MotoGP- Donington park- FP

Last lap push gives Pedrosa early Donington Free Practice advantage

Friday, 24 July 2009

Spaniard’s 1’38.627 lap opens up MotoGP practice for British Grand Prix.

Donington Park 2009 - MotoGP FP1 Highlights motogp.com

A dry line and a determined effort from Dani Pedrosa at the Donington Park circuit on Friday gave the Repsol Honda rider the fastest time of Friday afternoon, in practice for the British Grand Prix. Pedrosa clocked a 1’38.627 lap on his final lap of the day to continue his strong run of form from recent weeks, and take the early advantage ahead of this Sunday’s race.

Second quickest in the session, Casey Stoner recorded the fewest laps of any rider with 16 turns of the British track –some eleven fewer than Pedrosa. He was examining his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 in the garage whilst his rival was reducing his time by 0.245.

World Championship leader Valentino Rossi was third, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and title challenger Jorge Lorenzo in a top five separated by half a second.

There were difficulties in the session for home rider James Toseland, who had a run off track during the session and was also unable to bring his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike back to the pits after an incident at the end of the session.

Track conditions were drier than the drenched 125cc session, although not completely dry. motogp.com

MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'38.627 260.497 “It feels great to be on top today and I’m pleased with how we handled a tricky practice session. The conditions were continually changing and so we needed to make the best use of the track time to learn as much as we can. There are a few areas we can improve upon - such as the feeling from the bike when it’s really wet - and we’ll look at working on the settings for those conditions because the weather doesn’t look so stable for the weekend and we could see more rain on Sunday. It nearly dried out fully towards the end of the session but we stayed on wet tyres for the whole time and I think this was useful because you can have this sort of situation in the race. We’re in reasonable shape for the rest of the weekend and I hope I can be in this position at the end of Sunday afternoon.” motogp.com
2 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'38.872 262.399 0.245

“It was good to be able to test the wet setting today because we’ve struggled with it a little this year and we need time to work out the best solution,” Stoner commented. “We’re still far from it at the moment but it felt quite good and we have a good base to work from now.”

The Aussie youngster added, “Once we got some laps under our belt in the wet I decided to sit the rest of the session out because even though the track was drying it was very slippery and it would be foolish for us to risk an unnecessary crash on the first day of an important weekend. Hopefully we’ll get a couple of sessions in the dry tomorrow and ideally, from our point of view, we’d like it to be cool.” motogp.com

3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'38.917 261.002 0.290

“These strange conditions are always hard to ride in but it was important that we had some time in the wet today because we were able to understand our level. We’re quite happy because I felt confident and I was able to be fast today,” said Rossi on the afternoon session, in which there was both a dry racing line and wet patches on the notoriously slippery British track.

“The conditions changed a lot during the hour and by the end it was mostly dry, which meant it was quite hard to ride with the wet tyres but we were still quite fast and in the end we’re third, which is a good start. We’ve got a few modifications to make as usual after a Friday but we have a good base. Tomorrow it seems it will be completely dry so hopefully by the end of the day we will be ready for Sunday, whatever the weather,” he continued.

Expect Rossi to face competition from close to home this weekend, courtesy of teammate and persistent rival Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard is still undecided as to whether he will continue to share a partitioned garage with Rossi next season, but that is not something that overly alters the 30 year-old’s perception of the young pretender to his crown.

“Jorge is a great rider and a great teammate; I’ve heard the rumours about him going ot another team, but it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m already signed for next year, and I think that he will be a great rival on either a Yamaha or another bike,” he concluded. motogp.com

4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'39.069 258.747 0.442

“I’m satisfied with the job we did today. Of course we need to tune the set-up and improve the traction in wet conditions, but this was a good way to begin the last British Grand Prix at Donington,” said the Repsol Honda rider, just over half a second down on teammate and fastest Friday man Dani Pedrosa.

The practice started in very wet conditions and I had a good feeling on the bike from the beginning of the session so I’m pleased about that. The track had quite a reasonable level of grip and the pace I could set was good straight away.

“Conditions were changing all the time and in the last part of the session when the track was 90 per cent dry, I couldn’t set the fastest lap that I was capable of because I waited for a couple of laps and didn’t use the wet tyres to the maximum when they were new,” he reviewed.

Dovizioso had a disastrous qualifying session last time out in Germany, where he could only salvage eleventh on the grid under tricky conditions. The pressure is on the factory rider for race day after three consecutive DNFs, but at the moment his main focus is Saturday afternoon and what he expects to be a positive run.

“I’m confident for tomorrow and I think we have a decent chance of getting a good grid position here,” he declared confidently. motogp.com

5 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'39.105 261.572 0.478

“I’m really happy about this practice today because I felt comfortable on the bike and was able to brake quite late in the wet. I was pleased that we had a chance in the drier conditions later, because it showed what we need to work on for tomorrow. I had made a lot of laps in the rain so my tyre was quite worn by that time, when it was more dry, but anyway the times weren’t important for me today and I’m just happy about my performance in the wet. We learnt a lot and now we will use this to improve tomorrow.” motogp.com
6 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'39.130 259.744 0.503

“We could understand a bit how the bike works on the full wet tyres here today, and also try to understand when would be the best time to change bikes in the race if conditions were to be like that,” Melandri stated after placing sixth in the timed run with a 1’39.130 lap.

“I’m confident, because I feel good on the bike and in the dry I also think that we can get a good rhythm going.”

Looking for further rear grip in the dry ahead of qualifying, the Hayate Racing rider is happy with his wet weather performance but still hopeful of a rain-free race.

“I would prefer to have a dry race because on this track it is very risky all the time. The grip level in the wet is very bad and it is difficult to work the left side of the tyre up to temperature during the race when you can’t wait many laps.” motogp.com

7 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'39.209 261.445 0.582

“I think seventh position is not too bad, because it is our first time here with this bike and everything was a little bit difficult for everyone. The things we were trying to find were difficult due to the weather. In the last laps I was able to improve a lot, so at the moment I think we can be more or less happy with where we are.”

He continued, “Normally this track has been pretty good for me, like last year I won here in the 250cc race and in 125cc I was always quite fast here. I like the track so I think in the MotoGP class we can also be really fast here. Like we saw today we are able to be in the top ten which is important, but in the race if everything goes well I hope we can be in the top five.”motogp.com

8 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'39.379 259.058 0.752

“It was mixed conditions and that made it tough but it was probably the best conditions because we got some wet set-up time and at the end it was drying out really fast. And even though I was still on the wet tyres when it was dry, we gained a lot of information. I'm pretty happy because in the wet I was sitting in the top five comfortably and as it dried out I was looking good in the first three sections. But in the last section I was losing half-a-second. That was still the wettest section but I could have pushed harder. I felt like I was pushing but when you think you're on the edge you still might have another 15 per cent to go. But it's hard to gauge in those conditions until you're either on top of the charts or in the gravel trap. I think we learned a lot and we made some big progress with the front-end problems I've been having. We've been experimenting with body position to try and help improve the front and it seems to have worked. We're going more in (Jorge) Lorenzo's direction to get a bit more weight on the rear and not overloading the front. So I'm happy and looking for another good result at Donington.” motogp.com
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'39.755 252.269 1.128
10 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'40.116 254.592 1.489

“Typical British weather! It’s been like this since I got here at the start of the week. We started out in the wet and I didn’t have much feel to begin with but we made a couple of changes and got better and better as the session went on. On the last lap I went straight in the last corner and ran wide so I made a little error there. Basically the bike didn’t feel too good in the heavy rain but much better in the damp. The weather looks better for tomorrow so we hope that’s the case because it was difficult to draw any conclusions today.” motogp.com
11 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'40.419 256.836 1.792

"As I have said before, we need to have time on the bike to get it set-up the best for us. It seems that we keep getting really difficult weather that isn't helping us at all. Today we used a wet tyre for the whole session and at the end 85% of the track was dry and the rest was wet so it was difficult to be able to get anything done. We can hope that the weather is better tomorrow so we can work on the bike and if we can I am sure we will be in a good position for Sunday." motogp.com
12 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'40.522 255.558 1.895

“I didn't have much feeling with the bike when it was full wet but it just kept drying out and I knew the bike set-up would suit the conditions better when it was drying up. So I didn't think there was any point in coming if the track conditions were going to get better and I decided to stay out. I did a lot of laps in the mixed conditions in Germany last weekend and that really helped me out a lot today. I just kept improving and improving but unfortunately because I stayed out for the session I ran out of fuel right at the time when the track conditions were the best they had been for the whole hour. I wasn't sure how much time was left but having done 28 laps I knew it was going to be close on the fuel. It's a shame because I slipped down the order a little bit but I'm happy because most of that session I was right in the mix in the top six and it was pretty encouraging. This weekend is very important for me and as always I put my maximum effort into that session to start the weekend off on a positive note and I think I've done that. I've got unbelievable support here already and that makes me determined to get a good result on Sunday.” motogp.com
13 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'40.850 258.127 2.223
14 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'41.467 256.836 2.840

"It was really strange conditions out there today, but I guess you could say that is just normal British weather! We had a huge downpour at the start of the session and the track was very wet and quite slippery. We worked hard - and quickly - on getting a good wet setting while the track was still wet and the bike worked well in those conditions. At the end the track dried a lot so we just tested some small things that didn't really rely on fast lap-times, which was useful because with how the track was there wasn't a lot else to be learnt out there. At the end I came in a bit early because the track had dried out in most places, but there was still a couple of wet patches and it seemed a bit too dangerous for slicks." motogp.com
15 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'41.861 255.134 3.234
16 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'42.210 258.561 3.583
17 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'42.696 253.515 4.069

motogp- Donington park- before the race

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

Submitted by David Emmett

from: motogpmatters.com

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

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

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

Casey Stoner The MotoGP teams and riders complete a veritable tour de force this weekend as they contest the fourth race in five weekends. The event at Donington Park also signifies the end of an era for the East Midlands track, which has played host to the British Grand Prix since 1987 but will be replaced on the 2010 calendar by Silverstone, previously home to the historic event from 1977 to 1986. The Ducati Marlboro Team have worked intensively in recent weeks to improve the overall performance of the GP9 and with two riders in Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden prepared to make the best of any situation, hopes are high of a good result at a circuit where the Australian has celebrated victory for the past two seasons. Stoner has been unfortunate to encounter physical problems during one of the most intensive periods of the season but through sheer determination he has come through it with two podium finishes and two fourth places so far. The Australian hopes he can try to make a stronger challenge at the front this time before signing off for a well-earned break. “We did the best job we could at Sachsenring and now I'm a bit more confident about going to Donington”, he confessed. “The best thing for us would be to have similar weather and temperature as in Germany because I think the conditions there played into my hands, as did the circuit, which has some long corners where I was able to relax a little on the bike. I'll be happy if we can have another weekend in similar temperatures at Donington. The track has never been one of my favourites but I have had good results there. The first part is really demanding, with the long section through Craner Curves up to the Old Hairpin… but it's actually in the slow sections where you can make passes. The bike has been going really well for the last few races even though we could do with a little more traction. We'll just have to wait and see what happens this weekend and bring home as many points as possible.” Nicky Hayden, who has worked tirelessly alongside his team to make a breakthrough with his GP9, cannot wait to get back on track at Donington following a disappointing race in Germany where he was unable to take advantage of his best practice and qualifying performances of the season. “I've never had amazing results at Donington but I can't wait to get back out on track because I'm not happy with the way the last race went after the really positive practice we had. My bike is really stable under braking and that should be a real bonus at this circuit”, he said. “Things have been going well lately, I'm having fun and last weekend was the first time in a long while that I've been up front in practice. Seeing P1 unchanged on my pit board for such a long time was a nice feeling. We'll see what the weather is like because you never know what to expect at Donington and the track conditions are totally dependent on it.” Set to be replaced on the calendar by Silverstone next season, Donington Park hosts its 23rd and final British Grand Prix this weekend. It is a circuit of contrasting characteristics. After two high speed splits, the second half of the circuit becomes slow and tortuous. The first part, made up of the famous “Craner Curves”, a super-fast right-left-right sequence requires a smooth approach from the rider and puts machine importance more on handling than outright speed. The back section, meanwhile, was added in 1986 to bring the track up to the minimum length to host a Grand Prix. It consists of three short straights, a chicane and two sharp hairpins that put huge emphasis on braking and acceleration. Setting a bike up is always a question of making compromises but at Donington Park this is the case more than ever and it puts the riders and the bikes to the test. moto-live.com

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

Zoom Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki is in England this weekend for the British Grand Prix at Donington Park, an event that the team considers its second ‘home' GP of the season. 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

Melandri 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

WSBK arrives in Donington

British WSBK invasion returns home for Donington round

Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:16worldsbk.com

The top World Superbike riders got together for a meet and greet with the media this morning at the Donington Park Grand Prix Collection museum in the build-up towards round 9 of the championship. Following the spectacular racing at Misano World Circuit just a few days ago, this weekend will surely see more of the same as the season moves into its second half. Anglo-American rivalry will be one of the key aspects of the weekend as this year's top influx of British riders return to home ground, while the Ducati-Yamaha battle at the top becomes even more intense.

Britain's Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who became the fourth winner this year at Misano, started the ball rolling: "It was nice for me and the whole team to win at Misano because they've been working so hard since the start of the year. For me to be the guy who gets the team's first win of the year is really surreal because Carlos and Kiyo are such accomplished riders and it's really set me up with some momentum for my home race here".

Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who leads the table on 292 points, has been coming to Donington since 1998, when he picked up a double win: "I remember coming here many years ago and winning both races against Corser and Fogarty, which was a great satisfaction for me. I actually like this track and always find strange conditions here, but I hope this weekend it will be sunshine and I have to try and win again. With Ducati I try to push hard and win the title this year".

For Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), the Donington circuit is a familiar track on this year's calendar, as he did the MotoGP race last year: "We were here last year, so I know this one! This weekend's important for us, it's good with all the British guys in town. Right now for me, we need a good result, it could backfire but we're going to give it everything, hopefully we'll get some good weather and some good racing. My team-mate Tom knows the circuit well, so I'm going to be latching on to him in the first session!".

Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) finally scored his first podium of the year last week with a second place in race 1, and could even have come away with a sensational win: "It wasn't for lack of trying!" said Shakey. "It was a good race and nice to have a bit of success. Since the winter test, things have been very difficult but it was a good time to get back to form with Donington coming up this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it".

Derby-born Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) had an excellent start to the season with a brace of podiums, but has found it difficult to keep the momentum flowing in recent races: "The last four rounds have been pretty tough because the last four circuits I've not been to but Phillip Island and Assen, which I do know, have produced good results so I'm going to try and get back on the podium this weekend at my home round. The effort that the team is putting in is second to none, it's fantastic, but it gets a bit frustrating sometimes because we know we can finish on the podium at every race".

About Donington Park

The Donington Park circuit is situated near Castle Donington and is one of Britain's most famous and most popular venues. The original track was opened in 1931 and initially used for motorcycle races, but was then closed in 1939 due to World War 2. In the early 1970s the circuit was bought by Tom Wheatcroft, who funded the rebuilding of the circuit, which was re-opened in 1977. The Melbourne Loop was built in 1985 to increase the lap distance to 2.5 miles (4.02 km) and allow the track to host Grand Prix motorcycle races. In recent times Donington has held World Superbike, MotoGP, British Touring Car Championship and British Superbikes, as well as the 1993 F1 European Grand Prix.

Lap records: Race - Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1'31.575 (2007); Best lap - Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1'30.370 (2007).

The UK Round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship takes place from Friday 26th through Sunday 28th June. The action starts with free practice and qualifying the first two days, followed by WSBK Superpole on Saturday at 15.00. The two 23-lap (92.529 km) Superbike races are scheduled to run on Sunday at 12.00 and 15.30, with the 22-lap (88.506 km) Supersport race at 13.25 local time.

Gang of Four winners meet up at Donington

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 18:13worldsbk.com

The echoes of a splendid weekend of racing at Misano World Circuit are still ringing loud and clear as the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship crosses the English Channel for its next appointment, round 9 at Donington Park. The British circuit, situated directly under the East Midlands Airport landing strip, measures 4.023 km, has 15 curves and is a difficult track to master, a severe test for the resistance and concentration of riders, especially if it should rain.

The championship heads into its second half of the season with Noriyuki Haga, Ben Spies and Michel Fabrizio the big favourites, but also with Jonathan Rea, who took a fantastic win in race 2 at Misano, now part of the gang of four winners. Haga is the current rider who has the most wins at Donington, three, and he is followed by Troy Corser (2) and Kiyonari on 1. The most successful rider is Carl Fogarty with six wins to his name, followed by Scott Russell with 5. On the manufacturer front, the lion's share goes to Ducati with 16 in 34 races, then Yamaha and Honda equal on 6, Kawasaki on 5 and Suzuki on 1.

TRADING WINNING PLACES - Even though six rounds remain (and 300 points are up for grabs), the fight for the title appears to be a three-way affair between the Ducati Xerox duo of Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, and Yamaha World Superbike's Ben Spies. Nitro-Nori has led the standings since the start of the season, but has not had a positive run recently and has given the impression of racing somewhat in defense. He still has a 48 point lead over Spies, who picked up his eighth win at Misano, but had it not been for the various technical problems that have afflicted him, the Texan would be right there with his rival. At least this time around Spies is not faced with a totally unfamiliar track, having raced here last year for Suzuki in MotoGP as stand-in for the injured Loris Capirossi, finishing 14th. As for Fabrizio, after unleashing all of his talent in race 2 at Monza, the Italian has just kept on going and has accumulated a constant sequence of podiums without however stepping onto the top rung. Fabrizio is in excellent form, has nothing to lose and will surely be a contender this weekend.

HOME RUN FOR HOME RIDERS - Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) might not be a part of the title battle as he is 125 points behind, but he may yet have a say in the matter. Race 2 at Misano brought out the Northern Ireland youngster's talent, and this, together with the improved competitiveness of the Hondas following a switch to Ohlins suspensions, means that he will be a potential winner this weekend at the only British round in this year's championship. Eyes out as well for Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike), who finished runner-up to Bayliss last year in race 1, Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati), galvanized by his Misano podium, and also Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda) who, despite clearly not being British, twice won the BSB championship as well as the second race here last year. It will also be interesting to see how the young wild-card, and current BSB points leader, Leon Camier fares on the Airwaves Yamaha R1 machine against the WSB regulars at his home track.

MID-SEASON SLUMP - After a positive (Aprilia) and fairly good (BMW) start to the season, the two rookie WSB manufacturers now appear to be in a mid-season slump against their racing cousins, Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. At Misano the Aprilia Racing duo of Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano only succeeded in bringing home a handful of points, without ever getting a look-in. BMW fared even worse, with just two points scored for 14th by Ruben Xaus, and none by a still sore Troy Corser. Immediately after the Donington round both the Italian and German squads have scheduled testing sessions to try out new updates and evolution components. For this weekend Aprilia probably have the higher ambitions, as Biaggi has a particular feeling with Donington; the Italian has finished his four SBK races here with a second, two thirds and a sixth place.

YOUNG AMERICAN - The American contingent in the championship goes up by one at Donington after the Alstare Suzuki team, while waiting for the return of Max Neukirchner, opted to replace Fonsi Nieto with the young American Blake Young. The 21 year-old from Wisconsin is thought to be one of the best young talents around and comes with the ‘backing' of racing legend and former champion, Kevin Schwantz. Young joins his fellow Americans Ben Spies, Jamie Hacking and John Hopkins in the series.

The X-Rea Factor

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 15:53 worldsbk.com

The list of world Superbike race winners grew to 62 in total last weekend, when Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) found the X- factor he and his team had been missing so far as he posted his first career victory. Honda, and the ‘conventional' four-cylinder machines in general, also took a first race win of the 2009 season.

It was a reward for Rea for his perseverance and sheer determination to succeed, and for his team's endless hard work to find ‘the combination' to allow their true potential to be translated into their first win since Ryuichi Kiyonari's at Donington last year.

Rea is of course highly positive about his prospects at Donington this coming Sunday, not just because it is his home race. "You could say I know which way the circuit goes..." joked Rea at the post race press conference in Misano. "It is really nice there and we'll come back strong at Donington. We have only had four or five days with our new suspension so with another seven in between we will get even better."

The cool-headedness which typified his approach to the race-long fight with Fabrizio at Misano is a characteristic that singles Rea out as a real prospect for the immediate and long-term future. His businesslike comments only 30-minutes or so after such a landmark win for him and his team just add to the impression that Rea is really going places. "I don't want to get carried away because I want to keep winning," said Rea. "When I crossed the line for the last time I didn't know what to think, but my first thought was that ‘I hope the boys in my team really enjoy this.' So I wanted them to have a few beers and savour the moment because next week we have another tough job ahead."

Still only 22 years old, Rea's racing education on a Superbike has been long in the making and a story of ever-increasing achievement. So although he may be a rookie in WSB, he is no stranger to Honda Fireblades.

He raced in Red Bull Honda colours in BSB as far back as 2005, finishing 16th that year, and even securing a pole position. One season later he was fourth overall, with four podiums and two poles. One year after that, in the official HM Plant Honda team, he was runner-up behind Kiyonari, taking five wins along the way. As an official Honda rider Rea has also had the chance to impress the Honda bosses in Japan, by running strongly in testing and racing at the Suzuka 8-Hour, so it looks like Honda is the way forward for the man from Northern Ireland.

His Supersport exploits in 2008 are well documented to regular WSS followers - three wins, six podiums in all and a runner-up spot only to his more experienced team-mate, Andrew Pitt.

With one WSB win down, Rea must be a favourite at a circuit he knows better than any other on the WSB trail.