From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

MotoGP World Championship 2004
Grand Prix of South Africa
April 16, 17 and 18

MotoGP REVS UP FOR OPENING SHOWDOWN OF THE SEASON

The MotoGP circus is in rude health for the long-awaited first confrontation of the 2004 season. After what seems like an interminable four months of high-pressure testing across the globe – the lights are soon to be staged for a first race that will answer some of the big questions surrounding this season. First: can Honda maintain its incredible record of winning a third consecutive premier class title since the dawn of the four-stroke era in 2002? Second: can reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi give rival factory Yamaha a win first time out? And third: who among his Honda rivals can establish themselves as the main contenders for the title?

The big six Honda riders in the premier class have now had plenty of time to gel with their crews and teams. And the three two-rider teams running the imperious RC211V are ready to take the fight to new rival Rossi who has been working hard at making up ground on Honda – the dominant factory of this new era.

Among those seeking to establish an early toehold on the Championship will be 2003 title runner-up Sete Gibernau who is joined this season by Texan Colin Edwards in the Telefonica Honda MoviStar Team. Gibernau won here last year and the win put him in early contention for the title. But Edwards will be aiming to get off to a fast start in the points standings in a season where many observers believe consistency will hold the key to title contention.

But the Phakisa Freeway is something of a ‘one-off’ experience each year for the riders. The 4.242km track lying deep in South Africa’s Free State Province is only visited once a year by the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc riders, so teams have little time to set up machines for the twisty and often dusty track.
The longest straight here is a mere 413m in length and so the astonishing high speeds of the MotoGP bikes (approaching 215mph at Barcelona’s Montmelo track in pre-season tests) will not be witnessed here at Welkom.

But the tarmac places other demands on teams and riders. There are nine right-hand turns and five left-handers, and the surface, despite being re-laid last year, is bumpy and slippy. But grip tends to improve as raceday nears with rubber laid down by the circulating machines displacing a fine layer of dust.

Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) has more experience than most here. “I quite like the track,” he said. “It’s got a nice layout and it’s pleasant to ride. The weather’s normally good although I’m tempting fate when I say that. What’s certain is I’m not looking forward to the undulating tarmac, even though it’s been redone just recently, and the fact that the track generally takes quite a bit of time – at least all the first day of practice – before the grip is acceptable. And with two different frames to compare and the right set-up to work out, we’re going to need every minute we’ve got to decide what configuration to use for the official qualifying. This is going to be tough with the new three-bike-per-row rule – and, of course, for the race. We’re going to have to react fast and understand immediately what to do. I feel good and I’m starting out with confidence and determination.”

Biaggi’s team-mate Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres is equally eager to race. “I can’t wait to be in Welkom when the first green light of the season goes on,” he said. “I’m just raring to go and I’m feeling incredibly motivated to do my best. In the recent IRTA tests in Montmelò and Jerez, I really didn’t bring my full potential to bear. We didn’t have the weather on our side that time, and the work was very stop-start. The cold weather didn’t let us simulate race conditions like I think we’ll find in the first championship races. I’m waiting for some more new materials to come in from Bridgestone: I was able to try out some in the IRTA tests, and the results were good, but I’m expecting more in South Africa. Now, the track at Welkom has a few little unknown factors: first of all, it isn’t much used for practice or competition, so we don’t have much recent information about the grip and the state of the circuit. And the weather, which is sometimes unsettled, may be another varia
ble. So there may be a few surprises – but I’d like myself to be the biggest surprise of all: going fast during the four hours of practice and getting out in front in the race.”

For Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) this season represents a chance to consolidate the hard work the American rider put into his rookie season in 2003. “I’m so excited about this season and can’t wait to go racing now,” he said. “The winter testing has been good and I think we’re in real good shape for the season. The 2004 RC211V is awesome, by far the trickest bike I’ve ever ridden. I feel now that I’m riding much nearer the limit where last season was really a learning year. Now I know the tracks I feel very comfortable with the team and I know the competition. It’s going to be super-competitive this year as no one has really stood out in testing. That’s what is so great about MotoGP – the best riders in the world on the best bikes every other Sunday. Sure is going to be a good show.”

Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) has plenty of experience and the Brazilian has switched back to Honda after an uncomfortable year with Yamaha. “In all the years I’ve been racing I can really say that I have never felt as positive as do now at the start of this very exciting year,” he said. “I have a strong team, a fantastic bike and a real opportunity this season. Back in February when I first rode the RC211V we made a plan to get to the first Grand Prix in good shape after the surgery I had to my shoulder over the winter. So in Sepang, Phillip Island and in Spain we learned a lot about the bike, my fitness got better, and now we are ready to race. It will be a long season, very close and all the accumulated points will be very important at the end.”

In the 250cc class last year’s title runner-up Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW), who, in a run of remarkable consistency, scored points at every single race in last year’s World Championship, is ready again for the title challenge, with a new machine. “I haven’t got the feel of the new machine quite right yet because the bike is a lot lower than last year,” he said. “But after the Valencia test session things are getting better and I’m ready to race.”

Rolfo is joined by a new team-mate Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) while reigning World 125cc title holder Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica Honda MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) moves up to the quarter-litre class this season.

The 125cc class sees 10 Honda riders take to the tarmac at Welkom with Andrea Dovisioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) expected to be among the front runners, now that Pedrosa has his sights set on 250cc glory. “Testing has been dogged by rain,” said the Italian who finished fifth overall last season. “Jerez is likely to be a better indicator of form than Welkom, but I’ll be going for the title from the first race. The bike is good and we just need some more time to work on suspension settings.”


More, from another press release issued by Honda Racing:

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 3
Misano Adriatico Race Preview
16 – 18 APRIL 2004

HONDA RIDERS PLAN SPRING OFFENSIVE IN ITALY

Having recently completed the only long haul race scheduled for the 10 round 2004 World Supersport Championship the well-subscribed and ever combative grid of Supersport riders returns to the European continent for the latest set piece engagement.

Honda’s supported rider line up, running to six pilots in this highly competitive and unique season, will once more enter the fray with impressively quick and well-balanced Honda CBR600RRs. Each competitor will also be looking for solidity and predictability during what has been an often-turbulent year so far.

Proof of this came via the performance of 20-year-old rookie wildcard Josh Brookes in Australia, the Australian Championship regular taking his HRC kitted CBR600RR to a popular but somewhat unforeseen victory on his home track, the first race win for a Honda Supersport rider in 2004.

After some dominant qualifying sessions at the previous Valencia and Phillip Island rounds, the Ten Kate Honda pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes have yet to experience similar levels of reward in races, with both now poised just inside the overall top ten of the points standings.

Parkes leads the overall Ten Kate points tally in eighth, thanks to his 13 points for fourth place at his home round of Phillip Island, after a race one DNF in Spain. Muggeridge lies tenth, despite two powerhouse rides in qualifying.

In the Klaffi Honda team, Valencia no-scorer Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) rode with pace and panache to finish fifth in Australia, for 11th overall. His youthful team-mate Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) has exhibited the speed that made him a top Euro Championship contender in the 250cc class. In only his second World Supersport rider ever, and at arguably the most technically challenging circuit on the calendar, Neukirchner ripped his way to a strong points score.

Honda’s third supported team, Team Italia Megabike, is working its way to outright race-distance competitiveness since adopting its new equipment, but the proven speed of Alessio Corradi (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) and the promise of home tarmac for rookie Denis Sacchetti (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) may make Misano a happy hunting ground.

For Broc Parkes, translating his pre-race prowess into sustainable race performances is the aim in Italy. “My set-up got better as the weekend went on in Australia but I think our setting from Valencia will maybe help us at Misano, as the circuit is a bit more like Valencia than Phillip Island. Misano gave me a podium finish last year so I’m hoping for more of that this year.”

Karl Muggeridge, who looked to be in a safe third place at Phillip Island before a technical impediment dropped him to 12th, looks to Misano as the start of a rich seam of points gathering. “Third would have been all right at Phillip Island and we did try our best,” said the Aussie. “We’re down, but not out. Misano was a DNF for us last year but we need to have a good result there this year.”

Confidence, even at one of his least favourite circuits, emanates from Sebastien Charpentier, now in his second season of competition with the respected Klaffi Honda team. “Misano is not the perfect track but it’s OK. For this year Misano will be completely different than last year, because now I know the team, the tyres, everything. Misano 2004 will be good for us.”

Klaffi new boy Max Neukirchner has been a minor sensation so far, but again finds himself at the doorway of a new examination hall. “I have no experience of Misano,” grinned Neukirchner in Australia. “Only Oscherleben, Assen and Magny Cours are circuits I know from any previous year. I’m looking forward to another new challenge, and I’m enjoying the experience of World Supersport.”

Alessio Corradi worked hard at the last round but found little reward – pushing all his focus to the next round in Italy. “We need some work on the set-up because in Australia when the temperature was quite high the lap times were not so good,” he stated. “I’m looking for better results in Misano. It’s always good to race at home.”

WSS rookie Denis Sacchetti has experienced similar concerns in qualifying, but is determined to overcome them at the very next attempt. “I had a few problems throughout the most recent Phillip Island race, but I know that I am capable of a much better result. I am hoping that will come at Misano in front of my home crowd. I’m aiming for a top 10 there.”

On completion of the Misano round, the championship reconvenes a month later, still in Italy, at the classic Monza circuit on May 14 -16.