MOTOGP » Trackside at Sepang with Wilco Zeelenberg

18 February 2013
Trackside at Sepang with Wilco Zeelenberg
"These are very strong bikes, but they still have to push 220-230kg uphill. So to keep good momentum through the corner is very important, otherwise you lose a lot of time on the exit. You have to be very careful with the throttle.

"Also here, I think Casey [Stoner] was the first one last year, he was stepping out the rear and using the inside kerb to widen the track a little bit and keep the momentum."

Turn three is also a good test for the traction control.

"If you are playing with the traction control this is a very nice place to look, to understand the way the traction control interferes with the engine.

"There you go. You can hear nearly nothing [cutting out] on the Yamaha. It's not electronically controlled anymore. Before you had ignition cut, the 'da-da-da-da' sound. That kind of stuff is already nearly gone out of MotoGP. You just hear the bike smoothing out now.

"The bike gives the most power it thinks that the tyre can have at that point, but of course lean angle, speed and throttle position - everything is included in the calculation. It can be really important to see what problems they have with it here."

For the riders, body position is crucial in terms of anticipating problems and keeping the machine under control.

"The riders have to be prepared to open the throttle, let the bike spin-up and make sure that if something goes wrong they are able to 'swallow it' [correct it], body-position wise, before it becomes a big problem.

"You can see Bradley [Smith] is getting there with his body position, he just needs the finishing touch.

"Cal [Crutchlow] is more at ease compared with two years ago, when he was very excited and you can see that in his riding style."

As other bikes lapped the track, Zeelenberg added: "That was Bradl. You could see that the tyre was used a lot and you cannot have the same momentum as with a new tyre. With a used tyre you have to close the throttle into this corner.

"The Ducati is sliding a lot... The Yamaha looks controlled... That CRT bike is spinning too much, but it looks nice sideways!

"Overall this is a good area to spot any problems - and one problem they all have now is that it is starting to rain!"

It was time to head back to the pits.

Thanks again to Wilco Zeelenberg for the insight.

Page 2 of 2
« ‹ 1 2 
by Peter McLaren

Tagged as: Yamaha , Ducati , Jorge Lorenzo , Cal Crutchlow , Art , Sepang , CRT
« Take me back to the MOTOGP Homepage


Related Pictures

Lorenzo, Sepang 1 tests, February 2013
Rossi bike, French MotoGP 2013
Rossi bike, French MotoGP 2013
Parc Ferme, MotoGP race, French MotoGP 2013
Smith bike, French MotoGP 2013
Rossi bike, Spanish MotoGP 2013
Burgess, Spanish MotoGP 2013
Lorenzo bike, Spanish MotoGP 2013
Lorenzo, Crutchlow, Jarvis, Grand Prix of the Americas, 2013
Marquez, Rossi mechanic, Qatar MotoGP Race 2013
Rossi, Dovizioso, Qatar MotoGP 2013
Ezpeleta, Yamaha Team launch, Jerez MotoGP Test March 2013
L-R, Zeelenberg, Kouji Tsuya, Kouichi Tsuji, Lorenzo, Rossi, Jarvis, Meregalli, Yamaha Team launch, Jerez MotoGP Test March 2013
Rossi, Jerez MotoGP tests, March 2013. Image courtesy of Yamaha
Jarvis and Ezpeleta, Jerez MotoGP tests, March 2013
Lorenzo and Rossi, Jerez MotoGP tests, March 2013
Lorenzo and Rossi, Jerez MotoGP tests, March 2013
Valentino Rossi’s 2013 Yamaha livery (Pic: Yamaha)

Join the conversation - Add your comment

Please do not post any personal abuse or attacks.

  • (this will never be displayed, but is required for email notification of follow-up comments)

    Email me when this topic is updated.

Note: Your comment may take a few minutes to appear

Although the administrators and moderators of this website will attempt to keep all objectionable comments off these pages, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the poster, and neither Crash Media Group nor Crash.Net will be held responsible for the content of any message. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. If you find a message objectionable, please contact us and inform us of the problem or use the [report] function next to the offending post. Any message that does not conform with the policy of this service can be edited or removed with immediate effect.


Dave - Unregistered

February 19, 2013 8:14 AM

"No your missing my point. Stoner is the ultimate in sliding as Wilco is talking about. If Stoner can't react quick enough, who can?"

...high side,

Mr squiggle, Kev Kurtain, Baylis, Melandri, Hayden, Doohan, Roberts (both) just off the top of my head.

And most these guys hard inferior rubber compared to stoner.

Just a myth that only stoner can do it or that hes the best, its simply a case of he was the only one doing it as often in the current era being in the fore of peoples minds.

2 years from now (or much sooner as I suspect), it will be mark marquez the king of slide, the only one who can do it...the best.

Victor - Unregistered

February 19, 2013 10:30 AM

Any dirt track rider have to sideways all the time, thats why this guys (motoGP riders) spend lots of time training with that bikes.
To keep the momentum throw the corner with open gas the rear wheel is controled by:
1 The throttle
2 body position.
By body position Wilco means neutral position on the seat so if they need more grip on the rear during the corner they can move a litle backwards or forward to not understeer, but the way that the rider puts weight on the footpegs is very very important to rear steering and getting grip, weight on the outside footpeg for grip, weight on the inside footpeg for more slide.
By the way, any of this top motoGP riders knows how to slide this things, not only Casey as some fools may think... Some of you are just kids and never hear about Gary McCoy or the king of power slide Kenny Roberts Sr. on the time that electronics were science fiction.


Related Stories