After the satisfaction of Assen, where Andrea Dovizioso picked up an excellent second place, the Ducati Team now arrives in Germany for the ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship, which takes place this weekend at the Sachsenring circuit, near the town of Chemnitz in the former East Germany.
The Sachsenring is one of the shortest and slowest circuits on the calendar, but it is by no means an easy track. Its counter-clockwise layout contains several truly difficult curves, as well as a number of ups and downs. Dovizioso has obtained one podium in MotoGP with a third place in 2012, while Crutchlow finished runner-up in the race at the German track twelve months ago.
The German Grand Prix will also mark the half-way point in the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)
“The result at Assen was very important for me and the Ducati Team, but I don’t think we have the speed in dry conditions to be able to aim for the podium too much. As always however we must push 100% and improve over last year. In my opinion Sachsenring is too short and too tight for MotoGP, but I think the bike has improved from last year so we have to show the difference at every race, like we did at Assen”.
Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35)
“I’ve never ridden at the Sachsenring on the Ducati, but I like the track and went really well there last year, when I was second in qualifying and finished second in the race, which is one of my best results ever in MotoGP. Unfortunately because of the layout and the corners I think we will have a few problems with understeer on this track, but we will see and as always I’ll try my best to be competitive”.
The Sachsenring Circuit
Like Assen, is another circuit with a great motorsport tradition: racing on roads near the town of Chemnitz began in 1920 and continued there until 1990. In 1996 it was decided to build the new Sachsenring circuit about ten km away from the German town, and its first German GP took place there in 1998. Since then the circuit has undergone a series of improvements, including a radical change in the track layout in 2001. Its numerous tight curves make it one of the slowest circuits on the calendar, but these characteristics ensure that races at the Sachsenring are always exciting and hard-fought.
Fastest lap: 2011 Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 1’21.846 (161.4 km/h)
Qualifying: 2008 Casey Stoner (Ducati), 1’21.067 (163.0 km/h)
Track length: 3.671 km
Race length: 30 laps (110.1 km)
Corners: 13 (10 left, 3 right)
Race start: 14.00 local time (GMT +2)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP14
Race number: 04
Age: 28 (born on 23 March 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 212 (114 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Poles: 14 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
World titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Cal Crutchlow
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP14
Race number: 35
Age: 28 (born on 29 October 1985 in Coventry, UK)
Residence: Isle of Man
Races: 59 (59 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2011 Qatar
Poles: 2
First pole: 2013 Assen TT
