MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE - LE MANS BUGATTI CIRCUIT
13TH MAY 2004 - EVENT PREVIEW
NEW TRACK SURFACE PROMISES FASTER LAP TIMES AT LE MANS
The world famous Bugatti circuit in Le Mans plays host to the third round of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship this weekend, and after enduring a rain lashed outing at Jerez two weeks ago, Fuchs Kawasaki's Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano are both hoping for a dry race on Sunday.
Le Mans, home of the world renowned 24 Heures de Mans car and motorcycle endurance races, has undergone a transformation over the winter months, with resurfacing work removing the variations in track surface that proved so problematical for riders in the past.
Comprising nine right-hand and four left-hand corners, with only one long straight, the stop and start nature of the Bugatti circuit makes machine set-up extremely tricky. Mainly slow corners linked by short straights necessitate hard acceleration out of the turns, but into the corners the bike must be stable on the brakes and capable of being turned in quickly. Not an easy combination to achieve, especially in the limited track time available to Hofmann and Nakano prior to Sunday's 28 lap MotoGP race.
But achieve it they must if the success enjoyed by the Fuchs Kawasaki team in the opening two rounds of the season, at Welkom and Jerez, is to continue this weekend in France.
The man responsible for providing Alex Hofmann with the best possible package for Sunday's race is his Crew Chief, Christophe Bourguignon. Known by everyone in the paddock as 'Beefy', the 35-year-old Belgian joined the team at the end of 2003 and has already forged a close relationship with his rider. A crash in South Africa, and the rain at Jerez, means that Hofmann has not had a chance to realise his potential so far this season; a situation he is keen to rectify at Le Mans this weekend, both for himself and for his hardworking crew.
Having spent four years riding for a French team Shinya Nakano enjoys a loyal following amongst the thousands of race fans who will turn out for Sunday's French Grand Prix, with the result that the 26-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki rider regards this event as being like a second home race. Nakano arrives at Le Mans in determined mood, after giving the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team their first top ten finish of the season last time out at Jerez.
Alex Hofmann: No.66
"I tested here last year, but I haven't raced at Le Mans since 2001 and the track has changed considerably since then. This circuit is also very different to the two tracks we've raced on already this year, so it will be interesting to see how well the Ninja ZX-RR suits the stop and start nature of the layout, especially now that the whole track has been resurfaced. We haven't tested at this circuit with the new bike, so finding a good set-up could prove difficult, but I've every confidence in my crew and their ability to provide a bike for Sunday's race that will work well around here."
Shinya Nakano: No.56
"Having ridden for a French team for such a long time, the French Grand Prix is like a second home race for me. I just hope that the French fans who gave me so much support in the past will continue to do so now I've switched teams for this year. The track surface here used to be extremely slippery, especially in the wet, but I went out for a look at the new surface when I arrived here and it definitely seems to be a big improvement. I've been told that the new surface means there is a lot more grip to be had, so I just hope it stays dry this weekend so that we can test it out for ourselves. It's a difficult track to set a bike up for, but I'm confident that we'll be able to find a good package for the race on Sunday."