On Sunday afternoon, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will take to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit to decide which of them will take home the honour of being 2016 Formula One World Drivers’ Champion.
The matter of who has the real advantage heading into the final round is still very much in question. Points-wise, the ball is clearly in Rosberg’s court – at twelve points clear, all the German has to do to prevail overall is finish on the podium, regardless of whether his teammate wins the race.
But with Hamilton on a three-race win streak and the Red Bulls an ever larger presence in Mercedes’ mirrors, Rosberg’s lead is hardly the most comfortable of margins for a driver closing on his first title. So, in search of a little clarity, we’ve taken a look back at the Mercedes duo’s respective results books, to see how they’ve fared in Abu Dhabi in the past – and what indications that might give for Sunday.
In terms of raw statistics, a direct comparison between Hamilton and Rosberg is impossible – after all, for four of F1’s seven years racing in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton was driving race-winning McLarens whilst Rosberg fought in the midfield pack with Williams and Mercedes.
As such, it’s not too surprising that Hamilton’s results during this time considerably eclipse Rosberg’s, with one win, one second place, and two mechanical retirements from pole position. Even without a like-for-like comparison, such a scorecard would suggest that Rosberg would have to have an exceptional affinity for the Yas Marina Circuit to even come close to Hamilton.
And yet, on comparing results from their time together at Mercedes, it begins to seem as if Rosberg might actually have the edge over Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.
The pool of examples is admittedly small – the 2014 race, in which Hamilton won whilst Rosberg was confined to fourteenth after his ERS failed, can hardly be called representative – but there is nevertheless a trend in the German’s favour in recent years.
Even with his two poles in 2009 and 2012, Hamilton has been trumped by Rosberg in every Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying since he joined Mercedes: in 2013, Rosberg headed Hamilton on the second row of the grid, and in 2014 and 2015 beat the Briton to pole by the best part of half a second each time.
At a track where overtaking opportunities are already at a premium, a qualifying record like that should already be enough to give Hamilton pause for thought this weekend – not to mention the fact that Rosberg also came out ahead in each of those races (bar 2014), coming home third to Hamilton’s seventh in 2013, then taking the chequered flag with an eight second gap to his teammate last year.
Of course, the trend of past results means very little when it comes down to race day itself – take Hamilton defying Rosberg to take his first Brazilian Grand Prix victory last time out, for example. But even though Hamilton is more than capable of outqualifying and outracing his teammate in Abu Dhabi this weekend, it’s hard to ignore that, with both the lead in the standings and his track record at Yas Marina, it will take something remarkable to deny Nico Rosberg his first World Championship on Sunday.
Red Bull have rediscovered their form of old as they have performed admirably to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship with one race to go.
Max Verstappen’s podium finish in Brazil made sure the Milton Keynes team finish behind Mercedes.
With the 19-year-old driving superbly after his promotion from Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso, he has shown he has the temperament to challenge Mercedes in 2017.
“Of course it is the last race of the season and I think we can look back and be very happy with 2016,” said Verstappen. “There is plenty of work to do for next year with the regulation changes and I think everyone is excited to see the new cars so I can’t wait to get started.”
Daniel Ricciardo qualified in fifth in last years’ end of season race and he will be hoping for more of the same in Abu Dhabi. He said:
“I have always gone well on the track at Abu Dhabi, it’s been really enjoyable in the past, especially the last sector underneath the hotel, that’s great fun. It has a bit of a street circuit style to the layout which I enjoy. I had my first ever Formula 1 test at this track so it holds good memories and has generally been good to me. “
There had been a feeling in the air prior to the Brazilian Grand Prix that the mystery box challenge of the Interlagos track could offer Sauber F1 their first points of the season. On Sunday, that feeling turned into reality as Sauber put aside the struggles of 2016 and celebrated the lifeline of a points finish.
A TALE OF TWO RACES
It serendipitously fell to Brazilian Felipe Nasr, who has had a bad year by his own admission, to bring home the C35 in 9th place and 2 points which takes the Swiss team above Manor in the Constructors Championship and a potential £30 million payout in 2017 if they remain there after the season ender in Abu Dhabi.
The race itself could best be described as organized chaos with multiple red flags in dreadful conditions and multiple crashes as the Brazilian weather lived up to its reputation. While the entire team celebrated the success, it was a tale of two races as Marcus Ericsson crashed out early while on intermediate tyres.
The Swedish driver had up to this point in the season looked the more likely to score Sauber’s points, coming painfully close in Mexico with an excellent 11th place. Ericsson, like many others in the field stopped early to switch to intermediate tyres and looked well on to push for points until a slight touch of the white line before the main straight saw him crash heavily, with the car coming to a rest across the pit entry.
Ericsson, long considered one of the best team players in F1, promised that we would see a “Swedish driver on a mission in Abu Dhabi:
“I am very disappointed. However, Felipe did a great job today scoring two very important points for us. This is great for everyone in the team. I will fight back at the final race of the season at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.”
The day however belonged to Nasr who, one a different strategy, remained on the wet tyres and running high up in the points before the multiple stops thereafter. Despite the relatively less engine power of the C35, he held firm for much of the race, only dropping to 9th place toward the end. He was ecstatic:
“I have no words to say how happy I am at the moment. When I saw the weather forecast for today, I knew it could be an opportunity. The opportunity came, and I was ready to go for it. We did an exceptional job today. The team was great informing me about the track conditions, while I was giving them my feedback. It was a tricky race, as the track conditions were very difficult at some points. In the end it was just an incredible feeling”
An emotional Monisha Kaltenborn underlined the importance of these points for the team and fans around the world, many of whom had feared that the Hinwil based outfit would not have made it through this 2016 season.
Abu Dhabi is a very different challenge from Brazil and Sauber would only need to finish ahead of Manor to secure 10th place in the championship. The intervention of Longbow Finance and the possibility of FOM finances next season will go a long way to assuage the fears of the team.
But that is 2017, and for now Sauber are basking in the glory that was Brazil 2016.
It’s the end of an era… Volkswagen are leaving… The current type of cars are being pensioned off…
The team that have won the last four world titles will want to go out on a high though. There is a real battle going on for second in the drivers’ standings as well. Thierry Neuville, Andreas Mikkelsen and Hayden Paddon can all finish in that position. There’s just 14 points between Thierry and Andreas, with Hayden a further 3 points away!
These are the stages that await the crews on this WRC Finale!
Friday’s Stages
07:56AM SS1 – UTUNGUN I
08:12AM SS2 – BAKERS CREEK I
08:40AM SS3 – NORTHBANK I
09:48AM SS4 – NEWRY16 I
10:41AM SS5 – RACEWAY SSS I
01:10PM SS6 – UTUNGUN II
01:26PM SS7 – BAKERS CREEK II
01:54PM SS8 – NORTHBANK II
03:02PM SS9 – NEWRY16 II
05:00PM SS10 – DESTINATION NSW SSS I (TV)
05:08PM SS11 – DESTINATION NSW SSS II (TV)
Saturday’s Stages
08:28AM SS12 – NAMBUCCA I
09:37AM SS13 – VALLA 16 I
10:37AM SS14 – RACEWAY SSS II
01:16PM SS15 – NAMBUCCA II
02:25PM SS16 – VALLA16 II
04:48PM SS17 – DESTINATION NSW SSS – III
04:56PM SS18 – DESTINATION NSW SSS – IV
Sunday’s Stages
07:43AM SS19 – SETTLES REVERSE I
08:06AM SS20 – BUCCA 16
09:38AM SS21 – WEDDING BELLS16 I (TV)
12:15PM SS22 – SETTLES REVERSE II
01:08PM SS23 – WEDDING BELLS16 II (POWER STAGE)
A total of 312.32 km of action over the three days awaits them all! Here’s the views of the drivers before this iconic rally.
Volkswagen Motorsport
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“It is a strange situation for everyone at Volkswagen Motorsport. The announcement of our withdrawal from the World Rally Championship at the end of the year was not the way that we, as a team, wanted to celebrate our fourth title. We will now contest our final rally together in Australia. When I look back at the last five years, I do not only think about the success we have enjoyed together. I am grateful to have worked with such great people at Volkswagen. We have formed genuine friendships over the years. I can only hope that I see as many as possible of them again. The final rally with Volkswagen – that sounds crazy. However, I am sure I will be able to put this out of my mind during the rally. Although my starting position is not exactly promising, I will do everything in my power to ensure that we have something to celebrate together again after our final outing in Australia.”
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“Last week’s news was far from pleasant. It is very difficult to comprehend the magnitude of this decision in such a short time. I can only repeat that I will always remember the time at Volkswagen Motorsport. The many great moments mean a lot to me, and I would like to thank everyone in the team. It is now my duty to focus fully on the season finale in Australia again. I am really determined to do well in my last rally with Volkswagen, and will push hard to try to challenge for the win. My season has not been easy, so a good result in Australia would be doubly nice – particularly as a farewell present to the team.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“The Rally Australia will be very emotional, as we all know that it is the final race for Volkswagen. The team has become very close to my heart. I am very grateful for the great time together, and really want to bid farewell with a good result in Australia. That is also important for Anders and me, because we want to take back second place in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ World Championship from my friend Thierry Neuville. To do so, we must go for the win. However, this will not be easy, as we will be third onto the special stages. Despite this, we will apply pressure from the word go and give it our all. The biggest challenge at the Rally Australia are the sections with fast corners, which are hard to see. A rally in the jungle – that is the best description. I am certainly very motivated and looking forward to Australia, as I really like driving there.”
Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Ola Fløene (NOR) Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2015) WRC Rally Australia 2015
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville commented: “We all love coming to Australia and it will of course be extra special this year as it is the last rally event on the calendar. Compared to Wales, the conditions will be very different. The gravel here can be a bit more abrasive and the temperatures will be much higher, so it will be a completely different challenge for both us and the car. It’s great to come here in the fight for second place. Both Nicolas and I are really looking forward to trying to finish the season on a high note!”
Hayden Paddon said: “Australia a special rally for us as it’s as close as it gets to being at home. We’re really looking forward to having a lot of Kiwis and maybe even a couple of Aussies supporting us. We’re in a really great position overall and I’m sure we can end the season on a real high. We’re going to be pushing really hard. I really enjoy the stages and the surface. We want to put ourselves in position to fight for the win. We want to put on the biggest show that we possibly can and give it our best shot.”
Dani Sordo commented: “I am very excited to be coming to Australia again. It is a really nice area for rallying and a great place to finish the Championship. We had a difficult rally in Wales and we couldn’t manage to get the best out of the car or ourselves. We want to bounce back that’s for sure. I know what we are capable of on gravel with this car. As it is the last race, we will of course try to get the best possible result and end the season on a positive note. We are involved in a close battle in the Drivers’ Championship, too, so it will be an exciting season finale.”
“Every year I enjoy coming back to Australia and the unique challenges that it has to offer. It really is like nothing else in the championship – so different to anything else we experience throughout the year.
“The character of the stages changes quite a lot and we often switch from very wide, open roads to tight and twisty sections in the forests. Recce is really important. You need to keep the rhythm in your notes and have every tree and rock noted. It’s a big challenge to end the season.
“The event is a little later this year so we’ll have to see how that affects the advantages and disadvantages of running order. Generally, it’s better to be further back, but there is also a risk of hanging dust which can be really challenging so we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.
“It’s strange to think that I’ve only contested this event twice before, but we will give it our all and always want to achieve the best possible result.”
Éric Camilli said:
“I’m really looking forward to experiencing another new rally and discovering all of the challenges that Australia has to offer. This is my first time at this event so there will be a lot to learn, but we’re really looking forward to it. From what I’ve seen, it looks like a fantastic rally with amazing scenery and stages.
“As with any new event, the pacenotes that we make on the pre-event reconnaissance will be really important. Thankfully, we have made a big step forward in that area this year. Our pacenotes have progressed a lot over the past 12 months, and next week’s event gives us an opportunity to put everything into practice.
“We want to end the season on a high, but it is also important to complete all of the stages and gain maximum experience. I believe that we have already shown the speed that we can be capable of, so we’ll just take each stage as it comes and aim to build on our performance throughout the weekend.”
D-Mack WRT
Ott Tänak said: “Rally Australia is a special event and one that I really like. It’s a real mix of conditions and a proper challenge. The wide, hard roads are fast and flowing – really enjoyable to drive on. Then in the forests it’s really tricky and you have to be careful, especially with the changes in shade and light. I’m looking forward to it.”
Here’s a list of the former winners of this event.
2015 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia
2014 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia
2013 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia
2012 Event not held
2011 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen
2010 Event not held
2009 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen
2008 Event not held
2007 Event not held
2006 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen
2005 François Duval Sven Smeets
The fascinating battle will begin on Friday morning…. Who will win down under?
Sergio Perez (MEX) Sahara Force India F1 VJM09. Brazilian Grand Prix, Sunday 13th November 2016. Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Despite missing out on podium chances for both cars, Force India has branded its Brazilian Grand Prix performance “a victory” after a strong double points finish all but seals their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
With Sergio Pérez finishing just off the podium in fourth and Nico Hülkenberg recovering from a puncture to seventh, Force India leaves Interlagos with twenty-seven points in hand over rivals Williams, who failed to score after Felipe Massa retired and Valtteri Bottas finished down in eleventh.
That means that, with just one round remaining, Williams would have to finish second and fifth at least in Abu Dhabi to end the year in fourth, even if Force India fail to score. If the latter finishes the final round in seventh and eighth – as the fourth fastest team ought to – Williams would have to win the race and get their second car on the podium as well.
Force India’s deputy team principal Bob Fernley said that carrying such a lead into the final round is “a fantastic reward for an excellent job by the entire team.
“With such difficult track conditions, just getting both cars to the finish [in Brazil] is a victory and to have both in the points takes us a good step closer to achieving fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.”
James Matthews
2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship. Marrakesh ePrix, Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, Marrakesh, Morocco. Saturday 12 November 2016. Sebastien Buemi (SUI), Renault e.Dams, Spark-Renault, Renault Z.E 16, celebrates in Parc Ferme. Photo: Alastair Staley/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image 585A4976
Sébastien Buemi has continued his winning start to the 2016-17 Formula E season with victory in the Marrakesh ePrix, but it was Mahindra’s Felix Rosenqvist who stole the spotlight on race day.
Building on his promising Hong Kong debut, Rosenqvist hit the ground running in round two by fending off the likes of Buemi and Sam Bird as he flew to a maiden pole position in only his second ePrix. This put the Swede in the prime seat to command the race, and after seeing off Bird long before the braking zone for the first corner, Rosenqvist looked set to disappear into the Moroccan sunset.
But even after gathering a gap of several seconds in the opening laps, Rosenqvist’s lead was far from safe. Behind him, Buemi was making rapid progress as he sought to overcome the grid penalty that relegated him from second to seventh, and was clearly not prepared to bank on attrition helping him to the lead as it did in Hong Kong.
After taking a gifted position from teammate Prost, Buemi reeled in and passed Daniel Abt on lap 8 before joining the back of the battle for third between Nelson Piquet and Jean-Éric Vergne. Piquet then fell on lap 12 as Buemi’s Renault out-dragged the NextEV on the straight down to Turn 7.
Further up the road, Rosenqvist had opened up his lead to five seconds from Bird, who was forced to back off to defend from former teammate Vergne. Bird eventually yielded second easily as he conserved energy for a longer first stint – but by then their battle had allowed Buemi to draw up tight behind, and when the Swiss driver stayed out a lap later with Bird he was just close enough to pass the Briton and lead him into the pits on lap 17.
Now holding a net third, Buemi was restored to his original qualifying position of second when Vergne was hit with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. With the road then clear ahead of him, the championship leader set his sights on the win.
Using the advantage of both his conservative first stint and his extra FanBoost power, Buemi cut down Rosenqvist’s lead with six laps to go – going around the outside at Turn 11, Buemi assumed the lead without contest and cruised home to take his second win in as many races.
But the pressure was still not off for Rosenqvist, as Bird took advantage of the Mahindra’s depleted energy reserves to steal second place with two laps remaining. Nevertheless, the Swede still had enough time in hand over fourth-placed Nico Prost to end the Marrakesh ePrix in third, his first Formula E podium.
Meanwhile, after serving his drive-through penalty Vergne emerged behind Prost and began a heated battle for fifth place with Lucas di Grassi. The Brazilian had been having a difficult race without the pace to challenge the leaders, but managed to pass Vergne’s Techeetah in the end.
The demands of fighting at the front on an aggressive energy strategy then hit Vergne as they did Rosenqvist, and before the chequered flag the Frenchman had fallen to eighth place behind Daniel Abt and Oliver Turvey. Nick Heidfeld, unable to match his teammate’s speed in Marrakesh, came home in a quiet ninth place, and DS Virgin’s José María López took his first Formula E point in tenth.
Andretti, Venturi Dragon and Jaguar ended the race with both cars outside of the top ten, though Dragon still picked up a solitary point with Loïc Duval, who finished three laps down in eighteenth place but set the fastest lap before the end.
I could describe the Brazilian Grand Prix in just two lines, these lines would be like:
Rain, Safety Car, Race, Safety Car, Red Flag, Safety Car, Red Flag, Safety Car, Verstappen flies, Hamilton wins the race.
Then I decided to say a few more words about the race, which my opinion is that it was one of the most boring and excited, at the same time, races in Formula 1.
Hamilton qualified first on Saturday’s qualifying session and started the race from the pole-position. The stewards, after a ten minute delay, decided to start the race behind the Safety Car, which automatically gave an advantage to Lewis Hamilton.
Nico Rosberg qualified behind his team-mate and he simply wanted to avoid any contact with other cars. When the race started, Nico lost his second place from the young Max Verstappen, but not for long.
The Dutch passed Rosberg on lap 32, but a few laps later, Red Bull Racing decided to pit Max Verstappen and gamble with the intermediate tyres. The weather had different plans from Red Bull. On lap 48, Felipe Massa crashed on the pit straight and the safety car deployed once again. The track’s conditions after the heavy rain were not ideal for intermediates, hence Red Bull called immediately Verstappen in the pits and swapped back to full wets.
On the same lap, Red Bull did the same with Daniel Ricciardo, but the Australian received a 5-second time penalty, because he pitted when the pit lane was close.
Verstappen re-joined 13th and it was when he started to dance in the rain. The Dutch, recovered and from the 13th place he moved up to third. Max Verstappen was dancing with the wet tyres, it was impossible for anyone to stop him or catch him. Felipe Nasr and Esteban Ocon didn’t want to risk their places and picked not to fight. With two laps remaining, Sergio Perez was third, but then he saw the Dutch in his mirrors. Checo, tried to defend his place, but Max had other plans. Verstappen passed the Mexican after a wheel to wheel battle and finished third behind the two Mercedes.
Max proved once again that if he keeps his head down and work hard he will become one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1.
Sauber was one of the biggest winners in Brazil. Felipe Nasr, after a great drive secured the seventh place for Sauber and scored their first two points of the season. It was a good day for Felipe, he scored his first points in his home race. With these two points, Sauber is now ahead of the Manor in the championship with only one race to go. Marcus Ericsson crashed on the pit straight on lap 8 and retired.
Despite the delays, the safety cars and the red flags, the Brazilian Grand Prix were one of the best races of the season. I know that the life of the drivers was at risk, Kimi Raikkonen avoided the worst when he crashed on the wall same with Felipe Massa when he stopped at the pit entry, but the conditions were hard and they proved why their salaries are high.
Final turn of the championship will take place in Abu Dhabi. It will be Hamilton’s last chance to make the comeback and Rosberg’s time to show how much he want to become world champion for the first time in his F1 career.
Victor Archakis F1 Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @FP_Passion
Max Verstappen produced one of the drives of the century in terrible conditions as he finished third in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
On race day in Sao Paulo it was raining and the safety car was deployed four times as Romain Grosjean, Marcus Ericsson and Kimi Raikkonen all lost control of their cars due to the standing water on the track.
Felipe Massa crashed in the entrance to the pit lane which forced the safety car to come out again and his walk back into his garage enabled the crowd and pit crews to salute him in his last Brazilian Grand Prix.
Verstappen was called to the pits as a result to change from intermediates to the grippier full wet tyre, although he dropped to 14th position. What happened next will be considered one of the best examples of wet weather driving in Formula One history.
The 19-year-old quickly passed Esteban Gutierrez followed by team-mate Ricciardo. Daniil Kvyat and Esteban Ocon were his next victims then Felipe Nasr and Niko Hulkenberg.
Verstappen dispatched Vettel on lap 56 then overtook Carlos Sainz but the Dutchman wasn’t finished there. He produced an outstanding overtake manoeuvre on Sergio Perez at turn 10 to claim his seventh podium finish this year two laps from home. He said:
“There was no way we could carry on [on intermediates] so had to pit again for wets. From there on the race was really good fun, plenty of overtakes around the outside because if you stay behind them there’s too much spray, I had to find another line. I just kept my head down and managed to get past quite a few cars in the remaining laps.”
Daniel Ricciardo finished 8th which secured Red Bull’s second position in the Constructors’ Championship.
“With Daniel finishing in eighth place that secures our second place in the Constructors’ Championship, which is a quite a feat,” said Christian Horner.
“We’d like to dedicate this race to the memory of a very valued member of our team, Mark Simpson, who we unfortunately lost after a difficult illness earlier in the week. ‘Simo’ as he was known to us, was an important part of our team and I’m sure he would have enjoyed what we saw from Red Bull Racing today.”
Johann Zarco took his first steps towards a life filled with racing when he began competing on minibikes in Italy, finishing second overall in 2005 and 2006. He then joined the Red Bull Rookies Cup during its inaugural year in 2007 and became their first champion, with four victories and seven podiums in eight races. Two years later, the pilot from Cannes, France made his debut in the 125 World Championship with the WTR San Marino Team, where he ended the year in 20th position – improving to 11th the following year.
In 2011 the Frenchman evolved, jumping to the Avant AirAsia Ajo Derbi team. The new combination conquered ten podiums together, pushing for the 125 title until the end. In Motegi, just four races from the season finale, Zarco took a career first victory – but finished second to Spaniard Nico Terol in the Championship. His solid performance earned him 262 championship points and also got him a ride in the Moto2™ World Championship with Team JiR in 2012.
It was not an easy rookie season for Zarco aboard the MotoBi, but he was near the podium on several occasions, including the Portugese GP. He ended the year with 95 points; inside the top ten. 2013 saw him join the Came Iodaracing Project mounted on the more competitive Suter frame and that saw Zarco deliver on his potential with two podiums – a third in both Mugello and Valencia. Again, the Frenchman became a rider to watch.
For 2014 Zarco joined the new Caterham squad, riding a revised Suter frame. It was a mixed season with four podiums and several crashes, especially during the early part of the year. Then in 2015 came the turning point, as Zarco rejoined Aki Ajo under the Ajo Motorsport banner in the Finn’s newly formed Moto2™ team – on much-desired Kalex machinery. Aside from Qatar, 2015 was a year without fault and at round three in Argentina, Zarco took his first win in the class. He took the Championship lead, and it subsequently grew with each round. Repeated triumphs were repeatedly celebrated with a trademark backflip, with a highlight of the season proving his run of three wins from the Czech GP to the San Marino GP. It was in Motegi, where he took his first victory back in 2011 on the 125cc Derbi, that Zarco was crowned the 2015 Moto2™ World Champion.
2016 has been less straightforward. It was Garage Plus Interwetten’s Tom Luthi who kicked off the year in charge of the Moto2™ title standings, as the Swiss rider took victory in Qatar – but Zarco was quick to reassert his position as reigning Champion as he took the win next time out. Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) was the man with the toughest start to the year off the podium– but Texas saw the Spaniard rule the Circuit of the Americas to take his first victory of the year, and the fight was on.
Zarco went on an incredible winning spree throughout four of the fives races from the Catalan GP onwards, and after his win in the Austrian GP, was 34 points clear at the top of the Championship – but then the dominoes began to fall. Brno saw the Frenchman on pole in the dry but struggling on race day in difficult conditions, before a battle with Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) for the podium at Silverstone sent both off towards the gravel trap. Lowes fell, Zarco rejoined, and the Frenchman was given a 30-second time penalty for the incident, which classified him in P22 – one place behind re-mounted Lowes with neither scoring.
Zarco had a good race at Misano, finishing the race in P4 from pole, but the Aragon GP the following weekend was a difficult one for the reigning Champion; qualifying in P5 and finishing the race eighth. It was another small gain for Rins in the title fight, leaving the two rivals only one point apart at the top and seemingly confirming a two horse race as the flyaways approached.
Zarco was then back on the podium at the Twin Ring Motegi as late-charging Championship challenger Tom Luthi took victory, before the Frenchman had a difficult weekend in Phillip Island outside the top ten and Luthi was the key rival once again, taking a stunning photo-finish win. Zarco then had a new rival in second in the title fight, with the Frenchman 22 points clear of Luthi as the paddock headed for Sepang.
After a weekend of challenging track conditions in Malaysia, Zarco took his second crown. Beginning the race from a pole position that had seen him over two seconds clear of his closest rival in qualifying – Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) – Zarco started the rain soaked race cautiously before choosing his moment to pounce for the lead. Once ahead and on clear track, the Frenchman simply disappeared – taking another victory to cap off the twists and turns of the 2016 title fight in amazing style. Crossing the line with a wheelie despite the wet, the Frenchman and a body double celebrated with two trackside backflips to mark the Ajo Motorsport rider’s record second title. And a record result it is, as Zarco becomes the first Frenchman in history to win more than one world title in Grand Prix racing, the first man to defend the Moto2™ title since its introduction in 2010, and the first man since 3-time MotoGP™ Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) to retain the intermediate class crown – 10 years after the Mallorcan’s first 250 title in 2006.
Six wins and another crown: the 2016 Moto2™ World Champion is Johann Zarco – with the Frenchman now gearing up to move into the premier class with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in 2017.
The 2016 MotoGP™ season finale already has its place in history secure. The curtain call for a new era as half the grid move teams, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing make their debut, and the history-making 2016 season draws to a close, the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana is primed for another incredible end-of-season party. And after a history-making Malaysian GP, there’s that chance of a tenth winner.
No one could have imagined an honour roll with nine names on it when the season began. But that’s the incredible outcome of a truly historic season in the premier class of Grand Prix racing, after Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) became the ninth different winner of the year in Malaysia.
With the Championship wrapped up, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will be one of the first attempting to assure victory in Valencia for one of the nine who have already won this year. An error in Phillip Island when the pressure was off followed by an easy mistake to make in Malaysia mean the newly-crowned 5-time World Champion will be fired up as the paddock gets back on home turf – but so will the only other men to have won at the venue in over a decade: Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team).
Lorenzo especially will be out for glory. Trying to secure third in the Championship and looking to end the season on a high, the race also sees the end of an era for the Mallorcan before he moves to the Ducati Team. After 3 MotoGP™ World Championships, 43 race wins and 106 podiums before the Spaniard’s final race in Yamaha colours approaches, the relationship is one that has played a key role in defining an era of MotoGP™. With wins at the track in 2010, 2013 and 2015, Lorenzo’s last dance in blue could be one to remember.
Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) has a more difficult record at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo but, having secured P2 in the Championship in Sepang and finished the tough race on the podium, the Italian’s focus is solely forward and he has a point to prove behind enemy lines once again – having already spoiled the hometown party in Jerez and Catalunya, and staged a stunning fight through the field in Valencia in 2015.
As Lorenzo leaves the other side of the Yamaha garage, Rossi’s 2017 teammate will be another out for glory at home. Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is already a winner in 2016 at Silverstone, and will want to close out his incredible run with Suzuki as far towards the front as possible. With weather less likely to make life harder for the Hamamatsu factory machines, Viñales and teammate Aleix Espargaro will have their sights set squarely on the podium once again – at least – as they prepare to say goodbye to Suzuki.
Dani Pedrosa is the other man, along with Lorenzo, who has an incredible record at the track – but isn’t yet sure whether he will be fit to return after his highside in Motegi and collarbone break. Hoping to be able to contest the round on home turf, the venue will be a kind one for Pedrosa if he makes the grid – another of those circuits that sees his name penciled on a trophy before arrival, like Sepang: a race Pedrosa sat out.
Sepang winner Andrea Dovizioso will be one to watch after his incredible ride in Malaysia on a roll of good form, as well as teammate Andrea Iannone – who is another of the many on the grid whose future lies down a different path. His last race for the factory Ducati Team, after taking their first win since 2010 in Austria, will mean the ‘Maniac’ is sure to put on a good show once again. A frontrunner in Malaysia despite his ongoing recovery from cracked vertebrae, Iannone was back with a bang in Sepang.
After Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) crashed out in Malaysia, Valencia gives the Brit his final shot at securing the title of Top Independent team rider in 2016 – with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro the only one in mathematical distance of the Brno and Phillip Island winner, and counting on home support. Espargaro is another of those who will be moving teams in the end of season shuffle – this time to KTM – and is set to remain alongside current teammate Bradley Smith in 2017.
The eyes of the world will be on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in the season finale. Their first appearance, with test rider and GP winner Mika Kallio on board, will be the first benchmark for the Austrian factory as they prepare to line up on the grid full time next season – with a reputation for winning built on their incredible success in Moto3™.
Whatever hand Valencia deals for the season finale, one thing is sure: 2016 has been one for the record books – or more accurately, it’s rewritten them.
The final call for 2016 goes out at 9:00 local time on Friday (GMT +1), with lights out for the race on Sunday at 14:00.
