This weekend’s Grand Prix of Catalunya marks the start of a busy period for the Kawasaki Racing Team, with three races in as many weekends, starting in Spain and finishing in Great Britain, with the Dutch TT at Assen in between. Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet both arrive in Barcelona determined to get this run of three important races off to the best start possible, with a strong performance in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya. After the disappointment of both riders finishing outside the top ten at Mugello, Kawasaki engineers have been working overtime to ensure that both Nakano and de Puniet have a competitive package in the Ninja ZX-RR for the 4.727 km Circuit de Catalunya. Both Kawasaki riders will test a new exhaust system on their Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines this weekend, which has been designed to improve driveability out of the corners; critical around the 13 turns at Catalunya, the majority of which are right-handers. This predominance of right-hand corners is also important in terms of tyre selection, and the Kawasaki Racing Team will again be working closely with Bridgestone this weekend to ensure that, come race day, Nakano and de Puniet have a tyre that will provide consistent performance throughout the 25-lap Grand Prix of Catalunya. After intensive dynamometer testing in Japan, Kawasaki engineers have also increased the upper rev limit of the Ninja ZX-RR for this weekend. As well as offering more flexibility on both gearbox ratios and gear selection, the additional revs should make it easier for Nakano and de Puniet to pass out of the slipstream along the 1.047 metre main straight at Catalunya. Having won twice in the 250cc World Championship class at the Circuit de Catalunya in the past, Randy de Puniet arrives in Barcelona fully fit and determined to improve upon his previous best result in the MotoGP class this weekend, at a track he rates as one of his favourites. The Circuit de Catalunya is also a favourite of de Puniet’s Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano, and the 28-year-old Japanese rider is confident that, if he and his crew can find a good set-up in practice and qualifying, then a good result on Sunday is a distinct possibility. Shinya Nakano: #56 “Like Mugello, the Circuit de Catalunya is a fast circuit, but unlike Mugello there is no secret to going fast here. We need to find a good set-up during practice and qualifying, and we also need to test the new exhaust system that Kawasaki engineers have brought to this race in a bid to improve the driveability of the bike out of the turns. Theoretically the increased rev limit should also make passing out of the slipstream on the main straight easier, but we will only see how much easier once practice gets underway on Friday. I think if everything comes together as we expect during practice and qualifying then we can be competitive here in Sunday’s race.” Randy de Puniet: #17 “We had a good test here at Catalunya during the build up to the start of the season, so I know how to ride the Ninja ZX-RR at this circuit. I have won here on the 250cc machine twice, and I like this track a lot, so I think this could be a good weekend for us. I arrive for this race fully fit, and I think I’m now starting to realise the full potential of the Ninja ZX-RR on track, so hopefully I’ll be able to put in a strong performance in the race on Sunday and leave Spain with my best result of the season so far in the MotoGP class. Anyway, that’s my aim for the weekend ahead.”