125cc MotoGP Brits: Redding, Smith, Webb, Hoyle: 2009

The work of this blog is now being carried forward over at MotoGPBrits.com - which is a larger expanded site which will also cover Moto2, MotoGP and Red Bull Rookies.
Hope you've enjoyed our coverage here and that you'll enjoy the new site even more and use it to follow the progress of the Brit young guns :-)

So, don't forget to point your browser to www.MotoGPBrits.com and update your bookmarks.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Pol Espargaro Derbi 41m00.421s
2. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 0.394s
3. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 0.581s
4. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 11.048s
5. Joan Olive Derbi + 16.830s
6. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 17.170s
7. Esteve Rabat Aprilia + 17.300s
8. D.Agerter Derbi + 17.546s
9. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 17.666s
10. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 21.378s
11. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 26.312s
12. Julian Simon Aprilia + 31.500s
13. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 34.194s
14. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 35.023s
15. Luis Salom Aprilia + 54.243s
16. Scott Redding Aprilia + 54.332s
17. Jasper Iwema Honda +1m02.994s
18. Alberto Moncayo Aprilia +1m03.054s
19. Sturla Fagerhaug KTM +1m03.061s
20. Johnny Rosell Aprilia +1m24.171s
21. Jakub Jantulik Aprilia +1m37.379s
22. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m50.590s
23. Quentin Jacquet Aprilia +1m50.852s
24. Jordi Dalmau Honda + 1 lap
25. Jakub Kornfeil Loncin + 1 lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Danny Webb Aprilia 22
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 17
Luca Marconi Aprilia 13
Marc Marquez KTM 12
Simone Corsi Aprilia 9
Nicolas Terol Aprilia 8
Efren Vazquez Derbi 7
Cameron Beaubier KTM 4
Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 3
Andrea Iannone Aprilia 2

FASTEST LAP: Cortese, 1m45.722s on lap 11

"I put in a great last lap but to be honest I still don't know how I did it. The bike is obviously working well but I guess this is the kind of circuit where you need to take your brain out a bit and attack each corner as if it was the last. The set-up is good, my pace not so much but I think I can stick it out in the lead group. I'm happy because we've improved the stability under braking and I want to thank the team for the way they have gone about coming up with solutions to a variety of different problems. This is the fastest time I've ever done here and we have a good position for the race tomorrow. The foot is uncomfortable but it isn't too much of a problem on the bike so that's the important thing!"

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m45.199s 17
2. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m45.739s + 0.540s 20
3. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m45.775s + 0.576s 18
4. Marc Marquez KTM 1m46.056s + 0.857s 18
5. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m46.056s + 0.857s 19
6. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m46.099s + 0.900s 19
7. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m46.187s + 0.988s 18
8. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m46.307s + 1.108s 18
9. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m46.310s + 1.111s 16
10. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m46.442s + 1.243s 18
11. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m46.578s + 1.379s 17
12. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m46.621s + 1.422s 18
13. Joan Olive Derbi 1m46.665s + 1.466s 19
14. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m46.700s + 1.501s 18
15. D.Agerter Derbi 1m46.704s + 1.505s 17
16. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m46.821s + 1.622s 18
17. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m46.884s + 1.685s 19
18. R.Krummenacher Aprilia 1m47.470s + 2.271s 17
19. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m47.502s + 2.303s 18
20. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1m47.697s + 2.498s 13
21. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m48.089s + 2.890s 14
22. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m48.183s + 2.984s 17
23. Alberto Moncayo Aprilia 1m48.232s + 3.033s 19
24. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m48.316s + 3.117s 6
25. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m48.329s + 3.130s 17
26. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m48.465s + 3.266s 18
27. Sturla Fagerhaug KTM 1m48.588s + 3.389s 17
28. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m48.764s + 3.565s 5
29. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m49.256s + 4.057s 18
30. Jakub Kornfeil Loncin 1m49.472s + 4.273s 19
31. Johnny Rosell Aprilia 1m49.856s + 4.657s 16
32. Quentin Jacquet Aprilia 1m50.031s + 4.832s 14
33. Jakub Jantulik Aprilia 1m51.077s + 5.878s 14
34. Jordi Dalmau Honda 1m51.121s + 5.922s 13
35. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m51.257s + 6.058s 20

Bradley Smith
“My aim now is to delay Julian as long as possible from claiming the title and winning the battle with Nico for second place. My last three races have been really encouraging and the only thing that has been missing is a win and I’ll be flat out for that in Estoril.”

Scott Redding
“The team have been working hard for the last three weeks to sort out the problems with the bike and so hopefully I can finish the race on Sunday. It’s an important last four races and also a big weekend when the Moto2 entry list for next season will be announced.”

Danny Webb
“My goal for the last four races is to finish all of them in the top ten. I’ve been training hard in the break and as my results show at Estoril last year I really like the circuit. It’s important that we get a good set-up from the start on Friday afternoon which we did at Indianapolis and Misano. I’m confident of a good result on Sunday.”

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 40m15.301s
2. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 0.573s
3. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 5.474s
4. Marc Marquez KTM + 9.378s
5. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 9.665s
6. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 11.755s
7. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 23.044s
8. Joan Olive Derbi + 26.936s
9. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 32.851s
10. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 34.439s
11. Michael Ranseder Aprilia + 34.733s
12. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 35.763s
13. Riccardo Moretti Aprilia + 35.853s
14. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 39.937s
15. D.Agerter Derbi + 39.942s
16. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 40.110s
17. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 59.051s
18. Lukas Sembera Aprilia + 59.100s
19. Luigi Morciano Aprilia +1m00.236s
20. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia +1m01.191s
21. Luis Salom Aprilia +1m02.848s
22. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m11.814s
23. Jasper Iwema Honda +1m11.933s
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m12.053s
25. Gabriele Ferro Aprilia +1m14.596s
26. Jakub Jantulik Aprilia +1m28.731s
27. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m29.309s
28. Jakub Kornfeil Loncin +1m29.916s
29. A.Tonucci Aprilia + 1 Lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:
Rider | Bike | On lap
Andrea Iannone Aprilia 22
Pol Espargaro Derbi 22
Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 16
Esteve Rabat Aprilia 15
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 13
Scott Redding Aprilia 5
Sergio Gadea Aprilia 0

FASTEST LAP: Espargaro, 1m43.613s on lap 20

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m43.727s
2. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m43.743s + 0.016s
3. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m43.890s + 0.163s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m43.987s + 0.260s
5. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m44.062s + 0.335s
6. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m44.171s + 0.444s
7. Marc Marquez KTM 1m44.179s + 0.452s
8. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m44.349s + 0.622s
9. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m44.656s + 0.929s
10. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m44.929s + 1.202s
11. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m45.116s + 1.389s
12. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m45.157s + 1.430s
13. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m45.188s + 1.461s
14. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m45.213s + 1.486s
15. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m45.226s + 1.499s
16. Luigi Morciano Aprilia 1m45.316s + 1.589s
17. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1m45.450s + 1.723s
18. Joan Olive Derbi 1m45.544s + 1.817s
19. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m45.574s + 1.847s
20. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m45.619s + 1.892s
21. Alessandro Tonucci Aprilia 1m45.687s + 1.960s
22. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m45.776s + 2.049s
23. Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1m45.791s + 2.064s
24. Dominique Aegerter Derbi 1m45.795s + 2.068s
25. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m45.868s + 2.141s
26. Riccardo Moretti Aprilia 1m45.932s + 2.205s
27. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m45.948s + 2.221s
28. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m45.971s + 2.244s
29. Gabriele Ferro Aprilia 1m45.976s + 2.249s
30. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m46.330s + 2.603s
31. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m46.352s + 2.625s
32. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m46.536s + 2.809s
33. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m46.664s + 2.937s
34. Jakub Jantulik Aprilia 1m47.283s + 3.556s
35. Jakub Kornfeil Loncin 1m47.699s + 3.972s
36. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m48.014s + 4.287s

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1′45.297
2 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1′45.620 0.323
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1′45.778 0.481
4 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1′45.966 0.669
5 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team 1′46.071 0.774
6 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1′46.120 0.823
7 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 1′46.126 0.829
8 Simone CORSI Fontana Racing 1′46.266 0.969
9 Riccardo MORETTI Ellegi Racing 1′46.277 0.980
10 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 1′46.365 1.068
11 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 1′46.368 1.071
12 Esteve RABAT Blusens Aprilia 1′46.396 1.099
13 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team 1′46.488 1.191
14 Luis SALOM Jack & Jones Team 1′46.489 1.192
15 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 1′46.561 1.264
16 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 1′46.660 1.363
17 Luigi MORCIANO Junior GP Racing Dream 1′46.921 1.624
18 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 1′46.991 1.694
19 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing 1′46.991 1.694
20 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1′47.026 1.729
21 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1′47.153 1.856
22 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 1′47.272 1.975
23 Michael RANSEDER CBC Corse 1′47.329 2.032
24 Alessandro TONUCCI Junior GP Racing Dream 1′47.550 2.253
25 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing 1′47.777 2.480
26 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 1′47.895 2.598
27 Gabriele FERRO Grillini Bridgestone Team 1′48.269 2.972
28 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse 1′48.539 3.242
29 Cameron BEAUBIER Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 1′48.590 3.293
30 Lorenzo ZANETTI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1′48.838 3.541
31 Jakub KORNFEIL Loncin Racing 1′48.985 3.688
32 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 1′49.022 3.725
33 Luca VITALI CBC Corse 1′49.238 3.941
34 Jasper IWEMA Racing Team Germany 1′49.409 4.112
35 Jacub JANTULIK JJ Racing Team 1′49.484 4.187
36 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing 1′49.824 4.527

The 125cc class marked their annual visit to Indianapolis with a thrilling race that ranks amongst the best of the year so far on Sunday, with two packs of riders challenging for the upper positions. Nico Trol repeated his early leadership from the Czech Republic for near enough the entirety of the race, but was shocked late on by Pol Espargaró, who overtook him with two laps remaining for his first Grand Prix victory. The breakaway group was full of talent, reducing from ten to six to five as the process of elimination was decided by the speedy pace. Espargaró, Smith, Corsi, Terol and Simón all put in exciting overtaking as the final places were arranged.

Zero points from Germany and Great Britain and fourth in the Czech Republic meant that Bradley Smith had spent three races away from the podium -a big hit to his title challenge. He returned to form Stateside with a great race, and could have won had he not made a small mistake on the entry to the home straight. The Bancaja rider recorded a mercurial 1'49.039 circuit record on his final lap, to take second place and make a rostrum comeback.

Here's Bradley's comments:

"I think that today's result was very positive, because I finished ahead of every rider that was above me in the championship standings. It's been a while since I was last on the podium, and I think that I really needed this. I hope that we can keep up this form at Misano next weekend. At one point in the race I doubted whether I could take a podium, because we were truly at the limit all the time. It was tough to keep up the pace, let alone overtake. Nico was very combative during the race, so passing him on the last lap with a circuit record was a big achievement for me. A little mistake on the entry to the home straight stopped me from fighting with Espargaró. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take the victory, but I hope to be in shape to try again next Sunday. Second place has helped to motivate me, and it will keep me focused for the upcoming races."

superb, thrilling nail-biting race in the 125cc class with Pol Espargaro eventually getting a superb maiden victory, and Bradley Smith getting a great second place. Non-stop action right from the off, and a helpful clutch of points for Bradley in his championship struggle against 4th place Nico Terol and 5th place Julian Simon.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Pol Espargaro Derbi 42m07.925s
2. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 0.120s
3. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 0.448s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 1.613s
5. Julian Simon Aprilia + 1.801s
6. Marc Marquez KTM + 19.345s
7. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 19.358s
8. Joan Olive Derbi + 25.611s
9. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 29.240s
10. D.Agerter Derbi + 29.707s
11. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 30.464s
12. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 44.460s
13. Luis Salom Aprilia + 44.549s
14. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 45.328s
15. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 45.435s
16. Michael Ranseder Aprilia + 45.479s
17. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 45.998s
18. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 53.791s
19. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m01.179s
20. Esteve Rabat Aprilia +1m02.814s
21. Efren Vazquez Derbi +1m14.891s
22. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m16.320s
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia +1m31.218s
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m31.569s
25. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m51.274s

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | On lap
Andrea Iannone Aprilia 20
R.Krummenacher Aprilia 17
Scott Redding Aprilia 11
Alexis Masbou Loncin 7
Ben Young Aprilia 3
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 3
Miles Thornton Aprilia 1

FASTEST LAP: Smith, 1m49.039s on lap 23

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m49.337s
2. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m49.387s + 0.050s
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m49.537s + 0.200s
4. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m49.577s + 0.240s
5. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m49.585s + 0.248s
6. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m49.628s + 0.291s
7. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m49.661s + 0.324s
8. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m49.703s + 0.366s
9. Marc Marquez KTM 1m49.852s + 0.515s
10. Joan Olive Derbi 1m49.853s + 0.516s
11. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m49.982s + 0.645s
12. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m50.140s + 0.803s
13. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m50.340s + 1.003s
14. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1m50.494s + 1.157s
15. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m50.530s + 1.193s
16. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m50.547s + 1.210s
17. D.Agerter Derbi 1m50.721s + 1.384s
18. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m50.728s + 1.391s
19. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m50.916s + 1.579s
20. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m51.006s + 1.669s
21. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m51.062s + 1.725s
22. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m51.470s + 2.133s
23. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m51.527s + 2.190s
24. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m51.539s + 2.202s
25. R.Krummenacher Aprilia 1m51.546s + 2.209s
26. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m51.569s + 2.232s
27. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m52.334s + 2.997s
28. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m52.373s + 3.036s
29. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m52.448s + 3.111s
30. Miles Thornton Aprilia 1m53.835s + 4.498s
31. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m54.107s + 4.770s
32. Ben Young Aprilia 1m56.451s + 7.114s

"So far my Aprilia is working really well out there despite all the bumps - you could say I knew what to expect! I'm happy with how things have gone on this opening day and I think we can be satisfied with the job done. Unfortunately we had to stop early because of the weather but I was able to enjoy myself when we were out on track. I gradually improved my feeling with the bike and set my best lap near the end, making a slight modification to last year's setting on the rear. We still have a lot to do but we're starting from a good base and I'm more than happy with this as a first outing."

Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap

1. Terol (Aprilia) 1min 50.603sec
2. Corsi (Aprilia) +0.111sec
3. Smith (Aprilia) +0.275sec
4. Cortese (Derbi) +0.293sec
5. Marquez (KTM) +0.360sec
6. Vazquez (Derbi) +0.503sec
7. Bradl (Aprilia) +0.553sec
8. Gadea (Aprilia) +0.607sec
9. Simon (Aprilia) +0.616sec
10. Olive (Derbi) +0.768sec

12. Redding (Aprilia) +1.185sec
18. Webb (Aprilia) +1.888sec

With it being a big old gap between us and Indy on the other side of the pond - or a completely different gap depending on where you live of course! - this weekend is one to plan carefully for TV coverage.
Here's the BBC schedules...

Saturday 29 August
Qualifying
17:50-21:00, BBC Red Button/online

....................................................................

Sunday 30 August
125 and 250cc race
16:50-18:05, BBC Red Button/online

MotoGP Race
19:45-21:00, BBC Three/online
Race repeat
02:20-03:35, BBC Three

....................................................................

“Indianapolis is a fantastic circuit, both in terms of layout and history. The people there are incredible, and you can tell that they live and breath motor racing. For the atmosphere alone the Indianapolis Grand Prix ranks amongst the best of the year for me. I really love the United States as well. We didn’t get on the podium at the last round, but the fourth place was a good enough result to start regaining form and I hope that we carry on doing well this weekend. The track is new for everyone, as we only rode there last year. That means that nobody knows it too well nor has all the data necessary to ride fast straight away. It is a strange place to ride, because there are lots of bumps and changes in asphalt, and it’s also a very technical circuit. We will see what happens over the weekend, but I hope for another successful race and more points for the title fight.”

A day back from my Spain trip and I've finally put live the new build of the www.TeamAspar.net website, which replaces the old blog page. Now that the team is getting bigger and expanding into the top class of MotoGP I reckoned that we needed to build a completely custom website - a fully-featured and content-managed solution.
That's now been done, and all the old content from here has been imported, and you can find the new site at www.TeamAspar.net though the old blog will remain online as an archive for a while at least.

Hope you like the new site.
Cheers,
gb

"It was a pity that I had that scare on the opening lap. I think I might have hit the clutch lever at just the wrong moment, shutting off the engine and nearly going down. I was just about to hunt down Iannone and lost concentration. I think that without this I could have beenup there with the top three. In any case, after the disasters at Sachsenring and Donington I got back in the points, and that was my goal. Fourth isn't bad, but I will take more from fact that it comes after troubles yesterday and the in the warmup. I leave Brno a little disappointed, because Iannone and Nico are both rivals who finished ahead of me. I already have my sights set on a podium at Indianapolis."

Pos. Rider Team Total time Gap

1 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 40'57.378
2 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 40'57.546 0.168
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'06.097 8.719
4 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 41'09.821 12.443
5 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 41'13.384 16.006
6 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 41'13.444 16.066
7 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 41'14.483 17.105
8 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 41'14.580 17.202
9 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 41'14.601 17.223
10 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team 41'14.622 17.244
11 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 41'14.996 17.618
12 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'19.355 21.977
13 Marcel SCHROTTER Toni - Mang Team 41'31.865 34.487
14 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team 41'31.890 34.512
15 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 41'38.936 41.558
16 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 41'40.476 43.098
17 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 41'40.499 43.121
18 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 41'40.542 43.164
19 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'40.831 43.453
20 Michael RANSEDER CBC Corse 41'41.295 43.917
21 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing 41'48.088 50.710
22 Luigi MORCIANO Junior GP Racing Dream 42'07.354 1'09.976
23 Alessandro TONUCCI Junior GP Racing Dream 42'08.011 1'10.633
24 Alexis MASBOU Loncin Racing 42'32.385 1'35.007
25 Luca VITALI CBC Corse 42'36.863 1'39.485
26 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse 42'37.117 1'39.739
27 Karel PESEK Pesek Team 42'37.397 1'40.019
28 Ivan VISAK Team Migomoto 41'32.489 1 Lap
29 Ladislav CHMELIK Moto FGR 41'32.937 1 Lap
30 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing 42'49.752 1 Lap

Not classified
24 Simone CORSI ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 26'38.065 7 Lap
32 Lorenzo SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 17'42.265 11 Lap
12 Esteve RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 15'18.341 12 Lap
39 Luis SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 11'06.193 14 Lap
53 Jasper IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany Honda 2'21.286 18 Lap
8 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'21.435 18 Lap

"The qualifying session was the only less than perfect session that we have had so far. In the free practices we were able to improve a lot, but this afternoon we went in the wrong direction. We fought to find the best setup for the Aprilia, and it looks as if we nailed it in the end. Fifth isn't a fantastic place, but it is hardly a disaster either, and I have the poleman in front of me as a reference at the start.
Our biggest problem has been the rear suspension, which was too hard and means that we don't have al the feedback that we would like. It is important here to have a balanced bike, with al the ups and downs and fast corners. I think that we have everything more or less sorted, and we will adjust the rear in the warmup. It's going to be a slipstreaming race, so we will have to be aware."

Pos. | Rider | Team | Lap time | Gap

1 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'08.171
2 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 2'08.484 0.313
3 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 2'08.507 0.336
4 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'08.542 0.371
5 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'08.957 0.786
6 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'09.184 1.013
7 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'09.240 1.069
8 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 2'09.418 1.247
9 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team 2'09.434 1.263
10 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 2'09.462 1.291
11 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team 2'09.480 1.309
12 Simone CORSI Fontana Racing 2'09.741 1.570
13 Michael RANSEDER CBC Corse 2'09.962 1.791
14 Luis SALOM Jack & Jones Team 2'10.024 1.853
15 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 2'10.081 1.910
16 Esteve RABAT Blusens Aprilia 2'10.239 2.068
17 Marcel SCHROTTER Toni - Mang Team 2'10.269 2.098
18 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.269 2.098
19 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.297 2.126
20 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 2'10.471 2.300
21 Lorenzo ZANETTI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.500 2.329
22 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 2'10.685 2.514
23 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 2'10.752 2.581
24 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 2'10.958 2.787
25 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing 2'11.074 2.903
26 Luigi MORCIANO Junior GP Racing Dream 2'11.122 2.951
27 Alessandro TONUCCI Junior GP Racing Dream 2'11.332 3.161
28 Jasper IWEMA Racing Team Germany 2'11.387 3.216
29 Karel PESEK Pesek Team 2'12.123 3.952
30 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing 2'12.286 4.115
31 Alexis MASBOU Loncin Racing 2'12.303 4.132
32 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse 2'12.482 4.311
33 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing 2'12.840 4.669
34 Luca VITALI CBC Corse 2'13.176 5.005
35 Ladislav CHMELIK Moto FGR 2'16.667 8.496

Not classified
16 Cameron BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport KTM Lap

Out of limit time
68 Ivan VISAK CRO Team Migomoto Honda

"I think that this was the ideal way to return to action. After two weeks off I needed to get back on the Aprilia, and what better way to do so than with the best time of the day? An hour without rain was fantastic to have, because it is much easier to move forward. We were coming along great during the run, and even the asphalt was getting better; at the start the bike was sliding, but it gradually got more grippy. The wind gave some problems -as it does at Brno- and you need to get a slipstream to keep from losing time. We were all practically even today, so we have to keep concentrated to be the best this weekend."

1. Smith (Aprilia) 2min 9.211sec
2. Marquez (KTM) +0.113sec
3. Simon (Aprilia) +0.198sec
4. Terol (Aprilia) +0.299sec
5. Gadea (Aprilia) +0.407sec
6. Cortese (Derbi) +0.523sec
7. Iannone (Aprilia) +1.008sec
8. Bradl (Aprilia) +1.094sec
9. Espargaro (Derbi) +1.134sec
10. Redding (Aprilia) +1.190sec

33. Webb (Aprilia) +5.348sec

"I'm hoping for a positive race in Brno, I'm extremely determined to make it a good result after the crashes at Sachsenring and Donington. Brno is a technical and wide track, with ample opportunities for overtaking. In the 125s it will be difficult to escape because it's another long circuit where slipstreaming is key. It's a bit like Mugello, in terms of length and the combination of esses and elevation changes. That means it will be crucial to get the set-up right at Brno, and to be strong at the end of the race. I hope that after the last two wet races, we can enjoy another sunny weekend and good conditions for racing."

MotoGP 125cc championship contender, Bradley Smith, will be raising money for the official charity of MotoGP when he takes on British Formula One star Jenson Button in a motorsport showdown at the Mazda London Triathlon on 2 August 2009.

As well as attempting to make sure motorcycling comes out on top in the race, Smith will be raising money for the work of Riders for Health (www.riders.org). Riders for Health mobilises health care workers in rural Africa with reliable motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles so predictable health care reaches even the most isolated communities. To support Bradley and the lifesaving work of Riders for Health you can donate through his JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/bradleysmith.

Bradley also joined the other stars of MotoGP to support the work of Riders for Health at the annual Day of Champions event on Thursday 23rd July. The event helped to raise an incredible £177,000 and Bradley boosted the total when the racing leathers he was wearing for the race on Sunday sold for £1,600 in the MotoGP auction.

Smith challenged Button after they met at Silverstone during the British F1 Grand Prix where Smith, in recognition of his achievement of being the first British rider in three decades to lead any Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship, was attending as a guest of Bernie Ecclestone.
Despite his young age, Smith is no newcomer to triathlons - the swimming, cycling and running events are a major focus of his training regime and his personal trainer is an ironman regular who has been passing on all his experience to Smith.

This is the 13th year of the Mazda London Triathlon and Bradley will be among the 13,000 competitors taking part in the world’s largest triathlon raising a combined total in excess of £3 million for charity.

We were really sorry when Bradley went down in Sunday's race (as was almost the entire crowd, judging by the huge wail of disappointment!) and he gave us these few words when we caught up with him later in the afternoon...

"I'm absolutely gutted. But with this sort of weather you just have to try everything to be in with a chance, and sometimes you push that bit too hard. At least I didn't just go down, at least I can say I went down trying. And I guess the main thing is that I 'm still in one piece"

Couldn't agree more. Best of luck for Brno - hope it brings you better luck.
And hope it brings us all a sunny race for once!

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 9m12.301s
2. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 0.390s
3. Scott Redding Aprilia + 3.072s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 6.209s
5. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 9.509s
6. Luis Salom Aprilia + 11.211s
7. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 11.572s
8. D.Agerter Derbi + 13.703s
9. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 14.101s
10. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 15.422s
11. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 17.905s
12. Joan Olive Derbi + 25.625s
13. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 26.793s
14. Martin Glossop Honda + 27.916s
15. Marc Marquez KTM + 28.631s
16. Paul Jordan Honda + 28.999s
17. Lukas Sembera Aprilia + 30.564s
18. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 34.468s
19. Luca Marconi Aprilia + 38.709s
20. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 38.938s
21. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m14.040s

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Jasper Iwema Honda 4
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1
Sergio Gadea Aprilia DNS
Sandro Cortese Derbi DNS
Esteve Rabat Aprilia DNS
Andrea Iannone Aprilia DNS
Stefan Bradl Aprilia DNS
Daniel Webb Aprilia DNS
Jonas Folger Aprilia DNS
Cameron Beaubier KTM DNS
Karel Pesek Derbi DNS
James Lodge Honda DNS
Tim Hastings Honda DNS

Bradley Smith made history today by taking the final pole position for a 125cc Grand Prix at Donington Park with a stunning performance in this afternoon's qualifying session. Whilst his Bancaja team-mates Julián Simón and Sergio Gadea dominated this morning's free practice, it was Smith who moved to the fore in the afternoon to take pole position, his second of the season, at his home circuit ahead of the Spanish Armada of Espargaró Simón, Olivé, Gadea and Márquez. With the top six riders qualifying inside half a second, it promises to be a close battle for victory tomorrow.
Smith struggled for front grip this morning and could lap no better than twelfth fastest but the British teenager turned it around in the afternoon thanks to a great job by his mechanics. Having hovered in second place for much of the grid shootout, the Oxfordshire star produced two stunning laps at the very end to delight the home crowd.

Here's his take on the day's performance and his prospects for Sunday...
"That was a fantastic qualifying session for me - I felt like I had it under control all the way through and the bike was working perfectly. My confidence picked up as the laps went by and I was able to go faster and faster. I don't think we could ask for much more at the moment - just for the weekend to end successfully tomorrow! Whatever happens I have to stay focused because the points don't get dished out until tomorrow and that is when you've got to really produce the goods. The bike is more or less ready and we don't need to change anything before the race. Hopefully the weather is on our side and we have a dry race. It is important for us to get a good result tomorrow to keep our championship chances intact."

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m37.442s 21
2. Marc Marquez KTM 1m37.573s + 0.131s 21
3. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m37.749s + 0.307s 14
4. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m37.849s + 0.407s 17
5. Joan Olive Derbi 1m37.874s + 0.432s 21
6. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m37.989s + 0.547s 19
7. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m38.117s + 0.675s 20
8. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m38.367s + 0.925s 19
9. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m38.471s + 1.029s 17
10. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m38.484s + 1.042s 15
11. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m38.501s + 1.059s 20
12. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m38.501s + 1.059s 21
13. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m38.555s + 1.113s 21
14. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m38.570s + 1.128s 19
15. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m38.848s + 1.406s 20
16. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m38.879s + 1.437s 20
17. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1m39.081s + 1.639s 18
18. D.Agerter Derbi 1m39.189s + 1.747s 21
19. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m39.366s + 1.924s 20
20. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m39.393s + 1.951s 17
21. R.Krummenacher Aprilia 1m39.401s + 1.959s 18
22. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m39.407s + 1.965s 18
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m39.533s + 2.091s 18
24. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m40.342s + 2.900s 20
25. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m40.382s + 2.940s 21
26. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m40.456s + 3.014s 20
27. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m40.509s + 3.067s 17
28. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m41.086s + 3.644s 15
29. Karel Pesek Derbi 1m41.129s + 3.687s 20
30. James Lodge Honda 1m41.571s + 4.129s 19
31. Martin Glossop Honda 1m41.778s + 4.336s 20
32. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m42.080s + 4.638s 19
33. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m42.426s + 4.984s 10
34. Tim Hastings Honda 1m42.473s + 5.031s 19
35. Paul Jordan Honda 1m43.393s + 5.951s 16
36. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m45.081s + 7.639s 4

125brits.com nicked a few minutes with Danny Webb this morning to chat with him ahead of his home race about his season so far, his team, and his handlebar bashing with another 125Brit, Scott Redding....

How’s the season gone so far?
It’s been difficult. We’ve had quite a few problems with crashed and injuries. We’ve had some bad luck but things are coming better... Sachsenring was okay - so onwards and upwards.
So now we’re here at my home race and we want to just bring in some valuable points; not put to much pressure on ourselves, and see how it goes.

How are your injuries now?
Basically alright. Just aches and pains, my back and that kind of stuff; but I think it won’t be a problem when we get on the bike and it’ll be okay.

It’s your home GP - what do you expect, or what can you hope for?
Hopefully one of us can repeat what Scott did last year. Hopefully it can come good on the day and if we have a good set up then we can be on the podium, but it’s really about just getting there and if we haven’t got the setup then maybe it’s just a top ten position - and that’d be good for us. But I think if we do have a perfect setup then we can be on the podium.

What about the rest of the season?
It’s just a question of working with the team and working with the bike... this bike’s been really hard to work with. Okay, now we’ve got a decent base setting but at the beginning of the season we didn’t really know where we were with the bike. Now we seem to be getting somewhere, and through the season - round by round we seem to be getting better with the bike.

How are things with the team in this, your second season with them?
We get on like a big family; we have our ups and downs and that, but we’re close - I’m close with my mechanics and technicians and for me - every team I go into, within a month or two I know them and I get on with them and that’s good. And with this team I know them and it’s really good.

How about next year? Will you still be with this team?
At the moment nothing’s for sure. We’re talking to a few other teams, but I’d like to stay with this team because I get on with them so well, but if I have to go with another team then I have to go - it’s one of those things. But we’ll see...

How about friends? Do you get on with Scott and Bradley? Do you see them on race weekends or at other times?
Me and Scott get along really well. I don’t really talk to Bradley that much - but Scott’s been at my house the past couple of weeks and we’ve been having some fun and training and meeting up with girls and stuff. Scott’s a good guy. he’s got a lot of talent, but he needs some luck with his bike - things haven’t been going so well for him this year; it’s more the bike than him.
Hopefully me and Scott can grow up together, and be in the MotoGP paddock and still be together there and still be great friends.

How is it racing with him on track - racing a friend?
Normally, 5 times out of 10 me and Scott will find each other in the race. But that doesn’t matter - when we’re on track we just treat each other like everyone else and when we come off track we’re best of friends. Whatever happens on track stays on the track, and whatever happens in the paddock stays in the paddock.
We’re really close but it’s not like a thing where we give each other loads of room on the track; we’ll still bash handlebars.
It’s like when we have fun on scooters, and if we race on scooters we’ll still bash handlebars then and when we do it on track it’s more a fun kind of thing then - not aggressive, but a fun kind of thing.

Many thanks Danny - Very kind. Big best of luck to you for the home GP and the rest of the season :-)

No getaway! It's a valiant attempt at an escape, but we caught Danny nonetheless and got a few words out of him for 125Brits.com - we'll hope to have them online soon...

With preseason and the season itself we're talking about ten months of intense activity. Do you have a long-term training plan?
In preseason I do basic training, in other words long but intense continuous sessions with a low but progressive heart rate. Normally when we start competing in April or March I'm still not at 100%. It is a long season and you have to find a level that won't leave you too tired over the final races, which are demanding because of the travelling and the conditions. So basically I step up the intensity through the season up to August. Then I have a rest to make sure I look after myself and make it to the end of the season in the best shape possible. June, July and August are the months where I hit my peak and I maintain that to the end of the season.

Do you do any kind of specific training during a Grand Prix weekend?
To be honest no, although I usually train the same for the first three days of a Grand Prix week as I do in a normal week. For example on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I do swimming, cycling and running and then when I get to a circuit on a Thursday I do a few laps of the track either on my pushbike or on foot. Obviously the intensity is much lower because you're trying to save energy for the weekend but I don't stop training altogether. Once the Grand Prix gets started, I spend fifteen minutes maximum warming up on a stationary bike before each practice and the race. I also do ten minutes as a warm down after the race to loosen and stretch the muscles. I also eat recovery food and hydrate a lot. It is very important to recover quickly, especially when you have back-to-back races, and to keep your immune system strong to avoid any kind of illness or infection that could affect performance.

Do you need a special diet to go along with your training programme?
My personal trainer takes charge of everything to do with training, nutrition and of course rest. I also have a sponsor that provides me with all the supplements I need for my programme. At home I have quite a strange diet because on one hand I need enough energy to train but at the same time I have to be careful not to get too heavy for a 125. I don't eat any junk food and not much red meat - it's mainly white meat, fish and salads as well as carbohydrates like pasta. I rarely take in more than 2500 calories a day.

How and when did you meet your personal trainer?
We met at the end of 2007. It was the end of my time with the Repsol team and a friend recommended that I go and see Mark and after talking to him for five minutes I knew he had to train me. He has the experience and knowledge to turn me into a true athlete. He competes in a lot of triathlons and Ironman contests, which is a long-distance triathlon. It was a little bit tricky at the start for him to understand the dynamics of a motorcycle racer. Basically his training method is based around the prevention of illness and injury. If you train too hard you can tire yourself out and you have to stop, which hinders your development. If you train constantly at 80% your physical fitness will constantly increase. Personally I think every rider should have a personal trainer to organise their training, nutrition, etc. As a rider this is my job and I have to work constantly on achieving the maximum I can - it is my responsibility to my sponsors and to myself.

It sounds like the triathlon forms the basis of your training...?
Yes, I love all three disciplines and it's also a good way to completely disconnect from MotoGP. Between January and November I spend a lot of time riding motorcycles and even though we're not racing every weekend it is a long season. Triathlon is kind of an escape route for me and it came into my life thanks to Mark. It's wonderful sport, full of optimism, where everybody enjoys themselves a lot in the races and where you can be competitive at any level. To race in 125s the only training I do other than cycling, running and swimming is core training and stretching. When you're on the bike you need a strong core and arms to put up with the stress and the weight transfer. I spend an hour, two or three times a week, using a basic gym ball. Working with Mark we try to replicate the positions I get into on the bike. Occasionally I ride motocross or supermoto but during the season I do enough riding at the GPs.

I suppose the British weather has an effect on your training?
This year was the first time I spent a long time out of England to train and I think it worked out really well. At the beginning of winter I spent six weeks in Barcelona and in all that time it rained three or four times, whilst in England if you're lucky you get three or four days of sunshine! We get wind, snow and even hail and it is difficult to train, as well as being dangerous, whilst in Barcelona I was able to make the most of those six weeks and train in safety. Next winter I'll be back in Spain for my preseason training but I'd also like to try cross-country skiing - we just have to work out where.

Do you ever take time out for a break?
Yeah of course - usually once a week or every fortnight I take a day out to completely relax, recover and recharge my batteries. But I don't like to be doing nothing - I like to be busy all the time.

What about holidays?
Not during the season. If I go on holiday it's at the end of the year with the family, in November or December. I take a week off over Christmas doing absolutely nothing and allowing myself some of the 'sins' I miss out on the rest of the year. But I still spend 50 or 51 weeks of the year concentrating on my training and absolutely dedicated to racing motorcycles.

Do you think so much preparation is necessary or is it just part of your winning character?
I always want to be at the maximum level that my body and mind will allow, I am a very competitive person. As far as racing is concerned, I don't want my body to ever get in the way of me winning. I don't ever want to feel like I could have done better in a race if only I was a bit fitter. In 125 perhaps so much training isn't necessary but my attitude is to do everything I can to win. Suffering through training is fundamental for me and I think you need to suffer to maintain your hunger and a winning mentality.

How do you deal with the jetlag in Australia, the heat in Malaysia and racing at night in Qatar?
For Qatar I started incorporating training sessions at 8pm for a couple of weeks before the race, so I am used to being active at a time that is normally reserved for rest. For Malaysia I train inside a cabin that has heat and humidity control. It is a bit like a sauna but not as hot and you can regulate the temperature. As far as jetlag is concerned there's not much you can do about it - if you start to feel it I think the best option is not to worry about it and just sit up in bed reading or watching television. If I get tired during the day I try and have a little nap if I can. Jetlag is something you can't predict so I suppose the only way to fight it is to stay awake and get tired!

Source: Aspar Media

If you're not at Donington this weekend to follow the progress of our Brit Boys (maybe another blinding race by Scott? Or maybe Bradley getting fully back into his stride after Germany?), then be sure you don't miss the coverage on the BBC...

Saturday 25 July

Qualifying
1250-1600, BBC Red Button/online

.............................................................

Sunday 26 July

125 and 250cc race
1220-1435, BBC Red Button/online

Race
1500-1630, BBC One/online

MotoGP Extra
1630-1700, BBC Red Button/online

.............................................................

"It seems like I shouldn't have got out of bed this morning. It is disappointing that I had such a good weekend end like this, but I think that the warmup crash affected us. I don't think that the front tyre had got up to temperature. That's why I got the feeling that I was running off track at every corner. The first crash was a blow to morale, and the second was a hit from behind that I couldn't do anything about. We just have to move on and concentrate on the next race in Donington, making sure that we are ready to regain points."

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 39m57.337s
2. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 9.415s
3. Joan Olive Derbi + 17.559s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 17.587s
5. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 19.740s
6. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 20.778s
7. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 20.908s
8. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 38.221s
9. D.Agerter Derbi + 38.434s
10. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 40.085s
11. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 44.127s
12. Marcel Schrotter Honda + 45.051s
13. Luis Salom Aprilia + 59.604s
14. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m18.157s
15. D.Kartheininger Honda +1m20.825s
16. Marc Marquez KTM +1m25.137s
17. Efren Vazquez Derbi +1m30.427s
18. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m30.528s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda + 1 lap
20. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia + 1 lap
21. T.Finsterbusch Honda + 1 lap
22. Damien Raemy Honda + 1 lap
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 1 lap
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia + 1 lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Scott Redding Aprilia 19
Stefan Bradl Aprilia 18
Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 17
Simone Corsi Aprilia 16
Jonas Folger Aprilia 15
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 8
Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 6
Eeki Kuparinen Honda 3
Bradley Smith Aprilia 3
Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1

FASTEST LAP:
Gadea, 1m28.337s on lap 6

British Rookie Matt Hoyle looks to be out of the 125cc world championship for the rest of the year.
Haojue has released both 125cc riders and Hoyle travelled to Assen this weekend to look for a new team.
"Garry Taylor told me I should have a look around. But all the good rides are already taken and I don't bring any sponsorship money with me either", says Hoyle

Therefore it seems likely that Hoyle's first season has now come to a sudden stop. At the moment it's unknown what he'll do for the rest of year. More news on the matter when they emerge.

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap
1. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 39m07.577s
2. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 0.078s
3. Julian Simon Aprilia + 0.901s
4. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 12.356s
5. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 12.400s
6. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 20.468s
7. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 20.755s
8. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 21.263s
9. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 21.558s
10. Marc Marquez KTM + 21.941s
11. Joan Olive Derbi + 23.605s
12. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 28.406s
13. Dominique Aegerter Derbi +1m00.312s
14. Marvin Fritz Honda +1m00.355s
15. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia +1m00.615s
16. Luis Salom Aprilia +1m00.629s
17. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia +1m00.997s
18. Michael van der Mark Honda +1m01.030s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda +1m08.795s
20. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m09.076s
21. Johann Zarco Aprilia +1m14.817s
22. Karel Pesek Derbi +1m30.729s
23. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m46.244s
24. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda + 1 lap
25. Luca Vitali Aprilia + 1 lap

Retirements:

Esteve Rabat Aprilia 11 laps
Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 9 laps
Cameron Beaubier KTM 5 laps
Sandro Cortese Derbi 4 laps
Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1 lap
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1 lap
Scott Redding Aprilia 1 lap
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1 lap
Danny Webb Aprilia 0 laps

5th Bradley Smith 1.45.712 (19 laps):
"It is typical at Assen to have riders hanging around looking for a tow but when you only have one qualifying session you have no option but to push as hard as you can for a good time even if somebody tags along. Anyway, I'm happy with the job we have done, my pace is good and I was able to push as hard as I wanted to. My Aprilia is working really well and I've felt comfortable all day. I'm fifth on the grid and we'll have to wait and see what the weather does because the forecast is for rain. My pace in the dry is good, even on a used tyre, so I'm calm. If it is a dry race I'm sure we'll see a group of seven or eight riders fighting for the win, so it is going to be a tough race. The most important thing will be to stay in the group and we'll see what happens as the race progresses."

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m45.430s
2. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m45.441s +0.011
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m45.644s +0.214
4. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m45.679s +0.249
5. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m45.712s +0.282
6. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m45.911s +0.481
7. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m45.956s +0.526
8. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m46.063s +0.633
9. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m46.125s +0.695
10. Marc Marquez KTM 1m46.164s +0.734
11. Joan Olive Derbi 1m46.188s +0.758
12. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m46.214s +0.784
13. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m46.278s +0.848
14. Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1m46.681s +1.251
15. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m46.812s +1.382
16. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m46.888s +1.458
17. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m47.087s +1.657
18. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m47.311s +1.881
19. Dominique Agerter Derbi 1m47.341s +1.911
20. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m47.728s +2.298
21. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m47.728s +2.298
22. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m47.933s +2.503
23. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m48.217s +2.787
24. Michael van der Mark Honda 1m48.505s +3.075
25. Marvin Fritz Honda 1m48.510s +3.080
26. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m48.664s +3.234
27. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m48.777s +3.347
28. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m48.784s +3.354
29. Karel Pesek Derbi 1m48.801s +3.371
30. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m49.413s +3.983
31. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m49.863s +4.433
32. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m49.922s +4.492
33. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m51.578s +6.148
34. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda 1m51.811s +6.381
35. Roy Pouw Aprilia 1m54.484s +9.054

As we reported earlier the Haojue Racing Team of British rookie Matthew Hoyle has been in deep trouble all season, leading to a self-imposed break from the last two GP rounds in order to sort things out first.
Now it seems as if this break was not only temporary, but that Haojue Racing will indeed cease to exist.
Austrian rider Michael Ranseder writes on his personal website that he's now got permission to negotiate with other teams to get a new ride. As far as he understands a lot of the team personnel have also already been released.

Where this leaves Matthew is yet unknown, but we wish him all the best for his future and hope that we can still see him on the world championship stage.

"After finishing eighth at Montmeló I'm looking forward to getting to Assen and fighting for a top finish. It wasn't a bad result and I'm still only a point and a half behind Julito but I was left with a bittersweet taste after that race. We have to think positive and keep working in the same way we have up to now. The Dutch TT last year was a strange race because of the red flag but I think I finished fifth, which isn't a bad result. I really enjoy riding at Assen - a lot of people I speak to say the old circuit was even more fun but I never had the chance to ride it. The first section is a bit slow and personally I prefer the second half of the lap because it's really quick. I think the work we did at the Valencia test should pay off because we improved engine performance."

1. Iannone (Aprilia)
2. Terol (Aprilia) +2.245sec
3. Gadea (Aprilia) +2.330sec
4. Simon (Aprilia) +2.330sec
5. Marquez (KTM) +2.356sec
6. Folger (Aprilia) +2.351sec
7. Bradl (Aprilia) +10.795sec
8. Smith (Aprilia) +10.824sec
9. Cortese (Derbi) +14.984sec
10. Krummenacher (Aprilia) +15.089sec

11. Redding (Aprilia) +16.427sec
Webb (Aprilia) DNF

1. Simon (Aprilia) 1min 51.448
2. Espargaro (Derbi) +0.020sec
3. Folger (Aprilia) +0.339sec
4. Krummenacher (Aprilia) +0.356sec
5. Gadea (Aprilia) +0.376sec
6. Terol (Aprilia) +0.510sec
7. Smith (Aprilia) +0.761sec
8. Iannone (Aprilia) +0.936sec
9. Bradl (Aprilia) +0.984sec
10. Redding (Aprilia) +1.088sec
11. Webb (Aprilia) +1.100sec

Friday June 12th

Live MotoGP - 11.40am
Catalunya Grand Prix: 125cc Practice
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 12.45pm
Catalunya Grand Prix: MotoGP Practice
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 2.00pm
Catalunya Grand Prix: 250cc Practice
(Eurosport 2)

MotoGP - 9.10pm
Catalunya Grand Prix: MotoGP Practice (rpt)
(Eurosport 2)

.............................................

Saturday June 13th

MotoGP - 11.00am
Catalunya Grand Prix: Practice (rpt)
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 12.00pm
125cc Catalunya Grand Prix: Qualifying
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 12.45pm
MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix: Qualifying
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 2.00pm
250cc Catalunya Grand Prix: Qualifying
(Eurosport 2)

MotoGP - 9.30pm
MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix: Qualifying
(Eurosport 2)

.............................................

Sunday June 14th

MotoGP - 9.00am
MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix: Qualifying (rpt)
(Eurosport 2)

Live MotoGP - 10.00am
125cc Catalunya Grand Prix
(Eurosport)

Live MotoGP - 11.00am
250cc Catalunya Grand Prix
(Eurosport)

Live MotoGP - 12.30pm
Catalunya Grand Prix
(BBC2)

MotoGP - 4.00pm (*Delayed broadcast)
MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix
(Eurosport)

The Haojue riders Matt Hoyle and Michael Ranseder have been informed that the team will not start in the Catalunya GP next weekend. After the sacking of engineer Jan Witteveen the team structure is in a rather unlucky position and it's not sure if the whole project can be kept up. On Monday there will be another meeting of team officials with the Chinese manufacturer to discuss further steps and there's a distinct possibility that the team will stop racing all together. While Ranseder is already looking out for other teams and has a few offers which would require lots of sponsor money from his part, it is uncertain where this would leave rookie Matt Hoyle.

More news on the matter when they emerge.

Matt Hoyle's Haojue Team has now officially sacked Dutch engineer Jan Witteveen and released a rather bitter statement:

"Jan Witteveen was contracted to deliver a state-of-the-art, race competitive 125cc GP engine and continue its development over a three year period.

However, after 18 months of development it is clear from the engine's lack of performance in the early 2009 GP events, where the Haojue riders have either failed to qualify or sometimes crashed due to engine failure, that the engine is neither race competitive nor reliable.

As well as the continued lack of performance and the reliability problems which make the machine potentially dangerous for the Team Haojue riders and other riders on the track at the same time, the Haojue team management has been deeply concerned by the lack of progress and communication from Witteveen on plans to overcome the problems."

It is not yet clear if the team will start at the Catalunya GP in two weeks' time.

1st Bradley Smith
“This has been a great day for me. At the start I was riding really carefully because the tyres were cold and it wasn’t worth risking it in those conditions. As the laps went by I grew in confidence and when I took the lead I felt comfortable but then I made a couple of mistakes. I had to drop the pace as a result, calm myself down and rethink my strategy. The team have been fantastic again because the bike has been really fast since Friday and we’ve had no problems. When a weekend goes this well it is no coincidence that you have a chance of winning in the race. Mugello is an awesome circuit and my mechanics are Italian so to win here means more to us than just 25 points. We’ve got two wins now, we’re leading the championship and that is all the motivation we need to keep working hard and hopefully score another good result for the team in Barcelona.”

7th Scott Redding
“I had a good start and I stayed in 2nd place on the first corner. During the first ten laps I had a problem with the rear wheel; it was vibrating quite a lot on the fast corners and it was hard to keep up with Simón. In fact I felt more confident when leading the group, but on the fast corners they got away from me. At the end I almost fell on the final corner and I dropped down one position, something happened to the engine and suddenly the revs rose quickly whipping the bike, this even broke a part of the seat. Whatever, it was a good race and I am in good spirits for Catalunya.”

Danny Webb (DNF)
“I’m not happy with the result today! I had a superb start and connected directly to the leading group. I felt comfortable and it was fun to do the slipstream fights. My Aprilia is so fast so I knew I could stay with them. Unfortunaly Iannone broke down and that split up the group. I could lead the second group for a couple of laps but then I hit a bump in the track and crashed. Too bad but at least I know I can be up there but need some luck. Next race I’m confident I can be up there again and this time I have to finish the race.”

Bancaja Aspar rider Bradley Smith took his second win of the season in Mugello which also put him on top of the championship standings, ahead of his Aspar teammate Julian Simon. Scott Redding battled for fourth place in the second group, but was relegated to 7th at the end of the race while Danny Webb crashed out after a strong showing in the lead group at the beginning of the race.

Pos. Rider Team Total time

1 B. SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 40'09.523
2 N. TEROL Jack & Jones Team + 0.216
3 J. SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 7.114
4 P. ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team + 11.829
5 M. MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 12.315
6 J. ZARCO WTR San Marino Team + 14.605
7 S. REDDING Blusens Aprilia + 15.305
8 S. BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 22.255
9 L. SAVADORI Fontana Racing + 22.392
10 S. CORTESE Ajo Interwetten + 29.239

Not classified

D. WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 12 Lap

1st Bradley Smith, 1'58.134
"It has been a great day for me, setting pole position and a new lap record with it. My race pace is also really good. I was extremely focused today and everything worked out. I've been on pole before and I know that it doesn't necessarily meaning everything is perfect for tomorrow. It is always difficult to escape when there's a straight as long as this one and I think we're going to see about eight or even ten riders fighting in the front group. So far it's been a fantastic weekend and now I'm just hoping for a good start tomorrow. We made a few adjustments to improve the front end feel today and to be honest I don't think we can make it much better now. The Aprilia engine is working perfectly and that will be crucial to make sure we don't lose even the slightest bit of time on the straight tomorrow. There are obviously a few riders ahead of the game but like I said before I think it will be a group race and even the slightest mistake will be paid for dearly."

2nd Scott Redding, 1’58.431
“In the practice this morning we had some problems, so we changed some things on the engine and the suspension and things went better. Now everything is working well, the weather helped us and the track was in better conditions than in the morning. The problem this morning was that we went off the line on the corners, I even went off the track, but now the set up is good. If we get a good start I think we have what we need to fight it out this season. It may rain tomorrow but with what we have I will try to take advantage of this classification to get a good result, between 3rd and 5th.”

10th Danny Webb, 1'59.478
“I’m not really happy with the 10th position of today. I can do better but now days it is very important not only to ride fast laps but also how you tactical build up a session. I tied to hook up several times to get a good tow at the straight but only once it was a really good tow and gave me a fast lap time. The other try’s to get a tow the rider in front of me got off the throttle and I lost a lap. In the last lap of the session I was together with Nicolas Terol but unfortunaly he wasn’t as fast as I thought and I couldn’t improve my lap time. Tenth position is not so bad and with a good start I can hook up with the leading group.”

Bancaja Aspar rider Bradley Smith was in a league of his own in qualifying today, smashing the previous lap record and leaving the rest of the field far away for most of the time.
Then Scott Redding launched a late time attack and cleverly using slipstream he managed to finish the qualifying in second position.
Danny Webb will start tomorrow's race from third row in 10th position.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'58.134
2 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 1'58.431 0.297
3 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'58.575 0.441
4 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'58.621 0.487
5 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 1'58.947 0.813
6 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1'59.121 0.987
7 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 1'59.178 1.044
8 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 1'59.186 1.052
9 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 1'59.358 1.224
10 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 1'59.478 1.344

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'58.853
2 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'59.113 0.260
3 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'59.370 0.517
4 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 1'59.394 0.541
5 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 1'59.395 0.542
6 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 1'59.948 1.095
7 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing 1'59.956 1.103
8 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 2'00.092 1.239
9 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 2'00.378 1.525
10 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 2'00.402 1.549
11 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 2'00.525 1.672

4th Bradley Smith 1'59.862
“I think it was a good session and with an hour you can test a lot of things. I’m happy with the rear end setting of my Aprilia – at the beginning it was too soft and I was struggling to get on the throttle coming out of the corners but we improved it a lot as the session went on. I imagine the heat affects me more than the locals because I’m English and I’m not used to it! Provisional fourth place, four tenths off and with room for improvement, isn’t a bad start. We’ll work more with the front end tomorrow because having confidence in it through the fast corners here is crucial. Basically the idea will be to make the bike more rigid to try and gain a little stability.”

9th Scott Redding, 2’00.735 secs
“The first session today went quite well, because last year I think I was 18th or 19th. This year we have improved on that position a lot. It was very hot but the track was fine and the conditions are the same for all of us. The engine and suspension worked well although it is something we can still improve. I am pleased with how things went as I was fast right from the start and I was fighting with the whole group.”

13th Danny Webb 2'00.959
“It went all right today. I have a really good feeling and the bike is good. The set-up was pretty ok in the beginning and it went better and better. It is too bad that the position doesn’t tell you it went good. During the whole session I was able to ride in to the top 10 and even top 5 halfway the session. In the last ten minutes I tried to ride a faster lap but I had a big moment in my fast lap. Even the laps after this there were something going on at the track and I was not able to improve my lap time. My ideal time is half a second faster and that gives me a good feeling for tomorrow’s qualification. I’m aiming tomorrow for the first two rows.”

1 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'59.437
2 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'59.721 0.284
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 1'59.754 0.317
4 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'59.862 0.425
5 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 1'59.972 0.535
6 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'00.547 1.110
7 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 2'00.646 1.209
8 Esteve RABAT Blusens Aprilia 2'00.731 1.294
9 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 2'00.735 1.298
10 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing 2'00.876 1.439
11 Lorenzo ZANETTI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'00.913 1.476
12 Simone CORSI Jack & Jones Team 2'00.920 1.483
13 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 2'00.959 1.522
14 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 2'01.168 1.731
15 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 2'01.399 1.962

Friday May 29th

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Fri 29 May, 11:40 - 12:45
Live coverage from Mugello of the practice laps in the 125cc class at the Italian MotoGP meeting.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Fri 29 May, 12:45 - 14:00
Live coverage from Mugello of the practice laps in the MotoGP class at the Italian MotoGP meeting.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Fri 29 May, 14:00 - 15:00
Live coverage from Mugello of the practice laps in the 250cc class at the Italian MotoGP meeting.

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

Saturday May 30th

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 11:15 - 12:00
Coverage of the practice laps for the Italian MotoGP, from Mugello.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 12:00 - 12:45
Live coverage from Mugello of the qualifying in the 125cc class at the Italian MotoGP meeting.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 12:45 - 14:00
Live qualifying action from the Italian MotoGP meeting at Mugello.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 14:00 - 15:00
Live coverage from Mugello of the qualifying in the 250cc class at the Italian MotoGP meeting.

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 18:00 - 19:30
Qualifying action from the Italian MotoGP meeting at Mugello.

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sat 30 May, 23:00 - 00:30
Qualifying action from the Italian MotoGP meeting at Mugello.

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

Sunday May 31st

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sun 31 May, 09:30 - 09:45
Warm-up for the Italian MotoGP at Mugello.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sun 31 May, 09:45 - 11:00
Live coverage of the opening race at the Italian MotoGP in Mugello, the 125cc event.

Live MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sun 31 May, 11:00 - 12:25
Live coverage of the 250cc race at the Italian MotoGP meeting in Mugello.

MotoGP 2009 BBC2 London, Sun 31 May, 12:30 - 14:00
Round 5 - Mugello (Live)

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sun 31 May, 14:30 - 15:30
Highlights of all the Grand Prix action from Mugello, Italy.

MotoGP British Eurosport 2, Sun 31 May, 17:15 - 18:15
Highlights of all the Grand Prix action from Mugello, Italy.

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

Source: Tioti.com

Matt Hoyle's rookie season is getting worse with his Haojue team now announcing that they won't start in the Italian GP this weekend, the Catalunya GP two weeks later is also still in question.
The Chinese manufacturer has a lot of trouble during its first 125cc season with technical issues all around and is generally lacking competitiveness, often failing to even qualify, only to have a mechanical problem in the race. They yet have to finish a race. Engineer Jan Witteveen already left the team.
Given these circumstances the team now decided to save the costs and try to develop the bike further to have more chances at the next GP.

Although Bradley Smith came home 4th, it was a day to forget for the other 3 Brits in the field; Scott and Danny falling victim to tricky conditions, and Matt not starting.

RACE RESULT...

1. Simon (Aprilia)
2. Folger (Aprilia) +27.084sec
3. Gadea (Aprilia) +30.916sec
4. Smith (Aprilia) +31.530sec
5. Nakagami (Aprilia) +1min 9.235sec
6. Aegerter (Derbi) +1min 12.223sec
7. Iannone (Aprilia) +1min 13.663sec
8. Vazquez (Derbi) +1min 19.912sec
9. Terol (Aprilia) +1min 40.036sec
10. Zanetti (Aprilia) +1min 42.700sec

DNF Redding (Aprilia)
DNF Webb (Aprilia)
DNS Hoyle (Haojue)

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Marc Marquez KTM 1m47.080s
2. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m47.173s + 0.093
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m47.783s + 0.703
4. Dominique Aegerter Derbi 1m47.995s + 0.915
5. Joan Olive Derbi 1m48.085s + 1.005
6. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m48.115s + 1.035
7. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m48.334s + 1.254
8. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m48.508s + 1.428
9. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m49.313s + 2.233
10. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m49.439s + 2.359
11. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m49.695s + 2.615
12. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m50.239s + 3.159
13. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m50.598s + 3.518
14. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m50.692s + 3.612
15. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m50.761s + 3.681
16. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m51.001s + 3.921
17. Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1m51.430s + 4.350
18. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m51.812s + 4.732
19. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m52.028s + 4.948
20. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m52.443s + 5.363
21. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m52.684s + 5.604
22. Steven Le Coquen Honda 1m53.225s + 6.145
23. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m53.579s + 6.499
24. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m54.504s + 7.424
25. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m54.640s + 7.560
26. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m54.793s + 7.713
27. Cyril Carrillo Honda 1m55.313s + 8.233
28. Gregory Di Carlo Honda 1m56.432s + 9.352
29. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m56.705s + 9.625
30. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m57.807s + 10.727
31. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m58.882s + 11.802
32. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m59.162s + 12.082
33. Sturla Fagerhaug KTM 2m03.768s + 16.688

5th Bradley Smith 1.46.087 (21 laps):
"We spent a lot of time testing things today - nothing new, just making sure that the settings we had before Jerez are still working. I could have done with a few more laps because I was only able to push for two laps and I'm sure I could have improved more. Anyway, it's only the first day and I'm close to the top guys so I'm satisfied and convinced that we've made a good start. We have some work to do tomorrow but we're optimistic and confident we'll be ready for Sunday."

1. Iannone (Aprilia) 1min 45.258
2. Simon (Aprilia) +0.211sec
3. Gadea (Aprilia) +0.228sec
4. Olive (Derbi) +0.803sec
5. Smith (Aprilia) +0.829sec
6. Aegerter (Derbi) +0.923sec
7. Marquez (KTM) +0.947sec
8. Vazquez (Derbi) +1.122sec
9. Rabat (Aprilia) +1.181sec
10. Corsi (Aprilia) +1.368sec

Basically a Eurosport listing, with the exception of the *live* MotoGP race on BBC2...

Friday May 15th

12:00 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The practice session for the 125cc French Grand Prix

12:45 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The French Grand Prix MotoGP practice session

14:00 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The 250cc French Grand Prix practice session

18:30 - Eurosport
The French Grand Prix MotoGP practice session

22:00 - Eurosport2
The French Grand Prix MotoGP practice session

......................................................................

Saturday May 16th

12:00 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The qualifying session for the 125cc French Grand Prix

12:45 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The MotoGP French Grand Prix qualifying session

14:00 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The 250cc French Grand Prix qualifying session

16:30 - Eurosport2
The MotoGP qualifying session for the French Grand Prix

......................................................................

Sunday May 17th

09:30 - Eurosport2
The French Grand Prix warm-up session

09:45 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The 125cc French Grand Prix

11:00 - *LIVE* - Eurosport2
The 250cc French Grand Prix

12:30 - *LIVE* - BBC2
The French Grand Prix at Le Mans

15:30 - Eurosport2
The MotoGP French Grand Prix

......................................................................

Source: MindTheZap

The news of the Jerez GP in 125s was of course the fab first win from Bradley Smith.
But here's some other quotes on how the 125Brits emerged from the weekend.

Scott Redding sounded happy enough, despite finishing outside of the top ten...
"I'm pretty happy with the way things have gone, but obviously I need to find a bit more pace. I feel like I'm getting more comfortable with the chassis but this year's bike is definitely harder to set-up.
"I've been having problems with rear tyre endurance because of it and haven't really been able to find a rear tyre that lost for more than eight or nine laps because the chassis is wearing it too fast."

Danny Webb, who came home 8th wasn't disappointed either...
"It was a though race today. There was still a strong wind and I tried to get the maximum out of the Aprilia. The engine was very strong but I didn't had the grip in the rear what I wanted. I tried to hold on with the group in front of me but I had difficulties passing Aergerter and took too much time.
"By the time I passed him the gap was to big to close. At the end I finisht 8th and scored good points for the championship. We are getting there and I'm confident that I can battle for a top 5 position in the future."

Matt Holye sadly was a DNS.

1st Bradley Smith: 41m49.556s

“The bike went awesome today, and I can’t thank my team enough. I was able to get away and had an extremely fast pace for the whole race. In the last seven laps I had a fifth gear problem that cut the advantage, but I knew how to bring the bike home for the win. Iannone, Simón and I had the best pace over the weekend, and I knew that if nothing strange happened I would out in front alone. I want to thank the entire team for their work since I joined, and it is so satisfying to see that our hard winter work has paid off. “

Saturday, October 10, 2009

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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Monday, June 1, 2009

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