With the Japanese Grand Prix postponed until October, the Spanish race has become the second event in the 2010 MotoGP World Championship and the first on European soil. Every season Jerez, now a classic on the world championship calendar, puts on a great show both on and off the 4,423-metre track of the circuit, thanks to its colourful fans and because it is a circuit at which Spanish motorcycling has written important pages in its history.
Defending the colours of Repsol, Spanish riders like Jorge Martínez Aspar, Alex Crivillé, Sito Pons, Alberto Puig and Dani Pedrosa, among others, have won at Jerez.
Dani Pedrosa, winner of the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix two seasons ago – 2008 – has an almost idyllic relationship with the Andalusia track, where over the years that he has been competing in MotoGP, he has never failed to finish on the podium; after reaping three second places and one win. Previously, in the lower categories, Pedrosa had taken two fourth places in 125cc and a win in 250cc in 2005. Therefore, in spite of the obvious problems that the Repsol Honda Team rider had with his setup in Qatar, Pedrosa is still one of the clear favourites to battle for victory this weekend in Jerez.
And although Andrea Dovizioso says that he is not particularly comfortable on the Andalusia track, his excellent start to the season should help him to reap another good result this weekend in Jerez in order to continue along the line of progress set out by him and his technical team. His best results at the Jerez circuit are a win and a second place in 125cc, two third places in 250cc and he has reaped two eighth places in MotoGP. After his hard-fought third place in the Qatar Grand Prix, Dovizioso and his team are sure to tackle this race as a great challenge and as a new chance to continue progressing with the evolution of the Honda RC212V.
In the lowest of the three categories, the young and quick Marc Márquez is aiming high in this world championship season. With a competitive bike, the Repsol rider demonstrated in Qatar that his aim this season is to fight for the title. Without taking any more risks than necessary, Márquez was able to settle for third place, score a good number of points and leave the Qatar track with the knowledge that the time will come for him to finish on the top step of the podium. In Jerez, a track where this winter, he rode faster that anyone had ever ridden; we got a taste of how far the potential of Emilio Alzamora’s protégé can go.
Dani Pedrosa
“Jerez is always a very special race for the Spanish riders and I’m really looking forward to this weekend. We didn’t have the best start to the season in Qatar, and in Japan we couldn’t race due to the problems caused by the volcano, but I hope in Jerez, with the atmosphere, which is always fantastic, and the characteristics of the circuit, the situation can be different. I’m determine that we make improvements from the first practice onwards – unlike Qatar where we struggled a lot throughout the weekend – and that we’ll be able to go fast right from the start. I would really like to feel more comfortable with the bike and get a good result here. Our rivals are very strong and I’m sure they want to make the most of their advantage, so we have to work very hard to get to their level and be able to fight with them from the beginning to the end of the race. In Jerez we will try some changes to the chassis so that the bike is not so nervous and I’m hopeful that they can work”.
Andrea Dovizioso
“We were feeling very motivated for the race in Japan and we will definitely carry forward that determination for Jerez. To be honest the racetrack is not one of my favourites and it’s quite slow – but the crowd and the atmosphere are incredible because there are always so many spectators packed into the grandstands and the hillsides. In the past I’ve never had really good results on this track but now we are arriving in Jerez after an important result in Qatar and I’m looking forward to this race and to continuing in the positive direction we have been moving in recently. My target is that we maintain the momentum we have, and build on it over the next few races. I’m also looking forward to the test on Monday after the race. This year there are not so many opportunities to test, so Monday will be important and we’ll work hard to make the most of it”.
Marc Márquez
“For the first race of the year, the Qatar Grand Prix went quite well. Finishing on the podium was important because it means starting with a good result. I finished the race, something that I didn’t manage last year, and scoring quite a few points, which is what counts in the championship. The Jerez race will be a little strange because we have all done many pre-season tests there and after riding at this circuit so much, all the riders will want to have a good race. Everyone will have the setup quite clear, so they’ll quickly ride strong, especially the Spanish riders who will be highly motivated. Personally, it is one of my favourite tracks, where I also achieved my first win in the Spanish Championship and where I managed to finish on the podium last year, so I’ll try to have a good race but keeping calm. Too much excitement can play dirty tricks on you, so we hope to fight for the podium and if possible, win”.
