Front row start for Mika Kallio in Estoril
Red Bull KTM 250 star Mika Kallio battled to a front row
position for tomorrow's Portuguese Grand Prix, and is now
aiming to add another podium finish to his recent string of
successes.
The 25-year-old Finn, winner of the last round in Spain two
weeks ago, had hoped for even better than fourth place in
Saturday's final qualifying, but ran out of time in the evaluation
of different set-up options for the new KTM chassis.
Aoyama optimistic
Kallio's Japanese team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama secured a second-row
start with sixth place, and shares Kallio's optimism for the
race, provided the team is able to make some more changes
to the bike, planned for Sunday's warm-up session. Spanish
Repsol KTM 250rider Julian Simon, who held an impressive sixth
place in Friday's first qualifying, suffered two falls in
this morning's free practice session. He finished in eleventh
place. Simon remains confident for the race saying his overall
feel for the bike continues to improve.
Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM 250 - fourth in 1:40.772)
"A front row position is certainly not a bad practice
result, but after yesterday's good start, where we seemed
to be fast and consistent straight away, I honestly expected
a bit more than fourth place. But we had a small technical
problem with the bike this morning, which cost us valuable
time and the opportunity to come up with another set-up. With
the setting we have now, I trail my fastest competitors by
about half a second per lap, and I simply can't push any more
without risking a crash. But on normal race tyres tomorrow,
the gap to the fastest guys will be less obvious. Even though
we didn't quite get to where we wanted to be in practice,
I am still very confident for the race. With a little luck,
I might even be able to fight for victory again!"
Hiroshi Aoyama (Red Bull KTM 250 - 6th in 1:41.228)
"From this morning to this afternoon, we changed the
set-up of my bike completely, and I managed to improve by
1.3 seconds, which is good. The feeling for the bike has certainly
improved, but we still are not running at a 100 per cent of
our possibilities, and the other guys have improved as well.
We will try a few more things in the warm-up tomorrow morning,
but nothing too radical, because we don't want to risk what
we've achieved so far. More than anything, I hope for a good
start like two weeks ago in Jerez!"
Julian Simon (Repsol KTM 250 - 11th in 1:41.820)
 "Despite
the tricky weather conditions yesterday, we found a good set-up
for the bike and were competitive straight away. But today,
we ran into difficulties. I crashed twice this morning, and
when we mounted a soft tyre compound for a good qualification
time this afternoon, I felt that I was very close to crashing
again. I had a couple of nasty slides and was forced to back
off. Now I am eleventh on the grid, but this doesn't reflect
our real potential - with a good start, I should be able to
fight within the front runners!"
Harald Bartol (Technical Director)
"Mika is fast, but as soon as he tries to push even harder
in order to keep the pace of the fastest Aprilia riders, he
runs into trouble. There is no problem with our bike, we just
have to face the fact that we've arrived here with no previous
data for our new chassis, and that we would have needed more
dry track time to find the best possible set-up. We don't
really know how tyre wear will affect us over the race distance,
either. But I am full of confidence in Mika - if there is
a chance, he will push for victory, and if he has to settle
for safe points, he will do that without taking unnecessary
risks!"
Results qualifying 2
1. Marco Simoncelli, Italy, Gilera
2. Alvaro Bautista, Spain, Aprilia
3. Mattia Pasini, Italy, Aprilia
4. Mika Kallio, Finland, KTM
6. Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan, KTM
11. Julian Simon, Spain, KTM
12.04.2008
Koyama leads KTM 125 cc line-up going into Estoril GP
Japanese rider Tomoyoshi Koyama of the Team ISPA KTM Aran
was the fastest KTM on the Estoril racing circuit during qualifying
for Sunday's Grand Prix, the third of the current season.
Koyama was eleventh fastest in the second qualifying and now
look like he will be able to put a disappointing start to
the season behind him. Koyama's result is proof that a lot
of extra work on chassis and suspension settings has finally
paid off. The diminutive Japanese, who rode last season in
the Red Bull KTM Factory Team held a strong fifth place in
Friday's first qualifying session. Even though he was pushed
back in the order during the dying moments of Saturday's final
practice he is determined to turn the race on one of his favourite
circuits to success.
Tomoyoshi Koyama (ISPA KTM Aran 125 - Eleventh in
1.46.448)
"We've tried to look at what slowed us in the first races
of the season and came up with a new chassis set-up that helps
me a lot. I was fast yesterday, even though I eventually got
onto a wet spot on the track and crashed. Today my feeling
with the bike has improved even more. With just a little bit
of extra top end power, I could have achieved a front row
starting position. But never mind, I really look forward to
the race - Estoril is one of my favourite circuits, I have
done well here in the past and I hope to have a good race
tomorrow!"
Red Bull KTM 125 rider Randy Krummenacher recovering
well
Randy Krummenacher is home in Switzerland and is recovering
well from his emergency surgery for a ruptured spleen that
was carried out at the time of the Spanish Grand Prix two
weeks ago. The Swiss teenager incurred the injury during a
mountain bike accident while back home in between the Qatar
and the Spanish GPs. He will start with some light and supervised
fitness training in the Red Bull training centre in the Austrian
town of Fuschl next week.
Results Second Qualifying 125 cc
1. Simone Corsi, Italy, Aprilia
2. Steview Bonsey, USA, Aprilia
3. Nicolas Terol, Spain, Aprilia
4. Danny Webb, Britain, Britain, Aprilia
11. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Japan, ISPA KTM Aran 125
14. Pablo Nieto, Spain, Onde 2000 KTM
16. Raffaele de Rosa, Italy, Onde 2000 KTM
18. Esteve Rabat, Spain, Repsol KTM 125 cc
26. Marc Marquez, Spain, Repsol KTM 125 cc
28 Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy, ISPA KTM Aran 125
12.04.2008
Hiura takes Red Bull Rookies Cup in Portugal
Thirteen-year old Daijiro Hiura rode to victory from pole
to checkered flag on the Estoril circuit on Saturday in the
Red Bull Rookies Cup 2008.
But three riders charged the finish line together with the
young Japanese triumphing over JD Beach and Sturla Fagerhaug.
The American and the Norwegian, both more experienced at 16
years, had looked set to snatch the race when Hiura slipped
past in the final lap.
"The bike was great and I was able to win but I know
I made some mistakes," Huira said. "I took the lead
a few times but I was not perfect and I was passed again.
Even half way round the last lap I made a mistake but I pushed
and pushed and went up the inside on the brakes. I just made
it."
Beach and Fagerhaug exchanged the lead but were unable to
shake off the determined Hiura. Beach has now been on the
minor podium lace in all three races and is second in the
standings behind Cup leader Luis Salom. The Spaniard started
back at 19 on the grid but charged through the field and finished
in a very creditable fourth place. Salom won both of the opening
races in Spain.
Results Race Three
1. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM
2. JD Beach, USA, KTM
3 Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway KTM
4 Luis Salom, Spain KTM
5 Nelson Major, France, KTM
Cup Standings
1. Salom 63 points
2. Beach 60
3. Hiura, 47
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