When the show on the racetrack turns into a party
Preview GP of Spain - round 2
MotoGP engines fire up once again this weekend as the second
round of the championship gets underway at Jerez de la Frontera,
Spain. Always one of the most eagerly anticipated events on
the calendar, Jerez attracts hundreds of thousands of fans
every year.
The passionate locals create an incredible atmosphere for
the riders, who simply love to race at the Andalusian venue.
Many of the thirteen curves are particularly demanding and
put the talent and technique of the rider to the test, demanding
stability and balance from the motorcycle.
It is a party within a party, and not just for the Spanish
riders. The Team Honda Gresini pair are looking forward to
the second round of the season with enthusiasm and determination.
Marco Melandri: "There is a lot of
expectation for this first race in Europe and it's sure to
be a great show. Jerez is a circuit I like a lot because it
is so technical and complete. To ride fast there you need
to have a well balanced bike. The track is characterised by
long corners that require a stable front end set-up that gives
you plenty of confidence. There isn't a long straight like
in Qatar, so that is an advantage for us at this moment. Personally
I feel good and can't wait to get back on track. We prepared
well for this race during testing in terms of setting up the
cycle part of the bike and choosing the tyres".
Toni Elias: "I can't wait to ride in
front of my home fans. Racing here is always an incredible
emotion, especially when you enter the stadium section through
the Nieto- Peluqui - Senna corners. You can feel the heat
of the fans, it's really amazing. We took a major step forward
at the test here with the Bridgestone tyres and in Qatar we
made more progress, qualifying fourth fastest, although we
need to work on the durability of the tyres. I'm confident
- together with the guys in the team and the Bridgestone technicians
we are working well so I'm hoping for another improvement
in the second race. We are working to find a good base set-up,
which is particularly important for Jerez, which combines
fast and slow corners. There are some hard braking areas too
and this is important for the set-up because you have to deal
with that without losing any time through the corners".
The track: Home to the MotoGP World Championship
since 1987, Jerez is a track that combines short, medium and
long corners. It is a well balanced track that offers a bit
of everything but nothing too extreme. The characteristics
of the track make it imperative to have a balanced set-up
on the bike. Several hard braking areas make front tyre choice
crucial, whilst rear tyre choice is also important as the
riders look to use as much of the bike's power as possible
on the way out of the corners. The best places to overtake
are turn one and the tight right hander at the end of the
back straight.
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