KAWASAKI FACE TOUGH TEST IN QATAR HEAT After the thrills and spills of the opening race in Jerez, the Kawasaki Racing Team arrive in the blistering heat of the Middle East this week for the first of three consecutive overseas races, starting with the Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday 8th April. Last year’s race at the Losail International circuit saw temperatures rise to over 40 degrees C on race day. This year the MotoGP riders won’t face the same extremes of heat, as the date of the race has been moved from October to April, when temperatures are predicted to be ten degrees cooler. Shinya Nakano arrives in Qatar determined to build upon his strong seventh place finish in the season opener at Jerez two weeks ago. The 28-year-old Kawasaki rider finished seventh in the Grand Prix of Qatar last season, but is confident that the combination of the new Ninja ZX-RR and the cooler track conditions mean a top five finish is a realistic target this time around. Nakano will make good use this weekend of data collected by Kawasaki’s test and development rider, Olivier Jacque, who has already completed two development tests at the Losail International circuit this year. Nakano’s Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, arrives in Qatar aiming to finish in Saturday’s 22-lap race, after being forced to retire from the opening race of the season due to an injury sustained when he highsided his Ninja ZX-RR during morning warm up at Jerez. Despite treatment to the injury at home in France, de Puniet has not yet recovered full strength in his hand, but is confident that it will not prove a handicap this weekend. The 25-year-old Frenchman has shown promising form during pre-season testing, and with his eighth place qualifying position for the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, but de Puniet knows that these performances count for nothing if they are not converted into results come race day. The 5.38 km Losail circuit presents some unique problems for the MotoGP riders during free practice, when sand blown across the track from the surrounding desert makes grip unpredictable. As practice continues, and more rubber is laid on the circuit, lap times invariably improve, but the slightest wind can quickly cover the track with a new layer of sand, catching riders unaware. With its many twists and turns the Losail circuit demands a well-balanced bike that is capable of quick changes of direction. Based on feedback from Nakano and de Puniet during pre-season testing, the all-new Ninja ZX-RR should suit very well the characteristics of the Losail circuit. Shinya Nakano: “Because we are racing here earlier than last year, the conditions are definitely a little bit cooler, and that should benefit everyone. I like this track and we arrive in Qatar well prepared for the weekend. We have the data from Olivier Jacque’s two tests here earlier in the year, and we have already tested potential race tyres for this circuit during our post race test in Jerez. Tyres are critical here, and I think our Bridgestone tyres may offer something of an advantage this weekend. This is also a good circuit for our Ninja ZX-RR, as you need a bike that handles well. For sure the straight is long, but we’ve had good speed here in the past, so I don’t think it will be an issue. I feel confident that we can end up with a strong finish in Saturday’s race.” Randy de Puniet: “For me, the most important thing this weekend is to finish the race. I like this track; it’s very technical and I think that this suits the characteristics of the Ninja ZX-RR. I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead, and I hope that we can carry on the momentum we had before my crash during morning warm-up at Jerez. While the hand I injured in the crash has not recovered completely, it is a lot better now. I guess I won’t know how much better until I get on the bike tomorrow, but I’m confident it won’t cause me any problems this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: After a thrilling season-opener in Jerez, the MotoGP teams arrived at the Losail Circuit today for this weekend’s Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, the second race of the MotoGP World Championship 2006. With the race taking place on Saturday, the usual schedule for a race weekend has been moved forward by a day. This means that free practice sessions start as of tomorrow (Thursday), and that the customary pre-race events and press conference were brought forward to today. Several riders took part in activities around the Losail Circuit today. Suzuki’s John Hopkins and Ducati d’Antin’s Alex Hofmann took to four wheels as they rode on quad bikes across the desert, with both riders enjoying the chance to show their skills. Meanwhile, riders from 250 and 125 also got to experience some of the local culture first hand, heading to an event on the outskirts of the circuit. Japan’s Aoyama brothers Hiroshi and Shuhei were joined by 250cc championship leader Jorge Lorenzo and last year’s 125c race winner Gabor Talmacsi as they attended a display of local customs in which they received henna tattoos, rode camels and sampled local cuisine. The press conference saw just four facing the media, with Australian rookie Casey Stoner still to arrive at the track after being delayed in Vienna. It is hoped the LCR Honda rider will finally turn up in Qatar in the early hours of tomorrow morning after his plane had suffered technical problems, but having had a shoulder operation just before Jerez, Stoner’s early season is being hampered by unforeseen problems. Meanwhile in the conference Loris Capirossi, winner in Jerez, sat alongside Dani Pedrosa, Toni Elias and Kawasaki team boss Harald Eckl answering questions ahead of this week’s Grand Prix. Capirossi, who yesterday celebrated his 33rd birthday, was in positive spirits. With both him and his Ducati team sitting pretty at the top of the classification for the first time, the Italian rider gave his thoughts on the coming race at a circuit where he didn’t test during the preseason. The sensation of the previous race, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa will be experiencing his first MotoGP race away from his home country, which will be a very different occasion for the young rookie, although how the comparative lack of pressure will affect his riding remains to be seen. Another young Spaniard who impressed in Jerez, Toni Elias comes to Qatar on the back of a fourth place at the Andalusian track. A first corner collision with Valentino Rossi is something the Honda rider will want to erase from his mind as he looks to continue in the manner of his positive performance after the incident. Practice begins at the Losail Circuit at 9am on Thursday. Loris Capirossi: It’s not a difficult track, and temperatures are much better for us than before. We haven’t tested here during the winter, but we sent people here and worked with Bridgestone. You need good tyres for every race, and we will be testing some more out tomorrow. I’m quite confident. Dani Pedrosa: Here will be quite different from Jerez. We didn’t test here, so it’ll be the first time setting up the machine for this circuit. Definitely more complicated than in Jerez. I think we just have to continue going step by step. Toni Elias: I felt a bit nervous in Jerez, and I made two mistakes. First with Valentino on the first corner, then on the last turn I hit the grass. I don’t like the Losail Circuit, it’s a difficult set-up. Harald Eckl: We expected better results for the first race of the season, having been surprised by our preseason performances. It’s a pressure for us, but a pleasant kind. We like this kind of competition. This circuit wasn’t one that Shinya or Randy tested on, but we sent Olivier Jacque here to test and learnt a lot from that.