World champion Valentino Rossi, back in Japan for the first time since he switched teams to Yamaha, is looking to move closer to his fourth straight world title at this Sunday’s Pacific Grand Prix in Motegi and give the Japanese constructors their first championship in 12 years.
Fresh from an easy victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril on September 5, the Italian rider is now aiming for his seventh win this season to boost further his commanding lead in the title race.
Yamaha’s ace rider leads the overall standings ahead of Sete Gibernau of Spain by 29 points, equivalent to more than one race victory with five remaining, including Sunday’s grand prix.
The flamboyant 25-year-old has never missed out on a place on the podium in the premier class on his previous outings at Twin Ring Motegi, with one victory and three runner-up finishes.
Rossi, dubbed ”The Doctor” for his accurate advice in tuning up, is looking to present Yamaha with a home triumph and eventually their first constructor’s championship since 1992’s win by American Wayne Rainey.
For Rossi, the season has been spent silencing critics who claimed that his outstanding performance for the past three years was largely down to the powerful Honda machines, rather than his riding technique.
Last year, Rossi announced a surprise switch to Yamaha from Honda, with whom he won three world motorcycling MotoGP championships.
Gibernau, now second overall, needs to grab a victory in Japan if he is to maintain a challenge to Rossi for the rest of the season. In the Portuguese race, the Spaniard, who rides a Honda, could only cross the line in fourth.
Among other contenders for the overall standings is Rossi’s archrival Max Biaggi of Italy, who won the Motegi race last year, delaying Rossi’s championship claim. Biaggi is now third overall.
Hopes are growing among local fans for a homegrown winner as Japanese rider Tohru Ukawa will return to world championship action for struggling Honda, marking his first appearance in the MotoGP championship since the final race of the 2003 season.
”I’m surprised because I didn’t expect this decision,” said Ukawa, who has been registered as a wild-card entry.
”I’m really happy to be taking part in the race and the fact that it will be in front of all the Japanese fans is a double satisfaction for me,” said Ukawa, who was the first Japanese rider to win a MotoGP race after the introduction of 990cc prototypes in 2002.
Local expectations are also high for Makoto Tamada, who won his first race at the Brazilian motorcycling Grand Prix on July 4. — Sapa-AFP