INSPIRING TALENTS
SPECIAL THANKS
INSPIRING TALENTS “The spirit of man has always been accompanied with the desire to go higher, deeper, faster… This is part of human nature. However, through the years, our passion to go against the clock with an opponent in constant harmony on two wheels has brought a deeper meaning. Being able to create opportunities for new talents, to contribute to bringing joy to fans, to develop new technologies for automotive progress and for safer/eco friendly mobility represents the essence of our mission. The following extract of photographs, interviews and stories embodies our task through the years with the aim as well to spread the wonderful culture of motorcycling.” Lucio Cecchinello LCR Honda Team Principal
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WHO WE ARE... LCR Honda MotoGP TEAM
08 THE LCR TEAM 14 LUCIO CECCHINELLO 20 STEFAN BRADL 28 FACE TO FACE WITH STEFAN BRADL 32
2012 SEASON Rookie of The Year Highlights
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OUR PAST...
72 CASEY STONER 78 RANDY DE PUNIET 84 EUGENE LAVERTY 90 ... AND MORE 92 OUR FEELINGS... 108
SPECIAL PHOTO SHOOTS
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OUR FRIENDS...
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ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
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2013 CALENDAR
WHO WE ARE... LCR Honda MotoGP TEAM
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THE LCR TEAM
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ucio Cecchinello founded the LCR Team in 1996, competing in the 125cc World Championship. The first remarkable successes of the Team arrived just two years later with Japanese racer Noboru Ueda finishing first at the Malaysian GP and with Lucio claiming the second victory at the 125cc Jarama GP in Spain. Over the years the LCR Team continued to increase its achievement list in dierent categories obtaining 72 podiums, 21 Victories and 23 Pole Positions, thanks to the amazing performances of Lucio and talented riders such as Casey Stoner, Randy De Puniet, Roberto Locatelli, just to name a few. In 2003, Lucio retired from racing and is now focused on his duties as a team manager. He gradually formed a complex and professionally organized racing team, competing in the MotoGP class. The debut in the premier class was made in 2006 with Casey Stoner and continues now with the Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl. Currently, the LCR Team includes over 25 collaborators from ten dierent countries all united by a common passion for twowheels competitions.
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LUCIO CECCHINELLO LCR Team Founder Current LCR Honda Team Principal 1996 to 2003 LCR Team Rider 1992 125cc Vice European Champion 1995 125cc European Champion 2001 - 2002 4th in the 125cc World Championship
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“My dad drove me around on his Vespa and the feeling of wind on my face made me fall in love with motorbikes...�
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ucio strongly wanted to cultivate his passion for motorcycles racing, so he chose to find a job as a mechanic in national and international racing teams. He started to race motorcycles in 1989, when he competed in the Italian Sport Production Championship, riding a HONDA 125NSR. In his third race in Monza, Lucio obtained his first victory, further victories and pole positions gave him great expectations for the future. In 1990, he finished as Runner Up in the Italian Championship just behind Max Biaggi. In 1991, Lucio made his debut in the European Championship joining the Team Italia and he placed 10th overall. He signed with Team Italia again in 1992 and took the European Champion Runner Up honors. In 1993, he joined the 125 World Championship, riding for the Gazzaniga Team. In 1994, he moved to GIVI Team riding a private HONDA RS 125 scoring his first important world ranking points. In 1995, Lucio signed with the famous Team Pileri starting on a HONDA RS 125 Kit in the European Championship and gaining the European Title winning nine races out of eleven. 1996 represents a turning point in his career. Lucio founded his own team competing for the World Championship in the 125cc class often finishing in the top ten positions. In 1997 and 1998 he gained his first GP victory on the Jarama circuit (Spain). Still in 1998, he took further podiums and started racing with the Japanese talent Noboru Ueda. In the two following years, the duo on the Honda machine gained further important results. In 2001 the LCR Team changed the Manufacturer to Aprilia and Lucio ended the championship on 4th position both in 2001 and 2002. In 2003 (his last season as a rider), Lucio won the Spanish, French and Italian Grand Prix racing against the young and talented Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso. Since 2004, Lucio is engaged in running the LCR Team, which moved to the premier class (MotoGP) in 2006 changing the Manufacturer back again to Honda. He is also a member of the IRTA Committee (International Road Racing Teams Association), the organization that represents the technical sport advices of the Teams, dealing with the MotoGP Championship rights holders (Dorna) and the Institutions (FIM).
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Lucio Cecchinello, bike #4 Casey Stoner, bike #27 Andrea Dovizioso, bike #34 Dani Pedrosa, bike #3 GP of Italy 125cc Class (2003)
Lucio Cecchinello GP of France 125cc Class (2003) 18
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“My dad was a rider so the will to race was running through my veins since my childhood. My dad’s support is still fundamental for me...”
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STEFAN BRADL Current LCR Honda MotoGP Rider 2011 Moto2 World Champion 2012 MotoGP “Rookie of the Year”
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Stefan Bradl Honda RS 125 Hockenheim (2003)
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on of former 250cc rider Helmut Bradl, Stefan started out in the World Championship in 2006 in the 125cc class. His breakthrough season was in 2008, when he won two races and placed 4th overall. An expected title challenger did not materialise in 2009 and in 2010 he moved to the new Moto2 category with his Viessmann Kiefer team. Ending the year ninth in the standings with an impressive victory at Estoril, Bradl was a title favourite going into the 2011 season and started off with four wins in the opening six rounds. Consistency proved vital, as he was pushed all the way by Marc Márquez, holding off the Spaniard to clinch his first title ever. Stefan Bradl was confirmed as the 2011 Moto2 World Champion at the final round of the season in Valencia. This made the 21 year-old the first German rider to take a World Championship since Dirk Raudies in the 125cc class in 1993. In 2012, he joined the LCR Team riding a Honda. This was his first venture in the MotoGP class, winning the “Rookie of the Year” title after some strong performances. He remains with the team for 2013 and is eager to gain his first MotoGP podium.
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Stefan Bradl Kalex Moto2 - powered by Honda GP of Comunitat Valenciana Moto2 Class World Champion (2011)
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Stefan Bradl Honda RC 213V GP of Indianapolis MotoGP Class (2012)
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Stefan Bradl Honda RC213V GP of Czech Republic (2012) 26
Stefan Bradl MotoGP Class Rookie of the Year FIM MotoGP Awards Valencia (2012)
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Helmut and Stefan Bradl Honda NSR 250 - Honda RC213V GP of Germany (2012)
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FACE TO FACE WITH STEFAN BRADL
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TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY by Günther Wiesinger
n December 2011 Stefan Bradl has set his sights high for his first MotoGP season. He wanted to reach the places between 5 and 8 in the first half of the season and in the second half of the season he wanted to be ranked top 5. That was then a very bold plan. But the LCR-Honda-Pilot put his plans into action. The 2011 Moto2-Worldchampion achieved 5th place at the 4th championship round in Le Mans and competed in the next four races (Assen, Mugello, Aragón and Valencia) for a place on the podium. One year ago you’ve set yourself ambitious goals and have even exceeded the expectations. You could have been sixth in the beginning of the season in Katar. What is your personnel résumé after the first year? With the improvement during the season it seemed to be perfect. But we were sometimes really bad on Friday practices till the middle of the season. At times only the claiming-rule-pilots were in back of us. But then we improved, even on the Friday practice we were doing great. Also in October at the oversea races we’ve done most of the time a good job. If we were on Friday closer to the top, we also would have had better chances at the qualifying. The improvement of the positioning and the distance from the top was satisfying as well. In Barcelona you experienced for the first time a very good Friday. Yes, from the beginning on, I was doing well. Everything was perfect. At this circuit I showed for the first time, on the first day, even the first minute, that I could get along well with the motorcycle. That showed me that I don’t have to wait a year until it already functions on Friday. Already after the Katar-GP you mentioned for fun: I have Rossi under control. That also should not be taken for granted. Yes, but Rossi scores all the time. He only crashed in Laguna Seca. But he is very constant. When he realizes he can only be ninth in a race, then he simply will be ninth. I’m still too hectic and impatient. Then the mistakes happen. But it shows: if he has material that is not that good ,he’ll be sixth in the World Championship, what is not bad at all. His constancy and numbers of finishes are impressive.
I have him under control. With the individual results and the speed I was clearly better than him. Only with the constancy I was less competitive. I’ve looked at the BMW-Qualifying-Award: There I was seventh, even better than Bautista. You have mentioned once that overtaking Rossi is not the same like overtaking Barberá or Hayden. Yes, it was a sort of respect toward him. You know, Rossi is a legend. I’ve always admired him so it felt a bit strange when I could overtake him. But now it cooled down. The first time I met Valentino was in 2003 at the Rookies-Cup in Sachsenring. He raced with us on the track, I was so excited that I almost couldn’t breath anymore... Earlier my dad got me a T-Shirt from Dainese with an autograph and a special dedication from him; I was very happy. That became my sleeping T-Shirt. I had a lot of fun battling against him in Brno when we were competing against each other. Also at some other races. It’s something special. When I had the chance to overtake him, I always gave him room for survival. Nicky Hayden made you a compliment in an interview for SPEEDWEEK magazine. He said: “Hopefully Bradl will not get better.” It’s an essential problem that the Ducati riders in general are too slow; the motorcycle isn’t fast enough. I certainly hope, that I will be faster. Your Team manager Lucio Cecchinello said that in 2012 four or five podium places could have been possible. Yes, Assen, Mugello, Aragón und for sure Valencia. Those occur to me immediately. Let’s keep it with four. How annoying is it for you that it never worked out? Where do you think a podium place would have been most feasible? You can both see it in a positive or a negative way. It’s great that we’re be able to talk about these options, it would have been worse if we couldn’t take them into consideration. What if our best result was a sixth place and what if every time we ended the race twenty seconds away from the podium… That would have been really bad. Your crew chief Christophe Bourguignon said after your crash at the World Champion Final: “It has been a great 12 months. 12 months ago, nobody would have 29
thought that with a Rookie we would fight four times for the podium.” Mugello was a lot of fun. I finished fourth but I was close to the podium. I could even keep up with Pedrosa. Then in the last round the battle against Dovizioso and Hayden. That was good experience and great adventure to me. Assen, because of the crash in the rain, was very disappointing. The most disappointing although was in the end - Valencia. You were third and 0.8 seconds faster than your pursuers Nakasagu and Crutchlow. After that Jorge Lorenzo crashed. Would a second place have been possible? Yes, but I didn’t have these informations. I thought I was too slow because Pedrosa overtook me like an express train. While overlapping Apyama I was too impatient. I should have waited one more corner. Because of this, I reached a wet point with the front wheel. There also were no blue flags. At some races you could have kept up with Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa. What could you learn from them? I have no idea, I don’t know how I can answer this. My mistake was that I was too hard on the brakes. Because of this I missed the peak point and automatically the acceleration was not used optimally. This is the reason the others made the most meters. I struggled like crazy to keep up. I braked later and later. That was wrong. The opponents slowed down a little bit earlier and like this took advantage of the acceleration which affected the lap time most. Your secret goal for next season is to end the World Championship fourth and be on podium five times. To reach those goals you have to be more patient and lose less time at the last third of the race. It will not be easy. Stagnation means regression. We want to move forward. Of course those are ambitious goals. But they are not unrealistic if we get some good results at the Sepang test from the beginning. I’m very careful with statements like this. But you shouldn’t sell yourself below your value. I just hope that with the experience and data we have gathered, we can increase the capacity in 2013. This year we started the season without any experience. My mental and physical deficits at the first tests were exhausting. I did not sleep well before the first Sepang Tests and was afraid. Mentally I wasn’t in good shape. It will be different in 2013. I know what to expect and I know every team member, we have become a great family. They support me in every way. How hard is it to drive with worn tires quickly? My biggest handicap is the decrease of lap time in the last third of 30
the race. The fastest and the slowest lap of the race have to come closer together. There shouldn’t be so much difference. That has to do a bit with the driving style and the change of it during the race as well as the upright position of the motorcycle. I improved gradually and know now where to start. That has to do primarily with the exit of the corner. In the end, I used the tire too much on the edge. The opponents deal more gently with the throttle response, therefore they can use the major surface of the tire better. You received compliments from HRC-Vicepresident Shuhei Nakamoto. You were aggressive like a shark. How hard were those fights against the MotoGP-Stars? I’ve learned the strength in duels mainly in the first Moto2-year. I’ve noticed that the others don’t look at the lap time but for a fight and just want to arrive before all others. I’ve seen how it works. That’s how I learned the hardness of a duel. The first lap in Moto2 is harder than in MotoGP. These guys are very experienced, they know that you can’t win a race in the first lap and that you have to adjust to the tires. In Moto2 there are a lot of rough procedures that are at the limit, but sometimes still go well. They just want to make in the first round as many places as good as possible. MotoGP is no longer an extreme sprint race, there the driving is different than in Superpole. Your crew chief Beefy Bourguignon said it’s pleasing if a rider drives fast no matter which weather conditions there are. He trusts you much. He was in the beginning hard for me to understand. It took until I knew how he acts in a situation of success or if I make a mistake. He always remained calm even if we made 13th or 14th position at the Le Mans-Qualifying or reached 4th place at the Mugello race. In the meantime, I got to know him. I can see it in his eyes if he is satisfied or not. We understand each other without words. Beefy is that kind of guy who doesn’t show any emotions, he is very calm. He is very critical but goal-oriented and technically he always finds a solution. His plans for the trainings and for the qualifying are at highest level. Something I’ve never known before. At home, between the races, he is constantly thinking nonstop about everything and on how we can finish on the podium more often in 2013. Did you know.... that Stefan Bradl until now won three Championships? In 2005 he won the IDM 125 in the KTM-Junior-Team. 2007 he won in the Spanish 125ccm Championship on an Aprilia RSW of the BlusensTeam and in 2011 the Bavarian won on a Kalex from Kiefer-Team the World Championship of Moto2.
Stefan Bradl Honda CIVIC 1.6 DIESEL i-DTEC - Honda VFR 1200F Oenbach am Main (2012)
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2012 SEASON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
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GP OF QATAR Stefan: “I am very happy and we are doing a good job as all the weekend was very positive for us. My start was perfect, but maybe I was a little bit too careful in the first laps. But I really could see this is a different category compared to Moto2 and the guys are cleverer with the new tyres. I was able to follow the fastest guys, not for the whole race, but I was capable to do my own race quite well. At the end I went in the wrong direction with the brake lever adjuster and this cost us half a second. This is the reason why Hayden, Barbera and Bautista caught me. They are also more experienced than me on used tyres at the end of the race, but overall this is an exciting weekend for us. I was also expecting to be more exhausted after 22 laps, but I am ok.” 34
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GP OF SPAIN Stefan: “I am very happy with this result. First of all, I think it was a difficult weekend for everybody due to the weather conditions, so I want to thank the whole Team for their great job. During the sighting lap I was very nervous because I thought that the last part of the track was wet, so I changed my helmet visor and everything was clearer. I was capable to attack my competitors since the beginning of the race, but I found it a bit risky, so I waited a little bit and after some laps I was fighting with Bautista and Hayden. We were doing well, but Hayden blocked me a little bit in the middle of the race and Bautista got away from us. When he was gone, I started my fight with Nicky, which I enjoyed very much, especially in the last two laps. I got some problems with my right arm, because it was sore in the middle of the race and this cost me a bit of time because as I had to force the bike in a different way. Basically this was another positive weekend for me and I really enjoyed the applause of the Team made for me when I was back at the garage.� 37
GP OF PORTUGAL Stefan: “Well... this has been a very hard weekend for us in general. We have struggled a lot with rear grip immediately on Friday morning, but Saturday we have found some good adjustments. Unfortunately during the whole race we had some issues going into the corners. My start was ok and I could make some good manoeuvres in the beginning, but then I was a bit on the limit, and in the middle of the race I was losing too much in the corners entries, which was our problem all the time during this weekend. Especially in the fast corners I needed to wait in opening the throttle and this cost us a lot of time. We have never had this problem before and Spies had a better pace than us during the race, but I can say this is another good weekend for me and the Team.� 38
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GP OF FRANCE Stefan: “This is a fantastic feeling! I am very happy and the whole Team is happy too: this makes me very proud. Honestly I think nobody was expecting such a good result in my fourth race in this class. In general the weekend was tough because we were struggling a lot in finding the right set up for the dry sessions and I also had a big crash in yesterday’s qualifying. Finally it rained before the race and I knew we had a good package on the wet. Already on my sighting lap I could feel that was my WOW bike and my first lap was amazing as after the first split I was holding the 7th position. After that I rode behind Pedrosa for a long time, who has got a very precise riding style. I learnt very much from him. When it started to dry up I could ride with more confidence, adapting to the situation, even if Hayden was trying to catch me.” 41
GP OF CATALUNYA Stefan: “In the first part of the race I could follow the top riders and I was very aggressive. But as soon as the tyres started to work properly, we had some issue and it started spinning too much. We were on the hard tyre considering the last two days track temperature, while the most of the guys in front were on the soft ones. Unfortunately the spinning started very early because we did not have enough edge grip compared to the other riders, and we were also expecting to have drier grip but at the end it was not there. I am a bit frustrated because my potential and the bike package were there, but we could not use the tyre correctly. Eighth position is still okay and in tomorrow’s testing day we are looking forward to improve the bike for future races.� 42
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GP OF GREAT BRITAIN Stefan: “We can be happy overall because today we improved our pace both in the warm up and in the race. Unfortunately yesterday I crashed in FP3 and that cost us a lot of track time but it could be worse than this: I mean I could break my finger. So it’s not been the perfect weekend for us but we have to take the positive things. Today my start was not perfect due to the injured finger and I lost the feeling for the first laps. Then some riders stopped me and it was tough to overtake them. In the middle of the race Crutchlow passed me and I made a small mistake with the clutch because the downshifting was harder with this painful finger. Anyway our lap times till the end of the race were pretty fast so this means we have a good potential: let’s see what we can do in Assen”. 45
GP OF NETHERLANDS Stefan: “Well... I do not have so much to say. Yesterday we obtained a very good grid position and today I took another good start. In the first laps the feeling with the bike was great and I could easily close the little gap to Spies. I do not remember last time I had such a good feeling in the first laps but I have to be honest... Probably I was too much aggressive in braking into turn 10 and I crashed. It’s my mistake and I am very sorry for the guys: today we could get a very positive result. Now I want to learn from my mistakes making another step forward ahead my home race. The potential is there and we are capable to race with the top riders”. 46
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GP OF GERMANY Stefan: “It was a tough race from the off because I had to fight to maintain the gap to the group behind me. But I made another good start and this is very positive: after that I was able to follow the Yamaha riders for a while but I could feel that our corner speed was not enough and our edge grip in the left side was poor, because after three or four laps the bike started to spin already. That caused me some issues because I was not able to attack them and in the middle of the race I had to let them go. From that moment I had to manage the group behind me right up to the chequered flag and it was very difficult. I had to push myself to the maximum to block Rossi, Hayden and Barbera in the last three laps. I am very happy about this result because I kept them behind me and this fifth place is a fantastic result for me, for my family, for the team and for my local fans.” 49
GP OF ITALY Stefan: “It’s a fantastic feeling for me and the whole Team. Doubtless a podium finish would have been simply perfect but I am extremely happy about this great result on this track. I think that our asset was perfect since the beginning of the race, because in the last couple of races we struggled a bit too much with a full fuel tank and could not feel the front tyre properly, but here we made a different set up. It worked perfectly on this special layout, but at the end of the race I missed a bit of front end feeling on braking. So I preferred to stay calm and Dovi passed me, but after that I was trying to follow him and it was pretty easy for me. Then Hayden put in a brave move on me, but he had not the best exit on the right corner and I could pass him again. Probably my manoeuvre looked a bit aggressive on TV but I think it was normal for a last lap. Being so close to the podium is fantastic and I feel happy for the team: they support me in the best way every weekend and especially Lucio. He is a hard worker and with this great result I want to give him something back.” 50
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GP OF USA Stefan: “Actually it was a positive debut for us in Laguna. I am quite happy about this 7th final place. In general it was a pretty difficult weekend for us, because we mainly started to work on the bike Saturday afternoon as on Friday I had to learn the track. Basically in the beginning of the race I was quite comfortable on the bike, because we had a full fuel on board but after ten laps I started to lose confidence compared to Dovi and Crutchlow due to the front end issues that we already had yesterday. From that moment, it was too dangerous for me entering the corners with the same speed. Then I tried to keep Nicky behind him, but I could see he was faster than me, so I preferred to maintain my position scoring further points in the classification. I think we have done our best and we keep this experience for next season.” 53
GP OF INDIANAPOLIS Stefan: “Honestly it was not one of our best races so far and I am a bit disappointed because we looked stronger than this. Sixth position is not a disaster, but I was expecting a bit more, considering the pace of our qualification yesterday. Unfortunately I was not able to push in the first gear corners and I was losing quite a lot in the acceleration areas. I tried to pull it back in section 2 and section 3, which was possible in the beginning but not over the whole race distance. At the end I had to accept, that today we were not so strong, but we are doing well and we still hold the sixth position in the world standing.� 54
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GP OF CZECH REPUBLIC Stefan: “I am quite happy because after some technical issues we have found a good race setup. I could not push as hard as I wanted yesterday and the warm up session was wet, so we could not test the last adjustments, but the Team made a very good job and I could make another positive race. During the race I was quite confident and motivated: I took a good start and Rossi was in front of me in the beginning, but suddenly he had a technical problem and some smoke came out from his exhaust. After that I thought he was having an engine problem and some oil soiled my visor, which cost me a bit of time because I did not know what was going on. Also Spies slowed down and Bautista overtook me but after that I started to set my pace. It took some laps to pass Bautista and Rossi again to do my own race. I had a better speed compared to the guys behind me, so it’s a pity that we lost the race at the beginning. In any case it was a strong race by my side and I want to thank my crew for their concentration and their efforts.” 57
GP OF SAN MARINO REPUBLIC Stefan: “First of all it was a strange beginning of the race with two starts… after that, since the beginning, I was not fully confident with my front tyre and throughout the race it became worse and worse. Then in the last laps I even felt something wrong in the front, but do not know what happened exactly and must check the data with the technicians. Once I arrived at the garage, we noticed that I had very low front tyre pressure and we are going to investigate later. In those conditions I was not capable to stop the bike on braking, so I was losing the position. It’s very frustrating because we were in a good shape and I could gain my first MotoGP podium, but I have to take the positive aspect of the weekend. We are capable to stay up in the pack and we will try our best in Aragon. I want to thank the whole Team, because this race was very busy for them and once again they made an excellent job.“ 58
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GP OF ARAGON Stefan: “Well…it’s difficult to find the right word for me because we are all very disappointed, but this is racing. My feeling out there was very good today: good overall package, good start and good firsts laps. I felt very comfortable on braking and then I noticed I could go as fast as the guys like Spies and Crutchlow, so I wanted to push immediately, because I knew that the rear tyre would have dropped towards the end of the race. I overtook Spies and I lost the front in turn 3: maybe I was a bit too aggressive and I am sorry for my Team and my fans. Anyway we are in good shape and really looking forward to the next race.” 61
GP OF JAPAN Stefan: “We had a little problem with my arm today and I was not really able to steer the bike, and after 10 laps I was struggling a lot and I have never had such a big problem with the arm pump. At the beginning, I could easily follow the group in the front of me with Stoner and Dovizioso, but the problem with my breaking hand got worse and worse, lap by lap and I could not go any faster. I had to slow down and managed to finish the race 6th. It’s a bit frustrating and this was surely not a perfect weekend for us, but I aim to bounce back in Malaysia next weekend.” 62
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GP OF MALAYSIA Stefan: “First of all we must check the data to understand what happened. I took a very good start from the 8th place, but it was pretty tough out there because of the wet and slippery surface. I could lap with a good pace and constant speed, but after some laps I had to change the map because we had too much engine break. Since that moment something changed and the engine was pushing me in the corner entries and I did not know what was going on. After that I was back to the standard engine brake, but it was too much in those difficult conditions and I started to be slower. In the heavy rain I was more careful, but suddenly I lost the rear and crashed out. I do not think it was completely my fault and I feel sorry for me and the Team.” 65
GP OF AUSTRALIA Stefan: “Off course we are all happy, because we did not expect such a close fight for the 4th place today after the difficult first day of practices we had here. It’s a shame that we lost the 4th place, because I was on hard tyre today and had a small advantage on my competitors so I thought I could take it. But the other guys had other advantages on me and so we were plus or minus on the same level, but in the last lap I was stopped by Bautista and Dovi passed me. I am not the one who usually lost the battle, but I am quite happy anyway, because we showed our pace once again and want to thank the Team for their excellent job this weekend.” 66
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GP OF VALENCIA Stefan: “First of all we had very tricky conditions today, as almost everybody was on wet tyres because the dry line was less than 10cm and we decided to go on slicks, because we wanted to avoid a bike chance which could cost us a lot of time. At the end we made the right choice and I want to thank the Team for their support, because it’s not easy for a rider to decide when the surface is so slippery. I was on a good pace since the beginning and was lapping third when I crashed out. The rider in front of me was slower and I wanted to overtake him quickly, but in turn 5 I was a bit too aggressive and lost the control of the bike. I should have waited a bit longer to make the move and I feel bad for the Team, because I lost the chance to fight for the podium. However, I feel happy today, because I will be awarded as the Best Rookie of the Year and this is simply great. This first year in the premier class was incredible for me and I must thank Lucio and his Team, because at the beginning I was a bit worried, but now I know this is like a family.” 69
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OUR PAST...
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CASEY STONER 2002 to 2003 - 2005 to 2006 LCR Rider 2007 MotoGP World Champion 2011 MotoGP World Champion
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“I loved the winning, I could take the defeat, but most of all I loved to race. Now I set a different goal for my forthcoming future... ”
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C
asey Stoner joined the premier class in 2006 with the satellite Honda LCR Team after working his way through the 125cc and 250cc ranks, following his GP debut as a 125cc wildcard at Donington Park in 2001. His switch to Ducati in 2007 proved to be the catalyst for his potential, starting with his first MotoGP victory at round one in Qatar, followed by 9 more which ultimately gave him the Championship title. Stoner set out to defend his title in 2008, but rare mistakes and pressure from Valentino Rossi left him 2nd in the Championship. Stoner moved to factory Honda for the 2011 season, a switch that proved a resounding success. By the time Stoner clinched the 2011 title with a win at Phillip Island, he had already taken 9 victories. Stoner closed the 800cc era in Valencia with a 10th victory. 2012 the Australian focused on defending his title, but half way through the season Stoner decided to retire, ending his last MotoGP season with a 3rd overall place.
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Casey Stoner Aprilia RSV 125 GP of Catalunya 125cc Class (2003)
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Casey Stoner Honda RC211V GP of Portugal MotoGP Class (2006) 77
“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure for a lifetime.... I can’t image my life without races...”
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RANDY DE PUNIET 2003 to 2004 - 2008 to 2010 LCR Team Rider 2003 3rd in the 250cc World Championship 2012 2nd in the CRT World Championship
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Randy De Puniet Aprilia RSV 250 GP of Catalunya 250cc Class (2003)
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fter 5 wins, 22 podiums and 9 pole positions during his time in the 250cc World Championship, De Puniet joined the MotoGP class with the Kawasaki Team in 2006, qualifying fourth at his home race in Le Mans and placing tenth in Portugal, for his best finish in his debut year. The French rider celebrated his first MotoGP podium in 2007 at Motegi, placing 10th in the final standings, despite failing to finish seven of the 18 races due to frequent crashes. In 2008, De Puniet signed with the Honda LCR Team, where he remained for three seasons, running fifth in the Championship in 2010 until breaking his leg at the Sachsenring round, demoting him to ninth by the end of the season. 2011, De Puniet moved to the Italian based Pramac Racing Team aboard a Ducati, though multiple DNFs saw De Puniet finish 16th in the standings. A return to the Aspar Team in 2012, De Puniet worked with the team to develop its Aprilia powered CRT motorcycle, fighting for the top CRT spot until the final round. He remains with the Team for 2013.
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Randy De Puniet Honda RC212V GP of Spain MotoGP Class (2010) 83
EUGENE LAVERTY 2007 LCR Team Rider 2009 Supersport Vice World Champion 2010 Supersport Vice World Champion
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“My brothers, John and Michael, are both racers so racing is part of my family and my life. Racing is a habit for us... what else can we do?�
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averty started road racing in 2001 in the Irish Young Guns series, finishing third. He made his debut in the British 125cc Championship in 2002, his eorts were recognized and he was announced a winner in the Irish Champion of Champions award. He continued to race in the 125cc class through 2003, finishing seventh and 2004, where he narrowly missed out on the title, taking second in the standings. 2005 he moved up to the British Supersport Championship, scoring ninth in his first year and rising to second in the standings in 2006, before moving to the world stage to ride in the 250cc world championships with LCR Honda Team. In 2008, he has competed in both, the 250cc World Championship and the World Supersport series. He went on to be runner up in the World Supersport Championship in both 2009 and the 2010 seasons. In 2011, he moved up to the World Superbike Championship with the factory Yamaha World Superbike Team, alongside former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri, ending the season in 4th place. The Irish rider signed a contract with Aprilia Racing for the 2012 season (alongside Italian rider Max Biaggi), finishing 6th overall and will remain with the Italian Team in the 2013 season.
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Eugene Laverty Honda RS 250 Jerez de la Frontera Circuit 250cc Class (2007)
Eugene Laverty Honda RS 250 GP of Spain 250cc Class (2007) 88
Eugene Laverty Honda RS 250 GP of Comunitat Valenciana 250cc Class (2007)
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... AND MORE TONI ELIAS 2011 CARLOS CHECA 2007 ROBERTO LOCATELLI 2004 to 2005 MATTIA PASINI 2004 DAVID CHECA 2002 ALEX DE ANGELIS 2002 RAUL JARA 2001 NOBORU UEDA 1998 to 2000
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OUR FEELINGS...
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The Blues Bradls featuring Helmut and Stefan Bradl
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SPECIAL
PHOTO SHOOTS
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Szilvia Winter for Playboy Milan (2010)
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Beatriz Do単oro for LCR Jerez de la Frontera (2012)
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Iwona Lis for Rizoma Milan (2012)
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Quzandria Nur for LCR Sepang (2012)
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Lou Heldeberg for Trattoria Arlati Milan (2012)
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Eveline Besters for LCR Mugello (2011)
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Iskra Galic for LCR Phillip Island (2009)
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Red Bull Grid Girls for LCR Indianapolis (2012)
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Eveline Besters for Rizoma San Francisco (2012)
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Lauren Vickers for Meccanocar Le Mans (2010) 128
Lauren Vickers for Pokerstars.it Misano (2010)
Lauren Vickers for Playboy Mugello (2010) 129
Francesca Lukasic for Playboy Milan (2009)
Randy De Puniet for Playboy Milan (2009)
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Honda RC213V Jerez de la Frontera (2012)
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Honda RC213V Jerez de la Frontera (2012) 132
Stefan and Lucio Jerez de la Frontera (2012)
Stefan Bradl Jerez de la Frontera (2012)
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Honda RC211V San Marino Republic (2006)
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Honda RC212V Doha (2011) 136
Honda RC212V Doha (2010)
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Honda RC212V Doha (2010)
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Honda RC212V Doha (2011)
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Honda RC212V Motegi (2010)
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Honda RC212V Firenze (2011)
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Honda RC212V Paris (2010)
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Honda RC212V Venezia (2011)
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LCR Team Racing Motorbikes Casinò di Venezia (2011)
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Honda RC212V Casinò di Venezia (2011)
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Honda RC213V San Francisco (2012)
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Honda RC213V San Francisco (2012)
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OUR FRIENDS...
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ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
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LCR for Honda Germany Honda Fireblade Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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LCR for Arrow Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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“Another one bites my dust” www.arrow.it 171
LCR for Honda Germany CBR 600F LCR Edition Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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LCR for Honda Germany Honda Fireblade Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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Honda Fireblade.
LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl riding the Honda Fireblade at Laguna Seca circuit during a training session (May 2012)
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LCR for Honda Germany CBR 600F LCR Edition Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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// FROM NOW ON, THE JOY OF RIDING
ISN‘T LIMITED TO THE RACE TRACK.
The CBR600F LCR-Edition bikes bring that racing feeling right to your home. The limited edition motorcycle sports the look of Stefan Bradl‘s championship bike. Alongside the LCR-Team colours the bike features Progrip handlebar grips, an Arrow Titan exhaust, a pillion-seat cover and a rear rim in pearl nightstar black. With all these extras, a sporty run-out is guaranteed. More at www.honda.de
Honda CBR600F LCR Edition.
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LCR for Honda Germany CBR 600F LCR Edition LCR Honda RC213V Promotional Postcard
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LCR for Nissin and Progrip Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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BRAKING INSTINCT
SPEED UNDER PERFECT CONTROL
www.nissinkogyo.co.jp 181
LCR for Progrip Advertising on INSPIRE magazine
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XT E N
M I T
. . . E
WORLD’S BEST HANDGRIPS
. www.progrip.it progrip.it
T I P! ..F PR
CONTROL YOUR LIFE
CONTROL YOUR RIDE 183
R OG
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LCR for Elf Advertising concept for TOTAL ACS
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A brand of
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LCR for Elf Advertising concept for Elf racing products
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2013 CALENDAR DATE
GRAND PRIX
CIRCUIT
07 April
Qatar
Doha/Losail
21 April
Americas
Austin
05 May
Spain
Jerez de la Frontera
19 May
France
Le Mans
2 June
Italy
Mugello
16 June
Catalunya
Circuit de Catalunya
29 June
Netherlands
TT Assen
14 July
Germany
Sachsenring
21 July
United States
Laguna Seca
18 August
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
25 August
Czech Republic
Brno
01 September
Great Britain
Silverstone
15 September
San Marino
M.Simoncelli - Misano
29 September
Arag贸n
MotorLand Arag贸n
13 October
Malaysia
Sepang
20 October
Australia
Phillip Island
27 October
Japan
Motegi
10 November
Valencia
Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
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CREDITS Art Director Enrico Barbieri in collaboration with Lucio Cecchinello Graphic Designer Emanuele Vallorani Production Coordinator Errico Gasperoni Contributors Elisa Pavan, Günther Wiesinger, Tanja Gvozdenov Translations Tanja Haydn Photography Milagro, Alex Chailan & David Piolé, Davide Esposito, James Pipino, Maurizio Grazioli, Noémie Hutteau, Max Gualtieri, Pietro Lucerni, Red Bull Content Pool, Aleksy Aleksjew © 2013 LCR - x racing s.a.m. All rights reserved
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2012 WHITE BOOK INSPIRING TALENTS
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