Martinez On Reduced Seating For European F1 Grand Prix

A small piece of slightly off-topic Formula One news today - because it involves Jorge Martinez, who as well as running our favourite 125 & 250 squads, is also active more broadly in Spanish motorsport and is heavily involved with the F1 Valencia GP, which makes its second appearance on the Formula One calendar later this year.

Apparently, the Valencia street circuit is planning to reduce its seat capacity for this year's European Grand Prix. Last year's event, the first in the Spanish city, had a seat capacity of 112,000, but organisers said on Thursday that there will be reduction of around 35,000 seats, bringing the capacity down to 75,000.

Jorge Martinez, vice-president of the race's promoters Valmor Sport, said tickets sales had been slower than last year, and also said the row between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association was partly to blame for the slow ticket sale.
"It (the row) has slowed things down a lot," Martinez told the EFE news agency. "The only thing I'm hoping for is that the last few months are erased, because there has been people who have talked too much."

Aspar Celebrates 200 Podiums

The year is 1992, the circuit is Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A rain-hit qualifying session sees Jorge Martínez "Aspar" start from 25th position on the grid. The signs were not good for the man from Alzira until the green light was shown and from that point things could not have gone better as he passed rider after rider until finishing second behind the German Dirk Raudies, who celebrated his first Grand Prix victory. It was a second place that began a new era of success for the Aspar Team and a new chapter of history in motorcycling legend. The fourth World Champion did not take long to score his first victory as rider and manager of his own team. It came later that season at the Kyalami circuit after a hard-fought group battle with Raudies, Gresini and Giró. Looking back it feels like only yesterday that Jorge Martínez "Aspar" made that transition from rider to rider-manager and a whole new success story was born.
 
The Spaniard exuded the same passion for racing as a manager that he did as a rider and it wasn't long before the Aspar Team established its reputation as a popular and credible team on the world stage, with more podiums and victories soon to follow that early success. In 1997 the moment finally arrived for Jorge to hang up his leathers but not before signing off in style in Indonesia, where he started from pole position and finished on the podium in third place after a hard-fought battle with Valentino Rossi. Having swapped his race bike for an office chair, Aspar was able to look on and enjoy as his podium standards were maintained by Aspar Team riders. The tradition which started eighteen years ago has continued to this very day, when Gadea´s victory took the team to a sensational 200th podium in the 125cc race at Assen, with another podium treble for the three Bancaja riders. Almost two decades of comings and goings, the smell of fuel and burnt rubber, celebrations and laps of honour, of national anthems, of holding back the tears. of podiums. The list goes on, but suffice to say these are just a handful of the experiences shared by the team over the years. Who could forget the sight of Fonsi Nieto in 2002, stricken on the wet asphalt of the Estoril circuit, down but not out as he remounted to take an unthinkable victory? Or the pass by Toni Elías on Marco Melandri to take victory in the final corner at Motegi in 2003? It also would be rude not to mention the fourteen podiums scored by Álvaro Bautista in 2006, the icing on the cake coming with the celebration of the 125cc World Championship title in Australia. In fact the 2006 season was the most successful on record for the Aspar Team, with 41 podiums in all classes and historic rostrum trebles in the 125 races at Istanbul Park and Montmeló. Aspar riders dominated the series again in 2007, with another podium treble at Valencia and another world title in front of the team's home fans. Italian, French, Argentinean, English, Hungarian, Japanese and of course Spanish riders have all contributed to make the Aspar Team the most successful line-up in the smaller categories of the World Championship.  
 
Jorge Martínez "Aspar":
"For me it is very fitting to celebrate our 200th podium here at Assen because this is where I scored my first Grand Prix win, back in 1984. It is now 30 years since I began my racing career. Who would have thought that that little 15-year-old, who only wanted to race bikes, would be here today enjoying such a special moment? It is a double satisfaction, firstly for the 200 podiums but also to have seen the variety of riders that have passed through our team, from so many different countries - it is a wonderfully enriching experience. I would like to personally thank each and every one of those riders who have left their mark on this team, all the mechanics, staff and of course sponsors who over the years have given us the necessary backing to support this Project."     


Source: Aspar Media

Assen 250cc GP - Results In Full

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time
1. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 40m44.008s
2. Hector Barbera Aprilia +4.424
3. Marco Simoncelli Gilera +10.339
4. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia +11.383
5. Roberto Locatelli Gilera +11.596
6. Alex Debon Aprilia +14.265
7. Karel Abraham Aprilia +17.982
8. Hector Faubel Honda +19.012
9. Rattapark Wilairot Honda +20.926
10. Raffaele de Rosa Honda +21.033
11. Mike di Meglio Aprilia +32.128
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia +41.329
13. Alex Baldolini Aprilia +1:05.321
14. Valentin Debise Honda +1:12.451
15. Imre Toth Aprilia +1 lap
16. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia +1 lap


Retirements

Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 22 laps
Bastien Chesaux Honda 19 laps
Axel Pons Aprilia 16 laps
Toby Markham Honda 14 laps
Steve Bonsey Aprilia 13 laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 13 laps
Thomas Luthi Aprilia 10 laps
Jules Cluzel Aprilia 5 laps
Shoya Tomizawa Honda 0 laps

Assen 125cc GP - Results In Full

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap
1. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 39m07.577s
2. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 0.078s
3. Julian Simon Aprilia + 0.901s
4. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 12.356s
5. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 12.400s
6. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 20.468s
7. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 20.755s
8. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 21.263s
9. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 21.558s
10. Marc Marquez KTM + 21.941s
11. Joan Olive Derbi + 23.605s
12. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 28.406s
13. Dominique Aegerter Derbi +1m00.312s
14. Marvin Fritz Honda +1m00.355s
15. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia +1m00.615s
16. Luis Salom Aprilia +1m00.629s
17. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia +1m00.997s
18. Michael van der Mark Honda +1m01.030s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda +1m08.795s
20. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m09.076s
21. Johann Zarco Aprilia +1m14.817s
22. Karel Pesek Derbi +1m30.729s
23. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m46.244s
24. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda + 1 lap
25. Luca Vitali Aprilia + 1 lap


Retirements:

Esteve Rabat Aprilia 11 laps
Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 9 laps
Cameron Beaubier KTM 5 laps
Sandro Cortese Derbi 4 laps
Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1 lap
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1 lap
Scott Redding Aprilia 1 lap
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1 lap
Danny Webb Aprilia 0 laps

Assen GP - Mixed Fortunes For Team Aspar

250cc

11th Mike Di Meglio:
"I had a good start and tried to pick up positions quickly. At the beginning I was riding with the lead group, so I had to push to keep up with them. I felt very comfortable riding, but suddenly the rear end of my bike started to slide out. I thought that the traction control would help me out, but I gradually came to realise that it was a rear tyre issue. I couldn't enter the corners well, especially the right handers. I aimed to keep focused and avoid crashing. When I got back to the garage I saw that my tyre was completely destroyed, which was a big disappointment for us. I think we could have been up at the front."

Álvaro Bautista (DNF):
"My plan was to take it right to the end with Aoyama, because I saw that in the final sector I was quicker than him and I could try a pass. I think that I could have done it, but maybe he had a problema with the bike that stopped him in the chicane. I ran into the back of him and couldn't do anything. The crash is a pity because we could have taken at least twenty points, and the incident has lost us the leadership of the championship. We have to look at the good side though, we had a good race and showed that we are very strong. The results will keep coming if we keep working like we are now."

4th Aleix Espargaró:
"I am very happy with this result, and it is an incredible feeling to finish this weekend in such a position. Apart from Friday we were in the top five for every practice session. It was a hard race, but at the start I really got off well and felt comfortable. My Aprilia wasn't responding how I expected, although after the sixth lap it had picked up temperature and allowed me to ride more calmly. It was a beautiful race, as I don't think that I've ever overtaken so many riders. I knew that the start would be crucial, so I really concentrated on getting up to the front. At the end of the straight everyone hit the brakes early, so I made the most of it to get ahead. I found my spot in the race little by little, and I think that fourth is an incredible result after going so long without riding a two-stroke. This race was like a gift for me, and I want to thank the team for all their support."



125cc
 
1st Sergio Gadea:
"I am sincerely very happy with the win, as I haven't taken victory since the Qatar race at the start of last year. Everything is going well for us, and the team are working to perfection. I think that we are groing and growing, and we have won because of consistency. Today I won, but the important thing will be tos tay at the front for every race. It was a beautiful race, and I had an intense battle with Simón and Terol. I lost a bit of time with Iannone, but I recovered quickly, and then I rode an intelligent race to wait for my moment."
 
2nd Julián Simón:
"This circuit has never been good to me, so this result is a positive. I am very happy, and have to thank the team for the effort they made. We had some doubts about the tyre choice, and in the end we put the soft rubber on. Thanks to them we were a lot more comfortable for the whole race. Gadea and Nico's bikes were a little faster, so it was tough to try and keep up. I tried to keep behind to stop them passing me back. I was braking as hard as possible, but Nico was as well, posible, pero él so in the end we went parrallel and he went straight on. On Thursday we were warned that running off the escape route would result in a penalty. This is another good result for us, a strong second place."
 
3rd Bradley Smith:
"It has been a difficult race, as at the start I couldn't get up to the front to try and break away. My plan was to wait five or six laps behindd the group, watching how the race developed. Gadea passed Iannone and oponed a gap, but when I tried to pass we started our fight. I had a great feeling with the Aprilia at all times, although I would have liked to have been fighting amongst the top three in the race. It is a pity, but when the races turn out like that there's not much more that you can do. I'm still feeling good about the podium, and that we are still up at the top of the standings. In summary, it has been a successful weekend, so I'm happy with the result."

Assen GP - Friday Qualifying Quotes 250cc & 125cc

250cc

3rd Álvaro Bautista 1.40.210 (22 laps):
"I had a few problems with the front end in corner entry this afternoon, which I think is because we were running a used front tyre and a new rear. About halfway through this afternoon's qualifying we started to make some progress with the bike and I began to enjoy myself. In the end it was a good session, with a good pace, so I hope I can keep riding like I want to tomorrow in both the warm-up and the race. We were really close to pole but the most important thing was to be on the front row and we've done that. I'd like to improve the bike a little more before the race tomorrow just to be on the safe side but I think the fight will be between the same people as Barcelona, with Aoyama and Barberá both looking good. This morning we tried a few things with the front-end set-up and went down the wrong route at one point, which is what led to the crash, but I'm not worried because we know what the problem was."

9th Mike Di Meglio 1.41.072 (19 laps):
"I had two crashes this morning so it didn't leave us much time to test anything. One of them was caused when I tried to dodge another rider and the other was when I braked too hard into turn six. Luckily it was nothing more than a scare and I was able to continue riding. My mechanics did a great job to put both bikes back together so that I could ride again in the morning and then in the afternoon. We had a few chassis issues that meant we couldn't quite find the perfect set-up but I'm confident we can work it out in the warm-up. The main thing is to get the Aprilia turning better because I'm struggling with the direction changes."

5th Aleix Espargaró 1.40.796 (21 laps):
"I'm really happy with how the weekend is going. It is still early days but the results have been very positive so far. I started out yesterday looking to give it my best shot and I've worked hard since then, clocking up a lot of laps and gathering my confidence on this bike. Little by little I've started to enjoy myself and I was able to ride aggressively today. I have recovered the spirit I had in the last six races of last season although I spent half a lap behind Marco this afternoon and I could see that I am still some way off the pace of the guys at the front - basically because I don't have the same feel they do with the front. I'll try to get a good start tomorrow, stick it out in the second group and see what happens. The team have really got behind me, they are helping me a lot and I'd love to be able to pay them back with a good result."



125cc

2nd Julián Simón 1.45.441 (16 laps):
"I saw Cortese waiting for me on the penultimate lap in the chicane but there wasn't much time left so I just had to go for it. I pushed hard but I couldn't get away from him, so congratulations to him because it was a good lap. In generally I'm happy with today despite trying a tyre I didn't like. We've also had a problem with the gearbox, I couldn't get in and out of sixth well, but I think we'll be competitive in any condition tomorrow. It will be interesting tomorrow because I think it could be a much closer race than usual, there are a lot of guys with a chance of running at the front. I'll go out and give my best to try and get clear of the group so I don't get involved in any fighting and risk a crash. My objective is to win but above all maintain my lead in the championship so I won't be risking anything."

5th Bradley Smith 1.45.712 (19 laps):
"It is typical at Assen to have riders hanging around looking for a tow but when you only have one qualifying session you have no option but to push as hard as you can for a good time even if somebody tags along. Anyway, I'm happy with the job we have done, my pace is good and I was able to push as hard as I wanted to. My Aprilia is working really well and I've felt comfortable all day. I'm fifth on the grid and we'll have to wait and see what the weather does because the forecast is for rain. My pace in the dry is good, even on a used tyre, so I'm calm. If it is a dry race I'm sure we'll see a group of seven or eight riders fighting for the win, so it is going to be a tough race. The most important thing will be to stay in the group and we'll see what happens as the race progresses."

9th Sergio Gadea 1.46.125 (19 laps):
"The session went well this morning, as did the afternoon, although we made a change to the gear ratio that cost us a bit of engine performance in T4, which is the section I like the most and where I usually make up the most time. I had to be really light on the brakes but I'm happy because our pace throughout the session was in the low 46s and I was able to set my qualifying lap on my own. We're ninth on the grid but I'm sure I can run with the lead group tomorrow and it's going to be a hard fight. This is a fast and fun circuit with a lot of overtaking points so it is to be expected that so many riders want a piece of the action at the front."

Assen GP - 250cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:40.019 22
2. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1:40.192 + 0.173 21
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:40.210 + 0.191 22
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:40.320 + 0.301 19
5. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:40.796 + 0.777 21
6. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:40.830 + 0.811 20
7. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1:41.023 + 1.004 21
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:41.055 + 1.036 21
9. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1:41.072 + 1.053 19
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:41.190 + 1.171 20
11. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1:41.235 + 1.216 20
12. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1:41.347 + 1.328 20
13. Hector Faubel Honda 1:41.462 + 1.443 16
14. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1:41.533 + 1.514 22
15. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:41.545 + 1.526 21
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1:42.038 + 2.019 19
17. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1:42.628 + 2.609 14
18. Stevie Bonsey Aprilia 1:42.697 + 2.678 13
19. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:43.075 + 3.056 13
20. Axel Pons Aprilia 1:43.470 + 3.451 21
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1:43.653 + 3.634 19
22. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:43.913 + 3.894 20
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1:44.704 + 4.685 21
24. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1:44.743 + 4.724 17
25. Toby Markham Honda 1:46.758 + 6.739 14

Assen GP - 125cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Driver | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m45.430s
2. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m45.441s +0.011
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m45.644s +0.214
4. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m45.679s +0.249
5. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m45.712s +0.282
6. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m45.911s +0.481
7. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m45.956s +0.526
8. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m46.063s +0.633
9. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m46.125s +0.695
10. Marc Marquez KTM 1m46.164s +0.734
11. Joan Olive Derbi 1m46.188s +0.758
12. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m46.214s +0.784
13. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m46.278s +0.848
14. Randy Krummenacher Aprilia 1m46.681s +1.251
15. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m46.812s +1.382
16. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m46.888s +1.458
17. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m47.087s +1.657
18. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m47.311s +1.881
19. Dominique Agerter Derbi 1m47.341s +1.911
20. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m47.728s +2.298
21. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m47.728s +2.298
22. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m47.933s +2.503
23. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m48.217s +2.787
24. Michael van der Mark Honda 1m48.505s +3.075
25. Marvin Fritz Honda 1m48.510s +3.080
26. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m48.664s +3.234
27. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m48.777s +3.347
28. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m48.784s +3.354
29. Karel Pesek Derbi 1m48.801s +3.371
30. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m49.413s +3.983
31. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m49.863s +4.433
32. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m49.922s +4.492
33. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m51.578s +6.148
34. Pepijn Bijsterbosch Honda 1m51.811s +6.381
35. Roy Pouw Aprilia 1m54.484s +9.054

Dutch GP, Assen: 250cc Results FP2

Alvaro Bautista and Mike Di Meglio both crashed, but seemingly walked away uninjured.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 H. AOYAMA JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'40.642
2 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.234
3 M. PASINI ITA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.314
4 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.438
5 A. ESPARGARO SPA Balatonring Team + 0.865
6 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 0.914
7 J. CLUZEL FRA Matteoni Racing + 0.986
8 A. DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens + 1.076
9 H. BARBERA SPA Pepe World Team + 1.148
10 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 1.296
11 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.302
12 H. FAUBEL SPA Valencia CF - Honda SAG + 1.435
13 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc + 1.470
14 R. DE ROSA ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc + 1.559
15 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.641
16 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.645
17 A. BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team + 1.983
18 S. TOMIZAWA JPN CIP Moto - GP250 + 2.167
19 A. PONS SPA Pepe World Team + 3.739
20 V. DEBISE FRA CIP Moto - GP250 + 4.020
21 S. BONSEY USA Milar - Juegos Lucky + 4.551
22 V. LEONOV RUS Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 4.782
23 B. CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany + 4.839
24 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 4.889
25 T. MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing + 5.922

Dutch GP, Assen: 125cc Results FP2

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'45.994
2 B. SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.119
3 P. ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.254
4 A. IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 0.339
5 J. SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.384
6 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team + 0.524
7 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 0.641
8 S. CORSI ITA Fontana Racing + 0.683
9 M. MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 0.729
10 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.744
11 J. OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.935
12 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia + 1.239
13 S. CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten + 1.286
14 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.454
15 E. RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1.568
16 C. BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 1.694
17 L. ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.712
18 S. BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 1.723
19 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten + 2.040
20 L. SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing + 2.051
21 T. NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.106
22 J. ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team + 2.360
23 L. SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team + 3.127
24 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 3.209
25 M. VAN DER MARK NED Dutch Racing Team + 3.365
26 M. FRITZ GER LHF-Project Racing + 3.444
27 J. IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany + 3.732
28 K. PESEK CZE Pesek Team + 3.867
29 T. KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing + 4.029
30 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 4.510
31 L. MARCONI ITA CBC Corse + 4.561
32 P. BIJSTERBOSCH NED Racing Team Bijsterbosch + 5.595
33 J. FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 5.989
34 L. VITALI ITA CBC Corse + 7.042

Out of limit time
R. POUW NED Team Holland

Assen: Thursday Team Quotes - 250cc & 125cc

250cc

1st Álvaro Bautista 1.40.817 (27 laps):
"To be honest the lap times weren't particularly quick today. We had a problem at the start of the session and the rear of the bike was sliding around a lot - also the engine wasn't working as it should be but as the session progressed we ironed things out. I'm still not completely happy with the rear of my Aprilia because it is not gripping and I can't open the throttle when I want to. So that is mainly what we need to work on tomorrow and I'm convinced we can make big improvements. It's not bad for the first day but we can't afford to go to sleep tomorrow. Barberá and myself are a little ahead of the rest but that doesn't mean anything because the pace will increase tomorrow. In our case we know where we can go faster and that is what we need to do in order for me to have fun on the bike."

3rd Mike Di Meglio 1.41.472 (25 laps):
"I'm really happy because I felt comfortable throughout the session. It was very windy but our pace was good - not incredibly fast but good enough for the first day and I'm satisfied. It is good to start out like this, to be up there from the first few minutes and to know that we can get better. I hope we can continue with this evolution tomorrow and consolidate our position amongst the top guys. The test at Valencia worked out well for us because now we have the chassis configuration more or less clear, even though we can refine it more on the second day here."

Aleix Espargaró:
"I'm really glad to be back in the World Championship - after such a long time away I'd almost forgotten what it's like! It's incredible how things can change - one minute you are sat at home and then you get a call four days before a Grand Prix from one of the biggest teams in the 250cc class to see if you will ride for them! I just tried to stay focused from the start today and even though the bike felt really small I just tried to get some laps in and get a feel for it. Thankfully the team helped me a lot - they just said get out there and ride until you feel comfortable. I honestly didn't know where the limit was so I just made sure I wasn't taking too many risks because the last thing I needed was a crash. At the end of the session Álvaro came past so I latched onto him and managed to get a fantastic lap in. The objective today was to break the ice and get a feel for the Aprilia, which I think we have done and then some!"


125cc

1st Julián Simón 1.46.725 (19 laps):
"The truth is that after what happened in Barcelona I really wanted to make a strong start here. I'm happy because even though Assen has never been a circuit that suits my riding style we've done a fantastic job today and I felt comfortable throughout the session. We've tried a few things with the engine, amongst other things, on the back of the tests we did at Valencia and in the end we found a tyre that we think can work well. First place is always a good result and it has filled me with optimism for the race, so hopefully we can have more good weather tomorrow. The incident at Montmeló left me feeling very highly motivated about this race and all I can think about is winning. I actually think we have a better chance of doing it here than we did in the last race. The team have been really supportive and told me to forget about Montmeló, so I'd love to pay them back with a win on Saturday."
 
2nd Sergio Gadea 1.46.925 (21 laps):
"I felt really comfortable during today's session despite a couple of problems with the front end. I managed to clock a '46.9 pretty early on but when I tried to push harder I was losing the front of my Aprilia to the point where at one stage I almost crashed. We put a softer tyre on and that stopped it from moving around so much, which made me feel better. We've set a good pace throughout the session and I'm happy because we still have plenty of room to improve. It is positive to start a weekend out like this and obviously providing we don't have a mechanical setback we can stay up there. Anything can happen in a race but I'll try and start as near the front as possible and hopefully be able to win! We've been consistent so far but now is the time when we need to start winning races."

4th Bradley Smith 1.47.113 (25 laps):
"It is nice to be competitive from the opening day, especially considering how hard we found it to get on the pace at Montmeló. We needed to make sure that everything was still working okay and today was a good start. I found it difficult to go any faster because it was quite windy out there today but on the other hand the track temperature was high and that helped us do our job. In general the lap times aren't that fast, probably because of the wind, but I expect we'll all pick the pace up tomorrow. It was a shame that I ran into a lot of traffic over the last three laps and it prevented me from getting a fast lap in but I'm happy with the job we've done. We'll work on finding a better feeling tomorrow with the front suspension and stiffen it up a little because today I couldn't brake as hard as I'd like."

Dutch GP, Assen - 250cc Results FP1

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista again proved to be the fastest man of the field in the first 250cc practice today. After a slow start but with steady progress Alvaro Bautista finally snatched the top spot from Hector Barbera in the closing minutes of the session, held under sunny conditions. Teammate Mike Di Meglio made a good impression as well, finishing the day in third position with 0.655s off the leader.
Replacement rider Aleix Espargaro showed a great performance for the Balatonring Team, finishing in the Top 10.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 1'40.817
2 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 1'41.002 0.185
3 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 1'41.472 0.655
4 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 1'41.680 0.863
5 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 1'41.710 0.893
6 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 1'41.832 1.015
7 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 1'41.866 1.049
8 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'41.941 1.124
9 Aleix ESPARGARO Balatonring Team 1'42.482 1.665
10 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 1'42.502 1.685
11 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 1'42.539 1.722
12 Hector FAUBEL Valencia CF - Honda SAG 1'42.674 1.857
13 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'42.744 1.927
14 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1'42.817 2.000
15 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 1'42.888 2.071
16 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 1'42.890 2.073
17 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 1'42.900 2.083
18 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 1'44.250 3.433
19 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 1'45.039 4.222
20 Stevie BONSEY Milar - Juegos Lucky 1'45.428 4.611
21 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 1'45.493 4.676
22 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1'45.837 5.020
23 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto - GP250 1'45.899 5.082
24 Toby MARKHAM C&L Racing 1'47.246 6.429
25 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 1'47.530 6.713

Dutch GP, Assen - 125cc Results FP1

Business as usual in the 125cc class with Bancaja Aspar rider Julian Simon again clocking the fastest laptime of the day. This time however without as much domination with Simon taking the top spot from teammate Sergio Gadea only in the last minute.
Fellow Aspar rider Bradley Smith finished the day in 4th, the last rider to be within half a second of Simon's laptime.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time

1 J. SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 1'46.725
2 S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.200
3 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team + 0.318
4 B. SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc + 0.388
5 D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix + 0.552
6 M. MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 0.847
7 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team + 0.899
8 S. CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten + 0.994
9 A. IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 1.049
10 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix + 1.136
11 S. CORSI ITA Fontana Racing + 1.160
12 L. SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing + 1.216
13 S. BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 1.418
14 P. ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.519
15 E. RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1.597
16 J. OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team + 1.744
17 J. ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team + 1.918
18 D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten + 2.296
19 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 2.371
20 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia + 2.455
21 C. BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport + 2.475
22 J. IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany + 2.758
23 J. FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.883
24 T. NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 2.931
25 M. FRITZ GER LHF-Project Racing + 3.430
26 L. SEMBERA CZE Matteoni Racing + 3.450
27 T. KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing + 3.555
28 L. ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. + 3.592
29 K. PESEK CZE Pesek Team + 3.733
30 M. VAN DER MARK NED Dutch Racing Team + 4.092
31 L. MARCONI ITA CBC Corse + 4.916
32 L. SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team + 5.038
33 L. VITALI ITA CBC Corse + 6.406
34 P. BIJSTERBOSCH NED Racing Team Bijsterbosch + 7.210

Out of limit time
R. POUW NED Team Holland

Team Aspar explore Assen track with Olympic gold medalist

Members of the 125cc and 250cc Aspar Team had the honour to explore the Dutch track alongside bicycle racer and Olympic gold medalist Samuel Sanchez on Wednesday, even using the competition bicycles from Sanchez' Euskaltel team.
The host of Spanish MotoGP competitors was completed by British Aspar rider Bradley Smith and former MotoGP champion Casey Stoner.
Two rounds around the track saw the Olympic champion giving some advice and also doing some mini battles with the team members.

Alvaro Bautista: "It has been very entertaining to ride alongside Samuel Sanchez. To be with an Olympic champion in a circuit like Assen is not something that you can do every day, so I enjoyed the experience a lot. He started to race for a moment and people stayed behind while Elías and me have stayed close to his rear wheel and that was fun. To meet so important people of the sport is always a pleasure. David Arroyo, also a cycling professional, is from my area and I have trained with him a few times, you realize immediately that they are at another physical level, it is incredible."

Julian Simón: "It's been great to share a couple of laps on the Assen track with Samuel Sanchez. He told us some secrets of the world of cycling and he let us ride his competition bike, it is super light! I like cycling, I do it pretty often to keep fit. I am happy to have had the opportunity to meet Samuel and to have a little chat with him."

Bradley Smith: "I had a lot of fun, in the first lap Julian and I have attacked a little to give the afternoon some excitement. And riding alongside Samuel has been really incredible. I believe that it is very important to have to an Olympic champion between us, meaning to combine cycling and motobikes. Personally I would like to wish him the best of luck for his next races and simultaneously we will try and get a good result for him on Saturday."

Sergio Gadea: "It has been a very rewarding experience to be able to ride next to an Olympic champion in a mythical circuit like this one. I've ridden those kind of bikes before, but these are totally different from anything I tried before. They are so light that it seems that you don't really have anything under you. It's been a great way to start this GP and we now have warmed up our engines."

Video Feature: A weekend with Team Aspar

Aleix Espargaro to ride in Assen

Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro, older brother of current 125cc rider Pol Espargaro, will replace injured Balasz Nemeth at Assen this weekend.
With Nemeth adviced to rest his injured hand for about a month, he'll not be able to participate in the Dutch GP, giving Espargaro a chance to ride a 250cc machine once more.
Espargaro was a part of the official Lotus Aprilia team last year which dissolved after the departure of Dani Amatriain. Due to the economic situatuon Espargaro was not able to find another ride for the 2009 season, but is currently riding the newly developed Promo Racing Moto2 machine in the Spanish Championship.



Aleix Espargaro: In Assen I rode a 250cc bike for the first time, everything was well and I have good memories of that first experience. At the moment I am involved in a project with a Moto2 and very satisfied, but this opportunity is a dream. It's been a while since I've ridden a 250cc bike, but I don't think they have changed so much in a year, so there will be a lot of work on Thursday and Friday to be competitive. I am very motivated, because I didn't participate in a world championship round since last season. It is early to give a prognosis, but to finish among the Top 6 would be a great result. I can't wait to arrive in Holland, meet the team and start riding."

Aspar Team - Assen Previews

250cc

Álvaro Bautista:
"I think we're strong right now and we go to Holland with plenty of confidence and motivation after the victory in Barcelona. Assen is a circuit I really like, with a mixture of fast and twisty sections, and in general it's a nice place. Last year we won from pole and we have good references, so hopefully the weather can be on our side like it was at the last round so that we can set the pace again. Our objective will be to work hard from Friday and find the best set-up possible so that we have every chance of fighting for the win on Saturday. Being the series leader is a source of great motivation but you have to remember that there is still a long way to go in the championship and it is important we stay consistent. If I have a chance to go for the win I won't think twice about it, but if it's not on then I'll take as many points as I can."

Mike Di Meglio:
"Assen is a wonderful circuit and I like it a lot, so I hope I can perform well there. Last year things didn't go well for me in the race because I had some problems with my bike but hopefully in this new category and with this new team we can work well for this race. The idea is to continue to learn and make progress but I would really like to cap it off with a good race. Over the past couple of rounds we've done well in practice but for one reason or another we haven't been able to finish the job off on a Sunday. From now on I'll be taking extra care not to crash because we've thrown away too many points already."



125cc

Julián Simón:
"I really like Assen a lot. The old layout was better but it is still fun to ride here. I am really motivated because I know I can run at the front, even though we won't know exactly what we're capable of until we get out there. I'm sure that if we keep working as we have done up to now we'll be up there. The weather is going to be an important factor, as it always is here, and there's usually a day or two of rain. I really want to get back to winning ways, like at Le Mans, and be up there fighting for victory the whole race. I also want to put the disappointment of Montmeló behind me. Being back on top of the championship givers me a lot of motivation and I think it is a position befitting of the job we're doing."

Bradley Smith:
"After finishing eighth at Montmeló I'm looking forward to getting to Assen and fighting for a top finish. It wasn't a bad result and I'm still only a point and a half behind Julito but I was left with a bittersweet taste after that race. We have to think positive and keep working in the same way we have up to now. The Dutch TT last year was a strange race because of the red flag but I think I finished fifth, which isn't a bad result. I really enjoy riding at Assen - a lot of people I speak to say the old circuit was even more fun but I never had the chance to ride it. The first section is a bit slow and personally I prefer the second half of the lap because it's really quick. I think the work we did at the Valencia test should pay off because we improved engine performance."

Sergio Gadea:
"Assen is a circuit I've done well at in the past. Last year I broke down when I was in third place but I've been on the podium here before and I have plenty of good memories. I think I can be competitive here in wet or dry conditions and psychologically speaking we're strong after the podium at Montmeló and I think we can look for a top result. I just want to keep working as well as we have done up to now - I know we're 25 points behind Julián but we closed the gap in the last round and it is only one race difference, so it is up to us not to make any mistakes and to stay in touch. We'll try and do our job to the best of our ability in each race, not make any mistakes and I think our experience could play in our favour."

Balázs Németh Released From Hospital

At 9.30 this morning Balatonring rider Balázs Németh was visited by Doctor Enrique Gastaldi, who discharged him from hospital. Following an operation last night on his injured left hand, the Hungarian underwent another x-ray this morning to check that the treatment had been successful. After further checks on the general physical state of the rider, he was cleared to head for Manises airport and take an Iberia flight to Budapest via Madrid.

Balázs will have to keep his arm in a protective sling over the next few days in order to prevent bruising, which will have to be removed and re-dressed in a local hospital. His stitches will be ready to be removed after ten days and in thirty days' time he will have the pin removed from his fifth metacarpal.

Nemeth Surgery 'Successful'

Balatonring rider Balázs Németh went into theatre at around 4pm this afternoon for surgery on the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones on his left hand. Doctor Enrique Gastaldi and his staff performed the operation, which took around an hour and was performed under general anaesthetic. Doctor Gastaldi inserted a pin into the dislocation of his fifth metatarsal in order to prevent it from dislocating again. He also fixed a titanium plate, specially designed for hand injuries, to his fractured fourth metacarpal. The Hungarian has a single running stitch in his hand - equivalent to eight normal stitches -and a protrusion from the pin.

Balázs will stay in hospital overnight and will be examined by Doctor Gastaldi in the morning. If the assessment is positive he will be discharged and will travel home to Hungary. After resting his hand for 30 days he will then be able to have pin removed and will be fit to return to action. During this time he will follow an exercise programme designed by Dr Gastaldi to ensure that he doesn't lose any of the flexibility in his tendons.

Private Test Valencia, 17./18.06.2009

The private two-day test at the Valencia circuit saw different fortunes for the 250cc Aspar squad. While Balatonring Team rider Balazs Nemeth suffered a hand fracture after a nasty crash, Mapfre Aspar rider Mike Di Meglio was able to make full use of the opportunity to get some further track time on his new Aprilia RSA machine. Teammate Alvaro Bautista did not participate in the test.

The 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team also made good progress with all three riders finishing the test with similar laptimes. Julian Simon and Bradley Smith both suffered crashes, but fortunately walked away uninjured.



Mike Di Meglio - 1.37.16 (98 laps)
"We started very well yesterday, but soon we had some problems with the engine that cost us some time. We began with a setting very similar to the one I used in Catalunya and I started to gain confidence with the Aprilia, getting some good laptimes and I felt very comfortable on the bike. Later we tried to make improvements, always from working from the frame onwards, but it did not work as we hoped. Today we continued looking for chassis solutions and we tried really and infinity of changes to see which setting fits my riding style best. In the end I think that the base setting that we used at the last GP, with some slight modifications, is the one that I like best, so I will try to use this for the next races. It's been two really productive days in which although we didn't find the one setthing that fits us 100%, we already sorted out everything that didn't help us."

Julian Simón - 1.40.4 (110 laps)
“It has been a very positive test for the championship, I think that is always good to try and improve, it's just been a pity that it's been so warm. The laptimes have not been too fast, but nontheless I leave the test satisfied because we have tried many things with the engine which let us find out what works best and gives us the best performance. We have found many solutions and there are also some things that can help us in the next races. I am satisfied for that and again very motivated, because I've been riding the bike again after Barcelona and the feeling on the bike is still equally good.”

Sergio Gadea - 1.40.5 (91 laps)
“These two days have gone really well. We tested some material and we tried to work on the base setup, although the conditions have not been the best and the temperature was a bit problematic. The laptimes have not been especially fast, but considering the heat I believe that we can be satisfied, in addition we had a constantly fast rhythm during both days. I am content, because I rode with the same tyres for a long time, getting a feel for it and always thinking about race conditions. We decided to finish around 3 PM because we didn't have much left to test and didn't want to risk a stupid crash.”

Bradley Smith - 1.40.7 (107 laps)
“I think this is a big advantage, to be able to count on a team like this, because it is not normally the case to have a test during the season, so I believe this has been a magnificent opportunity to continue doing some laps and understanding the basic aspects of the bike. This test has been very important for me right after Barcelona where we had some small problems with the setup. We tried to solve all those small details that did not work for us in the last GP. Our setting of the chassis was more or less clear, so we worked mainly on new configurations of the engine. At the very end of yesterday's afternoon session I had an unfortunate crash, but luckily today we have been able to continue working under normal circumstance. Overall I'm satisfied, because although we did not make some huge progress we tested out a lot of things and I think this is the most important.”