Bridewell: There’s a lot of Primadonnas

British Superbikes

April 1, 2017

Image courtesy of Pete Boocock at Full Throttle Images

 

After FP2 at Donington Park, I caught up with British Superbike star Tommy Bridewell as he moves to the GR Motorsport Team WD40 outfit for the 2017 season. We discussed electrical glitches, his adaptation to the new Kawasaki and other riders and rivalries. Tommy hopes to be in the fight for a top six position come the end of the season and who’d bet against the Wiltshireman doing it, as he is one of the most flexible and versatile riders in the paddock.

How is the initial feeling with the Kawasaki, having been riding other bikes for the past few seasons?

The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today. We still have work to do; it’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright.

Do you find it difficult to adapt to new teams?

I’m quite a flexible person. I’ve rode for quite a lot of teams, it doesn’t really bother me. As long as the bike is built to the standard I expect then I know I can do well on it. It’s about learning how the team work and going from there.

How has it been fitting into the team?

It’s been very good. They’re very welcoming and very friendly. Everyone has the same target and the same end goal so we are all driven in working towards that point.

Can you match or beat the two podiums last year on the Suzuki?

Christ yes. If I finish the season with only having two podiums then I should be very disappointed for definite. We have a few glitches to get on top of but once they’re sorted then we should be able to progress to the next level and be stronger.

Has not making the showdown last season motivated you to come back stronger in 2017?

Yes, definitely. That is the goal as always. It is disappointing when you don’t make it but like you say, you focus on this season coming and fight harder than ever. I feel we got the best out of the Suzuki last season. We excelled on lap times and in results, going better than it had gone for a long time. I was happy with the way it went but with a new challenge and a new bike, we hit the reset button and move on.

Where do you see yourself at the end of the year?

I 100% see myself in the top six but as I sit here now, we have got work to do to find our feet to understand the electronics and understand the bike a bit better. Once we have got on top of that then we will be day-and-night different. It won’t be the same bike. It’s about understanding the finer details to get the best out of the whole package. We have an issue that we would have easily ironed out in testing but that was a washout here. It’s just been a lack of testing which has made it hard for us.

Will you perform well in the races even with these issues?

As the bike is now, then no. I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday.

Are there any riders you particularly dislike or have issues with, having seen in the past you’ve had fallouts with riders?

If I’m honest, I don’t have time of day for any other riders in the paddock. There’s not many I’m really fond of; I’m just here to do a job, not to gel my hair or try and look pretty and talk the usual bollocks like the others, so we will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day.

Will you win a race in 2017?

Without a shadow of a doubt – 100%.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

 

Bridewell Optimistic of Good Weekend Despite Electronics Glitch

Tommy Bridewell has said that he is struggling at Donington Park with the new Kawasaki, having encountered an electrical glitch that could have been “ironed out” in testing, had it not been wet. The former Halsall Bennetts Suzuki man was 20th at the end of FP2 yesterday, over a second and a half off top rider and fellow Kawasaki man, Leon Haslam. Tommy does however remain optimistic that he can be at the sharp end come race day.

“The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today”, said the 28-year-old Wiltshireman, looking to return to the showdown this season.

Tommy continued, saying, “It’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright”.

He is one of a few riders to have ridden five makes of machinery on the grid, making him one of the most versatile riders on the grid and with this talent, he remains hopeful of a decent result on Sunday, should they get the electrical issue sorted.

I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday. We will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day”.

Team WD40 will be looking to Tommy to bring them their first ever British Superbike podium, having dominated British Supersport last season with Tarran Mackenzie.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

British Superbikes 2017 – A Guide to the Year Ahead

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British Superbikes returns to our screens this coming weekend and it has all the credentials to be yet another scintillating championship which will go all the way to the final round at Brands Hatch in October. With Shane Byrne staying in the championship and runner-up Leon Haslam promising to challenge him all the way, we could see the most explosive season ever. However, there are other riders who will be desperate to rock in the best domestic superbike championship in the world.

Shane Byrne stays in BSB and remains in the Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati outfit. The 40-year-old Londoner took a record-shattering 5th title last season, his third for Ducati. ‘Shakey’ is more determined than ever before but he has a young teammate out to relegate him in the rankings. Enter Glenn Irwin. The 27-year-old comes into the BSB paddock for a 2nd season with PBM Ducati, having had a successful 2016 campaign. Podiums last season and 12th overall in the championship, Irwin could be a dark horse for success in 2017 as he looks to confirm his place in the top six.

Leon Haslam spearheads Pete Extance’s JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki team. After Mark Smith-Halvorsen pulled the plug on his GB Moto efforts last season, the former WSBK ace was left without a ride, having finished 2nd in the series on his comeback last year. As he and JG Speedfit move to the Bournemouth Kawasaki team, they’ll be looking for victories from the word go and to challenge for the championship. Cambridgeshire rider Luke Mossey remains in the team for a third consecutive season. Taking podiums throughout last year, Mossey has potential to once again upset the pecking order. Don’t expect him to consider himself number two for very long.

Tyco BMW retain Christian Iddon for 2017, after the Derbyshireman did such a fine job last season. Despite finishing on the podium six times last season, it was all too late as he recovered from a nasty injury mid-season. Iddon started the season strongly last year and will definitely be out to take his first victory in the class. Alongside him is one of a flurry of new/returning riders in 2017. Davide Giugliano was unceremoniously dumped out of Ducati’s Factory WSBK effort at the end of last season and found himself out of a ride come the end of the year. However, the Italian superstar has been thrown into the BSB mix, having joined the Tyco BMW team. He will be exciting to watch on British tracks, especially Cadwell Park. He knows Donington Park and Silverstone well, so expect strong performances at these venues.

Suzuki return with a full factory effort for 2017. The new GXR is run by the Hawk Racing Team, switching from BMW, a bike they’ve run for the past five seasons. Sylvain Guintoli is another big name coming back into the championship, after he was left out of Crescent Yamaha’s revised line-up for the 2017 WSBK season. The Frenchman’s BSB career was cut short after a terrifying accident at Donington Park in 2009, which involved Josh Brookes. Having won one race in the series and finishing on the podium on four occasions, he has unfinished business to deal with. Teaming up with him is reigning National Superstock 1000 champion Taylor Mackenzie. It’s great to see the Mackenzie name back in the BSB championship, although Taylor did compete in WD40 colours back in 2015 but he never scored points. Taylor promises to be exciting to watch, although for us journos and fans, his rivalry with Ian Hutchinson from the Stock 1000 championship last year will be put on hold for now.

Keith Flint’s successes in the British Supersport class have seen the outfit move to the premier class of British motorcycle racing. He remains on Yamaha equipment and takes on the experience of James Ellison and Michael Laverty. Ellison took victory in the final race of last season in an epic four-way scrap whilst Michael Laverty started last year with a win for Tyco BMW. Neither rider has ridden the new R1, although Ellison has Yamaha experience from 2013. The McAms Yamaha pairing will be wanting to hit the ground running with a bike that has won the title but as Tommy Hill’s EPayMe Yamaha team proved last year, it might not be love at first site. Ellison believes the bike has the potential to fight for the championship and who’d bet against that?

Honda Racing UK have retained their line-up from the past two seasons, minus the efforts of Jennie Tinmouth. Dan Linfoot leads Jason O’Halloran as the team prepare to race the new Honda Fireblade, which has seen its difficulties in the WSBK championship. Linfoot is yet to win a race in BSB but always goes well at Donington Park, whereas Jason O’Halloran has won a race and will be hoping to build on that success to propel him into a title challenging spot. It won’t be easy for the team but with experienced riders and crew members, it may not be as bad as they think.

Another Yamaha team this season is Tag Racing. The Anvil Yamaha squad have Josh Brookes who makes a shock return to BSB after an unsuccessful season in WSBK with Milwaukee BMW. The Australian took the BSB crown in 2015 and will want it back in 2017 to give Anvil Tag Racing their first win and their first title. Brookes says that he “has to win” and I have a feeling that he will be taking no prisoners on his way back to British success. Joining him in the team is Shaun Winfield. The Brit had a best result of 16th in 2016 and will be wanting to secure points in 2017.

Moto Rapido Ducati return once more in 2017, with their 2015 rider John Hopkins. The American was left without a ride when Tommy Hill’s team folded at the end of 2016 but was quickly snapped up by Steve Moore. After a tricky 2016 with numerous riders (starting the year with Danny Buchan, then enduring Alessandro Polita before finishing with Stuart Easton) the team will want to remain consistently quick throughout the season to challenge the more ‘factory’ PBM team. And if anyone can do it, 2011 runner-up John Hopkins most certainly can, as he comes into the year in fine form following a brace of podiums at Brands Hatch in the final round of last season.

Quattro FS-3 Kawasaki remain on the grid for a 2nd season, after a rather successful 2016. Based in Coventry under the watchful eye of businessman Nigel Snook, the team are hoping to run a two-bike team with their National Superstock 1000 rider James Rispoli towards the end of the season but it will be Billy McConnell who once again shines for them in BSB full-time. The Australian was a podium finisher in 2015 and scored a best of 4th in 2016 at Snetterton. On the brand-new Kawasaki for the first time, we could see some surprises from the relatively new team.

Lloyd and Jones (PR Racing) return to the championship in 2017, after a tricky few seasons. Jakub Smrz is their man in the saddle in 2017, having finished 18th in the championship last year with two top-10 results. The Czech rider will be looking to repeat his efforts from last year and return to the higher positions with BMW. A hard-working rider and a hard-working team could see them, like FS-3, cause a few upsets.

The RAF Reserves team, run by Lee Hardy Racing, switch manufacturers this year from BMW to Kawasaki, whilst retaining Jake Dixon as their sole rider. Snapped up almost immediately after his BSB debut last year, Dixon had some great rides with a best result of 6th in race one at Snetterton. However, two massive accidents – the first at Knockhill before a high-speed crash at Oulton Park – showed us that even the protégé of Shane Byrne will get it wrong. Having fully recovered from terrible hip injuries, Dixon promises to be a firework coming through the BSB ranks. 16th in the championship competing in half of the races last season is no fluke.

Smith’s Racing BMW made the step up to BSB two seasons ago, with the then-champion in British Supersport, Billy McConnell. Whilst the team has evolved, their results dropped somewhat last season. However, Ryuichi Kiyonari joined the team for the final few rounds and was as high as 2nd in the final outing of the season at Brands Hatch, so it wasn’t all negative. Lee Jackson and Peter Hickman join the team for 2017, with the hopes of podiums being not too far away. Hickman took victory in the first round of last season and I’m sure that Rebecca Smith wouldn’t mind a repeat performance, should ‘Hicky’ be able to do it for her at Donington Park.

Team WD40 are still on the grid in 2017, fielding former race winner Tommy Bridewell. Martin Halsall’s team didn’t stay in the BSB class for 2017 so Tommy needed a ride. It was a last-minute deal that saw the #46 sign for Brent Gladwin’s outfit at GR Motorsport. Having had a tricky few seasons in the championship, Team WD40 deserve some luck and deserve some real success. Bridewell could be the rider to do it. He made the Suzuki look amazing last season (despite it being seven years old) and could do the exact same this year. The team have an all new Kawasaki ZX10 to play with, so keep your eyes open for the blue and yellow machine making headway through the field.

Riders Motorcycles BMW once again has Martin Jessopp on board. Phil Jessopp runs the outfit and his ambition is a repeat of 2016, just with more top 10 finishes. It could be a tricky year for the team but with Martin’s experience and success, who would bet against another relatively decent campaign.

Aaron Zanotti again lines up on the BSB grid this season. 16th place was his best result last season and will be looking to return to the points in 2017. He is about as privateer as they come, being both the rider and owner of the Platform Hire Yamaha team. The Loughborough based rider is eager to get on with 2017.

Gearlink Kawasaki are once again in the series for 2017, with James Westmoreland returning to the championship after having a title challenging season in British Supersport last year with Keith Flint’s Traction Control Yamaha team. A podium in 2015 is Westy’s best success in the British Superbike class and will be looking to put Gearlink Kawasaki in a regular point-scoring position for 2017.

There’s a new team in the championship for 2017, with Buildbase Suzuki giving British Supersport sensation Bradley Ray an opportunity at the big time. Bronze medallist in last year’s British Supersport championship, this year will be the first time he has raced a 1000cc superbike. Brad will take time to adapt but believe me, the lad has some incredibly scintillating pace.

So that is the incredibly strong line-up for 2017 and we will be bringing you all the action, news and interviews this season. Who will win the opening race of the season and which lucky six will make it into the showdown? Never has BSB had so many fast riders and never has it been so competitive. What a year we are in for.

A big thank you to our wonderful British Superbike photographer, Gareth Davies. Not only does he supply this image but he supplies us with thousands of images from all over BSB. He is very high up with certain teams and riders and even Tommy Hill has one of Gareth’s images framed. Find him on Facebook here.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Josh Brookes: We Have To Win

As British Superbikes approaches its launch off this weekend at Donington Park, Josh Brookes returns hungrier than ever before, declaring that victory is a must for him and the Anvil Yamaha Racing Team. The Australian returns to the series after a difficult year with Milwaukee BMW, who like Josh, made a switch to WSBK from BSB after their 201t title success with Yamaha.

“The last five days I’ve ridden on a bike, four of them have been in the wet so rain seems to be the consistent factor as of late, said Brookes who is determined to get some dry weather rides in this weekend at Donington Park.

“I’m happy with the bike in the conditions I have ridden it in, but it’s no way to gauge the performance of me or the bike as it’s just been bad conditions. It’s certainly no yardstick, so we’ll just have to wait for better weather. Josh didn’t win at Donington Park when he visited the track in his championship year. In fact, he hasn’t won at the track since doing the double for TAS Suzuki back in 2012.

“I don’t feel frustrated about it, that’s just the facts. Logic states that better weather would have been more suitable to our preparation and we just haven’t had it. It’s the same for everyone, everyone wants to get out and start riding properly. We have to win, the plan is to win, that is our goal and that is what everyone wants to start the season of on a high.”

Whilst Josh returns to the championship, the Milwaukee team he was in have stayed in WSBK. Brookes does return though to a Factory supported Anvil Yamaha team and on a bike which is virtually identical to the one he rode to victory 13 times in 2015.

Whether Josh will win instantly is yet to be discovered, seeing as he has never won any of the first three races of a season he competed in. Having said that, he hast been on the podium 12 times from 28 attempts in the first two rounds of a year since 2009, highlighting that consistency may be key for those all-important podium points, which contribute to the amount of points added on to the standard ‘500’, should he reach the showdown placings.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Haas Australian Grand Prix Review

March 30, 2017

Haas F1 Team had a less than ideal day at Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix as both cars suffered retirements due to reliability issues but perhaps a weekend with a silver lining and lessons to be learned.

Romain Grosjean had qualified a team best 6th position for the race. After starting well holding off the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz, Grosjean was running in 7th behind the Williams of Felipe Massa before a water leak finished his race on lap 13.

““I suddenly lost a lot of power. I told the guys, then the next thing I knew I had to slow down the car. It’s a pretty disappointing result, but again, right now I’m hot and we’re all disappointed to lose a seventh-place position, but the car was there in qualifying in P6. The start wasn’t ideal, so we need to improve that. I felt I was faster than the Williams, so there’s huge potential in the car.”

Kevin Magnussen had a worse weekend, qualifying 17th after running wide at turn 12 of his flying lap. Contact with the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson on the first lap gave him front wing damage putting him well behind the field after pitting and eventually retiring 11 laps short of the finish with suspension failure. Despite this, Magnussen seemed to take more positives from the Grand Prix.

“We changed the front wing and then I went for a long test session to feel the car and learn a bit more about it, which was good. It feels good and the car is fast. That’s the really positive thing from this weekend. The car is there. We just have to make it finish and score points.”

Something to watch out for; the issue with Brembo brakes, the teams Achilles heel from last season. It was not an issue for the Australian Grand Prix but may pop up on circuits that are more brake critical. In pre-season testing Gunther Steiner said the team had already been evaluating alternatives and would be capable of switching suppliers during the season.

Coming away from the Australian Grand Prix, I’m cautiously excited. The VF17 is clearly very fast, enough to compete with the Williams and Force India perhaps but reliability problems need to be fixed immediatey to capitalize on early points before said teams and the McLarens and Renaults of the world with bigger budgets spend rapidly on R&D with no token program for 2017 to catch up.

Lowes looking for podiums as Aragon approaches

Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes has shown much optimism ahead of this weekend’s Aragon World Superbike round, which kick-starts the European section of the championship. Lowes is currently 4th in the championship with 49 points and is just 13 behind Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back on my R1 and kick-starting the European season. Aragon is a track I really enjoy, and I believe we can continue our good start to the season there”, said Lowes, whose best result there is an 8th place picked up last season.

“My goal is no less than to be challenging for the podiums now, I am confident that if the Pata Yamaha team and I do our job in the Friday practices then we have a good chance to be there!”.

Lowes got a double top 10 finish at the track last season and with a new found confidence in the Yamaha for 2017, a partly reversed grid could propel him to his first podium in WSBK for over a year.

Yamaha haven’t particularly gone well at Aragon in the past, with just one win in the first ever WSBK race held at the venue back in 2011 when Marco Melandri won from pole position.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Zarco: It’s Part of Being a Rookie

Early race leader Johann Zarco has been magnanimous in defeat after a crash on Sunday took him out of the lead of the race. Zarco was on course to become the first French premier class winner since Regis Laconi in Valencia in 1999 but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

“Despite the end result, I am happy and it was so good to lead the field in my first race”, stated the double Moto2 champion.

“We had a longer warm up because there wasn’t any action on Saturday. The track was not perfect, but my feeling was very strong and my grid position, which was 4th, was close to the top.” Zarco was looking to become the first rider to win a race for Tech 3 Yamaha and to get their first podium in over a year.

Johann continued, saying that he wanted to take the opportunity he was presented with when he realised that he wasn’t far from the front. “Just before the start, the procedure was disrupted because it rained twice and there was a delay. When the GP finally commenced, I was focused and I could see that I was not far from first so I wanted to take the opportunity to do well.”

“I know that my starts are strong and I overtook some good riders at the first corner and I then got into a consistent rhythm. I kept pushing but on the sixth lap, I decided to relax, and maybe I went off the racing line a little bit and then I fell at the second corner”, said Zarco, who had pulled out a 1.7 second lead before he hit the deck.

However, despite the heartbreak for Zarco and let’s face it, the whole of France, Zarco remained upbeat that he has gained valuable experience. “This is a shame but we are always on the limit and I still need to learn the category so this kind of mistake is part of my lesson as a rookie in MotoGP. I am happy in the end, it’s a pity about the result but it’s important for my confidence and I am excited for the Argentina round”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Rossi: The Secret Is My Team

Valentino Rossi put in a great ride on Sunday evening from a diabolical 10th on the grid to reach 3rd, racking up his 222nd podium in all forms of GP racing. The veteran Italian overcome a tricky pre-season and build up to race day and now has a solid platform to build on.

Valentino began by thanking his team, saying how the support and trust helps to his performance. “My secret is my team, it’s Yamaha. We never give up and we always keep up our concentration. I always feel the support and the trust from all the guys around me, which is great.”

The 38-year-old nine time champion also said how he had already settled when he got to 5th place. ”We know our potential and we know we have a great bike and race rider. Sincerely, when I was in the top five I already said “this is OK”, but arriving on the podium is something even better.”

The Doctor continued, saying, “I’m very happy to start the season like this, because the podium is always better and like was said, it comes after a difficult period. We have to continue like this. This result is very good for us, both for our feeling and also for the technical side, because we now understand a lot of things.”

Rossi has two weeks off now to prepare for a track which he won at in 2015, with Termas De Rio Hondo coming up for the Argentine round of the championship. Rossi has scored the most points out of any rider on the grid in Argentina, with 58 accumulated over the past three season. Next up in joint 2nd is Marquez and Zarco, who have 50 (including Zarco’s 2 wins in Moto2).

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

MotoGP Qatar GP Review: Vinales Reigns in Desert Storm

 

Maverick Vinales backed up his pre-season form by taking the win at the Qatari Grand Prix at Losail on Sunday evening. The Spaniard repeated Valentino Rossi’s achievement of winning first time out on the Yamaha, after coming from as low as 5th to beat Andrea Dovizioso. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put in a super-human effort, coming from 10th on the grid to finish 3rd. This makes it the first time that the Factory Yamaha team have had a double podium at Losail since Lorenzo and Rossi achieved a 1-2 in 2013.

The race got underway after a delay of around 40 minutes, as the weather – like on Saturday – proved to be havoc for the premier class. Andrea Iannone got the drop on the field, as the Suzuki breezed into the lead. However it was Johann Zarco who made an aggressive start by swerving across the track to take 2nd position, ahead of Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso. Pole-sitter Vinales was 5th with Dani Pedrosa leading Valentino Rossi and Alvaro Bautista in 6th, 7th and 8th.

At turn six on the opening lap, it was Johann Zarco who took the lead. Barging his way passed Iannone who in turn was lifted up by Marquez. The incredible sight of a Tech 3 Yamaha leading and if we’re honest, it wasn’t the one we had expected through pre-season given Jonas Folger’s incredible form.

As the race progressed, so did the Frenchman, opening up a 1.7 second advantage over the battling Dovizioso, Iannone and Marquez. However, disaster was about to strike for the #5. Into turn 2, Zarco’s front end washed out, dumping the Frenchman unceremoniously on the deck as his Tech 3 Yamaha bounced through the Qatar sandpit. The success was only short-lived but Zarco was a hero in Qatar. He’s made his mark and will be up the sharp end regularly very soon. The crash came as BT Sport’s Keith Huewen said, “So then, Zarco’s leading, Dovizioso in 2nd”. A true commentators curse if ever I’ve heard one.

Dovi was now the race leader and my five pound bet with a chef at my workplace suddenly started to have a little bit more meaning. Dovi wasn’t escaping though, with Marquez, Iannone, Vinales and a rapidly-closing Rossi all in pursuit. Alvaro Bautista was a solid 6th on the Aspar Ducati. I say “was” for a reason. The Spaniard crashed out at the final corner but like Zarco, Bautista has made his mark and will be in that top 10 on other occasions this year.

You’re probably wondering where Jorge Lorenzo is. Having run off the track at turn four on lap one, he found himself down in 15th, although the five-time champion was recovering, up to 8th at one point. He was in a ferocious battle with Dani Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro who was riding the wheels off the Aprilia on his debut for the team.

Back at the sharp end and there was another casualty. On lap 11, Andrea Iannone’s front tyre also decided enough was enough, putting the feisty Italian on the deck at turn five in the middle of the corner. He and the bike stayed together until they both reached the gravel trap and for the 2nd consecutive season, Iannone crashed out of the Qatari GP whilst looking on for a podium at least.

Vinales was closing the gap to Dovizioso too and Valentino Rossi had also caught Marc Marquez as we came to the end of lap 11. Rossi took Marquez for 3rd at turn 15 and although Marquez fought back, Rossi had the inside for the right handed turn 16. The Doctor was third from 10th on the grid and given his woeful pre-season form, I’d say that was pretty remarkable.

Vinales took the lead from Dovizioso on lap 13, as Rossi closed ever so slightly on the leading duo. Dovizioso had chosen the soft front tyre option but that was starting to wear. Behind Rossi and a remote 4th belonged to Marc Marquez and behind that, Aleix Espargaro had got passed Dani Pedrosa and was in 5th position.

Dovi retook the lead on lap 18 but it was to prove pointless, as Vinales fought straight back, holding on for the remaining two laps to take the victory. Dovizioso took 2nd place for the third consecutive season and it was Valentino Rossi who took third – becoming the oldest rider on the podium since Australian Jack Findlay won the Austrian Grand Prix of 1977, which was boycotted on safety grounds by top riders. 4th place went to Marquez who just held off Dani Pedrosa and a heroic effort by Aleix Espargaro, who took Aprilia to new heights as they achieved their best ever MotoGP result! Britain’s Scott Redding capped a great weekend with a late charge to 7th ahead of Jack Miller in 8th, with rookies Alex Rins and Jonas Folger completing the top 10. Jorge Lorenzo suffered a terrible start to his Ducati career as he finished 11th, just a second-or-so ahead of Frenchman, Loris Baz, who continues to recover from injuries sustained last season. Hector Barbera, Karel Abraham and Esteve Rabat rounded out the points.

A scintillating start to the MotoGP season with four different leaders at one point in the race. Comebacks through the grid and shocks in the top 10, how can you not want to watch MotoGP in 2017? The next round is the Argentine Grand Prix from the Termas De Rio Hondo circuit. For the last two seasons, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez have done battle so will it be the same again in 2017 or will we see a changing of the guard?

By @MotoGPKiko

@PitCrew_Online

Red Bull Racing, Australian Grand Prix Review

Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.
Saturday 25 March 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _ONY1887

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo had a weekend to forget in home grand Prix at Albert Park.

The Australian crashed in qualifying which meant he started from tenth on the grid: “That was a tough one today. I don’t crash into the barriers often and the last place I want to do that is at home.

“I feel I crashed for the right reason, as I was basically pushing and trying to find the limit and things happen, so let’s say I’m not disappointed by the approach, it was just more of a frustrating outcome, starting 10th instead of being under the top 5.”

Things did not get any better for the home favourite as he suffered issues with his car that caused Ricciardo to not complete the race, Red Bull principal Christian Horner said: “A really frustrating start to the race with Daniel having a problem with what looks like a sensor on the gearbox stopping the car in sixth gear on the formation lap.”

Max Verstappen had a solid but unspectacular race as the Dutchmen finished fifth:” The start was really good but it was just a shame that out of turn one I had dirty air ahead of me, this allowed Kimi to stay on the outside and get in front of me again.

“From then on the pace wasn’t too bad, I could follow him pretty well which was a nice surprise and I had no pressure from behind me. It was positive to see we weren’t that far from Ferrari and Mercedes over a full race distance, this was a concern this morning but I’m relieved now to finish within touching distance.”

Dominic Rust

 

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