PREVIEW PORTUGAL GP
COMEBACK TRAIL LEADS TO ESTORIL
 After
a top performance from both Honda Gresini riders in the race
at Misano, which featured memorable fight-backs from Marco
Melandri and Toni Elias, the pair are looking forward with
renewed motivation to the Grand Prix of Portugal, the 14th
round of the MotoGP World Championship.
Melandri, on the back of a creditable sixth place in Germany,
a podium at Laguna Seca and fourth place at Misano, confirmed
his good form in the test immediately following the San Marino
Grand Prix: "I'm happy because the bike and tyres are
working well and we have found some interesting solutions.
We've worked together with the Bridgestone technicians towards
the next race. I made the most of the entire day to work on
the setting of the bike to try and make up for the time we
lost because of the weather on Friday and the crash on Saturday."
Marco has enjoyed a short break as he continues to recover
from his injuries.
MARCO MELANDRI: "I'm highly motivated.
The bike and the tyres are at a high level and now we just
need the result to go with it. I'm keen to get back on the
podium, like I did at Laguna, because it would be a nice way
to pay back my team, who have worked so hard and given me
so much. It will be a big challenge for us in Portugal - Estoril
is a difficult circuit with so many first-gear corners and
two long straights, one in fifth gear, one in sixth, where
we might struggle a bit. The characteristics of our bike are
better suited to a more flowing circuit but I'm ready for
this race and the final rush that will take us to Japan, Australia
and Malaysia before returning to Europe for the last round
at Valencia."
Toni Elias has high expectations for Estoril after taking
his debut MotoGP victory there last season ahead of two World
Champions in the shape of Valentino Rossi and Kenny Roberts.
Famous for his spectacular sliding style, Toni demonstrated
his tenacity and determination at Brno and Misano, where he
fought through the pain of a recovering left femur, which
was broken just two months earlier in a practice crash at
Assen.
TONI ELIAS: "I'm happy to be heading
back to a circuit that holds so many fond memories for me.
The win last season in MotoGP was probable the best of my
career but now I am just looking ahead and trying to do well
this Sunday. I'm just trying to improve my performance race
by race - I got eleventh at Brno after three races out and
seventh at Misano. They are not the results I want but at
the moment I am restricted by my physical condition. I like
the circuit, especially the uphill chicane, which characterises
the kind of corner you get at this circuit - slow but technical
esses, probably the slowest in the world. The straight is
long, almost a kilometre, and is very fast, followed by hard
braking. The final bend is quite fast and crucial to a good
lap time."
The "Honda Italian Racing Project" is an innovative
project that was presented at Mugello by Honda Italia and
HRC, who have joined together with Team Honda Gresini to create
a new generation of riders. Thanks also to the institutional
partnership offered by the Italian Motorcycle Federation,
the project has allowed 21 riders aged between 9 and 13, selected
after a free-to-enter practice session, to learn how to race
and develop intofully fledged racers. They'll be taught all
about race tactics will also be undergoing physical preparation
and sport psychology studies. They even got the chance to
gain Grand Prix experience with Team Honda Gresini at the
recent San Marino Grand Prix.
Focus: FIRST STEPS OF A CHAMPION At Team
Honda Gresini the search for future Honda champions is on.
At Misano, the home of Fausto Gresini's team, the 24 kids
from the "Honda Italian Racing Project" were able
to breathe the atmosphere of World Championship competition
and get a taste for the dream they want to turn into a reality.
The Italian affiliation of the Japanese manufacturer is already
known for its numerous promotional initiatives, such as the
Honda 125 trophy that gave rise to the likes of Marco Melandri,
Alex de Angelis and many others, and this new project gives
youngsters the opportunity to race free of charge aboard four-stroke
Honda NSF100s. The riders were chosen from over 100 youngsters,
who tested at tracks all over the country, including Francesco
Cecchini, son of Fabrizio, Toni Elias' Crew Chief. But this
will be much more than a race series for these kids and more
of a race school. The trip to Misano was every schoolboy's
dream: a visit to the Honda Tribune, pit and paddock tour
and a meeting with none other than Satoru Horiike, Director
of HRC.
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