Japanese GP: Gresini Racing preview

After a good performance from both Honda Gresini riders in the race at Estoril, which featured memorable battles of Marco Melandri with Nicky Hayden and John Hopkins and a good fight-back from Toni Elias, the pair are looking forward with renewed motivation to the Grand Prix of Japan, the 15th round of the MotoGP World Championship. Melandri and Elias are ready for the appointment at the Twin Ring Motegi, a special occasion for the Honda riders, motivated to get a good result on the track that belongs to the Japanese Factory.

MARCO MELANDRI: "Now there are four rounds left to dispute on very demanding tracks. In particular Motegi requires lots of acceleration. I'm very motivated. I'd like to score a good result to thank Fausto (Gresini) and the team for their great job. The feeling with the bike is improved and also Bridgestone tyres should work very well: Bridgestone tyres dominated here in the last 3 years, so I'm confident. We will work hard to get the best out of the bike and to use all its potential. Not only, in Portugal I was still suffering a bit from the consequences of the crash at Misano, in Japan I should be 100 per cent fit .I have started to train again and I have to confess that it was not easy at the beginning after more than 2 months (from the incident in Laguna Seca) of forced stop."

TONI ELIAS: "Motegi is a track that I like and where I have got good results with two wins in 250cc class. I hope that we can finally get some good results and turn positively this season complicated by a bad crash at Assen and the injyry at the left leg. The team is doing a great job and my feeling with the bike is improving. At Motegi is very important to find a good set up of the bike. Because of the strong braking, it's important to have a good balance on the bike. The secret in fact is to find compromise between braking and acceleration. I'm confident and motivated ."

-credit: gresini honda