Monterey, 20 July: LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl claimed a sensational first pole position at the roller-coaster Laguna Seca circuit today, and in doing so became the first German ever to achieve the feat in the premier class of MotoGP. The Moto2 World Champion will start from top spot on the grid for tomorrow’s 32-lap race after setting the fastest time in qualifying (1’21.176), and will share the front row with Marquez and Bautista. Stefan: “It’s an unbelievable sensation! My first pole position in the premier class at this spectacular circuit, and I am now the first German rider to do this in MotoGP history. I could not ask for more! We knew that we had a good pace all weekend, but this result is yet another step forward for me and the LCR Honda Team. I am really happy with the bike set-up just like in Germany, and I want to thank my team for the job they have done. We didn’t actually make any specific changes to the bike; we just adjusted some small things ahead of qualifying and my pace was immediately fast. We had a small problem when I had to come into the garage to change the tyre because we had lost half a second, but once I was back out again the track was clear in front of me and I could go for my perfect lap!”

Sachsenring, 14 July: the MotoGP contingent were warmly greeted by 87.000 local fans at today’s Grand Prix of Deutschland which saw Stefan Bradl equalling his career-best result again with a positive 4th place. The German rider was again a strong performer throughout the whole weekend and, after a brilliant start from the 4th spot on the grid, the 23-year-old began his battle with the front guys but missed the opportunity to jump on the podium at his home race. Stefan: “I think it was a good weekend for us even if we missed the chance to achieve the podium. Actually I had a good start and I was capable to lead the race for some laps but, when the guys passed me, I could see that they had more corner speed especially in section 2 which was the weak point for us. We have been very competitive and very fast in the remaining sections so we are pretty satisfied with our job. Okay… I missed the chance to reward my Team and my crowd with a podium finish but we do not give up and we will keep on fighting in Laguna. I especially want to thank my fans… I could feel their great support these days and it was something special to me.”

Assen, 29 June: typical Assen weather has bedeviled both days of practice, with intermittent light showers, but today’s 26-lap race was run in the dry ahead of 90.000 spectators who celebrated the incredible victory of Rossi on Yamaha. LCR Honda racer Stefan Bradl started from the front row for the first time in his MotoGP career with the aim to continue his progression aboard the RCV and finished 6th scoring 10 points. Bradl: “Honestly we are not completely happy because we were expecting a better result after our first front row. The sixth position is still okay but we miss something to catch the guys in the front. Actually we could not repeat yesterday’s lap times and I felt the bike was more heavy to turn and this cost us a lot of time in corner entries. Some riders passed me in the beginning on the brake because I was not able to fix my braking point and I struggled to find my references. I was not able to put the things together and reduce the gap to the front. Now we move to Argentina for a 2-day test session and then my home race at Sachsenring: I am really looking forward to race in front of my local fans.”

Montmeló, 16 June: the field got underway in stifling conditions today for the 25-lap race at Montmeló race track with LCR racer Stefan Bradl enjoying a second consecutive top five finish. During the first three practice sessions Bradl was in impressive form and despite the tenth place of yesterday’s qualifying, the German produced another positive race wisely managing the life of his tyres. Stefan: “Honestly we thought it would have been tough to get such a good result so we are very happy about this P5. It has been a very tough race in these hot conditions and I had to be very clever to save the tyres in every single lap. Some riders crashed in the first part of the race so I decided to be less aggressive in the beginning. I am quite satisfied about my performance because I was capable to adapt to these difficult conditions. This strategy gave me a lot of confidence and a big gap to the guys behind me. Tomorrow we will be back on track for a half-day test here and then 2-day testing in Aragon”

Montmeló, 12 June: the LCR racer Stefan Bradl had a strong race in Mugello equalling his best personal result in the premier class finishing in 4th place. Bradl returns to Spain this weekend for the Gran Premi de Catalunya where the warm atmosphere and the positive result obtained in Italy 2 weeks ago, give the german extra motivation to perform. In 2012 Bradl finished eighth showing brilliant fighting spirit while battling with much more experienced rivals. Before taking the Catalan race track on Friday morning, Bradl and his colleagues enjoyed a friendly football match at the majestic Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona looking to emulate the style and the feats of the FC Barcelona talented players. Stefan: “I really enjoyed the Mugello GP and the battle with Dovizioso into the last corner. I arrive in Spain with the aim to improve last year’s result on the RCV because I know the circuit very well and I have the poise of a veteran now. The Spanish fans are very warm and they love motorbike races and football. The FC Barcelona is the best football Team in the world but this year my Team (Bayern Munchen) won the Champions League beating them so I was so excited to play football at the famous Camp Nou. I used to play football when I was a kid and I can say I am not that bad”.

Mugello, 2 June: Stefan Bradl and his Team enjoyed another special weekend at the crowded Mugello circuit thanks to the excellent 23-lap race conducted by the German riding the RC213V. Bradl’s ride was simply astonishing as he made a good start from the second row and kept the vastly experienced Andrea Dovizioso behind him, lap after lap. Stefan: “Repeating the 4th place of last year is is a very special feeling for me and the Team. Actually I am happy about the job we have done throughout the whole weekend but the race was a bit tough. Honestly I did not take a brilliant start losing some positions and after that I had to overtake the Ducati guys. It was not easy to relegate them behind me and I knew that Dovi would have tried to pass me in the last lap. He is a strong rider and I really enjoyed the battle with him. I must thank the whole Team and our partners and fans for their excellent job and support because I know this a special race for Lucio and his collaborators.“

Le Mans, 19 May: in a demanding 28-lap race affected by some light rain in the first part, the LCR Honda racer Stefan Bradl managed to finish the Grand Prix de France in 10th position although he slid out of the treacherous track at 11 laps to go when he was steadily holding the 6th position. His fifth place on the grid was a reward for all the hard work he has done with the Team to solve a front-end issue and without his slide, the German would have had a good chance to repeat his result from last year when he finished 5th.
Stefan: “My start was pretty good and I think that our pace was not so bad because we were able to race with the top group. Then during the race I could not see properly and had to open the visor many times. So for me it was a bit tough to do the perfect line and I crashed because I touched the white line. After that I was lucky because I was able to push the engine back to riding with acceptable lap times. We are actually back on our speed but we have had some bad luck. In any case we are fast in the dry and in the wet so I am looking forward to Mugello which is one of my favourite race tracks”.