Rossi top dog in Jerez

The last MotoGP test of the season got underway at the Andalucian circuit of Jerez today, with unexpectedly cold temperatures delaying the start of activity until late morning for the Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards. Unfortunately, it then began to rain soon after track temperatures had risen to suitable level and Rossi and Edwards, testing Yamaha's new prototype 800cc motorcycle side-by-side for the first time, were only able to complete a few laps in the dry.

Rossi nonetheless topped the unofficial time sheets at the end of the day, posting a top time of 1'41.745 after 17 laps. Edwards was third fastest in the dry with a lap of 1'42.293 and the Texan also took the chance to try out his new bike in the wet, completing 36 laps in total before calling it a day. Sandwiched between the Yamaha pair was Suzuki rider John Hopkins, who set the second fastest time of 1'42.161 out of a total of 12 riders testing.

"I'm very happy to see that we have no chatter here, because we had quite a lot of problems in the first race last season. This is one of my favourite tracks and it's a great pleasure for me to be able to ride comfortably again at it; it feels like another track compared to last March! Our new bike seems to work well and so far I am very happy with it. Unfortunately we only had time for a few laps before the bad weather stopped us just when we were about to begin to test some different things, but anyway we have made a good start. Even though the bike is clearly going well for both Colin and I at the moment, we know that we have a lot of work to do and so these next two days are going to be very important to us. I have some new stickers on my bike and a new helmet; they're a reference to the legend of King Arthur and 'Excalibur'! I want to show everyone that we are ready to fight back and that we're ready to do our very best throughout these winter tests. Let's hope the weather is good tomorrow so we can begin our task properly!"

1st win on 4 wheels

Valentino Rossi scored his first win on four wheels at the weekend in the Monza Rally.

The MotoGP star built up a comfortable lead on the first day of the event by winning all five stages on Saturday, and he then consolidated his position on day two to win the event by nearly 25 seconds from sportscar racer Dindo Capello.

"It was about time I won this event since I've tried for the past 10 years," Rossi told Gazzetta Dello Sport. The Italian believes that the victory is evidence of the experience he has gained gradually in rallying, which included competing in Rally New Zealand earlier this month.

"In this sport, even if it is not a world championship event, you can't just use a magic wand," he said. "I gained my experience in the lower ranks and now I'm reaping the rewards."

Rossi still has ambitions to further his rally experience, and he is targeting an event on snow in the near future. "After the rallies on asphalt at Monza and gravel in New Zealand, I would like to try a rally on snow now," he said.

"Next year there will be Rally Norway in February. It's a bit too close to the start of the MotoGP season to prepare properly, but I'd like to be there."

I'll be back

Valentino Rossi wants to compete in Rally Great Britain next year, the Italian has confirmed.The Moto GP superstar finished 11th in the New Zealand Rally at the weekend in a privateer Subaru, after improving his pace throughout the event.

"The Doctor" enjoyed himself so much, that he intends to compete again as soon as possible – even if his Yamaha commitments on two wheels mean he will not be able to drive in a WRC event again until the Wales-based rally in December 2007.

Rossi told Motorsport News: "Rallying is my passion and it's possible that when I stop with bikes in the future, I make some more rallies. For sure now I make one more maybe on Rally GB near my house next year. After that I decide whether we make a longer programme because I need to know if I like it and if I have a good potential for the future."Rossi will be back on his Yamaha bike next week as he returns to the track for a three-day test in Jerez in Spain.

The Clips of "The Doctor" at WRC Rally New Zealand 2006 in a Subaru Impreza World Rally Car.

Rossi happy to reach the finish

Valentino Rossi, Rally New ZealandValentino Rossi described his run to 11th place in the Rally New Zealand as "great fun" and declared himself content with his progress in his second World Rally Championship appearance.

The former MotoGP champion made a cautious start to the event and was only 36th quickest out of 42 competitors in the first stage of the rally. But Rossi gradually picked up his pace as he acclimatised to the Subaru Impreza and the changeable weather conditions.

He was substantially faster in his second runs through repeated stages, and was seventh quickest in the Mystery Creek superspecial on Saturday afternoon - ahead of factory Subaru drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson. A few small spins were the only blemishes on an otherwise trouble-free drive.

This one-off outing was Rossi's first WRC appearance since his ill-fated Rally GB attempt in 2002, when he crashed out in the opening stage. With that disappointment in mind, Rossi was delighted to reach the finish of the rally.

"I am at the end without big problems and also with the car not damaged - that is very important," he said. "It was a real experience in a real world championship rally. We tried to understand the road and the car, and just tried to improve. It was a hard job, but I enjoyed it a lot. My performance was becoming better. For sure I have work to do to be very fast but anyway we had great fun in the car so I'm happy."

Rossi was 20 minutes behind rally winner Marcus Gronholm at the end of the event, but only 18 seconds away from a top ten position, and eighth amongst the WRC cars. Series boss David Richards suggested earlier this week that Rossi could choose to make a full-time switch to rallying when his motorcycling career comes to an end.

Rossi steps it up with three top ten stage times

MotoGP star, Valentino Rossi continued to make progress on the Rally New Zealand on Saturday, and after a steady start on Friday he managed to claw his way up the leader-board.

Rossi began the day in 24th place overall and despite some extremely taxing conditions, with heavy rain particularly affecting the opening three tests, he managed to make up nine places on the first loop, having set the 16th fastest time in SS6, the 19th best in SS7 and a storming tenth fastest time in SS8. He then made further progress in the afternoon and set two more top ten stage times, his best in the second run through the Mystery Creek super special when he was seventh fastest. As such he now lies in 13th place overall in his privately entered Subaru Impreza.

"I am satisfied with the progress I have made today and with the P Zeros that Pirelli has supplied," he reflected. "They worked well and went straight into the right operating temperature, even though the climate is certainly not mild. Anyway, I don't want to force the pace or take useless risks. I want to finish the rally and, at the same time, enjoy myself. For now, that suits me fine."

Asked about the stages more generally he noted that the 13.88 kilometre run through Klondyke [SS7] was probably one of the toughest, while he loved the two Te Akau tests [SS9 and SS10].

"Stage seven was very difficult with lots of puddles, this one was very slippery. We took it quietly there and tried to drive very cleanly. Stage nine was one of the best - it was really flowing and it is really fantastic when it is quick [like that]. I have driven well but I lost the car in one corner and I had had a spin and that cost me about 30 seconds. The next stage [SS10] was good too. The camber is perfect on these roads, I love it. I'm having fun - the car is perfect."

Pirelli rally manager, Mario Isola meanwhile was impressed with the form of the Italian, who is more known for his exploits on two wheels than four: "Valentino is making tangible progress," he noted. "He is setting encouraging times - especially considering the decidedly inclement weather conditions in which he is confronting this rally which is not among the simplest in the FIA World Rally Championship."

Not so bad

Italian motorcycle star Valentino Rossi rarely makes the same mistake twice, so he wasn't about to make a hasty exit from his second world rally championship (WRC) drive.

The seven times world motorcyling champion may have failed to win his sixth straight MotoGP title in Spain last month but his return to rally driving after a four-year hiatus went smoothly in the Rally of New Zealand yesterday.

Anxious to see out the first of three days, Rossi, known as The Doctor, prescribed himself a cautious, safety first approach – mindful that in his first WRC experience in Wales in 2002, he crashed early on the first day.

Rossi, driving an all black Subaru, was seeded 11th, if only to follow the big names over the graduated start line in Pirongia. And at the end of the first stage he was 24th overall, 10 minutes 55.1 seconds behind the leading Ford Focus of Finland's Marcus Gronholm.

Rossi spun out briefly during the first stage but that was his only scare as he opted to drive within his limited four-wheeled capabilities. He was neat and tidy, generally sticking to the middle of the road, and clearly not as committed as the experts ahead of him. "I had a little bit of a spin, it was more slippery than I thought, I was very cautious," Rossi said after a morning session complicated by steady overnight rain.

Rossi was severely tested by the 43.88km second stage: "It's very difficult, very long and takes a lot of concentration, it's like going to the airport in Bologna." However, he completed the circuit more assuredly second time round in the afternoon phase before closing with a trouble-free special stage sprint at Mystery Creek.

Rossi stuck to his game plan as the crowds gathered at rally headquarters in Mystery Creek and hardly set the pulses racing with a 3:07.7 run. Gronholm raced around in 2:59.8. Rossi said his goal was simply to have fun and make the finish line on Sunday, 12 more stages away. "We have arrived at the end (yesterday), so it is not so bad."

Rain and Rossi headline New Zealand rally

With injured champion Sebastian Loeb a non-starter, heavy rain and Valentino Rossi have become the big talking points of the New Zealand round of the World Rally Championship this weekend.

Rain is forecast from early Friday when the rally begins, and is unlikely to let up before the finish on Sunday.

Loeb, who hasn't started a rally since breaking his arm in a mountain bike accident in September, was guaranteed the world crown when his nearest rival Marcus Gronholm crashed out in Australia two weeks ago.

But still at stake is the manufacturers championship where Ford are close to denying Citroen the drivers-manufacturers double. Mikko Hirvonen's maiden win in Australia earned Ford 10 points and with Marcus Gronholm also in the money in Perth, Ford only needs three points to secure the title.

With Loeb sidelined Citroen has again nominated Xevi Pons and Dani Sordo as points scorers for the event. Meanwhile, the Subaru team, spearheaded by Petter Solberg and Australian Chris Atkinson are hoping to break their 14-race duck and salvage something from a wretched season which showed signs of an upswing in Perth before both crashed out.

The sideshow to the rally will be the appearance of Italian motorcycling hero Rossi who has entered as a privateer in a borrowed Subaru Impreza and admits he is in it for fun. "I want to understand how the car works and my potential in rallying and make the finish,"he told reporters on arrival. "But I want to have fun and enjoy myself."

It will be the 27-year-old Yamaha rider's second appearance in the World Rally Championship - he competed in Britain in 2002 in a Peugeot 205 but failed to progress beyond the first day.

Rossi arrives for Rally of NZ

Motorcycling champion Valentino Rossi was whisked away in a helicopter to prepare for his tilt at the Rally of New Zealand after landing at Auckland.

The Italian seven-time world motorcycling champion will drive a Subaru Impreza in a change of codes when the New Zealand leg of the World Rally Championship (WRC) starts in Waikato on Thursday. He was to spend Tuesday on reconnaissance at the first special stage south of Pirongia.

Rossi, who flew in from Hong Kong and has flirted with rallying in the past, said he was here to have fun on what was considered one of the better (WRC) circuits. "I have done a little bit before with Subaru in Italy last year and decided to try here because I know it is one of the best rallies in the championship," he said.

Rossi, one of the highest-paid people in motorsport, said he was pleased to escape the constant media attention he gets in the northern hemisphere. "This is far away from all the journalists and hype," he said. The New Zealand rally will be Rossi's second attempt at a WRC event, after a start in Britain in 2002. That time he was driving a Peugeot 205 prepared by the Italian Grifone team and did not make it through the first day of competition.

He has also competed in non-championship rallies in Italy and considered the sport his second passion behind motorcycle racing. Rossi said he was not aiming too high for the New Zealand event. "I want to understand how the car works and my potential in rallying and make the finish. But I want to have fun and enjoy myself." Rossi's car is being run by the Subaru World Rally Team.

Rossi doubtful over four-wheeled future

Moto GP superstar Valentino Rossi doubts he will race cars competitively, despite an impressive maiden run in a DTM car at Hockenheim.

The 27-year-old Italian, who came second in this year’s Moto GP world championship after winning five straight titles between 2001 and 2005, drove a Mercedes-Benz C-Class run by the German manufacturer’s works AMG squad.

"The test was truly big fun," said Rossi afterwards. "The AMG-Mercedes C-Class is an impressive racing car and handles nearly as a single-seater. Still, I don't yet know if I'm ever going to contest races on four wheels. But it's good to know that I wouldn't look too bad if I did so and I'd like to than Mercedes-Benz for this opportunity."

Mercedes-Benz motorsport chief Norbert Haug was impressed with Rossi's run in the car that Mika Hakkinen has raced this seasonHaug said: "Valentino is a true motor racing icon. He got on well with the AMG-Mercedes C-Class right from the start and he also succeeded in proving his skills at the wheel of the racing car."

This test with a driver as renowned as Valentino Rossi represents an accolade for the race series DTM, even if this doesn't mean that Valentino is going to move now from bike riding to tin-top racing."

Rossi has been linked with a switch to four wheels for over two years. He tested on numerous occasions for Ferrari's Formula One squad, fuelling rumours of a code-switch, and will drive a Subaru WRC car in Rally New Zealand next weekend. Should he race in the DTM in the future, he would follow the example of Johnny Cecotto. The Venezeulan, who won the 350cc world title in 1975, raced in the tin-top series in 1988.

Rossi Diary no.2

Valentino diary – September 2006

A lot of things have happened since my last diary, especially on the track, but I have talked enough about that in the press and now my only thoughts regarding racing are to do as well as I possibly can over the last five races. It is quite strange because for the first time in almost six years I'm not feeling any pressure to go and win the championship. Of course it's still possible and I am going to try, I don't think anybody expects it of me now and I can just go out to enjoy each race and try to do my best.

With just one race in the past seven weeks I have been able to take some time out to relax and enjoy myself, which I especially needed after what happened at Laguna Seca. From there I went back to London for ten days and spent most of my time catching up on some shopping, going out with friends and taking care of my house. Soon after I was there last, there were all the security alerts at Heathrow. Personally I just try to not think about it, even if I’m really worried, because I live there and I have to travel a lot. It makes me really sad that these things can happen but we can only pray for the end of these tragic events.

After ten days in London I went to Italy for a short break before the race at Brno and was able to relax some more and spend time with my family and my dog, Guido. After Brno I went to Ibiza – a place I always love to go on holiday. Last week I took a boat out to Formentera – a really beautiful island in the Mediterranean near Ibiza, and had a great time some friends.

Going to Ibiza so late in the summer means it is a little less crazy and there are less people, so I can relax a bit more, and I wasn’t worrying about the bike so much, which was nice for me too. It may sound as though all I do when I am not racing is relax but I can assure you I train every single day. To be a MotoGP rider you have to be in top physical shape and even though riding the bikes keeps you fit during the season I still go jogging and visit the gym often.

Even though I haven't had much to celebrate on the racetrack this summer, as an Italian I have to mention the football World Cup, which of course we won against France back in July. I watched all the games during the competition – many of them in the Camel Yamaha hospitality unit at the circuits – and really enjoyed every one, especially the semi-final against Germany. A lot of the team are Italian so we were able to enjoy the games together – we even knocked out Australia so that kept Jeremy Burgess and my other mechanics quiet, thank goodness! When we won the final against France I went crazy - riding around on my bike with my best friends: it was an unforgettable night.

Speaking of football, my team Inter Milan have started the season well by making some good signings and winning the Super Cup against AS Roma. We were able to take advantage of the punishment given to Juventus by signing Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Patrick Vieira, and we also got Hernan Crespo from Chelsea, which I was really happy about because they are really good players. Vieira and Crespo both scored in the Super Cup so it looks like they will be good signings for Inter and I think we have a good chance to win Serie A this season, even though it will be difficult.

I have also been keeping an eye on the Formula 1 and I am very sad to hear that my good friend Michael Schumacher may be retiring. Even though it is a shame because he is still at the top I also think it's a great way to finish - still winning races, without spending some years going downhill. I really hope he can win the title this year and I will really be cheering for him - it will be hard but it's not impossible. I think it's good to see that 37 years is not too old in motor racing and when I look at Loris Capirossi I am very happy because he is five years older than me and he is still winning races! The main reason I didn't go to Formula 1 myself was because at the moment I cannot imagine my life without racing motorcycles. So hopefully I have a few more years in me and then I would like to retire at the top.

Anyway, back to motorcycle racing! This weekend we have the first of three races in as many weeks and I think the title could be decided during this trip. Overall this has been a more equal season and of course I am sad for the 30 points that I have lost when I couldn’t finish but it is great fun because now there are five riders within fifty points and they all have a chance to win the title. All of us have won some races this year so everyone is really competitive and it will be tough but I think my bike is in a good way after Brno and my target to win every single one of them. Then we will see how the championship is in Valencia!

Ciao!

Vale #46

Rossi's World Chronograph '46'

Luxury watch manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre announced its partnership with MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi and introduced the first watch resulting from that collaboration, the Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph '46' (246 pieces for the world).

Rossi, who is a confirmed watch fan, visited the brand's Le Sentier manufacture in April 2006 and development then started on the first watch of what should be a long and fruitful partnership. "The collaboration between Valentino and Jaeger comes at the right time, with the right product and the right creativity," says Jérôme Lambert, President, Jaeger-LeCoultre. "It is a joint creation. The designers and engineers shared their ideas and creations with Valentino and he approved them. The result is a Master Compressor expressing Valentino's spirit.

"46 is Valentino's number plate, but it's also the diameter of the watch," he continues. "We made a design adjustment to the existing watch, introducing a touch of Rossi. Six of the time zones are GP circuit names, we included a chequered flag seconds indicator and the caseback is engraved with his number and his signature. This special watch is the only one available in rose gold and titanium, with steel black PVD-coated chronograph pushers."

Rossi: I wish the season started in two weeks

After one last ride on the 990cc Yamaha, to try and understand Sunday's shock title defeat, Valentino Rossi turned his attention to the new 800cc machine with which he aims to reclaim his MotoGP crown.

The five times premier-class champion fell on lap five of the final race of the 990cc era on Sunday, destroying his eight point lead and handing the title to Nicky Hayden, but just three days later Rossi and his main rivals were back at Valencia for the first post-season test of the 'off-season'.

"It was really good to have two days to rest after such a sad day on Sunday and I'm already feeling much better, in fact I wish the season started in two weeks time!" claimed the Italian. "We actually started off the test by doing some laps on the old 990cc bike as we wanted to have one more go at understanding why we lost! Then it was time to finally put it all behind us and get on with the new campaign."

Having only ridden the 800cc Yamaha briefly on two previous occasions, the Valencia test was the first real chance for Rossi and his mechanics to assess the machine in detail and begin serious development work - whilst comparing its speed with rival 800cc machines from Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and Ilmor.

"It's been great to be able to try the new bike straight away, when the 990 is still fresh in my mind, as it's easy to compare and understand the differences," explained Rossi. "Our bike is already quite good; it's at a good level for this early stage of development. This is the third time I've ridden it and it's got better each time because they've been working hard in Japan. They haven't made so many big changes yet, just small things like the engine setting, but already it's a bit faster."

After his early 990cc laps, Rossi went on to put the new Yamaha at the top of the 800cc timesheets on day one by just 0.01secs from Ducati's Loris Capirossi - with the top Suzuki and Honda 800 all within 0.1secs of the #46! However, day two saw Rossi relax his pace, while experimenting with 'different things', and he was left seventh fastest and 1.12secs behind fastest man Dani Pedrosa.

"Yesterday we were fastest, which was exciting, but today we've been trying some different things and we were quite a lot slower," admitted Rossi at the end of the test. "Anyway I'm not worried about that, the most important thing at the moment is to get as much information as possible and really start to understand and get to know the bike. This has been a useful test, I'm already feeling very motivated about the new bike and I am sure that next time I ride it in Jerez it will be even better!"

Rossi keeps his favoured #46 for Rally NZ

Former five-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will be able to sport his famous #46 during an upcoming drive in Rally New Zealand, the penultimate round of the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship.

The FIA has agreed to let Rossi run with the number in his privately entered Subaru Impreza, despite the fact it has been used this season by Nigel Heath in the Production Car WRC category, of which New Zealand is the final round. Heath, also a Subaru driver, will compete in car #44 instead.

Rossi has always used the #46 in grand prix motorcycle racing, despite being entitled to run the #1 plate for the past five seasons. Rossi, who lost out on a sixth consecutive MotoGP crown when he fell in last Sunday's Valencian title decider, is scheduled to conduct a short test in the UK before Rally New Zealand, which runs from November 17-19. No details have been released on the test, as the Italian is trying to keep his participation very low key.

Rossi to be strengthened by defeat

Italy's moto rider Valentino Rossi will recover quickly from seeing the 2006 MotoGP title slip through his fingers and come back in 2007 more motivated than ever, the Yamaha rider's father said on Monday.

Graziano Rossi, one of his son's biggest fans, admitted that the 27-year-old star was bitterly disappointed after falling on lap five of the Valencia Grand Prix and thus handing the title to American rival Nicky Hayden. But he said the rider, who has won seven world titles already, would benefit from his defeat. "I know my son and his character. Valentino will want to prove himself now. Next year he'll be more motivated than ever." "A defeat could also enrich him from a human point of view," he added.

Italian newspapers gave his unexpected defeat front-page treatment, printing pictures Rossi falling from his bike. They also paid tribute to his stature as a sportsman, noting that he had staged a thrilling comeback since the summer, when he had been 51 points behind Hayden.
Valentino - He Lost Like a Champion, headlined Gazzetta dello Sport, and Corriere della Sera, Italy's best-selling daily, wrote Valentino - The Fatal Error.

There were also tributes from Italian politicians, who saw the rider as an example for the country's youth. "Dear Valentino, true champions show their colors in moments of difficulty," said Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, "Italy appreciates what you have done and the excitement you have provided this season, as you have in the past".

Rossi also received encouragement from Ferrari star Michael Schumacher, who has just retired from Formula 1 racing at the age of 37. "I'm crossing my fingers for you. You have many years ahead of you to win more," the German said.

Rossi : This is racing

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi slid out of the Grand Prix of Valencia today and lost his grip on the MotoGP World Championship for the first time in six years on the final day of an implausibly dramatic season. Nicky Hayden (Honda) lifted the title after claiming third place behind surprise winner Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi (both Ducati), with Rossi recovering to cross the line in 13th place but missing out on the title by just five points.

The fifth lap mishap came after a bad start from Rossi, who looked to be in perfect shape to defend his eight-point advantage going into the race after qualifying on pole position. However, the bad luck that followed the Italian throughout the first half of the season returned to strike its final, decisive blow when the front end of Rossi's YZR-M1 tucked under braking and sent him spinning into the gravel. Another heroic charge from the defending champion saw him recover seven places and brought him back into the points but it wasn't enough to hold off Hayden.

Valentino Rossi Post-match

"Of course this is a big disappointment for me because to arrive at the final race with an eight-point advantage and then not win the title is a disaster. Basically I made two mistakes today - one was at the start and then the second one was the crash. It has been a very emotional season, with some great moments, some bad luck and now some mistakes. But this is racing. "

"All I can say now is a big 'congratulations' to Nicky because he is a great guy, a great rider and he is the World Champion because he has been the best this year. I have known him a long time, I know his family well and even though I am disappointed I am also very happy for them. It has been a great fight with him this year - not like in the past with other riders when there have always been some polemics - and we have great respect for each other. I want to say a huge thank you to Yamaha, to all my team and engineers and to everyone else involved, they've done an amazing job this year and now I am looking forward to working towards next season with the 800; I am sure it will be another exciting season and another big battle!"

Rider Standings
1, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 252
2, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 247
3, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 229
4, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 228
5, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 215
6, Kenny Roberts, Team Robert KR, USA, 134
7, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 124
8, Casey Stoner, Honda, AUS, 119
9, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 116
10, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 116
11, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 98
12, Makato Tamada, Honda, JPN, 96
13, Sete Gibernau, Ducati, ESP, 95
14, Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, JPN, 92
15, Carlos Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 75
18, James Ellison, Yamaha, GBR, 26

Team Standings 29/10/2006
1, Repsol Honda Team, 467
2, Camel Yamaha Team, 371
3, Ducati Marlboro Team, 356
4, Fortuna Honda Team, 344
5, Rizla Suzuki, 214
6, Team Roberts KR, 134
7, Kawasaki Racing Team, 129
8, Honda LCR, 119
9, Tech3 Yamaha, 101
10, Konica Minolta Honda, 96
11, Pramac D'Antin, 33
12, Ilmor SRT, 2

Manufacturer Standings 29/10/2006
1, Honda, 360
2, Yamaha, 289
3, Ducati, 248
4, Suzuki, 151
5, Team Robert KR, 134
6, Kawasaki, 109
7, Imor X3, 2

Rossi falls in title showdown !

American Nicky Hayden took advantage of a rare error by five-times champion Valentino Rossi to claim his first MotoGP world title in a dramatic race in the season-ending grand prix in Valencia on Sunday. Rossi, who went into the final race with an eight-point lead in the standings, slid off into the gravel as he lost control of his front tyre on the fifth lap and was unable to make up the lost ground.

The Italian finished in 13th place, but it was Hayden who took the title with a third place finish behind winning Ducati duo Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. Rossi pulled alongside Hayden as he took the plaudits on his lap of honour and sportingly shook the Honda rider's hand.

The 25-year-old American, whose title chances seemed to have evaporated when he was brought down by team mate Dani Pedrosa in the penultimate race in Portugal, collapsed to his knees as he lit a series of firecrackers on the Ricardo Tormo track.

"I'm really proud," Hayden, visibly shaking with emotion as tears ran down his cheeks, told Spanish state television. "We didn't give up even when we were down and we never gave up fighting."``It was only the third time in the history of the premier class that a rider lying in second place in the standings going into the final race ended up winning the title. Italian great Giacomo Agostini did it to take the first of his eight 500cc world titles when he overhauled Mike Hailwood in 1966 and American Wayne Rainey repeated the feat in 1992 when he pipped Mick Doohan to the championship.

Rossi started the race as favourite to win a sixth consecutive world title in the blue riband category after earning his fifth pole position of the year. But the Italian made a slow start and dropped to seventh by the end of the first lap as Bayliss set the early pace. Hayden's Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa slotted into second and then let the American slip past him while he concentrated on keeping Rossi at bay.

But Rossi's chances of winning a sixth successive title went up in smoke when the front wheel of his Yamaha slipped from underneath him and the bike slid out into the gravel as he exited a corner on the fifth lap. The Italian managed to remount his bike but lost over 25 seconds on the leaders and dropped back into 19th place.

Hayden slotted into third place behind the Ducati duo of Bayliss and Capirossi, while Rossi did his utmost to pick off the riders to get among the points and keep his title hopes alive. Rossi finally managed to thread his way through the field to take 13th spot but it was not enough to prevent Hayden dispossessing him of the world championship.

Rossi on Valencia pole

Valentino Rossi produced a sensational late lap to snatch pole position for the Valencia Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Yamaha rider took his fifth pole of the year in 1:31.002 and even had time to sit out the final two minutes of qualifying as his pursuers went for broke.

"This grid is very good for us for the race and we know we have great potential with qualifying tyres. I did three very good laps and the last one was pole position. Its crucial to start from the front here. We did a very good job in practice, but we've still got to decided on two or three small things for the race with the bike. Tomorrow is very important." Rossi, who will win a sixth straight world title if he finshes second on Sunday, took the 34th pole of his career.

The star of qualifying, however, was undoubtledly Australian Troy Bayliss, as the World Superbike champion took second on the grid on his first Moto GP appearance for a year. Bayliss' Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi ended up third with Shinya Nakano fourth for Kawasaki as Bridgestone-tyred bikes formed an effective barrier between Rossi and the rest.

Rossi's title rival Nicky Hayden, who trails the Italian by eighth points, could only manage fifth on his Repsol Honda, with his Spanish team-mate Dani Pedrosa completing the second row beside him. Despite missing the earlier practice session with a back problem, Casey Stoner on an LCR Honda led the Suzuki duo of Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins on the third row while Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards completed the top ten. Further down, there was disappointent for Estoril winner Toni Elias and podium finisher Kenny Roberts Jr, who were 13th and 14th for Fortuna Honda and Team KR.

Rossi and Hayden ready for the final battle

It's the battle that will decide the war: 30 laps inside a Valencia 'cauldron', lined by 125,000 fans, will end with either Valentino Rossi or Nicky Hayden crowned the 2006 MotoGP world champion.

The Valencian Grand Prix will mark the first final round title showdown for 14 years and is a fitting climax for a season of unprecedented drama - highlighted by the penultimate round, at Estoril, two weeks ago. Rossi began that event 12 points behind Hayden, but the American was amazingly wiped out by his own Repsol Honda team-mate, Dani Pedrosa, early in the race. Rossi was then beaten in a photo finish by first time winner Toni Elias, but still took the points lead for the very first time this season.

As a result of his eight-point advantage over Hayden, and his incredible racing record, the reigning five-times title holder will start as the clear favourite for a sixth MotoGP crown on Sunday - which would make him the only champion of the 990cc era - but the Italian superstar is aware that another twist of fate could snatch the crown from him, even though he just needs to finish second on Sunday.

"It's the last battle," stated Rossi. "It's very interesting. We are in front, but eight points is not a lot and we'll just try to do as we have in the last few races: A big effort in practice, a good starting position and a good set-up on the bike. I think it'll be a hard and tough race for everybody. "This year has been very difficult, especially because we had a lot of bad luck. We broke down three times and I crashed at the first turn once, so I had three non-scores and once only scored two-points. The second part of the championship was good, after Laguna, and we came back at the top level. But it's been difficult to win this year. It's been more important to stay consistent and arrive on the podium."

Rossi has undoubtedly suffered more than his fair share of bad luck this season, with technical problems, accidents and injuries dropping him 51 points from Hayden by round eleven of 17 - when he began his incredible fight back. But Vale was lucky to avoid a penalty for overtaking under yellow flags at Phillip Island and even he couldn't have imagined that Pedrosa would act so devastatingly in his favour at Portugal.

For Hayden and Honda, the Estoril 'incident' was a bitter, bitter blow - marking the American's first non-score of the season at a track where, with hindsight, he could have joined Elias and Kenny Roberts Jr in battling Rossi for victory. Some have said Hayden was due 'bad luck' anyway - but 'bad luck' is something that happens throughout the field during a racing season? being eliminated by your team-mate while leading the world championship with one round to go is more of a 'freak incident' - but one which Hayden must quickly put behind him.

"It's a big weekend. It's the final showdown," began Hayden. "I'm looking forward to it. I've got to get over what happened last time at Estoril, sure it hurts and it was definitely a bad deal, but I've got to get over it and shake it off. Elias did me a big favour by beating Rossi and giving me hope, so I've just got to go out there and try and win the race.

Rossi break record in Valencia

Valentino Rossi set a searing pace in final practice for the Valencia Grand Prix as he recorded the fastest lap in the history of Spanish circuit. The 27-year-old Italian's lap of 1:31.817 on his Yamaha blitzed the previous record set by Spaniard Sete Gibernau last year.

Nicky Hayden, who trails Rossi by eight points in the world championship and is the only man who can deny the Italian a sixth straight Moto GP crown, showed his colours by going second, only 0.037 seconds slower. The chasing pack were led by Friday pace-setter Loris Capirossi's Ducati and Rossi's newly re-signed team-mate Colin Edwards.

Marco Melandri was fifth on his Fortuna Honda, while World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss, who is competing in Moto GP for the first time in a year, was sixth for Ducati. Hayden's Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was the top Spaniard in front of his home crowd in seventh, with John Hopkins eighth for Suzuki.

1st final round title showdown for Rossi

There's not much that reigning five-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi hasn't done during his illustrious career - but this weekend at Valencia he'll face his first ever final round title showdown.

Since being knocked from his bike in the first corner of the first race of the 2006 season at Jerez, Rossi has been through virtually every emotion known to a motorcycle racer leading up to Sunday's spectacular Spanish climax.

A dramatically unpredictable season of twists and turns has seen Rossi visit the gravel traps, the hospital and the top step of the podium in almost equal measures, with technical problems also robbing him of vital points in the first half of the season.

However, since finding himself a massive 51 points behind Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden, after round eleven of seventeen at Laguna Seca, The Doctor has mounted a dramatic comeback, claiming a string of five consecutive podium finishes - while Hayden has suffered five consecutive non-podiums, the most costly of which came last time out in Portugal.

Rossi began the penultimate round of the season 12 points behind Hayden but, despite just being beaten to the chequered flag by Toni Elias, will take a vital eight-point lead into Valencia after Hayden was eliminated on lap five at Estoril - by his own team-mate Dani Pedrosa.

Honda's home goal means Rossi leads the world championship for the first time this season - but also that, for the first time in fourteen years, the MotoGP World Championship will be decided at the final round, with the drama set to unfold in front of a sell-out crowd in excess of 120,000 people.

Few would bet against Rossi even if he was equal with Hayden heading into the event, but the American can only hope that his RCV 'team-mates' will aid his title bid - and that the new experience of final-round pressure will trouble Rossi more than him. That's unlikely, especially as Hayden has never won a world title before, but Rossi is more than aware that there will be no second chance - it's now or never this weekend.

"We're all very excited about this final race," said Rossi, who can afford to finish second even if Hayden wins on Sunday. "Of course it's not going to be like other times, when I have won the championship with some races to spare and less pressure.

Now I only have one chance. It's a big pressure for everyone but it's great for the show. Things went very well for us in Estoril - we've achieved our goal of coming here still fighting for the championship and for this I have to thank everyone in the team so much.

"Valencia isn't one of my best tracks and we also know that Hayden is really strong there, so it's definitely not going to be easy," he continued. "On the other hand we know that the M1 works quite well there and in the race last year it was very good in the second half of the race especially. If we can start from the front then I think we can try for the win, but whatever happens it's going to be a really exciting race. Hopefully Colin and I can be at the front together like in Estoril and we'll just see what we can do!"

As Rossi mentioned, Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards played the perfect team role at Estoril - dutifully battling the Repsol riders for second position, while protecting Rossi's lead. When the RCV riders collided, Edwards continued to sit safely behind the unusually off-pace #46 - not knowing Hayden was out - and was later passed by both Elias and Kenny Roberts as a result.

Nevertheless, with a new Yamaha contract already believed to be in the Texan's pocket, Rossi can rely on Edwards to be the perfect team-mate again this weekend.

"I'm pretty excited about the last race of the season, it's going to be pretty close I reckon," said Edwards. "Estoril worked out well for the team and I was able to help Valentino out, which was the number one aim. Obviously I was disappointed not to be on the podium but my bike worked great and I think that we're in good shape to do it all again at Valencia.

"I've raced at Valencia for years so I know it really well and I know I am quite fast there. Like in Estoril, the aim is going to be to get on the front row alongside Valentino and then just to help him out in the race as much as possible. Of course this time out I want to be on the podium too, a Yamaha one-two would be the perfect end to the season!"

"Since the summer break we have just taken the races one-by-one, working our hardest and keeping our focus, and the results have been excellent," added team director Davide Brivio. "Our objective from Brno onwards was to keep fighting until the end of the season and try to get to the last round with a mathematical chance of winning the title. After Portugal that mathematical chance is a lot stronger than we expected but it is not over yet and, as we all know from our experience this season, anything can still happen."

In terms of past performance, on the three occasions that both Rossi and Hayden have raced at Valencia, Rossi has finished 1st (2003), 1st (2004) and 3rd (2005), with Hayden 16th (after a fall in 2003), not finishing (2004) and 2nd (2005).

"Valencia isn't one of Valentino's favourite tracks because it is so tight and twisty, but we won there in 2004 and finished third last year after starting well down the grid, so we know the M1 works well," said Jeremy Burgess, chief engineer to Rossi. "One of the big lessons we have learnt this season is that if you want to win in this class nowadays then you really have to start from the front so we will again be using the free practice sessions to make sure we have the right bike settings for both qualifying and the race."

Should Rossi take the title this weekend, he will go down in history as the only rider ever to win a 990cc world championship. 800cc engines will be introduced for the 2007 season onwards.

Rossi test Subaru for Rally

Subaru has told Crash.net that MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will be testing his Impreza in the UK, prior to his appearance in next month's Rally New Zealand.

Rossi's MotoGP season will conclude at Valencia next Sunday (October 29), where he will be battling Nicky Hayden for his sixth consecutive MotoGP crown. The Italian will then turn his attention to Rally New Zealand, the penultimate round of the 2006 World Rally Championship, taking place from November 17-19, as well as developing Yamaha's new-for-2007 800cc racer.

Although Rossi is treating his rally outing as a hobby - running as an unpaid private entry, separate from the official Subaru World Rally Team - the test, which will take place a couple of weeks before the car is shipped to New Zealand, underlines that the Camel Yamaha star is taking his second ever WRC appearance seriously.

Rossi's first WRC outing, in the 2002 Rally of Great Britain, embarrassingly ended after just 17 kilometres when he beached his Michelin-backed Peugeot 206 in the Welsh forests. However, Rossi has performed admirably during off-season outings in a Subaru, most notably beating former world champion Colin McRae in the asphalt based Monza Rally.

"We are delighted that Valentino is going to compete in Rally New Zealand and of course we're very pleased that he has chosen to do it in a Subaru," a Subaru spokesman told Crash.net. "The car is a 2005 spec (active front and rear diff) Impreza WRC, previously used by Chris Atkinson in Germany. All the arrangements to supply and service his car have been made by Prodrive - not the Subaru World Rally Team."

Rossi, who turned down a Formula One switch earlier this season, takes an eight-point lead over Hayden into next weekend's Valencia title showdown.

Hayden crash, Rossi on top

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Valentino Rossi snatched the MotoGP World Championship lead in dramatic fashion as title rival Nicky Hayden was forced out of the Estoril race by his own team-mate. Rossi finished second in the race in Portugal behind Toni Elias but the real drama came on lap five as Dani Pedrosa crashed and took Hayden out of the race with him.

Reigning champion Rossi had gone into the race trailing Repsol Honda's Hayden by 12 points but came out leading by eight on the Camel Yamaha. With one race remaining at Valencia in two weeks' time, Rossi knows he only needs to beat Hayden in Spain and he will have his eighth world title.

Rossi was not too disappointed to lose the race to the Fortuna Honda of Elias despite leading for most of the 28 laps and also fighting hard before the Spaniard took the win by two one thousandths of a second.

Rossi said: "Toni rode like the devil. I tried to play the game but I also tried to stay in the race, I decided not to risk too much. Eight points ahead as we go to Valencia is very important for me. I am sure Valencia will be a very good race."

Rossi had dominated the early stages of the race from pole position and on lap five his title ambitions received an unexpected boost. Pedrosa and Hayden were battling for third place and the Spaniard went too tight inside his team-mate through a left-hand corner, clipped the inside kerb and was thrown from his bike.

Pedrosa then crashed into Hayden and took them off the track into the gravel trap. As Pedrosa nursed a broken finger Hayden was left beating the gravel in frustration as he saw his world title hopes all but disappear.

The GP was watched by 41,000 spectators at a circuit which will host the next two Portuguese GPs after the operators signed a new two-year deal.

First pole at Portuguese circuit

Defending world champion Valentino Rossi took pole position for the Grand Prix of Portugal on his Yamaha, to pile the pressure on MotoGP series leader Nicky Hayden.

The Italian, chasing a sixth consecutive world title in motorcycling's top division and eighth in all, clocked 1min 36.20sec to beat Alex Barros's qualifying record set in 2005. Teammate Colin Edwards was second fastest with 1min 36.478 while Honda rider Hayden was third on 1min 36.549.

It was Rossi's fourth pole position of the season, the 44th of his career but first at the Portuguese circuit. Rossi has eaten into Hayden's advantage in recent weeks and now stands on 224 points compared to Hayden's 236, cutting the gap by 39 points during the last four races.

His record here is also superior. He has won four times in the past while the American has yet to make the podium. Rossi, with five wins under his belt in 2006, had been only eighth fastest in Friday's practice with Hayden the second quickest on the day. But he was in great form in the latter part of Saturday's session, which had earlier been dominated by Australian Honda rider Casey Stoner.

"This is a crucial race for the title," said Rossi who is aware that after Portugal just one race remains in Valencia later this month. "There have been two good days and the last three sessions were very good. The course will be very, very interesting and I'm happy that Colin is beside me on the grid."

Rossi wait for last lap of the last race

MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi believes the 2006 title will only be settled on the last lap of the last race - while current points leader Nicky Hayden has justified his position at the top of the table.

Rossi arrives at Estoril, venue for this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix, 12 points behind the Repsol Honda rider after gaining 39 points on the American in the past four races. However, should Rossi lose 14 points to Hayden then the title will be decided in the #69's favour, one round early, on Sunday - but Rossi is expecting nothing to be settled until the last ever lap of 990cc racing.

"We've had four races where the M1 has worked very well with the tyres and we'll try to continue like this in the last two races. We are not so far behind, but for sure it will be difficult and the title will only be decided on the last lap at Valencia," declared Rossi, before reflecting on his volatile season so far.

"We had a lot of bad luck and difficult races at the beginning of the season then, when we found the way forward, I made the mistake at Assen and got injured. Then we came back strong at Laguna, but had the engine problem and fell 51 points behind. But we tried to keep our concentration and always knew our potential. We worked a lot before Brno and were able to get four podiums - and a lot of points - in the last four races. Our target is to stay on the podium for these two important races. I feel ready so we'll wait for tomorrow."

MotoGP Portugal : Rossi fastest in opeing practice

Valentino Rossi got off to the perfect start to his Portuguese Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in the opening practice session at Estoril. The 27-year-old Italian, who has never finished off the podium in Moto GP at the circuit, lapped the track in 1:39.398 on his Yamaha.

The championship's in-form man Loris Capirossi was 0.239 seconds slower on his Ducati, with American John Hopkins - who has targeted a maiden podium finish at Estoril - an impressive third on his SuzukiChampionship leader Nicky Hayden - who leads Rossi by 12 points in the rider standings - was fourth quickest on his Repsol Honda, just ahead of Australian rookie Casey Stoner on his similar LCR-run machine.

Sixth was Hayden's team-mate Dani Pedrosa, with Rossi's fellow Yamaha rider Colin Edwards next up and veteran Carlos Checa eighth on his Tech-3-run version.The Fortuna Honda pair of Toni Elias and Marco Melandri rounded out the top 10.Further back, returning Australian rider Garry McCoy did well not to end up slowest on the brand-new Ilmor X3.McCoy lapped 4.1 seconds off the pace, but was still able to beat Britain's James Ellison, who was slowest on his Tech-3 Yamaha.

Rossi confirm for Rally NZ

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has entered the Rally New Zealand, the penultimate round of the world championship which takes place next month.

The Camel Yamaha rider, currently second in the MotoGP standings with two races remaining, will race a Subaru Impreza S11 World Rally Car as a private entry. The Italian will not race as an official driver of the Subaru World Rally Team. Managing director Richard Taylor told www.wrc.com; "Valentino has entered Rally New Zealand privately in his own name. "He will, however, be driving a car supplied by us - in fact, the car which Chris Atkinson drove in Germany this year.

"There's still a bit of work to do on the details, and it may be run alongside the Subaru team. But it will certainly not be an SWRT-liveried car. "I think this is great news. It's wonderful that he is this interested in the WRC - and, of course, we're glad he will be driving a Subaru." Rossi raced in Rally GB in 2002 in a Peugeot 205WRC but crashed out early on the first day. He has been linked with a move to Formula One in the past - but despite testing for Ferrari, he has a deal to race with Yamaha in MotoGP next season.

The Doctor keep chasing Hayden

World champion Valentino Rossi believes he is well-placed to catch Nicky Hayden at the top of the MotoGP championship with just two races left of the season.

A fine run of form has seen the Italian win 39 points from the last four races to move to within 12 points of Hayden. And, speaking ahead of this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix, the 27-year-old said: "We're as strong as our rivals."

"The motivation and concentration in the team is the best in the paddock. We will be fighting for the podium." Rossi, aiming for his sixth straight premier-class title, added: "Since Brno, when we finally understood everything about what we needed to do to make our bike work at 100% again, we've been very strong everywhere and on the podium each time."

"Of course we know we could have won more if we'd been like this earlier in the season but we can't do anything about that. "We know our potential and when we've started from the front lately we've been on the podium each time, so we have to carry on like this."

However, Rossi is aware that Hayden could still clinch the title at Estoril if he fails to perform. "We have two difficult tracks coming up in Portugal and Valencia, but I think our M1 bike can be fast at both of them. " "I actually like Portugal. It's twisty but we can go well there. I hope that it will be a bit warmer, won't rain, and that we can find a good tyre with Michelin."

Fastweb TV Adv

Rossi closes the gap with another hard-earned podium

Race Report from Yamaha Team

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now trails MotoGP World Championship series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by just twelve points with two rounds remaining thanks to his fourth consecutive podium, his eighth from the last ten races, in Japan today.

Rossi took second place in a race dominated and won by Loris Capirossi (Ducati), with Marco Melandri (Honda) completing the podium in a carbon copy of the front row order. The 20-point reward for Rossi moved him another nine closer to Hayden, who finished fifth behind Sete Gibernau (Ducati).

Valentino Rossi (2nd; +5.088)
"I'm really happy with this second position today. It wasn't a great battle like in Sepang, but my rhythm was really good and my bike worked very well. We had a few problems in warm-up this morning and, like always, my mechanics, the Yamaha engineers and Michelin did a great job to make some last-minute changes to our race set-up.
At the start my M1 was a little bit hard to ride but slowly I found my rhythm and then bit by bit I started to come closer to Marco. Once I passed him I started pushing to try to reach Loris and made the fastest lap, but once he realised I was coming closer he opened the throttle again and he was just too fast for me to catch. My bike worked brilliantly since Friday morning and I want to thank everyone for all their hard work, it seems that when everything is working for us then it's hard for the others!

20 points is a great result for me at this track, which isn't one of my favourites, and now we're only 12 points behind in the championship. We have two races left and if we can continue in this way then it's possible!"

Rider Standings（Up to 24/09/2006）

1. Nicky Hayden/Honda/USA/236
2. Valentino Rossi/Yamaha/ITA/224
3. Marco Melandri/Honda/ITA/209
4. Loris Capirossi/Ducati/ITA/205
5. Daniel Pedrosa/Honda/ESP/202

Rossi ready to show who's the boss

Valentino Rossi is confident he can further close the gap on MotoGP points leader Nicky Hayden in Sunday's race at Motegi.

The Camel Yamaha rider start the Japanese round from the front row of the grid after setting the second fastest time in qualifying behind the Ducati Marlboro machine of fellow Italian Loris Capirossi.

"I am very happy to be on the front row again for the fourth race in a row," said Rossi."My (Yamaha) M1 has worked well from the start here so we've been able to work on the setting with various different things and then mix everything together to find the very best race set-up."Now it seems we're in good shape. The bike worked very well also with the qualifying tyre and I had very good grip."

Capirossi struck a significant blow for Ducati by putting Japan's major manufacturers in the shade in qualifying.Capirossi rider topped the qualifying session for the Japanese round of the championship with a lap of one minute 45.724 seconds. Another Italian, Marco Melandri, completed the front row to show his win last time out on the Fortuna Honda in Malaysia was not an isolated example of his pace.

Rossi trails current championship leader Nicky Hayden by 21 points, with Motegi the first of the three remaining races in the series.American Hayden could only manage the seventh best time and will start from the third row of the grid on the Repsol Honda.

Brad Pitt : Rossi Is Poetry

Actor Brad Pitt mentions MotoGP racer Valentino Rossi in a story in the current issue of Esquire magazine.

Pitt, who we understand is a fairly devoted motorcycle and racing fan, lists Rossi in a feature self-penned by the Fight Club star titled Fifteen Things I Think Everyone Should Know.

Pitt mentions motorcycles, saying he has a problem with them (as in the same problem you probably have with them), I have sport bikes. And I have dirt bikes. ...I don't want to talk about it; I'll just say that I have a problem.

Pitt mentions Rossi in a separate entry, writing He is a magician. He's mesmerizing. ... he's the fastest man on two wheels. It's speed but it's also balance. ... (Rossi) has a sort of innate sense of balance that's beyond mortal man. Pitt rides a variety of bikes including a Ducati Monster.

Rossi Closes Gap

VALENTINO ROSSI cut the MotoGP World Championship lead of Nicky Hayden on Sunday as rain at Phillip Island resulted in the first white flag wet weather race in the series.

Rossi finished third on the Camel Yamaha behind fellow Italian Marco Melandri, who won the race on the Fortuna Honda and the Rizla Suzuki of Australian Chris Vermeulen who took his first MotoGP podium finish.

Ahead of Spaniard Sete Gibernau and the Repsol Honda of US rider Hayden, Rossi was able to pick up five points on Hayden, as the race was dominated by the changing weather conditions.

Predicted rainfall led to a delay in the start of the race and then, as the weather changed, the white flag was shown to indicate that riders were able to change machines to be able to use tyres better suited to the conditions.

Japan's Shinya Nakano had led on the Kawasaki, but saw his early advantage reduced to nothing during the machine changes. Hayden had a disastrous first lap from pole position and dropped back to 16th before making the most of the machine change.

Melandri was rewarded for a controlled race as he led home Vermeulen and Rossi, who grabbed third off Gibernau with a late pass. Hayden still leads the series, but saw his advantage over Rossi drop to 21 points with three races remaining. Melandri moved up to joint third alongside Spaniard Dani Pedrosa who struggled in the conditions.

Pedrosa, who was still suffering with a badly gashed knee picked up at the previous round, finished 15th on the Repsol Honda and was lapped during the closing stages of the race as his lack of wet-weather riding ability was once again exposed.

Rossi and Hayden fears Ducatis

Valentino Rossi believes he and pole-sitter Nicky Hayden will have to make a quick break for it to avoid an all-out attack from the Ducatis in tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix.

Ducati riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau could only manage 12th and 13th on the grid in what was one of their worst performances of the season as their Bridestone tyres failed to perform on the day.

But five-time world champion Rossi, 27, who will start from third on his Yamaha, believes that the Italian machines will be totally different in the race if their riders can start well.

He said: “I'm surprised that Capirossi and Gibernau are so far back because they have got a very strong race pace so I suppose me and Nicky will be pushing hard from the start to try and escape.”

Rossi himself was happy with the performance of his bike, but thinks that his team will have to make some serious set-up changes overnight if he i sto have a chance to win the race and close the 26-point gap to Hayden in the championship.

He added: The team did a really good job today because we had some difficulties setting the bike up yesterday, but today it worked really well and I was able to qualify on the front row.

“Because of the temperatures here we are finding it hard to get heat into the rear tyre and we struggled a bit again today, which is why I had to leave it so late before trying for the fast time on the qualifying tyre.

“We still have some work to do in this aspect on the race setting but with the qualifying tyre the grip was there and I was able to go third fastest, even though I ran off the track on my out lap.”

Rossi : Pedrosa racing danger

Five-time world champion Valentino Rossi has hit out at the racing skills of title rival Dani Pedrosa.

Pedrosa accused Rossi of being "very aggressive when overtaking" at last month's Czech GP. But Rossi said: "The problem with Pedrosa, at this moment, is that he is not able to overtake. "He arrives at the front always over-shooting, so the danger is him, not me. He needs more experience and to understand the way to overtake."

Rossi is bidding for his sixth consecutive Australian MotoGP victory on Sunday and is unbeaten around the Phillip Island circuit since 2001. His win over Loris Capirossi in last Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix pushed him to within 26 points of championship leader Nicky Hayden, and just four points behind second-placed Pedrosa with four MotoGPs left in the season.

Pedrosa only moved up to the premier class this year after winning the 250cc world championship last season, but Rossi reminded him he was now in a different league.
"I don't know the situation in 250 but this is MotoGP," Rossi said. "It's a battle, especially when you are fighting for the second-place position with three laps to go."