The 2010 MotoGP title could be decided this weekend at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix with Jorge Lorenzo primed to take his third World Championship crown – his first in the premier class. The Fiat Yamaha rider goes into Round 15 at Sepang with a 69-point advantage over Dani Pedrosa – the only man who can stop him from being proclaimed Champion – but the Repsol Honda rider’s participation is in serious doubt after he fractured a collarbone in a practice session crash in Japan last weekend.
This will be the 20th GP event to be held in Malaysia with Sepang the venue since 1999. It was there that Lorenzo sealed his 2007 250cc title, and a fantastic display in last year’s race saw him rocket up the order to finish fourth having started from the back of the grid due to technical problems. Having taken 12 podiums from the 14 rounds so far (including seven victories) Lorenzo’s form this season has taken him to the brink of accomplishing a lifelong ambition, and a range of results this weekend would proclaim him 2010 MotoGP World Champion with three rounds to spare.
Pedrosa was only released from hospital in Barcelona on Monday following a successful operation to insert a titanium plate into his left collarbone, and confirmation on whether he will ride is yet to be given. Updates will be posted on motogp.com as soon as news on the 24 year-old’s plans are released by his team.
For Casey Stoner the season has taken a massive step forward in the last two rounds with the Australian taking his first two victories of the campaign at Aragón and Motegi. The Ducati rider has a solid record at Sepang too having won last year and in his title-winning season of 2007, and he still has a chance of finishing the season in second position overall.
Andrea Dovizioso made a return to the podium in Japan and the Repsol Honda rider, who started from pole at Motegi for the first time in MotoGP, took his first premier-class podium at Sepang in 2008. Just three points behind him in the Championship is the most successful rider at the Sepang circuit – Valentino Rossi. The reigning World Champion secured last year’s title there with a podium finish and has won five times at the circuit.
Lying in sixth position is Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) whose only previous experience of the track is the pre-season tests, but the rookie’s ability to learn new venues well over a weekend has been repeatedly proven this season. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) has finished fourth at Sepang on five occasions and is looking for a second podium finish of the campaign.
Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) are separated by just nine points from eighth to tenth positions in the Championship as they all prepare to mount strong finishes to their respective campaigns.
The first-ever Moto2 World Championship crown could be claimed by Toni Elías as the Gresini Racing rider sets his sights on what would be his first title. Elías has an 81-point advantage over Julián Simón in the standings, and his fellow Spaniard is the only rider who can prevent him from taking the title. A top-three result in Malaysia for Elías – regardless of Simón’s result – would see him crowned as Champion with three rounds to spare.
Elías has a good record at the track having taken three podiums there in the former 250cc class, including a victory. Simón has winning form there as well however, and the Mapfre Aspar rider’s is more recent with him taking a win in the 125cc category last season on his way to the title.
Both riders are filled with confidence, Elías after achieving his seventh win of the season at Motegi in the previous round and Simón having taken a fourth consecutive second place. The latter will be desperate for his first win of 2010 this weekend and such a result would mean Elías would need to finish second to take the title at this round.
In third position in the standings Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) has his sights on Simón and will be keen to recover from what was a difficult Motegi race in which he placed 13th. The Italian’s best result at Sepang was eighth in last year’s 125cc race, and he started from pole in the category two years ago. Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) is nine points behind in fourth and still in search of a first win in the class, and won at Sepang on his way to the 125cc title in 2005.
Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) is fifth in the standings, with Gabor Talmacsi (Fimmco Speed Up) and Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing) separated by a single point in sixth and seventh. The Hungarian has twice won at Sepang, both victories coming in the 125cc class in 2007 (when he won the title) and 2008.
Other riders looking for strong results will be Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) who became only the second Czech rider to finish on the podium in the intermediate category with third place at Motegi, which was his first World Championship rostrum finish. Scott Redding (Marc VDS) also continued his solid progress with fifth place in Japan, having started from the front row for the fourth consecutive race.
Joining the Moto2 field as a wild card will be home representative Mohamad Zamri Baba, riding for Moriwaki Racing.
The pace refuses to ease off in the 125cc category and Malaysia provides the next step in what has been a close chase for the title throughout the campaign. With just 13 points currently separating Championship leader Nico Terol, Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaró the margin for error is practically non-existent in the final four rounds.
With victory last time out in Japan – his seventh of the season – Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) closed the gap on Terol to six points, but the Bancaja Aspar rider’s consistency this year has seen him only finish off the podium once in the races he has started. Second at Motegi maintained his position at the head of the standings.
Terol’s best previous result at Sepang was fifth last year, whilst Márquez’s two previous outings there have brought little luck for the 17 year-old who has not finished a race at the Malaysian track. Espargaró (Tuenti Racing), who was fourth in Japan, placed third last season in the Malaysian round and will be looking to close up the gap to Terol in what is a tense Championship.
In fourth position Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar) has recorded back-to-back podiums in the previous two rounds and has the best record of any of the current 125cc riders at the Sepang circuit. Second place in the last two seasons mean the Brit will be confident, especially given that none of the riders currently competing in the category have won a GP race in Malaysia prior to this weekend. He remains 55 points adrift of Espargaró in the standings.
Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) and Efrén Vázquez (Tuenti Racing) occupy positions fifth to seventh, whilst home rider Khairuddin Zulfahmi (AirAsia – Sepang International Circuit Team) will be eager to record a season’s best result in front of his home fans.
British rider Danny Kent and Italian Tommaso Gabrielli will continue as substitutes for the Lambretta Reparto Corse and Ongetta Team set-ups respectively.
The Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix gets underway at 12.40pm local time on Friday with the start of the first 125cc practice session.
— Yamaha Preview
MotoGP moves south this week for the second leg of its eastern flyaway tour at Sepang in Malaysia. After the exciting battle between Rossi and Lorenzo on Sunday in Japan, this race presents the first championship ‘match-point’ for Jorge Lorenzo, who can seal his maiden premier-class title this Sunday.
Lorenzo lost out narrowly to his team-mate at Motegi and finished off the podium for only the second time this season, but his focus lies entirely with the championship and he knows he needs just a handful of points on Sunday to become 2010 MotoGP World Champion. His only title rival, Dani Pedrosa, is almost certain to miss the race while he recovers from surgery on his collar-bone and if so Lorenzo will need just six points on Sunday to fulfil his dream. The 23-year-old is a fan of the fast and flowing track, where he clinched his second 250cc title in 2007. Last year at Sepang a sighting lap problem forced him to start from the back but he charged through the field to finish fourth, overtaking 12 riders on his way.
Motegi saw a resurgent Rossi back on the podium after the close-fought battle with his team-mate and he is hoping that Sepang will be just as kind to his shoulder, which caused him much less trouble than expected in Japan. He was delighted to find that he and his crew had also made some effective steps forward with their setting and the current World Champion is hopeful of being able to finish the season in fighting form. Rossi has a love affair with the Sepang track which has seen him take five wins and the Italian names it as one of his very favourite tracks, along with Phillip Island. He has twice won the title for Yamaha there, in 2007 and again last year, when he clinched his ninth crown with a determined charge to third after slipping back as far as tenth at one stage.
The tropical venue of Sepang was built as a state-of-the-art motor racing venue in 1999 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of special events over this weekend’s MotoGP. It is one of the widest tracks on the calendar, some 16 metres across in places, and with its fast and frequent changes of direction and some tight hairpins it provides a stern work out for the bike, while the temperatures and high humidity turn it into a test of endurance for the riders.
Jorge Lorenzo – “First chance at my dream”
“All I am thinking about is Sunday and if I can win the title…it’s been one of the dreams of my life and it would be great to get it here in Sepang. I like Malaysia a lot and I’ve done so many kilometres there testing on my M1, plus I have great memories from winning the 250 championship there in 2007. The track is long and modern but the weather can be a problem because it can be too hot and also rain can cause problems. Last year was a bit crazy with the rain and then I had to start from last on the grid! I would definitely prefer it to be dry this year. The team and I will focus in the same way we have all season, working hard from Friday and with the goal of podium or victory. We hope for the best result we can get.”
Valentino Rossi – “One of my favourite tracks”
“Japan was very exciting for us and it felt good to be fighting at the front through all the sessions and the race; it’s been a long time since we were that strong. I don’t know until I start riding how Sepang will feel on my shoulder but it is one of my two or three favourite tracks in the world and I am always excited to go there. We were strong there in winter testing, obviously a lot has changed since then but we made some good improvements to our bike in Japan so I hope we can be in the same kind of form this weekend.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – “Hoping to achieve our target”
“This is our first chance to achieve our target and take the title and we are excited to arrive at this point after everyone’s hard work. It seems like Dani won’t be riding and if that is the case then we only have to take a few points on Sunday to win the championship. We will keep calm and focused and hopefully everything will come together.”
Davide Brivio – “Let’s see what we can do!”
“Motegi was very good for us and now we’re excited to get to Sepang and see what we can do there. Valentino’s shoulder wasn’t such a big problem in Japan but we have to wait and see how it will be in Malaysia, which is a very different track. Anyway we made some good progress with our setting and you can see that it worked because we were really competitive all weekend, which was a good feeling!”
— Ducati Preview
After back-to-back wins in the last two races the Ducati Marlboro Team is hopeful of being amongst the frontrunners again in this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. The Sepang Circuit hosts the majority of MotoGP winter testing and both Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden were on the pace in preseason, clocking the second and third fastest times respectively on the final day.
Test conditions are always different to a race weekend but both riders have good records here, with Stoner victorious in 2007 and 2009, with Hayden boasting six top five finishes.
However, nobody at Ducati Marlboro Team is taking anything for granted this weekend and the riders and staff are ready to give maximum effort in demanding conditions, with high ambient and track temperatures and the challenge of setting up the Ducati GP10 at a completely different kind of circuit to Motegi.
CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team
“Motegi was our biggest question mark about set up and we had to really work hard to make the bike stable for the really heavy braking. Sepang isn’t too much about that, so we can maybe raise the bike back up again and get our traction a little better and see what happens. But we can hopefully expect to have the bike working well there. We’ve all been giving 120% all season but it’s just these last two races we’re getting something back from it. It’s a huge, huge difference for us. Going into these next two races is a big clump in a small space for us, of course, but if things keep going like they are we definitely have a good chance of doing well again on Sunday”
NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team
“After we got a good result in Aragon it was frustrating not being able to back it up in Motegi, it’s not good. I think it shows the level of MotoGP – if you are off a little bit you are at the back. Anyway, now we go to Malaysia and a track where we tested a lot this winter, even though it is always very different when we come back for the race. At the tests we can ride all day long whereas at the Grand Prix we have just a few hours but it’s a track I like and I enjoy and we’ll just see how the bike works. The team is working extremely hard, Casey has won the last two races so the bike is working really good now and we will go there and try to get a good result”.
VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
“After two wins at tracks with very different characteristics we go to another kind of circuit with fast corners and long straights, so we will need to work just as hard as we did at Motegi. We have to stay concentrated and we can’t take anything for granted. At the same time, Casey is in top form and if we can manage to give him another competitive bike he will be up at the front again on Sunday. Nicky also has the chance to do well in this race because he was very fast here in preseason testing and he will be keen to bounce back from a negative result at Motegi.”
THE TRACK
Sepang hosted a Grand Prix for the first time in April 1999, with races in Malaysia having initially taken place at Shah Alam and Johor. A much loved venue for the teams and riders, the circuit is located in the thick of dense tropical forest, a short drive away from the Kuala Lumpur International airport, and has a modern infrastructure with good safety features. The track is one of the longest on the World Championship and one of the widest, featuring a good mix of corners that put the machines and riders to the test. Intense heat and humidity, with the constant threat of torrential rain, increase the challenge for the riders, teams and anybody else in pit-lane! In fact, one such downpour in 2006 saw qualifying cancelled for all three classes and grid positions were decided by the free practice classification.
— HRC Preview
The 2010 MotoGP World Championship continues its quick-fire Far East tour at Sepang on Friday, when practice for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix gets underway, just five days after last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. Straight after Sepang the paddock dashes to Phillip Island for the following Sunday’s Australian GP and then back to Europe for the season finale at Estoril, Portugal, and Valencia, Spain. It’s a high-energy end to a busy year, with five races in six weeks.
Sadly, the 2010 MotoGP world title is now beyond the means of the Repsol Honda squad. Until Motegi, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) had a slim possibility of overhauling championship leader Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), having outscored his fellow Spaniard at the previous three races. But a crash during first practice in Japan left Pedrosa nursing a broken left collarbone which was pinned and plated the next day at the USP Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona. Pedrosa expects to return to racing at the Australian GP, though there is a slim possibility that the gritty 25-year-old may ride at Sepang.
If he is absent, the Repsol Honda torch will be carried by Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) who arrives in Malaysia still buzzing from a brilliant weekend at Honda’s home Grand Prix. Dovizioso started the Motegi race from pole position – his first in the premier class – and went on to score a close second-place finish, less than four seconds behind winner Casey Stoner (Ducati). During the Japanese GP weekend he made important advances in electronics settings for his RC212V, which he hopes will help him at other racetracks.
The Italian will be doing everything in his powers to keep his Motegi momentum rolling at Sepang, a circuit with which he gels brilliantly. Dovizioso has scored podiums in all three classes at the superbly challenging venue and it was at Sepang that he scored his first MotoGP podium in 2008. He also secured the 125 World Championship at Sepang in 2004, so the omens are good.
Dovizioso’s Motegi podium also made a little bit of history for the Repsol Honda partnership – its 250th podium in the elite class, making it one of most successful relationships in the sport’s history. Repsol and Honda first got together in 1995 when Mick Doohan won the second of his five consecutive premier-class crowns on a Repsol Honda NSR500.
Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) goes into the final four races of 2010 with a battle on his hands. The Frenchman’s avowed goal for this season was to be MotoGP’s top non-factory rider, a target he was well on the way to achieving until he suffered a broken left tibia and fibula during July’s German GP. After a miraculously short four-week rehabilitation, de Puniet returned to action at the Czech GP, but he has understandably struggled to continue his dazzling early season form. He is still top privateer, holding eighth place overall, but he has three men – Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), Colin Edwards (Yamaha) and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) – within nine points of him. A good result at Sepang is therefore essential to maintain his position.
Simoncelli had another great ride at Motegi, the MotoGP rookie duelling with veteran Colin Edwards (Yamaha) for a top-five result and finally getting sixth place, equalling his best finish in the premier class. The hard-riding Italian has dazzled with his aggressive riding style in his debut year in the big class and he has good reason to look forward to a return to Sepang – it was in Malaysia that Simoncelli sealed the 250 World Championship in 2008.
Team-mate Melandri’s big hope for this weekend is to work his way back into the top ten. Another former 250 World Champion but now in his tenth year of MotoGP competition, Melandri has struggled to find the form which took him to five MotoGP victories in 2005 and 2006.
Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) is delighted to be back at Sepang, a track at which he has won two Grand Prix victories, at the 2007 and 2009 Malaysian 250 GPs. Aoyama’s stunning win from pole position at Sepang last year was a crucial moment in his successful bid to win the final 250 World Championship. Still not fully recovered from the broken vertebra he sustained at June’s British GP, the Japanese may find Malaysia’s hot and humid conditions tougher than usual on this occasion. His goal is straightforward – to repeat his top-ten result from Motegi.
Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) has the chance to secure the first-ever Moto2 World Championship on Sunday with three races remaining. Even if his only remaining title rival Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter) wins his first Moto2 victory at Sepang, Elias will wrap up the crown if he finishes the race in second place. The Spaniard has ridden a remarkable season, winning exactly half of the 14 races so far. He is also the only rider to have won GP victories in 125s, 250s, MotoGP and Moto2. Amazingly, despite his glittering GP career, which began at Jerez in 1999 and has produce 17 victories across four classes, this will be Elias’ first World Championship.
Of course, Elias will have to fight all the way to put the crown out of reach of Simon, because there will be plenty of other riders aiming for victory at Sepang. Reigning 125 World Champion Simon currently sits second overall thanks to some superb consistency – six podiums including four runner-up finishes at the last four races – having adapted brilliantly from a little 125cc two-stroke to a considerably larger 600cc four-stroke.
If Simon has impressed with his constancy, Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up) has dazzled with his outright speed. Runaway winner at Mugello, Assen and Aragon, the Italian has proved he is untouchable when everything goes his way. Sepang may well suit his riding style which features awesomely fast corner speeds.
Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2, Moriwaki) is another former 125 World Champion who has adapted superbly to his CBR600-powered Moto2 machine. And like Simon, the 2005 125 world champ has been a consistent top-three finisher – with six podiums so far – but has yet to stand on the top step of a Moto2 podium. The Swiss rider’s time will surely come.
Sepang – situated 40km outside the capital Kuala Lumpur and right next to KL international airport – is arguably the most demanding race of the year for riders, bikes and tyres. High temperatures and sweltering humidity are the norm at this tropical venue, which is MotoGP’s second longest track (after Silverstone) and one of its fastest venues, with a challenging variety of medium-speed and high-speed corners. Sepang hosted its first GP in 1999, taking over from Malaysia’s original GP venue Shah Alam, which joined the calendar in 1991. Honda has won eight premier-class Malaysia GPs, at both tracks and with both two-stroke and four-stroke machinery.
HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “I am still very stiff in my neck and across the back of my shoulders, so the target is to get back to racing in Australia. There is a very small possibility of going to Malaysia, but the realistic target is Australia. I had another check-up today [Wednesday] and it shows clearly that the plate on my collarbone is very well fixed and the progress has been good after the operation. My condition has improved over the last two days and I’m doing passive rehabilitation with my physiotherapist at the moment. I am still not able to move the arm by myself but with massage it’s getting better. It’s a real pity that this happened when we had such a lot of momentum with our results, but we simply have to deal with it.”
Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says: “I really look forward to the Malaysian GP. We arrive strong thanks to an important podium finish at Motegi last Sunday and especially a very good race weekend where we were fast and consistent in all the sessions. We have improved the electronics and the set-up, and we arrive at Sepang stronger than Motegi. Last race weekend was the result of a hard and good job, it was not by chance; in Malaysia we can do even better. I really like the Malaysian racetrack, it’s one of my favourites and I have had good results here, including my first MotoGP podium in 2008.I like Sepang because it’s a complete circuit with a good combination of fast and slow sections, and also the circuit is wide so you can use different lines.”
LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says: “The tropical weather always makes Malaysia a tough weekend for everyone, not only the riders, but also for the whole team, so we will have to work hard to stay focused on the job, especially in this busy period of three races on consecutive Sundays. My leg injury still isn’t perfect – the reason I ran off the track during the Motegi race was that I couldn’t downshift properly – but we still proved that I can get good results despite that. I am looking forward to racing at Sepang – it’s a really great track which I like a lot. In 2007 I finished fourth there, so we will be doing our best to have another good result.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli says: “I was happy with my performance at Motegi and I might have been able to manage fifth place but Edwards was faster than me at the end of the race. Anyway, I was still pleased because we showed that we have improved again and I hope to continue in the same way from here. Now we go to a track that I have never particularly liked but where I have managed to have some good races. I will go into it with full confidence in my ability and the hope that things can be very different and much more positive than our time here in the winter tests.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri says: “Motegi went from bad to worse when I tried to follow Spies and made a mistake that cost me places even though I had a comfortable advantage over the guys behind. The problems we have are the same as the ones we’ve been struggling with since the start of the season with the electronics. I am hoping for something from Honda that can sort it out over the final four races. We are in slightly better shape traveling to Malaysia than we were for the preseason tests here because we have improved the suspension set-up but as I said before our big problem right now is with the electronics.”
Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “Malaysia is my favourite track and I’ve had a lot of success there. Last year I rode from pole position to victory and I hope that this year I can do better than my tenth place at Motegi. I am looking forward to Sepang as now that I know my bike better I want to improve my results.”
Moto2 RIDER QUOTES
Gresini Racing Moto2 rider Toni Elias says: “I was really happy to win at Motegi because it was another small but important step towards the title although nothing is for certain just yet. Now I feel even calmer and I go to Sepang, a circuit I love, with the intention of having fun and working hard from the first session towards another win. We have to make sure we are close to Simon to make mathematically certain of the title but we can’t afford to become obsessed by that. At Motegi there was always the high risk of a crash but we won and there is no reason to change our strategy this weekend in Malaysia. Hopefully we can work well because I love the track and to win the title there would be a dream come true for me and the team. ”
Mapfre Aspar Team rider Julian Simon says: “We are going to try something new in Malaysia that we hope will give us more rear traction, one of the biggest handicaps for our bike. We are being very consistent in this last part of the championship and I think we can be fighting for the podium or even the win once again this weekend. I feel strong both physically and mentally and I think all of the remaining races can be good for us. They will be tough because they are very close together but the objective is to keep going as we are and finish second in the championship. So far we are on the right line. Like Motegi, Sepang is a circuit I love, I won there last year and I know I can do it again. I won’t drop my guard and I’ll fight to make sure it happens.”
Fimmco Speed Up rider Andrea Iannone says: “The title is now gone after our tough weekend at Motegi, but I will be doing everything in my power to win another race at Sepang. It’s a great track – very interesting – so I hope we can make a good job of set-up, get a good grid position and then have a strong race.”
Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2 rider Thomas Luthi says: “The racetrack in Malaysia is completely different to Motegi and I like it. We will have to concentrate on qualifying because this is my weak point. I need a better starting position, then I can be back in the front group and that is my target for Sepang.”
— Suzuki Preview
Rizla Suzuki has travelled to Sepang in Malaysia for the second leg of the Pacific Ocean triple tour with both riders in a confident mood.
Álvaro Bautista heads to Sepang following a strong performance last weekend in Japan. His seventh position there came after three successive eighth place finishes in the previous races and he is determined to keep that improvement going, on a track that he knows well and likes a lot. Sepang is one of the only circuits on the MotoGP calendar that Bautista will visit for a race weekend with previous knowledge of riding at on a MotoGP bike – following tests there earlier in the year – he hopes that information, allied with the improving Suzuki GSV-R, will serve him well at a circuit where he has tasted victory in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.
Loris Capirossi is in a determined mood after last week’s events, as he returns to a circuit that he has also won at. Capirossi looked like making an attack for a top five position at Motegi, but an electrical problem robbed him of that opportunity. He is looking forward to the race at a circuit he classes as one of his favourites of the season. Capirossi is the only rider in the field to have raced at every Malaysian Grand Prix and also the only rider to win the event in each class, taking victory in the 125cc category in 1991, winning the 250cc race in 1999 and topping the podium in MotoGP in 2005.
The Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix is celebrating its 20th year this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit – a venue that has staged the event since 1999. The first Malaysian GP was at Shah Alam in 1991, before it moved to the Johor circuit in 1998. The current home is one of the most modern on the MotoGP calendar, the 5,548m circuit has 15 corners which are interlinked by two long straights and overlooked by some of the most amazing spectator grandstands to be found anywhere in a sporting arena.
Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday – for the first of two free practice sessions – the second being held on the following morning. Qualifying for the 20-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway at 16.00hrs local time (08.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 10th October.
Álvaro Bautista: “I am really looking forward to this weekend because this is one of my favourite tracks and one of the only ones that I will ride at this year with some reference points for a MotoGP bike. That will help me from the start and make sure that I can work on setting the bike up immediately. I like this track a lot and I have good memories about the place, I still hold the 125cc lap record, so I know how to go around here quickly – I now need to do that on a MotoGP bike. I am sure we can get a good result here in Sepang and be up in that top six where we should be.”
Loris Capirossi: “We showed last week that we have the pace to run closer to the front and it was a very good weekend for us – except for the very end. I am sure we can repeat, or even better that performance here this weekend. I love the Sepang circuit and really enjoy racing there, so hopefully we can get on with everything right from the start and be able to show what we can do.”
— Bridgestone Preview
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Hard, Extra Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard
The week after the Japanese Grand Prix, MotoGP remains in the Pacific for the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, held on Sunday 10 October. The race also marks the 150th premier class grand prix that Bridgestone have supported since entering the sport with Kanemoto and Proton Team KR in 2002. Sepang has a long lap of 5.548km, second on the MotoGP calendar only to 2010 debutant Silverstone, but unlike the British venue features generally the highest track and ambient temperature of the season which brings its own challenges for riders and tyres alike. As the track temperature often reaches 50 degrees Celsius or higher, rider focus and concentration, the machines and Bridgestone’s rubber are all tested to the limit. The humidity is very high and torrential rain is also a feature in Malaysia that has come into play many times in the past, delaying the race start in 2009 and cancelling MotoGP qualifying in 2006.
The circuit is characterised by two long straights preceded by slow corners which demands good braking performance and stability on corner entry, followed by good edge grip on corner exit to maximise straight-line speed. Despite the fact that the circuit features five left- and ten right-handed corners, asymmetric rear tyres are not required as the tyre temperature of both the right and left shoulders is relatively equally balanced. Both tyres need a strong centre section because of the high speed and track temperature.
The 2009 title was sealed by Valentino Rossi in Malaysia, and this year Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo has the opportunity to seal his first premier class crown at the Asian venue. With a 69 point lead over title rival Dani Pedrosa, Lorenzo needs to score just seven points or a top nine finish at Sepang if Pedrosa does not start. This would leave Lorenzo with a lead of 76 points with three races remaining, securing him the World Championship.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“The Malaysian Grand Prix has long been a successful event for us, from our first victory in 2005 with Loris and Ducati to Casey’s victories in 2007 and in the rain last year, when Valentino lifted his seventh premier class title and his second on Bridgestone tyres. It is fitting that we celebrate our 150th grand prix here, and I am excited that we have come so far in just nine seasons. For two years in 2007 and 2008 the championship was decided in Japan, and now it seems that Sepang is the favourite as Jorge has the opportunity to do so again this year! But as the battle for third overall still rages, I am sure we will continue to see some very exciting battles for the rest of 2010.”
Tohru Ubukata – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“Sepang features a mix of high speed corners, long straights and tight hairpins so it is a tough challenge for our tyres. Our front slicks are subject to the greatest forces at Sepang and need to have a strong centre section and offer good braking stability as riders brake from over 300 km/h to around just 80km/h into the hairpins.
“Good grip from the edge of the front and rear tyres is also important because of the lateral loads generated through the long and fast corners, and the hard acceleration from the hairpins demands good traction from the edge of the rear tyres. “Tyre durability is crucial here as the high ambient and track temperatures mean that there is little cooling effect during the lap, but we visit Sepang for winter testing and have a good track record here in the past, so everyone has a great deal of tyre data to help refine their setups.”
