Yamaha Return to Spain for the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 25th September 2013 Fresh from two consecutive race victories in Silverstone and Misano, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team are now returning to Spain for the third ‘home’ race of the year for defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo, the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon at the Motorland circuit in Aragon. Lorenzo has yet to take a victory at the track, scoring a third place podium in 2011 and improving to finish second last year. Fresh from his two consecutive race wins, the reigning world champion is aiming to take a third win as he fights to retain his title. Teammate Valentino Rossi has yet to be on podium at Aragon, scoring a highest place finish of sixth in 2010, his last visit to Aragon on a Yamaha. The Italian will be looking to make the most of an improved bike set up following the recent Misano test to claim his first Aragon podium finish. Situated in hills near the town of Alcaniz, Aragon is a relatively new circuit to the calendar having completed construction in time to host its first Grand Prix race in 2010. The Hermann Tilke designed circuit is 5.077km in length with an impressive straight that runs for just under a kilometre. There are plenty of elevation changes through the first series of turns and a wide track for overtaking opportunities. Jorge Lorenzo “I’m really looking forward to going to Aragon because in that track we did a very good test before the Assen Grand Prix. In those tests we were the fastest and now we have an even better bike. I’m looking forward to getting to know our new level at the circuit. I feel very good physically and also the last Misano test went very well for us, so I’m going to Aragon feeling positive.” Valentino Rossi “After doing a test, I am always very curious to go to the next race. The Misano test was very positive. We improved various aspects so I want to see if we are able to make a further step on race. My goal is always to fight with Jorge, Dani and Marc. In recent tests done at Aragon, Jorge and I made good times with the M1. The bike worked well so we are eager to go on to this circuit.” Yamaha Factory Racing Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “Motorland has always been a challenge for us the last couple of years but after winning the last two races it is a great motivation to go there and find the secrets from Aragon. When we tested there we went in the right way so let’s see what we can deliver there. Jorge is now in a very good shape and the bike is also improved a lot. Our motivation is not the problem but the secret of the track is always difficult to be achieved. Let’s go to find it out!” Yamaha Factory Racing Massimo Meregalli Team Director “We’re going to Aragon with great expectations. We made two good private tests and the last one at Misano gave satisfactory results. Aragon has never been one of our best tracks but what we found during the last test there was very positive. Both riders were very strong and that is why we want to continue the positive series of races and reduce the gap between Jorge and Marquez.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Third race in Spain for Ducati Team The MotoGP season is entering its final phase, which will comprise three overseas races book-ended by a pair of stops in Spain, the first of which is set to take place this weekend at MotorLand Aragón, host of the calendar’s fourteenth round. Situated in the northeast of the country, roughly midway between Barcelona and Madrid, the circuit is relatively new to the championship, and this will mark just its fourth time hosting MotoGP. It’s a modern facility with a track that runs in an anti-clockwise direction and includes a variety of corner types, as well as some modest climbs and descents. The Aragón race will also mark the 200th Grand Prix start for Andrea Dovizioso, who finished on the podium last year and will be riding the track for the first time aboard the Desmosedici GP13. Dovizioso’s Ducati Team cohort Nicky Hayden also has a podium result to his credit at Aragón, having finished third in 2010, the track’s MotoGP debut. Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team “I don’t know if Aragón will suit us better than Misano. For me this year it’s always new and at every track the Ducati works in a different way. I don’t know what we can expect but normally Aragón is quite a good race for Ducati. I really didn’t know that I will reach the milestone of 200 GPs at Aragón! It’s really nice to do a lot of races in the world championship, and it’s something really important for the rider. When I was young, for me it was impossible to think about being a part of the world championship, so I’m really happy to have reached this milestone but it also means that I’m becoming quite old!” Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team “Aragón is definitely quite a bit different from Misano, the last track we raced at, as it goes left and has some elevation changes. It’s a fun track that has some nice corners, although it has gotten pretty bumpy since the first year we went there and had great results with the Ducati, which hasn’t helped us. It’s a track I enjoy, but we know that it’s not going to be an easy race for us. Still, I’m looking forward to going there. We’ll try to start the weekend strong and see if we can do something better than we have at the last few races.” Vittoriano Guareschi – Team Manager “Aragón is a race that brings back some nice memories for us. The first time we went there, we won the race and also put Nicky on the podium; it was my first win as team manager. The track is really nice, it usually has a good crowd and there’s a long straightaway where the power of our bike’s engine can be exploited. During the post-race test at Misano, we found a few little things that our riders liked—nothing extraordinary but they did help us to go a bit better. We hope to experience the same benefits at Aragón.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Bridgestone MotoGP™ Preview – Round 14: Aragon Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main) & Hard (Alternative) Round fourteen of the 2013 MotoGP™ season takes place at Motorland Aragon; a venue where changeable weather conditions and the varied nature of the circuit creates a challenging scenario for tyre development. At approximately five kilometres in length, Aragon is a technical circuit with a back straight almost one kilometre long among a mixture of long sweeping corners and slower, tighter curves. The varied nature of the circuit and its susceptibility to changeable weather requires a special approach to front tyre selection. The two front slick compounds, the soft and hard compounds are offered to ensure a broad operating range to deal with whatever weather and track condition occur this weekend. Last year Bridgestone supplied asymmetric rear slicks for the first time at Aragon and following a successful debut, rear slicks with harder rubber on the left shoulder will once again be supplied this weekend. The CRT entries will have access to the soft and medium option rear slicks, while the more powerful works bikes will be able to select from the medium and hard rear slicks. Owing to the smooth tarmac and possibility for cold weather, the main wet tyre for Aragon is the soft compound option Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “The Aragon circuit is a state-of-the-art facility located in stunning surroundings which gives it a unique feel among the world championship venues. This technical circuit is quite demanding of the riders, bike and tyres with fast corners and heavy acceleration and braking zones. Jorge has shown great fighting spirit to win the last two races and he will once again have to give his all to beat the Honda riders this weekend, as Aragon is a circuit that Yamaha has yet to enjoy victory at since its introduction to the calendar in 2010. Aragon is the last round before we embark on a busy period of three back-to-back overseas races and undoubtedly the three Spanish riders currently leading the championship will give everything they can to secure a home victory this weekend to help them in their bid to become this year’s MotoGP champion.” Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Aragon is a nice circuit and has a mixed layout that matches fast, flowing sections with some slower corners and chicanes. Compared to other tracks on the calendar, the tarmac here is relatively smooth and slippery so the tyres need to provide good grip, while the long, fast corners and downhill braking zones also require high levels of stability, so tyre development for this circuit is quite challenging. The weather at Aragon can be quite temperamental and warm or cool conditions are possible, so our front tyre allocation will include the soft and hard compound options to ensure the widest operating temperature range. The soft compound front will give riders maximum edge grip and warm-up performance in cool conditions, while the hard option will provide better cornering and braking stability. We brought asymmetric slicks to Aragon for the first time last year and as these worked well we will once again bring this specification of tyre in the soft, medium and hard compounds.” More, from a press release issued by Avintia Blusens MotoGP Team: Third round at home for the Avintia Blusens MotoGP team. Barberá and Aoyama hope to shine at the Grand Prix Iveco of Aragón Racing at home is always a luxury. It makes you feel supported by your fans and provides you with the needed strength to give the best of yourself. But it also requires maximum concentration and work not to disappoint anyone. You always try to be the best but when you run at home it seems that the demand is greater. And the Avintia Blusens MotoGP team feels so being faced with the GP of Aragón. Both riders and technicians know the importance of racing at home and want to do their best in front of the supporters who will travel to Alcañiz to attend the third Grand Prix that takes place in our country. Hiroshi Aoyama, who is obtaining good results in the last races, wants to continue in the same ascending line and become a regular of the imaginary CRT podium. At the last GP Hiroshi was third of his category and scored a couple of points that place him eighth in the CRT classification, with just one point less than the sixth. Aoyama, who lives in Barcelona since years ago and runs for a Spanish team, knows the importance of getting a good result at home and does not want to let the opportunity get away. A greater reason, if it is possible, has Héctor Barberá to give the 200% in the race that will be held this weekend in Aragón. On a track that he likes and in front of the unconditional spectators, Héctor wants to be the fastest CRT again, as he already was at Laguna Seca where he achieved a fantastic victory. It will not be easy on a track with a long straight as the Alcañiz one, but the new engine, the job of his technicians and the own rider desire, should get him closer to his goals. 8 Héctor Barberá: Racing at home again is amazing. It is true that when you run here we have more pressure, but I prefer it. It is great to go on the track and feel the warmth of the fans supporting you on every corner. At Misano things were not as good as we had expected but we have been working in order to be able to be where we have to be in Aragón. The team is giving the maximum and I am strong and very motivated. I hope to be able to focus on the bike set-up without having problems and afford the crowd a good race. 7 Hiroshi Aoyama: At Misano we had a good feeling with the bike and as the Aragón track is of a similar style, I hope we have a first good feeling with the San Marino configuration. There is no doubt that we will have to work and get a good set-up to be competitive on a circuit that combines slow corners with a long straight. It will be important to see how we start on Friday and that we can work without incidents to find out how we are with respect to the MotoGP bikes. Avintia Blusens runs at home and I would like to get a good result in front of the Spanish crowd.