After Ducati's domination in Spielberg, Austria, Honda and Yamaha hope to be able to regain momentum this weekend in Brno.
To talk about it, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Iannone, Valentino Rossi, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding were the guests of the opening conference of the Czech Republic Grand Prix.
“This weekend has been incredible for us,” says Iannone. “This victory is incredible. Allowing Ducati to return to victory after so many years is fantastic. » Remember that the last Ducati victory dates back to Phillip Island in 2010 with Casey Stoner.
“However, you have to stay focused, because there are a lot of fast drivers,” He added. “I hope I can finish the season with Ducati in the best possible way. » For this Grand Prix, the Italian hopes to be able to repeat this feat, “I always think about the positive side. It's a good layout that I like. It may indeed match the Ducati, but Honda and Yamaha have shown excellent potential here. It won't be easy, but we will do our best. »
Iannone emphasizes that he did not really celebrate this victory last Sunday, the two events being too close to each other, and that he simply rested at home with friends.
Thanks to this victory for Iannone on Sunday ahead of his teammate Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, Marquez
retains the lead in the Championship with 43 points ahead of Lorenzo and 57 over Rossi.
During the Austrian Grand Prix, Marquez dislocated his shoulder (in FP3), “The shoulder is not yet 100% recovered, but it is fixed,” he reassures. “It won’t be a problem this weekend and for the race. For the moment, I don't think I'll have any surgery. I'm going to stay like this by working on strength training at home. »
“The Red Bull Ring and Le Mans are two difficult tracks for us,” he adds about his 5th place. “Brno should allow us to get closer. This 5th place was nevertheless important: Lorenzo only gained 5 points and Valentino 2. We could have lost more. This weekend, our objective will be to concede as few points as possible to the two Yamahas. I feel good in Brno and I will try to stay close to the lead until the end. »
Concerning the rest of the Championship, Marquez confides, “I have to stay as consistent as possible, but I also have to win at least two more races if I want to be Champion. »
After three difficult races between Barcelona and Germany, Lorenzo finally found the podium in Austria. The Majorcan also reached his 103rd podium in MotoGP. He then becomes the best Spaniard at this rank ahead of Pedrosa. Only Valentino Rossi is better than him in this ranking, with 179 podiums.
“This result was important after three difficult races,” explains Lorenzo. “I had no doubt that it could come back one day that said. »
In Brno, Lorenzo hopes to be able to return to the top of the rankings,
“Historically, this circuit is good for Yamaha and for me in particular. We'll see if we can fight for victory and get back to Marc. »
“Depending on the tires, anything can happen. Now the Ducatis are very competitive and we can lose many points. We will try to get back into the rankings. » For Lorenzo, the objective is to score as many points as possible in the next races which are decisive for the rest of the Championship.
At the foot of the podium in Spielberg, Red does not hide the fact that he lacks a little to make the difference, “This season is the opposite of last season,” He explains. “I had good qualifying, but I encountered more problems in the race. The race in Austria wasn't that bad, but I couldn't finish on the podium because Lorenzo was faster than me. » Rossi also emphasizes that the Ducati had better tire wear management during the Austrian weekend, an aspect which made the difference at the end of the race.
For Brno, the scene of his first victory 20 years ago, Rossi hopes for better, “On paper, this track is good for Yamaha. But with the arrival of Michelin, we are not sure. The Ducati could be fast here, it's a fast track. Likewise, you will have to pay attention to the Honda, to Marc, but also to Dani who is always fast.
I like this layout, but we need to do more. There are a lot of competitive drivers. You have to take the races one after the other. »
Asked what he will become in 20 years, Rossi says, “In 20 years, I will be really old. I'm happy to be here and doing my best to be at the top. Maybe I could move towards something more secure like a car. »
After supporting Aprilia's return to MotoGP since the start of the 2015 season, Alvaro Bautista announced yesterday his move to a Ducati in the colors of the Aspar team with which he won the title in 2006 (in 125cc), “Staying one more season is really excellent. I have had good results in the past with Aspar. »
“These two seasons have been difficult,” He added. “We didn't get the results we wanted. We are getting closer to the Top 10, but there is still work to do. We have a new, more powerful engine. The difference isn't huge, but I can feel it. Obviously, having a more powerful engine always helps. »
Concerning the reactions of Romano Albesiano following the false start of his drivers last Sunday, Bautista remains professional, “This race was not easy for Stefan and me. Something happened at first, because there were several of us. This small mistake had big consequences. I will be more careful in the future. »
On the podium at Assen and just off the podium at Sachsenring, Redding feels in a good dynamic now, “My goal now is to finish in the Top 8. I am happy with the work of the team. I hope to have a good result this weekend on the Ducati and then at Silverstone. »
