Czech Grand Prix Preview

Aug 12, 2015
3 min read

The MotoGP World Championship heads into the eleventh round of the 2015 season and to the wonderful Brno in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic has featured on the Grand Prix calendar since 1965 – though non-championship rounds have been staged since the 1930s. The original circuit was 11 miles long and ran around the town of Kohoutovice. The race was staged there up until 1982, and Grand Prix motorcycle racing did not return to the country until 1987 when the now traditional home of the event was opened.

The Masaryk circuit, named after former Czechoslovak President T.G. Masaryk, was significantly shorter than its predecessors at just 3.36 miles and did not incorporate any public road sections. A much safer place to go racing but no less exciting.

The circuit undulates and features lots of direction and camber changes, as well as some big stops which create lots of overtaking possibilities. It's hard to look past Yamaha walking away with this one; this is prime YZR-M1 territory. Jorge Lorenzo proved that he could run the pace of the Honda's at a circuit which was not suited to the Yamaha at all last time out at Indianapolis, and Valentino Rossi was lapping similar pace also. The RC213V's demons reared their heads several times during that weekend: Marc Marquez' crash in morning warm up was identical to those that put him out of races earlier this season, and the rear-end was moving all over the place in the braking zones when the tyres started to go during the race. Given the nature of this circuit, Honda look to be in for a difficult weekend.

Brno's future is unclear at the moment. Legal and financial issues put this year's race in doubt, and the deal put in place to salvage it leaves a loose end untied for 2016. Lets hope the quality of the racing and the attendance over the weekend prompt a change of heart from the local government in regards to their involvement in the event's running.

Stats:

Circuit Length – 5.4km (3.36 miles)
Number of Turns – 14 (6 left, 8 right)
Longest Straight – 636m
Top Speed – 314.8km/h
Average Speed – 166.6km/h
Fastest Lap – 1:55.527 (Cal Crutchlow, 2013)
Circuit Record – 1:56.027 (Dani Pedrosa, 2014)
Most Wins – 5 (Valentino Rossi – 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005)
Most Poles – 3 (Valentino Rossi)

Classic Brno Moment:

Brno is awash with history. Guaranteed that every Grand Prix season has had a memorable moment at the circuit. It also seems to be a circuit of firsts, most notably Valentino Rossi's maiden victory in the 125cc race of 1996. But for me, in my short years of watching MotoGP, one moment stands out above all else. Marco Simoncelli was a hero of mine; I loved his mad riding style, his no bullshit attitude, his passion for racing and his big hair. He was just so cool. Watching him race was an adrenaline rush and a hair-pulling experience. Jerez, in the wet, the Italian found himself in the lead. A win was on the cards, but he pushed to hard exiting turn one and ended up in the gravel. Then, gunning for the podium again, at Le Mans there was 'that' collision with Dani Pedrosa. The British Grand Prix was another wet race and things looked good... until he slid off at Abbey corner. Then came Brno. A solid second row start amongst the factory runners was yet another reminder of his raw speed. But could he convert that into a rostrum? Yes, he could.Simoncellis rode a fine race to claim 3rd. A truly joyous moment and one that brings a smile whenever I think about it, but also a sense of sadness at what might have been if not for the horrific events of Malaysia later that year.

Weekend Schedule:

Friday:

Moto3 FP1 – 08:00-08:40

MotoGP FP1 – 08:55-09:40

Moto2 FP1 – 09:55-10:40

Moto3 FP2 – 12:10-12:50

MotoGP FP2 – 13:05-13:50

Moto2 FP2 – 14:05-14:50

Saturday:

Moto3 FP3 – 08:00-08:40

MotoGP FP3 – 08:55-09:40

Moto2 FP3 – 09:55-10:40