Rossi stuns with debut win

Valentino Rossi ripped up the MotoGP formbook with victory on his debut for Yamaha in the South African MotoGP.
The world champion, who joined the struggling team from Honda over the winter, held on after a tough race-long battle with Max Biaggi's Honda.

Spaniard Sete Gibernau was third and the only other man able to stay in touch with the leader in the first race of the new season.

World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson retired his Ducati on his MotoGP debut.

Rossi and Biaggi swapped the lead several times through the race, but Rossi made the decisive move with three laps to go.

The riders almost touched wheels as the Yamaha blasted past into the lead.

The magnitude of Rossi's performance was demonstrated by the other Yamaha riders in the race, with Norick Abe the next up in ninth place.

It was the company's first race win since Biaggi triumphed in the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Londoner Shane Byrne, of the Aprilia team, scored a point on his Grand Prix debut with 15th place, one spot ahead of his team-mate, Northern Ireland's Jeremy McWilliams.


125's

1 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Team Scot 40:34.318
2 Roberto Locatelli (ITA) LCR Aprilia 40:34.389
3 Casey Stoner (AUS) Red Bull KTM 40:36.521
4 Pablo Nieto (ESP) Master - Mxonda - Aspar Team 40:36.734
5 Mike Di Meglio (FRA) Racing World 40:46.630
6 Gino Borsoi (ITA) Racing World 40:47.588
7 Mirko Giansanti (ITA) Matteoni Racing 40:48.775
8 Steve Jenkner (GER) WWC 40:49.364
9 Alvaro Bautista (ESP) Seedorf Racing 40:59.163
10 Héctor Barberá (ESP) Seedorf Racing 40:59.584
11 Julian Simon (ESP) Angaia Racing 41:03.674
12 Mika Kallio (FIN) Red Bull KTM 41:07.452
13 Mattia Pasini (ITA) LCR Aprilia 41:07.555
14 Simone Corsi (ITA) Team Scot 41:08.000
15 Youichi Ui (JPN) Abruzzo Racing Team 41:11.295
16 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP) Derbi Racing Team 41:17.968
17 Stefano Perugini (ITA) Gilera Racing Team 41:19.548


250's

1 Daniel Pedrosa (ESP) Telefonica Movistar Honda 42:04.690
2 Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Aprilia 42:05.226
3 Sebastian Porto (ARG) Repsol - Aspar Team 42:10.549
4 Manuel Poggiali (SMR) MS Aprilia Racing 42:29.251
5 Alex De Angelis (SMR) MS Aprilia Racing 42:34.708
6 Alex Debon (ESP) Troll Honda BQR 42:35.343
7 Alfonso Nieto (ESP) Repsol - Aspar Team 42:36.148
8 Antonio Elias (ESP) Fortuna Honda 42:36.562
9 Roberto Rolfo (ITA) Fortuna Honda 42:36.630
10 Franco Battaini (ITA) Campetella Racing 42:40.333
11 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Telefonica Movistar Honda 42:41.108
12 Hector Faubel (ESP) Aspar Junior Team 42:41.554
13 Arnaud Vincent (FRA) Equipe de France - Scrab GP 42:43.795
14 Dirk Heidolf (GER) Aspar Junior Team 42:47.717
15 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Campetella Racing 42:56.183
16 Anthony West (AUS) Team Zoppini Abruzzo 42:56.389
17 Joan Olive (ESP) Campetella Racing 42:57.573
18 Naoki Matsudo (JPN) Yamaha Kurz 43:04.590
19 Hugo Marchand (FRA) Team Zoppini Abruzzo 43:07.509
20 Erwan Nigon (FRA) Yamaha Kurz 43:19.534


MotoGP

1 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 43:50.218
2 Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team 43:50.428
3 Sete Gibernau (ESP) Telefonica Movistar Honda 13:57.473
4 Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda 44:08.885
5 Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 44:14.312
6 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Marlboro Ducati 44:14.593
7 Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 44:19.073
8 Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team 44:26.753
9 Norick Abe (JPN) Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha 44:26.861
10 Carlos Checa (ESP) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 44:29.502
11 Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha 44:34.024
12 Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing 44:34.138
13 John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix 44:46.246
14 Troy Bayliss (AUS) Marlboro Ducati 44:46.776
15 Shane Byrne (GBR) Aprilia Grand Prix 45:04.049

Well done Valentino the guy proves, to anyone who might still have any doubts, that he is true class by riding the pig of a bike they call Yamaha YZR M1 to victory in it's first competititve outing beating Max Biaggi.

Colin Edwards in 7th

Must admit I did snigger when Neil Hodgson pulled off (I wish these guys didn't mouth off before getting in with the big boys)

*cough* claim to fame I used to know Neil as a kid, through a mate, that's how I got into a bit of racing myself - back then he was fine but now I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire - mind you it's not like I'll get chance

PMSL BB you are great, I often think.. is it me being too critical of someone .. but when I read replies like this I realise its not just me who thinks these things

Rossi was excellent again. I thought the 250's was the better 'race' though and the last few laps were stunning, well done to PeDrosa.

well done rossi :number1:

Well done Rossi

Did Rossi bring alot of engineers over to Yamaha with him? And what were Yamahas best results of last year?

They didn't get on the podium last year from what I remember. Rossi did bring some of his engineers with him, or more to say they followed him over.