MotoGP

Repsol Honda preview

The fabulous Brno circuit hosts this weekend's Grand Prix of the Czech Republic as the MotoGP World Championship resumes after its short summer break. The Repsol Honda Team riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso will be looking to start the second ...

Published: Aug 13, 2010, 8:37 PM

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The fabulous Brno circuit hosts this weekend's Grand Prix of the Czech Republic as the MotoGP World Championship resumes after its short summer break. The Repsol Honda Team riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso will be looking to start the second half of the MotoGP season with the strongest possible results - and that means the talented pair will be targeting victory in Sunday's 22-lap encounter.

Pedrosa arrives refreshed after his vacation and is determined to immediately return to the form that saw him leading the last Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Although he fell from that race, his pace and results running up to the summer break have confirmed that Pedrosa is back to his consistent best and is now a contender for victory every weekend. The 24-year-old Spaniard has two previous wins to his name at Brno - one in the 125cc class in 2003 and the other in the 250 series in 2005 - and he was second in the MotoGP race at Brno last year. With nothing now to lose in the World Championship, he is sure to be going all out for victory this weekend.

Dovizioso also comes to the Czech round with high levels of motivation after two weekends without a MotoGP race. His target is to build on his third place in the World Championship standings and to close the points gap to his team-mate Pedrosa who lies in second position, 23 points ahead. Dovizioso has taken second position three times at Brno in the smaller Grand Prix classes - in 2006 and 2007 on a 250 and in 2004 in the 125cc category. The 24-year-old Italian is determined to be right up front during Sunday's race and to be competing for the win at the chequered flag.

Brno is one of the most impressive and challenging MotoGP circuits on the 18-event calendar. The 5.403km (3.357-mile) lap is the second longest of the season (only Sepang in Malaysia is longer) and features a spectacular 74-metre elevation difference from its highest to its lowest point. The varied array of corners and demanding, power-sapping climb from the bottom of the hill tests all aspects of race bike handling and performance. It's for this reason that Brno is chosen as a MotoGP test venue, and the Repsol Honda Team and the other MotoGP contenders will remain at Brno after Sunday's Grand Prix of the Czech Republic for the final day of testing before the end of the MotoGP season.

DANI PEDROSA -- World Championship position 2nd -- 138 points

"This has definitely been one of my best summer breaks of the last few years. I did nothing special, but I had a great time with my friends, enjoyed a lot surfing on the beach and was able to think only about having fun and relaxing rather than working to recover from an injury as has been the case in the last few years. It makes a big difference in order to recharge the batteries and go into the second part of the season with even more energy. Now I'm really looking forward to getting back on the bike at Brno. It's one of the most difficult circuits on the calendar; physically it's very demanding but it's also very enjoyable to ride on a MotoGP bike. You have everything there: big elevation changes, very fast corners where you need to let the bike run through, and also hard braking zones where stability is very important. I would say that there is only one good line, so it's crucial to be focused during the whole lap to get a good laptime - and it's a very long circuit. I've had many podiums in Brno, including two wins, so I would like to add another one in MotoGP. It's going to be a busy weekend for everybody, not only with the race but also because we stay on Monday for testing. It's the only test day remaining this season so we have to make sure we do a good job to help us in the upcoming races."

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO -- World Championship position 3rd -- 115 points

"We are very motivated for the next race at Brno and I'm confident that we can get a good result. Our target is to fight for second position in the championship, and so to do that we have to be up there battling for race wins every Sunday starting from this Grand Prix. I'm looking forward to this race weekend and also to the test on Monday because that will be really important for us. We will have the opportunity to test some new material and it will be a good opportunity to make some further progress. Brno is a fast and challenging circuit. There are also many long turns that are quite demanding and you need to quickly adapt your riding style to the characteristics of the track and the technical nature of the layout. The atmosphere generated by the spectators on the banks and hillsides is always very special and it's a circuit I enjoy racing at. I'm feeling good going into the weekend after a having some time away from the MotoGP paddock. I spent the two weeks of the summer break at the seaside not far from where I live, with my friends, my family and Sara, my little daughter. Now I'm ready to get back on track."

-source: repsol

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