Yamaha Red Bull De Carli’s Tony Cairoli was simply immense to dominate both practice sessions, seal pole position, win both motos for his second MX1-GP career victory and his first as a full-time campaigner in the category and take the lead in the 2009 title chase. With Utag Yamaha’s Zach Osborne clinching a maiden victory in the MX2-GP class and MX1-GP World Champion David Philippaerts also climbing the rostrum, the Grand Prix of Turkey and the third round of the 2009 FIM MX1-GP World Championship was a memorable day for Yamaha and YZ technology. The YZ450F and YZ450FM have captured all three of the MX1-GP meetings held to-date.
Under cloudy skies and through cold, gusting winds the private Hezarfen airport, twenty kilometres west of the sprawling metropolis of Istanbul, entertained the first ever visit of the FIM series to Turkey and was attended by 30,000 spectators.
A newly-constructed jumpy and technical track awaited the paddock and was partially welcomed after high speed tests in Italy and Bulgaria in recent weeks. The twisty nature of the layout was formed by a terrain that varied in softness and degrees of grip and appealed to some rider’s tastes while leaving other protagonists sceptical of the overall quality of the track. The open setting of the location a few metres from the expanses of the Marmara Sea - drawing comparisons to Australia’s Phillip Island road racing circuit - meant that winds, as well as a scenic backdrop permeated the event.
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Cairoli immediately gelled with the course that was designed by the same track builder as Donington Park; the scene of Cairoli’s impressive wild-card maiden MX1-GP appearance and sensational win in 2007. The Sicilian manoeuvred his YZ450F in typically flamboyant and spectacular fashion across the curves and leaps to take his first pole position in the category by winning the Qualification heat under sunny skies and ahead of Yamaha Monster Energy MX team’s Philippaerts on Saturday. In the motos he ran away from the figures of Steve Ramon and Kevin Strijbos during the first outing and then engaged in an entertaining battle with Philippaerts and Ramon in the second sprint before celebrating his first triumph of the 2009 season, his second MX1-GP spoils in just four appearances and the first double since the MX2-GP of Portugal last April.
Philippaerts fiddled with his set-up on Saturday and although he had to work from a half-decent start in Moto1 to take 4th in what was a processional affair, he could fight with Cairoli in the latter race and captured 2nd place for his first set of silverware in 2009.
Bulgarian Grand Prix winner Josh Coppins struggled to get to grips with the track and scored two 8th positions for 7th overall. Italian Grand Prix winner Tanel Leok had a crash in Moto1 and crossed the finish line in 19th. He had a better start in Moto2 and rode to 5th for 10th by the end of the day.
After the first fifth of the calendar the world championship standings reveal Cairoli is now the red-plate holder by 4 points from Ken De Dycker. Philippaerts is 3rd and 10 points away from his countryman. Coppins is 4th to complete three Yamaha riders in the leading group. Leok rests in 7th. Yamaha still head the Manufacturers table, now by 16 points over their nearest rival.
After three races in three weeks the world championship will now pause. In a fortnight’s time round four will take place in the technical sand of Valkenswaard, Holland, for the Grand Prix of Benelux.
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Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 1st:
“This is unbelievable and I never expected to have the red plate after three Grand Prix. I have been feeling good on the bike, already from Bulgaria last week, but the difference here was two good starts and I enjoyed my riding today. I had a good feeling with the track and actually had a lot of fun in the second moto with the fight with David; I am sure all our fans in Italy liked that one.”
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