Thailand Grand Prix Ready For Action!
The time has come for a new Grand Prix and its in Thailand at the Buriram International Circuit. The riders are excited for the new challenge and will be utilising every inch of time they have up their sleeve to learn the circuit, prepare for all sorts of conditions and ensure the race set up is spot on. A small mistake could be costly. Regardless of how hot it is in Thailand, Marc Marquez remains focused 100% on the World Championship. His mind set has not changed and wants to carry the momentum of winning in to this upcoming race. The key area of focus is victory and working each day to prepare for the uphill battle against Ducati. The riders have tested at the Buriram circuit, however, as we know in motorsport, track surfaces can change over time and tyres feel different. If you watch closely on Friday, Saturday and warm up on Sunday, you will see the riders working tirelessly right up until lights out.
In comparison, Andrea Dovizioso is worried about the second half of the circuit where it is much slower. He feels that the test in February was helpful though a lot has changed since that date. Dovi: “We only did the test here and we have not raced here.” DesmoDovi is already showing concern about what is to take place across the three days. Could he continue with strength or find Thailand more challenging than Malaysia and Japan! Dovi: “The heat is high, maybe even more than Malaysia and its very hard for everyone. The bike is very hot! This will affect the race”. Stamina, strong physicality and a powerful mind are key essential ingredients if any rider is to succeed this weekend. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo has been cleared fit to ride and still looks battered and bruised. Lorenzo admitted that he would assess each session to determine his chances of racing at the front with Marquez, Dovi and Valentino Rossi. The Spartan was not happy about what took place with future teammate Marquez and wants to recover quickly. He will put on the boot and push because years ago, Lorenzo rode with two broken feet and succeeded. He is what you call dedicated regardless of the pain!
Unfortunately, the dry spell continues for Yamaha and Valentino Rossi would love to put the bad headlines behind him and start fighting wheel to wheel with the front-runners. It has been a very challenging year for the Italian World Champion and his frustrations run deep. Rossi: “On paper it will be hard because the track is not fantastic for the M1. We will try”. You can feel the sadness when he speaks and the body language of true doubt at this present moment with Rossi. The Doctor is focused and ferocious on circuit however lacking the machine performance required to propel forward. It is a tough spot to be in for Rossi and Maverick Vinales. Rossi has his fingers crossed for a dry race! Rossi: “Being third is a good achievement”. With that said, we are talking about a nine times World Champion being held back due to Yamaha underperforming when you put their bike against the Honda and Ducati. When will they fix the issues and start to charge like bulls!
Racing in to the unknown sounds like fun and two riders are really hanging out for that opportunity. Cal Crutchlow and joker friend Jack Miller cannot wait to lay some rubber down in Thailand. Crutchlow: “I can imagine from Friday that it’s going to be mayhem.” Crutchlow knows the race will be physically demanding though is already smiling about racing in front of the local fans. They are passionate and will show up ready to rock and roll. Crutchlow: “I think our package will be competitive here but I do think it will be difficult to beat the Ducatis with two long straights. Getting in front of Marquez and Pedrosa will be tough also”. The British rider will give it 100% from start to finish. Miller’s aim is to start the race with ease and not push too early. The discipline of patience is hard to master and Miller understands how to manage his reaction speeds, desire to win and adrenaline race after race. We look forward to seeing all the riders in action! Make sure you tune in to enjoy the trackside action.
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