2008 Season Highlights

Season

2008

THE PLACE

TO BE LUCIO CECCHINELLO’S MESSAGE

Dear friends and two-wheeled fanatics, for the 10th consecutive year the MotoGP championship has broken all visibility records throughout the world and it is touching the audience figures of F1 in certain countries. An unprecedented success that makes everyone proud to be associated with MotoGP and especially the members of LCR who only three years ago started this project in the premier class. One year full of new experiences, lots of adrenalina and lots and lots of work that we did with pride and passion that brought us through the good times and the bad times together! The “highlights” of our season that you will see in the following pages you can relive all our adventures and share our experiences in this adventures, fascinating world of MotoGP. The show which is MotoGP gives of all its audience a spectacular show and is so diverse people from all over the world can join us! We want to say a special thank you to our supporters we have enabled us to work to a high professional standard. The professionalism that we had in 2008 we are going to build on this in 2009 to make the LCR MotoGP show more entertaining for everybody.

INDEX 8

GRAND PRIX OF QATAR

GRAND PRIX OF SPAIN

GRAND PRIX OF PORTUGAL

GRAND PRIX OF CHINA

GRAND PRIX OF FRANCE

GRAND PRIX OF ITALY

GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA

GRAND PRIX OF UK

GRAND PRIX OF HOLLAND

GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY

GRAND PRIX OF USA

GRAND PRIX OF CZECH REP.

GRAND PRIX OF S.MARINO REP.

GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS

GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN

106

GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRALIA

112

GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA

118

GRAND PRIX OF VALENCIA

Round

Grand Prix

QATAR of 2008 CIRCUIT OF LOSAIL

RANDY DE PUNIET KICKS OFF HIS 2008 SEASON AT QATAR

Losail, 7 March:The 800cc riders got on track today for the first day of practice of Qatar opening-season GP. The premier class riders came out at 7 pm for the first session thanks to the new lightning system at the “desert” circuit whilst the second session started at 22.55 with Stoner on the top of the timesheets in both occasions. 6

The air temperature reached a maximum of 15° but the track conditions were a bit worse compared with last week testing days because of the dust brought by the wind. The LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet set a fastest lap of 1’56.234 aboard his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V completing a total of 23 laps. The Frenchman was only 0.792s off the fastest lap off Stoner.

De Puniet: “This first day was not easy because the track was more slippery than last week. In the first session we worked on the engine map but the performance was a bit lazy and I struggled with the rear. We solved the problem for the second night test but, when I came out, I started to lose confidence with the front. The surface was very dirty and I risked to crash twice. Anyway it seems that we found the solution to improve my feeling for tomorrow”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET FIRST HONDA RIDER ON FIRST FLOODLIT QUALIFYING IN QATAR Losail, 8 March: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet had a brilliant night at Losail race track ending the MotoGP’s first ever- floodlit qualifying session in 5th place. The Frenchman aboard the Michelinshod Honda RC212V nr. 14 worked hard with his crew to solve a lack of front end grip in both sessions, even with these problems he managed to be the first

Honda on the grid. Despite a crash in the evening free session, De Puniet circulated the “desert” circuit 40 times during the two sessions clocking his quickest time of 1’54.818. The track surface dropped to 15° this evening with all the riders making their tyres choices for tomorrows 22-lap night event which will start at 23:00 local time. Today’s frontrunner Jorge Lorenzo topped the board with a 1’53.927 lap followed by Toseland and Edwards.

De Puniet: “Today’s track conditions were better than yesterday but it was a long day for me and the team. In the free session I lost the front and crashed but my Team made a excellent work and the bike was ready for the qualifying. Firstly I went out on used tyre with the bike nr. 1: the setting was different but the lap times were consistent and fast. I came in to fit a new tyre but could not finish the run because of some technical problems. So I decided to swap on bike nr. 2 and the feeling was pretty good. We started to test the q-tyres and my pace was faster than last week testing days. On my last qualifying lap I came upon Elias who stopped my fast lap and decided to slow down. I feel quite satisfied but the feeling on race tyres could be better: we will work it out in tomorrows warm-up session”. RACE DE PUNIET ENDS IN THE TOP TEN THE OPENING RACE AT QATAR Losail, 9 March: LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet finished in 9th position the first ever World Championship night race at Qatar floodlit track. With a track temperature of 19° the premier class riders got underway the first GP of the 2008 season at 23:00 local time. Following on from an impressive practice sessions, Stoner won the opening round followed by Yamaha rider Lorenzo and HRC Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. . After struggling for front end lack of grip in yesterday’s both sessions, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14 started from the 5th position for the 22-lap event but he had a wrong feeling in the first two laps loosing the chance to catch the group ahead. Once he got a better feeling, the Frenchman managed to finish in the top 10 and this is his first ever time finish of the Qatar GP.

De Puniet: â&#x20AC;&#x153;After the good testing days of last week and the pace we had yesterday in race trim I was expecting something better. Honestly my start was not perfect but in the first two laps I rode the bike on the ice! I was not absolutely comfortable with the front and I struggled to stand up. Then the situation improved and I started to lap consistently fast overtaking a couple of riders. In the last 5 laps I tried my best to pass Capirossi but his bike acceleration was better than mine. By the way the top ten position is a positive result for me as this is the first ever time that I have finished this raceâ&#x20AC;?.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

SPAIN of CIRCUIT OF JEREZ

DE PUNIET BATTLES THROUGH GRIP ISSUES TO 11th Jerez, 28 March 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet was back on track today for the first European round of the 2008 season at Jerez de la Frontera after the night race of Qatar three weeks ago. Randy circulated the Southern Spain circuit 49 times throughout the day clocking his fastest lap 12

time on 1’41.268. The Frenchman riding the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V worked hard with his crew to solve a lack of rear grip in the morning first free session improving his lap time of nearly one second in the afternoon session. Today’s tack temperature reached 27° and Randy worked mainly on tyres testing with Michelin staff to find the same feeling he had in the winter test.

De Puniet – 11th: “In this morning free session we suffered a rear traction problem which prevented me to go faster. I could not open the throttle and when I came in we decided to continue the whole session with the same tyres. Then we worked on engine mapping and chassis set-up to get a better feeling for the afternoon session: basically we made a step forward but it’s still not the same level we had here in the testing days. By the way we will make some specific adjustments for tomorrow to gain a couple of tenths”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET ON SECOND ROW AT JEREZ TRACK Jerez, 29 March 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet got the second row for tomorrows 27-lap race at the crowded Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The Frenchman riding the Honda RC212V nr. 14 made 22 laps in total in this afternoon qualifying session clocking his quickest time of 1’39.122 on lap 10.Despite a crash in the first corner at the end of

the session, De Puniet gained the 6th position and his Honda is the third fastest on the grid behind Hayden and Pedrosa ones. Thanks to the specific adjustments made in this morning free session, the Frenchman improved his yesterdays lap time of four tenths on race tyres with a ground temperature of 26°. The Spaniard rider Lorenzo on Yamaha topped the timesheets today with a 1’38.189 lap time followed by Pedrosa on Honda and Edwards on Yamaha.

De Puniet: - 6th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am quite happy about this result. The small adjustments we made in this morning free session gave me the chance to go faster and the feeling with the bike on race tyres is quite impressive. We solved our problems of rear traction working on engine mapping and chassis set-up and the pace on race tyres improved of four tenths compared with yesterdays performance. My feeling on Q-tyres is getting better even thought I found some traffic in the middle of the session. In my last lap on qualifiers I was trying to go faster but I made a mistake entering in the first corner and crashed. Anyway the second row was our target and we are pretty confident for tomorrows raceâ&#x20AC;?. RACE

DE PUNIET EARLY EXIT AT JEREZ GP Jerez, 30 March 2008: after yesterdays good qualifying session result, the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet crashed out in Jerez de la Frontera GP. The 27-year French rider aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V got the sixth position on the grid yesterday but, after a bad start, he lost the font on turn five and finished in the gravel on lap three. Luckily for the Frenchman he escaped unhurt from the incident but he was unable to complete the 27-lap race at the Southern Spain track. Sunny skies and hot temperatures welcomed the Spanish fans this morning which celebrated the victory of their fellow countryman Dani Pedrosa on Honda, followed by Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The premier class riders will be back on track tomorrow for one testing day.

De Puniet: - crashed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very disappointed about the crash. Honestly I made a bad start and lost several positions in the first lap. Then, I found my pace again and was ready to catch the firsts. I was in the middle of the corner on lap three and my line was correct but suddenly I lost the front and crashed. When I came in I checked the data with my Team but we still do not understand the reason why I finished in the gravel. I was expecting something better here after the top-ten finish in Qatar. By the way we will continue our set-up work tomorrow and we will focus on suspension regulations to bet in a competitive form at Estorilâ&#x20AC;?.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

PORTUGAL of CIRCUIT OF ESTORIL

DE PUNIET GOT THE 9th PlACE AT ESTORIL GP FIRST DAY OF PRACTICES Estoril, 11 April 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet faced up his first day of practices at the windy Estoril track aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V. The Frenchman, who can rely good experience at Portuguese track where he was successful three times in 250cc 18

class, got the 9th position today clocking his quickest lap time of 1’39.332. With changeable weather conditions due to the ocean winds, this morning free session was wet with track temperature of 15° whilst in the afternoon the temperature went up to 22° and De Puniet went around the windy track 42 times throughout the day working on the base set up of his machine.

De Puniet – 9th: “It was a hard-working day for us but in the end we gathered many data to develop tomorrow. In this morning first session I took my track time to feel the bike and then we started to work on the base set up. It was not bad even tough we struggled a bit with the front-end. However we made a good work together with Michelin staff on tyres selection finding good rear grip which allowed me to ride consistently fast. In the middle of this afternoon session we had some small setting problems (braking stability and handling) but, after some adjustments, I came out and was able to improve my pace on race tyres”.

QUALIFY THIRD ROW FOR DE PUNIET AT SUNNY ESTORIL Estoril, 12 April 2008: after yesterday’s unpredictable weather conditions, the sun shined on windswept Estoril track today for the 800cc qualifying session which saw Yamaha rider Lorenzo on the top of the timesheets with a 1’35.715 lap time. The LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet rode his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V to

the 8th fastest time despite a crash in the morning session. The Frenchman escaped unhurt from the incident and continued to search for the optimum setting from his machine in the afternoon session recording a quickest lap time of 1’37.223. De Puniet will start from the third row for tomorrows 28-lap race hoping to get a top-six finish at the track where he already got several successes in the past.

De Puniet – 8th: “It’s been pretty hard today because this morning I crashed and the guys had to work strongly to prepare the bike for this afternoon session. I want to thank them for their great job. By the way my feeling on race tyres in the morning free session was ok both on the front and the rear and I was confident to improve my pace in the qualifying session. We had a minor technical issue and I was not able to get the same rhythm because the bike was spinning to much. I spent more track time to fix the problem but the I am not very satisfied. Anyway we will make some adjustments in tomorrow’s warm up session and we will see how the bike will react”. RACE DE PUNIET OUT OF LUCK AFTER SUPERB CHARGE THROUGH FIELD Estoril, 13 April 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made an impressive race at Estoril today starting from the third row but, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V, crashed in the second-last lap when he was in 7th position. Luckily De Puniet escaped unhurt from the incident and rejoined the Portuguese race ending in 15th position. The 28-lap race started at 13:00 local time with unpredictable weather conditions after a rain-shower early in the morning and De Puniet got the 6th fastest time in the warm up session with damp surface. After a bad start from the 8th place the 27-year French rider started to set his pace and was consistently fast passing many riders till the 7th position ahead Toseland at 3 laps to go. Then, at turn 4, De Puniet made a mistake in the middle of the corner and went out in the gravel. Lorenzo won his first premier class race followed by Pedrosa and Rossi.

De Puniet – 15th: “I am very disappointed! After my third bad start of the season I knew that I could go faster and catch the first 5 positions so I began to lap consistently fast. The bike set-up and the tyres were pretty good therefore I felt comfortable for the rest of the race and was able to pass several riders including Toseland. Then, in the second-last lap at turn nr. 4, I closed to much the angle in the middle of the corner and lost the front. I went out in the gravel but was able to rejoin the race getting the 15th position which is not the result we expected. Honestly with a better start I would have been able to catch Hopkins and probably Edwards. Anyway I want to thank my team for the great work they did in this week end and we will proceed with our set-up work in tomorrow’s testing day before the Chinese GP”.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

CHINA of CIRCUIT OF SHANGAI

DE PUNIET PLANNING SHANGHAI SATURDAY IMPROVEMENT Shanghai, 2 May 2008: the 800cc riders were back on track today at Shanghai International circuit for the Pramac Grand Prix of China first day of free practices which saw Rossi on the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1’59.906.163 Warm temperature (25°) and sunny skies welcomed the premier class rider today

but the weather forecast say that the race could be ridden in the wet. The LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet struggled a bit in his first exit at the Chinese track aboard the Michelinshod Honda RC212V ending the first day of practices in 16th position. Since the first laps in the morning, the Frenchman did not get the right feeling on his machine but the Team is working hard to adjust the bike for tomorrow’s qualifying session.

OFFICIAL SPONSOR

Champions working together

Aimont , leader nel mercato delle calzature di sicurezza, sponsor ufficiale LCR Honda MotoGP TEAM. 26 速

www.jal-group.com

De Puniet – 16th: “It was a very difficult day for us. Since the first laps of this morning session the feeling was very bad especially on the front-end. We worked hard to fix the things for the second session but, unfortunately, the bike did not improve and I was not able to go faster. I feel frustrated about this but I know that my Team is working hard with Michelin and Honda to solve the problems for tomorrow. This result do not show our real potential and I am confident for the rest of the week end”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET BACK ON THE PACE AT SHANGHAI QUALIFYING SESSION Shanghai, 3 May 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP Team racer Randy De Puniet made positive steps forward today at the Shanghai International circuit recording the 9th quickest time in the afternoon qualifying session with a fastest lap of 1’59.357 from his 21 laps. Today’s track temperature reached 46°C while the air temperature went up to 29°C and the 27-year-old French rider started

his big progress in the third free session of the morning cutting more than one second from his yesterdays best lap time. De Puniet and the LCR squad focused their efforts on the Honda RC212V’s suspension regulations, chassis set-up and tyre combination gaining the third row for the 22-lap race that gets underway at 15:00 local time tomorrow. Today’s frontrunner Edwards set a 1’58.139 best lap time followed by Rossi and Stoner.

De Puniet – 9th: “After yesterday’s technical problems which prevented me to go faster, we finally found our good pace especially on race tyres. The situation improved a lot and now I can ride with more confidence. We fixed some things before this morning free session such as engine mapping to control the braking stability, power delivery to make the bike smoother, the chassis geometry and the suspension setting. I suffered a small crash in the last lap on q-tyres but the most important thing is my pace on race tyres. At the end I was able to lap consistently fast even though we still have some things to adjust in tomorrow’s warm up session. We need to fix the front feeling in two corners but I feel very satisfied about the job we made and thank all my Team for their efforts”. RACE DE PUNIET DETERMINED TO COME BACK AT LE MANS RACE Shanghai, 4 May 2008: The 22-lap race of Pramac Grand Prix of China started at 15:00 local time today with unpredictable weather conditions after a rain-shower early in the morning and today’s winner is Rossi followed by Pedrosa and Lorenzo. This morning warm up session was wet and the track surface reached a temperature of 23°C with the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet in 15th position trying to get the correct overall package in wet conditions. Then the asphalt of the Chinese track started to dry and, after a bad start from the third row, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V was hit by Hopkins in the end of the first lap and went wide to avoid a clash with the American rider. De Puniet started to set his pace but the gap to the front was to wide and he finished the 4th round of the season in 13th position. Le Mans circuit (France) will host the next GP on the 18 of May.

De Puniet - 13th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very disappointed! My start was bad but at the end of the first lap before the main straight Hopkins tried to overtake me but he made a big mistake and I went wide. I was able to stay up to continue my race but the front-end did not work in the best way. The situation improved after some laps when I passed Guintoli. I also tried my best to pass Toseland but it was not possible. Honestly we expected a better result here and I hope to do a good race in Le Mansâ&#x20AC;?.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

FRANCE of CIRCUIT OF LE MANS DE PUNIET IN GOOD FORM AT LE MANS Le Mans, 16 May 2008: Returning to Europe after the visit to China, the MotoGP teams and riders gathered at the famous Le Mans circuit in the Sarthe region of France for the first day of practices at the 4.185 km track with a temperature of 19°C. After the party in Paris on Wednesday night, the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy 32

2008

De Puniet went back on track today with a special livery of his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V decorated with the blue, white and red national flag as well as the helmet and the leather. The 27-year French rider concentrated with his crew to find a correct package for the “stop-and-go” track getting the 8th position with a 1’35.073 best lap time. Todays’ frontrunner Pedrosa set a quickest lap time of 1’34.227.

De Puniet – 8th: “I am quite satisfied about this first day of practices. We made a good work between the two sessions especially with tyres and suspension. This morning I was not comfortable with the rear so we changed the chassis geometry and the suspension regulations so the things went better in the afternoon. We deserved the 8th place and I hope to be there in tomorrow’s qualifying session even though we are a bit worried about the weather forecast”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET POSITIVE FOR FRENCH RACE DESPITE FOURTH ROW START Le Mans, 17 May 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet rode his Michelinshod Honda RC212V to 12TH place today in the qualifying session at the 4.185m Le Mans circuit in readiness for the tomorrow’s 28-lap race. Today’s both premier class sessions were dry with ambient temperature of 21°C even though weather forecast for tomorrow’s fifth round are still unsettled. After this morning’s 7th position in the free practice, De Puniet worked on bra-

king stability and tyres choice to improve his pace clocking his best lap time of 1’33.723 (on lap 18 of 26). The 27-yearold made good progress on race set-up showing his potential around the Bugatti Circuit ahead his national fans. Unfortunately the Frenchman was not able to take big advantage from the soft tyres but he feels confident for tomorrow. Today’s pole man Dani Pedrosa set the quickest lap time of 1’32.647.

De Puniet – 12th: “This morning was not so bad as we improved a lot the bike on race set-up and I lapped consistently fast. We started the afternoon session on qualifiers because of the incoming bad weather but my feeling was not good enough at the beginning. I was not enough aggressive. Then the feeling was much better but I am a bit disappointed for the fourth row. Anyway I feel confident for tomorrow’s race because my bike package is pretty good and we can ride with a good rhythm for the whole race”.

RACE DE PUNIET POSITIVE 9TH AT LE MANS Le Mans, 18 May 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made an impressive race at Le Mans historic circuit today starting from the third row ahead his national fans getting the 9th final place. Despite showing good form during free practice, De Puniet was unable to translate that to a hot flying lap on soft tyres during yesterday’s qualifying session but the 27-year-old was confident before the start of the 28-lap race as his overall race package was pretty good. The fifth round of the season at the 4.185m French circuit was held in dry conditions but was white flagged after some laps because of some poor rain and Melandri was the only rider to swap the bike. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V did a good start but cut the first the chicane as he has been pushed out by another rider. He rejoined the race and did his best to end in the top ten. Rossi got the top of the podium today followed by Lorenzo and Edwards. 34

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was not easy for me today because I finally made a good start but another rider pushed me outside the chicane and when I rejoined the race I was ninth. Hopkins overtook me in the inside in the downhill and we both went wide. So I lost five places and was 14th. For the following eight laps my pace was not consistent but I started to push hard to be back in the top ten. Finally I was behind Capirossi and Hayden but was to late to pass them. I feel satisfied anyway because this race was a lottery due to mixed conditions of the trackâ&#x20AC;?.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

ITALY of 2008 CIRCUIT OF MUGELLO

DE PUNIET STARTS IN THE RAIN AT MUGELLO Mugello, 30 May 2008: Finishing eight fastest in a dramatic day of free practice for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. Both sessions were conducted on a wet track as the 5.245 km circuit was lashed by a torrential rain storm that made conditions extremely difficult.De Puniet was the pacesetter for the major part of the second session 38

in full wet conditions but when the surface began to dry the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V did not feel very confident and he gained the 8th quickest time (2’03.568). The LCR squad completed a productive day of race set-up for wet conditions in advance of Sunday’s 23 lap race even though it seems that the weather will change completely for tomorrow’s qualifying session.

De Puniet – 8th: “Basically we can cut the afternoon’s session in two parts: the first part was completely wet and I was one of the fastest riders in these conditions. It was easy for me to lap with a fast rhythm because had a very good feeling with the overall package. When the track started to dry up I did not feel enough comfortable on the bike. This is something that we must improve. We will do our best to set up the bike in dry conditions in the morning free session”. QUALIFY FOURTH ROW FOR RANDY AT MUGELLO Mugello, 31 May 2008: The sun shined at Mugello circuit today for final qualifying and the LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet qualified in 12th position for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix. After yesterday’s torrential rain, blue skies and ambience temperature of 24° C welcomed the premier class riders today at the crowded Italian circuit which hosts the sixth round of the calendar.

Yesterday, in full rain conditions, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V was again a strong performer but he struggled in the second part of the session when the surface started to dry up. So Randy focused his work mainly on tyres testing and suspension regulations to find a good set-up for tomorrow’s 23lap race clocking his quickest lap time of 1’49.246 (on lap 22 of 26). Today’s poleman Rossi set his fastest lap time of 1’48.130.

De Puniet – 12th: “I knew that it would not have been easy to find the right set-up on dry with two practice sessions only and we still have to adjust some points especially in the rear of the bike. We tried different tyres and settings but I am not very happy. I could be faster in the last part of the qualifying session but Lorenzo came out in front of me and l lost my last fast lap. I could shave some tenths and start from the third row. Anyway we must work on the bike set-up in tomorrow’s warm up session to improve the rear grip”.

RACE DE PUNIET IN EARLY EXIT FROM ITALIAN GRAND PRIX Mugello, 1 June 2008: Under sunny skies the Italian Grand Prix was run at a very hot pace today but LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet did not finish the race crashing out on lap six. Despite some adjustments in the morning warm up to improve the rear feeling of his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V, De Puniet did not feel confident during the 23-lap race won by Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. Starting from the 12th the 27-year-old get a good start and finished the first lap in ninth but lacked full confidence in the rear. He tried to settle his rhythm anyway but on lap six at turn 2 he crashed out in the gravel whilst he was overtaking Vermeulen. Randy suffered a small injury on his left little finger but will be ok for Barcelona race next week end.

De Puniet - crashed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very disappointed because I made a very good start, probably the best of this season, and I was in the top ten on the first lap. But I immediately felt a strange feeling in the rear and the bike started to slide and bump. I tried to keep my position but it was not possible and lost some places. Then, on lap six at turn two, I overtook Vermeulen but he probably hit my brake level and was not able to control the bike. I crashed and suffered a small injury in my left little finger. It aches a lot now but it will be ok for Barcelonaâ&#x20AC;?.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

CATALUNYA of CIRCUIT OF MONTMELO SUMMER ARRIVES FOR PRACTICE IN BARCELONA Barcelona, 6 June: The opening day of free practice for Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix was conducted in near perfect summer weather today, with LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet setting the 12th fastest time. De Puniet was one of 13 riders within one second of the best time posted by Spanish rider Pedrosa in a closely contested session at the Montmeló circuit.

2008 The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V clocked his fastest lap time of 1’43.742 although the pain in his left little finger completing 41 laps throughout the day. Despite two crashes in the opening day at the 4.727km track De Puniet feels confident for tomorrow’s qualifying session. Today’s ambience temperature reached 26°C whilst the track surface reached 41°C.

De Puniet – 12th: “Today was not very easy. At the beginning I was very fast but after that we tried some different tyres and suspension regulations and was difficult for me to improve the lap time as the biggest problem came from the rear because it was spinning to much. Also the front-end feeling does not make me very confident especially in the braking but I think that with some adjustments we can easily improve our pace. I want to thank my crew because after the crash they made a very good job and the bike was ready for the afternoon’s session”.

QUALIFY DE PUNIET SHINES AT BARCELONA GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING Barcelona, 7 June 2008: Qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix was run in dry conditions today with ambience temperature of 21°C and the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made solid progress ending the day 4th gaining his best qualifying result so far aboard the Honda machine. After some set-up changes to his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V branded with EUROBET colours for this event (one of the

world’s largest integrated betting and gaming group), the 27-year-old was confident that he had solved the set-up problems that slowed him in free practice yesterday at the 4.727 km Spanish circuit. Despite his left little finger ache due to the Mugello crash, De Puniet clocked his quickest lap time of 1’41.571 on lap 24 less than four tenths off the fastest lap of the day. De Puniet will start from the second row for tomorrow’s 25-lap race that gets underway at 14:00. Pole position was claimed by Stoner on Ducati.

De Puniet – 4th: “I am very happy because it’s my best result so far this year in qualifying and I also had a very good feeling on race tyres as I lapped consistently fast. My crew made a perfect set-up job on the bike after yesterday’s problems and now I feel more comfortable. I can easily handle the front-end in the braking setting my pace lap by lap. They adjusted the chassis set-up and we found acceptable rear grip. We still have to fix some points but now the overall package works pretty well. My hands still ache but it’s not a big problem. We will see after the race”.

RACE EARLY EXIT FOR DE PUNIET AT CATALUNYA GP Barcelona, 8 June 2008: Under sunny skies the Catalunya Grand Prix was run at a very hot pace today but LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet did not finish the race crashing out on lap twelve while he was in 6th position. De Puniet qualified fourth yesterday for the 25-lap race at the Spanish track and made a good start from the second row ending the first lap in 5th position. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V immediately set an impressive rhythm after the start of the seventh round of the season battling in a 5-rider group till the beginning of twelfth lap. Then De Puniet lost the front entering the first corner and he crashed in the gravel. Luckily he escaped unhurt from the incident but was not able to rejoin the race.Pedrosa won the race ahead his fans followed by Rossi and Stoner. The MotoGP championship will move to England for the Donington GP on the 22 of June. 48

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crashed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very disappointed because I made a very good qualifying, the best of this season so far, and got a very good start. When I got the sixth place I knew that I could overtake Edwards and was waiting for the correct moment but, at turn one on lap twelve, I lost the front and crashed out. I suffered the same crash on Friday in the free session but do not understand why because the bike set-up was good and in the previous laps I did not feel any particular problem in the front-end. Honestly I do not make any mistake and will check the data to understand what happenedâ&#x20AC;?.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

of UNITED

KINGDOM CIRCUIT OF DONINGTON

DE PUNIET TENTH AT OPENING DAY AT DONINGTON Donington, 20 June 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet clocked the 10th fastest lap time at today’s opening free practice sessions at Donington Park for the British Grand Prix. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14 went about his business in dry conditions with ambience temperature of 19°C and made a total of 55

2008

laps throughout the day. After the disappointment of last race in Barcelona, the 27-year-old is determined to bounce back on the track where he got the victory in 2005 aboard the 250cc machine. So Randy focused his work mainly on tyre testing and chassis set-up today posting his best lap time of 1’29.443 as the weather forecast for tomorrow is for rain showers. The fastest time overall today was set by Australian rider Casey Stoner (1’28.253).

Massime prestazioni. parola di Randy De Puniet RapidBike Technology Partner Honda LCR MotoGP Team 2008 Season

Rapid Bike. La passione e la tecnologia Dimsport per donare alla tua moto performances straordinarie.

Dall’esperienza Dimsport Technology, Rapid Bike: la centralina che ottimizza le performance dei motocicli in base alle più personali esigenze di guida. Modulabile per Scooter, Superbike e Custom con cablaggi e software speciﬁci.

< < < < < < <

Centralina aggiuntiva a microprocessore Specifica per motocicli (Scooter, Superbike, Custom) Più performance sull’area di erogazione +/- 10° di anticipo +/- 100% sull’iniezione Software professionale per mappature Connettori originali

www.dimsport.com < Via torino, 16 15020 gabiano (AL) - ITALY Ph. +39 0142/955211 Fax +39 0142/955012 e-mail: marketing@dimsport.it

De Puniet – 10th: “This morning we had some traction problems but we solved them for the afternoon’s session. Anyway I still do not feel confident with the frontend in the corner entry. Compared with this morning the situation improved a bit because we reduced the gap but we still have to adjust it. If we find the right way to fix the front I can easily shave some tenths but it seems that the weather is getting worse tomorrow. If so we will have to work on bike setting in wet conditions especially on tyre testing to get the correct pace on race tyres in any condition”. QUALIFY RAIN LASHES SECOND DAY OF PRACTICES AT DONINGTON Donington, 21 June 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet will start the British Grand Prix from the 5th row after a difficult qualifying session at Donington Park today. De Puniet posted the 14th fastest time (1’41.110), on the rainlashed and slippery 4.024 km track. After yesterday’s sunny opening day of the British GP when De Puniet managed tenth in the dry, this morning free session was

hit by persistent rain as predicted by the weather forecast with track temperature of only 16°.The 27-year-old suffered from a lack of grip due to the slippery track conditions and crashed a couple of times in the morning free session. The hour long qualifying session was ridden on a similarly damp surface, but with grip at a premium, the Frenchman was unable to feel comfortable on the bike and came home fourteenth. Today’s poleman is Stoner followed by Rossi and Vermeulen.

De Puniet -14th: “This morning I crashed twice and we could not improve our machine in the wet because we spent a lot of time to adjust both bikes. Then in the afternoon session we fixed some points in the chassis set-up and suspension regulations making an improvement in full wet condition but it’s still not perfect. At the end of the session the track surface was still wet but getting better and probably we did not chose the right tyre in those conditions. Basically we are paying a little bit the track time we lost this morning and maybe it cost us some positions in the grid but we must deal with it”. RACE

TWELFTH PLACE FOR DE PUNIET AT DONINGTON Donington, 22 June 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet got the final 12th place in today’s 30-lap British Grand Prix at Donington Park. The eight round of the season started today at 15:00 local time and was held in dry conditions with cloudy skies and wind speed of 40Km/h. De Puniet qualified eight in this morning warm up session at the 4.024Km but started 14th aboard his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr.14. After a good start the 27-year-old lost some positions because of Toseland’s crash ahead him and struggled for the rest of the race with the bike set-up. The LCR team will now move to Netherland for next GP at Assen historic circuit.

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a difficult race for me. After the start, when Toseland crashed I was behind him and went wide loosing some positions. On lap 7 I was behind Hopkins and West but could not pass them because the bike was to heavy and could not change directions easily and could not brake as late as I wanted. On the last lap some people started to run close to the race track and I lost the concentration for a while so Elias passed me on the straight. This is not a brilliant performance but after the crashes we had in the recent races we are trying to set up the bike in the right way but we still miss something. We will work it out in Assen in the next daysâ&#x20AC;?.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

HOLLAND of CIRCUIT OF TT ASSEN

GOOD START FOR THE DE PUNIET AT ASSEN Assen, 26 June 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet was in good form today, finishing seventh fastest in a very hot day of free practice for Saturday’s Ducth Grand Prix. Both sessions were conducted on dry track with ambience temperature of 22°C and the 27-year-old set his best lap time of 1’37.187 on the last lap of this afternoon’s session.

2008 The LCR squad completed a productive day at the 4.555km circuit chasing the best set-up for the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14. De Puniet concentrated his work mainly on tyre testing and chassis set-up finding a good overall package for tomorrow’s qualifying session. Today’s pacesetter Stoner clocked his fastest lap time of 1’36.087.

De Puniet – 7th: “I am very happy today because we made a good job in both sessions and we gained one second in the afternoon one. The bike is easier for me and we found the right direction for this challenging track. We made some adjustments to the bike trying to improve the stability on braking and turning into the corners on the brakes which was a problem this morning. With the adjustments on the front fork setting we shaved some tenths and the rear tyres we tested were all of a good grip level. Basically it was a very positive first day of practices for us and I want to the thank my Team for their efforts”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET SHINES AT ASSEN QUALIFYING Assen, 27 June 2008: Qualifying for the Ducth Grand Prix was run in dry conditions today with ambience temperature of 20°C despite some rain showers in the morning free session.LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made solid progress ending the day 5th gaining another good result in qualifying after the 4th place at Barcelona some weeks ago.

After some set-up changes to his Michelinshod Honda RC212V nr. 14, the 27-yearold was in a sparkling form at the 4.555Km historic track clocking the 2nd fastest lap time in the morning free session in the wet. De Puniet will start from the second row tomorrow for the 26-lap race thanks to his best lap time of 1’35.985 less than five tenths off the quickest lap of the day.

De Puniet – 5th: “It was a good week end so far because I feel comfortable on the bike and all the practices sessions were pretty positive. We found a competitive overall package and want to thank my staff for their good job including Michelin because the race tyres we tested were all of a good grip level: even my laps on qualifiers were consistently fast and the second row start will help me to stay with the firsts. Tomorrow’s race will be very close but I am looking forward to ending this week end in the most positive fashion”.

RACE

UNLUCKY DUCTH GRAND PRIX FOR DE PUNIET Assen, 28 June 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet did not finish the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen today as he got involved in Rossi’ s crash at turn five in the first lap. Riding the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14, the 27-year-old showed his trademark getting good lap times in every session throughout the week end at the 4.555 km circuit which hosted the ninth round of the season. After yesterday’s positive qualifying session, De Puniet started from the fifth place for the 26-lap race which was held on dry track despite the rain shower in the morning. De Puniet immediately set his good pace on race trim keeping the fifth position till the incident. He crashed out in the gravel with Rossi (who rejoined the race) suffering a small abrasion in his left thigh. Stoner won the race followed by Pedrosa and Edwards.

De Puniet - crashed: “We all deserve a lot better than this! Since the beginning of this week end my pace was consistently fast and could stay with the top 5 riders today. I made a very good start and was in the 5th position when Rossi crashed and I was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”. We both went out in the gravel but he rejoined the race. Probably he arrived to fast and lost the rear in the braking hitting my bike. I am very disappointed because we could fight for a good result here. Luckily I only suffered a small abrasion in my left thigh. Want to thank my Team for their excellent work during this week end”.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix GERMANY of CIRCUIT OF SACHSENRING

DE PUNIET, TENTH FASTEST, CONFIDENT AFTER DAY ONE

Sachsenring, 11 July: The opening day of free practice for Sunday’s Deutschland Grand Prix was conducted in near perfect summer weather today with ambience temperature of 30°C at the 3.671Km Sachsenring track which hosts the ninth round of the season. LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet 66

2008

clocked his fastest lap time of 1’23.116 (less than 4 tenths off the 4th fastest Valentino Rossi) in the middle of the afternoon session chasing the correct setup for tomorrow’s qualifying session. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V made 58 laps throughout the day setting a good rhythm on race trim. Stoner topped the timesheets with a 1’21.582 quickest lap time.

De Puniet – 10th: “It was a “normal” first day of practices. Basically we did not find any particular problem with the bike setup and I was able to improve my lap time in the afternoon session. We still have to fix some small things to close the gap with the firsts even though my best lap time is less than 4 tenths off Rossi’s 4th lap time. However it’s not so easy to improve the lap time because this track is very tight but I feel confident for tomorrow. We tried some good rear tyres and I could run consistent laps in the 1’23 bracket. At the moment the race pace is quite good for us”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET SIXTH FASTEST AT SACHSENRING QUALIFYNG Sachsenring, 12 July 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet made solid progress today getting the sixth fastest time overall in the qualifying session for the Grand Prix of Deutschland that gets underway tomorrow at 14:00 local time. After this morning damp free session, the weather improved for the 60-minutes afternoon qualifying session at the

3.671 km German track with ambience temperature of 20°C and the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V posted his best lap time of 1’21.821 on lap 26 of 27 obtaining the second row for tomorrow’s 30-lap race. De Puniet, like some other premier class riders, lost some track time this morning due to the slippery surface but then he found the correct set-up of his machine lapping consistently fast on race trim in the afternoon session.

De Puniet – 6th: “I am quite satisfied today because we improved the bike set-up, then my pace on race trim is very competitive and I also gained a good lap time on qualifiers. I shaved six tenths on race tyres compared with yesterday and this is very important. This morning the track condition was not good for the bike set-up and we decided to stay in for 30 minutes. We could get the front row but I found Nakano in front of me during my fast lap and lost three tenths; I was a bit disappointed but this is racing and everybody tries to get the maximum on soft tyres. Tomorrow’s race will be very close and I have to do a very good start to stay with the first group”. RACE

TORRENTIAL RAIN HIT THE DEUTSCHLAND GRAND PRIX Sachsenring, 13 July 2008: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet got the final 8th place in today’s 30-lap German Grand Prix at Sachsenring circuit. The tenth round of the season started today at 14:00 local time and was held in wet conditions after two days of dry practices. Rain showers hit the 3.671Km track early in the morning and the premier class riders used the 25-minute warm up session to chose the correct tyres for the German race and the 27-year-old aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V set the 8th quickest time on the damp surface. Started from the 6th position, De Puniet was 8th at the end of the first lap behind Rossi but he never had the right feeling on rain tyres during the race. Stoner got his 4th 2008 victory followed by Rossi and Vermeulen.

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a very hard race because we did not test in the wet in the last two days and the warm up session was held on a damp track. So we decided to start with hard compound tyres in the front and in the rear but probably we made a mistake because the rear one was too hard. Then I went out in the gravel in the first corner in the seventh lap because I lost the control of the front in the wettest part of the track. With 2 laps to go the rain became heavier and was more difficult for me to keep the position so Capirossi passed me in the last corner before the straight. Honestly I am not very happy but in these conditions the 8th place is not so badâ&#x20AC;?.

life

PADDOCK

Round

Grand Prix

USA of

CIRCUIT OF LAGUNA SECA

DE PUNIET READY FOR A FUN WEEKEND IN CALIFORNIA Monterey, 18 July 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet is looking forward to a fun weekend at Laguna Seca for the U.S. Grand Prix, one of the most spectacular races on the MotoGP calendar. And the French rider feels the unique,

roller-coaster style layout of the 3.610km circuit will provide an opportunity to show his potential thanks to the improvements obtained in the last races. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V managed a sixth place last year on the Californian track which saw Stoner on the top of the podium followed by Vermeulen and Melandri. Laguna Seca GP is the last date on the calendar before the summer break.

De Puniet: “Things have been going better for me mid-season and my qualifying performances are becoming more consistent. I was unlucky at Assen because of the incident with Rossi and in Germany the conditions caught everyone out to some extent. I finished sixth here last year and I like the challenges this track throws at you. And let’s not forget there was an allHonda podium here in 2006, so we have the potential to do well here before the summer break I think”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET STRUGGLING WITH REAR GRIP AT LAGUNA SECA

job mainly on tyre testing but was not able to set his pace ending 17th.

Monterey, 18 July 2008: Free practice for the U.S. Grand Prix was held in cool conditions today at the Laguna Seca circuit, with LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet struggling with rear grip. Under clear, sunny skies with ambience temperature of 22°C at the 3.610 km Californian circuit, De Puniet concentrated his

The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V set his quickest fast time of 1’23.955 on lap 25 of 31 in the afternoon session improving this morning lap time of 4 tenths. However the 27-year-old, who got the sixth place on this track last year, aims to close the gap in tomorrow’s qualifying session. Stoner set a 1’21.826 fastest lap.

De Puniet – 17th: “Honestly we did not expect to end the first day of practices in 17th position but we are struggling a lot with rear grip. We tried many tyres but it seems that only one is working properly. We used that this morning and then, after 34 laps, we decided to save it for the afternoon session so I was able to do my lap time. We should improve also the bike set-up in the corner entry but the most important thing is to solve the rear grip lack. I could not open the throttle when I wanted and we tried to fix it but I do not feel comfortable yet”.

RACE

SECOND ROW FOR DE PUNIET AT LAGUNA SECA Monterey, 19 July 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet will start tomorrow’s U.S. Grand Prix from sixth position following today’s qualifying session at Laguna Seca Raceway which hosts the eleventh round of the season. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V clocked a 1’21.921 fastest time on Q-tyres at the 3.610 Km American track and improved also his yesterdays’ lap time on race trim of one second. The second day of practices started out with cloudy skies and mist with air temperature of 16°C (ground 24°C) and the 27year-old struggled with rear grip ending the free session in 16th position. Luckily the weather improved for the qualifying practice and the ground temperature rose up to 36°C with De Puniet setting consistent and fast lap times throughout the 60-minute session. Stoner gained the pole position (1’20.700) followed by Rossi and Hayden. 74

De Puniet – 6th: “I am very happy today and want to thank my crew for their good job. We had a tough start yesterday but we did not give up. We adjusted the bike set-up (gear ratio, engine mapping, braking stability and suspensions) and, once the grip level improved, I could lap consistently fast. We solved our rear grip problems obtaining a good pace on race tyres and we are very happy about our tyres choice for tomorrow’s 32-lap race. Honestly I think this race could be the interesting for me…”

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

of CZECH REPUBLIC

DE PUNIET WORKING HARD TO RESOLVE FRONT-END ISSUES

2008

Brno, 15 August 2008: It was a difficult start to the weekend in the Czech Republic for LCR Honda MotoGP Team and their rider Randy De Puniet. Dark clouds hung over the circuit all day, but conditions remained dry for the MotoGP class as De Puniet eventually finished in fourteenth position overall after the two free practice sessions. With the track surface having been relaid in the off-season, the teams are having to work hard to set the machine up to the

new character of the asphalt, especially as regards the bike’s front-end settings. The Frenchman improved his time from the morning session significantly, knocking over a second off his lap time to end up with a best lap of 1’59.405, set on his 11th lap in the afternoon. However two strange crashes in that afternoon session put an end to his work on the track for the day just after having set his best time. Casey Stoner (Ducati) was the fastest rider of the day with a 1’57.231.

CIRCUIT OF BRNO

De Puniet – 14th: “It has been a very difficult start because straight from the off this morning we were struggling for frontend feel. In the first session I destroyed the front tyre and was not able to lap as I would like. Then in the afternoon I tried to change my riding style and the bike setup, but crashed after just 4 laps - it was a very strange crash! After that I jumped onto the second bike two but crashed again after a few laps. We tried to fix it but nothing worked properly. It has been a tough first day of practices but I know that the crew is working hard to solve the problem for tomorrow’s sessions”. QUALIFY RAIN LASHES QUALIFYING SESSION AT BRNO Brno, 16 August 2008: Qualifying for the Czech Repulic Grand Prix was run in wet conditions today with ambience temperature of 12°C and the LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet made solid progress ending the day 7th and will start from the third row for tomorrow’s 22-lap race. After yesterday’s sunny opening day when De Puniet managed fourteenth in the dry

because of some front feeling problems, this morning free session was hit by persistent rain and the hour long qualifying session was ridden on a full wet surface with Stoner on the top of the timesheets with a best lap time of 2’11.657. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V clocked his fastest lap time of 2’14.535 in the last lap of the session (8th lap) then he decided to come in as the rain became heavier.

De Puniet – 7th: “This is a good result for me and the Team because we were not very fast in these conditions especially this morning. We made some adjustments to the bike setting and the feeling with the tyres improved a lot in the afternoon but was impossible to do better than this. At the end I lost the second row but I do not feel worried about that. I am the first Michelin rider on the grid in these conditions and this is positive. The weather forecast for tomorrow is for dry conditions so we must use the 20-minute warm up session to find the right front tyre for the race”.

RACE

DE PUNIET OUT OF LUCK AT BRNO GP Brno, 17 August 2008: after yesterdays good qualifying session result on the wet, LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet made a good start from the 7th place for the 22-lap race at Brno track but crashed out on lap six. Luckily the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V escaped unhurt from the incident and rejoined the twelfth round of the season ending 16th. De Puniet qualified 11th in this morning warm up session which was held in dry conditions with the 27-year-old struggling a lot for front-end feel. After a good start from the third row Randy tried to set his rhythm but after few laps he started to loose the front again. The premier class riders will be back on track tomorrow for two testing-day. Rossi won the race ahead 149.133 fans followed by Elias and Capirossi.

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honestly I am very angry. I made a good start but could not race as I would like because struggled a lot for front-end feel. Many riders passed me in the corner entry and in the first laps I lost the front a few times. So I decided to slow down but the feeling with the front was very bad. When I tried to pass Pedrosa in the chicane I crashed out in the gravel but rejoined the race. I suffered the same crash of Friday afternoon and, although my crew worked hard to find a solution, we did not solve the problem with the front tyre. I want to forget this bad week endâ&#x20AC;?.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix ofS.MARINO REPUBLIC CIRCUIT OF LAGUNA SECA

POSITIVE OPENING DAY AT MISANO FOR DE PUNIET Misano, 29 August 2008: In a hot and crowded opening day of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix, LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet set the fourth fastest time at the 4.226 km track. Both free practices were held in sunny conditions with an air temperature of 32°C, and the premier class riders had to battle hard against the hot conditions. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod 84

2008

Honda RC212V got the 12th position in this morning first free session trying to find the base set-up on these conditions and testing different tyres. The LCR crew made some adjustments together with Michelin and Öhlins and the 27-year-old completed 27 laps clocking his fastest lap time of 1’35.620 less than nine tenths off the fastest lap of the day set by Stoner (1’34.806).

TS VISION. Il bello della Video Comunicazione

DID DIGITAL SIGN BOARD 46” - 57” (Touch Option)

Scopri il design raffinato e la versatilità delle nostre soluzioni La passione per la tecnologia non ha confini: apre nuovi scenari, invita a sperimentare e offre occasioni per metterci alla prova. TechnologyShop si presenta al mercato dell’Home Entertainment e della Video Comunicazione con il brand TS VISION, una linea innovativa di prodotti e soluzioni di qualità a prezzi realmente competitivi. TV LCD, totem, videowall e touch screen ultrasottili e interattivi pensati per catturare l’attenzione e comunicare con i tuoi clienti in modo rapido ed efficace.

Tutte le applicazioni già realizzate su

www.tsvision.it

TS VISION Brand powered by TechnologyShop

Big Bore Dalla tecnologia dei famosi gruppi termici a sette travasi M.H.R. Trofeo Malossi Scooter, hanno preso forma i nuovi gruppi termici Big Bore Ø 50, corsa 39, 2/39,3 e 44, studiati per le motorizzazioni Minarelli e Piaggio. Tutti i piloti, entusiasti della novità, hanno voluto testarli. I risultati non si sono fatti attendere: l’incremento della potenza e l’afdabilità assoluta hanno dimostrato, per l’ennesima volta, la qualità del prodotto e la professionalità dell’azienda Malossi. Caratteristiche tecniche

· Cilindro a sette travasi, H2O, fuso per gravità in lega di alluminio bonicato, canna con riporto cermetal levigata con utensili al diamante · Alesaggio 50 · Pistone monofascia rinforzato a testa bombata · Segmento Ø 50 x 0,8 in ghisa KDN5 · Testa scomposta in lega di alluminio primario bonicata con sistema di convogliamento del circuito di raffreddamento calcolato e orientato

Prodotti riservati esclusivamente alle competizioni nei luoghi ad esse destinate secondo le disposizioni delle competenti autorità sportive. Decliniamo ogni responsabilità per l’uso improprio.

De Puniet – 4th: “This is a positive opening day for me and the Team. I like this track and when I came out this morning we started to work on tyres as the asphalt temperature was high but honestly we did not find the best choice on these conditions. Then, for the afternoon’s session, we made some adjustments on engine brake, traction control and tyres getting a good overall package. After that I felt more comfortable on the bike and could run as I would like. Everybody in the Team did a good job and at the end I gained the 4th position. Probably I could improve my lap time but I feel quite satisfied now and hope to continue like this”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET SHINES AT MISANO GP QUALIFYING Misano, 30 August 2008: Qualifying for the Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini was run in sunny conditions today with ambience temperature of 31°C and the LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet made solid progress ending the day 4th behind the front row riders Stoner, Rossi and Lorenzo. After some set-up changes to his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V in this morning

free session, the 27-year-old set consistent and fast lap times throughout the 60-minute session and qualified as the fastest Honda. The Frenchman set a 1’34.236 quickest time on lap 25 of 26 less than ten tenths off the fastest lap of the day and will start from the second row for tomorrow’s 28lap race that gets underway at 14:00.

De Puniet – 4th: “Today was a very good day for us. This morning we worked on chassis set-up and suspension set-up to find the right base on these conditions. Then, in the afternoon session, we compared a few rear tyres options he have got finding a good rear tyre for tomorrow’s race.I had a very good flying lap in the last lap which moved us to the 4th position on the grid. This race will be very close and it’s important to start from the first places in order to close the gap to the fastest riders. I feel happy because qualified as the fastest Honda behind three factory bikes and this means that my crew made an excellent work together with Michelin. I really want to thank everybody for their efforts”. RACE

DE PUNIET CRASHED OUT IN THE FIRST LAP OF MISANO GP Misano, 31 August 2008: Under sunny skies the Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini was run at a very hot pace today but LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet did not finish the race crashing out on lap one. After yesterday’s good qualifying when De Puniet got the 4th quickest time of the day aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V, the 27-year-old made a good start from the second row and was fifth when he went out in the gravel. Luckily Randy escaped unhurt from the accident suffering just a small injury on his right arm. The French racer and his crew will be back on track tomorrow for one testing day and will fly to US for Indianopolis GP on the 14 of September. Rossi won his home race followed by his team mate Lorenzo and Elias.

De Puniet - crashed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very disappointed for me and the Team. The whole week end has been very positive and the 4th position on the grid was a good occasion for me. I made a good start from the second row and knew that I could get a positive result as my pace was consistently fast throughout the week end. I was fifth when I went wide in the last corner loosing the rear control. My right arm aches a bit but will be fine for tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s test. The Team made an excellent job this week end and I want to thank them for their effortsâ&#x20AC;?.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

INDIANAPOLIS of CIRCUIT OF LAGUNA SECA

RAIN SLASHED OPENING FREE PRACTICES AT INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis, 12 September 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet clocked the 12th fastest lap time at today’s opening free practice sessions at Indianapolis Speedway race track which hosts the 14th round of the calendar. Both sessions were conducted on wet track as the circuit was hit by torrential rain since this

2008

morning and the premier class riders had a longer first free session to study the 4.216 Km of the American track. Riding the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14, Randy de Puniet focused his work mainly on tyre testing on the rain-lashed and slippery track clocking his quickest lap time of 1’55.072 despite the right arm pain due to the Misano crash. The fastest time overall today was set by Australian rider Anthony West (1’53.034).

De Puniet – 12th: “Obviously it’s really hard in these conditions. We hoped to get some dry track time to learn the circuit and to test our bike but it’s the same for everybody. We had a good selection of tyres and we just need to find the best choice for us. Our position is not related to our potential but I decided to use this first exit to learn the track. the track was extremely slippery and preferred to take it easy. The first part is a real disaster bur after that I could easily ride as I would like. The right arm still aches a lot but I did not take any painkiller; if the things go worse I will take some tomorrow for the qualifying session”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET MANAGED 6th PLACE AT INDIANAPPOLIS QUALIFYING Indianapolis, 13 September 2008: The sun shined at Indianapolis Speedway race track today for final qualifying and the LCR Honda MotoGP Team racer Randy De Puniet qualified in 6th position for tomorrow’s 28-lap race. After yesterday’s torrential rain, blue skies and ambience temperature of 34°C welcomed the premier class riders today at the spectacular American circuit which hosts the 14th round of the calen-

dar. Yesterday, in full rain conditions, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V set the 12th quickest time of the day but today’s conditions were totally different and Randy had to start again his set-up work testing the bike in the dry. The 27-year-old was again a strong performer clocking his quickest lap time of 1’41.492 gaining the second row for the 8th time this season. Today’s poleman Rossi set his fastest lap time of 1’40.776 followed by Stoner and Lorenzo.

De Puniet – 6th: “I am very happy about my result because it’s not easy to find the right set-up on a new track. Yesterday we had both sessions in the wet and this morning the track surface was still damp. For the final qualifying the track was completely dry but I could easily ride as I would like. When I came out on race tyres my pace was consistently fast and I made a good job on qualifiers as well. This is a very positive result if we consider that I miss some power in the straight but thanks to the adjustments we did this morning I will start from the second row once again. Starting from the 6th position will help me in case of heavy rain but I do not feel worried about the bad weather because we have got a good pace in both conditions”. RACE

HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WIND HIT INDIAPOLIS INAUGURAL GP Indianapolis, 14 September 2008: after yesterdays good qualifying session result on the dry, LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet started from the 6th place for the 28-lap race at the spectacular Indianapolis circuit that has been hit by heavy rain and strong speed because of the path of Hurricane Ike. The race was red-flagged at 7 laps to go with Rossi in first place and after the Race Direction’s decision the American GP was stopped because of some damaged airfences and slippery conditions of the track surface. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V started from the second row but he lost five places ending the first lap in 11th position. After that Randy struggled with lack of grip for the whole race and managed to finish the race safely.Today’s winner is Rossi followed by Hayden and Lorenzo.

De Puniet – 13th: “It was a tough day today. We started with a quite good warm up in the dry and we were optimistic for a dry race. But the conditions were very diffiicult before the start and I did not get a good start loosing five places in the first lap. I struggled from the beginning with lack of grip both front and rear but I tried the best I could, trying not to make any mistake. Overall I tried to survive the race and it’s not very clear why we had such a poor grip but we must find a solution for next race in Japan which can potentially be wet”.

PADDOCK

life

Round

Grand Prix

JAPAN of CIRCUIT OF MOTEGI

HOT AND HUMID WEATHER AT MOTEGI OPENING DAY OF PRACTICES Motegi, 26 September: Hot, rain and high humidity made for energy-sapping conditions in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi Circuit which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of GP racing this week end. LCR Honda racer Randy de Puniet completed the two sessions in 10th overall despite 98

2008

the small fracture of the right wrist. After this morning first free session in the wet, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V, completed 25 laps in the afternoon session on dry surface clocking his fastest lap time of 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;49.149. Randy and the LCR squad worked to fine tune the base set-up testing some rear tyres in the last part of the afternoon session and the 27-year-old could ride as he would like despite the ache of the right wrist.

De Puniet – 10th: “Obviously it was a difficult day for everybody as we had only one session in the dry. In the beginning of the afternoon session there were some water patches on the track and we took some time to “feel” the surface. After that we found a good base set-up but we still have to adjust the chassis and the engine mapping for tomorrow. We had two long runs in the last part of the afternoon session and the rear tyres worked well. I feel confident for tomorrow’s qualifying session even if my wrist is not at 100%. Anyway I understood my limit today and with some pain killers I can easily ride as I would like”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET 8th FASTEST AT MOTEGI GP QUALIFYING Motegi, 27 September 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet rode his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V to 8th place today in the qualifying session at the 4.801m Twin Ring Motegi circuit in readiness for the tomorrow’s 24-lap race. After yesterday’s morning rain shower, today’s both premier class sessions were dry with ambient temperature of 25°C while the asphalt rose up to 40°. After this

morning’s 8th position in the free practice, De Puniet worked on suspensions setting and tyres choice to improve his pace clocking his best lap time of 1’46.554 (on lap 20 of 23). The 27-year-old made good progress on race set-up showing his potential around the Japanese track even if he made a small mistake on qualifiers in the last minutes of the session loosing the second row.Today’s pole man Lorenzo set the quickest lap time of 1’45.543 followed by Stoner and Hayden.

De Puniet – 8th: “It was a good day but not perfect! On race trim we improved the grip feeling since this morning but I am not totally satisfied about the rear grip. I had a too many slides and need more initial grip. We tried to adjust the setting getting some improvements but it’s not enough yet. However I feel pretty satisfied as lapped consistently fast on race tyres. Unfortunately I made a small mistake on qualifiers at turn 9 loosing three tenths and the second row. Overall third row is not bad but we need to find more rear grip in tomorrow’s warm up session. My wrist still aches a lot so will get some painkillers for the 24 laps”. RACE DE PUNIET MANAGED TO FINISH 12th AT MOTEGI GP Motegi, 28 September 2008: after yesterdays good qualifying session result, LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy De Puniet made a good start from the 8th place for the 24-lap race at Twin Ring Motegi race track getting the 12th position overall. The fifteenth round of the season, which saw Rossi winning the 2008 World Championship, started today at 14:00 local time and was held in dry conditions although a threatening sky welcomed the premier class riders this morning. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V nr. 14 did a good start from the third row but was trapped in the first corner ending the first lap in 14th position. After that Randy tried to set his pace but struggled a lot with rear grip and, in the last laps of the race, his injured wrist started to ache a lot. The 27-year-old managed to finish the race but he honestly expected a better result at the Japanese circuit. 100

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12th: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honestly we expected a better race here. I made a good start but in the first corner Dovizioso braked to late and went a bit wide. I tried to pass him in the inside but some riders overtook me because did not have enough corner speed. So I lost few places finishing the first lap in 14th place. After that I tried to remain concentrated but the bike started to slide. However at 4 laps to go I caught Hopkins and Toseland but was impossible for me to pass them. Besides my wrist started to ache a lot and did my best to finish the raceâ&#x20AC;?.

101

102

PADDOCK

life

103

Round

Grand Prix

AUSTRALIA of CIRCUIT OF PHILLIP ISLAND

DE PUNIET FIFTH OVERALL ON DAY ONE AT CHILLY PHILLIP ISLAND Phillip Island, 3 October: Changeable spring weather was the main factor in today’s opening free practice for the Australian Grand Prix, with LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet finishing fifth overall. The Frenchman posted his fastest lap of 1’31.070 in the morning first free session which was held in the dry with track temperature of 27°C. .

104

2008

Then, rain-shower fell in the afternoon at the 4.448 Km racetrack (the asphalt temperature was just 15°C) so the premier class riders focused their job mainly on tyre testing. The 27-year-old aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V set impressive lap times in the wet but made a mistake at 10 minutes to go crashing out in turn eight. Luckily Randy escaped unhurt from the incident and will be back on track tomorrow for the qualifying session that is likely to be run in wet conditions.

De Puniet – 5th: “This morning I lapped consistently fast in the dry and we found a good overall package. I felt pretty satisfied about my pace but in the afternoon the conditions changed completely. Anyway we started with good lap times in the wet as well even if the rear tyre was to soft and I had to come in after few laps to change it. When I came out to improve my lap time, we used a harder compound in the rear and I made a mistake in turn 8. I pushed to much and the tyre was not warm enough so lost the rear and went out in the grass. I want to give my apologies to the Team because it was also dangerous for my wrist”. QUALIFY DE PUNIET 4TH FASTEST IN THE QUALIFYING AT “THE ISLAND” Phillip Island, 4 October 2008: Qualifying for the Grand Prix of Australia was run in dry conditions today with ambience temperature of 18°C (the asphalt temperature rose up to 30°C) and the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made solid progress ending the day 4th gaining the second row for the ninth time this season.

After yesterday’s good performance in the dry (5th position), the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V set impressive lap times in the afternoon qualifying at the 4.448 km race track clocking his quickest lap time of 1’28.808 less than one tenth off the front row time. Randy is the second placed Honda in the grid for tomorrow’s 27 lap-race that gets underway at 16:00 local time. Pole position was claimed by Stoner on Ducati followed by Lorenzo and Hayden.

105

De Puniet – 4th: “I am very happy about the result and the job we made for tomorrow’s race. We tested different rear race tyres with good results but we still have to make our choice for the race. However my pace was consistently fast and I can say that we have got the potential to finish in the top eight positions. I feel satisfied about my performance on Q-tyres and missed the front row for one tenth only but this 4th place is a very positive result for me and the crew”.

RACE

DE PUNIET NINTH AT “THE ISLAND” GP Phillip Island, 5 October: In hard fought race LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet finished ninth in today’s Australian Grand Prix at a sunny Phillip Island ahead 50.541 MotoGP fans. Today’s ambience temperature rose up to 18°C and the 27year-old was again a strong performer in this morning warm up session gaining the third quickest lap time (1’30.862). Started from the 4th position for the 27lap race at the 4.448 Km race track, De Puniet was 8th at the end of the first lap and started a close battle with Edwards. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V expected a better result but he feels satisfied about the overall package and is boosting his confidence ahead Malaysian GP. The race was won by home hero Casey Stoner.

106

De Puniet – 9th: “We could finish in a better position but after 5 laps I got stocked behind Colin and could not pass him for 8 laps. Then, when I caught him, the gap to the front was to wide and tried to keep my rhythm. At the end Colin overtook me in the straight at 2 laps to go. Anyway I am pretty satisfied about the job we made during the whole week end because the overall package was good and we had the chance to fight for the top five positions”.

107

108

life

PADDOCK

109

Round

Grand Prix MALAYSIA of CIRCUIT OF SEPANG

DE PUNIET IN GOOD FORM AT MALAYSIA GP OPENING DAY Kuala Lumpur, 17 October 2008: In warm and humid but overcast conditions, LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet finished ninth overall on the first day of free practice for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. After having achieved the 5th position in this morning first free session with a best lap time of 2’03.535, Randy impro-

110

2008

ved his pace in the afternoon session clocking his best lap time of 2’03.474. With ambience temperature of 33°C and humidity level at 48%, the premier class riders focused their work mainly on tyre testing because some light rain fell at the 5.548 Km circuit during the second session. The Frenchman aboard the Michelinshod Honda RC212V set a good rhythm around the Malaysian track despite a small crash in this morning first session.

De Puniet – 9th: “It was a positive first day of practices and had a good feeling on the bike despite the small crash I suffered this morning. This afternoon’s conditions were a bit worse because of the rain but in the end I could ride as I would like. We improved the overall package including the tyres and made a good run with a harder compound one so I feel quite satisfied. Honestly I think we have the potential to be in the top-five positions tomorrow”. QUALIFY DEMANDING QUALIFYING SESSION AT SEPANG TRACK FOR DE PUNIET Sepang, 18 October 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet rode his Michelin-shod Honda RC212V to 9th place today in the qualifying session at the 5.548 km Sepang circuit in readiness for the tomorrow’s 21-lap race. After this morning rain shower, the premier class qualifying session was held in the dry with ambient temperature of 29°C even though the first minutes of the ses-

sion the track surface was still damp.After this morning’s 11th position in the free practice, De Puniet worked on tyres choice to improve his pace clocking his best lap time of 2’03.110. The 27-yearold made good progress on race set-up but struggled a bit on qualifiers because of the slippery surface after the tropical storm. Randy will start from the third row for the Malaysian GP that gets underway at 14:00 local time. Pedrosa gained the pole position followed by Rossi and Lorenzo.

111

De Puniet – 9th: “It was a strange and demanding qualifying session. We came out with wet tyres but after some laps we had to switch to cut tyres because the surface started to dry up quickly. My pace on cut tyres was pretty good and I felt comfortable with the bike overall package. Then I came out on qualifiers but couldn’t improve like I expected. I really do not why because I am usually faster than this on qtyres but do not feel worried about it. My rhythm on race trim makes me confident for tomorrow’s race even if the weather can change every minute”.

RACE

DE PUNIET POSITIVE 1OTH AT SEPANG RACE TRACK Sepang, 19 October 2008: LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet made a positive race at the 5.548 Km Sepang circuit today starting from the third row and getting the 10th final place. The penultimate round of the season at the Malaysian circuit was held in very hot conditions with air temperature of 39°C whilst the asphalt temperature rose up to 42°C. The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V qualified tenth in this morning warm up session and was confident ahead the 21-lap race but Randy did not make a perfect start finishing the first lap in 13th position. Despite the tropical heat and the injured right wrist, the 27-yearold managed to finish the race in the topten. The LCR team will now move to Spain for the last round of the season at Valencia circuit.

112

De Puniet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10th : â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the start I released the clutch to early and did a big wheeling loosing a few positions. After the first lap I started to set my rhythm and was pretty comfortable despite the heat. I enjoyed battling with Toseland because he passed me twice and I did the same with him but at the end he crashed. Then I caught Hopkins and passed him in the fifth lap pushing hard to catch the first group. My pace was pretty fast but I took a big risk in the last corner at four laps to go and preferred to reduce the speed. In the middle of the race my right wrist started to ache a lot and was very hard for me to change directions and to brake in the cornersâ&#x20AC;?.

113

114

PADDOCK

life

115

Round

Grand Prix

VALENCIAN of

COMMUNITY 2008 CIRCUIT OF RICARDO TORMO

DE PUNIET SEVENTH FASTEST AT VALENCIA GP OPENING DAY

Valencia, 24 October: LCR Honda MotoGP Team racer Randy de Puniet began to set up his Honda machine with the seventh fastest time in today’s wet free practice sessions at the Ricardo Tormo circuit which hosts the ultimate round of 2008 season this week end. In cool and rainy autumn conditions, Randy worked through his Michelin race tyre and set-up options aboard his Honda RC212V 116

for Sunday’s 30-lap race. The 27-yeard-old struggled with rear grip and right wrist pain in this morning fully wet first free session at the 4.005 Km race track but improved his pace in the afternoon’s session clocking his quickest time of 1’46.807. American rider Nicky Hayden set the fastest time of the day (1’45.777).

De Puniet – 7th: “The weather is very bad and it’s not easy to ride in these conditions. This morning, in the wet, I decided to avoid any unnecessary risk as my wrist still aches a lot so we made only 6 laps. Then in the afternoon we faced some rear grip issues but we could not really fixed them but, after some suspension adjustments, my pace in the wet started to be more consistent. I am really pleased with the overall package but I am worried about my wrist because it’s very hard for me to ride in these conditions”.

QUALIFY DE PUNIET SIXTH FASTEST FOR THE 2008 SEASON FINAL QUALYFYING AT VALENCIA TRACK Valencia, 25 October: LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet made solid progress today getting the sixth fastest time overall in the qualifying session for the Comunitat Valenciana Grand Prix that gets underway tomorrow at 14:00 local time. After this morning damp free session, the weather improved for the 60-minutes afternoon qualifying session at the 4.005 km

Spanish track with ambience temperature of 19°C and the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V posted his best lap time of 1’32.572 on lap 25 of 27 obtaining the second row for tomorrow’s 30-lap race. De Puniet, like some other premier class riders, crashed out because of the slippery conditions but he escaped unhurt from the incident gaining the second row for the tenth time this year. Stoner set the fastest lap time (1’31.502) followed by Pedrosa and Hayden.

117

De Puniet – 6th: “It was a good last qualifying of the season but honestly I was expecting something better. Unfortunately I lost the front on my second run out after 6 laps but luckily I saved my wrist from the incident. After that we lost some track time but we fixed our tyres choice for the race and started to set good lap times on qualifiers. Starting from the second row is very important as nobody really knows the weather for tomorrow. I feel a bit worried about my wrist but will do the best to get the best result so far”.

RACE

DE PUNIET OUT OF LUCK IN THE LAST 2008 GP AT VALENCIA CIRCUIT Valencia, 26 October: Under sunny skies the last GP of the 2008 season at Valencia race track was run at a very hot pace today with ambience temperature of 26°C and LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet made a big effort to finish the 30-lap race despite the pain on his right wrist. After yesterdays good qualifying session result, the Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V started from the second row for the tenth time this year but went wide in the first lap loosing many positions. In the middle of the race Randy’s injured wrist started to ache a lot and the 27-year-old managed to finish the race in 15th position. Today’s winner is Stoner followed by Pedrosa and Rossi. The premier class riders will be back on track tomorrow for two testing-day.

118

De Puniet – 15th: “I am very disappointed because I wanted to get a better result in the last race of the season. In the first lap I made a small mistake and had to go wide to avoid Toseland. At the end of the first lap I was the last rider and lost twelve seconds from the leader. After that I started to push but was impossibile to come back. My wrist ached a lot and I did my best to finish the race. Honestly I expected something better because my pace om race trim was fast but now it’s time to work for next season. I want to thank my crew, the Honda and Michelin staff for their good job during this championship”.

119

120

PADDOCK

life

121