The longest break in this year’s MotoGP calendar comes to an end this weekend as the teams and riders return to action in Portugal. The cancellation of the Hungarian Grand Prix has provided the riders with a month of rest and recuperation time, during which they have been able to gather their strength for a final push of four races. The Estoril date takes place much later in the year than usual and will be followed by long-hauls trips to Australia and Malaysia before the traditional season finale at Valencia. The chase for the 250cc title is easily the closest and most exciting of the three, with Portugal set to host the latest chapter in an intense battle for international honour.
As far as the statisticians are concerned, the favourite for victory at Estoril is Mapfre rider Álvaro Bautista, who has taken victory at this circuit for the last three years – in the 250cc class in 2008 and 2007 and in the 125cc class in 2006. Álvaro is also on a run of five straight podiums, form that has consolidated second place in the current standings and brought him to within thirteen points of the leader, Hiroshi Aoyama. The Mapfre man pulled back three precious points at the last round in San Marino and he is hoping that his love affair with Estoril continues with a fourth straight win that would breathe even more life into a title scrap that looks certain to go all the way to the wire at Valencia. Mike Di Meglio is also looking to be amongst the pacesetters this weekend, the Mapfre team rookie travelling to Portugal on the back of positive results in the past two rounds and keen to continue improving after the month-long break. Estoril is one of the few circuits Mike had the opportunity to ride at in preseason, gathering crucial set-up data that will give him a solid base to start from this weekend.
Álvaro Bautista:
“Estoril isn’t one of my favourite circuits but I have won there for the last three years so you could say it is our talisman track. Hopefully luck is on our side again this year so that we can fight for the victory once more. I’ve done a bit of everything over the last three weeks, mainly training hard to make sure I’m fit and ready for this final sprint to the end of the season. I had a week off relaxing in Mallorca and it was nice to get a total break from racing. It has been a positive thing to have a month off to focus on these last four races and get over all the fuss that came on the back of the announcement about my future. It has also been good to have a month of training and I think I’m in the right shape to finish the season at full power. Estoril is a circuit with a lot of hard braking, where you need good acceleration to get out of the corners well, and in some areas it will favour the Honda whilst in others – like the long straight – it will be better for the Aprilia. It will be difficult to win but that won’t stop us from trying.”
Mike Di Meglio:
“I used the three weeks to spend time at home with my family and get some rest. It was an opportunity to weigh up the season so far and reflect on some of the mistakes I have made in order to avoid making them again in the future. I’m satisfied that despite the mistakes we have done a good job and we have seen the fruit of that in the last two races. I have been training hard to make sure that I am as well prepared as possible for the upcoming race in Portugal, where I want to keep my good form going. Estoril is not one of my favourite circuits but I think the preseason tests we did there will help us. Unlike at other circuits we already have data for the 250 here so part of the job is already done. Our objective, like always, is to keep learning and I don’t see why we can’t target the podium again.”
