Alvaro Bautista: Post-Race Quote, Sachsenring

"With the worn tyre I could still feel very comfortable, but I had an early problem. The bike was sliding about and I couldn't feel at ease riding, so I had to regain my feeling step by step. I wasn't fully comfortable until the middle of the race; when I caught up with Barberá I saw that he was going faster than me, I decided to let him take me up to the front.
When we got to Hiroshi and Faubel It was difficult to pass because of Aoyama's late braking, and there were only a couple of places at which I knew that I could pass him. I tried to overtake with two laps to go, but I saw a yellow flag and couldn't make the move. I got through later on and saw Álex ahead, and knew that catching him would be tough. I was with him on the last lap, but a move would have been risking things. Third is a good result, and Aoyama finished behind me which is important for the title fight."

Bautista Takes 3rd & New Sachsenring Lap Record

With mixed conditions, an initial red flag and then a load of faffing around over tyre choices before the restart, you could be forgiven for being a bit worried about how chaotic the (reduced) run might go, but it turned out pretty well actually, with Alvaro finally coming home a fine, respectable and close third.
Simoncelli was first and Alex Debon just behind, with just 1.2 seconds covering the first five riders over the finish line.
After a lacklustre start, Alvaro soon warmed up - spending most of the race swapping places with Hiroshi Aoyama and Hector Barbera - and finally took Aoyama heading into the first corner, and then went on to break the circuit lap record on the last lap.
Triffick!


CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 27m11.034s
2. Alex Debon Aprilia + 0.479s
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia + 0.528s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda + 0.866s
5. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 1.260s
6. Hector Faubel Honda + 5.972s
7. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia + 8.721s
8. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 8.762s
9. Raffaele De Rosa Honda + 19.176s
10. R.Locatelli Gilera + 27.950s
11. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 29.601s
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia + 38.299s
13. Shoya Tomizawa Honda + 51.940s
14. Jules Cluzel Aprilia + 52.919s
15. Bastien Chesaux Honda +1m06.786s
16. Axel Pons Aprilia +1m20.573s
17. Toby Markham Aprilia + 1 lap
18. Imre Toth Aprilia + 1 lap
19. Joakim Stensmo Honda + 2 laps
20. Valentin Debise Honda + 4 laps

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 16
Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 16
Karel Abraham Aprilia 8
Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 0
R.Wilairot Honda DNS

FASTEST LAP: Bautista, 1m24.552s on lap 19

Alvaro - Post-qualifying quotes; Sachsenring

"We made a few changes to the wet set-up for qualifying but I didn't feel comfortable, to the point that we just went back to the configuration we had last year and I felt better straight away. It is a shame that I ran into a lot of traffic and couldn't get into a rhythm. I only got on decent lap in but that was enough to get me on the front row. I think if I had the opportunity to get into a flow I could have gone faster.
If it is dry for the warm-up tomorrow I'll try what we know works - the same geometry we had for the wet at the end of this afternoon, which gives me a better feeling on the front. Whatever the weather tomorrow we'll be giving it our best shot - we'll try and get a feeling from the start and run at the front. It is important to be on the front row because the first turn tends to get busy here. It is also a circuit where it is very difficult to pass so the nearer you are to the front of the grid the better."

Alvaro Third On Grid For German GP

After not looking terribly confident for most of the drenched and piddling down Qualifying session for tomorrow's German GP at the Sachsenring, and possibly seeming a shoe-in for a slot somewhere down on the second row, Alvaro suddenly right at the end bunged in a great lap that puts him up in third behind Dumb & Dumber.
Quite what the weather will bring tomorrow who knows, but hopefully he can ride smart and as usual be aware of the terrible twosome lined up next to him...


Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m32.962s
2. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m33.105s + 0.143s
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m34.246s + 1.284s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m34.285s + 1.323s
5. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m34.312s + 1.350s
6. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m34.333s + 1.371s
7. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m34.632s + 1.670s
8. Hector Faubel Honda 1m34.660s + 1.698s
9. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1m34.718s + 1.756s
10. Mike di Meglio Aprilia 1m34.804s + 1.842s
11. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m35.019s + 2.057s
12. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m35.355s + 2.393s
13. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m35.427s + 2.465s
14. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1m35.637s + 2.675s
15. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m35.889s + 2.927s
16. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1m36.078s + 3.116s
17. Raffaele de Rosa Honda 1m36.097s + 3.135s
18. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m36.387s + 3.425s
19. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m36.767s + 3.805s
20. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m36.880s + 3.918s
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1m37.633s + 4.671s
22. Toby Markham Aprilia 1m37.939s + 4.977s
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1m39.234s + 6.272s
24. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m40.422s + 7.460s
25. Joakim Stensmo Honda 1m42.138s + 9.176s
26. Robin Halen Aprilia 1m41.581s + 8.619s
27. Marcel Becker Yamaha 1m46.868s + 13.906s

Alvaro - Friday Quotes; Sachsenring

11th Álvaro Bautista 1.25.836 (30 laps):
"We usually have set-up problems at this circuit and today I tried a couple of new configurations, one of which I like quite a lot. Being a second off the pace is a big gap but it could have been worse so we have to stay optimistic and be prepared to improve tomorrow. Sachsenring is a difficult circuit in that the faster you try to ride the slower you end up going, and you find yourself with more and more work to do. Let's wait and see if we can improve things tomorrow, mainly on the front end. The key to it is in T2 and if we can improve through there we will be much closer. We knew things wouldn't be easy here and now we're even more determined to work at it tomorrow. I have confidence in the team and we'll all give 100% to improve the set-up of the bike for the race."

Alvaro Looks Ahead To The German GP

"We head to Germany full of motivation and strength, having left with the taste of honey on our lips at the last Grand Prix. We have to respond to what happened there but without losing our heads. Even though we lost the championship lead there is no need to panic because the gap is not a huge one and it is important we just continue to work as we have been doing, picking up as many points as possible.
The Aprilia is perhaps not best suited to the Sachsenring circuit and the Honda will definitely be a more effective package here so we have to work as hard as we can on the set-up to make sure we are ready for Sunday. It is a twisty circuit that is more suited to go-karts than motorcycle racing. I've spent the last two weeks relaxing and putting the Assen crash behind me, having taken a heavy blow to my elbow. I've also been able to keep up my training regime and stay in good shape."

Alvaro - Sachsenring; Post-Race Quote...

3rd Alvaro Bautista:
"I think that today we had a very good result. The first two laps were very slow for me because II just couldn't find any feeling, and the bike was stepping out on the front and rear. At the start it was hard to ride, but as the race went on I felt stronger and more confident as I tried to make up positions.
I am happy with the result, but above all I am pleased to have been able to bounce back from a difficult position. At the end of the race I was set on second, but then the pace picked up and I didn't want to take a big risk.
It was much more important to finish third than to take a gamble and not finish."

Pics Of The Day: Sachsenring, Sunday

Bautista Takes Third After Awesome Fightback In Germany

Well, after a troubling weekend of not appearing at ease, Alvaro Bautista managed to overcome a dreadful start (which saw him go down to 17th position on Lap1!) to have a stupendous chagre back up through the field - in ever worsening conditions - to eventually take an excellent third position, little more than a gnat's chuff behind Hector Barbera.
Simoncelli was taking his new improved bike off from the pack and wasn't going to be caught, so the third was a very welcome result and now takes Bati up to third in the overall World Cahmpionship.

Here's the results in full...

Pos | Rider | Nation | Team | Total time
1 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera 45'36.703
2 H. BARBERA SPA Team Toth Aprilia + 2.257
3 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 2.423
4 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 4.150
5 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 4.846
6 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 8.132
7 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 38.302
8 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 48.926
9 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 50.062
10 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 51.670
11 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 1'08.796
12 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 1'08.962
13 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 1'11.351
14 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1'11.654
15 E. LAVERTY IRL Blusens Aprilia + 1'13.856
16 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 1'29.976
17 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia 1 Lap
18 A. GYORFI HUN Motorcycle Competition Service 1 Lap
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia 1 Lap
20 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany 2 Lap

Not classified
F. SANDI ITA Zongshen Team of China 7 Lap
L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP 11 Lap
K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 26 Lap
A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia 26 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
R. GOMEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia

Not starting
M. POGGIALI RSM Campetella Racing

Alvaro - Sachsenring; Saturday Quote...

5th Alvaro Bautista: 1.24.253 (23 laps):
"We had some problems yesterday morning - I wasn't comfortable and even though we improved in the afternoon we still had some things to work on. Today I felt more comfortable in both sessions and picked up the pace.
I think we're in good shape now even though we have struggled to find the right set-up. Simoncelli is fast here and he'll be the man to follow tomorrow but sometimes on a Sunday things don't always go like in practice. We'll have to push hard to stay with the guys at the front and fight hard to have a chance at the end.
This GP is proving tricky, as it was for me last year, because I don't think my lines are great. Anyway, I'm happier with the way I rode today, we're doing a good job and we'll see if we can take another step forward tomorrow."

Alvaro - Sachsenring; Friday Quote...

11th Alvaro Bautista: 1. 25.007 (21 laps):
"I felt a little uncomfortable with the bike this morning and in the afternoon I improved but there were too many people in my way to improve the lap time. Let's hope the rain stays off tomorrow so we can improve.
The section that's giving us the most trouble is the series of left-handers in the middle of the lap so that's where we need to work on.
The key to improving my lap time is to getter better references and adapt the set-up of my Aprilia more to the characteristics of the circuit."

Poor German GP Result For Alvaro

Well, that didn't go too well did it?
Bit of a dud weekend for Alvaro really; reports suggesting he really wasn't comfortable the whole time.
Having qualified ninth, he came off on lap three - dropping him to the back of the field - recovering to seventeeth place by the end of the race.
It's a shame as I'd really been hoping for one of his full-on fightbacks up to something like a podium.
One to forget really... :(

For the record, here's the classified results:
MOTO GP, 250CC GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY
SACHSENRING, 15/07/07

Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM 41:16.191
2. Mika Kallio KTM + 0.119
3. Alex de Angelis Aprilia + 0.274
4. Jorge Lorenzo Aprilia + 0.579
5. Andrea Dovizioso Honda + 1.296
6. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 11.851
7. Marco Simoncelli Gilera + 17.308
8. Yuki Takahashi Honda + 22.309
9. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 28.858
10. R.Locatelli Gilera + 35.983
11. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia + 37.377
12. Shuhei Aoyama Honda + 42.211
13. Dirk Heidolf Aprilia + 51.095
14. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 53.416
15. Jules Cluzel Aprilia + 55.996
16. Taro Sekiguchi Aprilia + 56.105
17. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia +1:07.435
18. Fabrizio Lai Aprilia +1:09.728
19. R.Wilairot Honda +1:17.640

Not classified:
Rider Bike Laps
Karel Abraham Aprilia 19
Thomas Walther Honda 19
Eugene Laverty Honda 18
Julian Simon Honda 14
Imre Toth Aprilia 13
Dan Linfoot Aprilia 4
Alvaro Molina Aprilia 4
Joshua Sommer Honda 3
Efren Vazquez Aprilia 2

There's a full race report here...

MotoGP - Germany; Sachsenring - Schedule

Here's the 250cc schedule for this weekend's race at the Sachsenring...

Friday July 13
250cc Free Practice 1, 11:15-12:15
250cc Qualifying 1, 15:05-15:50

Saturday July 14
250cc  Free Practice 2, 11:15-12:15
250cc  Qualifying 2, 15:05-15:50

Sunday July 15
250cc  Warm-Up, 09:10-09:30
250cc  Race, 12:15

(*times local - source: autosport)