MotoGp

4th March 20184th March 2018

Qatar Test Report: Honda And Ducati Turn Up The Heat

Preseason testing was concluded this week at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar. From the previous two tests in Malaysia and Thailand we knew that the expected protagonists for 2018 – Honda, Ducati and Yamaha – were all strong over a single lap and low fuel runs. This week, all attention was focused on fine tuning performance over high fuel run, race simulations. With so much activity going on across the competition, here’s a breakdown of the performances from each manufacturer.

HONDA

Marc Marquez (Respol Honda): Best Lap Time – 1″54.591

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): Best Lap Time – 1″54.774

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol): Best Lap Time – 1″54.457

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu): Best Lap Time – 1″55.539

Franco Morbidelli (MarcVDS Honda): Best Lap Time – 1″56.074

Thomas Luthi (MarcVDS Honda): Best Lap Time – 1″56.295

In the immediate aftermath of February’s test at the Chang International circuit in Thailand, Marc Marquez declared that the RC213V needed to improve the engine performance under acceleration – or risk losing significant ground to the factory Ducati machines. After three days’ testing under the lights, a positively beaming world champion suggests that the team have duly delivered. Although never setting the outright fastest time at any point this week, the real evidence of progress lay in the metronomic consistency in Marquez’ race simulation runs on Friday afternoon. The reigning world champion turned in a longest run consisting of 17 laps with averaging lap times around the 1’55.4-6 mark. Whilst a handful of riders did record the occasional faster lap during their race simulations, nobody has the relentless consistency of Marquez. A clear signal of intent from the Spaniard, and an ominous warning shot to the rest of the competition.

There was an equally impressive display on show this week from LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow. The British rider was one of a select group who took to the track during the middle of the day. Officially just to help clear the racing line of dust and sand that had been blown in from the desert, but he wasn’t averse to setting a serious benchmark time either for the rest of the class. Following the conclusion of the test, Crutchlow jested that the Honda now has too much power and were having to “try and tame” the engine through the corners. His team mate, rookie Takaaki Nakagami continued to adapt and improve to life on board a MotoGP bike. Although he was never going to feature with the more experienced HRC trio at the top of the standings, the Japanese rider has been rightly praised for his work ethic. His team manager, Lucio Cecchinello, keen to emphasise that the data the Moto2 graduate has collected for the team (and the wider HRC operation) has been invaluable.

DUCATI

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”54.331

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”54.692

Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”54.659

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”54.749

Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”55.347

Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”55.300

Tito Rabat (Avintia Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”55.465

Xavier Simeon (Avintia Ducati): Best Lap Time – 1”55.943

Hot on the heels of the race pace of Honda, and narrowly leading over a single lap, Ducati once again had a solid test.

Andrea Dovizioso will have every reason, going into the first round, to expect he can go one better than last year and be the 2018 MotoGP world champion. Of course, so will his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard has looked much more like his old self this winter (aside from a difficult test in Thailand), being consistently closer to his teammate – both in outright lap times and average long runs. Both riders have expressed their satisfaction with the bike and the efforts the team have made. Dovizioso going further by declaring that: “We’re a title contender from the beginning, for sure”.

The Desmosedici GP18 looks to be the rarest of Ducati creations – it does not seem to have any particular weakness. It is still a missile in a straight line, highlighted this week by the 1 kilometre long main straight at the Losail circuit. In past seasons, the clear weakness of the machine has been unresponsive handling through long, medium speed corners and an often volatile throttle pick up upon acceleration. By all accounts, the latter has been completely resolved. There is still some work to do regarding the cornering performance of the Ducati, which explains why the team sent their riders out on more fairing comparison tests – one bike would be in ‘standard’ fairing mode, whilst the other would be equipped with the latest version of the ‘wing fairing’. Dovizioso openly prefers the standard fairing at most venues, Lorenzo prefers the aerodynamic wings. Both ran almost identical race simulation pace on the final day of testing. Over a single lap, Dovizioso’s best time of the week suggests that they might be the team to beat during qualifying. Race pace simulations suggest that they are on average around 0.2 seconds adrift of the Honda riders.

The development of the Ducati has undoubtedly been helped by incorporating the satellite team (Alma Pramac) into the factory effort. With both riders, Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller working under Ducati Corse contracts (rather than just Pramac Ducati) the Italian manufacturer’s pool for data gathering has doubled. Both Petrucci and Miller are also on GP18 machinery this year, and have consistently backed up the factory riders’ times across the board in testing. Nowhere was that more in evidence than in Qatar this week during the race simulations. All four GP18 bikes consistently lapped around the 3.34 mile circuit, averaging lap times between 1”55.5-1”55.8.

YAMAHA

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha): Best Lap – 1″54.276

Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha): Best Lap – 1″54.471

Johann Zarco (Tech3 Yamaha): Best Lap – 1″54.029

Hafiz Syahrin (Tech3 Yamaha): Best Lap – 1″55.273

In complete contrast to the fortunes of Honda and Ducati, Yamaha – specifically the factory Movistar Yamaha team – appear to have endured a torrid three days in the desert. Over a stint on low fuel, the YZF-M1 looks like it potentially has the beating of all of its rivals. This has been demonstrated throughout the winter with Maverick Vinales romping away with headline times at Malaysia, and Johann Zarco reaping a similar result in Qatar this week. The Frenchman’s best time was comfortably quicker than what anyone else managed all week.

This at least should give Yamaha some hope in their 2018 bike as the potential of the machine is clearly visible under low fuel loads. A clear move by the the manufacturer to ensure their bikes are capable of starting from the front row more regularly this year. In fairness, it was a problem which needed addressing. Grand Prix victories are hard enough to achieve when qualifying at the front – next to impossible when having to start from the third row. However, there is now a serious concern that their endeavours to improve the bike over a single lap has cost them dearly over a race distance.

Handling appears to be a problem, with particular emphasis on a lack of stability at the front end. In the official review show ‘After The Flag’ which is produced by MotoGP each night following the sessions, Vinales’ interviews regularly bemoaned a ‘lack of grip and feel’ upon the bike’s entry into corners. Not being able to feel how the front tyre is behaving forces the rider to guess the grip level he will have through the corner – essentially he has to push blindly and trust the bike won’t fold beneath him. At the very least it seriously hinders a rider’s ability to deliver to true lap time. Rossi tried – his longest stint of the test being 11 laps, but lap times fluctuated considerably between 1″55.9 and 1″56.6 across the stint. Maverick Vinales did not attempt a race simulation on Friday. His longest run consisting of only 7 laps.

SUZUKI

Andrea Iannone: Best lap time – 1″54.586

Alex Rins: Best lap time – 1″54.650

One team who will be undoubtedly pleased with how testing went in Qatar – and indeed throughout the winter – will be Suzuki.

Iannone has been fast throughout the week, regularly visiting the top of the time sheets and exploring the ample run areas at turn 1. The latter can be explained by the team testing out different brake settings on Thursday. Friday was spent chasing the headline lap times, as both riders completed numerous short runs between 3 and 5 laps at a time. Iannone set his best time of Friday’s session, ensuring he finished the day with the fastest time of the field.

Rins was not far off his team-mate on low fuel pace. However he came into his own on the final day, setting his best time in the early afternoon before embarking on two lengthy race simulations. As expected, the Suzuki bike is looking to be a little way behind the performance of Honda and Ducati. At best, Rins’ average pace hovered around the 1″55.8 marker. Nevertheless it was consistent and, crucially, Rins did not drop the bike in any of the numerous gravel traps. No time lost repairing the bike, maximum time spent gathering precious data for the engineers. Compared to where they were this time last year, Suzuki can head into the 2018 season confident of being competitive from the start.

KTM

Bradley Smith (KTM Factory Racing Team): Best Lap Time – 1”55.179

Pol Espargaro (KTM Factory Racing Team): Best Lap Time – 1”55.489

Mika Kallio (KTM Factory Test Team): Best Lap Time – 1”57.218

The newest manufacturer in MotoGP have continued to defy all expectations, and continue developing their machine at a pace which more than matches several of their rivals. In Qatar this progress was once again very much in evidence.

Bradley Smith shouldered the majority of the workload for the Austrian factory team this week after Pol Espargaro was forced to sit out Friday’s session due to injuries sustained earlier in the winter. The British rider completed 160 laps (534.4 miles) over the three days for the team. With such a heavy workload however, any plans for qualifying simulations were promptly consigned to oblivion – especially after Espargaro’s withdrawal and bad weather scuppering the first half of Friday. The revised program saw Smith concentrate solely on race setup and completing numerous long fuel runs, whilst test rider Mika Kallio was called up to experiment with various new settings on Friday.

As such, the raw pace potential of the KTM was never truly revealed. However, the improvement of the bike – and the sheer consistency of Smith’s riding – was clear. Even though they did not trouble the headline pace setters, the fact that the team ended the test only 1 second behind the fastest time – and within a few tenths on projected race pace – indicates just how competitive this team have become in such a short space of time.

APRILIA

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Team Gresini): Best Lap Time – 1”55.232

Scott Redding (Aprilia Team Gresini): Best Lap Time – 1”55.595

Quietly going about their business, the Aprilia Gresini team turned in an impressive 373 laps across the test’s three day duration. That equates to a staggering 1245.82 miles of data collected for the Italian outfit. If nothing else we know for certain that the 2018 Aprilia machine is far more reliable than its predecessors, with both riders having completed multiple race simulations this week. With the new found confidence in reliability, the team could focus their attention on other performance improvements. A lack of power through low gear corners is one such problem which the team spent much time working on this week.

Although the fastest laps of both riders pale when compared to the other factory teams, it is worth remembering that Aprilia operate on a fraction of the budgets their rivals have at their disposal. As such, the development rate of the RS-GP will always struggle against the RC213V or the M1. A fact which was not lost on either of Aprilia’s riders this week. As Scott Redding summed up: “We are constantly working on several fronts because we are developing the new bike. We could have been a few tenths faster on our time attack but, to be honest, I think that we have other priorities at the moment.”

The 2018 FIM MotoGP World Championship begins with the Grand Prix of Qatar, March 16th-18th.

26th February 201826th February 2018

Champion Commits to Honda

The reigning MotoGP world champion, Marc Marquez, today signed an extension to his contract with the Repsol Honda factory team. The new deal commences as of today and expires at the end of the 2020 season. It also silences the growing rumours that the 25-year old was eyeing a move across to KTM for next season.

Marquez’ decision to extend his stay with the team should not come as a surprise to anyone. After all, Repsol have supported him throughout his Grand Prix career ever since he made his debut in the old 125cc class at Portugal in 2008. All of Marquez’ six world championship titles – 125cc (2010), Moto2 (2012, MotoGP (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) – have been with the support of the same sponsor. In a sport sometimes known for the egotistical tendencies of many of its leading stars, Marquez’ decision to stay demonstrates a refreshing sense of loyalty. That trait was very much in evidence during his statement when the extension was announced:

MM: “I’m proud to race a member of the Honda family, and I appreciate how Honda always do their best to provide me with everything I need. I would also like to thank everyone who has given me such warm support over the years. The first two official tests went well and, with my contract renewed, I can concentrate on racing in the new season. I will continue to enjoy racing, share my joy with everybody, and do my best to achieve our shared goals.”

There may well come a day when Marquez feels his relationship with Honda has gone as far as it can, and seek a new challenge with another team. Valentino Rossi moved from Yamaha to Ducati in 2011 to attempt to become the first rider to win three premier class titles with three different manufacturers. Jorge Lorenzo switched in 2017 to try and win the championship with a second team and mould them around him. Marquez has the effort of HRC concentrated on him, much in the same way that Rossi had with Yamaha between 2004-2010.

There is no doubt that Marquez is a superstar of the sport – and indeed the whole racing world – but the careers of top class motorcycle racers tend to be much shorter than for other sports. A fact which cannot be ignored when it comes to a contract negotiation.

There is no doubt that Marquez has the potential to win more world championships. Perhaps he may even go on to pass Rossi’s total of 9 titles. To do that, one cannot afford to waste years on noncompetitive machinery. KTM, despite their brilliant debut season are still very much a developing team. Suzuki, whilst capable of consistently finishing inside the top 10 places, lack the budget of Honda or Yamaha. This is a crucial factor when the championship becomes as much a race to develop the bike, as it is a race on track. Ducati have the resources to compete with Honda and Yamaha but, as Lorenzo is proving, requires a rider to completely rework their riding style to control the bike.

As such, for the immediate future, Marquez sees Honda as the team that has the best chance of helping him achieve more world championships.

Ultimately, everything else is an after thought.

As long as both rider and team continue to achieve those “shared goals”, why should they look to part ways any time soon?

19th February 2018

MotoGP Thailand Test 2018

The MotoGP circus arrived in Thailand for the Championship’s first exploration of the Chang International Circuit – new for the 2018 season – and for the second official test of the 2018 preseason, following the Sepang test two weeks ago.

That Sepang test gave opportunities for the manufacturers to test some new items, and discover the strengths and weaknesses of their 2018 machines. Ducati’s official riders, Jorge Lorenzo and 2017 title challenger Andrea Dovizioso, got their first tastes of the GP18 which test rider Casey Stoner had described as having no negative points. That claim was backed up by the consistently impressive pace of both Lorenzo and Dovizioso over the three days in Malaysia, culminating in a new lap record for the Spaniard on the final day. Still, coming to Thailand, Ducati had some new things to try: notably a new chassis, updated from that used at Sepang, and two new aero fairings. For Andrea Dovizioso, there was a positive outcome after testing the new parts. He declared himself a happy man after day two in Buriram, stating that, although the new chassis and fairing did not offer the sort of ‘spark’ to cure completely Ducati’s traditional turning problems, the speed he was able to show with any combination of 2017 and 2018 parts was a positive sign. The positivity on the #04 side of the Ducati garage continued into Sunday, although Dovizioso managed only seventh in the combined times from the three days, as he claimed at the end of day three that the base setting he has is a good one, and that he is able to be fast in all the circuits.

In comparison, it was not such a successful test for the other side of the Ducati box, with Jorge Lorenzo struggling on the first day with gearing issues, and then a problem with the chassis in his first bike on Saturday. Come Saturday afternoon, the Spaniard had a new chassis, but now an ill-tempered engine, which was down on power. On the final day, Lorenzo switched back to the 2017 chassis in a hope to rediscover some confidence, and also to compare more the GP18 and GP17. In the end he admitted that the 2017 bike has some advantages over the 2018 machine, but that he would pick the new bike to race if he had to today as it has more potential. Still, Lorenzo finished the final day in Thailand down in 22nd place, owing to his lack of want to make a time attack lap on Sunday, as many of the rest of the grid did. It has to be said that the Qatar test in a few weeks will be a crucial one for Lorenzo, as he is still missing a lot from the 2018 bike, and if he is to challenge for the title this season, he will need to solve his issues as soon as possible, considering the searing pace of some of the other front runners.

In addition to that, Danilo Petrucci might just fancy himself to knock one of the nine’s off the front of the second Ducati next season. The Pramac rider announced before the Sepang test that 2018 will be his last season with the Ducati satellite team – Petrucci is looking for a factory ride and, at 27-years-old, the ex-Superstock rider is not exactly befitting of a Ducati ‘junior team’ ride, from the perspective of either him or Ducati. Although Lorenzo took the headline time in Malaysia on the final day, Petrucci has been at least within range the Spaniard on each of the other five days. It is true that Petrucci’s teammate, Jack Miller, has perhaps overshadowed the Italian so far with his impressively quick adaptation to the Ducati, but it is worth pointing out that the Australian is on year-old machinery, with twelve months of data prepared. But Petrucci, on the third brand-new GP18, and with the option of a factory contract should he meet certain expectations, is surely now putting pressure on Lorenzo for his seat, and the performance of Jorge in Thailand will do Danilo’s case no harm at all. And, in any case, Petrucci was less than two tenths behind Dovizioso in the combined times, and like his compatriot did not try for a fast lap. The seemingly brewing duel between Lorenzo and Petrucci for the second Ducati seat could be quite interesting in the first part of the season.

Over at Yamaha, things began well in the Sepang test, and the factory pairing of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi even ended the second day in Malaysia 1-2. But in the four test days since that Yamaha lockout, the Tuning Fork has struggled with rear traction, notably on acceleration. Yamaha’s rear traction is becoming something like Ducati’s turning: forever plaguing them, and forever without a fix. In 2017, Yamaha tried a plethora of different chassis’ to try to make the rear tyre grip, but there was no consistent solution. This year, they arrived in Sepang with a new chassis, that both riders seemed to like, Rossi in particular. As a result, Yamaha are now focussing almost exclusively on the electronics to find some traction. It is without doubt, and in fact admitted by Yamaha, that Honda and Ducati have found something in the spec electronics since 2016 that Yamaha have not, and for Yamaha it is crucial to resolve this missing jigsaw piece if they are to challenge for the world title this season. Rossi has admitted that it is unlikely that Yamaha will solve the problems before the start of the season at the end of March, but what could pull them out of the hole they are currently inhabiting, at least in the short term, is the cooler temperatures in Qatar, thanks to the Grand Prix there being a night race.

One positive for Yamaha is that Rossi claimed to have found something at the end of the final day in Thailand, but made a mistake at the end of a good lap. He made a 1’30.5 as his best time, but reckons a 30.2 could have been possible without the mistake. Even still, this time would have put him five tenths behind the headline time of Dani Pedrosa. Additionally, as Vinales pointed out, one lap on a new tyre for the M1 is somewhat okay, but after that the pace becomes a lot worse. And, even though Rossi claimed to make a step on the final day, Vinales said the same thing after day two, but on Sunday continued to struggle, both for pace and direction. This, combined with the sudden drop off on Sepang day three, shows that Yamaha have also carried their other 2017 trait into the new year, that being inconsistency, which implies that the 2018 M1 is just as much on a knife edge as its predecessor. And, of course, all of this is made worse by the fact that Johann Zarco, on the Tech 3 bike (with the 2016 or 2017 chassis), has been competitive on all six test days so far. In fact, in Thailand the Frenchman was the only rider to stop Honda taking the 1-2-3 as he posted the second fastest time over the three days.

Zarco attributes his pace to his imitation of Jorge Lorenzo’s style when he rode the M1. It has been noted by many that Zarco’s throttle application is almost second-to-none in terms of smoothness, but perhaps his decision to return to the 2016 chassis after the Sepang tests has a deeper reason than just Zarco’s inexperience in MotoGP, and the amount he would have to learn to continue with the 2017 frame. Throughout 2017, Valentino Rossi claimed that the M1 no longer felt like an M1, that it had lost some of its traditional characteristics, notably its ability to carry corner speed. It was this characteristic which was critical for Yamaha, and propelled it to most of its success – the M1 has never had particularly good acceleration, but it was always able to get away with it thanks to its high corner speed. That was a characteristic which Zarco exploited superbly in 2017 with the 2016 chassis thanks to his ultra-smooth technique, and perhaps with the 2017 version in Sepang he felt unable to replicate that. Additionally, lower mid-corner speed means that harder acceleration is necessary, which stresses the rear tyre more. Honda and Ducati can get away with this because they understand the Magnetti Marelli ECU quite well, and a lot better, it seems, than Yamaha. This explains why Yamaha struggle over one lap, because they are cutting the power so much because the understanding of the electronics is not what it needs to be, and also why they struggle over a race distance, because the higher stress on the rear tyre caused by the lower corner speed leads to excessive wear, which further exaggerates the electronic deficiencies. In short, Yamaha have two options: they can try more chassis’ to make allow for more corner speed, or they can solve the problem electronically. Considering the praise heaped on the new frame by Valentino Rossi, whose feedback has been publicly announced as more valuable than Maverick Vinales’, it seems the second option is more likely. Contrarily, Vinales claimed the new chassis is too soft. The conflicting styles at Yamaha will not help development, meanwhile Zarco was the fastest Yamaha with the 2016 chassis, even though Vinales too tried it on the final day. Time is running out for Yamaha, quickly, and their problems only seem to be increasing. In addition to the on-track problems this could cause, it may even dissuade Rossi from renewing with the team for 2019. “The Doctor” has always maintained that he will continue in MotoGP as long as he is competitive and enjoying riding, but an unpredictable motorcycle yielding few podiums and many disappointments for a second consecutive year might persuade him to call time.

Very much on the contrary, Honda have probably had the most successful 2018 preseason so far, and probably their best since 2014. In Sepang they understood that the two engines they had were both positive, and just needed to understand whether the more aggressive, more powerful one would hinder them on tighter circuits, and in cooler temperatures. In Sepang they also had a new aero fairing, following a similar philosophy to Ducati, with the ‘hammerhead’ or ‘hamster cheek’ style. For Thailand, they had a revised fairing, which was essentially a toned-down version of the one they used in Sepang. Both riders reported little difference, but were positive about both versions. On the engine front, Marquez was still cautious after day one, in summary suggesting that whilst the engine seemed good, the heat could be tricking them, just as in Sepang. It must be said that it seems that Honda and Marquez have learned from their 2015/16 experiences, when they picked engines which were powerful and aggressive, because they worked at Sepang, which is hot; and Phillip Island, which is fast and wide-open. In essence, whilst Marquez looks by far the strongest rider at the moment, neither he nor Honda are getting ahead of themselves.

The final HRC piece came out on Sunday – a new, carbon swingarm. Dani Pedrosa, who set the fastest time on the final day to top the whole test, was content, if cautious. It was his first time trying a carbon swingarm, and noted that this meant it was difficult to understand if he was using it correctly. This means that it is something he is keen to try more in the future, and he seems to think there is potential in it. As for Marquez, he explained that there is more grip with the carbon swingarm, but that it is less stable with a used tyre. One of the traits of a carbon swingarm is that it moves more harshly, due to the increased rigidity compared to the more common aluminium, and this creates a more aggressive rear feeling. It is interesting to note that, when Speed UP ran a carbon swingarm in Moto2, they suffered the most in hot conditions. It will therefore be interesting to see the performance of the Hondas with this new part in Qatar where it should be cooler than Thailand.

The pace of the factory Hondas was backed up by the LCR machine of Cal Crutchlow, who ended the test 0.283 off the top time of Pedrosa, missing the 1’29s by just 0.064 seconds, and meaning that only Zarco prevented a Honda top 3 lockout. Honestly the signs coming from the 2018 Honda, particularly the one with the #93 on it, are worrying for the competition. It could be 2014 all over again.

One of the things Honda have improved over the winter, it seems, is the rideability of the RC213V. Jack Miller departed the Marc VDS team over the winter and claimed the Ducati he switched to turns better than the Honda he left behind – a remarkable statement. Equally, Tito Rabat jumped on the Avintia Ducati for 2018 and has all of a sudden turned into a MotoGP rider, such was the difficulty of the old Honda, even with the big bang engine of last year. The 2018 bike, though, seems like a different story, with rookies Franco Morbidelli and Takaaki Nakagami both ending the Thailand test within one second of Pedrosa’s top time. In fact, Nakagami ended the test in the top ten, and Morbidelli was just one place, and just over a tenth behind his mentor, Valentino Rossi. Even Tom Luthi, in just his second MotoGP test, was only 1.5 seconds off the top time, and less than half a tenth behind the factory Aprilia of Scott Redding.

Still, probably the standout rookie from this test was the temporary-for-now replacement for Jonas Folger, Hafizh Syahrin, who ended the test ahead of both Karel Abraham and Xavier Simeon, and only 1.756 seconds off the top time. And on top of that, he made improvements every day, despite a crash on day two. As job interviews go, it’s probably fair to say that this was a good one by the first Malaysian to ride a MotoGP bike.

Suzuki had a positive test. On the first day, Alex Rins set the second fastest time of the day, and Andrea Iannone experienced is best day aboard the GSX-RR. Come the end of day three, and Rins was fifth on the combined times, having confirmed positive feelings from the new, Ducati-style aero fairing on day two, and Andrea Iannone was suffering on one lap, but on race pace was quite positive, as was his outlook for the development direction. The Qatar test will be very interesting with respect to Suzuki, because it looks as though they might be back to the level of 2016, or at least somewhere close.

As for Aprilia, their testing plans are somewhat hindered by the lack of a new engine which is unlikely to arrive before the Qatar race. It was discussed a lot last year, especially by Aleix Espargaro, that the RSGP excels on corner entry, and also the mid-corner, but struggles for acceleration on the exit. The problem is different to Yamaha’s, at least for now, as the Noale manufacturer is simply lacking low-down power at the moment. But, of course, there is always the threat that the addition of power can lead to negatives for the handling. But, with that said, praise had been heaped by both Aleix and teammate Scott Redding on the new chassis Aprilia have been using since Sepang. The improvements from Noale were backed up in Thailand by the RSGP’s speed in the second half of the lap, which is very tight and twisty. Of course, the problem arrives in the first sector, which is essentially a pair of drag strips connected by a bland, second gear hairpin. Still, the Gresini-Aprilia camp remains positive, and with the new engine arriving hopefully in time for the Qatar race, 2018 could be an extremely positive season for them.

In Sepang, all three of the KTM riders complained that, whilst the latest edition of the RC16 is an improvement in the mid-corner compared to its predecessor, the 2018 bike has suffered on corner entry in comparison to last year. Although the team was missing Pol Espargaro for Thailand, due to injury, Bradley Smith was happy after the second day that the corner entry issues had been resolved with some setting changes. Also, in typical KTM style, there were many things for both Bradley Smith and Mika Kallio to test in Buriram, such as a couple of new aerodynamic solutions, some new electronic setups and chassis refinements, and improvements were found in all areas. With Espargaro hopefully able to return for the Qatar test, the development should increase even further. At the end of last season, KTM were making regular appearances in the top twelve and even a few in the top ten, and they look right on course to start challenging for the top eight this season.
All in all, the Thailand test was enlightening, and showed us some of the things which perhaps Sepang disguised. Many teams have a lot of work to do, and others some small refinements. There are three days of testing left in Qatar in the beginning of March for teams to do the final preparations for the beginning of the season, and there is no doubt they will all be crucial. After that, it’s race time.

Image copyright & Images, curtsey of Redbull contentpool

15th November 2017

Petrucci praises ‘Season full of Sensation’

Danilo Petrucci finished the 2017 MotoGP season with a 13th place in the race, giving him 8th overall in the championship. He finished as the top ‘Independent’ Ducati, 49 points ahead of next best Ducati rider, Alvaro Bautista, whilst finishing just 13 points behind Jorge Lorenzo of the factory team.

“It was a season full of satisfaction. We have experienced great emotions that I will remember forever,” said the Italian, who took four podiums throughout a highly successful campaign for Paolo Campinoti’s team.

“I have an extraordinary team that I want to thank for the work done throughout the season. A special dedication to all those who have contributed to achieving these results,” he concluded.

Petrucci finished the season with a superb four podiums – more than Jorge Lorenzo in the Factory team. The Italian also had four front row starts, however, there were no poles.

13th November 2017

Marquez: The race was exciting and intense – a bit ‘Marquez Style’

Marc Marquez has praised his Honda team after taking their 4th MotoGP Championship together. The Spaniard almost threw away the championship with another front end moment at turn 1, however, he saved the big from crashing, running through the gravel to rejoin in 5th.

“I’m living a dream. ‘Six Titles’ are big words. The truth is that I’m incredibly happy because we worked so much this year and today the race was incredibly tense and exciting—a bit ‘Marquez Style.’ I made a mistake, but I also made my best save of the year. From that moment on, I just tried to finish the race in a good position.

“I’m sorry that Andrea didn’t finish the race, as he deserved to do so. He had an incredible season and I would have liked to have him on the podium with me today. The key to the year has been our mentality. In our world, it’s very important to remain positive and motivated during the difficult moments. Some things happened to us at the beginning of the season but when we found the way to sort things out, everything went better.

“Congratulations to Honda and the entire team for the Triple Crown. It’s an amazing achievement. Winning the title at the last race of the season in front of our fans is one of the best things possible. Now I want to enjoy this with my entire team and my family and after that, we’ll start to work for next year.”

The result means that ever since joining the MotoGP class, Marquez has been on the podium. He is the youngest rider to win six championships and is the first rider to win four championships for Repsol Honda.

10th November 201711th November 2017

The End of an Era

Image Courtesy of BT Sport MotoGP Launch

It is the end of an era. There is nothing better than turning on your TV and being welcomed by the same voice or face, or switching over to your favourite sport and being introduced by a regular, passionate, informative presenter. In commentary, it is the same, especially when you’ve listened to the same voice for the best part of 25 years, across numerous formats. You get a sense of more than familiarity but a sense of trust, like you are one of the family. As if they are in the same living room as yourself.

There is one partnership who seemingly go above and beyond that of just being regulars. Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder were reunited in 2014, when BT Sport took over the British rights to broadcast MotoGP. Whilst some may complain at their ‘bickering’ or as I’d rather put it, ‘debating’, I believe they are synonymous with MotoGP and indeed motorcycle racing in general. For years, the partnership has brought British viewers an in-depth, passionate and entertaining outlook on motorcycle racing, which has gained both of them incredible popularity, respect and appreciation. However, this weekend will be the last time that we hear the dulcet tones of Julian, who steps away from the MotoGP paddock at the end of the season.

Whilst he commentated on the early 90s Grand Prix era, where himself and Keith first found each other in the same box, at Eurosport, it wasn’t until the two went to Sky Sports that they found big fame in the UK. Not only did they commentate on the best Superbike racing in the series’ history, on household names such as Carl Fogarty, Frankie Chili, Aaron Slight and Troy Corser etc, but they became household names themselves. They were the two most entertaining, yet informative, motorcycle racing broadcasters that we in Blighty had been blessed with.

It is sad that Julian is going but the day was always going to come in some way, shape or form. No commentator lasts forever; no iconic public figure lasts forever. However, we talk as if he is leaving the sport, sitting at home and reading The Guardian for the rest of his days. Julian is far from retiring, he’s leaving because of the amount of travel which is required to do his job. He will be heard in some form I’m sure.

A personal thank you from me too. As an aspiring commentator, it was ‘Keith and Jules’ who gave me that desire in the first place. I wanted to be able to talk about something that I enjoy watching and have a bit of a laugh whilst doing it – like them – and thankfully, that is beginning to happen – so thanks for that desire. Julian, thanks for the mentions on the TV and thanks for the wonderful insight into many things that only someone of your experience and passion could pass on.

I only met Mr. Ryder a couple of times but those couple of times were enough to confirm my thoughts that he is one of the most enthusiastic and knowledgable characters within our sport.

So, in the words of Frank Sinatra, ‘the end is near’. But only in MotoGP – the paddock may lose Jules’ services but he will be around – he really IS NOT retiring.

BT will keep Keith Huewen and the rest of the team for next season. Although, like I said at the start of this tribute, it is the end of an era. There will be no more ‘Keith and Jules’. That partnership will be done and dusted after Sunday. Just let it sink in for a moment. The irreplaceable chemistry and incomparable irrepressibility from commentary’s most dynamic duo will be in the history books. It’s a bit like a collocation – you can’t have one without the other; it just doesn’t sound right.

From the 90s to now, thanks for the amazing commentary and your excellent end of season books, Julian. It has been a pleasure to endure both. MotoGP really won’t be the same without you and I speak on behalf of hundreds and thousands of people on the UK on that.

Cheers mate.

10th November 201710th November 2017

MotoGP Valencia Preview: The Grand Final

The final round beckons for MotoGP in 2017. A season that has seen five winners and one of the best head to head duals in years has arrived at the last setting. Valencia in Spain offers the 18th and crucial conclusive meeting of the year, with the chance to witness one of the most heroic battles in a last round Grand Finale. Marc Marquez needs 11th or better to win the championship, regardless of where challenger Andrea Dovizioso finishes. The Ducati rider in turn must win if he is to stand any hope of winning the championship, something that very few people had thought about prior to 2017. Will we see the expected result or will Valencia throw up one of the all-time greatest shocks in motorcycle racing history… again – remember 2006?

Marc Marquez is in control of the championship. He has been dynamite since winning in Germany, finishing either 1st or 2nd at each GP – with the exception of two races: Silverstone, when an engine fault literally blew his chances of winning and in Malaysia, last time out – where he was 4th. Those results mean that whilst Marquez is all but champion, he is exactly that. The championship is not yet sewed up and one mistake, like we saw with Valentino Rossi in 2006, sends it all tumbling away. By mistake, I mean that it doesn’t have to be his own. Valencia has seen pile ups at turn 1, turn 2 and turn 14 before now, meaning it could be someone else’s accident that brings him down. Equally, weather could play its part and give Marc an unexpected scare. Or, dare we say it, another mechanical? However, all things look in Marc’s hands. Not only is he in control of the title race but he has great form in Valencia. In 2012, he won the Moto2 race from the back of the grid and he also won in MotoGP 2014, from 5th. He was 3rd in 2013, giving him his first premier class title, whilst he finished a close-run 2nd in 2016. Marc hasn’t crashed at Valencia in the race since 2009 in the 125cc class, when he remounted and finished 17th. Can the run continue? He hasn’t had back-to-back 4th place finishes since Silverstone and Misano last season but don’t forget, 4th is more than good enough.

Andrea Dovizioso has put in a valiant effort in 2017, emerging from the pack as the only rider able to chase down Marc Marquez. A credible threat? Absolutely. He has beaten up Marc Marquez in last-lap, last-corner fights and has the potential to do that again this weekend. Is he a realistic threat? It all depends what you talk about. I personally believe that he can win the race, to become the first Ducati winner at the circuit since 2008, in the Stoner era. However, it is a mountain to climb to win the championship. Dovi can only do what he can do, he has to go out to the front and win the race. That will be his ‘job done’. Similar to Valentino Rossi in 2015, where he did what he could and got to 4th, leaving it in the hands of the motorcycle Gods to see if he would become champion from there. Dovizioso has never won at the circuit before and his best result on a Ducati was in 2014, in 4th. If he does win, it will be his 7th win of the year, the most Ducati have had in GP since Casey Stoner, exactly 10 years ago. Can Dovi do it? Realistically no, theoretically yes. Having said that, remember 2006…

Maverick Vinales can’t take 2nd in the championship now, having had a disaster in Malaysia which saw him languish in 9th. Vinales will be 3rd in the championship, as teammate Valentino Rossi cannot catch his new partner. Maverick will be looking to achieve Yamaha’s first win in the 2nd half of the season, an astonishing statistic. The Yamaha rider has won at the Ricardo Tormo circuit before, in 2011 on a 125cc bike and in 2013, in Moto3 – the latter of which was a titanic scrap between himself and Rins for the championship.

Valentino Rossi heads to a circuit he absolutely despises. It was the scene of his big crash in 2005 during qualifying, forcing him to start 15th – he finished 3rd. In 2006, he crashed out, resulting in him losing the title and Nicky Hayden taking it. In 2007, a monumental crash in qualifying saw Rossi fracture his hand in three places. In 2011, he was taken out in a first corner pile up and in 2015, he started from the back of the grid in his quest to win the GP title – he didn’t take his 10th crown. Rossi last won at the circuit in 2004. The last time Yamaha didn’t win a race in the 2nd half of the season was in 2003, when they didn’t win a race throughout the entire season.

Dani Pedrosa is 5th but has a chance of catching Valentino Rossi for 4th overall, which isn’t actually unlikely. Pedrosa has great form at Valencia and is the only rider to have won races in all classes at the circuit. Three wins and four other podiums stand Dani in good stead for an assault on 4th in the championship this weekend. He was 3rd in 2015 – his most recent podium. His last win came in 2012, in dodgy weather conditions. Pedrosa has been on the podium at every race in Spain so far this year and if he makes it on the podium again, it’ll be the first time since 2012 that he has achieved 4 Spanish podiums in as many Spanish races in one season.

Johann Zarco is already confirmed as top rookie in 2017 and will be wanting to give Tech 3 their first ever podium in Valencia – a previous best result was in 2011, with 4th for Britain’s Cal Crutchlow. Johann Zarco himself has won at the track, last year in Moto2, after a thrilling battle with Franco Morbidelli in the early stages of the race. A Frenchman hasn’t had back-to-back podiums in MotoGP since Regis Laconi at Ricardo Tormo and Phillip Island in 1999 – he was the last French winner, ironically at the Valencian GP. The last back-to-back podium for Tech 3 was at Assen and the Sachsenring, in 2013 with Cal Crutchlow.

Jorge Lorenzo’s 2nd place ahead of Zarco in Malaysia keeps his hopes of a 6th place finish overall in the standings alive. The Spaniard hasn’t had a great season but he could become the first ever Spanish winner on a Ducati in MotoGP. Lorenzo has won at Valencia on four occasions; 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016. One truly incredible statistic is that Ducati haven’t ever had a back-to-back 1-2 finish in Grand Prix.

Danilo Petrucci’s heroic ride in Malaysia from the back to 6th demonstrated just how much of a top rider he is. Danilo Petrucci is a winner at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, back in 2009 in the European Superstock 600 class. His best result at the circuit in GP racing remains an 8th place in his rookie season, in 2012. For the last two seasons, he has finished in the same place he qualified in. Petrucci is 16 points behind Lorenzo in the championship, making it hard to catch him but not insurmountable.

Cal Crutchlow is 17 points further back in the championship. The top Brit has been a bit ‘hit and miss’ in 2017 and hasn’t had a podium since Argentina, round two. Crutchlow crashed out of a safe 2nd place in the 2012 Valencian GP and has a best result of 4th at the circuit, in his rookie year in 2011. Crutchlow won the World Supersport race at the circuit in 2009 and qualified on pole for the World Superbike round there in 2010.

Jonas Folger still holds onto his 10th place in the championship but yet again is not flying the Tech 3 Yamaha flag or the Bundesflagge. He is replaced by Michael van der Mark, who is fresh off the back of a 4th place in WSBK at Losail. He was 16th in the last GP, at Sepang.

Suzuki slumped to yet another poor result in Malaysia, with no points on the board again. They have never had back-to-back no-point scoring finishes during their return to MotoGP. The last time they had back-to-back no-point scoring finishes as a two bike team was in 2003, with John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr., at Le Mans and Mugello.

Aprilia will be racing in RED this weekend, a charity supported by the Gresini Team last season at the same event. Aleix Espargaro could mathematically finish in the top 10 but he would have to win. If he scores two points more than Scott Redding, then he may take 13th, however, Iannone is just 2 points behind Aleix. Teammate Sam Lowes will bow out of the team after Sunday’s race, as he hopes to get third point-scoring ride of the year.

KTM made their return to premier class action at Valencia last season, where Mika Kallio suffered an electrical issue. The Austrian manufacturer will want a repeat of Sepang, where both bikes came home in the points for a 6th time this year and a 2nd consecutive GP. Kallio achieved a 1.32.092 in qualifying last year and that will almost certainly be surpassed this weekend if conditions remain dry.

The Aspar Ducati team head to Valencia with both riders having been on the podium there at some in their careers. Bautista was 2nd in the 250cc class in 2009 and Karel Abraham won the Moto2 race a year later. Both riders have also had top 5s in MotoGP, with Bautista 4th in 2012, having started from the pit lane and Abraham in 5th in 2011, after a battle for Rookie of the Year with Cal Crutchlow.

The Marc VDS outfit continue their resurgence to form, on Jack Miller’s side anyway. The Australian was 8th in Malaysia, still nursing a broken leg. The Valencian GP will be his last race for Marc VDS, as he moves to Pramac Ducati. Tito Rabat hasn’t scored a point since Phillip Island and will be looking to bow out of the team with a good result, as he moves to Avintia next season. Both riders have won a race in Valencia before; Miller in 2014 in Moto3 and Rabat in Moto2 in 2015.

Scott Redding will make his final appearance for Pramac Ducati this weekend, as he heads to Aprilia to replace Sam Lowes next season. Redding’s best finish at the Ricardo Tormo circuit was 5th in 2010 and his best in the premier class was back in 2014, when he was 10th for Gresini Honda. It’ll be the first time since 2014 that Redding hasn’t had a podium in the season – if he doesn’t get one this weekend.

Lastly, it will be the last premier class GP (for now) for Loris Baz and Hector Barbera, as they head to WSBK and Moto2 respectively. Baz has never scored a point in Valencia in GP, whilst Hector Barbera’s best premier class result was 8th in 2010. The Spaniard has won in the 125cc class in 2004 and then in the 250cc class in 2009. Barbera hasn’t had back-to-back point-scoring rides since Mugello and Catalunya, earlier in the year.

It is advantage Marquez at the head of the field, as he pursues title number six. Dovizioso hasn’t won the MotoGP title before but it could all change on Sunday. One of the biggest climaxes to a season before, the 2017 Valencian Grand Prix is arguably the most important race in the history of Ducati in MotoGP. Yamaha will want to end the season on a high, having won the last two Valencian GPs. One thing that we must remember about MotoGP is this: the only thing predictable about MotoGP is that it is totally unpredictable – Charlie Cox, on many occasions.

30th October 20172nd November 2017

Title Fight Goes to Valencia as Dovi Wins in Malaysia Again, Marquez 4th

Incredible from Dovi. Against the odds in Malaysia but now, can he overcome them in Valencia?

The 2017 MotoGP champion will be decided in Spain at the final round of the season, after Andrea Dovizioso won the Malaysian Grand Prix and Marc Marquez finished 4^th, enough to prevent the Spaniard winning his 6^th world title. Dovizioso scored 12 points more than Marquez, enough to bring the deficit to the defending champion down to just 21 points.

After a downpour between the end of Moto2 and start of MotoGP, the premier class race got underway in terribly wet conditions, similar to that of 12 months before. Marquez ambitiously bounced down the inside at turn one from row 3 but ran out wide with Jorge Lorenzo, leaving Johann Zarco to lead for Tech 3 out front. By the end of lap 1, Lorenzo recovered to 2^nd with Marquez 3^rd. Championship challenger Dovizioso was 4^th with pole-man Dani Pedrosa 5^th.

On lap 5, Andrea Dovizioso made his first move. He passed Marc Marquez to take third but that was not enough: the Italian needed to take 8 points or more away from Marquez; at the time, it was a mere 3. Marquez never looked like fighting back but he maintained the pace and held onto the shirt tails of the leading three at the time.

With Zarco’s lead whittled down to virtually nothing, it was time for the Ducati of Jorge Lorenzo to move ahead. He made short work of Zarco and before long, Andrea Dovizioso followed his so-far-winless teammate, taking 2^nd. This now meant that Dovi was taking 7 points off Marquez, 1 shy of the crucial 8 required. This introduced the possibility of two scenarios for the title to be kept alive: Marquez would have to drop back, which would include teammate Dani Pedrosa passing him – an unlikely scenario. The other scenario was Andrea Dovizioso passing his teammate, who, as we have already alluded to, is winless. Would Dovizioso be helped to keep the title alive by Lorenzo? The same multi-million Euro investment Jorge Lorenzo, who is the team’s number 1?

Dovizioso pushed Lorenzo all the way, with the Bologna Bullets blasting off into the distance – over three seconds clear of Johann Zarco who in turn had a massive lead over series leader Marc Marquez.

Perhaps the shock of everything was the fact that there were less riders interfering with Marquez and packing out the places in the order. Back in 2015, Rossi and Lorenzo, as close as it was come the end of the season, hardly met on circuit – either because they were too far out front from each other or there were riders separating them – Silverstone and Phillip Island examples of the latter. On Sunday, there were no signs of Rossi, who looked good in the dry. Likewise, for Petrucci, a demon in the wet – although he suffered a breakdown on the sighting lap. The Suzukis weren’t in the mix and Jack Miller was also out of the top 6. How vital will the lack of interference be at the end of 2017?

We then saw a message from Ducati’s pit crew appear on Lorenzo’s dashboard. “Suggest mapping 8” it read. Whilst we all took to Twitter to ‘suggest’ what “suggest mapping 8” meant, Jorge Lorenzo lost the front of his Ducati at the re-profiled turn 15, allowing Dovizioso to power past Lorenzo and lead across the line. Dovizioso was now in a position where he would take a whole 12 points off Marquez, enough to keep the championship alive.

Dovizioso won for a 6^th time in 2017 and Ducati got their first 1-2 since Austria last season, as Lorenzo came home in 2^nd – his best result on the GP17. Johann Zarco got his 2^nd podium of the season, as he completed the top 3, giving Tech 3 their first taste of champagne in Malaysia.

The championship moves on and heads back to Europe, where all is to play for in what is set to be some of the most high-pressured racing of the season. Who will be the winner of an incredible championship?

Image by: MotoGP

27th October 201727th October 2017

MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix Preview: Match Point

The Malaysian MotoGP gets underway this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2017 season, at Sepang, approximately 35 miles away from the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Since the switch back to 1000cc motorcycles, Dani Pedrosa has won three times from five races, although last season, it was Italian and current championship challenger, Andrea Dovizioso who took honours. The Malaysian GP has been hosted at three venues in total: the current Sepang circuit since 1999, Johor in 1998 and Shah Alam from 1991-1997. Marc Marquez comes into the weekend with a 33 point lead, after a disastrous Australian GP for rival Dovizioso. This means that a finish in the top two will be enough for Marc Marquez to win the championship, regardless of what ‘Dovi’ does.

With Marquez leading the championship by 33 points, he has to be favourite to take the championship, whether it be in Malaysia or at Valencia in Spain. The Spaniard hasn’t been lower than 2nd since Misano and if you take out Silverstone, the last time he was off the podium would be at Mugello, in June. Marquez won the Malaysian GP in 2014 and also won the 125cc race at Sepang in 2010. However, Marquez crashed in 2015 after him and arch-rival Rossi came to blows and last season, he crashed but remounted to finish 11th. One mistake for Marquez could swing the championship wide open.

Andrea Dovizioso has a simple task: he must beat Marc Marquez by 9 points to keep the championship alive until the Valencian Grand Prix. A race winner at Sepang last season, Dovi has just two other podiums in the premier class at Sepang: in 2008, which was his first ever premier class podium and in 2010, when he was 2nd to Valentino Rossi. Dovizioso hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the top 10 since 2002, at the Sachsenring and Brno. That is a record he will not want to update. Between 2010 and 2016, Dovizioso’s best finish at Sepang was 8th, so it is a track that he hasn’t particularly shone at in the past. Will that change this weekend?

Maverick Vinales returned to the podium at Phillip Island, having been missing from the top three positions since Silverstone in August. The Spaniard was 8th and 6th in 2015 and 2016 respectively at Sepang but will want to consolidate his podium pace this weekend. The last time he had back-to-back podiums was at Le Mans and Mugello, in the first third of the season. Vinales is a winner at Sepang too, taking victory back in 2011 – his first season of racing and his first visit to the track. He also won the Malaysian Moto2 race in 2014 so that proves that he could be a race winner this weekend as well. If he was to win, he’d be the first ever premier class winner at Sepang who has also won a Moto2 race. Vinales can’t mathematically win the championship but he could be just as big an upset.

Valentino Rossi’s heroic ride to 2nd in Australia was his first podium since Silverstone. ‘The Doctor’ hasn’t had back-to-back podiums since the opening three races of the season, an incredible statistic given Valentino still holds 4th in the championship. He has won at Sepang a total of six times in the premier class and won at Shah Alam in 1997. Rossi made his GP debut in 1996 and that was also at Shah Alam, where he finished 6th. Yamaha haven’t had a race win at Sepang since Rossi won their in 2010 but they have also never had a 1-2 at the venue. Rossi is 31 points behind Vinales, meaning he needs to score 7 or more points than him to keep the race for 3rd in the title alive. He is 48 points behind Dovi, meaning nothing less than two wins in the final two races will give Rossi 2nd overall – an unlikely outcome.

Dani Pedrosa was demoted from 4th to 5th in the standings after a dire Australian GP, in which he was 12th. It was the 3rd time in 2017 that Pedrosa had finished a race outside of the top 10, eliminating him from the championship race. Pedrosa has won three times in the past five races at Sepang, making him a hot favourite this weekend. A win for Pedrosa would match Valentino Rossi’s current record of six wins at Sepang. The last time Honda had a double podium was in 2013, a performance they will seek to repeat. Dani Pedrosa hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the top 10 since Donington Park and the Sachsenring in 2001 and he will not want to update that fact. Pedrosa is 14 points behind Rossi.

Johann Zarco has won at Sepang twice, in 2015 and 2016 in Moto2. He was the first rider since Hiroshi Aoyama to achieve this feat. If Zarco was to get on the podium on Sunday, he would be the first Frenchman to stand on a premier class podium at the Malaysian GP since the event started back in 1991. The reigning double Moto2 champion is yet to DNF since the Qatari Grand Prix at the start of the season and has finished every Malaysian GP since 2013 in the points. Tech 3 haven’t had a podium at Sepang in MotoGP, with their best result being 4th, with Ben Spies, back in 2010.

Jorge Lorenzo somehow retains 7th in the championship, despite the Spaniard finishing 15th at the Australian GP. Lorenzo has never won a premier class race at Sepang and will be hoping to become the 4th Ducati rider to win in Malaysia, joining Capirossi, Stoner and Dovizioso. Lorenzo did however win the 2006 250cc race, although that is his only win at the circuit.

Danilo Petrucci missed a huge opportunity to close in on Lorenzo at Phillip Island, with his dire 21st place finish. Petrucci hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the points since Catalunya and Silverstone in 2012, his first season of GP racing. Petrucci was 10th at Sepang last year and 6th in 2015. Teammate Scott Redding has finished every Malaysian GP in the points since 2011 and will yearn for that run to continue.

Cal Crutchlow is 9th in the championship and his 5th place in Australia helped him close in on the battle for 7th overall. Crutchlow has never scored a podium at Sepang and his last back-to-back top 5 finishes came at Aragon and Motegi last season. His best result at the Malaysian GP remains a 5th, from 2015.

10th place in the championship belongs to Jonas Folger but once more, he isn’t racing due to his virus. Michael van der Mark gets his long-awaited opportunity to ride a premier class MotoGP prototype machine and is the German’s replacement this weekend. The Dutchman has been to Sepang before, on a World Superbike Honda Fireblade, where he achieved a 7th and 6th last season and a 5th in 2015.

The factory Aprilia team will be hoping for a change of luck this weekend, as their lead rider, Aleix Espargaro, recovers with a fractured hand and does not take part. That means all eyes will be on Sam Lowes, who has a best result of 13th at Sepang, back in 2015. Last year, Aprilia had a 7th place finish from a row three start, with Alvaro Bautista.

Andrea Iannone’s return to form over the last two GPs have been a welcome return to form for Suzuki too. Iannone hasn’t finished three consecutive races in the top 10 since Brno, the Red Bull Ring and the Sachsenring last year. Suzuki in turn haven’t had three double-top-10s on the bounce since Mugello, Le Mans and Jerez last season.

KTM come off the back of an incredible Australian Grand Prix, where they had their first ever double-top 10. The Austrian manufacturer will be looking to achieve their first back-to-back double-top 10s and possibly even break into the top 8 for the first time ever. Pol Espargaro will be looking to continue his run of top 11 placings and Bradley Smith will hope to achieve his first back-to-back top 10 since Losail and Termas de Rio Hondo in 2016.

Aspar Ducati will be looking to have a change of fortunes after a difficult Australian GP, endured by all Ducati teams. It was the first time Alvaro Bautista had finished a race outside of the points since Brno last year. If he finishes outside of the points again at Sepang, it will be the first time since Austria and the Czech Republic last season that he has done it on consecutive occasions. Karel Abraham was 14th at Phillip Island and has a best finish of 10th at Sepang, back in 2012.

Marc VDS made a welcome return to form at Phillip Island – or one of their riders did. Jack Miller lead the opening laps at home in Australia to the delight of the 36,000 people trackside. His 7th place meant he kept hold of 12th in the championship. Tito Rabat will be hoping to get his first top 10 of the season at Sepang. He won in Moto2 in 2014 and was 3rd in 2015.

Last but by no means least, Avintia Ducati come to Sepang in search of returning to point scoring ways. Both riders were in the top 5 last season, with Barbera beating Baz. The last time the team failed to finish a race in the points on two consecutive occasions was in 2014, at Aragon and Misano.

The championship could be won this weekend with Marc Marquez looking odds on to wrap it up, now he has a 33 point lead. However, as we have seen in British Superbikes this season, a 33 point lead could be slashed if bad luck falls in order. Vinales, Rossi and Pedrosa could all be massive championship upsets on Sunday and after a hardcore ride at Phillip Island, Johann Zarco will be more determined than ever before to mount the podium, after coming so close Down Under. What the weather will do on race day is another question? Could the heavens open and give us a championship fight or will we see Andrea Dovizioso’s championship dreams become drowned out? Time will tell.

25th October 201725th October 2017

MotoGP Australian Grand Prix Review: Marquez Wins Scrap of the Century

Marc Marquez took his sixth win of the year and his second ever in Australia after a frantic Phillip Island race on Sunday. The Spaniard broke clear of an eight-man scrap for the win in the final laps to take to the top step of the rostrum. It was a disastrous race for title rival Andrea Dovizioso, as the Italian suffered an early run off and was only able to fight back to 13th. It leaves Marquez now 33 points ahead in the points table. Valentino Rossi took second – his first podium since Silverstone – as he came out on top of the fight for the podium, with teammate Maverick Viñales taking third. Viñales is now out of the Championship fight, 50 points back with two rounds to go. Two wins for Vinales and two DNFs for Marquez would not be enough for the Yamaha man to take the crown, as he would only draw level on points. Marquez would win on count back of victories.

It was Marquez who got the initial lead into turn one, however he couldn’t retain it into The Southern Loop as a sensational start from Jack Miller from the middle of row two saw the home-hero carve his way through into the lead before pulling the pin and bolting off at the front. Viñales was the man in third on the charge, as he tried to keep his title hopes alive. As an incredible first lap concluded, the next big drama was into Doohan’s at the start of lap two, when Dovizioso and whole host of other riders went wide, leaving the Italian down in 20th.

A huge chain of eight riders closed in on Miller in the lead. Rossi and Viñales were the first to get through, straddling the Marc VDS Honda on both sides down the Gardner Straight. A lead group of Marquez, Viñales, Rossi, Andrea Iannone and Johann Zarco began to fight it out. The group was cut down to seven riders in the chasing pack, as Aleix Espargaro crashed out at turn 1, putting him out of the race and also, out of the forthcoming Malaysian GP.

Here were just some of the battles: Marquez vs Rossi, Zarco vs Rossi, Viñales vs Marquez, Iannone vs Zarco…in one of the most aggressive and hard-fought battles of the century, the passes came thick and fast, each, just as aggressive as the previous.

Zarco was one of the most flamboyant and outstanding. After tagging the rear of Marquez at Honda hairpin, he forced Valentino Rossi out wide at the exact same corner. A few laps later, the Tech 3 Yamaha man powered around the outside of Maverick Vinales at Doohan’d, a 140mph sweeping first corner. Zarco continued to show his front wheel, going side-by-side with Valentino Rossi and leaving rubber marks on the Italian as they went through the Hayshed corner, on the charge up Lukey Heights. Valentino was also run wide by arch-rival Marc Marquez, as the two contacted on the exit of The Southern Loop, costing Rossi another place as Iannone passed him too.

Once Marquez was in the lead, however, the reigning champion was able to start pulling a gap with five laps to go. As the battle for 2nd raged on behind, the Repsol Honda rider began to sprint off, leaving the fight to get on the podium to three riders on the final laps: Rossi vs Viñales vs Zarco.

With some of the craziest and most desperate lines ever ridden around ‘The Island’, ‘The Doctor’ was able to win the scrap for 2nd. However, all three were neck and neck over the line. Over the line behind the nine-time world champion, it was Viñales just edging ahead of the Tech 3 of Zarco, taking third for a return to the podium but a concrete end to his chance of the title. Zarco’s fourth, however, confirmed him as Rookie of the Year, despite it not justifying the hardcore racing he displayed.

After Iannone got pushed back in the closing stages, Cal Crutchlow took fifth ahead of ‘The Maniac’, with early race leader Miller, rookie Alex Rins and both of the Red Bull KTMs completing the top ten; Pol Espargaro just pipping Bradley Smith. Dovizioso suffered late on after losing out in a drag to the line with both Scott Redding and Dani Pedrosa. Redding in turn was the top Ducati. Behind Dovi was Karel Abraham and fellow Ducati rider, Jorge Lorenzo, completing the top fifteen, compounding a terrible weekend for the Italian marque.

Sepang and Malaysia now beckon for the GP circus. Will we see another thriller to top off what have been some of the best ever fly-away Grand Prix in recent memory?

Image by MotoGP