MotoGP Round 1, Losail, Qatar, Sunday March 20th - 21 March 2011

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: 3rd Championship Position: 3rd

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO…”
Dani Pedrosa started the first race of the 2011 MotoGP season at a floodlight Losail racetrack riding hard – and was framing for the top step of the podium in the early stages. Once passed by teammate Casey Stoner, however he eventually faded into the clutches of Yamaha-mounted Jorge Lorenzo and ended up with the last rostrum place. Even though he is starting his campaign fit and well – for the first time in a while – the Spaniard was not happy with his result.

“I’m disappointed, not for the race I had, but for the physical problems I had again with my left arm. Already in practice I felt something, but I was not sure if it could be that bad, at the end I couldn’t grab the handlebar and in the last 7-8 laps I couldn’t use the clutch at all. I was just holding the arm and I was suffering a lot. I feel sorry for my team as well, because the bike was very good, fast, perfect also in the corners. I’m proud of how I've been riding, I’ve been fighting with Casey in this circuit as nobody else did in the past but at the same time I feel sad because I don’t know what the future will bring. I know we will go to Jerez in two weeks, where the bike will run very well, and I’m very strong and fast, but I don’t know what will happen.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: 11th Championship Position: 11th 

“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!”
Cal Crutchlow made an impressive MotoGP debut at Losail, having started in front of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards on the grid. Hampered again by the nasty left little finger injury he suffered during the pre-race test in Qatar less than a week ago, Crutchlow rose to the occasion brilliantly, fighting for the top ten for most of the 22-lap race. He was right on the back of a group battling for ninth that was headed by Nicky Hayden, Hiroshi Aoyama and Hector Barbera; but Barbera proved tough to overtake and Crutchlow lost contact with Hayden and Aoyama with three laps remaining. He was rewarded for his determined performance when he swept by Barbera on the final lap to finish 11th.

“I’m pretty happy with that and honestly I’d have liked to have got a top ten after how well qualifying went. I couldn’t keep up with the group that included Nicky and Aoyama because it was tough to pass Barbera. They passed and I then overtook him to chase them, but he got me back immediately and let them get away because his pace dropped off quite a bit. I was happy to be in the fight for the top ten for as long as I was and the experience gained is invaluable to help me progress in MotoGP. I wanted to finish and get a race under my belt, so it was mission accomplished. The next couple of races will be tough because I don’t know the circuits but I’ll be doing my best!”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: 8th Championship Position: 8th

“I HAD A COUPLE OF MOMENTS…”
Colin Edwards made a blistering start from 10th position on the grid and was looking to force his way into the fight for the top six when he lost time by running slightly off line at the second corner. Dropping back into 10th behind Crutchlow, he quickly moved up to ninth to launch a pursuit of Ben Spies. He closely followed his compatriot for the opening five laps, the 37-year-old setting a consistently fast pace in the mid-1.56 bracket. He shadowed the fast starting Hector Barbera until lap nine when he moved into eighth position. But he’d lost too much time trying to overtake the Spaniard to maintain the pressure on Spies and finished eighth.

“That was the best I could do and I’m happy with the way I raced. A top eight is pretty good considering the speed of the guys in front of me and I was pretty much where I thought I’d end up based on practice. I got a good start and thought the only way I’ve got any chance of getting a top six is to take a few early risks. I went round the outside at the first corner and made up a couple of places. But I had a couple of moments, one when I nearly ran into Ben, which wouldn’t have been a good move. I thought I might have had something for Valentino early on but even when he’s not 100 per cent he can still ride pretty good.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 9th Championship Position: 9th

“I CAN’T BE HAPPY WITH THE RIDE, BUT I CAME FROM DEAD LAST.”
Nicky Hayden had a tough weekend to kick off his season, but after starting from the fifth row he rode a good comeback race, steadily increasing his pace and finishing ninth after a series of great passes.

“I got a bad start in the race, and then when De Puniet crashed, I just about ran over him and had to come to a complete stop. I’m happy I didn’t run into him, but that was a bad break, because I was dead last with a gap to the next person. I started picking my way through, and once I got into ninth, I got into a decent rhythm and started doing my pace. It’s been a tough weekend for me on and off the track, but everybody around here is working to the maximum. I can’t be happy with the ride, but I came from dead last, and my fastest lap was my last one. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s just one race, and no one can say we weren’t trying.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, TEAM SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI
Race Position: 10th Championship Position: 10th

“IT WAS A SHAME, I WANTED A GOOD RACE.”
Hiroshi Aoyama, the last ever 250cc world champion in 2009, didn’t have an easy first race for his new team, but battled through and earned the last place in the top ten.

“I had a tough race because of the start; De Puniet crashed in front of me and I lost precious ground on the group. Then I got my pace together and recovered positions but it was a shame because I wanted to have a good race. Anyway, I am still happy because I am sure that we will improve in the next race. My feeling with the team is perfect, we are getting on great and they believe in me, which is important if we are to grow together. I want to give them positive results and excitement.”

Karel Abraham, Team Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati
Race Position : 13th Championship Position : 13th

“MY PHYSICAL FITNESS IS OKAY, BUT I HAVE TO WORK ON MY HANDS.”
Czech rider Karel Abraham, making his MotoGP debut on the Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati was in good form and finished 13th, earning 3 championship points in the process.

“I had problems with the brake on lap two. I ran off the track and almost hit the gravel. I lost contact with the group in front of me and unfortunately I wasn‘t able to catch them. My physical fitness is okay, but I have to work on my hands because in the end of the race I lost some time due to lack of strength.”

Round 2 of MotoGP is at Jerez, Sunday 3rd April.

Pictures courtesy of Peter Callister www.petercallisterttphotos.co.uk

For more news and information on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk