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MotoGP : Yamaha riders in a spin at twisty Sachsenring
Round: 10 - German MotoGP
Circuit: Sachsenring
Date: 29 July 2005
Temp: 32ºC
Weather: Sunny
Gauloises Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both struggled to get comfortable at the Sachsenring circuit as the first free practice sessions for the German Grand Prix took place today. Rossi fell for only the second time this season in the morning session, losing front grip in the downhill, left- hand corner at turn two, but escaped without injury. Despite returning to the track with an improved time in the afternoon the Italian could only manage the thirteenth fastest lap on the day's combined time sheets, as he struggled to find front and rear grip for his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine.
Edwards got off to a better start than his Gauloises Yamaha team-mate, setting the third fastest time of the morning session, before suffering similar difficulties in the afternoon. The American found it hard to make progress as he tried to tame the track's notoriously twisty turns and was unable to improve his lap times from the morning to the afternoon, dropping to ninth on the overnight time sheets. Alex Barros (Honda) set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 1'23.808, despite crashing twice in the space of just fifteen minutes in the second session.
Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 9th - 1'24.320 "We tried a few different things in the afternoon but we've basically been having the same problem all day; we just can't get the bike to stop being so nervous. We need to start driving forward instead of wiggling around and it looks like it's going to take a lot of work. It doesn't seem to be a simple set- up issue - I've spoken to Valentino and he is having the same problems, so to me it seems the bike doesn't like this track in general. The Yamaha turns so well that the tight sections in the first two splits are great, but once the track opens out in the second half it just gets very bumpy on the exit of the corners and the bike starts dancing around. From there it's a case of trying to hold on and ride smoother, but then that feels too slow. I'm not going to lie; it's a handful, but we're working on it."
Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team), 13th - 1'24.508 "It was a very difficult day. It started from the morning when I fell off the bike and after that we worked a lot to try and improve the feeling, but at the end of the day it wasn't any better. We started with the setting from Donington but we had a problem with the front. Also it is really hard to find the right tyre because there is so much time spent on the left side and it gets so hot, which means you slide a lot. I can't ride the bike at 100% and Colin has some problems too. I am a little bit worried because I am in thirteenth place, but I am sure that tomorrow we can work really hard and find a good way forward. This really is a bad track for me - I don't like it. It is different to the other tracks and we need to work hard to get the right set-up."
Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 16th - 1'25.068 "This is a very difficult circuit where we have more problems than normal. It's a track with climbs and falls. with only three right-hand turns that means my left hand is suffering more than at other places. But the intense heat is the same for everyone - although the short track means it is different to other places. I am quite satisfied with the times I posted in the first two splits, although in the second two I lost all the time I had made up. We musn't fool ourselves, though, we must work hard to keep improving."
Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 19th - 1'25.349 "This morning we resolved a couple of minor problems we'd been having and were then able to start working in the right direction. The hot temperatures this afternoon prevented us from lowering the time from this morning, but I believe I can improve tomorrow. The fall this afternoon was a shame because we were looking to post our fastest time, but it happened at a point where great riders like Rossi and Barros have fallen before."
Round: 10 - German MotoGP
Circuit: Sachsenring
Circuit Length: 3671
Lap Record: 1' 24.056 (Alex Barros, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 22.756 (Max Biaggi, 2004)
Date: 29 July 2005
Temp: 32ºC
