The Tech 3 Racing Team rider made an electrifying start from the second row to lead into the first turn and as the race developed in hot and humid conditions, the 20-year-old was constantly in contention for his fourth rostrum finish in the last six races.

Once again showcasing the high level of performance of the Mistral 610 machine, designed and developed in France by the Tech 3 Racing Team, Smith brilliantly held off late pressure from compatriot Scott Redding to try and hunt down Esteve Rabat and Pol Espargaro in the chase for second spot.

The British rider gave his maximum effort until the chequered flag but he was never able to get close enough to attack the Spanish pair and he finished just over a second behind third placed Rabat.

Today’s result was Smith’s fifth top four of the season and his 13-point haul maintained his brilliant challenge for third place in the overall World Championship standings. With six races remaining, rookie Smith is sixth in the rankings but only four-points behind Andrea Iannone in third.
It was a difficult and disappointing afternoon for Smith’s team-mate Mike di Meglio, who was never able to find a comfortable suspension and chassis setting on his Mistral 610 machine during the weekend.

The French rider still rode with 100 per cent commitment but he was unable to finish higher than 27th position having struggled with a rear grip issue from the early stages.

Bradley Smith: 4th – 92 points:
“Fourth position is a little bit frustrating as we were all working for a podium all weekend. It was a great race but to get so close to the podium and see it all through the entire race is a little bit disappointing. But we got some really important points back in the Championship and I’m firmly in the hunt for third overall, which in my rookie season is a fantastic achievement. After not finishing the last two races in Sachsenring and Brno, completing the race distance meant that we learnt a lot. We are able to take the data with us and analyse it for the final part of the season to improve the bike even more because we already have a really competitive package. There are a few things that we need to work on, especially with rear grip. That’s where Rabat and Espargaro seemed to have a slight advantage today. I need to say a big thanks to my Team though who have done an incredible job once again this weekend. Now I am ready to get home for a brief rest before getting ready to return strong for Misano.”

Mike di Meglio: 27th – 8 points:
“It was a very hard race and we had a lot of problems. This morning it was not going bad and we worked with used tyres, so I was quite confident. But right from the start I had trouble with my rear tyre and that was really strange. I really hope we can solve these problems and we can have a better race in Misano.”

Hervé Poncharal: Team Manager:
“The last two races in Germany and Czech Republic were bad results for the Tech 3 Racing Team but we are so glad to see Bradley back at the front where we know he can be. He finished fourth in qualifying and fourth in the race, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He made an incredible start to get the holeshot and was leading the race and never gave up. Marc Marquez was in a race of own today but Bradley was also very strong and I am happy that we are back in the battle for third place in the Championship. We are sixth now, but only four-points away from third, so we are right back in the hunt. I hope we are going to carry on like that for the next races because Bradley is having a fantastic rookie season. It is a shame for Mike because he started the weekend really well, but for some reason he could not make qualifying and the race at his best level. We need to analyse what went wrong and hope to return stronger in Misano.”

Colin Edwards showed what you can do with a bit of determination, a bit of luck, some high-street painkillers, and a large dash of experience, by keeping his bike on two wheels (whilst many others didn’t) and finishing in 3rd place at the British MotoGP.

Edwards broke his collarbone only a week ago, and put on an experienced performance in wet and slippy conditions to secure his first podium of the season.

The Tech 3 team had a bit of a bi-polar weekend at the British MotoGP this weekend – all their bad luck arrived on Saturday with Cal Crutchlow breaking his collarbone, and Bradley Smith suffering technical issues that prevented him from making the most of the Moto2 Qualifying session.

However, Edwards and Smith both pulled out impressive performances on race-day to get a podium each.

Colin Edwards 3rd – 37 points:
“That was an unbelievable race and to finish on the podium feels amazing. I was happy to qualify eighth but never in a million years did I think I’d be on the podium just over a week after breaking my collarbone. I need to thank Dr Xavier Mir for the repair job he did on my shoulder and also my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 because they gave me a phenomenal bike today. My shoulder felt great and it was the muscle damage around my ribs that caused me the most pain. But the rain definitely helped because it was a lot less physical than in the dry. I just gritted my teeth and got on with it, just trying to stay smooth and not make any mistakes. Conditions were pretty bad and it was a case of working out when and where you could push. I’d have been happy to finish the race and then go home to think about Assen. But I saw a few people succumbing to the conditions and I saw P3 on by board and I couldn’t believe it. At that time though there were still eight or nine laps to go and I couldn’t feel my hands or my feet because it was so wet and cold. It was difficult but it was a good way to the end the weekend for the Team after what happened to Cal. Nobody wants to get hurt, but being injured for your home race is really tough to take, so I wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him back in Assen.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager:
“Colin was absolutely amazing. Nobody would have bet any money on him to be on the podium just one week after having an operation on his broken collarbone. But Colin has been a hero and this is a memorable day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. It was a bad day yesterday when we saw Cal crashing and he was forced to miss his home race. But Colin helped put the smile back on the faces of everyone inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team with a brilliant ride. And not only was he fast but he was very brave too. He was robbed of a podium finish in Jerez in similar conditions a few weeks ago and I have to give him a lot of respect because it would have been easy just to go home to rest after his injury in Catalunya. He rode for the Team more than anything and it shows how much he is still enjoying racing and how motivated he is. He has been in a lot of pain but he’s never complained and he treated the weekend like a normal weekend and his ride was the best of the day in MotoGP. He didn’t make a mistake like some of the others so we are overjoyed. We can’t be completely happy because of what happened to Cal and it was a big pity he couldn’t race, but he is a fighter and we’ll see him back stronger than ever soon. I know how much he wanted to ride in front of his home crowd, but he has seen what Colin has achieved so quickly after his collarbone injury, so hopefully this will be a good inspiration for him.”

British fans will be denied the chance to see Cal Crutchlow making his MotoGP race debut at Silverstone tomorrow, as it has been confirmed that Crutchlow will not race due to the concussion and fractured collarbone that he sustained after only a few laps of the qualifying session today.

Colin Edwards made his return to track today after breaking his collarbone last week.

Colin Edwards and Tech 3 boss Herve Poncheral reflect on today’s events below:

Colin Edwards 8th 2.04.508 – 14 laps:
“My shoulder feels pretty much perfect but my ribs are killing me and that’s the biggest issue at the moment. I feel worse physically than I did yesterday but when I crashed at Catalunya I pulled some of the muscle away from my ribs and I’m finding it hard to do anything. If I breathe, cough, sneeze or do anything it hurts. So on the bike I just don’t have the strength I need to flick the bike in the fast changes of direction. I’ve got to take my time and be nice and smooth, but to get on the third row is a great result considering this time last week I was lying in a hospital in Barcelona with my right collarbone smashed to pieces. I’m feeling confident for the race but I know it is going to be a big effort. But I’ll grit my teeth and do my best as always and show there’s plenty of fight in this old dog. I was determined to ride this weekend for the Team. My guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 are awesome and they’ve been an unbelievable support to me in the past few years. So I want to race and get a good result for them more than anything. I’m gutted too for Cal. I know what he’s going through unfortunately and I’m really sorry that he’s going to miss his home race. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back giving me a hard time on track in Assen.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager:
“Cal’s injury is a very big disappointment and I feel really sorry for him because he was desperate to do well in his home race here at Silverstone. He’s been fast all weekend, so we had high hopes that he could get a good place on the grid and be challenging for the top six in the race. But track conditions were quite cold and it was obvious from looking at the TV pictures that the tyre wasn’t up to temperature. He is in pain right now but I think he is more upset than anything else because he wanted to put on a good show for the British fans. A lot of people have come to support him and he didn’t want to let anybody down. Our luck seems to have completely deserted us at the moment when you think it was only eight days ago that Colin broke his right collarbone. I suppose the only small consolation for Cal is that Colin was back on the bike less than a week later, so we are optimistic that Cal will be back for the next race at Assen. Colin has produced a super human effort to qualify on the third row and his courage and determination has been an inspiration to everybody in the whole Team. At one stage it looked like he might even finish in the top six, which would have been a great reward for him and his Team.”

Mike di Meglio experienced a weeked that was the exact opposite to Smith – he struggled to find a comfortable set-up in the damp conditins and finished in 27th position and outside of the points.

Bradley Smith 4th – 20 points
“I thought ninth was a great result in Qatar, so fourth just feels fantastic and I want to thank my Tech 3 Racing Team and my crew chief Tom Jojic because the bike was working brilliantly in really difficult conditions. The step we made with the set-up in the wet conditions from the Warm-up was huge and I felt much more confident in the race. In those conditions you need to concentrate so hard that the race feels like a lifetime but I just decided to attack from the start. I was a bit shocked to lead but I felt comfortable because it’s not the first time I’ve been at the front of a Grand Prix. I realised pretty quickly I didn’t have the pace to match Luthi and Iannone when they came by but that’s down to my inexperience and a bit of confidence to push like they were in the rain. If I could run the race again though I’m sure I could have stayed with Corsi and battl closer for the podium. I just lost my rhythm a little bit at about two-thirds distance after a couple of big moments and I got a bit tense and that doesn’t help you ride fast in the rain. It was great to fight with Bradl and once he came by I relaxed a little bit and picked up my pace again. When he made that late mistake I just decided to attack and push as hard as I could and fourth is an amazing result when you consider how tough this class is and how difficult the conditions were. I’ve still got a lot to learn to be fighting closer for the podium but I’ll take this fourth with both hands and look forward to the next race in Estoril with a lot of confidence and optimism.”

Mike di Meglio 26th – 0 points
“The whole weekend was very difficult. We had the crash on Friday and a lot of things were going on. Now we have a bigger break and I hope we will be able to test, as I need to understand what is going on. The bike is good I think, but unfortunately I did not find the right balance yet. We start off quite close to the first riders in practice, but then we start to lose more and more time and that is not normal. We need to understand why this happens before Portugal. I hope that we will be able to get back to the front soon where Bradley is because he’s doing a fantastic job for the Tech 3 Racing Team.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“We never like to see a race start in these conditions as we never know what will happen. The conditions are very tricky and anything really can happen. Fortunately Bradley was born in England and he can cope with the rain! His start was awesome. He was aggressive at the right moment, took the lead and was able to be close to the front for a few laps. But importantly he never tried too hard and let the others pass when he thought it was wiser to let them get in front. The second part of the race was very long for my heart. It started to rain more, so it got more difficult as the tyres got more used. I am really pleased with Bradley and his way of learning and his improvements. He is really fast and that shows that the Mistral610 has a good potential, which I hope can be picked up by Mike. It was a tough weekend for Mike and clearly he needs to find some confidence. I have no doubt that he can go fast and I believe in him and I hope that the fact that Bradley is doing so well will help Mike to get his confidence back.”

The Tech3 Racing Team ended the inaugural Moto2 World Championship campaign in disappointing fashion this afternoon after Yuki Takahashi and Raffaele de Rosa were unable to score points in the final race at Valencia.

Japanese rider Takahashi signed off the season in 18th position, a result that unfortunately saw him slip outside of the top ten in the final World Championship standings.

Takahashi was unable to find a confident setting with the front-end of his Tech 3 Racing machine and despite a determined ride he was unfortunately able to mount a challenge for the point-scoring positions.

Italian de Rosa also had a frustrating end to the 2010 campaign. He was unable to celebrate his 100th Grand Prix appearance with a top 15 result as he too found it a difficult challenge to find a comfortable front-end set-up. He finished the 27-lap race in 24th position.

The Tech3 Racing Team will begin plans for the 2011 Moto2 campaign tomorrow (Monday) in Valencia with Bradley Smith and Mike di Meglio joining the French squad for the opening winter test session. Tech 3 MotoGP rider Colin Edwards will also test the bike tomorrow, the American keen to offer some of his vast experience to help the Tech 3 Racing Team commence development on next year’s machine.

Yuki Takahashi 18th- 86 points
“That was a very tough race and not the way I wanted to finish the season or my great experience with the Tech3 Racing Team. I had a bad start and unfortunately the only way I was able to make up some places was because a few riders crashed out. I just couldn’t be aggressive on the front and each time I tried to push I kept running wide. Unfortunately I dropped out of the top ten in the rankings too and that is a shame, but I’ve had a fantastic experience with Tech3 Racing and my victory in Catalunya was a historic moment for the Team. I’m happy to have played a part in that special moment and I wish Herve Poncharal and the crew all the best for the future.”

Raffaele de Rosa 24th – 15 points
“That was a very difficult race and I didn’t expect to finish the season in this way. I had big hopes for the race and was feeling positive that I could be in the top 15 but unfortunately I couldn’t find a good feeling with the front, especially going into the corners. I want to thank my crew at Tech 3 Racing because they have worked really hard all season and given me tremendous support throughout. We never gave up even in the difficult moments and I am sure the team can build on the information gained this season to have a successful 2011.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“We had hoped to have a much stronger finish to the season than we did and it is disappointing not to score points in the final race. I can’t fault the effort and determination of Yuki and Raffaele but that was a very disappointing way to end our story with them. Now we look forward to tomorrow when we begin testing for 2011 with Bradley Smith and Mike di Meglio. Bradley arrives at Tech 3 Racing full of confidence after a fantastic win in the 125 race and I want to pass on my congratulations to him. His performance today only gives me more confidence that Bradley will be a great asset to the Tech 3 Racing project. I am sure with Bradley and Mike together that we can have a competitive 2011.”

Yuki Takahashi had a fantastic Moto2 race and took advantage of Andrea Iannone’s tyre troubles late in the race to put him under pressure and snatch 2nd position from him.

Yuki Takahashi 2nd 72-points
“This is a fantastic result for us and a great end to a weekend where we were really strong throughout. I didn’t panic at the start when I dropped from fifth to 12th because all weekend we’d worked hard on the set-up of the bike when the tyres were a little bit worn. So I knew I would be very strong in the second half of the race. I was in a very fast rhythm and I was easily able to catch and pass people in front of me. When I took Cluzel I was confident I could catch Iannone and take second, even though he was nearly three seconds ahead and time was running out. This is our second podium in three races and now the bike is really competitive and this feels just as good as the win in Barcelona because I had to work so hard. The Tech 3 Racing Team has done a great job and now we are starting to get the rewards for our effort and I’m looking forward to a strong finish to the season.”

Takahashi’s team-mate, Raffaele de Rosa, had to find satisfaction with 15th place and a single championship point.

Raffaele de Rosa 15th – 1-point
“Finally I have scored some points and I’m really happy, but I still wanted more. I have to say a big thanks to my guys at Tech 3 Racing because it has been a difficult period, but they have stood by me and never given up and today the bike worked very well. I was riding a little bit cautiously today because I didn’t want another crash and perhaps if I was more aggressive I could have been even higher up. Unfortunately I had a small technical problem on the last lap and I lost two places but this has given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“What a ride by Yuki. He was phenomenal today because coming from so far back in such a competitive class is a great achievement. Once he was able to get into his pace it was obvious he was much faster than most guys in front of him. He made some fantastic overtakes and I think the fans really enjoyed watching him ride. I also want to congratulate Raffaele because he scored his first points and this is the first time both have been in the top 15. Hopefully this will give his confidence a big lift and we can see him consistently in the top 15 for the rest of the season. I want to thank his crew as well because they have worked unbelievably hard to help Raffaele score his first points and we can look forward to the second half of the season with great optimism.”

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Jubilant Edwards claims fantastic fifth overall

Colin EdwardsMonster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards produced a stunning final race in Valencia today to clinch a dramatic fifth place in the final 2009 MotoGP world championship standings.

Starting from fifth on the grid in front of 94,177 vocal Spanish fans, all eyes were on the Texan and his fight for fifth in the points-standings with Andrea Dovizioso.

In sunny but blustery conditions, the Texas Tornado held fifth place until lap seven when he passed Toni Elias to move into fourth. At the time, Dovizioso was back in 11th.

Edwards maintained an impressive pace to sit comfortably in fourth position and remain on course for fifth overall. But Dovizoso then produced a dazzling charge through the field to move into seventh position on lap 16.

That meant fifth place would go to Dovizioso with no further position changes. But there was one final dramatic twist in arguably Edwards’ best ever MotoGP campaign, thanks to new Monster Yamaha Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies.

The Texan’s brilliant Yamaha debut ended with him passing Dovizioso on lap 25, a move that secured Edwards his hard earned but thoroughly deserved fifth place in the final points tally.

British rider James Toseland produced a gallant ride in his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team that saw him in contention for a top ten finish throughout the 30-lap encounter.

A stunning start and skilled overtaking on the first lap saw him climb into 11th position and he was locked in a thrilling dice with Spies, Dovizioso, Mika Kallio, Alex de Angelis and Marco Melandri in the first half of the race.

But a small rear tyre issue prevented Toseland from maintaining his fast and consistent pace and he slipped back to finish 12th.

Colin Edwards 4th – 161pts
“Things really fell my way today but over the course of the season I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship. At best I was thinking I could finish fifth in the race but then I saw Casey wasn’t on the grid and immediately I thought ‘well, there’s some more points up for grabs.’ I got a great start and the bike was working awesome but those three out front were untouchable. I don’t know how they do it, what they’ve got or what they eat for breakfast, but I couldn’t run their pace. In the middle of the race I couldn’t carry the corner speed I wanted to so I tried to smooth myself out and just rode out of my skin. I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben got by him and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it. I’m glad he adapted so quickly to the Yamaha because him riding so well is what got me that fifth overall and I’m really looking forward to working with him. To finish fifth in the championship is a great feeling when you look at the talent in front of me. I was consistent all season and feel like I rode some of my best races to get this final position. I’m happy for myself and for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. We are a really close unit and they always give me 100 per cent, so hopefully they can take a lot of satisfaction out of this result as well. I wish James all the best for the future too and am convinced he can carry on Yamaha’s success in World Superbikes.”

James Toseland 12th – 92 points
“I really enjoyed my last race. I wanted to give my team everything I had and I’m proud to say I did that. I had a good first few laps and took a few risks with not a lot of temperature in the tyres and got myself into a good position. But unfortunately on about lap 15 the rear tyre turned on the rim and I wasn’t able to keep the pace and stay in the bunch that were battling for seventh place. I’d like to congratulate Colin for fifth in the championship because he has done a brilliant job. I’d like to thank everybody working with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team for all the effort and support they have given me. I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time with them and I’ll take a lot of interest in how they perform in the future. I’ve made a lot of friends in MotoGP and at Tech 3 and the team will always hold a special place in my heart. Now I’ve got to look to the future and I do so relishing a new challenge with Yamaha.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“I can’t congratulate Colin enough for the amazing job he has done this season. To finish behind those four guys is an incredible feat and one that gives the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team a lot of pride to have been involved in helping achieving fifth position in the championship for him. He has been consistent all year long and hardly ever outside the top six, and I would say this has been his best ever season. I’m so happy he is still with us next year because he brings so much to the team. Not just in terms of his results but his personality has been a great asset to the team, Yamaha and MotoGP. The sport needs more people like Colin and I can’t wait for next season when we have the full Texan team. I am really excited about the prospect of working with Ben. What he did this weekend was amazing. By passing Dovizioso as well he did a great favour to Colin and a great job for our team. I also want pass on my heartfelt thanks to James for all his hard work since he joined us at the end of 2007. We’ve had some up and downs but he brought a lot to the team. He is a true gentleman and he has been one of the hardest working and highly motivated riders ever to be at Tech 3. He has plenty to proud of in MotoGP. He is staying in the Yamaha family and I would like to wish him all the best in 2010. I’m sure he will keep Yamaha on top in World Superbikes.”

The Tech 3 Team have unveiled its rolling chassis that will form part of the French team’s prototype Moto2 machine due to be raced in the new four-stroke world championship in 2010.

The bike has been designed and built at the team’s French headquarters, with the expertise and experience of MotoGP chief engineer Guy Coulon and data specialist Nicolas Goyon heavily influential in the project.
The Tech 3 Team will run a two-rider effort in the new Moto2 class, which will replace the current 250cc world championship in 2010. Team boss Herve Poncharal is currently in negotiation with several riders, and details of the Tech 3 line-up will be confirmed in the near future.

Tech 3 plans to give its new Moto2 machine a first public viewing at the season’s final race in Valencia next month.

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“I am delighted to unveil the new Tech 3 Moto2 rolling chassis, which is part of an exciting new chapter in the history of our team. All of us at Tech 3 are incredibly excited about participating in the new Moto2 class, which gives us a fantastic opportunity to show off the technical ingenuity we possess in our team. Having spent several months in the design and production stage, we are now looking forward to seeing the bike on track in the near future. Competing in Moto2 as well as continuing to work with Yamaha and Monster in MotoGP next year means we can look forward to challenging on two fronts in 2010 with a great sense of anticipation and optimism.”

Herve Poncharal and Tech-3 have now released an official confirmation that Ben Spies will join Colin Edwards for 2010. Herve Poncharal made the following statement:

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“I am delighted that Colin will remain with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in 2010. He has proved once again in 2009 that he remains one of the world’s best riders and he is a tremendous asset for Tech 3, Yamaha and Monster. Colin has been an integral part of our recent success and his dedication and impressive performances mean his new contract is thoroughly deserved. It also gives me great pleasure to welcome Ben to Tech 3. It’s a very exciting prospect having a rider of Ben’s calibre join our team. Everybody is aware that he is a rider with incredible talent and huge potential, which he has proved with some outstanding performances for Yamaha in World Superbikes this season. And I have no doubt that together with Tech 3, Yamaha and Monster that Ben will be a big success in 2010 in MotoGP. Colin and Ben together means Tech 3 will arguably field its strongest ever line-up and everybody in the team can look forward to 2010 with tremendous excitement and optimism. Finally I would also like to thank James Toseland. He has been one of the most determined and dedicated riders ever to work with Tech 3. I have nothing but admiration for James and it has been a privilege working with him. I wish him all the best for the future.”

However his Monster Yamaha Tech3 teammate Colin Edwards was not so lucky with the Texas Tornado making an early exit in a wild turn one crash.
Edwards was an innocent victim when hit from behind by Italian rider Alex de Angelis with Nicky Hayden also being bumped out of the race.

It was a frustrating outcome to a promising weekend with Edwards on the pace for top four place. It was the first time this season in which Edwards has not scored championship points and he has now slipped from fifth to sixth in the standings behind Andrea Dovizioso.

Toseland was also a victim of the messy first corner action which spread the field with the Briton settling in tenth position at the end of lap one after starting fourteenth. Toseland quickly matched his qualifying pace that showed he had the speed for a potential top six finish.

The race was watched by 55,000 spectators in glorious late summer weather with factory Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo finishing first and second.

Colin Edwards DNF – 123 points
“I thought I had the pace to easily be fourth and maybe fight with Pedrosa for a podium but we are in Italy and occasionally you have to deal with an Italian rider who wants to be a hero and today that was De Angelis. Turn one at the start with seventeen bikes is not the place to be going at race pace and he was never going to make through there. Today De Angelis is the guy who needed to be wearing Valentino’s donkey helmet. I didn’t know what happened until I was sliding through the gravel. Turn one is the most dangerous time to crash with so many bikes around you, it is unacceptable. I’ve been fighting with Dovizioso in the championship most of the season and now he has ten points on me with four races to go. That’s racing.”

James Toseland 10th – 78 points
“The incident at turn one really spilt the pack and I saw it all unfolding and it was unfortunate for Colin and Nicky to go out like that. I am not pleased with tenth place but I am pleased about my lap times in the race. I was matching Dovizioso and Capirossi except for the last five laps because I chose the softer tyre at the rear. We changed to a softer fork springs at the front for the race which made the bike smoother over the bumps and without that turn one incident I think I had a chance of tagging along for a top six finish. I found it difficult to find a comfortable setting this weekend and we went in circles a little while trying understand the new front geometry with this set-up, but the guys in the team did a great job. At the end I could see Capirossi ahead at every corner so I knew I was doing a good pace so it is frustrating when you can’t be up there fighting for a better result.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“It was a very disappointing day, Colin had the pace for at least fourth position although you have to see the chequered flag to get a result. Before the race I sat down with Colin and told him that it looks good for him but I was worried about the Gresini Honda riders who need to have good results. Alex de Angelis is a nice guy but this is not the correct way to go racing, he did not do it on purpose but this type of incident can be very dangerous. It is a pity because we have lost points in the team championship and now Colin is sixth in the riders’ championship. James lost ground early in the race but his lap times were very close to the battle for fourth and fifth place but he had too much ground to make up. Now we cross our fingers for better results in the final four races.”