MotoGP 2011 – Round 12 – Indianapolis
MotoGP heads back to the United States this weekend for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, at which Casey Stoner will be hoping to further turn the screw on his main title rival Jorge Lorenzo in the race for this year’s title.
Victory at Brno extended Repsol Honda rider Stoner’s lead at the top of the Championship to an intimidating 32 points and also delivered the Australian his sixth win of the campaign. At the famous Brickyard he will be aiming to secure victory at just one of three circuits on the current calendar where he has previously never won in the premier class.
For Lorenzo the emphasis will be on putting his fourth-placed finish in the Czech Republic firmly behind him, where the decision to go with the softer of the front tyre options proved costly for the Yamaha Factory Racing rider. Lorenzo has never finished off the podium in the three years that a MotoGP race has been hosted at Indianapolis, and surely nothing short of victory will be on the Spaniard’s mind – a result he achieved there in 2009. Lorenzo will also be hopeful that some engine updates tested at Brno following the GP will provide an added boost to his title defence.
Andrea Dovizioso’s consistency this season has led the Italian to third in the standings, and following second place at Brno the Repsol Honda rider will be even more determined to secure a first win of the year at a circuit he has always scored a top-five finish at but where he is yet to step onto the podium.
Valentino Rossi will hope that a full day’s testing on the Desmosedici GP11.1 at Brno last week will offer something extra going into this weekend. The Ducati Team rider closed the gap to race winner at Brno Casey Stoner to just under 13 seconds, a vast improvement to the nearer 30-second margin that had sat between the nine-time World Champion and the top of the order in the previous rounds.
A first pole position of the season at Brno for Dani Pedrosa failed to deliver a similarly inspirational result for the Repsol Honda rider as he crashed out of the race early on when in the lead. A repeat of last year’s win at Indianapolis would go some way towards making up for the frustration, as Pedrosa aims to close in on Rossi for fourth spot in the Championship.
The prospect of an eager home crowd willing him on will give Ben Spies added motivation if the Yamaha Factory Racing rider ever needed it. Like his team-mate Lorenzo he will have M1 updates at a track where last season he scored his first – and so far only – pole position. Likewise fellow American Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) would welcome a timely podium finish at a venue where he has twice stood on the rostrum, and Colin Edwards of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team will be warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic fan base.
Brno provided Marco Simoncelli with his first premier class podium and with that accomplished the San Carlo Honda Gresini rider will be full of confidence, whilst team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama will target a continuation of the slow but steady progress he has made in terms of results in the previous rounds.
Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar), Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing), Toni Elías (LCR Honda) and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) had mixed results at Brno – Elías will be confident that a day’s testing after the race will aid his progress – and British rookie Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) will tackle another brand new track. Pramac Racing pair Loris Capirossi – who tested at Brno – and Randy de Puniet will also expect more from their efforts after finishing outside the top ten in the previous round.
The Moto2 category remains an intriguing encounter in which Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) and Marc Márquez (Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol) continue to battle for race victories whilst eyeing one another’s progress, as the German leads his Spanish rival by a margin of 43 points in the standings.
Márquez crossed the finish line ahead of Bradl at Brno but the latter’s consistency this year is what has built him a healthy lead in the quest for the 2011 title. Both were on the podium in the Czech Republic as they maintained their strong runs, but it was Andrea Iannone (Speed Master) who took victory as the Italian recovered the early-season form that had seen him marked out as a title contender.
With Bradl and Márquez somewhat distanced at the top the fight for third spot in the Championship is turning into an entertaining one, with Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) currently leading the way. Iannone’s win lifted him back into the mix and alongside fellow Italian Simone Corsi (Ioda Racing Project) and Swiss rider Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2).
British rookie Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Racing) has suffered the disappointment of two straight DNFs after a run of three impressive podiums and will be eager to get back amongst the leading pack. Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) is still looking to recover the kind of form that brought him podiums in Portugal and France, and the progress of rookie Randy Krummenacher (GP Team Switzerland Kiefer Racing) has been impressive in recent rounds although he crashed at Brno. Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) will hope that a full week of further recovery time will allow him the chance to push at Indianapolis where he was second in last year’s Moto2 race.
Aleix Espargaró (Pons HP 40) is in line to make his 100th Grand Prix start across all classes this weekend, and American participation in the Moto2 category will be tripled in Indianapolis. Alongside Kenny Noyes (Avintia-STX), JD Beach comes into the World Championship on a full-time basis for the Aeroport de Castello team, whilst Jake Gagne will ride an FTR as a wild card entry under the GP Tech banner.
Over the course of the last two rounds of the 125cc World Championship leader Nico Terol’s advantage at the top of the standings has been cut from 39 points to 12, as the Spaniard contends with the ever-strengthening challenge of Frenchman Johann Zarco.
Terol held an extremely healthy lead following his victory at Mugello but fourth place in Germany and a mechanical failure at Brno which resulted in a DNF have closed the gap on the Bankia Aspar rider. His main rival Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo) is now even closer on his tail, having finished the last three races in second position as he edges closer to an elusive first World Championship Grand Prix win.
Rookie Maverick Viñales (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing) was sixth in the Czech Republic and remains a threat at the top end, whilst Sandro Cortese (Intact Racing Team Germany) comes into the Indianapolis weekend fresh off the back of his first ever GP win. Cortese, who registered his achievement in his 109th Grand Prix start, is now just a single point behind Viñales.
Jonas Folger (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) missed the Brno race after returning home to Germany from the Czech Republic due to illness, and his participation at Indianapolis depends on the outcome of further medical checks in his homeland.
Bankia Aspar rider Héctor Faubel leads a quartet of Spanish riders in the standings from sixth to ninth which includes Efrén Vázquez (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo), Sergio Gadea (Blusens by Paris Hilton) and Luis Salom (RW Racing) who was forced to miss the Brno race with a fractured hand. British rookie Danny Kent (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) completes the current top ten and will hope to recover from a non-finish in the previous round, where an engine problem ended his race on the opening lap.
Alberto Moncayo (Team Andalucía Banca Cívica) scored his first World Championship podium at Brno, where Simone Grotzkyj’s (Phonica Racing) eighth place was the best result in the 125cc class for an Italian rider so far this season. The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix runs from August 26th-28th, with the on-track action starting on Friday at 9.15am local time when the 125 category gets its first practice session underway.
– Ducati Preview
The second United States round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship will take place this Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the home circuit for Nicky Hayden. The American was born and resides just a few hours away, and during the summer break, he was able to turn a few laps at the track aboard an 1198 SP. The infield section, between Turns 5 and 16, was recently repaved, and Hayden found it to be improved.
Hayden, who earned his first Ducati podium at Indianapolis in 2009, will be aboard the GP11.1 on Friday, just like his teammate Valentino Rossi. The Italian won his Indianapolis debut in 2008, and although the track isn’t among his absolute favorites, he and his team would like to confirm their recent progress with the Desmosedici’s setup.
Rossi is particularly fond of racing in the United States, and like Hayden, he has many fans there that will join the many American Ducatisti that make the annual trip to “Ducati Island”.
VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati Team – “Indy is a difficult circuit, and although it’s not exactly one of my favorites, we’ll see how we perform there with the Ducati. They resurfaced part of the track, so the conditions should certainly be better from that point of view. We made a little progress with the GP11.1’s setup during the Brno GP, and we’ll see if we can confirm them at this next race. Anyway, racing in America is always nice for me, as I enjoy both the atmosphere and the fans, who are always very passionate. On the other hand, I’m very sorry that we’ll be missing someone who undoubtedly followed our sport, though not at the track: Claudio Castiglioni was very passionate and he did a lot for the motorcycle world, and for me in particular when he helped me get started in racing in Sport Production 125 when I was 14.”
NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team – “We’re going to Indy, and we’ll see what the new track surface does. I’ve ridden it, and the bumps are definitely gone, although I’d say it will take some time on Friday to clean it up and get some rubber down. I’m looking forward to this event. I always enjoy racing at home in front of friends and family, but I need to go there and focus on my job. I want to try to do a good result while also having fun and enjoying the weekend. The team has worked really hard to get me the opportunity to ride this new bike, and now it’s up to me to try and pay them back with a good result.”
VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager – “We come to Indy after a test day at Brno, where the team and both riders did a lot of work: Valentino dedicated all of his time to trying many different adjustments to the GP11.1’s setup, which was a really tough assignment that Valentino approached with incredible commitment. Nicky also did a lot of laps, finding good enough harmony with the GP11.1 that both riders will use it at Indy. This is an important decision that will accelerate our development work. It’s Nicky’s home race, and that always provides extra motivation. In fact, he earned his first podium with Ducati there in 2009. He was also really strong last year, though his race was unfortunately affected when he lost a knee slide in the early laps.”
– HRC Preview
Just five weeks after the masterful victory by Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) in the U.S. Grand Prix in Monterey, California, the MotoGP World Championship returns to America, this time with all three championship classes and at one of the most famous racing venues in the world.
The fourth running of the Indianapolis Grand Prix will be held on the famed and improved Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the request of the riders, the Speedway repaved most of the infield, which gives the track a consistent surface over its entire 4.218Km length. The bumps on corner entry claimed a number of riders last year, including Stoner, but not Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V), who won last year’s Indy GP, one of a career season best four wins. Stoner and Pedrosa, along with fellow Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso, return to the American Midwest looking to be first across the “Yard of Bricks” at the end of the 12th round of the MotoGP World Championship.
Stoner’s dream season continued in the Czech Grand Prix where he made short work of the field and cruised to a dominant victory. The 25-year-old Australian had support from his Honda team-mates in leading the company’s first podium sweep since the U.S. Grand Prix in 2006. Dovizioso was second and a jubilant Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) earned a long-awaited and well-deserved first MotoGP podium in third. Stoner’s sixth win out of 11 tries gives him a 32 point championship lead over Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).
For Stoner to continue his record of podium appearances in every race he’s finished this year he’ll have to conquer one of his least welcoming tracks. The Brickyard may well be Stoner’s worst track over the past three years and the only current track where he’s never finished on the podium. In the inaugural 2008 running he was a distant fourth in the hurricane-shortened race. The following year he was on a brief hiatus while treating a medical issue and last year he crashed. Considering his accomplishments this season, his history at IMS shouldn’t mean much.
Dovizioso has been consistently near the podium in the three previous Indianapolis races. He was fifth in 2008, fourth in 2009, and fifth again in last year’s searing heat. Dovi had expected to do better in 2010, but with grip compromised by the afternoon heat the 25–year-old Italian wasn’t able to match his pace in qualifying. Coming off his best finish of the season in Brno, Dovizioso will be looking to strengthen his third place in the championship.
Pedrosa is ready to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Brno. The Spaniard had taken his first pole of the season and was second to team-mate Stoner when he fell, unhurt, on the third lap. To that point he’d been strong in the previous races, winning in Germany and finishing third in the U.S. Grand Prix prior to the summer break.
Indy has been welcoming to Pedrosa. In 2009 he qualified on pole and last year did even better. From fifth on the grid, and half a second off the pace, Pedrosa took the lead from pole-sitting American Ben Spies on the seventh of 28 laps and romped to victory, the third of his four on the season.
Simoncelli was also affected by last year’s conditions and cautious not to fall prey to the slippery surface. The MotoGP rookie fought with a trio of other riders that was reduced to one in the battle for seventh. It took a perfect last lap for the then 23-year-old Italian to prevail in seventh place, and just by .085s. “Super Sic” likes the Indy layout as evidenced by his win here on a 250 in 2009 and his pole position in 2008.
More will be expected of the former 250cc World Champion now that he’s shown he’s a legitimate podium contender.
The 2010 Indy race was one of the more difficult of Hiroshi Aoyama’s (San Carlo Honda Gresini) rookie MotoGP campaign. It was here that he returned to racing following a two-month injury layoff after breaking his back in morning warm-up at the British Grand Prix. The Japanese star wasn’t fully fit, which made dealing with the hot climate especially difficult.
Aoyama was also injured this season-he was one of several riders to get caught out on cold tyres at the Dutch TT, but has since recovered. His best showing at Indianapolis came en route to the 2009 250cc World Championship, when he finished second to Simoncelli.
Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) sped to the fifth of his seven Moto2 wins here last year, despite being at less than peak fitness. The Spaniard rode bravely with a fever and body pains that made the heat unbearable. And when he left Indianapolis he was well on his way to the inaugural Moto2 World Championship.
This year has been less successful for the veteran from Manresa, though he put in one of his best showings of the season in Brno. The team has worked tirelessly to find a technical solution for Elias, whose difficulty getting heat into the rear tyre is well documented.
The two-man fight to succeed Elias as the Moto2 World Champion was briefly interrupted in Brno. The race was tightly fought to the flag among four riders. Championship leader Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing, Kalex) held the lead until being caught and passed by Andrea Iannone (Speed Master, Suter) on the 13th of 20 laps, with Marc Marquez (Team CaixaCatalunya Repsol, Suter) and Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2, Motobi) part of the fighting foursome. Bradl and Iannone swapped the lead until the penultimate lap when Marquez took the point for the first time. But Iannone wouldn’t be denied and earned his second victory of 2011 with a last lap pass. Marquez was second, Bradl third and de Angelis fourth, the quartet covered by less than a second.
By finishing second to Bradl’s third, Marquez took four more points off the German’s championship lead, though it remains a robust 43 points, 183 to 140, with seven races remaining. De Angelis moved into third in the championship by coming fourth.
Neither of the title hopefuls had any success here last year. Bradl was taken out on the fourth lap of the Moto2 race while Marquez crashed his 125 with a 2.64s lead on the ninth of 23 laps.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the world’s great sporting venues, the largest and highest capacity sporting venue in the world, though not a great motorcycle race track. Epic in scale, it boasts 250,000 permanent seats on its vast, more than 100-year-old campus. The Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard 400 are the two signature events on the 2.5-mile four-corner oval, with crowds of hundreds of thousands filling most of the seats and the infield. The track known as “The Brickyard” has plenty of history for the four wheel set, including hosting Formula One for several years, but its flat, featureless nature will never be a favourite of the MotoGP crowd. Instead it’s the history, hospitality and atmosphere the riders soak up, especially the Americans who were raised in an era when the Indianapolis 500 was the most important auto race of the year.
The original road course was designed for Formula One, which ran clockwise compared to MotoGP’s anti-clockwise. The motorcycle layout uses only 872m of the front straight before tucking into the road course, which is heavily stop-start and lacking in character. The first sequence of corners was designed specifically for MotoGP, after which the track rejoins the F-1 layout that was last used in 2007. There are virtually none of the high speed corners that riders enjoy, and rarely do the MotoGP bikes get to stretch their legs. Passing zones are limited and overtaking is mostly done under braking. The final sequence is a pair of back-to-back 90 degree corners which exit onto the front stretch.
That said, the MotoGP field of 17 should enjoy the track more than it has in the past. The paving eliminated the track’s many bumps, though a recent test by American riders found the surface to be slippery and abrasive, which is often the case with new asphalt. That should change once some rubber gets laid down on the racing line, but tyre technicians will be on the alert for excessive wear on Friday. The track now has a mostly consistent racing surface, except across the “Yard of Bricks” at the finish line, which have been in place since a 1961 repaving when all but that one meter of the original paving stones was replaced. Tradition dictates that the race winner and his team kiss the bricks, a tradition the Honda riders would like to continue this year.
HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES
Repsol Honda Casey Stoner says: “In the past seasons the track at Indy has been extremely bumpy and also slightly dangerous, so I’m looking forward to going there and riding the new surface. It will also be nice to ride the Honda there, as it took a lot of work to get the set up right on the Ducati at such a peculiar circuit. I’ve only ridden the circuit in 2008 and 2010 and we were pretty competitive there last year, but then I lost the front in the race, so it will be good to get there, test the new surface and get to work on the set up on my RC212V.”
Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says: “We arrive in Indy after a podium finish in Brno and I hope we can continue this momentum. The Indianapolis racetrack is a typical American venue with great facilities and huge grandstands. The track is not particularly interesting, but all in all it’s a very nice event. This year the track has been resurfaced in some parts, so for sure it will be much more fun to ride, as in the past it was very bumpy and there were different kind of asphalts. Last year in the practice and qualifying sessions we were fast but we struggled in the race, finishing fifth. I’m confident we can be competitive again this year. We are very motivated and focused.”
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “I’m heading to Indianapolis and really looking forward to the race. Last year we had a good race there and I hope I can repeat this again. The asphalt has changed, so we will have to adapt to the new surface, check how the tyres are working there and look for the best race setup possible. Physically I’m improving little by little; already in Brno I felt better than in the past months, so I hope I can be in good shape for the race. Obviously the last race result was very disappointing for me and my team after such a good weekend, but we take the positive things from it and move forward.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says: “A weight was lifted off my shoulders at Brno with my first ever podium in MotoGP and my 30th podium in all categories. It was a huge source of satisfaction because we have been chasing it since the opening race of the season and didn’t quite manage it for various reasons. We needed it and I am happy for myself, the team, Honda and everybody who has believed in me. That kind of cloud is no longer hanging over us and hopefully that will make everything easier in the second half of the season. I am feeling strong and determined and I travel to America in the right mood to continue this positive progress. Indianapolis is a circuit I like overall, although I do tend to struggle a little compared to the other smaller riders because of the first gear final corner that leads onto a really long straight. This is a problem for us, but we will do our best to work it out and try to ensure it hinders us as little as possible. I took the win at Indianapolis in 250 in 2009 and I was on pole in 2008 when the race was cancelled because of the hurricane. The team and I are highly motivated and hope to continue in the same way we found in Brno.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “Ninth place at Brno wasn’t an amazing result, but it was positive for me because I recovered my physical condition and my confidence with the bike. After the Czech Republic Grand Prix I am feeling more motivated and determined for the second half of the season. I needed to rediscover my confidence in myself and in the RC212V, and I think Brno was a positive weekend in that respect. Now I go to Indianapolis in a different mood. I finished second here behind Marco Simoncelli in the 250cc race a couple of years ago and returned to action here last year after missing six races through injury. It wasn’t an easy weekend for me, but I managed to finish the race and I enjoyed the track so I am very much looking forward to a stronger showing this weekend.”
LCR Honda rider Toni Elias says: “Indianapolis is another race track that I like very much including his history and the warmth of the American fans. It has always been a tough track with many bumps and mixed tarmac, but it suits my riding style. Last year I won the race aboard the Moto2. After the positive result of the last race in Brno and the good performance of the test in Brno, I am leaving Spain with a high motivation. We have closed the gap to the front riders and with more adjustments we can aim to stay with (Nicky) Hayden, (Colin) Edwards and (Hiroshi) Aoyama.”
– Bridgestone Preview
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear (asymmetric): Hard, Extra Hard
MotoGP travels to the United States of America for the second time this season for the Indianapolis Grand Prix on 28 August, round 12 of the 18-race series.
The inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix was only held in 2008 but for this year’s Grand Prix 1.5miles of the 2.6mile circuit has been resurfaced so half the circuit is new, posing a new challenge for Bridgestone’s tyres.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, affectionately known as the Brickyard, is formed of three distinct parts; the famous oval, the infield road circuit built for Formula One in 1999, and the opening complex built specifically for MotoGP. Whereas in past years each section of the circuit has a markedly different surface which offered a different level of grip, now initial feedback indicates that the resurfacing work has made the grip level much more consistent and the tarmac much smoother, which will help the riders and also the tyres as bumps interrupt the rubber’s contact patch.
In theory this will make it easier on the tyres as previously the multitude of different surfaces in a lap demanded a lot from them but the surface is also brand new so a relative unknown, although Nicky Hayden did test the new surface after the last American round at Laguna Seca and his feedback was very positive.
Nevertheless Bridgestone’s tyre compound selections are unchanged this season, although with the addition of the third softer front slick option to maximise warm-up performance and rider safety in conditions that are colder than expected.
The circuit’s layout places much higher demands on the left shoulders of the tyres and in fact it is one of the hardest circuits of the season for the left shoulders of the rear tyres because of the number, length and speed of the left-handers and the abrasiveness of the tarmac. For this reason it is the only Grand Prix this season to which the extra hard compound rear slicks have been selected, although both rear tyre options feature Bridgestone’s soft compound rubber in the right shoulders.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“This week we’re back in America again, now in the east in Indianapolis as opposed to last time we were there five weeks ago at Laguna Seca on the west coast. It’s clear that Indianapolis are working hard for the benefit of MotoGP with all their recent resurfacing work and we are happy to be going again to such an historic circuit. Indy is a vast place so I hope that we can see many spectators in the huge grandstands! Even though Casey’s win last time out extended his championship lead over Jorge, we’ve only just started the second half of the season and there’s a long way to go until the title is decided so I fully expect to see the championship fight really gathering pace in Indy and the remaining six grands prix.”
Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division
“Reports are that IMS have done a great job resurfacing the circuit which will make for more consistent conditions this year. It won’t change the physical demands placed on our tyres, because the corners are still the same and haven’t been re-profiled, so we haven’t changed our compound selection from last year other than with the addition of the third spec of front tyre with the new regulations. The speed may be a little higher because the tarmac and the grip will be more consistent, whereas in the past there were clear changes in the circuit character from the opening section designed for MotoGP to the Formula One infield to the famous oval. The tarmac is much smoother now which will also help as bumps interrupt the tyres’ contact patch and we saw a few falls last year because of this.
“Indianapolis is a relatively hard circuit for the left shoulders of our rear tyres in particular because of the speed and long nature of left-handed corners such as turn one and turn five. Being leant over for a relatively long time at speed creates some of the highest rear tyre temperatures of the year, and for this reason Indianapolis is the only Grand Prix all year for which we have selected the extra hard compound rubber in the left side of the rear slick tyres.”
– Suzuki Preview
Rizla Suzuki is on its way Stateside for the 12th round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship which will be held at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway in America.
Álvaro Bautista will be looking to continue with the huge potential that has been shown by him and the Suzuki GSV-R is recent races. He looked likely to fight for a top-five finish last time out at Brno, before lady-luck robbed him of the opportunity and he crashed. He is in a determined and focused mood to get a good qualifying position on Saturday to give him a better chance of getting away with the quick group come race-day and show what both he and the Rizla Suzuki are capable of.
Indianapolis will be staging a MotoGP for the fourth time in its illustrious history when the bikes take to the track on Sunday 28th August. The ‘Brickyard’ is more usually associated with Indy Car and NASCAR racing, but the two-wheeled event has quickly become a highlight on the circuit’s calendar. Known as the ‘Brickyard’ due to over three million paving bricks that used to cover the whole surface, now less than a metre of these bricks exist at the start line of 4,216m track. This fascinating symbol to the old days of racing is now simply known as the ‘Yard of Bricks’. The circuit has a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000 people and a big crowd is expected this weekend when MotoGP rolls into town. The fans will also be entertained by not only the on-track excitement, but many other off-track events, both at the ‘Brickyard’ and in downtown Indianapolis – making this one of the party Grands Prix of the year.
Rizla Suzuki will be rolling out on to ‘Gasoline Alley’ on Friday for two free practice sessions. This will be followed by another practice on Saturday morning and then the all-action qualifying session in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (18.00hrs GMT) when Bautista will be going all-out to add his name to history books of this famous circuit.
Álvaro Bautista: “We have certainly made some big steps with the GSV-R over the last few races, but we still need to work on things at Indianapolis. We need find out what the true potential of the bike is and I need to improve my qualifying session performance. It is difficult to see if we can compete with the guys at the front if I am starting at the back of the grid and I have to use so much time and energy to get up to them. These are things that we are determined to do and if we are successful in them then who knows what the bike and the team are capable of producing. I finished eighth at Indianapolis last year and I know we can do better than that now with the package we have. I will be pushing right from the start and trying to make all the hard work we’ve done in recent races give us a good end result in America.”
– Yamaha Preview
The MotoGP paddock heads stateside again this week for the second of the two US rounds of the 2011 MotoGP Championship. The legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host round 12 of the Championship, the second home race for Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies. The 2010 Indianapolis event became a feat of endurance for the MotoGP riders with track temperatures hitting 50 degrees over qualifying and race day. The sweltering conditions raised grip issues across the grid and the heat was physically exhausting for the riders. Lorenzo struggled over the entire weekend to find a perfect set up for the difficult conditions last year, enduring the heat to finally deliver a well earned podium finish with third in the race. The World Champion started from second on the grid just behind Spies. Lorenzo has a good record at the circuit, claiming victory in 2009 and his first ever wet podium in 2008.
Despite the conditions MotoGP rookie Spies enjoyed his most successful race of the year at Indianapolis in 2010. The Texan rider took a scorching maiden pole position start from future team mate Lorenzo and converted it into a season best finish of second on race day, his first MotoGP podium.
With 257,000 permanent seats the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest spectator sporting facility in the world and fills to capacity for its flagship events, the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 car races. Originally constructed in 1909 with a 2.5-mile oval, an exciting 16-turn motorcycle road circuit, which includes part of the historic oval, was purpose-built for MotoGP. The circuit was resurfaced earlier this year, improving the grip levels considerably for the riders. As part of Yamaha’s ongoing 50th Anniversay of Grand Prix racing celebrations, Yamaha Factory Racing will again run the special red and white livery at Indianapolis.
Jorge Lorenzo / “Indy is a track I really enjoy. I treasure wonderful moments like the podiums in 2008 and 2010, and my victory in 2009 wearing Captain America’s helmet. I am now in good shape and am ready to regain the ground we lost in Brno, where a mistake put a distance between Casey and I. I hope the good energy I feel in this track will still help us to fight for the title. I am really looking forward to going back to the US and riding my M1.”
Ben Spies / “I’m really hoping to be completely fit for this weekend. I’ve still got some numbness in the arm but it is better than it was at Brno. We’ve been working hard to get it right and we will of course give it 100% as always. I’ve been looking forward to this race all year; it was pretty crazy last year as a rookie to take pole and a second in the race. We’re going to put on a good show for all the home fans and see what we can do.”
Wilco Zeelenberg / “We had some problems at Indianapolis last year but they resurfaced the circuit so we’re looking forward to checking it out as it wasn’t in the best shape before. Jorge struggled to get the bike set up properly on it in 2010. With Ben’s excellent experience over there we believe we are able to fight for victory or podiums. If we want to win the World Championship we need to win races and start beating Casey, it is going to be a big challenge but we’re ready for it!”
Massimo Meregalli / “I’m hoping Ben’s physical condition is better for the weekend; I’m hoping that he will be 100% because it is his home race and expectations are quite high. The team are going to use some new updates that we tested in Brno; these will help both Ben and Jorge challenge for the front. Last year both riders finished on the podium so we are confident for this event.”
– The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team embarks on another American adventure this weekend, with Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow ready to tackle the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit.
Edwards is looking forward to racing in front of his home fans for the second time in just over a month, the Indianapolis round coming hot on the heels of his recent eighth place finish in the US Grand Prix at the Laguna Seca track in California.
The Texan is particularly looking forward to checking out the infield section of the 2.620 miles circuit, which has been completely resurfaced in readiness for round 12 of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.
T he 37-year-old will arrive in Indianapolis confident he can consolidate his position inside the top 10 in the World Championship rankings while also strengthening his bid to finish leading non-factory rider this season. He is currently on an impressive run of six consecutive top 10 finishes to sit ninth in the rankings ahead of this Sunday’s 28-lap race.
This weekend’s race presents Crutchlow with another difficult but intriguing learning experience. The British rider has never seen the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is steeped in motorsport history and world famous for hosting the Indy 500, but he’s looking forward to getting to work with his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew after a positive test session at the Brno circuit recently.
Crutchlow made improvements to the front-end feeling of his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine and he is determined to end a frustrating run of results in Indianapolis to get his bid for the prestigious Rookie of the Year crown back on track.
Colin Edwards / “Racing at home in America for the second time in a few weeks is awesome and I’m really looking forward to this weekend. The build-up to the Indianapolis race is always pretty special because you’ve got the mystique and the history of the place and I really like that part of it. The people at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have done a fantastic job to make MotoGP a success and hopefully the fans will get to see an exciting show this weekend. The track isn’t too technical or demanding but I’m looking forward to riding on the new pavement on the infield. We all know it was pretty bumpy in parts but they’ve taken our feedback on board and done something to improve it, which is brilliant. I’m on a consistent run of results at the moment and hopefully that will continue this weekend. I’d like to be a further up the order and pushing inside the top six a little more, but the guys in front of me every week are all on factory bikes, so I think all of us inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team are giving the maximum to do the best job we can.”
Cal Crutchlow / “I am really looking forward to going to Indy because I’ve heard so much about what a fantastic facility the Motor Speedway is. But without any previous experience of riding there, I’m anticipating another difficult challenge. It is one I am relishing though because I’m determined to end this difficult period in the Championship. I haven’t scored enough points in the last few races, so I’m looking forward to learning Indy but also getting a good result there too. The Yamaha is a good bike, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is brilliant, and I believe in my own ability, so we’ve got to put all the ingredients together to deliver the performances we know we are capable of. The test after the Brno race was really beneficial because we could work on the bike a lot and I could focus on adapting my style a lot more. We’ve got some more ideas to help us in the future, so hopefully a good result this weekend will help set me up for a strong finish to the season.”