Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Shape Up for Aragon Action2020-10-14 11:48The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team travelled straight from Le Mans, France, to MotorLand Aragón in Spain for Round 10 of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi will once again swing a leg over their YZR-M1s this weekend, for the Gran Premio Michelin de Aragón. Viñales is currently fourth in the championship standings, making him all the more intent on gunning for a top position this Sunday to bridge the 19-point gap to first. The Aragon GP is a very special occasion for the Spaniard. Not only is it one of his ’home Grands Prix‘, he is also big fan of the circuit, which shows in his previous results at this track. He stood on the Aragon podium three times before. He secured a third place in 2011 in the 125cc class, a Moto3 second place finish in 2013, and a Moto2 victory in 2014. Rossi intends to leave the French GP behind him and is set on making a telling comeback this weekend. He is in 13th place in the championship rankings, 57 points from the top, but feels strongly that he has the pace to climb further up the order. The Italian lists the Aragon circuit as one of the more challenging tracks on the MotoGP calendar, but he has had a fair amount of success there. The Aragon round was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2010, and since then the nine-time World Champion stood on the podium three times, securing third places in the premier class in 2013, 2015, and 2016. The MotorLand Aragón circuit is situated near the town of Alcañiz, a few hours' drive from Barcelona. The fast 5.1km long track has ten left and seven right corners, and a 968m longest straight. It was given the IRTA Best Grand Prix of the Year award after MotoGP‘s first visit there, reflecting the riders' and the fans' appreciation of the venue. Pictures for editorial use only. Copyright © 2020 Yamaha Motor Racing Srl MASSIMO MEREGALLI MASSIMO MEREGALLI TEAM DIRECTOR We have travelled straight from Le Mans to Aragon. This is a circuit that Maverick really likes. It's his home race and the lay-out is very exciting. From past experience we know it doesn‘t play to our bikes‘ strengths, so these next two rounds will be a challenge. Nevertheless, we are still 100% committed to battling for top positions, also with an eye on the championship standings. This is a significant part of the 2020 MotoGP season. We have only five GPs left to go, so we have to give it our all, as always. Vale is not the biggest fan of this circuit, but his pace has been really strong this year. He already stood on the podium in Aragon three times before, and his motivation to get back onto the rostrum is sky-high. So we are ready to put in the hard work required to get both riders in the mix at the front. MAVERICK VIÑALES MAVERICK VIÑALES I‘m really happy that the next rounds are held in Aragon. It is a track that I love, one of my favourites. I usually ride really well there and, for sure, I will give it my all this weekend. It‘s sort of my home GP, and it‘s my goal to put in my best performance of the year so far. Last year we already came close to the podium, so I think that we can do a good job again this time round. VALENTINO ROSSI VALENTINO ROSSI After the race in Le Mans the team has travelled to the MotorLand circuit for two back-to-back races. This has always been a difficult track for me, so it will be challenging to be strong here. But this year I‘m quite fast, and I have a good feeling with the bike. So, we will work hard again and try to understand if we can also raise our performance level in Aragon. Source: Yamaha Motor Racing Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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