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Last year's Jerez winner Loris Capirossi was out of luck at Losail but is confident he will be back up front in Spain, round two of MotoGP's longest-ever season.
Stoner and his Bridgestone-equipped Desmosedici GP7 stunned with their speed at Losail, proving the success of the team's 800cc winter development programme. Both the Australian and Capirossi tested at Jerez last month and will make use of the lessons learned during that session to help them achieve the best possible result in Sunday's race.
Jerez is one of the most popular events on the MotoGP calendar, regularly attracting weekend crowds in excess of 200,000
Loris Capirossi
"My crash is already well behind me and I'm really looking forward to Jerez. The tests we did there last month were very important to understand our 2007 package, especially since the tests there at the end of last year didn't go so well. With the information we learned in February we hope to be able to make some good decisions for the race. The GP7 feels very good around Jerez, it's a little easier to ride than last year's GP6 - more agile and more stable on the brakes. Jerez is also good for Bridgestone, as our 2006 win proved. It's a good track, nice to ride and very technical. To go quick you need a well-balanced bike and a good front end because you need confidence to attack the fast corners."
Jerez could barely provide a starker contrast to the scenes at Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle racing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.
Valentino Rossi has reiterated his confidence in the ability of Yamaha's engineers to respond to the top-speed challenge laid down by Ducati at Qatar as he looks to end his longest run without a win since his debut victory at Donington Park in 2000. Stoner's machine had the top speed advantage over Rossi's down the long Losail straight but 'The Doctor' fully expects the deficit to reduce over the coming weeks and says that the extra corner speed of his M1 will prove crucial at tighter circuits such as Jerez.
"I think Qatar showed that, although we have some areas to improve, our bike is working well and we won't be making the same mistakes as last year," said Rossi. "I'm feeling confident for Jerez, I think it will suit our bike very well, even better than Qatar, and we were very strong there in the test. We know we lack a bit of horsepower but I think this will improve race-by-race and Yamaha are working very hard. I don't expect it to be a big problem in Jerez as it's a different type of track".
"Jerez is one of my favourite circuits and I've had some great races there in the past so I hope this is another good year for me there. Qatar was very quiet, which was a good way to start the season because there were no distractions for me, but Jerez is always a great party with a fantastic atmosphere, so now I am really looking forward to that and I hope we can give the fans a good show. I expect that Pedrosa will be very fast here, as he was in the test, and I expect a big battle with him at his home race."
Marco Melandri: “There is a lot of expectation for this first race in Europe and it’s sure to be a great show. Jerez is a circuit I like a lot because it is so technical and complete. To ride fast there you need to have a well balanced bike. The track is characterised by long corners that require a stable front end set-up that gives you plenty of confidence. There isn’t a long straight like in Qatar, so that is an advantage for us at this moment. Personally I feel good and can’t wait to get back on track. We prepared well for this race during testing in terms of setting up the cycle part of the bike and choosing the tyres”.
Nicky Hayden
“I’m definitely looking forward to the race at Jerez this weekend. The Spanish crowd, the atmosphere – everything about Jerez is fun and the passion the fans show is amazing. The last test there went quite well for me and I’m looking forward to getting out on track, trying to get a good feeling with the bike and having some fun. It’s round two and I’m aiming to fight back strongly after Qatar. That was a disappointing result but it’s a long championship and I believe I’ve got the skills to get the job done, plus I’ve got a great crew behind me and hopefully me and the team can have a good weekend. I like the track at Jerez. There are a few tight corners and it’s definitely not a circuit dominated by long straights. I like the flow of the layout and coming into the stadium section is probably my favourite part of the circuit – you really have to get into a rhythm there to set a good laptime. The weather at this time of year can be a bit changeable too, so we’ll have to see what it throws at us.”
Dani Pedrosa – World Championship Position: 3rd
“The result in Qatar was quite good and I was happy to get on the podium at the first race of the year – now we must really push and try to improve so we can fight at the front until the end. The tyre choice for Jerez is going to be really important in order to achieve consistency in the race and we must work hard to get quicker because some of the other teams are going really fast now. The tests over the winter went well at Jerez and I was able to go quickly and finish near the top, but that was also the case at Qatar so we need to stay focussed on improving. The Jerez circuit is a good challenge because it combines fast corners and some really hard braking zones into slow bends. This means the bike needs to be well balanced and the tyres take a lot of punishment – tyre choice will be critical to outcome of the race. The atmosphere here is always special and you can feel the support from the fans as you ride on track. I hope it’s a great weekend for us.”
2006 Spanish Grand Prix Results
1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 45'57.733
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda +4.375
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda +9.996
11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +37.930
14. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +1'05.766
