Category: Crew On Two

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Moto3 Report: Phillip Island delivers but Bezzecchi falls foul

It was a breath taking race that saw more than half the grid eligible for a podium finish – but it was Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team), Fabio di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini) and Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) who relished in the moment and the champagne. Except for 17-year-old Vietti, who isn’t old enough to spray champagne, but then again, a podium on your second ever Moto3 race probably tastes sweeter than any bubbles ever could, and he raced hard for it.

For di Giannantonio it was a necessary podium. The Italian has been battered and bruised on just about every race weekend for the last 3 weeks, making this a much deserved second place finish. And the man of the moment, Arenas, took his second win of the season and this time around he truly earned it – whether you think his Le Mans victory was really di Giannantonio’s, or not.

This entire race was important for the Championship, two very important crashes happened, and a few near misses, have changed the course of this season. Firstly, Lorenzo Dalla Porta’s (Leopard Racing) crash meant that his team mate Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) could keep his fourth place in the Championship.

Then it was Gabriel Rodrigo’s (RBA BOE Racing Team) unfortunate collision with Championship contender Marco Bezzecchi that paved the way for Martin to extend his lead in the Championship beyond the one point that he started this weekend with. However, this wasn’t really the case, as there is only 12 points between the Italian and the Spaniard now, but it could have remained at just one point because luck seemed to be firmly on Martin’s side. He narrowly avoided two crashes/contact which could have seen both of their weekends reduced to null and avoid effectively.

However, it does beg the question – had di Giannantonio not had his Le Mans victory taken away from him, could he be leading the Championship right now? With 20 points between the Championship leaders, he definitely could have made life difficult for Martin and Bezzecchi after this week’s results.

The race itself saw real talent shining through from all riders as, the top 15 stayed particularly tight and positions were traded so often that the leader board couldn’t keep up with them. It was Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) and Denis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) though showed potential for a podium finish, that was before they took each other out whilst vying for the top spot behind Martin.

But ultimately due to a constantly changing lineups, whether to do with crashes or overtaking, you found yourself rooting for half the grid at least once. This race has left the Championship wide open for the top three riders still, but it might have invigorated the rest of the grid as the majority of them got a taste of leading a race. With only two races to go, who could clinch the title between Martin, Bezzecchi or di Giannantonio?

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Moto2 Report: Binder Takes Third Win As Championship Challengers Suffer in Australia

Brad Binder secured his third win of the season in the intermediate class. (Image courtesy of Ajo Motorsport)

From the qualifying session from the Moto2 Australian Grand Prix, we learned that Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) would not be fighting for the victory on Sunday. In fact, Brad Binder, Oliveira’s teammate was the pre-race favourite, after qualifying on the second row in fifth place.

Contrasting starts for the two championship combatants saw the Bagnaia climb up into the top five in the early laps, whilst Oliveira languished just inside the points. The lead chopped and changed at the front in the early stages, and soon Bagnaia’s lack of pace became evident as he started to fall back through the pack, and towards Oliveira.

At the front it was a big scrap, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing) being joined in a group fight for the lead by Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP), Brad Binder, the two HP40 Pons machines of Lorenzo Baldassarri and Augusto Fernandez, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors), Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) and Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Both Baldassarri and Marini had shown some impressive pace in the early laps after the start; after getting caught behind Bagnaia in the initial stages they both managed to clear their VR46 Riders Academy colleague and join the fight at the front.

However, by the time they had arrived in the lead battle, Pasini had hit the deck, crashing out at turn four, and continuing his record of having never scored an intermediate class point at Phillip Island.

Soon after, Lecuona went down as he was trying to pass Vierge in the Southern Loop. Lecuona got a decent run through Doohan’s and looked on the inside of Vierge at turn two, but didn’t get far enough alongside his compatriot, who wiped the KTM rider’s nose sending the pair of them wide and Lecuona onto the grass, losing control and falling.

The next rider to drop out of the leading group was Remy Gardner, who crashed at MG (turn ten) on lap thirteen. It was a shame for Gardner, who had enjoyed a good home Grand Prix weekend, and was certainly in the mix for a top result.

That left Baldassarri, Fernandez, Mir, Binder, Vierge and Marini to fight it out for the win – at least until Baldassarri went down at MG with three laps to go.

With Baldassarri down, Binder made his move, climbing from fifth on lap 22 to second a lap later, before taking the lead on the penultimate lap, a lead which he held going into the final tour.

A strong move from Vierge on Fernandez at the Honda Hairpin let the two leaders escape a little, which was enough to ensure that the win was decided in a duel. Marini was unable to take advantage of Vierge and Fernandez running on as he ran on himself in the same corner.

A strong final lap from Binder ensured that he had enough distance to Mir going into MG – the last real overtaking opportunity of the lap – so the Spaniard couldn’t make a move, and had to focus on getting a good run from the final corner to try to slipstream Binder to the line.

Binder should have been far gone, really, but a good run through the final two corners for Mir, and what looked like too much spin for Binder gave the rookie a chance, although the South African’s tow proved insufficient to pull Mir by, and the 2016 Moto3 World Champion took his third win of the season.

Not only did Binder gain from this the satisfaction of taking victory, but he also surpassed his championship-contending teammate’s win total for the season, and heavily strengthened his position in third in the standings, which was also assisted by Baldassarri’s late crash.

Second place for Mir means he has one less race to try to claim his first Moto2 win before he steps up to MotoGP next season with Suzuki. Certainly the Phillip Island circuit saw a return to form for the reigning Moto3 World Champion, and he needs to carry this into Sepang and Valencia if he is to take a win before 2018 is through.

Joining Binder and Mir on the podium was Xavi Vierge, who won out in the all-Spanish fight for the bottom step of the podium. It was Vierge’s second podium of the season, and first since his injury in Austria. Like Mir, he will be aiming to carry this forward into the final two rounds in search of his first Moto2 World Championship victory.

Augusto Fernandez enjoyed yet another impressive performance for HP40 Pons, and built on his encouraging Japanese GP weekend one week ago. He missed the podium by 0.008 seconds to Vierge.

Fifth place for Luca Marini was well deserved. After the race he complained of chatter towards the end, which he offered as an explanation to his final lap mistake at Honda. Another solid result for him means that he looks to be ending the season in a good way, which is positive for him as he looks to 2019 and what should be a championship challenge.

Dominique Aegerter finished sixth in what was his best race of the season, which came at the end of his best weekend of the season. It looks like the team are not going to be on the grid next year, so on the weekend which marked one year since the death of Stefan Kiefer, Aegerter’s result was timely to say the least.

Miguel Oliveira eventually came home in eleventh place, with his championship rival Francesco Bagnaia 1.1 seconds behind in twelfth. Ultimately, Bagnaia did what he had to do, and lost only one point to Oliveira. Bagnaia now has the opportunity to take the championship in Sepang, needing just eleven points to become the 2018 Moto2 World Champion.

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Ducati Debrief: “We have made a good step forward”

Andrea Dovizioso secured yet another podium finish this season, with a hard fought third place during the Australian Grand Prix. Such were the scenes of celebration beneath the podium and back in the team garage, a casual observer could be forgiven for thinking they’d won the championship.  

The celebratory scenes from Sunday starkly contrast with last year’s corresponding Grand Prix, which was a complete disaster for Ducati. Slow times during the practice and qualifying sessions resulted in the humiliation of both factory riders, Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, having to start from the fourth and sixth rows of the grid respectively. The race fared even worse as between them they could only manage a frankly woeful three points. It effectively killed all realistic possibility that the Italian rider could become world champion that season.

Dovizioso demonstrated serious front running pace all throughout the weekend, rarely being found outside the top 5 of the timesheets. A remarkable feat in itself as, traditionally, the Phillip Island circuit is one of the worst for Ducati. Without any long straight to blast away from the pack, and a plethora of fast sweeping corners (so long the nadir of all Desmosedici machines), the Italian team generally grit their teeth and pray for the round to end quickly. To negate the severe loss of lap time due to the above reasons, riding style – and commitment – becomes of paramount importance.

It cannot be underestimated how brave Dovizioso is under braking, regularly being given the title of ‘Last of the Late Brakers’. Although there is no official measurement as to the stopping points of each rider, from the TV images the Ducati man does visibly brake later than the rest of his rivals. In addition to this, he possesses pinpoint accuracy with both his corner entry and exit lines. All of which results in an extremely competitive performance regardless of the circuit.

Speaking after the race, Dovi was beaming in the winners’ enclosure: “Phillip Island was a fundamental test to understand our level of competitiveness and now we know we have made a good step forward over last year.” Typically understated as always. Ducati have made an enormous step with the development of their bike.

Andrea Dovizioso battles with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for podium honours. Such a thing was not even remotely possible last year.

Across the garage, there were equally joyous scenes. Standing in for the injured Jorge Lorenzo, 33-year old Alvaro Bautista enjoyed a brilliant first weekend on the Desmosedici GP18. Having not ridden this year’s machine at all before the Friday practice sessions, the Spaniard went to considerable length in the build up to the weekend, stating that Ducati “had no real targets to aim for”.

Perhaps predictably as a consequence, he took a few tumbles during the early stages of the weekend as he learnt where the performance limits of the factory bike were. Despite this, Bautista produced a faultless race day performance, looking completely at one with the factory bike – and racing it as if he had been for a full season. His riding style – comparable to that of Casey Stoner – suits the Desmosedici, and the Spaniard relishes the physicality required to haul and wrestle the bike through the faster corners. Having started from P11 on the grid, Bautista charged through the pack, dicing for a place on the podium alongside his teammate for almost the entirety of the race before falling back to consolidate fourth place.

Speaking after the race, Bautista explained the reason for dropping behind his teammate:  “In the last few laps I made a few small mistakes and lost contact with Dovizioso and Iannone, but in any case I’m very happy with my overall result, especially for the team and for Ducati, whom I would like to thank once again for the trust they have shown in me.” Any disappointment for not making the podium quickly evaporated, having achieved a lifetime ambition to race for the factory team.

Having taken some time on Friday to adjust to the GP18 performance limits, Alvaro Bautista produced a stunning ride on race day.

Despite not taking the race victory, Dovizioso has nevertheless demonstrated to the full just how far Ducati have developed the Desmosedici this season. It is still a rocket down a long straight, but crucially they have now made a bike that is stable enough at most circuits to enable the riders to attack the faster corners with confidence.

As for Bautista, he has almost certainly secured the factory ride now for as long as Lorenzo remains out injured. The result for the Spaniard could not have come at a more opportune moment ahead of his move to World Superbikes next season, with the factory supported Aruba.it Ducati team. A clear statement of intent to the established front runners of the series, watching on from their hotel rooms in Qatar.

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Australian GP Review: Yamaha Finally End Winless Drought

Maverick Vinales ended the longest winless streak in the history of the Japanese manufacturer with a blistering ride, at the Phillip Island circuit.

Having qualified in the middle of the front row Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) was a constant presence at the front during the opening stages. This in itself was an early warning sign to the field, as the young Spaniard has routinely dropped back through the pack at the start of most races this season.

After a few laps, in which to allow the tyres to warm up on the cool track surface, Vinales forced his way to the front with some brave manoeuvres at the Hayshed and over the top of Lukey Heights. Once in the lead the Yamaha man pulled clear from his rivals with ease, setting a series of fastest lap times until he’d opened up a more than manageable lead of 4 seconds…  

There was a ferocious race-long battle for the remaining podium places. Andrea Iannone (Team Ecstar Suzuki) eventually secured second place, after holding off the ever-present Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) in third. The two Italians wound back the clocks to Austria 2016, when (then as Ducati teammates) they’d diced it out for victory.

Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) first weekend on the 2018 factory Desmosedici machine, secured a brilliant fourth place. Replacing the injured Jorge Lorenzo, the achievement of Bautista cannot be understated. Prior to this week he had never ridden the 2018 Desmosedici before, perhaps reflected in his relatively modest starting place on the grid – P12. Powering his way up the order and once settled into his rhythm, he was not be moved outside of the top five, even leading his team leader for multiple laps. A strong display from arguably the most underrated rider on the grid.

Alvaro Bautista stormed through the field at Phillip Island on his debut appearance for the factory Ducati team.

Although Bautista eventually dropped back from Dovizioso and Iannone in the closing stages, he had more than enough in hand to fend off Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) and Alex Rins (Team Ecstar Suzuki). Both men had fancied their chances in the run up to this weekend of emerging with at least a podium finish to their names. Rins will not be too disappointed with his fifth place as in truth his Suzuki, whilst working well through the faster flowing corners, struggled visibly down the main straight with a lack of power. Rossi, despite wringing every ounce of performance from his M1, will leave the circuit tonight wondering how on earth his teammate could cruise to victory whilst he could only manage P6.

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) was the first independent rider under the chequered flag, giving the passionate and knowledgeable home crowd yet another reason to cheer. On an old GP17 machine, the popular Australian gave it everything – even leading on the opening laps as he had done so this time last year. Although disappointed in his personal result, his team were in a very celebratory mood after the race and with good reason – Two Ducatis in the parc ferme winners’ enclosure (Miller and Dovizioso). Additionally, five riders aboard Desmosedici machines scored points – compared to this time last year when the best finisher for the manufacturer was Scott Redding in a very modest fourteenth place.    

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Johann Zarco (Tech3 Monster Yamaha) involved in a frightening collision on the entry to turn 1 early in the race. Approaching the fast right hand bend, Marquez moved across to the left hand side of the track to open up the corner entry. However, unsighted for the Spaniard, was Zarco’s Yamaha. With nowhere to go, and no time to take any evasive action, the Frenchman struck the back of the Honda and speared off into the gravel – reportedly at around 280kph. The Yamaha was completely wrecked in the aftermath, but thankfully Zarco walked away shaken but not stirred. True testament to the both the trackside safety measures, and the air-bags inside the riders’ leathers. Marquez retired from the race soon after, but both will be fit to fight it out again next week in Malaysia.

Bradley Smith secured a solid finish in tenth place for the Red Bull KTM team. Prior to the race it had been another difficult weekend for the 27-year old, but dug in once again dragging the RC18 kicking and screaming into a very respectable position.

Finally. a mention for Belgian rider Xavier Simeon (Avintia Reale Ducati) who scored his first point in the MotoGP world championship with fifteenth place. It has been a difficult debut season for him, having spent the majority of it aboard the outdated GP16 Desmosedici. However, since Tito Rabat sustained his broken leg at Silverstone, Simeon has been on a GP17 machine and today he showed he can be competitive in the premier class.   

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Moto3 Preview: What does the Island have in store for Moto3?

Combining one of the most thrilling tracks and the most unpredictable classes, makes for very entertaining viewing. Moto3 is descending upon Phillip Island in Australia and it looks to be a promising one with defending champion Joan Mir no longer in Moto3, the win could be anyone’s.

As has been the case for the majority of this season, it’s Jorge Martin (Gresini) and Marco Bezzecchi (Prustel) who need to score big points as the 2018 season draws to a close soon. With just one point between them, Martin will be looking to extend his lead and Bezzecchi will be doing all he can to overtake Martin and clinch a possible Championship title.

The three Italians who make up 3rd-5thshouldn’t be overlooked as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini) looks to come back from his awful Motegi high side (his participation at Phillip Island was hit or miss for a second). Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) is in 4thand will want to secure some much needed points (33 to draw level with Di Giannantonio) to make it to the top 3 in time for the season ending, and Lorenzo Della Porta (Leopard Racing) will want to continue to fine form he’s had and maybe step onto the podium once again.

However, the Island is formidable and when the weather is wreaking havoc with races, the wildlife can get in the way too. And both of these things can play a huge part in how makes it to the end of a race, let alone scores points. The possible wet weather will mean that the likes of Martin, who ride well in rainy conditions, have the chance to do well but T1 is arguable the fastest corner on the racing calendar so when all the riders pile into this corner first time round – it could catch a few riders out. It’s also been very cold the last few days, meaning that cold tyres will be something all riders need to be aware of.

There are 7 left hand corners (to 5 right hand corners) so the tyres should warm on all side relatively evenly but this could still catch riders out in the opening laps before their tyres are properly heated. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Phillip Island preview if the wildlife isn’t brought up. The main culprits are seagulls but other wildlife has wondered on track in the past, and it’s hard enough racing but dodging animals makes the AusGP a unique experience.

With 2018 bringing in the 29th Phillip Island GP, only Sunday will reveal whether it was the weather, wildlife or the own fault of the riders that messes up someone’s Grand Prix weekend.

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WorldSBK Qatar: Race 1 – Double Delight For Kawasaki

Kawasaki Racing Team secured their fourth 1-2 finish of the season, as Jonathan Rea led home Tom Sykes under the floodlights of Losail.

Rea made the holeshot from the grid to take the lead at turn 1 and, as so often is the case, began pulling clear from the field almost immediately. Once with a manageable gap, the newly-crowned 4x world champion was able to dictate terms with his familiar metronomic rhythm. Today’s victory makes it 17 for the Northern Irishman this season – equalling the record set by Doug Polen, way back in 1991.

Tom Sykes, in his final weekend for the Kawasaki Racing Team has not been prepared to go out on a whimper. The Yorkshireman secured pole position in qualifying earlier this afternoon, and also had his sights set on victory. Whilst his teammate ensured that this was impossible, Sykes secured second place – his first podium finish in five races (and his eighth of the season).

Such is the vast length of the Losail International Circuit (5.38km) and the technical nature of the corners, within a couple of laps there were considerable time gaps already opening up between the various groups of riders. Nevertheless, there was action aplenty as riders diced and duelled with each other.  

Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati) thrilling fight over fourth and fifth places. Lacking the cornering stability of the factory counterparts, Fores produced a strong defensive ride on his independent Ducati, utilising the raw horsepower to pull as much of an advantage down the 1km long main straight, and holding a defensive line through the sweeping corners. However disaster stuck for the Spaniard as technical issues forced him to drop back through the pack – eventually crawling home in P13.

His loss was very much Melandri’s gain, as well as more than a fair amount of relief. Despite throwing everything at him, the factory Ducati man could not find a way past the independent Ducati rider. The Italian, who is seeking a new ride for next season, finished in P5 – collecting a very respectable 11 points for the factory backed outfit.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) started P11 on the grid and immediately set about trying to carve his way up the order. Doubtless he was motivated on by the ongoing battle for second place in the championship with Dutch rider Michael Van der Mark (Pata Yamaha). Van der Mark eventually finished in P7, taking the bragging rights today and ensuring that this personal battle for honours goes down to the final race tomorrow. Both riders however were royally mugged in the closing stages by Loris Baz (Gulf Althea BMW). The Frenchman had done a remarkable job of preserving his tyres, and blasted past the duo who could offer no reply.

Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha) were locked in a thrilling battle for the final place on the podium. Both riders have looked strong throughout the weekend so far, with Laverty firmly putting himself in the proverbial shop window for a potential ride with Red Bull Honda next season. However it was Lowes who emerged the triumphant, forcing his R1 machine past the Aprilia on the final lap, holding on to third place through the final corners. Laverty will at least have the consolation of starting from pole position on tomorrow’s partially reversed grid.

Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda) secured his best finish of the season so far, with a hard fought ninth place. It has been a tough debut season for the young American, with his place under much scrutiny in recent weeks. A solid return of points today might go some way to securing his future in the class for 2019. Additionally, the result makes up for his teammate Leon Camier who crashed out with 10 laps of the race remaining.

Rounding out the top ten, and being the first independent rider home, was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Puccetti Kawasaki). The Turkish star once again managed to extract the most amount of performance from his ZX-10R machine, fighting with the Hondas and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) for much of the race.   

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Moto2 Australia Preview: First Championship Point for Bagnaia

The Australian Moto2 Grand Prix this weekend presents the first opportunity for Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) to become a World Champion.

The retrospective disqualification of Fabio Quartararo (Conveyors MB – Speed Up) in Japan last week handed the championship leader his eighth win of the season, and allowed him to increase his championship lead over Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to 37 points. So, with two rounds to go after this weekend, Bagnaia needs a fifty-point advantage over Oliveira (who has two wins this year, and therefore cannot surpass Bagnaia’s total) at the end of the Australian Moto2 race to clinch the title before Sepang next week. That means Bagnaia needs to out-score his Portuguese rival by 13 points this weekend, and the most straightforward way which that can happen is with Bagnaia winning and Oliveira finishing no higher than fifth.

So, it’s possible that Bagnaia can be crowned this weekend, if somewhat unlikely. Oliveira’s season has not been an outstanding one, in that he hasn’t won an incredible number of races or had an obvious advantage on the field, but he has been incredibly consistent. Of the fifteen races so far this season, Oliveira has been on the podium in ten of them. In a year when the Moto2 field is arguably as tight as it ever has been, if not tighter, to miss the podium on only five occasions is quite impressive.

The problem for Oliveira has been winning, and that problem has been largely a consequence of his poor qualifying. Again, of the sixteen qualifying sessions so far (one more QP than races this season because Silverstone was rained off) Oliveira has qualified in the top ten only eight times, and on the front three rows only seven times. Furthermore, Oliveira has only one front row in 2018, which came back in Austria where he was second to Bagnaia.

On the positive side for Oliveira, though, is the Phillip Island circuit itself. The Portuguese has two wins at the Australian track, coming in 2015 and 2017. His win in Phillip Island last season kicked off his end-of-season triple-win, as he won the final three races of the season in Australia, Malaysia and Valencia. The #44 rider is going to need a similar run of form in the final three races of 2018 if he is to stand a chance of overcoming Bagnaia.

In fact, it could be that Oliveira’s KTM Ajo teammate, Brad Binder, proves one of the Portuguese’s strongest challengers. This is for two reasons: Binder’s form in the last races, and his recent form at Phillip Island.

Since Aragon, where Binder won, he has been at least a match for Oliveira in each race; playing the role of the good teammate in Thailand, even if he could do nothing about the later-race pace of Bagnaia’s Sky Racing Team VR46 teammate, Luca Marini; before battling for the entirety of the Japanese Grand Prix with Oliveira last weekend, to the misery of Red Bull KTM Ajo team boss, Aki Ajo.

About his Australian Grand Prix form, Binder has taken two podiums in the last two years, including a win in 2016. No doubt Binder will be after the win this weekend, but crucially it could work well for Oliveira should the #44 be unable to fight for the victory.

Whereas the two Red Bull KTM Ajo riders were on the podium in Australia last season, Francesco Bagnaia could only manage twelfth, so the way the weekend pans out for the championship contenders and their teammates (Luca Marini was the 23rd and last finisher in Phillip Island last year) will be fascinating.

Similarly interesting will be the performance of Jesko Raffin (SAG Team), who was a surprise in fourth place last year at the Island, ahead of the likes of Xavi Vierge and Alex Marquez, both of whom will be looking for better results compared to Japan last time out where Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) missed the podium with fourth and Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) could only manage seventh.

Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will also be after an improvement on his Japanese GP result, as he finished down in eleventh, but the reigning Moto3 World Champion will have good memories of the Australian Grand Prix, as he won the lightweight class race at Phillip Island in 2017.

And, of course, after his partly controversial and muchly discussed Japanese DSQ, Fabio Quartararo will be desperate to find himself on the podium this weekend. The smooth riding style of the Frenchman, and his sweeping lines, should suit the fast turns of Phillip Island, and he could too have his hand to play in the Bagnaia vs Oliveira championship battle.

Contrarily, Augusto Fernandez’ progression at the moment is seemingly relentless, and a sixth place in Japan last time out only went further to proving that, and that the decision of HP40 Pons to retain the Spaniard for next year was a good one.

But, with the 2018 Moto2 World Championship on the line for the first time this weekend, all eyes will be on the relative performances of Francesco Bagnaia and Miguel Oliveira.

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Australian GP Preview: Caution Thrown To The Wind As MotoGP Heads Down Under

The 2018 MotoGP Championship rumbles on this weekend to the spectacular Phillip Island circuit, just off the mainland of Australia.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) is now freed of the pressure to secure the championship, having secured the title last time out at Motegi. As such, the 25-year old has licence to throw all caution to the wind in pursuit of yet another victory. It has been another remarkable season in the career of the Spanish rider, who has become the youngest 7x world champion (and youngest 5x premier class champion). 

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) is looking to make it a second victory in three years at the circuit. The British rider has been in excellent form this year, piloting the factory-supported satellite Honda to fifth place in the championship – including victory in Argentina and podium finishes at Misano and Japan. Crutchlow is under no illusions that victory (or even a podium finish) will come easy, despite his strong record at this track. In the Thursday press conference he was reported saying as many as ten different riders all have a realistic chance to take the spoils on Sunday. 

Cal Crutchlow destroyed the field to win the 2016 Australian Grand Prix

The characteristics of the Phillip Island circuit may benefit the teams which are traditionally more stable handed through long, sweeping corners. As such, both Team Ecstar Suzuki and Movistar Yamaha have potentially much to gain. The latter will particularly be determined to produce a strong result, having struggled throughout the season. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Alex Rins (Suzuki) respectively will be expected to lead the charges for their teams again this weekend. Rossi will be desperate to not only break Yamaha’s duck for the season, and end the team’s winless drought which stretches back to Assen, 2017.

For Rins, there is now the feeling it is just a matter of time before the Catalan rider wins his first grand prix. The 22-year old has secured multiple podium finishes this season – his most recent being a hard fought 3rd place last time out in Japan. In addition, he has been a regular presence inside the top 5 since the summer break. Phillip Island presents him with perhaps the best chance of the season to claim victory, and become the first Suzuki rider to win a grand prix since Maverick Vinales at Silverstone in 2016.

Alvaro Bautista makes his bow as a factory Ducati rider, this weekend. The former 125cc world champion is standing in for the injured Jorge Lorenzo at Phillip Island, and could potentially be doing the same next weekend in Malaysia. Bautista has comprehensively outperformed the GP16 and GP17 Desmosedici machines, regularly finishing races inside the top 10. The promotion to the factory team is also a very public ‘thank you’ from Ducati Corse, before he moves to World Superbikes in 2019 for the Aruba.it Ducati squad on the new V4 Panigale.

Local rider Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) will be hoping to give the partisan home crowd something to shout about this weekend. The Australian has, by his own admission, struggled for consistency on the year-old GP17 Desmosedici machine. His best result this season was a fourth place finish at the Argentinian Grand Prix, a round which also saw him secure his maiden pole position.  However, one need only cast their mind back to this time last year when, aboard the truly uncompetitive MarcVDS Honda, Miller took and held the lead of the race during the opening laps at the island. Now on a Ducati, there is every possibility of at least a podium finish should he keep the bike on the tarmac.

Finally, MotoGP welcomes back another Australian rider this weekend. Mike Jones is stepping in at the Angel Nieto Team, whilst Bautista is at the factory Ducati team. Jones is a familiar name to the paddock, having ridden for Avintia Ducati back in 2016 and scoring a championship point. A former Australian Superbike Champion, another chance to perform in front of his home crowds is a self-confessed dream come true for the affable 24-year old from Queensland.

MotoGP Qualifying and Race Schedule

Saturday: Qualifying 1 – 06:10-06.25

Sunday: Race – 05.00      

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WorldSBK Qatar Preview – More Records Beckon For Rea

The curtain falls on the 2018 Superbike World Championship under the floodlights of the Losail Circuit.

So here we are, after twelve rounds and seven months of globe trotting, the FIM Superbike World Championship reaches its final round this weekend at the Losail International Circuit, in Qatar.

It is the final time that the current race format will be used. From 2019 onwards World Superbikes will have three races each weekend, comprised of two ‘regular’ length races and one shorter ‘sprint’. The precise details – such as scheduling and points allocation for the sprint are yet to be confirmed. The general understanding is that the regular length races will remain in their current slots (one each at the end of Saturday and Sunday), whilst the sprint will begin Sunday’s race program.

As ever, all eyes will be on Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea.  Having completed another victory double last time out in Argentina, the reigning world champion has his sites set on breaking the outright points record for a single season. It should be worth noting that Rea currently holds the record, having finished the 2017 campaign with a total of 556.  To break his own record, Rea will need to score 37 points, which in simplest terms equates to a race win (25pts) and a fourth place finish (13pts).

There is also another record which the Northern Irishman could break this year – the number of race victories in a season. Another double this weekend will see Rea catch and surpass the current record of 17 wins in a season – set by Doug Polen, on a Ducati, way back in 1991. Should he do that, then only the record for number of world championships would remain on his hit-list.

Jonathan Rea is set to break all the records in WorldSBK history.

Across the other side of the KRT garage, and there is a real sense of the end of an era. Tom Sykes will ride for the team for the final time this weekend, bringing down the curtain on an eight-year relationship with the Japanese marque. Whilst this season has been difficult for the Yorkshireman, both rider and team can look back fondly over a period of considerable success, including 34 wins and 47 pole positions. Not to mention that Sykes claimed the first championship crown for the team back in 2013. Both he and the team will be hoping to go out on a high, with one final victory together.

The ‘end of an era’ feeling is magnified further in the Aruba.it Ducati garage. For the Ducati Corse supported team, they say farewell to both Marco Melandri and the V-twin engine Panigale R machine this weekend. Whilst there is an undeniable level of disappointment in the team, that the Panigale has failed to follow in the wheel tracks of its illustrious predecessors (every previous Ducati Superbike model has been ridden at least 1 championship title), it has been tempered by the testing results of the upcoming Panigale V4 machine – which is being introduced for 2019.

Nevertheless, much is on the line this weekend for Ducati’s number one rider, Chaz Davies. The Welshman has battled injury ever since the mid-season break, having broken his collarbone in a crash during training. The highly physical demands of the somewhat volatile Ducati, have ensured the injury has not healed. Despite this considerable setback, Davies is still fighting for second place in the championship. With the Losail circuit traditionally playing to the Panigale’s straight line strength, the Qatar round presents Davies with his best chance of securing a brace of strong results for the first time since back at Imola.

Michael Van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) is also gunning for second place in the championship and, sitting just 16 points behind Davies, knows it is a very realistic possibility. The Dutchman has had an outstanding campaign, and has fully lived up to his pre-season billing as the most exciting prospect of the series.  Two race wins and a further eight podium finishes this season, have put the 25-year old in pole position to secure that second place overall.

Will it be Chaz Davies (Left) or Michael Van der Mark (Right) who finishes as ‘Best of the Rest’ this season?

This week also sees the final outing for the Shaun Muir Racing team, in their current guise as Milwaukee Aprilia. After weeks of speculation, the team will switch from running Aprilia machinery, to the newly updated BMW S1000RR. The deal reportedly also includes significant factory support from the German manufacturer. As a result of this, it is all change as far as the riders are concerned. Sykes moves across from KRT, whilst Markus Reiterberger moves up from the – now defunct – European Superstock 1000 class having won the championship aboard a BMW.

The decision to hire two new riders for 2019 leaves the current incumbents (Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori) without a ride for next season. Both riders feel they should be at one of the factory supported teams. This is especially the case for Laverty who has taken two podium finishes and a pole position this season, on his way to scoring 145 points. At time of writing there is just one seat left available with such a team – Red Bull Honda.  Expect the pair to throw the kitchen sink and more this weekend, as they desperately try to secure that seat for themselves.

WorldSBK Schedule – All times BST

FRIDAY

Superpole 1 – 14.30-14.45

Superpole 2 – 14.55-15.10

WorldSBK Race 1 – 17.00

SATURDAY

WorldSBK Race 2 – 17.00

 

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The Moto2 Championship Battle Prepares for the Triple Header

A win in the inaugural Thai Moto2 Grand Prix allowed Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) to increase his World Championship advantage to 28 points, with four rounds left in the season.

However, considering the form of his main championship rival, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo), in the final three races of 2017 – of which he won all three – and that there are still 100 points up for grabs in 2018, there is still a lot to play for this year, as the championship heads into the far-eastern triple-header, with Motegi and the Japanese Grand Prix first up this weekend.

But it was Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) who won last year in Japan. In fact, his 2017 Japanese Grand Prix triumph remains his most recent victory in the Moto2 World Championship. The Spaniard’s hopes of a top three finish pretty much vanished at Thailand when he crashed out of a good position, and one from which he could fight perhaps for the podium. He now lies thirty-one points behind Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who is currently third in the standings, so perhaps his sights are now set on the fourth place of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40).

Marquez’s form of late would also make it a surprise to see him take the top step this weekend, despite his success at the Twin Ring in the past, starting in 2013 when he took his first GP win at the Japanese track.

Miguel Oliveira the winner of the Thailand Moto2 race 2018. Image courtesy of Gold and Goose /KTM

With that in mind, perhaps we should look at the two Red Bull KTMs of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, as well as the two Sky VR46 bikes of Pecco Bagnaia and Luca Marini to be fighting for the win this weekend.

Bagnaia’s Thai win was stunning. The general thought pre-race was that the two factory KTMs would escape in the second half of the race when the tyre wear arrived. But instead, it was the opposite, and Bagnaia – once he settled into a rhythm – checked out and contented himself whilst out front with the five points that he would be gaining on Oliveira. Hence, he was rather excited to learn that his teammate, Marini, had taken second behind him, to steal another four points from Oliveira.

Francesco Bagnaia and Luca Marini of the Sky VR46 team. Image courtesy of Hondaproracing

It was a welcome return to form for Marini, whose previous podium appearance back in Austria was starting to seem something of a while ago with some more difficult weekends in Misano and Aragon. However, the memories for Marini of Motegi are not fantastic, as he was the first retirement of the 2017 race.

Miguel Oliveira’s most recent memories of Japan are also not so fantastic, as he finished 7.5 seconds off the win last season in 7th place, and two seconds behind Bagnaia in 4th. However, Oliveira’s 2015 podium at the Japanese Grand Prix means he has one more rostrum finish in Motegi than his Italian rival, Bagnaia, whose best result in Japan was that fourth place twelve months ago.

Brad Binder looked at times as though he was faster than his championship-challenging teammate, Oliveira, in Thailand. However, he never broke rank, and allowed his Portuguese colleague to take the third place which could prove crucial in the championship in a few weeks’ time, and a similar ‘rear-gunner’ job by Binder could prove valuable for Oliveira in the remaining races of the season.

Other riders to watch out for this weekend include Lorenzo Baldassarri, who will be eager to bounce back after his disappointing crash off pole position in Buriram and Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) who took his first Grand Prix podium in Motegi last year.

Also, Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) is still after his first Moto2 win, and only has four rounds left to achieve that before he heads off to MotoGP next season with the Ecstar Suzuki squad. The Spaniard is also just two points behind his teammate, Marquez, in the standings, in the battle for the championship top five.

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