Stoner faces challenges in new season

Reuters/Doha

Leading the pack: Casey Stoner has an excellent record at Losail International Circuit

MotoGP champion Casey Stoner will have a bigger challenge in more ways than one this season, even if he is the overwhelming favourite to win the opening floodlit race in Qatar this weekend. The Australian is chasing his third title in the top category but this time, thanks to the decision to increase engine capacity, on a more powerful 1,000cc machine than the 800cc Honda he triumphed with last year. His Honda team won the last four races of 2011 and Stoner has set the pace in pre-season testing, lapping fastest on four of the five days in Malaysia and Spain. The 26-year-old, who won 10 races last season, has also triumphed in four of the last five Qatar Grands Prix with four pole positions. Despite that formidable record, Stoner still expects this year to be tougher. “We head to Qatar feeling positive, but still have some work to do,” he said in a team preview. “This will be the first time with the new bike on this circuit so we will need to spend some time on the set-up to put ourselves in the best position. “We’ve always enjoyed good results at the Losail circuit but this is a new season and there are more competitors contesting for victory this year.” The bigger engine could also make the racing more spectacular, with greater power surging through the rear wheel. This year sees the introduction of the Claiming Rule Teams (CRT) concept which allows new entrants to run under lower-cost regulations with a prototype chassis coupled with an affordable production engine. Riders on such machines include American veteran Colin Edwards with a Suter-BMW for Forward Racing while Britain’s James Ellison returns on an Aprilia for the Paul Bird Motorsport former World Superbike team after a five-year absence. Nine of the 21-strong MotoGP field will be on CRT bikes. Six factory riders stay with their 2011 teams but newcomers include Moto2 champion Stefan Bradl of Germany, Italians Michele Pirro, Mattia Pasini and Danilo Petrucci along with Colombian Yonny Hernandez. Italian Andrea Dovizioso has joined the Tech3 Yamaha team from Honda while Spaniard Alvaro Bautista switched to Honda Gresini after the death last October of Italian Marco Simoncelli. Stoner’s main rivals will be familiar faces, however, with Spanish team mate Dani Pedrosa injury-free at last while Yamaha’s 2010 champion Jorge Lorenzo and American Ben Spies will also be strong contenders. “I think this season we have a slightly more competitive bike so I am hoping for good things to happen,” said Lorenzo, last year’s overall runner-up who needed plastic surgery on a finger last October. “Because of my hand injury it has been a long time since I was in a race so I am really excited for Sunday. I have been training a lot for this season. I’m feeling very good and very happy with the bike as well.” Pedrosa missed four races last year due to injury, including a broken collarbone, but the 26-year-old told Reuters last month he was feeling great. “Stoner and Lorenzo are riding to a good level but so am I,” declared the Spaniard. “Casey is very fast and so is Jorge, they are great opponents. “I think the change in the bikes is positive... they are more powerful, harder on the tyres but it should be a better spectacle because there will be more overtaking.”

Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar racing numbers99 – Spain has taken 99 victories in the intermediate class of Grand Prix racing; 85 of these wins have been in the 250cc class and 14 in Moto2.38 – Great rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa have both won 38 Grand Prix races across all three classes.25 – Julián Simón celebrates his 25th birthday on the Tuesday before the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.19 – Czech 125cc rider Jakub Kornfeil celebrates his 19th birthday on the Sunday at the Qatar Grand Prix.13 – Ducati have gone 13 races without a podium finish, since Valentino Rossi was 3rd at the French GP last year. This is the longest sequence of successive races for Ducati without a podium since they entered the MotoGP class at the start of 2003.11 – On the Sunday of the race weekend in Qatar it will be exactly eleven years ago to the day that the opening race of the 2001 season took place at the Suzuka circuit, when Valentino Rossi won the 500cc race to give Honda their 500th GP win across all classes.9 – This will be the ninth occasion that a Grand Prix event has been held at the Losail circuit and the fifth under floodlights. Yamaha and Ducati have each had three MotoGP victories at the Losail circuit. Casey Stoner’s win last year was the second MotoGP victory for Honda in Qatar.8 – Eight of the riders on the full-time entry list for MotoGP raced in the 990cc era: Casey Stoner, Colin Edwards, Randy de Puniet, Iván Silva, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and James Ellison.8 – Honda riders have qualified on pole in MotoGP at the last eight successive races. This is the longest sequence of successive poles by any manufacturer in the four-stroke MotoGP era. 7 – Seven of the riders lining up for the MotoGP race at Qatar have previously won Grand Prix races at the Losail circuit: Héctor Barberá – 250cc in 2009, Álvaro Bautista – 125cc in 2006, Stefan Bradl – Moto2 in 2011, Jorge Lorenzo 250cc twice and 125cc, Mattia Pasini – 250cc in 2008, Valentino Rossi – MotoGP three times and Casey Stoner – MotoGP four times and 250cc.5 – On the Sunday of race weekend in Qatar it will be exactly five years ago since Casey Stoner started from pole at the 2006 Qatar GP, riding a satellite Honda in only his second ever MotoGP race.5 – Only five different riders have finished on the podium in Qatar in the MotoGP class over the last five years; Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo each four times; three times each for Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi; and a single podium for Andrea Dovizioso.4 – Honda riders have taken the last four successive MotoGP victories. If this run is extended with a Honda victory in Qatar, it will be the longest sequence of successive Honda MotoGP wins since 2003.3 – Casey Stoner has been on pole for the MotoGP race in Qatar for the last three years.How points are awardedRiders and Constructors (manufacturers) compete for respective FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix titles. Teams, meanwhile, compete for a MotoGP Team Championship, which is different to the Constructors Championship as there are different teams competing on machinery from the same manufacturer, such as FactoryYamaha and Tech3 Yamaha.For riders, the points which count towards their World Championship total will be those gained in each race. For Constructors, only the highest placed motorcycle of a Constructor will gain points, according to the position in the race.Teams in the MotoGP class are in principle comprised of two riders. All points scored by both riders in the Team, including substitutes or replacements, will count towards the Team Championship. In the case of a one rider Team then only the points scored by that rider will count towards the Team Championship. Wild card riders will not score points for the Team Championship.For each race, Championship points will be awarded on the following scale:•1st 25 points•2nd 20 points•3rd 16 points•4th 13 points•5th 11 points•6th 10 points•7th 9 points•8th 8 points•9th 7 points•10th 6 points•11th 5 points•12th 4 points•13th 3 points•14th 2 points•15th 1 pointResults in all races will count for the Championship classification (this was not always the case historically as, for example, the best six results from a ten race season were counted).In the event of a tie in the number of points, the final positions will be decided on the basis of the number of best results (number of first places, number of second places etc.). In the event that there is still a tie then, the date in the Championship at which the highest place was achieved will be taken into account with precedence going to the latest result.GLOSSARYThe sport of MotoGP has its own unique language, utilising certain pieces of terminology shared with other motorsports and some specific phrases belonging to the world of motorcycle racing. Here, motogp.com guides you through some of the words and phrases commonly used in MotoGP.ApexThe tightest point on a corner, which the rider usually rides through just before he begins to exit, accelerating away.Braking MarkerA physical point which a rider uses to judge where he should start braking as he enters a corner. This could be a tree, advertising board, a mark on the track or any other distinguishing feature which the rider uses to guide his braking pattern.ChicaneA section of track with two corners in close succession in opposite directions. A left-hander followed by a right-hander or vice versa, which looks like an ‘S’ from a bird’s eye view.CompoundsThe type of rubber / mixture of rubber used in tyres.CRTClaiming Rules Team. From 2012, teams not entered by one of the major manufacturers may seek CRT status. Teams entered as CRT will benefit from less restrictive rules on the number of engines that may be used in a season, and the fuel allowance during a race is larger. Under the “Claiming Rule”, teams operating under CRT status agree to allow up to four of their engines per season to be claimed, after a race, by one of the major manufacturer teams at a cost of €20,000 each including transmission, or €15,000 each for the engine alone.CurbstonesMainly painted in two colours and often featuring prominently on, or just after corners, the curbstones mark the sides of the race track and help to guide the riders.DisplacementThe capacity or size of a bike’s engine, usually quoted in cubic centimetres (cc), for example 1000cc, 600cc or 250cc.Dry RaceA race in which the track surface is considered to be dry by Race Direction, as opposed to wet. In a dry race teams will run slick tyres on their bikes. See Key Rules section for more details.DornaDorna Sports is the company which administrates MotoGP. See Governing Bodies section for more details.Dirt trackingOver the years several MotoGP riders from the USA, including 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, have had their racing background in regional and national dirt track championships. The racing takes place on a muddy surface as opposed to asphalt.EndoA trick which involves stopping a bike suddenly to lift the rear wheel off the ground. The opposite of a wheelie, it is sometimes also called a Stoppie.EssesA colloquial, phonetic reference to a chicane, owing to their often ‘S’ shaped appearances.FairingAn outer body part of a racing bike that protects both the machinery and the rider from debris and gusts of wind. Fairings are decorated with team colours, sponsor logos and race numbers.FIMThe Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme is the governing body of all motorcycle sport throughout the world. See Governing Bodies section for more details.GasThrottle or acceleration. It is common to hear riders say ‘I opened the gas’, or ‘I gave it some gas’.GP (Grand Prix)A racing event which lasts three days, involving the three MotoGP classes, MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc. Grand Prix weekends consist of two days of practice and qualifying, followed by the warm-ups and races in each class on the final day. There are currently 18 Grands Prix on the MotoGP calendar.GridThe collection of starting points on the start/finish straight on the track, where the riders gather at the beginning of each race, lining up in the positions in which they have qualified to start.HairpinA very tight corner which has to be taken slowly and often appears U-shaped or V-shaped.High SideA crash in which the rear wheel of the bike slides out from under the rider - so that he is essentially at a right angle to his racing line (the direction in which he was going) - and then regains grip, which flips the bike and rider over.Hole-shotTaking the hole-shot means leading the race at the first corner.HomologationThe homologation of the track and the bikes being used in MotoGP racing is the approval process undertaken by the FIM and their associated committees.Low SideA crash whereby the rear wheel or both wheels of the bike lose grip and do not regain traction, resulting in the motorcycle slipping out from underneath the rider.Lean angleThe lean angle refers to the degree at which a rider tilts his bike into the track as he corners at high speeds. Riders’ knees and elbows can often touch the ground at maximum lean angle.Left-handerSimply a left-hand corner, where the rider ‘turns’ left, leaning the left side of his bike and body towards the ground.MSMAThe Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association represents the interests of all the constructors involved in motorcycle racing. See Governing Bodies section for more details.OnBoardAn ‘OnBoard’ is a television camera carried by a MotoGP bike which gives an impression of what it is like to be involved in the action on track.Parc FerméDesignated area on pit lane where podium finishers (first three) in each category are interviewed by television crews immediately after each race (See ‘At the circuit’ section for more details).PaddockThe area adjacent to the pit-boxes on the opposite side to the pit lane where teams and riders station their motorhomes and equipment for the duration of a Grand Prix.