Twenty-one year-old Australian Casey Stoner could clinch the 2007 MotoGP World Championship crown at the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal at Estoril on Sunday. With five rounds of the 18-round title chase remaining, the Marlboro Ducati rider needs to score 15 points more than seven times World Champion Valentino Rossi in the 28-lap race round the 2.599 Estoril circuit. It’s a tough but not impossible task for Stoner who arrives on the Atlantic coast of Portugal in superb form. He has not only won, but totally dominated the last three grands prix, on the GP 7 Ducati. He leads Rossi by 85 points in the championship after eight grand prix victories and just to add some icing to the cake; Stoner won his first 250cc grand prix at Estoril just two years ago.
Rossi arrives in a very different frame of mind after the new engine of his Fiat Yamaha expired in the early stages of the last grand prix at Misano in Italy. However, he has no intention of surrendering the title chase without a fight and his record at Estoril is second to none. Rossi has won the MotoGP race at Estoril four times and finished on the podium on his seven appearances at the track including a second place last year when Toni Elias beat him by just 0.002 seconds.
If Stoner wins the race Rossi would have to finish sixth or below for the title to be decided. With the problems that Rossi has encountered this season that scenario is quite possible especially remembering last year when Estoril played such a dramatic part in the title chase. Championship leader Nicky Hayden being brought down by his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa.
Spaniard Pedrosa will want to forget that afternoon as he defends his third place in the championship. He will also want to forget Misano a couple of weeks ago where he was brought down at the second bend of the race by the sliding Kawasaki of Frenchman Randy De Puniet. He holds a 22 point lead over Australian Chris Vermeulen who with team-mate John Hopkins are giving the Rizla Suzuki team a well deserved fantastic finish to their first season of the 800 cc machines.
Both riders finished on the podium in Misano with Vermeulen prising open a four point championship lead over Hopkins after finishing second. Hopkins leaves for Kawasaki at the end of the season to partner Australian Anthony West and how he would love to say goodbye with his maiden MotoGP victory.
Italian Marco Melandri continues to defy medical logic by finishing fourth in Misano after a 150 mph crash the previous day. He joins Stoner at Ducati next season but like Hopkins, would like to say thank-you to his existing Gresini Honda team with a victory. His team-mate Spaniard Toni Elias also knows about crashing and injuries. He returned to the fray in the Czech Republic less than two months after breaking his left leg in a practice crash at Assen in Holland. Nobody will forget his dramatic maiden MotoGP victory last season and in Misano he showed a glimpse of the style and determination that brought that victory.
Veteran Alex Barros returns to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs where only two years ago he inflicted a rare defeat on the all-onquering Rossi who was chasing his fifth consecutive win in Estoril. The Brazilian returns riding the Pramac D’Antin Ducati and hoping to be part of the 2008 team who should announce their line–up at the weekend.
Nicky Hayden could be finally saying goodbye to his World title after a desperately disappointing season and he’s already planning next year and some better luck. He also got caught by De Puniet’s Kawasaki in Misano but is putting some podium finishing performances together which he could easily repeat on Sunday.
Twenty year-old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo can’t retain his 250cc title on Sunday despite also winning eight grands prix this season. The Fortuna Aprilia rider holds a 54 point lead over the Aprilia of Alex De Angelis after securing that eighth win at Misano.
His biggest threat on Sunday will come from Italian Andre Dovizioso, who suffered a similar fate to Rossi with a mechanical problem in front of his home crowd in Misano. He won the race for Honda last year and despite no points in Misano trails De Angelis in the championship by a single point with last year’s 125cc winner Alvaro Bautista in fourth place.
The sparks are expected to fly in the 23-lap 125cc race where Bancaja Aspar Aprilia team-mates Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel are not exchanging pleasantries following a coming together in Misano. They tangled together with Italian Simone Corsi on the penultimate lap. Faubel and Corsi crashed, Talmacsi stayed on to finish second behind Mattia Pasini. Faubel who led the championship by ten points before the crash now trails ‘team-mate’ Talmacsi by a similar margin. Enough said, let battle commence.
British Riders
A Crucial Time For British Foursome
It’s a crucial time for the four British riders competing in the 125 and 250cc World Championships. There are five races remaining in their respective championships starting at Estoril on Sunday and they are all out to score points and impress with 2008 in mind.
Sixteen year-old Bradley Smith is looking to improve the opening laps of his races on the Repsol Honda after finishing eighth at the previous round in Misano. The Oxfordshire rider rode well at the end of the race and set his fastest lap on the very last lap. He is determined to improve those opening laps especially as he dropped to ninth in the Championship just one point behind Spaniard Pol Espargaro.
Danny Webb had a similar problem at Misano riding the De Graff Honda in the 125cc race while Dan Linfoot knows he must concentrate harder at the start of the 250cc races.
Ulsterman Eugene Laverty picked up a useful 250cc Championship point in Misano riding the LCR Honda and will be looking for more on his Estoril debut.
Bradley Smith:
“I have got to do better in those opening few laps but not make any mistakes. The Honda was going well at Misano and I’m confident it will be the same at Estoril on Sunday. I like the circuit and want to get back nearer the leaders instead of having to ride so hard in the last few laps.”
Danny Webb:
“I enjoyed the race in Misano but I could have done better if I’d made a better start. It’s crucial at Estoril that I get those first few laps sorted out and then I can start thinking some championship points.”
Eugene Laverty:
“I’m looking forward to Estoril and since we had the test at Brno after the grand prix last month we have found a much better base set-up for the bike. I’ve had as good look on the DVD of the circuit but it’s another new one to learn.”
Dan Linfoot:
“I’m working to improve my mindset at the start and my actual start in Estoril. It’s so important that I relax and don’t fluff the start because mistakes like I made at Misano are ruining my chances in the race.”
News
2008 World Championship Date Changes
The 18-round 2008 World Championship calendar has three date changes from the original which was released in July. Both the Portuguese and Valencia Grands Prix will be held a week earlier than originally scheduled while Japan and Australia have exchanged their dates.
The British Grand Prix at Donington remains on the same date, Sunday June 22.
Revised 2008 Calendar:
March 9th - Qatar
March 30th - Spain
April 13th - Portugal
May 4th - China
May 18th - France
June 1st - Italy
June 8th - Catalunya
June 22nd - Great Britain
June 28th - Holland
July 13th - Germany
July 20th - United States
August 17th - Czech Republic
August 31st - San Marino E Riviera De Rimini
September 14th - Indianapolis
September 28th - Japan
October 5th - Australia
October 19th - Malaysia
October 26th - Valencia
Estoril Track Facts
The Autodromo Fernanda Pires de Silva circuit in Estoril may be the slowest in the MotoGP calendar but still includes two very fast corners and a long straight. The 2.599 mile circuit on the outskirts of the Atlantic coast resort of Cascais, 25 miles north –west of Lisbon, is a track of great contrasts. The turn eight uphill chicane is certainly the slowest of the season while the long Parabolica turn 13 into the start and finish straight is one of the fastest.
Another key element at Estoril is always the weather. The winds whip off the Atlantic Ocean and roar around the golf course-laden hills that surround the circuit which is five miles inland. This wind can deposit plenty of sand on the track surface making grip also a problem.
Estoril was better known as a Formula One car grand prix and test track venue in the nineties but after several safety modifications hosted its first MotoGP event in 2000. Previously two Portuguese Grands Prix have been held at Jarama and Jerez in Spain.
Length: 2.599 miles
Pole Position: Left
Width: 14m
Right corners: Nine
Left corners: Four
Longest Straight: 0.613 miles
Constructed: 1972
Modified: 2006
Flashback - 2006 results
MotoGP: Toni Elias (Honda) 46m08.739s
Record lap: Kenny Roberts (Honda) 1m37.914 s
Pole lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1m36.200
250cc: Andre Dovizioso (Honda) 44m3o.727 s
Record lap: Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM) 1m41.676s
Pole lap: Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) 1m41.511s
125cc: Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) 40m48.792s
Record lap: Bautista 1m45.746s
Pole record: Bautista 1m45.322s
Television
Practice, qualifying and racing will be shown the following times on British television.
BBC
Saturday – Qualifying BBC i and BBC Sport Website 14.30 – 16.10
Sunday – 125 and 250cc races live BBC i and BBC Sport Website 10.45 – 13.30
Sunday – MotoGP race live BBC Two 13.30 – 15.00
Sunday – MotoGP Extra BBC i and BBC Sport Website 15.00 – 16.30
Eurosport
Friday:
16.30 – 18.00 MotoGP
20.30 – 21.30 MotoGP
Saturday:
16.30 – 18.00 MotoGP
19.30 – 21.00 MotoGP
23.30 – 01.00 MotoGP
Sunday:
11.00 – 11.45 MotoGP Live
11.45 – 13.00 125cc Live
13.00 – 14.15 250cc Live
14.15 – 16.00 MotoGP Live
20.00 – 22.00 MotoGP Highlights
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