Grand Prix of Germany - Preview
Date: 11th, 12th & 13th July 2008
FIAT YAMAHA TEAM FACE FINAL PUSH BEFORE SUMMER BREAK
The Fiat Yamaha Team faces the first half of a transatlantic
double-header this weekend as the MotoGP World Championship
heads to Germany for the tenth round of the season, followed
immediately by a trip to the USA for round eleven. The two
races are separated by just seven days and a distance of some
9,400 kilometres, representing a gruelling final push before
the four-week summer break.
The Sachsenring circuit traditionally produces close racing
and Valentino Rossi has unsurprisingly been involved over
recent years, starring in some of the most exciting MotoGP
race finishes of all time. The most memorable was in 2006,
when the Italian stormed from eleventh on the grid on his
Yamaha to lead home the closest top-four ever in MotoGP, separated
as they were by just 0.307 seconds. Rossi, who is set to break
Max Biaggi’s record of 201 consecutive Grand Prix appearances
this weekend, has had three other victories at Sachsenring
in all classes and he is keen to add to that tally as the
season crosses its midseason equator with Dani Pedrosa on
the top of the standings - just four points clear of the Italian.
Rossi took time out of his training schedule last weekend
to visit Misano for Yamaha Fest, where he was joined for the
first time by his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. After
recovering his confidence with two sixth place finishes in
the last two rounds, the 21-year-old Mallorcan is relaxed
and ready to re-ignite his challenge for the top positions
at a circuit where he has only once previously made the podium,
in the 250cc race in 2006.
Located in the heartland of the former East Germany’s
once glorious motorcycle racing industry, the Sachsenring
is built right next to the old road course, a characteristic
the track shares with Brno in the nearby Czech Republic. The
second shortest track on the calendar features a series of
tight and relatively slow corners juxtaposed with some dazzlingly
fast ones – including a stomach-churning downhill right
hander which was added in 2003.
Valentino Rossi
“NO MORE MISTAKES!”
“Last year in Sachsenring I made a mistake and crashed,
and at the last race in Assen I also made a mistake, so I
hope that I’ve now had my bad moment for this year!
Sachsenring has been a great track for me in the past and
it’s a great place to race at; it’s very tight
and twisty but it generally suits the Yamaha very well and
in 2006 I had a fantastic race there, winning from 11th. We
are going there having lost our championship lead but we’re
only four points behind so the situation is certainly much
better than it was at this point last season. I was disappointed
with myself in Assen because I missed a great chance but I
have put that behind me and I am completely focused on the
next race now. We need to be at 100% from the first practice
and hopefully we can have a good weekend with no more mistakes!”
Jorge Lorenzo
“BACK IN TRAINING”
“I have recently started to train normally again after
a gap of two months, which has been quite hard for me and
I have been very tired lately! Since the accident in China
I haven’t been able to use the exercise bike or do proper
cardiovascular work until last week, so I am just having to
take my regime step-by-step to try to build my strength; I
know that building my fitness back up is the best way to return
to my former level. Even though it’s been a hard time
for me through the last two months I think that the crashes
have made me stronger mentally; when you win it’s easy
but when things are going badly, this is when you learn more
about yourself and this is very important to make you a better
competitor. For the next race I have to keep trying to build
my confidence with the bike. Sachsenring is a complicated
track and my best result there is only third, but I don’t
think about statistics when I race. I just want to arrive
at Sachsenring feeling relaxed and do my best to enjoy it.”
Davide Brivio
“STRIVING FOR PERFECTION”
“We are coming into the second half of the season and
it seems the competition is getting harder and harder. Of
course, Casey Stoner is in great shape – he has won
two consecutive races – and Dani Pedrosa is also very
consistent so we have to try to respond. Our target, as always,
going into the weekend is the podium but we will work our
hardest during practice to try and achieve the maximum on
Sunday. I think when our package is at the same level as the
others it is difficult to beat Valentino but currently in
MotoGP everything has to be perfect. The rider who achieves
this is normally able to dominate so we have to do our job
in practice. It doesn’t mean any more pressure than
normal because we always strive for perfection and when you
fight for championships this is what you get used to. Basically
we will try not to make any mistakes and hope everything is
in place for Valentino to fight for victory, as he did a couple
of races ago.”
Daniele Romagnoli
“POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC”
“It has not been an easy period for Jorge but he is
getting more confidence back with every practice session and
this is the important thing. Unfortunately his progress wasn’t
reflected in the race at Assen because the setting was not
perfect, specifically in the electronics and the chassis,
but we know which areas we need to work on and we are confident
we can give him a better package at Sachsenring. It is a different
kind of circuit, a different kind of setting and we have to
make a clean start on Friday morning. Side grip is very important
at Sachsenring because the riders spend a lot of time a maximum
angle on the left-hand side, so this is an area we will be
looking to strengthen. It is not Jorge’s favourite track
so I’m sure it will be a difficult Grand Prix but we
are all approaching it in a very positive and optimistic way.”
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 91 (65 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 201 (142 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 50
World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1
x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 22 (1 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 102 (8 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 29 (3 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 x 250cc
Sachsenring: Record Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2007, 1'23.082
Sachsenring: Best Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2006, 1'21.815
Grand Prix Results: Sachsenring 2007
1. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 41'53.196
2. L.Capirossi (Ducati) +13.166
3. N.Hayden (Honda) +16.708
. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha NF
Jorge Lorenzo Result: Sachsenring 2007
4. J. Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia +0.579 (250cc)
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