The Fiat Yamaha Team head for the ante-penultimate instalment
of this year's MotoGP World Championship in Australia this
weekend in the knowledge that the title has slipped from their
grasp but with the clear focus of race wins and improved
performance from the YZR-M1 machine to come over the last
three rounds. Whilst the long-term target of the team has
switched to a stronger challenge for honours in 2008, there is still
the important matter of three race victories and the runner-up
spot in the championship up for grabs over the next month.
It was largely with this in mind that Valentino Rossi and Colin
Edwards put in a day of testing following the last round at Motegi,
with the pair completing valuable tyre work alongside Michelin
and Rossi getting the chance to try two new prototype chassis.
The breathtaking scenery of Phillip Island will certainly put the
bike and riders to the sternest of tests, with its sweeping and
flowing nature making for the ultimate challenge of machine
control and throttle accuracy, not to mention the sheer bravery
required from the rider. The track's exposed location on the cliffs
facing the Bass Strait means that weather is a constant focal
point, as proved to be the case last season, when intermittent
rain saw the flag-to-flag rule employed properly for the first time
in MotoGP.
Whilst Rossi and Edwards suffered mixed fortunes in the ensuing
tyre gamble - the Italian finishing on the podium but the Texan
crashing out of a race won by Marco Melandri - both riders boast
an impressive record at the Australian venue. Rossi had taken
MotoGP victory there for the previous five straight seasons,
adding to two earlier successes in the 250cc class, whilst Edwards
built up a strong record during his World Superbike career,
finishing on the podium on no fewer than eight occasions,
including a win in 2001.
Valentino Rossi - “Some great memories”
The Australian Grand Prix marks the start of an unusual season
finale for Valentino Rossi, who enters the final three races of a
campaign without any possibility of winning the world title for the
first time in his career. The Italian remains philosophical about his
current situation and highly... full story on yamaha-racing.com