Yamaha Preview
After a short rest from the grueling early season schedule, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP now heads to France for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France at the historic Le Mans circuit this Sunday.
Both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will be keen to put last year’s difficult race behind them and return to more familiar winning ways at the classic French track.
Traditionally the French GP delivers good results for both with Rossi claiming three premier class victories and one 125cc GP win and Lorenzo claiming three premier class wins and one 250cc GP victory.
Rossi will be looking to make best use of the new chassis for the hard braking areas whilst Lorenzo will be focused on a set up that allows him to keep as much corner speed as possible on the tight chicanes and hairpins between the short straights.
Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro are aiming to fly high this weekend at the team’s hugely anticipated home race for round 5 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.
After a successful and confidence affirming post Jerez test, Smith and Espargaro will build on their positive results so far this season and put their newly acquired knowledge from the test to use in the 28-lap sprint at the 4185 metre Le Mans circuit, one of the most historically significant motorsport tracks.
Bradley Smith’s notable start to the season has seen him flirt with the accolade of the leading satellite bike in the opening races, and he will be looking to break the top five in Le Mans. Whereas rookie Pol Espargaro will continue his rocket start to his MotoGP career and intends to collect his fourth top ten finish, as he consistently battles against established riders in the top half of the field.
After a well-deserved seventh place at Jerez, Aleix Espargaro aims at repeating a strong performance on the tight French track that is characterized by first gear corners, late braking and hard acceleration. Team mate Colin Edwards is looking forward to getting a good result at Le Mans, a track where he has visited the podium in 2005 and 2008.
Valentino Rossi – “I am very happy about the weekend in Jerez, unfortunately I wasn’t able to win over Marquez but I managed to win over Pedrosa and Jorge. I am also happy about the test done on the following Monday at the same track. During the test I continued to work on the new chassis and I like it, it helps me especially with the front tyre. At Le Mans I will have only one new chassis but I am confident that Yamaha will bring me the second chassis as soon as possible. I want to continue the work on this. I made good times during the test, even the “time attack” was good and so I will try to start from the front row at Le Mans. It’s a positive moment for me because I’m pretty fast, I work well in the box and I think we can be very optimistic. We can have a good race”.
Jorge Lorenzo – “After the result in Jerez we could analyze the data during the test on Monday and we got some good information. We finished that test day happy with the result and we could figure out where the problem was during the race. We found that with the soft rear tyre we are much more comfortable than the hard one and therefore from now on we will be focused on this compound. We will try to get a more constant bike with the soft tyre and that is why we need to improve the bike and adapt it. Now we travel to Le Mans, a new track and a new opportunity. The weather will play a big part, usually it is colder and can be tricky like it was with the rain last year. The asphalt can be slippery but I am confident we can manage the circumstances and try to get a good result. Right now I am just thinking race by race and not about the championship. I think I will have a better pace there, I have had some wins in Le Mans and I like the circuit.”
Massimo Meregalli – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director – “The post-race test in Jerez went pretty well: we found a good package to be consistent and fast with both riders. Le Mans in the past has been a good circuit for Yamaha and also for Jorge and Vale. As with the last four rounds the competition will be very tough but we are confident we can put up a good fight at the front. Le Mans is usually wet so we’ll have a different weather challenge which should make things interesting. As always we are looking forward to getting set up and started on Friday morning!”
Pol Espargaro – “I am looking forward to the Grand Prix de France and doing my best for the Tech3 team in their home country. I won the race here in 2010 in the 125 class, and have always enjoyed the circuit. I am still learning step by step, but am feeling really confident, especially after testing a few things on the bike in the test after the Jerez race. I feel very optimistic in achieving a good result in front of the team’s fans and am excited to see what I can do aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 around the famous Le Mans circuit.”
Bradley Smith – “After a quite satisfying start to the year in terms of results, I am fully confident of battling for a positive finish at the team’s home Grand Prix. We had a useful post race test in Jerez and found some valuable information, which will aid my riding and setup. I rode to my first ever podium here in the 125 class in 2007, so Le Mans holds some good memories for me and I intend to create some more here this round. It’s a really technical and demanding track,however I enjoy a lot riding here and even if there is still a little work to be done, I am certain to put on a good show for the team this weekend.”
Aleix Espargaro – “Le Mans is a good track. There are a lot of tight corners and I think that for the characteristics of the track, we will suffer in the hard braking and in the parts that require hard acceleration. Our target remains to fight in the top five and I will give my best to get the best possible result.”
Colin Edwards – “I like Le Mans and I have good memories on this track with two podium finishes. I hope to have a better weekend, I need a good result and I will do my best working with the team each session to prepare for the race as best as possible.”
HRC Preview
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) travels to legendary motorsport venue Le Mans this week with the aim of continuing his historic run of successes. So far this year the 21-year-old has dominated the MotoGP World Championship, taking pole position and race victory at all four rounds.
Not since 1971 – when MV Agusta and Giacomo Agostini were utterly dominant – has a rider taken the pole/win double at the first five races of the season. Indeed Agostini took pole and victory at the first eight races of 1971. Of course, that was a very different era, when MV Agusta were the lone factory team, competing against a grid made up mostly of privateers. Marquez races against 11 factory-equipped riders, including team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) who holds second place in the points chase, having taken four podium finishes from the first four races.
Marquez’s 2014 successes in Qatar, Texas, Argentina and Spain have all been dominant performances in their own way and have shown the youngster getting more and more confident and consistent on his RC213V. At the last three rounds the former 125 and Moto2 World Champion was able to break away from the pack and fully control the race. Perhaps Le Mans could be a trickier event because the French Grand Prix is often marked by rainy weather. However, during last year’s rainy Le Mans GP – Marquez’s first MotoGP race in the wet – it took him just eight laps to become the fastest man on track and finish in third place, so it would take a brave man to bet against him continuing his winning streak.
If there’s one man who knows he can better Marquez this weekend it is Pedrosa, who won that race at Le Mans last May. Some years ago the former 125 and 250 World Champion struggled in the rain, but some specialist training – riding a dirt bike on slick tyres in sandy terrain – helped him perfect the art of racing in low-grip situations and now he is one of the most accomplished wet-weather riders.
Following his third-place finish at Jerez a fortnight ago, Pedrosa underwent surgery for arm pump. He wasn’t the only one. Former Moto2 title winner Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) also had an operation to fix arm pump, a condition that affects many racers due to the huge forces they contend with while controlling a high-powered motorcycle, especially during heavy braking.
Arm pump ruined Bradl’s race at Jerez, where he was in the battle for fifth place, only to slip back to tenth as his right arm became weaker. The German has shown that he can run close to the front this year, with a front-row start at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas where he finished fourth, less than two seconds off the podium.
Nicky Hayden (Drive 7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R) has had a good start to 2014 aboard Honda’s brand-new production MotoGP racer, built by the factory to give private teams a chance of gunning for top-ten results. Eighth at the season-opening Qatar GP, the 2006 MotoGP World Champion has been 11th at the last three GPs, crossing the line at Jerez less than three seconds outside the top ten.
The American’s team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive 7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R) had a slightly slower start to the year but the former 250 World Champion beat Hayden in Argentina after a last-lap sort-out and finished just a few seconds behind him at Jerez. No doubt the pair will continue their duel to be the top RCV1000R rider at Le Mans on Sunday.
MotoGP rookie Scott Redding (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RCV1000R) continues his MotoGP apprenticeship at Le Mans, where he scored his first Moto2 victory this time last year. The Briton has scored points in three of the four races so far this season, working all the time to increase his knowledge of electronic rider control systems, which aren’t used in Moto2.
Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) scored his first points of the year at Jerez, following three crashes at the opening three races. The Spaniard’s hard-fought sixth-place result could have been better but for the fact that he was determined to take no big risks to be sure of his first score of 2014. Bautista was also sixth at last year’s soaking French GP.
Like most MotoGP riders, Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing Honda RCV1000R) stayed on at Jerez for a one-day test session and the Czech rider believes his team gained important information that will improve his performance at Le Mans and beyond
The top two teams in the Honda-powered Moto2 series arrive at Le Mans fresh from separate test sessions in Spain. Team-mates Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team, Kalex) and Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team, Kalex) spent two days at Almeria to fine-tune the set-up of their machines. Both riders announced themselves happy with progress which will make them difficult to beat – at the moment the pair hold first and second in the championship following Rabat’s victories in Qatar and Argentina and Kallio’s first win of the year at Jerez.
If anyone can take the fight to the Belgian-based team it is Moto2 rookie and reigning Moto3 World Champion Maverick Vinales (Pons HP 40, Kalex), who won his first race in the intermediate class in Texas last month and also won last year’s Moto3 race at Le Mans. Vinales could only manage fifth at Jerez, but after an intense test session at Aragon the 19-year-old says he is ready to push towards the front once again.
Le Mans first joined the motorcycle World Championship calendar in 1969, since when the French GP has been hosted at the Sarthe venue as well as Circuit Paul Ricard, Nogaro and Clermont-Ferrand. The motorcycle GP uses the 4.8km/2.6 mile Bugatti circuit, as opposed to the much longer street circuit used for the Le Mans 24 hour car race. Last month bike racing’s biggest 24 hour event – the Bol d’Or – was also staged at Le Mans.
The circuit is characterised by mostly slow-speed corners, which prioritise braking, steering, traction and acceleration. Honda have enjoyed many great premier-class victories at Le Mans, with Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Mick Doohan, Alex Crivillé, Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau, Marco Melandri, Casey Stoner and Pedrosa all enjoying victory at the circuit.
Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says: “After another really great weekend in Jerez and a positive day of testing on Monday, we are now on our way to Le Mans. You never know what the weather will do there so it is important to start strong from FP1. Last year we had our first wet race here and I really learned a lot, but this year I hope it will remain dry! We know that Dani, Jorge and Valentino will come back at us hard here, but we will work on our own programme – as usual – and fight for victory or at least some important championship points.”
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “I enjoyed the weekend in Jerez, and the battle at the end with Rossi was a lot of fun. After Monday’s test I had a tight feeling in my right forearm. On Tuesday morning I went to see Dr Xavier Mir and he recommended surgery immediately. We took his advice and it seems to be healing up well but I guess I won’t know until I’m back on the bike on Friday for FP1. I won for the first time in Le Mans in MotoGP last year in a very tough race. I enjoy the circuit and we’ve had good results there in the past but we must always pay attention to the weather! The testing in Jerez was useful and we confirmed some feelings, now we must see if they translate to the track this weekend.”
LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says: “As everybody knows I had another surgery to treat the arm-pump problem which affected my race in Jerez. The operation was quick and successful and in recent days I’ve made all the treatments required to be fit for Le Mans. Actually I cannot make any prediction because I must see how it goes when I am on track. Anyway, I had the operation at the right time because the season is still long and there’s enough time to recover completely and try to be in the front very soon.”
Drive 7 Aspar Honda rider Nicky Hayden says: “Le Mans has never been a great track for me personally and truthfully it’s not my favourite, but when we were kids my dad never let us say we don’t like a track so I never say it! What I can say is that there are some fun corners and great fans. Unfortunately for us at the moment there is a lot of acceleration coming out of slow corners, which is not the strongest point of our bike. Anyway, I need to understand how much my wrist irritation from Jerez has improved and try to keep the progress we made in Spain rolling, go have so fun and go fast!”
Drive 7 Aspar Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “We have been in good form over the first four races of the season and we have improved the set-up of our bike a lot, especially during the test following the race at Jerez. We found some things that I am looking forward to trying out at Le Mans. It will be a difficult circuit for us with so many straights and slow corners where you need to get the bike stopped. Anyway, we go there full of motivation and determined to maintain our good form from Jerez. Le Mans has a very rich history in motorsport and I love the atmosphere there. Hopefully we can have a good weekend in France and find some consistency in the first part of the race, which is what we lacked in Spain. That’s the objective.”
Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Scott Redding says: “Last year in Le Mans I won my first race in the Moto2 class, so I am very happy to return to this circuit. The only concern is related to possible difficult conditions because of the bad weather: I’ve not had the opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike in wet conditions, so this would be a completely new situation for me. Otherwise, if the track will remain dry, I think that it can suit the characteristics of our bike, as long as we can find more grip than we did in Jerez. Like Jerez, Le Mans is quite a narrow and small track, so it will take a little time to adjust the electronic controls and to adapt my riding style, but I think that we learned a lot from this point of view from the Spanish GP weekend, also considering the positive day of testing carried out after the race.
Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says: “Le Mans is not one of my favourite tracks and probably this is due to the fact that often the bad weather makes it difficult to work properly on the bike during practice. In any case, our goal remains the same we set ourselves before Jerez, that is to collect as many points as possible. It’s difficult, however, to make a prediction, because the weather forecasts predict rain for Sunday. During the test we have carried out the day after the Spanish Grand Prix, we could test several new solutions that have worked well: therefore, we hope that they will prove useful also on this track.”
Cardion AB Motoracing rider Karel Abraham says: “We had improved our bike thanks to the testing session after Jerez race. So I’m happy to say that we made another step to be competitive and our aim is to get back into the points after my weird crash in Jerez. It’s not a modest objective in Le Mans. It’s not a secret that I don’t like this track much. There are many types of asphalt and each of them has different grip, so the race is like playing roulette, especially in the wet. Hopefully it won’t rain this time.”
Ducati Preview
After completing a day’s testing at Mugello on Monday, the Ducati Team is now heading towards the fifth round of the championship, and the second race in Europe this season. The next Grand Prix in fact takes place at the Le Mans circuit in France, located around 200 kms from Paris.
The Bugatti Circuit, where the bike racing events are held, forms part of the history of the sport and, although it shares just a small part of the Sarthe Circuit where every year the legendary 24 Hour car race takes place, it offers a fascinating spectacle for the numerous French fans who flock to the circuit every year.
Andrea Dovizioso has often obtained good results at the French track, in particular last year, when on his debut with the Desmosedici he qualified on the front row, was in the lead for some of the early laps in the wet, and then finished fourth. Cal Crutchlow’s form at Le Mans is also pretty good, the British rider qualifying fourth in 2013 and finishing runner-up, his best result of all time in MotoGP.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – “Last year I went well both in qualifying and the race here at Le Mans, and it’s a circuit where I think we can be closer to the front. As for results it’s going to be difficult because this year there are many strong riders, but I think we can do well, even though the weather conditions are always an unknown factor. I am in any case happy to go to Le Mans, after fifth place at Jerez for sure it’s a positive moment for me.”
Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – “Le Mans for me is a strange circuit but last year I had a great race. I managed to take a podium and a second position in MotoGP. Given the conditions you never know what it’s going to be like on a race weekend, but I look forward to riding the Ducati there. After the recent bad luck run of races, hopefully we can go to Le Mans and start to have some good results. The right hand is still a bit sore, but I think we should be a lot better than we were at Jerez.”
The Le Mans Circuit – The Bugatti circuit is located 5 km south of the town of Le Mans and 200 km south-east of Paris. Built in 1965 around the Le Mans 24 Hour track, at the end of the 1960s the circuit was chosen as the venue for the motorbike Grand Prix, and then it returned to the calendar in 2000 after a series of modifications to improve safety. Le Mans is a narrow track with a series of unusual corners, which force the riders to brake hard and accelerate rapidly. It has four left-hand corners and nine right, the longest straight measures 674 metres and it can accommodate more than 100,000 spectators.
MotoGP riders visit Disneyland Paris
MotoGP™ World Championship stars Scott Redding (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar), Mike di Meglio (Avintia Racing), alongside Moto2™ regulars Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert), Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham) and Jordi Torres (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2) enjoyed a great day out on Wednesday as they visited Disneyland Paris.
The six riders experienced an adrenaline rush with a ride on Space Mountain Mission 2 and went into combat with the evil Zurg in Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast.
They also had a life-changing encounter with Darth Vader after which they had to resist joining the dark side of the force. The MotoGP™ and Moto2™ stars also caught up with Mr. Incredible, who gave them a few tips on how to become even greater super heroes!
For some of the riders it was their first visit to Disneyland Paris and all agreed that it was the perfect way to unwind before the pressure of competition returns at Le Mans.
The riders will now head on to the historic Le Mans circuit where they will do battle this weekend at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France.
