Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Ready to Restart the Season Stateside

After a three-week summer break, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP return to the United States leading the standings and are keen to take on the competition this weekend at round ten of the MotoGP World Championship.

Indianapolis (USA), 5th August 2015

After a three week MotoGP drought, this week the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team will be back in action at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they defend their top spot in the championship standings.

Last year‘s Indianapolis Grand Prix saw a brilliant scrap at the front that resulted in teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo taking a double podium finish.

As with last year, Rossi has enjoyed a very successful first half of the season. He has finished on the podium at every round so far, led the standings from start to date and claimed a GP win in Qatar, Argentina and the Netherlands. Having been able to fully recharge during his holiday, the Doctor returns to the scene ready for action and aims to extend his championship lead over the coming nine rounds.

Teammate Lorenzo had a challenging start to the season, but made a sensational comeback at Jerez. This home race victory marked the beginning of a stunning four GP winning streak that lasted until Assen. The summer break not only gave the Spaniard time to unwind but also allowed him to get his physique up to a new level, leaving him ready to give his all during the rest of the season.

Thanks to his strong start to the season, Rossi leads the championship with a 179 point total and a 13 point gap to Lorenzo in second place. Both riders are eager to climb onto Indianapolis Motor Speedway‘s podium again this weekend.

Though originally constructed in 1909 it wasn‘t until 2008 that MotoGP arrived at the ’brickyard‘. Rossi conquered the first Indianapolis GP when he bravely withstood the remnants of Hurricane Ike to take the chequered flag in brutal conditions. One year later it was Lorenzo‘s turn to claim the win and he returned to the podium four more times over the next five years.

Though both riders admit that Indianapolis is not their favourite circuit, they like the layout that consists of 16 turns and an incorporated main straight of the famous oval. Last year‘s resurfacing of the 4.170 m long track has also improved the grip level considerably for the riders, which gives the fans plenty of overtaking action to look forward to.

VALENTINO ROSSI

“I’m ready to start racing again during the second part of the season. I had a few days of rest, I went on holiday with my friends and I also trained. After nine races, this stop was very important so I could recharge myself. Now there are another nine races waiting for us and each of these will be very important for the championship. The first part went very well with nine podiums in nine races and I hope that the second part of this season will go just as well. Some of the tracks we‘re going to I really like, I have to be defensive at others. We start with Indianapolis, not one of my favourite circuits but there‘s always a great atmosphere here and the circuit is very nice. I’m ready to go!”

JORGE LORENZO

“The summer break was a good chance to rest and recharge our batteries for the second half of the season. I was able to enjoy some sunny days at the beach but I also trained a lot in California and Brazil, where I spent many days before Indy. I feel great, I‘m in a very good shape and ready to face the important second part of the season. The first half was not so bad considering the beginning, so we are feeling very positive and hopefully we can fight in the best way possible with Valentino and Marc. Usually Indy is not one of my favourite tracks but I‘ve won there in the past. Last year the tarmac improved a lot but its layout is different to that of other circuits. I think we can contend for the podium again so we need to be very focused during the whole weekend to try to gain valuable points.”

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“We are returning from our holidays well-rested and with recharged batteries and arrive at Indianapolis in a good shape. It‘s always exciting to come to this iconic circuit and I think we are ready to challenge at the front again in the second half of the season. We are leading the championship with Vale and also have Jorge on strong form, which is important. Having been able to rest, they now have renewed energy and are looking forward to getting back on track, so I‘m confident they will give it their 100% again this weekend as they always do.”