- Round: 13 - Qatar Grand Prix
- Circuit: Qatar
- Date: 2 October 2004
- Crowd: 5000
- Temp: 38ºC
- Weather: Very Hot
- Lap Record: 1' 59.293 (Colin Edwards, 2004)
Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) was forced to retire from third
position with only two laps remaining of today's inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. The
31-year-old Spaniard took the hole-shot from pole position on his YZR-M1 machine and
led the first lap. He was edged out of contention by race-winner Sete Gibernau
(Honda) on lap two and then by second-placed Colin Edwards (Honda) six
laps later. Checa's retirement, which was due to a fuel problem, allowed fellow
Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) to record his first ever MotoGP podium.
Valentino Rossi's race started in controversy, contained sheer magical
brilliance but ended in disaster on lap six. The Italian World Championship leader
was forced to start from the back of the grid when Race Direction ruled that
his team had infringed the rules by making a mark on the track at his third-row
starting grid position. The crew had intended that the five-time World
Champion could use the mark during the morning warm-up session to develop a good
line into the first corner from his original third row grid position. Within
one lap Rossi had scythed through the field to eighth and continued his scintillating
progress until he caught the edge of the track with his rear wheel coming
out of the second last turn on lap six and was thrown from his bike. The
bad end to his day was further compounded by Gibernau's win which narrows
Rossi's points lead to just 14 with three races remaining.
For Fortuna Gauloises Tech3 riders Marco Melandri and Norick Abe, they
could not have had a more different race. The difficult day for Yamaha continued
when Marco dropped out of this gruelling contest with a similar fuel problem,
while Norick equalled his best result of the season so far with a seventh
place finish as first Yamaha rider.
Norick's crew used this morning's warm-up session to change his YZR M-1's
ride height and achieve a near optimum machine balance for the Japanese
star to exploit on the searing 52-degree tarmac here in Qatar. Norick now heads
to the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang next weekend in buoyant mood.
Marco's typically spirited ride was curtailed by machine trouble when he
was fighting for fourth place with eventual third-place finisher Ruben
Xaus (Ducati). This was scant reward for Marco's dogged determination, but the
Italian is already looking ahead to Sepang, next weekend, where he is sure
he can fight for a podium finish again.
The MotoGP circus leaves Qatar for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next
Sunday. It then moves to Phillip Island in Australia the following week
and back to Europe for the season finale at Valencia in Spain on 31st October.
Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha)
"I want to think in a positive way. My team did a really good job and I
really appreciate it - especially Yamaha. This is not a nice day for us or for
Yamaha. But I did some good work this weekend. I was pleased with my pole position
and I was riding well in the race. I was under control in third place but
I couldn't keep the pace and had some problems with rear stability but
then with three or four laps to go I started feeling a throttle connection problem.
I was praying and thinking "only three laps to go" but the problem got
worse and the bike finally stopped."
p>Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Foruna Yamaha)
"Firstly I have to say I was amazed and very disappointed by the decision
to make me start at the back of the grid. I don't think there is any consistency
in some of the decisions made. At other races people have cleaned their
grid places and nothing has happened. In fact, my crew were doing something
they used to do with Doohan when the track was dirty. I didn't know about it
until after it had happened.
"Finally in the race I made a mistake. I had really pushed in the first
few laps and could see that Colin was in slightly better shape than me when
I was behind him. I ran wide in the second last turn and just clipped the
grass. They were looking strong but I did think I could have made the podium.
Fortunately I'm not hurt. I was worried about my finger but it is not serious."
Davide Brivio, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team director
"It has been a bad weekend. We'll go away from Qatar with no result and
with no points but that's racing. Valentino is still leading the Championship
by 14 points and now we will react and fight until the end of the Championship.
In Brazil we were in the same situation and we fought back strongly. We
have got three races to go and anything can happen.
"It's such a shame for Carlos. He was riding a very good race to follow
up his pole postion. He is really disappointed as he fully deserved a podium.
He was suffering with the problem during the race and eventually it stopped."
Norick Abe (Fortuna Gauloises Tech3)
"Today my set-up was the best it's been all weekend, but the front was
still pushing in the race. I got a good start and then I ran off track a bit.
Then I got into a rhythm and my lap times were faster than they were in qualifying.
Quite a few riders dropped out, but from 17th on the grid to seventh at
the finish is OK with me."
Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech3)
"How disappointing?! Without bike trouble I could have been maybe on the
podium or at least top five. I could match Xaus' rhythm and things were
good. But now we have to make sure things are OK for Malaysia."
Hervé Poncharal, Fortuna Gauloises Tech3 team director
"This has not been a great day for Yamaha. Marco got a good start and was
up to fourth without pushing too hard and we all thought he'd be OK, but
then he had bike problems. He tried to carry on but his bike stopped. Norick
was the first Yamaha rider across the line and he equalled his best result
so far this season here. As part of Yamaha's MotoGP effort we are very
unhappy about today. But now we have to prepare for another race next weekend where
the conditions will be just as punishing."
Race: 22 Laps
- 1. S. Gibernau, Honda (ESP) - 44' 1.741
- 2. C. Edwards, Honda (USA) - +1.315
- 3. R. Xaus, Ducati (ESP) - +23.844
- 4. A. Barros, Honda (BRA) - +25.458
- 5. N. Hayden, Honda (USA) - +31.417
- 6. M. Biaggi, Honda (ITA) - +39.209
- 7. N. Abe, Yamaha (JPN) - +53.373
- 8. J. Hopkins, Suzuki (USA) - +58.006
- 9. A. Hofman, Kawasaki (GER) - +1' 4.320
- 10. M. Tamada, Honda (JPN) - +1' 18.518
- 11. Y. Kagayama, Suzuki (JPN) - +1' 49.438
- 12. J. Haydon, Proton KR (GBR) - +1' 52.158
- 13. J. Ellison, Harris WCM (GBR) - +1' 53.900
Championship standings MotoGP
- 1. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha (ITA) - 229
- 2. Sete Gibernau, Honda (ESP) - 215
- 3. Max Biaggi, Honda (ITA) - 168
- 4. Colin Edwards, Honda (USA) - 131
- 5. Alex Barros, Honda (BRA) - 128
- 6. Makato Tamada, Honda (JPN) - 120
- 7. Carlos Checa, Yamaha (ESP) - 102
- 8. Nicky Hayden, Honda (USA) - 94
- 9. Loris Capirossi, Ducati (ITA) - 84
- 10. Marco Melandri, Yamaha (ITA) - 75
- 11. Ruben Xaus, Ducati (ESP) - 69
- 12. Norick Abe, Yamaha (JPN) - 64
- 13. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki (JPN) - 62
- 14. Alex Hofman, Kawasaki (GER) - 43
- 15. Troy Bayliss, Ducati (AUS) - 42
Manufacturers standings MotoGP
- 1 Honda 295
- 2 Yamaha 253
- 3 Ducati 127
- 4 Kawasaki 74
- 5 Suzuki 66
- 6 Aprilia 33
- 7 Proton KR 15
- 8 Harris WCM 12
- 9 Moriwaki 7
