Donington Park: Record Lap D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2006, 1'28.714
Donington Park: Best Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2006, 1'27.676
Racing numbers for the British Grand Prix
Thursday, 23 July 2009 motogp.com
Figures, trivia and factoids in the latest edition of the MotoGP Racing Numbers, compiled by official statistician Dr. Martin Raines.
100 – At the British GP, Lukas Pesek is scheduled to make his 100th Grand Prix start. He will be only the second Czech rider to reach this milestone – the other being Jaroslav Hules who made exactly 100 GP starts during his racing career.
100 – Mike di Meglio is scheduled to make his 100th Grand Prix start at the British GP. Di Meglio has been a full-time Grand Prix rider since making his debut as a 15-year old at the opening race of 2003 in Japan and will become the second youngest rider after Jorge Lorenzo to reach the milestone of 100 GP starts.
37 – Gabor Talmacsi finished 15th in Germany to become the first Hungarian to score points in the premier-class since Arpad Juhos finished 9th at the East German GP in 1972.
33 – Qualifying day at the British GP will mark the 33rd anniversary of Barry Sheene winning the Swedish GP at Anderstorp in 1976 to clinch his first 500cc world title and the first 500cc title for Suzuki.
16 – Julian Simon’s pole at the Sachsenring was the 16th pole this year for Spanish riders; however he became the first Spanish rider to win from pole in 2009.
5 – Following Randy de Puniet’s crash in Germany, there are now five riders in the MotoGP class to have scored points at every race this year: Casey Stoner, Colin Edwards, Marco Melandri, Chris Vermeulen and Alex de Angelis.
5 – The first five riders across the line in the 125cc race in Germany were all from Spain. This is the first time in any class of Grand Prix racing that Spanish riders have taken the top five places.
5 – For the first time since 1988, Yamaha have had two riders finish together on the podium at five successive premier-class GP races.
2009 MotoGP Donington Preview - Wave Goodbye
Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things to do. At the end of a relationship, no matter how badly it ends, it is all too easy to look back at the good things, the happy memories, and gloss over the cracks and flaws that caused it all to end.
So it goes with Donington, which hosts the MotoGP series for the last time this year, for at least five years and probably longer. The track, located on the fringe of Leicestershire, has a long and glorious history of racing, dating back to 1937, though the circuit was closed after the Second World War, only hosting racing again in 1977. But based on the roads that ran round the grounds of the estate the track is built on, it still has the feel of an old-fashioned road circuit, like the best parts of Assen or Phillip Island.
The run down the hill through Craner Curves is still legendary, one of the finest sections of track still on the calendar today, and Schwantz, McLeans and Coppice are as challenging to get right as anywhere. The track has seen some memorable moments, from the affable Simon Crafar winning his only Grand Prix here in 1998 on the WCM Yamaha, to Valentino Rossi's battles with Loris Capirossi, or with Kenny Roberts Jr and Jeremy McWilliams, to Scott Redding's first victory for a British rider in the 125 class just last year.
Then there are the bad points. Most of the riders - all except Casey Stoner, rather surprisingly - hate the Melbourne Loop, calling it dismissively the "car park section", which is basically a set of esses and two short straights joined by hairpins. But even the horrors of the Melbourne Loop have their bright side: The Foggy Esses, the Melbourne Hairpin and Goddards are all excellent places for passing, generating plenty of spectacle despite the lack of respect they are regarded with by the riders.
But by far the worst part of the track, and the reason that riders, fans, teams and journalists alike will not be sorry to see the back of the place, is the facilities. Most of the buildings are if not decrepit, than at least run down; the tarmac is crumbling in the paddock; the plumbing is overworked; and the toilet facilities around the track are best described as medieval. The crumbling buildings might charitably be regarded as possessing old-world charm, but even viewed through the soft focus lens of nostalgia, it's hard not to feel dispirited by the run-down feel to Donington Park. It is a salutary lesson for those who look back at the Forties and Fifties and see happier times: Things may have been simpler, but that also meant that they were pretty dire.
Of course, the imminent departure from Donington adds some extra motivation for the riders. Victory here will see their names leave an indelible mark on the record books as the last premier class winner at Donington.
The man with perhaps the greatest sense of history on the MotoGP grid will be triply motivated here at Donington. Valentino Rossi hasn't won here since 2005, after winning 5 of the previous 6 races at Donington. Rossi wants to say goodbye here with a victory, and make amends for the past three years of failure.
It would be foolish to bet against him. Rossi arrives fresh from victory at the Sachsenring, his fourth of the season and extending his championship lead to 14 points. He has also won three out of the last four races, coming perilously close to taking the fourth at Laguna Seca, and having fixed the problems the team were having in the early part of the season, he will be a very hard man to beat.
His team mate will be doing his utmost to do just that. After being beaten at the Sachsenring by just 0.099 seconds, Jorge Lorenzo conceded that he needed to beat Rossi in a straight fight, alluding to the stalled negotiations over his 2010 contract with Yamaha. Lorenzo needs a win, not just to close the gap on Rossi, but even more to put pressure on Yamaha and Honda to respond to his salary demands. Lorenzo has a history of winning here in the 250 class, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Going into the summer break, when deals are traditionally sealed so that the riders can enjoy an untroubled vacation, Lorenzo really needs victory at Donington.
But Lorenzo has not just Valentino Rossi to beat, but also the man who could become his new team mate. Dani Pedrosa won a convincing victory here in 2006 and was on the podium in 2008. The Repsol Honda rider is gaining strength every day, now almost fully recovered from his previous injury woes and starting to train once again. His own victory at Laguna Seca just three weeks ago left Pedrosa feeling capable of regularly fighting for the win again, and finishing right behind the leaders in Germany will merely have steeled his resolve.
The last of the Fantastic Four is the one over whom the most doubt remains. Casey Stoner is still not sure just what his body is capable of, describing his condition before the race as "pretty mediocre." There is absolutely nothing wrong the the Ducati, though, according to the Australian. He believes that if he were not having his health issues, he would be battling for wins rather than podiums. But despite the exhaustion he is suffering at the end of races, leaving him struggling to keep up, the British weather might just work in his favor. It is much easier to stay on the pace when the weather is cool and the track is slick with rain, and in England, rain is always a possibility.
On the eve of the summer break, most of the rest of the field is fighting for their contracts. The most prominent candidate at Donington will be James Toseland, the British rider wanting to make an impression in front of his home crowd. His memories of 2008 are awful, Toseland not even making it past the first corner. And being widely tipped to be headed to World Superbikes next year, Toseland has freely admitted that he is riding for his job. He has his work cut out at his home race.
But Toseland isn't the only rider fighting to save his place in MotoGP. Toni Elias, Alex de Angelis, Chris Vermeulen, and Niccolo Canepa are all in the same boat to a greater or lesser extent. Niccolo Canepa looks certain to be out of MotoGP next season, though the Italian is making quiet progress on the Pramac Ducati. It will most likely not be fast enough to save him, though. Chris Vermeulen will be hoping for a wet race, as another victory would make it very difficult for Suzuki to fire him. It being Donington, and showers forecast for sometime on Sunday, his prayers might just be answered.
The Gresini team did remarkably well at the Sachsenring, finishing in 5th and 6th place, making it two 6th places in a row for Elias. With one seat at Gresini already taken by Marco Simoncelli for next season, both Elias and de Angelis are on a mission for more top 5 results. That mission starts on Sunday at Donington.
Though contract time can be harrowing for many riders, for others it is more frustrating than truly terrifying. Nicky Hayden, Marco Melandri, and Andrea Dovizioso are not certain to be staying where they are next year, but the chances of them being forced out of MotoGP are minimal. If they do lose their jobs, there will be plenty of other teams standing ready to pick them up, the only question is who, and where.
So all three men will be looking for a result to bolster their negotiating positions, and of the three, Melandri has the best cards. The Italian has a podium at Donington, and though another is almost certainly out of the question, another top 10 result will underline his value. Despite being on an underdeveloped bike, that has to be possible for the Italian.
Nicky Hayden has often struggled at Donington, but is coming off a growing streak of improving results. The Kentuckian qualified in 4th in Germany, but a poor start saw him floundering way down the order. Hayden will want to be making amends and running with the Fantastic Four at the front.
Colin Edwards has had a more successful time at Donington than his compatriot, also having taken a trip to the podium here. Edwards' spot in MotoGP is more dependent on other factors - most notably, what Jorge Lorenzo elects to do next year - than on specific results, but Edwards has come close to a podium this year, and will be keen to consolidate.
Edwards could have a new team mate next year, in the shape of Randy de Puniet. The Frenchman has been vastly improved this season, already close to matching his entire points haul of 2008 with just 9 races gone. Another strong result for de Puniet will buy himself some leverage.
The remainder of the field look safe where they are, and can approach the Donington race with a little more equanimity. Loris Capirossi is nearly back to full fitness, but after a miserable outing at the Sachsenring, the Italian veteran - making his 17th start at the British track, his first dating from 1990 - will want to start making some progress towards making the Suzuki competitive once again.
While he may not be as grizzled a veteran as Loris Capirossi, Gabor Talmacsi has been round Donington plenty of times already, though only ever on a 125cc bike. The Hungarian looks likely to stay at Scot for next season, if only because he can bring money into the cash-stricken team. But Talmacsi will still be wanting a decent result. For Talmacsi, that means narrowing the gap to the front runners, and preferably not finishing last.
Mika Kallio won at Donington last year, but it would be a very brave man who would forecast a repeat of that performance in 2009. Kallio is still struggling with the finger he injured at Assen, but a week's improvement should make things easier for the Finn. The jury is still out on whether Kallio can actually ride the Ducati Desmosedici, and more evidence from the Donington race would be more than welcome.
The MotoGP circus will leave Donington with mixed feelings on Sunday. Craner, the Old Hairpin and Coppice and McLeans will be sorely missed, but the car park section most assuredly will not. But what the MotoGP circus will miss least of all are the retro 1940's style facilities. The rest of the world seems to manage to provide pleasant, large, clean facilities, it's a mystery why that can't be done in the UK.
Whatever their opinion of the track, MotoGP fans will be hoping that the classic old track of Donington is at least given a worthy send off before the infield section is torn up to make way for the facilities required by Formula 1. For the sake of the history which is still palpable at the track, Donington truly deserves a good send off.
Rossi and Lorenzo plot victorious Donington farewell
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Valentino Rossi - "Hoping to extend our lead" "Last year I had a good race at Donington to finish second, but this year I really want to win! I've always said that Donington is one of my favourite tracks in the world - it's fast and flowing but also technical - and also the UK is a very special place for me because for a long time it was my home. This is the last year we are going to race there which I am really sad about, but that makes me even more determined to try to win there, for me and for the fans who have always treated me like one of their own. I haven't won there since 2005, which is too long and I would like to say 'goodbye' to the track in the best way. Last year we couldn't take the fight to Stoner but this year our bike is extremely competitive and we're arriving leading in the championship so we're in a very strong position. We don't have much time to rest after Sachsenring but we have a good break after this race to look forward. Let's hope we can extend our lead even more before then."yamaha-racing.com |
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Jorge Lorenzo - "Let's reverse the results!" "Of course I am disappointed about the result in Germany but considering my physical condition I have to be happy about such a close second place. It's a pity we don't have a week off now so I have more time to recover, but I will try to relax for a few days at least and build my strength some more. I like Donington a lot and this is the last year there so I would like to try and leave with a good result. I expect that all the British fans are hoping for another race like in Sachsenring, so we will see what we can do but of course I hope the result is reversed this time! The weather in Donington can be bad so my biggest wish is that it stays dry, we had enough rain in Sachsenring! However if it does rain the that's not the end of the world either because we showed on Saturday that we are very strong also in the wet." yamaha-racing.com |
Ducati team tackle fourth race in five weeks
| 22/07/09 16:53 |
Melandri: This year is like a dream
Marco Melandri admits he still has to pinch himself to believe that he is sitting sixth in the 2009 MotoGP World Championship standings after nine of 17 rounds.Of the present MotoGP grid, the Kawasaki ZX-RR is the only bike not to have won a race since the switch to four-strokes in 2002 - and the Italian's 2009 Hayate ride isn't even officially backed, following Kawasaki's winter withdraw from MotoGP.
Nevertheless, Melandri arrives at this weekend's British Grand Prix with 70 points under his belt, compared with 51 for the whole of last season as a factory Ducati rider, and is ahead of his replacement Nicky Hayden as well as factory Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso.
“Before the championship began, if someone had said to me that at the halfway point of the year I would be sixth and ahead of one HRC guy and one factory Ducati guy, I would not have believed it,” confessed the Italian.
“For sure I cannot finish [the season in sixth], but it is like a dream for me,” he continued. “With this bike, which we didn't even have to race, we are doing good races and having nice battles. I'm happy and looking forward to this weekend.”
Melandri, who finished second in the wet/dry French Grand Prix and briefly led his home Italian Grand Prix, is being linked with a return to Honda Gresini for 2010. crash.net
Pedrosa, Dovizioso sad to see Donington go
Among those sad to see Donington Park drop of the MotoGP calendar for 2010 are Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso.Pedrosa won the 2006 British Grand Prix, during his first season in the premier-class, and also took a 250cc victory at the circuit in 2004.
“I've had some good results at Donington so I'm confident we can have a strong weekend,” said this year's US GP winner. “It'll be sad to see the back of Donington because the track itself is very good to ride and one I like. I hope I can sign off there with a good result.”
Dovizioso, who arrives at round nine on the back of three consecutive DNFs, also has two previous Donington victories, in 2004 (125) and 2007 (250).
“Unfortunately this year will be the last time that we race at Donington Park and it's a pity because the circuit is fascinating to ride,” said the Italian, fifth on his Donington MotoGP debut last season. “I like it, in particular the first section which is very fast, and of course the Craner Curves which plunge down hill and take your breath away every time your ride them.
“Last year I had a good race at Donington and I have always liked this track. We arrive this time after two difficult races where I had the pace to fight with the leaders but for different reasons, we didn't get the results. But our motivation is high and everybody in the team is working hard. Honda is working hard too and we've had machine updates recently which are moving us in the right direction.” crash.net
Rizla Suzuki heads home for final Donington GP
| 23/07/09 18:10 |
With the team's operational headquarters in southern England and a big majority of the squad hailing from the UK - allied with the strong ties Chris Vermeulen has with the British racing scene from his early career - the Donington event is a real homecoming for the Japanese based Suzuki MotoGP squad. Vermeulen is hoping to be fully fit at Donington, following his injury-hit race in Germany last weekend, and is determined to keep up his successful British GP record that has seen him record one podium and two front row starts from his three previous visits. "I am really looking forward to Donington Park as it's like another home GP for me because I grew up racing bikes in the UK and spent a lot of time at Donington in my early career”, he said. “We were on the podium in the wet a couple of years ago and had a good race there last year in the dry. We have made steps forward with the bike - even if some of the results haven't gone our way. I hope my injuries allow me to push to 100% and get the Suzuki up to where we need to be." Loris Capirossi will be making his Suzuki MotoGP debut at the British event after he was sidelined through injury last year - although he does hold the Grand Prix rider record for the most GP starts at Donington with 17. Capirossi knows the importance of this race to the team and is in a determined mood to put his injury and the disappointment from last week at Sachsenring fully behind him as he goes after a result that will get the team back on target to be competitive for the remainder of the season. "Donington is a really important race because after the weekend we had in Germany we need to have a good performance and find the best solutions and settings to help us go quick”, he said. “I missed the race last year after my injuries at Barcelona and I really love the track so that was disappointing and I want to make up for it this season.We need some good results because the whole team is working so hard and although we probably don't have the best bike at the moment, our target is to keep making it stronger and stronger until it is capable of challenging at the front. My condition is nearly 95% and after the practices I am sure I will be fully fit for the race." This weekend's British Grand Prix will signal the end of an era as it will be the last time - for the foreseeable future - that the event will be staged at Donington Park. The 4,023m circuit will give way to Silverstone in 2010, so this will be the final chance spectators will get to see the amazing sight and sound as the awesome MotoGP bikes stream down Craner Curves, one of the most impressive pieces of track anywhere on the MotoGP calendar. Rizla Suzuki will start the weekend by being involved in the ‘Riders For Health Day of Champions' fundraising event on Thursday. This will be followed by the first and second free practice sessions on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning respectively. The qualifying for the race will take place on Saturday afternoon when both Rizla Suzuki racers will be going all out to get the best grid positions for Sunday's 30-lap race, which will get underway at the later time of 15.30hrs local time (14.30hrs GMT). moto-live.com |
ZoomMelandri plays down Gresini rumours
| By Simon Strang | Thursday, July 23rd 2009, 19:12 GMT |
Marco Melandri has played down speculation that he has already signed to rejoin the Gresini Honda team in 2010, despite paddock speculation that he is close to a deal with his old squad.
Speaking to the press prior to the British Grand Prix at Donington, Melandri said that he was still talking to several teams about next year following some giant-killing performances on the under-funded Hayate Kawasaki so far this season.
"Everybody is saying I am already with Honda but it is not like this," he said. "For sure I hope to have good news at Brno so that I can have a good summer holiday.
"This time we are talking to everybody actually just to understand the situation and let the people know we are free. Like I said everybody thinks I am already with Gresini but it is not like that. It is just talk.
"I would like it actually because I want to be sure for next year, but I don't know now. But I am happy anyway, much more than I was last year."
Melandri added that he was uncertain whether Hayate would continue to run the Kawasaki in 2010, with Japanese manufacturer still keen to curtail its MotoGP activities in the current climate.
"I asked [team boss] Mr Yoda at the Saxonring what is going on with Kawasaki next year and it doesn't look a very nice situation actually," said Melandri. "So even though the results are quite good with very low money, it looks like Kawasaki want to stop.
"But I am pretty sad about that because I think the bike has a good base. If you worked a little bit more you could develop the bike in a good way. For sure you cannot win but you can be very to the top every Sunday." autosport.com
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