Lorenzo looks to continue pressure on Rossi
The 2009 MotoGP season continues to near its climax at Phillip Island over the weekend of 16th-18th October, as the battle for the title intensifies in Australia. Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) narrowed the gap on his - reigning champion and current standings leader Valentino Rossi with victory at Estoril - where Rossi finished a distant fourth as his championship lead over the Spaniard was cut from 30 to 18 points with three races remaining.
Lorenzo's win was the tenth for a Yamaha rider this year, leaving the manufacturer one short of its most successful year ever - 2005. Indeed, Lorenzo and Rossi have alternated wins since the Italian won in Brno, and a win for either in Australia would equal the longest-ever sequence of successive victories for Yamaha in the premier class, a feat they achieved in both 2005 and 2008.
In Phillip Island, Rossi will arrive at a circuit that harbours fond memories, and one which he has stated as a personal favourite. In his 12 visits to the track across all classes the reigning world champion has only once failed to finish on the podium, with five consecutive victories from 2001-2005 in the MotoGP class forming the body of a standout record. Rossi has not won in his last three outings Down Under though, and with main title rival Lorenzo putting together a strong finale to his season, the pressure is intensifying. Two wins and a runner-up spot in his last three races is fine form from Lorenzo, who finished fourth last year at Phillip Island on his MotoGP debut on the track from second on the grid, and has twice tasted victory there the 250cc class.
Casey Stoner’s (Ducati Marlboro) impressive return to action in Portugal after a three-race absence means there is an added component to an already intriguing equation, with the Australian rider finishing second behind Lorenzo at Estoril. Stoner's consecutive start-to-finish wins on his home track for the past two years mean that he will provide stern competition for both Yamaha factory riders, and at just three points behind third-placed Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda).
Pedrosa has recovered from his crash and subsequent tenth-placed finish at Indianapolis by finishing third consecutively in Misano and Estoril, and with a DNF blemishing his record at Phillip Island last year after a first-lap crash he will be determined to not only rediscover the kind of ride that brought him a 250cc victory there in 2005, but also hold off the challenge of Stoner in the championship. Pedrosa’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso placed seventh at Phillip Island in his rookie season last year. He triumphed at 125cc level in the 2004 race - beating Lorenzo and Stoner - and will hope to continue building on an encouraging second season in the top class, which currently sees him sitting fifth in the championship, some eight points ahead of Colin Edwards.
The American rounds off the top six as it stands in the championship, with a sizeable 37-point lead over nearest competitor Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki). Edwards’ best-ever result at Phillip Island was fourth place in 2004, when he rode a Honda, and the Texan is seeking only his second podium finish of the season on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine.
Phillip Island is the fastest circuit in MotoGP and one of the most demanding on the rider, bike and tyres. The layout is flowing and riddled with elevation changes that require precise throttle and machine control. It is one of the riders' favourite circuits because, unlike many modern tracks, Phillip Island has fast corners that really put them to the test. Located 130km south of Melbourne, the island hosted a motorcycle race for the first time in 1920, when the only way to access it was by boat. The original 12-mile track fell into disrepair but it was rebuilt as a closed circuit in the 80s and held its first Grand Prix in 1989. Its exposed location next to the Bass Strait often makes this race a victim to extremely changeable weather conditions.
Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha
Estoril was a great disappointment but we have to look at the positive and consider that we still came fourth and took 13 points in these conditions. I know that Yamaha have been studying the data very hard to understand what went wrong for us, and we hope that the situation in Phillip Island will be very different. I love this track and have some of the greatest memories of my career there and I really want to be in the best shape for this race. It's too long since I've won there! I think that the championship is going to be a great fight to the end with Lorenzo, but the next two tracks especially are two of my best.
Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha
I am very happy after my fourth victory this year and now my target is to confirm second place in the championship in Australia. I have the chance it if I get a lot of points! This has been my aim all year and I will fight to get it as soon as possible. Phillip Island is a track that I love, it's always special to race there and in my opinion it's the most beautiful circuit in the Championship, along with Mugello. You are riding at 250 km/h but you can still see the sea and the birds, it's incredible! Last year I couldn't get the on the podium but I will always remember 2007, when I won with 20 seconds gap. All my team is confident and determined to get more good results in these two important weeks!
Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro
I'm looking forward to Phillip Island. In Portugal I was able to get to the end of the race weekend without problems, just the predictable tiredness after a full MotoGP race, following two months of inactivity. So maybe I'll be a bit more ready for Phillip Island now. Besides that the temperature down there is a bit colder than other races we go to and that suits better my physical conditions at the moment . The track is awesome - it's fast, flowing and there isn't really a section that the riders don't enjoy. Normally races are fantastic there. I've had a dream run over the last couple of years but this one is going to be a little different so we have just to wait and see what we can do.
Nicky Hayden - Ducati Marlboro
I wish we were at Phillip Island today! It's a track and place I really like. The track is great - it's fast, flowing and a lot of fun. I hope we can get some decent weather because the place can be really challenging when its cold - there are not so many right hand corners so it can take a few laps to heat and scuff the right side of the tyre. I also enjoy the flyaways at the end of the year because it's a little different atmosphere with all the teams traveling together and staying in the same hotels - you see a different side of people. So we got three more races left before the end of the season and I really hope and need to make another step up toward the front. I really need to dig deep and try to make it happen.
Andrea Dovizioso - Repsol Honda
Phillip Island is one of the best places to race because of the track layout and laid-back atmosphere. It's a beautiful place - very green and the circuit is right by the sea which creates an unusual feeling. Unfortunately we race here at a time of the year where it's usually cold and windy, but still it's an event I always look forward to. The race track is really spectacular and it's always a big challenge to race here. The fast corners and elevation changes make it a circuit that's technical and demanding to ride, and it's one of the tracks where the bike slides a lot, so achieving good machine control is essential. There are always a lot of fans at Phillip Island whatever the weather and they are really passionate about MotoGP. At the end of the race they all come under the podium and this make for a very special atmosphere - so I hope I'm up there to enjoy the reception. I usually have decent results here and so I'm confident of having a good race. I'm certainly looking forward to getting back to this special track and pushing as hard as possible.
Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda
I'm really looking forward to racing in Australia again. It feels like one of the most important races of the season for me and I'm very motivated to do my best there, get a good result and hopefully challenge for the win. I've had mixed experiences at Phillip Island but there have been some very good memories and those are the ones I'll be focusing on going into this weekend. The objective for the remainder of the season is to keep third place in the championship and score at least one more victory, so if that can come in Australia, all the better. The circuit is great to ride and the atmosphere is also unique and special. The track itself is a little bit bumpy in a few places and that combined with the really fast curves makes set-up very important because you need to be able to ride aggressively here to go quickly. I've had podium finishes in the last two races at Misano and Estoril and this weekend we'll be looking for that little bit extra to give us a chance of winning. The weather can be unstable in Phillip Island, but it'll be good to get out on track on Friday.
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