Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit

The pre-season Official MotoGP Test at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit saw the FIM MotoGP World Championship return to Indonesia for the first time in 25 years. The three days of track time were invaluable for the riders, teams and organisation, allowing all parties to gain experience at the new circuit before the inaugural Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.

The three-day test has also given the organisation and governing body the opportunity to ensure the venue complies with MotoGP standards and assess any improvements necessary ahead of the track’s debut on the FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar.

The feedback from riders and teams regarding the layout of the track and its safety standards, including the extensive runoff areas of both tarmac and gravel, has been overwhelmingly positive.

During the test, two areas of improvement were identified, which are the cleanliness of the track surface and the excess of aggregate affecting parts of the circuit.

The FIM, which oversees track homologation, has been in communication with the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) regarding these necessary improvements, which are to be implemented a minimum of seven days before the inaugural Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.

Circuit owner ITDC has agreed with the FIM’s assessment and requests, demonstrating their high level of support and commitment to the sport. All parties have reacted quickly and work towards these improvements is already underway, including the resurfacing of part of the track.

The circuit will be resurfaced from the section before Turn 17 until after Turn 5. The venue will also prepare for the Grand Prix by employing world leading technology to ensure the entirety of the surface meets MotoGP standards.

The FIM and Dorna would like to thank the ITDC for their incredible support and prompt reaction. All parties have assured their Indonesian fans, and all those around the world, that the 2022 Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia will take place on the planned date, and that MotoGP is very much looking forward to returning to Lombok.

Images 2snap

2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mandalika MotoGP Test 2022

Aleix Espargaro and Marco Bezzecchi were the first riders back into the 1m31s in the morning. Pecco Bagnaia then joined them before 40-minutes into the session Fabio Quartararo went top with a 1m31.335. Alex Rins went fourth with a 1m31.691 to make it five riders in the 1m31s only 45-minutes into the eight-hour session..

Pol Espargaro then set a new outright benchmark of 1m31.060 on his tenth lap of the morning. 

Jorge Martin then put in a blinding first three sectors but pushed a little too far in the fourth sector, going down at the fastest corner on the circuit, turn eight. Aleix Espargaro also went down on a fast lap. Some time later Marc Marquez went down at turn two and Zarco crashed just before the lunch break. 

Raul Fernandez shrugged off the effects of a pretty hefty crash on Saturday to head out on track but the 21-year-old Spaniard was 2.5-seconds slower than he had been on Saturday. Fernandez did seven laps on Sunday morning before crashing again due to speed perception problems stemming from the concussion he suffered during the crash on Saturday.

The Suzuki pits were missing a few personnel with a number of the team testing positive for COVID and forced into isolation. Not only that but Joan Mir had also been hit by a bout of Bali Belly and did not make it out on to the track today, leaving Alex Rins with the remainder of the workload on the GSX-RR. 

At the halfway point of the day it was still Pol Espargaro on top with that 1m31.060 ahead of Fabio Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro and Pecco Bagnaia. Alex Rins was fifth ahead of Maverick Vinales, Johann Zarco and Alex Marquez.  Jack Miller was 12th. 

It was a very quiet start to the afternoon with few riders on track.  Jack Miller joined the crash list with two-hours left in the session, but there was still little movement at either end of the time-sheets. 

A lot of riders and teams finding packing up early to try and make an evening charter flight more attractive than chasing bragging rights from testing.

Brad Binder was one of the few that did make a late improvement though, leaping to tenth with under ten-minutes remaining. His team-mate Miguel Oliveira then followed suit, dropping half-a-second off his previous best to come from outside the top 20 up to P14.

A last charge from Fabio Quartararo saw him put in another 1m31.2 followed by a 1m31.075, a tiny 14-thousandths of a second from Pol Espargaro’s early benchmark. So close….

But despite the Frenchman’s best last-minute efforts we end the official pre-season tests with Pol Espargaro quickest ahead of Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro on the final day. However, when combined times are taken into account Luca Marini’s time from Saturday places him third ahead of Aleix Espargaro.

Franco Morbidelli joined his Monster Yamaha team-mate on track in the dying minutes of the session and moved from outside the top ten up to fifth. That pushed Brad Binder back outside the top ten.

The top ten all within half-a-second, and the top 21 covered by less than nine-tenths.

We don’t have the top speed standings from day three at the time of writing but will add them in when they drop.  On Saturday though Enea Bastianini was fastest through the speed traps at 314.8 km/h and the fastest seven bikes down the 507 metre front straight were all Ducati mounted.

Of course with such a short straight the MotoGP bikes don’t really get to strut their top end horsepower, so Suzuki, Aprilia and Honda riders were all close behind.

KTM have a bit more speed to find but Yamaha are still dead stone last in the speed stakes.

Fabio Quartararo was fourth quickest on the time-sheets when it came to lap times yesterday, and second today, but on Saturday he was 20th fastest down the chute at 305.9 km/h, but still the fastest Yamaha. 

Imagine how big that difference might be when they get to Losail in a few weeks, where Johann Zarco piloted a Ducati Desmosedici to 362.4 km/h down its 1068 metre long front straight..  

Last year though, despite the top speed shortcomings of the Yamaha, Maverick Vinales won the race at Qatar on a Yamaha and set a new race lap record! 

And that top speed advantage didn’t prevent Quartararo from winning more races than any other rider in 2021 on his way to becoming World Champion. So obviously over a full race distance, even with a kilometre long straight, the Yamaha is a seriously competitive motorcycle. 

Quartararo has made his disappointment with the failure of Yamaha to give him any significant boost in horsepower for 2022 quite clear in Malaysia, and again during this Indonesian test, but the 22-year-old has shown the skill, bravery and tenacity to exploit every other strength the Yamaha does have in order to come out on top. 

This year though the Honda seems to have the rear grip it was missing, and Marc Marquez can see where he is going…

MotoGP Mandalika Test
Combined Times

1. Pol Espargaro – Honda 1m31.060
2. Fabio Quartararo – Yamaha 1m31.074
3. Luca Marini – Ducati 1m31.289
4. Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia 1m31.385
5. Franco Morbidelli – Yamaha 1m31.416
6. Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati 1m31.436
7. Alex Rins – Suzuki 1m31.477
8. Maverick Vinaes – Aprilia 1m31.478
9. Marc Marquez – Honda 1m31.481
10. Johann Zarco – Ducati 1m31.488
11. Brad Binder – KTM 1m31.574
12. Joan Mir – Suzuki 1m31.586
13. Enea Bastianini – Ducati 1m31.599
14. Alex Marquez – Honda 1m31.603
15. Miguel Oliveira – KTM 1m31.620
16. Jorge Martin – Ducati 1m31.665
17. Takaaki Nakagami – Honda 1m31.687
18. Jack Miller – Ducati 1m31.870
19. Andrea Dovizioso – Yamaha 1m31.890
20. Marco Bezzecchi – Ducati 1m31.901
21. Fabio Di Giannantonio – Ducati 1m31.915
22. Raul Fernandez – KTM 1m32.401
23. Remy Gardner – KTM 1m32.598
24. Darryn Binder – Yamaha 1m33.049

Images by 2snap

2022 MotoGP Entry List

2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mandalika MotoGP Test 2022 Day Two

MotoGP riders woke up to a brighter morning for the second day of their three-day test schedule at Indonesia’s new Mandalika circuit. 

Alex Rins, Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez were the first riders to head out on track and they were straight down to business. More than half the field had put in at least a few laps within 20 minutes of the session getting underway, but the Honda and Aprilia riders seemed to be biding their time a little longer. 

The Marquez brothers were the first of the Honda horde to hit the track, around 35-minutes into the session. Ten minutes later the first of the Aprilia riders headed out.  Of course with their ongoing testing and engine development concessions, this track time not quite as crucial for Aprilia as it is to their competitors.

Alex Rins upped the ante 45-minutes into the day when he dropped in the first ever 1m31s lap of Mandalika. A 1m31.884 on his 15th lap, the 26-year-old Spaniard the busiest rider of the morning. Johann Zarco had also been busy and at this juncture was second quickest on 1m32.227, Luca Marini third on 1m32.798 and Brad Binder fourth on 1m32.819. 

By the end of the first hour the whole 24-rider contingent had been out on track. The busiest riders at that point had been Alex Rins and Jack Miller, both of whom had already put in 17 laps of the 4.31 km circuit. 

Aleix Espargaro and Fabio Quartararo joined Rins in the 1m31s club before Brad Binder then went El Presidente with P1 thanks to a 1m31.814. Enea Bastianini also dropped in a 1m31 a little later on. 

As the pace started hotting up a few riders also started to push the envelope a little too far with both Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Martin and Joan Mir tasting the Indonesian dirt.   Tracks conditions were still not up to a race standard, the good line was still quite narrow, not much more than a metre or so in some parts, stray more than a few inches off it and you would be lucky to remain upright. 

As the middle of the session approached the on track action calmed down a lot with few riders out on the circuit at any one time. Shortly after their lunch break dark clouds started to form on the horizon but the rain stayed away.

It was not until just over half an hour was left in today’s proceedings before a Honda dipped into the 1m31s, it was a Marquez, but not the one most would have expected, Alex the pacesetter at that juncture for Honda and the sixth ranked man overall. For all of a couple of minutes he was anyway… His LCR Honda team-mate Takaaki Nakagami then went marginally quicker to push Alex down to seventh.

Fabio Quartararo then got wound up to move up from P2 and displace Binder at the top of the charts, 1m31.564 to the World Champ. The 22-year-old then immediately backed that up with a 1m31.739 to further underline his pace. 

Luca Marini then gazumped Quartararo though, a 1m31.289 propelling him into P1, he then backed it up with a 1m31.5.  

There was now 20 minutes left and red sectors were lighting up the timing screens all over the place, there were now 13 riders in the 1m31s. Marini leading Quartararo, Zarco, Martin, Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder.

Marc Marquez left it until that final 20-minutes to show his hand, a 1m31.580 to go P3 then improved to P2 off the back of a 1m31.481. 

Maverick Vinales then went P3 with just under ten-minutes remaining.

The top order didn’t really change really late in the session, only Enea Bastianini making a big leap forward in the dying minutes. A 1m31.599 to propel him up to P7. And that was all she wrote!

Luca Marini topping day two for the new VR46 Mooney Racing Team on the Ducati ahead of Marc Marquez on the Honda, Maverick Vinales for Aprilia, Fabio Quartararo for Yamaha and Joan Mir for Suzuki made it five different manufacturers in the top five at the end of day two. 

The top ten covered by less than half-a-second, and top 18 within a second. 

Mandalika MotoGP Combined Test Times 2022 Day Two

Images by 2snap

Source: MCNews.com.au

MotoGP Mandalika Test Day One with Jack Miller

“The track was not too bad, first two or three laps, pretty early, but when turn two started drying it turned to mud, felt like goo on the track. You would go In there and both tyres basically sliding out from underneath you every lap. I even saw Martin at one point, looking down at his tyres, as it felt like something was seriously wrong. It was just as the track was drying out, it just felt as though it was turning into slop, basically, rather than turning into dust and blowing away. 

“Once the track dried off, the only logical thing to do, was what I did, was to try and get out there, knowing we would struggle for a bit, cleaning the track, but it was only going to get better and better. And of course that was what the guys from Dorna were trying to push for us to do, get out there and get amongst it for the benefit of everybody, because if it doesn’t happen today it is going to happen tomorrow, and you are just postponing it. I think the track was not in too bad a condition at the end of the day, already.  We will see tomorrow, but hopefully the rain doesn’t wash the dust back onto the good line, but I am not too stressed about that, I think with the rubber that is now on the track, should be okay. 

“But yeah, it was a good day. 

“Playing around with everything pretty much, geometry ,everything, quite different to Malaysia, but the electronics still the main focus. I felt as though we made a big step with that today, we got to understand quite a bit.  It was kind of good today, with all the conditions we had, I feel we might get also in Qatar, we had the dust, we will get the dust in Qatar.  This afternoon, before the rain started coming, there was a lot of wind, really big wind, and there are three right-hand corners in a row, and we were able to work and try and make the bike more stable, so it was like it is in Qatar we suffer a lot with the wind there, but we felt good and as though we made a step there. So a really good day for us. 

“To a degree having the tricky conditions, while it made life difficult, we could work with engine brake character and the torque curve, so we played around with that so we could try and play around with that, and try to keep the bike stable at both wheels, so, like I said, it was a good day, we could try different sort of elements. 

“Of course it is great to test in magnificent conditions, perfect sunshine every day etc. on a fantastic track and break lap records, but I think it is kind of good to go and test on places like this, that are virgin and it ends up being more realistic and more like a race weekend. 

“The track is a little bit like Argentina, in some places, it is got its own character, a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it a lot. Got a bit of everything, is tight and technical, has slow sections, then those ridiculously fast sections with the three rights in a row, the whole section through there around 5-6-7 is unreal. Really excited to come back here and race, I think it will make for some really great racing.  The only reason I say about it being a bit like Argentina, we suffer with the dust, because like here the track doesn’t get used very often, that’s the only issue, but it is because of that last corner where you brake in on the angle, and going to be hard not to leave the door open, for everybody, again like the second last corner in Argentina.

“The track is getting bigger and bigger, what I mean by that is the lines will get wider as the track gets better and better, and we can start to use the kerbs, they were an absolute no-go this morning, but it is getting faster and faster and cooler and cooler.  It is awesome to see some awesome fourth and fifth gear corners, but there is a crazy amount of run-off area so the thing is safe as houses. 

“You can’t really see it on TV, how blind actually seven is, but you are sending it in to the unknown every time, you don’t know where you are going to end up as you go over to eight. It’s a whole heap of fun. 

“First tyre today I used the Medium, just because… it wore pretty bad, like I did 30 laps on it, but yeah the state of it was not great, there was no grip at the beginning, but then it was spinning down the straight.  Then I did 30 laps on the Soft and it was working well, the temperature wasn’t too bad, it felt like Malaysia was hotter, but here it may be hotter but it is less humid and we get a nice sea breeze so it is not too bad. 

“The character of this track definitely builds a huge amount of heat in the rear tyre, particularly the right hand side. That last sector, you really get into it, and asking a lot of the rear tyre, pretty much everywhere here it cops a hiding on the right hand side, so I think they (the tyres) are doing pretty well for the conditions and whatnot we had here today.“

MotoGP Mandalika Test Times
Day One

1. Pol Espargaro – Honda 1m32.466
2. Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia 1m32.937
3. Brad Binder – KTM 1m32.943
4. Alex Rins – Suzuki 1m33.058
5. Fabio Quartararo – Yamaha 1m33.108
6. Jack Miller – Ducati 1m33.114
7. Maverick Vinales – Aprilia 1m33.147
8. Joan Mir – Suzuki 1m33.244
9. Andrea Dovizioso – Yamaha 1m33.245
10. Jorge Martin – Ducati 1m33.358
11. Takaaki Nakagami – Honda 1m33.394
12. Franco Morbidelli – Yamaha 1m33.518
13. Johann Zarco – Ducati 1m33.592
14. Fabio Di Giannantonio – Ducati 1m33.638
15. Alex Marquez – Honda 1m33.700
16. Miguel Oliveira – KTM 1m33.748
17. Marc Marquez – Honda 1m33.776
18. Enea Bastianini – Ducati 1m33.954
19. Raul Fernandez – KTM 1m33.966
20. Luca Marini – Ducati 1m34.165
21. Marco Bezzecchi – Ducati 1m34.173
22. Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati 1m34.318
23. Darryn Binder – Yamaha 1m34.495
24. Remy Gardner – KTM 1m34.603

Images by 2snap

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mandalika MotoGP Test 2022 Day One

With such limited time on track at Sepang, and with the shortest pre-season testing program ever, the work list for the riders and technicians to battle their way through over these three days will be absolutely massive.

Jack Miller and Simon Crafar got in some early laps in a BMW course car but come Friday morning, not long after bikes hit the track and started getting some laps in, the track was then closed and the session suspended due to condition of the circuit.

The track presenting as excessively dirty due to ongoing construction in the area and rain.  

The pristine MotoGP motorcycles caked with dirt and looking as though they have just been ridden for days in Indonesian jungles rather than on a tarmac road race circuit.

Clean up crews were sent out on track to try and prepare the surface to a more satisfactory standard.

After a lengthy delay the circuit opened again with the news that the finish time for the day would be extended by 45-minutes to help try and make up some of the one-hour and 40-minutes lost time. The pressure will really be on to get productive laps in to try and gain as much data as possible.  

Times like these brands such as Suzuki and Aprilia, with only two riders on track, will be really ruing the lost time and their riders really under pressure to work through the test programme. Ducati will have terabytes of data from their massive contingent of eight riders, double the number that Yamaha, Honda and KTM have on track. 

Michelin also have no experience here and are desperate for data to try and ensure they bring the right rubber back here when we race in just over a months time. They already suspect that the circuit might be brutal on rear tyre longevity. 

Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi all reduced their potential laps today, all three Ducati men crashing when the track opened up again an hour or so after the delay. 

It is rare you see chicken strips on MotoGP front tyres but the lack of grip here today, even after the track completely dried, only to then become dusty, demonstrated the lack of confidence in corner entry. 

Jorge Martin was the first man in the 1m33s, a 1m33.987 on his 37th lap with two-hours and 40-minutes left in the session. The 24-year-old Spaniard then immediately backed it up with a 1m33.358 on his next lap which indicated the track was starting to come good. 

Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro joined Martin in the 1m33s a few minutes later. 

It was half an hour later before the next rider dipped into the 1m33s and that was Fabio Quartararo, only just though a 1m33.951 on his 67th lap. The World Champion the hardest working rider of the day by far. He then went quicker again, a 1m33.856 on his 69th lap. 

Alex Rins joined the 1m33s club with just over two-hours remaining in the session. A 1m33.816 to go third quickest.  Martin was still the benchmark at 1m33.358 and Pol Espargaro second on 1m33.455.

Raul Fernandez then made it a club of six, a 1m33.966 to the KTM rookie.  Aleix Espargaro then expanded the 1m33s club to seven with a 1m33.635 to go third quickest. Joan Mir then signed up with a 1m33.635, Johann Zarco with a 1m33.756 before Maverick Vinales then made it a club of ten with just over 90-minutes remaining when he shot to the top of the timesheets with a 1m33.147.

Half hour later the 1m33s club was looking a whole lot less exclusive as there were now 17 riders in the 1m33s and Jack Miller was El Presidente on a 1m33.114.

Not happy with anyone now being allowed membership, a new club was established, the 32 club!  The founding member was Brad Binder but Pol Espargaro then signed up soon after after dropping in a 1m32.466, the fastest ever motorcycle lap of the new Mandalika Circuit. Aleix Espargaro then followed his brother into the club with a 1m32.937 to make it an all Espargaro 1-2 at the top of the timesheets. 

With half hour remaining in the session Pol Espargaro was still atop the charts ahead of his brother, and all six different manufacturers were represented in the top six spots on the time-sheets. Dorna must have wrote this script…. Dorna then also called the clouds into threaten rain to make sure the six different manufacturer in the top six stayed as the headline for the day… 

Dirty track and all, the MotoGP bikes are already lapping faster than the1m32.877 set by Toprak Razgatlioglu here last year during the Superpole session of the World Superbike event. The sheer horsepower of today’s MotoGP bikes was on display with top speeds around 25 km/h quicker than the World Superbikes. Quickest through the speed trap today was Johann Zarco at 314.8 km/h, and the four fastest bikes were also on Ducatis.

That said, the track doesn’t seem to be a circuit where top end horsepower is as important as many others. It’s a fast flowing circuit, with only a couple of hard braking points, turns 1 and 10, thus it is somewhat a little like Phillip Island in those aspects. 

This is the first day MotoGP bikes have ever been around this circuit so obviously nothing can be read in to the results from today. If the weather holds and the track continues to clean up just how fast will they be by this time Sunday…? That has to be 1m31s, probably 1m30s and I would imagine that if the planets align sufficiently maybe even 1m29s….? 

MotoGP Mandalika Test Times Day One

Images by 2snap

Source: MCNews.com.au

2022 Repsol HRC livery unveiled

Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Márquez and fellow Spaniard Pol Espargaró have launched the 2022 Repsol Honda Team livery as the new season start rapidly approaches.

After three race wins between the two in the 2021 season, the team will be eager to return to the sort of majestic form that saw Márquez bank six titles in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The 28-year-old has endured a difficult spell during the past two seasons and has battled for power in his right shoulder following the bad break to his right arm incurred at the 2020 Spanish GP.

Marc Marquez begins 2022 fully recovered from the diplopia which ended his 2021 campaign early. The last two injury-hit seasons have not quelled his hunger and the eight-time World Champion is as determined to fight for the title in his tenth season with the Repsol Honda Team as in his first season.

Since stepping up to the premier class in 2013, Marquez has earned six MotoGP World Championship titles, won 59 races, finished on the podium 99 times, and earned pole position on 62 occasions – all with the iconic Repsol Honda Team. All of these are numbers which Marquez is aiming to increase in 2022.

Marc Márquez

“Ten seasons already in MotoGP and ten seasons in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream. I mean it’s something I couldn’t imagine in my best dreams, of course also during these ten years we have achieved very good results, so for sure this is something special and I want to enjoy it. I know we will try to win the title to celebrate it well! My goal this year is to try and fight for the championship. We have started the season well already in Malaysia and now we prepare to head forward to this test in Mandalika and continue our preparations.”

Pol Espargaro enters his second year with the Repsol Honda Team after a learning year in 2021. A pole position at the British GP and achieving his best finish in the premier class to date with second place at the Emilia Romagna GP were undoubted highlights of a year full of steady and consistent progress and growth for the 2013 Moto2 World Champion. Continuing to improve and fight in and amongst the leading riders at each race remains the #44’s goal for this new season as he aims to bring further success to the Repsol Honda Team.

Pol Espargaro

“I approach this season with more experience which at the end is one of the most important things in MotoGP. We have just five days of testing and knowing already how the team is, how the bike is, what I’m going to find there is already something very important, very big. You know through the year with a new bike we are going to improve it and make it even greater, but I think that the beginning point is great, and I think that from Qatar on we will feel ready to fight for something great which is our target. Let’s keep working now in Indonesia.”

Honda HRC celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2022 and, alongside a new logo, Honda’s four-wheeled competition efforts have been brought under the iconic banner while a revised livery adorns a heavily updated 2022 Repsol Honda Team RC213V – the machine a new Saitama concept.

New aero dynamics complement the revised chassis and upgraded engine for 2022 in the 28th year of the successful collaboration between Honda and Repsol, the iconic colours a consistent track sight.

Tetsuhiro Kuwata – HRC Director

“I think it is the biggest change we have seen during the current regulation period. The concept of the 2022 machine is ‘break out of our shell’ to improve the performance so the whole of the machine is completely different from the last two years. We changed the engine, chassis, and the electronics with this concept. We already applied this new concept from the last year, and we have already checked the performance of the new machine concept and we could confirm that it works to improve our weak points. So, this 2022 machine has further evolutions with the same direction.”

With 15 World Championships, 452 premier class podiums and 183 race wins, the Repsol Honda Team remains the most decorated team in Grand Prix racing and main reference point in two-wheeled motorsport.

After a successful test in Sepang, Malaysia, Márquez and Espargaró are now preparing for a new challenge at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia where they will have three more days of riding before the 2022 MotoGP World Championship begins at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar on March 6.

Source: MCNews.com.au