MotoGP HEADS TO QATAR FOR SECOND RACE OF 2006 Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar – April 3rd 2006 After an action-packed season-opener in Jerez which saw reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi knocked to the ground at the very first corner, the MotoGP World Championship heads out of Europe this week for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar . With the race taking place on Saturday, it promises to be yet another thriller in intense heat at the Losail circuit, with riders and teams looking to either continue their good form or rectify problems from the first Grand Prix of the season. Loris Capirossi, victorious in Jerez, will be hoping to carry on from his glorious triumph in southern Spain. Having qualified on pole and led from the start right up until the chequered flag fell, the Italian will be hoping to firmly establish his title candidature with a second win. He started at the front in last year’s race in Qatar, and with the new Desmosedici GP06 performing well the odds are favourable for the experienced Italian. “I had a perfect bike and perfect tyres at Jerez and we have a simple target for Qatar – to do the same all over again. We are quite confident but we know it won’t be easy. The toughest thing in Qatar can be the weather. Two years ago it was almost 40 degrees C, which made riding really tough. I hope it will be cooler this time because we’re there in early April, not early October. The most important thing for this track is to have a well-balanced bike that changes direction well. As always, tyres will be important and the Bridgestone rear has improved a lot since last year, it’s got a much better contact feeling.” Team-mate Sete Gibernau was also an impressive qualifier in Jerez but was forced to retire early on through electronic problems. The Spaniard has already seen the potential of the Ducati and will be expecting a decent finish to kick-start his year in Losail. Spain’s young sensation Dani Pedrosa had an excellent MotoGP debut in Jerez, earning second place and challenging for the lead in his first race on a four-stroke machine. The reigning 250cc World Champion has shown no fear upon his introduction to the premier class of MotoGP, and a continuation of the performance would perhaps fuel talk of title contention for the rookie. Finishing third in Spain, and lap record holder in Qatar, Pedrosa’s team-mate Nicky Hayden is out to continue his streak of podium finishes. The run extends back to last year’s Grand Prix at the Losail Circuit in October, where he completed the rostrum places in third. All eyes, though, will undoubtedly be on seven times World Champion Valentino Rossi, as he looks to regain ground lost after his 14th place finish in the season-opener. A victim of a first corner collision with Toni Elias, who in turn rode well to finish fourth, MotoGP’s charismatic champion has seen the recurrence of a chattering problem on the 2006 Yamaha M1 stifle his progress, and both he and team-mate Colin Edwards will be keen to solve the problem and get back amongst the points in the Saturday race. With both Pedrosa and Casey Stoner moving up to the premier class of MotoGP, the 250cc category is witnessing a new generation of stars trying to take the vacant crown. Jorge Lorenzo was impressive at his home circuit last week, earning his first win in the quarter litre category. Competition for the Spaniard in Qatar could come from any one of a number of riders, including second placed Alex de Angelis, Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Yuki Takahashi. Lorenzo is also sure to be looking over his shoulder for his Aprilia team-mate Hector Barbera, regarded another of the favourites to take the 250cc crown in 2006. The ever tight 125cc class is jam-packed with contenders this season. With last year’s champion Thomas Luthi still suffering the ill effects of a fractured collarbone in the Official Test in Catalunya. He crashed out of the first Grand Prix of the season after qualifying 16th, and Alvaro Bautista took it upon himself to become the title frontrunner. The Spaniard took victory over Lukas Pesek, the first Czech on the podium since 1971, and Mattia Pasini. However any one of a number of riders have a case for winning in Qatar. Mika Kallio, last year’s championship runner-up, will be hoping to make amends for last year’s loss on the line to former team-mate Gabor Talmacsi, whilst Spanish trio Julian Simon, Hector Faubel and Sergio Gadea will all be hoping to improve on their top six finishes at the Losail Circuit. Losail International Circuit- Dominated by a 1.1km straight, the remainder of the 5.4km Losail track is a sinuous high-speed switchback, with most corners leading into one another, rather than separated by straights. The circuit was designed using elements of other famous tracks. Windblown sand made the circuit treacherously slippery during the inaugural 2004 Qatar GP but the track has since seen vast improvements, and grip is no longer the main worry. Heat is the main factor in Qatar, with last year’s race getting underway amidst temperatures of nearly 50 degrees C. With the Grand Prix being an April affair this year, cooler conditions are expected. More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing: GP OF QATAR – PREVIEW LOSAIL, A STEP INTO THE DESERT The World Championship circus is now well underway. After the opening round of the 2006 season at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain, the bikes, parts and equipment have been boxed up and transported to Qatar, where the second race of the campaign will take place on the 8th April. LOOKING FORWARD TO QATAR MARCO MELANDRI: “I am really confident about the next GP. The day of testing after the race in Jerez was important to understand the direction we need to go in. I am focused and motivated. The track is complete and challenging. I’ve got good memories of Losail – the race last year was a real turning point in my season.” TONI ELIAS: “I’m arriving feeling very motivated. The Spanish GP gave me a real injection of confidence – not just because fourth place was my best result so far in MotoGP but also because I have overcome a mental limitation. Now I know I am in the right shape to battle with the front guys. Qatar will be a different kettle of fish because the track conditions don’t allow for errors. We didn’t test here in the winter so we’ll only have four hours available to find the best possible set-up.” THE TRACK Located 10km outside the capital city of Doha, the Losail International Circuit is surrounded by desert landscape. Built in record time, the track was met by the immediate approval of the riders not only for the excellent safety features (the run off areas are more than adequate in an area where space is not an issue) but also for the challenge it proposes. The track has only one true straight, measuring 1068m (the second longest on the World Championship calendar) followed by a series of varied corners which are all linked together and give the riders little chance to rest in the searing heat. A distinctive feature of the track is the sequence of three fast right corners. Another characteristic is how difficult it is to overtake – not because there aren’t enough suitable points but because of the danger of running off the racing line, due to the conditions of the track. The main unknown factor this year will be the level of grip, which will depend on the temperature and the amount of sand that has been left on the track surface by the wind. Qatar 2005 : The GP of Qatar 2005 represented a real turnaround in fortunes for Marco Melandri, who had come through a period of tough races following his injury at Motegi. He started from the second row but Marco soon became the protagonist of an intense head to head with the World Champion, Valentino Rossi. The battle went down to the final lap and saw Marco finish in second place, moving up to third in the championship, just two points behind Max Biaggi. TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS Circuit name: Losail International Circuit Opened: 2004 Latest modification: 2004 Length: 5,400m Width: 12m Pole position: Left Right corners: 10 Left corners: 6 Longest straight: 1068m RECORDS Circuit record: 2004 Edwards (Honda) 1’59″293 Pole position: 2005 Capirossi (Ducati) 1’56″917 Race 2005: 1st Rossi (Yamaha) 2nd Melandri (Honda) 3rd Hayden (Honda) MotoGP World Championship Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 25 points Dani Pedrosa (Sp/Honda) 20 points Nicky Hayden (Usa/Honda) 16 points Toni Elias (Sp/Honda) 13 points Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 11 points