Five-way ASBK tyre manufacturer war set to erupt at Phillip Island
For the first time in recent ASBK history, a five-way tyre manufacturer war is set to light up the 2020 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.
Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by Rob Mott
Pirelli have been dominating the ASBK paddock for the past few years and have clearly set their sights on Dunlop, Bridgestone, Michelin and Shinko, who will all compete for supremacy in the ASBK paddock in the rubber war, which is set to add another element to the 2020 championship.
New kid on the block – Michelin – have called in a big gun of the sport with Jeremy Burgess – former crew chief to Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, and Valentino Rossi – to be Michelin’s expert technician in the pitlane this year.
Jeremy Burgess overseeing the Michelin rubber for Penrite Honda at the ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
At the recent Pre-Season Official ASBK Test at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, several riders had changed not only teams and bike manufacturers, but also tyre brands, meaning there was a whole new learning curve to get their head around.
After burning off their Christmas pudding, the top 11 Superbike riders were covered by two seconds, and the top five by less than one second, running Pirelli, Dunlop and Michelin tyres during the 2020 Kawasaki Superbike Class test.
Pirelli runners were fastest at P.I. – Image TH
But it is the YMI Supersport 300 and YMF R3 Cup class where all tyre manufacturers will go head to head, with all five manufacturers vying for top place amongst riders, teams and on the podium.
Some riders may even choose to do a repeat of last year where some mixed front and rear tyre brand combinations gained what they felt was the greatest advantage.
Good race results, and a championship win, can produce a massive shift in tyre sales, but also allow the Australian tyre suppliers to influence parent companies to invest more in tyre development for the ASBK. The tyre war – while friendly at the moment – will heat up and could “boil over”, as the season progresses.
Dunlop tyres
All manufacturers agree, the tyre competition is great for the 2020 ASBK and is further evidence of the recent growth and strength of the championship.
Garry Crilly – Link International – Pirelli
“I think 2020 will be similar to 2019 with a very tight series, a lot of riders and bikes with new tyre combinations and I certainly think it will make an exciting series in all classes. I think it (the tyre war) will give ASBK a new dynamic based on results from the Official ASBK test at Phillip Island in January and obviously the main three brands in Superbike are very close, and it will be a hard-fought battle. And in the 600s and 300s I think it will also be tight as well between the brands. We are all competitive, it’s part of the DNA in racing, whether its motorcycle riding, tyre company, oil company, we all want to win. The main thing we want to see is tight competition in all three classes, top, good, hard, tight racing that’s what I want to see and that’s what Pirelli wants, and that’s what spectators want to see.”
Garry Crilly said the main advantage for Pirelli ASBK riders was that the tyre technology it produced is fed down from World Superbikes.
“Our Superbikes are different to the worlds, but we have the same basic characteristics and I think Pirelli have tyres that suit multiple brands, and riders can adapt easily to our tyre on any given motorcycle. Wayne Maxwell is a perfect example of that. I think we’ve got a range of tyres in each class that can run and be used at any of the circuits we visit throughout the season.”
Robert Bugden – Ficeda Accessories – Dunlop
“Obviously, it’s been quite some time since Michelin have been in the championship and Pirelli are obviously strong, but we feel we’ve put together the best range possible for our circuits and conditions and we are really confident with our new range. We’ve got all the pieces of the puzzle to go up against the other brands and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s great for the championship, it will really intensify and could boil over in 2020. We have some guys in the 300s on the brand-new tyre that we’ve put forward for homologation and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Again, Pirelli are really strong in that sector, but we also believe we have the answer to that and in Supersport we have been involved in for a long time and we believe we have everything we need to win races.”
The Dunlop shod BCperformance Kawasaki in 2019 – TBG Image
Craig White – McLeod Accessories – Bridgestone
“The number of manufacturers coming into the ASBK is great for the sport, as it shows the manufacturers are interested in the championship, and it will lead to healthy racing at the end of the day.”
Doug Sharp – Gas Imports – Michelin
“It has to strengthen the Championship, and when you are passionate about racing, like I am you want to see it improve. Being a part of the ASBK is good for us, hopefully we can sell tyres and grow the series along with everybody else. Most of our work has been testing with Honda and Troy and even so that’s been limited. We would still like to have a reasonable amount of people on them. This year will be a fairly steep learning curve to what works and what doesn’t, and Troy (Herfoss) has been quick, I’m sure he likes them and likes the way they feel.”
Jeremy Burgess
Jackson Collins – Bruce Collins Enterprises – Shinko
“In our first year it is definitely a friendly rivalry, and I’m sure whoever is winning races will have the bragging rights, and if you can steal a couple of results it might not become so friendly. For us in our first year to get some good results on track and further develop the tyres, we’d be stoked to pick up some good results and challenge the majors would be the ideal outcome as our first go at it. We (at a recent test) moved the tyres across a range of bikes with different set ups, Yamaha and Kawasaki and are really happy with how that went.”
While new entrants like Shinko and returning manufacturer, Michelin, admit to starting from ground zero, recent testing has shown that all the brands will be a force to be reckoned with, especially the more established Pirelli, Bridgestone and Dunlop.
In 2019 it was Pirelli who took out the championship tyre war winning with Mike Jones in the Superbike class and Tom Toparis in the Supersport class. In the Supersport 300s it was Senna Agius, who was on Pirelli for a bulk of the year before changing his front to Bridgestone for the last three rounds.
The 2020 war begins in only a few days as ASBK Round 1 blast into action at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
2020 ASBK Calendar
Round 1 – WSBK – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC 27 Feb – 1 March
Round 2 – Wakefield Park Raceway – Goulburn, NSW 27 – 29 March
Round 3 – The Bend Motorsport Park – Tailem Bend, SA 7 – 10 May *4 day
*with Asia Road Race Championship (ARRC) & IATC
Round 4 – Supercars – Barbagallo Raceway, Perth WA 15 – 17 May
(Superbike Class Only)
Mid-Year Official Test – Morgan Park Raceway, QLD 28 – 29 July
Round 5 – Morgan Park Raceway – Warwick, QLD 7 – 9 August
Round 6 – Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla VIC 11 – 13 September
Round 7 – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes VIC 2 – 4 October
Ahead of the Australian opening round of the 2020 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island, 34-year old Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) has topped a shortened opening session at Phillip Island, after Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda) left oil on track through turns three and four, forcing a halt of the proceedings.
Tom Sykes led the morning session
Tom Sykes was the only rider to drop into the 1:30s, boasting a 1:30.938, with Pata Yamaha’s Michael Van Der Mark nearest on 1:31.252 with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu only 0.023s further off the leading pace.
Defending world champion Jonathan Rea was fourth overall for the morning, 0.557s off the leader, with the Kawasaki Racing Team rider 0.446s faster than new teammate Alex Lowes, who was seventh and clocked in the 1:32s.
Ten Kate Racing – Phillip Island WorldSBK Test
Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s Loris Baz was fifth fastest, while Scott Redding was fastest Ducati on the Aruba.it Racing V4 R. Teammate Chaz Davies was eighth, with 1:32.117.
Completing the top ten was Leon Haslam (Team HRC) and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
Alvaro Bautista, riding the Team HRC Honda CBR1000RR-R was 11th as he comes to terms with the new Honda machinery at Phillip Island, where he dominated in 2019 on board a Ducati.
Eugene Laverty joins Sykes with BMW Motorrad WorldSBK
Second BMW Motorrad WorldSBK rider Eugene Laverty was 12th with a 1:32.893, almost two-seconds off leading pace, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) in 13th.
Federico Caricasulo made the move up to the premiere class in WorldSBK in 2020 after finishing second overall in WSSP in 2019, joining the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team for the new season, along with American Garrett Gerloff who was 17th posting a 1:34.184.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Leon Camiere were 15th and 16th, both on Ducati Panigale V4 R machinery, with Team GoEleven and Barni Racing Team respectively.
Team GoEleven – Phillip Island WorldSBK Test
Maximilian Scheib was 18th on the Orelac Racing Vednatura Kawasaki, while Takumi Takahashi was 19th on the MIE Racing Althea Honda.
Despite overcast conditions and rain north of Phillip Island, competitors remain hopefully for dry conditions for afternoon sessions, as activities recommence on track.
Phillip Island WorldSBK Testing – Monday FP1
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Team
Gap
1
T. SYKES
GBR
Motorrad WorldSBK Team
1’30.938
2
M. VAN DER MARK
NED
PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK
0.314
3
T. RAZGATLIOGLU
TUR
PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK
0.337
4
J. REA
GBR
Kawasaki Racing Team
0.557
5
L. BAZ
FRA
Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
0.671
6
S. REDDING
GBR
ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati
0.85
7
A. LOWES
GBR
Kawasaki Racing Team
1.111
8
C. DAVIES
GBR
ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati
1.179
9
L. HASLAM
GBR
Team HRC Honda
1.29
10
X. FORES
ESP
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
1.476
11
A. BAUTISTA
ESP
Team HRC
1.731
12
E. LAVERTY
IRL
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK
1.955
13
S. CORTESE
GER
OUTDO Kawasaki TPR
2.406
14
F. CARICASULO
ITA
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
2.594
15
M. RINALDI
ITA
Team GOELEVEN
2.736
16
L. CAMIER
GBR
Barni Racing Team
3.159
17
G. GERLOFF
USA
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
3.246
18
M. SCHEIB
CHI
ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA
4.64
19
T. TAKAHASHI
JPN
MIE Racing
5.408
World Supersport
Andrea Locatelli, who joined the BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team for the 2020 World Supersport season, led the morning World Supersport Free Practice 1 results, ahead of the MV Agusta Reparto Corse duo of Randy Krummenacher and Raffaele De Rosa, with the pair +0.276 and +0.309s off the leader’s pace.
Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the top five , with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) sixth.
Oli Bayliss
Top Honda was Hikari Okubo on the Dynavolt Honda, while Australian Oli Bayliss was 19th on board the Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Kade Mosig banned for six-years for anti-doping rule violations
Kade Mosig has received a six-year sanction for 19 violations of Motorcycling Australia’s (MA) anti-doping policy. Mr Mosig tested positive to the prohibited substances exogenous 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone and D-amphetamine following a doping control test conducted by the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority on May 27, 2018 at the MX Nationals in Murray Bridge, South Australia.
Kade Mosig in 2018
Motorcycling Australia imposed a mandatory provisional suspension on Mr Mosig on July 10, 2018, and his sanction has been backdated to take account time he has already served.
This means Mr Mosig is ineligible to participate, as an athlete or support person (including coaching or officiating) until he has completed his six-year sanction. The ban includes using Member facilities.
In addition to the six-year sanction all competitive results for Mr Mosig from December 9, 2013 onwards will be removed from records. Mr Mosig will be eligible to recommence participation in the sport from July 10, 2024.
Kade Mosig
“I accept the sanction imposed on me understanding I have made some poor decisions in the past. I want to apologise to my family, friends, competitors, supporters and my sponsors. Regrettably I will be moving on from racing professionally and will be making no further comment on this matter.”
Round 1 of the 2020 Yamaha Off Road Championship was held in Toowoomba and presented new challenges to our riders, including new faces in the field and first round nerves, with new classes also joining the mix.
Coming out on top today and setting 2020 out on the best foot was Luke Styke (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube) in E1, Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) in E2, Daniel “Chucky” Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) in E3 and Korey McMahon (Sutto’s Motorex KTM Racing Team) in the EJ class.
Luke Styke – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
This new season also introduces of new Junior classes, including JJ, JG and J1, all in mind to ensure the sport is safely secured in future generations to come. Round 1 was clinched by Riley McGillivray in J4, Billy Hargy in J3, Jett Yarnold in J2, Charlie Connolly in J1, Max Stevenson in JJ and Danielle McDonald in JG.
Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha MXStore Ballards Off-Road Team) led the Women’s results at Round 1, Lee Stephens (True Painting and Decorating, KTM Newcastle)in Veterans and Kirk Hutton (Yamaha Motors Australia) in Masters all took out first place, attaining a firm grasp on their continued success from 2019 into 2020. This AORC season also includes the first full season 2 Stroke Cup class, which saw Harry Teed take out the top spot.
E1
Working tooth and nail to hold onto his 2019 victory was Luke Styke on his Yamaha with a time of 55:47.177. Styke lead ahead of Motocross up-and-comer Mason Semmens (KTM Enduro Racing Team), who crossed his seventh and final test for the day with a total time of 55:55.475 with only eight seconds separating two.
Rounding out the E1 Round 1 podium was MXstore’s Kyron Bacon, who continues to grow in leaps and bounds as he transitions from EJ to E1 this season.
Luke Styke
“Today started off a little slower than expected but we progressed throughout the day, made some fixes to the bike and just got better and better. For Round 2 we’re just going to rest up and hopefully start off the racing in a little bit of a better position compared to today.”
E2
As Daniel Milner said at the Press Launch earlier this week, the 2019 racing season was one he wanted to forget, but regardless of the spill early in the day, Milner has grabbed the E2 lead with both hands. Clocking in at 54:39.515, Milner lead comfortably ahead of newcomer and MX Nationals Champion, Todd Waters (Berry Sweet, Husqvarna).
Waters made a big and welcome splash into the E2 class today, shaking up the competition by clocking in an impressive total time of 55:27.309. Closing out the top three was Yamaha Active8 Yamalube’s Josh Green, who finished ahead of Michael Driscoll (Yamaha bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Team) with a total time of 55:36.369.
Daniel Milner
“Today started off strong but I ran into some trouble and came off the bike and I’m lucky that I was able to get back up and continue riding, honestly. Apart from that incident though, my day was pretty good and finished up well with the class win! I think I came into this round swinging, ready to get back into the game in a big way.”
Daniel Milner – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
E3
With the number one firmly locked onto his Husqvarna FE501, Chucky remained his unstoppable self. Regardless of a crash early in day’s tests, Chucky did as he does best and pushed through, grinning and bearing it to clock in a time of 55:21.276.
Shaking up the E3 class on the 300 two-stroke is Motul Pirelli Sherco Offroad Racing Team’s Jonte Reynders, who took out second placed behind the International Six Days Enduro World Champion. Rounding out the podium was Callum Norton (KTM Desert Racing Team), with a total time of 57:09.295.
Daniel Sanders – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
EJ
It was was the time for Korey McMahon to shine and after tangoing back and forth with the likes of Kyron Bacon last season, McMahon took out a well deserved EJ class win for Round 1, clocking in a time of 58:05.112.
Rounding out the podium today was Blake Hollis (Yamaha) with a total time 58:44.064, and Samuel Pretscherer (Gol Gol Hotel, Mototech) with a time of 59:40.496.
Settling comfortably back into the swings of things, it was like Riley McGillivray never left over the break as he charged ahead of his rivals with ease. McGillivray finished Round 1 with a total time of 48:19.242, ahead of Kodi Stephens and Kobi Wolff.
J3
Billy Hargy was simply unstoppable as he screamed across the Offroad Advantage test track, finishing in first with a total time of 49:16.712. Second place was awarded to William Dennett, while clinching the final podium position was Campbell Hall.
Billy Hargy
“Today was good. Started off a bit slow and came second in the first few tests. I think I was struggling in the test a little bit but I started finding a few good lines and working to my strengths. I didn’t think I’d score the round win and I’m really happy with the end result!”
J2
The rocky landscape didn’t slow down Jett Yarnold, who stole away first place in J2 with ease, clocking in after six laps with a time of 52:38.318. Sliding into second was Levi Stephens, followed closely by Jet Alsop in third.
A brand new addition to the AORC pits, the J1 features 85 small wheels. Coming out on top for Round 1 was Charlie Connolly, with a total time of 56:09.406. Clinching second place was Beau Tripcony, while rounding out the podium was Cooper Boyd.
Charlie Connolly – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
JJ
The second brand new addition to AORC is the JJ class with 65cc motorbikes and claiming its first ever round win was none other than Max Stevenson, with a total time of 57:51.208. Taking out second place was Harley Hutton, and close behind was Dylan McDonald scoring third place.
Max Stevenson – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
JG
Last but certainly not least in the Juniors is the new JG class. Claiming the first round win was the demon behind the handlebars, Danielle McDonald, with a total time of 54:09.460. McDonald was followed by Monique Simioni and Ariana Collins to complete the podium.
Jess Gardiner appears to have worked straight through the AORC break to build herself up to an even better position for the 2020 season. Clocking in a total time of 1:10:30.314, Gardiner took out first place ahead of ‘The Flying Swede’, Emelie Karlsson (Yamaha).
Stealing away third was Penrite Honda’s Emma Milesevic, who appears to be right at home now after completing a near full season in 2019 whilst also making tracks in Motocross.
Continuing on from a blisteringly hot 2019 season where he rarely faltered off first place, Lee Stephens demonstrated his fine form to take out first place in the Veterans class. Trailing behind Stephens in second place was Richard Chibnall (WBR Echuca On Point Motorcycles, 100% Strength), while the third and final Veteran podium position was won by Christopher Thomas (Thomas Lee KTM).
Lee Stephens
“Had a really good day today. I crashed in the logs on the first test – they caught me out – and I have really been looking forward to getting the season started,” explained Stephens.
Lee Stephens – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba
Masters
He took out the 2019 AORC Masters title with a round to spare last season and looks set to continue that fantastic streak in 2020, with Kirk Hutton taking out first place, clocking in a total time of 1:07:10.693. Behind Hutton in second was Andrew Gillam, while Timothy Martin rounded out the podium
After the success of the 2 Stroke Cup in selected rounds last season, AORC introduced this class as a full season Championship class for 2020.
Taking out first place at Round 1 was Harry Teed with a total time of 59:10.420. As Teed navigated the WR450F track, which presented a mixture of lush grass and slippery dust, he was followed closely by Brad Hardaker (Banana Coast Pest Control, Yamaha). Third place was won by Dalton Johnson (Motul Pirelli Sheroc Offroad Racing Team).
Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) set the fastest lap of the Qatar Test to top the timesheets on Day 2 with a 1:54.038, the Frenchman going a couple of tenths faster than the lap-times we saw at the event last season. Day 1 pacesetter Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 0.162 in arrears in second, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing a top trio split by 0.226 as Yamaha and Suzuki continue to look very strong.
Quartararo shot to the top with just over an hour and a half of Day 2 remaining with the best time of the test, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claiming P4 and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sitting P9.
Quartararo commented that he had a better day than he did on Saturday, despite Yamaha having a couple of issues with engine braking. But things seem positive from the likes of Viñales – tipped by a couple of riders as the man in the best shape as it stands – and all the Yamahas are inside the top 10. Rossi stated they’re ready, too.
Fabio Quartararo – P1
Today has been a really positive test. We worked on the pace and, like yesterday, we just tested some different electronic settings, engine braking and of course we tried some settings on the bike – on the front and rear. I’m really happy because at the end of the day it was a better day than yesterday. I felt better on the bike and we still have one more day so I hope to improve but overall today was a really positive day. We still need to understand some more things on the bike because at the moment we have only done three days in Sepang, two days here so far. Tomorrow I can still learn many things from the bike and we will be ready to race.
Fabio Quartararo
Maverick Viñales – P3
“We did the same work as yesterday. We‘re trying to understand the bike and the tyres really well. We concentrated a lot on the rhythm. We‘ve made good steps forward, but there are still some things to improve. My confidence is really good, but I need some more laps on the track. I did a couple of longer runs on the soft tyre to try to understand how it works and how it could work during the race. We are trying to cover all the things and all the doubts that we could have during the race weekend, just so during that weekend we can focus on riding and pushing a little bit more than we are doing now. I‘m riding well, I think we‘re getting a lot of information on the bike, and all the things we’re doing are going well. I‘m actually quite confident and happy.”
Maverick Viñales
Franco Morbidelli – P4
“Today we’ve been quite fast and we were able to have a good pace with the medium tyre, but we also tested both the hard and soft tyres. The medium and soft are very similar in performance so it’s going to be important to make the right choice on race day. Later in the night it was quite humid and more difficult to make a decent lap but overall today I felt a bit better, a bit more comfortable with the bike, a bit more consistent. We’ve been working this afternoon on my speed and it looked good but in the race we will have to see. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and I feel ready to go racing in two weeks.”
Franco Morbidelli
Valentino Rossi – P9
“Today was also not so bad. I feel good and I had a good pace, but today was a bit more difficult compared to yesterday because we tried something to improve in some areas like braking. Unfortunately, we paid in other areas. Also yesterday it looked like the tyres would last for the whole distance of the race, but today we have more problems, so at the end of the day it was a bit more difficult for me. Also my position is a bit worse, but we are all close together. Tomorrow will be important, it will be the last day of winter testing, so we need to make a summary. I think we did a good job, we tried everything, so tomorrow we will see.”
Valentino Rossi
At Team Suzuki Ecstar, meanwhile, Alex Rins and Joan Mir both had a bumpier ride on Day 2 after proving the men to beat on Saturday, with crashes for both, riders ok. Nevertheless, the two Spaniards looked in good shape on the whole as they continued to test the new GSX-RR chassis, as well as some electronic, rear shock and new Michelin tyre testing. Rins put it simply: “We are ready”, with the Hamamatsu factory sounding confident ahead of the Qatar GP. Mir was seventh, his fastest lap a 1:54.612.
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“We worked well, we continued with our plan and managed to do what we wanted to do today. Both Alex and Joan worked to confirm the package that we’ll use for the first race and now things are clearer. It was a good day in terms of lap times and pace, so we’re feeling happy and positive about how everything has gone. One more day of testing tomorrow and then it’s time to go racing!”
Alex Rins – P2
“Today I’ve finished the session feeling happy. We’re becoming more and more sure about the chassis for this season. My rhythm was nice today and everything went very well; tomorrow we will try to do a race simulation. I had a small crash this morning, but it didn’t impact on the overall plan and we’ve still managed to do a lot of work today.”
Joan Mir – P4
“I’m so happy about today, we improved our consistency and pace, and this is something very important and also interesting to see. I’m a bit disappointed because I was aiming to do a time attack during the last hour of the session, but unfortunately I crashed at Turn 6. Anyway, I’m not hurt, and I’m pleased with the work we managed to do today. I’m ready to continue tomorrow and make even more progress.”
In the red corner, there was a little more caution but some positivity too. Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso said they were in better shape than Malaysia and team-mate Danilo Petrucci said he’d also had a better day than Saturday as they continue to focus on their programs rather than chasing a laptime. Dovizioso was eighth with a 1:54.662, Petrucci P12 with a 1:54.852.
Andrea Dovizioso – P8
“I am happier compared to yesterday because we were able to move forward with a huge part of our testing program, and now we have a clearer idea about the situation. We are fast, and our pace is good, but so are our opponents. For sure there are details that we will be able to understand only during a race weekend, while in a test, as we are riding alone, we can only get an idea of on which area we need to focus in order to improve. Today we did a few consecutive laps to understand the effects on the tyre life. In general, I am satisfied, and now we will continue with our program also tomorrow”.
Andrea Dovizioso
Danilo Petrucci – P12
“Today, we were able to take better advantage of the track time available, and I am delighted with the work we have done. We did a few tests with a rear medium tyre compound, and we were able to keep a good pace for several laps. Compared to fastest riders we are still missing a few tenths of a second, but today we didn’t focus on the lap times, and I am confident that we have the potential to battle at the front with them. Unfortunately, we had some small issues that didn’t allow us to continue until the end of the session. But despite that, I am happy, and I hope we will able to make a further step forward, as the program sees a race simulation also scheduled for tomorrow”.
Danilo Petrucci
The revolutionary “ride height adjuster” was a talking point again, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) admitting that he’d been using the device for a number of races. The Australian also noted the GP20’s superior top speed, describing it as a “rocketship”. In terms of the time-sheets, however, Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) was the leading Desmosedici, the sophomore briefly sitting P1 with two hours remaining and eventually finishing up P5. In terms of race pace though, ‘Pecco’ says he needs ‘five-tenths’ to stick with the lead guys and he’s looking for more grip on the exit.
Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) impressed again to sit as the second fastest Ducati on Day 2, in P6.
Over at Honda, reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a crash at Turn 9 and ended the day in P14, a second off the top. Thankfully he was unhurt.
Marc Marquez – P14
“Today I had a crash at Turn 8 in the change of direction, I’m having to use my legs more with my shoulder still recovering and I pushed a bit too much and lost the front and wasn’t able to save it. Fortunately, I am OK after this. We are trying to find the best way but it is always difficult here in Qatar. At the moment we’re looking at why we are struggling a little bit more here than in Malaysia. Tomorrow we will keep working and also start to look towards the race.”
Marc Marquez
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) also crashed, going down at Turn 2 and heading to the medical centre afterwards. The fall ultimately ended Crutchlow’s day, the number 35 suffering swelling to his forearm. He and the team decided it was best to not ride again on Sunday, hopefully he will be on track on Monday for the final day of testing.
Cal Crutchlow – P21
“After 27 laps today, unfortunately I crashed at turn two and have a haematoma on my right forearm and abrasions to both arms. As such, we decided to stop the test today because I’m in a fair amount of pain. At the time I was unable to move my fingers because the swelling was so significant straight away. Since then we’ve been mainly trying to reduce the swelling in the right forearm and stop it from getting worse. Hopefully with some rest we can see if we are able to participate in the final day of testing tomorrow. Before the incident, we had been working hard to improve the setting of the bike and my feeling with it compared to yesterday. We didn’t really get a chance to finish that work, so hopefully I will be able to ride tomorrow because there are some things we know we can do to improve the feeling, and with it our lap time ahead of the first race.”
Cal Crutchlow
Front end feel for the two experienced riders is the main problem, with rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also experiencing some issues. The reigning Moto2 World Champion has been feeling under the weather at the Qatar Test but he was happier with how Day 2 went compared to Day 1.
Alex Marquez – P19
“I was feeling better today physically, and I was able to achieve more than yesterday so I am pleased with how today went compared to yesterday. Towards the end of the day I was lacking a little bit of power but in general it was a better day for us. We still need to work more with the bike, so the final day will be important for us. There’s still a chance to improve before I go in to my first race weekend so this will be the focus.”
Alex Marquez
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) ended the second day as the fastest Honda rider in P10, the Japanese rider enjoying a decent day as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, with the injury feeling better than it did on Day 1. All in all, a big Day 3 lies ahead for the HRC riders.
Takaaki Nakagami – P10
“We are quite happy to have made another step forward. I feel like I’m improving in myself as well as making a clear improvement in the feeling with the bike. We did many laps today at a high level – lots in the 1’55 bracket and a few also in the 1’54s. I’m really happy with the work we have done as a team at LCR Honda Idemitsu. They have understood my situation, which is not 100 per cent fit physically, but also team boss Lucio Cecchinello has made sure that I am looking after my right shoulder. Slowly we are getting back towards full fitness, and in tomorrow’s last day of official testing I hope we can make another step. We will aim for a good long-distance run and try to prepare the race weekend well. This is our target for Sunday.”
Takaaki Nakagami
There was big news on Sunday for Aprilia as they confirmed Lorenzo Savadori as their new MotoGP test rider. And for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Day 2 targets were working on electronics and setting up the engine, as well as trying to figure out why the new RS-GP started suffering in the cooler temperatures – vital for race day in Qatar. And by the sounds of it, Espargaro found something in the cooler temperatures, describing his feeling as ‘extremely good’ at 7pm. The Spaniard did have a crash on Sunday at Turn 4 though, but thankfully he was ok.
At KTM, it seems the four riders are pretty much set on the new fairing they’ll be using. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) admitted they haven’t been going for an outright lap time so far in Qatar, the Spaniard was P13 on the timesheets on Day 2 – 0.852 shy.
Pol Espargaro
Working on the new Michelin rear tyre was a must on Sunday for the Austrian factory and speaking after Day 2’s action, Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona said he was really happy after he completed a race simulation. His team-mate Miguel Oliveira took a tumble, rider ok, and the two weren’t far apart on the timesheets. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was another to crash, rider ok.
Miguel Oliveira – P17
“We struggled a bit today, to be honest. Somehow, we didn’t manage to find the right speed with the soft tyre, as actually my fastest lap time today has been with the medium compound. I have the feeling, that we kind of lost the direction during the day, so the pace was not as great as we were wishing for, we’re still lacking half a second. It hasn’t been an easy day, therefore our mission now is to find these missing tenths for tomorrow.”
Miguel Oliveira
Iker Lecuona – P18
“I’m truly happy about this second day. I improved my lap time a lot. I did a race simulation and it was really nice. For me it was the first time with this bike doing so many laps in a row, although it was not easy to manage the power as it’s obviously a lot different than the Moto2. For now, I’m satisfied. For sure, we aim to improve further tomorrow. I know, I need to work on many points, but I’m already better in the brakes and regarding banking. I hope we can do some more small steps tomorrow in order to gain an even quicker time.”
Iker Lecuona
#QatarTest 2020 Day Two Times
QUARTARARO Fabio 20 FRA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha 1’54.038
RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.162
VINALES Maverick 12 SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.226
MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha 0.443
BAGNAIA Francesco 63 ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 0.482
ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 0.527
MIR Joan 36 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.574
DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.624
ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.702
NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN LCR Honda Honda 0.721
ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 0.724
PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.814
ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 0.852
MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.055
MILLER Jack 43 AUS Pramac Racing Ducati 1.156
RABAT Tito 53 SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1.314
OLIVEIRA Miguel 88 POR Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 1.562
LECOUNA Iker 27 SPA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 1.606
MARQUEZ Alex 73 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.687
BINDER Brad 33 RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.892
CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 2.140
SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 2.369
Monster Energy AMA Supercross ventured to Arlington, Texas for round eight of the series on the weekend which also marked the second round of the 250 East Championship.
On the schedule was another triple crown format for both classes with the 450 competitors battling out three main events raced over 12-minutes + one-lap, while 250 racers had a slightly easier time of it with their three bouts contested over 10-minutes + one-lap.
450 AMA SX
Before the triple-header mains even got underway there were some riders already licking their wounds. Adam Cianciarulo fell heavily in practice in an over-the-bars crash that was somewhat reminiscent that of the tumble that Jett Lawrence suffered earlier in the season. Unfortunately the outcome was also the same as Jett’s with Cianciarulo being ruled out of the event with a broken left collarbone.
Moto One
Jason Anderson started well but got all out of shape on the first jump which allowed Cooper Webb to storm to the front early on with Roczen also sneaking past Anderson to move up to second place as the opening 450 moto got underway.
Roczen then put a great pass on Webb, the KTM man was up for the fight but the German simply had more speed and started to walk away from Webb. Championship leader Eli Tomac was outside the top ten after yet another shocking start on the KX450F.
Roczen taking first blood with victory over Webb while Jason Anderson rounded out that first podium. Barcia fourth while the slow-starting Tomac had worked his way up to fifth place by the flag.
Moto Two
Blake Baggett scored the hole-shot but this time Eli Tomac was quick out of the blocks and was all over Baggett right from the off. It only took a few turns for Tomac to take the lead from Baggett.
Malcolm Stewart was in third place on that opening lap ahead of Justin Hill and Jason Anderson while opening Moto winner Ken Roczen was right down in tenth early on in this second bout.
Jason Anderson got the better of Baggett as the race progressed to move up to second place but at half-race distance Roczen was still languishing down in tenth place. Baggett then made a mistake and went down, losing a number of position and entering the final laps from all the way back in ninth place.
Cooper Webb was in fourth place and chasing Justin Hill before making a big mistake that saw him go over the bars and pancake right on to his lower back, not on the dirt, but landing flat on his back on the concrete alongside the track! He immediately grasped his lower back after what was a sickening impact. After receiving trackside assistance from the Alpinestars Medical Crew, Webb was transported to a local hospital where he awaits further evaluation but early indications are that there are no major fractures.
Tomac cruised to a clear victory. Despite backing off in the latter half of the race the #3 Kawasaki still took the chequered flag by more than three-seconds over Anderson with Hill rounding out the podium ahead of Zach Osborne. Roczen a disappointing seventh, behind Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart.
Moto Three
When the gates dropped for the final 450 Moto of the night it was Zach Osborne with the best clutch hand to get the jump ahead of Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen. A fall on the opening lap cost Justin Hill early.
Anderson moved past Baggett for second place on the second lap of the race while Tomac was recovering after a so-so start to sneak past Malcolm Stewart for fifth place. That top five were all fairly close across the opening laps of the race before Baggett went down in front of Tomac and lost a number of positions. Then there were four..
At half-race distance less than two-seconds covered that top quartet; Osborne still the leader from Anderson, Roczen third and Tomac fourth.
Anderson then got a great run through a series of jumps to sweep past Osborne. Tomac then put in a stunning lap to come from a few lengths behind Roczen to put a surprise move on the #94 Honda to move up to third place.
A lap later Tomac then moved past Osborne with ease, around four laps to go, Tomac’s next target Anderson…
A beautiful move by Tomac saw him go past Anderson, the Husky rider came back at him but Tomac had more speed up his sleeve and just pulled away to take his best supercross victory for some time, and the overall round win.
Roczen got Osborne, then made some attempts on Anderson before letting caution call the shots. The German very careful in this moto with his eye more on the championship points standings and not really up for any hard on-track fights that could bring him undone. Anderson though succumbed to the pressure late in the moto and went down in the whoops, allowing Roczen through for second place. Jason Anderson rounded out the podium ahead of Barcia while Osborne salvaged fifth.
450 Video Highlights
Round Up
Tomac now leads at the half-way point of the 17 round series by seven-points over Roczen.
Aprilia have managed to keep Lorenzo Savadori in their fold by convincing the 26-year-old Italian to continue with them after he had been heavily courted, and almost signed, by MIE Racing Honda as team-mate to Takumi Takahashi on the new Fireblade SP in World Superbike. Jordi Torres has now been assigned that MIE Racing seat in WorldSBK.
Aprilia have retained Savadori’s services after he signed a contract that binds him to the Noale based manufacturer.
Lorenzo Savadori
Lorenzo will be part of the MotoGP team as a tester for development of the fledgling and already promising 2020 RS-GP, and he will race in the CIV Italian Championship astride the Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory.
The Italian was already on the new V4 prototype during the Sepang MotoGP tests. The good outcome of that test and the big job of development that awaits the new bike were the key elements in the decision taken by Aprilia Racing and Lorenzo in launching this collaboration.
In the Italian championship, Savadori will race the entire season with the support of the Nuova M2 Racing team, with which he raced and won races last season, also astride the RSV4.
Lorenzo Savadori
“I am truly very happy to continue racing for Aprilia Racing. The role of MotoGP tester lets me get close to this category, which is the maximum expression of world motorcycle racing. I am honoured and pleased to be part of this project. I wish to thank all of Aprilia Racing and everyone who made this opportunity possible. Now I can’t wait to get started! The Italian championship will also be at a very high level this season. Along with Nuova M2 Racing, we’ll be working very hard and passionately to hold the new RSV4 Factory 1100 high.”
After Yamaha topped all three days of the Sepang Test with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Suzuki struck back in Qatar as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) led team-mate Joan Mir to lock out the top and the two Hamamatsu factory machines were split by just 0.002.
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) kept it close, ending the day just 0.032 in arrears, but it was Ducati who stole many a headline with what looks like a ride height adjuster…
Jack Miller
Team Suzuki Ecstar Team Manager Davide Brivio confirmed that there’s nothing new to test in Qatar, but after success at Sepang – and a 1-2 on Day 1 in Qatar – it’s looking good for the Hamamatsu factory. Their engine choice is also clear as they switch their main focus to back-to-back chassis testing; the one tested in Sepang that was well-received. In addition, Rins has said a Suzuki hole-shot device will arrive in time for the Qatar GP, if not here at the test, while Mir continues to work on his position on the GSX-RR. Can they keep setting the pace on Day 2?
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“We continued where we left off in Sepang, confirming the items we chose there. So now we’re trying to decide exactly what we’ll homologate for the season. We did a time attack at the end of the day, which not everyone did, but it’s still positive to have both riders at the top. We collected good information and Alex and Joan both worked very well. So, overall, today was good and we’re ready for the next two days.”
Alex Rins
Alex Rins – P1
“I did one time attack right at the end of the day just to see how it would go, I wasn’t very confident because the temperature and humidity were dropping a bit, but in the end it went well, and I was able to set the fastest time. We tried a lot of things today and did lots of back-to-back comparisons, so that leaves me with a good feeling. Tomorrow we’ll continue this type of work.”
Alex Rins
Joan Mir – P2
“I’m quite happy with today’s test because I felt comfortable with the bike straight away and we’re working well, so it’s been positive. There are still two more days to go and we have to continue improving and working. The track is a bit slippery, but it’s not as bad as I expected, and I was happy to set a good time and spend so much of the day at the top of the timesheets – it’s important and a good feeling, the consistency is crucial and it’s a good result.”
Joan Mir
At Yamaha, the 2020 engine also seems to be set in stone and the factory riders of Viñales and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) have the holeshot devices fitted, with the quartet of Yamaha riders confirming parts and electronics work on a different circuit.
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“We always come to the Qatar Test with great motivation because once the team starts this test, we know the first race and the start of the season is near. Our goal for these three days is to confirm the progress we made at the Sepang Test, making sure the improvements we made for riding that track are also beneficial here, and to create a good set-up for the race. We received positive rider feedback so far, both see improvements compared to last year and the previous test. Losail is a very different track compared to Sepang, but both Maverick and Vale were immediately feeling comfortable today. Of course there are still some areas we would like to work on. We will continue our testing schedule tomorrow with the main intention to do a race simulation here at 1800.”
Maverick Viñales
Maverick Viñales – P3
“I felt comfortable on the bike straight away. I think, compared to Malaysia, I feel much better on the bike. We were trying many things today which were important to clarify for the race here in Qatar. Actually, I‘m very happy about the work we did today. I need more laps to understand the bike better, find ways to push the bike with new or used tyres. But I think we’re on the right path. With the new bike we are faster in top speed, in some areas I can be faster than last year, so that is very positive. With just a few laps on this track we are already close to the level we were at last year. The rhythm is much better. During the race is when you can finally see everything, but I feel positive and I feel confident about the bike. It‘s a good sign that we are doing a good job, not only on the track but also in the box.”
Maverick Viñales
Sepang Test pacesetter Fabio Quartararo tried the hole-shot device on Saturday and was pretty positive about it, and he continued getting to grips with the 2020 YZR-M1, finishing P8 with a best time of 1:55.204 and working more on his race rhythm.
Fabio Quartararo – P8
“We worked on the pace today and tomorrow we will aim to make a step forward. I’m already feeling good on the bike and this is really good because we know that the first race will be here and we are making some progress. In Malaysia we made some time attack laps but our goal was to work on the pace, it’s the same here. At the end of last year we achieved pole positions but no wins, so the goal for this year will be some victories! Finally, I tried the holeshot device and it was something different to get used to, I only did two starts and already it feels good.”
Fabio Quartararo
Team-mate Franco Morbidelli – who is on the YZR-M1 2020 A-spec – finished P5. The Yamahas look strong once again as all four finished inside the top eight, with Rossi slotting into P7.
Franco Morbidelli – P5
“I’m quite happy with the work we have done today. We focused on adapting to this track and trying to see what the conditions are like. We were quite surprised because the conditions were already good and the performance from the tyre was good also. I managed to do the race distance with the same tyres across my runs and there’s parts of the track where the used tyres are really good. We are doing small steps in different aspects like chassis components and aerodynamics but all are positive. The plan is tomorrow to continue with a similar plan than today and maybe do a race simulation on the third day.”
Franco Morbidelli
Valentino Rossi – P7
“It is a positive day because we confirmed what we saw in Sepang. At the end I finished in P7 but throughout the day I was quite constant and had a good pace. So, we are very happy because it looks like the bike is improving compared to last year and the first test. We work well in the box, and we were able to improve. For the fight for the victory I need a little bit more, two or three tenths in the hot lap, but also in terms of pace. Some riders are a little bit faster than me, so we have to work. But it‘s just the first day, and we are already faster than last year. We have a positive feeling with the bike.”
Valentino Rossi
And so… Ducati. Arguably the biggest talking point on Day 1 was the rumoured ride height adjuster that was predominantly seen on Jack Miller’s Pramac Racing GP20. Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi admitted they have “something” new they are trying, but wouldn’t say much else. Both Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and team-mate Danilo Petrucci stonewalled…
Jack Miller
Other than that, the goal for the Borgo Panigale factory was to work more on Michelin’s new tyre, something that both Dovizioso and team-mate Petrucci put time into at the Sepang Test. Right at the end of the opening day, Petrux leapfrogged to P4 to sit just 0.172 off top spot, saying he feels quite positive but suffered a few issues and needs more track time.
Danilo Petrucci – P4
“It has been a first complicated day of testing. Unfortunately, some small issues prevented us from taking full advantage of the track time available today. Despite that, the feeling with the bike is good, and now we only need to run constantly to get further confirmations on our work. I am quite happy with the behaviour of the Desmosedici even if there are still a few aspects that we need to improve, but I hope tomorrow we will be able to take a further step forward”.
Danilo Petrucci
Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia was P9 after getting another 56 laps under his belt on the GP20, with Dovizioso (P11), Johann Zarco (Reale Avinita Racing) – another solid outing for the Frenchman in P12 – and Miller (P13) all within a second of the Suzukis.
Pecco Bagnaia – P9
“It was a pretty positive day, we worked mainly on my feeling, and we found a solution that I liked, I think we are following the right way. This is a bit of a special track for the set-up but we are getting closer and closer to the solution.”
Pecco Bagnaia
Both Dovizioso and Miller crashed unscathed, the Italian lamenting it was whilst trying focused on trying “something”. Was it the same something?
Andrea Dovizioso – P11
“I am quite satisfied with today because we were able to find a good feeling with the bike, which was better than the one I had in Malaysia. We did a few tests, and all of them were positives. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to complete the program that we had for today, but in general, we had a good pace, and we were able to set the fastest lap time with a medium compound tyre that had already done seventeen laps. Shame only, that I had a small crash towards the end of the session, that didn’t allow us to complete an interesting test”.
Andrea Dovizioso
Jack Miller – P13
“Today we tried different set-up looking for the right one to face the race because the set up at this circuit is very different from Sepang. In the afternoon the wind limited us a little bit, unfortunately I had a small crash on the out-lap but I had a good feeling with the bike and I feel satisfied, ready to go back to work tomorrow.”
Jack Miller
At Honda, fresh of the back of a new four-year HRC deal, Marc Marquez got a valuable 42 laps under his belt as he continued to recover from shoulder surgery, finishing P6 on the timesheets with a best of 1:54.823. He cited improvements in front graining compared to 2019 here, but lamented compromises in other areas – and that the track in Qatar is both physically tougher for his shoulder and “exploits” Honda’s weaknesses.
Marc Marquez – P6
“Today we started well but I am struggling a bit more than in Malaysia with my shoulder. In the long corners here, especially the long right handers, I feel my shoulder. I was able to ride how I needed to but we kept calm and did what we needed to. As always, Qatar is not an easy circuit for us and we’re aiming to be as strong as possible. It’s just the first day of testing so I am not looking at the timing screens and instead I’m looking at our garage and working how we need to.”
Marc Marquez
Team-mate Alex Marquez didn’t have the smoothest day as the reigning Moto2 World Champion crashed – thankfully unhurt – twice at Turn 7 and Turn 10, but another 57 laps for the rookie was important after impressing at Sepang. The number 73 was on track with a new front fairing too.
Alex Marquez – P21
“Unfortunately I arrived in Qatar and I have been feeling a little sick. It’s nothing serious but I do not have my full power and in MotoGP you need to be at your best. Even like this we were able to get a good amount of work done and we started to work more with the setup of the bike. I had a crash today; this is how you find the limit as a rookie so I’m not focusing on it. We have tomorrow to work again so we are looking forward to that and hopefully working to our maximum.”
Alex Marquez
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) had another busy day of testing, the British rider completing 50 laps and finishing up in P19.
Cal Crutchlow – P19
“Today was another long testing schedule, we didn’t have so many parts to test today, but we had some things we needed to try with electronics to try and improve the stopping of the bike and the corner entry. I don’t think we improved that much today and judging by the lap time and pace we need to improve for tomorrow, the next day and also the race weekend. But we’re trying our best and we’ll have a look tonight with all the engineers from my team and HRC to improve the feeling for me to be able to go faster tomorrow.”
LCR Honda Team-mate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was P15 as he – like Marquez – comes back from shoulder surgery, and he confirmed he’s still struggling with endurance, as well as trying to find the limit and understand the 2019 RC213V. That’s his goal for Sunday: at least 15 laps in a row.
Takaaki Nakagami – P15
“We are definitely improving the physical condition because the last test in Sepang was really tough and not what we wanted. But now, two weeks later we are here and the potential is improving and I’m quite happy about the feeling with the bike. Of course we need to improve some areas, but for the first day we are quite happy. The shoulder was beginning to hurt at the end of the day, but during the day it was much better than during the Sepang test. I’m really happy about this as it’s the most important thing and I’m looking forward to the second day. If the shoulder is ok, tomorrow we are planning to do race distance, which is really important for the race weekend, that’s our target anyway.”
Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s main target on Day 1, meanwhile, was to continue setting up the new RS-GP, and the Spaniard was joined on track by test rider Bradley Smith in the team’s 2020 colours. Espargaro – an early pacesetter in Qatar – was tenth with a best time of 1:55.268, with Smith putting 54 laps on the board for Aprilia. Although Espargaro admitted he didn’t feel “super good” when the temperature dropped in the evening, he said he tried a few things different things on Day 1, with everything still a voyage of discovery.
Finally, at KTM, chassis comparisons were ongoing in the factory camp, as well as a workout for the new swingarm we saw appear at Sepang. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the leading orange machine on Day 1 in P14, 0.987 off Rins’ time, and at a track that’s “tough” for them. Espargaro also says the new package is an all-round improvement and they’re focused on not “getting lost” ahead of the race weekend by trying anything too drastic.
New team-mate Brad Binder was just a couple of tenths behind and the fastest rookie as he continued to adapt, and he said it was almost like learning a whole new track initially, with a marked difference between the intermediate and premier classes at Losail.
Binder was the quickest rookie on Saturday
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), meanwhile, said he had a bit of a tough day, the Portuguese rider suffering with rear traction, but he and his team have ideas to improve the feeling on Day 2. Moreover, Oliveira said he’s feeling better physically than he did at Sepang with regards to his shoulder, as he’s another in recovery. His teammate Iker Lecuona was a few tenths behind him.
Miguel Oliveira – P18
“This first day has been a bit tough, to be honest. We have been struggling slightly, especially to find traction with the rear tyre. The first day is always a bit tricky regarding the track conditions, therefore we couldn’t really start that early. We have a long way to go, still and I’m convinced, that we can be much more competitive than what we have shown today. We already have a few ideas in mind to try for tomorrow in order to improve the place and the speed.”
Miguel Oliveira
Iker Lecuona – P20
“The feeling for the moment is very positive. I improved throughout the day and was quicker on the last laps of my last run with used tyres. I managed to go a bit quicker following Miguel, which helped me a lot. I also try to learn from other riders. Today, I’m happy about our work. I know that I need to continue to learn and to improve, but step by step we are getting there.”
Iker Lecuona
#QatarTest 2020 Day One Times
RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’54.462
MIR Joan 36 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 0.002
VINALES Maverick 12 SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 0.032
PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Ducati Team 0.172
MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT 0.238
MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 0.361
ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 0.414
QUARTARARO Fabio 20 FRA Petronas Yamaha SRT 0.612
BAGNAIA Francesco 63 ITA Pramac Racing 0.742
ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 0.806
DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 0.846
ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Reale Avintia Racing 0.898
MILLER Jack 43 AUS Pramac Racing 0.968
ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0.987
NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN LCR Honda 1.165
BINDER Brad 33 RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1.182
RABAT Tito 53 SPA Reale Avintia Racing 1.245
OLIVEIRA Miguel 88 POR Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1.275
CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1.295
LECOUNA Iker 27 SPA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1.673
MARQUEZ Alex 73 SPA Repsol Honda Team 2.090
SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2.565
Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took top Moto2 honours with a 1:40m326 while Marco Bezzecchi’s (SKY Racing Team VR46) Thursday time saw the Italian take P2 in Andalucia, 0.122 behind Lüthi, with Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Nicolo Bulega completing the top three across the combined three days.
Nicolo Bulega – P3
“We struggled a bit in the opening sessions with some areas of the bike, but we managed to pinpoint the problems and solve them quickly. Yesterday I was already six tenths quicker compared to day one and withclear track I would have found a great time attack. Today things went even better. I’m leaving Jerez with great feelings and not only due to today’s lap-time: we are working well with the team and we’re improving session after session.”
Nicolo Bulega
Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) was first out on track on the final day of testing to get as much mileage on the board as possible, with he and the team doing less private testing that most of the other riders, while they spent most of Wednesday testing Kalex’s more “radical” 2020 chassis. The five-time race winner finished P14 overall after getting his lap time down to a 1:41.137 on Day 3.
Also on Day 3, Speed Up were seen testing a new front aero package, a big change to what we’ve seen from Speed Up in the past. Characteristically their riders have always suffered in terms of top speed, so it’s likely we’ll be seeing this breaking cover a lot more at the Qatar Test in one week’s time.
Casting back to the overall times and it was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Tetsuta Nagashima who claimed P4, the Japanese rider improving on the final day to sit 0.344 off Lüthi’s benchmark.
The impressive Aron Canet (Aspar Team) rounded out the top five as the Spanish rookie continues to seamlessly acclimatise to life as a Moto2 rider. Canet ends the test as the leading rookie and non-Kalex rider – a job well done for the 20-year-old.
Aron Canet – P5
“I am happy, the marks of these three days are very good. We have a good race pace; we have set very fast times and in the last session we have made a race simulation. It was perhaps the time of the week when I could be more tired, but still we have set times that we did not expect. We are ready for Qatar.”
Aron Canet
Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge finishes 0.066 off compatriot Canet in P6 with a best time of 1:40.776, with fellow Spaniard Jorge Navarro (Speed Up Racing) claiming seventh. Both he and team-mate Fabio Di Giannantonio finished under half-a-second off Lüthi’s lap record, the Speed Up duo sit slightly ahead of Day 1 pacesetter Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) and tenth best the wounded Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Moto2 Combined Times Jerez Test 2020
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Thomas LUTHI
KALEX
1m40.326
2
Marco BEZZECCHI
KALEX
+0.122
3
Nicolo BULEGA
KALEX
+0.335
4
Tetsuta NAGASHIMA
KALEX
+0.344
5
Aron CANET
SPEED UP
+0.384
6
Xavi VIERGE
KALEX
+0.450
7
Jorge NAVARRO
SPEED UP
+0.483
8
Fabio DI GIANNANTON
SPEED UP
+0.490
9
Remy GARDNER
KALEX
+0.522
10
Jorge MARTIN
KALEX
+0.581
11
Edgar PONS
KALEX
+0.716
12
Marcel SCHROTTER
KALEX
+0.743
13
Enea BASTIANINI
KALEX
+0.774
14
Lorenzo BALDASARRI
KALEX
+0.811
15
Bo BENDSNEYDER
NTS
+0.838
16
Luca MARINI
KALEX
+0.906
17
Somkiat CHANTRA
KALEX
+0.944
18
Augusto FERNANDEZ
KALEX
+0.947
19
Joe ROBERTS
KALEX
+0.975
20
Simone CORSI
MV AGUSTA
+1.150
21
Marcos RAMIREZ
KALEX
+1.214
22
Hafizh SYAHRIN
SPEED UP
+1.243
23
Stefano MANZI
MV AGUSTA
+1.390
24
Hector GARZO
KALEX
+1.467
25
Jake DIXON
KALEX
+1.805
26
Jesko RAFFIN
NTS
+1.811
27
Andi FARID IZDIHAR
KALEX
+1.904
28
Lorenzo DALLA PORTA
KALEX
+1.961
29
Kama Daniel BIN KASM
KALEX
+6.013
Moto3
Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) left Jerez as the man to beat in the intermediate class as the Japanese rider, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) set scintillating 1m44s in Andalucia.
Ai Ogura
The final day in southern Spain saw the riders go into time attack mode as they aimed to see what their one-lap qualifying pace was like. The top three all set their 1:44s in the opening session of Friday, along with 14 other riders as Honda riders locked out the top five, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) sitting 0.5 off Ogura’s time. And talking of the Japanese factory, their new Moto3 machine made more of an appearance on Friday, with the biggest difference being the gearbox.
Gabriel Rodrigo
According to some KTM teams, the 2020 bike is much nimbler than the previous version and the leading Austrian factory rider was sixth place Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) a tenth behind in P7.
Honda Team Asia’s Yuki Kunii joined his teammate inside the top 10 by finishing P8, a great job by the rookie who has Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) behind him in P9 and P10 respectively.
The Moto2 and Moto3 riders and teams will be putting in more hard graft over in Qatar on the 28th February – 2nd March, before the season proper gets underway on the 6th-8th March at the Losail International Circuit.
Ahead of the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship’s first racing weekend, there’s one final bit of testing to take care of.
It was a Yamaha onslaught at the most recent test at Portimao, with Toprak Razgatlioglu leading the way come the end of play. Finding a breakthrough solution with the Q tyre at Portimao, Razgatlioglu now looks like a threat in Superpole as well as the races. Teammate Michael van der Mark concluded the Portimao test in fourth and was just over 0.6s off his teammate at the top of the standings. Both riders have been on the 2020 bikes, hailing aerodynamic improvements made for taller riders.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Scott Redding made strides at Portimao and was looking on course to finish both days on top before Razgatlioglu pipped him to the post. The Brit has been working away on rear-end grip and hopes that Phillip Island – one of his favourite circuits – can confirm his and his team’s findings. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) also made gains at Portimao and finished fifth overall. Ducati as a manufacturer have won the last five WorldSBK races in Australia and will look to continue their dominance Down Under into the new decade.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020 launch was staged at Imola
The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK didn’t feature at Portimao and instead, took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for a private afternoon of testing. However, when they were with the opposition, it was Jonathan Rea who topped the timesheets at Jerez. His 2020 team-mate, Alex Lowes, has also been on the pace, enjoying crucial wet weather running at Jerez whilst also taking to the Barcelona-Catalunya track for the first time. Both riders hope to utilise the testing days at Phillip Island to return to the top Down Under come the race weekend.
Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK 2020
Going into the Phillip Island Test, BMW’s S1000 RR has been transformed since the start of 2019. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Eugene Laverty head to Australia after strong testing in Portugal, working with the chassis set-up, braking strategies, electronics and more. Sykes is keen to start his season with a podium, whilst Eugene Laverty’s last win came at ‘The Island’. The Official Test gives both riders two days of track time in order to refine parts ahead of racing.
Tom Sykes
The final factory team at the Phillip Island Test is Team HRC, fielding 2019 runner-up Alvaro Bautista and 2010 runner-up, Leon Haslam. Both riders go well around Phillip Island, with Bautista storming to a hat-trick in 2019. Keeping their development secretive has added intrigue about the CBR1000RR-R ahead of the new season. However, Haslam topped day one of a wet Jerez before finishing sixth in the dry at Portimao. Can the Japanese manufacturer shine again in Australia?
Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista
Independent teams will join their factory counterparts for the Phillip Island Official Test, with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) leading the way. The Frenchman was third on the final day is set to take to Phillip Island for the first time with Yamaha. Other Independent Yamahas include Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), who makes his Phillip Island debut during testing. His team-mate Federico Caricasulo was quick in testing and hopes to build on that. In all, the five Yamahas on the WorldSBK grid all packed out the top ten in Portimao testing back in January.
GRT Yamaha will field Garrett Gerloff and Italian Federico Caricasulo
Remaining Independent teams include Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, who were the best Independent team for 2019. They’ve got best Independent rider from 2018 Xavi Fores for 2020 and are hoping to make more progress. Leon Camier (Barni Racing Team) will also be back out on his Ducati, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Goeleven) completes the Ducati presence.
Max Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) will be in action at Phillip Island for the first time, as will Takumi Takahashi (Mie Racing Team), with the latter not featuring during any pre-season tests.
WorldSSP
Changes headline the 2020 FIM Supersport World Championship, meaning that testing is of high importance. The last pre-season test before 2020 launches comes on the 24th and 25th of February, giving the new team linSe-ups one last chance to get to grips with their 2020 motorcycles. Slick tyres that will be introduced for the first time in World Supersport history, providing an extra challenge. Taking place at Phillip Island just days before the opening round, it’s a crucial pre-season test.
2020 MV Agusta Reparto Corse WSSP livery
2019 WorldSSP Champion Randy Krummenacher (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) moves manufacturers in 2020, switching from Yamaha to the MV Agusta. The iconic Italian brand is in its 75th season of motorcycle production and is eager to recapture a World Championship. The Swiss enjoyed his pre-season testing schedule, which ended at Jerez, where he was first. He’s joined at the team in 2020 by Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni, both of whom impressed during the pre-season.
Replacing ‘Krummi’ is Italian Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team); he was quick at the Portimao test and enjoyed more dry weather running than most, with him and the BARDAHL squad taking to Almeria instead of Jerez in January. Back to one bike in 2020, the team is focusing on retaining the crown, with their title defence starting in testing and at a track Locatelli already knows.
Jules Cluzel
The GMT94 Yamaha team topped the Portimao testing timesheets with Jules Cluzel in January, with the French outfit heading to Phillip Island as the team in form. Cluzel is in his eighth season of WorldSSP action and despite being runner-up three times, the title still eludes him. Joined once again by fellow countryman and good friend Corentin Perolari, it is a strong line-up for the all-French team. Perolari himself aims to be in the mix from the off, having performed well at the end of 2019.
The second half of 2019 saw Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) out-score every other rider, with the 2017 WorldSSP Champion perfecting the Kawasaki ZX-6R. Ahead of 2020, Mahias needs as much testing as possible after a finger injury sustained in Valencia in the MotoE World Cup. Joining Mahias is former Moto3 GP winner Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who joins WorldSSP from Moto2. Both are aiming high in 2020 and aim to improve further at the Phillip Island Test.
Three podiums in the last three races make Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing) a rider to watch in 2020 and he knows the Phillip Island layout inside-out. Perfecting finite details and becoming re-accustomed to slick tyres, Vinales aims to pick-up where he left off. He has a new teammate in 2020, with Estonian star Hannes Soomer handed a huge opportunity to impress in WorldSSP. Soomer will be utilising testing in order to be in top five contention come the opening round.
South Africa’s Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) has shone in testing and aims to cement Ten Kate Racing’s status as the most successful WorldSSP team of all time. Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) moves over to WorldSSP and is Turkey’s flag carrier in the class, whilst Indonesia’s hero Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU Yamaha WorldSSP Team by MS Racing) moves to WorldSSP with Andy Verdoia, as does WorldSSP300 Champion Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team). The test is crucial for Gonzalez, Verdoia and Hendra Pratama, with it being their debut at the track.
Oli Bayliss will also wildcard in the World Supersport event at only 16-years of age – TBG Image Source: MCNews.com.au
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