MotoGP 2009 - Round Seven - Assen

MotoGP 2009 - Round Seven - Assen - Preview

Round seven of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship takes place this coming weekend in The Netherlands with the Alice TT Assen giving Valentino Rossi the chance to turn up the heat on his title rivals at one of the most popular circuits on the calendar.

Last season Rossi had his worst result of the year at the Dutch track when he crashed early in the race and fought back to finish 11th, but he is traditionally a strong performer at Assen with victories to his name in all three categories there - four of those in the premier class.

Following his epic battle with his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in Barcelona Rossi will aim to maintain his championship momentum with another win, but he knows that Lorenzo and Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner - who are both tied with the Italian on 106 points at the head of the standings - will also be pushing to the maximum at ‘the Cathedral of motorcycling’.

Lorenzo also has a good record at Assen, having won there in the 250cc and 125cc classes, and the 22 year-old Spanish star refers to the circuit as his favourite MotoGP venue. Having been beaten by Rossi by just 0.095s in his home Grand Prix Lorenzo will be desperate for revenge in Saturday’s race.

Last year’s Dutch race winner Stoner is likely to be a far stronger victory candidate than in Catalunya where he rode heroically to finish on the podium despite being unwell, finishing just in front of Andrea Dovizioso before almost collapsing as he dismounted his Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

Repsol Honda’s Dovizioso has been fractions of a second off the rostrum in the last three races and should any of the current top three slip up in The Netherlands the young Italian will hope to take advantage.

Two points behind his factory Honda colleague in the standings, meanwhile, Dani Pedrosa should be in better physical shape than in Barcelona where he took sixth place despite riding with the painful right hip injury which he sustained at Mugello in the previous round.

Veteran American rider Colin Edwards is currently sixth in the classification and the visit to Assen takes him back to the scene of his infamous 2006 crash which saw him miss out on victory on the final corner. Edwards was seventh in Barcelona and is currently enjoying a consistent run of form.

Also currently occupying top ten championship positions Italian competitors Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki), along with Frenchman Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) and Capirossi’s Australian colleague Chris Vermeulen will all be in the hunt for good points at round seven.

The Suzuki riders will get a second chance to use their new GSV-R 800cc engines which they debuted last time out in the Catalunya contest but were unable to use in the important Monday post-race test, whilst a number of teams will continue working with new material which they tested at the Montmeló circuit.

The World Championship’s visit to northern Holland sees the riders in the 250cc category lining up for their seventh race of the 2009 season, before a short break whilst the MotoGP field heads onto Laguna Seca and then a return to action in the double header at Sachsenring and Donington Park later next month.

After the Alice TT Assen the championship picture will be more developed, though Spanish rider Álvaro Bautista has already emerged as a strong title challenger, with four podiums and two victories to his name thus far in 2009.

The Mapfre Aspar rider - who also won last year at Assen - was a highly popular winner in front of nearly 90,000 passionate fans in Barcelona, the crowd celebrating wildly as he crossed the line more than seven seconds ahead of nearest rival Hiroshi Aoyama.

At the head of the general standings Bautista has a 12 point advantage over Aoyama, with the Japanese Scot Honda rider having one win and two further podiums under his belt this year. Aoyama has never achieved a rostrum finish on Dutch ground and he was sixth in last year’s race.

Another Spaniard, Héctor Barberá, came home in third place behind Bautista and Aoyama in Catalunya and currently lies third in the standings, just ahead of Italian rider Mattia Pasini who was fourth in the last race and is fourth overall.

World Champion Marco Simoncelli has dropped down the rankings to fifth place having crashed and retired in Barcelona and he now trails Bautista by 47 points, meaning he must improve his form significantly if he wishes to retain the title.

Behind Simoncelli in the top ten are the likes of Thomas Luthi, Raffaele de Rosa, Héctor Faubel, Roberto Locatelli and Jules Cluzel, all of whom will aim to get straight on the pace on Thursday when 250cc free practice commences.

The Assen trip cannot arrive quickly enough for Júlian Simón, who currently leads the way in the single cylinder class and is desperate to put the painful memories of the Barcelona race firmly behind him.

Although Simón came out of the Catalunya weekend with a 1.5 point advantage over his Bancaja Aspar colleague Bradley Smith, the conclusion of 125cc contest was a complete fiasco for the Spanish rider who celebrated a victory one lap too early and was then heartbreakingly denied a podium spot by another teammate, Sergio Gadea, in a photo finish.

Such is Simón’s strength of character and the general form he has shown in 2009, however, it would not be a huge surprise to see him bounce straight back with a win at Assen. One man who will aim to stand in his way will be Englishman Smith, who looked somewhat off-colour during the last GP, but is also generally having a fine season.

Back in the title picture after a brief dip in results Iannone (Ongetta Team I.S.P.A.) took full advantage of Simón’s Barcelona mishap to win for the third time this season. The Italian sits 12.5 points beneath Simón in the classification and is likely to be amongst the frontrunners again in The Netherlands.

Beyond the top three the aforementioned Gadea (also Bancaja Aspar) and his fellow Spaniard Nico Terol (Jack & Jones Team) are both also in good form and could well be in the hunt for podium places on Saturday.

Free practice at the Alice TT Assen commences on Thursday 25th June at 12.40pm for the 125cc category, at 1.55pm for the premier class riders and at 3.10pm for the 250cc competitors, with the races taking place on Saturday as has traditionally been the case at this particular round.

-- Ducati Preview

For the first time in the history of the MotoGP World Championship there are three riders tied at the top of the standings as the season enters its seventh round, each one of them having taken two wins each from the opening six races. Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi have filled the rostrum on three occasions already and whilst the Yamaha pair each have one more podium than the Ducati man, Stoner has not finished outside the top five yet this season.

That his Ducati has allowed him to be competitive at different circuits and in different circumstances is a fact the Australian has been quick to underline, in particular after his hard-fought podium in Catalunya, when his physical condition was far from perfect. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider was even more satisfied after the post-race test in Barcelona and now he can’t wait to get back on track in Assen, where he has previously scored a first and a second place on the Desmosedici.

Nicky Hayden also has a great relationship with the Dutch TT circuit, having taken a victory there in 2006, a third place in 2007 and a fourth in 2008 when his bike ran out of fuel in the final corner and denied him a certain podium. The American left Catalunya with mixed feelings last week – pleased with his best race weekend of the season so far but disappointed with the test on the following day, when he wasn’t quite able to match the competitive lap times set by his factory colleagues. Always a man to look on the bright side, the Ducati Marlboro Team rider is confident that his team have taken a major step forward with his race set-up and he is desperate to prove it with another good result at one of his favourite circuits.

LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director
“The weekend in Barcelona was really important for us. We started to see the fruit of all the hard work being done by Filippo and his guys, as well as Vitto, and it looks like the development route we’re taking with the GP9 promises to make it even more competitive. We need to continue to give our maximum both to Casey, who is fighting in one of the closest championship battles for years, and to Nicky, who has shown that he has the ability to adapt to the characteristics of our bike, which is more difficult for him than it is for other riders because he had spent so many years on the same machine before this. Both Casey and Nicky like Assen so I’m sure they’ll both be giving everything for a top result.”

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team (3rd in the championship on 106 points)
“Assen is a strange track for me because before I rode there in MotoGP it was one of my favourite circuits but one where I never managed to get great results in the smaller categories. Then in 2006 I had a decent result and since then, with the Ducati, I’ve always been fast. Considering the fact that the GP9 has already shown that it is competitive on a variety of circuits, I can’t wait to get back to Assen. Ideally we’d like another weekend of consistent good weather so that we can work on the bike and find a bit more rear grip, which is the only thing we’re missing at the moment. The rest of the bike is great – it is turning well and the front is really stable under braking. I wasn’t really fit at the test and I didn’t do a lot of laps but we did what we needed to and now we’ll try and take advantage of that work in the next race.”

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team (15th in the championship on 19 points)
“Assen is a special circuit for me – I love it here. The final split is my favourite because you have a run of fast corners that are crucial to a fast lap. The weather can change from one minute to the next so it will be important to make the most of all the track time available to us. I’ve had some of the best races of my career at Assen, like the fight for the win with Colin (Edwards) in 2006, which is my favourite. In 2007 I finished third and the last year I had the heart break to loose the podium in the last corner! We know we have a lot of work to do but myself and the team are hoping that the Catalunya race was the start of a major turnaround that we can continue to build on until the end of the season.”

THE TRACK
Assen is the only circuit that has stayed as part of the World Championship since the first season back in 1949. In 2006 it under went major alterations, with the removal of the majority of the Northen Loop section, making way for the TT World fans’ area. The rest of the circuit retains much of its original character, making it one of the most technical and physically demanding circuits on the calendar. Unlike a lot of other circuits, which feature long straights and medium-fast corners, Assen is tight, flowing and characterised by high-speed corners and quick changes in direction. Even the surface is unusual, with many sections cambered in the style of a public road to aid drainage.

-- HRC Preview

This weekend the thrilling 2009 MotoGP World Championship goes into action at its most historic event, the Dutch TT at Assen. This year the Assen world round celebrates its sixth decade as a Grand Prix event, indeed it is the only race that survives from the World Championship’s inaugural year in 1949.

Honda has been winning races at Assen since 1961, when Mike Hailwood and Tom Phillis won the 250 and 125 races, two years after Honda first entered World Championship competition. This year the factory’s hopes are in the hands of its fastest riders in the MotoGP and 250 classes – Repsol Honda RC212V riders Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa and Scot Honda RS250RW rider Hiroshi Aoyama.

Dovizioso and Pedrosa currently hold fourth and fifth places in the MotoGP points standings, behind series leaders Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Ducati) who are all exactly equal on points after six of 17 races.

Dovizioso has been building speed since the start of the season and is knocking on the door of his first podium with the Repsol Honda squad. The 23-year-old Italian has finished fourth at the last three GPs, on each occasion crossing the line tantalisingly close to a third-place finish.
At Le Mans he was half a second behind team-mate Pedrosa and at Mugello and Catalunya he was less than a tenth behind Rossi and Stoner. There is no doubt that Dovi is both capable and deserving of a top three at Assen, especially after he topped the post-Catalan GP tests using a modified RC212V chassis.

Pedrosa has had a tougher time in recent weeks. The 23-year-old Spaniard had put himself in the thick of the title battle with three consecutive podium finishes at the Japanese, Spanish and French GPs, only to suffer ill luck at the Italian and Catalan GPs. He crashed out at Mugello and then fell again during Catalunya qualifying, heroically riding through the pain barrier to finish sixth. Pedrosa has been resting his injuries since then and is hopeful he will be strong enough to compete at the front at Assen, where he finished second last year.

Honda’s MotoGP satellite team riders arrive at Assen determined to turn promising progress into better results. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) has had some good runs lately, reinforcing his place as one of the championship’s top privateers. Eighth at the last two races, the Frenchman is determined to get closer to the front, as he did at Jerez where he finished a storming fourth.

San Carlo Honda Gresini riders Alex De Angelis and Toni Elias continue to work hard at extracting the maximum from their RC212V machines but so far have yet to reap the reward their input deserves. Both men know that they are on the verge of scoring results, they just need another step forward to improve rear grip and a little luck. Things seemed to be looking up for Elias at Catalunya, where he rode brilliantly in qualifying to start from the second row, only to slide off in the race.

Italian squad Scot Honda go into their second GP as a two-rider MotoGP team with rookie Yuki Takahashi and newcomer Gabor Talmacsi assigned one RC212V each. Takahashi has had a couple of tough races, falling at Mugello and at Catalunya, where he cracked a finger in his right hand when he fell on the first lap of the race.

Talmacsi had a baptism of fire at Catalunya, throwing a leg over a MotoGP bike for the very first time in the opening practice session.
Initially slightly overawed by the 200-plus horsepower machine, the former 125 World Champion was getting up to speed by the end of the weekend and went even faster during the post-race tests. The diminutive Hungarian made crucial machine adjustments during the tests, like moving his seating position forward. Talma loves Assen – he was winner of the 2005 and 2008 Dutch 125 TTs.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda) has high hopes of another brilliant 250 race, following his stunning charge to second at Catalunya. The Japanese currently holds a strong second place in the 250 World Championship and believes that Assen’s complex layout and the cooler north European weather should suit his Honda RS250RW perfectly. Team-mate Raffaele De Rosa also comes to Assen on top form, the 250 rookie aiming to continue his impressive record of scoring points at every round.

Hector Faubel (Valencia CF-Honda SAG) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT-SAG) both scored top-ten finishes at the last round of the 250 World Championship but both men know they are capable of better than that when the track conditions suit them. And their RS250RW machines should work well at Assen.

GP rookies Shoya Tomizawa (Team CIP Honda) and Bastien Chesaux (Racing Team Germany Honda) will be aiming to keep climbing the learning curve at Assen, once the longest and most complex track on the GP calendar.

Assen used to be called ‘The Cathedral’ because its sinuous, high-speed layout was the crowning moment of the GP season. But the venue underwent major modifications in 2006, the track shortened from 5.997km (3.726 miles) to 4.555km (2.830 miles). Since then Assen is more like a conventional GP circuit, though the final section of the current track retains some of the old circuit’s character with fast, sweeping corners that test rider ability and machine set-up like nothing else.

Assen is the only GP circuit to have remained on the calendar since 1949 but the venue is much, much older than that. Races were first held at Assen in the 1920s, though on a different circuit. The current track has hosted races since the 1950s, though the layout has been much modified and gradually reduced in length since then. Assen is the only MotoGP round that goes under the name of a TT, or Tourist Trophy, a common nomenclature for motorsport events in the early 20th century.

Honda has won 11 of the last 20 premier-class races at Assen, the marque’s last MotoGP victory at the track scored by Nicky Hayden (Repsol
Honda) in 2006, one of the American’s two victories on his way to that year’s world title.

This year’s Dutch TT is the start of MotoGP’s busiest period, with four races in five weekends.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) says: “I’ve been really looking forward to getting back on the bike since we left Catalunya last week. We had a positive test on the Monday after the Barcelona race and that, combined with the constant improvement we’ve been making race after race, means I’m very confident. So I’m looking forward to getting back in the garage with the team, continuing to work on our machine package and to getting a good result in Assen. I’ve been really close to the podium in the last three rounds and at the same time closing the time gap to the race winner, so I’m determined to get into the top three as soon as possible – hopefully this weekend. Assen is not actually one of my favourite tracks though. Since the layout modifications, the fascination of the circuit has been lost a little, but still I have good memories of last year’s race where I finished fifth after qualifying 11th. It’s a circuit of two sections – the first part is quite slow while the second part is more technically demanding – and the weather can also play its part in the Netherlands too. But whatever happens, I’m looking forward to another strong weekend for me and the team.”

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) says: “Since the race in Barcelona I’ve basically been resting, trying to give my hip as much chance to improve as possible. Obviously there hasn’t been a lot of time – just over one week – but I certainly feel a lot better now than immediately after the last race when I was totally exhausted. I’m feeling positive about the weekend and we’ll just have to see how it goes when riding starts on Thursday. My intention would be to ride without receiving any pain-killing injections because gradually they lose their effectiveness and they are not something I want to rely on – we’ll see how the feeling is when I start to ride. Assen is a track with good memories for me because I won my first GP here in 2002 and I’ve had quite a few podiums here too. The recent changes where they shortened the circuit have removed some of its character but it still requires a lot of commitment to ride it well – especially through the fast direction changes where you need an agile machine set-up. The atmosphere is always special here because it’s such a historic place, so I’m looking forward to getting out on track again.”

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) says: “Assen is another amazing track on the MotoGP calendar. I like it very much although it was modified two years ago, which took away some of its character. I have been very fast at Assen in the past – even last year I was fast there but in the beginning of the race Rossi hit me and I ran off the track into the gravel. The straights are not very long and the high corners required speed suit my riding style and my bike set-up. Considering the competitiveness of my machine package and my positive results at recent races I think we can again finish in the top ten this weekend.”

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “I love Assen because it’s so fast, as is the next track at Laguna Seca, so I’m looking forward to the next two races with optimism. I know the results this season are not as good as the same stage one year ago but the races are much closer and I truly believe that with some small steps forward with the setting of the bike we can make up a lot of positions on the guys in front of us. It is vital that we keep this in mind, stay positive and continue to work hard, because if you drop your guard in this series you can suddenly find yourself behind. I have a great record at Assen in the 250cc class but I crashed out of my first MotoGP race here last year on the opening lap so I want to make up for that with a solid performance this time around.”

Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “Assen has always been my favourite circuit because it is technical, fast and flowing, although it hasn’t always been kind to me. I missed the race completely in 2005 because of injury and then the year after that I crashed after just two laps of free practice and broke and dislocated my left shoulder. Then in 2007 I crashed again in free practice and broke my leg! Last year was the first time I had raced on the modified circuit and I finished twelfth, so hopefully that ended the jinx and we can look forward to a much better result this time around. We have been struggling for rear grip this season but we made some progress in the test at Barcelona after the race. It will be very interesting to see how these improvements transfer to Assen because I really feel like we deserve a top result after all the
hard work the whole team has put in.”

Yuki Takahashi (Scot Honda) says: “I never liked Assen too much when I was a 250 rider. But I didn’t used to like Barcelona either on a 250, but I have to say that all tracks are different on a MotoGP bike, and this year I’ve enjoyed tracks I didn’t used to like so much. My finger injury stopped me from taking part in the post-race tests at Catalunya but this is not going to affect my performance. We tried some new solutions during the race weekend, so I could express my opinion to the team, so we know what we want.”

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) says: “Assen is a circuit I like very much. I'm satisfied with my performance at the GP of Catalunya, and with the job done at the test, the following Monday. Everything is new, for me. But if I continue to progress as I did, I’m confident I can do well in MotoGP. When I first tested the RC212V, I immediately realised it was something totally different from what I used to ride. Sometime I practice with a tuned CBR1000RR, but there is no comparison. I have to say that at the very beginning I was a little scared. But it’s been exciting from the first moment. Having tasted a MotoGP bike, I’ll never be back to 250. It’s great!”

-- Yamaha Preview

The all-conquering Fiat Yamaha Team of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo move north through Europe this weekend for the historic Dutch TT at Assen. Following their show-stopping performance in Spain last time out, which saw Rossi better Lorenzo by just a split second, the pair will be targeting a repeat performance this weekend. With two wins apiece already this season the World Champion and the Leading Rookie of 2008 currently share the championship lead with Casey Stoner - all three are tied on 106 points with six races gone.

After two wins this season Rossi is approaching yet another incredible milestone in his charmed career; he now lies on 99 wins and another on Saturday would see him as only the second rider in Grand Prix history to reach 100 wins, the other being the great Giacomo Agostini. The Italian maverick has six victories to his name at the track but has had a turbulent last few years there. Following a brace of wins in his first two years with Yamaha he injured himself in practice in 2006 but rode through the pain to finish eighth, before winning in stunning style from 11th on the grid in 2007. Last year he made a rare mistake and crashed on the first lap but made up a gap of more than 20 seconds with a damaged bike to finish 11th. Following a set-up overhaul in Barcelona the 30-year-old is in blistering form and will be hoping to make it two on the bounce at one of his favourite tracks.

Assen is 22-year-old Lorenzo's favourite circuit and the youngster certainly has an impressive track record there, having won there once in 125cc and twice in the 250cc class on the way to his two world championships. He finished sixth there last year but after his stunning performance at home last time out he will not be happy with anything but a return to the podium for the sixth time this season and he will be doing everything possible to take back the advantage from his team-mate following their Montmeló thriller. A hard day's work at the post-race test in Barcelona has put the Mallorcan on an even sounder footing with his M1-Bridgestone package and he is confident that he will once again be a part of the story in Assen.

One of the most technically and physically demanding circuits on the calendar for the MotoGP riders, Assen has barely a straight piece of tarmac in sight. Handling is a major focal point due to high-speed chicanes and dramatic camber changes - the latter, in some places, resembling the profile of the public roads that the original circuit was based around - features that have traditionally favoured the nimble YZR-M1.

Valentino Rossi - "A special track"
"Assen is a very special track for all riders and it is a wonderful place to ride a MotoGP bike, even if it was better before they changed the layout. Last year I had my worst point of the season there so I want to make up for that with a good performance, because the fans are very passionate and they deserve a good show. After Barcelona we know how strong we are but also our rivals are strong too so we can't afford to relax, we have to keep pushing. Montmeló was fantastic, one of my best wins ever, but the championship is very close between the three of us and so we have to try to win again to take the lead. There is still a long way to go but we have to remain consistent."

Jorge Lorenzo - "My favourite track"
"I could never have imagined after the crash in Jerez that I would have the opportunity to become leader again so quickly, but here we are at the front with Casey and Valentino! The last three races have been fantastic and almost unbelievable, and now for the three of us it's almost like we're starting the championship all over again. Assen is my favourite track and I am going there feeling very confident in my bike and my Bridgestone tyres and with all the team feeling very motivated. Last year I was sixth so the most important thing is to improve on that, but of course I am aiming for another podium, because consistency is the way to remain close to the top of the standings. We had a positive test in Barcelona and now I will hope to show our improvements with an even better performance in Holland."

Davide Brivio - "See what happens next!"
"After such a great race in Barcelona we're excited about getting back on track and seeing what happens next! We had a good test after the race and it was well worth the effort to go back out on track, even after such a hard day's racing. We did some good work and collected important information, which we hope will be useful over the next few races, because now we have a very busy period with four races in five weeks. Valentino has had some great races at Assen, last year was a bad moment but we are feeling very strong right now and we're confident that we will be able to put on another great show."

Daniele Romagnoli - "On a roll"
"We're approaching Assen on a roll and following a useful day's testing in Barcelona. The race there was fantastic and we were able to make more progress on the Monday in order to improve our setting further for the next five weeks, which will be very intense. We need to keep working and keep focused, as we have since the start of the season, because this year is shaping up to be a great battle of which Jorge is a part. Assen is a totally different track to Montmeló and Mugello and it will require a different set-up we're confident that we will be able to find a good balance straight away, It's one of Jorge's favourite tracks so we're looking forward to seeing him put on another great show there."

-- Suzuki Preview

The MotoGP ‘Cathedral' of Assen in the Netherlands awaits Rizla Suzuki this coming Saturday, as the MotoGP field descends upon the famous circuit for the Dutch TT.

Chris Vermeulen heads to the land of his ancestors determined to return a good result at the 4,555m Assen circuit. He has had some promising performances at the Dutch track - including pole position in 2007 - but has yet to break into the top-six in a MotoGP race. Vermeulen had a successful post-Catalunya test and will be using many of the improvements he took from there as he prepares his assault for glory.

Loris Capirossi will be planning to build upon the form that has seen him take successive fifth places at the last two events. Capirossi is eager to get back on track and carry on from where he left off at Catalunya, believing that a lot of the data collected at the Spanish track will stand him in good stead at Assen. Capirossi will also be determined to extinguish the memory of the crash he suffered at last year's Dutch TT that kept him out of the race and forced him to miss the next MotoGP event.

Assen is one of the most famous circuits in Grand Prix racing, and although the venue has altered considerably from the original road track, it is the only location on the current calendar that has staged Grand Prix races since the inception of the championship in 1949. Although numerous changes were made to the present circuit layout in 2007 for safety reasons, it still retains its magic and most riders look forward to racing there.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track for the first free practice session on Thursday afternoon, followed by the second - and final - free session on Friday morning. Vermeulen and Capirossi will be out in the Friday afternoon qualifying session to challenge for the best grid positions for Saturday's race. The 26-lap Assen Grand Prix is the only venue on the MotoGP calendar that holds the race on a Saturday and the main event gets underway at 1400hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Chris Vermeulen:
"I really look forward to going to Assen. Holland is where my family came from so there are always people around that remember my Grandfather and tell me how they are related to me - so I feel like a bit of me is coming home! We had a good test after the Catalunya race and if we can translate that into the forthcoming weekend then I am sure we can be competitive. I enjoy riding at Assen and I have won there in World Superbikes, but I have never quite got the results I think I've deserved - or certainly wanted - in MotoGP. I hope this will be the weekend when that all changes!"

Loris Capirossi:
"I am still very happy from my performance in Catalunya, but this is a whole new race and we have to begin again. We used the new engine specification in Spain and then did a lot of testing with new parts on the Monday so we have a lot of data to use for this weekend. We hope we'll use the new spec engine again at Assen but it is still being developed and Suzuki needs to check everything, so we will just have to wait and see. I really want to carry on with the good progress we are making, especially at Assen because I didn't get the chance to race there last year. I also want to do well for Rizla - they deserve a good result at what is really their 'home' racetrack."

-- Bridgestone Preview

Tyre compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Soft, Medium

As MotoGP heads to Assen for the Dutch GP, round seven marks a return to softer compound Bridgestone slicks after the sweltering heat of Catalunya. As the paddock has become accustomed to this year, there is again the ever-present chance of rain at Assen, and coupled with the cooler track temperatures, Bridgestone will also bring the softer compound wet tyres in readiness.

Assen is a circuit of two halves following its modification in 2006 which reduced its length to its present 4.555km. The surface is inconsistent as a result and the mix of newer and older asphalt offers differing levels of grip and abrasion, testing the broad operating range of Bridgestone’s tyres and making it tricky in the wet.

The circuit also boasts an impressive 17 corners, giving the tyres a continual and intense workout. The nature of the track mixes fast and flowing corners with sections of heavy braking that demand good stability on the way in and good traction on the exit. Corners such as the 200km/h+ Ramshoek demand absolute commitment and really test the shoulder grip of the Bridgestones.

The first few corners, from Haarbocht to De Strubben, are linked as one and gradually tighten, requiring good right shoulder durability from the tyres. Heavy braking into De Bult, the left-handed turn ten, and famously into G.T Bocht, the final chicane just before the finish line, offer further overtaking opportunities but really load the front tyres, requiring riders to have confidence in their front end grip.

Last year Assen was round nine on the calendar and the top three riders arrived in the Netherlands separated by 45 points. This season, the first for MotoGP with Bridgestone as the Official Tyre Supplier, it is much tighter at the top with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner tied on an equal 106 points. In 2008 a dominating performance by Stoner and the Ducati Team gave the first Ducati/Bridgestone win at Assen.

Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit
“For the first time in Assen, each rider has been able to choose, immediately after the Catalunya GP, whether they wish to use four of each compound of front slick tyre or three of one and five of the other. I think this will put more emphasis on the teams’ and riders’ choices and utilisation of front tyres, and we may start to see greater variation in front compound usage which will lead to a trade-off between warm-up performance and durability over a race distance. I hope the weather is good and we can see another great battle again this weekend like in Catalunya!"

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
“Since it was re-profiled, the shorter Assen circuit has inconsistent asphalt with a newer first sector and an older, more traditional track layout. There are limited overtaking opportunities unless you are brave, especially in the slower first corners, so a strong qualifying performance is vital. The first part of the lap is a very tight, slow section which is followed by a series of complex 90-degree corners so braking stability and shoulder grip and durability are key. We expect lower track temperatures here during the race weekend and the remodelled first sector of the track has newer asphalt which is more slippery, so we have chosen to bring softer compounds of our slick tyre.”

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