With no respite at all in the World Motorcycling Championship the riders and teams have left Australia and have travelled to Malaysia, in Asia, for the penultimate date in the calendar the Malaysian Grand Prix. The track of Sepang, with its two large straights, is a challenge for any rider, motorbike and team, because of the extreme weather conditions. High temperatures and humidity make it into one of the toughest races of the year. This will be in contrast with the recent chilly weekend in Australia, but without a doubt there will be a great atmosphere.
Dani Pedrosa returns to the place where he had an authentic nightmare experience last year, but it had a happy ending. After dominating the Friday morning free practice session with a fast pace, in the afternoon Pedrosa had a spectacular fall where he seriously damaged his right knee. The Repsol Honda Team rider mulled over not racing because of the injury, but in the end with great courage and dignity, Pedrosa was on the starting grid and finished third. A podium that was a moral victory after his difficult weekend. After his fourth placed finish last weekend his aim of being runner-up, he has to overtake Valentino Rossi currently second, has become more difficult. 29 points separate him from the Italian hero, but with only 50 points up for grabs.
The Repsol rider is aware of how difficult it will be to beat the Italian, but at the same time he knows that it is still mathematically possible and that fact together with a victory, are his objectives before the 2007 season ends.Nicky Hayden, who had to retire from the recent Australian Grand Prix with mechanical problems when he was third, goes to Australia with the memory of the fourth position he got last year at the circuit of Sepang. After the American Repsol Honda Team rider`s big disappointment at Phillip Island, he will be seeking, just like his teammate, to say farewell to the season with a victory, something he has not been able to achieve this year with the number 1 on his bike. Malaysia is one of his two last chances to try and do so.
For the Repsol riders in 250cc and 125cc, another chance to fight to be among the leaders this weekend. Julián Simón and Shuhei Aoyama showed promise in the race in Australia, but in the end they were not able to get a podium finish. The same happened with Esteve Rabat in 125cc, the young rider under Alberto Puig`s wing had a great race and almost finished in the top three. For his teammate, the Briton Bradley Smith, the race on Phillip Island was not easy.
He had a lot of problems with the front wheel the whole weekend, but Smith got better as the race progressed, finishing down the pack though in 16th place. This weekend at the circuit of Sepang, the penultimate opportunity for these four Repsol riders to fight for a podium finish.
