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Category: Crew On Two

  • 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.

  • 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 .

  • 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)

  • 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. 

  • 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.

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

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

    copyright: circuitlosail.com

    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.

    copyright: hondaproracing.com

    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,

    copyright: hondaproracing.com

    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.

    copyright: circuitlosail.com

    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.

    image credits
    Header image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Title_board_LIS.JPG

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

    For the second part of this preview for the MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar, we will look at Honda, who enjoyed a fantastic preseason, the contrast in Ducati, Aprilia’s promise, Suzuki’s resurgence and the continued rise of KTM.

    The same cannot be said for Honda, who had an almost perfect preseason. Apart from a few, somewhat expected, crashes from Marc Marquez, and a few

    copyright: hondaproracing.com

    from Dani Pedrosa (including two in one day in Qatar), the nine days of preseason testing were pretty much dream-like for HRC. Reigning World Champion Marquez was as fast as ever, especially in Sepang and Buriram, and his pace was backed up by Repsol teammate Pedrosa, who was fastest at the end of the Thailand test, and the third factory Honda of LCR’s Cal Crutchlow. Furthermore, rookie Takaaki Nakagami and Franco Morbidelli both had extremely impressive preseasons, particularly the Japanese. And Tom Luthi looked good too, especially considering he missed the Valencia test and a chunk of the winter thanks to the injury which cost him the Moto2 championship he sustained on Saturday at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.

    Tom Luthi
    copyright: hondaproracing.com

     

    All this points to the increased rideability of the 2018 RC213V compared to its predecessors, and this makes the prospect of beating Marquez to this year’s championship all the more daunting for his rivals. However, even the Honda had a bit of a struggle in Qatar, as has been traditional since 2015, with Marquez claiming the Losail International Circuit to be one of the more challenging for HRC. This is positive for the competition, as it shows there will be weak points through the season for everyone – Yamaha struggled in Thailand (at least, more than at the other circuits), Ducati too (at least in comparison to Sepang and Qatar), and Honda had a more difficult time in Losail.

    With this in mind, it is perhaps time to say something which was the case last season from Mugello onwards – the Ducati is the best bike, or, at least the best all-rounder, especially with Andrea Dovizioso twisting the throttle. The Italian is without doubt in the best phase of his career, and it is worth remembering that last season his championship challenge only started in Mugello – this year it will begin in Qatar. Dovizioso is without doubt the biggest and most likely challenger to the crown of Marquez, and is probably the favourite for the win in Qatar, considering previous form as well as his pace in testing. In addition, it is hard to find a rider in the world who is happier with their life on and off track at the moment than Dovi, and that should make for a pretty lethal combination.

    Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/ Ducati).
    copyright: GEPA pictures/ Christian Walgram via redbull content pool

    In contrast, Jorge Lorenzo’s preseason went from a lap record in Sepang to a plethora of unanswered questions in Qatar, via technical issues in Thailand. By no means is Lorenzo in the kind of hole he inhabited at the beginning of last season, but equally he is not completely comfortable with the GP18, particularly over a race distance. Still, the Spaniard remains sure that the GP18 is a step forward from last year, and that it is a matter of dialling the setup to his style to allow his to fight for victories.

    The situation is slightly critical for Lorenzo, because of Danilo Petrucci’s form. The Italian came into 2018 knowing that in order to win he needed to adjust his style to better conserve the tyre, and so far in preseason it looks like he is doing that to some success. Petrucci is one of three satellite team riders who have a real chance of majorly upsetting the factories this season, along with Crutchlow and Zarco. His form in the second half of last season was stellar, and a continuation of that into this year will put him in the frame for victories. The reason this is a little bit alarming for Jorge is that it is Danilo who is trying to claim his seat in the factory Ducati squad. Although, it must be said that Ducati seem quite keen to retain their current line-up for 2019.

    Of course, if Petrucci’s efforts to take the second Ducati for next season are in vein, the destination for the Italian will likely be Aprilia. The Noale manufacturer have a new engine arriving for this race, and the hope is that it will rectify to a large extent the RSGP’s biggest current flaw: acceleration. Both Aleix Espargaro and Scott Redding have been full of praise for the Aprilia’s chassis, but the complaints are the same as last season – that the bike does not have enough power low down, and is sluggish on corner exit. Last year, though, the Aprilia shone in Qatar, with spectacular tyre life, as Espargaro finished in sixth place just a few tenths behind Dani Pedrosa on the factory Honda. A repeat this season would be a welcome beginning for Aprilia, especially so soon after the death of Ivano Beggio, the man who gave the like of Rossi and Max Biaggi their chances, and also Ralf Waldmann, who won his last race – the incredible 250cc Grand Prix at Donington in 2000 – aboard an Aprilia.

    Perhaps the biggest surprise of the preseason, in a good way, has been the speed of Suzuki. They arrived in Thailand with a new fairing, and since then both Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone have had a good speed. Also, Iannone’s speed at last year’s Qatar round, before he crashed at least, was extremely good, and he qualified second on the grid (with debatable legitimacy). Whilst this could be a good sign for this year’s race, there are concerns from the riders, especially Iannone, about the GSX-RR’s race pace. They have four free practice sessions to sort out their problems, and if they can, they could be in the fight for the top positions this weekend.

    Pol Espargaro
    copyright: redbull content pool

    Finally, KTM. Their preseason was interrupted by Pol Espargaro’s crash in Sepang which caused him to miss all of the Thailand test and the first day of the Qatar test. Even still, they managed to test a bunch of new parts, particularly with the chassis, and rectify the corner entry issues that arose in Sepang. Their signing of Tech 3 as a satellite team for 2019 puts them in a secure position with respect to the future, and so the factory can firmly focus on the development of the RC16 for this season, and continuing their progress towards the front. Remember Qatar last year? KTM were over thirty seconds off the win. Going into this season’s race in Losail, it would be surprising if they were further away than ten seconds, and it would not be a surprise to see at least one of the Austrian bikes was inside the top ten.

    2018 is set to be an incredible season of MotoGP, and it all gets underway this weekend in Qatar – and it should be a thriller. Oh, and it might rain.

  • KTM and Tech3 Confirm New Partnership

    Today, Tech3 Racing owner, Herve Poncharal, confirmed that his independent team will enter a partnership with the KTM Factory Racing Team from next season.

    Speaking to MotoGP.com’s ‘After the Flag‘ show, following the conclusion to the test in Qatar, Poncharal revealed the details about the new partnership:

    HP: “We have a three-year deal, in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Each year, in ‘19 we’ll have ‘19 spec, there will be four bikes on the grid with the same spec – the factory team and the Tech 3 operation. It will be the same in ‘20 and same in ‘21, which is something you always look for and always want…We always tried to be the ‘official’ junior team [for Yamaha] but it was never really the case, but it will be the case where we are going. The manufacturer is involved in Moto2™ and Moto3™, there will be a clear path. Young riders from the first day in the championship will go through Moto3™ and Moto2™, then to MotoGP™ with the junior team – and then, if they’re good enough, they will eventually move to the factory team. This is being part of the family and you know what family means to me. Even though the bike could be under the performance of what we have now, there is room for improvement, development, sharing ideas of how to make the package better – and at least to be part of that project and have people listening to us, trying to grow all together.”

    The new manufacturer in question is KTM. For an independent team such as Tech3, a working partnership with full support from a factory outfit is the holy grail in grand prix racing. Not least because it alleviates a considerable amount of financial pressure from the team. Without factory support, any development parts or ‘upgrades’ for the bikes have to be researched and funded by the independent team – at considerable cost. This has been the case throughout Tech3’s association with Yamaha, barring a brief period in late 2010 when the factory offered support to Ben Spies. Under the new deal with KTM, all research and development costs are left with the manufacturer. Additionally, Tech3 have entered this new partnership with the promise that at least one of their riders will be given a factory contract.

    This deal also secures the immediate future of Johann Zarco. The Frenchman has been tipped by many to become MotoGP world champion sooner rather than later. Without factory support, it is almost impossible to achieve. Tech3 could not hope to hold onto him without this newly signed deal. As Poncharal stated when he first announced the split with Yamaha: “I have been presented with an offer too good to turn down.”

    Announcing the new deal today, Pit Berier (KTM Motorsport Director) made this statement:

    PB –  “We are very happy to join forces with Tech3 in MotoGP from 2019. The team has many years of experience and achieved a lot of great results in this championship. Their professional structure will make us even stronger. Having four KTM RC16 on the grid is also another big step for us, both for the development of our MotoGP bike and expanding KTM’s structure in the paddock. From the Red Bull Rookies Cup up to MotoGP there is a clear path to the top. We are looking forward to start a great cooperation and I’m thankful towards Hervé Poncharal for the future trust in KTM.”

    The new deal will greatly benefit both parties. KTM might be the newest manufacturer on the grid – having made their full debut at Qatar in 2017 – but they have serious ambitions to become championship contenders in the near future. Acquiring a highly experienced satellite team such as Tech3 can only benefit the Austrian team, especially given that this deal means they will have four factory-spec machines competing from 2019 onwards. In terms of the development war, which can affect the championship almost as much as the riders, having four identical machines in operation provides KTM to close the gap to their rivals far quicker than before due to more data being continuously collected. Four bikes also greatly increases the chance of finishing higher in the manufacturers’ championship – which determines how much prize money each outfit receives.

  • Qatar Test Report: Honda And Ducati Turn Up The Heat

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

    HONDA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    DUCATI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    YAMAHA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    SUZUKI

    Andrea Iannone: Best lap time – 1″54.586

    Alex Rins: Best lap time – 1″54.650

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

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

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

    KTM

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

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

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

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

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

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

    APRILIA

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

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

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

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

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

  • Champion Commits to Honda

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ultimately, everything else is an after thought.

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