Category: Crew On Two

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Moto3 Spanish GP Review: Canet Delivers At Last

Two weeks ago, a rider was thrown from his machine whilst leading the Americas Grand Prix. He sat, dazed on the painted run-off area, regathering his bearings and wondering how it could have gone wrong. Fast forward to now: Sunday 7th May and that same rider, Aron Canet, is crossing the finish line to take his maiden grand prix victory after a thrilling battle. To make matters sweeter, it’s his home race as well. In his own words: “The best day of my life!”

The Estrella-Galicia rider had been looking strong all weekend in the sessions leading up to the race, qualifying on the front row of the grid in P2. Canet got a good start as the lights went out, surviving the usual shenanigans on the drag down to the first corner, and holding his own in the leading group. The Spaniard was content to sit back in the early stages as fellow protagonists Romano Fenati, Joan Mir, Darryn Binder and Marcos Ramirez diced it out at the front. The latter two of these caught the eyes of spectators and pundits alike as, unlike the other three, were riding privateer KTM bikes as opposed to machines powered by factory outfits.

It was a classic Moto3 race in many respects: the leading group numbered twelve riders, there was slipstreaming galore down the back straight into the Dry Sack hairpin, and up the long main straight out of the final corner. The lead of the race changed hands as frequently as the laps were chalked off. Joan Mir, seeking to increase his hold on the championship, took the lead with 10 laps to go and upped the tempo. The lead group of twelve, suddenly became just five. Mir led the charge going into the final lap, but was beaten up by Ramirez and Fenati and forced out wide on a number of occasions. This ultimately put paid to his hopes of victory, but a last lunge up the inside of the KTM rider secured him a hard fought podium finish.

Having been rejuvenated since his move from the VR|46 team last year, Fenati (Marinello Rivacold Snipers Team) looked the man to beat for much of the race. The Italian was back fighting with everyone who’d dare pass him for the lead. Binder would discover how hard Fenati is prepared to defend his track position, when the two came together at the infamous Turn 13 hairpin. The South African slid out into the gravel, but was able to remount and continue. Replays proved that the incident was caused by aggressive defending and an overly ambitious attempt to overtake from both parties. A racing incident, no more – no less. Both will fight again for victory another day.

It was however a weekend to forget for British Talent Team’s John McPhee. The Scot had struggled to find a setup for the bike which worked around the Jerez circuit. A disastrous qualifying session on Saturday, meant that the Brit had to start the race from way back on the ninth row in P25. The race began more promisingly, with the 22-year old from Oban managed to haul his machine up to thirteenth, leading the chasing pack before losing the front end under braking at turn 1, and crashing out. The non-finish meant McPhee slipped from second to fourth overall in the championship. He now trails the leader, Mir, by 25 points.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to Canet. The victory has been on the cards for a while now. Ever since his points scoring debut at Qatar in 2016, it has been clear that Canet is abundant with talent. A rostrum finish, multiple fourth of fifth places and a pole position from his rookie season provided the strong basis to work on heading into 2017. Now with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix added to his growing CV, Canet and his team will be hoping to press on and challenge for the title.

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

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Marquez Breaks Morbidelli’s Spell

 

In front of an ecstatic, partisan home crowd, Alex Marquez claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory in the intermediate class today, ending the early season domination of his team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

Venue: Circuito de Jerez de la Frontera

Race Distance: 71.5 miles (26 Laps)

Weather: Dry, Sunny.

Starting from pole, the Estrella-Galicia MarcVDS rider was rarely troubled as he produced a near faultless performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. Marquez had looked the faster of the two all weekend, with the circuit seeming to suit his trail-braking riding style perfectly. Despite one mistake, running wide at the sweeping turn 5, he had the measure of Morbidelli. Having briefly lost the lead to his team-mate, Marquez refound his rhythm and homed in on the championship leader.

In contrast, Franco Morbidelli seemed less of his composed self throughout the weekend, which culminated in a very uncharacteristic crash on lap 9, ending his race early. It may have been his first non-finish of the season and, having taken victory in the three previous rounds he still maintains a decent lead in the standings. Nevertheless, the question can now be asked as to whether Morbidelli has the mental strength to keep Marquez at bay for the rest of the championship. Given the performance levels of the MarcVDS machine, it looks increasingly likely that the battle for the World title will be an in-house affair.

Filling the remainder of the podium were Sky-VR|46’s Francesco Bagnaia and KTM’s Miguel Oliveira in second and third places respectively. Both riders continue to impress, particularly Bagnaia, who is in his rookie season in the championship. The 20-year old from Turin, who started from the second row on the grid, looked as if he’d been riding the 600cc prototype machine for years, comfortably fending off numerous attacks from the vastly more experienced Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team). Oliveira once more produced a strong race to support his efforts from qualifying on Saturday. The Portuguese rider was understandably ecstatic post-race and paid tribute to his mechanics for providing him with “the orange-rocket”. Both he and Bagnaia left Jerez quietly confident that it will not be too long before they get their turns to stand on the top step of the podium.

Behind, it was a case of damage limitation for pre-season favourite, Thomas Luthi. The Swiss rider had endured a pretty torrid weekend and started the race in P12 following a disastrous qualifying session. After the opening lap, it looked like it was going to be a completely barren result for the CarXpert-Interwetten rider, having lost touch with the front runners. Luthi needed to call upon all of his experience to bring the bike home in a credible P8. Damage limited but needs a much stronger showing next time out in Le Mans.

Finally, it was an excellent result for AGR’s sole Moto2 entrant, Yonny Hernandez. The former premier class rider has endured a difficult start to life in the intermediate category, and seemed destined for more of the same after qualifying in P22. From there, the Columbian carved his way through the field, passing multiple established competitors (Takaaki Nakagami, Hafiz Syahrin, Lorenzo Balderssarri etc) to finish P9. Just the breakthrough needed to set himself and the team up nicely for the European leg of the season.

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

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Moto2 Race Preview: Day of Reckoning Awaits Marquez

With the Grand-Prix paddock now back for the long European leg of the season, one question has been on everybody’s lips: Can anyone stop Franco Morbidelli?

Judging from Friday’s practice and Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the answer is yes.

Alex Marquez (Estrella-Galicia MarcVDS team) has been in irresistible form so far this weekend, finishing as the fastest rider in all three free practice sessions. The Spaniard claimed pole position in a frenetic qualifying session ahead of his team-mate, Franco Morbidelli, by 0.043 of a second. With riders tripping over each other, Marquez was very nearly undone by Tech3’s Remy Gardner, when their bikes made contact in the latter stages of the session. Having squandered the chance to claim victory in Argentina, Marquez will be desperate to take the spoils in front of the Spanish crowd. Additionally, a win here will not only silence the doubters, but also get his championship challenge firmly back on track.

Whilst the MarcVDS team have been fighting almost exclusively so far for victory, the KTM outfit continue to push as best of the rest. All the more impressive when one considers that this is the Austrian team’s maiden season in the class. Miguel Oliveira, will start Sunday’s race heading up the second row of the grid in P4. Having moved across from the Leopard outfit at the end of last season to join KTM, the Portuguese rider continues to go from strength to strength in Moto2 and is quietly confident of a podium finish in the race.

It was an equally impressive qualifying display from the Sky-VR|46 team, as rookie Francesco Bagnaia secured a place on the second row in P6. The Italian has won almost universal praise from supporters and onlookers alike this season. Having been promoted from Moto3 the 20-year old from Turin has not just settled into the category, but is already a regular points scorer so far this season. Having surpassed his previous best qualifying performance (P9 in Qatar), a podium finish would not be impossible on Sunday by any stretch of the imagination.

It was a difficult day for the likes of Luca Marini (Forward-Racing) and Thomas Luthi (CarXpert-Interwetten). The latter has struggled all weekend, citing a general lack of grip from the rear tyre and ‘chatter’ from the front suspension. Having to start the race in P12, on the fourth row of the grid, the veteran Swiss will need to produce a strong performance to prevent his championship hopes from derailing.

Of course, with three wins out of three already to his name, nobody is going to rule out the chance of four in a row for Morbidelli. The Italian has once again been at the sharp end of the timesheets throughout all the track sessions – both in practice and qualifying. True, he has not topped the timesheets yet this weekend, but with a miniscule gap to his team-mate and a 26-lap race distance on Sunday, the Italian is still the bookies’ favourite.

Can anyone stop Franco Morbidelli? Yes.

Will they stop him?

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

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Moto3 Spanish GP Preview: Home Victory or Home Defeat

 

Moto3 rolls back into life this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix. Following Romano Fenati’s victory at COTA, the front four in the championship are covered by a mere 13 points, with Joan Mir leading the way from Jorge Martin and John McPhee. However, the return to Europe always shows us who the real deal is and who is going to be in the championship hunt to the end. We have yet to see the likes of Enea Bastianini, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Nicolo Bulega up at the sharp end, promising us a frantic next few races. The question is whether or not Spain will take a win or if one of the other nations will beat them on their home territory.

Joan Mir’s 8th place at COTA was his worst finish of the year, but he maintained the championship lead, despite it shrinking to just six points. The Spaniard will be searching for a good result at home and an improvement on last year’s sixth place at Jerez.

Jorge Martin will be wanting his first race win of the year, having started with two 3rd places and a 2nd at COTA. The young Spaniard scored a 14th at Jerez back in 2015 and that remains his best result, seeing as he crashed out last year. He and Mir may end up in a Spanish showdown on who will take honours in their home race.

Of course, it may be neither of them. John McPhee has had his best ever start to a year with two 2nd places and a 7th last time out in The States. Having spoken to the young Scot at the Oulton Park BSB meeting, it may well be worth watching him, as he is confident at more familiar circuits. Britain’s Danny Kent won the Moto3 race in 2015 and a repeat performance from McPhee would do us Brits just nicely indeed.

Romano Fenati elevated himself up the leaderboard after his first win of the year at COTA. Having won their in 2016, Fenati made amends whilst those around him fell and languished. The Italian has a winning history at Jerez too, with a dominant 36 second win in 2012 in just his 2nd ever GP. Can the diminutive Italian force his Honda to work around Jerez?

There’s more Italians in behind Fenati too. In 5th, Andrea Migno has finished every race in the points so far, with a worst result of 12th coming last time around. The VR46 rider will hope his form at Jerez will change, with 11th last year being his best. He is the first KTM rider in the championship and the manufacturer scored an excellent one-two last year. Could that signify something special on race day?

Fabio Di Giannantonio took 3rd place in COTA for his first podium of the year. The young Italian whipper-snapper returning to the form we know he has after being punted off by Bulega in Argentina. He crashed out of the race last year at Jerez but will be looking for the first back to back podiums of his career and maybe even his first win, to launch his title charge properly.

Nicolo Bulega’s 2nd at Jerez last year is his best Moto3 result to date and one of only two podiums. With a return to form at COTA with 5th, Bulega will be hopeful of a shot at the podium under the Spanish sun.

Watch out for other riders such as Aron Canet, Phillip Oettl and Juanfran Guevara, with Gabriel Rodrigo, Enea Bastianini and Livio Loi also hoping for good results. Former CEV riders Kaito Toba, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat, Tony Arbolino, Ayumu Sasaki and Marcos Ramirez will also feel more at home this weekend, coming to a circuit they are familiar with.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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MotoGP Spanish GP Preview: A Sherry On Top of the Cake

The first European round of the 2017 MotoGP championship comes from Jerez de la Frontera for the Spanish Grand Prix. Situated over 600km away from the country’s capital Madrid, Jerez has seen some memorable scenes acted out around the 2.7 mile track. From Michael Doohan and Alex Criville in 1996 to Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau in 2005, this circuit has seen it all and we could be in for a weekend filled with action and drama as well as thrills and spills.

Valentino Rossi, for the first time since November 2015, leads the series. The Movistar Yamaha veteran has finished on the podium in every race so far this year and arrives at a track at which he has triumphed on nine occasions, the most recent being last year. With a six point lead over teammate Maverick Vinales, The Doctor will need to bring his ‘A’ game to Jerez. Should he win at Jerez, it will be his 10th at the track and his 22nd in Spain, as well as 115th in his GP career. The scene of many incidents in his career, Jerez is steeped in Rossi history but what will the future hold for 38-year-old Italian, as he continues his quest for title number 10. He’s like a good Spanish wine: he gets better with age.

Chasing him in the championship is Maverick Vinales, making it a dream start to Movistar Yamaha’s 2017 championship aspirations. However, Vinales couldn’t handle the heat in Texas, falling in the opening laps, gifting teammate Rossi the series lead by a mere six points. Having won at Jerez in his 2013 Moto3 championship year, Maverick’s best result in the MotoGP category was 6th place last season on the Suzuki. Two wins to his name so far this year indicate Vinales’ pace but now we arrive at circuits which are familiar to all MotoGP riders. Yamaha have won at the track for the last two seasons with two different riders and Maverick will be hoping he can be the 3rd. Competition will be tough and it may well be a matter of Vinales maintaining his composure, seeing as the speed is most definitely there.

18 points back of Valentino and 12 back from Maverick, Americas GP’s winner Marc Marquez got his season kick-started in the States. The Repsol Honda rider arrives at his home GP off the back of domination but his form in Spain doesn’t indicate a certain win this time. 3rd last season and 2nd the year before, Marquez knows that he has to take points off the Movistar Yamaha men whilst the season is still young. Honda haven’t won since Marc was in his winning form in 2014 and there will be big pressure from team sponsor Repsol to end the drought. Can he perform in front of his home crowd to take his first back to back victories in 2017 and close down the leading Yamaha duo before they build an unassailable lead on the five time champ?

Despite finishing just 6th in the USA and not finishing in Argentina, Andrea Dovizioso remains 4th in the series, 8 points behind Marquez in 3rd and 26 behind leader Rossi. Dovi hasn’t had the best luck so far in 2017 but a lacklustre display in the USA highlighted that the Ducati is struggling in both his and Jorge’s hands. The Ducati hasn’t got a particularly amazing record at Jerez either, with their last podium coming in 2009 with Casey Stoner and their last win with Loris Capirossi in 2006. Will they solve the problem with Dovi? Can he return the Bologna Bullet to the Spanish GP rostrum? We will soon see! Dovi hasn’t won at the track and he’s not taken a premier class podium either, so form may suggest not this weekend.

Cal Crutchlow sits pretty in 5th place in the championship, just one point behind his former Tech 3 Yamaha and Ducati Factory teammate. The British rider has had a good start to the season on Lucio Cecchinello’s Honda, despite crashing twice under the lights at Losail. A 3rd in Argentina and a 4th in America mean Crutchlow comes back to Europe without the sense of needing to prove himself to doubters. His Spanish Grand Prix results speak for themselves, with a stunning 4th in 2012 and 2015, and a 5th in 2013. If he does manage to mount the podium, he will be the first British rider on the premier class podium at Jerez since Niall Mackenzie in 1992. Now, I will leave you with that thought.

The second of the Repsol Hondas is occupying 6th place, with Dani Pedrosa’s third place in America elevating him up the championship pecking order. Pedrosa sits just 2 points behind Cal and 3 points behind Dovi in the series standings. The Spaniard has been very successful around Jerez, accumulating three victories and 10 podiums, although the last time he stood on the rostrum was 2013. Pedrosa feels confident with the Honda now that he has a podium under his belt and this weekend could be a Pedrosa weekend if he can get away with the leaders. If he gets on the podium, it will be the first time since Sepang and Valencia 2015 that he has had back to back podiums. An astonishing statistic for such a high-profile name.

The two Tech 3 Yamaha riders are 7th and 8th in the championship, with Zarco ahead of Folger by a mere one point as they continue their battle for top rookie. Both riders have had podiums at Jerez but Jonas Folger is the only winner, back on the AGR Kalex Moto2 bike in 2015. There has never been a German or French rider on the podium of a premier class Grand Prix at Jerez, a statistic Folger and Zarco will both want to change.

Tied on 21 points with Folger is Pramac Ducati’s Scott Redding and Marc VDS Honda’s Jack Miller. Both riders finished outside the points last season and will want to change that as they try and hunt down Cal Crutchlow for top independent rider. With Jack Miller yet to finish outside the top 10 and Redding’s podium at the track in 2013, don’t expect to be seeing them vacate the top 10 at Jerez.

A difficult start to the year has seen Danilo Petrucci drop to 11th in the championship on the 2nd of the Pramac Ducatis but on the Factory version. The Italian has hit back though in the past two races, with a seventh and an 8th, with the latter involving him beating Factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo late-on in the race. Jerez is a track that hasn’t been too kind to him however, with no top 10 finish to date. Can that change in 2017?

Alvaro Bautista has shown us that he has some amazing pace for 2017, pace that can either be challenging the top four or throwing it on the floor. Two crashes have seen Bautista drop to 12th in the championship, despite recovering to finish 15th in the USA. His best premier class result at the track is sixth, on three occasions between 2012 and 2014. He has one victory to his name, in 2006 on his way to his 125cc title. Will he be able to cause a shock this weekend?

Jorge Lorenzo is 13th in the championship and the fourth Ducati. A wretched start to his 2017 campaign looked to be recovered when he qualified 6th at COTA, only for him to drop back to 9th come race day. He has some impressive form around Jerez, including premier class wins in 2015, 2011 and 2010, as well as podiums every year apart from 2014 and 2009. Like we have already discussed, the Ducati is a handful around Jerez and that may mean that Jorge may well be relying on his form at the track to haul the cumbersome bike onto the podium.

Aleix Espargaro leads Andrea Iannone in 14th and 15th, with the Aprilia and Suzuki rider desperate to turn their season around and rapidly. Aleix had a terrible time of things at COTA, describing the Saturday as the “worst day of his life”. Things didn’t get better for the Losail revelation either, when the team attended a private test at Mugello, only to be hindered by rain. His best result at the track is 5th. However, Andrea Iannone has got some form. Having finally finished a race in the points at COTA (7th), he can build on what he found. The trouble is for Iannone, out of 12 starts at Jerez, there’s been just 1 win and 9 results have been outside the top 10 or DNFs. Now, if that isn’t a bogey track…

Loris Baz and Karel Abraham are in 16th and 17th, with both riders failing to score points last time out in The States. Baz’ best finish around Jerez was 13th last year, although a 7th in WSBK might suggest that he doesn’t enjoy the track. As for Karel – who is injured following COTA – his best result was 7th in 2011, although this was his last points at the track to date.

Tito Rabat and Hector Barbera, whilst languishing in the championship have actually scored points in every race this season. With both riders on 8 points, they are actually level with Abraham so with some luck this weekend, positions could change. Barbera’s best result consists of 6th in the premier class but a 3rd in 125s in 2004. For Rabat, he was 18th last season but finished 3rd in 2015 on the Moto2 bike and also took his first ever Grand Prix victory at the track in 2013. Will happy memories return for the former champion?

Alex Rins sits 20th in the championship for Suzuki but following his accident in Austin that led to a broken wrist, he is missing out Jerez and possibly Le Mans and Mugello. His replacement rider is Takuya Tsuda, the Suzuki development rider who makes his Grand Prix debut this weekend. He becomes the first Japanese rider since Hiroshi Aoyama at the Sacshsenring in 2015 to start a European MotoGP race.

The KTM pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith head to Jerez hoping for a better weekend than their America visit. No points for either and a retirement along the way mean that the bike may well need a solid showing in Jerez to prove to doubters that it has the capabilities to match the skill set of both riders on board. Both have won at Jerez, with Espargaro winning in 2012 in Moto2 and Bradley Smith in 2009 (his first ever GP win) in the 125cc class. Both riders finished in the points last year (8th for Pol and 12th for Bradley) and will be looking for a repeat performance again this year, even if it isn’t to the positions.

In last place in the championship, Sam Lowes is point-less at the foot of the championship. His Aprilia has been a handful and a series of crashes at COTA won’t have done his confidence any good at all. He won the Moto2 race at Jerez last season so he will take the positives of that to Sunday but he must start to bring the bike home within the top 15. His other two GP results at Jerez have been outside the top 15 but in 2013, he did win the World Supersport championship at the track with a win.

With every rider analysed and the build up underway to an amazing weekend of racing, we now look forward to Sunday for the day that matters. Will Valentino Rossi repeat last years feat and build his points lead in the title or will Maverick fight back after a disaster in America? Can Marquez win back-to-back or can teammate Pedrosa shock us all? Those are the questions and you can get the answers by keeping up with our live text commentary across the weekend.

 

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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McPhee – We’re Feeling Really Positive

John McPhee was in the British Superbike paddock on Monday, which meant that I had to go and speak to him. The Scotsman says he’s positive but we also discussed other topics. The British Talent Cup, Honda and tyres are all spoken about in this exclusive interview.

You’ve had a great start to the year, how are you feeling?

It’s been great to have such a good opportunity this year with a good bike and a good team around me, with a couple of podiums to start of the year in the perfect way too. In Texas we had a difficult weekend but we were still there in the podium challenge and in the points. We got some really important points on the table and now we are arriving back in Europe, we’re feeling really positive.

How does this Honda compare to the previous Honda you rode?

There’s a big difference because in 2015, we actually had the 2014 bike so there’s three years development on the engine and the chassis. Honda have made a massive improvement over the last few years, obviously I haven’t done a back to back comparison with last year’s bike but they (Honda) have made a big step forward now and the bike is working really good thanks to a really good job by Honda. Everything just feels like home for me.

How does the Honda compare to the Peugeot?

Chassis wise the Mahindra was actually really strong – it was actually one of the strongest bikes I’ve ever ridden for chassis set-up. The downfall of the Mahindra was the engine power, it didn’t quite have the power there, especially with acceleration. With Honda, they’ve got the whole package and they can compete with the Mahindra and they’ve got more power there as well.

How do you feel the Moto3 tyres have developed since you’ve been in the class?

The main compound is the mediums and they’ve remained pretty standard throughout the last few years, they’ve not changed much. What they have changed is the soft tyre and it’s not quite as soft and the hard tyre is not quite as hard so they’ve brought all the tyre compounds a lot closer which means people tend to use the soft or the hard tyre more throughout races than what they would’ve done a few years ago. Actual development of the tyre is pretty standard.

Is tyre wear an issue for Moto3?

As the lap times are getting closer and the bikes are getting closer, it is becoming more of a factor. People are starting to look into that a lot more. In Argentina, when I qualified on pole we had the hard rear tyre in rather than the medium because it provides a little bit more stability. It has made a difference a couple of times now and that’s good because it gives us another area to look at and to try and improve.

Brno last year and you won, then come October you was stranded in Australia – how are your injuries?

I think even before Brno we had a bike that was working but we just didn’t have the opportunity to show it. We lacked a bit of horsepower at some of the track we went to and it was difficult to hide that, however at the more flowing tracks – like Phillip Island – we was able to carry corner speed. After the accident, it took a very long time to recover. I wouldn’t say I’m back up at 100% yet, I’m more like 95% and there or there abouts. There’s no pain or anything which is good so hopefully we can get quicker.

Which track do you feel will be your strongest?

I think Phillip Island is going to be one I’m always going to be strong at, it’s more about the rider rather than the actual bike which I quite like.

If you was to choose one rider to go up against at Valencia for the title, who would it be?

Obviously it’s difficult to say, Joan Mir is riding well and leading the championship at the minute but it is a long year. I have a bit more experience than him but we will need to wait and see and it will come down to the last few races for sure. At the minute it’s a bit hard to put one name down.

Where do you see the British Talent Cup in the future? Can it be successful?

I think that the whole intention of this is to bring more British riders along because I think the talent is there but it’s just not being shown and there’s a couple of reasons for that. One of them is funding, the other being accessibility to tracks and teams, down to the lack of funding in the UK. The whole idea of the British Talent Cup is to fund young riders and give them the opportunity of getting the track time, the bike time and the correct people on bikes around them. I think that it will be similar to the Asia Talent Cup. If there is any talent there – which we believe there is – to bring it through and give them the opportunity. You see families re-mortgaging there house to try and fund it. We know there is talent there and this is the opportunity to try and make it shine through.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Quick 10 With…..Carl Fogarty

Neil Simmons

He retired from motorcycle racing in 2000. He won 7 world titles, four World Superbikes (1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999) as well as three World TT (Formula 1) titles (1988, 1989 and 1990).

He helped develop the Petronas FP1 racing team in the early 2000’s.

In 1998 he was awarded an MBE.

In 2002 Ducati, in recognition of his services, released a special limited edition model (only 300 units were built) in his honour.

He is the global ambassador for Triumph, he is also endorsing for ZONA (see the official ZONA press release and competition and how you can enter at the end of the interview).

He started 219 World Superbike races, with 108 podiums, 16 double wins, 29 race wins and totalled 3,008 points.

Add to that he was crowned King Of The Jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here in 2014.

These are his Quick 10……and it is my absolute honour to say he is Carl Fogarty……or to his fans…….FOGGY

1. What is your favourite circuit and why?

Assen. It was my most successful circuit. The old circuit’s banked corners suited my riding style of high corner speed.

2. Who is/was your racing idol?

Kenny Roberts. He was the most successful racer when I was growing up and I loved seeing him in the TransAtlantic races at Oulton

3. Who would you regard as your toughest opponent?

Either John Kocinski or Scott Russell – two tough Americans who wanted to win as much as me

4. Considering racers of all time, you are a team principal and money is no object. Which two racers would you have in your team?

Mike Hailwood and Valentino Rossi

5. If you could invite four famous people to dinner (past and present), who would you invite?

Donald Trump, Liam Gallagher, Gazza and James Whitham

6. Personal racing number? What is it and the reason behind it?

Number 1. No explanation required

7. What is the best race you have been involved in?

I probably remember my two wins at Brands Hatch in 1995. It was the perfect weekend. I was fastest in every session, on pole, broke the lap record and won both races in front of 60,000 fans.

8. Is there a race or series you have not competed in, that you would like to or had wanted to?

It would have been nice to have had 2 or 3 seasons on the Marlboro Yamaha in Grand Prix but it didn’t happen, probably because World Superbikes was so big at the time

9. How did you get into motor racing? What ignited that spark?

I raced motocross as a boy and followed my dad when he was racing. So it seemed the natural thing to do.

10. What is the best advice in racing you have been given?

I’m still waiting for that!

– How did you get involved with ZONA?

I receive a lot of approaches to get involved with new products but it has to be the right product. I honestly believe ZONA can improve safety and the riding experience for every rider.

– Tell us about the product and how it enhances and assists road bike users?

ZONA is a unique and solution to the age-old problem of poor rear vision for motorcycles. It’s an in-helmet display wirelessly linked to an intelligent rear camera. The intelligent vision and delivers clear and wide screen stabilised rear views without interference to riders’ forward vision, as well as eliminating vulnerable blind spots.

– Is there anything more you’d like to see done regarding road safety?

I think technology will play a bigger and bigger part in making riding more safe.

ZONA

Overwhelming biker response to ZONA reveal at MCN London Bike Show

Zona – a new motorcycle accessory – was revealed at the MCN London Motorcycle Show.

There was a tremendous response to Zona at the show with 2,500 people visiting the stand and around 1,000 trying the product for themselves. During the show over 500 hundred people registered for Zona news updates and dozens of people took advantage of the show’s pre-order offer and purchased the product.

Zona is a unique solution to the age-old problem of poor rear vision for motorcyclists. It can be fitted into any helmet and on to any bike. It’s been carefully engineered to extend the rider’s view – enhancing the riding experience.

Using cutting edge patented technology and advanced optics Zona is a state-of-the-art in-helmet display wirelessly linked to an intelligent rear camera.

The team received excellent feedback about the product and in response they are adding an extra feature – loop recording – to Zona at no extra cost ahead of its official release in the summer. So if anyone is shunted from behind they will have video footage to support their insurance claim.

Customer Dave, at the MCN London Show, said: “I think it’s brilliant. I saw a similar product a few years ago, it was too intrusive in your helmet but just trying this on now it’s fantastic, completely out the way but what you can see behind is incredible.”

Customer Graham Lynch said: “Incredible idea, can’t wait for it. Roll on summer for sure, even more safe miles now seeing everything around me thanks to Zona.”

Zona is an invention that 7 x World Champion Carl Fogarty knows will change the way bikers ride forever.

Carl has been influential in developing Zona and was at the MCN London Motorcycle Show on the Sunday to talk about the product, which generated even more interest in the new accessory.

Zona is easy to fit and can be used with any motorbike and helmet. It has flexible fitting options to suit individual rider preferences and once fitted it provides a clear wide screen rear view to the rider with a single glance into the in-helmet display.

The rider sees a stabilised full rear view through Zona’s micro display and optics fitted inside the rider’s helmet. It appears to the eye as a 30” flat screen at 3 metres distance from the rider, giving a comfortable focus for the rider’s eye when looking into the helmet-mounted display, and works equally well for riders who wear glasses when riding.

Zona is not only about enhancing the rider’s experience and enjoyment, it’s about keeping them safe too. The product eliminates vulnerable blind spots and automatically adjusts to remove blur giving riders a better view of any potential hazards around them.

Zona’s Intelligent Rear View System becomes a natural extension of the rider’s senses, giving them better awareness of what’s around them and more time to focus on the road ahead, and ride with more enjoyment, freedom and confidence.

John Hale, Founder and CEO of Zona, said: “We’ve been blown away by the fantastic response at the London Show. We were hoping for a positive reaction, and this was even better than we had expected.

“I’ve been riding since I was old enough to get my bike licence. I know that poor rear vision for bikers is a real problem. Not being able to see clearly behind the bike affects us every day. Motorcycling is an experiential activity – it’s all about connecting with the road and enjoying the ride.

“Zona is a revolutionary solution to this problem and will change the way we ride our bikes forever. It helps bikers focus on the road ahead, improving their overall experience by making them feel more comfortable and the ride more enjoyable – that’s what it’s all about.”

Zona has been a real labour of love for John as he initially came up with the idea back in 2003 when he was nearly knocked off his motorbike on his way to work after not being able to see a motorist behind him.

Initial research and designs led him to putting the idea on hold until the correct technology was available. In 2010 John secured £100,000 funding to develop the first prototype to prove the concept of Zona.

Following the concept design and further investment the final prototype was completed in 2016 and the product is now ready to take to market and will be available in June.

** COMPETITION **

For your chance to win a ZONA just re-tweet this article on Twitter or share it on Facebook. Yes, it is that simple to win this state of the art bike technology.

I wish to thank Carl Fogarty for taking the time out from his busy schedule to take part in this Quick 10, it was an absolute honour to put these questions to not only a racing legend and champion but somebody as a fan I cheered on. I would also like to thank his manager Neil Bramwell for the help and assistance in making this interview possible, always at the end of an email with quick responses. Really appreciated. I would also like to thank Sarah Jeffery the Senior PR Executive at Gardiner Richardson in her help and generosity with ZONA. Without these people this interview would never have occurred.

Ladies and gentlemen that was the Quick 10 With…..Foggy

Visit Carl at: http://www.carlfogarty.com/

Follow Carl on Twitter at: @carlfogarty

Visit ZONA at: http://www.zona-store.com/

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

(c) Carl Fogarty images courtesy of permission from Neil Bramwell (no credit required)

(c) ZONA images

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MotoGP Americas GP Review – Captain America is an Understatement

The Americas Grand Prix – for the fifth consecutive season – went to Marc Marquez, as the Spaniard took his first victory of the season in scorching weather conditions on Sunday afternoon. The Repsol Honda team achieved their first podium of the season and their first double podium since the Catalan Grand Prix last season, with 1st and 3rd. Splitting the two Hondas was Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, who not only took 2nd and his best ever result at COTA but also the lead of the championship for the first time since Malaysia 2015. 2017 is already looking like a season we will cherish.

As the lights went out, it was formation flying into turn one for Repsol Honda, with Dani Pedrosa leading Marc Marquez through the first few turns. Valentino Rossi was in 3rd with the likes of Jorge Lorenzo moving through from row two to challenge him, taking series leader Maverick Vinales for 4th.

Following all the squabbling, a shock was about to rock COTA. Coming through turn 18, Maverick Vinales crashed out in a shower of sparks, throwing his M1 Yamaha into the Texan dirt for his first DNF of the year. The Spaniard looked like he had been rattled all weekend, following a fallout with teammate Rossi in qualifying and a dual with Marquez for pole position. Either way, he cost me £15 after I backed him to break Marquez’ stranglehold on the circuit.

This promoted reigning double Moto2 champion Johann Zarco to fourth, immediately giving the Frenchman hope for a podium challenge. However, with 15 laps to go, Rossi and Zarco would have their first fallout of the season. After a slight mistake by the 9-time champion at turn one, Zarco got a better run through the fast turn two, before pouncing on Rossi at turn three. Valentino, maintaining the racing line through the turn two and three section, was forced to take evasive action as the Frenchman barged his way in. Not too long after, Rossi was handed a 0.3 time penalty which was to be added on to his time at the end of the session, having gained time on Pedrosa up ahead – although in the eyes of many, it was involuntary course cutting. The incident continued in the post-race press conference, with Valentino saying that “the problem is Zarco”. More on that as the season unwinds.

By this time, Marc Marquez had taken the lead away from Dani Pedrosa and had began to clear off into the distance. Pedrosa did take another stab at retaking the lead at turn 12, but ran wide on exit and allowed Marquez to hold on, which was how it remained to the end.

Further down, there was a big scrap between Iannone, Miller, Petrucci and Lorenzo. Iannone took his best result on the Suzuki thus far with 7th, ahead of Danilo Petrucci who beat Lorenzo and Miller – the Australian starting the year with three top 10 placings.

There was a high number of crashers in the race, with Loris Baz, Sam Lowes, Karel Abraham and Alvaro Bautista all hitting the floor, with Pol Espargaro retiring his KTM, as well as Aleix Espargaro having numerous problems with the Aprilia. Alvaro did remount to gain 1 point.

Cal Crutchlow caught and passed Johann Zarco to take 4th place and remain 5th in the championship after his podium in Argentina. Zarco finished 5th with his joint best finish in the premier class.

The battle for 2nd however was yet to be settled. Valentino Rossi was closing on Dani Pedrosa and in the closing laps, he took the 2nd place on the road. He eventually pulled clear by over two seconds to take second ahead of the former double 250cc champion.

In the end though, Marc prevailed and what a sensational way to kick-start his season too! He’s flying high but as Wayne Rainey once said, “It’s the start of the ground war” when we hit Europe. Jerez is the next round and you can be sure to tune in to see who will be our Spanish Grand Prix winner. Rossi won there last season and will be looking to repeat the feat.

The gap at the top of the championship tree is a mere six points, with Vinales slotting into 2nd. 12 points further back is Marc Marquez and then it’s the first Ducati, in Andrea Dovizioso – already 26 points down on Rossi.

The next race is Jerez and as ever, there will be unrivalled coverage across the weekend, with qualifying, warm-ups and race day commentary on Twitter as well as a shed load of content flying fresh off the press online!

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Moto3 COTA review: Fenati stamps his mark on the 2017 championship

Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) romped to his first victory of the season to announce he is ready to fight for the Moto3 crown once again.

Pole sitter Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) made a blinding start and looked to be streaking clear of the field, however the race was halted by the Red Flags which came out following a crash for Japanese rookie Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) at T14, who eventually walked away from the accident after being aided by medics on the track.

Canet again grabbed the hole-shot from the restart and looked confident to leave the chasing pack in his wake, his practice and qualifying pace suggested he could easily clear off at the front. Fenati though had other ideas, the Italian managed to take the lead on the first lap, only for the Spaniard to retake the lead going up the hill into the first corner, a great jostle between the pair.

The duo were shadowed by Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0), who were unable to keep tabs on the front twosome.

Disaster then struck for Canet. Pushing hard to create a gap, the 18 year old had a nasty highside coming out of the penultimate corner, leaving Fenati to control the race. The result means the controversial Italian is now fourth in the championship and only 13 points off the top spot, you’d be a fool to rule him out.

The eight time grand prix winner eventually crossed the line 4.5 seconds clear of the two Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda riders, with Martin edging out his team-mate ‘Di Gi’ by less than a tenth of a second. This result meant that Martin continued his 100% podium record in 2017 and after the race he told MotoGP.com that “it’s important that we’re consistent.” He leapfrogs British Talent Team pilot John McPhee in the championship to go just six points behind series leader Mir, whilst Fabio sits sixth in the standings after picking up his first podium of the season.

In arrears of the top three were Bastianini and Bulega, who both took their best results of the year by some distance, with the VR46 rider crossing the line as the leading KTM. Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team), also steering a KTM machine pipped Britain’s McPhee on the penultimate corner to clinch his best result of the year, leaving the Scotsman having to settle for seventh. Despite finishing off the podium for the first time in 2017, McPhee was still able to close the gap at the top of the championship as Mir was forced to settle for eighth.

German Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) collected some valuable points in ninth, with Darryn Binder (Platinum Bay Real Estate), brother to last year’s world champion Brad, rounding out the top 10. The South African lead a gaggle of riders past the checkered flag which included Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing Team), Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), Jules Danilo (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers), Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Livio Loi (Leopard Racing).

Jerez is up next for the future premier class protagonists, a rider and fan favourite. With the championship tightened up, the battle in Europe will be an enthralling watch with Mir, Martin, McPhee and Fenati looking to take a stranglehold on the Moto3 world championship.

Full results: http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/2017/AME/Moto3/RAC/World+Standing

Elliott York @journoyork

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Moto2 GP Review: Morbidelli is the Lone Star in Texas

Was it ever in doubt? Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) became the first rider since the late Daijiro Kato in 2001 to win the opening three races in the intermediate class of the MotoGP world championship, a hugely impressive feat. This shows what a talent the Italian is and you’d have to be a very brave man to bet against him to take the 2017 Moto2 championship. He also became the first Italian to win the opening three races of the year in the intermediate class since Luca Cadalora in 1992 and when you think of the amount of top Italians who have come through that class (Capirossi, Biaggi, Melandri, Rossi, Simoncelli, Pasini and Iannone to name all but a few) then you realise just how incredible he is.

Morbidelli was able to control the race from the front throughout, despite team mate Alex Marquez main title rival Thomas Luthi (CarXpert Interwetten), Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) challenging the series leader in the opening stages. The 22 year old was able to break the chasing group mid-way through the race, with Luthi remaining his closest challenger. Pasini, on for his best result of the season, then crashed out at turn one leaving the birthday boy Marquez and Nakagami to fight it out for the final position on the podium.

The 30 year old Swiss looked to be reeling Franco in at the front, but the former European Superstock 600 champion upped the pace to consolidate his lead and eventually took the flag by 2.6 seconds. 2nd place Luthi earned his 50th Grand Prix podium, whilst Nakagami was able to fend off Marquez to grab his second podium of the campaign.

Elsewhere in the race, there was a huge shunt at the first corner after Stefano Manzi (Sky Racing Team VR46) clattered into Julian Simon (Tech 3 Racing), taking both riders out of the race before completing a corner. The decision to put Manzi into the VR46 Moto2 team is looking increasingly like a mistake, with the young Italian failing to pick up any points in the opening three rounds. Another crash, this time at the end of the back straight saw Yonny Hernandez (AGR Team) make contact with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) and Jesko Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten). The Colombian proving just how difficult it is to ride a Moto2 machine and be competitive, despite being used to much quicker MotoGP bikes.

Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) crossed the line in a brilliant 5th place to get his and Suter’s best finish of the season. Not such good news on the other side of the garage though as Danny Kent announced he was leaving the team due to “irreconcilable differences.” A huge shame for the 2015 Moto3 world champion, the first British rider to win a Grand Prix world championship since Barry Sheene. Kent took to Twitter to express his feelings: “I’m still hungry & determined & believe I can be competitive in Moto2. I wish Kiefer Racing the best for the future.” It is believed that Kent’s management are looking for an alternative ride for the rest of the season, so let’s hope he can jump on a competitive bike and prove that he can mix it in the intermediate class.

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continued his and KTM’s impressive start to the season, bringing home a solid 6th to put the Portuguese star 3rd in the championship to leave him 32 points behind Morbidelli. Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) claimed seventh on a track that has often been a good one for the Speed Up chassis, with the last non Kalex win coming at COTA in 2015 with Sam Lowes on board. Corsi finished ahead of Marcel Schrötter (Intact Dynavolt GP) whilst Tech 3 Racing’s Xavi Vierge continues to massively impress on the out-of-favour chassis, he now lies 5th in the championship.

The battle for the top 10 saw Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) beat Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia), with Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP 40) staging an impressive comeback in the latter half of the race into P12, finishing as top rookie once again.

Xavier Simeon (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) led Brad Binder’s injury replacement Ricky Cardus (Red Bull KTM Ajo) home in P13, with Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completing the point’s scorers after a late mistake saw him drop positions, despite some impressive pace on board Sam Lowes’ old bike.

The field now head to Europe, as the ever popular Circuit de Jerez hosts the fourth round of the Moto2 world championship. Can anyone put a stop Morbidelli’s relentless title surge? For sure the Spaniards will be looking to claw back some of the deficit on home soil as it

promises to be another fascinating weekend of two wheeled racing.

Elliott York @journoyork

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