Despite the thrilling performance by Valentino Rossi and Yamaha two weeks ago, the team is still seen as being second best ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday with Honda having dominated at the circuit for more than a decade.
Despite the thrilling performance by Valentino Rossi and Yamaha two weeks ago, the team is still seen as being second best ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday with Honda having dominated at the circuit for more than a decade.
With 14 wins out of the last 17 races, the odds are in favour of a Honda victory this Sunday, though Rossi plans to build on his spectacular victory at what he has admitted, is one of his favourite tracks. Besides winning premier-class races at Jerez for the past three seasons, he has also raked in wins in the 125- and 250cc classes.
“I love this track; it’s one of the better tracks for my riding style. I have great fun here so it’s possible (to win). For sure it will be very hard but I hope to make another very good race and fight for the victory.”
The only Yamaha win at Jerez was back in 1988 when Eddie Lawson cruised to victory and only four Yamaha riders have managed podium positions in the last decade.
Of course Rossi’s old rival Max Biaggi, who now also rides for his ex-team would be eager to see history repeated, albeit on one of the Doctor’s favourite circuits.
Biaggi said: “Rossi was the fastest here in the pre-season tests and I don’t think it would be a great surprise to see him at the top in each of the sessions leading up to the race. The important thing for us is that we work to solve the set-up problems that we still have and make sure that are fully prepared on Sunday to be competitive in the race.”
Expected to lead the Honda charge is local hero Biaggi who, despite little testing time with a new chassis, rode brilliantly to push Rossi to the absolute limit in South Africa. On the verge of becoming only the fifth man in history to score 100 podiums, Biaggi arrived at Jerez confident that he can defeat not only Rossi but the five other Hondas too.
Alex Barros, Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards, Makoto Tamada and Sete Gibernau have much to prove on their Hondas this weekend.
Gibernau, who finished third in the season’s first race, would hope to redeem himself this year after crashing out of second place early in the 2003 encounter. Carlos Checa, probably still reeling after finishing a shocking 40 seconds behind team-mate Rossi in Welkom, will be out to show he can do better in front of his home crowd which has not seen a local conqueror in five years.
