Last weekend saw Fabio Quartararo take his first MotoGP race win, we take a look at the stats behind the Petronas Yamaha SRT rider’s 20 races in the premier class.
Fabio Quartararo immediately became a force to be reckoned with upon his move to the MotoGP Championship, taking Rookie of the Year honours last year, and has racked up a remarkable list of stats. The paddock knew it was only a matter of time until he took his maiden victory…
Fabio Quartararo secured the Rookies Cup at Motegi last year
Quartararo’s 20th race on the weekend was one for the history books as he became the first French premier class winner since Regis Laconi at the 1999 Valencia GP, and became the first satellite Yamaha winner in the MotoGP era (the last being Garry McCoy at the 2000 Valencia GP). He is also the eighth youngest rider to win in the premier class at 21 years and 90 days.
Youngest premier class GP winners
Marc Marquez – 20 years, 63 days (Circuit of the Americas 2013)
Freddie Spencer – 20 years, 196 days (Spa-Francorchamps 1982)
Norifumi Abe – 20 years, 227 days (Suzuka 1996)
Dani Pedrosa – 20 years, 227 days (Shanghai International Circuit 2006)
Randy Mamola – 20 years, 239 days (Spa-Francorchamps 1980)
Jorge Lorenzo – 20 years, 345 days (Circuito do Estoril 2008)
Mike Hailwood – 21 years, 75 days (Isle of Man 1975)
Fabio Quartararo – 21 years, 90 days (Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto 2020)
Valentino Rossi – 21 years, 144 days (Donington Park 2000)
Casey Stoner – 21 years, 145 days (Losail International Circuit 2007)
Fabio Quartararo scored an emotional victory at Jerez
His debut season last year, which was also the debut season for Petronas Yamaha SRT, saw him immediately impress at the first round in Qatar, setting the fastest lap around Losail International Circuit – an achievement that he repeated at Le Mans, his home grand prix. Fabio also became the youngest ever MotoGP pole sitter in Jerez, in what was an historic day for the team, with Franco Morbidelli joining him on the front row of the grid after qualifying second.
Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli celebrated topping qualifying at Jerez, however Quartararo’s weekend was ruined by mechanical issues in the race
After racking up six pole positions, seven podium finishes (five of which saw him on the second step) and breaking four lap records (Jerez, Assen, Buriram and Sepang), it was no surprise that he became 2019 Rookie of the Year in Japan with three races still to go and helped Petronas Yamaha SRT take the Independent Teams Championship in just their first year in the category.
Fabio Quartararo breakthrough for his maiden win last weekend at Jerez
The enforced break from racing meant that Fabio had to wait until last weekend in Jerez to take part in just his 20th MotoGP race, where he showed that being away from his Yamaha YZR-M1 for over four months has only sharpened his drive. Over the course of the weekend Quartararo broke the lap record (which he himself had set the year before) twice on his way to taking his seventh pole position and ultimately his first MotoGP win. It was his eighth podium and boosted his accumulated points total across the 20 races to 217.
Fabio Quartararo – The win was also his eighth podium so far in MotoGP, not a bad hit rate for a new rider only 20 races into this premier class career
Fabio currently sits at the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings after his victory on Sunday.
Fabio Quartararo will arrive in Melbourne later this month for the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2019 held over the October 26-27 weekend as one of the men to watch for this year’s main event at Phillip Island. Given his CV before he even made it to the world championship, that’s no surprise.
Fabio Quartararo
But progression in top-line sport, no matter how prodigious your talent, is rarely linear, and the fast Frenchman has taken a circuitous path before arriving at a place towards the top of MotoGP he always seemed destined for.
Rewind six years, and a 14-year-old Quartararo was doing things never before seen in the Spanish CEV championship, the national series that’s proven to be a springboard into Moto3 for so many of the sport’s current stars.
Quartararo and his family had their sights on the Spanish title for years – they moved from France when he was seven after he’d begun racing at age four – and with three wins from pole in the final three races of 2013, he took the title at the age of just 14 years and 218 days.
The following season, 2014, was even more impressive; nine wins and two second places from the 11 races saw him repeat as champion, a run of success that broke all records, saw him mentioned in the same breath as Marc Marquez, and demanded a re-write of the rules.
Fabio Quartararo claimed his maiden Moto3 pole position in a two-way battle with Danny Kent during Qualifying at the Circuito de Jerez in 2015
Signed to compete in the Moto3 World Championship for 2015, Quartararo had to receive special dispensation just to compete in the first round in Qatar as he wasn’t yet 16-years-old, the minimum age for the series.
One race later, in Austin, Quartararo finished a stunning second, taking his first podium eight days before his 16th birthday. His march to the top was, surely, only a matter of time.
All of which begs the question, why has it taken this long for the 20-year-old to make his way to, let alone his name in, MotoGP?
Injury, instability and circumstance conspired against Quartararo for several seasons before one standout result in 2018 set him on the path to put things right.
2015 Dutch TT Assen – Fabio Quartararo – Injury put the brakes on Quartararo’s ascension in 2015
Quartararo’s 2015 debut season, which featured two podiums and two pole positions, came to a screeching halt after a nasty spill at Misano left him with a broken ankle, while a second year in Moto3 on a KTM produced only occasional flashes, and a 13th-place championship finish, which he repeated in 2017 after moving up to Moto2 on a Kalex.
A 10th-place Moto2 championship finish in 2018 on Speed Up machinery wasn’t the stuff of headlines, but on one magical weekend at Montmelo in Spain, Quartararo reminded the world of his prodigious, yet unfulfilled, talent.
Fabio Quartararo in Moto2 in 2018
A first pole position in 50 world championship starts came on the Saturday at Catalunya, which he converted the next day for his maiden victory. The relief – and the lifting of the weight off his shoulders – was obvious.
“In 2015, a lot of people were comparing me to Marc,” he reminisced after that breakthrough victory. “That was a lot of pressure, and especially at that age I didn’t really realise. I don’t think I could take it anymore.”
Fabio Quartararo – Image AJRN
The result heralded the beginning of Fabio 2.0, the rebooted Frenchman finding new consistency as he finished inside the top 10 in all but one race for the remainder of the season.
It was then that new-found momentum combined with a smattering of luck to create an opening; the new Petronas Yamaha SRT MotoGP team for 2019 came calling in August after failed attempts to woo Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, signing Quartararo to partner 2018 MotoGP rookie Franco Morbidelli for its first season in the premier class. He wasn’t the team’s first choice, far from it, but the big opportunity on a bigger bike was all Quartararo needed.
Fabio Quartararo testing for the Petronas Yamaha SRT MotoGP team
Under the floodlights in Qatar – the same Losail International Circuit where he’d made his World Championship debut as a pimply-faced kid four years earlier – Quartararo stunned the MotoGP establishment in March this year when he qualified fifth for his top-flight debut.
Better looked set to come, and it came quickly; by round four in Spain he was on pole for the first time, and he took his first podium at Catalunya in June, qualifying on pole again and beaten only by Marquez just a week after arm pump surgery. By mid-season, he was comfortably the fastest – if not the most consistent – of the quartet of Yamaha riders on the grid, a succession of front-row starts on a 2018-spec bike leaving factory stablemates Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi in his wake.
And then came the first of what seems destined to be many head-to-head battles with Marquez at Misano, Quartararo taking the lead on lap three and staying there for 23 laps with Marquez breathing all over him before the world champion bullied his way by on the final lap.
Why has Quartararo been so fast so quickly on a MotoGP bike after a so-so career in the junior classes? It’s a combination of environment and machinery, he feels.
“To be fast in this category you don’t only need a good bike, you need a good bike and good people around you: good mechanics, a good crew chief, everyone must be a family,” he told Motorsport Magazine in July.
“Also, the Yamaha suits my riding style – it’s the bike that needs to be ridden really smoothly. I remember Jorge Lorenzo rode the Yamaha really smoothly and that’s why he won a lot of races. I think I’m quite a smooth rider, so that’s why it’s all going well.”
Far from being crestfallen with seeing a maiden victory slip through his fingers at Misano, Quartararo was thrilled to be mixing it with the modern-day master’s of MotoGP, and a rider mentioned in the same sentence as him for so long. A bold re-pass of Marquez on the final lap before the Honda rider reasserted his authority gave him belief for the future, and, for seasoned paddock observers, was something of a line in the sand.
“I’m really happy about what we did … (it’s) the best moment not only of my career, but of my life,” Quartararo said. “When you have a seven-time world champion behind you for 20 laps and he overtake you at the first corner, you overtake him back on corner four, I was so happy to have a fight with him. The good thing was I could overtake him back, and this gives me a lot of confidence, to say ‘he’s a seven-time world champion, but we can overtake him’. He’s a human like us.”
The stats would seem to suggest otherwise with Marquez, but of all the riders on the grid, perhaps it’s Quartararo who can give the Spaniard the sternest test as he attempts to re-write the sport’s records. Especially as despite Phillip Island being a fast track it is not a circuit where outright horsepower decides the victor, and the Frenchman’s smooth flowing style could be key around the back of the circuit.
Whoever emerges victorious in their head-to head battles in the years to come, the winners will be MotoGP fans the world over if Quartararo’s star continues to ascend as it has so rapidly in 2019.
Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli set the pace on Day 1 of the Misano Test, the Frenchman’s 1:32.996 in the afternoon enough to pip teammate by just 0.023 and dropping him into the 1:32s.
Fabio Quartararo
The Petronas Yamaha SRT duo duo sit over two tenths clear of third-fastest Marc Marquez at the end of the first day of track action, with the reigning Champion the only non-Yamaha in the top five.
On a sunny opening day at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, neither Quartararo nor Morbidelli were testing anything in particular, but they both lit up the timesheets. It was the rookie’s first visit to the venue on a premier class machine so the main aim was to find the best setup for the Grand Prix weekend, with electronics the main goal for Friday. Morbidelli, meanwhile, wanted to test the Michelin tyres to find the best balance, with the aim of improving grip.
Valentino Rossi – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales were trying a second version of Yamaha’s 2020 engine, having tried a first one at the Brno Test. Viñales and Rossi finished fourth and fifth respectively to place all four Yamahas inside the top five.
The Iwata factory rolling out a different exhaust, similar to Suzuki’s double exhaust setup, as well as a carbon swingarm and a carbon cover on the front brake. ‘The Doctor’ had three bikes in his garage, while Viñales was out testing the front aero that was seen in Brno and the new tail unit we also saw in Czechia.
Marc Marquez – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
Championship leader Marquez had three bikes at his disposal for most of the day and then four by the end of play, with fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow given three to play with. Marquez’ completely black bike seemed to have a cover on the swingarm, while there was also some carbon reinforcement at the top of the chassis.
HRC test rider Stefan Bradl was also on track with two bikes to use, one in Repsol colours and one in his usual HRC livery. The German was also on track with EG 0,0 Marc VDS duo Alex Marquez and Xavi Vierge on Wednesday, and now continues his program.
Jorge Lorenzo, meanwhile, is still suffering from pain, reporting it was worse than at Silverstone. The five-time World Champion decided to end Day 1 slightly early as he continues his comeback from injury.
Michele Pirro – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
At Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso was back on his GP19 in the afternoon session having been declared fit to ride earlier in the day, as were Quartararo and Joan Mir.
Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi said the Italian’s testing plan was cancelled as ‘DesmoDovi’ checks his physical condition on the bike after his Silverstone crash. Teammate Danilo Petrucci, though, was testing electronics and test rider Michele Pirro had new chassis parts and settings to try, with the fairing he used at the KymiRing seen out at Misano on Thursday. In addition, Petrucci, Pirro and Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller had the swingarm attachment back on their bikes.
Pol Espargaro – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019 – Image by Lukas Leitner
At Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, it was a very positive day on the timesheets. Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco finished 6th and 8th respectively, with the duo both working towards the race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Johann Zarco – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019 – Image by Lukas Leitner
As always, KTM are constantly developing the RC16 and while working on race setup, the Austrian factory were also busy working on the chassis and engine. In the afternoon, test rider Dani Pedrosa took to the track before the MotoGP Legend does a full day of riding at the venue on Friday, with Zarco only riding on Thursday.
Pol Espargaro & Dani Pedrosa – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019 – Image by Lukas Leitner
On the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 side, Miguel Oliveira’s test ended after two laps as the Portuguese rider was still feeling the pain from his Silverstone crash. He flew home on Thursday, with Hafizh Syahrin the sole machine for the squad on track from then on, aiming to regain his confidence on the RC16.
Miguel Oliveira – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019 – Image by Lukas Leitner
In the Team Suzuki Ecstar garage, it was a return to action for Joan Mir after his injury layoff. The Spaniard finished P9 on the timesheets with a best time of 1:33.763 to finish 0.767 off Quartararo’s lap.
Joan Mir
“I am happy to be back and feel the MotoGP thrill again! I’ve spent the last weeks at home, after the accident in Brno, in order to have time to recover. The decision to miss the British GP was the correct one, but I must say that I really missed being at the race. The team had huge success with Alex, it was pretty clear that the GSX-RR was well-suited to Silverstone’s layout. I felt frustrated being at home on my couch, but of course I felt proud and happy for Alex and the Team! Finally, I got back on the bike and my feeling is good, I did an effective rehab and recuperation job, and with the training last week I now feel almost 100% fit. Despite this, I arrived at the circuit this morning feeling like a rookie again, being aware that I needed to take it easy and take time to recover the feeling. I was impressed to see that I just needed two or three corners in the first run to start enjoying the feel like before. This allowed us to start testing some items and prepare for the Misano GP.”
Joan Mir – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
Teammate and British GP winner Alex Rins was testing some settings for the race weekend, as well as checking parts on the swingarm, some electronics and a slightly different chassis they used in Brno to do some comparison work. Rins also suffered a crash at Turn 8 near the end of the morning session.
Alex Rins
“Honestly I’m very happy to already be back riding! After only 4 days I’m still feeling the thrill of the victory in Silverstone, and I’m fully enjoying these sensations on my Suzuki. Today we did a good job, we tried several options and worked on consistency. Finally, we didn’t have time to fit a soft tyre and try for the best lap, this is something we will have to work on tomorrow. We’re already thinking ahead to the San Marino GP, so we need to finalise a good setup for this tyre option as the white-striped tyre was the tyre choice of last year’s race.”
Alex Rins – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
According to Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Technical Manager Romano Albesiano, his team were trying a very different setup on the RS-GP. In addition, both Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone were working on electronics, engine braking, the swingarm and the chassis. Espargaro finished 12th fastest with a best time of 1:33.842, with Iannone claiming P17.
Reale Avintia Racing’s Karel Abraham left the circuit early as he was suffering from injury. The Czech rider was on the bike in the morning, with teammate Tito Rabat completing an impressive 74 laps in the afternoon. The Spaniard will complete a full day of testing on Friday.
Aleix Espargaro – Misano MotoGP Test Day 1, 2019
In terms of tyres, Michelin provided the teams with the same allocation as they will have for the race weekend. In addition, the tyre manufacturer gave the riders the new rear that had previously been testing in Barcelona and Brno in a medium compound. And, there was also a new front casing, which has been developed to improve grip under braking. This was tested for the first time on Thursday.
That’s Day 1 complete at Misano, with plenty hustle and bustle up and down pitlane. They’ll be back out for another action-packed day on Friday
Fabio Quartararo has taken top honours on Friday at Catalunya, topping the timesheets and leading the way following arm pump surgery, proving fast in FP1 and fastest in FP2, with a three-tenths lead in Saturday. That competition made it an impressive four factories in the top four, however, with Andrea Dovizioso in P2, Takaaki Nakagami in third and Pol Espargaro in fourth – with all three within 0.033 on the chase.
Fabio Quartararo
“Today was a great day. We were first on the combined timesheets and I had a great feeling. I didn’t know how my arm would react after my operation, but things went very well. I had some pain to deal with, but I feel good. The first run was hard, but after a while everything went better. It was a matter of getting used to the pain, but I didn’t expect to go so well at this Grand Prix. We have to stay calm, which is the most important thing. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow morning and of course we will do our best to get onto the front row, but right now our goal is to be on the first three rows and go straight into Q2. We’ll see if we can have a good qualifying.”
Fabio Quartararo – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
The morning session was a fairly quiet one by MotoGP standards, with a bit of a hairy entrance into Turn 10 for Jack Miller and a little snap at the same place for Marquez two of the stand outs. But it would nevertheless prove a crucial session for the reigning Champion as he was the only rider in the top ten who didn’t improve his laptime in the afternoon. He didn’t fit a new soft tyre but was able to stay in ninth, so the ‘extra’ tyre on Saturday could prove a masterstroke.
Andrea Dovizioso – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
Marquez also ran with the Ducatis in the afternoon – much to their mild chagrin – as Dovizioso and teammate Danilo Petrucci had headed out in tandem. They kept the advantage on the combined timesheets though, with ‘DesmoDovi’ in second and ‘Petrux’ taking P8, just ahead of the number 93.
Andrea Dovizioso
“I’m satisfied with our performance in this first day of practice, I had a good feeling with the bike and we’ve been fast. As it often happened here in the past, grip is very low and the track’s layout makes tyre management particularly difficult, especially considering the higher temperatures forecast for the rest of the weekend. However, I believe everyone is struggling under this aspect. We have work left to do ahead of the race: we’re still evaluating the different tyre compounds available and we need to improve the front-end feeling, but my sensations are good and so are the lap times, so I’m confident.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
Danilo Petrucci
“My feeling on the bike is quite good, even though this morning we encountered an atypical issue with rear grip, which slowed our program down a little bit. In FP2 we made a big step forward, even though there is still room for improvement. We’re not far from the front in terms of pace, while we’re still not at our best on the flying lap because I struggle in corner entry as I feel little support from the rear. We have clear ideas about what changes to make on the bike and we defined our work program for tomorrow, so I’m optimistic.”
Danilo Petrucci – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
So behind the four-factory fight at the top and those standout performances from the likes of Nakagami and Pol Espargaro, who impressed next? Second rookie Francesco Bagnaia put his Ducati in fifth and would doubtless have been the rookie talking point of the day if not for the Frenchman at the top, and Franco Morbidelli took P6 to again make it both the Independent Team Yamahas ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP bikes.
Franco Morbidelli
“It’s been a good day for us. In the morning we found things a little harder, but we improved a lot in the afternoon. The grip level was not fantastic, so we suffered in that aspect, but our speed and pace were good, and I felt strong when going for a fast time. I finished sixth, which is not bad. We will have to see what the weather is like on Saturday, but so far I have a good feeling. Tomorrow morning will be different, because it will be colder. Speed is going to be the main aspect for us to improve, and then in the afternoon we’ll have to see what our pace is like.”
Franco Morbidelli – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
It wasn’t by much at Catalunya, however, with Valentino Rossi an infinitesimal 0.003 behind compatriot and VR46 Riders Academy member Morbidelli. After a tougher run of late, especially on Friday and Saturday, it was a big step forward for the ‘Doctor’ at a venue he’s reigned more than anyone.
Valentino Rossi
“The track is good, I like it a lot and, sincerely, today was a positive day for us, because I felt good with the bike and could ride quite well. My pace is not so bad, and I was able to stay inside the top-10 in the morning and in the afternoon. In FP2 it was already hot, but I didn’t feel so bad. It’s true that it wasn’t very, very hot, so we’ll have to see. The first thing is that we’ll try to improve tomorrow, we still have a lot of work to do. Today we worked well and in the afternoon we were able to improve the bike. The most important thing is to stay inside the top-10 tomorrow morning so we can get into Q2, and after that we’ll see what happens in the afternoon in qualifying.”
Valentino Rossi – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
Cal Crutchlow, meanwhile, completes the top ten to slot in behind Petrucci and Marquez. The Brit was only 0.010 behind Marquez, too, with those two Hondas trailing Nakagami’s best lap by a couple of tenths. But then the number 93, as aforementioned, didn’t pop in a fresh soft tyre.
Marc Marquez
“Not a bad day today. We had to change our strategy from the last GP a little bit because it’s important to understand the tyres. If you check the FP2 times, we look like we are far but we were able to do a lot of work and try many tyres and some setup changes. We’re not bad and the position isn’t our real one. I’m happy with all the information that we were able to get.”
Mark Marquez – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
And neither did Alex Rins, who finishes Friday in P11 and therefore outside the automatic graduation zone to Q2. The Suzuki rider also suffered a crash, but the weather forecast is fine for the weekend and Saturday is another day, so both he and Marquez will be gunning for a hot lap in FP3.
The likes of Jorge Lorenzo in P14 and Maverick Viñales in P15 will be rushing to join them too, with Viñales one who, along with Jack Miller, dropped down the timesheets in the afternoon.
Jack Miller
“In general a positive day. The feeling with the bike is very good even if in the second part of the FP2 the soft tires used did not allow me to push. However, we have collected important data for the race. However, there is great confidence in tomorrow’s qualifications.”
Jack Miller – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
See how the cards play out in FP3 as it decides those heading straight through to Q2 at 9:55 (GMT +2) before qualifying begins at 14:10 and the grid for Round 7 is decided.
MotoGP Combined Practice
Pos
Rider
Motorcycle
FP1
FP2
Gap
1
F.Quartararo
YAMAHA
1’40.803
1’40.079
0.000
2
A.Dovizioso
DUCATI
1’41.030
1’40.360
0.281
3
T.Nakagami
HONDA
1’41.040
1’40.381
0.302
4
P.Espargaro
KTM
1’41.410
1’40.393
0.314
5
F.Bagnaia
DUCATI
1’41.530
1’40.471
0.392
6
F.Morbidelli
YAMAHA
1’41.160
1’40.517
0.438
7
V.Rossi
YAMAHA
1’41.190
1’40.520
0.441
8
D.Petrucci
DUCATI
1’41.624
1’40.599
0.520
9
M.Marquez
HONDA
1’40.692
1’40.963
0.613
10
C.Crutchlow
HONDA
1’41.243
1’40.702
0.623
11
A.Rins
SUZUKI
1’41.142
1’40.727
0.648
12
K.Abraham
DUCATI
1’41.972
1’40.727
0.648
13
J.Zarco
KTM
1’41.390
1’40.771
0.692
14
J.Lorenzo
HONDA
1’41.621
1’40.816
0.737
15
M.Viñales
YAMAHA
1’40.872
1’40.847
0.768
16
A.Espargaro
APRILIA
1’41.213
1’40.878
0.799
17
J.Miller
DUCATI
1’41.049
1’40.948
0.869
18
T.Rabat
DUCATI
1’41.603
1’41.007
0.928
19
J.Mir
SUZUKI
1’41.355
1’41.070
0.991
20
M.Oliveira
KTM
1’41.920
1’41.331
1.252
21
A.Iannone
APRILIA
1’41.825
1’41.524
1.445
22
H.Syahrin
KTM
1’42.448
1’41.527
1.448
23
S.Guintoli
SUZUKI
1’42.363
1’41.987
1.908
24
B.Smith
APRILIA
1’42.168
1’42.156
2.077
Moto2
FP1 pacesetter Tom Lüthi kept Moto2 Day 1 honours at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya after his 1:44.673 went unbeaten in the afternoon, with Alex Marquez and HDR Heidrun Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro completing the top three and just 0.067 between them. The afternoon’s quickest man was Augusto Fernandez and he took P4 overall as one of only three men in the top ten to go faster in FP2.
Tom Luthi – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
Enea Bastianini continued his impressive season in fifth, with the rookie just 0.068 off Fernandez on Friday and ahead of veteran Xavi Vierge. Second rookie honours went to Nicolo Bulega, with the Italian taking P7 as well as putting in a miracle save in the afternoon.
Remy Gardner took P8 despite a crash in the afternoon, with Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri down in ninth. He, along with tenth-placed Luca Marini, joined Fernandez in the afternoon improvers’ club. Brad Binder was P11, ahead of rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio, Andrea Locatelli and Simone Corsi.
Remy Gardner
There were a few key incidents on Friday, one of which was a crash for Navarro as he lost the front at Turn 5, and an off for 15th quickest Marcel Schrötter, who’s left as the first of those needing to improve in FP3 to head straight through to Q2. Sam Lowes and Philipp Öttl also crashed.
The intermediate class will be back out on track for FP3 from 10:55 (GMT +2) on Saturday, with Q1 qualifying starting to decide the grid from 15:05.
Moto2 Combined Practice
Pos
Rider
Motorcycle
FP1
FP2
Gap
1
T.Luthi
KALEX
1’44.673
1’44.870
0.000
2
A.Marquez
KALEX
1’44.733
1’44.910
0.060
3
J.Navarro
SPEED UP
1’44.740
1’45.099
0.067
4
A.Fernandez
KALEX
1’44.820
1’44.782
0.109
5
E.Bastianini
KALEX
1’44.850
1’44.994
0.177
6
X.Vierge
KALEX
1’44.905
1’45.301
0.232
7
N.Bulega
KALEX
1’44.934
1’45.451
0.261
8
R.Gardner
KALEX
1’44.950
1’45.579
0.277
9
L.Baldassarri
KALEX
1’45.173
1’44.955
0.282
10
L.Marini
KALEX
1’45.484
1’45.021
0.348
11
B.Binder
KTM
1’45.101
1’45.245
0.428
12
F.Di Giannanto
SPEED UP
1’45.472
1’45.151
0.478
13
A.Locatelli
KALEX
1’45.292
1’45.227
0.554
14
S.Corsi
KALEX
1’45.309
1’45.228
0.555
15
M.Schrotter
KALEX
1’45.250
1’45.462
0.577
16
T.Nagashima
KALEX
1’45.428
1’45.329
0.656
17
B.Bendsneyde
NTS
1’45.793
1’45.349
0.676
18
I.Lecuona
KTM
1’45.393
1’45.900
0.720
19
S.Lowes
KALEX
1’46.034
1’45.419
0.746
20
J.Folger
KALEX
1’45.701
1’45.588
0.915
21
D.Aegerter
MV AGUSTA
1’45.668
1’45.954
0.995
22
S.Odendaal
NTS
1’46.360
1’45.804
1.131
23
J.Martin
KTM
1’45.832
1’46.310
1.159
24
S.Manzi
MV AGUSTA
1’46.133
1’46.176
1.460
25
D.Ekky Pratam
KALEX
1’46.473
1’47.029
1.800
26
S.Chantra
KALEX
1’47.352
1’46.712
2.039
27
J.Dixon
KTM
1’46.724
1’46.839
2.051
28
L.Tulovic
KTM
1’47.509
1’46.725
2.052
29
M.Bezzecchi
KTM
1’46.901
1’46.815
2.142
30
J.Roberts
KTM
1’47.222
1’46.942
2.269
31
P.Oettl
KTM
1’48.374
1’47.340
2.667
32
X.Cardelus
KTM
1’47.830
1’47.632
2.959
Moto3
Alonso Lopez led rookie teammate Sergio Garcia to an Estrella Galicia 0,0 1-2 on Day 1 at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, with the two Spaniards having topped FP1 and no one able to overturn them in the afternoon. FP2’s quickest man was Lorenzo Dalla Porta, and he slots into third on the combined timesheets as he chases the Championship lead this weekend.
Alonso Lopez – Catalunya MotoGP 2019
Brief spots of rain affected FP2 but the weather was largely fine on Friday, although conditions didn’t see everyone improve in the latter session. So it’s a mix of FP1 and FP2 best efforts that decides the Friday combined timesheets, with the top three followed by Gabriel Rodrigo from his FP1 time and Tatsuki Suzuki from his FP2 time.
Next up it was a solid opening day for Darryn Binder in sixth, ahead of rookie Can Öncü in a much improved performance for the Turk. Romano Fenati was P8, with Albert Arenas and Niccolo Antonelli completing the top ten.
Kaito Toba, Kazuki Masaki, Marcos Ramirez and Makar Yurchenko complete the fastest fourteen, denying Jaume Masia and John McPhee provisional graduation to Q2.
Lopez was one crasher, down in FP2, and Toba and Dennis Foggia suffered falls in the morning. The fastest 14 on the combined timesheets after FP3 go straight through to Qualifying 2. Tune in to see how it shuffles on Saturday morning from 9:00 (GMT +2), before qualifying begins from 12:35.
Fabio Quartararo made history on Saturday setting a record for youngest pole setter, however Sunday wasn’t to be his day with a mechanical issue putting an early end to his race, while fighting for the podium. Further proving his speed, Quartararo topped the Jerez Monday test, half a second faster than his pole winning lap time.
Fabio Quartararo
The 1’36.379, set near the end of play, put him 0.418 ahead of Cal Crutchlow and 0.714 ahead of Franco Morbidelli at the Official Test.
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“All the frustration from yesterday was compensated for by the excellent day of testing we had today. We tried several different setups and a new front fork. The results were very positive, and it’s something that we will continue investigating in the future. We also managed to find a very good pace with used tyres and we worked with the hard compound for many laps. At the end of the day we tried a time attack and it went very well. This was the first time that the grip has been so good at this track. On my last three laps I was on the limit and I saw that I could not improve much more, with us putting in three times in the 1m 36s. I am very happy with the work that we’ve done and I want to thank the whole team. I can’t wait to get to Le Mans, my home Grand Prix, and to carry on enjoying riding the bike.”
Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli celebrated topping qualifying earlier, with Quartararo’s weekend ruined by mechanical issues in the race
Quartararo did 73 laps on Monday and left it late to put in his fastest on Lap 70, following it up with another not far off the same pace. He had internal fork updates to try, the same as the factory Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team, but set his fastest lap with the previous regardless.
Teammate Morbidelli was also late mover up the timesheets into third and his best of a 1’37.093 was set on his penultimate lap of 82. He had a Yamaha aero update to try.
Franco Morbidelli – P3
“We worked on a few very specific areas during this test, with the aim of improving the setup of the bike. We found some new solutions that I believe will be useful at upcoming rounds this season. During the race I never felt comfortable with the front end, and today we were able to improve that feeling. We also worked on rear grip, something that we lacked a little during the weekend. We have found solutions and this is important on days like today. We have pace and the feeling is pretty good now.”
Franco Morbidelli
Meanwhile, Maverick Viñales was the fastest Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider in fifth, 0.847 off the top after an impressive workload of 94 laps, with teammate Valentino Rossi ending the day in P17 after 74 laps.
Maverick Vinales – P5
“We tested many items today. I did a lot of laps on race tyres, which wasn’t bad. I was riding quite well over a race distance, but anyway we need to keep improving. Le Mans is a track where the grip level is quite good, so I’m not too worried about it. It’s a good track for me, so my mind is already there at the French GP. We have found some positives and negatives in today’s test, as always, but nothing special. There are still some things to improve, especially on my side, my riding style, and we need to find something to improve the traction. But I’m not worried because my race pace was there, I was feeling close to the top.”
Maverick Vinales
Valentino Rossi – P17
“We had a programme for today. We had some things to try to improve the package, especially working on the acceleration, on the grip, all these things. The test wasn’t too bad. We didn’t find something that will change our lives, but there were some details that, if you put them all together in the package, maybe we can be stronger. I also had to try the two tyres for Michelin. These are two tyres we will use in Austria and Buriram. They are harder and stronger, but I wanted to try them, because usually we suffer a little bit with that type of tyre, but it wasn’t a time attack.”
Valentino Rossi
They were working on some chassis settings but mainly electronics, aimed at improving throttle connection. Petronas Yamaha SRT also had throttle connection updates but the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders were working on further versions.
At Honda, one big focus for Crutchlow was the start; clutch feel and electronics. He did 78 laps, was the man deposed by Quartararo’s late lunge, and did his fastest lap on a new rear medium compound tyre from Michelin featuring new technology for improved grip and consistency.
Cal Crutchlow – P2
“It was a good day. I had no real complaints throughout the day, we just tried the setting of the bike, we didn’t try anything new. Our programme wasn’t to try anything new, we needed to concentrate on set-up. I went to a more drastic setting than I did over the race weekend and I felt maybe a bit more comfortable. I was definitely a lot faster than yesterday, consistently, and we put that down to also using the hard rear tyre and not being able to in the race. I spent a lot of time evaluating that hard rear tyre and I felt good with it. The team is pleased and I’m pleased with how the day went, but as I said yesterday I can’t be pleased with how the race panned out. I finished eighth and there’s no reward for going fast on a Monday in Jerez, but I felt good and it shows that yesterday I should have been faster and should have chosen the hard rear tyre.”
Cal Crutchlow
The tyre was one of two additions to the race weekend allocation – the other being a medium rear with a different casing especially for Spielberg and Buriram, to be assessed further – and it will now be used in the allocation.
A little further down the timesheets, Jerez winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in seventh after 75 laps, and set his quickest on the bike that wildcard and test rider Stefan Bradl rode in the race with carbon fibre chassis additions.
Marc Marquez
Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) had a slightly modified seat and ended the day in P9 after 93 laps, and the five-time World Champion had two crashes.
Marc Marquez – P7
“We tried many things today and it was a really positive test as we were able to focus on the concept of a few things, not the details. When we finished with everything I stopped a bit early because the feeling was good with the bike and sometimes it’s best to stop when you’re feeling good. I tried Bradl’s bike to understand the concept, it was positive and we are ready for the next round.”
Jorge Lorenzo – P9
“Today we were able to do a lot of laps and try many things. This was important for us as we are still trying to catch up on the time we missed testing at the start of the season. We found some interesting things for races to come. The day was upset by two crashes. It isn’t how we wanted to end the test with a crash. I am OK, sore but OK. Thank you to the Repsol Honda Team and HRC engineers for working hard all weekend and today during the test.”
Jorge Lorenzo
Takaaki Nakagami was another late crasher and he ended the day in tenth, an infinitesimal 0.002 off Lorenzo.
Takaaki Nakagami – P10
“The test was going well, but unfortunately I had a crash in the last few minutes. I’m ok though and it was a really important test for us. We tested some small things back-to-back and the bike is working well, like the weekend. We didn’t focus on our performance on the first lap, but the lap time was really consistent and I had a better feeling on the bike than over the weekend. I’m pretty happy with how we worked today, so we’re ready for the next race in Le Mans. We just need to keep going.”
Takaaki Nakagami
For KTM the timesheets made for good reading with Pol Espargaro as he ended the day in fourth, 0.735 off P1 after 63 laps, with teammate Johann Zarco in P16 after 71. They tested chassis parts, chassis settings and some engine parts.
Pol Espargaro – P4
“Tiring day but happy with the result. KTM have worked very hard in the winter and delivered some things that we could not test until Le Mans and here because of the overseas races. We improved on some areas of the engine and also the chassis and found a good balance. We tried different configurations and I think with what we did on the engine we have more room to play, which is good. I’m happy we keep developing and keep improving.”
Pol Espargaro
Johann Zarco – P16
“I expected to have a good day and after a race it is useful to be on track again and have a reference from the weekend: after just three laps you are ready to start the work. We tried things looking for confirmation for the technicians and that means a bit of up-and-down and it can be hard to have a consistent feeling. Fabio did an amazing lap-time with that new rear Michelin and I tried it too and had a small improvement over qualifying. Anyway, many laps done and lots of information for the team. We made a little step to let me have more feeling on the front into the fast corners, and from that we tried to improve the rear and could work there.”
Johann Zarco
Red Bull KTM Tech 3, meanwhile, ended the test in P21 for Miguel Oliveira and P22 for Hafizh Syahrin. They had 2019 KTM tail and exhausts to test.
Miguel Oliveira – P21
“Today was quite long, as we had many things to test. But finally, it has been positive because I was much faster with the ‘race condition bike’ than yesterday. I just missed the fast lap at the end. I used a medium front tyre with a soft rear, which was not the best choice, so I had to stop and change the front tyre, therefore I reused the soft rear and was not able to get this ideal lap in. I’m a bit disappointed for this, but we tested things here, which we think have great potential to help me in the future.”
Miguel Oliveira
Hafizh Syahrin – P22
“Today has been a very positive day, because we did a big step compared to last weekend as during the Grand Prix I was struggling, the condition of my body was not good and on the last day, I just found a good feeling with the bike and also my body was better. In the race I set my fastest time. During the test today, we tried some new parts, which were better for me. But so far, we are not able to use the advantage of the new tyre for the corner speed. We found a very small improvement, so we still need to get better with the bike. At the moment this is not easy, but I hope it’s getting better and better in the future and I give my best to improve at the next round.”
Hafizh Syahrin
At Suzuki, Joan Mir was working on setting the bike up more for his style and he ended the day in sixth after more than 80 laps.
Joan Mir – P6
“I’m really happy with today, especially as I did so many laps. I found I was able to increase my pace and build on the lap times I set during the weekend. I feel that my settings for Le Mans will be good as we tried a lot of different things here. I had a crash today, but it was without consequences and I’m happy to have been back on my bike and always learning.”
Joan Mir
Suzuki had a new swingarm, and a new swingarm attachment was also spotted in the Hamamatsu factory’s garage as it broke cover for the first time, but Alex Rins ran on and damaged it soon after. He nevertheless did 69 laps with a best of 1’37.275 to put him in P8. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli was also out on track and he put in 79 laps.
Alex Rins – P8
“Today we’ve done a full day of work, testing a lot of things and completing a lot of laps. We found a lot of positive things, and I liked the settings that we tried. Now we head to Le Mans with a really strong package and I’m happy with what we’ve done. I ran off when trying the new swingarm device, so I didn’t get to try it much. Instead we went back to our original plan of testing a new swingarm and focusing on electronics.”
Alex Rins
Ducati weren’t inside the top ten by the end of the day. Andrea Dovizioso was P11 after 52 laps with a best of 1’37.601, but he wasn’t trying any particular new parts, instead focusing on big setup changes they’d not use time for during a race weekend.
Andrea Dovizioso – P11
“Post-race tests are always useful, because they allow you to work without pressure and evaluate some modifications that you usually don’t have the time to try during a race weekend, where track time is limited. Despite not having anything new, we were able to work on several details, both in terms of setup and electronics, to have a better understanding of how the bike reacts. We gathered some important data, which we’ll be able to use in all tracks from now on. Also, we tested a new medium-spec tyre, with positive outcomes. There is always room for improvement, both for the rider and the bike, and we’ll go to Le Mans with clearer ideas about how to do it.”
Andrea Dovizioso
Dovizioso’s teammate Danilo Petrucci was P14, focused on working on setup and “some new parts” and spending the majority of his time on the hard tyre. The two were split by Pramac Racing duo Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller.
Danilo Petrucci – P14
“In these tests, we focused on preparing for the next round without going for a ‘time attack’. I tried some different components and several setup changes, only using hard tyres and taking them over the race distance to understand how to improve our pace. In particular, we worked to maximize both stability under braking and corner speed, finding some solutions that should work well in Le Mans. I’m quite happy with what we tried and the feeling with the bike is good, so I hope to be able to make another step forward in France.”
Danilo Petrucci
All four were covered by just over a tenth, and the gap from Bagnaia back to Miller was only 0.003. Another tiny gap put Tito Rabat in P17, just 0.005 off Rossi, with teammate Karel Abraham only 0.014 in further arrears. Finally, Aprilia were out on track with Aleix Espargaro and test rider Bradley Smith as Andrea Iannone missed the test due to the after effects of his Saturday crash.
Espargaro did 80 laps and was just 0.038 off Petrucci to take P15, testing rear suspension setups, traction control configurations, weight distribution and torque delivery, and Smith was only 0.002 off Abraham after 82 laps. He had some new parts and was also working on setups and tyre evaluation.
Aleix Espargaro’ – P15
“This day of testing was very important for us. In fact, I was the first one out on the track. We worked non-stop, both in anticipation of Le Mans and to continue development on the RS-GP. As always when testing, some solutions return better results than others. It will be essential to carefully analyse the data collected today to decide which line to follow in the upcoming rounds.”
Aleix Espargaro
Bradley Smith – P20
“It was a rather busy day. We worked on three fronts: the hard front tyre, which we confirmed as the right choice for our bike on this track, weight distribution and some components we needed to evaluate in terms of performance and reliability. Since I got close to Andrea’s and Aleix’s performance, the feeling is that I can contribute to overcoming the limits that the factory riders are highlighting. It is not an easy process. It takes time, but we have a structure capable of doing it. I think that in the coming months we’ll be able to make some targeted changes in our weaker areas.”
Bradley Smith
Andrea Iannone – NC
“I tried, but I was lacking strength in my foot to shift gears. It’s a pity because I would have liked to use the day of testing to confirm the positive note on which we had begun to work in FP4 where, before the crash, I was doing rather well. We received some confirmation from Aleix in the race and that is definitely positive. From tomorrow I’ll begin my recovery, but I am sure that I’ll be able to be at 100% for the Le Mans weekend.”
Andrea Iannone
That’s it from Jerez for the one-day Official Test for the premier class, although Moto and Moto3 will be back out on track on Tuesday.
2019 MotoGP Round Four – Jerez Saturday Qualifying Report
Fabio Quartararo became the youngest MotoGP polesitter at Jerez after a history making day in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, with the Frenchman breaking both the lap record and the pole position age record in Jerez, at just 20 years and 14 days of age. With a 1:36.880 he’s well inside the previous fastest ever lap of the track, in only the Malaysian team’s fourth-ever Grand Prix, claiming the top two positions.
Fabio Quartararo – P1
“What I’ve experienced this Saturday here in Jerez is incredible. I still can’t believe it. I did not expect to take pole today, so it was fantastic. This is the result of the entire team’s work throughout the weekend. I want to thank them for making this possible. In addition to being fast over a single lap, I think our race pace is good, so I hope to be able to fight for a great result. This pole and Franky’s second position are very special for the team. We are a new team in the class and it is incredible to achieve a 1-2 at only the fourth round of the year. I hope we can achieve this more often during the season.”
Fabio Quartararo – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
For Aussie Jack Miller a red flag interrupted his best lap and he was forced to return to the track with the medium tyre to preserve the soft tyres in view of the qualifying. The Australian rider pushed to the maximum but could not win the direct qualification to Q2 by only 48 thousandths of a second.
Jack Miller – P15
“It’s been a difficult day. The red flag in the FP3 didn’t allow me to take advantage of the soft tyre. I tried the medium one but obviously, it wasn’t easy. In Q1 I struggled a bit with the wind. I’m still confident because the race pace is good”.
Jack Miller – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
In Moto2 Remy Gardner laid claim to the leading position on the second row in P4, 0.184s off pole sitter Jorge Navarro, and leaving him in a commanding position for race day.
MotoGP
Teammate Franco Morbidelli was close behind pole-setter Fabio Quartararo, just 0.082 in arrears for his front row start in the premier class, and the two became the first to take a 1-2 for an Independent Team since Valencia 2005.
Franco Morbidelli – P2
“I am very happy with Q2 today here in Jerez; I had a lot of fun. It was down to a great job by the team. We worked very well and we have been fast throughout the weekend so far. We have been improving little by little and finding what we’re looking for to go forward, lap after lap. We had already progressed in FP3, getting straight into Q2 with the times very close. I was able to find a good reference to follow in qualifying, setting the time that took us into second place. When I finished the lap, looked at the circuit’s video screen and saw all the members of the team celebrating it, I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw that Fabio [Quartararo] had taken pole position too, which was more than deserved. It’s a great day for PETRONAS Yamaha SRT. Tomorrow we will have to finish it off.”
Franco Morbidelli – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
That’s as well as taking the first pole and front row starts for their new Petronas Yamaha SRT team. Reigning Champion Marc Marquez completes the top three, and he says he’ll try and ensure his record as the youngest winner in the MotoGP class won’t go the same way as the pole record when the lights go out on Sunday…
Marc Marquez – P3
“I’m very happy for the front row, normally here we struggle a bit more to put one fast lap together. The most important part is that we have prepared well for the race and tomorrow we can understand our level compared to everyone else’s. We have to wait a little bit to see what the temperature does tomorrow. Congratulations to Fabio Quartararo who took the record of youngest pole setter from me, he did a really good job today. Tomorrow it will be a good race with a mix of names at the front.”
Marc Marquez – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Behind Quartararo on the grid is Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso, on the hunt for his first premier class podium at the last venue on the calendar where he’s yet to achieve one, with Q1 graduate Maverick Viñales alongside him in fifth after a solid recovery from a tough morning – including a good showing in race-pace important FP4. Last year’s polesitter – and the previous lap record holder – is in sixth, as Cal Crutchlow bounced back from a crash in FP3 to complete the second row.
Andrea Dovizioso – P4
“I’m happy because we’ve been working really well up to this point, improving in each session. My feeling with the bike is good and even during qualifying, which is not usually my strongest suit, I managed to post a competitive time despite not doing a perfect lap. We’re ready to put up a challenge during the race tomorrow, even though Márquez still represents a question mark and weather conditions, in terms of temperatures, can play a significant role. For sure my confidence is higher than last year here. We started off on the right foot and we’ve always been among the frontrunners, but we know that the race will be a different story. Tomorrow we’ll have to stay focused to finalize the good work done up to this point.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Maverick Viñales – P5
“I‘m satisfied for sure, because FP3 was very difficult for me. I didn‘t find a good feeling and I wasn‘t riding in a good way, so we changed a lot on the bike in FP4 and then I felt really good and had a good race pace, which is the most important. I‘m a bit disappointed with myself about the qualifying, because I chose a bad strategy. I tried to follow Jorge but forgot that Morbidelli and Quartararo were right behind me. I want to say ‘Congratulations’ to Fabio because taking pole is not easy in MotoGP. Franco also did a great job, so they take first and second. P5 for me is really good, considering FP3 this morning. Tomorrow we‘ll start from the second row. It will be very important to have a good start, because we have the rhythm and I‘m braking really late, so I think for me overtaking here will be easier than at the other tracks. Let‘s see if tomorrow I can be as competitive as I was in today‘s FP4.”
Maverick Vinales – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Next up is Danilo Petrucci in P7 after the Italian was fastest on Friday, and despite a crash he has the Jerez Test’s fastest rider Takaaki Nakagami and COTA winner Alex Rins just behind him on the third row. Rookie Francesco Bagnaia put in an impressive performance to complete the top ten after heading through from Q1 alongside Viñales.
Danilo Petrucci – P7
“I’m satisfied with the feeling on the bike, even though starting from P7 will make our job a bit harder tomorrow. Unfortunately, during my fastest lap I felt a sudden vibration on the rear and almost crashed, so I wasn’t able to improve my lap time. Then, as I wasn’t sure whether the session was over or not, I tried to go for another flying lap but I crashed at turn 1, luckily without any issues. That said, it’ll be a long race and I’m confident we’ll be able to ride at the front. My team has been doing a great job and our pace is competitive, so I’m optimistic about our chances to score a strong result.”
Danilo Petrucci – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Alex Rins – P9
“We did a good job today, improving the lap time a lot compared to yesterday – which was our plan. In qualifying I tried to give 100% but I didn’t really feel very good with the front tyre that I used. But the third row and 9th place isn’t so bad, and I think I can have a good race anyway. It will be really nice to ride in front of the Spanish fans.”
Alex Rins – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
11th place is a man to watch for on Sunday afternoon, and a man who’ll be hoping to reassert his reputation as the fastest starter in the field: Jorge Lorenzo. With three premier class wins at Jerez, the number 99’s record is a very good one – and it’s a crash in Q2 that leaves him down the order, not a lack of outright pace. Meanwhile alongside him, Joan Mir made it three of four rookies in Q2 for the first time this season and he starts in P12 near the five-time Champion.
Jorge Lorenzo – P11
“The session was going quite well, I pushed quite a lot in the first run and then in the second run I tried to be more aggressive in braking. Unfortunately I closed the front and then crashed, luckily I am not hurt. Starting in the fourth row isn’t ideal but it is where we will start. The launch from the line will be important to keep our position, as everyone is very fast. Here we are closer than ever to the front.”
Jorge Lorenzo – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Joan Mir – P12
“I thought I could get a bit higher on the grid, and I feel that 12th doesn’t show our real potential today, especially as I was fast in FP3 and FP4. In general, I’m very happy with my feeling on the bike, and yesterday we made a step forward. But in qualifying my feeling was really different and I couldn’t match my lap times from the morning, so we need to find out why that was. We need to improve, but I’m looking forward to the race.”
Joan Mir – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
In 13th, however, is one of the biggest headlines from Saturday: Valentino Rossi. The ‘Doctor’ had a tough Saturday and was denied a chance at graduation to Q2 by VR46 Aademy rider Francesco Bagnaia…but Rossi has always brought the magic on race day. What can he achieve from P13?
Valentino Rossi – P13
“First of all, congratulations to Quartararo and Franco for taking a 1-2 today. Yesterday I was in big trouble. I was very slow, but today we improved a lot. This morning, in FP3, I was quite strong. I was always P5, P6, P7, and I had a good feeling with the bike, but I was a bit unlucky. I just missed Q2 by a really small margin. After that, in Q1 on my second run I hit some traffic, so I wasn‘t able to improve. For sure, starting from 13th place is very difficult, because from the fifth row it‘s very tricky, but at the same time my pace is not so bad, I‘ve improved. It‘s true that there are a lot of fast riders, but we‘re also not so bad. We have to try to work this night, like we did yesterday for today, to make another step, and after that we‘ll see what happens tomorrow in the race.”
Valentino Rossi – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Wildcard and HRC test rider Stefan Bradl was in P14, with Jack Miller just behind in P15. Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, was just ahead of brother Pol Espargaro as they took P16 and P17, but the Aprilia was inside Crutchlow’s 2018 lap record and the KTM only just over a tenth outside it – the top 16 able to better that laptime showing how incredible the level of competition is once again. And some of them will surely be looking to follow the ‘Doctor’ through the pack and get in the incredibly tight fight at the front in Jerez once the lights go out…
Pol Espargaro – P17
“We were fast this morning and only 0.4 from the fastest but we were 12th and that meant we couldn’t go directly to Q2. In qualifying we had problems with grip and it was a bit of a lottery with what tyre to use. We were trying to work out what was going on because we can turn and accelerate better but then we suffered and could not improve. We have to accept where we are and although it will be a hard comeback tomorrow we will do all we can to be as far forward as possible.”
Pol Espargaro – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
Johann Zarco – P18
“It was my best qualification performance of the season so far, so this is a positive thing. We are a bit less than a second from Fabio and benefitted from something new this weekend. I was able to smile a bit more in the box this afternoon with the improvement we made. The track is difficult because everybody is so close but we have positive thoughts on what we have done. The new chassis gives me a bit better balance and with more possibilities on the bike; when I feel this way the lap-time comes because I can play more.”
Johann Zarco – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
History was made on Saturday by Quartararo, and there’s plenty at stake on Sunday in a tantalising Spanish GP. The world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship goes racing for the first time in Europe this season at 14:00 (GMT +2) local time at the classic Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. Don’t miss it!
Moto2 Top 3 at Jerez 2019 – Morbidelli, Quartararo (pole), Marquez
MotoGP: Jerez (Spain) – Qualification Combined
Pos
Rider
Bike
Q
Time
Gap
1
F Quartararo
YAMAHA
Q2
1’36.880
0.00
2
F Morbidelli
YAMAHA
Q2
1’36.962
0.082
3
M Marquez
HONDA
Q2
1’36.970
0.090
4
A Dovizioso
DUCATI
Q2
1’37.018
0.138
5
M Viñales Q1
YAMAHA
Q2
1’37.114
0.234
6
C Crutchlow
HONDA
Q2
1’37.175
0.295
7
D Petrucci
DUCATI
Q2
1’37.209
0.329
8
T Nakagami
HONDA
Q2
1’37.332
0.452
9
A Rins
SUZUKI
Q2
1’37.351
0.471
10
F Bagnaia Q1
DUCATI
Q2
1’37.384
0.504
11
J Lorenzo
HONDA
Q2
1’37.496
0.616
12
J Mir
SUZUKI
Q2
1’37.514
0.634
13
V Rossi
YAMAHA
Q1
1’37.371
(*) 0.207
14
S Bradl
HONDA
Q1
1’37.406
(*) 0.242
15
J Miller
DUCATI
Q1
1’37.605
(*) 0.441
16
A Espargaro
APRILIA
Q1
1’37.625
(*) 0.461
17
P Espargaro
KTM
Q1
1’37.798
(*) 0.634
18
J Zarco
KTM
Q1
1’37.820
(*) 0.656
19
B Smith
APRILIA
Q1
1’38.357
(*) 1.193
20
T Rabat
DUCATI
Q1
1’38.403
(*) 1.239
21
K Abraham
DUCATI
Q1
1’38.447
(*) 1.283
22
M Oliveira
KTM
Q1
1’38.894
(*) 1.730
23
H Syahrin
KTM
Q1
1’40.042
(*) 2.878
24
A Iannone
APRILIA
FP3
1’38.327
1.370
Moto2
Jorge Navarro converted practice pace to pole on Saturday at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, taking his first ever pole position in the intermediate class and his first pole since Silverstone 2015. His margin was only 0.091 though as former winner at the venue Alex Marquez came close, and Augusto Fernandez made it three Spaniards at the top as he was third fastest to take his first ever front row start.
Jorge Navarro Moto2 – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
On a cooler Saturday, the big surprise names in Q1 included both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Brad Binder and Jorge Martin despite their pace on Friday, and the race was on for both to move through. In the end though only Binder could, third fastest behind Iker Lecuona and Andrea Locatelli. The three were only 0.057 apart though, with Xavi Vierge the fourth man heading to Q2 another 0.060 in arrears.
By the end of Q2 though, it was a familiar name at the top: Friday’s fastest, Jorge Navarro. The Spaniard, who took his first intermediate class podium at COTA last time out, took Speed Up to the top for the first time since, incidentally, Fabio Quartararo in 2018. Marquez was within a tenth though, and Fernandez is pretty close company in third after his incredibly impressive day at the office.
Heading up Row 2 is ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team rider Remy Gardner as the Aussie got back on the pace after a tougher Texas, with Nicolo Bulega another impressive performer in fifth. Fastest rookie and after having missed Texas too, it’s a stunner from the Italian who was on pole in the lightweight class at the venue in 2016. Row 2 is locked out by Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri after a tougher weekend so far than expected, punctuated by crashes and some technical issues on Friday.
Fabio Di Giannantonio took P7 and was only a single thousandth off Baldassarri for his best ever intermediate class qualifying so far, ahead of COTA winner Tom Lüthi and Tetsuta Nagashima. Brad Binder completes the top ten at the venue where he took his first Grand Prix win back in 2016 when he stormed from last to the victory in Moto3.
Former Jerez winner Sam Lowes, Xavi Vierge, Luca Marini, Marcel Schrötter and Andrea Locatelli complete the fastest fifteen on Saturday. But racing is a Sunday sport and plenty can be gained and lost under the midday sun in Spain, so make sure to watch the fourth race of the season at classic Jerez from 12:20 (GMT +2) local time.
MotoGP Top 2 at Jerez 2019 – Marquez, Navarro (pole), Fernandez
Moto2: Jerez (Spain) – Qualification 2
Pos
Rider
Time
1.
Navarro J.
1:41.182
2.
Marquez A.
+0.091
3.
Fernandez A.
+0.141
4.
Gardner R.
+0.184
5.
Bulega N.
+0.211
6.
Baldassarri L.
+0.268
7.
Di Giannantonio F.
+0.269
8.
Luthi T.
+0.276
9.
Nagashima T.
+0.278
10.
Binder B. *
+0.346
11.
Lowes S.
+0.468
12.
Vierge X. *
+0.478
13.
Marini L.
+0.624
14.
Schrotter M.
+0.652
15.
Locatelli A.*
+0.655
16.
Lecuona I. *
+0.668
17.
Corsi S.
+0.753
18.
Bastianini E.
+0.776
Moto2: Jerez (Spain) – Qualification 1
Pos
Rider
Time/Gap
1.
Lecuona I. *
1:41.587
2.
Locatelli A. *
+0.051
3.
Binder B. *
+0.067
4.
Vierge X. *
+0.127
5.
Manzi S.
+0.309
6.
Bendsneyder B.
+0.336
7.
Chantra S.
+0.345
8.
Martin J.
+0.366
9.
Aegerter D.
+0.427
10.
Pasini M.
+0.738
11.
Bezzecchi M.
+0.847
12.
Odendaal S.
+0.928
13.
Roberts J.
+0.947
14.
Tulovic L.
+1.035
15.
Pratama D. E.
+1.169
17.
Cardelus X.
+3.567
(S
Moto3
Lorenzo Dalla Porta will start the Gran Premio Red Bull de España from his first ever pole position, taking the honour by an infinitesimal 0.004 seconds from second on the grid Tatsuki Suzuki in a tight session in Jerez. Impressive rookie Celestino Vietti joins them on the front row after his best qualifying yet as well, with both he and Suzuki having gone from Q1 to front row.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta – Jerez Round 4, MotoGP 2019
A cloudier day greeted the grid on Saturday and there were a good few names in Q1 to keep an eye out for – including the two men who would go on to qualify near the top. Qatar winner Kaito Toba, preseason pace man Tony Arbolino and Championship leader Jaume Masia were other key players in a busy session, it all went down to the wire with Suzuki and Vietti joined in Q2 by Masia and his teammate Andrea Migno.
With the clock then reset for the session that would decide the top 18 on the grid, it was go time for Q2 and Dalla Porta, Suzuki and Vietti took to the top. They’re followed by a second row of Niccolo Antonelli, Dennis Foggia and Gabriel Rodrigo, with second in the Championship Aron Canet pushed down to seventh. The Spaniard suffered some key drama in the session and encountered a mechanical problem, leaving him out of the battle for pole but fast enough on his first run to remain on the third row.
Eighth fastest was home hero Marcos Ramirez, with the returning Albert Arenas in ninth and two-time Jerez winner Romano Fenati completing the top ten. Behind them come Ayumu Sasaki, Jakub Kornfeil, Migno and John McPhee, with Championship leader Jaume Masia down in fifteenth and looking for a fight back on Sunday.
Moto3 Top 3 at Jerez 2019 – Suzuki, Dalla Porta (pole), Vietti
Who can take the heat in Jerez? It’s still anyone’s game, so tune in at 11:00 (GMT+2) local time on Sunday as the lights go out for Moto3.
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) left Losail International Circuit after having topped two of the three days. Overnight a 1m54.208s was the benchmark for others to measure up to after three days of testing, Vinales was 0.233 clear of Petronas Yamaha rookie Fabio Quartararo, an incredible performance from the 19-year-old Frenchman.
Maverick Vinales – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was back inside the top four just behind Marquez on the final day, with Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) another resurgent runner as he completed the top five just ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha). On combined times over the three days those riders were all one place further back as Suzuki’s Alex Rins’ time from day two was good enough for third quickest overall at the test.
Maverick Viñales – P1
“Honestly, I have been riding really good on the track, I felt like I was going very fast with the amount of grip that the track provided today. But we need to improve. I don’t have really good grip on the edge, so we need to keep working, especially in that area. On the acceleration side we improved quite a lot since Sepang, and at the moment I’m quite satisfied with what we have in the braking area. My race pace is not bad, I tried ten laps just to understand how the bike is doing, but it was very cold for the medium tyres. Anyway, I rode quite well, with quite a good rhythm. Maybe I could have pushed a little more. However, we still need to improve for the race. I think we are going to be ready. The race will be very important for us. Our bike has really positive points, but also a few negatives, so we now need to come to a conclusion and see where we can improve.”
Maverick Vinales – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Valentino Rossi – P5
“Today was a good day, we worked in a good way and I was quite strong. Also, with the race tyres my pace is quite good, and in the time-attack I was also OK. I’m in P5 at the end of the three days, which is not so bad. For me, also the race pace is quite good, although I think we will need something more to be able to try to fight. But today we already closed the gap by a lot, as we put it all together, with all the staff. I think that, for this night, we’re done, and we’ll see in two weeks if it’s enough.”
Valentino Rossi – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“In the end, this test has been very productive. We came here to confirm the good points we found in Sepang. The riders’ feedback has been positive, even though the condition of the track has never been good during these three days. As this was an aspect that caused us to suffer in the past, we’re satisfied with our performance. Maverick has been impressive throughout the test, both with his best flying lap, a 1’54.2s, and his consistency. Vale, however, suffered a problem on Day 2, but today they were able to solve the issue and we found a good improvement, resulting in a 1’54.6s. We were able to try different items, including a new rear seat with different aerodynamics. We weren’t able to complete our entire schedule – due to the strong and bothersome wind – the race simulation included. Our engineers will use the coming break to analyse all the data in order to finalise the best set-up for FP1, that we are really looking forward to.”
Quartararo, meanwhile, did 48 laps and showed his Day 2 showing was far from a fluke, with teammate Franco Morbidelli shooting up the timesheets to sixth on Monday too. That makes good reading for both the Iwata marque and the new Petronas Yamaha SRT team, with all Yamahas in the top six on the final day, and the top seven on combined times.
Fabio Quartararo – P2
“It has been a very positive day for us. This morning the day wasn’t looking so good because it was cold and there was sand on the track, but in the end the wind dropped and once again every time I went out on track I felt better. So far this year I have only had six days on the bike and to be honest I feel very comfortable with it. I have managed to do a couple of really fast laps and that is what we were lacking at Sepang. Here we have not struggled to do the lap times, we were on the pace quickly and they have been fast. It was also good to get a race simulation in. Compared with the one I did at Sepang, this one was better in terms of my pace but it was also difficult because I was riding alone virtually the whole time. I think we are making gradual, non-stop progress.”
Fabio Quartararo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Franco Morbidelli – P7
“I am really happy with this three-day test in Qatar, we have tried a lot of different configurations. I have struggled a little to get completely comfortable with certain aspects but today we managed to get to the bottom of a few little problems. Now we just have to put it all together for the Grand Prix. Finally we have been able to make a good time attack. In general we have done a good job, now we just need to refine a few details to make sure we are competitive over race distance and also over one lap. With the data we have been able to gather here I am confident we can find the perfect package for the race and I am really happy with the job done by the whole team.”
Franco Morbidelli – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Manager
“The test here in Qatar has gone even better than we expected. We know that the Yamaha is quite suited to this track but obviously the lap times from Fabio [Quartararo] have been incredible and were beyond our expectations – everything went very smoothly for him. With Franco [Morbidelli], we have struggled quite a bit on crazy things. These things happen at testing, so I hope we have solved the majority of the issues. Even though the first few days didn’t go perfectly, he did a great job that allowed him to set a good lap time tonight. Looking back on our preseason as a whole I can only say that I think we can be proud of what we have created and everything we have achieved as a team so far. At the same time, we also need to be realistic and remember that we haven’t scored any points yet in the championship. It looks like things are under control for the moment, so let’s start racing!”
Repsol Honda were the only other team and manufacturer to mix it with Yamaha on Monday, although both machines took tumbles – riders ok. Marc Marquez was third on day three with a 1m54.613s and did 53 laps, again showing the capacity to put more mileage on his shoulder, and teammate Jorge Lorenzo took P5 just 0.040 off Marquez and 0.002 off Rossi.
Marc Marquez – P4
“I feel ready today, ready to start the season. Like yesterday we did a lot of laps, worked well and made some more steps. We’re still not 100% but we have a good feeling. Qatar is a track where normally we struggle, but at this test we are there with everyone else. It was a bit difficult with the wind and the temperature on track tonight but we still did what we needed to.”
Marc Marquez – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
After two much tougher days on the timesheets, hovering outside the top 15 as he both changes bike and comes back from a scaphoid broken only a month ago, five-time World Champion Lorenzo catapulted himself up to a 1m54.653s on Day 3.
Jorge Lorenzo – P6
“We started the test not adjusting the setting. When we started to work on the setting we were able to improve the bike and our speed. I could ride the bike better, we improved things a little here and a little there and made a big step to be competitive already. We’re very satisfied, the potential is certainly there and it is just my third day as an official Honda rider because before I wasn’t fully fit. When I’m fit and riding better, we can be even stronger.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), meanwhile, also had a solid final day as he finished the Qatar Test in eighth despite a crash, and the Japanese rider concludes testing with a sheet of consistent top tens. He did 50 laps with a best of 1m54.789s, with teammate Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) down in P17.
Takaaki Nakagami – P9
“I had a pretty nasty crash during the test, but fortunately I am ok. When I had the crash I took a fair bit of impact to my body, but I am thankfully fine apart from a little pain. In few days I’ll be good again. After the crash it was difficult, but we were able to improve the feeling and the lap time, so I am really happy to end the test like this. Now the pre-season tests are over, and I think we are ready for the season to start. I am hugely motivated to go racing, and happy with the whole LCR Honda IDEMITSU team. They have done a great job during testing, and I want to thank them for their efforts.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Cal Crutchlow – P17
“Today my feeling was a little bit better with the bike, but we only had limited resources as realistically there was only one bike to use. Overall, I felt we improved the setting of the bike. Unfortunately, halfway through the session I had a crash, and it took us quite a bit of time to rebuild that machine. We went back out and did a couple of runs, and then we wanted to make a bigger change and that took some time again. We’re very pleased with the work we have done, and while we’re not pleased with the position, we never went after a lap time today. Overall, I think we have a better pace than what the position says because we just stuck with the medium compound tyres tonight. We’ll see what we can do in a couple of weeks’ time back here in Qatar, but we are all looking forward to being back racing.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Another big headline on the last day of pre-season came from the consistently impressive Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who was a stunning seventh on a best effort of 1m54.770s. The Spaniard put in 37 laps as the Austrian factory continue working on the details, and
Pol Espargaro – P8
“I’m impressed by the potential of our bike and what we have done here. This is normally a track where we have struggled the last two years but to see us just half a second away is great. We did a good job, a good lap and a good rhythm. The conditions can change for the race but we can take a positive feeling from this test and have a good target for the GP. We still need to work carefully and concentrate on what we are doing. The conditions at the end were tough with the humidity going up and the temperatures dropping. There were a lot of crashes. Anyway, I think we can think big, and we have to do the best we can in the race but also be safe to not lose those first points of the season.”
Pol Espargaro – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
The second quickest KTM was actually Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on Monday as the Portuguese rookie was within around a second of Espargaro. Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was a little further down the timesheets on Monday in P22.
Miguel Oliveira – P20
“Today we definitely found harder conditions than the two previous days because of the wind. We started a bit slow in terms of lap time but then I was picking up the pace and riding quite good. Unfortunately, a crash ended the test, but I felt I was coming stronger and also the team made quite a few changes to the bike, with which I was very satisfied.”
Miguel Oliveira – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Johann Zarco – P19
“A bit sad with the crash. It was colder and the Medium tyre was not good enough for me so I could not improve my performance. It was a shame because it was then hard to make another step. Anyway, I got more information and experience and maybe we found a limit, so we need to work more and move that onwards. I’m too slow at the moment – for the final day here anyway – but in consistency I am not too bad and we’ll see where I can be for the race weekend. I’m quite impressed by Pol’s performance today and I’m happy for him.”
Johann Zarco – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Hafizh Syahrin – P23
“I’m very happy to improve my lap time and as well about the work on the last day with the team. We know, that we are still very far, although we were quicker. I started to understand a little bit how to adapt to the bike. We tried a race simulation, which was not really bad, but also not very fast, as we needed to understand the bike. At the same time, I did a race distance for the very first time with the KTM. We need to push harder during the race weekend, this is sure. Let’s see what we can do there.”
Hazifh Syahrin – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati Team), meanwhile, retained his stronghold on the timesheets amongst the Borgo Panigale machines. The Italian was ninth on Day 3 after another 43 laps, with teammate Andrea Dovizioso down in P15 after 50 laps, but the pair were focused on long runs and race set-up.
Danilo Petrucci – P10
“Today we faced a bit more difficulties than expected as the conditions were quite windy, which prompted us to change the setup of the bike. However, we reacted quite well because, once I put the soft tyre on, we were able to post the best provisional time right away. Then, we switched our focus back to the race, running a simulation together with Andrea and trading positions, like what we did in Malaysia. I’m happy with the feeling with the bike: despite the colder track temperatures, we managed to be fast and I’m confident we’ll be ready come race time.”
Danilo Petrucci – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Andrea Dovizioso – P15
“This closing day was complicated a bit by the wind, which didn’t allow to completely follow our program. We focused on some aspects and, while we’re not far from our rivals, there is still room for improvement. Honestly I can’t say I’m completely satisfied, but I’m also convinced we have strong potential and I’m confident we can have a strong race. We collected plenty of interesting data and it will be important to make the most of it to make sure we’re as ready and competitive as possible in two weeks’ time.”
Andrea Dovizioso – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
The engine and fairing and bigger decisions were already made before the end of action. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) improved to tenth on his final of 57 laps, and his teammate, rookie Francesco Bagnaia, wasn’t far off in P13 – just two tenths in arrears. He was closely followed by Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat.
Jack Miller – P11
“I’m satisfied with these three days of testing. We did a good job and the race pace was very good. At the end of the day, we tried a time attack with a good lap time even if the conditions of the track were not the best. There are still some details that we need to improve but we are in the right direction.”
Jack Miller – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Pecco Bagnaia – P13
“All things considered, I’m glad about these days of testing. I think that day after day we have improved in many areas. We only did one time attack but the chrono was not a goal. The important thing was to be confident about the race pace and we did a good long run. I’ll be back in Qatar in 10 days with great motivation.”
Pecco Bagnaia – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Between that Ducati invasion were nestled both of the Team Suzuki Ecstar machines. Although third overall from his Day 2 laptime, Alex Rins ended Monday in P11 on a 1m54.852s after 41 laps and rookie teammate Joan Mir was the second quickest rookie in P12. The gap between the two Hamamatsu factory machines was only a tenth and a half…
Alex Rins – P3
“My feeling was incredible and I’m very happy. As you can see from the time sheet, my pace is there, but when pushing for my best lap time I had a small crash. All of the requests I’ve given to Suzuki this winter, they have fulfilled. I feel very positive about the way the bike has been developed – it was a challenge to improve it because the base was already very good. For sure it will be tough when we start the first race, there will be a lot of fast riders and everybody is excited to start.”
Alex Rins – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Joan Mir – P12
“I’m really happy about the pace we have, and also about my feeling with the bike. We’ve made another step forward, which is really important for the race. We feel well prepared for the start of the season, although I couldn’t quite get the lap time I wanted due to a small mistake on my flying lap. But I feel I have potential and I’m close to the pace of the top guys, just a couple of tenths per lap down on them. There’s always more work to do, but overall I feel positive about what we’ve achieved in these days.”
Joan Mir – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
Aprilia, meanwhile, were happy with their improvements and although Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was P16 and Aleix Espargaro P19, they were focusing more on longer runs, for Espargaro especially – and overall across the test Espargaro was P14. The Noale factory were also happy with the adaptation shown by Iannone after the Italian had to sit out much of Sepang with illness, which is a big positive after a difficult recent run.
Aleix Espargaro’ – P14
“Today we had a true race simulation planned to prepare the base for the first race. I was obviously unable to be fast on the flying lap like I was yesterday, but that was definitely not the goal. It was also important because we brought to light a few things that need to be sorted for the race. That is why you do the simulations and now the engineers will have a large amount of data to work on. The 2019 RS-GP is significantly better than the 2018 version. Now we need to work to make the bike fast throughout the entire race distance.”
Andrea Iannone – P18
“Today was the most positive day of this test session. I am not focusing on the standings. We had another tyre available to do a time attack, but I think that it is more important to keep working on the RS-GP. Our priority is to arrive at the race with a bike that is more manageable and to successfully improve turning – aspects we need to focus on. I generally don’t make predictions and I like to keep my feet on the ground. We’ll need to take full advantage of the technical package we have available to us and then draw the sums at the end of the race.”
Bradley Smith – P22
“I think that the package Aprilia has for the season start is good. These were three days of rather intense tests. I worked both on solutions to use already here in Qatar and on developments focused on the mid to long-term. This latter aspect kept me rather busy. In two weeks I’ll be on the track in a wild card slot, but I think that improving the RS-GP over the long term is the most important thing. I kept the guys on the team busy, both with the many changes and with a little crash today, but I have to say that they did a fantastic job.”
Andrea Iannone – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 3
That’s it from Qatar and preseason is officially over – now all that remains is to race. With fifteen riders ending the test within a second, KTM in the top ten, the likes of Quartararo looking incredibly fast…what will the VisitQatar Grand Prix bring? Find out from the 8th to 10th March.
MotoGP Qatar Test 2019 Day Three Times
VIÑALES, Maverick – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.208
QUARTARARO, Fabio – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.233
MARQUEZ, Marc – Repsol Honda Team +0.405
ROSSI, Valentino – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +0.443
LORENZO, Jorge – Repsol Honda Team +0.445
MORBIDELLI, Franco – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.452
ESPARGARO, Pol – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.562
NAKAGAMI, Takaaki – LCR Honda IDEMITSU +0.581
PETRUCCI, Danilo – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.610
MILLER, Jack – Alma Pramac Racing +0.643
RINS, Alex – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +0.644
MIR, Joan – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +0.789
BAGNAIA, Francesco – Alma Pramac Racing +0.866
RABAT, Tito – Reale Avintia Racing +1.021
DOVIZIOSO, Andrea – Mission Winnow Ducati +1.025
IANNONE, Andrea – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.135
CRUTCHLOW, Cal – LCR Honda CASTROL +1.482
OLIVEIRA, Miguel – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1.565
ESPARGARO, Aleix – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.606
SMITH, Bradley – Aprilia Factory Racing +1.864 0.258
ABRAHAM, Karel – Reale Avintia Racing +1.913
ZARCO, Johann – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.954
SYAHRIN, Hafizh – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +2.163
MotoGP Qatar Test 2019 Combined Classification
Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.208
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) continued his great pre-season form by topping the timesheets on the second day of testing in Qatar overnight. The Spaniard put in a 1m54.593s to go fastest on Day 2, but it remained tight at the top as Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ended the day just 0.057 in arrears.
Alex Rins – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
That made some headlines in itself, but the man in third stole some too: rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claimed the next fastest position.
Rins’ teammate, rookie Joan Mir, also impressed and put in a 1m55.280s to end Sunday in P11, less than seven-tenths off his team-mate, and rank as the second quickest rookie.
Alex Rins – P1
“It would be good if the race was tomorrow! We’ve been doing a great job; in Sepang we tested a lot of parts, but here we’re confirming that those parts are good. But the important thing is the way I’m riding, step-by-step with a nice rhythm, and using worn tyres as well. The aim is to get everything 100% clear when we come back for the first race. I feel that our package is better than last year, just by changing small things. I feel happy with the bike.”
Alex Rins – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Joan Mir – P11
“I’m really satisfied with today, because I made good improvements. I’m feeling strong with the bike, especially as I improved my feeling with the front end which helped me to get a better pace. It was a shame because I put a new tyre in, but I wasn’t able to get the lap I wanted, but we have another day tomorrow and I’ll try again then. Today I tried the new exhaust and I’m happy about that too, I found positive things from it. The plan tomorrow is a race simulation and further improvements.”
Joan Mir – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Team Manager Davide Brivio said Mir was also testing some things, as well as adapting to the bike, but that he’d like to “race tomorrow” looking at Rins’ pace. That bodes well, and the Hamamatsu factory man also said everything “visible” on the bike is decided.
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Ecstar Team Manager
“We’ve had another positive day, the cherry on the cake was having the fastest lap time today. But the most important thing is that we were able to continue our plan and do our jobs well. Alex has good pace every time he takes to the track, and he puts together strong laps which is very helpful for us when it comes to testing. Joan improved again today and had another good lap time, close to many other riders. We are happy with the progress and the work we’ve done. Tomorrow we’ll think more about the upcoming race.”
Joan Mir’s garage – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Maverick Viñales – P2
“We were working a little bit on the race pace and honestly I’m quite happy, because I think we made good improvements today. It was important to feel the bike a little bit more, to find a new set-up to go fast. I think that job has been done and I’m quite happy about that. We still have a lot of things to do tomorrow to further improve. I hope to go faster tomorrow, because I think the track today wasn’t great. Tomorrow we can hopefully find a bit more grip. At the moment the grip level for me is quite low but we’re still there at the front and that’s the most important.”
Maverick Vinales – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
It was a different story – in terms of lap-time at least – for teammate Valentino Rossi. The ‘Doctor’ ended the day down in P19, over a second off Viñales after putting in 51 laps, but the number 46 has never been one to blast out the blocks in testing.
Valentino Rossi – P19
“Today was more difficult. I struggled more, especially with the rear grip. Yesterday we had a base setting, I was not so bad. Today we tried to improve, we tried some different settings, but also some different materials. Unfortunately we didn’t improve. It was a difficult day, I was always too slow, so we’re not happy. Tomorrow we’ll try to follow some other directions, to be more competitive.”
Valentino Rossi – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Team Director Massimo Meregalli said it’s been time to confirm positives from Sepang, and that the speed and consistency from Day 1 were encouraging. On Sunday they focused on back-to-back comparisons, and working on fairings as homologation date draws near. The fairing, says Meregalli, is the only thing left to be decided upon – but there was also a new tail unit spotted.
Petronas Yamaha SRT, meanwhile, remained impressive in their own right and as help with development for the Iwata marque. Quartararo’s bike isn’t far off that of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, and teammate Franco Morbidelli’s is the same as that of Viñales and Rossi. Quartararo stunned with his laptime in third, and Morbidelli ended the day in P13 after 52 laps of more important data gathering.
Fabio Quartararo – P3
“It has been a very positive Sunday night for us here at Losail and we have learnt a lot about the bike. We kept up a strong pace on used tyres and also took an important step forward with respect to our time attacks. Tonight was the first time I have left the box thinking, ‘I’m going to set a fast lap no matter what,’ and I am happy with the lap times we set, especially lapping alone, when I put together three great laps. The objective tomorrow is to complete a longer run to check how the tyres work when they are already worn, and then at the end of the evening we will try another time attack.”
Fabio Quartararo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Franco Morbidelli – P13
“Today we took a step forward from yesterday and we have understood some new things. We are still gathering experience with the bike and figuring out how it reacts to certain changes that we make. Looking at the lap times tonight, the pace was good but we can still improve over a single lap on the soft tyre. We have to work out the best way to do that, which is exactly what testing is for.”
Franco Morbidelli – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati Team) was the fastest Borgo Panigale machine in P4.
Danilo Petrucci – P4
“It’s been a busy day. We were among the first ones to take it to the track, and I felt comfortable right away. In particular, I was happy with the feeling with used tyres, both the medium and soft compounds. Our pace is competitive, while we still need to improve in terms of pure speed on new tyres. I still have to look into detail at our rival’s lap times, but we all seem to be quite close. Tomorrow we’ll keep working on the setup and we’ll also run a race simulation to make another step forward, which is crucial to fight for the podium during the race.”
Danilo Petrucci – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
After 48 laps ‘Petrux’ did a best of 1m54.953s and, despite being down in P8, teammate Andrea Dovizioso was close with a 1m11.205s after 53 laps. Team Manager Davide Tardozzi said Ducati have “clear ideas regarding frame, engines, aerodynamics, electronics” and that they were concentrating on tyre life – with an interesting addition under the bike that rumour says is aimed at tyre temperature.
Andrea Dovizioso – P8
“If we look at the lap times, today they probably don’t reveal too much: many riders worked esclusively for the upcoming race, but what matters the most is that my feeling with the bike is good. Today, as we had previously done in Malaysia, we did a race simulation split into two runs. It’s a very important task ahead of the opening race, even if it will unfold in slightly different conditions, and it allowed to gather interesting feedback even though it’s still difficult to gauge the true potential of our opponents. I think we’re working well and methodically, and tomorrow we’ll continue to focus on some details to find more ways to further improve.”
Andrea Dovizioso – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was the top Independent Team Ducati rider on Sunday and leapt up the timesheets into P12.
Jack Miller – P12
“I’m happier than yesterday. We worked effectively on the setup and geometry of the bike even though in the end we had to deal with a technical issue that slowed us down. I was able to improve my time despite the humidity that certainly didn’t help and for this, I thank the team that did a great job. Tomorrow we will try again in better conditions.”
Jack Miller – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) was in P14 despite a crash. He was just ahead of the second Alma Pramac Racing machine of rookie Francesco Bagnaia.
Pecco Bagnaia – P15
“It’s been a good day. We have taken a big step forward since yesterday. We were able to take a path that led us to be faster. In the end, I went on track to do a long run and in the first six laps, the feeling was good. Tomorrow we will also do some time attacks because we saved a lot of soft tyres today”
Pecco Bagnaia – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
At Honda, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the fastest man for the marque, in fifth. A 1m55.004s was his best effort, but crucially the reigning Champion managed nearly 60 laps – a good sign in his ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery, with Marquez having done less than forty on most test days so far.
Marc Marquez – P5
“I’m very happy today because it was my first ‘normal’ day of testing. I did a lot of laps, there was a little pain in the shoulder but it’s manageable. We also made a big step with the setup of the bike, I’m happy overall with my condition and the bike. We’re getting closer and closer at a circuit that’s usually not the best for us and there’s still a day of testing left.”
Marc Marquez – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was a second quicker than Day 1 but in a tight trio between Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Rossi, and he put in 44 laps with a best of 1:55.742 as he fights to recover from his broken scaphoid.
Jorge Lorenzo – P19
“Today was better than yesterday. We modified the bike to improve my feeling and confidence across the whole circuit. You can see we’ve improved by over one second, the position isn’t much better but we are much closer to the front – this is the most important part. Tomorrow we’re aiming to make another step forward again, especially with corner entry as I think there’s still more to do there.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was second fastest Honda in P7, and rumour has it one of his bikes seemed to migrate to his teammate’s side of the garage too. That teammate, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), had a tough first day but was back in the mix in the top ten on Sunday, doing 35 laps and taking P9.
Takaaki Nakagami – P9
“It was another positive test day for us, and step-by-step we are really making improvements on the bike. Also, I feel my riding improved even more today compared to the first day. I’m very happy with the feeling on the bike and of course with the LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team. The position is not so bad, and the lap time is closer to the top, so I’m really happy with the day and looking forward to the last day of pre-season tests. Let’s see if we can make even more improvements tomorrow before the season begins.”
Takaaki Nakagami – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Cal Crutchlow – P9
“We finished a little bit early today on our second day of testing here in Qatar. We got through everything in our programme for the day. We’ve got more to do tomorrow, and we’ve decided on a few different things we’re going to try then on the last day of testing before the season starts. The LCR Honda CASTROL Team have worked really hard as always, and we are a bit more pleased than yesterday, but there’s still a way to go to make sure we’re at the front.”
Cal Crutchlow – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed once again on Day 2. He ended the day in sixth – just 0.002 ahead of Nakagami – and put in 55 laps. Aprilia had a new exhaust, and Technical Manager Romano Albesiano said Espargaro and teammate Andrea Iannone were testing race setup and aero. Iannone reportedly had positive feedback on the aero, and he ended the day in P16. Test rider Bradley Smith, meanwhile, was focusing on electronics.
Aleix Espargaro – P6
“I am satisfied overall. We managed to improve a lot compared to yesterday. I feel more at ease with the 2019 RS-GP although I must admit that there is still margin for improvement, especially in terms of my feeling, for example in the braking phase, where I take a few too many risks. But you also need to consider that this is our second test with the new bike. I learn something with every outing and the mechanics gather more information that lets us perfect the setting. Tomorrow will be a fundamental day, the last before the race weekend. We’ll try a simulation to have a clearer idea of our level as compared to our rivals.”
Aleix Espargaro – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Andrea Iannone – P17
“Our priority right now is to get to know the bike better, improving step by step. We improved compared to yesterday, but we need to keep pushing hard and make the right choices, especially in terms of setup. There is obviously always something that doesn’t give us the results we expect, but we take that as another bit of information that helps us improve. As I said yesterday, we have good potential and the job is to make it consistent throughout race distance in order to maintain a good pace from start to finish.”
Andrea Iannone – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Completing the top ten on Sunday was another headline stealer – Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He was even higher up for much of the session, and his 1:55.255 meant that all six factories were within the top ten after a fitting 44 laps for the 2013 Moto2 World Champion.
Pol Espargaro – P10
“A satisfying day. We knew we had a lot to try so we started early on. Traction is important on this track, especially from corners 9-12, but we have to be careful not to use the tyre. We were working on that – as well as the race pace – because we know it will be a hard GP for us. The race itself should be a bit earlier in the day, so it’ll be warmer and tyre wear at the end will be really important. Tomorrow will be a hard day and we want to try a long run as well. Michelin are doing a good job, they have brought a new softer rear compound so they are trying to make our work fun, which is nice, and the performance of the bike is good. Overall though we must work on the electronics and the overall set-up.”
Pol Espargaro – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Teammate Zarco was in P17 just ahead of Lorenzo, but quicker than Day 1. Team Manager Mike Leitner said the focus had switched from bigger changes to details, and noted the pressure to get ready – especially with so many items to test. He also said both have good feelings and noted the particularly positive results for Espargaro’s testing.
Johann Zarco – P17
“The second day has been better for me and straight away we were able to understand why I could not improve any more on the first day. It’s important to feel that on the bike, and the positive and negatives things of our work. We moved a few steps forward for my sensation when riding and it made me smile. We’re still one second away from the first guy but we made improvements. We made many laps here and while I’m not sure if we are fully set for this race yet we can do the best job we can. It is just about finding the right set-up for my riding style and when we put our finger on something I can immediately make progress. We are taking a while to find it…but this is just the beginning of our story. I would like to get inside a second tomorrow: that would be interesting. I want to get closer.”
Johann Zarco – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Miguel Oliveira – P21
“Today has been quite different to yesterday. We improved the lap time, which is a good point. We managed to do some decent work on the bike, we kept focused more on the long-runs and how the race should look like; tyre-wise and also setting-wise, we adapted the bike a lot – not to do a fast lap, but to have a fast pace. Overall, I felt quite strong. We have plenty of opportunities tomorrow to try to put in a fast lap.”
Miguel Oliveira – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
Hafizh Syahrin – P23
“It has been a tough second day here. We tried to change many things to improve my feeling on the brake and especially on the front part of the bike. On the rear, we just tried the soft tyre. To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed of myself because I was expecting more. Anyway, we keep on working hard, try to understand more and I want to refresh for tomorrow as it is the last day before the start of the season.”
Hazifh Syahrin – 2019 MotoGP Qatar Test – Day 2
MotoGP riders have one more day of testing in Qatar and that will get underway tonight. We will have all the news for you on MCNews.com.au in the morning.
MotoGP Qatar Test 2019 Day Two Times
RINS Alex – SPA – Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’54.593
VINALES Maverick – SPA – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +0.057
QUARTARARO Fabio – FRA – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.315
PETRUCCI Danilo – ITA – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.360
MARQUEZ Marc – SPA – Repsol Honda Team +0.411
ESPARGARO Aleix – SPA – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +0.580
NAKAGAMI Takaaki – JPN – LCR Honda +0.582
DOVIZIOSO Andrea – ITA – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.612
CRUTCHLOW Cal – GBR – LCR Honda +0.654
ESPARGARO Pol – SPA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.662
MIR Joan – SPA – Team Suzuki Ecstar +0.687
MILLER Jack – AUS – Alma Pramac Racing +0.787
MORBIDELLI Franco – ITA – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.963
ROSSI Valentino – ITA – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +1.011
RABAT Tito – SPA – Reale Avintia Racing +1.068
BAGNAIA Francesco – ITA – Alma Pramac Racing +1.087
IANNONE Andrea – ITA – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.105
ZARCO Johann – FRA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.123
LORENZO Jorge – SPA – Repsol Honda Team +1.149
ABRAHAM Karel – CZE – Reale Avintia Racing +1.358
OLIVEIRA Miguel – POR – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1.681
SMITH Bradley – GBR – Aprilia Racing Test Team +2.273
First Malaysian MotoGP Team Petronas Yamaha Sepang
Petronas Yamaha Sepang will become the first Malaysian MotoGP team to compete across the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes in 2019. The team was officially presented at the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia this week amongst high hopes for a promising 2019 MotoGP season.
Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo
MotoGP riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo lined up with their 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 machines alongside Petronas Sprinta Racing riders Khairul Idham Pawi (Moto2), and Ayumu Sasaki and John McPhee (Moto3).
It all started during the 2018 Grand Prix of Spain, in the first week of May. Rumours that two slots might become available on the MotoGP grid for 2019 reached Razlan Razali and he wasted no time in contacting with Carmelo and Carlos Ezpeleta, at which point the door to the elite category creaked open – albeit only slightly.
The historic moment in Malaysian motorsport took place in the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Foyer.
Petronas are not newcomers to motorcycle racing and have a long history in Formula1, obtaining sensational results with Mercedes, including the last five F1 World Championship titles. Noor Afiza M Yusof, Head of Brand Management of Petronas, sees their success on four wheels as the model to follow in MotoGP.
Team Director Johan Stigefelt, meanwhile, went about the task of putting the first – and for him the most important – piece of the jigsaw in place – the recruitment of Wilco Zeelenberg.
Johan Stigefelt – Team Director
“Yamaha’s help during the team’s first steps was fundamental. If they didn’t help us out in the way they did for the Valencia test, with the engineers, technicians, material… we wouldn’t have been able to do that test or even Jerez. You can have the biggest budget and the best material but you need a good human group. If you don’t have that, the team spirit and the team itself will never be the same. I am really happy to be able to present the team and riders today alongside Petronas, and it is a great feeling to show everybody our new colours. I am proud that the riders in all three categories will have the same look, which was the objective for us – that everybody sees us as a united structure. I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of the partners who have made it possible for this project to move forward. We will be back to work on track very soon, at our home circuit, the Sepang International Circuit. We will start with the MotoGP riders, who will be able to enjoy their new bikes and new material from Yamaha. We have planned an extensive programme of tests, even though the riders already have a little experience on the Yamaha. The conditions will be demanding at Sepang and we have a lot of work to do, so it will be a big challenge for Franco [Morbidelli] and Fabio [Quartararo].”
2019 Petronas Yamaha Sepang MotoGP Team officially presented
The new Team Manager of Petronas Yamaha SRT remembers his own excitement when he was first told about the project and reveals the clear objective he has set.
Wilco Zeelenberg – Team Manager of Petronas Yamaha SRT
“I feel excited to start this new role and I think that the longer everybody is together, the better we will do. We want to become the best satellite team on the grid and become the go-to team for any promising young rider looking to make the step up to MotoGP.”
Petronas Yamaha Sepang MotoGP launch
One of the most important factors on the sporting side was of course to secure the signatures of two top riders for the new project.
2018 Rookie of the Year Franco Morbidelli and the man who will look to relieve him of the title, Fabio Quartararo, makes the step up from Moto2. The team will be Yamaha’s only satellite representation on the grid, receiving top level material and factory support thanks to the magnificent working relationship between the team and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.
“I feel like one of the people within this project that has the duty to make it a success. I don’t feel that I have more or less responsibility than anybody else – we are all the same – but each of us has to do their job to the best of their ability to make Petronas, Yamaha, the sponsors and the fans proud. This is my second team presentation as a MotoGP rider and my first with this ambitious team. To be honest it has been really impressive, everybody is very excited and committed to the team. I came to KLCC before but it never fails to impress. To make the presentation here, to see the colours on my Yamaha for the first time and to enjoy the moment with the people of Malaysia has been fantastic. This is a great day for PETRONAS Yamaha SRT! I love how the bike has turned out and the whole look with the leathers and helmet. I am looking forward to debuting it next week in the first test at the Sepang International Circuit. We all have a lot of work ahead so I am looking forward to getting back on the bike and joining up with the team to continue our progress and preparation for the start of the season in Qatar.”
Franco Morbidelli
Fabio Quartararo – MotoGP
“When my manager told me about it for the first time I didn’t believe him. Honestly, I didn’t think that I would get such a good opportunity to move up to MotoGP this season. But once the first contact had been made, we knew that this team would be immediately fighting to be the best satellite team, that it would have a very professional technical staff and a very positive atmosphere, so I had no doubts in accepting the challenge. I am very excited to have unveiled the new design of the bike and to have presented the whole team here at home, in Malaysia. I love it! Now I am really excited to get back on the bike at the Sepang International Circuit in the three-day test we have ahead. I am happy to be starting the new season there because it is one of my favourite tracks. We will try to give our best to learn as much as possible. We have six days of tests before the first race in Qatar, so I will do everything possible to be ready for the opening Grand Prix. The goal for any rider moving up from Moto2 is to become Rookie of the Year, so we will work hard to achieve it.”
Fabio Quartararo in testing
In the intermediate category, the Petronas Sprinta Racing outfit heads into its second season with a new face on board – Malaysia’s two-time Grand Prix winner Khairul Idham Pawi.
Khairul Idham Pawi – Moto2
“It has been a dream presentation; for me it is something incredible to unveil the team’s new colours in Kuala Lumpur, my home, because I have never done anything like this here before. To see so many people together at the Petronas Twin Towers was very exciting. I love the new bike that the team have put together for the 2019 season and I am very much looking forward to getting back into action soon.”
Khairul Idham Pawi
Meanwhile in Moto3, Ayumu Sasaki welcomes a new team-mate in John McPhee, forming a new pairing ready to fight for the positions of honour at the front of the pack.
Ayumu Sasaki – Moto3
“It was an incredible day. It was very nice to have all five of the team’s riders here – it has been very exciting. I also love how the bikes look, so now I want to see what they’re like on track! I am very keen to get back on the bike, meet up again with my technical staff and complete some laps at the Sepang International Circuit. I hope to understand the bike as soon as possible and come back to my riding style after almost three months without riding. I’m really looking forward to Sepang and also the Jerez Test. Our target for this season will be really high. McPhee will be the best team-mate I can ask for and together we will try to be as fast as possible and fight for the podium when we can.”
Ayumu Sasaki
John McPhee – Moto3
“What an amazing day here in Kuala Lumpur! To have the Petronas Sepang Racing Team launch at the Petronas Twin Towers was something special. The new livery looks great and now I’m really excited to get the season underway. Now we head to the Sepang International Circuit to start our new season. My aim is to make the most of the next three days to kick off our season in our best possible way. We’ve got an exciting year ahead with lots to look forward to.”
Ayumu Sasaki & John McPhee
2019 MotoGP Calendar
10 March Qatar*, Losail International Circuit
31 March República Argentina, Termas de Río Hondo
14 April Americas, Circuit of the Americas
05 May Spain, Circuito de Jerez
19 May France, Le Mans
02 June Italy, Autodromo del Mugello
16 June Catalunya, Barcelona – Catalunya
30 June Netherlands, TT Circuit Assen
07 July Germany, Sachsenring
04 August Czech Republic, Automotodrom Brno
11 August Austria, Red Bull Ring – Spielberg
25 August Great Britain, Silverstone Circuit
15 September San Marino, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
22 September Aragón, MotorLand Aragón
06 October Thailand, Chang International Circuit
20 October Japan, Twin Ring Motegi
27 October Australia, Phillip Island
03 November Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit
17 November Comunitat Valenciana, Circuit Ricardo Tormo
Fabio Quartararo will be one of the rookies to watch on his Yamaha YZR-M1 in 2019, the Frenchman already showing a quick adaptation to MotoGP in the first official winter tests.
At only 19 years of age, the Petronas Yamaha SRT rider will be the youngest in the category. Here he explains how his premier-class dream came about, discusses his first laps on a MotoGP bike and his first few days working with the new Malaysian outfit.
Fabio Quartararo
When and how did you receive the offer to be part of this ambitious project?
“The first time I spoke about it with my manager was on the Monday after the Dutch TT. At that time, he just told me that there might be the possibility of moving up to MotoGP. From that point we took steps towards the dream every day, and it came true at Sachsenring, where we agreed a deal with the team.”
Fabio Quartararo
What were your thoughts when you first heard about this challenge?
“When my manager told me about it for the first time I didn’t believe him. Things progressed in the right way each day but obviously until I had signed the contract I couldn’t relax.”
Fabio Quartararo
Was the offer a surprise or were you planning to move up to the premier class in 2019?
“Honestly, I didn’t think that I would get such a good opportunity to move up to MotoGP this season. But once the first contact had been made, we knew that this team would be immediately fighting to be the best satellite team, that it would have a very professional technical staff and a very positive atmosphere, so I had no doubts in accepting the challenge.”
Fabio Quartararo
Did you change anything about your physical training before the first preseason tests?
“Yes, actually, on the flyaways I started to work more specifically on my arms but when I got on the MotoGP bike it wasn’t as physical as I expected. That doesn’t mean I don’t have work to do this winter, to be as prepared as possible going into the preseason and then the Grands Prix.”
Fabio Quartararo
What was the first lap like on a MotoGP bike?
“It was a very strange feeling. I was a bit anxious, I didn’t feel comfortable. Once I got onto the straight and was able to feel the power that these bikes have, that was… spectacular! The bike was still wheelieing in sixth gear. That was one of the most fun straights of my life! We are excited to go back to Sepang and feel their support, to be able to ride in front of them with the new colours on our bikes.”
Fabio Quartararo
What surprised you most about the bike during the tests?
“Even though I was expecting it, the power still surprised me, especially over the opening few laps. You get up to 300 km/h very quickly. Little by little I got used to the speed, although I still have some way to go. But definitely the most striking thing was the carbon brakes. You get back down to 50 km/h much quicker than on a Moto2 yet the braking points are virtually the same, it’s incredible.”
Fabio Quartararo
Do you get the feeling that you are going to have to change much about your riding style?
“Along with the technical staff we analysed how I am riding the bike and the truth is there is not much we need to change, which surprised me. I know that I need to be faster in corner entry, but… little by little.”
Fabio Quartararo
How is it to work with this new Petronas Yamaha SRT crew?
“We are a new team but with very experienced professionals in the World Championship, which at the end of the day is the most important thing. The first tests went very well, I felt very comfortable with the whole team. I am looking forward to getting the winter break over with so we can get back to work together.”
Fabio Quartararo
What is your plan for the next two months?
“First of all, to rest and spend some days with my family, especially over Christmas. After that I have a tough winter planned, with a very physical training programme, to make sure I am 100% ready in February when preseason starts again at Sepang.”
Fabio Quartararo
I guess the Sepang tests will be a good opportunity to meet the fans in Malaysia…
“Of course, we already saw this year at the Sepang International Circuit how the fans got behind the Malaysian riders during the Grand Prix. We are excited to go back there now and feel their support, to be able to ride in front of them with the new colours on our bikes. It will be a very special occasion for the team.”
