Ducati's 1st podium on Bridgestone tyres
05/06/2005
Ducati and Bridgestone celebrated a fantastic Italian Grand Prix today, with Loris Capirossi storming to third place in the MotoGP race. Capirossi, who had qualified for the second row of the grid, lead the pack into the first corner, but couldn’t quite match the speed of the front runners in the opening laps and dropped back to fifth. However, his choice of a hard rear tyre compound paid off towards the end of the race, when he closed in on the race leaders at an amazing pace.
In a breathtaking final with Marco Melandri, where both riders passed each other several times, Capirossi made sure of Ducati’s first podium on Bridgestone tyres, and was able to celebrate an all Italian finish that saw four Italian riders on the top four positions – something that hadn’t happened since the Grand Prix of Monza in 1968. Capirossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa reconfirmed Ducati’s return to the top in MotoGP racing with a great fifthplace, keeping hard-charging Nicky Hayden firmly under control on the last five laps of the race.
All six Bridgestone riders, with Kawasaki riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann in tenth and 12th place, and Suzuki riders John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts in 11th and 15th position, took points in Mugello, and showed the impressive performance of Bridgestone’s latest generation of rear tyre slicks.
Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro Team - 3rd position
“This was an amazing race, and a great weekend altogether. My team, Bridgestone and I achieved a good set-up early on this weekend, and our good work started to pay off with a very promising qualifying practice yesterday. After the warm-up this morning, we then decided to use a harder rear tyre compound. That’s why I couldn’t ride quite as hard as the others in the beginning of the race. But in return, my rear tyre grip was very consistent, and I was able to push more and more as the race went on. I had a great battle with Marco Melandri in the end, we must have passed each other four or five times, which allowed Rossi and Biaggi to edge away. But still, a podium finish is a great result for us here, and from now on, we can expect to be up within the top guys more often. I changed my riding style after Le Mans, from my usual on-off style to a somehow smoother throttle control, which now also helps us with the bike set-up and with tyre life!”
Carlos Checa - Ducati Marlboro Team - 5th position
“I am very happy with today’s result. My main goal was to finish the race, and not to take any unnecessary risks after two races without any points. Now, I will stay here for another day of testing. We will try to improve the handling, because the rear end of the bike moves around too much, and I can’t open the throttle the way I’d like to. Capirossi’s podium finish however is good for all of us. Maybe I will be the next one to finish up there – I will certainly try and go for it next week in Montmeló!”
Hiroshi Yamada - Motorcycle Racing Manager - Bridgestone Motorsport
“A fantastic day for all of us! Congratulations to Ducati, both riders and the team did a fantastic job, and it was great to see Loris fight within the front group, and finish third, which is the first podium in our young and promising partnership with Ducati. Both riders, Capirossi and Checa, were able to use their bikes to the maximum potential today, and we are very happy that our tyres played an integral part in this performance. The fact that all our six riders finished in the point rankings further confirms the qualities of our latest tyre generation, and that we are on the right track with our tyre development. But even this is just a stepping stone – we continue to aim higher, and we hope for even greater success in the future!”
Bridgestone Results:
3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 42.46,868, 5. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, 42.50,892, 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 43.19,543, 11. John Hopkins(USA) Suzuki, 43.34,631, 12. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki, 43.26,563, 15. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, 43.53,269