The 2011 MotoGP World Championship reaches the halfway stage this weekend with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow determined to deliver strong performances at Germany’s Sachsenring circuit.

Experienced American Edwards is looking to consolidate his place inside the top 10 in the overall rankings having scored points in six of the seven races he’s started in 2011.

And he’s determined to leave Europe full of confidence ahead of his crucial home round at the spectacular and challenging Laguna Seca track in California on 24 July.

His best result at Sachsenring was fourth position in 2007 and he is confident the improving handling performance from the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 this season will be a crucial advantage in dealing with the demands of the track.

“The last two races haven’t been that fantastic but we can point to a bad tyre choice in both for that,” Edwards commented. “We’ve got to take some responsibility for that but sometimes you roll the dice and gamble but the result doesn’t go your way.

“That’s all behind me now and I’m just concentrating 100 percent on getting a good result in Germany this weekend. This track is pretty special with so many left-hand turns but our chassis is much better than last year, so I’m sure the bike will be easier to ride in the tight and twisty sections.

“Aside from 2003 when I had the fireball at the bottom of the hill, I’ve really enjoyed my time at Sachsenring. I’ll be looking for a good result to take some momentum into my home race at Laguna Seca, which is a huge weekend for me and one I’m already excited about.”

This weekend presents another big challenge for British rookie Crutchlow, who will be making his Sachsenring debut. The 25-year-old is concentrating all his efforts on bouncing back from difficult races in Assen and Mugello recently and is aiming for a welcome return to the top 10.

“Like a lot of tracks so far in 2011, I haven’t seen this one before but it looks really good on TV and I can’t wait to get started on Friday,” Crutchlow said. “The track is obviously dominated by left-hand turns but I’m not worried that is going to be a big problem for me.

“The left collarbone I broke at Silverstone last month is fine and I’m happy with the progress it is making. After all the weather disruptions of the last few weeks, I’m just hoping for a dry weekend so I can learn the track quicker.

“And I’m also hoping for hot conditions because that will give me an opportunity to solve some of the front-end issues I’ve been experiencing lately. I’m confident I can be running back inside the top 10.”

Immediately after Sunday’s 30-lap race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team heads off to Laguna Seca for the first of two visits to America in the space of five weeks.