MotoGP Sachsenring: Pre-Race (updated regularly)

NEWEST AT TOP

LCR Honda

Sachsenring, 17 July: After the 9th place of the US GP at the Laguna Seca’s “roller coaster”, Randy de Puniet and his LCR Honda MotoGP Team moved back to Europe for the Alice Grand Prix of Deutschland at 3.671 km Sachsenring race track.

De Puniet aims to continue his impressively consistent season at the German track. The Frenchman riding the Honda RC212V no 4, who has finished every race so far and usually in the top ten, has shown impressive speed at the German track in recent years. Last year he was eight in the pouring rain. In 2003 he finished on the German 250 GP podium.

De Puniet: “Sachsenring is a very strange circuit: the first part is very slow then the second part is quite a lot faster. But I like the track and I have been very fast in the T1 and sections T2 and also in the final section. Last year we had a very good rhythm in the dry (second row) but then the rain spoiled that for the race. I hope to continue my positive season with a top-eight finish this weekend.”

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Pramac Racing

After the absence due to injury of Mika Kallio in the American Grand Prix of last 5th of July, the Pramac Racing Team is back with full line up for the German GP with both riders ready to battle on the Sachsenring track. The circuit, situated about 100km from Dresden, is the second shortest of the MotoGP World Championship after Laguna Seca and the insidious turns and the various changes of direction make it one of the slowest as well. Mika Kallio really likes the German circuit and considers it his favorite. In the last few years the Finnish riders made it to step on the podium in Germany in two occasions: second in 2007 in the 250 class after starting from pole position and on the highest step of the podium in 2005 in the 125cc class. For his teammate, Niccolò Canepa, it will be the first time at the Sachsenring. The Genovese rider, as it already happen in some occasion this year, will try to know the new track in the shortest time possible to result competitive in the race.

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Team Technical Director

“It is so nice to have Mika back with us. We really miss him in America, but I am still convinced that we took the right decision by leaving him at home for one weekend to recover in the best way possible and don’t ruin the rest of the season. It is from the beginning of the season that Mika tells me this is one of his favorite track, if not the favorite, this is why we expect a lot here. For sure it will not be easy due to the injury, but we believe that Mika will almost be in the best physical condition possible to compete at the maximum level. For Niccolò it will not be easy as this is another unknown track for him: we will try everything to make him learn the secrets of this track in the shortest time possible.”

Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team rider

“It is so nice to be back. I can’t wait to step back on my Ducati Desmosedici GP9 Sat. The situation with my left ring finger has improved a lor and I feel ready to ride. I would say I am at 90% of my physical condition. I will have to wear a special glove made by Alpinestar with much more space for my left ring finger due to big bendage I have on it. For sure in the next few weeks I will not be able to get married as the ring would never fit with my actual conditions of the ring finger. This circuit is very nice, I found my self at ease since the first few race. In 2005 I stepped on the highest step of the 125cc podium and in 2007, after starting from pole position, I finished second in the 250cc class.”

Niccolò Canepa – Pramac Racing Team rider

“Today I have trained a bit with a Kart race organize by Dorna which I enjoyed a lot. I am very concentrated; it will be a difficult weekend for me at the Sachsenring, as I don’t the track. I will start with a small handicap compare the other riders, but I believe I can learn the track in the first two free practices to result more competitive from qualifying session. Luckily after this race there will only be Australia that I still don’t know.”

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MotoGP

The 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship participants arrived at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany on Thursday, ahead of the ninth race weekend of the year, with the premier class riders returning to Europe after their visit to California less than two weeks ago.

In the official Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland press conference World Champion and standings leader Valentino Rossi was the first man to speak, as he, Dani Pedrosa, Chris Vermeulen, Nicky Hayden and Mika Kallio evaluated their 2009 experiences to date and offered their views on riding at the German venue.

On his Sachsenring record, Rossi stated, “It is always a difficult track for me personally but I have had some good victories here in the past, one in the 250cc class, one in MotoGP in 2002 and two in a row with Yamaha more recently. In 2007 I made a mistake in the race and lost a lot of important points in the championship, but last year was good in difficult conditions. It was very cold and there was a lot of rain but arriving in second position was an important result.”

Meanwhile, Repsol Honda’s ‘comeback kid’ Pedrosa, who finally returned to full form with victory last time out at Laguna Seca, referred to his dramatic crash in 2008’s German round, saying, “I’ve also had some good times here. Last year especially was not the greatest moment! It is a track where things are tight, the lap times are very close between the riders, so you have to work very hard to get on the front row.”

Having missed the chance to make his Laguna Seca debut last time out due to a nasty finger injury sustained in Assen, Pramac Racing rookie Kallio confirmed that he is ready to ride again. Having lost a significant portion of the finger in question he is unable to wear his wedding ring at present, but joked, “I didn’t plan it like that!”

“There is not much of the finger left, but it is better than it looks. It is not painful any more and if it starts to get uncomfortable when I’m on the bike I’m sure it will be ok with a painkilling injection,” remarked the Finn.

Earlier in the day, several riders had the opportunity to hone their racing instincts in a kart competition held at the circuit complex.

MotoGP talents Marco Melandri, Andrea Dovizioso, Niccolò Canepa and Alex de Angelis were the headlining riders in the karting contest, split into three groups to include 125cc and 250cc stars.

The race between the top qualifiers from the three groups was won by Balatonring substitute rider Aleix Espargaró, with Álvaro Bautista and Dovizioso completing the podium.

Free practice at the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland begins tomorrow afternoon at 1.55pm local time for the MotoGP stars, preceded by the 125cc category and followed by the 250cc class.

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San Carlo Honda Gresini

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team head for Germany this weekend following a successful trip to the United States, as the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe for back-to-back races before the summer break. This weekend’s event, to be followed just seven days later by the British Grand Prix at Donington Park, marks the halfway point in a championship that has seen the Italian squad make important strides in recent weeks and create genuine optimism of a strong second half to the campaign.

Toni Elias has produced his best performances of the season so far in the past two rounds at Assen and Laguna Seca, where he was fighting for a top six finish on both occasions. Sixth place in California, just 0.4 seconds behind fifth place, was the reward for months of hard work on the set-up of his factory-spec Honda RC212V machine that he hopes will continue to bear fruit at Sachsenring and beyond.

Alex De Angelis’ efforts have yet to be remunerated by results so far this year but the San Marino rider this week travels to a circuit that has seen some of the best performances of his career. De Angelis produced an incredible run of consecutive podiums at Sachsenring in the smaller classes, scoring three second-places and three thirds from six visits there between 2002 and 2007.

The history of premier-class racing at Sachsenring can be divided into two eras – firstly from 1961 to 1972, when the original circuit, measuring almost nine kilometres, hosted the East German Grand Prix. The modern era began in 1998, when the top class returned to a completely modernised facility. The current track is the second shortest on the World Championship calendar, behind Laguna Seca, measuring less than four kilometres.

#15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
“I have had so many good results at Sachsenring in the past, just the kind of results we could do with right now! Unfortunately we made the wrong choice with the setting for the race at Laguna but there were a lot of positives about the weekend as a whole and we are looking to bring those to the fore in Germany. The German Grand Prix is definitely one of my favourites. I have a lot of affection for the Sachsenring circuit because I took my first pole there and I was on the podium every year from 2002 to 2007. The track is very technical, varied and without any long straights so it is important to have a good chassis set-up, more than a powerful engine. We’re going through a difficult phase right now but we won’t give up.”

#24 TONI ELIAS
“It is important that we have started to find the right way forward at this stage of the season because there is still a long way to go and perhaps if we had taken any longer it would be too late. We have had eight tough races but we’re starting to find the limits of this bike and we still have nine races left in which to push it to the maximum. To be honest I don’t like Sachsenring much but looking back I have raced there injured on three occasions so maybe that’s why I don’t have good memories or good results to reflect on! Last year could have been much better but it rained so hopefully this is the year my fortunes change in Germany. I stayed on in America for an extra day to go sightseeing in San Francisco, which was great fun, but after that I was straight home to train and get ready for another important race.”

FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“We have two very technical tracks coming up, in Sachsenring and Donington Park, that rely heavily on set-up and rider ability so our aim as a team is to give our guys the best possible motorcycle underneath them to get the most out of their potential. We have made some big steps forward recently with Toni but we know there is much more to come because in Laguna Seca, for example, we were still using the softer tyre whereas our competitors are on the hard rubber. It is important for us to transfer his performance to the hard tyre so that he can take that extra step in terms of his pace over race distance and this is our target for the next two races.”

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Bridgestone

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Hard, Extra hard.    Rear: Hard, Extra hard (asymmetric)

Round nine of the MotoGP calendar takes the field to Germany and the Sachsenring circuit for the first half of another back-to-back pair of races. It is the third race in four weeks, meaning Bridgestone’s logistics have had to be faultless to deliver almost 1800 tyres comprising four different compounds to the right place at the right time.

The German Grand Prix is the second race of the season to which Bridgestone will bring asymmetric rear tyres. These will be the same specification as used for the Catalan Grand Prix  – the hard and extra hard compounds. However, due to the anti-clockwise nature of the German circuit, here it is the left shoulder that is harder.

The circuit consists predominantly of left-handed corners, most of which are long and relatively fast. This uses the left shoulders of the Bridgestone slicks much harder than the right, necessitating harder compounds on the left side of the tyre for increased durability and a softer compound on the right for better grip at a lower operating temperature.

Sachsenring presents riders with two slow right-hand corners at the start of the lap but then a series of fast lefts sweep onto the back straight and to the finish, interrupted only by the fast right-handed kink of turn twelve. There are ten left-hand corners and only four right-handers, and the temperature differential between the two shoulders of each tyre is sufficient to demand the use of Bridgestone’s asymmetric rear tyres.

The weather at the venue can unpredictable, but last year a wet and cold weekend played into Bridgestone’s hands as Bridgestone-shod riders dominated the race and claimed the top four positions. Casey Stoner took pole and the race victory for Ducati, giving Bridgestone their first win at the Sachsenring. Valentino Rossi finished second in his first wet race since switching to Bridgestone tyres, Chris Vermeulen was third to give Suzuki their first podium of the season and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Alex de Angelis was fourth in his first wet MotoGP race. Bridgestone-shod riders filled eight of the top ten positions.

Sachsenring has the second shortest lap of the calendar, just 61 metres longer than a lap of Laguna Seca, howeverthe race covers the shortest distance of the year, totalling just 110.13km.

Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit: “Last year was a good race for us at Sachsenring and one in which our wet tyres clearly worked well, bringing our first victory at the circuit with Casey and taking eight of the top ten positions. We struggled a little at this race two years ago when the conditions were dry, although Loris still finished second, but I am looking forward to hopefully another dry race this year. I am sure that now all riders are using our tyres, we will see another good and close race whether wet or dry. Sachsenring is special for us because our fitting team is based nearby so it is like a home race.”

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development: “Sachsenring’s  anti-clockwise  layout  means  it  has  a  greater  number  of  left-hand  corners,  so  to  best  suit  these conditions we have chosen our asymmetric rear slicks for the second time this season. We saw that the hard and extra hard compound asymmetric Bridgestone slicks worked well in similar conditions in Catalunya, so I am confident of their performance at this circuit. Here we see a great disparity between left and right corners which means that the difference in temperature between the left and the right shoulders of the rear tyres is significant, far greater than that in Laguna Seca. This is why we always planned to bring our asymmetric slicks here.

“As  we  approach  the  second  half  of  the  season,  we  will  see  a  greater  number  of  uses  of  the  asymmetric  rear Bridgestone slicks. As well as Catalunya and Sachsenring, we will take them to a further four races.”

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Ducati Marlboro

Ducati Marlboro Team take their good team performance from Laguna Seca to Germany this weekend as they prepare for an even tougher challenge than usual. Whilst the recent progress made with the GP9 allowed Casey Stoner to finish at the foot of the podium despite being physically drained and Nicky Hayden to score his best result of the season so far in his home Grand Prix, now the Australian is faced with another battle against his own physical condition, which were confirmed at Laguna Seca as being far from ideal, and the American must back up his improved form and show that development is on the right lines.

Stoner stayed on in the United States following the last race to undergo a series of examinations designed at pinpointing the exact nature and cause of his current illness. The examinations have confirmed a slight gastritis and mild anaemia, which left him weak and for which he will continue to receive treatment in the coming weeks as he attempts to recover full strength. Doctors are sure that with the right treatment he will be back to full fitness in a matter of weeks.

LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director
“This is a delicate time for Casey but we know he is made of stern stuff. He will continue to fight like a lion, as he has done in the past few races, even though the crash at Laguna left hits mark on him and that certainly won’t help. Nicky again rides at a circuit where he has always gone well at in the past and I’m sure he will be able to confirm that the improvement made at Laguna is only the start!”

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team (3rd in the championship on 135 points)
“I have been in USA until Saturday to do all the tests. First of all I’d like to thanks all the Doctors involved in this, Dr. Ting and Dr. Tuan in the Fremont Surgery Center, Dr. Macchiagodena, Dr. Catani, Dr. Ceccarelli and of course my physiotherapist Freddy. Hopefully step by step I will feel better with their indications. I still don’t feel like I am 100% but the biggest problem now is the ribs that are very painful after the crash in the USA GP Qualifying. It will be probably another hard week end, but as always, we will do our best to stay as much as possible close to the lead of the Championship”.

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team (12th in the championship on 38 points)
“We have made some real progress the last few weeks and I hope we can keep it going because bringing up the rear of the pack is not fun. We still have a big gap to the front guys so we have a lot of work to do to close that down and we must stay very focused. Germany is another small, twisty track with lap times almost exactly the same as Laguna – in fact they are the two shortest tracks on the tour – but it’s a track I like and where I have gone well at in the past. The first section is super tight and is the part I think will be the hardest for me on our bike, but I hope to be strong in the second half, which includes the ‘waterfall’ corner, which is about as good as it gets if you like fast, blind corners that take your breath away!  Normally in Germany on race day it’s a completely full house with fans stacked everywhere so that makes for a great atmosphere!”

THE TRACK
The history of MotoGP World Championship racing at Sachsenring can be divided into two parts – the first from 1961 to 1972, when the original road circuit of almost nine kilometres played host to the East German Grand Prix and the second, modern, era beginning just over a decade ago in 1998. Initially a high-speed road circuit, it was removed from the calendar because it was deemed to be too dangerous so it is ironic that it returned as the slowest track, with an average speed of just 143km/h. Modifications introduced in 2000 and 2001 brought that speed up to 159km/h but the track is the second shortest behind Laguna Seca, the only other current venue that measures less than four kilometres in length. However, that is not the only peculiarity about Sachsenring, where a tortuous sequence of twisting corners gives the riders fewer opportunities to fully open the throttle than anywhere else in the world. Indeed, the first section is a veritable tangle of turns before a faster series of left-handers that lead into an incredible blind right, followed by a dramatic descent and a braking zone that always provides the best opportunity to make an overtake stick.

SACHSENRING LAP RECORDS
Circuit Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2007), 1’23.082  – 159.066km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1’21.067 – 163.020 Km/h
Circuit Length: 3.671km
MotoGP Race 2009: 30 laps (110,130 km)
MotoGP 2009 Schedule: 14:00 Central Europe Time

Podium 2008: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Chris Vermeulen
Pole 2008: Casey Stoner (Ducati), 1’21.067 – 163.020 Km/h

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT SACHSENRING
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 2nd (Capirossi)
2006: 5th (Capirossi)
2005: 6th (Capirossi)
2004: -
2003: 3rd (Bayliss)

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – RIDER INFO

CASEY STONER
Age: 23 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia )
Residency: Switzerland
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP9
GP Appearances: 121 (60xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125)
GP Victories: 25 (18xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 20 (16xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125)
First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)

MotoGP track record at Sachsenring:
2008: Grid: 1st.  Race: 1st
2007: Grid: 1st;  Race: 5th
2006: Grid: 8th; Race: -

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 27 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP9
GP Appearances: 107 (107xMotoGP)
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP)
First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP)
First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

MotoGP track record at Sachsenring:
2008  Grid: 8th Race: 13th
2007: Grid: 14th. Race: 3rd
2006: Grid: 3rd. Race: 3rd
2005: Grid: 1st. Race: 3rd
2004: Grid: 9th. Race: 3rd
2003: Grid: 15th. Race: 5th

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MotoGP

The 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship this weekend continues a fierce run of four races in five weeks, following a brief respite, heading to Sachsenring in Germany for the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The halfway point of the premier class season, the race could end with either one of the top three at the head of the championship standings.

Currently leading the way is Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, who holds a nine-point advantage following the last round in America. The reigning World Champion is also the only fully fit rider in the top four, as the series rapidly picks up pace.

On the podium for all but one of the 17 races since the last German Grand Prix event, Rossi can equal Giacomo Agostini’s record of 158 top three finishes with another rostrum. The Italian has won at Sachsenring on three occasions in the premier class, and is searching for a fourth win of 2009 this weekend.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo left Laguna Seca battered and bruised for the second consecutive year, although he was able to maintain pressure on Rossi with third place in the race. Alongside his points haul, Lorenzo also took a dislocated collarbone and a foot injury away from the stateside event, and will not be at 100% fitness in Germany.

Third placed Casey Stoner is also under the weather. The Australian has been battling with illness for over a month, and stayed on in the U.S. for tests with Dr. Artur Ting. Grit and the high performance level of his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 have kept him in the title hunt, 16 points down on Rossi.

Continued recovery from a leg injury culminated in victory last time out for Dani Pedrosa, who ended a long drought for both himself and Honda with glory at round eight. The Spanish Repsol Honda star’s 2008 season was turned on its head with a crash at Sachsenring last year, when he was leading the wet race and the World Championship.

Just 20 points separate positions five to ten in the overall classification, taking in Colin Edwards, Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Melandri, Chris Vermeulen, Randy de Puniet and Loris Capirossi. Of those six only Melandri has taken a podium thus far in 2009.

Not taking part in the weekend’s events, however, is Sete Gibernau, whose Grupo Francisco Hernando team have pulled out of the series due to financial difficulties.

250cc

Absent from proceedings at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, the lower cylinder categories return to action at Sachsenring this weekend. The 250cc class is not quite as tightly packed as the MotoGP standings, but has every chance of seeing surprises in Germany.

The only riders to have won more than one Grand Prix in 2009 so far, Hiroshi Aoyama and Álvaro Bautista have established themselves as the most consistent quarter-litre performers of the year. The two came together in a crash last time out at Assen when they were fighting for the lead, leaving Bautista with his first DNF of the season and Aoyama with another victory and leadership of the classification by 13 points.

A further 13 points split Bautista and third-placed Héctor Barberá in the standings, as they attempt to prevent a breakaway from Scot Racing Honda rider Aoyama at the top. Last year’s racewinner and World Champion, Marco Simoncelli has a near-50 point deficit to overcome if he is to retain his crown before moving up to MotoGP, but also has fond memories of the Sachsenring circuit. His 2008 win took him to the top of the 250cc classification for the first time in his career.

Back for another bite at the podium after finishing fourth in Assen, Balatonring substitute Aleix Espargaró rides in his second 250cc race of the season.

125cc

Seven races into the 125cc season, the 2009 competition is as fierce as ever. Round eight sees the young guns hitting Sachsenring with 20 points – less than the amount awarded for a single victory – separating the top four.

Julián Simón heads the mathematical minefield that is the 125cc standings, where half points were of course introduced after a curtailed first race of the year. The Bancaja Aspar rider holds a 5.5 point advantage over teammate Bradley Smith, with his British colleague holding the upper hand in victories by two to one.

Another rider with a pair of wins to his name, Andrea Iannone is a further 14 points back, suffering from a certain amount of inconsistency since his storming start to the year. He has come under pressure from third Bancaja Aspar rider Sergio Gadea, the winner of the last round in Assen.

Sachsenring hosts the home race for Assen poleman Sandro Cortese and local star Stefan Bradl, the winner of the 2008 race.

The Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland takes place on Sunday, 19th July, with practice beginning on Friday afternoon.

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Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Frantic, back to back, weekends in Germany and England kick off the second half of the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Norwegian 17 year old Sturla Fagerhaug leads the table by a handsome 43 points from 14 year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura but knows that a repeat of his first corner crash at the Sachsenring last year could turn all that around. With 4 races still to go there are 100 points to be won.

Hiura has yet to add to the Cup victory he scored last year in Portugal but after a fine 2nd place in Assen he is just one of those Fagerhaug will be watching out for. The man really hitting form might be Jake Gagne, the 15 year old Californian is only in his second season as a road racer but following his 3rd in Assen he could continue America’s domination at the German track. Cameron Beaubier won in 2007 on his way to the KTM factory 125 GP team and JD Beach won last year on his way to winning the 2008 Cup.

More experienced opposition comes from Danny Kent who bettered Fagerhaug in the second race of the year to win in Jerez. He also had him in his sights towards the end of the race in Assen but fell and lost his 2nd position in the Cup chase by 2 points to Hiura. Nothing would be better for 15 year old Kent than putting together a great ride in Germany to boost his confidence on the way to Donington and his home race.

“I’ve never seen the place before,” said Kent, not at all deterred by his first trip to the Sachsenring. “I’ve been racing it on Xbox and it looks like fun, up and down and that’s fine for me, I liked Brno last year and that’s a bit the same.” Even though he has to learn the track and will race against Fagerhaug, and others, who know it well, Kent is going there to win. “I think it’s very possible, I’m going to do everything I can and it’s not just Sturla, there’s Jake, Daijiro, Mathew Scholtz and Florian Marino. They’ll all be good.”

“I know that Sturla’s got a points lead now but I am just going to concentrate on getting back as much of that lead as possible. That’s what I’ll do and it’ll be the same at every track and if it’s raining or dry I don’t mind,” concluded Kent.

Putting in his homework last month was Jakub Kornfeil, the 16 year old Czech finished second in the German National 125 Championship race at the Sachsenring behind World Championship regular Jonas Folger who was similarly preparing for the German GP. Kornfeil lies 4th in the Cup chase a point behind Kent and already knows what it will take to beat Fagerhaug in Germany having hounded him all the way to the finish line in Mugello.

Kent remains the only rider to have spoiled Fagerhaug’s perfect score this year but the Cup leader knows that he could well be up for another 7 man fight for the lead that made the Assen race such a thriller. The action can be seen live on www.redbullrookiescup.com and starts at 16.25 CET on Saturday July 18th.

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Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki is on the way to the eastern German circuit at Sachsenring in a determined mood to find the breakthrough that will give the team its first podium of the season.

Following recent good results in Europe – where Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen scored three successive fifth place finishes between them – the last Grand Prix at Laguna Seca proved to be a tough weekend and the team is focused on maximising its potential in Germany.

Vermeulen scored a fantastic wet-weather podium at the 3,671m Sachsenring circuit in 2008 and is planning to try and repeat that achievement this season – whatever the conditions. Capirossi was still suffering with a severe arm injury at last year’s German Grand Prix, but that didn’t stop him battling until the end of the 30-lap race and overtaking Randy De Puniet on the very last corner to give him a hard-earned – and painful – seventh.

Sachsenring is situated near the town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal in eastern Germany, approximately 85 kms from Dresden. It is close to the borders of both the Czech Republic and Poland, and this – allied to a huge German fan-base – adds to an amazing event with over 200,000 spectators expected to pass through the gates during the weekend. The track itself features many long corners, most of them taken at high lean angle and on the left-hand-side of the tyre. The main distinguishing feature of the track is a high-speed section that starts with a blind crest which flows steeply downhill before braking for a hard left-hand turn at the bottom of the hill. With the early part of the track being as twisty as any circuit on the MotoGP calendar, the layout gives the riders, teams and especially Bridgestone a huge challenge to get the best performance from the tyre options available.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the track on Friday for the first of two free practice sessions, followed by the second on Saturday morning. Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon to decide grid positions for round nine of the MotoGP World Championship that gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 19th July.

Chris Vermeulen:

“The last race was very disappointing as we had such high hopes for Laguna, but we must learn from that and move forward in Germany. I got a third at Sachsenring last year and although that was in the wet I am sure we can try and repeat that this year in whatever weather we have to contend with. The bike is still working well and seems to improve every time we go out on it The crew have got a good base package and if that works from the start at Sachsenring – and we can get the tyres to match the bike – then I see no reason why we can’t be competitive from the first day.”

Loris Capirossi:

“The last couple of races have been a bit tough on us, which has been pretty difficult as we have worked so hard to get everything right. The crew have certainly been giving all they can and we just didn’t get the solutions we were looking for. We have still managed to learn a lot of things about how the Suzuki GSV-R behaves in different situations and on different types of Bridgestone tyres, so all that will be very useful to us in Germany. Sachsenring is not a track that needs a lot of power and speed, but it does require careful balance because you are on the side of the tyre so much. I got podium at Sachsenring in 2007 and I’ve also had a couple of other good results there. It is a track that I certainly enjoy racing at and believe that we can do well at – we will just have to see what happens this weekend!”

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Fiat Yamaha

After their American foray to Laguna Seca just ten days ago, the Fiat Yamaha Team is preparing for a return to European shores with the first of a double-header of races this weekend at the Sachsenring in Germany. It will be the start of a tough fortnight for the riders, with this race followed immediately by the British Grand Prix at Donington. Now at its halfway point, the MotoGP World Championship remains tight at the top but Fiat Yamaha continues to lead the way with Valentino Rossi nine points ahead of 22-year-old team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who in turn holds an advantage of seven points over Casey Stoner.

The wooded hills of the Sachsenring have produced some stunning racing over recent years, not least in 2006 when Rossi started from 10th to produce a master class of overtaking and lead home the closest ever finish in MotoGP, with the top four separated by just 0.307 seconds. The 30-year-old has three other wins at the German track and last year finished an important second in torrential rain as several riders slid out. With three wins under his belt so far this season he will be hoping for career victory number 101 this weekend, as he looks to extend his lead at the top of the standings and give himself some breathing space as the paddock goes into its summer break in two week’s time.

Mallorcan-born Lorenzo put up a brilliant performance last time out in the States to finish third after a crash in qualifying left him with a separated shoulder and a badly bruised foot. A week of rest at home in Barcelona has left him in better shape and, while he does not expect to be back to full fitness this weekend, he is confident that with the help of the Mobile Clinic he will be able to play a major part in the weekend’s proceedings. Last year he slid out early on in the rain-struck race and with only one previous podium at the Sachsenring to his name, he will be looking to improve his German record this weekend with a trip to the podium despite his injuries.

Located in the heartland of the former East Germany’s once illustrious motorcycle racing industry, the Sachsenring is built right next to the old road course, a characteristic the track shares with Brno in the nearby Czech Republic, which the paddock will visit in mid August. It is the second shortest track on the calendar and features a series of tight and relatively slow corners mixed in with some dazzlingly fast ones – including a stomach-churning downhill right hander which was added in 2003.

Sachsenring: Record Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2007, 1′23.082

Sachsenring: Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1′21.067

Grand Prix Results: Sachsenring 2008
1. C. Stoner (Ducati) 47′30.057
2. V. Rossi (Yamaha) +3.708
3. C.Vermeulen (Suzuki) +14.002

J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) DNF

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Repsol Honda

The Repsol Honda Team travels to the Sachsenring circuit in Germany this week in buoyant mood after Dani Pedrosa’s dominant win at the US Grand Prix. The Spaniard’s flag-to-flag victory at the last round at Laguna Seca proved that the Honda RC212V race machine is now a force to be reckoned with – and that Pedrosa himself is back to his brilliant best.

That’s ominous news for Pedrosa’s rivals. His excellent record at the short and technical 3.671km (2.280 miles)
Sachsenring track means he arrives in Germany full of confidence and ready to challenge for a repeat of his Laguna win. Pedrosa has scored three previous Grand Prix victories at the German circuit – twice in the 250cc class in 2004 and 2005, and again in MotoGP in 2007 where he obliterated the opposition with a winning margin of over 13 seconds. Though he fell whilst leading last year’s wet race, Pedrosa is now approaching full physical fitness again after an injury-hit start to 2009, and will be targeting the top step of the podium this weekend.

His team-mate, Andrea Dovizioso, will be looking to convert his impressive recent pace into the race result he deserves after experiencing some bad luck in the last two races. The Italian has displayed consistent top five speed this season and he too has drawn confidence from Pedrosa’s win at Laguna. With the recent modifications to the RC212V’s chassis clearly benefitting the Honda factory machine, Dovizioso will go into the German Grand Prix believing he can run with the frontrunners and battle for the podium.

The Sachsenring circuit near Dresden in the east of Germany bears interesting similarities to Laguna Seca which hosted the previous round of the championship, being short, running anti-clockwise and featuring dramatic elevation changes. The track starts with a tight, technical first section before plunging down hill through a series of fast left-handers which test both rider courage and machine balance. As always, a huge crowd is expected as round nine of the MotoGP World Championship gets underway with first practice on Friday at 13.55. Sunday’s 30-lap Grand Prix of Germany begins at 14.00.

DANI PEDROSA – World championship position: 4th
“I’ve had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been in for a while. The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we’ve been making progress and we now have the pace to win races. However, we can’t take anything for granted and I’m sure our rivals will be strong again and determined to fight back. I really like the Sachsenring circuit too and, despite what happened last year, I think we can be competitive again here. I’ve had a good week since Laguna, and it was great to be able to go and see the start of the Tour de France stage in Barcelona on Friday. I’ve been able to get back in training on the bicycle, and seeing the Tour gave me even more motivation. So I’m feeling confident for this weekend and I’m looking forward to Germany.”

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO – World championship position: 6th
“I’m very motivated to show my potential and the potential of the machine in Germany because at the last two races we have improved a lot, without getting the results to match. The race results in Assen and Laguna were disappointing, but the recent signs have been encouraging, especially in Laguna where we were very close to the leaders and I had a good race pace and a package that meant I was capable of fighting for the front positions. Unfortunately I made a mistake, but it’s just something you learn from and move on. I wouldn’t say the Sachsenring racetrack is one of my favourites of the year but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s is quite short, with a very slow first beginning section followed by a very fast second half. The team is getting stronger all the time and I’m confident we can have a good weekend.”
Rider Statistics – Dani Pedrosa
Age     23
Racing number     3
Race machine     Honda RC212V
Date of birth     September 29, 1985
Birthplace     Castellar del Valles – Spain
Height     1.59m
Weight     52kg
Hobbies     Cycling, Music
Grand Prix debut     2001, 125cc Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
First GP win     2002, 125cc Dutch Grand Prix, Assen
GP wins     30: 8 x 125cc, 15 x 250cc, 7 x MotoGP
GP podiums     72: 17 x 125cc, 24 x 250cc, 31 x MotoGP
GP pole positions     30: 9 x 125cc, 9 x 250cc, 12 x MotoGP
World Championships     3: 1 x 125cc (2003); 2 x 250cc (2004, 2005)
German GP results     2001: 11th (125cc), 2002: 7th (125cc), 2003: 4th (125cc), 2004: 1st (250cc)
2005: 1st (250cc), 2006: 4th (MotoGP), 2007: 1st (MotoGP), 2008: DNF (MotoGP)

Rider Statistics – Andrea Dovizioso
Age     23
Racing number     4
Race machine     Honda RC212V
Date of birth     March 23, 1986
Birthplace     Forli, Italy
Height     1.65m
Weight     63kg
Hobbies     MX, Supermoto
Grand Prix debut     2001, Italian Grand Prix, Mugello
First GP win     2004, Africa’s Grand Prix, Welcom
GP wins     9: 5 x 125cc, 4 x 250cc
GP podiums     42: 15 x 125cc, 26 x 250cc, 1 x MotoGP
GP pole positions     13: 9 x 125cc, 4 x 250cc
World Championships     1: 125cc (2004)
German GP results     2002: 13th (125cc), 2003: 7th (125cc), 2004: 4th (125cc)
2005: 4th (250cc), 2006: 4th (250cc), 2007: 5th (250cc), 2008: 5th (MotoGP)

Circuit information
First race     1961 (Modified 2004)
GPs held     23
Laps     30
Race distance     110.130km / 68.430miles
Track length     3.671km / 2.281miles
Track width     12m
Longest straight     0.780km / 0.485miles
Corners     14 (10 left, 4 right)
Pole position     Left

Sachsenring

AM Sachsenring

09353 Oberlungwitz

http://www.sachsenring-circuit.com

Circuit records
Pole position     1m21.067s (163.020Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
Race lap     1m23.082s (159.066Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2007)
Race time     41m53.196s (157.754Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2007)
MotoGP Wins     3 (Valentino Rossi 2002, 2005-06)
2008 Winner     Casey Stoner (Ducati)