Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa secured the fastest lap at the Aragon circuit on Friday and has two back-to-back race wins.
Six rounds remain in the 2010
MotoGP Championship series as the paddock prepares for the upcoming Aragon circuit.
Fantasy GP points are becoming scarce, and if you’ve already burned through your Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa picks the remaining choices may seem disappointing. To help out we’ve compiled some names that may be of use while making those precious picks. Make sure to get them in before it’s too late!
SURE THINGS:
A-Riders
Dani Pedrosa -The Repsol
Honda rider has been on fire lately with two wins in a row in addition to posting the fastest lap out of the two practice sessions at Aragon. In fact, his time in the first session was nearly a second and a half faster than championship leader Jorge Lorenzo’s. Despite an electrical setback in session two, Pedrosa remains optimistic of the upcoming race and also the new two-year deal he just signed with HRC. Read more details about the deal here in our
2010 MotoGP Aragon Thursday Insider. Pedrosa is a strong pick for this weekend, and even though he remains 63 points behind in the series, he’s managed to recoup 14 points within the last two contests.
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo had consistent times in practice at Aragon and has been crushing the competition for most of the 2010 season.
- The Mallorcan has been having a remarkable season thus far with seven wins and taking podium finishes in all his races. While he wasn’t as fast as Pedrosa during practice at Aragon, the fellow Spaniard was consistent and happy with posting times inside the top-three during both sessions. Lorenzo was also quite satisfied with the trial format of three-practice sessions, which allowed him to learn the new circuit much better. This pick is as safe as they come in MotoGP, so if you were frugal with your Lorenzo picks early on now may be the time to use one.
B-Riders
Nicky Hayden - Another rider who has shown promise in the first few days at Aragon is
Ducati Marlboro’s Nicky Hayden. The American was only four-tenths off the pace of Pedrosa in the first session, and stayed consistent during wet conditions by posting the third-quickest lap. Perhaps one element that makes Hayden a strong contender for Sunday is his ability to run well in both wet and dry conditions. With weather being questionable for the weekend, Hayden may be the best option.
Ben Spies - Continuing to impress at Aragon was Monster
Yamaha Tech 3’s Ben Spies. The
World Superbike champion took eighth in the second practice session on Friday despite having little experience on a GP bike in the rain. Also, the American is currently the highest-places satellite rider in the paddock in sixth-place, and has had a handful of top-three finishes – including a recent second-place result at Indianapolis. It can’t hurt either that Spies likes the new circuit tremendously and feels confident about knowing its layout.
Team
Ducati's Casey Stoner excelled despite wet conditions, so he might be the man to pick if weather is a factor.
- In addition to Pedrosa posting the fastest lap in the first practice his teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, took sixth in the books during the second session. While not his best result in practice, Pedrosa and Dovizioso together have had an extremely successful season up to this point. The team has managed top-five finishes in nearly every race this year, with both riders currently sitting in second and third respectively within the championship. Repsol Honda has been the only team consistently giving Fiat Yamaha a challenge this season, and for this they deserve a few looks.
MAYBES:
A-Riders
Casey Stoner - Australian Casey Stoner, currently tied for fourth in the point race, is one rider who looks to be in prime shape for a win this weekend. The Ducati man took the fastest lap in the second practice at Aragon, and did it under wet conditions. Stoner proved fully capable of performing in inclement weather. If Stoner can get a decent slot in qualifying and follow that up with a solid start on Sunday, we may see the Aussie take his first race victory of the season.
Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has been steadily improving his results since his return at the Sachsenring circuit. The Italian broke into the top-five during Friday’s afternoon practice, and did so despite the weather and pain from his lingering shoulder injury. The reigning world champion is currently tied for fourth in the series with
American Nicky Hayden had two solid practices at Aragon and managed to put in laps that were good enough for the top-three in both sessions.
Stoner, and trailing Dovizioso by only nine points. The Doctor will need to continue improving in the next few rounds if he wants to keep his position and make it into the top-three before the end of the season.
Team
Marlboro Ducati - The Ducati duo of Stoner and Hayden are set up to be a dangerous mixture this weekend. They each experienced productive practice sessions, positing times within the top-five for both sessions. While they have each had their problems this season, Aragon may be the circuit that sees the team land their first win of the season. After seeing their most recent results, definitely keep an eye out for this team.
SCRATCH:
Loris Capirossi – One rider you can mark off the list is Rizla
Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi. The Italian is still recovering from recent surgery to re-attach a tendon in his right hand to his little finger, and as a result will be missing the race at Aragon.
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