This weekend the MotoGP riders will be lining up for the 14th round of the season at Aragon. Casey Stoner has a strong lead up front, but Jorge Lorenzo has plenty of time to reel him back in before the end of the season.
And while Lorenzo and Stoner fight for championship points, Andrea Dovizioso, Dani Pedrosa and Ben Spies will be fighting for race wins.
Here are some quotes from the top 10 riders in the MotoGP before the Aragon race weekend.
Casey Stoner - "I've managed to rest since the hard race in Misano, where I was totally worn out. The hectic schedule we follow had drained me completely and I had no energy, nothing left to give, so I've enjoyed relaxing this past week and getting back to some training. The Aragón track is ok, it's not one of my favourite circuits, I feel it could be a little faster. We ran well there last year, mainly due to the fact we took a big step in the set up on the bike. This year we arrive there with a totally different bike so we have a lot of things to learn in FP1, getting the gearbox set up right and a few other things in general. It will be interesting to go there on the Honda, Dani was competitive there last year and I think we can work well there also, and expect a good result. We'll get there and see what we can do."
Jorge Lorenzo - "I can't believe I'm going to be making my 150th MotoGP appearance this weekend. It feels like only yesterday since I moved from World Superbikes but I've had an awesome time in MotoGP and long may it continue. Although it is a landmark race in my MotoGP career I'll just try and treat it like every other race and do the best possible job I can for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. The Aragón track has a really cool layout and I can't wait to get back there, even though my result wasn't the best last season. And I'm definitely keen to bounce back from Misano, which didn't end how I expected at all. I had a great weekend up until the race but the arm pump was the worst I've ever had. I've had a few days to rest and relax at home so I'm sure I'm going to be 100 per cent this weekend."
Andrea Dovizioso - "We arrive in Aragón third in the Championship looking to close the gap to Lorenzo in second, but also needing to defend from Dani in fourth. I like Motorland Aragón, the circuit is very nice and it's fun to ride. The key characteristic is the downhill braking areas and it has some similarities to the Istanbul circuit with interesting corners and changes of direction. It's not so fast but all in all I like to race there. Last year it was a new track so I think that with one year of experience we can be even more competitive. Last year I crashed on the very last lap while I was fighting with Ben Spies for fifth position, this year we arrive confident that we can have a strong race."
Dani Pedrosa - "I have very good memories of the Grand Prix of Aragón, last year we started well and we had a good race. I'm satisfied with our performance in the past few weeks and I feel better every day. This week I've been able to rest and recover some energy and now I'm really looking forward to this race. People from all around Spain attend the Aragón GP and the atmosphere there is incredible. The circuit is spectacular and very technical, it combines fast and slow corners, some of them complicated and blind where you need to find points of reference outside the track. We need to set up the bike very well for this track and make the most of all the practice sessions. The data we have from last year can help us on this and it will be important to start in a good direction but we cannot relax. I'm excited to see the Spanish fans again after missing the Catalunya race and I hope the home support will give me an extra boost so that we can enjoy this race together."
Ben Spies - "It's great to come to a track on the calendar where I have the same level of experience as the rest of the field. Last year was one of my most enjoyable races, it was great fun fighting with Dovi to keep fifth and we weren't so far from the battle for third until I made a small mistake. I've had a chance to relax at my home in Como after the Indianapolis and Misano back to back races so I'm feeling good and looking forward to seeing what we can do."
Valentino Rossi - "Last year at Aragón was the best race of the year for Ducati, so we approach this round with our expectations a little higher than usual. In addition, after the difficult practice sessions at Misano, we found a good setup in the end and I had a better feeling with the bike and managed to ride it better in the race, especially in the early laps. Now we'll try to combine the two things—the track that seems to work well with the Desmosedici and the good setup work—in order to find the same feeling on Sunday."
Nicky Hayden - "It's nice to go back to Aragón, which I like. We haven't been there a lot, so it's still new and fun. Last year, it was clearly our best weekend of the season, and in theory, it should suit me and our bike a little bit this time as well. The track was brand-new then, and it was grippy and completely smooth, so we'll see how well it's held up. It has a lot of ups and downs, and quite a few corners with open exits, which should be good for us. I'm 100% okay from my crash at Misano, so no excuses there. Hopefully we can catch a little break and have a good weekend at Aragón."
Marco Simoncelli - "The last lap at Misano was a wonderful moment for me – I had great fun battling with Dovizioso and Spies, passing each other two or three times, and to have won that particular fight was great for me and my fans. Now we have to keep this momentum going and make sure we have more to shout about before the end of the season. We are improving and I have been more consistent in recent races but even though the race was exciting at Misano we really need to be fighting for the podium positions. Aragón didn't go badly for me last year and I like the track so hopefully I can have a good race. We need to find a bit more pace in practice so that we can be challenging for better grid positions, like we were at the start of the season. It goes without saying that my feeling with the team is brilliant and that is just further motivation to fight for good results."
Colin Edwards - "I can't believe I'm going to be making my 150th MotoGP appearance this weekend. It feels like only yesterday since I moved from World Superbikes but I've had an awesome time in MotoGP and long may it continue. Although it is a landmark race in my MotoGP career I'll just try and treat it like every other race and do the best possible job I can for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. The Aragón track has a really cool layout and I can't wait to get back there, even though my result wasn't the best last season. And I'm definitely keen to bounce back from Misano, which didn't end how I expected at all. I had a great weekend up until the race but the arm pump was the worst I've ever had. I've had a few days to rest and relax at home so I'm sure I'm going to be 100 per cent this weekend."
Hiroshi Aoyoma - "I could maybe have finished with a better result at Misano, but I'm pleased that I have my confidence back with the bike as well as my own physical fitness. I feel in good shape to improve my results throughout the final stages of the season, starting at Aragón. Even though I didn't go so well there last year I feel I can improve on my result at Misano. Living in Barcelona, I consider this to be another 'home' race for me and I want to make a good job of it. We are in good shape to do well and with the help of the team I think I can do it. We are improving and on our way back to being as competitive as we were at the start of the season."
