New TeamAspar.net Website Now Online

From now on this blog won't be getting updated. This isn't because we've lost any interest in Team Aspar - far from it... No, now that the team is getting bigger and expanding into the top class of MotoGP we reckoned that we needed to build a completely custom website - a fully-featured and content-managed solution.
That's now been done, and all the old content from here has been imported, and you can find the new site at www.TeamAspar.net and this blog will remain here as an archive.

Hope you like the new site.
Cheers,
gb

Indy GP - Preview Quotes 250cc

Álvaro Bautista: "After the last race where we struggled a lot during practice and really had to grit our teeth in order to win back some points in the championship, I feel highly motivated about the Indianapolis Grand Prix. I want to work well on Saturday and Sunday and make sure we don't have the same problems as Brno. I have sorted out my immediate and long term future now so I can focus solely on thje job at hand, because there is still a lot of work to do this season and we cannot afford to lose concentration for a single second. I know I feel more relaxed now and I think I can perform better. My objective will be the same as it was in the Czech Republic, which was to try and win but if it is not possible then just try to pull back points in the championship. We got knocked out of our stride by the cancellation of last year's race because we had gone there on the back of victory at Misano so I hope nothing strange happens this time around."

Mike Di Meglio: "Indianapolis is a circuit that nobody really knows that well because we haven't done many laps there in the dry. We're all starting pretty much from zero in terms of getting our reference points. The weekend went fairly well for me here last year until the race, when I had mechanical problems. I am very eager to continue my learning process on the 250 and I want to have a good race this Sunday. It is not one of my favourite tracks but it is a nice place and I know I can be fast there. I was running with the lead group in the Czech Republic until I ran off track so I hope I can finish with them this Sunday. We are working hard every weekend to get good results but small mistakes seem to be costing us dear. We need to make sure that doesn't happen this weekend but be careful at the same time because we have two races within a week."

Balázs Németh: "I have been watching last year's races from Indianapolis to try and get to know the circuit a little. I have never been to the United States before so everything will be new to me. From what I could see on the television the track looks wonderful and the atmosphere seems special, so hopefully I can use it to my advantage. It will be a proud moment for me to race in America and after scoring my first championship pointa in the Czech Republic I go there in the knowledge that I can compete at this level and my target is to continue scoring points until the end of the season."

Indy GP - Preview Quotes 125cc

Julián Simón: “Indianapolis is a place that I really enjoyed last year, although unfortunately we were unable to race. Despite that, I like the layout and consider it to be amongst my favourites. We are working tremendously well this season, which makes me sure that the Indianapolis Grand Prix will be another good race for us. The main goal will be to get the best setting for my Aprilia right from Friday, one that allows me to ride comfortably and get to Sunday with the chance of a win and the best points total possible. We have 54 points over the second placed rider in the standings, so we will have to fight to keep the gap –or extend it if possible. It’s going to be a tough two weeks, because we have two races on the bounce and will have to watch out not to tire ourselves out.”

Bradley Smith: “Indianapolis is a fantastic circuit, both in terms of layout and history. The people there are incredible, and you can tell that they live and breath motor racing. For the atmosphere alone the Indianapolis Grand Prix ranks amongst the best of the year for me. I really love the United States as well. We didn’t get on the podium at the last round, but the fourth place was a good enough result to start regaining form and I hope that we carry on doing well this weekend. The track is new for everyone, as we only rode there last year. That means that nobody knows it too well nor has all the data necessary to ride fast straight away. It is a strange place to ride, because there are lots of bumps and changes in asphalt, and it’s also a very technical circuit. We will see what happens over the weekend, but I hope for another successful race and more points for the title fight.”

Sergio Gadea: “In the Czech Republic I was fast, but I didn’t find a setting good enough to allow me to be at the front. Now we go to Indianapolis, a circuit that I like a lot. There are two corners that stand out for their difficulty, but generally it is a good track for my riding style. Nico is very strong and I’m sure that he will keep up his form, but right now he is our rival and we have to beat him. Beating Julián and Smith also has to be a goal, because they are ahead of both of us and Julián in particular needs to be stopped from clinching the title. In Donington we had an unexpected DNF, and at Brno the result wasn’t as good as we had hoped. That means that this is the moment to take risks in order to gain points. Indianapolis is a strange track, but I like it –although I would prefer not to have the same weather as last year!”

Hector Barbera to ride Aspar Ducati in 2010

According to reports in the Spanish press, Hector Barbera and Jorge Martinez have reached an agreement today on a one-year deal for the current 250cc rider, with an option to extend the contract for another year.
The official announcement is said to follow in a few hours.

Update: Official confirmation has now come from Jorge Martinez.

This is excellent news for us, to be reunited with Héctor Barberá after so many years. We won the Spanish championship together and Grands Prix in 125cc and I’m sure this will be another great project. We hope for good results next year and we want this to be a long term agreement. Hopefully Héctor can earn factory machinery with his results. For our team it is a dream to be competing in all three World Championship categories.

Martinez and Barbera have already been working together until the end of 2003 when Barbera split with the Aspar Team in disagreement and joined the Seedorf Racing Team. Martinez has been angered by the matter ever since, but for this new project both parties seem to have buried their difference and open a new chapter.

Alvaro Bautista with Suzuki in 2010

Against early assumptions that Alvaro Bautista will join the newly formed Aspar Ducati team in the MotoGP class next year, the young Spaniard has decided to sign a contract with Suzuki instead, his only possibility of riding a factory bike in the first year as a Rookie.

Jorge Martinez announced that he will now have to decide between Toni Elias and Hector Barbera as possible riders for his new team next season.

The official press release from Suzuki:

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that Spaniard Alvaro Bautista will be joining its official MotoGP team in a two year agreement, to contest the 2010 and 2011 MotoGP World Championships.

Bautista was Spanish 125cc champion in 2003 and crowned 125cc World Champion in 2006. He moved up to the 250cc class in 2007 and earned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title for his impressive results. Bautista was runner-up in the 2008 title race and he is currently in contention for this season’s 250cc championship, sitting in second place with six races remaining. Since his Grand Prix debut in 2002 Bautista has scored 43 podiums including 16 victories (eight in each class). The 24-year-old hails from Talavera de la Reina in Spain, a town approximately 130kms west of Madrid.

Suzuki is very pleased to have achieved the signing of one of the brightest young stars in Grand Prix racing and looks forward to developing a strong relationship and exciting races with Alvaro Bautista.

Czech GP: 250cc Quotes after race

3rd Álvaro Bautista: “The only good session this weekend was the race. Fortunately everything worked out okay for us when it came to the crucial moment. It took just two laps for the tyres to degenerate, and that was a warning for me not to push things and look out for points. The weekend was a tough one for us, because we never had the right setup. I could have tried to follow Simoncelli and Pasini, but it looked to be too risky and I concentrated on Aoyama instead. I’ve closed the gap on him in the standings, and if we continue like this we can catch him. I left it until the warmup to choose my setting in the suspension, and I didn’t have as much chance in this race, so I’m happy with third.”

9th Mike Di Meglio: “I had a worse start than I was expecting, but I was still able to keep up with the lead group. I felt comfortable on the Aprilia, which was different to my feeling earlier in the weekend, so I tried to push for the best positions. My strategy was to learn from the leading riders. I tried to pass Aoyama but ran wide and had to straighten up in order not to fall. That run-off lost me a lot of time, and I think that if it weren’t for that I’d have placed in the top five. I was able to make up place, although ninth isn’t the result that I hoped for after al our hard work and potential over the weekend.”

14th Balázs Németh: “I am delighted with today’s result, and to finally have some world championship points. The start was better than any that I’ve done before; not losing a single position was a very positive point. I started overtaking other riders and on the second lap I was already fifteenth. I saw that there wasn’t much space between myself and the rider ahead of me, so I pushed to catch him. I felt very comfortable on the Aprilia and lap by lap was able to reduce my times, thinking about taking points for the first time. The bike worked fantastically well during the race, thanks to the work that my mechanics had performed throughout the whole weekend. I know that now I can ride quickly, and the goal from here on in is to keep up this kind of performance.”

Czech GP: 125cc Quotes after race

2nd Julián Simón: “I am very happy with this race. Second place is a fantastic result considering that I said before coming here that the fast corners were difficult for me. I was very decisive throughout the weekend, trying to set the bike up best for today. We maybe lacked a bit of acceleration compared to Nico, but we did a great job with the chassis that gave me the advantage in braking and pace. Nico was very tough, making it more difficult for me with every lap, and he closed down every opening when I tried to make a move on the final lap. I am satisfied because the 20 points allow us to leave Brno as leaders of the championship and give me extra confidence. We know that this is the way to go if we are going to win the title. We are going for wins in the final part of the year, but we have to keep our heads to get points.”

4th Bradley Smith: “It was a pity that I had that scare on the opening lap. I think I might have hit the clutch lever at just the wrong moment, shutting off the engine and nearly going down. I was just about to hunt down Iannone and lost concentration. I think that without this I could have beenup there with the top three. In any case, after the disasters at Sachsenring and Donington I got back in the points, and that was my goal. Fourth isn’t bad, but I will take more from fact that it comes after troubles yesterday and the in the warmup. I leave Brno a little disappointed, because Iannone and Nico are both rivals who finished ahead of me. I already have my sights set on a podium at Indianapolis.”

9th Sergio Gadea:“I could have een fifth in the group in which I was riding, but I wouldn’t have even been satisfied then. I wasn’t at all comfortable and couldn’t follow Nico and Iannone, even after a good start. When Simón passed me I tried to hang off his back wheel, but I didn’t have the necessary feeling to do that and risked crashing. I gave everything I could, but when there is nothing you can do, there’s nothing that you can do. I have to wait now until Indianapolis for a better result.”

Czech GP: Race Results 250cc

Pos. Rider Team Total time Gap

1 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 41'06.490
2 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 41'07.174 0.684
3 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 41'10.871 4.381
4 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 41'15.236 8.746
5 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 41'16.211 9.721
6 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 41'17.360 10.870
7 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 41'22.129 15.639
8 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 41'24.901 18.411
9 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 41'25.053 18.563
10 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 41'26.448 19.958
11 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 41'26.574 20.084
12 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 41'37.122 30.632
13 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 41'43.608 37.118
14 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 42'23.974 1'17.484
15 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto - GP250 42'31.174 1'24.684
16 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 42'31.622 1'25.132
17 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 42'53.415 1'46.925
18 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Matteoni Racing 42'58.955 1'52.465
19 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 43'06.284 1'59.794

Not classified
8 Bastien CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany Honda 25'36.289 8 Lap
6 Alex DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens Aprilia 19'02.327 11 Lap
25 Alex BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 13'54.614 14 Lap
54 Toby MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing Aprilia 2'19.072 19 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
12 Thomas LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia
17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia

Czech GP: Race Results 125cc

Pos. Rider Team Total time Gap

1 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 40'57.378
2 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 40'57.546 0.168
3 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'06.097 8.719
4 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 41'09.821 12.443
5 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 41'13.384 16.006
6 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 41'13.444 16.066
7 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 41'14.483 17.105
8 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 41'14.580 17.202
9 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 41'14.601 17.223
10 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team 41'14.622 17.244
11 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 41'14.996 17.618
12 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'19.355 21.977
13 Marcel SCHROTTER Toni - Mang Team 41'31.865 34.487
14 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team 41'31.890 34.512
15 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 41'38.936 41.558
16 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 41'40.476 43.098
17 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 41'40.499 43.121
18 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 41'40.542 43.164
19 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 41'40.831 43.453
20 Michael RANSEDER CBC Corse 41'41.295 43.917
21 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing 41'48.088 50.710
22 Luigi MORCIANO Junior GP Racing Dream 42'07.354 1'09.976
23 Alessandro TONUCCI Junior GP Racing Dream 42'08.011 1'10.633
24 Alexis MASBOU Loncin Racing 42'32.385 1'35.007
25 Luca VITALI CBC Corse 42'36.863 1'39.485
26 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse 42'37.117 1'39.739
27 Karel PESEK Pesek Team 42'37.397 1'40.019
28 Ivan VISAK Team Migomoto 41'32.489 1 Lap
29 Ladislav CHMELIK Moto FGR 41'32.937 1 Lap
30 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing 42'49.752 1 Lap

Not classified
24 Simone CORSI ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 26'38.065 7 Lap
32 Lorenzo SAVADORI ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 17'42.265 11 Lap
12 Esteve RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 15'18.341 12 Lap
39 Luis SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 11'06.193 14 Lap
53 Jasper IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany Honda 2'21.286 18 Lap
8 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'21.435 18 Lap

Pics of the Day: Czech GP, Saturday

Czech GP - Saturday Quotes 250cc

5th Mike Di Meglio 2.02.426 (15 laps): “For the majority of the qualifying session I was unable to wring the most out of my engine and I don’t know why that was. We worked very hard to come up with a solution and, just before I went out for the final time, with a parts change it looked like we had found one. Then I felt comfortable and was able to do my fastest lap. I was lucky to hang on to Barberá and Aoyama to use them as reference points. It’s strange, as the morning went fantastically but the afternoon was much harder. I hope that we can give a final big push in the warmup no get us up there in the race. I will try to be one of the front group, but I am well aware that it will not be an easy race at a circuit that has always been tough for me to find a good feeling. It is very different to other tracks.”

8th Álvaro Bautista 2.02.748 (15 laps): “The crash was totally unexpected, as I had already put two laps on the new tyres. I got into turn five and everything seized up, causing me to fall. This morning we did various tests on the front suspension and found some things that worked, then we continued with the front end in the afternoon but lost our way. The changes in place at the end of the practice are the ones that I would favour for the race and I am sure that if we had done more laps with this setting then we would have done better today. We will go back to it tomorrow in the warmup and try again. In the race I wil have to start well in order to be at the front and fight like I have done this season. I will have to take risks if necessary, because I can’t afford to lose more points.”

18th Balázs Németh 2.05.493 (17 laps): “At the beginning of the session we tried to play around with the chain setting, and little by little we looked for ways to make my riding more comfortable. It looked like it wasn’t going to work, but we made some front end and rear end adjustments that have given us the perfect geometry for tomorrow. This afternoon we had a lot of fun riding; I didn’t want the session to end! I am convinced that tomorrow I can have a good race, but I have to be careful not to lose places at the start. I will try to find a group to keep my pace up, with my objective being to take my first GP points and give the Hungarian fans here a race to remember.”

Czech GP - Saturday Quotes 125cc

4th Julián Simón 2.08.542 (14 laps): “I am happy with the result, because the team and myself have worked phenomenally. We have what I feel is the perfect setting for the race, and we know what tyres to use. We could have had a better time, but I lost a bit of concentration when riders were following me, for instance Cortese. It was a mistake on my part to be worrying about other riders. The most important thing is that everything is clear and we can have a good race, fighting for the victory and the maximum amount of points. I think that on the opening laps four or five riders will be up front, with Terol, Smith, Iannone and myself involved. Terol and myself have been the most consistent, but we will see what happens and I will try to open up a gap.”

5th Bradley Smith 2.08.957 (14 laps): “The qualifying session was the only less than perfect session that we have had so far. In the free practices we were able to improve a lot, but this afternoon we went in the wrong direction. We fought to find the best setup for the Aprilia, and it looks as if we nailed it in the end. Fifth isn’t a fantastic place, but it is hardly a disaster either, and I have the poleman in front of me as a reference at the start. Our biggest problem has been the rear suspension, which was too hard and means that we don’t have al the feedback that we would like. It is important here to have a balanced bike, with al the ups and downs and fast corners. I think that we have everything more or less sorted, and we will adjust the rear in the warmup. It’s going to be a slipstreaming race, so we will have to be aware.”

7th Sergio Gadea 2.09.240 (14 laps):“We still have a little way to go in order to be ready for the race. To tell the truth it has been a complicated weekend up to now, with my crash yesterday and the continual problem with chattering that persisted even when we were going for a fast lap. The mechanics are working against the clock and finally found a solution. We had a rear end issue in the afternoon, because of which the bike was hard to turn in and didn’t give any feeling when opening the throttle on the exit. Luckily I found Smith and follow him for a lap, taking me to the second row. It’s not a bad place to start, but tomorrow I see it being very hard work. I’m going to fight for the top positions in any case, and the important thing will be to not let Simón get away. We have to take points from him.”

Czech GP - Qualifying Results 250cc

Hector Barbera looked almost certain to clinch another pole position, but was topped in just the last minute by two riders.
Mike Di Meglio just slipped out of front row while Alvaro Bautista had a crash with just a few minutes to go, leaving him no chance for another attack and relegating him to 8th position on the grid.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap
1 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 2'01.611
2 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'01.961 0.350
3 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2'02.064 0.453
4 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2'02.386 0.775
5 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2'02.426 0.815
6 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2'02.543 0.932
7 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 2'02.561 0.950
8 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2'02.748 1.137
9 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2'02.768 1.157
10 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2'02.811 1.200
11 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 2'02.899 1.288
12 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2'02.921 1.310
13 Thomas LUTHI Emmi - Caffe Latte 2'02.932 1.321
14 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2'02.997 1.386
15 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly - CP 2'03.596 1.985
16 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto - GP250 2'03.951 2.340
17 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2'04.100 2.489
18 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 2'05.493 3.882
19 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2'06.350 4.739
20 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto - GP250 2'06.571 4.960
21 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 2'07.088 5.477
22 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2'07.130 5.519
23 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'08.362 6.751
24 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Matteoni Racing 2'08.600 6.989

Not classified
54 Toby MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing Aprilia Lap

Czech GP - Qualifying Results 125cc

Nico Terol led for most of the qualifying until Andrea Iannone used his slipstream in the closing stages of the session to post a faster laptime, leaving Terol no space to improve in the next laps.

Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap

1 Andrea IANNONE Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'08.171
2 Nicolas TEROL Jack & Jones Team 2'08.484 0.313
3 Sandro CORTESE Ajo Interwetten 2'08.507 0.336
4 Julian SIMON Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'08.542 0.371
5 Bradley SMITH Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'08.957 0.786
6 Stefan BRADL Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2'09.184 1.013
7 Sergio GADEA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc 2'09.240 1.069
8 Pol ESPARGARO Derbi Racing Team 2'09.418 1.247
9 Efren VAZQUEZ Derbi Racing Team 2'09.434 1.263
10 Johann ZARCO WTR San Marino Team 2'09.462 1.291
11 Joan OLIVE Derbi Racing Team 2'09.480 1.309
12 Simone CORSI Fontana Racing 2'09.741 1.570
13 Michael RANSEDER CBC Corse 2'09.962 1.791
14 Luis SALOM Jack & Jones Team 2'10.024 1.853
15 Danny WEBB Degraaf Grand Prix 2'10.081 1.910
16 Esteve RABAT Blusens Aprilia 2'10.239 2.068
17 Marcel SCHROTTER Toni - Mang Team 2'10.269 2.098
18 Jonas FOLGER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.269 2.098
19 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.297 2.126
20 Marc MARQUEZ Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 2'10.471 2.300
21 Lorenzo ZANETTI Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. 2'10.500 2.329
22 Scott REDDING Blusens Aprilia 2'10.685 2.514
23 Randy KRUMMENACHER Degraaf Grand Prix 2'10.752 2.581
24 Dominique AEGERTER Ajo Interwetten 2'10.958 2.787
25 Lukas SEMBERA Matteoni Racing 2'11.074 2.903
26 Luigi MORCIANO Junior GP Racing Dream 2'11.122 2.951
27 Alessandro TONUCCI Junior GP Racing Dream 2'11.332 3.161
28 Jasper IWEMA Racing Team Germany 2'11.387 3.216
29 Karel PESEK Pesek Team 2'12.123 3.952
30 Lorenzo SAVADORI Fontana Racing 2'12.286 4.115
31 Alexis MASBOU Loncin Racing 2'12.303 4.132
32 Luca MARCONI CBC Corse 2'12.482 4.311
33 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA Loncin Racing 2'12.840 4.669
34 Luca VITALI CBC Corse 2'13.176 5.005
35 Ladislav CHMELIK Moto FGR 2'16.667 8.496

Not classified
16 Cameron BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport KTM Lap

Out of limit time
68 Ivan VISAK CRO Team Migomoto Honda

Julian Simon Interview

You make a point of thanking your team at every Grand Prix. Where did this good relationship start?
To be honest I have always had a good relationship with my mechanics, at every team I've been in. Nobody gets anything for free and it has been a long hard road for me to get to where I am today, so I think it is right to appreciate the work being done by the mechanics to help me. I had the opportunity to join the Aspar Team a while ago but in the end the deal wasn't done, so when I knew I was going to be racing with them this season it felt like a dream had come true. I knew that in such a top team I would have the opportunity to show my full potential. We hit it off straight away - my chief mechanic Enrique Peris and the rest of the team were all extremely nice to me and it made things easy. The fact the results came so quickly brought us together even more and made us realise that we could achieve great things together.
 
What is your working relationship with the team like?
Very easy going, in fact this is one of the most enjoyable seasons I've ever had. I arrive at a circuit on a Thursday feeling relaxed because I know that the whole team is as focused as I am on making sure everything goes well from the first session. I am always really calm because I know everybody is behind me and when I go out on track the bike is going to be performing to its limit. If it isn't, it doesn't take us long to sort it out.
 
What is the team's biggest strength?
Just the calmness they instil in me and the confidence they have in me. They know perfectly well that with the attitude we're showing at the moment we can be competitive. The consistency also gives us the confidence necessary to run up front in every race.
 
What is your view on the season so far and where it goes from here?
From my side I think we have met all the objectives we set ourselves. The change in category was a risk for me and there we had our doubts, but thanks to my manager and the Aspar Team I am fighting to win at every Grand Prix. I adapted quickly to the Aprilia RSA, went fast on it from the first day and I think as far as the first half of the championship is concerned it is mission accomplished because we are leading the standings by fifty points. The second half of the seasons could be more difficult because of the circuits we have to race at and the tiredness that always kicks in. The circuits we have left are all good fun but also quite tricky. I suppose every rider would like to be going into them in my position and I usually go well in the second half of the season, so hopefully we can keep that tradition up.
 
Were you able to take a holiday or were you eager not to break your concentration?
To be honest I did relax a little bit. I usually find it difficult to switch off and I'm not the sort of person that can get up in the morning and not do anything but I have taken the odd day off over the past couple of weeks. I spent three days doing the tourist thing in London after Donington and just disconnected from racing. I have kept my training up though because it is important to be in the right shape for this second half of the season. It was nice to be at home for a while and spend time with family and friends.
 
Sachsenring, Donington. they say things come in threes. Do you think victory is a possibility again at Brno?
Yes of course and we'll be working very hard to achieve it. I will try not to fall into the trap of going for victory at all cost because I learnt a lot from my mistake at Jerez and I don't want to do it again. Brno is a circuit I have struggled at in the past but with the confidence we have this year and the good job we're doing, I'm sure we will start Sunday's race with every chance of fighting for the win.
 
What are your favourite circuits from now to the end of the season?
Apart from Brno, where I have usually struggled a little, I like them all - especially Estoril, Philip Island and Sepang because they are all set in stunning locations. To see a circuit surrounded by the ocean in Australia is incredible and the atmosphere is always great there too.
 
Have you started dreaming about winning the title yet?
Obviously, although I suppose that is normal with seven races left and a fifty-point advantage. My objective is to win the title and I want to keep dreaming - I never want the dream to end. One thing I am clear about though is that there's a long way to go in the championship and I have to keep working to the limit if I want to be crowned World Champion. We want to finish the job off as soon as possible but there's no rush. I have the team, the bike and the ability. all the weaponry I need so I just have to stay calm, focus on my job and see what happens.


Source: Aspar Media

Czech GP - Friday Quotes - 250cc

4th Álvaro Bautista 2.03.130 (23 laps):
"After two weeks off my Aprilia this session was useful for checking that everything was in its right place. I am not worried, because we are up front despite some problems with front end chattering. The suspension wasn't absorbing the bumps like it should have, so we worked on that. If things go well then that will be resolved tomorrow. We don't have a setting that I like above all the others, but I'm sure that we will find one. We are more than half a second off the top, but I am confident that tomorrow we will catch up. My elbow is fine and I can work at 100%."

10th Mike Di Meglio 2.03.923 (20 laps):
"Everything went fairly well in this session; we are a little way off the top times, but I can keep calm because I know that we have worked hard. Our goal for the day was to keep working on the changes little by little, without getting too bogged down with it. I didn't feel comfortable on the Arpilia at the start of the session, but thanks to my mechanics we found the best riding position to help us out. The positive point of the day has been our continual evolution and I hope that we keep on the same track tomorrow and that this shows in qualifying."

20th Balázs Németh 2.07.998 (17 laps):
"At the start the session was going well, as I immediately found a good feeling with the circuit and kept improving my times in every splits. However, in the middle of the run I started to have problems with the gearbox; I could go quickly in some sections but couldn't make the most of my engine in others. With ten minutes remaining I had to call it a day, in order to find a solution to the problem. In any case I'm very happy, because Brno is a track that I like and in which I have felt comfortable. My hand isn't hurting at all, so I hope to keep improving on day two."

Czech GP - Friday Quotes - 125cc

1st Bradley Smith 2.09.211 (21 laps):
"I think that this was the ideal way to return to action. After two weeks off I needed to get back on the Aprilia, and what better way to do so than with the best time of the day? An hour without rain was fantastic to have, because it is much easier to move forward. We were coming along great during the run, and even the asphalt was getting better; at the start the bike was sliding, but it gradually got more grippy. The wind gave some problems -as it does at Brno- and you need to get a slipstream to keep from losing time. We were all practically even today, so we have to keep concentrated to be the best this weekend."

3rd Julián Simón 2.09.409 (19 laps):
"This first day has been pretty positive, as Brno is a track that I've always found difficult. You have to let the bike run on, and that isn't something that I particularly like. We were up there from the start, and the bike was clearly improving as the session went on, above all with the engine. We tried various tyres, and know that if the conditions continue to be the same in every session we will have to use a different combination than we did today. The riders at the top are close together, so I am going to keep looking for pole tomorrow. If it doesn't rain then we will have more time to prepare the bike and the race will be more exciting."

5th Sergio Gadea 2.09.618 (18 laps):
"I am very happy with this opening session, because we were right at the top for most of the way, continually improving. I did an early 2'09 and felt very comfortable , but I had a small problem with my confidence in the rear end. It was a tyre problem and kept my busy for the second half of the run. For this reason I took a fall ten minutes from the end and didn't have enough time to improve my final lap when I got back on track. In any case I'm not worrying too much about that, because we know what the mistake was and I'm sure that tomorrow it will be sorted. Despite that tiny setback I was still only four-tenths from Smith, which isn't much at this track. The engine is going well, so we just have to work on the rear and we will be ready."

Czech GP - Friday Practice Results 125cc

1. Smith (Aprilia) 2min 9.211sec
2. Marquez (KTM) +0.113sec
3. Simon (Aprilia) +0.198sec
4. Terol (Aprilia) +0.299sec
5. Gadea (Aprilia) +0.407sec
6. Cortese (Derbi) +0.523sec
7. Iannone (Aprilia) +1.008sec
8. Bradl (Aprilia) +1.094sec
9. Espargaro (Derbi) +1.134sec
10. Redding (Aprilia) +1.190sec

Czech GP - Friday Practice Results 250cc

Pos | Rider | Team | Lap time | Gap
1 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2′02.371
2 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′02.511 0.140
3 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2′03.125 0.754
4 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2′03.130 0.759
5 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2′03.427 1.056
6 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 2′03.486 1.115
7 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 2′03.528 1.157
8 Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte 2′03.588 1.217
9 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2′03.911 1.540
10 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2′03.923 1.552
11 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 2′04.094 1.723
12 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2′04.164 1.793
13 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′04.385 2.014
14 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2′04.851 2.480
15 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2′05.076 2.705
16 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP 2′05.090 2.719
17 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto – GP250 2′05.707 3.336
18 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 2′07.539 5.168
19 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto – GP250 2′07.665 5.294
20 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 2′07.998 5.627
21 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2′08.236 5.865
22 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2′08.385 6.014
23 Toby MARKHAM C&L Racing 2′08.478 6.107
24 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2′08.478 6.107
25 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Matteoni Racing 2′08.952 6.581

Mapfre Aspar riders look forward to Brno

Álvaro Bautista: "Brno isn't one of my favourite tracks, but I think it's a good opportunity to get a good result because it's a fast track which should in theory suit my Aprilia. I am keen to get back on track because I wasn't at 100% physically last time out, and I think I could have fought for victory if I had have been. I want to be at the front from the off this weekend, I need to take as many points as possible off Aoyama. My elbow is much better, although still a bit swollen the wound is healing well and I think by Friday it should be all back to normal. I spent these two weeks relaxing and spending time with my family as we had two very important events. They were two busy family weeks, but I continued training hard. I was also at the race in La Bañeza which I really enjoyed and I got to feel the support of the fans."


Mike Di Meglio: "Brno is a complicated circuit, which is fast and where you have to work hard to get the set-up right. I aim to be as focused as I was in England, putting in all the hard work with the team in practice and then following it up in the race. It's important to get a good rhythm going in the Czech Republic, because if not it's easy to lose ground quickly. I hope to be back at the front like in the UK, not make any mistakes and give the team another positive result. They are working so hard for me, and thanks to them I am more confident every time I sit on the Aprilia, so I'd like to repay them. My objective will be to keep picking up experience on the bike, trying to improve every time I am on track, and with this mentality I'm sure the results will come. These last two weeks I stayed at home to relax a little and I think it did me some good. I'm very eager to get back to work though."