Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Colin Edwards keen to get new Yamaha engine

American Colin Edwards has said he can’t wait to get Yamaha’s new pneumatic valve engine in Estoril later this month as he blamed a horsepower deficit for his disappointing Spanish GP.

Having qualified on the front of the grid for the second time in two races, Edwards failed to register his second consecutive Jerez podium as he crashed out at the Curva Sito Pons on lap five while pursuing Loris Capirossi for fifth place.

And he said part of the problem in pushing hard was to make up for an acceleration issue with Yamaha’s standard spring valve motor, which Edwards and Toseland have had to campaign in the season’s opening two races.

“I just couldn’t do anything. It’s just what we are lacking in the motor,” said a disappointed Edwards.

“We can run the pace on our own but as soon as we get in traffic to where we can’t carry the momentum round the corner, then we have a problem. We are just waiting for the new engine at the next race and that is going to make a big difference because now it is hard at the moment with the deficit we have got.

“I can get off the corner but when you have got somebody road blocking you midway through the corner it is hard to carry the momentum that we have to carry. You can’t out-brake any of these guys from five bike lengths back. It is just not going to happen, so I was kind of stuck for a little bit and (Loris) Capirossi motored by me into turn one.

“Then I was pretty angry because I didn’t want to get stuck behind him. But I’d come off the corner and he’d just pull away.”

The double World Superbike champion though conceded his crash had been his fault, but he was at a loss to explain how he had the lost the front coming onto the back straight.

“I was pushing trying to get up there with the guys in front and I made a mistake. I lost the front coming onto the back straight but that’s racing I guess.

We’ve looked at the data and I was actually slower than the lap before but I must have hit a little bump but I’m not sure what happened. It didn‚’t look like I should have crashed but I did.” he added.