Dovizioso, Pedrosa begin battle for third

Repsol Honda team -mates Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso start this weekend's Japanese MotoGP estranged by just 15 points in the championship.

It's a somewhat artificial 'battle' - given that Pedrosa missed three races through injury - but has exacting significance for Dovizioso.

The Italian is set to lose his Repsol seat as the team scales back to two riders for 2012 and finishing third in the title would do his prospect employment prospects no harm.

Dovizioso suffered his first non-score of the season after a first-lap accident at Aragon, but his strong memories of Motegi - having taken his first MotoGP pole at the Honda-owned track last year, earlier than finishing second in the race, behind future team-mate Casey Stoner.

"We go to Japan focused on returning to the podium, this has to be our target," said Dovizioso. "We will turn up at the Japanese GP this year in the same position we were last year - straight from a crash and zero points, but I'm strong-minded to transform this disappointment with extra inspiration.

"Last season we had a great race and we almost won, so I'm certain to repeat a great performance at Motegi, a circuit that I like and where I have been on the podium in all the three classes.

"Moreover, this is Honda's home GP and it's very significant to score a good result here," he continued. "Concerning the Championship, we are third in the World Standings and we aim to strengthen our position, improving some points on Lorenzo and maintaining the gap to Dani."

Pedrosa's 2010 title chances ruined when a technical problem caused a collarbone-breaking accident during practice for last year's Japanese GP. The Spaniard proceeds seeking his third race win for 2011.

2011 final run in to commence at Motegi

The Grand Prix of Japan starts a succession of three races in the space of three weeks in which Casey Stoner will attempt to safe his second premier class title, whilst Jorge Lorenzo tries to hold onto his crown.

The Grand Prix of Japan takes place this weekend as the 2011 Moto GP World Championship heads into a swift termination which will see three of the final four rounds – starting at Motegi – take place in the space of three weeks.

Taking a 44-point lead into this weekend’s 15th round is Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner, who with conquest last time out at Aragón – his eighth of the season – extended his advantage at the top over defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. Stoner won last year’s race at Motegi and a repeat of that result would put him in a place to be able to secure the 2011 title in the following round, his home race at Phillip Island.

The Australian knows that is purely imaginary at the moment however and remains fully focused on taking each race as it comes. Likewise Lorenzo knows that whilst his chances of retaining his title are now slim, there is still everything to play for. The Yamaha Factory Racing rider was fourth in last year’s Motegi race on his way to the 2010 title, but won the previous year so knows his way about the Japanese track well.

Reliability has been the cornerstone of Andrea Dovizioso’s 2011 season and is the reason for the Repsol Honda rider’s current position of third in the Championship, but the rarity of a DNF at Aragón – the first time he has failed to score points in a race this season – will have infuriated the Italian. He will be keen to put that right at a circuit at which he ended second in last year’s race.

Dovizioso closes on Lorenzo with fifth podium

Andrea Dovizioso's hopes of challenging for the runners-up spot in the 2011 MotoGP World Championship were known a boost at Brno with a strong run to second, a result that closes the gap to Jorge Lorenzo.

The Repsol Honda rider has been an instance of consistency this year, finishing all but one race inside the top five, performances that place him a comfortable third heading into the second-half of the year.

Although he is yet to taste the winners' champagne this season, Dovizioso's second place – from seventh on the grid - marks his fifth trip to the podium and puts him 23 points at the back Lorenzo in the overall standings.

“I'm really happy to be back on the podium, it's a good result after a hard weekend and second position is so important for the Championship,” the Italian said. “In the warm-up we made some small changes and my feeling improved. I arrived at the race very strong-minded and I made a very good start from seventh position.

“In the first laps I was riding carefully to save the tyres. I had good pace and when Dani pedrosa crashed I tried to stay with Casey but I made a mistake at turn 13 and I approximately went off the track. I lost contact and from that moment Casey stoner built a gap that was not possible to catch. I'm happy of how I managed the race first with Lorenzo and then with Simoncelli to uphold second position.

“In the final five laps I pushed harder, lapping under 1'58 to uphold the margin from Marco. I didn't want to fight with him in the last corners. I want to thank Honda and the team for the good work, in spite of the fact that we struggled slightly over the weekend, we have established one more time that in the race we are there and I'm really looking forward to Indy in two weeks' time.”

Pedrosa: "This year will be very spirited"

The Repsol Honda rider, satisfied with the official Tests held at Sepang, faces the last meeting in Qatar before the start of the Championship.

The start of the Championship is future and Dani Pedrosa as well as his team-mates of the Repsol Honda Team, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, have shown that they are the MotoGP competitors in shape during the pre-season. The Repsol Honda rider is certain of his and his bike’s chances, after winter Tests in which he has suffered none of the bodily or technical problems he had had in previous years.

From the first test in Valencia in November 2010 until the last tests held at Sepang, where have you enhanced the most with your bike?

“Basically, the bike has not changed so much, so what we have tried to do is to get better it in the most critical areas, such as the braking or the electronics.”

What is your assessment of the last tests in Sepang?

“The best thing is that this year we have better foundations, opposing to what happened in the previous years, when we had to develop and improve the bike during the Championship. This season we start with a very positive training that will allow us to face the first race of the Championship with a good level of presentation.”

Is there something still to be done in the next Qatar test or will it just be used to get ready the first race of the Championship?

“There are always things to be done, but the main aim of the Qatar test will be to learn to make the most of the set-up we will use in the race. If the track situation are good, we will be able to take advantage of it.”

Honda presents its sporting programme in Tokyo

The HRC riders flew directly to the Japanese capital from Sepang, where they took part in a stunning occasion to mark the start of the season.

The Welcome Plaza headquarters of Honda Motor Company in Tokyo was the setting for the Japanese factory's appearance of its 2011 sporting programme this week, which included national and international behavior connecting both motorcycling and motorsport.

The three riders on the Repsol Honda team this year, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner, flew straight from Sepang for the event, along with Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama. Also present was Gresini Racing Moto2's Yuki Takahashi, who represented the middle category riders, the class to which Honda is the official engine supplier.

During the event, at which Honda Motor Company President and CEO Takanobu Ito was present, Dani Pedrosa commented that he was “very pleased both with the result of the Sepang Test and the condition of my shoulder after the operation this winter”. With regards to his aims for the season, Pedrosa said that “the most significant thing is to continue working hard and learning, which is the only way to get better and to get better each year. I hope to be reliable and get good results in every race.”

First MotoGP Test of 2011 ends with Simoncelli on top

The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider ended Thursday at the Sepang Test with the fastest time of the entire three days. Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo were second and third fastest respectively, with Valentino Rossi tenth.

The first on-track MotoGP action of the year completed at Sepang on Thursday, and in an exciting opening chapter of the pre-season period it was Marco Simoncelli who topped the third and final day’s timesheet in Malaysia. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider posted a 2’00.757 on his second of 42 laps, an effort that registered the best time of the entire Test and which was just 0.239s off Valentino Rossi’s 2009 circuit best lap.

The Ducati rider has also been one of the main focuses of concentration throughout these three days, and he ended Thursday tenth in the timings with a lap of 2’01.842 – 1.085s off his fellow compatriot’s scorching marker.

Casey Stoner has been in fine form throughout this Test and the new Repsol Honda employ was one of four riders to join Simoncelli under the 2’01” mark on the final day. The Australian’s effort of 2’00.811 was noted on his 38th of 42 laps, thus ongoing his pattern of setting his best time late in the day and showing no lingering effects of a fall at Turn 5 earlier on.

World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was just 0.088s off Simoncelli as he placed his factory M1 as the highest Yamaha of the day. The Spaniard, who performed a tyre test in the afternoon, was exactly 0.1s faster than Andrea Dovizioso, whose Repsol Honda machine was the third RC212V inside the top four by the close of play..

Repsol Honda trio sustain solid momentum

Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso engaged three of the top four positions on the timesheet on day two of the Sepang Test.

The Repsol Honda team enjoyed another creative day of Testing at Sepang on Wednesday, as Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso all finished inside the top four on the timesheet whilst accomplishing a solid amount of work on the development of their RC212V machines.

Pedrosa topped the timings with the initial and so far only lap under 2’01”, lapping at 2’00.770 on only his fourth turn of the circuit in the morning. The Spaniard spent the day trying out different chassis set-ups, the new RC212V engine and also worked on deferment with Öhlins technicians.

“I think it's the first time I've ridden so fast on this track, but you're just fresh in the morning and I did four very good first laps,” said Pedrosa, whose best attempt was just 0.252s off Valentino Rossi’s circuit best lap, set in 2009. “I was not looking for a time, but I saw that the track situation were good and I pushed. The closer you get to the limit, the clearer the changes you are doing on the bike become, which guide you in the right direction.”

He continued: “Today I tried the new engine, which has enhanced from Valencia, some chassis configurations and rear shocks. Tomorrow the plan is to carry on comparing both bikes and it would be great to come away with the chassis and engine determined for the next test."

Recap 2010: Gran Premio d’Italia TIM

MotoGp's comprehensive summary of the fourth round of the season at the Mugello Circuit offers you the chance to re-live the best of the action, with easy one-click access to the video highlights.

Mugello played host to the World Championship on the first weekend of June as round four called on the beautiful Tuscan countryside, and with the weather remaining fine throughout the three days it was an eventful stage in Italy.

The official pre-event saw some World Championship riders attempt to make a traditional Italian pizza, although their dough skills failed to match up to their abilities on board a motorcycle! The serious business began later that afternoon as a quintet of the MotoGP stars – Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli – attended the pre-race press conference as anticipation for the race grew.

The time for talking was soon over as the on-track action commenced and it was reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi who took control of the opening practice session, setting the fastest time as Casey Stoner experienced a difficult start to the session.