Category Archives: MotoGP

Rise to the top with the 2022 Rising Stars Series!

On the back of six highly successful years, the MotoGP™ eSport Championship continues to innovate in a variety of ways in 2022. After debuting in 2020, the Rising Stars Series, an eSport talent promotion initiative, returns for a third year and gets underway in September – played, as ever, on the official MotoGP™22 from videogame developer, publisher and longstanding partner Milestone.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

10 things you probably didn’t know about Joan Mir

Joan Mir is on the move in 2023, with the Mallorcan switching Suzuki for Honda from next season. The number 36 had long been rumoured to be in talks with Repsol Honda to become Marc Marquez’ teammate, and the news was confirmed today by HRC. It makes for an exciting line up, and also will be the fifth time two World Champions have shared a garage in MotoGP™. In celebration of the move, why don’t you get to know Mir a little bit better by reading below?

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

How have the previous all-Champion MotoGP™ pairings fared?

The eight-time King Marquez and the 2020 World Champion Mir will team up joining the likes of Rossi & Lorenzo, plus Stoner and Hayden

After months of speculation, it has been officially confirmed that Joan Mir will move across to the Repsol Honda squad in 2023 and team up with eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez. The pair, as a result, will therefore make up only the fifth all-Champion line-up in MotoGP™ history. Ahead of the dynamic duo taking to the track together, we take a look at the four previous all-star pairings across the MotoGP™ era.

CASEY STONER AND NICKY HAYDEN

In September 2008, American Nicky Hayden was confirmed to be leaving Honda after ten years and was set to join Australian Casey Stoner at Ducati. The 2006 and 2007 MotoGP™ World Champions became the first teammates to both hold a premier class title since the MotoGP™ era began in 2001. Throughout their two-year partnership, Stoner clinched seven victories and a further 10 podium finishes whilst Hayden struggled to adapt to the much-different Desmosedici after a decade with Honda. The late, great Kentucky Kid picked up two podiums in 2010, including a third-place finish behind race winner Stoner at Aragon – the only time the pair stood on the podium together in the red of Ducati.

VALENTINO ROSSI AND NICKY HAYDEN

At the end of the season, Casey Stoner left for the Repsol Honda leaving a space free in the factory Ducati squad. In came nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, teaming up with Hayden for the second time in his career after they spent a year together at Honda in 2003. Furthermore, the pair were reunited as teammates with Hayden now a World Champion himself thanks to his 2006 title. It was a tough two years for the Bologna factory, though, with Rossi only managing three podium finishes and Hayden just the one in their 36 races together.

VALENTINO ROSSI AND JORGE LORENZO

By far the most famous all-Champion pairing in MotoGP™ history, their rivalry is forever etched in premier class folklore. Rossi returned to the factory Yamaha squad with Lorenzo having just clinched the 2012 MotoGP™ World Championship, his second premier class title, adding an extra element to their already frosty relationship from 2008 to 2010. The pair would fight it out from 2013 to 2016, finishing 1-2 in seven separate races, with the main flashpoint coming in 2015. The fight for the World Championship went down to the final round for the first time in nine years with the pair split by only seven points. Lorenzo would go on to take the title, his third premier class crown, but, by the time he left for Ducati at the end of 2016, it was honours even after pair had finished above eachother in the Championship standings on two occasions each.

JORGE LORENZO AND MARC MARQUEZ

It was billed as the Repsol Honda dream team, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Jorge Lorenzo jumped from Ducati to Honda and, as a result, linked up with Marc Marquez for the first time ahead of the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship. The pair had been fierce rivals ever since Marquez entered the premier class in 2013, so a lot was made over how they’d be able to coexist. In the end, Marquez would go on to have the most dominant season of his career, winning the title with a record-breaking 420 points, whilst Lorenzo had a year to forget with a string of crashes and subsequent injuries forcing him to retire at the end of the season.

VideoPass allows you to watch every single second of every single sector LIVE and OnDemand

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

HRC confirm the signing of Joan Mir on a two-year contract

Joan Mir: “I’m very excited to officially announce that I will join the Repsol Honda Team next year. Thanks to HRC for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to defend these historic colours, which are full of history and world titles. We will take advantage of all my experience accumulated over the years in MotoGP with Suzuki to contribute as much as possible to the project and to fight together to become world champions again.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Rumble on the Riviera: will Misano host another showdown?

For KTM, the hunt for progress continues, but the Sunday heroics of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) got back on track in Austria as the South African stormed up to seventh. Binder’s comebacks – all the more remarkable given the number 33 often starts well back in the pack but has only one DNF so far this year – continue to impress, and teammate Miguel Oliveira has also been consistently scoring some good chunks of points since Mugello. The Austrian factory have a front row and a podium in their past at Misano, but it will likely be more the top six and top five that proves the aim in 2022. Rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez at Tech3 KTM Factory Racing, meanwhile, look for some more points on the Riviera di Rimini.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

TIME SCHEDULE: Gryfyn Grand Prix of San Marino

First up will be MotoE™ FP1 at 08:25, before Moto3™ at 09:00, MotoGP™ at 09:55 and then Moto2™ at 10:55. The FP2 sessions get under way at 12:35 with the electric class for 20 minutes, and the other categories following in the same order as the morning. After the conclusion of Moto2™ FP2 at 15:50, the grid for MotoE™ needs to be set, with qualifying beginning from 16:50.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Why Bastianini is the perfect fit for factory Ducati

Off-track they are both really relaxed guys. You can enjoy spending time with them. They are always joking and that’s nice. I’m lucky because I was able to create a good relationship with both of them. When we’re working, if you have a good relationship, you can be much more relaxed, be honest about everything, and that’s important. On track, they are both really good in braking, so with our bike that helps a lot because our bike is really good in braking and in acceleration. With their style, they can really take out the maximum from our bike. Their style in braking is similar but a little bit different. The tyre has obviously changed a lot in the last few years, so it’s difficult to really compare Andrea and Enea’s braking, but Enea is using both tyres whilst Andrea used the front tyre and would slide the rear. Exiting the corner, Enea probably uses his body a bit more. He really gets off the bike sometimes, it’s impressive. But both are able to save the tyre for the last part of the race. Their pace is always good at the end.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Martin and Zarco confirmed as Prima Pramac riders for 2023

Paolo Campinoti: “As Team Principal of Prima Pramac Racing I couldn’t be happier to have Johann and Jorge again in our box again next season. These two are not only very special men, but also formidable riders with a rare talent. With them we have already achieved great things and I am positive that for the second part of this season and the next one we will be able to grow a lot more, together, as only a team like ours is capable of.” 

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Ducati confirm Bastianini as Bagnaia’s teammate for 2023

Enea Bastianini: “I am thrilled to be able to wear the colours of the official Ducati team starting next year. It was my dream, and now it has come true. In these two years in MotoGP, I have learned and grown a lot, and I believe that I can only improve with the engineers and men of the Ducati Lenovo Team! I want to thank Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide for trusting me and giving me this incredible opportunity. Still, I also want to thank Nadia and the whole Gresini team for the great support I have received from them during this wonderful season together. I will try to close out this 2022 in the best possible way before tackling my new adventure as a factory Ducati rider with total commitment and the right team spirit.”

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here