Nickel & Dime British Grand Prix – Wednesday 20th June motogp The fourth in a six race stint of European excursions for the MotoGP World Championship takes place on June 24th at Donington Park, which opens its doors for the Nickel & Dime British Grand Prix. The first visit to British soil for the 800cc machines is sure to throw up a few surprises, following on from the previous seven rounds of breathtaking action. Casey Stoner leads the way in the World Championship standings after extending his lead to 14 points with victory in Catalunya. The Australian has established himself as the new man to beat in the MotoGP class, and experiences something of a return to his roots at Donington Park. Stoner took the formative steps of his career in Britain, competing in the national championship on a 125cc at the turn of the decade. Now riding for the Ducati factory team, Stoner will be looking to push the Desmosedici GP7 to a fifth victory of the season in a familiar setting where he finished fourth in his rookie MotoGP season. His toughest rival and closest challenger in his breakthrough season also has happy memories of Britain. Five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi holds seven victories at Donington Park across the three categories, including his first ever premier class triumph in his debut season on the 500cc Honda. Having provided the British crowd with some unique celebrations over the years, ‘The Doctor’ now fully assumes the underdog role of nearby Nottingham’s favourite son -and Rossi hero- Robin Hood as he sets his sights on Stoner. Will he hit the target, or will the violins from 2006 be out for Yamaha’s Italian star? Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa was unable to take a home victory at Catalunya at the beginning of the month, and has now gone fifteen races without a win. The Honda factory rider will come full circle when he arrives in Britain, with his second and most recent MotoGP win having come at Donington Park itself. Trailing Stoner by 42 points, the 2006 Rookie of the Year will have to break his duck soon if he is to stop his former 250cc rival escaping from him as the season heats up. Almost sneaking up into fourth in the standings, Marco Melandri is another former 250cc World Champion and Honda rider experiencing a tough time at the moment. The Italian has just one podium finish to his name this season; in the wet at Le Mans when he showed himself to be a master of the flag-to flag race. In a positive sign for the 24 year old, British weather always allows for the chance of rain, and Melandri was on the rostrum last year. Post-race testing after Catalunya was positive for a number of Honda riders, including reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden, as they look to end a drought of eight Grands Prix without a victory in the longest winless streak for the factory since 1991. Suzuki riders Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins are dead level on points after seven races, in what has been a great start to the year for the team. The GSV-R800 has been one of the most consistently fast 800cc machines until now, and Anglo-American Hopkins will be particularly keen to do well at a track which was until this year just a stone’s throw from his between-race base. Practice for the Nickel & Dime British Grand Prix begins on June 22nd, with the race itself taking place on June 24th. 250cc With five victories on the board so far this season, Jorge Lorenzo has created a gap of 34 points between himself and his nearest rival as part of a dominant defence of his 250cc world title. The Spaniard arrives in Donington Park off the back of his first ever victory at Catalunya, and returns to the scene of his 2006 victory. Lorenzo has been unstoppable so far this year but, as ever, he has a number of rivals ready to capitalise on any error by the 20 year old. Andrea Dovizioso and Alvaro Bautista are the only other two riders to have won a quarter-litre race this season, where all victories have come from the poleman. Alex de Angelis has been ‘Mr Consistent’ so far in 2007, although he is yet to win a race. Always involved in the action, he joins a list of riders that includes Hector Barbera and rookie Thomas Luthi as those who should never be ruled out of podium contention. 125cc The 125cc category is this year one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory. Six winners from seven races have thrown the class wide open, with all six making up the top places. Gabor Talmacsi leads the way with 115 points, ahead of team-mate and only rider to take two wins so far this year, Hector Faubel on 102. Lukas Pesek has crashed in the last two races, having previously led the World Championship. Mistakes are costly in 125cc, and he now finds himself trailing Talmacsi by 21 points and being closed down by Simone Corsi and Sergio Gadea in the classification. After his first 125cc triumph on Spanish soil, Tomoyoshi Koyama seems to also be coming good onboard the KTM. British representation in the class comes from Bradley Smith, the 16 year old from Oxford who took his first podium at Le Mans last month. Consistently the fastest Honda rider, and believing that he could have won at Catalunya, Smith is more determined than ever to have a great ride at Donington. He is joined in the class by fellow Red Bull MotoGP Academy graduate Danny Webb from Kent. Circuit Info Built in 1931 to stage motorcycle events, but closed down during the Second World War, a derelict Donington circuit was bought in 1971 by local businessman and motor sport enthusiast Tom Wheatcroft. It was re-opened in 1977 after huge investment and is now regarded as one of the best circuits in Britain, with a recent facelift to the pits, race control and media centre complex hoping to make sure the off-track experience is as good as on it. Located in beautiful countryside near to the village of Castle Donington in the English Midlands, the circuit is set in a natural amphitheatre that facilitates excellent viewing possibilities. Its flowing layout is broken up by a slow second-half of tight corners meaning a combination of smooth racing and good corner speed must be combined with last-gasp braking and hard acceleration. More, from a press release issued by Honda: DANI SHOOTING FOR REPEAT OF 2006 BRITISH VICTORY Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V), Honda’s main man in MotoGP, has ridden to four podiums so far this season, but a victory has so far eluded the man who lies third overall in the World Championship points standings. Donington Park is where all that could change. The 21-year-old Spanish phenomenon won here last year from Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and after his gritty ride to third two weeks ago in Catlunya only just out of touch of Casey Stoner (Ducati) and Rossi at the flag, he is showing all the signs of getting his title challenge back underway. He has his work cut out to reel in series leader Stoner on 140 points and Rossi in second on 128, but Dani’s 98 point tally so far is enough for him to mount a serious challenge with 11 races in this 18-round series still to unfold. Dani failed to score in Turkey and by the law of averages, his rivals will also suffer too at some stage this season. But the mercurial Spaniard will not be relying on his rivals faltering. He is, above all, a fierce racer with huge ambition and Donington Park is a happy hunting ground for him. As well as last season’s win, he has triumphed here too on a 250 in 2004 and the curves and dips of this much-loved track are his natural territory. Donington Park usually provides an eventful race, whether in the dry, or in the ‘British’ weather conditions that rendered last year’s contest a dripping-wet, yet enthralling race. The track was resurfaced in 2004 and the new pit complex now makes the facilities a match for this excellent racetrack. Many riders have a great deal of affection for Donington Park. It’s a track that rewards competitors who relish fast, open, sweeping turns. And even if the slightly stilted Melbourne Loop section of the track spoils the rhythm and flow, it still provides drama as riders endure three bouts of heavy braking towards the end of a lap. The dramatic downhill fifth-gear Craner Curves are the high point of a Donington lap. This section of the track requires bravery and inch-perfect commitment to a line and if a rider struggles to come to terms with these turns, a fast lap is but a distant hope. Donington demands two main machine characteristics that are hard to provide simultaneously. Stability on the brakes and quick turn-in are required for the Esses and Melbourne Loop sections while perfect high-speed manners are needed for the rest of this 4.023km track. Some riders opt for stability in the knowledge that a fast lap time will be dictated by speed over the flowing first three-quarters of the track, others prefer to have a bike set up to perform well under braking where places can be won and lost in the final three turns. Good acceleration is also vital while top speed is slightly less of an issue than at other circuits. Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) currently lies fourth overall having put in some dogged rides to snatch points, but without so far capturing the race-winning form of 2006. The Italian finished third here last year and knows he has to begin to win again if he is to figure in the fight for the World Title. There is pressure on both Pedrosa and Melandri, but not quite as much as on reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) who has not hit top form so far this year. But Nicky is a fighter and his positive mood will not be dampened by either his form so far this season or the weather, if Britain’s unpredictable summer provides another biblical downpour here as it did in 2005. Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) has enjoyed a second place finish in Turkey this year and the happy-go-lucky Spaniard will be aiming to hoist himself further up than his current berth of ninth overall in the rankings with a big ride here this weekend. He has failed to score at three races so far and he will hope for a more consistent pattern to his season from here on. The evergreen Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) is still capable of figuring in the results here if he can get through the set-up troubles that have plagued the first third of this season, while Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) and Kurtis Roberts (Roberts KR212V) have much work to do to get on terms with the pace the new 800ccc machines are running at this year. Dani said: “Last year I had a very good time at Donington Park so I’m really looking forward to coming back here and trying for a repeat performance. We had a positive test in Barcelona after the last race and found a few things that should help us, particularly some tyres that we tested for Michelin, so this gives us more confidence for the upcoming races. The crowd is unbelievable here especially in the last few years and it’s always good to see so many people at the Riders for Health Day of Champions on Thursday.” Marco Melandri said: “We always knew Barcelona would be one of the hardest circuits for us. Now we are at Donington, which in theory should be much more favourable because it’s more suited to the characteristics of our bike. The corners are not that fast and the straight shouldn’t be too much of a problem, since it’s only 564m long. The unknown factor at Donington is the weather because the temperatures can vary drastically. If it rains I think us Bridgestone riders will have a good chance.” Hayden said: “I can’t wait to get on track on Friday morning to find out if I made as much progress as I think I did on the Monday and Tuesday test in Spain. Plus I’m fully over my injuries from the Le Mans crash so I feel ready to push really hard. Donington is a pretty good track. I really like the first part of the lap, but the last section has never come just silky smooth for me. There’s a lot of hard braking, then accelerating where you’re fighting to keep the front wheel down to the next corner. However, with losing 200cc this year, the wheelie problem should be reduced somewhat.” “This is a track I like a lot,” said Elias. “I missed the race here last year because of the injury I picked up at Assen, where I fractured my shoulder, but I’ve always had good results previously at Donington. Top speed isn’t that important at this circuit it’s better to have good handling. I’m looking for a good result to get over the disappointment of my home race at Barcelona, when I was forced to retire before the end. The asphalt at Donington can be very slippery especially if the temperatures are low so it will be important to make a good tyre choice.” Carlos Checa said: “It won’t be easy but I’m confident my team together with Michelin and Honda will assist me in the best way. Now Honda is working hard with Pedrosa to find the best solutions for the future and this is good. Hayden is struggling a lot this season; Elias and Melandri are faster at some tracks only thanks to the tyres and Nakano is a good rider but is in trouble as well. I like Donington and I’ll work a lot on tyre choice especially for wet conditions which are typical at this English track.” “I enjoy riding at Donington Park as it has some very demanding curves,” said Shinya Nakano. “I’ve scored a third place there before in my days riding the 250cc machine and a sixth on the two-stroke 500cc bike a year later in 2001 so I know I can go well there. I’m hoping that we can build on the good day’s testing from Catalunya last week and move forward again with the new 800cc RC212V.” Kenny Roberts will not ride at here this weekend. The American former World Champion was due to be replaced by Johnny Rea, but the Irishman’s hectic involvement with Honda worldwide is such that he will concentrate on his primary commitments and not ride for the KR Team this weekend as mooted. He very recently won the Suzuka 300km race and posted a win in the British Superbike series last Sunday. The team will therefore run only Kurtis Roberts. Kurtis said: “Without Kenny or Johnny things will be slightly tougher, but in some ways having two bikes available for myself might unlock that something we need to get ourselves on the pace. Kenny scored two podiums last year, and when we’ve got the chassis in the shape we want it, he’ll be back to hopefully score some more when we get closer to the front.” Runaway leader of the 250cc class Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) won here last year and it would be hard to bet against the winner of five of seven races so far in 2007. But Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW), who scored a third place here last season, is one of the most resolute campaigners on the scene and will do everything to deny Lorenzo here. Dovi has 117 points to Lorenzo’s 153 at the moment with Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) third on 115. Dovi has shown that his Honda is a match for the Aprilias when a track is not a sheer ‘horsepower’ circuit and Donington Park is one of those. Dovi said: “Donington is a track that I like well enough. Last year I was only sixth and this time I want recover. The track is fast, with strong braking on which I hope to face the Aprilia riders, now we’ll see if also here we’ll feel the engine difference. On Barcelona test last week we had a good lap time with a better pace compared to one of 3 days race, so I’m confident and positive also for this weekend.” Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “Donington is a track I really like; that’s where I achieved my first victory under the rain in 2005. It’s a track that has short straights and that adapts very well to what I do best, that is braking and getting the line quickly. I am looking forward to the race in England. I love the track and I hope to get a good result here.” Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “I like Donington Park; I don’t really know the reason, but the feelings on the English track are good. Last year I was fighting for the fourth and fifth positions but I crashed, so I hope to be back here continuing to improve.” All eyes will be on Britain’s Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) in the 125cc class and the 16-year-old has already shown this season that he has the speed to win. He finished third in France and is now a regular fixture in the leading group of riders in races. It might be too early in his career to expect a win, but he rides ‘at home’ and he is on a steep upward curve in form. His team-mate Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) is on the road to recovery from injury and can be expected to build on the 12th place he achieved in Catalunya two weeks ago. Mike di Meglio (Scot Honda RS125R) will be hoping to stabilize the erratic form he is showing so far. Smith said: “I’m really looking forward to the race in Donington, because it’s my home race. It’s a nice circuit and despite it being a bit bumpy, it’s a great place to race. We’ll see how everything works here, because you never know what the weather can be in England, so it might be a dry or a wet race. Last year it was the first track I managed to score points at after finishing 12th and qualifying around the same position. Now things have changed a lot and I hope to be close to the guys in the front, like in Catalunya.” Rabat said: “To be honest, it’s a circuit I quite like, although I don’t remember much about last year. In any case, I hope everything works out well. We will give it our best to be as much in the front as possible and to continue improving. We’ve had a whole week to continue with the recovery of the hand and we’ll see how I feel.”