Lorenzo to defend championship lead at Catalunya MotoGP After battling the elements in an incident-strewn Le Mans, the MotoGP™ paddock once again returns to action this weekend at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya, where current championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will aim to defend his eight point lead over rival Casey Stoner in front of his home crowd. Yamaha Factory Racing’s Lorenzo, who has so far been the only Yamaha rider on the podium in the first four races, will take confidence from his dominant display in France, and will no doubt be buoyed by local support at the Montmeló circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona. Repsol Honda Team’s reigning world champion Stoner will however be looking to improve on his third place last time out at circuit where has tasted success on a few occasions. The Australian has had two victories at the Circuit de Catalunya in his premier-class career compared to Lorenzo’s one. The two front runners are likely to face a tough challenge from Stoner’s teammate Dani Pedrosa, who will see his home race as the ideal place to kick-start his championship challenge. Pedrosa won previously in 2008, yet missed last year’s race with a broken collarbone, obtained in a crash with Marco Simoncelli at the preceding round. The battle for fourth has now turned into a three-horse race, with Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi closely on the heels of Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso. After crashes at Le Mans, both Crutchlow and Dovizioso will be hoping for better fortunes at the Catalan circuit, as they look to continue their pursuit of the three aliens and fight it out for number one Tech 3 rider. Rossi, who recorded his best-ever Ducati position with a stunning ride in the wet in Le Mans, will aim to continue this momentum at a track where he has won a record nine times in his career. Yet despite private tests in Mugello last week and his podium, Rossi maintains that the team’s dry form is not yet as good as in the wet, meaning the Italian will no doubt be hoping for a few showers this coming weekend. His teammate Nicky Hayden will be looking for a similar resurgence at Catalunya, as he will try to leapfrog LCR Honda MotoGP’s rookie Stefan Bradl and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who are both two points ahead with 35 each. Whilst Bautista did not fare well in the wet, Bradl recorded his career-best premier-class result in fifth, and will undoubtedly look to give his German fans something else to cheers about in Spain. Lorenzo’s Yamaha teammate Ben Spies, who has been somewhat off-colour all season, will return to the circuit aiming to rebuild some confidence and get his season on-track. Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá has been consistent so far this season and will aim for another solid ride in front of his home fans, while Cardion AB Racing’s Karel Abraham, who lies last in the championship, will look to finish a race for only the second time this season. The CRT field welcomes back NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards, who broke his left collarbone in Estoril three weeks ago, while Paul Bird Motorsports’ James Ellison will once again look to finish as top CTR bike. Ellison’s 11th place finish at Le Mans was the highest CRT finish since the teams’ introduction this year. Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró will however be looking to extend his lead at the top of the CRT standings with the help of some home support, while his teammate Randy de Puniet will aim to forget his less than ideal outing in Le Mans where he crashed twice. Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini, Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Michele Pirro and Avintia Blusens pair, Yonny Hernández and Iván Silva, complete the Catalunya line-up. Moto2 With only three points separating the top three Moto2™ riders, the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya promises to be yet another nail-bighting affair in the quest for intermediate-class supremacy. With 71 points so far, Pons 40 HP Tuenti rider Pol Espargaró currently leads the championship by one point over Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s championship favourite Marc Márquez, who has now recovered from a thumb injury sustained in his crash in Le Mans. Espargaró has been on the podium twice at the Catalan circuit in the 125cc class, while Márquez took a win on a 125cc bike and was runner up in Moto2 last year. Trying to upset the Spanish one-two on their home ground will be Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi, no doubt brimming with confidence off the back of his dominant wet-weather performance in France, where he took his first victory of the season. Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone will aim to edge closer to the top three after putting in a solid performance last time out. The Italian, who is renowned for being stronger on race day than in qualifying, will take heart from the fact that he qualified in pole position at the Catalan circuit in the 2010 Moto2 season. Closely on his heels, Marc VDS Racing’s Scott Redding, who recorded his first podium in 22 races at Le Mans, will undoubtedly be looking for a repeat this weekend, though his teammate Mika Kallio will also be pushing to get back towards the front once again. Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti, who managed his first podium ever at Le Mans, is in a buoyant mood and looking to continue his momentum, while JiR Moto2’s charging rookie Johann Zarco will look to make amends for his crash at his home round. Having grabbed the headlines for reasons other than racing, Blusens Avintia’s Julián Simón will not only hope to put memories of his bad crash at Catalunya last year out of his mind, but also that he won’t have to push his bike across the line to finish. There will be one change to the usual Moto2 line-up, as Catalan rider Jordi Torres replaces the injured Xavier Siméon in the Tech 3 Racing team. Moto3™ Following an eventful race in the wet at Le Mans, the Moto3™ grid lines up at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya this weekend, where Red Bull KTM Ajo’s German championship leader Sandro Cortese will look to increase his points tally over title-rival Maverick Viñales. Cortese managed to salvage some points after a crash in France, meaning that he has now taken points from 20 of the last 21 races, making him one of the most consistent riders in the pack. Blusens Avintia’s Viñales will be looking to bounce back after his crash last time out and get one over the German in front of his home crowd, as well as reduce his 12 point deficit to the top. Viñales was leading the race last year, yet was beaten by current 125cc World Champion Nico Terol in the end. Third in the table, RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom will no doubt hope to reverse his fortunes at the Catalan track, as he has not finished a race here in the last three years. Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati, who made the headlines in the first two races in the season, after which he has suffered two DNFs, will be one to watch, as he looks to rediscover his earlier form. Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins, who underwent surgery last week on his little finger, is fit to race and defend his fifth place in the table, yet will undoubtedly face tough competition from Bankia Aspar compatriot Alberto Moncayo, who had a good race in Le Mans. Many eyes will also turn to Racing Team Germany’s French rider Louis Rossi, who recorded his first ever win in France in front of his home crowd. Other top contenders this weekend are likely to include Rins’ teammate Miguel Oliveira, San Carlo Gresini Moto3’s Niccolo Antonelli, AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin, as well as Cortese’s teammates Arthurs Sissis and Danny Kent. The class will see two wildcard entries joining the race in the form of Alex Márquez for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 team and British rider John McPhee of the KRP Racing Step Foundation. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: The Repsol Honda Team heads to Catalunya The 2012 MotoGP World Championship stops in Barcelona this weekend for the fifth round on the calendar. Catalunya circuit is a place full of fond memories for both Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Casey recorded the best ever lap at this track (pole position in 2008 with 1’41.186) and Dani has the circuit record (1’42.358, the fastest lap in 2008 on his way to victory). I the last five years, Casey has never missed the podium at Catalunya. The Australian champion, currently second in the championship eight points behind Lorenzo, will fight to close this gap in Montmeló, where last year he took a solid victory. Dani knows how it feels to be on top at his home Grand Prix; he has won here in all classes and after missing the race last year due to injury, he is more motivated than ever. Dani wants to enjoy the race in front of his fans and reduce the gap in the championship standings as much as possible. He is third with 65 points, 25 behind the leader. It will be a long weekend for the Repsol Honda Team, with a one day test scheduled on Monday from 10am to 6pm. CASEY STONER World Championship Position: 2nd with 82 points “Catalunya is one of my favourite races and it was the first major grand prix circuit I tested on. Ever since that moment I fell in love with the track, the big fast sweeping corners there’s a lot of control in the middle of the turn trying to get grip for the exit. We know the Honda works well here and we had a good race here last year, I just hope this weekend will be dry, that would be great! After the race we have a test on Monday. I really hope the weather is good for us as it’s an important test going forward for the remainder of the season”. DANI PEDROSA World Championship Position: 3rd with 65 points “Catalunya is, obviously, one of my favourite races because all my family, friends and fans are there supporting me and it’s a very special date on the calendar. I’m really looking forward to getting there after missing the race last year. I want to feel the atmosphere again and I’m very excited and motivated to do well and fight for victory. Catalunya is a hard track because normally it is hot, but it would be good to have good weather for a change! The test on Monday will be also very important for the team. Catalunya is a very good track to test the new tyres because it is one of the circuits where you stay on the edge of the tyre longer and a long time turning right, you need good feeling in the front. It will be important to have a good test to arrive at Silverstone with the best information possible”. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Bridgestone MotoGP™ Race Preview – Round 5: Catalunya 29 May 2012 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative) The technical layout of the Circuit de Catalunya, the venue for round five of the 2012 MotoGP™ World Championship, is one of the toughest on the calendar for Bridgestone’s MotoGP™ tyres and has produced many memorable races over the years. Unlike the last round at Le Mans, Catalunya is a fast circuit with an array of right-hand corners that are taken at high speed and large lean angles and as a result, the circuit places greater stress on the right shoulder of the rear tyre than any other course on the calendar. The intense forces imposed on the right shoulder of the rear tyre at this circuit means Bridgestone will provide asymmetric rear slicks with rubber compounds two steps harder on the right shoulder than on the left for this race. At the front of the bike, the numerous hard braking zones require a tyre with good braking stability, so the medium and hard compound front slick tyres will be available to riders and in case there are unusually cool conditions, the soft front slick tyre will also be available to ensure maximum rider safety. Due to the generally high energy levels placed on tyres at Catalunya, the main wet tyre for this weekend will be the hard compound. For Catalunya, Bridgestone will offer riders two of the new specification front slick tyre in the hard compound and this weekend’s race marks the last event where limited supply of this tyre will be provided as from the next round at Silverstone, the new specification slick tyre will become the standard offering and will make up the whole front slick tyre allocation. Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “I have many good memories of the Catalunya Grand Prix as it has hosted many exciting battles in the past and the crowd is always extremely passionate. This circuit is particularly hard on the right shoulder of the rear tyres, but I am very confident that our 2012 specification tyres are more than up to the challenge. I would also like to welcome back Colin Edwards who will be back on his bike after missing Le Mans through injury. “Catalunya will be the last time we offer just two of the new specification front slick tyres to riders as this specification will become the standard front slick tyre from Silverstone onwards. In what will be a busy week for Bridgestone, we will be supporting a post-race test on Monday at the Circuit de Catalunya and also the test scheduled for next Wednesday at Aragon which was organised as a replacement for the Estoril test after it was cancelled due to wet weather.” Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Catalunya is one of the most technical circuits on the calendar and is a high-speed track featuring eight right-hand and five left-hand corners that combine to generate significant loads on Bridgestone’s MotoGP tyres. “The right-hand turns on this circuit are generally fast and create very high temperatures on the right shoulder of the rear tyres, while the left-handers are slow, resulting in a considerable imbalance in the forces sustained across the rear tyre. For this reason, asymmetric rear tyres are a must at the Circuit de Catalunya with the rubber compound used on the right shoulder being two grades harder than that on the left. Additionally, there are numerous hard braking zones at this circuit – particularly at the end of the two straights – and this places considerable stress on the front tyres as well. Overall, the distinctive layout of the Catalunya circuit makes it one of the toughest events on the calendar for tyres.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati: Ducati Team returns to Spain for Catalan Grand Prix The Ducati Team is preparing for Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix at the wonderful Circuit de Catalunya, which hosts the second of four MotoGP races held in Spain this season. The circuit is one of Valentino Rossi’s favorites, having served as the scene for nine of his victories, and while Nicky Hayden has only achieved one podium finish at the track, he also appreciates its fast, open layout. In addition to working on a race setup, the riders and the Ducati Team engineers, headed by Filippo Preziosi, will try to confirm that the development work on the Desmosedici GP12 is heading in the right direction. On Monday, they’ll also take part in a post-race test. VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati Team “Two Sundays ago, we got a nice result because we took advantage of the wet track, a condition in which we know we can be competitive, but we’re aware that we must continue improving in normal, dry conditions. Some of the things we tried in the Mugello test last week seemed promising. It will be interesting to try them on a different track, and with must less time to set the bike up, to see if they’re really a small step forward. The Catalunya circuit has always been one of my favorites, and although it’s hard to imagine another podium, we must still do our best to finish with the front riders.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team “Although I’ve struggled a bit at Catalunya the last few years, I do like the track, and it’s one of the calendar’s great GPs. It’s pretty wide, open and fast, and it’s really important to have good edge grip, especially in the last bit with all the long right-handers. Luckily we got some good weather in Mugello and were able to test a few things with setup, and I look forward to taking them to a race to see if we’ve really done any progress.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “First of all, I’d like to extend a thought to the people who were affected by the earthquake that struck the Emilia Romagna region, which we’re all deeply attached to, and in which Ducati and its workers are located. As for our work, we’ll continue giving our all. We’re going to Catalunya, which is a fast track with big, long corners that require good grip. It’s a good opportunity to check the work we’ve been doing. At Le Mans we confirmed that we’re competitive in the wet, but our main goal is still to reduce the gap to the front in the dry.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: 2012 FIM ROAD RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND PRIX ROUND 05 JUNE1/2/3 CATALUNYA, SPAIN PREVIEW MOTOGP, MOTO2, MOTO3 HONDA RIDERS BACK ON THE GAS IN SPAIN 29.05.12 The 2012 MotoGP World Championship welcomes the return to the high speed and traditionally sun-blessed Circuito de Montmelo in Catalunya after three races in changeable weather on slower speed tracks. Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa have both tasted success in Catalunya, the second of four races in Pedrosa’s homeland. Stoner won last year from the pole position, his fifth Catalunya podium in a row. The streak began with his first Catalunya win in 2007 to which he added his second win in 2008, giving him three wins in the last five Catalunya races. Having finished third in the mid-May French Grand Prix, Stoner will be looking to extend his podium streak to 20 in Catalunya. That consistency has put him second in the championship to Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Stoner ran second in the most wet Le Mans race until the final lap, when there was no grip left in his rear rain tyre and he had to concede the position. Pedrosa finished one position behind Stoner in France to maintain third in the championship. The Le Mans race was his first time off the podium in 2012, which he aims to put right in Catalunya. Pedrosa missed the race last year while recovering from injuries suffered in Le Mans. The year before he finished second and in 2008 he won the MotoGP race. He also has wins in the 125cc and 250cc classes. Both are looking forward to the one-day test the Monday after the race, to continue the development of the RC213V for the remainder of the season. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) celebrated his best MotoGP finish in the wet French Grand Prix. The MotoGP rookie handled the conditions with the poise of a veteran to finish fifth, and first satellite machine rider, while many more experienced riders were victims of the tricky conditions. Bradl’s learning curve continues in Catalunya with his first visit to the track on a MotoGP prototype. Like most riders, Bradl is a fan of the Catalunya circuit, having won there in his run to the Moto2 World Championship. Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V) returns to a track where he has had great success for his second home race. The rider from Talavera de la Reina, west of Madrid, won in Catalunya in the 125cc and 250cc classes, and scored a fifth, his best MotoGP result to that point in 2010, his inaugural MotoGP season. (He went on to finish fifth in the Malaysian Grand Prix.) Bautista never felt comfortable in the conditions in Le Mans and chose to finish 10th, rather than risk crashing and losing valuable points. With more agreeable weather forecast for Catalunya, Bautista is hopeful of continuing his education of the San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V. With rain affecting much of the track time in the three European races, Michele Pirro (San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR-Honda) and his team have been denied valuable dry set-up time on the still developing Honda CBR1000RR-powered FTR bespoke racer. The importance of electronics was highlighted in Le Mans, where the engine management did not help in the changing conditions. Still, from his best qualifying effort of the season he was able to match his best finish, and score points for the second race in a row. The Moto2 World Championship was thrown wide open in France by the conditions. Previous championship leader Marc Marquez (Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol Suter) fell out of fourth place on the 11th of 26 laps. By then Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Suter) had established himself in the lead, a lead that would carry him to his first Moto2 win of the season. Claudio Corti (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex) was second with Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) both scoring their best finishes of the season. Pol Espargaro (Pons 40 HP Tuenti Kalex) took over the championship points lead by a single point over Marquez, who had two wins and a second in the first three races. Espargaro had been running a close second to Luthi in France when a mistake sent him to ninth place. He recovered three spots, the last of which gave him the championship lead by a single point. But the Spaniard acknowledged that being in the lead this early in the season means very little. Maverick Vinales (Blusens Avintia – FTR Honda) sits second in the inaugural Moto3 World Championship despite falling victim to the weather conditions in Le Mans. Prior to that, Vinales had a win and a second, as well as a sixth place finish. Vinales has a brief history at Catalunya, finishing second in his first visit last season. Neither Roman Fenati (Team Italia FMI Suter Honda) nor Alex Rins (Estrella Galicia 0.0 Suter Honda) has been to Catalunya. Rins has used the MotoGP video game to learn new tracks, which paid off in Le Mans. The young Spaniard has the most impressive improvement from qualifying to race of any rider this season. Starting 26th on the grid, he handled the treacherous conditions well to finish third, his first Moto3 podium. Fenati was one of 17 riders to fall victim to the conditions; there were only 15 finishers. Despite his third place finish, Rins had to see a surgeon following the race. The reason was finger damaged suffered in a Saturday fall at Le Mans. The finger is nearly healed and the young Spaniard does not believe it will be an impediment this weekend. Montmelo is not only a fixture on the MotoGP calendar, but one of the highlights of the Formula One season. One of the few tracks shared by both elite series, Montmelo offers concession to F1 in the final sequence of corners. The weather makes it a popular Formula One testing location, though those many laps ripple the tarmac in a way that forces suspension technicians to adapt. Catalunya is one of the faster circuits on the MotoGP calendar, with the 1.047Km straight away leading into a hard braking right. Then comes the first technical section, a mix of fast and slow corners and elevation changes that send the track climbing to the midfield straightaway. From there they lead into the stadium section, a left and then looping series of rights that lead to a plunging downhill right for the run to the stripe. The stadium section is the preferred spectator location, especially late in the race. The sequence of rights takes a toll on the tyres and leaves riders grasping for traction as the race progresses. Traction is at a premium in the final right that heads down the hill to the last right leading onto the straight. Riders who lead out of the stadium usually win the race, though a determined rider can sneak by in the final corner. Catalunya joined the MotoGP World Championship calendar in 1992 and its been run continuously ever since. Spaniard Alex Criville scored a popular home country win on a Honda NSR500 in 1995. That set the stage for five Honda wins in a row, the first by Carlos Checa, then two by five-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan before Criville won in his championship year, 1999. Valentino Rossi won twice, in 2001 and 2002, and Dani Pedrosa got his first MotoGP win in Catalunya in 2008. Stoner has two wins in Catalunya, the first in 2007, when he won his first world championship, and again last year, when he won his second world championship and first aboard a Honda. MotoGP Rider Quotes Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner says: “Catalunya is one of my favourite races and it was the first major grand prix circuit I tested on. Ever since that moment I fell in love with the track, the big fast sweeping corners; there’s a lot of control in the middle of the turn trying to get grip for the exit. We know the Honda works well here and we had a good race here last year, I just hope this weekend will be dry; that would be great. After the race we have a test on Monday. I really hope the weather is good for us as it’s an important test going forward for the remainder of the season.” Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “Catalunya is, obviously, one of my favourite races because all my family, friends and fans are there supporting me and it’s a very special date on the calendar. I’m really looking forward to getting there after missing the race last year. I want to feel the atmosphere again and I’m very excited and motivated to do well and fight for victory. Catalunya is a hard track because normally it is hot, but it would be good to have good weather for a change! The test on Monday will be also very important for the team. Catalunya is a very good track to test the new tyres because it is one of the circuits where you stay on the edge of the tyre longer and a long time turning right, you need good feeling in the front. It will be important to have a good test to arrive at Silverstone with the best information possible.” LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl says: “I know Montmelò circuit very well. I started my career with the Spanish Championship and I raced there many times so far. This is another important track for me. I like the layout with fast sectors and not so many hard breaking areas. The straight is pretty long so for a MotoGP bike is not that small like Le Mans or Estoril. Right now I am looking forward to every race because our beginning of the season is pretty positive and every week end there’s something to learn about the bike following the surface layouts. Last year in Barcelona I gained the pole position and the victory in Moto2 class. We’ll see what we can do riding the RC213V.” San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says: “We did a good job in the dry conditions in France to improve our feeling with the bike and close the gap to the top guys. Unfortunately the feeling wasn’t as good in the wet and we really struggled for grip so we know we have improvements to make if we get those conditions again. I also had some problems with my visor so it was just a case of coming home with as many points as we could manage. Now we go to Catalunya and a circuit that I like and feel at home at. We will continue with the work we started in France and try to c lose that gap to the front still further. Obviously we will have to wait and see what the weather does but I am sure we will get normal conditions and be able to rediscover the confidence in the bike that we found at Le Mans. I am determined to get that positive feeling back and put the French race behind us. Montmelo is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar because it is fast and technical, with long sweeping corners where you can get the rear sliding. There are also some big braking zones so we’ll need to find a stable setting for the bike and the correct tyres because it is a circuit that works the right hand side very hard.” San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR-Honda rider Michele Pirro says: “I am still disappointed with the race at Le Mans. The weather ruined it for us because we really struggled in the wet, which was a shame because in the dry we would have been fighting with the top CRT bikes. I was looking forward to seeing how we got on but it wasn’t to be. Right now we’re just hoping for nice weather in Barcelona and to rediscover the positive feeling we had with the bike at Le Mans. We have some new things to try this weekend so I am really looking forward to getting out on the track. It is a great track and it should suit our bike so I am sure we can have a good race this weekend.” Moto2 Rider Quotes Pons 40 HP Tuenti Kalex rider Pol Espargaro says: “I love it, it´s right near my home and near all my people, friends and family. Let´s see if we can get a little sunshine and some heat so we can enjoy the racing more, both the riders and the fans. Hope the weather smiles on us.” Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol – Suter rider Marc Marquez says: “This week is very special for me, as both I and my brother ­a Moto3 wild card­ are riding at Montmeló. It is a home GP and there is obviously plenty of desire to be ready to provide a good result. I crashed at Le Mans after a good weekend and the standings are now a lot tighter, almost making it a restart from zero. Our aim is to be focused over the three days and keep the race in mind right from the opening practice laps. Montmeló is a track that I like a lot, where I got on the podium last year and where I won the 125cc race the previous year. I am ready to work hard from the off, with my team and the fans right behind me.” Interwetten Paddock Suter rider Thomas Luthi says: “Yeah, I like (Catalunya). In Le Mans I had two victories already in the 125 class, but Catalunya is good for me. I hope for good weather all the weekend. That will be a lot of fun. I think we deserve now the good weather for one weekend, so I’m looking forward to it.” Moto3 Rider Quotes Blusens Avintia – FTR Honda rider Maverick Vinales says: “Logically, every time that we ride in Spain it is a special occasion, because it is where we feel most at home. Montmeló is even more special for me, because it is the closest track to where I live and is where I have the most friends and family members in attendance. We weren’t so lucky at Le Mans, but despite this I am excited about racing this weekend. I hope to have a good race and wash the bad taste from my mouth from Le Mans. Montmeló is a track that I like and where we have been able to go fast before. I am very motivated, the bike is competitive and I will have plenty of home support, so we have to think positive and hope for a good result.” Estrella Galicia 0.0 Suter Honda rider Alex Rins says: “I am very happy with the result from Le Mans, but we have to keep on working in the same way in order to maintain our form. I want to thank Doctor Mir and his medical team, because they have helped me to make a speedy recovery. Now I just have to see how I go on the bike. Montmeló is a track that I like a lot, and I ride with the small advantage of knowing it inside out. It is a special moment to be riding at home for the first time in the World Championship, so I am excited to get on track and enjoy myself. I hope to do as well as possible over the course of the weekend.”