The Fiat Yamaha Team trucks complete
another gruelling journey across land and sea this week as
the MotoGP World Championship trail heads from Spain to
England for the first of three consecutive races in Northern
Europe. The Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire hosts
the eighth round of the campaign, with round nine set to
take place just six days later at Assen in Holland before
moving on to Germany's Sachsenring circuit for round ten a
fortnight after that.
It promises to be a crucial few weeks for
Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, who will both be on the
hunt for victories at some of their most successful
circuits. Rossi is a seven-time Grand Prix winner at
Donington Park, whilst Edwards scored his first MotoGP
podium there in 2004 and took World Superbike victories in
1999 and 2000. The pair also have impressive records at
Assen, where Rossi had not stepped off the rostrum in five
seasons until his injury last year and Edwards has both WSB
wins and MotoGP podiums to his name, whilst the Italian is a
five-time winner at Sachsenring.
Rossi's immediate goal is to close down
the gap to current series leader Casey Stoner, which
currently stands at fourteen points. However, there is an
interesting bonus up for grabs for ‘The Doctor', who could
usurp another Australian in the shape of Mick Doohan as the
all-time top points-scorer in the premier-class. A top seven
finish would secure that accolade for Rossi, who broke
Doohan's record for the most career podiums with number 96
at the last round in Catalunya.
A dramatic viewing experience, Donington
Park sits inside an amphitheatre style setting, with the
spectators banked on the grass verges that surround the
track. The prevalent off-camber nature of the circuit is one
of the main factors at play during the British Grand Prix,
with a large tendency for the front tyre to push, making the
right, left, right flick down the Craner Curve section
something of a high tension and the key to making up time.
The stop-and-go nature of the final section, which features
three hard braking zones, means the bike also has to be good
under braking and makes set-up a quest for compromise
between agility and stability.
Valentino Rossi heads north to Donington
Park after a brief stay in his hometown of London. The
28-year-old has lived in the English capital since 2000 and
has built up an army of local fans, who have cheered him to
victory on seven occasions at the East Midlands circuit.
After conceding defeat to Dani Pedrosa when riding through
injury to second place last year, Rossi is doubly keen to
lead the celebrations again this time around.
"Donington is always like my second home race because I live
quite close, in London," says Rossi.
