Two days of testing for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup has now concluded at Sepang International Circuit with 14-year-old Japanese rider Taiyo Furusato beginning 2020 on top, the rookie seriously impressing on his debut. More experienced compatriot Kanta Hamada was second overall, just 0.061 back, with Australian 13-year-old Harrison Voight completing the top three.
On Day 1, it was Syarifuddin Azman who was fastest in the near-perfect conditions. The Malaysian left it until late in the day – the eighth 20-minute session of track time – but topped the timesheets by 0.172 from Harrison Voight. Those two are veterans, but rookie Taiyo Furusato was already up into P3 on Tuesday and impressing, ahead of fellow Japanese rider Gun Mie. The experienced Herjun Firdaus from Indonesia completed the top five.
Firdaus #10 Azman #13
On Day 2, the conditions were slightly cooler and cloudier but the rain stayed away once again, allowing the grid to get in another six 20-minute sessions – followed by a race simulation and race start. By the end of play Furusato was again a headline act as the Japanese rookie’s 2:16.863 sees him top the combined timesheets, with Hamada running him close to make it a 1-2 for Japan. Harrison Voight was third overall, but 0.379 from the top.
Gun Mie was fourth, Azman ended the test fifth overall and Firdaus sixth. Shoki Igarashi took seventh, with rookies Sharul Sharil, Fadillah Aditama and Herlian Dandi completing the top ten.
Igarashi #14 Aditama #3
Thurakij Buapa of Thailand was P11 overall, with Indian rookie Mikail Salih only half a tenth behind and taking 12th. Azyran Wahyumaniadi, Watcharin Tubtimon and Thanakorn Lakharn lock out the fastest fifteen ahead of returning Rei Wakamatsu.
Carter Thompson #6
Australian rookie Carter Thompson, at 12 years of age the youngest rider in the field, was within two-tenths of what would be a points-scoring position in a race. Due to his small size Thompson needs to carry an extra 10 kg of weight on his ATC machine to help with parity.
Carter Thompson
There were incidents and crashes for many on the grid during the test, but all riders were ok and back out with two exceptions. Unfortunately Australian 14-year-old Max Gibbons suffered a compressed vertebra as a result of a Day 1 fall and didn’t ride on Wednesday. Alfred Sablaya of the Philippines crashed and injured his hand on Day 2, with surgery planned.
The IATC will be back in action in a few weeks in Qatar as they gear up for Round 1 at Losail International Circuit, racing alongside MotoGP from the 6th to the 8th March.
Scott Redding and Chaz Davies will start the 2020 World Superbike season late this month at Phillip Island but today both riders were present at Imola for the launch of the Aruba.IT Ducati World Superbike squad.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020 launch was staged at Imola
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
“I am particularly pleased to present the official 2020 Ducati Superbike team here in Imola, in the heart of the Motor Valley, just a few kilometers away from our factory in Borgo Panigale. Last year the Panigale V4 R made its debut in World Superbike and immediately showed its great competitiveness by winning 17 races, and contributed to the commercial success of the Panigale V4, which in 2019 was confirmed as the world’s best-selling sports bike in its segment. The new Panigale V4 S 2020, that is now available at Ducati dealers worldwide, has actually been inspired by the V4 R Superbike, with which it shares the fairing with the original winglets. I would like to thank Stefano Cecconi for the passion and professionalism with which he has taken this commitment since the beginning of our partnership and I wish Chaz, Scott and the whole team the best of luck for the championship that is about to start”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse
“In the last months we have continued to work on the development of the Panigale V4 R as we are convinced that, despite the great competitiveness shown by our bike last year, the 2020 championship will be even more competitive thanks to the presence of new models from our main competitors. As Stefano Cecconi has already said, we have only one target, and that is to bring home the World Superbike title that we have been missing since 2011. We have two strong and very motivated riders: Chaz, who has been with us for seven years and is one of the pillars of the team, and Scott, a fresh BSB champion and already very fast during the winter tests. We believe to have all the necessary ingredients to be protagonists in every race of the championship starting from Phillip Island”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Chaz Davies, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7
“My expectations are very high. In the second part of the 2019 season our performances and results have improved considerably and, in the last races, we have always fought for the podium. The goal is to do even better and I believe that the experience accumulated over the years can help us. We have done a good job during the winter and the feeling is positive even though I have never been looking for the lap-time during the tests. I feel much better than I did 12 months ago, both physically and with the feeling with my bike. I want to thank all our fans for their support and I hope to celebrate many victories with them, maybe even in a few months on this same circuit”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Scott Redding, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45
“I’m very excited for this new adventure. It will be important to get off to a good start, especially on the first circuits that I know very well. We still have to understand where we really are in terms of absolute performance but it is clear that our mission is to start winning as soon as possible. I am very satisfied with what we achieved during the tests. I would like to thank the team that has done a great job and has given me a lot of confidence. We all have the same goal and this is a very important motivation. I would like to thank in a special way Aruba.it and Ducati for giving me this opportunity and for welcoming me in an exceptional way. What can I promise to the fans? I know that the passion of the Ducatisti is extraordinary and so I’ll give all my energy with just one goal: to bring the title back to Bologna”.
The studio photos of World Champions Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez with their 2020 Repsol Honda RC213V machines have been revealed.
Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez with their 2020 Repsol Honda RC213V machines
Having debuted the 2020 Repsol Honda Team livery at the launch in Jakarta, the Spanish duo entered the photographer’s studio to show off the colours they’ll be racing this season.
Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez with their 2020 Repsol Honda RC213V machines
The pair will soon head to Qatar for the final pre-season test, February 22 – 24, before the season begins at the same venue on March 08.
Recently they tested in Malaysia where Marc Marquez suffered two crashes and there are some doubts about how fit he will be come the season start. There are even rumours that he might even miss the opening rounds of the series if his nerve impingement problems continue… Meanwhile enjoy the images below!
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez with their 2020 Repsol Honda RC213V machines
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Team
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Repsol Honda Marquez
Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez with their 2020 Repsol Honda RC213V machines
Victoria’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will burst into life for the Yamaha Financial Services sponsored opening round of the 2020 WorldSBK championship on 28 February to 1 March 2020, and to celebrate the new season, Yamaha Motor Australia will have a host of trackside entertainment across the three-days.
Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Financial Services will present special guests and riders
The Yamaha Financial Services main stage of the expo area will be a hive of activity across the three days including interviews with special guests and Yamaha WSBK riders, with interview times to be announced through the weekend.
While visiting the Yamaha stand, check out the 2020 range of Yamaha motorcycles, including the all-new WR250F, 2020 YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M, and the first Australian public appearance of the latest YZF-R15. There’s also the huge Yamaha XTO 425 V8 outboard boat motor that needs to be seen to be believed, along with the new FX Limited SVHO WaveRunner.
Yamaha Motor Australia have announced a host of trackside entertainment for the WorldSBK opener
Fans keen to take a ride in the virtual world with Yamaha motocross legend Stephen Gall can slip on the Yamaha Financial Services 360-degree virtual reality goggles and headphones then climb aboard the all-new Ténéré 700 adventure bike for a quick blast through the forest.
Yamaha Genuine Parts and Accessories and Shop Yamaha once again present their popup retail outlet, displaying a large range of accessories and merchandise. The expert team will also be on hand to answer any questions about getting kitted up with the best Yamaha gear.
Young riders can get in on the fun with the bLU cRU pop-up kids fun bike come-and-try arena
The Yamaha bLU cRU truck will be located right next to the expo area, along with the bLU cRU pop-up kids fun bike come-and-try arena. Free fun bike rides for the next generation of riders aged 5-10 years will be available daily. Youngsters can cut laps of the supervised test arena on Yamaha’s popular PW50 and TT-R50 fun bikes, or try four wheels with the YFZ50 fun ATV for those aged 6-10 years.
All the required safety gear is provided, including boots, jersey, pants, helmet, goggles and gloves, with riding tips and encouragement provided by professional coaches from Oates MX. It’s all free, and there’s no need to pre-register. Some conditions apply, so see the friendly Yamaha staff for more details.
Phillip Island will play host to the 2020 World Superbike Round One
The YMF and YMI promotion staff will be mingling with racegoers in the spectator areas along with the social media team from Frankly Social. Make sure you enter the competition to win a Yamaha generator that you can nominate for your local Rural Fire Service. And see if you can score yourself a free giveaway, including the coveted side stand paddock plate or a $25 Yamaha gift card. Make sure you get your picture taken with the YMF and YMI team and head to the Yamaha Expo area to collect your free print out.
Yamaha will have plenty to do and see across the WorldSBK opener weekend at Phillip Island
Meanwhile the 2020 Superbike season will blast into action on the Grand Prix circuit, with the first round of the Australian Superbike Championship joining the WSBK opener, as well as an action packed support program including the Oceania Junior Cup, Supersport 300 and Australian Supersport championships.
Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu will spearhead Pata Yamaha’s WorldSBK challenge for season 2020.
Australian two-time World Supersport Champion Andrew Pitt has stayed with the team but with Alex Lowes’ moving to KRT, will crew chief for Dutchman Michael van der Mark.
Michael van der Mark
Toprak, after two seasons of real achievement as an independent rider in WorldSBK on Kawasaki ZX-10RR machinery has switched to Yamaha for season 2020. His previous crew chief Phil Marron has come with him to Pata Yamaha, keeping their connection strong as they move into the realms of official team racing on a machine which is all-new to both.
Winner of a race at Jerez last year, Michael van der Mark is back for his fourth year on the official R1, but this year there is a revamped cross-plane four-cylinder machine under his command. He has taken three career race wins in WorldSBK, part of a total of 29 podium finishes in all.
Michael van der Mark
A seasoned WorldSBK campaigner and very much in his prime at 27 years-of-age, Michael aims to be a more consistent winner and podium finisher in 2020, having already built up a good relationship with his new R1 in testing after three seasons racing the previous version. Here’s what van der Mark had to say when asked about season 2020.
2020 marks your fourth season as an Official Yamaha rider on the YZF-R1 – are you feeling ready for the new season?
Michael van der Mark: “Of course I’m ready! I’m looking forward to the new season with the 2020 R1 – which is not a completely different bike – but there are a lot of new parts and improvements that will help us. We need to keep making progress, and with this new bike, that for sure will enable us to make another step.”
So, what changes have been made to the new R1?
MVDM: “One of the improvements is the aerodynamics; it works much better for tall riders like Toprak and me. It is a lot more protective and I think we can get a little bit better top speed. Also, I think the fairing design has brought some other benefits, so again it’s a positive feeling. Together with Öhlins and our performance engineers we’ve made a good step forward to find grip – as it’s always been our main issue. Already last year we made a step and it was really important, I felt like we have found a really good direction and exactly what we are looking for. I don’t know any numbers, but this new bike feels a bit faster as well – that’s always nice!”
Michael van der Mark
You have a new crew chief this year in Andrew Pitt – a two-time World Champion in his own right. How is that relationship developing?
MVDM: “I knew Andrew a bit already because he was working with Alex [Lowes] and we always got along well. It honestly feels good, the communication is great and there’s a bit of a mix in the team now; I have some different guys on my side of the garage. I think it’s good to have some new ideas and styles of working, some new motivation and changes; also with Toprak joining the team. So at the moment things are good! From the first moment I worked with Andrew I really enjoyed it and we did some other stuff together as well. I like the way he works as an ex-top rider. He really understands the problems I have and what I am facing when riding the bike, but also the deep technical side he understands really well, so I’m really happy.”
What about your new teammate, Toprak?
MVDM: “I like him! With Alex the relationship was always great, but it’s also good to have Toprak in the team as a young up-and coming-kid. He’s fast right from the start and we’ve had some really nice battles in the past. I’m really looking forward to the season, I think we can have some good battles again and I’ll be working hard to make sure I’m on top! He’ll keep me on my toes, but that’s what everybody wants. His style is so different to mine, but that’s interesting to learn from as well.”
What is your target in 2020?
MVDM: “Win races. If we can win races then we can build a challenge to fight for the championship. Boom!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
At only 23 years-of-age, Toprak is a rider who can already beat the best in a fair fight and who is now looking to the new R1 to allow him to do that on a more consistent basis.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Already a star in his native Turkey and a protégé of compatriot and WorldSSP legend Kenan Sofuoglu, Toprak has made a swift transition to the latest Yamaha R1 after a five-year career spent with a rival manufacturer. Like Michael, Toprak was a Superstock 600 European champion before moving up inside the WorldSBK paddock.
He shared his thoughts about this coming season, the new bikes and possibilities ahead:
Welcome to the Yamaha family and Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla. How is the experience so far?
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “It’s a different team and for me, the first time with an official team. I was used to being in a small team, and now coming into an official manufacturer team. I don’t know all the people in the team yet and always I say, for me it is not easy because everyone is different to work with. But already it’s feeling very good and I like it a lot. In the beginning, I was a little… scared! Because I don’t know the team and everything is new. But now I’m very happy and enjoying it. Like with the stoppies at the end of the test, I thought at the start, ‘ah maybe I won’t try because I don’t know if it will be allowed!’ But after one time, somebody asked me ‘can you do another stoppie?’ So then I say ‘OK!’ I didn’t know in the beginning if it would be OK because it was all-new but these are racing people – serious about their jobs – and they also want to enjoy it.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
What is your impression of the new 2020 Yamaha R1 – what are the strong points?
TR: “Again, the Yamaha a new bike for me but now I have the 2020 R1 – between the two I would say there is not a really big difference, just nice improvements. I feel like it is very easy to turn, really good at turning and with the power I am feeling much better. I’m learning that my new bike with Yamaha has a different character from what I rode in the past. After more laps, I feel much better. I’ve always liked Yamaha; my first bike was a PW50! I have ridden Yamaha bikes over many years – I ride a Niken on the streets at home – and now after five years on a different bike, I have come here and I’m very happy.”
You are working with Phil Marron again as your crew chief, is this important when you are inside a new team and with a new bike?
TR: “Yes we work together well and I am very happy. Because we worked together in 2019, he knows me and I feel this is very important because he understands what I need to go fast. Before, my crew chiefs understood me a little and I would just ride the bike, but in 2019 working with Phil, he understands me more and the result is different! I’m very happy because we’re coming together to this new team. For Phil and me it is new: a new team and a new bike. But now already it is a better feeling, but I keep saying, I need more time, more laps and after, it will be a much better feeling!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Are you enjoying having a teammate for the first time? What are the good and bad points compared to being the only rider?
TR: “In 2019, I raced in a team alone in WorldSBK and I think for me it was very easy, because with just one rider if I had a bad session I didn’t feel very bad. After a good session, I would be very happy. And now, coming to Yamaha and the first time having a teammate it is different [by having someone to compare to] – but I am very lucky because he is a very good guy! I know on the track we are fighting hard but outside we are already friends, feeling is like brothers. I say ‘abi’ to Michael and normally to say ‘abi’ in Turkish means ‘big brother’.”
In 2019 you won your first races and made big improvements. What are your goals in 2020?
TR: “I think last year I said the same – to get a podium at Phillip Island. I need this and last year I tried! It was not possible, but this year I will try again. First race, first podium and try to have a good feeling to start. After that, I try my best always, we will see…”
Continuity can be key in many areas of racing but in 2020 the long-time leader of the Pata Yamaha team’s efforts – Paul Denning – has many new elements to help distil into one potent WorldSBK racing mix, ready to score consistent success at a higher level than ever.
Paul Denning
“2020 marks the fifth season since Yamaha’s return to WorldSBK competition in 2016 with the R1 and we are excited to see the next step in our evolution.”. “Yamaha’s Official Team, operated in close partnership with Crescent Racing, has improved every year both in potential and result, made evident by race wins and third and fourth overall in the 2019 Championship. As we get closer to the top level, further improvements are of course more difficult to deliver, but to take the next step forward and challenge for the title must be the target.”
Denning is very much aware that changes have been made with one goal in mind – higher levels of achievement for all.
“Yamaha has continued to improve their development capabilities, the team has improved its structure, and now we also have the new 2020 R1 to help us challenge for victories,” said Paul. “Alongside this, at Yamaha we now have one of the most exciting rider line-ups ever seen in WorldSBK, as Toprak joins Michael to create a talented, young and aggressive team that we hope will allow us to meet our targets and to deliver highly exciting on-track action throughout the new season.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu joins Michael van der Mark in the Pata Yamaha squad
Now that winter testing in Europe has concluded, all eyes turn to the official pre-season test in Australia, between 24 and 25 February, which will give the best possible indication of how the new season could start for Pata Yamaha.
The test and then the first weekend of a new era for Pata Yamaha will take place at the same Phillip Island circuit, one that has been host to so many spectacular moments in recent and more historic WorldSBK seasons.
WorldSBK Yamaha Finance Australian Round, Phillip Island
Dead flies are still plastered to the front of Dean Harrison’s historic Senior winning Kawasaki. The rear Metzeler slick shows evidence of his celebratory burnout, with melted race rubber hangs from the rear undertray.
Senior TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Chain lube is splattered over the factory swing-arm – even the Akrapovic logo, lost somewhere out there on the TT course, is still missing from the exhaust.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR Silicone Engineering
This very special Silicone Engineering ZX-10RR gave Kawasaki their first Senior TT win since Mick Grant in 1975, and crossed the finish line on Glencrutchery Road less than 24 hours before I got to throw a leg over the machine.
2019 Senior TT Results 1. Dean Harrison / Kawasaki 2. Peter Hickman / BMW +53.062 3.. Conor Cummins / Honda +58.879
The grips, the levers – everything – are as Dean left them. After my ride the bike headed into private storage to never be ridden again; its factory engine silenced forever as its proud owner puts it on display at home.
Bit of force gets put through these and the pegs to pilot this beast around the Isle of Man
This is one special bike
For those of you who thought Harrison’s TT winning bike was back racing in the British Superbike Championship at the next round, let me assure you it wasn’t. It’s true, many TT teams now run modified BSB bikes on the roads, but Dean’s ‘official’ Kawasaki is very different. This is a very special one-off.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The wheels are the same as those used in BSB, but that is really where any similarity ends. The discs are a different spec’ and the brake calipers are changed too. Dean’s BSB bikes use a four-pot Brembo set up while the TT bike uses Nissin six-piston calipers. The Brembo brakes have more instant bite while the TT brakes are more consistent.
Dean Harrison – 2019 Senior TT winner
You’re never really punishing the brakes around the TT – you don’t need massive initial short-circuit bite – and Dean prefers the Nissin six-piston set up at the TT (although the rear thumb Nissin brake is similar to his BSB bike’s set-up).
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Let’s talk suspension
The Öhlins forks are similar, but the BSB ZX-10RR makes full use of the latest Öhlins 2530 while the TT bike runs the older 2525 spec’ from 2018. With so little set-up time due to the bad weather in practice week at the 2019 TT the team didn’t get the opportunity to test new fork options, so ran the same forks as 2018.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The main difference is the flex between the new and old forks, and Dean preferred the older set-up. The top yoke is changed to accommodate the smaller-diameter forks. The top yoke is also stiffer on the TT bike, with fewer cutaway sections.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The Silicone team isn’t commercially linked to any products: everything they use, they buy. If an item doesn’t work, they won’t use it. And while the team runs an Öhlins unit to complement the front whne racing in BSB, Dean prefers a Maxton rear shock on the roads.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR uses a Maxton shock
In fact, if Dean wanted pink grips to make him faster, Silicone Engineering would buy him pink grips. Hard-centred TT tyres are, of course, supplied by Metzeler (it’s Pirelli in BSB), which again Dean is happy with.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Bespoke items
Some components of the Senior TT-winning bike are completely bespoke. The swing-arm, for example, is the team’s own and the final version of six designs, which the team admit was excessively expensive to produce. Dean arrived at the TT with three different iterations, each one tweakable to increase or reduce flex and stiffness.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
This is done by adding or removing bolts within the structure of the arm. Version one, with no bolts, has lots of flex – then it’s version one with bolts, then version two without bolts, then version two with bolts… and so on, with each swing-arm version (with and without bolts) increasing or decreasing stiffness by around 10 per cent.
Essentially Dean has three different arms to choose from with each one having two variants. During a BSB weekend, Dean will normally use swing-arm number two with bolts, but at the TT it’s swing-arm one, as he prefers more flex.
As someone who has raced the TT I find it hard to believe Dean can feel the difference in 10 per cent more flex when lapping the TT at a 134 mph average, but as crew chief Jonny Bagnall explains, “Yes, he’ll notice the difference straight away. He’ll notice how much the bike slides, which I know sounds ridiculous around the TT, but Dean slides the bike. He prefers the bike to slide progressively, and we can help with that by increasing or reducing the flex in the swingarm. What he doesn’t want is the bike to snap out of line; he wants it to slide gracefully.”
Dean Harrison on his way to winning the 2019 Senior TT
Again, the frame is different from that of a BSB ZX-10RR. The road frame has more flex and isn’t braced heavily like the short circuit bike. In fact, the frame is showroom spec, the same as an everyday road bike.
Standard frame used on the Senior TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
New engine, more power
Kawasaki introduced a new engine last year with finger-followers on the valves, and lighter titanium rods, which not only reduced engine inertia but also allowed the stock engine to rev 500 rpm higher. The new engine developments allowed the team to find even more bhp, with a significant 10 hp gain in the mid-range.
Dean liked the old engine and compared it to a two-stroke – ‘You’ve got to keep it revving’, he said – but now loves the huge increase in mid-range torque.
The team is reluctant to quote an actual power figure, but you’re looking at a true 225 hp at the back wheel. And that significant increase in torque and power created handling issues the team had to work around.
2019 Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The TT engines are Kawasaki factory and supplied by Kawasaki’s World Superbike engine builder, Akira, whereas the BSB engine is developed by the team using factory kit parts. The engines go from Kawasaki to Akira and then are delivered to the team run in and ready to go – it’s just a case of bolting the special engine in.
The oil has to be changed every 250 km and the filter every 500 km. And yes, those of you who are good at maths will have worked out that the six-lap Senior TT was more than 250 km.
Despite the lack of label, the exhaust is made by Akrapovic and Motec controls the electronics and fuelling, the same as BSB. Teams at the TT have the option to run a kit ECU, which would allow rider aids, but Dean and the team choose BSB spec’ electronics, which means Dean alone controls the 225 hp.
No traction control, just right hand control…
Again, the bodywork looks the same as any other race bike in BSB, but the top section is reinforced to make it stronger as you’re going that much fast for so much longer – and it stops flex. Surprisingly the screen is the same as BSB because Dean doesn’t use a large screen with add-ons like the majority of TT riders.
The fuel tanks, however, are completely different to both the BSB bike’s 22-litre tank and the standard road bike’s 17-litre tank. The TT bikes have a hand-made 24-litre tank that extends under the seat to keep the weight low and differs from those run by the other Kawasaki teams.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The bars and levers are the same as Dean’s BSB bike. Dean had been racing BSB in the summer to get ‘up-to-speed’ and didn’t want to get used to two bikes; therefore the bar position is similar on both bikes. The team worked countless hours on seat-position.
Their rider has been with the team for a few years and in 2018 they spent a huge amount of time getting Dean comfortable with the bike. The seat height is the same as the standard road-going ZX-10RR, even with the fuel tank running underneath the seat.
Little touches make the TT bike unique. The team has designed a captive spindle on the rear wheel so you can’t remove the entire spindle and place it on the ground; it doesn’t come fully out when you remove the rear wheel. Remember the Senior is over six-laps, which means two rear wheel changes in under 40-seconds per stop.
Trev took this photo of Dean Harrison after he won the 2019 Senior TT
The sub-frame is easily removable, all the electronics are upfront with the only wire going to the rear being for the mandatory rain light. This allows quick easy access.
Everything is lock-wired, the team will use a few metres of lock-wire on each bike build. Check out some of the detail images if you need convincing. Steering damper, calipers, exhaust bracket are all secured with meticulous and painstaking lock-wiring.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Close to running out of fuel!
Bob Grey, the team’s Data Technician, designed the switchgear, dash surround, rear rain light, and a few other items. Plastic printing was used and money was saved if needed, “The actual buttons are £3.75 plus VAT and on the TT bike we only need minimal buttons – a pit-lane limiter and a map switch – and on the right bar an on and off switch. We’ve also added a rain light button. The rain light is the blue button (water is blue), black is for the map switch, and orange is the pit lane limiter.
“We don’t show Dean a board and tell him to change the map. In practice we’ll change the mapping; if Dean thinks the mapping is shit, he can press the map button and it will go back to the previous map. The fuel map in the bike at the moment is the saving-fuel map.”
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
One of the problems the team encountered at the 2018 TT, especially in the first Superbike race on day one, was fuel starvation on the end of laps two and four – before the fuel stops. Dean was complaining the bike was surging. Bob and the team analysed the data and could see the fuel pressure dropping for a fraction of a second before the surging as the fuel tank levels depleted.
Bob explains the predicament the team was in the night before the senior, “We were up to the very early hours working out fuel consumption and looked at fuelling strategies. I could lean the motor, to save fuel, but then we could go too lean and the engine would over-heat and melt. But if I’d left the fuelling alone we would have most likely run out of fuel. So, I had to use some calculations and guesswork and went big.
“There was a little bit of surging at the end of lap two as Dean came into the pits, but we’d saved enough fuel to stop the surging in other places. Thankfully the bike ran fine. The link pipe turned purple, it must have been running hot, but we didn’t have any issues. When Dean noticed he had a big lead from his pit-board he maturely rolled off a little which also helped with fuel consumption.”
2019 Senior TT Results 1. Dean Harrison 2. Peter Hickman +53.062 3. Conor Cummins +58.879
Riding Dean Harrison’s Senior Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Let’s be honest, I’m not going to pretend I can feel the flex in the chassis. Nor did I push the handling limits, and I didn’t feel the used Metzeler slide – despite racing the TT several times I don’t have that level of skill.
I just wanted to get a flavour of the historic TT winning bike, which thankfully the team agreed to the morning after the TT. With hangovers still pounding from the previous night’s celebrations, we headed to out – and forgot the tyre warmers.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The TT winning bike starts on the button, but to ease the Nova gearbox, Jonny gives me a push to get everything moving before I slotted it into gear. Dean uses a conventional road shift, not a race shift, so it’s unusually down for first gear. The clutch feels heavy and the power is snatchy and aggressive low down. But I’m guessing Dean only lets the rev drop below 5000 rpm three times a lap, if that.
I’m obviously aware I’m on cold Metzeler slicks which have been abused around the TT and during a burn-out in the paddock. In the back of my mind, I know the bike is irreplaceable, and despite the fact that Dean is a good mate, he isn’t going to be too happy if I launch it.
Dean Harrison greeted by his family in Parc Ferme after taking victory in the 2019 Senior TT
As you’d expect, it’s quick, but it feels raw. The whole bike feels alive, it’s a 225 hp animal without any rider aids. I’ve ridden many TT-winning bikes, and they feel a little timid, but the Kawasaki doesn’t. The thought of riding this flat out at the TT scares me to death. And Dean was power sliding the beast and wrestling it around in fifth and sixth gear – he’s got balls.
The ride isn’t harsh; it’s not a plank of wood with a fast engine, and as Dean explained the brakes are progressive, dare I say user-friendly. The thumb back brake has a nice, smooth, fluid action and doesn’t require a huge input, unlike other thumb brakes I’ve used in the past. Alarmingly my foot does keep reaching for the conventional back brake pedal, which isn’t there – don’t think I’ll be trying any wheelies.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
I love the simplicity of Dean’s bike and minimal buttons to minimise confusion. With its standard screen, simple dash with large digital rev counter there’s no glitz and glamour – it was built to do the job of winning the TT, and that’s it. Like a kit-car, it was designed for speed, not glamour or comfort, despite the face Dean has to ride flat out for close to two hours.
The bars are wide, and it feels like a big bike (with a full 24-litres of fuel she must have been a handful). The steering isn’t light, either, and make no mistake the big Kwaka took some riding. However, Dean is adamant it wasn’t that much of a handful, and it certainly looked like he was dancing with the ZX-10RR for most of the time. Simply having fun.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
After a short ride, I was happy to give it back in one piece. It’s never nice riding a mate’s bike, especially one that happens to be priceless and has just won the TT. I’d like to say I’d love to ride it in anger, but I don’t think I would, especially not on the road. This is one scary and raw bike I’ll happily give back.
Adam Child was very happy to get the bike back in one piece
How the 2019 Senior race was won
Dean Harrison claimed his first senior win after Peter Hickman’s Smiths BMW began to overheat on lap five. Peter had a lead of nearly 20 seconds, but it was clear Peter had a problem as he left the second pit-stop. Down Sulby Straight Peter was down to 159 mph, compared to Dean at 191 mph.
By Ramsey Dean had an eight-second lead, with Conor 36-seconds back in third. On the last lap, it was clear Hickman had an ongoing issue again only posting 165 mph through the speed trap, and Dean continued to pull out a lead to more than 40-seconds.
On the run over the mountain, as Hickman’s problems continued, it looked like Conor on the Padgetts Honda may snatch the second spot, but Hickman just held on to second position, eventually finishing, 53-seconds behind Dean and just five seconds ahead of Conor. Michael Dunlop rounded off the top four.
The front of the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki after almost two hours of racing at the Senior TT
Dean was clearly overjoyed to take his first big bike win, “To finish first, you first must finish and the bike never missed a beat. I can’t believe it. I’m happy it’s a proper six-lap Senior Superbike win, I’m so happy for the team. The fans and the marshals were all waving, it’s amazing. I got a board which said P1 plus 30 so I knew Peter had a problem. I’m so going to celebrate tonight, you don’t want to know how I’m going to celebrate, it’s going to be big.”
Dean Harrison – Senior TT Winner – 2019
Peter Hickman sharing of his issues, “I got off to good start and I knew the first lap was 16-min as I came up on the dash. But as I came away from the pitstop the bike was overheating and when the bike went over 11,000rpm it was pissing water out. I couldn’t go past 11,000, so I just short-shifted everywhere, the last few laps seemed to take forever. It’s a problem we’ve had on the Superbike, but not on the Superstock, and we have some amazing people in the Smiths racing but we don’t know why.”
Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison in Parc Ferme – Senior TT 2019
Brayden Elliott to compete BSB Superstock 1000 for 2020
Australian Brayden Elliott has confirmed his 2020 plans, competing for the fourth year running in the BSB Superstock 1000cc Championship on a new 2019 Suzuki GSX-R1000R under No Bull Racing/CFS Filtration and with support from last year’s team CPE Motosport.
Brayden Elliott competing at Cadwell Park in 2019
2020 will mark the first year that Elliott will have a consecutive year riding for the same team in the British championship, with a packed pre-season testing regime already planned he aims to take advantage of the familiar team environment.
Brayden Elliott
“I’m extremely excited to get the 2020 season underway and for testing to begin. I haven’t ridden since the final round at Brands Hatch last October, so to say I am ready to ride is an understatement. This coming season is the first time since I began racing in the UK that my team situation will stay the same for a continuous season, the same manufacturer of bike, same team and most importantly same personnel surrounding me this year. I am also really looking forward to a fresh look this season, competing in Fluro orange to represent my title sponsor, CFS Filtration.
Brayden Elliott – Image by David Yeomans
“I’m extremely thankful that my long-term partnerships are once again continuing for another season as well as welcoming on board new companies to be a part of the journey. I’m very humbled by the support of individuals and businesses who believe in my racing and am confident I will do them proud on and off the track. I also need to thank my family and those close to me for continuing to support me in many ways to make this possible.”
Brayden Elliott – Image by David Yeomans
2020 National Superstock 1000 Championship calendar
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Herlings & Vialle win Hawkstone International – Beaton fourth
Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle endured wet and torrid conditions in England at the 2020 running of the Hawkstone International to win the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively, with weather conditions wreaking havoc with the moto schedule.
Jeffrey Herlings
With the stormy climate battering the historic Hawkstone Park circuit, the second MX1 moto was eventually shortened to twenty minutes, while the third ‘Superfinal’ was cancelled. In the swampy sand it was Jeffrey Herlings who took the win with a 3-1 scorecard.
Herling crashed at the start of the opening race – won by Shaun Simpson, ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff – but recovered all the way through the field to claim third spot. He holeshotted and won the shorter second sprint to walk the top step of the podium in his first outing of 2020. The overall result saw Shaun Simpson second, while Glenn Coldenhoof took third. Full results are yet to be released.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I felt good today. It was a shame to have that start crash in the first moto but I still came back from last to third and almost got Glenn [Coldenhoff]. Then I holeshot and led the whole way in the second. It was about survival and there was only really one line to use, so passing the lappers was tricky. Anyway, we got it done. It was useful practice because Matterley could be the same!”
Jeffrey Herlings
In the MX2 class Tom Vialle registered 4-1 results to celebrate as the overall winner after tying on points with Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup, Vialle’s teammate Rene Hofer earnt the third step of the box going 2-6.
Despite the challenging weather and difficult, sandy track conditions Beaton showed impressive speed around the iconic British circuit, finishing fourth overall just a point off the podium, after the Australian had to settle for seventh-place in race one.
Jed Beaton
He saved his best until the day’s second MX2 moto, and from a mid-pack start he quickly worked his way into third and then into the runner-up position before eventually securing a well-deserved second-place result for fourth overall.
Tom Vialle
“It was a really hard day with the weather and the rain did the track no favours. The first race was difficult because I was fourth and had a lot of water in my goggles. I had to stop and change and restarted tenth but came back to sixth: I was really happy with the bike and I was feeling good so the result was OK. I had the holeshot in the second race, which was only twenty minutes, but could make a lead. I’m really happy. We’ve done two sand races, and now we go to hard-pack with LaCapelle next weekend. It will be a good race to do before Matterley and to get some familiar sensations on the bike.”
Tom Vialle
Rene Hofer
“Quite good today. I’m quite happy with my mud riding. I almost had the holeshot in the first race but still managed to take the lead in the second corner which was important to save my goggles. I led all the way with two laps to go and felt happy with second in those conditions. I didn’t start so well in the second moto – top six I think – and had a small crash so just rode as well as I could to the finish. Race by race I am getting more comfortable and confident.”
Rene Hofer
Jed Beaton
“Today was my first race in quite a while so I was easing myself back into it. I got off to a really bad start in race one and with the heavy rain it was a tough opening few laps. I managed to get into a rhythm and started moving forward. It was raining the whole time so it was a bit of a miserable moto, but it was good to be racing again. The second moto was much better. I got off to a much better start and managed to avoid some chaos in the second turn. That put me into fifth position and then I made a few passes and moved into second. By the time I got there, the leader had checked out. It was great to be in second and ride my own race, which I held to the flag.”
Jed Beaton
Hawkstone Park International Overall result MX1
1
Jeffrey Herlings
NED
Red Bull KTM
2
Shaun Simpson
GBR
KTM
3
Glenn Coldenhoff
NED
GasGas
4
Harri Kullas
FIN
Honda
5
Julien Lieber
BEL
Honda
Hawkstone Park International Overall result MX2
1
Tom Vialle
FRA
Red Bull KTM
40
2
Mikkel Haarup
DEN
Kawasaki
40
3
Rene Hofer
AUT
Red Bull KTM
37
4
Jed Beaton
AUS
Husqvarna
36
5
Kay De Wolf
NED
Husqvarna
32
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Cody Webb wins 2020 King of the Motos
Round 1 of the 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series has kicked off with the King of Motos event in the rocky Californian desert. The GPS-based King of the Motos is designed to test the mental, physical and mechanical fortitude of all competitors, across three laps.
2020 King of the Motos – Manuel Lettenbichler
Qualifying well, Manuel Lettenbichler took the King of the Motos holeshot, reaching the top of the event’s first rock-strewn climb ahead of more experienced desert racers Cody Webb, Trystan Hart and Colton Haaker. With the leading quartet completing much of the opening lap together, Lettenbichler edged ahead on lap two, together with Webb.
With the event increasing in difficulty, Lettenbichler successfully completed the second lap before a trouble-free pit stop saw him ready to take on the third and hardest lap of the event. While continuing to challenge Webb for the win, a wrong line choice while riding through a canyon used earlier in the day resulted in Lettenbichler receiving a one-hour time penalty.
2020 King of the Motos – Manuel Lettenbichler
The final result would see Cody Webb (Sherco) crowned the victor, ahead of KTM’s Trystan Hart and Manuel Lettenbichler, who managed to finish on the podium despite the penalty he incurred.
Riders will return to the 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series on March 28/29 for the RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, in Decatur, Texas.
2020 King of the Motos Top 3
1
Cody Webb
USA
Sherco
2
Trystan Hart
USA
KTM
3
Manuel Lettenbichler
GER
KTM
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Blake Baggett and Aaron Plessinger fronted the pack into turn one for the 450 Main but Adam Cianciarulo and Cooper Webb made short work of that pair, in a sign of what was to come.
Barcia, Plessinger & Baggett – Image by Hoppenworld
With eight-minutes remaining Cooper Webb had managed to reel Adam Cianciarulo in and started challenging for the lead. Blake Baggett was just three-seconds behind the pair in third and at that stage of the moto had six-seconds on the now fourth placed Tomac.
It took Cooper Webb a lot longer to work his way past Cianciarulo than he would have liked but eventually made the move with two-minutes remaining on the clock.
Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
The track lay-out made passing moves very hard to pull off, as every unsuccessful attempt cost the challenger a lot of time. Cianciarulo tried to come back at Webb but the KTM man had his measure and pulled away in the closing stages to take the victory by over three-seconds.
Blake Baggett took a strong podium finish with a good buffer over fourth placed Tomac. Ken Roczen was not able to challenge Barcia for fifth, the championship leader finishing sixth just ahead of fellow Honda rider Justin Brayton.
Cooper Webb – P1
“I got into the lead early and then Adam [Cianciarulo] made a good aggressive move on the inside and I just kind of let him go. The track, I knew it was going to be hard to pass and I knew it was going to be a long Main Event so I was just kind of riding in there. I tried to make a pass a few laps earlier but we played cat and mouse which allowed Blake [Baggett] to catch up and I didn’t want to do that. It feels good late in the race to get that pass and the win tonight.”
Copper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Adam Cianciarulo – P2
“I’ve been waiting and working for this my entire career, to ride in the premier class and get on the big stage. I’m still learning, still improving every day, and I feel like I rode really well tonight. I led nearly every lap of the race but unfortunately got passed at the end so I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t hold Cooper [Webb] off just a little longer. Honestly, I’m just excited to be up front with such a talented group of guys and prove I can compete.”
Eli Tomac – P4
“Well, I was challenged tonight after having to fight my way towards the front in the main. I didn’t have the best start, but we’ll get back to work with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team this week and hope to improve for Tampa next weekend. I do feel I rode well tonight and I’m proud we were able to make up quite a few positions to finish fourth on the night.”
Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P5
“We struggled a little bit in practice, but overcame that. I finally felt like I rode like myself in the Heat race, but in the Main Event, I didn’t get the greatest of starts. I charged really hard the first few laps and diced it up in there. We ended up fifth, which was a really solid ride coming back from 15th. I felt like I rode well, the bike felt good so I’m definitely proud of the ride. The goal this week is to keep working on the riding stuff and shoot for getting another win here soon. We will keep moving forward. I’m definitely looking forward to Tampa.”
Justin Barcia leads Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen – P6
“The night started off really well. I crushed it in the heat race and had an awesome start. Ultimately in the main, I got an okay-but-not-great jump and just got sandwiched in the first turn and again in the second turn, losing four more positions. It made for a tough race. I also got stuck behind [Justin] Barcia and just wasn’t riding well. Then [Eli] Tomac got me and from there on out, I was just going backwards. I lost touch with the front guys and wasn’t that good. Unfortunately, as much as we don’t like it, we all have those races and we did some damage control. It’s obviously not where we want to be but we’re heading to the East Coast still with the points lead, so that’s a positive. It’s still a long season ahead.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Brayton – P7
“Today was pretty good. It was about standard for this season so far, but I do think my starts were better. They were good in the heat race and in qualifying; I just kind of messed up the main-event start and was a little wide. I was next to the box, which is normally good, but I think this time it was too wide. I feel like I executed the start good but just got pushed out. Overall I rode pretty well. Once again, I had to pass some good guys and it’s really hard to come through the pack, so I only made it up to seventh. I just need to put myself in a better position in the beginning and I know I can run up front and get a better result.”
Justin Brayton
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Ken Roczen
130
2
Eli Tomac
129
3
Cooper Webb
121
4
Justin Barcia
116
5
Adam Cianciarulo
113
6
Jason Anderson
105
7
Blake Baggett
90
8
Malcolm Stewart
90
9
Justin Brayton
89
10
Zach Osborne
75
11
Justin Hill
75
12
Aaron Plessinger
70
13
Dean Wilson
69
14
Vince Friese
60
15
Martin Davalos
50
16
Tyler Bowers
34
17
Justin Bogle
24
18
Alex Ray
19
19
Chris Blose
18
20
Chad Reed
17
21
Kyle Chisholm
15
22
Ryan Breece
13
23
Benny Bloss
13
24
Kyle Cunningham
11
25
James Decotis
4
26
Jason Clermont
3
27
Cade Autenrieth
3
28
Fredrik Noren
2
29
Jerry Robin
1
30
Joshua Cartwright
1
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Luke Clout to remain in America for West Coast Championship
Australian Luke Clout has just confirmed he’ll be remaining in America to compete the West Coast Championship in the 250SX class, after a string of great results put him in prime position to continue flying the Australian flag with the Penrite Honda team.
Yarrive Konsky, director of Penrite Honda Racing believes in Luke’s potential sharing, “He is doing a really great job, each week we learn more and we are maintaining our commitment to our end goal. It makes sense to leave Luke in America, he’s getting more comfortable each week on the 250, he is committed to the program here and we hope the momentum will pay off. We have a strong local program back in Australia with Brett Metcalfe and Kyle Webster for motocross and will announce our full supercross program in the coming months.”
Luke Clout
“I am measuring myself against the other Australian’s and the fastest guys in the world and I feel as though we are making serious progress. I didn’t know how this would go down. I was originally doing 3 to 4 rounds out of a van. We seriously set up and full professional program in America. Yarrive doesn’t like doing things by halves and he has really given us the greatest opportunity to prove ourselves. To Tony Hinton, Honda Australia, Toby Dymond and Penrite I must say thank you. This is my dream and I believe we will only get better. I will be home later this year to race the Australian supercross championship.”
Luke Clout to remain in America for Supercross
General Manager of Honda Motorcycles, Tony Hinton is also pleased Clout will continue to fly the flag for Honda Australia over in the USA saying, “Luke’s progressive results have attracted a lot of attention, he’s exciting to watch and we are very pleased he is representing Honda. He is determined to win and that’s what we like to see and encourage in our riders, whether competing in Australia or overseas.”
Michael Mosiman scored the holeshot when the gates dropped for the 250 Main, but it was Dylan Ferrandis who was the eventual winner, clear of Austin Forkner by over six-seconds, with Cooper equidistant in third completing the podium.
Michael Mosiman leads Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
Early leader Mosiman took fourth ahead of Hartfranft who squeezed past Clout late in the race to push the Penrite Honda rider back to sixth place. Fellow Aussie Jay Wilson crossed the line in 11th, while Aaron Tanti carded a 14th place finish.
Dylan Ferrandis now leads Justin Cooper by seven-points in the 250SX West Championship Standings. Luke Clout is the highest ranked Australian in seventh ahead of Aaron Tanti in 14th, the injured Jett Lawrence in 15th and Jay Wilson in 16th. The 250 West series now has a six-week break as the East Coast series kicks off in Florida next weekend.
Dylan Ferrandis chasing down Austin Forkner – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis – P1
“I’m really happy. I felt good all day and got the fastest lap. It was another nice race with a big fight for the win. I’m glad I took it and am going into the break with the red plate and more points. Last year, I didn’t have this advantage leaving San Diego, so that’s really good. I’m in a good situation.”
Austin Forkner – P2
“Second is obviously not where I want to be. I’ve been leading laps and know the speed is there, but have missed it the past two weeks by just the tiniest little bit. I know I led more laps this week. It still doesn’t take away from wishing things had gone differently. We have a chance to regroup for a few weeks and see if there are any places that we can improve to make the outcome different. Because you can always improve.”
Austin Forkner – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Cooper – P3
“It was a good day overall, but I was a little bit off the pace. I felt like I got it together for the Heat race. I was riding well, but I bent my shifter about halfway through. It was kind of scary for me because I was going in and out of gears, and I didn’t want to mess up and get hurt. I lost Dylan there and had to take second. In the Main, I was right behind him, but lost the pace a little bit, and they got away. We were close, but we will keep working. I’m really looking to get out front in one of these Main Events and see what I can do.”
Luke Clout – P6
“I am still learning and improving each week. We were closer to the fastest guys in some areas this week, which is a real positive. I do need to string it all together. It really is another level over here.”
Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
135
2
Justin Cooper
128
3
Austin Forkner
122
4
Brandon Hartranft
110
5
Alex Martin
98
6
Jacob Hayes
89
7
Luke Clout
83
8
Michael Mosiman
82
9
Derek Drake
78
10
Mitchell Oldenburg
72
11
Carson Brown
72
12
Martin Castelo
53
13
Killian Auberson
51
14
Aaron Tanti
50
15
Jett Lawrence
46
16
Jay Wilson
45
17
Robbie Wageman
43
18
Michael Leib
32
19
Christian Craig
29
20
Cameron Mcadoo
27
21
Logan Karnow
27
22
Mitchell Falk
24
23
Cheyenne Harmon
17
24
Derek Kelley
13
25
Ludovic Macler
12
26
Lorenzo Camporese
7
27
Chris Howell
6
28
Taiki Koga
5
29
Bryson Gardner
4
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Milner & Semmens with KTM Enduro Racing Team for 2020
KTM Enduro Racing Team will field defending national E2 champion Daniel Milner and E1 class newcomer Mason Semmens in the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship for 2020, with Milner to pilot the brand new 2020 KTM 450 EXC-F as he defends his title, in what will be his fourth-straight season with the factory KTM organisation.
Daniel Milner
“I’m very excited for this season, being my fourth year with the KTM Enduro Racing Team and we’re obviously on the new 2020 model this year. It’s a bit of a change this year from the previous bike, but I’ll still be on the KTM 450 EXC-F and I am confident in the package we have put together for the new season. I’m ready to go racing, we’ve done a lot of testing over the summer, and it’s been good for me because I didn’t go to the International Six Days Enduro [ISDE] last year. Having that time off has fired me up – the pre-season that we’ve had has been a boost of confidence, that’s for sure.”
Daniel Milner & Mason Semmens – KTM Enduro Racing Team – Image by Foremost Media
New to the KTM Enduro Racing Team, 18-year-old Semmens will transition from motocross to make a full-time switch to off-road this year, where he’ll be equipped with the 2020 KTM 250 SX-F in the E1 category. The Victorian has participated in a mixture of enduro events in recent years, displaying his potential alongside an impressive haul of motocross and Hattah Desert Race results, including the Under 19s victory last year.
Mason Semmens
“Coming from motocross to enduro and getting the opportunity to join the KTM Enduro Racing Team is really exciting – it’s going to be a massive learning year for me in the AORC and also the A4DE. I have done quite a few off-road races before and have always raced Hattah, so it’s not completely new to me, but it will be an important year in my career and I am grateful for the opportunity. It’s definitely positive to be teamed up with Daniel Milner – one of the best in the world – and to learn from him, it couldn’t be better situation for me.”
Both Milner and Semmens will compete in the Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) and Hattah Desert Race with the KTM Enduro Racing Team in addition to their AORC commitments.
KTM Group also welcomed former national competitor Scott Keegan into the role of KTM Enduro Racing Team Coordinator ahead of the 2020 season, set to work closely with KTM Group Motorsport Manager Glenn Kearney.
Scott Keegan – Team Coordinator, KTM Enduro Racing Team
“I’m super-happy to be involved with the KTM Enduro Racing Team and to work with KTM Group this season. We’ve done a lot of testing with the new models and both of the boys are happy with their settings – they’re in a really good spot leading into 2020. Milner has obviously been around for a while now and knows how it all works, while Mason is the complete opposite, so it’s going to be learning year for him. He can latch onto Milner and see how it all works, so he really couldn’t have a better person to be chasing around during the week. We are excited for the season to begin in Toowoomba.”
2020 AORC Junior Skills Program announced
Motorcycling Australia, Yamaha and OffRoad Advantage will introduce a new skills, tips and tricks session for Junior riders prior to each round of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXstore.
2020 AORC Junior Skills Program announced
Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo, said the joint initiative – Yamaha Off-Road Tech and Tips (YORTT) – would offer Junior competitors in the Yamaha Off-Road Australian Championship with specialised coaching from Australian and world champion riders.
Each Friday evening from 5pm, prior to all the AORC rounds, Josh Green and the entire Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Team will be available to answer questions from riders and families covering everything from riding tips to bike maintenance and set up.
This is competitor’s opportunity to get a direct line into years of racing experience from Josh and his team and learn the tricks of the trade in off-road racing.
Matthew Falvo
“The Yamaha Off-Road Tech and Tips program is a wonderful initiative which will give our Junior riders new tips, tricks and skills to take to the track. We have significantly grown our junior categories for 2020 and we believe it is vital to help develop our junior racers to give them the skills and knowledge necessary to help them achieve their goals, whether that be winning an Australian championship or taking on the best in the world. YORTT will give our young guns an opportunity to ask questions of our professional Yamaha coaches, being led by multiple Australian off-road and desert racing champion, member of Australia’s winning ISDE team, Level 2 MA Affiliated Coach, and current Active8 Yamalube Yamaha race team rider, and owner of OffRoad Advantage, Josh Green.”
OffRoad Advantage Owner and YORTT coach, Josh Green, said he was looking forward to kicking off the program at the first round of the AORC at Toowoomba.
Josh Green
“I am super excited about YORTT, as this program gives the junior riders a chance to learn from some of the world’s best riders and also ask questions about how they can improve their riding. I have had an amazing career, and for me it is a great opportunity to give back to the sport I love and still compete in. I love helping the younger riders progress, and if we can give them some insights and helpful tips and tricks to take their riding to the next level, and potentially become future champions, then that helps our sport grow.”
Josh Green
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar
Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD 22 – 23 February 2020
Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW 14 – 15 March 2020
Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW 18 – 19 April 2020
Round 7 & 8: SA 1 – 2 August 2020
Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 September 2020
Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 –18 October 2020
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2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
San Diego 250SX gets underway with Mosiman leading from Clout
Michael Mosiman scored yet another holeshot when the gates dropped for the 250 Main to lead the way on the first lap from Australia’s Luke Clout. The South Australian had Austin Forkner and Dylan Ferrandis right on his hammer and both managed to slip past him at the end of the second long whoops section.
Mosiman leading from Clout at the beginning of the 250 Main
Justin Cooper and Cameron McAdoo then pushed Clout further back to sixth. Countrymen Aaron Tanti was running ninth at this early stage of the race and Jay Wilson 12th.
Mosiman held on to the lead until the 11-minute remaining mark on the time clock. A mistake by Mosiman then allowed Ferrandis through and pushed Mosiman back to third place. A lap later Cooper pushed Mosiman further back to fourth.
Ferrandis chases Mosiman
McAdoo then had a machine problem which put him out of the race and promoted Clout back up to fifth place on the Penrite Honda. With five-minutes left on the clock Wilson was in 11th and Tanti 15th.
Ferrandis chasing Forkner
Ferrandis pulled alongside Forkner a couple of times but could not complete a clean pass and then lost ground after each of those two attempts.
Ferrandis trod carefully around Forkner and pulled out of a few potential passes with that probation hanging over his head…
If the Frenchman was not on probation from his take-out move on Christian Craig at Anaheim II earlier in the season he would have completed at least one of those pass attempts after making contact with Forkner, but Ferrandis needed to be careful.
Ferrandis chasing Forkner
The eventual move came with just over a minute left on the clock with an aggressive but fair enough pass on Forkner. Once through to the lead Ferrandis left Forkner in his wake and pulled away with ease.
Ferrandis finally put the move on Forkner
Ferrandis was the winner by over six-seconds with Coooper equidistant in third completing the podium. Again the Frenchman was booed loudly by the crowd during the post-race interview.
Luke Clout #101 was in the think of things throughout the 250 Main
Early leader Michael Mosiman claimed fourth place ahead of Hartfranft who squeezed past Clout late in the race to push the Penrite Honda rider back to sixth place. Countrymen Jay Wilson crossed the line in 11th while Aaron Tanti carded a 14th place finish.
Dylan Ferrandis now leads Justin Cooper by seven-points in the 250SX West Championship Standings. Luke Clout is the highest ranked Australian in seventh ahead of Aaron Tanti in 14th, the injured Jett Lawrence in 15th and Jay Wilson in 16th. The 250 West series now has a six-week break as the East Coast series kicks off in Florida next weekend.
“Today was a difficult day for us, it was not easy to get into the pace and make a good lap this morning, but overall I’m really happy. We did a long run of 12 laps in the hottest conditions when there was nobody on track. It was not bad: our pace was high 1min 59sec and low 2mins, it was 55 degrees on track and nobody else was riding so it was probably the worst track conditions we had today. We are working in a really good way to improve the speed and hopefully in Qatar we will take another step forward. My goal now has changed a little bit; we want to have better long run pace, because we now know over one lap we are fast. Overall, I’m really happy with the first test of the year with the 2020 bike.”
Fabio Quartararo
Cal Crutchlow – P2
“We had a good and positive third day to get through a long list of items that we needed to test for ourselves and Honda. We had some test items on there throughout the day and also some geometry settings. I felt good today with the pace, although I still didn’t feel fantastic with the bike. We need to improve the pushing on the corner entry and the turning of the bike for me to feel more comfortable. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that at the Qatar test, but thank you to my team for such hard work over the last three days here in Sepang.”
Cal Crutchlow
Alex Rins – P3
“Today was the last day of the test, and we’re happy how all three days went. We tested everything we had on the list and now we go to the Qatar Test with a better bike than last year. I improved my rhythm and race pace here, and also my best lap time, so I’m happy with that. We’ll continue working and see how things are in Qatar, when we arrive there we will try the new parts again to compare how they work on a different track layout.”
Alex Rins
Pecco Bagnaia – P4
“It was a very positive day, in the time attack we were very fast. What I liked this morning was the consistency with my pace and this afternoon’s simulation helped us to understand a lot of things, how these tyres behave and how to improve my riding style to keep a better pace. In general it was a positive test, we are happy and we start with a good base for Qatar.”
Pecco Bagnaia
Valentino Rossi – P5
“We are happy with these three days. Today was a good day because I did a very good lap time in the time attack. It‘s the first time for me to be in the 1‘58s, so this is positive, also because we are in P5 and very close to the top. We worked a lot, also on the pace, and we tried different things. Some were good, others weren‘t. We have to work hard because everybody is so fast, but the test was positive.”
Valentino Rossi
Danilo Petrucci – P6
“It has been a busy three-day test. Today we worked on different setup solutions, and even if we still have a few aspects that we still need to improve, I am satisfied because we were able to find a good race pace and make another step forward. I discussed a lot with Andrea, and together we identified a few aspects that for sure will be helpful during the races. We still need to understand how to use well the new tyres, but we still have the Qatar Test to complete our work”.
Danilo Petrucci
Pol Espargaro – P7
“We’ve done a lot these six days! Today was successful: we tested the new Michelin tyres and we made our conclusions. We also worked on the swingarm because we felt we were losing grip in hot conditions from the soft tyres so we wanted to understand why. We learned a lot actually. We have more horsepower and the electronics are working smoother which allows you to open the throttle earlier in the corners and is important here in Sepang and what we were missing before. Overall it feels very good. In Qatar we will restart. We might have different problems and we’ll have different tyres so we’ll begin again and hopefully have the same results.”
Pol Espargaro
Jack Miller – P8
“A positive final 3-day test in Malaysia, we made many changes today, we were lucky that it was dry until the last 20 min. We are always happier with how the bike works, there are still a few details to work on but in general we have always been fast over the three days and we have done what we wanted. Today I had the best time with the medium rear tyre and I was very surprised. We have worked well with the team, now a couple of days to relax and then I will start preparing for Qatar.”
Jack Miller
Aleix Espargaro – P10
“I am absolutely satisfied and I would truly like to thank everyone at Aprilia Racing who made it possible to take such a new and competitive bike out on the track here. The 2020 RS-GP has improved in every aspect. It is a step forward that, quite frankly, almost surprised me. There are clearly many areas where we need to work, but they are problems due to how young the project is and not real deficiencies. At the end of the three days, I would have liked to have been closer to the leaders with the soft tyre, but with this type of tyre I just wasn’t feeling it. In race configuration, on the other hand, even with used tyres, I was extremely fast. We need to keep pushing, because there are only a few weeks left before the first race, but I am leaving Malaysia with a smile on my face.”
Aleix Espargaro
Joan Mir – P11
“I feel really good on the bike, it’s better every day. In the morning I tried the new soft tyre, but in the end I improved my lap time without the soft tyre so that was something positive. We’ve found good things in this test and we have strong potential, I think in Qatar we will take another step forward, and then we’ll be closer to the front. It will be interesting to try the bike on a different circuit.”
Joan Mir
Miguel Oliveira – P12
“This morning, we mainly focused on a time attack and doing this with the best setup, we found of parts together. We had a very good lap with our normal tyre allocation, which was surprising. When I put a softer tyre on the rear, I couldn’t improve, but overall, I’m very happy with our pace and all the work we have done during the three days of official test here. In the upcoming two weeks I still have some work to do, physically, building some more muscles and trying to remove as much pain as possible on the shoulder in order to have a good first race weekend in Qatar.”
Miguel Oliveira
Marc Marquez – P13
“I finished the day with a good feeling as this morning we had a good rhythm and I put in the most effort today. I had a small crash at Turn 15, but this was down to physical condition. It’s good to know where the limit is, of course it would have been better to not crash but I am OK after it. Today I did 47 laps again, but it was with a different rhythm. I tried a few things but there is still work to do. The runs today were a little longer today but our speed was still good.”
Marc Marquez
Franco Morbidelli – P14
“I feel quite happy about this test as we’ve been working a lot and we understand many things on the new bike. I also already feel that I have good confidence with the new bike. We didn’t use the super soft tyre today to make the time attack, we used it yesterday just for normal running. So I think that is why we are not higher up the timings today. But even with the normal tyre on the time attack our pace is not so far off the top. I understand a lot from these three days and we know what we need to work on in Qatar. It has been overall a good test and I look forward to Qatar now and we try to do a good job there also.”
Franco Morbidelli
Andrea Dovizioso – P15
“I am quite satisfied with the work we have done today. This morning we were able to put in several laps, improving the bike setup and also my feeling with the new tyres. It had not been easy because I had to adapt my riding style, and I was struggling a lot with this in the beginning. Danilo and I did a few laps together: the pace was good, but the tyre performance dropped quite a lot. We still need to understand how they will work on a race distance and here in Sepang, where the conditions are peculiar due to the high temperatures, is really difficult to make a complete evaluation. Now we still have a test before the opening round of the season in Qatar. I am sure that the final classification of these three days doesn’t completely reflect what will happen in the Championship this year”.
Andrea Dovizioso
Maverick Vinales – P16
“I‘m feeling very positive, because today we improved the bike quite a lot, especially the race set-up. I didn‘t have enough time left to make one hot lap but, doing things like this, I kept a bit calmer. We were really concentrated on working on the feeling and it seems to be good. On race tyres with a race set-up we had a good pace, I felt quite competitive. But we also noticed points that we are going to try to improve in Qatar. I didn‘t set up for one lap just yet. For me, at this test it was really important to concentrate on the feeling and understand what I need to improve on. We are now going to work very hard to accomplish those improvements and we will see if the bike works the same way in Qatar as it did here.”
Maverick Vinales
Johann Zarco – P17
“It’s been a good test. The first day was a little bit difficult. I think I can be faster, I still have to learn new things, but at the end of the third day I am happy because I see that the method I am following works well and with time I will be able to learn more. The bike has a lot of acceleration and I need to take advantage of it. I can’t wait to arrive to Qatar because we have three more days to improve and prepare for the start of the season. It is difficult to learn new things, but I feel prepared and I am very motivated.”
Johann Zarco
Alex Marquez – P18
“The general feeling everyday was better, we were faster and felt better. This is the most important thing. There are only three more days of the pre-season left to be ready for the Qatar GP but we are closer every day. Still we need to learn more but every time we ride my knowledge is growing and I’m pleased with everything we’ve achieved. For Qatar our aim is to continue to understand the setup of the bike for myself and in various conditions. We’ve tried a lot this test so I leave happy.”
Brad Binder – P19
“In the first two tests I was 2.1 off and now I am 0.7. It’s a big step forwards for us. The feeling and the comfort on the bike is way-better but we have a long, long way to go. I need to keep working and it will pay-off soon. If you look at the position then it is dissatisfying but the main thing is the gap. A couple of tenths have made a good difference in the standings. I have seen that it’s not too difficult to make a fast lap but I need to do twenty of them! It’s been a positive six days. We’ve progressed every day. We can reset and start again in Qatar.”
Brad Binder
Tito Rabat – P20
“We have been improving progressively during these three days, it has been a good test. We have to improve on the braking, but anyway I’m happy with the team and now the most important thing is to analyse the data collected and rest in order to reach 100% for the test at Losail.”
Tito Rabat
Bradley Smith – P22
“These were six important days of testing for us. We took a completely revamped RS-GP out onto the track and I am pleased with the way things went. Aleix’s times demonstrate the quality of the project. Now we have a lot of refinements to do which is inevitable for a new bike. During these tests, we focused on getting to know the 2020 RS-GP, rather than experimenting with the setup, but already in the base configuration, the results were decisively encouraging.”
Bradley Smith
Takaaki Nakagami – P23
“It’s been quite a tough three days for me. Of course, the physical condition of the right shoulder is not the best, but it’s getting a little better day by day. The first day there was a lot of pain, but the second day and third day were better and today we were able to get close to 50 laps. Still the lap time is not the best and we have to improve that, but we were able to test many items and it’s quite a positive result for the feeling of the bike. Now I’m going back to Japan for close to two weeks, so I’ll try to get some rest and hopefully be a little bit better for the Qatar test. We still have a lot of work to do and things to improve on the bike for my riding style, but let’s see what we do in Qatar.”
Takaaki Nakagami
Iker Lecuona – P24
“My goal was to have a small gap to the front, but today I didn’t improve as much as I wished, although I managed reach the 1:59’s. I tried some new tyres today and I know, that I still need to be faster, plus after all these days on track here, I’m physically exhausted, to be honest. Overall, I have to admit, that I’m not totally happy about today. I will continue to learn in Qatar. For now, we have a good base with the bike, which I like, my general feeling is great. I just need to learn and understand more and more things about this machine.”
Iker Lecuona
Sylvain Guintoli – P25
“It’s been a busy few days! I was riding at the ‘shakedown test’ for three days before this, so I’ve now done six days of riding and completed around three hundred laps! So, we’ve got loads of work done and it’s been really interesting. We tried different aerodynamic packages and chassis settings, and we’ve completed our planned program, so we’re really pleased. The bike is feeling good and Suzuki is doing a great job with all the work, and the atmosphere in the team is incredible.”
Sylvain Guintoli
Lorenzo Savadori – P30
“When Aprilia called, I came running, considering the opportunities and my bond with the brand. It was a fantastic experience – four days in which I had the chance to make contact with a new category for me and which make my mouth water for more… I wish to thank Aprilia Racing for the honour, after three days with the 2019 version, to test on the 2020 bike as well. The new RS-GP seemed easy and intuitive straight away, even for someone like me in his first experience. As for my performance, I am pleased to have been able to improve on every outing. It isn’t easy to understand these prototypes, partly because they are very sensitive to every command. I also did well in terms of physical fitness, despite a few months of inactivity and demanding environmental conditions.”
Lorenzo Savadori
Team Managers talk Sepang
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team
“The first test for season 2020 is done. It was a very positive test with no crazy things happening! We had good weather across the test. For Fabio to have three days on top of the time sheets is very promising. I’m also very happy to see Franco riding like he is at the moment. I think he understands the bike better than he did last year and he also made some good steps forward. We did what we had to do and tested what we had to be doing, there were no big crashes and now we’re ready for the Qatar test.
Fabio Quartararo
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki ECSTAR
“For this first test of the year, we brought many parts; chassis, swingarm, electronics cowlings and some engine updates. Before the start of this test I was worried that we wouldn’t have time to go through everything, but we managed to do it and we found a good direction. This test was about trying these new parts, and then at the next test we’ll work to confirm the package more precisely and finalise everything. We’re pleased with how everything went here and the work we’ve done, and I’m confident about the Qatar Test.”
Alex Rins
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
“We were able to get what we were after: we definitely got the confirmation that the 2020 bike is a step forward and from now on we will be focusing on this model. We noticed an improvement in top speed, grip, and tyre life. Maverick completed a race simulation today in very hot and critical conditions, and he showed great consistency from beginning to end. Vale didn‘t do the race simulation but focused on testing all the items that we needed to try here, and he also did a good hot lap. It‘s his first 1‘58s lap, so that‘s another positive sign that we are moving forward as a team. For Maverick, when the time came to do his time attack, it started raining, so this compromised his position in the Day-3 and overall standings. But we can certainly say that this has been a good three-day test, and we hope that all the information we have been able to collect will be helpful to make another improvement at the next Qatar test.”
Valentino Rossi
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM
“After six days we can be positive about our test programme and that is different compared to last year and the rainy conditions because we had ideas on the table that we could not try. It meant we had quite a big operation to bring over here to Sepang and some late decisions. So, the test has been really important and necessary and the feedback from the riders has been good. There are people in the company working so hard on this bike – including the whole test team – and they have done a great job this winter. We have confirmed ideas and changes and it was nice to see that in the long runs we are quite strong and the fast laps are acceptable. We can see that we have made another step. The riders had a lot to do and we have two rookies in the group in Brad and Iker and they did very well with a lot of laps and building up their knowledge of MotoGP with the riding style and small changes. Pol, Miguel and Dani had to do many laps, many runs and go through a big list and they stayed focussed and did it in a great style. It is also positive to leave here with everybody healthy. Small details make the difference and eighteen riders are split by one second so we know the season will be tough and very competitive. Let’s go to Qatar now and see how we look.”
Dani Pedrosa
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3
“Finally, after a long stay in Malaysia, the first 2020 test is over. For Red Bull KTM Tech3 it was a tough mission, because we didn’t only test three days with the whole grid, but also had the great possibility to do the shakedown, which was another three days prior to the official test. After a long winter break without any MotoGP riding, if was clear, that the bodies of both riders are suffering, especially during the last two days. Anyway, it was a very, very productive test. Honestly, I have to state, that I’m amazed by what KTM did during the winter, about what the entire racing department brought to Malaysia and everything we were testing from chassis over aerodynamics to electronic was a big step forward. Compared to last year at the Sepang test, especially when we take a look to the gap of Miguel to the fastest, KTM was clearly much, much closer to the front, not only on a single fast lap, but also in terms of race pace. This is, what I would like to emphasize more than anything, that KTM has become a real strength for a top 5 finish or hopefully even more within only 12 months. Miguel is very positive about the outcome of this test, also about his own physical condition. Together with Pol (Espargaro) and Dani (Pedrosa) they are really the top guys, KTM can truly rely on to further develop the bike. On the other side, Iker did a great job, was improving every day and because he is a fighter, he was not satisfied with this, but either way, we can be proud of him. He is the youngest rider on the grid and was already under two minutes, which is a good lap time in Sepang. His physical condition was suffering towards the end, but all of this is what you need to become a good MotoGP rider. I’m sure he will go back to Spain with a lot of data in his head, ready for Qatar. I want to thank Miguel for his great work and also our rookie did a good job, overall, we are positive. I think we have a decent line-up. We don’t make headlines at the moment, but if people look closer inside the data, they will see, that the orange division is coming. Now everybody should go back home and get some rest until Qatar is going to be the final shakedown for the first round.”
