Randy De Puniet and Loris Capirossi will line up next to each other on the grid for tomorrow’s Malaysian MotoGP after qualifying 11th and 12th respectively.

This will be the penultimate race in Pramac Ducati colours for both riders as it was confirmed today that Hector Barbera will join the team in 2012. Barbera has passed up on a CRT option for 2012 and will be the sole rider in a one bike Pramac Ducati team.

Randy De Puniet is stongly suspected to be signing a contract that will bring him back to the LCR Honda team for 2012.

Here is what De Puniet and Capirossi made of the swealtering hot qualifying session at Sepang:

Randy De Puniet – 11th
“I am a little disappointed because I was faster yesterday and today, despite several changes, we could not keep the same level. Compared to winter testing we are not too far away from the other riders and this is a good sign, but tomorrow will still be a complicated race. With the back of the bike I am quite comfortable, though now we will investigate further tomorrow something to help me during tomorrow’s race. It will be tough, it’s hot, but we need another good result and we will give it all.”

Loris Capirossi – 12th
“I am not happy today because we could be at least in the top ten. We tried a new solution because the track had deteriorated, but it did not go as hoped. So during the last attempt at the end we returned to this morning set-up and we were able to improve. Tomorrow we can have a good race because the race pace is good. Then everything will of course depend on the weather!”

Both riders give their thoughts on the race below:

Randy De Puniet 6th
“I am very happy with how it went today. Yesterday we were very unlucky in qualifying session and today things have turned in our favor. At the beginning of the race I lost a little time to overtake Loris, but once I made it, while trying to reach Edwards and Hayden, a little bit of rain made me go wide and this made me lose about ten seconds. So I fought with the group for the ninth position until four laps left in the race when the rain was back on the track. I saw the other riders go as fast as if the track was dry and so I saw them slipping in front of me one by one. In addition, some rider have returned to the pits to change bikes, but I had confidence to continue with the bike with dry set up and this helped me to conclude in an excellent sixth place!”

Loris Capirossi 9th
“I started well but after a few laps between the pain at my shoulder and the weather changing I tried to manage the race to complete it. When there was four laps left I felt heavy heavy rain coming down just before the final straight and then I thought it was appropriate to enter the pits to change bike. Unfortunately it ended up not being the right choice because I probably could have finished the race a couple of positions ahead, but the ninth is still satisfactory considering my physical condition.”

Capirossi was still striggling with his shoulder injury throughout the session, and Randy De Puniet suffered technical problems that forced him to use his second bike – despite this, both riders still managed to out-qualify Valentino Rossi on the factory Ducati who ended the session in 13th position

Marco Rigamonti – Randy De Puniet Track Engineer
“A pity as I am sure Randy could have conquered ad least the third row. We had some technical complication while starting bike number one and as there wasn’t much time left we decided to go for bike two. Randy didn’t have the same feeling and needed more time to adjust to the second bike, but anyway the results registered by him today and yesterday’s give us good hopes for tomorrow’s race.”

Loris Capirossi – 10th
“It was hard today as the shoulder gives me pain. Also at the end I had the time to try another fast lap but I choose to stay where I was, which is anyway a good place. The bike reacts well on this track even if in some part we must improve. The Team has also worked really and today I enjoyed again riding. It has been rare this year to have fun while riding, but I hope I will have some other chances before the end of the season.”

Randy De Puniet – 11th
“The plan was to push at the beginning in case it was going to rain during the practice. We did well and were fast straight away being up front in the first six positions for a while. The weather kept dry and when it was time to use the last two soft tires we found some problems starting bike number one, the one I was using. So we had to switch to bike two and the feeling wasn’t the same. We were quite unlucky as I am quite positive the third row was a sure thing. Hopefully we will get back the luck we miss out today during the race!”

Capirossi stated that he was riding at about 85% of his fitness level.

Randy De Puniet gave the Pramac Ducati team a positive start with a 10th place finish overall.

Marco Rigamonti – Randy De Puniet Track Engineer
“Today has been a good of practice for us. The most important thing for us is the feeling that our rider give us and Randy is quite positive. He has done a really good job achieving good lap times while all alone in the track. This means that he has the possibility to fight for important positions in both, tomorrow qualification and Sunday’s race. We will give him maximum support to be as fast as possible.”

Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – 10th in 1’31.670
“Not a bad way to begin the weekend. In the last few races we were quite competitive since the beginning but than we couldn’t manage to achieve good result during the race. I hope this time it will be different and that Sunday we can conquer something important for me and for my Team. It will be important for us because in the next race, in Malaysia, it will surely be much more difficult to be as competitive as here.”

Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team
- 15th in 1’32.052
“I was curious to see how my physical condition were and I have to say that I am quite satisfied. The shoulder does still give me pain and I am at 85 % at this moment. Not so bad but each lap I will ride the more painful it will be. Anyway I should be able to finish the weekend without too many complications. Bike wise this morning things seem good and in the afternoon we couldn’t improve as we expected also because the temperature was a bit cooler. Tomorrow things may change with the weather and this would surely mix the cards around.”

But it was true – Randy De Puniet got off to a flying start at Aragon and reached as high a third on the timesheets before finishing the qualifying session in 10th. For a large part of the session Randy De Puniet was in formidable form on his satellite Ducati. His fastest lap of 1:49.826 even came on a hard tyre.

Unfortunatly for De Puniet, he was unable to find any faster laps when he switched to soft tyres, and slid back down to 10th position as the rest of the riders jostled for positions in some late surges.

Randy De Puniet – 10th:
“It’s a shame how things went, but that’s how it goes. I gave my all both this morning and this afternoon. I’m tenth, just a few tenths from the sixth and seventh positions. I wasn’t able to do a lap like I needed with the soft tire; just consider that my best time was set with the hard. I would have liked to start from the third row, but anyway, my starting spot isn’t so terrible. I’m convinced that I can have a good race.”

Marco Rigamonti – Randy De Puniet’s Engineer
“It’s a shame, because we did a good time with the hard tire. Randy made a few mistakes with the soft tire, and he told us he could have cut off at least three tenths. We could have started from the third or even the second row. Anyway, the important thing is to start well tomorrow, in the race. The race pace is good, as is the rider’s feeling with the bike.”

Loris Capirossi – 16th:
“What a nice track, and even if the results suggest otherwise, I was able to improve my time quite a bit. Having one less session hurt us a little more than the other riders, who already knew the track. I’m sure that tomorrow I’ll manage to further lower my time, and since we’re all very close, anything can happen. For being here for the first time, it didn’t go so badly.”

Despite recently announcing his retirement, Loris Capirossi heads to Aragon for this weekend’s MotoGP as one of the new boys on the track – Capirossi was forced to miss the race last last year due to injury.

Loris Capirossi:
“At 38 years old, and a few races away from my retirement, it’s funny to think of myself as a newcomer. It will be my first time at Aragon, as I missed last year’s race. It will be interesting to get to know another track, but of course I’ll be starting off with a disadvantage compared to the other riders. I’ll give it my all, like always. I want to finish out my career with a smile.”

Randy De Puniet:
“I’m still a little disappointed for the misstep at Misano. After the nice race at Indy, I thought I could do it again in Italy, but something didn’t go right. We must do a good job and try to immediately find the right setup for the bike at Aragon. I like the track, which is very complex and technical. I want to get a nice result.”

Loris Capirossi had a dismal weekend at what would be his final MotoGP race in Italy.

It was an emotional weekend for Loris Capirossi at Misano – he used the weekend to announce that he would be retiring from racing at the end of the current season, and that Misano would be his final competitive race in Italy.

His final home-race turned into one that he would never forget – for all the wrong reasons. Capirossi was forced to return to the pits just after the race had started due to sprocket and chain issues, and by the time he returned back out on track he was in a very lonely last place.

With no hope of even catching up with the back-markers, Capirossi returned to the pits to retire from the race with 20 laps to go.

Video tribute to Loris Capirossi:

Loris Capirossi:
“It’s an important moment in my career, and the decision I made has come about after a lot of reflection. I’m happy that after 25 years, of which 22 were in the world championship, I’m at a point where I can still have a smile on my lips as I part ways, even if it’s difficult to think that I won’t be riding a bike next year. I must think the many, many people who over the years have followed me, encouraged me, motivated me. That includes Team Pramac, who gave me my final opportunity to race a motorcycle. I’m sorry that I haven’t brought home good results this year, but I’m confident for the final part of the championship. Motegi, Phillip Island, and Sepang are my favorite tracks, and I’ve won many races there. It will be difficult to get my hundredth podium, but I’ll fight to the end. As for my future, I still don’t have clear ideas. The only sure thing is that I won’t be a racer anymore. In life, it’s not easy to make these decisions, especially after so many years. Still, I’m sure that my new life will be thrilling, just like the one before it was.”

Can’t see this weekend ending well for the team……..doggedly optimistic rider and team quotes below:

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Technical Director

“We come to Brno after a break of a couple weeks, although our two riders, Loris Capirossi and Randy De Puniet, certainly won’t be at 100%. Loris continues to undergo daily therapy on his shoulder. After the miracle at Laguna Seca, where he managed to finish the race, there’s hope that he’ll be better. Randy’s condition is still uncertain. The fractures that he suffered are quite painful, but he has the will to race. He’s not taking anti-pain medication these days, but maybe he will if he decides to ride. Brno is a very nice circuit, even if there are some particular spots to consider—fast changes of direction, so the bike will have to be stable.”

Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team rider
“Unfortunately, the shoulder problem is persisting. The doctor said I should undergo surgery, but I’ll only consider that after the championship. For now I’m undergoing therapy every day. For Brno I hope to continue improving my physical condition. I’ve rested during this two-week break, which I really needed. I want to ride well and to finally have a good result. The Czech track is one of my favorites, so hopefully I’ll manage that.”

Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team rider
“Missing the race at Laguna Seca was very difficult for me to accept, especially after the hard work carried out during practice and qualifying. During the past couple of weeks, I visited the doctor to better understand the situation with my pelvis. Fortunately, there are no fractures, but the pain still hasn’t gone away. I underwent, and am still undergoing, daily therapy in order to be ready for Brno. The bike had responded well to input in recent races, and it would be a shame not to take full advantage of this positive moment for us with the bike.”

Guintoli’s recent test on the Ducati wasn’t especially inspiring, but will an injured Capirossi be any faster? We’ll find out at Germany.

Loris Capirossi:
“I feel better, but my physical condition are still not acceptable. I’m doing daily physical therapy sessions at the medical center IM2S of Monaco. I already missed two races, that Mugello the most important for me. I want to ride my bike as soon as possible”.