Grand Prix:
2007 first MotoGP has kick started in Qatar. On March 18th Formula one(F1) championship race will start in Australia. India may host its first F1 race in 2009. Delhi or Tamilnadu or Andhra Pradhesh may host the race. Narain Karthikeyan of India is the test driver of williams. India is one of the important player in A1 GP. We will decrypt and analyse various Grand Prix in this section.
Circuit:
Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to the premier category of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125 cc, 250 cc and MotoGP. The current racing calendar consists of 18 rounds in 16 different countries (Spain which hosts 3 rounds, Qatar, Turkey, China, France, Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, San Marino, Portugal, Japan, Australia and Malaysia). Exclusive to the MotoGP class, there is also a USA round California. The grid is composed of 3 columns (4 for the 125 cc class) and contains approximately 20 riders. Grid positions are decided in descending order of qualifying speed, the fastest on the ‘pole’ or first position. Races last approximately 45 minutes, each race a sprint from start to finish without pitting for fuel or tyres.
Bikes:
In 2002, rule changes permitted manufacturers to choose between running two-stroke engines (500 cc or less) or four-strokes (990 cc or less). Manufacturers were also permitted to employ their choice of engine configuration. The new four-stroke machinery proved to have too many advantages over their two-stroke rivals, and, as a result, by 2003 no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. The 125 cc and 250 cc classes still consist exclusively of two-stroke machines. In 2007, the MotoGP class had its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800 cc.
Like the FIA for Formula one FIM is the governing organization for motor racing. The current MotoGP speed record is 347.4 km/h (215.864 mph) against the current Formula One speed record of 369.9 km/h (229.8 mph). To ensure safety, FIM laid safety rules and other regulations to reduce motorcycle speeds. These include changes in weight, fuel and engine capacity.
Scoring:
Points Scoring – MotoGP Class
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Prominent riders and their Bikes:
Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha team: The charismatic Italian entered the Grand Prix with Aprilia in winning 125cc races in his first session. Earlier he was with Honda and in 2004 he took the Yamaha. Rossi was earlier rumored to be the successor of Ferrari Michael Schumacher but he extended the contract with Yamaha for another two seasons. Fiat sponsors the 2007 Yamaha team.
Nicky Hayden – Repsol Honda: Entering the 2003 season 25yr old Hayden jumped straight into the Moto GP and has once partnered Rossi. But later become a mighty competitor for Rossi and won the 2006 Moto GP championship.
Marco Melandri – Honda Gresini: Another Italian in the GP, he entered the GP at the age of 15. He moved from Yamaha to Honda in 2005. Though frequent injuries interrupted his career he has been the strong contender for the championship.
Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro: One of the top players in 250cc class moved to Moto GP in 2006 as part of the LCR Honda team. He achieved his first premium class podium in Turkey. After suffering few crashes on the Honda he moved to the Ducati Marlboro team for the 2007 season. Stoner lined up with Loris capirossi for the team.
Dani Petrosa – Repsol Honda: The champion of 2004 and 2005 250cc class champion won the motoGP held in china and Britain. He is the partner of defending champion Nicky Hayden.
2006 clashes…
The premier class in past seasons has been dominated by Italian Valentino Rossi (moto GP’s Sachin), winner of the 2001 to 2005 titles. In an effort to beat Valentino’s amazing consecutive victories, other companies have signed younger riders on newly designed machines. The 2006 championship was the first in 14 years to be decided at the final race, with Valentino Rossi starting the race with an 8 point lead. Nicky Hayden finished 3rd with Valentino Rossi finishing 13th after crashing on lap 5 to give Nicky Hayden his maiden Championship title.
The circuit parameters are the pole position, length, longest straight, left turns, right turns and its width. Qatar Grand Prix is the first in this season. For the 22 lap(the number of times the rider has to round the circuit) Qatar circuit length 5.380km, longest straight 1.068km, width 12m, 6 left turns and 10 right turns. MotoGP usually held on week-ends.
MotoGP official home page
2007 MotoGP calendar
March 10Qatar Doha/Losail
March 25 Spain Jerez de la Frontera
April 22 Turkey Istanbul
May 6 China Shanghai
May 20 France Le Mans
June 3 Italy Mugello
June 10 Catalunya Catalunya
June 24 Great Britain Donington Park
June 30 Netherlands Assen
July 15 Germany Sachsenring
July 22 United States Laguna Seca
August 19 Czech Republic Brno
September 2 San Marino & Riviera di Rimini Misano
September16 Portugal Estoril
September23 Japan Motegi
October 14 Australia Phillip Island
October 21 Malaysia Sepang
November 4 Valencia Ricardo Tormo – Valencia