Crew On Two

6th November 2022

Ducati Dominate in Decider!

The last weekend of the 2022 Moto GP season is finally here and the World Championship has yet to be decided. Who will be victorious?

The Decider. Courtesy of: BT Sport Twitter page.

Qualifying:

The sun was shining on Saturday for the qualifying sessions. The last time this type of qualifying would be seen (next year sprint races will be taking over from what fans are used to).

Getting another pole for 2022 was Jorge Martin (Ducati), putting in a fantastic time: 1:29.265, with Marc Marquez (Honda) coming 2^nd and completing the front row with Jack Miller (Ducati).

The two championship contenders ended up in 4^th (Fabio Quartararo – Yamaha) and 8^th (Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati).

To win the title: Fabio needs to win and Bagnaia to finish out of the points to become champion. Bagnaia needs to claim 2 points to be crowned. Both were possible:

Race:

In-front of a sold-out crowd at Valencia the decider was on. With only 27 laps to race, to end the longest ever season in Moto GP history, who would win the race and the championship?

It was a surprise start for Suzuki as Alex Rins got a great start, over-taking everyone to go into first place, leading Martin and Miller into turn one. Bagnaia also got a decent start and managed to make his way into 6^th place behind Fabio in 5^th.

But it was Marquez in 4^th who made the first overtake in the race, passing Miller for 3^rd. Fabio took the opportunity to also pass Miller, pushing him back to 5^th. Miller managed to pass Quartararo back on the start-finish straight to start lap 2. Seconds later Bagnaia also passed the Frenchman, but they touched, taking one of Bagnaia’s side wings off in the process. Would this hamper Pecco further into the race?

It didn’t seem to matter straight away as Pecco and Fabio fought for 5^th place, constantly going backwards and forwards, but it was Bagnaia who won the mini battle. While Brad Binder (KTM) watched on behind.

Racing hard. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

While all that action was happening behind him – Marquez took fastest lap.

Lap 4 – Quartararo re-took his position from Bagnaia, knowing he had to catch up to the leading group. If he was to have a chance at the victory/ championship he had to move forwards.

Next lap saw Pol Esparagro end his last race for Honda early on and seconds later Darryn Binder (Yamaha) also ended his last race in Moto GP.

Lap 6 Miller made a move on Marquez to take 3^rd place, while Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) retired.

Brad Binder was all over the back of Bagnaia and on turn 2, lap 9 he managed to safely pass the Ducati after 5 laps of attempting the move. The next rider in his sights was Quartararo. He knew he had the speed to pass and get to the front pack, but he was also very well aware of the two riders he was between. He was one rider eyes were watching.

Next lap on turn 8, yellow flags waved for an ill Marc Marquez, who crashed out of 4^th place. The weekend went from bad to worse for the Spaniard.

Gapping started to appear between the riders. The front 3 were 1.339 seconds ahead of Quartararo, who was 1.361 seconds ahead of Bagnaia. Mir who had closed his gap between himself and Pecco suddenly made a move on the Ducati to take 6^th place. While Binder put in the fastest lap.

With 14 laps to finish the season Rins continued to lead Martin and Miller.

Unfortunately for Johann Zarco (Ducati) lap 17 saw him crash out and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) retired.

It appeared that Bagnaia was having slight issues with his Ducati following on from the winglet that came off during the battle with Quartararo earlier in the race, as yet another rider passed him to push him back to 8^th. Luca Marini (Ducati) was then directly behind him. Would he also pass?

With just 10 laps to go Binder managed to get-through on Quartararo to take 4^th position. Could he claim a podium finish?

Riding to the limit. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

It didn’t take long before Marini did indeed pass his fellow-Italian and friend to take 8^th place. Bagnaia then had his new teammate behind him. Would he act as a wingman or would he be out for himself?

Having closed the gap at the front – Binder managed to pass Miller to take 3^rd but seconds later Miller crashed out of the race on turn 11. While behind them Bastianini did in-fact over-take Bagnaia.

With 3 laps to go: Rins continued to lead the Valencian Grand Prix ahead of Martin, Binder and Quartararo. But Binder had pace and soon passed Martin to take 2^nd. Could he fight for the win?

Last lap: There were no changes and Rins took the chequered flag to take victory for the last time for Suzuki. Creating a bitter-sweet moment for the team.

Suzuki will be missed. Courtesy of: Moto GP Twitter page.

A new World Champion was also crowned as he crossed the line in 9^th place – making Bagnaia the 4^th different champion in 4 years. It was the biggest comeback in Moto GP history, coming back from a 91 point deficit to take the crown.

Last podium for 2022. Courtesy of: Moto GP Twitter page.

Top 10 Riders:

1st	A. Rins
2nd	B. Binder
3rd	J. Martin
4th	F. Quartararo
5th	M. Oliveira
6th	J. Mir
7th	L. Marini
8th	E. Bastianini
9th	F. Bagnaia
10th	F. Morbidelli

Top 4 Championship finishers:

1^st (World Champion)	F. Bagnaia	265 points
2nd	F. Quartararo	248 points
3rd	E. Bastianini	219 points
4th	A. Espargaro	212 points

First to congratulate Bagnaia on his win was Fabio Quartararo, showing full respect between the two contenders. Second to congratulate Bagnaia was his future teammate Bastianini.

Nothing but respect. Courtesy of: BT Sport Live.

Dreams certainly can come true and this season was proof to never give up. Francesco Bagnaia has become the first Ducati champion in 15 years. The first Italian Ducati champion and the first Italian to win the championship since 2009. He is indeed ‘Perfect Pecco’.

New Moto GP Champion. Courtesy of: Moto GP Twitter page.

(21+42=63 for the Perfect Combination).

As the curtain falls on yet another memorable Moto GP season, everyone can now focus on what will happen next year.

Featured image: Courtesy of: Moto GP Twitter page.

6th November 2022

Guevara Bows Out With a Dominant Win

The World Champion led every lap en route to his seventh win of the Moto3 season.

After taking pole position on Saturday, Moto2-bound Izan Guevara was showing no signs of going quietly into the night. Having won the previous three Spanish rounds, he was the clear favourite to take victory in Valencia.

The polesitter was joined on the front row by KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü and Aspar teammate Sergio Garcia, who was battling Dennis Foggia and Ayumu Sasaki for second place in the championship.

As the race began, Guevara led the field down to turn one, immediately trying to breakaway from the swarm of bikes behind him. The Spaniard quickly settled into rhythm with the KTM of Öncü in tow.

The leading pair were evenly matched for pace in the opening laps and Öncü seemed content to tuck in behind Guevara as they pulled away from Garcia in third.

Italian rider Riccardo Rossi ended his season early on lap nine, crashing out at turn six.

With the leading duo two seconds clear of Garcia on lap 10, Öncü appeared to be distracted by something on the bike. He pulled what looked like tape off and discarded it, adding some intrigue to what was an uncharacteristically dull Moto3 race.

On lap 14, turn six claimed another victim as Visiontrack Racing’s Scott Ogden crashed out. A lap later, the Brit was joined by Taiyo Furusato who fell at the same corner. Three laps passed before turn six saw its fourth and final rider fall, as Xavi Artigas lost the front of his CFMOTO machine.

With the race heading towards its conclusion, Foggia lunged from sixth to fourth, passing Sasaki to seal third in the championship standings.

Meanwhile at the front, it was a last-lap showdown between Guevara and Öncü. The Turkish rider showed his hand on turn eight with a stunning move to take the lead for the first time in the race. However the Champion showed his class and composure with a measured pass at the final corner to re-establish his lead and take his seventh win of the 2022 season.

Öncü was second, agonisingly close to his first win in Moto3. Interestingly he managed to finish every race this season, and was the only rider in the class to do so. Garcia came home in third to seal a historic 1-2 in the Championship for Team Aspar.

Foggia held onto fourth to take third in the world standings and Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira was named Rookie of the Year.

Feature Image: MotoGP

3rd November 2022

Valencian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

The final curtain is about to fall on the 2023 season as Moto3 returns to Europe for one last dance.

A bumper crowd is expected at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the season finale this weekend (4/5/6 November).

With the championship already decided, you could be forgiven for expecting the Valencian Grand Prix to be somewhat uneventful, but there’s still plenty of motivation for the riders.

Izan Guevara heads to Valencia having secured both the riders title and a promotion to Moto2. He will be joined in the intermediate class by teammate Sergio Garcia and Leopard Honda’s Dennis Foggia. All three riders would love to add one last Moto3 victory to their illustrious CVs.

It’s the final race in the class for the surprise winner in Malaysia, John McPhee. The Scotsman stunned everyone with a brilliant move to grab the lead on the last lap in Sepang to secure a career-defining victory.

At 28 years of Age, McPhee is too old to compete in Moto3 beyond this season. Unlike many of his peers who have secured their Grand Prix futures, the Max Racing rider is yet to confirm his seat for 2023, at least publicly.

With McPhee moving on, Britain’s hopes will be pinned on the Visiontrack Racing duo of Scott Ogden and Josh Whatley. Both riders have had their share of adversity this season, but the experience will be invaluable for their fledgling careers.

Interestingly only one rider has finished every race so far this season, Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü. The Turk has shown good pace all year but is still searching for his first win in Moto3. To finish all 20 races would be an impressive feat, so it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on the 19-year-old.

Another rider who has been impressive this year is Japan’s Ayumu Sasaki. His stunning victory in Austria was a real highlight and he has been one of the only riders able to keep up with the pace of Guevara, particularly in the second half of the season.

Whatever happens, the final chapter of the 2022 campaign promises to be a cracker. The forecast for the weekend looks good with clear skies and temperatures expected to be in the mid-20s. The race is scheduled to start at 11:00am local time (10:00am GMT).

Feature Image: MotoGP

2nd November 2022

Glenn Irwin joins PBM Ducati for the 2023 British Superbike Campaign: Rules out Isle of Man TT.

Paul Bird’s British Superbike Ducati team have announced the signing of Glenn Irwin for the 2023 British Superbike season.

Glenn Irwin PBM Ducati – Image Courtesy Double Red Photography

The Northern Irishman retuning back to a team he has previously ridden for between 2016 and 2018, alongside series legend Shane Byrne before a short stint with FS-3 Kawasaki Racing, and then settling in the Honda camp for 3 seasons.

Glenn has been very vocal about his desires to continue racing with the Honda brand but after being approached by Paul Bird recently, Irwin has decided a move over to Ducati machinery aboard the updated for 2023 Ducati Panigale V4R is the move that he believes will take him to British Championship success.

In an interview given to the BBC Sport website, Glenn confirms he will not attend the Isle of Man TT in 2023 as a competitor, with PBM Ducati. “I love doing the event but I don’t love it as much as my kids”. It would seem for now after a desperately sad year, where 6 people lost their lives at the TT and with the recent tragic passings of Chrissy Rouse and Victor Steeman that perhaps Glenn has decided to stick with the safer of the 2 events, BSB over the Isle of Man TT.

Irwin believes he has a better chance of winning the BSB title in 2023 with PBM, even if it means he has to sacrifice entering the Isle of Man race where PBM won’t make an appearance. With this in mind it seems to have aided Glenn in choosing the best option for him for the season, after all his earnings and security come from the British Superbikes and I say fair play to someone thinking of their family first.

On the move, Glenn says “Re-joining PBM after four years apart is something I’m relishing as I feel I’ve improved as a rider and as a person during that time. The experience away has taught me a lot and to be coming back to the most successful team in the paddock is a fantastic opportunity. I’m in a stronger position now and we both know how each other works so the timing is perfect. I want to win, and Birdy wants to win and with Tommy as a very strong teammate, it will drive us all on. I’ve proved I can challenge for the title this year, so the plan is to go one better next season.”

Team Owner Paul Bird “With Glenn joining Tommy, I think we have an unbelievable line up for 2023 with the riders that finished second and third in this year’s championship. It’s great to have Glenn back as we have had a lot of success together in the past and he’s probably left what I would regard as one of the best, if not the best, team in the paddock to come to us. After a disappointing season for PBM, it will be good to be back at the sharp end.”

26th October 2022

Tommy Bridewell joins Paul Bird Ducati for 2023 British Superbike title attack

Seemingly the worst kept secret in silly season is finally announced. Tommy Bridewell will race with the Paul Bird Motorsport squad for 2023 in the British Superbikes.

Tommy Bridewell PBM Ducati – Picture courtesy PBM Ducati / Double Red Photography

Bridewell had been rumoured to be joining the PBM Ducati lineup for a few weeks now and the rumours gained traction when Steve Moore, Team Principal of the Oxford Products Ducati team, which Bridewell has ridden with for the last 4 years, took to Twitter to say “Thank you Tommy Bridewell, Stacey Jo and the Bridewell family for a mega 4.5 years. They said we’d never get along, but the results made our team! I’m so proud that he was in demand from several big factory teams. He has earned his place. Now we’ve got to try to beat him.”

On the same day Bridewell was quoted by Ducati on social media “It was nice to end the @OfficialBSB season on some strong results. It was my last race with @MotoRapidoBSB, I’d like to wish them every success in their future and a huge thank you for everything they have done for me.”

On signing with PBM Ducati, Bridewell said “This is my best shot at winning the title with a team that knows all about winning British Championships. I’ve known the team for a long time and this represents a fantastic opportunity as I’ve strived for years to beat them. There was a consensus that we should work together and PBM can guide me towards our goal. I’m confident in my riding and the team can give me the technical support I need. The job comes with added pressure but it’s one I’m relishing.”

Team owner Paul Bird said “I’m delighted to have Tommy joining the team for 2023. He came up to me in the paddock as a 15-year-old when he was just starting out and told me he would ride for me one day and now it’s going to happen. He’s done a great job on a Ducati over these past couple of years and has been one of our toughest rivals so to have him on board with us is fantastic and we can’t wait to get started.”

We are still awaiting confirmation of who will fill the second seat alongside Tommy Bridewell. Lots of rumours are floating around at the moment but until it is confirmed, we have to keep biting our nails and waiting for news.

Follow me on Twitter @RacingArmchair for daily racing chat and updates.

24th October 2022

Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 2

The earlier superpole race was won by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha), followed by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati), and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki KRT).

Track temperature was a lot higher compared to race 1, which meant it would start to feel greasy for the riders, and tyre management would surely be a big factor for the race.

Lights out for race 2 then, and it was Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati) with a great start, followed by the Kawasaki team mates of Rea and Lowes in 2nd and 3rd, Bautista 4th, and Toprak in 5th. An unhappy Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), got a shove from Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati), which sent the Frenchman ploughing into the gravel, and his race was over. Bassani would no doubt receive a penalty for that incident.

Next lap and Rea ran wide losing positions and ended up in 6th. Lowes was having a great start to the race, and was attacking Bautista, the two of them fighting for 2nd. Toprak was now up to 4th.

With 19 laps to go positions were as follows; 1. Rinaldi 2. Lowes 3. Bautista 4. Toprak 5. Vierge (Honda HRC) 6. Rea. It was the Northern Irishman who then put in the new fastest lap with a 1:38.3.

Next lap and Bautista was finding his rhythm and came through on Lowes to move into 2nd. Toprak was next to come through Lowes, and moved into 3rd. Meanwhile further back it was Redding (BMW Motorrad) 10th, Laverty (Bonovo Action Ducati) 11th, and Vd Mark (BMW Motorrad) 12th.

With 16 laps to go, it was Lecuona (Honda HRC), who set the new fastest lap with a 1:38.2, impressive from the ex-MotoGP rider, as it was his first visit to San Juan. Bautista took over the lead from his team mate, and Toprak wasn’t about to let Bautista clear away, and moved through on Rinaldi into 2nd. Further back it was the Kawasaki team mates of Lowes and Rea, in 4th and 5th respectively. Bautista held a gap of 0.2s to Toprak.

Next lap and Toprak put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.923. The leading two of Bautista, and Toprak were pulling away from the rest, and had pulled out a significant gap. Rinaldi then ran wide allowing both of the Kawasaki team mates through. Positions were as follows; 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Lowes 4. Rea 5. Rinaldi.

With 13 laps remaining, Bautista had increased his lead to 0.5s. Toprak was doing all he could to stay with the Ducati, and set a new fastest lap of 1:37.890. Would we see team orders come into play, forcing Lowes to let Rea through? The GRT Yamaha team mates, Gerloff and Nozane, were having a disappointing weekend and found themselves way down in 16th and 17th.

With 11 laps remaining, Bautista was once again ramping up the pace and set the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.789. He now held a gap of 0.8s to Toprak, who was doing everything he could to keep in contact. Meanwhile further back Locatelli (Pata Yamaha), came through on Redding into 9th. Bassani had caught the Honda team mates of Vierge, and Lecuona in 6th, and 7th respectively.

Over half distance now, and Bautista had increased his lead to 0.9s to Toprak. Bautista then put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.660.

With 7 laps to go positions were as follows; 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Lowes 4. Rea 5. Rinaldi.

With only 4 laps to go, Rea did come through on Lowes into 3rd, Lowes didn’t try to respond, knowing his team mate needed the extra points. Rea wouldn’t be able to catch Toprak who was well away. There was then a three-way battle for 5th between Rinaldi, Vierge, and Lecuona. Meanwhile, Bassani was given a long lap penalty for his earlier incident with Baz, which he failed to take, and was subsequently given an additional long lap penalty. He rejoined the race down in 20th.

Last lap and Bautista crossed the line to claim his second win of the weekend, followed by Toprak 2nd. Rea 3rd, Lowes 4th, Rinaldi 5th, Vierge 6th, Lecuona 7th, Locatelli 8th, Redding 9th, Vd Mark 10th.

It has been an amazingly dominant season for Bautista, who has now finished on the podium in 27 of 30 races so far.

Next stop is Round 11 in Mandalika, Indonesia, and Bautista will be the World Champion if he outscores Toprak by 18 points, and Rea by a single point.

Result top 5:

Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati)
Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha)
Rea (Kawasaki KRT)
Lowes (Kawasaki KRT)
Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati)

Championship top 3:

Bautista – 507 points
Razgatlioglu – 425 points
Rea – 409 points

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK.com

23rd October 2022

The fairytale continues for Ducati

Qualifying:

Clouds loomed large overhead on Saturday, but the sunshine prevailed.

Down on the track Marc Marquez (Honda) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) managed to make their way through to Q2. Marquez kept his performance up and claimed 3^rd place for Sunday, while Bagnaia unfortunately fell and could only manage 9^th on the grid, ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia). Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) managed 11^th place, after also crashing.

Making up the rest of the front row was Enea Bastianini (Ducati) who took 2^nd and pole went to Jorge Martin (Ducati), who did a phenomenal lap to not only take pole (his 4^th this year and 2^nd in a row) but also a new lap record – 1:57.790.

Race:

The weather remained the same through to Sunday and the pressure was mounting. With 20 laps till the end, the drama continued:

Martin started well and kept hold of his lead, but it was Bagnaia who made a fantastic start going straight to 2^nd by the first corner. He wasn’t the only one though – Fabio also managed to make up 6 places, but Espargaro fell back to 11^th.

Leading on the first lap was Martin from Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez.

Leading the group. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

The championship hunt was on!

Lap 2 of 20 and Bastianini looked like he was ready to line a pass up on Bagnaia but would he? Ducati had already confirmed there were to be no team orders, but he would still need to be careful with his decisions.

Martin soon took fastest lap and continued to lead, Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez. The leading group had started to break away from Quartararo in 5^th.

While some Ducati’s were soaring unfortunately Luca Marini (Ducati) had to retire from the race early on – the first time this season he hadn’t managed to finish a race.

With 17 laps to go: Bastianini still looked menacing behind Bagania for second. Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) took his long-lap penalty (which was enforced following on from qualifying sessions and rejoined the race in 10^th) and Fabio managed to pass Marquez for 4^th – keeping his championship hopes alive.

Marquez in 5^th looked like he was in trouble from the two Suzuki’s following closely behind him. On lap 7 Joan Mir managed to pass, forcing Marquez back to 6^th. Behind them Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) had also passed Alex Rins (Suzuki) for 7^th.

Yellow flags were suddenly waving and a Pramac Ducati was in the gravel – Martin had crashed out of first place on turn 5. All of a sudden, the championship leader was in the lead, with his 2023 teammate following closely behind. Fabio was also up to 3^rd. The battle continued.

Next lap Marquez passed Mir back, but Bezzecchi had better pace and managed to pass both riders to go to 4^th. Could Bezzecchi help Bagnaia by passing Quartararo?

With 13 laps to go, Bagnaia led Bastianini, Quartararo and Bezzecchi.

Pecco led The Beast. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Gapping had started to appear between the top 4 riders – Bagnaia and Bastianini were 3.156 seconds ahead of Fabio who was 1.156 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi. But Bezzecchi was eating away at his gap to Fabio. Could he fight for a podium spot?

Half-way through the race, Bastianini couldn’t hold back any further and on turn 4 he managed to make a move on fellow Italian Bagnaia to take the lead. Ducati had said no team orders, were they going to commit to this rule? Audiences were on the edge of their seats wondering what would happen next.

With 7 laps to go Bagnaia re-passed Bastianini on the start-finish straight and managed to hold onto first place into turn 1 (lap 16). Every championship point counted, with only one round left.

The lead for the two Italians at the front had decreased to Fabio in 3^rd to 1.620 seconds, could he catch up and fight for the win? Bezzecchi behind him seemed to have had tyre issues, after fighting hard early on in the race as the gap between himself and Fabio had increased to 1.523 seconds.

With only 3 laps to go Mir crashed out of his race on turn 1, leaving his teammate to battle Marquez.

The pressure from Bastianini remained constant throughout the entire race even down to the final lap.

Close racing. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Last lap – would Bastianini make a last lap move on the championship leader? He certainly tried too. On turn 9 he made an attempt to pass but went slightly wide leaving Bagnaia free to take his 7^th victory this season.

Top 10 Finishers:

1st	F. Bagnaia
2nd	E. Bastianini
3rd	F. Quartararo
4th	M. Bezzecchi
5th	A. Rins
6th	J. Miller
7th	M. Marquez
8th	B. Binder
9th	J. Zarco
10th	F. Morbidelli

Congratulations to Ducati for winning the team championship.

It’s a team game. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Top 4 Championship:

1st	F. Bagnaia	258 points
2nd	F. Quartararo	235 points
3rd	E. Bastianini	211 points
4th	A. Espargaro	211 points

It is now down to the wire – who will be crowned World Champion in the next round?

In the words of Fabio – “…even if the chance is super small, we bring it to Valencia”. We will see you there!

Then there were two. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

(Featured image – “Victory tastes sweet”. Courtesy of: Moto GP website).

23rd October 2022

Round 10 WorldSBK San Juan, Argentina, Race 1

Going into the weekend with a 51 point gap over title rival, and reigning world champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu. Alvaro Bautista could put serious damage into the hopes of both Toprak, and Jonathan Rea, of closing the gap with a strong weekend.

WorldSBK 22.10.2022 Alex Lowes Picture courtesy of KRT World SBK

However the championship leader would have to start the race from 3rd on the grid, after Toprak (Pata Yamaha) claimed pole with an unbeaten time of 1:36.216, followed by Rea (KRT Kawasaki) in 2nd.

Ideal weather for the start of race 1 then, with the Andean sun baking down onto the track. Lights out and it was Toprak with the hole shot into turn 1, followed by Rea, Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati), and Lecuona (Honda HRC) in 4th. And then massive drama as Toprak went off line, and way too hot into turn 9, sending his R1 plunging into the gravel. He managed to pick up his bike and rejoin the race at the back of the field. A huge, and potentially catastrophic shift in the outcome of this championship now for Toprak.

With 19 laps to go, it was Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati) with an impressive start, and leading the race, setting a new fastest lap of 1:37.881 in the process. Positions were as follows: 1. Bassani 2. Rea 3. Lecuona 4. Bautista 5. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati) 6. Redding (BMW Motorrad) 7. Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) 8. Lowes (Kawasaki KRT).

With 17 laps remaining, Bautista made a move on Lecuona, getting through to move into 3rd, and setting a new fastest lap in the process of a 1:37.5. The leading trio of Bassani, Rea, and Bautista were now pulling away from the rest of the field. Meanwhile further back it was: 10. Locatelli (Pata Yamaha) 11. Vd Mark (BMW Motorrad) 14. Laverty (Bonovo Action Ducati).

Next lap and Bautista was beginning to ramp up the pace, he lined up Rea, and made a clean move, and up into 2nd. Rea had no response. Further back Redding was struggling, and dropped two places down into 8th. Gerloff was also struggling, and the Texan found himself down in a disappointing 15th. Toprak was still at the back of the field.

With 14 laps to go, Bassani held a gap of 0.3s to Bautista, the Spaniard was reeling him in however, and he moved through on the young Italian a few corners later, taking the lead. Rea knew he had to stay with Bautista, and made an aggressive move on Bassani into turn 10, moving into 2nd. The move surprised Bassani, the Italian now in 3rd. Drama for Mercado (MIE Honda), who crashed out into turn 14, and the local rider’s race was over. Meanwhile at the front, Bautista was increasing his lead, and now held a gap of 0.6s to Rea.

With 12 laps to go, Bassani had got back past Rea into 2nd, the speed of the Ducati again proving a decisive factor. Rea was growing increasingly frustrated, as he could once again see Bautista disappearing down the road.

With just over half race distance done, and with the lower fuel load, the Ducati was even quicker, and Bautista continued to ramp up his lead, the gap was now 2.7s. Positions were as follows: 1. Bautista 2. Bassani 3. Rea 4. Lecuona 5. Rinaldi 6. Lowes 7. Redding 8. Vierge (Honda HRC) 9. Locatelli 10. Baz.

With 7 laps to go, Rea was throwing everything he could at Bassani, but to no avail. The fight between Bassani and Rea suited Bautista, and he forged on, putting ever more time into the gap.

With only 5 laps left, Bautista put in the new fastest lap of the race with a 1:37.389. Meanwhile further back, Toprak had moved up places, and was now in 18th.

With 3 laps left, Rea finally made a move on Bassani that stuck, and he moved into 2nd. Bautista was 6s ahead, and no doubt had the win firmly sealed up.

WorldSBK 22.10.2022 Alvaro Bautistas courtesy of Aruba.it_racing

Last lap and Bautista crossed the line to take another dominant win, followed by Rea 2nd, Bassani 3rd, Lecuona 4th, Rinaldi 5th,Lowes 6th, Redding 7th, Locatelli 8th, Vierge 9th, Vd Mark 10th, while Toprak came in 15th claiming just the single point.

Result top 5:

Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati)
Rea (Kawasaki KRT)
Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati)
Lecuona (Honda HRC)
Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati)

Championship top 3:

Bautista – 473
Razgatlioglu – 393
Rea – 386

23rd October 2022

McPhee Wins a Classic in Malaysia

mcphee and sasaki moto3 malaysian grand prix

John McPhee battled his way through the field from 22nd on the grid to take a well deserved win in his penultimate race in Moto3.

It was a difficult weekend for the Scotsman who admitted that after a disappointing result in qualifying, he felt like giving up there and then.

It’s been a brutal season for the 28-year-old who broke his back in a training session before round two in Indonesia, an injury that could have ended his career.

As the lights went out, polesitter Dennis Foggia got bogged down on the damp side of the track, allowing Izan Guevara to lead the field into turn one. The newly crowned champion was unable to break away and was engulfed by a swarm of riders before the end of the first lap.

On lap two Angeluss MTA rider Stefano Nepa suffered a nasty highside at turn nine. Fortunately everyone managed to avoid the Italian who was helped off the track by the marshals.

With the championship decided, all eyes were on the battle for second. Sergio Garcia bolstered his claim by battling with David Muñoz, Jaume Masia, Diogo Moreira and the aforementioned Foggia for the lead.

Muñoz crashed out on lap four, just behind him Tatsuki Suzuki also fell, but was able to continue. The fastest man on track was Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki, who was reeling in the lead group lap by lap.

It was scrappy at the front with several riders exchanging positions, allowing Sasaki to join the party. The Japanese rider made short work of his rivals and was soon behind Guevara at the front of the field.

The drama continued at the start of lap 13 as Riccardo Rossi fell at turn one. Further back Carlos Tatay pulled into the garage, ending his day early. Sasaki made his move for the lead at turn 15, sliding underneath Guevara but a poor exit from the corner caused the Spaniard to shunt the back of his bike. It was a scary moment, but fortunately both riders stayed upright.

The constant battling at the front allowed McPhee to latch onto the lead group and it wasn’t long before he was in a tussle with teammate Sasaki. With just a few laps remaining Garcia led from Masia, Foggia, Sasaki, McPhee and Moreira.

Taiyo Furusato crashed at the start of lap 16 as Foggia moved up to second, hot on Garcia’s tail. With just one lap remaining, victory was there for the taking.

Foggia took the lead at turn 10 but it only lasted for a matter of seconds before Masia muscled his way to the front. Moments later McPhee capitalised on the melee and snatched the top spot.

There were desperate lunges into the final corner, but the Scot held his nerve and the lead to take his fourth win in Moto3, in what is expected to be his penultimate Grand Prix. Sasaki was second to secure a 1-2 for Max Racing with Garcia in third.

The results mean Garcia retains second place in the standings with 241 points, Foggia stays in third with 233 and Sasaki is just behind in fourth with 227. Only one round remains in the 2022 season, the Grand Prix of Valencia in a fortnights’ time.

Feature Image: MotoGP

21st October 2022

Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

Moto3 has a new world champion, but there’s still plenty of excitement building as the series returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2019.

The Sepang International Circuit hosts round 19 of the 2022 Moto3 World Championship this weekend (21/22/23 October).

The popular 5.543 km circuit has just about everything. Fast sweeping bends, tight technical sections and two mammoth straights held together by the famous hairpin combine to form an excellent racetrack.

As with most of the recent Moto3 venues, it’s been a while since the last Grand Prix at Sepang, and only a handful of the current riders have competed at the circuit.

After confidently securing the Moto3 title in Australia, Izan Guevara is clearly a favourite for the win this weekend. The GASGAS Team Aspar rider has simply been a class above this season, particularly since the summer break. With two victories in the last three races, both at tracks he hadn’t visited before, it’s hard to bet against the Spaniard being on the podium on Sunday.

Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki has been one of the few challengers anywhere near Guevara’s pace in recent times. The Japanese rider has established himself as one of the top competitors in Moto3 this season. It was confirmed recently that he will retain his seat for next season as part of his team’s merger with Moto2’s Intact GP.

Italian rider Dennis Foggia has blown both hot and cold this season. One week he’s on the podium, the next he couldn’t be much further from it. The Leopard Honda rider is moving up to the intermediate class next year and will be determined to add to his Moto3 win tally before he does so.

Britain’s John McPhee is also leaving the class at the end of the season. At the grand old age of 28, he is no-longer eligible for a permanent ride in Moto3. With his future still unconfirmed, at least to the public, it is expected that his Grand Prix career is coming to an end, at least for now. If that is the case, he will want to go out on a high.

The weather forecast for the weekend looks bleak with thunderstorms expected throughout the event. That said, the eagle-eyed readers will be aware that I’ve touted rain for the last few races and it hasn’t materialised, so take my weather warning with a pinch of salt.

Viewers in the UK will have to set their alarm clocks once again. The race is scheduled to start at 12:00pm local time (05:00am GMT).

Feature Image: MotoGP