The Sachsenring circuit may not be a favourite circuit amongst the riders (too tight, too twisty and too many left-handers) even if they wax positive about it, but yesterday it offered up the best and tightest racing we’ve seen so far this season and no one even binned it, and considering all the crashes we’ve seen leading up to the race, is a miracle per se.
To add to our gossip post from Saturday, it seems that LCR Honda may field a second rider for the Laguna Seca GP, Ben Bostrom.
Last year Cecchinello had Roger Lee Hayden on one of his Honda’s and he finished 11th.
Both Roger Lee and Bostrom ride for Michael Jordan’s Motorsports on Suzuki’s and are competing in this weekend’s upcoming AMA Superbike round which is also featured at the Mazda Speedway venue.
Here’s what the rest of the MotoGP riders had to say about the Sachsenring GP.
Marco Simoncelli – 6th“It’s a shame because fourth place would have felt completely different.
I was faster than Dovizioso for the first half of the race and maybe I took too long to pass him, losing contact with the leaders in the process.
We passed each other a few times and then the tyre wear was so bad on the left side I was really struggling and it was hard to control the bike.
I tried everything I could on the last lap but it wasn’t enough and Spies also came through.
It is a shame but this was still a good race for us because we were close to the front and if we can just find another couple of tenths in race trim we’ll be fighting for wins.
”Colin Edwards – 10th “That was a difficult race because it was one of those where you can see a few places up for grabs in front of you but you can’t do anything to try move forward.
I was with Valentino, Nicky and Alvaro for pretty much the whole race but it didn’t matter what I did or tried, I couldn’t get close enough to try and pass them.
One tenth round this track feels like a million because it is so short but it felt like I was on a bungee rope the whole time.
Each time we started going through the series of lefts from Turn 4 onwards, they just seem to have more traction than me.
They’d pull a few bike lengths on me but then I’d gain it all back in the hard braking for Turn 12 at the bottom of the hill and hard braking for the last corner.
My bike was really stable on the brakes but the bike lengths I’d c atch up I’d lose again on the next lap and the process would start all over again.
With a few laps to go I was in Turn 2, off throttle and the rear came round.
From that point on I had less grip and a bit of vibration and I couldn’t stay with them and I was making more mistakes trying to keep their pace.
So I just took 10th place, which is not where I want to finish, but I’ve never gone great at this track and I’ve gone faster than I’ve ever run here.
Usually it’s a disaster here, so I’m actually happy with my race and going to Laguna Seca now to race in front of my home fans, I feel really good and confident.
”Héctor Barberá – 11th“The only setback in the race today was that I ran off track so early.
I enjoyed the rest of the race as if was a kid.
I arrived at a hard braking point, and stopped right at the same place as in practice, but this time I had a rider just in front of me when I lifted my head up.
I had to take evasive action so as not to crash into him.
I went off, and from then on my target changed.
I wanted to push as hard as possible and ride in similar times to in practice.
Analysing the times afterwards, I had a great pace for the entirety of the race, and could have finished in the top seven.
I feel good, because I worked well during the entire race and made a tremendous effort.
My bike also worked very well.
On the other hand, it is a shame to have my race affected by an isolated incident at the start.
”Karel Abraham – 12th“Due to problems we had during the whole weekend I am satisfied with the result of the race.
I have to get used to the set-up of the motorcycle during the race, but even though I scored faster and faster lap times.
I was behind him (Barbera) on the last lap, but the I managed to overtake him, unfortunately, in the corner – in which I crashed yesterday – he overtook me again and finished ahead of me.
”Randy De Puniet – 13th “I’m not satisfied about my thirteenth place.
I was able to start from the third row, having lost all those seconds in the first lap has affected the whole race.
I have lost the group in front of me, the one composed by Hayden, Rossi, Edwards and Barbera and I was no longer able to shorten the distance.
Halfway through the race, then, I had problems with the front: I could not close the gap, and I lost more positions.
I tried to finish the race, I could not do better.
We will try to improve in next weekend”.
Cal Crutchlow – 14th “Obviously I can’t be happy to have finished 14th because I believe I should be fighting inside the top ten.
But taking the positives out of a difficult race, I was able to fight for the whole race with riders that are a lot more experienced than me, and who have much more knowledge of this track.
I really wanted to finish 11th but when I ran wide with a few laps remaining, it was always going to be an uphill battle to get back three places on a track like this that is tight and twisty.
But I didn’t give up and I pushed as hard as I could right to the end and nearly recovered a couple of places.
I just didn’t have enough grip from the front or the rear and it was difficult.
I didn’t feel I could push any harder and it strange because we made a lot of big changes to the bike this weekend without ever really finding an improvement.
We’ve learned a few things that will help in the future and now I’m looking forward to getting to Laguna Seca where I’ll be aiming to get back inside the top ten.
”Hiroshi Aoyama – 15th “It wasn’t an easy race, especially the first half, but I tried to finish it in the best possible way.
Unfortunately my physical condition has been a problem all weekend and I have not found it easy.
I have tried to get more confident with the bike from session to session but it has been hard.
I am sorry for the team and I hope to be in better shape for the next race at Laguna Seca.
”Toni Elias – 16th“Yesterday we thought we made a good step forward and I was hoping for a better result.
But at the beginning of the race with the full load of fuel when the bike was heavier I have struggled very much to control it.
Suddenly our usual problems came back again and I have started to lose the front in the braking and no confidence in the rear.
I managed to cross the line in 16th position but obviously I am very frustrated.
By the way I do not want to lose my motivation and my concentration and we’ll see what is going to happen in Laguna”.
Sylvain Guintoli – 17th “It was a great experience for me.
In these two days my goal was to understand the bike.
I’ve done it: today, lap after lap, I improved my bests lap times, and the best one has arrived at the end of the race.
I would like to thanks Pramac Racing Team for giving me this opportunity and, of course, my Superbike team which allowed me to be here.
MotoGP is always a good test”.