2nd NovSMITH’S LAST CHANCE TO BEAT WORLD CHAMPION
Bradley Smith relishes his last chance of beating his team-mate and World Champion Julian Simon at the final round of the 125 cc World Championship at the Generali Grand Prix of Valencia in Spain on Sunday.
Simon and Smith have already clinched first and second places in the 16 round Championship. They clash for the last time on Sunday after two furious battles at the previous two rounds in Australia and Malaysia.
Simon came out on top in those hard fought encounters and moves up to the Moto2 class next season while Smith looks likely to remain to spearhead the Aspar team’s efforts to retain the 125 cc crown.
The Oxfordshire teenager has re-written the history books this season and is the first British solo rider to finish runner-up in any class of the Grand Prix World Championship since the late Barry Sheene in 1978.
It’s been a much tougher year for the other two British teenagers in the very competitive 125 cc World Championship. Despite a brilliant third place in the British Grand Prix, Gloucestershire-based Scott Redding has been demoralised by an unbelievable series of mechanical problems that have totally wrecked his season. The winner of the 2008 British Grand Prix is 14th in the Championship having being forced out of five of the last six races since his Donington success because of mechanical problems.
Kent teenager Danny Webb hopes to be fit for Valencia after a big crash on the first lap of the Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix. Webb injured his foot when he high sided from the DeGraff Aprilia after qualifying on the second row of the grid. He lies 17th in the World Championship but a good result on Sunday could lift him three places.
It will be a sad day on Sunday for Yorkshireman James Toseland as he bows out of the MotoGP World Championship after two years riding for the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team. It’s been a tough year for the former World Superbike Champion which started with two big crashes in pre-season testing. Toseland is 14th and has struggled with the bike set-up but is determined to go out with a bang before returning with Yamaha to the World Superbike Championship next year.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “Julian has beaten me on the last lap in the last two races because he is such a great late braker. I really want to beat him in this last race but I need to break away if I can and not leave it to another head to head on the last lap. It’s been a great year for me and the team and another grand prix win would be the perfect finish for me.”
Scott Redding – “We are working hard on securing a ride for next season and I so want to finish the season with a decent result. Since Donington it’s been a disaster but I hope I can put that all behind me on Sunday.”
Danny Webb - “I’ve just been to the hospital and they have found I’ve broken two not one metatarsal bones in my left foot in the Malaysian crash. I’ve got a special boot on and I’m able to walk and so I will be out there on Sunday. It’s been a hard year and I really want to do well to thank the team for all their support.”
James Toseland – “I was doing my absolute best and trying my hardest but it was impossible for me to go any faster with the feeling I had with the bike in Malaysia. It was another tough weekend but I'll look to bounce back and finish the season strongly in Valencia for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3."
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN - A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE
It’s a final showdown in Valencia on Sunday that gives us a glimpse of what to expect next season. Valentino Rossi arrives at the tight 2.480 miles Ricardo Tormo circuit on the outskirts of the Mediterranean City of Valencia with his ninth world title already secured at the previous round in Malaysia but already the predators are bearing their teeth. There is nothing more the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa would rather do than arrive in the 2010 battle zone with a victory in the last confrontation of 2009.
Twenty-four year old Australian Stoner chases a hatrick of wins on the Marlboro Desmosedici Ducati after convincing victories in the last two rounds in Australia and Malaysia. ’If only’ is a favourite saying in sport at any level but if Stoner had not missed three races and been weakened by the mystery virus before then, there is no doubt the Championship would have been very close but that’s all in the past. Stoner who won the Valencia race last year, holds an 11 point lead over Pedrosa in their battle for third place in the Championship.
If Stoner won the 30 lap race and Jorge Lorenzo failed to finish, the Australian would clinch second place in the Championship because he’d won more grands prix. Amazingly Lorenzo has never won in any class at Valencia and so a victory on Sunday for the Fiat Yamaha rider would be an enormous boost going into the close season. In complete contrast Pedrosa has a superb record at the circuit that staged its first grand prix ten years ago. The Repsol Honda rider has won in all classes including a MotoGP victory two years ago.
World Champion Rossi has mixed memories. The 30 year old Italian has won twice in 2003/4 but also lost the title to Nicky Hayden when he crashed three years ago. The master of mind games will want to end his Championship year with a victory just to let the chasing trio know what lies ahead in 2010.
Behind those leading four the battle could not be closer. Pedrosa’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso is fifth but only four points in front of the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha veteran Colin Edwards who’s having a great year. Behind them it’s even tighter with just seven points separating previous Valencia MotoGP winner Marco Melandri in seventh place and 12th placed Randy De Puniet. Sandwiched between are the Rizla Suzuki pair of Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen and the San Carlo Gresini duo of Alex De Angelis and Toni Elias.
A number of riders will be bowing out of MotoGP on Sunday to seek fresh pastures. Chris Vermeulen and James Toseland return to the World Superbike Championship. Niccolo Canepa hopes to make his last appearance in the Pramac Ducati team despite his crash in Australia. Both Elias and De Angelis are leaving the Gresini team. De Angelis could stay in MotoGP on a Honda but Elias looks likely to compete in the new Moto2 class where he could well be joined by Scot Honda rider, former World 125 cc Champion Gabor Talmacsi.
A final glimpse into the future is provided by the wild card appearance of World Superbike Champion Ben Spies. The American will replace Toseland at Tech 3 next year and Yamaha have added spice to the final show down by supplying him with a bike to see exactly what he’s let himself in for although there is no doubt he already knows.
TWO-STROKE 250’S GO OUT WITH A BANG
It’s so appropriate the 250 cc two-stroke machines that have provided so much entertainment for nearly five decades bow out with the only Championship battle going all the way to the final round on Sunday.
Next year the 250 cc two-strokes will be replaced by 600cc four-strokes in the new Moto2 class but they are going down with a typical fight that has been the hallmark of their enormous part in the history of grand prix racing.
The 27 lap race on Sunday will be no exception. Hiroshi Aoyama’s nail biting win in Malaysia has given the Scot Honda rider a precious 21 point lead over current World Champion Marco Simoncelli. It was such an important win for the Japanese rider because Simoncelli had been closing the gap riding the Métis Gilera. Since failing to score in the opening two rounds, the Italian grabbed ten podium finishes including six wins but third place in Malaysia after a photo finish has handed back the advantage back to Aoyama.
The 125 cc Championship has already been decided but the 24 lap should provide another great battle between Aspar team-mates World Champion Julian Simon and runner-up Bradley Smith.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 6 November
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 7 November
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 8 November
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (24 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (27 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (30 laps)
Schedule is local time
Time Zone GMT + 1 hours
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 7 November
Qualifying
01150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 8 November
125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Two/online
EUROSPORT
Friday 6 November
11.40 – 15.15 Live Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 7 November
11.55 – 15.00 Live Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 8 November
09.45 125cc Race Live
11.15 250cc Race Live
14.00 MotoGP Action
19th OctSMITH ON COURSE FOR RUNNER-UP IN MALAYSIA
Following his fourth consecutive podium finish in Australia Bradley Smith could clinch the runner-up spot in the 125 cc World Championship at the Shell Advance Grand Prix of Malaysia in Sepang on Sunday.
The Oxfordshire teenager holds a 21 point advantage over third placed Nico Terol with two rounds remaining after his Aspar team-mate Julian Simon clinched the title in Australia.
The other two British teenagers in the 125 cc World Championship have had a tough time but both scored some welcome points in Australia. Redding overcame some desperate mechanical problems to finish 11th while Webb, despite two big crashes over the Australian weekend, was 13th.
James Toseland has two more MotoGP appearances and the Yorkshireman deserves a change of fortune. The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider jumped the start in Australia, endured a ride through penalty and finally finished 14th.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “Congratulations to Julian on the winning the title and I certainly gave it my very best shot to take it to Malaysia. Now I have to concentrate to ensure I finish second in the Championship which I could do on Sunday.”
Scott Redding – “At last I scored some points and perhaps my luck will change in those last two races, starting on Sunday.”
Danny Webb - “It was a tough weekend in Australia but at least I took some points and that’s the aim in Malaysia and Valencia.”
James Toseland – “I’m struggling to express how I feel after the jump start decision in Australia. All I can do before I go out of MotoGP is give it my very best in those last two races.”
ROSSI POISED TO RETAIN THE TITLE
Italian Valentino Rossi is poised to retain his World title in the penultimate round of the title chase at Shell Advance Grand Prix of Malaysia in Sepang on Sunday.
Rossi’s second place at the previous round in Australia has given the eight times World Champion a massive chance of making it number nine. He leads his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo by 38 points after the Spaniard crashed at the very first bend at Phillip Island to wreck any chance he had to prevent Rossi winning the World title.
Rossi has to leave Malaysia with a 25 point lead going into the final round in Valencia and has a great record round the 3.447 Sepang circuit. He has won the premier class five times including last year and is confident of being the star guest at a World Championship winning party in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday evening.
Despite a few bruises after his high speed crash at turn one, Lorenzo will be fit to ride in Sepang where he won the 250 cc race in 2006 but he knows deep down his chances of taking the title have gone.
Australian Casey Stoner arrives in Sepang full of confidence after his win at Phillip Island on the Marlboro Ducati. His fitness is not in doubt and the 24 year old aims to finish his difficult season with a bang by winning the last two races. He moved into third place in the Championship in front of Dani Pedrosa after his win and won at Sepang two years to add to 125 and 250 cc victories at the circuit situated close to KL International airport.
It’s tough for Pedrosa as he fights against the Yamahas and Stoner’s Ducati in the searing heat on Sunday. Despite some brilliant starts, the Repsol Honda can’t stay the pace and he’s often left in a lonely third place. Like Stoner he’s won in the 125 and 250 cc classes but still awaits that first MotoGP victory at Sepang.
Behind Pedrosa in fourth place the Championship really hotting up. His Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso is fifth but just seven points in front of the consistent Colin Edwards, riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. Behind the American it could not be closer with three riders on equal points.
Following his fourth place in Australia Italian Alex De Angelis shares seventh place with Frenchman Randy De Puniet and Sepang MotoGP winner Loris Capirossi. Just one point behind them is Italian Marco Melandri with Toni Elias and Chris Vermeulen also in the hunt.
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro looks likely to replace the injured Niccolo Canepa in the Pramac Ducati team.
Marco Simmoncelli’s sixth win of the year in the shortened 250 cc race at Phillip Island has blown the World Championship wide open. The Italian World Champion know trails Japanese Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama by just 12 points with two rounds remaining. The Championship will be between these two after Alvaro Baustista crashed out in Australia although he remounted to finish tenth in the race which was shortened following the crash of Simoncelli’s team-mate Roberto Locatelli.
Spanish Aspar rider Julian Simon clinched the 125 cc title in Australia after his last lap victory over team-mate Bradley Smith. The British teenager consolidated his chance of finishing second in the Championship and leads third placed Nico Terol by 21 points with two rounds remaining.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 23 October
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 24 October
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 25 October
09.40 – 10.00 125cc Warm Up
10.10 – 10.30 250cc Warm Up
10.40 – 11.00 MotoGP Warm Up
12.00 125cc RACE (19 laps)
13.15 250cc RACE (20 laps)
15.00 MotoGP RACE (21 laps)
Schedule is local time
Time Zone GMT + 8 hours
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 24 October
Qualifying
0550-0900, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 25 October
125 and 250cc race
0350-0605, BBC Red Button/online
Race
0645-0800, BBC One/online
Race repeat
1230-1330, BBC Two/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 23 October
05.25 – 09.15 Live Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 24 October
05.45 – 09.05 Live Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 25 October
03.45 125cc Race Live
05.15 250cc Race Live
08.00 MotoGP Action
13th OctBRADLEY’S ISLAND OF DREAMS
Bradley Smith arrives in Phillip Island for the Iveco Grand Prix of Australia with mixed memories but in great spirits. The 18 year old Oxfordshire Aprilia rider qualified in second place around the magnificent 2.764 miles circuit last year but crashed twice in the race. He returns to this windswept outpost of South- East Australia holding second place in the World 125 cc Championship after three successive podium finishes.
Smith leads Spaniard Nico Terol by 11 points in the championship but trails the Championship leader and his team-mate Julian Simon by 50.5 points. If Simon finishes in front of Smith and Terol on Sunday he will be crowned World Champion.
The two other British 125 cc riders Scott Redding and Danny Webb will be looking for a change of fortune after disasters in the previous round in Estoril. Mechanical failures with Blusens Aprilia have kept Redding out of the points in the last three races and the Gloucestershire-based teenager has dropped to 14th in the Championship. The last three races are crucial for Redding as he chases a Moto2 ride next year.
Kent teenager Webb has also failed to score in the last three races. He was battling for fifth in Estoril when the throttle of his DeGraff Aprilia stuck open on the very last lap.
It’s a difficult last three MotoGP grands prix races for Yorshireman James Toseland before returning to the World Superbike Championship in 2010. Typically he’s coming out fighting and determined to leave with some good results on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. Toseland knows the Phillip Island circuit well from his Superbike days and last year battled for fourth place with the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and eventually finished sixth.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith -“It’s an exciting time with just three races left. I really like Phillip Island and qualified second last year. I’m 11 points clear in second place from Nico Terol and it’s important I finish in front of him. Phillip Island is a great place but let’s just hope the weather is ok.”
Scott Redding – “Estoril was a dreadful weekend again. The bike had a flat spot at 10,000 rpm and it was just a complete and utter mess up. My luck must change at Phillip Island where I finished tenth on my debut last year.”
Danny Webb - “I was absolutely gutted in Estoril when the throttle stuck open on the last lap. I was fighting for fifth and had fought back from 20th on the first lap. I qualified well and that’s what I must do in Australia and I aim to be fighting for fifth place again.”
James Toseland – Now I’ve got three races left in MotoGP and I’m only 12 points off seventh and there’s a good possibility of a strong finish even in a tough season like this. If I can achieve that then I can walk out of MotoGP with my head held high.”
THE SHARKS GATHERING ROUND ROSSI’S CROWN
Phillip Island is best known for two things – great white sharks and grand prix motorcycle racing. These two will gel together this weekend at this windswept and beautiful location in Southern Victoria when the sharks surround Championship leader Valentino Rossi at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix.
With three rounds of the MotoGP Championship remaining World Champion Rossi had his Championship lead slashed to 18 points by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo who won the previous round in Portugal. Another shark ready to strike at the World Champion will be local hero Casey Stoner who made a dramatic return to finish second in Estoril after missing the three previous races with a mystery virus. Throw in Spaniard Dani Pedrosa who’s fighting to hang onto third place in the Championship and Rossi will have to be at his very best to keep the sharks at bay.
The Italian starts his defence of that precious lead with an amazing record round the 2.764 miles circuit that was built specifically for grand prix motor cycle racing. He’s won five premier class races at the circuit that staged its first grand prix in 1989. Throw in a couple of 250cc wins to illustrate just what a task confront Lorenzo and co.
The Spaniard dominated the proceedings at Estoril and also has an impressive Phillip Island record. Last year he finished fourth on his MotoGP debut but previously won two successive 250cc races on route to the World titles.
However the main threat to the all conquering Yamahas comes from a fired up Casey Stoner at his home track where he has won for the last two years. The 2007 World Champion blasted the critics who questioned his three grand prix absence through illness with a brilliant second place in Estoril. Equally important was that Stoner showed no repeat of the virus that had caused him to miss those races.
Pedrosa’s third place in the Championship is coming under threat from Stoner. The Repsol Honda rider has just a three points advantage and has very mixed memories of Phillip Island. Just five days after clinching the 125 cc World title he broke both his ankles in a practice crash in Australia but won the 250 cc race a couple of years later.
Andrea Dovizioso, Pedrosa’s team-mate, is fifth in the Championship and a previous 125 cc winner while sixth placed Colin Edwards has a wealth of experience in both MotoGP and Superbike at the track.
Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi hates being called a veteran but it was 19 years ago he became the youngest ever World Champion when he won the 125 cc race at Phillip Island. He repeated his win a year later. It will be a sad day for his team-mate Chris Vermeulen who makes his last Suzuki MotoGP appearance at his home track before switching to World Superbikes next year.
Italian Marco Melandri has a remarkable record at the track and is the only rider to have won in all three classes 125, 250 and MotoGP. He will probably not put in a repeat performance this time on the Hayate Kawasaki but has had a great season in ninth place in the Championship.
Marco Simoncelli chases a second successive win in the 250 cc race as he hunts down the leaders in a very tight 250 cc class. The Italian World Champion, riding the Métis Gilera, is just two points behind second placed Alvaro Bautista and 28 points behind Championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama. Simoncelli won the previous round in Estoril in which Aoyama, riding the Scot Honda was fourth, and Bautista crashed with a seized engine.
Championship leader Julian Simon crashed out of the 125 cc race while leading in Estoril but still has a great chance of clinching the title on Sunday. He holds a 50.5 lead over his Aspar team-mate, second placed Bradley Smith who in turn has an 11 point lead over third placed Nico Terol. If Simon finishes in front of Smith and Terol on Sunday he will be crowned World Champion with two rounds remaining. The three leaders will need to keep a careful eye on fourth placed Pol Espargaro who’s won two of the last three races on the Derbi.
On the wall behind the bar of the local pub at Cowes on Phillip Island there is the measurement of the largest shark caught off the coast of Australia at Phillip Island. Championship leaders Rossi, Aoyama and Simon could either be in there on Sunday evening celebrating success or rueing the fact they did not take the shark attack warning seriously enough.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 16 October
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 17 October
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 18 October
09.40 – 10.00 125cc Warm Up
10.10 – 10.30 250cc Warm Up
10.40 – 11.00 MotoGP Warm Up
13.00 125cc RACE (23 laps)
14.15 250cc RACE (25 laps)
16.00 MotoGP RACE (27 laps)
Schedule is local time + 11 hours
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 17 October
Qualifying
0250-0600, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 18 October
125 and 250cc race
0250-0505, BBC Red Button/online
Race
0545-0700, BBC One/online
Race repeat
1200-1300, BBC Two/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 16 October
02.25 – 06.15 Live Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 17 October
02.45 – 06.00 Live Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 18 October
02.45 125cc Race Live
04.15 250cc Race Live
07.00 MotoGP Action
28th SeptemberFOUR TO GO FOR SMITH IN SECOND PLACE BATTLE
Bradley Smith arrives at the final quarter of the 125 cc World Championship season fighting for second place starting at the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril on Sunday.
The Oxfordshire teenager is just five points behind second placed Nico Terol in the Championship while Smith’s Aspar team-mate Julian Simon could clinch the title at the 2.599 mile circuit on the Atlantic coast.
Smith has been in top form with second and third places in the last two races but feels he needs another victory to add to the two he’s already taken this season to win the fight with Spaniard Terol who’s been equally impressive – it promises to be a very close affair likely only to be decided in the final round at Valencia. Last year Smith crashed out in Estoril while battling with Terol.
It’s been a very different story for 16 year old Scott Redding. The Gloucestershire teenager has been hit by some morale draining mechanical problems with his Blusens Aprilia. He’s been forced out of the last two races with breakdowns which has pushed him down to 14th in the Championship. After his brilliant third place at the British Grand Prix he has scored a single point and needs a real change of fortune in those last four races.
Kent-based Danny Webb is fighting for his grand prix future with the Dutch-based Degraaf Aprilia team. He had a brilliant weekend at Estoril last year. After qualifying on the front row of the grid he finished fifth after a tremendous battle with his team-mate Steve Bonsey. Webb was tenth at the previous round in Misano this year and will be chasing similar or better results in the last four races to improve on his 16th place in the Championship.
Yorkshireman James Toseland faces the last four MotoGP races knowing he is likely to be replaced by American Ben Spies in the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team next season. He’s had a tough year, not helped by two big pre-season crashes, but will fight to the end not only for his pride but to secure a ride in either the premier MotoGP or World Superbike Championship next year. Last year Toseland was seventh on his Estoril debut.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “My aim now is to delay Julian as long as possible from claiming the title and winning the battle with Nico for second place. My last three races have been really encouraging and the only thing that has been missing is a win and I’ll be flat out for that in Estoril.”
Scott Redding – “The team have been working hard for the last three weeks to sort out the problems with the bike and so hopefully I can finish the race on Sunday. It’s an important last four races and also a big weekend when the Moto2 entry list for next season will be announced.”
Danny Webb - “My goal for the last four races is to finish all of them in the top ten. I’ve been training hard in the break and as my results show at Estoril last year I really like the circuit. It’s important that we get a good set-up from the start on Friday afternoon which we did at Indianapolis and Misano. I’m confident of a good result on Sunday.”
James Toseland – “It’s an important four race for me and my future. I was disappointed to finish tenth at the last round in Misano where I think I could have finished in the top six if I’d not got pushed back in the first bend incident. I was seventh at Estoril last year which should be a good start to work on this weekend.”
CASEY’S COMEBACK
All eyes will be focused on Australian Casey Stoner as he is expected to return to the action at the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal on the Atlantic coast in Estoril on Sunday. The former World Champion has been recuperating from a mystery virus at home in Australia after missing the last three rounds of the Championship. His return, riding the Marlboro Ducati will really shake up the pack and especially the all conquering Fiat Yamaha team of Championship leader Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.
While Stoner has been absent they have won all three grands prix with World Champion Rossi victorious in two to open up a 30 point lead in the Championship over Lorenzo with four rounds remaining. Rossi arrives at round 14 of the title chase refreshed after a three week break and encouraged by a superb record round the tight 2.599 mile Estoril circuit that can often be buffeted by strong winds off the Atlantic Ocean. The Italian, who makes his 100th appearance for Yamaha on Sunday, has won five MotoGP races at the former Formula One car venue although team-mate Lorenzo scored his maiden MotoGP victory at the track last year.
The man under most pressure from Stoner’s return will be Dani Pedrosa. The Spanish Repsol Honda rider moved into third place in the Championship after finishing third, behind Rossi and Lorenzo in the previous round at Misano. He is just seven points in front of Stoner and has never won in any class at Estoril although has finished second in the last two Portuguese MotoGP races.
His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso won the 250 cc race three years ago and is in good form. The Italian is fifth in the Championship and has finished fourth in the last three races after winning the British Grand Prix. He moved in front of American Colin Edwards, who together with countryman Nicky Hayden, was brought down by a flying San Carlo Gresini Honda ridden by Alex de Angelis at the very first bend in the previous round at Misano.
Edwards is having a great season on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and has been retained by the team for next season. The Texan is just ten points behind Dovizioso and had finished every race of the season until Misano.
Frenchman Randy De Puniet has been retained by the LCR Honda team after a very consistent season. The three week break will have given the ankle he broke in a Motocross accident even more time to heal as he takes on Loris Capirossi, De Angelis, Marco Melandri and Chris Vermeulen in not only a frantic battle for seventh place but in some cases a future in MotoGP.
Both De Angelis and Vermeulen are without rides next year together with Spaniard Toni Elias who won a sensational race three years ago in Estoril. Kenny Roberts did a Julian Simon and thought the race was over a lap before the finish while Dani Pedrosa crashed and brought down his then team-mate and Champion elect Nicky Hayden in a race that has gone down in MotoGP folklore.
Mika Kallio returns to the Pramac Ducati team after replacing the absent Stoner in the Ducati factory team. He will be partnered by Italian Niccolo Canepa despite the impressive performance of Spaniard Aleix Espargaro in the last two races.
Spaniard Alvaro Bautista arrives in Estoril brimming with confidence as he takes on Hiroshi Aoyama in the 250 cc World Championship that promises to go all the way to the wire. The Aspar Aprilia rider trails Aoyama in the title chase by 13 points but has won the 250 cc race in Estoril for the last two years. He chases his fourth successive victory after winning the 125 cc race in 2006 but faces a real battle in the 26 lap race on Sunday and not only with the Scot Honda of Aoyama. World Champion Marco Simoncelli’s crash at Misano wrecked his chances of retaining his title. He returns after a brilliant one off third place in the World Superbike Championship race at Imola on Sunday while Hector Barbara is certain to be in the frame after his second win of the season in Misano.
Julian Simon could be crowned the first World Champion of the season after the 125 cc race on Sunday. The Aspar Aprilia rider will probably have to wait a little longer but mathematically could do it because he holds a 57.5 point lead over second place Nico Terol with four rounds remaining. The four times winner this season needs to hold a 76 point lead after the race on Sunday.
The real battle in the Championship is for second place with just five points separating Terol and Simon’s team-mate Bradley Smith. The three Championship leaders all benefited in Misano when the race leaders Andrea Iannone and Pol Espargaro crashed on the last bend. That particular saga could well continue on Sunday in the 23 lap race.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 2 October
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 3 October
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 4 October
09.00 – 09.20 250cc Warm Up
09.30 – 09.50 MotoGP Warm Up
10.00 – 10.20 125cc Warm Up
11.15 250cc RACE (26 laps)
13.00 MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
14.00 125cc RACE (23 laps)
Please note amendment to race schedule.
Schedule is local time + 0
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 3 October Qualifying
1250-1600, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 4 October
250cc race
1105-1205, BBC Red Button/online
MotoGP Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
125cc race
1430-1530, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 2 October
1240 – 1615 Live Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 3 October
1300 – 1600 Live Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 4 October
1100 250cc Race Live
1430 125cc Race Live
15.45 MotoGP Action
1st SeptemberSMITH CHASES SECOND PLACE ON ADRIATIC COAST
Bradley Smith chases second place in the 125 cc World Championship at the Cinzano Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini on the Adriatic coast of Italy on Sunday.
With five rounds remaining Smith closed to within one point of second place Nico Terol in the Championship after a battling second place at the previous round in Indianapolis. Smith’s team-mate Julian Simon still holds a 52.5 lead in the Championship despite finishing fifth in America.
Scott Redding desperately needs a change of fortune after mechanical problems kept him out of the points in America. The Blusens Aprilia rider is 14th in the Championship but is on the pace when his bike is running well.
Kent-based Danny Webb was back to scoring points in America with a hard fought 11th place riding the Degraff Grand Prix Aprilia. He needs to finish even higher in the next race races to climb the table and secure his grand prix future.
James Toseland finished a morale boosting sixth in the MotoGP race at Indianapolis. The result equalled his best ever grand prix result and the Yorkshireman is looking forward to the race at Misano where he raced in the World Superbike Championship.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “It was great to be back on the podium at Indianapolis especially after some recent disappointing results. I must continue in the same way at Misano which is an important race for some of my team who live very close to the circuit.”
Scott Redding – “I’m so disappointed about our problems at Indianapolis because I’m on the pace when the bike is going well. I’ve just got to put those disappointments behind me and get on with. Surely my luck will change, hopefully in Misano.”
Danny Webb - “It was great to be back in the points at Indianapolis and I must continue at Misano. I made a really bad start on Sunday and that must improve in Italy.”
James Toseland – "It's very pleasing to finish in the top six, I know I'm capable of these sort of results and need to be doing it very weekend. Now I'm really looking forward to Misano next week, a track I know very well from Superbikes."
LORENZO OUT TO SPOIL ROSSI’S HOMECOMING
Fresh from his victory in Indianapolis Jorge Lorenzo arrives in Valentino Rossi’s homeland determined to make it two in a row at the 13th round of the MotoGP World Championship, the Cinzano Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini in Italy on Sunday.
Spaniard Lorenzo halved Rossi’s Championship lead to 25 points after his third grand prix victory but the Italian will have enormous patriotic support round the 2.626 mile Misano circuit situated on the Adriatic coast. The World Champion, who crashed in Indianapolis, lives just a few kilometres from the circuit which returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007 after a 16 year absence.
Both the Fiat Yamaha team-mates have won at the track but in different classes. Rossi won the MotoGP race last year on his way to the world title while Lorenzo was successful a year before in the 250 cc class, also on route to the Championship.
Casey Stoner, who won the race round the tight circuit that has a couple of quick bends in 2007, will miss his third grand prix because of his mystery illness. Once again Mika Kallio will take his place on the Marlboro Ducati while his team-mate Nicky Hayden returned to Europe after a morale boosting third place at Indianapolis.
Stoner, who hopes to return at the next round in Portugal, hung onto third place in the Championship after Dani Pedrosa crashed out in Indianapolis from pole position. The Repsol Honda rider crashed while leading but remounted to finish tenth and is just nine points behind the Australian former World Champion.
The real dark horse on Sunday could be another home boy Alex De Angelis who scored his first ever MotoGP podium at Indianapolis. He’s already been told he is out of the San Carlo Gresini team next year but forgot his troubles to finish a superb second behind Lorenzo and in front of Hayden. His team-mate Toni Elias is also out of a job but is also in a rich vein of form including a third place at Brno.
Andrea Dovizioso returns home to Italy sixth in the Championship just three points behind Colin Edwards in fifth place. Two other Italians will be looking for a change of fortune. Marco Melandri has crashed out of the last two races from the Hayate Kawasaki while veteran Loris Capirossi is still chasing his first podium finish of the season on the Rizla Suzuki.
Twenty year old Spaniard Aleix Espargaro made an impressive MotoGP debut at Indianapolis finishing 13th on the Pramac Ducati. He will continue to replace Kallio at Misano.
The 250 cc World Champion Marco Simoncelli lives just down the coast from Misano and is chasing a hatrick of wins after victories in Brno and Indianapolis riding the Métis Gilera. With five rounds of the Championship remaining he trails Championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama by 27 points. Sandwiched between them is Alavaro Bautista who won the race last year. Look out for another local resident Matteo Pasini who has already won in Italy this year and won the 125 cc at Misano a couple of years ago.
Julian Simon still holds a 52.5 points lead in the 125 cc World Championship but there is a tremendous battle for second place. Nico Terol holds onto second place by single points from Simon’s Aspar team-mate Bradley Smith who finished second in Indianapolis. The race was won by 18 year Spaniard Pol Espargaro and another threat on Sunday could be Italian Simone Corsi who was third in America.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 4 September
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 5 September
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 6 September
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (23 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (26 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 5 September Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 6 September
125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 4 September
1140 – 1515 Live Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 5 September
1200 – 1500 Live Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 6 September
0945 125cc race day action Live
1115 250cc race day action Live
1530 MotoGP action
25th AugustAMERICAN TEENAGE DREAM
AMERICAN TEENAGE DREAM
The British teenage 125 trio of Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Danny Webb live their American dream when they fly into Indianapolis for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday. It’s also a crucial weekend for Yorkshireman James Toseland who not only competes in round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship but also hopes to discover his future in the Championship.
Last year the tail end of hurricane ‘Ike’ brought both the 125 cc and MotoGP races round the 2.620 mile track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to a premature close while the 250 cc riders travelled a long long way for their race never to get underway.
Eighteen year old Bradley Smith held onto third place in the 125 cc World Championship after finishing fourth in the previous round at Brno in the Czech Republic. It was his first finish for three races and while his Aspar Aprilia team-mate Julian Simon is clearing off at the top of the Championship it could not be closer for second place. Just ten points separate Nico Terol, who won in Brno and at Indianapolis last year, in second place and Andre Iannone in fifth.
Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding finished an impressive fourth at Indianapolis last year. Riding the Blusens Aprilia he finished 15th in Brno riding with a damaged ankle after a practice crash on the Saturday morning. He’s confident that the ankle has recovered and of also pushing for a podium finish at a track he found very much to his liking last year.
Kent-based Danny Webb is also confident of a good result after finishing just out of the points in Brno. It’s been a tough year for Webb riding the Degraaf Aprilia and he needs a strong finish to the season to secure his future.
Toseland hopes to find if he has a future in the MotoGP class next year this weekend when he talks to his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team. He eventually finished ninth at Brno despite front end problems but feels he is still capable of a top six finish if he can sort out his troubles. He currently lies 13th in the Championship but a good result on Sunday could easily push him up into the top ten.
No hurricanes this time round please!
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “Last year was the first time we’d raced there and they made us so very welcome. The only thing they could not organise was the weather with the tail end of a hurricane causing chaos on race day. I’d been taken right out of the race by Michael Ranseder on the first lap and was down in 27th place but fought back and was catching the leaders. I was up to eighth place when the race had to be red flagged because of the rain and wind.”
Scott Redding – “I had the ankle x-rayed and they said it was fine and I’ve just been resting and supporting it. I had a good race at Indianapolis last year and I’d love to finish on the podium because it’s a good track. America is a great place to race and a superb place to visit.”
Danny Webb – “We will for sure get some points at Indianapolis and I’m aiming for at a least a top ten finish. I missed out in the race at Brno which was a shame because I thought I had the race pace to finish in the top ten. I lost connection with the group in front of me after being held up and just finished out of the points.”
James Toseland - "Brno was a tough weekend and I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit fortunate to get into the top ten. I rode as hard as I could every lap and never gave up but at the moment I'm struggling with a problem with the front for the first half of the race. If we can solve this front-end issue then I know I can be running much higher up the field, which is where the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team deserves to be starting at Indianapolis.”
HURRICANE ROSSI RACES INTO INDY TO REPLACE IKE
Last year it was the tail end of hurricane Ike that caused the riders all the problems in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in America but this year it’s World Champion Valentino Rossi who will create his very own whirlwind at this legendary venue.
The 30 year old Italian roars into the States to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in commanding form. Riding the Fiat Yamaha, he has opened up a 50 point lead in the MotoGP World Championship after winning his fifth grand prix of the season at the previous round at Brno in the Czech Republic while his challengers have fallen by the wayside.
His team-mate and nearest challenger Jorge Lorenzo has crashed out of the last two races while leading. Australian Casey Stoner will be out of action for at least the next two races while he fights to recover from his mystery virus. Danni Pedrosa, who beat Rossi on American soil at Laguna Seca a couple of months ago, is rapidly climbing the table but is too far behind Rossi to cause a problem.
Rossi won the race last year round the special 2.620 mile track within the Indianapolis complex. Because of the wind and rain the race had to be shortened and the MotoGP stars return hoping for good weather to show the very appreciative car orientated Indianapolis crowd what MotoGP is all about. The very first race at Indianapolis 100 years ago was a motorcycle race.
Two riders desperate to put on a show for the home crowd are Americans Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden who are experiencing very different seasons. Texan Edwards is having a great year on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and is fifth in the Championship as he fights to secure his MotoGP future. Local boy and former World Champion Hayden was second last year riding the Repsol Honda. His much publicised move to Marlboro Ducati has been tough and he currently is 14th in the Championship despite encouraging signs that he’s getting to grips with the Italian machine.
More announcements are expected over the Indianapolis weekend about who will be riding for who next season. Pedrosa and British Grand Prix winner Andrea Dovizioso are staying at Repsol Honda. The San Carlo Gresini pair of Tony Elias and Alex de Angelis know they are going to be replaced by the two Marcos, Messrs Melandri and Simoncelli. After finishing a brilliant third in Brno, Elias is desperate to stay in MotoGP. Australian Chris Vermeulen looks certain to be leaving Rizla Suzuki with Loris Capirossi likely to stay where he will be joined by Alvaro Bautista from the 250 cc class. Another Spaniard Hector Barbara will step up from the 250‘s to ride the new Aspar Ducati.
Mika Kallio will continue to replace the absent Stoner on the Marlboro Ducati on Sunday while 250 cc rider Spaniard Aleix Espargaro will replace Kallio in the Pramac Ducati team.
The Tech Three Yamaha team of former World Superbike Champions Edwards and James Toseland should know their 2010 fates by the end of the weekend while Jorge Lorenzo decides if his future is with Yamaha. It promises to be some weekend where there could be just as much intrigue off the track as the racing on it.
The 250 cc riders make their Indianapolis debut after their race last year was cancelled because of the wind and rain. The American public will love it because it’s the closest of the three Championship battles. Hiroshi Aoyama still leads the way on the Scott Honda holding a 12 point advantage over Alvaro Bautista with six rounds remaining. However, the man to watch is World Champion Marco Simoncelli who is making a typical late charge on the Métis Gilera. The Italian is desperate to retain his title before joining MotoGP next year and after winning his third grand prix of the season in Brno, is 32 points behind Aoyama.
The man to beat in the 125 cc class is Spaniard Julian Simon. Riding the Aspar Aprilia he leads the Championship by 54.5 points after finishing first or second in the last four races. His biggest threat on Sunday could come from Nico Terol who won at Brno and he also won at Indianapolis last year in yet another shortened race. The Spaniard moved into second place in the Championship eight points in front of Simon’s team- mate Bradley Smith. There is a tremendous battle for second place with just ten points separating Terol and Andrea Iannone in fifth place.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 28 August
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 29 August
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 30 August
09.40 – 10.00 125cc Warm Up
10.10 – 10.30 250cc Warm Up
10.40 – 11.00 MotoGP Warm Up
12.00 125cc RACE (23 laps)
13.15 250cc RACE (26 laps)
15.00 MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 29 August Qualifying
1750-2100, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 30 August
125 and 250cc race
1650-1805, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1950-2100, BBC Three/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 28 August
1740 – 2115 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 29 August
1800 – 2100 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 30 August
1645 125cc race day action Live
1815 250cc race day action Live
2100 MotoGP action
10th AugustBRNO BECKONS RESTED BRITS
It may have only been a two week break but it was welcomed by the four British MotoGP riders who race back in action on Sunday in the Cardion ab Grand Prix of the Czech Republic in Brno.
Two of the riders Scott Redding and James Toseland will arrive at the superb undulating 3.367 mile circuit with happy memories of the previous round, their home grand prix at Donington Park. The other two, Bradley Smith and Danny Webb have already put Donington firmly behind them after both crashing out in the rain.
Sixteen year old Redding followed up his 125 cc British Grand Prix victory last year was a brilliant third place. The Gloucestershire teenager has been on the pace all year but his Blusens team have had problems setting up the Aprilia. It all worked well at Donington and Redding looks set for a cracking second half of the season to improve on his tenth place in the Championship.
Eighteen year old Smith seeks a change of fortune in that second half of the 125 cc season after crashing out of the last two races in slippery conditions. The Oxfordshire teenager has slipped to third place in the Championship, 55.5 points behind his Aspar Aprilia team-mate and Championship leader Julian Simon.
Kent-based Danny Webb was an early faller at Donington and needs a set of solid finishes to secure his 125 cc World Championship future. He’s 16th in the Championship but only 20 points adrift of his great friend Redding in tenth.
Toseland needed his sixth place in the MotoGP race at Donington to set himself up for the second part of the season. It was a real confidence boost for the 28 year old Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider. The Yorkshireman is 12th in the Championship as he fights for his MotoGP future. He needs a repeat or even higher position at the next three grands prix in the space of four weeks, to secure a ride next year.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “After taking part in the Triathlon and watching the BSB races at Brands this weekend it’s back to the real thing at Brno. I’ve got to forget the last two races where I failed to finish and concentrate on getting back to points scoring at a very technical track.”
Scott Redding – ““I’m ready for it especially after that third place at Donington. I really like Brno because it’s so up and down, there are many different bends and the surface gives plenty of grip. Set-up of the bike is crucial and after Donington we are getting things sorted.”
Danny Webb – ““I can’t wait to get back on the bike again after Donington. These things happen and I’m glad to see the back of it and concentrate on Brno. I went to the BSB with Scott over the weekend which set me up for Brno which I really like.”
James Toseland - “Another sixth place at Donington and it definitely made amends for the big disappointment of last year. It was a tough race and the two week break was very welcome and we are all looking forward to Brno where the result at Donington has given us some real confidence.”
CAN ANYBODY HALT THE ROSSI ROLL?
World Champion Valentino Rossi arrives in Brno for round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship, The Cardion ab Grand Prix of the Czech Republic on Sunday, on a roll. The thirty year old Italian increased his lead in the Championship to 25 points despite crashing at the previous round in England and has an impressive record at the magnificent undulating 3.357 mile Brno circuit where he secured his first ever grand prix win 13 long and successful years ago.
Rossi’s win last year was his fourth in the premier class around the purpose built circuit that replaced the legendry but dangerous road circuit in 1977. Couple that with a 250 cc victory and that historic 125 cc win and Rossi will be a difficult man to beat in the 22 lap encounter which is expected to attract a crowd approaching 150,000 on Sunday.
It’s a massive race for Rossi’s rivals headed by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard also crashed on the slippery Donington surface but unlike Rossi was unable to remount to start some damage limitation. Despite the crash Lorenzo is in great form and knows the next three grands prix in the space of four weeks will decide if he is a serious Championship contender. He has won three times in Brno in the 250 and 125 cc classes but needs his first premier class victory to put some pressure on the Championship leader.
Casey Stoner has been home in Australia since Donington hoping to finally cure the mystery virus that has really wrecked his Championship aspirations. The former World Champion trails Lorenzo by 12 points after a wrong tyre choice ruined his chances at Donington. The Marlboro Ducati team has a great record at Brno with Stoner and Loris Capirossi bringing them success two and three years ago respectively. There is no doubt a fully fit Stoner could be chasing his third grand prix victory of the season but only as the weekend unfolds will the hard riding Australian know if he’s on the mend.
While his Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso secured his first ever Premier class victory Spaniard Dani Pedrosa also had a torrid time in Donington. He finally limped home in ninth place and now trails Rossi by 72 points in the Championship. The three times World Champion has won 125 and 250 cc races at Brno and needs a repeat of his Laguna Seca victory to close the gap at the top and also fight off the challengers headed by American Colin Edwards on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha.
Following his second place at Donington the Texan is just 12 points behind Pedrosa and is fighting to retain his place in the team. He was involved in a tremendous battle with Randy De Puniet at the British Grand Prix but the French LCR rider is struggling to be fit for Brno. He broke his ankle in a Motocross training accident and had a pin fitted in an operation to mend the bone.
Dovizioso arrives brimming with confidence following his superb victory in difficult conditions at Donington to chase his first ever win in Brno while fellow Italian Marco Melandri will be looking to consolidate his impressive season on the Hayate Kawasaki at circuit where he’s won three times in the 125 and 250 cc classes.
It’s that time of year with riders fighting to stay in the Premier class as teams work on their line-ups for next year. The Rizla Suzuki pair of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi, who was third last year, are fighting for their lives. Spaniard Toni Elias who crashed while challenging for the lead in Donington, would love a repeat of his second place last year while his San Carlo Honda Gresini team-mate Alex De Angelis was an impressive fourth in England.
One rider assured of the biggest following will be the former 125 cc World Champion Gabor Talmacsi. Around 25,000 Hungarian fans are expected to make the short trip across the border to support their hero who is beginning to get to grips with the MotoGP class riding the Scot Honda after starting the season in the 250 cc class.
Hiroshi Aoyama opened up a 15 point lead in the 250 cc World Championship following his third victory of the season riding the Scot Honda at Donington. Spaniard Alvaro Bautista wants to clinch the 250 cc World Championship before his expected switch to MotoGP next year but it’s going to be tough. The Mapfre Aspar Aprilia rider is second in the Championship but needs to get back to winning ways with his last victory in Assen. There is a tremendous battle for third place between current World Champion Marco Simoncelli and Hector Barbara and look out also for veteran Alex Debon who won the race last year.
While his rivals fell by the wayside Julian Simon kept calm at Donington to win the 125 cc race and build up an impressive 51 point lead in the Championship. He will take some catching but anything can happen in the 125 cc class although his team-mates Sergio Gadea and Bradley Smith will have to start winning again to exert any real pressure on the Champion elect.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 14 August
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 15 August
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 16 August
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (19 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (20 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (22 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 15 August Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 16 August
125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 14 August
1140 – 1515 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 15 August
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 19 August
1000 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1430 MotoGP action
20th JulyREDDING CHASES DONINGTON DEJA VUE
Sixteen year old Scott Redding returns to the scene of his greatest triumph when he returns to Donington Park to ride in the 125 cc race at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. The Gloucestershire teenager re-wrote the history books last year when he became the youngest ever rider to win a grand prix race with a stunning victory round the 2.50 mile Parkland circuit in damp difficult conditions.
Redding has had a tough season beset with technical problems on his Blusens Aprilia. He lies 13th in the World Championship at the halfway stage with his best result, a fourth place in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. Despite the problems he’s been on the pace when the bike has worked well and a trouble free weekend could see him on the podium once again.
Bradley Smith has been the British star this year with two grands prix wins but he approaches the British Grand Prix after a bad day in Germany where he crashed twice and scored no points. However, there is no better place than his home race for Smith to bounce back to winning ways after slipping to third place in the Championship behind his Aspar Aprilia team-mates Julian Simon and Sergio Gadea.
Danny Webb has also had a tough year but unlike Redding and Smith he goes into his home race with great confidence following his moral boosting eighth place in Germany. The result was badly needed by the 18 year old Kent rider and his Dutch-based DeGraff Aprilia team after a series of crashes pushed him down to 14th in the Championship.
James Toseland will never forget his much heralded MotoGP British debut last year. The then World Superbike Champion crashed at the very first bend to the disappointment of his vast legion of British fans. The Yorkshire man returns on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha determined to make it up to those supporters and has been encouraged by his tenth place in Germany before returning home for his one and only appearance of the year.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith – “Three crashes in one day in Germany is not the best preparation for Donington but you have to take days like that on the chin and look forward to the next one. Of course it’s a vital race for me, the family and my sponsors and I’ve already put the Sachsenring behind me.”
Scott Redding – “Another mechanical problem when the bike seized in Germany but up till then I was encouraged that I could run at that pace. It makes me more confident for the home race which I will never forget last year. It’s time for a change of luck and Donington would be the best place to start.”
Danny Webb – “At last a finish and a good result in Germany. It could not have come at better time for me and the team. Let’s hope we can continue at Donington to give the home crowd something to cheer about.”
James Toseland - “I was satisfied with another top ten finish in Germany and I’m looking forward to my home race at Donington. It has given me a bit of a boost and I’ll be looking to make amends for the disappointment of last year when I didn’t make it through the very first corner. The support of the British fans is humbling and they have stuck with me through a very difficult year.”
ROSSI SEEKS FINISH TO FOUR YEAR DONINGTON DROUGHT
Valentino Rossi rolls into Donington Park for the British Grand Prix looking to end a four year drought on British soil. The 30 year old Italian, who is the current World Champion, has won six times at the undulating Parkland circuit but the last of those came in 2005.
He arrives in superb form after another titanic battle with his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo at the Sachsenring. Rossi won that particular battle by one tenth of a second to open up a 14 point lead in the Championship and the British crowd should be in for another great battle at Donington which stages its last British Grand Prix for at least five years.
Lorenzo finished sixth last year at Donington but has been a 250cc winner. He’s won two grands prix this year but is desperate to put one over his team-mate as their rivalry intensifies with Lorenzo threatening to move to Honda next season.
Australian Casey Stoner cut his teeth racing in the British Championship before embarking on the World stage. The Ducati rider chases a hatrick of wins at Donington after two superb wins in the last two years. He’s been hit by a mystery illness during the last month that has cost the chance of wins both at Laguna Seca and Barcelona. He looked much better in Germany but was dropped to fourth with rear tyre problems.
Dani Pedrosa also arrives at Donington full of confidence after a third place in Germany just two weeks after his first win of the season at Laguna Seca. Despite an injury hit year the Repsol Honda rider, who has won at Donington both in the 250 and MotoGP classes is fourth in the Championship but 68 points behind Rossi.
Marco Melandri, Andrea Dovizioso, Randy De Puniet and Mika Kallio are all previous 250 cc winners at Donington as they line up for the 30 lap race. Former 250 cc World Champion Melandri has had a remarkable season on the Hayate Kawasaki and lies sixth in the Championship behind former World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards in fifth place.
Former 125 cc World Champion Dovizioso has not scored any points for the last three races with tyre problems costing him in Germany. De Puniet had a massive crash in the first lap in Germany but will be fit to ride at Donington while Kallio, who won the 250 race last year, made a welcome return to finish 14th in Germany after missing Laguna with a finger injury.
Australian Chris Vermeulen is well known to British fans after riding in the British Championship but is having a tough time on the Rizla Suzuki after injuring his shoulder in a practice crash in Germany.
Hiroshi Aoyama still leads the 250 cc World Championship despite finishing fourth in Germany in the race won by World Champion Marco Simoncelli. The Japanese Honda rider holds a ten point advantage over Spanish Aspar rider, the former World 125 cc Champion Alvaro Bautista who has won two 125 cc races at Donington. Simoncelli is fourth behind Hector Barbara, 32 points behind the leader Aoyama.
The 125 cc Championship leader Julian Simon scored his first ever grand prix victory at a rain soaked Donington four years ago. Following his second win of the season in Germany he leads Aspar team-mate Sergio Gadea by 25 points in the Championship with Bradley Smith dropping to third.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 24 July
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 25 July
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 26 July
09.40 – 10.00 125cc Warm Up
10.10 – 10.30 250cc Warm Up
10.40 – 11.00 MotoGP Warm Up
12.30 125cc RACE (25 laps)
13.45 250cc RACE (27laps)
15.30 MotoGP RACE (30 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 25 July
Qualifying
1250-1600, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 26 July
125 and 250cc race
1220-1435, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1500-1630, BBC One/online
MotoGP Extra
1630-1700, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 24 July
1240 – 1615 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 25 July
1300 – 1600 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 26 July
1215 125cc race day action Live
1345 250cc race day action Live
1630 MotoGP action
13th JulySMITH CHASES RETURN TO WINNING WAY AT SACHSENRING
Oxfordshire teenager Bradley Smith faces two vital grands prix in the space of seven days as he chases the dream of becoming the first British rider to win a grand prix World Championship for 32 barren years.
He starts on Sunday in the 125 cc Alice Grand Prix of Germany round the tight twisty 2.281 mile Sachsenring circuit. Smith has won two grands prix this season and trails his Aspar team-mate and Championship leader Julian Simon by just 5.5 points after eight rounds of the 17 round Championship.
The 125 cc grand prix riders can’t wait to get back into action after a three week break around the circuit where Smith finished fourth last year.
The area around the present day purpose built circuit is steeped in Motorsport tradition. The old road circuit staged the East German Grand Prix between 1961 and 1972 attracting massive crowds of over 250,000. The purpose built circuit which has been extended from the original first staged the German Grand Prix in 1998 and regularly attracts 200,000 spectators over a grand prix weekend.
Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding was eighth on his Sachsenring debut last year and is looking for a change of fortune this season after his maiden grand prix victory last year. Mechanical problems with his Blusens Aprilia have constantly thwarted his efforts but when the bike has performed Redding has always shown the pace to run with the leaders.
Redding and Kent-based Danny Webb have been training together for the last week. It’s an equally important race for Webb whose not scored any points for the last four races including a crash at Assen three weeks ago which was the home track for his De Graff Aprilia team. He restored his spirits riding at the Goodwood Festival with Redding a couple of weeks ago and is ready to start points scoring once again.
In the MotoGP class James Toseland seeks a change of fortune after a disastrous Red Bull US Grand Prix. The 28 year old Yorkshireman was black flagged after failing to realise he jumped the start. It just compounded a miserable weekend for the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider who was 11th on his Sachsenring debut suffering tyre problems last year. It’s a tough time for the former World Superbike Champion who needs a boost before the British Grand Prix one week later.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “We are all working flat out to find that extra few miles per hour because I need to get back to winning grands prix starting at the Sachsenring followed by the British Grand Prix at Donington which is so important to me.
I spent a week in Italy staying with a couple of lads from the team and we talked all the time about the next race. In between we cycled hard every day and went into the mountains for a couple of days to really get those fitness levels spot on.”
Scott Redding – “It’s been good staying with Danny and we have trained really hard together. It’s been a tough year with so many bike problems but I’ve been right up with the leaders when the bike has run ok. The problem has been with the chassis and the tyres but everybody is working hard to get it right and let’s hope it starts in Germany.”
Danny Webb – “I’ve been training really hard with Scott Redding for the last week and my injuries are clearing up. My foot is still a bit sore but my fingers are healing well. I like the Sachsenring although I had an injured shoulder when I raced there last year. I had the race pace at Assen before the crash and I aim to find that same pace over the weekend.”
James Toseland - “Obviously if I'd known I'd jumped the start then I would have come in but I've watched the TV replay and you can't see anything. I didn't gain any places either so in my opinion it's pretty harsh. It's a setback but I've just got to get on with it and bounce back in Germany.”
PEDROSA ON A ROLL AFTER LAGUNA WIN
Just two weeks after his first grand prix victory of an injury hit season Dani Pedrosa returns to the Sachsenring for the Alice Grand Prix of Germany on Sunday with mixed memories. Last year the Spanish Repsol Honda rider crashed while leading comfortably sustaining injuries that dogged him for the remainder of the season. The year before he dominated the grand prix winning comfortably from Loris Capirossi and Nicky Hayden.
Pedrosa’s superb win at Laguna Seca came out of the blue giving both the rider and Honda their first MotoGP victory for over a year. He was the fourth rider this season to win a MotoGP race but will have problems catching the three riders at the top of the overall Championship chase. He trails Championship leader Valentino Rossi, who was second in Laguna, by 59 points as the title chase reaches the half way stage. However, he is very capable of winning more grands prix starting round at the 30 lap encounter round the tight 2.281 mile Sachsenring on Sunday.
World Champion Rossi, who never looked like winning at Laguna despite an incredible last lap, has won four times at the Sachsenring including three Premier class victories. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who leads his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo by nine points in the Championship, has not won in Germany for three years and it will be another big battle on Sunday.
Lorenzo crashed out in the rain last year and will certainly want no repeats over the weekend after his spectacular qualifying crash at Laguna. The 22 year old Spaniard finished a brave third in the race and should be stronger to take on the demanding Sachsenring as he chases his third grand prix win of the season.
Last year’s winner Casey Stoner is also in the wars. In the last three races the Marlboro Ducati rider has been hampered with an energy sapping illness that has seen the Australian drop to third place in the Championship 16 points behind Rossi. There were signs in Laguna of an improvement after he finished fourth despite a big crash in qualifying and it’s important that he starts winning races again if he is going to mount a serious threat to Rossi’s crown.
American Colin Edwards moved into fifth place in the Championship despite a disappointing seventh place in Laguna rider the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. His promotion came after Italian Andrea Dovizioso crashed from the Repsol Honda for the second race in succession. He trails Edwards, who finished fourth two years ago, by seven points.
Marco Melandri and Chris Vermeulen share seventh place and both have decent records at the Sachsenring. Australian Vermeulen finished third on the Rizla Suzuki in wet conditions last year while Italian Melandri has two 250 cc wins under his belt as he seeks more points on the Hayate Kawasaki.
It’s an important race for many riders fighting for their grand prix futures. Last year Alex De Angelis finished fourth on the San Carlo Gresini Honda, Tony Elias was sixth at Laguna one place behind former World Champion Nicky Hayden. Those three riders would love a repeat of those results on Sunday.
One former Sachsenring MotoGP winner will miss the race on Sunday. Sete Gibernau’s Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati has withdrawn from the Championship.
Both the 125 and 250 cc classes resume action after a three week break. Hiroshi Aoyama arrives in Germany brimming with confidence because not only does the Scot Honda rider lead the Championship after his win at the previous round in Holland but he is also a previous 250 cc winner at the Sachsenring two years ago.
His great rival Spaniard Alvaro Bautista surrendered the Championship lead after falling following a collision with Aoyama in Assen. It’s vital he secures at least a podium finish on the Aspar Aprilia on Sunday to prevent Aoyama increasing his 13 point Championship lead. World Champion Marco Simoncelli. won the race last year and must start winning again on the Métis Gilera if he has any chance of retaining his title before joining MotoGP next year. He trails third place Hector Barbera, who was second in Assen, by 18 points and Championship leader Aoyama by a massive 44 points.
The 125 cc class continues to be the closest battle with just 5.5 points separating the Aspar duo of Julian Simon and Bradley Smith. Their team-mate Sergio Gadea completed an incredible day for the team in Assen by winning the race from Simon and Smith. Italian Andrea Iannone, who has won three grands prix on the Ongetta ISPA Aprilia this season, was fourth and is third in the Championship 19.5 points behind Simon but only half a point in front of Gadea in fourth place.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 17 July
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 18 July
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 19 July
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (27 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (29 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (30 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 18 July Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 19 July
125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 17 July
1140 – 1515 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 18 July
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 19 July
0945 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1430 MotoGP action
22nd JuneASSEN REPEAT BUT NO RAIN PLEASE FOR SMITH
Bradley Smith has mixed memories of Assen as he returns to the famous Van Drenthe circuit for the Alice Dutch TT on Saturday. The 18 year old from Oxford chases his third 125 cc grand prix victory of the season at the 2.830 mile circuit where he had a three second lead before the rain arrived last year.
Smith, who trails Aspar team-mate Julian Simon by just 1.5 points going into the seventh round of the Championship, crashed, the race was stopped and he eventually finished fifth in the hectic five lap race re-run.
Gloucester-based Scott Redding failed to make the re-run just six days after his historic British Grand Prix victory last year. The 16 year Blusens Aprilia rider needs a change of fortune after a series of disappointing results in the last three races. He currently lies 11th in the 125 cc World Championship but is capable of chasing podium finishes.
It’s a massive weekend for Kent teenager Danny Webb as he recovers from a painful finger injury sustained in a practice crash in Barcelona. He had to retire from the race because of the pain but returns to race at the home circuit of his DeGraff Aprilia team and sponsors. Once again Webb has shown he has the pace to run with the top riders but needs to finish some races to boost both his confidence and points tally.
Yorkshireman James Toseland returns to Assen where he’s secured victories in the World Superbike Championship. It’s a tough time for the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider as he fights for his MotoGP future after finishing 13th in Barcelona following a disastrous start from his best qualifying position of the season. Toseland is currently 11th in the Championship and needs a good start on Saturday to start climbing the charts.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “I have good and bad memories of Assen last year. I was leading the race by over three seconds when it started to rain and I crashed. In the five lap re-run I was fifth but despite the problems in Barcelona we go into the race on Saturday with some real confidence. The Championship is only just over one third distance and so it’s important to keep scoring points.”
Danny Webb – “The hand is much better than it was in Barcelona and I will be fit to race on Saturday. I just could not complete the full race in Barcelona because of the pain. I will probably keep the stitches in and I just need a little bit of luck to complete a good result. Assen is a massive race for my team and sponsors which adds to the pressure but my brother and a few friends are coming over to help me.”
Scott Redding – “Hopefully we will have a change of luck in Assen after some problems in Barcelona when I nearly crashed twice in the last two corners. Also I missed out on the short five lap race last year after problems in the first race which was stopped because of the rain.”
James Toseland – “I know Assen well from my World Superbike days but I also know I must make a good start in the race after my starting problems in Barcelona. I got my best qualifying of the year but my chances were killed off when I fluffed the start. You can’t make a start like that to be challenging in MotoGP.”
ROSSI, LORENZO AND STONER CELEBRATE MASS AT THE CATHEDRAL
Assen is the fitting venue for the continuation of one of the most ferocious battles in the 60 year history of grand prix motor cycle racing. World Champion Valentino Rossi, Former World Champion Casey Stoner and former double World 250 cc Champion Jorge Lorenzo arrive at Assen, aptly named the ‘Cathedral’ of grand prix racing, for the Alice Dutch TT on Saturday locked on equal points and also equal victories this season. It’s a fight for the crown that will go all the way to the wire.
The Assen track is the only venue remaining from the original 1949 calendar although it has changed dramatically from those pioneering days. The up to date 2.830 mile track in the north of Holland is a far cry from the early road circuit but should once again prove an ideal battle ground for the riders.
Italian Rossi arrives brimming with confidence chasing his 100th grand prix victory following his stunning victory over Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo at the previous round in Barcelona. It promises to be another 26 lap fight also involving last year’s winner Stoner riding the Marlboro Ducati. Those leading three have all tasted success in Assen.
Rossi leads the way with six wins including four in the premier class but will also remember his first lap crash last year. Lorenzo returning from injury was sixth in the same race but has one 125 and two 250 cc wins while Stoner won the MotoGP race last year and should be fully recovered from the stomach bug that dogged him on his brave ride to third in Barcelona.
Italian Andrea Dovizioso moved in front of his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa into fourth place in the Championship after his fourth place in Barcelona. The former 125 cc World Champion has never won in Assen and knows that Pedrosa will have had more time to recover from his hip injury that prevented him finishing above sixth place in Barcelona.
Americans Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden have very mixed memories of Assen. Edwards, riding the Tech 3 Yamaha was third last year and is in good form this season. The former World Superbike Champion is sixth in the Championship but will always remember three years ago when he crashed at the last bend while leading – that first grand prix victory still eludes the popular Texan but don’t rule him out on Saturday.
Hayden took full advantage to win that race on route to his world title but is having a disastrous season this year after switching from Honda to Ducati. There were signs in Barcelona the nightmare was coming to an end when Hayden finished tenth but a disappointing test the next day furthered the gloom.
Italian Loris Capirossi will not want reminding that his first Assen 250 cc success was 16 years ago because the Italian Rizla Suzuki veteran is in great form. He’s finished fifth at the last two grands prix and just a little bit more promised power from the Suzuki could see him back on the MotoGP podium.
The battle should go all the way down through the field with Sete Gibernau, Mika Kallio, Marco Melandri, Toni Elias and Gabor Talmacsi, making just his second MotoGP appearance on the Scot Honda, all previous winners at the ‘Cathedral’.
The 250 cc class is not quite so close with last year’s Assen winner Alvaro Bautista opening up a 12 point lead over Hiroshi Aoyama following his second win of the season in Barcelona. It was the Aspar rider’s first win in Assen and he has a great chance to open up the gap especially over World Champion Marco Simoncelli who crashed out in Barcelona and who is now 47 points adrift.
However, the 125 cc class is not that simple with five separate winners already this season and so check out the likes of former Assen winner Mattia Pasini, Qatar winner Hector Barbara and Jerez winner Aoyama.
Just 1.5 points separate Aspar team-mates Julian Simon and Bradley Smith at the top of the 125 cc standings after drama in Barcelona. Simon was leading with one lap to go but celebrated a lap too early and eventually finished fourth. Smith was eighth in a race won by Italian Andrea Iannone. It was his third win of the season and put him right back in Championship contention and he trails Simon by just 13.5 points.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Thursday 25 June
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Friday 26 June
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Saturday 27 June
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (22 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (23 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (25 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Friday 26 June Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Saturday 27 June 125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1245-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button online
EUROSPORT 2
Thursday 25 June
1140 – 1510 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Friday 26 June
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 27 June
0945 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1400 MotoGP action
8th JuneSMITH RETURNS ‘HOME’ TO DEFEND CHAMPIONSHIP
British 125 cc World Championship leader Bradley Smith returns to Barcelona where his grand prix career really took off to defend his slender Championship lead at the Cinzano Grand Prix of Catalunya on Sunday. The Oxfordshire teenager was based in Barcelona for the first two years of his grand prix career and returns with a 3.5 point lead in the very competitive Championship after his second grand prix win of the season in Italy a couple of weeks ago.
The home riders, headed by his Aspar team-mate Julian Simon, will give Smith a tough time round the demanding 2.937 miles circuit but the Championship leader has great experience at the track where he first rode a grand prix machine.
The two other British teenage 125 cc stars have equal experience at the Circuit De Catalunya after cutting their teeth in the Spanish Championship. Sixteen year old Scott Redding from Gloucester rode brilliantly for the Barcelona-based Blusens Aprilia team in Mugello until a last bend highside dropped him to seventh.
Kent teenager Danny Webb was also right up with the leaders when he fell from the DeGraff Aprilia. It’s important that he finishes on Sunday after crashing out of the last two races.
In the MotoGP class Yorkshireman James Toseland arrives in Barcelona boosted by his seventh place on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha in Mugello. He’s had a tough start to the season but two top ten finishes in the last two grands prix has boosted his confidence for Barcelona where he finished sixth last year.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith - “I’m really looking forward to the weekend because Barcelona has great sentimental value for me. I had my very first ride on a grand prix bike there and the Repsol Honda team were based there. I got to know the City and spent a great deal of time training and riding in the area. It will be a tough battle and I aim to just finish each race as high as I can at this stage of the season.”
Danny Webb – “I could lead the second group for a couple of laps at Mugello but then I hit a bump in the track and crashed. Too bad but at least I know I can be up there but need some luck. Next race in Barcelona I’m confident I can be up there again and this time I have to finish the race.”
Scott Redding – “I know Barcelona well from racing there in the Spanish Championships and it’s the home race for my team which makes it special for them. We are getting there with the bike as we showed in Mugello before the last bend. I’ve been training hard in the Spanish sunshine and now want to get racing.”
James Toseland - “Mugello was the first race I've enjoyed for a while because for most of it I was fighting for the top six. That's where I was a few times last season and that's where this bike and team deserve to be starting in Barcelona this weekend where I was sixth last year.”
CATALUNYAN CLASH FOR TOP THREE
Just nine points separate the top three riders as they clash in the sixth round of the MotoGP World Championship at the Cinzano Grand Prix of Catalunya in Barcelona on Sunday.
Two riders, Championship leader Casey Stoner and second placed Jorge Lorenzo have won two grands prix this season while third placed, World Champion Valentino Rossi has won once but in the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.
The 2007 World Champion Stoner arrives at the demanding 2.937 miles Circuit de Catalunya on the North-Eastern outskirts of the Mediterranean City full of confidence on the Marlboro Ducati after a superb victory in the previous round at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello. The Australian, who leads Lorenzo by just four points, won the MotoGP race in Barcelona two years ago and looked in ominous form for his rivals in a Championship battle that promises to go all the way to wire.
Lorenzo returns home to Spain determined to make up for his crash in last month’s Spanish Grand Prix which he’d started in pole position on the Fiat Yamaha. The 21 year old missed the race last year after a big practice crash but won at the track on route to World 250 cc Championship success.
As at most circuits it’s Rossi that has the most impressive record. The Italian, who trails Stoner by nine points, has won five times in the Premier class, twice in the 250’s and once on a 125 machine. The last two grands prix this year have brought the World Champion just a third place in the swap machines and tyres contests. Rossi, like the majority of other riders, will be hoping for a dry race after the last two.
Local hero Dani Pedrosa was right in that Championship fight until he crashed out in Mugello. The Spanish Repsol Honda rider was suffering from a damaged right hip when he fell and he’s now fighting a battle to be fit for his home race. Not only did Pedrosa win the MotoGP race in Barcelona last year but he’s also been successful in both the 125 and 250 cc classes. He now trails Stoner by 33 points and is being pressured by his team-mate Italian Andrea Dovizioso who is only one point behind him.
Frenchman Randy De Puniet has finished every race so far this season riding the LCR Honda and has an impressive record at the Circuit de Catalunya. He’s twice won the 250 cc race and was fourth in the MotoGP race in Jerez this year. Italian Marco Melandri is another former 250 cc winner but was brought back to reality after finishing 11th in Mugello on the Hayate Kawasaki following his brilliant second place at Le Mans two weeks earlier.
Italian veteran Loris Capirossi has good and bad memories of Barcelona. He brought Ducati their first ever MotoGP victory in 2003 but three years ago he arrived with a real Championship chance only to be involved in a horrendous multi-bike first bend crash that wrecked his chances. Also involved in the same crash was his then team-mate Sete Gibernau who broke his collarbone. Three weeks ago Gibernau broke the same collarbone at Le Mans but hopes to be fit to ride the Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati in front of his home crowd.
The sparks will continue to fly in the 250cc race with five separate winners in the opening five rounds. The last round in Mugello was typical with World Champion and last year’s Barcelona winner Marco Simoncelli receiving a suspended sentence and fine after a clash with Championship leader Alvaro Bautista. The race was won by Mattia Pasini after a fantastic last lap scrap with Simoncelli. Third place was enough for Bautista to increase his Championship lead to five points over Spanish Grand Prix winner Hiroshi Aoyama but he will be desperate to beat Italian Simoncelli in front of the passionate home crowd.
It’s just as close in the 125 cc class where 18 year Championship leader Bradley Smith will be fighting off both a host of home riders and the patriotic crowd. The British rider leads the Championship by 3.5 points after his second win of the season in Italy. Heading the Spanish charge of four Spanish riders in the next five will be his Aspar team-mate Julian Simon.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 12 June
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 13 June
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 14 June
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (22 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (23 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (25 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 13 June Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 14 June 125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 12 June
1140 – 1510 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 13 June
1200 – 1445 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 14 June
1000 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1600 MotoGP action
26th MaySMITH SEEKS ITALIAN SUNSHINE TO PUT PRESSURE ON SIMON
Bradley Smith arrives in Mugello for the Alice Grand Prix of Italy seeking some sunshine to help put pressure on 125 cc Championship leader Julian Simon. The 18 year old from Oxford finished a very mature fourth in the Le Mans rain last week and is just five and a half points behind his Aspar team-mate Simon who scored his first win of the season in France.
Smith, who won his first ever grand prix at Jerez in Spain three weeks ago, finished fifth in Mugello last year in a breathtaking race in which the first seven riders were separated by eight tenths of a second.
The three other British 125 cc teenagers will be looking for that change of weather and fortune in Italy. Both Gloucestershire’s Scott Redding, who’d qualified in second place and Kent-based Danny Webb crashed in the rain while Yorkshireman Matthew Hoyle failed to qualify on the Chinese Haojue machine. The new team is still struggling to build enough parts to make their machinery both reliable and competitive.
James Toseland travels to Mugello for the MotoGP race with a smile on his face for the first time this season. The Yorkshireman survived his first ‘flag to flag race in Le Mans to secure his second top ten finish of the season. Last year the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider finished sixth on his Mugello debut.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith -
“After the rain and cold at Le Mans let’s hope for a dry sunny weekend. I finished fifth last year but with the first seven riders separated by eight tenths of a second anyone of us could have won the race. I was pleased with my fourth place in the French rain but I must keep up the pressure on Julian at the front.”
Danny Webb –
“I will be on it at Mugello because I was not happy with the race at Le Mans. I crashed when the rear slid away without any warning. I wasn’t even on the throttle but the bike was too damaged to continue.”
Scott Redding –
“I was really fed up after crashing in Le Mans especially after qualifying second which was my best ever. We thought the track was going to dry and chose the wrong rear sprocket and it didn’t stop raining. Let’s hope I can qualify as well in Mugello and we get it right for the race.”
James Toseland -
“It was my first time there last year, and I got my equal best result of sixth position. So I’m looking forward to going there. It’s a really amazing track, with what I think is one of the best layouts on the calendar, I’ve had a smile back on my face since the ninth place in Le Mans because I really feel like I’m turning the season round.”
CAN ANYBODY STEAL KING ROSSI’S MUGELLO CROWN?
For the last seven glorious years Valentino Rossi has returned home to his beloved Italy to turn the Mugello circuit into a partisan frenzy of passion and pure excitement by winning the Italian Grand Prix. The 30 year old World Champion returns home once again on Sunday to chase his eighth successive premier class victory in the Alice Grand Prix of Italy after a chastising last round of the Championship at Le Mans in France where he scored no points.
Everything about the magnificent 3.259 miles Mugello circuit symbolises Italy and Rossi. The superb location of the track that embodies the gentle contours of the Tuscan hills high above the beautiful City of Florence. The sheer explosion of passion from an audience steeped in the tradition and success of grand prix motor cycle racing and a track constructed to provide high speed motorcycles and their pilots with an examination of skill and bravery rarely matched by any other venue in the World.
To wrestle the Mugello crown from the head of Italy’s favourite son will take a supreme effort but the first four rounds of the Championship this year have proved there are usurpers to the King’s crown ready and willing to lead the revolution.
Twenty one year old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo leads that charge from first place in the World Championship. Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate has won two grands prix this year, including the last one in France. That precious Championship lead is by a single point from this year’s other grand prix winners Rossi and Australian Casey Stoner. Lorenzo, a 250 cc winner at Mugello, arrives bursting with confidence but the real threat could come from Stoner or Dani Pedrosa who is just nine points behind his bitter rival Lorenzo.
Mugello is not only the home of Rossi but also Ducati and Stoner has shown tremendous maturity riding the revered GP9 Desmosedici Marlboro Ducati to points scoring finishes at circuits where both the rider and the machine have been devoid of previous success. Mugello and many of the circuits at the forthcoming grands prix present a very different picture for a totally focused Stoner who shares second place in the Championship with Rossi.
Almost unnoticed Pedrosa has crept up on the leading trio despite missing all the pre-season because of injury. Riding the Repsol Honda he’s finished on the podium in the last three races and is a former 250cc winner at the track. It’s also a big race for his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso who shares fifth place in the Championship with Marco Melandri but who has never won in any class at his home race.
In the winter Melandri thought he may never ride another grand prix at Mugello following the withdrawal of the Kawasaki team. Hayate saved both his and Kawasaki’s grand prix future and they were both rewarded with an emotional second place in France. The Italian won the 250 cc race at Mugello seven years ago which was the same year that Rossi started his incredible run in the Premier class.
The last man on the current grid to beat Rossi at Mugello was Rizla Suzuki veteran Loris Capirossi back in 2000 riding the 500cc two-stroke Honda. After crashing at the opening round in Qatar the Italian has scored consistent points and lies ninth the Championship, four points behind his team-mate Chris Vermeulen.
The 250 cc World Championship is equally as close with four separate winners in the opening four rounds. Just one point separates Championship leader Spaniard Alvaro Bautista and Japanese Honda star Hiroshi Aoyama. Bautista is a former Mugello winner riding the Aspar Aprilia but both the two Championship leaders will be keeping a close eye on World Champion Marco Simoncelli. The Italian Métis Gilera rider failed to score points in the opening two rounds but finished on the podium in Spain, won in France and also won the race at Mugello last year. He’s still 26 points behind Bautista but a repeat win would put him right back in contention.
After the 32 crashes in the 125 cc race carnage in the French rain last week surely the weather will be dry for another epic encounter on Sunday. Spaniard Julian Simon won his first race of the season to lead the Championship by 5.5 points from his Aspar team-mate Bradley Smith. Italian Andrea Iannone seeks a change of fortune in front of the home crowd. He won the first two grands prix but has crashed out of the last two races although he did remount to finish seventh in France.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 29 May
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 30 May
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 31 May
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (20 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (21 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (23 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 30 May
Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 31 May
125 and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 29 May
1140 – 1510 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 30 May
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 31 May
0945 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1530 MotoGP action
11th MaySMITH AIMS TO GO ONE BETTER AT LE MANS
Eighteen year old Bradley Smith fresh from his first grand prix victory in Spain, arrives at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans on Sunday aiming to go one better on his recent record at the legendary French circuit.
Two years ago the Oxfordshire teenager secured his first ever podium finish at the 2.600 miles Bugatti circuit when he was third and last year went one better to finish second behind World Champion Mike Di Meglio in a five lap dash after the rain.
Two more British teenagers Danny Webb and Scott Redding also face the fourth round of the 125 cc World Championship with renewed confidence after good results in Spain. Sixteen year old Redding and his Blusens team are getting to grips with their factory Aprilia machine and the Gloucestershire teenager was fourth in Jerez. Kent-based Webb was eighth riding the DeGraff Aprilia just a week after leading the Japanese Grand Prix for over half distance.
Eighteen year old Matthew Hoyle just wants to ride in a grand prix race after a tough start for the Yorkshireman and his Chinese Haojue team. Hoyle missed the race in Qatar through injury and then mechanical problems prevented him qualifying in Japan and Spain. Both the rider and the team are confident they will start making progress in the first year of grand prix racing for both of them.
Former World Superbike Champion James Toseland has also had a tough start to his second MotoGP campaign. The Yorkshireman riding for the French-based Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team is still playing catch-up after two big pre-season crashes. He lies 14th in the championship and is looking for a better qualifying session on Saturday afternoon to help him start higher up the grid.
QUOTES
Bradley Smith
“I’ve got my feet firmly back on the ground after my win in Jerez. We are determined to push on from here especially as I’m only one point behind Iannone in the championship. I like Le Mans and think it’s great for 125’s. I took my first ever podium there two years ago when I finished third and was second behind Mike Di Meglio last year.”
Danny Webb
“At the end I finished eighth in Jerez, led in Japan for over half the race and scored good points for the championship. We getting there and I’m confident that I can battle for a top five position in the future, hopefully starting at Le Mans on Sunday.”
Scott Redding
“I like Le Mans and it’s a good track for the 125’s although I had a bad weekend there last year. The grand prix at Jerez was my first proper race of the season after problems in Qatar and Japan. Both me and team gained confidence from the fourth place and I think we can be battling for a similar position on Sunday. Let’s just hope the rain stays away.”
Matthew Hoyle
“Because it’s my first year, it’s a new team and everything, my objective is just to go out there, do as many laps as we can. I haven’t set any big targets and maybe by the middle of the season we are going to start setting more realistic goals as to where we want to be. The experience in the team is massive, who have been in the MotoGP paddock for many years.”
James Toseland
“It was a tough weekend at Jerez we have got some issues to sort out .We’re still trying a few things on the bike and I’m still searching for a comfortable setting over a race distance. I still need a second or so on race pace but I need to sort out qualifying too, because I’m giving myself too much to do by being too far back. You don’t need to be too far off but if you start at the back you stay at the back in a competitive class like this. It has not been a great start to the season but I don’t feel we’re that far away. We’ve got a lot of information from the Jerez weekend and we’re eliminating things that we know don’t work. I’m confident we’re close to finding the setting I need and working hard with my guys to find it.”
STONER OUT TO BREAK LE MANS DUCK
For the second grand prix in succession Australian Casey Stoner chases his first ever victory at the circuit to close the gap on MotoGP Championship leader, World Champion Valentino Rossi at Le Mans on Sunday.
After three rounds of the 17 round MotoGP World Championship the Marlboro Ducati rider trails Jerez winner Rossi by just 11 points after finishing third in Spain, his very first podium finish in Jerez. Rossi arrives in France full of confidence after his first win of the season and the 30 year old Italian has a good record at the’ stop and start’ Le Mans Bugatti circuit.
Rossi chases his 99th grand prix victory on Sunday at a track where he has won the premier class three times including last year. He was back to his very best at Jerez and the likes of Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Danny Pedrosa will have to be on top form to beat him.
Spaniard Pedrosa has overcome pre-season injuries to finish on the podium at the last two races on the Repsol Honda. He shares third place in the championship with countryman Jorge Lorenzo who won in Japan but crashed out in Jerez riding the Fiat Yamaha. Both the Spaniards are former winners at Le Mans. Pedrosa won the 125 cc race in 2003 and followed up with two successive 250 cc wins while Lorenzo won the 250 in 2007 on route to the World title.
Italian Andrea Dovizioso, Pedrosa’s team-mate, has made a steady start to the season and is another former 125 cc winner at Le Mans. He lies fifth in the Championship four points in front of American Colin Edwards who chases a good result at his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team’s home grand prix. The former World Superbike Champion has finished third on two occasions at Le Mans but will come up against a couple of Le Mans Premier class winners in a close fought battle for sixth place in the Championship.
Eighth place Marco Melandri is having a tremendous season on the Hayate Kawasaki and won the race in 2006 while a year later Australian Chris Vermeulen took full advantage of the difficult conditions to secure a brilliant win for the Rizla Suzuki team. Just 11 points separate Dovizioso in fifth and Loris Capirossi in tenth and the sparks should fly in the 28 lap race. Frenchman Randy De Puniet warmed up with a superb fourth on the LCR Honda in Jerez while Capirossi won the 250 cc race at Le Mans 15 long years ago.
Thirty six year old Sete Gibernau has made a welcome return to grand prix racing on the Grupo Francisco Hern Ducati and scored points in Qatar and Jerez. He returns to Le Mans where he won the Premier class race in 2003 and 2004. Yuki Takahashi rides a MotoGP machine, the Scot Racing Team Honda, for the first time at Le Mans where he won the 250 cc race in 2006.
In similar style to MotoGP there have been three separate winners in the 250 cc class and the Championship is wide open as it reaches Le Mans. Hiroshi Aoyama leads the way by four points following his nail-biting win on the Scot Honda in Jerez. He won by just a tenth of a second from Japanese Grand Prix winner Alvaro Bautista who is second in the Championship. Qatar winner Hector Barbara is third a further 11 points adrift but look out for World Champion Marco Simoncelli who scored his first points of the season with a third place in Jerez.
The 125 cc race should be a cracker with Italian Andrea Iannone defending a one point lead over Jerez winner Bradley Smith. Both Iannone and Smith’s Aspar team-mate Julian Simon will be fired up after crashing in Jerez but with less than ten points separating the top five also look out for Pol Espargaro, Sandro Cortese and Spanish teenager Marc Marquez.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 15 May
12.40 – 13.40 125cc Free Practice 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.10 – 16.10 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 2 May
09.00 – 09.40 125cc Free Practice 2
09.55 – 10.55 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.10 – 12.10 250cc Free Practice 2
13.00 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 3 May
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (24 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (26 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
Local time BST +1 hour
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 16 May
Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 17 May
125 and 250cc races
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT 2
Friday 15 May
1200 – 1500 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 16 May
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 17 May
0945 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1530 MotoGP action
Jerez 2009 PreviewApril 28th
TOSELAND TO BUILD ON MOTEGI RESULT IN SPAIN
James Toseland returns to Europe to face the third round of the MotoGP World Championship at Jerez in Spain on Sunday buoyed by his ninth place in the Japanese Grand Prix.
The gritty Yorkshireman has endured a tough time in pre-season testing and at the first grand prix but he bounced back in Japan riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. He faces the first European race of the season round the 2.748 miles Andulcian circuit which both the rider and his team know well.
The British 125 cc riders know Jerez even better after cutting their teeth in the Spanish Championship races before embarking on their grand prix careers. Eighteen year old Bradley Smith finished third last year and chases a good result on Sunday after a tough start to the season. Riding the Aspar Aprilia he lies seventh in the Championship 26 points adrift of Championship leader Italian Andrea Iannone and must finish on the podium on Sunday to keep those leaders in sight.
Eighteen year old Kent-based Danny Webb arrives brimming with confidence together with his DeGraff Grand Prix team. Gambling on using wet weather tyres on the drying track he led for over half the race in Japan but eventually finished 11th when the circuit dried out.
Sixteen year old Scott Redding seeks a change of fortune after a misfiring engine caused him to retire in Motegi. Like Smith and Webb he has ridden at Jerez on countless occasions and it’s a big race for him and his Spanish-based Blusens Aprilia team.
Yorkshire teenager Matthew Hoyle missed the race in Japan when his Chinese Haojue team was forced to withdraw through a lack of engine parts. They hope to be at Jerez on Sunday where Hoyle has plenty of experience in the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
QUOTES
James Toseland
“I needed to be back in the top ten, so Motegi was the step I've been looking for. I'm happy for my team because they've stood behind me and everybody has kept their morale up, and now we've got a result we can build on starting at Jerez on Sunday.”
Bradley Smith
“I had some engine problems at Motegi which resulted in me smashing my throat into the screen which broke. In the end I was just happy to finish the race although tenth is not what I expected but at least there are a few more points on the board. In Jerez I’m convinced that we can be much more successful at a circuit we know so well.”
Danny Webb
“I took the gamble with the wet tyres in Motegi and although it didn’t work out it was great for me and the team to lead a grand prix for so long. It’s been a very good weekend for all of us and we go into the Jerez race full of confidence.”
Scott Redding
“I had engine problems in Motegi which in the end forced me to retire. Hopefully we can cure the misfire in Jerez, we have already tested there this year and it’s a circuit both me and the team know well.”
MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE IN JEREZ
The MotoGP race in Montegi was just what the Championship wanted as it rushes back into Europe for the first time this year at the bwin.com Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.
The fans who will be flocking from all over Europe just want more of what they witnessed on their television screens from Japan last Sunday. Bright sunshine after the recent horrendous weather, a tremendous battle between the very best motorcycle riders in the world won by a 21 year old Spaniard and three riders separated by just three points at the top of the Championship table .
Around 130,000 race day fans are expected to pack the 2.742 miles Jerez circuit for this third round of the Championship which is led by a single point by Jorge Lorenzo after his famous victory in Japan.
The Fiat Yamaha rider arrives home brimming with confidence after his morale – boosting victory over his team-mate and World Champion Valentino Rossi who is second in the title race that single point down. The Italian seeks his first victory of the season at the Andalusian circuit where he has achieved great success, winning five times in the Premier class.
Lorenzo in turn has won two 250 grands prix at the track while his great rival and fellow countryman Danny Pedrosa, who finished third in Motegi riding the Repsol Honda, won the MotoGP race last year. The former 125 and 250 cc World Champion is fighting his way back to full fitness and could be near the front once again on Sunday.
Australian Casey Stoner suffered front brake problems in Motegi but still finished fourth on the Marlboro Ducati. He trails Lorenzo by just three points in the Championship as he seeks his first win in Jerez. His new team-mate Nicky Hayden is having a torrid time summed up in Motegi when he was knocked off on the first lap by the flying Scott Honda of Yuki Takahashi.
Pedrosa’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso has made a steady start to his second MotoGP season with two fifth places giving him fourth place in the title chase while Finnish Pramac Ducati rider Mika Kallio is pleased on his debut. He has finished eighth in both races and is seventh in the Championship going into the Jerez race where he won the 250 cc race last year.
It’s been a tough start to the campaign for the Rizla Suzuki team with Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi eighth and 12th respectively. Veteran Capirossi will be looking for a repeat of his Jerez victory on the Ducati in 2006.
American Colin Edwards will seek a change of fortune after problems in Motegi following his fine fourth place in Qatar on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha while Italian Marco Melandri would be delighted to repeat his sixth place at Motegi riding the Hayate Kawasaki.
Thirty six year old Sete Gibernau makes an emotional return to Jerez after a two year absence. He crashed in Motegi but will be fit to ride Grupo Francisco Ducati at the track where he won for Honda in 2004.
Another Spaniard to get a great reception at his home race will be Alvaro Bautista after his 250 cc win in Motegi. In a similar scenario to MotoGP the Aspar rider leads the Championship by a single point from Hiroshi Aoyama with Qatar winner Hector Barbara just a further three points adrift. World Champion Marco Simoncelli has yet to score a point after before forced out of the lead in Motegi with a front tyre puncture. Simoncelli has won two 125 cc races at Jerez but last year crashed out with Bautista when they were contesting the lead on the last lap.
Nineteen year old Italian Andrea Iannone has won the opening two races in the 125 cc class and leads pre-season favourite Julian Simon by 7.5 points after the Spanish rider finished second in both races.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 1 May
13.05 – 13.45 125cc Free Practice 1
14.05 – 14.50 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.05 – 15.50 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 2 May
09.05 – 09.45 125cc Free Practice 2
10.05 – 10.50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.05 – 11.50 250cc Free Practice 2
13.05 – 13.45 125cc Qualifying
14.05 – 14.50 MotoGP Qualifying
15.05 – 15.50 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 3 May
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 125cc RACE (23 laps)
12.15 250cc RACE (26 laps)
14.00 MotoGP RACE (27 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 2 May
Qualifying
1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online (Freeview channel 302)
Qualifying looped
1500-0300, BBC Red Button (Limited service on Freeview)
Sunday 3 May
125cc and 250cc race
0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online (Freeview channel 302)
125cc and 250cc races looped
1200-1200 (Monday), BBC Red Button (Service varies on Freeview)
Race
1230-1400, BBC Two/online
Race looped
1500-1030 (Tuesday), BBC Red Button (Service varies on Freeview)
MotoGP Extra
1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT
Friday 1 May
1200 – 1500 Free Practice 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Saturday 2 May
1200 – 1500 Qualifying 125cc, MotoGP, 250cc Live
Sunday 3 May
1000 125cc race day action Live
1100 250cc race day action Live
1400 MotoGP action
Japan 2009 PreviewApril 20th
TOSELAND SEEKS CHANGE OF FORTUNE IN JAPAN
James Toseland seeks a change of fortune at the second round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, the Polini Grand Prix of Japan at the Motegi Twin Ring circuit on Sunday.
The 27 year old Yorkshireman was pushed into the gravel trap at the opening round in Qatar and finished out of the points in 16th place. This came after two massive pre-season testing crashes for the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider who just hopes for his luck to change at the 2.983 miles circuit where he finished 11th last year on his debut.
The four British 125 cc riders are just hoping for a proper race on Sunday after the opening round in Qatar was reduced to just four laps because of the rain. After so much hard work and preparation it was a disaster for the four teenagers who arrive in Japan more than a little frustrated.
Eighteen year old Bradley Smith finished fifth in Qatar and enjoys racing at Motegi. He must fancy his chances of at least a podium finish on the Bancaja Aspar Aprilia after qualifying second in Qatar.
Kent-based Danny Webb was ninth in Qatar despite set-up problems with the DeGraaf Aprilia and finished tenth last year. Sixteen year old Scott Redding made an impressive Motegi debut last year in eighth place and returns on the Blusens Aprilia determined to get over his frustrating 13th place in the shortened Qatar race.
Seventeen year Matthew Hoyle missed the race at Qatar after damaging his back when he crashed the Haojue machine in qualifying. He will be fit to make his Motegi debut on Sunday.
QUOTES
JAMES TOSELAND – “Qatar was a difficult weekend to say the least and I know we have got a long way to catch up. I didn’t have a lot of luck out there especially when Tony Elias touched me into the gravel. I just need some time on the bike and a bit of luck to go my way. My guys have put in a lot of effort and I’m confident I can get a good result in Japan for the team.”
BRADLEY SMITH – “No more complaining about half points and the weather because I’m taking plenty of positives into Motegi. I’m only seven points behind the leader Andrea Iannone and Motegi is one of my favourite circuits. Three years ago I was eighth which was the first Honda to finish and also my best result of the season. No rain please.
DANNY WEBB – “I’m looking forward to Motegi and I finished tenth there last year. I was pleased with my ninth place in Qatar because we had a lot of problems with the set-up. It was also a good thing I made such a good start with the race only being four laps and I aim to make another good start on Sunday.”
SCOTT REDDING – “I was annoyed at the time in Qatar when they awarded half points because I don’t think they should have given any. However, it has all been decided and let’s get to Japan and a proper race at Motegi where I finished eighth last year in a good battle with Sergio Gadea.
ROSSI SEEKS JAPANESE REVENGE OVER STONER
World Champion Valentino Rossi seeks revenge in the Polini Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday after finishing second to former Champion Casey Stoner in the postponed opening round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship in Qatar.
The 30 year Fiat Yamaha rider won the race round the 2.983 mile Motegi Twin Ring circuit last year after a tremendous battle with the Marlboro Ducati of Australian Stoner and a similar contest is on the cards in the 24 lap race on Sunday.
That was only Rossi’s second victory at Motegi while 23 year old Stoner chases his first win round the circuit that was built by Honda, situated in the hills 70 miles north of Tokyo and which staged its first grand prix in 1999.
Stoner secured his third successive win in Qatar last week and arrives in Japan brimming with confidence as he attempts to regain the title he lost to Rossi last year. He was untroubled by an problems with his left wrist following the bone graft operation in the winter but his new team-mate Nicky Hayden did not have such an easy ride. The American 2006 World Champion was battered and bruised following a crash in Qatar qualifying and he eventually finished 12th in the race after a brave ride.
In contrast Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who was on pole for the Motegi race last season, finished third in Qatar and looks set for another podium finish on Sunday at a circuit where he has never won. Former World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards continued his excellent pre-season with an impressive fourth place riding the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine in front of former 125 Motegi winner Andrea Dovizioso and hard riding Alex De Angelis on the San Carlo Gresini Honda.
Veteran Italian Loris Capirossi failed to bother the scorers after crashing out in Qatar but the Rizla Suzuki rider has a fantastic record at Motegi. He won the race for Ducati in three successive years starting in 2005 and last year finished sixth on the Suzuki. His team-mate Chris Vermeulen’s seventh place in Qatar was his best result there but he hopes to be chasing a podium finish on Sunday.
One place behind was Finn Mika Kallio who made an impressive MotoGP debut riding the Pramac Ducati. He also has a great record at Motegi winning three times in the 125 and 250 cc classes. Spaniard Toni Elias, who was ninth in Qatar, also has an impressive Motegi record winning the 250 cc race on two occasions.
The 125 and double 250 cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa is another double Motegi winner. The Repsol Honda rider rode through the pain barrier in Qatar to finish 11th just five weeks after a major skin graft operation on his left knee, A couple of weeks rest should make the knee a good deal stronger. Italian Marco Melandri brought the Hayate team some welcome points finishing 14th in Qatar despite running off the track while veteran Sete Gibernau injured shoulder stood up to the rigours of grand prix racing. He finished 13th in Qatar after his first race for two years.
The World 250 cc Champion Marco Simoncelli hopes to return to the action after missing the first defence of his title in Qatar. The 22 year old Metis Gilera rider broke his wrist in a motocross training accident just a week before the opening round. The Italian had a screw inserted to knit the bones together but despite practicing could not qualify or race in Qatar.
While he was absent Hector Barbara scored a superb victory in the race which was reduced to 13 laps. The 22 year old Spaniard makes an emotional return to Motegi. Less than sixth months ago Barbara, who won the 125 cc race in Motegi six years ago, broke his back in a qualifying accident at the Japanese circuit and he returns on Sunday to allay a few ghosts and repeat his Qatar victory. His biggest threat will come from Japanese Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama, who was fourth in Qatar but has won twice at Motegi and Championship runner-up Alvaro Bautista who was a disappointing seventh in Qatar.
The 125 cc riders got the rough end of the rain in Qatar with a four lap race and the award of half World Championship points for their efforts. Hopefully normal service will be resumed on Sunday where Qatar winner Andrea Iannone’s Championship lead will come under pressure from the Bancaja Aspar Aprilia pair of Julian Simon and Bradley Smith plus last year’s winner Stefan Bradl.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
Friday 24 April
13.05 – 13.45 125cc Free Practice 1
14.05 – 14.50 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15.05 – 15.50 250cc Practice 1
Saturday 25 April
09.05 – 09.45 125cc Free Practice 2
10.05 – 10.50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11.05 – 11.50 250cc Free Practice 2
13.05 – 13.45 125cc Qualifying
14.05 – 14.50 MotoGP Qualifying
15.05 – 15.50 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 26 April
08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.00 MotoGP Warm Up
12.00 125cc RACE (20 laps)
13.15 250cc RACE (23 laps)
15.00 MotoGP RACE (24 laps)
Time Zone GMT +9 hours
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 25 April
Qualifying
0500-0800, BBC Red Button/online (Freeview 301)
Sunday 26 April
125 and 250cc race
0250-0500, BBC Red Button/online (Freeview 301)
Race
0645-0800, BBC Two/online
Highlights
1400-1515, BBC Two/online
Race re-run
2300-0900, BBC Red Button
EUROSPORT
Friday 24 April
0500 – 0700 Free Practice Live
08.30 –10.00 MotoGP action
Saturday 25 April
0500 – 0700 Qualifying Live
11.15 -12.45 MotoGP action
Sunday 26 April
04.00 125cc race day action Live
05.15 250cc race day action Live
06.30 MotoGP action
Qatar 2009 PreviewApril 6th
TOSELAND LOOKS TO LIGHTEN THE GLOOM
James Toseland puts a nightmare pre-season testing programme behind him as he faces the first round of the 2009 MotoGP season under the floodlights at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar on Sunday.
The 28 year old gritty Yorkshireman has suffered two massive 125 mph crashes while testing in Sepang and Jerez and arrives in Qatar recovering from concussion and a broken fifth metatarsal in his foot. It’s been a tough time for Toseland who made his MotoGP debut a year ago at the 3.343 mile Losail International circuit. Also he is involved in a bitter dispute with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate and fellow former World Superbike Champion American Colin Edwards. They have fallen out after swapping crew chiefs. Toseland has also missed valuable time testing the Bridgestone tyres who are the sole supplier to MotoGP teams this year.
Last year Toseland finished a brilliant sixth on his MotoGP debut in the Qatar race which was the first ever grand prix on two or four wheels to be held under floodlights. A repeat result on Sunday would be a remarkable result after all that has gone on in the last two months.
The four British teenagers in the 125 cc class are busy testing in the dark in Qatar on Monday and Tuesday before the opening round of the Championship which could once again bring some home success. Last year 15 year old Scott Redding finished a brilliant fifth in Qatar on just his second grand prix appearance. Later in the year he went on to win the British Grand Prix and faces this season a year older and with a works engine in his Blusens Aprilia.
Bradley Smith grabbed his first ever pole position in Qatar last year but broke down in the race which in many ways summed up his season. The 18 year Oxfordshire rider has switched to the Championship winning Bancaja Aspar Aprilia team for his fourth season in grand prix racing. An early maiden grand prix victory could set him up for a very successful year.
Eighteen year old Kent-based Danny Webb returns to the fray fully recovered from the injuries that dogged him last season. His remains with Dutch-based DeGraaf Aprilia team and a repeat of his sixth place last year would be a great start to the year.
Seventeen year old Yorkshireman Matthew Hoyle faces a baptism of fire in his first grand prix season. He makes just his second grand prix appearance riding for the new Chinese Haojue team who will take time to make an impact in one of the most competitive of all World Motorsport Championships.
Quotes
James Toseland - “There’s no doubt that the recent testing programme has been tough. I’m still working hard to understand the limit of the new Bridgestone tyres. I have been extremely lucky to escape serious injury both in Sepang and Jerez. As we all know, the race is where results really count and I’m completely focused on achieving success in my second year in MotoGP, starting on Sunday”.
Bradley Smith - “Testing has gone really well with the new team and I can’t wait to get started. I’m still wearing the pole position watch from last year but poles count for nothing and it’s race wins I’m after. This is my fourth year and I must start winning races although in the first three races scoring points is going to be vital or I will be playing catch-up for the rest of the season.”
Scott Redding - “Testing has gone ok but it has taken us time to adjust to the new Aprilia but we are getting there. These two days in Qatar testing before the race will be very important. I can’t wait to start because it’s been a long winter and I want to get racing.”
Danny Webb - “I have learned a lot about how the Aprilia is working and have faith going into the two day test in Qatar. We will be working on the front fork which I’m sure will make an improvement. Apart from a problem with a finger I’m fully fit and can’t wait to both test and race again.”
Matthew Hoyle - “I know it’s going to be tough but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s a new circuit for both me and the team and there is a lot of hard work in front of us. Racing under floodlights will also be a new experience but that’s what grand prix racing is all about.”
ROSSI AND STONER IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Like every other major sports these are tough times for MotoGP but the gloom will be lightened by the start of the 2009 season in Qatar on Sunday.
It promises to be a foretaste of the battles that lie ahead with World Champions Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner in the spotlight under the floodlights at the Losail circuit.
Australian Stoner has won the race for the last two years riding for the Ducati Marlboro team and has been in superb form on the new GP 9 Ducati in pre-season testing. Italian Rossi, who won back his MotoGP crown last year riding the M1 Fiat Yamaha, has been equally impressive which sets up another head to head confrontation between the two best motorcycle riders in the World.
The only factor to spoil the duel could be the state of Stoner’s left wrist after a bone graft operation in the close season to repair an old injury. The 23 year old Australian is still having problems completing race distances despite some blisteringly quick laps and the big test will come in the 22 lap race on Sunday evening.
There are plenty of others who should be joining in the fun at the front. Rossi’s team-mate and former 250 cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has been very impressive despite the switch to Bridgestone from Michelin tyres. Former World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards has also made a successful switch of tyres on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine while Rizla Suzuki have hit the ground running.
The experienced Suzuki pair of Italian Loris Capirossi and Australian Chris Vermeulen hope to be chasing podium finishes right from the off. While the Repsol Honda duo of Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso know the opening few races are going to be tough.
Spaniard Pedrosa is fighting a painful battle to be fit after an operation on a knee he re-injured during the Qatar test. Italian Dovizioso, who made such an impressive MotoGP debut last year, steps up to the works team and switches from Bridgestone to Michelin tyres.
Former World Champion American Nicky Hayden left Repsol Honda to join Stoner at Ducati, while grand prix winner Spaniard Toni Elias returns to the San Carlo Gresini team to join Alex De Angelis.
Nine times MotoGP race winner Spaniard Sete Gibernau makes a welcome return to the track after a two year absence riding for the brand new Guinea Ecuatorial Ducati team while Frenchman Randy De Puniet remains at LCR Honda who are sporting some new Playboy sponsorship.
After a tough winter former 250 cc World Champion Marco Melandri will make it to the grid. He left Ducati after a tough season last year to join Kawasaki who then pulled out. However, they will run one bike this season under the Hayate banner with Melandri who was in impressive form during the recent Jerez tests.
Three newcomers make their debut in the class. Finn Mika Kallio, both 125 and 250 cc grands prix winner, has looked in great form during testing riding the Pramac Racing Ducati where he is joined by young Italian Niccolo Canepa. Completing the 18 rider line-up is 250 cc grand prix winner Yuki Takahashi who replaces Andrea Dovizioso in the Scott Racing Honda team.
The 250 cc class looks to be another heart stopping battle between World Champion Italian Marco Simoncelli and former 125 World Champion Alvaro Bautista. Throw in the likes of Hector Barbara, Hiroshi Aoyama and 125 cc World Champions Mike De Meglio and Gabor Talmacsi and it should be another classic confrontation.
The 125 class looks even closer with the departure of those World Champions. Spaniard Julian Simon, who has returned from the 250 cc class, has been outstanding in testing but will be given a really tough time by the usual suspects including Simone Corsi, Joan Olive, Nicolas Terol, Pol Espargaro and the British pair of Bradley Smith and Scott Redding.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE
(Schedule shown in local time which is three hours ahead of GMT)
Friday 10 April
20.30 – 21.10 125cc Free Practice 1
21.30 – 22.15 250cc Free Practice 1
22.30 – 23.15 MotoGP Free Practice 1
Saturday 11 April
18.05 – 18.45 125cc Free Practice 2
19.05 – 19.50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
20.05 – 20.50 250cc Free Practice 2
22.05 – 22.45 125cc Qualifying
23.05 – 23.50 MotoGP Qualifying
00.05 – 00.50 250cc Qualifying
Sunday 12 April
18.00 – 18.20 125cc Warm Up
18.30 – 18.50 250cc Warm Up
19.00 – 19.20 MotoGP Warm Up
20.00 125cc RACE (18 laps)
21.15 250cc RACE (20 laps)
23.00 MotoGP RACE (22 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 11 April
Qualifying
2000-2300, BBC Red Button/online
Repeated Saturday - 2000 and 2300 and Sunday 0200, 0500, 0800, 1100 and 1400, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 12 April
MotoGP preview
1300-1330, BBC Two/online
125cc and 250cc race
1750-2005, BBC Red Button/online
Race
2030-2200, BBC Four/online
Repeated Saturday - 2200 and 2330, BBC Red Button/online
Highlights
0000-0100, BBC Two/online
Sunday 12 April
Race repeat
0100, 0230, 0400, 0530, 0700, 0830, 1000, 1130, BBC Red Button/online
Highlights
1300-1415, BBC Two/online
Highlights repeated - 1300 to 1100 Tuesday, BBC Red Button/online
EUROSPORT
Friday 10 April
18.30-21.30 Free Practice Eurosport 2
Saturday 11 April
20.00-2300 Qualifying Eurosport 2
Sunday 12 April
18.00-19.15 125cc race day action Eurosport
19.15-20.30 250cc race day action Eurosport
22.00-23.15 Delayed MotoGP race day action Eurosport
IRTA Test - Jerez - PreviewMarch 23rd
TOSELAND READY FOR CRUCIAL TWO DAY EXAMINATION
James Toseland returns to the track for a crucial two days MotoGP test at Jerez in Spain over the weekend. The tough Yorkshireman has fully recovered from his massive crash at Sepang in Malaysia at the beginning of last month and chases a morale boosting two days around the 2.748 miles Spanish Grand Prix venue.
Twenty-eight year old Toseland has two days to finalize the set-up on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine before the opening grand prix of the season under the floodlights in Qatar on April 12. Last year the former World Superbike Champion finished 11th in his MotoGP debut season.
Four British teenagers start a three day test at Jerez for the 125 cc class on Wednesday. Three of the riders are veterans of the highly competitive class while 17 year old Yorkshireman Matthew Hoyle starts his world championship career after just one previous grand prix appearance.
Last year Gloucestershire-based Scott Redding won the British Grand Prix at Donington Park when he was just 15 years old. He returns for his second season of grand prix racing riding the works Aprilia for the Spanish-based Blusens team ready not only to fight for more grand prix wins but the ultimate World title.
Incredibly 18 year old Bradley Smith starts his fourth season in 125 cc grand prix racing. He has improved his standings every year and has switched to the Championship winning Bancaja Aspar team. That elusive first grand prix win is the Oxford - based riders’ first priority and his performances in testing indicate that first win is very close.
Kent-based Danny Webb celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday and is another veteran of the class. He returns to the fray riding the DeGraaf Grand Prix Aprilia fully fit after recovering during the winter break from a series of injuries.
Matthew Hoyle made his name in the Red Bull Rookies Cup last season where he secured five successive podium finishes. He was snapped up by the new Chinese Haojue team who have been founded by former World Champion John Surtees and former Suzuki Grand Prix boss Gary Taylor. It promises to be an interesting season for the new rider and team.
QUOTES
JAMES TOSELAND
“It wasn’t easy in our last test in Qatar but on the last night I felt like we were finding a good direction and I was certainly feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike. The crash in Sepang hit my confidence and it took me a while to find my rhythm, but I feel I can go much faster now. I just need time on the bike which will start in Jerez.”
BRADLEY SMITH
“The build up to the start of the season has gone really well both on and off the track. The tests with my new team have been good and we have gelled right from the start. The only problem has been the incredible pace of my new team-mate Julian Simon who has been flying. I‘ve been training really hard in Spain with plenty of motocross which I love. The Jerez test is always interesting because it’s the first time we all come together. It’s a really important three days.”
SCOTT REDDING
“I’m more confident on the Aprilia and I’m getting better sensations from it. We have been working very hard to get a good set-up for the beginning of the season but we have not got it quite right yet but we are getting closer. What I like most about the Aprilia is the low rev power but what is most difficult is getting a good set-up on the chassis. At the start of the three day test in Estoril we had a lot of problems but as the time passed we found the right solutions. I think that we will arrive in Jerez in good shape.”
DANNY WEBB
“It’s been a long wait for the season to start and we only had our first test on the new bike last week in Estoril. As the other teams have found the Aprilia is not easy to set up but afterwards we sat down and made some progress. The three days in Jerez and then two days in Qatar before that first grand prix will be vital. The winter break means I’m fit and raring to go.”
MATTHEW HOYLE
“I can’t wait to get started although of course it will be tough competing against the best riders in the World. Also the bike is brand new and so we will be developing as we go along but at least I know some of the circuits and the paddock layouts after competing in the Red Bull Rookie Cup last year. The first couple of races will be tough but we will get there and the test at Jerez will give us an idea about what lies ahead.”
MOTOGP PREVIEW
The MotoGP riders will undertake their final pre-season test of 2009 this week, and the stakes are high as they head to the Spanish circuit of Jerez. Dubbed ‘GP Zero’ within the World Championship paddock, the MotoGP Official Test gives competitors from all three classes the chance to fine-tune their machines ahead of a grueling eight months of racing.
Taking place from March 25th-March 29th, the Jerez visit unites the paddock in one location for the first time since 2008’s season-closing race at Valencia. Split into two parts, the MotoGP Official Test will open with three days of 125cc/250cc action, before the MotoGP premier class has the track to themselves on the Saturday and Sunday.
With some notable exceptions, the famous names and expected title contenders will be in attendance to put the finishing touches to their 2009 bikes, and top of the bill is MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi. The Fiat Yamaha rider has been one of the fastest riders over the course of pre-season, and is in peak condition whilst some of his rivals are battling for fitness.
Former titlist Casey Stoner is one such rider, expressing concern over the condition of his wrist following an operation at the end of 2008. Stoner has put in fast individual laps on his return to testing, but has been struggling with endurance onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa will miss the Official Test through his own injury woes, currently recuperating from injuries picked up to his left hand arm and knee at the recent Qatar test. The Spaniard’s recuperation schedule does not allow for any riding between now until the opening race of the season at the earliest, leaving development of the factory Honda RC212V to new teammate Andrea Dovizioso and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias.
Riders in ruder health on factory machinery are Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati’s Nicky Hayden and Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen, all having featured at the sharp end of the timesheets since the turn of the year. The extent of progression made with the latter pair’s GSV-R engine will become apparent on one of the longer straights of the preseason circuits.
New liveries are likely to be presented by Suzuki (who renewed their title sponsorship deal with Rizla this week) and Monster Yamaha Tech3, and MotoGP teams will be making the most of the high attendance to officially unveil their 2009 projects.
The focal point of the MotoGP Official Test will be a 45-minute ‘qualifying’ shootout, the annual BMW M Award. Taking place from 2.05pm on Sunday, the riders will have a chance to take home a brand new BMW sports car in return for clocking the fastest time of the session. Previous winners of the prize include Rossi, Stoner and Sete Gibenau.
The MotoGP Official Test begins with the 125cc and 250cc classes in action from Wednesday March 25th-Friday March 27th, with MotoGP taking centre stage for the following two days.