Aperol Grand Prix of Catalunya 2013
Posted on Jun 10, 2013 by Nick Harris
ROUND SIX 2013 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - SUNDAY JUNE 16
Oxfordshire’s Bradley Smith finished a brave ninth in Mugello after severe damage to his little finger and cracking a bone in his wrist in a practice crash. He has been declared fit to ride this weekend and will be looking to push on at a circuit he knows well after a solid debut MotoGP season.
MARQUEZ READY TO BOUNCE BACK AT HOME
Marc Marquez is ready to bounce back at his home race, the Aperol Grand Prix of Catalunya on Sunday, after a tough weekend at the previous round in Italy. The 20 year old Repsol Honda rider crashed four times over the Mugello weekend and dropped to third place in the world championship after an amazing start that saw him on the podium at the opening four races.
It promises to be a home front fight round the 2.937 miles at the Circuit de Catalunya on the northern outskirts of Barcelona between championship leader Dani Pedrosa, World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and Marquez to keep the patriotic crowd at fever pitch throughout the 25 laps. Pedrosa and Lorenzo are separated by 12 points at the top of the championship table. Both have won two grands prix this season and both are previous MotoGP winners in Barcelona with Lorenzo the race winner last year on the factory Yamaha.
A battered and bruised Marques arrives with an impressive record for just his sixth MotoGP race. He won his first MotoGP race in Austin and is a previous 125cc winner in Barcelona. Just six points behind him in the championship is British star Cal Crutchlow who chases his third successive podium finish on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha after a superb start to the season. His team-mate Bradley Smith injured his hand and wrist in Mugello but has made a solid start to his MotoGP career.
Italian Andrea Dovizioso replaced Valentino Rossi at Ducati at the start of the season and moved above the Yamaha of the nine times World Champion after his fifth place at Mugello. Rossi was desperately unlucky to be brought down on the second bend of the race and has a great record in Barcelona winning nine times including six MotoGP victories.
Former 125 and 250cc winner Alvaro Bautista was also involved in the Rossi crash and trails former World Champion Nicky Hayden by seven points in the championship. Former Moto2 World Champion and Barcelona winner Stefan Bradl picked up a welcome fourth place in Mugello on the LCR Honda after a tough second MotoGP season while last year’s Moto2 Barcelona winner Andrea Iannone will have Michele Pirro as his team-mate at Pramac Ducati with the unfortunate Ben Spies still out of action.
Aleix Espargaro lives less than three miles from the circuit and looks favourite to continue his domination of the CRT battle. The Power Electronics Aspar rider is tenth in the championship and 15 points in front of his nearest CRT challenger Hector Barbara.
BARCELONA FACTS AND FIGURES
Circuit Length: 4.727 km
Width: 12m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 1047m
Left Corners: Five
Right Corners: Eight
Pole Position Record: Casey Stoner Ducati 1m 41.186 (08)
Lap Record: Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m 42.358 (08)
TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT
Friday 14 June
08:50 – 09:40 MotoGP FP 1 HD Red Button
12:10 – 14:50 Moto3/MotoGP/Moto2 FP 2 Connected TV and Online
Saturday 15 June
08:55 – 09:40 MotoGP FP3 HD Red Button, Connected TV and Online
11:30 – 15:05 Moto2 and Moto3 Qualifying SD and HD Red Button and British Eurosport 2
13:00 – 14:00 MotoGP Qualifying BBC 2
Sunday 16 June
09:45 – 12:20 Moto3 and Moto2 races SD Red Button and British Eurosport 2
12:30 – 14:05 MotoGP race BBC2 HD
14:05 – 14:30 MotoGP extra SD and HD Red Button