From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

BRITISH GP – PREVIEW



With the English GP, the 9th of the season, the championship enters the second half of the season before the summer break. Successfully finishing the first 8 races, the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP is ready to take on this race with their usual load of determination and fighting spirit.

With a contradicting nature, the Donington track represents a real challenge for technicians and engineers.

The first part, the fast one, requires a clean ride, while the second half requires an aggressive one. Therefore the perfect setup for the first half of the track is not ok for the second more aggressive half. The correct setup becomes a clever compromise: the driver in fact needs a precise bike for the fast section and an agile bike for the second.



SECOND IN 2003, SETE GIBERNAU RENEWS THE CHALLENGE AT DONINGTON

After the fall at Sachsenring, the second of the season, Sete Gibernau faces the Brtish GP determined to score a good result.

“In Germany we had another good weekend until the final part. I want to try and take it calmly, analyze exactly what happened, remembering that there is still a lot of the championship left. I hope that my bad luck will come to an end at Donington. It’s going to be very important to recover mentally, to arrive in England thinking that nothing has yet been decided and that we can continue to be strong.”



SETE GIBERNAU AND DONINGTON PARK

“I like Donington for more than one reason:

The track: I like this tack because it is very demanding, there are a lot of slopes, strong braking, a slow part, a faster one and a continuous ups and downs. Due to the characteristics of the track it is fundamental to find the perfect compromise with the bike. It cannot be to perfect for any one area but it must be well balanced for the entirety of the track.

Donington is in fact a very particular track: it has very difficult quick downhill corners and when you start descending visibility is scarce so you have to take on a change of direction being almost blind.

The grip:Donington is famous for being a slippery track. Being so close to the East Midlands Airport the asphalt is slippery because it is soaked with kerosene that the planes lose. This determines the way the tyres react. Michelin is called to do a perfect job, trying to solve the problems this track which is amongst the slowest and most slippery of the Championship.

Safety: Donington is much better compared to last year, the Organizers worked very hard to improve the safety measures of the track.

The spectators: Donington is a nice place to be, the atmosphere is great. I like it because there are many fans and it is a track that is situated in the middle of lots of green space.

Riders for Health: Here Riders for Health organize a lot of events and it is nice to be able to give my contribution together with many other motor sport fans. A contribution for one of the many situations in this world that are more important than simply winning or losing a race.



ALMOST A HOME GRAND PRIX FOR COLIN EDWARDS



Constantly improving his results, the American rider of the team Telefonica MoviStar Honda arrives to Donington, determined to score a good result.

Colin Edwards has many fans and aficionados in England since he was riding in SBK and no question that they will support him at Donington, a track that he likes and dear to him.

COLIN EDWRDS AND DONINGTON PARK

What are your impressions when arriving to this English track?

I have nice memories of Donington. I know this track well as I won some SBK races here. I like the track and it has the charm of a historic circuit. I cannot underestimate the fact that everyone here speaks English, so I can talk to anyone, and this makes it almost feel like a home race for me.

Which is the best section of the track?

The Craner corner, it is quick and you must take it on in fifth gear, but you must be careful as it is tricky. Here it is important to keep your line, this corner is in fact home to many falls.

Which is the best point to overtake?

Donington is a track that offers few overtaking opportunities. For sure one of the easiest and cleanest points is the braking right before the chicane.

Which is the slowest area?

The last three corners are slow and have to be taken on in first gear. Sometimes riders try to be a bit too aggressive and here it does not pay, they are slow corners and must be taken on as so.

The secret to a perfect lap? It is important to be quick and aggressive in certain areas and smooth in others. It is a good mix between violent braking and clean riding.

Describe the atmosphere

I particularly like Donington for its track and for the air you breathe here. I feel under more pressure here than I do in Italy or in Spain because I have a greater number of fans here. I won various races here in SBK. English is spoken and I feel a bit at home. This probably is one of the most challenging events for me.

I like Donington also because of the Day of Champions. It’s a good occasion to give back to the fans all the support they give us and to give a contribute to Riders for Health.