2021 MotoGP Round Five Le Mans

Jerez race winner Jack Miller joined the traditional pre-race conference ahead of the SHARK Grand Prix de France overnight alongside new Championship leader and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, home heroes Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing).

Jack Miller

“It’s a whole mix of everything you know, relief, but also it makes you more eager for the next one. At the end of the day, bike racers we’re always looking for what’s next and what we can try to do more, you know, we always want more so for sure just looking at coming here and trying to do a strong weekend like we did in Spain. I mean it’s been a pretty calm week to be honest, I’ve just stuck to what we’ve been doing the last few and just been training and doing what I can. Thankfully there was some decent weather in Spain and Andorra over the week and I was able to get out on the bicycle but doesn’t look like we will have much of that this weekend! I think we’re prepared for all conditions that are coming this weekend. I’ve been known to be pretty good in the wet so if that comes it comes, I feel like I’ve got a score to settle with Le Mans, you know after last year.

“You know I have a kind of love-hate relationship with France, with Le Mans especially. I’ve had a win here in Moto3, but I nearly died here at Turn 1, and then last year I did feel like I died as well, when the bike cut out with like seven to go! I think we’ve got a good package as the boys said, we’ve all been there or thereabout, I think whether it comes in Le Mans, I think it would be better in Mugello, but I think we have a good chance of locking out the podium!”

Francesco Bagnaia

“I’m the leader for just 10 days so I don’t know. It’s good, it’s nice but we have only done four races so it’s too soon to think about it. We just thinking race by race, this is a track that I like. I did three podiums here, one in Moto3 and a victory and second in Moto2 and it’s a track that suits our bike very well. I’m prepared to ride here but we need to see the weather forecast, because it looks like it will be rain and in the wet I’ve done just six races, I think, in all categories in MotoGP, so let’s wait. Last year I struggled in the second part of the race, after 12/13 laps because at the start I started well but I was behind, then I recovered positions to 8th, 9th and then they came back. In the wet our bike is very strong, but it’s not easy with these tyres because they give you a lot of grip and it’s not easy to manage.

“I think that all three of us Ducati riders will be hoping that in every track it will be good. It’s difficult to predict a race in the wet, we have to wait until Sunday to see if we can be as competitive as Jerez. But I think our bike can be very suited to all the tracks, now we can ride it in a different way and different styles and it works very well, so I think we can be very strong this year.”

Fabio Quartararo

“It was pretty frustrating during the race and you have the pace to do it, but you don’t have the power. Every single lap you have more difficulties to brake until the moment you just have normal power. There was still more than 10 laps remaining. The first moment was losing the opportunity to win, but then it was just trying to finish the race in the points. So it was the right time to have a second surgery on the arm. I’m feeling great, the scar is stretching a little bit. I can’t wait for tomorrow to ride. I’m feeling great and I don’t think there will be any issues while riding.

“I’m really looking forward to testing the bike in the wet. Last year was a little bit strange because the really wet conditions, we only really had it on the Sunday, also FP1, but yeah. I’m feeling great in the dry conditions in every single track so I’m excited to test it in the wet, I hope it’s working as, you know, two years ago I was always feeling really good with the bike. I think this feeling is going to be well, a great opportunity to ride in the wet, not just in one session but for all the weekend. And yeah, just want to take as much experience as I can and to do my best.”

Johann Zarco

“In Jerez I got a few points, and it was good enough for me, but with the high potential of the Ducati, and the victory of Jack, the second place of Pecco in Jerez, the leadership of Pecco, it really gives high motivation also to do a great result here in France. As Pecco says the tracks fit the bike well here, or better than Jerez. In Jerez, the pace was interesting of the Ducati, so I’m pretty happy to have this package with me. We don’t have the fans, we are used to almost, and it’s on some side sad, because less funny things around the track but to stay focused and almost get the weekend as a normal weekend, that’s pretty good so for the work and for the target to be on podium, it can help.

“I think it would be nice to share a podium if we have the possibility, all three together. Anyway from the beginning of the season we could see that we could be at the top of the race, but the beginning was I could stay in front and then it was Pecco and Jack, and we still did not share it all together and that would be just awesome for Ducati and good for us also because as we can see we have, I think good spirit together, and this gives good motivation so just cross fingers to get it.”

MotoGP Championship Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Five Le Mans

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Valentino Rossi only has four-points to his name from the first four round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship thus both himself and his loyal horde of followers will be hoping for a significant turn around in form when MotoGP visits France this weekend.

Rossi went down on the opening lap at a wet Le Mans last year, and it is also forecast to be wet this weekend.

Valentino does hold an enviable record at Le Mans though, with the most recent of his 13 MotoGP/500cc podiums at the circuit – of which three were victories – occurring in 2018. That year (2018), Rossi took four podiums and finished the championship in third place.

Rossi’s first premier class victory at Le Mans was in 2002 while he also took the top step in 2005 and 2008.

Rossi has not scored a podium since Jerez last year, where the veteran carded a third place. The MotoGP Legend has been on a tally of 199 podium finishes since then, teetering on that amazing double-century threshold…

The majority of Rossi’s podiums in MotoGP have of course come with Yamaha, 142 and counting. With Honda Rossi achieved 54 on his way to three titles, while at Ducati Rossi celebrated only three podium finishes from his two years and 35 starts on the Desmosedici in 2011 and 2012, two of which were actually at Le Mans.

Rossi was able to enjoy a successful one-day test last week at Jerez, which saw him make improvements with the race pace and the feeling of his Yamaha YZR-M1. He will be hoping that these improvements bear fruit in France this weekend.

Valentino Rossi

“Undoubtedly this weekend I want to be stronger, recover positions and be faster compared to the last round in Jerez. Last year I was strong in the dry conditions in Le Mans, I was fast and had a good race pace, but it started to rain just before the race and I crashed on the first corner. It’s a great track, with a lot of changes in direction due to the chicanes and I like it a lot. With good grip and strong acceleration, it is a really nice track to ride. We hope that we can have good weather from FP1 until the end of the race. We had a good test last week in Jerez, where we were able to improve different aspects and I hope that we see this also at Le Mans.”

MotoGP Championship Standings

Pos	Rider	Bike	Points
1	Francesco BAGNAIA	Ducati	66
2	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	64
3	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	50
4	Joan MIR	Suzuki	49
5	Johann ZARCO	Ducati	48
6	Jack MILLER	Ducati	39
7	Aleix ESPARGARO	Aprilia	35
8	Franco MORBIDELLI	Yamaha	33
9	Alex RINS	Suzuki	23
10	Brad BINDER	KTM	21
11	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	19
12	Enea BASTIANINI	Ducati	18
13	Jorge MARTIN	Ducati	17
14	Pol ESPARGARO	Honda	17
15	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	16
16	Stefan BRADL	Honda	11
17	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	9
18	Alex MARQUEZ	Honda	8
19	Danilo PETRUCCI	KTM	5
20	Luca MARINI	Ducati	4
21	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	4
22	Lorenzo SAVADORI	Aprilia	2
23	Iker LECUONA	KTM	2
24	Tito RABAT	Ducati	0

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Five Le Mans

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It’s off to the Le Mans circuit in France for the fifth chapter of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship. Best known for hosting the 24-hour race, the French track has been a happy hunting ground for the Repsol Honda Team in recent years. In 2019, Marc Marquez claimed Honda’s 300th premier class win as he took his first back-to-back wins of the season. Then in 2020, rookie Alex Marquez put on a masterful wet-weather performance to earn his debut MotoGP podium in Repsol Honda Team colours.

Marc Marquez’s return to Jerez was positive as he reduced the distance to the race winner after a complicated weekend. Continuing this trend of closing the gap to the front is again Marquez’s primary objective for the weekend as his recovery and return to competition moves forward. In previous visits to Le Mans Marquez has achieved four podium finishes, including three wins.

With inclement weather forecast for much of the weekend it will be a fine line between risk and reward that must be trod by all competitors, but when returning from injury those risks are somewhat magnified.  With the difficulty that RC213V riders have been experiencing with the new Michelin asymettic front slicks, perhaps a wet race might actually help the Honda riders this weekend…

Marc Marquez

“It has been a good week between races, I have been able to rest and continue my training and recovery. The goal for this weekend is to have less complications and continue working to improve. Step by step we are getting stronger and our goal is to continue the progress we have been making. The weather in Le Mans can always make things a little bit tricky but we will handle whatever happens.”

MotoGP Championship Standings

Pos	Rider	Bike	Points
1	Francesco BAGNAIA	Ducati	66
2	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	64
3	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	50
4	Joan MIR	Suzuki	49
5	Johann ZARCO	Ducati	48
6	Jack MILLER	Ducati	39
7	Aleix ESPARGARO	Aprilia	35
8	Franco MORBIDELLI	Yamaha	33
9	Alex RINS	Suzuki	23
10	Brad BINDER	KTM	21
11	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	19
12	Enea BASTIANINI	Ducati	18
13	Jorge MARTIN	Ducati	17
14	Pol ESPARGARO	Honda	17
15	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	16
16	Stefan BRADL	Honda	11
17	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	9
18	Alex MARQUEZ	Honda	8
19	Danilo PETRUCCI	KTM	5
20	Luca MARINI	Ducati	4
21	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	4
22	Lorenzo SAVADORI	Aprilia	2
23	Iker LECUONA	KTM	2
24	Tito RABAT	Ducati	0

Source: MCNews.com.au

Jerez MotoGP Test

MotoGP riders and teams stayed on at Jerez on Monday for an official test session and it was Maverick Viñales that, as he does so often, topped the test with a 1:36.879. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider putting in a characteristically busy day at the office as he did 101 laps. 

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was second just 0.034 back, with Joan Mir making it two Suzukis in the top three although the reigning Champion was four tenths off Viñales as the duo on top pulled clear.

Yamaha were represented by Viñales, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Valentino Rossi ((Petronas Yamaha SRT) as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sat the test out following his arm pump troubles on Sunday.  Still, it was a busy day. Adding to Viñales’ full century at the top of the timesheets, in which the number 12 went a few tenths quicker than qualifying, Morbidelli did 67 laps and was P9; Rossi 73 laps for P12.

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“First of all, I want to say that the team is obviously sad that Fabio couldn‘t attend the test today. However, as stated before, his health is the most important thing to us. Following his arm pump problem in yesterday‘s race, Fabio will get a medical check-up and more news should follow soon. In the meantime, we had a full day of riding to do here in Jerez. Maverick‘s Spanish GP was compromised by a turning issue. Today we spent a good amount of time looking into that area and we saw clear improvement. He also did a good long run in the afternoon and completed a total of 101 laps, far more than any other rider. We finished the test on top, which is positive, but the main thing we got out of this test is an increased confidence with the bike for Maverick – this is something really important for the upcoming race in Le Mans. We know that the Bugatti circuit fits the characteristics of our bike well, so we are hoping for a good race weekend there.”

Maverick Vinales – P1

“We didn‘t try any new parts. I was just trying to give a bit more and learn about myself, trying to brake a little bit later. It seemed to be working. I was really good in the morning, the conditions were amazing, so we could ride very fast. In the afternoon the conditions were a bit more tricky, but we were still riding very fast. I did a long run, and I was actually quite happy. So, I‘m quite confident for Le Mans, because I think today we found what I needed in Portimao and here in Jerez. I have more confidence with the bike now. I did more laps and adapted a little bit more. I just feel good now. I think in Le Mans we can concentrate on being a bit faster.”

Fresh from his podium finish yesterday, Morbidelli’s day began in the second hour of the test, when the track opened again following an early red flag stoppage. With a new front fender and new swingarm to try, the Italian got down to work, completing 31 laps before the lunch break. Franco was also able to assess new front fork settings, with the aim of improving the stopping capability of the bike. Completing a further 36 laps after in the final two hours after his lunch break, bringing his total to 67, Morbidelli ended the test ninth with a best time of 1min 37.627secs.

Franco Morbidelli – P9

“We had the opportunity today to work with some new parts and provide my feedback on them, which is nice, but we mostly focused on trying to improve the braking. It was an area that I didn’t have a perfect feeling with, so it was something we could look to better and I think we have found something today that has improved my feeling under braking, so this is good. I hope that the things that we have found here also work in Le Mans. It will be important to do a good job there and I hope that we continue to be strong going forwards, I will be trying my best to be.”

Team-mate Rossi also began his Jerez test once the red flag period was over and, like Morbidelli, he could also test the new front fender and new swingarm on his Yamaha YZR-M1 throughout the day. In addition to this Valentino was able to evaluate settings on the electronic side of the bike. Ahead of the mid-session lunch break the Italian had completed 36 laps, before taking to the track again with under three hours on the clock. At the end of the test Rossi had improved upon his personal best of the last 4 days, setting a 1min 37.700secs, and made a big step forward with his race pace. He completed a total of 73 laps, 37 in the afternoon, and was the 12th fastest rider.

Valentino Rossi – P12

“Today was a good test for me because we improved the feeling with the bike, the pace with the race tyre and in the time attack. It was a long day because the conditions were good, so we did a lot of laps. The team and I worked on the balance of the bike, the settings and we can see the improvements, as I was better under braking and in corner entry. We also have some other new bits for the bike, which is good and helps. I’m happy because we were able to improve today, after a difficult weekend, and I have a much better feeling with the bike. It is just a one-day test, we need to see what happens at Le Mans but I am leaving here with a good feeling.”

Rins led the Suzuki charge and despite finishing the test just after lunchtime, the Spaniard put in 59 laps. Once again, he was testing the “possible” 2022 engine that he, teammate Mir and test rider Sylvain Guintoli tested in Qatar. He also worked on improving on used tyres, impressed with the pace as it was a step up on the weekend. He headed to Barcelona for a check up on his shoulder in the afternoon. Mir did 64 laps.

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager

“Today has been useful; we got good feedback from the riders and we found improvements, which is always the goal of a test day. We feel pleased because we think we’ve found some steps for the next races and also useful information for the future. Both riders put in a lot of laps and their times are strong, so we leave here feeling satisfied.”

Alex Rins – P2

“Today was a good day for us, we tried several things, including trying the 2022 engine. I was happy and confident with the bike and pleased with how everything went. We also worked on the set-up in terms of suspension and a few small things, and I feel like we’ve improved our base. I was able to set fast times even on used tyres, faster than yesterday, so I’m happy with the result.”

Joan Mir – P3

“Honestly, I think we had a great day, we did a lot of work and I’m feeling happy. We tried the 2022 engine again and we found what we expected – that it’s not massively different but it’s an improvement, and the characteristics were what we expected. We took a lot of useful information. I also tried different geometry on the bike to try and get better feeling from the front of the bike, and I’m happy with what we’ve done. My lap times were pretty nice, and it’s been a very useful day.”

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was the top Honda in the test as he was on race day, both times in fourth. He did 71 laps. Five different aero packages were seen at Honda between him, eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez, which gained a few glances up and down pitlane.

Nakagami tried aero, but then mainly focused on setup. He said he was more consistent and really comfortable, looking forward to Le Mans, and that the 2020 chassis is working well. He also warned against seeing that change back as something signifying the new chassis was negative.

Takaaki Nakagami – P4

“Today was a busy test day, we tried many new items and a different set-up of the bike. It was a really good test for us and many things worked pretty well. The feeling on the bike is much better than on Sunday, so I’m happy about the performance. The lap time is much more consistent and the feeling is better, so I think we’re ready for the next race in Le Mans.”

Teammate Alex Marquez also felt he made improvements on Monday, and did 75 laps to end the day in P15. That was just ahead of Marc Marquez as the eight-time World Champion only did seven laps, feeling some after effects of his crashes during the weekend.

Álex Márquez – P15

“Today we tried a lot of things and we worked so hard from 10:15 in the morning to 18:00 in the evening to improve. It’s true that we found something compared to the GP and we were able to improve the rhythm, so this is positive. We tried new aerodynamic package, new parts and a lot things for Honda to give feedback to the factory. It was a long day, a productive day, I would have liked to make a time attack to be further up in the standings, but I think our main priority was to build up the confidence again.” 

Pol Espargaro focused on aero, electronics and ergonomics, things he says seem fairly small but when a rider is adapting to a bike, can make a big difference. He says he’ll remain on the same chassis, as he thinks there remains a good margin of improvement. The number 44 was spotted riding at least three different HRC bikes during the test though – his standard, one with different aero and a completely carbon coloured bike.  Just around midday, Espargaro suffered a fall at Turn 1 but was unharmed and quickly returned to the garage. In the closing hour of the day Espargaro suffered a second fall, avoiding any injury.

Pol Espargaro – P6

“We did 89 laps today; it has been a very busy and productive day for us. We have worked on many things, electronics, aero, ergonomics – they seem simple or small topics but when you’re still new to a bike they can make a big difference together. We have performed well today, I was close to Taka who has been the strongest Honda this weekend so I am happy. No matter what, we have learned a lot today and it has been very good for me to have a day like today where we can ride and try things without the pressure of a race weekend. Now we look to Le Mans.”

The day in Jerez was short for Marc Marquez, completing seven laps over two runs before calling an end to his test. After a physically demanding weekend, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team elected to focus on his continued recovery and allow the maximum amount of time to prepare for the French GP.

Marc Marquez – P16

“Today we didn’t really test, just one run because on the second run my body was already locking up. My neck and my right shoulder were stiff, it’s similar to after Portimao but I was not as locked up as I was after Portugal. The crash I had on Saturday didn’t help with my physical condition. I thought that maybe today when my body had warmed up it would be better, and I could try but straight away I could tell I wasn’t at a good level for riding. We spoke as a team and decided to stop the test, we need to understand that we’re improving step by step and the next target is Le Mans where we will try to improve again.”

At Ducati, most recent race winner Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was straight back to work on Monday as he and World Championship-leading teammate Francesco Bagnaia completed a combined total of 84 laps, one day after securing the Bologna factory’s first 1-2 since Brno 2018. Bagnaia was tenth, Miller in P18.

Francesco Bagnaia – P10

“It has been a very positive day. Finally, we completed some work that has been pending since the last pre-season test in Qatar. We completed the entire programme today and were able to close the day early. Today, my pace was good, so I’m satisfied with the job done and ready for the next race at Le Mans”.

Jack Miller – P18

“After the race, there is always a lot of rubber on the ground, and the conditions are always favourable to have a test day. Also, the weather today allowed us to work well. We focused on some aspects that we normally don’t have time to work on during the weekend: we repeated tests and tried different setups to understand which one works best. It’s always important to do these double-checks and, above all, we gathered a lot of useful information. Now we will have a few days to rest, but I can’t wait to get back on track at Le Mans“.

Zarco was the fastest Borgo Panigale machine, however, putting in 75 laps. The Frenchman said he was focusing a lot on suspension rather than new parts, looking for a way to get the full potential of the new bike. Stand-in teammate Tito Rabat also tested on Monday, P20 after 65 laps. Rookie Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) moved up into eighth after 66 laps after a good day’s work, with Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) in P13 after 54 laps.

Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder said the key focus at KTM was about the tyres

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager

“This test day was really important. We had a big agenda and many ideas from the company. The hours were just flying by and all the riders did some fine work. We had a big ‘menu’ of test items for the chassis and we worked a lot on electronics and the suspension also. I think we did a good job and hopefully we can get the benefit out of it in France. Thanks to the factory for the big effort to keep giving us solutions and to both teams for pushing all the way through this week in Jerez.”

Sebastian Risse – KTM Technical Coordinator MotoGP

“I think overall we can say we had a pretty good day. There were quite a few items piling up in the last few weeks because neither the tracks nor the situations allowed us to test during a GP weekend. So, we were looking forward to this opportunity here to work through a wide range of things for the bike. There was a lot and I think each rider found some positives. We did not have time to give everybody everything yet so we will put together a plan to do that in the coming GPs. Of course, only a race scenario can show where we really are but I think we have some more tools at our disposal for the next rounds.”

Oliveira was trying to make changes to make the bike work better on the softer front without compromising their existing positives. He found an improvement in pace and was pretty positive. Oliveira was top KTM in P7 after 72 laps.

Miguel Oliveira – P7

“We took profit of the day to look at different solutions on the bike set-up and the soft front tyre and medium rear; as we would in a race simulation. We had many good laps. It was important to understand how to use soft compounds and our front feeling while also trying not to lose with the modifications we’ve already made to gain an advantage. We want to keep the positive characteristics of the bike.”

Binder repeated Oliveira’s words that the focus was on making the softer tyre work, purposefully staying away from using the harder front that normally suits them better. He said they found something that seemed to make life a little easier and ended the day in P11 after 66 laps.

Brad Binder – P11

“We had a busy day. We wanted to work more with the softer front tyre and think ahead to some of the tracks ahead. We did our homework and I’m definitely happy with some of the conclusions we reached to try and make life a bit easier for us. A lot of laps! We had a couple of small new things and managed to assess those. The best part of a test is that you can see which ideas work and which ones don’t. We got some good information for the guys.”

Danilo Petrucci in the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing ranks was seen sporting a different tank/seat area, the Italian seemingly trying some ergonomics to improve his feeling on the RC16. He was P19 after 63 laps, teammate Iker Lecuona 64 in P16.

Danilo Petrucci – P19

“We tried a different balance of the bike to make the rear tyre work a bit better. Especially in the latter part of the race we feel good, when the tyre is already worn a bit, also in braking. But we can’t really use the rear tyre when we have some extra traction in the beginning, which means that in Qualifying we struggle quite a bit and also the first part of the race yesterday has been pretty difficult. Overall today I understood the bike more, although I didn’t find what I was looking for. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to Le Mans, which is a track that I was on the podium the last three years. I hope there, we can find a good way.”

Iker Lecuona – P16

“The target was to improve and trying to adapt myself and also the bike to the soft tyre. today I struggled a bit but, finally, with the team we tried many things on the base and I managed to be quicker. Also, our pace was better than during the race. In general, I think we were working very well today. We will see what happens in Le Mans, but for the moment I’m fairly satisfied.”

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro had a tougher day at the office following his closest ever finish to the MotoGP winner, crashing early and then calling an early end to his test not long after, feeling under the weather after the incident although not sustaining any injuries. He ultimately did 12 laps and was P14. Lorenzo Savadori did 54 laps, however, and completed the timesheets.

MotoGP will reconvene next in two weeks time for round five at Le Mans.

Official Jerez MotoGP Test Times

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Four – Jerez
Gran Premio Red Bull de España
MotoGP Rider Quotes

Jack Miller – P1

“So, where do start on that one? From when the chequered flag dropped – well, maybe a corner or two before that to be honest – I was on this massive rollercoaster of emotions. One minute crying like a baby, the next one fist-pumping and high-fiving everyone in sight. The feelings are hard to put into words really. So I’ll do my best – and I better do it quick because my voice is pretty much gone after talking for the last two hours solid, and it’ll be completely gone by tomorrow I’d reckon.

“It’s been a long time – I was told the win at Assen 2016 was my 25th MotoGP race, today was my 103rd. The last time I won was a big old shock in the wet, I was a kid really … this one, I’ve worked my arse off so much since to arrive here and get this, so it means so much.

“Everyone at Ducati has had my back despite me being well off my best this year until this weekend, and I can’t tell you how much that means. Of course you hear the noise from the outside, and believe me I was desperate to do well. Nobody can put more pressure on me than I do on myself, it’s just the way I am. I want to do well for me, for the team, and get the results I believe I can achieve. So for everyone at Ducati to stick with me, be there for the bad and all of that, makes the good even better for me and I hope for them as well. It feels amazing to get a 1-2 here with my teammate Pecco (Bagnaia), it’d been a long time since Ducati won here, Loris Capirossi in 2006. I was 11 at the time! So, that’s a fair way to snap a drought!

“It’s hard to be too reflective so soon after a win, but what this weekend does show me was that the approach I took for Jerez paid off. I came here wanting to be quiet and put my head down, work away methodically in FP1 on Friday and FP4 before qualifying just to do laps on my own, do my own thing. So when Fabio (Quartararo) started to come back to me in the race, and I knew I wasn’t under pressure from behind and sitting in second, it was time to go for it. Get out front, do the laps like I’d done them in practice, put my head down. I’d done the time out there by myself, and now it was time to repeat that. There were a lot of laps left – nine I think it was – and that’s a long time to be out the front by yourself when there’s that much on the line. But you’ve got to have a crack at it, don’t you? I don’t think I’ve ever ridden that precise in my entire life, 25 laps in a row like that felt fantastic.

“I’ve never won a race like that in my life, they’ve always been battles or something like that at the last corner. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to do the old Jorge Lorenzo-style race, get out the front and cruise home the last five laps, so I’m glad I did that – but it’s not as easy as it looks. The more time you have to think, the more you can trip yourself up.

“To hear everyone clapping and applauding in the pit lane when I came back in after the race, that’s one of the biggest memories I’ll have from today. I try to be a genuine person, try to be happy and say hello to everyone, and maybe this connection means something … I feel like there’s a lot of people who want me to do well. I don’t try to be anyone else, just be me and hopefully people like that. Some of them might not, but that’s OK, I’ll just be genuine. So coming back into the pit lane, seeing all these people who were happy for me for just being me … that was awesome.

“Winning takes a bit of a load off, but we learned something this weekend about how to work and that’s what we need to do week after week now, because we know it works. But that’s for Le Mans in a couple of weeks. We have a test here at Jerez on Monday and there might be a few beers going down at some stage in the next little while too. I want to thank everyone for their support and I’ll try to do it again soon.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P2

“Today in the race, I felt really comfortable riding the Desmosedici GP bike, thanks to the great work done with my team over the weekend. I started to push after the first four laps not to stress the rear tyre too much: my pace was good and allowed me to catch up with my opponents and pass them. In the end, I was even catching Jack, but with two laps to go, I preferred to defend the second place. Today’s result is really incredible, and I hope we can continue like this in the next races, which will be held on tracks favourable to our bike. Tomorrow we will have another day of testing, so we have to stay focused”.

Franco Morbidelli – P3

“It was an incredible race and I was able to push so hard throughout the entire race. This morning my Crew Chief Ramon [Forcada] was able to work a bit of magic to increase our grip and improve my feeling on the bike. The whole team has done a wonderful job this weekend and it meant that I was able to ride really strong and aggressively. I’m really pleased with this result and that I could reward the team with this podium. It feels wonderful to back up there, especially as the championship is a lot tougher this year, it is very competitive. I’m enjoying this moment a lot and I hope it continues in the next races.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P4

“I’m really happy about my performance during the race. I had a good start and from the beginning to the end I gave my best. We had good pace, really consistent and I’m happy about that myself, but we missed another podium chance, only by six tenths so I have mixed feelings. The team looks really happy and it was a good weekend, we were really consistent and P4 is a great result for me and the team. I’m really looking forward to the next race in Le Mans. We need to carry on like this, we’ve definitely found good pace.”

Joan Mir – P5

“For sure I expected more from this race, but I gave 100 per cent. It’s easy to say now ‘maybe we should’ve changed this or that’ but in reality you’ll never know if these things would’ve helped. After all I was competitive and I fought for the podium, and I wasn’t far away from that, so I’m satisfied with the work done here in Jerez. This isn’t the best track for us and the hot conditions made things harder too, but I’m glad to take the points for 5th place and we’ll look to improve again in Le Mans and hope to get some stronger results in the next races.”

Aleix Espargaro – P6

“I’m happy with the solidity we are demonstrating. I managed the race well, with a good start and maintaining my position in the early stages. The pace was extremely high. I didn’t have a lot of grip, so I had to change my riding style a bit, lifting the bike up and not fully exploiting the RS-GP’s extraordinary cornering capabilities. I was in the leading group until overtaking Fabio. It took me a bit longer than expected and that cost me a couple of seconds which turned out to be decisive. Not too bad. We continue racking up points and our gap has never been so consistently narrow. I also had some problems with my right forearm in the finale. It will need to be checked and managed in the best possible way.”

Maverick Vinales – P7

“Our rhythm was quite good, but everyone was going very fast, and it was very close in terms of lap times, so if you don‘t start at the front it‘s going to be a hard race. If we had started from the front, it would have been a different kind of race. But we did have a problem in the slower corners, and that‘s something we need to work on. On the rest of the track the bike was fantastic, but I had to brake really early to turn, and I lost too much in that area. I think if we solve that, the bike will be fantastic, so overall we are on a good level.”

Johann Zarco – P8

“We brought home eight important points. I committed a few mistakes at the start of the race and in the first corners, but the race-pace was good nonetheless and so I don’t want to complain. I want to congratulate the Ducati team who have done an incredible job, I am very happy for Jack and Pecco, they deserve this!”

Marc Marquez – P9

“Of course today we would have liked to be further ahead but we should be happy. In Portimao we finished 13 seconds behind the leader and here only ten, this is the main target. Like in Portimao I felt strong in the middle of the race, but I lost some time at the start and the end of the race and overall I felt like we have made a big step compared to our last race. I can now understand more about the bike. Tonight we will decide if I will test tomorrow, it is important to do some laps if we can to keep understanding everything with the team. It hasn’t been the best weekend in Jerez, but an important step and I want to say a big thank you to Honda and my team this weekend for their incredible work.”

Pol Espargaro – P10

“It wasn’t a good race for us speaking honestly, we had much better pace in FP4 and in Warm Up where I was feeling a lot better. The traction on the circuit was less than in the morning and I never really felt comfortable in my race pace, I was pushing and on the limit a lot. I finished just behind Marc, but it isn’t where I want to be. We get some points for tenth but 11 seconds away from first is too much. We have a full day of testing tomorrow which is going to be super important for us and allows us to try some different options for the future.”

Miguel Oliveira – P11

“Tough race for us. I didn’t have the grip or the feeling from one lap. The tyres started to overheat, I couldn’t go faster and that blocked my progression. I tried to remain calm and limit the mistakes to bring the bike to the end of the race. When the fuel level dropped I could be a bit more competitive but we are still far from where we want to be. So, we still have some work to do to improve this year’s package.”

Stefan Bradl – P12

“In the end we finished 12th which is alright, I am happy. Of course there are always some points which could have been better but overall I am very happy with the performance of the weekend, it has been very strong. Maybe in the race I could have been smoother because I felt a little arm pump at the end but aside from this the race was okay. Thank you to Honda HRC for making this happen and to my team, they’ve had a busy weekend but we have managed everything well. No big mistakes this weekend, more points and some good data collected has us pleased.”

Fabio Quartararo – P13

“The arm pump problem was clear today. For more or less 10 laps I could hold Jack Miller at bay by one second, but then I suddenly had no more feeling in my right arm. We were in a great position to win here. I could have even gone a bit faster. Our strong point of riding on the used tyre was finally not necessary, because I didn’t have any power left in my arm. I will take my time today to think over the situation and try to make the best decision about how to deal with arm pump as soon as possible. My home Grand Prix is coming up next, and I want to be fit there, that’s important to me. I know that the bike works well there and that I will perform well. I want to solve this problem as fast as possible, but in the best way.”

Danilo Petrucci – P14

“It was a difficult race but we managed to take some points. We are still trying to find a good setup on the bike. We have to manage to use this tyre as we are quite slow at the beginning of the race and able to do a good pace later. For sure, it was hard, because we were already far from the front guys quite early on. Anyway, it was one more race to gain experience.Tomorrow there’s the test here and we can try something new. We are working very hard to improve the bike and to fight closer to the front. I would like to thank all my team for their hard work. We have to continue like this and I’m sure the results will come.”

 Iker Lecuona – P15

“Honestly, I’m quite happy. I worked very hard during the race and also the team worked very hard to improve during this weekend and to help me. I’m satisfied, because I finished inside the points and I did a lot to achieve this.I also learned a lot during the race because I lost contact to Danilo and I managed to recover and nearly pass him on the last lap. I think I regained the confidence to go fast.”

Luca Marini – P16

“I made a mistake at the start: in the rush to recover, I went straight in braking on several occasions, and I lost a lot of seconds from the strongest guys. After the first 7 laps I started to ride better, I made the steps forward I had seen in the data and I did a very good second half of the race. The result is not positive, the points were so close and the gap from the very first riders was not bad at all. We are putting together many pieces; I have made progress on the use of the gas and the management of the rear tyre. There are still many aspects to work on, but I’m happy because Jerez is not an easy track for the Ducati GP19 while the new one is really fast. I was behind Tito (Rabat) and the bike was very very fast. Congratulations to Dall’Igna and all the Ducati engineers because they have done a great job, Jerez is notoriously a track for other manufacture”.

Valentino Rossi – P17

“It was a difficult race because I did not have the speed and I suffered a lot with grip issues, in fact the pace that I had during the race was pretty much the same as in practice. In the beginning I found it hard to stop the bike. It did improve a bit and I wanted to try to score some points, but it was not possible today. It has been a difficult start to the season, but I do think that we can be competitive, so we need to work to understand how to improve the pace. We have a test tomorrow, so we will be able to try some things then. Hopefully this will give us some answers ahead of the race in France.”

Tito Rabat – P18

“I was growing more and more confident during the race and I am happy with how it went. To fight at this level is never easy. I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity that has been given to me, I really had a lot of fun.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P19

“The final result is a pity because we had the pace and the potential to battle in the points zone. Unfortunately, after a good start, I had some problems with the front tyre pressure that forced me to slow down. In the finale, things stabilised, but at that point it was too late to recover the lost ground. I’m disappointed. A decent result was within our potential, but even races like the one today are important for better understanding the MotoGP’s dynamics.”

Alex Rins – P20 

“The crash today was a shame, it was bad luck really. There’s a bump at that corner, and normally it’s not much of a problem, but with the full fuel tank it felt quite bad and then the rear stepped out, I released the brakes, braked again, and went wide – that’s where I lost the front, on the dirty part off line. But despite losing part of the aero-fairing, I rejoined, had nice pace and I actually felt very good. I was faster than the leading group. I’m really sorry to all the team who have worked really hard as always. Let’s continue to work for the next races, and I hope to qualify much better so that I can be at the front and stay there.”

Enea Bastianini – DNF

“I’ve made a bad start, with some problems. I had the pace and good feelings with the brake, after 4 or 5 laps I overtake to Marquez, but I went outside and it has pass me again, behind him I make a time of 38.4, 38.5 so I think little by little I could have improved. It was a shame the fall on Turn 2, I’m sure I could have made a good race. I keep the positive, we’ve been competitive. This morning the feeling with the bike was much better, tomorrow in the tests we will try new solutions.”

Brad Binder – DNF

“I felt great in warm-up this morning and then made a good start in the race but unfortunately going into Turn 2 on the second lap it looks like I was a bit too relaxed, got on the brakes at the wrong moment and when I tipped into the corner the front just washed out. It’s a good lesson for the future to ignore where you are in the pack and keep your marks. It’s also disappointing because I had good pace all weekend and I felt good. We could have done a decent job today. Sorry to the team because they worked well all through the GP and they deserved a result.”

Álex Márquez – DNF

“Not even one lap today. In the warm up I think we made a step forward; we were a little bit better and we were in the top 10. I was looking forward to the race, to making a good start and a good first lap to recover some positions. But sadly, at turn eight a rider took me out and when I opened my eyes I was on the gravel! That was a shame and it was a difficult weekend, and also race. Tomorrow we have an important test so we’ll try to improve and be confident from the beginning.”

Team Managers

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“I think I’m the happiest person in the world right now: Jerez has always been a difficult track for the Ducati bikes, so to be able to finish first and second today is crucial for us, especially from a technical point of view. Both riders had a sensational race and were fantastic. They knew how to run a mature race: Jack kept a good rhythm and perfectly managed the race, while Pecco did an incredible performance, ending second and taking now the championship lead. Congratulations to both of them, to the team and all of Ducati Corse”.

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“We had a difficult and disappointing race today. Fabio had a problem with his right arm. Because of the arm pump he had no feeling and was in a lot of pain. It’s such a shame. It happened suddenly while he was leading the race by 1.4s and with the pace to win. He was completely happy with the bike and was cruising to a victory. But our main concern is Fabio’s wellbeing. Tomorrow he will get his arm checked. Maverick rode a steady race. His starting position held him back a bit. It’s important to start from the front, especially with the lap times being so close. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to let the bike turn the way Maverick wanted, and this is what we will focus on tomorrow during the test. Overall, these weren’t the race results we had envisioned, but Fabio’s form in the first half of the race shows we have great potential.”

Shinichi Sahara – Suzuki Project Leader and Team Director

“In the Warm-Up session this morning we evaluated tyre options and we decided that Joan would use the soft front and Alex the medium front, and this choice wasn’t bad. Joan made a good start and managed the race well, getting 5th position in the end. Maybe with a few more laps he could’ve gone for better position, but we will never know. It was a pity that Alex crashed in Turn 6, especially because he had strong pace even after he rejoined and he had podium potential. Let’s learn from today and try again next time out.”

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager

“We have become stronger at this track, and despite the qualifying positions we had hopes of the podium for our riders, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Joan was very patient and consistent and he got a nice 5th position, so we’d like to thank him for the sensible ride. Alex also had podium pace so it was a real pity for him to have the crash, we’ll look into what happened and then begin working for the next races. Anyway, overall I’m happy with the way we are going.”

Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal

“That was a great MotoGP race with a fantastic podium for Franco in third. We needed that result and it’s great to see him back up there. I am absolutely thrilled with this podium and we need to continue this momentum to the next race in Le Mans. It wasn’t an easy weekend for Valentino, as he couldn’t find the best feeling on the bike; but tomorrow we will have an important test to try to find an improvement.”

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager

“We cannot be happy with 11th position because we had some expectation after Brad’s good qualification yesterday and consistency in warm-up. We saw a lot of crashes here and unfortunately Brad had one on the second lap, so his race was more or less over then. It was hard for Miguel to make much time from 16th on the grid and he was in traffic for too long. We have to accept 11th but we can see how high the competition is and now we need to work in the test here tomorrow to find something extra with the bike. It was positive that three of our bikes finished in the points even if it is not our goal just to be part of the pack. The target now has to be better at Le Mans.”

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

“It’s been a tough weekend, but an interesting one for Tech3 KTM Factory Racing. Clearly, this has been the best weekend so far of the 2021 season. Both, Danilo and Iker were a lot closer to the front runners and I think we are not going to be in front from just one race to another, but we need to catch back and this is what we did this weekend.

“I think both riders and their crews worked very hard, very well. The grid positions where of course far from ideal, but we could see that we were very close to Miguel in the first 70% of the race, which is the benchmark at the moment and we could stay with him. Not only Danilo, but also Iker, they never slowed down, they kept their heads down, the lap times were very, very consistent, which is nice. We still have a lot of work to do, which is what we are going to start tomorrow, because we have a very important test.

“For some people it will be difficult to understand, but we are reasonably happy with 14th and 15th position. We have the feeling, that we’ve done the job. This is almost the best result we could have reached this weekend. Again, both of them are in the points. We had the Rossi family behind us and we kept them at bay without cracking under any pressure.

“I would like to thank both, Danilo and Iker. This is their best weekend since the beginning of this season and I just hope we can keep this positive frame of mind, work hard tomorrow and I think in Le Mans we can make another step. Now the target is to try to eventually finish in the top 10, which is not easy. We know there is a lot of water under the bridge before we can be higher up, but this is our mission.

“I am very happy to have announced the next five years together with KTM and I think this is showing how much both parties, Tech3 and KTM are committed. We believe in each other and there will be better days for sure.”

Jerez MotoGP Race Results / Standings

MotoGP Championship Standings

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Four – Jerez
Gran Premio Red Bull de España
MotoGP Race Report

There are few sweeter feelings for a rider than standing on the top step of the MotoGP podium, but doing it for the first time in five years and the first time as a factory Ducati rider adds something special.

Add in two muted races, a little dash of drama, surgery and then a crash last time out on the run up to the Gran Premio Red Bull de España and Jack Miller’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) emotion in parc ferme is even easier to understand.

It was a masterclass to boot as the Australian got the holeshot, fought it out at the top, reeled in early leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and then kept it pinned, coming home to lead the first Ducati 1-2 since 2018 as teammate Francesco Bagnaia showed more speed for second. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) went one better than Portugal to complete the podium, keeping that momentum just as hoped and taking top Independent Team rider honours. Quartararo eventually finished just inside the points.

Starting from the outside of the front row, Miller grabbed the holeshot as poleman Quartararo lost out slightly. The Frenchman was swamped into the first corner and found himself down in fourth, just ahead of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro, who had a strong start to find himself in fifth. Down the back straight for the first time it had settled into Miller leading the way, from Morbidelli and Bagnaia that way round early doors.

There was quick drama a little further back for a couple of riders. LCR Castrol Honda’s Alex Marquez crashed out on the opening lap and he was later joined in the gravel by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder, who crashed out at the start of Lap 2.

At the front though, Bagnaia and Quartararo began to duel for third. First, the Frenchman moved up the inside in the opening sector before the Bologna bullet of Bagnaia motored back past down to Turn 6. Then, for a second time, Quartararo got in front of Bagnaia, this time at the final corner. Going defensive into the first corner to make sure it stayed like that, the job appeared done.

On Lap 3 we had faller three of the Spanish GP as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made it a fortnight to forget with a second consecutive crash, wide at Turn 6 and the front-end then washing away to end his Jerez hopes and loe his chance to unleash what looked like some impressive pace.

Meanwhile, Quartararo dived up the inside of former teammate Morbidelli for second as his charge back to the front continued, with Aleix Espargaro finding a way through on Bagnaia for fourth at the same time.

El Diablo’s plan was coming together. He hit the front soon after with an inch-perfect move on Miller into the final corner, and alarm bells were surely ringing for Morbidelli in third as the factory Yamaha man put the hammer down immediately and stretched out four-tenths over the Australian in the space of a lap. A new lap record around the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto a lap later and Round 4 of the MotoGP World Championship was following the 22-year-old’s script to a tee. So far…

Miller has admitted in recent weeks that he’s been in the trenches following a disappointing start to the year, but he was certainly gritting his teeth and digging in. Quartararo was only able to go a tenth quicker than the Ducati man and the gap was at three quarters of a second with seven laps completed. As the Frenchman edged his lead out to over a second for the first time, Aleix Espargaro slipped a place back to fifth after falling into the crosshairs of Bagnaia’s Ducati down the back straight too. But as one Ducati rider moved forward, another crashed out: rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) hit the deck at Turn 2 – his first DNF of the year, although he continues leading the Rookie of the Year standings.

Bagnaia, meanwhile, had seen off the close attention of Aprilia’s Espargaro and had attached himself on to the rear wheel of Morbidelli. His first look up the inside came down the hill into Turn 6, but no way through. The pair of VR46 Academy partners continued to look inseparable in the fight for the final podium place, before Bagnaia finally got his own way at the final corner. He capitalised on a mistake from the Petronas man perfectly, moving through.

Suddenly at the front, it wasn’t the plain sailing we’ve become accustomed to for Quartararo once he’s out in the lead. The Frenchman’s advantage was cut from nearly two seconds down to nothing in the space of just one lap and it was well and truly game on for Spanish GP glory, with ten laps remaining. Incredibly, Miller then took the lead down the start-finish straight to start Lap 16 of 25, with Quartararo’s progress halted and the Frenchman seemingly fading. In the space of half a lap, the Australian was half a second clear and it only grew.

As Miller got to 1.5 clear, Quartararo behind was nearly a second slower than Bagnaia and Morbidelli and his hopes of a podium finish had evaporated. He was a sitting duck as both the Ducati and Yamaha men scythed through and they were queuing up behind the World Championship leader soon. With seven laps to go Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Aleix Espargaro all pushed their way past to demote him down to seventh, but the Aprilia ended up a slight loser in that fight too as he lost out to both Nakagami and Mir in the shuffle.

Five laps of a remarkable race remained and Quartararo soon pushed outside of the top ten by Pol Espargaro; a statement that was unthinkable just ten minutes earlier. A couple more laps ticked by and it seemed there could be drama brewing at the front too. Miller’s lead was cut down to just a second by teammate Bagnaia as some tension suddenly appeared for the Aussie. Could the Thriller hold on for a first Ducati victory? They were a nervy final few laps but the number 43 kept his cool and, for the first time since the 2016 Dutch TT, took victory in a MotoGP race – Ducati’s first in Jerez for 15 years.

Bagnaia put in another top performance to come across the line in second too, making it a first 1-2 for Ducati in just under three years and the first they’ve ever had at Jerez. There was huge delight for Morbidelli in third as well and the Italian thumped his chest with joy and declared it “as good as a victory” in Parc Ferme. There was yet more Jerez delight for Takaaki Nakagami as the LCR Honda Idemitsu man matched his career-best MotoGP result with fourth place too, the Japanese rider seeing off a late charge from Mir, who was forced to settle for fifth.

Aprilia finished the closest they have ever been to a MotoGP race winner, 5.164 seconds adrift of Miller, but in sixth so Aleix Espargaro still wanted more, such is their step forward so far in 2021. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales clinched seventh place, ahead of Pramac Racing’s Johann Zarco in eighth.

Repsol Honda completed the top ten as Marc Marquez bounced back from his Warm Up crash – and Saturday crash – to take a commendable ninth place as he returns from injury. The final place inside the top ten went to the eight-time World Champion’s teammate Pol Espargaro, ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and HRC wildcard Stefan Bradl.

Quartararo eventually limped home in thirteenth and, as a result, surrendered the lead of the MotoGP World Championship. The Frenchman was in visible pain on the cool down lap from major arm pump issues. So, as we head to Le Mans for Round 5, Bagnaia leads the premier class title chase for the first time in his career but has just a two point lead over what will be a fired-up Frenchman on home soil next time out. Danilo Petrucci (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and teammate Iker Lecuona completed the points.

So that’s it from the Spanish GP and a day Jack Miller will remember forever. Tune in for more from the classic Le Mans circuit in just two weeks’ time, and could we see yet another shuffle as MotoGP continues to deliver in one of the greatest eras ever. Can Quartararo bounce back or is the French town to be painted red?

Jack Miller – P1

“I just tried to do what I could, I did a lot of laps all weekend by myself and I knew I had reasonable pace and when Fabio came past I thought ok I’ve got a bit better pace. I dropped down into the 37s for a few laps there with him but I wasn’t able to maintain that, but neither was he. I didn’t expect him to drop back to me but he did. I was just able to.. I knew I had a bit of a gap behind me and if I could get past Fabio, I could see he was struggling. Get past him, get my head down, make no mistakes and just try to punch out the laps. Those last seven or eight laps were the longest of my career. I mean, it’s just indescribable what I’m feeling right now, it’s a flood of emotions: happy, sad, everything. I wish my parents were here to celebrate it with me but they’re back at home, I know they’ll be celebrating. I want to thank everyone for all their support, I’ll try do it again soon.”

Jerez MotoGP Results / Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Four – Jerez
Gran Premio Red Bull de España

MotoGP Qualifying

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has now taken every MotoGP pole position that he’s contested at Jerez, as the Frenchman made it four in a row since he entered the premier class in 2019 – including two last year, both of which he converted into wins.

It was close as ever though, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) pulling a stunner to take second, just half a tenth back, and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking third and with it his first front row of the year. The three are split by just 0.105.

First, however, came a blockbuster Q1 with a good few key names looking to move through – including eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Morbidelli, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT). Marquez found himself there after a high speed trip into the gravel in FP3 and via a double-check at local hospital, but the Spaniard was fit to contest the session and that he did.

However, neither he nor fellow frontrunner Binder had an answer for Morbidelli as the Italian got into the 1:36s, topping the session to bounce back from a late cancellation of his best lap in FP3. Binder took second and slammed past Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) at the final corner in more of a Sunday move than a Saturday one, but the South African moved through as Marc Marquez languished, suffering his worst qualifying ever in the premier class so far in P14.

Once the pole shootout of Q2 was on, it was a familiar duo at the top though: Quartararo and Morbidelli. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was hanging on in third as his impressive Jerez pace continued, but Miller was on a charge and tagged onto the back of teammate Francesco Bagnaia. That would prove the key change in the final minutes as Quartararo found himself competing against only himself, shaving a little off his best but looking impervious and imperious as the Ducati duo pipped Nakagami down to fifth.

And so it’s four from four in Jerez for Quartararo now, even though the Frenchman said the lap wasn’t perfect, and it’s his former teammate Morbidelli alongside him on the front row in a familiar but now different liveried sight. Miller takes his first front row of the season in third and pips Bagnaia to the honour as the Italian is forced to settle for fourth, but both Bologna bullets will likely be huge threats once the lights go out.

Nakagami’s return to the 2020 chassis seems to be going rather well as he lines up fifth, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) for company on the outside of Row 2. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had a more muted day at the office and lines up seventh, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for company in P8 and P9 respectively.

Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) starts tenth despite some FP3 heroics to make a big leap up the timesheets, with more work to do on race day once again… although he’s no stranger to a podium taken from further back. Binder shook off his final corner divebomb to take P11 in Q2, and HRC test rider and wildcard Stefan Bradl impressed as ever, taking 12th.

Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) bounced back from a carbon copy of his teammate’s Turn 7 crash, and not long after him, to qualify 13th, just ahead of said teammate Marc Marquez. Rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) takes P15 as Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) saw himself relegated to 16th after having a lap scrubbed for track limits. Rossi starts alongside the Portuguese rider, down in P17.

Fabio Quartararo – P1

“It felt really good today. Jerez is one of the tracks that I really like. I have ridden a Yamaha four times at this track and four times I got pole position. It‘s quite an amazing moment, I‘m really happy about this. But I will say that today‘s Q2 session was a qualifying where I was more on the limit. I thought I was going to crash in Turn 6 and Turn 13. I made a mistake in Turn 6, but ultimately what matters is that we got the pole position today. Tomorrow it‘s not going to be easy, but I feel prepared and that I have good potential. The medium and hard tyre are both working well, so we will use the Warm Up tomorrow to decide which one we will use.“

Franco Morbidelli – P2

“The feeling with the bike has been great today and I knew that if I had the right chance I could do something good. We had good potential today, but we had to go through many difficulties to get there. We were able to overcome them though and I’m really happy about that, plus the team did a great job as well today. I wanted to go all or nothing on one lap in qualifying, to be on the limit, and I ended up folding the front. I was prepared for it though and was able to recover it, which I’m really happy about. I have a good feeling going into tomorrow and I’m able to maintain my rhythm for quite a lot of laps, so I’m quite confident about what I can do. I need to see what the other riders can do but starting from the front row is good for our podium chances.”

Jack Miller – P3

“Starting from the front row here will definitely be a big help: Jerez is a very tight and technical track where it’s quite difficult to overtake and, if I can get a good start, I can then try to manage the race in the best way possible, and stay calm especially in the first laps. After a complicated start to the season, it is a relief to be back at the front for me. Obviously, this was only qualifying, and we still have the race tomorrow to look forward to, but for now, I’m happy to have been able to tick this first target off the list.“

MotoGP Combined Qualifying Results

Moto2

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) may have only described his pole position lap at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España as “decent”, but the 1:40.667 is actually a new lap record and secures the Australian his first pole of the season.

It was close though, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) just 0.071 off and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) within 0.086 as they complete the front row. Polesitter in the first three races, Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out but will start the fourth showdown of the season from fifth.

Q1 saw rookie Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) take to the top and the American moved through along with teammate Marcos Ramirez, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) as the Italian denied compatriot Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) on his last push for the top.

So the stage was set for Q2, and the pace was hot from the off as Gardner slammed in a 1:40.667 to lead the way. Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi got within a tenth, but the Australian held on at the top as the clock ticked down. Some drama then hit for Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) as he slid off, although he was able to get back out, before Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) also hit the deck but was also able to rejoin.

Meanwhile, red sectors started to appear for Lowes. Two tenths under in the third split, the Brit was making a march for the top – but a bobble at the final corner put paid to that. He did improve but stayed fourth, and not long after suffered more drama as he crashed at Turn 2, out the fight. And that was all she wrote, with the front row unchallenged and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then pushing Lowes down a place further to fifth.

That means Championship leader Gardner takes his first pole of the season and becomes the first rider other than Lowes to start from the front this year. ‘Diggia’ takes second, with Bezzecchi back in the mix in a big way on Saturday to take a front row in third and within 0.086 of the top. Raul Fernandez is fourth, ahead of Lowes who is at least in sight of some of his biggest rivals. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completes the second row.

Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took P7 ahead of Roberts and rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top ten despite an earlier crash. Canet, another crasher, took P11 ahead of Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up).

Remy Gardner – P1

“I guess I could say I know this track really well! I’ve done a few laps around here. Everyone’s fast here so it’s always tough in Jerez, but I feel good, the bike was working pretty well from FP1, there wasn’t much to play around with on the bike side. The lap was decent, wasn’t perfect but enough to get me on pole so I’m happy.”

Moto2 Combined Qualifying

Moto3

Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) seemingly can’t stop taking pole position at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel-Nieto. The Japanese rider took a stunning third straight pole at the venue in qualifying for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, hitting the top early and no one able to depose him. Via a trip through Q1, Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) nabbed a late second place, with the front row completed by Portimão polesitter Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) after more impressive speed from the Italian on Saturday.

On a sunny but cool day at Jerez, Q1 got qualifying going and the first big question since his pitlane start in Doha was asked of Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Spaniard found himself looking to move through. Seemingly immune to the pressure, however, the number 37 topped the session with his last flying lap and headed for Q2 ahead of fellow rookie Izan Guevara (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team), Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) and eventual front row starter Alcoba to fight for the top 18 positions on the grid.

Once Q2 was underway, it was 2020 Spanish and Andalucia GP polesitter Suzuki on top with exactly two tenths in hand over Migno after the first runs for most, but there was one bit of drama not long coming for Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing). The South African had a mammoth highside at Turn 7 – rider perfectly ok – but lost his chance to improve further, stuck watching the timesheets to see how far his 1:46.288 for a provisional P4 would get shuffled down the order.

As it turned out, it wouldn’t be by that much. The field headed back out with only a couple of minutes remaining on the clock but only a handful of riders were able to make it count, with many missing the cut once again. The first improvers were Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and teammate Deniz Öncu as they moved into the top ten, but as the clock ticked down there was a dearth of red sectors and only a few more riders to cross the line. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was one of the few improvers as he shot up into third for a provisional front row, with Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Alcoba looking like the only two remaining threats on the top – in that order on the road. Could they make an assault for pole?

Fenati was first over the line and he did enough to shoot up into fourth at least, but it was short-lived as Alcoba blasted over the line just behind him. From Q1, the Spaniard took second and with that just pushes teammate Rodrigo onto Row 2, to start just ahead of Fenati.

And so Suzuki remained unthreatened at the front and the Japanese rider takes a third straight pole at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, ahead of Alcoba in second and another impressive Saturday from Migno as the veteran Italian completes the front row. Rodrigo is shuffled down to head Row 2, which is completed by Fenati and Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee.

Binder, despite his earlier crash, was seventh quickest and only lost a few places to his forced exile on the sidelines, and he’s joined on Row 3 by Sasaki and 2019 Jerez winner Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3). Öncü completes the top ten ahead of the last of the late lunges from Q1 graduate Izan Guevara, who pipped Filip Salaç (Rivacold Snipers Team).

That means that Acosta is forced to settle for P13 for his first Moto3 race on home turf, with veteran teammate Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) also facing a fight back from 15th.

Tatsuki Suzuki – P1

“During the winter I got Covid just one week before the winter test in Qatar so I missed the three days of testing, and that’s why I wasn’t quite competitive form the beginning of the season. I was struggling at the end of races on a used tyre, so this weekend me and the team worked a lot on the used tyre, normally we use two or three new tyres in FP1 and 2 but we used only two. As you see on Day 1 I wasn’t fastest but we knew with a new tyre we were quite competitive, so this afternoon in Q2 I really focused for the first flying lap, cause you know it can be a big mess In Moto3, especially in the last moments, so we decided to do good a lap as soon as possible. Unfortunately I took the flag and couldn’t improve on the last lap but let’s say I was a bit lucky and it’s nice to be here on pole position again this year.”

Moto3Combined Qualifying

MotoE

Eric Granado (One Energy Racing) will start his 2021 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup campaign from pole position at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the Brazilian putting in a stunner in E-Pole to head the grid by two and a half tenths. Lukas Tulovic (Tech 3 E-Racing) returns to the front row in Spain as the German made a big step forward from Friday to take second, with rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) starting third for his debut race in MotoE.

As the first few riders put in their times, it was Maria Herrera who set the first benchmark that outlasted a few rivals, with the Openbank Aspar Team rider cutting two tenths off her previous best during Free Practice. Next the rider to beat was Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) as he took another two tenths off the top, before drama hit for his compatriot Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE).

2019 Cup winner Ferrari was up, setting red sectors, before the Italian made a key E-Pole mistake: track limits. Seemingly just on the green at Turn 4, everyone held their breath to wait for the official confirmation of whether Ferrari was in or out, and when it came it was bad news: he has to start from the back.

Back on track, Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) was the next to head the timesheets as he shaved another chunk off for provisional pole, but it wouldn’t last long as rookie Aldeguer headed out. Faster still, he took over on top. Next out was Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) but the Spaniard slotted in behind Zaccone, so there were just three riders left: Tulovic, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Granado.

Tulovic was up first, the German putting his almost signature Saturday speed on display to take another slice of time off provisional pole, setting a 1:48.012 and taking over. So could Aegerter do it? Surprisingly, not quite. The Swiss rider took third behind Aldeguer, so a front row would all come down to whether the last man out could leapfrog Aegerter or all three: Granado.

Despite fearing the green after falling foul of track limits in 2020, it was something special as the Brazilian lit up the rear tyre and took a stunning four tenths out of the time to beat by the end of the third sector, with pole his if he could hold on. A sideways trip into the final corner saw him lose a little time, but keeping it well within track limits and pinned to the line saw him take E-Pole by a quarter of a second.

That’s a full house of sessions he’s now topped this weekend, the best case scenario as Granado aims to repeat his Jerez win last year. Tulovic, who recovered from a small allergy that dampened his progress on Friday, takes second and aim at his first podium as rookie Aldeguer impresses once again on the outside of the front row.

Aegerter heads up Row 2 ahead of Zaccone, with Torres taking sixth. Seventh went to Casadei, joined on the third row by Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and Herrera as she took a step forward up the timesheets. Rookie Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) completes the top ten.

MotoE E-Pole

2021 Gran Premio Red Bull de España Schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au