This weekend MotoGP goes halfway around the world for one of the GP races that has a special attraction: Phillip Island is one of the most spectacular dates in the calendar. Dani Pedrosa will arrive in the best form he has shown this season and he has the aim of being in the fight for another victory, whilst his teammate Andrea Dovizioso, hopes to carry on adapting to the changes that have been made to his RC212V and be in the fight to finish on the podium.
Phillip Island is the ideal venue and the circuit has always produced spectacular races each and every time there has been an Australian GP. The fast track, right on the shoreline, provides an impressive background as the riders tackle the corners that are especially delicate. The battle for this year`s title involves four riders, Dani Pedrosa, as well as Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo & Casey Stoner, and they will all go to Australia for the 15th round of the season but with the Repsol rider in tip-top form and one who has the aim of fighting to finish on top of the podium.
Andrea Dovizioso`s situation is a bit more complicated, he has to fight to stay 5th overall but at the same time carry on developing the new Swedish Öhlins suspension whilst racing on his Repsol Honda RC212V. Dovizioso has already won once at the Australian track, in 125cc five years ago, and he hopes that he can take advantage of his work on the Öhlins suspension and his famed consistency to get back on the podium.
In the 125cc category this circuit holds good memories for Esteve Rabat and Marc Márquez who finished in 7th and 9th positions respectively in a hard-fought race a couple of months ago. Like them Scott Redding (who did not finish last season) and Cameron Beaubier will be working hard so as to put in a good performance in what remains of the season.
Dani Pedrosa
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Australia again. It feels like one of the most important races of the season for me and I’m very motivated to do my best there, get a good result and hopefully challenge for the win. I’ve had mixed experiences at Phillip Island but there have been some very good memories and those are the ones I’ll be focusing on going into this weekend. The objective for the remainder of the season is to keep third place in the championship and score at least one more victory, so if that can come in Australia, all the better. The circuit is great to ride and the atmosphere is also unique and special. The track itself is a little bit bumpy in a few places and that combined with the really fast curves makes set-up very important because you need to be able to ride aggressively here to go quickly. I’ve had podium finishes in the last two races at Misano and Estoril and this weekend we’ll be looking for that little bit extra to give us a chance of winning. The weather can be unstable in Phillip Island, but it’ll be good to get out on track on Friday.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“Phillip Island is one of the best places to race because of the track layout and laid-back atmosphere. It’s a beautiful place – very green and the circuit is right by the sea which creates an unusual feeling. Unfortunately we race here at a time of the year where it’s usually cold and windy, but still it’s an event I always look forward to. The race track is really spectacular and it’s always a big challenge to race here. The fast corners and elevation changes make it a circuit that’s technical and demanding to ride, and it’s one of the tracks where the bike slides a lot, so achieving good machine control is essential. There are always a lot of fans at Phillip Island whatever the weather and they are really passionate about MotoGP. At the end of the race they all come under the podium and this make for a very special atmosphere – so I hope I’m up there to enjoy the reception. I usually have decent results here and so I’m confident of having a good race. I’m certainly looking forward to getting back to this special track and pushing as hard as possible”.
Marc Márquez
“The circuit in Australia is one of those that I like the most because both the track and the place itself are very nice. Last year I put in a good race and I hope that this year I can finish the race. This is a difficult circuit, above all because it is hard work getting the right set up for the very different types of turns. There are two very slow ones where you need a good support, and fast ones, especially the final one; you have to take it with the throttle open for a long time and that makes it very difficult.”
Esteve Rabat
“Now comes the circuit that I like the most in the calendar. I love it and each time I have raced there I have done well. I was 5th two years ago, and 7th last season. I can`t wait to get on my bike and enjoy the weekend, just having a good time on the bike. That is the objective. The circuit has a bit of everything: fast corners, like the one before the home straight, ups and downs, and two points with strong braking. And it is in a very beautiful place. We have things clear concerning the set up, as you need a bike that is well prepared for the fast turns but at the same time stable.”
Scott Redding
“I was there for the first time last year, it seemed to be a very special circuit, but where it is difficult to set good times. It is quite pretty and although it is windy there that is not a big problem for me. I just hope the bike works well the whole weekend and then maybe we can put in a good race, because our machine is made for fast circuits. We will have to pull out all the stops and see how things go, but I hope we have a good weekend, we will work hard to do so.”
Cameron Beaubier
“Everybody says that Phillip Island is by far the most beautiful in the calendar, so I can`t wait to ride there. Last year Marc [Márquez] was very fast so perhaps he can teach me a little. In the final race I hoped to do things well because Estoril is a circuit where I had raced before, but in the end I could not finish. Now I am going to Australia to a circuit where I have never ridden and one they say is very complicated. I will do what I can so that I carry on learning, and enjoy the race.”
