Bridgestone MotoGP Preview – Round 13: Aragon Tuesday 14 September 2010 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Extra Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium The MotoGP paddock travels to the Spanish Motorland Aragon circuit for round 13 and for the second time this season, after the British GP at Silverstone, Bridgestone are faced with the challenge of preparing tyres for an entirely new venue. Run in place of the Hungarian Grand Prix at the uncompleted Balatonring circuit, Motorland Aragon is in the North East of Spain, some 250km from Barcelona. In preparation, Bridgestone carried out detailed inspections and analysis of the track surface and layout and listened carefully to MotoGP riders who have already tested at the circuit this year, albeit not on 800cc MotoGP machines. The process of preparation started after the Spanish Grand Prix in early May when Bridgestone engineers visited the circuit for the first time. Once at Aragon, the engineers conducted a detailed survey of the circuit, building a picture of how demanding it will be for tyres based on the nature and speed of the corners and, importantly, the grain and abrasiveness of the tarmac in order to be able to select the tyre compounds best suited to this new circuit; a big responsibility for Bridgestone. Whilst circuit layout, the nature of the corners and the weather are all straightforward to examine, analysis of the characteristics of the track surface is much more technically challenging yet it is the most important aspect in determining the most suitable tyre compounds. The feedback from riders after they had ridden at Aragon was collated and carefully considered alongside the scientific facts from Bridgestone’s detailed technical analysis. Consequently, the medium and extra hard compound front slicks have been selected, the same specifications as used for the Qatar Grand Prix, and the soft and medium rear slick tyres, as used at Jerez. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “It’s exciting to be heading to another totally new circuit, although the events of Misano are still very much in our minds. The other Spanish races always produce large, enthusiastic crowds and I am sure that Aragon will be no different. It is a new challenge for us, but I am confident our technical department have selected the most suitable tyres to enable us to play our part in producing a good race. Aragon also marks a temporary return to three practice sessions with the Friday morning session reinstated at the request of the Safety Commission in a trial for next season. Total track time will be the same as the sessions are reduced to 45 minutes each but teams and riders will have to carefully manage their tyre allocation for the weekend taking into account the extra session.” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Aragon was another totally new challenge for us so we were methodical and thorough in our analysis of the circuit and the tarmac in order to select the best suited tyre compounds. The track surface is relatively smooth and slippery, similar to Misano, so we need good grip which suggests softer compounds, but there are also some long corners and some downhill braking points which require greater stability and thus harder compounds, so it was a balance. “Conditions during the day are almost the same as in Misano but in the morning we expect it to be a little cooler, so for this situation, especially as we have Friday morning practice back, we have selected the soft compound rear slicks and the medium compound fronts. For the warmer afternoons, we have selected the medium compound rear slicks for their extra consistency and the extra hard compound fronts. From the track layout and riders’ feedback, we understand that Aragon requires good front stability more than other circuits and this is the reason that we decide to select our extra hard compound for the front.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: The Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón, Round 13 of the 2010 FIM MotoGP World Championship, marks the first ever visit to the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain this weekend, where the home crowd will be preparing to witness another duel between Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo and his closest rival Dani Pedrosa. The arrival of the premier class of motorcycling at Aragón will make it the sixth different circuit in Spain to have been used for GP racing. With six rounds of the season remaining what had seemed to be a straight run for Lorenzo to a first premier class title now appears to be a little more complicated thanks to the efforts of Pedrosa. The Fiat Yamaha star’s consistency has been his strongest point however and Lorenzo remains the only MotoGP rider to have scored points in every round so far, having placed inside the top three in each race in 2010. A top-two result at Aragón would guarantee a Spanish title winner as only Pedrosa would then be capable of overhauling his rival’s advantage, which stands at 63 points heading into the weekend. Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa is in a rich vein of form and comes into this round off the back of his first consecutive premier class wins following victory ahead of Lorenzo at Misano. Both he and Lorenzo have already run on the Aragón circuit in private day tests over the summer, and are both equal on 12 MotoGP career victories to date. The contest for third place in the overall standings is a close affair, with Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) on 139 points and Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Ducati Team) both on 130. Of the trio Rossi has the strongest record on Spanish soil having won 19 GPs across all classes in the country, but is also on his longest winless streak seven races since winning for the first time in the premier class at Donington in 2000. Dovizioso is aiming for a return to the podium having gone seven races without a top-three finish, whilst Stoner remains in search of a first win of the campaign in what promises to be a great scrap between the three as the season enters its final third. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Ben Spies remains the highest placed satellite rider in sixth and is just ten points off Rossi and Stoner, with compatriot Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) searching for his first podium of the season. Randy de Puniet’s (LCR Honda) impressive recovery from injury continues, whilst Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) complete the top ten as it currently stands. Edwards will be making his 100th MotoGP start on Yamaha machinery. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) is still recovering from surgery to the little finger on his right hand which he required after a first-lap crash at Misano, and will not ride. Aragón will also see the return of a three-practice format with two sessions on Friday and a third and final one on Saturday morning ahead of qualifying, in a trial system which will be reviewed following the GP. The first free practice session for the MotoGP class gets underway at 10.05am on Friday morning. Moto2 With an advantage of 83 points at the top of the Moto2 standings and on a run of four consecutive victories Toni Elías’ bid to become the first ever Moto2 World Champion is well on course. Victory at Misano for Elías was his sixth of the season and his run of four in a row is the longest sequence of successive wins in the intermediate category since Marco Melandri achieved six back-to-back on his way to the 2002 250cc title. Now second behind Elías in the standings after taking his first consecutive Moto2 podium finishes with second at Misano is Julián Simón. The Mapfre Aspar rider may be some distance off his fellow Spaniard, but leads a tight three-way battle for second position in the Championship. Just four points behind him is Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) who made a return to the rostrum last time out, his fifth podium of the campaign. He in turn holds only a five-point advantage over Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) who will be desperate to make up for his DNF in San Marino. Fellow Italian Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) completes the current top five but is some 22 points off Iannone. Ready to race after being involved in the crash at Misano that tragically claimed the life of Shoya Tomizawa is 17 year-old Brit Scott Redding. The Marc VDS Racing Team rider completed a one-day test at Valencia on Monday which allowed him to check his physical condition and regain his confidence on the bike, having received stitches to a laceration on his lower back a week earlier. There are also two wild card entries riding at Aragón, both with previous experience of the circuit thanks to their participation in the CEV Buckler (Spanish National Championship). Spaniard Roman Ramos will ride for the MIR Racing team, whilst Brit Kev Coghlan will compete on an FTR machine for the Monlau Joe Darcey outfit. 125cc With the 125cc World Championship title race being dominated by Marc Márquez, Nico Terol and Pol Espargaró fans from the talented trio’s home country of Spain will be relishing the opportunity to see the latest instalment of their fight for the 2010 crown on home soil this weekend. Red Bull Ajo Motorsport rider Márquez arrives at Motorland Aragón with a nine-point advantage at the top of the standings, and victory at Misano was his sixth of the year. One more win this season will equal 2009 125cc World Champion Julián Simón’s tally from last year. The man within closest range of the 17 year-old is Bancaja Aspar rider Nico Terol, and the motivation of a first win on home soil will only add to his determination to continue pushing Márquez in what has already developed into a fine battle after the pair finished first and second at Misano. At 11 points further back Tuenti Racing’s Espargaró is maintaining contact although his result of sixth in the previous round was his worst of the campaign to date. Victory at Aragón would add to the pressure on both Márquez and Terol and renew his push. The Spanish supremacy is reflected in the fact that the last 21 races in the category have now been won by Spaniards, the longest sequence of successive 125cc wins by one nation in the 62-year history of GP racing. British rider Bradley Smith is in fourth, although he is 49 points adrift of Espargaró as he holds onto fading hopes of challenging the top three. Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) and Efrén Vázquez (Tuenti Racing) are separated by ten points from fifth to seventh. Five wild card riders will add to the 125cc field at Aragón with Eduard Lopez (Catalunya Racing Team) and Josep Rodrigues (Hune Racing) on Aprilia machinery and Juan Perello (SAG Castrol), Johnny Rosell (SAG Castrol) and German youngster Kevin Hanus (Thomas Sabo Team Hanusch) all on Hondas. More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: REDDING AND FAUBEL ALL SET FOR ARAGON After enjoying a rare weekend off from racing, the Marc VDS Racing Team head this week for the all new Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain for round 12 of the 2010 Moto2 World Championship. For Scott Redding the return to racing this weekend will be a welcome one following his high-speed crash at Misano. The Gloucestershire teenager was lucky to escape serious injury, but required 12 stitches to close a laceration in his lower back. After a week spent recuperating from his injury in Spain, Redding returned to the track for the first time today, alongside Marc VDS teammate Hector Faubel, during a planned development test at the Valencia circuit. Both Redding and Faubel were quickly up to speed at Valencia, where they tested a number of new components and worked to further refine the set-up of their Suter MMX Moto2 machines ahead of this weekend’s Aragon race. Tomorrow the Marc VDS riders will head inland to the Aragon circuit, which lays 270km Northwest of Valencia, close to the town of Alcañiz. Although new to the Grand Prix calendar, Redding and Faubel tested at the Motorland Aragon circuit back in July, with both riders coming away with very positive impressions of the track. Aragon will also see the reinstatement of Friday morning free practice for all classes, with the Moto2 riders the first on track at 09.05. Scott Redding #45 “It was good to get back on the bike today at Valencia. It took a few laps for me to get back the feeling for the bike and the tyres, but I was pretty much on it by the end of the day. I had the stitches out of my back this morning just before the test and, apart from a bit of rubbing from my back protector, everything felt fine. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race at Aragon. The track is pretty special with a little bit of everything; fast corners, slow corners and a couple of long straights. We had a hard weekend at Misano two weeks ago, as did the whole Grand Prix paddock, but I want to bounce back this weekend with another good result.” Hector Faubel #55 “We head to Aragon off the back of a successful day’s testing at Valencia, where I was able to further improve my feeling with the bike. We tested at Aragon a few months ago and I like the circuit. With its combination of slow and fast corners and the two long straights, it’s quite different to the other tracks we race at during the season. For me it’s always special racing in front of my home crowd, because they are not just enthusiastic, but also incredibly supportive. I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s race and I’m determined to push for a good result.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “Some people outside the team have expressed their concerns over Scott’s ability to bounce back from the tragic events at Misano, but we’ve never harboured any such doubts. We have seen on numerous occasions this season just how strong Scott is mentally, so it was no surprise to us when he was on the pace almost immediately during today’s test at Valencia. After the positive test Hector and Scott had at Aragon in July, I think this is a track at which both riders can push for a good result and I know that’s what they are aiming for this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Interwetten Honda: Grand Prix of Aragón The next Grand Prix taking place will be the third of four Spanish Grand Prix on the MotoGP world championship calendar 2010 at the Motorland Aragón and is about three hours drive by car from Barcelona. Originally the next Grand Prix was meant to be the first Hungarian Grand Prix on the Balatonring, but the track could not be finished in time and the replacement decision went to the also brand new Motorland Aragón circuit. The track was built after the layout of the well-known architect Hermann Tilke and hosts for the first time ever world championship races the upcoming weekend. Aragón is a very challenging track with ups and downs and fast corners, which is considered as a lot of fun by the riders. Both of the smaller classes were able to test the track earlier this year in an official test session and are reverentially enthusiastic about it. Also Hiroshi Aoyama, the MotoGP pilot of the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team says that the circuit is very demanding and is looking forward to the event where the Rookies don’t have disadvantage, because all the riders are new on this circuit. Some of the riders already were able to experience a first peek of Motorland Aragón, but most of them will need the four practice sessions they will have this Grand Prix weekend to get to grips with the new circuit. Hiroshi Aoyama: “I am looking forward to this new GP circuit. There wont be a big difference between the rookies and the veterans of this class. I will have a bigger chance to improve, as it will be equal for all of us. My physical condition is also improving. I am not 100% fit yet, but I can feel that every time it is getting better. Also I think it is interesting that we will have four practice sessions. Like this we all have the chance to learn to know the circuit, as it is especially not easy as a rookie in this class. I am confident that we can be at our best in Aragón.” Daniel M. Epp, Team Manager: “Hiro’s return went very well in Indy and Misano. Now he had two weeks again to continue with his rehabilitation program and we expect him to continue his positive frequency in Aragón as well. In Misano Hiro was not 100% fit and could manage to ride a positive race, despite this good performance we still give him time to recover in Aragón. In Motegi we expect him to ride 100% again.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM BACK IN SPAIN FOR THE THIRTEENTH GRAND PRIX OF THE SEASON Next Sunday the thirteenth round of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship will be run on the circuit of the autonomous community of Aragon. The Spanish event, the fourth in this year’s program, has been included in the calendar at the beginning of the season to replace the Grand Prix of Hungary that was supposed to be run on the Balatonring circuit that is still incomplete. This year’s is an absolute debut for the circuit of Alcaniz, that thanks to an agreement with Dorna, will become the reserve circuit for the next five years and that will be used to replace any withdrawn circuits. The track was designed by the German architect Hermann Tilke, the renowned guru of the new speed circuits around the world. It ‘s a tortuous path, the eighteen curves that draw the route will be used to measure bike’s stability, the riders will still be able to full open the gas of their bike’s on the four short straights. Both Pramac Racing Team riders, Aleix Espargar and Mika Kallio have try the new track during a test performed while riding a street Ducati bike on July 6th after the Catalunya’s Grand Prix weekend that have took place on Barcelona’s track. Paolo Campinoti – Team Principal Pramac Racing Team “Too bad for Misano’s race, we had some problems during all the weekend that had not allowed us to be as fast as our competitors. Aleix did well to limit the problems by closing the race in eleventh position, Mika had finish his race ten laps from the checked flag due some handling problems of his bike. In the next race on Aragon’s track we will start all at the same level as no rider was able to run on this track with a Gran Prix bike. I hope that this allows both riders to become protagonists of a wonderful weekend and that they can be able to get a good result. I am very sorry for what happened during the Moto2 race, I join to condolences that my Team has expressed to Tomizawa family after the race for the death of Shoya. ” Aleix Espargar – Pramac Racing Team “During Misano’s race I tried to gain a good position, but unfortunately my starting grid position has affected the whole race and did not allowed me to overtake too many positions. I finished the race in eleventh position. Now back in Spain, on a new track for all of us, we were just allowed to take a test on this track but with road bikes. In the two races that I have raced in Spain during this season I managed to conquer just one point, which is not exactly the best think for a Spaniard like me. I will do my best to get a good result in Sunday’s race.” Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team “I am really sorry for not have finished the race in Misano. Ten laps from the end of the race I had a problem on the bike that didn’t allowed me to push hard. I hope to get soon a good result in order to repay the trust and the support that my technicians have always placed in me. During the tests we made on Aragon’s circuit, I have noticed that there are many tight turns and that the track has many ups and downs, so we’ll have to meditate a lot to find the right setting. Having done some laps on this track have leave me some information that I’ll give to the Team, on which they will immediately work to find the right setting.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM READY TO DISCOVER ARAGON Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden take to a completely new circuit on Friday morning as the first ever Grand Prix of Aragon gets underway with the old format of four practice sessions. The Ducati Marlboro Team riders will have three free practice sessions and a qualifying practice, each lasting 45 minutes, as they work to adapt their Ducati GP10 machines to the new circuit on the outskirts of the small town of Alcaňiz, located around 270km from Barcelona, 300km from Madrid and 100km from Zaragoza. Designed by the German architect Herman Tilke, Aragon Motorland is a spectacular circuit with a lot of fast corners and elevation changes. Both Stoner and Hayden are looking forward to the challenge as they aim to put two difficult races behind them. CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “I’m happy to be going to Aragon. The last two races have been difficult for us and racing at a new track is exciting. We’ll go into the weekend with optimism and hope that the track is good fun and well suited to the Ducati, although being realistic we know we face a tough job to find something extra. The team and all the engineers are doing a fantastic job so it is a case of giving my maximum and helping come up with something new to improve the feeling with the bike, to get it turning better and find some more grip. More than anything we want to put the last couple of weeks behind us.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team “Misano was a really difficult GP for everybody, the kind of weekend we hope never to go through again, but we are racers and we have to continue doing what it is we love so the goal is to go to Aragon and try to be competitive again. It is always nice to race at a new circuit it is exciting for the riders but also for the teams and everybody else that works in the paddock. It is a challenge to find the right setting for the bike, especially in terms of the gear ratios and suspension. We start from scratch, with no data to work from, but that is a challenge I always enjoy. Aragon has a lot of elevation changes and is a lot of fun to ride. My wrist is back to 100% so I can’t wait to get back on the bike and get back to work with the team.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “Aragon is a new circuit that has excited every rider to have tried it because it is spectacular, with lots of elevation changes, fast corners and a lot of good places to overtake. We will have four sessions so we will try to get the most out of them and find a good setting because even though the overall track time is the same this format allows us to work better on the bike. As always we will give our best to be competitive again after two tough races.” THE TRACK Located around five kilometres west of the centre of Alcaňiz, Motorland Aragon is a facility dedicated, according to its official website, to Sport, Technology and Culture. As well as hosting the MotoGP World Championship for the first time on 19th September, Aragon is also the home of motocross, karting, supermoto and rally events. The MotoGP track runs anti-clockwise, with nine left corners and eight right-handers making for an overall layout of 5.078km. At its widest point, on the main straight, it measures 15m, with 12m width for the rest of the circuit. There is an elevation drop of 50m between the highest and lowest points of the track (7.2%). As for the team and hospitality infrastructure there is a main paddock area of 50,000m² and an additional one of 8,200m². More, from a press release issued by Honda: MotoGP and Moto2 preview Aragon Grand Prix, MotorLand Aragon September 17/18/19 2010 HONDA RIDERS HEAD TO ALL-NEW ARAGON This weekend the motorcycling World Championship gets to experience its only all-new race circuit of 2010 as the MotoGP circus returns to Spain for the first Aragon Grand Prix at the newly built MotorLand Aragon circuit. The step into the unknown comes at a tense moment in the 2010 World Championship with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) very much in the ascendance. The Spaniard is currently second in the points standing following his first back-to-back victories in the premier class at Brno and Misano, and although he is still a long way behind series leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), any further successes will exert some pressure on his compatriot. Pedrosa attributes his recent speed to a programme of steady improvements to his RC212V. The new parts and ideas received from HRC earlier in the season have now been blended together to give Pedrosa exactly what he needs a very fast motorcycle which allows him to be unerringly consistent from the start of a race, all the way to the finish. Some weeks ago, Pedrosa got his first taste of Aragon aboard a Honda CBR1000RR street bike. MotoGP regulations forbid riders from testing aboard their MotoGP bikes outside of official tests, so most of the MotoGP grid has already visited the new venue on street bikes, to get a feel for the challenging, undulating layout. The fact that Aragon which replaces the cancelled Hungarian GP is a new circuit on the calendar adds an extra twist to the tension, because no one knows who’s likely to be strongest during the weekend. Although Pedrosa and other riders in all three classes have already tested at the track there was an official Aragon Moto2 and 125 test during July we will have to wait to find out whom suits this circuit the best. To allow everyone to fully adapt to the new venue, this weekend’s programme reverts to a four-session format, with four 45 minute outings for each class, two on Friday, another on Saturday morning and then qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Like Pedrosa, team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) recently evaluated the circuit riding a Fireblade. The Italian likes the track and will be aiming to build on his best race in a while at Misano two weeks ago. Dovizioso came through from a third-row start to challenge Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) for a podium result at his home race. In the end Dovi got fourth, but he was delighted with his race because he had made some useful advances in riding technique and bike set-up. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) continues to chase his goal of completing this season as the top non-factory rider in motorcycling’s biggest race series. The Frenchman is still on course to achieve his target despite breaking a leg at July’s French GP. Remarkably, de Puniet was back in action just four weeks later at Brno and scoring a top-ten finish. His last two races have been more difficult affairs a sign that his rapid recovery has taken its toll though at Misano he did prove that his speed is undiminished with a heroic qualifying performance that put him on the second row of the grid. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) will be aiming to make further progress at Aragon after a steady run of results at the past few MotoGP rounds. The Italian has finished inside the top seven at three of the last four races (he slid off at the other, at Indianapolis), but is determined to up his game for the final six races of the season and improve his feeling with his RC212V. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) is battling to be this year’s second fastest MotoGP rookie. Although Ben Spies (Yamaha) is currently the top-scoring rookie, Simoncelli has impressed with his commitment, aggression and spectacular riding style. The lanky Italian was on course for his second top six result of the year at Misano until he made a mistake which dropped him to the back of the pack. At Aragon he will be working hard to make amends for that error. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) is looking forward to Aragon as much as anyone. The Japanese ace returned to action at last month’s Indianapolis Grand Prix following the back injury he sustained at June’s British GP. He is still working at regaining full strength, though he believes he will be in better shape than he was at Misano. Aoyama is also happy that Aragon is a new track for everyone; as a rookie that gives him a better chance against his more established MotoGP rivals. The majority of the Moto2 grid experienced Aragon for the first time in early July, during a two-day test session that was topped by Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up) and Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter). Moto2 World Championship leader Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) was also among the fastest riders during the outing. This weekend MotoGP will still be in mourning following the tragic events of Misano, where Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP, Suter) died after an accident during the Moto2 race. Tomizawa’s friends and fellow Moto2 riders have all spoken of the young Japanese rider’s infectious enthusiasm and his love for the sport. He will be deeply missed by everyone. At Misano, World Championship leader Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) was as lost for words as anyone, saying only that Tomizawa “has left an indelible mark on my life”. With Tomizawa very much in his memory, Elias will be working towards a fifth successive Moto2 win at Aragon to further stretch his series lead over his biggest rivals, Simon and Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2, Moriwaki). If he is able to win again, Elias wants to dedicate his victory to his late friend and rival. Although Simon and Luthi are both on great form the pair joined Elias on the Misano podium with their second and third place finishes they know that Elias’ recent form has given them a mountain to climb with only six races remaining. While Simon was a promising second quickest at Aragon in July, Elias was less than three-tenths slower, so the points leader will be hard to beat, especially since this is another race on home tarmac. Elias won the first Spanish Moto2 round at Jerez in May, but he’s not unbeatable at home; in July he could only manage fifth place at Catalunya. MotorLand Aragon situated 200km south west of Barcelona is an exciting new venue designed to be much more than just another racetrack. Built with local government backing, Aragon is a multifunctional complex devoted to technology, sport, leisure and culture. The Aragon circuit was created with the help of some big hitters in their respective disciplines the track layout was designed by German architect Herman Tilke (creator also of the Sepang, Istanbul, Shanghai and Bahrain racetracks), while the infrastructure is the work of globally renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster. Foster’s work includes the pit complex, a hotel and residence, a technology park, a business area and a sports complex. The anti-clockwise circuit meanders across the undulating landscape with an interesting combination of 17 corners within the 5.077km layout. There’s a great variety of fast and slow corners, with elevation changes and several blind corner entries adding to the challenge. Aragon is the 13th event of this year’s 18-race MotoGP season. It also the final European round before MotoGP embarks upon its Asian odyssey which takes the paddock from Motegi in Japan to Sepang in Malaysia to Phillip Island in Australia on consecutive weekends in early October. The action then returns to Europe for the final two races of the year in Portugal and Valencia. HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “I’m looking forward to arriving at MotorLand Aragon and trying the new track on the RC212V. I did some laps in July with a Honda CBR1000RR street bike and I really enjoyed the layout I loved the circuit. It’s very different to the ones we are used to racing at in the MotoGP championship, and so it will be really interesting this weekend. The circuit combines fast and slow corners which are quite technical, and the last straight and finish line section is going to be amazing. There are also some blind turns where you need to look for references outside the track. The facilities are very high spec and it looks like the fans are in for a treat at this race. It’s always very nice to race in Spain and I can imagine that the atmosphere will be incredible; I’m looking forward to meeting the Spanish fans again. Me and the team also arrive in a very good mood thanks to the great job we have been doing and our good results in the last races. It will be a challenge for everybody this weekend and we need to make the most of the practice sessions in this area we have improved a lot in the second part of the season. Our bike has been working well at very different circuits, so I hope we can also do a good job in Aragon. I’m really looking forward to this Grand Prix.” Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says: “I always enjoy the challenge of racing on a new track where no one has prior knowledge and we can all start from zero, so I’m especially looking forward to this race weekend. I had the chance to do some laps on a CBR1000RR last week which was good fun and let me learn the basic layout and get some ideas on how to start the machine set-up for the RC212V on Friday. It was actually the first time for me riding on a track with a street bike, and I enjoyed it. The Aragon track is really nice, it has a lot of elevation changes and many of the braking areas occur where the bike is leaning over, which makes it quite technical and means there are many points where it should be possible to overtake. Because of this I think we will see a very good race. For us it is important to have an idea of the track in advance to give us a head start with the set-up of the RC212V. We are very determined to score a good result in Aragon. At Misano and in the previous races we have been fast and close to the front, but now we need to take the final step and convert that speed into a strong result at the end of the race. This is the target for the weekend.” LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says: “I am pretty excited about this new round. I did some laps in June and liked the track very much. I think this could be an interesting circuit for the MotoGP bikes and teams. The circuit combines fast and slow corners which are quite technical and suits my riding style. Honestly after Misano race I felt very tired. I think I paid for my very fast recovery after the injury. Now it is time to concentrate and to find the level to avoid further effort. We need to make the most of the practice sessions to chase the right set up as we want to end this part of the season as best private team of the classification.” San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri says: “I really want to get back on track and forget about a really difficult weekend at Misano. It started out in the worst possible way on Thursday night at the DediKato event, when Capirossi and I tried to liven the evening up but it didn’t go as I wanted and unfortunately there was a misunderstanding which I am very sorry about. Then on Sunday there was the Moto2 race with the terrible incident for Tomizawa in the same corner where I had a bad accident myself in 2007. I was really upset because I had raised my concerns at the time about the artificial grass, which is too close to the rumble strip, but nobody listened. I will bring it up again this Thursday at the Safety Commission. To cap it off I had another forgettable race in which we struggled once again because of my lack of feeling with the bike. In any case, after the Moto2 race I had lost any excitement to race. At Aragon I want to make the most of every single minute of practice to try and rediscover the feeling we found at Silverstone before the crash. I’m not expecting miracles but I’ll do everything I can to have a good race.” San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says: “Immediately after the race at Misano I heard about the tragic incident involving Tomizawa and I was so shocked and upset I didn’t spend a second reflecting on my own result. Over the past week I have been able to think back and I am disappointed with my mistake, which compromised the final result. It was a shame because I was riding well; I was right behind the top five and with a good advantage over Edwards. I could have brought home a solid result and I would have been satisfied with that but I threw it all away with a silly mistake. It was a shame but we will try to make up for it at Aragon. We have an extra session to work on the bike and we’ll start out with the base setting from Misano, which was working well for us and I had found some confidence. I know some riders have done a few laps here and Valentino Rossi has told me that the track is really nice, with fast corners and elevation changes unlike Misano! It should suit me so I am confidence I can have a good race.” Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “I am looking forward to the race at the new GP circuit. The difference between us rookies and the established MotoGP riders will not be too big as it is a new circuit for all of us. I think the possibility to improve will be much higher under these circumstances. I really look forward to compete there. My physical condition is also getting much better. I am still not 100% fit yet, but I can feel how I improve and already Misano was a big difference to Indianapolis and I hope I can continue in this speed. Also the fact that we have four sessions there is very interesting and for the rookies like me it is perfect as we get the time we need to adapt. I will have to see how I feel with my condition after four sessions, but I think it is an advantage to have more time on the track.” Moto2 RIDER QUOTES Gresini Racing Moto2 rider Toni Elias says: “We did a great job at Misano even though my physical condition was not perfect. In the end we reaped the fruit of all our hard work even though it was very tough. Taking pole position on Saturday and the win on Sunday was a nice gift to the team, who are based just a few kilometres from Misano. The win has also given us a boost in terms of the championship. It would have been a day for us to celebrate but our achievements lost all significance with the passing of Shoya Tomizawa. It was a tough blow for our sport and today more than ever I want to send my thoughts to his family and do my part to keep alive the memory of a rider and a young man that was so full of life. It is an extra motivation to pay homage to him at Aragon, with the number 48 in my heart alongside the Spanish fans, and try to win the race so that I can dedicate it to him.” Mapfre Aspar Team Suter rider Julian Simon says: “I am very motivated going to Aragon after my second straight podium at Misano. Moving up to second in the championship also makes me want to keep this positive trend going. I got a good feeling for MotorLand in July at the test and my lap times were good. I can’t wait to get back there and ride again at a place I enjoyed so much. We found a good setting in the test so we should be able to adapt quickly on Friday. The fact it is another home race is another incentive to have a great weekend.” Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2 Team rider Thomas Lüthi says: “We all have tested in Aragon, so it is equal for all the riders. We already have data from there, which is also an advantage. We will try to continue where we finished at Misano and want to try not to touch the base settings too much from there. The upcoming Grand Prix should not be too much stress for us as we don’t want to change around as we did in Misano. I think to stick with the front group is defiantly the target here and I will try my best to be up with the leaders again.” HONDA 125 RIDER QUOTES Interwetten Honda 125 Team rider Marcel Schrötter says: “The track gives a very good impression. We tested there earlier this year and it is not an easy track, but also a lot of fun to ride as it has something of everything, ups and downs, fast corners, all you need. Also the area around the track is very nice although there is not much around there. I am looking forward to this Grand Prix and to gain points is my target as usual.”