His pride may be damaged and his hand bruised but James Toseland has already put the Donington disaster behind him as he prepares for the next contest, the A-Style Dutch TT at Assen on Saturday.
The 27 year old Yorkshireman arrives at the ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship with a winning pedigree at the 2.830 miles circuit in the World Superbike Championship. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider is eighth in the World Championship in his debut MotoGP season and will forget that first bend crash at Donington as soon as practice starts on Thursday morning.
Fifteen year old Scott Redding will never forget his day at Donington after winning the 125 cc race. It was his first grand prix victory after just eight attempts riding the Blusens Aprilia and he arrives in Holland with the honour of being the youngest ever grand prix winner in the 60 year history of the sport. The Gloucestershire teenager has never raced at Assen before but he faced the same problem at Donington – it seems to make no difference.
Seventeen year old Bradley Smith has raced in Assen although he missed the race last year after being brought down in practice. He finished a brave tenth in Donington still in pain from two crashes in the wet practice session.
Kent-based Danny Webb crashed in the 125 cc Donington race and will want to bounce back at the home race for his DeGraff Aprilia team while Ulsterman Eugene Laverty will be looking for a change of luck in the 250 cc race after his steering damper broke at Donington.
James Toseland
“The hand is bruised but not broken and I’ve just got to pick myself up and get on with it, starting with that first practice on Thursday morning.”
Scott Redding
”It still has not really sunk in what happened at Donington. I was straight onto the ferry to Holland and I’m now preparing to learn yet another new circuit.”
Bradley Smith
“Donington was such a big let down and I’m so disappointed for everybody. We will come back fighting and ready for Assen. I should be fitter and fired up and ready to go.”
Danny Webb
“It was so disappointing at Donington but I’ve got to forget it and get a good result for my team who are based in Holland. It’s their biggest race of the year and I want to produce a good result for them.”
Eugene Laverty
"I was having a fantastic race at Donington and it was heartbreaking when the steering damper broke. Assen comes along so quickly I must keep my chin up and keep fighting.”
Stoner Looking To Up The Pressure At Dutch Classic
Fresh from his morale boosting victory at Donington Park, World Champion Casey Stoner arrives at Assen to up the pressure on MotoGP Championship leaders Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa. The 22 year old Australian after his second grand prix win of the season riding the Marlboro Ducati trails championship leader Rossi by 45 points as they prepare for round nine of MotoGP World Championship around the legendary 2.830 miles Assen circuit in the north of Holland.
It will not be easy because Rossi has an excellent record at the circuit which is the only track left on the MotoGP calendar from the first World Championship schedule in 1949.
Rossi, who was second on the Fiat Yamaha in Donington, leads Pedrosa by seven points in the Championship and has a great record in Assen. He has won six times including four premier class victories. Last year it was his best race of the season where he secured a win over Stoner and Nicky Hayden, who won the race in 2006.
Spaniard Pedrosa has tasted victory in the 125 cc class and will be chasing his third MotoGP win of the season to close the gap on Rossi and keep Stoner, who has never won at Assen, at bay.
Jorge Lorenzo may have slipped to fourth place in the Championship but he made an impressive return to sixth place at Donington after his recent injuries. The 250 cc World Champion has won the last two 250 cc races at Assen plus a 125 and will be a major threat in the 26 lap race on Saturday.
Fifth place American Colin Edwards has good and bad memories of Assen. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider crashed on the very last bend two years ago while leading and that first grand prix win still evades the popular Texan. His happier times were with race victories in the World Superbike Championship.
Double AMA Superbike Champion American Ben Spies made an excellent MotoGP debut at Donington replacing the injured Loris Capirossi and finishing 14th after qualifying in eighth in the rain. Assen winner Capirossi hopes to return if the hand he injured in Barcelona has recovered sufficiently.
Five years ago Australian Ant West secured his one and only grand prix victory in the wet 250 cc race and he arrives back at the scene of triumph after securing his best MotoGP result of the season, a tenth place at Donington. His Kawasaki team-mate John Hopkins’s tale of woe continues after mechanical problems ruled him out on Sunday.
In the 250 cc class Finnish KTM star Mika Kallio increased his Championship lead to eight points after his third win of the season at Donington. Italian Marco Simoncelli is hanging onto his shirt tails after finishing second following two successive grand prix victories. Kallio won the 125 cc race in Assen two years ago.
Frenchman Mike Di Meglio did his 125 cc Championship chances a power of good with a second place behind 15 year old Scott Redding on Sunday. He leads Italian Simone Corsi by 23 points with German teenager Stefan Bradl in third place.
Event Time Schedule
Thursday 26th 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
Friday 27th 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 2
13.55 – 14.55: MotoGP Qualifying
15.10 – 15.55: 250cc Qualifying 2
Saturday 28th June
08.40 – 09.00: 125cc Warm Up
09.10 – 09.30: 250cc Warm Up
09.40 – 10.05: MotoGP Warm Up
11.00: 125cc RACE (22 laps)
12.15: 250cc RACE (24 laps)
14.00: MotoGP RACE (26 laps)
Television Times
Practice, qualifying and the races will be shown at the following times on British television:
Saturday June 28th
BBCi and BBC Sport Website 125/250 cc races 09.45 – 12.15
BBC Two and BBC Sport Website MotoGP race 12.45 -14.00
EUROSPORT
Thursday June 26th
MotoGP 12.15 – 15.00
Friday June 27th
Qualifying 13.00 – 14.00
MotoGP 19.15 – 20.15
Saturday June 28th
Warm-up and 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP races 08.45 – 14.00
