Honda Previews Sepang MotoGP

Honda Previews Sepang MotoGP

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Grand Prix of Malaysia, Sepang, October 8, 9, 10, 2004

TITLE CHASE TIGHTENS IN THE TROPICS AT SEPANG

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) is now right back in the hunt for MotoGP glory after a commanding performance in the heat of Qatar last week. His win, and his Yamaha rival Valentino Rossi’s fall, puts him a mere 14 points behind the Italian World Champion in his bid for the premier class title.

Both riders have now failed to score in two races and further DNFs for either will surely spell disaster with just three races to go. Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V), despite strenuous efforts to get back on terms with the leading pair, is surely now out of the running with 168 points to Rossi’s 229 and Gibernau’s 215.

But with Honda’s MotoGP riders now finding the form that enabled five RC211V runners to finish in the top six at the Losail International Racetrack in Qatar, Rossi might well be deprived of valuable points at Sepang.

Gibernau’s team-mate Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) finished second in Qatar and admitted there was nothing he could do to match Sete’s scorching pace. If Gibernau can maintain momentum and remain the main Honda man as the season concludes, the sheer weight of numbers might tell against Rossi.

Honda field six RC211Vs at Sepang, Yamaha four YZR M-1s. Only one Yamaha rider finished in the dusty cauldron of Qatar – and the heat and humidity in Malaysia may well be a telling factor this weekend too.

The pressure of back-to-back racing will be a factor too. With limited time to regroup after Qatar, the teams will be under severe pressure to remedy any faults brought to light in the gruelling heat of the middle east where track temperature was a record 58 degrees.

Track temperatures are high in Malaysia at around the 45 to 50 degree mark, with ambient temperatures nudging the high thirties. But there is 80% humidity. This can often prove more debilitating to riders than sheer heat.

Sepang has two long straights, fast open turns, one left/right flick, and a tight left turn onto the start/finish straight. Hard braking at the end of the two straights requires a stable set-up while sheer power and a high top speed are at a premium too. The wide track offers plenty of overtaking opportunities.

Sete is taking Sepang as just another event, and not as a pivotal moment in the title race. “I’m not thinking about the title, just thinking of it as another race. I left Qatar with 25 points and now I’m going somewhere I like, so we’ll see what happens in the heat here. Qatar was a good test of how strong we are in those sorts of conditions.”

For Colin Edwards this is another chance to get a late season charge together. “That was another good race and Sepang will be hot again. I know the track because I raced there last year and we tested there twice so I’m looking forward to getting a strong result there.”

Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) said, “I’m looking forward to Sepang. I’ve good memories from there in 2002 when I was on pole and on the podium in the race. The track is very technical and you have to really understand the set-up to get the best out of your machine there. This year we arrive there straight from Doha – so we’re used to the heat – but I think Sepang will be more humid. We have the capability to win here – so that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) who was fourth here last year is all set to finish his second season in MotoGP strongly. “When I first went there I was lost,” he said. “The circuit is big and wide, it’s a fun track and all about getting into a good rhythm and putting the turns together. We had some good tests there before the season, but a lot has changed and we’ve had a hard year. We’ve got to regroup and really push here.”

Max is upbeat despite a run of ill fortune. “They say ‘bad luck comes in threes’, and we’ve had three really unlucky races from whichever way you look at it,” he said. “They’re done with now and I now hope to turn the page over on all that. I actually think I did that already in Qatar, when I came sixth after a particularly difficult race. Sepang is a track I like, I’ve won there twice and I was on the podium in 2003.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres, is ready for the challenge too. “It was disappointing in Qatar,” he said. “And even harder because it came after the great race in Motegi. I just didn’t feel confident in the front end of the bike, a nasty sensation for any rider. I hope this problem doesn’t repeat itself at Sepang because I want to fight for the win.”

In the 250cc class it’s Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) with 254 points who holds the advantage going into this, the 14th round of this series. The young Spaniard is 43 points ahead of his nearest rival Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) and if he wins on Sunday and Porto finishes lower than second the title will be Pedrosa’s at his first attempt.

“I’m looking forward to getting to the track because I’ve got good memories from last year,” said Dani. “I’m hopeful we can do a good job and get a good result. I have the advantage at the top of the Championship and I want to stay consistent in Malaysia. We have to keep the same mentality because things can change drastically in a day and I am not the type of person to take anything for granted. I remember the race last year as being really hot, the bike was fourth bottom in terms of top speed and I had to push really hard.”

His team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) said, “The objective of the last few races is to keep the concentration at the same level as in Japan. I made a big effort to do that in Qatar and I ended up back on the podium. Over the last few races I’ve taken a step forward but I want to keep improving because I would be really happy to finish the season in fourth place in the Championship. It will be really hot again in Malaysia but I hope not to suffer as much as in Qatar – I had never competed in conditions that tough.”

Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who won here last year and was second in 2002 said, “I don’t like Sepang too much – it’s not my favourite track. The engine is very strong and we have the power we need but we have to work hard on the front end settings for the race. Sepang is a circuit where you need to have good feedback from the front end. If we improve on what we had at Doha we have a good chance of making a good race.”

His team-mate Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) said, “Sepang is a circuit I don’t really like, except for the last part of the lap and I don’t think I will like it any better this year. However, we have now found a better baseline to work from after Doha so I think we will have a decent race if we make progress with the new front end setting.”

In the 125cc category Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) has a 61 point lead over Hector Barbera (Aprilia) and only needs to finish third to clinch the Championship, even if Barbera wins the race.

“I don’t like Malaysia because I have never raced well there or had a good result,” said Dovi. “But we will go into the race intending to win, as always. The bike is working so well now and I have every confidence in the team. The race at Doha and the whole season has been very good for me, apart from the nail in the tyre in Portugal.”







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