Calendar & Results
GP 17 : Valencia
Rabat tenth; Simón breaks the motor
GOODBYE 2008, GOODBYE
GOODBYE 2008, GOODBYE
The GP held in the Valencia this past weekend was the last of the Motorcycling World Championship 2008. A farewell that only two of the three Haulotte riders attended as Marc Márquez is still going through the process of recuperating from the injury that he suffered at the Malaysian event. Unfortunately, the conclusion to this season hasn’t been the one hoped for. Julito Simón, as in Sepang, had to say good-bye to the race because of a break in his motor when he was starting to aim high. Tito Rabat was only able to finish tenth in one of his favourite circuits.
Once again, the motor
Julito Simón completed a great weekend in Valencia, and only a failure in his KTM’s motor ruined what seemed to be turning into a great result. On Friday, the same tune that has played all year: the rain was protagonist once again, making the riders work on a set up for a wet track, aware that the forecast was predicting sun for Sunday. Julito managed a good result, setting the sixth best crono during the official practice. “It was a difficult day. The track was very slippery, as this track doesn’t have a lot of grip when it is wet. Even so we rode well and we finished sixth, adjusting the set up little by little. I suffered a small crash that conditioned my practice a little, but I went out again and set a good pace to get into the front positions during the last rounds”. On Saturday the weather got better, and Simón took good advantage of it. From the first free practice onwards, the Haulotte rider took first positions, getting into the front row at the starting grid for the third time in this season, with the third best time. “It was a positive day. We had a chance to ride on dry, even if it was only during the official practice. This made us do things very quickly, and the team did a great job. We only had to choose the tyres we wanted to use. In any case, I thought I could fight for a good race”. And he did. Julito did his best right from the start, getting into the group at the head with Simoncelli, Takahashi and Kallio. He tried to hang on every second and fight for the desired podium, until his bike said enough. First it made him fall behind the trio that was leading the race. Then, the KTM stopped, and Simón had to take the path to the box. “The truth is that it was a pity. Even though, we have to keep in mind that we had a great weekend. The race’s pace was slower than during the practices, but it was also harder to maintain it and it was complicated. I started off well, and during the first rounds I was pretty fast. Then Simoncelli got there and increased the pace and from then on I noticed that my bike needed more drive. Because of this the ones at the head left me behind. Just when Bautista had me trapped I noticed that I had broken. It was the same as what had happened in Malaysia. In any case, I would like to really thank the team for the great job they have done. This year I have been in a team that has really taken care of me, and I am very happy because of this and because of the sponsor’s support”.
A tenth to finish the year
Tito Rabat started off his defence of the Haulotte colours on his own, during the last GP of the year. Even though he had a good start at the free practice in the morning, the official one was full of complications. First he suffered a crash and then he had a problem with the slider of hisleather leaving him with very little time for practice, and in twentieth place. “It was a complicated day, although also fun. During the morning it went well. When I started I took things calmly and I had a good time riding. In the afternoon, I don’t know what happened in the first round, that when I opened the gas after the first corner, the bike skidded, spit me out and I flew out. So then, I returned to the box in order to ride my second bike, but I had to get back very quickly because the sliderhad fallen off. It was loose because of the crash. I did what I could, but it was complicated. Riding on wet in Valencia is always fun, even though the track is even more slippery when it stops raining than when it is covered in water”. The second day started off just a well and finished much better. During the free practice, on wet, he set the fourth best time, managing to get himself in the third row at the starting grid in the afternoon. Even after being in second place. “In the morning the track was wet once again and I did it well again. In the end I didn’t believe it and I finished fourth. In the afternoon I kept on riding calmly, having a good time. My team worked very well and that’s why we got a great set up for my bike. I was happy with what I had for Sunday. I was excited about achieving a good result at home and during the last race of the year”. Rabat didn’t start off well, he lost a few places and on top of it suffered a problem with the grip that didn’t allow him to follow his travelling colleagues’ pace. Little by little he solved his problems and managed to surmount and finish in a final tenth place. “It was a very difficult race, since the track wasn’t completely ok and the bike slipped a lot. Anyway, I can’t complain about anything; they beat me and that’s it. I didn’t start off very well and many riders overtook me. I needed to be a little more aggressive. Then I got a good pace, I progressed and pushed to the maximum. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I think it’s positive to have finished amongst the first ten. Let’s hope that this will serve me as experience for the future”.
The World Championship is already history. Julito Simón has finished tenth in 250cc, Marc Márquez, having not being able to dispute four of the races, 13th, just in front of Tito Rabat. The three of them have fought to achieve the maximum, living through some more fortunate days than others. The three of them will try to improve this winter in order to arrive in 2009 with more options to achieving their objectives.
Once again, the motor
Julito Simón completed a great weekend in Valencia, and only a failure in his KTM’s motor ruined what seemed to be turning into a great result. On Friday, the same tune that has played all year: the rain was protagonist once again, making the riders work on a set up for a wet track, aware that the forecast was predicting sun for Sunday. Julito managed a good result, setting the sixth best crono during the official practice. “It was a difficult day. The track was very slippery, as this track doesn’t have a lot of grip when it is wet. Even so we rode well and we finished sixth, adjusting the set up little by little. I suffered a small crash that conditioned my practice a little, but I went out again and set a good pace to get into the front positions during the last rounds”. On Saturday the weather got better, and Simón took good advantage of it. From the first free practice onwards, the Haulotte rider took first positions, getting into the front row at the starting grid for the third time in this season, with the third best time. “It was a positive day. We had a chance to ride on dry, even if it was only during the official practice. This made us do things very quickly, and the team did a great job. We only had to choose the tyres we wanted to use. In any case, I thought I could fight for a good race”. And he did. Julito did his best right from the start, getting into the group at the head with Simoncelli, Takahashi and Kallio. He tried to hang on every second and fight for the desired podium, until his bike said enough. First it made him fall behind the trio that was leading the race. Then, the KTM stopped, and Simón had to take the path to the box. “The truth is that it was a pity. Even though, we have to keep in mind that we had a great weekend. The race’s pace was slower than during the practices, but it was also harder to maintain it and it was complicated. I started off well, and during the first rounds I was pretty fast. Then Simoncelli got there and increased the pace and from then on I noticed that my bike needed more drive. Because of this the ones at the head left me behind. Just when Bautista had me trapped I noticed that I had broken. It was the same as what had happened in Malaysia. In any case, I would like to really thank the team for the great job they have done. This year I have been in a team that has really taken care of me, and I am very happy because of this and because of the sponsor’s support”.
A tenth to finish the year
Tito Rabat started off his defence of the Haulotte colours on his own, during the last GP of the year. Even though he had a good start at the free practice in the morning, the official one was full of complications. First he suffered a crash and then he had a problem with the slider of hisleather leaving him with very little time for practice, and in twentieth place. “It was a complicated day, although also fun. During the morning it went well. When I started I took things calmly and I had a good time riding. In the afternoon, I don’t know what happened in the first round, that when I opened the gas after the first corner, the bike skidded, spit me out and I flew out. So then, I returned to the box in order to ride my second bike, but I had to get back very quickly because the sliderhad fallen off. It was loose because of the crash. I did what I could, but it was complicated. Riding on wet in Valencia is always fun, even though the track is even more slippery when it stops raining than when it is covered in water”. The second day started off just a well and finished much better. During the free practice, on wet, he set the fourth best time, managing to get himself in the third row at the starting grid in the afternoon. Even after being in second place. “In the morning the track was wet once again and I did it well again. In the end I didn’t believe it and I finished fourth. In the afternoon I kept on riding calmly, having a good time. My team worked very well and that’s why we got a great set up for my bike. I was happy with what I had for Sunday. I was excited about achieving a good result at home and during the last race of the year”. Rabat didn’t start off well, he lost a few places and on top of it suffered a problem with the grip that didn’t allow him to follow his travelling colleagues’ pace. Little by little he solved his problems and managed to surmount and finish in a final tenth place. “It was a very difficult race, since the track wasn’t completely ok and the bike slipped a lot. Anyway, I can’t complain about anything; they beat me and that’s it. I didn’t start off very well and many riders overtook me. I needed to be a little more aggressive. Then I got a good pace, I progressed and pushed to the maximum. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I think it’s positive to have finished amongst the first ten. Let’s hope that this will serve me as experience for the future”.
The World Championship is already history. Julito Simón has finished tenth in 250cc, Marc Márquez, having not being able to dispute four of the races, 13th, just in front of Tito Rabat. The three of them have fought to achieve the maximum, living through some more fortunate days than others. The three of them will try to improve this winter in order to arrive in 2009 with more options to achieving their objectives.
