Lorenzo: Yamaha eager to beat Rossi

Jorge Lorenzo says Valentino Rossi's move to Ducati gives him and Yamaha "great motivation" to beat his current team-mate in 2011.

Rossi has signed a two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer and Lorenzo is eager to show that he can defeat the seven-time MotoGP world champion.

"Yamaha will do its maximum to beat him; more speed and engine power will be needed but we will work harder than ever," said Lorenzo. "Next season will be a very interesting championship."

The Spaniard has shared a difficult relationship with the Rossi as team-mates, with a wall separating the riders in the Yamaha garage.

"I didn't like the wall," Lorenzo said. "I would have expected more of the Rossi from the human side, rather than a bigger exchange of technical information. He unintentionally made me a favour, however, because he has made my team even closer together, and I now go even better since I don't have access to his telemetry.

"I've never felt nervous about the idea of fighting against Rossi. I knew I had to learn, improve and work hard. I've watched the races on TV since I was 10 and have learnt something from riders in every class. From Valentino I've learnt how to manage the race on and off the track much better."

Rossi will be replaced at the factory Yamaha team by current Tech 3 rider Ben Spies next year, and Lorenzo predicts that his relationship with the American will be less volatile.

"I can feel we will have a good relationship with Ben," he said. "Perhaps we won't be best friends, but there won't be a wall in the garage and we won't keep our telemetries secret."

READ MORE - Lorenzo: Yamaha eager to beat Rossi

APRILIA: "NO INTENTION" OF JOINING MOTOGP

EVER since it was announced that the MotoGP class would go to 1000cc engines in 2012, there have been rumours - perhaps wishful thinking is a better term - that Aprilia would join the party in 2012 with a racer based on the RSV4.

It is no secret that Dorna, the commercial rights holders for the MotoGP series, is desparate to attract more than the four is currently has. Ducati will be propping up the class to a major extent in 2011, with six riders on its 80cc V4s, while Honda will have five riders, Yamaha four and Suzuki two (or perhaps just one if rumours are to be believed).

Meantime there are six manufacturers represented in the Superbike class and with suggestions that this year's championship-winning V4 Aprilia is a MotoGP bike in disguise, there has been talk of the Italian manufacturer switching to MotoGP.

Evern former World 500 Champion Wayne Gardner in his regular column has said: "I'll bet my bottom dollar on it."

However, if anyone has taken Wayne up on this, they could be soon in the position of extracting a few dollars from the notoriously tight-fisted Aussie.

That's because Piaggi Group CEO Roberto Colaninno said, "at this moment, we have no intention of doing that," when asked at a presentation to financial analysts if Aprilia had any plans to return to MotoGP.

Of course, the key words here are "at this moment."

Aprilia has a distinguished record in grand prix racing, and recently overtook the legendary MV Agusta in race wins. However those wins were in the 125 and 250cc classes. Its efforts in the 500 class, and the MotoGP class that followed it, are not nearly so impressive. It fielded a 400cc V-twin, that while nimble, was outgunned by the four-cylinder 500cc two-strokes. It also tried its hand with what came to be known as the ill-fated RS3 Cube, a motorcycle powered by a three-cylinder Cosworth developed engine that proved unrideable.

But that was under Ivano Beggio's leadership. And it was in this period the company ran into financial difficulties and was eventually bought by the Piaggio Group.

There can be no doubt that there will be plenty of personnel at Aprilia who would love to go back to MotoGP, but the management will be very wary of the collosal costs involved.

And when a company with the resources of Suzuki is questioning its involvement in MotoGP, and cutting its Superbike involvement, it seems unlikely Aprilia could afford it.

No doubt Colaninno's comments eased the fears of financial analysts, who will be worried about the effect a MotoGP foray would have on the company's finances.

READ MORE - APRILIA: "NO INTENTION" OF JOINING MOTOGP

Dani Pedrosa’s 2010 season so far

The Repsol Honda rider has had the highs and lows packed into his first in nine races, with the nature of his better results hinting at his capacity to be the main challenger to the Jorge Lorenzo in the battle for this year’s title.

Dani Pedrosa’s steady progress towards a consistent results this season has placed the Spaniard second in the Championship standings at the halfway point in the season, where at 138 points he currently sits 72 off the leader Jorge Lorenzo. The first nine rounds have produced some of the fantastic results for the Repsol Honda rider who has so far stood on the podium five times, winning twice, and his finer outcomes have been accompanied by some are frustrations too.

The campaign got off to an indifferent start for the Pedrosa with seventh in the Qatar, where he battled with set-up issues that had carried over from pre-season. Undeterred however he remained focused and the following round at the Jerez produced a solid reward, as he took pole position and battled with Lorenzo for the victory before finishing second.

The inconsistency which was to prove Pedrosa’s main obstacle in the early part of the season meant that he would place in fifth at Le Mans as he lost out on a podium finish on the final lap in his 150th GP start. Another strong response came though and this time it was a victory, from the pole position, at Mugello as the intense work put in by the 24 year-old and his team paid off.

A difficult next round at the Silverstone followed where Pedrosa crashed in qualifying and placed eighth in the race, but a succession of the constant results that produced the continuity he had been striving for then poured forth. Second place at Assen from seventh on the grid and then second in his home race at Catalunya paved the way to a second win of the 2010 at Sachsenring, where Pedrosa won a fight with Lorenzo for victory.

The first half of the campaign was rounded off with a first DNF of the season as Pedrosa crashed out at Laguna Seca whilst leading the race, but he remained optimistic despite the setback as he aims to then continue harnessing the aspects of his performance that have delivered him tastes of victory already.

READ MORE - Dani Pedrosa’s 2010 season so far

Alonso 'excited but calm' ahead of Spa

Fernando Alonso looks to impress as the F1 season resumes in Belgium

Fernando Alonso insists that he is both excited but calm ahead of the resumption of the 2010 F1 season this weekend at the Spain.

The Spaniard heads to the Belgian Grand Prix on the back of a pair of top two finishes in the races prior to the summer break, which has brought him right back into the mix in the fight for the 2010 crown.

With just 20 points to leader Mark Webber, Alonso heads to Belgium this weekend looking to narrow that gap even further and the double champion said he was excited about the weekend ahead.

“I really want to get back on track, but in a positive sense, without any feeling of the anxiety, but in a very calm way,” the Ferrari driver said. “I am happy that the return to racing means going to two particularly special venues which host the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. The Belgian track is possibly the most appealing of the entire season, while Monza will be something special for me, given that it will be my race debut as a Ferrari driver in front of the Italian crowd, in addition to the circuit itself having played such an important role in the history of motor sport.

“I have a good feeling following on from the positive results obtained in Germany and Hungary. As the saying goes, we have to keep the momentum and that should be our aim in Spa, to ensure we carry on the way we started just before the holidays. The Hockenheim and the Budapest results were important not just in terms of the classification in both championships, but also for the confidence it has given us. We have to keep pushing on this way.”

READ MORE - Alonso 'excited but calm' ahead of Spa

Capirossi to announce Ducati return at 200th MotoGP?

Loris Capirossi is set to make his 200th 500cc/MotoGP start this weekend at the Misano, when he might also announce a return to the Ducati for 2011.

The Italian - a factory Ducati rider from 2003-2007 and a Rizla Suzuki rider since - is known to be negotiating closely for a seat with the satellite Pramac Ducati squad for 2011.

Misano, the last home round of the year for Capirossi, Pramac and Ducati, would be an ideal time to announce if a deal has been done. Capirossi has also been linked with the Honda LCR.

Capirossi - a former 125 and double 250cc world champion with nine premier-class grand prix victorious to his credit - hasn't taken a podium since Brno 2008 (his 99th in grand prix and also Suzuki's most recent podium) and is a disappointing 13th in the 2010 championship with seven rounds to go.

The 37-year-old will become only the second rider in the 62-year history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing to reach the milestone of 200 starts in the premier-class, behind Honda Pons former team-mate Alex Barros (245 starts).

Capirossi made his premier-class GP debut in the opening race of the 1995 season at the Eastern Creek in Australia and competed for two years in the class before dropping back down to the 250cc class for three years.

The #65 then return to 500cc in 2000 and has been in the premier-class ever since.

Below are some other facts and statistics relating to the Capirossi's career in the
premier-class:

* Capirossi has the fourth longest winning career of all-time in the premier-class: 10 years 338 days between his first win in the 500cc class at Eastern Creek Australia in 1996 and his last MotoGP win in Japan in 2007. Only Alex Barros, Phil Read and Giacomo Agostini have longer winning careers in the premier-class.

* Capirossi has won premier-class GP races on four different motorcycles: 500cc Yamaha, 500cc Honda, 990cc Ducati and 800cc Ducati.

* Capirossi is one of only four riders to have won in the premier-class on bikes from three different manufacturers. The other riders to have done this are: Mike Hailwood, Eddie Lawson and Randy Mamola.

READ MORE - Capirossi to announce Ducati return at 200th MotoGP?

Dani Pedrosa Youngest Riders MotoGP

Daniel "Dani" Pedrosa (born September 29, 1985 in Sabadell, Spain)

Dani Pedrosa Youngest Riders MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa Celebrate Winning

READ MORE - Dani Pedrosa Youngest Riders MotoGP

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa fastest in practice for the Honda

Dani Pedrosa, boosted by signing a new two-year deal with the Honda, continued his superb recent form by topping the practice timesheets during the Friday's running ahead of the inaugural Aragon Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Spaniard won the last two races in the Indianapolis and Misano and he topped the first of Friday's two sessions near the Alcaniz, setting a best time of one minute 50.506 seconds.

The day's second session, added to the schedule, along with a third session on Saturday morning, to allow the riders to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings, was washed out by the rain with no one able to better their times from the morning running.

Casey Stoner, who will partner Pedrosa at Honda next year, set the pace during that session following a heavy rain shower.

Pedrosa's dominance in the morning saw him beat the Ducati of Nicky Hayden into second by a full four tenths of a second, with the championship leader Jorge Lorenzo third for Yamaha ahead of the other Ducati of Stoner.

Marco Simoncelli was an excellent fifth on his Gresini Honda, ahead of Valentino Rossi and Hector Barbera, who continues to impress on the Aspar Ducati.

Andrea Dovizioso, Colin Edwards and Ben Spies rounded out the top 10.

But the wet afternoon session saw Pedrosa struggle badly and he will be hoping that the remainder of the weekend is dry after ending the second 45-minute session way back in 13th place, a full 3.6 seconds off Stoner's pace.

The Australian took advantage of a drying track surface to beat Lorenzo by over half a second in the dying moments.

Hayden, who looked strong throughout both sessions, was third fastest in the damp with Rossi fourth and Marco Melandri fifth on the second Gresini machine.

Lorenzo, who leads Pedrosa by 63 points in the standings, was disappointed at his relative lack of pace in the morning, but was happier with how his M1 handled in the wet.

"We are lacking a bit of grip but I hope we can improve our setting more tomorrow so we can make another step," he said.

"Unfortunately it rained this afternoon but it was good to get the chance to try our wet setting and it seems our bike was okay in these bad conditions.

"It was good to have two practice sessions today; even though the overall amount of time is the same over four days, four separate sessions makes it easier to get to know the circuit and what we need in order to be fast here."

The new circuit met with almost universal approval from the riders and teams, with Tech 3 Yamaha racer Spies among those enjoying the new challenge.

The Texan said: "I really like the track. It has got some good elevation changes that make it pretty cool and the first couple of the corners remind me of Istanbul Park (in Turkey) on the video game. You know it is a fun track when you want to stay out and ride and that's how I felt today.

"I was pleased with progress in the dry this morning and I'm really happy with how it went in the rain."

READ MORE - Spaniard Dani Pedrosa fastest in practice for the Honda