Honda racers opt for new engines

From Repsol Honda

Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden will tackle the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix next weekend using pneumatic-valve RC212V machines.

This is the first time both riders will race with Honda’s pneumatic-valve engine. Until now Pedrosa has raced a conventional spring-valve engine, while Hayden first raced the pneumatic-valve engine at June’s British Grand Prix. Pedrosa opted to use the new machine following an impressive post-San Marino GP test session during which he enjoyed the pneumatic-valve engine’s superior performance.

“My first test with Bridgestone went well," Pedrosa said. "After leaving Misano we have worked with the data in order to make the best possible start at Indy. We only have four hours of practice on a completely new circuit, with new tires and a new machine, so we will have to work very hard to make sure we get the best out of the package on race day. I have heard that the track isn’t very grippy and it seems like there are quite a few tight and slow corners, so handling of the machine will be important.”

Indy will be Hayden’s first race since July’s United States GP at Laguna Seca. The American star suffered a broken right heel in early August which forced him to miss the Czech and San Marino GPs. He practiced at San Marino but withdrew from the race because riding was aggravating the injury and he wanted to be strong for Indy and the final four races of 2008.

“Indy’s going to be a big challenge for everyone, but I quite enjoy going to new circuits," Hayden said. "We will use the data the test teams got when they tested there in July to help line up the transmission and so on. The track layout doesn’t look so spectacular, because it’s inside an oval so there’s not a lot of room for them to work with, and it’s quite flat. But Indy has a long history and a big tradition and they know how to promote a race. I just wish I was going into it healthy. It’s not been long since Misano, though going left should be better for my right foot.”

For the first time Repsol Honda’s two riders will use different brands of tire, Hayden riding Michelin and Pedrosa using Bridgestone, which he tried for the first time during the Misano tests.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the world’s oldest racetracks. The Indiana venue hosted its first event – a motorcycle race – in 1909, just two years after the world’s first custom-built banked racetrack was opened at Brooklands in Britain. The IMS has constructed a totally new anti-clockwise infield circuit for MotoGP which uses the oval’s start-finish straight and features a tight, twisting infield section of 16 corners.