After a four week summer break the MotoGP World Championship is back on track this weekend, with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini hitting the road to Brno, venue of the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the twelfth round of the season.
The squad led by Fausto Gresini will take to the track with an important update this weekend, with HRC having decided to entrust the former 125cc World Champion’s outfit with development of the 2009 version satellite Honda RC212V, similar to the bikes used so far this season by Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden. It is the same bike that will be provided by the factory to the satellite teams next season.
It is an important challenge that once again demonstrates the strength of the relationship between HRC and Gresini Racing. On board the machine for the remaining seven races of the season will be Japanese rider Shinya Nakano, known for his development skills and, of course, the linguistic ability to communicate directly with his compatriots at the factory.
After another bout of bad luck at Laguna Seca, San Marino rookie Alex De Angelis is determined to consolidate his potential at Brno ahead of his home race - the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini - which takes place at Misano on the 31st August.
# 56 SHINYA NAKANO
“My crew and myself have been given a great challenge for the this weekend, taking a completely new bike to the track - an RC212V similar to the one ridden by Dani Pedrosa. At the start of the season you have all the time you need to set a bike up and adapt it to your riding style whereas now we’ll have to do it against the clock. From the first free practice we’ll have to work flat out and hope that the weather is on our side because we will need all four sessions to fully understand the bike. In any case, the chance to ride it at Brno, a technical circuit that is used a lot for testing and is one I really like, makes me optimistic. On paper the new bike is more powerful than the one we’ve been using so far, which is an important factor at this track.”
#15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
“Brno is a track I like a lot because it is so varied, with some fast and winding sections. I stayed at home over the break, training hard to get over the various problems I picked up in the race at Laguna Seca, paying particular attention to the fractured left thumb and a sore back. I don’t think they’ll cause me any problems at Brno and I’ll be 100% fit. I’m not worried about the new surface because I’m sure Bridgestone will have worked hard to find the right solution for the tyres; we must however be clever enough to isolate quickly the best one to use during the practice sessions.”
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“HRC have entrusted our team and Shinya Nakano with development of the 2009 satellite version Honda RC212V – a decision that gives us a lot of satisfaction and consolidates our status as a leading team in the eyes of Honda, as we have been for several years. We’re really happy to have this opportunity and we will give our best to make the most of it. Riding the evolution machine is also a good chance for Shinya, who has been selected because of his good reputation as a development rider as well as for his native language. It could also provide an extra motivation for Alex, whose objective remains to convert his good practice form into a result.”
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