DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SET FOR CRUCIAL JAPANESE GP The Ducati Marlboro Team jets east for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix after another strong performance at last Sunday’s Portuguese GP. Casey Stoner finished a close third at Estoril to give him an impressive 76 point World Championship lead with just four races remaining. The remarkable Stoner, winner of eight victories so far this year, and team-mate Loris Capirossi are in confident mood going into this weekend because the Ducati Marlboro Team and Bridgestone tyres have an impressive record at Motegi, Capirossi having dominated the last two MotoGP events at the track. If Stoner wins the race he will secure a historic World Championship, becoming the second-youngest premier-class champ in history and giving Ducati its first title in the category. Ducati also leads the constructors’ points chase and the Ducati Marlboro Team heads the teams’ prize. LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP project director “On paper, Motegi is a very good circuit for us, but things are different with the 800s this year, so as usual we will have to wait until we get there to see how things will go. Casey is in superb form, so I think he has the chance of a great weekend, and I hope that Loris can find the kind of pace that took him to victory at Motegi in 2005 and 2006. We begin this weekend like any other, working to get the best out of the Ducati/Bridgestone package and if we win the race then we will also win the championship. Casey has been unbelievable all season, there’s no doubt that he 100 per cent deserves the crown.” CASEY STONER, World Championship leader on 287 points “We weren’t so lucky in the race last Sunday but I think we should be able to come back strong at Motegi because we’ve got a great team and the bike and tyres are so strong at the moment. Motegi is Bridgestone’s home race and it’s in Japan, so I know Ducati always likes to do well there! Ducati has taken pole position and the win the last two times we’ve been to Motegi, so it would be nice if we can do the same. I really want to try and win a few more races before the end of the season. And if we focus on winning races, then the championship should come. Motegi is a bit of a computer-designed track but it works well. We were very competitive there last year and the year before I was on the 250 podium. You need a bike that’s very good on the brakes, which should be good for us. You also need good acceleration, which we still need to improve. We’ve got good midrange and top end but our bottom end needs improving a little bit.” LORIS CAPIROSSI, 8th overall on 105 points “My 2005 and 2006 wins at Motegi will always be very special memories for me. For Ducati to win a MotoGP race in Japan is great but to win two in a row is incredible! I hope we can have another good result this year because the last few races have been pretty difficult for me. But I never give up and I will work as hard as ever and race as hard as ever all the way to the end of the season. The Ducati and the Bridgestones should work well at Motegi, it’s the kind of track that has worked very well for our package in the past, though the 800s are different from the 990s, of course. Acceleration and braking are the most important factors of performance at this track, and we have a fast engine and a very good engine-braking system. The Bridgestones also work really well at Motegi. And I like the layout – even though it’s just full throttle, brake, full throttle, brake – so I’m looking forward to the weekend.” THE TRACK Twin Ring Motegi is stop-and-go in character with few high-speed corners. The track features plenty of slow turns linked by medium-length straights which puts the emphasis on braking and acceleration performance. Motegi hosted its inaugural Grand Prix, the Japanese GP, in 1999. From 2000 to 2003 the venue hosted the Pacific GP while the country’s older Suzuka track ran the Japanese GP until it was declared too dangerous. Twin Ring Motegi is so called because it features both a Grand Prix track and an Indy oval. Constructed by Honda in 1998 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, the venue is located in the hills to the north west of Tokyo, between the cities of Mito and Utsonomiya. Motegi’s construction entailed a massive civil engineering project that included the razing of seven hills and the filling of two valleys. MOTEGI DATA Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 1m 47.288s, 161.095km/h-100.100mph Pole position 2006: Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 1m 45.724s DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS LORIS CAPIROSSI Age: 34 (born 4 April 1973) Lives: Monaco Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7 GP starts: 262 (92xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125) GP victories: 28 (6xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125) First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125) First GP: Japan, 1990 (125) Pole positions: 41 (8xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125) First pole: Australia, 1991 (125) World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998) Motegi 2006 results: Grid: 1st. Race: 1st CASEY STONER Age: 21 (born 16 October 16 1985) Lives: Monaco Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7 GP starts: 91 (30xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP victories: 13 (6xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: Britain, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 10 (6 x MotoGP 2×250, 2×125) First pole: Italy, 2003 (125) Motegi 2006 results: Grid: 11th. Race: DNF More, from a press release issued by Repsol: “I HAVE TO CONTINUE LEARNING, IMPROVE MY RIDING STYLE AND CONCENTRATE ON MY WORK SO AS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BIKE” With the next race at the circuit of Motegi upon us we take advantage to review the season with Shuhei Aoyama. The Repsol rider will go to his home Grand Prix with an extra dose of motivation that should help him get a satisfactory result after a year where things have not gone as he would have liked. This is his chance to show what he can do in front of his fans and compatriots, with just four races left this season. Finally your home race. Were you dying to race in your home country again? “Yes, because for me it means I am at home, racing in front of Japanese fans and the sponsors from my country. It is a special race and I am dying to race at Motegi.” In the races in Japan, the Japanese riders usually ride very fast. How do you see the race in Motegi? “It is a circuit that I know very well and I like. Two years ago I got a wild card and I classified on the first row of the grid. Last year, in spite of not getting such a good classification, I felt good, so I will race at Motegi desperate to put in a good performance and get a good result.” This is turning out to be a difficult year, more so if we take into account the other bikes in the category. How do you see your progression in the last few races? “This has been a difficult year for us, since Aprilia and KTM have been much faster than last year. Honda on the other hand has improved some things, but the difference has been very big compared to the other makes. Since the race in Jerez there has not been an easy race. I have done my best but I have not got on the podium or got a good result. It has been quite difficult.” Where must you improve? What are you lacking so that you can progress? “I have to open the throttle. I have to go faster and taking into account the fact that the bike cannot be improved much more, it is I who has to go faster. It is not easy, but I have to continue learning, improve my riding style, and concentrate on my work so as to understand the bike and the circuits better, and so be up with the leading riders.” A lap of Motegi with Shuhei Aoyama Main straight, curve 1 and 2 The main stright is a a little short. The first two curves are one after the other and are taken as if they were one. Curves 3 and 4 Then there is another short straight with strong braking before the third curve, taken in 1st or 2nd, depends on the rider. We stay on the same line again as if it were just one curve. Curve 5 We get back on a small straight and arrive to curve 5, where it is very important to have braked right but without losing speed, because on the following curves, six, seven and eight you climb and it is important not to let the revs drop. Curve 6 Curve 6 is where you have the throttle totally open, although you have to find the right line because if you don`t you have to shut the throttle down. Moreover, the tyres and the set up have a big influence. If you are in the right place you can go flat out, but the MotoGP bikes are certain to drop the revs a little. More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: MOTEGI HOLDS EASTERN PROMISE FOR FIAT YAMAHA TEAM Continuing improvements with the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine and the enhanced performance of Michelin’s latest tyres make for another promising weekend ahead as the Fiat Yamaha Team head east for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship in Japan this weekend. A frantic pack-up operation took place at the Estoril circuit on Sunday evening as the entire paddock prepared to make the gruelling 11,000 kilometre journey from the western tip of Europe to far east Asia, where Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will do battle for Yamaha in the factory’s home country. The long trip to Motegi has at least been taken in buoyant mood thanks to Rossi’s stunning fourth victory of the season in Portugal. The Italian kept his slim World Championship hopes alive with a breathtaking ride that saw him cut the gap to series leader Casey Stoner to 76 points with four rounds and a maximum haul of 100 points remaining. The race in Japan is followed by trips to Australia and Malaysia before the series returns to Europe for its traditionally grand finale at Valencia in Spain. Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race. Valentino Rossi “MOTIVATION AND CONFIDENCE HIGH” Valentino Rossi’s fourth win of the season was his 29th for Yamaha and with four races remaining before the end of the year he is keen to add to that tally. The 28-year-old’s army of Japanese fans will be supporting him all the way this weekend at a circuit he admits is not high up on his list of favourites despite holding the lap record of 1’47.288 and he plans to continue his winning ways. “Portugal was a great, great race and it was fantastic to win again after so long,” said Rossi. “Now we go straight to Motegi and the motivation and confidence within the team is very high. We know that our rivals are always very strong in Motegi and we expect the same from Stoner this year, but I’ve never won there with Yamaha so I will be doing my best to change that this week. “We’re not thinking of the championship, we know it’s probably out of our reach, but we can do the best we can to try to keep it open for as long as possible and this will be our goal next week. Our top speed is much better with the new engine, our tyres worked well in Portugal and now we hope we have the same situation again in Japan.” Colin Edwards “TIME IS RUNNING OUT” Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Colin Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career. After a difficult weekend in Portugal, he hopes those positive memories and the support of the Japanese fans can help him recover points and, just as importantly, confidence ahead of the season run-in. “To finish tenth at Estoril, one of my favourite tracks, was really demoralising but at least we don’t have time to dwell on it,” said Edwards. “I’ve never had a great race at Motegi but this has got to be the right time to turn that around! We had a really good test there last year so with any luck some of that data will help us out this year. “We’re just going to have to get our heads down from day one and get on with it. Time is running out and I want to get back on that podium before the end of the season. I know both myself and Valentino have a lot of supporters in Japan, especially after winning the Suzuka 8 Hour together a few years ago, so hopefully that can propel us to a top result this weekend.” Davide Brivio Fiat Yamaha Team Director “MORALE IMPORTANT” Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio hasn’t had much time to dwell on a rewarding victory for his staff at Estoril, overseeing the intense logistical operation demanded by back-to-back races on opposite sides of the globe. Nevertheless, he is hoping the boost in morale provided by that success can overpower the jet-lag and provide the whole team with extra energy to seem them through the final four races of the season. “It was a great reward for the team to have such a good result in Portugal, especially after all their hard work since before the summer,” explained Brivio. “Also, this is a very hard stage of the season, with a lot of races close together and a lot of travelling, so it is important that morale is high. “With Valentino we will just be trying to keep going in the same way, we expect our rivals to be very strong there but we know that if we can give Valentino the right package then he can fight with them. Colin had a bad race in Portugal so he will be keen to erase that memory and hopefully he will have a better time in Japan.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: A-Style Grand Prix of Japan – Tuesday 18th September In a swift cross-continent turnaround after the thrilling race at Estoril, MotoGP heads to the Far-East for the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan this weekend. The race will have big implications for the 2007 MotoGP title race, with two possible scenarios that will decide when or whether Casey Stoner can be crowned with his first MotoGP World Championship. With a 76-point gap separating current standings leader Stoner and nearest rival Valentino Rossi, either the factory Ducati rider will leave Japan with the title in the bag or the chase will be prolonged until his home race at Australia. Stoner simply has to finish ahead of the five-time MotoGP World Champion in what is sure to be a tough race for the 21 year-old. Rossi is still very much capable of beating Stoner in a straight fight, having done so at the last round in Estoril. The Yamaha rider will not be conceding defeat on the track any time soon, and has set himself the target of ending the season with more than his current tally of four victories. He also has to fend off Dani Pedrosa to consolidate second place in the standings, currently leading the Spaniard by 23 points. A second place finish for Pedrosa in Estoril gave him room to breathe in third overall, with a gap of over 30 points separating himself and the tightly packed group consisting of John Hopkins, Chris Vermeulen and Marco Melandri. Further down, Colin Edwards, last year’s race winner in Japan Loris Capirossi and reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden also occupy spots in a top ten completed by Alex Barros. Two wild card riders will be participating in the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, under the Suzuki and Kawasaki banners respectively. Paul Denning’s boys in blue will be joined by test rider Nobuatsu Aoki at the race, whilst Kawasaki will run one of their original riders from their MotoGP return, Akira Yanagawa, in his first premier class race since 2003. Last year’s race was won by Loris Capirossi in a runaway victory from pole, ahead of his fellow Italians Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri. Before the on-track action gets underway in Japan, a special event featuring some of the biggest names in MotoGP will take place in Tokyo. A huge attendance is expected for the “MotoGP Lands in Tokyo” event, which takes place on Wednesday in Shinjuku Station Square. Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, Shinya Nakano, Chris Vermeulen, Colin Edwards, Makoto Tamada, Carlos Checa and Randy de Puniet are all confirmed participants in an on-stage talkshow and autograph session accompanied by five 800cc machines. 250cc Jorge Lorenzo still leads the way in 250cc, 51 points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso as he looks to retain his quarter-litre World Championship. The Spaniard has never won a race at Japan, finishing third last year in his most recent visit to Motegi. He is rumoured to be staying on after the race to test the 800cc Yamaha M1, in anticipation of his move up to MotoGP next season. Dovizioso will have to keep one eye on the challenge to his second place from Alex de Angelis, just nine points behind him in the classification but on a run of poor results after a near year-long spell finishing no lower than fourth. The top three are relatively clear from the remainder of the field, with Estoril racewinner Alvaro Bautista in fourth, Hector Barbera in fifth and Hiroshi Aoyama in sixth. Aoyama has won the last two races at Motegi, breaking down in tears at the end of the 2006 race due to the emotion of his second home victory. 125cc The gap between Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel at the top of the 125cc classification stands at just five points, with the team-mates both eyeing up the World title. They battled right up to the line in Portugal, with Faubel slipstreaming his Hungarian team-mate to take victory and earn an important psychological victory. Home-rider Tomoyoshi Koyama will be one of the favourites for the win at Motegi onboard the KTM machine, and the Japanese rider currently lies third in the classification. The remainder of the top six consists of the level-on-points duo of Simone Corsi and Lukas Pesek, and the rider with more pole positions than any other in 125cc this year, Mattia Pasini. Circuit Info Located amongst the vast natural beauty of the northern Kanto district, the Twin Ring circuit at Motegi in Japan consists of a 1.5 mile oval and a 2.9 mile road course constructed to international standards. Built by Honda as the ultimate test facility in August 1997, the road circuit became home to MotoGP in 2000 whilst the oval was designed to introduce American motorsports culture to the country. Twin Ring Motegi is a major attraction for motorsports fans all year round as it is the venue for the Honda Collection Hall, a museum which houses an illustrious collection of motorcycle, car and racing machines from throughout the ages. The complex also includes a safety and riding school, dirt track, go-karts, hotel, restaurant, shops and event halls and currently employs some 300 staff.