Front row start in 250 cc for Mika Kallio at Mugello
Red Bull KTM 250 star Mika Kallio topped the time sheets
for most of the final 250 cc session. But he narrowly missed
the pole when three fast competitors overtook to leave him
on the front row in fourth place for Sunday's 250 cc Grand
Prix of Italy.
Kallio's team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama crashed early on in the
session and had to continue with his spare bike, but is nevertheless
confident for the race after finishing in tenth position.
Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM 250 - Fourth in 1:53.635)
"My plan was to immediately push for a good time right
from my first exit, and this worked out perfectly. I was on
top of the list for a long time. But it turned out to be too
difficult to get pole position because Aprilia is obviously
very fast and experienced on this track. They started with
a good set-up when we were still struggling, but considering
the weather and track conditions, we caught up rather quickly.
Barbera's lap time is unbelievable, but the others aren't
that far ahead of us, so I still think we can get a good result
if I can hang on to the front group from the beginning. The
first five laps will be crucial - if I can go at the same
pace as the fastest guys on these opening laps, the rest of
the race should be much easier!"
Hiroshi Aoyama (Repsol KTM 250 - Tenth in 1:54.516)
"I had quite a good feeling for the bike and started
the session with so much confidence that I opened the throttle
too hard and crashed! Unfortunately the bike suffered a lot
of damage so I had to continue with the second bike, which
carried different engine specs and didn't quite have the performance
of my number one bike. I could have gone faster in the end
and I thought I was lucky to get into Tom Lüthi's slipstream,
but he slowed me down rather than pulling me along. The race
tomorrow should be good - as I said, I had a really good feeling
with my number one bike which will be back in working order
for tomorrow!"
Harald Bartol (Technical Director)
We will push ahead with further development steps on our 250
bike, because our good results and Mika's position in the
world championship are no reason to rest. Aprilia has been
in this category for 20 years, and our project is just three
years old, so we have to make many development steps in the
shortest possible time. The race is going to be close and
exciting - even Barbera wouldn't have been as fast if he hadn't
been in Mika's slipstream when it counted!"
31.05.2008
De Rosa storms to Pole Position in the heart of enemy territory
Onde 2000 KTM rider Raffaele de Rosa on Saturday stormed to
his first ever pole position in Grand Prix racing on the beautiful
and challenging Mugello circuit, traditional testing ground
and territory of the Aprilia factory, Team
De Rosa succeeded in leaving reigning World Champion Gabor
Talmacsi and Frenchman Mike di Meglio, winner of the Le Mans
Grand Prix two weeks ago, in his wake. The 21-year-old from
Naples was racing for a top qualifying spot for Sunday's GP
in his home country and enjoying the benefit of a new chassis
for his KTM FRR 125, which made all the difference on the
fast and sweeping bends of the Tuscan track.
Just one second behind De Rosas's stunning best time, ISPA
KTM Aran rider Tomoyoshi Koyama qualified as the second best
KTM rider in tenth position, with the steadily improving Red
Bull KTM rider Randy Krummenacher following as third KTM 125
rider in ninetheenth position.
Raffaele de Rosa (Onde 2000 KTM 125 - Pole Position
in 1:58.302)
"Esteve Rabat was the first KTM 125 rider to try the
new chassis at the last race in Le Mans, and for my home Grand
Prix here in Mugello, I was the lucky one to get the second
unit that the racing department was able to complete. It seems
to be more rigid and transmits a much better feeling for the
bike and the tyres, and I immediately gained a lot of additional
confidence, especially under brakes and going into the turns.
On the last lap, I was able to get into Koyama's slipstream,
and managed to do a great lap time. To celebrate my first
ever pole position here at my home Grand Prix in Mugello is
just fantastic, and I want to thank all of my team and all
the guys at KTM who have done a great job. My thoughts are
also with KTM's Technical Manager Mario Galeotti who has been
ill and can't be here, but who is getting better every day
and will be back with us soon!
Randy Krummenacher (Red Bull KTM 125 - nineteenth
place in 2:00.341)
"I am 1.1 seconds faster than last year, so overall things
aren't too bad even though we still have a lot of work left
to do for tomorrow. I still have a problem at the corner entries
and lose some time. It would have even been possible to get
a faster time, but somebody got in my way at the chicane on
my last lap and slowed me down. I am only on the fifth row
of the grid now, but if can manage to gain ten positions at
the start like I did in Le Mans two weeks ago, I should be
okay!"
Harald Bartol (Technical Director)
"De Rosa's lap time proves that we are going the right
direction with the development of our bike. Our plan is now
to supply all of our 125 teams with at least one new chassis
in time for the British Grand Prix.
31.05.2008
Salom wins fourth of five Red Bull Rookies Cup races
Spain's road racing whiz kid Luis Salom on Saturday clinched
his fourth race victory in the 2008 Red Bull Rookies season
on the famous Mugello racing circuit.
Salom, who started from the back of the grid, has now won
four of the five races so far held. He fought a tough battle
for the victory with American JD Beach, who finished in second
place, a position he has achieved in every race so far this
season. Thirteen year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura, denied a
race opportunity in Le Mans in the last cup competition because
of age limitations, was third, underlining the riding skills
of the young competitor.
Tough race
Salom admitted it had been a tough race. "After the crash
in the first qualifying session the bike was wrecked and I
couldn't ride in the second. So I was eighteenth on the grid
and I just had to go as hard as I could from the start."
He slipped past most of the pack but Beach, who had led from
the start, had a four second lead and he had to push hard
to take the victory.
Beach disappointed
"I knew he was coming and I just tried to go as fast
as I could in the opening laps," JD said. "I guess
it wasn't fast enough because he caught up but I wasn't going
to let him go and it was a great race. Clearly disappointed,
he said he had plotted to pass Salom between the last chicane
and the final left hand corner but slid out and lost ground.
There was a three man struggle behind the leaders for fourth
place that finally went to 16-year-old Spaniard Daniel Ruiz
ahead of 15-year-old German Daniel Kartheininger.
Results
1. Luis Salom, Spain, KTM, 29:38.368
2. JD Beach, USA, KTM, 29:39.091
3. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM, 29:41.806
4. Daniel Ruiz, Spain, KTM, 29:53.228
5. Daniel Kartheininger, Germany, KTM, 29:53.266
Championship Standings (after five of ten races)
1. Luis Salom, Spain, 113 points
2. JD Beach, USA, 100 points
3. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, 63
4. Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, 57
5. Nelson Major, France, 55
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