Monday, 8 July 2013
If the last three German Grands Prix are anything to judge by, Dani Pedrosa should head to the Sachsenring with much confidence. However, as the 2008 race told the Spaniard, nothing is ever certain in motorcycle racing…
Many would be over the moon to finish fourth in a MotoGP™ race but, knowing major rival Jorge Lorenzo was injured and starting 12th, Pedrosa naturally felt disappointed to have gained only a further two points over his Yamaha Factory Racing opponent. In fact, fourth for the Repsol Honda Team rider marked his equal worst result of 2013 to date and ended a run of five consecutive podium finishes – the longest string of top three results for anybody so far this year.
Now heading to Germany, Pedrosa can be comforted by the fact that he triumphed at the Sachsenring in 2010, 2011 and 2012, bringing his total of victories at the track up to six following two earlier successes in the intermediate class as well as the first MotoGP™ win of 2007. A year later, he would infamously lose control while dominating and violently bounce across the gravel trap.
As for Lorenzo, the task will be a continuation of damage limitation. Just how badly will the World Champion be affected by the broken left collarbone he sustained on the opening day at Assen? One could say we are now presented with a role reversal, with Pedrosa having so frequently been the wounded man in past years, whereas 80-time premier class victor Valentino Rossi will be looking to have the upper hand over his teammate once again.
Marc Marquez rather quietly moved back towards the top of the championship two weekends ago and is now once again within one victory of the lead, while Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow is under threat of losing his fourth place in as Rossi is just two points behind. Ironically, Rossi’s victory at Assen came in the 46th MotoGP™ race to have taken place since his last win at Sepang in 2010, while he has now scored a career total of 4,646 points. A pair of coincidences indeed.
As for the Sachsenring, this will be the 16th time MotoGP™ has graced its tight turns and contour changes. Racing has taken place in the surrounding area and around the town of Chemnitz since as far back as the 1920s, with the purpose-built circuit having now been present on the calendar since 1998. Before that it was the Nurburgring, itself following Hockenheim which had hosted the inaugural German GP in 1991. Honda has won six of the last ten races in Germany, thanks mostly to Pedrosa.
The grid maintains its line-up for the upcoming event. Ivan Silva continues to substitute for the injured Hiroshi Aoyama at Avintia Blusens, whereas Michele Pirro will again cover for Ben Spies at Ignite Pramac Racing, then handing over to San Marino’s Alex de Angelis for Laguna Seca as Pirro will be testing for Ducati Team at Misano. At LCR Honda MotoGP, Stefan Bradl heads into his home race off the back of last week’s two-day test in Argentina. For the record, no German has ever won a MotoGP™ race in his home country – a Bradl podium would surely be welcomed…
Sunday’s eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland begins at 2pm local time (GMT +2), whereas practice will commence on Friday morning. All sessions can be followed live and in full on motogp.com.
Source:motogp.com
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