News Feed
Sepang MotoGP: Pre-Race (updated regularly)
October 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under 2010 Race Calendar
NEWEST AT TOP
MotoGP
The anticipation for this weekend’s Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix continued to build on Thursday, with championship leader Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaró and 125cc World Champion Julián Simón all in attendance at the official pre-event press conference.
Rossi arrives in Malaysia this week with a 38-point advantage over his Fiat Yamaha team-mate and closest title rival Jorge Lorenzo, following the Spaniard’s crash at Phillip Island last weekend. Knowing that he needs a top-four finish regardless of Lorenzo’s result at Sepang to secure the 2009 MotoGP World Championship crown this weekend, Rossi is refusing to become complacent despite the relative assuredness of his current position.
“We have the first match point for the championship,” admitted the defending champion. “After Jorge’s mistake at Phillip Island we have a good advantage. But we have to treat this like a normal race, especially in practice, because I like this track a lot and have had great results and races here in the past.”
Stoner was in fine form on his home track last time out, securing a race victory and wrestling third position in the championship standings from Dani Pedrosa. The Australian also came first on the Malaysian track in his title-winning year of 2007, and is feeling in fantastic shape ahead of this weekend’s race.
“The last two races were fantastic for us, it was the right way to come back,” said the 24 year-old. “In Portugal we had a great race and then at Phillip Island we topped it off. Things are so much better now; everything is working well, including my body, so we are really looking forward to this weekend now. It has been a long time since I looked forward to racing so much, because it was really hard when I wasn’t competitive before the break.”
Aside from the pre-event press conference in the build up to the weekend, there was also a trip to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary for Loris Capirossi, Hiroshi Aoyama, Héctor Barberá and Nico Terol.
The riders fed, interacted with and even rode the elephants, with Terol – the only rider brave enough to help bathe the native Malaysian animals – comparing the experience of being atop an elephant to that of riding a Grand Prix prototype.
“Well obviously you are so much higher up and things are a lot calmer, but you know if there is a crash there is a much bigger distance to fall!” joked the Jack & Jones Team man.
There was further fun back at the Sepang circuit, where 125cc rider Bradley Smith beat off competition from several fellow riders, including Pedrosa, Mika Kallio and Marco Melandri from the premier class, and former 500cc World Champion Àlex Crivillé to win a karting race.
******************
Repsol
The World Championship heads into the closing stages and its penultimate event, before the usual Grande Finale at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste, Valencia, is the exotic Sepang Circuit. With hardly time to rest, this week, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso are taking part in the Malaysian Grand Prix with the good results achieved in Australia as their personal target to beat, as two world champions like them always aim to continue moving forward. In the 125cc category, the Australian event was more complicated for the Repsol riders who, after just a few days rest, now have a new opportunity to recoup.
Between now and the end of the season, Dani Pedrosa’s aim is to achieve a new victory, a result that has been very hard to get this season, but which he will go all out to achieve in order to recover third place in the overall standings. The Repsol rider has finished on the podium in the last three races, but has been unable to find that little bit extra in the set up of his Repsol Honda RC212V to fight head to head for first place. A year ago, he took pole position at the Malaysian circuit and second place in the race, so this season, the Repsol rider will try to reward the efforts of his team with a good performance.
Last year, Andrea Dovizioso finished just behind Pedrosa, achieving his first podium finish in the top category of the world championship in Sepang. After the step forward shown in Australia, the Italian Repsol Honda Team rider arrives at an event as important as Malaysia with boosted morale. The season has not evolved as expected, but as a result of his work and effort, Dovizioso has secured fifth place in the overall standings, behind the ‘magnificent four’ of the category.
In 125cc and with the world champion already decided, the Sepang event will be a new opportunity for the young and promising Repsol riders to prove what they can do. Marc Márquez was the unfortunate victim of the event a year ago, after a dramatic fall in which his right leg got trapped in the chassis of his KTM. This season, he will fight to get back into the leading positions, although he will face a circuit on which he has hardly ridden. The rider who has not even completed one lap of this circuit is his team mate, Cameron Beaubier, who will make his debut on the demanding Malaysian circuit.
Esteve Rabat and Scott Redding arrive at the Malaysian Grand Prix without having completely recovered the pace on their Aprilia RSAs. Although Rabat proved to be regular and consistent over the weekend, a breakdown in the penultimate lap prevented him from finishing the race. On the opposite end of the scale, Redding had a lot of problems completing all of the practice minutes on the track, due to mechanical problems. In the race, however, the English rider felt comfortable once again on his bike, finishing eleventh after an impressive comeback.
Dani PEDROSA >>
“Sepang is a good circuit and I always look forward to this race. I’ve won here previously with Honda in the 125 and 250 classes, and I’d really like to add a MotoGP win to those victories. It could be tough because we know how fast our rivals have been recently, but still, the win is what we’ll be aiming for as always – and also to challenge Casey for third in the championship.
The track has a fast and challenging layout – plus the hot, humid conditions we encounter here always mean this is a physically demanding race for the riders, although we’re well prepared for it. It will certainly be a big contrast to the cold weather conditions we rode in at Phillip Island last weekend. At the moment we are looking to improve the stability of our machine and it’s important that from the first moments of practice we use all the preparation time available to us to arrive at the best possible package for this race.”
Andrea DOVIZIOSO >>
“I really look forward to racing in Malaysia as this is my favourite track and I have good memories there. Last year I had a strong race at Sepang and scored my first podium in MotoGP on the RC12V for the Scot Honda team. I’m also confident about this weekend because, during the last part of the race in Australia, my feeling with the bike improved a lot, and if we make a good start in practice on Friday I think we can go on to be competitive in the race.
As we saw in Australia, it’s so important to secure a good position on the grid if you want to fight for the leading positions. Sepang is an excellent circuit and because of this I enjoy the Malaysian Grand Prix very much. It’s a complete track, with various fast and slow sections, and also the circuit is wide, which lets you try different lines. With a MotoGP bike, it is really fun and it’ll be great to get back out there on Friday.”
Marc MÁRQUEZ >>
“I’m not very familiar with the Sepang Circuit, as last year I only rode for 40 minutes. I had time to see what the track was like, but this year, I’m sure that the first free practice will be hard, because I’ve hardly done any laps and you could say that it’s new for me.
I liked it quite a lot and it seemed fun, although we’ll have to see how we adapt to the heat.”
Esteve RABAT >>
“The Malaysian Grand Prix is where I scored for the first time in my life, and the first year went well for me, finishing twelfth. But after that, the following two years I’ve been, it didn’t go so well. We need to concentrate on getting a good set up, to have a fast bike.
There, it’s very important how you ride, because it’s a very complicated track, where we’ll have to work hard.”
Scott REDDING >>
“I hope that we can get a good set up, like the one we had in Australia and improve the performance of the engine a little. I hope that we can use all of the track time to practice on Saturday and Sunday, and I’m sure that we can finish in the top ten.
It’s a nice circuit, although I remember that I had quite a nasty fall last year. It’s a difficult circuit for me because it’s very hot, but I’m sure that by working hard we can get good results.”
Cameron BEAUBIER >>
“I’ve never ridden in Malaysia, so once again, it’ll be a completely new circuit for me. It looks like a really nice circuit, and what’s more, many riders say it is.
What I do know for sure is that it’s going to be very hot, so I trust I’ll adapt well. I hope to have a good race and get a few points, because I think we did a good job in Australia and I had the opportunity to do well in that race.”
*******************
Pramac Racing
After Monday’s medical check up at Melbourne hospital Niccolò Canepa is unluckily obligated to miss the Malaysian race to be able to recover at the best and ride in the season final race at Valencia. The Italian rider, after the skin transplant done on Friday, will have to maintain the injured arm at rest so that the cut will not open again and it will not risk any infections. To take his place in the Pramac Racing Team there will be Aleix Espargarò who has already ridden for the Team this season in two occasions (Indianapolis and Misano). The Catalan rider will have another occasion to get ready to compete in MotoGP next season with the Pramac Racing Team after that he has signed the contract at the beginning of this month.
Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Technical Director
“We are very sorry for Niccolò. He really cared to do well in these last races of the season but due to his physical condition maybe this is the best solution. The cut was really deep and in a delicate area of the arm: under pressure it could have open easily causing more problems. We wish him to get well soon: we’ll wait for him in Valencia for the last round of the season. Taking his place there will be in the team once again Espargarò. Our future rider will have therefore the occasion to accumulate more experience for next year. Mika, in the other side of the garage, is really eager and determined in this part of the season. In the last two races he was doing really well but luck wasn’t on his side: in Sepang and Valencia we are sure that he will be able to achieve positive performances.”
Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing rider
“I like Sepang circuit even if it is one of the few circuits where in the two years in 250cc I couldn’t manage to step on the podium. In 125cc instead I made it to conquer the second position in more than one occasion. I will try to do well this year with the hope that luck will be by my side after what happened in Phillip Island last weekend when I was battling for a good placement. During winter testing I didn’t perform so well here, but now that I have achieved more experience I am trustful to be able to do better.”
Niccolò Canepa – Pramac Racing rider
“I am really sorry to don’t be able to ride in Malaysia. With the Team we were working really well and in the last few races I wanted to conquer a good placement. Doctors have suggested me to don’t take any risks as the cut isn’t looking too good and therefore I will be taking a break to be at the best in Valencia next month. I still feel a lot of pain but now the worst has passed. I hope that Mika and Aleix will be able to conquer good results for the Pramac Racing Team.”
Aleix Espargarò – Pramac Racing rider
“I am very surprised and happy to be back in MotoGP so early even if I am always sad when a colleague gets hurt. I wish Niccolò to get well as soon as possible and be at the best for Valencia race. I will take this weekend as a pre season test: I have a lot to learn and this will be a great occasion for me. After the last race ridden in Misano I have constantly trained and I am sure to be in good physical condition even if in Sepang is always really hard due to the high temperatures and humidity.”
****************************
San Carlo Honda Gresini
A globetrotting finale to the 2009 MotoGP World Championship makes its penultimate stop-off this weekend as the paddock pitches up at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia en route to Europe from Australia. Last Sunday’s race at Phillip Island saw San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alex de Angelis return to the scintillating form he has shown throughout the second half of the season with a fantastic fourth place, as his team-mate Toni Elias rescued some positives from a difficult weekend. Both riders are now locked in an entertaining battle for seventh place in the championship that is providing an interesting sub-plot to the title battle, with De Angelis currently in the driving seat but with no fewer than six riders separated by just six points.
Both De Angelis and Elias are expecting a different kind of challenge at Sepang – a circuit that could barely be in more contrast to the fast and flowing nature of Phillip Island, characterised as it is by hairpins and long straights that put the emphasis on horsepower and hard braking rather than chassis precision and rider skill. The conditions will also be in stark comparison and from ambient temperatures of 16ºC in Australia, anything up to 40ºC can be expected in Malaysia.
The Sepang International Circuit, located 50km to the south of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, has played host to the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix since 1999, making this the eleventh consecutive season that MotoGP has visited the track. Previously the event had been held at Shah Alam (from 1991 to 1997) and Johor (1998). With Assen significantly shortened over recent years, at 5,548 km Sepang is now the longest circuit on the championship calendar and with the track width stretching to 25 metres at some points it is easily the widest.
# 15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
“In theory Malaysia will be more difficult for us because our strength all season has been in the fast corners, which there are a lot of at Phillip Island but not so many at Sepang. There are a lot of hairpins where you need good acceleration and drive out of the corners and this has been a weak point for us. Having said that, I am in great form at the moment, the bike is working well and we are full of confidence. I’m going there seventh in the championship, with a smile on my face and really looking forward to competing again.”
# 24 TONI ELIAS
“Australia was a difficult weekend for us but we knew it would be and there were no surprises. The good thing was that we stayed well in touch with seventh place in the championship and my goal over the final two races is to achieve that position. We had problems with rear traction at Phillip Island and it has been our Achilles heel all season but we are very confident it won’t be a problem in Malaysia. I love the track and the conditions will suit us much better, so hopefully the race is more like the others we have experienced in the second half of this championship, with a competitive weekend fighting for a top six finish.”
FAUSTO GRESINI
“We head to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia looking to continue with our attempt to secure seventh place in the championship, an achievement that would certainly be positive considering how the 2009 season started. We’ll give the maximum possible support to our riders so that they can continue to challenge for top results, like Alex’s recent fourth place in Australia. De Angelis is not a big fan of this circuit but his great current form will ensure that he’ll be on the pace again this weekend. Toni, on the other hand, loves Sepang and I’m sure he can have a great race and join that battle for seventh place overall in the championship.”
*********************
Repsol Honda
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso come into this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix in bullish mood, each confident of a strong result in the penultimate race of the 2009 season. Both riders finished on the podium at Sepang last year – with Pedrosa in second place and Dovizioso in third – and they will be happy with nothing less than a repeat performance in Sunday’s 21-lap race.
Pedrosa has an impressive record at Sepang. In eight races since 2001, he has been off the podium only twice. He was fourth in the 125cc race in his debut Grand Prix season in 2001, and won in the 125cc class in 2003 and again in the 250cc class in 2004. With three MotoGP podiums to his name at Sepang, the 24-year-old Spaniard is looking to add victory at the 5.548km (3.447-mile) circuit to his CV this weekend.
Dovizioso rates Sepang as one of his favourite circuits and arrives ready to put a difficult weekend in Australia behind him. Having shrugged off the upset stomach that hindered him at Phillip Island, the 23-year-old Italian will be looking to build on the confidence he gained during the Australian Grand Prix, where his race pace merited more than his eventual sixth position. Like his team-mate, Dovizioso has visited the podium at Sepang on Honda machinery in all three Grand Prix classes and will be determined to score another top three this weekend.
The Sepang circuit is very familiar to MotoGP riders and teams due to its status as a regular winter testing venue. The combination of tight corners, long straights and challenging, high-speed bends makes it a fine test of race machinery and riding skill. Just as familiar are the weather patterns at the venue, which lies 50km (31 miles) from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Wilting heat, oppressive humidity and torrential tropical rain showers in the afternoon are a common combination at Sepang and, with that in mind, the Repsol Honda Team will be ready for anything when practice begins on Friday afternoon at 13.55 local time (GMT +8 hours).
DANI PEDROSA – World Championship position: 4th – 189 points
“Sepang is a good circuit and I always look forward to this race. I’ve won here previously with Honda in the 125 and 250 classes, and I’d really like to add a MotoGP win to those victories. It could be tough because we know how fast our rivals have been recently, but still, the win is what we’ll be aiming for as always – and also to challenge Casey for third in the championship. The track has a fast and challenging layout – plus the hot, humid conditions we encounter here always mean this is a physically demanding race for the riders, although we’re well prepared for it. It will certainly be a big contrast to the cold weather conditions we rode in at Phillip Island last weekend. At the moment we are looking to improve the stability of our machine and it’s important that from the first moments of practice we use all the preparation time available to us to arrive at the best possible package for this race.”
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO – World Championship position: 5th – 152 points
“I really look forward to racing in Malaysia as this is my favourite track and I have good memories there. Last year I had a strong race at Sepang and scored my first podium in MotoGP on the RC212V for the Scot Honda team. I’m also confident about this weekend because, during the last part of the race in Australia, my feeling with the bike improved a lot, and if we make a good start in practice on Friday I think we can go on to be competitive in the race. As we saw in Australia, it’s so important to secure a good position on the grid if you want to fight for the leading positions. Sepang is an excellent circuit and because of this I enjoy the Malaysian Grand Prix very much. It’s a complete track, with a good combination of fast and slow sections, and also the circuit is wide, which lets you try different lines. With a MotoGP bike, it is really fun and it’ll be great to get back out there on Friday.”
Rider Statistics – Dani Pedrosa
Age 24
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 77: 17 x 125cc, 24 x 250cc, 36 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 31: 9 x 125cc, 9 x 250cc, 13 x MotoGP
World Championships 3: 1 x 125cc (2003); 2 x 250cc (2004, 2005)
Results at Sepang 2001 4th (125cc); 2002 3rd (125cc); 2003 1st (125cc); 2004 1st (250cc)
2005 dnf (250cc); 2006 3rd (MotoGP); 2007 3rd (MotoGP), 2008 2nd (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 10: 5 x 125cc, 4 x 250cc, 1 x MotoGP
GP podiums 43: 15 x 125cc, 26 x 250cc, 2 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 13: 9 x 125cc, 4 x 250cc
World Championships 1: 125cc (2004)
Results at Sepang 2002 15th (125cc); 2003 13th (125cc); 2004 2nd (125cc); 2005 dnf (250cc)
2006 2nd (250cc); 2007 11th (250cc); 2008: 3rd (MotoGP)
Circuit information
First race 1999
GPs held 10
Laps 21
Race distance 116.508km / 72.387miles
Track length 5.548km / 3.447miles
Track width 25m
Longest straight 0.920km / 0.572miles
Corners 15 (10 right, 5 left)
Pole position Left
Sepang International Circuit Sdn. Bhd.
Jalan Pekeliling
64000 KLIA
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia
T: +60 3 8778 2200
F: +60 3 8783 1000
Email: sic@malaysiangp.com.my
Website: www.malaysiangp.com.my/
Ticketing
T: +60.3.8778.2222
ticket@malaysiangp.com.my
Circuit records
Pole position 2m00.605s (165.605km/h) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha, 2006)
Race lap 2m02.108s (163.566 km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2007)
Race time 43m04.405s (162.292km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2007)
MotoGP Wins 5 (Valentino Rossi 2001, 2003-04, 2006, 2008)
2008 Winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
**********************
Fiat Yamaha
 This weekend the MotoGP paddock heads to the tropics for the penultimate round of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have won 10 out of 15 races between them this year and there has only been one race when one of the pair has not been on the podium, making it the most successful season in the team’s history. This weekend Rossi has his first ‘match point’ – his first chance to win his ninth world championship title.
The 30-year-old’s second place last Sunday in Australia meant that he now holds a 38-point lead over his team-mate and he will win the title simply by keeping a buffer of 25 points between him and his rival after Sepang. Thousands of kilometres of testing at the Kuala Lumpur track mean that most riders have the advantage of local knowledge, but Rossi has an impressive five Sepang victories to his name, including last year when he took a resounding victory fresh from wrapping up the title in Japan. In 2005, second place at the track was enough to secure the Italian his second title for Yamaha and he will be determined to do the same this weekend and avoid a final-race showdown with his team-mate for his seventh premier-class title. A difficult weekend for Lorenzo at Phillip Island ended in the gravel trap at turn one and the Mallorcan is happy to have the chance to put it behind him so quickly. He escaped with just a few cuts and bruises and, with the championship now all by out of reach, the youngster is simply focusing on a good finish to a brilliant championship and on confirming the number two spot in the standings. The 22-year-old crashed out on lap 12 of the race last year but he nonetheless has a good past record at Sepang, having won there in 2006 and clinched his second 250cc title there in 2007. Built as a state-of-the-art motor racing venue 1999, at 16 metres across in some areas Sepang is one of the widest tracks on the calendar. With its tropical climate it could not present more different conditions to those of Phillip Island last weekend and the searing track temperatures and high humidity turn the race into a test of endurance and fitness for the riders. With four major hairpins and some fast and frequent changes of direction in its 5.542km layout, Sepang provides a stern workout for the entire bike set-up and its largely consistent, if demanding, climate makes it the ideal winter testing venue. Valentino Rossi – “Match point” Jorge Lorenzo – “Looking to achieve our target” Davide Brivio – “An exciting weekend for everyone” Daniele Romagnoli Valentino Rossi : Information Jorge Lorenzo: Information Sepang: Record Lap Sepang: Best Lap Grand Prix Results: Sepang 2008 |
********************
Ducati Marlboro
After spectacularly guiding his Desmosedici GP9 to the top step of the podium in his home Grand Prix on Sunday, Casey Stoner heads to Malaysia this weekend for what promises to be the ultimate test of his physical condition. Whist heavy rain is never far beyond the horizon at Sepang, intense heat and humidity are always guaranteed and it is a test of endurance for the riders out on track and the mechanics in the team garage. The Australian, who was in fine physical condition following the race at Phillip Island, took victory at Sepang in 2007 and is confident of being in the right shape to work well towards this Sunday’s race and towards next season when practice gets underway on Friday.
Nicky Hayden suffered torrid luck in Australia but if there is one rider on the grid who never gives up and always looks to the future it is the American. For that reason, instead of reflecting on the memory of a first corner incident that saw his race ruined at Phillip Island he prefers to concentrate on the good work he did with his mechanics at that race and focus on producing more of the same in Malaysia.
CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team (3rd in the championship on 195 points)
“In the past I used to like racing in the heat but last year in Malaysia I was racing with a wrist injury and I’ve had the physical problems everybody knows about so I suppose it’s a combination of factors that I have suffered with in recent hot races. But at Phillip Island things went so well from a physical point of view that I feel reasonably confident. It will definitely be a tough race as being fast and consistent in those conditions is always difficult regardless. It is not easy to find the perfect set-up here but that’s always been the case and with every day that passes I feel stronger and more confident that I can be competitive in both of the two races that remain. The track has become a little… boring for me I suppose you could say – just because we have done so many laps here in testing – but the races are usually fun and I like the place. It has a kind of holiday feel to it and it puts you in a good mood.”
NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team (14th in the championship on 82 points)
“I wouldn’t say that Malaysia is one of my favourite circuits and it’s almost as if I’ve got ownership on fourth place there because I finished in that position five times out of six! Having said that if I were to manage fourth place this year I’d probably be more than happy. We’ve arrived here on the back of a disappointing weekend in terms of what might have been but that’s over now and we have to look forward. I’m expecting the usual heat – having suffered from the cold in Australia it will be the opposite here – but it will be interesting to get back on track at a place we have tested at. Sepang is one of the circuits where I have ridden the bike the most, back in January, and we have made a lot of progress since then. Fortunately I’m faster now so it will be interesting to see where we’re at.”
LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director
“We’re coming on the back of a really positive Grand Prix for us in which Casey was able to ride as he knows and as he likes, and most importantly having fun. Even though he was lacking a little grip the bike was very competitive and Casey made the most of it to put on a real show. In Malaysia we’re going to come up against temperatures that are very different to Phillip Island and it will be another test of his condition. At the moment he prefers cool conditions but in the past the heat has never bothered him and in fact in 2007 he won! As far as Nicky is concerned, we know that despite the disappointment of his race being ended so quickly and by something that wasn’t his fault, especially following all the progress made last weekend, his positive character and determination will see him giving his maximum once again from Friday onwards.”
THE TRACK
Sepang hosted a Grand Prix for the first time in April 1999, with races in Malaysia having initially taken place at Shah Alam and Johor. A much loved venue for the teams and riders, the circuit is located in the thick of dense tropical forest, a short drive away from the Kuala Lumpur International airport, and has a modern infrastructure with good safety features. The track is the longest on the World Championship and one of the widest, reaching 16 metres, featuring a good mix of corners that put the machines and riders to the test. Intense heat and humidity, with the constant threat of torrential rain, increase the challenge for the riders, teams and anybody else in pit-lane! In fact, one such downpour in 2006 saw qualifying cancelled for all three classes and grid positions were decided by the free practice classification.
SEPANG CIRCUIT RECORDS
Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2007), 2’02.108 – 163.566 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2006), 2’00.605 – 165.605 Km/h
Circuit Length: 5.548 km
MotoGP Race 2009: 21 laps (116.508 km)
MotoGP 2009 Timetable: 0900h Central Europe Time; 15:00h local time
Podium 2008: 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Andrea Dovizioso
Pole 2008: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2008), 2’01.548 – 164.320 Km/h
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT SEPANG
2008: 6th (Stoner)
2007: 1st (Stoner)
2006: 2nd (Capirossi)
2005: 1st (Capirossi)
2004: 6th (Capirossi)
2003: 6th (Capirossi)
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – RIDER INFO
CASEY STONER
Age: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia)
Residency: Switzerland
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP9
GP Appearances: 125 (64xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125)
GP Victories: 26 (19xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 21 (17xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125)
First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)
Stoner’s MotoGP track record at Sepang:
2008: Grid: 7th. Race: 6th
2007: Grid: 2nd. Race: 1st
2006: Grid: 10th. Race: 8th
NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP9
GP Appearances: 114 (114xMotoGP)
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)
Hayden’s MotoGP track record at Sepang:
2008 Grid: 4th. Race: 4th
2007: Grid: 6th. Race: 9th
2006: Grid: 2nd. Race: 4th
2005: Grid: 6th. Race: 4th
2004: Grid: 6th. Race: 4th
2003: Grid: 9th. Race: 4th
************************
MotoGP
MotoGP heads to South East Asia this weekend for the 16th round of the 2009 FIM World Championship season, as Valentino Rossi sits within touching distance of securing a seventh premier class title at the Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix.
A top-four ride for Rossi in Sepang would be enough for the Italian to be crowned the 2009 World Champion on Sunday.
Second place behind an impressive Casey Stoner at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix extended Rossi’s lead at the top of the title standings to 38 points, thanks in large part to title rival and Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s first-lap crash at Phillip Island.
The Spaniard’s inability to complete the race means that even if he wins at Sepang, Rossi only needs to finish fourth to take his ninth world title across all classes. Lorenzo is the only rider who can stop Rossi from taking the title in Malaysia and it is a place where, in his rookie MotoGP season last year, Lorenzo retired after crashing. A win in 250cc is his best result there.
Rossi has a rich history of good form at Sepang, where he won from second on the grid last year and has seven podium finishes in the premier class in total, including five wins.
Ducati Marlboro man Stoner overtook Dani Pedrosa in the standings with his third victory in as many years on his home track, and the Australian is back to full fitness after his three-race break. Last year saw the 24 year-old place sixth at Sepang, but in his title-winning 2007 season Stoner won in Malaysia, so has pedigree there.
Pedrosa is six points adrift of Stoner in fourth place in the championship, but his impressive record of always finishing on the podium at Sepang – he placed second last year – means he should be amongst the frontrunners as well, having finished third in his last three races this season.
Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso made the podium in Malaysia in his debut MotoGP season last year and will hope to improve on his sixth place in Australia, while hot on his heels in the championship is Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards – the Texan has never finished in the top three at Sepang.
The points spread from seventh to tenth in the championship standings between Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini), Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing) is just one, as the battle for seventh place intensifies.
250cc
Marco Simoncelli’s win in a shortened 250cc race in Australia, combined with Hiroshi Aoyama’s seventh place at Phillip Island, means the defending World Champion is now 12 points behind the current championship leader with two races of the season remaining.
Simoncelli is taking each race as it comes in his bid to retain his title before his step up to MotoGP next season, but Aoyama is still the standard bearer as the riders head for South East Asia.
Aoyama could still end the title challenge of Simoncelli in Sepang by claiming the crown himself – a win for the Japanese rider and no higher than fifth for his Metis Gilera rival would deliver that, while there are a host of other permutations involving Álvaro Bautista (Mapfre Aspar) and Héctor Barberá (Pepe World Team) as well.
Simoncelli has only ever finished on the podium at Sepang once, coming in third in his title-winning season last year, while Aoyama has enjoyed a win and second place in his last two seasons.
Barberá’s second place in Australia narrowed the gap on the championship’s third-placed rider Bautista, who crashed and ended tenth in the race, to four points, while Mattia Pasini in fifth place in the standings failed to finish.
Bautista won last year’s race at Sepang and Barberá came second in 2007, so both have experience of faring well at the circuit.
125cc
A last-lap win in Australia delivered Julián Simón the world title after an enthralling battle with Bradley Smith, and now the British rider can further secure his grip on second spot in Malaysia.
Having seen his decision to step back down to 125cc from the 250cc class justified with his title at the weekend, Simón will now want to secure his first-ever podium at Sepang.
Smith’s fine season could continue in Malaysia, at a track where he finished second last year from 13th on the grid, and he has now put together a solid run of four consecutive podium finishes.
The 19 year-old can still be caught by third-placed Nico Terol (Jack & Jones), but with a 21-point gap going into the final two races of the campaign it would take a reversal of his impressive displays to date.
A further 20 points behind Terol sits fourth-placed Pol Espargaró who finished fourth at Phillip Island after qualifying on pole, with Sergio Gadea completing the current top five.
The first practice of the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang starts at 12.40pm local time (5.40am BST) on Friday.
********************
Rizla Suzuki
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP makes its way north across the Timor and Java seas from Australia this week, as it heads to the heat and humidity of Sepang in Malaysia for the penultimate round of the 2009 MotoGP season.
Following a tough weekend at Phillip Island which saw Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi finish in 11th and 12th places respectively, the pair will be looking to put this firmly behind them at the 5,548m Sepang International Circuit.
Capirossi finished seventh in Malaysia last season after a race long battle with several other riders that saw the Italian racer in touch of a podium finish. Capirossi has tasted success at Sepang after winning the MotoGP race there in 2005 and also finishing runner-up the following year. Vermeulen has recorded a couple of top-10 finishes in Malaysia from his three previous visits and will certainly be aiming to improve on his ninth place last year.
The Sepang International Circuit was constructed in 1998, making it one of the most modern on the MotoGP calendar. It’s mix of 15 corners interlinked by two long straights either side of the most architecturally pleasing grandstands anywhere in motorsport make it one of the best tracks anywhere in the world and a favoured test track for most of the MotoGP teams.
Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday – for the first of two free practice sessions – the second being held on the following morning. Qualifying for the 21-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway at 15.00hrs local time (07.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 25th October.
Chris Vermeulen:
“I’m looking forward to getting to Sepang and putting last weekend behind us. It’s a circuit we all know very well because we do a lot of testing there. It’s going to be very hot and humid – a lot different to Phillip Island – and the GSV-R has performed well there in the past so that’s what we’ll be looking to aim for. We have a good base setting so hopefully it will work out for us and we can be competitive from the start.”
Loris Capirossi:
“Sepang is a good track for the bike and for me because we did a very good winter test there and we are very optimistic about going there. The bike is very different now to the one we tested back then, but we want to try to go well – like we did in the winter – and I really believe we can push hard for a good result.”
