Team San Carlo Honda Gresini contested the final round of the MotoGP World Championship at Valencia today, with both Shinya Nakano and Alex De Angelis signing off in positive fashion. Despite lowly starting positions on the grid, both riders fought through the pack at a tight and twisty circuit to take seventh and tenth place respectively.
It was a satisfactory finish to the season for Shinya and Alex, who were able to thank their respective engineers for a year of hard work in sometimes difficult circumstances.
Preparations for 2009 begin in earnest tomorrow, with two days of tests at the Spanish circuit.
Shinya Nakano (7th): “I’m happy with seventh place today because it was important for me to get to the finish line, which is why I pushed hard but without taking too many risks. Considering that I started the race from fifteenth I had to be very focused to make up positions at the start, taking another couple of riders over the opening laps before catching Edwards, although it was difficult to get past him. We had gone for a hard tyre with an eye on the later stages of the race and I think we made a good choice. I’m satisfied with this season because over the final few races in particular we’ve had some good races and despite a couple of ups and downs I’m happy with how it’s all gone. I want to thank Team Gresini and my fans for their support and I will go away with great memories of the people I have had the pleasure to work with this season.”
Alex De Angelis (10th): “With the way this weekend started we’ve managed to finish it off in positive style so I’m happy. Tenth place is gratifying even though we were hoping for better. Unfortunately the weather here proved a real setback for us and our preparations for the race – especially because we lost our way a little in the las t races and we needed more time to sort the bike out. I want to thank everybody who has worked with me this season – they have all done everything they could to help me because for a rider the first year in MotoGP is always the most difficult. Tomorrow we start a new adventure on a new bike, with new technical staff, and I’m curious to see how the new season shapes up.”
Fausto Gresini - Team Manager: “This is the end of what hasn’t been an easy season for us but I’m happy with the results today. I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Shinya, who has worked with true dedication with us, and we wish him all the best for his future career. It has been an intense year but we hope to learn from it and improve in the future. A new chapter starts tomorrow and we’ll put 2008 behind us, no doubt looking back on a year that has been rich in emotion. I also want to thank Alex because during some hig hs and lows in his first season of MotoGP he has shown that he has lots of potential to tap into, which I’m sure will bring lots of success next season.”
