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MotoGP finally resumes action this weekend, after
the recent Icelandic Volcano forced the postponement
of the Japanese GP. It has been a frustrating time
for the paddock as the ash cloud has billowed over
Europe and it will be an excited Fiat Yamaha Team
that lands in Spain this week, with Valentino Rossi
and Jorge Lorenzo itching to get back to action
after their brilliant one-two in the opening round.
Rossi has an impressive record at
Jerez, with seven wins in all classes there including
three for Yamaha in 2005, 2006 and last year, when he
overhauled Dani Pedrosa to take his first win of the
season. Despite being on a high from his brilliant win
in Qatar, Rossi was perhaps more grateful than most for
the volcano's eruptions as he slightly damaged his
shoulder muscles in a motocross training accident ten
days ago. The cancelled race has given him unexpected
extra time to recover and he hopes to be in good enough
shape to put up a fight in Jerez.
Lorenzo is now hopefully back to full
fitness after breaking his hand in the pre-season and
the 22-year-old has a score to settle with the first
Spanish track of the year, after he crashed out when
challenging for the podium last year. It was at this
track where he made history as the youngest ever rider
to compete in a Grand Prix and he has won there twice
since, on the way to his two 250cc titles in 2006 and
2007.
The Andalucian city of Jerez is a
shrine for Spanish motorcycle racing and draws one of
the biggest crowds of the year. More than 120,000 fans
make the pilgrimage south and pack into the natural
amphitheatre to create a three-day carnival. The track
itself has few hard braking points and little
opportunity to fully open the throttle, but often throws
up some spectacular racing. The 4.423 km layout features
regular and quick changes in direction, meaning the
rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip
at maximum lean angles.
Valentino Rossi
"Of course it was a
pity not to go to Japan, Yamaha's home race, but we will
go in October now and for me it was quite lucky to have
this extra week. I didn't hurt myself badly in the
motocross fall but my shoulder was quite sore so it was
good to give it more time to recover. I don't know yet
how much it will affect me this weekend, I hope not too
much. The win in Qatar was fantastic but we saw there
that we are lacking in some areas compared to our rivals
so we have work to do. I love to race at Jerez, the
atmosphere is amazing and I have fantastic fans in
Spain. Last year I had a great win and I hope we can
challenge again this time."
Jorge Lorenzo
"I was sad not to go
to Japan because I love the country and the race and
last season I won, so I was looking forward to going
back. Anyway, we can't change it and at least we will
still go, in October. Now we go to Jerez, an amazing
track where you can actually hear the crowd as you race!
At Nieto and Peluquil corners especially you can feel
the people, it's like nowhere else in the World
Championship. Last year I crashed when I was trying to
pass Stoner and get the podium but until then the
weekend had been good, I was fast and took pole
position. This year I'm confident that I can finish the
race and get as close as possible to the front."
Davide Brivio - Team
Manager, Rossi
"We are going straight
to Jerez after a longer rest than we expected.
Unfortunately Valentino won't be in the best shape due
to his recent injury sustained while training with a
motocross bike. We will have to see to what extent it
affects him but we hope he will be okay. Jerez has
always been a good track for Yamaha and Valentino likes
it very much. It will be an interesting race because
several riders will be competitive there and we hope to
see another close race like Qatar. It will be nice to be
back in Europe and to meet all the European fans again
after such a long time."
Wilco Zeelenburg -
Team Manager, Lorenzo
"It was a shame not to
race in Japan but it seems like the best decision was
made; it would have been bad if only half the teams
could get there! Jorge was looking forward to racing
there but he will get another chance and the good thing
is that it's given him more time to regain full strength
in his hand. He showed in Qatar how determined he is,
when we weren't expecting him to be that strong so soon,
and we're looking forward to seeing what he can do in
Jerez at his first home race."
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