An announcement has been made today from The Secretary of State for Spanish Tourism, Joan Mesquida, and the CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, to confirm an agreement for the promotion of Spain as a major tourist attraction through the MotoGP World Championship via a press conference at the Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Commerce.

The contract, which is based on three years up to and incorporating the 2012 year, will unite the nationwide reach of the World Championship. With tracks in four continents and millions of viewers over the world, the "Visit Spain" campaign will assist in creating awareness of Spain as a well known holiday destination.

The Spanish competitors racing in the three sessions of MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc, will reignite Spain as not just a sporting achievement level, but also in the area of tourism. Many racers were present at the announcement, including MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and competitors who will mark their debut this year in the premier session such as Héctor Barberá and Álvaro Bautista.

As part of the contract, the Ministry of Tourism will be the main sponsor of the Grand Prix of Japan, which begins at the Motegi track on April 25th.  "Visit Spain" will ensure a strong presence over track-side advertising at many Grands Prix throughout the year ahead.

The CEO of Dorna Sports is very excited that Spanish Tourism has opted for the MotoGP World Championship to promote Spain as a holiday destination. “For years, the three Spanish GPs, now four, have already served as an attraction to foreigners to visit Spain, and with this agreement we hope to continue to draw more people, not only to watch the races but to discover everything the country has to offer,” says Carmelo Ezpeleta.

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Héctor Barberá was one of six rookies in the MotoGP session that was able to round off their on circuit testing preparations in Qatar on Friday, the Spanish competitor finished with a very satisfying result.

The Páginas Amarillas Aspar hero gained improvement in his second session time by a minimal six tenths of a second.

"The evening started really well because I hadn't been on track long before I started to match my times from the first day. I felt more and more comfortable on the bike and that allowed us to try some different things. It is always a drain on your time and energy because some things work and some don't. Either way all these tests have enabled me to see things more clearly and understand the bike more,” states Barberá.

“The most important thing about this last session was that I set my best time riding alone. It is also positive that I did so many laps and stayed consistent on new and old tyres. Every time I get on the Ducati I improve a lot, but obviously the level is very high - you can make up ten positions with just half a second.”

Barberá is now excited about the season opener in Qatar, which will occur on April 11th.

“The overall reflection of the pre-season is that it was short because six days is not a long time when everything is so new,” he adds. “Anyway, we have met our initial objectives and I think we're ready for the first race of the year.

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Jorge Lorenzo’s pre-season will continue in Qatar after announcing confirmation that he will participate in the last official testing, scheduled for Thursday 18th and Friday 19th March.

The 22 year old had a bone his right thumb broken whilst training four weeks ago.  He has been unable to participate in the second test at Sepang, however has been cleared to race machine after recovering well at home in Barcelona.

Physiotherapy will continue to assist in keeping the muscle around the break healing. The Spanish racer’s doctor has announced there is no risk to the broken bone and he will need to wait until the commencement of testing, in order to assess whether he will be able to use the brake to full strength.

“Today we are leaving for Qatar for the last winter test,” says Lorenzo. “I think that it is important that we are there. The fracture happened less than five weeks ago, but we could not have missed this last test because it would have been negative for our preparation; we are not far from the first race of the season! The doctor has made a special carbon fibre protection and Dainese have modified my glove, in order to further protect the fracture, so we will see how we get on.”

Lorenzo’s Team Manager, Wilco Zeelenberg, comments, “We are happy that Jorge will be back for this last pre-season test at Qatar! Of course we have had to miss a whole test but we are confident that we can make up for lost time because the 2010 bike proved to be very competitive the first time we used it.

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Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista have been testing a variety of aspects on the 2010 GSV-R prototype that they will race for Rizla Suzuki in preseason testing.  Team Manager Paul Denning has commented on these developments.

“Everybody knows that in 2010 we have to have only have six engines for the complete season,” says Denning referring to the fresh technical regulations. “This is really difficult for everybody but maybe especially for Suzuki, because in terms of performance we have to catch up a little bit with the others. Our performance was not quite enough on the engine last year, so Suzuki is trying to achieve two targets; to improve the performance by increasing the smoothness and control, but most importantly make the engine durable enough to last three Grands Prix. It’s a big task and Suzuki is really working hard to achieve it.”

The chassis and racing positioning have gained extra attention from the manufacturer, Denning adds: “We suffered a lot last year with inconsistent performance, especially in cold conditions. At the first Sepang test Suzuki tested the 2009 chassis and then two options, and both riders were able to choose the same option. It’s difficult to really understand the level of improvement at Sepang because it’s very hot, but it seems like quite a good step. When it rained here, which gives much lower grip conditions, both riders reported immediately good feeling from the tyres and good feedback. So we hope the modified chassis for 2010 will make our bike a lot more consistent.”

He continues, “At the first test we also tested three different lengths of fuel tank, and two different widths of seat. By shortening the fuel tank this has helped both our riders, who are quite small, have more weight over the front of the machine and be able to load the front tyre better in the middle of the corner.”

Brand new Brembo brake calipers, plus a remodified Akrapovic exhaust and Marchesini wheels have given important results so far in testing, Denning discusses the shape of the bike.

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Dorna and Telecom Italia have already based a strong relationship after its commencement in 2005, the company’s recognised brands have recently been the most visual presence in the MotoGP World Championship.

As from 2010 TIM will be the sole title brand of Telecom Italia in MotoGP, with the company’s reputation continuing to be viewed by millions of MotoGP spectators.

Dorna Sports S.L. Managing Director Pau Serracanta states, “We’re delighted with this agreement because after so many years supporting teams and events of the Championship, Telecom Italia still believes that it is a very good option to remain involved in MotoGP. Moreover, it is always a pleasure to sign an agreement with a company with whom we share the same philosophy of a constant technological evolution.”

“With the long term renewal of this partnership the company confirms its commitment to young people and to sports of social gathering through the TIM brand,” said Carlo Fornaro, Head of External Relations at Telecom Italia.

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Selections are now open for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.  Competitors who are ambitious for success on the World Championship arena can apply for the opportunity to participate in the 2011 competition.

2009 Red Bull Rookies Cup victor Jakub Kornfeil and runner-up Sturla Fagerhaug will be making their debuts this season in the 125cc World Championship – young hopefuls can begin their journey by applying from today.

With the difficulty involved to get into the Rookies Cup, the process has now been named Road to Rookies Cup.  Applications can be forwarded online to www.redbullrookiescup.com.

Once an application has been submitted about their motorbike experience, the accpeted ones onto the Road will then consistently send in their results through the 2010 year to allow the selection group to be completely updated on their progress.

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Anthony West (MZ Racing) continues to show his talents while struggling with slippery conditions, by recording the best lap time at Valencia on Wednesday, the quickest time of 1’51.543 from 25 laps, shows his claim for a spot on the 2010 Moto2 grid.

With many other racers waiting it out for better conditions, former 125cc competitors Simone Corsi and Andrea Iannone, took the opportunity to conclude extra time on their Moto2 engines. They arrived second and fourth respectively, with Gabor Talmacsi the third fastest.

Niccolò Canepa (Scot Racing), Robertino Pietri (Italtrans STR) and Vincent Lonbois (Marc VDS Racing) finished the Moto2 racers on circuit. Pietri and 125cc racer Jasper Iwema unfortunately had falls, however both were not injured.

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After assessing the modifications that Honda has prepared for this year, Andrea Dovizioso has ended the second test in Malaysia, though he is aware that advancements are imminent to begin the World Championship.

First of all, congratulations on becoming a father... how do you ride at 300km/h knowing that little Sara is waiting for you at home?
“It is something about that I thought when I heard the news, but I'm young and very focused on what I want to achieve, so I didn't think that it was going to change me, and that's how it's been. I'm very focused on my work and it's not a problem. To be honest, it's an experience that can only go well for me.”

It is harder for you to spend more time away from home now?
“We've just started the championship, so not yet, but maybe later on. She was born in mid-December, so I've been training for two and a half months, but also spending time with my daughter and her mother."

Let's talk about bikes. You had a good start to the year here a few weeks ago, and over the last two days you have confirmed that you are moving in the right direction... Are you satisfied with the work that Honda has done over the winter?
“I'm very happy because they have worked really hard and it was important for the factory to understand the modifications that had to be made and above all, because it's been confirmed that this work has been well done. It's also true that we can't stop at what has been done and that we must improve more, because we aren't fast enough, but I'm happy.”

Did you ask HRC for a lot of changes after the first test in Sepang?
“Yes many things, because there wasn't enough time in the first test to check everything. They have made changes, even my position on the machine, which seems trivial, but it can change the performance a lot. With these changes we are heading in the direction that we think is the right one. Problems arise, but that's normal and we are trying to resolve them.”

Have you received all that material?
“Yes, and I'm very happy with the work they've done, although there is still more to do.”

What lies ahead for the Qatar test?
“I don't know yet, because we have to talk to the team. The Qatar Circuit is very special and therefore, what happens there will not be very indicative, but we want to do better than here. We will do the tests and see our potential because we have had two tests in Sepang on a track that I like and we'll need to see our level there.”

What level of evolution do you think the new machine has reached?
“Everything depends on the Bridgestone tyres because it is an extremely important aspect. If you don't build a machine that makes the most of them, you can ride however you want but you won't win. So, the work on is focused on that.”

Are you happy with the new Ohlins suspension?
“Yes, I felt comfortable straight away, although the machine is different to last year's. We don't have any serious problems and these tests have confirmed the solutions, because the solutions we had found for certain problems have fixed them.”

What are the strong points of the Honda RC212V 2010 and what needs improving?
“It's easier to ride than last year's machine, which is the most important thing. It is more balanced and a little easier to control, but that is still its weakest point because it's not easy enough. The 800cc MotoGP machines need to be easy to ride to the limit, not like the 990cc, which were so powerful and heavy that you skidded and that was normal. These machines need you to be very accurate and must be easy to control in order to maintain the pace.”
“The machine is fast, but it's not easy to clock up good times and that's a big problem for today's MotoGP machines. As well as being a little faster, that's where Valentino's (Rossi) advantage is, because they don't seem to have to make such an effort to get good times and they can maintain them more easily. It's important to become more consistent and then we'll focus on that little bit of extra speed we need.”

Have any of the rookies surprised you in these tests?
“Here; not really. In Valencia, Spies surprised me, but I haven't seen him much here.”

This season there will be five Italians in MotoGP, with Simoncelli joining a Honda satellite team; is it something that affects you in any way?
“No, it's nice. Last year, there were five of us and it's nice that there are so many Italians, especially riders that I've known since I rode in mini-motos.”

Will you be ready in time for the first race of the season; the team, the machine and you?
“We'll have to do the Qatar test to know for sure. I can't say that it's ready to win but we will be ready earlier and better than last year. Many things change during the season because everything is different in the races. We're much better prepared than a year ago and I'm very happy about that. It's not enough to be able to say that I'm going to play for the World Championship, but it's what we are working for.”

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