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
2008 Superstock Spain - Valencia 06/04/2008 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 06/04/2008
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 06/04/2008
1. Ducati 25
2. Suzuki 16
3. Yamaha 11
4. Honda 7
-Yamaha Racing -
