Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team rider Claudio Corti scored a strong fifth in the first race of the 2008 season, after an exciting three rider fight for the last podium place that lit up the final few laps of the race.
Corti, now also a test rider for the Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team, took his near-stock Yamaha YZF-R1 to the limit in the final few turns, but in a contest that could have went any of three ways he finished just behind Xavier Simeon and Alessandro Polita.
Sylvain Barrier riding for the YZF Yamaha Junior Team scored two point in his opening race, starting from 20th position and finshing in 14th.
Claudio Corti (Position: 5th - Time: +0'7.680 - Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team)"I'm satisfied with fifth place because it is a long season and my goal is the championship, not one race. We had some problems with the front fork settings and the bike felt a little sensitive on the straights sometimes. Third would have been possible but I was not helped after colliding with Simeon.It was a tight and great fight in the last few laps but unfortunately I could not finish third."
Sylvain Barrier (Position: 14th - Time: +0'24.896 - YZF Yamaha Junior Team)"I had a good start and I was 12th in the early stages. I tried to have the same rhythm than my opponents but I had a difficult feeling with the tyres. I had some chattering on the back. I liked a lot to race with the other riders."
Circuit Length: 4005
Temp: 21
Weather: Sunny
Superstock - Valencia - Race 1 - 13 Laps:1. Brendan Roberts - Ducati - AUS 21'17.585
2. Davide Giugliano - Suzuki - ITA 0'3.795
3. Xavier Simeon - Suzuki - BEL 0'6.865
4. Alessandro Polita - Suzuki - ITA 0'7.272
5. Claudio Corti - Yamaha - ITA 0'7.680
6. Michele Pirro - Yamaha - ITA 0'11.646
7. Maxime Berger - Honda - FRA 0'13.281
8. C Seaton - Suzuki - AUS 0'17.294
9. Barry Burrell - Honda - GBR 0'17.487
10. Michele Magnoni - Yamaha - ITA 0'18.254
11. Fabrizio Perotti - Suzuki - ITA 0'19.910
12. Freddy Foray - Yamaha - FRA 0'24.142
13. Kenny Foray - Yamaha - FRA 0'24.451
14. Sylvain Barrier - Yamaha - FRA 0'24.896
15. Yoann Tiberio - Kawasaki - FRA 0'24.934
Best Lap: Brendan Roberts - Ducati - AUS 1'36.610
Rider Standings:1. Brendan Roberts - Ducati - AUS 25
2. Xavier Simeon - Suzuki - BEL 16
3. Alessandro Polita - Suzuki - ITA 13
4. Claudio Corti - Yamaha - ITA 11
5. Michele Pirro - Yamaha - ITA 10
6. Barry Burrell - Honda - GBR 7
7. Freddy Foray - Yamaha - FRA 4
8. Sylvain Barrier - Yamaha - FRA 2
Manufacturer Standings:1. Ducati 25
2. Suzuki 16
3. Yamaha 11
4. Honda 7
