Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

sprint to the first chicane, the fastest section of the track. Schwantz got by Beattie at the end of the last straight, and was breathing down the young Spaniard's neck at the end of the lap, but Criville managed to stay cool and in front until the fifth lap, once or twice even seeming to get away courtesy of the top-end surge of his Cobas-tuned machine, only to be hauled in again on the twists. Doohan and Rainey had been with the leaders from the start, and the leading quintet were swapping positions all over the place. The three Hondas had their speed, Schwantz had his braking performance, which he used time and again to come alongside and try to unnerve whichever of the Hondas were in front of him at the time. Only Rainey was unable to find any aspect of performance to challenge the others, and said later: "I geared it up to take advantage of the slipstreaming but the bike didn't want to pull that gearing." This was to cost him dearly when he lost touch later on. . The first change in lead across the line came on the sixth lap, one third distance, when Doohan took his tum for five laps. He was trying to stamp some authority on the race, for by now two others were threatening to join the fun: Itoh and Alex Barros. Both had not started so well, and had worked hard to get over it. Itoh's problem had been a lack of confidence to throw the bike around with a full fuel tank, which meant double frustration for Barros, who had overworked his clutch on the line due to his own overeagerness. Now he was being held up in the comers by Itoh, who then whizzed away again on the straights. Barros got past him for the first time on lap seven, diving inside in the Australian Daryl Beattie ended up winning the thrilling 500cc GP after holding off Kevin Schwantz. It was his first GP win. Sachskurve - only to be overtaken again as soon as they ran out into the forest again. Next time into the stadium he outbraked Itoh again, but was travelling much, much too fast, and promptly fell as the front wheel tucked under. Now the leaders were going back and forth, with Rainey losing ground and Itoh threatening behind him. Criville dropped to fourth, then moved back up to second, then powered his way into the lead for one last lap out of the Ostkurve. . On lap 12, Criville had a massive slide in the stadium section, narrowly Hoh(toes 200 mnh, earns nole f. f. T ~ here was never any question that the Hondas would dominate at Hockenheim. Considering that the iastestof the four (Shinichi;Itoh's) did 200 mph and the best non-Honda (Alex Barros's SUZl.I1ci) was fully 7 mph slower, it was somewhat surptising that there was one Suzuki on the front row, and that the first seven riders were all within one second over a long lap of around tw9 minutes - closer than. the 25Os. Rather unexpectedly, pole went to Japanese newcomer and track first-timer Shinichi Itch. He was more than haff-a-second slower than Doohan's 1992 pole, and was himself somewhat surprised. On day one he'd been up against a hand1ing problem. and on day two was sti1l having trouble adjusting to the huge speed differential between the. ilat-out forest and looping stadium sections. Itoh, a 26-'year-old from Miyagi Prefecture in Japan, has been a bit overlooked in assessment of 1he new Japanese rider invasioo, while his compatriots have been setting the 250 and 125 class alight. He is an experienced 500 rider and a favorite son of Honda, who won the national title for them in 1990. His perfotmance at Hockenheim was a little signal flag that maybe Japanese riders may not be so.far off ~ the invasion in the top class. Doohan was second, stilllim~g heavily. saying that his aches and pains had returned somewhat in the three-week race layoff. "'In some ways I'd have preferred to . have kept racing," he said. This might be his last chance of a victory for some time, . with the circus moving on towards more technical tracks, where his physical condition will tell against him, and the Honda's power won't be so advantageous. He was gearing bimself for a bitter struggle. "It'1l probably be down to who brakes latest coming into the stadium for the last time," the Australian said. '1 hope it's not that SuzUki." (a reference to Schwantz's inspired outbraking move on Rainey here two years ago). Doohan had rejected the extra-wide tires Michelin had made for the high speeds. "There doesn't seem to be any advantage," he said. He similarly rejected suggestions that tire failure might again be a factor. That problem. he insisted, had been addressed and solved. Alex Criville was also expecting a close fight. He was third-fastest on his very rapid Antonio Cobas-tuned Honda "Six or seven riders are capable of winning tomorrow/, he said. . Control of the front row was proof of Honda's speed, but which of them had fuel injection? The question was again unanswered, though. paddock opinion was that only one injected bike was here, used either by Doohanor Daryl Beattie. Kevin Schwantz secured Friday's proVisional pole on Friday, but missed making it a full house for the season by dropping to fourth by Saturday. All the same, in spite of a big speed deficit (his best was only 188 mph) he was well in with a chance, and was well aware of how much the others feared his late braking - a facet further improved by his latest AP Racing super-efficient master cylinder and newly shaved and lightened carbon front discs. He'd also set his time on a part-worn tire. MMichelin came up with something that seemed to suit the other guys better for a f1ash time, but I've been putting miles on to check out my race choice,N he said. He early rejected the new fair- failing to fulfill a common prophecy that he would crash before the finish. Then when they approached the first chicane for the 13th time, the young Spaniard was distracted by the two medical service cars, ambulance and forest of yellow flags attendant on the stricken Catalano, who had been resuscitated and was now being moved, and the red Honda ran straight through the chicane. He said later he'd stopped before rejoining as per regulations, but as he'd lost only three seconds and one position (to Itoh), this was somewhat implausible. He also forced Rainey to back off his lap time was one second down. Hence the protest, surely his only hope of finishing ahead of the Honda. Already consigned to sixth by Itoh, Rainey now lost the tow, and soon afterwards ran into a vibration problem (possibly also caused by tire failure), and had to slow still more, his times dropping away by a full six seconds. Now the battle for the finish began in earnest. Beattie was in front, with Doohan and Schwantz duelling hard in his wake, and Itoh a little out of touch. ing. but stuck with the new and stiffer frame he'd received in Austria, with extra inter- nal~tentbsandhurufredtbsinit,itwasatosHlpWhoWouldbeonthefront lucIdess Were Beattie, a row and who on the second. The four led by Hockenheim newcomer, who improved steadily as he leamed the fast way through. the chic.ines. He was ~ half-a-sec:ondadrift ofItoh,and amere half-a-tenthfasterthan Wayne Rainey. The World Champion was less dismayed than usual by his sixth p1aoe, since it came f'iom a Friday tlme; which he'd failed to improve on SatuIday. "We threw some new chassis partsat the bike and it didn't l1ketbem," he said. "But I'm notworried. The secand row is~with the dose times." Indeed, he was glad to be there, after auhing while tire-testing at Mugello the week before, tearing tendons and leaving his right ankle stiff and painful. He'd followed Doohan's example by fitting an alternative rear brake operation - this was a jury-rigged 1eYer operated by his calf. BaIros was scvculi. alta escaping ~ in an impressive crash in the last session. He was high-sided on the way into the final comer. "My fault - I had a new tire and I was pushing too hard. CriviI1e was in front and I didn't want to let him get away," the Brazilian explained. He also rejected the new Suzuki fairing, and was undecided Whether to use the new.frame which was more stable at speed, or the. old, which. had ljghter steering through thed1icanes. Doug Chandler completed row two, the Cagiva down on speed somewhat, but with one of his bikes handling we1l, though the other had a vexing and hardo.to-find reaJ; s1J5Pen5ion problem. Everything true about the 500 class remained so in the 25Os, except with a greater spread of times - over a second covering the front row. Again Hondas dominated on speed, taking three of the four front row positions, with Doriano Romboni on pole, Loris Capirossi second and HebnutBl:ad1 third, in a repeat of the Austrian GP results. Significantly. these were all Dunlop shod. while Max Biaggi (on Michelins) was on the second row, sixth overall, and complaining at length of a Jade of front grip, wllich in fact caused him to crash unhurt on Saturday. Capirossi also fell unhurt, also in the. 6tst chicane, and so did Tetsuya Harada, who later blamed a surprisedJ

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