MotoGP preview: Valencia

Australian Casey Stoner will be looking to bow out on a high after a magnificent two title-winning MotoGP career

The 2012 MotoGP World Championship comes to a conclusion this weekend in Valencia for the last round of the season, with Aussie Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) almost back to 100 per cent fitness and determined to close his successful career by winning his final race.

“Valencia should be a little better for me again, not as good as Phillip Island, but I've always had great success there, many pole positions and race wins,” said Stoner.

“I hope we can be competitive there and with the track going left it should suit our bike and me a little better at this point. It’s not going to be easy but it would be nice to get another good result in my final race in MotoGP.”

Valencia was the setting of Stoner’s first every GP victory in 2003 in 125cc, and he has also won on two occasions in MotoGP in 2008 and 2011. And after Jorge Lorenzo’s world championship triumph at the last round in Australia, racing honours are the only thing at stake in Valencia. Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) will be hoping to end his second title-winning season in style in front of his home fans, yet will face a tremendous test from the Repsol Honda team duo of Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso has third place out of reach in the table as Valencia awaits, yet has fourth place securely tied up. This lends to a significantly different race approach to his teammate Cal Crutchlow, who still stands a mathematical chance of taking fifth in the championship. The Brit comes fresh off a fantastic performance in Phillip Island, which saw him take his second ever GP podium, and he will no doubt be looking for a repeat in Spain. In his way is first and foremost San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, who has had an upturn in form in the latter part of the season, and will have the added benefit of his home support. He will however be well aware of his first corner incident from last year, which took out three other bikes, so might circulate on the cautious side in the first few laps.

Involved in the hunt for fifth and also in last year’s crash is Ducati’s Valentino Rossi. For him it will be his last ever weekend on the Desmosedici, and the Italian has stated he will continue putting in his best until the end to achieve a better result, and try to end the season in fifth. His teammate Nicky Hayden, who was in fact injured in last year’s Valencia crash, will aim to finish the race strongly, and head into the off season test period injury free. Mixing it up with factory bikes will be LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl once more, who also comes off the back of a strong outing in Phillip Island. The German will be crowned Rookie of the Year this weekend, and will hope do so in conjunction with a good result. Cardion AB Racing’s Karel Abraham and Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá will conclude a difficult and injury hit year on their satellite Ducatis in Valencia as well, and will hope for a top ten result to end on a positive.

The CRT field rounds off its inaugural year with Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró currently favourite to be crowned “champion” in the new category. His teammate Randy de Puniet would have to overturn a difficult 11pt deficit to take top honours, yet will no doubt be giving it his all as usual.

There will be two replacement riders in Valencia, with Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga substituting for the injured Ben Spies, and past-GP rider Hiroshi Aoyama making a return in place of the injured Yonny Hernandez in the Avintia team. Nakasuga was only recently crowned 2012 All-Japan Superbike champion, and will be hoping to make a strong impact in the ultimate GP race in Spain.

After his brilliant second place in the Moto2 race at Phillip Island, Queenslander Anthony West won’t line up at Valencia while he serves a one-month doping ban, while Moto3 will feature two Aussies in Arthur Sissis and Jack Miller.

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MotoGP preview: Valencia

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