FIM Awards Ceremony brings the curtain down on 2018

Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana saw another three incredible races to close the season, and in the evening the FIM Awards ceremony brought the curtain down on 2018 – with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) headlining the show.

FIM Award Ceremony MotoGP Marquez Dovizioso Rossi
Valentino Rossi, Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso with their medals

Marquez received his MotoGP World Champion trophy after taking the title in style in Japan, capping off another record-breaker of a season for the Spaniard.

FIM Award Ceremony Marquez Ezpeleta
FIM Awards Ceremony – Marc Marquez

The 2018 Awards were hosted by Gavin Emmett, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Vito Ippolito in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening to all the winners this season.

Moto Champions Francesco Bagnaia Miguel Oliveira Brad Binder
L-R: 2018 Moto2 World Champion Francesco Bagnaia with Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder

Youngest ever seven-time World Champion Marquez took top billing as he received his record-breaking 2018 MotoGP trophy, along with Moto2 World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Moto3 World Champion Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) after their incredible seasons.

Moto Champions Jorge Martin Fabio Di Giannantonio Marco Bezzecchi
L-R: 2018 Moto3 World Champion Jorge Martin with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi

The top Independent Team rider title went to Johann Zarco, as it did in 2017 when he was a rookie, following another impressive season ahead of a new challenge in 2019.

FIM Award Ceremony
All the winners on stage together

This year’s MotoGP Rookie of the Year award was presented to a man who also visited the stage last season but for his intermediate class successes: Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, was also honoured as a Legend.

MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa, named a MotoGP Legend ahead of his retirement

In Moto2, EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Joan Mir – another who took to the stage in 2017 – was crowned Rookie of the Year, with Jaume Masia taking that honour in Moto3 after a great race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

FIM Award Ceremony Marquez
Now seven-time World Champion Marc Marquez

The BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP class went to Marquez for the sixth year in a row, and the Tissot Pole of Poles went to Bagnaia in Moto2 and Martin in Moto3.

The Repsol Honda Team picked up the MotoGP Team world title trophy, and Honda took the MotoGP Constructor Title in the premier class. Kalex came out on top in Moto2, and Honda in Moto3.

MotoGP Valencia Repsol Honda Triple Crown
Repsol Honda

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion Can Öncü, runner-up and twin brother Deniz Öncü and third-placed rider Xavier Artigas were honoured for their fantastic seasons in the Cup – with Can Öncü also having stunned the field and become the youngest ever Grand Prix winner earlier in the day, and as a wildcard.

MotoGP Valencia Moto Can Oncu
Can Öncü

Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion, Australian Billy Van Eerde, and inaugural British Talent Cup Champion Rory Skinner were also applauded for their seasons.

Asia Talent Cup Billy Van Eerde Champ sign
Billy Van Eerde – 2018 Asia Talent Cup Champion
FIM Award Ceremony Billy Van Eerde
Billy Van Eerde on the stage with all the MotoGP and World Champions – Billy is second from right in this shot

Now the page turns on another incredible season and the engines switch off – but only for a day. Then, testing for 2019 begins on Tuesday in Valencia, with a whole new year of challenges up ahead and plenty to get excited about.

Source: MCNews.com.au

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