From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Titles up for grabs at Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix

Whilst the battle between Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau at the top of the MotoGP World Championship grew ever closer at Qatar last Saturday, this weekend could see the title chase in the two smaller classes of Grand Prix racing decided at the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Dani Pedrosa needs to score just eight more points than Sebastián Porto and finish no lower than eighth place should Randy de Puniet win the race to become the 250cc World Champion. Meanwhile, Andrea Dovizioso will repeat Pedrosa’s feat of lifting the 125cc crown at this circuit one year ago simply by finishing on the podium.

The destiny of the MotoGP title is a slightly more complicated affair after a sensational race in Qatar three days ago which saw Gibernau take his fourth win of the season and Rossi crash out for just the second time in over three years. Rossi’s advantage at the top of the standings was consequently slashed to just fourteen points, meaning Gibernau can control his destiny and win the title with victory in the final three races.

Rossi will be desperate to recover lost ground at a circuit where he has finished on the podium for the last three years, including two victories. In contrast, Gibernau’s second place finish last year was his first ever podium at Sepang since MotoGP switched to the futuristic new venue from Shah Alam in 1999.

Gibernau’s Spanish compatriot Carlos Checa, who scored his third career pole in Qatar before retiring out of third place, has a better record in Malaysia having finished second on the first two visits to Sepang. Last year Checa was also the top Yamaha rider here, finishing in fifth place after starting from second on the grid, his best qualifying result of the season.

Back at Honda Alex Barros returns to Sepang on the RC211V for the first time since 2002, when he went from pole to third in what was only his second ride aboard the machine. Factory colleague Max Biaggi took victory in that race riding a Yamaha but will be looking to make up for a missed opportunity last year when he suffered a mechanical problem and was forced to retire.

Dani Pedrosa gets his first chance to be proclaimed 250cc World Champion in Malaysia after a stunning rookie season which has seen him rewrite the history book ever since the very first race, when he became the youngest rider to take victory in the class. The win at Welkom also made him the youngest rider to have won a Grand Prix in two different classes and was the first time that a reigning 125cc World Champion had won the opening round of the 250cc season since Bill Ivy in 1968.

At the third race of the year at Le Mans Pedrosa became the second youngest rider ever to take a 250cc pole and in the thirteen races held so far this year he has taken eleven podium finishes, five victories, three pole positions and five fastest laps. Should he take the necessary points from Porto and De Puniet this weekend, he will become the first rider to win the 125cc title and then the 250cc title in consecutive years since Carlo Ubbiali in 1960.

Andrea Dovizioso, who inherited Pedrosa’s title-winning 125cc Honda at the end of last season, has had a similarly impressive year and would become the fourth youngest World Champion in the history of the sport behind the Spaniard, Loris Capirossi, and Valentino Rossi with a podium finish on Sunday. No other rider has led the series by such a large advantage at this stage of the season since Rossi in 1997 and Dovizioso now looks certain to win a championship he has led from the first race, having only finished outside the top four on one occasion, when he retired with a tyre puncture.

More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM PREVIEW

Malaysian Grand Prix
Sepang, Malaysia
October 8, 9, 10 2004

ROSSI AND CHECA READY FOR TROPICAL CHALLENGE
Just a week after the superheated race in Qatar, the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha pairing of Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa approach another of the toughest and most physical events on the calendar, the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang. With temperatures in the high thirties and intense humidity, Sepang is a power-sapping event for the competitors, who have to be in top physical condition before they can even contemplate a successful race.

The Yamaha Factory Team’s 2004 progress was interrupted in Qatar, as neither rider finished; Rossi falling and Checa being forced to retire when heading for a podium. Rossi’s 39-point lead has been slashed to 14, after his number one championship rival, Sete Gibernau, secured the inaugural Qatar MotoGP win. There are now three races to go in the 2004 Championship; after Sepang the paddock heads South to Australia, before returning to Europe for the final round in Valencia, Spain, on October 31st.

Both Yamaha riders have a good record at the Malaysian venue. In 2003 Rossi took pole position and then won the race by two seconds ahead of Sete Gibernau, clinching his third consecutive premier class title in the process. Meanwhile, Carlos Checa secured second place on the grid last year and rode a strong race to finish fifth. For the super fit Spaniard, the Malaysian sunshine and tropical humidity hold few fears, and he will be giving his all as he looks to follow his Qatar pole position success with a podium in Sepang

ROSSI DETERMINED TO EXTEND LEAD ONCE MORE
After a fall in the Qatar race, Rossi acknowledges that his championship challenge has been made all the more difficult. “Obviously the result in Qatar was a great disappointment, but luckily I am not hurt and therefore we must put it behind us and concentrate on the next challenge in Malaysia,” said the five-time World Champion.

Rossi enters Sepang in a unique position, having tested twice there on the Yamaha pre-season. “We have an advantage coming to Sepang, compared to most of the other circuits this year, because we tested there twice at the start of the year. This means that we already have some data for the M1 at this track. Although the bike has changed a lot since the start of the year, I hope that this will help us to find a good set-up and qualify in a good position. It will be a hard race; it’s a high-speed track with two long straights and once again we will be racing in high temperatures, but I am positive. For sure it will be easier than in Qatar!”

In conclusion, Rossi stated, “I’ve got a good record at the circuit; two wins, plus I’ve been on the podium for last three years. Last year it was a perfect race for me; pole position and then the race win, clinching the Championship. I can’t win the Championship here this time, but I hope that I can have a good weekend and extend my lead once more.”

CHECA TO CHARGE ONCE MORE
After a superb qualifying at Qatar, only to suffer the heartbreak of being forced out before the end of the race, Checa, the perennial positive thinker, is itching to get going again in Sepang. “Despite my disappointment at not being able to finish last weekend, I am feeling confident about Malaysia and looking forward to it,” said the London-resident Spaniard. “My team and I are working at a good level, and we had a good pace all weekend in Qatar. Unfortunately I couldn’t quite stay with Sete and Colin during the race, and this is my target for this weekend; to stay with the leaders.”

The track itself is an attraction for Carlos. “It’s a great track and the pace is always fast; it will be a good race,” commented Checa. “We will start with the same set-up as we used in Qatar, where everything was working well, and see how it goes. I hope I can be consistently fast throughout the weekend once more, as I was in Qatar, and fight for the top places on Sunday.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR
Watching a comprehensive championship lead being eroded away in Qatar was not an easy thing for anyone in the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team to do, but the team leader Davide Brivio acknowledged that it has made things fascinating for MotoGP’s watching millions. “Unfortunately last weekend we were unable to take the results we deserved with both riders” stated Brivio. “Now we are only 14 points ahead in the championship, which has certainly made things more interesting. We need to concentrate our efforts and fight until the end.”

He continued, “We now have three incredibly important races, and Sepang is just the first one of these. We go there with a target to get as many points as possible with Valentino, especially more than our competitors in the Championship. Let’s see what we can do. Of course we tested there at the start of the year and this is useful, although the bike has changed a lot since then.”

In conclusion, Brivio praised Checa after his impressive Qatar showing. “I am sorry that bike trouble stopped Carlos from getting a podium in Qatar, and I look forward to him fighting in the top group again this weekend. I hope he can take the result he deserves in Sepang.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
The Sepang track is one of the widest on the calendar, 16 metres across in some areas, and always features high track temperatures in the tropical climate. Races are won and lost at Sepang due to the ability of machinery to hold a line during turn in at several points of hard braking. With four major hairpins, and some frequent changes of direction in its 5542m layout, Sepang gives brakes and front suspension a punishing test, under extreme operating conditions.

A popular testing venue, Sepang boasts a high grip co-efficient and a relatively bump free racing line. It was the venue of Rossi’s introduction to the Yamaha YZR-M1 in January this year. Sepang is also a proven track for the M1, with Max Biaggi taking a race win on the four-cylinder machine in the 2002 season.

Fast sweeping corners also feature at Sepang, situated some 2kms from the Kuala Lumpur International airport. Changes in camber and elevation on some of the faster corners put extreme strain on grip on the entry and exit, making compromise the watchword in finding an ideal machine balance.

Neutrality of steering and suspension balance is the aim at Sepang, even if the frequent high braking loads require harder springs to be fitted than normal. The rear shock will also carry a high spring rating, to help the rear under hard acceleration from the many hairpins and low gear turns.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang – preview

October 8/9/10 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN MOVE FROM DESERT TO JUNGLE
The Ducati Marlboro Team makes a flying visit to the tropics this week for the Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, round 14 of this year’s 16-race MotoGP World Championship and the middle event of three back-to-back ‘flyaway’ races. Riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss should be ready for the steamy tropical heat of Sepang after riding through the burning heat of the Qatari desert at last weekend’s Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix.

Once again the pair will be hoping for a rewarding weekend after a recent run of ill luck that has prevented them from scoring points at the last two rounds. Both men know that the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4 is capable of scoring podium finishes, now they just need some luck to help them prove that.

“The last couple of races haven’t been very kind to us,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “But we feel that our time must come soon. The main thing is that the team is still in good spirits, the bike is working well and the riders are still full of fight. We’re therefore looking forward to Sepang very much – surely we now deserve a straightforward and successful weekend!”

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli knows what is required for this high-speed track carved out of the jungle adjacent to Kuala Lumpur’s international airport. “The main thing you need from the bike at Sepang is a good balance,” he says. “The weather conditions are very tough for this race, like they were at Losail last weekend, so we try and make the bike as comfortable and easy to handle, so the riders can keep riding hard all the way to the finish.”

Heat, humidity and 340kmh bike racing isn’t all the team has to worry about this weekend. The logistics involved in getting the Ducati Marlboro Team around the world for this series of three ‘flyaway’ races are massively complex. The team’s freight – 10,000 kilos packed in 40 crates – is carried around the globe in three Jumbo 747 cargo planes as part of the MotoGP paddock’s 300 tonnes of freight. All the team’s freight will be transported out of Sepang on Sunday evening and should be at Phillip Island, venue for next Sunday’s Australian GP, by Tuesday evening.

CAPIROSSI RARING TO GO AT SEPANG
Loris Capirossi failed to finish last Saturday’s Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix at Losail, but he’s raring to put that disappointment behind him at Sepang. The Ducati Marlboro Team man should be in better physical shape than he was last weekend, when he rode in some pain from the broken foot he sustained at last month’s Japanese GP.

“Sepang is a great track, I like it very much, so I just hope that the bike also likes it!” says Capirossi who has scored one premier-class podium at the track. “The tropical weather always makes this a tough race – for the riders, for the bikes and for the tyres. The conditions will be similar to Qatar but maybe more humid. I like Sepang because it’s a very technical circuit with a good range of corners – fast, slow, downhill, uphill, so it’s got a bit of everything. It has also got two long straights which should be good for us because our bike is always very fast. Finally I like it because it’s so wide, which makes it good for fighting. Last time we went there was during winter testing. We had some problems then but the bike is much better now, so I think we should be okay.”

BAYLISS AIMS TO BE BACK IN THE POINTS
Troy Bayliss made his Sepang debut this time last year, finishing his first race at the challenging venue inside the top ten. This weekend the Ducati Marlboro Team rider hopes to better his 2003 result after a difficult couple of races since the MotoGP paddock left Europe last month.

“Sepang will be like Qatar – hot and hard – and a real test of your strength and stamina,” says Aussie Bayliss. “The weather can be pretty tough, it’s always humid but I guess we’ll be pretty used to the heat after Qatar last weekend. But Sepang is different from Qatar because you never know what the weather’s going to do – sometimes a storm can pop up for the race when you least expect it. It’s a fast and flowing track, so I don’t mind it. It’s also pretty wide, which is good for the racing because there’s plenty of room for you to get into a turn side by side with the other guys. I’m looking forward to it because it’s about time we had some luck!”

THE TRACK
Sepang is the second longest track on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, after Assen, and boasts the longest-lasting lap in Grand Prix racing, several seconds longer than the Dutch venue.

The Malaysian GP venue is also one of the widest racetracks in the world, putting riders and machines to the test with an excellent variety of corners and high-speed straights. Withering heat and humidity are further challenges, not only for riders and machines, but also for technicians and everyone else working in pit lane.

Sepang hosted its first Grand Prix in April 1999 and was an instant hit with riders and teams. The state-of-the-art complex, built adjacent to Kuala Lumpur’s brand-new international airport, took circuit and infrastructure design to a new level, combining a fast, safe track layout with ultra-impressive pit, media and corporate facilities.