Calendar & Results
GP 4 : China
Mechanical problems for Simón; Rabat 11th
FIRST POINTS FOR MÁRQUEZ IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
FIRST POINTS FOR MÁRQUEZ IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
For one reason or another, and even if the final results might hide it, the Chinese Grand Prix weekend has been a good one for the HAULOTTE GROUP riders. The huge circuit in Shanghai has beheld another important moment in Marc Marquez’s brief sports career. If the past race disputed in Portugal was his debut in the championship, China was where he added up his first points in the World Championship. In a very complicated race under the rain he was able to control his nerves, concentrate and, setting his own pace, finish twelfth. Just behind his box colleague. Tito Rabat dragged a lot of problems along with his KTM during the qualifying practices preventing him from getting a good place at the starting grid. Besides for this, Rabat proved his worth, practically reaching the top ten and going through the finishing line right in front of Marquez.
As far as 250cc goes, just a mechanical problem that occurred only five laps into the race and prevented Julito Simón from finishing what had been his best weekend so far this season.
And Márquez added points
If it was destiny that made Marc Márquez finish his first Grand Prix in the same position that Dani Pedrosa did during his debut in 2001 in Japan, in China, the Haulotte rider was even able to improve what the three times world champion did. If Pedrosa, during his second race, in South Africa, made his first point starting thirteenth, Márquez did the same, but finishing one position ahead. Although the weekend was full of complications. First of all, the adaptation of small Márquez to the huge Chinese track and afterwards, facing the chances of rain. During the qualifying practices, he advanced from the twenty-eighth position on Friday to the twenty-first position he managed to achieve for the starting grid. “We managed to improve the bike a lot from the first day to the second. On Friday I was a little lost in such a long and wide circuit, but we made a few changes and on Saturday I felt much better. The pity is that at the end of the official practice we had problems with the front tyre that didn’t let me improve even more. But the sensations for the race were good and I was confident”. On Sunday the feared rain appeared, so Márquez decided to pluck up his courage, take things in stride and try to do his race. In a group with his team colleague, and other riders such as Scott Redding or Efrén Vázquez, Marc slowly started gaining positions, making no mistakes, to reach a fantastic twelfth position. Without a doubt, a great achievement for the Haulotte rider, one of the youngest in history to add points in a championship. “I am very pleased to have gained my first points in only my second race. It was a little complicated because all of the qualifying practices had been on dry tracks and on top of everything in a circuit that I didn’t know. I went out to see what I could do. At the beginning of this year I was excited to do things well, to gain experience, but I didn’t imagine it would be like this. This excites me, but I must take it step by step”.
Rabat overcomes the adversities
Of all, Tito Rabat had most complications in Shanghai, the circuit that brings him fondest memories of the World Championship: it was there that the year before he had achieved his first and only podium until now. He finished in twenty-second position after two days of qualifying practices, getting there with a lot of suffering and without being able to solve the problems with his KTM. “The bike didn’t work, I couldn’t follow any rider. The team, as always, did all they could, but it was an ordeal”. Under the rain, Rabat made use of his experience, and with a lot of calm, set his pace and slowing started to advance in the classification. Except for a couple of scares, Tito was able to finish eleventh, grazing the group of the first ten, and signing his best result that year. “The bike didn’t run as we expected, but that’s all there is to it. It was a complicated race. I started off badly, but I focused and started to move up. I got ahead a couple of times in the stretch, then another rider, Aegerter, fell in front of me and I almost fell with him, but in the end I hung in there. I made five points, they are always welcome”.
The World Championship rests for a week to confront an intense route around Europe. The Haulotte riders have been able to improve their performance in China, and this gives them good perspective for the future. Next stop, The Grand Prix of France that will be held in the famous Le Mans Circuit the weekend of the 18th of May.
The KTM had enough
Simón was one of the 250 protagonists in China. Julito did a great job from the first qualifying practices onwards, even if Friday started out with certain complications. During the first free practice, his front tyre lost it’s grip and he ended up on the floor. Fortunately, during the official that afternoon things got better, although a problem with the gearboxended up penalizing him along the immense stretch of Shanghai, the longest in the World Championship, with 1202 meters. “Our gearbox configuration was wrong based on some information we had, and that’s what didn’t let us do well in the stretch. This mistake made us lose a lot of time, since the back stretch is very important. Finally we solved some problems, especially in the chassis, this let us improve our time and increase the motivation for Sunday”. Julito confirmed his good vibes on Saturday and, after some good qualifying practices, managed to get himself into the first row of the starting grid for the first time in 2008, with the fourth best time, behind Álvaro Bautista, Héctor Barberá and Mika Kallio. “I took advantage of the qualifying practices, I got into front row and that’s why I was so happy. I felt good about the race. I think that because of the great job all of the team members are doing we deserved to have a good result”.
And it started out very well. With a wet track, even though it had stopped raining, the Haulotte rider went on to third place during the first lap behind Barberá and Marco Simoncelli. Julito was hanging in the favourite’s group, fighting at each curve against his rivals, until a problem with the motor of the KTM FRR 250, made the bike stop during the fifth lap, and took away his aspirations. “These are things that happen in races, there’s no point in going over it. We must remember all of the many good things of this Grand Prix, and use them so that in France things keep going in the same direction, because I enjoyed the laps I was on the track very much”.
As far as 250cc goes, just a mechanical problem that occurred only five laps into the race and prevented Julito Simón from finishing what had been his best weekend so far this season.
And Márquez added points
If it was destiny that made Marc Márquez finish his first Grand Prix in the same position that Dani Pedrosa did during his debut in 2001 in Japan, in China, the Haulotte rider was even able to improve what the three times world champion did. If Pedrosa, during his second race, in South Africa, made his first point starting thirteenth, Márquez did the same, but finishing one position ahead. Although the weekend was full of complications. First of all, the adaptation of small Márquez to the huge Chinese track and afterwards, facing the chances of rain. During the qualifying practices, he advanced from the twenty-eighth position on Friday to the twenty-first position he managed to achieve for the starting grid. “We managed to improve the bike a lot from the first day to the second. On Friday I was a little lost in such a long and wide circuit, but we made a few changes and on Saturday I felt much better. The pity is that at the end of the official practice we had problems with the front tyre that didn’t let me improve even more. But the sensations for the race were good and I was confident”. On Sunday the feared rain appeared, so Márquez decided to pluck up his courage, take things in stride and try to do his race. In a group with his team colleague, and other riders such as Scott Redding or Efrén Vázquez, Marc slowly started gaining positions, making no mistakes, to reach a fantastic twelfth position. Without a doubt, a great achievement for the Haulotte rider, one of the youngest in history to add points in a championship. “I am very pleased to have gained my first points in only my second race. It was a little complicated because all of the qualifying practices had been on dry tracks and on top of everything in a circuit that I didn’t know. I went out to see what I could do. At the beginning of this year I was excited to do things well, to gain experience, but I didn’t imagine it would be like this. This excites me, but I must take it step by step”.
Rabat overcomes the adversities
Of all, Tito Rabat had most complications in Shanghai, the circuit that brings him fondest memories of the World Championship: it was there that the year before he had achieved his first and only podium until now. He finished in twenty-second position after two days of qualifying practices, getting there with a lot of suffering and without being able to solve the problems with his KTM. “The bike didn’t work, I couldn’t follow any rider. The team, as always, did all they could, but it was an ordeal”. Under the rain, Rabat made use of his experience, and with a lot of calm, set his pace and slowing started to advance in the classification. Except for a couple of scares, Tito was able to finish eleventh, grazing the group of the first ten, and signing his best result that year. “The bike didn’t run as we expected, but that’s all there is to it. It was a complicated race. I started off badly, but I focused and started to move up. I got ahead a couple of times in the stretch, then another rider, Aegerter, fell in front of me and I almost fell with him, but in the end I hung in there. I made five points, they are always welcome”.
The World Championship rests for a week to confront an intense route around Europe. The Haulotte riders have been able to improve their performance in China, and this gives them good perspective for the future. Next stop, The Grand Prix of France that will be held in the famous Le Mans Circuit the weekend of the 18th of May.
The KTM had enough
Simón was one of the 250 protagonists in China. Julito did a great job from the first qualifying practices onwards, even if Friday started out with certain complications. During the first free practice, his front tyre lost it’s grip and he ended up on the floor. Fortunately, during the official that afternoon things got better, although a problem with the gearboxended up penalizing him along the immense stretch of Shanghai, the longest in the World Championship, with 1202 meters. “Our gearbox configuration was wrong based on some information we had, and that’s what didn’t let us do well in the stretch. This mistake made us lose a lot of time, since the back stretch is very important. Finally we solved some problems, especially in the chassis, this let us improve our time and increase the motivation for Sunday”. Julito confirmed his good vibes on Saturday and, after some good qualifying practices, managed to get himself into the first row of the starting grid for the first time in 2008, with the fourth best time, behind Álvaro Bautista, Héctor Barberá and Mika Kallio. “I took advantage of the qualifying practices, I got into front row and that’s why I was so happy. I felt good about the race. I think that because of the great job all of the team members are doing we deserved to have a good result”.
And it started out very well. With a wet track, even though it had stopped raining, the Haulotte rider went on to third place during the first lap behind Barberá and Marco Simoncelli. Julito was hanging in the favourite’s group, fighting at each curve against his rivals, until a problem with the motor of the KTM FRR 250, made the bike stop during the fifth lap, and took away his aspirations. “These are things that happen in races, there’s no point in going over it. We must remember all of the many good things of this Grand Prix, and use them so that in France things keep going in the same direction, because I enjoyed the laps I was on the track very much”.
