2WF.com - Online and on the Gas - MotoGP goes back to work at Brno

MotoGP goes back to work at Brno

Posted by Staff
Friday, 15 August 2008
From InfoMotoGP After three weeks of well-earned rest the MotoGP World Championship participants reconvened at Brno ahead of the twelfth contest of the 2008 season on Thursday, with great weather preceding what may turn out to be another rainy weekend. Showers are reportedly a possibility at the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky on Friday and Saturday, though on the eve of this weekend’s return to action the sun shone brightly in the clear blue skies, as the riders and their teams hope it will for Sunday’s racing.The main event on Thursday afternoon was the official pre-GP press conference held in the Brno media centre and attended by Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha), Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) and John Hopkins (Kawasaki). For Pedrosa and Hopkins the Czech visit sees them both return from injury after missing recent races, while the MotoGP fraternity expects another intriguing battle between World Championship front-runners Rossi and Stoner at the resurfaced Brno circuit this weekend. Following some heated words from the World Champion last time out in California after the pair duelled their way round the Laguna Seca track, Rossi and Stoner shared smiles and handshakes in the press conference before the Australian Ducati Marlboro rider commented, , ‘Like all riders we react the way that we do sometimes.’ ‘Maybe we over-reacted,’ continued the MotoGP title-holder. ‘I am going to hopefully just be putting up more of a fight in the last few laps this time, whereas I ran off and crashed at the last race. It would be nice if I can put pressure on right up until the last lap.’ Current standings leader Rossi said of the Czech challenge, ‘I had a bad race here last year but some good results here in the past. It is a track that I like and where I won my first Grand Prix in 1996. I am very curious to try it out on the Bridgestone tyres and to understand the grip and the potential of the new surface.’ The afternoon also saw a pit-lane walk at the historic Czech venue, with fans enjoying the chance to meet numerous MotoGP stars, local 250cc rider Lukas Pesek and a group of Czech 125cc wildcard riders – with all money raised going to the official MotoGP charity, Riders for Health.

< Prev		Next >