The Repsol Honda Team rider, winner of last year`s Catalunya Grand Prix, reveals the secrets of the track where the sixth round of the World Championship will be held this weekend
1. The finish line straight ends downhill and top speeds are usually quite high.
2. Bend 2. There’s some hard braking at the end, and it’s normally a good place to overtake.
3. Bend from right to left, very important, which leads on to the “Big Bend”.
4. “Big Bend”. Is a very long, never-ending bend. There’s normally some very nice skidding and you can even see the tyres smoking.
5. “Repsol” bend. A very important bend where I think the lap time can be very influenced. This bend leads on to the part I personally like the most.
6. Bend 6. A downhill bend, changing gears and always swerving to the left.
7. Uphill “Chicane”. A very aggressive change of direction; you have to change gears before reaching the next bend.
8. This is a “blind” bend. You can’t see next part until you’re practically out of it, which is why it’s very important to handle the throttle well.
9. Back straight. You have to brake hard at the end of it, it’s where many races are decided when there’s a pack.
10. Bend 10. We reach a second-gear bend, and when leaving it you have to be careful on the throttle in order not to wear the tyres out too much.
11. Bend 11. We reach the area where we normally see more spectators: it’s the Stadium area: a very round bend, not too fast and where you take it easy on the throttle before reaching the last two bends.
12. Last bends. They’re the fastest bends of the circuit, also very important to run a good lap time, and particularly to get off to a good start for the next lap.
