Preview Indianapolis Grand Prix, USA

2014-08-05 06:46
Honda has completely dominated the first half of
the 2014 MotoGP season, with Repsol Honda RC213V
rider Marc Marquez winning all nine races. Now,
refreshed after the summer break, the defending
World Champion will be aiming to preserve his
perfect score as work begins again at Indianapolis.

Experienced team-mate Dani Pedrosa will be
striving to build on his own return to form, and
bolster his hard-won second place in the championship.

The atmospheric venue for the attempt is the
USA’s iconic Indianapolis banked oval
“Brickyard”, where the MotoGP-dedicated infield
circuit has been resurfaced and reworked in line
with rider feedback. Indy is race ten: marking
the start of the intensive second half of a
record-setting 2014 grand prix season.

Spaniard Marquez, from Cervera, west of
Barcelona, is already the youngest-ever
premier-class World Champion after his maiden
victory last year. The former 125cc and Moto2
title-holder has been unbeatable this year on the
class-leading 1000cc V4 Honda RC213V prototype,
with all but two of his nine wins achieved from pole position.

The flawless performance has seen the 21-year-old
add to an ever-growing list of records equalled
or broken. Should he start the second half of the
season with a tenth win at Indy, his latest
statistic will put him equal with an earlier
serial Honda World Champion, Mick Doohan. The
Australian five-time champion took ten
consecutive wins in 1997, the first to do so in
more than 25 years. Doohan still holds the record
for 12 wins in a season … another target within Marquez’s sights.

The omens are in his favour … Marquez has won at
the Brickyard circuit for the past three years,
twice in Moto2 and last year in MotoGP, from pole position.

His strongest challenge is likely to be from his
Repsol Honda team-mate. Pedrosa made a strong
start, then once recovered from corrective wrist
surgery at the beginning of the European season,
has regained second overall, adding three more
rostrum finishes including a Repsol Honda one-two
(second of the year) at the last race in Germany.

The rider from Sabadell, close to the Catalunya
GP circuit of Montmelo, also has an enviably
strong Indianapolis record. He is targeting a
fifth successive rostrum at the track, including
victories in 2010 and 2012 (from pole). Pedrosa
was on pole also for the inaugural Indy GP in
2008, but finished eighth in a race cut short as
hurricane force winds and rain brought chaos.

Two satellite teams also campaign the mighty
1000cc V4 RCV213V machine, with former Moto2
champion Stefan Bradl currently ahead. Riding the
LCR Honda RC213V, Bradl has twice qualified on
the front row and twice led on track, most
recently at the last round in Germany … until a
failed tyre gamble in tricky wet-to-dry
conditions dropped him out of the points at his
home race. The German will be anxious to make
amends and move up again from ninth overall.

GO&FUN Gresini Honda RC213V rider Alvaro Bautista
claimed a top three in France, but early crashes
dented his points score, and he currently lies
tenth, one place behind Bradl. Spaniard Bautista
was third at Indianapolis in 2009 on a 250.

Bautista’s GO&FUN Gresini Honda team-mate, Scott
Redding, last year’s Moto2 runner-up, is the top
scorer out of four riders campaigning Honda’s new
for-sale production-racer RCV1000R MotoGP bike, a
close replica of the factory machine. The British
youngest-ever GP winner and former Moto2 champion
has also claimed the best finish for the
RCV1000R, built for the new Open category, with
seventh at the opening round, and lies 12th overall.

Veteran Honda rider and 2006 World Champion Nicky
Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R) is four
points down, but will not be taking part at
Indianapolis nor the next round at Brno in the
Czech Republic, after surgery to address a
troublesome right wrist problem. His place will
be taken by former 125 GP and World Superbike
rider Leon Camier, the Briton making his premier-class debut.

Second Drive M7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R team-mate
Hiro Aoyama has scored points in every round so
far but one, with a best of tenth in Argentina.
Aoyama won the 250cc title in 2009, when he
claimed the last-ever two-stroke World Championship in the class for Honda.

Czech law graduate Karel Abraham (Cardion AB
Motoracing Honda RCV1000R) rides the fourth
production Honda. Abraham is also a regular in
the points, and has shown improving form after
recovering from major shoulder surgery last year.

Moto2 is all-Honda … 34 competitors are supplied
with race-tuned CBR600 engines by the series
organisers, to guarantee close competition and reliable racing.

After a dominant start by Spanish rider Tito
Rabat, the halfway point saw his Marc VDS Racing
Team Kalex team-mate Mika Kallio his strongest
rival. Second place in Germany to Rabat’s fourth
closed him to within less than 20 points. Rabat
has amassed four wins and six pole positions,
Finn Kallio has two wins and one pole start, but
consistency in recent races has made the difference.

An influx of fast rookies up from Moto3 has
enlivened the middle class, with one of them –
Moto3 champion Maverick Vinales (Paginas
Amarillas HP 40 Kalex) – lying third overall
after claiming a first win at only his second
attempt. He has added two second places and
another top five at the last three races, reinforcing his strong debut.

Experienced Swiss campaigner Dominique Aegerter
(Technomag carXpert Suter) is fourth, and closed
up in Germany after claiming his first victory,
from a maiden pole-position start.

More ex-Moto3 rookies Luis Salom (Paginas
Amarillas HP 40 Kalex)- seventh overall and Jonas
Folger (AGR Team Kalex) - ninth have pushed up
among the seasoned veterans, but in recent races
the old hands have regained ground. Simone Corsi
(NGM Forward Racing Kalex) is a strong fifth;
former 125 champion Thomas Luthi (Interwetten
Paddock Suter) is up to sixth. Anthony West (QMMF
Speed Up), at 32 the oldest in the class, lies
eighth after a valuable victory at Assen, the
only other rider to win a race this year; Johann
Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Caterham-Suter) completes the top ten.

In Moto3, where six Hondas are up against
machines from KTM and Mahindra, the upgraded
Honda NSF250RW is playing a leading part in the
closest racing and most open championship battle of the series.

Top Honda rider is the younger Marquez brother,
Alex, who has won two out of the past three races
and closed to within less than 20 points of
leader Jack Miller (KTM) as the new Moto3 Honda gains maturity.

Marquez rides for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 squad,
alongside team-mate Alex Rins, who has scored
four podiums this year but still awaits his first
victory, with two non-finishes in the last three
races damaging his points score: he lies fifth,
three points behind KTM rival Romano Fenati.

Second-best Honda rider is another Spaniard,
Efren Vazquez (SaxoPrint-RTG Honda), whose four
podium finishes put him a close third overall.
Team-mate John McPhee backed up several top-tens
in his second year in the class with a best-yet
seventh in Germany. Placed 13th overall, he has
the distinction of the lap record in Catalunya.

Experienced French campaigner Alexis Masbou
(Ongetta Rivacold Honda) lies seventh after a
series of strong rides, his best result coming
with third at the last round. His new team-mate
Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Ongetta AirAsia Honda) has
been finding his feet, with a best so far of 11th, in France and Italy.

The imposing Indianapolis Motor Speedway (the
first circuit in the world to bear the “Speedway”
name) is the largest sporting facility in the
world, where the twisty 2.6-mile infield circuit
dedicated to MotoGP is dwarfed by the massive
2.5-mile banked oval track, with grandstand seating for 250,000 fans.

The infield track was created in 1998 for a
short-lived involvement with Formula 1; and in
2008 MotoGP arrived, on a modified version of the
circuit run in the opposite direction. The first
event was disrupted by Hurricane Ike, causing the
MotoGP race to be cut short and the 250cc race to be abandoned.

For 2014, a full set of modifications, designed
with input from Dorna and the riders, has been
completed. Three corner sets (Turns 2/3/4; 7/8,
and 15/16) have been realigned to become more
flowing and improve overtaking opportunities,
shortening the lap by 46 metres to 4.170 km
(2.591 miles). More importantly, the entire
circuit has been resurfaced, where before a mix
of different surfaces came under fire from the riders.


Honda rider quotes

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda says:
“It’s been a great summer break, which has
combined some important time off to recharge the
batteries, and also training to ensure I’m ready
for the second half of the season. I’ve had time
to reflect on what an amazing first nine races
we’ve had and now I’m really eager to get back on
the bike in Indianapolis! I’ve always liked the
track and it will be interesting to see the
changes that they’ve made, so we’ll need to pay
attention from the first practice session and get
back into our rhythm as quickly as possible!.”

Dani: Pedrosa, Repsol Honda says:
“I’m feeling relaxed and ready for this second
half of the season. The strong race in Germany
and confirming my contract before the summer
break was the perfect way to end the first half.
Indy is a track I’ve had good results at in the
past few years so my aim is to arrive there and
fight again for the victory. Obviously we have a
new track layout to look at so it will be
important to take some time with my team to
examine these changes and be prepared for the race.”

Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP says:
“The summer break gave me the chance to relax and
to train to face the second half of the season
with more energy and motivation. My season so
far was up-and-down but I want to begin the
second part of the championship in a different
mood trying to forget some unlucky and tough
weekends like Germany. Indianapolis is a special
venue for all MotoGP riders as the circuit is an
iconic one. I had good races there in the premier
class and the target is to follow the top riders.”

Alvaro Bautista, GO&FUN Honda Gresini says:
“Indianapolis is a very strange track, but this
year we will race on a revised layout: the design
of some corners which actually were not very
suitable for bike racing has been modified and
the track has been re-surfaced, so I think that
first of all it will be important to verify how
the tyres work on the new surface. Anyway, I’ve
always had good results in Indy, so our goal is
to try to find immediately a good set-up in order
to achieve a good feeling with the bike and be
able to give our best. Finally we resume action
after the summer break and I hope to show a
better consistency in this second part of the championship.”


Scott Redding, GO&FUN Honda Gresini says:
“This year they changed the track a little bit so
it will be interesting to see how it goes, but
anyway with that long straight going into the
first fast corner it should be exciting to race
there aboard a MotoGP bike! I also like going to
the United States because the fans really like to
show their support and they are an inspiration
for us. Starting the second half of the season
with an advantage over the rest of the other
production Honda riders in the championship
standings is good, but now we need to continue
like this. The summer break has been helpful to
take a bit of rest and to get even stronger for
the second half of the season. We expect high
temperatures for this race so I did a lot of
training and now I feel I’m prepared.”

Nicky Hayden, Drive M7 Aspar Honda says:
“Well I don’t like the thought of this weekend
being the Indy MotoGP race knowing I’ll be
watching and not out there on my bike
representing the team in my home race, but this
is the situation. Truthfully I have already dealt
with it and I’m only thinking about my recovery
so no pity party for me. Of course I will still
be in Indy for the complete event – I love
everything they do in Indy to make it such a cool
weekend, there really is something for everybody
to do there so I look forward to seeing it all
and meeting up with the fans. I seem to be
healing on course but it was no small surgery so
I’m not sure when I’ll be back and probably won’t
know until after my next doctor check-up. Until
then good luck to Leon – of course it won’t be
the easiest situation but I am happy the team was
able to find such an experienced rider with his
credibility to hold the fort until I get back.”

Hiroshi Aoyama, Drive M7 Aspar Honda says:
“I made the most of the summer break to head back
to Japan and spend a few days with family and
friends. I have topped up on energy and
motivation for the second half of the season.
Indianapolis is a unique circuit with its own
peculiarities but they have made some changes for
this year so I am looking forward to getting
there and having a look at what they have done.
It is a strange track but I like it and in
general I like racing in American because of the
atmosphere, the culture and the fans. We finished
the first half of the season well so the aim is
to kick off the second half with another strong result.”

Karel Abraham, Cardion AB Motoracing Honda says:
“I have mixed memories of Indianapolis. In 2012 I
was eighth, one of my best MotoGP results. But
last year I crashed in free practice, and the
injury to my shoulder eventually meant I couldn’t
finish the season. This year we have had mainly
stable results, and some interesting races in the
battle to be top production Honda. That is the
target every race, and in the second half of the
season I hope to stay consistent, but improve by one or two positions


Moto2 Rider Quotes

Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex rider Tito Rabat says:
“I’m happy with how the first half of the season
went, but now we must focus on the second half,
starting this weekend in Indianapolis. My
approach for these last nine races will be the
same as for the first nine; work hard, put in 100
percent every time I get on the bike and fight to
win races. On paper the Indianapolis track layout
has changed a lot, but tracks always look
different from the seat of the bike than they do
on paper, so we’ll see just how big a change there’s been when we get there.”

Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex rider Mika Kallio says:
“I like Indianapolis, the atmosphere and the
history of the place make this race a little bit
special. Unfortunately, my history in
Indianapolis isn’t quite as good as I’d have
hoped for, while Tito has been strong there in
the past. Previously we’ve had to use the harder
option tyres at Indy and the changes in the
tarmac have been an issue, so it will be
interesting to see what impact the resurfacing
and reconfiguration of the track have on tyre
choice. Whatever we find when we get there the
aim remains the same. If I want to fight for the
championship then I need to finish in front of
both Tito and Maverick Vinales again this weekend.”

Paginas Amarillas HP 40 Kalex rider Maverick Vinales says:
“I think I did some good races in the first half
of the year, but I didn’t really expect to be
third in the championship. Now the focus is to
continue in the same way, and even hope to win
again in the second half. I have had good results
at Indy … on the podium in 2011 and 2013. We will work hard, and do our best.”


Moto3 Honda Rider Quotes

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda rider Alex Marquez says:
“Last year I got my first grand prix podium at
the Indianapolis Grand Prix, so returning to the
American track is something special. Besides,
it’s a circuit that also suits me pretty well and
I really enjoy it. After the summer break I
return very motivated and I think that at this
stage of the championship we are at a great
level. I’ll try to get a good feeling from day
one, in order to obtain the best results.”

Saxoprint-RTG Honda rider Efren Vazquez says:
“At Indy I think we will work better from FP1 to
FP3 – this is my first target, because we need to
start from nearer the front if we want to fight
for the podium. I like the Indy track, and I am
interested to see the changes. I think we can make a good result there.”

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda rider Alex Rins says:
“The holidays have gone well. There was time for
a bit of everything, including for complete rest
for a few days without training. I no longer have
any pain in my foot and I feel recovered from the
injury, so now we focus on Indianapolis, which is
one of my favourite tracks. It brings back good
memories, because last year I got the victory
there. This year they have changed the layout a
bit and it is faster, so we will have to study
these changes when we arrive there. I’ve already
tried the new layout thanks to video games,
because the game this year has been updated.”

Source: Honda Pro Image

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