GERMAN GP PREVIEW THE SASCHSENRING, A SLOW AND INTRICATE TRACK The 10th round of the season will be held Sunday, 31 of July at Sachsenring, situated 100 km south of Dresda, in what was known as East Germany. The German GP will be the last appointment before the well deserved summer break. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GERMAN GP With the English GP behind him, the twice vice world champion of MotoGP looks forward to the German GP where he triumphed in 2003. “It is a difficult moment” comments Sete Gibernau from Donington Park, “but we will keep fighting to do our best in the races to come. There is no time to rest. From England we are going to Germany where next Sunday we will be racing. On the track of the Sachsenring I have raced one of the best races of my career.” SETE GIBERNAU AND THE TRACK OF THE SACHSENRING “The Sachsenring is a slow and difficult track for the MotoGP. It is the shortest and most tortuous of all the tracks of the championship and it is for this reason that the 250cc bikes times are similar to ours in MotoGP. Due to the weight of the bikes and the slowness of the track, this is a very physically demanding circuit. What are your memories of this track? I have very contrasting memories when I think of the Sachsenring. In 2003 I disputed one of my best ever races while I don’t have fond memories of the 2004 GP. What is the best part of the track? It is a difficult and tortuous track, I can’t really say I have a favourite part. Which is the best point to overtake? Definitely the last two corners (left-left), this is the best point to overtake. Which is the quickest part of the track? After the main straight, the descending part is for sure the most difficult and quickest of the entire track. The secret to a good lap? The bike setup has to be perfect. On this track it is important to control the throttle without being too aggressive. What is the atmosphere like? In Germany the atmosphere is really nice, there are always lots of fans, real afficionado’s. I am happy here as I have the support of one of my fan clubs which is based in Germany. From the track you can really here the roar of the fans, they can in fact sit really close to the track.” THE DESIRE TO PROVE HIMSELF “It is good that we are racing next week before the summer break” commented Marco Melandri from Donington Park right after the race. “I want to look ahead to the next race. In Germany I hope to find sun and a dry track.” Marco Melandri remained in England for two more day, in his home in Derby before going to the German track. For him two days of rest and exercise in the local gym which is not only well equipped with machines, but also with a great spa, is just enough to boost him with the energy needed to take on the next challenge. With the English GP out of the way, Marco Melandri looks with hope to the German GP, tenth race of the season. On this track Marco Melandri triumphed in the lower classes, winning in 1999 in 125 class and again in 2001 and 2002 in the 250 cc class. MARCO MELANDRI AND HIS COMMENTS OF THE SACHSENRING “The Sachsenring track is a tortuous one which does not well adapt to the characteristics of the MotoGP bike as it is also very slow. The first part of the track is very tight, slow and you can’t really open the throttle for more than 30% of the bikes potential. The track becomes a bit quicker during the second part, characterized by a series of left corners and descents. What is the best part of the track? The part I prefer is between the Audi Bruecke and the Sachsen. Which is the best point to overtake? On this track the MotoGP’s have a tough time expressing their real potential therefore overtaking is quite difficult. The best spot to overtake though is the braking at the end of the starting straight and at the Schsenkurve. The secret to a good lap? Here throttle control is fundamental because you need to spend a lot of time dosing your gas. What is the atmosphere like? At the Sachsenring the atmosphere is fantastic. There are a lot of spectators and the track is small so the public is all right there, near the track, and you can really feel their presence. What are your memories of this track? My best memory: On this track I achieved my first victory in the 250 class in 2001. My worst memory: Falling in MotoGP during the 2004 GP. A LAP OF THE SACHSENRING WITH MARCO MELANDRI “The straightaway is in ascent. The first braking is quite difficult because it is blind. When you start to brake you still can’t see the corner, you take on the first corner going from sixth gear to second. The COCA-COLA KURVE is slow, not too significant for your timed lap but difficult to take on as its surface is not level and changes several times. It is important to have a good ride while exiting the corner as you are not able to use all of your horsepower. After the first corner you have a descent this is a very tortuous part which must be taken on in second gear and, in MotoGP you cannot use a lot of throttle. It is a particular “S” : after the first right corner you take on a left corner to then take on a long right corner always in descent which half way through closes quite significantly to then start going uphill. It is a difficult part of the track, very tricky. It invites you to take it on quite quickly, when in reality it is important to be fluid. During the ascent you go into third gear to then start the boring part of the track. You next have a long left corner where you are leaning for a long time. The track continues to ascend while the rider is still leaning on the left using less than 20% of the throttle. Always leaning on the left the track starts its descent, the corner gets a bit quicker and always from leaning you need to go into fourth gear before taking on the last part of the corner which is taken on in fourth gear (AUDI-BRUECKE). You get to the lower part of the track with a small straight which you take on in fourth to then brake and begin a left hand corner, a fun and quick corner which is done in fourth gear. When exiting the corner you must open the gas quite slowly until you rip it open as the track goes uphill. It is a challenging part of the track as while in fourth gear you need to get into the correct line while still dosing the gas in order to take on another left corner ( SACHSEN KURVE). Just as you close the throttle, you need to go down one gear to then take on a third very difficult left corner. This is taken on very aggressively, half way through in fact it closes the radius of the corner. You need to start slowing down, and try to come out of the corner very tight and with a sustained speed to use the descent to the max. During the direction change you go into fourth gear to then start to open the throttle entirely, leaning to the right to the enter the last descent, steeper than the others, which brings you to the lowest part of the track. During this very short straight you can even go up to sixth gear, here you get to the max velocity as you do on the starting straight. A really nice braking follows, from sixth to second gear, you go into a 90º corner which is done in second gear, you exit strongly and you put in third gear to then enter the QUICKENBERG, the last corner in second gear. A very difficult corner as it is in ascent. Here it is fundamental to exit strongly to get in a good lap. The secret to a good lap is in the throttle control because you spend a lot of time dosing the gas just right.”