MotoGP – Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Netherlands: 65 years ahead of Assen! –

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Dutch Motorcycle Grand Prix: 65 years ahead of Assen !

MotoGP - Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Netherlands: 65 years ahead of Assen! -

Only one circuit in the MotoGP program can boast of hosting the World Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship since its creation in 1949: the legendary TT Assen circuit where the seventh race of the 2013 season will take place this weekend..

Only one circuit in the MotoGP program can boast of hosting the World Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship since its creation in 1949: the legendary TT Assen circuit where the seventh race of the 2013 season will take place this weekend..

Who to win the 65th Dutch TT ?

Like many old circuits, Assen was originally a (long) road layout that appeared in 1925 that stretched over sixteen kilometers through the countryside of the North East of the Netherlands. At the time, the roads were closed to traffic on race day (this is still the case with the Tourist Trophy, in particular), which explains why the "Dutch TT" is the only Grand Prix to take place on a Saturday: this allowed believers to go to church on Sunday without making a detour !

Ivan Silva replaces Aoyama at Assen

Relegated to the status of test driver within the CRT Avintia Blusens team, Ivan Silva will return to competition this weekend in the Netherlands: the Catalan will replace Hiroshi Aoyama, the team’s titular driver, who is badly injured in a finger following his fall in Montmelo.

A tradition that has remained intact even after a permanent 7.7 km circuit broke out in 1955, seven seasons after Nello Pagani and his 500cc Gilera won the very first "Dutch TT" (the nickname given to the GP of the -Low) counting for the World Grand Prix Championship which was created in 1949.

Shortened to 4555 meters since its last modifications in 2006 (read our), the Van Drenthe circuit still offers beautiful technical and fast lines where a fine but committed driving can make the difference..

For 65 years that the premier category has passed through Assen, the winner of the Dutch GP has also become world champion 34 times: which means that Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Marquez, the three favorites of the 2013 championship, will give their all. to become the happy 35th pilot to reinforce this statistic !

Lorenzo: "I thirst for victory!"

Galvanized by his double signed and, then by his excellent tests and, Jorge Lorenzo arrives in Batavian lands by conquering: by winning on circuits requiring engine, the Mallorcan reassured himself on the level of competitiveness of his M1 against the powerful Honda.

"We were in great shape for the last two races, I feel stronger than ever and I’m thirsty for victory," said the reigning world champion, who must take seven points from Dani Pedrosa to take the lead of the provisional classification.

"I believe that we have taken an important step forward on the bike in the last two rounds, especially in our race consistency".

"Assen has always been my favorite circuit: I love this track, its history, its fast and very fluid layout but I also like the panorama and the atmosphere. I have always loved this country", specifies the Yamaha official..

Rossi: "Trying to improve our results"

His teammate Valentino Rossi also expects a lot from the Dutch meeting where he intends to validate the important progress he would have made in Aragon in the braking phases..

"I hope that this progress will allow us to obtain a better position on the starting grid because it is something important", ambitions the nine-time world champion whose last victory in the Netherlands dates back to 2009.

"Assen is an excellent circuit, I love it and I have a lot of good memories. We will try to keep this good feeling with the track and the bike and improve our results".

Pedrosa: "I hope we will keep our momentum going"

For his part, the championship leader, Dani Pedrosa, also has a good relationship with Assen as he won his first Grand Prix in 125 cc in 2002. The Honda official is wary of the unpredictable nature of the weather, however. Dutch and hopes to have good conditions to develop a motorcycle for the win.

No pressure on the 2014 RC213V

"They are happy with the 2013 version so we have no pressure to launch the new prototype," said Shuhei Nakamoto, vice president of HRC, of ​​the first turns Bradl, Marquez were able to make. and Pedrosa with the RC213V 2014 during private tests in Aragon (read our).

"We will continue its development as planned and we will bring it back to Europe for the test which will take place after Misano and then for the one that will follow Valencia", detailed the Japanese leader, stressing that these tests had also allowed the official pilots to put the glove on "interesting things" on their current bike.

"It’s a good track but the important thing is to have a good feeling with the tires because there are several quick corners," said the 26. "I hope we keep our momentum going and have a good race".

Marquez feels "very good"

Carried away by his enthusiasm in Italy, his teammate Marc Marquez was then reassured by locking in a good third place in Catalonia behind Lorenzo and Pedrosa. The fiery beginner can’t wait to be able to "give it his all" again, and that’s obviously what he intends to do in Assen !

"In Catalonia I had a difficult weekend but then I was able to learn a lot by staying behind Dani for the race," he explained. "The test we did was useful. We were able to solve some problems we had encountered in the last few races and now I know the Honda RC213V much better!".

"I know the weather is unpredictable in Assen so it will be important to make the most of the time we have on the dry track. I like this circuit, I feel very good right now and it will be interesting to ride there with a MotoGP ".

At Ducati, we take the same ones and start over …

On the side of the Bologna Reds, the Dutch race is approached with the same problems as usual: the GP13 is still as understeer and still "devours" its tires as much during the race, making life hellish for its drivers..

Scott Redding in MotoGP in 2014 ?

Following his excellent start to the season, current Moto2 championship leader Scott Redding has received several offers to ride in MotoGP next year.

Interested manufacturers would be Ducati and Honda in particular: "We have a firm offer on the table, I am waiting for a second and there is another which should arrive later in the week", said Michael Bartholemy, manager of the team Marc VDS Racing in which his colt Scott Redding races.

According to Marc VDS Racing would also be thinking about creating his own team in the premier class. A project that the Belgian structure would build for example around Honda’s competitor-client RCVs or one of the four M1 engines rented by Yamaha.

For Andrea Dovizioso, it is not less than a second in the lap that the Desmosedici must win in race configuration, a chasm that Ducati does not consider possible to fill before at least one season (read in particular).

But this would still require the manufacturer to work in the right direction, which does not really seem to be the case: the GP13 Lab on which Ducati is frantically testing all kinds of solutions, including a new perimeter chassis, has not convinced any of its official representatives…

"We are going to use the same bike as in Barcelona, ​​without the new frame", confirmed Dovizioso before arriving in Assen, sweeping at the same time all the hopes of progress that the aficionados of the brand expected from this famous "laboratory bike. "… The Italian official remains hopeful, however: the cooler weather in the Netherlands than in Spain or Italy should be a strong ally in helping drivers save their tires..

"I had finished third for the last two years and I would like to do better this time!", Even enthuses "Dovi", forgetting a little quickly that he was driving the official Honda in 2011 and an excellent Yamaha. satellite in 2012 !

More realistic, his teammate Nicky Hayden aims for much more modest objectives: "I hope that we can use the information collected in Barcelona to have a good race", slips the Kentucky Kid, without risking to deliver a prognosis on his position at the end of this Dutch Grand Prix which will start on Saturday at 3 p.m. (all times below).

2013 Dutch MotoGP Grand Prix Timetable

Thursday June 27

  • Free practice 1 MotoGP: from 9:55 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
  • MotoGP Free Practice 2: 2:05 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Friday June 28

  • MotoGP Free Practice 3: 9:55 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
  • MotoGP Free Practice 4: 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • MotoGP Q1 Qualifying: 2:10 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.
  • MotoGP Qualifying Q2: from 2:35 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Saturday June 29

  • MotoGP warm-up: from 9.40 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.
  • Moto3 race start: 12h00
  • Moto2 Race start: 1:20 p.m.
  • MotoGP race start: 3:00 p.m.

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