Repsol honda team ready to bounce back at Phillip Island
The Repsol Honda Team contests round 16 of the MotoGP World Championship this weekend
as the Australian Grand Prix takes place at the Phillip Island circuit. Nicky Hayden and Dani
Pedrosa arrive fully motivated and both factory Honda riders are targeting the win at the
fast and exposed track which lies 150km (93 miles) south of Melbourne.
Pedrosa has unfinished business after the last race in Japan where the Spaniard was fastest
in every dry practice session and took pole position, only to be hindered by the treacherous
conditions on race day. Though still experiencing some discomfort in his left foot from the
fall at Motegi, tests have shown that there is no broken bone as first feared and Pedrosa,
who celebrated his 22nd birthday on September 29, is confident for the weekend. He still
has the chance to take second position in the World Championship, lying 26-points behind
Valentino Rossi with a maximum of 75 points available from the final three races of the
season.
Hayden comes to Phillip Island having been fastest in the two-day test following the
Japanese Grand Prix. After claiming pole position in the previous two years at Phillip Island
and setting the fastest time in the three-day pre-season test here, Hayden knows he has the
pace to contest the win. With his world crown now passed on to Casey Stoner, Hayden also
has the extra motivation of recording his first win of the season at a track he loves.
The scenic Phillip Island circuit provides a popular contrast to some of the more anti-septic
venues on the MotoGP world tour. Rising and falling over the grassy landscape of Phillip
Island, the 4.448km (2.764 miles) of Australian asphalt is both picturesque and challenging
to the MotoGP teams and riders.
Fast corners, elevation changes and a variable climate all conspire to generate exciting
racing and unpredictable results. In addition, strong sea winds often threaten to blow
unwary riders off the track, and low-flying seagulls can also present a real danger to bodies
and bodywork on the 205mph start-finish straight. full story on roadracingworld.com
picture from nickyhayden.com