Qatar (Losail)

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Zitat

2013 FIM Roadracing World Championship Grand Prix Round 1, Qatar Grand Prix, Losail
4/5/6/7 April 2013
Preview: MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

HONDA TEAMS ALL SET FOR 65th GRAND PRIX SEASON

The 65th season of motorcycle Grand Prix racing roars into action when the floodlights go up and the starting lights go out at Losail on April 7.
The Qatar Grand Prix is MotoGP’s only night-time event and its desert setting makes it a doubly unique way to start the new season.

Qatar follows a busy two months of preseason testing that has seen the top teams evaluating their new machines across three different
continents: in Malaysia, in the USA and in Spain.

The 2013 MotoGP season also marks the 55th anniversary of Honda’s arrival in Grand Prix racing. The world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer made its World Championship debut at the Isle of Man TT in June 1959, scoring points at its very first attempt. Five and a half decades later the company is still driven by the same racing spirit and by the same determination to achieve technical excellence.

Repsol Honda’s latest RC213V is the embodiment of that quest. Last year Honda won the coveted manufacturers’ World Championship but lost out in the race for the riders’ title due to issues caused by an unreasonably late change to the technical regulations.

Long-time factory rider Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) ended 2012 second overall after winning six of the last eight races. The 27-year-old Spaniard is determined to start off where he left off at the end of last season and is feeling quietly confident about his eighth season with Repsol Honda after four very constructive preseason tests.

Following the retirement of his former team-mate Casey Stoner – who won the 2011 MotoGP World Championship on his RC212V – Pedrosa now shares the Repsol Honda garage with new team-mate and compatriot Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V).

Marquez’s talent has astonished during preseason testing; the 20-year-old even topping the session at the brand-new COTA circuit in Austin, Texas, venue for round two of the 2013 campaign on April 21. The reigning Moto2 World Champion is certainly a very welcome addition to the premier class.

Honda has two other riders on full prototype MotoGP bikes in 2013: former Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) and former 125 World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V).

Bradl contests his second MotoGP season this year, after taking the Rookie of the Year award in 2012. The 23-year-old German has a very intelligent approach to racing and learns every time he goes out on the bike. After some strong showings during his rookie season – including seven second-row starts and a fighting fourth-place finish at Mugello – Bradl is aiming to take the next step towards the front aboard his factory RC213V.

Bautista also did a lot of learning last year, switching to a Honda MotoGP machine after two seasons with Suzuki. The 28-year-old Spaniard adapted well, scoring his first MotoGP pole position at Silverstone and podium finishes at Misano and Motegi. Like Bradl, he too is ready to take the next step forward this year.

Stoner’s exit from MotoGP leaves the class with just one Australian on the grid – rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) who rides an FTR-framed CRT bike powered by a tuned Honda CBR1000RR engine. This is a big move for the 26-year-old who won four races in last year’s hotly contested Superstock 1000 FIM Cup.

Less than two hours before the first MotoGP race of 2013 gets underway the new Moto2 season begins. This is the fourth year of the Honda-powered intermediate World Championship that replaced the long-running 250 World Championship in 2010. The series has rightly won a reputation for fearsome racing that can be attributed the equality of the machinery. The category was created with two distinct goals: low costs and technical equality between all riders and teams, which is why the entire grid used Honda CBR600RR engines provided by MotoGP rights-holders Dorna, as well as control tyres and control ECUs.

With Marquez and Italian Andrea Iannone promoted to MotoGP duties, the outcome of the first race and the World Championship is wide open. Early favourite is last year’s runner-up Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP40 Pons Kalex) who won four races in 2012. The 21-year-old Spaniard was fastest during preseason testing and is brimming with confidence.

However, Espargaro is fully aware that he will have to fight all the way for the 2013 title.
Also showing well at the final tests were his team-mate Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex) and the other team duo of Jordi Torres (Aspar Team Moto2 Suter) and Nicolas Terol (Aspar Team
Moto2 Suter). But expect great things also from some other stars of 2012, including yet another team duo of Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team
Kalex) and Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), as well as 2010 Moto2 king Toni Elias (Blusens Avintia Kalex).

Swiss ace Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Suter), who finished fourth in last year’s series, was expected to be in the thick of the fight for the 2013 title until he sustained an arm injury during preseason tests at Valencia. He is expected to return to action at next month’s Spanish Grand Prix. Meanwhile his place is taken by Spaniard Sergio Gadea.

Honda riders in the Moto3 class – now in its second season after replacing the 125cc category last year – face a big challenge at the opening race of 2013. During the final preseason tests at Jerez there were two riders powered by Honda’s NSF250R engine inside the top-ten fastest times:
Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini FTR Honda) and John McPhee Caretta (Technology-RTG FTR Honda).
With Honda planning to provide engine upgrades for the first race, Honda’s Moto3 riders will be working hard to close the gap on the fastest bikes before race night at Losail. Expect Romano Fenati (San Carlo Team Italia FTR Honda) and fellow Italian teenager Alessandro Tonucci (Team La Fonte Tasca Racing Honda) to be among those in the hunt for podium finishes.

The Qatar Grand Prix has another unique aspect – it is the only MotoGP event that takes place over four days, rather than three. This is because there is window of just five hours between dusk and 11pm, when plummeting temperatures coat the circuit with dew, which dramatically reduces grip. Practice sessions begin at 6pm on Thursday and Friday, followed by qualifying at 6pm on Saturday and racing from 7pm on Sunday. During race weekend the track is lit by an amazing 5.4 million watt lighting system, the biggest of its kind, which could illuminate a road from Doha to Moscow or 70 FIFA football fields.

The circuit itself, constructed in 2004 to bring MotoGP to the Middle East for the first time, is a sinuous test for man and machine, with the layout of individual corners inspired by famous corners at racetracks from around the world.
Corner speed and machine agility are vitally important at Losail with only one straight worthy of the name – the 1.068km/0.664 mile start-finish, which demands plenty of horsepower.

After Losail the MotoGP circuit heads west, setting up camp outside Austin in Texas for the Grand Prix of the Americas at the new Circuit of Americas. Practice starts on April 19. Racing takes place on April 21. Then it’s back to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez on May 5.

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:
“After a long testing period I am now really ready to go racing! The team has worked hard to get us in the best place for the start of the season and I’m pleased with my physical situation. It’s a long weekend in Qatar, with the schedule over four days, and the grip level takes some time to improve with the sand and other conditions there. It will be interesting to see how the new qualifying format works and I’m really looking forward to the race. I’m just excited to get the season started!”

Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says:
“We’ve had a good winter testing and now it’s time to go racing. Qatar isn’t one of my favourite tracks but I still enjoy it. There are many factors to consider there with the sand from the desert which affects the grip, and also the fact that it’s a night race. Also, as I saw in Jerez, everything is different on the MotoGP bike compared to Moto2 so we will need some time.
Let’s see when we get there. For sure I will be nervous going into my first MotoGP race but I’m also excited.”

LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says:
“I am happy to go to Qatar and I feel ready for the first race of the season. It’s a circuit where I normally go fast and like the layout and the atmosphere because racing in the nighttime is awesome. Now I have more experience on this bike in this class and won’t be as nervous as last year at my debut and I feel this circuit could be a good chance to obtain a good result”.

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:
“The new season is about to start and I think we are ready. We did a great job through preseason testing, even though we weren’t helped by the weather in the final session at Jerez.
Unfortunately we still had some things we needed to test, but we didn’t get the chance. Anyway, overall we have made a big step from last year.
Racing in Qatar is always very special and it’s exciting to go out on track under the lights.
It’s a nice track, but the fact that you’re racing at night and the varying levels of grip make it strange to ride. I’m curious to see how the new qualifying system works, but I think it will be exciting. We’ll keep working to make the bike more rideable and make sure we’re as competitive as we can be for the first race. I had a lot of problems last year in practice in Qatar and only managed to finish seventh in the race, which I wasn’t happy with, so this year we’ll certainly look to make up for that.”

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Bryan Staring says:
“I am nervous and excited about making my debut in MotoGP. After an encouraging test at Jerez I am highly motivated and confident we can do well.
I don’t know Losail but I have watched all the races there on television and I’m curious to experience it myself. I have worked hard with the team throughout the winter and gradually I am getting used to the bike, which is very different to anything I have ridden before. I have gradually adapted my riding style to cope with the power of the FTR Honda and I am ready for this new experience now. Obviously racing at night will be completely new to me too, but that just makes me feel even more excited about making my debut in MotoGP. Hopefully I can have a good race and start the season in the right way.

Moto2 Rider Quotes

Pons 40 HP Tuenti Kalex rider Pol Espargaro says:
“Preseason testing went very well for us. I’m glad I was fastest in all three IRTA tests – one at Valencia and two at Jerez – but I am very well aware that you get no points for testing! The World Championship finally starts this weekend and I think we are ready to fight for the title, with the confidence and peace of mind that comes from having the best technical team behind me to achieve the goal. We will have to work race by race and never forget that Moto2 is a very difficult category. There are many other riders – some who have already been World Champions, others who have yet to be champions – so even if we give 110% of our potential we know this season will be tough.”

Blusens Avintia rider Toni Elias says:
“I like the layout of Losail but the fact that we are racing at night complicates things, mostly because of the dew that can affect grip. I would prefer to race during daylight, but racing by night isn’t a problem because, in the end, it’s the same for everyone. We did a very good job in preseason tests, but I think that we still have a last step to make, so we will try to make that step during the first two days of practice to reach qualifying in as competitive a position as possible. I am happy because we have improved a lot in a short time and I can’t wait for the first to start. Talking about results is always risky and even more so in a competitive category like Moto2, but if we can’t win in Qatar, being on one of the other two steps of the podium would be a good result for the first race.”

Marc VDS Racing Team rider Scott Redding says:
“Last year we achieved our aim of top-five finishes, but this season I need to step it up and be aiming for the podium in every race, starting this weekend in Qatar. We head to the first race off the back of three very positive preseason tests, with a bike that I feel confident with, and with a package that we know is competitive. I’m probably better prepared, both physically and mentally, for the start of the season than I’ve ever been before, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend ahead. A podium finish in Qatar would be the perfect start to what promises to be another tough and hard-fought season, so that’s what I’m aiming for.”

Moto3 Rider Quotes

San Carlo Team Italia Honda rider Romano Fenati says:
“I wasn’t so happy with the results of the final tests at Jerez, but we go to Losail remaining focused on the championship. We tried so many things with the FTR Honda during testing and I think we still have a lot of work to do. The best thing is that the team is working really well, so I’m sure we will improve. Last year we had a great race at Qatar and a great start to my career in GPs. I think this time it will be tougher, but we are ready for the challenge.”

GO&FUN Gresini Honda rider Niccolo Antonelli says:
“I am ready and excited about the first race of the season at the Losail circuit in Qatar. I can’t wait to get out on track and see how I am physically, but if I feel okay I will be trying my best to fight at the front. I have confidence in the new Honda engine and with the job the guys have done in the recent test at Jerez I think we can be racing with the best of them. I like Losail and the surreal atmosphere of racing at night is exciting to me so I can’t wait to get back on the bike and start this new adventure.”

Team La Fonte Tasca Racing rider Alessandro Tonucci says:
“For Qatar I feel very good and I’m training. I get on well with the team and in the last test we worked so hard but we have not yet found a definitive solution to balance the bike well. I hope to find something in the first practice session. We will also see how it goes the new engine that arrives in Qatar. I hope to do well!”

Alles anzeigen

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Zitat

2013 FIM MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3 World Championships Round 1, Qatar Grand Prix, Losail Qualifying, Saturday, 6 April 2013

Weather: warm, dry
Temperature: ambient 23 degrees C / track 26 degrees C

PEDROSA GRABS FRONT-ROW START FOR SEASON OPENER

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) will start tomorrow evening’s season-opening Qatar Grand Prix from the front row of the grid after a dazzling performance in MotoGP’s new-look qualifying format.

The Spaniard was third fastest in the 15 minute session that was topped by reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda
RC213V) both secured second-row starts, placing fifth and sixth fastest under the Losail floodlights.

Conditions at the desert-based circuit have been typically tricky since practice began on Thursday, with wind blowing sand onto the track making grip worryingly inconsistent. Yesterday evening a rare rain shower affected the Moto2 and Moto3 practice sessions.

Tonight’s MotoGP qualifying session was an historic occasion for motorcycle Grand Prix racing – the first time that qualifying has been split into two groups. The new format divides MotoGP riders into two groups following the first three practice sessions: the fastest ten and the rest.

After a final 30 minute practice session, qualifying then takes place in two 15 minute outings, with the slower group out on track first, in Qualifying 1. The fastest two riders from that session are then seeded through to the Qualifying 2 session, in which they get the chance to battle with the fastest ten riders for the best grid positions. The Moto2 and Moto3 classes continue with a traditional qualifying format.

The introduction of the new system adds extra tension to qualifying, with riders having only enough time for two short runs, which leaves no room for even the tiniest of errors by rider or team. Tonight was particularly tense, with riders wondering how the new format would work for them.

Like many of his rivals, Pedrosa struggled to find a fully clear track during the 15 minute session. Nonetheless he was happy that he made it onto the front row and he has some ideas to further improve his factory RC213V that he will evaluate in evening warm-up.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) will start the first race of his second season in the premier class from the middle of the second row, between Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) and Marquez. The impressive German paced himself perfectly, gradually picking up speed throughout practice to find his maximum pace when he needed it most.
After solving an issue with front-end feeling during the first three sessions he made another crucial change for qualifying that worked out well.

Marquez performed brilliantly in his first MotoGP qualifying session, even though sixth place didn’t quite match his position at the end of the first three practice sessions. Yesterday evening the 20-year-old was the fastest man on track, outpacing Lorenzo by one thousandths of a second!
He attributed his sixth place on the grid to a couple of minor errors that he made in his first qualifying run and an inability to reach his maximum straight out of the pits. That skill will surely come with more time on a MotoGP bike.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini
RC213V) enjoyed the new qualifying format, but he struggled with front-end feeling. The Spaniard has a good race pace and feels that the race will go better for him, especially if he can get away with the leading group.

Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) will start his first MotoGP race from 23rd on the grid. The Australian – riding a CBR1000RR-powered FTR Honda CRT bike – is still getting acclimatised to MotoGP machinery and was happy enough with his first qualifying session in the premier class.

Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP40 Pons Kalex) rode a heroic qualifying session to take the first Moto2 pole position of the year. The Spaniard – who had dominated preseason testing – crashed in the opening minutes of the session, after which he rode his battered machine back to the pits.
Following some rapid work by his mechanics Espargaro returned to the track hoping to chase down his rivals who were already laying down very fast laps. Bit by bit he got closer to the front, until his final lap was fast enough to demote Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex) to second place.

The qualifying action in the Honda-powered series was typically close, with Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) taking third, just over one tenth of a second slower than pole. The fastest
15 riders were covered by a mere 1.062s.

Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) led much of the session, ending up fourth to lead row two after team-mate Kallio bettered him by just 0.048s. The Briton is joined on the second row by Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert Suter) and Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex)

The final four men in the top ten are Nicolas Terol (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter), Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex), Marcel Schrotter (Desguaces La Torre SAG Kalex) and Mike Di Meglio (Jir Moto2 Motobi).

Alan Techer (CIP TSR Honda) rode a brilliant
Moto3 qualifying session to secure himself a place on the second row of the grid for tomorrow evening’s opening Moto3 Grand Prix. Using an upgraded NSF250R engine, delivered to teams at Losail by Honda, the 18-year-old Frenchman was the fastest of five Honda riders in the top 15 qualifiers.

Romano Fenati (San Carlo Team Italia FTR Honda) was 12th, 1.5 seconds off pole position, while Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR
Honda) was 13th and Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini FTR Honda) 14th.

Race night gets underway with the Moto3 race at 7pm (local time), followed by Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm.

Honda MotoGP rider quotes

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 3rd – 1m 55.151s
“Today we were able to improve a lot and take a
front-row start for tomorrow. It is important to
start high up the grid whenever you can, because
there are some very fast riders up against us. We
still need to improve a few things with the bike
and I hope that we can have a good race. The key
will be to choose a good tyre compound and find a strong pace.”

Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 5th – 1m 55.477s
“Fifth position was our target because our rivals
are very strong at every circuit and in all
conditions, so we must be very happy with our
performance today. During free practice four we
improved our set-up and the front-end feeling
which was the key to going faster. I was not
completely happy so we made another adjustment
before QP and we were lucky because it worked
well. This new qualifying system made everybody
nervous but, in the end, it was exciting.
Everyone used the same strategy and there was a
lot of traffic, but we will get used to this and
I think it’s more fun for the fans.”

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: 6th – 1m 55.645s
“Today was my first MotoGP qualifying session and
the first time that we’d had the short 15 minute
run, but the result was what we had expected. I
still need to be a bit more ‘explosive’ and push
hard from the start. We got the sixth fastest
time, as on my opening two fast laps I made
mistakes and lost a few thousandths. That is
something that we have to improve. We still have
the warm-up tomorrow, in which we need to
continue working on our pace and from there, we
need to choose the best tyre for the race. The
important thing will be to make a good start and see what happens.”

Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 8th – 1m 55.711s
“The new qualifying format was good fun, but in
15 minutes you don’t have time to make any
mistakes. I didn’t have much feel for the front
tonight and we tried to fix that but we’re still
not happy. My pace on used tyres isn’t bad so
we’ll try to improve the setting in the warm-up
and I’m confident that if we make a good start I
can run with the front group. The race is long
and this track isn’t easy so anything could happen.”

Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 23rd – 1m 58.912s
“I am satisfied because I feel I am slowly
getting to grips with MotoGP. My position on the
grid isn’t the best but for me it was important
to go into the race having taken some steps to
further improve my feeling with this bike and we
did that. I feel more relaxed today and I am sure
we can start to make some real progress soon.
Unfortunately it takes time but I have a very supportive team.”

Moto2 rider quotes

Pol Espargaro, Pons 40 HP Tuenti: pole position – 2m 00.882s
“I got pole on the last lap, something very
special considering that I crashed in the early
stages of the session and took a knock to my head
and hand. The crash also cost me a lot of time,
and after getting back on track after some great
work from my crew to fix the bike I thought that
anywhere in the top three would’ve been a good
result, but in the end I had a great time chasing
pole position. Starting the year with a pole is
important, because it gives you confidence.
Tomorrow I am convinced it will be a thrilling
race and there will be many riders fighting out
front. The important things will be to manage the
tyres well over 19 laps and to make no mistakes.”

Takaaki Nakagami, Italtrans Racing Team: 2nd – 2m 01.014s
“I really thought we could get pole position, but
in the end Espargaro was faster. However, the
important thing is that we are very consistent,
so I think we are ready to fight to win the race.
We will see tomorrow. Since we started practice
on Thursday I’ve had a really good feeling with
the bike, so I’ve worked to feel good with the
track conditions here. Luckily, the track is
better now than it was yesterday. I’m very happy
with our work so far this weekend.”

Mika Kallio, Marc VDS Racing Team: 3rd – 2m 01.041s
“We decided to go with two longer runs in
qualifying and it was a plan that worked well
today. The softer option rear we started with had
good grip, allowing me to build confidence on a
track that was much improved compared to
yesterday. When we switched to the harder rear
the grip was even better and I knew I could push
for the front row. I managed to catch a
slipstream down the start finish straight and
that set me up nicely for my flying lap. I’m
feeling confident, but it’s difficult to plan for
the race now. Starting from the front row is a
definite advantage, so we’ll see how things work out tomorrow, I guess.”

Honda Moto3 rider quotes

Alan Techer, CIP: 6th – 2m 08.471s
“I am very happy regarding my qualifying. Since
the beginning of the weekend I’ve been in the top
15 during free practice and I feel good on my
Honda. During qualifying, with my team boss Alain
Bronec, we tried a few modifications, especially
with the frame, and the changes paid off! It’s my
first second row! For tomorrow, we will keep
calm, but thanks to the new Honda engine which we
received at the beginning of the weekend, we hope to make a good result.”

Romano Fenati, San Carlo Team Italia: 12th – 2m 08.784s
“Today was a good day. We continued to work with
the team in the best way, so I’m happy. For the
warm-up we will work on a few final details to be
ready for the race tomorrow. I’m we will have a
good race, battling in the top positions.”

Niccolo Antonelli, GO&FUN Gresini: 14th – 2m 09.107s
“It was not great but not bad either! We made a
change to the front that we thought would help
but it did not work and I could not push as hard
as I wanted. We’ll take a step backwards with the
set-up and use what we had yesterday and see how
it is in the warm-up. I’m confident it will work in the race.”

Alles anzeigen