REFRESHED AND READY – MAHINDRA RACE AGAIN AT BRNO

Czech Republic Grand Prix, Automotodrom Brno – PREVIEW

10 August, 2011: After three weekends away for the summer break, the Mahindra riders and team are itching to get back racing again. They will get their chance this Sunday, when action resumes for the last half of the season at the Czech Republic GP at Brno.

Riders Danny Webb (20, from England) and young German Marcel Schrotter (18) have seen the Mahindra machine – the only bike on the 125 grid where the team build both chassis and engine – gather strength in the famous Indian marque´s first year in GP racing. One or both riders have been in the points for the last four races straight.

This reflects steady development work at the team´s base in Italy, taking the unique disc–valve single–cylinder two–stroke engine to ever–improving levels of power and reliability. The fettling has continued over the break: the aim is to move further up the results table into regular double top–ten results – improving on the best finish so far of ninth.

So far, it is the younger rider Schrotter who leads the way, adding two more scoring finishes to that ninth place at Assen to place 17th overall with 15 points. The more experienced Webb has had more bad luck but has also racked up three top–15 finishes for a total of ten points.

This is the last year of the classic 125 class – which started with the World Championships in 1949. The two–strokes will be replaced in 2012 by 250cc four–stroke Moto3 bikes. Brno begins the final run of the last seven 125 races in history. The Mahindra boys aim to leave their mark on it.

The Brno circuit, one of the longest at over 3.357 miles (5.403 km), sweeps majestically through pine–clad hillsides, with mainly wide and fast corners that require careful handling and accurate riding. A punishingly steep climb up the short final straight tests horsepower to the ultimate. Last year´s 125 GP pole qualifying lap was at an average of 95.057 mph.

MARCEL SCHROTTER
Last year I was 13th at this race, which was in the rain: I know I can improve on that. I like the track, and I think it suits my style. Over the last races we have been getting stronger every time; my lap times are often good enough for top five or six. We need to qualify well to get a better chance earlier in the race, and be in a better position at the end.

DANNY WEBB
I´ve enjoyed the break, and my shoulder injury from Italy is almost at 100 percent. I can´t wait to go racing again. I like the track, and we have a nice bike now. Change of direction and handling are really good. If we can get a bit of acceleration up the hill, we´ll both be in for a good race.