JiR Team Scot heads to Le Mans for French GP filled with determination The MotoGP World Championship heads into the heart of the calendar now, with races where anything can happen and anyone can lead or win a race. JiR Team Scot with their Honda RC212V has so far been able to be strong and show its high potential in the first four races of the year. Andrea Dovizioso has shown talent and courage, but has so far collected fewer points than his determination has deserved. Yuki Takahashi, taking over Andrea’s role in the 250cc squad, and the rider from Saitama has already taken his first podium and narrowly missed out on another in Shanghai just 100 metres from the line. JiR Team Scot return to Europe in France at the Le Mans circuit with a determination and a fighting spirit to get a good result in both classes. Gianluca Montiron Director JiR Team Scot “During the first four races we have had the opportunity to measure ourselves against the competition in both classes and we have shown that we have the riders and machinery to fight for the top positions. The race at Le Mans will be important because we will be racing at the home of our partners Michelin. Our bikes the Hondas are the same as the other teams so we have to gain that little advantage so we can battle with the factory bikes by communicating well with our French technicians. The 250cc machine is being developed to our expectations and Yuki must now be consistently battling with the top group in all the races.” Cirano Mularoni Team Manager JiR Team Scot “This race in France we go to with much optimism because Le Mans is a track on which both our riders have had some good results. Andrea has taken many podiums here and Yuki took his first victory in the 250cc class, snatching victory from Andrea! Technically this is a circuit, which is very suited to our Honda 250 and I think we can get good results with the MotoGP machine, even if we have no data. I think Andrea has a good opportunity to get the result he deserves in France.” Andrea Dovizioso Rider, JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda RC212V “The race in Le Mans could be a good opportunity for us. I like the track very much and have always collected excellent results there in 125s and 250s. This is a slower track and I think it will fit very well with our Honda MotoGP bike. From China I would like to get a better result and this will be the incentive that pushes me harder. Morale is high for both the team and I, so I think I will play up front with the top riders. I think also the team has a hunger for points and are motivated like me, especially as we know we can get good results. Recently I took part in a charity football match, called ‘The Match of The Heart.’ I always play in this and I had a good time on pitch with both professional football players and people from showbusiness.” Yuki Takahashi Rider, JiR Team Scot 250GP Honda RS250RW “After the last race in China the team and I suffered pain for the result we could have achieved when we saw the podium slip though our fingers! This was a podium that was truly ours! Our appointment now at Le Mans gives us the motivation to get the result we all deserve. On this track I took my first victory in the 250 class in 2006, but in 2007 I didn’t repeat this result because of an accident and injury. This is a track I like very much and it is also very good for my riding style. The accident in Shanghai didn’t leave me with any injury and we’ve really refined the bike, so now I can fight with the best riders. I feel ready and I have a strong desire to get a good result.” Le Mans Circuit Circuit length: 4180m (2.6 miles) Main straight: 450m (0.28 miles) Width: 13m Pole Position: Left right corners: 9 left corners: 4 MotoGP Lap record: 1’35″087 V. Rossi 2006 (Yamaha) Pole Position: 1’33″616 C. Edwards 2007 (Yamaha) French Grand Prix 2007 – Results: 1st Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2nd Marco Melandri (Honda) 3rd Casey Stoner (Ducati) 250cc Lap Record: 1’38″566 A. Dovizioso 2007 (Honda) Pole Position: 1’37″934 J. Lorenzo 2007 (Aprilia) French Grand Prix 2007 – Result: 1st Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) 2rd Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 3rd Alex De Angelis (Aprilia) More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RETURN TO EUROPE FOR FRENCH GP The MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe for the Grand Prix of France as the season enters its busiest phase, with five races coming up over the next seven weekends. Despite finishing on the podium in the last round at Shanghai, reigning World Champion Casey Stoner was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to repeat his pace from practice in the race and his target for this weekend is to return to his usual highly-competitive self. Marco Melandri achieved his objective in China by improving his feeling with the bike and fighting for a top position, so his clear objective for France is to continue with that level of progression. Stoner has a decent record at Le Mans, having finished on the podium last year and only just missing out with fourth place as a rookie in 2006. Melandri actually won that race two years ago and he finished an impressive second last season. LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP PROJECT DIRECTOR “On paper Le Mans isn’t particularly suited to our bike but last year Casey was on the pace in every dry practice session and managed a podium in a race that was badly affected by the weather. So we go to France feeling confident that we can do well with both Casey and Marco, who began to show in China that the great job done by the team is bearing fruit.” CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “I haven’t had outstanding results at Le Mans in the past but they have been good and I remember last year being really fast in practice and feeling confident for the race. Then on Sunday it rained but I still came away with a podium. The track itself is not the most exciting – it’s more like a go-kart track, where the bike has to be really efficient on the brakes but agile at the same time and quick on the exit of the corners. At the end of the day though, whether you like a track or not, the objective is still the same – you have to work hard all weekend and prepare a competitive package for the race, something we generally always manage to achieve and have the knowledge to do again.” MARCO MELANDRI, Ducati Marlboro Team “Le Mans is a track with a lot of heavy braking and it cannot be underestimated because it is quite technical, with slow turns followed by some really fast ones. Even so I think I can do well there because I won in 2006 with the 990cc bike and last year I made the podium with the 800. Personally I have always liked the track so hopefully I can get another good result. We have shown that we’re able to come through a difficult situation and we’ve made real progress so I just can’t wait to get back on track now. I feel optimistic and I hope we can confirm our progress on a very different kind of circuit to Shanghai.” THE TRACK Located in the region of Sarthe, a couple of hours’ drive from the capital city of Paris, Le Mans is renowned for the 24 Hour automobile race. The Bugatti circuit, which is very different to the actual 24 Hour circuit, plays host to the MotoGP race, having returned to the calendar back in 1999. Considered a “stop and go” circuit, Le Mans is riddled with slow corners but also features one of the fastest on the calendar, which comes at the end of the start-finish straight. A host of hairpins and chicanes call for balance and control under repeated heavy braking as well as corner speed and good acceleration on exit. With nine right-hand corners and only four left-handers the track is also a major test for tyres. The layout was modified two years ago with slight alterations to the first corner in the interest of safety. Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2006) 1’33.616- 160.741 km/h Best Pole: Colin Edwards (Yamaha – 2007) 1’35.087- 158.255 km/h Circuit Length: 4.185 km. MotoGP Race 2008: 28 laps (117.180 km) MotoGP Schedule 2008: 14:00 CET DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – RIDER INFO CASEY STONER Age: 22 (born 16th October 1985) Residence: Montecarlo Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP8 GP appearances: 99 (38xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP victories: 18 (11xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 10 (6xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125) First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125) World titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007) MotoGP track record at Le Mans: 2007: Grid: 2nd; Race: 3rd 2006: Grid: 11th; Race: 4th MARCO MELANDRI Age: 25 (born 7th August 1982 in Ravenna, Italy) Residence: Derby, UK Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP8 GP appearances: 159 (83xMotoGP, 47×250, 29 x 125) GP victories: 22 (5xMotoGP, 10×250, 7×125) First GP victory: Holland, 1998 (125) First GP: Czech Republic, 1997 (125) Pole positions: 9 (6×250, 3×125) First pole position: Germany, 1998 (125) World titles: 1 (250, 2002) MotoGP track record at Le Mans: 2007: Grid: 9th; Race: 2nd 2006: Grid: 5th; Race: 1st 2005: Grid: 3rd; Race: 4th 2004: Grid: 6th; Race: 6th 2003: Grid: 4th; Race: 15th More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ROSSI AND LORENZO SHOW MOVES ON TO FRANCE Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo travel to the legendary Le Mans circuit this weekend looking to continue their trailblazing start to the 2008 MotoGP World Championship after dominating the headlines over the opening four rounds. The pair have three pole positions, seven podiums and two wins to their credit so far – securing leadership of the Teams’ and Constructors’ World Championships and delighting their army of fans around the world. The last round in Shanghai was their most impressive yet, with Rossi reaping the fruit of a blossoming relationship with Bridgestone tyres to take a dominant first victory of the season and Lorenzo producing a heroic charge to fourth place on his Michelin-shod YZR-M1 despite fracturing both of his ankles during free practice. The Spaniard, who lies second in the championship, faces another huge test of his mental and physical resistance this weekend after being confined to a wheelchair ever since his return home from China. The damage to his ankles will take months to fully heal but Lorenzo has no more time to put his feet up, with seven races coming thick and fast over the next ten weeks as the season enters its busiest phase. The 21-year-old at least has fond memories of Le Mans, having taken victory there from pole position last season. Rossi has had five podium finishes in the premier-class at Le Mans, including two victories. The Italian’s success in China was his 89th in all classes of Grand Prix racing, taking him to within just one of Angel Nieto, who lies second in the all-time winners’ list behind Giacomo Agostini. Le Mans is one of the least technical circuits on the calendar, with the main complication being the first turn – one of the fastest in MotoGP which is followed by the first of a number of tight chicanes. The rest of the track is made up of short straights and hairpins, calling not just for balance and control under hard and repeated braking, but a neat and swift transfer from full braking to full acceleration on the exit of the corners. Valentino Rossi “ON A HIGH” “Last year Le Mans was incredibly disappointing for us – we were hoping for a good result in the dry but the rain came and things didn’t go as planned. This year however we’re going there on a real high after the fantastic result in China and I am confident that we can have a good weekend. China was a very important boost for everyone and a great result for all the hard work that everyone has put in so far this season to get us to this point, and now we have to make the most of this moment and keep pushing like this. Yamaha usually goes very well at Le Mans and, although it’s obviously the first time we’ve been there with Bridgestone, I am confident that we will be strong there. We are nine points from the top of the championship but our rivals are very motivated too so there is no let-up and we must go for the maximum points again. This is the start of the busiest phase of the championship and it’s always hard work but also great fun. Let’s hope we can get this run of races off to the best possible start in France! Jorge Lorenzo “MOVING ON!” “I was lucky in China! If I’d have landed differently it could have ruled me out until the middle of the season and certainly prevented me from enjoying myself as much as I am in this early part of the season. In China I realised the risks in this sport; as riders we have to take a lot of risks and that Sunday in Shanghai, with my emotions and my feelings, I knew I had to go through it and take risks again because my team were depending on me in the box. I won’t be at 100% for Le Mans but my mental condition should make me strong at one of my favourite circuits and I am really looking forward to the race just the same. I know my team will help me all that they can and hopefully I will be in good enough shape to challenge strongly, as I have at the first four races. China was unfortunate but now I have to move on!” David Brivio ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS” “Le Mans is the start to a very busy period for the championship but on the evidence of the race in China we are ready! Shanghai was a very important race for us because it showed how much progress we have made since Qatar. The engineers did a great job, Valentino was incredible and that has given us all a big boost in confidence and motivation. With seven races over the next ten weeks this is the core of the championship so the timing of Valentino’s first win of the season couldn’t have been better. Four different winners from the first four races is fantastic so now let’s see who can be the first to repeat. We all feel positive it can be us and we can’t wait to fight for it. In 2006 we almost won at Le Mans but for a technical problem and last year we were denied by the rain so we feel we have unfinished business there and we look forward to fighting again.” Daniele Romagnoli “KEEP THE CONCENTRATION” “Obviously Jorge is a little more injured than we first realised in China and the broken astragalus in his right ankle is a problem but we’re hopeful he can be fit enough to fight again in France. At the moment there is not much we can do but wait for the most recent updates from Doctor Mir and see how he feels when he gets on the bike on Friday. As far as learning the track with this bike is concerned we have seen in the previous two races that this is not an issue for Jorge, particularly at Shanghai, where he effectively only had only one free practice session. Le Mans is traditionally a ‘friendly’ track for Yamaha, who have had a lot of good results there in the past. We’re at the start of an intense period of GP activity and the next few months will be interesting. For us the most important thing is to stay concentrated.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: KAWASAKI FIRED UP FOR FRANCE The Kawasaki Racing Team head for this weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans in confident mood, with both John Hopkins and Anthony West determined to make amends after the disappointment of Shanghai. Hopkins is now fighting fit again, after sustaining a nasty injury at the Chinese Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Anglo-American caught the back of his knee on the foot peg of his Ninja ZX-RR, after a collision with Alex de Angelis forced him off the track at the end of the 1.2km main straight. Although the injury looks painful – the whole of the back of his leg is black and blue with bruising – Hopkins has continued with his training programme ahead of the French Grand Prix, where he’s confident of a good result on a track that suits particularly well his riding style, his Ninja ZX-RR and his Bridgestone tyres. Frustrated by his Shanghai performance, West is determined to get his season back on track this weekend at Le Mans. Since China, the 27-year-old Australian has been working closely with his crew to find a solution to the traction problems that have plagued him since the start of the season, and he heads for the French Grand Prix confident that they can find some improvement in this area. The Le Mans circuit, which is situated in the Sarthe region of France and is home to the legendary 24 Heures du Mans car race, is one of the most famous motorsport facilities in the world. First gear corners dominate the 4.18 km Bugatti track, on which Sunday’s 28-lap Grand Prix de France will be run, demanding a bike that is stable under braking, but with explosive acceleration out of the low-speed turns. John Hopkins Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #21 “My leg is completely black and blue with bruising, but while it looks quite nasty it hasn’t caused me any problems and I’m confident it won’t be an issue on the bike. I’m looking forward to Le Mans, as it’s a track that suits my riding style and it’s one that I like racing on. The track features a lot of hard braking, quick changes of direction and hard acceleration, and that’s exactly what the Ninja ZX-RR has been designed for. When you combine this with our Bridgestone tyres, which always seem to work well here, then I think we’re in a strong position going into this weekend. The only thing we need to watch out for is the weather, as it’s notoriously changeable at Le Mans, but wet or dry I’m confident that we can put in a strong performance in France.” Anthony West Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13 “After the disappointment of the result in China I’m looking forward to Le Mans and, hopefully, securing the results I know I’m capable of. I’ve had some problems this year with the rear tyre spinning up too easily out of the turns, but after discussing the problem with my crew and Kawasaki’s technical staff, we think we’ve identified what we need to change on the bike to see an improvement in this area. If we can fix this problem, then I’m confident that a top ten finish in France is a realistic goal for me, as I like the Le Mans circuit.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “Our Ninja ZX-RR has been well suited to the characteristics of the Le Mans circuit in the past, so we head to France confident that we can improve significantly on our results last time out in China. I hope that John has fully recovered from the injury he sustained in the Shanghai race; he didn’t make such a big deal of it at the time, but he was left with a large haematoma where he was hit in the leg by the foot peg. Although it’s not a serious injury, soft tissue wounds like this can remain painful for a long time. We’ve also got some changes to make to Anthony’s bike, and I hope that this will eliminate the problems he’s been having and allow him to start challenging for top ten positions again.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: After trips to Qatar, Spain, Portugal and China, the MotoGP World Championship is set for its fifth round, the Alice Grand Prix de France, which takes place on May 18th at the historic Le Mans circuit. The top three riders in the premier class – current series leader Dani Pedrosa, Fiat Yamaha rookie Jorge Lorenzo and his teammate the five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi – are separated by just 9 points with a win apiece so far this year. The MotoGP category has seen four winners from as many races, with 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner having taken victory in Qatar, for only the second season since the switch to four-stroke machinery in 2002. Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa has a respectable record at Le Mans, particularly in the lower cylinder categories. He won the French 125cc race in 2003, and also triumphed in the 2004 and 2005 250cc events. Since arriving in MotoGP he has placed third and fourth respectively at the track, last year answering critics that had cast doubts about his ability to ride in the wet. A podium at this latest round would continue his 100% record of rostrum finishes in 2008, the Spaniard the only rider to do so. Lorenzo trails his rival by seven points, ending his own perfect podium run in China with fourth place. The result itself doesn’t tell the full story of the Fiat Yamaha rookie’s weekend in Shanghai, as the reigning 250cc World Champion rode for almost the entire weekend with multiple ankle fractures courtesy of a huge Friday highside. Whilst his less than 100% fitness obviously casts doubt as to his participation in Le Mans, few would be expecting the gutsy debutant to miss out on another opportunity to take the leadership of the World Championship. Of the four riders in with a chance of leading the series upon departure from France, only third placed Rossi has tasted victory in a premier class Le Mans race. The Italian was triumphant in the 2002 and 2005 Grands Prix, but has spent the past two seasons outside the podium spots. He ended his longest MotoGP win drought since his maiden victory with a vintage display in Shanghai, taking maximum points for the first time since switching to Bridgestone tyres for 2008. Stoner lies in fourth in the overall classification, returning to the podium in Shanghai after two races outside the rostrum positions. The Ducati Marlboro rider is hungry to return to winning ways and, like Pedrosa, holds a fourth place and third place in his two previous French visits as a MotoGP rider. Behind the top four, Rizla Suzuki veteran Loris Capirossi is tied with rookie James Toseland on 33 points, with the latter set for an important race at another unknown track. The Tech 3 Yamaha team have strong links to France, particularly through Team Principal Herve Poncharal. This year the French connection for the outfit is even stronger, with their switch in tyre manufacturers to Michelin. The man who ended Jorge Lorenzo’s perfect run of pole positions, Colin Edwards is also representing Tech 3 Yamaha on their home soil, he heads Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden, MotoGP rookie Andrea Dovizioso and Kawasaki star John Hopkins in the top ten. Last year´s winner of the wet Le Mans race, Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen, currently lies in fourteenth place. 250cc In 250cc, Mika Kallio holds a 21-point advantage over Mattia Pasini, with both having an impressive record of podium finishes thus far in 2008. Kallio has been on the rostrum at every race to date, including victories at Jerez and the most recent round in Shanghai. Pasini has only failed to place on the rostrum in Portugal, with a strong start to his quarter-litre category career onboard the Polaris World Aprilia. Three different manufacturers are featured in the top four, with the KTM of Kallio ahead of Aprilia’s Pasini and Hector Barbera and Honda’s Yuki Takahashi. The JiR Team Scot rider took his first ever World Championship victory at Le Mans in 2006 and, two years and a series of injury setbacks later, is finally back on top form and in the fight for podiums in the class. Takahashi’s fellow Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama moved up to fifth with a second place in Shanghai, completing a Red Bull KTM one-two at the Chinese circuit. The top six is completed by expected title challenger Alvaro Bautista, who has been hit by a series of unfortunate events that have taken their toll on his points tally. The Mapfre Aspar rider finished eighth in Le Mans last season. 125cc Despite crashing out of the 125cc race in Shanghai, Simone Corsi is still sitting pretty at the top of the lower cylinder category classification. The Jack&Jones WRB rider leads Belson Derbi’s Joan Olive and his own teammate Nico Terol by nine points, with neither of his rivals able to take advantage as victory went to surprise package Andrea Iannone in China. Mike di Meglio is just one point behind the second and third placed riders, riding the second Derbi machine to feature in the top four. He has a chance to take the lead in the World Championship at his home Grand Prix, a result that would be the perfect start to the race day action for local spectators. Stefan Bradl and Sergio Gadea round off the tightly packed top six, which has no place for two of the expected title challengers at the beginning of the season. Reigning World Champion Gabor Talmacsi was finally back on podium form with a third place in Shanghai, but currently lies in eighth place, whilst perennial poleman Bradley Smith has just sixteen points to his name despite starting at the head of the grid for three of the opening four races. Circuit Info Built in 1965 around the existing 24-Hour track, the Le Mans Grand Prix circuit lies 5km south of the city of Le Mans and 200km south-west of Paris. The venue has hosted Grand Prix since the late sixties but a serious accident to Spanish rider Alberto Puig in 1995 saw it struck off the calendar until 2000 whilst stringent safety improvements were carried out. Le Mans is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that place the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, the Bugatti circuit is always an extremely popular venue with fans. This year the famous Garage Vert double-apex right-hander undergoes some slight modifications, meaning there will be new lap records in all classes.