MORIWAKI BLOG_ENG

PREVIEW MOTO2: GP of Japan, Motegi, 30 September - 2 October 2011

POSITIVE SIGNS AS TEAM GRESINI MOTO2 TRAVEL TO JAPAN
Even though the results were below expectations for Team Gresini Moto2 at Aragon the signs were positive, with a new Moriwaki chassis that the team tested at Valencia before the Grand Prix two weeks ago proving to have plenty of potential. There is still a lot of work to do but the team feel they are on the right lines now and at Moriwaki's home circuit this weekend they are hopeful of returning to their best form. Yuki Takahashi has extra motivation at Motegi as he rides in front of his home fans, which could also give Michele Pirro an added boost. 

Yuki Takahashi
“We ought to be disappointed with the final result at Aragon but looking back I don't feel that way because the new chassis gives us reason for optimism. Naturally there is a lot of work to do with it but the signs are positive and now we have to work hard to make sure that Motegi is the start of a positive new phase. It is an important race for me in front of my home fans and I am determined to be one of the frontrunners in Moto2 again.”

Michele Pirro
“Hard work is the order of the day! Now we have an important new element to work with in the shape of a new chassis and that should allow us to be competitive again. We were able to see its potential at Aragon and now it is just a matter of time before we are back up there. If we can make the right set-up choices at Motegi we will do well. I am confident that we can put our recent run of bad results behind us.”

Fausto Gresini 
“Having analysed the new chassis at Aragon I am confident that we can get back to being competitive again. Moriwaki have done a great job, as they always do, and I think we can have a strong finish to the season at the right end of the Moto2 field. Because of our relationship with Moriwaki we want to give them a result to celebrate at their home race, as we were able to do with Elias last year.”

Remy Gardner finishes second in 2011 CMV 250cc Moto3 Championship 

When Remy Gardner returned to Albacete Circuit this weekend it seemed a very long but triumphant way from his first ever road race there twelve months ago in the Honda NSF100
European Cup Final.

Taking second place in the final round of the CMV this weekend also put him overall second place in the 2011 Moto3 250cc Championship, an unexpected but truly satisfying finish to his first full season of road race competition.

“I can’t believe it really, said an ecstatic Remy after the race.  “At the start of the year Mum and Dad kept telling me that this is just a learning year and that I shouldn’t have expectations to win any races, and that to finish in the top ten at the end of the year would be a really good achievement.  But when I was winning the first race at Parcmotor before my gear lever broke I got the feeling I could do better than that, and then for the rest of the season I was really determined to try and win races.  I was so happy when I got second at Catalunya and then it was even better when I won at Parcmotor.  I’m so excited about moving to Spain next year and doing more racing, I can’t wait!” Remy added.

Things weren’t all smooth at Albacete this weekend, with Remy crashing in the second qualifying session on Saturday after trying too hard to take the fastest time.  His enthusiasm backfired when he lost the front end, but once again taught him a valuable lesson to take into the race. He started well shooting into the first corner in equal first place with championship winner Maria Herrera.  It wasn’t long though until the 2-strokes caught the 4-strokes and after a couple of big slides Remy decided to try and maintain his position with some cautious and sensible riding.  Albacete proved to be a 2-stroke track and Remy struggled to stay at the front of the pack, dropping back and fighting hard with a big group of eight riders for seventh place.  He rode over the line in seventh, but was the second Moto3 bike in the pack.

“What Remy lacked this weekend is time on the bike and track experience.  For his first year of road racing he’s done an incredible job and I’m so proud of him,” said his father Wayne today.

Maria Herrera once again finished the Moto3 race in first place today, while Marcos Ramirez-Fernandez took third.

The 2011 Moto3 250cc CMV Championship went to Maria Herrera (Spain), with Remy Gardner (Australia) in second, and Andrea Lahgi (Italy) third.

An exciting few weeks are ahead for Remy as he stays on in Spain to attend the Redbull Rookies Cup selection event at MotorLand Aragon.  After applying to try out Remy was
recently advised of his acceptance to the event, and Team Gardner Racing hopes he’ll be invited to join the Rookies in 2012 to enhance his proposed race programme, which will include stepping up to the Spanish Championship (CEV Buckler) competing in the Moto3 250cc GP class.

Remy and Wayne will fly directly from Barcelona after the Redbull Rookies try-out to arrive in Melbourne on the Friday night of the Australian Grand Prix, and will drive to Phillip Island early on Saturday morning in time for promotional appearances and the much anticipated display laps around the circuit with Wayne and Mick Doohan, in which Remy will launch the new Honda NSFR Moto3 bike to Australian fans.   

“What Rem has learnt and achieved this year has been a real surprise to me,” said Wayne.  “He’s been so focussed in everything he’s had to do to make the racing in Spain happen, including keeping on top of his school work and studies, his fitness and his mental approach.  I’m very proud of his achievements on the track too, but what has impressed me most is his courage, passion and commitment to everything that goes with that.  Seeing kids at this age competing at such a professional level astounds me.  If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’m not sure I would have believed that a thirteen year old who had only ever competed in two road race events could learn so much in such a short time,” Wayne said, adding “the next few years are going to be such an exciting time for Remy and his brother Luca, and personally I’m having a great time riding on the coat-tails of their journey too!!”


For further information, to organise an interview with Wayne, Remy or Luca Gardner, or arrange photographs, please contact Toni Gardner: email toni.c.gardner@gmail.com
mobile: +61 (0) 414 5742 228

Following the first MotoGP at Aragon in 2010, this is the second time the event appeared at the modern circuit.  5 MD600s joined the round.
Unexpected blackout struck the circuit due to a power transformer failure on day 1, and that led to cancellation of MotoGP and Moto2 FP2 sessions.  The Saturday sessions were extended to compensate that trouble.

Qualifying Practice result: Michele Pirro 13, Yuki Takahashi 14, Ricard Cardus 26, Sergio Gadea 36 and Mashel Al Naimi 38.

The race started on Sunday in dry, 19 degree air and 24 degree ground.
Pirro moved up to 11th from 13th position in the starting grid in the first lap but gradually lost his position.  He was hanging on to point gaining position in the mid of the race but later went out of the track and retired the race.
Takahashi had a bad start, lost his position to 19th.  He recovered his position to 14th but crashed on lap12.  He rejoined the race but only to finish in 31st.

Other MD600 riders: Cardus finished in 25th, Gadea 27th and Al Naimi 32nd.

--------------------------

MD600 Qualifying practice result:

--13th
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.51 Michele PIRRO
  TIME　/  1'54.574

--14th
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI
  TIME　/  1'54.599

--26th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.88　Ricard CARDUS
  TIME　/  1'55.395

--36th
  TEAM　/　Desguaces La Torre G22
  RIDER /　No.33　Sergio GADEA
  TIME　/  1'56.636

--39th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.95　Mashel AL NAIMI
  TIME　/  1'57.197

---

MD600 Race result:

--25th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.88　Ricard CARDUS

--27th
  TEAM　/　Desguaces La Torre G22
  RIDER /　No.33　Sergio GADEA

--31st
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI

--32nd
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.95　Mashel AL NAIMI

Not Classified

　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.51 Michele PIRRO

------------------------------------

World Championship Classification

----
CONSTRUCTOR CHAMPIONSHIP

MORIWAKI MD600 RANKING  / 6th / 95point

---
RIDER POINT RANKING

--  8th /　 No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI   / 71point

-- 16th /　 No.51 Michele PIRRO  / 45point

-- 30th /　 No.88 Ricard CARDUS  /  2point

-----------

The Moto2 goes to Japan for next round on October 2.
Thank you for your continuous support to MORIWAKI riders!!

-----------
MotoGP official website
http://www.motogp.com
http://www.motogp.com/en/Moto2

Result
http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics

GP of ARAGON - Race - 18/09/2011

ANOTHER RACE TO FORGET
A tough period for Team Gresini Moto2 continued today with another race to forget at Aragon. The only positive thing to salvage from the weekend is that the team have gathered lots of data for the new chassis even though it wasn't converted into a result today. The goal for Takahashi and Pirro is to make sure that happens over the final four races of the season.

Yuki Takahashi (31st)
“I haven't been close to the front this weekend but I was hopeful we could get around a chatter problem to be fighting for a strong result. Unfortunately I lost control of the bike over a bump on the track and I crashed. It's a disastrous result but the signs from the new chassis are good and that's a positive sign for the future.”

Michele Pirro (DNF)
”I don't have much to say, other than the base of the new chassis is interesting and that if we keep working hard we have the potential to turn this situation around.”

Fausto Gresini
“Yuki was having a good race and setting some decent lap times, making up ground on the guys in front when it was all ruined by the crash. This was our first race with the new chassis and we think it has good potential. We have to work on it but I am sure the results will come and that is our principal objective now.”

Cardús plans all-new approach after a difficult weekend - tyre problems slow Al-Naimi

QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús had a tougher than expected home Grand Prix at Aragón and finished in 25th position, well below of his own expectations. The 23-year-old from Barcelona, who wasn’t able to continue with a new Moriwaki prototype chassis after a practice crash on Friday, now plans an all-new approach at the next race in Japan, where he will use the revised Moriwaki chassis once again.

Team-mate Mashel Al-Naimi found it easier to ride with a taller gearing, but ran into unexpected tyre problems early on in the race. Handicapped by a lack of grip and traction in the fast corners of the track, the 28-year-old from Doha/Qatar was forced to settle for 32nd position.

“As we expected after yesterday’s qualifying, it turned out to be a difficult race for both our riders”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “But we keep our chins up and we will stay motivated and focused. We will have a brand-new bike for Ricky and some chassis updates for Mashel at the next race in Japan, which will give us a new chance to get the results we are looking for!”

Mashel Al-Naimi – 32nd
“In the warm-up, we changed the gearing and made it a bit taller, as it was very windy and the bike revved out on the back straight. In return, I lost time in some of the corners of the track. But it was still the right move because with this setting, the bike felt better than before. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t score a good result because my tyres were finished after just three laps. I have no idea why, because yesterday they lasted for more than 20 laps without any problems. On this track, it is essential to have good grip and traction in the fast corners, but I had lots of wheelspin!”

Ricky Cardús – 25th
“This was not the weekend I expected. I really wanted to do well, but I had some set-backs and made some mistakes. It feels as if we hit rock-bottom and as if we can only improve from this point on. There are still a few races to go, and I want to re-start once more, with a fresh mind and on an empty page. In Japan we will have a new bike and a new attitude. We will look ahead with optimism, knowing that things can’t get any worse than the way they are now. Today I had similar problems to other races this year and I didn’t know how to confront and how to solve them. It’s my fault and I want to apologize to my team and to our sponsors. It’s now three races that I don’t feel comfortable on the bike, which is why I have to re-set the chip and start from scratch!”

GP of ARAGON - Qualifying - 17/09/2011

PIRRO AND TAKAHASHI TO LINE UP 13TH AND 14TH AT ARAGON
Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi will start from the fifth row of the grid in tomorrow's Moto2 race at Aragon after a somewhat disappointing qualifying practice this afternoon. The cancellation of yesterday afternoon's free practice due to a power shortage certainly didn't help the pair as it affected their work on the new Moriwaki frame. However, the team remains in high spirits and confident of a good race tomorrow.

Michele Pirro (13th 1’54”574)
“The position is not what we expected considering our performance this morning but we were missing something this afternoon and it's a shame. I was looking forward to it but we can't lose faith because the gap to the guys in front of us is not impossible to make up tomorrow.”

Yuki Takahashi (14th 1’54” 599)
“We ran out of time to complete the work we had planned and I am sure we could have qualified higher up the grid. We are still confident though and looking forward to making up positions tomorrow. ”

Fausto Gresini
“The positive thing is that the new Moriwaki frame looks like it should give us a boost in quality over the final few races of the season. Unfortunately the cancellation of the session yesterday afternoon hasn't helped us because the technicians and riders needed more time to work on it. It is not all lost for the race though and the gap between the riders in front of Pirro and Takahashi is tight, so I am still confident for tomorrow.”

Cardús battles on with older chassis - Al-Naimi finds the right set-up and is ready to race

QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús battled through a tough second day of practice at his home Grand Prix of Aragón. After a crash on Friday, which destroyed the new chassis of his Moriwaki prototype machine, the 23-year-old from Barcelona had to go out with the previous version of his frame. Even though he struggled to find enough traction, he still managed to improve his lap time, but dropped back to 26th place on the starting grid.
In the meantime, team-mate Mashel Al-Naimi was busy evaluating a number of important modifications on his bike. Both the changes to the rear shock absorber and to the shape of his fuel tank for additional support were helpful enough to boost his performance by more than two seconds in comparison to the first day of practice.
“Mashel was able to repeat the lap times of our tests here at Aragón, which is good. He keeps working and he knows that it will be a hard race”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “It was a strange weekend for Ricky so far. We first tested the new chassis and swingarm and he felt very good. He then crashed and destroyed the new chassis, so we had to go back to the old one. He did as much as he could in qualifying, but a lot of credit also goes to his technicians. They worked miracles to prepare the bike for the second session yesterday and I want to thank them even though this second session didn’t take place due to the power cut!”

Mashel Al-Naimi – 38th in 1.57,197
“When I started this morning I felt like yesterday. But in qualifying this afternoon, I changed the rear shock and things went much better straight away. I had more grip with both the hard and the soft tyre and I felt very comfortable on the bike. We also modified the tank, which was the right move. I like a big tank for additional support under brakes and more braking power. I’ve ridden 1000 cc bikes for many years and I am used to the bigger tank and the bigger dimensions altogether. I feel good with the bike now and I hope I can stay with a group and put up a fight. I want to thank my team which has helped me a lot!”

Ricky Cardús – 26th in 1.55,395
“I received a treat of chocolate when I got my new chassis yesterday, but I only had the sweet taste in my mouth for precious little time because I crashed and couldn’t continue with the new bike any more. We tried to get the same performance out of the older version, but it wasn’t easy. We had lots of problems to find enough traction. I’m able to go reasonably fast for the first three, four laps, then the rear tyre starts to spin, my lap times increase and it’s hard to ride altogether. But there is no point in worrying about what we lack right now. We will have the new chassis once again at the next race in Japan, and for now I will do my best and battle as much as I can in the race here at Aragón, even though it is going to be tough!”

GP of ARAGON - Free Practice - 16/09/2011

SHORT CIRCUIT AT ARAGON
An electrical problem at the Aragon circuit gave the organisers little choice but to cancel this afternoon's second free practice for the Moto2 class. It was a real shame for Team Gresini Moto2 as there is a lot of work to be done on the set-up of the new Moriwaki frame, which was tested recently at Valencia. Tomorrow will be an intense day as everybody tries to make up for the lack of track time.

Yuki Takahashi (10th 1’55”658)
“It was important for us to have time to work on the new Moriwaki frame after the Valencia test so the cancellation of the second session is a big negative for us. The feeling with the bike was good this morning and we had some changes planned that we will now have to wait until tomorrow to try.”

Michele Pirro (12th 1’55” 731)
“I am disappointed not to have had the opportunity to work on the new Moriwaki frame this afternoon. The interruption makes things tricky for us and even though we will have some extra time tomorrow it would have been much better for us to have four sessions.”

Fausto Gresini
“We will have to wait until tomorrow to properly evaluate the new Moriwaki frame although the test at Valencia seemed to show some benefits. One session is not enough to complete a full programme of work but that is the way it went today and now we have to concentrate our efforts tomorrow.”

Ricky Cardús tests and breaks new chassis
Al-Naimi in search for better braking performance

QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús made a big step in the right direction when he tested a new chassis on his Moriwaki prototype and found much-needed grip and traction on the corner exits. However, a crash towards the end of the session left the chassis with extensive damage and spoiled all hopes of using the new bike at his home race at Aragón on Sunday.
Team-mate Mashel Al-Naimi also crashed in the first practice session and was left without a chance of improving on this 38th place in the afternoon: A power failure due to a broken transformer caused a cancellation of the second free practice session. On Saturday, the teams will have extended sessions in order to make up for the track time lost.
“With two crashes, one of each rider, we had business as usual - we have a 100 percent crash rate so far this season”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “Luckily, Ricky was able to confirm the qualities of the new chassis and the new swingarm before his bike got damaged. He found a good feeling with the new bike and I am happy that the Moriwaki people keep working hard to improve the bike and to help our team. As far as Mashel goes, we still have valuable data from our tests here at Aragón a few months ago and we expect him to repeat the good lap times from this test!”

Mashel Al-Naimi – 38th in 1.59,433
“I had a good start as I felt really comfortable on the bike even though I used the hard tyre compound and had a few slides on the first five laps. But when I came in for some small changes on the set-up, I lost this good feeling and didn’t feel comfortable any more, mainly because I lost a lot of tyre grip. I went out with a new tyre for my last run but collided with another rider and crashed. My aim for tomorrow is to understand what’s wrong with my position on the bike. I don’t seem to have enough power for real hard-braking action and maybe my contact with the fuel tank isn’t good enough. I hope to make a better result tomorrow!”

Ricky Cardús - 23rd in 1.56,598
“I am a bit sad and disappointed because we got new parts from Moriwaki for this race and they got destroyed due to a riding error. I passed a slower rider and ran a bit wide, which got me onto the dirty part of the track and I crashed. The updated chassis that felt so good and gives me more grip and more traction, broke in half and is not usable any more. Now we have to go back to the old chassis and try to find a set-up that will give us a similar kind of performance. We will have the new chassis again at the next race in Japan, so in this respect there is no problem!”

ALL JAPAN ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 6 (10-11 September, 2011) - SUPERBIKE RACE in KYOUSHU

Tatsuya Yamaguchi on MD600 finishes 3rd in J-GP2 Class

Yamaguchi switched his machine to MD600 from the last race.
He qualified 2nd with 1'54.592 at the end of the session and secured the front low start on Saturday.

On Sunday, the race started in dry condition, air temperature 24.2℃.
Yamaguchi followed Nakagami who made a jump start from the pole position and lead the race.  Eventually, Sekiguchi overtook Yamaguchi, and after intense battle between the two, Sekiguchi finishes 2nd, Yamaguchi 3rd by only 0.052 seconds.

His next race will be on 9th October at OKAYAMA INT'L CIRCUIT.
Thank you very much for your support for Yamaguchi and MD600.

Tatsuya Yamaguchi Official Website (Japanese)
http://www.t2y.jp

MFJ (Japanese)
http://www.mfj.or.jp/

MFJ SUPERBIKE FAN SITE (Japanese)
http://www.superbike.jp/

Remy Gardner maintains Championship position after tough weekend

It was a tough weekend for young Remy Gardner who finished fourth on his Moriwaki 250 at Alcarràs Circuit yesterday.  And, when the dust settled on round five of the Campeonato Mediterráneo de Velocidad (CMV), he was able to maintain his second place standing in the 250cc Moto3 Championship.

“After winning the last race I was really determined to do well again this weekend,”
said Remy.  “I thought things were going good in the practice sessions and I was improving my times, but on race day it just didn’t work out for me.  The bike felt completely different on Sunday to how it was in practice and power was right down, I couldn’t understand it,” he said.

“We had two qualifying sessions on Sunday morning and then the race in the afternoon. From the beginning of the first qualifying session I knew things weren’t good when I lost the front end and had a small crash.  In the end I only qualified in 7th.  That was ok because I got a good start and got up to second place, but on about the 3rd lap the front end tucked under and I ran off the track trying to save it.  Luckily I held onto it and managed to run it through the dirt and back onto the track - but then I was in sixteenth place!  I nearly lost the front about ten times through the race and it didn’t feel good.  I just had to take it easy,” Remy added.

A number of small mechanical and set up concerns banked up throughout the weekend, including overheating in qualifying.  This coupled with translation issues Remy experienced with a new suspension engineer and the crash in qualifying all added to a dented confidence.

“All the problems Remy experienced this weekend is just part of racing.  Even at Grand Prix level I lost races because of a misunderstood communication with my team, or mechanical problems.  It’s all part of the learning curve.   Rem takes it really hard because he’s so focussed on winning, but learning to deal with the ups and downs of racing is a really important skill for him to acquire, and this is all part of it.  I can totally relate to his frustration, but as I keep telling him ‘that’s racing’,” said his father Wayne Gardner.

First place in the 250cc Moto3 class this weekend was Championship leader Maria Herrera who lead Andrea Laghi in second and Gabriel Enrique Ramos Yanes in third.



For further information, to organise an interview with Wayne, Remy or Luca Gardner, or arrange photographs, please contact Toni Gardner: email toni.c.gardner@gmail.com
mobile: +61 (0) 414 5742 228

2 weekends in a row, the MotoGP is holding the rounds, came to San Marino.  It is the home ground of one of MORIWAKI MD600 teams, Gresini Racing.

Both Yuki Takahashi and Michele Pirro of Gresini Racing were keeping good pace since Friday, managing to stay in single position.  They kept the momentum and Takahashi timed 1’38.340 at the Qualifying Practice just 2 minutes before the end of the session and got his 4th front-row start of the season, starting the race from 3rd.  Pirro stayed in 4th in most of the session but settled in 8th.  Ricard Cardus and Mashel Al Naimi from QMMF Racing Team were in 27th and 39th respectively in the QP session.

The race started on Sunday in dry, 27 degree air and 34 degree ground.  All machines started and packed into the first turn.  Takahashi dropped to 6th at turn2 but chasing up with the leaders.  There was a crash behind Takahashi but all MD600s went through okay.
The earlier of the race, a leader left others and 3 were chasing him.  Takahashi was 3seconds behind the leader.  In the middle of the race, 6 riders formed a battle for top and Takahashi was just behind the group, just 1.9 sec behind at one stage, but eventually he finished in 7th, got 9 points.
Pirro stayed in 11th until lap24, then dropped to 14th in the last 2laps and finished the race, 2 points.
Cardus finished in 21st, and Al Naimi was 30th, all MD600 completed the race.

--------------------------

MD600 Qualifying Practice result:

-- 3rd
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI
  TIME　/  1'38.340

-- 8th
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.51 Michele PIRRO
  TIME　/  1'38.600

--14th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.88　Ricard CARDUS
  TIME　/  1'39.726

--39th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.95　Mashel AL NAIMI
  TIME　/  1'41.840

---

MD600 Race result:

-- 7th
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI

--14th
　TEAM　/　Gresini Racing Moto2
　RIDER /　No.51 Michele PIRRO

--21st
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.88　Ricard CARDUS
  TIME　/  1'39.726

--30th
  TEAM　/　QMMF Racing Team
  RIDER /　No.95　Mashel AL NAIMI
  TIME　/  1'41.840

------------------------------------

World Championship Classification

----
CONSTRUCTOR CHAMPIONSHIP

MORIWAKI MD600 RANKING  / 6th / 95point

---
RIDER POINT RANKING

--  8th /　 No.72 Yuki TAKAHASHI   / 71point

-- 16th /　 No.51 Michele PIRRO  / 45point

-- 30th /　 No.88 Ricard CARDUS  /  2point

-----------

The Moto2 goes to Aragon, Spain for next round on September 18.
Thank you for your continuous support to MORIWAKI riders!!

-----------
MotoGP official website
http://www.motogp.com
http://www.motogp.com/en/Moto2

Result
http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics

GP of SAN MARINO and RIVIERA di RIMINI - Race - 04/09/2011

SATISFACTORY WEEKEND AT MISANO 
The home Grand Prix for Team Gresini Moto2 was a major improvement on recent races, raising hopes of a strong finish to the season. Seventh place for Yuki Takahashi and fourteenth for Michele Pirro means that both riders were back in the points positions although there is still lots of work to do as they look to challenge for  podiums before the season is out.

Yuki Takahashi (7th) 
“I could have done better than this but it is still a positive result. Now the bike is more rideable and I think that from here on we can take another step forward. I tried to get involved in the lead group and maybe with a better start I could have done it. I am more confident for the rest of the season now though.”

Michele Pirro (14th) ”I want to look back positively on this weekend because other than the result we have made progress and we are in good shape to put together a strong finish to the season. The disasters from the recent Grands Prix are behind us now and we have established a base to work and progress from over the final five races.”

Fausto Gresini
“I was expecting a little more in terms of results today but there was an intense battle at the front and Yuki did his best to be a part of it. It is not exactly what we were looking for but there are a lot of positives to take into the remainder of the season. We have got our confidence back and and we are planning some more tests to improve further. We have taken a big step already compared to recent races and that is very important.”

Cardús and Al-Naimi miss out on points but keep learning for the future 
QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús had a good start into the San Marino Grand Prix. He made up five positions in only the first lap and seemed to able to reach the group that was battling for world championship points for a while. But the young Spaniard soon found himself struggling with the same lack of confidence in his machine that had slowed him in practice and found it difficult to fight with the other strong riders around him. Cardús settled for 21st place in the end und took the race as another valuable learning experience on his way up in the hard-fought Moto2 category.
Mishal Al-Naimi, who is currently trying everything to find back to the right feeling for his bike, took an especially bold step when he decided to use the set-up of his team-mate for the race. Unfortunately, the hard suspension settings of Cardús didn’t help him and he finished down in 30th position.

“It was a difficult weekend for us”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “Ricky had problems with the cornering lines in some of the turns and he was not able to keep up with other riders that finished in the top 15. Mishal changed the bike completely after the warm-up but wasn’t able to do fast lap times on his own. He still needs to learn and get more experience. All we ask for is a small improvement from now to the end of the season. I want to thank the team for their hard work during the weekend to fix the bikes of both riders!”

Mashel Al-Naimi – 30th
“I changed the bike completely before the race. We used Ricky’s settings to give it a try, but it soon turned out that the suspension was much too hard for me. It didn’t suit my riding style at all. But it was still worth a try and we understood something for the future. Next time I will try soft settings, because always when I go out with a hard suspension set-up, I don’t find the right feeling. For this reason, it was a difficult race for me. For the next round, I really want to make another big change on the set-up because I want to find back to the confidence I’ve lost!”

Ricky Cardús – 21st
“It was an extra-hard race for me, maybe the toughest one of the season so far. I have to apologize to the team, to QMMF and to our sponsor Maquinza because we were not at the same level as at some of the previous races. My team gave a hundred per cent to turn things around and to find the right settings, which I am very grateful for. But this time, I just didn’t find the confidence I needed. The best thing about this race is that it’s finished. We still got some valuable information out of this weekend that will help us in the future. Now we have one and a half weeks to train, to eat and to sleep – I’ll do nothing more!”

GP of SAN MARINO and RIVIERA di RIMINI - Qualifying - 03/09/2011

YUKI TAKAHASHI RETURNS TO THE FRONT ROW
The good times finally returned for Team Gresini Moto2 today after a torrid run of races, Yuki Takahashi finally providing a welcome boost for Fausto Gresini's outfit as he qualified on the front row for the San Marino Grand Prix. Michele Pirro backed up his team-mate' s effort with the eighth fastest time and a third row start, with both Team Gresini Moto2 riders boasting an impressive race pace and good potential for further success tomorrow.

Yuki Takahashi (3th 1’38”340)
“The atmosphere here at my second home has given me a real boost today and I am really happy because after some negative races we are back up where the team belongs. It is all because they have not stopped believing and not stopped working, along with Moriwaki. We have the potential to do well in the race tomorrow even though at the moment the front two look untouchable ”

Michele Pirro (8th 1’36”600) 
“We have taken a big step forward and I am happy for myself and the team. Our race pace is good and it will be a long race so I think we can do well. The team has worked well and I think we have put the bad times behind us.”

Fausto Gresini
“We are on the front row for our home race with Yuki, having won here last year with Elias, and that is nice. It is satisfying because we are coming on the back of two disastrous races and I am sure we are back on the right lines to be competitive. Both Yuki and Michele were strong today and they can both have a great race tomorrow. It is a good result that puts the team back up where it belongs so we'll see. I am confident.”

Al-Naimi and Cardús slowed　
by unexpected set-up problems

After a positive start on the first day of practice for the Grand Prix of San Marino, QMMF Racing Team riders Mishal Al-Naimi and Ricky Cardús ran into unexpected trouble in qualifying and will now have to continue their work on the set-up of their Moriwaki prototype machines in the warm-up practice on Sunday morning. Al-Naimi struggled with the feeling for the rear end of his bike and had to settle for 39th place on the grid. Cardús found it hard to get enough confidence for the front and managed 27th place, which was also well below his own and his team’s expectations. “We had some good moments last week at Indianapolis and expected things to go a bit smoother and easier here at Misano”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “Unfortunately, both our riders ran into technical problems today, Ricky with the front and Mishal with the rear end of his machine. But we won’t give up looking for the right set-up solutions for both of them, and we will push on trying to turn things around in the race!”

Mashel Al-Naimi – 39th in 1.41,840
“I don’t know if the bike is the problem or if it’s me. I just didn’t feel good and I was very slow. I made some small changes to the settings, but this didn’t help and I didn’t improve my lap time. I felt as if was riding at the limit, but when I saw my lap time, I wasn’t fast at all. I don’t know what’s going on because I don’t feel good with new tyres, yet the feeling improves the older they get. I will try some more things in the warm-up tomorrow and I hope my feeling for the bike will return for the race!”

Ricky Cardús – 27th in 1.39,726
“It is not an easy weekend fur us. I’m struggling to find confidence with the bike and to feel well on this circuit. We made changes to the chassis and found small improvements that allowed me to go marginally faster, but it’s not enough. We need to do a bigger step and to get a major push towards the right direction. Right now, I don’t have the right feeling with the bike, but we won’t give up!”

New approach and strategy for Ricky Cardús
Al-Naimi in search for best slow-corner set-up

QMMF Racing Team riders Ricky Cardús and Mishal Al-Naimi had a busy first day of practice at the San Marino Grand Prix. 23-year-old Cardús, who holds 28th place in the combination of both Friday sessions, is trying a new step-by-step approach with his set-up, sacrificing speed in favor of sound technical knowledge. 27-year-old Al-Naimi, who climbed up one position in the rankings from the morning to the afternoon, tried different set-up solutions for the slower corners of the 4.2 kilometre Misano circuit, where he still struggles with hard-braking and with smooth cornering lines. Rather than chasing quick lap times early on, both riders try to be well prepared when it counts in the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.

Mashel Al-Naimi – 38th in 1.42,375
“There are sections of this track that really suit my riding style, like the first part which is fast and flowing without tight corners that require extreme hard- and late-braking. You don’t need as many reference points as on some of the other tracks and I feel comfortable following other riders. It is more difficult for me in the slow corners where I have to brake much harder. I tried several different set-up solutions for these points but in doing so we made the bike worse for the fast and flowing part of the track. We also compared both tyre choices. I was sliding a lot with the harder compound but felt good with the softer one. My aim for tomorrow is to find the best possible set-up and to improve my lap time!”

Ricky Cardús – 28th in 1.40,358
“Here at Misano, we have a different approach than at the last race in Indianapolis. Over there in the United States last week, we were within the front group on Friday, but by race day, we dropped back in the field. Here in Italy, we started in calm fashion, step by step, with the aim of finding a clear direction on the set-up side that will help us to go faster in qualifying tomorrow and to be competitive in the race. We started well this morning, but this afternoon, when I went out with the other tyre that we hadn’t used yet, I had a silly crash. Luckily there was no serious damage to me or the bike, so I was able continue. But I didn’t improve much in this session and now I am 28th with a gap of a little less than two seconds to the top. It’s obvious that we have to go faster tomorrow. I like this track a lot and we are now going to look through all our data trying to find a better set-up!”

GP of SAN MARINO and RIVIERA di RIMINI - Free Practice - 02/09/2011

TEAM GRESINI MOTO2 SEE THE LIGHT AT MISANO
After a disastrous weekend at Indianapolis the first day of the San Marino Grand Prix was a positive one for Team Gresini Moto2. Michele Pirro and Yuki Takahashi rediscovered their confidence in their machines and are both confident of their chances tomorrow and in Sunday's race.

Michele Pirro (8th 1’39”299) 
“I am really happy. I have got a good feeling back with the bike now, I can change line when I want and I feel safer. It has been a good step forward and we have plenty of room for further improvement because our fastest lap today was on a used tyre. Overall things are looking completely different but I don't want to get carried away and will wait until tomorrow before making predictions for the race.”

Yuki Takahashi (9th 1’39”308)
“It is nice to be back on the pace and running with the front guys again. The bike is handling better and even though I still have to get fully confident I am sure we have good potential and the possibility to ride at our maximum. Tomorrow we'll try some more things with the setting but we are definitely on the right path. We're confident for the race.”

Fausto Gresini
“Things are much better than Indianapolis, we're not far off the top guys and I'm happy with that. We think we have room for improvement because for example today Michele did not use a new tyre at all. Finally we have worked well, the riders are happy and we are competitive again. Tomorrow we will have to work more but it looks like it can be a positive weekend that should see a team like ours back where it belongs.”

GP of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini, 02-04 September 2011

STARTING FROM ZERO
After a bitter weekend at Indianapolis the team and riders are desperate to recover their speed and motivation this Friday at Misno. A home race for Team Gresini Moto2 at a circuit that lies just a stone's throw from the racing headquarters cannot be anything but a fresh start. A short test here before the Brno race was a positive so there is every reason to hope that the outcome will be the complete opposite to the American excursion last week end.

Yuki Takahashi
“I almost can't believe what happened at Indianapolis. At the end of the race I was really down about the situation and at Misano we really have to get back on the right way and be competitive. At the Misano test before the Czech Republic we gathered some positive data that we hope to be able to confirm. The circuit is well suited to my riding style and I finished second here in the 250 class so we have to target a top result.”

Michele Pirro
“It is our obligation to be competitive again at our home circuit. It should be the positive starting point we need to take us into the final part of the championship. We are in front of our home fans and have to get back to the level of performance we showed at the start of the season. Misano is a circuit I like and that has to help us too.”

Fausto Gresini
“Morale is low after the disaster at Indianapolis but there is one thing clear in my mind: we have to reset everything at Misano and come out fighting. We have the potential to do it and it is our obligation. With maximum effort from the engineers and riders I am sure the Indianapolis weekend will soon be nothing but a bad memory.”