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Disappointment all round for Tech 3 Yamaha

Author: MotoGP Press
Posted on: Sunday, Oct 19 2008



Not even a best-ever result in Malaysia for Colin Edwards could keep the American happy, coming after he had made a rapid-reflex start to the race. James Toseland was even less impressed with his own race, having crashed out early on his first Grand Prix visit to Sepang.













Colin Edwards - Eighth

I thought IŽd got a good start and I must have done because I nearly tangled with Jorge off the line and he was on the front row. It was pretty close but luckily we didnŽt touch. But at the first corner people started coming around me and there was a bit of bumping and barging and I lost a couple more places. Nakano and Capirossi came by but in the first eight laps I felt pretty good and I got into the high 2.02s. I was right on the back of the bunch but I felt like I was losing a bit on acceleration. As much as IŽd close up on the brakes, IŽd lose coming onto the back straight and the front straight. It was so hot and the track temperature was so high that the balance of the bike changed around the halfway point. Once the rear grip goes down a bit, it stops transferring weight on the front. When Jorge crashed I almost went down in the exact same circumstances going into the first corner because the rear tyre wasnŽt holding as well as it did at the start of the race and it wasnŽt driving the front tyre into the track. And when that happens it is hard to turn the bike. That was my issue and after that it was difficult. I kept my head down and tried to push because I could still see the group in front. But I couldnŽt get any pace going coming out of the corners and I made a couple of little mistakes. IŽm really disappointed even though it is my best result ever at this race. But eighth is well below where I want to be. I leave here knowing I did the best I could do and I hope I can give the team and Yamaha a strong finish in Valencia next week before we starting looking to 2009.Ž


James Toseland - DNF

`Things never clicked from the start of the weekend, although this morning we found a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. But getting it nearly right on Sunday morning means you don't have time to get a proper feeling with the setting and we made a big change with the front. We raised the front and got it to steer better because that was the main issue we had. It was causing me a problem on the brakes and entry and that was messing me up for the rest of the corner. I could brake better and it made the bike more balanced for the entry and exit. Qualifying 12th though makes it tough, especially here and I got boxed in a bit at the first corner. I braked after everybody else and made a couple of places up but ran wide and then it was a real dogfight. I was having a close battle with de Puniet and West but then when I picked up my pace I went down. I had to run a harder front tyre to make the race distance and I think it just needed another lap to get the temperature in it. I just pushed it too hard and lost the front at turn six. I paid for pushing too hard trying to make up the time IŽd lost. I was confident after this morning when I was eighth and we'd make progress with the bike, so it is a bit disappointing. But IŽll be going all out to make amends in Valencia and finish on a high.Ž


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