Indy MotoGP Press Conference
Speaking publically for the first time since announcing his return to Yamaha at the end of 2012 last week, Valentino Rossi joined championship leader and future teammate Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl at the MotoGP™ press conference on Thursday marking the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Lorenzo, who heads into the race with a 23 point lead, is looking forward to welcoming Rossi back into the team, yet is fully focused on the race ahead: “In 2009 I won, but in the last two years it has been one of my worst races. Of course it’s going to be tough. We all know that Casey and Dani are very strong this year. We are also strong, stronger than last year, and have been consistent in the first two positions. This is our strong point and why we are leading the championship.”
On the prospect of the renewed partnership, and whether there would be another wall put up in the garage, the Mallorcan commented: “I think it’s interesting to see how we can handle Valentino and me in the same team and on the same bike. I’ll be interested to see what’s going on, and for me it’s a great pleasure to be teammates with him again. I always say the wall is a stupid thing. It doesn’t make sense for anything. No wall is OK for me and I think for Vale this time.”
Repsol Honda Team’s Casey Stoner stated that the Indianapolis circuit should suit him and his team, and was also quick to clarify statements in the press about comments he supposedly made about Rossi’s switch last week: “I want to clarify that. That was a lot of context taken out. It was the whole last year and a half. I never did the interview and never said anything like that last week. I still stand by what I said, but it’s been over the last year and a half that it was put together.”
Regarding the season so far and the race he said: “It’s been very difficult to get on top of him [Jorge Lorenzo], and we have our own issues and problems with the bike that we really need to resolve. Laguna was good for us because it went round to the left, and we have a lot less issues when we go round a left-hand circuit. We’ll have to see how we can do here again. It’s going the right direction for us. But unfortunately when the track does go to the left we ignore a lot of the problems that are created when they go back to the right. We’ve got a long way to go. We lost a lot of points in a very short amount of time through no fault other than my own.”
Ducati Team’s Rossi, who last Friday revealed he will be leaving the Italian outfit at the end of the year to je-join Yamaha, the team with which he won four world titles, explained his decision: “After Laguna I had a break and I had more time to think deeper about my future. It’s a great pity for me and Ducati and all our fans, but especially for the guys that worked with me on this project. We try to be competitive – an Italian rider with and Italian bike, but unfortunately it hasn’t happened. These two seasons have been very difficult and we have struggled a lot unfortunately. We were not able to improve our speed and our performance and to fight for the good positions. So for this I decided it was enough and so I tried to think which was the most competitive bike for the next two years that might be the last of my career. It’s a great pity and I’m very sad also because in Ducati I found some great people and we had a lot of great times together. We tried the maximum.”
With regards to re-igniting his partnership with former foe Lorenzo, the Italian commented: “Yeah, will be interesting. Now the situation has changed a lot compared to the past, compared to 2008 when Jorge arrive to Yamaha. Now he’s the No. 1 in the team, and our relationship is good. I have respect for him, and he has respect for me. So I think we can stay together. I am sure that together we can form a great team for Yamaha, to try to achieve good result in the next seasons.”
Rossi also confirmed that he will be taking his crew with him, and that he may even stay beyond 2014 should his move pan out well: “So I think my crew will come with me. More or less the same guys that came with me from Yamaha to Ducati. But is still not decided 100 per cent. And about my future, it will depend a lot on the result of the next two seasons. Because I want to remain more than two seasons in MotoGP but that depends how strong I am and if I’m fast with the M1.”
His teammate Nicky Hayden spoke about the prospect of racing in front of his home crowd, and also gave his thoughts on Rossi’s potential replacement: “Laguna’s close, but this one I really consider my home race now, being just across the state line in Kentucky. Indy’s a great track, especially now it’s re-paved it’s gotten a lot better, so looking forward to hopefully having a good weekend. I’m looking forward to the future partnership with Audi. I know it’ll be tough to make ay changes in the short term. But it’s an exciting time, and hopefully it’s going to play out for us in terms of financially and technical term with lots of resources, which is something we can hopefully build on. Yeah, if it’s [Rossi’s replacement] Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso], I think he’s probably the best choice out there. He’s got good experience coming from me. I’m happy. Spent years at Honda, then now Yamaha, and now come there. I think his experience can be beneficial to our engineers.”
The American also commented on loosing Rossi as a teammate for the second time in his career: “We’ve had a good relationship. I’m not going to be in tears over it. As great as it would have been to see Vale at the front with the Ducati, it just hasn’t happened. As good as it would have been for the sport him winning on a Ducati, him being at the front on anything I think we’ll all benefit from.”
LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, who has competed at Indy before, unlike at the last U.S. round, is looking for his first GP podium, but knows how tough that is: “It’s not so bad, but it’s not fantastic. Fantastic would be to be on the podium every race. But we can be happy; I’m happy so far. We’re improving every time and so far we have not been making too many mistakes, which is important for the first season; to learn as much as I can. Yes I know the track. It’s an ok track for me, but not one of my favourites.
Away from the press conference, there were some other activities the MotoGP™ riders and colleagues were able to enjoy before a busy weekend of racing.
NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards, Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso, Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci and Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellison were joined by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Bridgestone Motorsport Department Manager Hiroshi Yamada at the Brickyards Crossing Golf Course for a spot of pre race-action golf featuring a longest drive and putting contest hosted by official MotoGP™ tyre supplier Bridgestone.
And slightly further adrift, riders from all three classes, including Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, Yamaha’s Ben Spies, LCR Honda Stefan Bradl, Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez, Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró, Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese, Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales, RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom and AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin enjoyed a very American day out as they were taught by former Indianapolis Indians players how to play baseball in the grand setting of Victoria Field, Downtown Indianapolis, trying to hit a “home run”!
MotoGP 2012 – Round 11 – Indianapolis
— Yamaha Preview
After a well-earned two-week break the MotoGP paddock heads back across the Atlantic this week for the second of the two US rounds, The Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday 19th August. The Legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway has traditionally been good to current Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, his fourth place finish in 2011 being the only year he has not finished on the podium in the premier class. 2009 saw a brilliant race win which few fans will forget due to the special ‘Captain America’ helmet he wore for the race.
Team-mate Ben Spies has always performed strongly in front of his home crowd, taking pole position in 2010 and converting it into his first ever MotoGP podium with a second place finish. 2011 saw another stunning ride; Spies overtaking team mate Lorenzo to secure third on the 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 last year, improving grip levels considerably for the riders.
Jorge Lorenzo
“I really enjoy riding the Indy track, and have good memories here from my podiums in 2008 and 2010 and my great win in 2009. Last year I really struggled with grip in the race so I hope we can improve that this year. I’ve had a nice break but also been training to make sure I’m fit for this weekend!”
Ben Spies
“It’s going to be great to get out in front of all the US fans again, I love racing in America, the reception is always awesome. Indy is a track we go well at, and is pretty special to me for my first GP podium. I’m hoping we can make it three years in a row on the podium here!”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“We had some problems with grip in the race last year but we’ve moved forward since then so I’m hoping this won’t be an issue this year. It’s again the first time we’ve been here with the 1000 so it’s pretty exciting. Jorge likes the track and goes well here so let’s see if we can increase our lead in the Championship again!”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“It’s the second home race for Ben so expectations are quite high as he’s always performed well here. He was riding a very strong race in Laguna until the technical issue cased his crash so we are expecting that speed and form to continue here. We are confident he can fight to be on the podium for the third year running.”
— HRC Preview
The second half of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship kicks off this weekend at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner in the thick of the title hunt and aiming to be the first to cross the iconic “Yard of Bricks.”
Pedrosa finished the first half of the season second in the championship with a podium finish in the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, a race won by team-mate Stoner. It was the sixth time in ten races that the team-mates shared a MotoGP podium in 2012.
Pedrosa has been remarkably consistent this season, with podium finishes in every race, but one, which has made him a championship threat since the opening round in Qatar. His record at the Brickyard is impressive, with a victory in 2010 and a second place finish to Stoner last year.
Having won the German Grand Prix late in the first half of the season, Pedrosa is now chasing his milestone 40th grand prix victory.
Stoner won the 2011 Indy GP by nearly five seconds, one of the ten wins that propelled him to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. The two-time MotoGP World Champion swept the American races last year, winning in both Monterey and Indianapolis, and has the chance to do it again for the final time.
Stoner reached a number of milestones with his record third victory in Monterey. He was the first rider to win more than twice at Laguna Seca and with his 37th MotoGP win, the reigning world champion tied the legendary Mike “the Bike” Hailwood for fourth all-time and now has eight more races to make the position his own. Having announced his retirement at the end of this season, it is not possible for him to reach the next rider on the list, fellow Australian Mick Doohan, Honda’s five-time 500cc World Champion who won 54 500cc races. Stoner also took sole control of eighth all-time in the total wins standings with his 44th grand prix victory in all classes, one ahead of Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo. Honda’s six-time world champion Jim Redman is just ahead at 45.
The Repsol Honda riders spent their summer breaks on different continents. Stoner traveled around the U.S. with his wife and young daughter, while Pedrosa returned home to Spain for a bit of rest before resuming the training regimen that has kept him fit this season.
German Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP RC213V) returns to Indianapolis, but now in the senior class. The 2011 Moto2 World Champion finished on the 125cc podium in his first trip to the Brickyard in 2008, the race’s first year. Since then, he has had a number of strong finishes, including sixth last year. Last time out Bradl was seventh at the U.S.GP, the only track he had never raced on, having finished a career MotoGP best fourth in the previous Italian Grand Prix.
Bradl will certainly win the 2012 Rookie of the Year award-he has more than five times the number of points of the second placed rider heading to Indy-but he has also tied with a much more experienced factory rider for sixth overall in the championship.
Alvaro Bautista (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC213V) has been looking to recapture the progress that began in Qatar and continued through the British Grand Prix, where he finished a career best fourth in the MotoGP class. The races that followed were not as successful, but the team spent the summer break working to provide the Spaniard with the front end feel essential to success in MotoGP.
On his first trip to Indianapolis aboard a 250 in 2009, Bautista finished third. Entering the MotoGP class in 2010, Bautista was eighth, improving to sixth in 2011.
San Carlo Honda Gresini CRT rider Michele Pirro ended the first half of the season with an unfortunate run of bad luck, which he hopes to reverse in the second half. Prior to three non-finishes in a row, Pirro had steadily improved, with a career MotoGP best of ninth in the Dutch TT.
The summer break came at the right time for the Italian and his crew, both of whom have worked diligently to guarantee that the MotoGP rookie can resume his upward trajectory.
The U.S. Grand Prix hosted only the MotoGP riders, giving the lower classes an extended summer break. Now, after nearly five weeks off, they get back to work.
The first half ended with Marc Marquez (Team CaixaCatalunya Repsol – Suter) firmly in control of the Moto2 World Championship. The Spaniard had a stellar first half, winning four of the nine races to build a 34 point lead over rivals Pol Espargaro (Pons 40 HP Tuenti – Kalex) and Andrea Iannone (Speed Master – Speed Up) who are tied at 129 to Marquez’s 163.
Marquez did not have a completely work-free summer break; he and Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock – Suter) tested the latest version of the Suter chassis at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.
Iannone and Espargaro each have two wins, with Iannone beating the Spaniard by only .090s in his home grand prix at Mugello in the final race of the first half. Marquez was fifth. Of the three, only Iannone has completed every race, though a pair of downfield finishes have kept him from challenging Marquez for the points lead.
Marquez, who has been on the Indy pole each of the past two years, beat Espargaro in last year’s race, with Iannone finishing tenth. Espargaro’s 2011 second place finish was his first Moto2 podium, though he was familiar with the rostrum. He was on every step of the 125cc podium, with a win in 2009, a second in 2008, and a third in 2010.
Blusens Avintia FTR Honda rider Maverick Vinales starts the second half of the season as one of only two riders with a reasonable chance of winning the inaugural Moto3 World Championship.
The other is German Sandro Cortese. Vinales enters the second half trailing Cortese by nine points following his fifth win of the season – and third from pole – in Mugello, just prior to the summer break. The win in Italy was important for Vinales, who failed to score points in the previous race in Germany.
Romano Fenati (Team Italia FMI FTR Honda) just missed out on victory in his home race in Mugello; his gap to Vinales was .020s. The likeable young Italian took the finish in stride and as a welcome relief after a pair of downfield performances in the races just before. Fenati had started the season with great promise, finishing second in Qatar, a race that he had led, and winning his second Moto3 race in Jerez. Then followed a pair of non-finishes and more results that did not match his precocious talent.
This will be Fenati’s first trip to the U.S. and the Speedway, though he is aware of the history of IMS and is looking forward to hitting the bricks.
Alexis Masbou (Caretta Technology Honda) does have experience at Indy, though little in the way of success. The French rider has competed at IMS three times, scoring his best finish last year.
But this season Masbou has shown dramatic improvement. Other than a pair of non-finishes, he had been in the top nine in every race and scored a career best second place finish in the German Grand Prix before faltering in Mugello prior to the break by finishing 12ths.
This will be the fifth running of the Indianapolis Grand Prix at the Speedway which is located not in Indianapolis, but in the town of Speedway, Indiana. IMS is known around the world as the site of the Indianapolis 500 and, more recently, the Brickyard 400 for stock cars. Those events are held on the 2.5-mile, four-corner oval, of which very little is used in the MotoGP configuration; only the 872m straightaway which crosses the finish line “Yard of Bricks” is run on the oval.
Formula One had an eight-year run that ended in 2007, the legacy of which is the road course. The Formula One road course was 4.192Km and ran clockwise, the MotoGP road course is 4.216Km and runs anti-clockwise. The track is made up of three segments. The lap begins and ends on the front straight, the only part of the 2.5-mile oval that is utilised. Turns 2 through 4 and 7 and 8 were built specifically for MotoGP. The rest of the circuit uses from the former F1 track, though with the safety margins re-engineered for the change of direction.
From the outset, the track was plagued by a variety of surfaces, which meant traction changed several times a lap. Prior to last year’s race the final repaving project was completed, though not with the intended results. The intense summer heat did not allow the macadam to cure properly and efforts by the track to improve grip were not successful. A year on, the surface should be much more consistent.
Shoehorning a road course inside an oval will always invite compromise and Indy is no different, especially with the space available for the course. The result is a mostly stop-and-start course where it is often difficult to get into the rhythm of the very flat track. There is a scarcity of high speed corners, which riders most enjoy, and only one straightaway of reasonable length. Much of the rest of the track is characterised by hard braking in narrow spaces, making passing difficult.
The signature piece of the track is the finish line “Yard of Bricks,” the last of the 3,200,000 paving bricks that were originally laid in the fall of 1909. Honda riders have upheld the winner’s tradition of kissing the bricks the past two years and would like to continue the tradition this year.
As soon as the last rider crosses the finish lines, the teams furiously begin packing up to fly off to the Czech Grand Prix in Brno the following weekend.
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “I had a very good summer break. In these two weeks I was able to relax a little, enjoy time with friends and get back into my training. At this time of year, Indianapolis is normally very hot, so fitness is always key. I enjoy riding at this track and I’ve had good results in the past. I am really looking forward to this race and will fight to win and maintain the consistency we have showed in the first part of the championship.”
Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner says: “After the great win in Laguna, we’ve had a nice break in the U.S. It’s always good to take some time off here and spend some time with some friends. I’m not the biggest fan of Indy, mainly because we don’t go on the historical track, but the infield and in the wrong direction. The track is very flat and plain, also very tight. There are a couple of corners that can be fun, but the majority are difficult, tight and there isn’t any natural flow to the track. It’s nice to visit a track with such great history, but it’s a shame we don’t really experience any of that. We’ve had some good results there and won last year, but we’ll have to wait until we get there to see how the RC213V will work around there this year.”
LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl says: “We are doing good, I mean, better than expected. And I’m happy so far with everything. We are not so far any more from the second group (in the championship). Sure (at Laguna Seca) it was a little bit different than normal and this is the plan for the future, try to stay with them and fight for positions behind the top three guys.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says: “Laguna Seca did not produce the result we were hoping for because I struggled for confidence with the soft front tyre there. On the Saturday, we found a decent rhythm on that tyre, but on Sunday the track conditions were slightly different and it upset the front end so much that I couldn’t brake as hard as I wanted into the corners. We didn’t have the confidence to run at a competitive pace and even though I managed to finish the race with some decent points it was not a true reflection of our potential. After that disappointment I took a few days to relax by the seaside, but I have kept up to my training programme and I am ready to race again in America. I have also had a good opportunity to catch up with family and friends, so now I am ready to get back to work and get competitive again like we were before Mugello. I have always had good results at Indianapolis and the track should suit the characteristics of our bike. We will try and test the tyres properly during practice to make sure that we don’t have a repeat of the last race. I am feeling confident and highly motivated. Indianapolis is a unique circuit because it is anti-clockwise and completely flat, with some slow sections and a very long straight where you need good top speed. Last year I remember having some problems with the front tyre because of the recent resurfacing, but hopefully that’s not an issue this time.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR Honda rider Michele Pirro says: “Laguna Seca was our third non-finish in a row, this time because of a collision with another rider in the first corner. It’s a shame, because I really liked the circuit and was enjoying riding there. July wasn’t a lucky month for me, but together with the team I want to stay positive and focus on overcoming our problems in the best possible way. We have been getting more competitive and our pace is getting closer to the top CRTs, so we want to continue that for the remainder of the season. Over the break I have had a bit of a holiday on the beach, but I’ve been training hard too. I have tried to get the right balance of hard work and rest ahead of our next trip to America. I raced at Indianapolis last year and our objective there is to get back to the level we showed at Assen. I am confident we can achieve it.”
Team CaixaCatalunya Repsol Suter rider Marc Marquez says: “The racing is back and we are starting with two races in as many weekends. We return to Indianapolis, one of the most historic circuits in the world. The summer holidays have been a very good chance to rest and also to do a test at Portimao. The results of that test might prove useful in the second half of the season. I like Indy as a circuit and we’ll be looking for a top result. Our goal is to adapt as soon as possible, in order to find our setting for Sunday.”
Pons 40 HP Tuenti Kalex rider Pol Espargaro says: “We are not so far off from Marc (Marquez). In Mugello we took nine points off him and that’s so important for us. Just lap by lap we have to think to not make any mistakes and to try to recover the difference as soon as possible. And, I know; it will be difficult for sure. Moto2 is a difficult category to predict. Maybe the key is to continue with the work we are doing. We are attacking all the practices, we are more or less the first in all the practices, and that is so nice for us. We have to continue working because it’s so long and the championship can change a lot and we have to be at 100% always.”
Speed Master Speed Up rider Andrea Iannone says: “Surely, in this championship it’s very important that I was as competitive as possible in the the past few races. I’m very happy for this. My team is working better and giving me a more competitive bike to be fast in the remaining races.”
— Ducati Preview
After a brief, two-week summer break, the Ducati Team is on its way back to the United States for the second of two American MotoGP rounds. The team’s goal is to continue working on the bike in order to enable a positive final part of the season for Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden.
The American is particularly fond of the Indianapolis circuit, not only because it’s close to his home state of Kentucky, but also because it was the site of his first podium with Ducati, in 2009. Valentino Rossi has also been on the podium at this historic track, taking the victory when it first hosted the championship, in 2008.
As is always the case at the American events, Ducati Island will serve as the meeting point for the fans that come to support the Ducati Team, and to share the race weekend and enjoy the many exciting activities organized by the Italian manufacturer’s American subsidiary.
VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati Team
“This break served as an opportunity to make important decisions for the future, but now I want to return to thinking about the races because we want to improve and during the weekend it’s important to focus completely on what we have to do on the track. Indianapolis isn’t one of my favourite circuits, although I do have a win there. It’s a particular track because it’s one of those that goes in the opposite direction, so the lines are a bit strange in many of the corners. It’s a tricky track, but we’ll try to do our best and have fun.”
NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Team
“Laguna was fun, but Indy is really my home GP, just across the state line from Kentucky. Hopefully we can do a good result. We struggled more at Laguna than I expected, but Indy is much faster, with more opportunities to open the throttle. It should be nice to ride that track on the 1000s, and it will be fun for the American fans to really get to see them in action. Last season, tyre wear was critical there, but hopefully the pavement will come in a bit better this year. I hope to be competitive starting on Friday, and I’ll definitely be disappointed if we don’t get the best result of the season so far.”
VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
“The past month has been very intense for everyone, but now things are clearer. We can therefore concentrate on our work on the track as we continue to improve our bike so that Vale and Nicky can finish the season on an upward trend. Indianapolis is a challenging track laid out inside the famous oval for the 500, and it therefore features different types of asphalt, making for conditions that stress the tyres. It will be important to find a setup that makes it possible to take advantage of the hard tyres.”
— Bridgestone
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Extra-hard. Rear: Medium, Hard
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
The second of two races taking place on American soil this season will be held this Sunday at one of the most revered motorsport venues in the world, the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, whose distinctive layout places significant demands on Bridgestone MotoGP™ tyres.
The Indianapolis circuit comprises three distinct parts; the renowned oval which forms the main straight, the opening complex and turns seven and eight built specifically for MotoGP™, and the rest of the infield which was constructed for when the circuit held Formula One races. Large sections of the circuit were resurfaced last year, resulting in more consistent grip levels, while some undulations on the tarmac that caused the bikes to behave erratically in corners were also removed.
After revising its tyre severity ratings for each circuit, Bridgestone will now supply special construction asymmetric rear slick tyres in the medium and hard compounds at Indianapolis to manage the very high tyre temperatures the 1000cc MotoGP™ machines are expected to generate around this circuit. The circuit’s abrasive tarmac and counter-clockwise layout with its fast and frequent left handers makes it one of the hardest events of the season for the left shoulder of the rear tyres; hence asymmetric rear tyres with considerably harder rubber on the left shoulders are supplied. The abrasive Indy track also means the extra-hard compound front slick is included in the tyre allocation alongside the soft and medium compounds.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“It is always a pleasure to visit Indianapolis as the motorsport culture here is very strong and the whole city gets behind the Grand Prix with many events taking place over the weekend. The venue itself is quite unique with elements of three different eras incorporated into the circuit and it is a challenge for both riders and tyres. Perhaps due to its particular layout, Indy is a race where the result is always hard to predict with four different winners and seven different riders making the podium since the race was included on the calendar four years ago.
“Apart from the regular MotoGP roster there will be two extra riders in action at Indy. Steve Rapp will once again be riding the Attack Performance-Kawasaki CRT entry, while Aaron Yates will debut the GPTech-Suzuki CRT machine so I expect even greater interest in this race from the American fans this weekend. To give these wildcard riders the best possible preparation for the coming weekend, our race engineers were on hand to assist both teams in a test at the Indianapolis circuit that took place on Saturday.”
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“Indianapolis is split into three sections; the sectors from turns one to four and turns seven and eight were designed for MotoGP, the rest of the infield is part of the old F1 circuit, while the main straight is part of the world-famous oval course. This causes the character of the circuit to vary in each section, though a resurfacing last year has made the grip levels more consistent across the whole course. The circuit’s layout causes very high tyre temperatures through the high-speed left-hand corners, so asymmetric rear slicks with much harder rubber on the left shoulder are required here to provide the necessary durability and grip for the race distance, while ensuring good warm-up and grip characteristics on the lesser used right shoulder of the rear tyre.
“This year we have revised our rear tyre compounds for Indy and have gone one step softer with both options, with the medium and hard asymmetric rear slicks being supplied. Additionally, the rear slicks for this circuit now feature the same special heat-resistant construction as those provided at Mugello, Sachsenring and Phillip Island. Our compound selection for the front slick tyres also changes this year, with the soft, medium and extra-hard options now being made available to provide riders with a front tyre option for every kind of track condition.”
MotoGP 2012 – Round 11 – Indianapolis
— MotoGP™ focus on Indianapolis after Rossi confirms future
Following an eventful and well-deserved break, the MotoGP™ field will reunite at the famous Brickyard for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix this weekend to once again battle it out for on-track supremacy.
The biggest news ahead of the second U.S. race was that Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi will be switching back to the Factory Yamaha Team at the end of the season on a two-year deal. This has ended the huge speculation around the Italian’s future, yet has created new hype around who will be filling the vacant spot in the Bologna outfit’s team.
Looking solely towards the on-track action, Yamaha’s current championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will be aiming to extend his lead at the top of the table at a track where he took victory in 2009. Last year the Spanish rider struggled at the track, yet looks in ominous form at the moment, which will make him one of the favourites to take victory. Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner will however be challenging from the off, with Stoner in particular good form after his terrific performance in Laguna Seca last time out. The Australian also took victory at Indianapolis last year ahead of Pedrosa in second.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso heads to Indianapolis looking to add to his podium tally this season, whilst holding off the challenges from his teammate Cal Crutchlow, who is still chasing his first step on the MotoGP rostrum. LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl on his satellite Honda RC213V, currently lying sixth in the championship tied on points with Ducati’s Nicky Hayden, will look to close the gap to Crutchlow and continue to improve in his maiden premier-class season. American Hayden on the other hand will not want to be beaten by a rookie, and will be firing on all cylinders as he tackles his home race.
His teammate Rossi, with his future now confirmed, will however not be taking things lightly, and will look to put in a better showing than at Laguna Seca, where he crashed out on the final lap. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who has finished behind Bradl in the last three races will aim to finish as top satellite Honda once more and rekindle some of the form that saw him take pole and fourth place at Silverstone earlier this year. Yamaha’s Ben Spies, who suffered a suspension failure last time out, will hope for a serious turn of fortunes as he heads to the track where he came third last year.
Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá has not recovered from his broken fibula and tibia in time and will again be replaced by fellow compatriot Toni Elías. Other Ducati satellite rider Karel Abraham, on board his Cardion AB Racing Desmosedici, will be fully fit on the other hand, and no doubt hopeful of finishing with a much needed good result.
The CRT contingent make their first visit to the U.S. track with Power Electronics Aspar duo of Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaró tied on 33 points at the top of the pack. They will be joined by San Carlo’s Michele Pirro, Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini, Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellison, Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci and Avintia Blusens pair of Yonny Hernandez and Iván Silva. NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards, who had fuelled speculation that he may be lining up on a new bike, will be contesting the race on-board his Suter-BMW machine. Attack Performance, who failed to qualify for Laguna Seca with rider Steve Rapp, will be back for its second wildcard entry at the Brickyard, and will be joined by Aaron Yates riding a GPTech CRT bike with a BCL chassis and a Suzuki GSX-R1000 engine.
World Championship Standings MotoGP™
1- Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 205
2- Dani Pedrosa SPA Honda 182
3- Casey Stoner AUS Honda 173
4- Andrea Dovizioso ITA Yamaha 121
5- Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha 106
After nearly five weeks off, the Moto2™ grid will once again be rearing to go as the intermediate-class descends on the famous Brickyard for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez heads to the U.S. with a sizeable 34-point lead at the top of the championship standings, and will once again be one of the favourites at the circuit where he won last year. The Spaniard, along with Interwetten-Paddock’s fellow Suter rider Tom Lüthi, did not relax completely during the summer break, as they both carried out vital tests at Portugal’s Portimão circuit to prepare for the second half of the season.
The main rivals heading into the race will be Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, fresh off his win in Mugello, and Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró, who are both tied on points behind Márquez. Espargaró will have fond memories of the Indianapolis track, as it was there that he took his first ever Moto2 podium last year in second. Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding, who tested a MotoGP™ Ducati bike during his time off, will be aiming for his third podium spot this season, whilst holding off the challenge from his teammate Mika Kallio.
Tech 3 Racing’s Bradley Smith, who just missed out on a podium at the Brickyard last year will hope his surge in form continues at the track, and that he can snatch his first rostrum of the season. Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti and Technomag CIP’s Dominique Aegerter will however look to mix it up at the front once more, with Espargaró’s teammate Esteve Rabat likely to challenge as well. Rabat has a good record at the circuit, having taken third place last year.
The Moto2 line up also sees some changes, with Spaniard Jordi Torres filling the vacant Mapfre Aspar Team seat, which became available after the departure of Toni Elías. Marcel Schrötter is a permanent replacement for Massimo Roccoli in the Desguaces La Torre SAG team, whilst the entry list sees wildcard Tommy Aquino scheduled to make an appearance on the Fogi Racing team FTR.
World Championship Standings Moto2™
1- Marc Márquez SPA Suter 163
2- Pol Espargaró SPA Kalex 129
3- Andrea Iannone ITA Speed Master 129
4- Thomas Luthi SWI Suter 123
5- Scott Redding GBR Suter 96
The Moto3™ contingent heads to the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix after a five-week absence this weekend to once again light up the track with its intense on-track battles.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese holds a narrow nine-point lead over Blusens Avintia’s championship favourite Maverick Viñales, as the two continue their tussle up-front. Last year the Spaniard got the better of the German as they both occupied second and third spot on the rostrum, and no doubt Viñales will be looking to do the same this time round to claw back some points.
RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom will aim to overcome his disappointment of not finishing the last race in Mugello with a solid performance, while Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati will be buoyed by his spectacular second place last time out.
Caretta Technology’s Alexis Masbou, who only recently took his first Grand Prix podium, will hope to rekindle some of that form after a disappointing race in Mugello. AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin will be one to watch at the Brickyard, after stating during the summer break that his sights were firmly set on taking his first career rostrum in the second part of the season. Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins will aim for further steady progression in his maiden Moto3 season, while Racing Team Germany’s Louis Rossi will look to make up for his DNFs at the last two rounds.
There have been numerous changes in the Moto3 line-up, with Alex Márquez, younger brother of Moto2™ rider Marc Márquez, replacing Simone Grotzkyj at Ambrogio Next Racing, and Armando Pontone coming in to replace Jonas Folger in the IodaRacing Project team. Folger, in turn, has moved to Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 after it parted ways with Spaniard Alberto Moncayo. Moncayo however, will be replacing the injured Iván Moreno at the Andalucia JHK Laglisse team for the Indianapolis race.
World Championship Standings Moto3™
1- Sandro Cortese GER KTM 164
2- Maverick Viñales SPA FTR Honda 155
3- Luis Salom SPA Kalex KTM 104
4- Romano Fenati ITA Ioda 85
5- Alexis Masbou FRA Honda 75