The japanese Grand Prix starts the countdown of the 2004 World Championship.
Sebastián Porto starts his own fight for the 250cc title. Barros and Hayden will try to do their best at Honda’s home circuit.
The 2004 World Championship starts its intercontinental trip this weekend in Japan. The Motegi circuit will be once again the venue of this Asian Grand Prix where we’ll be able to witness the comeback of the North American rider of the Repsol Honda Team, Nicky Hayden, who missed the last Grand Prix in Portugal after fracturing his right collarbone while practising Supermotard. Hayden, will try to repeat his excellent performance of last year, where he managed to clinch his first podium finish in the World Championship, despite not arriving in optimal conditions at the Japanese track. Japan is also a venue that brings back very good memories to his team-mate Alex Barros, who arrives highly motivated after his podium finish two weeks ago in Portugal. Two years ago, the Brazilian rider took an impressive victory ahead of Valentino Rossi in his first time on a four-stroke RC211V. With five races still ahead, the Brazilian rider will try to make good use of each and every chance left to get good results and improve his fifth place in the overall standings. For Rubén Xaus, the Japanese Grand Prix means once again at a circuit he doesn’t know, forcing him to hard learning throughout the weekend.
The highest expectations of the Repsol riders are in the 250cc class. Fonsi Nieto is almost out of any option to fight for the Championship, but his aim for the rest of the season is to get back on the podium – he hasn’t been there since Jerez, where he finished third – ant to improve his sixth place in the overall standings. His team-mate does have real options to fight for the title in this final straight of the Championship. The Argentinean rider has clinched three victories so far this season, three second places and one third-place finish, allowing him to be third in the overall standings, 36 points behind the leader.
With 125 points still at stake, it is still possible to think about the title.In the minor class, Pablo Nieto, fifth in the overall standings, will have his five last chances of the 2004 season to take a victory, something he hasn’t managed to do so far. Two third places in Catalunya and Germany are the best results so far for Pablo Nieto who arrives in Japan eager to round off his performance, after finishing fourth in Estoril and staying out of the podium by only ten metres before crossing the finish line. His team-mate Sergio Gadea, who took his best result of the season in Portugal finishing thirteenth, will arrive in Motegi knowing the circuit only thanks to videogames, so that his aim for this weekend will be again to try to score some points at the Asian track
