The British Grand Prix proved to be a difficult weekend for the Telefónica Movistar Honda team. Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri both crashed out of a race which was conditioned by intense rain and turned into a lottery. It is enough to say that only 11 riders finished the race on two wheels.
Sete Gibernau got a good start and led from the front from the first lap, followed closely by Marco Melandri, boosted by a positive warm-up session in the morning. Sete didn’t want to push too hard at the start and simply concentrated on keeping his rhythm together and avoiding any mistakes, especially at a track with such little grip in the wet as Donington.
However, neither of the two had chance to come to terms with the track surface because on the third lap they both went to ground without any prior warning. Firstly Marco and then, a few metres later, Sete. Despite leaving the British Grand Prix empty handed, Marco Melandri maintains second place in the general standings and Sete is fifth ahead of next week’s German Grand Prix, the final round before the summer holidays.
SETE GIBERNAU (crashed): “It is obvious that this is not going to be our year. I tried to get a good start and set my pace. I wasn’t pushing at all and the first scare I had was the crash. Other times you get a warning but not this time. It was a fast crash but nothing else. I’m sorry for the team and for the work they have done. It’s tough for all of us but we have to keep trying in the next few races”.
MARCO MELANDRI (crashed): “It’s a real shame because this morning I felt good in the warm-up and I was looking forward to the race. There is not much I can say about the race itself because it only lasted three laps. I got a good start and I was feeling relaxed but when I opened the gas out of the final corner it threw me off. That was it – before I realised it I was on the floor.”
GREAT BRITAIN
- V.Rossi (Ita/Yam) 52’58”675
- K. Roberts (USA/Suz) a 3”169
- A. Barros (Bra/Hon) a 4”006
- C. Edwards (USA/Yam) a 10”22
- C. Checa (Esp/Ducati) a 13”020
- L. Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) a 23”321
- M. Tamada (Jap/Hon) a 37”833
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
- Valentino Rossi 211 points
- Marco Melandri 107 points
- Colin Edwards 106 points
- Max Biaggi 100 points
- Sete Gibernau 95 points
- Alex Barros 90 points
- Nicky Hayden 85 points