planetearth
There Can Be Only One
Number of posts : 3271
Registration date : 2007-02-03
 |  Subject: Hopkins: 'Little Dani' too quick out of corners.  Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:27 am | |
| - Quote :
- Despite considerable pain from an injured wrist, John Hopkins outperformed highly-rated team-mate Chris Vermeulen all weekend in Qatar - and desperately deserved a debut MotoGP podium in Saturday's race.
The Anglo-American, spectacularly thrown from his Rizla Suzuki during pre-season testing at the same track, qualified sixth on the grid and had climbed to fourth - behind only Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner - by lap six of 21.
A small mistake by Pedrosa at the midway point put the Repsol Honda rider within Hopper's reach - and John spent the remainder of the first 800cc grand prix trying to extract a podium from the Spaniard, only to lose out by just half a second to the fast-accelerating factory Honda rider.
"Unfortunately Rossi and Stoner had a great pace and it was difficult to keep up with them [but] I stayed with Pedrosa and pushed him all the way till the end," confirmed Hopkins. "I tried to get past him on the last lap but he's so little he gets out of the corners so quick that I just couldn't get past him!"
Nevertheless, having missed the final pre-season test due to his wrist injury - which also left him in doubt for the first race - Hopkins was quick to see the positives: "I am really happy with the way the race went after coming to this event in quite a bit of pain. I was never sure how I'd ride or even if I'd ride! I've got to say thanks to the Team Physio Dean Miller and my trainer Johnny Louch for getting me fit enough to race here this weekend. It was also great to have my Mum here and my girlfriend Ashleigh, as they both helped me cope with the injury well. I am now ready to go to Jerez and hope to take that step up onto the podium!"
"John did everything - and more - that we wanted of him and I am sure he would have loved to have been on that podium," added team manger Paul Denning. "He had a good go on the last lap, but it wasn't going to happen without a massive risk and it was good to see him show maturity and bring the bike and himself home safely."
Meanwhile Vermeulen, who took his first MotoGP podium last season, never felt fully comfortable at the Losail circuit and finished lap one of the race where he'd qualified… in 13th. However, a determined effort saw the multiple WSBK race winner claim seventh, just in front of world champion Nicky Hayden, at the finish (lower picture).
"It was a difficult race starting so far back and I ran wide on the first turn and lost some more places. I started to get through the field even though it's not easy to pass on this track. I had a lot of work to do and was passing people quite hard and pushing the front tyre, which might have used the tyre up a bit too much early on, but I had to get past!" explained the Australian. "In the end I was trying to catch some quick guys and just couldn't get up to them. I ended up seventh which was obviously a lot better than last year, but we still have a lot to do. The plan is now to go to Jerez and win, but irrespective if we can go there and improve on this position it will be a good result."
"Chris has had a difficult weekend but showed what an asset he is by bringing the bike from 16th on the first lap to a very creditable seventh. That result will give him great confidence for the next few races and when he improves on his qualifying positions I am sure he will be challenging right up there," declared Denning. Crash.net | |
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