bwin Grand Prix of the Czech Republic 2013

Posted on Aug 19, 2013 by Nick Harris

ROUND ELEVEN 2013 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - SUNDAY AUGUST 25

After two races in America the British MotoGP™ riders return to Europe for the 11th round of the championship at the bwin Grand Prix of the Czech Republic in Brno on Sunday.

Bradley Smith is enjoying an impressive MotoGP debut season. The Oxfordshire ride moved into tenth place in the championship after finishing eighth at the previous round in Indianapolis.

MARQUEZ MARCHES INTO BRNO
Twenty year old Spaniard Marc Marquez races into the bwin Grand Prix of the Czech Republic on a crest of a wave. The MotoGP rookie leads the world championship by 21 points after winning four grands prix - three in succession including the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix last Sunday.

The Repsol Honda rider arrives at the magnificent 3.357 miles Brno circuit brimming with confidence. He won the Moto2 race there last year but knows that his team-mate Dani Pedrosa and World Champion Jorge Lorenzo are getting back to full fitness and will fight to close down his impressive advantage.

Pedrosa fought to a brave second place at Indianapolis and won the MotoGP race at Brno last year and has 125 and 250cc victories. Lorenzo is also regaining full fitness but trails Marquez by 35 points as he defends his world title. The Spanish Yamaha rider has a good record at Brno with wins in all three classes.

Nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi won his very first grand prix at Brno in the 1996 125 cc race and the Italian followed that with a 250 and five MotoGP wins. He lies fourth in the championship just three points in front of the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha of Cal Crutchlow after the pair had a superb fight for fourth at Indianapolis.

Another first time winner at Brno was Stefan Bradl in the 2008 125 cc race. The German former Moto2 World Champion is sixth in the championship despite disappointment at Indianapolis where he finished seventh after three crashes from the LCR Honda in practice and qualifying. Former 125cc World Champion Alvaro Bautista is another former Brno winner and the Spaniard is coming into form on the GO&FUN Gresini Honda and is six points behind the Ducati of another former 125cc World Champion Andrea Dovizioso in their battle for seventh.

American Ben Spies will miss the race after dislocating his shoulder in a practice crash at Indianapolis while local rider Karel Abraham fights to be fit after missing Indy following another practice crash. Spies’s Pramac Ducati team-mate and Brno Moto2 winner Andrea Iannone is regaining fitness from a shoulder injury and finished 11th at the weekend.

BRNO FACTS AND FIGURES
Circuit Length: 5.403kms
Width: 15m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 636m
Left Corners: Six
Right Corners: Eight
Pole Position Record: Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha1.55.799 (2012)
Lap Record: Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha1'56.274 (2012)


TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT
Friday 23 August
12:05 - 15:00 Moto3/MotoGP/Moto2 FP 2 Connected TV/Online and British Eurosport 2

Saturday 24 August
08:50 - 09:40 MotoGP FP3, Connected TV and Online
11:20 - 15:00 Moto3/MotoGP and Moto2 Qualifying Red Button and British Eurosport

Sunday 25 August
10:05 Moto2 race Red Button and British Eurosport 2
11:30 - 13:00 MotoGP race BBC 2 HD
13:30 - 14:30 Moto3 race Red Button and British Eurosport2