By Dan Moakes
May 8 2003

The Spanish Grand Prix at the Jeréz circuit will see a few modifications in the premier class entry list. Sete Gibernau and Carlos Checa will still be the crowd favourites, but the latter’s team-mate, Marco Melandri, will be one of the names joining them on the grid. Melandri missed the first two races following a practice crash in Japan. The Italian suffered fractured bones in his ankle, and was replaced in the Fortuna Yamaha squad by the experienced Norick Abe. Marco is now sufficiently recovered to return to action, and the number 33 four-cylinder M1 should get its first proper outing as a result.

In the Kawasaki team, a fourth different pilot so far this season will be entered in the shape of test rider Alex Hofmann. He will race in addition to regulars Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt, as the first of several wildcard outings. The team’s other tester, Akira Yanagawa, also appeared for his home race at Suzuka. Hofmann raced at World level more than once during 2002. He filled in for Kawasaki at a World Superbike event, and also deputised for two riders on 500cc GP machines - McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha) and Loris Capirossi (West Honda).

A name that may not appear on the timesheets at Jeréz is that of the Proton KR5 motorcycle. The new 990cc four-stroke V5 machine has been running behind schedule, and has not made it to a GP meeting thus far. The team’s old 500 triple has not been competitive in the meantime, but the five-cylinder bike is apparently still not ready. It remains to be seen how well it will go when it does hit the track.

There is an interesting new piece of kit due to go into action at the Spanish race meeting - Ducati’s two-seater bike. This is actually a Marlboro-liveried 999 Superbike, to be used before the GP-spec version is complete. Passengers will be treated to the skills of former GP winner Randy Mamola, previously the Yamaha two-seater pilot.

Another new development concerns Fausto Gresini’s Telefónica Honda team. Following his top class performance in South Africa, Sete Gibernau will now be running with the full factory-spec RC211V bike, previously provided for Daijiro Kato. He will also have a new team-mate from the French GP, in the form of 20-year-old Ryuichi Kiyonari, from Japan. The new rider will take over the 2002 Honda that Gibernau raced in rounds one and two.