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.