Vinales sets pace at Jerez MotoGP test ahead of opener
Section: Competition
Stage set for grand prix racing to resume this weekend.
Image: Supplied.
The return of MotoGP on Wednesday at the Jerez test saw Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales finish at the top of the time-sheets in preparation for this weekend’s return to racing at the famed Spanish circuit.
A 1m37.793s in the afternoon session saw the Spaniard take the first spoils of a restarted 2020, leading Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in P2 as both Yamahas went quicker in the scorching afternoon temperatures
Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was third via his morning lap-time. At the beginning of the second session, Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia Racing Team Gresini bike encountered an issue, dropping some fluid on the circuit at turn 11. Both Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) were the unfortunate duo to crash as a result.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) claimed fourth on his GSX-RR, although everyone down to fellow Team Suzuki Ecstar rider Joan Mir in ninth failed to go faster in the afternoon conditions. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was fifth, with Aleix Espargaro giving the Aprilia another good showing in seventh despite the earlier issue encountered.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) made for close company though, with Mir and fellow MotoGP sophomore Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) rounding out the top 10 – all riders split by just 0.624s.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was 11th ahead of a good day’s work from Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) in 12th. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – the latter on the way back from his collarbone injury – completed the top 15.
Moto2 got back on track with some incredibly tight times, with Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) setting a 1m42.436s in the afternoon to lead Tom Luthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) by just 0.076s by the end of play. Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was P3, while Remy Gardner (SAG Racing) was 13th on combined times.
Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee was the man to beat as Moto3 returned to track, his 1m46.263s was 0.3s clear of a chasing pack led by another impressive performance from Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and fellow home hero Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) a they completed the top three.
Dynavolt Intact GP’s Dominique Aegerter was the man to beat in MotoE World Cup testing, setting a best time of 1m48.596s, which was 0.445s ahead of Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE). Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) was ranked P9 overall.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna extends Jasikonis MXGP contract
Section: Competition
Lithuanian to remain part of factory team through 2021 season.
Image: Supplied.
MXGP World Championship talent Arminas Jasikonis has had his contract at Rockstar Energy Husqvarna renewed through the 2021 season to remain in the premier class for another season with the factory effort.
Next year will mark the third year of 22-year-old Jasikonis aboard the works FC 450, continuing to establish himself as a contender in the premier class of grand prix racing.
“Knowing that I will compete for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team again for a third season is a really great feeling,” the Lithuanian said. “I’m very happy to continue on a great bike. I have so much confidence in my bike, the whole program and all members of the team, which is so important.
“The fact that everything will stay the same for me from this year to next year is a huge thing – I only need to focus on improving and preparing myself. Of course, we have to continue working hard, but I am really motivated to get the results that Husqvarna, Rockstar, Antti and the team deserve.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team manager Antti Pyrhonen added: “We’re really pleased to continue our relationship with Arminas. He’s super-motivated for MXGP to start again and is in really good shape. Since he joined the team he’s always been fully committed and this year things have really started to fall into place for him, which we can see in his results.
“Arminas wants to achieve more and reach higher goals and is working hard to keep learning and improving. We’re all looking forward to seeing him battle for more podium results this year and hopefully some GP wins, too. Then, with more focused training and preparation, push for even more in 2021.”
Currently enjoying the best form of his career to date, Jasikonis sits seventh in the MXGP series standings having secured a podium finish at the MXGP of the Netherlands, the second round of the 2020 championship prior to the current stoppage.
“Very happy to be back. It’s very nice to ride my M1 again as it’s always very exciting. We have been working hard especially thinking about the race, that was our main goal today. We tried to see how the bike works in these incredibly high temperatures, and we are surprised that our level is so high. So, I’m really looking forward to the weekend as I felt really good on the bike, and that’s very important. The bike is in perfect shape, and now we have to get the most out of it. I’m feeling happy and confident for this weekend. Last year’s bike was also working well here, but this year I can attack the corners in a different way by braking very hard, which will give me an advantage when I overtake. But we need to make another improvement in that area, that will be my main focus this weekend, because this track is not easy.”
Maverick Viñales
Fabio Quartararo – P2
“It feels really good to be back after such a long time and I think that today was positive. We started the day struggling a little bit because I didn’t have that good feeling with the bike. It was to be expected as it’s the first time I’ve ridden the M1 at Jerez this year, plus it’s the first time I’ve been on the race bike since Qatar. Jerez is a completely different track to Sepang and Qatar too. I didn’t expect to improve that much in the afternoon because the pace was quite consistent. Tomorrow we will have time to think about the settings, tyres and electronics, so that we can improve further. We didn’t do a time attack so it’s going to be strange when we do, but I’m really happy ahead of Friday and can’t wait for the race weekend to start properly.”
Fabio Quartararo
Marc Marquez – P3
“I’m happy today. We had a hard pre-season but it looks like at the end of the Qatar Test we found something, so it was good to be able to confirm it here because Qatar is always a unique situation. From the start of today it was my bike, the bike I had in 2019 but with an evolution. My shoulder was also feeling good and I could see the speed was there. We had to work on consistency, which was the real focus in the afternoon. Honestly, I’m just really happy to be back on the bike!”
Marc Marquez
Alex Rins – P4
“After a long time, I’m so happy to be back! It seems as though no-one has been off the bikes because the lap times are so competitive as always! I’m happy with today’s progress, we tried a lot of configurations on the bike and I’m ready to keep working for the weekend. Despite the extreme heat I feel comfortable with my physical condition and also with the feeling on the bike. Let’s see what happens this weekend!”
Alex Rins
Valentino Rossi – P5
“It’s been a strange situation, I’ve never stayed away from my MotoGP bike for this long. But I’m in good shape because I trained a lot. This morning was good. I put in a good lap time with the soft tyre during the time attack. In the afternoon, I struggled a bit. We need to work on the pace. We can compare Jerez to Malaysia. The conditions are different though, the heat here is drier than Sepang. When you ride it’s difficult to breathe as you get lots of hot air into your face. It will be challenging for the race.
“We won’t be able to confirm the Petronas SRT deal now. I haven’t signed yet, but we have decided together with Yamaha and Petronas SRT to talk about 2021. I’ve already spoken with Razlan Razali, Wilco Zeelenberg, and Johan Stigefelt and I have good feelings about it, but it’s not true that I already signed as there are still some details that we have to work out, but most likely I will be here in 2021!”
Valentino Rossi
Aleix Espargaro’ – P6
“I felt good in both sessions – maybe not super fast on the flying lap, but with a great pace. Especially at the time of day when the races are held, with 20 laps on the tyres, I was able to maintain a good pace. This is rather comforting, because racing here in Jerez is never simple and we managed to maintain the same good feelings as we had in Malaysia and Qatar. The situation in Italy clearly slowed down our schedule, so we’ll have to work harder over the coming months, also in view of 2021. We had a few small problems today, which is only normal, given the little time available to develop such a new project due to COVID. The temperatures are extremely demanding, but I must say that they did a great job on the asphalt. A lot of riders managed to go fast even with this heat and I personally appreciate the conditions that put my athletic preparation.”
Aleix Espargaro’
Cal Crutchlow – P7
“It was great to be back today, riding the LCR Castrol Honda bike here in Jerez. It’s been a long break and it’s great to be back and see some familiar faces… even though they’ve got masks on! But yeah, it was nice to work again this Wednesday and then have a little break for everyone to analyse what we’ve done here. Now we look forward to the race weekend here in Jerez.”
Cal Crutchlow
Jack Miller – P8
“First of all I am very happy to be back on my bike today after a long break. The initial feeling was immediately very positive even though it was my first time riding the new Ducati 2020 here at Jerez. We still have some small adjustments to make but we are definitely on the right way. A very positive first day.”
Jack Miller
Joan Mir – P9
“It felt unbelievably good to get back on my bike! Everything feels so smooth and fast, and I’m really happy about how today went. We improved a lot and we know what we need to do to be fast. I felt good in the morning session, but I lacked a bit in the time attack during the afternoon – so we have some work to do there. But overall, my pace is quite good. I think today was the hottest conditions ever, and that will make it very tough for everybody, especially on Sunday!”
Joan Mir
Pecco Bagnaia – P10
“Today was difficult after the 5 months break, especially during the first session. But I thought that it would be more difficult considering the heat in these days in Jerez. I feel good and I’m happy especially for the second session of the test during the afternoon. Today we focused about the feeling with my bike starting from the work done during the winter test. I think that we made some steps forward working on my limits to improve. We will continue in this way.”
Pecco Bagnaia
Miguel Oliveira – P11
“It was a nice day and it was good to compare ourselves to the rest of the field. The morning session was a bit easier for us, while in the afternoon we struggled to find grip and make the bike turn. This will be our target to improve on Friday.”
Miguel Oliveira
Pol Espargaro – P13
“It’s so nice to be out on track again. For sure we want more but – for now – we are seeing at this test, and the ones before, that our pace is good enough to fight for the top ten at a place where we have struggled in previous years when it has been so hot and we lost a lot with the grip. With the 2020 bike we are turning a bit more and it seems to be a bit more stable. It’s good for us.”
Pol Espargaro
Franco Morbidelli – P14
“First of all, I’m really happy to be back at the circuit and meet again with my family at the circuit, my crew. Secondly, it was very nice to back on my M1 and it felt great immediately from lap one to be riding it again. We immediately started working on set-up and preparing ourselves for the upcoming weekend. There is some room to improve but I felt good and we know what we need to improve. Unfortunately I couldn’t see what my real potential was today after a mistake in the last corner towards the end of the second session, but I know that the potential is there. Now we look forward to starting the 2020 season properly this weekend, I can’t wait.”
Franco Morbidelli
Andrea Dovizioso – P15
“After these four months of break, today turned out to be crucial, and I’m pleased with how it went. Thanks to the work I have done at home after the collarbone surgery, I was able to arrive here in the ideal conditions to do a good test. I found a particular feeling: the temperatures are high, the tyres different than last year and we spent a lot of time without riding. Thanks to this test, we can now focus on the important aspects of the race without wasting time.”
Andrea Dovizioso
Takaaki Nakagami – P16
“First of all I’m really happy to be able to jump back on the bike again after these four months without MotoGP. It was not that easy to adapt for the first half hour, because this is MotoGP and this racing speed is not easy to adapt to. We had two hour and a half sessions, it’s only three hours today, but in the end understood where we were losing time and we’ll go step by step. Tomorrow is a day off and we’ll try to focus on this weekend. It will be different conditions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as there is more rubber on the track. But it was really tough and super hot today, especially the afternoon session, but we’ll keep working towards the weekend and pushing hard.”
Takaaki Nakagami
Bradley Smith – P17
“I’m happy to be riding again. Even with all the appropriate precautions, considering the weekend ahead, we were able to carry out the test programme, especially in terms of endurance performance. It was important for us to gather as much data as possible, given how young the project is. Now the techs will be able to analyse it between today and tomorrow in order to prepare for the race as best as possible. There are obviously still some question marks, but at the moment, I’m satisfied. These temperatures put the tyres, riders and bikes to the test. I can guarantee that you feel every extra degree when you’re on the bike!”
Bradley Smith
Brad Binder – P18
“Today was quite OK. This morning was good, and I felt much more at home with the bike straightaway. It’s a physical racetrack and I had some issues and messed up quite a lot of laps which didn’t help but had a longer run. It was nice to do a good few laps in a row just to get comfortable and to get an idea of what Sunday is going to be like. I have made good steps forward and I am much more ready for the first grand prix.”
Iker Lecuona – P19
“Today has been a very good for me. I continued to learn and to improve with the bike. I tried something new and immediately felt better. This morning I went very fast and also with used tires I managed to improve, likewise this afternoon with high track temperatures. I’m very happy and ready to finally start the MotoGP World Championship in 2020.”
Alex Marquez – P20
“I am happy with the rhythm that we found today, as a rookie it’s important to improve lap by lap. Looking ahead to the weekend as a whole, the main objective will be to keep our rhythm in what looks to be a very hot weekend. Unlike in Qatar or Malaysia with the longer straights, you hardly get a chance to rest here. I have a good feeling with the bike and I am ready for my first weekend in MotoGP.”
Alex Marquez
Danilo Petrucci – P21
“It was a hectic day, but I’m happy because I was able to regain the feeling with the Desmosedici GP right away. This morning I was quite satisfied with the work done and even this afternoon I was doing a nice lap before the crash. Unfortunately, the bike in front of me lost some oil, and I couldn’t avoid the crash. I slipped out at turn 11 and hit my head hard. Fortunately, I didn’t get injured, but I preferred not to risk this afternoon and rest ahead of the race weekend”.
Danilo Petrucci
Team Managers
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Team Director
“It’s great to be back! But we had little time to feel euphoric this morning because we had a lot of work to do. First and foremost, we wanted to give Maverick and Valentino the opportunity to get comfortable with their bikes again. But besides letting them build confidence, we also needed to compare the data from the earlier tests and see how they translate to this track. The characteristics here are of a different nature than the Sepang and Losail circuits. Normally when we arrive in Jerez we already have some races under our belts, but this time we’re starting from zero, so that made today’s track activity extra important. So far, we have done a solid job. We have two riders in the top 5 today, though we still have some work to do in certain areas. But anyway, we are looking forward to the free practice sessions on Friday.”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Team Director
Davide Brivio – Team Suzuki Manager
“We’re happy to start the season with this test, especially as everything went well. It was a good opportunity to confirm our final package, and a good chance for the riders to get used to being back on the bikes. We’re ready for the first weekend of the championship, we’ll have one more day of preparation tomorrow, and then everything will get going for real!”
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager
“We had a good first day in these hot temperatures with no crashes and the riders showed good performance: Pol was in the top ten and Brad rode well: we can feel that he is really adapting to MotoGP. In the morning Miguel was fast and Iker was able to show more promise. We wanted to lock down some settings for these conditions, so a rapid lap-time was not our priority. Now we’ll look towards the weekend.”
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager
“It was a very useful day for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team. Although we have had the luck to do the test in Misano in June, it was important to do these two sessions of 90 minutes to re-understand our MotoGP bike. It was very interesting also to compare the data from November with cold weather and the 19+ bike with the 2020 version in hot temperatures. We can definitely see that there has been massive improvement done by KTM. Both of the riders feel at ease, feel good on the bike, which is a great sign for the coming weekend. Clearly, Miguel has shown one more time that he is now a proper top MotoGP rider and this is going to be a very interesting season for Miguel and we could see that our rookie, the youngest MotoGP rider on the grid, Iker Lecuona, has done massive improvement as well. He is feeling better and better with the bike and with the team. He is riding like a real MotoGP rider. We are happy to have that test behind us. It was tough for the crew, for the riders, but very important in order to prepare the race that is going to be in very similar weather conditions, which means hot and difficult to handle. But we are happy to be here, so thanks again to everybody who has been working hard to make this possible. I’m quite sure, there will be a great show on Sunday.”
Test Summary
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) finished Wednesday’s MotoGP Jerez Test at the top of the timesheets, just as he did in Qatar last time we had MotoGP bikes on track.
A 1m37.793 in the afternoon session saw the Spaniard take the first spoils of a restarted 2020 as we heard the sweet symphony of MotoGP machines roaring out of pitlane. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claimed P2 as both Yamahas went quicker in the scorching afternoon temperatures, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) sitting P3 – but his morning time the best of his day.
The top track temperature recorded in Jerez on Wednesday was 57 degrees, adding an extra challenge to that of returning to the track after four months without MotoGP. That was in the afternoon session, taking place at a similar time to when the race will be held, making it all the more vital for the riders to get accustomed.
The morning session went ahead without any drama but at the beginning of the second session, Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia Racing Team Gresini bike encountered an issue, dropping oil on the circuit at Turn 11. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) were the unfortunate duo to crash as a result, riders ok but red flags shown to enable the track clean up.
Once play resumed, Marc Marquez was the man to beat as he – at one point – sat 0.7 clear of his nearest rival. After HRC seemingly suffered some troubles in preseason testing, that was a good sign for the marque and the number 93 was looking like his normal self on track.
Quartararo didn’t leave it long to strike back, however, subsequently getting the better of the eight-time World Champion by 0.030 on the combined times to go P1. The shuffle still wasn’t done though, as Viñales then hit back with less than five minutes on the clock to go over a tenth clear and keep the P1 he’s so often occupied in preseason.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) claimed P4 on his GSX-RR, another with previous form for 2020 pace, although everyone down to fellow Team Suzuki Ecstar rider Joan Mir in P9 failed to go faster in the afternoon conditions. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P5, with Aleix Espargaro giving the Aprilia another good showing in P7 despite the earlier issue encountered.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) made for close company though, with Mir and fellow MotoGP sophomore Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) rounding out the top ten… and a top ten split by just 0.624.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was P11, ahead of a good day’s work from Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) in P12.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – the latter on the way back from his collarbone injury – completed the top 15.
That’s it from Wednesday’s action and after a scorching first day back, it looks to be as close as ever. 22 riders, 10 were able to go quicker in the afternoon’s hotter temperatures – will that stand them in good stead for Sunday? We’ll start to see more answers from Friday evening at 1755 (AEST) ahead of FP2 from 2210 (AEST) Friday night. The MotoGP race is scheduled to take place at 2200 (AEST) Sunday night.
MotoGP Test Combined Times Both Sessions
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time
1
Maverick Vinales
Yamaha
1m37.793
2
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
1m37.911
3
Marc Marquez
Honda
1m37.941
4
Alex Rins
Suzuki
1m38.193
5
Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
1m38.222
6
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
1m38.285
7
Cal Crutchlow
Honda
1m38.313
8
Jack Miller
Ducati
1m38.348
9
Joan Mir
Suzuki
1m38.380
10
Pecco Bagnaia
Ducati
1m38.417
11
Miguel Oliveira
KTM
1m38.426
12
Johann Zarco
Ducati
1m38.513
13
Pol Espargaro
KTM
1m38.592
14
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
1m38.646
15
Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati
1m38.779
16
Takaaki Nakagami
Honda
1m38.873
17
Bradley Smith
Aprilia
1m38.942
18
Brad Binder
KTM
1m39.016
19
Iker Lecuona
KTM
1m39.089
20
Alex Marquez
Honda
1m39.151
21
Danilo Petrucci
Ducati
1m39.249
22
Tito Rabat
Ducati
1m39.461
Moto2
Moto2 got back on track with some incredibly tight timesheets on Wednesday, with Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) setting a 1:42.436 in the afternoon to lead Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) by just 0.076 by the end of play. Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) – despite only being ruled fit to ride on Tuesday after suffering a broken ankle while training – was P3 overall and not much further back either.
Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo)
Under the soaring Andalusian sun, the intermediate class riders were getting to grips with their Triumph machines for the first time since Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took that emotional victory in Qatar, but Moto2 remains competitive as ever, with hardly anything separating the top 10. Luca Marini made it two Sky Racing Team VR46 bikes in the top four in P4, with former Jerez winner Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completing a top five split by 0.251 as he got up to speed quickly on his return from injury.
Italtrans Racing Team’s Enea Bastianini – a podium finisher in Qatar – finished P6 on the combined times, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Nagashima and Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) up next, sitting three tenths off the pace. Xavi Vierge rounded out the top 10 on his Petronas Sprinta Racing machine, but the close battle went on as 19 riders finished the two sessions within a second of each other.
Moto2 Test Times
Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex 1:42.346
Tom Lüthi – Liqui Moly Intact GP – Kalex +0.076
Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex +0.116
Moto3
Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee was the man to beat as Moto3 returned to track action for the first time since the Qatar Grand Prix in March. McPhee, who’s second in the Championship coming into the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, was 0.3 seconds clear of a chasing pack led by another impressive performance from Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and fellow home hero Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) a they completed the top three.
McPhee set his 1:46.263 in the opening session of the day when the scorching southern Spanish temperatures were at least a touch cooler, with Fernandez the only rider in the top seven to better his time in the afternoon and taking P2 in the process. The Spaniard was also the only KTM presence in a top five dominated by Honda. Fourth fastest was Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who completed the short roll call of riders able to get within half a second of McPhee’s pace.
John McPhee
After signing a new Rivacold Snipers Team contract on Tuesday in Jerez, Filip Salac was up the sharp end in the test once again, backing up an impressive performance in the season opener in Qatar. The Czech rider finished fifth but it was a close-run deal with the Husqvarna of Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), who was just 0.008 off Salac in P6.
Last year’s Jerez winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was even closer than that in seventh, just 0.003 off Fenati. Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – the Italian only getting out in the afternoon session after a minor gearbox problem at the start of the day – and Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) completed the top ten.
Moto3 Test Times
John McPhee – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda 1:46.263
Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM +0.321
Jaume Masia- Leopard Racing – Honda +0.330
Aegerter lays down the gauntlet in MotoE test
Dynavolt Intact GP’s Dominique Aegerter was the man to beat in FIM Enel MotoE World Cup testing at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. The Swiss rider improved in every session to eventually set a best time of 1:48.596, 0.445 ahead of Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and 0.492 ahead of reigning Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) in a serious statement of intent. Aegerter is, after all, a rookie to the class…
Dominique Aegerter
The MotoE riders were putting their Energica Ego Corsas to work through three sessions on Wednesday, with the majority of the grid setting their best times in the second or third session.
Matteo Ferrari
For Aegerter, the third session was where he excelled most, and Granado also set his personal best at the end of the day. Ferrari, meanwhile, set his best time in the second session.
Eric Granado
LCR E-Team’s Xavier Simeon was fourth quickest on the combined times as he changes teams for 2020, with the Belgian and Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) the only other riders to get within a second of Aegerter during the test.
Xavier Simeon
Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) and Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) were all within just another tenth though in a tight midfield, with Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) for close company too.
Josh Hook – P9
“First of all, it’s really good to be back. It was a positive day, we have already improved compared to last year and the feeling is good. We’ve made some changes and there are some points we need to improve on but I’m on the right track.”
Josh Hook
Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE) locked out the ten fastest riders on Wednesday and the 2019 race winner will be looking for more this weekend.
Mike Di Meglio
The final session of the day was briefly red-flagged after Alessandro Zaccone (Trentino Gresini MotoE) crashed unhurt, although his Energica Ego Corsa was too damaged to be able for the class rookie to continue. Once the session restarted, Maria Herrera (Openbank Aspar Team) also crashed, and was also unhurt.
Alex de Angelis
The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup begins its second year of competition on Friday at 1950 AEST with FP1 to start preparing for the race on Sunday at 1805.
Coronavirus pandemic puts American squad out of Matterley Basin.
Image: Supplied.
Team USA will be absent from the 2020 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has officially confirmed.
Set to take place between 25-27 September at Matterley Basin in Great Britain, the MXoN will form part of the MXGP season and potentially clash with Lucas Oil Pro Motocross upon its commencement.
“The health of our racers and staff is paramount and current and future global travel restrictions make our involvement in an international event impossible at this time,” said AMA Supercross manager Mike Pelletier. “The US team effort to attend the Motocross of Nations each year is extensive, both financially and logistically.
“Even in normal times, preparing our best effort at this point in the season would be difficult. The AMA takes great pride in competing in the Motocross of Nations each year and we appreciate the commitment of the athletes chosen to represent the United States on the world stage. The AMA looks forward to returning to the Motocross of Nations in 2021 and bringing the Chamberlain Trophy back to US soil.”
The United States team has won the MXoN 22 times and is the all-time leader in overall victories, all of which took place under the direction of the legendary Roger DeCoster. The most recent time Team USA won the event was at Saint Jean d’Angely, France, in 2011 with Ryan Dungey (MXGP), Ryan Villopoto (Open) and Blake Baggett (MX2).
The latest Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor adventure, the Long Way Up, will be shown onApple TV+ in the next few months.
In the third and probably final “Long Way” series, the Brits ride Harley-Davidson electric LiveWire motorcycles from Tierra Del Fuego at the bottom of South Africa to LA.
Apple TV+
There is no date for the series to start, but when it does, you can get a free seven-day trial and binge-watch the series.
If you enjoy Apple TV+ you can then subscribe in Australia for $A7.99 a month.
That’s more than the feature-laden Ultra Limited tourer at $A41,495!
While the specially modified bikes did get the pair to their destination, Ewan admits he ran out of “juice” a couple of times and even had to hitch rides with cars by hanging on to the B pillar.
So, what did they do when they ran out of “juice”, Fallon asked?
“Hope for a hill,” McGregor replies.
“I got towed a couple of times. I was the only one that ran out.
“Charley never ran out of juice and he’ll tell you it’s ’cause he’s a better rider than me and it may well be the case.”
(We suspect Charley did not do his usual frequent wheelies!)
“But I ran out a couple of times, so I’d just hold on to a car.”
Ewan and Charley pack their LiveWire electric bikes
He explains how this stunt was performed and we assume it was at slow speed and could have been using one of the back-up vehicles.
“If you open the back windows and the front of the car you could get your arm around a pillar and you just muscle along like that for a while,” he explains.
Ewan says the first time he saw this done was in New York when he was about 21 or 22 riding in a yellow cab.
“A Harley-Davidson guy — a Hells Angels guy — who’d run out of gas or his bike was broken down clattered into the side of the cab, grabbed hold of the pillar and he shouted the address of the Hells Angels clubhouse to the driver who just took him there and didn’t ask any questions; just drove there like that.
“I think the Hells Angels owe me $5.26.”
Not sure if we believe that, but it’s a great story.
And it sounds like Long Way Up on Apple TV+ will also be another great series.
It’s been a long time between trips for Ewan and Charley.
From 14 April 2004 to 29 July 2004, they rode across Europe and the USA in Long Way Round and from 12 May to 4 August 2007 they rode from the top of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa for Long Way Down.
With Ewan becoming increasingly busy with Hollywood movies, Charley squeezed in the 2006 Dakar rally for his series, Race to Dakar, and has produced several other travel shows.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi has dropped the biggest hint yet surrounding his MotoGP™ future, saying that a move to Petronas Yamaha SRT is “99% certain”. The Doctor looks set to swap places with Fabio Quartararo and join VR46 Academy rider Franco Morbidelli in the Malaysian outfit in 2021.
Honda has just announced significant updates to its high-performance off-road motorcycle lineup, which includes the 2021 Honda CRF450R, CRF450RWE and CRF450RX models. These motocross and off-road competition motorcycles benefit from engine, chassis, suspension, and electronic rider aid updates for model year 2021.
From Press Release:
Nearly two decades after its introduction to the motocross world, Honda’s CRF450R begins a new chapter for 2021, this latest version inspired by a “Razor Sharp Cornering” design philosophy. Already the industry’s top-selling motocross model along with its exclusive CRF450RWE sibling, the CRF450R is guided by three main goals for 2021: improved power (particularly on corner exits), improved handling and more consistent lap times over the course of a tough moto.
Honda’s lightened, latest-generation twin-spar aluminum frame headlines the update list, with changes that reduce lateral rigidity for improved cornering performance and stability. Out back, a new swingarm improves rear traction. The Unicam® engine features updates to the decompression system, intake and exhaust (including a switch from two mufflers to one), resulting in improved low- and midrange performance and a narrower layout. A stouter clutch with hydraulic activation is new, delivering reduced slip and a lighter lever pull for more consistent performance. The new bodywork and seat offer a slimmer, smoother rider interface, as well as simplified maintenance.
“Having already earned a place on the list of all-time successful Honda models, the CRF450R continues to demonstrate Honda’s commitment to winning,” said Lee Edmunds, Senior Manager of Powersports Marketing at American Honda. “With its emphasis on cornering performance, we’re confident that the all-new 2021 model will help Red Riders write their own names in the record books with dominant performances from gate drop to checkered flag.”
Each of the CRF450R’s updates is transferred to the closed-course off-road-focused CRF450RX and the high-spec CRF450RWE motocross machine, which in addition to its already illustrious list of trick parts, features a Twin Air air filter plus Hinson clutch basket and cover for 2021. Benefiting dramatically from the reduced weight and increased attention to low-end power delivery, the CRF450RX adds off-road-focused features and, new for 2021, handguards. The CRF450X, which has amassed an incredible 13 Baja 1000 wins, returns alongside the renamed CRF450RL dual-sport bike, both models adding handguards and updated graphics to an already proven formula. Honda’s mid-displacement ADV, the CB500X, returns in a new Matte Black Metallic color while the TRX®90X sport ATV returns with updated graphics and color-matched front shock springs.
While the focus is on the all-new 2021 CRF450R, Honda is happy to announce that it will continue to offer the 2020 CRF450R—the production version of the factory machine raced by Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen and Justin Brayton this season. Available at a permanent price reduction and made possible through an additional production run, the model is a standout option for customers seeking high performance and a good value.
2021 Honda CRF450R
The industry’s benchmark motocross machine, Honda’s CRF450R has amassed an impressive collection of awards and titles over the years. Rather than rest on its laurels, Honda has gone back to the drawing board for the 2021 model year, endowing the legendary machine with updates aimed at improved power, handling and consistency, with a focus on “Razor Sharp Cornering.” Drawing on lessons learned from Honda Racing Corporation’s global race program, including Team Honda HRC’s AMA Supercross and Motocross efforts, the 2021 CRF450R features engine updates focused on low- to midrange performance, a newly designed chassis with revised rigidity and a slimmer overall package. The combination yields a machine that performs at a high level for the duration of a tough moto.
For motocross enthusiasts who demand the absolute best when it comes to performance, the premium CRF450RWE (“Works Edition”) benefits from the same improvements as the 2021 CRF450R, plus a long list of elite-level updates based on the machines in the Team Honda HRC factory race shop. As with the CRF450R, this model is endowed with important updates aimed at improving power, handling and consistency and—befitting its status as the clear benchmark when it comes to lap times—it boasts additional features aimed at refining power, suspension performance and aesthetics. New for 2021, the CRF450RWE now comes standard with a Hinson clutch basket and cover, as well as a Twin Air air filter.
Ridden by Phoenix Racing Honda, SLR Honda and JCR Honda at the national-championship level, the CRF450RX is well-suited for closed-course off-road competition such as GNCC, WORCS and NGPC. For the 2021 model year, it’s better than ever, getting the same important performance upgrades as the motocross-focused CRF450R and retaining off-road-specific features like dedicated ECU and suspension settings, an 18-inch rear wheel and an aluminum side stand. New for 2021, the CRF450RX comes standard with handguards and a revised 2.1 gallon fuel tank that narrows the bike width at the radiator shrouds. The combination yields a race machine that’s ready to chase arrows and ribbon along trails from coast to coast.
A new initiative for 2020, the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series consists of four Online Challenges in which Gamers will be divided into three categories, depending on their location. These three are the Americas (North and South), Europe and Africa, and finally Asia and Oceania.
The MotoE™ riders were putting their Energica Ego Corsas to work through three sessions on Wednesday, with the majority of the grid setting their best times in the second or third session. For Aegerter, the third session was where he excelled most with Granado also setting his personal best at the end of the day, Ferrari though set his best time in the second time slot.
Ahhhh, my old show-me state has decided if you’re 26 and have health insurance, you don’t have to wear a helmet anymore. I guess I’d still be alive, since I believe I was only 25 when I hit that black ice on the old Katana 550 and cracked my cocoanut hard on the Kansas City pavement.
Details – including a complete lack of objection from the American Motorcyclist Association – here at The Missouri Times.
