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Rossi wins Geman Grand Prix after Gibernau mistake

pic: Elliot Doering
By Dan Moakes
August 2 2005
Battle was re-joined between the two main rivals in MotoGP at the German Grand Prix, with Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Honda’s Sete Gibernau setting the pace in the important final stages. As has been seen more than a few times, it all came down to the final lap of the race.

above: Rossi on the 2004 Gauloises Yamaha - photo © Elliot L Doering

The modern version of the Sachsenring circuit is only a few years old, built on the site of the former East German Grand Prix venue. The new track, one of the shortest on the calendar, first appeared on the schedule in 1998, and was changed yet further in time for the 2001 race. Despite this relatively recent vintage, it is in fact a spectacular and challenging course, with a tighter infield section leading onto a series of fast left-handers. These progress into a fast right onto a downhill straight, and changing gradients are a feature of the entire venue.

The practice and qualifying sessions were punctuated by a series of incidents and crashes, not least for points leader Rossi, and also Alex Barros and Proton’s Shane Byrne - when the throttle stuck open. Ducati’s Carlos Checa had a big one going down the hill, but was largely unhurt and got back on his spare bike and went quicker. However, Suzuki rider John Hopkins was not so lucky, injuring his left foot and some ribs in a crash. He ended up behind team-mate Kenny Roberts on the grid for the first time, but was determined to race.

Taking his second pole position was Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden. His background in US dirt-track oval racing evidently helped him to powerslide his way through the critical left-handers, and he ended up five places ahead of last year’s pole man, his team-mate Max Biaggi. Honda were well represented on the first two rows, with MoviStar riders Gibernau (second) and Marco Melandri (fifth) also joined by Barros on the Camel Pons machine, in third position.

Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha M1 was off the front row for only the third time this year, but was inevitably the main challenger to the RCV hordes in P4. Team-mate Colin Edwards was seventh, ahead of Loris Capirossi (Marlboro Ducati) - split from partner Checa by the two Suzukis. The other Hondas of Tamada and Bayliss were way back behind a trio of Kawasaki Ninjas, with occasional substitute rider Olivier Jacque joining in just behind the German-based team’s regular pilots - Nakano and Hofmann.

The Fortuna Yamahas of Spaniards Toní Elías and Rubén Xaus completed row six, ahead of James Ellison (WCM), Roberto Rolfo (d’Antín Ducati), Byrne and Franco Battaini (also WCM).

The race start went Hayden’s way, and he was quickly pulling out a lead over Barros, Rossi, Capirossi and Gibernau. Edwards was sixth, from Melandri, Biaggi, Nakano, Roberts, Hopkins, Elías, Checa, Tamada, Xaus, Rolfo, Bayliss, Ellison and Battaini. First corner casualties had been Byrne, who’d managed to hit the back of Checa; and the Kawasakis of Hofmann and Jacque, who’d managed to collide.

Early shuffles saw Nakano take eighth from Biaggi, and Checa pass Elías. With the leaders, Rossi overtook Barros inside at the Sachsenkurve, the left-hander at the foot of the steep back straight. As the race pattern established itself, Hayden had a small gap over Rossi and Barros, and a similar one to Capirossi, who was soon demoted by Gibernau at Sachsenkurve. These five were already clearing the next group, where Edwards led Melandri, Nakano and Biaggi - the Roman then getting into eighth at turn one.

The gaps fluctuated as the first four ran away from Capirossi, who fell back to Melandri, now leading Edwards, Biaggi and Nakano. Rossi attacked leader Hayden without success, while Gibernau set fastest lap just behing Barros. Capirossi’s negative progress continued when Melandri went by, and the Italian’s former team-mate, Troy Bayliss, was out with a front end crash when chasing Tamada.

Bigger drama came in the shape of Hopkins’ highside crash going through a downhill change of direction on the infield. It turned out that John’s injured foot had been the cause as, numbed with painkillers, it had somehow hooked the wrong gear. With the rider already troubled by injury and now lying on the track, obviously winded, the race was red-flagged. The grid for the re-started race would be decided on positions after five laps.

Ellison had gone out with an oil leak, so the order at the stoppage had been Hayden from Rossi, Barros, Gibernau, Melandri, Capirossi, Edwards, Biaggi, Nakano, Checa, Roberts, (Hopkins), Elías, Tamada, Rolfo, Xaus and Battaini.

The start of the second race, with 25 laps to run, also saw Hayden retain his lead, but this time with Rossi attacking, from Gibernau and Barros, then Biaggi, Nakano and Melandri. The last of these lost out to Capirossi at Sachsenkurve, whilst Edwards, Checa, Roberts, Rolfo, Tamada, Elías, Xaus and Battaini followed on.

Rossi was in the thick of the action from the off, now passing Hayden at turn one. The Honda man then set the fastest lap so far, but lost a further place to Gibernau at Sachsenkurve as the two big rivals took over up front. A lap later Sete did the same thing to Valentino, and the race looked to be on. Barros was close to Hayden in fourth, to be joined when Biaggi improved the fastest lap. Capirossi’s early form was good, as he now passed Nakano and took his turn with fastest lap and looked to join the battle behind Biaggi.

The race for victory resolved itself into a five-way affair, though, as Biaggi caught up to Barros and left Capirossi and Nakano behind, with Melandri in a fairly solitary eighth. Loris’ spell of glory proved brief, and he soon found himself behind both the Kawasaki and the Honda. As the group of Gibernau, Rossi, Hayden and Barros closed up, with Biaggi still in touch, now it was Nakano that impressed as he started to catch them, at this stage lapping faster than the leader.

Gibernau now seemed to start getting away slightly from Rossi, which gave Hayden a chance to pass the Yamaha at turn one, using the Honda’s better speed to get inside before the braking zone. The group then became tight again, with Biaggi again tagging onto the back. The first five were running medium compound Michelin tyres all round, although Gibernau had apparently been on harder covers for the original start. Nakano’s Bridgestones could not maintain the pace, but he was now well established in sixth, and settled in to maintain the gap back to Melandri and the rest.

Once again Gibernau threatened to break away, and this was the cue for Rossi to recover second position - closing up to Hayden through the fast left and right leading to the back straight, then getting inside for Sachsenkurve. With six laps now remaining, Barros now struggled to match the pace of the leading trio, and came under attack from Biaggi. As the laps counted down, the first two put on a bit more speed, building a slight margin over Hayden. Biaggi got by Barros at turn one with three to go.

Now it was clearly between the two rivals of the last two seasons, Gibernau and Rossi. The champion twice attacked at Sachsenkurve, the second time finding no room to get alongside as they came out of the preceding right on the penultimate lap. A couple of corners later he was through, but only because Sete had out-braked himself at turn one and almost ran out of track! Valentino accepted the gift and put in another stunning final circuit, leaving Gibernau to fend off Hayden. They finished in that order.

Biaggi was just ahead of Barros for fourth, with Nakano well ahead of Melandri, and the other points going to Edwards, Capirossi, Tamada, Roberts, Elías, Xaus, Rolfo and Battaini. Checa had been running ninth early on, then slid out on a relatively slow uphill left-hander. The other six riders had not taken the re-start.

Valentino Rossi celebrated his victory with a flag that read, ‘76 Rossi, 76 Hailwood, I’m sorry Mike’, in recognition of their now joint status on the all-time GP list. And while it was not a shock to see the champion take an eighth win from ten races, the manner of Sete Gibernau’s defeat will have been another blow to the Spaniard in an already difficult season. It has to be remembered that the 2003 German race had seen last corner victory for Sete after a Valentino mistake...

The order of the top eight finishers served to close the group disputing second place overall, with Gibernau now just a point from Marco Melandri. Colin Edwards, Max Biaggi, Barros and Nicky Hayden are all in touch. Meanwhile, Shin’ya Nakano had done a particularly good job to secure sixth in the race, ahead of two of those top guys. Although his team hadn’t had their best day overall, the team leader had taken his second best finish of the season.

Standings after ten races: Rossi 236; Melandri 116; Gibernau 115; Edwards 114; Biaggi 113; Barros and Hayden 101; Capirossi 72; Nakano 65; Checa 51; Bayliss 47; Tamada 42.


MotoGP rumours for 2006: 125cc and 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa is to move up to the big class with Honda in 2006. It is suggested that this could be in the works Repsol squad, which would mean that either Hayden or Biaggi will have to make way for him.


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