MotoGP – The Intercontinental Circus goes to Donington Park –

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The Intercontinental Circus goes to Donington Park

MotoGP - The Intercontinental Circus goes to Donington Park -

The eighth round of the world sprint championship takes place this weekend in England: in front of his home crowd, James Toseland will try to hoist his Yamaha Tech3 as high as possible … But the competition in MotoGP is tough ! Presentation of strengths.

The level in MotoGP is arguably the highest of any current motorcycle championship. One has only to observe the ordeal of Anthony West to be convinced: the incredible winner of two rounds of World Supersport as a simple substitute in 2007 (read) is currently in last place in the championship…

Of course, scoring a few points in the premier class is childish: in many cases, it would suffice to stay on your wheels and wait patiently for three drivers to deign to quit – without hindering the Vale, Dani and other Casey! – to earn the first point offered to the 15th driver crossing the finish line…

But entering the top 10, climbing into the top 5 and a fortiori getting on the podium are proving to be increasingly difficult tasks … and exponentially! So this weekend, James Toseland will have to truly transcend himself if he wants to leave his "customary" 6th place and climb "his" podium..

A British driver on a home podium? The last time goes back to the 2-stroke era, when Jeremy McWilliams raced on Aprilia: it was in 2000 that the Irishman finished third in "his" GP, on a soggy track which gave his first victory to a rookie: a certain Valentino Rossi…

On Sunday, the reigning SBK World champion James Toseland hopes to do at least as well: "I’m looking forward to Donington, a circuit that I know well, where I hope to be able to win or at least get on the podium", says the friendly pilot of the French Tech3 team.

Unlike the last five races, James knows perfectly well the route he is about to cover: a fast and undulating part to which we have grafted two stretches in order to meet MotoGP standards (read).

Back to the podium ?

"The main challenge for Donington is to find the best compromise to adapt to his particular route.", explains Jean-Philippe Weber, responsible for motorcycle racing at Michelin….

"For example, the temperature should be excellent on the left side of the tires, which rarely come into contact with the asphalt.", continues the French specialist before illustrating his point:"take Foggy’s Esses: the left side of the tires has not touched the ground for a long time and you have to make sure that the temperature of the tires is sufficient to negotiate the first part of the chicane. It is not enough simply to use a very soft rubber on the left side, because in the Schwantz curve – a left double negotiated at very high speed – the tires meet high stress".

Last year, on the occasion of the circuit’s return to the World Superbike calendar, Toseland, then on Honda Ten Kate, won the first round but saw his chances of a double – important according to him – reduced to nothing. for a technical concern (read) But this year, "Dji-Ti" will be able to count on the reliability of his M1 to fight until the checkered flag … and climb on his first podium ?

Marco at home

Although Italian by nationality, Marco Melandri is one of the many pilots to reside in England. "I live 2.7 miles from the circuit !", even specifies the Ducati rider on his official website, who will also be at home this weekend. !

Unfortunately, it is hard to see n ° 33 appearing at the forefront on Sunday … not even Friday or Saturday! "China seems to have been the exception that proves the rule", even resolves to write Marco in his online journal…

Even more incompatible with the GP8 than Capirossi was with the GP7 last year, Melandri is – very – slightly more constructive on the official team statement: after recalling that the English weather could change completely in within a few minutes, the Hedgehog of Ravenna explains that the fact of "benefiting from constant weather over the weekend, which has not yet happened this season, would at least be a good start"…

Sylvain Guintoli at home

His colleague from the Antin Team, the French Sylvain Guintoli, is surely of the same opinion! And he too can consider this British GP as his second national Grand Prix, since the frenchie lives with his wife and two little girls in the same surroundings of Donington. !

Thirteenth – and last – of the race at Montmeló, the n ° 50 was not at all satisfied: "started badly, which had not been the case in previous races, I found myself last at the end of the first lap. Then, trying to overtake Toni, I went off the track and wasted a lot of time".

"Six seconds", according to Sergio Verbena, his chief engineer, who thinks that without that, his foal could have gained two places! But after all, his weekend could have been worse, like that of our other representative at the highest level: Randy de Puniet…

Balls…

"I really have the balls !", let loose our national Honda rider, after his second crash in two Grand Prix. The two following days, taking advantage of the tests organized on the Spanish track, the n ° 14 and his team set off again on coal…

"While most of the other riders have passed qualifying tires, De Puniet and the LCR team’s technical team have mainly focused their efforts on adjusting the bike on race tires to find more grip with the rear axle and improve Randy’s sensations with the front"said the team on Tuesday evening.

In the end, the Parisian signed the 5th fastest time without passing a qualifying gum ‘. For sure, Randy knows how to be very swift at the controls of his RC212V Chaussees de Michelin! But it was also last year on the Kawa mounted on Bridge…

And if a dantesque race under the flood, like that of the "two and a half" in 2005 that Randy won masterfully (read) restored Randy’s confidence ?…

The Kawa ‘in shape ?

On the Kawasaki, John Hopkins will try "to get a big result"! The Anglo-American considers the GP of Donington to be one of the most important of his season, he will fight even harder against the suffering that his fractured vertebra may cause him during the Catalan tests…

Fortunately, in anticipation of the Italian and Catalan GPs, the Kawa driver had undergone intensive training. Therefore, despite the forced rest period "to speed up the healing process"at the end of his only post-GP Catalunya test day, Hopper assures that he has not lost any of his form … To be checked on Friday morning !

His teammate Anthony West, on the other hand, did not spare himself: "after the Catalonia race, I went to Japan for two days of intensive testing". In the end, the young Australian could not ride until the second day but would have drawn"positive results"…

Last year at Donington, the young rookie made his first laps on the Ninja. "Ant" had taken advantage of a soggy track to surprise his world and climb up to 4th place … before falling in slow motion in the gravel! Starting 15th again, West finally finished 11th. A sacred start !

"I hope that the work done last week will allow us to get back to where we should be: the top 10", concludes the n ° 13, for the moment 18th in the championship with 10 points, and whose best result this year is his 12th – and penultimate – place in the GP of Catalonia…

Aussies love the rain

Third at Donington Park last year on a rather wet then "drying" track, Chris Vermeulen is – with his compatriot West, precisely – among the best riders in the rain. If the latter were to appear, it would therefore not be surprising to simultaneously see Suzuki n ° 7 – of the same "7 crossed out" as the great Barry Sheene himself – dominate the Ducati n ° 1, Honda n ° 2 or Yam n ° 46…

"Donington is like a home race for me because at the start of my career I raced a lot in the UK", insists the ex-star of the SBK World Cup. And naturally, Chris hopes to give to his fans but also to his team based for the most part in Great Britain"what to shout"! A new podium, in the dry this time, would be a great opportunity…

Exceptionally this weekend, Chris Vermeulen will not share his box with Loris Capirossi: despite the enormous protections of his Berik gloves, the Italian rider "managed" to break the 5th metacarpal bone with his right hand and will be replaced by the double AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies (read).

The young cowboy will therefore take advantage of this unexpected participation in the British GP to perfect his skills before taking part in his two freelance posts – planned! – during the next GP of Laguna Seca, then Indianapolis … and definitely get your entry ticket for the 2009 season ?

Second in the British Grand Prix in 2007 on Yam ‘and in 2004 on Honda, Colin Edwards has always been very fast on the English track, rain or shine or … shine. In addition, the Texan Tornado had a thunderous start to the 2008 season and we don’t see why that would change. !

Colin still in the game

Just after obtaining his beautiful 5th Catalan place, the n ° 5 noticed that he was now heading towards Donington, then Assen – "two tracks that I love", insists Colin – and on which he is sure to be able to fight for the podium !

Excellent news for his team manager, the charismatic Herve Poncharal, whose men came third in the team classification with 122 points, behind Yamaha Fiat (236) and Honda Repsol (183) and just ahead of Ducati Marlboro (121) !

Casey Stoner, the “Number One” rider of the official Ducati team, will try to repeat his good operation from last year. Because during the 2007 British GP, the young Australian not only won the race, but he also took the opportunity to widen the gap on his main rival, Edwards and Vermeulen having removed Rossi from the podium. !

Casey puts it back ?

Since 2003, Casey has never dropped below 5th place in "Her" Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s GP, but he ironically notes that he has "never loved Donington". Between the first quick and twisty portion and the more ‘Stop and Go’ part at the end,"compromise is really hard to find"Says Stoner, who has already had the opportunity to test his next playmate…

It was during the first post-Grand Prix test day that the reigning world champion released his GP9! "We quickly hit some decent times using the GP8 settings"Casey said on Monday night."We hardly changed anything to adapt these settings to the GP9 and I immediately felt an improvement, so it’s positive", continued the aussie, apparently delighted with his first test of the new Ducati with the new chassis … in carbon !

The use of this material caused a stir, but "the fact that we used carbon fiber for the chassis is not the most important point", tempers Filippo Preziosi, general manager of Ducati Corse,"but rather the fact that its shape differs from the old". The Italian will say no more, neither on this subject, nor on Sete Gibernau hired to test – at this very moment – the GP8 and the GP9…

Another mystery hangs in the paddocks concerning the Honda Repsol team: will we see the HRC riders tumble down the very short English straight (564 m) with the very last pneumatic valve return motor? Nicky Hayden in any case strongly wishes, since he tried it just after the GP of Catalonia !

Nicky wants the "pneumatic"

"I hope I can use this engine, but we’ll see what the decision will be, we’ll do whatever the team decides", assures the Kentucky Kid who had achieved Tuesday in simulation times less than one second to those he achieved two days before, in the race, with the" spring "engine…

Whether or not he benefits from this development, it should not change his times on the first two sections of the circuit: "you have to be brave to pass the Craner turn, you need guts", notes for example the world champion 2006.

On the other hand, in the last portion, a well-filled, docile and powerful engine is a definite advantage: "if you do not cross the two pins correctly, it will kill your time", warns Nicky who also knows that this circuit is far from easy"for the suspensions and chassis guys".

Dani in great shape

Remarkable winner of his event two weeks ago, Hayden’s teammate seems to have nothing to do with the technical specifics of his engine. The Spaniard, victorious with his "good old" engine, makes no allusion to this subject and prefers to focus elsewhere…

"I fell the day after the race, hurt my back and shoulders, but I would be OK for the next race", reassures the n ° 2 of the Repsol team, of the 2007 championship and of the provisional classification!"Donington is a strange circuit, quite fluid, but not very grippy and where it rains often", also notes Dani.

Author of a memorable "solo victory" at the Donington GP in 2006, the Spanish Asimo finally believes that "the atmosphere in Donington is different, not as Latin as in the previous two races: the crowd seems to be much more enthusiastic about the bike in general, and does not support the riders in particular"." So fair play ", these British !

Between 2000 and 2005, Valentino Rossi had always crossed the finish line at the head of the British GP and only an overtaking under the yellow flag in 2003 (relegating him to the third step of the podium) had prevented him from signing six victories. of rank…

Rossi: 91 wins out of 199

But since 2006 and the beautiful escape of Pedrosa, the seven-time world champion has not been on the highest step of the English podium … "I was very disappointed to miss the podium last year, because Donington’s podium is special, so I plan to climb it again this year !", launches the Doctor who will contest his 200th Grand Prix on Sunday !

Raised like a ball – football, hohoho – from his 9th place on the Catalan grid to the 2nd step of the podium, the n ° 46 could not do anything two weeks ago against a regular Pedrosa like a metronome. .. set to "prestissimo" !

Hence the interest for the n ° 46 to succeed on Saturday in his qualifying tests: 12th on the English grid in 2006, this poor place had also cost him the victory. However, we remember that in 2001 the young Valentinik started from 11th place and still managed to finish first….

Lorenzo is back

Note also that his teammate Jorge Lorenzo will make his return this weekend: "it was a difficult two weeks for me and watching the race from my hospital bed was not very fun so I can’t wait to get back on the bike", confides the young Mallorcan !

Victim of big falls during his last four Grands Prix – especially in China where he damaged his ankles and in Catalonia where the shocks suffered by his head kept him away from his M1 -, the best rookie of the start of the season knows he will have to show restraint: "I think I will have to drive a little more carefully this weekend !", he remarks. But is it even possible ?

Finally, four other drivers will try to get out of the game: Toni Elias and his wild GP8, Andrea Dovizioso who won the race in 250 last year, Alex de Angelis who held the Mugello an Olympic form and will use new Nissin brakes , just like his teammate Shinya Nakano, the only driver with Rossi and Pedrosa to have scored points every weekend this season !

"In Donington, two of the last three races have been in the rain and this time we hope for a dry track, especially as we have already encountered rain in a number of MotoGP races this year.", says Jean-Philippe Weber…

However, for Sunday, the BBC forecasts heavy showers in Sherwood County. Will the weather forecast – and that of the pilots – be good? ?

Answer from Monday in the "Magical Mystery" Tour by Tour de Site !

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