— MotoGP 2013 – Round Two – Circuit of The Americas
— Yamaha Preview
The Yamaha Factory racing team touches down in the USA this week and heads to Texas for round two of the 2013 MotoGP Championship at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin on 21st April. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi arrive in perfect form, World Champion Lorenzo leading the 2013 standings and teammate Rossi right behind in second after a dazzling performance by both riders at the season opener in Qatar two weeks ago.
This will be the debut COTA MotoGP race with only a very few riders having ever visited the track before. Lorenzo and Rossi are among those few having enjoyed a private test at the circuit in pre-season. Created by leading circuit designer Hermann Tilke, the track will challenge the MotoGP grid over 21 laps with an incredible 41 metre elevation change as it winds through an impressive 20 separate turns over its 5.513km length. The track enjoys a variety of styles including fast sweeping sections and stop-and-go hairpin turns.
Jorge Lorenzo – “Qatar was stunning for us. A great start of a really competitive season. It’s always crucial to make a good beginning but Losail was just the first race of a long season. Now we have to change our mindset, we go to the USA and we visit a completely different track, not just the layout but also for the asphalt, the climate and some different circumstances. The Austin track has a very long straight and several corners in first gear where you are need good acceleration and traction. There we will have to work really hard from the first session to cut away the distance to our competitors. Anyway, I keep my confidence that we can also make a good result there. I want to win at Austin and that’s my mentality although I know in the USA it will be much more complicated.”
Valentino Rossi – “Austin will not be an easy race but for sure the podium in Qatar is giving us extra motivation. We have done a great job there and we can go to Austin with some more certainty. Our competitors will be very strong but our goal will be to bring home points. I am confident, I really like the track and my first impression, when we tested there, was that the circuit is beautiful. The track lay-out is very special: there is some downhill and uphill and the first braking zone is very technical. For me turn two is the best though and after when you enter into the chicane. The straight is very long, which is good for overtaking. I really look forward to racing at COTA.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager – “I couldn’t go a few weeks ago to the test at COTA but what I hear about the track is that the feelings are much more different to the other circuits. Maybe it is because it’s new, with a special layout. We won at Qatar, this was a fantastic start for us and also for Yamaha but we have to think ahead and the season is long and hard. In theory, Austin is not really a circuit that will benefit us. Anyway, we will see how much we can improve our performance compared with the test and see about our pace over there. Finally, this is racing and you never know until Sunday!”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director – “We are going to Austin now in a different shape to one month ago. The data we collected there will help us to prepare the base set up with which we will start the practices and also for sure the results in Qatar will be helpful too. The latest modifications we’ve made to our bikes are going to help. Austin for us is not going to be an easy race but for sure it’s going to be better than the test. The place is very nice and the temperature was perfect one month ago. We are looking forward to this next race, especially after the good spirit we got from the last one!”
— Ducati Preview
With the 2013 MotoGP world championship having recently kicked off in the Middle East, the Ducati Team is now headed for round two, which will mark the first motorcycle Grand Prix to be held in Texas.
Situated near the state capital of Austin, the new Circuit of the Americas raises many question marks for the MotoGP riders, although Ducati Team racer Nicky Hayden had the opportunity to experience the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit last month on a road bike, when he and Ignite Pramac Racing rider Ben Spies, a fellow American, took part in the press launch of the 1199 Panigale R. For Hayden’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso, on the other hand, this will mark his first visit to the facility.
Adding to the trial will be the fact that COTA is quite challenging to learn, being 5.513 kilometres long (3.426 miles), with a full 20 corners, including the track’s signature uphill Turn 1 lefthander. Much of the circuit is 15 metres wide (50 feet), making for multiple line options in many of the corners.
Austin will mark the first of three rounds this season to be held in the United States, Ducati’s number-one market.
Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team
“I haven’t been to the Circuit of the Americas, but from the video it looks like a really big and nice track, and it also looks really difficult. Unfortunately, we didn’t test there like some of the other guys, so it will be a problem for us in the beginning. Anyway, I’m really excited for us to be riding on a new track.”
Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team
“Right after Qatar I had to fly to Asia for some promotional events, so I hope to be at my best for Austin! Having three GPs in my home country almost seems like a dream to me, and the Circuit of the Americas is really a great track that’s nice, safe and new, with great facilities. I’ve been around it on a street bike, so I know the layout, although it will obviously be much different on a MotoGP bike. The track has a little bit of everything, and it’s definitely not easy. It’s really long, quite wide, and very technical, with some very particular corners that have open entries—often blind—and tight exits. I like a good challenge, and this track definitely offers one. Hopefully the American fans will come out and support the race and set up a nice trend for the next two American rounds.”
Vittoriano Guareschi – Team Manager
“The track will be completely new for us. Nicky did a sort of shakedown with a Panigale R street bike, and from the way he describes it, it will be quite difficult. There are fast straightaways with hard braking zones and very tight hairpins, but there are also sections with fast corners. Unfortunately, since the Ducati Team didn’t test at COTA, we’re at a bit of a disadvantage to our competitors; we’ll have dual assignments during the early sessions—we have to find a general setup and the correct settings for the electronics—so we hope to have good weather in all of the sessions. The weekend is a bit of an unknown for us, but we’re optimistic.”
— HRC Preview
The MotoGP World Championship heads for new territory this weekend – the fabulous new Circuit of the Americas (COTA) racetrack outside Austin, Texas. The Grand Prix of the Americas is the first of MotoGP’s three visits to the USA this year, with Laguna Seca and Indianapolis following in July and August.
This is the first time in 65 years of motorcycle Grand Prix racing that the sport has visited the Lone Star state, so the event is eagerly anticipated. The circuit – which was greatly acclaimed when Formula 1 cars visited for the first time last November – has already proved a hit with the handful of MotoGP stars who visited the venue for a three-day test session last month.
The riders praised the new layout which includes a huge variety of challenges in its 3.426 miles (5.513km), from ultra-tight hairpin turns to fast, flowing sweepers and a 210mph (338km/h) back straight.
During that test session it was dazzling MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) who led the way, proving that lack of experience on a 250-plus horsepower motorcycle need be no barrier to serious speed if you have the requisite talent. His fastest lap during those three days was a 1m 03.281s.
Two weeks ago Marquez lit up the thrilling Qatar Grand Prix season-opener, scoring a brilliant podium result in his debut race in the premier class. Marquez’s high-speed entry into bike racing’s toughest category has been one of the biggest talking points of the new season and the reigning Moto2 World Champion will be aiming to, at the very least, repeat his third-place finish this Sunday.
Marquez spent much of the Qatar race duelling with team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) who struggled with rear-grip issues. The Spaniard, who dominated the second half of last year’s MotoGP series on his way to second overall, finished fourth in that race and will be aiming to put himself back where he’s used to being in Texas – challenging for victory. His pace during preseason testing at the track was impressive – he ended the three days second overall, just a few tenths behind Marquez.
Honda’s other two prototype riders will also be aiming for strong performances in Texas after enjoying mixed fortunes at the season opener. Former 125 World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) was satisfied with his sixth-place finish, believing it to be a good starting point for his fourth season in MotoGP. The Spaniard had a challenging time in Qatar, partly due to the finger injury he had sustained just two weeks earlier during the final preseason tests at Jerez, Spain. He will have a lot to learn this weekend because he didn’t take part in the preseason tests at COTA.
Former Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) is in the hunt for a good finish in Texas after a strong start to his second season in MotoGP went awry in Qatar. The German was battling for fifth-place with nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) when he slid off without injury. Bradl has the advantage of having tested at COTA alongside the Repsol Honda team. He went very well in the tests, ending up third overall, ahead of Rossi and reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).
MotoGP rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) will also be aiming to put things right after sliding off at Qatar, his debut Grand Prix. The Australian, who rides a CBR1000RR-powered CRT machine, knows that he needs time on the bike more than anything else, so he will be working hard to make sure he goes the distance at COTA.
The Honda-powered Moto2 World Championship will provide more thrills at COTA after getting off to a typically hard-fought start in Qatar. Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP40 Pons Kalex) and Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) are the men most likely to be in the fight for victory after battling all the way to the finish at Qatar’s Losail racetrack.
None of the packed Moto2 grid have tested at COTA so they will start from an equal footing when practice gets underway on Friday morning. Also hoping for strong showings in Texas after promising form in Losail will be Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex), who scored his first Grand Prix podium in Qatar, Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert Suter) who was fourth in the race, Redding’s team-mate Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex) and Simone Corsi (NGM Mobile Racing Speed Up).
Austin also marks the return of Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Suter) from injury. The Swiss ace – who finished fourth in last year’s Moto2 series – broke his right arm during a preseason testing tumble. He originally suggested a return at next month’s Spanish GP but will try to race this weekend, if the arm is strong enough.
The Moto2 series has been powered by Honda CBR600RR engines since its inaugural season in 2010 and the relationship was recently extended into a sixth year, the 2015 season.
The Moto3 grid also goes into the Grand Prix of the Americas with no prior circuit knowledge. Honda riders will be hoping for a stronger weekend in Texas after a challenging time in Qatar where Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) and Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) were the top performers on Honda-powered machinery.
Romano Fenati (San Carlo Team Italia FTR Honda) will be looking for more points this weekend after scoring his first point of the year at the opening race. And Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini FTR Honda) and Alan Techer (CIP TSR Honda) will be hoping to show their speed once more after both fell while making promising progress in Qatar.
The Circuit of the Americas has 20 corners and looks likely to become one of the most challenging circuits on the MotoGP calendar. Designed with both Formula 1 and MotoGP in mind, the track takes a lot of learning and has a bit of everything, including a dramatic 134ft (40.2m) climb from the start to the first corner. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, the world’s most famous racetrack architect, who is also responsible for other much-admired tracks like Sepang in Malaysia and Istanbul in Turkey. Former 500 World Champion Kevin Schwantz had some input into the design which features several hairpins that will put some emphasis on braking and acceleration. The track also features multiple directions changes, which require excellent manageability from machines. In other words, COTA will demand everything from both rider and machine.
After racing finishes on Sunday afternoon the MotoGP circus crosses the Atlantic to commence the first European section of the season at Jerez on May 5.
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “Qatar was not the start we expected, but I know what the issue was so it’s clear for the next race. We were in Austin just over a month ago and I’m sure this will be useful for us as we have a base setting. There are a lot of tight corners at this track and the pace changes from section to section. However, the track will be quite different with so many more bikes there and much more rubber laid down, so I hope the bike will still work well.”
Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says: “To arrive on the podium in my first race was a dream come true, but now we must face the reality and focus on the job at hand. I am looking forward to going to Austin – It will be interesting as we have already been there testing and we found a good base set-up. But we will see because it will be a different scenario with more rubber on the track and the conditions will change. We will concentrate on our work and our own agenda to prepare ourselves in the best possible way for the race.”
LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says: “In the first race in Qatar we demonstrated that we have the pace for a top-five result. We are not far away from the front group but unfortunately the first GP finished badly for us. After the bad experience in Qatar I am really looking forward to Austin and I presume the things will be much better there. I know the track already because I was there for the private test some weeks ago and I strongly want to repeat our speed and consistency. This race will be fun for us and for the fans.”
GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says: “The season has started really well. I am happy even though we had a few problems with the front in Qatar. It forced us to use the soft tyre because I had more confidence with it but we lost stability under braking. I made a good start and tried my best to stay with the guys at the front but it got to the point where I was taking too many risks and it was better to make sure of a solid position. It was an important sixth place, my best result in MotoGP in Qatar and that gives us optimism for the future. The next round in Austin will be a new experience for almost all of us. They say it is a technical and demanding circuit and I am looking forward to getting on with the job of learning it and finding a setting that will allow me to fully exploit the potential of the RC213V. The level of competition is very high but I am confident that if we do our job right then we can be even more competitive than we were in Qatar. Myself and the team are determined to keep working until we show our best form.”
GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Bryan Staring says: “I am still disappointed with the way my debut went in Qatar but I also know that it is all part of the process of picking up experience in a completely new category. We will learn from it and try to make up for our disappointment this weekend in Austin. It is a new track for all the CRT guys so we will start out on a more level playing field. I have seen some footage of the track and it looks awesome. I am looking forward to seeing it for myself and I am sure that the Circuit of The Americas will be fun to ride. This will also be my first-ever trip to the USA so overall there is a lot to look forward to as we try to put Qatar behind us and focus on producing a positive performance in Austin.”
Moto2 Rider Quotes
Pons 40 HP Tuenti Kalex rider Pol Espargaro says: “We could not have hoped for a better start to the season in Qatar and now we go to Texas knowing that we will have to keep working very hard if we are to have another great result. There will be so much to learn because the track is completely new for all of us. The layout looks fantastic – very technical and lots to learn. I go there feeling optimistic because I know my team will do everything they can to give me the best bike on Sunday.”
Marc VDS Racing Team rider Scott Redding says: “Second in Qatar was a good start to the season, but we need to carry that momentum into the next outing in Texas. It’s a new track for everyone, which will be interesting, but I’m sure it won’t take any of us long to get up to speed. I’ve never had a problem learning new tracks and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Circuit of the Americas has to offer. If we approach this race in the same way as we did the last then I think there’s every chance we can repeat the success of Qatar in America. That’s the goal, anyway.”
Takaaki Nakagami, Italtrans Racing Team rider says: “It is always interesting to discover a new track, and the Austin layout certainly looks like it will be a lot of fun and a lot of work. We travel to Texas in good form, determined to continue from where we left off in Qatar. It won’t be easy, of course, because Moto2 is so competitive that everything needs to be perfect to get a good result. We will work the same way we did two weeks ago and try to be fully prepared for the race.”
Honda Moto3 Rider Quotes
Danny Webb, Ambrogio Racing rider says: “I’m really looking forward to getting to Austin for a new challenge at a new track. Hopefully our Moto3 bike will work just as well as the Honda MotoGP bike went round there during the recent tests. If it does, we’ll be on for a good result, but really I’m just looking forward to getting out on my bike and racing again.”
Brad Binder, Ambrogio Racing rider says: “It’s time for round two of the World Championship in Texas. I’m really excited to get out on the new track. None of the Moto3 guys have been to the track before so it will be new to everyone. I am hoping for a really good result – a top ten would be great.”
— Marc VDS
The Marc VDS Racing Team head across the Atlantic this week, for the second round of the FIM Moto2 World Championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
It’s the first time the Circuit of Americas has featured on the Moto2 calendar, but learning the track is not a concern for Scott Redding, who is keen to continue the run of form that saw him finish on the podium in the opening round of the season in Qatar just over one week ago.
Mika Kallio left Qatar disappointed with fifth place in Qatar, as the 30-year-old Finn was convinced a podium finish was on the cards after qualifying on the front row of the grid. Kallio lost ground in the early stages of the race as a result of some over enthusiastic overtaking moves by others, a situation he is keen to avoid this weekend in Texas
Circuit of the Americas was completed in 2012 and is the first purpose built Grand Prix track in the United States. The track, which features a change in elevation of almost 41 metres and a unique incline at the end of the front straight, was designed by Hermann Tilke with input from the 1993 500GP World Champion, Kevin Schwantz.
At 5.513km in length the circuit comprises 11 left and nine right corners, many of which mirror famous sections of iconic racetracks from around the world.
Scott Redding #45: “Second in Qatar was a good start to the season, but we need to carry that momentum into the next outing in Texas. It’s a new track for everyone, which will be interesting, but I’m sure it won’t take any of us long to get up to speed. I’ve never had a problem learning new tracks and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Circuit of the Americas has to offer. If we approach this race in the same way as we did the last then I think there’s every chance we can repeat the success of Qatar in America. That’s the goal, anyway.”
Mika Kallio #36: “It was good to get a top five finish in the first race of the season in Qatar, despite some issues with the engine. I didn’t seem to have the acceleration or top speed of the people I was racing against. Other than that the bike worked well in Qatar and, although Circuit of the Americas is a brand new track for us, I’m pretty confident we won’t have to make any big changes to get the bike working equally well there. New circuits have always been quite good for me in the past, so I hope Circuit of the Americas will be the same. It will still take some learning, but I think we’ll be pretty much up to speed on the first day if we can get plenty of laps done in the first two practice sessions.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal – “We got the season off to a flying start in Qatar, with Scott on the podium and Mika finishing top five, but now we need to build on that in Texas with two more strong results. Both riders showed last weekend that they are capable of qualifying and racing at the front and, although Circuit of the Americas is a track at which we have no previous experience, I can see no reason why Scott and Mika shouldn’t do the same again this weekend. Two more good results in Texas would put us in a strong position when we return to Europe at the end of the month for the Jerez race.”
— Bridgestone Preview
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium; Rear: Soft, Medium, Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
The second round of the 2013 MotoGP™ season takes place at the state-of-the-art Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas as the championship welcomes a new venue to the calendar.
At 5.515 kilometres in length, the Circuit of the Americas is a technical track featuring big changes in elevation, a combination of slow and fast corners and a 1200 metre back straight – the longest on the MotoGP™ calendar – which starts and ends with tight hairpin corners.
The Americas Grand Prix is the first event of the season in which CRT and non-CRT riders will be allocated different specifications of rear slick tyre. Although there are fewer right-hand corners compared to left-hand corners at this circuit, the presence of several mid to high speed right-hand corners creates higher tyre temperatures on the right shoulder of the tyres. As a result, asymmetric rear slicks with slightly harder rubber on the right shoulders will be offered at this race. A total of three rear slick compounds the soft, medium and hard options will be offered at Austin, with CRT riders able to use the soft and medium options, non-CRT riders the medium and hard.
Front slick compounds are the soft and medium options to give riders the highest levels of front-end feel through the twisting sections of the track which feature numerous changes of direction, while the main wet tyre for the Circuit of the Americas will be the soft compound option.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“The United States is a very important market to Bridgestone and to increase our presence in this region with a third race on the calendar is welcomed, particularly at such an amazing venue as the Circuit of the Americas. The first race in Qatar was a thrilling contest and I am sure that at this circuit, which is an unknown quantity for many of the riders, we will witness another exciting race. I am pleased that a new collection of American fans will get to witness what a great motorsport series MotoGP is, and I hope they turn out in large number to support their home-grown heroes Ben, Colin and Nicky and also to cheer on the two American wildcard riders, Blake Young and Michael Barnes”
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“Austin’s Circuit of the Americas welcomes MotoGP for the first time and its impressive layout created a real challenge for tyre development. Like the other American circuits on the calendar it is run in a counter-clockwise directions, and the track is technical with a mix of tight, slower corners and faster, more open sections. These features combine to place a great importance on front-end feel as maintaining good corner speed is critical at this track, so our front tyres need to provide excellent grip characteristics with plenty of stability, while the rears must give good drive out of the corners.
“Our data from testing shows that the faster right-hand corners at the circuit require slightly harder rubber on the right shoulder of the rear slicks for greater stability and durability, so we will bring asymmetric rear slicks at Austin. Front tyre compounds for this race will be soft & medium, while the rear slick compounds for CRT riders will be soft and medium, and for non-CRT riders, medium and hard.”
