Stoner and Hayden more than ready for Jerez from MotoGP.com
The Ducati Marlboro riders have similar agendas for this weekend’s Gran Premio bt win de España. Stoner’s aim is to secure some points after round one, whilst Hayden wants to build on his impressive opening race.
The second round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place on Spanish soil on Sunday, with the Jerez circuit welcoming the paddock to Europe following the postponement of the Grand Prix of Japan until October 3rd due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.
The Andalusian circuit has not traditionally favoured the characteristics of the Desmosedici but a podium for Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner in 2009 and the hard work carried out on the GP10 this winter by the Ducati MotoGP Team, Filippo Preziosi and his technicians in Borgo Panigale, should allow the Australian and his team-mate Nicky Hayden to look ahead to the weekend with more confidence.
Stoner is secure in the developments and is looking forward to being able to challenge in Sunday’s race. He said: “It is pretty unusual for a GP to be postponed but like last year in Qatar it is the kind of thing we can't predict or control so we just have to look ahead to Jerez and the job that awaits us there. In the past it hasn't been one of the more favourable circuits for us but we made some steps forward last year and finished on the podium.”
“We start from zero this time around though and on Friday we'll be working hard to find a set-up for the race. You need good handling for this track but also good stability and I think the direction we've taken with development of the GP10 should allow us to be competitive on Sunday,” concluded the Australian.
Hayden is keen to use what he gained from his fourth place in Qatar to make another step up this weekend, at a track at which he finished on the podium in 2006.
“We were all ready for a flyaway race and instead we’re going to Jerez for the first GP in Europe, where the paddock is all set up ‘properly’ with the motorhomes, hospitality units and all those fans!” said Hayden. “The atmosphere at Jerez is always awesome. Nothing really springs to mind about the track itself… there are no huge straights – mainly sections that flow into one another. At this time of year the track can be a little cold in the morning and then it tends to get warm in the afternoon, so we will have to be ready for any kind of condition.”
The American rider concluded by stating his aim for the race, adding: “Our target is to try to stay at the level we set ourselves in the first race and build on what we did out there. I know I have a good bike and a team that is fully behind me so I can’t wait to get back on track.”