Coulthard explains his passion for MotoGP

Taking in the action from round twelve at Brno on Sunday was long-time MotoGP fan David Coulthard, the experienced Formula 1 driver, who is due to retire from racing at the end of this year.

With more time on his hands as of 2009 it would be no surprise to see the 37 year-old star paying more visits to the MotoGP paddock, given his admiration for the sport.

Coulthard explained, `Before I started on four wheels I was doing a little bit of motocross but I was breaking too many bones! I got into karting and then progressed to cars but I have always had a love of bikes and I am always amazed at what these guys are able to do on two wheels. As a fan I think the show that MotoGP puts on is fantastic.´

Comparing the MotoGP environment to that of his own sport, the Scottish driver who boasts 13 F1 wins and 62 podiums, noted, `It is a lot more open than our paddock. If we try to imagine that in F1 we imagine that it wouldn´t work, but clearly it does work here. People move around, the riders are able to do their things, the teams are able to work and I can see the appeal of MotoGP to sponsors.´

Detailing how his affinity for the MotoGP World Championship had grown over the years, courtesy of his friendship with a certain five-time premier class title winner, Coulthard added, `For many years I was training with Mick Doohan before he retired. We would spend hours on our bikes and I would be questioning him all the time about the bikes.´

Indeed, it is through Doohan, who was also at Brno last weekend working for U.S. television network CBS, that Coulthard´s expertise has been developed.

The Scotsman stated, `Obviously things have moved forward since Mick stopped in 1999, but through his contacts and some of the people I have met I have followed some of the technology. A lot of what they have on the bikes we have on the cars, with traction control and electronics. But there are a lot of things specific to MotoGP which obviously makes it very technically challenging.´

winner in Catalunya

Dani Pedrosa – Race Winner

`I don't know where the pace came from. It was a fantastic race, amazing to win. I won in 125cc and 250cc here, so now to win in MotoGP is great. The other two were pushing hard. I went to a different setting than yesterday, and it worked.´

Valentino Rossi – Second Place

`What a race! I´m very happy; I had a lot of fun with overtaking. I´m pleased with 20 points, but knew that if we were going to beat Dani then we´d have to start at the front. It was a great battle with Casey, which I enjoyed a lot.´

Casey Stoner – Third Place

`For some reason we had no rear feeling entering the corners from the first lap. I lost a lot of confidence because in these corners you need hard braking as you´re cornering. Generally I wasn't happy at all with my riding today. In the end it was just a battle with vale at the end; he was close to me a few times, I could feel him. I have to be happy with a podium in any case.´

Rossi-Stoner battle undergoes a new twist in Catalunya

Another MotoGP race at the Circuit de Catalunya, and another podium battle between Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner. However, the story wasn´t quite so simple. Whilst the twosome fought tooth and nail in the final stages of the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya, eventual racewinner Dani Pedrosa was already long gone, and Stoner did not even see Rossi as the toughest of his adversaries…

`The biggest battle was with myself; the bike was moving around a lot and we just couldn´t get into a decent rhythm, especially from the beginning,´ rued a bemused Stoner, his immediate post-race emotions a contrast to the more optimistic Rossi.

`I think that this was quite a good race! It's a long time since we´ve had a good fight for the top positions like that and today it was like last year with Stoner, but for second instead of first place! I was able to come out on top this year and I am honestly very happy with today's result,´ beamed the Fiat Yamaha rider and current series leader, whose ninth place on the grid put him significantly behind the man he eventually beat for second place.

`I want to watch the race on TV now because I had a lot of fun today and made some good overtakes, with my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres working very well to the end. Once I passed Stoner I tried to go away from him but it wasn´t possible, so then I knew it would be a great battle to the end.´

Both riders will be back on track in Barcelona for testing on Monday, although what Stoner gets up to on Tuesday will create the most interest. He has a possible date with the Ducati Desmosedici GP9, next year´s MotoGP prototype.

`We´re going to try a few things in testing, including possibly the new bike with the 2009 chassis in the final part of Tuesday. We´ll be doing anything that we can to avoid the kind of problems that we had today.

Rossi to run `Italian football´ livery in Catalunya

Having last weekend shown off a spectacular one-off helmet design at Mugello, Valentino Rossi will once again be personalising his look for the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya.

The proud Italian will this time be running a special livery for his Yamaha M1, celebrating the start of the UEFA European Championship this weekend. Rossi´s machine will be decked out with a blue colour scheme, commemorating the Italian World Cup-winning national side set to begin their latest campaign on Monday.

`Fiat wanted to do something special for the Italian national team, before their game against Holland. I think that the bike looks really good,´ said Rossi in the pre-practice Thursday press conference.

Busy Thursday scheduled at Catalunya circuit

Making a quick dash across the Mediterranean from Italy, the MotoGP paddock has been rapidly reassembled just north of Barcelona at the Circuit de Catalunya, just days after packing up at Mugello on Sunday evening.

On the eve of the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya, the weather at the Catalan venue bodes well for the three days of on-track action, with pleasant temperatures and mostly blue skies on Thursday morning and no imminent forecast of rain – after several wet GP weekends of late.

This afternoon´s pre-event press conference will be attended by the top four riders in the MotoGP World Championship standings as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner line up alongside Toni Elias at 4pm.

For Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Elias there will be plenty of local, as well as international, media interest – the Barcelona date of course being the home race for all three.

Before that, in acknowledgement of World Environment Day, Yuki Takahashi, Álvaro Bautista, Stefan Bradl, Sergio Gadea and Raffaele de Rosa will visit a local recycling plant from 12.30pm to 2pm.

Meanwhile, fund-raising activity at the Catalunya track will see a ride-in lap of the circuit on Thursday afternoon, followed by fans visits to the paddock and pit-lane, in aid of Riders for Health (Motos Solidarias).

Later in the day, Dr Xavi Mir, a Barcelona-based specialist who is regularly consulted by MotoGP riders, will hold a press conference at the circuit at 5.45pm, about the `Fundacion Dakar Solidario´ charity programme.

Rounding off a busy day, a further photo opportunity will take place as a number of local riders from the smaller classes meet the Mayor of Montmelo and greet fans at the nearby Montmelo Town Hall from 7pm-7.30pm. Those scheduled to be in attendance are Aleix Espargaro, Julian Simon, Nico Terol, Joan Olive, Pol Espargaro, Esteve Rabat and Marc Marquez.

Catalunya Racing Numbers

46 – Race day in Barcelona is the 46th anniversary to the day of Suzuki taking their first ever Grand Prix victory – in the 50cc race at the Isle of Man TT in 1962, ridden by Ernst Degner.

35 years – On the 8th of June 1973 Jack Findlay took the victory in the Senior TT race in the Isle of Man riding a Suzuki. This win was highly significant in that it was the first ever win in the premier class of world championship motorcycle racing by a rider using Michelin tyres.

14 – Marco Simoncelli´s win at Mugello made him the fourteenth rider from Italy who has won Grand Prix in both the 125cc and 250cc classes. The others are: Luca Cadalora, Tarquinio Provini, Valentino Rossi, Carlo Ubbiali, Loris Capirossi, Marco Melandri, Loris Reggiani, Andrea Dovizioso, Doriano Romboni, Bruno Ruffo, Emilio Mendogni, Paolo Pileri and Mattia Pasini.

11- Catalunya is the circuit at which Valentino Rossi has had most podium finishes in his GP career, having finished in the top three every year since winning the 125cc race back in 1997 – a total of eleven successive podium finishes at the circuit.

5 – Following the race at Mugello there are still five riders who have scored points in all six MotoGP races held so far this year: Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Loris Capirossi, Shinya Nakano and Toni Elias.

Ducati involved in Aspar MotoGP conversation

The owner of the highly successful Mapfre Aspar 250cc and Bancaja Aspar 125cc teams, Jorge Martinez `Aspar´, has confirmed to motogp.com that Ducati have become involved in his plans to enter the 800cc category in 2009.

Having previously had discussions with Yamaha and Suzuki, Martinez has revealed that Aspar MotoGP project may well involve Ducati, further to recent reports that the Italian factory are considering running five bikes in the premier class next season and are interested in signing current Aspar 250cc star Alvaro Bautista.

Ducati´s openness to such ideas could provide an ideal opportunity for Aspar, with Martinez clarifying the current situation saying, `At every Grand Prix we are working towards a solution and this weekend in Barcelona I hope to have some meetings to move things forward. It would be great if we could confirm things between now and the next round in England. There have been some significant developments since France, there are new names in the frame. The main thing is that there is interest in our arrival in MotoGP.´

He continued, `There are more brands involved in the conversation and Ducati are taking a real interest in bringing the Apsar Team into the premier class, with Alvaro. We are keen too, and, as I say, we want to tie things up as soon as possible.´

When asked whether he believes Bautista is 100% ready for MotoGP racing following his modest start to the 250cc season, Martinez responded, `What I can say about that is that we want our team in MotoGP, but it is a bit too early to say for certain that it will definitely be with Alvaro. I think he needs to rediscover his form and calmness and get back to winning Grands Prix. I truly believe that he is the best rider in the 250cc field and therefore I think that in the future we should be able to talk about things more specifically in terms of the rider for our MotoGP project.´