Moto GP, Round 10 - The Czech Grand Prix

[frostie]

The three week summer break is over in MotoGP with the Czech Grand Prix taking place this weekend. Marking the tenth race of 18 teams and riders are sure to be refreshed and ready to tackle the second half of the season.

Jorge Lorenzo has dominated MotoGP the first nine races, taking six wins and three second place finishes, and the Spaniard could become just the third rider to finish in the top two in each of the first ten races of a season. Only Giacomo Agostini and Mick Doohan have achieved that feat. Lorenzo may be comfortably in front in the championship chase but it is unlikely that the Yamaha rider will have it all his own way this weekend. Dani Pedrosa has been in impressive form in recent races and the Repsol Honda rider will be looking to put his crash while leading at Laguna Seca behind him this weekend.

Pedrosa’s teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, has struggled since the British Grand Prix and will know that he needs to recapture his early form if he is too challenge Pedrosa for second in the standings. The Italian had four podiums earlier in the season but has been outpaced by Pedrosa since the Italian Grand Prix in early June.

2007 world champion Casey Stoner has shown a marked improvement in form in recent rounds and comes to Brno on the back of four consecutive podiums. The Ducati rider has won at this circuit in the past and is sure to be confident of adding to his win from pole position in his championship year. Stoner has qualified on the front row at each of the last four races and has shown an ever increasing confidence and the Australian is sure to challenge for his 21st premier class victory soon.

Valentino Rossi made a heroic recovery in Germany to challenge Stoner for the final spot on the podium and backed it up with a superb ride to third position at Laguna Seca and the Italian will be looking for another podium this weekend. The Czech round was initially slated as the return date for Rossi but with two races already under his belt the Italian should look much more at home this weekend. In 1996 Rossi won the first Grand Prix of his career at Brno and it would be very fitting if he could win his 105th this weekend. That is likely to be too tall an order for even Valentino but it is not unthinkable that he could challenge Lorenzo this weekend. With 11 podiums, including six wins, from his 14 races at this circuit it is clear that the nine times world champion will be confident of surprising this weekend.

Randy de Puniet is looking to make an incredible recovery from his broken leg, suffered only four weeks ago, and race this weekend. The Frenchman will have to pass the medical checks but he is confident of racing. The LCR Honda rider has been a revelation this season with his qualifying performances consistently astounding the paddock and making his many critics admit that the once crash prone rider has improved immensely, even so his race against time to fit this weekend is probably one of his most impressive displays to date.

The smaller Moto2 and 125cc classes did not travel to Laguna Seca and return to action having had an extra weeks break. Pol Espargaro, in the 125cc class, will have been happy for the rest after suffering a high-side at the Sachsenring that clearly left the Derbi rider dazed and confused. Espargaro will once more be chasing Marc Marquez this weekend. Marquez has been in inspired form lately and has won the last five races. Having not won a Grand Prix before Mugello the diminutive Spaniard has been unbeaten. The summer break came at the worst time for Marquez who would have been keen to put his rivals under even more pressure, Marquez holds a 26 point title lead over Espargaro.

Nico Terol may have missed the last race in Germany but the winner of the season opener in Qatar still lies third in the championship. The Aspar Aprilia rider knows that will the long uphill straights that make up the Brno circuit that he will face an uphill struggle to keep pace with Marquez and Espargaro. The Derbi and Aprilia are almost identical bikes but the Derbi has consistently been faster down the straights this season and this could allow Efran Vasquez to display some of his early season form. Marquez’ teammate, Sandro Cortese, comes to Brno on the back of his first podium of the season in front of his home crowd in Germany and is sure to be confident of another strong showing. Cortese has qualified well all year, including pole at Mugello, and will look to build on his podium last time out.

The Moto2 class is undoubtedly the most competitive Grand Prix class in years. With identical engines and a free reign as far as chassis development is concerned the talent of the rider has been the defining force behind strong performances. The field will know that they will need to contain Andrea Iannone right from the start of the race. The Italian dominated at home and at Assen after leaving the field for dead early on in the race. The Speedup rider has form at Brno having finished third last year and he will know that it is crucial to close the point’s gap to Toni Elias if he is too contend for the title.

Elias started the year as title favourite and has lived up to his billing by winning three times and qualifying on the front two rows at every race except Silverstone. The former MotoGP race winner knows that it is crucial to add to his win last time out in Germany if he is to win this title and get back on a premier class bike for next season, Elias has been linked to the available Tech 3 Yamaha seat should Ben Spies become a factory rider and Colin Edwards return to World Superbikes. Elias has had some inspired performances at this track in the past and will be exceptionally confident of another victory this weekend.

Shoya Tomizawa had one of his strongest showings of last season in the Czech Republic and the winner of the first ever Moto2 race knows that it really is a case of now or never if he is to challenge for the title. The Japanese rider currently is one point behind fourth place man Julian Simon. The reigning 125cc world champion crashed out of the last race but has finished on the podium three times this season and has had several strong showings in Brno before, the highlight being second place last year and a first ever front row start in 2004. The Aspar rider has shown consistent progress throughout the season but is sure to know that he needs to start winning races if he is to add to his recent championship success.

Thomas Luthi has been a revelation this season. The Swiss rider struggled for years in the 250cc, after winning the 125cc title in 2004, but has been rejuvenated by the new Moto2 class. With four podiums Luthi is the closest challenger to Elias in the title chase and the Moriwaki shod rider could contend for another podium this weekend.

The summer break is officially over and with races coming in quick succession from now until the end of the season the pressure will mount on the teams and riders challenging for honours.

Recent Czech Grand Prix

Last season at Brno Rossi was victorious after a terrific battle with Lorenzo. Pedrosa made his customary fast start and let into turn one but the FIAT Yamaha riders were soon past and in a race of their own, opening up a huge gap at the rate of almost one second per lap. With six laps to go Lorenzo made his move and passed Rossi into turn three and tried to pull away. The Spaniard though handed Rossi victory when he crashed at the same corner the very next lap. Rossi won comfortably from Pedrosa with Toni Elias beating Dovizioso to the line for third.

The 250cc race was won by Marco Simoncelli from Mattia Pasini but current Suzuki MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista was the centre of attention after the race having crashed his Aprilia while pulling a wheelie in front of the fans.

Two years ago Stoner gifted Rossi the victory when the Australian crashed his Ducati after just six laps while comfortably leading the race. Rossi ended the race comfortably ahead of Elias in second who had an inspired ride from 13th on the grid. In the 250cc race Alex Debon took the second win of his career after a terrific battle with Marco Simoncelli at the front of the field with the pair changing positions almost every lap until Bautista joined the battle for the last handful of laps. Simoncelli led until the second last corner before Debon made his move and was followed through by Bautista. Young German Stefan Bradl took his first Grand Prix victory in the 125cc race. Bradl started in 13th but found his way to the front of the field ahead of Mike di Meglio and Joan Olive.

[jhansen]

This race has been duller than dishwater in recent years (ie 800's). So my hopes are not very high.

With that said, it is a nice big track that should accommodate Moto 2 quite well.

[gomick]

They should be able to go 6 or 7 wide in some of those Brno corners...

[rusty46]

What a disapointment for him and the championship after his free practice fall @ Brno

[jhansen]

That's a real bummer for sure. He's been quite dominant. But, perhaps he can still ride if they are able to put the shoulder back into place.

[jhansen]

So Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi on top. I see two surprises: Hayden in front of Stoner and Edwards in front of Spies. RdP was 16th.

Toni Elias was banned from Friday practice for testing during the summer break. That will be interesting to watch.

[bestfit]

Ian Wheeler on twitter is saying Marquez' shoulder was put back in by Clinica Mobile, and he should be OK to ride tomorrow.

[jhansen]

Thanks for that. I was wondering if that would be the case.

Regarding Hayden, I read in Road Racing World that he is basically switching back and forth between used and new engines for practice and warm-up, and qualifying and the race. That's a busy crew!

[gomick]

Why was Elias banned from Friday practice ONLY - testing when not allowed is CHEATING surely...
Badluck for Marquez, may breath a bit of life into 125s though...

[bestfit]

Alvaro Bautista suspected L1 vertebrae fracture after an off in FP2.

[jhansen]

Hand injury for Hayden.

I guess it looks like Bautista will try and race.

[chunder]

Fell asleep again in the race, I think this might be the worst Grand Prix ever.

No overtaking at all in the top 4 after a lap or two and even gaps between the all at the end.

Can't even really conjure up a criticism, it really was that horrendous.

[Tazz]

Even the 125cc was boring...
I fell asleep too, woke up when Lorenzo was playing golf .

[GORDON STREETER]

I did watch it, a waste of time and I should have recorded it to flick through later, I then went up to Brands Hatch to wake myself up !!!!!!
Can it get any worse ?

[chunder]

In all seriousness a hell of a lot of bike racing has been really, really poor this year in very many categories.

Moto2 has been the decent races, but even then the racing has been often spread out in some meetings.

125 and GP ahve been atrocious, the standard of decent bikes is all over the place in 125, it's kind of like the old days when you ahd Bkit and A kit Hondas! Haves and have nots etc.

Even Superbike is struggling, the only saving grace being the spead of winners with Aprilia perhaps being the most consistent, but Pirelli shaking things up a bit at Silverstone by not letting Max use HIS tyre that everyone else couldnt get on with!

Not sure what the problem is, I am tempted to blame electronics and stuff, but now they all have it perhaps the level of control is so huge now that the best electronics techs are more responsible for winning than the rider/tuner/cheif mechanic used to be

[jhansen]

Indeed, 2010 has been very disappointing. Even World Supersport, which has always been one of the strongest racing series on the planet, has been rather spread out on most occassions this year.

Moto 2 is an odd one for sure, given that it has a spec motor and electronics. I think the case here is that the teams and riders are still adapting. But the races that have been good, such as Brno, are genuinely interesting.

For me, I think what the electronics do is put everyone on a similar racing line. It also puts riders closer to the limit than they otherwise would be. For sure it takes a rare gift to get closest to that 100% level, but still it seems rather contrived.

[gomick]

Would prefer Supersport to be rockin' with all Jap/Ital/Brit makes fielding atleast 2 factory bikes....
Moto 2 - racing OK, but i dont care for the bikes or teams, dont know what rider is on what except the black Elias bike & fluoro green Iannone one...