The 2.599 mile Estoril circuit is the slowest venue in the 18 round MotoGP World Championship and will provide a fresh challenge for Britain’s newest grand prix stars. Both Yorkshire man James Toseland and 15 year old Scott Redding have never raced at Estoril while Bradley Smith, Danny Webb and Eugene Laverty have limited knowledge of the former Formula One car venue.
Toseland arrives for just his third MotoGP race in superb form, hopefully with a clean bill of health and a new engine from Yamaha. The World Superbike Champion has finished sixth in his opening two grands prix riding the Tech 3 Yamaha. At the last round in Jerez he fought all weekend against a severe chest infection which hopefully will be long forgotten when he starts practice in Estoril on Friday morning. The French-based Tech 3 team have also been promised by Yamaha the new 2008 specification engines which are currently being used by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding has made an equally impressive debut in the very competitive 125 cc class riding the one year old Blusens Aprilia. He is seventh in the World Championship after finishing fifth and seventh in his opening two races. He has shown both the confidence and ability to continue this weekend as he starts yet another fresh challenge.
One place behind him in the Championship is 17 year old Bradley Smith following his tremendous third place in Jerez. Riding the Polaris World Aprilia he has started the opening two rounds from pole position and must fancy his chances around Estoril where he has raced twice before, including a 12th place last year.
Kent teenager Danny Webb has also been in good form in his second season in the 125 cc class. He should be fully fit after damaging a finger when he crashed the DeGraaf Aprilia in Jerez after finishing sixth in the opening round under the floodlights in Qatar.
Ulsterman Eugene Laverty is having a tough time in the 250cc class and seeks a change in fortune on his second grand prix ride at the difficult Estoril circuit which is situated 30kms west of Lisbon.
James Toseland “Let’s hope the weather is a bit warmer than England this weekend. I’m feeling considerably better than I did in Jerez but I’m still on antibiotics and still have a cough. I’m really looking forward to my first visit to Estoril and I will definitely have the new 2008 Yamaha engine. It should be a great feeling racing down the straight alongside everybody else instead of playing catch –up.”
Scott Redding “It’s been a great start to the year and I now face my first visit to Estoril. I’m told there are plenty of slow corners which should suit me. I’m used to racing on tight tracks from those early mini-moto days.”
Bradley Smith“I’ve really been studying the Estoril track because I’ve had problems in the past racing there. We will all be sitting down at the start of the weekend to really work on what we can do to transfer our brilliant qualifying performance to the race itself.”
Danny Webb “I’ve still got the stitches in my injured finger but they will be out before I reach Estoril. It’s healing well and I’m looking forward to the race because I had my best result of the season in the dry on my debut there last year.”
Eugene Laverty“I was 14th in Estoril last year and this time round I just want to start scoring some World Championship points. It’s been tough crashing in Qatar and breaking down in Jerez but it’s only the third round on Sunday. There is plenty of time to make up ground and Estoril could be the place.”
Pedrosa Chases First Estoril Win
MotoGP Championship leader Dani Pedrosa chases his first win at Estoril as he seeks to increase his five point lead over his bitter rival and fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa, who had a start to finish victory on the Repsol Honda in Jerez, has never won in Estoril on route to three world titles. Last year he was second to Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP race and in 2006 was involved in the infamous crash with team-mate and World Champion elect Nicky Hayden.
The 22 year old Spaniard’s rivalry with 20 year old Lorenzo is making all the headlines in the Spanish media and the feud will surely continue this weekend. Lorenzo riding the Fiat Yamaha has made a sensational start to his MotoGP career with second and third places plus a pole start on his debut in Qatar but incredibly like his great rival has never won in Estoril on his way to two 250cc World crowns.
Valentino Rossi has no such problems. The 29 year old seven times World Champion has won five premier class grands prix in Estoril and will be a massive threat to the two Spaniards in the 28 lap race. Rossi trails Lorenzo by five points in the Championship after finishing second in Jerez and is really getting to grips with the Bridgestone tyres he switched to at the beginning of the season.
World Champion Casey Stoner was a comfortable winner of the first round in Qatar but had a disaster in Jerez, eventually finishing 11th after twice running off the track on the Marlboro Ducati. The 22 year old Australian is just one point behind Rossi and won the 250 cc race in Estoril three years ago and last year finished third in the MotoGP race.
Two years ago Italian Andre Dovizioso won the 250cc race in Estoril and this year has followed Lorenzo into MotoGP from the 250cc class in very impressive fashion. He is fifth in the Championship riding the JIR Team Scott Honda despite finishing eighth in Jerez after a frantic last bend encounter with Loris Capirossi, Toseland and John Hopkins.
Former World Champion American Nicky Hayden achieved his best ever Estoril finish with a fourth place last year and he shares seventh place in this year’s Championship with veteran Loris Capirossi who showed all his old fire and passion fighting off the newcomers to finish fifth in Jerez, riding the Rizla Suzuki.
Anglo American Hopkins showed he is recovering from his groin injury with that last bend battle in Jerez riding the Kawasaki but his team-mate Anthony West is having a tough time with just three World Championship points to show for his efforts.
Spaniard Toni Elias returns to the scene of his greatest triumph, his one and only MotoGP victory in 2006. He is desperate for points after two tough opening rounds for his new Alice Ducati team. His team-mate Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli hopes to celebrate the birth of his second daughter with a points scoring ride on Sunday.
Finnish KTM star Mika Kallio took full advantage of the last lap crash of race leaders Alvaro Bautista and Marco Simoncelli to win the 250cc race in Jerez. Kallio is second in the Championship. behind Italian Mattia Pasini who won on the Polaris World Aprilia in Qatar and finished second in Jerez to lead the way by four points.
Italian Simone Corsi took over the lead in the 125 cc World Championship after his win in Jerez. The Championship is wide open after the crash of Qatar winner Sergio Gadea and mechanical retirement of his team-mate, World Champion Gabor Talmacsi.
Estoril is never an easy weekend for teams and riders because of the weather. The wind from the nearby Atlantic Ocean can race through the hills surrounding the track, which includes the slowest bend in MotoGP, and which is bumpy in places.
Event Time Schedule
Friday 11th April:09.00 – 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 12th April:09.00 – 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 13th April:08.55 – 09.15: 250cc Warm Up
09.25 – 09.50: MotoGP Warm Up
10.00 – 10.20: 125cc Warm Up
11.15: 250cc RACE (26 laps)
13.00: MotoGP RACE (28 laps)
14.30: 125cc RACE (23 laps)
Portuguese time is the same as British Summer time
Television Times Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
BBC
Saturday 12th April13.45 – 15.00: MotoGP Qualifying live BBCi and BBC Sport website
Sunday 13 April10.45 – 12.30: 125 and 250cc races live BBCi and BBC Sport website
12.30 – 14.00: MotoGP race live BBC Two and BBC Sport website
14.00 – 14.20: MotoGP Extra BBCi and BBC Sport website
14.20 - 15.30: 125cc race live BBCi and BBC Sport website
British Eurosport
Friday 11th April1315 – 15.00: 125cc Practice Live/MotoGP Practice Live
19.45 – 20.45: MotoGP
Saturday 12th April13.00 – 16.00: 125cc/250cc and MotoGP Qualifying Live
20.00 – 21.30: MotoGP
Sunday 13th April10.15 – 15.30: 250cc, MotoGP and 125cc Races Live
20.00 – 21.30: MotoGP
