2007 MotoGP - Brno, Czech Republic

Kawasaki Returns to Lime Green in MotoGP (Story Below). Courtesy Kawasaki Racing.

Race Results
World Championship leader Casey Stoner was in dominant form at Brno on Sunday afternoon as he earned his seventh win of 2007, riding to victory by a 7.9 second margin to extend his standings lead to 60 points with just six races to go.

The 21-year old Ducati Marlboro rider repeated his Laguna Seca trick at the historic Czech circuit of Brno, controlling the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske Republiky race from start to finish, having started on pole for the third round in succession, and adding to his championship advantage as Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi struggled to finish seventh.

There was another great performance from Rizla Suzuki’s John Hopkins, who crossed the line in second to secure his best ever MotoGP result, while in third place World Champion Nicky Hayden continued his recent improvement in form with his third podium in four races.

Hayden’s Repsol Honda colleague Dani Pedrosa missed out on a podium finish himself by just under three seconds, while Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen was fifth and Stoner’s Suzuki-bound Ducati colleague Loris Capirossi was sixth.

Behind Rossi, Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet (eighth), Pramac d’Antin’s Alex Barros (ninth) and Carlos Checa completed the top ten, while a special mention must go to Toni Elias (Honda Gresini) who bravely finished 11th as he continues his recovery from his femur brake at Assen.

There was disappointment on both sides of the Fiat Yamaha pit box as Colin Edwards retired early in the race due to engine failure.

Qualifying
Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will start tomorrow's Czech Grand Prix from the outside of the second and third rows respectively, after claiming the sixth and ninth spots in today's Qualifying session in Brno.

With temperatures much cooler this morning, Rossi ran into some unexpected problems and his team were forced to work hard to make some changes during the middle of the day to put him in better shape for this afternoon's qualifying session.  Meanwhile Edwards, having struggled for grip yesterday, was encouraged when a small change to his set-up proved fruitful and he ended the morning practice in fourth position.

This afternoon saw both crews working hard on tires and general set-up through the majority of the hour-long session before switching their concentration to the fight for grid spots towards the end. Rossi and Edwards' second run with qualifying tires seemed to have put them comfortably into fifth and eighth on the grid, before a last minute fast lap from Randy de Puniet pushed them both down one spot.

Pole position was taken by Casey Stoner, although his time of 1'56.884 was still over half a second slower than Rossi's pole time from 2006, when the Italian finished second.  Tomorrow's 22-lap race promises an exciting battle as Rossi aims to close the points-gap to Stoner when action commences at 1400 CET.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 6th Time: 1'57.640 Laps: 25 - "This morning we had quite a lot of problems, especially with the tires.  It was quite cold and with the temperature like this we didn't have enough traction and we suffered quite a bit.  On the exit of the corners I was spinning a lot and this meant I was really quite slow.  After this my engineers worked hard on the setting in order to find more traction for this afternoon, and actually we were able to improve the situation quite a bit so thanks to everyone for a good job.  This afternoon, with the race tires, I had quite a good rhythm and the feeling was a lot better.  It's not perfect and we still need to understand more about the final setting for tomorrow, especially on the front, because at the moment it's pushing a little bit too much and we need to resolve this.

"Regarding the qualifying tires, unfortunately with the first one I made a mistake in braking and so lost that lap.  Then the second time around I rode quite well but tire was too soft on the right side and didn't last all the way to the end of the lap, so we lost some time in the last section.  Also in T1 I had to pass four or five slower riders and so I lost one or two tenths there also.  Anyway, the second row is not so bad and I think that sixth place is more or less what we expected this afternoon.

"For tomorrow we haven't yet made a final decision about the tires.  If it's hot then we have a good tire already decided, if it's cooler like this morning then we will have to choose something different.  We have some more work to do on the setting in warm-up, but this year it's always quite difficult to work in warm-up because we have to use different tires to the ones we are keeping for the race.  Anyway, we will do our best to try to find a way to improve the situation with the front so I can ride at the maximum during the race, which of course is going to be necessary.  We hope for a good temperature, like this afternoon, because our tire  works a lot better when it's hot. For sure it will be a hard race but our rhythm with the race tire is quite good so I think it can be possible to fight for a good result."

Brno Race Circuit, Czech Republic

Brno Factoids Circuit Name: Brno Circuit Length: 5403 m Opened 1987 Lap Record: 1' 58.787 (Valentino Rossi, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 56.191 (Valentino Rossi, 2006)

Race Preview
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins return to action at Brno in the Czech Republic next weekend refreshed and ready to go after the mid-season break, and both are sure that good results are a strong possibility.

Vermeulen is especially eager to get back into the fray following his first dry weather podium last time out in America.  The 25-year-old Australian will also be riding competitively for the first time since agreeing to remain with Suzuki for 2008 and will now be looking to fully concentrate on racing hard for the rest of 2007.

Vermeulen will also be planning to build on his already impressive points tally that sees him in fourth place in the riders’ championship, having already scored 15 points more this season than he did in the whole of 2006.

Hopkins had a strong race at Brno last year and finished seventh, following what he described as his best race of the season.  The combative Anglo-American is still looking for another podium to go alongside his first top-three in China this year, and believes that Brno holds a good chance for him.

Hopkins has recovered from the disappointment of Laguna Seca, where a first lap incident cost him any chance of a possible podium at his "home" GP and will be determined to make amends in the Czech Republic.

Brno is situated in the south-east of the Czech Republic, not far from the Austrian border and is the most eastern of all the European Grand Prix.  The 5.4km circuit is an ideal track to come back to after the summer break and has a habit of producing exciting races.  The layout features various types of corner combinations over many different elevations.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP takes to the track on Friday for two hour-long practice sessions and then another free practice session the following morning.  Saturday afternoon is reserved for an hour of qualifying to determine starting positions for the race. 

The main event is round 12 of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship and the 22-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 19th August.

Chris Vermeulen:  “I cannot wait to get back in the saddle again.  I have had some downtime relaxing on my boat in Australia – I even went whale watching!  But I need to be racing again - it’s my job!  I’m glad that I have got next year’s negotiations all sorted and out of the way."

"I’m delighted to be staying with Suzuki and will now be able to concentrate on my riding and getting the best possible results for the remainder of the season, starting at Brno!”

John Hopkins:  “I was very disappointed at Laguna, but that’s racing and it’s all done now.  I love Brno, it is a great circuit and with how the bike and the tires are working this year I really believe we have a great opportunity there.  I am fully committed to getting the best out of the GSV-R, and with corner-speed being a vital ingredient to success at Brno I think I have a good chance of putting us on the podium again!”

Fiat Yamaha Team Report
 return from the MotoGP summer break this week ready for a flying re-start to the season as the World Championship resumes with round twelve of eighteen at Brno.  Valentino Rossi heads into the Czech Republic Grand Prix lying second in the standings, just as he did last season when he returned from the midseason break with a 51-point gap to Nicky Hayden - a distance he cut to just five by the final round at Valencia.

This year he is 44 points adrift of series leader Casey Stoner with an extra round at Misano, just 15 kilometers away from his hometown of Tavullia, to help make up the difference.

It promises to be an intense finish to a demanding first season of 800cc racing, in which the new technical regulations and tire restrictions have proved to be hugely influential in the outcome of race results.  At the last two rounds, in particular, Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards have struggled to find a set-up and rear tire to cope with the demands of the Sachsenring and Laguna Seca circuits and similar disappointment at Brno is an unthinkable scenario for the team's title hopes.

Engineers at Yamaha's headquarters in Japan have been working around the clock over the summer to ensure that does not happen as they aim for improvements in engine performance at a circuit where horsepower is key, especially on the short uphill straights towards the end of the lap.

Michelin's Clermont-Ferrand factory in France has also been a hive of activity, with the tire manufacturers eager to turn around a disappointing season in which they have taken four wins out of eleven - three of them with Rossi.

This year will be the 38th occasion that a Grand Prix has been staged at Brno since it was first used back in 1965 on an original road circuit measuring almost 14km.  The layout changed several times before being made temporarily redundant in 1977, with MotoGP taking a ten-year sabbatical before returning for the opening of the current incarnation in 1987.  Subtle alterations were made in 1996 but the winding chicanes and dramatic elevation changes still retain much of the character of the old track, which still wanders its way through the surrounding forests.

Valentino Rossi heads to Brno planning re-launch his title challenge at what has been one of his most successful circuits. The 28-year-old took his maiden Grand Prix win at Brno in the 125cc class and has since added to his tally with a 250cc success and three wins in MotoGP, as well as three second places in the top class.  In fact, the only occasion he failed to finish in the top two at Brno in MotoGP was in 2002 and a continuation of that run is the target this weekend.

"Of course Laguna was quite disappointing and it would have been nice to have been able to go into the summer break knowing we had closed the gap in the championship, but this sadly wasn't the case," says Rossi.

"Laguna made many things quite clear about the situation that we're in this season and I know that many people at Yamaha and Michelin have been working very hard during this break in order to help us to be in better shape at the next race.  Now I'm really looking forward to getting back onto the bike and doing the best we can to get back into the fight.

"Of course we know that the championship is going to be difficult, but we were in a worse situation at this time last year, with less races remaining, and we still managed to come back to lead the fight.  This time it will be very, very hard because Stoner is very strong and is not making mistakes, but we won't give up.  I know my team, Yamaha and Michelin will continue to give 100% and we will fight at every one of the final seven races.  Brno last year was the start of a turnaround in our fortunes so let's hope this is the case again this year!"

Colin Edwards did not have to travel far to enjoy his holidays after the last round at Laguna Seca, the Texan staying on in his native USA for an extended spell with friends and family.  The break has given Edwards time to reflect on a tough few races leading up to his home Grand Prix and make plans to improve on a best result of seventh place at Brno, achieved in both 2004 and 2005.

"It's been great to have a decent amount of time at home since Laguna with the family," says Edwards.  "I'm coming back feeling nicely rejuvenated and full of energy for the final couple of months.  I've put the bad result of Laguna behind me now; obviously I was gutted not to have had a better result at my home race but there is no point dwelling on it.  I'm looking forward now and my aim is to get some really good results under my belt between now and Valencia.

"Everyone's going to be back working at the maximum level and it's going to be good to get going again in Brno.  I didn't have a great race there last year but I made some big steps forward in the test afterwards; this time I plan to do that before the race! I know that we'll all be working hard from Friday morning and be ready to run at the front."

Kawasaki Returns to Traditional Colors at Brno
The Ninja ZX-RR machines on which Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet and Anthony West will return to action at this weekend's Czech Republic Grand Prix will look decidedly different to the bikes they stepped off at Laguna Seca ahead of the three week summer break.

For the remainder of the 2007 MotoGP season the Kawasaki Racing Team will run in the traditional Kawasaki lime green, rather than the metallic green that made it's first appearance on the Japanese manufacturer's Ninja ZX-RR machines during pre-season testing.

While the metallic green was popular in some quarters, the overall consensus amongst Kawasaki fans worldwide was that the new color didn't properly reflect Kawasaki's rich racing heritage, built on the back of success with on and off road competition machines sporting the traditional Kawasaki lime green livery.

"The metallic green we ran on our Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP bikes during the first part of the season generated some lively discussion amongst Kawasaki fans worldwide," commented Ian Wheeler, Kawasaki's Communications Manager.

"But, while the color was well received by some, research by our colleagues in Japan clearly showed that the majority of Kawasaki fans worldwide felt the traditional lime green a more appropriate color for Kawasaki's factory MotoGP machines.  For this reason, the Ninja ZX-RR bikes of Randy de Puniet and Anthony West will run the traditional lime green livery from Brno onwards."

"It's meant a lot of work during the summer break for quite a few people, both in Europe and Japan, as we've had to change the livery on not only the bikes, but also the race transporters, the pit display and a whole host of other items.  But, this is what Kawasaki's loyal racing fans have told us that they want, so we're happy to do it.  It will be strange to see the bikes back in the traditional color at Brno, but sort of reassuring at the same time: Kawasaki's racing bikes have been lime green for a good few years, and it looks like they will remain so for some time to come," concluded Wheeler.

The lime green liveried Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR machines will make their first appearance on track during Friday morning's opening practice session ahead of this weekend's Czech Republic Grand Prix.

Kawasaki "Czech In" for Brno
As the three-week, MotoGP summer break draws to a close, Kawasaki Racing Team riders, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West are, yet again, ready to get back on their 800cc Ninja ZX-RRs and face the remaining rounds of the 2007 world championship.  The 12th race of the season takes place next weekend at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic with the 5.4km track hosting the 22 lap contest.

De Puniet has especially good memories of the place, having claimed no less than five top ten finishes there in his 250cc days, including a win in 2003 and a podium in 2004.  Having left the paddock with a spring in his step after an excellent 6th place at Laguna Seca, the 26-year-old Frenchman aims to ride his Bridgestone-shod Ninja to an equal, if not better, position at Brno.  Currently standing 13th in the championship, de Puniet hopes to add to his tally of 50 points, which has already placed him ahead of Toni Elias, Makoto Tamada and Carlos Checa.

West has also visited the circuit on numerous occasions when he was riding in the 250cc class, including getting a fourth position in 2004, but this will be his first race at the track on a MotoGP machine.  Having joined the Kawasaki squad late in the day (at Donington Park in June), he’s already put his stamp on the championship, racking up 29 points in just four races, with three out of those four seeing him finish in the top ten.  Working increasingly well with his ‘new’ team, the 26-year-old Australian has so far embraced, with both talent and enthusiasm, the sudden learning curve of joining the premier class and, after some intense training during the break, hopes to maintain this remarkable momentum.

Brno provides some great, and scenic, racing, with its wooded hillsides, sweeping undulations, numerous corners and short, sharp straights.  Opened in 1987, it replaced the old road racing circuit just 10km away, where cars and bikes had raced since the early 1900s.  The track, roughly 200kms from Czech capital, Prague, proves an enduringly popular round of the MotoGP calendar: its central European location making it a Mecca for motorcyclists from many surrounding countries.

The current circuit record holder is Loris Capirossi who, in 2006, put in a time of 1’58.157; while the highest recorded top speed at this championship round is a staggering 311.24kmh, ridden by current World Superbike rider, Max Biaggi, in 2004.

Whether or not those records will be broken this time around remains to be seen but there’s going to be no shortage of fantastic racing to be had as the teams and riders return with a vengeance to make their mark on the second half of this year’s nail-biting championship.