Indianapolis GP: Gresini Racing race report

The first Indianapolis Grand Prix of the MotoGP World Championship was interrupted as a result of heavy rain and strong wind after 20 of the 28 scheduled laps.

Alex De Angelis claimed tenth position, but Shinya Nakano could only manage seventeenth place. After the first wet practice on Friday, Alex hoped for a better result, but difficulties at the beginning of the race forced him to fight to recover the lost positions.

Nakano couldn't find the right feeling in today's wet conditions but he will aim for a better result in his home Grand Prix in Motegi.

Alex De Angelis (10th): "We definitely expected a better result in the wet conditions of the track, but unfortunately I spent a lot of time to find the right pace at the beginning of the race. Anyway it's okay. It's a shame that the weather conditions got increasingly worse until the race was stopped. In fact I could have fought to improve my position, since I had reached the riders who were ahead of me. In any case I agree with the decision to stop the race because it was very difficult and dangerous to ride in those conditions".

Shinya Nakano (17th): "It was a very difficult race because of the heavy rain and the strong wind. I made a good start and had a good first lap, recovering several positions. Unfortunately with the rain starting and stopping it was difficult to deal with the situation and to find the right pace on track, and so I lost some positions again. At the end of the race the weather conditions got even worse, with the wind getting harder lap after lap and it was very difficult to ride. I agree with the decision to stop the race and it was made at the right moment. Clearly I'm very disappointed with today's result, but I'm happy about the fourth place that I achieved in warm-up: I want to keep that in mind looking ahead to the race in Motegi".

Fausto Gresini - Team manager: "It was a difficult race for us today, and also for all the other riders on the track. We hoped that Alex could get an important result; in my opinion he had a good race. Unfortunately he couldn't make a good start and he lost some positions during the first laps. It took him some time to find the right pace, but at the end he succeeded in being fast and constant. However we must be positive thinking to Alex's future, because he is continuing to grow. I'm sorry for Shinya, obviously the track conditions were difficult for all, but he considered today's track conditions too risky and I respect his decision to limit the damages. I agree with the decision to stop the race because the conditions of the track were really difficult. Anyway I would not have been upset to have seen a race with just eight laps, a strange and curious situation."

-credit: gresiniracing.com