Telefonica Movistar Suzuki Previews The Czech Republic Grand Prix

Telefonica Movistar Suzuki Previews The Czech Republic Grand Prix

© 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release:

TEAM SUZUKI GETS BACK TO BUSINESS AT BRNO

MotoGP, Preview, Round 10, Czech Republic GP, Brno– August 25, 2002:

Racing starts again next weekend after the long summer break, and Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau return to the fray more than refreshed by the four-week holiday. Both are raring to get racing again, as the second part of the first MotoGP season kicks off at the majestic Brno circuit, at the Czech Republic GP.

Sete’s return follows a vital period of rest and recreation in Spain.

Kenny comes back with an even more significant renewal, after successful surgery during the break to cure a worsening problem with “arm pump”. This condition, nicknamed Racers’ Wrist, had become acute, and Kenny skipped the last race in Germany to allow more time for recovery. The decision paid off.

“I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been, and I can do things on the training ranch that I could never do before. I’m ready to give 100 percent again,” he said, from his home in California.

Roberts and Gibernau had been showing improving form from the start of the year, riding the new GSV-R – a 990cc V4 four-stroke racing in the new 2002 MotoGP class introduced this year. The bike was brought out a full year earlier than originally planned, after showing tremendous potential in first prototype form before the start of the season.

With improvements and upgrades coming from the factory almost race by race, the exciting new bike followed up its brilliant second-placed debut in the wet Japanese GP with improving results in dry weather. By the time the halfway point of the season came along, the bike was challenging for pole position and claiming front-row starting places, and top-10 finishing places, with a best so far of fifth for Roberts in the French GP.

The Brno circuit, more than 3.3 miles (5.4km) long, poses an interesting challenge for the Suzuki and the Telefónica MoviStar teamsters. In line with the other powerful new four-stroke pure-bred racing prototypes, still in first-generation form, the GSV-R is up against the well-established 500cc two-strokes, with years of experience and development. So far, the four-strokes have held the advantage – but only narrowly at some tracks, and the Czech Republic circuit is a fast and flowing track of high-speed corners that might tip the balance the other way.

“The strong point of the four-strokes comes in acceleration, where they can use their extra power,” explained team manager Garry Taylor. “Brno is a track where speeds are high for almost the whole lap, with more corners than straights … and the lighter two-strokes may have a valuable corner speed advantage.

“At the same time, our bike has been improving so fast, with the factory working all hours to develop it from first prototype stage. We’ll have the benefit of yet more development that took place during the break,” continued Taylor.

“This is the first time at the track for all the four-strokes, so we’ll find out how we stand when we get there. This uncertainty has made this first MotoGP season fascinating and unpredictable for the teams, riders and especially the fans. From our point of view, we’ll be doing everything we can to give our riders the best possible equipment for the job.”

Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki will be staying on for two days after the GP to test the latest technical developments, before moving on Portugal before the four flyaway GPs, and the end of the season at Valencia in November.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – STRONGER THAN EVER IN MY CAREER

“I’m feeling better now than ever – gaining an extra week by missing the German GP really paid off. The surgery went great – I’ve been really lucky with having Dr Ting, and Dean Miller has really helped with the rehab. My wife Rochelle was a great support in the early days. Now I’ve been riding at the training ranch, on the dirt-track oval, and I’m able to do things with the bikes that I couldn’t do before, and ride for longer without getting tired than in the past.

“Riding the 500, I was always able to control the arm-pump problem, but with the heavier four-stroke and the demands it makes on the rider it became very serious very quickly over the last few races. Now I know I can over-ride my body consistently without problems, and I don’t anticipate any more trouble with my wrist.

“For the race, Brno should be one of our better tracks. Overall our situation will greatly depend on how Suzuki have been able to improve the machine. For my part, the arm had really been inhibiting my race performance. Now I know I can give 100 per cent for the full distance, and as long as I know I’ve done that, I’ll be satisfied.”

SETE GIBERNAU – TIME FOR SOME GOOD RESULTS

“I stayed in Spain during the break, mainly on the Costa Brava – apart from a trip to Majorca for Telefónica, and it’s been really relaxing. Now I’m really feeling totally focused and motivated to go racing. It’s about time we got some good results, and I hope to start at Brno, because I like the track.

“It’s hard to say whether it will suit our bike. We’ve been to some tracks where we expected problems and it went well, and also the other way round. For sure it’s always a challenge, especially against the two-strokes, with all their years of experience and the data they have, while we start from scratch at every track.

“I’m hoping that the improvements to the bike will work out well. We’ll have to see when we get there. I’m going to Brno a couple of days early, and we’ll have some meetings with my guys and try and get a head start on settings. Then see what we can do. I’ll give my best, as always.”

ABOUT THIS RACE

There has been motorcycle racing at Brno for longer than the 53 years of the World Championship, but GP racing came here only in 1965. The country was then Czechoslovakia, behind the Iron Curtain, and the venue was an 8.6-mile (13.9km) public-roads circuit on the outskirts of the city, which is famed for its precision engineering (Brno gave its name to the famous “Bren-gun” of World War Two). That track was itself the third version of what had been an even longer road circuit, with part of the original track now used as an access road to the new purpose-built circuit.

The last time the premier-class GP bikes raced there was in 1977, when they were 500cc, though the smaller classes continued until 1982 before the dangers forced the track off the GP calendar. But local enthusiasts along with a communist party anxious to build a sporting show-piece pushed ahead with a magnificent new purpose-built closed circuit, with a long lap and a challenging layout, first used in 1987, with the 500cc class back. Soon afterwards, political turmoil saw the Iron Curtain collapse and the Czechoslovakian GP last ran in 1991.

In 1993, the race resumed, with a new name to go with the new political freedoms – the Czech Republic GP, and three years ago new pit buildings and extended paddock facilities were built to keep the track’s standards up with the best.

The race attracts big crowds, packing the vast natural grandstands. As well as the race, they enjoy the liberated atmosphere and cheap beer of the new country, making Brno a popular and important fixture on the calendar.

ABOUT THIS TRACK

A long lap of 3.357 miles (5.403 km), an average speed nudging 100mph and no really slow turns are the key to Brno – a wide circuit made up of long, sweeping corners and few straights. “Vertical corners” are an added complication, while although the average speed is high, the track rewards handling finesse and high corner speed more than brute acceleration and a high top speed. For most of the first part of the lap the track falls away steadily, making precise steering difficult as the front goes light. Then the track climbs sharply again after a long right-hander, imposing different demands on the rider and machine.

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