Team JiR Moto2, just a few days before the race in Barcelona, can now look at their progress so far in 2010 and refine their plans for the second part of the World Championship. Rider Simone Corsi has so far shown considerable speed and a willingness to learn, gaining a fifth place in Jerez and two podiums at Le Mans and Mugello, confirming his skills and the quality of the JiR Moto2 project. The objective at this point is to try to further improve performances to have an even more competitive team. Starting from Catalunya GP, the collaboration between JiR and Mattia Pasini will come to an end. JiR will still continue with two bikes and at this time we are investigating the availability of a highly-motivated rider ready to take part at this weekend’s Catalunya GP. In the meanwhile Simone Corsi is getting ready for the Spanish race with the hope to redeem his Assen performance. “I’m regretting now how Assen went. It’s true that I got into the points but we could have done better, because we found a pretty good machine set-up during practice. I continue learning new things on my MotoBI, but it’s now time to be competitive also in qualifying so we can aim to those results that I still believe are achievable for us. I like the Barcelona track, it is very similar to Mugello where I took a podium just a few weeks ago.” More, from a press release issued by FTR MOTO: FTR HEADS INTO HECTIC PERIOD WITH MOTO2 ACTIVITIES FTR MOTO is looking to further success in Sunday’s seventh round of the Moto2 World Championship at Catalunya, Spain with FIMMCO Speed Up Team rider Andrea Iannone looking to become the first rider to win three races in the inaugural year of the 600cc four-stroke class. Iannone has taken the FTR M210 to wins in Italy and last Saturday in Holland and sits fourth in the World Championship, 33 points behind with 11 races to go. Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team M210 rider Alex Debon will race in his home GP despite suffering a shoulder injury at Assen last week. Iannone’s FIMMCO Speed Up team-mate Gabor Talmacsi will be looking to improve on his 10th place in the World Championship while Czech Republic rider Karel Abraham continues to adapt to the M210 after his career-best ninth place finish at Assen on his Cardion AB Motoracing FTR machine. In addition to the Catalunya Grand Prix, FTR Moto has a presence at other major events this weekend all in addition to retaining its focus on the CEV Spanish Championship and the Kev Coghlan-Monlau Competicion programme and today’s test session at the new Motorland Aragon circuit. The FTR M210 will make its debut at a British Superbike Championship round this weekend when Scottish rider Coghlan will perform demonstration laps on his Silverstone Grand Prix wild card machine at the Knockhill sixth round on Saturday and Sunday. Also this weekend, the FTR Moto2 race machine will make a Goodwood Festival of Speed debut as it features in the Dunlop Live Arena. The Goodwood event which begins today and finishes on Sunday attracts large crowds and is a celebration of motor sport. FTR’s Steve Bones commented: “From heading into the first round of the World Championship in Qatar less than three months ago with three riders we’ve now got four riders on the M210 and two more teams in discussions about running the FTR machine. “We’ve become the first Moto2 constructor to contest the Isle of Man TT races and this weekend’s activities probably typify just how far the FTR Moto name has come in such a short space of time. Obviously we’d like further success at World Championship level but success in the Spanish Championship also remains crucial to our machine and rider development programme. “We hope that the BSB fans enjoy the sight and sound of the FTR at Knockhill this weekend and I’m sure the first ever Moto2 machine to be present at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will attract a lot of attention. We also need to say thanks to our various partners for their support in all of these activities.” More, from a press release issued by Blusens STX: THE THREE RIDERS OF THE TEAM BLUSENS-STX FACE THE GRAN PREMI DE CATALUNYA WITH THE MOTIVATION OF DOING WELL IN THE RACE AT HOME FOR THE TEAM FROM CARDEDEU Montmeló, 1st July 2010. This weekend the seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place at the Montmeló Circuit in the Gran Premio de Catalunya. This event is the most special for the team Blusens-STX, since its headquarters are just 10 minutes away from the circuit. Therefore, for them it is the Grand Prix of home. The three riders of the team from Cardedeu face this race with great excitement and the expectation of making a good result. There will be lots of sponsors, family and friends, to whom they would like to dedicate a good performance. In Moto2, both Yonny Hernández and Mashel Al Naimi already know the track and feel optimistic about their chances of doing good this weekend, starting in the free practices of Friday and doing a good qualifying session on Saturday in order to start in a favoured position on Sunday. The Colombian rider has the aim of finishing in the top 15 and adding some points to his season. The Qatari wants to be in the top 30 for the second time and if possible finish in a better position than he did in Le Mans, where he was 28th. On the other hand, Tito Rabat has been four times racing in the World Championship in this circuit, a part from a few more times for the CEV and the Catalan championship. He has been 12th twice, on 2007 and last year, which is his best result here so far. For the Catalan rider this is the Grand Prix that he enjoys the most and hopes to finish in the top five this time, so he will have to classify in a better place than he used to (20th in 2006, 12th in 2007, out of the competition due to injury on 2008 and 17th in 2009). 68 YONNY HERNÁNDEZ: “I am very motivated because this race is like being at home to me. I have been here when participating in the CEV and I have been in tests several times, so I do not have the handicap that I must confront in almost every Grand Prix: my lack of knowledge of the circuit. This makes me feel confident that everything will turn out really well for us. The fact that this is the Grand Prix of home is not something putting more pressure on me, but something that makes me feel more secure. My parents and best friends will be there, so I feel more comfortable than normal. Thus, this is an extra motivation for me. My goal is to mark points again; this category is too tight and I find it difficult to repeat the top ten I did in Jerez, but I will not stop trying. Moreover, I think that the contact with the fans, thanks to the events that our sponsors organize, is very positive, because more people get to know us.” 95 MASHEL AL NAIMI: “This is the Grand Prix at home for the team and it is a little different to the other ones, because of our activities with the sponsors and the promotional events we do that let us have contact with the fans. I would like to contribute to the party that is this GP giving my best result to the team, improving the 28th position of France. I know this circuit quite well because I have raced here and I have been doing tests here this winter. After the Grand Prix of Holland I get to this date with a fresh mind and looking forward to be back on my BQR-Moto2. The circuit of Montmeló is not my favourite, but I like it pretty much and I have always felt comfortable here, so I believe I will do a good race and our people will have a good time.” 12 TITO RABAT: “This is the most special Grand Prix of the season, because we are in our home, with our audience and our families, so the enthusiasm is even bigger. I have an enormous motivation for finally doing good in this circuit, which I love. Until now my best classification has been in the 12th position (in 2007 and 2009), and my worst memory is the accident I had in the qualifyings of 2008. I got in coma and I had to quit the competition. This is the Grand Prix that involves more activities with the sponsors, which I find nice because it is a way to stay in touch with the fans. On Tuesday I was in the presentation of the GP and I enjoyed the authenticity of the experience. It was the first time I was representing the riders of 125cc, with Pol and Márquez, and I really liked it. On the other hand, I am worried about the practice sessions since we have not been good at them in previous races at Montmeló. However, I have faith that this time we will be more competitive and will be able to be in a better place on Sunday in order to be able to participate in the battle for the places of honour. Our fans are watching and we have to give everything we have.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo could make it three wins from three this weekend, as the seventh round of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya, brings to an end a run of three races on successive weekends. Lorenzo took an emphatic victory in Assen last time out, backing up a win at Silverstone eight days earlier. The Spaniard currently leads the championship standings by 47 points over Dani Pedrosa, a margin he’ll be keen to extend further with a win in front of his home crowd this weekend. Lorenzo was involved in one of the most thrilling battles of the modern era last season as he battled with Fiat Yamaha teammate, Valentino Rossi, for victory at the Barcelona circuit. The Mallorcan came off second best, after a last corner overtake from the reigning World Champion. “I remember very well the race last year, especially the final corner,” said Lorenzo, during the pre-event press conference. “Nobody wants to lose a race, but I learnt an important lesson that day.” This year there will be no Rossi, as the Italian is still recovering from his Mugello injury, leaving Lorenzo as the clear favourite this weekend. “This race is very important for all the Spanish riders, but we got our home win in Jerez earlier in the season, so the pressure is off for us. Of course, it would be good to win, but most important is to finish.” Despite his convincing lead in the standings, the Fiat Yamaha rider emphasised once again in the press conference that it’s individual races he’s focussed on now, not the championship title. “This is a bit premature,” declared Lorenzo, when asked how it felt to be viewed as the champion elect so early in the season. “There are still a lot of races to go, so we’ll see where we are when the season is done.” Also at the press conference was Dani Pedrosa, probably the biggest threat facing Lorenzo as he attempts to rack up his hat trick of wins this weekend. The Repsol Honda rider was second last time out in Assen, but has had an up and down season so far. “I’ve had good races and I’ve had bad races this year,” said Pedrosa. “This unstable rhythm is not usual for me, so I hope we can have another good result this weekend.” His results so far this season may have been inconsistent, but Pedrosa has an enviable record at the Catalunya circuit. Other than Rossi, the Spaniard is the only rider to have won in all three classes at this track, so he knows what it takes to win here. “A good set-up that allows you to conserve the tyres will be critical here; the temperatures are set to be high this weekend and this is already a track that works the tyres, especially the right side, really hard.” “With my family and friends living only 20km from the circuit, and all coming this weekend to support me, this is an important race for me,” concluded Pedrosa. Casey Stoner secured his and Ducati’s first podium of the season with third place in Assen last weekend, and declared himself happy with the progress made with the Desmosedici. The Australian is another rider with a strong history at Catalunya, having won here in 2007 and backed that up with two podium finishes in 2008 and 2009. However, this weekend is something of a step into the unknown for Stoner, after the Ducati rider experienced arm pump at both Silverstone and Assen. “I let the arms recover on Sunday after Assen and, since then, I’ve been having treatment and working on it, but it’s one of those things that’s not so easy to overcome. I guess we will find out how successful the treatment has been tomorrow when I get on the bike for the first time.” “I like this circuit; it’s one of the first Grand Prix circuits I raced on back in 2001 and I’ve enjoyed racing here ever since. It’s good fun with plenty of spinning and sliding, which isn’t so great for the rider, but it definitely makes things exciting for the spectators.” Ben Spies arrives in Barcelona off the back of his first MotoGP podium finish in Silverstone and a solid fourth place in Assen. The American admitted during the press conference that his expectations were maybe a little higher after two good results in a row, but Catalunya is another circuit at which Spies hasn’t raced at previously and must learn during free practice on Friday. “After third at Silverstone and fourth at Assen the expectations are getting more and more! We’ll put in the maximum effort as usual and see what we can do,” said the American. “So far it’s been going good, I’ve been happy with my progress and we need to keep it going. Assen was good, and I was happier with how I was riding towards the end of the race. We’ll take it session by session here at Catalunya.” Living less than 5km from the track, this truly is a home race for Aleix Espargaro. The Spaniard has made steady progress with the Pramac Ducati in recent weeks, securing his best result of the season so far with eighth place in Mugello, a result he’ll be hoping to surpass this weekend in Catalunya. “This race is so special for all the Spanish riders, but even more so for me because I live less than 5km from the circuit and all my family and friends will be here to support me and Pol. I hope their support will help us both to do something special for them in the races.” “I made two mistakes in the first two races but in the last four races I have improved. I’m enjoying the Ducati more and more and am trying to close the gap to the top riders.” Earlier in the day Jorge Lorenzo, Colin Edwards, Ben Spies and Nicky Hayden took time out to meet WWE star, Mark Henry. The wrestler and former Olympic weightlifter allowed the MotoGP riders to try his World Championship belt for size, which, unsurprisingly, was far too big for all of them! The Catalunya paddock also saw the planting of trees by members of the MotoGP media this afternoon, as part of an initiative organised by the Repsol Foundation and supported by Dorna to promote the planting of trees in both Spain and Haiti.