Rossi and Hayden ready to hit Australian asphalt
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
The Ducati Team heads to the spectacular Phillip Island circuit for first of two overseas races in the space of two short weeks.
The Ducati Team has always finished on the podium at Phillip Island outside of 2006 when they just missed out with a fourth place. Valentino Rossi has enjoyed no fewer than seven victories at the Island in his career, plus an additional six podium finishes. On Friday, the Italian will be testing the readiness of the hand that he injured in the crash in Japan, and he’ll also try continue the good progress he made there with the GP11.1’s setup.
Nicky Hayden is a great admirer of the down under circuit, where he owns the lap record (2008), and where he will be celebrating his 150th Grand Prix this weekend. He has climbed the podium three times at Phillip Island and finished fourth with Ducati here last year.
Valentino Rossi:
“At Motegi, despite the outcome of the race and what the consequences of the crash turned out to be, there were a number of positive aspects. We worked well on the bike’s balance and setup, and in the end, from that point of view, we had one of the most positive weekends of the season. Phillip Island is another track where the Ducati has always gone well, as have I, so we hope to be able to work as well as we did in Japan. As far as my hand is concerned, the swelling is reduced, and we still have a couple of days before we go on the track. We just have to wait for Friday morning to see how it reacts.”
Nicky Hayden:
“Phillip Island is definitely one of the highlights of the year, because everything about it is special. It’s fast, flowing and really fun to ride. The big question mark is always the weather. We can get rain, wind, cold and sun, all in the course of one race weekend. Casey has won a lot of races there for Ducati, and I should have been on the podium there last year, except that I left the door open for Vale to beat me. It’s a good track for me, and although I know it won’t be easy, I really hope we can do well. I’ve got Simoncelli coming for me in the points, but I’m not really thinking about that. I’d just like to try to get a good result on Sunday, when it counts.
Doohan believes Stoner has the mental edge on Rossi
Wednesday,12 October 2011
Five time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan has given his thoughts on the dominance of fellow Australian Casey Stoner and the relative performance of Valentino Rossi on the Ducati, ahead of this weekend’s Iveco Australian Grand Prix.
With five consecutive 500cc World titles and 54 Grand Prix wins under his belt, Doohan is one man who knows what it takes mentally to be the best in the sport and how to maintain your focus and desire to continue to be top of your game, in the premier class of motorcycling.
2011 has seen Stoner claim eight victories in the championship and build up a 40 point advantage over Jorge Lorenzo in the standings. The Repsol Honda rider can clinch his second world championship on home soil at Phillip Island in his first season with his new team, after four seasons as a Ducati rider.
In 2007, Stoner was a newcomer to Ducati and won on his debut on the Desmosedici in Qatar and achieved a further nine victories on his way to securing his maiden MotoGP World Championship crown. At the same time, highly experienced Loris Capirossi was the team mate to Stoner and earned one victory in that season.
It has been a different story for seven times World Champion Valentino Rossi in 2011. The Italian has one podium to his credit and is sixth in the championship, 161 points adrift of Stoner in his first year as a Ducati Team rider. Doohan believes the differences in performances underlines the supremacy of Stoner, rather than a decline in Rossi’s.
“Casey seemed to be, over the last few years, the only guy who could consistently pull results on that Ducati; it was night and day between him and his team mate and I think that confirms his dominance,” said Doohan. “Even though he hasn’t won the Championship in the last few years, it’s been obvious just how strong a rider, he is.”
“I think towards the end of his time at Ducati, he was riding that thing beyond what it was capable of,” commented Doohan. “Casey was in no man’s land a lot, which inherently leads to mistakes – which in bike racing is crashing! I think it’s the same thing with Rossi – he’s had a few crashes with it and has realised that riding in that position is only going to lead to more crashes, so let’s try and fix the bike! Which is easier said than done, to get it back into a race-winning position.”
Does Doohan believe we will see Rossi back to his best, fighting at the front of the field? “It’s hard to say,” he acknowledges, “He’s been around for a long while and I think that’s the key with any sportsman or sportswoman – how long can you remain completely immersed in the sport and forget about any outside influences? Rossi’s been around with the 125’s, 250’s, MotoGP; he’s got a lot of titles and a lot of seasons under his belt.
Repsol Honda Team arrives in Australia in fine form
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
The Repsol Honda Team arrives in Australia this week ready to put on a great show at one of the most exciting races on the calendar. Phillip Island is not only a wonderful track for both riders and spectators but also, with only three races to go, the first place where the World Championship titles could be decided.
The three Repsol Honda riders face the last phase of the season in optimum form. Casey Stoner has always been a safe guarantee in Phillip Island. He has won the past four MotoGP races there and after his third place in Japan, which he didn't feel fully happy with, he will be looking for his fifth successive victory on home soil. With a forty point lead in the World Championship Standings, Casey has been creating a dream season which can see him take the Championship in front of his home fans if he takes ten points or more than rival Jorge Lorenzo in Sunday's race.
Honda will also be looking to clinch the Constructor's Title in Phillip Island, in order to secure this, the top Honda RC212V must finish at least third in the race.
Pedrosa arrives in Australia after taking a brilliant victory in Japan - the first one for the HRC Factory Team in Motegi - and will relish racing in Phillip Island again, where he was unable to race last year due to injury. Dovizioso will be also looking to produce a strong performance as in Motegi, where unfortunately, his race was ruined after he was handed a ride through penalty after leading the race in the first laps. Andrea and Dani are third and fourth in the overall standings separated by just one point.
Casey Stoner:
"Every year I look forward to going to Phillip Island, there are a few tracks I really enjoy, Mugello and Brno being the other tracks so I'm excited to get to there and see how the bike works. I love coming back home to race in Australia, it's always a lot of fun and we don't get to visit so often, as well as the track, the general atmosphere is incredible and I always enjoy the weekend as a whole and the fans are fantastic. Hopefully this weekend we can have a good race, I'm very disappointed after Japan as we knew our potential, I want to go there and win the race, like I wanted to in Japan. The season has been fantastic so far and we'll be looking to continue this momentum. If we can top it off with a win in Phillip Island, my home Grand Prix it would be a dream. It will be a long hard weekend, and there is still a lot of work to do to win the Championship, but we're ready for it."
Andrea Dovizioso:
"Phillip Island is a nice circuit set in a unique location. Last year the race was not as we expected as I had a technical problem that prevented me to fight for the podium. My target this time is to return on the podium and gain some points in order to retain the third position in the Championship. Phillip Island is a demanding track and in the past I have struggled quiet a lot. The real issue is with the weather, the strong winds, rain and cold temperatures have often complicated the race. From a technical point of view the Australian track requires an aggressive riding style and an ability to make the bike turn whilst sliding. This is a very spectacular place, the setting by the ocean makes it special and the many fans are truly passionate. After the race weekend we had in Japan I'm looking forward to the Australian GP. Since my debut in the GPs in 2002 I have raced with Honda my whole career, for next year I have decided to take another challenge. But this is for 2012, now I'm focused on these last three remaining GPs. I want to have some spectacular races and score good results for Honda, my team and all my fans."
Dani Pedrosa:
"I'm looking forward to going to Phillip Island as the circuit is very nice with many fast corners and a lot of sliding. The tyres play an important role there as the left side of the tyre gets used a lot and therefore durability is always crucial. Last year I tried to return to racing in Australia after my collarbone operation and I realised during practice that It would be impossible for me to finish the race. It was very hard for me to accept that I was not ready to race as a result of the injury and I had to return home empty handed after a big effort. This year I would like to race in normal conditions and leave Australia with a good result.
Edwards and Crutchlow fired up for Phillip Island challenge
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team makes the long trip to Australia this weekend with confidence high that Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow can battle for a double top 10 finish at the breath-taking Phillip Island circuit.
Edwards has an impressive record at the 2.764 miles track and in his eight finishes from nine starts, he has only finished lower than ninth on one occasion with a best of fourth place back in 2004. He has qualified in fifth position at Phillip Island for the past two seasons and he is aiming for a fifth consecutive top 10 finish at the spectacular coastal track, which has stunning views over the Bass Strait. The 37-year-old is currently ninth in the overall rankings on 98-points and six-points from Sunday's 27-lap race will see Edwards better his tally from 2010 with two races of the World Championship still remaining.
Crutchlow is no stranger to the technical Phillip Island layout, which features fast and sweeping corners that provides one of the toughest examinations of man and machine on the calendar. Like most of the grid, Crutchlow is a massive fan of the fast and undulating circuit and he is looking forward to riding a MotoGP bike for the first time at Phillip Island when practice gets underway on Friday morning. The British rider is currently enjoying a fine run of consistent form in his rookie season and he is seeking a fifth consecutive points-scoring finish on Sunday.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team will have little time to rest and recuperate as the World Championship paddock immediately heads back to the Far East for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next weekend ahead of the season finale in Valencia.
Colin Edwards:
“It is always a special feeling to be heading to Phillip Island because I've got a lot of good friends in Australia who always come out to support me. And the track is something really special and there's nothing else like it on the calendar. I fell in love with the track when I raced here years ago in World Superbikes and I still get that same buzz even now. It is super-fast, has lots of undulation and you get to push a MotoGP bike to its absolute limit at Phillip Island. The weather usually throws up a few surprises for us and I'm sure this weekend will be no exception, but we'll be ready for whatever happens and pushing as hard as always to get the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team the best result possible. After a couple of difficult races I was back in the top 10 in Japan and that will be my aim again this weekend.”
Cal Crutchlow:
“I've been really excited about this weekend for a while now because Phillip Island is an awesome track and I can't wait to get a taste of what it feels like to ride a MotoGP bike on it. I've ridden a Supersport 600 and World Superbike machine there and had some good performances, so I'm hoping it will be the same this weekend. I've been told to expect some unpredictable weather this weekend, which will feel strange because normally when I'm here it is really hot and sunny in February. Whatever happens it will be the same for everybody and I'm just concentrating on extending my good run of results. I've scored points in the last four races and that consistency has been good for my confidence and at least I'm coming here without the extra pressure of learning the track. That makes a massive difference because I can focus all my energy on my riding and setting up the bike, so the top 10 is my goal again.
