Simoncelli recharged after break, Aoyama motivated

Simoncelli put his Californian nightmare behind him and is determined to finally achieve the results he has been threatening to pick up all season. Simoncelli could not wish for a better circuit to restart at – he won the race here in his last season in the 250cc class. For Hiroshi Aoyama, the race also comes on the back of a much-needed break, as the Japanese continues his recovery from injuries picked up at Assen in June. His goal is to rediscover the promising form he showed in the early stages of the season as the championship enters the late summer at Brno.

The Masaryk Circuit, named after the country's first president Tomas Masaryk, was opened in 1987 and made its first appearance on the Grand Prix calendar in 1993. It was built just a short distance from the old road circuit, which regularly pulled in crowds of over 200,000 to watch the likes of the legendary Phil Read, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, who won seven times at Brno, battle it out.

Marco Simoncelli: 

“Obviously, I would have preferred to go on holiday on the back of a different kind of result, but that's the way it was and we just have to learn our lessons and move on from what happened at Laguna Seca. After a wonderful holiday in some fantastic American parks, I’ll go to Brno looking for the best possible result. We have to focus on the second half of the season and try to score some positive results. The circuit suits my riding style, even though I didn't go so well there last year in MotoGP. I have won there before in the 250 class and I’ve also been on pole and on the podium in 125. Overall it’s a track I like and I hope to do well.”

Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“The result at Laguna Seca wasn't particularly pleasing but I still wasn't in good physical shape, so now after this break I hope I am in better shape at Brno. I need to rediscover my confidence in myself and the bike. It will be my first MotoGP appearance at Brno because I was injured here last year, so it will be a new experience, but I like the track and I was on the podium here in the 250cc class in 2006, as well as finishing fourth in 2009. I have the motivation to do well this weekend.”

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini press release