Repsol Honda Team ready to keep the podium stream in Turkey
Nicky Hayden arrives in Istanbul second in the overall standings, followed by Dani Pedrosa in third. The Repsol Honda Team leads the teams’ standings.
The Turkish Grand Prix will be staged this weekend in the marvellous setting of Istanbul, for the second time in history. Recently built Istanbul circuit is the perfect venue to experience another exciting race weekend. A layout filled with ascents, descents and gradient changes, combined with slow and fast corners, will be hosting the Motorcycling World Championship for the second time, although in a different time of the year (last year on 23 October), so that the weather conditions will probably be more pleasant this time.
The Repsol Honda Team reaches Istanbul, not only with their two riders within the top three riders of the standings but also leading the teams standings, with a 12-points advantage over the second classified, the Ducati Marlboro Team. Thus, Turkey will be a new and interesting challenge for the leading team in the premier class. Looking back in time, we find Nicky Hayden third on the starting grid after good practice sessions in 2005, and his team mate Dani Pedrosa just arrived from Australia were he won the Grand Prix and was crowned 250cc World Champion for the second time. The short celebration on the way from Australia to Turkey did not made Pedrosa loose concentration, and on his first visit to Turkey on a 250cc bike he managed to set the fourth fastest time of the grid and finished the race second, after an exciting duel with Australian rider Stoner who won with an advantage of only 0093 seconds. Dani Pedrosas current team mate, North American rider Nicky Hayden, took a hard fought third place after a nice fight against Marco Melandri and his fellow countryman Valentino Rossi.
In the 250cc, everybody will be looking at the Repsol Honda Team 250cc and the evolutions of Sebastián Porto and his bike. After a difficult start of the season, retirement included in the first race in Jerez, the weekend in Qatar meant a clear improvement of Porto’s performance, although he hasnt reached the level of the top riders of the class yet. In Qatar, Porto finished seventh after a race in which he constantly improved. Last year in Istanbul, the Repsol rider set the fifth fastest time during the practices, but crashed in the opening laps of the race thus being unable to score any point. And for Shuhei Aoyama in the 250cc. and Bradley Smith in the 125cc, the Turkish Grand Prix will be a new experience in all senses, because none of them has ever been in this exotic country. Since the Istanbul circuit has not been included in any videogames console yet, they have been forced to get along with watching videos from last years practices and races to get used with the layout.
Rider´s comments:
Nicky Hayden:
Turkey doesnt remind me of any other circuit. You have to ready for anything! There are several gradient changes, forcing you to find a good compromise with the bikes setting to let the bike work well in flat corners and the sloping ones. This circuit has very fast points, strong brakings and at the end of the lap you find really slow first-gear corners. Turn 1 is incredible and 11, a right-hander in fifth, is one of the best Ive ever seen on a MotoGP bike. I dont like the last part of the circuit much, because its a bit heavy for the MotoGP bikes, but the rest is OK. Were going to Turkey a completely different time of the year, lets see if theres a lot of difference.
Dani Pedrosa:
I remember that we had a difficult race last year, especially because there was a bit of confusion in the group entering the first corner. I definitely need to make a good start. I also remember that I had some problems during the race with the front tyre, because it wore out more than expected on the left hand side. But we made a good race anyway and I finished second. In Istanbul, you notice that the designer of this circuit has also designed some other circuits we visit, as for example Shanghai, although I think that this layout is more compensated. It combines ascents and descents and it has good asphalt. It is wide and has good grip. But there are some really slow sections, I guess that it is due to the fact that it has been designed thinking of Formula 1, but its a circuit that isnt bad in general lines. We have to do the same as always: trying to understand the circuit on this bike as quickly as possible and finding a good setup for the race. I only hope to have good weather throughout the weekend.
Sebastián Porto:
I like this circuit. Things didnt really work out well last year during the race but I hope to continue with the progression weve been having and have a better bike than this weekend. Im not worried and looking forward to things working out. The circuit in Turkey is quite complicated, its a new circuit, weve raced there only once before and I think that none of us has much experience riding there. We just hope that everything works out fine. Well try to work and adapt the bikes well. The Hondas did a good job there last year so we hope the bike to be more competitive than this weekend.
Shuhei Aoyama:
Ive only seen the Turkish circuit on TV so I havent got much information about the track and its technical features. I think that this circuit will be less complicated than the one in Qatar, so I hope to have a less complicated weekend compared to two weeks ago. Qatar is a completely flat circuit with hardly any reference, while Turkey has some gradient changes and a more varied layout. I think that Ill feel more comfortable there, but I also know that if I want to get a good result Ill have to be much more focussed than in Qatar.
Bradley Smith:
They dont have this track in the Playstation, because it obviously was a new track last year so Im going to have a look at reviews, races and see how it is but I know roughly how the track goes, although it’s completely different until you ride it. I expect to be better on the first lap and to do a better qualifying but you can’t think too much. What happens just happens and we need to improve. To make a better qualifying time I’ll have to follow someone. At the moment I do all my laps on my own, I don’t follow anyone, I don’t get town. Especially the slipstream would gain me a lot, but I don’t know why I don’t do it, I just don’t. It’s going to be a main thing, trying to find a fast rider, get an extra quick lap. I think that this would give me a better chance for the first corner. Id be one or two rows higher, 8 riders less and be more aggressive, but thats only going to come in the future.
The venue of the GP:
Istanbul Park Circuit (www.istanbulmotogp.com)
Located in the area of Akfirat, on the Asian side of Istanbul, the Istanbul Park Circuit lies 5 km east from the centre of the Turkish capital and 8 km from the international airport. Set in a beautiful spot surrounded by woods and green fields, the building works of the Istanbul Park Circuit began on 10 September 2003 and finished just in time to host the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The layout, designed by the famous architect Herman Tilke, who also did the circuits of Malaysia, Bahrain and China is 5,333 metres in length and between 14 and 21.5 metres in width. It is made-up by 14 corners – six right-handers and eight left-handers – which the riders have to cover counter-clockwise; something that only happens in four other circuits of the calendar: Laguna Seca, Sachsenring, Phillip Island and Cheste. Linked by the corners, the track has five straights: the main straight with the finish line is 655.5 metres in length, while the longest is almost 720m long.
The total area allocated to the circuit is of 32.500 m2, hosting not only the track but also all kinds of highest-level facilities. Istanbul Park has a maximum capacity for 145,000 spectators. While the main grandstand has a seating capacity for 26,250 spectators, there are also temporary grandstands and general admission areas. The main building of the paddock is made-up by two levels. On the first level there are the thirty-three team garages and on the second the hospitality areas, which offer additional 5,000 seats for guests. On either side of the main building there are two towers, of seven floors each where the different control centres and offices, terraces and VIP areas are located, as well as a medical centre with corresponding heliports. Complying with all safety requirements, the track has large run-off areas and 2.3 km of service roads and emergency lanes. In addition, the central area is reserved for the construction of a Go-Cart Racing Track.
As regards the sporting aspect, it is a demanding track, since the large amount of gradient changes (with a maximum of 8%) makes it different to most of the other circuits, turning it into an ideal venue that will provide for new excitement both for riders and spectators.
