Rossi and Brivio look forward to Brno visit

Five-time former MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi will resume his quest to regain the premier-class title this weekend after the summer holiday, with the Italian leading the series by 25 points as he heads into what promises to be a thrilling seven-race climax to the year.

The Cardion AB Grand Prix Ceske Republiky is the twelfth of eighteen rounds and Rossi heads to the motorcycling heartlands of eastern Europe with renewed energy and ready to do battle again at one of his most successful circuits, following a stunning maiden win at Laguna Seca before the break.

The 29-year-old took his first ever Grand Prix win at Brno in the 125cc category and has since added to his tally there with a 250cc success and three wins in MotoGP, as well as three second places in the premier class.

His success in America, which came after a thrilling tussle with Casey Stoner, means `The Doctor´ holds a clear advantage at the top of the standings, but the Australian is also in red-hot form at present and will be pushing Rossi right to the limit as the season progresses – whilst third-placed Dani Pedrosa will be back from injury at Brno and also looking to re-enter the title fight.

`Last year we had a bad time at Brno,´ admitted Rossi, `I could only finish seventh and it was quite disheartening. This year, however, we´re going there in a very different frame of mind: leading the championship, following a great win and with our bike and tyres working very well. I´ve had a good summer break, just relaxing with my friends and family, but now I am really looking forward to going racing again.´

`I know that Brno is going to be hard and that Casey will be a formidable competitor once again,´ continued Rossi. `We're going to have to work at the maximum from the first practice in order not to lose any time in finding out the right set-up for our bike. We have seven races left and I am dreaming of them all being as fun as Laguna Seca.´

Whilst Rossi and his fellow riders have recently taken a well-earned rest, engineers at Yamaha´s factory headquarters in Japan have been working around the clock over the summer towards this weekend´s action, as well as for the two-day test that will take place afterwards.

Team Manager in Rossi´s half of the partitioned Fiat Yamaha pit-box, Davide Brivio, comments, `Brno will be the start of a very important run of seven rounds to the end of the season. With 25 points on Stoner and 41 on Pedrosa we are in a good position, but we have to manage this advantage in the remaining races. It will be an exciting end to the season, with Pedrosa back in the fight and (Jorge) Lorenzo, I am sure, able to re-join the podium club.´

`Last year, at most of these final circuits, we weren´t able to fight at the top but we are working hard now to be able to provide Valentino with the most competitive package to allow him to race at the front, as he has for the majority of this year´s races,´ Brivio went on to say. `Every race from now on will be very important and Brno could be one of the most difficult for us against our competitors. We have to use all of our potential and work at 100% in all of the practices.´