MotoGP preview: Brno

As MotoGP moves to the Czech Republic, Dani Pedrosa is zeroing in on title leader Jorge Lorenzo. And Casey Stoner just wants to be fit enough to race...

The MotoGP grid has less than a week to regroup before the bwin Grand Prix Ceské Republiky (Czech Republic) this weekend, where the premier class will be battling it out on the popular Czech track for the 43rd time.
The competition was blown wide open once again after Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa recorded a stunning victory in Indianapolis to close the gap to championship leader -- Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo -- to a mere 18 points.

Pedrosa, who is the only rider to have scored points in every race this season, will be looking to dispel memories of his last outing at the track, where he crashed out of the lead half-way through the race. Lorenzo, who has not placed lower than second this season (apart from when he crashed out at Assen), will be hoping to be on the pace in a bid to extend the gap over his compatriot.

Pedrosa’s teammate Casey Stoner, who fought his way to fourth last weekend despite a fracture and torn ligaments in his right ankle, will find it tough to repeat his win at Brno from last year. Yet the Australian, who is never one to give up, will no doubt be quick from the off.

"I'm not feeling too optimistic for Brno after a tough weekend in Indy,” said Stoner.
“The crash in qualifying last week has left me with a serious problem in my ankle and we were fortunate that Indy was a left-hand circuit so a lot of the weight was off it, but we still had changes of direction, which hurt a lot.

“At Brno there are many changes in direction and a lot of right-hand corners, so there will be a lot of weight on my ankle and it's going to be very difficult. It's a shame as Brno is a circuit that I usually enjoy due to its fast and flowing nature, so I'll be resting as much as possible this week and I’ll wait to see how I feel when I get on track on Friday,” he added.

Lurking close by will be top satellite performer Andrea Dovizioso on board his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike, who has been in impressive form this season, taking five podiums so far. Dovizioso is currently sitting in fourth place on the calendar, and will be looking to continue his top form in the wake of his recent signing to Ducati for 2013/2014, where he will team with Nicky Hayden. Dovizioso’s closest challenger and teammate Cal Crutchlow will hope to turn around his fortunes in the Czech Republic, as he looks to make amends for his DNF last time out.

Another satellite battle to keep an eye on will be that of LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who are now only separated in the championship table by two points. Bautista, who got the upper hand in Indianapolis, crashed out of last year’s Brno race, and will be trying his utmost to get a good result this time around. Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi, who has won at the Czech circuit a total of six times, will aim to put his Desmosedici further up the field after struggling with rear grip issues in the US. His teammate Hayden, who suffered fractures in his right hand and a concussion in a big crash, will not race this weekend and will not be replaced by the team.

Yamaha’s Ben Spies, who once again suffered wretched luck when his engine blew whilst in second place in Indy, will be thinking that his time for some good fortune is nigh. Last year he finished fifth in Brno, which is no doubt a result the American would settle for right now. Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá, who suffered a fractured vertebra during practice at the Brickyard, will be replaced by stand-in rider Toni Elías, as he has been for the last two races. Someone who has been getting back to full fitness is local rider Karel Abraham with his Cardion AB Racing team. He will no doubt look to put on a good show for his home fans and kick-start his season with a good result.

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MotoGP preview: Brno

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