Motorcycles and news

MotoGP: 2006 Championship moves over the English Channel June 28, 2006

The ninth race of the 2006 MotoGP Championship, completing the series of the three consecutive European rounds halfway this season’s programme, will be held in Donington Park England in three days. The circuit, deep in the lush green English countryside of Leicestershire, is just a short distance from the Sherwood forest famous for the Robin Hood’s legends. Built in 1931, it has been modified a number of times after years of disuse. The most radical change, which created the present lay out, came in 1985.

Home of the North European “Bikers”, demanding and skilled public, Donington Park is one of the best and more fascinating circuits in all Britain testing the riders’ ability.

Races result is also determined by the changeable weather conditions. In fact, last year, the British Grand Prix took place under pouring rain causing the fall of ten riders. Makoto Tamada led a regular race, covering the scheduled 29 laps in 53′36.508″ and crossing the line in seventh place.

This week end, the maximum concentration will be requested to the KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team rider to mark the season’s positive turning point in order to capitalize the steady refinement job done by the KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team technicians in collaboration with Honda and Michelin.

Thursday evening, Makoto Tamada, together with many other riders, will take part to the traditional “Day of Champions” to raise funds for the Riders for Health Association.

Gianluca Montiron KONICA MINOLTA Honda General Director
“We have already forgotten the Assen race of last Saturday and we are already concentrated on the next Donington GP. We will always be there supporting our rider who, up to now, has not been able to take full advantage of the technical package potential he has got. He has never loved the English circuit, but in this season, the best result we obtained was in Shanghai, a track Makoto saw for the first time. Therefore, I do not want to make a prediction, actually I expect that, finally, our season could get a positive shake. I thank KONICA MINOLTA and Honda for the trust they are still according us.”

Makoto Tamada KONICA MINOLTA Honda Rider
“The Donington circuit does not recall me many positive memories. Here, I obtained my best placing last year, ended in seventh place under a flood, in a track situation I had never found before. The changeable weather conditions of this region often determine the race result. My feeling with the RC211V is getting better, even if the growth is not constant and there are some bad moments as last Saturday in Assen. Now, I must try to be constant in practice and during the race. In this direction, I hope to take an important step forward in England and to be hard-fighting.”

Giulio Bernardelle KONICA MINOLTA Honda Technical Director
“The Donington circuit is an old style track full of interesting technical points where the riders riding skills are exalted. The most characteristic part is the one including the first two sectors, formed by a continuous succession of fast corners rode in fourth and fifth gear by the MotoGP riders. Here, the rider’s ability to find the best line is decisive for the lap time. Another characteristic point is the braking, closing the back straight where the MotoGP bikes arrive to 290Km/h as maximum speed: the riders must brake strongly to face a pretty tight “S”. Probably, this is the most favourable point to overtake.”