Crew On Two

29th March 2018

BSB 2018: Six To Watch

The 2018 British Superbike Championship promises to be one of the best yet, with a line-up of established stars mixed with young talent which have accrued the experience necessary to warrant serious consideration for this year. But still, there can only be six riders who make the Showdown for the final three races, and here we will be discussing who they might be.

For this list there is only really one option when choosing where to start, and that is with the reigning champion: Shane Byrne. The six-times British Superbike Champion is, as ever, the benchmark for this season, the target. Last season he finally defended a title successfully, beating Leon Haslam against the odds in the Brands Hatch finale. In the build up to this season, Byrne has targeted Niall Mackenzie’s record of three championships back-to-back. Since his return to BSB back in 2011 after a two-year stint in the World Superbike Championship, Byrne has failed to finish outside the top three in the standings, and claiming the title on four occasions: 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Those four add to his titles in 2003 and 2008, to make him by far the most successful rider in British Superbike history, and with the PBM Be Wiser Ducati underneath him, the number 67 has to be the favourite for the title this season.

However, that is not to say that Byrne has the championship in the bag, not by any means. The list of riders wishing to dethrone the reigning champion in 2018 is pretty extensive. Still, there can only be five to make the list.

It makes sense to start with Leon Haslam. The ex-500 GP and World Superbike rider is still yet to win a championship since he won the National Scooter Championship back in 1997. He came agonisingly close to the BSB crown last season, with a comfortable margin in the championship heading into the last round at Brands Hatch. But a weekend of discomfort with the bike and finally a catastrophic brake failure in the final race of the season, ejecting himself from the bike at over 170mph at Hawthorn Bend. The crash gifted the 2017 title to Byrne, but Haslam is certain that escaping it without serious (by motorcycle racing standards) injuries has given him the motivation to build another title challenge in 2018, in which he will compete once again with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki squad. With the continuation in the team from the last two seasons, the familiarity with the bike and the added motivation of the way last season ended for Haslam, it would be remarkable to see him not make the Showdown, or fight for the championship. Will 2018 finally be his year?

A third rider who is considered a shoe-in for a title shot is 2015 champion Josh Brookes. That title came after six seasons of failed attempts, and was partly the result of the then-brand-new Yamaha R1, which he rode for Shaun Muir. Back then he had about as much factory support as you might expect in a national championship. Last year, though, was not the same. After he came back from a disappointing year aboard BMWs for the same SMR outfit he won the BSB title with, he teamed up with Anvil Hire Tag Racing to pilot one of their R1s for 2017, notably without the factory status he perhaps enjoyed in 2015. Even still, he managed to take second in the championship, partly as a result of Haslam’s final race crash, and three wins through the season at Thruxton, Silverstone and Brands Hatch. This year Brookes joins the team who now have the official support of Yamaha: McAms Yamaha, and the expectation will be a repeat of the results of 2015, or at least the final result of the championship.

It is fair to say that the three riders mentioned so far have been fairly safe choices. Of course, it is motorcycle racing, so as we all well know anything can happen, but nonetheless there would be a lot of surprised people if the aforementioned three do not make the top six. However, the remaining three spots in the Showdown are less straightforward to predict.

We will start with Jake Dixon. The RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki rider made a huge breakthrough last year, as he took his first win in BSB at Knockhill, went on to convert it to a maiden double, went on to make the showdown and finish the championship in sixth place – all in his first full-time campaign in the category. Dixon also made his Grand Prix debut last season at Silverstone, where he replaced Marcel Schrotter at the Dynavolt Intact GP squad in the Moto2 class. For 2018 Dixon will be remaining aboard the RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki that propelled him to the front of the pack last year, with the hope that this season it can take him all the way to the top.

The other two prime candidates for this season’s Showdown are the Honda Racing pair of Jason O’Halloran and Dan Linfoot. 2017 proved a tricky campaign for the official Honda squad, with the 2017 Fireblade taking a while to bed in, but nonetheless it eventually powered Linfoot to his first BSB victory in the pouring rain at Silverstone, and then again at Oulton Park a few weeks later. But whilst Linfoot failed to make the Showdown in 2017, O’Halloran did, and finished the championship in fifth place. The dynamic between the pair has been an interesting one since their battle for the win at Snetterton in 2016, and perhaps this year we will see that dynamic go to new levels, perhaps with them fighting each other for the British Championship thanks to the development of the 2017 CBR1000RR SP2.

Of course, these are not the only riders to watch this season, and will not be the only ones to fight at the front. There is plenty of young talent on the grid this year, such Taz Mackenzie, Taylor Mackenzie, Brad Ray and Kyle Ryde, plus newcomers like Gino Rea and others such as Luke Mossey and James Ellison who have just as much of a chance of making the Showdown as any of the riders mentioned. 2018 is going to be a great season for BSB, and it would be a surprise if the six riders mentioned here were the ones who made the Showdown such is the unpredictability, and that is why each and every round, starting with Donington this weekend, is going to be critical to making the cut.

22nd March 2018

WSBK Thailand: The ‘Destination Of Speed’ Awaits

Four weeks after the sensational opening round at Philip Island, the World Superbike paddock sets up shop this weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.

Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati) scored a brilliant double last time out in Australia, and will be looking to increase his lead at the top of the championship. History has not been kind to the factory-supported Ducati team. In the previous three years that World Superbikes has been visiting the Buriram track, no rider aboard a Panigale machine has stood on the top step of the podium. The best result by any Ducati rider here is second place, achieved by Melandri’s teammate, Chaz Davies, in 2017. Davies will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing round in Australia, and reassert himself as the team’s number one. Davies has a good record here. Despite never having yet claimed victory, the 31-year old has finished on the podium twice here (second place in 2015 and third place in 2016).

Aruba.it Ducati will also be facing competition from their privateer counterparts. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) was the standout independent rider from the opening round last month. The Spaniard threw the form book out of the proverbial window during the second race, to claim a remarkable third place finish just behind Melandri and Jonathan Rea (KRT) . At the Thai circuit we could see Fores feature prominently again, as the track suits the strengths of the Panigale 1199 as well as the ‘no holds barred’ style of its rider.

By their own admission the all-conquering Kawasaki Racing Team were disappointed to leave Phillip Island with two second place finishes. Despite starting the opening race from pole position, tyre trouble denied Tom Sykes. Jonathan Rea was beaten to the line in the thrilling drag race in race two. KRT have every reason to expect success this weekend. Since the World Superbike Championship first visited Thailand in 2015, the green and black machines have held an exclusive monopoly at the track with victory in all six previous races. Rea standing on the top step of the podium a staggering five times, with Sykes securing his victory in 2016.

Red Bull Honda looking to back up their strong performance from Australia. Leon Camier returned from the opening round with a solid haul of points for the team – underlining how far the team has improved since last season. The British rider defied all expectation, taking a brace of sixth place finishes. Most notably, in race 2 the Honda rider finished under 3 seconds shy of the winner. It was a challenging weekend for his teammate, Jake Gagne. The American had never before ridden the Phillip Island circuit, and the objectives were to simply learn the course, not crash and fight for points if possible. The rookie ticked all three boxes. It will be the case of “same again” this weekend as, having arrived from MotoAmerica, the 26-year old has never raced at the Buriram venue before.

Gagne is one of five riders who will be racing a superbike around the Buriram circuit for the first time this weekend. The other four being: Loris Baz (Gulf Althea BMW), Yonny Hernandez (Team Pedercini Racing), PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Puccetti Kawasaki).

The Pata Yamaha team will be looking to improve upon their solid, if unspectacular, showing in round one. In the build up to the season much had been made of the growing rivalry between the two Yamaha riders, Alex Lowes (Great Britain) and Michael Van der Mark (Netherlands). If you include qualifying performances into consideration, Lowes arrives in Thailand with a 3-0 lead over his team-mate, having out scored his teammate in both races last time out. The Buriram circuit has not been a happy hunting ground for the team, with a best result of fourth last year for Lowes, being the highlight. Straight line speed is critical at this track, something the team spent a considerable amount of time working on during the winter tests.

Qualifying: Saturday, March 24th, 1330 Local Time (0630 GMT)

Race 1: Saturday, March 24th, 1600 Local Time (0900 GMT)

Race 2: Sunday, March 25th, 1600 Local Time (1000 BST)

21st March 2018

Martin Triumphs as Bastianini Falls – Moto3 GP of Qatar

For the first race of the 2018 Moto3 World Championship, there was an air of familiarity about the first six laps. The 2013 season saw three in a league of their own: Luis Salom, Alex Rins and eventual series champion, Maverick Vinales. That season all three were on KTMs, the dominant package at the time, and shared all bar one of the wins of 2013 between them (Alex Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix when both Rins and Salom crashed). This year, the three riders who have shown themselves to be a step ahead of the rest of the field are Jorge Martin, Aron Canet and Enea Bastianini, all on Honda machines.

This weekend, Martin looked almost in a class of his own, with only Bastianini regularly challenging him, but The Beast qualified down in tenth, and with Canet down in seventh on the grid, it looked like Gresini Racing’s Martin would have a chance to break from the group early on in Sunday’s eighteen lap race. This is what he tried to do – by the time Bastianini arrived at the head of the chasing group, in second place, Martin was already 1.5 seconds in the lead, and to make things more difficult, Bastianini would have to negotiate Canet at the same time as closing the race leader. Nonetheless, within two laps, the chasing pair had caught Jorge, and Bastianini hit the front at the beginning of lap five, breaking Martin’s leadership for the first time in the race. Entering lap six, though, and the two Spaniards re-passed Enea, and in his ambition to stick with Martin, the Italian crashed out of the race at turn six, losing the rear initially, which sent him a little offline, and then folding the front. La Bestia was unable to re-join, and so leaves the first race of the season already way off the pace in the championship.

Canet and Martin continued their private battle for the lead, and throughout the race made it increasingly more exclusive, stretching out a gap of nearly seven seconds to the chasing pack by the end of the race.

The younger of the two, Canet, made a very curious race, almost never leading, despite failing to detach himself from his compatriot’s rear tyre from the moment he gained contact. Canet would sit up at the end of the straight every lap, roll off the throttle so as to not pass Martin, and not show his hand. The one time when Aron did take over the leadership of the race, it was due to a mistake from Jorge, who ran wide at turn one, but after one lap the Gresini Honda had re-passed the Estrella Galicia Marc VDS version.

Canet was clearly waiting for the final lap, to slipstream Martin to the line, and there is a question mark over whether Canet was failing to pass his fellow Spaniard by the line on purpose to try to trick last year’s Valencia race winner into a false sense of security. Either way, the plan for Canet did not work, as Martin edged the victory by 0.023 seconds to deny Canet’s slipstream attempts. Perhaps Canet’s race was ruined by the Honda, which seems to give very little slipstream to the rider behind – this seemed visible in the race, and also through practice.

It was not just the battle for the front that was very unusual for Moto3 – the battle for the final spot on the podium was distinctly unpopulated, with only six riders fighting for third for most of the race. The six were Lorenzo Dalla Porta, polesitter Niccolo Antonelli, Gabriel Rodrigo, Jakub Kornfeil, Ayumu Sasaki and Marco Bezzecchi, but were then joined by John McPhee, Kaito Toba and Fabio Di Giannantonio in the final laps. The fight was fierce, and it was inevitable that at least one of the riders would unfortunately not make the finish. John McPhee was the victim, clipping Sasaki’s Honda in the penultimate corner, taking him out of the race.

Marco Bezzecchi also had an undeserved crash earlier in the lap at the dreaded turn six, where he folded the front. Fortunately for the big Italian, though, he was able to remount and took two points for fourteenth on his debut for the Pruestl GP team.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta won out in the battle for the podium, beating home compatriot Nicco Antonelli in the run to the line by 0.045 seconds on the 2016 Moto3 Junior World Champion’s debut for the Leopard Racing Honda team, a welcome gift after the disaster of Bastianini.

As implied it was Niccolo Antonelli who was the first of the non-podium finishers to cross the line – a positive result on his SIC58 Squadra Corse debut, and one he will hope to build from in the future.

Gabriel Rodrigo was the first KTM home in fifth, which shows the continuation of 2017’s trend of Honda dominating the lightweight class.

Fabio Di Giannantonio fought back well from a poor qualifying and underwhelming start to take sixth place, 0.030 seconds ahead of Honda Team Asia’s Kaito Toba, who sort of arrived in the battle for the podium from nowhere, but nonetheless fought well to take what is by far his career best finish.

Toba beat home fellow Japanese Ayumu Sasaki who finished seventh, ahead of the KTM of Jakub Kornfeil, who made a return to the top ten after a couple of difficult seasons with the Sepang International Circuit team.

The top ten was rounded out by another KTM (although that is still only three Austrian bikes inside the top 10 compared to seven Hondas), this time belonging to Andrea Migno, who made a decent debut for the Angel Nieto Team, finishing under one second away from the podium. He was followed sensation Jaume Masia.

2017 Red Bull Rookies Champion Kazuki Masaki took home three points on his Grand Prix debut and finished only 8.829 seconds off the win. As previously mentioned, Bezzecchi finished fourteenth, with Marcos Ramirez taking the final point in fifteenth place.

Dennis Foggia ended his full time Grand Prix debut 0.069 seconds off the final point, but will be disappointed to be 26 seconds off the win, nonetheless. Tony Arbolino was a further 6.5 seconds back of Foggia, with Nakarin Atiratphuvapat and Makar Yurchenko rounding out the nineteen finishers.

That leaves seven riders unclassified: John McPhee, rookie Alonso Lopez, Livio Loi, Nicolo Bulega who is still struggling with his ankle injury from last season, the aforementioned Bastianini, Philipp Oettl and Darryn Binder, who made contact with the German.

Whilst the opening round of the 2018 Moto3 season was by no means a classic, it perhaps did show the pattern the season will follow: three riders a step ahead of the rest of the field fighting for the championship. For sure, the other riders will be fighting also at the front of the races, but it will be Jorge Martin, Aron Canet and Enea Bastianini who will fight for the world title, and their battle will continue in Argentina in three weeks’ time.

18th March 2018

Qatar Race Report: Dovizioso Draws First Blood

Andrea Dovizioso, at last, got the monkey off his back at the Losail International Circuit. In the last three years, the Italian has finished in second place at this venue. Today, Sunday March 18th, his time had come.

Under the floodlights of the desert circuit Dovizioso (Ducati Team) produced a stunning performance, calling upon all of his experience (179 grands prix contested), guile and tactical nous to emerge victorious.

He had to.

Starting from the middle of the second row, the Ducati rider’s initial lunch was far from ideal. In the scramble to the first corner he was shoved and jostled down to seventh place, as the leaders initially threatened to clear off into the distance. Quickly composing himself, Dovi set about his task closing the gap back to the riders in front. Once he’d caught on he performed a series of methodical, perfectly executed overtake maneuvers. First disposing of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) at the long, ever tightening right-handed first corner, demonstrating his immense control and precision to the full. By lap 11 he had closed up onto the back of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), and the pair would duel it out for the honours for the remainder of the race. Not even a last corner lunge from Marquez would deny the Italian today. As was the case last season at Austria and Japan, the acceleration power of the Ducati was ultimately too much for the Honda on the long drag to the finish line.

Marc Marquez left everything on the track in his quest to end Honda’s drought at the circuit. Qatar has been a difficult place for riders charged with the RC213V machine. Since the event became a night race in 2008, the factory Honda team have only celebrated victory here twice. The defending world champion had looked strong all weekend, never outside the top ten in any of the free practice sessions, and the only factory rider to make it onto the front row in qualifying. The lack of straight line speed was always going to hinder the team, but Marquez’ commitment through the corners made up much of the deficit. There was no shortage of courage either under braking. Late in the race, the Spaniard back wheel briefly locked and skidded as he forced a way past Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3).

MotoGP has a way of ripping up the proverbial form book from time to time, and today was no exception. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) rounded out the podium places with a stunning ride to third place. Yamaha had been struggling all throughout the weekend in the sessions building to to the race, with the team seemingly unable to find any competitive setup for their bikes. The result of which led to both factory riders languishing in qualifying, with Rossi having to settle for P8 and on the third row. However, the nine-time world champion has long prided himself on his reputation as being a ‘Sunday Man’, and proved it once again. From the start Rossi carved his way towards the front, leading the likes of Marquez and Dovizioso early on, then holding off Crutchlow and Petrucci when the Yamaha’s tyres began to grain. Although today it was impossible for Rossi to contend for the win in the closing laps, the result is still a huge boost of confidence to the Japanese factory team going forward in the season.

The fight behind the podium finishers was fierce and unrelenting throughout the race’s 22 lap duration. Crutchlow (P4) was the first of the independent riders across the line, finishing ahead of Petrucci and comfortably clear of veteran Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda). Beating the latter will be particularly sweet for the British rider, given he is now also on equal machinery for the 2018 season. Petrucci will not be too disheartened even though his challenge faded in the closing stages of the race. The Italian has been one of the standout performers this weekend, fast across all the sessions, and his part dicing with Crutchlow and Dovizioso today will be well remembered. Who knows what might have happened if the race had been on a less abrasive surface. There is reason for plenty of confidence from the Pramac team as the world championship heads to Argentina. Alex Rins (Team Ecstar Suzuki) however, will be rueing today. The young Spanish rider secured his best grid position in MotoGP (P6) yesterday in qualifying, and for all money looked like he was on course to contend for a podium today. How cruel a mistress this sport can sometimes be. On lap 13, Rins braked off the racing line and the front tyre washed out from underneath him. The plumes of dust exploding from the track surface revealed that the rider had attempted to turn in from a point where there was no grip for the tyres. Under the lights and in the heat of battle, Rins could not have expected it. A cruel penalty which did not fit the crime.

A final thought must be spared for Johann Zarco. The Frenchman once again showed why he is rated so highly by both fans and the teams – Zarco has reportedly been approached in the last week by four different manufacturers eager for him to race for them next season. Starting from pole Zarco made the perfect launch and, although he could not break away from his pursuers, he led the way for 17 laps. Inevitably, tyre wear and fuel levels became serious issues. In the space of two laps, Zarco went from leading to P8 and having to fight off Andrea Iannone (Team Ecstar Suzuki). He did not appear overly disheartened after the race. The team know, as much as him, that it is only a matter of time before he breaks his duck in the premier class.

MotoGP Top 10 Race Results:

1: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) – 42’34.654

2: Marc Marquez (Honda) – + 0.027

3: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) – + 0.797

4: Cal Crutchlow (Honda)

5: Danilo Petrucci (Ducati)

6: Maverick Vinales (Yamaha)

7: Dani Pedrosa (Honda)

8: Johann Zarco (Yamaha)

9: Andrea Iannone (Suzuki)

10: Jack Miller (Ducati)

18th March 2018

Moto2 Qatar GP: Qualifying Report

Alex Marquez left it late to secure pole position ahead of Sunday’s Moto2 grand prix.

The remnants of the sandstorm, which plagued the Moto3 qualifying session, was one of the key challenges which greeted the riders as the intermediate class hit the track. With dust being blasted around the circuit, grip levels were inconsistent, ensuring that the competitors spent the first half of qualifying trying to create a clean racing line. There was also the matter of poor visibility in the twilight, before eventually the floodlights took over.

Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 MarcVDS) has looked imperious across the weekend so far. Fastest man throughout practice, the young Spaniard proved the master of the difficult conditions setting a best time of 2″00.299 to ensure he starts the race from the front. Furthermore, he secured pole position by 0.3s ahead of his nearest rival. An achievement which should not be overlooked, as Marquez set his time alone on track, without the aid of a slipstream tow down the 1 kilometre long main straight.

Securing the remaining places on the front row are Italian riders Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) and Francesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46). The former has been one of the surprises of the weekend, finishing inside the top 5 across the three practice sessions and rising to the occasion under the lights in qualifying. He will start in P2 on Sunday. Bagnaia once again demonstrated his raw ability over a single lap to secure third place on the starting grid, yet also chalked up 17 laps across the session gathering invaluable data for Sunday’s race.

Undoubtedly the surprise of the session was Danny Kent (Beta Tools Speed-Up Racing). The British rider has returned for a third stint in the intermediate class, and could not have hoped for a better start to his 2018 campaign. His best time of 2″00.965 secures him P6, and a place on the second row alongside Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) in P4 and P5 respectively.

Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini) and Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) will head up the third row of the grid. Navarro has steadily been making improvements over the winter, following a testing maiden season in Moto2 last year. Pasini will not be too worried starting from P8 on Sunday. The veteran Italian traditionally almost forgoes any thought to setting the bike up for a single lap, instead focusing every practice session on getting his machine right for the 20 lap race. The pair are joined on the third row by German rider, Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP), who will start in P9.

Concluding the top ten for Sunday’s race is Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), who will be disappointed to have only been able to secure tenth place on the grid. The 27-year old has been looking good however through the practice sessions, suggesting that he will be able to force his way up the order come race day.

17th March 201817th March 2018

Moto3 Qatar: Qualifying Report

Words by Alex Whitworth

The conditions for today’s Moto3 qualifying session were difficult for all the riders, as a relatively thick cloud of sand descended on the Losail International Circuit. Visibility was quite poor on track, and to add to that the wind was very strong, and the track was extremely dirty.

The rider who best dealt with the conditions was Jorge Martin. He had pole in the bag, his lap was about as good as it could have been in those conditions, but he only managed second place on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Niccolo Antonelli snatched pole position at the very end to take the SIC58 Squadra Corse’s first pole position in the World Championship, and he did it with the assistance of a perfect tow down the front straight – it was this that set his and Martin’s lap apart, by the gaping chasm of 0.001 seconds. The pole position was a welcome dose of enjoyment for the team, especially after Tatsuki Suzuki had to pull out of the weekend after injuries sustained from a crash on Friday morning.. Of course, Antonelli’s most recent victory came in Qatar back in 2016, when he was considered a championship contender, but even still it is probably Martin who enters tomorrow’s race as the favourite, having been the most consistently fast rider throughout the weekend.

Gabriel Rodrigo will begin his 2018 Moto3 World Championship from third on the grid, and it must be said that his lap was not a fluke – he has been quite fast all weekend, and all through qualifying. If he can keep his right hand in check tomorrow, he could be on for a maiden podium.

The second row is headed up by Ayumu Sasaki on the Petronas Sprinta Honda. Last year, Qatar was Sasaki’s first race of his full-time Grand Prix career (he debuted at Sepang 2016, replacing Enea Bastianini at Gresini), and he looked good too, finishing inside the points and ahead of the likes of Nicolo Bulega, so tomorrow could be a very good day for the young Honda star.

Kaito Toba enjoyed his best career qualifying with fifth place. The Japanese had a tough rookie season in 2017, but looks to have started his second season in Grand Prix racing in a much better way. If he can manage to stick with the leading group tomorrow, he could learn a lot about racing at the front against the best riders in the world.

Marco Bezzecchi impressed with sixth place. The Italian has flown a little under the radar coming into this season, after a quiet 2017 aboard the CIP Mahindra, but has been floating around the top five all weekend and could provide a real upset tomorrow.

Aron Canet fronts row three in seventh place. A relatively lowly qualifying position for Canet is not the end of the world for him, considering the amount of slipstreaming that is likely to occur on the pit straight tomorrow, but he has left himself in a dangerous position for turn one tomorrow, especially with it being the first race of the season.

Eighth place is occupied by Philipp Oettl, who not for the first time paid the price for his preference for riding alone, instead of in a group. The final piece of the row three puzzle is Lorenzo Dalla Porta, who might have been higher if his teammate Enea Bastianini didn’t hit his rear wheel on the entry to turn one.

That contact between the two Leopard teammates left Bastianini without a final attempt at improving his lap time and down in tenth place with a tough first few laps ahead of him for tomorrow. Jakub Kornfeil and John McPhee join Bastianini on row four.

Jaume Masia makes his full-time Grand Prix debut from thirteenth on the grid. We know from his performances last year that Masia can be a threat at the front in the race, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him battling for the top positions tomorrow. Andrea Migno lines up in fourteenth for the first Grand Prix of the season, and in the middle of a Bester Capital Dubai KTM sandwich on row five, as Marcos Ramirez goes off of P15.

Fabio Di Giannantonio disappointed with sixteenth place, but expect to see him climb through the field tomorrow. Adam Norrodin and Livio Loi complete row six.

Reigning Red Bull Rookies champion, Kazuki Masaki, will start from nineteenth tomorrow, whilst Darryn Binder rounds out the top twenty and CEV graduate Alonso Lopez finalises row seven.

Nico Bulega was a big disappointment in 22nd. After Friday he said he was happy with the work he and his team had done, but it looks to have been to no avail, as the tall Italian’s poor form from 2017 continues. To make matters worse for Bulega, his trademark awful starts will probably mean he will be pretty much last by turn one. Albert Arenas, one of the riders who fought with Bulega for the 2015 Moto3 Junior World Championship, starts from 23rd tomorrow, and rookie Makar Yurchenko goes from the back of row eight.

Reigning Junior World Champion Dennis Foggia was another disappointment as he could only manage 25th place after his fastest lap was cancelled for track limits. Tony Arbolino was yet another Italian frustration down in 26th place, which was completely unexpected after a strong preseason on the Snipers Honda. Finally, the grid for the first round of the 2018 Moto3 World Championship is rounded off by Nakarin Atiratphuvapat .

17th March 201817th March 2018

MotoGP Qatar Qualifying Report: Zarco Storms To Pole

Johann Zarco broke the lap record under the lights to shock the field and claim the first pole position of the 2018 season.

The qualifying format has remained the same in MotoGP for 2018 – after the first three practice sessions the riders with the ten best times given an automatic bye into the second qualifying session. The remaining fourteen riders must contest the first session, with only the top two progressing.

Aboard a 2017 satellite Yamaha machine, Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) shocked the MotoGP world this afternoon with a stunning performance at the Losail circuit. The Frenchman came from nowhere in the dying seconds of qualifying, setting the fastest times across all four sectors and taking pole with a time of 1”53.680. It was a brilliant ride which, considering the preseason troubles Yamaha have faced this winter, could not provide a greater morale boost for the Japanese manufacturer.

Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) was the big name who failed to make the practice top 10. It has been a difficult weekend so far for the Spanish rider, with the factory rider struggling to find any competitive setup for his bike. Vinales was forced to ride to the very limit in the first qualifying session, in order to ensure he at least guaranteed a start from the fourth row of the grid tomorrow.

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati), was one of the stand out performers under the lights. The Australian rider left it late in the Q1 to stamp his authority with a time of 1:54.634, to progress into the pole position shoot out. Miller has been quietly adjusting to life aboard the Desmosedici GP17 machine, and a starting position of P10 on his debut outing for the team is a solid return. Pramac will be content with the display from both their riders today. Miller’s teammate, Danilo Petrucci, had been looking strong throughout practice and duly backed that up this afternoon. The Italian produced a best lap time of 1:53.887 to secure P3, and a place on the front row tomorrow.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) have given everyone at HRC some confidence for tomorrow. The reigning world champion will start tomorrow from the middle of the front row, and first of the riders on full factory machinery. Crutchlow will head up the second row, from P4, following a brilliant final lap on wearing tyres to pip the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso by 0.002 seconds.

Dovizioso (P5) might well be rueing a missed opportunity today. The 2017 championship runner up has held a monopoly at the top of the timesheets throughout practice. However a mistake on his opening run, and traffic on his final lap cost him a place on the front row. The consolation for the Ducati man is that there are no points handing out for qualifying, and tomorrow the Italian has the chance to reassert his dominance in the race.

KTM struggled throughout Friday practice, and today was sadly no exception for either team. The latter will have been left extremely frustrated today after it looked like both riders, Bradley Smith (P20) and Pol Espargaro (P22), suffered technical failures during Q1 and were unable to progress. The Austrian factory team will no doubt be hoping for a trouble free race on Sunday.

Qualifying Results: Top 10

1: Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) – 1’53.680

2: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) – +0.202

3: Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) – +0.005

4: Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol)

5: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team)

6: Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar)

7: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)

8: Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP)

9: Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team)

10: Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati)

16th March 2018

Moto2 Qatar Preview: All Set for the Duel in the Dusk

The intermediate class has garnered a reputation over the past few seasons as the hardest category to succeed in. How appropriate then should the new race schedule see the Moto2 field commence battle in the most challenging conditions of the weekend.

The race at the Losail International Circuit is set to begin at 1720 local time on Sunday, with sunset due at 1744. As such, we can expect a dramatic loss of track temperature during the closing stages of the grand prix, and ever changing levels of visibility with the setting sun before the floodlights take over.

The 2018 season looks set to begin with a plethora of riders all with realistic ambitions and expectations of being crowned world champion.

After a solid maiden campaign with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team last year, Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira arrives at Qatar in the eyes of many as the favourite for the championship. Having finished 2017 with a hat trick of victories at the final three rounds both he and the team have steadily made progress throughout the winter, with the focus been on gleaning an ideal race setup. This has been backed up by his teammate, the 2016 Moto3 world champion Brad Binder. The South African endured a troublesome campaign last year, owing much of this to an unfortunate series of injuries. However, following a full winter testing program he looks ready to join his teammate as a front running contender this season.

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46 Racing Team) stole the headlines during the winter, not just for his out right pace in testing. The Italian announced last month that he will be moving up into MotoGP from 2019. The move will see the 21 year-old become the second man from Valentino Rossi’s academy (after 2017 Moto2 Champion, Franco Morbidelli) to make it into the premier class. How we dearly wants to arrive there as a world champion, already. Bagnaia is joined this season by compatriot Luca Marini, who moves across from the Forward Racing Team. Marini endured a difficult two years at his former team, and will be looking to make 2018 somewhat of a breakthrough season for him. Yet to feature on the podium in Moto2, the 20 year-old from Urbino needs to hit the ground running if he is not to be overshadowed by his teammate.

With Franco Morbidelli having moved up to MotoGP during the winter, Alex Marquez will be expected to deliver the title for the EG 0,0 Marc-VDS team. Inconsistency plagued the young Spaniard’s title ambitions in 2017, but the word from the team is that he has made a considerable effort this winter to curb his tendency to ride beyond the limit of the bike’s capabilities. There is no doubt he is extremely talented and is rightly considered a genuine front runner for this season. Despite a slow start to his Moto2 career, the 21 year-old has made significant improvements in his three years in the class. A strong winter has left both he and his team confident that the world championship could be theirs for the taking in 2018. Marquez is joined by rookie Joan Mir this season. The current Moto3 world champion signed a 4-year contract with the MarcVDS outfit late last season, leading many to speculate that he has his future sorted all the way into MotoGP. There is no denying he is an extremely talented rider, but will take time to adjust to the physical demands of the 600cc prototype, having moved up from the 250cc machines used in the junior class. Perhaps not a championship contender for this year, but definitely one to watch as the season progresses.

Sam Lowes returns to the intermediate category after a tough debut season in MotoGP with Aprilia. The British rider joins the Swiss Innovative Investors team for the 2018 season. Winning the championship with the team being the clear intention. The Lincolnshireman has looked strong throughout the winter testing, looking comfortable on the bike and setting headline lap times from the start. There is undeniable pressure on his shoulders. It is fair to say he did not get a fair opportunity last year in the premier class, and desperately wants to return. To do that, race wins and a strong challenge for the championship can be the only objectives he is striving towards this season.

Lowes is not the only British rider who faces pressure this season. Danny Kent (Beta Tools Speed-Up Racing) returns for a third stint in Moto2. For many reasons, Kent’s grand prix career has not managed to kick on properly, following winning the Moto3 crown in 2015. A third new team in as many seasons perhaps already puts the 24 year-old at a relative disadvantage to most of his competitors, as he has to adapt to a new machine. Kent still has the self belief that he can and will succeed. A good start this weekend in Qatar might provide the launch pad for his best season yet in the intermediate class.

Finally, it would be wrong to ignore Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team). The veteran Italian racer broke his duck last season with a breathtaking victory at his home grand prix in Mugello. A regular contender for podiums last season, and never outside of the top 5 in winter testing, makes it impossible to ignore that Pasini has as good a chance as the likes of Oliveria, Bagnaia and Marquez of becoming world champion in 2018. Especially impressive when one considers he is riding a customised Kalex machine with left-hand braking, to compensate for an old MX injury which has left the Italian unable to use a conventional right-hand braking system.

The Moto2 QatarGP race begins at 1420 GMT on Sunday, March 18th.

16th March 2018

Moto3 Qatar Preview: Ready to Rumble in 2018

Moto3 explodes back into life this weekend at the season’s opening round at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. For the first time since Moto3 was introduced, in 2012, Sunday’s race will be held in the mid-afternoon under the hot desert sun. The racing will remain unpredictable and extremely hard fought, as twenty eight very young, very talented riders desperately try to make a name for themselves on the grand prix stage.

One thing is guaranteed though in the junior class this season – we will have a brand new world champion come the season finale in Valencia. Last year’s runaway series winner, Joan Mir, has moved up to the Moto2 category for 2018 leaving the door wide open for a new superstar to take his place.

Enea Bastianini takes Mir’s seat at the Leopard Racing team, after a difficult season aboard the Estrella Galicia 0,0 machine. Despite being only 20 years old, the Italian is considered as a veteran of the Moto3 class having made his debut at this venue back in 2014. There is also the feeling in the paddock that Bastianini is under considerable pressure coming into this season, riding for a third team in as many years. He will be hoping that the move to the team which has claimed two world championships (2015 – Danny Kent, 2017 – Joan Mir) will be able to give him the tools to fight for a his maiden title. His times throughout preseason testing with his new team have been very promising indeed.

Following their impressive 2017 campaigns, Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini) have perhaps rightly been declared the preseason favourites. The latter earned himself the reputation as being a ‘man of steel’ last year, having ridden through the pain barrier during the second half of the season after an horrific crash during Friday practice at the Sachsenring left him with a broken leg and a badly damaged shoulder. Despite this, the young rider from Madrid defied all physical expectations to finish the season with multiple podiums to his name, including his maiden victory at the season finale in Valencia.

Canet was the undisputed ‘best of the rest’ to Mir last year, with the 18-year old from Corbera taking 3 wins across the season, racking up a total of 199 points to finish third overall in the championship. Just like his compatriot, Martin, he remains with the same team for 2018. With a year of data and understanding his machine behind him, he will be very eager to cement his reputation as a world champion in waiting.

British hopes once again fall exclusively on the shoulders of John McPhee. The 23-year old has moved to the CIP-Green Power team for 2018, having been at the British Talent Team last season. The Scotsman will be looking to back up his performances from 2017, having secured a career best finish of seventh place in the overall standings. With his new team running KTM machinery, McPhee has the power to be able to fight towards the front of the field consistently. McPhee is joined at CIP by one of the rookies for this season. Kazakhstani rider, Makar Yuchenko. The 19-year old makes the move up from the Repsol CEV junior world championship following a run of impressive performances in the second half of last season.

Speaking of rookies, Yuchenko is joined by three other young prospects from the cadet categories organised by Dorna. Kazuki Masaki (RBA BOE Skull Rider) and Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) both make the transition this year from the Red Bull Rookies Cup series, the former arriving as reigning champion. All three will be measured directly against the fourth and final rookie in the series, CEV junior World Champion, Dennis Foggia (Sky VR|46). The young Italian already has some Moto3 world championship experience, having competed as a wildcard on three occasions in 2017.

Foggia’s arrival at the Sky VR|46 team puts immediate pressure on his experienced teammate, Nicolo Bulega. In 2015, Bulega arrived in the Moto3 class heralded as the next big thing from Italy. So much was the hype surrounding the young Italian that he very nearly ran the famous 46 plate. However for various reasons, a serious championship challenge from Bulega has not yet emerged. 2018 therefore could be titled the ‘make or break’ season for the 19-year old. Once again, he is on KTM powered machinery and with three seasons behind him, the time for Bulega to make his mark on the competition is now.

With so many riders having so much to prove already, before any of the bikes have been ridden with anger, 2018 promises to be truly spectacular and gripping viewing.

The Moto3 Qatar Grand Prix race starts 1300GMT on Sunday, March 18th.

15th March 201815th March 2018

The Only Night Race of the Year: MotoGP Qatar- Part One

Qatar. The most unique race of the season, for a few reasons. Obviously, it is a night race, and the only one on the MotoGP calendar and, whether you like it or not, it certainly makes the opening race of the season stand out from the rest. The Qatari round of the World Championship is also distinct from the other races because of the amount of fans that turn up – because they don’t, for the most part. Now with a view to the track, we can see that the Losail International Circuit achieves that difficult blend of fast, medium speed, and slow sections that, in this case, sum to a track that reaches an agreeable compromise between great racing and also a circuit which the riders tend to enjoy.

Even still, it is easy to forget that Qatar is a relatively long-standing fixture on the calendar; making its debut back in 2004. Of course, back then it was run in the heat of the day, but 2007 saw the final daytime race at Losail (and Casey Stoner’s first victory in the top class), as in 2008 all three classes began the season under floodlights. That brought the next feature of Qatar which, for better or worse, makes it distinct from the other races, and that is the infamous ‘dew point’. This meant that for many years the weekend started on Thursday, so that teams and riders could complete all the required sessions before the dew set in. For 2018, though, the first round of the season is back to a standard weekend format, taking place over three days. They have achieved this by moving everything earlier: Moto3 will start at 4pm Qatar time, so in the daytime, and the Moto2 race will make history by being the first motorcycle Grand Prix to take start under the sun and end under artificial lighting.

Since 2014, every race in Qatar has been stellar. That year, Valentino Rossi fought a Marc Marquez recovering from a six-week-old broken leg for victory until the final lap, with the Spaniard coming out on top. One year later, The Doctor took on Andrea Dovizioso in a similar battle, but with the nine-times World Champion reigning supreme on this occasion as the podium was completed by Andrea Iannone for an all-Italian podium. 2016 was a different affair: the first race with Michelin tyres since Valencia 2008 saw Jorge Lorenzo streak away in the final laps,

leaving Dovi and Marquez to squabble over second with the #04 Ducati coming out on top on this occasion. Finally, last year saw Valentino Rossi recover from a terrible weekend and preseason to salvage a podium with third place, but a couple of seconds shy of the lead battle featuring Dovizioso (yet again) and Maverick Vinales – the Spaniard making good on his preseason promise to take his first victory for Yamaha on debut, the first rider to do so since Rossi in 2004.

But what will this year hold? While last year’s Grand Prix of Qatar saw Vinales claim victory, the star of the show was of course Johann Zarco on the Tech 3 Yamaha. He crashed after six laps, but set the fastest lap time of the race, and led until he fell – all on his MotoGP debut. In 2018, using a chassis which took Jorge Lorenzo to the title back in 2015 (on Bridgestones), the Frenchman looks at the moment as though he is Yamaha’s most realistic shot at the title – and they won’t give him more support! But seriously, a disastrous preseason for the factory Yamaha team which saw them solve almost none of their 2017 issues has highlighted Zarco as their best bet. The double Moto2 World Champion was fast in all three circuits which hosted preseason testing (Sepang, Buriram, Losail) and was the only rider who could hold a candle to the three factory Hondas and the factory Ducati of Dovizioso throughout. Of course, Zarco’s first six laps of the 2016 race was not the first time Qatar had shown itself to be kind to a rookie on a Yamaha – Jorge Lorenzo took pole position in 2008 on his debut, with a lap record that still stands today (although Zarco was within one tenth of that time by the end of the test), and the same day James Toseland qualified second on his MotoGP debut to sit in the middle of a Yamaha front row lockout – something which is almost impossible to imagine at the moment.

The factory Yamaha squad had a mixed bag in preseason, but for the most part it was something of a disaster. In 2017 the M1 had chronic wheelspin, caused by a mixture of its subpar relationship with the Michelin tyres, at least those used since Mugello, and the Iwata-based engineers’ relatively poor understanding of the Magnetti Marelli electronics. These were the issues Yamaha set out to resolve for 2018, but thus far its efforts have seemed ineffective at best, with Vinales saying the new bike is worse than last year, whilst Rossi stated that the Movistar Yamaha team are merely at the same level as last season. The pair had a more positive final day of preseason, with Rossi setting a good lap time at the end of the day to enter the season as the second fastest rider, and with a pace which, on paper, would have him on the top step. In comparison, Vinales had a more difficult day as a whole, but found a better feeling in the final forty minutes, but even still it was not enough for Maverick to feel he was in a better position to last season. To flick back to Rossi, it is worth pointing out that, whilst the pace of his long run was quite positive, he only did half a race distance. After that point, Rossi admits he doesn’t really know what will happen, and he is concerned about the wear of both the front and the rear tyre. His situation seems better than that of his teammate, though, although that was common last season – when things didn’t work so well with the Yamaha last season, it was usually Rossi who would come out on top of the two. Whatever the case, it is quite clear that Yamaha have a lot of work to do if they are to challenge for the title this season. On top of that the inconsistency of the M1 which it has retained from last season means that whilst the final day of the test ten days ago proved positive for the Iwata factory’s official pair, it could all be completely different for them come the race weekend.

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