Both factory Ducati riders left the British MotoGP feeling that much more could have been achieved in the race.

Nicky Hayden rode well and was battling for 3rd place for most of the race. Hayden came under pressure from Ben Spies towards the end of the race and rode a defensive final couple of laps in an effort to hold off his fellow American – however, Nicky went slightly wide in the final few turns of the final lap, and Spies didn’t need a second invite to dive through to snatch 3rd place.

Casey Stoner had a terrible start and immediately sank to the back of the grid after experiencing clutch problems on the grid. Stoner eventually regained his rhythm after a few laps and produced a stunning charge that saw him make up 10 positions to claim 5th place.

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati MotoGP Team) 4th
“It’s a pretty frustrating result because the team did a great job with the bike after the warm-up and it was a lot of fun to ride. Unfortunately I didn’t get a good start – we’ve been having some little clutch problems and didn’t get away well. The race was really fun, everybody was going back and forth, I was able to make some moves in the corners but just didn’t really have the top speed in the straights. It’s hard for me to dress this result up because I’m not happy to finish fourth again but the good thing is we were in the hunt again. We did something good with the bike today so hopefully it will work at Assen, a circuit I love.”

CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 5th
“I’m not happy with fifth place because we were capable of more today. I don’t know if we could have challenged Jorge for the win but we definitely found something in warm-up and made more improvements in the race, but we paid the price for a terrible start. As I let the clutch out the bike started jumping and hopping around and I had to pull the clutch in and go again, by which time everybody was past. The tyres were fresh on before the warm-up lap so in the early laps I had to be really careful before being able to start overtaking and I lost a lot of seconds. The race then was fun, we were able to find a good rhythm and to make our way forward but the time lost at the beginning prevented us by fighting for the podium.”

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI Team Manager
“Even though we didn’t make the podium I think both Nicky and Casey had a good race today. Casey paid the price for a very bad start when the bike jumped as he let the clutch out but he put together a great fight back and only missed out on the podium because he ran out of time. Still, he made ten overtakes in a very determined performance. Nicky also paid a heavy price for the only small mistake he made at the end, missing the podium as a result, but he was up there again at a new circuit, working well with the team to find a good set-up.”

Ben Spies stormed to a stunning debut MotoGP podium for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team this afternoon after a thrilling battle at the spectacular Silverstone circuit.

Competing in only his ninth MotoGP race, Spies was locked in an early battle with fellow rookie Marco Simoncelli for sixth place before he became embroiled in an epic fight for second place in front of 70,123 fans.

Spies passed Dani Pedrosa on lap nine and then launched a brilliant pursuit of the group in front dicing for second that included Andrea Dovizioso, Randy de Puniet and fellow American Nicky Hayden.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider stalked the trio before he began a breathtaking late attack, firstly overtaking de Puniet for fourth place on lap 17.

That clinical pass left Spies hounding Hayden’s Ducati and the 25-year-old timed his crucial attack to perfection, the Texan ignoring the discomfort of a small fracture in his left ankle that he aggravated in a big qualifying crash yesterday.

Spies produced a daring overtake on Hayden at the fast Abbey Corner on the final lap and then defended supremely under immense pressure to claim third and his first premier class rostrum.

The result moved Spies into seventh place in the overall world championship standings with 36-points and helped the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team close the gap on fourth place in the all-important Team World Championship classification.

Texan team-mate Colin Edwards rode a determined 20-lap race after a difficult weekend where he never found the optimum setting with his YZR-M1 machine.

He also encountered a repeat of the arm pump issue that hindered him at the last round in Mugello, but he was satisfied having rode to a creditable ninth position to maintain his record of scoring points in every race so far in 2010.

Ben Spies 3rd – 36-points
“I didn’t expect to get my first podium so quickly, especially after yesterday which wasn’t the best for me. I got a decent start but once I got by Dani and Simoncelli I just tried to stay on the back of the group battling for the podium. Once I realised I could stay in contention I just tried to save the rear tyre as much as I could and it all worked out. The last few laps I pushed as hard as I could and made some good passes and it is great for Yamaha and the Monster Tech 3 Team. I’m also pretty happy about it too and this is good for my confidence. That last lap was difficult to pass Nicky but I got a really good drive onto the back straight and tried to pass him at Stowe Corner but he came back by. On the next straight I managed to get by him and then had to ride quite defensively on the last part of the lap. I was on the edge but I had to go for the podium and it worked out. It will be hard to duplicate this but right now I’ll let it sink in and make the most of it. But on this day I can say I was the third best rider in the world and it is a good feeling.”

Colin Edwards 9th – 26-points
“I don’t want to be finishing in ninth at all but honestly I’m reasonably happy with the way I rode and it was a lot better than I expected after what has been a tough weekend. I’m still a fair way behind the top group but I had so many problems this weekend that even a top ten was looking like a difficult result to achieve. I didn’t leave anything out there and I went better than I did in qualifying but it was still not easy. The bike isn’t agile enough and having to muscle it around gave me a small arm pump problem, but not as bad as Mugello. If I could get the bike to go where I want it to go I could save lots of time, but we’ve got some ideas for the future. It was a bit of a lonely race but I rode as hard as I could for as long as I could. I want to congratulate Ben though because he did an awesome job and I’ve got nothing but admiration for him. He showed today what a great rider he is and it is great for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team to be back on the podium.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“We knew Ben really liked this circuit and we thought he could do a good race. But he rode an incredible race because he didn’t get a fantastic start but he was very aggressive in the first two laps and got himself into contention. He never let that group in front of him go away and we know his strength is on worn tyres, so we expected him to hang in until the end. He was quickest on track at one stage but I was worried a little bit because Casey was catching quite quickly. But he kept his cool and made some good passes and the best was on the last lap to beat Nicky. It his first podium in MotoGP and certainly not his last because he is such a bright talent for the future. I’d like to say thanks to Yamaha and to Bridgestone and also to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team because since the start of the season it has been a little bit up and down. But we’ve never stopped trying hard and today we got a big reward. Colin rode a steady race and as always he never stopped trying to improve his situation and we know better results will come for him soon. Now we look forward to Assen that both Colin and Ben like a lot and we are confident of another competitive weekend.”

Jorge Lorenzo laid waste to all competition at the British GP taking victory, and maintaining an 8 second lead for much of the race.

Despite Lorenzo vanishing into the distance, there was still a tense race that unfolded for the remaining podium positions – it culminated in a 5 rider battle that eventually saw Andrea Dovizioso take second, and Ben Spies taking his first MotoGP podium for 3rd place.

Casey Stoner had a terrible start and was swallowed up at the start of the race but managed to stage a stunning comeback that saw him claim 5th position. Nicky Hayden was left frustrated when he went wide on the final lap to let Spies through to snatch 3rd place from him.

1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 41m34.083s
2. Andrea Dovizioso Honda + 6.743s
3. Ben Spies Tech 3 Yamaha + 7.097s
4. Nicky Hayden Ducati + 7.314s
5. Casey Stoner Ducati + 7.494s
6. Randy de Puniet LCR Honda + 9.055s
7. Marco Simoncello Gresini Honda + 14.425s
8. Dani Pedrosa Honda + 15.313s
9. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha + 27.954s
10. Aleix Espargaro Pramac Ducati + 42.394s
11. Hector Barbera Aspar Ducati + 43.365s
12. Alvaro Bautista Suzuki + 43.408s
13. Mika Kallio Pramac Ducati + 43.580s

Retirements:

Loris Capirossi Suzuki 13 laps
Marco Melandri Gresini Honda 0 laps
Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda -

Moto2 Race Results:

1. Jules Cluzel Suter 39m19.472s
2. Thomas Luthi Moriwaki + 0.057s
3. Julian Simon Suter + 0.322s
4. Scott Redding Suter + 0.520s
5. Alex Debon FTR + 5.271s
6. Shoya Tomizawa Suter + 5.377s
7. Mike di Meglio Suter + 5.484s
8. Xavier Simeon Moriwaki + 5.709s
9. Dominique Agerter Suter + 10.240s
10. Toni Elias Moriwaki + 10.411s
11. Fonsi Nieto Moriwaki + 10.701s
12. Andrea Iannone Speed Up + 10.741s
13. Ratthapark Wilairot Bimota + 10.959s
14. Arne Tode Suter + 16.062s
15. Sergio Gadea Pons Kalex + 16.161s
16. Niccolo Canepa Scot + 24.118s
17. Anthony West MZ + 29.563s
18. Yuki Takahashi Tech 3 + 29.952s
19. Vladimir Ivanov Moriwaki + 30.218s
20. Lukas Pesek Moriwaki + 31.289s
21. Kenny Noyes Promo Harris + 31.423s
22. Kevin Coghlan FTR + 31.715s
23. Axel Pons Pons Kalex + 31.819s
24. Roberto Rolfo Suter + 35.447s
25. Bernat Martinez Bimota + 35.851s
26. Valentin Debise ADV + 42.924s
27. Robertino Pietri Suter + 51.566s
28. Raffaele De Rosa Tech 3 + 56.529s
29. Vladimir Leonov Suter + 58.361s
30. Claudio Corti Suter + 1m18.671s

Retirements:

Joan Olive Promo Harris 18 laps
Yonny Hernandez BQR 17 laps
Alex Baldolini ICP 17 laps
Karel Abraham FTR 17 laps
Hector Faubel Suter 17 laps
Mattia Pasini Motobi 16 laps
Gabor Talmacsi Speed Up 15 laps
Anthony Delhalle BQR 13 laps
Simone Corsi Motobi 1 lap
Stefan Bradl Suter 1 lap

The track is new to all riders, so many of the time-gaps between positions were more widely spaced than usual. Expect to see all times come down and stabalise as the weekend continues – at least that’s what Mika Kallio will probably be saying in the Pramac garage, as once again he saw his team-mate take a top 10 time whilst he finished at the back of the grid.

Good news for the Gresini Honda team as both Melandri and Simoncelli managed to finish inside the top 10.

Pos Rider Team Time Gap
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 2m05.991s
2. Casey Stoner Ducati 2m06.133s + 0.142s
3. Andrea Dovizioso Honda 2m06.347s + 0.356s
4. Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 2m06.439s + 0.448s
5. Ben Spies Tech 3 Yamaha 2m07.250s + 1.259s
6. Dani Pedrosa Honda 2m07.586s + 1.595s
7. Marco Melandri Gresini Honda 2m07.588s + 1.597s
8. Aleix Espargaro Pramac Ducati 2m07.927s + 1.936s
9. Marco Simoncelli Gresini Honda 2m07.951s + 1.960s
10. Nicky Hayden Ducati 2m08.300s + 2.309s
11. Hector Barbera Aspar Ducati 2m08.452s + 2.461s
12. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 2m08.525s + 2.534s
13. Alvaro Bautista Suzuki 2m08.666s + 2.675s
14. Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 2m09.639s + 3.648s
15. Loris Capirossi Suzuki 2m09.805s + 3.814s
16. Mika Kallio Pramac Ducati 2m10.227s + 4.236s

Nico Terol:
“As I keep saying I feel like I’m in really good shape this year so I can’t wait to get to Silverstone. It is a new track for everybody so this week I’ve been playing the F1 game on the Playstation just to get to know it a little. I think they have changed a couple of corners but a lot of the old circuit remains. It is a fast track with a lot of corners linked together, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy riding it. I always look forward to the faster tracks and I hope I can keep my form going there on Sunday. We had a great race in the end at Mugello so I hope to repeat that result at least, or even fight for the win. I am only thinking about winning at the moment and I can’t wait for my next chance this Sunday.”

Bradley Smith:
“This is a very exciting week for me because my home Grand Prix is coming up. Silverstone is very close to my house and it means a lot to me to be racing in front of my family and friends. It is going to be a fantastic weekend and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of support from the British fans. Silverstone is a new circuit for all of us – it looks like it will be fast so we need to work on the engine and make sure we have the top speed to compete. It is usually windy here too, so we will need to take that into account. I’m excited – I can’t wait to get there now and get to know the track properly. Over the first four races we have gradually clawed our way to the front and now we have the material and the motivation to fight for the win on Sunday.”

Check out the extended Bradley Smith interview on the British GP for more.

CASEY STONER
“I am really pleased that MotoGP is going to Silverstone. I raced there when I was living in England, before I started in the World Championship, but not on the current layout, which has been changed a lot for this year and there is really only one section left that I know. Anyway, it will be a fast circuit, one of the fastest on the calendar, and one of the most spectacular and I’m sure there’ll be a great atmosphere. I can’t wait to go there because I have always preferred Silvertsone to Donington Park. I think it will be more fun for the riders and for the fans too.”

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
“As far as I’m concerned this is the first time that the team goes to race at a new track so that will be a new experience for me. On paper Silverstone appears very fast and this is a characteristic that both the riders and the bike will enjoy but, having said that, there are certain variables that we have to bear in mind. From the weather, that forecasts say will be good but in England you never know, to the state of the asphalt, and also how quickly we’ll be able to find the right set-up. At Mugello last week we worked on some new set-up solutions that we may try at Silverstone or, depending on circumstances, during future race weekends”.

Andrea Dovizioso claimed an unexpected victory in last year’s wet and windy British GP at Donington, but Silverstone is a new track for all the riders, and with its fast layout it seems tailor-made for Dani Pedrosa to dominate the proceedings this weekend – assuming he can continue with the form he showed at Mugello.

Dani Pedrosa:
“We arrive at Silverstone in good shape after the victory in Mugello. We had a very good weekend in Italy and myself and the team need to make the most of it to maintain this momentum.

“I cannot say much about Silverstone. I’ve seen some races on video from the past to check the circuit a little bit, but they have made some changes and I think the layout is also a bit different compared to Formula One, so we will need to find out for ourselves.

“From what I’ve seen I can say it’s a fast circuit, high speed overall, with many right-hand corners which are taken with the throttle open. It looks like an old-fashioned circuit, maybe comparable to Assen before they shortened it.

“We will start on Friday without prior knowledge, but it’s the same for everyone so I hope we can adapt as quickly as possible to prepare for the race.”

Andrea Dovizioso:
“I’m really excited to go to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.

“We used to race at Donington Park, which was a track that I really liked and where only myself and Valentino (Rossi) had won in all the Grand Prix classes – 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP. But despite this I’m very much looking forward to Silverstone.

“It’s a new track for everyone and we have no previous reference data for the circuit, which gives us one more challenge for the race weekend.

“From the layout, it seems a very fast track and this could be favourable for our RC212V, but we will have to wait and see first hand to get a true idea of how we’re going to perform.

“We arrive at this race in very good shape, with three podiums from four races, and we’re feeling especially good after the podium at Mugello – my home race – because this was really significant for me.

“Now we have to take another step forward because on Sunday I want to fight for the win.”

British MotoGP fans have always had a soft spot for Valentino Rossi, and his inability to race at Silverstone this weekend will have disappointed many (although if Silverstone PR is to believed, Rossi’s injury has not significantly dented tickets sales).

The Fiat Yamaha team are ensuring that Rossi will be there in spirit however, and are planning to set up his garage and display his two bikes as normal, even though all pressure will be on Jorge Lorenzo to fly the lone flag for the team.

Silverstone is a new track for all riders, and Jorge Lorenzo has stated that he is planning on taking his scooter out at the earliest opportunity to start committing the layout to memory.

Lorenzo talks below about his goals for Silverstone, and about his recent trip to the Isle of Man TT race.

Jorge Lorenzo – “I want to keep improving”
“After Mugello we arrive at Silverstone, a track that none of us know! I will do some laps with the scooter on Thursday; I don’t always do this but I think it’s very important because so far I’ve only seen the track on the Play Station and it’s changed quite a lot. My aim is once again to get on the podium, but I was disappointed after Mugello and I want to do a better race in England. I am happy with my lead in the standings but I want to keep improving and this weekend we will try to find some more traction for my M1. Last week I went to the Isle of Man to see the TT, which was an incredible experience and I even rode a lap, but quite slowly! On Wednesday I will go to Lord’s Cricket Ground for a press conference and it will be the first time I’ve seen cricket, because we don’t play in Spain. I think it will be interesting to discover this sport, and maybe even play! Finally I want to send again my best wishes to Valentino, I am glad he is recovering well and we will miss him in these busy weeks.”

Wilco Zeelenberg – “An exciting new track”
“We’ve had a great start to the season and it is exciting to be leading the championship at this stage. Now we head to a new track for MotoGP and personally I am looking forward to it as I raced there myself when I was younger! The track has been changed quite a bit but it looks like it’s going to be great for our bikes so we’re looking forward to Friday. Of course our team will miss Valentino but we wish him all the best and look forward to having him back as soon as possible.”