MotoGP is go!

Almost 250 days since MotoGP last turned a wheel in competition, the 2020 FIM World Championship season will finally begin this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez–Angel Nieto tonight with the final pre-season test ahead of the season opener. We get a few words from some of the main players ahead of the contest getting underway.

Repsol Honda

Marc Marquez

“First I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped and worked hard during these strange times. Now it is our turn to go back to work, to put on a great show and entertain everyone around the world – give them some excitement and rest in these difficult times. Jerez is a circuit I know well and the test on Wednesday will be important because even though we have been able to ride some motocross and keep our fitness, there is nothing like a MotoGP bike. We need to adapt how we work to stay safe and healthy, but I am really excited to see the team again and enjoy riding the Honda.”

Alex Marquez

“It has been a long wait and there have been some difficult times for everyone, and the most important thing is to extend our thanks to all those who have worked tirelessly to help us return our lives to normal. This is why we will wear the special helmets; it is just a small gesture, but everything helps. Of course, I am very excited to see the team again and finally make my debut in MotoGP, it’s something everyone dreams of. It’s going to be a different weekend, but I think once we begin working on track our focus will shift and we can progress in a good way. The key thing is to take this weekend slow and remain realistic but of course I am excited, I have dreamed of lining up on the MotoGP grid since I was little.”

Monster Energy Yamaha

Maverick Vinales

“I‘m so happy that the wait is over! We ended the winter tests in a positive way. I did a good pre-season, because I was calm and had a good rhythm in both the Malaysia and Qatar Test, so I think I will arrive here in a good shape. But Jerez is a very different kind of track, so we will have to see tomorrow what the current situation is really like. I can’t wait to be back on the bike, full throttle, and have that ‘race feeling’. It’s also great to be back with the team, because I missed them so much. One thing we know for sure: all the fans will be watching the Spanish GP from home, so I want to do everything I can during the test to get ready for a good battle for the victory or a podium on Sunday. Let‘s make this a season full of good memories!”

Valentino Rossi

“Finally we can enjoy MotoGP again! Sincerely, it‘s a great relief for me, because I missed my M1 a lot, and I think the fans will also be very happy. Tomorrow we’ll start with the first test sessions in Jerez. The steps we made in Sepang and Losail during the pre-season were positive, but that‘s quite a long time ago now. We still have to be organised and work hard tomorrow to start the Spanish GP with a good understanding and a good feeling. Anyway, I‘m ready to start this new season with my team. We will do our best!”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha Team Director

“It‘s a special and exciting moment: we are about to restart the 2020 MotoGP season. A lot of people within our team and also of other organisations have worked around the clock to make this happen, and we are all very thankful to them. The operations within the paddock will be slightly different, following the Covid-19 prevention measurements guidelines. This may take some getting used to, but change can be good. During lockdown we have taken the opportunity to analyse how we communicate in the garage, and we think that the amendments we‘ve made since then could be improvements that we should keep even when the Covid-19 prevention measurements guidelines become less strict. We will get our first try tomorrow, so then we will know more. In any case, it‘s positive that we have the opportunity to start the race weekend off with two test sessions prior to the two free practice sessions on Friday. That will be useful for the riders so they can get their confidence and speed back after such a long period of not being able to ride their M1s. Maverick and Vale are both fired up and ready to hop onto their bikes, and also the rest of the team is impatient to get started and do what we love the most, so let‘s go!”

Team Ducati

Andrea Dovizioso

“Finally, it’s the time that all of us riders have been waiting for months. The World Championship begins, and this is great news for everyone! After the collarbone operation, I continued to work hard to try to get as ready as possible for the Spanish GP. I feel pretty good, my feelings are positive, but until I get in the saddle of the Desmosedici GP, I don’t know what my real conditions are. We will have to get used to the heat of Jerez and, given the short schedule, it will be even more important to be constant and make no mistakes. In any case, being able to see the team and to compete is what I want most right now! Let the action begin!”

Danilo Petrucci

“The wait is over! I have missed my team and my bike a lot during these months! It will be a strange championship: the atmosphere in the paddock is very different from the one we are normally used to, but we know that our fans will also support us from home and for this we will give our best as always! The last time I got in the saddle of the Desmosedici GP bike was at the end of February, so in addition to Wednesday’s test, every minute out on track will be precious to be able to find the feeling with the asphalt. We will be in Jerez for two consecutive weekends, so it will be doubly important to be able to get good results this weekend. I’m very motivated and can’t wait to get out on track and get back to work!”

Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team

Franco Morbidelli

“It is great to start the season having extended my contract with the team, especially after the long wait for the first GP. The target is going to be to get used to the rhythm again and to be as fast as we were in the pre-season tests in Qatar and Malaysia. We need to get up to speed quickly as there isn’t too much time before the race on Sunday to get familiar with the bike again. Every race in MotoGP is challenging but this one will be challenging for different reasons. It’s going to be the same for everyone though so there isn’t going to be any advantages or disadvantages for anyone. Last year I was able to start second and I was happy with the speed I had and my qualifying performance. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen this year! Over the past few weeks I’ve been training a lot in Tavullia and I feel ready to go racing again. I’m just looking forward to starting again. I was looking forward to the start of the season in February and now even more!”

Fabio Quartararo

“Jerez is a track I like and last year I had my first pole position there, so I will be doing my best to get the best result possible. But we need to go step-by-step and build up the feeling before giving 100% in qualifying. I’ve been cardio training a lot during lockdown and even in the last few weeks I haven’t trained a lot on the bike because I don’t want to take too many risks. I’m feeling prepared for the race though and I remember the last run I did with the YZR-M1 at the Qatar test was a race simulation and I was feeling confident. I can’t wait to be back and have this great sensation again. The target for the test will be get back on the bike, get the feeling back and prepare for racing again. It’s going to feel so good to be back on the bike after such a long time without my race bike.”

Team Suzuki

Alex Rins

“I feel good, more prepared than ever. I’ve trained throughout lockdown and I feel ready to start, I’m really pumped and looking forward to it. The Jerez layout is spectacular, with a lot of fast corners, and I always feel good riding here. It’s been a long time without riding the MotoGP bike, although I have trained with my GSX-R1000, so let’s see how it goes. During the test day I will try to re-establish the feeling and then work on setup.”

Joan Mir

“Physically I feel really good; having this extra time has allowed me to train more and to participate in one of my passions, which is motocross. I’ve been able to train more than usual and to increase my level, which has improved my fitness because motocross is very tough on the body. I’ve also been spending time in the gym and building my strength. Over the years I’ve improved my performance at Jerez, and it’s a track that I enjoy a lot, so I hope to get a good result here. At the test on Wednesday we will reconfirm the settings and it will be important to find the rhythm, the aim is to be competitive from Friday onwards.”

Davide Brivio – Team Suzuki Manager

“We’re very happy to begin the championship, even though it’s a strange feeling to start in July. Like everybody, we have to see the effect of this long break because it won’t be easy for the riders, who haven’t ridden competitively for several months. Our GSX-RR was strong in the winter tests, and we’re interested to see what our level is now. The season will be shorter, but I expect it will be very exciting, and the main protagonists will likely be the same as always. Alex and Joan have done as much training as possible during this period, and they are fit, ready and keen. Let’s see how the weekend goes! As always in MotoGP, I think we’ll see a great show.”

Red Bull KTM

Pol Espargaro

“I think for all the Spanish riders it is important – and nice – to start racing at Jerez, even if the stands will be empty. It will be strange and even painful to see because emotions at Jerez are usually so big. Anyway, I think Dorna have done an amazing job to get this organized so soon after the COVID-19 confinement and we are all looking forward to starting. It is going to be a tricky year and very different to past seasons but we are all excited to feel that racing spirit and the nerves on the racetrack again.”

Brad Binder

“I’m really happy to be back to racing. It’ll be challenging with the protocol and how we approach the whole weekend but at the same time I’m super-excited to get started. Two races back-to-back is like a blessing and a curse at the same time. It’s cool to have that second chance to go back and redo the Grand Prix and find a feeling you might have from FP1 but it is also nice sometimes to reset on a Monday after the race and think ahead to another challenge. However, this will be good for me – the chance to have extra time.”

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsports Director

“We’re really excited that we can finally get back to the racetrack; it was even emotional to watch our trucks heading out of the motorsport headquarters to make their way to Spain and we’re looking forward to following them. We have to thank Dorna and everybody who worked to make this first Grand Prix possible. There was a huge effort behind it and now there is a lot of excitement to begin. We cannot wait for Jerez now, especially because we have four brand new bikes which we haven’t race yet and we have four healthy and hungry riders. I hope they can have a great first race and then for the rest of the calendar that follows.”

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager

“It will be a special season this year and a very different way to start with two back-to-back races at the same track. It won’t be a disadvantage for the rookies because they will have more time to learn and potentially perform even better at the second attempt. It is important that the riders stay healthy in the short calendar we have. I think we have done the maximum we could with tests in Red Bull Ring and Misano. The riders are motivated, so we’ll go to Jerez and see what the outcome is.”

Red Bull KTM Tech3

Miguel Oliveira

“I feel very happy and obviously I’m excited to come back to racing. Jerez has always been a very special round for me, because it’s the closest I have from home. This year, it’s going to be extra special as we are coming back to competition. I’m just glad, happy and very, very excited to see all the guys again and get back to work on a different weekend without fans in the grandstands, with a lot of restrictions, but racing-wise we hope for best and we will do our maximum as always, hoping to make everybody proud.”

Iker Lecuona

“I’m super happy to finally kick off the season. The situation is going to be very different compared to normal championships and the years before for everybody, but I’m still glad, and proud that I can compete in the top class, eventually enter my first year with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team and the RC16 bike. Yet, I’m more than ready to start.”

Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“Finally, we are on our way to Jerez for the start of the 2020 MotoGP season. It’s been a long time since we had our last race in Valencia 2019. There have been so many things happening since then, so to head to Jerez is like a dream and like a gift, something that looked like almost impossible three months ago. It’s a sweet feeling. We just can’t wait to commence with testing on Wednesday. We could see that the MotoGP community always sticks together. All of us, FIM, MSMA, Dorna, IRTA, we all worked very hard to create this protocol that allows us to have a proper championship. We will face a brand-new scenario with two races in a row on the same circuit. We will have to think of 13 races almost back-to-back, so clearly, there will be some different strategies, some different ways to approach in order to keep the riders mentally strong and physically fit. But before thinking about this, I would like to finally arrive in the Jerez paddock and meet everyone, although I know it’s going to be a bit difficult, because we have to keep social distances. Anyway, I can’t wait to see everyone and start working, doing what is our job, but also our passion. As a KTM team we’ve been lucky that concessions gave us the possibility to do a two days test in June with our two riders, Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona. The test went really well. Miguel did the fastest lap and the overall feeling of the four KTM riders was very positive. As I said, I can’t wait to be in Jerez, to see our riders again and to start everything. That’s the spirit we are in at the moment.”

2020 MotoGP Calendar

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

2020 Jerez MotoGP Schedule (AEST)

Source: MCNews.com.au