Honda’s main man in the high-pressure 2008 title race is the assiduous Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V). The Spanish superstar is under no illusions that this Saturday’s race will be a strong indicator of who has the means and the will to take the biggest prize in bikesport. There are still three, perhaps even four, riders in with a realistic chance of taking the title: series leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) with 162 points, Dani second on 151 points, reigning World Champion Casey Stoner (Ducati) third with 117 and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) a marginal fourth on 104. With ten rounds to go including this one, the fight is now on. A cursory examination of the points standings might suggest Rossi and Pedrosa are too far in front for either Stoner or Lorenzo to threaten. But with the Aussie Champ fresh from a pole to flag win at Donington, and Lorenzo latterly showing speed and determination in Britain after a lay-off through injury, the current Rossi/Pedrosa supremacy is under threat. All four of the title hopefuls have shown they have what it takes to prevail here at Assen. Rossi won here last year with Stoner second and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) third. Nicky won in 2006 with Dani third. Premier class rookie Lorenzo won on a 250 in 2007 and 2006. All have the ability here machine set-up might well be the determining factor at this race. With Nicky now scheduled to give the pneumatic-valve engine another outing after Donington Park last weekend (where he finished seventh), the data gathered there should give the former World Champion and his crew the extra information they need to get this potent new machine properly on the pace here. And if Nicky is in a position to fight for podium places it can only help Pedrosa’s cause. Stoner is the sole Ducati man at the sharp-end of the Championship fight and as such cannot rely on any team-mate or satellite team riders taking places and points from his rivals. Rossi, if Lorenzo is on the pace, can count on the Spaniard denying his rivals valuable places. Nicky could be a valuable ally for Dani this weekend. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V) who has scored well here on a 250cc machine is a rider in form right now a fourth place in Catalunya and a fifth in Britain suggest the Italian rookie may well be gunning for a rostrum here on Saturday another Honda man in the mix can only help Dani’s cause. Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) is another man who has the ability to make his presence felt here too. The San Marinese rider has twice finished on the podium at this track on a 250 and despite a fall at Donington, he has shown he has adapted well to the demands of an 800cc bike. His team-mate Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) mustered a second place here in 2006 riding a Kawasaki and after three top ten finishes at the last three races, the experienced Japanese rider could be further up the field here. The capable yet unpredictable Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) cannot be ruled out of the running either. This classic track has changed recently. The entire ‘Northern Loop’ section of this classic track was bulldozed in 2005 to make way for a hotel and conference centre complex, reducing the lap distance from 6.027km to 4.555km, but whatever’s people view of the changes made The Circuit Van Drenthe remains an imposing task for riders. One hundred miles north of Amsterdam, Assen is a fearsomely demanding track. A former ‘road’ circuit, with some of the old layout retained, the track is very narrow and cambered, essential for drainage on a highway, gives the track a significant crown and this is one of the features of a tricky track that catches many riders out. The surface can ‘drop away’ owing to negative camber on entries to turns, and perhaps more significantly, many exits are plagued with the same condition. Just as a rider needs maximum drive the asphalt conspires to deprive him. And this is only one element that makes Assen so challenging. The turns (six lefts and 11 rights) almost merge into one here and riders are painfully aware that one small mistake can have severe repercussions in terms of overall lap time. Much will depend on how the teams and riders wrestle with getting these 800cc machines adapted to the specific demands of the circuit. A certain amount of stability is vital for the swooping turns, yet quick-steering is essential for the ultra-fast back section where rapid changes of direction at 170mph are the requirement. Dani said: “We got some useful points at Donington last week but at Assen we want a better result. First of all, I hope the weather stays dry because that way everyone can prepare better for the race. It will be a tough event because the level in MotoGP at the moment is just incredibly high. Assen used to be a beautiful circuit but the big changes they made two years ago have spoiled some of its character. As far as riding style goes you need to be a bit aggressive because you have to use a lot of strength when changing direction at high-speed. The atmosphere at Assen is very much a motorcycling atmosphere, with a lot of life in the town, in the restaurants, everywhere. The atmosphere is the most classic left in the World Championship.” His team-mate Hayden said: “I’m feeling pretty positive going into Assen. We learned a lot about the new engine last weekend fuel consumption, tyre life and so on that we hope we will be able to put to good use at Assen. I love the track. Sure it’s changed a bit over the years but it’s still pretty good. I really like the last section, the fast bit coming back towards the pits, the fifth-gear change of direction at Hogeheide. That’s one of my best corners, you’ve definitely got to be physical with the bike through there. It’s certainly been one of my better tracks. You need a little bit of everything from the bike there, but the one thing that stands out is all the banked corners.” Dovi said: “The Assen circuit has never been among my favourites and in the last two years with the 250 I took fourth and third place finishes. The circuit is pretty unique with lots of high-speed corners and chicanes. I arrive in Holland off the back of two good performances and I’m confident we can repeat this with the MotoGP bike. My style has changed radically from the 250 and for me when you come to a circuit you know on the 250 it’s like a new track on the RC212V.” De Angelis said: “Last year I had a great ride at Assen on the 250, producing a strong comeback after a bad start and setting some really fast times. Obviously I’ve never been there on a MotoGP bike before so I’ll have to learn it all over again but we’re in good form and I feel confident heading to Holland: we’ve actually been making great progress lately. We’ve reached a level of competitiveness that allows me to fight consistently amongst the top six and I hope that continues at Assen.” Nakano said: “Assen is another very unique circuit layout, which is difficult to grasp, but I like it a lot. I recorded my best ever result in MotoGP there with second place two years ago. The key to being competitive will be to find a setting that allows me to be effective in the fast corners. I think that if we can manage to continue on the same path we were on last weekend at Donington, where I felt comfortable and had fun on the bike, we can definitely have a say.” De Puniet said: “Assen is one of the most spectacular circuits of the calendar, but they’ve made a lot of changes in the past years. I don’t like the fast part. The straight is not very long and it’s very important to make the bike smooth in the direction changes and in the braking points. The set-up we used in Donington made the bike too heavy so we’ll focus our work on the chassis and suspension regulations. Like this I will feel more comfortable.” 250cc Mika Kallio (KTM) currently heads the 250cc World Championship and the so far unlucky Yuki Takahashi (JiR Scot Honda RS250RW) will be relishing another opportunity to have a say in the results this weekend. A podium in Spain at Jerez is his best result so far, but he knows he has the potential to figure here too. He said: “In previous years the Grand Prix of Holland has not been my favourite and the track I do not enjoy very much. This year I want to have a good race and collect some more important points. I think I will be able to continue to improve my performance this year and make continuous progress, even if there have been no podiums in the last few races. I feel ready and always have high morale. There are no particularly difficult points on the track, but it is necessary to have a good rhythm to deal with the fast sections that alternate with the slow turns. With the team we will be able to do a good job, as always.” Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT SAG RS250RW) said: “I like Assen very much but I have only raced there once, that was last year and I finished 14th. The circuit has really good grip, it’s completely different to Donington Park. My problem with the rear tyre that slowed me in England was a real pity because the bike was running really well, maybe I could have finished 12th in the race. But we must be positive and I am looking forward to the race at Assen.” 125cc Rookie Louis Rossi (FFM Racing Honda RS125R) continues his steady yet forceful first full season in the junior class while his fellow Frenchman Mike Di Meglio (Derbi) heads the World Championship points standings. Nineteen-year-old Rossi meanwhile rides, watches and learns”¦ He said: “I’ve still got a lot to absorb, but the more races I run in quick succession, the easier that becomes. I gained a great deal of confidence from Donington last weekend. I was happy with the way I kept pace with riders normally faster than me and maybe even more importantly I know what I have to do this weekend to try and get away from them. I’ll be concentrating on corner entry points and how to employ lean angle to get the power down early on the exits.”