Czech Grand Prix at Brno 17, 18 and 19 August 2007 PEDROSA READY TO FIGHT WITH SEVEN ROUNDS TO GO This MotoGP season has so far delivered high-octane entertainment on track and a steady increase in off-track tension as new talent in the premier class upsets the old order. With seven rounds of this 18-race series still to run, the first of these ‘second half’ races of the season here at Brno this weekend, there is plenty of action and intrigue still to come. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) currently lies third overall in the World Championship points standings, 66 points adrift of series leader Casey Stoner (Ducati) and just 27 points shy of current second-place holder Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). But the 21-year-old Spaniard, in only his second season of MotoGP, has by no means abandoned a Championship challenge. He has seen first hand the pressure a points leader can feel as a season draws to its conclusion during his 125 and 250 days, and then witnessing his team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) fend off Rossi’s late challenge for the title last year. He will be watching with interest as Stoner faces the same threat as Hayden this year. But if Dani is to capitalise on any errors made by either Stoner or Rossi, he knows he has to put together a better end of season run than he did at the end of 2006. After posting two wins in the first half of last season Dani could only manage two third places in the last six rounds (one of those coming here at Brno). He needs nothing less than wins from here on if he is to stand a chance of reeling in Stoner and Rossi. His team-mate Nicky, the defending World Champion, has endured a difficult season, but the American has bounced back from adversity with two third places from his last three starts. A rested and refreshed Hayden will be a force as the season reaches a conclusion. For Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) these next seven races represent an opportunity for the Italian ace to build on his third place at Laguna last month while his team-mate Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) makes a brave return from injury after breaking a leg at Assen in late June. The likes of Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V), Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) and Kurtis Roberts (Roberts KR212V) have struggled to get on terms with the new 800cc machines this season and Brno will not make things any easier for them but a raft of new HRC parts should lighten their loads. Brno is a track where no rider can afford to make a mistake at this stage of the season. This imposing circuit lies 200km south-east of Prague and the area is steeped in the rich history of Grand Prix racing. Races were run on a fearsome closed roads course before the dedicated circuit was built in 1987. The 5.403km track is a spectacular environment for motorcycle racing and its plunging turns and a power-sapping climb demand a maximum from riders and machines. The track drops 74m from its highest to its lowest point and this gradient is felt chiefly by way of downhill corner entries that make huge demands on the front tyre. Some of these tricky entries are compounded by negative camber that further increases the need for dependable front-end grip. And from turn four to turn 11 it’s all downhill. There are fast chicanes requiring a chassis set up for rapid changes of direction. Precise steering is a must here even though the track is exceptionally wide at 15m. Without accurate turn-in at the high sustained speeds achieved here, not even this super-wide circuit can accommodate wayward exits resulting from inaccurate turn-in. Another factor is the huge, enthusiastic crowd, The Czechs love their motorcycle racing and tens of thousands flock to Brno where the viewing facilities are excellent. The event won’t quite attract the crowds of 250,000 who used to watch in the 1970s, but Brno, like the best tracks, always has a charged atmosphere. Dani Pedrosa said: “I’m really looking forward to Brno because I feel in good condition and ready to go for it again. I’ve taken some holiday on the beach and spent time relaxing both the mind and the body, and then I got back into training as normal. I hope that we can find a strong package for Brno and that everything is correct and we can do a good job. I’m not thinking about the Championship really because our priority is to make sure we have a competitive package at every race and can challenge at the front. Only then could I be thinking about the Championship.” MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden said: “Well, it’s time to pack the bags back up and hit the road again which is good news for me. It’s been a nice few weeks off and maybe just what I needed, but the truth is I’m glad the holidays are over because I’m definitely ready to get back on the bike. Brno is a track I quite like I think most of the guys do because it’s pretty exciting with climbs and downhill sections, and even though the surface is getting pretty used it’s still got good grip. It’s also a track where horsepower is your friend with some big uphill sections and pretty long straights. So it will be exciting to see what HRC brings back to the party this weekend.” Melandri said: “After further medical tests we found a fracture to my left ankle, I have some pain there but it’s better than in Laguna so I will do my best again in Brno. The bike is working really well and after that podium in Laguna I’m really motivated for this second part of the Championship.” His team-mate Elias said: “When I crashed at Assen my target was to be back for Brno and I’m really happy to be able to be here. I won’t be 100% fit, maybe only 60% but I’m very motivated. The recovery was very painful but I think it was worth it.” Checa said: “Now it’s time to face the rest of the season and I like Brno even if it’s very fast and we’re still a bit short on engine power. Anyway HRC will support us with some new exhaust pipes and a new state of tune for the engine. Those changes should be good for the engine set-up because Melandri and the other Honda riders already tried them with positive results. We have to work hard on the tyres because Bridgestone is very competitive now.” Nakano said: “Before the summer break we were making some steady improvements in a number of areas so that’s a base from which we can move forward. I’ve enjoyed some rest back home in Japan so now I’m looking forward to the next race here in the Czech Republic. It’s a track I enjoy very much despite my previous results there not being my best. We should also have some new parts which makes the second part of the season very exciting for us.” For Kurtis Roberts, Brno represents another chance to get the KR chassis further dialled in after its Laguna debut. “The new chassis is definitely the right way to go. We were more competitive from the go at Laguna and it felt better too. We’ll do a back-to-back test with the old chassis and then move on from there here in Brno and continue to close the gap on the others.” The 250cc World Championship is a three-way struggle for the crown now with Jorge Lorenzo ahead of Alex de Angelis (both Aprilia) with 191 to the Italian’s 171 and with Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) shadowing them in third with 166 points. The next best placed Honda man is Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS125R) who holds ninth place in the series standings on 61 points. Dovizioso said: “I’m back from the United States holidays positive and fighting. The Brno track is very fast so for this reason it’s always been a little bit difficult for us and it will not be easy to limit our opponents’ attacks. But, as ever, we’ll give it our best and try to recover points. I’m just looking forward to riding again.” Simon said of Brno: “The circuit of Brno is quite a difficult one, I think that it is one of the most difficult in the championship. The holidays have helped us rest a little, but we now have to work hard. I will tackle the Czech Republic GP with a lot of enthusiasm, do my best, and work hard to get a good result.” The 125cc title race currently looks like a two-way fight between Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel (both Aprilia) on 156 and 154 points. But Tommy Koyama (KTM) lies third on 118 points and having notched a win and two second places so far this season, the Japanese rider can be relied on to continue his challenge. Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R), who currently lies seventh overall in the World Championship standings, said: “The hand and chipped tibia have healed well and the foot that took a bit of a bashing in Germany should be 100% for Brno which is fantastic. I’ve been training very hard on the pushbike and even took it on holiday with me. I crashed at Brno last year and also missed our test there earlier in the year but it should be no problem. It’s a great circuit and I can’t wait to start racing again.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Honda: A HOPEFUL RETURN FOR TEAM GRESINI AT BRNO PREVIEW GP BRNO The MotoGP World Championship circus returns from its summer break this weekend with the teams and riders ready to tackle what promises to be a demanding second half of the season with renewed energy. This Sunday marks the now traditional return to action at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the twelfth round of the season, at the Brno circuit. Two weeks later the chase for honours continues in Italy at the Misano circuit. Team Honda Gresini’s riders both have extra reason to look forward to Brno with added motivation for this latest challenge. For Toni Elias the race represents his first competitive action in two months, since breaking his left femur at Assen. As well as forcing him to miss the race in Holland, the injury also ruled him out of the final two races before the summer break in Germany and the USA. Marco Melandri has also spent the summer in recuperation following a practice crash at Laguna Seca, where he battled through intense pain to finish on the podium in third place. After the race, it was discovered that Marco had actually fractured his left astragalo bone (ankle) in the accident but after a three-week break he is now in better shape to tackle Brno. After getting the green light from doctors, on Monday the Team Gresini pair made a 2 hours test on CBR 600 machines at Misano in order to make a final check on their fitness before returning to competitive action and also to assess the most comfortable riding position. Melandri needed just ten laps before returning with positive news: “The foot is still painful but the situation is much better than Laguna.” Elias rode for longer with a special carbon fiber protector for his leg: “I am happy with my feeling on the bike and today I made the final checks with Dr. Costa.” MARCO MELANDRI: “After the race in the US I stayed on for a holiday in California with some friends. The ankle was still hurting me so I went for further medical checks and they found a fracture in my left astragalo. I returned to Italy and began my rehab therapy. It is still not quite right but I’ll go to Brno and try for a top result. Because of the characteristics of the Honda it could be that the Czech circuit is not as favourable to us as Sachsenring and Laguna Seca but I am calm. To get back on the podium at Laguna Seca after a difficult weekend with the crash was really important to me – it was a third place that felt like a win. Our bike is working well now, I have a good feeling and I want to produce a really strong finish to the season. I want to give some more good memories to Fausto Gresini and the whole team. They have given me so much and even during difficult times they always worked to their maximum and stayed close to me. I’m going to Brno with lots of motivation and will to work hard for a top result.” TONI ELIAS: “When I crashed at Assen I set myself the target of returning at Brno and I think I can do it. Of course I won’t be 100%, you could say I’ll be more like 60%, but now is the time for me to go back to work – to get out on the bike and ride again. The corners at Brno could prove difficult for my leg but I want to try. I’ve gone through so much rehab in Spain and I think it has done the job. It has been a painful process trying to get fit again but sometimes in this job you have to deal with pain.”