”

*************************************************************

Sepang: Record Lap
Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108

Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2'00.605

Grand Prix Results: Sepang 2007
1. C.Stoner (Ducati) 43'4.405
2. M.Melandri (Honda) +1.701
3. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +2.326
5. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +4.773

Jorge Lorenzo Result: Sepang 2007
3. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia +2.957 (250cc)

Guido as an angel maybe..

Can you imagine Vale would suddenly become allergic to pussy??

what like bring him out in a rash

Hope it's not too hot n humid for romantiki
Bridgestone and Michelin get ready for Sepang scorcher
Wednesday, 15 October 2008

The heat of the Sepang circuit requires some specific differences in the tyre constructions the Bridgestone and Michelin will provide for the MotoGP riders.


Sepang has always been a distinctive circuit on the MotoGP calendar, and its scorching temperatures couldn´t be more different to the chilly temperatures of Phillip Island. Whilst the humidity has never come as a surprise to the teams and tyre manufacturers, resurfacing work undertaken before last year´s event threw out a few unknowns ahead of the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. With that asphalt now familiar to Bridgestone and Michelin, expect even faster laps from the rubber providers.

`The circuit was resurfaced for last year´s race which gave us a new challenge, but the race performance showed good pace and consistency across the entire field, and it was a highly competitive race,´ says Bridgestone´s Tohru Ubukata.

`The track layout requires a lot of outright engine power and good braking stability from the machines as riders brake from speeds in excess of 300km/h. It is also one of the hottest tracks that we race at with track temperatures often in excess of 50 degrees Celsius.

`For this reason, we have to look carefully at the central part of the tyre because of the pressure that it is placed under and the length of time that riders are upright over the lap.´

Michelin´s Jean-Philippe Weber also acknowledges the demands placed upon tyres by the heat, but reveals that there will not be too much difference in rear constructions between those used two weeks ago and this Sunday´s rubber.

`We expect the asphalt to be less demanding than it was last year, because Sepang is used a lot for racing, testing and other activities. Riders use similar rear tyre constructions as they used at Phillip Island, with different compounds adapted to suit these special conditions. Edge grip and traction are very important at Sepang, with quite a few long corners. The tyres need to provide consistent performance through these corners during the race,´ says Weber ahead of Michelin´s last MotoGP flyaway race.

`The front tyre definitely gets more stress at Sepang than it does at Phillip Island, with a lot of heavy braking from high speeds, so riders need a stiffer construction front tyre for this race, something like what they use at Motegi and Shanghai, which also feature lots of very heavy braking.´

The choice of single tyre manufacturer will be announced in Malaysia, although Bridgestone are the only company to have entered a tender for the role.

vromantik, i think the gift would mean much more to vale if you give him your pussy.....




....cat of course

Malaysian MotoGP racing numbers
Thursday, 16 October 2008

Some interesting numerical occurrences picked out by the motogp.com statisticians ahead of the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.


361 – Yamaha currently have a score of 361 points in the Constructors´ Championship. If any Yamaha rider finishes second in Malaysia then they will equal their highest ever score in the Constructors´ Championship of 381 points in 2005.

332 – Valentino Rossi has scored 332 points with two races still to go in 2008, which makes it possible that he could set a new record for highest number of points achieved in a racing season. The current record of 367 points is held jointly between Rossi in 2005 (from 17 races) and Casey Stoner last year (from 18 races).

16 – Yamaha have had at least one rider finish on the podium at all sixteen races this year. This is the longest sequence of successive podium finishes for Yamaha since they had at least one rider finish on the podium at 40 successive races through the 1989/90/91 seasons.

8 – The Phillip Island race was the eighth time this year that there have been three different manufacturers represented on the podium in the MotoGP class.

5 – On race day in Malaysia it will be five years ago to the day that Andrea Ballerini won the 125cc race at the Australian Grand Prix using Bridgestone tyres. This is the last win in the 125cc class by a non-Dunlop rider.

Malaysian Grand Prix - Preview.
From crash.net
Wednesday, 15th October 2008

Penultimate round of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship takes place at Sepang in Malaysia this weekend.

Newly crowned six time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi returns to the country and city where he made his grand prix debut twelve long years ago when he competes in this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.

The 17-year-old long haired Italian made his debut in the 125cc race at the Shah Alan circuit in Kuala Lumpur. Twelve years and eight world titles later Rossi returns to Malaysia to ride in the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship at the 3.447 miles Sepang circuit near KL International Airport, which replaced Shah Alam and Johor as the Malaysian Grand Prix venue in 1999.

Rossi has a great record at Sepang, winning the premier-class race four times on both Honda and Yamaha machinery, but he will come head to head in the 21 lap race on Sunday with outgoing world champion Casey Stoner - who has an even more impressive record at Sepang.

The 22 year old Australian is the only rider to have won 125, 250 and MotoGP races at Sepang and arrives brimming with confidence following his victory for Ducati Marlboro at the previous round in his native Australia.

Stoner looks a safe bet to finish second in the championship after Spaniard Dani Pedrosa crashed in Australia but the Repsol Honda rider, who has won 125 and 250cc races at Sepang, will be keeping a wary eye on his great rival Jorge Lorenzo in fourth place. The Fiat Yamaha rookie is in great form and trails Pedrosa by 27 points with just two rounds remaining. He won the 250cc race at Sepang two years ago.

The closest battle in the championship is for fifth place with 27 points separating Andrea Dovizioso, the 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden, Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards and Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen. Hayden is the man in form, with two podiums from the last three races, but Dovizioso has had a brilliant MotoGP debut season and will replace Hayden at Repsol Honda in 2009.
Veteran Loris Capirossi is another rider with an impressive record both in Malaysia and Sepang. The Rizla Suzuki rider has both 250 and MotoGP wins in Sepang, finished on the podium on two other occasions and started on the front row five times including two poles.

Capirossi also won the very first 125cc grand prix in Malaysia, in 1991 at Shah Alam. He is tenth in the championship but only 16 points behind team-mate Vermeulen in eighth place. They will be joined in the race on Sunday by Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki who won the 250cc race at Shah Alam 15 years ago.

Shinya Nakano makes his penultimate appearance for the San Carlo Gresini Honda team at the track where he won the 250cc race eight years ago and in great form after finishing an impressive fifth in Australia. He will be replaced by Toni Elias next season who won the 250cc race at Sepang five years ago and who will complete his contract with the Alice Ducati team at Valencia the following week.

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli is in a similar position with the Alice team while Australian Anthony West has two more rides with John Hopkins at Kawasaki before being replaced by Marco Melandri next season.

After failing to score double digit points at the last seven rounds, Edwards is rumoured to have been told by Yamaha to up his game, but rookie team-mate James Toseland arrives at Sepang fresh from a breakthrough performance at the Australian GP.

The Yorkshireman celebrated his 28th birthday with a thrilling sixth place at Phillip Island - swapping positions with Rossi in the process - and has been working flat on his stamina to produce a repeat performance or better in very different circumstances at the penultimate round of the championship.

21-year-old Italian Marco Simoncelli is on the verge of clinching the 250cc world title in Sepang after a breathtaking victory in Australia. The Metis Gilera rider holds a 37 point lead over his great rival Alvaro Bautista with just two rounds remaining.

It's a tough call for Spaniard Bautista, who won the 125cc race at Sepang on route to the world title two years ago, but as we witnessed at Phillip Island a couple of weeks ago he will not give up the fight until the chequered flag. Mika Kallio has dropped out of contention in third place but will be encouraged by his KTM team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama's victory last year.

Frenchman Mike di Meglio was crowned 125cc world champion in Australia after a fine victory but there is a tremendous battle for second place. Just six points separate in form German teenager Stefan Bradl, Italian Simone Corsi and 2007 World Champion and last year's winner Gabor Talmacsi.

tassie I think Vale is after Nicky... you don't mind, do you?

Yay!!! Hoorray!!!
1st pics...
Thanks jazzie!!

Rossi keeping one eye on M1 update
Thursday, 16 October 2008

Still focused on adding to his 2008 win tally, Valentino Rossi is also eagerly awaiting the chance to ride next season´s Yamaha factory machine.



Set for two races in which he can afford some comparative relaxation with the 2008 World Championship sewn-up, Valentino Rossi is already looking forward to the chance to get on the latest update of the Yamaha M1. The Italian should –unforeseen circumstances permitting- get his first opportunity to assess the Japanese machine immediately following the Parts Europe Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

`From the Monday we will start with the 2009 prototype,´ said Rossi in the pre-event press conference for the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. `In Motegi it rained on the Monday, so we cancelled that test,´ he added, referring to his ill-fated provisional 2009 bike debut set for the day after his title triumph.

`It will be interesting to try to improve the bike for next season,´ says Rossi, who will be riding at Valencia for the first time with Bridgestone tyres in the season-finale, having missed last year´s post-race test through injury.

I'm so excited...hope Valé has a good raceweekend

a verrrry tired looking Valentino...

Shame the poor thing..
He must be feeling real shitty after Guido passed away!!
His cold sore has made an appearance again.. proves his run downess..
Hopefully things will look up for him this weekend..

Rossi sets the tone in first Sepang session
Friday, 17 October 2008

Valentino Rossi´s late 2´02.693 lap allowed him to draw first blood in Malaysia.


2008 MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi left things until the death in Malaysia to head the Free Practice 1 timesheet, the only man to breach the 2´03 barrier in a session delayed by five minutes after events in the 125cc outing. The Fiat Yamaha rider was the standout of the initial practice run as he set his fearsome final lap of the morning, which took place under customarily humid and –for the moment at least- dry conditions.

Crowned 250cc World Champion in Malaysia last year, Jorge Lorenzo proved to be equally adept at tackling the Sepang circuit onboard an 800cc machine on Friday morning, recording as he did a 2´03.179 lap in the final two minutes of the session to trail his teammate by just under half a second. 2007 racewinner Casey Stoner was just shy of clocking a time two-thousandths of a second slower than that of Lorenzo, although Rossi´s 2´02.693 lap has well and truly laid down the gauntlet for his two early rivals.

Colin Edwards added to the Yamaha presence in the upper echelon of the early timesheet with the fourth quickest lap of the practice session, ahead of morning crasher Randy de Puniet. Nicky Hayden, Loris Capirossi, Shinya Nakano, Andrea Dovizioso and James Toseland also made their presence felt in the top ten.

Go Valé GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

FP2 is running.. kinda slow..
What do you make of it?