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2011 MotoGP World Championship: A preview

Neil | Mar 19, 2011 | Comments 0

2011 MotoGP squad

The checkered flag will be waved on Sunday for the daredevils on two wheels for the first time this season. The first MotoGP race of the 2011 season will be held under lights at the Losail circuit in Qatar. Jorge Lorenzo who won the championship last year will be keen to make two in a row this year. Velentino Rossi would love to win the championship for the Italian Ducati works team. Honda factory team has pitted in three riders this year including big names like Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner.

Jorge Lorenzo

All teams have been fine tuning their bikes for the season opener at Losail for the past couple of days. Rossi especially was coming to grips with his new machine. The Doctor has been with Yamaha for the last five years. This year he switches over to his home team, Ducati. Mugello will be jam-packed this time around for sure. Excitement will be high and so will be the anxiety for Rossi as he recalls the events of the previous year. Last year Rossi crashed at Mugello which resulted in a broken ankle and put him out of racing only to return at Sachsenring.

Dani Pedrosa

Dani Pedrosa was a strong contender to win the championship last year. A DNF at Laguna Seca and a couple of bad results here and there left him trailing behind Lorenzo and Rossi. I think, Pedrosa has successfully fought the battle upfront. He held on to his nerves most of the times under pressure. He is feared by every ride in the paddoc for his perfect starts. Pedorsa is always quick to get off the the line. He has been impressive in the qualifying rounds too.

Valentino Rossi

After Rossi, I would rate Pedrosa as the next best among the current MotoGP riders. Casey Stoner has also been truly aggressive and has caught the Yamaha duo off-balance numerous times. Last year the Australian missed out on the starting few rounds of the season which left him playing catch-up the whole year. Casey moves to Honda this year and will be looking forward to the year long tussle between Yamaha, Ducati and Honda for the championship.

Casey Stoner

The pre-season practice sessions were held this week at Qatar. Team Honda were at the top in all practice session. Pedrosa topped the charts on day 1. Team mate Casey Stoner took over from his Spanish mate the next day. On Friday, Honda dominated the scene with all three riders pulling off a 1-2-3 result.

Colin Edwards

Meanwhile, in the Yamaha camp, Lorenzo was busy tweaking his bike. Colin Edwards was pleased with the performance of his 2011 Tech-2 Yamaha while Ben Spies, the other American was confident about his prospects. Earlier, Rossi was struggling with his Ducati. Nicky Hayden too, had concerns about the Ducati’s handling. Both riders were finding it difficult to turn the bike making it hard to maneuver around corners.

Having said that, all is set for the season opener at Qatar. With the track bathed in white lights the Losail GP promises to be a true spectacle. Tune in for the qualifying review and do drop by for the race results. IndianCarsBikes will be bringing you all the latest from the racing scene all year long.

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