Press Release
(2005 FIM Road Racing World Championship)
Kawasaki Racing Team
ROUND 3 - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, CHINA
01 MAY 2005 - MOTOGP RACE RESULT

JACQUE DELIVERS HISTORIC RESULT FOR KAWASAKI IN SHANGHAI

Olivier Jacque delivered Kawasaki's best-ever result in the premier class of
motorcycle grand prix racing, with a masterful second place in a water-logged
Chinese Grand Prix today.

The podium position was also a personal best for the 31-year-old Frenchman in
the premier class. Previously he was fourth in the 2003 French GP at Le Mans.

In surging from 15th on the grid to second at the finish of the rain-hit race,
Jacque and Kawasaki also delivered the best-ever result for Bridgestone in a
MotoGP race using full wet specification tyres.

It was a spectacular debut ride for Kawasaki by Jacque, who was a late
replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann.

The Frenchman, starting 15th, finished the 22-lap race with a dramatic surge for
victory, finishing just 1.7s adrift of race winner, and four-time world
champion, Valentino Rossi.

Jacque closed almost four seconds over the final five laps with a near perfect
display of bike and throttle control, which emphasised the step forward made
with the latest motor powering the Ninja ZX-RR.

The Kawasaki pilot was ninth on lap two and, when he splashed past Spaniard Sete
Gibernau to secure second place on lap 15, the Frenchman was still 6.1s behind
Rossi.

In his chase of Rossi, Jacque overcame a fogging visor and windscreen which made
it almost impossible to read his pit board and race position.

After the race Rossi said: "I read that Olivier was coming to MotoGP for two
races and that China was just for training, so now we must watch out for him at
Le Mans."

Jacque's teammate Shinya Nakano failed to finish, retiring his Ninja ZX-RR with
an electrical problem at the end of lap two. Nakano was hugely disappointed with
this outcome, which resulted in him dropping to eighth place in the world
championship.

Olivier Jacque: #19 - 2nd

"For sure Valentino's crew didn't have my name ready to put on his pit board
over the final laps, and I still don't really understand how it all happened.
It's magic, better than winning the world title. When I arrived as a replacement
rider on Thursday I said I felt like 'a hair on the soup' but today I felt like
fish in water. I was comfortable with the conditions, had good grip from the
tyres and my team gave me a confidence-boosting set-up. It's strange to be here
on the podium, I'm not sure how to feel."

Shinya Nakano: #56 - DNF

"On lap one I had a strange feeling from the motor, and then on lap two it felt
like I lost power from one cylinder with a misfire. I'm very disappointed, I
don't like losing championship points like this, although there are still a lot
of races to go."

Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director

"Incredible, I can't believe this result and I don't understand why a rider like
Olivier is not in MotoGP full time. I hope the sport will see more of him. I
worked with him at Yamaha for the 250 world championship so this result today
with Kawasaki is very special for both of us."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager

"A fantastic result, and full credit to Olivier in very difficult conditions.
Two weeks ago at Estoril we saw that he still had what it takes to race at this
level, and today's result just goes to prove that the decision to put him on our
bike for this race, and for the next at Le Mans, was the right one. The result
also proves that Kawasaki's engineers have built an engine that is suited to
these conditions. Finally, I must say a big thank to our tyre partner
Bridgestone, they have done a lot of work on their wet weather tyres."

MOTOGP RACE RESULT

 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team   50'02.463
 2. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team        +1.700
 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP      +16.574
 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP       +18.906
 5. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda                   +19.551
 6. Jurgen vd Goorbergh (NED) Konica Minolta Honda  +21.622
 7. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP           +25.883
 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team       +31.033
 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda                 +39.299
10. Ruben Xaus (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team            +40.991
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