The Gran Premio IVECO de Aragon got underway today as Repsol Honda Team’s championship leader Marc Marquez was joined at the Thursday pre-race press conference by Yamaha Factory Racing rival Jorge Lorenzo, his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, as well as Power Electronics Aspar’s leading CRT contender Aleix Espargaro. Before the press conference kicked off however, the riders posed with Team Calvo Moto3™ rider Ana Carrasco, who is this weekend joined by Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Maria Herrera as a wildcard, making it the first time two females compete in the lightweight class since the Spanish GP in 1994. Marquez commented on the weekend ahead: “Aragon is one of my favourite tracks and I enjoyed it a lot in the test after the Montmelo race. I feel quite good and it’s always important to enjoy it. Not so good in the first corner in 125s but quite nice in Moto2™, so we will see this weekend. Last race pace was not so bad so we will try to continue like that. At Misano I made a few mistakes, we’ll try to improve that, be the same, try to push and then see how the weather is on Sunday. And then see in which position we can fight.” Lorenzo, who has not won at this track, is hoping to change that this weekend: “We are in a good shape. We won the last two races, so that is a good signal. Now we arrive at a track that is normally difficult for us. Fourth in 2010, third in 2011 and second last year, so hopefully we can keep the same pattern and win here this year for the first time, but our rivals are really strong. I believe with a better bike we can go well…we went really fast with a good pace in the test, so hopefully we can now go even faster. That is the theory, so hopefully it can become the reality.” Last year’s winner Pedrosa is also looking to haul back some points as he chases his teammate: “At the last race we couldn’t match the pace for the win, but at the last test at Misano I was looking for some improvement and think we made some small steps – nothing very big, but even small is always very important. Tomorrow we’ll go out and try and see if it’s also working at different tracks. Obviously I did a good race here last year and the previous years also, so I am looking forward to this weekend and trying to enjoy it with the crowd that will come and also all of my friends who will show up on Thursday. I hope to do a good weekend and I enjoy riding here.” Rossi, who seems to be stuck with fourth place these days, is hoping to break that trend: “In 2010 here I had a lot of problems with the shoulder. I like the track though. Especially when we came here for the test after Barcelona, I had a feel good feeling with the M1; good fast, good pace and not so far from the top three. Now for sure in two or three months the settings have change a lot but we hope to do faster and stay top the whole practice, also on Sunday in order to be happy in the race. We still have to work with some areas in which I am personally struggling, especially with the braking. We will try to continue like it was on the Monday after Misano, which was not so bad.” For Bradl, this weekend will be about getting back some of the confidence he showed back in Laguna Seca where he took his first podium: “The last three or four races we have suffered with several problems; sometimes the front, sometimes the rear but we haven’t been too fast. We couldn’t be as quick as we wanted to. Of course, as you can see the top four in the factory teams have a lot of confidence and are just going faster from the beginning of the weekend, but it is a new challenge and we have been here for a test after the Barcelona GP, trying to go fast from the beginning and to be as close to the top as possible.” Espargaro, who has been the centre of much speculation about a move away from his team, tried to steer clear of the subject: “For sure a really good season for me, couple of good qualifyings in particular. On a small track like Germany or Misano we have an advantage as our bike is really good with direction change, but for sure we suffer a lot with the long tracks. I enjoy riding this track a lot; I think the first and second parts can be really good, but the long straight could be really difficult, but for sure it’s not like Misano. “I would like to change bike. I think we are a bit closer [to switching teams] and I think in a couple of days we would know more. I don’t want to change team because this is like a family, but sometimes you need to find your motivation – I really want to change the bike.” Earlier in the day, GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti, Came IodaRacing Project’s Johann Zarco, Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’s Jordi Torres, Maptaq SAG Zelos Team’s Xavier Simeon, his teammate Marcel Schrotter, NGM’s Ricky Cardus and Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins all took to the MotorLand Karting Circuit to test their skills on four wheels. It was ultimately Simeon who took the chequered flag from Bautista and local boy Rins. More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Ask the uninitiated about the first thing that amazes them about MotoGP™, and quite often it’s not always the speed – even though the riders are topping 350km/h or 217mph. More often than not it’s the incredible lean angles the riders reach as they hang off the side of their bikes to get them through the corners as fast as possible. With the vast improvement in tyre technology from Bridgestone over recent years, which has often focussed on improving the ‘edge grip’ of the rubber on the shoulder of the tyres, riders are now getting their machines cranked over to 64º from vertical – a stunning feat when you compare it to the cornering abilities of other motorcycles. On the eve of the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon, reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha YZR-M1 was on display on the MotorLand Aragon main straight with a special stand to reproduce the maximum leaning angle reached in MotoGP™. During the live coverage of this week’s Grand Prix, two brand new graphics will be introduced in the International Program Feed to highlight both how the riders make the most of the edge grip to reach maximum lean angle and to directly compare riding styles of two riders. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: MotoGP returns to Spain this weekend at MotorLand Aragón for the fourteenth round of the 2013 season. It will be the circuit’s fourth consecutive year hosting a MotoGP race. Surrounded by the Iberian and Pyrenees mountain ranges, the Aragon circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke. It currently includes a technology park that houses research institutes related to the automotive industry, and a sports area that includes the circuit, while a cultural and leisure area is planned as well. Having taken advantage of the week off to rest and work on his endurance and the physical strength of his right shoulder, Andrea Iannone, who won the Moto2 race during the debut Grand Prix of Aragón in 2010, is ready to continue the good work carried out with the Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team and tackle the last GP prior to the long and decisive October tripleheader. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “This week I took the opportunity to regain strength and endurance, particularly of the shoulder. I worked hard and now I’m happy and ready. The tests we did at Misano on Monday last week went well. We haven’t changed much but we’ve improved some things, and I was faster than during the weekend. I like the track here at Aragon a lot. I’ve been on the podium several times in Moto2, and I hope to have a good weekend. We have to be patient for further changes, but we continue to work on getting more and more.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: MotoGP returns to Spain this weekend at MotorLand Aragón for the fourteenth round of the 2013 season. It will be the circuit’s fourth consecutive year hosting a MotoGP race. Surrounded by the Iberian and Pyrenees mountain ranges, the Aragon circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke. It currently includes a technology park that houses research institutes related to the automotive industry, and a sports area that includes the circuit, while a cultural and leisure area is planned as well. The Ignite Pramac Racing Team welcomes Yonny Hernandez, who will play the role of substitute rider for Ben Spies, until the American’s return. Yonny, who joined the premier class in 2012, is now ready to prove himself riding the Texan’s Desmosedici GP13. Yonny Hernandez – Ignite Pramac Racing Team “I’m very happy for the opportunity Ducati and Pramac are giving me, and I hope to learn a lot during the next races. Compared to the bike I’m used to riding, it’s a lot different. This one has a lot more power and I need to understand a lot of things, especially with the electronics, but I’m happy. I felt comfortable during the test at Misano, and I want to continue to learn and improve step by step. Now I’ll focus on the bike. I need to find the right feeling, and slowly I hope to get results too.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: PLANETWIN365 DRESSES BRADL’S RC213Vs AT ARAGON MOTORLAND Aragon, 26 September: LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl continues his strong second season in MotoGP at Aragon Motorland this week end. The major highlight so far was pole position and second place at Laguna Seca – this historic pole position was a first for a German rider in the premier class. Bradl improved his hold on sixth overall with a canny fifth place in the last race at Misano and aims to challenge the top riders at the Spanish circuit with PlanetWin365 branding his RC213V for the first time ever. PlanetWin365 is a premium brand known throughout Europe for many years thanks to the clear relationship with its customers, its close ties with FIFA in the matter of match fixing, and the constant innovation of its product. PlanetWin365, is a brand of the Austrian company SKS365 Group GmbH, which offers a responsible approach to gambling in a safe and guaranteed way. Betting with PlanetWin365 is a pleasant and enjoyable experience, played out in a secure environment. More information tools, better consumer protection and more attention in preventing illegal bets through an attentive and unique control of the flows of bets. This is our talent! Thomas Smallwood (PlanetWin365 CEO): “With full satisfaction for what has been done till now, PlanetWin365 finally comes to this important event of the season as, together with the LCR Honda Team the Aragon GP will see for the first time, PlanetWin365 will be the major partner on the bike of the talented Stefan Bradl. An exciting experience that will strengthen the relationship between two brands that regularly promote talent!” Stefan Bradl “We had a test in Aragon this year already so hopefully we are well prepared for the race. It might be an interesting round for us because we are going there with a different set-up compared to the past … we changed a lot the overall package of the bike in Misano. I am looking forward to this weekend, because the Aragon circuit suits the Honda machines, and with a strong pace we can make another good result … but no crashes this time! I want to thank PlanetWin365 for their support for this race… it’s a new partner of our Team and I will do the best to reward their faith in me”!