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With a win and a podium
each so far this season, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino
Rossi will take to the track at Le Mans today with high
hopes of continuing their victorious start to the MotoGP
season. The Fiat Yamaha pair lie first and second in the
championship after two races, with Lorenzo four points
ahead of Rossi following his magnificent home victory
last time out.
The Spaniard turned 23 two days after Jerez and the
memory of his first home MotoGP win was still fresh in
his mind as he celebrated his birthday at home in
Barcelona, following a successful one-day test. He
cannot help but feel confident for another good weekend
in Le Mans, where last year he kept his head to win by
17 seconds as the weather wreaked havoc on all around
him, and the season before he finished second despite
riding with two broken ankles. The Mallorcan has one
other win at Le Mans, in 2007 on the way to his second
250cc title.
The French Grand Prix in 2009 on the other hand is one
that nine-time World Champion Rossi would rather forget,
plagued as he was by a catalogue of mishaps and visits
to pit lane before limping home in 16th position. His
previous record at the famous French track is exemplary
however, with two wins for Yamaha in 2008 and 2005, as
well as one other win and six podiums in all classes.
Another two weeks off has given him time to fully
recover from the shoulder injury that hampered him in
Jerez and he will be back on top form and shooting for
the top this time out.
Le Mans is most famous as home to the iconic 24-Hour
race but the MotoGP also draws a huge crowd every year.
The first part of the track is the most difficult in
what is not a particularly technical circuit, with the
high-speed, uphill turn one giving way to several tight
chicanes. The remainder of the track is made up of short
straights and hairpins calling for a set up that yields
both balance and control under hard and repeated braking
and a quick transfer from full braking to full
acceleration on the exit of the corners.
Jorge Lorenzo - "An amazing and crazy race!"
"Despite our victory in Jerez and taking the lead in the
world standings I continue to think that I am not the
favourite because the season is very long and it has
only just started! I am very proud however because Jerez
was my first victory at home in MotoGP. Last year I won
in Le Mans in an amazing and crazy race. It was a very
complicated because of the rain and drying track, but I
think that everybody in our team did an unbelievable
job, above all on Sunday. I know that I used everything
I had, from the very first laps right to the end. I hope
the fans aren't waiting for a repeat this weekend! Of
course the weather is always a risk in Le Mans, but I
hope for sun. I've been on the podium twice there, last
season and when I won my second 250cc title, so I am
looking forward to trying again. I've had almost three
weeks since Jerez and I know that I am ready for this
second European race."
Valentino Rossi - "Back to full strength"
"My shoulder is more or less recovered now so I hope I
will be back to full strength in Le Mans. Despite the
disaster of last year's race, Le Mans is a good track
for me and the Yamaha always goes well there. The
biggest problem is the weather, but after last year I
think we deserve a sunny French GP! We've made a good
start to the season, with the win in Qatar and then
another podium, but we have also struggled with the bike
in some areas and so we need to try to improve our
performance. We had a good test after Jerez so I hope
that we will be able to use that information to start
strongly here."
Wilco Zeelenberg - "Looking to carry on our good
start"
"After Jorge's brilliant win in Jerez everyone has had
another long rest and now we're excited to get back to
work and carry on our good start to the season. There is
a very long way to go and we won't get too excited, but
just try to continue in the same way. Le Mans has been a
good track for Yamaha in the past and last year Jorge
had a great win there in very difficult circumstances.
Hopefully the race will be a little more simple this
year, without the rain!"
Davide Brivio - "Something to forget"
"We have something to forget in Le Mans after last year,
when it rained, we had some difficulties and took no
points! In general however Le Mans is always a very good
track for Yamaha and we have had some good results there
in the past. We hope for good weather this time. We have
started the championship very strongly and our aim now
is to continue this trend and remaining close or at the
top by taking as many points as possible. We really hope
to do well here in order to put us on a good footing for
the busy period of June and July, when the championship
will really start to take shape."
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