Valencia MotoGP: Pre-Race (updated regularly)

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MotoGP

Valentino Rossi Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Ben Spies were all present at the official pre-event press conference in Valencia on Thursday, ahead of the 17th and final round of the 2009 MotoGP season; the FIM Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.

While Rossi may have already wrapped up this year’s title with a race to spare, the Italian’s focus is still on winning the race as he looks to improve on what he believes was a difficult third place last year in Valencia.

“It’s a different approach to the race now for sure, it’s possible to think just about the result, and this weekend will be very interesting for us because last year I was on the podium but it was quite a bad race for us – I wasn’t able to get a good pace. The weather was a big problem also, with the rain. So we hope for better in terms of temperature and rain,” said Rossi. “The last time I won here was in 2004 so it’s a long time ago. We have to do better.”

Rossi is also looking forward to the test that follows immediately after the race weekend. He added, “It will be important. I think we’ll try the first prototype of the new bike for 2010, and it will be very interesting to try the bike here in Valencia at what is a difficult racetrack. I have to keep the motivation and the concentration for the test because it’s important.”

Stoner, who dominated the weekend in Valencia last year as he secured pole position, set a lap record and won the race, believes that despite two wins in his last two races he would not have challenged Rossi for the title had he not had a three-race absence due to fatigue.

“It has come late, but the way my season was going I don’t think the outcome of the championship would have been any different,” said the Ducati rider, who sits third in the standings. “A lot of people have been talking about ‘what ifs’ but to be honest we might not even have been able to fight for race victories again if we hadn’t sorted my health out. So I am very happy with the way the season has gone now, and things are looking good for us for next year. I think we will be a lot stronger in 2010.”

Lorenzo, who came closest to challenging Rossi for the title this year, said that he will go for the race win if the conditions were right. If not, the Spaniard will ride a safe race to ensure second place in the standings.

“We must understand our goal this weekend. If we can race a good race and be fast then we can try (for the win),” said Lorenzo. “If we’re not so fast then the cleverest thing is to think of the championship and finish second; after losing the fight for the World title second is a good position. Everyone wants to win the World title but sometimes it’s just not possible, and you have to appreciate what you are getting.”

Also taking place in Valencia on Thursday was the ‘Day of Champions’, as MotoGP’s official charity Riders for Health enjoyed its traditional end-of-season event at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Attendees watched a stunt show with Emilio Zamora, visited to the pit lane and paddock, and had a briefing with Randy Mamola. MotoGP riders were present at a fundraising auction giving away race memorabilia with all profits going towards Riders’ work in Africa assisting in the delivery of vital medical supplies.
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San Carlo Honda Gresini

The MotoGP World Championship paddock returns to Europe this weekend for the final event on the 2009 calendar, the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana. A firecracker atmosphere awaits the teams and riders on their return from a transcontinental expedition to Australia and Malaysia, which has seen San Carlo Honda Gresini riders Alex de Angelis and Toni Elias draw level in the championship standings on 105 points, tied for ninth place but just three points shy of seventh.

A top seven finish in the championship is a source of huge motivation for both riders as they make their final MotoGP appearance for the team before moving on in search of a new challenge. The pair will certainly not be short of support from their technical staff, who have put all their effort and resources into helping them make a competitive finish to the season and will continue to do so until the chequered flag is waved on Sunday.
The Ricardo Tormo circuit is notoriously tight and slow but its stadium-style architecture lends itself to a unique atmosphere that will ensure that the 2009 season will get a fittingly fanatical farewell from around 130,000 vociferous spectators. The home support will provide an extra boost for Elias, who is targeting a repeat of his podium finishes here in the 250cc class in both 2003 and 2004, whilst De Angelis took his first and to date only Grand Prix victory at this track, also in the 250cc class, back in 2006.

# 15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
“It is a circuit where a strong engine is not fundamental, because there are few places where you hit high speeds, but you do need to have a bike that handles well in slow corners and this is an area we have struggled with this season. It is a tricky track for a rider and I remember at the start of my career I struggled to get to grips with it. However, over the last few years the situation has changed and I have been strong there, even winning the 250cc race in 2006, so hopefully that can give us a strong base to build from on Friday. It will be a sad day for me because it will be my last race with the team, which is disappointing because we have had a strong second half to the season. Anyway, we will keep fighting to the end and do everything we can to take seventh in the championship. In racing you never know what is around the corner!”

# 24 TONI ELIAS
“Australia and Malaysia were not perfect for us but the important thing is that we arrive back in Europe still in a strong position in the championship and with a good opportunity to improve on it in more ‘normal’ conditions. We have had difficulty all year with rear traction and on paper Valencia is not an ideal circuit for us but I hope my knowledge of the track and the home support can really help us. If we can make a strong start on Friday then we have every reason to be confident. It is the last race of the season and I am sure the atmosphere will be incredible, so hopefully I can give my fans and my team something to celebrate on Sunday night.”

FAUSTO GRESINI
“It is nice to be back in Europe, working in more ‘normal’ conditions and with our trucks and full technical back-up. It has been a long season but the results have been good since the middle of the summer and we want to continue this positive trend until the end of the race on Sunday. Both riders will get our full support, as they have done all season, and we want to see them finish on a high. Seventh place in the championship is up for grabs and that would be a great result for either rider considering the way the season started. It should be another exciting weekend but our job is to be ready to work hard and stay focused from the first practice on Friday.”
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Ducati Marlboro

The Ducati Marlboro Team makes the relatively short road trip to Spain this week in preparation for the final round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, the “La Comunitat Valenciana GP”. In recent years the Ricardo Tormo Circuit has become the traditional venue for the championship curtain call and, at the same time, an opportunity to glimpse into the future as the teams immediately begin their winter testing programme for the season ahead.

Tortuously slow and twisty, on paper Valencia looks unsuitable for the power of a MotoGP bike and in particular that of the Desmosedici, yet this is the circuit where the Ducati Marlboro Team has celebrated some of its most famous successes. Other than in 2005, with a best result of fourth, the team have been represented on the podium every season they have competed there, including a sensational one-two in 2006. Casey Stoner, who arrives in Spain on the back of consecutive victories in Australia and Malaysia, scored the first win of his career at Valencia in the 125cc in 2003 and finished second for Ducati in MotoGP in 2007, following up with a win in 2008. Nicky Hayden has been on the podium twice here before, taking second place in 2005 and third place in 2006, when he also clinched the title.

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team (3rd in the championship on 220 points)
“Valencia is a circuit I’ve always liked – it is tight and slow but surprisingly flowing and I think it’s a good circuit for a MotoGP bike. Apart from anything it is a great viewing spectacle for the fans, who can follow the bikes around practically the whole circuit. My Ducati has always run really well there and I’ve been on the pace for the past couple of seasons – in testing and in the races – so obviously we’re hoping that trend continues, even though we will have to make a few small adjustments to the bike. We’re finally at the end of the season and already looking forward to the next one, so if we can win this race then great, if not we’ll try and finish the year with a podium and then start working towards next year.”

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team (13th in the championship on 93 points)
“I love Valencia and for obvious reasons it is a place that holds very special memories for me but I don’t just like it because it is where I won the title in 2006 – I actually just like the circuit itself. I guess it will be my first ‘Ducati anniversary’ and it will be interesting to see how far we have come since that first test a year ago. I can’t wait to get there – it is a great Grand Prix with a special, welcoming and party atmosphere. Hopefully I can have a good race and enjoy myself. If I can manage a good result there’s a chance we can finish the season in the top ten, with ninth place just twelve points away. I won’t be easy but we’ll see what we can do.”

LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director
“Valencia has always been a good place for our team and I hope it is again this year. Casey and Nicky both go well here and my dream would be to see them on the podium together in what would be a wonderful way to finish 2009. They deserve it, as does everybody at Ducati Corse. We’ve had some good moments and some difficult ones over the course of this season but in both cases we have just continued to do our job, giving our maximum at all times and I think that the results in the last two races are the proof that our motto of “never give up” always pays off.”

THE TRACK
The Valencia circuit, named after Spanish rider Ricardo Tormo, has been a fixture on the World Championship calendar since 2002, having been used for the first time in 1999. Measuring 4.005km, it is an unusual circuit, built within a stadium style complex that makes it possible to see virtually any part of the circuit from any seat in the house. Whilst on the one hand this makes it a great venue for the fans, the track layout is constantly forced back on itself, making for a series of tight corners separated by short straights that require plenty of low revs, short gear ratios and provide little opportunity to fully open the throttle. In fact, the short back straight and slightly longer front straight are the only two high-speed points on the circuit. Unlike most circuits, it also runs anti-clockwise.

VALENCIA CIRCUIT RECORDS
Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1’32.582 – 155.732 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2006), 1’31.002 – 158.436 Km/h
Circuit Length: 4.005 km
MotoGP Race 2009: 30 laps (120.15 km)
MotoGP Schedule 2009: 14:00 Central Europe Time

Podium 2008 : 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Daniel Pedrosa, 3rd Valentino Rossi
Pole 2008: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1’31.502 – 157.570 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2006), 1’31.002 – 158.436 Km/h

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT VALENCIA
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 2nd (Stoner)
2006: 1st (Bayliss)
2005: 4th (Checa)
2004: 3rd (Bayliss)
2003: 3rd (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: 126 (65xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125)
GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 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 Valencia:
2008: Grid: 1st. Race: 1st
2007: Grid: 2nd. Race: 2nd
2006: Grid: 7th. Race: DNF

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP9
GP Appearances: 115 (115xMotoGP)
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 Valencia:
2008: Grid: 3rd. Race: 5th
2007: Grid: 3rd. Race: 8th
2006: Grid: 5th. Race: 3rd
2005: Grid: 3rd. Race: 2nd
2004: Grid: 5th. Race: DNF
2003: Grid: 4th. Race: 16th
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Bridgestone

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Medium, Hard (asymmetric)

For the traditional season finale MotoGP heads to Valencia and the Ricardo Tormo circuit on the first weekend of November, two weeks later than last year. Valencia is the third shortest circuit of the season, after Laguna Seca and Sachsenring, and is one of the few with an anti-clockwise format.

The front tyres will have a much easier time in Valencia than they did in Malaysia as, although twistier, the circuit is slower. Consequently the front slicks are available in softer specifications; the soft and medium compounds. The rear slicks are actually available in the same medium and hard compounds as were used in Malaysia, but with the difference that in Valencia they are asymmetric to compensate for the imbalance of left- and right-handers. Valencia is the sixth race of the season to which Bridgestone have brought asymmetric rear tyres.

In the past the temperature has fluctuated significantly year-on-year, so the conditions will play an important role in tyre compound choices, especially as the date this time is later in the year. The total race distance is also one of the longest of the year; thirty laps and just over 120km of racing, or a total of 420 corners for the tyres to contend with.

A Bridgestone-shod rider has taken victory in Valencia twice in the last three years, with Troy Bayliss in 2006 and Casey Stoner in 2008. After sixteen rounds of the 2009 season, the first in which all riders are competing on Bridgestone tyres, there have been five different winners. Retaining his World crown, Valentino Rossi has won six races this year whilst Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo are just behind with four apiece. Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso have each won one, and for both it was their first victory on Bridgestone tyres.

Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department:
“Even though Valentino secured his very impressive ninth World Championship title last time out in Malaysia, I am sure that in Valencia we will see another of the close and thrilling races we have come to expect from this season. Spain is an important motorcycle market for us and I’m sure that we can deliver a good performance for the many fans that will come to watch in the very spectator-friendly venue. We enter this last round with another championship won on our tyres, and whilst this was a foregone conclusion for us, what’s important to me is how it was won. Five different riders have won races this year, which is more than last season, and the championship has been much closer than in previous years. To make the competition closer was always one of the main objectives of single tyre supply.”

Tohru Ubukata – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department:
“Valencia is a technically complex circuit with nine left-handers and five rights within a slow, twisty lap that demands good stability and a setup that allows for fast and precise changes of direction. Although the temperature will be much lower than in Malaysia and the track is slower, is still represents a good technical challenge for us. It’s what we could call a busy circuit because the length of the lap and the number of corners means that the tyres are always working and have very little respite.

“The anti-clockwise layout means that we need good durability on the left side of the tyres and optimal warm-up performance on the right, making asymmetric rear tyres very important here. Also, its slow and twisty nature means that the bikes are often leant over which places more emphasis on the tyre’s shoulders. Those who have a good rider and machine package will be rewarded, as those who do not can be prone to generating excess heat in the tyres so a good smooth rhythm is very important.”

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Pramac Racing

He hoped until the last moment but Niccolò Canepa, Pramac Racing rider, is obligated to skip the last race of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship after the injury suffered during the Australian Grand Prix last 16th of October. After surgery with the skin transplant at Melbourne hospital, the Italian rider had to miss the race in Malaysia, but after today’s medical check up doctors have suggested leaving the arm at rest for a bit longer to avoid the reopening of the cut. As a consequence the Pramac Racing Team has chosen to bring on track again Aleix Espargarò; the Catalan rider will have therefore the possibility to ride for the first time as a MotoGP rider on Spanish soil after the three races in Indianapolis, Misano and Sepang.

Paolo Campinoti - Pramac Racing Team Principal
“We are very sad that Niccolò will not make it to race with us this last Grand Prix of the season. Last year he has done a quite good job here during the first winter test and he could have achieved a good result also in this occasion. We would like to thank him for the work done this year and we wish him the best of luck for a future rich of success whichever road he will take. He is a talented rider who has to accumulate more experience to come back at the top level. His place will be taken once again by Aleix Espargarò: in every race he has competed with us this season he has done quite well and we confide he will be able to do the same this weekend in Valencia.”

Niccolò Canepa - Pramac Racing rider
“I am very sad as I will not be able to step on track this weekend at Valencia. I really cared about competing in this last Grand Prix of the season to end it with a good result. I want to thank the Pramac Racing Team, Paolo Campinoti and Ducati Corse for this fantastic experience I have lived. Now I will have to think about getting back at the best physical conditions and go back on track whichever will be my next sport adventure.”

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing rider
“We are back in Valencia after the first test ridden on my Ducati Desmosedici GP9 Sat of the past season. In that occasion I registered really interesting lap times and we hope to be able to repeat this coming weekend. In this final part of the season we didn’t conquered what we deserved and we confide to do it here. I am very sorry for Niccolò: I hope he will be able to be back at the top soon to continue his still young career.”

Aleix Espargarò - Pramac Racing rider
“First of all I want to wish to Niccolò Canepa a quick recovery: I hope to see him back on track really soon. For me this will be a really particular weekend full of emotions: it will be my first Grand Prix as a MotoGP rider on Spanish soil. I will race in front of my fans and I hope to don’t disappoint them. In the previous races ridden with the Pramac Racing Team I went quite well but I still have to improve a lot to compete for better positions. Naturally I still need some time, I am still the rider with the less experience in this category and I have a lot to learn.”

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MotoGP

Valentino Rossi may have sealed the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship at Sepang, but there are still scores to be settled involving Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, and a host of other riders in the final round of the season.

A ninth world title was wrapped up by Rossi in Malaysia, leaving the remainder of the MotoGP class to decide the final standings beyond first place for the 2009 season at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo pushed him the closest for the title this year, and now the 22 year-old looks primed to secure second spot in his second season in the premier class. With a 25-point margin between him and Stoner in third, it would take a non-point scoring finish from the Spaniard and a race win for the Ducati Marlboro man to dislodge Lorenzo from the runner-up position.

Far likelier for Stoner, who comes into round 17 in a rich vein of form having won his last two races at Sepang and Phillip Island, is third place to round off a season interrupted by illness. Speculation will linger as to how the final standings could have looked had the 2007 World Champion not missed Brno, Indianapolis and Misano due to fatigue, but the focus is now on preventing Pedrosa from regaining third place. With victory last year and second the season before, the 24 year-old Australian has a strong pedigree at Valencia.

Repsol Honda’s Pedrosa is 11 points adrift in fourth, and needs a strong showing at a track where he won in 2007 and finished second last time out.

The competition for fifth place is still very much alive, with just six points the difference between Andrea Dovizioso and Colin Edwards. The Italian’s crash at Sepang was not largely capitalised on by Edwards, whose 13th-placed classification means that the fight for fifth will now go down to the wire at Valencia.

Seventh place, meanwhile, is still to be decided upon between no less than six candidates. Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki), Alex de Angelis and Toni Elías (both San Carlo Honda Gresini), Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) are all separated by just seven points from positions seven to 12.

All have top-ten finishes at Valencia within the past two seasons, with Melandri’s fourth in 2007 the most notable recent result from the pack. Nicky Hayden, at a further eight points adrift of De Puniet, has an outside chance of challenging for seventh if he manages his second podium of the year and other results go his way.

Also riding at Valencia will be American star Ben Spies, who will take to the track as a wildcard for Yamaha in preparation for his first full MotoGP season with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in 2010. In the Pramac Racing team another rider who is coming into MotoGP full-time next season will be making an additional guest appearance this weekend, as Aleix Espargaró again substitutes the injured Niccolò Canepa.

250cc
After prevailing in his epic battle with Marco Simoncelli at Sepang, Hiroshi Aoyama is within touching distance of being named the 2009 250cc World Champion in the final race of the season – and indeed the final 250cc contest in the 60-year history of Grand Prix racing before the introduction of the new Moto2 class next year.

Simoncelli had narrowed the gap at the top of the standings to just 12 points prior to Malaysia, but an enthralling ‘head-to-head’ was won by Aoyama who now heads to Spain with a 21-point cushion.

Should Simoncelli win his seventh race of the campaign at Valencia – thus surpassing his total from 2008 when he won the title – Aoyama would need to finish no lower than eleventh to still take the crown.

The Scot Honda rider has a chequered history at the circuit however, with last year’s fifth place being his best-ever finish. Prior to that, Aoyama has placed sixth and tenth and registered two DNFs, whereas Simoncelli won last year’s race having already secured the title.

Héctor Barberá in third place could mathematically catch Simoncelli in second, but would need to finish second or higher at Valencia and hope for a poor result for the Metis Gilera man. Barberá has a strong record at the track, having finished inside the top five on five occasions in the 250cc and 125cc classes.

Álvaro Bautista’s title hopes ended with his second crash in three races at Sepang, and Valencia is the only one of the three Spanish circuits on the calendar at which he has not tasted a GP victory. Fourth in the championship is safe for the Mapfre Aspar man, who could take third with a good display if Barberá falters.

Mattia Pasini in fifth is 21 points ahead of Thomas Luthi, who leads a pack which also comprises Raffaele de Rosa, Mike di Meglio, Héctor Faubel and Álex Debón. Those five riders are separated by just six points in the battle for sixth spot.

125cc
Bancaja Aspar team-mates Julián Simón and Bradley Smith have already secured first and second places respectively in the 125cc World Championship, but the duo will still look to put on strong showings at Valencia in the final race of the season.

Clinching the title at Phillip Island did not stop Simón from producing another fine display at Sepang last time out, as he took his sixth race victory of the season, and the Spaniard will hope to improve on a best previous result of sixth at Valencia in the 250cc class in 2007.

A win at the final round would make Simón the first rider to take three successive victories in the 125cc class since Alvaro Bautista in 2006.

Smith finished fourth at Valencia last year and is currently on a run of five consecutive podiums. A sixth consecutive rostrum finish would be the perfect way to round off the season for the Oxfordshire youngster, who has already achieved the best performance by a British rider since Barry Sheene was second to Kenny Roberts in the 1978 500cc title chase.

Local rider Nico Terol will attempt to secure a top-three finish for the season ahead of his compatriot Pol Espargaró, who is 15 points behind in fourth. Terol finished second at Valencia last season, just one tenth of a second behind race-winner Simone Corsi, while Espargaró’s best placement at the track is sixth, in his debut season in 2006.

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Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki has travelled back to Europe for the final instalment of the 2009 season with both riders in contention for seventh position in the World Championship.

Loris Capirossi currently sits in eighth place in the championship race, but is level on points with current seventh place incumbent Marco Melandri, whilst team-mate Chris Vermeulen is only three points behind Capirossi in 11th place. With four other riders all in with a chance of seventh, the final round will certainly present a race within a race as the six will be going all out to get the best finish possible.

Vermeulen will be making his final appearance for Rizla Suzuki at Valencia and is in a determined mood to leave the team on a high. He is currently the only rider in this season’s championship to have scored in every round and will want to continue with that record as he aims to give his crew, the team, Suzuki and all the fans something to remember in his last outing on the Suzuki GSV-R.

Valencia is now the traditional end of season venue for MotoGP and a huge crowd can always be expected to fill the enormous grandstands that surround the only stadium track on the calendar. Situated near the village of Cheste, just outside Valencia in Spain, the 4,005m Ricardo Tormo circuit is a mix of many tight corners where every tenth-of-a-second really counts as it is one of the most intense tracks that the riders visit. Valencia is also famed for its amazing race-end firework display which is traditionally started by the race-winner and can be heard from kilometres around.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday afternoon and then Saturday morning for the two free practice sessions available to the riders. Saturday afternoon will feature an hour of qualifying to determine grid positions for Sunday’s 21-lap race. The main event gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 8th November.

Loris Capirossi:
“I am heading to Valencia in a totally fixed and determined state of mind. Last time at Malaysia was disappointing for the race, but the work we did in the dry leading up to race-day was very important and we will be able to use that info in Valencia. I am really confident that we can make a big impact at the last race and give the whole team something positive to take into the winter and on to 2010.”

Chris Vermeulen:
“I am totally focused on going out on a high at Valencia. This will be my last race in MotoGP, for at least a couple of years, and I want to make sure it is one that I can be proud of. My time with the Suzuki team has been great and my crew has worked tirelessly throughout my time here to give me the best bike they can whatever the conditions, so a good result will be as much for them as for myself. I have scored points in every race this year and want to make the last one the highest points scoring one. I will certainly be going for a podium this weekend, I know that will be tough, but that’s the target and one that I would really love to achieve!”

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Fiat Yamaha

The highs and lows of another stunning MotoGP season draw to a close this Sunday at the traditional season-ending finale at Valencia in Spain. The Fiat Yamaha Team of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have swept all before them this year, dominating the season by taking ten race wins between them and putting on some of the most entertaining racing displays of recent years. Rossi clinched his ninth World Championship title last time out in Malaysia and, with the Teams’ title already in the bag and Yamaha looking odds-on to confirm the Manufacturers’ title this weekend, the Japanese marque is hoping to take its second consecutive ‘Triple Crown,’ the third since Rossi joined in 2004.
A ninth world title shows that Rossi’s star shows no sign of waning yet but the 30-year-old admitted in Sepang that this season has been one of his toughest, due largely to his determined young team-mate. His six wins this year are less than he has taken in any of his other eight championship-winning seasons but he will be determined to try to increase that by one and round off the season on the highest possible note this weekend by finishing on top of the podium. The Italian hero admits that the tight and twisty track is not one of his favourites but he has two wins to his name there and a further three podiums, including third place last year.

Lorenzo’s second season in MotoGP has been even more spectacular than his first, with four wins and some stunning battles with his much older and more experienced team-mate. The 22-year-old has never won at the Ricardo Tormo circuit but has some great memories from the track, having finished as runner-up in 2005 before clinching the first of his two 250cc titles there in 2006. The Mallorcan needs just one point from this last race in order to confirm second place in the championship, which he says will be more than enough of a prize for him in just his second MotoGP season, but he, too is determined to end the year on a high note and will be aiming for the podium at the very least.

The championship will wrap up in the usual spectacular Spanish style in front of some 130,000 race-day fans, packed into the unique stadium-style surroundings of the track. The layout is characterised by a never-ending burst of tight corners connected by short straights, whilst the long penultimate looping left-hander and the fast entry to turn one contrast with the otherwise geometric flip-flop chicanes and slow speed corners of the infield.

Valentino Rossi:
“I am very happy to be going to the final race with the championship won and the pressure off, now we can just enjoy ourselves. It’s been a fantastic year and now we just have one more weekend before we start work for 2010. Valencia hasn’t been a great track for me in the past and I’ve had some bad times there, but at the moment we’re in great shape and our bike is working well everywhere we go, so I hope it will be the same at Valencia. It’s a great place to finish and the atmosphere is amazing, so we will just do our best and hope for another good race to end off a great season. On Monday we will start working on the new M1 and I’m very excited to try it!”

Jorge Lorenzo:
“Valencia is an amazing place to finish the Championship, at home, with your fans. I’ve never got a victory here and I know that it’s not one of the best tracks for Yamaha, but I am confident that I can try to change that and finish the championship in the best possible way. The last two races haven’t been great for me and I really want to get over that. Furthermore, I need one point to become ‘vice-champion’ and I would really like to do that with a podium or a win. That’s my aim in Valencia. My best race here was in 2005, when I finished in second place but I think my best memory was in 2006 when I won the championship there. 2009 has been an amazing year for me and for Yamaha and I am looking forward to celebrating with my fans at a home race.”

Davide Brivio, Team Manager:
“We’re finally at the end of the championship and it’s great to be going there with our job completed and the championship won. Sepang was a great moment for everyone, the culmination of a lot of hard work from everyone and another incredible effort from Valentino, who never stops trying to be the best. It would be great to finish the season with a good result so we will be working as hard as ever this weekend, and then on Monday we will begin work on our 2010 campaign with a two day test with the new evolution M1.”

Daniele Romagnoli, Team Manager:
“We’re prepared for a good last race! The championship already has its winner but our job isn’t finished yet, we need to score at least one point in Valencia in order to make sure Jorge finishes second in the championship. In theory it shouldn’t be a difficult task but anything can happen and our aim now is to finish the season in the best way - on the podium. Racing in Spain will give Jorge extra motivation and I have no doubt that we will put on another great show for the MotoGP fans, as we have all season!”

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 30
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 103 (77 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 226 (166 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 58 (47 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 22
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 26 (5 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 127 (33 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 35 (9 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Comunitat Valenciana: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1′32.582

Comunitat Valenciana: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1′31.002

Grand Prix Results: Comunitat Valenciana 2008

1. C.Stoner (Ducati)
46′46.114
2. D.Pedrosa (Honda)
+3.390
3. V. Rossi (Yamaha)
+12.194
8. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha)
+35.661

*****************************

Repsol Honda

The Repsol Honda Team has its sights firmly set on closing out the MotoGP season this weekend with a race victory at the traditional year-end finale at Valencia. Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso head to the Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo circuit fully motivated to end the 2009 campaign on a high, and also to win their private battles for third and fifth places in the World Championship standings.

Pedrosa knows he can count on fever-pitch levels of support from his home fans at the third race of the season to be held in motorcycle-mad Spain. Valencia’s stadium-like layout guarantees an incredible race-day atmosphere, and Pedrosa will be seeking to delight the crowd with the same form that has seen him win the race from pole position on half of his eight previous Grand Prix appearances here, including the 2007 MotoGP race.

With four top-three finishes from the last four races this season - including his debut wet weather podium at the previous round in Malaysia - Pedrosa is in confident mood as he attempts to overturn the 11-point lead Casey Stoner holds over him for third place in the championship. Stoner is looking back to his best recently so it won’t be an easy task, but the 24-year-old Spaniard isn’t preoccupied with the maths as he heads to Valencia - he will simply be targeting the race win on Sunday.

Dovizioso is looking to take the positives from the last race in Malaysia - where he was running in a strong third for much of the race - and establish himself once again where he belongs in MotoGP’s leading pack this weekend. The 23-year-old Italian came home in fourth place in last year’s race at Valencia and, although this is not a circuit he rates as one of his favourites, Dovizioso also enjoys a big lift from the support of the 120,000-stong fans that pack the grandstands at the 4.005km (2.489-mile) track on race day.

The battle for fifth place in the World Championship is one that Dovizioso will be keen to win this weekend, and he goes into the final round with a four-point advantage over Texan Colin Edwards. In the Constructor’s championship Honda is in second place with an 11-point lead over Ducati, and the Repsol Honda Team has a 31-point advantage over the Ducati Marlboro Team in the race for second place in the Team classification.

The Repsol Honda riders’ weekend begins at Valencia on Thursday as they support the fundraising activities of the Riders for Health charity. First practice for the main event then takes place at 13.55 on Friday, with further practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s 30-lap race, which begins at 14.00 local time (GMT + 1 hour).

DANI PEDROSA

DANI PEDROSA – World Championship position: 4th 209 points

“I always look forward to the Grand Prix here, and this year is no different. It’s a circuit I really enjoy riding at, even though it’s quite a tight layout, but what makes it really special is the way that you can feel the support from the fans all the way round the circuit. And of course, being a Spanish rider, I get a lot of positive attention here which gives you some extra motivation too. I’ve had some good results at Valencia in the past, and this weekend it would be great to finish off the year with a win - that’s what I want. It’s not been the easiest of seasons and we haven’t been able to challenge for the championship so I’m even more determined to sign off on a high note. The result at the last race, where I got on the podium for the first time in wet conditions, has given me a lot of confidence too. We know it can rain at Valencia, so we’re ready for anything this weekend.”
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO – World Championship position: 5th 152 points

“The atmosphere at Valencia is always incredible and that makes it a special way to finish the season. I’m really looking forward to the race, even though this is not actually one of my favourite tracks because the layout is quite slow and twisty. The grandstands around the track are always packed and the spectators can follow the action and see all of the race, so it’s kind of like a stadium environment. I’m coming into this weekend with mixed feelings after the last race. I could have had a good result in Malaysia if I hadn’t crashed so I’m really determined to do well here, for myself and for the team. I’d like to finish the year with a good result to thank my guys, and also Honda for all the work done this year. I had a decent result here last year so I’m determined to be fighting at the front this weekend again.”
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 78: 17 x 125cc, 24 x 250cc, 37 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 Valencia 2001 3rd (125cc); 2002 1st (125cc); 2003 dnf (125cc); 2004 1st (250cc)
2005 1st (250cc); 2006 4th (MotoGP); 2007 1st (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 Valencia 2002 17th (125cc); 2003 8th (125cc); 2004 2nd (125cc); 2005 9th (250cc)
2006 7th (250cc); 2007 4th (250cc); 2008: 4th (MotoGP)

Circuit information
First race 1999
GPs held 10
Laps 30
Race distance 120.150km / 74.670miles
Track length 4.005km / 2.489miles
Track width 12m
Longest straight 0.876km / 0.544miles
Corners 14 (5 right, 9 left)
Pole position Right

Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana

Autovía A3 Valencia-Madrid

Salida 334. 46380 - Cheste

(Valencia) SPAIN

T: +34 96 252 52 20

F: +34 96 252 52 24

Website: www.circuitvalencia.com

Circuit records
Pole position 1m31.002s (158.436km/h) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha, 2006)
Race lap 1m32.582s (155.732Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
Race time 46m43.533s (154.283km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2007)
MotoGP Wins 2 (Valentino Rossi 2003-04)
2008 Winner Casey Stoner (Ducati)