Estoril MotoGP – M. Biaggi: 'Right now I don't want to think about the world championship'

Second step of the podium for Makoto Tamada and his yellow Camel Honda RC211V. The weekend, which saw him achieve his first pole in MotoGP yesterday, ended on a positive note with a brilliant second place in the race. Max Biaggi had a tough and unlucky day, out on the first lap due to contact with an opponent. A scoreless race that weighs on the World rankings where the gap from the top extends to 51 points.

Pons site – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“A very unfortunate race for Max and for the title challenge. Max had the pace to fight for the win but instead his chances ended on the first lap and took us away from the title challenge and this is today's biggest disappointment. In any case, our team achieved a good second place with Makoto Tamada who led an excellent race. Now we are concentrating fully on the next races, to fight until the end of the championship and make up for the lost points."

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – Out of the race on the first lap
“Obviously I am very disappointed with what happened today even if, with gritted teeth, I accept that the races can also give these verdicts. It was certainly an involuntary accident triggered by a misunderstanding on the first lap with Capirossi. He probably was very keen to do the first lap in front of everyone as we could already see at the first corner after the start. Later in another braking section he widened out a lot, going decidedly off the trajectory with which that curve is set. I was immediately behind and, since Loris was very wide, as well as slow, I maintained my line while he closed with decision. To avoid leaning on him, I clamped the brakes so hard that the rear wheel went up. We still touched and I fell. It's a shame, today I was in a position to have a good race. At the moment I don't want to think about the world championship, it seems obvious to me that the situation is very difficult. There are still five races left, let's wait to see what happens."

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“We are very happy with Makoto's race, there was even a moment when we thought Makoto was able to catch up to the race leader. The tires really took a step forward and the set-up of the bike was very good. We are looking for that consistency of performance that allows us to grow even more, those three, four seconds on the total time of a race that would allow us to be even more competitive and stay with the very first. Now comes a very important race for our Japanese driver, Motegi, there we want to confirm the positive trend of these last races".

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 2st – 46'40.022
“We were able to fine-tune the bike well and partially eliminate the chattering that I had experienced in testing. I had a good start and the first phases of the race where I tried to contain the gap that Valentino was trying to impose. In the central phase of the race I recovered and was getting closer but Rossi was going fast and tried to put the race under control. I didn't have that margin to try the final attack, but it was a good race anyway, nice to start from the front and be able to decide what moves to make. Motegi arrives, an important race, the home race. The place where I want to win."

Camel Honda