For the new season
World Champions in 250cc and 125cc, Dunlop has now signalled its determination to mount a strong challenge in the ‘blue riband` MotoGP class, with the signing of the Tech 3 Yamaha team, whose factory YZR-M1 machines are being ridden by Spaniard Carlos Checa and Britain`s James Ellison. Dunlop`s other team in MotoGP is Pramac d`Antin Ducati with Alex Hofmann and Jose Luis Cardoso as riders.

Since the pre-season testing started in Sepang (Malaysia) on January 23rd, the four Dunlop MotoGP riders have ridden more than 12,000 Kms at Sepang, Phillip Island (Australia), Losail (Qatar), Barcelona and Jerez (Spain), testing almost 100 different new specifications of tyre profiles, constructions and compounds. Now Dunlop is ready to go racing and all eyes are now focused on Jerez, Spain where the first GP of the 17 race season will be held on March 26th.

Carlos Checa`s massive experience has been of particular help in this work: the Spaniard comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in terms of what it takes to win races in MotoGP, and his input is already proving a vital asset to Dunlop`s development teams. Checa`s performance on the Dunlop shod Yamaha in its distinctive yellow and black Dunlop livery has been the talking point of the paddock this winter.



However, whilst very impressed and positive, he is also realistic about the year ahead: "I adore this Yamaha; it has changed a lot from the one I rode in 2004. Also, I have been really surprised and impressed by the performance of the Dunlop tyres, particularly the front that really works well and gives me the confidence that is essential to going fast. Just have a look at the times – second best overall in Barcelona for instance!" said Carlos Checa (Team Tech 3 Yamaha).

"I have already built up a very good relationship with the Dunlop engineers, and I am sure that with all the data we have gathered in the past six weeks of testing, we can find the small improvements, mainly in rear tyre endurance over race distance, that we need to challenge regularly for podium places. Today, I really feel at the top and I`m looking forward to the start of the racing season!" adds Checa.

The Tech 3 Yamaha ride is the big chance that James Ellison has been working towards, and his confidence was given a massive boost by a stunning display in the wet at the official MotoGP launch test in Catalunya: "It`s been a steep learning curve for me , but what I find really good is that I am now making constant progress the more I ride this state of the art MotoGP bike. There are still things I have to learn – like getting the best out of qualifiers – but I can`t wait for the racing to start," comments James ELLISON (Team Tech 3 Yamaha). "And, after the wet test in Catalunya when I topped the time sheets until the last few minutes of the official session, I know that if it rains, I will be like “a fish in water” on Dunlop`s latest wet tyres."

Team Pramac d`Antin, Dunlop`s other partner in MotoGP, has also made strong progress with their Ducati Desmosedici GP06 Sat bikes, with both Alex Hofmann and Jose Luis Cardoso impressing their Dunlop engineers with their feedback and lap-times.

Alex Hofmann (Team Pramac d`Antin) says: "Session after session we`ve gathered extremely useful information about the Dunlop tyres and our new Ducati. Our work is going in the right direction, as we can see from the times compared to last year, but we still have a way to go. Still, at every test, Dunlop has brought new product, and with the latest profile we tested for the first time in Barcelona and Jerez, I am sure that we are on the right track."

Jose-Luis Cardoso (Team Pramac D`Antin) adds: "I`ve done quite a lot of mileage over the winter, without making any mistakes and we`ve even had the opportunity to test in the wet both in Australia, where my lap times were close to the best riders`, and in Barcelona. We`ve worked a lot on tyres, and improved many things

James Ellison
which have let me ride faster and faster. We did a good race simulation in Jerez last weekend, and this will certainly help us for the race there on March 26th."

Dunlop is also chasing its 14th consecutive World Championship in 250cc, and 10th consecutive 125cc crown. As in 2005, all the teams entered in both classes have chosen to run on Dunlop, so the Spanish GP will bring Dunlop`s 155th consecutive victory in the 250cc class. With reigning World Champion Dani Pedrosa having moved up to MotoGP, along with two of his closest challengers, Casey Stoner and Randy de Puniet, there are likely to be new faces atop the 250cc podium in Jerez, with Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo (Team Fortuna Aprilia) setting the pace throughout winter testing.

In 125cc, Switzerland`s Tom Luthi (Team Elit Caffe Latte), defends his 2005 World title, although a testing crash in Barcelona three weeks which forced him to miss last week`s Jerez test will add to the challenge he faces from a 39 strong field in what is traditionally the closest fought class of all. The average age of the 125cc riders is 19: watch for youngsters like Stefan Bradl (Red Bull KTM Junior Team) and 15 year old Bradley Smith, the English schoolboy who graduated from Dorna`s MotoGP Academy ‘with honours` by winning the last three rounds of the 2005 Spanish Championship, and now moves up to the World Championship in a Repsol Honda team under the watchful eye of Alberto Puig, whose reputation first as a spotter of talent and then nurturing and developing that talent is fast becoming a legend.

Alex Hofmann
In all, 69 of the 84 riders competing in the 2006 MotoGP World Championship, have chosen to use Dunlop tyres. Dunlop`s 20 strong MotoGP technical service team, along with 4000 tyres transported in a fleet of five semi-trailers, are preparing to leave this weekend for Jerez. Meanwhile, similar volumes of tyres are simultaneously being transported to Qatar, Turkey and China for the next three GPs of the 17 round World Championship.

Jeremy Ferguson, Dunlop`s International Motorsport Manager concludes: "2006 brings our biggest involvement ever in MotoGP. We have set ourselves a new challenge in the MotoGP class. All our MotoGP team, and the technical development and manufacturing teams that support them in Birmingham, UK and Kobe, Japan are totally focused on making this season our most successful for many years, reinforcing Dunlop`s position as a global leader in motorcycle tyres."

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