James Toseland arrives at Sepang for the Polini Grand Prix of Malaysia on Sunday determined to repeat his superb ride in the previous round of the MotoGP World Championship in Australia. The Yorkshireman celebrated his 28th birthday with a hard fought sixth place at Phillip Island riding the Tech 3 Yamaha and has been working flat on his stamina to produce a repeat performance or better in very different circumstances at the penultimate round of the Championship.
It will be hot and humid with the constant threat of heavy rain showers at the 3.447 mile Sepang circuit which is the longest on the MotoGP calendar. Toseland has tested twice at the circuit pre-season and seeks to start where he left off in Australia right from the first practice session on Friday morning.
Bradley Smith flies to Malaysia with mixed feelings after events in Japan and Australia. The 17 year old Oxfordshire rider failed to score any points at those last two 125 cc grands prix but signed a two year contract with the Aspar team. He finished ninth at Sepang last year but with Aprilia power should be seeking at least a podium finish.
Fifteen year old Scot Redding’s amazing world-wide adventure continues at another new circuit and country for the Gloucestershire schoolboy. He finished tenth in Australia on the Blusens Aprilia and is tenth in his amazing 125 cc World Championship debut season. His lack of top speed will be a disadvantage at Sepang but the British Grand prix winner will be up for another top ten finish.
Kent-based teenager Danny Webb arrived in Malaysia with his left hand in a splint following an operating in Melbourne Australia to sew the tendons of his left little finger together after his warm-up crash at Phillip Island. The De Graff Aprilia rider is determined to compete on Sunday despite being advised to keep the splint on for the next six weeks.
James Toseland“ I’ve been in the gym since we’ve returned from Australia because I’m really focused on keeping the momentum going from my ride in Phillip Island, When you have a ride like that and pass Valentino Rossi, it encourages me even more. I learnt how to make that next step in Australia and I’m confident I can continue especially at Sepang where I’ve tested twice before the start of the season.”
Bradley Smith“It’s bound to be hot and humid with some big showers of rain but I like the circuit. You need some speed round there which I have with the Aprilia this year and after the big disappointments in Japan and Australia I have nothing to lose but go for the win. I have two more races with the team and I so want to thank them with a win.”
Scott Redding “I was slightly disappointed to finish tenth in Australia and I’m looking forward to yet another new circuit and country this week. I’m even more looking forward to riding at Valencia next week at a track I know well.”
Danny Webb“I hope to ride and I’ve come straight to Malaysia from Melbourne. They operated on the little finger of my left hand in the Melbourne hospital to sow the tendons back together after I grounded it down to the bone which I also chipped in the warm-up crash at Phillip Island. I was lucky just to bash my collarbone and not break it. I will strap my fingers together and be out there for practice on Friday morning.”
Smith’s Dream Move To AsparSeventeen year old Bradley Smith’s future has been assured with a dream move to the Spanish-based Aspar Aprilia team for the next two years.
It’s a great move for Smith who has had a disappointing season riding for the Polaris World Aprilia team in the 125 cc World Championship. With Polaris World pulling out next season because of the economic recession, the move which was confirmed last week could not have come at a better time for Smith.
”It’s a great compliment and a bit of a surprise to me because being honest, I’ve not had the best of seasons and I also turned them down at the end of last season,” explained Smith, who is seventh in the 125 cc World Championship with two rounds remaining.
“Despite this they kept up their interest in signing me when there are other riders around who are having a better season than me. It’s a great team to join because they have won World Championships, Jorge Martinez the team owner is a multiple World Champion and I will be in the same team as Gabor Talmacsi and Alvaro Bautista who are former World Champions.”
The move also gives Smith the chance to compete in the 250 cc Championship in 2010.
“I will continue riding in the 125 cc class next season but have an option to ride in the 250 cc class with them a year later,” he revealed.” It’s great to be sorted out for the next two years but I feel so sorry for my present team, who will not be running next year. Understandably because of the economic situation Polaris World can’t sponsor the team and so everybody will be looking for new jobs. I feel really gutted for them because they are good people who have spent so much time and effort on my behalf. There is nothing I want more than win one of the last two remaining grands prix for them to say thank-you.”
Rossi’s City Of DreamsWorld Champion Valentino Rossi returns to the country and city where he made his grand prix debut 12 long years ago when he competes in the Polini Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday. The 17 year old long haired Italian teenager made his debut in the 125 cc race at the Shah Alan circuit in Kuala Lumpur. Twelve years and eight world titles later Rossi returns to Malaysia to ride in the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship at the 3.447 miles Sepang circuit near KL International Airport which replaced Shah Alam and Johor as the Malaysian Grand Prix venue in 1999.
Rossi has a great record at Sepang winning the premier class race four times on both Honda and Yamaha machinery but he will come head to head in the 21 lap race on Sunday with Casey Stoner who has an even more impressive record at Sepang. The 22 year old Australian is the only rider to have won 125, 250 and MotoGP races at Sepang and arrives brimming with confidence following his victory on the Marlboro Ducati at the previous round in his native Australia.
Stoner looks a safe bet to finish second in the Championship after Spaniard Dani Pedrosa crashed in Australia but the Repsol Honda rider, who has won 125 and 250 cc races at Sepang, will be keeping a wary eye on his great rival Jorge Lorenzo in fourth place. The Fiat Yamaha rider is in great form and trails Pedrosa by 27 points with just two rounds remaining. He won the 250 cc race at Sepang two years ago.
The closest battle in the championship is for fifth place with 27 points separating Andrea Dovizioso, the 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards and Chris Vermeulen. Hayden is the man in form which he confirmed with his third place in Australia but Dovizioso has had a brilliant MotoGP debut season and will replace Hayden at Repsol Honda next season.
Veteran Loris Capirossi is another rider with an impressive record both in Malaysia and Sepang. The Rizla Suzuki rider has both 250 and MotoGP wins in Sepang, finished on the podium on two other occasions and started on the front row five times including two poles. Capirossi won the very first 125 cc grand prix in Malaysia in 1991 at Shah Alam. He is tenth in the Championship but only 16 points behind team-mate Vermeulen in eighth place. They will be joined in the race on Sunday by Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki who won the 250 cc race at Shah Alam 15 years ago.
Shinya Nakano makes his last but one appearance for the San Carlo Gresini Honda team at the track where he won the 250 cc race eight years ago and in great form after finishing an impressive fifth in Australia. He will be replaced by Toni Elias next season who won the 250 cc race at Sepang five years ago and who will complete his contract with the Alice Ducati team at Valencia in a week’s time.
Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli is in a similar position with the Alice team while Australian Anthony West has two more rides with John Hopkins at Kawasaki before being replaced by Marco Melandri next season.
Twenty one year old Italian Marco Simoncelli is on the verge of clinching the 250 cc World title in Sepang after his breathtaking victory in Australia. The Metis Gilera rider holds a 37 point lead over his great rival Alvaro Bautista with just two rounds remaining. It’s a tough call for Spaniard Bautista, who won the 125 cc race at Sepang on route to the World title two years ago, but as we witnessed at Phillip Island a couple of weeks ago he will not give up the fight until the chequered flag. Mika Kallio has dropped out of contention in third place but will be encouraged by his KTM team mate Hiroshi Aoyama’s victory last year.
Frenchman Mike Di Meglio was crowned 125 cc World Champion in Australia after a fine victory but there is a tremendous battle for second place. Just six points separate in form German teenager Stefan Bradl, Italian Simone Corsi and 2007 World Champion and last year’s winner Gabor Talmacsi.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULEFriday 17th October09.00 – 09.45 125cc Practice
10.00 – 11.00 MotoGP Practice
11.15 – 12.15 250cc Practice
13.10 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying 1
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Practice
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying 1
Saturday 18th October09.00 – 09.45 125cc Practice
10.00 – 11.00 MotoGP Practice
11.15 – 12.15 250cc Practice
13.10 – 13.40 125cc Qualifying 2
13.55 – 14.55 MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55 250cc Qualifying 2
Sunday 19th October08.40 – 09.00 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.05 MotoGP Warm Up
11.00 - 125cc RACE (19 laps)
12.15 - 250cc RACE (20 laps)
14.00 - MotoGP RACE (21 laps)
TELEVISION TIMESPractice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
Sunday October 19thBBC Red Button and BBC Sport Website 125/250 cc races 03.50 – 06.05
BBC One and BBC Sport Website 06.45 – 08.00
Race repeatBBC Red Button and BBC Sport Website 11.45 – 13.00
BBC Two 01.40 – 02.40
EUROSPORTFriday October 17thPractice/Qualifying 05.00 - 08.00
Saturday October 18thQualifying 05.00 – 08.00
Sunday October 19thWarm-up and 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP races 04.00 – 07.00
