It’s been almost a month since the last MotoGP event, and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 racing team is eager to get back out on the track. Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow are ready for MotoGP racing to return this weekend in Estoril.
Edwards narrowly missed out on the podium during the Spanish GP, and will look to Estoril as a chance to gather his first podium since 20009. Edwards has never made the podium in Estoril, but he does have two fourth place finishes at the Portugal track.
"A few years ago I was in the group fighting for the win and I like the Estoril track,” Edwards said. “I always seem to do pretty well there and it will be good to get back on the bike after a long break. The track seems to suit my riding style and with the extra performance we've got with the 2011 Yamaha YZR-M1, I'm confident we can have a strong weekend. The Yamaha has always works good in Estoril and had a good balance there, so there is no reason why I can't go there and think about challenging for at least a top six."
Unlike his teammate Edwards, Cal Crutchlow has never raced at the Estoril circuit. Crutchlow is also recovering from a small surgery that he had over the brake to solve a problem with numbness he was having in his arm. But despite the odds being stacked against him, Crutchlow is still hopeful that he can learn the circuit quickly.
"I am looking forward to Portugal,” Crutchlow said. “This is a new circuit for me and it will be difficult once again as the others know this track already and have a lot more experience on it than me. I hope I can learn this circuit as fast as Jerez where I was quickly up to speed and I qualified inside the top ten. My arm is getting better and better after the surgery that was done to get rid of the numbness I felt during Qatar and Jerez. The stitches are out already, but I haven't tried to ride a bike yet, so I'll understand more on Friday when practice starts."
