Stoner Czechs out at Brno, Simoncelli podium

MotoGP title leader Casey Stoner cruised to a dominant victory in Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix, which saw Dani Pedrosa crash from the lead, Marco Simoncelli claim a first ever podium and Jorge Lorenzo fade to fourth. 

Unlike his rivals, world champion Lorenzo chose the soften option front tyre - which helped the Yamaha rider take the lead ahead of Repsol Honda riders Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Stoner on the opening lap. 

But by lap three Lorenzo was starting to have front-end moments, which allowed both Pedrosa and Stoner back past. Moments later poel-sitter Pedrosa lowsided out of the lead, handing the advantage to Stoner. 

The Australian then rode steadily into the distance, building an advantage of over eight-seconds on his way to his sixth win of the year - extending his title lead over Lorenzo from 20 to32 points. 

Despite a stubborn resistance, world champion Lorenzo was caught and passed by Italians Dovizioso and Simoncelli, with Dovizioso gaining breathing room over his compatriot in the closing stages. 

Former 250cc world champion Simoncelli, who has crashed in five races this year and been penalised in another, finally claimed his debut MotoGP rostrum after withstanding late-race pressure from Lorenzo. 

Ben Spies - struggling with a pinched nerve in his neck this weekend - brought the second factory M1 home in fifth, 1.6sec from Lorenzo. 

Valentino Rossi lost places from his best Ducati qualifying of sixth, but - aided by Pedrosa's exit - recovered the ground lost and crossed the line 2.4sec from Yamaha replacement Spies and 12.6sec from victory. 

Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista - the only rider other than Lorenzo to choose the soft front - pressured Rossi for much of the race, before lowsiding from seventh place with six laps to go. 

That allowed Rossi's team-mate Nicky Hayden to inherit the position, having spent much of the race just ahead of fellow American Colin Edwards. 

Edwards' Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Cal Crutchlow joined Pedrosa and Bautista on the DNF list, as did fellow rookie Karel Abraham. 

Abraham, whose father and team manager owns the Brno team, was unable to finish his home race after an off-track moment was followed by an engine failure. 

Bautista's wild-card team-mate John Hopkins was forced to withdraw from the event after fracturing fingers in his right hand during Saturday morning practice. 

A test session will be held at the circuit on Monday, which will feature next year's 1000cc bikes from Honda and Yamaha. 

Czech Republic Grand Prix: 

1. Stoner 

2. Dovizioso 

3. Simoncelli 

4. Lorenzo 

5. Spies 

6. Rossi 

7. Hayden 

8. Edwards 

9. Aoyama 

10. Barbera 

11. Elias 

12. de Puniet 

13. Capirossi 

source: crash.net

Pedrosa first, Stoner third on Czech GP grid

Casey Stoner will join Pedrosa on the front row of the grid in third position and Andrea Dovizioso from third row in seventh position, after a very interesting qualifying session that was decided in the final 10 minutes.

After the third free practice held in wet conditions, the track was quite dirty and slippery for qualifying. However, the riders were able to continue improving the set up of their RC212V's and work on the pace before looking for the best position on the grid.

Pedrosa achieved his first pole of the season after showing impressive pace during the entire weekend, while Stoner made steps forward to solving the issues he had Friday in setting up his bike. Andrea Dovizioso slightly improved his lap time from Friday, but he will be hoping to make a bigger step in the race to fight for another podium.

Dani Pedrosa:

"It's my first pole of the year and also after a long time, so I'm very happy for that. The weekend has been pretty good for us so far, the bike is working well and I'm feeling good physically as well. We made only a few small changes on the bike and this allowed me to concentrate more on my riding, so let's hope we are able to keep the pace tomorrow and fight for a good result. This is the most important thing and we need to keep our feet on the ground because the rivals are close. I think we can still improve the bike a little, especially on the chassis side to have better grip, even though I guess that the rain this morning affected the conditions on track which made it more slippery."

Casey Stoner:

"We hoped after yesterday that we could improve the feeling in the bike this morning but unfortunately it was a wet session, so we couldn't use it as we would have liked to. Also, the session didn't start too well with a fast crash in turn three which lost us some time and obviously dented my confidence a little. Then this afternoon we started to get a little more feedback from the bike, but all in all we didn't really make a big step forward or improve it significantly from yesterday's first session. We seem to be getting more and more chatter as the weekend progresses and the more I push the more it increases and the slower I get, so it's a little frustrating. I felt qualifying could have been better, we almost lapped with the same time on old and new tyres but in general we have a lot of work to do. We're obviously happy with front row, but we're not really where we want to be with t he bike and there is still a lot of work to do. We're looking forward to tomorrow and I'm sure we can find some improvements in time for the race."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“After having struggled yesterday with the engine brake set up, today we went back to the old specification that we used up until the Italian Grand Prix. The rain fall from last night and this morning affected the track surface and this afternoon there was less grip and the references changed compared to yesterday. We will continue working, in particular on the front, because under braking we are on the limit. I also have to ride with more fluidity. We will keep on working also in the warm up to improve for the race. The pace is not so bad and it’s not impossible to fight for the podium. The race will be hard, with many battles so it will be important to make a good start.”

Repsol Honda press release.

Pedrosa leads a Repsol Honda 1-2 in Brno Free Practice

The riders proved to be fresh after the summer break, especially Dani Pedrosa, who set the top time in both practice sessions today with a best lap of 1'56.328, just two tenths off the pole position record of Rossi in 2009 (1'56.145) and already under the circuit lap record (Lorenzo 2009, 1'56.670). Casey Stoner, the current leader of the Championship, finished the day in second, and Andrea Dovizioso, fifth.

Pedrosa was immediately on the pace, from his first round out in the morning session, and was the only rider to lap in the 1'56's this morning. The Spaniard had a good base to start working with from last year's set up and his improved physical condition helped him to start the weekend very strongly.

In FP2, Casey Stoner also managed to ride in the 1'56's after some issues in the morning session. He will continue working with his team looking to find more grip and better corner entry to improve his feeling in Brno with the RC212V.

Andrea Dovizioso's day was hampered by set up issues with his engine braking. He and his team will study the data tonight and make full use of FP3 to prepare his bike in the best way possible for Qualifying tomorrow at 13.55 local time.

Dani Pedrosa:

"The feeling was very good today from the beginning. The bike was working well from the first round and we could move ahead, improving little by little in both practice sessions. I think the main difference I felt is that I'm fresh after the summer break, the rest I had has helped me a lot, I can feel the energy I didn't have in the races before the break, so I hope I can keep the pace for Saturday and Sunday and be strong for the race. I'm very happy with the job we did in both sessions and I think we can still improve and be ready for both the qualifying practice and the race. I guess the other rivals will also do the same, so we have to keep focused. Today I rode alone all the time, maybe tomorrow I can compare a little with other riders to see where are they stronger or weaker than me."

Casey Stoner:

"Today hasn't been that positive to be honest, we seem to be having a similar start to our weekend in Laguna and aren't sure which direction to take at the moment. The feeling in the front is very vague, our corner entry and mid-turn isn't that great. We also need to find a lot more grip in the rear as I'm struggling on the edge of the tyre and exit of the corner. We have a long way to go before I feel happy with the set up and there are many areas we can improve, so tomorrow we will be trying a lot of different things on both bikes and prepare as best we can for Qualifying."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

"Today we struggled a lot with engine braking. This is a new engine brake that we used for the first time on Monday in Mugello after the Grand Prix, and that we have been using since. It’s very helpful but it's difficult to set up and today we struggled a lot to get the correct set up. We lost time and we couldn't do many laps. In the last lap I tried to push even if I was not so comfortable with the setting. I’m a little angry because I could be faster and I’m not satisfied with the fifth fastest time. Now we will study the data and then we will decide the direction to take. I hope that tomorrow we will continue with dry conditions as today and I’m confident we can improve."

Repsol Honda press release.

Repsol Honda trio revitalised for Czech Republic

After a two-week interlude in which time they enjoyed some rest and recuperation before resuming their training programmes, Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner, Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa are all fully prepared to make an anticipated return to action at Brno this weekend.

The team celebrated a double podium in the previous round at Laguna Seca where Stoner extended his lead at the top of the Championship to 20 points with victory, whilst Pedrosa took third spot and Dovizioso finished fifth.

After this weekend's race, the Repsol Honda Team will make use of a testing day at the Brno circuit, using the opportunity to further develop the 1000cc 2012 machine. Contracted riders Pedrosa and Stoner will test the bike in the one day test on Monday August 15th.

Casey Stoner:

"I've really enjoyed this summer break. After a great race in Laguna, we decided to stay in California and visit some friends and enjoy some down time, mixed in with some training. Now I feel relaxed and ready for the second half of the season. I'm looking forward to going to Brno, it's a circuit I've always enjoyed and I believe with the results we've had in the past years we can expect to have a good race there. I've seen that the Honda can be very competitive at all circuits this year so I'm sure we will also be strong in Brno. The fact that it's very fast and flowing has helped the Yamaha's in the past seasons and I think Jorge will be strong there, so I will be watching for him. We'll be working on overcoming some of the issues we've had in the fast corners at circuits this year and we will certainly be looking for the win, or at the very least some more important Championship points.”

Andrea Dovizioso:

“I spent the summer break with my family and friends at the seaside in Sardinia. Early in the morning I was training, then I could play with Sara, my little daughter. It was a new experience for me that I really enjoyed. It was a perfect time to relax and switch off and now I’m ready for the second part of the season. We arrive in Brno very motivated as we want to redeem the disappointing result of Laguna. Brno is a fast track, the curves have a long range so the speed in the mid corner is high. I’m confident that we can be competitive there, the Honda machine is working very well and the characteristics of the track suit my riding style too. It’s similar to Mugello and we look for a good result. Casey, Dani and Jorge will be strong rivals, but I’m confident that we will be able to fight with them. We are determined to return on the podium. This is our target.”

Dani Pedrosa:

"These two and a half weeks have flown by for me, but I really enjoyed this break. The truth is that I needed it, first of all to rest after the last few races that were physically hard for me but also to disconnect a little and to train, to get back my physical strength and be fit again. My holidays have been a combination of all. When I got back from Laguna I spent some days doing nothing just to relax the whole area of the neck, arms and back. After this I've been combining physical training with relaxation exercises to avoid over stressing the area. Now I'm looking forward to competing again and enjoying the races until the end of the season. The bike is working very well this year so I hope we can get good results and win races in this second half of the Championship. Brno is a track I like, I've won there in 125 and 250, and I've had some podiums also in MotoGP so to fight for the victory is a challenge for me and I'm very motivated. I'm also looking forward to the test at Brno with the 1000cc. bike. I missed the first one in Jerez due to the injury and I'm excited to see to see how the new bike works.”

source: MotoGP Official Website

Dovizioso denied 1000cc Honda test

The chances of Andrea Dovizioso retaining his Repsol Honda ride for 2012 look to have taken another knock with the news that - unlike team-mates Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa - he will not test the new 1000cc bike in Monday's post-race test at Brno. 

Stoner is the only Honda MotoGP rider to have tried an early version of next year's bike, during a private test at Jerez in mid-May. 

Despite Pedrosa missing the test due to injury, Dovizioso wasn't invited to take his place and instead Stoner rode for both days.

During its official preview for this weekend's Czech Republic Grand Prix, Honda stated that Pedrosa and Stoner - who already have a contract in place for 2012 - will be the only riders on the new bike at Brno:

"After this weekend's race, the Repsol Honda Team will make use of a testing day at the Brno circuit, using the opportunity to further develop the 1000cc 2012 machine. Contracted riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner will test the bike in the one day test on Monday August 15."

Having signed Stoner for this season, Honda was forced to run a third Repsol bike for Dovizioso, who had met contractual requirements for a further year at the team.

The Italian, who has been with the factory HRC squad since 2009, is tipped to move to a satellite RCV team in 2012, possibly with continued factory support, thus replicating countryman Marco Simoncelli's situation at Gresini.

Former 125cc world champion Dovizioso - a Honda rider throughout his full-time GP career - has taken 13 podiums, including one win, since joining MotoGP in 2008. He is currently third in the 2011 standings, behind Stoner and Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo.

Pedrosa, who missed three rounds through injury, is 33 points behind Dovi in fourth.

Yamaha has also confirmed that its MotoGP riders will test next year's bike during Monday's official test.

Ducati, which has conducted more 1000cc testing with MotoGP riders than any other manufacturer, is yet to confirm which riders will be testing which bikes at Brno.

source: crash.net

Andrea Dovizioso closing on LRC Honda deal

Andrea Dovizioso is edging closer to a switch to the LCR Honda squad for 2012.

Talks are at an advanced stage with the 2009 British Grand Prix winner as HRC gets set to slash its factory-backed Repsol squad from three to two bikes next season.

LCR Honda boss Lucio Cecchinello said:"From our side it is clear that we consider this as the best opportunity for us to make a big step forward. Andrea has already showed that he has top potential and it would be an honour to be able to work with him next season.

"It is quite a complicated operation because Andrea is supported with a factory bike in a factory team and of course he would like to continue to have the best material and a bigger structure than we have at the moment. It is something that we working on and we are proposing and discussing this project with our sponsors. But we are fully committed in working in this direction."

source: MCN

Dovizioso: “I had never been as strong in every race as I have this year”

In his third season riding for the Repsol Honda Team, Andrea Dovizioso reaches the summer break firmly placed in third position of the World Championship, having achieved four podiums and taken points in every race in 2011.

What are your plans for these free days?

“Family holidays, five days in Sardinia, resting at the beach with my family and my friends to relax and gather energy for Brno.”

Are you satisfied with third position overall?

“With the third position, yes, but not with the difference to Casey (Stoner) and Jorge (Lorenzo). Fifty points is too much, but nothing is impossible.”

What is your assessment of this first half of the season?

“I want to see the positive side and we are third in the championship, I had never been so strong in all races as I have been this year. So I am very happy with the job done by the team and with the feeling of the bike, but naturally, our aim is to fight for the championship and right now, we are not competitive enough to set up a strategy to do it. Anyway, we are well placed in the championship and there are still eight races ahead, so we have to believe. We will see which result we get in the end.”

We have seen you on the second and third steps of the podium. What does Andrea Dovizioso need to fight for victory?

“It is very difficult because the level is very high. Lorenzo is having a great season, Casey is very strong and Dani (Pedrosa), when he is in good form, sets the difference. It is really very difficult to try and beat them. I mean, beating all of them at the same time, because sometimes one and sometimes the other is in front.”

Which race has been your favourite so far this season?

“I think the Mugello race this year was beautiful. To ride in Mugello, fighting for victory and achieving second position after a battle in front of the Italian fans was something important. Feeling their support was such a great feeling that I will always remember it.”

If you could go back in time is there a decision of yours from the first half of the season, either in a race or out of one, that you would change?

“No. I think that we have achieved the maximum we could do with what we had, except in Laguna Seca, where the maximum was to be fourth and we did not get it. But until then I did all I could. It is not enough, because we want to fight for the championship, but I believe we could do nothing more.”

How do you see Pedrosa, Stoner and Lorenzo at this moment and what do you think can happen in the fight for the title between Stoner and Lorenzo?

“It will undoubtedly be very difficult to reduce the distance to Lorenzo and Casey, because when they go well, they win, and if not, they are on the podium. It is very difficult, but I want to believe in my chances and we will see. I think Dani is in a better situation, because he has less pressure and he is very fast, so he can fight for victory in all races.”

Of the races left, which one you are most looking forward to?

“Probably Malaysia. The Sepang circuit is one of my favourite tracks. It is amazing to ride there with a MotoGP bike.”

Interview courtesy of Repsol Media

Spies home podium hopes end after '500 feet'

Ben Spies' hopes of a home US MotoGP podium effectively ended within the first 500 feet of Sunday's Laguna Seca race, when he dropped from fourth to seventh.

The Factory Yamaha rider blamed the decline on a lack of power, and it meant Spies spent the first two laps stuck behind Valentino Rossi.

“I got a really good start but going uphill to the steep part of the track basically we didn't have enough power," explained Spies. "I got stuck behind Valentino, I tried to get around as quick as I could but he's really good on the brakes so it was pretty tough but I did the best I could."

By the time Spies got past the Italian, the riders ahead had already pulled a gap. 

Spies was promoted to fifth when Marco Simoncelli crashed, then closed a gap of over five seconds to take fourth from Andrea Dovizioso with just three laps to go.

"Once we got around Rossi it was quite a big gap to Dovizioso, but I just kept my head down and kept going," said the Texan. "I'm happy we were able to track him down and get fourth. It was a really good race for us it just got spoilt in the first 500 feet. 

"I would have liked to have been on the podium as I think we had a package to fight with Dani, I guess that's racing and I gave it 100% as always," added the Assen winner.

Dovizioso also felt he could have done better.

“I'm disappointed because today we had the speed to fight for a good result, in fact I lapped two tenths behind the fastest lap, but I couldn't be consistent," said the Repsol Honda rider. 

"I lost the battle with Spies and this is the first time I've lost a battle this year."

Fantastic victory for Stoner at Laguna Seca

The young Australian who started from second on the grid, dropped to third place at the start and took his time before launching his attack on Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa on lap eighteen of thirty two. After passing Pedrosa, who was suffering from fatigue and fitness problems, Stoner chased down Lorenzo for nine laps and wasted no time in passing him around the outside of turn one on lap twenty seven. From this point, he controlled the race comfortably, finishing five and a half seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Stoner has now increased his lead in the World Championship standings to twenty points over Lorenzo.

After being passed by Stoner, Dani Pedrosa retained third position comfortably. He knew his fitness would be tested here, at a track that demands a huge physical effort. He has now moved above Valentino Rossi in the Championship standings to 4th position with 110 points.

Andrea Dovizioso who had a great start, jumping from sixth to fourth, maintained this position for the majority of the race. He struggled to maintain his consistency for the long race in Laguna and with three laps to go was passed by Ben Spies. He remains third in the Championship standings with 143 points.

On this high note, the Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a well deserved break before the next race in the Czech Republic on August 14.

Casey Stoner:

"All weekend we've been struggling a little so we weren't too confident that we could run with Jorge and Dani in the race. However, this morning in warm up we found something I was a little happier with. Before the race I felt relaxed, confident and generally calm, we started a little slower to get the tyres warm gently but also with a full tank of fuel, the bike didn't feel that great. So I was patient and took my time, staying with Jorge and Dani to control the gap and make sure they didn't get too far away. I felt I had more speed but decided to wait and watch. I saw Dani struggling a bit and he started to drop back from Jorge so I had to attack at this point. Once I caught up to Jorge, I watched to see if he made a mistake and kept the pressure on him, then chose my moment to make the move and was able to slowly open up a gap and bring the race home. It's really fantastic to come from such a difficult weekend and get a great win and I'm very thankful to all my team".

Dani Pedrosa:

"I'm very happy with another podium, the second after my come back from injury. I could have predicted this result before coming to Laguna because I knew it would be physically very tough for me and it has been great to keep up with the pace of Casey and Jorge in these past two races. Today, by the middle of the race, I was very tired, almost finished, I couldn't get my left arm strong enough and here at this track you don't rest for a moment, so I had to drop. It's been quite difficult to set up the bike this weekend, I had a lack of grip generally, but the team worked very well. Now we have some holidays and it will be good for me to have some days off to rest and relax my muscles and be back training to arrive fully fit in Brno".

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“We knew that it was going to be a tough race because this track is short, with very strong braking and it's also very demanding. I made a good start and I was able to move into fourth position. In the first laps I pushed hard to stay with Casey, Dani and Lorenzo. I was loosing a lot in some corners, such as T3 and T11 and to recover I was pushing in the other areas. I used up a lot of energy and I couldn’t be consistent for the 32 laps. I’m disappointed because today we had the speed to fight for a good result, in fact I lapped two tenths behind the fastest lap, but I couldn’t be consistent. I lost the battle with Spies and this is the first time I've lost a battle this year. The good point is that we were able to be fast. Now we have to focus and continue working, we are third in the Championship and we want to keep on fighting. We will take advantage of the three week break to recharge the batteries and return in Brno more determined. My congratulations go to Casey and Dani”.

Repsol Honda press release.

Stoner and Pedrosa start from front row, Dovizioso on second row at Laguna Seca

All three riders have struggled to find the perfect set up on their RC212V to tackle the Laguna Seca circuit, which demands a lot from both bike and rider. The early part of the session saw, Stoner, Pedrosa, Spies and Lorenzo trading fastest laps, with Lorenzo finally securing pole a mere seven hundredths faster that Stoner who's first flying lap was affected by Spies' crash and subsequent yellow flags.

Pedrosa will be looking for one of his trademark fast starts and the long race on an uneven track surface will test the young Spaniard's fitness to the maximum. Dovizioso, who shares the second row with Spies and Simoncelli, will fight to stay with the front group and will be aiming for a podium finish.

Tomorrow morning's warm up session will be important for all three riders; as it is the last opportunity they will have to tweak the set up ready for the race which starts at 14h00 local time.

Casey Stoner:

"For the whole session we were trying to find the right set up. All weekend we've been struggling a little and we've not found anything I'm comfortable with, I've closed the front many times and we're still looking to find some balance on the bike to get it working on this track, where we expected it to work well. On my first soft tyre I encountered some traffic and was held up, also there was a crash and a yellow flag so I lost my chance on that tyre. Then on the next soft tyre we had one lap to find some pace and we managed front row which is important for tomorrow. I don't feel we're running with the pace of Dani and Jorge, they seem to be constantly one to two tenths quicker but we have warm up tomorrow morning to find something in time for the race so we'll see what we can do."

Dani Pedrosa:

"We couldn't improve as much as I'd like to in the final part of the practice, we tried some different settings and unfortunately we didn't find a good one, but to start from the front row is always important and here we are again. I felt more comfortable with the hard tyres, which it's positive because they will be the ones used for the race, but we still need to make another step forward tomorrow and hopefully find a little more grip in the rear. Lorenzo seems very stable and fast, so I hope to find something else with my mechanics tonight and to be able to fight for a great result tomorrow. The race will be very fast, there are many laps here, so it will be important to be focus on every lap and stay strong until the end. I know the race distance will be hard for me physically, you have to work a lot in this track, there are a lot of bumps and you need to be very focused not to make any mistakes. But I will try my best and I hope to stay strong and consistent until the end."

Andrea Dovizioso:

“My target was to start from the first two rows, so finishing sixth is not too bad, but I hoped to start at least from the 4th position because it’s external and gives more advantages from the start. Anyway, we are quite close and we need to work more to gain another two tenths in race pace. This afternoon we improved a lot thanks to some changes we made in the set up, moving the weight more to the back. This setting helps us to brake stronger and this suits more my riding style. We will continue working in the warm up tomorrow because the pace of Lorenzo and Dani is really high. I hope to make a good start and maintain contact with the front group. I will do my best to have a good race and get a good result.”

Repsol Honda press release.

Repsol Honda Team maintains momentum at the Red Bull US Grand Prix

Dani Pedrosa set a fast lap of 1'22.197 to finish overall second today, just one tenth off the provisional pole position for Jorge Lorenzo, while Casey Stoner was third, thirty four thousandths off Dani, and Andrea Dovizioso, fourth, very close to his team mates.

The riders were able to test the Bridgestone soft tyre compound in the morning due to the cold temperatures, and the harder tyre in the afternoon, with the track temperature 15 degrees higher, and both performed reasonably well even if the circuit grip level is still low.

The Repsol Honda Team will keep working tomorrow morning to improve the set up of the RC212V to prepare for a strong qualifying practice at a unique circuit, with a combination of hard braking and very fast changes of directions.

Andrea Dovizioso will be aiming to step up and fight for a podium that he has narrowly missed twice, in 2010 and 2008, finishing fourth on both occasions.

Dani Pedrosa:

"The second session in the afternoon was pretty interesting, we made some changes on the bike and tried the race tyre, looking to set up the bike to absorb the bumps of which there are many in this track and they especially affect the front. The grip was a little poor today and it was also very windy out there, so we haven't yet found the perfect ride. In the morning we tried the softer compound and it had a little more grip, and in the afternoon, with the race tyre, it was more difficult to find grip, but perhaps the track conditions were not perfect, so we are hoping to keep improving tomorrow."

Casey Stoner:

"We've been trying all day to get a slightly different balance with the bike to get the tyres working differently but we're struggling to get the feeling that we want and that we've had in the past. We've changed the set up quite substantially, with pivot positions and trying to get the rear to work with a little less temperature in the tyre, which we've accomplished but still haven't got the grip that we want and we're creating too much wheel spin. Also, we're struggling to find a good feeling in the front and just not totally comfortable with the bike in general so we have some work to do tonight and will continue in the morning to get prepared for qualifying."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“This afternoon we did a comparison between two different set ups and the feeling improved. We still have a gap of four tenths from the first rider, but we lapped more consistently. We need to keep on working to improve the pace and the feeling with the front but in general I’m confident that tomorrow we will be able to make another step forward. Compared to the first free practice, lap times came easier this afternoon and tomorrow we will continue working in this direction.”

Repsol Honda press release.

Repsol Honda Team set to heat up Laguna

The Laguna Seca circuit has been a good destination for the Repsol Honda Team since the Californian track regained its position on the MotoGP calendar in 2006, after a ten year absence. The U.S Grand Prix will bring to an end the busiest period of the season with six races held in the last eight weeks, and will demand the rider's last efforts before the summer break.

Casey Stoner and Laguna Seca make a good combination. The Australian has achieved two pole positions, one victory and three podiums in five outings and retains the best lap record in Laguna (1'20.700 thanks to his pole in 2008) and the circuit record from last year (1'21.376).

Dani Pedrosa's debut in Laguna Seca was also impressive. The Spaniard was second in 2006, on his first visit to this demanding track, and took the victory in 2009 becoming the first Spanish rider in history to win in Laguna.

Andrea Dovizioso will be aiming to step up and fight for a podium that he has narrowly missed twice, in 2010 and 2008, finishing fourth on both occasions.

Casey Stoner:

"I'm looking forward to going to Laguna Seca, it's a circuit I've always enjoyed quite good results at and we've always been naturally quite fast there. The track itself is a very tight and technical track, there are lots of sweeping gradients and unusual corners with a lot of camber, so you need to be delicate on the track and not ‘attack’ it too much. We'll be looking to improve our results from the past three weekends, three podiums are great but I'm here to win races, so we'll be aiming to get back on the top step next Sunday in Laguna. It's been a pretty tiring few weeks and we have another back to back race now, but I love going to America and the area of Monterey is truly beautiful, the fans are always very welcoming and the atmosphere there is fantastic."

Andrea Dovizioso: 

“I really look forward to racing in Laguna Seca. I have always had a good feeling with this track and I like the whole ambience there. We arrive very motivated and it’s good that we race straight after Sachsenring. I’m satisfied of the improvement we have done in the last GP in terms of consistency and race pace and I’m confident that in Laguna we can return competitive to fight for the podium and hopefully for the win. Our target is to gain important points for the Championship, reducing the gap to Lorenzo and Casey. I like Laguna Seca very much, it’s a very different to the European circuits and I find it special, as are the fans and it’s always a pleasure to race in California”.

Dani Pedrosa:

"It was nice to stop, even for if only for couple of days at home to enjoy the victory in Germany with my family and friends, who also deserved to celebrate. The United States Grand Prix will be another challenge for me. I know that I will suffer more in Laguna Seca because there are many hard braking areas and very fast direction changes. Anyway, it will be another race and I'll try to prepare well and enjoy it as I did in Sachsenring. The track is very different to the European circuits and the atmosphere there is special. With the exception of last year, when I crashed, and in 2008 when I couldn't race due to injury, I've always had fun racing in Laguna and the victory in 2009 was very exciting. In the second half of the season I want to enjoy the bike and gain the best results possible and would like to close the first part of the season with a good feeling".

Repsol Honda press release.

Honda: infinite marketing possibilities

Times are tough and there is a dearth of sponsors, but the upside is that it has allowed the big manufacturers to rediscover self-promotion. This particular example is as effective as it is simple (are you paying attention, managers?), with Honda merely wheeling their CR-Z out onto the Mugello pit lane for some pictures.  It likely took little time to conceive, and certainly took little time to execute, so where is the downside?

Here is the official press release:

Repsol Honda MotoGP riders Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner have shown their support for the new sporty Honda CR-Z by displaying the logo on their racing leathers. 

"We are delighted to support Honda Cars in 2011 season - Shuhei Nakamoto said - The CR-Z is a great looking sporty car and the marriage of Honda automotive hybrid technology and our race bred technology from MotoGP is a perfect match."

"CR-Z has been designed as the first sporty hybrid coupe to dispel the myths that hybrids are not fun to drive - Tom Gardner, General Manager, Cars Honda Motor Europe added - The CR-Z has a 3-mode drive system, providing an entertaining driving experience combined with low emissions. Being part of MotoGP this season further helps emphasize the message that the CR-Z is fun to drive, and will raise awareness of the car to a wider audience."

source: GPOne

Dovi wins fierce Simoncelli, Spies battle

As so often this year, Andrea Dovizioso found himself battling countryman and fellow factory Honda rider Marco Simoncelli for much of Sunday's German MotoGP.

And they were later joined by Factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies, creating an entertaining three-way duel that went down to the final turn.

The fight was narrowly won by Dovizioso.

“It was a good battle with Simoncelli and Spies for fourth position and I'm happy we won this battle!" said Dovi. "We were consistently fast during the whole weekend and even though today we were struggling, we finished fourth."

Just 0.2sec behind Dovizioso was Spies, who capitalised on an error by Simoncelli at the final turn.

“We caught up to [Dovizioso and Simoncelli] with three laps to go and then all hell broke loose!" said Spies. "Simoncelli started trying to find a way past Dovizioso and every time I tried to look to go past, one of them was on one side of the track and the other on the other side. 

"It was fair play, they were racing each other but it kind of messed up my game plan! Simoncelli ran wide at the end so I got him again in the last corner. I wish we could have got Dovizioso because we had the pace, we just ran out of laps.”

Simoncelli's last-gasp attempt to outbrake Dovizioso saw the Gresini rider run wide and open the door for Spies. The #58 took the chequered flag 0.2sec from the Texan.

"It's a shame because fourth place would have felt completely different," said Simoncelli. "I was faster than Dovizioso for the first half of the race and maybe I took too long to pass him, losing contact with the leaders in the process. 

"We passed each other a few times and then the tyre wear was so bad on the left side I was really struggling and it was hard to control the bike. 

"I tried everything I could on the last lap but it wasn't enough and Spies also came through. It is a shame but this was still a good race for us because we were close to the front and if we can just find another couple of tenths in race trim we'll be fighting for wins.”

Simoncelli, who has crashed in four races this year and been penalised in another, has taken a best finish of fifth so far this season.

source: crash.net

Repsol Honda victory and another double podium in Sachsenring

It was a great race for Dani Pedrosa who returns to the top step of the podium at only his second race after having missed three races due to an injury to the right shoulder. The Repsol Honda rider today sealed his second win of the 2011 season and his fifth Grand Prix victory at the Sachsenring circuit (three wins in MotoGP class, and two in 250cc). On lap twenty, Dani also broke his own Circuit Record Lap record here at Sachsenring with a 1'21.846.

Championship leader Casey Stoner celebrated a seventh successive podium finish today, a personal record in MotoGP class. He led the race for nine laps but was unable to match the pace of Pedrosa and was robbed of second place at the very last corner by Jorge Lorenzo.

Andrea Dovizioso had an exciting duel with Marco Simoncelli, finally finishing ahead of him in fourth and retaining his third position in the Championship standings.

The Repsol Honda Team will have no time to rest, as they pack all the race equipment tonight and leave for the United States tomorrow. The U.S GP hosted at the fascinating circuit of Laguna Seca will take place next Sunday, July 24th.

Dani Pedrosa:

"It's an incredible feeling to be back and win a race so early; I didn't expect it, but this circuit has been always very good for me and I made it happen. I was already surprised yesterday with second position in qualifying and to finish the weekend in this way is amazing, a huge relief for me after a very hard time with injuries. Here I suffered less than in Mugello because of the layout, but in the race today I had a strange feeling, something I've never had before. At the beginning of the race I wasn't feeling great on the bike, I was fourth but I didn't get nervous or worried because I'm still not mathematically out of the Championship battle, but I know it's almost impossible. So, I just let the laps pass and in the middle of the race, with less fuel in the tank and when the tyres started sliding, I decided to step it up a little and it worked perfectly. I'm very happy with this victory, I've been suffering a lot even though this race track is not physically demanding, because I'm still weak. So a big thanks to my family and doctors that helped me to be back here because they all know how hard it has been. Also to my team and to all my fans that never gave up, they deserve it also."

Casey Stoner:

"We knew today would be a hard race, we found a good set up yesterday in qualifying but we had an issue with the rear tyre and the temperatures getting too high, with it spinning too much. We took it easy in the early part of the race and thought we'd try to preserve the tyre and warm it up slower than we did in Mugello. After a few laps I decided to make a move to the front to see what we could do and we were able to pull a small advantage, but too small compared to the effort we were putting in so I backed off on my pace a little and tried to stay as smooth as possible and see what happens. They came past me and Dani was riding so strong and was able to get past Jorge before I got there, he built a small advantage and by the time I got past Jorge and I struggled to chase him down. I made a few small mistakes and that left just Jorge and I for the last few laps. I tried everything I could, riding the cleanest lap possible and trying to block my line, but Jorge came up on the dirty part of the track and I thought it would be too high a risk but he made it stick and I have to settle for third place. I'm still leading the Championship and I'm thankful for the points here today."

Andrea Dovizioso:

“It was a tough race because this circuit is small and difficult. Our target was the podium so I’m a little disappointed with fourth position, but if we look at today's race in a bigger perspective, we took a big step forward in terms of race pace compared to my previous records at this circuit. We had a good start and tried to stay with the front riders. It was a good battle with Simoncelli and Spies for fourth position and I’m happy we won this battle! We were consistently fast during the whole weekend and even though today we were struggling, we finished fourth. We confirm that we are there and we have retained third position in the Championship, even if we aimed to gain more points on Lorenzo and Casey. My congratulations go to Dani, Casey and Jorge for a great race.”

Repsol Honda press release

Six riders have pace for Sachsenring win

Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa may have qualified first and second on the grid for Sunday's German Grand prix, but with six riders within half-a-second of pole they are taking nothing for granted. 

For points' leader Stoner, his sixth pole of the season marked a perfect recovery from a confidence-denting crash in Friday morning practice, for which he credited major set-up progress. 

"After the crash on Friday my confidence was dented a little and we struggled to get enough data, so we've been playing catch up," said Stoner, who holds a 19 point lead over third-on-the grid Jorge Lorenzo. 

"This afternoon we kept trying different directions on both bikes and every step we made on each bike, we took big steps forward so we're pretty happy with the set up we have now. 

"The lap times are very close here so it will be a tough race and hard to take any real advantage. However, I'm very happy and positive we can still slightly improve tomorrow morning so thanks to all my team for a great job". 

Pedrosa also had good reason to feel satisfied, having claimed his first front row start since suffering a broken collarbone at Le Mans in May. 

The Spaniard returned to racing in Mugello two weeks ago, after missing the three previous races. 

"It's great to be on the front row again, to be honest I didn't expect it," said Pedrosa. "But we've done a good job and it's important to start in front here because the first corner is very tight and it's better to avoid being immersed in the group at the start." 

Although there are four factory Honda riders in the top six, Pedrosa is particularly wary of Yamaha riders Lorenzo (third) and Ben Spies (fifth). 

"I think we will need to pay attention to Yamaha at the end of the race because the riding is smoother and they can save the tyres better," he explained. 

"As for my condition, right now the races are physically hard for me, but it's also true that with more left hand corners in this circuit I don't suffer as in Mugello and I can concentrate on my riding. 

"More than pain, I feel weak from lack of training, but we will give our maximum hoping to get a good result". 

Third Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso starts sixth, but qualified only two tenths behind Pedrosa. 

“I'm confident for tomorrow as we have good pace but it will be a hard race as there are five or six of us very close to each other," said Dovizioso. "Starting from the second row it will be important to have a good start and keep a constant rhythm without stressing the tyres too much as they get very hot here. 

"In the first laps the right side of the tyre is difficult to get temperature into whilst the left side is stressed a lot so managing the tyres will be a crucial point for the race. We will work on the set up to fine tune the settings and I'm positive to fight for a good result tomorrow". 

Marco Simoncelli, who rides a factory RCV for the Gresini team, qualified in fourth place.

source: crash.net

Repsol Honda 1-2 in Germany Qualifying

Stoner has been playing catch up since his accident yesterday in FP1 and tested several configurations on both his RC212V's before finding a set up he was comfortable with. Once he found it, the Australian recorded some impressive lap times and was the first rider to drop below 1'22 and on a hard used tyre. His pole position lap of 1'21.682 was two tenths faster than Dani Pedrosa's Circuit Record Lap set in 2010.

Pedrosa took advantage of the Sachsenring circuit with its many left hand corners, which are easier on his shoulder than circuits dominated with right hand corners. The Repsol Honda rider who returned to racing in Mugello two weeks ago, after missing the three previous races, will be hoping he can put his injury fatigue to one side and score a strong result at a circuit he's always enjoyed.

Dovizioso is confident with his race pace and has found a set up he is happy with for the thirty lap race tomorrow. He will start from sixth and is a mere two tenths from Dani Pedrosa, which shows how close the riders are here with only a second separating the top twelve.

Casey Stoner:

"After the crash on Friday my confidence was dented a little and we struggled to get enough data, so we've been playing catch up all day today. This morning we made a few small steps forward but not really enough, the guys in front of us were just consistently that little bit faster and we were finding it hard to match their pace. We completed a lot of laps on one tyre this morning, in fact over race distance on a tyre I did one of my fastest laps on so this was certainly positive. Then this afternoon we kept trying different directions on both bikes and every step we made on each bike, we took big steps forward so we're pretty happy with the set up we have now. The lap times are very close here so it will be a tough race and hard to take any real advantage. However, I'm very happy and positive we can still slightly improve tomorrow morning so thanks to all my team for a great job."

Dani Pedrosa:

"It's great to be on the front row again, to be honest I didn't expect it. But we've done a good job and it's important to start in front here because the first corner is very tight and it's better to avoid being caught in the group at the start. For the race, we still need to improve the bike a little, so we will work on that with the mechanics this evening. It would be nice to have a little more traction. I think we will need to pay attention to Yamaha at the end of the race because the riding is smoother and they can save the tyres better. As for my condition, right now the races are physically hard for me, but it's also true that with more left hand corners in this circuit I don't suffer as in Mugello and I can concentrate on my riding. More than pain, I feel weak from lack of training, but we will give our maximum hoping to get a good result."

Andrea Dovizioso:

“I’m confident for tomorrow as we have good pace but it will be a hard race, as there are five or six of us very close to each other. Starting from the second row it will be important to have a good start and keep a constant rhythm without stressing the tyres too much, since they get very hot here. In the first laps the right side of the tyre is difficult to get temperature, into while the left side is stressed a lot so managing the tyres will be a crucial point for the race. We’ll work on the set up to fine tune the settings and I’m positive to fight for a good result tomorrow."

Repsol Honda press release

Strong Repsol Honda showing after Stoner, Pedrosa falls

The first day of the German Grand Prix began badly for the Repsol Honda team when Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa were among four riders to suffer big falls at Turn 11 this morning. 

Stoner's accident was the most spectacular, the world championship leader bouncing off the front of his RCV after being unseated in a highside. 

The Australian returned to set the second fastest lap time of the session, but the incident left him with a bruised arm and disrupted his plans. 

"I'm not too happy with how today has gone, we had a crash second lap out in FP1 and this affected us quite a lot, we lost a lot of time coming in and changing leathers and then I had to go out on a bike that I wasn't quite as comfortable with, so apart from the last few laps, this morning's session was a bit of a waste for us," said Stoner. 

Stoner finished the day in fourth place, 0.317sec behind Marco Simoncelli. 

"Then this afternoon we tried the bike from this mornings crash but something wasn't quite right with it so we had to come back in and get on the other bike. We definitely made some progress, we started using hard tyres front and rear and made some positive steps but we still need to take a big step forward tomorrow. 

"Our confidence was knocked today and I'm feeling a little sore still but we remain positive for tomorrow and hopefully we'll be able to close the gap a little more". 

Pedrosa, riding in his second event since returning from a broken collarbone, fortunately avoided further injury in his Turn 11 lowside. 

The Spaniard, winner of last year's event, went on to finish afternoon practice in a strong third place, 0.207sec from Simoncelli. 

"I crashed in the fast downhill right hand corner, like everyone else because the tyre was very cold and I had no warning," said Pedrosa. "Fortunately I did not hurt myself which is good and in the afternoon I was able to improve my lap times because in the morning, after the crash, we didn't have much time on track. 

"In the second practice, with sunshine and a little more temperature on the track, we had better grip especially in these critical turns on the right, although the track conditions are not great. Anyway, times are pretty good compared to last year although the track conditions are worse. 

"We will keep working on the bike tomorrow and I will probably try the new swing arm I tested in Mugello on Monday". 

Andrea Dovizioso was the only Repsol rider not to fall and he made it three orange RCVs in a row with fifth place, 0.429sec from the top. 

“I'm happy with how we worked in both sessions today," he said. "This is a complicated track as there are only three right corners and it's difficult to get the right side of the tyre into temperature and there is not so much grip. This morning it was colder than expected and we saw many crashes. 

"We focused on riding constantly at a good pace without being too much on the limit. In this circuit you spend most of the time on the edge of the tyre so we tried to maintain a good rhythm to avoid stressing the tyres too much. We started well this morning and we improved in the afternoon session. We tried to ride consistently with race tyres as it's hard to maintain a good rhythm for the 30 laps of the GP on Sunday.” 

Repsol Honda trio in top five on first day

Dani Pedrosa, last year's winner of the Grand Prix of Germany, was third on the time sheet, just two tenths of a second off the provisional pole position. Casey Stoner finished fourth and Andrea Dovizioso fifth in one of the shortest but also most technical circuits of the MotoGP calendar.

In the afternoon, the conditions of the track improved a little compared to the morning's free practice, when both Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa (along with Valentino Rossi and Toni Elias) suffered crashes due to the cold track temperatures in a circuit where it is especially difficult to warm up the tyres on the right hand corners. All four riders fell at the same place, in Turn 11, the long right hand corner after seven consecutive left hand corners.

Fortunately Pedrosa and Stoner avoided serious injury and both riders returned back on track in FP1. After the first session, the Australian had a precautionary X-ray on his right arm which confirmed there was no fracture, just a small bone contusion.

In the afternoon session, all three Repsol Honda riders consistently improved their times from FP1. Pedrosa recorded his fastest lap in the last minute improving by 1.2 seconds, Stoner by 0.5 seconds and Dovizioso by 0.7 seconds.

The Italian was in a good shape after his recent podium in Italy and felt comfortable from the beginning in Sachsenring where he has decided to use the new swing arm that they tested in the post race test in Mugello, as has team mate Casey Stoner. Pedrosa didn't use the swing arm today, but may do so tomorrow.

Dani Pedrosa:

"We had a quite positive start despite the accident I had in the morning practice session. I crashed in the fast downhill right hand corner, like everyone else because the tyre was very cold and I had no warning. Fortunately I didn’t hurt myself, which is good, and in the afternoon I was able to improve my lap times because in the morning, after the crash, we didn't have much time on track. In the second practice, with sunshine and a little more temperature on the track, we had better grip especially in these critical turns on the right, although the track conditions still are not great. Anyway, times are pretty good compared to last year, though the track conditions are worse. We’ll keep working on the bike tomorrow and I’ll probably try the new swing arm I tested in Mugello on Monday."

Casey Stoner:

"I'm not too happy with how today has gone, we had a crash second lap out in FP1 and this affected us quite a lot, we lost a lot of time coming in and changing leathers and then I had to go out on a bike that I wasn't quite as comfortable with, so apart from the last few laps, this morning's session was a bit of a waste for us. Then this afternoon we tried the bike from this mornings crash, but something wasn't quite right with it so we had to come back in and get on the other bike. We definitely made some progress, we started using hard tyres front and rear and made some positive steps but we still need to take a big step forward tomorrow. Our confidence was knocked today, and I'm feeling a little sore still but we remain positive for tomorrow and hopefully we'll be able to close the gap a little more."

Andrea Dovizioso:

“I’m happy with how we worked in both sessions today. This is a complicated track as there are only three right corners and it’s difficult to get the right side of the tyre into temperature plus there isn’t much grip. This morning it was colder than expected and we saw many crashes. We focused on riding constantly at a good pace without being too much on the limit. In this circuit you spend most of the time on the edge of the tyre, so we tried to maintain a good rhythm to avoid stressing the tyres too much. We started well this morning and improved in the afternoon session. We tried to ride consistently with race tyres, as it’s hard to maintain a good rhythm for 30 laps of the GP on Sunday.”

Repsol Honda press release

Pictures: Andrea Dovizioso Sachsenring Pre Event

Pictures of Andrea Dovizioso, Sachsenring pre event