News 14 Jul 2009

MotoGP: Pedrosa and Honda riders confident for Germany

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Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa travels to Germany determined to build on his dominant victory at Laguna Seca two weeks ago when he led the MotoGP pack from start to finish. The win was much-deserved for the Spaniard, who had been battered by recent injuries, and indicates that Honda’s 2009 RC212V has the speed to run at the front of biking’s most technically challenging championship.

Pedrosa’s hard-fought US GP success was backed up by encouraging results by satellite team riders Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) who rode to sixth- and ninth-place finishes.

Laguna and the Sachsenring would appear to have much in common – they are both anti-clockwise, undulating racetracks that require a physical and attacking riding style – so the four Honda MotoGP teams competing in Germany will be aiming for more success in round nine of this year’s 17-race World Championship.

Pedrosa is full of confidence going into the Sachsenring weekend because he has an impressive record at the track – he won the 2004 and 2005 German 250 GPs and scored a runaway MotoGP success there in 2007. Last year he was leading in treacherous rain-lashed conditions when he slid off. Pedrosa’s attacking style suits the twisting layout which only features one short straight.

Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso will be looking forward to this weekend’s race to turn his luck around after a couple of unlucky DNFs.
The Italian, riding his first season for the full-factory HRC squad, slid off at Assen and Laguna, spoiling his impressive run of top-four results. His strong finishes in previous races mean that the 23-year-old still holds sixth place in the current points standings.

De Puniet aims to continue his impressively consistent season at the Sachsenring. The Frenchman, who has finished every race so far and usually in the top ten, has shown impressive speed at the German track in recent years. Last year he was fourth in the pouring rain. In 2003 he finished on the German 250 GP podium.

Elias can hardly wait to get back on track in Germany following his morale-boosting sixth-place finish in the United States. The Spaniard’s best result of the year so far followed weeks of hard work from the San Carlo Honda Gresini who now believe they are starting to uncover the RC212V’s real potential. They know there’s still more to come, however, because at Laguna Elias was using softer tyres than most other Honda riders which can compromise his performance in the latter stages of races.

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) hopes that the Sachsenring will be his 2009 turning point, following a tough start to his season. The San Marino rider has had set-up issues at several races this year but believes he is on the verge of a breakthrough. De Angelis has a remarkable record at the German circuit – he finished on the podium every year from 2002 to 2007 in both the 125 and 250 classes.

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) continues his fast-paced apprenticeship in biking’s fastest race series and is looking to score his first premier-class points at the Sachsenring, where he won the 2007 125 GP. Hungary’s former 125 World Champion only rode a MotoGP bike for the first time during Friday practice for the Catalan GP, just five weeks ago, so he’s very much in the early stages of his apprenticeship.

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) says: “I’ve had some good results at this track and I take a lot of confidence into the race weekend at Sachsenring because we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been in for a while. The win in Laguna Seca was really important for me and the team because it proves we’ve been making progress and we now have the pace to win races. However, we can’t take anything for granted and I’m sure our rivals will be strong again and determined to fight back. I really like the Sachsenring circuit too and, despite what happened last year, I think we can be competitive again here. I’ve had a good week since Laguna, and it was great to be able to go and see the start of the Tour de France stage in Barcelona on Friday. I’ve been able to get back in training on the bicycle, and seeing the Tour gave me even more motivation. So I’m feeling confident for this weekend and I’m looking forward to Germany.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) says: “I’m very motivated to show my potential and the potential of the machine in Germany because at the last two races we have improved a lot, without getting the results to match. The race results in Assen and Laguna were disappointing, but the recent signs have been encouraging, especially in Laguna where we were very close to the leaders and I had a good race pace and a package that meant I was capable of fighting for the front positions. Unfortunately I made a mistake, but it’s just something you learn from and move on. I wouldn’t say the Sachsenring racetrack is one of my favourites of the year but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It is quite short, with a very slow first section followed by a very fast second half. The team is getting stronger all the time and I’m confident we can have a good weekend.”

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) says: “The Sachsenring is a very strange circuit: the first part is very slow then the second part is quite a lot faster. But I like the track and I have been very fast in the T1 and sections T2 and also in the final section. Last year we had a very good rhythm in the dry but then the rain spoiled that for the race. I hope to continue my positive season with a top-eight finish this weekend.”

Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “It is important that we have started to find the right way forward at this stage of the season because there is still a long way to go and perhaps if we had taken any longer it would be too late. We have had eight tough races but we’re starting to find the limits of this bike and we still have nine races left in which to push it to the maximum. To be honest I don’t like Sachsenring much but looking back I have raced there injured on three occasions so maybe that’s why I don’t have good memories or good results to reflect on! Last year could have been much better but it rained so hopefully this is the year my fortunes change in Germany. I stayed on in America for an extra day to go sightseeing in San Francisco, which was great fun, but after that I was straight home to train and get ready for another important race.”

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says:
“I have had so many good results at the Sachsenring in the past, just the kind of results we could do with right now! Unfortunately we made the wrong choice with the setting for the race at Laguna but there were a lot of positives about the weekend as a whole and we are looking to bring those to the fore in Germany. The German Grand Prix is definitely one of my favourites. I have a lot of affection for the Sachsenring circuit because I took my first pole there and I was on the podium every year from 2002 to 2007.
The track is very technical, varied and without any long straights so it is important to have a good chassis set-up, more than a powerful engine.
We’re going through a difficult phase right now but we won’t give up.”

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) says: “It has been always a pleasure for me to come and compete at the Sachsenring, which, by the way, isn’t very far from my home. It’s a short track, but not easy, with dramatic elevation changes. The most difficult point, with a 125 bike, was the first corner. I can imagine that with a MotoGP machine it will be a problem common to everybody. Anyway, we found a good set-up at Laguna Seca. I’m certain that I would have made a good race if I hadn’t crashed. Before leaving the States we had a technical meeting, fixed a few things, and so we should be a step ahead in Germany. I’m confident for this race.”Last Exit download

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