It’s the weekend of the year that all British Motorcycle racing fans have been waiting for the bwin.com British Grand Prix at Donington Park. It’s the weekend when Britain’s MotoGP stars return home to race at the 2.50 miles Parkland circuit for their only British appearances of the season.
Spearheading the British challenge is 27 year old Yorkshireman James Toseland who returns to the circuit where he won a World Superbike Championship race last year. Riding the Tech 3 Yamaha he’s made a superb start to his MotoGP career and after four sixth places in the opening seven rounds he lies seventh in his MotoGP debut season.
A British rider has not won the premier class race at the British Grand Prix since it left the TT circuit on the Isle of Man in 1976. Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams was the last British rider to finish on the podium when he was third, eight long years ago.
It is also a special homecoming for the British teenagers in the 125 cc class who face 16 other grands prix far away from home in eight months of travelling and long flights.
Seventeen year old Bradley Smith scored his first ever World Championship points at Donington when he finished 12th two years ago. The Oxfordshire rider has experienced a mixed season so far riding the Polaris World Aprilia. He’s finished twice on the podium, secured three pole positions but has also crashed too many times. He hopes to be 100 per cent fit for the 22 lap race following a spectacular fall in qualifying at the last grand prix in Barcelona.
Fifteen year old Scott Redding from Gloucester has made a sensational start to his grand prix career. Riding the Blusens Aprilia, he finished sixth in the previous Barcelona round and is 13th in the Championship. Redding makes his debut on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit have only previously ridden on the shorter circuit.
Kent-based Danny Webb breezes into Donington after a good 11th place in Barcelona despite a bad start on the Degraff Aprilia. Like Smith, he has crashed too many times and has only finished three races but is very capable of improving on his best result, a fifth place in Portugal, on Sunday.
In the very competitive 250 cc class Ulsterman Eugene Laverty returns to Donington where he’s twice finished on the podium in the British Supersport Championship. In his second season in the 250 cc class he’s already scored more points after seven rounds than his complete total last year.
James Toseland“This is the weekend I’ve been so looking forward to all season. My one and only race in Britain this year and my first appearance on a MotoGP bike in front of those home fans. To finish sixth in Barcelona was a good result and I can’t wait to get to Donington. I know the track well, I won there last year on a Superbike and I’ll be pushing really hard for that podium place.”
Bradley Smith“I’m working very hard to get 100 per cent fit after my qualifying crash in Barcelona. My left ankle and leg are still very sore but I will be fit by practice on Friday. It’s a very special race for all British riders and I scored my first ever World Championship points at Donington when I finished 12th two years ago.”
Scott Redding” I’m really looking forward to racing at home although I’ve never raced on the full Donington grand prix circuit. I’ve raced an 80 cc bike on the short circuit and so I know well over half the track. My first grand prix season is going well and I was pleased with that sixth place at the last round in Barcelona.”
Danny Webb“My 11th place in Barcelona was just the result I needed going into my home race at Donington, especially after I made such a bad start in the race. I’d not scored points in the two previous rounds and so that’s just what we wanted and I’ve got a good feeling before such an important race.”
Eugene Laverty"Donington is a track I know well and I’ve finished on the podium twice there in the British Supersport Championship. It’s a track where horsepower is not so important and that should really suit me. After seven rounds I’ve already scored more 250cc Championships points than the whole of last season.”
Donington Deja Vu For Rossi, Pedrosa & Stoner They arrive with ten Donington victories between them and ready to continue their Barcelona battle at the bwin.com British Grand Prix on Sunday. Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner have all tasted the victory champagne after MotoGP victories at the 2.50 miles Parkland circuit and are ready to continue their Barcelona battle in the 30 lap eighth round of the Championship.
Twenty nine year old Italian Rossi arrives brimming with confidence with every good reason. He’s won seven times at Donington, including five premier class victories and leads this year’s World Championship by seven points from Pedrosa. Riding the Fiat Yamaha, Rossi who is the darling of the British fans, has won three grands prix this season but was well beaten into second place by the Repsol Honda of Pedrosa in Barcelona.
The next day Pedrosa, who won his second grand prix of the season in Barcelona, crashed heavily in testing at the same circuit but will be 100 per cent fit for the race at the circuit where he has tasted both 250 and MotoGP success.
Last year Australian Stoner won the MotoGP race on route to the World title for Marlboro Ducati. The 22 year old who left Australia eight years ago to start his road racing career in Britain because he was too young to race at home, was involved in a superb battle with Rossi for second place in Barcelona. He eventually finished third and it’s been a tough year for Stoner and the team with just one grand prix victory at the opening round under the Qatar floodlights.
Sandwiched between Stoner and Pedrosa in the Championship is another Donington winner, 21 year old Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo. The double 250 cc World Champion has made a sensational start to his MotoGP career riding the Fiat Yamaha. He shared the Championship lead with his bitter rival Pedrosa after his maiden MotoGP victory in Portugal but since then things have not gone so smoothly. He crashed out in Italy and then missed the race in Barcelona suffering from severe concussion following a practice crash. The two week rest means he should be ready and able to continue the battle at Donington.
Fifth and sixth respectively in the Championship are two more previous Donington winners. American Colin Edwards who started the race from pole and finished second last year has won World Superbike races at the track while Italian Andrea Dovizioso won the 250 cc race last year. Another previous Donington winner Italian veteran Loris Capirossi misses the race through injury and his place will be taken by American star 23 year old Ben Spies who makes his MotoGP debut on the Rizla Suzuki. He will look to team-mate Australian Chris Vermeulen to show him the way round after the Australian finished third in the MotoGP race last year and has a wealth of experience at Donington from his British Championship days.
Former World Champion Nicky Hayden arrives in the midst of a miserable season and together with team-mate Pedrosa could use the new pneumatic valve Honda in practice. Anglo/ American John Hopkins is fighting to get fit after a practice crash in Barcelona damaged his back while his Kawasaki team-mate Australian Anthony West may be praying for rain to improve on his ten Championship points haul.
Just five points separate Mika Kallio and Marco Simoncelli at the top of the 250 cc Championship. Italian Simoncelli, riding the Gilera, has won the last two grands prix to slash Kallio’s lead. The Finnish KTM rider was forced to retire in Barcelona with mechanical problems and so the pressure is on. Watch out also for third placed Mattia Pasini who won the 125 cc race last year.
Frenchman Mike Di Meglio won his second grand prix of the season in Barcelona to open up a 14 point lead in the 125 cc World Championship over Italian Simone Corsi who’s won three grands prix this season. In addition to the talented British teenagers there are some superb youngsters in the 125 class including the likes of Stefan Bradl and Pol Espararo who are certain future grands prix winners.
EVENT TIME SCHEDULE Friday 20tth June 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 21st June09.00 – 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 22nd June09.40 – 10.00: 125cc Warm Up
10.10 – 10.30: 250cc Warm Up
10.40 – 11.05: MotoGP Warm Up
12.00: 125cc RACE (25 laps)
13.15: 250cc RACE (27 laps)
15.00: MotoGP RACE (30 laps)
TELEVISION TIMES Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
Saturday June 20th BBCi and BBC Sport Website MotoGP qualifying 13.45 – 15.00
Sunday June 21st BBCi and BBC Sport Website 125/250 cc races 11.45 – 14.15
BBC Two and BBC Sport Website MotoGP race 14.15 -16.00
EUROSPORT Friday June 20th MotoGP 16.00 – 17.00
Saturday June 21st Qualifying 13.45 – 16.00
Sunday June 22nd Warm-up and 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP races 11.00 – 16.00
