Repsol youngsters ready to race again after summer break

After the traditional summer break, the MotoGP World Championship reconvenes this weekend for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. This is the first of the final eight events of 2012 and the Repsol riders have not neglected their training over the past few weeks.

Maverick Viñales raced at Indy for the first time last season, taking second place in 125cc. On a roll this year, the Spaniard won the final race before the summer holiday and is just nine points behind leader Sandro Cortese in the Moto3 standings. Miguel Oliveira will also be contesting his second Indianapolis GP and Álex Rins —second in the Rookie of the Year classification— will be taking on a new track for him.

Miguel Oliveira “Indianapolis is not new for me, because I rode there for the first time last year. In that race I had a clutch problem at the start, which required me to push through the field from last place up to eighth. It was a fun race. The layout is quite technical, with some heavy braking and a tricky section at the end of the straight that can decide your lap time. I haven’t been on a bike since the last race at Mugello, but I’ve been hitting the gym every day to keep fit. Once in Indianapolis, I hope that we can quickly find a good setup that allows us to get a result that we have shown is possible.”

Álex Rins “I’ve never been to America, but I’m told that Indianapolis is a very nice circuit. It is similar to Sachsenring, which we visited in early July, and once we are there the plan will be the same as always: Try to adapt as quickly as possible. One part of the circuit is all slow corners requiring a good line and we will have to work to find a good setup, allowing us to have a nimble bike that helps to change direction quickly.”

Maverick Viñales “Indianapolis is a track that brings back fond memories. Last year I placed second after a tough fight with Sandro Cortese. I think that this track suits us both and that the competition will be intense once again. There is a slow section of the track that we need to use to make our times count. The fast section — including the very long straight — is where we will look for slipstreams.”

Source: Repsol Media Press Release