Repsol Honda Team en route to Brno for Czech Republic GP

With just a few days to rest following the Austrian GP, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are heading to the Czech Republic for the next race, round 11 of the 2016 World Championship. A very popular venue with both riders and fans, Brno is an undulating 5.4 km circuit with a challenging set of six lefts, eight rights and five straights, the longest of which is 636 m.

Both riders have enjoyed good results in the past at Brno, with Dani making the podium on 10 occasions, winning in 2003 in the 125cc class, in 2005 in 250cc, and twice in MotoGP: 2012, when he was involved in a memorable battle with Jorge Lorenzo, and 2014. Marc has been on the podium four times at Brno, taking victories in 2012 in the Moto2 division and in 2013 in MotoGP. Last year he took second.

A one-day post-race test is scheduled for Monday, 22 August.

Marc Marquez - Championship Standing: 1st – 181 points

“We had a challenging weekend in Austria but we did the best we could and, all things considered, we were able to get away quite well. The shoulder didn’t bother me during the race but it was a bit sore afterward, so these couple of days before Brno have been good to rest a bit. Brno isn’t one of my favourite tracks but we’ve been able to get some good results there in the past. We must be really focused and work well in order to be able to fight for the podium again.”

Dani Pedrosa - Championship Standing: 4th – 105 points

“In this second part of the season, we should find some more suitable tracks for us. Of course Brno has some long straights that can be demanding for us, but it’s a track that I’ve liked since I started racing, and I always have a good feeling there. It’s very wide, with some very fast corners, and you must be able to hit the best lines to set good lap times, as it doesn’t forgive the smallest mistake. I just hope that the weather is stable so we can use all the practice time and try to build up some more confidence and speed.”

Location: Automotodrom Brno

The world’s most famous riders have taken part in GP events in Brno since 1930, where up until 1982 they would race through the villages and western parts of the city on a road track named after the first Czechoslovak President – T.G. Masaryk. A new circuit was built during the 1980s with the aim of attracting Formula 1 to Czechoslovakia, and in 1987 it played host to the FIM Czech Grand Prix. Popular with both fans and riders, the new circuit is built in a natural bowl which is banked in places to offer spectators an excellent view. Brno constantly changes in elevation as it sweeps across forested hillsides and its fast undulating corners test rider talent and engineering to the limit.