Assen: The Castrol-lubricated Mariboro team Roberts Modenas KRV3 machines will show a number of changes when they race at the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen on Sunday.

The man to boot on Saturday will be World 500cc Champion Michael Doohan who has nominated this year's championship as he chases his fourth consecutive world title.

The 32-year-old Australian has won five Grand Prix this season and leads Honda team-mate Alex Criville by 33 points in the championship.

Although Doohan does not rate the demanding 0.049-km Assen circuit as one of his hit favourites, he has won the last three 500cc races there. Crivillo also has happy memories of Assen. The Spaniard won his first 500cc Grand Prix there in 1992 and has finished on the podium every year since then.

The Dutch Grand Prix is one of the classic races of the season regularly attracting 120,000 spectators to the Circuit van Drenthe.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.