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Fiat Yamaha Team lead the way to Laguna Seca

Laguna Seca

The Fiat Yamaha Team leave behind a two-month road trip across Europe this week as they take flight for America for their final appointment before the midseason break, with Valentino Rossi in fine form and on top of the MotoGP World Championship. After a rain-hit run of six races in eight weeks, culminating in Sunday's Sachsenring splashdown, a trip to the sunshine state of California for the US Grand Prix could not have come at a better time and it represents an opportunity for Rossi to consolidate his series lead before a well-earned holiday.

Second place in Germany, combined with a zero-point score for his closest title rival Dani Pedrosa, has given the Italian a sixteen-point advantage in the chase for the title with eight races remaining, although Sunday's race winner Casey Stoner lurks just four points further back in third place. Having been absent from the US podium since taking third when MotoGP returned to Laguna Seca in 2005, Rossi's target is to recreate Yamaha's success during the track's first spell on the Grand Prix calendar between 1988 and 1994, when the factory won five of the six premier-class races.

After struggling for confidence over the past four rounds following a run of crashes, Jorge Lorenzo is hoping to bounce back from his latest setback, a third lap spill at the Sachsenring, on his first visit to Laguna Seca as a MotoGP rider. The Mallorcan did attend the USGP last season, however, as an expert for Spanish television, having already fallen in love with California during the previous winter when he went to ride dirt-track under the tutelage of Yamaha legend 'King' Kenny Roberts at his Modesto ranch.
That experience could come in handy this weekend at the notoriously capricious circuit, where the intense dry heat, unpredictable asphalt and anti-clockwise layout reward the loose and aggressive riding style perfected in the dust bowls of the west coast. As the rear slides around, the front wheel is often left spinning in thin air through the dramatic elevation changes and fast, sweeping corners - none of them more spectacular than the world-famous 'Corkscrew'. Machine set-up is relatively straightforward, with throttle connection a much more important factor than top-end power and a well balanced chassis the key to those elevation changes and diverse corners.

Valentino Rossi - Hoping for good memories

"Laguna hasn't been one of my favourite tracks in the three years since we've been going there and it's one of the only ones on the calendar where I haven't won. We're aiming to win this week, that's for sure! It's been a hard track for our bike but it's been a very good track for Bridgestone and I am confident that our package will work very well there. The last two years I've had serious disappointments in the race and it's been one of the low points of both seasons, I hope I have had all the bad luck I'm going to have there and that this year I can enjoy myself! We are going there with the same package that we had in Germany and so we're going to have to work very hard to close the gap in performance to Stoner; we can't afford to start from anywhere except the front because, with him in this form, it is then very hard to catch him. California is a great place and this year we will be doing all we can to leave it with good memories, not bad ones!"

Jorge Lorenzo - A famous circuit
"I've never raced at Laguna but last year I went there to commentate for Spanish TV and I had a great time, California is an amazing place! I am so excited to finally get the chance to race there because it's a very special track which everyone always talks about and I am looking forward to riding at a place with such famous corners as the corkscrew. I know it's a difficult place but I am feeling stronger and I will be doing my best to get to know the circuit as quickly as possible and find a good feeling with the bike there. We need to work hard from that start, together with Michelin, to improve the grip issues we've been having. I am still disappointed about Sachsenring but luckily I wasn't hurt and it's good to have the chance to move on quickly and focus on the next race. Now my target is to have a good weekend so that I can enjoy the summer break."

Davide Brivio - A fantastic race

"We're very happy to go to Laguna leading the championship and feeling quite strong. It's never been a very successful track for us so we have to try and improve on our third place from 2005, which is our best result. It's always fantastic to race there because the atmosphere is incredible and it's a pleasure to race in California. Hopefully we will have some Californian sunshine! We need to go there on the attack and our target is to remain on the podium and maintain our championship lead."

Daniele Romagnoli - Looking for more grip

"Jorge is still very disappointed with the race in Germany but thankfully he escaped unhurt from the crash. Now we have to focus on working hard at Laguna Seca on the problems he had at the Sachsenring. The issue is a lack of rear grip, which was obviously exacerbated in the wet on Sunday, and at Laguna it will be important again because we've seen over the past two seasons how hard this circuit is on the tyres. We won't be trying anything new with the electronics - our focus is on working with the geometry of the bike and the suspension to find a more comfortable base setting for Jorge. This is a new track for him so he doesn't have any experience to fall back on, which will make it an interesting weekend for sure!"

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DUCATI LOOK TO CONTINUE GREAT FORM AT LAGUNA SECA

The Ducati MotoGP Team tackle the final race before the summer break this weekend just days after Casey Stoner's most recent success at Sachsenring, where the Australian's third consecutive victory and his fourteenth overall for Ducati took his win rate to 50% from 28 races contested so far in the Borgo Panigale factory's colours.

Marco Melandri also produced a good performance in Germany, where he returned to competitive form with an exciting battle through the field, only to be halted in his tracks with an unfortunate crash just moments after he set the fastest lap of the race.

The USGP, which only features the MotoGP class, brings to an end an intensive period of races that has brought the top three riders in the championship even closer together, with just 20 points now covering Valentino Rossi, Daniel Pedrosa and Casey Stoner. The reigning World Champion, currently in third place, is hoping to close that gap down even further this weekend whilst the target for Melandri is to convert his progress at Sachsenring into a positive result.
Stoner scored one of the most memorable victories of his short MotoGP career at Laguna last year, when he dominated in practice and blasted his way to victory from pole position, smashing the lap record in the process. Melandri also produced an incredible performance in 2007, when he charged to the podium from the fourth row of the grid despite injuring himself in a practice crash.

LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director

"This is really a magical period for Casey and we head to Laguna full of confidence. It's a track he likes and he was incredible there all weekend last year. We all want to do well again but every race is always different and the 2008 championship is at a very high level. I think Marco can also do well at a circuit he likes a lot and following a weekend where he showed signs of improvement compared to previous races. We have a huge fan base in America so we hope we can reward their support with another great performance! "

CASEY STONER, Ducati MotoGP Team

"The race at Laguna last year really was fantastic and it would be amazing to be able to repeat that but we know this will be very difficult. We have to believe in it though and keep pushing as hard as we can to close this championship down. It's a nice place and in general I like racing in America because the public and the fans you meet in the paddock are great - always really pleasant, polite and supportive of all the riders. The track is really nice too, it's great fun but also very demanding with so many elevation changes and tough corners. I like it because it feels 'natural' - it follows the lay of the land and isn't one of those circuits that was designed on a computer. Hopefully we can start out well and get a good set-up again from Friday."

MARCO MELANDRI, Ducati MotoGP Team

"I really like Laguna Seca. It is a short track that barely gives you chance to catch your breath and it is very technical, with some really fast corners mixed with some slower ones. The Corkscrew is probably one of the most famous corners in the world although in reality it is not so crucial to the lap time. It is unusual though and very beautiful: there is no other corner as exciting as that in the world. I think the circuit as a whole is one of the most fun on the calendar and the atmosphere is great, it's really special. I have always been fascinated with America and I always look forward to going there. I go there this time in better spirits because I know that the progress we made in Germany can carry through to here."

THE TRACK

Laguna Seca played host to the US Grand Prix on six occasions between 1988 and 1994 before being removed from the calendar. A series of major structural improvements to the facility saw the World Championship return in 2005, although only for the MotoGP class. The track, which flows around the undulating hills on the outskirts of Monterey, is most famous for the Corkscrew, a tight and spectacular left-right downhill chicane. In fact, the entire circuit is a rollercoaster ride, with a few short straights and a series of fast corners and elevation changes that often leave the front wheel pawing at the air. The 3.610km track is the perfect amphitheatre for the fans and is surprisingly straightforward in terms of machine set-up, with little opportunity to maximise full throttle. Frequent downhill braking zones put extra stress on the front end and make tyre wear a crucial factor.

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Bridgestone MotoGP Briefing - Round 11: USA

Tuesday 15 July 2008
Fresh from a dominant performance at the Sachsenring in which eight Bridgestone-shod riders secured top ten
positions, including the top four, and following a run of three consecutive race wins for Casey Stoner and Ducati,
Bridgestone heads to the United States in buoyant mood and ready to face the challenges presented by the famous
Laguna Seca Raceway.

Laguna Seca made a welcome return to the MotoGP calendar in 2005 and holds its fourth consecutive United States
Grand Prix this weekend. The Monterey-located track was a fixture in the championship in the late 1980s and early
1990s, and this weekend's event will be the tenth premier class US GP to be held at the world renowned circuit.

Bridgestone enjoyed a great result at last year's Laguna Seca event with a 1-2-3 result on race day, led by Casey
Stoner, who started from pole position and dominated the gruelling 32-lap race, winning by a margin of almost 10
seconds. Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen took a fine second place with Marco Melandri completing the podium in third for
Honda Gresini.

Second place at Sachsenring took Valentino Rossi back to the top of the 2008 championship on 187 points. Stoner's
German win continued his recent championship resurgence and takes him to twenty points from Rossi's haul, just
four from second-placed Dani Pedrosa who failed to score points at the Sachsenring last weekend.

Bridgestone will have some American flavour to its Laguna Seca weekend with the addition of US racer Ben Spies,
who joins Rizla Suzuki MotoGP as a wildcard alongside regular riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen this
weekend, and AMA Superbike star Jamie Hacking, who replaces the injured John Hopkins at the Kawasaki Racing
Team.

Hiroshi Yamada - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit
"We have not had much time to reflect on our success from the Sachsenring, but it was really a great race result for
us, and it was so great to see so many Bridgestone riders enjoy success in the wet. We got a podium clean sweep at
Laguna Seca in 2007, and it would be great to repeat that feat this season, but we will surely face a renewed
challenge from our rivals this weekend. This is the final race before the summer break so it would be nice to end the
first part of the season on a high note and to help all our riders enhance their championship positions. We also look
forward to working again with Ben Spies at Suzuki, and for the first time with Jamie Hacking at Kawasaki, and wish
them a successful weekend."

Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport - Manager, Race Tyre Development
"Laguna Seca is the shortest race track that we visit during the season at just 3.610km, marginally shorter than
Sachsenring where we were last weekend. It is a challenging circuit for bikes, riders and tyre manufacturers, with the
very well known Corkscrew turn, which really puts the whole package to the test. Like Sachsenring there is a
disproportion of left and right-hand corners and this asymmetrical layout over 32 tough laps offers us a nice challenge.
The track was resurfaced before last year's event and the asphalt is quite slippery. The usually hot weather
conditions also play an important part and we have to keep durability as a focal point over the weekend. Finding the
all-important compromise between performance, grip and life is always the tyre technician's target."
2007 Flashback
"Casey Stoner got his 2007 US GP preparations off to a flying start, ending the opening day of practice as the fastest
man ahead of two other Bridgestone riders, Marco Melandri and John Hopkins. Stoner remained the pacesetter on
qualifying day, claiming pole position as less than two seconds separated the entire field. Chris Vermeulen took a
third place front row position using race rubber. Stoner took a dominant win on race day, but Vermeulen continued his
strong weekend in second, and Melandri took third, in spite of injuries from a qualifying crash."

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Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads Stateside in upbeat mood

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is off to Laguna Seca in California for the USGP this weekend in confident mood, boosted by the podium for Chris Vermeulen last time out at Sachsenring.

The team has made the transatlantic journey direct from Germany to be ready for the sixth race in eight weekends this coming Sunday, which will bring to a close the first half of the season before all the teams take a well-earned break.

Vermeulen is looking forward to Laguna following his success there in previous seasons. Last year he finished second and in 2006 he qualified on pole, only to be robbed of an almost certain podium position by a mechanical problem.

Loris Capirossi is still making a recovery from the severe puncture wound he suffered at Assen last month and will again need to show his true racer spirit to overcome the difficulties he will face riding in the extreme temperatures that can be encountered in California.

The 3,610m long Laguna Seca circuit is situated near the town of Monterey, approximately 160kms south of San Francisco. The circuit was built in a former army training zone and features one of the wildest parts of track anywhere in the world. The scary looking ?Corkscrew' is almost a sheer drop over a blind left hand turn with a sharp right at the bottom, where riders encounter amazing changes in g-force. The ?Corkscrew' along with Laguna's 10 other turns, are considered among some of MotoGP's most demanding, and this added to its stunning setting in the oak-studded hills near to the scenic Monterey Bay makes it one of the most spectacular venues on the MotoGP calendar.

Vermeulen and Capirossi will be joined at Laguna by AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies as a wildcard. Spies made his debut on a Suzuki GSV-R prototype MotoGP bike at Donington last month - when he deputised for the injured Capirossi - and will be looking to impress in front of his home fans. Spies will also be competing in the AMA Superbike race at Laguna on his Suzuki GSX-R, so he has a busy weekend ahead of him.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP's three pronged attack will take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, followed by a further practice on the Saturday morning. Qualifying will take place in the afternoon to secure the all-important grid positions for Sunday's 32-lap race that gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (21.00hrs GMT).

Chris Vermeulen:

"We had a great result in Sachsenring and now I'm really looking forward to going to Laguna. I really like the track and have done well there in the last couple of years and will certainly be looking to try to take the next step up the podium from last year's position. The bike worked very well there last year and if we can get on the pace early on then there is no reason why we can't make that happen."

Loris Capirossi:

"My arm is still quite sore and I am fed up with feeling in pain like this, but I will still give it everything I have got at Laguna. I know it will be tough, but that is what MotoGP is about. I need to start getting some good results to make up for the races I didn't score in and here is a good place to start. I am sure I will be 100% by Brno, but I want to be at my best in America and I will certainly be trying my hardest!"

Ben Spies:

"I am really looking forward to this weekend. It will be awesome to ride the GP bike in front of all the American fans. I know it is going to be hard as these guys are pretty good and I have the added pressure of racing in the Superbike championship as well, but I will be going for it that's for certain! I have got one race under my belt in MotoGP and I had a thorough test at Indianapolis that went really well, so now it is down to me to show what I can do!"

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