MARC VDS FIRED UP FOR SEASON FINALE Valencia once again hosts Grand Prix racing’s season finale and, after two points scoring finishes at a rain soaked Estoril one week ago, both Marc VDS riders head to Spain determined to end their season on a high with a strong showing in the final race of the year. Having finished third in Indianapolis and second in Australia, Scott Redding is keen to finally stand on the top step of the Moto2 podium this weekend in Valencia. The 17-year-old British rider fought his way through the field from 24th on the grid to finish fourth in Estoril and, as a result, heads into the final round full of confidence. Redding will make his 50th Grand Prix start this weekend at the Grand Prix of Valencia. The Marc VDS rider will become the youngest ever rider to reach the milestone of 50 Grand Prix starts, taking the record from new MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Valencia race is possibly the most important of the season for Hector Faubel, as he lives less than 20km from the Ricardo Tormo circuit and can count on massive support from family, friends and the people from his home town of Lliria, a large number of whom will make the short journey to the circuit to cheer him on this weekend. The 27-year-old Marc VDS rider has had a difficult, and at times unlucky, first season in Moto2 but, after a points scoring finish last time out in Estoril, is determined to break into the top five this weekend, at a track on which he has won twice previously in the 125cc class. Scott Redding #45: “Obviously we’re looking for a win this weekend, but it’s going to be even harder than usual with every single rider on the grid aiming to end their season with a good result and not afraid to take more risks than normal to get it. My recent results mean I’m confident of securing a good result going into this weekend. We’ll be pushing hard for that first win, as always, but I’ll be happy enough if we make it onto the podium on Sunday.” Hector Faubel #55: “This weekend is a very special one for me, as Valencia really is my home circuit. I live not so far from the track and a lot of people from the surrounding area will be there to support me this weekend, along with my family and friends. My confidence is good after Estoril and Valencia is a track on which I’ve had some success in the past. I think it will be difficult to take my third win at the circuit this weekend, but top five is a realistic target and even the podium isn’t out of reach if all goes well.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “Scott and Hector both showed strongly in Portugal, overcoming the handicap of starting from the sixth row of the grid to finish inside the points. Scott showed real determination, riding through the field to fourth place and only missing out on a podium by the narrowest of margins. That same determination will be in evidence once again this weekend; he’ll be aiming for a podium finish, but that first win in Moto2 is well within his capabilities. Hector will have a lot of support this weekend at his home race, so I’m expecting something special from him. He knows the track, he’s won here twice before and he’s aiming to sign off the season with his best result to date. We’re also looking forward to welcoming our President, Marc van der Straten, to Valencia. His support is the reason we are here this season and I hope we can reward him with two strong performances in the final race of 2010.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki heads for the curtain closer in Valencia Rizla Suzuki has arrived in Spain ahead of this weekend’s traditional season ending Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Álvaro Bautista will be competing at his fourth MotoGP race in front of his home fans this season, at a circuit where he made his riding debut for Suzuki at last year’s post-season test. Bautista is determined to end the season with a very positive performance at a track that he feels will suit the Suzuki GSV-R and his riding style. Loris Capirossi will be looking to round the season off in style, despite still battling with the injuries that have beset the Italian for the last few races. His 13th place finish at last week’s Portuguese Grand Prix was the first time he had seen the chequered flag since the Indianapolis race in September and he is in a determined mood to improve on that dramatically in the season’s finale. The Ricardo Tormo circuit is now firmly established as the final MotoGP on the calendar and the party atmosphere, combined with the expected huge crowds and massive firework display at the end of the race, just add to the festival feeling. The Spanish track also has the unique distinction of being the only stadium circuit that the motorcycling Grand Prix circus visits, this gives all the fans in the surrounding grandstands the opportunity to view the action no matter where they are seated. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the track on Friday morning for the first free practice session, followed by further 45-minute sessions to get the Suzuki GSV-R set up for the 4,005m circuit, on Friday afternoon and the following morning. Saturday afternoon will see Bautista and Capirossi battling for the best grid positions during qualifying, as they prepare for Sunday’s 30-lap race that is scheduled to start at 14.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT). Álvaro Bautista: “I was very surprised at last week’s result because after how well we had been performing it was a bit of a shock, but I know we can put that behind us and challenge the top-six group. I have experience of riding the GSV-R at Valencia after last season’s test, so I will have some reference points and I think the circuit will suit the bike well. It is amazing having another ‘home’ race and I will have many fans there to celebrate the end of the season, I will certainly be trying my hardest to give them, and the whole team, a good result to remember and take forward into the winter.” Loris Capirossi: “I hope we can go well at Valencia because it has been a very hard season for us and we need to end the year in a more positive way. The circuit is quite good for our bike and it seems to suit the dynamics of the GSV-R well. I know it will be difficult and I’m still not 100% fit, but I firmly believe I can go well in Valencia. It is the last race and after all that has happened this year it would be good to give my crew something to smile about I will certainly be giving everything I’ve got to make that happen.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: VALENCIA BRINGS THE CURTAIN DOWN ON 2010 MOTOGP SEASON The Grand Prix of Valencia provides the traditional curtain call to the MotoGP World Championship and it promises to be a special weekend for the Ducati Marlboro Team as they pay a fond farewell to Casey Stoner. Four fantastic years together with the Australian rider brought Ducati its first ever MotoGP title in 2007 and with one race still remaining a total of 23 victories, 41 podiums and 20 pole positions. Valencia has traditionally been a favourable track for the Ducati Marlboro Team, who scored a memorable one-two in 2006 and have had top five finishes there every year since. Casey Stoner took the first win of his Grand Prix career at Valencia back in 2003 in the 125cc race and he has a second place and a victory, in 2007 and 2008 respectively, to his name in MotoGP. Nicky Hayden also has podiums there, having finished second in 2005 and third in 2006. After a weekend of challenging weather in Portugal the team and riders are hoping for better conditions in Spain as they look to finish off the season in positive fashion. CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “After the awful weather we had to put up with in Portugal I hope that Valencia is a bit better and we get chance to work well and get a good set-up for my final race on the Ducati. I have always liked the circuit and I had my first ever win here in 125cc. It is a tight but flowing circuit and even though there are a lot of second and third gear corners they are banked and you can let the bike run, keeping some good speed up. This also helps you to find a gearbox setting quite quickly because apart from the straight, obviously, you only really need two gears. In the past we have always been able to find a good set-up so I we are confident. I really want to have a good race this weekend.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team “Time has flown past since Portugal. I went to Italy do some wind tunnel tests at Ducati and then we were back on the road to Spain. It has done me good to have a couple of days rest though because the crash on Friday left me with a knock on my back and it has been a bit painful. I’m okay now though and I can’t wait to get back out at Valencia, a circuit I love and a place that will always be special to me because I won the title here. Also the fact it’s the last race of the season, with so many people there packing out the grandstands… it just gives the whole event that little bit extra. I have been on the podium here twice in the past so we’ll try and do it again this Sunday.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “I really hope that at Valencia we get the conditions that allow everybody to work properly in all four sessions so that we can give Casey a bike and a setting that can give him the best possible chance to end our fantastic time together in positive fashion on Sunday. Our bike tends to work really well at this circuit and on Friday we’ll be starting out with a setting that we know has worked well for us and been competitive in the last few races. Both Casey and Nicky love the track and have had some great results there in the past so I think there’s a chance they could both be on the podium.” THE TRACK The Valencia circuit, named after Spanish rider Ricardo Tormo, has been a fixture on the World Championship calendar since 2002, having been used for the first time in 1999. Measuring 4.005km, it is an unusual circuit, built within a stadium style complex that makes it possible to see virtually any part of the circuit from any seat in the house. Whilst on the one hand this makes it a great venue for the fans, the track layout is constantly forced back on itself, making for a series of tight corners separated by short straights that require plenty of low revs, short gear ratios and provide little opportunity to fully open the throttle. In fact, the short back straight and slightly longer front straight are the only two high-speed points on the circuit. Unlike most circuits, it also runs anti-clockwise. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IN SEARCH OF REDEMPTION ON VALENCIA TRACK FOR THE LAST RACE OF THE SEASON Next Sunday will take place on Valencia’s circuit, the last stage of the MotoGP World Championship season. Pramac Racing Team riders will have the opportunity to redeem the double withdraw of the last Grand Prix of Portugal which saw both white-green riders prematurely finish the seventeenth Grand Prix of the season. Aleix Espargar has withdraw the race during the first lap due a fall. Carlos Checa has ahead finished the Portuguese appointment due to a severe pain in his forearm that did not allow him to ride the bike in the best way. The hope is that during the last Grand Prix of the season, the riders will be able to make a good performance on the track that have not reserve good results to the Pramac Racing Team. The Italian Team had, in fact, obtained a second position on the Spanish track with Biaggi in the 2004 as best result which were followed by minor placements. Last year, Mika Kallio had finished the race in ninth position, while Espargar has finished in thirteen th position. Sunday will be the twelfth Grand Prix of Valencia that is, since 2002, the last appointment of the MotoGP World Championship. It will be absolutely a special race for both Pramac Racing Team riders, this could be the last race for Carlos Checa riding a MotoGP bike, while Aleix Espargar is a source of pride to ride a MotoGP bike on the circuit that has marked his absolute world debut in the two wheels in the 125cc class in the 2004 when he was just fifteen years old. Paolo Campinoti – Team Principal Pramac Racing Team “For the third time this year we have not completed the race with both riders. The other two occasions were during the first Grand Prix of this season in Qatar and during the unlucky Grand Prix of Germany where both riders were involved in an accident. Sunday we will try to gain a good position and finish, as best as possible, a season that has not been easy for our Team. We should be able to use in the best way this last chance and try to get a good result. I hope that the weather conditions will be better than what we have found on Estoril’s track in order to maximize the time available to try the bike on Valencia’s track.” Aleix Espargar – Pramac Racing Team “The fall on the first lap of last Sunday’s race was not what I was aiming. I was aiming to achieve a good result on Estoril’s track and the results of Friday and Saturday free practice sessions had give me high hopes for the race. Sunday we’ll return to Spain for the fourth time this year. In the other three Grands Prix on the Ibernian land of this year, I have conquered a fifteenth position in Jerez, a good tenth position in Aragon and a withdraw on Barcelona’s track, a race in which I had done a very good weekend. I hope to greatly improve the position conquer in Aragon and conclude in the best way my first MotoGP season. This track has a different flavor for me, I made my debut here in the 2004 while I was riding a 125cc. ” Carlos Checa – Pramac Racing Team “The rain during Estoril’s Grand Prix have certainly not helped me. I needed to run as much as possible on the track and the weather conditions that I have found have not allowed me to do that. The feeling that I was able to develop with the bike during the weekend have not allowed me to find the right riding position on the dry track. The forearm pain after a few laps did not allow me to give to the bike the right braking and the best way to entre in the turns. My results on Valencia’s track are not exciting, but I have taken some satisfaction in my long career, arriving twice in the fourth position in the 2001 and in the 2005. Even if I do not feel any pressure, I’ll try to do my best to give a good result to the Pramac Racing Team which have offered me this fantastic opportunity. ” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: REPSOL HONDA TEAM WELCOMES IMPORTANT NEW SPONSOR AT VALENCIA The Repsol Honda Team sprints from Portugal to Spain this week ahead of the Grand Prix of Valencia, where the RC212V race machines of Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso will be displaying an important new sponsor’s logo. The “One Heart” design will appear on the factory Honda team fairings from first MotoGP practice on Friday morning as Pedrosa and Dovizioso begin their preparations for the final race of 2010. “One Heart” is the slogan of Honda’s joint venture operating company in Indonesia, called Astra Honda. The motto crystalizes the dreams, passion, and the lifestyle shared by Honda and its young and vibrant customers in Indonesia. The Indonesian motorcycle market is a very important one where Honda is the market leader and plans to increase its motorcycle production to four million units by the end of 2011. This valuable new partnership with the “One Heart” brand will also continue through 2011, connecting the Repsol Honda Team with the huge enthusiasm for MotoGP in Indonesia, where TV viewing figures average over one million per race. Pedrosa visited Indonesia after the US Grand Prix in July this year and saw first hand the level of passion for motorcycles and MotoGP in the world’s fourth most populous country. And this weekend the Spaniard will be hoping to give his home supporters something to cheer about as he goes all out to defend second place in the World Championship. With a 19-point lead over Valentino Rossi in third place, and after his impressive injury-defying race in Portugal on Sunday, the 25-year-old is determined to put in another fighting performance at a track he loves. Following last weekend’s Grand Prix of Portugal, Pedrosa visited the Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona to undergo electromyography scans on his left arm and shoulder, which confirmed that there is no nerve damage as a result of the broken collarbone he suffered a month ago. Pedrosa is now hopeful that the lack of feeling he experienced in his left arm during and after the Portuguese race will be less of a problem this weekend. With five wins to his name at Valencia, one in the 125cc class, two in 250s and two in MotoGP – including victory last year, Pedrosa certainly has the pedigree to make a return to form at Valencia. Andrea Dovizioso is confident of another strong result this weekend and comes to Valencia boosted by Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portugal, where he scored his third podium from the last four races. The 24-year-old Italian has produced an impressive recent run of form and is on course to finish the season in the same excellent shape in which he started it. Dovizioso still has the chance of securing fourth place in the World Championship, something he can achieve if he outscores Casey Stoner by 11 points this weekend. It won’t be easy, but Dovizioso and his crew will be going all out to make it happen. The Grand Prix of Valencia takes place on the 4.005km (2.487-mile) Ricardo Tormo ciruit, a tight and twisty track overlooked almost in its entirety by stadium-like grandstands. The celebratory end-of-term atmosphere created when the seats are packed with avid Spanish fans is always appreciated by MotoGP riders and teams alike, despite the fact that the compact circuit itself is not the stiffest test of a MotoGP machine’s performance. Sunday’s 30-lap encounter gets under way at 14.00, following two days of practice which begin on Friday morning. Further information about Indonesia and Astra Honda: In 2009, the motorcycle market in Indonesia across all manufacturers was approximately 5.8 million machines, with Honda holding a 46% market share. In 2011 it will be 40 years since Honda established its first manufacturing alliance in Indonesia. Since 1971 more than 25 million Honda motorcycles have been built in the country and to mark this remarkable success, the One Heart logo will continue to be displayed on the Repsol Honda RC212Vs through 2011. DANI PEDROSA World Championship Position: 2nd 236 points “In a couple of days I will get back on the bike again at Valencia and I really hope to feel better than I did on Sunday in Estoril. The last medical checks I had this week have shown that the nerves are not affected and this is positive, even though I’m feeling the same symptoms of numbness. I went to Clinica Dexeus to have an electromyography scan in my left arm from the neck to the hand. It showed that the nerves are OK, so I will continue having physiotherapy and I hope that gradually the lack of feeling passes. Despite the circumstances, I’m going to Valencia in a good mood because this is a track I love and the atmosphere there is always special. Last year we had a great race, so I want to get a good result regardless of my physical condition. We have a new sponsor this weekend from Honda in Indonesia. When I visited Indonesia this year I was really amazed by how many people follow MotoGP there. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the championship, so it’s good that this new sponsor on the Repsol Honda machine can create a link with this country.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO World Championship Position: 5th 195 points “I’m very happy that we were back on the podium in Estoril. It means we are competitive and that we can go to Valencia with the target of fighting for fourth position in the World Championship. Valencia is quite a slow and twisty track which makes it a technical and challenging circuit which isn’t easy to ride. It’s not one of my favourite circuits on the calendar but that’s really not important – because we are determined to have a very good race on Sunday and finish off the year as strongly as possible. The Valencia weekend is a special event, not only because it is the final round of the season but also because on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix there are two important days of testing in preparation for the 2011 season. I’m really looking forward to getting the maximum out of these two days of testing before we head into the long winter break.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: HONDA MotoGP MEN ALL SET FOR 2010 GRAND FINALE The 2010 MotoGP World Championship comes to an end this weekend at Valencia, the sport’s traditional grand finale. Valencia is one of the most popular MotoGP rounds of the year, with a weekend crowd exceeding 200,000 and a spine-tingling atmosphere, thanks to the track’s unique stadium-style grandstand layout and the fervent local fans. Although the MotoGP world title was decided at last month’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the fight for victory at Valencia will be as intense as ever, with every rider on the grid determined to finish the season in the best-possible style before commencing their winter testing programmes at Valencia next week. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) has as much to prove as anyone at the end of what has been his best season in MotoGP. The Spaniard had an outside chance of this year’s world title until he crashed and broke his left collarbone at last month’s Japanese Grand Prix. Going into Motegi Pedrosa had scored two wins and two second places at the previous four races to close the gap on eventual champ Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), but his injury forced him to miss the next three races. He raced again at Estoril last weekend, finishing a brave eighth, his left shoulder and arm still causing him pain and numbness. This weekend Pedrosa’s aim is simple to hold onto second place in the championship. The former 125 and 250 World Champion has a remarkable record at Valencia, with five GP victories across three classes, thanks to his inch-perfect riding around a tight, sinuous racetrack that pay big rewards for accuracy. He won the 125 GP in 2002, the 250 GP in 2004 and 2005 and the MotoGP event in 2007 and again last year. Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) is fighting to achieve his best-ever championship position in the elite class. With seven podium finishes to his credit so far this year (including three from the last four races), Dovizioso currently lies fifth overall, just ten points behind fourth-placed Casey Stoner (Ducati), the 2007 World Champion. Dovizioso needs a great result at Valencia if he is to overhaul the Australian and he is looking forward to the weekend and then starting off-season testing alongside his MotoGP rivals on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both Repsol Honda men will carry the logo of an important new team sponsor for the first time at Valencia. “One Heart” is the slogan of Astra Honda, Honda’s subsidiary operating company in Indonesia, which plans to increase motorcycle production in this important market to four million machines by the end of next year. This new partnership will continue throughout the 2011 MotoGP season. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) can’t wait to get on track at Valencia after scoring his best MotoGP result at Estoril last Sunday when he missed his first podium by just 0.059 seconds. The fourth-place result beating his previous best of sixth place has given Simoncelli a huge confidence boost. The impressive rookie with the spectacular style has made great improvements to his riding technique and set-up skills at recent races and will be doing everything he can to make the top three this Sunday. After two days of rain-lashed practice at Estoril, Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) shares the MotoGP paddock’s hopes for better conditions at Valencia. The Frenchman rode brilliantly in Portugal, scoring his best result since he returned from breaking a leg during July’s German GP, and once again proving that he is one of the fastest non-factory riders in the sport. Valencia will be a weekend of farewells for Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) who is set to ride his last GP race before switching to World Superbikes next season. Melandri began his full-time GP career in 1998, winning the 2002 250 World Championship and scoring victories in MotoGP (five wins), 250 (ten wins) and 125s (seven wins). This year has been a difficult year for the Italian who has struggled to feel at one with his factory-spec RCV, but Melandri will be doing everything he can to score his best result of the year on Sunday. He definitely has form at Valencia he won the 2002 250 GP at the track and the 2005 MotoGP race. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) has great memories of Valencia. This time last year the Japanese ace won a nail-biting battle with Simoncelli to win the final 250 World Championship. There is no title up for grabs for Aoyama on this occasion, but he will be working hard with his team to conclude his rookie MotoGP season with a strong result. Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) was crowned the first Moto2 World Champion at last month’s Malaysian Grand Prix but the Spaniard hasn’t actually won a race since Motegi, the weekend before his coronation, and is super keen to prove himself once again with a final victory at Valencia before returning to MotoGP in 2011. Elias has dominated Moto2 this season, winning seven of the 16 races so far, and although he’s not a great fan of Valencia (he has yet to win a GP event at the Spanish track) he will be fully focused on achieving an eighth Moto2 win on Sunday. Of course, the Honda-powered series has a reputation for frantic, topsy-turvy racing, so any one of several dozen riders will be in with a chance of the final Moto2 victory of 2010. One man who deserves to win a 2010 Moto2 race more than most is Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter). The rider from Villacanas has scored five runner-up finishes so far this year including four in a row from the Indianapolis to the Japanese GPs and dearly wants to win a race before the year is out. He also needs maximum points because his second place in the championship standings is under threat from Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up) who is just six points down on Simon. Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit is a tight, technical and very asymmetric racetrack, dominated by left-handers, which places very different demands on the left and right sides of the tyres. The venue was christened after Spanish Grand Prix racer Ricardo Tormo, who won the 50cc World Championship in 1978 and 1981. Machine priorities at the Ricardo Tormo venue are agile handling for the many changes of direction and edge grip Valencia packs 14 corners into just 4km (2.5 miles). Despite the track’s sinuous nature, horsepower is also crucial for the 0.876km (0.544 mile) start-finish straight which allows machines to exceed 315km/h (195mph), even though the straight follows a low-speed final corner. The circuit is almost completely surrounded by grandstands, giving the venue a unique stadium feel. This Grand Prix is always a hugely popular event with more than 200,000 fans visiting over the weekend. Honda has enjoyed considerable success at Valencia, with four different riders winning the elite class on the factory’s RCV machines since the venue joined the MotoGP calendar in 1999: Alex Barros (2002), Valentino Rossi (2003), Marco Melandri (2005) and Pedrosa (2007 and 2009). HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “In a couple of days I will get back on the bike again at Valencia and I really hope to feel better than I did on Sunday in Estoril. The last medical checks I had this week have shown that the nerves are not affected and this is positive, even though I’m feeling the same symptoms of numbness. I went to Clinica Dexeus to have an electromyography scan in my left arm from the neck to the hand. It showed that the nerves are OK, so I will continue having physiotherapy and I hope that gradually the lack of feeling passes. Despite the circumstances, I’m going to Valencia in a good mood because this is a track I love and the atmosphere there is always special. Last year we had a great race, so I want to get a good result regardless of my physical condition. We have a new sponsor this weekend from Honda in Indonesia. When I visited Indonesia this year I was really amazed by how many people follow MotoGP there. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the championship, so it’s good that this new sponsor on the Repsol Honda machine can create a link with this country.” Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says: “I’m very happy that we were back on the podium in Estoril. It means we are competitive and that we can go to Valencia with the target of fighting for fourth position in the World Championship. Valencia is quite a slow and twisty track which makes it a technical and challenging circuit which isn’t easy to ride. It’s not one of my favourite circuits on the calendar but that’s really not important because we are determined to have a very good race on Sunday and finish off the year as strongly as possible. The Valencia weekend is a special event, not only because it is the final round of the season but also because on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix there are two important days of testing in preparation for the 2011 season. I’m really looking forward to getting the maximum out of these two days of testing before we head into the long winter break.” San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says: “My result last Sunday so close to my first MotoGP podium gave me a lot of satisfaction but also a slight bitterness. However, after the race I was happy because I had been consistent from start to finish and I fought on equal terms with riders who only recently were faster than me. Lately I’ve improved a lot and after Estoril I’ve gained even more belief that I can ride with the best. I can’t wait to get to Valencia to prove myself and to make up for the bitterness of last year’s result, when I lost the 250 title. I like the circuit and I want to make the podium which I missed in Portugal by a few milliseconds. Finishing the season on a high like I’m doing is definitely a good omen for next year. We must still improve, but the work we are doing is getting results which makes me happy, but also Honda and the team who are helping me a lot.” LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says: “After the bad weather in Australia and Portugal I really hope to get a dry GP in Valencia which is a very physically demanding track. I like the atmosphere there as it is another warm Spanish GP. Following on my last performance in Estoril I aim to close this season with a very good result. Simoncelli’s last performances are very impressing but I strongly want to close the gap, scoring important points for the standing. After my bad injury in Germany in July I still struggled with my leg but I was delighted with my sixth place in Estoril. I experienced the podium in Valencia in the 250cc class and I am determined to be fighting at the front again.” San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri says: “Last Sunday was another disappointing day in a disappointing season. I cannot explain why we haven’t been able to find the key to our problems. We tried in vain and this gives me much bitterness. Valencia will be our last opportunity to redeem a season I’ll want to forget. I like the track I have won here in 250 and MotoGP but the hopes of another success this weekend are very small and I deeply regret that.” Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “Sometimes I feel quite good in Valencia, sometimes I don’t, so I hope that this time I will be comfortable with the bike and the tyres and that I will have the confidence to push. I quite like the track and last year I won the 250 world title there.” Moto2 RIDER QUOTES Gresini Racing Moto2 rider Toni Elias says: “After winning the world title in Malaysia we haven’t managed to get a result that reflects our potential demonstrated throughout the season. Phillip Island was the fault of the bike and Estoril was my fault. I’m sorry because I really wanted to honor my title in the best way possible. Now I have one last race which I will apply the same strength and determination which made me champion. Valencia is certainly not my favorite track but I’ll try to do my best for me and my team, to which I owe so much. Closing with a win would be a great gift for me and for them and in some way it would redeem the disappointments in Australia and Portugal.” Mapfre Aspar Team Suter rider Julian Simon says: “After a difficult weekend at Estoril we go to Valencia knowing that second place in the championship is a real possibility it is all in our hands, so we are really looking forward to this challenge. I am spurred on by the prospect of racing in Spain again, in front of the home fans and at a circuit I love. I am determined to have a good result on Sunday and secure second overall in the first-ever Moto2 championship.” Fimmco Speed Up rider Andrea Iannone says: “After my crash at Estoril I really want to end the year with another great result at Valencia. I was sorry about the crash I had started from the back row of the grid and a podium finish was possible, so at least we once again proved that we have a very fast pace. Of course, we can still get second place in the championship, which is a big incentive, but I also want to win or make the podium as a big thank you for all the hard work my team has done for me this year.” Interwetten Moriwaki rider Thomas Luthi says: I hope that we will be able to attack again, especially after the weekend in Estoril. We have to try to find a good set up and I hope that the weather will be good again for a change as the last two races were miserable. If we can get good settings for the bike and I can be strong in the practices, I want to be able to attack in the race as well for the end of the season. In Valencia I had all kind of results already, bad, good, everything, so I cannot say how it will work this time. I hope it will go well.” HONDA 125 RIDER QUOTE Interwetten Honda 125 Team rider Marcel Schrötter says: “I hope I will be able to have the best result of the season in Valencia. I know the racetrack, had a good result last year and I am looking forward to it. I am disappointed that the race went like it did in Portugal and I hope I can leave Valencia happy again.”