Monthly Archives: May 2012

APEROL GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA

Monday 28 May 2012
Aperol Grand Prix of Catalunya
ROUND FIVE 2012 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY JUNE 3
REDDING CHASES REPEAT PODIUM FINISHES

Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding believes his third place Moto2™ finish in the previous round has set him up for more podium finishes starting this Sunday at the Aperol Grand Prix of Catalunya in Barcelona.

The Marc VDS rider’s first podium finish of the season in the rain at Le Mans consolidated his fifth place in the very competitive Moto2 World Championship and sets him up for the 23 lap race round the 2.937 Circuit De Catalunya on Sunday.

Oxfordshire-based Bradley Smith is eighth in the Championship despite problems setting-up his Tech 3 machine to match the Suter and Kalex framed bikes. Hopefully some much needed testing may help his situation and he returns to the track where he finished second in the 125 cc race two years ago.

Londoner Gino Rea is a rider who has switched to a Suter frame on his Federal Oil Gresini machine. He was desperately unlucky at Le Mans where, after making a lightening start, he crashed after a collision with Frenchman Johann Zarco.

Isle of Man based Midlander Cal Crutchlow was another faller in the MotoGP™ race at Le Mans but he remounted to finish eighth to hang onto fourth place in the Championship. It’s been a superb start for the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha rider in just his second MotoGP season. The former World Supersport Champion is getting closer and closer to his first podium finish. Last year he finished seventh on his Barcelona debut.

Cumbrian James Ellison gave himself and his Paul Bird Motorsport team an enormous boost after finishing 11th at Le Mans. He was the leading CRT machine and looks forward to the 25 lap race on Sunday after a difficult start to the season.

The Moto3™ race at Le Mans was a disaster for British riders Danny Kent and Danny Webb who both crashed out in the rain. Wiltshire teenager Kent slipped to 12th in the Championship while Kent-based Webb has not opened his account. It’s tough for his Indian Mahindra team taking on the established factory teams but they did score their first points of the season at Le Mans, Webb’s team-mate Marcel Schrotter was 12th.

Seventeen year old Scotsman John McPhee makes a wild card entry in the Moto3™ race riding the KRP machine for the Racing Steps Foundation. He’s already secured two podium finishes in the Spanish-based CEV Buckler Moto3 Championship this season.

Scott Redding:
“I was really happy in Le Mans because it felt like a long time since I was on the podium and it was great result for me and the Marc VDS Team. We have been threatening to get a result like this all season and it felt great because last year was a bit of a disaster and we made a big gamble to change the chassis to Kalex. Right from the start of testing it made a big difference to my confidence. Apart from the result, the positive is that I felt confident in the rain. I had a great feeling with the bike and to be on the podium in the rain is a special feeling. Now we can move forward starting in Barcelona with a lot of confidence that I’m competitive in both wet and dry.”

THE LORENZO/STONER DUEL CONTINUES IN BARCELONA

The fight between World Champions Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner continues at the fifth round of the MotoGP™ World Championship at the Aperol Grand Prix of Catalunya in Barcelona on Sunday. Both riders have won two of the opening four rounds of the 18 round title chase with Spaniard Lorenzo leading the Championship by eight points after finishing second in the races he did not win while Stoner was third in both his non victory grands prix.

It promises to be another close 25 lap encounter round the 2.937 miles Circuit de Catalunya between two riders who have tasted Barcelona success. Lorenzo from Mallorca treats Barcelona as his home race and brought Yamaha success two years ago while Stoner has won on both Ducati and Honda machinery.

There is every chance it will not be a two horse race with Stoner’s Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa a previous winner at his home track. If it rains as it did in Le Mans a couple of weeks ago, nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi could be in with a shout after finishing second on the Ducati in France. He has won six premier class grands prix in Barcelona and arrives after two days of much needed testing for Ducati at Mugello.

The Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha duo of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso have made a great start to the season. Both have nibbled at the podium and are separated by just one point in their battle for fourth. Last year Crutchlow was seventh on his Catalunyan debut while Dovizioso won the 250 cc race six years ago.

The Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl has made an equally impressive start to his MotoGP career and is seventh riding the LCR Honda. He won the Moto2 race last year and is joined on the grid by Barcelona winners Randy De Puniet, Hector Barbara, Alvaro Bautista and Matteo Pasini.

Local rider Aleix Espargaro leads the CRT challenge riding the Power Electronics Aspar machine. Last year he took his first ever grand prix podium finish after finishing third in the Moto2 race. He can expect a big challenge on Sunday from his team-mate De Puniet, Pasini and hopefully Colin Edwards who is expected to return after breaking his left collarbone in Estoril.

It’s a big weekend for Yamaha factory rider Ben Spies who’s had a tough start to the season. Last year he finished on the podium in third place and a repeat on Sunday would be a massive boost to his confidence as he fights back from 11th place.

Pol Espargaro, younger brother of Aleix, arrives home with a one point lead in the Moto2 World Championship after the fun and games in the Le Mans rain. There is a tremendous battle already developing for the Championship with Espargaro leading Marc Marquez, who crashed in France, by a single point. Le Mans winner Tom Luthi is just a further two points adrift while just two points separate Andrea Iannone and Scott Redding in their fight for fourth. As usual in Moto2 there are five previous Barcelona winners on the starting grid.

There were 20 crashes in the rain hit Moto3™ race at Le Mans. One of them was German Sandro Cortese who remounted to finish sixth and open up a 12 point lead in the Championship over Maverick Vinales who crashed out as did Luis Salom and Romano Fenati who are third and fourth respectively in the title chase. Frenchman Louis Rossi won the race to move up to seventh place.

The Moto3 riders in particular will be looking for some sunshine over the weekend at the circuit situated in the northern outskirts of the magnificent Mediterranean City.

CATALUNYA FACTS AND FIGURES
Circuit Length: 4.727 km
Width: 12m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 1047m
Left Corners: Five
Right Corners: Eight
Pole Position Record:
Casey Stoner Ducati 1m 41.186 (08)
Lap Record:
Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m 42.358 (08)

TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT

Saturday 2 June
1200 – 1500 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 –
Live Qualifying Moto3, MotoGP, Moto2,

Sunday 3 June
09450 – 1225 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2
Live Moto3 and Moto2 race
1230 – 1400 BBC 2/BBC HD
Live MotoGP race
14.00 British Eurosport
MotoGP Action
CONTACTS
Nick will be available at the circuit from Thursday lunchtime until Sunday night. Please note Nick will not be available to answer the phone during qualifying or the races.
A time schedule for the event is attached.

Redding is hoping more podiums will follow

Gino Rea looking forward to building on Le Mans form

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MONSTER ENERGY FRENCH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

ROUND FOUR 2012 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY MAY 20
CRUTCHLOW CONTINUES PODIUM QUEST – SMITH CELEBRATES 100TH GRAND PRIX
Team-mates Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith arrive at the fourth round the MotoGP™ World Championship on Sunday the Monster Energy Grand Prix of France with very different experiences at the legendary Le Mans Bugatti circuit.
Isle of Man–based Midlander, Crutchlow makes just his second MotoGP appearance at the 2.60 miles circuit after a superb start to his second season in the Championship. Twenty one year old Oxfordshire rider Smith celebrates his 100th grand prix appearance in the Moto2 race at the track where he secured his first ever grand prix podium five years ago.
Riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, Crutchlow has pushed the factory bikes in the opening three rounds of the Championship after starting from the front row of the grid on two occasions. He is fourth in the Championship behind World Champions Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa and is two points in front of his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso. Two fourth places and a fifth represents an amazing start to the season.
Cumbrian James Ellison has found it much tougher on his return to MotoGP riding the Paul Bird Motorsport ART machine. The team issued a statement last week scotching rumours that he may be replaced and there will be no better way in paying back their support than by scoring his first points of the season on Sunday.
It’s also been a tough start for the three British riders in the ultra-competitive Moto2™ World Championship. Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding is fifth in the Championship riding the Marc VDS Kalex machine. He’s started from the front row and led races but needs that podium finish to really kick start his season. Smith struggled to stay with the leaders on the Tech 3 machine but his consistency puts him just ten points behind Redding in ninth place. He is hoping for some new parts for his bike to push him nearer the leading group.
Gino Rea’s Federal Oil Gresini team makes a frame change at Le Mans. They switch from the Moriwaki frame that brought them the World title with Toni Elias two years ago to Suter that has tasted success this season with Marc Marquez.
Wiltshire teenager Danny Kent bounced back to a hard earned eighth place in the Estoril Moto3™ race following his crash the previous week in Jerez. Kent-based Danny Webb’s tale of woe continued in Estoril where he was forced out of the race with mechanical problems. He needs a change of fortune to score his and Mahindra’s first points of the season on Sunday.
Cal Crutchlow:
“I was pretty happy with fifth place in Estoril but I would like to have been a bit closer to the top three like I was in Jerez. It was a good race with Andrea and we have carried on the momentum from the first two races and now we can look forward to Le Mans. That’s a massive weekend for Monster and Tech 3 Yamaha, so I’ll be determined to be back fighting for the podium again.”
MAKING A POINT AT LE MANS
Just a single point separates World Champions Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo as they prepare for battle at the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship, the Monster Energy Grand Prix of France at the legendary Le Mans circuit on Sunday.
Australian Stoner, riding the Repsol Honda, leads the way after winning the last two grands prix . The current World Champion won at the 2.60 miles Bugatti circuit that forms part of the 24 hour car racing circuit last year. Lorenzo riding the factory Yamaha won the previous two years and so the battle between the two top motorcycle riders in the World looks set to continue in the 28 lap race on Sunday.
Their respective team-mates could play a major part. Dani Pedrosa who is third in the Championship, 14 points behind team-mate Stoner, has both 125 and 250 cc victories. Ben Spies has endured a tough start to the year and will be looking to get back on track at Le Mans where he finished sixth last year.
The main threat to those Championship contenders could come from the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha duo of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso racing at their team’s home race. Crutchlow has made a sensational start to his second MotoGP season and lies fourth in the Championship while Dovizioso is just two points behind him and finished second at Le Mans last year.
Former 125 cc World Champion Alvaro Bautista has made a solid start to his career at San Carlo Gresini Honda. He’s sixth in the Championship just two points in front of the impressive MotoGP debutant, current Moto2 World Champion, Stefan Bradl on the LCR Honda.
There was a glimmer of light for the beleaguered Ducati factory team in Portugal with nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi finishing seventh. The three times Le Mans winner is ninth in the Championship one point behind his team-mate the 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden. Ducati’s woes returned after the Estoril race when the vital MotoGP test on Monday was cancelled because of heavy rain.
The battle for CRT honours continues between the Power Electronics Aspar duo of Spaniard Aleix Espargaro and Frenchman Randy De Puniet. It’s a massive home race for De Puniet who is three points behind his team-mate.
Australian Chris Vermeulen makes a welcome return to MotoGP to replace the injured Colin Edwards on the NGM Mobile Forward Racing BMW. The American broke his left collarbone in a qualifying crash in Estoril and Vermeulen makes his return after injury problems to the track where he secured his only grand prix victory in 2007.
Both the Moto2 and Moto3 races provided fantastic finishes in Estoril and the fourth rounds on Sunday should carry on the tradition. The last lap duel in the Moto2 battle between the two Spanish rivals Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro was breath taking and they are separated by nine points in their Championship fight. Marquez has won two races this year and Espargaro the other. Both have won at Le Mans with Marquez securing his first Moto2 win last year. However, this will not be a two horse race and former Le Mans winners Toni Elias, Tom Luthi, Yuki Takahashi, Julian Simon and Mike Di Meglio are bound to have a say in the proceedings.
It was equally as fierce in the Moto3 battle between Sandro Cortese and Maverick Vinales in Portugal. German rider Cortese came out on top to take the lead in the Championship by two points. But once again it will not just be between these two with Luis Salom and Italian teenager Romano Fenati to name but a few who will make the sparks fly.

LE MANS FACTS AND FIGURES
The first French Grand Prix was staged in 1951 at the Albi circuit. Seven more circuits have hosted the grand prix with the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans staging the event for the 13th successive year on Sunday. The Bugatti circuit includes the start and finishing line for the legendary Le Mans 24 hour car race.
Circuit Length: 4.185 kms
Width: 13 m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 674m
Left Corners: Four
Right Corners: Nine

Pole Position Record:
Dani Pedrosa/Honda
1.32.647 (2008)

Lap Record:
Dani Pedrosa/Honda
1’33.617 (2011)

TELEVISION TIMES BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT2
Saturday 19 May
1250 – 1605 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 – Live Qualifying Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP

Sunday 20 May
0950 – 1205 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 – Live Moto3 and Moto2 race
1230 – 1400 BBC 2/BBC HD Live MotoGP race
15.15 British Eurosport MotoGP Action

CONTACTS
Nick will be available at the circuit from Thursday lunchtime until Sunday night. Please note Nick will not be available to answer the phone during qualifying or the races.
A time schedule for the event is attached.
Media Office phone number (in the Media Centre): +33 2 43 40 38 71
Cal Crutchlow looking for a podium at his team’s home race

Scott Redding on board the Marc VDS Kalex

By |2020-04-29T09:39:56+00:00May 14th, 2012|Uncategorised|Comments Off on MONSTER ENERGY FRENCH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Tuesday 1 May 2012
ROUND THREE 2012 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY MAY 6

Just seven days after his stunning ride in Jerez Cal Crutchlow once again takes on the best in the World at the Grand Prix of Portugal at the Estoril circuit on Sunday.

The Isle of Man based Midlander has finished fourth in the opening two rounds of the 18 round MotoGP™ World Championship and last Sunday at the bwin Spanish Grand Prix was under two and a half seconds behind race winner, World Champion Casey Stoner. He also set the fastest lap of the race in just his second Jerez appearance.

To put his performances in perspective Crutchlow is the first British rider to secure a fastest lap in a premier class grand prix race since the late Barry Sheene in the 1984 South African Grand Prix. He is also the first British rider since Ron Haslam in 1984 to secure three consecutive fourth places.

The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider makes just his second appearance at the short 2.599 miles Estoril circuit where he finished eighth on his debut last year. He is pushing hard for the first British MotoGP podium finish for 12 long years in the 27 lap race that has often been affected by the weather because of the track’s location close to the Atlantic coastline.

It has been a tough start to the year for Cumbrian James Ellison and he was very unlucky not to score his first points of the season at Jerez. He was sidelined with an oil pressure problem a couple of laps from the finish when in a points scoring position. However after fitting the new compound Bridgestone tyre for the race the chattering problem on his PBM Art machine was considerably lessoned and he arrives in Portugal with confidence the problem has been solved.

Another rider looking forward to Estoril is Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding. The Marc VDS rider is fourth in the Moto2™ Championship after a hard fought fourth in Jerez. He led but slowed when the rain started to fall causing the race to be halted prematurely. He is just four points behind third placed Tom Luthi and fancies at least a podium finish on Sunday.

Bradley Smith’s start to the season has not been easy but he still lies ninth in the Championship. Following a qualifying crash from the Tech 3 machine he started from the sixth row of the grid in Jerez and fought through to 11th when the race was stopped. The Oxfordshire – based rider has finished twice on the 125 cc Estoril podium.

Gino Rea will be looking to build on his first point scoring ride in Jerez. In just his second grand prix he was 15th riding the Federal Oil Moriwaki Gresini machine.

A battered and bruised Danny Kent arrives in Estoril. The Wiltshire teenager slid into a fallen bike when he crashed on the first lap at Jerez but he will be fit to ride. Danny Webb looked set for a top ten finish in Spain but was sidelined with a mechanical problem when he was racing through the field on the Indian Mahindra machine.

Cal Crutchlow:
“I was fourth in Qatar but at Jerez I could actually see the winner and there is no reason why I can’t be up there battling for the podium from now on. There will still be some races where I won’t be that close to the podium but now I know we can be there. I gave it everything I had to pass Dani Pedrosa but there was nothing I could do. He was phenomenal round Jerez, so I’m happy to have challenged him so closely. But he was the better rider on Sunday and it was really hard to stay with him. I set the fastest lap of the race though, so that proves the progress I’ve made since last season.”

THE BATTLE CONTINUES IN ESTORIL

Just nine points separate the three leading riders as they race into the third round of the MotoGP™ World Championship, the Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril on Sunday. The opening two rounds of the 18 round Championship has provided two breath taking encounters between Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa and the 28 lap battle round the 2.599 miles Estoril circuit should be more of the same.

Lorenzo riding the Yamaha leads the way after winning in Qatar and finishing second behind World Champion Casey Stoner’s Repsol Honda in Jerez last Sunday. Pedrosa won the Estoril race last year and is just a further five points adrift after second and third places. It’s a fight that could go all the way to the wire at Valencia in November. Lorenzo has won three times at Estoril and finished second last year behind Pedrosa. Stoner has not won a MotoGP race but was victorious in the 2005 250 cc race.

Waiting in the wings and ready to pounce to claim his first ever MotoGP podium is the impressive Cal Crutchlow who has finished fourth in the opening two rounds riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso has been fifth on both occasions while just three points behind him is Spaniard Alvaro Bautista who’s made a solid start to his career at San Carlo Gresini Honda.

Stefan Bradl has won the Moto2 race in Estoril for the last two years and has made an impressive MotoGP debut on the LCR Honda. The German is eighth in the Championship one point behind former World Champion Nicky Hayden riding the Ducati.

Two riders looking for a change of fortune at the Estoril circuit, which is situated five miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean near the capital City of Lisbon, are factory riders Valentino Rossi and Ben Spies. Nine times World Champion Rossi who is struggling on the much changed Ducati has won five times in Estoril. Spies riding the factory Yamaha is down in 11th place after two 11th place finishes.

The two favourites for CRT honours Colin Edwards and Randy De Puniet both failed to score in Jerez and it’s Spaniard Aleix Espargaro who leads the way riding the Power Electronics Aspar ART after finishing 12th in Spain.

His younger brother Pol won the shortened Moto2™ race in Jerez after a typically fierce battle with Championship leader Marc Marquez. That is certain to continue on Sunday with Qatar winner Marquez leading the Championship by just four points. Throw into the mix former Estoril winners Toni Elias, Simone Corsi, Nico Terol, Hector Faubel, Mika Kallio plus the likes of Tom Luthi, Scott Redding and Andrea Iannone and the sparks are certain to fly.

All the talk in Jerez was about 16 year old Italian Romano Fenati who won the Moto3™ race in just his second grand prix appearance. It was a staggering performance by the Italian teenager on the slippery track to win by 36 seconds while others fell by the wayside. He leads the Championship by ten points after finishing second in Qatar. His rivals headed by Spanish teenager Maverick Vinales know that Fenati backed by the Italian Federation is a serious contender for the first Moto3 World title. Vinales and the likes of Sandro Cortese, Luis Salom and local rider Miguel Oliveira will be out to give him a hard time on Sunday.

By |2020-04-29T09:39:56+00:00May 2nd, 2012|Uncategorised|Comments Off on
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