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GP Sachsenring, team Scot preview

In MotoGP

14 luglio 2009

Gabor Talmacsi's and Hiroshi Aoyama's career cross at Sachsenring. On this German track, the two Scot riders won once each, and both in 2007. The Hungarian rider got the result in the 125cc class, also setting, in the same week-end, pole position and fastest lap, while on his way to win the World Title. The Japanese guy hit the target in the 250cc class. He won by less than two tenth from Mika Kallio, who at that time was his teammate. Gabor Talmacsi was also 3rd in 2008; Hiroshi Aoyama 2nd in 2005.

Raffaele De Rosa has never been too lucky on this twisty track: he reached the points just once since 2005, the year of his debut in the World Championship.
The Sachsenring track is located in Saxony, on the hills that anticipate the Ore Mountains, separating Germany from the Czech Republic. It is 100 km from Dresden and about the double from Praha. Until October 3rd, 1990, the region was part of the DDR, the German Democratic Republic.

It's a short track - just 3.671 meters long, only Laguna Seca is shorter, among the venues included in the World Championship. It has ten left handed turns, four right, and a single straight, 700 meters long. Riders are able to use full throttle for maybe 25 per cent of each lap. The first race at the Sachsenring dates back to 1921, when the track was still more than eight km long. It was completely reshaped in the mid-nineties.

Gabor Talmacsi (MotoGP rider): "It has been always a pleasure, for me, to come and compete at the Sachsenring. Which is, by the way, not very far from home. It's a short track, but not easy, with dramatic elevation changes. The most difficult point, with a 125 bike, was the first corner, where wheeling was very frequent. I can imagine that with a MotoGP machine it will be a problem common to everybody. Anyway, we found a good set-up at Laguna Seca - I'm certain that, without the crash, I would have done a good race. Before leaving the States we had a technical meeting, fixed a few things, and we will be a step ahead, in Germany. I'm confident for the GP".

Hiroshi Aoyama (250cc rider, championship leader): "Sachsenring is a circuit where it's difficult to set up properly the bike. Add to it the weather. The good things are that I like the track, and that we have some new parts to test. I hope they can give us a boost in Germany, and help me to defend my leadership in the championship. I am glad to be on the top of the classifying. I respect and I'm confident in our team work, and I will keep pushing".

Raffaele De Rosa (250cc rider): "Sachsenring is not one of my favorite tracks, in spite of the fact that in the past season I was in an excellent position when the engine decided to breathe its last breath. Anyway, it's a good layout for the Honda bikes. Besides a good setup - as usual - the key to a good result will be the choice of the tires: the track has a bigger number of left handed corners, and the temperature of the tires will be much lower on the right side of it. Having precisely the correct tire will be absolutely decisive".

Emanuele Ventura (Technical Director): "At Laguna Seca - which is similar to Sachsenring - we found a good set-up of our Rc212V. Gabor knows well the German circuit, he loves it, and we are convinced we'll be able to fight. As far as the 250cc class is concerned, the Sachsenring is adapt to Honda machines, and Aoyama has always been competitive, here. We're working hard to provide him and his companion with the best possible bike, and to help De Rosa to reach a better feeling when the tank is full: the difference in weight with a 125cc bike is big, and he's not used to it yet".