PREVIEW - MALAYSIAN GP
STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE FRAY AT SEPANG
With a disappointing Australian Grand Prix now firmly behind
them, Team Honda Gresini are looking ahead with confidence
to the next race at Sepang, Malaysia, this Sunday - the penultimate
round of the season.
Currently lying sixth in the championship standings, Marco
Melandri still has his sights set on snatching fourth place
before the end of the season. With two races remaining he
is just six points behind Chris Vermeulen and eleven short
of John Hopkins, who are fifth and fourth respectively for
Suzuki.
Melandri's team-mate Toni Elias, meanwhile, lies eleventh
in the championship and heads to Sepang, one of his favourite
circuits on the calendar, looking to return to the form that
saw him take second place in the race at Motegi, Japan, last
month.
MARCO MELANDRI: "In Australia the bike
was working really well and I found a good feeling with the
front. We were in good shape to fight for the podium but unfortunately
a technical problem prevented it. At Sepang it is always important
to find a good set-up from the first day in order to prepare
for the race in the best way. The track's characteristics
make it really demanding on horsepower and acceleration -
there are some long corners and a really fast main straight.
As always I will be giving everything from my side to achieve
a top result."
TONI ELIAS: "Sepang is one of my favourite
circuits. I like the design and I always feel comfortable
there. The track is long and there are lots of places to overtake.
We know the circuit well because we come and spend several
days here during testing. The surface has been completely
re-laid, which is good because there were a lot of bumps.
I'm confident and I can't wait to go racing again."
FOCUS: THE POWER OF OIL
THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GRESINI RACING AND CASTROL ON AND
OFF THE TRACK
Each season the Malaysian Grand Prix represents a special
occasion for Team Honda Gresini and Castrol, brand leader
in the oil sector, who have been technical partners with the
team headed by the double 125cc World Champion for the past
five years. Together, Castrol and Honda Gresini have taken
a leading role in the MotoGP World Championship, the highest
level of technical performance.
In order to get maximum performance out of its bikes, Team
Honda Gresini choose Castrol oils. The team's experience on
the battlefields of racing - together with Castrol's know-how
in the sector - led to the creation of Power 1, a new oil
that has been developed at the Pangbourne Technology Center
in Great Britain. The technology of Power 1 Racing 4T ensures
maximum performance from the engine, with improved acceleration
even in the most extreme conditions. Castrol has a long tradition
in motorcycle racing. Founded in 1899, it is from 1907 in
racing competition. This year Castrol has celebrated 100 years
of motorcycle heritage, 500 World Championship wins with Honda
and 44 World Championship always with Honda.
The "Castrol Mechanic Contest": The
partnership between Castrol and Team Honda Gresini is not
purely a technical one and the team have also flown the flag
for Castrol products all over the world - both on the track
and off it. As part of this, on Monday and Tuesday the Team
Honda Gresini technicians were in Bangkok, Thailand, with
the finalists of a competition organised by Castrol - the
"Castrol Mechanic Contest" - from independents businesses
or exclusive Castrol dealers from 16 provinces in Thailand.
After visiting some Castrol's bike points in Bangkok, Gresini's
MotoGP
engineers attended the final round of the competition, where
16 finalists (selected from 2,500 entrants) tackled a test
on the workings and maintenance of a motorcycle. The best
three were then given a practical test on a Honda scooter,
in which they were challenged to identify and fix a deliberately
created mechanical problem in the quickest time possible.
Mr Ummarit Rangwongngam from Nakomsawan province, in North
Thailand took the first prize.
But is not finished. The next rendez-vous between Castrol
and Honda Gresini will be this Friday at Sepang, when 40 guests
of Castrol from India, Malaysia, Phillips and Indonesia will
get the chance to experience MotoGP at first hand. They will
have the opportunity to visit the Team Honda Gresini, meet
meet the stars of this incredible adventure: Marco Melandri
and Toni Elias and a see the Motogp race with the Bollywood
star John Ibrahim.
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