TEAM SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI LOOK FOR SHANGHAI REDEMPTION
After a two-week break following the Grand Prix of Portugal,
the 2008 MotoGP World Championship returns this weekend with
the Grand Prix of China at Shanghai. It is an important round
for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, as it kicks off the season’s
‘tour de force’ – with five races in little
over a month.
The Chinese stage provides something of an appetiser to the
European main course, with races to follow in France, Italy,
Catalonia, Great Britain and Holland over a forty-day period.
That makes it even more crucial to leave Shanghai with a good
result, generating confidence for the weeks ahead. Both Alex
De Angelis and Shinya Nakano enjoyed a highly positive tyre
test at Estoril following the Grand Prix of Portugal and are
convinced the Shanghai circuit can provide them with a chance
to turn their early-season fortunes around.
De Angelis, who has now completely recovered from the severe
bout of tonsillitis that slowed him down at Estoril, is looking
to reproduce the kind of form that saw him running in the
lead pack during winter testing and in the opening round in
Qatar.
Nakano, who has made the most of the journey east to visit
his home in Japan, is focusing on an improved performance
in qualifying to give himself a better chance of competing
in the race.
#15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
“Shanghai won’t be an easy circuit, there’s
a long straight and at the moment we’re a little down
on horsepower, as was shown by our top speed at the last couple
of races. In any case, Bridgestone have always gone well in
China so that gives us confidence - even more so after the
great test we had in Portugal. In China there is always the
risk of rain but considering that in the wet warm-up at Estoril
I was second fastest we should be able to hold our own. Physically
I’m in good shape – I’ve recovered 100%
from the illness in Portugal. I’ve trained hard and
I’m ready to give my best. The target is a top ten finish.”
# 56 SHINYA NAKANO
“At Estoril after the Grand Prix we tested a few Bridgestone
fronts and found a good compound and construction. If we can
combine those two factors I think we can be very competitive
at Shanghai. The circuit is a lot of fun – the main
characteristic there is the long straight followed by a tight
and slow hairpin, which is a really difficult place to master.
Last year another rider didn’t manage to get the bike
stopped there on the first lap and he knocked into me, forcing
me to crash, so the first objective this year is to get through
the first lap! Joking aside I like the track and I qualified
well here last year. The first three races of this year haven’t
been good for me in terms of qualifying but I think Shanghai
can be different. It will be important to do so to be able
to follow the front group.”
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“In the test after the Grand Prix of Portugal we found
a really good pace - De Angelis completed a really interesting
run with a new batch of Bridgestone tyres. Alex dropped his
race times noticeably and kept his pace going for a good number
of laps so that is a positive sign for China and the other
races to come. Shinya also tested some interesting things
and I’m convinced they’ll allow him to progress.
We knew it would be a tough start to the year but a series
of circumstances that have arisen at each GP have made them
even tougher than we expected. Now we’re ready to show
our true worth.”
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