Casey Stoner out to tighten the screws

The 2011 MotoGP campaign is now one-third through its 18-round course, ahead of round seven at Assen this weekend – the 81st Dutch TT event.

Australian Casey Stoner was installed as the championship leader following an eventful Silverstone race in which the Repsol Honda rider secured his fourth win of the season, in the process becoming the first Honda rider to win three successive MotoGP races since Valentino Rossi in 2003.

Stoner now holds an 18pt lead over reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who crashed out of the wet Silverstone race and will be desperate to recoup lost ground on his rival.

In failing to finish the British GP Lorenzo brought to an end a phenomenal run of 25 successive top four finishes, a sequence which started towards the end of the 2009 season. Lorenzo won last year’s Assen race, a result which means he has now tasted victory in all three classes in which he has ridden at the famous circuit, and the aim will be clear this weekend.

Assen will be a very special event for Yamaha, with the event set to host a number of very special activities as the company as it marks its 50th anniversary of grand prix racing.

Following close on the heels of Lorenzo is Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), who took his second podium of the campaign in the rain-soaked Silverstone race – he is 15pts behind Lorenzo – while Valentino Rossi is the same margin of points down on his fellow Italian in fourth in the standings.

Rossi is now on his longest winless streak since moving up to the premier class in 2000 having gone nine races without a victory, but as is the case at many of the circuits on the world championship calendar he has a strong record at Assen. Rossi has won there five times in the premier class but missed last year’s race due to injury, and will be targeting a second podium of 2011 this weekend.

Despite having missed the last two rounds, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) remains fifth in the standings, but his participation this weekend is yet to be confirmed. Pedrosa underwent further surgery on his injured right collarbone last Thursday to fix a small fragment of bone which had become dislodged, and will discuss his fitness with his medical team before making a decision on whether he takes part.

Assen is a track at which Nicky Hayden has fared well in previous years, the American having taken a victory there in his championship-winning 2006 season, but on the Ducati he is yet to finish higher than seventh at the Dutch venue.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) will ride for the first time in the premier class at Assen after missing last year’s race through injury, but the Japanese rider took a victory in the 250cc class in 2009 so knows what is required from the technical layout.

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) scored an incredible podium at Silverstone just eight days after breaking his collarbone, and the American returns to the site at which he has twice stood on the rostrum. Edwards’ team-mate Cal Crutchlow suffered a similar injury in a qualifying crash at Silverstone and after undergoing surgery last week will have to wait to make a decision as to whether he tests his physical condition at Assen.

A first premier class podium continues to elude Marco Simoncelli but the San Carlo Honda Gresini rider will be confident he can finally end the wait at Assen after proving his pace repeatedly this season, while Ben Spies (Yamaha) will be eager to rediscover the podium form he displayed at Catalunya after a crash in Britain.

Rookie Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing Ducati) continues to improve in his debut season and is schedule to make his 100th GP start this weekend. Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Ducati) will aim to break back into the top ten at Assen, whilst Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) will be keen to follow up his season’s best finish to date of fifth from Silverstone.

Likewise Toni Elías scored his best result of 2011 so far with eighth in the UK and the LCR Honda rider and his team will hope that the progression continues, as will Pramac Racing Ducati pair Loris Capirossi and Randy de Puniet.

There will be live coverage of qualifying on ONE at 9:45pm Friday (Assen’s MotoGP round is held from Thursday to Saturday), followed by race coverage beginning 7:55pm Saturday.