Colin Edwards - “Time is running out”
Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Colin Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career. After a difficult weekend in Portugal, he hopes those positive memories and the support of the Japanese fans can help him recover points and, just as importantly, confidence ahead of the season run-in.
“To finish tenth at Estoril, one of my favourite tracks, was really demoralising but at least we don’t have time to dwell on it, ” said Edwards. “I’ve never had a great race at Motegi but this has got to be the right time to turn that around! We had a really good test there last year so with any luck some of that data will help us out this year.
“We’re just going to have to get our heads down from day one and get on with it. Time is running out and I want to get back on that podium before the end of the season. I know both myself and Valentino have a lot of supporters in Japan, especially after winning the Suzuka 8 Hour together a few years ago, so hopefully that can propel us to a top result this weekend. “
Davide Brivio - “Morale important”
Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio hasn’t had much time to dwell on a rewarding victory for his staff at Estoril, overseeing the intense logistical operation demanded by back-to-back races on opposite sides of the globe. Nevertheless, he is hoping the boost in morale provided by that success can overpower the jet-lag and provide the whole team with extra energy to seem them through the final four races of the season.
“It was a great reward for the team to have such a good result in Portugal, especially after all their hard work since before the summer, ” explained Brivio. “Also, this is a very hard stage of the season, with a lot of races close together and a lot of travelling, so it is important that morale is high.
“With Valentino we will just be trying to keep going in the same way, we expect our rivals to be very strong there but we know that if we can give Valentino the right package then he can fight with them. Colin had a bad race in Portugal so he will be keen to erase that memory and hopefully he will have a better time in Japan. ”
| 
|