Catalunya, Barcelona: MotoGP Pre-Race Report
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Catalunya, Barcelona: MotoGP Pre-Race Report

By FORMULAMotoGPMag - 11 June 2015
Movistar Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team

This weekend is the home race for many riders in Spain including Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Maverick Vinales and numerous others. It is the 7th round of the MotoGP Championship and what a dynamic season it has been so far. The Spanish circuit hosted its first MotoGP in 1992 and has been a drawcard for fans from all around the world ever since it began. The fan clubs of Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo will be going wild after Valentino Rossi had his fans coated in yellow at Mugello. Jorge Lorenzo is the hot favourite to win the race in Barcelona whilst Rossi and Marquez are definitely on the cards to try and beat the Spanish Spartan. Lorenzo is 6 points behind his fellow Yamaha teammate and without a doubt the track will have a positive impact on the Japanese manufacturer. The Ducati MotoGP team is going to use their speed advantage to the maximum in order to stay competitive with Yamaha and Repsol Honda. Andrea Iannone is still not 100% fit although despite his physical condition has proven that he can ride through the pain and perform under pressure. In comparison, Australian rider Jack Miller is hoping to recover from the last few races where his true talent has not been able to shine. Miller will be working around the clock to try and finish as the top open class bike!

Ducati Corse Press

The Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP Team is excited about their chances in Barcelona. Aleix Espargaro feels as though Catalunya will be magic for him because of the support from fans, friends and family. His mindset is strong after telling himself to reset and forget about the disastrous weekend he had in Mugello. The best athletes in the world have the ability to bounce back from adversity and perform at their best regardless of the past. Both of their GSX-RR machines will be receiving some new parts before the race weekend commences. In contrast, the Octo Pramac Racing team is riding close to the limit and they want to go even further. They are doing everything they can to close the gap and chase down as many top ten places as possible.

Gresini Racing Moto3 Team

In the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, Dunlop has announced that they will be introducing another new tyre for the Spanish round. They are going to debut a new special hard “S1” rear tyre for the Moto2 machines. Dunlop is excited to hear about the feedback from teams and riders. Tito Rabat will be weighing up his options this weekend after admitting that he made way too many mistakes at the start of the season. Rabat wants to give his home city something to cheer about but French rider Johann Zarco is also on the hunt to win! He believes that his focus, power and teamwork regarding tyre choice will be the key to winning. Zarco will study the tyres in detail to ensure that his choice on race day is the most beneficial. Whereas, in the Moto3 category, Enea Bastianini from the Gresini Racing Team has Danny Kent in his sights in order to close the gap to the Championship leader. It will not be an easy task for the Italian rider although his risk taking abilities are sure to come in handy when the lights go out!