Ring Masters Marquez & Pedrosa All Set for German GP

This weekend Honda riders Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) complete the first half of the 2015 MotoGP season at the Sachsenring, a track that has given the pair an impressive 11 Grand Prix victories.

Both Repsol riders have had a challenging first half to their 2015 campaigns, with Marquez sliding out of three races and Pedrosa missing three rounds following surgery. Two weeks ago at the Dutch TT there were signs that the two Spaniards are returning to their best. Marquez challenged for the win throughout, only losing his chance in a controversial incident at the final chicane.

Pedrosa led the first day of practice and was confident of another top-three performance until his momentum was interrupted by a tumble in the race-day warm-up session.

The omens are certainly auspicious for four-time World Champion Marquez. The 22-year-old is unbeaten in his last five visits to the tight, testing Sachsenring. Last year and the year before he rode his RC213V to victory in the MotoGP race, on his two previous visits he won the Moto2 race on a Honda-powered Kalex and in 2010 he won the 125 Grand Prix on a Derbi.

It is obvious that Marquez has a great affinity with the German circuit, which packs 13 corners and plenty of action into its 3.7 kilometres (2.28 miles). On this occasion he will be working hard to ensure that his spectacular riding technique is once again the one to beat. During the earlier phases of this season he struggled to repeat the dominance of last year because his machine wasn’t giving him the feel he needs to ride at the limit. Now his RC213V is working superbly once again, as proven by his new lap record at Assen.

Pedrosa has also known plenty of good times at Sachsenring. Over the past decade or so he has won two 250 Grands Prix and four MotoGP races at the track, which seems to suit his glass-smooth technique as much as it does Marquez’s more aggressive approach. The three-time World Champion missed the Americas, Argentine and Spanish GPs after undergoing arm-pump surgery following the season-opening Qatar GP. Effectively, his season began at May’s French GP and he has been getting faster and stronger ever since. He scored a podium finish at last month’s Catalan GP and might well have backed that up in the Netherlands, but for that tumble.

Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda RC213V) has already made one visit to the podium this season, and now the Briton is hungry for a return to the top three. After changing manufacturers three times in the last three seasons, Crutchlow is still adapting himself and fine-tuning his settings to get the very best out of his RC213V. A former runner-up finisher at the Sachsenring, he may just relocate that sweet spot this weekend.

Youngster Scott Redding (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) is also in the midst of an adaption period during his first season on a full-spec MotoGP machine. Last year the Briton had some excellent results on Honda’s RCV1000R Open spec bike.

This year’s Open-spec machine is named the RC213V-RS. Currently the top performer on the bike is former Moto3 title challenger Jack Miller (CWM LCR Honda RC213V-RS). The 20-year-old Australian won last year’s Moto3 race at the Sachsenring, so he certainly knows the fast line around the German circuit.

Next up is Honda’s 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS) who has had some poor luck which has seen him record three consecutive no-scores, through no fault of his own. His team-mate Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS) sits just one point behind Hayden in the points standings, the Irish MotoGP rookie looking forward to his first ride at the Sachsenring since 2008.

Karel Abraham (AB Motoracing Honda RC213V-RS) will miss a second successive race while recovering from a foot injury sustained at last month’s Catalan GP. The Czech rider will be replaced by HRC test rider Hiroshi Aoyama. This is the 2009 250cc World Champion’s second turn as a substitute MotoGP rider this year – earlier in the season he replaced Pedrosa while the Spaniard recovered from surgery. Aoyama likes the Sachsenring – he won the 2007 250 GP at the track.

After Sunday’s racing the MotoGP paddock embarks upon its traditional midseason break. Indianapolis in the USA is the next round on August 9.

Honda MotoGP rider quotes

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

“We worked well all weekend in Assen and we have found some positive progression with the bike. There are still some things to solve, but we have definitely made a step forward. Sachsenring is a small and twisty little circuit, unlike any other on the calendar. I’ve enjoyed good results there and I hope this weekend can prove to be a good weekend for us also. The weather can be tricky so we will have to work hard from the first session.”

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team

“I’m looking forward to the Sachsenring, a track I enjoy racing at. Last year we had a crazy race there but a good performance. The bike is starting to work better now and we hope to make some more progress in this GP, before the summer break. My arm is recovering well and my fitness is improving and that is important to be able to fight at the front. My pace is getting better and I hope to make another step this weekend.”

Cal Crutchlow, CWM LCR

“We have shown some good pace at the last few races but for one reason or another we haven’t ended up where we wanted to be. At Assen I got caught up in the pack, so this weekend we need to work hard in practice to make sure we’ve got what it takes to get ahead of the pack. I like the Sachsenring. I was second there a couple of years ago and I think we can be in a position to finish top satellite bike this year.”

Scott Redding, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS

“I suspect we’re in for a tough weekend. The Sachsenring isn’t a horsepower track, it’s more about corner speed and edge grip and I know from last year that the softer tyre means we’re going to see some of the Open-class riders up the front. Our goal remains the same though; to close the gap to the other factory Honda riders. So far this year we’ve done a lot with the set-up of the bike, but this weekend the plan is to focus more on the electronics, to see if we can find an improvement there.”

Jack Miller, CWM LCR

“We go to Sachsenring after a tricky few races, but we’re learning all the time and that’s the big thing. The track is good, though I think it’ll be a bit different on a MotoGP bike after a Moto3 bike! It’s all turns and no real straights, so we know it will be hard work.”

Nicky Hayden, Aspar Team

“Some riders don’t like Sachsenring because the first section is so tight but I enjoy it. I like fast left-handers and I am sure I can enjoy myself there. It is important to have lots of grip, especially on the edge of the tyre, and it is crucial to manage the tyre wear. The objective in Germany is to get the best possible result to go into the holidays happy. We have to work hard to improve our qualifying performance because our pace is good but if we can’t get a good grid position then we make it hard for ourselves.”

Eugene Laverty, Aspar Team

“Sachsenring is the final round before the summer break and so a good result is important before the time off. There’s nothing worse than suffering a bad race and having to wait a month to put things right! It’s another circuit that I’ve ridden long ago in 250 GPs but never on a 1000cc bike so I’ll treat it as if it’s a new circuit. I crashed last time out in Assen while battling for Open class honours. I feel that my goal of an Open class race win is now within reach and there’d be no better way to go into the summer break. Good turning is key around Sachsenring with its many long corners so we’ll be focusing on a good chassis balance.”

Hiroshi Aoyama, AB Motoracing

“At first I wish all the best for Karel and hope he will get well soon. I must express my thanks to the team that they called me. I am really happy to be in paddock especially at Sachsenring. It’s one of my favourite tracks; I’ve won a 250cc race there and got few podiums. On the other hand the track is very tight and technical and it will be really important to get familiar with the Karel’s bike. Especially FP1 will be tough, so we will see how I can manage the bike and get familiar with the team. It’s difficult to predict the race result before I get on the bike, but I will definitely try my best.”

Source: Ring Masters Marquez & Pedrosa All Set for German GP