Category Archives: Motorcycle News

Moto2™ reset, reload and get ready to race

A very different track, searing temperatures and the shuffled pack of unknowns arising from the particular circumstances in 2020 say it’ll be a bigger challenge that most normally face after having taken the first win of the year. Nagashima’s teammate Jorge Martin will be one of the first hoping to hit back – and on home turf – as will the likes of Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) after their Qatar went awry. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP), his teammate Marcel Schrötter and Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) will have their eyes on the prize too, and Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will also be back in the mix. That mix made for pretty stiff competition even despite the drama in the desert that unfolded, too.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Moto3™ gear up for more mayhem and miracles

If there’s one thing we can probably say for sure ahead of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, it’s that the Moto3™ class will be far from rusty. Always walking the line between madness and genius, the lightweight class know how to put on a show and that will be no different as we get back on track – finally – for Round 2. From the floodlights of Losail we head to the baking summer of southern Spain, and as luck, or skill, would have it, it’s a Spaniard who arrives at the top of the pile.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

“I’m going to show what I’m capable of” – Pol on HRC switch

“As you may already know, next year KTM and I will separate our paths after what will be the four most intense and beautiful years of my life,” said the 29-year-old on Instagram. “Knowing that on many occasions we have had weaker weapons than the others, we have fought and persevered together overcoming all the obstacles that a project as new as this has presented us. I have been surrounded by a technical and human team from out of this world, tireless fighters who have always given their all!

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Alex Marquez and Lucio Cecchinello talk 2021 partnership

Although nothing is official yet, Marquez’s LCR Honda teammate in 2021 looks certain to be Japan’s Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda), due to Crutchlow’s exit from the factory now being confirmed. Where will the three-time MotoGP™ race winner end up? He has been strongly linked with a move to the factory Aprilia garage and, with options now limited, a move to the Noale squad seems most likely.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Michelin to debut new rear slick this weekend

The Heat Is On!

High 30s predicted all weekend at Jerez

Michelin and MotoGP are gearing up for the start of the 2020 World Championship as the season finally gets underway following the disruption caused by the worldwide pandemic.

The start of Grand Prix racing has been on hold since March due to the deadly virus, but now Michelin and the rest of the MotoGP paddock will be able to get back to competitive action as the season kicks-off with a double header at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in Spain and gives the fans around the world the opportunity to share in some much needed sporting action, firstly with the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, which will be followed a week later with the first running of the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía at the same venue.


Jerez Tyre Range 2020

MICHELIN Power Slick
Front
Soft (White band)
Medium (No band)
Hard (Yellow band)

Rear
Soft (White band) – Asymmetric, right side harder
Medium (No band) – Asymmetric, right side harder
Hard (Yellow band) – Asymmetric, right side harder

MICHELIN Power Rain
Front
Soft (Blue band)
Medium (No band)
Rear
Soft (Blue band) – Asymmetric, right side harder
Medium (No band) – Asymmetric, right side harder

Click to open larger version in new window

A new Michelin Power Slick Rear

The first race of 2020 will enable the French company the chance to finally give a debut to its latest evolution of the Michelin Power Slick rear tyre in a racing environment following its introduction into the allocation at the start of the year.

The new rear slick features a different construction that is designed to give increased grip, performance and an extended durability to all riders and manufacturers. Following a thorough test programme in 2019 and early in 2020 – including a unique session during the Australian Grand Prix last year to evaluate the tyre on one of the calendar’s most demanding circuits – all the data was analysed by Michelin’s technicians at Clermont-Ferrand, along with riders’ feedback, and the new construction was added to the allocation for the 2020 season. It should have made its first appearance at the Qatar Grand Prix, but when racing was suspended it was held in readiness for the resumption of activities

The Jerez circuit will be a unique test for the new construction as temperatures at the Spanish track will be considerably higher than the originally scheduled date in May, but during the enforced break from racing the Michelin Technicians have worked hard on past data from the track and with the aid of computer simulations, have been able to select the best compounds to match the new construction and give optimum performance around the 4,423m circuit, which has had both full and partial resurfacing work in recent seasons. The choice for both weekends of racing will feature the same compounds and will be three front and three rear MICHELIN Power Slick tyres. The range will be available in soft, medium and hard compounds, all the front will have a symmetric design, with the rear featuring an asymmetric finish with a harder right-hand-side to cope with the eight right turns which give extra demands to the tyre, compared to just five left corners, through the track’s configuration. With warm weather and high temperatures expected, there might be little chance of rain, but the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will be in the allocation if such conditions arise. These will be in a soft and medium compound for both the front and rear, with the rears having an asymmetric design with a harder right-hand-side, whilst the fronts will be symmetric.

Michelin and the rest of the paddock will have to adhere to stringent protocols to make sure the racing goes ahead as safe as possible as far at the virus situation is concerned, with all the new rules and regulations in-place MotoGP will take on a very different look and feel for 2020, one of which will be the initial lack of spectators at trackside, although this might change as the season progresses, but even with the new guidelines, Michelin will be determined to add to the spectacle and give tyres that provide exciting and close racing. This season will witness not only the debut of the latest evolution of the Michelin Power Slick rear tyre, but three riders will also make their introduction to MotoGP, as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and reigning Moto2 World Champion Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – brother of six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – will join the other nineteen racers in a twenty-two rider strong field that will embark on a shortened, but intense season that so far features thirteen races between July and November – all in Europe – with the possibility to add some fly-away races at the end of the year if the situations allow.

Michelin and the MotoGP field will kick-off track action on Wednesday 15th July as the riders will have a test to reacquaint themselves with the tyres and bikes after such a long lay-off.

Competitive action will then commence on Friday with two Free Practice sessions; this will be followed by two further sessions on the Saturday ahead of the all-important Qualifying in the afternoon.

Sunday’s first Grand Prix of the season will get underway at 1400 local time (2200 AEST) as the latest evolution of the Michelin Power Slick rear tyre gets its competitive debut over the 25-lap race.

Michelin MotoGP

Piero Taramasso
Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager

It is an encouraging step-forward that the season can get underway. We had a good start to the year with the tests and finalising the new rear tyre, but then everything was put on hold by the terrible events that unfolded. We now have the chance to go racing and give some much needed relief to the fans after these difficult times.

With the new calendar some of the races now have different dates than their original ones, and the most noticeable of those is the first one at Jerez. We expect much higher temperatures than we would have had in May, but we have analysed past data and run computer simulations to understand what will be expected and have matched the compounds accordingly.

The most important thing for us is the debut of the new rear tyre. The construction was verified at the pre-season tests and added to the range for 2020, so this will be the first time we have raced with it. When we returned to MotoGP in 2016 we made sure that we would keep evolving and are determined to push the envelope of performance even further this year. The new rear slick tyre has been designed to work for all riders and machines, and following the last tests in Qatar – where we saw some fast lap-times – we are confident that all manufacturers will have found the best setting to make their respective bikes work to the optimum and give a first-class show for all, with hopefully some new records for Michelin at both the events at Jerez.

The programme in Jerez is a busy one, as we also have MotoE during the two weekends. This series got off to a good start in 2019 and I’m sure it will continue to progress this season with the contribution of Michelin’s new range of even better tyres. MotoE is a very important competition for our group, which this year is introducing tyres incorporating biomaterials and regenerated materials into the discipline. We are delighted to be the technological partner of a race-series focused on energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and respect for the environment. The 2019 World Cup was marked by some fine sporting battles, which gives us even more motivation at the start of this second season.”

Michelin Power Slick MotoGP
Michelin Power Slick

2020 MotoGP Calendar

  1. July 19 – Jerez
  2. July 26 – Jerez
  3. August 9 – Brno
  4. August 16 – Spielberg
  5. August 23 – Spielberg
  6. September 13 – Misano
  7. September 20 – Misano
  8. September 27 – Catalunya
  9. October 11 – Le Mans
  10. October 18 – Aragon
  11. October 25 – Aragon
  12. November 8 – Valencia
  13. November 15 – Valencia
    Argentina – TBC before the 31st of July
    Thailand – TBC before the 31st of July
    Malaysia – TBC before the 31st of July

Source: MCNews.com.au

Alex Marquez to join Castrol Honda in 2021

Alex Marquez in Castrol colours

Alex Marquez will be an official LCR Honda Castrol rider in 2021 after renewing his contract with HRC for two more years. The deal will see the MotoGP rookie race in the LCR Honda Team with full factory support from HRC.

The arrival of Alex Marquez sees the LCR team embark on another new journey with an extremely talented young rider, something the team has vast experience of in the past, following in the footsteps of the likes of Casey Stoner, Stefan Bradl and even current rider Takaaki Nakagami.

With one half of an exciting 2021 project confirmed, the LCR Honda Team still remain focused on a successful 2020 season with their current riders Cal Crutchlow and Nakagami in the saddle.

Cal Crutchlow has represented the team for the past six years and taken three victories – a feat unsurpassed by any other independent team rider – whilst Nakagami has made significant progress since making his MotoGP debut with the squad two seasons ago, and is fully fit once more heading into the eagerly-awaited race-action.

The first round of the revamped MotoGP World Championship campaign will take place this coming weekend at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto in Spain.

Alex Marquez

I am very proud to announce my renewal with Honda Racing Corporation. HRC gave me the opportunity to race in MotoGP and I am glad to join the LCR Honda Team at the end of 2020 and compete in a big team with great experience in MotoGP. I want to thank HRC and the LCR Honda Team for their trust in me to be able to continue in the Honda family, and I will work hard to prove their confidence with results. Now, I am eager to start the season in Jerez and I am completely focused on giving my best this year.”

Lucio Cecchinello

First and foremost I’d like to say that we are fully focused on the campaign ahead and look forward to a successful 2020. In Cal and Taka we have two fantastic riders who we believe in fully to shine in the shortened MotoGP season.

“We are delighted to welcome Alex Marquez into our team next season. Alex is a two-time World Champion, a truly exciting prospect, and we are very happy and definitely proud that HRC has assigned us the task of helping him take his next important steps in his MotoGP racing career.

“Over recent seasons LCR’s position as one of the leading independent teams in the MotoGP class has been confirmed with 12 podiums and three stunning victories for Cal Crutchlow. The team is excited about embarking on another project alongside Honda, and as ever we will do our very best to prepare someone who will undoubtedly be a star of MotoGP in the future.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

Franco Morbidelli extends contract with Petronas Yamaha

Franco Morbidelli secure in MotoGP

Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team is pleased to announce that Franco Morbidelli will be retained for the 2021 and 2022 MotoGP seasons.

The Italian rider, who was MotoGP Rookie of the Year in 2018, joined Petronas Yamaha SRT in 2019 for the team’s debut MotoGP season.

The year saw Morbidelli make four front row starts and claim seven top-six finishes aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1. In addition to this, Franco was also vital in helping to secure the 2019 Top Independent Team honours for Petronas Yamaha SRT, finishing 10th in the riders’ championship with 115 points to his name.

The Malaysian-based team now looks forward to being able to see Franco back in action at the first MotoGP round of 2020 in Jerez (17-19 July).

Razlan Razali – Team Principal

“We are delighted to confirm that Franky will continue with us next year. He is an extremely talented rider and a great asset to the team as we look to build on our rookie season. Franky was always in our plans for the future so it is beneficial for us and him to be able to confirm that he will ride for us in 2021 and 2022 now.

“Franky has the potential to reach the top step of the podium and this is what we’ll all be working hard to achieve. We have absolute faith in Franky even before this season has started. We are confident that Franky has what it takes to be competitive from Jerez and know that he will develop and mature in all areas through the years ahead. Franky will provide the team with stability and competitiveness and we can’t wait to be back on track!”

Franco Morbidelli

“I’m very pleased to be renewing with Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team as we had such a great season together last year, working with a great drive to achieve success. I think it’s important for me to continue with the same team, bike and environment going forward as it feels great to work with them. We all work well together and it’s great fun to work with all the Petronas SRT crew. I want to thank them for this opportunity that they are giving me as it’s such an honour to ride for them. I will be working hard to give them even more and even better results than we achieved in our first year together. I’m now looking forward to getting racing again to show our potential and I’m just so happy to have the chance to keep on doing what I love to do with a team I love.”

MotoGP QatarTest Day Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli

Source: MCNews.com.au

Pol Espargaro signs with Repsol Honda Team

HRC sign Pol Espargaro

Honda Racing Corporation have confirmed the signing of Pol Espargaro. The former Moto2 World Champion will join the Repsol Honda Team on a two-year contract.

He will join eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez aboard the Honda RC213V.

Espargaro is one of the most experienced riders on the grid, having raced in the World Championship since 2006 and with 104 premier class Grands Prix contested.

HRC extend agreement with Alex Marquez

Honda Racing Corporation are proud to announce the renewal of Alex Marquez, extending his current agreement until the end of 2022.

During 2020, the former Moto3 and Moto2 World Champion will race in the premier class aboard his Honda RC213V in the Repsol Honda Team.

After winning the title in the middleweight class, Marquez has a whole season ahead to gain experience and make progress in HRC’s long term project, which sees the 24-year old Spanish rider join the LCR Honda Team at the end of 2020.

HRC would like to extend their thanks to Cal Crutchlow for his diligent and tireless work since joining HRC in 2015. With three wins and 12 podiums, the British rider has been a valuable asset on and off track – a constant source of excellent feedback for the engineers and a key part of developing the Honda RC213V in recent years. HRC wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Alex Marquez

“I am very proud to announce my renewal with Honda Racing Corporation. HRC gave me the opportunity to arrive in MotoGP and I am glad to join the LCR Honda Team at the end of 2020 and compete in a big team with great experience in MotoGP. I want to thank HRC and the LCR Honda Team for their trust in me to be able to continue in the Honda family and I will work hard to prove their confidence with results. Now, I am eager to start the season in Jerez and I am completely focused to give my best this year.”

MotoGP QatarTest Day Alex Marquez
Alex Marquez

Yoshishige Nomura – HRC President

“HRC are happy to continue working with Alex Marquez through the learning process in the MotoGP category for the next two seasons. After deep consideration and a thorough analysis of the current situation, we believe Alex has a great opportunity to grow in the premier class with full factory support inside the LCR Honda Team. We believe that by following this path over the next three seasons, we will achieve the results both HRC and Alex look for.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

HRC sign Pol Espargaro on a two-year deal

“Honda Racing Corporation are pleased to announce the signing of Pol Espargaro,” read the statement. “The former Moto2 World Champion will join the Repsol Honda Team on a two-year contract. He will join eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez aboard the Honda RC213V. Espargaro is one of the most experienced riders on the grid, having raced in the World Championship since 2006 and with 104 premier class Grands Prix contested.”

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

HRC extend agreement with Alex Marquez

In a statement released on Monday morning, HRC confirmed that the younger of the Marquez brothers has had his current deal, which expires at the end of 2020, extended for a further two years to 2022. Meanwhile, Britain’s Crutchlow will leave Honda after securing three memorable premier class victories during his six-year stay.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here