Repsol Honda pair energised for Brno

Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso are both feeling fit, ready and raring to go ahead of the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic after a summer break.

Having had three weeks off and time to recuperate after a busy first half of the season, Repsol Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso are now more than ready to return to action at Brno. Pedrosa currently occupies second position in the Championship and feels focused upon the resumption of his chase of leader Jorge Lorenzo, having enjoyed a refreshing summer interval.

“This has definitely been one of my best summer breaks of the last few years. I was able to just think about relaxing rather than working to recover from an injury, as has been the case in the last few years,” said Pedrosa, who is fully prepared for the challenge of round ten at Brno.

“Now I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike at Brno,” he continued. “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. 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 lap time - and it’s a very long circuit.”

Second in last year’s MotoGP race, Pedrosa has previously tasted victory in the 250cc and 125cc classes at Brno, a result he is hoping to replicate in the premier class. “I’ve had many podiums in Brno, including two wins, so I would like to add another one in MotoGP,” he said, before looking ahead to the one-day test that follows the GP on Monday.

“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,” he added.

Repsol Honda team-mate Dovizioso is similarly eager to climb back aboard his factory RC212V as he aims to close the gap on his colleague, who sits 23 points ahead of him in the standings.

“Our target is to fight for second position in the Championship, and to do that we have to be up there battling for race wins every Sunday starting from this Grand Prix,” said the Italian, who is third in the standings at the moment. “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.”

Dovizioso is also focused and ready to do a job this weekend, and he added: “I’m feeling good going into the weekend after a having some time away from the MotoGP paddock, and now I’m ready to get back on track."

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In conversation - Bernie Ecclestone & Tavo Hellmund

Formula One racing has a long and illustrious past in the United States, but one that has been rather sporadic of late. No surprise then that news the US Grand Prix will be back on the calendar for 2012 has been met with universal excitement. For fans, seeing F1 cars battle it out again on American soil is a dream come true, whilst for teams, manufacturers and sponsors the marketing potential of a stateside race is second to none. However, for the two men responsible for the return - Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone and Tavo Hellmund, managing partner of Full Throttle Productions LP - it’s been a far more personal quest…

Q: The United States are considered to be one of the most important markets for Formula One racing. In 2012 there will be again a United States Grand Prix, in Austin, Texas. Who came up with this idea?
Tavo Hellmund: I considered Austin as the ultimate place and I went to Bernie with this idea. Austin has developed immensely over the last 15 years - in every aspect - so for me there was no better place to hold the United States Grand Prix. The State of Texas has developed into the 11th biggest global economy and many of the Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters here. And Austin is the capital. Think of the ideal location of the city: my fellow countrymen can reach it easily, as well as fans from central and South America. In this respect it’s perfectly central. My philosophy is that you will succeed if you are at the right place at the right time - and for a Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, I considered it to be the right time. We have a contract for the next ten years, but if you ask me we could race here for the next 40 years!

Q: Bernie, what impressions did you take home from Austin?
Bernie Ecclestone: First of all, when Formula One returns to the United States we wanted to go to a place that has global recognition. Texas fulfils that perfectly, so Tavo’s plan and our needs matched perfectly. And Austin is so beautiful. Anyone visiting for the first time will be very impressed. And now comes something important: I’ve known Tavo since he was born.

Q: How come?
TH: My father and Bernie have been friends for decades. As a child I would spend summer vacations with Bernie so I have been familiar with Formula One since I started to walk. One way or another, F1 was always a topic of conversation in our family as my father and Bernie were responsible for the return of the Mexican Grand Prix in the 80’s. Bernie and I always stayed in touch, he was always interested in my projects and sent his congratulations when we did well, including organizing motorsport events or music festivals in the US. Now Bernie is banking that I not only know about the needs of Formula One, but also the predilection of the American fans.

Q: What needed to happen for the Austin F1 project to take off?
BE: We had to verify if it was feasible - from the security aspect of such a mega event down to the most peculiar facet, until we were confident that it would work perfectly.

Q: So far it’s been a tough endeavour for Formula One racing to gain the affection of US motorsport fans. How do you think Austin will manage that?
TH: It will be great. One of the reasons is that I have fantastic partners in Red McCombs (McCombs Partners) and Bobby Epstein (Prophet Capital Management). Red’s legendary ownership experience in the NBA and NFL are huge assets and we have hired various agencies and staff that are the best of the best. Their experience ranges from the entertainment/business world to being involved in the election campaigns of Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barak Obama. Their goal and ours is not only to establish the US Grand Prix at home, but also make it a worldwide event. America shall be proud of it. Therefore we will build a track that will stand as a symbol. Bernie has given us the platform and you can be sure that we will use it! Prominent Texans will support us in making the US Grand Prix in Texas a national and international affair.

Q: Can you drop names?
TH: Well, MotoGP legend Kevin Schwantz - one of my closest friends - is involved in the project. And Austin is home to many internationally prominent actors, athletes and business people. Suffice to say, we have a very deep bench.

Q: That’s all well and good, but isn’t NASCAR too strong a competitor?
BE: Stop! Whenever we’ve raced in the US we had legions of fans that were fascinated and thrilled. It was the case in Long Beach and in Dallas, also in Indianapolis. But the promoters there believed that they could make a better cut financially. The problems in Indianapolis had nothing to do with us. We’ve been always popular with the fans in the United States.
TH: That’s true. What you need to have is the total package, which is extremely difficult to do. Fortunately that is the fact in our case. And what could be better for a city or region than to have this ultimate high-tech-sport with a global audience in your backyard? And with a permanent facility…
BE: Exactly - that’s what is needed. Let’s face it, it’s no big deal for a promoter to build fences and crash barriers around a street circuit, tear them down again and pocket the profits.
TH: We are planning something grand, something that has permanence. Bernie has brilliant ideas on how to inject thrills into the race weekend with support events, mega parties in the park. This is no fairytale or witchcraft - I know that we can do it, but hard work lies before us.

Q: How will the race track look like?
TH: Amazing! I have conveyed my ideas to Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl who are the most established racetrack architects of our times. The area has natural elevation differences, which promises a fast track with difficult corners. But the most essential thing is that has to be a masterpiece in its suitability for fans. Spectators have to be able to see large parts of the track from wherever they are.

Q: What is your schedule?
TH: The layout is just about to be finished and we will present it to the FIA in September.

Q: Many American motorsport fans love that barbeque-type atmosphere at a race, where they can bring their camper and have their own evening entertainment…
TH: Absolutely. That’s exactly what we are planning, as we are not only staging a race but a happening where racing is just a part of it.

Q: Bernie, how important is it for you personally to bring F1 back to the US?
BE: It’s very simple: we call ourselves a world championship and that implies having a race in the US. But we would not come here at any price and we would not be willing to settle for a rotten compromise. Now we have found someone who thinks the same way, and that means first class, in every respect.

Q: Car manufacturers like Mercedes must be cheering the return of F1 to the US…
BE: Of course they do.
TH: And they will recognise immediately why they have good reason to cheer - because I don’t want to make just Bernie or myself happy, but more importantly our fans, the region and our partners. And the manufacturers I consider our partners. I could not rest easy knowing that anyone in this chain is not happy. Or to use a metaphor, I would not sell you a Budweiser with no Bud in the bottle…
BE: Tavo, hold it - no advertisements please…

Q: Do you think manufacturers and teams will support you?
TH: I am positive about it. They will send show cars and people over because it’s the logical thing to do. Everyone involved can only win: Formula One, the teams, the manufacturer, the State of Texas, the fans - simply everyone!

Q: Wouldn’t it add to the picture if there were an American team or an American driver? Just to cement the success…
TH: Bernie thinks so I guess. Of course it would be fantastic to have an American driver. A team would great, sure, but it’s no real necessity. But I see different options. There is that young Mexican driver Perez who is doing a great job in GP2 right now. For him the 2012 US Grand Prix could be a sort of home race: the distance from Austin to Mexico is a mere 250 kilometres!
BE: His career is followed in Mexico with huge interest, that I can confirm. Regarding an American driver, we have tried that lately but obviously what’s missing is the right attitude. You can race successfully in the US without the huge effort you need to succeed in Formula One. But to have someone like Danica Patrick in F1 would be a perfect advert.

Q: Bernie, have you already been thinking of a slot for the 2012 race in the calendar?
BE: We have to wait and see, but it would be logical to place it close to the race in Montreal and that would mean somewhere in June.
TH: Of course I have a preference, but feel confident that Bernie will do what is best for us to ensure the success of the USGP.

Q: Will there be more than one race in the US in the future?
BE: Let’s make one thing clear: Austin will be the US Grand Prix. But that does not mean that we cannot have another race in the US with another label. I would be insane if there were the option to race in New York and I said ‘no thanks’. But for now that’s nothing more than a pipe dream. The reality is we have a contract with Austin and it is there where the US Grand Prix will be staged.

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Lorenzo to continue title charge

The Fiat Yamaha rider is ready to maintain his fantastic 2010 form and is aiming for a first premier class win at Brno this weekend, where he will look to extend his 72-point Championship lead.


The first half of the 2010 season could not have gone much better for Jorge Lorenzo, who won six of the opening nine races and placed second in the remaining three. That phenomenal form has given the Fiat Yamaha rider a substantial 72-point lead in the World Championship standings at the midway point of the campaign, and after a three-week summer break he will now continue his bid for a debut MotoGP World title at Brno this weekend.

"The holidays were perfect… ten days in the Caribbean for rest and fun, recharging the batteries for the second half of the season. I needed it because the calendar has been busy in the last month and now I can focus on the rest of the season,” explained Lorenzo, who now heads to a track he has won on in both the 125cc and 250cc classes but is still yet to take victory at in the elite category.

“We are going to Brno, a track I like and where I've won three times, but never in MotoGP. I haven't even got a podium here and this is my challenge, my first podium in the second part of the season and in Brno,” explained Lorenzo, who became the first rider since Valentino Rossi in 2002 to finish inside the top two in the first nine MotoGP races of the season with victory last time out at Laguna Seca.

Following the race on Sunday Lorenzo and his Fiat Yamaha team will work on the Spaniard’s M1 machine during the one-day test, to further improve what has proven to be a fantastic package so far this season.

“After the race I will stay in Brno to try something new on the bike, something to improve our bike until the end of Championship. It’s a good place to restart!" he added.

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Ferrari target ‘fresh inspiration’ over summer break

For a fortnight in August Formula One racing comes to a shuddering halt as the teams enforce their self-imposed summer shutdown. For Ferrari, who only recently rediscovered their early season form at the German and Hungarian Grands Prix, the two-week holiday could be considered costly, but team principal Stefano Domenicali is hoping a spell away from the factory could prove productive.

“We will be on holiday, but that does not mean our brains will stop working,” Domenicali told Ferrari’s official website. “Maybe one can even find fresh inspiration when outside the normal working environment and I expect this time to be a fertile one for ideas, which when all is said and done, are what make the difference.”

Although hopeful of returning from the shutdown with a few bright ideas packed into his suitcase, Domenicali believes the Italian team are already on the right track thanks to their hard work in July and he is optimistic the F10 will only get better when they resume racing at the end of this month.

“I have to say I was very pleased with the way our team reacted at a point in the season when the results were just not coming,” he added. “The second half of July went very well and I hope it has given the right impetus for the final part of the season. We know there is much to do, because we still do not have the best car, but this should simply be a further incentive.”

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, who won in Germany and took second place in Hungary, isn’t expecting to completely escape Formula One either on his break. He is currently 20 points adrift of standings’ leader Mark Webber and is targeting more strong results when he returns to racing.

“It won’t be possible to switch off my mind completely over these two weeks,” Alonso said. “I will try and relax and do a bit of sport, but at least once a day, maybe just for ten minutes, I will inevitably think about the next race in Belgium. I think it will be the same for everyone. After a few unlucky races, which went badly for various reasons, we are now on the right road.

“The car is much improved and so that makes me more optimistic and has seen the whole team grow in confidence. It only took us two normal races to be fully back in contention for the title. The important thing is to remain calm and concentrated and to do our job well. The percentage chance (of winning the title)? I’d say 50 percent, which is the normal state of affairs.”

Ferrari are expected back in the factory from August 23, ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps from August 27-29.

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Valentino Rossi’s 2010 season so far

A winning start, a horrendous injury and a phenomenal return to action well ahead of schedule… and all by the halfway point of the season. This is the reigning World Champion’s 2010 campaign to date.

Valentino Rossi’s 2010 season so far…

Nobody ever expects Valentino Rossi’s season to be without its fair share of pivotal moments, but the first half of the reigning World Champion’s 2010 campaign must go down as one of the most eventful of his illustrious career to date. Victory in round one, despair in injury and a highly impressive return to action have all been packed into the opening nine rounds by the 31 year-old Italian.

Starting the defence of his title with a win in Qatar Rossi began his quest for an eighth premier class title in the perfect manner, but a motocross training accident shortly after resulted in an injured shoulder which was to continue troubling him for some time. Pain proved no insurmountable obstacle however and third place at Jerez in the next round proved Rossi’s determination. Second place behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo at Le Mans in round three maintained his solid start as another intense battle between the pair formed early in the campaign.

Eager to secure a second win of the season in his home race at Mugello disaster struck in the second practice session as a crash resulted in a fractured right tibia and fibula, an injury which was to rule Rossi out for four races, a considerably shorter period than had first been suggested. It also brought to an end his record breaking run of 230 successive Grand Prix starts, having never missed a race since his World Championship debut in 1996.

Back on two wheels a little over four weeks after the injury Rossi tested a superbike at Misano at the start of July, and a few days later a second day at Brno led to a decision by the rider and his Fiat Yamaha team to attempt a comeback at Sachsenring. Just six weeks after breaking his leg The Doctor rode to fourth position in the race, losing out on a podium spot only on the final corner of the last lap.

Completing a remarkable comeback Rossi placed third in the next race at Laguna Seca, refusing to hold back in his effort to get his campaign back on course. Fifth in the standings on 90 points, some 120 off leader Lorenzo, the title looks beyond his grasp in 2010 but few would be surprised if Rossi mounted an impressive attempt at recovering lost ground over the remaining nine rounds.

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Jenson Button shines at London Triathlon

Despite suffering from a bout of tonsillitis in the days leading up to the event, McLaren’s Jenson Button put in an impressive performance at Sunday’s London Triathlon. Button is understood to have finished fourth out of the 570 competitors in his group, with a time of 2.14:14.

The annual event includes a 1500-metre swim, a 40-kilometre bike ride and a 10-kilometre run. It attracts 11,000 entrants making it the largest triathlon in the world.

“Great day at the London Triathlon,” said Button on his official Twitter site. “Suffered quite a bit on the run due to just being physically drained I guess from the antibiotics. Still reasonably happy with the result though.”

Button competed to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity which makes dreams a reality for young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. For more details on the 30 year-old’s fundraising efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/jb2010.

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