Bridgestone MotoGP Preview – Round 2: Spain, Jerez Tuesday 27 April 2010 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium The Spanish Grand Prix, held at the immensely popular Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Andalucia, marks the first European MotoGP race of the season and after a thrilling opener in Qatar three weeks ago, anticipation is high. This year the Spanish race has become the second round of the season after the postponement of last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Bridgestone’s home event. There have been no changes to the circuit since last year and the Bridgestone slick tyres chosen in 2009 worked well so they remain the same this year: medium and hard compound fronts, and soft and medium rears. The only difference is that the rubber compound of the rear slicks has been improved since last season to offer a wider temperature operating range. The medium rear slick tyre was used in Qatar, but with Motegi being rescheduled this is the first time that the new soft rear slick will have been used in competition. Jerez has eight right-hand corners and five lefts but has a balanced nature that uses each shoulder of the tyres equally. The track temperature can be expected to be higher than that seen in Qatar, as last year it reached 45 degrees Celsius during the race. This makes warm-up performance less of a concern as the tyres will naturally warm faster but it does test the overall temperature operating range as the tyres can reach a higher peak temperature. This is the area in which the improved soft and medium rear slick compounds will be most beneficial. Last year the Spanish Grand Prix delivered the third different winner from the first three races of the 2009 season. Valentino Rossi won his first of the year followed by 2008 winner Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner in third. On his way to victory, Rossi set a new lap record and a new total race time record, demonstrating the sustained pace he was able to achieve using hard compound front and medium compound rear Bridgestone slicks. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “It is strange going straight to Europe after the Qatar Grand Prix, and for us it is a shame that our home race in Japan was postponed. We had prepared various events for riders and fans alike during the weekend so it is a shame. I have never heard of a GP being cancelled so close to its scheduled date, but of course we understand the situation and fully support the decisions and swift action taken by Dorna, IRTA and the FIM. “It is always exciting to start the European season, and I hope that after the thrilling race in Qatar we will see more exciting competition in Jerez. The Spanish Grand Prix is always popular with many fans coming from all over Europe, and it is also a valuable event for us as the Spanish market is important to Bridgestone’s European activities. I hope that we will have no delays to our travel schedule from Japan and that we will see a good race!” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Jerez is a good test circuit because of the diversity of the corner layout and this means that we require a tyre with a very balanced character to provide good handling from low speed to high speed and from flat corners through changes in elevation. The layout doesn’t generate particularly high loads for the tyre’s centre section, and the left and right shoulders are used equally so asymmetric rear slicks are not required here. The circuit is fairly abrasive and the track temperature during the race weekend is historically high which adds to the challenge of durability and wear but Jerez is not the most severe from a tyre point of view. “This year we will supply rear slick tyres that each feature an updated compound with a wider temperature operating range, providing better warm up performance in cold conditions and better consistency in hot conditions. The riders gave positive feedback when the improved medium compound was used in Qatar so hopefully the wider operating range is better for riders and we will see another exciting race in Jerez.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: ROUND TWO, TAKE TWO, FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM The second round of the MotoGP World Championship will finally take place on Spanish soil next Sunday, with the Jerez circuit welcoming the paddock to Europe following the postponement of the Grand Prix of Japan until October 3rd due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. The Andalucian circuit has not traditionally favoured the characteristics of the Desmosedici but a podium for Stoner in 2009 and the hard work carried out on the GP10 this winter by the Ducati Marlboro Team, Filippo Preziosi and his technicians in Borgo Panigale, should allow the Australian and his team-mate Nicky Hayden to look ahead to the weekend with more confidence. CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “It is pretty unusual for a GP to be postponed but like last year in Qatar it is the kind of thing we can’t predict or control so we just have to look ahead to Jerez and the job that awaits us there. In the past it hasn’t been one of the more favourable circuits for us but we made some steps forward last year and finished on the podium. We start from zero this time around though and on Friday we’ll be working hard to find a set-up for the race. You need good handling for this track but also good stability and I think the direction we’ve taken with development of the GP10 should allow us to be competitive on Sunday.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team “We were all ready for a flyaway race and instead we’re going to Jerez for the first GP in Europe, where the paddock is all set up ‘properly’ with the motorhomes, hospitality units and all those fans! The atmosphere at Jerez is always awesome. Nothing really springs to mind about the track itself”¦ there are no huge straights mainly sections that flow into one another. At this time of year the track can be a little cold in the morning and then it tends to get warm in the afternoon, so we will have to be ready for any kind of condition. Our target is to try to stay at the level we set ourselves in the first race and build on what we did out there. I know I have a good bike and a team that is fully behind me so I can’t wait to get back on track.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager “We didn’t come home from Qatar with the rewards that we could have done but we certainly gained important knowledge that the bike is running well, both Casey and Nicky are in good form and that both of them have the possibility to run at the front. I would have preferred to have gone to Japan for round two but force majeure intervened so we just have to prepare for Jerez, which is not an easy circuit for us we have had some good results there in the past but also some problems. Either way we go there in the right spirit, determined to give Casey and Nicky the means to be competitive again. Qatar was the ‘official debut’ for a lot of us in the team and so far I am happy with the atmosphere and the work being done inside the garage.” THE TRACK Built in 1986, Jerez hosted its first Grand Prix the following year and has stayed on the World Championship calendar ever since. It is a race that the majority of riders look forward too thanks to the special atmosphere created by the Spanish fans and the characteristics of the circuit layout, which reward good riding. Many of the 13 corners flow into each other, requiring a precise and smooth racing line and a well-balanced machine set-up. Jerez is an ‘old-style’ track, with a lot of second, third and fourth-gear corners that put rider skill to the test. More than outright horsepower, in general this circuit rewards a machine that handles well and is stable under braking. JEREZ CIRCUIT INFO Circuit Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2008), 1’40.116 – 159.043 Km/h Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2008), 1’38.189 – 162.164 Km/h Circuit Length: 4.423 km MotoGP Race 2010: 27 laps (119.421 km) MotoGP Schedule 2010: 14:00 Local Time PODIUM 2009: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Casey Stoner POLE 2009: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2009), 1’38.933 – 160.945 Km/h DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT JEREZ 2009: 3rd (Stoner) 2008: 11th (Stoner) 2007: 5th (Stoner) 2006: 1st (Capirossi) 2005: 10th (Checa) 2004: 12th (Capirossi) 2003: 3rd (Bayliss) DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER INFO CASEY STONER Age: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia) Residency: Switzerland Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10 GP Appearances: 127 (66xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 22 (18xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125) First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007) MotoGP track record at Jerez: 2009: Qualified: 3°. Race:3° 2008: Qualified: 7°. Race: 11° 2007: Qualified: 5°. Race: 5° 2006: Qualified: 15°. Race 6° NICKY HAYDEN Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA) Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA Bike: Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP10 GP Appearances: 117 (117xMotoGP) First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP) First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP) Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP) First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006) MotoGP track record at Jerez: 2009: Qualified: 16th. Race: 15th 2008 Qualified: 4th. Race: 4th 2007: Qualified: 11th. Race: 7th 2006: Qualified: 4th. Race: 3rd 2005: Qualified: 4th. Race: NC 2004: Qualified: 7th. Race: 5th 2003: Qualified: 19th Race – More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: MotoGP emerges from the ash cloud to land in Spain MotoGP finally resumes action this weekend, after the recent Icelandic Volcano forced the postponement of the Japanese GP. It has been a frustrating time for the paddock as the ash cloud has billowed over Europe and it will be an excited Fiat Yamaha Team that lands in Spain this week, with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo itching to get back to action after their brilliant one-two in the opening round. Rossi has an impressive record at Jerez, with seven wins in all classes there including three for Yamaha in 2005, 2006 and last year, when he overhauled Dani Pedrosa to take his first win of the season. Despite being on a high from his brilliant win in Qatar, Rossi was perhaps more grateful than most for the volcano’s eruptions as he slightly damaged his shoulder muscles in a motocross training accident ten days ago. The cancelled race has given him unexpected extra time to recover and he hopes to be in good enough shape to put up a fight in Jerez. Lorenzo is now hopefully back to full fitness after breaking his hand in the pre-season and the 22-year-old has a score to settle with the first Spanish track of the year, after he crashed out when challenging for the podium last year. It was at this track where he made history as the youngest ever rider to compete in a Grand Prix and he has won there twice since, on the way to his two 250cc titles in 2006 and 2007. The Andalucian city of Jerez is a shrine for Spanish motorcycle racing and draws one of the biggest crowds of the year. More than 120,000 fans make the pilgrimage south and pack into the natural amphitheatre to create a three-day carnival. The track itself has few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle, but often throws up some spectacular racing. The 4.423 km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles. Valentino Rossi – “Amazing atmosphere and fantastic fans” “Of course it was a pity not to go to Japan, Yamaha’s home race, but we will go in October now and for me it was quite lucky to have this extra week. I didn’t hurt myself badly in the motocross fall but my shoulder was quite sore so it was good to give it more time to recover. I don’t know yet how much it will affect me this weekend, I hope not too much. The win in Qatar was fantastic but we saw there that we are lacking in some areas compared to our rivals so we have work to do. I love to race at Jerez, the atmosphere is amazing and I have fantastic fans in Spain. Last year I had a great win and I hope we can challenge again this time.” Jorge Lorenzo – “You can hear the crowd!” “I was sad not to go to Japan because I love the country and the race and last season I won, so I was looking forward to going back. Anyway, we can’t change it and at least we will still go, in October. Now we go to Jerez, an amazing track where you can actually hear the crowd as you race! At Nieto and Peluquil corners especially you can feel the people, it’s like nowhere else in the World Championship. Last year I crashed when I was trying to pass Stoner and get the podium but until then the weekend had been good, I was fast and took pole position. This year I’m confident that I can finish the race and get as close as possible to the front.” Davide Brivio – “A good track for Yamaha and Valentino” “We are going straight to Jerez after a longer rest than we expected. Unfortunately Valentino won’t be in the best shape due to his recent injury sustained while training with a motocross bike. We will have to see to what extent it affects him but we hope he will be okay. Jerez has always been a good track for Yamaha and Valentino likes it very much. It will be an interesting race because several riders will be competitive there and we hope to see another close race like Qatar. It will be nice to be back in Europe and to meet all the European fans again after such a long time.” Wilco Zeelenberg – “Back to full strength” “It was a shame not to race in Japan but it seems like the best decision was made; it would have been bad if only half the teams could get there! Jorge was looking forward to racing there but he will get another chance and the good thing is that it’s given him more time to regain full strength in his hand. He showed in Qatar how determined he is, when we weren’t expecting him to be that strong so soon, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in Jerez at his first home race.” Valentino Rossi : Information Age: 31 Lives: Tavullia, Italy Bike: Yamaha GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 228 (168 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 58 (48 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc) World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP) Jorge Lorenzo: Information Age: 22 Lives: Barcelona, Spain Bike: Yamaha GP victories: 26 (5 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc) First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc) First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc) GP starts: 129 (34 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc) Pole positions: 35 (9 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc) World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7) Jerez: Record Lap V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 1’39.818 Jerez: Best Lap J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1’38.189 Grand Prix Results: Jerez 2009 1. V.Rossi (Yamaha) 45’18.557 2. D.Pedrosa (Honda) +2.700 3. C.Stoner (Ducati) +10.507 J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) NF