PEDROSA LOOKS TO SHINE IN DESERT SHOWDOWN Just less than two weeks after Dani Pedrosa’s amazing debut in MotoGP, the 20-year-old Spanish sensation will seek to build a title challenge with another solid result here after his second-place finish at Jerez. But Losail is a tough racing environment where temperatures can test the fittest riders. This middle-eastern showdown appears early in the race calendar this season and any rider wishing to push for honours in 2006 cannot afford to fail to get to grips with this benign yet challenging circuit. Benign because there is no shortage of run-off in the turns. Challenging because of the heat. The Losail International circuit lies ten kilometres from Qatar’s capital of Doha. The 5.4km track is now a known quantity for most riders across the classes, but not for all. Built in 2004, it features more turns than any other track on the calendar, six lefts and ten right-handers in all. Nor is there a chicane of any description. This puts a high premium on machine agility and it also brings tyre wear issues into sharp focus. But the artificial grass placed along the track to allay riders’ fears of sand being blown onto the surface is only partially successful. Sand tends to collect on anywhere other than the racing line, making overtaking tricky. The same trouble is likely this year. The heat will be relentless with track temperatures of up to 45 degrees expected. Ambient temperatures will be equally elevated and any rider not at absolute peak fitness will suffer in these oppressive conditions. Set-up will be directed at making the machines manageable with a minimum of physical input from the pilots. There is also the matter of a 1068m straight, 20m longer even than that of Catalunya. This puts power and top speed among the primary requirements and also braking at the end of a 320km/h blast flat out in top gear. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V), who sits just five points behind current MotoGP series leader Loris Capirossi (Ducati) said, “It will be tough. This season we’re going to Qatar much earlier in the year and we’ll see how it is because last year was very, very hot. It will be more difficult for me because I have to learn the track with this machine and find the set-up in a much shorter time than in Jerez where we had a three-day test two weeks before the race.” His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) who finished third here in 2005 said, “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen here. With pre-season testing followed by the first race, we were at Jerez for quite a while, so I’m really looking forward to getting out on a new track. Hopefully we’ve got a good package for the circuit. I quite like the layout here it’s got some fun stuff. There are a couple of banked corners that are fun and some long, long right-handers which are pretty cool.” Italian star Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) is up for the race, having finished a strong second to Rossi in 2005. He said, “I am really confident about this next Grand Prix. The day of testing after the race in Jerez was important to understand the direction we need to go in. I am focused and motivated and this track is complete and challenging. I’ve got good memories of Losail the race last year was a real turning point in my season.” His team-mate Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V) is equally keen to put in a big ride here after his excellent fourth in Spain two weeks ago. “I’m very motivated,” he said. “The Spanish Grand Prix gave me a real injection of confidence not just because fourth place was my best result so far in MotoGP but also because I have overcome a mental limitation. Now I know I am in the right shape to battle with the front guys. Qatar track conditions don’t allow for errors and we’ll only have four hours available to find the best set-up.” Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V), who won here on a 250 in 2005, is eager to carry on the rapid progress he has already made in getting to grips with a MotoGP machine. “This will be just my second race on the Honda,” he said. “But after the Jerez weekend I’m keen to get back on the bike after missing some of the winter testing. The test day at Jerez after the Spanish GP was very positive and that should give us a good base set-up to work from at Qatar.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) is more confident of a good showing here. “The feeling with my RC211V is definitely improved during the test of last Monday in Jerez and this gives me a lift to face the race this Saturday which will surely be one of the hottest of the Championship.” Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) and his team are making progress with their Honda-powered machine after a tricky start in Spain. “We’re getting closer to where we want to be all the time and this race will be a real indicator of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve still to go,” said the 2000 World Champion. In the 250cc category Sebastian Porto (Repsol Honda RS250RW) will want to shrug off the effects of a disappointing first race in Spain and get his Championship challenge in order. The experienced Argentine campaigner, who finished fifth here lat year said, “After the difficult weekend in Jerez, I only hope to be competitive again. We haven’t managed to make me feel comfortable on the new bike so far, to be able to ride with confidence, but I’m really thankful for the huge effort of my team trying to help me getting out of this situation. Qatar is a very peculiar circuit due to the intense heat and the state of the track, quite dirty and slippery due to the desert sand.” His team-mate Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) is new to Qatar, and after a fall in Spain, he’s keen to register some points. “I hope to be able to make a good race in Qatar after my mistake in Jerez,” he said. “I want to make up for the hard work of my team. Qatar is a circuit which is completely new to me and this time I won’t have the advantage of the previous test days we had in Jerez at the end of the pre-season, so I know that we are going to have a hard Grand Prix this weekend.” Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) has made a sound start to the season with a third place in Spain, but he knows this race represents a chance to claw back early ground lost to the Aprilia duo Lorenzo and De Angelis who finished first and second at Jerez. He said, “In Qatar we will have less settings problems than at Jerez, even though there is still a difference of horsepower on the straight compared to Aprilia. But what really worry me are the high temperatures and we have to see how the new radiator works in these weather conditions. However, I feel confident and ready for fighting for victory after the podium in Jerez.” Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) is aiming to build on his fine start to the season after qualifying on the front row and finishing fourth. “Since the testing starting this year and the GP of Spain we set the standard bike to work like we want and suits almost all the World Championship circuits,” he said. “So in Qatar we’ll have to improve in some small areas. My aim for Qatar is to keep momentum, which means another front row, and then to try and improve the finish from Jerez.” Reigning World Champion Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) has some ground to make up in the 125cc category. The Swiss ace crashed out of the race in Spain and needs a solid finish to get back in the reckoning for the 2006 title. But 15-year-old rookie Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R), who only just finished outside the points-scoring positions in his first ever Grand Prix is optimistic he can go one better here on Saturday. He said, “This will be a completely new experience for me and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve ridden the track on my computer and we are planning to look at some videos of previous races before the first practice. I was pleased with the result at Jerez although I could have done better. I’ve got school exams before we go to Turkey but I think I’ll be concentrating on the race in Qatar.” Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R) is eager to get some more momentum behind his challenge here. He beat his former team-mate here in controversial circumstances (drafting past his team-leader over the line to deprive him of valuable points) and he’d like nothing more than another win on Saturday. “I have good memories of Qatar as I won the race last year,” he said. “In 2005, I had some problems on the set-up of the bike but we solved them for the race and so I could fight with Mika Kallio until the last lap. We still have to test many things and Qatar is not the ideal place because of the high temperatures. I think it’s an open race and I hope to get a better result here.”